She rolled her eyes.
“I was sent to see how the DefenSec deal was going,” he said.
She drained half the glass of water. Set it aside. Waited.
His mouth tightened into a smile. “And I’m supposed to remind you that you’re expected at the Gatherings.”
At least he was honest with her.
“I skip Gatherings all the time.”
“Lehr wants you there.”
“I don’t want to—”
“It’s required, Nora.” His voice went hard. He didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t say anything else, but his dominance flared over the room.
Nora resisted the pressure to avert her gaze. “You can tell my father the DefenSec deal is close to closing.”
The atmosphere settled. His expression relaxed, and he stood. “I’ll let him know, and you should cash the check I gave you. Move out next weekend. See if city life helps.”
“Is that an order?”
“It’s a suggestion. Stop interpreting everything as a challenge. Lehr pissed you off. You want to piss him off back, but you’re on a dangerous path. There will be consequences if you stray too far.”
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He stopped beside her and lowered his voice. “You stink of vampire.”
Fuck. She met his gaze and didn’t let any emotion leak into her expression. She’d hoped it had been long enough for Jared’s scent to fade away. Obviously, it hadn’t. But Blake didn’t know which vampire she’d slept with—he wouldn’t be so calm if he did. The question was, would he tell her father?
“Don’t make it a habit,” Blake said.
15
Jared clenched his cell phone in his hand. A man was in Nora’s house.
Jared forgot about his quarry, momentarily stunned by a sharp twist in his gut. It was a foreign sensation but vaguely familiar. Old, even. Perhaps from his human days.
He lowered his phone and stared at its now blank screen. Jealousy. That was what he felt. Another man was in Nora’s home, a man she knew, and merely an hour ago, she had gone to Swirl to seek Jared’s attention. To seek release.
The man was likely another werewolf. They stopped by her home often. It could be an innocent visit, but the wolf had asked her what was wrong. Authority and concern had saturated his voice. Jared had heard the latter clearly, which suggested they were more than just pack mates.
Did it matter?
The answer to that question did not come immediately. In fact, it did not come at all because he saw them, the two werewolves who had killed the youngling. They were on the opposite side of the city street, walking a few paces behind the Rain girl and her friend. He was upwind of the wolves. He muted his aura so they would not scent him yet.
He remained on his side of the street, watching, following. It was just past midnight. Kennedy Rain and the other human were likely headed for the parking lot a block away. Why were the wolves tracking them? To make sure they reached their vehicle safely? It was possible. Perhaps they had recognized the youngling as a threat and wanted to be sure no harm came to the humans.
Another minute passed. Then two. Kennedy and her friend reached their vehicle.
Jared tensed, ready to cross the distance should the werewolves act.
Kennedy opened the car door but hesitated before she climbed behind the wheel. Her gaze caught on the two men, and the easy expression that had been on her face became edged with apprehension. She sensed what they were. At least, she sensed they were paranorms. That should not have been a surprise considering her upbringing—humans could become sensitive to magical auras over time—but if they were no longer near paranorms, that sensitivity tended to fade. Apparently, Kennedy’s remained strong.
She watched the werewolves walk past. The nearest one touched the brim of an imaginary hat and dipped his head in a nod. Her mouth flattened. She sank into the driver’s seat and yanked her door closed.
Jared waited until she drove away to intercept the werewolves. They did not scent his approach or see him move. They noticed him only when he allowed it, letting his aura pulse out before he reined it in again.
