Heir To The Pack (The Cursed Pack Book 1) (13 page)

She forced her gaze back
to his face, and resorted to levity to recover. “Well, at least you have pants
on. I did wonder about these formal events.”

He cleared his throat. “I wanted
to see if you needed anything.”

Adjusting the material of
the dress around herself, she said, “Actually, could you zip me up?”

He nodded, moving around
behind her. His fingers were warm on her skin as he closed the zipper,
tightening the bodice across her bare chest. His hands slid up her back, paused
on her shoulders, and his breath whispered between her shoulder blades.

She suddenly felt very,
very underdressed.

He turned her to face him.
“You look lovely.”

“Oh, you don’t have to say
that,” she began, until she saw the look in his eyes. Not the naked lust that
had been there earlier, but something more. His pupils had transformed into
huge, dark pools. She adjusted her response, reluctant to do anything that
might change the raw emotion in his gaze. “Thank you.”

Giving her shoulders one
last squeeze, he dropped his hands. Her shoulders felt bare and chilled without
their weight.

She took a deep breath,
brought her focus back to where it had to be. Time to get more information. “Before
we go down, I need to ask you, after what happened earlier. Will we be safe,
tonight?”

“We will be guarded all
the time, as I told you.” His eyes hardened as he spoke, his face a complex mix
of emotions she found hard to read. “And in some ways, we’re safer here, in the
seat of my power, with many friends and family around us. More eyes to see,
more teeth to fight. I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to keep you both
safe.”

“God.” She let her breath
out slowly, trying to release the cold pressure tightening in her chest. Maybe
talking about it would help. “I’m already so worried about Jack. This was
just... I don’t know what to do.” Impulsively, she reached out and put her hand
on his bare arm. “I’m so sorry for being snarky, earlier. I get that way when
I’m frightened. Dash, why do they want Jack and I so badly?”

He put his hand over hers,
pressing her palm to his flesh. The awareness of his near nakedness spread
through her again, a wave of heat and longing that shocked her with its
intensity.

“It’s nothing,” he said. “Totally
understandable. I’ve already forgotten. As to why—I'm not sure. Power
over me? Someone who wants to hurt me? I'll find out. And they will pay.”

The words were cold and
yet reassuring. Annie nodded, grateful for it.

“Now,” Dash said.
 
“We'd better get downstairs.” He canted
the corner of his mouth in a smile that arrowed directly to her heart. “Are you
ready to face the ravening hordes?”

The pulse between her legs
beat a steadily faster tempo, responding to his scent, his touch, his
closeness. She closed her eyes for a minute, swallowed. “As ready as I’ll ever
be.”

“Let’s go. My lady,” he
said, offering her his arm in a gesture betokening formal escort. She took it,
grateful for the support, and secretly pleased to have an excuse to keep
touching him.

And now, time for her
first public appearance as the wolf king’s escort. She tightened her hand on
his arm. “My lord,” she said in response, the words tasting odd on her lips. He
smiled, and they left to meet the “ravening hordes”. God help her.

CHAPTER
TEN

Down the long hallway they
marched, preceded and followed by an honor guard. Dash shot a glance sideways
at Annie. She looked amazing. He could watch her breasts in that dress all
night, high and taut on her slim frame, with the silky blue stuff rubbing over
them.

The deerskin pants he had
to wear as part of the formalities provided little room in the crotch. He
shortened his step, finding them suddenly uncomfortably tight.

They descended down the
stairs, through the foyer, and into the grand dining hall. He’d always loved
this room. It could seat hundreds at the long tables beneath the high ceiling
painted with stars. At one end, a huge stone fireplace warmed winter parties. But
tonight, in the warm weather, it had been decorated with flowers. As a boy,
he’d liked this room best when the tables were put away and the huge space
became a cave for games during colder weather.

The gathered packs surged
to their feet in respect – hundreds of werewolves, awaiting their entry.

Annie’s hand clamped down
on his arm. He turned to her. Her face had gone pale.

“Are you okay?” he
murmured.

She nodded. “It’s a lot of
people.”

“It is.” He patted her
hand, gave it a squeeze. “Come on.”

 
Continuing to their seats at the head
table, he assisted her up the two stairs to the dais, escorting her to the
chair on the right of his own before pulling it out for her. She met his eyes,
one brow raised. He could be courteous as the next guy. Was that such a
surprise? At least she seemed to have recovered her equanimity. She sat down,
but he remained standing.

Dash looked out across the
gathering. Every pair of eyes watched them.

“Welcome, brothers and
sisters,” he said, deliberately keeping his voice calm. “Welcome to the home of
the Big Sky Pack. Please, take your seats.”

Chairs scraped against the
floorboards as they obeyed. Dash did not join them yet. “This Gathering will
bring many things,” he continued, “a chance to hunt together as family;
opportunities to form new relationships; and the naming of the new Lycaon. I
look forward to all of those. As your host, I offer my home as a place of
peace, friendship, and civility.” He paused, wishing he had his father’s gift
for oratory. “Tonight, we meet as brothers and sisters to dine, drink, and
later...later we will hunt.” He reached to the table before him and lifted the
ornate silver goblet that sat before him. “To the gathered packs!”

“To the gathered packs!” Hundreds
of deep voices returned the toast, and one werewolf cast back his head and
howled. The others joined, their voices filling the hall with wildsong. Dash
opened his mouth and added a top note to the singing. Stopping for breath, he
tossed back his drink.

The raw taste of mountain
moonshine, made here on the ranch, burned his throat. But he smiled and set the
glass down. They got the liquor out for special occasions. It was a ranch
tradition, and a rite of passage for visitors, because the stuff was, to put it
mildly, an acquired taste. He took his seat, and immediately music began
playing and servers came forth between the tables with huge platters of meat.

He turned to check on
Annie. Her hands folded in her lap, her face composed, she looked out over the dining
hall like a queen. Pale, slim, long as she was, in that blue dress she was
straight out of a fairytale.

She hadn’t touched her
drink. What must she think of all this? He tried to see it through her eyes,
but it was hard. He’d been a part of this every year of his life, and she was
the first stranger who’d ever been invited.

The little bobble in her
throat as she swallowed drew his gaze downward again, to the almost translucent
skin of her neck, down between her prominent collarbones to the soft swell of
her cleavage. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wished he could put his
hands on her. There, right there, where her skin rose and fell against the edge
of her dress. Instead he reached out and squeezed her hand where it lay in her
lap. It was damp with sweat. She was afraid.

She did not turn her eyes to
him, instead watching the company of werewolves below.

He wanted to give her
comfort. “Annie,” he said. “You have nothing to fear. I’ll look after you.” She
did not react, and he couldn’t read her face. “Do you think we’re animals?”

“Werewolves are more
people than animals,” She licked her lips, and glanced sideways and down at his
groin. “In those leather pants, on the other hand...”

He laughed and gave her
hand a final squeeze, trying not to think about how those very pants were
restricting him right now.

A server piled meat from
the steaming platters on to their plates.

“Do you have any
vegetables?”

The submissive wolf froze,
his eyes cast down, but he didn’t say a word.

He was probably scared to
say the wrong thing to the Alpha’s consort, or maybe he wasn’t used to humans. “It’s
all right,” Dash said. “You can answer her question.”

“I’ll get some for you,
lunaa
.” The wolf bowed and scurried
away.

Annie watched him go. “What’s
a
lunaa
?”

Dash hesitated, knowing
his answer might cause trouble. “It’s complicated.”

Her blue eyes caught him,
like laser spotlights, pinning him in their beams and forcing the truth from
him. “Simplify it for me.”

He shrugged, trying to
keep it casual. “Honored mate of the Lycaon.”

Her brows shot up. “I
think he’s getting ahead of himself. On multiple counts.”

Time to change the
subject. “Aren’t you going to eat?” Dash said.

She glanced down at her food,
and poked gingerly at the slab of meat with her fork. “I’m, er, not much of a
meat eater,” she admitted.

The beef was rare. It sat
in a puddle of red juices on her plate. He guessed she might have preferred it
a little more done. But still... “You should eat more,” he said. “Get some meat
on your bones.” As soon as the words left his mouth he wanted to punch himself
in the head. “Not that there’s anything wrong with your body. I mean you look
great. Beautiful.”

Too late. Her face
reddened. What he could say to make it better? “Would you like a drink?”

She picked up her goblet
and sipped at it delicately, cheeks aflame. She blinked a few times, and her
eyelashes were damp. Gods damn it, he’d made her cry. He was the lowest belly-crawling
wolf that had ever lived.

“Oh my,” she said,
coughing. “What on earth is this?” She set the goblet down and stared at it. “Are
you trying to poison me?”

“It’s moonshine,” he said.
This was not going well. He stuck his fork into a slice of meat, shoved it into
his mouth, and chewed. When he swallowed, it stuck in his throat. Damn it, he
wished he could pick a fight with someone. Or punch a wall.

Hunting later would help a
lot. He’d run out his frustrations from the last day or so, and afterwards he’d
try and have a real conversation with Annie.

If only she were a wolf,
all of this would be easier. They could go for a run in the woods, communicate
without words, play in their wolf bodies under the moon, together.

No point in wishing for
something that would never happen. He lifted his glass, slugged back a gulp of
the moonshine, and stared out across the room.

As he regarded his future
subjects, he noticed two things. First, the Oracle did not sit alone, as was
her custom, but was accompanied by her guide Michael. She seemed much older
this time around. Dash felt the first hint of worry. He would find out what was
going on with her when they met to talk about Jack.

Second, Irina’s ice green gaze
was upon him. He had the uncomfortable feeling she’d been staring at him since
he’d come into the room with Annie. She was pissed. There’d be a payment for
him to make there later, no doubt about it.

He’d never promised anything
to her, had he? It was all assumption on the part of their families that they
would end up together. He’d never agreed to it. The weight of family guilt lay heavily
on his shoulders.

Speaking of guilt, he’d
never opened the little box she’d sent him. Ugh. One more thing he’d have to
deal with after dinner.

Dash put down his
silverware. He’d lost his appetite.

*
         
*
         
*

Annie rose at the end of
the meal, grateful for Dash’s proffered arm.

Everything about dinner
had been surreal, from the palatial dining hall, to having literally hundreds
of people—werewolves—watch her every move. She was dressed up like
a damn princess. In the eyes of some, she was one.

Lunaa
. Honored mate of the Lycaon. She wasn’t
anybody’s mate. And Dash wasn’t Lycaon. Not yet, anyway.

He escorted her back the
way they’d come, the honor guard trailing. She had to rush to keep up, her feet
tripping over one another.

“What’s the hurry?” Although
she was happy to be out of the dining hall, she didn’t see the need to flee
back to their quarters.

“I have to get outside, to
the hunt,” Dash replied.

“I assume humans aren’t
invited.” She hoped, because she’d do almost anything to get uninvited. In
fact, she’d be happy to be locked up under guard during the hunt.

He snorted. “You wouldn’t
like it if you were. I thought I’d take you back, first.”

They continued their
headlong rush through the building, until they arrived back at the suite. Dash
opened the door for her. The honor guard stood at attention while they entered
the door. She still found the notion of being escorted everywhere rather
disturbing, but at least they weren’t following her in to bed.

Gaelan waited inside. She
could have sworn he’d left the table after them. Everyone had. But somehow he’d
arrived back here first. He’d pulled that trick twice now.

The two men greeted each
other with an easy nod. “Ready?” Gaelan inquired.

“I was born ready.” Dash
smiled, the lamplight glinting off his canine teeth. They were larger than
average, giving him a wild look. Entirely appropriate, now she thought about
it.

He pulled the regal cape
from his shoulders, tossed it over a chair, and untied his pants.

“What are you doing?” She
glanced at Gaelan, who looked as if this were the most normal thing in the
world.

“Taking off my clothes?” He
stopped, thumbs tucked inside the waistband of his pants, even as he prepared
to shuck them.

“Yes, that.” She couldn’t
help but stare at the flat expanse of his stomach, where it vanished inside the
leather pants. He’d started to push them down, and she could see his hipbones. Blood
rushed through her ears, making it hard to concentrate.

“If I change while I’m
dressed, I’ll split them. And you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to replace a
pair of tailored buckskin pants.” He grinned. “Everybody else here is doing the
same thing right now. We’ll all meet up in the courtyard to change. We’re
werewolves. As I may have mentioned, we do naked. A lot.”

“Oh,” Annie said, looking
away. She’d known, in theory, he’d be running around naked for some of this
trip, but in practice she hadn’t expected it to be this soon, or this close.

“Jack isn’t here,” Dash
said. “He and Daisy are asleep.”

“It’s fine,” she said,
keeping her eyes averted. “I understand why you wouldn’t want to, um, why you’d
want to undress. I’m not used to it yet. I’m just kind of freaked out.”

Gaelan grunted with
suppressed laughter, and she shot him a look. “What’s so funny, blondie?”

He wiped at his eyes with
one massive paw. “Let’s say we have different ideas about what’s freaky and
what’s normal.”

“Are you going to...” she
waved in Dash’s general direction, “...strip as well?”

“I’m glad you’re so eager,
but no.”

“He’d better not,” Dash
said, growling. “He’s staying here with you.”

She turned to look at Dash,
startled by his words. He stood naked before her, skin gleaming in the light,
long, muscular body poised. She couldn’t look away. It wasn’t logical. She’d
seen him naked only yesterday. And still couldn’t get the image out of her
mind. Her pulse throbbed in her ears.

“Gaelan is my most trusted
friend, and I’ve asked him to guard you and our family while I have to be away.”
He took a step toward her, eyes liquid with kindness. “Is that okay with you?”

She licked her lips. “Thank
you, it’s fine.” Their gazes locked. “Are you going to change?”

“Outside, with the others.
It’s a show of power.” He shrugged. “I need all of those I can get this week.” He
looked away from her, to the window. “The moon is high. I have to go.”

Annie blurted out, “Be
careful.” She immediately felt like a fool. He wasn't two years old. But she
couldn't help but worry about him.