Eclipsed Hearts

Missing Mari

[Ian]

I caught a few glimpses of Mari when we went to the main deck, but she disappeared soon after. I didn’t see her as we got off the boat or collected our luggage. She wasn’t there when I was checking into the hotel, either. My inner wolf didn’t like it.

Not that I could try to find her or anything. If I seemed like I was looking for someone, it would make Gino suspicious. The last thing I wanted was for him to know I was there with someone. He hadn’t mentioned Mari, so I was fairly certain the humans he fuсked around with didn’t tell him about her.

It was something I didn’t consider when I made this plan. We got lucky unless he was pretending. I’d just have to go along as if I didn’t know.

They didn’t assign Gino a room near me. I was grateful for that. It would mean that if Mari showed up at my room, he wouldn’t know right away. I could always write it off as a convention hookup.

I settled into my room, the plush bed looking inviting after the long night I’d had and the revelation of just how much Gino knew about my family. After freshening up, I took a stroll around the hotel grounds, hoping to spot Mari, or at least get a sense of where she might be. I was certain she wouldn’t be confining herself to her room. That wouldn’t get the job done.

Since it was mid-autumn and the hotel was on a small island in the middle of Lake Michigan, people were not as bundled up as they should have been. I could see them shivering as I walked through the gardens. I was wearing a jacket over my sweater, but because of my natural resistance to cold, I didn’t need it. The jacket was in case I saw Mari, and she hadn’t added more weather protection.

It was stupid, but after hearing what Gino said about her and her family, I felt a little bad for her. It didn’t change much. They were hunters from the family that killed my family and the families of all the kids who were in my care now.

No matter what happened, my resolution to take her life remained unchanged when I was done with this assignment. Nothing could ever change that. It was for my family.

As I walked in the gardens, the crunch of leaves under my feet created a melancholic soundtrack to my thoughts. I stopped in front of a large fountain, its water cascading down in a mesmerizing dance. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the cool autumn air fill my lungs.

I ambled past the fountain. I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being watched. My heartbeat quickened, and I scanned the area, half-hoping to see Mari.

Whoever was watching me, they were staying out of sight. I wondered if going away from clear view of the hotel would bring them out. Then again, aside from Gino and Mari, I wasn’t aware of anyone else who could know me being at this convention. That would mean the odds were good this person was either observing me for intel or for a chance to approach me. And I didn’t know if they would approach peacefully or violently.

The cool breeze whispered through the trees and my thoughts as I continued my stroll, trying to stay focused on my mission. It was nearly noon and my stomach was already demanding lunch.

It would be better to go find food than to go find trouble. Some people might go in search of whatever was causing that eerie feeling, but I wasn’t up for that. I was here to get Gino to trust me enough that I could get into a position to kill him without trouble. I’d just be careful going forward.

I walked toward the hotel’s dining hall while keeping an eye out for whoever was watching me. Once inside, I scanned the room, looking for any sign of Mari or Gino. I took a seat at a table for one and ordered a meal that I knew wouldn’t draw any attention to me. As I ate, I monitored the room, but I didn’t see anyone that stood out.

Halfway through my meal, Mari appeared in the dining room. Without even glancing at me, the staff seated Mari and gave her a menu just a few tables away. I knew she saw me as the beating of her heart sped up slightly. Not enough that it was noticeable to any other werewolf who wasn’t listening for it. It was a very slight acknowledgment she saw someone she shared a secret with.

As I continued to eat my meal, while keeping a subtle eye on Mari, another figure caught my attention. A tall, imposing man with a sharp, calculated gaze entered the dining hall. When he arrived, all eyes were on him, and it was obvious he was someone important.

He walked with purpose toward Mari’s table, his footsteps echoing through the room. Mari looked up as he approached, her expression a mixture of surprise and apprehension. The man leaned in close, speaking in a low voice that didn’t carry beyond their table. Despite their hushed conversation, I could see the tension in Mari’s posture and the way the man behaved, as if he had a right to be so close to her.

I struggled to keep the growl building in my chest from breaking free. The scent of werewolf finally made its way to me and I knew it was coming from the man hanging on my mate. I clenched my fist, warping the fork in my hand.

The man continued to speak, and Mari’s eyes glided around the room. She was discreetly trying to gauge who else was listening, while still receiving the information that the man was imparting. The tension in her reactions was enough to tell me she knew he was a werewolf, and I could sense that whatever was happening would impact my mission.

I tried to quell the growing rage within me, focusing instead on my assignment. My hands trembled slightly as I gripped the table, trying to control my emotions. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, but I could sense that the only thing keeping me from leaping over the table and decking the werewolf was my need to keep my cover.

When he stood up straight, he handed her a piece of paper. She looked at it as if it were a snake, coiled up and ready to attack. The man gestured with the piece of paper, silently telling her to take it.

Mari met his eye for a moment, then accepted the paper quickly and dipped her head a little. The man smirked and nodded slightly before turning to leave. She said nothing to him or try to stop him. After a moment, she looked directly at me and then away.

If she knew he was a werewolf, then she would have tried to kill him. Perhaps he didn’t realize she was a hunter. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have felt threatened. Did he give her his phone number? His room number? Instructions on where to meet him for a tryst in the lightly wooded area around the gardens?

I stood and tossed a few bills onto the table. The waiter would charge my food to my room. There was nothing for me to see there anymore, and I didn’t want to be in the same room with Mari. Not knowing she let another werewolf get close to her.

Damn it! I couldn’t afford to be jealous. I couldn’t afford to give in to the strain of my mate sitting several feet from me while she let another man… no… werewolf… flirt with her. This wasn’t going to end well if I let my emotions take over.

Controlling my feelings stopped me from making multiple mistakes in the last ten years and it would keep protecting me and my family. All I needed was to find my center.

Without a word, I left the dining room and headed back to my room. I needed to go over the plan again. This needed to work. I needed to keep my family safe.

Goddess, help me put that Damson woman out of my head and my heart. Please make the stabbing feeling stop whenever I think about her with another man.