Seven
When Viviana opened her closet, she was not expecting to see a brand-new dress facing out from the clothing rack. It was draped in plastic printed with the name of a boutique shop in Bozeman. Taped to the plastic was a piece of stationery with Marlana’s scrawl in blue ink. Wear Me. On the floor beneath it was a pair of high-heeled, strappy sandals.
As much as Viviana wanted to march down the hall and tell her mother she’d at least make up her own mind about her birthday outfit, she realized she wouldn’t do that. No way. The gown was too beautiful. It wasn’t very elegant or formal, but rather simple and understated, in a faint blue-gray that would match her eyes.
She pulled it on. It clung to her curves in a way she never would have felt comfortable choosing for herself—after all, she was happier on the sidelines than as the center of attention. Despite its simple cut and color, this dress said, See me. Notice me.
She didn’t care to be noticed by anyone.
The doorbell rang. It was time. She slid into her new sandals and stepped out of her bedroom. Already she could hear the strains of old jazz songs playing from the speakers downstairs.
Hudson was waiting right outside her door. She stopped herself just before running into him. He stared down at her, a glint of some emotion in his eyes. She scented the air, trying to discern his feelings, but all she could smell was the tantalizing food her mother had ordered from a caterer.
“How did you know I was coming out?” she asked.
“It’s my job. I heard you moving around.”
He looked frustrated with her for some reason. Again. She wondered what she’d done to offend him.
“All right, then,” she said. “I guess I’ll go downstairs and you, what, follow me around?”
“I’ll try to stay out of your way as much as possible so you can talk with your friends.”
She wanted to joke with him that there was no need—no conversations he was in any danger of interrupting—because no one would talk to her. But tonight, she’d at least have a few conversations. Fraze and Gracie would probably talk to her the most.
She wished she could talk to Hudson, but his dislike of her was written plainly on his face. Turning around, she went downstairs.
Members of the pride steadily streamed into the house. Everyone wished her a happy birthday, and a few people had even brought gifts. You don’t even know me, she wanted to tell them. The gestures were kind, though, and she was grateful for that. She just wished she knew which of these people cared about her, and which ones only cared about sucking up to her mom.
Mateo and Justine, their hands linked, approached her. “Hey, Viviana. Happy birthday,” Mateo said.
“Thanks.”
Justine stepped forward and gave her a tentative hug.
Viviana grabbed onto her. “Thanks for coming,” she said.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Justine said. “You should come out with us sometime, okay?”
“Yeah…” Viviana said. Nobody had invited her anywhere in ages. Could be that Justine didn’t know it would never happen.
“And then,” Justine whispered, “you could dish on the hottie lurking behind you.”
Viviana snorted. “I can dish on him now. He’s got two expressions. Annoyed, and angry.”
“I’d say he’s wearing a different one right now,” Justine said, her eyes twinkling. “Unless he’s annoyed with your ass.”
“Okay, dear,” Mateo said loudly. “Let’s give Viviana some time with the other guests.” To Viviana, he mouthed, “I’m sorry, she has a really big mouth—”
“All the better to not blow you with, dear,” Justine said, smiling sweetly.
Viviana watched them with longing as they moved across the living room. They were funny, like Fraze. What would it be like to hang out with them all? What would her life be like if Marlana had let her go to their birthday parties when they’d all been growing up?
The next few hours were a blur. Viviana drank a glass of champagne while she greeted everyone. She had a second glass with dinner, but she was too nervous to eat, so she mostly moved food around on her plate. After dinner, several people started dancing at one end of the great living room.
Viviana was working on a third glass of champagne when Ben exaggeratedly licked his lips while staring at her from the drinks table.
She was vaguely aware of Hudson, somewhere behind her, and her mother, across the room, laughing loudly at some sycophantic remark or another. Ben put his fingers in a V and stuck his tongue between them.
If Viviana weren’t her mother’s daughter, she’d march over there and challenge him right now. She’d turn his hide into a mop and wipe the floor with him. She’d—
“Let me take that for you.”
She looked up. Chase Channing, Ben’s brother, deftly took the champagne flute from her hand and set it on the book case.
He grinned. “You look like you’re going to throw it at someone. My asshole of a brother?”
She nodded. “Maybe.”
“Dance with me instead. It’ll be more fun than beating up someone who isn’t worth your time.”
She doubted that was true, but accepted his hand and let him lead her around the room for the rest of the song.
“Thank you for the dance,” she said.
He flashed her a quick grin. “My pleasure—anything to annoy my little brother. Happy birthday.”
When he let her go, Brigitte, Rafe’s human mate, came up to wish her a happy birthday. Gracie, the vampire who Fraze had claimed as his mate, joined them. The two chattered about Brigitte’s pregnancy, which was in its very early stages. They included Viviana in the conversation as much as possible, but the champagne and the effort of trying to fit in where she obviously didn’t, had given Viviana a headache.
She’d had enough of being around people—even the nice ones like Chase, Brigitte, and Gracie.
While Mateo and Rafe’s parents were keeping Marlana distracted, Viviana excused herself from the conversation as politely as possible. She turned into the hallway near the music room and made an immediate turn into a little reading alcove. She looked around, and she couldn’t even see Hudson.
Alone. Finally.
She leaned her head back against the wall and took a deep breath. Her house smelled like champagne and too many people. A lot of these people should have been her friends, but had never been given the chance. Her mother’s fault, in some ways. But now that Viviana was older, she had to accept her own responsibility. She’d start making an effort, and soon. Just not at a crowded birthday party.
Laughter echoed from the doorway to the music room on her left.
“Alpha?” she heard Ben say derisively. “I don’t know what Marlana’s thinking. You can’t make an alpha out of a princess.”
Viviana held in a gasp while Doug snickered. They were talking about her. Of course they were. It was Ben. He’d have no problem trash-talking someone at their own birthday party.
“Shut up, guys.” It was Chase, defending her. He continued, “And grow up. Because if Marlana gets her wishes, that princess will be in charge of you someday.”
“She’s a loner, not an alpha,” Ben said.
Viviana had heard enough. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that she felt her nails pierce her skin. She knew they thought of her this way; this was no surprise. But hearing it now, tonight, after a few drinks, it made her fuzzy brain feel weepy all of a sudden. When she couldn’t express her anger, it made her want to cry.
She whirled away, and collided with someone. She wasn’t used to the high heels. She tilted too far forward, but it was Hudson she was about to fall into, so she pushed her weight backward instead. Too far, though.
If it weren’t for his large hands coming around her shoulders, she would have fallen on her ass, right in the doorway of the music room where the Channing boys were busy talking shit about her.
Hudson’s eyes were wide and sympathetic. The light brown had tones of green and gold, and his left iris had two freckles, just next to the pupil.
And right now, those beautiful eyes were gazing at her mouth.
Feeling suddenly nervous, she licked her lower lip.
Hudson quickly let her go. Wordlessly, he gestured her forward. Smart man—he must realize that if he said anything there, the Channings would hear him speak, and then they’d know Viviana had been listening to them.
He was a true hero.
Instead of leading her back into the main living room, he took a few steps upstairs and spun to face her.
“Thanks—” she started to say.
“I had to look for you,” he interrupted. “Your mother asked me a question and I made the mistake of turning around to answer her. The next thing I knew, you were gone. You are not allowed to disappear on my watch, do you understand that?”
“I—”
“If you so much as need to take a piss, you tell me where you’re going. Got it?” He reached forward as if he’d grab her shoulders again.
She stepped back out of his reach. “Got it,” she said, coldly. “I’m going to bed now.”
*
Viviana waited until dark. She’d left Hudson outside her door. Guarding her, babysitting her, whatever. She felt like a ten-year-old and remembered when her mom had hired Rafe Corona to watch her one night. He’d only been three years older than Viviana, and Viviana had hidden in her room the entire evening, feeling humiliated.
She’d checked on Hudson a half hour ago. He’d set a chair right outside of her room and parked himself in it, smooth as you please, and he gave her a mock salute. She’d sneered and sniffed and gone inside her room, vowing not to care about him. Vowing not to let her eyes linger on his hard jaw line and long-lashed, light brown eyes.
She couldn’t sleep. Knowing that Hottie Hudson was right outside her room made rest impossible, even if she didn’t already struggle with insomnia. If only she could go for a quick run. Not far from the house—she wasn’t stupid. She didn’t want that rogue vampire anywhere near her. Just…somewhere close. Breathe the night air. Expend all this pent-up energy, feel less caged. She wouldn’t even stay out very long.
Stay close, short run. She could do this. Nobody would even have to know.
First she padded over to her bedroom door and listened. She couldn’t hear Hudson at all. Had he abandoned his post?
Well, if he was a shitty bodyguard, that was just one more reason not to like him.
Since the coast was clear, she put on a dark top and leggings, then quietly, ever so quietly, opened the French doors leading to her balcony.
The night air on her skin was a caress. She inhaled. It smelled so good out here, like summer dew and freesia. Scents of pine from the woods beyond the pond floated to her nose. She couldn’t wait to start running and exploring the forest.
Not the whole forest, she reminded herself. Just the close-ish bits. She would not put herself in danger. Even though the siren call of wandering alone, undisturbed, was great, she had some self-control, after all. Just a quick run, she reasoned.
She lowered herself over the edge of the balcony, dangling by her hands. Her shoulder pinched slightly, but it was almost completely healed. Tomorrow, she probably wouldn’t feel it at all.
Damn that Ben.
Taking a deep breath, she let go of the railing and let herself fall.
When she landed, someone tackled her.
The vampire? She started to shriek, but a hand clamped over her mouth. She bit the soft edge of it, and a man swore.
Hudson?
He kept his hand in place, but brought his face around so she could see him. “Quiet,” he said.
What the hell was he thinking? Telling her to be quiet. She tried to open her mouth to tell him so, but he said, “You want your mother to hear us out here?”
Oh. That made sense. Viviana nodded, and Hudson removed his hand.
“I’m going for a run,” Viviana whispered.
“The hell you are.”
She stood up and started across the lawn, but found herself pulled into his chest again, his thick arms wrapped around her. He was strong, that was for sure. Maybe even as strong as a shifter.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said, “except back up to your room.”
There was only one move she knew for this—no, two. She could step on his foot, but she didn’t really want to injure him. He wasn’t a shifter and he wouldn’t heal as fast as she would. So instead of hurting him, she let her entire body go limp. He wasn’t expecting that, and she slithered out of his grasp.
He followed her to the ground, faster than she’d have thought possible. She was just moving to spring up again when she felt the warm weight of him covering her body.
“Damn you,” she said. “Let me go.”
“Nope.”
The feeling of his body over hers, the scent of him, masculine and musk, had her body tingling. She didn’t want to feel this way about him. It wasn’t fair—what was it about him? He wasn’t even a shifter. She shouldn’t react this way to him.
But she was reacting. His chest was mashed up against hers. Her traitorous nipples were hardening, and she prayed he wouldn’t be able to feel them through his light sweater. And one of his legs was between her thighs. If she moved slightly, she could rub against it and hit her pussy just right.
No, she wasn’t going to cave to this kind of temptation. With an asshole, nonetheless.
She tried turning to the side, but he brought up one of his arms to block her. She tried spinning the other way, but he did it again. His arms were now on either side of her head, his knee between her knees, and his face too close to hers.
She looked up into his eyes and saw determination there. None of the lust that she felt warring with her body. She wanted to go for a run, but now she also wanted to kiss this man. This determined, cocky, self-assured bodyguard who had no business lying on the back lawn with her like this.
She blew her bangs out of her face. “Fine. I’ll go back up to my room.”
He didn’t move right away.
“Hello? I said I’d go back up.”
“Not sure I can trust you, princess.”
“Do not call me princess.”
His eyes widened at the harsh tone she’d used. Simply, and with a conciliatory tone, he said, “Okay.”
So it was that easy with him. Tell him what she didn’t want, and he didn’t do it. How different this guy was from Ben.
He eased back, looking as if he were ready to pin her down again if she tried to escape.
“Really,” she said. “I’m going inside.”
He sat up on his knees and she could feel his eyes on her as she stomped back to her window.
She knew he was watching her, but it was easier to get up there after shifting into her lion form. She could jump better that way.
Well, if he’d been raised in a pack, someone stripping to shift wouldn’t be a new idea. He’d seen it before. She shimmied out of her pants and took her shirt off. Then she shifted, allowing her muscles and bones to pop into place. Carefully, she picked her clothes up with her teeth and leaped onto the balcony.
With a turn of her head, she could see Hudson out in the grass, his eyes on her. She couldn’t see color so well as a lion, and it was dark. But he looked…uncomfortable.
Get used to it, she thought. She refused to change anything about herself to make a human more comfortable in her pride.
Once inside, she shifted back into her human form. She looked at her clothes, rumpled on the floor, and opted not to put them on. She slid into her sheets naked and turned on her side. She hadn’t gotten that run she needed, and it was going to be a long night.
*
Her dreams were fitful. One image was a dark shape in the forest, whispering to her. Princess of the Corona Pride. She hated that nickname, princess. Ben and Doug had given it to her when she was a kid. It had never been fair. They never called Mendy that, and nobody called her brother Michael a prince.
The dark shape in the dream forest was chased away by light, but continued to whisper, and then Hudson showed up in the dream. He wore loose-fitting pants and no shirt. His torso was a work of art, planes of muscle, lines of strength etched in shadow that she longed to trace with her fingertips.
He stepped slowly over to her in the dream, and didn’t bother with a kiss, just pressed his hand against Viviana’s mound. She felt the ridges of his calluses against her skin, and moved against them. Suddenly he was naked, just like her, and she pushed him onto his back, climbed on top of him, and slid his cock inside of her. So good, so full.
Just when her pussy clamped in orgasm, she woke up.
Dammit. She could have stayed in that dream much longer.
Except it was Hudson.
Was he in the hallway in that chair, now? Or was he keeping watch outside her balcony, waiting for her to escape again? She walked on quiet feet over to her bedroom door and listened. Heard his quiet, even breaths.
She wanted to invite him in. She wanted to live that dream for real. But with him? No, she told herself, not with him. Besides, it didn’t matter. The few times she’d tried having sex with Ben, he always got off fine, but Viviana hadn’t been able to climax.
She’d do better for herself, on her own.