Accidentally Wolf (42 page)

“It
’
s okay.” I gave them a weak smile. “I
’
ll process and be fine with this. It just kind of came out of left field on an already trying day. But we have a more pressing matter to deal with. Anything you can g
ive
me to point me in the right direction to
find
information on this guy I would appreciate.”

God, it really only was Tuesday, I realized. How much more shit could pile up on me by the end of the week?

I didn
’
t want to think about it to be honest.

“Yes, and I wonder if we might meet up later so we can discuss the other issue we need to handle before we leave,” Alena muttered, speaking in code.

“Chief, we
’
ve got this. We
’
re just doing legwork for now. I doubt everyone will just fax their files straight over. We won
’
t get a complete picture of this guy today. Go catch some sleep or handle whatever and I
’
ll call you if we need you.” Harris just got another gold star in my book.

“Good point. Let me just grab my things and we can go somewhere and talk.” Alena and Zeno nodded as they stepped back out into the lobby. I jogged to my office, grabbing my wallet and keys. I hadn
’
t grabbed my normal purse before going to Wrigley field since most of my stuff had been in my fancy little purse from the party.

That and I just hated purses. Normally I just stuck what I needed in my brief case. Though, with the way things had been going
,
it might be smart to start having a backpack in my car with extra clothes and whatnot. I seemed to have to switch back between Chief Thomas, Sera, and a werewolf who could tear through clothes too many times to get much time to run home for a costume change.

“Would you mind following me to my apartment?” I asked as I joined them in the lobby. “I have a feeling this will go easier if I feel like I
’
m safe and don
’
t have to worry about what I
’
m saying. It
’
s a mess because we
’
re moving this weekend, but the furniture is still there.” I looked specifically at Zeno then. “And Tristan should be there so you
’
re not sitting around, twiddling your thumbs while Alena helps me.”

“I
’
d even be willing to help pack.” He chuckled as we walked out of the building. “I have not moved in centuries. It might be fun.”

“You guys are so easy.” I gave them a smile I truly felt. “I don
’
t get much of that with my work and everything that
’
s been going on.”

“We
’
re easygoing people by nature as long as we
’
re among friends, but part of it is we feel responsible. Bernard made you, and, if he
’
d been alive and the circumstances had been different, he would have explained all of this to you. Since he
’
s not, the responsibility is ours, and, since the siren/werewolf strand of lycanthropy is so rare, we tend to be closer with our own.” I had noticed that, but I was glad that Alena confirmed it so I didn
’
t feel as if I was putting them out.

We got in our cars and they followed me home. I took time during the short drive to compose myself. Yeah, I was allowed to freak out a little here and there given the amount and severity of what was going on. But that didn
’
t mean I liked feeling vulnerable and open with people I barely knew.

I felt more like myself by the time I parked and led them up to my apartment. I raised an eyebrow when I got to the door and heard loud music coming from inside. The thin walls
were
only slightly muffling the sound. Was I having a party I didn
’
t know about?

“Tristan?” I called out after unlocking the door and stepping over the threshold. I gestured for Alena and Zeno to come on in and followed the noise. I froze when I saw Riley dancing around my kitchen, singing off-key as he packed a box. Apparently he was in very good spirits. “Having fun?”

“Oh shit!” he exclaimed, freezing mid-step and almost dropping the plate he
’
d been wrapping. He leaned over and shut off his iPod, which he had docked in the iHome speakers I always had in my kitchen. “Sorry, Sera. You scared the crap out of me.”

“It was interesting to come home to this as well.” I chuckled, raising an eyebrow at him. “What
’
s going on?”

“Tristan went to go get more boxes and wrapping materials. I offered to help and he said he
’
d help me pack tomorrow since I
’
m back at work Thursday.” He shrugged as if to let me know it wasn
’
t any inconvenience. “I
’
m on shift this weekend, so I
’
ll get as much packed as I can beforehand. Tristan offered to load up my stuff Saturday morning and move it to the new house. I guess he
’
s got some friends doing all the heavy lifting.”

“Glad someone
’
s been able to plan out the move.” I really was. I took note of all the boxes in the kitchen that had been placed on various surfaces. Some of which were still empty but most of them had already been all packed up and labeled.

Moving was a lot of work, and I didn
’
t have the time or energy right then to be focused on doing the necessary planning or packing, not that I could have put it off anyways. But help was always appreciated. “Alena and Zeno are here. She
’
s going to work with me and my siren.”

“Don
’
t bite me, but you need some sleep, too, Sera,” he said smoothly as he stepped closer to me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “You
’
re dealing with too much to not rest like you need to.”

“I know. She
’
s here now though, so we
’
ll work a bit and then I
’
ll take a nap. We got a break in the case but won
’
t get all the information we need until tomorrow probably, so I can figure out our next move. I
’
ll have time to sleep then.”

“Okay. If you need anything, let me know.” His smile was so bright I couldn
’
t help returning it. He went to step away and I pulled him back.

“Thank you. You have no idea how much you being so relaxed about all this helps me,” I whispered against his lips before giving him a proper hello kiss. “I don
’
t feel so alone in all of this anymore.”

“You
’
re not.” He gave me another peck and a wink. “Tristan screwed up but we talked. He really is on your side, Sera. We
’
re just idiot men. We mess up a lot.”

“Yeah, I know. But any mess right now is one I don
’
t have time to clean up.” Riley gave me a nod of understanding and we went to go find our guests. “Alena, Zeno, you remember Riley from last night?”

“Yes, of course,” Alena answered with a smile as Riley bared his throat. She leaned over and kissed his neck.

“What the
fuck
?” I shouted without even realizing it. They both turned and stared at me with wide eyes. I felt my siren stir because I
’
d gotten upset… Along with my wolf. Fuck.

“Sera, wait, don
’
t freak.” Riley held his hands up in surrender as he moved closer to me. “I thought Alena had talked to you about wolf customs otherwise we would have shaken hands. But when wolves are alone, this is how one greets an Alpha.”

“Engle kisses your neck?” I growled, trying really hard to stay cool and hear them out.

“No, but some do,” Zeno answered calmly. “There are four ways to respond to a bared throat. If I may?”

“Yes, okay. Sorry, Alena.” I took a deep breath and shook my head, clearing it and suppressing my emotions. “I wasn
’
t ready for you to kiss Riley in my home like that.”

“I meant no disrespect, Sera.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It comes so easily to me, like shaking hands does for you, that I wasn
’
t thinking.”

“Right, okay, so fill me in on how this goes.” I could understand that. It was just shocking.

“Riley,” Zeno said and
Riley
stepped forward, tilting his head submissively so Zeno had full access to his vulnerable throat. “Now, most do this, especially in public.” Zeno placed two fingers at the edge of Riley
’
s jaw, just below his ear, and moved his hand down until he reached the base of his throat right by Riley
’
s collarbone.

“So that
’
s like shaking but the one higher on the food chain does the touching?”

“Yes, exactly,” Alena agreed with a nod. “What I did, kissing his throat, is more like a hug or when someone kisses your cheek.”

“Yeah, okay, I get that. It just seems so much more intimate,” I mumbled, embarrassed that I overreacted.

“It is but wolves don
’
t respond like humans. We
’
re all wolves of a worldwide pack, even if we
’
re strangers. At least we
’
re not sniffing each other
’
s asses like wolves in the wild
,
”
s
he teased, giving me a wink to let me know she wasn
’
t upset.

“Good point.” I shook my head, smiling, feeling less like an ass. “Okay, so there
’
s two more?”

“Well, yes, but they can vary,” Zeno explained. “The ways you just saw are used to show I was happy with Riley or to act as a greeting. Say Riley screwed up and had to face his Alpha. He would bare his throat, but instead of touching him and letting him know that I acknowledge his submission, I bite him. Now, depending on how upset I was, I could go from a small nip all the way to tearing out his throat and killing him.”

“Holy shit,” I gasped, my eyes practically popping out of my head. “Another reason I won
’
t ever be baring my throat to Engle.”

“The
only
time you bare your throat is when you feel a wolf is stronger than you. It doesn
’
t matter that Engle is your Alpha, he is a weaker wolf to you, Sera.”

“Okay, now what do you mean by
stronger
?” I asked, holding up a hand to talk this out when she started to speak. “I know your aura or whatever is more powerful than mine.” I made sure to look at Alena then. She was the stronger of the two
of us
, and while Zeno was no slouch, my wolf wouldn
’
t submit to him. “But in a fight, I would most likely take you down. So which do I go with? Or is there a way to greet when you feel you
’
re at a draw?”

“Very good, but let us finish the fourth way to greet someone when they bare their throat to you first,” she said with a smile. I nodded for her to go ahead. “Now the last one works two ways but it basically the same. Riley, bare your throat to Sera.”

“My pleasure,” he practically purred, moving incredibly close to me. He tilted his neck again and shivered with anticipation.

“Since Riley is yours, as in you sirened him and you
’
ve been intimate and he shares your bed, you touch him intimately for all to see. Basically you
’
re staking your claim,” she explained.

“Can you show me with Zeno?” I chuckled, not sure what
intimate
meant for wolves. She nodded and walked over to her mate. Zeno gave me a wink and bared his throat to her. Alena licked his neck and cupped his groin. “Okay, wow. So I basically grope Riley?”

“Yes.” She snickered. “But it
’
s important to show a sign of affection on his throat. Licking, kissing, maybe a love bite.” She let go of Zeno and they started over. “Now, if it
’
s someone you
’
re interested in taking to your bed, you can do the same thing as if making your intentions known. But I tend to be a little bit more subtle then.”

I watched as she kissed his neck and ran her hand down his back and caressed his ass.

“My turn,” Riley whimpered, still tilting his neck back. I rolled my eyes and leaned forward, licking his neck as I ran my hand over his groin. “More.”

“Don
’
t be a brat
,
” I snickered, giving his hardening body a squeeze. “We have company and I
’
m learning here.”