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Even with the threat of attack, it was so much better to be able to roam freely. No one could ever change my mind about that.
Chapter 2 - Charlotte
Curiosity struck me accompanied by a mixture of anxiety, wonder, and desire. With my hand over my heart, I made my way around the kitchen, trying to ignore the fact that Adam was in my office with the most sensitive documents we’ve ever housed as well as access to some of my most prized memories in all their various forms.
And what was stranger was the fact that I trusted him.
My team of chefs followed my orders while we organized the remainder of the buffet for the engagement celebration. Drifting into the tavern revealed a jovial scene of pure excitement that infected me every time I passed through to make sure people were properly fed. Christopher helped refill the drinks behind the bar while Grunt bussed tables with a little magical boost.
All in all, the night was a success. Distractions barely surfaced, though I found myself lingering near my office more often than not. While most nights would have been spent at the cooking station, I allowed one of my sous chefs to take over, choosing to manage everything from my little spot near the entryway of my office. I needed to keep an eye on those documents—and Adam, too.
People noticed. Though it shouldn’t have bothered me, it did. And I wasn’t sure where the strange call to protect this man came from. It rose from the murky depths of my soul where I typically fed my wolf with playthings—toys, men, or both—and didn’t bother trying to figure outfeelings.
Emotions were for people who wanted to settle down. Me? I was far too busy with my cooking career while running one-quarter of a lucrative inn to worry about all that nonsense. If my heart chilled out for a second, my inner wolf would be able to calm the hell down and stop fantasizing about kissing Adam on the mouth.
Among other places.
I rolled my eyes as I yanked my apron off and tossed it into a bin to be laundered. When I checked the office, Adam was gone and the folders were piled neatly as they had been when I originally set them on my desk. My smile of approval caused me to flush red as I crossed the soundproof barrier and studied the daggers on the bookshelf in which he had shown an interest.
Sleep was too far away to consider, especially when my heart was still pounding as if I had just run a marathon. I hardly knew the guy, much less his alpha, even lesser the child who obediently followed his father around. They all seemed kind enough even though my wolf sister had chosen the biggest asshole that ever walked the earth to be her mate.
I guess it wasn’t exactly her decision, I thought while collecting the throwing daggers with the same care and precision I would use collecting finely-sliced meat.Mating doesn’t happen by choice.
While I could admit that I was attracted to Adam, I knew it was a pursuit born out of boredom. He only interested me because he would help pass the time until this whole vampire-wolf thing was buried in the dust. And besides, he would likely make a great ally. He probably hit on a lot of women. If I asked Christopher for a report, I was sure I would receive a laundry list of names who went home with Adam every time he visited the tavern.
I rolled my eyes and shrugged off the weird pang in my gut. “Whatever.”
Walking back through the kitchen with the daggers tucked into a duffel bag delayed me by about fifteen minutes. After shouting for the counters to be scrubbed and the floors to be polished, I marched into the hallway, veered right, and headed for the basement. Empty offices lined either side of me, most of them we used as storage and a couple of them belonged to the girls.
Classical music floated from Nina’s office, the soft sound of violins infecting my ears and granting me a peaceful mindset as I descended to the darkness beneath the inn. Clutching the daggers to my chest helped remind me what I was doing as my thoughts perpetually drifted to that beta wolf. By the time I reached the bottom of the staircase, my left hand flew instinctively to the switch and inspired light to flood the entirety of the basement.
Beyond a digitally locked door sat a full shooting range along with a boxing room, a small gym, and enough weapons to fend off five colonies of vampires. Though my wolf sisters and I couldn’t possibly do that alone, we had the means. And having the means was at least half the battle.
Tapping the keypad next to the door produced a beep and the lock clicked out of place, allowing me entry. As I walked inside, I peered over my shoulder, wondering where Adam had gone after leaving my office. Maybe he went to check on his kid or hit on someone in the tavern. It wasn’t really my business.
I frowned while walking past the shooting area, studying the untouched silhouette targets at the end of each lane. A ghastly feeling came over me as I looked over my shoulder repeatedly, confidence shifting into concern as I made my way to the rear lane where the stumps were kept for throwing sharp weapons.
It wasn’t like me to be paranoid, but recent events had put me on edge. We nearly lost Sasha to battle a few times. Though she had pulled through and proven herself worthy as the alpha’s mate, it put everything into question—like what was going to happen to us when she officially got hitched.
“She won’t leave us,” I blurted out loud, though granted it was just me, while setting the black duffel bag on a table. The daggers inside clicked together and inspired me to grab the sharpening stone from the shelf. “She’snotleaving us. Not now. Not ever.”
A loud knock echoed behind me. Adam waited patiently for me on the other side of the window with a grin, my boots barely making a sound on the cement as I walked toward him. After punching my code into the keypad, the door clicked and I pulled it open, welcoming him with an easy grin.
“Welcome to the training grounds,” I greeted as I invited him to follow me. “Everything here was designed by me.”
“Even the weapons?”
I shrugged nonchalantly. “Someof the weapons.”
“How much free time do you have?”
“Not much outside of cooking.”
He chortled. “You’re telling me you spend the rest of your energy on training in your downtime?”
“Why not?” I challenged while gesturing to the stumps situated at the end of the lane. My hand grazed the silver daggers, the tips of my fingers tingling with familiarity while touching the metal. “Don’t you train with your pack and your alpha?”
“Plenty.”
