“Where are we going?”
“You may say that, but attacking Dare at the edge of Seattle’s territory is one thing. Showing up in the center is another,” Silver snapped at an empty patch of air. Susan pressed her lips together. Silver had seemed not quite all there before, and now she was talking to the air. It wasn’t that much of a stretch to assume that their pursuer might be just as imaginary. Maybe she should call John. But she couldn’t reach her purse while she was being pulled along like this, so she went along with Silver without protest. None of the woman’s crazy moments had lasted very long so far.
An emergency exit buzzer sounded briefly as they pushed through the doors. A man stepped away from the side of the building as they turned toward the main parking lot. Silver jerked to a stop when it became clear that the man would reach them before they reached the corner of the building.
“You must be Silver,” the man said. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Susan took a couple steps back. One piece of advice had always stuck with her, from a self-defense class she’d taken in college. Trust your instincts, your fear, about whether a person or situation is dangerous. There wasn’t anything about the man she would point to—he had a sharp face, gelled black hair, and had his hands in the pockets of expensive slacks—but she wanted to get away from him. The atmosphere out here didn’t help. Most of the light was only spillover from the streetlights covering the front parking lot and the delivery bays in the back.
“You have the advantage of me.” Silver gave him a dangerous smile of her own. Susan had to look away when her fingers fumbled too much to find her cell phone by feel. “I have permission to be here. Do you? I know your underling doesn’t.” Silver nodded to the store.
The man turned a blinding smile on Susan. “Silver here and I are old friends. Why don’t you let us catch up, hm? I’ll give her a ride home when we’re done.”
Susan froze when the man looked at her, phone halfway out of her purse. Like hell she was going to leave Silver alone with him. He smirked over her shoulder, and Susan whirled. A bleached-blond man with multiple gold rings along the tops of his ears swaggered around the side of the building from the front doors. He must not have wanted to set the emergency alarm off a second time by using the same side door as them.
“Hurry up,” the sharp-faced man behind Susan said. Leaving Silver alone looked like the lesser of two evils now. She needed to get help. Susan started to run past the blond to the light and people and safety, but he moved so fast. One breath he was at the corner of the building, the next his hand was on Susan’s shoulder as he slammed her into the gray-painted cinder blocks of the store wall. Agony bloomed up from her temple, making it hard to see for a moment. Her phone fell with a distant clatter. Tears stung her eyes from the unexpected force of the pain. Susan mentally screamed at herself to move, to do something when the man stepped away from her. Instead she continued to hug the wall, waiting for the throbbing pain to fade enough for her thoughts to move again.
* * *
With Susan taken care of, the underling caught Silver’s good wrist and twisted her arm, forcing her into the wall. She whimpered, and let him. Time to play wounded little thing. She had a weapon of her own, but if she used it too soon, they could still rush her, two against one. Better to draw them in close and let them relax.
“You do stink of silver, just like the gossip said,” the alpha murmured with mocking casualness. “Is there really some still in your blood?”
“Watch what you say,” Silver said, twisting to get at least her cheek away from the wall. “The human—” Of all the people who might discover Susan knew about the Were, this man had to be one of the worst. Everyone knew not to reveal themselves in front of the humans, though.
“You may say that, but attacking Dare at the edge of Seattle’s territory is one thing. Showing up in the center is another,” Silver snapped at an empty patch of air. Susan pressed her lips together. Silver had seemed not quite all there before, and now she was talking to the air. It wasn’t that much of a stretch to assume that their pursuer might be just as imaginary. Maybe she should call John. But she couldn’t reach her purse while she was being pulled along like this, so she went along with Silver without protest. None of the woman’s crazy moments had lasted very long so far.
An emergency exit buzzer sounded briefly as they pushed through the doors. A man stepped away from the side of the building as they turned toward the main parking lot. Silver jerked to a stop when it became clear that the man would reach them before they reached the corner of the building.
“You must be Silver,” the man said. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Susan took a couple steps back. One piece of advice had always stuck with her, from a self-defense class she’d taken in college. Trust your instincts, your fear, about whether a person or situation is dangerous. There wasn’t anything about the man she would point to—he had a sharp face, gelled black hair, and had his hands in the pockets of expensive slacks—but she wanted to get away from him. The atmosphere out here didn’t help. Most of the light was only spillover from the streetlights covering the front parking lot and the delivery bays in the back.
“You have the advantage of me.” Silver gave him a dangerous smile of her own. Susan had to look away when her fingers fumbled too much to find her cell phone by feel. “I have permission to be here. Do you? I know your underling doesn’t.” Silver nodded to the store.
The man turned a blinding smile on Susan. “Silver here and I are old friends. Why don’t you let us catch up, hm? I’ll give her a ride home when we’re done.”
Susan froze when the man looked at her, phone halfway out of her purse. Like hell she was going to leave Silver alone with him. He smirked over her shoulder, and Susan whirled. A bleached-blond man with multiple gold rings along the tops of his ears swaggered around the side of the building from the front doors. He must not have wanted to set the emergency alarm off a second time by using the same side door as them.
“Hurry up,” the sharp-faced man behind Susan said. Leaving Silver alone looked like the lesser of two evils now. She needed to get help. Susan started to run past the blond to the light and people and safety, but he moved so fast. One breath he was at the corner of the building, the next his hand was on Susan’s shoulder as he slammed her into the gray-painted cinder blocks of the store wall. Agony bloomed up from her temple, making it hard to see for a moment. Her phone fell with a distant clatter. Tears stung her eyes from the unexpected force of the pain. Susan mentally screamed at herself to move, to do something when the man stepped away from her. Instead she continued to hug the wall, waiting for the throbbing pain to fade enough for her thoughts to move again.
* * *
With Susan taken care of, the underling caught Silver’s good wrist and twisted her arm, forcing her into the wall. She whimpered, and let him. Time to play wounded little thing. She had a weapon of her own, but if she used it too soon, they could still rush her, two against one. Better to draw them in close and let them relax.
“You do stink of silver, just like the gossip said,” the alpha murmured with mocking casualness. “Is there really some still in your blood?”
“Watch what you say,” Silver said, twisting to get at least her cheek away from the wall. “The human—” Of all the people who might discover Susan knew about the Were, this man had to be one of the worst. Everyone knew not to reveal themselves in front of the humans, though.
Similar Books
