Tasting The Enemy

Azaire POV

What the hell was he thinking? Elaine was completely out of it. She stared at the betas from my pack as if they were soldiers from an action movie. She reeked of alcohol but her natural scent reached out to tease my wolf.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I blasted.

“Nothing man! We were having a little fun, nothing was going to happen.”

I pointed at the petite girl beside him. “That’s not what she said.”

My blood boiled because if I hadn’t shown up she would have slept with my brother in the back seat of his car. I reminded my wolf that Lucas was my brother and I was here to make sure he was safe.

“Get in the truck, Lucas,” I ordered.

“I’m not a kid, Azaire!”

I grabbed the front of his shirt. “Get in the fucking car, we’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

“What’s going on?”

“Wolf enhancers. Get lost, Lucas, I mean it.”

He hit the car and brushed his black shirt.

“Keys,” I said.

He tossed me his and I gave him mine. Wolf enhancers made wolves stronger and faster but they could mess with our ability to shift leading to a wolf’s death. If Lucas as much as smelled one I’d kill him myself.

“Kill joy,” a small voice said.

I turned and found Elaine tugging on her dress. My wolf raised his excited head.

Down boy.

“What?” I asked.

“We were about to have sex. Couldn’t you come back later?” She pouted.

“You weren’t going to do anything. Now go home.”

She lifted her head and wobbled two steps. She composed herself and tried again but only got half a step.

“For fuck’s sake.”

I wrapped my arm under her armpits and the other under her knees and hoisted her up. It was almost like carrying a cloud. She slammed her petite fist on my chest.

“Put me down, you big oaf!”

“How are you going to get home?” I snapped.

Her honey-brown eyes scanned something other than me. Before her lips parted. She better not. I set her down instantly. She puked on the truck’s tires.

“How much did you drink?”

“Huh?”

I stared at the house. Dozens of shifters were in there searching the house for enhancers. This house was on neutral territory and belonged to an elder of the Black Claw pack but they were out of town. I knew they had kids. I should be in there handling the operation but here I was watching a Black Claw wolf hurl her guts out. I should have left her there to finish but I pulled her black hair back. It felt like satin.

I imagined what it was like to yank it while driving into her from behind. Elaine held the car for balance. My free hand helped support her until she was finished.

“I feel sick,” she panted.

I sighed. I couldn’t leave her out here.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

“You will?” She squeaked.

I picked her up again and carried her to the passenger seat. I buckled her in. At least if she threw up in here it was Lucas’ car.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

I couldn’t take her to Shaw Castle. My Mother was there. I could take her to my apartment but Megan could be there. I feared my Mother more and drove to my apartment. I glanced at the passenger seat and Elaine slept soundly.

I parked underground and sat in the driver’s seat wondering what I was doing.

Shouldn’t I have dropped her on her Father’s doorstep and left?

My wolf wouldn’t let me do that. When I saw her giggle and wrap her arm around Lucas something in me cracked when he slammed her against the car it broke. I didn’t like what was happening. She was a Black Claw spawn. Her older brother was the reason mine was in the ground yet here I was helping her.

It’s not like they would do the same for Francine.

She mumbled when I dragged her out of the passenger seat.

“I’ve got you.”

She smelt like roses and gardenia. I carried her into the elevator. She fit perfectly in my arms when I noticed her smudged lipstick I remembered my brother kissing her.

“I’m not getting that out of my mind anytime soon.”

Megan was still on her trip spying on the Nordic pack two hours from here. Thankfully. I carried her into my room and laid her on the bed. She curled into a ball and shivered. I grabbed a blanket from the living room when I returned she was awake and blood stained my sheets.

“The moon… the moon I have to get out of here.”

I grabbed her hand and examined the slash on her palm.

“What happened?” I demanded. “Elaine, relax.”

She trembled as her wide eyes glanced around the room.

“No, no I have to go. The moon.”

I grabbed her face. “What’s wrong with the moon, damn it?”

I glanced around there wasn’t anything sharp enough to hurt her like this. Her palm wasn’t open when I found her I would have smelled the blood.

“Let me go!”

I grabbed her face and willed her to look at me.

“Focus on my eyes, Elaine… you have beautiful eyes.” I pushed small doses of Alpha power into her body to make her relax.

“You think so?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like them.”

Her eyelids drooped. “Thank you.”

“Go to sleep you’re safe.”

She fell back and curled into a ball again. After patching her hand up I retreated into the living room. There’s no way I could have missed her injury and it didn’t happen in my bedroom. It was real that’s for sure but how did she get it?

The next morning, I had bigger problems than her injury. I abandoned a mission for our enemy’s daughter. My alpha would have my head and I couldn’t blame him but Richie didn’t know what was happening to me. I’d know if this was for real when Elaine woke up with a sober head.

She was still asleep when I entered my room. I walked into the shower instead.

I turned the cold water on blast. Would I change my sheets? They were bloody so I had no choice. If I missed her injury who hurt her? My wolf bore his fangs thinking about someone hurting her. I ran my fingers through my wet hair under the shower. This wasn’t helping. Only she could quench the growing blaze inside me I wouldn’t cross that bridge. Not with her.

I had to deny all feelings for her. I left a trail of water from the bathroom to my room and opened the wardrobe. A soft gasp grabbed my attention.

Elaine sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest. Our eyes locked and then I realized I walked out of the shower completely naked.

Shit.

“Don’t tell me I went home with you!” She said, distress in her tone.

“And if you did?”

She swallowed. “Did anything happen? I’m so stupid.”

It seemed like she wanted to disappear into the sheets and never come out. I stepped forward.

“Does it feel like anything happened?” I raised a brow.

“I can’t think. My head’s pounding and my stomach hurts. What did you-” She swallowed the last part.

“Relax Ryker I would never touch a Black Claw spawn like you.”

The fear in her eyes vanished in an instant replaced by a fire that matched mine. Hung over or not Elaine wasn’t a pushover. I grabbed my sweatpants quickly or else she would see how her determination turned me on.