Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Calm down, she scolded herself like the child she apparently still was on the inside.
Not her fault. Her father did tend to spoil his only daughter. Sure, she’d always been a hard worker. Aleeza took her hits and kept on trucking. She was a real team player. But this might break her.
The stoic, unaffected expression that Dib wore as he walked down the hall with her had her near to panicking. How could he act so unmoved? Because, she told herself, he is the most successful lawyer of their Pack and he’s getting shit done.
The explanation served to calm her on the outside, but she was still a nervous wreck inside. The three of them were now on their way to explain to the Alpha of the Black Sea Pack what they were doing there.
They’d also have to explain about their relationship. Mates. Dib had called them mates. They certainly made out like mates two seconds ago. And now he won’t even look at me.
Humiliation like she’d never felt washed over her. Years of wishing Dib Lowell would see her as a woman finally answered, or so she thought. But the ugly truth settled in now. He was simply obligated to pretend to be into her. For the Pack, for their mission, and to protect her. Either way it stung, knowing he had to force himself to be with her.
Of course, the kissing, groping, fondling, and if she was being honest, dry humping session was anything but forced. Her fault. She did throw herself at him. Even if he started it. And he might try to deny it later but, damn it, he was right there with her every step of the way.
Aleeza could still feel his lips against hers, tongue swirling, fingers grasping. God, he felt so good. She was desperate for him to sink inside her, to really claim her like a Wolf should his mate. If only they were true, fated mates.
Then she’d be free to touch him whenever she wished. Imagine being able to bring Dib Lowell to his knees with a touch? With a kiss? Imagine having the right to kiss him anywhere, anytime? Warmth pooled in her belly. Moisture slicked between her thighs. She’d be able to kiss, lick, suck, to make love to him, with him, in oh so many ways...
Bright green eyes turned to face her, the large hand covering hers squeezed for a brief second, and her eyes widened. She watched his nostrils flare. Uh oh. He could smell her arousal. Knew she was thinking about them.
Think of something else! People chewing loudly, dirty clothes on the floor, Dib groping her ass, fingers slipping into her heat. His muffled grrrr stopped her once again. Oops.
“Behave, macushla,” he whispered, a hint of a smile on his handsome face as he squeezed her fingers again.
She felt her cheeks heat as he tucked her into his side and resumed their pace down the long hallway to the room where the Black Sea Pack’s Alpha was waiting for them with his inner circle.
The room was dark. Only a few dimly lit wall sconces offered any light at all. The Black Sea Pack’s inner circle was comprised of several large Wolves. Some were smiling menacingly at the newcomers. Others wore no expression at all.
Dust motes floated near windows in the natural light that shone through the blinds. Aleeza took in the place and noted it was as unkempt as the outside had been. Slovenly even. As if no one cared to keep the place neat. Odd for a Pack house with visiting dignitaries, as they were.
Incense burned in the corner and she thought that odd as well. Werewolves did not like heavy perfumes and air fresheners. The scent was almost stifling, and she wanted to throw open a window to let in some fresh clean air. She refrained, but only just.
She recognized the Alpha in the center. His name was Anri Bagrat. He was older, almost ninety if Dib had done his homework correctly, and Aleeza was sure he had. His appearance was that of a man twenty to thirty years younger than his age. Not unusual for a Wolf, but still his skin held a faint tint of gray that was not healthy.
He appeared thin, sunken in, with bags under his eyes and dull, limp gray hair hanging around his shoulders. His black clothing was old and ill-fitting. His lips turned down in a sneering frown, but it was the manic look in his purplish eyes that made her want to duck behind Dib’s large body.
His wife, Ana, stood to his left. She was much younger than him, in her late twenties if that. Tragically beautiful with pale skin, black hair, and bright blue yes. She too had a hollowed-out appearance. Too thin for a she-Wolf. She looked older than her years and tired. Very tired.
Aleeza didn’t speak a word of the language, but the undercurrents in the room were threatening to drown her. Everyone was so severe. Not angry per se, but not happy either. This Alpha was not like Rafe Maccon. He was no gentle, understanding Alpha. He ruled with an iron claw.
An Alpha of the old regime. Misogynistic and with a cruel set to his mouth, she watched the Alpha’s eyes dart to her as Ivan, their former driver, nodded towards her with an insolent leer. She squeezed Dib’s hand taking comfort in the rumbling growl that sounded from his chest.
Comfort soon gave way to surprise. Dib was a lawyer. Smooth and suave in the courtroom, she’d seen him lose his temper a thousand times. But she’d never seen him display his Wolf so openly and aggressively.
His animal was present, she could see his beast in the way his eyes were glowing in the dimness of the room. Werewolves were possessive creatures especially when it came to their mates. But we’re only faking it.
Still, it stood to reason he would show them he was protective of her. Especially with the way Ivan was looking at her with blatant lust. The man’s intense leer was downright rude. He smirked and looked to his Alpha nodding his thick head toward her again. Dib started, but she held him to her, refusing to let him go.
“Welcome, Macconwood Wolves,” a smallish man stepped forward.
He was about five-foot six-inches tall, his thinning hair combed over to one side. A deep breath told her he was human, a normal among Wolves. Pleased with her ability to recognize him by scent she straightened as he addressed the three of them with a sweep of his head.
“You are Mr. Lowell, yes? You are Liam McAllister? And this is the lovely Ms. Aleeza Marlowe, I take it.”
“Thank you for having us, Mr.?” Dib spoke.
A sudden cramp hit her lower stomach, but Aleeza held herself still against the nagging pain. Unwilling to reveal her discomfort in front of the predators in the room. Some dominant Werewolves would pounce on any weakness, she knew that much. And, to her dismay, there seemed to be more than one unhinged mind in the room.
She exhaled slowly. A small, bland smile on her lips, as if nothing was wrong in the room. She quietly took in Dib’s strength. Relying on him and Liam, who stood behind her, to see them all through this okay.
The two men were tense and ready, while she exuded an air of calm that she didn’t quite feel. Liam’s position was one of protection and honor. The same he took up when guarding the Alpha pair back home, as a Wolf Guard.
She was touched that he gifted them that status. She heard his deep inhale behind them and almost turned when he stopped suddenly. She practically felt his surprise and bit her tongue to stop her groan.
Unable to stop herself, she glanced behind her and saw amusement warring with shock in his clear eyes. Crap. He must’ve scented her, uh, earlier activities with Dib. Liam’s normally playful expression remained carefully blank as the man continued to speak.
“I am Uri Mihail, I spoke on the phone with Mr. McAllister,” his accented voice broke the harsh silence as he nodded towards where Liam was standing.
“Yes, I recognize your name, you are the Black Sea Pack attorney. I’m Dib Lowell, the attorney representing the Macconwood Pack’s interests. So, you are a normal?”
“Yes. My father was a Wolf, but I was not so gifted.”
“And I see you do speak English.” Not a question, but not rude either. Aleeza admired Dib’s technique a little more for his restraint.
“A little. As you do some Georgian, Ivan has told us. Sorry, we did not realize you were being accompanied by your mate?”
“Yes, well, as you can imagine, I don’t like to travel without her. My mate is precious to me, as I am sure you understand,” Dib’s voice deepened, and his arm snagged her around the waist.
Aleeza shivered with the weight of those words. If only he meant them. What she wouldn’t give to belong to the red-headed giant beside her? She closed her eyes and listened as he continued to address Uri.
“She also happens to be my paralegal and is intimately acquainted with our case. Participating in the trafficking and subsequent hiding of a she-Wolf from her rightful Pack is against council law as well as the treaty that brought us here to your door. As you well know, Alpha Bagrat,” Dib seemed to grow taller as he spoke.
Addressing the Alpha instead of his puppet, Dib turned to face Anri Bagrat. The shriveled Wolf snarled his displeasure. Aleeza wanted to cower but held herself still.
“We must speak about Claire Maccon, Alpha,” Dib spoke against the near deafening silence.
He faced off against the old Wolf impressively. Averting his eyes because protocol dictated he at least show respect to the Black Sea Pack’s leader, she had no doubt Dib was the stronger of the two. His suit jacket hid his rumpled shirt. Rumpled from her. His face impassive, but his body language proved he was ready for anything. Like a Wolf lying in wait for his prey.
“We shall speak of your claim in time. Now, relax, my friends. This is no courtroom, we are merely going over the documents your Pack has sent to see if your accusations are justified, yes?”
“Of course, but these are not merely accusations. The she-Wolf in question is our Alpha’s mother. She is a direct descendant of Eoghan MacContire, the founder and sire of the Macconwood Pack. She is a treasured member of our Pack and we will not rest until we have located her.”
“If she is here, you may of course meet and discuss-”
“Do not misunderstand me. If Claire Maccon is being kept here against her will, I-” Dib’s voice remained even though she could sense his growing fury.
“What can a simple Pack lawyer do, eh? You come here with your American arrogance and think to intimidate me. You do not know who you are threatening, boy-” the Alpha sneered.
“Alpha, please! Mr. Lowell, I assure you, if she is among us, we are not holding her against her will. It is a simple matter of updating our membership files, for I see no one under that name here,” Mr. Mihail presented a plain manila folder to Dib. So, they were keeping this hidden.
“Thank you. This would have been useful before our meeting, Mr. Mihail.”
“Of course, my apologies. I only withheld because like I said they need updating.”
“We would be happy to assist,” Liam began.
“Not necessary,” grumbled Ivan from behind the Alpha. Bagrat nodded his agreement, but the lawyer, Mihail ignored them both.
“Thank you for the offer, gentlemen.”
“This is a good starting place, Mr. Mihail. I am sure we will find what we need. Anyway, what honorable Pack would hold a female captive?” Dib’s insult was clear, but she admired his smooth execution.
Sweat dotted Mihail’s forehead. His squinty gaze darted from his Alpha and the Macconwood Wolves. Aleeza felt her Wolf beneath the surface, the emotions foggy under some sort of hidden veil, but still present. She was growing restless and agitated. Her emerging supernatural senses detecting something foul in the air that had nothing to do with the hideous incense that was still burning.
“Yes, exactly. Please sit,” the little man seethed under Dib’s glare and pointed to a table where he and the Macconwood Wolves would talk under the stare of the Alpha and his minions.
The surface conversation was friendly enough, the undercurrents were not. The two lawyers circled each other with words like two enemy knights of old before an important battle. Sizing each other up, trying to determine weakness. Of course, being a predator, Dib had the advantage where Uri was definitely a sneaky SOB.
Aleeza’s attention flicked to the stage where the Alpha sat on his mock throne. Pompous ass. She noticed Ana, the Alpha’s mate, was not looking at the men in the room. In fact, her dark blue eyes were on Aleeza. She seemed to be trying to get her attention.
Aleeza looked at the she-Wolf and tilted her head, ready to receive whatever info she was trying to impart. While Ana Bagrat looked worn and tired, she was definitely much younger than Aleeza had thought at first glance. Probably in her twenties.
Her long, dark hair was in a braid that reached her waist. Her smooth, pale skin was marred by bruises and cuts in various stages of healing. The sight angered Aleeza. The woman was a wisp of a thing when compared to the withering bulk of her powerful mate. Clearly, he was the cause of those bruises.
What kind of relationship was this? Why didn’t Ana run? She wondered to herself. Anri didn’t seem attentive to his wife at all, which was probably a blessing to the woman. She opened her eyes and tilted her head towards the back of the room, but Aleeza couldn’t figure out what she was doing.
She took a quick peek and noticed a door that was oddly guarded by two of the stocky Georgian Wolves. Why would they be guarding a door when their Alpha sat like a king in this farce of a meeting?
Her gaze went back to Ana, standing next to him looking fragile and a little lost. The woman turned her head down, but not before Aleeza noted the shiver that attacked her frame.
Was she cold? Sick? Scared? Yes. Scared. The sour scent of her fear drifted into Aleeza’s nostrils. But why scared? Of them? Or of her husband?
Her wandering thoughts halted as she tried again to gain the attention of the Alpha’s mate. Ana’s eyes widened before she looked away again.
“If you read along the second page you will note all the mated males and their houses, offspring underneath,” Mihail droned on in the background.
But she was not listening, Aleeza had other things on her mind. After all, a little female solidarity never hurt and from what she knew of the Black Sea Pack, they were practically living in the middle ages with the way their women were treated.
She recalled the facts she’d learned about the Georgian Pack when the trail to Claire Maccon led to them. At the time she was sure that a lot of the information was outdated. Only now she wondered if that wasn’t naivete on her part.
She-Wolves in the Black Sea Pack were not permitted to work unless their fathers, brothers, or mates gave express permission. Marriages were arranged. Barren females shunned. Widows passed around to sate unmated males.
The list went on. She-Wolves were discouraged to pursue their education, or any hopes of having careers. It made Aleeza ridiculously mad when she’d discovered such backwards practices alive and well in the twenty-first century! That wasn’t the worst thing she’d discovered about their hosts.
It seemed the Black Sea Pack wasn’t above resorting to a little human trafficking to get women to their section of the globe. For some reason, the female to male ratio in the Pack was horribly uneven.
Because of the few she-Wolves, the males who preferred to mate with them as opposed to normals to “keep bloodlines pure”, went about securing brides in less than legal ways.
They disregarded normals for what they saw as genetic deficiencies. Huh. No wonder their numbers were so small. It was well-known amongst the Macconwood Pack that fertility amongst supernaturals was iffy at best.
Normals were often desired mates for that reason alone. Higher birth ratios occurred in pairings where a normal mated with a supernatural. With the end of the Curse, things were starting to change in that respect. However, this backwards Pack didn’t seem to care either way.