15. Chapter Fifteen

When she emerged from her quarters, Cortana found the den somewhat subdued. While the great hall remained alight with sound and laughter, more than a few pack members were in somber spirits.

One look at Ava confirmed the underlying melancholy. The she-wolf offered her a tight smile from where she leaned against the wall near the den entrance.

"Shall I call the vet?"

"Pardon me?"

"Clearly, the treats were spoiled, or someone made off with all the chew toys." Crossing her arms over her chest, Cortana rested her shoulders against the wall next to the other woman, her gaze spearing out over the assembled packmates.

"Riaz went on a hunt."

Before she could ask for clarification, a lone howl arrived like a whisper on the wind, a call from a faraway place that was oddly familiar and entirely too forlorn. Everyone in the den went supernaturally still as it trailed off, disappearing in the summer evening.

And then they responded.

The howls of wolves vocalizing out of their human throats, each voice perfectly chorused with the others. It made Cortana close her eyes, enraptured by the utter perfection of their communal melody.

For the first time, she wondered what path her life would've taken if she'd been bitten by a werewolf instead of a vampire. Would she have made the same mistakes? Would she have taken a life?

As the minutes ticked by, the pack grew restless, a frenetic kind of atmosphere rising through the air. Even Cortana wasn't immune: she unholstered her daggers, absently flipping them in her hands to work out the excess energy she'd suddenly unlocked.

Built to a crescendo, the tension suddenly released as the door opened to reveal the silhouetted frame of their alpha. A few barked eager salutations, but none approached. As he strode inside and the light banished the shadows from his features, Cortana understood why.

In place of the man whose infectious joy radiated to everyone around him, this wolf wore an entirely different face. His blazing orange eyes were shadowed with a darkness that held no hint of mirth.

This Riaz was dark. Predatorial.

Offering no form of greeting nor acknowledgement, Riaz continued into the hall, stopping in front of Ava and Cortana.

Though the she-wolf wouldn't admit it, the change in her posture betrayed an anxiety that Cortana shared. A ping of apprehension tingled through her veins at his approach, the hairs on the back of her neck raising in supernatural awareness.

Riaz, as he was now, was a deadly threat she'd never considered. Devoid of emotion, the alpha locked eyes with Ava for a brief moment before she dropped hers in submission.

"The rogue's dead."

That's when the salty tang of blood registered to Cortana's senses. "You're wounded."

Blazing orange eyes cut to her with sharp intensity, his pupils dilating without any emotion behind his features. "Yes, that is a risk we take."

With the weight of his gaze fully seated on her, Cortana's nerves tingled in anticipation, warning her to shift from beneath his attention and run. Another part of her delighted in his interest, the misplaced part of her psyche that desired thrill and danger. A shot of adrenaline ignited in her blood, nearly overwhelming the sudden need to check him for injury all-encompassing.

"Is it serious, alpha?" Gadriel's voice broke through the intimacy of their connection, the other betas having joined them in the scant few seconds that Cortana was otherwise preoccupied.

"I'll heal."

He shook his head dismissively, his eyes never leaving Cortana. A question hid in the depths of the animal's eyes, but what, Cortana couldn't say. So much lingered in the air between them, a heaviness that she could taste and feel but couldn't see. Even if she could find her voice to speak, what would she say?

By that point, many wolves had scattered back into the den, pacified by his return. Only one dared to close in on them, intruding in the stalemate between Riaz and Cortana.

"Riaz."

Renata's purr, velvety smooth, breached the circle of betas around them. Turning to look, Cortana saw the she-wolf twisting between the larger forms of Arno and Gadriel. Each step was a sultry performance intent on securing her prize.

Before Renata could reach him, something shifted in the burnished orange of the wolf's gaze. A scathing hatred flooded them, dropping all inhibition.

"No."

The snapped command from Riaz took Renata to her knees. Even Cortana quivered under the dominance in his tone. Her eyes squeezed together under the force of it, trying to disengage herself from it all. Beating back the impulse through sheer force of will, she glanced up again, only to find Riaz gone.

Swallowing harshly, she saw concern—but not fear—lingering on Ava's expression. As they locked eyes, Ava gestured for her to follow when she started down a corridor to their left, leaving the other betas behind. The pair walked in silence for a minute before Cortana broached the topic.

"What happened?"

"A rogue breached our borders. Though it's atypical of larger packs, Riaz is our hunter, and dispatches any rogues that enter our territory."

"Why is it atypical?"

"Alphas usually assign someone to the role. Riaz prefers to do the work himself, sparing anyone else from having to put their neck on the line for his pack."

Cortana bit her lip, frowning. "Did something go wrong?"

Ava startled. "When?"

"When Riaz was hunting today," she replied, wondering why the other woman had reacted so strangely. "His wolf was clearly running the show when he returned to the den just now."

A breath of air escaped through Ava's lips.

"No, nothing went wrong." One side of her mouth pulled back in a grimace. "There's a darkness in rogues that Riaz … that he feels more intensely than most."

"And why is that?" Cortana kept pushing, determined to unveil the reason behind the sudden shift in Riaz's personality. It was a conundrum—and one she intended to solve.

"It is not my place to say." She jerked her chin to the gym behind the set of doors they'd stopped before. "He'll be in there. If I may ask a favor of you?"

"What?"

"See to him for me?"

Hope clung to Ava's words, each syllable a study in devotion. Tense silence hung between them for a moment before Cortana nodded. At once, Ava left, leaving her alone in the hallway. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pushed the doors open and followed the sounds of violence.

Riaz stood alone, his fists connecting with the reinforced punching bag. With each hit, the bag shuddered, swinging precariously as his muscle flexed and bunched. The darkness that seemed to cling to him earlier had abated, as if the physical exertion had helped him find his balance.

"Riaz?"

Startled, his muscles locked in place for a half second before he pivoted, eyes wild and orange with his wolf. Riaz ensnared her gaze.

"Cortana."

The wild vanished with no trace as soon as he said her name, and she offered him a half-smile. The way she'd looked at him earlier—like he was a monster—made her feel guilty.

"Are you okay?"

In a split second, his cockiness returned in full force. "Nah, I'd counter ‘okay' and raise you a ‘handsome.'"

The barely concealed roll of her eyes released the remaining effects of tension from her small frame.

"Handsome men, in my humble opinion, typically have soup for brains."

Riaz reached out to still the swinging bag, raising a single eyebrow. "Shall I be more outraged that you've called me inept, or infuriated that you won't admit I'm handsome?"

"Unfortunately for you, wolfie, you got the short end of the stick."

"Sneaky vampire," he tsked. "Which short end? Dumb but pretty or smart but hideous?"

She purposefully swallowed the laugh that threatened on her tongue. "You're an overgrown Chihuahua with leaning towers of paper in his office. Which one do you think it is?"

Riaz gushed, "Aw, Pet, I'm blushing."

Barking a laugh in genuine delight, he hauled the punching bag off its hooks and threw it over his shoulder before moving to stow it away. Joy had fully overridden the threatening aura he carried on his return from the hunt, and Cortana was happy to see him smiling again.

"Riaz?"

Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder at her. "Yes, Cort?"

"You still game to feed me?"

A shiver of desire feathered over her skin as the words left her lips. Though she hadn't intended on the double meaning, her fangs lengthened without her conscious volition.

Riaz's ebony eyebrows shot upward. "Feed you?"

Backpedaling, she adopted a nonchalant posture, adding in a casual shrug to counter the thoughts that'd suddenly forced their way into her mind. "I think I could go on an ice cream run."

Riaz threw the punching bag behind him like it weighed nothing, all attempts at organization forgotten.

"I scream, we scream, even vampires scream for ice cream!"

His arm coiled around Cortana's waist, gently tugging her toward his side. She shimmied against him, unceremoniously shoving him away and adding a scoff to punctuate her statement.

"I'm not yours, wolf. Don't pretend like I am."

Riaz, not to be undermined, bumped his shoulder against hers. "Did Ava sic you on me?"

A noise of exasperation left her. "What, I can't follow the brooding werewolf all by myself?"

Though he chuckled, Cortana had no doubt that he knew the truth. At first, she had been surprised the werewolf had inspired such loyalty among his people. Seeing the way he interacted and supported them, the attention he'd given the birthday boy, and how cautious he was about his pack's safety, she had no doubt he was the best alpha they could have asked for.

Five minutes later—and after she'd stowed her daggers back in her room—they were blazing a trail toward the downtown. Summer light still painted the sky red, the sunset beaming from behind the mountains.

Though Cortana had lived for four centuries, the sun still affected her and until it completely set below the horizon, a weariness would whisper through her veins.

She clutched to Riaz's frame, inhaling his musky cedar scent. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Of course, it's part of my powers," he bragged, the helmet on her head relaying his voice as clearly as if he was whispering in her ear. "Werewolves have a special radar for the closest sources of peanut butter and ice cream, like sharks can smell blood in the water. Or vampires, I guess."

"Sharks can't sense vampires in the water at all, actually," she quipped, then let his chuckle lull her into resting her head against his broad back.

The second she did, his body stiffened, his steady breathing halting in his lungs. While on the motorcycle, it was inevitable that she'd be wrapped around him—but there was something different about laying her cheek against him. This was her choice, a tender gesture she initiated.

He coughed, and Cortana knew it was meant to mask his reaction. Their heartbeats mirrored each other, hammering and arhythmical, she had no doubt the intimacy of their connection affected him too.

There was something about this man that she couldn't help but respond to. Every time she saw his grin, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Whenever he drew near, her skin tingled in anticipation. And when they accidentally—or purposefully—touched, electricity shot over her skin like she'd stepped on a live wire.

The slowing of the motorcycle announced their arrival.

She surveyed their surroundings and was quietly pleased he'd taken her to a mom-and-pop shop off the main drag. A few customers still sat at tables within, but the majority were empty and conspicuously clean.

"I thought you said you didn't eat food?"

Taking off her helmet, she tamed several flyaways back into her braid. "I don't. I'm here for you—and potentially to earn a few brownie points with the kids back in the den when I bring them back something sweet."

Clutching his heart dramatically, Riaz offered her a sad smile. "Poor, poor vampire, starved and malnourished. Let the handsome wolf help you."

When he gave her his elbow, she couldn't resist, and they entered the shop side by side. The shopkeeper, a white-haired lady with coke-bottle glasses and a flower in her bun, gave a joyous greeting.

"Riaz!"

Grabbing him in a hug with gnarled fingers, the old woman mumbled something in his ear before kissing his cheek affectionately. She caught Cortana's gaze only moments later.

"And who do we have here?"

"She's a friend, Gwennie." The wolf's voice was softer than she had ever heard it, tender in a way that noted his affection. "Her name is Cortana."

Gwennie batted away her extended hand, drawing her into a warm embrace instead. "Sweetheart, let's not waste time with niceties. Any friend of Riaz is a friend of mine."

"Lovely to meet you," Cortana answered with a pleased smile.

"Come on, let me get you a cone." Walking gingerly, Gwennie nodded to the counter. "Whatcha want, wolf?"

Startling, Cortana froze on her feet and shot a look at the alpha male. Riaz, however, took no notice, beckoning her forward with a lilt of his head.

"I'll take the old standby, sweetest."

"And you, young one?"

It took a moment for Cortana to realize Gwennie was speaking to her. "Oh, um … I just wanted to pick some to go. For the kids back at the …"

She still didn't know how much Gwennie was aware of, and she masked the hesitation by peering through the frosted glass, biting her lip as she surveyed the myriad of options.

Gwennie laughed behind the counter. "Oh, I know that part of Riaz's order by heart. Five Woofmallow Pupcups, extra sprinkles. What about you? Not a sweets fan?"

"She's more of a meat-eater," Riaz added without missing a beat. "The bloodier the better."

"After your own heart, no doubt," Gwennie countered, brown eyes narrowing on his with clear affection.

"My heart?" A laugh. "Cortana would love to sink her fangs into it, I'm certain."

As she glanced back and forth between them in shock, she gathered that the casual way they interacted with each other signified a lengthy relationship. But that would be ridiculous: a human couldn't know of the immortal world. It was taboo, a near impossibility. For Gwennie to know of the werewolves meant she must've been born to an immortal couple and elected to remain human.

Gwennie handed over a double-stacked cone to the wolf waiting across the counter. "Your regular: one scoop Superman and one scoop Hot Fudge Sundae."

As Riaz thanked the shopkeeper, Cortana titled her head to the side and studied the cone. "That's an odd combination."

After a liberal lick to the top scoop that had Cortana's hormones misfiring, Riaz clarified, "Wasn't my idea originally, Pet."

"And whose was it?"

Cackling, Gwennie grabbed another cone. "Mine! Because he's Super-Hot!"

Shaking her head at the dynamic, Cortana stood mutely as Gwennie scooped out another cone for her. This time, she dug into a container with a moon label before offering it across the counter.

"This one is my specialty. I call it the Midnight Howl: mocha ice cream with maple bacon bits. You strike me as one who might enjoy a bit of a walk on the wild side."

With a suggestive wink, Gwennie left them to themselves, disappearing to the back room. Riaz nudged her toward a table, then gallantly pulled a chair out for her. Eyeing him suspiciously, she seated herself on the white metal and took a good look at the mocha ice cream.

Everything in her revolted at the idea of taking a bite. Though she'd been the one to suggest their outing, now she was having second thoughts about her ability to bluff through the act. Her face, clearly, betrayed her dislike.

"You don't have to eat it, Cort," Riaz said sympathetically in between licks of his own, the ice cream rapidly disappearing.

"I'm just … we can eat food, but it's like eating dirt. We hate it, and there's absolutely no nutritional value."

"Luckily for you, I can always handle eating. You might call me a master of the art."

Without any warning, he leaned across the small round table and took a hefty bite of hers. Exclaiming a gasp at the audacity of him, Cortana yanked her cone away from his grinning face.

"How dare you!"

"What?" He smacked his lips together, clearly enjoying the flavor before returning to his own cone. "It's not like you were gonna eat it anyway."

"No?"

Pouting her lips in a seductive smirk, Cortana caught his eye. Slowly, she delicately skimmed her tongue over the chilled treat, holding the intensity of his unblinking eye contact. His eyes hooded, mouth parting as he watched her every lick. Delighted by his attention, she moaned slightly as though it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

"Oh, you gotta stop that, Pet," he purred, his voice deep and gravely, "or my wolf is gonna demand a taste."

"You already had a taste!"

She snorted, licking her lips but not terribly upset about the savory coffee flavor. For being her first taste of a non-liquid in the last decade, she was surprised she didn't gag.

"You misunderstand me." His voice dropped. "I wasn't talking about the ice cream, little vampire."

Desire hit her like a kick to the gut, a stone dropping in her stomach as goosebumps pebbled across her skin. All pretense had dropped from his eyes, unveiling the strength of his need for her. Inhaling as if it'd cool the building heat within, she had enough semblance of mind to continue goading him.

"And that'd be a bad thing?"

Perfectly full lips parted in surprise, he leaned forward. Not once did he break the ensnarement of her gaze, the wolf appearing behind his eyes as they shifted from russet brown to that exquisite orange blaze. She was so caught up in the moment that she failed to notice the woman rejoining them.

"Riaz!"

Gwennie's voice jolted them from their reverie. Shaking himself, the alpha blinked, retreating from where he'd leaned forward as if to capture her lips once more.

Almost reluctantly, Riaz asked, "Yes, sweet?"

"Can you grab those big boxes from the top shelf and pile them near the freezer in the back? They're too heavy for me."

Riaz glanced over his shoulder, breaking their connection. "Of course, Gwennie."

With one solid bite, he downed the rest of his cone. Then, he leaned over to Cortana's and bit the entire scoop off, leaving her with a decapitated cone. One more bite and he nipped directly at her fingers, followed by a sensual lick. Speechless, she watched as he spun and sauntered toward the back, his hand gently brushing Gwennie's cheek as the human beamed at him.

The huntress beneath Cortana's skin watched as he went, enjoying the view before Riaz disappeared behind a corner. Grudgingly, she tore her eyes away from where he'd vanished, refocusing on the human who'd taken to staring at her.

"What are your intentions toward my alpha, vampire?"

Startling at Gwennie's blunt question, Cortana asked, "How is he your alpha if you're human?"

A smile filled the laugh lines on Gwennie's face, her eyes clouding as if remembering ages past. The old woman, however, wouldn't be dissuaded. "I do believe I asked first."

"I'm an ambassador of sorts," she answered. "I'm here to assist the den with a mission of upmost importance."

"The Citizens?"

Once more caught off guard, Cortana merely nodded. Slowly, the human ambled to the table, sitting across from her. Once she'd gingerly reclined against the back, Gwennie shot a glance over her shoulder to confirm they were still alone.

The shopkeeper searched her eyes, lips thinning. "Riaz likes you, you know."

A chuckle escaped before she could stifle it. "Is that true?"

"You know it is, Cortana." The brevity behind Gwennie's voice effectively killed Cortana's humor. "That man has never been good at concealing his true feelings, and it's even more apparent with you."

"Well, I'm not sure about that."

Uncomfortable with the serious tone the conversation had taken, Cortana squirmed in her chair, setting down the remainder of the cone to sit upright on the table, forgotten.

"Friends, lovers, packmates." Gwennie shrugged. "Riaz tries too hard to be everyone's friend and support system, because he fears the predator within him should he lose balance. That man is more scared of his own darkness than any wolf I've ever met, despite all his work to keep everyone in the pack in harmony. He believes that anyone who sees the unleashed truth of what's inside him will push him away—just like his family did."

"His family?"

"Riaz doesn't take rejection well." Gwennie didn't answer her question, waving it off with a sun-spotted hand. "And because he never wants to experience it again, he's always the one who ends things first in his romantic relationships—before he can get hurt."

"Is Renata one of those romantic relationships?"

Gwennie made a sound of disgust. "That conniving she-wolf has never been good enough for Riaz, and she knows it. I'm happy you've made your entrance into his life, Cortana. Kick that grubby-pawed little wannabe to the side."

"I'm not sure what you mean, Gwennie." She shifted in her seat, folding her arms over her chest. "Renata claims Riaz is hers."

"It doesn't matter. Riaz is her alpha; Renata is an omega. You, on the other hand, match him in a way that transcends dominance levels. A woman he could be proud to—"

"Gwennie!" Riaz called from the back. "Where do you want the last crate? Your pantry is full."

"It's for you," she laughed. "You think I'd order the gourmet peanut butter and not get a case for you?"

Satisfied laughter preceded Riaz's re-entry into the room. "You're too good to me, sweet. I'll send Arno to grab it tomorrow." With a kiss to the old woman's cheek, Riaz turned his attention to Cortana. "Ready to go, or did you want to finish your cone?"