Cursed by Destiny (WG 3) (22 page)

Misha gave me a slow nod. “Very well, but do not hesitate to find me if you continue to feel . . . unwelcome.”

“Thanks, Misha.”

He kissed my forehead, earning me yet another growl from Aric.

CHAPTER 17

Since the vampires had dined previously, they mostly danced, socialized, and made out. Makawee had been kind enough to seat me with my sisters and friends. It helped to have them close, seeing as Aric continued to glower at me all through the main course. Cranky inner beast or not, I was ready to smack him upside the head.
I
should have been the angry one. Those sluts repeatedly fondled him and kissed his cheeks. And while they sat a few tables down from us, I heard everything they said to him loud and oh so clear.

“Oh, Aric,” one of them cooed. “You smell
sooo
good.”

I threw the knife I’d been holding on my lap onto the table. My jealousy and fury had allowed me to easily bend it into a circle. Still, it did little to suppress my need to kill something. Bren tried to ease my temper. He nuzzled my neck, imitating the tramp’s lusty voice. “Oh, Celia,
Celia
 . . . You smell
sooo
good, baby. May I straddle you like the whore I am?”

We all thought it was funny. Aric didn’t. He growled yet again.

“Where would you like me to touch you?” The other
were
purred at him.

My claws whipped out like deadly blades. I shoved them under the table before I attacked her. The wood slivered and cracked as my hands raked back and forth against the dense mahogany, leaving gouges deep enough to poke my fingers through.

Taran didn’t hear the
were
’s
comment. Shayna did and told her what she’d said. Taran smiled gleefully and rose, tossing her napkin on the table. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

Gemini chased after her, his voice panicked. “Sweetheart, where are you going?”

Taran sashayed her way to Aric and his groupies. Gemini was at her heels begging her to return to the table. Taran ignored him and whispered something to Aric so low, none of us heard it. Whatever it was must have been a doozy. Aric’s eyes shot open. He grabbed the
weres
as they launched themselves at Taran while Gemini hauled her back to our table.

Shayna sat at the edge of her seat, bouncing with excitement. “Dude! What did you say?”

Taran flicked her hair back when Gemini released her, seemingly pleased with herself. “I merely said if they needed pointers they should talk to Celia. She knows exactly where to touch Aric.”

A slow grin spread across my face. Aric didn’t growl that time.

By the time dessert passed, Aric’s bimbettes halted just short of having sex with him. He remained unaffected by them, sitting still as stone watching me. But just because he failed to respond to their advances didn’t mean I enjoyed the show. I finally had enough and, as petty as it was, I decided to get some revenge. Music by Flo Rida provided me with the perfect opportunity. “Let’s go dance,” I said to my sisters.

They followed me without thinking twice. I tapped into the smooth, silky movements of my inner cat and went wild. Taran didn’t miss a beat and joined me, matching my provocative moves with a few of her own. The last time I’d danced that way it had been for Aric, and only Aric, alone in our room. Just before he tackled me to the floor.

Taran dazzled me with one of her more evil grins, encouraging me to be more daring. “Come on, Ceel. Is that the best you got?” My competitive streak took over and so did hers; we kept trying to outdo the other. I lowered my lids and imagined Aric watching me from our bed. My hips rocked and my body swerved in long, sensual, snakelike movements to the beat of the music, teasing the Aric in my mind with my form. When I opened my eyes, the crowd of
weres
that had glared met me with impish smiles and steamy glances. I ignored them. They didn’t matter. Only Aric did.

Shayna and Emme didn’t last long, their wolves whisking them away for a little alone time after the first song. I fought back a laugh when I caught Gemini’s face. The poor guy practically drooled watching Taran. A bunch of
weres
had snuck their way to her. He robotically shoved them out of the way to reach her.

Taran gave him a look that could only be described as a promise for a long night. “Hi, baby,” she whispered. “Do you like what you see?” His growl and grab told me yes. They disappeared along the crowd.

The moment the second song ended, I left the floor, grateful for the exaggerated cat walk my tigress gifted me with. I had more than made my point, but still needed to add a cherry to my seduction sundae. I sauntered past where Aric continued to sit with his gal pals, tossing my hair alluringly so he caught a strong whiff of my scent. Judging by his familiar moan of longing, I still had the goods to stimulate his beast. I continued forward, passing a few more tables until the surfer guy stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

He glanced down at me, making sure to fire another dimple my way. “So, you’re Celia, the tigress I’ve heard so much about.”

I shrugged. “I suppose.” My tigress found him curious and tried to figure him out. “And what might you be?”

“Take a guess.”

My tigress urged me forward. Her interest in him surprised me, but something about him tugged me closer. I leaned forward, stopping about six inches away from his chest to inhale deeply. I rolled my eyes at Aric’s audible growls.
Hypocrite
.

The
were
smelled feral, like the Serengeti. I scented trees, tall grasses, and dry scorching air. It intermixed with a hint of musk and a stronger smell of salaciousness. I knew then why my tigress had taken an interest in his aroma, and the realization made me smile. I’d met another big cat. “You’re a lion.”

“No, sweetheart. I’m
the
lion.”

I raised my brows. “Oh, and a modest one at that.”

He analyzed me from big hair to pointy shoes, his cocky grin becoming wider. “You’re a lot smaller than I thought,” he said. “How could a little thing like you piss off the Tribe enough to command your death?”

Hmm. Interesting. Even the lion believes the Tribe is the culprit.
I didn’t answer him and removed my shoes. He watched me, the gleam in his eyes suggesting I remove a little more than just my footwear. I
shifted
quickly and surfaced behind him, poking him with my right toe to get his attention. He whirled around, admiration easing the surprise on his face.
Thanks, Ying-Ying.

I lowered my foot back down slowly. He followed it down with his gaze. Aric’s growls escalated, bordering on murderous. The lion ignored him, keeping his attention on me.

“Looks can be deceiving,” I said with a grin.

“And sexy,” he added with a playful smile. “I’m Tye Gris de Leone. Would you like to dance with me? You know, one cat with another?”

Aric no longer growled. His sounds were more like deep sadistic rumblings, similar to clouds before the thunder cracks. I angled my gaze around Tye, convinced Aric had gone full-out wolf. His human side remained intact . . . although the human appeared ready to munch on lion.
Damn.
Tye seemed neither upset nor worried. In fact, amusement played like a fiddle across his features.

I’d only just met the guy, and while his arrogance didn’t sit well with me, he seemed decent enough. It wouldn’t be right if Aric, like, killed him. I smirked. “I’d better not. My ex-boyfriend is a lunatic.”

Aric’s murderous snarling only reinforced my point.

I slipped into my shoes and went to the restroom to freshen up. Aric was standing outside the ladies’ room waiting for me when I exited. I scanned the area. Good thing for those sluts of his they’d stayed behind.

“I see your list of admirers has grown,” he said in a really nasty tone.

I frowned. “Why do you care? You have the naked tramp twins following you around.”

“Would you prefer we all dressed the same way, like you and
Misha
?”

Okay, Aric. You and your crazed beast are going down.
I ran my fingers playfully between my full breasts, then slid my hands down my body, paying close attention to my waist and thighs. My lips pouted and my voice came out in a purr. “What’s wrong, wolf? Don’t you like my dress?”

Aric’s eyes traveled slowly from the center of my halter and down to my legs. He swallowed hard before answering. “No. I don’t.”

I smiled bewitchingly. “Really? Well, you could have fooled me. You looked at me like you wanted me. Just like you used to before Boobless came along.”

“Who the hell’s ‘Boobless’?”

“You know—
Barbara
, your former fiancée?”

As furious as Aric was, he couldn’t suppress that grin I loved so much. And as hard as I tried, I couldn’t help smiling back. We locked eyes, and for a moment it was as if we’d never been apart. He stepped closer. When I didn’t move away from him, he took another step, and another. He was so close I could feel his heat, the same heat that intensified in my presence and soldered us together. His eyes softened. “I never wanted her. Or anyone else. You know who I want,” he murmured.

A burning sensation built deep within my core. “I miss you,” I whispered. I covered my face with my hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tell you this, but I do.”

Aric clasped my wrists and gently pulled them down. “Don’t hide your beautiful face or your feelings from me. I can’t stand being without either.”

His touch sent enticing chills across my skin. My heart drummed madly. This time I stepped forward, close enough that my breasts grazed his hard chest.

“Aric?”

Martin’s baritone voice echoed the length of the long hall. Instead of jerking away from me in the presence of his Alpha and Elder, Aric released my hands slowly. I inched away from him, guilt heating my face despite that we hadn’t done anything wrong. Or maybe we had. Sweat glistened Aric’s forehead and my entire body tingled with anticipation and need.

Aric’s timbre was as cool as a March breeze. “Yes, Martin?”

The angles of Martin’s face reflected his serious tone. I couldn’t scent anger per se, but his displeasure at finding us alone tensed his shoulders like a burdensome load. “Perhaps it’s best that you visit with our honored guests in the ballroom. Don’t you think?”

“Of course, Martin.”

Martin had helped raise Aric, and became a father figure when Aric lost his. Their current state suggested they’d never been close or exchanged a kind word. It saddened me, knowing I’d caused this rift between them. My inner beast chuffed. The strain between them made us restless.

Martin nodded in my direction. “Celia.”

“Hey, Martin.” I waved awkwardly, not knowing what else to do. Shaking his hand didn’t seem right and I wasn’t what anyone would call a “hugger.” I didn’t mean to act like a dweeb, but sometimes my inner nerd shoved my tigress aside and took over. Aric grinned. The most subtle twitch of a smile curved the edges of Martin’s lips before he turned on his heel and left.

I didn’t want to leave Aric just yet. It soothed my essence and enlivened my soul to be near him. And if he could do that for me with just his presence, his riled beast must have felt a sense of relief around me, too. Already his temper had hushed and the ire surrounding him had dispersed like dry leaves in a storm. I took a chance. “Aric, would you like to—?”

“Yes,” he answered in a hoarse whisper.

CHAPTER 18

I laughed a little. “You didn’t let me finish.”

“I know.”

Aric’s gaze was so intense, my mouth tried to remember how to speak. “Will you sit with me, even for a little while?”

His crooked smile held more mischief then I’d ever seen. “Oh, that. Sure, I could do that.”

Aric had expected me to ask him to do more than just sit and chat. I tugged at my bottom lip nervously with my teeth. He released the softest of groans. I staggered away before I succumbed to the urge to rip off my clothes and his. He followed close behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back when we entered the ballroom. My body stiffened with surprise. Perhaps he wanted to present me as his, but the rest of his kind clearly wasn’t ready to receive me.

Glares and whispers followed us as we made our way to where my sisters and friends waited.

“Problem?” Aric asked a werebear who shot us a particularly nasty scowl.

The bear dropped his gaze, but his bitter words cut us both. “We’re counting on you to keep our species from dying out, Aric. I haven’t turned my back on my responsibilities and neither should you.”

The she-bear next to him idly rubbed her small pregnant belly. She didn’t acknowledge us, or her partner. They were together, but not a couple—pures, I assumed, brought together by obligation, and not by love.

I hurried ahead, giving Aric ample space to change his mind and return to his pack. He paused briefly. The aroma of his rising frustration and anger reached my nose from afar. His warmth also reached my skin when he’d caught up to me. He didn’t want to abandon me. It should have thrilled me. Instead guilt warred with my happiness, making it difficult to relax once we reached my table.

Unlike the
weres
we passed, our loved ones greeted us with warm and pleased smiles. Gemini nodded at me, giving me the impression he sensed a different quality to Aric’s beast.

Liam pulled Emme on his lap so Aric could sit next to me. I crossed my legs and adjusted my skirt. Taran motioned to Aric when she caught him staring at my legs.

“You don’t have to be here,” I told him. “I’ll understand if you can’t stay.”

“I don’t want to leave you. We’ve been apart enough.”

I pursed my lips. “Not wanting to” and “having to” were two different things. I squirmed uncomfortably. The werebear was proof I’d been foolish to ask Aric to accompany me, especially here among the elite of his pack.

Danny arrived, interrupting Aric, who seemed to want to say more. My longtime friend shook, and breathed as if he’d been chasing cars.

“Where have you been?” I asked, worried something had happened to him.