Thomas’s reign in the city was new. It could be some of its inhabitants would like to see him unseated. His policies had made him very unpopular and a lot of people were unhappy. The last vampire lord to control this territory had spent a good bit of his time in Chicago, leaving Columbus’ spooks the freedom to do what they want. Thomas had a much bigger presence here and the power to enforce his rules.
Caroline studied me, her forehead wrinkled in thought.“All right,I’m in.”
I gave her a sideways look, wondering what brought that on.“There’s nothing to be in for.”
She snorted.“You say that now, but pretty soon, interesting, dangerous things are going to start happening. You’ll need someone to watch your back.” Her grin widened as she grabbed my cheek with one hand, ruthlessly pinching it.“You defenseless baby, you.”
I batted her hand away, holding the offended cheek as I glared at her.“You’re just as much a baby as I am.”
Her shrug was rueful as she lifted her drink.“Let’s have a little fun tonight, shall we?”
There was a hint of vulnerability on her face, as if she expected me to throw her offer in her face. The thought had occurred to me.
It went against the instinctsI’d built up over the last few years. It was almost second nature to refuse at this point.I’d gotten so used to going it alone that the offer of help made me stop and blink.
I sighed and gave in, picking up my glass and tapping it against hers.“Guess I can’t argue with that.”
Caroline’s mouth widened and she took a hasty sip before setting the drink back on the bar. She clapped her hands together and shot out of her chair.“I know just how to celebrate.”
“Oh no.” I made a grab for her, but she evaded, heading straight for the DJ.“Caroline,I’m not singing karaoke.”
A tall, thin man a few seats down the bar gave me a look filled with disdain.“Think you’re too good for us?”
I curled my lip, showing a fang. That seemed to shut him up. His mouth snapped closed and he looked away even as his friend shot me an unfriendly look.
Caroline bounced back to me, her energy infectious and spilling everywhere.
“I’m not singing,” I told her as soon as she reached me.
“Don’t worry. There’s at least ten people in front of us. Plenty of time for you to get a few more of these in you for liquid courage.” She held up the drink in question.
“You know I can’t get drunk on normal liquor, right?”
She nearly choked on the liquid, wiping it away as she gave me wide eyes.“No.”
“You probably can’t either.”
Werewolves had a fast metabolism. Her body would burn through alcohol faster than the drinks would get her drunk. Plus side—she could pretty much eat anything now and not gain a pound.
She stared down at her drink in what looked like sorrow. Her mouth firmed.“Tonight, we’re going to test that theory.”
CHAPTERFIVE
“It’s almost our turn,” Caroline said.
I felt no more enthusiastic than when she first suggested it to me. Getting out of it, however, seemed more and more impossible.
For the last hour, Caroline had chair danced to every song, mouthing the lyrics and basically rocking out. She might pull out the demon wolf if I tried to leave without performing one song with her.
We were both on our third drink by then. Surprisingly, I was feeling loose and warm. I remembered this feeling from when I was human. It was that pleasantly buzzed feeling that came from being on that perfect edge between too much and not enough.
From the bright look in Caroline’s eyes and the happy smile plastered on her face for the last hour, I was willing to bet she was in a similar state.
I peered closer at my glass.
This should have been impossible. I’d tried on more than one occasion to get drunk since my change. Not just once or twice, but many times. At one point I even paid an Army buddy to bring up some moonshine from Kentucky. Nothing had worked.
Yet now I was experiencing that same lassitude invading my limbs even as my lips tingled, a precursor to going numb.
