When Mila woke up the next morning it was in Erik's arms.
She looked at him and smiled. It was a first. Despite all her problems, she felt hopeful and jolly. It had been an unexpectedly beautiful ending to an awful day. The sun rays were illuminating artistically his face and chest. He was beautiful, all of him, and he had been so kind.
Mila's hand went over his skin tracing the alpha marking. Then she planted a light kiss on his cheek.
His eyes opened slowly, reflecting the aggressive rays that gave them a beautiful glimmer. Mila's hand continued caressing his body, following the lines of his abs. She smiled, giddy at the thought of what might follow.
"Don't," he said curtly. His eyes shone with magic and he grabbed her wrist.
"Why?" asked Mila bluntly, her rare-found confidence being replaced with the familiar shyness.
"I cannot sleep with you like this." His tone felt like a slap in the face.
"Like how? You could just fine last night. Or what was it last night?" asked Mila mortified and lowered her other hand to dangerous territory.
"Stop it, Mila! Last night was... I don't know," said Erik standing up from the bed irritated and ... hard.
His words had a surprisingly hurtful effect. She was angry with herself for having been happy, hopeful, and... apparently fucking naive and delusional.
"It looked very intentional to me and it does not look like you don't want to, it looks like you are being a coward," said Mila entering the bathroom, slamming the door, and ending their discussion.
What had just happened? She felt hurt, humiliated, stupid, and besides that incredibly sore.
The place Erik picked was fancy, minimal, and remote; that seemed to be his style. The shower Mila needed bitterly was a nice experience with those massage water outlets; she just didn't imagine she would be enjoying it alone.
Once again she was angry with herself for having been so stupid. Dasha had been saying that if a guy sleeps with you it does not mean anything most of the time. If someone was aware of how the world and men work that was Dasha. She wondered where she was and what she was doing, hoping that Kiril didn't hurt her.
Exiting the shower, Mila contemplated wearing a dress again, a teasing dress with low cleavage, but she changed her mind and settled for jeans and a sweater. It was just not like her to do that and one rejection was enough for the time being.
The sweater was nice. It felt so soft and the jeans were the first ones not bought second-hand and ill-fitting. Angel was an angel of sorts, after all, and the only one of the bunch capable to do some shopping. She had to thank him the next time she saw him, also for the nice panties Erik tore apart the night before.
Where Erik was and what he was doing she didn't know but she was starving so she marched nonchalantly downstair.
The bodyguards were gone, but the house was not empty judging by the muffled sound of voices.
Who else is here? Michael? Angel?
Mila opened a door to what looked like a meeting room to find Erik seating at a table with a few men and one woman. Charlotte.
"Cara mia, who are you? I am Lorenzo," said a handsome man, looking and sounding Mediterranean that jumped right up from his chair when she entered.
Erik growled at him in response.
"Scusa... Ma... come é possible?/ Sorry... but how is it possible?" he said looking at Mila perplexed.
"Charlotte, take Mila out for breakfast," said Erik. His tone was reeking of authority.
Ok, so this is Alpha Erik. I am not sure if I like him.
The perspective of alone time with Charlotte wasn't something she looked forward to either and judging by the look on her face, neither did Charlotte.
"Come, tag along, Red Riding Hood," said Charlotte. The french inflexion in her voice made the sarsasm more obvious.
The situation was ambiguous. She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay and scream at Erik, but it seemed he had stuff to do and didn't feel like interacting with her in any way. Mila didn't want him to see her as a nuisance on top of everything else.
Yeah, Mila, tag along with sexy, french she-wolf; let's see how it goes. As if Erik didn't shatter your self-esteem enough today.
Charlotte opened the passenger door of her car gesturing for her to get inside with a rude smirk and a head movement.
"Mademoiselle..."
"Thanks," said Mila reluctantly.
This is going to be fun-fun.
Charlotte and the five other wolves that were following them from the distance stopped in front of a luxury hotel in the center of Belgrad.
If Charlotte had something, that was an exquisite taste. That was what she exhaled from the way she looked, dressed in those tight leather pants and silk blouse, and her sleek black bob, to the way she spoke with that annoyingly sexy French accent.
"What would you like to order, ladies?" asked the waiter eyeing Charlotte and totally ignoring Mila.
"Espresso and a tulumbe. Merci. And you?" asked Charlotte, looking at her without any trace of a smile.
"Hmm eggs and cheese and waffles, and a coffee with a lot of milk and sugar," said a very hungry Mila that didn't eat for many, many hours.
"You seem... hungry..."
"Yeah, very," said Mila ignoring the sarcasm.
After several minutes of eating surrounded by very awkward silence, Mila felt compelled to say something.
"Listen, I need a proper phone. Can that be arranged?"
"I don't know. I suppose... Doesn't Erik always give you what you want regardless if it is good for him or for anyone else?"
She couldn't ignore the bitterness in her voice.
"Why are you here? You and all the other guys."
"We have a little war going on, one that you helped come to life. You wouldn't be the first who does that though, he has a thing for trouble-maker. But a human..."
"What? A human what? If you have something to say grow a pair and just say it. Do you want to tell me how much better you are, or how much better his ex was? You are right. Are we done? You can screw him for all I care, but shut up and let me eat," snapped Mila, surprising even herself. Apparently, Charlotte just happened to suffer the release of her frustration.
Charlotte started laughing. It was a burst of somehow sincere laughter.
"You are brave, I give you that. You know I could break your spine like a toothpick and you still talk like that. You did gain a bit of my respect."
"No, he needs me to get that thing from Kiril, so you couldn't."
"But he is not here. Ups, I might have damaged the human toy." Her red-painted lips with the accentuated cupids bow stretched into a theatrical smile. She was so pretty. Mila felt a sudden, deep pang of jealousy.
"No, but they are," said Mila looking at the five escorts that were shadowing them from outside. "Which means he does not quite trust you... with me."
"Another point, Red Riding Hood." Charlotte exhaled deeply. "Listen, Milena. It's nothing personal, I just waited for so many years to finally have a shot, I will not let you ruin it for me. Oui? Before he only got eyes for Katharina; the beautiful, brave, batshit crazy Katharina that almost cost him his life. Erik deserves something good and so do I," said Charlotte looking her in the eyes and letting them shimmer slightly to show that she meant what she was saying.
"Yeah, fine for me. Bacon?" asked Mila, answering with the same sarcasm she was served earlier.
"Don't fuck with me."
"No. I can't wait to get rid of all of you, Charlotte. No exceptions. Can you do me a favor and whisper into Erik's post-coital ear that I would really appreciate some cash? Thanks."
I didn't sound like the emotional wreck that I am, I hope. Mila thought to herself while chewing halfway content at her waffle.
"Gladly. Are we done here?"
"No. I still have some waffles left. Are we in a hurry?"
"More or less. We are waiting for Angel."
"Angel is coming, yey. Finally somebody sane."
When they arrived back, it seemed everyone was waiting for them. Several unfamiliar faces were added to the mix. Erik was silent and concerned.
"The fuck! What is this, man?" asked a man with brown skin and arms covered in tribal tattoos.
Even if muscular and quite handsome, he had a nerdy, funny air surrounding him. His clothes were leger and colorful and he didn't display the usual grimm temper of the alphas she met before. A not-very-tall brunette girl with the same complexion emerged from a car and grabbed his arm. She was small-limbed but muscular and several tattoos were adorning also her skin.
"Are you thinking what I am thinking, Cohen?"
"Kiera, calm down. She carries Erik's mark, so better don't get too close to her."
"Ah, could I not have guessed? Erik always gets the interesting partners. She didn't claim her though. Interesting. Does that mean we can borrow her for some fun, Erik? You can join too if you want," said Kiera, winking.
"I politely decline," answered Erik looking at her. His mimic oscillated between anger and amusement.
Amusement? They seemed to be friends but it wasn't for sure a very straightforward friendship.
"But wow, she reeks of pheromones of all types. You get to do a goddess and now you get a chick that smells like dope. I am so envious, man."
"I can only agree with her," added Cohen, laughing.
"Don't frown like that; it damages your pretty face. That's our way to deal with stress, we are contemplating the end of the world here ..." said Kiera and shrugged, keeping the grin.
Mila watched them wonderous, trying to understand what was going on.
"Finally you dress decently. What fabulous taste. Who did your shopping?" whispered a familiar from behind her.
"Angel!" squicked Mila genuinely happy.
"I am back, cariño. What have you been up to? You look... bruised."
"And bitten and f... ah well. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"And now you are stuck with us again." Mila leaned against him, so they could whisper undisturbed.
"Yeah. I am happy to see you, Angel. What's the plan now?"
"Didn't Erik tell you? Kiril got Cohen's relic too. That's why he and his mate are here."
Mila's mouth gapped open. How was Kiril doing that? Mila knew at least part of the answer. With tremendous malice, considerable intelligence, and willingness to sacrifice only a madman had.
"Oh. What does he want with them? He cannot touch them anyway."
"I don't know. That's why I went to get my father-in-law. He is the oldest wolf around and seems to have some insight."
"Father-in-law, huh? Michael's dad is here?" asked Mila, frowning a bit.
"Yeah. He is... intense."
"How's Michael?"
"Wounded, cranky, almost here. Mila, don't run away again, ok? It almost got my man killed. I don't want to resent you for that for the rest of my life."
"I am sorry. I actually am. At the end of the day I don't want any of you getting hurt," said Mila realizing she actually didn't. She got strangely attached to the beasts that kidnapped her. "Besides, at the moment I don't have anywhere to go so you are stuck with me."
"We are in Serbia; how about your parents?"
"Yeah, I don't think that's an option anymore. Wasn't a particularly good one to begin with."
"Do you want to elaborate?"
"Nope."
"Fine with me. Let's have a drink before seeing intense father-in-law."
Ange lead her away from the other wolves to the kitchen of the house where he opened a beer for each of them.
"Oh, it is you. I knew from the first sniff there is something about you."
Mila turned her head frightened.
"Mr. Wittfeld?! How did you get here?" She didn't expect to encounter anybody familiar there, but if she had to pick one, Wilhelm Wittfeld wasn't even on the list of possibilities.
"With my son's lover, to be precise."
Mila looked stunned at the old man, and at Angel.
"You... you are a wolf? And Michael's father?" Mila felt her jaw dropping. Of course. It made sense now. All the strange things he said that day made sense now.
"And Erik's uncle and so on. I met your friend Daria some weeks ago. She was smelling of wolf and I knew trouble might come."
"How is Dasha? Is she ok?" Is she alive?
"I do not know. I left two weeks ago and didn't see her lately."
Erik entered the kitchen and slammed the door shut.
"What does he want?" he barked at everybody in the room. His irises were shining and he seemed in a generally sour mood.
Wilhelm sat down on a chair and extended his limbs. He could move just fine, even blind, and was not as helpless as he seemed at the center.
"I suppose to become Lycan King," said the old man in a calm and composed voice.
Mila looked at Erik. He was wearing a shirt, looking slightly more formal than usual. The way that shirt was tight in all the right places distracted her for some minutes until she felt Angel elbowing her.
"Mila, you are staring. I understand why and can relate but stop it," he whispered.
"What? No way. What's that king thing?" whispered Mila back.
"Well, alpha of all alphas that can join the Moon Goddess in her palace on occasion. Also, the Lycan King is the closest thing she has to a consort or paramour. But there has not been but one... ever. That was before our lifetimes; maybe it's only a legend."
"Aha, so he does all this to rule the wolf world and shag a goddess? Ok... he aims high. But now seriously, he cannot actually think he is going to? Can he? I mean, shag a goddess?" she continued whispering.
"Uhm. This one most certainly. He was really pissed when she chose Erik to mate with her last time." Mila wasn't sure she heard correctly.
"What? Nah that cannot be."
"I saw it, sweety. We all did. It was... quite a thing. She seemed to have been enjoying herself a lot."
"Good for them," said Mila, but her voice was not as nonchalant as she wanted it to sound. It sounded as she felt. Sad.
Last night had been a mistake. She must have seemed so pitiful when she literally begged him to sleep with her, the guy that apparently banged a goddess. She was pathetic again, so so pathetic.
"Just tell me the conclusion," said Mila exiting the room.