Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

T rue to his word, Ares sent Theo, Santiago, Drew, and Lachlan with her to her studio. It was stupid, beyond stupid. But she didn't fight it because, surprisingly, it made her relax a fraction to have the men with her. Especially knowing her attacker knew where she might be. Hopefully, he wouldn't expect her to go home after being in the hotel for the week. Or better yet, hopefully, he'd gone back into hiding after the defeat.

In the past week or so, she'd been with them all she'd grown to like Ares' men. But more than that, she'd grown to trust them.

After packing up everything she wanted to take to Canada, she'd gone to her bedroom and emptied her nightstand drawer into a trash bag. She'd been mortified Ares had found her little stash but also aroused at the idea he would fulfill whatever she wanted from now on.

Now, sitting back in her room in the suite with Bianca, an assortment of room service meals sitting before her, she couldn't help but admit being away from Ares had caused an ache inside. He may have a million things going on, but she'd thought he might at least call or text her once during the afternoon. And when he hadn't, she'd found herself missing him.

"What do you want to watch this time?" Bianca asked.

"Something violent." River scanned the assortment of food and chose a fry.

"Really?" said Bianca. "I'd have thought after your night at the opera, you would want something tamer."

River snorted. "Like what? Hallmark?"

Bianca giggled.

The door to the bedroom opened, and Ares walked in. He noticed the half-dozen carts of food and then looked at River.

"Hungry?"

River huffed. "Yes. I just couldn't figure out what for."

He nodded. "I need to dress for the dinner meeting."

Bianca stood and crossed to the door. "I'll go check on Zeke."

Ares stepped to the side and let her go before closing the door behind himself.

River watched him for a moment, and he shucked off his coat. Tension surrounded him that hadn't when he'd left earlier.

"What's wrong?"

He turned. "Family stuff."

The words punched her in the gut. "Do you really want me to be your mate?"

He stopped and blinked. "How can you ask that?"

"I wonder because a mate is someone who is your equal. Your match. Someone you rely on and trust more than any other. And yet, it seems you aren't looking for a mate. You are looking for someone to keep your bed warm and do what you tell her."

His gaze narrowed. "You know that's not true."

"Do I? You've told me nothing about your business, your family, or what you know about the rogue looking for me. Am I gonna be like one of those mafia wives who is oblivious to what her husband does and instead is charged with running the household staff and changing diapers? Because I can tell you now, I'm about as domestic as a feral barn cat with rabies."

Ares burst out laughing, stopping River in her tracks. What the…? Was he laughing at her? "Stop it," she demanded.

Ares laughed harder.

"I said, stop it. Stop laughing at me."

But he didn't stop. He tried, she had to give him that.

River stomped forward and smacked his chest. "Knock it off."

She went to slap him again, but he caught her wrist, and his eyes grew serious.

He pulled her against him and raked his fingers through her hair. "Yes, I want you as my mate. I just didn't want to lay everything on you at once for fear you might bolt again. The shifter world is a tentative place, but the Lycan world is different. It's ruthless and cruel." He studied her face for a moment, and his shoulders sagged. "The Lycan looking for you is my older half-brother, Titan. He wants you in hopes of grabbing the throne for himself."

His half-brother? The Lycan who had bitten her was Ares' older half-brother.

"Is that why you want me?" she asked. "So, you can secure the throne?"

Ares sighed. "When are you going to stop saying such foolish things? If you don't know why I want you and what I feel for you, I guess I'll have to prove it to you, Little Wolf."

River fought for something to say but couldn't form words.

Without a noise, Ares hefted her onto the table and spread her legs. River's body shook as he undid his belt and slipped off his shoes and tie.

River's body thrummed, and her wolf panted with need.

Him. She wanted him. Needed him. She needed to feel Ares, her Alpha, inside her.

River's g-string grew slick, and her body heated when his hand softly stroked her through the fabric of her pants.

Without realizing it, River bucked against Ares' teasing hand as he bowed his head closer and sniffed her.

A growl escaped him, and she yanked his mouth to hers. Ares grabbed her neck and pressed his body against hers.

River's wolf whimpered. Mine. Mate. Alpha.

River couldn't think. All day, her body had craved him. The things he'd done to her the night before hadn't sated her. It had made her needier. She couldn't explain it. She'd never been overly sexual before, but with Ares, every second they were together, the more she and her wolf craved him, wanted him, needed him.

She ran her fingers down to his waist and pulled his shirt from his pants before unbuttoning it and pushing it off him.

He ran a rough thumb over one of her breasts, and she couldn't hold back the moan that escaped her. She wanted him. She wanted him right on the table. In their bed. On the floor by the fireplace in the front room. She wanted him naked and hard inside her.

"I missed you today," he said.

"You didn't call or text or anything."

His lips found hers as she unzipped his pants, making him groan. "Did you want me to? I didn't want to bother you."

River looked at him thoughtfully. "I want you to bother me."

Their lips slammed against each other so hard their teeth clashed. He whipped her shirt over her head and kissed down her throat to the tops of her breasts.

"How much time do we have before the dinner?" she panted.

Ares checked his watch and hissed. "Forty minutes."

She smiled. "We can do it in forty minutes, can't we?"

She went to pull his lips back to hers, but he froze.

"What's wrong?"

He stared at her, conflicted. "River, believe me when I say I don't want anything more than to make love to you right now, but I don't want to rush our first time."

"Forty minutes is rushing?" Damn!

He brushed the hair from her face and pressed his lips to her forehead. "It is with everything I want to do to you."

His words made her wolf mewl.

River tried to press her hand down the front of his pants, but he gripped her wrist and backed away. "If we start now, I will not stop for dinner."

"How can you tell me that and then leave me in this state? I think I will have to find one of those little friends of mine from my nightstand and give him a few rounds."

Ares threw his head back before looking at her again. "You are going to be the death of me, woman."

She chuckled, knowing he had no idea she'd thrown them all out hours earlier. "You better not die," she said. "I'd be lost without you."

Ares watched her without moving, and River wished she could take back the words. She'd basically told him she loved him and couldn't live without him. What the hell had she been thinking? She hadn't been thinking. Not with her head, at least. With her heart? Did she love him?

No. It wasn't possible. She couldn't love him. Like him? Yeah… sure… but love? No possible way.

Ares's eyes went black. "Do you mean it?"

River's throat dried. "I… I think I do," she stammered.

Surprisingly, he smiled. A genuine, whole-face smile which made his hard-angular face take on a softer, kinder appearance. He looked almost boyish, except for the eyes.

For a moment, she thought he might cry. Instead, he knelt in front of her and pulled her to him, laying his head on her breast.

River's heart clenched, and she ran her fingers into his hair.

She didn't know how long they sat, but when Ares rose again, another piece of their connection locked into place.

She touched his face. "I have something for you. I made you a present."

"You did?"

She smiled and pulled him toward the bed. She sat him down and walked to her purse. She came back with a small bag and held it out to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Something to wish you luck at your meeting."

He opened the bag and dumped two small pieces of metal into his palm.

A flutter of nervousness chilled her as he turned them over and revealed two steel wolf's head cufflinks.

He stared at them without speaking.

"You don't have to wear them," she said. "It's fine if you don't like them or don't have a shirt to wear them with or-"

Ares rose and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to him. He cradled her head against his chest and breathed in her hair.

"I love you, River."

She blinked several times, then wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.

"So, you like them?"

He inhaled her hair and crushed her tighter against him. "I love them too."

* * *

A present. River had made him a present. Nothing she could've done or said would ever mean as much in that moment as the knowledge that she'd thought of him throughout the day and had made something for him. He'd never be able to give her anything that would compare to what he felt for her and the tiny pieces of metal he clutched.

He couldn't believe he'd told her he loved her but the words had tumbled from his mouth without a thought. Everything between them happened so fast that part of him couldn't believe it was real. But he'd spent his life hearing about the connection between a Lycan and his mate from his parents. Even with them, the connection had paled against his feelings for River, his Omega.

River's breath came out as a hitched sigh, and she kissed him hard. His wolf howled pure and tender, calling to River's wolf. A sound that reverberated through him and echoed inside him.

River pulled away, and her eyebrows crushed together.

"What's wrong?"

"I… I… Did your wolf howl?"

Ares blinked several times. His wolf howled again.

River cocked her head to the side. "He did it again."

Ares's brain fought to understand. "You… you heard him?"

They stared at each other for a long minute.

"Can you hear my wolf?" she asked.

Ares shook his head. "What is she doing?"

River's cheeks flushed. "Uh, well, right now, she is on her back being a little tramp, so I guess it might be difficult."

Ares chuckled and sniffed River's throat. "I may not be able to hear her, but I can sure smell her." And damn if he didn't want to bury his face in River and taste every last centimeter of her.

He had no clue what was going on, but River was his mate, and as soon as this damned meeting was over, he would take her home, and he would never, could never, let her go.