Page 4 of Midnight Hunt
Neither do I, I replied before breaking the stare and facing forward again.
Normally, I’d stare him down to ascertain his dominance level, but the crowd was restless around me, their fight or flight instincts kicking in from being so close to two predators. I allowed the sea of bodies to sweep me up the stairs and shook off the encounter. Although this territory wasn’t mine, all werewolves were allowed to attend certain public events no matter their location. Professional sports was one of them, so I was technically standing on neutral ground.
If the black-haired werewolf didn’t like me in his territory, then he could take it up with his alpha. I personally knew Alpha DeRosa, and he was a decent guy as far as alphas went. Even though Reid belonged to a pack in Maine, allowing him in his territory was profitable for business. He didn’t even mind that the quarterback owned a Boston apartment.
Soon, my thoughts were back to anticipating the evening ahead, an evening spent having hot sex with my boyfriend. The sun was already low in the sky, so I wouldn’t have to wait much longer. When I reached the top of the stairs, I used my supernatural agility to slip through the crowd with ease. Reid and I had planned ahead of time to meet up at his apartment after the game, but I needed to pick something up first.
In no time, I was exiting the stadium and hurrying toward my purple Jeep. Reid had said I could use his town car while I was here, but I much preferred the independence my Jeep offered.
The second I hopped in and started her up, I rolled down the windows and cranked up the music. A popular country song blared through the speakers as I slowly navigated the busy parking lot and took the exit toward Boston. Once on the highway, I took off the Rebels hat to let my hair fly free in the wind, enjoying the smells of late summer.
“Any man of mine . . .” I loudly started to sing, knowing the song lyrics by heart. “Better walk the line . . .”
Finally caving to the carefree moment, Sable howled to the music. With a laugh, I threw back my head and let the howl belt from my lungs. The passenger in the car next to me gave me an odd look, but I just kept singing. Life was too short to care what other people thought of my car karaoke.
Twenty minutes later, I was hustling into a lingerie shop before they closed for the night. As I placed several lacy little nothings on the checkout counter, the female clerk asked, “Hoping to surprise your man?”
I slid her a sly grin. “Yeah. Hoping he’ll take one look at me in these babies and beg me to take them off.”
She winked and handed me the bag with my receipt. “Best of luck to you.”
“Thanks!” I sang and hurried from the store.
I was nearly to my Jeep when the hairs on my nape suddenly lifted. Slowing, I took stock of my surroundings with my heightened senses. It was a Sunday night, and the sidewalks weren’t nearly as busy as they’d been half an hour ago. This particular stretch was especially quiet, but traversing city streets after nightfall didn’t usually trigger my instincts. Humans mostly kept to themselves, and they rarely recognized me outside of the stadium.
Still, something felt off. It almost felt like I was being . . .
Stalked. I feel it too, Sable commented as I threw a glance over my shoulder.
Paparazzi, maybe? They’ve hounded us before, I replied, trying to shrug off the unsettling feeling. Being chased by cameras was annoying, but they were harmless.
I don’t know. This feels different. I sense danger.
At Sable’s words, my guard went up. I might be a dominant hybrid werewolf, but I wasn’t invincible. I was alone in a strange city without my pack, and I was keenly feeling their absence at the moment.
I was just about to look over my shoulder again when I spotted a lone figure up ahead standing near my Jeep. Immediately recognizing him as the werewolf who’d been blocking the stairs at the stadium, I went on high alert. Without a moment’s hesitation, I encouraged Sable closer to the surface, hoping to intimidate him with my suddenly glowing purple eyes.
Regular werewolves couldn’t shift at will, but hybrids could. Even if the male ahead was more dominant than me, I could call on Sable’s strength in a heartbeat, not to mention my claws and fangs.
As the spirit familiar within me eagerly rose to my aid, I allowed my hybrid identity to poke through my human facade. My eyes flashed brightly in warning, and I curled my upper lip back to reveal a set of lengthened canines.
It was too dark for most humans to see the slight transformation, but I knew the werewolf could easily see me with his night vision. In response to my clear warning, he tipped his mouth into a faint smirk. Scowling, I opened my own mouth to tell him off. Before I could utter a single word, something rushed me from behind.
Vi!Sable barked, but it was too late.
In a flash, black fabric fell over my head, making the world go dark. I whirled around with my claws extended, but they caught nothing but air. A rough shove from behind sent me sprawling onto the sidewalk. I managed to tuck and roll, but I lost my purse and shopping bag in the process. As I yanked the black fabric off my head, hands grabbed my arms and legs and hoisted me up.
“Let go!” I snarled, fighting like a feral beast to break free. One of my legs slipped from their hold, and I struck out. This time, I made contact and was rewarded with a pained masculine grunt.
“Subdue her,” a male growled, probably the black-haired one who’d been standing near my Jeep.
Still gripping one of my legs, the other male withdrew something from his pocket. When it caught the light of a nearby street lamp, my eyes widened. A syringe. He was trying toinjectme with something.
Outraged, I kicked at his head with my freed foot. When my shoe made contact with his chin, he swore colorfully, dropping the needle and my other leg. Before I could wrestle my arms free, he stepped forward and punched me square in the face. The hit caught my cheek, nearly shattering the bone. Bright stars burst in my vision, the pain immediately dulling my senses. I’d been hit in the face plenty of times by werewolves, but being punched point-blank always sucked.
As I struggled to regain my eyesight, the male still holding my arms started to drag me away. I quickly blinked the stars from my vision and spotted a black SUV with its back door open. When I realized that they planned to shove me inside, fear coursed through my veins.
Sable!I cried, and my wolf immediately answered my call with a fierce, protective growl.
