Read Online Fever Claim (The Sigma Menace) by Marie Johnston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marie Johnston
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of the window onto thorny rose bushes. It hurt, but we got away. The whole thing was a real pain the ass,” she deadpanned.
Bennett laughed with her. The sympathy replaced by determination.
“Cassie, help us understand how an adult shifter can live without transitioning, without anyone seeing her shift or knowing anything about her parentage.”
The hormones were ramping down with Jace out of the room, the adrenaline from the morning had worn off, and breakfast had burned off long ago. Hungry, tired, and pretty fucking irritated at the way Bennett was trying to play her—this is what she did for a living, dammit!—she sat forward a little more.
“Bennett, you seem cool—when you want to. You seem like you want to be my friend, someone safe in the land of big, bad wolves, someone I can tell my secrets to—if I had any. I bet you’re the responsible one, second-in-command it appears. You want to be seen as easygoing, dedicated, dependable. Am I right?”
Not waiting for an answer, she continued, “But don’t forget, Bennett, I’ve seen you at the club, coming out of the dark hallway, turning that country boy smile onto a woman looking for attention. I’ve seen your face after she takes the bait. It’s not delight. I’ve seen your face as you pass the jelly girl off to her friends after you’re done with her. It’s not satisfaction. Even more, I’ve seen you when you weren’t in The Den, sitting at the bar nursing a warm beer, lost in thought. If you were human, do you know what I’d think? That you’re broken inside.”
Bennett’s face lost all color, fading to a shade that could have been cut from stone.
“Someone destroyed you and you haven’t recovered,” Cassie said. “You’re all duct tape and super glue, being what everyone wants and expects you to be. Inside though, you’re falling apart. Worried how much longer you can do it and what happens when you can’t anymore. I’m here, if you want to talk. Otherwise, I, one, don’t know anything and, two, wouldn’t tell you anyway.”
Silence.
Finally, Bennett ran a hand through his hair and stood. Walking to the door he held it open for her.
“Why don’t we see what’s going on with your friend.”
Chapter Six
Kaitlyn felt human after her shower. But that was only temporary as she remembered that she may, in fact, not be as human as she thought. She hated lying to her friend, seemed like she’d been doing it for months. Lying by omission, if anything. She told Cassie everything, they were closer than sisters. Since Cassie spent her days listening to mental patients talk about their deepest secrets Kaitlyn was safe from any judgment for the way she lived her life. Lately, the pressure building in her each month, the need for extreme intercourse to release it, it wasn’t something she wanted to face herself, much less unload on her BFF. The last couple of months, she released it and crossed her fingers that was it, end of story. Until the uneasiness inside started again, like having butterflies, until it became so uncomfortable she could hardly walk. The worst case of lady blue balls, on steroids, times ten.
She didn’t exactly lie to Cassie when she relayed events from earlier this morning. And it wasn’t as if Cassie didn’t find out eventually about the main event Kaitlyn had left out of her story; that she felt her transformation, every millisecond, when she turned and killed those men. She was aware that she became a wolf even though she didn’t have a mirror to confirm. Flowing into another form was exhilarating, an awakening, like the most natural move in the world. Ripping into bodies matched the rush of her shift. The acrid blood tainting her taste buds should disgust her. She didn’t want to know what it said about her that it didn’t.
The transformation sparked vague memories. Images from past nightmares that she always chalked up to being just that—nightmares. Kaitlyn spent the morning hiding from
Bennett laughed with her. The sympathy replaced by determination.
“Cassie, help us understand how an adult shifter can live without transitioning, without anyone seeing her shift or knowing anything about her parentage.”
The hormones were ramping down with Jace out of the room, the adrenaline from the morning had worn off, and breakfast had burned off long ago. Hungry, tired, and pretty fucking irritated at the way Bennett was trying to play her—this is what she did for a living, dammit!—she sat forward a little more.
“Bennett, you seem cool—when you want to. You seem like you want to be my friend, someone safe in the land of big, bad wolves, someone I can tell my secrets to—if I had any. I bet you’re the responsible one, second-in-command it appears. You want to be seen as easygoing, dedicated, dependable. Am I right?”
Not waiting for an answer, she continued, “But don’t forget, Bennett, I’ve seen you at the club, coming out of the dark hallway, turning that country boy smile onto a woman looking for attention. I’ve seen your face after she takes the bait. It’s not delight. I’ve seen your face as you pass the jelly girl off to her friends after you’re done with her. It’s not satisfaction. Even more, I’ve seen you when you weren’t in The Den, sitting at the bar nursing a warm beer, lost in thought. If you were human, do you know what I’d think? That you’re broken inside.”
Bennett’s face lost all color, fading to a shade that could have been cut from stone.
“Someone destroyed you and you haven’t recovered,” Cassie said. “You’re all duct tape and super glue, being what everyone wants and expects you to be. Inside though, you’re falling apart. Worried how much longer you can do it and what happens when you can’t anymore. I’m here, if you want to talk. Otherwise, I, one, don’t know anything and, two, wouldn’t tell you anyway.”
Silence.
Finally, Bennett ran a hand through his hair and stood. Walking to the door he held it open for her.
“Why don’t we see what’s going on with your friend.”
Chapter Six
Kaitlyn felt human after her shower. But that was only temporary as she remembered that she may, in fact, not be as human as she thought. She hated lying to her friend, seemed like she’d been doing it for months. Lying by omission, if anything. She told Cassie everything, they were closer than sisters. Since Cassie spent her days listening to mental patients talk about their deepest secrets Kaitlyn was safe from any judgment for the way she lived her life. Lately, the pressure building in her each month, the need for extreme intercourse to release it, it wasn’t something she wanted to face herself, much less unload on her BFF. The last couple of months, she released it and crossed her fingers that was it, end of story. Until the uneasiness inside started again, like having butterflies, until it became so uncomfortable she could hardly walk. The worst case of lady blue balls, on steroids, times ten.
She didn’t exactly lie to Cassie when she relayed events from earlier this morning. And it wasn’t as if Cassie didn’t find out eventually about the main event Kaitlyn had left out of her story; that she felt her transformation, every millisecond, when she turned and killed those men. She was aware that she became a wolf even though she didn’t have a mirror to confirm. Flowing into another form was exhilarating, an awakening, like the most natural move in the world. Ripping into bodies matched the rush of her shift. The acrid blood tainting her taste buds should disgust her. She didn’t want to know what it said about her that it didn’t.
The transformation sparked vague memories. Images from past nightmares that she always chalked up to being just that—nightmares. Kaitlyn spent the morning hiding from
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