The bond between us strengthens. Closing my eyes, I explore the tentative connection between us. The silver chord of our connection flashes in my mind. I mentally tug at one.
The back door opens. Bo steps out with a confused expression on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I ask
“I’m not sure. I just thought I should check on you?” He frowns. “And I’ll be going now.”
Shaking his head he moves back inside. I giggle. This could be fun.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Where do you think you’re going, princess?” Bo asks.
I look across the rim of my mug and finish the last of the life-giving nectar of the gods.
I arch an eyebrow. It’s going to take more than coffee to make our dealings pleasant.
“To see the Volva. Like we discussed.”
“By yourself?” Leaning against the cabinet a foot away from me and crosses his ankles. The effortless beauty and grace he possess irritates me. One with his wolf, he has an otherworldly control over his frame, that makes simple tasks look like dancing.
“That’s the way I’ve done everything my entire life, so yes.”
Bo shakes his head. “I don’t think so.” A thick lock of his dark brown hair falls across his forehead.
“Excuse me. Are you trying to tell me what I can and can’t do?” I set the stonewashed green mug on the countertop with a heavy thump.
“More like how you do it. But sure.”
With my hands on my hips, I straighten my spine. “That’s not going to fly here.”
“Seeing as how we’re the only two people in the house right now and I have you by a good hundred pounds I’d like to see you try and stop me.” He toys with the strap of his expensive watch.
“You think I won’t?”
“I hope you do. I could use the amusement. This place lacks the entertainment I’m used to. I thought babysitting you would be boring, but things are suddenly looking up.”
I want to sink my teeth into his flesh and rip his head off. The bastard is enjoying this.
“Not all of us could laze around shirking our responsibilities.”
“That’s what you think I do?”
“I’ve seen it enough with my own eyes.”
He stalks forward so quickly a human would’ve missed it. “I work hard, so I play hard. Being heir to the clan comes with a lot of responsibilities, not that you’d know anything about that.”
His warm breath ruffles the curls framing my face. “Oh, I’m supposed to feel sorry for the popular rich boy and his social duties?”
He leans forward. I press into the counter, in an attempt to escape.
“I couldn’t give a damn if you like me. I’ve never been much of a fan of yours, but you will respect me. Embarrassing me in public will only lead to unpleasant consequences for you.”
“Are you threatening me?” I snap my teeth at him. Snarling, I growl at him.
“I’m warning you.” He grabs onto my wrist.
I swallow, in an attempt to moisten my dry mouth. Standing my ground, despite my uneasiness, I return his piercing gaze. The emptiness in his nearly black eyes terrifies me. He means every word.
“That goes both ways.” I force the words out of my tight throat and I pull my wrist free.
“I’m glad we have this understanding. Until we see how the rest of the pack responds to this new arrangement, you’ll have one of us with you.”
“That’s overkill.” My voice raises an octave as I panic over the loss of what little time, I could have to myself.
“It’s not. You’re no longer the pack freak. You’re the woman who took a handful of viable mates, and shot up the hierarchy ladder out of nowhere.”
“I had nothing to do with that,” I shake my head, offended by his insinuation.
His low laugh is full of menace. “Cute that you think it matters. People have grown more desperate around here. You’ve missed a lot over the years.”
There’s a weight to his words that spooks me This is the man behind the mask he’s always showed me. A darkness I don’t understand lurks inside him. Curiosity makes me want to draw closer and study him, but I know how unpredictable wild animals can be. “What do you mean by that?”
“Finish up and we’ll go into town. I need to pick up some things and then we’ll see if we can track the Volva down.”
The woman doesn’t keep hours. She navigates the area, visiting and ministering to those who need her.
Our new connection has turned her into a maternal figure I feel I can trust. Before then, I hadn’t been exposed to her much outside of special occasions and the time directly after the fire.