I Dated a Mob Wolf by Viola Grace
Chapter Eighteen
Liironia was born to ride. She moved effortlessly and smoothly as the huge beast thudded along under her.
A trainer from the stables guarded her, and Etgar thundered up to the exterior marquis that had been set up with tables, chairs, and a lemonade dispenser.
Etgar rode up to her and dismounted. He was wearing a custom helmet, and his ears looked adorable.
He ditched the helmet as soon as he was off the horse. “Lii is a natural. She could give half the riders here lessons.”
“Well, you are definitely going to be the favourite uncle after this. If she wasn’t so grounded, I would be worried that we were bad influences on her.” Vallu raised her head for a kiss.
Lady Daycross was sitting and reading a book; she finally sighed. “You two do have genuine affection for each other. It isn’t just lust.”
Etgar nuzzled Vallu’s cheek. “There is a lot of trust in our coming together. I honour that, and it has bred a deep respect in me. We have a mutual admiration and affection that relaxes part of my soul.”
Lady Daycross frowned. “What does Vallu get out of it aside from money?”
Vallu shrugged. “Fuck the money. I want him next to me when I wake up and go to sleep, and I want to see his face when he holds our baby in his arms. He holds me when I cry and tickles me until I laugh. He doesn’t get offended when we match wits, and he put his foot down and stayed with me when there was someone trying to kill me. All in all, I have a lot of affection for him. On my side... he makes me happy. Pure selfishness. I am happy when I see him, hear his voice or his laugh. Even watching him with Lii melts my heart. It’s been this way since our fourth date. I got excited just seeing his client number come up. Being in love is weird.”
Etgar jolted. “What?”
She covered her mouth. “I said it out loud?”
He nodded slowly.
Lady Daycross got up and muttered, “Excuse me. I have to stomp some divots or something.”
He smiled. “I didn’t think you would feel that way. I thought it was just obligation or business.”
“I would never have had a child with a man I didn’t love. That was a basic criteria for me. I wanted to be able to explain the child’s origins without lying about anything. I don’t enjoy lying.”
“I... How long have you loved me?”
“Since our fourth date. Liina had been having a rough time. I broke down while we were having dinner, and then, you just held me for an hour before you touched me until I screamed. At that point, you kissed me sweetly and sent me home.”
“I remember that. My balls were blue for three days after that.”
“And then we had another date...”
“And you rocked my world.”
“It was the least I could do for your efforts on my behalf.” She swallowed as her hunger made itself known, and it wouldn’t be satisfied with finger sandwiches on high-protein bread.
He smiled. “You want to bite, don’t you?”
She nodded. Her fangs were getting longer.
“Fine. Let me get situated and then climb onto my lap.”
She blinked and watched him take one of the larger chairs and settle into it. He held out his hand to her, and she scrambled across his lap, reaching for his arm.
“Take it from my shoulder.”
She looked at him with wide eyes, and he nodded, so she unbuttoned the first three buttons of his pristine shirt and spread the collar.
His hand came up and settled on the back of her neck. She groaned and lunged forward, biting him, and when the jet of blood began to draw, her body was awake and aware with the sensation.
She heard a sound and would have turned, but he rumbled to her and stroked the back of her neck. Her hips rocked against him, and he stroked again, setting up a slow beat of her drinking, rocking, and the full-body throb caused by the marks. She rode the wave of sensation up, and when it peaked, she moaned softly around her bite, waiting until the shocks eased before she let go. It took a while.
She healed him as she withdrew her fangs and pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder. She slowly did up the buttons of his shirt and stroked his neck without looking him in the eye.
Her fangs receded, and she looked up at him, shaken by the love in his expression.
He smiled. “You are so careful with me. Even when you have a need.”
She shrugged. “My lack of control could hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He stroked her cheek. “You won’t.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you, Vallu.”
She smiled as it felt like her heart rolled over and locked into place. “Glad to hear it.”
“The proper response is, I love you, too.” His claw tip tapped her nose.
“Yeah, but I am ahead of you. You need to catch up.”
He gave her a rueful look. “I think we need to spend our honeymoon somewhere private so I can carefully deal with that smart mouth of yours.”
She chuckled. “There is no place on earth private enough for that.”
He grinned. “I think I will see what a trip to the resort will run me.”
“Uh, I am retired. I am no longer an active escort.”
“Ah, but I am a member in good standing. I will ask.”
She wrinkled her nose. “How long are you going to maintain the membership?”
He caressed her hip and squeezed her ass. “It runs out at the end of the month.”
“Wait. You have to pay for a membership?”
“Of course. Didn’t you know?”
“No. Why?”
“It is the subscription that supports the infrastructure. The actual money from the dates is split between the escort and the company. The corporation is working toward global expansion.”
“How do you know that?”
“I am part of the original ten patrons. I was an investor in Z-Tech and offered to become an investor in Blind Date Corporation when Zera approached me about it.”
She blinked owlishly. “That long?”
“That long. My father had been incarcerated, I was young and needed to blow off steam, and I really wanted to find a mate, though Zera took every chance to warn me that the idea was not to find a mate, but rather, just have a nice time. I agreed, and I waited for you.”
She was shocked. “I had no idea.”
“Of course not. Nor did I have any idea when Lii’s mother was suffering. You were you, and I was me. Now, we are us, and we are filling in all the pieces.” He pressed his forehead against hers.
“Please, tell me you were out of college before that first date.” She mumbled it.
He started laughing and laughing. She groaned, and he hugged her. “You were the talk of the dorm; of course, they didn’t believe I had found you. They will want to meet you at the wedding. Let me know if the sniffing gets too annoying.”
“They are going to sniff me?”
“More than likely. Actually, pretty fucking likely.”
“Uncle, you shouldn’t swear at a pregnant lady.” Lii walked up.
Val tried to get away, but she was still stuck in his hug.
“Did your aunt tell you that being pregnant was a get-out-of-jail-free card?”
Lii cocked her head. “No. I just want my cousin to have a good start. Upsetting Aunty Val by cursing at her will impact the baby.”
Vallu murmured from her position against his chest. “Yeah. So there.”
He growled. “Are you pitting me against a nine-year-old?”
Val leaned back and looked at him. “Of course not. She would kick your butt.”
He sighed. “Am I to be at the mercy of the women in my life?”
She cupped his jaw. “Aw, it is cute to think that we have any mercy.”
He narrowed his gaze, and his mother announced that lunch was served.
Reluctantly, he set her on her feet, and they settled around the table for lunch.
She handed the food around, so everyone got what they wanted, and she served herself last. Lii sighed. “Aunty, you need to take what you want the first time.”
“I did that once a long time ago, and look where it got me.” She winked at her niece.
Etgar snorted.
While they ate, she asked, “So, Etgar, why do you have the day off to run around in tight pants?”
He snorted, and his tail wagged slowly. “I have already mostly extricated myself from illegal activities. I was already planning to make myself and my employees respectable.”
“Oh. Right. So, in that case, what have you been doing in your office?”
He grinned. “Wedding planning.”
She turned pink. “Oh.”
Lii looked at her. “After we eat. Aunty, you need to go for a walk. I need to discuss things with soon-to-be Uncle Etgar.”
Etgar blinked. “I am suddenly downgraded to soon-to-be? How cruel.”
Vallu smiled. “I told you, she has a lot of mean for someone her size. I will go meet the horses after lunch. Oh, Lady Daycross needs help cleaning up.”
Lady Daycross snorted. “There is nothing left but the plates and cutlery. Etgar won’t leave anything behind. What are we supposed to do with that whole roasted chicken?”
Val felt herself drooling as she took the chicken and pulled it close. “Look away. You are not going to want to see this.”
Etgar grinned. “I am very interested.”
“Fine. Time me.”
Lii lifted her watch, and there was a beep. Val started to eat. The world went by in a blur of lean protein, and when she put her hands down over the naked bones, she looked to Lii. “Stop the clock.”
Another beep. “Two minutes and forty-eight seconds. Wow, Aunty. That is... fast.”
Val got some of the lemony wet wipes and cleaned up.
Etgar grinned. “I am so proud.”
She gave him a dark look. “I am hoping that this developmental stage is short and effective at propelling things along.”
Lady Daycross blinked. “I will confirm with the chef to bring in some more chickens a week until this craving is over.”
“It is less a craving and more of a compulsion. This keeps getting stranger for me, so I am learning how my body reacts as I go along.”
Etgar placed a hand at her neck and kissed her shoulder. His fingers rubbed the marks gently. “I am fascinated to see what happens next.”
She felt her lust roar to life, and she got up suddenly. “I have to go for that walk. You have twenty minutes to chat about whatever, Lii.”
Lii was concerned. “Are you okay? You look pale and pink at the same time.”
“Fine. I just need to go for a walk.”
She walked toward the barns and the exercise yards, her heels crunching on the gravel.
She met the trainers and stable hands, being address as Lii’s aunt was not new to her.
“You are not riding today, Miss?”
“Oh. No. I have to give it a pass for a few months.”
One of the hands snorted. “You aren’t dressed for it either.”
“Erm. No. Lii makes up for both of us.”
She walked along and was greeted by friendly snuffles from the horses. It made the hands blink when even the aggressive horses greeted her with quiet admiration.
“You have a knack for horses.”
“She has a knack for all kinds of beasts.” Etgar’s voice was calm.
She looked at him, and he walked up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her shoulder. “Did you finish your talk with Lii?”
“I don’t think she ever finishes talking, but I now know what she wants to wear as your attendant.”
Val laughed and leaned back against him. “It is nice to share that part of her. She can ride for another hour, and then, we have to get to the homework.”
“Aw, there is so much around here that I want her to see.”
She chuckled. “If she finishes her homework first and on her own... she can go exploring.”
He grumbled. “Fine.”
“She isn’t going anywhere. As long as Denner is content, we can continue to have her on Thursdays.”
He growled happily. “I will take it. It seems to be a dry run of near-teen insight before I have to try it with my own.”
“She will be happy to inform you if your judgment strays.”
He kissed her neck, and the trainer froze.
“Uh, Sir, is this your fiancée?”
Etgar chuckled. “Who do you think it was?”
“Well, we thought she was your mistress.”
“Oh, I am being upgraded.” She nodded.
“You two are just so affectionate, and the women who have been introduced here in the past were... not.”
She snorted. “Ah. That. Well, I have actually known him for a few years, so the fascination with his fluffiness has only increased over time.”
There was a bit of flurry as she was properly introduced to the staff around her, and then, she looked down the stalls. “You have a lot of space here.”
“We do. Since I discontinued the club, we haven’t had much reason to host or board other horses. That is going to change, but I have to work it out with the stable manager.”
“So, who was on your team?” She smiled and then gasped as he rubbed her necklace.
“The other alphas from school.”
She blinked. “So, they are going to be coming here?”
“They are. I discussed it with them, and they have all agreed to come and stay for a few days while we practice. Their horses will be arriving next week.”
“When do they arrive?” She really wanted to find somewhere else to be when they showed up.
He looked at her innocently. “Shortly after the horses. Why?”
“Uh, they have actually seen us... interacting. I have been observed before but never with my face visible.”
He pressed his lips to her ear. “Interacting? I thought I was making love to my fiancée.”
She shivered. “Yeah, well, they saw that, too.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. If they make one move toward you or put one toe out of line, let me know. I will gut them.” He booped her nose with one finger.
“Oh. Right. The metered approach.”
He grinned. “It is what we understand. Now, would you like a proper introduction to my horse?”
She looked at his expression and nodded. “Yes, I would. Thank you. What is her name?”
“Garett, after a character in a sitcom I liked as a child. She takes care of me.”
Lii was off to learn how to groom horses at the far end of the stable, and Etgar walked Vallu in the other direction.
“Where are we going?”
“To meet my horse.”
“Is she always at this end of the stable?”
He was smirking as if she had caught him. “Of course. This is where they are housed so that they build a bit of a small herd. They have to play nice on the field.”
She looked at him. “How big is she?”
“Seventeen hands.”
She blinked. “That is pretty big for something referenced as a pony.”
He shrugged. “We can’t play in all countries, but those that like a show invite us frequently. I expect that the invitations will resume.”
“Do you travel a lot?”
They paused outside a stall, the horse a dappled grey with a sweet face. Etgar leaned in, and she nosed him hard, snuffling his clothing and lipping his shirt. He spoke to her low. “Hey, sweetness. It’s been a while, I know. How do you feel about us getting the band back together?”
The horse snuffled and shook her mane.
He grinned. “Garett, this is Vallu. She spends time with me on her back as well.”
Vallu held her hand out flat, and when the horse nipped at her, she growled and yanked her hand back. “So, not making friends there.”
He sighed and spoke to his horse quietly until she looked at Vallu with less hostility.
“Put your hand out again.”
She smiled. “I would rather not. It’s fine. Not everyone needs to like me.”
He took her hand and held it in his. Garett turned her head away and then gradually turned and snuffled their fingers before pushing her head into their hands. The head extended over the stall, and the horse bumped against Vallu’s body.
There was a pause, and then, the actions of the horse gentled. The muzzle touched the bump where the baby sat, and she stomped her hooves, and her tail swayed.
“You can maybe play with it once it is here.” Vallu murmured, “But no getting jealous.”
The horse nudged Etgar and then her. He laughed. “Yes, I know it is there.”
They stayed with her for a moment, met his backup horse, Lenire, and then, he showed her an empty stall.
“This is where the first of the team horses will visit.”
He closed the stall door behind them, and she raised her brows. “Is there a reason you closed the box?”
He nodded. “Yes. I thought you looked tired and needed to get off your feet.”
She opened her mouth to rebut that when he pressed her up against the wall of the stall and her skirt was swept up and out of the way. His kiss was seductive, his hands were persuasive, and when he rubbed the back of his knuckles into her sex, she had her confirmation that he wasn’t going to stop. When he sat her on haybales and drove into her, she had her proof.
Twenty minutes later, she was cleaned up with some straw and then his tongue. She was a bit embarrassed because while she had been able to keep silent, the low grunts and groans that he emitted had set off the horses in their vicinity. The howl of satisfaction also didn’t help.
She held his hand and hid her face in his sleeve as they headed out again. The handlers and trainers looked at them and then looked away, grinning. She knew what they were thinking, and Etgar’s wagging tail told the story of how impressed he was with himself.
She muttered, “Shut up.”
He chuckled. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Your tail is speaking volumes.”
“I have no interest in concealing the fact that I am having a good day.” He lifted her hand to his lips.
“Did you have to howl?”
He chuckled. “No, I didn’t.”
She punched him on the arm, and he laughed. They walked to where Lii was going through easy jumps and taking earnest instruction.
“She’s having a really good day.” She watched her niece.
“She isn’t the only one. I haven’t felt this relaxed in years. I should have finished my reorganization years ago.”
“Finished?”
“Yeah, I actually started getting out of organized crime years ago. Going into new technologies and renting staff to other regions for specific jobs is far more lucrative.”
“Oh, like which regions?”
“We help boost Aksalla’s agents for larger events, do some light sabotage. The usual.” He grinned. “Close your mouth, love.”
She snapped her jaw shut.
“You thought I was still racketeering and demanding protection money?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t know. I really didn’t want to know. I just want you to be safe. If you are safe, I am good with whatever happens next.”
He kissed her hand again.
Lii finished a round, paused, and waved. She waved back and leaned against Etgar’s shoulder. She was having a really good day, too.
