He beamed at me and ruffled my hair. “I can’t wait to see you as a wolf. You’re going to make one hell of an Alpha.”
Aiden deposited me on the bed and captured my lips. He was heat and need and urgency. The chemistry between us went beyond passion; it was an all-consuming inferno. If pain hadn’t been drowning out all of my other senses, I would have taken things further than a little tongue play, but my aching muscles could only handle so much.
I pushed back against his chest. “Baby … later.”
The urgency in his voice teetered on begging. “Promise?”
How could I deny that man? “Yeah. Let me have a hot soak and some aspirin and I’ll be ready and waiting for you.”
“This will be the shortest meeting in the history of the Olde Town.” He pulled back and flashed his devilish grin at me. “Be right back.”
Chapter 5
I’d had enough time to read half a romance novel while I soaked in the tub. The hot water, lavender oil, and chamomile really helped to relax my sore muscles. And, thanks to the pain killers, my headache had all but vanished. I felt like a brand-new woman, all hot and ready to enjoy some time with my man. The only problem was, my man was nowhere to be found. That was a little troubling.
For a guy who’d been dead set on getting back for a little romp in the sack, he was certainly taking his time.
I tossed on a pair of jeans and my favorite red UNLV sweatshirt and decided to go for a little walk through the halls. Best case, I’d run into Aiden doing paperwork in the office. Worst case, maybe I could have another chat with Brady and clear the air. He’d been pretty adamant that I needed to just go through with the transition. As antsy as I was, anything was better than sitting in the room wondering what was going on.
It didn’t take me long to run into someone, but it wasn’t who I’d been hoping to see.
The douchy-looking guy, Micah, with the faux hawk stood chatting with Brady at the reception desk in the main lobby. I couldn’t quite make out what they were talking about, but from the dirty looks both of them gave me, it wasn’t a conversation I was welcome to.
Why was Brady giving me hateful eyes? That bothered me more than the fact he was talking with a guy who I knew was no fan of mine. Brady may not have liked that I wasn’t a wolf, but he generally liked me as a person. I needed to get to the bottom of this.
“Where’s Aiden?” I asked in my most commanding voice as I walked to join the pair.
They ignored me.
I cleared my throat. “I said …”
“We heard you.” Micah stood and sneered. “You can drop the attitude. Your bark doesn’t scare me.”
I was taken aback by his defiance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Micah’s icy blue eyes matched the coldness of his glare. “It means, human, that I don’t like you, I don’t appreciate your attitude, and I don’t think you’re right for this pack.”
“That’s not for you to decide. Brady, back me up on this.”
Brady heaved a sigh. “Micah, you’re treading on thin ice here.” His tone had all the intensity of a sleeping dog and just as much effect. “She is Aiden’s.”
Beyond the negativity directed toward me, the way they talked made me sound like property and not an equal partner in the relationship. But that was an argument to have on a different day.
“You know I’m right, Brady,” Micah replied. “Don’t be afraid to admit it in front of the human. Aiden is whipped by this human. No offense.”
It was becoming abundantly clear how unhappy various members of the pack and the council were with an outside becoming one of their Alphas.
Micah turned his chilly gaze back in my direction. “And, beyond being a human trying to meddle in the affairs of our pack, you’re also part of that vampire clan.”
“Yes, I am friendly with the vampires, and so what if I am? That vampire clan is part of this pack.” He was grasping at straws if he thought his accusation held water. Turning on your allies is never a good idea. “And if you recall, Alyssa—one of those vampires—was the one to rescue Brady when the Acta Sanctorum had him caged like a common dog.”
I looked to Brady for support, but he remained unusually tight-lipped.
“They’ve hurt as much as they’ve helped. And we tolerate them because at times they can be useful. Don’t be so quick to award them any medals of honor. In case you had forgotten, they’re the reason Connor died.”
Brady winced at the mention of his father.
Too soon. Bad idea. Connor’s body had just been laid to rest; now was not the time to dig it back up and drag it into a petty squabble.
“And that vampire Alyssa—do you deny that she is your best friend?” Micah jabbed a finger at me.