Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"W hat did you think?" Ares asked as they walked down the stairs to the exit of the opera house.

"I enjoyed it more than I had anticipated. The music was beautiful. The sets and costumes were incredible. I can hardly believe all the work that went into the production. I thought it would be like watching a movie, but somehow so much… more. I can't explain it."

Ares smiled at her. "Exactly."

River caught the whiff of a familiar scent, and a chill settled over her. To her left, a man bumped her on the stairs, and a stinging sensation pricked the back of her hand.

She lurched forward in her heels. Ares grabbed her in a flash and had her steadied before the thought of falling occurred to her.

"Hey!" Ares boomed.

Theo grabbed for the man's jacket, but he rushed through the crowd down to the landing and onward.

River's mind caught up with her body, and a surge of adrenaline crested through her. That scent. She would never forget it.

Him.

River shook and bent over the railing, looking for the man who had bumped her. Again, she glimpsed a black jacket rushing down a floor below.

"Are you all right?" Ares sniffed and lifted her hand. "You're bleeding."

River peered down at it. He'd scratched her hand, and a light line of blood welled on her skin. She tried to find words as Ares searched her face.

"What is it? Are you ill?"

Her throat dried, and she tried to form words. "It's him," she managed.

Ares looked at her for a moment, confused.

She touched her neck.

Ares's eyes turned to fire. "Theo! Zeke. Bring me that Lycan's head."

Theo and Zeke shot down the stairs without a word.

Ares crushed her against him, and she clung to him, trying to force herself to calm down.

"I'll kill him, River. I promise. I'll kill him."

He'd been there in New York. He'd been at the theater. It couldn't have been a coincidence. Was she overreacting? Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was someone who smelled similar.

Her wolf said one word. Him.

Ares growled. Two couples stopped on the stairs. Their eyes flashed red. Drew and Santiago formed a barricade between Ares and the couples, though a crowd of other people poured down the stairs between the two groups.

"I am Prince Ares Wolvenguard, and this is my Omega," Ares said in a voice so low River almost didn't hear it. "Keep moving," he commanded.

The group inclined their heads and continued down the stairs.

Vampires. She'd never seen vampires before. Or if she had, she'd never known it. Though she wasn't scared of them, it showed her how something as small as a scratch could cause unwanted attention from other supernaturals.

She'd never understood why Cherry and the others had always said living in a crowded city was dangerous. Humans weren't the only predators in the cities. While wolves tended to stick to the outskirts, many other supernatural species needed to be near for food, services, and business. But she'd seen more supes in the last two minutes than in four years at school. Not that she'd searched. She'd refused to make friends at school.

Several males slowed their pace, but their human companions moved downward. The males' gazes landed on River, hungry and lusty. She pressed her head into Ares and turned her eyes away from them.

Damn! What? Was her blood magical or something? Why was she a beacon for supes?

"Move, or you'll lose your eyes," Ares snarled. "Your choice, pups."

River's heart thudded. She'd never experienced males looking at her before. Human men, sure. But shifters? Never. Mostly, they'd ignored her. She'd always thought it was because she couldn't shift- until the night she'd been attacked. Then she'd learned it was because of the pills her mom had made her take since she was twelve. The sensation left her feeling vulnerable for the first time, and she realized why Cherry had hidden that she was an Omega.

"Let me help you," Lachlan said in a terrifying voice she'd not thought him capable of.

Lachlan unbuttoned his jacket, flashing a shoulder holster she didn't know he wore.

The shifters regarded Lachlan and then her one more time. Lachlan took a step forward, and the males moved off.

Tension rippled through Ares' body. "I need to get you to my estate. They'll keep looking at you until we are mated. All of them. Shifters. Lycans. Vampires. Fae. Doesn't matter."

River looked up at him. "So, mating will make it stop?"

"No. You will always attract males. But once you are mated, they'll smell me as well, and they'll back off. Or they won't, and I'll kill them." Ares's eyes flashed golden.

River swallowed hard. She'd always felt in control. She could protect herself. But, in that moment, she realized how vulnerable she was. She didn't like it and wrapped her arms around Ares' waist.

"I want to leave," she whispered.

Ares nodded.

"If Theo and Zeke find the male, they'll call," said Santiago. "Let's take you back, Highnesses."

He'd attacked her. Again. Not like before, but… he'd been there, next to her. Though it had only been for a second, the thought terrified her. But another thought followed. Had he known where she was for the last four years?

Ares held her hand the rest of the way down to the front door and stopped. Outside, people raced away as rain sloshed down.

Only a few stragglers remained in the lobby, trying to order Ubers or find taxis without ruining their designer attire.

"Damn," said Ares. "I should have checked the weather. I'm sorry."

"There's an umbrella in the car, sir," said Lachlan.

Santiago nodded. "You and Drew drive up the car and bring the umbrella back for the Prince and Princess."

"No need," said River. "I may come off like the wicked witch sometimes, but I don't melt in water."

Ares cocked his head to the side. "I wouldn't call you the wicked witch."

Her eyebrows rose.

He shook his head. "Self-preservation and past traumatic experiences don't make you a witch. They make you tough, and having to be tough makes you cautious."

What the… How did he see her like that? She'd never thought of it before, but… he was right. She'd never had someone understand her before. Not that she'd ever given a guy a chance, but still… At that moment, she wanted nothing more than for Ares to be her mate.

Mine. My Alpha. My mate.

River nodded. Ours. Our Alpha. Our Mate.

A white ribbon appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around her wolf's leg. Slow and silky like a lover's hand. It stopped at the ankle, and the rest lay next to her. River anticipated the panic. Waited for her wolf to freak out, but she didn't. She howled with delight.

River's heartbeat quickened, and she couldn't breathe.

"What is that?" she whispered.

Ares ran his fingers up her arm to her chin and tipped it upward. He met her lips with his in the most tender kiss she'd ever experienced.

"It's our bond," he whispered. "It's growing."

He kissed her again, and River's body heated with need. She wanted him right in the lobby of the opera house. She didn't care that people surrounded them. Didn't care that Theo, Zeke, and Drew were with them. Didn't care about anything or anyone else.

"Ares," she whispered, sliding her hands up his pecks.

"Yes, Beloved?"

"I-"

The door pulled open behind them, and the cold, wet air rushed in, making her tense. Lachlan stood outside, the umbrella open for them.

Ares exited, and wet droplets stained his jacket sleeve.

"Theo or Zeke should have called by now," said Santiago.

Ares looked at his phone. He'd had it on silent. Even so, it hadn't buzzed.

He pulled River to him. "Something doesn't feel right."

She wanted to say something more but couldn't form words.

Lachlan moved in and held the umbrella over River and Ares' heads while he got soaked.

"This is silly," said River over the noise of the street. "Lachlan is drenched. You hold the umbrella and let him get in the car."

"I'm fine, Princess," said Lachlan.

River laid her hand on Ares's arm. "Ares, please?"

The thunder of rushing footsteps pulled her attention.

"Ares!" Theo yelled, coming around the corner of the building. "It's a trap!"

Ares roared, and Santiago moved to her side.

"Get her out of here!" Ares shouted.

Theo turned as two men emerged from the shadows, and he fired his gun. One of the men went down, but the other had only been struck in the shoulder. He roared and lumbered forward, his fangs lengthening along with his nails. His shirt shredded as he transformed on the steps of the opera house and sprung at Theo.

Ares roared and leaped the ten-yard distance between himself and Theo, snatched the wolf midair, and ripped his throat out.

River sucked in a breath, and Ares turned. "Go," he bellowed. Water poured down his body, thinning the blood and soaking his face and torso to a light pink.

Santiago took River's elbow and pulled her away. "Princess, we need to go."

"No." She turned back to find a wolf on Ares's back. Three sprung out of the bushes. "You need to help him."

Santiago ushered her toward the car. "Sorry. My Alpha gave me a command."

"But-" River's words cut off as two wolves bounded toward them.

Santiago jumped in front of her and pulled his gun. He fired, but the first wolf dodged and kept coming.

Lachlan and Drew appeared out of nowhere and tackled the second wolf. The group slipped on the rain-soaked steps and tumbled down toward the street.

What the hell was going on?

The first wolf leapt at Santiago, but River grabbed a knife from her thigh and flung it at the shifter, hitting him square in the eye.

Santiago turned to her, and she rushed down the steps to the wolf's body and pulled her blade from him before wiping it on his fur.

"Damn, rogues. Where's your master?" She kicked him hard in the face. "Where is the bastard? Tell me!"

The rogue was dead. Damn. She should have aimed lower.

Santiago reached her and pulled her away from the animal. "Let's go."

"No! We need to help Ares." She pulled away. Ares and the others fought a pack of no less than six rogues.

Her wolf roared. Her mate. They attacked her mate.

Santiago yanked open the car door. "Princess, please!"

"We have to go back!"

Santiago shook his head. "Please. Ares can handle himself. If anything happened to you, that would kill him. And in turn, he would kill me. Please. I promise he will be fine. If you're here, he won't be able to fight effectively."

Reluctantly, she slipped into the front seat before he slammed the door and rushed to the driver's side.

Her wolf howled and thrashed, wanting to go back and help Ares.

No! This is the best way we can help him right now.

Her wolf disagreed.

Out the window, Zeke ran into view, a gun in each hand. He fired at three emerging wolves. Ares moved like a blur, grabbing and tearing the wolves apart.

How the hell would they explain to human officials?

Santiago put the car in gear and tore out onto the street to the sound of screeching brakes and honking horns.

River craned her neck to see the fight, but she couldn't make anything out but blurs between the rain and the other cars.

River's gut clenched. Dear Goddess. Please watch over him. I don't want to lose him. Not now.

Blood soaked the knife in her hand. If she ever found the Lycan who'd bitten her, she'd kill him herself.