Jessica Sims - Wanted - Wild Thing

“I told you. I am a primordial. Not Alliance.” Hugh looked affronted at the very suggestion. “I am not one of these puny, scared weaklings, and I need no help against wolf packs.”

“I just meant—”

“And these shifters cannot protect you.”

“Why not? They protect all supernaturals.”

“Because I will destroy all of them to ensure that my vow is not broken.”

A chill ran down my spine and I stared at him, noticing again the length of his sharp teeth, the claws tipping each finger, the absolute slabs of muscle covering his frame.

Hugh was dangerous. He was here to “protect” me from anyone and everyone that might get in the way of Finian’s wants. Because Finian was holding something over his head. Something he wouldn’t tell me about.

This had me stymied. How could I fix this?

Could I go to Beau and Bathsheba for protection? As the head of the Alliance, Beau Russell ran everything paranormal-related and had a really long reach. He could solve almost any problem. His wife, Bathsheba, “Bath” for short, was my boss at the dating agency, and I could go to her, too. Explain what I was and ask the Alliance to help protect me from Hugh and Finian. They’d do it. They’d be miffed that I’d been hiding my real nature from them, but they’d help me out. That was what they did.

But . . . then what?

I’d still be turning fully into my changeling self on my birthday, unable to help it.

It wouldn’t help me find my True Love, the one who could break my curse.

And . . . Hugh would apparently destroy all of them to ensure the vow was not broken.

Like it or not, I had to throw my lot in with Hugh and Finian for now to keep everyone safe. I looked over at Hugh as he ate. He was watching our surroundings with keen-eyed fascination, clearly trying to absorb everything he could.

I needed Hugh on my side. Maybe if I could get him to work with me, he could share more information with me about what I was, and how I could break my curse before I became a full-blown changeling.

That seemed like the best plan available. So I smiled at Hugh, turning on the charm. “Enjoying your meal?”

He grunted, unwrapping yet another sandwich and eating half of it in one bite.

Undeterred, I said, “Since you and I will be working closely together for the next month, you need to understand more of what’s going on.”

Hugh looked over at me, eyes narrowing. “Do tell.”

“Well, for starters, no one but you and Finian knows that I am a changeling.”

He grunted again and gave a quick nod. “That is for the best.”

“It is,” I agreed. “But everyone is going to wonder why you are constantly around me and guarding me. They will ask questions. You need to tell them that you’re with me because you’re signing up for the agency and you’re shy, and I’ve offered to help you ease into the dating waters.”

He chewed slowly and looked over at me. “Female, I understand naught of what you just said.”

This man was making it awfully hard to be cheerful. My smile became tight with strain. “First off, I’m not going to answer you if you continue to call me ‘female.’ ”

“Ah, yes. You shall put your wee fist in my face.” He chuckled.

Now I was pissed. “Actually, I will push this, ” I said, pointing at the hazard lights button on the dashboard and bluffing, “and your seat will move forward so hard and fast that your balls will end up in your throat.” I let my finger hover over the button. “So go on—call me ‘female’ again.”

He stopped chewing, and the amusement vanished off his face, replaced by speculation and a hint of admiration. “Ryder,” he said gruffly.

“That’s better.” I let my voice become sweet, and I dropped my hand away from the hazard button. “All I’m trying to say is that you have to blend in. It’ll be easier for you to guard me if no one suspects your real motivation.”

“This is true,” he admitted. “But I cannot lie. It is against the nature of a primordial to portray themselves falsely.”

“It’s not a real lie,” I cajoled. “Just a teeny-tiny one. We’ll sign you up for the agency, and you can pretend to be shy. It’s not such a stretch that I’d take you under my wing and help you out. I’m known to be a bit flirty with men,” I said, and fluttered my eyelashes at him.

Hugh stared at me. Swallowed his bite of sandwich. Shook his head, ever stubborn. “I will not lie.”

I gave him an exasperated look, resisting the urge to dump my coffee over his tangled braids and scowly face. “What do you do when someone asks you something incriminating? That would be bad to answer?”

“I simply do not answer.”

“Good,” I said, seizing on that. “Perfect. If someone asks you something that will contradict the story that I make up about why you’re here, just don’t answer. It’ll go well with the whole ‘shy’ cover story.”

He glared at me. “I do not like this.”

“Well, welcome to my world, Hugh. I don’t like any of this.”

Another noncommittal grunt.

“All I ask is that you let me do the talking, and if you don’t agree with something, you just say nothing. That helps me keep my secret, which helps you keep me safer.”

A long pause. Then a grudging “Very well.”

“Good.” I turned the car on again. “Let’s go back to the office and see how poor Savannah is doing. Hopefully she hasn’t puked her guts out.”

“She is dying?”

I raised an eyebrow at his question. “No, she’s pregnant. Don’t tell me they don’t have women in the fae realm, either?”

“They might,” he said. “But I am a primordial.”

Like I was supposed to have some idea what that meant? The man was like a skipped record.

By the time we returned to the office, Hugh had demolished all of the sandwiches and my car was filled with wrapper after empty wrapper. I spent a few minutes picking them up and grumbling about men before heading inside, Hugh trailing after me.

Savannah was at her desk, a bit drawn but typing, a step in the right direction. She gave me a relieved smile when I presented her with the hot tea. “Thank you, Ryder. You’re so sweet.”

“No problem,” I told her. “Marie and I used to do coffee runs all the time.” I couldn’t help the wistful note that rose in my voice.

“You miss Marie?” she guessed.

I nodded. “Now that she’s working days and I still work nights, we don’t see each other much.” We had lunches together and chatted by phone and email, but it wasn’t the same as sitting across from each other eight hours a night.

I shrugged and turned to Hugh, who was looming over my shoulder. “Go have a seat.” I pointed at the stool.

He opened his mouth, clearly to contradict me, then snapped it shut. Scowling, he moved to the stool and sat with a thump, glaring at my back. Whatever. I turned to Savannah. “Any clients on the books tonight?”

She opened her day planner. “A vampire. Frederick. Comes in at ten.”

“Oh, I know him,” I said. “He was one of Marie’s. Just flirt with him and you’ll be fine.”

She gave me a repulsed look. “Flirt? With a vampire?”

“Yeah, he’s difficult unless you know how to work him.” I leaned over the desk and gave her a saucy wink, tossing my hair over my shoulder. “Why, look at you, Fred,” I cooed. “You here to visit me? I was just telling myself that I needed a tall drink of vampire tonight.” And I licked my lips in an exaggerated fashion.

There was a sound of crushing Styrofoam and the clatter of ice cubes hitting the floor.

I turned . . . and blinked. The remains of Hugh’s destroyed cup were in his hand, and soda and ice lay splattered on the floor around him. His cat-eyes were gleaming, but the look on his face was impossible to read.