Warrior Wolf (Protection, Inc 4)

He’d figured as much. “You must’ve given her the general idea. Listen, would you mind taking over? I want to dance with her.”

The green depths of a tiger’s eyes briefly shone out from under Destiny’s usual soft brown. “I’m on it. Have fun with your mate.”

Nick started. “You know?”

“Of course I know, you idiot,” she replied cheerfully. “I’ve known all along. Why do you think I hazed her when we first met?”

“You hazed —” Nick broke off, remembering Destiny’s arm-wrestling disguised as a handshake when she and Raluca first met. “How could you tell?”

“It was obvious. Idiot. You and she were looking at each other just like every other mated couple on our team. Only more pissed off about it.” Destiny chuckled.

“Did you tell Fiona?” Nick demanded.

“Nope. She figured it out the same way I did.”

Nick groaned aloud. Suddenly so many things made sense: Destiny’s test of strength, Shane’s odd coldness, Fiona’s insults that had turned on a dime into friendliness and approval once she’d provoked Raluca into announcing that she’d care for and protect Nick. “Does everyone know?”

“Probably. You two haven’t exactly been subtle.” With another laugh, Destiny gave him a shove toward the dance floor. “Go on, dance with your mate. Rafa and I have your backs.”

Feeling slightly dazed, Nick pushed through the crowd to join Raluca on the dance floor. She was waiting for him on the edge, her skin flushed with exertion and her eyes glittering with excitement. Another song was playing, and the floor was filled with dancers.

Nick spoke in Raluca’s ear. “Destiny and Rafa are taking over so I can dance with you. You were fucking spectacular. And by the way, apparently everyone figured out that we’re mates, so don’t worry about pretending any more.”

Raluca drew in a startled breath, then smiled and turned her head to kiss him. Her lips were soft and hot, tasting of her cucumber-mint cocktail and the slightest salt tang of sweat. Her scent of metal and roses was dizzying. She’d bought perfume at the hotel, but she’d worn none. Nick was glad. Nothing could possibly be sexier than her natural scent.

She took his hand. “Come dance with me.”

“I can’t dance anywhere near as well as you,” Nick warned her.

“I don’t care if you can’t dance at all. I just want to be with you tonight.” She tugged him on to the floor.

Nick had told the truth about his dance skills, but he had a sense of rhythm and a werewolf’s comfort with movement and his own body. He moved to the beat, following Raluca as best he could, enjoying being with her and not worrying about what he looked like. Once he began dancing, he found himself sensing her movements before he saw them and moving with her, reading her body language and echoing it with his own body.

Nick lost all sense of time as he danced with her, glorying in her beauty and their connection and the pure joy of moving with her, as if they were two wolves running in perfect sync. The beat of the music became the beat of his heart and hers, pounding in a single rhythm. He was tireless, for once using his shifter strength and endurance for nothing more than fun, and so was she.

They could have danced all night, but Nick was called back to earth when the nightclub closed down. He and Raluca came to a halt. The surprise and confusion he briefly felt was echoed in her expression; while they’d danced, apparently they’d both completely forgotten where they were, and lost themselves entirely in the movement and the music and each other.

Nick caught Raluca’s hand and guided her so they walked out with Destiny, who gave him an all-clear nod as they reached the door.

They stepped outside into a quickly-dispersing crowd. Nick took Raluca’s arm and guided her with seeming casualness until they stood alone with Destiny and Rafa in an alley beside the nightclub.

“Great dancing,” Destiny remarked.

“Thank you,” said Raluca. The night was chilly, but she seemed unconcerned. Nick edged closer, enjoying the heat of her body. With a laugh, she put her arm around him. “Warm yourself by my fire.”

Rafa’s eyebrows rose. “Guess we should leave the two of you to it.”

“Hang on.” Nick turned to Destiny and Rafa. “You didn’t see anything, did you?”

“Nothing,” Rafa said, and Destiny nodded. “Hal’s still researching leads, but I’m wondering if whoever’s behind this might’ve just given up.”

Raluca turned to Nick’s teammates. “I had a marvelous night. Rafa, Destiny, thank you for guarding me. Rafa, thank you for your kindness to me. And for dressing Nick for the ball.”

“Any time.” Rafa made a little bow, which somehow looked graceful and not weird, even though he was in club clothes.

Raluca seemed pleased with that, and curtseyed in return. She also did it gracefully, lifting her skirt about half an inch as anything more would have flashed them all. Then, surprising Nick, she gave Destiny a slightly awkward but sincere hug. “Destiny, thank you for the clothes you bought for me, and the shop recommendations, and playing me hip-hip that didn’t make my ears bleed, and teaching me to dance, and telling me funny stories about Nick —”

“What?” Nick interrupted. Suspiciously, he turned on Destiny. “What’ve you told her?”