Forbidden Attraction (16 page)

“Nicolo,” Heidi began and pulled her sweater over her head. She scooted on her side of the truck until she had her jeans on then leaned against him while she zipped and buttoned them. “You know Steve will be at my den when we get there. I want to know now what you will say to him.”

Her hair was damp and her skin flushed. Anyone, even a human, would know she’d just had the shit fucked out of her and had loved every minute of it. But there was concern in her expression when she turned and faced him.

It amazed him that he had the urge to smile. “I look forward to meeting this
lunewulf
who didn’t measure up in your eyes.”

“If you get cocky, he’ll challenge you.”

Nicolo raised an eyebrow. “I have no problem with that.”

“Nicolo. Please. It will make it harder when you talk to my pack leader.”

She still expected that from him. But then something hit him. A werewolf would approach a pack leader if he wished a bitch to be his mate. He glanced over at her.

Heidi stared forward into the darkness of the road ahead of them. Her expression remained relaxed, and if it weren’t for the tightness of her lips or her scent that gave hint to the battle of her thoughts, he wouldn’t think she had a care in the world.

He didn’t smell determination on her like he had when she’d argued with him earlier. If anything, her scent and her pursed lips showed her worry.

He started the truck and cranked on the heater. “Come here,” he told her, reaching for her and accelerating at the same time.

“I feel like your taking me to my den means the end of this.” She cuddled next to him and ran her hand over her hair to straighten it.

“That’s not what it means. What are your plans tomorrow?” He wanted to know her schedule down to the minute—who she’d spend her time with, where she would be while she wasn’t with him.

“I have duties at our pack office.” She turned and looked up at him, placing her hand over his heart. “When there isn’t anything to do there, sometimes I’m sent over to the school to help, or I am assigned to one of the older bitches, helping her drive around town or cleaning her den for her.”

“Sounds like the jobs of a widow.”

“We don’t have a lot of widows in our pack.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way.” The road curved around the mountain, forcing him to keep his attention on the road. But he knew she stared up at him, her thoughts plaguing her enough that her scent grew stronger with the intensity of them. “Just do as 82

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I told you and show no animosity toward your pack when you are reprimanded for being with me.”

“Hmm.” When she didn’t agree, he glanced down at her for a moment, catching her chewing her lip. “What will you do tomorrow?” she asked, changing the subject.

“What I do every day—continue to work to get our pack established. We don’t have the funding you have from Werewolf Affairs, and so much of the work to build roads and dens we’re doing on our own.” He didn’t expect her to comment and she didn’t.

But there wasn’t much she could say. He wouldn’t hide the fact that Malta werewolves were despised in this country. She would know she was with a werewolf who would face challenges simply because of his breed. “I will call you at the beginning of the day.”

“Okay,” she said quietly.

The lights of her town sparkled in the darkness ahead of them. Slowing, he decided to wait until they reached her den to question her further. There were still things he would know before leaving her with her pack. Foremost being why she insisted he speak with her pack leader.

Her street was dark and quiet when he backed her car into her driveway, stopping his truck in the street. This time, she jumped out and watched while he unloaded her car and then put the tow dollies in the back of his truck.

Nicolo sniffed the air, and even though he remembered from being here before that her neighborhood was all werewolves, he didn’t smell anyone out and about.

“You’ll come inside, won’t you?” Heidi took his arm, attempting to pull him toward her den.

He glanced down at her. “Did you lock your door this time?”

“Better check and see.” She didn’t succeed in even budging him until he decided to move. And when he did step toward her, forcing her backward, she almost stumbled in the snow.

“Are you okay?” The smell of sex clung to her, but he hadn’t thought until now that she might be more than sore. He removed her hand from his arm and then held on to her while walking her to her den.

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie to me, little bitch,” he warned.

He helped her up her porch stairs and then opened her screen door so she could unlock her door, which she did. Damn good thing too. She’d listened to him and locked her place up. Nonetheless, he sniffed the inside and then stepped into her dark, quiet living room ahead of her.

Heidi closed the door behind him. Her fingernails tapped the light switch on the wall and he turned when she flipped it up. His senses were fine-tuned for the slightest of sounds, and he let out a slow breath, forcing himself to relax and inspect her den.

“Did your ex live with you here when you two dated?” he asked, taking in the layout of her living room—a couch, a small oval-shaped wooden coffee table and a 83

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television in the corner. He ran his hand over the back of an overstuffed chair that sat opposite the couch—a chair that a male would recline in at the end of the day. “Does he still have a key?”

“No he didn’t, and no,” she told him, walking around him and flipping on lights. “I moved into this den about a month ago. Before that I lived with some mated friends of mine. A den built a larger den when their third cub came along and this place became available. I’ve lived here alone since I’ve moved in.”

“But males have slept over.” He followed her into the kitchen and opened cabinets, noting that each was well-stocked with plates, glasses and food items. He opened her refrigerator and inhaled the fresh scent of a cleaning supply. There wasn’t a lot of food in it. “Your pack gives you a food allowance?”

“No male has slept here. I haven’t had a werewolf share my bed in months. And I’m paid for the services I do for the pack. Not always with cash, but usually in trade.

I’m sure it would be the same in your pack.”

“Yup.” As much as he liked hearing she didn’t have houseguests, he hated leaving her alone. And with hardly any meat in her home. Already he didn’t like the place. And it bugged him that he couldn’t accept the happy scent that filled the rooms, or the clean surroundings that showed her pride in keeping a well-kept den.

She led him through the rest of the den and flipped on her bedroom light, then stood to the side as he stalked into the room. “Most of the furniture came with the den.

The male and bitch who moved out knew I didn’t have any furniture and left what they could. I know they were excited about having new furniture to go with their new den.”

A double-sized bed was neatly made with a thick comforter and matching pillowcases, giving it a homey look. She had a tall dresser, and he picked up her hairbrush that sat among her personal items. Hair that she hadn’t cleaned from it tickled his palm. He stroked the loose hair, wanting to bring it to his face, inhale it and everything else in this den deep into his senses.

A square mirror hung on the wall over the dresser, and he pictured her standing in front of it, inspecting her appearance before heading out on a run or some other scheduled pack activity. Again, it rubbed him wrong. Everything he saw here showed Heidi led a happy life. A foul taste formed in his mouth when he thought of how his being in it would screw everything up for her.

“I should wash up,” she said from behind him. “I’m sure we’ll have company soon.”

He had no doubts about that. She left him alone in her room, and he scowled at its contents before following her. Pushing open the bathroom door, he watched her lean over her sink and splash water on her face. At least he had the satisfaction of knowing no amount of scrubbing would remove his scent from her body anytime soon.

He turned when a car engine sounded outside and cocked his head, listening when the engine shut off and a car door opened and closed. He moved to her front door, reaching it before Heidi could, and pulled it open as a
lunewulf
bounded up the porch 84

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stairs. The male stopped, meeting his gaze, and the two of them stared at each other for a moment, each quickly sizing the other up.

Nicolo glared down at the male. He wore a heavy down jacket and his blond hair barely covered his ears. There wasn’t a scar on his face, and although the heavy coat added to his size, Nicolo noticed immediately that the
lunewulf
lacked any serious muscle tone. He was nothing more than a pretty pup and probably had no clue what real work was all about. No wonder Heidi sent him packing.

He gave the
lunewulf
credit for not cowering, but instead opening the screen door and making a show of entering, as if he assumed Nicolo would simply step to the side for him. Nicolo didn’t budge.

“Nicolo,” Heidi said from behind him, putting her hand on his arm—an action the male
lunewulf
immediately noticed. “Let Steve enter or all the cold will get in.”

He allowed her to move him to the side and experienced his first bit of satisfaction when she kept her hand on him, remaining with him while facing the male
lunewulf.

“Steve Murdock, I’d like to present Nicolo Spalto.” She glanced from one of them to the other, then tightened her grip on his arm. “No showdown, please. It would mean a lot to me if you two at least pretended to get along.”

Steve ran his hand over his hair, messing it up, and sighed loudly. “What I think doesn’t matter, and you know that, Heidi.” He met Nicolo’s gaze, his blue eyes piercing through him, which was the only sign of anger he offered. His scent remained amiable, surprisingly enough. “What are your intentions here, werewolf?”

“I think that is rather obvious.” Even he could smell how rich Heidi’s scent was.

“No. It’s not obvious, other than you’ve recently fucked her.”

“Steve,” Heidi complained.

“No.” Steve raised his hand to silence her and Nicolo growled. Steve stiffened, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if he knew showing aggression would only get his ass kicked. “Do you think you can date him like he was a member of your pack?

This is insane, Heidi.”

“Watch how you speak to her,
lunewulf
,” Nicolo growled. “Are your traditions different from that of any other pack? Because I know of no law that says a werewolf can only see bitches in his own pack.”

“She is a bitch in my pack. It is my duty to protect her, as I would any single bitch in trouble.” Steve forced his attention from Nicolo and narrowed his gaze on Heidi.

“And don’t think I don’t see that you cling to him so that you can hide behind his scent.

God, Heidi. What the hell have you done?”

Heidi let go of him, stepping forward so that she stood inches in front of Steve.

Immediately his jaw dropped and he stepped backward, obviously smelling how thoroughly Nicolo had marked her.

“I haven’t done a thing that I didn’t want to do. And I can’t wait to do it again,” she hissed.

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All color drained from Steve’s face and he looked past Heidi to Nicolo. “You’ve marked her. You, who speak of tradition, mated with this female and then returned her to her pack. What kind of werewolf are you?”

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Heidi jumped at the sounds of cars pulling up outside. More than aware of Nicolo’s possessive and dominating smells behind her, she turned, fighting not to show either male how incredibly sore and tender her body was as she reached for the door. Already car doors opened and closed. Her anger mounted.

“Did you call the entire fucking pack?” she sneered at Steve.

“Bob called me after driving by here several times and seeing you still hadn’t returned.” Steve shook his head and his growing disgust with her turned her stomach.

“If you thought you could prance back to your pack and all of this would be overlooked, you were wrong.”

“I’ve heard enough from you,” she snarled at Steve. “Out of everyone in my pack, at least you should be happy for me. Or maybe when you told me we were friends, you lied.”

He bristled, which gave her a warped sense of satisfaction. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to relish in her small victory. Heavy footsteps sounded on her porch and she pulled open her front door just as Bob raised his fist to knock. For a moment, he held his hand in the air, staring at her through her screen door. His gaze then moved beyond her as her pack leader took in the males standing behind her.

“Where the fuck have you been?” he hissed, and his outrage hit her like a cold blow to the gut.

She sucked in her breath, remembering to open her screen door and allow her pack leader entrance into her den. The small act of respect allowed her a minute to rethink her words before she snapped out some out-of-line response.

“Bob Abbey, may I present Nicolo Spalto?” She stepped back, lowering her head, hoping to appear submissive enough to calm his outrage.

“No. You may not.” Bob grabbed Heidi’s arm and almost threw her at Steve.

“Werewolf, get out of her den. Leave this pack. And do it now while you still can of your own accord.”

Heidi clawed at Steve until he let her go, forgetting all about submission and respect. She jumped between Nicolo and Bob. She barely registered Nicolo’s silence.

Where a moment ago he growled at Steve, easily putting him in his place, he reined in his temper toward her pack leader. Heidi didn’t have the same fine-tuned training when it came to her emotions.

“No!” She didn’t mean to yell—well, maybe she did. “He’s done nothing wrong.

You can’t chase him out of the pack.”

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“I sure as hell can,” Bob bellowed, looking dangerous as hell when he put his fists on his hips and glared over her head at Nicolo. “You aren’t welcome here, Malta werewolf. Don’t even try to see her again.”