I Dated a Mob Wolf by Viola Grace
Chapter Ten
Walking back into Z-Tech, they got a few looks, and Vallu was pretty sure that it had to do with the quarter of a million dollars worth of bling around her neck, ears, and wrists.
“Hey, Jacob. Are the kids done?”
He held up two visitor passes. “They are in the bio-mech lab.”
“Thanks.”
“Uh, Vallu?”
She paused while grabbing the passes. “Yes?”
“You look really good. Like really good.”
“It’s probably the dress.” She smiled and took Etgar’s arm again, handing him one of the lanyards. The light tug of the ribbon on her neck caused a sympathetic reaction, and she smiled through gritted teeth as they entered the elevator. “You are so not getting any tonight.”
He chuckled. “That bad?”
She looked at him, and she could tell her pupils were dilated. “What do you think?”
He looked at her and kissed her. She started shaking. When the elevator doors opened, she pulled away and walked out on wobbly legs. She headed to Arcady’s lab or, rather, Krizt’s lab.
“How do you know where you are going?”
“I have been here before. I temped here after I quit the mortuary I was working at, and I know the layout of most of the building. They send temps everywhere.”
“Is that how you know Jacob?”
“Yup. His wife used to bring in cupcakes for the temps. She took pity on us. That’s how I came to Zera’s notice when she was getting Z-Tech set up and I was temping, then when she needed a stable of escorts, she asked me to join in.” She had her arm curled around his as she steered them through the maze of security gates and airlocks.
When they got to the lab, Lii turned as they entered, and she froze. “Wow, Aunty Val. You look. Wow.”
Krizt stared at her, and he nodded. “She is very... riveting.”
Arcady grinned. “It’s her glow. It’s started. In her, it is literal.”
Vallu walked to her niece and hugged her. Lii paused and then hugged her back. “I don’t want to get you dirty.”
“Don’t worry about it. I am not paying for it.”
Lii giggled, and Etgar sighed. Baola smiled. “You look very pretty, Ms. Vallu.”
“Thank you, Baola. I see that you two have been through all the offices.”
Arcady chuckled. “How do you know?”
“The candy wrappers. So, did we want to head off for lunch? Lunch, anyone?”
The girls nodded, and Arcady grinned at Krizt. “Did you make the call?”
“I made the call. He has our usual table ready and is begging for a calm and friendly lunch. No shenanigans.”
“Excellent. I promise to be on my best behaviour.” Arcady smiled.
Baola nodded seriously. “Me, too.”
Ylara chuckled. “I refuse, but then, my worst isn’t that bad.”
Etgar smiled. “And then, after lunch, those of us who don’t have normal jobs can go and get Vallu an engagement ring. I think she would like the group effort and as many opinions as we can get.”
Just like that, they were off.
Arcady and Krizt went in his vehicle, and the rest of them climbed into the SUV with the guards. It was only a few blocks, but it was a nice ride with the girls telling them about all that they had seen.
Ylara was amused. “It was an informative hour and a half. You look a bit more relaxed. Certainly, you are sparklier than you were when you left.”
Etgar smiled. “Lii said that Vallu should dress prettier. This fulfilled that requirement.”
Lii beamed, taking full credit for how her aunt looked.
They arrived, and the guards escorted them out of the vehicle in the parkade, and then, two of them came up to the restaurant and waited in a bodyguard parking area with bread, soup, and snacks.
A cheerful woman who greeted Arcady warmly led them into the restaurant and past a room full of humans who were staring at the physical actives who were having a leisurely lunch. A pink and crimson woman perked up as they passed, and Arcady winked.
Krizt sighed as they passed. “She’s our fourth.”
Lii looked to Vallu, and she nodded, whispering, “Later.”
A number of people drew up short and glared at the girls, but Vallu showed fang and growled at them. The humans were suddenly interested in their plates.
“Easy, baby girl. Don’t bite anyone. Lunch in a few minutes.”
She laughed brightly and said, “Well, it took the other problem off my mind.”
He sighed. “Pity.”
They sat at the owner’s booth, and their group of seven arranged themselves comfortably with room for a few more. It was a good thing that they did. Corianne came to the table, and the girls looked at her, nodding politely, before she was kissing Arcady on the lips. “Hello, dearest.”
Vallu chuckled. “Now is the time for that explanation. Any specific questions, Lii?”
“Why did Krizt say they were a group of four?”
Krizt winced.
“Well, as you know, different actives have different adaptations.”
“Like your healing and teeth.”
“That’s right. That meant that when I wanted to find a boyfriend, I needed to look for one with teeth as well. I knew what I needed because my adaptation told me what to look for, like a voice in my head.”
“Okay, but four?”
“Well, sometimes relationships are like ingredients. Everybody brings something that the others don’t have. Krizt and Arcady are the starter ingredient, but then Arcady used to date Corianne and someone else who you might meet one day.” As if summoned, Tycho came around the corner. Vallu chuckled. “Or you might meet him right now. Tycho, Corianne, this is my niece, Lii, her friend Baola, and Baola’s godmother, Ylara. Oh, and my fiancé, Etgar.”
Etgar chuckled.
Tycho grinned and sat next to Corianne.
Lii looked at the four of them. “Oh, I see it now. They are all versions of a theme. They all have sharp teeth.”
Arcady laughed. “Ah, but your aunt also has sharp teeth.”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t need three people; she just needs one.”
Etgar chuckled. “She’s getting a pony.”
Tycho laughed, Corianne grinned, Krizt sighed, and Arcady blushed. Ylara just nibbled on the skinny breadstick and smirked.
Tycho looked at her. “Do I know you?”
She coughed. “Yup. But we only met once.”
Klauz came around, and he stared, shook his head, and looked at his brother. “You owe me for this.”
He looked at Etgar and nodded, looked at Vallu and smiled. “Congratulations. I will get you something special.”
He looked at the girls and the others, nodded and grinned. “Okay, not as bad as I thought.” He left.
Corianne smiled. “Which reminds me, Etgar, I have those accounts prepared. Is your fiancée the recipient?”
He nodded. “She is.”
“I will need to process her identification. Vallu? Would you offer blood or saliva?”
“Uh, saliva. Blood is getting me into trouble today.”
Etgar moved, and she got up and walked over to Corianne, and when the woman lifted her head, she kissed her. The kiss got deeper than Vallu would have liked, but when she lifted her head, Corianne’s eyes were shining. “Account authorized, and the link is being processed. You will have access to the funds in about ten minutes.”
She stroked Corianne’s neck. “Thank you, Corianne.”
There was surprise in her expression as her pink skin shivered at the light touch. “That’s new.”
Etgar eased Vallu back around the table and next to Lii. “That is what happens when you play with an apex predator, Corianne.”
Tycho looked at Vallu in surprise. “I didn’t even know you had teeth.”
“I get them out for special occasions.”
She looked to Lii. “Questions?”
“Why did you kiss that lady?”
“Corianne is a banker. She is a living link between computers. She uses blood or saliva as an ultimate password to confirm someone’s identity. Etgar set up the account, so when he authorized me as a user, she recorded the identifiers in my saliva, and now, I have the money at my disposal. Arcady has an account locked the same way. Krizt and Etgar used blood.”
Lii blinked. “How do you know that?”
She smiled. “Remember that talk about birds and bees?”
“Yeah?”
“Corianne likes girls.”
“Oh. Okay. That makes sense now.”
Baola nodded. “Like Hidda’s two moms.”
Lii looked at Vallu. “Are all the people you work with and go out with like this?”
“Like what?”
“Colourful.”
“Some are. Some aren’t, but they are just people with their own way of doing things because the activation they are given moves them in different patterns. They don’t look at the world the same way. I don’t look at the world the same way that your dad does, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see what he sees. I just see a little bit more.”
Lii hugged her. “I like the way you see things. You always see me.”
“You betcha, baby.” She kissed her niece’s head and smelled the distinctive scents of activation. Liironia was going to be an early riser.
She looked to Arcady and Krizt. Arcady took one of the slices of shaved meat and tucked it into her mouth. “Zera had fun showing her all these different diagnostic machines, and she is going to contact us with results when she has them.”
She nodded. “Good.”
“Researcher Zera makes biological weapons. Guns and things. She let me shoot a stunner.” Baola smiled shyly.
Lii nodded. “And she scanned Baola, too. She’s going to start her activation next year probably.”
“Uh, isn’t that early?”
Baola blinked. “I am thirteen. I am not in Lii’s grade. We are in an afterschool research club together. I am just small. My activation is happening now. I just haven’t been able to mature yet.”
Ylara gave Vallu a little nod. “I have contacted the experts from Aksalla, where Baola was born. They are interested in running some tests.”
Vallu’s plate was set in front of her, and it was a selection of sausages, hot mustard, and pickles. The girls each got fancy meatballs with piped swirls of mashed potatoes and flowers carved from vegetables everywhere.
Etgar got a steak with bread, and Vallu didn’t care what anyone else had. She dove into her meal and used her utensils only because her niece was watching.
When her meal was done, and their meals were done, it was time to get on to the next scheduled event. When they thanked their host, Krizt grinned. “I would like to see you again. Good luck with your pregnancy.”
“Thank you.”
She turned to leave, and Corianne blocked her. Etgar ushered the girls forward.
“Yes, Corianne?”
“Um, Miss? May I have another? I have never felt that before. I am normally the aggressor.”
“Ah. I see.” She slid her hand behind Corianne’s head, and she kissed her, bending her back while Arcady stared with her mouth open. She slowly stroked Corianne’s tongue with her own, and then, she lifted her head. A whimper came from her throat, and Corianne blinked in surprise. “Have a good day, Corianne.”
She waved to the remaining three and followed her little group. That was a very surreal thing. She hadn’t been considered an alpha anything. Competent, yes, but alpha, no. Maybe she should have let him mark her earlier.
He was waiting for her at the entrance, and she sauntered close to him until he took her hand. From there, it was down the elevator, into the car, and off to the jewellers. This was not a mall event.
The girls were giggling at the bodyguards, and as they were ushered into the jeweller, Vallu was settled on a couch, and the others went wild looking for a ring that would suit her. Vallu didn’t particularly care. She was still reeling. She had said yes. What the hell had she been thinking?
She was served champagne and asked for tea instead.
They paused, nodded, and went to get her some tea. She waited, and when the tea arrived, she put the sugar in it with the tiny tongs, and she sat there sipping her tea and watching Etgar and Lii make the shop assistants nervous. The other two were just having fun.
She felt another flutter, and her gasp got Lii’s attention.
“Aunty, what is it?”
She took Lii’s little hand and pressed it over her tummy. Lii blinked. “Did you swallow a fish?”
Val smiled. “The baby started moving when I went for my nap.”
Lii felt one last flicker, and then it stopped. “It’s quiet.”
Val smiled. “Your cousin just wanted to say hello.”
Lii hugged her. “I can wait to say hello. My cousin can take its time.”
Etgar came over, and the other two trickled over to stand near Lii as the attendants brought trays of chosen gems over.
She asked Lii, “What do you recommend?”
Lii looked at the ones on the tray, and she pointed to a particular ring that made Etgar lean forward. “That one.”
Vallu sighed at the ring. It was larger than she had anticipated, but it was definitely representative of the man who was buying it. “Can I try it on?”
The attendant set the tray down, and another handed the ring over; Etgar caught it between his thumb and index claw and then lifted her finger to slide it on. If Lii picked it, it would be just right.
She looked at Etgar as the ring slipped into place. He met her gaze and looked at her hand. “It looks right.”
She looked at the yellow diamond surrounded by four drops of ruby, and she nodded. “It is definitely appropriate. I like it.”
He grinned, Lii giggled, and the assistants gasped when Vallu kissed him softly, her fingers lightly touching his jaw.
When they parted, they smiled. He nodded to the nervous assistant. “We will take it.”
Cheers went up from their little party, and the senior assistant went to clean it in front of them so that they didn’t lose contact with their precious. Etgar signed a slip, and the ring went back on her finger with a kiss pressed on top of it.
Lii gave him a thumbs-up, and they headed to a nearby bookstore. The girls darted in and looked for their treat for the day with Ylara trailing behind them.
Etgar led her over to the baby books and said, “Which one don’t you have?”
“Well, I have Expecting and Active, Beginning to Baby, and Holding Your Own.” She put her thumbnail between her teeth. He touched her hand and pulled her thumb away from her teeth.
She looked at him with narrowed eyes. “I have one nervous habit, and you are wrecking it for me?”
He chuckled. “You have a few nervous habits. This one is cute, but you need your nails.”
“Why?” She looked at him, and she saw the heat in his gaze. “Oh, you want my nails.”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
She chuckled and picked out a book for him. An Active Pregnancy. “I think the subtitle is How not to get your parts bitten off.”
He grinned. “Sensible, anything for you?”
She blushed and wandered over to the crafting section. She got a book of embroidery patterns for baby quilts. She clutched it to her and smiled. “This is the one I don’t have.”
He grinned. “Do you have all the supplies you need?”
Lii’s bright laughter came to them from the next row.
“Quiet you.” Vallu chuckled with her face sheepish. “I kinda went overboard, so I donate the extras to the neonatal unit at the hospital. Some babies wear them home, and some are buried in them, but they get one.”
“And you have more at home.”
Lii popped around the corner. “You totally have to see it. It is amazing.”
Vallu was blushing. It was her den, and she didn’t know if she was ready for him to see it.
She got a call from her brother and said, “Hey, Denner. What’s the word?”
“Stay with Etgar and keep Lii with you. I cannot stress this enough. Keep Lii with you. They haven’t been able to get in touch with the assassin, and it is ordered not to come after you if Lii is there. I have called Baola’s mom, and she is contacting Ylara right now. They are coming home with you.”
She looked at her brother’s worried expression. “That bad?”
“That bad.”
Etgar moved in behind her and said, “I’ve got her, and we are working on it from my end as well. It will be sorted.”
Lii came around. “Dad? What’s wrong?”
They all crowded around the com, and Denner said, “Your grandparents are still mad at Val, and they sent a hired killer to remove her.”
Lii gasped. “But the baby!”
“That is why they are so mad. They didn’t listen to your mom’s projection. They thought it was a lie. So, now, we have to find the people looking for her before they find Val.”
Lii frowned. “What can I do?”
“They have orders not to attack when you are present. That is something. Stay near your aunty at all times. I am sorry to ask this of you, Lii.”
Lii held her hand up the same way her mother used to. “No. I’ve got this.”
Denner looked at his daughter, and he blinked rapidly. “Yeah, you do.”
Etgar nodded, and he said, “We will get to Vallu’s house and camp out. I will make a few calls.”
Vallu nodded. “I will make a call as well. Khytten might be able to help.”
They paid for their books, got in the car, and when he had the address, Rejik drove them to her place.
Her house looked quiet and cheerful, even in the circumstances. She used her bio-entry to get through the door, and the guards went in to check out the five-bedroom house full of soft furnishings and baking.
Rejik came back from the kitchen with a stack of cookies. He handed them to the other guys and said, “You have no cookies.”
She snorted. “I will make some then. I have to make a call.”
She went up to her bedroom, sat in her comfy chair, and made her call. It took a minute before the call went through, and she smiled at Khytten’s expression. “Hey, sweetie.”
“Five! Oh, my goodness. You look wonderful.”
“Thank you, you are glowing as well. How far along are you?”
“Nearly ready to blow. Due in two weeks.”
“I would love to chat more, especially about babies, but I have a question. How do you stop an assassin?”
“Like me? At this point, a pastry on the floor will get me distracted for twenty minutes while I try and pick it up without anyone noticing.”
“No, like one willing to kill a pregnant lady for money.”
Khytten blinked. “Who are they after?”
Vallu raised her hand. “I just want to not be locked in a box for the next five months, assuming that I make it that long.”
“Well, I have your location, and Salat is driving me nuts, so I will be a nice preggo if he will go and take care of this problem for you.”
“Wait. Why would you do that?”
“The price is five baby blankets and a batch of chocolate chip cookies. You left them in my area after training to calm me down. It was appreciated.”
She blushed. “Who...”
“Zera told me when I thanked her a few months ago. I have been fantasizing about those cookies for months. How far along are you?”
“Four months.”
“How long have you been away from BDC?”
She blushed. “Four months?”
“And is the father the guy who is looming behind you?”
She heard Khytten curse, and Vallu felt her body go cold as hands strung a wire in front of her.
