Aleeza’s heart pounded as she and Dib were led back to their room by a gleeful Ivan. He murmured behind them, his words lost on her, but his insolence bright as neon. Dib turned and glared at the man.
“Dib,” she whispered and tugged on his hand, pulling him into the room with her.
“Yes, you go with your little woman, for now.”
Aleeza hurried and closed the heavy mahogany barrier in Ivan’s smug face. Dib turned to open it, his vein throbbing in his forehead, but she would not move.
“I can handle him,” he said angrily.
“I know you can, but where would that get us? We’re here to find Claire Maccon, not to take this Pack to task,” she reminded him gently.
“Fine. I’m going to take a shower,” he turned away from her and grabbed some clean clothes from his suitcase before heading to the adjoining bathroom.
She nodded, pretending to look through her smart phone. But she wasn’t seeing anything. The implications of what had just happened finally seemed to reach her.
The driver, Ivan, had decided to pursue Aleeza for some unknown reason. Perhaps it was the challenge to his manhood? Lord knew, she gave him no encouragement in the brief time she’d spent in his company.
Not that it mattered to these Wolves. Hell, it wasn’t just their refusal to allow their women freedom for educational and business pursuits that made this Pack backwards, but they also left female family members to the mercy of their male relatives. They chose everything from what education the females received to forging marital contracts with unmated Wolves.
Arranged marriages were downright modern when it came to the way these Packs brokered engagements or matings between Wolves. Aleeza shuddered at the thought.
Something needed to be done. But even the Order of the Guardians, an organization that had the privilege and misfortune of policing the entire supernatural community, could do nothing about it.
Interfering with the customs and laws of individual Packs or Clans was not permitted. However, if the women themselves were to rebel. Now that would be something else.
Aleeza pondered that while she listened to the water running in the shower. For a moment she pictured it cascading down the hard lines of Dib’s powerful form. Were his long-fingered hands traveling the length of his body right now? Were they washing away the dust of travelling from his milky white skin?
Heat traveled through her body at the picture she’d conjured. She seemed to swell and throb at the erotic images flowing through her mind. Her pink girly bits pulsed with need. Thinking of that man in all his naked glory was downright dangerous. She groaned aloud. What a mess!
Crushing on him was one thing. Picturing him nude, okay, it happens. But allowing herself to daydream about getting it on with the man, when he was sure to smell her arousal the moment he walked in the room, was just plain stupid.
Dib was a private sort of man. The consummate professional. Or at least, he always had been. She’d watched him date over the years. It broke her heart each and every time he’d taken some blonde-haired beauty out for the night. He seemed to have a penchant for tall, thin blondes. Figured he’d be into the exact opposite of her.
Her Wolf bristled at her opinion of her short stature, dark hair, and extra curves. Normally she was perfectly happy with her appearance. She didn’t mind her tan skin, glossy brown hair, wide hips, and double Ds at all. Her coloring stemmed from her Latina mother, despite her English father’s much lighter complexion.
Not that she didn’t like her looks, herself. She thought she was cute. Men appreciated her appearance too. At least, their stares told her they did.
Just not the right man. Yes, men had asked her out over the years, but she’d turned them down flat. Not interested. She simply didn’t have eyes for anyone else.
Kissing Dib had been like a thousand little dreams coming true all at once for Aleeza. His skilled mouth was more than a match for her untried one. She’d never felt so powerfully attracted to a man as she did to Dib Lowell.
For years, she feared his supernatural senses would out her. That he’d discover her feelings for him. But up until they’d landed here, he never hinted at knowing about her shameless desire.
Well, at least it wasn’t all one sided. He certainly seemed responsive enough. She recalled his hard length between her thighs and bit her lip on a moan. Yup. A certain part of him was definitely interested.
Getting his scent on her clothes and body had been exciting to say the least. Kissing and some heavy petting was one thing, but a Werewolf’s mating mark was something else entirely. Oh crap. What were they going to?
She couldn’t ask him to throw away his chance at finding his true mate on protecting her. Not even from the likes of Ivan or any other Werewolf in this Pack.
Of course, none of this would be an issue if she hadn’t been a Wolf herself. Normals weren’t required to adhere to Pack law, but Wolves were. Even latent ones.
Aleeza groaned lightly as she waited for the water to stop running. Was he going to hide in there forever? They really needed to talk. She walked across the room to check out the mini-fridge when a sudden knock sounded.
“Coming!”
She opened the door to reveal Ivan, of course, and Ana, the Alpha’s wife. She was carrying a tray and sporting a fresh bruise around her mouth. Aleeza frowned.
“Come in, please, Mrs. Bagrat! You stay here,” she closed the door on a growling Ivan’s face. Ana followed her with small, scared steps as Aleeza cleared off a space for the food.
“Thank you for the tray, we can set that here. Now, let me see your face,” she pulled the woman along to the vanity and retrieved some aloe wipes she carried in her travel make-up bag.
“No, please, it is good,” the woman’s husky voice nearly broke Aleeza’s heart. Her blue eyes darted to the door, her fear spiking in the room.
“Don’t worry about him. So, you speak English?” Aleeza asked pointedly ignoring her discomfort.
“Some, yes,” she whispered her frightened eyes going over Aleeza’s head to look at the door where Ivan was knocking.
“Ana!” Ivan hissed through the wood. The woman jumped, almost tipping over the pot of tea she’d just carried in with the food.
“Just a second. Please wait by the door, my mate is in the shower and I am sure he’ll want to thank you,” Aleeza’s smile didn’t reach her eyes but she did not break eye contact with the louse.
“Ana, please, if something is wrong,” Aleeza lowered her voice until it was almost undistinguishable.
“No, no-”
“Please, just know I can help you-”
“Oh, no, it is okay,” Ana began shaking her head.
“Take these, they are soaked in Aloe. It will help speed healing. A small gift, it’s a custom from my Pack,” she pressed the soothing aloe packets into Ana’s hand along with her business card with her private cell phone number on it.
“Thank you,” whispered Ana. She raced to the door opening it as the bathroom door opened and Dib entered the bedroom.
The fragile looking she-Wolf averted her gaze and Aleeza was grateful since a sudden wave of jealousy threatened to overwhelm her. Dib was practically naked! Wearing a pair of low-slung jeans over his hips and nothing else. His chest was damp, and his hair and short beard were still wet from his shower. Aleeza’s mouth watered at the sight.
“What’s going on?” Dib asked tightly.
His gaze softened as it met Ana’s and he murmured words of thanks as she gestured to the tray of food. Ivan glared at him with barely contained malevolence. He pushed past Ana and jerked her through the door by her elbow.
“Night,” the man said. It was all Aleeza could do not to throttle the bastard.
“Please, thank you, goodnight,” Ana met her stare and shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to act. The door to their bedroom closed and Dib exhaled.
“I swear, Dib, I don’t know how, but we have to get that woman out of here,” she said, her body practically vibrating with anger.
“I agree, but first things first. We need to protect you, and we need to get a location on Claire Maccon.”
“Okay. About protecting me-”
“Let’s eat, then we can talk, unless you’d rather shower first?”
“You can go ahead and eat. I’ll take a quick shower if you don’t mind,” she retreated to the bathroom, keeping her eyes on the floor. She couldn’t bear to look at him just yet.
This whole damn thing was a mess. How could she face him when she’d practically jumped him before? She couldn’t ask him to permanently mark her. It would ruin his chances for finding a future mate.
The end of the Curse of Natalis did a lot more than bring dormant Werewolves into their fur and strengthen the connection between current Wolves and their human sides. It also meant that more of them were finding their fated mates. How could she ask him to give that up for her?
It wasn’t fair. She just needed to keep her distance to gain some perspective. Aleeza squeezed a dollop of apple shampoo into her hand and began washing and rinsing her hair. The light fragrance soothed her frazzled nerves as she worked the conditioner in next.
The last twenty-four hours had been full of revelations. She was a Wolf. She lusted after her boss who kinda returned her feelings. At least physically. They were close to finding Claire Maccon. She wanted Dib. The Black Sea Pack was hiding something. She craved Dib’s kisses. Georgia was not as warm and charming as described on the internet. She longed to be back in Dib’s embrace. Oh, hell, she really needed to stop thinking about him.
After a few minutes with her razor and some exfoliating scrub, she turned the tap on hot. Aleeza sunk beneath the water and attempted to clear her mind. She felt her muscles relax beneath the heated bath.
Her mind needed time as well. Time to catch up to her new reality. Being a Werewolf was something she’d always craved. Having a relationship with Dib was another one of her private longings. But she didn’t like being forced into either. She emerged from the warm bath tub feeling just as restless as when she’d entered.
Perhaps a good night’s sleep was in order. The pink nightgown she brought was long sleeved and ended mid-thigh. She almost panicked when she thought of wearing it in front of Dib, but all her other clothes were not suited to sleeping.
Hell, she hadn’t known she’d be sharing a room with him when she’d packed for this trip. Otherwise she’d have brought something else. Oh, well. At least, she’d be covered. It was conservative enough, long sleeved and long enough to reach mid-thigh. Still, she felt nearly naked when she stepped out of the steamy bathroom. Her long hair was damp and in a braid down her back.
Dib sat up from where he was reclining on the couch with his tablet in hand. Working. Of course. He moved to stand in front of her. His eyes furrowed as he looked at her fresh, clean complexion, void of any make-up or camouflage.
“Your skin is exquisite,” his whispered words brushed over her like warm hands as he leaned forward and inhaled before turning around.
“Come on, I’m starved,” he took her hand and led her to the small table.
“But you should have eaten?”
“I waited for you,” he pulled out her chair before he began removing the metal covers from their plates.
The dishes were miraculously still warm, steam came off them as he lifted each lid. The scent of unfamiliar spices tickled her nose, she almost drooled. Her stomach rumbled and she apologized immediately.
“Don’t worry about it, mine is rumbling too,” he smiled.
Heat suffused her cheeks, but Dib just handed her a plate loaded with all kinds of tempting local delicacies. She savored the spicy rice and meat dish. Served with a mouthwatering cheesy bread, it was to die for!
The best part of the entire meal was a platter of small dumplings stuffed with meat and broth. The dough was so soft and light, and the meat perfectly seasoned. Like a little cloud in her mouth. She moaned as she took another bite oblivious to Dib’s intense stare.
“This is really good,” she smiled, a bit embarrassed at the way she reacted to the food. Oh well, I like to eat. Best he know now.
“I love watching you eat,” he breathed.
“What?” Did she hear him correctly?
“I said I love the way you wholeheartedly enjoy your meal, Aleeza. It’s breathtaking.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I do. Want some tea?”
He fumbled with the cup before pouring her some of the fragrant mint tea Ana had brought them. The small ceramic pot was pretty with tiny blue flowers painted along the edge.
“Sure, thanks. Smells divine.”
“Yes, it is. Have you ever had khinkali before?”
“What is that?”
“The little dumplings. They’re my favorite.”
He held one of the delicately pleated soup dumplings to her mouth. She had already eaten one, but she couldn’t resist accepting. Aleeza trembled as she opened her mouth for him, shocked at the intimacy of eating off his fork.
“Delicious,” she swallowed and wiped her mouth with the elegant cloth napkins that they’d been given.
“There’s a place in New York that serves them just like this. We’ll go there when we get home,” he nodded and took a bite.
Aleeza just watched, heart pounding inside her chest. He’d never asked her out before. They ate together once in a while at the office or the Pack house when they were working on a case, but they never went out. Ever.
“Uh, sure,” she agreed hesitantly.
They finished their meal with little discussion. Dib seemed preoccupied and she couldn’t blame him. The circumstances that brought them to Georgia were serious. Finding their Alpha’s mother was important.
Their own personal situation was another story. Anri Bagrat demanded to see her mate mark. A mark she did not carry. Oh crap.
Her stomach dropped. The dumplings suddenly heavy, the food unpalatable. An affair with Dib would leave her heart ravaged. But a mate mark that they’d have to somehow undo once back home? If that was even a thing. There was simply no way she’d survive it.
Aleeza did not even know if matings were undone. She couldn’t expect him to honor a forced one. No. She’d have to leave Maccon City. She’d have to move away, quit her job, find a new Pack. Hell. Her father would kill her. He’d kill Dib actually. Oh damn.
Dib settled down in front of his laptop and called Liam on his cell to confirm their plans. With nothing else to do, she placed the tray in the hallway and closed the door.
They needed to talk, but dammit, she was afraid to have that conversation. Aleeza just wasn’t ready.