Letting Whitney go felt impossible, but I had no choice. My more animalistic side was howling for me to just grab her and take her back to Reckless Stalker territory, but we had made a deal.
And I can’t believe she bought into my lies.
Part of me felt a little remorseful that it had to be that way, but Whitney was a lot more than I expected. She was wild and ferocious enough that I thought I’d lost to her multiple times during the fight. When she threatened to call in her reinforcements, I’d had to think on my feet, and I’d abandoned my hope for a pack witch, choosing instead to keep Whitney from having the entire wrath of the Silverfangs come down on me.
I’d spun a tale for her and somehow she’d believed it. All that time, though, I’d formed a much different plan in my heart.
Get her to my territory, isolate her, and make her mine. All I needed to do was hold her until she agreed to the mating ritual. Hell, I’d lock her in my cabin if I had to. Anything to keep her at my side.
I had been drawn to her immediately, but my obsession was kept in check until I had pinned her the first time. Once I was able to smell her, feel her skin, and hear her heartbeat, it was all over.
Everything had been taken from me in life. My parents, my pack, my best friend…I sure as hell wasn’t going to lose my mate. Somehow fate had gifted me the strongest, most beautiful she-wolf, and I deserve her after everything I’ve lost.
I’ve made mistakes, but I’m not a bad man. At least not fully. I should be able to have this one good thing.
For now, though, she was meeting me at Taurus, a steakhouse on the river, to discuss what happens next. I’ve convinced her that the demons are more prevalent in my territory than hers, and while it wasn’t totally a lie, I’ve come to understand that activity is growing everywhere.
And I needed her isolated to keep her. I almost understood Danny’s obsession with Naomi now that Whitney was in my sphere. My mate is burning me from the inside out with how badly I want her. The difference is that Whitney would make my pack stronger. Danny had lost everything because of Naomi, but I’d be a fool to let Whitney go.
The restaurant was dimly lit and wood-paneled, and I could smell the savory scents of cooking meat wafting through the air as soon as I walked through the doors. A hostess showed me to a booth near the back, and I slid into the seat facing the entrance, wanting to be able to see Whitney as soon as she walked in.
She was angry, but there was no way she could refuse me now. We were in the middle of a demonic crisis, and she knew as well as I did that we needed each other. The Silverfangs were stretched thin as they were, and the Red Canines weren’t going to be able to just throw wolves at the problem while they were rebuilding. We were the best choice to combat the demons.
My head whipped up as soon as the door opened, and my breath caught in my chest when she entered the restaurant. She was wearing dark jeans and a tight black sweater with a plunging V-neck that revealed the creamy swells of her breasts. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that exposed her long, delicate neck. She’d done something with her make-up to make her eyes look even more gorgeous than they had earlier in the day.
She’d also washed the blood from her cheek and from her hair. Whitney was a woman of many sides I was learning. Beautiful, deadly, strong, but still somehow elegant. She was perfect.
“Hey,” she said when she slid into the seat across from me. “You’re early.”
I shrugged, unable to stop staring at her. “I’m always early when it’s something I want.”
Her cheeks flushed slightly. “Oh, okay. Well, I’m not hungry, so let’s get down to business.”
I frowned. “You’re not hungry? After the workout you gave me this morning?”
“Don’t try to be cute. I hate you, Julian. Please keep that in mind during our conversation.”
I grinned. “Noted, but I know you want me.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, but her cheeks were pink.
“Okay, then,” I said. “You want to start with the Red Canines or the Silverfangs?”
She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t matter. They both hate this plan and want to rip your throat out. Hector has a hard time believing that the Reckless Stalkers are worth sending Laura and me with you, while Danny wants you dead and in the ground. If it were up to them, you’d be shit out of luck.”
That didn’t surprise me. “So what changed?”
“Faye. She conceded that they were stretched thin trying to guard the perimeter when everyone was reluctant to be away from home for too long when there is a demon threat. It still almost all fell apart because Danny was so against it. Hector asked him if accepting the deal would hurt their alliance, and if Danny had said yes, there would be no deal. But Danny finally relented—on the condition that you never go near him or Naomi again. I have permission to travel with you for as long as it takes to find out where the demons are coming from, and as soon as it’s dealt with, I’m supposed to come home.”
I raised an eyebrow, surprised at her description of the alphas. “Just like that, huh? “
She shrugged one shoulder, looking unconcerned. “Outside of Hector and Faye, I’m a pretty high-ranking, trusted pack member. They trust me, and they don’t want me to go, but it’s the safety of the pack over the safety of a single member—me. It’s just the way of things. Alphas have to make hard decisions sometimes, and that’s one of them. They want to protect their people.”
I nodded, but my mind was whirling. She didn’t seem to be lying, which meant that we were on the clock. I wanted Whitney isolated, and that meant getting her away from her pack as soon as possible.
The server came by and despite her earlier claims that she wasn’t hungry, Whitney ordered a porterhouse steak and a loaded baked potato. I ordered the same and when the server left, I leaned forward with a smile.
“Good news for you, then,” I said. “My territory is close to where the most activity has been recently. My men have reported at least two separate groups of demons moving in the area, but they haven’t been able to get close enough to know how many there are or where they are coming from. It’s the perfect opportunity to check things out.”
Whitney was quiet for a moment. “It’s not the run-of-the-mill demons that are the real issue. It’s finding out why they seem to be targeting certain individuals above others.”
“Faye and her daughter. Don’t worry, I didn’t spy on your precious pack. I was still with the Red Canines when Danny made it public knowledge.”
“Oh.”
I waited for her to say something else, but she was quiet. “We can leave tomorrow morning if you don’t have anything holding you up.”
She nodded, but her mind seemed far away.
The server came by with our food, and I watched Whitney tear into the steak like she’d been starved for days. The hunger had finally hit her. She finished it in record time and then sat back looking embarrassed. “Sorry,” she said. “I guess I was hungry after all.”
“It’s fine. You need to eat more than that to keep up your energy, though. You’re going to be fighting demons, not taking a stroll in the park.”
“I know how to feed myself. And I promise you, I know way more about fighting demons than you do. I would have eaten earlier, except an asshole attacked me in the woods.” Her gaze was pointed and accusatory. “And then I lost my appetite after I had to get these.”
Whitney pulled some of her white-blond hair aside to show me the staples closing the wound on her scalp. She had hit the rock pretty damn hard, but werewolves are made of strong stuff. The wound was red and angry in the paleness of her hair, but it wasn’t bleeding and there was no sign of infection.
I swallowed hard as I stared at the wound. “Well, you survived.”
“Yeah, lucky me,” she snapped.
I shook my head at her, confused. “You really are a mystery to me, Whitney. You act like you don’t want me, but your words aren’t matching what your body is saying.”
She snorted but didn’t say anything.
“Tell me about yourself,” I said. “You know all about me. Now it’s your turn to spill.”
“We’re not here to get to know each other, Julian.”
I sighed. “Look, this whole thing is going to be a lot less painful if we can just try to get along. We’ll be working together for at least the next two weeks, so let’s try to be friendly. Tell me what you like to do besides hunt demons.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Hiking. I love to hike. Being in the woods feels like coming home. I’m a descendant of the Norse gods, so it makes sense, I guess.”
I nodded but didn’t say anything. My ancestors were mostly German, French, and English. “Do you have a favorite trail?”
“There’s a place called Goose Lake outside of my hometown that has some really great hikes. What about you?”
I shrugged. “I used to like fishing when I was younger. Never really got into hiking, though.”
“Maybe we can find some time to go hiking while we’re on the hunt.”
My heart leaped into my throat. Maybe she was beginning to come around. I decided to test my luck. “If we can get some time away from the rest of the pack, I think I’d enjoy that.”
“Don’t push it. I’m only working with you because you’re a lesser evil.”
“Why are you so determined to fight this, Whitney? I know you can feel the same things I do.”
“The only thing I feel is irritation and a need to punch you in the face. Repeatedly.”
I sighed. “You’ll have your chance soon enough. I want to see what we can find out about the demons before I bring you into my territory.”
“Fine by me,” she snapped, pushing her plate away. “Let’s get out of here. I’m ready to go home.”
I didn’t move, just looked at her. “It doesn’t have to be like this. You could just accept that we’re mates.”
Whitney laughed. “I wish it was that easy. Mating isn’t something I ever considered. It’s not something I want. I don’t have time for it or the distraction it brings. And I certainly don’t want to be mated to an enemy of my pack.”
Her words were like a punch in the gut, but I forced myself to look unaffected. I smiled at her, letting my eyes roam over her body. “Well, your body says differently, Sweetheart.”
She growled at me, showing me her teeth. “I’m not your sweetheart.”
She wasn’t denying my words. “Sure thing, Sweetheart.”
“You’re a dick, Julian. I don’t know what you think you see in me, but I promise you there’s nothing there for you to grab onto.”
The server came by to pick up the check, and I looked at Whitney while he was there. “We’re going to need another moment.”
“Okay,” he said, walking away quickly.
“I think you’re full of shit,” I said. “I think you’re attracted to me and that makes you angry because you’re trying to convince yourself that you’re not.”
“You attacked me just a few hours ago. Attacked. Your teeth were around my throat.”
“We’re wolves.”
“And?”
“And that’s just foreplay, Sweetheart.”
That was enough to piss her off to the point that she stood, clearly intending to leave. I hadn’t meant to push her so far, but arguing with Whitney was fun. Making her angry was fun. Seeing the fire in her eyes was incredible. But my mate was tired and had had enough of whatever was going on between us.
I stood as well, grabbing her wrist as she turned away.
“Let go,” she growled, not looking at me.
I let my voice drop low so she could hear every ounce of truth in it. I already knew she would refuse me, but I’d be a fool not to try. “Stay with me tonight. Take some of that hate out on me, Whitney. I’ll let you. And then I’ll show you how good of a mate I’ll be.”
Whitney’s gaze shot up to mine, and she drew in a shuddering breath. I could smell her scent, candied lemons, and the slightest hint of copper from her wound—it made me want to taste her from head to toe. For one brilliant moment, I thought she might agree, but then she shook her head, blond hair flying.
“No. Never.” She stepped back and I released her wrist. “Good night, Julian.”
“I enjoyed our first date!” I called after her. She flipped me off over her shoulder.
Oh, she could be mad tonight. But tomorrow, she was leaving town with me, and I’d be one step closer to having my mate totally alone. We’d see how prickly she was after I put the mate bite on her.