by Lee Mae
“Hey, Taryn. Good to see you here, on time and all pretty and stuff. Like, you’re taking what I said yesterday seriously. I like that.” He leaned against the table and a wave of unwashed body smell stung her eyes. He was wearing the same clothes he’d had on yesterday and she wondered if he’d just woken up, when he heard her come in.
She blinked, trying hard to stifle a gasp and started breathing through her mouth. She looked up at him caught the dilated pupils, the twitchy behavior and knew he was probably high. She didn’t know him well enough to know how he was going to act and she tensed, expecting the worst.
“Yeah, so…you know…I want to talk about your job here.” Ryan pulled a folding chair up to the table, resting his elbows on the top, a frown line appearing between his eyes.
“Like I said, Ryan. I’m sorry…”
“Yeah, you said.” He cut her off and she went completely still, watching him closely.
“So, like, I owe you money. I know I told you I’d pay you at the end of every day, so we’re all square and even. But, business has been slow. You know how it is.” He spread his hands, with the dirty bitten nails, on the table.
“Yeah, I get that. You can owe me until…” Taryn sat back in her chair, arms folded across her chest. Something about Ryan changed. He was suddenly all kinds of friendly, an oily smile spreading across his face, and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
“Well, I got an idea. If you want…” Ryan stood, moving around behind the table. He perched on the edge, so close Taryn could smell unwashed clothes and unwashed hair. She tried hard to suppress a grimace, only partially successful.
“We can take it out in trade.” He reached out, his fingers tracing along her cheek.
“Trade? How? I don’t want a tattoo.” But she knew what he meant…what he wanted. It was as plain as the bulge forming at the apex of Ryan’s thighs where he thought this was going. She shook her head.
Ryan winked, distorting his face for a second. “Trade what you got for what I owe you. Do each other a favor.”
Ryan slid closer on the table, pinning her in the corner behind the table. “Should be no big deal, for someone like you.” His voice was low and she imagined he thought it sounded seductive. But Taryn’s muscles tightened and she clenched her jaw so tightly she thought her teeth would crack.
“‘Someone like me’? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
His laugh sent a wave of disgust through her, made her skin crawl. “You’re a stripper, Taryn. A cheap one, at that. You all put out…all the time. You dance for men, for money. What the hell do you think I mean?”
“I think you got it wrong, Ryan. I don’t know what Lori told you, or what you think I am, but I don’t put out for money. Never have.”
“You expect me to believe that?” He reached out, grabbing for her breast. She slapped at his hand and then slapped him hard across the face. He flinched, his head jerking to the side, but his hand was still on her breast, fingers digging into her flesh.
“You bitch.” He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her up out of the chair. “You don’t know what the hell you’re messing with.”
Spittle flew from his mouth, his face contorted into a grimace of fury. Taryn twisted in his hands, but they were like steel, digging in to her shoulders.
“You’re playing with fire. I could tear you limb from limb if I wanted. Tear your throat out. Want to see?”
He opened his mouth and Taryn watched in horror, her heartbeat thudding in her ears, as his teeth extended into fangs. There was sudden pain where he held her and she looked down at his hands, watched as his bitten nails suddenly grew into talons. The scream building in her throat was cut off as he grabbed her by the neck, pinning her against the wall, lifting her easily until her feet no longer touched the floor.
“Do you know what I am, Taryn?” His voice was a deep growl, flecks of spit hitting her cheek. “Do know what I could do to you?”
She struggled weakly against his grip. Then suddenly he let go and she slumped into the chair, breath rasping from her throat. Ryan stood in front of her, blocking her exit. Scattered mats of fur had appeared on his arms and as she watched, they slowly receded. She dragged her eyes up to his face, expecting to see the face of a wolf, but he stood with his eyes closed, jaw clenched, breathing deeply.
He opened his eyes, looking down at her. “You almost made me give it all away, bitch. And now you know too much, know what I am.”
She shook her head. “No, I mean…I won’t tell. You’re…it’s not something you can control. It’s okay…I mean…I won’t tell.” The words spilled out of her and she heard herself talking nonsense, knew she was rambling. But whatever he was, Ryan was back under control, more or less.
And that didn’t make sense. It wasn’t the full moon; they’d just had one and Sam had changed. He’d told her werewolves were bound by the cycles of the moon. So, what the hell was Ryan, if he could change…and then stop and change back?
“You’re not surprised by this…you know something, don’t you? Lori already told you, didn’t she? Bitch.” Ryan smacked the table with his hand. “She promised me, no matter what, she wouldn’t tell. Not even you.”
“She didn’t tell me anything, I swear. Look, just…let’s call this even. I leave, I don’t say anything, you don’t owe me any money. Deal?”
Taryn’s heart thudded in her chest, her breathing shallow. Ryan watched her, a terrible predatory glint in his usually unfocused eyes. It unnerved her completely, sending a thrill of fear along her spine. She wanted to run, but fear made her stand still, waiting.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he backed away. “Say anything, and you’re dead. Got it?”
Taryn shook her head. She grabbed her purse and slipped past him, bolting out the door and down the front stairs, tripping and stumbling down the sidewalk into the pouring rain.
38
Sam walked through the room, a hush falling across the pack members. Everyone was in the living room, including Bec, standing sullenly in the back of the room, arms folded across his chest. Sam caught his eye and Bec looked away. They’d had almost no conversation since the night before.
“Most of you already know the thing has been tracked to an apartment, where it’s apparently been living, at least for the past few days. It wasn’t there last night…but that doesn’t mean it won’t come back. I think it wants is the girl who lives there, either to kill her or it’s fixated on her as some kind of obsession. There’s no way of knowing.”
There was a murmur through the pack and then Bec stepped forward. “The girl you’ve been sleeping with? That girl?”
Sam clenched his jaw, brows drawing together in a frown, meeting Bec’s disapproving gaze. “Yeah, Bec. Taryn’s apartment. You know that, you were there.” Sam looked around the room at the rest of the pack. Finn and Angela were the only members not staring open-mouthed at him.
“This wasn’t where or how I wanted to announce this, but I’ve chosen a mate. Some of you have met her.” The murmurs grew louder, a few members smiling at him from around the room. Finn nodded from his seat and Angela smiled broadly, giving him a thumbs up. But the mood quickly returned to all business as Sam spoke.
“And Bec, this is my pack and my meeting. If you can’t keep quiet, then you’re free to leave.”
Sam looked at Bec, their eyes locked for what seemed an eternity. But Sam wasn’t about to back down again. His little brother was out of line and Sam had had enough.
It was Bec who finally looked away, turning his head and dropping his eyes.
“Fine. Then here’s what we’re going to do. Tonight, a group of us goes back to the apartment, do a thorough search for any trace of the thing. And then we track where it’s gone from there. The scent isn’t fresh, but it’s so unmistakable we should be able to find where it’s gone.”
The members grew animated with the promise of a hunt and a clear directive. It’s what they wanted, what they craved and
what he’d been lacking in giving them. Especially now, with this creature out there.
Sam answered questions, keeping an eye on Bec. He remained sullen, standing in the back of the room. Sam didn’t want to feel sorry for Bec, but it was hard. He was still his younger brother, no matter what, and he still wanted to look out for him, to protect him. But that wasn’t going to do either of them any good. He had another idea.
The pack was starting to filter out of the room, guys going off to do whatever they needed to do to get ready. They’d head out just after dark, in just under an hour. Sam worked his way through the pack, finding Bec.
“I want you to come with me tonight.”
“Checking up on me again? Keeping me under your watchful eye?” Bec’s voice dripped with scorn.
“Far from it. I want the best with me. You hunt like no other. If we’re going to track this thing and corner it, I want you with me.”
Bec had sometimes been easy to manipulate, but every so often he saw through the ruse. Tonight, he lapped up the praise. It was true, no doubt. Bec was an excellent tracker. But Bec was also right; Sam did want to keep him under close supervision.
“Meet me here in an hour, okay? I’ve got an errand to run. And then we’ll head out.” Sam slapped Bec on the back and strode out of the room.
Sam wanted to find Taryn, make sure she was back here at the house before they left for the hunt. He’d make sure the pack kept her safe. There would be mates left behind and Sam had no doubt they were just as capable as the guys in taking care of Taryn.
And with any luck, they’d find their prey and this nightmare would end, once and for all.
39
Taryn wanted to be with Sam, more than anything, but Lori’s apartment was so much closer. And maybe she could bum cab fare from Lori and get to Sam’s house, if Lori wasn’t still mad at her from the argument the other day.
She ran through the rain, her shoes soaked, slipping on the wet sidewalks, splashing through puddles as she crossed the street. She bolted up the stairs of Lori’s building, breath rasping in her throat, heart thudding in her chest. When she finally got the door open she darted inside, locking the door and fumbling the security chain in place.
“What the hell?” Lori came out of the kitchen, hands on her hips. “Someone chasing you?”
Taryn stumbled into the living room and collapsed on the couch. It was a minute or so before she caught her breath, before she could speak.
“Ryan…he’s…there’s something really wrong with him.”
Lori dropped into the chair by the couch, lighting a cigarette. “Yeah. He’s kind of sleazy.” She blew out a stream of smoke, her eyes on Taryn. “Did he offer to give you a tattoo for free? I hope you turned that shit down.”
Taryn shook her head. “No. Not that. Much more than that. And you know what he is, Lori, he said you knew.”
Lori sat back, crossing her legs. “Oh.” She breathed out a frustrated sigh. “Bastard. Can’t keep a secret, can’t control himself.” She took a long drag from the cigarette.
“So, did he hurt you or just scare you?” Lori’s voice was way too calm for this and it set Taryn’s teeth on edge.
“What the hell difference does that make? You sent me to him…this…creature of a man. A sick, twisted man at that… wanted me to put out in order to get paid before changing into a beast… right before my eyes! And you knew, Lori. You knew all about him.”
Lori looked away, tapping her cigarette into the ashtray. “Yeah. I knew some of that…not all.”
“What do you mean, not all? Let’s start with what you didn’t know about Ryan and work our way backward.”
“I didn’t know he would try to get you to put out rather than pay you. That’s low, even for Ryan.” Lori was quiet for a minute, brow furrowed. “He’s never been interested in sex, as far as I knew. Always more interested in getting high. Must have expanded his horizons lately. Or, he’s obsessed with you.” Lori regarded her for a minute. “I bet it’s you…he did say you were the best dancer at the club, the one he always remembered. Maybe he thought he had some chemistry with you or something.”
“But you knew about the rest? That he’s a…lycanthrope?”
Lori hesitated a moment, eyes locked with Taryn. “How do you even know what that is?” She leaned forward. The suspicion and mistrust in Lori’s voice, her posture, the look she gave Taryn, cut her right to the bone.
“Did Sam fill you in on the details? Or…shit…” And then Lori’s eyes went wide, her face going pale.
“Did you tell Sam about Ryan? Holy shit, if you did…” Lori’s voice was panicked and Taryn could see the pulse beating at the base of her throat. She was spooked, either scared of Ryan or of Sam. Taryn suspected Ryan; she didn’t think Sam was much of a threat to Lori. A pissed off lycanthrope would have to be more dangerous than just some guy Taryn was sleeping with.
Taryn shook her head, frowning. “Huh? No. Other way round.”
“So…your wolf told you about lycanthropes?”
It was Taryn’s turn for wide eyes, for her heart to skip a beat…skip several beats, and her stomach drop. “How the hell did you know about Sam?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“The wolf scent is all over him. I could smell his scent from a mile away. Powerful…very, very powerful. I knew from the first time I saw him, back at the club.” Lori shrugged. “I thought he would be all kinds of bad for you, just a wolf in a man’s clothing. Maybe I was wrong. He’s at least better than some of your boyfriends.”
“His scent? You said, way back when, that he smelled divine.”
Lori snorted. “Yeah. Well, I’ll while we’re hashing out secrets and lies, let me share one of my own.” She leaned forward, stubbing out her cigarette, staring at Taryn through a haze of cigarette smoke. Lori held Taryn’s gaze for a moment and then she smiled.
Taryn recoiled, pulling her legs up beneath her, scooting back into the corner of the couch. Lori had fangs, sharp canine teeth, top and bottom, extending up from the rest of her teeth. Long and white, and very wolf-like. She held up her hands, her fingernails curved and sharp claws.
“Lori…I…why? How long?” Taryn’s heart resumed beating, very fast, the sound of blood rushing in her ears so loud she was sure Lori could hear her. And, judging by the evidence in front of her, Taryn was pretty sure Lori could hear her heart pounding away in her chest.
Lori sat back, the nails and teeth slowly receding. “Seems like forever, but sometime after high school, after you moved out and got your own place.”
“Who did this to you?” Taryn tried to breath, tried to let some of the tension out of her body. But her mind was racing in a million directions, her thoughts shattered like glass. This was someone she’d known since they were little. Someone she’d trusted, who knew her. And it turns out, was a complete stranger herself. Hell, Sam telling her he was a werewolf was nothing to hearing from her best friend that she was a lycanthrope.
“Ryan did it.” Lori shrugged. “He was my dealer, for a long time. And then one day, I almost overdosed. Was seconds away from death, bright white light, the whole thing. And he changed right there and bit me… to save me, I guess. So here I am.”
Every emotion she thought she could have coursed through Taryn. She felt pity for Lori, angry with Ryan, sad that she’d never known this, regret for not being there for her friend. But most of all she was just confused.
“Save you? …But you’ve never…I’ve never seen you change.”
“I don’t usually. And never in front of anyone. Sometimes I get restless and go out at night, but not often. I don’t have the need, anymore. But when I was using, it was harder. I couldn’t control myself…” She tilted her head, regarding Taryn. “You remember. You used to call me a hellion, tell me I was a loose cannon.”
Taryn nodded. At the worst times when she was using, Lori had disappeared, sometimes for just a day or so, but sometimes longer. She’d never told Taryn where she’d gone or who’d she’d b
een with. Taryn assumed she’d just holed up somewhere with her dealer or some druggie friends and spent the time high. It broke her heart to imagine Lori, as a wolf, out on the street, doing whatever it was wolves did.
“I got off the drugs because of this…it’s almost impossible to control this thing if you’re using. Ryan’s all fucked up now, in more ways than one. He was probably high today, if he started changing in front of you.”
Taryn nodded, the image of Ryan coming back. “I think he was. He was talking about the sex for pay thing and…then he just went off, grabbing at me, pawing me…and I slapped him.”
Lori winced. “Yeah, that’d set him off.”
She got up, walking into the kitchen. “You want a beer? I think you could use one.”
“Yeah. I guess. So…” Lori came back and handed her a cold bottle, sitting down on the couch. Taryn took a swallow, watching Lori.
“So, Ryan’s a lycanthrope. He bit you, you’re one like him.”
“Um-hum.” Lori took a drink from her beer. “Pretty cut and dried. Not much intricate detail. They bite, you’re one of them.”
“And you knew Sam was a werewolf all along?” Taryn shook her head. “I can’t believe you kept that secret, that you didn’t tell me.”
“Not my place to tell you. I didn’t want you to fall in love with him…I never wanted that. You know, I can’t decide those things for you.”
“But you said he was a good guy.” Taryn frowned. “But you don’t like him?”
“I did think he’s a good guy, still do. But he’s still a werewolf and for one night each month, he’s something totally different than what you know now. There’s no going back from that.”
Taryn was quiet for a long moment. She couldn’t keep any more secrets, didn’t want to hold back now that everything else was out on the table. “He asked me to be his mate.”
Lori almost choked on her beer. “You’re kidding? Really? Jesus…you told him no, right? Tell me you left him, got the hell out.”