Chapter 72

Art POV

Outside Bella & Rachel's Apartment

I could tell Wright had taken my advice the moment Rachel got out of the back of his sedan. Her smile was a mile wide and the gift bag at her side was the pretty yet discreet kind which came from an intimacy store. I idly thought about calling him to goad him into talking about it, but discarded the notion as soon as it passed through my mind.

No man deserved to be mocked for following good advice, especially not when the advice was related to women.

A part of me was amused I could deliver good advice regarding women.

My past relationships had all ended badly with my last one resulting in a curse I wasn't sure I could shake. Good luck was not the kind I had and sometimes there was no way to come back from a bad trip.

Some decisions couldn't be changed. I had learned all about regrets long before being cursed.

I caught a whiff of arousal on the wind as Rachel opened the door to her apartment. She had evidently left her panties behind for Wright. I bet he would kill me if I texted him I'd picked up on the gift she'd left him.

A shudder rippled through me as I recalled the sharp teeth Wright had shown despite not having his wolf awake.

I was a gambler, a daredevil, a fan of danger, but I also wasn't a fool: I wouldn't be poking the Alpha with Wright tonight.

The Flores woman locked the door and I knew she was settling in for the night. There was no reason for me to stay at her place to watch her sleep. I wasn't the one who was in love with her or even mildly infatuated if all my cards were laid on the table.

I willed myself to the hotel where I knew I would find Nathan Lewis. He was still a wildcard in my deck and I wasn't sure I really wanted to put him into play.

The Four Seasons was luxurious to the extreme; I enjoyed looking through the suite as I wafted along in the form of mist. Lewis had no idea I was there even as he looked at me directly. I let myself admit there were some benefits to my curse no matter how much I hated it.

I drifted into a corner where I had a good vantage point to watch Lewis. He moved to the window to look outside. His discomfort was obvious in every movement. I could tell he was on edge from the stiff way he held himself and the way he seemed to pop-and-lock his way around almost as if he were a marionette dancing on strings controlled by someone else.

His anxiety comforted me into a peaceful perusal of him. I could understand a man who was emotional. Emotions stemmed from passion and I was a passionate man myself.

I wouldn't be able to creep around by will along as an invisible mist if I weren't ruled by passion.

A part of me hated myself even as the greater part enjoyed my power.

A hard knock resounded from the door, causing both Lewis and me to shift our attention to it. I didn't have a face to form an expression with but Lewis more than made up for it with the snarl he was sporting. I would have recoiled if I'd had a body to worry about.

Who knew Nathan Lewis had a dangerous face? Crazy, sure, but dangerous? That was surprising.

Lewis pulled the door open without bothering to look through the peephole. I couldn't catch the scent of the intruder in my current condition, but he clearly knew who he was greeting.

He also was clearly very displeased at the interruption to his evening.

"What do you want, Char?"

Charlotte Wright pushed into the suite with the kind of confidence which came from being raised by wolves. She was going to be an intimidating Luna one day though I knew she wouldn't be the one for Lewis. He wasn't taken in by her looks or her confidence; he greeted her as a friend rather than a potential lover.

"I want to know what you think you're doing with that Flores bitch."

The growl Lewis emitted was downright eerie. I felt hair I didn't currently have stand up on the back of my neck which wasn't currently present.

If I had been Charlotte, I would have walked right back out the door I had come in through.

"Oh please, I know you're not going to hurt me, Nate. What kind of pheromones does this female send off? I swear every male I know goes stiff the minute she walks into a room. Personally? I don't get it."

Well, I guessed I had underestimated Charlotte because I completely agreed with her. What was so special about the Flores female?

"Rachel is off-limits, Char. You don't talk down about her. Ever. I won't stand for it. I'm taking her to investigate her mother's pack. You don't need me to tell you though, do you? I'm sure her plans aren't secret."

I was sure any plans Rachel could make wouldn't be secret to someone with the resources at Charlotte's disposal. I wasn't too sure she had announced her intentions to anyone else. I idly wondered if Charlotte had gotten bugs put into Bella's apartment when Rachel moved in.

If I thought they would interfere with my investigation, I'd go looking for them. I couldn't come up with a reason for surveillance equipment to be in my way so I knew I'd leave the issue alone for now.

Charlotte stepped around the table in the foyer to close the distance between herself and Lewis. She placed a small hand delicately on his forearm as she looked up into his eyes. If I weren't a complete cynic, I would believe she was a sweet young woman showing subtle affection for a man.

"Nate, you know I care for you. Very much. I just came over because I don't think it's a safe trip to be taking. Moonglow is full of savages who basically live like animals all the time. It's no place for you."

My cynical soul sang with her tempting. She was trying her best to convince him to stay behind. I felt a headache coming on as I realized it was likely Charlotte had made some kind of deal to try to get rid of Rachel while she was in Moonglow territory. I'd have to deal with that before it got off the ground.

"Rachel asked me to go with her so I'm going. She doesn't feel safe there for the exact reason you mentioned. What kind of Alpha would I be if I sent her there alone as a pregnant female?"

"Why not let my brother be her escort? It's his baby she's carrying."

I wished I could smile at her pout. She really was a convincing actress. I might even spend some time with her after this case was resolved if she was feeling adventurous. I had zero illusions as to her virtue.

Charlotte Wright had probably lost her virginity at the first opportunity if for no other reason than to get it out of the way. She had a mercenary attitude I respected---and found very enticing.

I could never turn down a confident woman.

"She asked for me specifically. Rachel knows Tyler has a business to run and I'm out of school right now. There's no reason for your brother to lose time at his work when I have nothing pressing occupying my time."

"Goddess forbid precious Rachel doesn't get what she wants, right? She has to be protected? What about me? I thought you were going to take our mating arrangement seriously."

Now that was news to me: Lewis was genuinely entertaining an offer of mating with Charlotte Wright?

He leveled his gaze on her before saying, "I won't deny the offer is tempting. I would rather mate with you than an unknown female. We are good friends. We understand each other. We could form a good partnership. I just can't turn my back on Rachel when she needs me. She is precious to me, Char."

"She's precious to my father, too. Or she is while she's carrying my brother's heir. You know he's having her watched? She's not in real danger."

I certainly didn't know John Wright was having Rachel watched. I considered staying to hear what else Charlotte had to say, but I found the idea of others lurking around outside the apartment where Rachel was staying much more disturbing. I willed myself away as easily as I had willed myself there.

Mist moved at the speed of thought. I could only hope John Wright's watchers moved slower and weren't posing a danger to my charge. I already had one curse to live with and didn't want another if I could avoid it.

Time to save the day again, I supposed, while hoping nothing interesting happened with Charlotte and Lewis when I was busy playing the hero.