Page 8

Carter

It took two rounds of sex before Gio was exhausted enough to fall into the dreamless daytime sleep common among vampires. It was late afternoon so Carter didn’t have much time to get cleaned up and out of the house before the sun went down.

He used the downstairs bathroom shower and put on one of his nicest outfits. At least it was one that Gio had complimented a lot so he hoped it was nice enough to attract the landless nymph’s attention.

Pulling on the custom leather motorcycle jacket Gio had made for him that resembled an old-fashioned racing style, Carter grabbed his helmet and keys for the bike. It wasn’t long before he was flying down the freeway heading downtown.

It was easy to find a spot to park the bike outside Joy.

His heart was racing as he shut off the engine and heeled down the kickstand.

The sun was low in the sky, but he had at least an hour before Gio would be able to leave the house and track him down.

By then he was determined to have started laying the foundation for charming the nymph.

He might not be as worldly or poetic as Gio, but he was an alpha wolf and that meant he had an in-built magic that put people around him at ease. He was going to rely on it heavily today.

Swinging a long leg off the bike, he pulled the helmet off and looked up at the nondescript entrance to Joy.

The place had a ton of wards on it. One of them kept pure humans from noticing it unless someone walked them inside.

Even now, humans were walking past the establishment as if it was an empty storefront.

Walking in, he smelled cat shifter and human. It was difficult, but he kept from frowning in disappointment.

“Carter?” the cat shifter behind the counter called out. “I haven’t seen you since we opened this place.”

“Hi, Zan,” Carter said as if they were old friends. The first step to gaining Skyler’s attention would be making friends with the people protecting her. “Nice to see you again!”

Striding up to the counter, he took a seat next to the human. He didn’t smell shifter, vampire, or any other magic on her. That was unusual. Ignoring the curiosity of this human, he focused on Zan.

“It’s been a long time,” Zan said. “What would you like?”

“I’ll take whatever you recommend,” Carter answered, glancing over to see what the human was drinking. To his surprise, a small furry face peered back at him. “Is that a dog?”

The human giggled. “This is Babette.”

Carter was captured by her musical voice.

Turning to face her, he took in the human woman.

Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a loose French braid.

Curly tendrils had come loose and framed her adorable, round face.

Bright blue eyes stared up at him, sparkling with good humor, and plump lips were turned up in a soft smile.

“Do I need Babette to introduce me to you?” he asked.

She laughed again and held out a hand. “I’m Mila and you’re Carter.”

“That’s right,” he said, taking her hand in his. Her skin was soft and warm. He felt a zap of awareness go through him, making him reluctant to let go even after an appropriate amount of time passed. His wolf rose up. His inner beast wanted him to put her hand to his mouth and taste her skin.

Barely resisting the urge, he let go of her hand and cleared his throat. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d like to buy you and your companion a drink if I could.”

“No need, we’re cheap dates,” she answered, giving the dog a little kiss on the top of the head. “We’re both drinking water.”

Carter didn’t like that at all. She should have something fancy and tasty. “I can see why Babette needs to stick to water. I’ve heard she can’t handle her alcohol, but I’m sure you could have something.”

She blushed a little and ducked her head. “Um, I guess I could stay for a drink.” She leaned closer to him and whispered, “Zander’s been really nice about letting us sit here even though I can’t buy anything. He even opened all these bottles of water. He’s really nice.”

Her bright, sincere eyes made Carter’s heart melt.

Although she’d whispered, and Zan had moved down the bar a little to pull something out of a fridge under the counter, Carter knew the cat shifter had heard her.

Zan’s head popped up, and his expression was clearly worried.

He might’ve suspected she was having money problems, but that little comment confirmed it.

“Zan always gives free drinks to the first customer of the day,” Carter said as Zan moved a little further away and started tapping on his cell. “Zan hates to be alone so you’re doing him a favor by coming in early and hanging out. Can I tell you a secret?”

Mila nodded, looking serious. “Of course.”

Carter did his best to keep a straight face. “Zan’s a scaredy cat. Totally afraid to be by himself.”

She stared at him with wide eyes, then they narrowed in suspicion. “You’re making that up.”

“Only a little,” Carter admitted with a grin, making her laugh. “Now let me buy you a drink. We could also order dinner. There’s a diner only a few blocks away with great food. They deliver here.”

“Zander’s okay with that?” Mila asked.

“He’s the one who started it,” Carter said. He pulled out his phone and started texting Jesse, one of the wolves who ran The Pack House. The Lobo Gris pack owned and ran several small restaurants and bars. They were one of the most successful packs Carter had ever met.

For half a second, Carter had thought about trying to join the pack, but they already had too many alphas. Then he met Gio and everything changed.

“You want any food Zan?” Carter asked the cat shifter.

“Skyler and Mason will be coming down soon,” Zan said. “If you’re messaging Jesse or Will, ask for the Skyler and Mason combo, they’ll know what it is.”

“What about you, darling?” Carter asked, looking down at Mila.

She bit her lip and hugged Babette to her chest. The dog wriggled and whined a little, making her loosen her grip and apologize to the small creature under her breath.

“Are you okay, Mila?” Carter asked.

“I can’t pay for it,” she explained. “And it doesn’t feel right to let you buy me food. We don’t even know each other.”

“People go on dates all the time,” Carter pointed out. “They don’t know each other and still buy each other food.”

She shook her head. “This isn’t a date.”

He didn’t even hesitate. “It could be.”

Two things happened: Mila blushed, and Carter felt how important that statement was. He wanted to take this woman out on a date.

Wolves, especially alpha wolves, weren’t very interested in sex until they met their mate. The second he’d touched Gio, he was sure that the vampire was his mate. He never expected to find another mate. It wasn’t uncommon for wolves to have several mates, he just never thought he’d be that lucky.

Babette made another little whiny sound, breaking the silence between them.

“I think she needs to go outside for a moment,” Mila said, dropping her gaze to the dog. “I’ll, um, be right back.”

Swinging around, she slid off the stool and moved to the door. Unwilling to let her out of his sight, Carter went to follow, but suddenly Zan was leaning over the counter and grabbing his arm to keep him there.

“Be honest with me?” the cat asked. His words weren’t angry or aggressive, only cautious. “You showed up when Anatoly and I first opened this place but never came back. Why are you here today?”

There was no reason to lie now. “I came to meet Skyler. I thought she might like to join Gio’s flock.”

Zan’s brows knotted in confusion. “But Gio already has you. He doesn’t need to worry about going feral.”

“I only thought she might like to have choices,” Carter said. “If she joined me as part of Gio’s flock, then she’d be safe.”

“I guess that’s true,” Zan agreed hesitantly.

“She’s interviewing a vampire tonight. She and Mason.

They’ve decided the only way she’s going to be safe is if they find her a vampire to bond to.

” Zan’s expression turned sad. “Poor Mason loves her, and he’ll probably be left behind.

It’s really sad. He’ll have to give her up to do what’s best for her. ”

This was all news to Carter. “Who’s Mason?”

“Gargoyle,” Zan said. “He was here the night she showed up and needed protection from a bunch of durmin.”

“McConnell?” Carter asked.

“Yes,” Zan said. “How did you know?”

“I might’ve had a run-in with them myself,” Carter said with a wince. “Annoying bastard magic.”

“It really is,” Zan agreed. “If you run into them again, try salt. That worked last time, but the spell might've been changed since then. Anyway, if you want Gio to meet her, then you need to make an appointment for an interview.”

Carter’s eyes slid over to the large window that made up most of the front of the bar. He could see Mila out on the sidewalk with Babette. The little dog was sniffing around a nearby tree while Mila chatted with a sunburned tourist.

“I don’t want to make an appointment,” Carter said.

Zan let go of his arm. “I only met her today, but I can tell Mila’s a sweetheart. She’s also in some trouble.”

Carter turned his full attention to Zan. “What kind of trouble?”

“I’m not sure,” Zan said. “Here’s what I know. She’s looking for a job, couldn’t even buy a soda from me, and that dog has twine for a collar and leash. She also asked me if there was a safe place to park for the night. I think she might be homeless.”

Fear for Mila made Carter’s breath catch. “No!” he growled.

“Easy,” Zan warned. “I know you have all kinds of protective alpha wolf instincts, but she’s human. I don’t think she knows anything about our world. You can’t simply arrange her life like you would a pack member.”

Carter understood the need for caution but at the same time, she couldn’t be allowed to remain in danger. “She’s mine.”

Zan blinked, then a knowing smile spread across his face. “Congratulations.”

Rissa’s laughter drew their attention to the doorway where Zan’s mate was walking in with Babette in her arms. The little dog was eagerly licking her face while Mila walked close behind looking a little concerned.

“I told Mila she had to stay for dinner,” Rissa announced. “I’ve kidnapped her dog to force her to stay. What should we order?”

“That’s my sweet criminal,” Zan purred. “But ordering food isn’t our problem. Carter is going to take care of dinner for everyone.”

Zan leaned over the counter, inviting Rissa in for a kiss. Babette got to him first, placing a perfectly aimed tongue across his lips. Sputtering, Zan reared back and wiped frantically at his mouth with the back of his hand.

Mila gasped. “Oh! I’m so sorry!”

Her apology was drowned out by Rissa and Carter’s laughter.