stare.
“I guess you know me now.” Blake swept a hand toward her.
“And this is Alexia—”
Leon glowered. “I’m well aware who you both are.” He swept
her a look of deep scorn. “Your father was a hero of mine. He was
great…honorable.”
He said the word “honorable” as though she was now the
antithesis.
Repressing a shiver of revulsion as the older man moved
stiffly into the booth opposite them, she turned to Blake. “This asshole is
Leon Tane. I thought he was a good friend. Guess I was wrong.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed, his appraisal every bit that of a cat
ready to pounce. “I’d say I’m pleased to meet you, Leon, but then I’d be
lying.”
Leon jerked straight back to his feet. His cane clattered
onto the floor. A vein in his forehead bulged as he leaned forward, pressing
his weight on outspread hands at the edge of the table. “The feeling is all too
mutual, you piece of shifter scum.”
“Tell me,” Blake asked, seemingly unaffected, “what do you
have against me and my kind?”
The older man’s eyes flashed with hatred and deep distrust.
“You mean you don’t know?” He settled back into his seat with a shake of his
head before taking his time to retrieve the cane. “One of your filthy kind
murdered my father, left him for dead in a government reserve in the outback.
He was mutilated almost beyond recognition but he fought to stay alive.”
The nostrils of Leon’s bull-like nose flared, the whites of
his eyes bloodshot with rage. “Wild dogs got the blame. But he managed to croak
out the words ‘shape-shifter’ and ‘panther’ to me just before he died.”
Blake expelled a breath, not denying his accusation. “I
see.”
“No, you don’t!” Leon snarled. “Your species are noxious,
dangerous. A threat to the entire human race. And I for one can’t wait to kill
every last one of you before it’s too late.”
Alexia’s hand balled into a fist beneath Blake’s hold. How
could this demented man possibly think all these deaths would bring his father
back? “Does that include killing every human sympathizer?” she asked coldly.
“Fucking the enemy isn’t going to make them go away,” Leon
said, turning a leering stare her way. “Pity though. While Thomas had droned on
and on about his work I had plenty of dirty fantasies about your pretty piece
of ass.”
Alexia gritted her teeth against the surge of vitriol that
threatened to erupt. She and her dad had trusted this man. More fool them.
Blake leaned across the table, and the two faced off like a
pair of dogs snarling before attack. “You’re just the same as your father,”
Blake ground out. “He was the reason one of our tribeswomen—a normally shy,
gentle shape-shifter—went rogue.”
“You think I give a shit my father wanted a piece of timid
pussy? That rogue shifter needs to pay for his death!”
Raw pain and regret momentarily slashed Blake’s face as he
gritted, “Her name was Vivianna. And she did pay.”
Alexia sucked in a breath. Was ? Past tense? Her belly
clenched, dread coiling deep inside. “Blake, what are you saying?”
He lowered his voice, but grief made it harsh when he pushed
back into his seat and turned to her. “I’m saying she’s dead. By killing a
human she broke ancient shape-shifter laws.” With his free hand, he tossed back
his drink in a single swallow. “Her shifter partner, Shad, was given the
‘honor’ of eliminating her.”
Oh, shit. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Sudden comprehension swirled through her mind like the
coming together of a fragmented dream. “The shape-shifter bones my father
found, they were hers, weren’t they?”
Blake nodded. “She was our historian, our scroll keeper. She
knew better than anyone what punishment would be meted out. After
she…afterward, we buried her at the mouth of a sacred aboriginal cave. Right
where we knew she’d want to be at rest.”
Was that why Leon had backed her father? He hadn’t
“I guess you know me now.” Blake swept a hand toward her.
“And this is Alexia—”
Leon glowered. “I’m well aware who you both are.” He swept
her a look of deep scorn. “Your father was a hero of mine. He was
great…honorable.”
He said the word “honorable” as though she was now the
antithesis.
Repressing a shiver of revulsion as the older man moved
stiffly into the booth opposite them, she turned to Blake. “This asshole is
Leon Tane. I thought he was a good friend. Guess I was wrong.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed, his appraisal every bit that of a cat
ready to pounce. “I’d say I’m pleased to meet you, Leon, but then I’d be
lying.”
Leon jerked straight back to his feet. His cane clattered
onto the floor. A vein in his forehead bulged as he leaned forward, pressing
his weight on outspread hands at the edge of the table. “The feeling is all too
mutual, you piece of shifter scum.”
“Tell me,” Blake asked, seemingly unaffected, “what do you
have against me and my kind?”
The older man’s eyes flashed with hatred and deep distrust.
“You mean you don’t know?” He settled back into his seat with a shake of his
head before taking his time to retrieve the cane. “One of your filthy kind
murdered my father, left him for dead in a government reserve in the outback.
He was mutilated almost beyond recognition but he fought to stay alive.”
The nostrils of Leon’s bull-like nose flared, the whites of
his eyes bloodshot with rage. “Wild dogs got the blame. But he managed to croak
out the words ‘shape-shifter’ and ‘panther’ to me just before he died.”
Blake expelled a breath, not denying his accusation. “I
see.”
“No, you don’t!” Leon snarled. “Your species are noxious,
dangerous. A threat to the entire human race. And I for one can’t wait to kill
every last one of you before it’s too late.”
Alexia’s hand balled into a fist beneath Blake’s hold. How
could this demented man possibly think all these deaths would bring his father
back? “Does that include killing every human sympathizer?” she asked coldly.
“Fucking the enemy isn’t going to make them go away,” Leon
said, turning a leering stare her way. “Pity though. While Thomas had droned on
and on about his work I had plenty of dirty fantasies about your pretty piece
of ass.”
Alexia gritted her teeth against the surge of vitriol that
threatened to erupt. She and her dad had trusted this man. More fool them.
Blake leaned across the table, and the two faced off like a
pair of dogs snarling before attack. “You’re just the same as your father,”
Blake ground out. “He was the reason one of our tribeswomen—a normally shy,
gentle shape-shifter—went rogue.”
“You think I give a shit my father wanted a piece of timid
pussy? That rogue shifter needs to pay for his death!”
Raw pain and regret momentarily slashed Blake’s face as he
gritted, “Her name was Vivianna. And she did pay.”
Alexia sucked in a breath. Was ? Past tense? Her belly
clenched, dread coiling deep inside. “Blake, what are you saying?”
He lowered his voice, but grief made it harsh when he pushed
back into his seat and turned to her. “I’m saying she’s dead. By killing a
human she broke ancient shape-shifter laws.” With his free hand, he tossed back
his drink in a single swallow. “Her shifter partner, Shad, was given the
‘honor’ of eliminating her.”
Oh, shit. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Sudden comprehension swirled through her mind like the
coming together of a fragmented dream. “The shape-shifter bones my father
found, they were hers, weren’t they?”
Blake nodded. “She was our historian, our scroll keeper. She
knew better than anyone what punishment would be meted out. After
she…afterward, we buried her at the mouth of a sacred aboriginal cave. Right
where we knew she’d want to be at rest.”
Was that why Leon had backed her father? He hadn’t
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