“Think we can pick up something to eat on the way home?” Sabrina’s tone is cool and collected, but it’s not quite the dramatic shift as it was yesterday, more natural. After that shit with Reid, I’m not surprised that she gave her other half full rein without even attempting to fight for control, but my unease only grows in the face of how seemingly relaxed her wolf is when rationally, she should bepissed.
“Of course, love.”
She tosses me a smile, and I momentarily falter. Her eyes are fully coral now, but there’s a hard glint to them that there wasn’t even half an hour ago, like she’s closing herself off and is putting on a face for show. She’s never looked more like one of us, and it hurts more than I ever considered back when I was secretly wishing for it. Her not being a human makes things easier in some respects, but so much more complicated than we could have imagined in others. Our wolves are all instinct and feral energy, whereas hers is just... cold. Calculating.
If we aren’t careful, it could completely devour the woman we fell in love with.
“Sabrina.” She turns towards Cinjin, raising an eyebrow. He looks... awful, honestly. Torn between his love for his twin and wanting to protect him, yet pissed at him for the pain he caused both himself and our mate. “Can I ask a favor?”
Warily she scans his face as we continue towards the car. “Always. Might not bite, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
Taking a deep breath, he blurts, “I know you said my other half was being a shady motherfucker, but I promise that’s not the case. I’d really like you to help me shift tonight so I can prove it.” Before she can get a word in edgewise, he rushes to justify, “We saw how protective the others were over you last night. Between them and your own abilities, I’ve no doubt you could take me out of commission in a heartbeat if necessary. And whatever motive it might have, I can swear there’s no way it would attempt to hurt you, and maybe it’d be better to know anyway, lay all our cards on the table so we can see what we’re dealing with.”
Barely two seconds pass by before she replies, “No.” One word, yet it echoes around the parking garage like a gunshot.
“What do you mean, no?” he snaps, and at that, Bo settles a firm hand on his shoulder, glaring down at him in warning. If he’s going to be this pissy over a denial, it only adds weight to the argument against him being able to keep himself in check when he’s a hell of a lot more lethal.
Without slowing her step, she shrugs a single shoulder. “I mean no. The only reason you’re so pressed to shift right now is because you want hands on experience to try and talk Reid through it in an effort to convince him that it isn’t as bad as he’s making it out to be in his head. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but it’s a shitty reason nonetheless. I like to pretend I’m not so pathetic that someone needs to beconvincedto be with me, and I don’t particularly enjoy feeling like you’re using me as a means to an end, either.”
Nobody knows what to say, so we simply walk in increasingly tense silence until we reach the SUV where we can at least use the radio as a buffer. Unlocking it, a sense of foreboding travels down my spine, and with it, my other half finally makes himself known. Hackles raised, a low warning sound rumbles in my chest while I reposition myself so that I’m covering Sabrina’s back as she opens her door. Bo picks up on the same thing I did, scanning our surroundings in the parking garage with a calculated eye.
Sabrina pauses with one foot on the sidestep, cocking her head to the side. Naturally, she doesn’t do the sensible thing of locking herself in the SUV, removing herself from the equation so that we can fight freely without worrying about her getting caught in the crossfire. As wariness builds in my veins, I’m tempted to risk her wrath by shoving her in and slamming the door behind her to ensure she’s safe when we aren’t even sure what the threatis.
She isn’t foolish though, simply holding her position and flaring her nostrils, attempting to get a read on the situation like she’s been utilizing her new abilities her entire life. I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to adjust to having heightened senses as a constant part of my arsenal, but for someone that was human up until a little over a week ago, she’s adapting in spades, far quicker than we are.
As agitated as her wolf seems right now, the only reason she’d back down from a fight is if she thought it would give her an opening to strike. So I’m not surprised when she leaves her door open, but steps down to scan her cool gaze around the garage, yet I still don’t budge to act as a buffer between her and whatever has us on edge.
We can all hear the rapid heartbeat that nearly drowns out the sound of footsteps, so we’re already waiting for the person that rounds the corner behind the cement beam. I’ll admit, I was expecting some nervous idiot to attempt to mug us, not the sight of a massive man, appearing as calm as can be, pressing a gun to Jonathan’s temple. Eyes wide with terror, a strip of duct tape over his mouth and around his wrists, Jonathan’s heart skips a beat when he sees us; a spike of hope that he’ll walk away from this with his brains intact.
It’s a weak grasp at manipulation against Sabrina or Reid, since the rest of us couldn’t give a shit about the mouthy little asshole, but by the way the tattooed, bald asshole’s eyes immediately settle upon my mate, it answers that question. Placing a hand on her shoulder, my wolf all but rolls his eyes, unconcerned with the danger. We could shove our mate out of the way long before that human could turn the gun in her direction, and the threat of Jonathan being killed doesn’t even register on our radar as worth losing any sleep over.
I can hear the evil villain monologue in my head already, so as he starts speaking, I mentally mouth along. It’s hardly the first time any of us have been extorted or threatened.
“If you don’t want me to put a bullet through his brain, you’ll listen closely.” It’s a snarled demand, and the only thing keeping any of us from drawing our weapons is curiosity.
We know all of the families in this area, and they’re the only ones that would have an interest in Sabrina unless this is something to do with her fathers. Yet this guy is simply a street thug, so I’m sure I’m not the only one wanting to understand what any of them are hoping to accomplish by sending a human sacrifice into the heart of a pack of wolves.
“You’ll let the girl go,” he continues, gaze flitting between all of us before settling on my face and narrowing his eyes, “or his brains will be painting the pavement. A trade; your brother lives, the girl goes free. Everybody wins.”
Cinjin raises an eyebrow and tilts his head in confusion, as taken off guard as the rest of us, but not as talented at hiding his reactions. Heiswell versed in spinning them to his advantage, though. “Well, shit, you’ve got us.” Looking at Sabrina, he sticks out his bottom lip. “It was fun while it lasted. Sorry, beautiful. Guess we better let him take you back to-” he holds up a finger, turning back to the guy that seems to think he’s coming to her rescue “- who again? I’m terrible at keeping track of where we picked up our current flavor of the month from.”
If she doesn’t kill him for that quip first, I will.
The man snarls, digging the muzzle of his handgun harder against Jonathan’s temple, who shuts his eyes with a wince. “No games. That girl’s walking out of here one way or another, the only thing you get to decide is how many of your brothers you’re hauling out of here in body bags.”
He thinks he grabbed Reid. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed such a botched job in my life. This is actually hilarious... in a terribly pathetic sort of way.
Sabrina isn’t getting anywhere near this idiot, and I couldn’t care less if Reid’s employee winds up dead in the crossfire. I’d love to know who put this shoddy job together and actually thought it would work, but it might make Sabrina sad if she has to watch her friend die. In case I need to block her view or act as a buffer if a bullet ricochets, I take a small step to position myself in front of her again now that she’s inched to the side to watch it all play out. She grabs my wrist and shoots me a pointed look, attempting to convey a plan.
Fighting back a snort of amusement, I turn my back to the pathetic excuse of a threat to give her my full attention. I recognize that look of determination, and I love the hell out of her for it, this entire ordeal far more enjoyable than I could have ever anticipated. It doesn’t take a genius to read her thoughts, plain as day on her face asmySabrina slips through in her honorable quest to save her friend, and I’d give her credit for a solid plan if it was necessary. She’s a threat of the best variety since no one knows what she’s capable of. If we humor a trade, the second this bastard sets a hand on her, she could drain him dry. I see it all playing out in her gorgeous, furious gaze, and fight the urge to kiss her breathless.
Leaning in close, I murmur against her ear, “He isn’t like us, love; human, through and through. Your talents would be wasted on him.”
More like her skills are useless on someone like him. She’d be left with only her instincts to guide her in defending herself since there isn’t a wolf in his chest to manipulate, andthatI won’t trust her with until I see her in action and am convinced that she can properly defend herself. Even then, I doubt I’d be able to actually let her go through with it, my wolf and I in complete agreement that no one else should touch our mate. My sweet Sabrina is many things, but despite the fact she saved my sister and the way she has me wrapped around her finger, I know something that she doesn’t.
When she looked into my soul to set me free, I caught a glimpse into hers. The fire inside of her that burns so brightly it draws us all into her snare is one shift of the wind away from consuming her entirely. While her wolf puts on a good front of appearing cold and indifferent to throw us off, she needs us to keep her in check; the shadows to her flames. One cannot exist without the other, and I take pride in my position, thrilled to showcase all that she’s capable of by being the darkest, most twisted bastard imaginable.
I can’t exist without her anymore, and I intend to repay the honor by showing the world that the most dangerous monsters are the ones that have something worth protecting.
