Lev chuckled. “Yes, I know. He enjoys bondage, and she is more than happy to be his submissive. Rac
hel is stubborn and would never be so compliant.” Damn, the more time they spent together, the less mind control influence he had on her. Something he didn’t care to share with his fellow team members. Yet, his lack of control over her had more to do with not wanting to squelch her enchanting independence.
Cricket snarled. “Wait a minute, just because Mia likes the kink doesn’t mean she’s a pushover. I hate to say it but I know who wears the real fur in that household.”
“Like you, my love,” said Slade to Cricket.
Lev understood how they acted amongst their close friends and behind closed doors, but among their pack and the other packs, Cricket acted properly submissive around the other alphas. Slade behaved as the proper dominant alpha around the pack, but Cricket understood. Rachel would never understand, or even if she did, her resentment may strain their relationship. “Rylee doesn’t want me to be her handler.”
“Of course, she doesn’t. That would be a big conflict of interest,” said Cricket.
“Why?” Lev regretted being a lone wolf. Joining a pack, late in life, he hadn’t completely understood lycan law or at least all its nuances. He’d been taken from his ancestral home in the Red Forest after Chernobyl’s meltdown and lived in Siberia, until finally moving to Moscow. His father being the only werewolf he had shared a hunt with.
“A handler must be impartial.”
“I can be fair.”
“Not when her blood drives you mad with desire,” said Slade.
“Exactly,” said Cricket. “What’s to stop you from pressuring her into staying with the pack?”
Lev repressed a growl. “As long as her handler is not male.”
“Rylee thought Mia would be perfect since she is human and had to learn pack law, but now that’s she with child, Mia is no longer considered a candidate,” said Cricket.
Lev narrowed his eyes at the beta. “What about her father?”
Cricket shook her head. “He’s still recovering. And because she is his daughter, he too might have a hard time being objective. Maybe even convincing her not to live amongst our kind.”
Howard would definitely talk her out of staying; at least once the danger was over. He must know being a Stallo woman would make her vulnerable to all rogue werewolves. Yet, he must be opposed to a mutant son in-law. “Good point. I wonder who Rylee will choose?”
“Not that I’m supposed to blab about it, but she assigned me. Rylee figured since I had to babysit a mad alpha prince I have the experience.”
Slade kicked snow at her. “Very funny.”
Cricket shook the snow off. “Hey, watch the coat, your royal highness.”
Lev sighed. “Brilliant.” Cricket, being born a runt, was in many ways more human than lycan. Her upbringing had been difficult and she’d understand Rachel’s trepidation about being a lower status.
“My mate can be a naughty influence at times, but yeah, she’ll be a good little wolf,” Slade quipped.
Cricket nipped him on the flank and ran off.
“Oww!” Slade licked his hip and growled. “See what I mean.” Slade gave chase as she tried to hide in a thicket of trees.
Lev followed. Not to play but to tell them, he’d head back. He should meet with the sketch artist and then check on Rachel. She’d been with the contract witnesses since this morning. He hoped she’d finally had a chance to see her father. And what would she say about him, her so called-stalker? One thing Dr. Becker understood above all else, no one could protect his beloved daughter better than Lev.
Selene had taken Rachel to the lycan hospital to visit her father. On the way, she took a quick tour of the facility. The hospital had sleek glass architecture and modern equipment. The medical facility turned out to be a perfect marriage between a state of the art veterinary and human hospital. The OR had equipment for humans and wolves. Each patient’s room had a normal bed and canine bed. The only difference was this hospital had less staff and few, if any, patients. At the rate Lev’s wounds healed, not surprising. “I’m impressed. I’ve visited hospitals around the world and this one is definitely top of the line.”
Selene smiled. “Thanks to your father and previous human doctors and veterinarians who have helped us over the years.”
“So are there other human doctors here?”
“Only your father, currently, but we do have a veterinarian who lives nearby. She normally works on our livestock.”
“Do lycans need to pay for services?”
“No. Unlike American medical care, lycan pack members are only required a paw print as insurance.”