Page 36

Nadia

“All right!” I say, snatching up my tray and jumping to my feet. “Bye!”

Quite suddenly I want to be…absolutely anywhere but here.

“Oh no, are you finished?” Shayne calls, walking over with Grace behind her, both of them looking at me with sad frowns.

“Yup!” I say, my hands tight, sad to abandon my friends with Rosie the demonic she-wolf but needing to get out of here before I start throwing things at her head. “I’ve got work –“

“Doesn’t start for half an hour,” Grace says softly, her frown deepening.

“I’m going to…prep! Tests! Roll bandages, boil linens! Or whatever!” I turn sharply and stride away.

“Is she preparing to deliver a baby a hundred years ago?” Grace asks, confused about my sudden departure and declaration that I’m going to perform tasks that nobody needs to complete.

But whatever.

I need…time. Time to get Rose out of my mind and find some way to reckon with the fact that Cole Kincaid and I are… friends now?

I groan, shoving my tray into the slotted cart for dirty dishes and storming out of the tent.

Cole

I do my absolute best and fail in the attempt not to watch Nadia leave the tent, all huffy and pissed off.

Just how we like her , my wolf says, his tongue lolling.

Mentally, I flick him on the nose and he laughs wolfishly, turning and darting off into the wilderness of my soul.

Grace and Shayne sit down, Rose sneering at them like they’re very dirty street cats who have interrupted our date.

Which is probably what she actually thinks.

“Hi!” Grace says, smiling at Rose. “I started to introduce myself last night but didn’t get a chance to -”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Rose says, turning slightly away and dropping the conversation like a dirty rag, clearly implying that the introduction ended precisely where she wanted it to.

“Well, I got to know her for both of us,” Shay says, overly cheerful and beaming around at all of us. “And can I just say – what a treat for everyone involved!”

We all look at her, kind of shocked.

“Our Rose is a peach!” Shayne says, so sweet, giving her a beautiful smile.

Rose’s brows rise at this unexpected praise.

“I mean, a very rotten peach,” Shayne continues, guileless, tilting her head to the side. “With a mushy bruise on the bottom, just crawling with maggots –“

I can’t help it - I burst out laughing. Grace does too.

Rose just rolls her eyes and stands sharply, grabbing her tray. “Cole,” she says, glaring at me now. “Make the arrangements. We’re going tonight – I have work to do and I’m not going to have it interfered with just because you have some new pets .”

She bares her teeth at Shayne and Grace and strides away.

“My name is GRACE!” Grace calls, cupping her hand to the side of her mouth and ensuring that Rose can hear. She doesn’t turn back.

I sigh, watching her go, shaking my head as guilt begins to turn in me.

“Don’t do that, Cole,” Shayne murmurs, sitting back in her chair and lifting her cup of tea to her lips.

“Do what?” I ask, lifting my eyes to her.

“Feel all guilty about it,” Grace says, pouring her milk into her cereal. “She was being a brat. And that is the nicest word I can use – one that I have chosen because I am in a good mood today.”

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have laughed,” I murmur, putting my elbows on the table and leaning against them.

“I’m a public figure, an extension of the crown.

My reactions matter . I have to be more unbiased – I can’t celebrate when someone gets their ass handed to them. No matter how much they deserve it.”

“That is very responsible of you, Cole,” Shayne says, nodding sagely. “And also very dull.”

I grin, liking both of these new friends very much.

“All right,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “On to less dull subjects, then.”

They both perk up at this, grinning at me.

“Dr. General Amir let something slip last night,” I murmur, looking suspiciously between them. “So, spill. Who are all these guys knocking on Nadia’s door?”

Both Grace and Shayne grin wickedly, turning to look at each other.

“What’s that?” I ask, pointing a finger between them. “That look – I don’t like that.”

“Sorry Cole,” Grace says with a sigh, turning back to me. “Our mouths are sealed in the name of female friendship and pinkie swears.”

“Which we will obviously break,” Shayne says, leaning towards me. “For a price.”

I lean back, crossing my arms over my chest. “All right. What do you want?”

Shayne squeals, delighted, and I sigh as I realize that Shayne is about to become a very rich woman.

“I want a trip,” Shayne says, grinning at me. “One month in the Alps – and a good suite. Or no! The beach! One of those luxury villas that comes with a butler? I can –“

“Shayne!” Grace gasps, grabbing her friend’s arm. “Would you shut up ? We’re not actually selling Nadia’s secrets for –“

“Oh yes, we are!” Shay says, spinning on her. “Grace, Nadia wants me to have this – she said I need a vacation and am far too stressed!”

“You are being ridiculous –“

“One week,” I cut in. Both girls spin to me. “On a mega yacht. On Clythera’s southern coast.”

Their mouths fall open.

“You have a yacht?” Shayne whispers.

“Nah, mom wouldn’t let us get one,” I murmur, grinning at her, enjoying this very much. “She said it was ridiculously lavish and a waste of money. But these yacht owners offer us vacations all the time for free –“

“And I?” Shayne stutters, pointing to her chest. “I can have one?”

“I mean, they’ll want a royal to come along for the press,” I say. “So, you’ll have to invite me. Or Jude – he loves a yacht. Or…both of us.”

I shrug casually, even though I know I have just baited the most tempting lure, tailor-made for Shayne.

Her jaw drops clean open, and she stares at me, her throat clicking, her blue eyes wide with desire.

“The answer is no ,” Grace says, glaring at Shay.

A strangled screech as Shayne spins on her.

“Fine,” I say, laughing, appreciating Grace’s loyalty. I’ll just have to figure out her weaknesses and prey on those next. “Just give me some hints.”

“But the yacht!” Shayne cries. “I – I need it!”

I wink at her, fully intending to let her have it anyway. Honestly, when this is all done, a week on a yacht sounds…fantastic. And I know that Shayne will truly enjoy it, which will make it all the better.

Grace considers, looking between Shayne and me, and then sighs. “Fine,” she says, laughing a little. “Because we like you, Cole, and we want Nadia to give you a chance…we’ll give you a tiny bit of information. To help. ”

I grin, quite pleased.

Grace very coyly looks down at her cereal, stirring it with her spoon. “Nadia has…a variety of gentlemen callers.”

“Any of them serious?”

“Not currently.”

I hum, my wolf collapsing in my soul with relief. “How many?”

Grace shrugs, being all secretive and devoted to her friend.

Shayne rolls her eyes. “She gets asked out a lot , Cole, she’s really pretty –“

I shift my entire focus to Shay, my wolf growling.

“But she turns most of them down,” Shayne concludes with a shrug. “But, there is one –“

“Shayne,” Grace says, her voice low with warning.

Shayne glances at her only for a second. But I whisper the word “yacht” and her eyes are immediately back on me.

“His name is –“

“Shayne!” Grace says again, sitting up straight and brandishing her spoon at her friend, flicking a tiny bit of milk onto Shayne’s scrubs. The two lean close, speaking quickly and softly. I lean closer, engaging my Alpha hearing –

But Grace shoots out a hand when I get too close, her palm smacking flat into my face and making me sit back in my chair as I laugh.

They converse furiously for a few more seconds before they both turn back to me.

“Fine,” Grace says, her eyes narrowed to two dark lines. My mouth spreads into a slow smile. “You get no names and details. But since we are rooting for you, Cole, you should know that…Nadia’s kind of been stuck on someone for a while.”

My smile drops. My wolf howls in agony.

“We hate him,” Shayne says, leaning close, nodding eagerly. “He’s such a prick – and he’s not nice to her.”

“But he is…hot,” Grace says, nodding. “And he plays all sort of cat-and-mouse games with her, luring her in and then playing the victim when he breaks it off. For some reason she just…can’t quit him.”

Shayne nods too. “That’s why we call him Catnip.”

My wolf snarls. “Where is he?” The threat in my voice is dead obvious.

“See this is why I didn’t want to tell you, Cole,” Grace says, crossing her arms. “You’re going to go all Alpha-wolf, that’s-my-mate, Ima-kill-that-boy –“

“No, I’m not,” I say, scoffing, sitting back.

“Then why do you want to know where he is?” Grace asks, brow raised.

“Because I’m going to…send him…a damn fruit basket,” I mutter, snapping my head to the side, unhappy to be caught in my lie.

Because okay, yes, fine, murdering him for treating Nadia like that is obviously the first thing that came to my mind.

But Grace is right.

God. Crap. In moments like this, I hate that my parents raised me with good morals.

Catnip . Who the hell is this guy?

“I don’t think you should worry about it,” Shayne says, calmly sipping her tea. “They broke up for the fifth time like six months ago and she hasn’t talked to him since. I think we’re in the clear. Door closed.”

“Door is never closed on Catnip,” Grace murmurs, glancing at her friend as she digs into her cereal. “That’s what we said the first four times they broke up.”