Arctic Bound (17 page)

“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 how 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 feeling 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.

“Nerina,” his voice dipped lower. So low, it touched the southern region of her core and stirred awake the need to have him deep inside her.
Don't go there!
She scolded herself internally. “I want to protect you. Work with me here. Let me take you to Eden's Den. You'll be safe. Blue is one of us, and I've already asked his permission.”

She was not going to Eden's Den to be trapped there with nothing to do, but watch women get tied up and fucked brainless. It was not an ideal situation for her. She couldn't stay in her cabin either. That bummed her out more than she thought possible. She'd only lived in Talkeetna for six months, but it had been six restful months. Six months of not having to deal with looking over her shoulder and wondering when Oscar and his men would catch up to her. Why would Raven turn her in like that?
Because you rolled her over for Victor and his brother.
Mistress Red would not easily give up on any mark, especially from someone that had stolen something from her. Something Victor still hadn't shared.

“How about a compromise?”

“No deal Nerina. You're coming with me and until we can figure out why your dear uncle has come looking for you, you'll stay where I can keep an eye on you.”

“He wants me dead.”

“Why?”

“Because my father's wife called the hit on my family. My father and mother were not married. She was his mistress. I'm the illegitimate daughter of Roman di Bagonerigo Civiti.”

Victor's eyes widen significantly which meant tales of her father had travelled to remote locations of the globe. If Victor heard of her father, then he would understand the kind of trouble she was truly in.

“Your father is the crime boss of the Civiti family?”

“Was the crime boss. My uncle or my oldest half-brother is in charge now.”

This time he took two steps back.

Now you're starting to understand Vic.

“They never said he had a daughter.”

“That's because I don't exist in that aspect where the public is concerned. He has two sons though. Roman Jr. and Adamo. Now do you understand why you can't protect me? Oscar is looking to get rid of me for good. Wipe the slate clean so there is no evidence.”

“You're still coming with me to Varangian's.”

“Where?”

He shook his head and cleared his throat before saying.

“Blue's, I meant I'm taking you to Blue. Get whatever you need so we can leave. We're going tonight. We're expected.”