Alpha Mine (The Alpha Council Chronicles) (12 page)

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you,” Andrea chimed in. Her voice slid over Stephan’s skin like an oily black mass, making him uncomfortable. There was something off about this couple, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“You seem familiar, have we met before?” Gage eyed Kat with an intensity that did nothing to alleviate her tension.

“I-I don’t believe so. I think I would have remembered.”

“Huh, I would swear we have met somewhere before,” he said, a look of careful consideration crossed his face briefly before his features lightened. “Perhaps I’m thinking of someone else.”

Gage turned to his mate. “Andrea, my dear, I think we should be going.” His gazed flicked to Nicholai. “Nicholai, I look forward to seeing you again soon.”

Andrea crossed the room to join Gage. He encircled her waist with his arm. “Come, my dear.”

“We didn’t mean to run you off,” Stephan volunteered.

Gage waved a dismissive hand. “We were just leaving when you knocked. It was nice to meet you both.” After one more concerning glance at Kat, he swept his mate out the door, murmuring in her ear, “I swear I know that woman from somewhere.”

Stephan pinned Nicholai with an inquisitive look, one eyebrow raised. “That was interesting.”

Kat took a deep breath and whispered, “That was the woman from the bathroom.”

Stephan’s instincts all fired at once. Powerful emotions threatened to overcome him. Protect her. See to her safety.

The woman obviously made Kat as uncomfortable as she’d made him. And her mate was not much better. Stephan was glad they left before Kat mentioned who the female was. He would have been sorely tempted to allow his instincts to take over if she were still in the room. He did not keep the concern from his face when he looked from Kat to Nicholai.

Now it was Nicholai’s turn to look inquisitive, but not wanting to explain, Stephan distracted him by saying, “What did he mean when he said he looked forward to seeing you again?”

“He invited me to his home for a meal. He claimed Andrea is a big fan of the ballet and wanted a chance to speak to me, at length, about the company.”

“You sound as if you don’t believe him.” Stephan observed, astutely deciphering Nicholai’s tone.

“I’m not sure,” Nicholai mused. “I cannot say precisely why, but I have a feeling there is more to the story than just wanting a friendly dinner.”

“Perhaps we should meet later and discuss your concerns in depth. Would you like to come to my penthouse for a drink?”

“I’d be honored,” Nicholai replied, placing one hand over his heart. “Will Marcus be there? I haven’t seen him in years.”

“More like several decades, my old friend.”

Nicholai shot a look to Kat. “She knows we’re…?” Nicholai left the question hanging in the air.

“Yes, she knows we’re vampires.”

“She’s right here.” Kat placed her hands on her hips. “If you are going to talk about me as if I’m not here, perhaps I should leave.”

Stephan pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, my dear. We didn’t mean to be rude.”

Watching the two hold each other in a lover’s embrace, a warm grin lit Nicholai’s face. “Ah, ‘the world is full of beauty when the heart is full of love.’” He brushed a hand over his blue-black hair.

“That’s a quote from W.L. Smith, isn’t it?” asked Stephan, raising his head with a smile on his lips.

“
You are correct, my friend. It is nice to see you so happy.”

“I am that.” Stephan looked back down into Kat’s gray-blue eyes. “So very happy.” He squeezed her tightly to his chest.

“Shall we sit?” offered Nicholai, moving toward the brown couch that lay against one wall in the room.

“I’m afraid we need to get back home. Cinderella here might turn into a pumpkin.” Kat hit the solid wall of his chest in protest. “Will you be able to come to the penthouse tomorrow night?”

“I’ll be there with…How does the saying go…chimes on?”

Kat giggled. “Close. I believe you were looking for bells. Be there with bells on.”

“Ah yes, well either way, I’ll be there tinkling.”

Kat and Stephan were still chuckling when they left Nicholai and headed for home.

Marcus greeted them at the door. “How was it, Kitty Kat?”

“It was the most graceful, beautiful, sad, romantic thing I have ever seen,” she gushed.

“Could you think of any more words to describe it?” Marcus teased.

“Oh yes, gorgeous, majestic, dramatic…”

“Okay, okay, I get the point.” Marcus raised his hands out in a consolatory gesture.

Kat pirouetted, her gown flaring out slightly as she twirled into Stephan’s open arms. He rested his chin on her head. “I’m glad you enjoyed the ballet.”

Kat laid her head against his chest. “I loved it. I truly loved it. Oh Stephan, thank you so much for taking me. I’m so happy.”

Stephan pulled back slightly and looked down onto her glowing face. “I’d do anything to make you happy, Kitten. Just name it. And I’ll do it.”

Kat kissed him, a kiss that said all she didn’t. He felt her pour her love, her happiness, her very soul into that kiss. Telling him she belonged to him. She broke the kiss when a yawn threatened to overtake her. Stephan easily sensed her growing fatigue.

“You look sleepy, Kitten.”

Kat stretched, and lifted her arms above her head. Looking at him through heavy-lidded eyes, she said, “I guess I am.”

Katrina glanced down at the watch on Stephan’s wrist. Her eyes widened slightly. “I hadn’t realized how late it was. I guess I’ll go to bed. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Stephan gave her another quick kiss.

“Goodnight,” echoed Marcus, as she pulled out of Stephan’s arms.

Stephan watched Kat bend down to remove her shoes. Holding them by the heels in one hand, she sauntered down the hall toward Marcus’ room. Jealousy slashed through him in a fiery blaze. He couldn’t abide the idea of Kat lying next to another male while she slept. He wanted her in his bed, embraced in his arms all day. He wanted his to be the first face she saw when she awoke.

“I’ll sleep on the couch from now on,” Marcus offered, obviously reading Stephan’s emotions. The Alpha’s tone, soft with emotion he knew not to voice, told Stephan that Marcus struggled to come to grips with the changes his relationship with Kat would bring.

Stephan simply nodded. He knew he could trust Marcus. Marcus was an honorable male. He would not touch Katrina now that they were together.

Logically he understood he should give Marcus permission to keep sleeping in his comfortable bed with Kat, but he couldn’t. He’d come to think of Kat as his, and he couldn’t tolerate another male sleeping in the same room as her.

He recognized the possessiveness he felt toward Katrina came from his love for her. The woman had somehow weaved her way into his heart, wrapped around it so tightly that now it would not beat without her.

The desire to claim her washed over his body, tightening it. He wanted her desperately. Wanted her in his bed. Wanted to show her he cared about her. Wanted her…body and soul.

Soon, he vowed to himself, soon he would claim her body, making her truly his.

Chapter 14

Nicholai sat across from his hosts in a wing backed chair, watching as Andrea returned with a tray of hot hors d’oeuvres. Their tempting smell did not cover the lingering odor that plagued Nicholai’s senses. A faint scent of stale, dirty human wafted to his nose, making him wonder where the scent emanated from. Though he could smell several humans, none had been seen anywhere during the tour of the home his hosts had taken him on.

“So Mr. Peterhof, tell us how you came to own a ballet company,” Andrea said, smiling as she settled back onto the sofa beside Gage.

“Call me Nicholai, please. Mr. Peterhof is too formal.” The warrior flashed her a warm smile before continuing on to tell his story. “When the Soviet Union collapsed, the economic crisis brought about financial hardships to the ballet companies. Without the state budget to back them, they looked to private investors. I happened to be fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and bought one of the companies from Mother Russia.”

Andrea leaned toward Nicholai, seemingly hanging on every word he spoke in his heavy accent. “That’s fascinating. I’ve always loved the ballet. I think the ballet is the most beautiful form of dance. Don’t you?”

“Da, I would have to agree, Mrs. Lucio.” He swept his blue-black hair to the side of his face with a shake of his head.

“Andrea, please.” She affected a shy look, and a blush took her cheeks.

Nicholai reached for one of the cracker hors d’oeuvres. “I have always enjoyed the ballet, so when the opportunity came along for me to purchase a company, I could not resist.”

“I would love to dance the ballet, to be a prima ballerina.”

In a show of obvious male possessiveness, Gage pulled Andrea back under his arm. “I afraid you won’t be dancing the ballet anytime soon, my dear, at least not until the baby is born.”

“You are with child?” Nicholai asked. His face wore an expression of surprise that widened his eyes.

“Yes.” Gage beamed. “We just found out.”

“My congratulations to you both.”

“Thank you. We are very happy about the blessed event.” Andrea placed a protective hand over her slightly rounded stomach.

The expectant father covered his mate’s hand with his own. “Speaking of events, Nicholai, we are having a party next weekend on the twenty-ninth. We would love for you to attend.”

“What kind of party, if I might be so bold as to ask?” Nicholai kept his voice steady, careful to not sound suspicious. His mind worked quickly. His thoughts turned to the rumors he had heard about the hunt. Perhaps this couple played some part in the illegal activity. It could prove useful to infiltrate their party, if only to make other connections should they be proven to be innocent of any wrong doing.

Andrea winked at Gage, the movement noted by Nicholai’s watchful gaze. “Oh, the kind with yummy food and drink. It’s a two day event starting with a ball on Friday.”

Gage swallowed the food in his mouth. “You should come. I think you will like it.”

“It is kind of you to invite me. Perhaps I will be able to attend.”

“We would be honored if you would come,” Andrea chimed in.

“Then I shall put it on my calendar.”

His suspicions growing, Nicholai kept his voice light and even as he cautiously inquired, “Where will the events be?”

“The ball will be Friday at nine p.m. in the Lancelot room of the Camelot Hotel. The next evening’s events will start here in our home after dusk.”

The Alpha nodded his head once in acknowledgment. “Thank you for the invitation. I shall be there.”

“Excuse the intrusion,” a large male vampire said, entering the room. “Dinner is ready.”

They made their way into the dining room, and Nicholai’s mind processed the home, noting each entry point, each closed door, every guard. This was a couple with something to hide. He was sure of it.

During the meal, Nicholai carefully probed the couple for more information, trying to discern if they might be involved in the hunt club. After all, they had not come right out and referred to their party as a hunt, but Nicholai couldn’t shake the feeling of evil that surrounded him in their home. His preternatural senses were firing, telling him something was amiss. He just needed time to figure out what.

After they finished their meal, he spent a little more time with his hosts making small talk, then Nicholai made his excuses and left, determination quickening his stride as he made his way to his rental car. He headed for Stephan’s penthouse, for he needed to talk things through with his fellow Alphas, share what little information he had been able to amass from his hosts.

As the saying goes,
he thought sliding behind the wheel,
three heads are better than one.

Chapter 15

Marcus and Kat stood in the penthouse gym facing each other on the blue padded mat. Marcus had pushed all the equipment to the walls and raised the platform on the treadmill so they would have room to spar. Stephan rested his weight against the wall which had three full-length mirrors. He stood with one ankle crossed over the other, his thick arms folded across his chest. He’d been overseeing these sparring sessions for weeks, the protective side of him not entirely comfortable with Kat fending off Marcus.

Stephan knew Marcus himself felt equally uneasy, as well he should, because the vampire he sired wasn’t sure what Stephan would do if Katrina accidentally got hurt. And to be honest, Stephan wasn’t exactly sure either.

Under Stephan’s narrowed gaze, the session continued. Marcus grabbed Kat from behind in a Full Nelson with both of his arms encircling her under her armpits, his hands secured at her neck.

“Okay, Kat. Do you remember how to get out of this one?”

“Well…I could let my body go limp.” Kat did just that, letting her arms reach up against both sides of her head as her knees went weak, and she dropped. Marcus, obviously expecting the move, tightened his grip, keeping her firmly in his hold. Stephan straightened in protest when Marcus held Kat suspended from her arms and neck.

“Good try,” Marcus said while Kat straightened once again to bear her own body weight. “But what if your attacker didn’t drop you? What else could you do?”

“Well, then I could do this…” Kat threw her head back into Marcus’ nose. The room filled with the sound of crunching bone as his nose broke. Blood flowed down, coating the back of Kat’s head, turning her golden locks crimson. Stephan smiled, a feeling of pride washing over him.

Marcus grabbed his nose and slid the bones back into place.

“Very good move, Kat,” Stephan said with little concern since he knew Marcus would heal from the small wound quickly thanks to the vampiric blood running through his veins.

“Thank you.” Kat smiled at Marcus. Stephan handed Katrina a towel which she took with a thanks and wiped the blood from her blonde strands.

“Are you ready to do a little hand to hand combat now?” Marcus asked after stuffing two wads of cotton up his nostrils to stay the bleeding.

“Don’t you think I should be asking you that?” Kat smirked. “You seem to be the one who could use a break.”