Page 30 of Blood and Magic
“I’ll talk to him,” I said. “In the meantime, let’s get back to work.” I glanced at Aquila, who had become our resident horse whisperer. I’d seen him get through to even the surliest of fillies. “You break that stallion yet?”
He shook his head. “The fucker is onery.”
“Keep working on him.” I gestured toward the big house. “I’ll grab Maeve and meet you by the barn.”
He balked. “She’s working with us today?”
“Until we catch these fucking bloodsuckers, I want to keep an eye on her.”
Fenris looked to Poe and Columba before pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows in disbelief.
“What?” I growled.
“How’d she take the news about you moving in?” Fenris asked, his hands on his hips, an eyebrow rose halfway up his forehead.
“Fine,” I growled. “I didn’t give her much of a choice.”
“Vanderbilt women like that,” Poe replied with a sarcastic smirk. “Sol really enjoyed being backed into a corner.”
“She’s alive, isn’t she?” Orion had kept her safe up at that cabin. Poe and Lycan, too. If she’d listened to him from the start, she probably wouldn’t have nearly gotten eaten by wolves either.
Poe put his hands out to either side in supplication. “I’m not arguing with you. I’m just saying…be careful.”
I glared but didn’t respond. I had to get back to the mansion. Neither I nor my wolf liked leaving her alone this long. The other guys jumped into action, going about their morning routine while I packed the rest of the things I’d need in the mansion. My best friend and resident pain in the ass stuck around. When I noticed him lingering, I raised my eyebrows and straightened.
“What?”
Fenris whistled. “Seems like you’re extremely worried about her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean…she’s got an alarm system in the big house. If anyone comes after her, it won’t take long for us to get there to help her.”
I put my hands on my hips. “And?”
“Why do you need to have her by your side?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes, sensing where this was heading. “Knock it off.”
“Look, if she’s your?—”
I didn’t let him finish. Shaking my head, I headed out of the bunks toward the main house. Those idiots didn’t know what the hell they were talking about. Maeve was too young, too stubborn, too...human to be anything more than a job duty.
But my wolf didn’t like that insinuation. He reminded me of how hard my heart had stammered when I met eyes with her at the wedding. Touching her had set me on fire, and all my beast wanted to do was see how much of her he could consume in one bite.
I’d never felt like this about a female before. All of those encounters seemed mind-numbingly dull in comparison. Not Maeve. She made me laugh. She argued with me. She…was totally and completely off-limits.
When I got to the big house, I stomped my feet on the mat and wiped them off before shouting out for the Vanderbilt in question.
“Maeve!” I glanced toward the top of the grand staircase and waited to see if she’d respond. When she didn’t, I followed her caramel and lilac scent up the stairs to the second floor, where it trailed into a room two doors down on the right.
“Exactly, Jonathan,” Maeve said into her cellphone, pacing in front of an enormous desk in the study. “If we don’t do it now, the window of opportunity could close, and then where will we be?”
She held up a finger to suggest I should wait for her to finish. While she negotiated with whomever was on the other end, I stood by the door and crossed my arms, letting my gaze roam over her. She’d taken off her riding boots and now stood barefoot, her perfect toes decorated with black nail paint to match the same on her fingers. She had long, strong legs that widened into hips just begging to be grabbed and squeezed. Her curves screamed for attention as they faded into her chest and a long, biteable neck.
My canines nearly extended at the thought of sinking into that delicate flesh and marking her as mine. And her eyes…fuck, her eyes were deep elegant pools of ice blue, and I wanted to stare into them while I made her scream. With pleasure. With agony. With the wanton yearning for both at the same time. But her scent — that sweet, floral decadence swirled around me, making me want to lap her up until neither of us could walk.
She hung up the phone and turned to face me.
