Touch

Chapter 13| Cat & Mouse

"I'm sorry, were we going somewhere?"

"Yes, to my place.

"Oh?" she questioned as her left eyebrow rose in challenge, "And did it not cross your mind that I may be busy?" she said as she crossed her arms over each other.

I really didn't have time for this, between Cirini and the intel waiting back for me at Shadowfang, I could already feel the migraine forming.

I pinched the bridge of my nose hoping it would relieve some of the tension as I asked, "Will you be busy, Amina?"

"That's not the point, Malachai. You're not asking, you're demanding, and while I may like certain things in bed, it doesn't mean they translate outside of it. I'm my own person."

Bold.

Her confidence stirred the fire in me again, I wasn't used to this, no one ever spoke to me this way, I was an alpha, the alpha. Most of the time, women threw themselves at me and men cowered before me.

Not Amina.

It was hot, and like a moth to a goddamn flame, I found that I was far too attracted to her confidence. A woman who knew herself through and through, Goddess.

I bit my tongue to focus my thoughts, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"You're right, I apologize."

"Apology accepted."

"So, will you stay with me for a few days?"

I could tell that she was at war with herself, she wanted to come, but she didn't want to budge now, how weak would she appear? She had to stand on her principles.

She was an open book, and I couldn't determine whether or not it was the bond's doing, but if it wasn't, we'd have to work on that. No luna of mine-

"Already making plans for the future?" Maverick said with a chuckle. I didn't respond, mainly because he was right, I was getting ahead of myself, and I needed to know everything before I could accept her.

"The pack comes first, Mav, you know this," I responded, and he scoffed in reply.

While I understood her reservations, her safety was more important. Cirini isn't one to underestimate, he's cold, manipulative, and calculative.

There was no doubt in my mind that he knew where she lived. He knew where I was, did he seriously think that I would leave her?

If I left her, she'd be without protection seeing as all my men, barring Jeffrey, are already back with the pack. To have a handful of them leave would only weaken Shadowfang.

Who knows how many reinforcements Cirini brought with him, both visible and not. The challenge is simply a decoy; he knows I'll respond, and he's betting that I'd be foolish enough to leave Amina behind.

He'd have his men apprehend her, perhaps even before I make it to Shadowfang by which point, he'd be gone.

Shadowfang and the non-morti reali always avoided war, as it ensured mutual destruction. So while we bumped heads, his coven and my pack always tread a fine line.

Enough to piss each other off, ruffle some feathers, but nothing that resulted in outright war.

Though make no mistake, for Amina, heads would roll if any harm befell her. If a war was what Cirini wanted, I'd give him one the likes of which his decrepit ass had never seen.

Michael Cirini would meet his end with me.

Alpha.

Yes, Jeff.