The Broken Wolf

(4) Dominic

We were outside the cool breeze chilling as the moon shone down on us. The garden was as grand as the building it was attached to a simple hedge maze leading to a fountain adorned with lights, roses and peonies dotted the landscape all around us.

I led her to a bench watching as she sat with a huff her puffy dress billowing around her.

She looked like she belonged there, amongst the flowers with her peach dress her pink cheeks and bright amber doe eyes. Curls had fallen loose in our trek from the house, the strands falling around her waist as she tried to twist them behind her ear eventually giving up. Plump lips pulled down into a frown as she removed some sort of pin from her head, allowing the rest to fall around her like a hypnotic wave. She smoothed a finger against her scalp and I followed the movement like a man in a desert.

My wolf wasn’t faring any better her scent of wild berries and sweetness had him licking the air.

There was a word on the tip of my tongue just barely out of reach.

“So, Elodie.” I smirked as her eyes flicked back to me her blush spreading down her chest. I wondered how far it went.

“Dominic.” The sultry tone of her voice did very little to curb my fascination with her. “Thanks…for earlier. I wasn’t sure how I was getting out of there without causing a scene.” Her lips quirked at the corners in a small smile that had my d**k hardening.

Her words sent a spike of rage through my chest. My wolf wanted Adam Kaufman’s blood. Twice now I’d intruded on him while he attempted to force a woman into an uncomfortable position.

The f*****g gala and it’s rules. If it wasn’t for my pack I would have let my wolf free torn his head from his shoulders. But they needed me. And we needed the modicum of protection the royal house offered.

“Dude chill. He can’t hear you all the way over here.” Elodie winced covering her ears and I realized I was growling. My wolf immediately went quiet.

“You’re here alone?” I asked.

“No.” She huffed crossing her arms she leaned back studying me. “You?”

I blinked suddenly remembering Haze.

Fuck.

If he wasn’t beside me, he would cause all sorts of mayhem.

I glanced in the direction of the building.

“Sorry.” Her voice gripped my attention and I turned to face her suddenly shuttered expression. “Do you feel better now? We can go back in.”

She moved to stand and my wolf let out a low rumble she hesitated.

“Your shoes don’t fit.” I’d noticed her slight limp as we made our way out.

Her eyes widened and she glanced down at her feet brows furrowing. “Yeah…they’re borrowed. I don’t usually wear heels.” Sighing heavily, she sat back amber eyes studied me. “So, are you like a friend of my brothers?”

Her scent had the bitter underlay of anxiety.

I settled beside her and shook my head. “I’m afraid I don’t know who that is cariño.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Her eyes narrowed.

I chuckled at her tone, “We don’t get out much.”

“We?”

“My pack, we like to keep to ourselves.” I explained. “This is only the second time we’ve attended the gala.”

She hummed twisting a wild strand behind her ear. “This is my first. Its exactly how I imagined it would be.” Her eyes flicked to the building and back to me. “Hollow.”

That was one way of putting it. There was an understanding amongst all attendees that these events were nothing more than farce. Shifters were territorial our wolves even more so. We needed to be the strongest in the room it was fact. Pleasantries aside most attendees spent their time sizing one another up. Or searching for weaknesses in their enemy’s defense. There was no violence at the royal gala, but what about on the ride back home?

“Who did you come here with? Your mate?” Her eyes drifted over to the building and stayed there I studied her tense shoulders a satisfied rumble going through me. She asked the question like she couldn’t help herself her jaw clenched as a result.

Jealous, are we?

“My second. He’s a bit of an i***t, so I’d prefer to keep an eye on him.” Softly I added, “I don’t have a mate.”

“Oh,” she turned to face me again her expression one of surprise.

I chuckled trailing a finger down her cheek I relished in the pretty blush that spread across her cheeks, picking at a curl I tucked it gently behind her ear. The wild strand stayed for a second before springing free. From so close I could see the red highlights dotting each spiral.

“Hermosa.” I said her eyes followed my mouth as I spoke her tongue dashing out to wet her bottom lip.

I growled the movement sending a sharp bolt of desire up my spine.

Her stomach grumbled and all else ceased to matter.

“You’re hungry.” I declared my wolf bleeding into my voice as I scanned her.

She shrugged.

Anger welled in my belly at her lack of care but that was for another time. I needed to get her fed.

All those tables full of food and I hadn’t thought to grab her anything before dragging her out there to the cold. Speaking of I took in the goosebumps trailing up and down her arms. My frustration grew. Cursing, I stood and removed my jacket, placing it over her shoulders.

Her hands gripped the lapels as she watched me wide-eyed.

I couldn’t leave her out there. My wolf wouldn’t allow it. But those shoes. They’d hurt her feet a slight neither myself or my wolf could accept.

They needed to go.

Bending I ignored her yelp as I pulled the offending heels off each foot her soft feet freezing in my hands as I held them for a moment before standing.

“Perdóname cariño.” Forgive me darling. Then, without further ceremony, I lifted her one arm behind her back, the other under her knees. She startled, her arms flying to wrap around my neck.

“What are you doing!”

“Can’t very well let you walk back barefoot can I?” My wolf rumbled pleased to have her in our arms. My nose filled with the scent of wild berries—strawberries, raspberries, sweetness personified. I’d never fancied myself a sweets person. When you grew up the way I had there were some luxuries you could never afford. But with her in my arms I found myself suddenly desperate to have a taste.

Her stomach rumbled again and my wolf pawed at the barrier between us heavily displeased.

Right. Food first.

“This is the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me.” She admitted her warm breath fanning my cheek as we made our way back. It would only take me turning my head to claim her lips.

I ground my teeth, “Is that so?”

“We only just met and now you’re hauling me around like a personal piggy back service.” She was mostly settled her arms still wrapped around my neck legs crossed at her ankles. She was relaxed. My wolf purred and she seemed to melt against me. “What is that?”

We had made it to the open doors I could hear the music the sounds of chatter. And I wanted nothing more than to remain out there with her in my arms.

“Elodie are you alright?”

The man was lean a few inches shorter than me with blonde hair and cold blue eyes. He had an air of self-importance as he stalked towards us his eyes sweeping over both of us before his brow quirked.

Elodie stiffened and pulled her arms away.

“Thank you for the help, Dominic.” She mumbled and then shifted to go to her feet. I helped her to stand and she pulled the front part of her dress up.

The man shot a pointed look to her bare feet, my wolf was blessedly silent, assessing the situation. “Where are your shoes?”

“My feet hurt.” She squared her shoulders, eyes narrowing slightly. “Where were you?”

He waved his hand dismissively, eyeing me as he approached her. I growled a warning, and he stopped a few feet away humor flickering across his expression. “Who’s your friend?”

“Dominic.” She turned to me and her amber eyes seemed to glow. “This is my brother Asher.”

And the wind effectively left my sails. Of course, I knew her brother. Who didn’t? We’d never met but it had been my mission in life to take down one man. The man who had inflicted unimaginable pain to the ones I cared about. And Asher was his son.

Of course, I knew her brother.

Asher f*****g Sterling.