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Authors: Shannan Albright
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will stand trial for her crime.”
Marcus raised
his hands in the air in surrender. “Very well, but I still
want you with someone, and Tegan is the only one not out on patrol tonight. And that, my friend, is the final word from your leader.”
“Great, that
means I’m interrupting his night off with Kyra?”
“Kyra doesn’t
mind.” A husky feminine voice carried to them. “You’re like a brother to me, so
that makes you family. And family looks after each other, got it?”
“Even when that
family member happens to be a grumpy pain in the ass lately,” Tegan chimed in,
stepping into the room after his mate. His framed filled the doorway of the
command room. Flat screen TVs ran constantly, tracking any and all feral
activity beyond their own territory. Maps of the world filled every available
wall space between the flat screens. Here was where strategies were made, much
like a war room. Which was not too far from the truth.
They were at war
and losing ground with every passing day.
****
There was
something in the air tonight.
Lori could feel
it crawling up her spine, raising the fine hairs on the back of her neck. The
feeling of impending chaos only intensified as she made her way down the steps
of her small studio apartment above the strip club and down to the back
entrance where the dressing rooms were located. The normalcy of her nightly
routine held a menace that caused her hands to shake as she tried to apply her
eyeliner. After the third attempt she gave up. After all, who did she want to
impress?
Not a single
soul. Yet, a twinge of … something tightened her chest.
The heavy pall
in the air seemed to be affecting everyone in the place. Even the girls were
quiet and sullen, and the male voices coming from the open door leading to the
stage held a sharp edge of impending violence. It would take very little to
ignite into a full-blown ugly scene.
“This would be a
good day to call in sick, child.” Cici’s firm tone
reminded her of a mother hen ordering her chicks about. “Something bad is
brewing, and you don’t need to be caught in the middle of it.”
Lori smiled in
the mirror, catching the older woman’s gaze. “And how do you know this?”
“Now you know I
have the touch. I felt something off and pulled out my cards.” Cici shook her dark head as she grabbed Lori’s shoulders
and turned her around, her dark brown gaze filled with unease. “I pulled the
cards. Tower showed and Death. Their
placement in the here and now is very bad. A warning someone is going to die
amidst a great upheaval. Lori, your life is about to change, and there is a
whole fuck load of trouble heading your way. There’s some good, real good, but
it will come at a price.”
“ Cici , you know I don’t believe in any of that,” Lori gently
reminded her.
Her friend
stiffed her spine and leveled her with a solemn stare. “You don’t have to
believe for these things to happen. Being forewarned is to be forearmed, and
from what I can sense you are going to need a whole hell of a lot of arming for
what’s to come.”
Lori gave a
small sigh. She knew her friend meant well, but her nerves were already
stretched taut. With a deep breath she controlled her impatience grabbing for a
calm that eluded her.
“You know how I
believe we make our own destiny, Cici . For me, having
my choices mapped out already just doesn’t work.” She drew the older woman into
a hug. The contact felt so nice, as if she didn’t get much affection in her
life. Which made her think not remembering could be a good thing. For her, life
began when she woke up in the alley behind Golden Gulch.
Lori worked her
shift with no mishap, just business as usual, yet she didn’t relax her guard
until she finished at two. In the dressing room crammed with girls finishing
their night or just beginning she let their chatter wash over her. The normalcy
in the atmosphere relaxed her, a much needed balm to her frayed nerves.
Heading for the
showers,
Marcus raised
his hands in the air in surrender. “Very well, but I still
want you with someone, and Tegan is the only one not out on patrol tonight. And that, my friend, is the final word from your leader.”
“Great, that
means I’m interrupting his night off with Kyra?”
“Kyra doesn’t
mind.” A husky feminine voice carried to them. “You’re like a brother to me, so
that makes you family. And family looks after each other, got it?”
“Even when that
family member happens to be a grumpy pain in the ass lately,” Tegan chimed in,
stepping into the room after his mate. His framed filled the doorway of the
command room. Flat screen TVs ran constantly, tracking any and all feral
activity beyond their own territory. Maps of the world filled every available
wall space between the flat screens. Here was where strategies were made, much
like a war room. Which was not too far from the truth.
They were at war
and losing ground with every passing day.
****
There was
something in the air tonight.
Lori could feel
it crawling up her spine, raising the fine hairs on the back of her neck. The
feeling of impending chaos only intensified as she made her way down the steps
of her small studio apartment above the strip club and down to the back
entrance where the dressing rooms were located. The normalcy of her nightly
routine held a menace that caused her hands to shake as she tried to apply her
eyeliner. After the third attempt she gave up. After all, who did she want to
impress?
Not a single
soul. Yet, a twinge of … something tightened her chest.
The heavy pall
in the air seemed to be affecting everyone in the place. Even the girls were
quiet and sullen, and the male voices coming from the open door leading to the
stage held a sharp edge of impending violence. It would take very little to
ignite into a full-blown ugly scene.
“This would be a
good day to call in sick, child.” Cici’s firm tone
reminded her of a mother hen ordering her chicks about. “Something bad is
brewing, and you don’t need to be caught in the middle of it.”
Lori smiled in
the mirror, catching the older woman’s gaze. “And how do you know this?”
“Now you know I
have the touch. I felt something off and pulled out my cards.” Cici shook her dark head as she grabbed Lori’s shoulders
and turned her around, her dark brown gaze filled with unease. “I pulled the
cards. Tower showed and Death. Their
placement in the here and now is very bad. A warning someone is going to die
amidst a great upheaval. Lori, your life is about to change, and there is a
whole fuck load of trouble heading your way. There’s some good, real good, but
it will come at a price.”
“ Cici , you know I don’t believe in any of that,” Lori gently
reminded her.
Her friend
stiffed her spine and leveled her with a solemn stare. “You don’t have to
believe for these things to happen. Being forewarned is to be forearmed, and
from what I can sense you are going to need a whole hell of a lot of arming for
what’s to come.”
Lori gave a
small sigh. She knew her friend meant well, but her nerves were already
stretched taut. With a deep breath she controlled her impatience grabbing for a
calm that eluded her.
“You know how I
believe we make our own destiny, Cici . For me, having
my choices mapped out already just doesn’t work.” She drew the older woman into
a hug. The contact felt so nice, as if she didn’t get much affection in her
life. Which made her think not remembering could be a good thing. For her, life
began when she woke up in the alley behind Golden Gulch.
Lori worked her
shift with no mishap, just business as usual, yet she didn’t relax her guard
until she finished at two. In the dressing room crammed with girls finishing
their night or just beginning she let their chatter wash over her. The normalcy
in the atmosphere relaxed her, a much needed balm to her frayed nerves.
Heading for the
showers,
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