Poisonous Desires by Selena Illyria Page A

over, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. What’s her name? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
    She mulled over the question. The pros and cons were far too many. Nadia looked over at Urban, who looked so relaxed and sexy. He’d rolled down the window at some point. Wind ruffled his hair. She licked her lips. Without a thought, she reached over and ran her fingers over the side stubble. The prickles tickled her skin and set off sparks along her arm. “Your hair got longer. Time for a cut?”
    He shook his head, grabbed her wrist, turned his head, and kissed her palm before going back to focusing on the road. “No, not yet, and no changing the subject.”
    She sighed. “Her name is Milena . My mother always wanted to go to Europe, so she gave us European names.” The words slipped out as if greased by oil, so simple and easy. No resistance necessary.
    Not that her father ever called them by their proper names. Nitwit, Moron, Whore, Slut, Witch, Failure One and Failure Two, among other things. Tears burned in her eyes. She squeezed them tight as the heaviness and knot in her heart returned. She took shallow breaths and tried to suppress the pain. Her psychic and emotional wounds ripped open as echoes of the past rolled around her head. The purring of her snow leopard dulled the ache.
    Urban brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Hey, baby, what’s wrong? Where did you go?”
    His touch muted some of her turmoil, but not enough. Tears slipped down her cheeks unbidden. “Fuck,” she muttered and wiped them away before more could fall. “Nothing, don’t ask, don’t,” she warned.
    Despite years of therapy and Zerik’s help, she couldn’t talk about it. Anger roiled in her stomach, breaking the moment. Thankfully, Urban didn’t push. He placed his hand back on her thigh and rested it there. She took solace in his touch but said nothing more. Her mental and emotional walls snapped into place, although with effort. Nadia needed alone time, a way to bring her defense back up and be stronger than before. With Urban here, she couldn’t breathe without his cologne in her nose; his presence continued to hit her like waves or punches, depending on how she felt. Right now she was too open. He saw too much; she felt so vulnerable, too naked. How could he see me? How could he read me so well? Fear trembled over her arms and legs and caused her stomach to quake. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, holding each breath for a second before exhaling. Nadia continued the process until her emotions were under control.
    Urban ran his hand up and down her thigh with light pressure. “I won’t, I promise. We’re here.”
    He turned into a dirty parking lot strewn with trash and dust filled with luxury SUVs, sedans, and pick-ups. There were no children in sight, which was curious. “Where are all the pups?”
    Urban chuckled. “No kids allowed. The Summit is pretty much a vacation for parents. Interestingly enough, most of the alphas don’t have kids. They pass on the alpha status to the strongest among their pack, not a child or a sibling.”
    Nadia tried not to frown. “That’s weird. Most felines want to pass on their dominant status to their kids if they can hold out long enough. Zerik doesn’t have any kids, not even stepchildren, and he’s in the process of a divorce, but he’d never leave his Head of the Quorum status to anyone but blood. So I guess Inessa is out of luck.”
    She groaned as she heard herself. Zerik wouldn’t be happy if word got back to him that she was talking out of turn, and to a werewolf, no less.
    “You and Zerik close?” Urban’s tone was low, but she could hear the edge in it.
    Nadia considered not telling him anything but decided against it. He hadn’t made a big deal out of knowing she had a sister or what her name was, so why not give him more and see what happened. “ Zerik helped me get through a tough time and