Authors: Aliyah Burke
Ranger shrugged. “Are we talking business?”
Pack came first and Dyana had a valid point, so he gestured him to the door. “Fine.”
Another assessing look before Keane, moved by him to the glass door. Deep inside, his wolf snarled and he fought to keep it contained. Pack had to come before his own pleasure and needs. He was the Alpha of his Pack. Sacrificing his own wants was necessary to ensure the future of his Pack. His wolf didn’t agree for it wanted its mate.
The men walked to a vacated table and sat across from each other. Casimir put his back to the wall so he could view the room. Keane signaled for a drink and sat back.
“My alpha said you had some questions about the offered liaison between our packs.”
He blinked once, trying to get the image of this man rolling around with Dyana out of his mind. His wolf raced back up and he clenched his fists, accepting without a grimace the claw bite in his palm.
“Yes.” He firmly locked the issue between him, Dyana, and this Ranger/Keane guy into a corner.
I should have put it together sooner, she mentioned knowing a Keane who was a leopard shifter.
The dislike was on the other man’s face and not much respect either. “Let’s get it done then.” He thought about the Western Clan and made a note to speak with them as well. They had to stop the infighting amongst themselves and be prepared when more humans found out and decided they didn’t want shifters around them.
αβ
Casimir strode down the hall of the hotel’s top floor, his mate’s scent strong in his nostrils. He stopped at her door and banged on it. It irked him that he’d also scented Ranger up on this floor.
No answer so he knocked once more. “She’s not there.”
He whirled around at the intrusive voice. A bellhop stood there.
“No?”
“She left about twenty minutes ago.”
“To where?”
He shrugged. “She didn’t tell me and I didn’t ask. There was another guy around here, he is waiting for the elevator, maybe he knows.”
Jealousy rumbled inside him again and he nodded before making his way back to the elevator bay. Two men were there, human, and they both had holey jeans, black boots, and some heavy metal band shirts on.
“I thought you said you knew her,” one grumbled.
“I said I did, she must not have recognized me, is all.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “We’ll just go find her at her massage and I’ll remind her that she knows me.” He looked over his shoulder and frowned at Casimir. “What are you looking at?”
“Two dead men if they insist on bothering Dyana Vance.”
That comment brought the other’s head around as well. “She doesn’t have a bodyguard. So who the fuck are you?”
His wolf raged and he stepped forward, allowing it to leak free. “Her husband.”
It hit him, the scent of a shifter. He whirled to take out the man who’d been creeping up behind him. The bellboy who’d sent him down here. No lingering scent of human on him, pure shifter only.
Bear. The scent hit him strong and he snarled as he dodged the first strike, his own fangs and claws sliding forward to rend and tear. He defended without mercy, killing the bear and turning to the other two who ran for the stairs.
One burst through while the other partially shifted and lunged. Lion. The cat’s attack never made it to him, for a leopard of deep golden color sprang by him taking the half-shifted lion to the floor. Keane.
With a nod, he ran after the one heading down the stairs. Taking them three to four at a time, he caught up to him and slammed him into the side of the wall. “What the fuck do you want with her?”
His sweat stank of boar. “She was just a pawn,” he gasped. “We wanted you out in the open, away from your pack.”
“Who did?”
A door one floor down opened and closed. The pig in his grip squealed and the others thundered up the steps toward them.
“We did,” he laughed.
Six men came at him. In the narrow stairwell, they couldn’t all get to him at once and he wasn’t afraid to fight. He was pissed. Someone had used Dyana to lure him out. He was tired of this pussy game. Come at him straight. With a low rumble, he launched at the nearest two, the one he’d had against the wall, slumping down, dead.
They tumbled down the stairs, as he killed, his rage flowing free. He only needed one for answers. When there were two left they’d gone down to the sixth floor. Above him, he smelled Keane and below him, he scented one of his own. Seconds later, another died, his broken neck snap filling the air.
Around the corner of the stairs, came Tora. Her gray eyes hard and cold. She ran her gaze over him. “Alpha,” she said.
“Tora.”
Her attention flickered up to Keane before returning to her leader. “I’ll begin clean up.”
“Call Kraven, I want him here as well. Keane will help you.”
For a moment he thought she’d argue with him on that but instead she nodded. He gave Keane a slight bob of his head before he hastened down the rest of the stairs. By the time he pushed back into the main of the hotel, he didn’t look as if anything were out of place, and he walked to the spa.
αβ
Dyana lay face down on the table, body relaxing as her masseuse worked out the stress in her leg. Strands of Samuel Barber’s
Adagio for Strings
filtered through the air, mixing with the compilation of her oils. Deep cedar, sage, rose, and a hint of jasmine.
Vera focused on the back of her thigh where the tightness grew after a day of shooting in competition. She wasn’t sure how come it hurt more after a day like this as opposed to when she went out and shot on her own for the day. After the confrontation with Casimir, she needed to just calm down.
What the hell is he doing here? Why now?
In the back of her mind she wondered if he actually wanted her in his life then scoffed.
“You okay?” Vera asked, her strong fingers digging into the flesh of her leg.
“Just running over my day,” she mumbled back.
“Very good.”
Retreating back into her head, she pulled up the mental image she had of him. Christ, he looked like an avenging angel tonight. She’d seen him pissed but this was not from fear, this tonight was from anger and rage.
Probably wanted to yell at me that I’d left without his permission. Still, I hope they can work it out with the clan and pack, they need to work together.
The music segued into
Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major
. Trying to push the dirty blond haired, blue eyed man out of her mind proved to be adaunting task. The way his blue jeans hung off lean hips, covering his powerful legs, shirt taut over broad shoulders, hanging looser over his flat abs. Hell, even in her mind he was so real, it was as if she could smell his woodsy scent, feel the calluses of his fingers along her skin.
She bit back her whimper and desperately shoved her thoughts in a completely different direction. Squeezing her eyes tight, she took a deep breath and nearly whimpered once more. There it was again. The scent of pure outdoors yet warm with masculinity.
“Give me a minute, Vera,” she said.
“I’ll be back in a little bit then.” Vera’s hands fell away and a warm blanket draped over Dyana.
“Thank you.”
She released a sigh when the door clicked and she bit the inside of her cheek until the metallic tang of blood came.
What am I going to do about this? He’s got to give me the damn papers and let me get on with my life. Back before I knew I had a husband. Back to how it was before I learned what it was like in his arms.
Heat flushed through her and she shifted on the bed. This was not the place for her to become aroused. The blanket slipped off and she grunted, reaching back to tug it into place only to stop when it was put back. The caress of fingertips along her lower back, intimately familiar.
“Tell me you didn’t break into my room.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you.”
Casimir’s deep voice pebbled her nipples and sent more moisture flowing to her core.
Tossing up one more prayer for strength, she rolled over, ensuing to keep herself covered. Damn it. Damn
him
for doing this to her. There went that damn whimper again.
“I don’t have the energy to deal with you right now, hoss. So be good and leave me alone.”
His gaze raked over her, making her wonder if she hadn’t imagined covering up with a blanket. Casimir didn’t respond, instead, he moved nearer to her, grabbed the nape of her neck and hauled her up to slant his mouth over hers.
She moaned and pushed her tongue forward to meet his as it entered her mouth. Addicted. That’s how he made her. She was addicted to his taste and touch. Plastering her hands against his torso, she pushed and he growled low, refusing to back away.
Intending to shove harder, she found herself spreading her fingers along the definitions and leaning closer.
Where’s my damn pride?
He lay her back, hand sliding down, tugging the blanket with until he cupped her hip. His warm heavier body covered hers, shirt brushing against her tight nipples.
“I told you we would talk later.” He kissed her between each word.
“And I said there’s nothing to talk about. Unless you have the papers.”
His grip tightened. Casimir nudged her legs apart and slid her toward the edge of the table. “We’re not divorcing. You are my mate.”
“Fuck you,” she grunted even as he pushed his cock’s broad head inside her. Her eyelids fluttered. “Oh shit.”
“I’m going to fuck you.” He sank fully within her pussy and she couldn’t stop the groan from slipping from her lips.
She couldn’t draw on any argument even if she wanted to. And hell, she hadn’t any desire to do so. Her head tipped back as another sigh escaped. She gripped his shoulders and tugged him tighter to her, desperate to have him as close as possible. He cupped her breast, thumb swiping along the nipple.
“When I’m done fucking you here, I’m taking you to your room where I’m starting all over again.” He buried his face in her neck and nipped. “And again.” He moved slowly within her, each stroke antagonizing, slow and languid.
Casimir took her hands in his and lifted them out over her head, his eyes bore into hers as he played her body as his own instrument. Were she a romantic she’d think he was madly in love with her. From the heated burn of his eyes to the set of his chiseled jaw. He pushed her nearer and nearer to the edge, without releasing her gaze. Amber flames lit the blue as she hovered on the edge of her precipice.
He lowered his face closer and whispered, “Come for me.”
She quivered and her body responded to the command-drenched trio of words. She fell, embracing the release as in the background
Suite for Orchestra No. 3 in D Major
played, completing the sensation this wasn’t just a fucking but a uniting of souls. It wasn’t quick and fast. No, he took his time until her entire body burned for him then he still wouldn’t go fast, but prolonged each instance of pleasure that he gave to her.
Casimir gathered her body to him as he filled her with his own release. Murmured words in her ear set a new flame alighting along her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut and gave into the moment, wanting—needing—the connection with him, even if it was just for the time.
She’d not had time to recover from that before he began all over again. At the end when he finally pulled out of her for the last time, Dyana had about as much ability to move as a limp noodle. He sat her on the massage table and draped another blanket around her shoulders before kissing her.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Even in her languid state, she couldn’t miss the order in his tone. “What happened just now isn’t going to mean I’m letting you boss me around, hoss.”
“Dyana,” he said. “Get dressed.”
She listened wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed against his warm, hard body and allow the fantasy to continue. Instead, she shrugged back into her clothing.
What the hell is Vera going to think?
“I told her you were my wife and I’d not seen you in a long time,” he said as he pulled some bills out from his wallet.
“Are you about to pay me for that?” Hands on her hips she glared at him.
“No. I was paying her for letting us have our time in here.” He gave her a disapproving look. “Why would I pay you?”
“I don’t know, don’t you usually pay whores?”
His body snapped straight before he tossed the bills and stalked over her, fury burning in his eyes. “You are not a whore, you’re my wife. My
mate.
”
Desperately trying to ignore her desire to have whatever was between them be real, she wasn’t about to be someone’s rebound, second choice. So she hardened her heart and ignored the pleading her brain and heart did to not go down this road.
“Really? Because not too long ago I was just a nuisance that you wanted to divorce so you could marry some other woman. Now suddenly I’m supposed to believe that I’m your
mate
? You couldn’t rid yourself of me fast enough. The unwanted spouse, the secret from your past you needed to dispose of.” Tears burned her eyes. “The one who wasn’t worthy of you or your position because of my limp. I’m
weak
, remember?” she sneered at him. “I’ve got something others will exploit and use to their advantage.”
His gaze widened and she nodded. “That’s right, I heard you commenting on that to your lieutenant. So, I know how you truly feel, I’m not going to fall for it. Go back to your bitch. You know what, let’s not even get a divorce on paper. Let’s just agree right now.”
He blinked then stared. Casimir didn’t move, just stood there, his intense gaze boring into her as if truly seeing her for the first time. Or, as if he was seeing something different after all this time.
“Come on,” he said. He grabbed her arm and led her from the room. They didn’t stop, just went to the elevator where he put her inside and followed her in, she was in a corner and he stood in front of her, protecting or not, she wasn’t positive but she understood she wasn’t getting away from him until whatever he had to say was out of his mouth.
On her floor, he led her from the car and down the hall where he held out his hand. Wordless, she passed over her key and waited for him to unlock it and let them in. She remained by the closed door as he prowled through the entire suite, checking it out.