Stay.
That was all he said.Stay. And Nica did. Of course, she didn’t let it go to her head. Thor said very little in general, and his wing had three bedrooms and a bathroom. Clearly, there was enough space for her.
No, she didn’t make it weird. Or at least, she tried not to. He couldn’t be interested in someone like her, anyway. But sometimes, to her secret pleasure, she found his eyes on her. Oh yes, sometimes he seemed to track her movements with intense, dark eyes.
It flattered her when she caught his attention even for a minute. Thor was something else. Something other. The rest of the Pack treated him with a mixture of respect and awe, and it was easy to see why.
Part of her living with the Pack deal was that she would work to pay her way. Nica didn’t mind at all, in fact, she loved working. As a Shifter, she had oodles of energy, and as a bird, well, she could get a bit flighty if that energy wasn’t properly channeled.
So, yeah, working was a no brainer. And working at Serious Moonlight, the roadhouse she remembered hearing about from people in her old life, well, that was a thrill in and of itself. The place was renowned for their excellent dining, which she got to sample from world class chef, and Pack beta, Brock Laurent himself. The bands were phenomenal. And she had the best view whenever she worked at the front bar.
Sigh.
Nica’s eyes darted across the room to where Thor sat, watching the door in his position as bouncer. He wore fitted jeans and a tight black t-shirt, his permanent scowl already in place. Boy, but he was fine. The man was enormous. Taller than the rest of the Pack, with huge cords of muscles roped around his body. She’d seen him without a shirt once and had dreamed about it for days after.
His shoulders were immense, pecs curved and hard, and his abs had abs before they tapered off to his trim waist. And yes, he even had that elusive V she’d read about in some of the racier novels she once borrowed from an online library. Still, for all his size and strength, Thor managed to not look bulky.
He looked perfect,er, well, he looked good. Just as she thought it, his black eyes flashed at her, and Nica squeaked, dropping the bowl of lemons she was currently slicing for drinks. Darn it. He always seemed to know when her thoughts started taking a naughtier turn than normal. But Nica couldn’t help it. At least, not when it came to Thor.
Crud.
She really needed to find a better hobby than Thor-watching. She was becoming something of a stalker, she mused, shaking her head. Too bad the big, bad Wolf didn’t seem to notice her at all. Derrick, the Alpha, couldn’t have picked a better man for the job. His aura seemed to scream Enforcer, even if that secret part of her, her Raven side, who sometimes saw more than it should, whispered to her when no one else was around.
He’s not just an Enforcer. He's much more. Mine.
Eek! Nope. She was not going there. Besides, it didn’t matter what the bird thought. Thor Ulger might be one badassed motherhumper, strong, loyal, handsome as sin, especially with all that marvelous body art, but there was one more thing he was. And that was not interested in Nica Corvo.
Not in the least.
So yeah, she could admire his body, and his gorgeous and intricate tattoo work, but only from afar. Thor wanted nothing to do with her, obviously. When all was said and done, Nica would leave someday soon, and that would be that.
Speaking of tattoos, she wondered why his back was the only part of him that seemed free of ink. Maybe it was because he couldn’t reach it. She’d learned from Sheila, the Alpha’s cousin, that Thor was responsible for all the body art in the Pack, and the thought of that man as an artist stole her breath away.
Her favorite piece was a wreath of flames circling his thick neck. Fire had never looked so hot as it did on him. The man simply had too many muscles for one person. It was hardly necessary, for Pete’s sake. But there it was.
There he was. Like some Greek, or in his case, Norse god, looking down on the rest of the mortals from his lofty perch,er, barstool. Muscles rippling with every move, he seemed oblivious to all the female eyes coveting him, and Nica felt her jealousy rise in response.
Sighing, she went back to cutting lemons after having retrieved them from the bar top. She had no business feeling possessive about the man. Thor wasn’t hers.
“Take a picture, honey. It lasts longer,” Sheila said, surprising her.
She winked as she wiped down the bar where Nica was supposed to be working, slicing lemons, and filling the condiment trays. Her cheeks burned at being caught staring. She was just glad the pretty she-Wolf could not read her train of thought.
Nica would have sounded like a crazed female in heat, the way she was panting after the man who clearly was not interested. Besides, there was no reason for this other than maybe some misplaced hero worship.
Raven Shifters did not experience a heat cycle. Not like Felines or Canines did. Bad enough she’d fallen from the sky to land in his lap, literally. The last thing she needed to do was walk around, giving him puppy eyes.
But it was more than that, even she was not ready to admit it aloud. Thor was the first male she had ever really felt connected to. Her Raven croaked, the deep guttural sound making her animal’s preference for the male known.
Chapter3
The music got louder as the band switched from a power ballad to something faster, so folks could dance. Nica tapped her foot and shrugged, slightly embarrassed at being caught by her peer.
“I wasn’t staring exactly,” Nica mumbled, but Sheila just gave her a look.
“Yeah, right, but Nica, you can look all you want. Still, you should know that Demon Wolf right there is not like the others. Thor is deep. He’s got power and a temper, too,” Sheila informed her.
“Demon Wolf? Like he’s evil or something?” Nica asked, confused.
