Dimitri (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6) (6 page)

Dimitri took a deep breath and nodded. Fuck it all, he was about to let a two hundred pound cat get into the back seat with him.
I must be an idiot. No, just horny
, his brain answered. Jake gave her a wide berth, not wanting to get too close, but Gillian still hadn’t gotten into the car. It occurred to Dimitri that perhaps he wasn’t the only one having second thoughts. Summoning up the courage, he decided a few encouraging words were in order.

“Now I know it looks like a tight fit, but you know you want to cuddle up with me. You’re a very tired kitty. Come on, now. Let’s go. Poor Jake is going to get cold out there. Just look at him.” Dimitri cocked his head and smiled at his friend, who’d hesitated to get dressed. He suspected that Jake didn’t want his clothes to restrict him, not until he was sure that Gillian wasn’t going to attack. As long as he was naked, he could easily shift back to defend himself if necessary.

Unlike Jake, Dimitri had yanked on a pair of pants. There was no way in hell he was about to get into closed quarters with a clawed tiger, leaving his dangly bits swinging in the wind.

“Remember your first time?” Yeah, it all came back to sex for him. Maybe she wouldn’t get the analogy but it was the best he could do, given the circumstances. “Is this the first time you’ve shifted with wolves? I bet it is, cher. Well this is our first time, too. Jake’s a little nervous over there. We’re all a little nervous. I’m tellin’ you that you can trust me, trust us. Come sit with me, come rest. You can stay tiger as long as you need to,” he reassured, patting the seat.

“She can’t go on a plane like that…” Jake started to say, when Dimitri held up his hand to shush him.

“Gilly just needs a little time. She needs to be with me, don’t ya, darlin’?” he coaxed sweetly. His breath caught as she pushed a fat paw onto the leather seat, and he was relieved that she hadn’t extended her nails. With the grace of a ballerina, she quietly ascended into the interior and settled down next to him. The crushing weight of her forearms on his thighs was yet another reminder of her power. But as she relaxed her muscled body against his chest, the pressure became more comfortable. Both his hands moved to stroke her fur. “That’s a girl. Just rest. I’ve got ya.”

“Your girlfriend is a cat,” Jake stated with a blunt tone.

“She’s not my girlfriend, but if she was my girlfriend,” Dimitri looked to the giant tigress in his lap, who gently snored, “it wouldn’t matter what she was. She’s brave. And funny. And she smells nice.”

“What’s, up, Pussycat….ooooooh,” Jake broke out in his best Tom Jones impression.

“You’re hilarious.”

“And I thought Logan was bad enough bringing one home from the pound. You topped him, all right. You slept with one, and not in the cuddle-me-kitty kind of way.”

“Hold up. Sure, she was on top of me…I’ll give you that. But we didn’t have sex. The bottom line is this; no matter how much I’d like to get to know her,” he shook his head, wishing they’d met under different circumstances, “she’s not pack. Therefore she’s not my mate.”

“That hasn’t stopped you before. You just fucked a vampire, for Christ’s sakes.”

“Yeah, well, Lacey is a lovely little memory. But she knew the score. One night or two….nothing but play. There’s been no play with this one. Oh no, she tied me up. Not that I mind a little bondage, but shit, she just left me there.” Dimitri stroked his hand over her fur and sighed. “Gilly, here, is on the run and not just from that Alpha back there. She’s got a thing about wolves.”

“She’s got a thing all right…a bad thing.”

“Yep. She’s spooked.”

“As well she should be. You saw what they did to her.”

“He marked her,” Dimitri said softly, disgusted at the thought of another wolf piercing her creamy white skin. “It makes no sense.”

“Probably just a dominance thing. The guy doesn’t strike me as mentally stable, shall we say.”

“Ya got that right. Hell, he was gonna fucking whip her. Something’s missing, though. He knew she wasn’t wolf. The question is, did he know she was a tiger? And if he did, why is he trying to keep her? Why mark her as his own in front of others?”

“Look, you and I were just guessing what she might be. Maybe they guessed right…or knew exactly what she was.”

“This doesn’t make any sense. I know we’ve gotta get home, but before we leave, I intend to get answers. Kitty, here, has some explainin’ to do.” Dimitri gingerly reached into Gillian’s backpack, which Jake had thrown onto the car floor. He fumbled inside, finding his phone. “I’m texting Logan. I’ll give him the deets when we get back, but for now, I want him to send the jet. It’ll take a while but who knows how long she’s gonna stay cat.”

“Coach sucks anyway.”

“No first class on the way out here? Poor baby,” Dimitri teased.

“It was brutal.”

“My ass doesn’t fit in those tiny seats anyway. Even first class feels like a tin can,” he laughed. “Truth is that we can’t risk goin’ commercial. Chaz could have someone try to stop her, or board the flight. I want a pilot I know and trust to get us home safely.”

Dimitri tapped at the glass clumsily with one hand and kept his other on Gillian’s back. It made it difficult for him to type, his large thumbs tripping the autocorrect. After several minutes of messaging with Logan and a few curse words later, he’d made the arrangements to have the private plane meet them tomorrow.

“Let’s hit the hotel tonight. Logan’s getting things in motion but it’ll take time.”

“You think Chaz’s reach stretches to Nevada?”

“I don’t think so, but a guy like that doesn’t strike me as someone who follows the rules. Just to be safe, Logan was calling the Vegas Alpha to let them know we’d be in the territory. We’ll get some rest and then get the hell out of there.”

“What about her?” Jake asked.

“What about her? She’s…I don’t know. She’s gotta go home.” Dimitri glanced out the darkened window. His stomach clenched in what he blamed on hunger, but part of him knew it was his wolf pining for Gillian. He rubbed the scruff on his face, his lips tight with concern. “I wish we could take her home but I don’t think that’s such a good…”

The weight on his legs lightened considerably, and he lost his words, watching Gillian transform into a beautiful woman.
Shit, now I really am going to have a hard time with this.
Part of him had hoped she’d stay tiger. Then he wouldn’t have an excuse to pursue her, but his mind warred against it. He told himself that he needed to talk to her so he could get answers, but in reality, he just needed her. Naked and against him.

“A good, what?” Jake asked. His eyes flashed to the rearview mirror; he could no longer see the white cat. “She shifted? Let me see.”

“Eyes on the road, bro,” Dimitri said. He glanced to his own hand, which rested on her belly. Her back was pressed flush against his abs, her long mane feathered over her shoulders and breasts. He took note of a dusky pink tip that strained through the dark waterfall and his cock jerked in response.
Not now
, he thought. “Throw me my bag.”

Jake laughed and launched the duffle over the seat. Dimitri caught it mid-air with one hand. He bent over, careful not to crush her, and tugged a button-down shirt out of the bag. Gingerly, he draped it over her bare skin, so she was covered. Looping his forefinger through the edge of her hair, he brushed it back, revealing her full lips. She smiled as if she were going to wake up and then mewled, reaching her fingers between his thighs. Dimitri sucked a deep breath as her thumb brushed over his burgeoning erection. As she settled once again, he closed his eyes, praying for self-restraint.

Fucking hell. Why does she have to be so goddamned beautiful? And a tiger? Really? I barely survived being killed and the universe doesn’t owe me one? Guess not.

He blew out a breath and caught Jake’s gaze in the mirror, who gave him a knowing laugh before setting his sight back to the highway. Dimitri knew right then that he’d better get Gillian back to New York as soon as possible, because if not, he was pretty sure the next time he caught sight of her sweet nipple, it would be nestled between his lips.

Gillian watched the numbers light up as they ascended in the elevator, and considered her attire. She’d bitten her lip, attempting to pretend it was completely acceptable to stand in bare feet, dressed only in a man’s dress shirt in the lobby of the five star hotel. As they’d passed by the concierge, she smiled demurely.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
She was fairly sure it wasn’t the strangest thing he’d ever seen.

She took a deep breath, taking note of the large pair of feet on either side of hers. Afraid to make eye contact, she mentally shrugged and stared ahead, reflecting on how she’d gotten herself into this situation.

When she’d woken up naked in Dimitri’s lap, she hadn’t said a word. She could hardly believe that she’d fallen asleep for hours with her head snuggled against his warm thighs. The only saving grace had been that she hadn’t buried her face in his crotch. Thankfully, she’d slept in the opposite direction, allowing her to hide her reddened face. In the darkness, she’d pushed up, sliding her arms into the shirt and buttoning it. She scooted over to the opposite door, stealing a glimpse at the striking beta. Stealth wasn’t her strong suit, she noted, as he pinned his eyes on hers. Her breath caught, feeling as if he could see into her heart, knowing her deepest thoughts. A warm smile bloomed on his face, breaking their heated interaction.

Silence lingered and she knew then that she was on borrowed time. He’d want an explanation. Reason told her to be afraid, very afraid of going up alone into a hotel room with two wolves. But instinct won over. This man would not hurt her. He’d saved her life. She’d give him what he wanted and then some. But in the morning, she’d be back to her life and home in New York.

Dimitri exchanged glances with Jake. Gillian had been unusually quiet in the car. He had to admit that she was well composed, considering her attack and the fact that she was barely dressed. As he glanced down to her toned legs, all he could really think about was touching her again, feeling her skin against his.

The elevator bell sounded and they came to a smooth halt. He reached and took her hand, happily surprised when she laced her fingers through his. Easily finding the room, Jake opened the door and led them into the richly decorated suite.

“Through here.” Dimitri guided her into a bedroom.

Quietly, he shut the door behind them for privacy. Releasing Gillian’s hand, he went to the bar and grabbed them a couple of bottles of water. He unscrewed the tops and handed one to her. She took it without meeting his eyes, and he suspected she needed time to collect her thoughts. A shame that wasn’t going to happen.

“You’re a tiger,” he began. Dimitri strode to the windows and opened the drapes, exposing the spectacular sea of lights twinkling upon the strip.

“Um, yeah,” Gillian replied, tracing her finger along the rim. Tears threatened to fall as her emotions rose to the surface. She’d almost died. She shook her head; shame washed over her. “Thank you. If you hadn’t come for me…”

“I don’t get it, Gilly. It’s like I’m looking at a puzzle but a few of the pieces are missing. Tell me,” he walked over to the bed until he stood towering above her, “why does an Alpha, one who is a wolf, want to mark a tiger? Why are you so important to him? I want the truth and I want it now.”

She sniffled, and lifted her gaze to meet his. “He wants me to be his. I shouldn’t have ever come here. I’ve gotta get back to New York.”

“I can help you. Tomorrow I’ll take you wherever you came from as long as I know you’ll be safe. But I need the truth if I’m going to be able to do that.”

“You don’t understand. I’m not what you think I am.”

“You’re a shifter. I knew that from the second I opened my eyes. A tiger? Well, yeah, I didn’t expect that, but you were amazing.”

“I don’t know how he knew about me…Chaz. Tigers, we’re not like you. We’re loners.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re losing me here. He’s a wolf. You’re a tiger. What am I missing?”

“I’m not all tiger,” she coughed. It was the first time she’d ever said the words out loud to anyone in her life. “My father…he was a wolf. An Alpha.”

Dimitri’s blood pressure spiked as she spoke. A hybrid. A tiger-wolf hybrid. And her father was an Alpha. A million questions spun through his brain. He took a deep breath, attempting to stay calm. The last thing she needed was for him to lose his shit, scaring her further.

“So he was going to mark you?”

“It’s the second time he’s tried,” she admitted softly. Gillian reached her hands back into her hair, twisting it up into a ponytail, revealing the area where she’d been bitten. “But it doesn’t work that way. See? The magic. It’s a curse really. My mother called it a destiny, but it’s not.”

Dimitri couldn’t help himself. In an instant, he was on the bed beside her, the pads of his fingers smoothing over where the bite mark had been. Nothing but smooth skin remained. He wasn’t sure why but relief that she remained unmarked coursed through him and he winced.

“Why does he think he can mark you?”