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I gestured to the table. “Please, help yourself.”
“Oh, how kind of you.”
Her words were pleasant enough, yet her tone conveyed disbelief.
My gesture became firm. “I’m serious. You must be parched from being under those lights.”
“Listen, asshole. I’m not going to fall for that, okay? I’m not going to let you drug me.”
“Drug you?” Horror infected my gut. “By the very stars, I wouldneverdo such a thing to a lady. How dare you imply that—”
She glared at me, defiance shimmering from every bit of her, much like the way her dress glittered when she shifted her weight from one foot to another. My silence stretched into minutes as we stared at each other, too enraptured by the glaring match to bother with words. And though I couldn’t read her mind, I could witness the change of colors in her aura.
Sharp, angular feelings turned to softer, more vulnerable ones. A calmness settled into the room. If I had to guess, she needed a few minutes to adjust—and to see that I wasn’t about to attack her. What terrifying world would it be if that were my modus operandi? No, I could never harm such a beauty.
Inside and out, she was gorgeous. Eyes like stars, a body like a goddess, and a passionate heart for a personality—the very things I would have loved in a mate. If that were a possibility for me.
But no, I had sullied my good nature with my failures. I had let down my people. That was the only reason I was here at all. For this woman—and for whomever else I could rescue on the way out—this would be my penance. Beauty and curiosity aside, this was for the sake of morality.
I would rescue her and do nothing aside from that. I swore to myself.
Even as my heart thundered at the sight of her lips…
Chapter 6 - Macy
This guy had one thing on his mind—and I could tell he was being coy about it the whole time I was standing there. Rick and Percy had talked my ears off on the way to the room with enough unsolicited advice to be considered a federal crime. Not like the laws in this country made it past the barriers Percy had erected.
The Baneridge Hounds were above everything lawful and moral at this point. Contained as its own city, anything that happened within its walls was at the whim of Percy and the elders. Someone like me hardly got to decide much of anything. But the morbid reality of my situation was that this guywasmore appealing than Rick and Percy combined.
Still, I wasn’t fooled by the angelic crap. That was probably just some kind of spell he cast around himself to appeal to helpless victims. A sort of white hue glowed around him like he carried a halo wherever he went. I’d noticed it back in the hallway when I was walking beside him, the shimmering clouds coalescing and melding with this reality.
Mr. Mal Vee had called him a man from another realm. Was that true? Had this guy traveled between planes just to get here? And if that was the case, why had he ended up in a slummy place likeMoss?
I cleared my throat while running my hands lightly down my sides. Yeah, I knew what he wanted. And I could play it to my advantage if I tried. It had worked pretty well with Rick about ten minutes ago when I’d convinced him that I needed to pick a special dress that would match my tracking bracelet.
Just a few hot kisses and gropes were enough to produce the location of the money room. Good for me. Not great for the others. But it was plenty of cash to get me as far as I needed to get away from this place. The tracking bracelet—well, that was another challenge to overcome.
One thing at a time, Mace, I thought.Seduce the guy. Steal the money. Get the fuck out of Dodge.
Azaleas appeared in my mind then. It took me a minute to realize the scent had grown stronger in the guy’s presence. It wasn’t terribly odd for a wolf like me to scent other creatures, but itdidcreep me out. Because stories spoken by my elders—however corrupt they had been—spoke often of wolves who sought each other by scent and scent alone.
Wolves, I reminded myself.Not random creatures. He’s from another realm so his scent is stronger. That’s the only reason.
Yet my body seemed intent on responding to his allure. Already, I found myself stepping toward him, unable to drag my gaze away from the short white hair like heavenly silk and pale honey-colored eyes that resembled those ambergris pendants my mother used to wear.
I blinked.
He was shimmering again. But this time, the way he glowed felt akin to a lava lamp illuminating the corner of a dark room. I was aware of the lights flowing through the room, yet he was the only one I felt drawn toward. It was wild magic.
It wasirresistiblemagic.
Tall was putting it lightly with this hunk. He had rippling muscle that could have broken his shirt if he flexed and a bulge that stood out just beyond the zipper of his jeans. As plainly as he was dressed, I knew better than to drop my guard. He wasn’t plain at all. He had chiseled features that could have rivaled any gorgeous statue in the northern cities, a button chin that should have belonged to a model, and a radiant gaze that made me think of ancient entities.
Everything about him stabbed holes in my plan. Because everything about him made me want to run awaywithhim, not away from him.
Something twinkled in his eyes. Was he amused by me? No, that couldn’t be it. This guy was too tall, too intimidating to care about a short and plump woman like me. My brows twisted together as I realized my feet were aching from the heels.
“My lady, please, sit,” the angel insisted, and he whisked me off to the couch where he sat me down and promptly took a step back. “You looked uncomfortable.”
