beast calm. All the control he exercised in the morning had been eroded by exhaustion that was both physical and mental.
“Here they are,” Ludovico whispered, then canted his head and pointed at a group of younger guests milling around a fountain, and added, “You must trust us.” With his back straight and a slow gait, he strolled toward them. “Are you still good at pickpocketing?” he asked Raphael from over his shoulder.
“You betcha.” Raphael perked up and gave the group a better look. “Are they all were-pumas?”
Ludovico nodded. “High school buddies of mine.”
The sarcasm in the shifter’s voice was hard to miss. As it was the look of disdain one of the buddies gave Ludovico, which was followed by a series of arched eyebrows when the rest of the group turned to face them, moving in sequence like domino tiles.
“This is going to be good.” With a grin that lit all his face, Edoardo winked at Raphael. “Ready your nose and sharpen your reflexes, little wolf.”
A low, unfriendly murmur rose as they approached the fountain. Step by step, the tension grew to a palpable level, until Raphael could have stuck out his tongue and tasted the shifters’ hormones raising the hairs on his skin.
“Earl,” one of the were-pumas addressed Ludovico, but his eyes were on Edoardo.
Ludovico stopped before the puma, invading his personal space, and offered his hand. “How’s life, Carl?”
The puma’s face became red, and he dropped the hand he had raised to shake Ludovico’s. Not privy of were-royalties etiquette, Raphael watched the interaction but didn’t understand what was happening.
Ludovico’s smile didn’t falter. In fact, he showed more of his teeth. “Have you met my boyfriend?” Tilting his chin toward Edoardo, who was waiting a step behind, Ludovico invited him by his side. “Edoardo, those are the schoolmates I told you about.”
“What a fortunate coincidence to finally meet all of you.” Edoardo puffed his chest and took Ludovico’s hand in his. “I’ve waited a long time to stand before the royal brats who helped my Ludovico become the wonderful person he is.”
“How dare you!” Carl shouted, and the group moved at once, nostrils flaring and mouths snarling.
“Wolf lover.” A whisper at first, the insult was repeated and gained volume.
Yet, the couple remained untouched by the show of power from the united pack.
Edoardo turned toward Raphael and mouthed, “Now.”
Opening his senses, Raphael concentrated on the scents emanated from the pumas. Among the perfumes, the sweat, the smell of roast beef one of them had eaten earlier in the day, the acrid stench of racism, he found the sweet aroma of fresh V.
“You two make me sick.” Carl spat on Edoardo, and Ludovico punched him on the face, giving the official start to a fight that soon degenerated in vicious biting, kicking, and name calling.
As Ludovico and Edoardo seemed to have the time of the day splitting lips and knocking out teeth, Raphael concentrated in finding the vial of V before it was smashed.
His nose led him to the burliest of the group, a were-puma whose neck was as big as Raphael’s thigh. “Oh, come on.” Raphael approached the shifter from the back, trying to keep downwind and surprise him.
The puma turned at the last moment, and his eyes widened in disgust when he saw Raphael. “You—”
Whatever insult the puma had reserved for Raphael died in his mouth, when Raphael barreled into his chest. He feigned to the side before making contact, smashing his knee against the puma’s groin instead. This time, Raphael didn’t feel any remorse in playing dirty. His right hand slid under the big oaf’s expensive jacket, and with the softest of touches he removed the small vial without the puma being the wiser.
Leaving the were-puma on the ground, Raphael gave Edoardo the thumbs up and moved out of the way, heading toward the exit. A few minutes later, the couple joined him outside of the
“Here they are,” Ludovico whispered, then canted his head and pointed at a group of younger guests milling around a fountain, and added, “You must trust us.” With his back straight and a slow gait, he strolled toward them. “Are you still good at pickpocketing?” he asked Raphael from over his shoulder.
“You betcha.” Raphael perked up and gave the group a better look. “Are they all were-pumas?”
Ludovico nodded. “High school buddies of mine.”
The sarcasm in the shifter’s voice was hard to miss. As it was the look of disdain one of the buddies gave Ludovico, which was followed by a series of arched eyebrows when the rest of the group turned to face them, moving in sequence like domino tiles.
“This is going to be good.” With a grin that lit all his face, Edoardo winked at Raphael. “Ready your nose and sharpen your reflexes, little wolf.”
A low, unfriendly murmur rose as they approached the fountain. Step by step, the tension grew to a palpable level, until Raphael could have stuck out his tongue and tasted the shifters’ hormones raising the hairs on his skin.
“Earl,” one of the were-pumas addressed Ludovico, but his eyes were on Edoardo.
Ludovico stopped before the puma, invading his personal space, and offered his hand. “How’s life, Carl?”
The puma’s face became red, and he dropped the hand he had raised to shake Ludovico’s. Not privy of were-royalties etiquette, Raphael watched the interaction but didn’t understand what was happening.
Ludovico’s smile didn’t falter. In fact, he showed more of his teeth. “Have you met my boyfriend?” Tilting his chin toward Edoardo, who was waiting a step behind, Ludovico invited him by his side. “Edoardo, those are the schoolmates I told you about.”
“What a fortunate coincidence to finally meet all of you.” Edoardo puffed his chest and took Ludovico’s hand in his. “I’ve waited a long time to stand before the royal brats who helped my Ludovico become the wonderful person he is.”
“How dare you!” Carl shouted, and the group moved at once, nostrils flaring and mouths snarling.
“Wolf lover.” A whisper at first, the insult was repeated and gained volume.
Yet, the couple remained untouched by the show of power from the united pack.
Edoardo turned toward Raphael and mouthed, “Now.”
Opening his senses, Raphael concentrated on the scents emanated from the pumas. Among the perfumes, the sweat, the smell of roast beef one of them had eaten earlier in the day, the acrid stench of racism, he found the sweet aroma of fresh V.
“You two make me sick.” Carl spat on Edoardo, and Ludovico punched him on the face, giving the official start to a fight that soon degenerated in vicious biting, kicking, and name calling.
As Ludovico and Edoardo seemed to have the time of the day splitting lips and knocking out teeth, Raphael concentrated in finding the vial of V before it was smashed.
His nose led him to the burliest of the group, a were-puma whose neck was as big as Raphael’s thigh. “Oh, come on.” Raphael approached the shifter from the back, trying to keep downwind and surprise him.
The puma turned at the last moment, and his eyes widened in disgust when he saw Raphael. “You—”
Whatever insult the puma had reserved for Raphael died in his mouth, when Raphael barreled into his chest. He feigned to the side before making contact, smashing his knee against the puma’s groin instead. This time, Raphael didn’t feel any remorse in playing dirty. His right hand slid under the big oaf’s expensive jacket, and with the softest of touches he removed the small vial without the puma being the wiser.
Leaving the were-puma on the ground, Raphael gave Edoardo the thumbs up and moved out of the way, heading toward the exit. A few minutes later, the couple joined him outside of the
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