RAFF

Raff struggled to rein back his smile when the stubborn woman turned at the sound of his voice. To his relief, she'd tossed the contacts and wig. The chatty older waitress swallowed nervously, and he wondered just how much she actually knew about him. Camden was a hotbed for supernaturals, mostly Fae and a few witches, and they knew the truth about what happened out on his land. And about who he was. What he was.

"She was my mother," he continued. "She died giving birth to me."

The woman furrowed her brows. "I'm sorry. That's sad, but it hardly seems like a reason to warn me away from them."

If he'd been in wolf form then, his ears would have gone erect at her words. As it was, something else was becoming erect, and it was going to be a serious problem if he couldn't get it under control. He couldn't help but like that he'd been the center of her attention, even if it wasn't very flattering.

"And why would you need to be warned to stay away from me? I thought you'd decided that all on your own?" A heady aroma of anger, confusion, and arousal swarmed around her and overloaded his nose and common sense.

"That's my cue to leave love. Holler if you need me," her friend said with a not so subtle wink.

"You seem like a reasonably intelligent individual," the spirited woman snapped as soon as the other woman was out of earshot.

Confused, he responded, "I'd like to think so."

"Right, but see here's where I start to doubt that line of thinking. I asked you to leave me alone, yes?" He started to speak, but she threw up a hand. "This is the complete opposite of leaving me alone. Is this a language barrier? Because if it is, I'm happy to find a translator."

His mouth worked furiously, but no sound came out. He could envision his wolf flopping down on his haunches, head turned to the side, with his tongue rolled out. Like a freaking domesticated dog. But he couldn't even be mad about it; she was so damn adorable when she was pissy, which meant she was adorable all the time because he'd yet to see her act any other way. Minus her lap dance of course...Down boy.

"But seriously," she insisted. "This is too much."

"I'm Raff," he responded, thrusting his hand out.

"Raff. I thought that was your dad's name."

"Named after him." Truth was always better than lies because lies were easy to tangle and confuse, but he'd committed himself to this charade when he'd said Meghan was his mother.

"Not that I don't appreciate the introduction-now I have a name for the police report I should be filing- but why are you here?"

"Are you not going to provide me with your name?"

The corner of her mouth lifted. An almost smile. "You seem like the type who would've run a thorough background report on me already. You should know my name, blood type, and when I lost my first tooth."

Raff had attempted to research the girl, but she didn't seem to exist. The mystery was a valid excuse to keep tabs on her. That's what he told himself. Solving the puzzle before him was just part of his duty as Alpha of the Orion pack. A way to protect his people.

"Fine. I'm Meribella. Most people call me Bella for short."

Meribella. The name conjured up indigo seas beneath dusky, star speckled skies. Bella meant beautiful, but she was so much more than that. "I'll call you Meribella."

"You shouldn't be calling me anything. Look, I don't think you're a bad guy. You would've hurt me already if you were, but I don't need a protector, or whatever it is that you're offering. I'm sure there are other women who would welcome your advances."

"I'm glad you no longer think I'm a danger."

"I didn't say you weren't dangerous. I just don't think you'd intentionally hurt me." Meribella's scent was smooth and calming- citrus and sun. Honesty.

"What if I was offering something else?" he proposed.

Those eyes, cerulean today, widened with curiosity before dimming. Whatever ground he'd gained with her last night and today could be lost if he said the wrong thing.. The lump in his chest shuddered before beginning to thump wildly. Few things scared him more than that the revival of that organ, but he tossed caution to the wind.

"Friendship?"

"Friendship? I think we need to revisit the idea of a translator again." She stepped forward and straightened his suit jacket. To the outsider, the movement would look friendly, but the heat exchanged between the two of them as her hands lingered was anything but. "The things I did last night... I don't do those things to friends."

The grasp on his control frayed, and all he could see was the vein thrumming in her exposed neck as she peered up at him through thick lashes. His canines would sink into her flesh, marking her as his. Just like she'd marked him last night, even if she wasn't aware that's what she'd done.

How easy it would be, to play her game. Because that's what this was to her. Another chance to tease him.To push his buttons and check his sincerity. The sultry spice of her desire gave her away. Biting back a groan, he mentally ordered himself to find a willing fae woman to ease his lust. Otherwise, he wasn't going to survive this woman. Or she won't survive you.

The thought sobered him up immediately, and he stepped away from her. Not so fast that she would be insulted, but obvious enough to make a statement. "We just seem to get off on the wrong foot everytime we see each other. Let me take you to dinner. Get to know you." And get some food in you.

"Thanks," she said, "But no. I don't need friends. I won't be here much longer anyways." She pulled her black hair back in a ponytail, all signs of the seductress disappearing.

"Where can you go? You don't have a car." The question was laced with a panic that made him cringe. He could find her wherever she went, but then he'd truly be a stalker. And he couldn't abandon his responsibilities to his pack. Not with the Starless pack nipping at the borders of their territory. Vultures, the entire lot of them.

"Wherever I want. I'm resourceful."

"Clearly, it's why your tires were so bad that they caused an accident. It's why you're so thin, a stiff wind could carry you away. That's the same pair of jeans you've worn each time I've seen you. I can tell because of the small hole in the knee. And you live in a shack by the sea."

Faster than he thought possible for a human, she snatched a glass from the bar and threw it at him. It parted his hair as he ducked, shattering against the tin wall with a ringing bang.

Seething, she jabbed a finger into his chest with considerable force. "You do not get to come into my life and dictate it based on what you perceive to be the right way of living! No man gets to tell me what to do, how to do it, or where I can go!"

The fragrance hit him then. Of all the unique scents that swirled around her, changing with every emotion, this one had only been there the night he'd pulled her from the car. The pungent musk of an animal- whether hers or another's (the thought made his vision blur with promised violence), he couldn't be sure. He recognized a shifter within moments of entering a room- their condescending superiority a dead give away if their smell didn't do the job. She could be mixed, but it was a type he'd never encountered before. And if she had been claimed by another...

Joe stepped out of the back, drawn by the broken glass and shouting. He gave Raff a warning look. The man knew what he was capable of, but he cared enough about his employee to threaten violence with that look.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, the words bitter in his mouth.

"Wh-wait. Did you apologize?"

"Yes, I spoke without thinking. I assume you already know I can be a bit brash when I don't get my way."

Meribella removed the finger burrowed into his chest. A normal man would have a bruise later. "A bit?"

"Look, you're here now, right? One dinner. If my company is so abhorrent, then this will truly be the last time you have to deal with me."

"What do you get out of this?"

"The pleasure of your company-" he stopped when she rolled her eyes. "The honest answer? I don't meet many people who challenge me. You challenge me."

And there it was. The brilliant smile he'd been dreaming of. "One dinner."

"Good. Mcarty's tomorrow? Seven?" The steakhouse was world renowned and classy as hell. She'd have a hard time finding fault with it. Her delicate nose wrinkled with distaste. "No?"

"The Lighthouse."

"Seafood?" He shuddered. Surely, they would have a steak on the menu.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all. Tomorrow at seven?"

Meribella nodded. "It's a date."