13. Chapter Thirteen

Cortana watched Riaz stride through the other members of his pack, those clustering around him gleeful and joyous that he was near. The alpha was just as happy with their affection, offering small but meaningful touches to their shoulders or cheeks, embracing those who needed more.

It took him several minutes to cross twenty feet of floor to where the birthday boy eagerly awaited him. When Riaz hunkered down to speak with him, Cortana lost sight of the man.

Slowly, she made her way out of the throng of bodies to linger near the wall once more, but this time, it took less than a minute before her solitude was interrupted by another.

"Look what the cat dragged in."

Eyes finding Renata's exotic beaty, Cortana inclined her chin. "I may have been dragged in, but at least I'm not being taken out with the trash."

The other woman had been there only for a few seconds and Cortana was already at her wits' end. Every syllable Renata spoke was a grating sound that soured her stomach, her fangs just aching to render the woman defenseless. The she-wolf didn't seem to notice.

"He won't ever throw me out, little fang. Riaz, no matter how you slice it, is a pushover when it comes to his pack. All I need do is give him the weeping treatment and he'll cave."

"Certain of yourself, are you?"

She gave a sordid laugh. "Our alpha would never side with some trashy vampire over his own packmate. Keep dreaming, sister."

Cortana's lip curled at the insult—both of them. "I'm not your sister."

From out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Renata faced her directly, indignation flashing in the depths of her gaze.

"No, and you never will be. Despite what you may believe, Riaz's passing fancy for you is just that: a flavor of the week. Nothing real or meaningful will come with his little infatuation. And yes, he may have danced with you, but when he goes to sleep tonight, I'll be the one in his bed."

Jealousy, black and seething, slithered under her skin like an oil slick. Icy fingers traced down her spine, chilling her to the bone while she could only glare at the other woman.

Riaz, unaware of their spat, drew up alongside them, grinning in that charming wolfish way that would've made her believe all was right in the world.

Renata was the one to speak first, in a sickly-sweet voice that'd fool even the keenest of spies. "I'm certain Riaz has completed his stately duties to you, ambassador. I'll be taking this wolf back to my den for a bit of playtime."

A hint of surprise furrowed Riaz's features, his eyes tracing over Renata's smile as if to decipher her intent. Apparently, he found nothing untoward, and that russet brown settled on Cortana instead.

He looked at the vampire expectantly, an infinity of emotion behind his eyes like he was yearning for something, anything, that she'd voice in his favor. Perhaps a confirmation that she'd experienced the same pull he had when they'd danced only minutes ago.

Which she had. But she'd never admit it.

Cortana stayed silent, her nonverbal stance giving the female wolf all she needed to drag the alpha away. Any vulnerability that'd lingered in his expression was immediately replaced by his customary joie de vivre, his infectious smile lighting his face with an ease Cortana envied.

There was something in his eyes that told her his happiness wasn't real. It was an act meant to hide the true reaction to her denial.

She had no idea how she knew.

As they turned, Cortana caught the look upon Renata's face, the emotion it betrayed hitting Cortana in the gut like a two by four: smug satisfaction. Tall, beautiful, and radiant in a way that she never could be, Renata was an uncontested supernatural beauty. If the she-wolf was an orchid, Cortana felt like a daisy, plain and unstimulating.

None of it compared to the way that she clutched possessively at Riaz. There was history behind their relationship, and when it paired with the intimacy Cortana knew they shared, it was enough to make the predator within her rear its head.

For the first time in centuries, jealousy narrowed her sight. A flare of envious anger raged through her blood, pushing her to unleash the wrath that seemed keen to erupt. Lips curling, she exposed fangs that'd begun to lengthen.

Fingers curled around her shoulder, barring her from following them. Cortana turned with a snarl but paused as she found deep blue eyes gazing at her with something akin to pity.

"Wolves need touch, Cortana. You can hardly blame him."

She straightened her spine. "I'm not blaming him for anything. Who he does in his spare time is none of my concern."

"No?" Ava chuckled, her deep feminine voice grating on Cortana's worn nerves. "What is that saying the humans are so fond of? Oh yes, I do believe your pants are on fire."

Cortana didn't give her the satisfaction of an answer.

Ava's leveled an honest gaze at Cortana. "Riaz doesn't ever sleep alone, Cortana. His wolf demands he be with a packmate, and right now, Ren fills that role for him. If you don't like that arrangement, you alone have the power to change it."