Page 9 of House of Wolves
He nods, stepping away, and the air lightens immediately. I study him for one final second before I shift. My clothes drop to the forest floor around me, and I shake my black fur free. Brick isn’t alarmed at my transformation. I’ve never shifted in front of him and wonder if any of the other Weres have. There’s nothing to hide and I want to remind him what I am. I’m not just a small woman who can be easily bent. I’m a monster, a force to be reckoned with. Even if he is something else, I’ve faced much worse.
I sprint away from Brick and the carnage. As I get farther and farther away, my questions grow. But damn it if I’m not selfish and frivolous because all I keep thinking about is that I really liked that shirt I was wearing, and now I’m never going to get it back.
4
Men are Pigs
Twofakedatesintwo nights can make a girl feel one of two ways, either like a sexy international spy seducing foreign threats to their demise or like something a little more desperate. I take another sip of my fruity cocktail so the alcohol can melt my image of myself as the latter.
“I’m so glad you texted,” Wood says, leaning into his palm propped up on the sticky bar counter.
My eyes assess him over the rim of my cocktail glass. He’s less handsome than I remember. Sure, he’s muscular with dark hair and thick eyebrows, but his eyes dart all over, as if he'd rather be in a million other places. I can’t tell if it’s my werewolf senses kicking or if it’s obvious to a regular human, but there’s something untrustworthy about him, something that makes me squirm in my seat. But I’m not here to decide if I like him or even have a nice evening. I’m here to find out what he knows.
After leaving the crime scene last night, I notified Cameron and Grimm about Jessica’s murder. I prepared for a late-night council meeting to discuss the tragic events with the pack, but they suggested we hold off until he had anything that could offer them hope. Thanks to the Hunters’ past attacks, Jessica had no family and didn’t attend the last council meeting. Cameron said he’d work on ensuring all the young women in our pack knew the importance of staying with others. Besides that, they didn’t want to alarm the pack further, not until I had this date and found out something—anything.
I also informed the males of Brick’s suspicious nature. They didn’t say much; they just listened. They seemed comforted when I told them he told me to trust him, but they still had their guards up, as they should. For me, I had a whole militia armed around my trust in that man.
I flash a smile, setting my half-drunk drink on the bar. “I’ve missed you.” I bat my eyelashes and push forward on my crossed arms, hoping my breasts spill out of my low-cut top.
Sure enough, his eyes travel straight to my trap. He stares at my tits for longer than acceptable. Yes, I offered them up to him, but you’d think he’d have the decency to play coy. This will be too easy.
Hefinallybrings his eyes back to mine before grabbing my bar chair and pulling it to his. To his credit, he moves me and my chair as if we were weightless. I mean, I could do the same thing to him, but still, I like a strong man. Definitely not this man, but as the alcohol swims through my veins, he’s growing on me. His lips are inches away from mine, but instead of removing the distance, he yells to the bartender, “Let's get another round over here.”
I smile, contemplating if I should drink more or keep my wits about myself. But as Wood strains in an attempt to show off his biceps, I decide this will be insufferable without one or two more drinks.
Those one or two drinks turn into about five. I’m usually pretty good at restraining myself, but Wood keeps ordering them, and I’m not one to turn down anything free. Before I know it, my head spins, and the edges of reality are light and fluffy. By the grace of some divine entity, I remember the seeds of my mission. I take a small sip of my martini, splashing a bit as I set it on the counter, sticky from the likes of me. “Wood.”
“I told you, call me John.”
I roll my eyes, laugh, and push his shoulder. “Fineee! Okay, John. I have a question.” I hiccup.
Our stools are touching, and I’m nearly seated on his lap. He runs his hands lower down my back, nearly slipping into the hem of my skirt and grabbing my ass. I notice it slightly, but everything is just too funny right now to care. “Tell me, have you ever seen a dead body?” It’s a stupid question. I know that even as I’m clearly drunk, even in my inebriated state, I have a line of questions set up and ready to take a domino effect.
He shakes his head, smiling at me as if I’m an airhead. It annoys me even with the alcohol. “Yes. I’ve seen a dead body.”
I lean in, bringing my lips to his ear. “Did you see the body of that girl who died last night?” I pull back, pretending to look terrified.
He twists his lips, “No, I was across town. I heard it was pretty gruesome.”
“Who do you think did it?” I take another sip of my drink, willing myself to sober up to gauge if he’s lying. Sadly, my powers don’t work as well with alcohol, something I hope a Hunter never discovers. It’s not a side effect for all Weres, but it’s definitely one for me. Of course, perfect Cameron can drink a whole barrel of wine and not even lose a minuscule of his strength.
Wood motions me closer with his finger, and I comply. His breath smells wheaty from his beer. “I think it’s just an old boyfriend. It was a young girl. That’s usually the MO.”
“But there was a girl who just died similarly a few days ago. Do you think it could be a serial killer?”
He eyes me quizzically. “You seem to know a lot about these murders.” He says it so clearly. I eye his drink resting on the bar, realizing it’s still mostly full. I try to remember how many he got for himself, but honestly, my memory is shit right now. I adjust myself in my seat, my legs and leather skirt sticking to the faux leather of the stool. I push his shoulder playfully. “Josh, I’m a reporter, silly. Remember.”
“It’s John.” His expression sags.
“I knew that.” I laugh, rubbing my hand down my face, hoping I’m not smearing my make-up. I’m just drunk.”
He shakes his head with a sigh. “Why don’t we get you home?”
I want to protest. I haven’t discovered anything about what Wood knows, but my investigative skills aren’t up to par right now. In fact, a toddler would be better at investigating things. I decide it’s best to cut my losses and call it a night. Maybe I can count this as a buttering-up session. Wood’s not getting anything tonight, and maybe I turned him on a bit. He’ll want to see me again to seal the deal.
I throw my weight into him, and luckily, he catches me, directing my feet to the ground. He laughs. “Woah, let's get out of here.”
I nod and follow him out of the smoky bar, past the patrons playing pool. The cool night air slaps against my face as we exit. Thankfully, my drunkenness makes the chill stinging my bare legs less painful. I intertwine my arm with Wood's, using him as support as we walk down the sidewalk. I took an Uber here and would likely take one back, but my house isn’t too far away. Wood’s been to my place before, so he knows the way. I’m one of the few werewolves who live closer to the town and not in a cabin in the woods. Everyone already knows who I am, so there’s no point hiding.
