Page 5 of Wulf's Pack
I shudder. “No thanks. Besides, who needs a TV show when you have a damn cupid for a clan brother?”
Rook bursts into laughter. “Charlie’s meddling, is he?”
I glare at my brother. “Don’t tell me you’re not in on it with him.”
He hands a cocktail over to a waiting patron, then lifts his hands in surrender. “I know better than that. But seriously, he’s not the reason for all the recent appearances of single women, is he?”
As much as I wish I could pin my problem on the love-obsessed faerie, I don’t think it’s him. “Honestly, I think it’s just our clan’s notoriety. With Nora being co-head of the FUA for the whole country, and all of our extremely powerful clan brothers, we’re notorious. Not only am I a powerful alpha with no mate or current pack association, but I have even more powerful connections. They’re coming out of the woodworks.”
A few months ago, there was an incident involving a dragon and a hellhound that tore up Detroit. There was no hiding it or explaining it away, and the underworld was outed to the human population. The fallout has been crazy. Predictably, we have some support and even some groupies, but we also have a lot of enemies. Obviously, most humans aren’t crazy about the existence of things like werewolves and vampires.
The only female member of my clan, the world’s only known siren, has a penchant for finding trouble. She was front and center in the Detroit Underworld Shit Show. She and her friend, a slightly crazy fox shifter, became the face of the underworld as a whole. Most underworlders so far have chosen to remain anonymous, but my clan decided to come forward in support of Nora when she couldn’t hide. It’s made us the most famous underworlders in the world, and consequently, I’m now the most eligible wolf shifter pretty much anywhere.
I pour a round of shots for a group of nymphs. One of them blows me a kiss. I send her a wink, then grab a rag to mop up a few drops of spilled liquor. “I’m so tired of it,” I say. “I don’t regret joining the clan, but I wish we could go back to obscurity, you know?”
Rook sighs. “It’ll die down eventually.”
“Or you could find a mate,” says a cheery voice. “The she-wolves will stop sniffing around if you’re taken.”
Speak of the devil. My personal cupid—Charming Charlie, as Nora calls him—slips onto a seat in front of me, flashing me a grin that has earned him all sorts of modeling offers and even a television offer for a matchmaking reality TV show. He turns them all down, having no interest in his fame. He has no time for it either. He’s too busy running the most popular dating service in the country. Humans may shy away from blood-drinking vampires and the big, bad wolf, but a harmless cupid with a 100 percent success rate at helping people find the love they’re all so desperate for?Andhe looks like a young Brad Pitt? Charlie is the obvious human favorite. He’s been a PR miracle for building human/underworld relations. We’re all grateful for him, but he’s still a pain in my ass.
Whatever look is on my face has his falling. “Would it be so bad?” he asks. “Finding love?”
I pour him a shot of his favorite drink—a fae alcohol called Summer Breeze—and pass it over with a frown. “It’s not only up to me. When it comes to mates, my wolf is in charge, and the old man is even more stubborn than I am.”
“And I’m sure your aversion to commitment has no influence on him at all.”
I roll my eyes at his sarcasm. “You can feel the spark between two people. Have you ever felt even a hint of a connection between me and any female wolf?”
He frowns at this. “Itiscurious. Most wolves have chemistry with a large number of other wolves. It’s why you all love dating so much and easily find mates. But you’re right about your wolf. I’ve never sensed any interest in a female from him. I wonder why.”
I shrug. “Maybe he’s just smart.”
“Or maybe he’s just saving himself for the right one,” Rook says. “You know, like the old stories.”
Charlie perks up at this. “True mates? I thought those were just myths?”
“They are.” I glare at Rook. “Don’t give the man any more ideas. His head is filled with enough romantic notions as it is.” I turn back to Charlie. “There are no such things as true mates. My wolf can’t feel the other half of his soul out there. He’s not waiting for the one and only wolf who could complete me. He’s just picky.”
Rook laughs. Charlie grins and rubs his hands together. “Challenge accepted.”
I pour him another shot and give him a flat look. “If you need a challenge, go find Gorgeous a mate. That man has been a bachelor centuries longer than I have.”
Nick Gorgeous, lead field agent for the FUA (Federal Underworld Agency), is our city’s resident dragon shifter. My philandering ways are child’s play compared to his dating history.
Charlie snorts. “There are some that are beyond even my skills.”
A soft voice interrupts our conversation. “Excuse me.”
The three of us look toward the intrusion, and my heart thumps in my chest. It’s her. My beautiful mystery woman, and she’s even more stunning up close. I was right about her eyes; they’re crystal blue and completely captivating.
I take a deep breath of the most heavenly scent, sweet like honeysuckle—fruity and warm with hints of honey and citrus and something else. Something shocking. Wolf. How can this waif of a woman be a wolf? I can’t feel her inner beast, and she doesn’t seem to have any dominance. It’s almost as if she has no wolf. But how can a shifter not have an animal spirit?
Now that she’s right in front of me, I can also see why she was moving so stiffly before. She’s covered in fading bruises, and her face is still a little swollen. She’s also hunched over as if her ribs hurt, and she’s cradling her arm. She’s clearly been through something awful and needs medical attention. “Rook, call Enzo.”
Enzo is my clan’s healer.
Both Rook and Charlie gape at the growl in my voice. It’s admittedly a little over the top, but I can’t help it. I need this woman taken care of. Now. My wolf is demanding it. He can’t stand to see her in pain.
