Chapter 5

Aaron was a hard-headed fool. Stubborn beyond words. Keyah’s fingers itched to do violence.

“What’s in it for you? I thought that was obvious.”

A brief flash of something remarkably like fear crossed Aaron’s face before he clenched his jaw, the vein at his forehead throbbing.

“Obvious? It’s not obvious at all.” That irritatingly, distractingly sexy lopsided smirk was back on his face.

Closing her eyes, Keyah took a few deep breaths. Aaron was testing her patience to the limit, and they hadn’t even embarked on their plan yet. How was she going to live with this arrogant man for any amount of time? Not just live with him, but pretend they were mates. And considering how attracted she was to him, it was almost a given they would end up sleeping together. She knew the wolf in her wouldn’t be able to resist him.

Damn him and damn his arrogant sexiness. If she didn’t need his help, she would be stomping out of here after telling him what she really thought about him.

She was getting ahead of herself. She needed to get him to cooperate with her, first.

“I did my research, Aaron. Very thoroughly. I know why you’re hiding from your pack.”

“Hiding? Whatever gave you that impression? I am not hiding from anyone. I chose to live a life of solitude.” His lip curled into a sneer, but Keyah definitely saw the fear in his eyes this time. Not only did she see it, she smelled it too.

Had she made a mistake? Was Aaron Lobo really afraid of facing his half-brother in a fight for dominance? Given Aaron’s fearsome reputation as the alpha of the Amethyst Wolves, she hadn’t been able to believe he had actually chosen to run away rather than face his half-brother when his half-brother had challenged him for the position of the alpha.

But now, she was not so sure. Well, she didn’t have a choice. She didn’t have the time or the energy to find another wolf-in-exile who would help her. She had zeroed in on Aaron for a lot of reasons, and despite her now questioning his strength of character, his fortitude, he still was the best candidate.

“Come on, Aaron. You’re not fooling me. All the packs know you ran away from the challenge rather than facing your half-brother. Charlie told me you’re regretting your decision now. But now the whole pack has turned against you, hasn’t it? The only way you’ll be able to assert your dominance and regain your reputation is if you’re the alpha of an even more powerful pack… like the Silver Wolves.”

Aaron was looking at her with an inscrutable expression.

“You believe I ran from the challenge because I was afraid?”

“Isn’t that the truth?”

“Yes. Yes of course it is,” he said rather too quickly.

Keyah thought his shoulders sagged and a momentary expression of utter relief crossed his face.

“Is that what you meant when you said earlier you knew why I was hiding?” His features were blank, unreadable. If Aaron played poker, he sure as hell would win.

“Yes. What else could I have meant?” Keyah asked, deciding to play his game. But the more she thought about it, the more she began to see things clearly. She couldn’t help the grin as she looked at him.

Aaron was the right choice. She hadn’t been wrong about him at all. He wasn’t a coward.

Now all she had to do was get him to agree.

“So you see, if you agree to help, there’s something in it for you too.”

He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, considering. He was going to say yes. She could feel it.

“There’s a huge flaw in your reasoning, hun. Silver Wolves want to remain hidden, don’t they? If I go back to my pack and say I’m the alpha of the Silver Wolves, they’ll think I’m insane in addition to being a coward. Besides, what will you do if your real fated mate turns up? Sorry sweetheart, no can do. You’re on your own.”

Keyah huffed out a breath.

“I have been planning this for a while now, so believe me when I say I have considered every possibility. The Silver Wolves might want to remain hidden from the world, but I’m sure they will have no objection to us telling a select few members of your pack… your former pack that you’re the alpha of Silver Wolves. And we all know how the most powerful members can influence the opinion of a pack.”

“And you know this because of all the experience you have living with the pack,” Aaron sneered.

Well, he had her there.

“Look, I might not have any experience living with the pack, and I might need your help more than you need mine, but come on. You know if anything can turn your reputation around, it’s becoming the alpha of the Silver Wolves.”

“Like I’ve said, my reputation is fine. I don’t give a fuck about what anybody thinks.”

Aaron retrieved yet another beer and walked out of the kitchen toward a door opposite the one leading to his backyard. The door led to a room that could be called a ‘living room’ only by stretching one’s imagination to the limit.

‘Living room’? Keyah was sure no civilized person could be induced to spend any amount of time in this space, let alone live there. There was a moth-eaten sofa on which Aaron promptly slouched, some beer spilling over the rim of the can onto a rickety wooden coffee table that looked like it had been rescued from the dumpster. A pile of auto mags lay in a pile next to the sofa. Dirty laundry was strewn around everywhere. And there were the ubiquitous empty beer cans scattered around.

If this place was depicted in a cartoon, there would be stinky lines emanating from almost everything. The man lived like a pig. And she was supposed to live with him? Lord help her.

Other than the sofa, there was no other furniture in the room. Just as well, Keyah thought. She wouldn’t want to sit even if there was space for the fear of getting grime on her new pair of designer jeans. Placing them on the filthy kitchen floor had been enough.

“You know, they have these remarkable inventions called vacuum cleaners. You plug them on and run them over stuff, and they actually get rid of the filth. If that’s too hi-tech for you, there’s brooms too.”

Aaron’s appreciative chuckle surprised her. She had been expecting a sharp comeback.

“So you’re not just pretty to look at, you have a sassy mouth on you as well. Nice. I like my women sassy.” He winked.

Did that slow wink make her heart race just a little fast? Maybe.

“Let’s get one thing clear. I’m not your ‘woman’.”

He raised a brow, a cocky smile stretching his lips.

“Oh? I thought you wanted to be my woman. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

Keyah gritted her teeth and counted up to ten. Don’t lose it now, Keyah, she told herself. Nobody had tried her patience like this man. Not even her mom.

“We are going to pretend. Just pretend.”

Aaron rested one arm on the backrest, leaning against it as he stretched out his long, denim-clad legs, propping them up on the coffee table. The sofa gave an ominous creek, and the table wobbled. Keyah braced herself for one or both the pieces of furniture breaking. With his eyes on her, Aaron took a large sip of beer, smacking his lips after he had swallowed the liquid.

“In that case, sweetheart, I’m not interested.”

Keyah knew he was baiting her. Well, if he thought she was a simpering, prudish virgin, he was mistaken. She hitched her bag higher up her arm and squared her shoulders.

“You’ll help me if I sleep with you. Is that what you’re saying?”

He took another sip of beer. Keyah was sure the can was empty now. Did he keep guzzling beer all day? Was that what he subsisted on? He was sad. And vulnerable. No matter how hard he tried to hide it behind this facade of nonchalance.

“Yes. That’s the only way I’ll help you.”

She looked him squarely in the eye. Why did he have to have such attractive eyes?

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

Boy, did it feel satisfying to watch his jaw hang open in shock.