Chapter Eight
“A male strip club?” Killian groaned as they left Merlin’s.
“I know, right?” Meredith said. “Hmmm…I wonder why I’ve never heard of that one?”
“And what would you know about male strip clubs?” Connor asked.
“Um…purely research purposes,” she answered quickly.
“Woohoo, I can’t believe it! A job that finally calls for my good looks, instead of my stunning intellect,” Quinn said, rubbing his hands together. “And all those horny witches stuffing dollar bills down my g-string.”
“Uh, I don’t think it’s that kind of place, Quinn,” Meredith deadpanned.
“You’re right, Mer,” Quinn replied. “Merlin’s is too classy. They’ll be stuffing at least twenties.”
Meredith groaned. She did not want to think about those witches—with a b—shoving dirty bills down Daric’s underwear. Whatever possessed the warlock to agree anyway? She glanced over at him and Quinn, who was still obviously psyched about the whole stripping thing.
“C’mon, dude,” the Lycan said to the warlock. “Tell me about these witches—what do they like? Do they prefer their men shaved clean down there or a little bit of hair? Because I can groom if necessary, though I already keep my pubes pretty trimmed.”
“Ugh, Quinn, no one wants to hear about your pubes,” Meredith groaned, sticking her fingers in her ear.
“You’re just jealous of me and my man Daric here, cuz we’re getting all the attention tonight.”
“Jealous?” Meredith said defensively. “I’m not jealous!”
“Oh yeah, well why are you all red, huh?”
“Ugh, I don’t want to talk to you.”
***
The ride back to Fenrir took longer than it seemed, at least to Daric. As he sat in the backseat of the vehicle, he could feel the anger rolling off from Meredith. And it seemed to be directed at him.
Confusing woman. He offered to remove his clothes in front of an audience, so that she could find her father’s killer. Why was she not more grateful? Of course, he was relieved that Meredith would not be the one stripping that he instantly agreed. The thought of her exposing her luscious body to an audience made something ugly rear up in him. When she left to go to the stage, he convinced her brothers not to let her go through with it, and they were easily swayed. He hoped it was not yet too late, and they were about to stop Meredith when she came back and told them what Merlin’s really was. He wasn’t judging Merlin. After all, men and women should equally be able to enjoy sex and express themselves.
The other warlock seemed none the wiser when he hired their group. However, Daric was suspicious that Merlin didn’t even blink an eye at their little ragtag group. Was Merlin an opportunistic businessman who saw the Lycans as a way to line his pockets or did he suspect more? Daric supposed they were going to find out soon enough.
As Killian parked the car, Meredith reached over Connor’s lap, unlocked the door, and quickly scrambled over the giant man to get out of the car. The Lycan gave him a menacing glare before he left the car. It was evident that despite his gruff exterior, Connor had a soft spot for his sister and was overly protective of her.
He followed the Lycans to the elevators. Meredith squeezed herself into the far corner, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to look at him. Well, perhaps it was a good thing. He and Meredith were like oil and water. Or more like gas and fire. They were explosive whenever they were around each other, and would only leave hurt behind if they ever got together. Never mind that he couldn’t escape her delicious scent nor could he take the vision of her stripping—only for him—out of his head. He bet she would be a tease, giving him glimpses of her naked skin, before taking it all off.
The motion of the elevator jolted him out of his reverie as the elevator stopped on the 16th floor.
“I’m going to the gym,” Meredith said angrily as she stalked off.
“Jeeze, what’s gotten her panties in a twist?’ Quinn asked.
Killian sighed. “Who knows?”
Daric said nothing but walked down the hall to his room. He let out a sigh. Against his better judgment, instead of going inside, he pivoted and went in the direction of the gymnasium.
When he got there, Meredith was lying down on the bench, lifting the barbell. She had stripped down to her sports bra and leggings, her boots haphazardly discarded on the floor beside her. Above her, the blonde Lycan man who had been familiar with her during training stood and kept his hands hovering near the bar.
“That’s it, Mer,” he said, encouraging her. “Three more…two more…one more. Great!” He helped her put the weight set back on the support rack.
Daric stalked over to them, his eyes staring daggers at the other man.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” the Lycan said, stepping in front of Meredith.
“The Beta said the training floor was the one place I’m not allowed to go to,” he explained.
Meredith grabbed her towel from the rack and wiped her face and chest. “Thanks, Tate,” she said gratefully, giving the other Lycan a smile. When her face turned to Daric, however, her smile turned into a frown. “What do you want?”
“It's clear that you are still upset over this morning’s visit to the police station. I wanted to see if you were all right,” Daric said, then looked over at Tate. “But I suppose you’ve decided to seek comfort elsewhere.”
“Thanks for pretending to care, warlock,” she spat. She stood up and took a swig from the water bottle she swiped from the floor. “I’m perfectly fine. I’ll see you later, Tate,” she said, walking away from the other Lycan.
Daric frowned and then followed Meredith out the door. “You did not seem fine,” he countered. “You just left.”
“Yeah? Well maybe I didn’t want to hear about how you and my brother will be drowning in witch pussy, okay?” she said, gritting her teeth. “But I suppose that’s your type, right? Classy, rich, went to college on daddy’s dime? Probably thinks the sun shines out of her own ass. Tell me, how do witches and warlocks fuck? With the lights off, under the sheets?”
He felt his anger spike. What was wrong with her? Daric wanted to shake her. “And you prefer vulgar Alpha males who stare at your breasts instead of appreciating your beautiful face, and undress you with their gaze?” he countered. “Maybe you were truly disappointed you didn’t get the chance to strip down in front of a room full of men.”
“How dare you!” she screamed, lunging at him in anger. He was too quick for her, however, and he grabbed her wrists, then pinned them to the wall. He used his thighs and legs to stop her from kicking at him, but not before she landed a hit on his bruised rib.
“Goddamn it, woman, stop!” he groaned.
“I will if you let me go!”
“I’ll let you go if you promise to stop trying to maim me!” He leaned in close, so close he could see the light smattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose and inhale the fragrance of the perfume that drove him wild.
She bit her lip, and as her perfect pearly white teeth sank into her plump lips, all he could think about was kissing her. He shouldn’t. But she was so close. Her squirming body felt so good against his, and he could feel his cock responding to her.
“Get off her!” A large hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled her away.
“Christ!” he cursed, ducking away from Connor.
“You keep your hands and your eyes to yourself, warlock,” Connor warned.
“Stop it!” Meredith cried. By this time, Killian, Quinn, and even Tate were in the hallway, staring at them.
“What was he doing?” Connor asked.
“None of your business!” Meredith exclaimed.
The giant Lycan turned back to Daric. “You had her pinned up against the wall. What were you doing? Are you trying to fuck her?”
Tate walked over to Meredith, slipping an arm around her shoulders, murmuring soft words into her ear. Jealousy and anger surged through Daric, and he wanted nothing more than to turn every bit of matter in the Lycan’s body to dust. “I’d sooner sleep with a mutt.” Daric instantly regretted his words, as Meredith’s face crumbled and then slipped into a mask of coldness.
“I’m going to my room,” she mumbled and then turned to leave.
“Meredith!” Tate called and then followed her, both of them heading back to the barracks.
Daric was so distracted, that he didn’t see the massive fist as it connected with his jaw. Connor’s fist was like solid rock. No, it was more like solid steel, and Daric reeled back, bracing himself against the wall to stop from falling from the floor. He rubbed his jaw, reveling in the pain. He deserved it and more, for what he said to her.
“You fucking asshole,” Killian grabbed him by the collar and slammed his head back into the wall. The three other Lycans stood behind him, and he could feel the anger radiating from all of them.
“I apologize, my words were out of line,” Daric said.
“Don’t apologize to us,” Quinn said, the usually cheerful man’s voice edgy and tinged with danger. “Say sorry to her.”
“I will,” Daric stated in a determined voice. There it was again, that uncomfortable feeling in his gut that wouldn’t go away. “But allow me to apologize to you as well, for the slur.”
Killian let go of his collar and sighed. “Like I said, it’s not us you should be apologizing to. But I doubt Meredith will forgive you easily for that one.”
“Why the hell would you say that to her?” Connor said, his anger rising.
“Connor,” Killian said, putting a hand up to the other Lycan. “He doesn’t know.”
“Know what?” Daric asked.
Killian let out a deep sigh. “It’s not my place to say, but Meredith told us that when she first shifted into her wolf form in front of her adoptive parents…well, they called her a mutt. That’s what they would call her to insult her.”
“Fuck!” Daric cursed, running his hands through his hair. “She will never forgive me.”
“Just try,” Killian encouraged.
“And bring her lots of chocolate. And maybe some Disney Princess movies,” Quinn added.
Connor said nothing, but let out a grunt before turning and walking away from them.
“And stop provoking Connor. Meredith is his favorite, and you’ll be in for a world of pain if you mess with her,” Killian added.
“I’m not provoking him,” Daric countered.
“You are by looking at her like that,” Killian warned. “Don’t even try it, warlock. You hurt her, you answer to all of us.”
Daric nodded in understanding but wondered if it was too late.