never seen you upset. Is that one of your blades stuck in the wall?”
Reika sneered at the laptop atop her travel trunk, and then turned. She’d already flung her knives into the walls before chucking furniture. The nightstand and bed where she’d found so much pleasure were right below her knives, resembling a stack of earthquake rubble. The wardrobe full of Darryl’s clothing was next. She picked it up and flung it, blinking rapidly against moisture that blurred and distorted. And burned. But did nothing to heal. Nothing soothed. Nothing assuaged.
She’d taken the day to rest after the most exquisite night of her life, and awakened to this: An empty room. No sign of her mate. That’s when the worry started. A quick trip to the club from last night turned up nothing but a dance floor full of humans. No sign of Darryl. That’s when the anxiety started, resembling a chill breeze running her backbone. A visit to Darryl’s hotel got her the information that he and his entourage had checked out – destination unknown. She’d never dealt with emotions, and was dealing with too many of them, too quickly. That’s when the anguish had started. The desk clerk with the smiling face was lucky the lobby had been full and the place crawling with humans. He wouldn’t have lived, otherwise.
“Get Akron for me! Move it, Nigel! Now!”
The large wooden wardrobe was solidly constructed. A nice piece of furniture she’d have to reimburse the landlady for…if she didn’t kill her first. Reika didn’t know how to deal with feelings, and since hers had now changed to anger, everything was tainted with a red-shaded hue. Nobody was safe. Nothing was off limits. The wardrobe thudded when it hit the wall, knocking the picture of the rustic cabin in the woods from its peg. Then, with a groan, the large piece of furniture settled atop the mattress, its door open and dangling crookedly from where she’d broken the latch, while shirts and jackets started sliding off the dowels, adding material onto floor, and fuel to her rage. She was just advancing on the shirts thinking to shred them might help, when Akron’s voice stopped her.
“Reika. Stop it. Now.”
“Make me.”
“Reika. Calm yourself. Don’t make me call in a 4-D Team. That’s a very nice inn. I’ve stayed there before.”
“He’s gone, Akron! You don’t understand! He…left. And I don’t know where. I can’t find him.”
Her voice softened. The shirts ended up clasped to her breast. Then shoved to her face, concealing what couldn’t possibly be grief. Reika shook with sobs she couldn’t remember ever experiencing, wetting the fabric near her face, while the newly awakened heart just kept pounding away within her breast. The area pained. Ached. Each beat sounding like a lost echo in a huge cavern.
“I had no idea you held our talents in such low esteem. Please.”
Reika wiped at her face, and fought for the stoicism that had been second nature before. And somehow found it. She looked over at the laptop, dark now with its ‘saved’ mode. Reika dropped the shirts and walked over to the trunk, going cross-legged onto the floor. She rolled her finger on the pad, brought her screen back to life, and looked at a desk containing a large screen laptop and a shadowy alcove.
“You know where he is?”
“Yes and no.”
“Damn it, Akron—!”
“A temper, too? This mating thing is totally over-rated in my opinion. That’s actually the problem here.”
“What?” She didn’t have to pretend confusion.
“This mating thing…it creates all kinds of entanglements, when all I want is a bit of clean operation and profitable kills. Last night, for instance. This entire situation started because Invaris invoked what I’m going to call The Mating Card .”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s what happens when one of my associates wants a special favor, deems it necessary because they’re mated, and then reminds me that I don’t know what it’s
Reika sneered at the laptop atop her travel trunk, and then turned. She’d already flung her knives into the walls before chucking furniture. The nightstand and bed where she’d found so much pleasure were right below her knives, resembling a stack of earthquake rubble. The wardrobe full of Darryl’s clothing was next. She picked it up and flung it, blinking rapidly against moisture that blurred and distorted. And burned. But did nothing to heal. Nothing soothed. Nothing assuaged.
She’d taken the day to rest after the most exquisite night of her life, and awakened to this: An empty room. No sign of her mate. That’s when the worry started. A quick trip to the club from last night turned up nothing but a dance floor full of humans. No sign of Darryl. That’s when the anxiety started, resembling a chill breeze running her backbone. A visit to Darryl’s hotel got her the information that he and his entourage had checked out – destination unknown. She’d never dealt with emotions, and was dealing with too many of them, too quickly. That’s when the anguish had started. The desk clerk with the smiling face was lucky the lobby had been full and the place crawling with humans. He wouldn’t have lived, otherwise.
“Get Akron for me! Move it, Nigel! Now!”
The large wooden wardrobe was solidly constructed. A nice piece of furniture she’d have to reimburse the landlady for…if she didn’t kill her first. Reika didn’t know how to deal with feelings, and since hers had now changed to anger, everything was tainted with a red-shaded hue. Nobody was safe. Nothing was off limits. The wardrobe thudded when it hit the wall, knocking the picture of the rustic cabin in the woods from its peg. Then, with a groan, the large piece of furniture settled atop the mattress, its door open and dangling crookedly from where she’d broken the latch, while shirts and jackets started sliding off the dowels, adding material onto floor, and fuel to her rage. She was just advancing on the shirts thinking to shred them might help, when Akron’s voice stopped her.
“Reika. Stop it. Now.”
“Make me.”
“Reika. Calm yourself. Don’t make me call in a 4-D Team. That’s a very nice inn. I’ve stayed there before.”
“He’s gone, Akron! You don’t understand! He…left. And I don’t know where. I can’t find him.”
Her voice softened. The shirts ended up clasped to her breast. Then shoved to her face, concealing what couldn’t possibly be grief. Reika shook with sobs she couldn’t remember ever experiencing, wetting the fabric near her face, while the newly awakened heart just kept pounding away within her breast. The area pained. Ached. Each beat sounding like a lost echo in a huge cavern.
“I had no idea you held our talents in such low esteem. Please.”
Reika wiped at her face, and fought for the stoicism that had been second nature before. And somehow found it. She looked over at the laptop, dark now with its ‘saved’ mode. Reika dropped the shirts and walked over to the trunk, going cross-legged onto the floor. She rolled her finger on the pad, brought her screen back to life, and looked at a desk containing a large screen laptop and a shadowy alcove.
“You know where he is?”
“Yes and no.”
“Damn it, Akron—!”
“A temper, too? This mating thing is totally over-rated in my opinion. That’s actually the problem here.”
“What?” She didn’t have to pretend confusion.
“This mating thing…it creates all kinds of entanglements, when all I want is a bit of clean operation and profitable kills. Last night, for instance. This entire situation started because Invaris invoked what I’m going to call The Mating Card .”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s what happens when one of my associates wants a special favor, deems it necessary because they’re mated, and then reminds me that I don’t know what it’s
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