"No, it was a male named Riffin—"
I growl before he even gets the words out. "Is he the male that said I loved privacy and wished to be far, far away from Bee?"
Lord va'Rin continues to stroke his chin. "You think he lied?"
"I think he wants Bee for himself."
"And who do you think she wants?"
"Me," I growl. "I am the best for her." I want to pour out all the ways I am the best mate for Bee, but this male is not the one I need to convince. I need to talk to Bee. I need to see if she truly wants me gone, or if her too-cheery smiles are her way of hiding how she feels.
She has been excessively smiley lately, now that I think about it.
"Then talk to her," Lord va'Rin says. "And if she wishes to be involved with you, have her contact me and let me know. And if you do not wish to go to the coast…" His smile grows cunning. "I know who can fill the spot perfectly."
I like the way this male thinks.
22
VICTOR
Instead of waiting for Akris to return, I follow Bee's scent through town and pause in front of a building next to one with a sign written in human. I sound it out—gee n rah sto re. Oh. A store. A place where they sell things. And Bee is next to it—she'll like that. I move past the building and its strange scents, heading for the door that has my mate behind it.
I step inside and into an entryway. Waiting in the entryway is Akris, his mouth pressed into an unhappy line. Before I can ask, I hear voices. They mingle with the scents, and I pause, waiting.
"Riffin is here," Akris says unnecessarily. "Bee insisted on talking to him."
I nod and move closer to the wall. I don't enter. I listen instead to the sound of my female arguing with her former “boyfriend.”
Riffin's hated scent is everywhere. Of course it is. He's wasted no time in moving in on my mate. More than that, I can hear his voice as he says something, and Bee responds. The walls here must be thick, because I can't make out their words. So I press my ear to the wall, because I want to hear everything.
"I thought you'd be pleased," Riffin is saying. "This office is what you wanted, isn't it? But you don't look happy."
"Just…go away. I'm really not in the mood."
"Because of that creature?"
"He's a person, not a creature." There's a strange note in Bee's voice. "And I'm fine. But please leave."
"You're not fine." Pure annoyance is in Riffin's tone. "You look as if your world has ended. Surely you're not sad that he's leaving?"
"So what if I am?"
She is? My heart thuds. Perhaps she cares for me, too. Perhaps all of Bee's smiles have been nothing but her hiding her feelings, as I wondered.
"Why? I'm willing to take you back. I'm willing to try again, Bee. You and I—"
Bee makes an outraged sound. "There is no you and I, Riffin! I don't love you. I love Victor. Him leaving hasn't changed that."
She loves me? The ache in my chest eases, replaced by joy. My Bee wants me.
"You can't love him." Riffin makes a disgusted sound.
"I can and I do. He's wonderful and smart, and clever, and so very tender."
"Do not tell me of his tenderness! I can still smell your cunt, you know. I should be revolted that touching him makes you react. Do I need to be more savage? Is that what it is?"
I curl a fist in anger, and the only reason I don’t shove my fist through the thick wall to grab at Riffin's throat is because Bee laughs. Her laughter is sweet and pure and light. "You're just as clueless today as you've always been. It's not “savageness,” as you like to call it. It's because Victor listens to what I say. He pays attention to what I need…which is something you'll never learn. And it doesn't matter, because…he's leaving." Her voice hitches, and I can hear the pain in her words. She sounds hoarse, as if fighting back tears. "It's…it's for the best."
"Is it? I've half a mind to go to Lord va'Rin and tell him your feelings for—"
"Don't you fucking dare," Bee's voice turns dangerous. "I will not have you ruin this for him! He has worked so hard to be trustworthy, and if you tell anyone about me and Victor, that'll ruin things. It'll cast doubt on him. They'll think he's just 'tamed' because of me, and I won't ruin this for him." Tears threaten her voice. "He deserves the very best…so you keep your mouth shut."
"Or what? What do I get in return?" The male's voice is smug, as if he's been waiting to corner Bee with his words all along.
I growl. He doesn't get a prize from her. Only I get her prizes.
"You can't," Bee protests. "You cannot sabotage this! He needs it—"
I've heard enough. I push off the wall, my fists clenched. I have to remember not to lose my temper. Any sign of aggression from me would reflect poorly in so many ways. Even though I want to tear Riffin's stupid face off, I have a better, far more pleasing idea of how to solve this situation. I step through the automatic doors, and my senses fill with Bee's scent and her soft sound of surprise. The office is small, with large windows, multiple boxes full of various goods, and an oversized desk across from the back wall. Bee stands in front of the desk, her hands on the surface behind her, and Riffin stalks near the windows.
Perfect.
"Victor…what…what are you doing here?" There's a terrified note in her voice as she pushes off the desk. Her worried eyes move over me. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," I reassure her, crossing the room to her side. The moment I do, I tip a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at me. "I wanted to look at your beautiful face again."
Her lips part. I can see the confusion on her face as she tries to understand why I'm here in her office instead of at the clinic. "Oh, uh." She glances over at Riffin. "I didn't know you'd be back so early."
She's probably wondering just how much I heard of the conversation. Of Riffin threatening her. Of Bee confessing her love for me and how she's keeping it to herself because she wants everyone to think the best of me.
You cannot sabotage this, she'd said to Riffin desperately.
Such foolishness. As if I have ever cared about the opinions of anyone except her. She worries that her affection for me—her love—will prevent anyone from trusting that I am reformed. When will she realize that doesn't matter if I don't have her? That I do not care what happens to me if I am not with her?
So I smile down at my sweet, small, worried mate. I run my thumb along the line of her rounded jaw…and then I grab her by the hips and haul her up onto the desk.
"Victor?" Bee asks, confused as she sits atop it. "What are you doing?"
"I am sabotaging things," I say, and step between her thighs. When she looks up at me, I slip my hand between her thighs and press my thumb at the spot where her clit peeks out from her folds.
Her lips part in surprise, and I duck down and capture her mouth in a hungry kiss. Near the window, Riffin makes a sound of disgust, but Bee goes soft under me. The scent of her drifts through the air, and I slick my tongue over hers in a silent promise. I lift my lips from her mouth and she gives me a dazed stare.