“How so?”
“I don’t buy that three lycans, and if you count Raulf, four lycans just vanished within weeks of one another.” She shivered. “Something nefarious is behind this.”
“I agree.”
“Unfortunately, whether the perpetrators are human or werewolf, they know how to cover their tracks and are lying low, but trust me; they’ll strike again and soon.”
“Then we agree; you must not leave my side.”
“Umm. Not exactly. You watch my back, but that might mean from a distance. Not on a tight leash.”
“Your safety comes first.”
Okay, so much for working as a team to solve the case. Not that she didn’t appreciate him watching her ass in what could be a dangerous case. However, he might revert to big bossy overprotective alpha wolf and interfere with their mission. “We’re going undercover, which means, I might have to seduce men to get answers.”
“There will be none of that.”
“Excuse me?”
“I won’t allow you to spread your thighs for some horny hairless ape.”
His nostrils flared, and his alpha stare melted her iron will. Cricket whimpered, “Yes, sir.” She snapped out of his alpha mind trick. Her cheeks heated, not in humiliation, but in anger. “Seduction, not sex.”
“Remember, we’re pretending to be a couple.”
Pretending is right. “We are going to find out what happened to Randi, even if it means sweet talking one of his human friends.”
He growled. “We’ll see.”
Cricket stood. “I’m going to take a nap.” She cleared her throat. “If that’s okay with you, Prince Slade.” I can pretend to be a subordinate until we leave wolf territory.
He gave her a curt nod. “By all means.”
Cricket stalked toward the private suite and closed the door. Alone. Privacy. She sat at the foot of the king size bed. Ugh. He pissed her off. Why did he care who she seduced or even slept with? Shouldn’t he be more concerned about what his yet unknown alpha mate was up to? She rose from the bed, opened the bathroom door and thought about taking a quick shower.
Cricket removed her shoes and then stripped off her clothes down to her bra and panties. She reached for her carryon luggage to lay out her change of clothes when the plane bumped and she plunged onto the bed. Shit.
The seatbelt light flashed.
Camilla spoke through the intercom. “Sorry about the turbulence. We’re going through a storm. We should be out of it in a few minutes.”
Cricket dashed for the seat next to the bed and fastened her seatbelt. Another dip rocked the plane, but not too bad. “Fly them bronco.”
A growl emanated outside her closed door.
Slade. He better not go wolf. Great. Do I unbuckle my seatbelt to make sure he’s okay?
The door opened.
Slade’s feral eyes honed in on her. Fangs out. Ears furred.
Cricket swallowed. Now was a very bad time to go wolf. “Take the other seat and put your seatbelt on.”
Slade glanced at the empty seat. He narrowed his eyes at her as if she had asked him if he wanted salad instead of fresh meat. N
o werewolf ever said no to meat.
Her breath quickened. The pang of her bouncing heart startled her.