Tiffany confidently took the lead; the other girls’ expressions ranged from wary to impressed at Cassandra’s restraint for allowing her to go first. Tiffany didn’t appear to notice the others’ discomfort as she swept around the table to shake hands as she was introduced. For her part, the alpha bitch was amused, finding this potential new blood to be the sort of headstrong woman necessary to build the Diamondfangs into a pack that might someday overcome the Moonwalkers.
“... and so,” Tiffany finished explaining her circumstances on moving to town as she shook Vera’s hand, meeting the woman’s eyes as her grip tightened uncomfortably. “I’ve only been in town for a couple weeks, but I think I’ll be settled in before long. The divorce is nearly final. I do have to say, while I’m pleased to find myself in such company, I can’t stay long tonight. We can meet again soon. I’m sure we’ll all be fast friends.”
Vera showed her teeth in the semblance of a smile, her eyes briefly taking on a glimmer of something unnatural as she held on to Tiffany’s hand long past when she should have let her go.
“Is that right? You look familiar. Are you sure you’ve only been in town for two weeks?”
Tiffany gave Vera a tight smile of her own, but said nothing, pulling her hand back hard enough that it was obviously an effort. Cassandra made a faint hissing noise between her teeth, and Vera gradually relented, looking away. Alexis sipped her drink, her expression turned wary and calculating as she watched the exchange, while Heather’s attention was focused on the band across the room.
“Quite sure,” Tiffany replied. “I haven’t been to New Jersey since, oh, before I was married. I used to travel extensively, so perhaps you saw me in the airport on my way to South Africa or Versailles.”
“South Africa?” One perfectly sculpted brow arched as Alexis regarded Tiffany over the rim of her drink, a sardonic twist to her cherry lips. “I can’t imagine what you’d be doing there. The place has nothing to offer but backward politics and savages, if you ask me.”
Tiffany’s smile turned murderous. “Visiting family, actually. My mother is from Johannesburg. Also, I often visit to acquire more tribal artwork and supplies for my gallery. Many people admire the richness and beauty of the culture.”
Alexis reddened and muttered something apologetic into her drink. Cassandra watched all of this with the avid gaze of a cat who has spotted a wounded bird fluttering within reach of its paws.
Heather dove to the rescue, her voice sweet and sincere as she sidled her chair a bit closer to Tiffany. “Don’t listen to that nonsense, she’s just being her usual catty, bitchy self. We are glad to have you here!”
Tiffany’s narrowed blue eyes slid from Vera to rest on Heather, her expression lightening considerably. “Thank you. What a doll you are!”
“Do you want to come shopping with me tomorrow? I heard there’s a new store with vintage Louis Vuitton that just opened up in Manhattan.” Heather’s wide brown eyes were completely guileless, and the others couldn’t restrain their eye rolls as she squealed in excitement at Tiffany’s nod. “Excellent! Give me your address, I’ll pick you up at noon.”
Tiffany did, smiling wolfishly as she slid a business card across the table. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Vera watched Tiffany leave with narrowed, distrustful eyes. The woman positively sauntered off, clearly pleased at how Alexis and Heather had warmed to her.
“I think we have a winner, ladies,” Cassandra said as she ran her fingertip along the edge of her glass, making the crystal sing.
Heather nodded enthusiastically, while Alexis reddened. “I shouldn’t have said—”
“Hush,” Cassandra scolded. “I don’t think you scared her off. Besides, she’s taken to Heather, and I’m sure she can salvage any hurt feelings and bring the girl around to seeing things our way.”
“I don’t like her,” Vera stated flatly. “I don’t think she’s what she seems.”
“Neither are we,” Heather replied.
The women quieted briefly, sipping at their drinks. Heather frowned, glancing back and forth between the others. Seeing as no one was talking, she broke the silence with a few chipper words.
“I think she’s great. I can’t wait to get to know her better. If she became part of the pack, we could set her up with one of the single wolves. Who hasn’t been mated yet? Oh, I bet she’d be a great match for Travis or Damon—”
“Will you stop that prattling?”
Heather regarded Vera with a hurt expression.
“I’ve seen her somewhere before,” Vera muttered. “I’m not sure where, but I know I have. Something about her is dangerous. We need to know more about her before we take her into the pack.”
Cassandra was not amused. “If you can provide proof of whatever it is that has you worried, I’ll take it into consideration. Until then, we go forward as planned. Heather will gather more information tomorrow and question her about her feelings on Others. Yes?”
Heather nodded, smiling brightly.
“There, you see? We’ll get to know her better and take it from there. I doubt she’ll be willing to sign a contract within a single day, anyway. We have time.”
Vera still wasn’t convinced, but said nothing.
“Even if she poses a threat now, she won’t be one for long. I’ll make sure of it.”
CHAPTER 3
I’ve been getting some bad publicity, but you got to expect that.
—Elvis Presley
Tiffany toyed with the curtains while she held her cell phone to her ear, staring out over the wide expanse of her backyard to the ring of trees that surrounded her property. After a few rings, a gruff voice harrumphed in her ear.
“Didn’t think I’d be hearing from you this soon. Run out of money already? Alimony isn’t due yet.”
“Don’t be an ass, Richard,” she said, turning away from the window. “I want you to tell me what you know about Cassandra Sachs and the women she surrounds herself with—Heather, Alexis, and especially Vera.”
He paused. Coughed. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to hunt on your own? Look, I know you didn’t like our methods—”
“I didn’t call for a lecture. Tell me what you know.”
“They’re dangerous, Tiff. Diamondfangs. Rich, snobbish, always looking to expand their ranks with more of the same. They’ve taken lawyers, CEOs, even a couple of state senators, and made them werewolves. They’ve got some kind of political agenda. I wouldn’t mess with them. If they’re sniffing around you, get out of town. I’ll send over some people—”
“No, Richard.”
“Come on, Tiff, this isn’t like before—”
“No, Richard. It’s not. You’re not my white knight, come to save the day.”
He sighed. “Damn it, babe, you always do this.”
“It’s why we’re not seeing each other anymore. Or have you forgotten?”
“No,” he replied, dull anger coloring his tone. “Of course not. How could I? You never let me forget.”
Tiffany fingered the framed image of herself in a wedding dress, leaning against a much larger man in a tuxedo who had his arm wrapped tightly around her. They were smiling, squinting against bright sunlight as they stood in a field dappled with spring flowers. Happy. Different.
“I don’t think now’s the time to discuss this. All I called for was information.”
“No. It’s never been the right time. Look, we could put off filing the papers. Try this again. Why don’t you just come home? You know I’m crazy about you.”
She tilted the frame until it was lying facedown, turning away. “It’s not my home. The hunting and the killing—that isn’t my world anymore.”
“Babe, it doesn’t have to be. Let me handle it like I always did. You don’t have to do anything. You never did. You wanted to come on the hunt, and you did. You wanted to stop, and you stopped. What’s there to argue about?”
Tiffany’s fingers clenched around the phone until the plastic squeaked. She eased up,
taking a breath to calm herself, though it didn’t help much. The words were still bitter, harsh, and she regretted them the moment they passed her lips.
“You really want me to just sit on my ass on the sidelines while you put your life on the line, night after night? I won’t do it, Richard. Don’t ask that of me.”
“You went into this relationship knowing what it meant. I never lied to you. I don’t get why it’s a problem now.”
Distantly, the sound of a horn blared. Tiffany reached for her purse, voice inflectionless. “Good-bye, Richard.”
She didn’t wait for him to reply before snapping the phone shut and tossing it in her purse, clacking down the stairs to meet with Heather.
The silver Lexus idling in her circular drive looked right at home next to Tiffany’s white Mercedes. Heather waved, giving Tiffany a cheerful smile that was soon returned in kind. There was no visible sign of her anger from a moment before.
“Hey, ready to go shopping? Hop in!”
Tiffany settled in on the passenger side, slipping on a pair of sunglasses as Heather took off down the drive, sparing her a surreptitious glance now and again.
“Everything all right?”
Tiffany blinked, startled, before allowing a bitter smile to curve her lips. “Sorry. Just got off the phone with my ex. Ever since the divorce ...”
“Oh, say no more,” Heather said. “Don’t worry, honey, once we hit the stores and start spending, you’ll forget all about him. We’ll find you someone new. Someone better!”
“I think it’s a bit early for that,” Tiffany replied, tone dry. “Let’s stick with the shopping for now.”
“Yeah. You know, who needs men? You’ve got us now.”
Tiffany laughed. “Easy for you to say. Don’t you have a husband?”
“Sure I do. One that’s never home, same as the rest of the werewives.”
“The what?”
Heather flushed. “Sorry. Just an inside joke. Cassandra, Heather, Vera, and I, we’re all such bitches, we call ourselves the werewives. We’ve been using that nickname for years.”
“Funny thing to call yourselves,” Tiffany murmured, gaze focused steadily on the world passing them by.
“You aren’t afraid of werewolves, are you? They aren’t so bad. From what I hear, I mean.”
“No, no. Nothing like that. Honestly, I can’t say that I’ve known any. Just what the papers tell me.”
Heather was scandalized. “You don’t honestly believe what they print in the papers, do you?”
“Hardly. I think a lot of things get nothing but bad press, werewolves included. I’d love to meet one sometime. Find out what they’re really like,” she replied.
“Really? Most people wouldn’t want anything to do with them.”
A low, throaty laugh made Heather glance guiltily at her guest, biting her lower lip. Tiffany wiped unshed tears of mirth from her eyes, ever so careful not to smudge her mascara. “Honey, you have no idea. Despite what the papers might say, there are plenty of people out there—me included—who are curious about Others and would be delighted to have a chance to meet one in person. Vampires, werewolves, wizards—they’re different. Unique. The possibilities fire the imagination.”
“Maybe not that different,” Heather muttered, reddening.
Tiffany arched an artificially bleached brow, then shrugged and laughed again. “You are too funny! If it bothers you that much, we’ll talk about something else. Like calling yourself a bitch. I don’t see why you think so. You’ve been very sweet to me.”
Heather gave her a sheepish smile before returning her attention back to the road. She hadn’t intended to bring up the subject so soon, or with such a lack of subtlety, and was thankful that Tiffany was the one who was turning the topic back to something less dangerous.
“Wait until we both have our eye on the same purse or pair of shoes, then ask me that again.”
The two laughed, together this time, and the topic shifted to far more comfortable topics: fashion, favorite brands, and which celebrity was sleeping with whom. They didn’t speak about Others again for the whole of the trip; not at the store where they each bought a new purse, nor at the café they stopped at for a light lunch and cocktails. The pair gushed about their purchases, stopping at a few more boutiques (each finding the perfect pair of summer sandals, along with darling sundresses and earrings to match), before ending their trek at a Starbucks.
“Are you coming to the party tonight?” Heather asked as she sipped her grande nonfat iced mocha raspberry latte.
Tiffany stirred her chai tea with a straw, eying Heather over the rim of her drink. “I didn’t know there was a party. Am I invited?”
“Of course! It’s at Alexis’s house, everyone who’s anyone in the neighborhood was invited. She must have forgotten to mention it last night. It’s not a big deal, just a little barbeque. If she gets uppity, we’ll go back to my place and mix some margaritas.”
Tiffany laughed, the sound attracting admiring glances from a few of the men and a number of glares from some of the women cradling drinks or hunched over laptops as they worked on the next Great American Novel. She touched her hair, then plucked at one of the buttons on her silk blouse, frowning.
“Do you mind stopping at my place so I can drop off my things and freshen up a bit before we go?”
“Of course not! Let’s get moving, then, don’t want to be late.”
“No,” Tiffany said, her eyes narrowing and her smile turning sly. “No, we don’t.”
CHAPTER 4
Just because you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.
—George Carlin
Alexis’s mansion sprawled across the verdant grounds of the property with all of the glamour and poise of a movie starlet. The trees lining her driveway glittered with twinkling lights, urging guests to come along to see the wonders of her garden. Row upon row of Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and Lexus luxury cars had been positioned just so, shining to advantage in the lights spilling from the house. Gabled windows and wrought-iron balconies gave the manor a European flavor, and the sounds of chatter, music, and laughter spilled from open French doors.
Tiffany followed in Heather’s wake, adjusting the strap of her purse as she paused in the foyer, bright blue eyes scanning the interior.
Much like the cars, many of the people inside had positioned themselves to advantage. They cradled drinks as they chatted in small groups of four or five, clustered around the baroque Louis XIV furniture done in rich tones of red and gold that matched the marble floors and sweeping columns in the open receiving room.
“Excuse me,” Tiffany said as her eyes locked on a man in a casual Tony Bahama polo and sleek J. Crew slacks. “I see one of my clients. I’ll be back shortly.”
Heather nodded, but Tiffany wasn’t paying attention, already stalking across the room like a hunting cat on the prowl, lacquered hand extended for the surprised gentleman to take as he noticed her. “Todd, it’s been ages... .”
The smooth way Tiffany went in for the kill drew Heather’s admiration instead of her ire. Though she wasn’t pleased at being ditched, she soon shrugged it off and followed her nose, trailing the distinct, musky scents of her favored pack mates. Her own stride became smooth, quiet, the stalking of a predator, leading the people around her to unconsciously move aside as she found her way to the back doors leading outside. A bright smile was soon plastered on her face as she took an empty seat beside Alexis on the patio. Cassandra returned her smile, eyebrows arching high.
“I take it things went well today?”
“Oh yes!” Heather gushed. “Ladies, we have a winner. She’s curious about Others and said she wants to meet a werewolf. How about that? I think she might go for it. I really do.”
Alexis frowned, her voice heavy with skepticism. “Are you sure about that? Most humans wouldn’t be so quick to put themselves within arm’s reach of a supernatural creature.”
“Yes, well, we haven�
��t exactly been forthcoming with her about ourselves.”
“She’s not cut out to be one of us,” Vera said, dripping disdain as she lounged back in her chair and stabbed the air with her martini olive’s toothpick for emphasis. “She’s well-dressed and obviously has connections, but we hardly know a thing about her. I don’t want her here. Not until we’re sure she’s not a threat.”Cassandra ignored Vera, narrowed eyes remaining locked on Heather, her expression otherwise unreadable. “Don’t tell me you think we should have said something to her already? She hardly knows us. No matter what she says, no one is prepared for being faced with the real thing. Not the first time. Think of the danger she could pose by knowing too much too soon.”
Heather pouted. “I thought you wanted her in the pack, Cassie? I didn’t tell her anything. I just asked a few questions and got her opinion.”
“It just seems a bit rushed. If you’re sure it’s safe, I suppose we should take advantage of her interest while we can. Where is she now?”
Heather gestured back the way she had come, lowering her voice—completely unnecessarily, considering no one but members of the pack were mingling outside. “She came with me. She saw someone she recognized, so she’s distracted for a bit, but she’ll be joining us shortly. We should tell her tonight. We really should.”
Alexis shrugged, sipping her martini before placing the glass on the table and leaning forward, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “You know, if she’s really as interested as you say, I’ll bet we could sell her on joining us before the next full moon. Cassie, if you can convince Gabriel to let Heather sign her, I’ll bet we’ll have her on a contract before the end of the week.”
They were interrupted by a discreet cough, a man holding a tumbler of brandy coming to a stop next to Alexis’s chair. “Ladies, I trust you’re enjoying yourselves?”
Murmurs of assent and a few pithy greetings were exchanged. Alexis was not amused by the interruption.
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