Two Minutes, Book 6

by Dannika Dark

  For whatever reason, they didn’t hold Maddox in high regard, and I’m sure if it had been me going out with him instead of my mom, they would have barricaded the door. He was far too seasoned of a Shifter to be tangled up with a young human; that would only raise suspicion of his true motives.

  Which made me think about Prince, who probably exceeded Maddox’s age by centuries, even though he looked younger.

  I sat on the steps, suddenly petrified my pack was going to beat up my date. The tension in the room was sharp, and it cut against my nerves like a serrated knife.

  A knock sounded at the door and my heart leapt against my chest.

  Naya wagged her finger at the men. “Behave yourselves. This is a client of mine, and I don’t want you scaring him away with all your territorial growling.”

  “That’ll depend on how well he behaves,” Wheeler said, lifting the cat off his head and putting him on the floor. Spartacus sat down and lifted his hind leg in the air.

  Naya gave Wheeler a pointed stare before opening the door. I peered through the slats in the banister at a young man who had a confident gaze despite the testosterone flinging around the foyer.

  “Thomas, we were just expecting you.” Naya greeted him warmly. “Come inside.”

  A board squeaked from the back of the room and Denver stepped out of the shadows. His knuckles were white, but luckily he kept his hands at his sides.

  Naya led my date to the bottom of the steps. He was handsome—thick eyebrows, deep-set brown eyes, and nice lips. He had a brooding expression that was strangely attractive, like a detective or someone who worked in a mysterious profession. I suddenly felt overdressed when I glanced at his jeans and black button-up shirt.

  “Maizy, I’d like you to meet Thomas O’Dell. He’s brilliant with computers. Thomas, this is Maizy… Cole. Educated, beautiful, and just moved to town.”

  I thought it was interesting that Naya had introduced me as a Cole. While my mother had washed her hands of my father a long time ago, she’d never dropped her married name of Knight, and neither had I.

  Thomas reached for my hand and I offered it to him. Instead of kissing it—which would have been completely awkward with a dozen eyes on us—he bowed and touched his forehead to it. It was a peculiar gesture for a human, but he was clearly learned in the customs of the Breed world.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Naya told me a lot about you, but I can already see she was holding back.”

  Austin cleared his throat and stepped forward. “And I’m Austin Cole, her Packmaster.”

  Thomas stood erect and lowered his eyes. Since it wasn’t customary for Breed to shake hands, he bowed his head and said, “It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

  Lexi snorted and nudged his arm. “Sir.”

  Austin slid his jaw to the side and then widened his stance. “I want you two in a public place at all times. No parking in a private location. You’re paying for all the expenses, and I want her back before midnight. Scratch that; you have her back by ten sharp.”

  Jericho glanced at an imaginary watch on his wrist and laughed. “Why not make it by eight? That’ll give ’em enough time to buy some gas and a Slurpee.”

  Izzy pinched his side, and he curled his arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

  Austin balked a bit before reluctantly stepping back. Thomas reached out and took my hand, pulling me to my feet. Then his eyes slid down like magnets, his gaze attaching to the keyhole in my dress.

  Denver wedged himself between us. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Denver.” His voice tight, his body practically vibrating with tension.

  Denver had on his black work shirt with the Howlers logo on the left breast, so he must have been waiting to meet my date before going in.

  “Thomas,” my date replied smoothly. Denver wasn’t the Packmaster, so Thomas didn’t hesitate to look him directly in the eye. It made me a little nervous, so I stepped aside to see what was going on between them.

  Denver had an inch on Thomas, and he used it to his full advantage as he stood tall and glared down his nose at him. “I’m her watchdog.”

  A few surprised murmurs sounded in the room.

  Thomas pursed his lips for a moment. “Isn’t she a little old for one of those?”

  I thought I heard a low growl resonating from Denver’s chest, but I couldn’t be sure.

  “Maybe you should chaperone,” Wheeler suggested. I couldn’t tell if he was kidding or serious since he had a dry sense of humor.

  “No one is chaperoning anyone,” I said, gripping Thomas’s arm. “We’ll be back early, and I’ll call you to let you know when I’m coming home.”

  When Thomas put his arm around me, I broke eye contact with Denver and headed toward the door. Naya patted my cheek and smiled. “Have fun, girly.”

  “Wait!” April shouted, jogging toward me. “You forgot your—”

  April stumbled and Reno caught her, but my purse went flying toward me and hit the floor, spilling out all the contents.

  Including a tampon.

  Kill me now.

  All the men seemed to involuntarily turn around, brows arched, grimacing, some rubbing the back of their neck. April’s cheeks turned bright red and she covered her mouth in horror. I quickly shoved everything into my purse, praying Thomas had never seen a tampon before. I wasn’t sure if ignoring it was the better option, or if I should bother explaining to everyone that I’d ended my period last week.

  Naya tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe the white dress wasn’t such a good idea.”

  In many ways, I was thankful I hadn’t grown up as a teen in this house. When Thomas went out the door, I slapped the tampon in Naya’s hand and glared at the pack. “I won’t be needing this tonight.”

  A few chuckles sounded when I slammed the door behind me on my way out.

  ***

  Thomas spent good money on me at a Breed restaurant. When the waiter led us to a booth in the back, Thomas insisted on a table in the middle of the room. Trusted humans were often hidden in the back, but Thomas was having none of it. I liked that about him.

  I’d never heard anyone talk so much, especially about himself. He loved computers to an obsessive degree and invited me to his house to show me his workstation. I sensed he didn’t get out much, or at least interact with the opposite sex. He was well versed in how to behave around different Breeds and made sure not to talk about them in a public setting. Vampires could hear exceptionally well, and he remained on his best behavior to make sure he didn’t inadvertently instigate anything while on our date.

  Thomas was polite and easy to talk to, and I suppose that’s why Naya thought we’d hit it off. Three things I loved about Thomas were his intelligence, manners, and ability to listen to my travel stories without falling asleep. What I didn’t like about him was that he drove too fast, talked too much about computers, and had a peculiar habit that slowly grated on my nerves over the course of the evening. He’d put his finger on the tip of his straw to trap his tea, then he’d put the opposite end in his mouth and take his finger off the tip to release the drink. At first I thought he was doing it because he was nervous, but then I realized it was the only way he was drinking his tea. I became so fixated whenever he did it that I couldn’t pay attention to what he was talking about.

  Still, it was just a first date. No one’s perfect, and we had a connection. Maybe it was nothing more than the fact we were both humans living in the Breed world, but that commonality made it easier to like him.

  I’d ordered warm cookies from the menu, which I happened to know had been prepared that morning by Lexi. She had contracts with several establishments in town, and I knew this to be one of them. It had been years since I’d tasted a snickerdoodle.

  Thomas’s phone went off and he looked at the message. “Sorry, I have to take this. Naya hooked me up with some new clients, and this one has a bunch of complicated requests, so it could be a few minutes. Are you okay if I just…” He grimaced.
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br />   I waved my hand. “It’s no big deal. I’m not going anywhere,” I said with a flirtatious smile.

  He brushed his fingers over mine. “Be right back.”

  After Thomas left, I broke off small pieces of my cookie and tried to resist cramming the entire thing in my mouth and ordering ten more. I suddenly became cognizant of the stares I was getting from nearby customers who were able to sense I wasn’t Breed. How had I never noticed the looks of disgust these people must have been giving me my whole life? I guess as a kid I didn’t understand such things. Now I did, and it pissed me off. Sometimes I heard the ancients talking about how they resented living in secret. Not everyone felt the same way, but enough of them did that it made me feel like an outcast. I began to appreciate what my mother and April undoubtedly put up with.

  “It’s a shame to see such radiance neglected.”

  I looked up at Prince and dusted sugar off my fingers. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  He smiled enigmatically, and it almost appeared that he had short hair because of how tight he had it pulled back. Prince wore a dark suit with a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. He admired a gold watch on his wrist and then motioned toward the chair beside me. “Would you mind if I shared your company for a moment?”

  “Please do. Would you like some of my cookie?”

  His nose wrinkled when he looked at my messy plate of crumbs, but he politely reached over and broke off a piece from the untouched end.

  “Lexi makes these,” I said proudly.

  He chewed his bite and then wiped his hands on a napkin. “I’m familiar with her endeavors. Her bakery has gained a respectable following. Tell me, do you share the same interests? A woman should not be troubled with such matters of finance.”

  “Ah,” I said. “You come from the Old World, but haven’t left behind those old-fashioned beliefs.”

  “And you judge too quickly,” he replied, touching my hand in a graceful gesture. “A woman should contribute to the pack—the family. She is a nurturer, a fighter, and a teacher. Why sacrifice those things so she can spend hours away from home earning money? The duties within the pack are of greater importance than finances. A strong pack can survive without money. Wolves hunt and live off the land, keeping our bodies fed. What women have to teach us is invaluable.”

  “A woman’s mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

  Prince had graceful hands for a man. They weren’t rough like Denver’s, but manicured and oiled. It made me want to examine my fingernails to make sure he wasn’t stroking a hot mess.

  I felt every brush of his finger, every caress of his words. “Your eyes sparkle like jewels.”

  Heat prickled my cheeks. “It’s the makeup. Naya helped me get ready.”

  He smiled seductively, never removing his eyes from mine. That must have been a Herculean effort considering the dress I had on. “And how is your escort treating you this evening? Is he a man worthy of your time and affection?”

  “Thomas is kind and I’ve enjoyed my dinner with him. He’s human, like me,” I added, curious about Prince’s reaction.

  It didn’t seem to take him by surprise. “Comfort food has a tendency to make a man feel full and complete, but it doesn’t offer him the same flavor and experience as fine cuisine.”

  I pulled my hand away. “Are your men following me?”

  Prince snapped his fingers and the waiter rushed over. He leaned in and spoke in a quiet voice so I couldn’t hear. When the waiter hustled off, Prince crossed his legs and leaned on his right arm. “To answer your question about my men: I’ve made my intentions with you known, and I cannot in good conscience worry about your safety when I have the ability to protect you.”

  Since Austin was never going to ask Prince about the body, I felt confident this was something I could discreetly bring up and put to rest. Leaning forward, I lowered my voice. “Have you been making… deliveries of an unwanted item?”

  His brows curved in a devious slant, and his finger traced the outline of his thin lips. “I find Cole’s actions very curious.”

  “And justified. It’s a matter for the Weston pack to handle, so you can stop playing the role of the United States Postal Service and quit returning our package.”

  He chuckled and sat back. “Very well then. But might I suggest that the golf course was not an ideal location.”

  Denver was going to get a kick in the pants for that one.

  “Would you still be pursuing me if it weren’t for my unique situation?”

  Prince studied the features of my face before his eyes flicked up. “I’ll let you resume your evening. Do consider trying something outside of comfort food.”

  He gracefully turned and moved out of sight.

  “Wow, sorry about that,” Thomas apologized, setting his phone on the table. “It’s a whole security-system thing I’ll tell you about later. So, are you done with dessert?”

  Just then, the waiter appeared and placed a white dish in front of me, decorated with mint leaves and drops of red liquid. In the center of the plate was a perfectly round chocolate mousse garnished with raspberries and slivers of chocolate that made the plate look like a work of art.

  “That’s quite a dish,” Thomas remarked.

  I smiled. “Yes. It is.”

  After dessert, Thomas held my hand like a gentleman and walked me to his car. The brisk evening air made me shiver. I began to wonder if I was setting my expectations too high. So what if he had a few quirks and geeked out over video games and microprocessors? Maybe I needed to try harder to find the connection between us, but all through the evening, another man had been on my mind.

  “What is it with guys and classic cars?” I asked.

  He patted his dash. “What’s the matter? Don’t like my Mustang? She’s got a little age on her, but she’s classy.”

  I laughed. “Sounds like my mom.”

  “Does she also live in your pack?”

  I rolled up the window when my hair began circling around. “Yes, but she left before you knocked on the door, so I couldn’t introduce you.”

  “Ah,” he said, pinching his chin. “So she was the old lady I saw getting in the car with Grizzly Adams.”

  I twisted my mouth to the side. I’d forgotten how rude humans could be compared to Shifters when speaking about women. Not to say they talked about us like saints, but none of the pack would have called my mother an old lady.

  “I want to take you somewhere,” he said surreptitiously.

  “That’s not a good idea. Everyone’s expecting me home. Plus you promised Austin there wouldn’t be any detours.”

  “Who’s to know? I’m a man, and you’re a woman.” He jerked the wheel to the left and put his foot on the gas.

  “Slow down!”

  “I want to show you how fast this baby can go.”

  My nerves tangled up as the road moved beneath us like an out-of-control conveyer belt. “That’s really impressive, but I just ate and you’re going to make me sick.”

  The car slowed down to normal speed. “Fine. Naya told me to show you a good time, and that’s what I intend to do.”

  “Well,” I said with a laugh, “she didn’t quite mean it that way.”

  He pursed his lips. “Hmm. Neither did I. Look, it’s nothing devious. There’s a nice spot by the lake I like to go to when I want to kick back and relax. I have beer and sparklers in the trunk, along with two lawn chairs. The beer’s in a cooler, so hopefully it’s still cold. What kind of guy would I be if I took you home on a nice night like this? Austin is a happening place. I want to take you out again, so impressions are everything.”

  “You do?” Thomas had a sweet side to him, and it felt good to be noticed.

  “Yeah, I do.” He gripped my hand and kissed the top. “We’ll do a little moonlight dancing, and then I’ll drive you home to get skewered by your Packmaster.”

  I suppressed a grin. “Austin isn’t so bad.”

  “Really?” he said in an exaggerate
d manner. “I felt like the little pig whose wolf was about to blow my house in. Does he normally walk around without a shirt? Jesus, sometimes I wonder why I date Breed girls.”

  I touched the ends of my hair. “I’m human.”

  “I know that,” he said, turning the wheel. “But we’re living in their world, so that kind of makes us one of them. It’s not easy to find a girl my age, not unless I date the girls in the human world. That’s a pain. They can’t meet my friends, hang out at my bars, and the only way I can tell them about the Breed world is if I decide to get serious and marry them. That’s too many hoops to jump through.”

  “I’m beginning to understand. How did a guy like you get mixed up in this world?”

  He shrugged. “I worked on a computer for a Mage. He was freaking out because he thought he’d killed the hard drive. I’m not sure how he found me, but in quiet circles I’ve got a reputation as one of the best. He actually flew all the way down from Cognito to have me look at it.”

  “That’s nuts.”

  “Tell me about it.” Thomas laughed. “He ran into some old enemy who was also a Mage. That guy must have tailed us home, because the next thing I knew, he was pounding his fist on my front door. They went outside and I watched them flashing around. I’d never seen anything like it. After that, he offered me a job if I kept my mouth shut. Said I could make good money in their world, but also laid out a tiny threat that if I betrayed them, he’d have a Vampire scrub my memory to the point where I’d be singing nursery rhymes in my nappies.”

  I laughed. “This is a weird world.”

  “Yeah, but it pays well.”

  He watched me unzip my purse and pull out my phone. “Let me just give Lexi a call and tell her what’s going on. She’s Austin’s mate, but she’s also my big sis.”

  “Uh, just don’t tell them where we’re going.”

  “Why not?” The phone began ringing.

  Thomas grinned nervously. “I don’t want ten wolves showing up to tear me to pieces?”

  “Point taken. Hi, Lexi?”

  “Hey, Maizy!” she exclaimed on the phone. “How’s your super sexy date?”