Chapter 3

3

L averna sat in the passenger seat, one booted foot up on the chair in a sullen pose. She had fully intended to tell Romulus she didn't want him anywhere near her search for the murderer, and yet somehow, she had ended up agreeing to go investigating with him. Did she actually crave the abuse? She had to wonder.

At least she wasn't hungry anymore, although she was still annoyed at how the waitress was all over him. Everyone was always all over him, no matter where he went.

Laverna side-eyed him. His features trod a fine line between handsome and a brute, and that made him interesting. Dark curling hair, amber eyes, just the right amount of stubble, and an aura of authority that made you want to obey him.

It was hard to resist being pulled into the undertow of his natural power. It made men want to follow him and women want him to protect and look after them. It made Laverna want to bang her head against something.

"Why are we in this car? What happened to the other one?" she asked, her other knee beginning to bounce restlessly.

A muscle feathered in Romulus's jaw, his amber eyes glowing slightly brighter. "It needs cleaning and repairs."

"I didn't leave a scratch on it! If there was any damage, it came after I had parked it," she said. He caught her staring at him, and a small smile turned the corner of his mouth.

"Try not to steal this one today. We don't have time for fun and games," he replied, pulling out in the constant Roman traffic. "Do you want to tell me where we are going?"

Laverna went through the glove compartment and found a pair of his fancy sunglasses. She slipped them on. "Head toward the Casal de' Pazzi. It will be the best place to park."

Romulus didn't mention her stealing his sunglasses. He reached into his side door and pulled out another pair. Because, of course, he had more than one.

Bored, Laverna turned on the radio. She grimaced at his classical music station and pressed buttons to try and find something else.

"Must you touch things?" he asked with a pained expression.

"You already know the answer to that. Do you have any snacks in here?" She had another rummage through the glove compartment.

"You can't possibly be hungry. You just had breakfast," he said.

"I have a fast metabolism. Maybe go through a drive-through."

"We aren't stopping. Here," he opened the center console and brought out a bag of trail mix.

Laverna pulled a face. "Health food."

"It's all you are getting. Or I can throw it out the window. Your choice," Romulus threatened.

Laverna snatched the bag. "Fine. But I'm only going to eat the good bits."

Romulus laughed like he couldn't stop himself, making her pause in her chewing. She couldn't remember the last time she had heard him laugh. It made his eyes crinkle and her ears buzz.

Being enclosed in a car with him and his suffocating alpha energy was a bad idea. It was like sitting next to a sun with warmth radiating off him.

"So what were your people doing all the way out here? Seeing the castle?" Romulus asked, shifting gears to overtake a line of cars.

"Having a party by a stream at night. Nothing malicious. Certainly, nothing to deserve being attacked. They were harmless," Laverna said, the dried fruit and chocolate chunks she had consumed sticking in her teeth. "A few others had agreed to meet up with them, and when they arrived, the place was a blood bath."

Romulus growled in the back of his throat, and the hair on her arms stood up.

"It doesn't make sense. Even if I had a rogue wolf, they don't shift until the full moon. Not even partially."

"But you can," she blurted out before she could check herself. "You did the other night. At the bathhouse. You were…wolfy. I've never seen you like that. If you can do that, why can't they?"

Romulus didn't look away from the road. "My wolf is different. It can surface at times of great stress."

"But it was only me that night."

"You're enough to provoke it," he said, and she knew he was holding something back. "You also put a knife to my dick, and if that's not a stressful situation, I don't know what is."

"Aw, don't worry, I wouldn't have taken too much," Laverna teased, reaching over to give his tie a tug. "Just the tip to keep as a trophy."

"Stop it. You're going to frighten it again." Romulus laughed and batted her hand away. "Why must you provoke me?"

"Because it's fun. I've been trying to get you to lighten up since the day we met," Laverna replied. She had never seen this playful side of him. It was disturbing, but she didn't want to go back to them being at each other's throats either.

Her mind flashed to the feeling of his mouth on her neck, and her thighs pressed together. Fuck . Maybe it would be better if they were arguing. It would be smarter than trying to deal with the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach.

Romulus breathed in, and his eyes glowed behind his glasses. His smile widened a little. "If anyone could succeed, it would be you, goddess," he admitted.

"I'll take that as a compliment. You might even be able to convince me to help you pull the stick out of your ass if you ask nicely," she said and ate another handful of trail mix.

"You're welcome to search for it anytime you like," Romulus replied. Cashew nuts sucked into her windpipe, and Laverna coughed and choked while Romulus only laughed louder.

"Fates, I hate you," she croaked. She smacked him in the arm. "There! Don't miss the exit."

Romulus handed her a clean silk handkerchief. She wiped her eyes, blew her nose on it, and stuffed it back into his breast pocket.

"Thanks," she said with a naughty grin. "I hope you have some spare shoes besides the fancy ones you are wearing because things are about to get dirty."