Of Love and Lycans

Chapter 1

    Nevaeh Rawlins' contact to meet her at an exclusive birthday party held at some rich guy’s mansion on Bishops Avenue.  The 'invite only' posh party promised money-dripping crowds with a bunch of whiney-ass trust fund bitches or guys with egos bigger than the size of their d***s. Even though Nevaeh was from across the pond, she had been with this type of crowd since she was born. Hell, she was a trust-fund b***h, too, but minus the b***h part. Well, the b***h part was also up for debate in some cases. Nonetheless, she could navigate through this type of crowd like the best of them.

    The invite-only obstacle had been an issue for about two seconds. Thanks to a certain skill-set she learned from her Uncle Luke back home, nothing was really unobtainable, getting anything she wanted due to killer keyboard skills and the endowed interwebs. Yet tonight, even if she couldn’t score her and her two cousins a party pass, sneaking into the place wouldn't have been that hard either. 

    “Look at that purple ombré sequin hotness,” her cousin Ofa swatted her ass as they made their way up a sidewalk, breaking Nevaeh’s focus away from scoping out the huge ass mansion through the rod-iron fence at their right. The place was set back from where they were at, separated with yards of lawn and a horse-shoe driveway currently crowded with a line of people waiting to be ushered inside. “Sorry, but you in that little dress, your ass just screamed smack me.” Ofa wasn’t really a cousin by blood, but her cousin nonetheless. Their parents had been close friends, and so growing up with Ofa always felt like she was family.

    “Careful. Playing with fire there, Bitch.” Nevaeh smirked at her. Ofa was a hottie herself. Her gorgeous parents produced a sweet ass half-Polynesian girl, complete with long black hair that she currently had amassed at the sides of her head in pig-tail buns. The dark hair, full lips, and light brown skin was a gift from her god-smacked father, Uncle Sawyer, but her heaven-kissed light blue eyes were from her mom. Nevaeh bit her lower lip as her eyes bled over her cousin’s backside, taut in a black leather mini-skirt before she swatted it with equal enthusiasm. “Hmm, take it she-wolf!”

    Flanking her right, her real blood cousin, Levi, laughed as they ribbed each other. “Tell me again why we couldn’t have driven closer to the house like all the other guests? I am surprised you ladies aren’t dying in those heels.”

    Ofa balked, “How long have we been working gigs together, Levi?” Her eyes mercilessly tore into him. “A stiletto is a girl’s best friend.” She kicked up her heels, displaying her blood red footwear with pride. “They make my legs look taller.” When he didn’t answer immediately, she pressed, “Right?”

    “Sure, Ofa, but I think you being nearly six-foot is what actually makes your legs look taller,” Levi continued to laugh. She got her height from her dad, who was a monolith of a man in all his gorgeous Hawaiian glory. Although, her light blue eyes and cupid's bow lips were definitely from her small, petite blonde-haired blue-eyed mama. Ofa totally siphoned the best genes out of both of her parents.

    “Touché,” she flashed her leg. “But you gotta admit, the shoes make them sexier?” Truth be told, anything that Ofa wore would be automatically dubbed as sexy. The girl could wear anything and make it look like it was meant for the catwalk. 

    Nevaeh replied, “We’re walking to the party, Lev, because Louboutins were made for walkin’. And if they weren’t, you have no business wearing them.” Nevaeh winked at them. “Besides, they can be multi-purposed as a make-shift weapon if needed. Just a quick jab, and a heel to the eye is a win-win in a hand-to-hand fight.” Then added, “And I can’t case-out the house if we had driven up. This gives me the full picture.”

    “Do you ever stop thinkin’ shop, Nev?” Levi shook his head, running his hand through tufts of brown fringe that fell across his eyes. “Seriously, take off your Arkadían warrior hat and loosen up a little. We can maybe relax here after we finish the job, even if it's just for a sec? Drink a few glasses of whatever alcohol they’ve got and drool over the guys?” 

    “You planning on a hook-up, Lev?” Ofa smirked. “Don’t take all the hotties. I want a little taste of London’s pretty boys, too.”

    “Wow, you two! Seriously, though, we aren’t here to join the party and make any hook-ups,” Nevaeh scolded. “We’re here to meet this Gamma Rhys wolf of the Shere Wood Pack so he can hopefully give us the lead we need to help Tate.” She rolled her eyes. "We need to make this our full focus, even if the halls are swimming with hotties."

    “I know, I know,” Ofa pouted, “and helping your brother Tate figure out his whole destiny prophecy thing is like a major focus, but come on Nevaeh, we are young and we are in freaking England. We haven’t come all the way to Europe for just business. After we get the drop, can we please stay and play a little? At least let me flirt a teensy weensy bit?”

    “Ya, Nev... all work and no play makes Levi a sad boy,” Levi joined in on Ofa’s pout.  

    Ofa wagged her head excitedly, hoping to spike interest in her cousin. “Besides, maybe we’ll get lucky here and find the mates that the Moon Goddess has made for us? We’re all eighteen now. It’s bound to happen. We didn't sniff them out back in America, maybe our destinies are here in the UK?”

    Levi scoffed at Ofa, "Ya, right. That's exactly what you're hoping for at this party." He tossed his head a little, redirecting the long hair that had curtained his eyes. Like magic, it feathered neatly across his forehead. "You need to google the word mate and cross-reference it with the word hook-up."

    Ofa socked his arm. "I can multi-task."

    “Find our mates miles from home and in this den of sin?” Nevaeh cackled. It was her turn to eye-roll. “We’re all screwed!” After she rolled her eyes, she added, “But with our line of work, still being single works best. We can work better without being worried about other things.” 

    “Other things?” Levi chortled. “Your significant other isn’t just other things, Nevie. It’s like the other part of your soul!”

    “Yeah, sure. We’ll see,” she shrugged. 

    Nevaeh had believed in all the mate talk when she was younger and often was caught in the hope-filled daydreams that all she-wolves fantasized about finding a fated mate and living in some sort of happily ever after. Her parents, after all, were a prime example of how to find undeniable love in fated mates and live the werewolf fairytale. But when she turned twelve, and every year after that, her hopes started to fade.  With her mom being a hybrid mix of werewolf and vampire, it kinda complicated things in being a typical werewolf. 

    While most of her six siblings shifted into their wolf when they were twelve, she and her eldest brother, Tate, didn’t. Tate was a full on hybrid, like their mother, since she had been changed into a vampire when she was pregnant with him. Fortunately, the werewolf dominant gene seemed to protect most of her siblings who were born after Tate, protecting their DNA from the vampire contamination and letting them be full-fledged wolves.  

    But for reasons unknown, she wasn’t spared. 

    Even though the medical Healers told her she had the genetic make-up, markers, lupine scent, and other wolfie goods to be a werewolf, she simply hadn’t wolfed out yet. Her eyes changed color, and her teeth and claws weren’t shy of showing themselves, which pretty much were tale-tell signs that she had a wolf inside, but that was about it. There was no full-shifting, no mental communication with an inner wolf, nada. Her dad told her maybe she was a late bloomer. 

    Six years late bloomer?  f**k, maybe she just needed to dance naked under a full moon while drinking the blood of a sacrificed virgin? Yeah, Nevaeh wasn’t holding her breath. 

    So waiting for her mate? Pfft. Whatever. Probably wouldn’t happen.

    “You still believe in mates, don’t you Nevaeh?” Levi’s brow pursed. 

    Nevaeh shrugged, “Sure. I’m saving these goods for someone, right?” It sounded like a convincing answer, and it looked like they bought it. Problem was, she didn’t buy it at all. Even if she did end up finding a mate one day, would he even want anything to do with her? She was rejection-material for sure.

    “Let’s show off those goods, then!” Ofa encouraged.

    Nevaeh sigh-growled.  “Fine, fine. We’ll schmooze with the locals for a bit." Ofa enthusiastically clapped her hands while letting a squeal loose. Nevaeh added quickly, pointing her finger, "But don’t get too s**t-faced and wake up in some stranger’s bed. We have that business meeting for the company with Daddy and the CEO in the AM.” She eyed them, “You know, the other reason why we’re here in London?”

    “Yeah, our day job,” Levi sighed. “The boring one.”

    “See, I knew you preferred living the exciting life as an Arkadían. Imagine having a mate and babies at home to worry about?” Her eyebrow rose. “Our life isn’t cut out for that right now, see?”

    Levi shook his head. “Why weren’t you my father's child? He likes you and would fit him so much better.” 

    “Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “You’re so much like Uncle Luke, and he is like the s**t cyber sensei Intel badass of all times. Don’t short-change yourself.”

    When the iron-fencing ended and they reached the driveway entrance, she and her cousins continued on through large, ornate gates of the property. Finally, the line they were in was making progress! How many damn people did this birthday boy invite to his party?  

    "Remind me why we showed up here on time?" Nevaeh growled. "This check-in is taking forever." She glared at the line of security guards near the front of the line.

    "'Cuz Gamma Rhys said this was when we were going to meet him." Ofa's nose bunched as she mused, "Why are we meeting Shere Wood Pack's Gamma anyway? Why not the Alpha or Beta?"

    Nevaeh frowned. "Intel reported that their pack's Alpha was killed about nine months ago. Shere Wood is currently being run by the Alpha's mate, Luna Felicity." She shrugged, "I imagine their leadership is set up to fill in gaps right now, but I don't know why she sent out the Gamma."

    Levi said, "When I reached out to them, Gamma Rhys was the one that got back to me. But I think he's the one that's involved in what we're doing. Or at least, he's been delegated?"

    Nevaeh’s cellphone blasted from her small clutch. Present company looked at her funny as the Temptations song My Girl filtered between them. It was the song her father always sang to her and was now her ringtone for him. 

    “Hi Daddy,” she said. “Anything wrong?”

    Her father spoke softly. “No, angel, but I wanted to let you know something before you found out on your own and were pissed at me.”

    Nevaeh smirked, “Let me guess. The six-four, two-hundred-ten pound, unmated werewolf that has been tailing me for the last half-hour?”  She turned around and waved at said man who tried to duck behind a car parked along the side of the road but failed miserably. He nodded in her direction with a mild look of defeat on his face.

    She heard her father sigh on the other end. “His name is Ben and I’ve assigned him as your bodyguard. And don’t hate me. I just wanted to make sure you and your cousins were safe.” He added quickly, “I can already feel you glaring at me through the phone. None of that.”

    “And why would you think I was glaring at you, Daddy?” He wasn’t wrong. In fact, the glare she was sporting still trained on Ben, who looked to be uncomfortably picking at the collar of his dress shirt. But she wasn’t pissed at Benny-boy. This wasn’t his fault. Her dad just needed to chill a bit. Because although she had been through all the Alpha warrior training and earned her Arkadían tattoo stripes just like any other graduate of the program, the renowned Alpha King Blaez Rawlins, fearless leader of the Knights of Arkadía, couldn’t ever seem to let go of the fallacy that she still needed protection. For f***s sake, she wasn’t five anymore.

    “I know you’re glaring because you are one-hundred percent like your mother.” 

    “Don’t be mad if we ditch your suit, dad. We can handle this like we always do. You trained the best. Trust us that we can do the job.”

    “But you’re also a princess and with that comes certain enemies that I need to make sure you’re protected from.”

    “I’m a princess from 9-to-5, Daddy. I’ll be fine.” Her father wasn’t wrong. She knew what life as a royal was like, but it wasn’t like anyone other than werewolf society knew her role this far from home. She was pretty sure the humans in this house party wouldn't even realize there was royalty in their mix, and maybe not even the wolves yet considering she was from the States and they were currently in The Square Mile. She would be just another face in the crowd. Nevaeh already understood she would need to be careful while without her normal body guard entourage, which is why she didn’t want to hang out at this party longer than talking to their contact and then busting outta there.  

    “Ok, but please don’t ditch Ben. For my peace of mind.”

    She sighed. “Ok, I promise I’ll be nice to Ben.”

    “Thank you, angel. I’ll see you at the meeting in the morning.” 

    “Night, Daddy.” She turned her phone off and tossed it back in her purse as she eyed her companions. “Ok, it’s a few hours ‘til midnight.” To recap, we are to meet Gamma Rhys in a half-hour or he bugs out. He said he’ll find us, so we don't need to scope him out. Mind-link me ASAP if he approaches either one of you.”

    Near the entrance door, they had to fall in line as security checked people in. It nearly felt like they were waiting to get into a club, with the line of people and music pumping beyond the mansion's large, opened doors ahead. Only she and Ofa never once had to wait in the queue to get into a club, so this was a new, humbling experience. Luckily the check-in didn’t seem to take that long. Ben had caught up at this point and had awkwardly stood behind them until she invited the bodyguard to join their three-some which now suddenly became a plus-four.

    Now it was a party.

    Levi decided to primp himself while they slowly proceeded to the large front doors. “How do I look?” He straightened his tie then checked the buttons on his grey vest. 

    “Do this,” Ofa stepped in, unbuttoning the sleeves of his dress shirt and rolling them up to his elbows. “Don’t hide these Goddess-given muscles from the world, Lev. People enjoy gawking at your male beauty.” 

    “I seriously need to hire you as my personal wardrobe assistant.” He smiled as he watched her adjust his clothing. “That actually takes my body temp down a few degrees too. Seriously sweating here.”

    “Whatevs. You look on-point, my cous.” Ofa winked. “As for your body temperature, you’ll always be hot,” she said as she licked her finger, touched him, then made a sizzle sound. Ofa turned to Ben. “As for you. If you want to hang out with us,” she reached up and tousled his hair. “Relax a little and let that bad-boy vibe out.”

    Ben smirked, “How do you know I am not already a bad boy, Lady Ofa.” 

    Ofa rolled her eyes, “Cut the Lady s**t out of your vocabulary for tonight, Benny. We’re trying to keep that on the down-low for as long as we can.” Her annoyed expression melted as her head tilted up at the towering man. Her eyes rolled over Ben as if she were starving. Ben was definitely a delicious male specimen, so her drool was warranted. “But maybe I’d like to see this bad boy of yours later?”

    “I’m very selective of who gets to see my bad boy, my Lady,” he then added, winking as he linked his hands together in front of him. “But not while I’m on the clock, anyway.”

    Ofa playfully ran her hand up the bodyguard’s bicep. “I think I like Ben guarding our bodies. Can we keep him, Nevie?”

    “I’ll be sure to tell your father that you want Benny full-time,” Nevaeh gave her beautiful companion a pointed look. “I’d love front row seats while he lectures you about being faithful to your future mate. I just know you love those.”

    Ofa smacked Nevaeh’s ass again. “If I go down, I’m taking you down with me.”

    She shook her head. “I am clinically a virgin. You, on the other hand, couldn’t pass that exam.” Nevaeh said, feeling the excitement pulse through her as they were next in line to get into this exclusive party. Not that she cared who the birthday boy was here nor that she was here to get piss-ass drunk like most of them. It was time to get down to business and get the information they needed to help her brother Tate. 

    “I am really lost as to how you are still a virgin.” Ofa’s eyes flushed over Nevaeh’s body. “You’ve had boyfriends and are hot as hell.”  The raw scrutiny of Ofa’s inspection inadvertently prompted Nevaeh to check the golden brown hair nestling at the top of her head in a well-designed messy bun. It wasn’t that she was insecure about the short dress she wore that showcased her long legs, but being next to Ofa, there was always competition in who wore it better. 

    “Maybe I actually listened to Uncle Sawyer’s lectures?” Nevaeh's eyebrow rose. “Besides, Daddy thinks the same way and he’d give me that look if I even smelled like I'd been with a man.” Nevaeh cringed. “I can’t stand it when daddy gives me that look.”

    “I think any wolf would piss their pants when the Alpha King gives them that look.” Levi agreed and Ben grunted in approval.

    Ofa shrugged, “Our parents need to loosen up about hook-ups. Why can’t we have fun before we settle down, is all I’m saying? They’re just lucky they found their mates at a relatively young age. But I’m not going to starve my libido just because I haven’t.” 

    Levi tilted his head at Ofa, “Here, here.” 

    When they reached the doors, four men posted in white tuxedos searched them for weapons with black metal batons and fed their scan-coded invitations through reader machines.  Nevaeh didn’t even break a sweat as they did any of the checks. Levi’s insane hacking skills provided them with the counterfeit invites and they hadn’t any visible weapons on them.  Hopefully needing to use their weapons wasn’t going to be an issue tonight. But one could never be so sure.

    The man flashing the baton over Nevaeh moved it slowly, hitting the right marks, though he closely followed every curve and swell of her body with his eyes as well. When he finally made it up to her head, he was met with a weightless glare. It wasn’t that she cared about being gawked at, and the security guard was tasty in his own right, but his ‘oppsie’ moments of actually touching her body with the baton, trying to lift her already too short dress, was a little much. “Having fun?” she growled.  

    He didn’t answer, only smirked as he instructed her with his hand to enter the building. She winked as she passed him, whispering, “I like a man who knows how to play with toys. Maybe later, Sexy.”  Though she had no intention to bank in on the promise, flirting was always fun.