Arctic Bound Page 13

  “You mean now that Victor’s given me his blood?”

  Teak grinned.

  “Yes dear.”

  Nerina picked up her near empty beer bottle and took the last swallow before answering.

  “Well, I must admit, it is nice to have the extra sensitive hearing and tasting. I know Cassandra can cook a superb meal, but now tasting it, it’s even more divine.”

  Cassandra nodded across from her. “Thank you for saying that. It’s been a while since someone has complemented me on my cooking.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Mom, I always tell you your cooking is great.”

  “That may be true Teak. But you’ve never called it divine.”

  Colin took that moment to lean close to Nerina’s ear to whisper, “Flattery will get you everywhere with Cass. Now she’ll be bringing you goodies all the time. Good job.”

  “Yup, great job.” Theo repeated. He’d been quiet through most of their conversation. There was a woman with dark brown hair seated next to him, and she assumed that was his wife, or girlfriend. She had light brown eyes, and continuously deferred to Theo when it came to conversation.

  “And other than that?” Thorn questioned further. His dark brow rose as he waited for her to answer.

  Nerina took a bite of her food before answering.

  “Other than that, fine. I don’t have a limp. My scars are completely healed. I’m very grateful to your son, Thorn.”

  “Nerina, what we’ve built here for ourselves is very private. We don’t usually let outsiders live among us. So when you came here it took a lot of convincing on my part to remind the town that you weren’t a Hunter.”

  “Which, I’ve now said about a handful of times.” Nerina sat her fork and knife down and looked towards the head of the table at Thorn. “I have no intention of ruining what you have here, for you or your kind. Like I said, I’m grateful to Victor for saving me from the bear attack.”

  “Were you also grateful when he pity fucked you?” Goldie locks said as she sipped her wine. There was no venom in her words. None that Nerina could detect, but there was an air of superiority.

  “Sasha,” Victor growled.

  Sasha batted her lashes at Victor who sat across from her and shrugged her shoulders.

  “Well she should know that just because you bed her, it doesn’t mean anything. You did explain bedding rights to her didn’t you Victor? She does understand that we are to be mated in the spring?”

  Mated?

  Bedding rights? She was starting to get the picture, hazy as it was. But it sounded like bedding rights, were a way of saying his right to sleep with another woman.

  “Those things were explained to her Sasha.”

  Those things were certainly not explained to her. That would have stood out. She wasn’t desperate and didn’t care for the courtesy Victor extended her by fucking her in a cave. Had he told her he was going to be married, mated, what-ever-the-fuck it was called, she would have never slept with him. He’d just made her look like a fool. Nerina was nobody’s fool.

  Nerina stood, tossing her napkin over her plate.

  “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you people. I assure you no one told me about being mated or bedding rights, but I think I can follow along. I’m a smart girl.” Nerina sneered.

  “Neri, please.” Victor said, his tone low.

  “You don’t get to call me that Vic,” disdain dripped heavy from Nerina’s lips as she stepped back. “We already had this conversation. What happens in the cave ,stays in the cave. I see you couldn’t keep that little tidbit to yourself. But let me see if I can get it together. Let’s see if the human can wrap her brain around wolf logic. You two are together, mated, whatever the crap you want to call it. Vic here is allowed to sow his wolfie oats until he commits himself to you, right?” Nerina cast a look over at Sasha who just sat there smiling. Everyone else at the table at least had the decency to look concerned. For who, she didn’t know, and she didn’t care.

  “Nerina, you said you understood.”

  “Oh and I do. Trust me I do. I see it crystal clear. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back up to my slice of quiet up on the hill.” She looked to Thorn. “Don’t worry, your secrets safe with me. Let’s just leave it at that. I don’t need any warnings or coaching for that matter, because I’m beneath you. This whole town treated me like shit from the start, except for Cass, Allesandra, and Teak. Victor, you took one look at me saw my ailments and couldn’t have cared less about me. You immediately sized me up. Weighed my worth, and saw me unworthy. It wasn’t until I stuck my neck out for you and your brother that you even showed the slightest interest in me. I’ll stay up on my hill, and you stay the fuck off of my land.”

  She looked at everyone at the table. No one had any words for her. Nothing. But what did she expect. It wasn’t like he was going to renounce his betrothed or whatever the hell the Sasha girl was to him. Obviously there was something more there to that relationship, but she wasn’t going to find out. Didn’t want to find out.

  Storming out of the dining room, Nerina grabbed her jacket. She almost made it to the door when Demon and Daar came sauntering up to her.

  “Oh hell no, you two can stay here with your own kind. Leave me alone. Don’t need two nosy wolves all up in my shit.”

  Demon growled and Daar whined, but she didn’t care. Walking out into the crisp night air, Nerina hopped on her ATV and took off into the night. She heard Teak call out to her as she sped off. The kid was sweet to try and go after her, but it wasn’t something she wanted to deal with. Roman di Bagonerigo’s daughter didn’t cry in front of anyone, and she wasn’t going to start tonight.

  Chapter 13

  “You said she understood!” Victor bellowed, his hands crashing down on the table as he stood.

  “Victor, she said she was okay with everything. I asked her.”

  “Yes, Cass, but how? Did you do it in a roundabout way? Or were you straight. Did you tell her that I was to be mated to Sasha?”

  His sister stood there perplexed as if he was the one that had gone crazy. Nerina was human, he got that. She needed to be eased into the situation, not have it thrust in her face and her nose rubbed in it.

  “I explained that she needed to be sure to wash your scent off, even though you still have bedding rights. She said she totally understood. I took that to mean she knew what that meant. I’m sorry Victor; I should have made it clearer. I was just so excited she was going to be a permanent fixture in the community.”

  Teak grunted, before saying under his breath, how well things didn’t go.

  “Shut your mouth Teak.” Thorn said.

  “She ruined a perfectly good dinner.” Sasha whined, taking a sip of her drink.

  Victor turned harsh eyes on her.

  “You may not be my mate now, but you will show some respect. The next time your path crosses with Nerina, you will be civil. You will apologize.”

  “I will do no such thing. I’m to be your mate. I should be treated properly. I can still smell her on you. What does that say about showing me some respect?”

  “I am well within my rights to bed who I want.”

  “Yeah, well so am I. You don’t see me bringing my bed partners to dinner and flaunting them around do you.”

  The sound of growling rose, as his temper escalated. This was not how he wanted to break things to Nerina.

  Then you should have been the one to explain. He should have, but he hadn’t. He was to blame for the outcome.

  “Son, she’ll be fine. She may not understand now, but she will eventually. We have her word she won’t tell anyone of our existence. That was the main goal for tonight. Everything else will need to wait.”

  He didn’t want to wait. The longer he waited, the more she would think him cruel and callous. He’d already made the mistake of distancing himself from her yesterday in the cave. Then when he left earlier in the morning. Things were out of hand, and he didn’t know h
ow to deal with the new found feelings he was having. Caring deeply for someone other than his family was an anomaly to him. There was a knock at the door and everyone in the dining room looked at each other. None of them were expecting company.

  “I’ll go see who’s at the door. Must be someone lost.” His father said, as he got up from the table.

  “We get lost travelers from time to time. Most of the time they want to go to Anchorage, but somehow pass by it and end up here.” Cassandra said to Sasha and her parents.

  “That human was quite dreadful Victor, don’t give her another thought.” Sasha’s mother Elaine said. Victor looked to the other woman but didn’t say anything. Two peas in the pod, that was Sasha and her mother. They differed slightly only in eye color. Sasha was a dull mossy green and her mother’s where a vibrant blue.

  Victor ignored her. It was Eric, Sasha’s father who spoke up.

  “Elaine, quiet your tongue. You don’t speak to our hosts in a disrespectful manner.”

  “Yes, you’re right of course,” Elaine looked to Victor to extend her apologies. Even as she said the words, she didn’t mean them. Her eyes were ice-cold and her posture bone straight. Not one single emotion flowed through the other woman’s body. Just like her daughter. Porcelain dolls with no room for movement. Ever.

  Victor could hear voices in the foyer, as well as smell his father’s irritation.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go see about my father.”

  Not that his father couldn’t handle whoever was at the door, but he’d rather be there dealing with some annoying human, than stay another minute in the presence of Sasha and her mother.

  In the foyer, he could hear the voices of two men, both with accents. Italian accents.

  “We’re so sorry to impose on your family’s dinner sir, but we’d just like a room.”

  “Bed and breakfast is closed. Anchorage is only a two and half hours’ drive from here.”

  Victor rounded the corner to be greeted by men in black trench coats, and leather black gloves. One wore a black fedora. The other one a taller brute of a man had slick oily black hair. The man in the hat was older, grey hair sprinkled his black hair. The other looked to be the same age as Victor would have looked if he were really thirty-five.

  “Can I help you?”

  Thorn turned to look at his son, his eyes telling him not to get involved.

  That would be a big hell no.

  ”Gentlemen, this is my son Victor.”

  Both men tipped their heads in his direction. The older man with the hat had a scar that went from temple to chin on his left side. The scar tissue a bright white against his olive skin tone.

  “I’m Oscar and this is my nephew Anthony. We came here searching for my niece, Isabelle.” He pulled out a three by five photo of a picture of Nerina. His Nerina. She looked different, younger, more vibrant. She was standing next to another man that could have been the older man’s brother.

  “I’m sorry, we don’t have anyone that looks like that here in town.”

  “What about the cabin up on the hill.”

  “That’s my cabin.” Victor said quickly.

  Who are these men?

  What did they want with Nerina?

  “Well, if it’s all the same, we’d like to ask any of the other towns people if they’ve seen her. We have reason to believe she’s come through here.”

  “Why are you looking for her?” Thorn asked.

  “She’s wanted for questioning back home by the authorities in New York. Her parents were killed in a tragic fire. We want to bring her home. Let her know that we know it wasn’t her.”

  “Her parents died in a fire you say?” Thorn shook his head. “That’s terrible.”

  The man was lying. It was an acrid sting in his nostril that unsettled his gut.

  “Sorry we can’t be of more help.”

  “The room?” Anthony pressed.

  “Like my father said, we’re not open for business. Anchorage is only two and half hours back the way you came.” Victor took a step towards the other man, making it clear he was serious.

  “Anthony, let’s leave these nice people to their dinner. We’ll be back in the morning, to check with some of the other folks here in town. Maybe they saw something.”

  “Doubtful. But feel free to ask in the morning. Now if you’ll excuse me. We have guests.”

  “Thanks again for your help,” Oscar said, before turning to leave.”

  Victor turned to his father as soon as the other men where on the other side of the door.

  “What was that all about?”

  “No clue, but I intend to find out.” Victor promised.

  “They are most likely going to wait for you to leave expecting you to go back to her cabin. You need to warn her.”

  He was going to do just that.

  “You’re leaving?” Sasha came into the foyer. A full pout on her lips.

  “Yes, and you need to be gone when I get back. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to see you again.”

  “Excuse me? You don’t dismiss me, I’m your mate!”

  “Not yet, you’re not.”

  Sasha’s parents came out into the hall next, Eric eyeing him with a snarl on his face.

  “You will not treat your future mate with such disrespect.”

  Sasha’s mother nodded in agreement. Victor’s father was about to say something, but Victor chose that moment to leave the room. He had things he needed to do. Plans to make. There was a reason those two men showed up and he knew it had to do with her so-called friends that tried to kill him and his brother Colin.

  

  Nerina made it home in record time. It was still winter in Alaska, but because the sky was completely void of the moon she was able to see everything. She looked up and noticed the night sky didn’t look at all how it looked to her a couple of days ago. Everything was sharper and more defined. The night was alive with stars, and just above Mt. McKinley another world was opened to her eyes. Bright blues and pinks, and red clustered above the mountain. What could only be cosmic dust surrounded the stars in a way that made the sky appear torn. Opening the veil between Earth and Space. It was amazing.

  Nerina stood there for long moments, just taking in the view. A star shot across the sky leaving a white streak in its wake and she gasped. Then there was another, and another. As if the night was raining stars just for her.

  “It’s beautiful isn’t it Neri? I always forget to appreciate the simplest of things.”

  Gasping she turned to face Victor. She wasn’t going to ask him why he was here. She knew it was because of the scene back at his parent’s house. She wasn’t truly upset with him. She was more upset with herself for even considering that there was something more between them.

  “Victor you don’t have to be here, and stop calling me Neri.”

  “Why, because Isabelle is your name?”

  Turning to face him, she placed both hands on her hip and tried for patience.

  “I told you already, the car is my friend’s. What are you a cop?”

  “No, I’m just wondering why Anthony and Oscar showed at my father’s door half an hour ago, flashing your picture and telling us you’re wanted for the murder of your parents.”

  “I didn’t murder my parents.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s what Oscar says.”

  “Yeah, well my uncle can’t be trusted and neither can I.”

  Damn. She was going to have to leave. Somehow her sadistic uncle had found her.

  Raven possibly?

  It was possible. Especially because she’d interfered with their operation.

  “Nerina, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  “I’ll be gone by the morning.”

  He nodded his head in agreement.

  “You’ll be gone in the next hour. I’ve made arrangements. They’re coming back here in the morning to question everyone in town, and you’re not going to be here. I get the feeli
ng that you don’t want to be here either.”

  She didn’t.

  “My uncle can cause trouble for you and your family.”

  “Let me worry about me and my family. We can handle two humans.”

  If that was all there was too it, she’d believe it. But if Oscar and Anthony were here, that meant that there were others. Her uncle never travelled alone.

  “Just let me grab my things and I’ll be out of your hair.”

  “You’re coming with me Nerina. I’m talking you to Blue’s.”

  The club owner Blue?

  “What the hell for?”

  “He’s agreed to let you stay with him until this thing with your uncle blows over.”

  That made no sense to her. Why would he even consider helping her? He didn’t even know the full story.

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “You can’t travel through Alaska, with my blood. Other wolves will smell me on you. And just because we have a common enemy doesn’t mean there aren’t some of us who don’t like the other. We have issues with other Packs all the time. I can’t have you roaming around unprotected.”

  Like she said. She could take care of herself.

  “It will be fine. I’m stronger now, plus I’m handy with weapons.”

  “You’re not fine, and unless you know how to kill one of us, your weapons are shit.”

  Wasn’t he just full of good news.

  “Fine! What the hell do you suggest I do?”

  Victor took a step closer, his breath a white mist in the night air.

  “Come with me.”

  “Where?”

  “Eden’s Den.”

  Of all the places he could have said, he chose Eden’s Den?

  “How is that going to keep me safe? I was thinking of going Italy. To my father’s estate. I’d be safe there.”

  “You’ll be safer here, where I can keep an eye on you.”

  Completely frustrated by their conversation, Nerina tossed her hands up in the air.

  “I’m not your problem Vic. You don’t need to look after me like some child. You don’t have some wolf claim on me just because I drank your blood.” Doubt clouded her mind. Did he? She wasn’t going to pretend to know all there was about his way of life. She’d never studied up on Werewolf legend.