by Melissa Haag
“Wow, Isabelle,” Grey said. “You shop fast.”
I grinned at him. The sales woman had commented on my ability to change quickly, as well. I hadn’t wanted to mess around in the store too long.
“We’re all set. She’s billing this to the card Winifred gave her.”
“Then we need to get moving,” Grey said, standing and looking serious.
Carlos stood and moved toward me. As usual, I remained his focus. He didn’t say anything, but I saw appreciation in his sweeping glance. Not wanting to blush, I turned and made my way to the door. Together, we left the shop and walked back to the car.
It seemed to take forever for Grey to turn out of the parking garage.
“Are we going to get anywhere in this traffic?”
“Not far, but it will cover our scent better.”
We chugged along in traffic until we got close to the building we needed. Grey took the first parking spot he found.
“The station is a few blocks from here.”
We got out and started down the street. Having a jacket made the walk enjoyable. Grey pointed out the building when we got close enough to see it. People continued to crowd the streets, and I found I needed to siphon and drain faster than I needed to breathe.
When Grey stopped walking just outside the building, I kept going.
“Isabelle, wait.” He caught me by the arm and leaned in. “Not inside. We just need to read the people leaving the building.”
“There’s too much out there to read any one thing. I need to go inside.” Worry surrounded him. “Watch and learn, Grey. It’ll be fine.”
I tugged my arm free and kept walking. Inside the building, I barely spared a glance to the grand lobby or reception desk. Veering to the right, I headed toward a bank of elevators. The three of us joined a group of five going up.
Once the door closed, I noticed a change in the other passengers’ behavior. One of the women started breathing quickly, a man reached for his cell phone, another started to sweat. Before it could progress, I inhaled lightly, then kept the emotions. It seemed to stop their growing discomfort, but it didn’t remove it.
The panting woman looked at me. “I think I’m having a panic attack.”
“It’s probably just the elevator. Closed spaces get to everyone,” I said.
She nodded slowly and seemed to get a hold of herself as she reached around me and pressed the next floor. When the elevator dinged, four of the five got off.
I turned to the remaining man. “We’re supposed to meet with someone, but I’m not sure where to find her. Can you help me?”
Though the initial emotions I’d released were missing, he still held a hint of panic. I pulled that away from him and didn’t release it again. He exhaled his relief and nodded.
“Sure. Who are you looking for?”
I glanced at Grey.
“Penny Alton,” he said, adding the news station’s name.
“That would be the twelfth floor. There’s a directory just outside the elevator.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
The man got out when the elevator stopped at his floor. After the door closed, I pressed the button for twelve. As soon as the doors opened, I stepped out confidently and started walking without glancing at the directory.
The man at the long desk glanced up at us and stood when we didn’t pause. I stole his concern as soon as it started to surface, then his curiosity, and finally his indignation. He idly sat back down, looking as if he’d forgotten what he’d been about. I knew he still remembered us; he just didn’t care anymore.
As soon as I was far enough away, I pushed what I’d siphoned out again. Two coworkers started arguing.
I walked down a hallway and used people’s emotions like a dog sniffing for food. When I scented a flurry of secrecy and excitement, I headed for it. A few times, it was a person working quietly at a desk. I stifled a yawn and passed those by. Whenever anyone grew curious about us, I took that emotion away, held onto it for a bit, and then pushed it out as I moved along.
For the most part, we blended with the people around us. At least, I did. I doubted Grey blended.
I yawned again and wondered if I’d ever find Penny. Maybe she wasn’t as excited about meeting Charlene as I’d been led to believe.
Finally, I located what I was looking for. Massive excitement and righteousness behind a closed door.
I knocked and, without waiting for an answer, opened the door and poked my head in. Grey’s anxiety coated me.
“Hey,” I said. “Is Burke in here?”
The woman holding the ladder turned to look at me in annoyance. “Who?”
“Burke Bently. Never mind, I can see he’s not.”
I closed the door before either could respond, then turned and started walking down the hall. The people in the room remained focused until I walked out of range.
Neither Grey nor Carlos said anything as we made our way back to the elevator banks.
“You can breathe now, Grey,” I said once we were on the street again.
“What did you see in there?” Carlos asked.
“It was a fairly small meeting room. A man was on a ladder, installing something in the ceiling panel. I’m guessing a hidden camera. A woman, most likely Penny, was holding the ladder. The back of one of the chairs was off and on the table. No idea what for. And that’s about it.”
“Let me discuss this with Winifred and see if we should stay.”
“I don’t think I can keep this pulling and pushing up anymore, Grey. I’m getting tired. And if I stop pushing—”
“Let’s go,” he said.
The walk to the car exhausted me. I was yawning almost nonstop. The drive to our building wasn’t much better. Carlos and Grey remained quiet.
Back at the apartment building, Carlos and I parted ways with Grey. Grey had agreed that I didn’t need to be present when he told the others about the building and what I’d seen.
With relief, I followed Carlos to our apartment.
“Are you hungry?” Carlos asked as he opened the door.
“No. Just tired.”
I kicked off my shoes by the door, then removed my jacket and scarf and tossed them on the couch on my way to the bedroom. It didn’t surprise me that Carlos followed. I fell onto the mattress and curled on my side. Carlos closed the blinds and joined me, pulling me close.
* * * *
My stomach was making weird noises. It brought me out of my sleep enough to know I was alone. Frowning, I sat up. The clock said it was close to six. The wonderful tang of spicy food scented the air, and I heard faint noises from the kitchen. Bounding out of bed, I could only think of food.
I found Carlos in the kitchen.
“That smells so good.” I walked up behind him and peeked around his broad shoulders. He was stirring beef, onions, and peppers. Reaching forward with every intention of stealing a piece of browned beef, I was surprised when he caught my hand.
“You’ll burn yourself.” He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it in an old-fashioned way that made my pulse dance. Then, he took a fork from the counter beside him and skewered a piece of meat. He handed it to me.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Isabelle.”
Spontaneously, I leaned against his back and wrapped my free arm around his waist for a quick hug. He tensed, and I knew I’d surprised him. Before he could make a big deal out of the embrace, I went to my stool on the other side of the breakfast bar.
“Have you heard from anyone?” I popped the bite of meat into my mouth. It was hot but so good, and I savored it. Grey had been right about Carlos’ fajitas. They might just make it into the trinity. After all the fast food, burgers had lost some of their appeal.
“Nothing noteworthy,” Carlos said, answering my question. “Everyone is staying in and enjoying some quiet time.”
Another night alone with Carlos. I wondered if it would be a repeat of last night.
“S
ounds good. Want to try watching a movie again?” I let the question hang for a moment. “Or we could skip the pretense and just make out.”
He stopped stirring and glanced over his shoulder. Shock was plain on his face, but was quickly replaced by a look that warmed the room.
“Okay. Movie it is,” I said.
“Isabelle.” His voice was rough and full of warning.
“Carlos,” I mimicked.
He breathed deeply and turned back to the stove.
“Would you like to go for a walk?” he said. “After we eat?”
“Sure.”
I honestly didn’t care what we did. After my nap, I was wide awake and ready to do something.
He turned off the stove and brought the pan to the island where our plates and tortillas already waited. My stomach rumbled in anticipation as I made up two fajitas. Carlos seemed less enthused about eating, spending more time watching me. So I made a fajita for him and set it on his plate. He took the hint.
We ate together in silence. I didn’t mind it, but I thought him extra quiet. I wondered if my teasing had hurt his feelings. I’d told him I didn’t know what I was doing relationship-wise.
As soon as I stuffed the last bite of fajita into my mouth, he reached for my plate. He still had half a fajita on his.
“You’re done?” I was surprised he’d gone through all the effort of cooking if he really wasn’t that hungry. Not that I would complain about it; dinner had been delicious.
“Yes. I’ve had enough.” He stood with the plates and brought them to the sink. He set them on the counter and turned toward me.
“Let’s go for the walk.”
I glanced at the plates behind him. He hadn’t scraped the plates, rinsed them, or anything. That wasn’t like him.
“Um. Okay.”
I went to the couch and grabbed my jacket and scarf. It was a struggle to loop the scarf the way the woman had shown me, but I finally got it, then put on my shoes. Carlos waited by the door the entire time. Though he was an emotional void as usual and didn’t fidget in the slightest, something about him rang with impatience.
“Don’t you need a jacket or a sweater or something?”
“No.” He opened the door and gestured me out.
“Are you impatient?” I asked, eyeing him as I walked out the door.
“Yes, Isabelle. Very.”
He closed the door.
“Are you going to tell me why?”
He held out his hand. I took it, and we started down the hall. I had to hustle to keep up with his long strides.
“I’m hoping we can go for a run.”
“Aren’t we already?”
He slowed down as we jogged down the stairs. Though I kept glancing at him, I couldn’t read anything from him.
“Where are we going to run?”
“Outside.”
I laughed at him, and the sound of it echoed in the garage. He pulled me toward the exit door, barely nodding to the guard there. As soon as we were outside, he stopped and turned to me.
His fingers glided over my cheeks, and he leaned in close to my ear.
“Run, Isabelle.”
I jerked back at his roughened voice.
“Whoa! Wait. Is this like the last time? You can’t...” I glanced around. There were still people everywhere. The guard watched us through the security window. “People will see.”
“I won’t change.”
His shaking, fisted hands didn’t convince me.
“And what are you going to do when you catch me?”
His gaze heated.
“Make out.”
My stomach thought it was a great plan and started doing aerobatic maneuvers. Anticipation coursed through me.
“I want a head start,” I said.
“I’ll count to ten.”
“Fifty.”
“Twenty-five, starting now. One. Two...”
I pivoted and sprinted away from him, pushing people aside. My stupid grin helped keep everyone’s alarm down. I pressed myself to run fast, then faster, using the emotions I accidently siphoned from those around me. Behind me, the sound of Carlos’ counting faded.
What was I doing? This was crazy. Crazy exciting!
I gasped for air but didn’t slow. My sneakers hit the pavement with resounding thumps. I turned a corner then dashed across the street, weaving between still moving cars. One almost hit me. I didn’t slow.
Was he still counting? Had it been twenty-five seconds? I bolted around another corner, putting more distance between us, and spotted a little café ahead. I briefly considered ducking into it, but that thought came to a screeching halt when I was grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.
I squealed and laughed.
“That wasn’t the reaction I expected,” a strange voice said a moment before the man spun me around and hit me in the face.
Pain exploded. I widened my stance to keep from falling as my ears rang. My vision was grey and blurry, messing with my equilibrium more. I tried to shake the feeling free and pull, but pulling made my stomach heave. I gagged.
The guy swore and grabbed my arm, spinning me away from him. My pulse throbbed in my upper lip and cheek.
“I’ve got one,” I heard him say. “She was alone but running. Get a car here, quick.”
Like hell.
I shook my head again and pulled hard. His grasp slackened, and I almost lost my fajita but the pull worked. I’d gained what I needed. Clarity returned in time for me to see the man fall to his knees. I punched him in the face. Twice. Then grabbed the phone from his hand. The man blinked at me stupidly.
Across the street, someone was yelling. I ignored that and put the phone to my ear.
“Who is this?”
“This is Blake,” a man politely said on the other end.
I saw red.
“Who is this?” he asked.
“Hi, Blake. Not nice to meet you. My name is Isabelle, and I’m out for your blood.”
He laughed.
“So refreshingly honest, Isabelle. I am truly sorry about your loss,” he said, becoming serious. “I hope we can meet, so I can apologize in person.”
I clenched my fists and looked at the man still kneeling beside me. He was starting to look a bit too alert. I pulled again, taking some of the anxious emotions from the people starting to crowd around the café. The coppery tang of blood coated my mouth, and I spat.
“The human’s death was unnecessary,” Blake said. “We only wanted to separate you from the filth with which you’ve been traveling so we might discuss the future.”
“The future,” I said. “Yeah, we have a lot to discuss. And I’m on my way to you. But not with your guy here.”
Carlos came around the corner at a run but when he saw me, he stopped and started to shake violently. Crap. He was going to go fur. I glanced around at the people staring at us from the café across the street. Not good. This would end with the kind of exposure Bethi didn’t want for the werewolves.
“Gotta go,” I said quickly, then disconnected.
I dropped the phone to the sidewalk, stomped on it, then pulled hard enough that the guy next to me slumped to the ground. Just as quickly, I pushed everything out.
Hurrying forward, I went to Carlos. His teeth peeked out from his upper lip as he stared at me.
“You caught me,” I said, cupping his face.
He growled, not at me, but at my bruised and bloody face. His gaze flicked to the man on the ground behind me.
“No way, Carlos. You promised me a make out session.”
His gaze shifted back to me, and I tilted my head back, offering my lips. He didn’t move to meet me, and I couldn’t reach him. We didn’t have time for his hesitation. No doubt some idiot had already called the cops. They were probably snapping pictures. Carlos needed to find his happy place fast.
“Hey, I’m the one who’s supposed to be playing hard to get, remember?”
I set my hands on his shoulders then jumped up an
d wrapped my legs around him.
“I feel like a frontwards backpack,” I whispered before touching my lips to his. It hurt. And I was pretty sure he tasted my blood. But I didn’t stop.
After a moment, his arms wrapped around me. His lips feathered over mine oh so gently, then skimmed over my hot and throbbing cheek.
“We can’t leave him. He’ll trace our scent back to the others,” Carlos said against my skin.
“We can’t kill him,” I whispered against Carlos’ throat. He shuddered. “Too many witnesses. Take me for a run. We’ll get a taxi, then go home.” I pulled back enough to look at Carlos. His teeth had receded.
His gaze drifted to those around us, then he turned and headed back the way we’d come. At the street, he didn’t cross but kept going straight. When I saw a taxi over his shoulder, I whistled—my cheek felt ready to fall off—and waved. The car pulled over.
“Got your wallet?” I said in Carlos’ ear.
He nodded and set me down. I got into the back and slid over for Carlos.
“We’d like to see some sights,” Carlos said, pulling out a benny and showing it to the driver. “What do you recommend?”
I didn’t catch the driver’s answer. My face was killing me.
Carlos had the driver stop for an Italian ice, just so I could hold something to my cheek and lip. While he was paying the vendor, the driver quickly asked me if I was okay. His disinterest belied the question. No doubt he was just asking to cover himself in case I showed up dead on the news. So, I told him I’d run into an ex and Carlos had helped me.
The driver didn’t ask any more questions as he showed us the sights.
* * * *
It was late when we got back to the apartment. Grey was inside waiting for us.
He let me escape to the bathroom while he spoke quietly with Carlos. I looked in the mirror and winced at my bruised face. I should have kicked that guy harder. Despite the Italian ice, I would be looking like a battered woman for a while.
“I have a bag of ice for you,” Carlos said through the closed door.
I opened the door and took the bag from him.
“Thanks. Are we grounded?”
Carlos stepped aside and let me into the hall where I could see Grey still waited near the door. He wasn’t smiling.