Tasting The Enemy

Elaine POV

“Why do I have to be in on this?” Francine scowled.

“Because you owe me one and it seems like you’re a frequent visitor anyway,” Lucas said through gritted teeth.

“You’ve been going to the Black Claw pack, kid?” Azaire asked, sounding like her father instead of her cousin.

Francine clenched her jaw and glared at Lucas. He lifted his shoulders and looked away. My brothers were overprotective but they weren’t caring. Blazer and me were cool but ultimately whatever Nik said goes. It must have been nice to have a huge family that cares and wants to be involved in your life.

Fran flipped her hair over her shoulder and sighed. “I’ll do it.”

“We’ll be right there in case.”

Fran rolled her eyes. “I can take care of myself, thanks.”

“I don’t understand how sending our little cousin to enemy territory is a perfect plan, Lucas,” Richie groaned.

“Because, unlike you guys, Francine’s less threatening. She can get in and out without raising alarms. She’s never been there either.”

Everyone turned to Lucas.

“Have you?” Azaire narrowed his eyes.

Lucas tugged on his collar. “Few times but that doesn’t matter.”

“I’ll go with her. I’ve never been there either,” I said.

Azaire’s heated gaze washed over me, but he wasn’t talking me out of this.

“I’d rather work with Elaine than you, meatheads. Yay, my first mission!” Fran clapped.

Her enthusiasm got me excited.

Richie rubbed his hands together as he took in his family. I grew up knowing they were our enemies but I envied their bond and their love for one another. They’d do anything for each other despite their flaws. Maybe through Azaire, I could be a part of their family one day.

***

I coughed as Fran sprayed another puff of jasmine perfume on my face.

“It’s strong!”

“It’ll mask our natural scents in case there’s someone we didn’t plan to be there. Boys never think about the details.” Fran tucked the golden bottle in her purse. “I booked a reservation as well. We have code names. We’re half-sisters from the Raven pack here for the charity event for a local hospital.”

I rubbed my head at all the information. “Wait, how did you know about the ball?”

It’s been in the planning stage for months.

Fran froze, her eyes turning wide. “Uh… because Blazer invited me.”

“Blazer invited you… ew!”

“No! Nothing’s going on. He knows we can’t. Not again anyway…” she mumbled the last part.

Blazer was the goofy womanizing brother. He’d never had a stable girlfriend for as long as I’d known him. Fran seemed like a nice person and I didn’t want to see her hurt.

“Blazer’s…”

“A heartbreaker, a player… I know I’ve heard it all before that’s why nothing’s going on. I swear. Azaire on the other than… he’s a possessive jealous hothead but deep-down he has a warm protective heart.”

I laughed. “Way to sell him. We should go before we start hearing from him.”

“Remember we’re only here for two days,” Fran said as we crossed the parking lot to the main entrance.

The guys were supposedly parked on the property watching us. If anything went I had a text written and ready to hit send if we were caught. We walked up to the front desk, the hotel was busy with dozens of folks trying to check-in.

It could be good for us because I couldn’t remember half the information Fran gave me.

“Yes, Ester and Clare Winter, your room is on the twelfth floor,” the receptionist said when it came to our turn. “Any luggage?” the woman with cat eyeglasses asked.

My heart slammed forward. How did we forget to bring bags?

“We flew in and the airline misplaced our bags. We’ll be needing information on the finest stores in town,” Fran said casually.

The young lady behind the desk beamed. “Andrea Silva owns one of the best high-end clothing stores in town.”

“Perfect. Since we have no bags we’d love to head upstairs and relax.”

Fran grabbed the keys and we hurried to the elevator.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“Did you magically think the luggage part up?” I asked.

“You’d be surprised how many times that has happened to me. I doubt the enhancers are hidden in the rooms.”

The wolf enhancers were hidden in the basement at the motel they could be hidden in the basement or cellar here. I pressed the elevator button to take us to the ground floor.

“We have to go through the kitchen.”

I trying to come up with a plan to get us into the kitchen without the staff noticing us when the elevator doors opened and a woman in a dark blue power suit appeared glaring at us.

Fran walked passed her as if nothing was wrong but I stopped at the familiarity and her deadly stare.

“I thought I saw someone familiar at the reception. What are you doing here? Your Father’s worried sick!” She said.

Fran, who stood behind the woman raised her brow. I raised my shoulders. I’d never seen this woman before but the sense of familiarity was strong.

“You must be mistaken. We’re Ester and Clare Winter from the Raven Pack here for the charity event for the local hospital. My sister and I were going to dinner, right Clare?”

Fran grabbed my arm and yanked me forward.

“Oh, you might be Ester Winter but she isn’t Clare. Elaine, what are you doing?”

I exhaled. I’ve been caught.

“Your friend must be lying too. What are you girls up to?” The woman with tortoise eyes and chestnut hair glared at us.

I bet Fran didn’t have a line for this one.

***

“So much for our mission,” Fran hissed as the woman shut the door to her office.

She settled behind her desk and locked her fingers together.

“Your Father is worried about you, Elaine,” she started.

“My Father’s a control freak but that’s beside the point. How do you know who I am?”

She blinked a few times and frowned. “I’m Andrea Silva, I’ve known you since you were a kid. You’re Blazer’s little sister.”

“The luxury store owner?” Fran asked.

“Among other things. I run the hotel too on behalf of my parents.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re related to the late Luna?”

“Bianca yes, your step-mother.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call her that.”

Andrea gave me a pressed smile. “She was your Dad’s wife so she was your step-mother. She was a generous woman with a big heart and-”

“I’m sure she was and Elaine’s Dad is worried sick but we have to leave. We have things to do like getting ready for the ball, right Elaine?” Fran hissed, tugging on my arm.

“No, clearly you two are up to no good. I should call your Father.”

“No!” Fran and I cried at once.

“Listen, you sound like a nice woman and I’m sorry I don’t remember you. I never saw you around the house before or after Bianca passed.”

Andrea cleared her throat. “It’s complicated… I wish I could come by more. How’s Blazer? Is he well?”

I nodded. “Yeah, he’s good.” I could tell her he was using wolf enhancers but what’s to stop her from running to tell Dad?

“That’s good. If you tell me what you’re here for I might be able to help.”

Fran and I shared a look. Fran lifted her shoulder, allowing me to make the decision.

I looked into Andrea’s eyes and took a risk I hoped I wouldn’t regret.

Thirty minutes later we stood in the sun outside the hotel at the back of the building staring at the door leading down to the storage room. They didn’t have a basement and their cellar was the size of a shoe closet it only held wines.

Andrea gave me the keys to the storage room. “I hope you girls are wrong. Wolf enhancers are dangerous and if Laiken finds out they’ve been coming from here. He’ll shut down the hotel.”

“He wouldn’t do that. This is his late wife’s family hotel,” I said.

Andrea’s eyes went as dark as the grey clouds honing in on the blazing sun.

“He’s capable of many things, Elaine. Please, hurry. If you’re caught I’ll have no choice but to kick you girls out.”

Fran threw the double doors open. “We’ll be quick.”

Fran jumped in first and I followed. I used my torch to illuminate the rest of the dark room.

“Elaine, wolf’s bane,” Fran whimpered.

The foul odour assaulted my nostrils as well.

“Wolf enhancers too,” I whispered. “Everything’s here. Somewhere in these boxes.”

“I think it’s time to call the guys. We accomplished our mission!” Fran squealed.

I grinned until my cheeks ached. “Can we do it from outside? I think there’s a lot of wolf’s bane in here.”

The storage room was the size of two mansion living rooms. The walls were stacked with rows and rows of boxes. A few crates were piled on the floor. It was an unsuspecting place to hide illegals. Fran and I turned to leave but came to a fleeting halt with someone jumped through the above double doors.

Fran screamed.

“You’re not going anywhere,” a man said.

“Since you’ve found out little stash we can’t let you leave.”

I recognized these guys they were the ones Blazer spoke to outside the motel I was hiding out in. The men narrowed in on us we had no place to run to.