Chapter 3

She broke eye contact first, her skin now sweaty and her hands were trembling.

God, he was more wolf than she was used to dealing with--he was broader-shouldered and

taller. His eyes locked onto hers with sinful determination, no backing down, no compromise.

No wonder her sister Asta had fallen for the attention-grabbing Black Lycoan.

Akila couldn't help but wonder how a romp with a large wolf like him would feel.

But damn if it hadn't gotten Asta killed.

Stick with your own kind, that's what her father would have said.

No humans, lycoans only. . the brown variety.

Every corner of the room remained deathly quiet--no one lifted a mug to take a sip of a

drink, no one tried to move a muscle.

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look at Dustin , to see what he was doing now.

He stood there still staring at her.

She wished the floor would open up to swallow her like mop water on a hot day.

She gritted her teeth, raised her glass of water, and took another swig, hoping she wouldn't

inadvertently choke on the icy drink out of nervousness.

But she wasn't leaving Silver Town until she avenged Asta's death.

Dustin looked over at Eric, who shrugged a shoulder and handed him an empty glass.

If Dustin wanted her out of his chair, he would have to move her.

Pack gang leaders had to show they were in charge, particularly when it came to their

territory, and no one, especially not women, upstaged them.

The first woman she'd seen tonight entered the tavern dressed in short shorts and a

turtleneck shirt, with leather boots mid-thigh, her sable hair piled on top of her head in whirls

of dark curls.

“Hey, Laura,” said one of the four men seated at the bar and whistled. “Looking hot.”

She gave him a flashy bright red-lipped grin, then glanced in Akila's direction.

Astonishment was reflected in her expression.

Laura shifted her gaze and she spied Dustin nearby.

Bending over the bar to give the guys a better look at her big ass, she whispered something

to Eric.

He looked over at Akila. Yep, she was sure to be the topic of conversation tonight.

Eric shrugged.

“Drawing a real crowd tonight, Laura. Why don't you see if the boss needs some more

beer?”

Mike lifted the empty jug.

“Need a refill.

Looks like the lady could use another drink.”

Desperately wanting get out of the limelight, Akila leaned into her seat.

Laura gave her a simpering smile.

“Well, well , looks like the word has gotten out to some far-reaching places.

Guess it won't be long before the place wil be crawling with--”

Eric slammed a jug of beer on the counter.

“Take care of the customers, Laura, and play nice.”

She grinned at him and muttered something inaudible, then grabbed the jug.

“Yes siree, boss, that's what you pay me for.” Swinging her hips, she carried the beer to

Dustin 's table, and then gave him a big smile.

“Here ya go, boss.

Just whistle if you need more.”

Dustin didn't say a word, just leaned back in his chair and looked over at Akila.

Laura made a face and headed for Akila's table. “Need another. . bottle of water?”

Time for a drink.

“Got margaritas?”

Akila spoke low, only it wasn't low enough.

Mike Almost choked on his beer.

A couple of the men at the bar laughed.

Eric smiled and poured whiskey for one of the men.

“I don't know, dear.”

Laura turned to Eric.

“Hey, Eric, we got fancy drinks for an out-of-towner?

Like a margarita?”

She said the word as if she was speaking of a lady's cute name.

More laughter ensued.

“I can whip up anything the little lady would like.”

Little.

That described her all right.

Five-four, and the size of a brown female Lycoan.

She sat taller.

“Is that what you would like, Miss. . ?” Laura asked, drawing it out, searching for a name.

“Yes, thank you.”

Tough, damn it.

Akila wanted to present a tougher image in front of the Blacks.

She had spent all day practicing and now here she was, and what did she do?

Acted like a scared damned mouse.

She was used to being around her own kind, she'd never felt

intimidated--much.

Having earned double black belts in jujitsu and kung fu helped boost her confidence around

human brutes.

But these people were neither human nor her own kind, and a whole pack of them could

devour her alive if she gave them the opportunity.

The woman leaned closer and Akila was again sure she was about to be found out.

Laura breathed in the air, and her brown eyes narrowed.

Despite wearing a ton of fancy human perfumes, and of course the stench from the fresh

dye job--although Akila had washed her hair in strawberry shampoo trying to cover up that

odor--she hoped no one could smell that she was a lycaon, and not one of their own kind,

either.

Looked like it didn't work.

“Well, well, well.”

Laura straightened her back.

“Make the lady a margarita, Eric.”

“Put the first on my tab,” Mike said aloud.

“Wouldn't want the lady to think we're a bunch of unfriendly old coots.”

“The other one's on me,”said Laura.

The miner, Luke Anderson, looked disappointed that he hadn't spoken up first, but as much

of a beta wolf as he appeared, he probably wouldn't want to say anything to piss Dustin off.

Dustin 's brothers would happen to be the exceptions, and Laura seemed able to do as she

pleased.

Dustin didn't utter a word.

He exuded control with just a look--dangerous, not the kind of man to rile. His actions, or

lack of action in this case, spoke louder than any words

Marcus would have roared all over the tavern of he were in Dustin 's position.

Proving that he was the pack leader and no one would disobey him, Marcus would have

taken her to task immediately, belittled her and most likely had her thrown out of the joint

bodily if she'd taken his seat.

But just a glower from Dustin conveyed a world of threat, and she'd do well to heed it.

Everyone seemed fascinated with the reason Laura had taken an interest in Akila.

They had to figure Laura had found out something about her.

Laura seemed amused Akila was a brown Lycoan disguising as a human.

At least Akila assumed the woman had found her out.

“Where are you staying, darling'?” Laura's tone was much more appeasing, with a faked

sweetness in her voice.

Akila cleared the sudden frog in her throat. “I'm Just passing through.”

Silence.

The woman's eyes widened, and she quickly glanced over at Dustin's table to look at him.

His eyes had widened also, and he was now staring at Akila more intently.

Shit.

Her voice must have sounded similar to Asta's this time, the way she spoke, the inflection,

something.

Low conversation took place at the table next to Dustin's and among the blacks at the bar

while Eric whipped up Akila's margarita, but no one at Dustin 's table spoke a word.

More patrons entered the tavern, all looking to greet their leader, then, finding a dead ringer

for his dead mate sitting at his regular table, turned to see Dustin, and the scenario repeated

itself until the place was all crowded and noisy.

But no one dared sit at her table.

Thank god.

The more important conversations were conducted low so she couldn't hear the gist of them,

but she only had to guess what was being said.

Dead sister's clone arrives at Black's hangout, seeking revenge.

They'd all be shaking in their boots.

Right.

After finishing her margarita, Akila was dying to use the restroom, and the place had grown

so warm, she took off her jacket.

Big mistake.

As soon as they saw how little she was, the whole room grew quiet again.

Laura hurried over with another margarita for Akila, although she intended to get another

bottle of water.

“On me, sweetheart,” the woman said, this time with real affection in her voice.

Standing just five-foot-ten, in her four-inch heels, she was small for a female Black.

“Thanks.” Akila stood, and the woman's face dropped, probably thinking Akila meant to

leave, snubbing her for the drink.

“Got to use the little girls' room.”

“Oh.” Laura's lips turned up slightly in a smile.

“The restroom is back that way.” She motioned with her hand.

“Thanks.”

Akila hadn't considered what it would feel like to walk through the tavern to the ladies' room,

until everyone acted so interested in her.

With her shoulders straight back, her chin tilted up, and her body ten degrees hotter than

normal, she walked her way to the restroom.

Several men nodded their heads in greeting.

Respectfully, a couple of them took their cowboy hats off.

None smiled though, not even Luke this time, which would be typical.

Until their pack leader made her welcome, most would look her over, but wouldn't make any

move to be overtly friendly.

Dustin would probably take Luke to task if Eric told him the miner had paid for her first drink.

Sitting with some men at one of the larger tables, three women growled at her as if they

wished her dead.

Had anyone of them wanted her sister eliminated and carried out the threat?

Ignoring them, Akila walked into the restroom, but after entering a stall, she heard the outer

door squeak open.

Her skin chiled.

Too late to avoid the trouble headed her way.