by T. A. White
No, I had no clue what she meant. I raised my eyes to Liam, asking without words if he did.
He took pity on me. "Their control over their wolves gets shakier around the full moon. Passion has been known to snap that control. If any part of him changed during sex, his bodily fluids would have the potential to carry the lycanthrope virus. In rare cases, it has been known to spark the change in a partner."
Lisa looked slightly uncomfortable at the revelation.
Liam continued with a cool look in her direction. "I thought Brax had counseled his wolves on being careful around such times so as to avoid such a circumstance."
She bit her lip, looking slightly abashed. "He had, but we figured since I was on the list for the bite anyway, there would be little harm in it." Her eyes were avid as she leaned forward. "Plus, sex with a werewolf around the full moon is really intense. The inner animal comes out, if you know what I mean."
My eyes widened slightly, and I nodded. I did understand this time.
Liam retained his hard expression. "You realize your boyfriend would have been punished severely for disobeying his alpha. Brax has killed others for less."
She looked shamed, her chin wobbling and her eyes filling with tears. One escaped to roll down her cheek. She looked no less perfect for the show of emotion. When I cried, I tended to turn a blotchy red, my eyes looking like a puffer fish and my nose looking like it had a severe sunburn.
"I know. Since finishing Brax's punishment, he refuses to talk to me. I haven't spoken with him since that night." She sniffed. "I hope he knows I never meant for any of this to happen."
Liam looked unconvinced. Both of us studied her with a laser focus.
"What happened between you and Caroline?" I asked in a soft voice, trying to appear sympathetic.
She looked up at me, her eyes still watery. "It was my fault."
"I'm sure it was an accident," I said, giving her an excuse.
"I know better than to corner a new wolf." Her hands twisted in her lap, the picture of a remorseful woman. "I've just been so lonely being the only girl on the farm. I thought it might be nice to have a friend. All of the other wolves don't like me much because they think it's my fault Jonathan got in trouble."
"Of course, that's understandable," I said with a warm smile.
"It is?" Her look was hopeful.
"Yeah, I was in the military for several years, and it was always nice when I found a female friend. Guys are great, but they sometimes don't get everything we're going through."
I ignored the look Liam shot me, one that said he suspected someone had invaded my body.
She gave me a relieved smile. "Exactly. I just thought we could help each other out."
"Give each other tips?" I said, helping her along.
She nodded. "Yeah. Maybe even cover for each other when one of us needed a few minutes away to get ourselves back under control. I mean Brax and his people are so nice, but I think they forget sometimes what it's like."
"You know, I'm going through some of the same things. These older vampires, they just don't understand. They're all about rules and nit-picking everything I do. It's enough to drive a person mad," I said, flicking a glance Liam's way.
Her eyes went to him to as if she had just realized he was in the room with us. Panic flitted over her features, and she leaned forward, her hands gripping my arm, "Please don't tell Brax I said anything against him. He's a good alpha, but he wouldn't understand that sometimes us girls just need a moment. He might punish me for such thoughts."
My eyes narrowed. I kept my sly smile inside.
"Sounds like a pretty awful person to punish you for such a natural way of thinking," I said in an idle voice.
"Oh no, he's great. I mean, he's set in his ways and he can be a little harsh sometimes."
I nodded as if I agreed with every word she said. "Right. Sounds like you don't like him at all."
"No, that's not what I said," she denied, her gaze going from me to Liam and back again.
My voice was puzzled. "First you say he's great, then you say he's harsh. That you'd face punishment for saying anything against him. Does that sound like the alpha we know, Liam?"
Liam's eyes rested on me, warm with a slight quirk to his lips. It was a long moment before he looked back at Lisa, his eyes turning wintry. I shivered at the thought of such a gaze being turned on me. I'd faced his stony expression before, so I knew exactly how unsettling it was when the stone-cold enforcer came out to play.
"Nope, sure doesn't," he said.
"You're twisting my words," Lisa said, frustration beginning to show on her face.
I studied her for a moment, my mouth pursing just the slightest bit. Maybe. "Back to Caroline, what was it about being friends that she took issue with?"
Lisa stared at me for a long moment before jerking up one shoulder. "She invited me into her room, and then flipped out when I touched her things."
"So, it wasn't friendship that pissed her off. It was you invading her space."
"No, she invited me."
I made a face as if I understood. "But, I thought you said you pressured her."
"Yes, to be friends. That's all."
"So, it's her fault?" I asked.
"Yes." Her face blanched. "I mean no. It's just being a new werewolf can be hard. I think she lost control for a moment. That's all. Everything since then has gotten blown way out of proportion."
"Now, you're saying she over-reacted to what happened," I said in a flat voice, not bothering to hide my dislike for her anymore.
She scowled at me. "I don't think I like your tone. I'm not here for you to cast accusations and blame me for things that aren't my fault."
Bitch was good, playing the whole 'we women have to stick together' card before transitioning to righteous indignation. Too bad I'd dealt with that sort of thing more than once in my life. It stopped having an effect on me a long time ago.
"No, you're here because your alpha ordered your presence. I doubt he did it, so you could lie and misdirect us," Liam said from his corner, his voice a cold wind. He fixed Lisa with a gaze that said he was wondering what she would look like with her throat torn out and her blood gushing down the front of her pretty dress.
She blanched, reading the intent in his gaze, her gaze going to me for help.
I shrugged, allowing my amusement to show through. "Don't look at me. I've heard very few truths out of you since I sat down."
"That's, that's—"
"Unfortunate," I finished for her. "How about you try a little harder to tell us what happened? Otherwise, I'll leave you in a room alone with Liam. He's kind of upset with me because I took a bit of a breather from all this earlier tonight. He might enjoy working his frustration out on you."
Liam's lips curved in a dangerous smile, his fangs denting his lower lip and giving no illusion about just how he would get the information.
"You can't do that. Brax won't let you." Fear showed in her eyes. I think we were finally getting to meet the real Lisa.
"I think he would if it meant learning what actually happened that night." I leaned forward, my face set in a cruel expression. "I'm told some vampires can see memories from blood. He's pretty old. What do you want to bet he has that ability?"
"Please, help me. I didn't do anything. I'm not lying." Her eyes pleaded with me. A nicer person, a less determined person might have felt bad. Not tonight. She'd picked the wrong person to play her games on.
I rubbed my chin and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I gave her an easy smile. She blanched. Hmm. Guess that smile needed work. "If the next words out of your mouth aren't the truth, I'm walking out that door. It's best that way, believe me. Right now, I'd like to dismember you piece by piece then watch as you heal, so I can do it again."
My smile held all of the dark yearning and terrible wrath that I concealed on a daily basis. I let some of my darkness peak through. This time she flinched, her mouth shutting so she could watch me with the intens
ity of a rabbit faced with a wolf. Pretty funny since she really was a wolf.
"Caroline is my best friend. One of my only friends. You did something so horrible to her that she fled a place that was supposed to make her feel safe, at a time she needed it most." My voice was a low thrum in the quiet. The yearning for violence might have scared me a few years ago, but now I embraced it. She had to believe I would hurt her if she lied to me. Had to believe I'd make her wish she was dead.
She’d brought this on herself when she did whatever it was that sent Caroline fleeing into danger. I wouldn't forgive her for that, and if scaring her was the most I could do, I'd take it.
"She found out I was still seeing my boyfriend. The alpha decreed that we weren’t to have contact until he approved." The sneer in her voice made it clear what she thought of that order. "I don't think she planned to tell anyone, but I had to be sure. Jonathan can't go through another punishment."
"What did you do?" I asked, my voice doing that weird growl thing that happened when my emotions were too close to the surface.
Lisa gave a negligent shrug. "I just planned to threaten her a bit."
A yowl escaped me, the dangerous sound similar to what a cat makes when they mean business. The sound was deep, and promised pain for anyone stupid enough to keep pressing me. It was a warning.
Lisa jerked, her lips curling to expose teeth that were a lot sharper than they had been a moment ago. I tensed, ready to act if she thought to attack me. She settled down when Liam shifted forward, violence in every line of his body.
"Nothing too bad. I cornered her in her room. Said some things."
"You're lying again," I threatened, my voice full of power that had an odd reverberation to it.
"I let my wolf out. It was just supposed to scare her, but she flipped out. Next thing I knew, I was on my back, and she'd almost ripped off my arm. Clay and Sondra came in then." Lisa crossed her arms over her stomach, looking defiant even as her eyes moved between Liam and me. "Happy now?"
I held my body very still, the urge to go for her throat very strong. She'd just admitted to terrorizing Caroline, and she didn't even acknowledge that she'd done anything wrong. Yes, her blood would look very nice decorating her front.
"Aileen," Liam warned.
I took a deep breath and sat back. She wasn't worth it. Such an action would put the final nail on the coffin of Liam's conviction I needed someone watching me at all times. I was better than that, even if it would be satisfying to make her pay for her actions.
"What happened after that?" I asked.
"Nothing." Her eyes shifted away from me.
I snarled and darted forward, my fangs brushing her throat. "What did I say about lying?"
"I left a few presents in her room. Made her think I'd be coming for her again, but with more wolves this time."
I sat back, my fangs retreating into my gums as I looked over my shoulder at Liam. He was just behind my chair, his body poised for action. I kept my smile to myself, seeing he'd bought my act. "You have anything else to ask?"
His chin tilted down as he met my gaze for a long moment. His face was thoughtful. "No, nothing else for the moment."
The door opened to reveal Brax in the doorway, his face a dark cloud as his eyes went straight to Lisa. He didn't say anything, his power rolling into the room like a pack of angry wolves. The glow of it to my magic sight seethed with rage. It was a burning, living thing.
Lisa flinched, hunching into the couch and looking terrified of her alpha. I couldn't bring myself to feel an ounce of sympathy for her. She'd brought this on herself.
"I’ll be taking my wolf now," he said, his voice a dangerous thrum in the quiet.
Liam didn't protest. I remained in my seat, watching through veiled eyes as Lisa jumped up looking like a shade of the confident, sunny woman I'd met when I first came in. She scuttled to the doorway, careful not to brush against Brax as he stepped aside to let her out.
He lingered once she disappeared, the power that had saturated the room pulling back until he wore it like a cloak. He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking suddenly tired.
"Why was nothing done to protect Caroline after the first attack?" Liam asked.
It was a question I should have asked, but fury and rage were too close to the surface to make speaking right now a good idea. Worse, I could feel the familiar burn behind my eyes that said I wasn't far from a crying fit sparked by all this surplus emotion. It wasn't that I was sad. It's just when I was thrown into a rage, my body sometimes got confused, which caused that awful thing called tears. It had been the bane of my professional life, and I'd learned the best thing to forestall it was to go silent until I got my emotions back under an iron grip.
Brax's sigh was heavy and tired sounding. "We didn't know what caused the altercation. Neither of them would tell us, and we assumed it was because Lisa threatened Caroline's personal space. It's happened before with other pups."
The chair arm cracked under my grip. Neither Brax nor Liam commented, though they both glanced in my direction.
"I knew there was something more between them, but I had to tread lightly. You managed to get more out of her than my people did. Good work." That last piece was aimed at me.
"Does this change anything?" My voice was tight and raw from the stranglehold created by my turbulent emotions.
Brax hesitated, the expression on his face answer enough. I went back to staring at the wall. "I'm sorry, but the former problems still remain. We need to find her before she hurts anyone else."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I CLOSED MY eyes and let my head fall back against the chair, listening as his quiet footsteps moved down the hall. There was a rustle of movement as Liam came to sit on the couch Lisa had occupied moments before.
"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked.
"Do what?" I asked, without opening my eyes.
"Question someone. Get them to make mistakes and then capitalize on those mistakes to get at the truth."
I made a small sound of amusement.
"You were quite skilled. For a moment, I thought you were falling for her act. I even thought I might need to save you. Force her hand."
"Did you now?"
"Hm. Yes, I had a whole plan worked up. One where you would instantly recognize my genius and worship at my feet from here to eternity."
My snort of laughter startled me, and I opened my eyes to find Liam regarding me with amusement, a warmth in his face that sparked a flicker of heat in me.
"Too bad you ruined my plan."
"I'm known for that. I've got quite the reputation," I said with a small smirk.
His chuckle rumbled through the room. "What made you suspect she was playing you?"
I shrugged. "Hard to say. I just had a feeling that something wasn't right." I thought a moment. "It helped that I know Caroline. She wouldn't have snapped without reason. It was easy to see through her with that background."
He made a thoughtful sound. "I know many who would have fallen for her routine even with intimate knowledge of the other party. Hell, even Brax admitted they missed it, and he doesn't miss much."
Good to know I'd impressed them.
"Did you receive interrogation training in the military?" he asked, the question jolting me to alertness.
A laugh escaped me. "That's a fanciful spin on things."
His gaze told me he didn't share my amusement.
"Does my record show that training?" I asked, my face still crinkled in a slight smile.
"No, but I know that the military doesn't always put everything in the record, especially when you're on special assignment."
I was quiet a moment, lost in thought. "I'm afraid it's nothing as clandestine as that. I was combat camera, so I got good at observing people. Things happen fast downrange. The only way to get a shot is to know it’s happening before it actually happens. Also, since public affairs was usually spread thin, they had me interview the soldiers I went outside the wire with fo
r news stories they could write up." I gave a negligent shrug. "Turns out I was good at it."
Liam tapped his fingers against his knee, his face thoughtful. "I think there's more to it than that, but we'll leave it for now."
I gave him a sardonic look. "Mighty kind of you."
Before he could respond with the teasing comment I could see brewing, Nathan stepped into the room. "That was entertaining. Who knew the baby was a natural?"
I looked at him, puzzlement on my face. It took me a moment to understand. "There are cameras in here."
And microphones if Nathan had heard the questioning. I should have picked up on it earlier when Brax mentioned something. I had just assumed his super hearing had been responsible.
"That's why we call it the interrogation room," Nathan said in a bright voice as he took a seat on the chair next to me.
Rick bounded in after him, his energy bouncing after him like an eager pet. He crashed into the couch next to Liam and took a seat. "What do we think? How long before Brax is forced to put her down or exile her? Two months? Three?"
"Why would you say that?" I asked.
Rick's lips curled up in a feline smile. "That woman is trouble with a capital T. Given half the chance, she'll upset the balance of the pack."
"He can't just kill her for that," I protested.
"He can if she crosses the line and her actions challenge his rule," Liam said in a soft voice.
"She's a brat, but that seems a little harsh," I said.
"Not really," Rick said. "I very much suspect the bitch manipulated her boyfriend into changing her. It's probably why Brax separated them and forbade contact. He was probably hoping to give the guy a chance to shake her influence off."
Rick seemed very sure of that assessment, and I couldn't argue after talking with the woman for a few minutes.
"So, why doesn't he just exile her?" I asked.
"He can't until her control is better," Liam said. "To do otherwise would risk the same problems he faces with Caroline."
"Corrective punishment isn’t likely to work on a person like that," Nathan said, sounding disinterested. "They're too busy blaming everyone else rather than taking a good look at the reason for their suffering."