Tasting The Enemy

Elaine POV

Ross peeked through the motel window. These guys made sure we weren’t followed and picked out the motel outside both Black Claw pack going into Blood Moon territory. It would be easier for Azaire to get to me. Most businesses were run by Blood Moon wolves or rogues which meant no one from my pack would recognize me and rat me out.

“She should be safe,” Ross said.

Azaire gripped my hand blood almost stopped circulating. I couldn’t believe I did this. My Father and brothers were the only life I’d ever known. Azaire offered me something different but to have that I needed courage.

Azaire stared at me with concern. He was the one who found the motel and insisted on paying my bill.

“Hey, I’ll be fine,” I said rubbing his thigh.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“We’ve been gone long enough bro. Richie’s going to get suspicious.”

“He’s already breathing down my neck,” Azaire said.

Ross walked out first giving me a moment alone with my mate.

“Are you nervous?” Azaire asked.

I bit my bottom lip. “I’ve never been away from my family before. They might be dysfunctional but they’re all I’ve known.”

He picked up my hand and kissed it. “I won’t leave you, Elaine and I’ll be a lot nicer than your Black Claw relatives.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

The passive aggressiveness between us might never end.

“You know your Blood Mood psychos aren’t so clean. They attacked the omega house and injured dozens. I was in that house there was a chance that you wouldn’t have a mate right now.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Why would you be there?”

“I used to live there,” I shrugged.

“You lived in the omegas house? Why?” he asked, dumbfounded.

I raked a hand through my hair. Ugh, I forgot how complicated my life can be. “Because… well, Luna Bianca didn’t want me in the pack house.”

“Elaine, you’re not making any sense.”

I smirked and pressed my lips against his cheek.

“My Dad’s greatest weapon is the fear he puts in people. No one ever questioned who my Mother was when I showed up at six years old. I knew they were my family I just wasn’t allowed in the house.”

“Fuck that’s horrible. I can’t imagine it.”

“Hey, it’s okay. It was a long time ago.”

“You don’t have to be strong for me. What the Alpha and Luna did was despicable. You were innocent.”

I didn’t like to think about it for fear of being consumed by those memories.

“You said you showed up at six where were you before that?” Azaire asked.

I opened my mouth to respond but closed it again. No one ever asked me that.

“I… I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Azaire raised his brow. His phone rang before he could question me. It was Richie. He had to go.

I could tell in his eyes that he didn’t want to leave. He held me in a warm and protective embrace.

“I’ll be fine Azaire as long as Dad doesn’t know where I am I’m good.”

“I can’t believe Laiken would mistreat his own daughter.”

I stood on my toes and kissed him.

“You should go.”

I watched him leave. I listened as his car drove out of the parking lot. This isn’t what I envisioned about leaving home but it was better than nothing. I was lucky Azaire didn’t sense the wolf enhancers in my bag. I managed to sneak back to their hiding spot at the lodge and get them since I wouldn’t be going back to work, no thanks to Dad and Nik.

“He’s going to be pissed when he finds out,” Dove said.

“I hope he understands though,” I told her.

Hours later after unpacking and flipping through the channels on the TV, I went out to buy food. I was starving I could eat a small goat. Thankfully there was a cafe and Chinese restaurant not far from my motel. On my way back to the motel with my noodles and sweet chicken, the hair on my arm stood.

“Danger,” my wolf said.

“What?” I stopped.

“Danger!”

I ducked between two cars in the parking lot.

I scanned the semi-empty parking lot for danger. Aside from the cars zooming through the road, the lot was quiet. I was about to get up when a black SUV drove into the parking lot followed by a black truck. They parked far from the building. My skin crawled this was the danger Dove spoke about.

Two men hopped out of the black truck. They both had jet black hair though one of them braided his beard. They faced the SUV. I inched closer and used my wolf hearing to eavesdrop.

The SUV door burst open and a lean man jumped out.

“Blazer,” I whispered.

I assumed he was on an errand for Dad or Nik but when one of the men opened his jacket and pulled out a white packet my blood nearly froze over. That was the same packet I had hidden in my bedroom.

“Why does Blazer need wolf enhancers?” I hissed.

It’s not for the same reason I do.

“What is this? The agreement was for three,” Blazer snapped.

“Easy kid, things have changed.”

“Fuck that, I paid for three good packets.”

“Relax. One of the shipments was found open and some of the merchandise isn’t accounted for. We have to lay low for a while.”

“Because of one box? You’re not serious,” Blazer said.

“You don’t know our boss. She doesn’t like hiccups.”

She… the person running the wolf enhancers was a woman that’s interesting. Something Azaire would like to know.

“When do I get the rest?” Blazer asked.

“In a week. In Chesterton cemetery, we call you not the other way around.”

That was in Blood Moon territory. Who did these guys work for? They seemed to be operating in both packs. Blazer nodded and got back in his car. My body eased as they drove off. I willed my wolf to reach out to her mate. I felt him reach out and embrace our bond.

I knew he’d be here soon.

***

A knock came at the door. I turned off the TV and climbed off the bed to answer the door. I smelted him before I knew it was him.

“Hey,” he said as he pulled a shirt over his sweaty body.

“Did you run here?” I asked.

He nodded as he stepped inside. He kissed my cheek and scanned the room. It was when he was inside that I smelted the blood.

“Azaire, what happened?”

“Nothing serious, mate.”

“You’re hurt of course it’s serious.”

He fell backwards on the bed and groaned.

“No, Elaine, I’m healing. I’m fine.”

I climbed on the bed and straddled him. He gripped my ass and raised his brow.

“You don’t have to hide things from me.”

I felt like a hypocrite because of the things I was keeping from him. My defective wolf and the wolf enhancers would definitely put him off.

Azaire sighed. “You’re right. I got into a fight with my cousin. Things got more than heated.”

“Oliver, Francine’s brother?”

He nodded. “He’s been crossing his boundaries. I’m the pack beta, not him. He’s the reason the confrontation between our packs turned bloody and what ticks me off is when we raided that party we knew there was a load of wolf enhancers but according to him the house was clean. I’m not buying that.”

“You think Oliver’s stealing wolf enhancers?”

It wouldn’t be hard to tell him about Blazer now.

“Yeah, but he’s not showing signs of using so he’s doing something else with them.”

I swallowed. “What are the signs?”

He lifted a shoulder. “In the beginning, it’s a stronger wolf, faster reflexes, larger appetite but after some time the wolf loses control, they lose hair and ultimately their ability to shift and they die.”

I swallowed. I was experiencing a stronger wolf but not the others.

“Do wolf enhancers heal?” I asked.

“Not that I’ve heard of.”

Maybe the wolf enhancers wouldn’t hurt me because my wolf was different.

“Why’d you call baby? Did you just miss me?”

He sat up and squeezed me. He kissed my neck and growled.

“I definitely missed you,” he said against my skin.

“I missed you but… I saw some guys exchanging wolf enhancers like the ones from work.”

“Are you sure? Did you recognize them?”

I tucked a strand behind my ear. “Yeah… one of them was Blazer.”

I told him about their next location and he insisted on checking it out.

“Great, I’m coming too,” I said.

“Out of the question, mate.”

“Babe, I’m involved I have to go.”

“It’s also dangerous and it’s my job to protect you whether you like it or not.”

“You’re not winning this so you might as well take me, Azaire.”

The corner of his mouth raised. “Your stubbornness is a turn-on.” He squeezed my ass. “Did I tell you how much I want you?”

I blushed. He took my chin and dragged me down to meet his lips. A wolf howled outside. The familiar sound made my blood run cold. That was a Black Claw wolf what were they doing this close to enemy territory?