“Madam Mistress, a pleasure to see you again.”

Isla stood to one side as Nick bowed low over the hand of Reena, the Mistress of the City. She noticed though, his lips merely brushed the skin of Reena’s knuckles instead of actually pressing a kiss to them as he had with her. Which was a good thing because Archer, Reena’s lover, stood at her side and looked ready to tear the man’s throat out. That was nothing new. He was ready to tear out any man’s throat if they gave any indication of looking at Reena with lustful thoughts on their minds.

“As it is you, Lord Alpha.” Reena’s voice, as always, was calm and well measured. “Once again, we cannot thank you enough for your kind counsel to your Master of the City that brought our cousin back to us.”

“You are more than welcome. Master Veyr sends his regards, and his thanks for your kind wedding gift. He and his lady loved the vases. They’re in pride of place in their private sitting room.”

Isla folded her hands demurely in front of her. Of course, Nick Trevais was the reason her city and his had a tentative alliance. Reena’s young cousin, somewhat of a rebel, and some friends had gone on a rampage. One that unfortunately had taken them over the borders into another city’s territory where they had been caught. Normal policy for any city was to execute interlopers on the spot, but Nick argued the youngsters should be returned to face punishment in their own city. It was a move that earnt him Reena’s respect and forged an alliance, but until now, Isla herself had never met the legendary Trevais alpha.

Reena had failed to mention the guy was drop dead gorgeous.

“I’m glad they liked them.” Reena gave a genuine smile this time, her happiness that the couple had liked her gift obvious even through the language of diplomacy. “Although, I understand the Trevais pack also celebrated the master’s wedding, perhaps more so than most packs. The new lady of the city is your sister, if my sources are correct?”

“That’s right, yes.” Nick straightened and stepped back. Not once did he flick a glance to Archer, who was practically growling, but Isla had no doubt he knew exactly where the other man was and the instant he so much as tensed a muscle. “Her name is Cyan. She’s my older sister.”

The wolves around them were silent, but Isla felt their interest at this snippet of information. As a pack alpha, albeit from a different city, Nick’s status was already high. That he was also related to his city’s ruling masters bumped his standing even more. Isla steeled herself for an evening of inane small talk as the movers and shakers in the room tried to impress him.

“That’s wonderful. I’m so pleased for you,” Reena replied. “A marriage is always a happy occasion.”

“Indeed.” Nick smiled, but then his expression turned serious. “Although I do not come with just glad tidings, but also a warning. We have had…an incident with a former alpha in our city.”

“Oh?” Reena was all attention, as was Isla. Former alpha were words not normally spoken together. A former alpha was usually dead, or so infirm that death was preferable. Werewolves with that kind of power did not give it up lightly.

“Jacob McCauley, formerly alpha of the McCauley pack. Guilty of treason and defeated in challenge. Unfortunately, he subsequently escaped our custody and is on the run. We believe he might try to gain a foothold in a different city under an assumed name.”

Nick gestured to one of the men with him, who stepped forward with a file in hand, which Nick then passed to Reena. “All the information we have on him, including several recent photos. Just in case he should start causing trouble for you.”

Reena looked up, surprise in her eyes. Cities, even those with alliances, did not usually share information so freely. A rogue wolf causing dissent in a rival city could only soften it for a takeover. Something rivals usually wanted to foster, not prevent.

“Thank you,” Reena’s voice rang with the respect that coursed through Isla as well. Clicking her fingers, she summoned one of her guards to take the file from Reena. They would study it in depth later. If there was a risk to her mistress, then Isla wanted to be all over it like a bad rash. For tonight though, the ball was invite only and they had Nick here. Presumably, he would recognize this McCauley on sight.

At that moment the music started and Reena reached for Archer’s arm for him to lead her onto the dance floor. Much like a wedding, the Mistress of the City and her partner were always the first to dance.

“See how she knows where he is all the time?” Nick murmured by Isla’s ear, his body heat against her back betraying how close he stood. “I’ll wager we won’t be the only city celebrating a wedding.”

As her gaze followed the couple, she had to admit he was right. Archer was always close to Reena, there as soon as she put her hand out. A sigh escaped before she could stop it. To have that kind of connection, soul deep, with a man…it was the stuff of the romances she loved to read. In the privacy of her own room of course. Out of it, she had to be the Captain of the Guard. Cast iron bitch with a rank.

It would never do for people to discover her longing for romance. She could just imagine what Liam would make of that. Actually, probably nothing. Such a nuance, one not related to getting his dick inside her, would no doubt go over his head. At light speed.

The dance drew to a close and as the last strains of music from the band faded, Nick held out his hand. “May I have this dance, my lady?”

Heat hit her cheeks again. Shit. Anyone would think she’d never spoken to a man before, but to hear him call her “my lady” in that deep, sexy drawl of his did it for her. Heat pooled low in her belly, and the clench of her pussy joined with her wolf in reminding her, as Liam’s words had earlier, it’d been a couple of years since she had sex.

Sex. Fuck. Just thinking the word around Nick Trevais was a bad idea. Instantly her over active imagination presented her with all sorts of X-rated situations. A porn movie behind her eyes, with her and Nick in the starring roles.

“Told you,” her voice was rough, brusque, as she tried to cover her reaction and slid her hand into his, “I’m not a lady.”

He pulled her onto the floor and into his arms. She’d danced before, often, so she was used to a man taking her into a ballroom hold, but with Nick, it felt closer. More intimate. Almost indecent. His thighs brushed against hers as the music started and she realized, with delight, he was an excellent dancer.

“Not a lady, huh?” He smiled down at her, a wicked glint in his eyes. “I thought we’d been through this already.”

Reaching the corner of the room, he turned her with a twirl and dip that took her by surprise. She gasped, off balance, and gripped his shoulder but his strong arm at her back supported her with ease. Lifting her to her feet, he turned her into the next steps of the dance without a blink.

“We did?” She couldn’t think, the presence of his lean, hard body almost pressed against hers stealing her ability to frame a coherent thought.

“We did.” The amused quirk of his lips told her that he knew exactly what effect he had on her. “I told you, I know when I’m in the presence of a lady. You know what else I know?”

“No…” She was going to regret asking, she just knew she was. But the words escaped her lips anyway. “What else do you know?”

He shortened his stride and their bodies collided, breast to thigh. Taking advantage, he tightened his grip and the look in his dark eyes took her breath away.

“I know when a woman longs for a man’s touch...” His voice dropped, that sexy drawl like a caress along her skin. “I know when she doesn’t need him, but wants him anyway…”

Her lips parted but she managed to bite back the moan. How the hell…was it written on her freaking forehead or something? Isla Myers hasn’t had sex in nearly two years. Desperate for a man. But that wasn’t entirely true.

Sure, she hadn’t had a sniff of action in years, but it wasn’t for lack of offers. Liam wasn’t the first wolf she let down diplomatically, then there were the ones she had to be undiplomatic with. For some reason, even though she was the Captain of the Guard, a few wolves seemed unable to tally that with her gender and thought she was a pushover. They quickly found out otherwise.

She wasn’t desperate for a man. Until Nick Trevais walked in, she hadn’t been that interested in getting between the sheets with anyone. Now it was all she could think about. Feeling that lean, hard strength against her naked body, her skin against his. His body over hers as he parted her thighs…

Heat hit her cheeks again, and to her embarrassment, the musk of her arousal filtered through her perfume. Being a wolf sucked at times, especially when trying to conceal interest in a guy…in a room full of wolves, all with an excellent sense of smell.

“You see…telling a woman she’s beautiful is one thing,” he carried on, his hand sliding down her back until his fingers flirted with the upper curve of her ass. It was an almost, not quite, a grope. Subtle, but powerful. “But making her feel it, now there’s the trick.”

Trick? It was a fucking miracle, but he managed it. From the tomboy image she’d always seen herself as, he made her feel feminine, and with his tall, lean frame…tiny, which was something she wasn’t used to at all.

He had distracted her so thoroughly, she missed where the last turn was taking them. The music and crush of the dancefloor fell behind as he waltzed her from the room into an empty side corridor. It was a slick move, one so calculated she could have been forgiven for thinking he’d been born and bred in this court. The staircase at the end of this hall led to the north wing and the staff quarters. Her quarters.

“Now,” he breathed, backing her toward the wall behind the door. After years of training, she could have broken his hold and shut him down in a multitude of different ways, leaving him cradling his balls in his own private world of pain. She didn’t. Instead, she let him herd her where he wanted. “How about we get to know each other a little better, my lady?”