Tasting The Enemy

Elaine POV

“Don’t you have to go to work?” I mumbled.

Azaire tightened his arms around my frame. His chin rested on my head.

“Richie’s going to fire you,” I whispered.

Azaire grumbled. “He can’t I’m his older brother.”

I giggled and attempted to wiggle out of his arms but damn he was strong.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

“You can’t keep me here forever.”

“Who says?” Azaire’s husky laugh made butterflies flutter in my stomach.

Azaire brought me to his apartment last night. I feared being there again. What if Neel came running or Avena? My secret affair with Azaire was out now. If I was lucky my Dad would disown me and let me live in peace with my mate.

I could even go back to school and finish. Then I could think about medical school.

“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

“My life. Things have changed a lot.”

“Finding a mate wasn’t in your plans?”

“No, neither was an arranged marriage. I was going to be a doctor. I was going to leave the pack. Dad had other plans. If I married Neel he’d want a child in the first year and then I’d have to raise the children. My dream wouldn’t have survived anyway.”

“Hey, I don’t want kids anytime soon. My Mom might. I want you to follow your dreams, though.”

I stared up at him. He seemed serious.

“So, you’re keeping me?” I teased.

“Of course, I’m keeping you. I need to make sure you’re safe always.”

“My curse is a problem.” I offered him a smile.

“Listen, I have to go to work today, but I want us to make time to see Rae. She’s a good witch. I hope she’ll tell us something.”

Azaire climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom. What was I going to do all day? Opal told me the pack was on high alert since I ran off. Communication with her had been minimal. I had a feeling she was limiting our contact to prevent anyone from finding out where I was.

Azaire walked out later with a towel around his waist.

“Aren’t you getting up?”

“I don’t know what I’m doing today yet.”

“You’re coming to work with me.”

“What?”

***

I stared at Shaw mansion. It felt wrong being on their territory. It felt like someone would jump out of nowhere to grab me and lock me up for being the enemy.

“Relax, no one’s going to bother you,” Azaire said.

The Alpha was okay with me and so was Lucas but what about everyone else? The Shaw family was massive.

“What about your Mom?”

Azaire froze. “Okay, she might bother you when she finds out you came with me.”

“If I knew I was meeting your Mom I would have worn a better dress!”

Azaire smirked. “It’s perfect. I love your legs, have I told you that?”

I rolled my eyes playfully. My petite yellow dress stopped above my knees and the top was covered with a denim jacket.

“You’re not meeting her anyway. I’m not ready for that. You can hang out with Lucas.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. Our last serious interaction was at a party and we got too comfortable. I rubbed my cheeks hoping the pink shade would leave so Azaire wouldn’t see.

“Uh, there he is!” someone yelled as we entered the living room. “Why the hell are you with her?”

Azaire groaned. The living room was packed with faces. A few I didn’t know. We walked in on a meeting, crap. An old man with a cane stared at me intently but he didn’t voice his opinion, unlike the young man who barked at us. Luckily, Mrs Shaw wasn’t in the room.

“Watch your tongue, Oliver,” Richie said and smiled at me. “Great, you brought her. Alpha Laiken’s claiming you attacked his witch and kidnapped his daughter.”

My jaw dropped. “What?”

“Yup, we have twenty-four hours to hand Azaire over for punishment and give back Laiken’s daughter. Doubt it’ll take that long because Nik might storm into our pack guns blazing.”

“Oh fuck,” Azaire groaned.

He turned around and grabbed the living room’s double doors. A woman with brown hair dressed in leather approached the door but Azaire just smiled and proceeded to close the door.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“We’re having a meeting.”

“I’m a beta in this pack too since when do you have meetings without me?”

“This is a family meeting Megan.”

“Ross isn’t a Shaw!” She yelled before the doors closed.

So that’s Azaire’s lover. Dove was interested enough to come out of her dormant state and poke her mate through our mate bond. Azaire raised his brow at me. I lifted a shoulder. I couldn’t help but compare us. She was gorgeous, mature and a badass. She looked like she could take out a couple of wolves on her own with one arm behind her back.

“She’s just jealous of me,” Ross puffed. “What the hell are you going to do then?” Ross asked.

“Can someone explain what’s going on? Why is the enemy in our living room?” Oliver barked.

Azaire tucked me under his arm as if to make it obvious. “First of all, the witch started throwing curses and Elaine left willingly.”

“This is interesting,” the elder man stood.

I saw traces of Azaire in him. “The moon goddess is up to her tricks. Are you sure this is what you want?”

His ageing eyes settled on me.

“Of course it is, Uncle. Rejection isn’t an option.”

“I understand Azaire. You need to understand as well the rivalry between these packs. Laiken wants us off the face of the earth. We’re hurt because of Aiden’s murder. There’s blood between you too. Not to mention your Father’s death.”

“We’re not sure they had anything to do with that,” Azaire said.

“You’re defending the enemy now?” Oliver barked.

“Hey, Mom said, it wasn’t about the Black Claw pack,” Richie cut in.

“Your Mother is a good woman but your Dad kept her out of pack affairs for a long time. There’s a good chance Laiken had him killed. You two will never know peace are you prepared for that?”

“I’ll go to war for her,” Azaire said with assurance.

He wasn’t thinking about the destruction we would cause. If my Dad invaded the Blood Moon pack today, there would be a lot of death. A lump formed in my throat.

“Don’t let him get into your head, mate,” Azaire said.

“You’re putting us all at risk for her?” Oliver blasted.

I stepped back taking in all the faces. They already lost one brother I didn’t want another death in their home.

“You can take care of your damn self, Oliver!” Ross jumped but Lucas was quick to hold him back. “Keep your damn mouth shut,” Ross grumbled.

“He’s right Azaire. I don’t want anyone else to die. There’s always going to be hate. Your pack attacked the omega house. I lived in that house Azaire.”

“I know there’s a lot of hate but the last thing we do is give in to it.”

I smiled. He was right about that.

“So it’s settled. We’re keeping Elaine. Now, a ton of wolf enhancers were found at a local bar. But when Ross went to pick them up they vanished. We have a problem,” Richie sighed heavily.

I cleared my throat. “The motel I worked at had a whole box of enhancers. They were sent to the Evangeline Hotel. It belonged to the late Luna.”

Richie shared a look with his older brother.

“Oh, yeah, spy mission. I have the perfect plan,” Lucas said, rubbing his hands.

Oh, this will be something.