Page 13 of Laverna

"It's Sidonius. He's not answering his phone, and I'm still out at the reserve. It's not like the old guard not to answer any of my calls, and I'm worried," Claudius replied.

Rom frowned. "Leave it with me. I'll go around and check on him," he said.

"I'm on my way back, so I will meet you there. Take the goddess as a backup. I have a bad feeling, and she will keep your better half calm," Claudius replied, hanging up before Rom could object.

Four wolves had been Rom's original guards from when he was king—Claudius, Sidonius, Lucius, and Eolus. They still ran most things for him, including his group of mercenaries. They affectionately were called The Praetorians or the Old Guard amongst his people.

They were his brothers and his pack, and if Sidonius wasn't answering calls, it was worth looking into immediately. Rom was too tense about the witches and their fondness for capturing supernatural creatures for their organs and magic.

Rom went to his weapons room and slid on a shoulder holster that carried a gladius down his back and two daggers. He put on a leather jacket over the top to hide them and headed for the garage. His Ferrari was still a mess, and now the whole garage carried Laverna's scent.

With a curse, he pulled out his phone and called Laverna. Surprisingly, she answered the first ring.

"Romulus."

"Goddess. I was wondering if you are up for an excursion this afternoon," he said, finding the keys to his Porsche. There was something wrong with his other Ferrari since he took it to the reserve. It kept sporadically playing Mambo No.5 whether anyone was in the car or not. He had a feeling he knew exactly who to blame for it too.

"I'm busy. Why? What's wrong?"

"Sidonius isn't answering his phone, and I'm worried," he admitted. Being honest with her seemed to be working lately.

"Sid is missing? For how long?" she demanded.

"I'm not sure if he is missing. He's just not answering his phone. Since when have you called him Sid?" Rom replied, a growl in his voice that he couldn't hide.

"Since forever. Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I don't like all your lackeys. Pick me up from the Catacombe di Commodilla entrance," Laverna said and hung up on him.

Rom slid into the driver's seat, and the frustrating, anxious feeling that had been eating away at him all morning calmed down. He rested his head against the steering wheel and cursed under his breath. She's only one woman. She has no right to be affecting you like this.

Not woman. Mate. Stop fighting it.

"Never," Rom replied through clenched teeth. "She is worth more than us. She is a goddess and will never have us. Accept it." Whatever the wolf said in reply was drowned out by the engine's roar.

Laverna was slouching against a car, talking with Roberto, when Rom pulled in to pick her up. As usual, she looked like she had rolled into the first available clothes she had on hand and still somehow looked amazing. Rom eyed the black blazer, obviously a men's blazer, that she had rolled up the sleeves on.

He had hoped she was joking about getting into an orgy of priests earlier in the day, but he had learned never to assume anything about her.

Laverna nodded at whatever Roberto was saying before she walked out into the street and opened the passenger side door. Her perfume rushed over him, and there was no scent of sex or anyone else on her. She had been stirring him up, after all. He hated that her baiting worked every damn time. His snarling inner beast finally shut the fuck up. He tried not to sigh in relief.

"You bored with driving Ferraris or something?" Laverna asked, fiddling with the air conditioning.

Rom managed a grin. "It's strange, but every time you get near one of my cars, something mysteriously goes wrong with it."

"Hmm, maybe you should let me drive occasionally then," she replied and started to rummage through his glove box.

"Here," he said and passed her a protein bar from the stash in his driver's side door.

"Healthy food," she grimaced like she always did.

Rom waved it at her. "It's chocolate flavored."

"Okay, but it better be good," she grumbled and took it.

"I swear your appetite is as bad as a wolf's," he said and poked her bicep. "How can you eat so much and still be so hungry? Don't they feed their goddess in the catacombs?"

"I have an active lifestyle," Laverna said with a shrug. "Being this awesome burns a lot of energy. What's going on with Sid?"

"I don't know. Hopefully, he's just had a big night out and is sleeping it off. He's not answering his phone," Rom replied, guiding the Porshe through the afternoon press of cars.

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