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Renata stumbled past her, whirling with a noise of outrage before throwing a right hook. The only thing she hit was air. Unamused, Cortana swooped under the she-wolf’s open defenses to grip a hand around her neck.
Taking advantage of the extra velocity, Cortana slammed the she-wolf to the ground, using her other hand to block a sloppy jab the defeated woman attempted to land.
“Don’t think you can win against me, wolf.”
The vampire’s expression betrayed her dislike for the other woman and her misguided possessiveness over the man who’d already acknowledged he was Cortana’s mate.
“Yield.”
Bared teeth were Renata’s only response, the werewolf writhing beneath Cortana’s smaller body but gaining no leverage. From the sidelines, a whistle sounded. Ava entered the vampire’s peripheral vision but made no move to separate them.
“Yield, Ren. She’s beaten you.”
A second later, the she-wolf stilled beneath Cortana, the look of defeat twisting her flawless features into something wicked. When the concession finally fell from Renata’s lips, the chokehold was released, and the woman clutched at her neck.
In an effort to be sporting, Cortana offered the other woman a hand up.
Renata took one look at the offering and sneered, “I’d rather bite off my own tail than accept your hand in friendship, vampire.”
Leaping to her feet, she brushed the dust from her clothes and straightened, heavy bitterness still on her features. Cortana maintained eye contact, establishing her dominance over the other woman, until Renata averted her gaze in submission. She slowly backed away, finally turning tail and all but stumbling into the den.
A clap drew her attention.
Riaz’s smirking face appeared out of the darkness, hands still connecting in a show of appreciation. “Well done, Pet.”
A swell of pride burst in her chest, her cheeks blushing as she regarded him. Seeing his approval made a difference to her, she was surprised to discover. As he drew near, she exhaled to cleanse the aggression that still simmered below the surface.
“I take no joy in kicking puppies,” she drawled, “but for one as spiteful as her, I’ll allow myself a bit of fun.”
Riaz’s grin was ravishing. “A celebration is in order. I’m taking you into town.”
“Don’t you have someplace to be?” Cortana waved a hand toward where the pack had vanished to create the fire line. “And when did you even return?”
“Renata choreographed her intentions by skulking at the back of the pack, and when she turned around, it was a no brainer.”
Squinting at him through narrowed eyes, Cortana asked, “Why didn’t you intervene?”
“I don’t intervene in dominance battles unless they’re my own.” Everything about his tone was stoic. “Renata needed to be put in her place and not by me. Her position in the hierarchy beneath you has nothing to do with our relationship or lack thereof. Besides,” there was that lopsided grin again, “I knew you had it well in hand.”
“And I’m sure your abstinence had nothing to do with the fact that we were fighting over you?”
A masculine satisfaction gleamed in his eyes, the russet brown glinting with pride. Mockingly placing a hand over his heart, he asked, “Me? Nah, Pet, I’d never derive pleasure from such a violent expression of your admiration for me.”
Mumbling about ridiculous wolves, Cortana simmered as Riaz glanced to Ava. “I’m taking the Bat Queen into Estes. We’ll be back before the sun rises.”
“Good,” Ava retorted. “I’m not a fan of roast vamp.”
***
By the time they’d gotten into Estes Park, the majority of shops had already closed. Streetlights were still lit, and bubbly chatter still wafted from bars, but most stores were quiet and dark, asleep for the night.
Riding on the back of Riaz’s bike again had been a challenge. Not only did she now understand where the wolf’s head was at, but Cortana’s own desire had been slowly but surely taking the reins.
She’d spent the majority of the ride trying to stop her fingers from exploring the rigid planes of his chest and abs, marveling in his body and snuggling against his back.
As she was about to swing a leg over the bike and hop off, Riaz’s hand captured hers, resting it on his heart, rough fingers delicately tracing her knuckles. For a moment, Cortana didn’t move. A shiver feathered over her flesh, her body yearning for his on a primal level she barely understood.
Neither of them spoke; they didn’t need to. And when Riaz released her, ending their tiny, stolen moment of peace, she felt instantly bereft.
