by Trina M. Lee
She huffed at me and turned back to her magazine. I perched on the edge of the table, straining to hear. Yeah, so it wasn't the most polite thing to do, but it sounded big, and I wanted to know.
“So, what are you doing here?” Jez asked after flipping a few more fashion pages. “I thought you weren't taking anymore private clients.”
“I'm not. My reputation has been drawing some pretty unsavory characters lately.
Either they want to kill me or they want me to kill someone that doesn't meet my criteria.
I'm tired of playing games with vampires too pussy to do their own dirty work.” It also put me in a very vulnerable position. I'd taken many private hits in the past, rarely second guessing my decision. “Veryl asked me to come in.”
The work I did for Veryl was for one purpose only: take out the supernaturals that threatened the rest of us with exposure. I wish I could say it was because they were evil and had to be disposed of. Truthfully, most of them were just stupid, unable to keep a low profile like those of us who value our anonymity. The work I had done on the side was merely for the money. After streams of clients seeking an easy solution to their problems or those looking to get their hands on me, I was done with it. Ever since Harley had shown up at the office when I was alone, I hadn't felt comfortable taking on a private kill.
Before either of us could speak again, a loud bang came from down the hall as Lilah flung Veryl's office door open. The intensity of her anger preceded her.
“I am tired of being manipulated like everyone else around you. Do your own goddamn dirty work from now on. Trust me; I have far greater concerns than any threat you can throw at me.” Lilah's voice echoed down the hall, and the black taint of her power reached out to stroke me like an uninvited hand. It hurt as it rolled over me.
I jumped when she suddenly appeared in the doorway. Her flame-colored eyes flashed with fury. Fixing them on me, she gave her copper locks a toss. “He's ready to speak with you, and he's in the mood to ask for favors. Consider yourself warned.”
Without waiting for me to reply, she spun on her heel and headed for the door. The sound of her combat boots on the hard tile floor seemed unnaturally loud. The woman was an enigma. Nobody fascinated me the way she did. I was dying to know more about her. I'd seen her destroy a demon with no more than a word, so I was, of course, intrigued by her.
Meeting Jez' expectant gaze, I mustered the best poker face I could possibly manage.
When she gave me the thumbs up, I headed for Veryl's office. Neutral expressions were not my forte, especially with Veryl. He’d known all along that Raoul had attacked me and slaughtered my family, and ever since I’d found that out, I had developed a distrust and wariness of him.
I'm not a complete moron. I mean, Veryl is a vampire, an old ass one at that, but I'd invested a level of trust in him that I'd learned he didn't deserve. I couldn't help but feel like a naïve fool; he'd taken advantage of my personal life, my entire existence. Veryl had arranged for Raoul to bring me into his pack, all the while planning to recruit me later and make use of the things that set me apart from other werewolves. Because I was metaphysically gifted before Raoul turned me, Veryl decided that he wanted to see for himself how it enhanced me as a Were. It scared me, especially now that I was bonded on so many levels to Arys. If Veryl thought he was ever going to have access to my power, he had another thing coming.
I'd done my best to see him as little as possible over the last six months, and surprisingly, he had seemed uncomfortable around me, too. I wasn't sure how much he really knew about me lately. If Harley was aware of how much power I now had, how could Veryl not know?
As I drew closer to his office, my heart began to beat faster. Maybe I should have called in sick. I felt like I was on my way to stand in front of the firing squad.
Pushing the door open, I took a deep breath and stepped inside. Even after avoiding his office for months, it looked just the way it always had. Gorgeous furniture filled the space around his desk, which was covered in papers and computer accessories. Veryl seemed to blend in with the surroundings. His dark gray suit looked just as expensive as anything else in the room.
He looked up at my entry, gesturing to the soft leather chair across from his desk. I didn't want to sit, but I did anyway, anything to play my part and get this little meeting over.
“How have you been, Alexa?” He beamed a friendly smile at me, but instead of feeling at ease, it put me on guard.
Fine lines around his eyes gave him a gentle, almost fatherly appearance. It was all an illusion. Even as he sat there smiling at me as if he really cared how I was, I could feel his evaluation of me. There was the slightest irritating tickle against my aura when his energy brushed mine. Did he think that I wasn't able to feel his rude and invasive analysis?
He frowned, and I wondered what it was that he was sensing. Banishing it as fast as it had come, he turned his previous smile on full blast.
“Great,” I said, more chipper than was authentic. “How about yourself?”
“Delightful. I hope you didn't pay any mind to Lilah. She hasn't been herself lately.”
I shrugged in response to that, choosing to say nothing about her at all. His eyes never left me, and I got the feeling that he was trying to unnerve me. It took an astounding amount of effort to resist rolling my eyes. I just wanted him to cut to the chase already.
“Alright,” he clapped his hands together and dug through some folders on his desk.
“I'll tell you why I asked you to come in. It seems that there's a new werewolf in town, a stranger. He's asking around about Raoul.” He pressed his fingertips together and leaned forward.
“What? What's he asking?” I sat up straighter in my seat, astonished.
Veryl's eyes narrowed. “He's looking for him. Not many people outside those closest to him know what happened. I assume it's some old unsettled score or something of the such. That's what I want you to find out.”
My jaw dropped. “Say what?”
He smiled briefly as if my surprise was both expected and amusing. “I want you and your mate to find him and deal with it, before anything public occurs. I assume it would only be a matter of time until he brings trouble to your neck of the woods.”
I couldn't imagine who would be lurking around, trying to get dirt on Raoul. It could be anyone. I didn't know everything that he'd been up to before his death. He shared very little with me. His tendency to hide the important things was a lingering pain in the ass.
“It's Raoul's problem, dead or not. I don't want anything to do with it. If the guy is trouble, and you want him taken out, why not send Kale or Lilah?”
“You're an Alpha wolf with a lot of power, Alexa. You were Raoul's partner in leading those wolves of yours. Now, you and your mate are his successors as Alphas in your pack. Of course it has to be you.” Veryl spread his arms wide in a dramatic gesture.
“Both of you. This has nothing to do with my hired kills. This is your own personal pack business.”
I didn’t like the sound of this at all. “I don't want Shaz involved with this. It doesn't apply to him.”
“Don't be ridiculous. Of course it does. But, that's your argument with him, not with me.”
My mind was working overtime trying to think of someone, anyone who would have reason to be looking for Raoul right now. Whatever it was, it couldn't possibly be good, and hearing it from Veryl first wasn't so awesome for my ego. How could someone be hunting around for my former Alpha while I was totally unaware? That wasn't acceptable.
Shaz would never think twice about investigating the situation. Since he kicked Julian's ass in a fight for Alpha, he was fueled by the need to enforce his status and step up to the plate to fulfill his role.
Veryl tossed a cream-colored folder within my reach. “This is the address and the information I have for the werewolf that's been asking for Raoul. It's not much. Show it to your mate if you wish, but please, don't ignore this, Alexa. It could be dangerous.”
“I don't see why Kale can't just kill him.”
“Not everything is kill first, ask questions later,” he scolded, receiving a dirty look from me. “Be careful, Alexa. That kind of mentality really doesn't get you very far. Kill as needed, and always get all of the information first, no matter what you're dealing with.”
I growled then in irritation. I hated being talked to like a student or a child.
I shoved my chair back and clutched the file folder in one hand. “Thank you, Veryl. I appreciate that you brought this to my attention.” With a nod and a few parting words, I made my way from his office, feeling as if I'd just been hauled down to see the principal for something I didn't do. It wasn't fair. Raoul's sordid past was still coming back to torment me.
I stopped in my office to shut down the computer and gather my things. I wanted to get home and enjoy the rest of my night. I also wanted to talk to Shaz about Harley, and my feeling that Harley was my source for answers. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell him about the pack related news. Something about it didn't feel quite right.
Jez' voice reached me from the kitchen. She was chattering on about the latest celebrity couple splashed on the cover of every tabloid and gossip magazine. I smirked to myself, glad that I wasn't the poor sucker she was forcing the wasted details on. When I heard the voice that responded to her, my heart raced just a little. Preoccupied with Veryl, I hadn't sensed Kale's arrival.
Ever since Kale and I had kissed after hunting down a rogue werewolf together, things had been different between us. He'd confessed a developing hunger for me, thanks to the serious vampire power I was packing, and I had been going out of my way to keep us from being alone together.
I was drawn to him for the same reason he had become drawn to me. Power. With vampires, it was always about power. I had more than my share, and naturally, he was enticed by that. Because he was a willing source that invited me to feed on his energy, I had a hard time resisting the urge. Kale's power may not be the strongest I'd ever encountered, but it had a way of coating me like honey. And, it was just as sweet.
Maybe if I bypassed the kitchen and went straight for the exit … not likely. With my purse slung on my shoulder and the folder from Veryl in hand, I headed back down the hall. Jez called my name before I'd even reached the doorway. I couldn't have snuck out if I wanted to.
“Please, don't torture me with words that are really just combinations of two celebrity names. I can't bear any more of that insanity.” I came around the corner and grinned when she flipped me off.
I winked at Kale who smiled and nodded. “I've seen more in the last five minutes than I ever needed to. There are some things that men are never supposed to know about women.”
“I'm sure all men could benefit greatly from this magazine,” Jez quipped. “You might actually learn something new.”
“Hey now, you are in no position to talk about men. You've never even been with one.” Kale admonished, pointing at an ad for feminine products. It was one of the applicators versus fingers ads. “See now that right there is just another thing men don't ever want or need to see.”
The look on Kale's face was priceless as he stared in horror at the ad. I had to laugh, which felt nice since it put us both at ease. The expected tension wasn't nearly as bad as I'd anticipated.
“Anyway,” Jez looked at me pointedly. “That's not why I called you. I just wanted to know what's up.” Her voice dropped low, and she raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
Handing her the folder, I said, “How fucked is that?”
Kale leaned over her shoulder to look as she thumbed through the brief notes Veryl had made for me. “Seems like it's probably the last thing you want to deal with.”
I made a sound of disgust. “It's a waste of my time and so typical of Raoul to leave behind more shit for me to shovel. Like I don't have enough going on right now.”
“What do you mean?” Jez glanced up from the paper in her hand, concern in her eyes. “What else are you dealing with?”
I shook my head and pressed my lips together. I didn't want to talk about it with Veryl in the building. “It's no big deal. I just need to speak with a certain someone that Arys wants me to stay the hell away from.”
“Ah,” she nodded knowingly. “Got it. We'll chat later. I've got to make a few phone calls.” Abandoning her magazine, she handed my folder back.
I turned toward the exit. “Yeah, I'm taking off now. I am more than done here.”
“I'll walk you out.” Kale followed me to the door, and Jez went to her office.
… So much for not being alone with him.
I barely felt the chill of the night air due to the sudden nerves. My stomach twisted with worry. I was leery of his reasons for following me out, hoping it wasn't personal. I'd reached my quota for the week as far as vampire dramatics went.
A light snow was falling; it had already covered our vehicles with a light frosting.
Kale turned to me as soon as the door had closed behind us. I was slightly surprised by the deep concern in his mismatched eyes. Born with heterochromia iridium, Kale had one deep brown eye and one amazingly blue one. It was something that the change to vampire hadn't altered, and it was an intriguing feature that captivated my attention.
“Alexa, you're not planning to walk into The Wicked Kiss, are you? I assume it's Harley Kayson that you referred to inside. Please, tell me you're not that stupid.”
“Oh thanks for that, Kale.” I scoffed. I didn't appreciate the stupid reference, but the honesty was credible. “What's stupid is if I listen to Arys and don't talk to Harley. He knows things. Things that I need to know. And, the more people tell me to stay away from him, the more certain I am that I need to see him.”
We walked toward my car, the softly falling flakes landing perfectly, so that I could see every elaborate detail. Despite the cold and the hellish road conditions, I loved this time of year as much as any other.
“Of course Arys would want you to stay away from his sire. Harley almost bound you. And now that he can't, he may just come up with other plans for you.” Kale crossed his arms over his chest; the sound of his leather duster as it moved was pleasing to my senses in its familiarity.
“Like what? It's not as if he can gain much by killing me. He knows I'd be back with a vengeance in a body lacking a heartbeat. That couldn't possibly do him any good.”
Pulling my keys from my pocket, I unlocked my car and wondered again why I didn't get the remote start feature. “Anyway, Arys threatened me. So his opinion right now means fuck all to me.”
“He threatened you?” The shock adorned Kale's face like a mask. It was almost funny.
I paused, replaying Arys' careful words. His actions were worse, and the remembrance of his aggressive lovemaking caused me to flush, hot with anger. I was pissed with him, but I was angry with myself, too. His actions had been stake worthy, and I'd allowed it to happen. Love may be blind, but the stupidity really does me in.
“Well, yeah. He basically promised that I would regret it if I went to Harley. And, whatever that means, I know it won't be pretty.” I cast my eyes down at the snow-covered ground. I didn't want Kale to read the humiliation in my gaze.
I could feel the heavy weight of his appraisal before I had the strength to meet his eyes again. “Are you sure that's something you're willing to risk? I mean, do you love him?”
Now there was a heavy hitting question I would have expected from my best friend, Kylarai, but not from Kale. I had to swallow a few times before I could give voice to my response.
“I do. But, if it means being controlled by him, then we have a serious problem. I have to love myself more. I learned my lesson already. Loving men like Arys rarely works out the way you'd like it to.” Ok, so I wasn't really talking about Arys there, but he was so much like Raoul with his extremely dominant tendencies.
“And besides,” I rushed on, hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions. “This isn't about love. It's about me getting t
he information that I need. My power is useless if I don't know how to command it entirely. Might as well run around with an Uzi after ditching target practice.”
Thankfully, Kale had been around enough years to know when to push and when to let something go. He chuckled in response to my comment. Inclining his head thoughtfully, he held a hand out to catch the snowflakes as they fell. His cold skin enabled them to linger before melting whereas they melted immediately upon touching mine.
“I can't say I blame you for feeling the way you do, but don't go rushing in there without careful consideration. Harley doesn't have to kill you to hurt you.” Kale's words brought frightful images to mind. I expected him to talk me out of it, so I was mildly surprised when he said, “If you want to go back to The Wicked Kiss, I'll go with you. Just don't go alone, Alexa. It's bad news.”
“Really? You'd come with me?” I wanted him to confirm it so he couldn't backtrack later. This might be just too perfect. “I don't want you to have to tangle with him though.”
Kale made a noise of disgust. “Please. He barely notices my existence as it is. Any vampire that doesn't live for the rush of the kill is no better than an insect to him. I think I'm safe.”
That was likely true. However, I'd seen Harley smack Kale around before, and I had no desire to put any of my friends in a situation like that again. However, I just wanted to talk to Harley. Maybe he would be receptive, yet I doubted that Harley’s help would come without a price.
“I can face him by myself,” I said, rubbing my arms as the cold slowly started to set in. “But, if you want to come run interference for me, just in case I need help getting out, that would be great.”
“Just say when.”
Kale's tentative smile revealed fangs in the moonlight. Since he and Kylarai had stopped seeing one another, he hadn't been involved romantically with anyone else. He always had been somewhat of a loner, and I knew it was because of his tortured past.
Still, I would have liked to see him able to share himself with another. Nobody deserved anything less. This life was too hard to face alone.
