Read Online The Wild Side: Urban Fantasy with an Erotic Edge by Mark L. Van Name - Free Book Online
Authors: Mark L. Van Name
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realized it was you, I snapped some pictures, but only this one from the thermographic camera came out.”
Liz watched his reaction and knew he was searching for a palatable lie. She reached to touch him, and his hand was cold, a sure reaction of fear. But why would he fear her?
“Armando, I can see you’re formulating a story to throw me off. Please don’t do that,” she said, stroking his cool fingertips.
“How much do you know about thermographic images?”
“Just tell me what this means,” she said. “I’ve never seen a person so totally saturated with heat.”
“And from that your conclusion is . . . ?”
“My first reaction was that you two were so angry at one another that you raised your total body temperature, but that can’t be the whole answer. Just tell me,” she said, her irritation growing.
Armando stared at the photo to avoid her eyes.
“What did you hear of our conversation?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m horrible at remembering words,” she said. “But I’m sure he was threatening you, and you said,” she paused, “you said something about being the law. Hey, are you an undercover cop?”
He sighed. “I’m a probation officer for some special cases and, uh, gangs,” he said.
Liz narrowed her eyes and stared at him, trying to figure the magnitude of the lie.
“No, that’s not right,” she said sarcastically, “not right at all.” She jerked back from him and stormed across the room. She planted her feet and stared him down. “The truth, please. Now.”
She watched him and saw him decide.
“Well, you’re invisible at night and I’m a shape shifter,” he said, studying her face.
“So you’re a werewolf? Damn, I knew all my late-night reading would come in handy one day.” She laughed loudly as she bounced back onto the bed. It hurt that he wasn’t going to answer her truthfully.
“No, no, I’m not a werewolf. I’m the Portal Guardian for the various packs because I’m not in their packs. I’m too different,” he replied with some formality. “But if you weren’t prepared to believe me, then why did you ask the question?” Some anger showed in his tone.
Liz realized her inane reaction wasn’t helping. She took a deep breath and regained control. She took a few more deep breaths, letting the new information circulate in her imagination. Armando was studying her, and though she liked it when his eyes drifted to her breasts, something else held his gaze.
The animals. She suddenly remembered the animals that had raced past her.
“So that’s why a cougar and a wolf ran right in front of me in the parking lot?” she said. “At least I can lay to rest my worries of hallucinations.” She collapsed on the bed, her head next to his, and stared at the ceiling.
“If you were there, that close, how come I didn’t see you?” He leaned up on his elbow to examine her reaction.
“I think you were too preoccupied with that thug.”
“Liz, aren’t you afraid to be out taking pictures at night? Las Vegas, especially back from the Strip, is not the safest place to wander after dark.”
Liz did the long-distance stare before she turned to meet his eyes.
“It’s like I told you,” she said. “I’m always comfortable in the dark. Just the other day, I was thinking about how I used to sneak out of my house late at night when I was a teenager. I could walk anywhere, and as long as I stayed quiet, no one bothered me . . . ever. For safety I carry my pistol, the one Sam trained me to shoot, but I’ve never needed it.”
Armando kept staring at her.
It made her edgy.
She deflected his next question with one of her own. “How are you different from the packs? You’ve come this far; tell me the whole story.” She softened the request by rolling to him and stroking his back. She was equal parts curious and, despite everything he’d said, ready to fuck again.
He paused, enjoying her caresses, then sighed. “You won’t believe me, but here goes,” he said
Liz watched his reaction and knew he was searching for a palatable lie. She reached to touch him, and his hand was cold, a sure reaction of fear. But why would he fear her?
“Armando, I can see you’re formulating a story to throw me off. Please don’t do that,” she said, stroking his cool fingertips.
“How much do you know about thermographic images?”
“Just tell me what this means,” she said. “I’ve never seen a person so totally saturated with heat.”
“And from that your conclusion is . . . ?”
“My first reaction was that you two were so angry at one another that you raised your total body temperature, but that can’t be the whole answer. Just tell me,” she said, her irritation growing.
Armando stared at the photo to avoid her eyes.
“What did you hear of our conversation?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m horrible at remembering words,” she said. “But I’m sure he was threatening you, and you said,” she paused, “you said something about being the law. Hey, are you an undercover cop?”
He sighed. “I’m a probation officer for some special cases and, uh, gangs,” he said.
Liz narrowed her eyes and stared at him, trying to figure the magnitude of the lie.
“No, that’s not right,” she said sarcastically, “not right at all.” She jerked back from him and stormed across the room. She planted her feet and stared him down. “The truth, please. Now.”
She watched him and saw him decide.
“Well, you’re invisible at night and I’m a shape shifter,” he said, studying her face.
“So you’re a werewolf? Damn, I knew all my late-night reading would come in handy one day.” She laughed loudly as she bounced back onto the bed. It hurt that he wasn’t going to answer her truthfully.
“No, no, I’m not a werewolf. I’m the Portal Guardian for the various packs because I’m not in their packs. I’m too different,” he replied with some formality. “But if you weren’t prepared to believe me, then why did you ask the question?” Some anger showed in his tone.
Liz realized her inane reaction wasn’t helping. She took a deep breath and regained control. She took a few more deep breaths, letting the new information circulate in her imagination. Armando was studying her, and though she liked it when his eyes drifted to her breasts, something else held his gaze.
The animals. She suddenly remembered the animals that had raced past her.
“So that’s why a cougar and a wolf ran right in front of me in the parking lot?” she said. “At least I can lay to rest my worries of hallucinations.” She collapsed on the bed, her head next to his, and stared at the ceiling.
“If you were there, that close, how come I didn’t see you?” He leaned up on his elbow to examine her reaction.
“I think you were too preoccupied with that thug.”
“Liz, aren’t you afraid to be out taking pictures at night? Las Vegas, especially back from the Strip, is not the safest place to wander after dark.”
Liz did the long-distance stare before she turned to meet his eyes.
“It’s like I told you,” she said. “I’m always comfortable in the dark. Just the other day, I was thinking about how I used to sneak out of my house late at night when I was a teenager. I could walk anywhere, and as long as I stayed quiet, no one bothered me . . . ever. For safety I carry my pistol, the one Sam trained me to shoot, but I’ve never needed it.”
Armando kept staring at her.
It made her edgy.
She deflected his next question with one of her own. “How are you different from the packs? You’ve come this far; tell me the whole story.” She softened the request by rolling to him and stroking his back. She was equal parts curious and, despite everything he’d said, ready to fuck again.
He paused, enjoying her caresses, then sighed. “You won’t believe me, but here goes,” he said
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