Chapter 9

BEAST.

Natalia cussed me out as I left her alone in my bedroom. A fucking virgin. I shook my head. Never would’ve guessed in a million years she hadn’t had sex with one of her many boyfriends.

Her bare skin was milky white and I wanted to feel those peachy curves against me. I snatched a pair of shorts from the dryer and put them on over my throbbing cock.

And I had wanted to bury myself inside her wetness and fuck all the other losers out of her mind forever. The way she was touching herself wasn’t like a woman trying to seduce a man. It was like she was pleasing herself and her cheeks were pink, as though she was shy, whenever she did look over at me. She looked at me like I was a goddamn prince and her hero. The vulnerability I saw in her eyes when she gazed at me, expecting me to fuck her, had me doing a double-take.

I’d had many women before… virgins and whores. And I knew the difference when I touched one. Not to mention my fucking wolf had howled inside me that she was ours. That I needed to claim her.

The intensity in her blue eyes and her full, kissable mouth were more tempting than anything I’d ever experienced with anyone before.

How easily I could’ve taken advantage of her. Been her first. But I wanted this to be something she chose on her own and not while in the middle of passion.

I clenched my hands into fists and a growl rumbled from deep in my chest. I hadn’t expected this. But I couldn’t blame her for cussing me out. She’d been embarrassed and I hadn’t helped. I tried to push the image of her touching herself away as I grabbed my radio and walked out the door.

It would’ve been easy for me to take advantage of her, but I wanted her to crave me more than anything in her spoiled, rich life.

I slid open the patio door and left her, shutting the door behind me.

Outside, the sea breeze cooled my heated skin. I kept walking until the house was out of sight. If I saw her or heard her voice, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from plowing into her sweetness. It almost felt like I was a novice, and I almost hadn’t been able to control myself. She was so wet and so eager. It had taken everything in me not to take her right then. To shove her against the bed with that ass in the air and my hands on her tits, making her beg for me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing out a breath to calm myself. The last thing I needed was to have a boner the rest of the damn day. Or think about how she moaned out my name while giving herself pleasure.

My wolf howled inside, clawing at my chest to be free. To close the distance between us and have my way with her. To sate my lust.

I gritted my teeth because giving in to my wolf right now would be dangerous. He might attack her if she came outside and then ran like prey when she saw me in my wolf form. Fleeing a predator only made things worse, and the instinct to chase and kill would be too strong for me to hold back.

The radio buzzed, but I kept my eyes shut for a moment and inhaled deeply. Then the faint whiff of the omega I had smelled in the city floated by on the breeze.

“Fuck me.” I snapped my eyes open, gazing around the island. The scent was gone as fast as it had come. Shit. Now I was imagining things. My wolf’s desire for a mate was fucking with me. Omegas went wild for an alpha to ease their heat. It would drive any alphas in range to a frenzy to claim her.

I didn’t need a mate. And I certainly didn’t need any distractions from any females.

The sooner I got Natalia off my island and away from me, the better.

My radio buzzed again.

I opened the channel, not even bothering to see who called. “What?” My bad mood filtered through my voice.

“Comrade.” Boris’s voice broke through my irritation. “Good to hear from you too.”

Fuck. I straightened my shoulders, not that he could see me. “Tell me the good news.” The sooner I got paid and got Natalia out of my life, the better.

“Wish I could. You’re going to have to sit tight for a little while longer.”

“Shit. Are you kidding me?” I was not in the mood for bad jokes. “I need to be paid double for this bullshit!”

He sighed, and I could picture him taking a long drag on his cigar.

My stomach dropped because his hesitance only meant one thing: Everything had gone wrong. I didn’t want the details, I just needed to get out of the situation I was fucking in.

“What now?”

Then he continued in Russian, mumbling small talk, something we never did. But then his tone changed, and I knew there was some light at the end of the tunnel.

“They’ll give you half for your trouble now, and if you need to get rid of her, then double what was originally agreed on.”

Murder? Her? My stomach tightened at the thought.

Hit jobs were the type where they would be going in their car, and an unknown explosive was in there. Or they would be in a bar and you’d put something in their drink or even shoot them in an alley in the dark.

It was never personal like this. Not spend two weeks on a fucking island with them and then what, accidentally drown her?

My silence clearly made him nervous as he continued to speak.

“If you don’t do what they say when the time comes, then it could get you killed, and we like having you on the payroll.”

I balled up my fist, wanting to hit something. “All right. Tell me what happened. Why did they change their mind about using her to get her father to vote?” Had they made a side deal with Natalia’s father? I wouldn’t put it past the bastards.

“Don’t know. They’re keeping it close to the chest.” Boris’s voice dropped lower. “Take the half they’re offering you and be glad to get it. You know they don’t play nice when they don’t get what they want. You best let this one go and move on to the next job.”

I exhaled. He was right. I’d taken the job because of the money. Not because I wanted to get tangled up in Natalia or her shit again. But I still wanted answers.

“I’m not gonna just let it go, Boris,” I said. “I’m gonna find out what they’re doing and why.”

“We don’t know. Half an hour ago, we just got the call that things were on hold.”

Fuck.

I kicked a rock in my path and watched it skitter along ahead of me.

“What about Roman’s vote? If he settled, it was because of the original plan of me holding his daughter as leverage.” Which meant they owed me. I clenched the radio tighter.

“It seems her father managed to put things on hold and the voting’s not to be done for now. It’s a long story.”

I stared at the phone for a moment, frustration boiling inside me. I wanted my money, but at the same time, a part of me was relieved that Natalia was safe for now. I didn’t like being used as a pawn in this game.

“Maybe we could persuade Golubev to cooperate and pay us the other half,” I offered and glanced back toward the house in the distance, imagining her in her room, thinking of me, embarrassed and frustrated after all she’d done.

My heart throbbed with longing and a regret that I hadn’t said anything to soften those hard edges and make her feel a little more comfortable with my refusal to have sex with her.

“Sure, we could try, but I wouldn’t advise it. Told you, if things don’t pan out, then you need to wipe her off the grid. As I said, she may not be our problem anymore.” Boris’s voice was cold as steel as the radio crackled. “And they’re willing to pay you double the fee originally promised. That’s it.”

“Fine.”

“This conversation is taking longer than expected. I’ll be in touch.”

“You know me, Boris,” I added in a flat voice, “I always get the job done.”

I closed my eyes and squeezed the radio in my hands. Fuck. Knowing that Natalia was in danger had rage pumping through my veins like white-hot fire. I couldn’t let anything happen to her.

I had to find out who was behind this and put an end to it. I’d get her out of here and somewhere safe before anyone could do anything to her. Even if I had to go against my orders.

Was Boris not telling me something? There were too many questions in my head at once, and I wanted to punch something or someone as hard as possible.

I had to make sure she got out of here in one piece, but I couldn’t let her out of my sight until I found out who, besides Golubev, wanted her dead. It was just him, I’d kill him without a thought. But I had to know for sure that he was the only link to this request. At least here, I knew she was safe. Keeping her alive was now my number one priority. I looked at the horizon, the waves licking the sand, and thought about how Natalia looked so beautiful naked and wanting me.

“I’ll talk to you soon, comrade.” There was a click on Boris’s end and the radio went silent.

Fuck! I jammed the radio into my pocket, my wolf howling to be let loose. But I had to deal with this shit first. I turned back to the house, and Natalia’s shadow crossed the balcony window. Had she heard my conversation? Nah, she was merely a human.

Yet, why was she still in my room?

What, did she think I would go crawling back to her like she had some magical pussy now that I knew she was a virgin?

I curled my hands into fists and stormed inside. It was time I put her in her place. Her tiptoes across the wooden floor told me she fled to her room. That wouldn’t save her. I slammed open her door and it banged against the wall. She jumped, spinning toward me like a cornered animal.