* * *The pound of the beat against Joan's ears was way better than the flashing blue and yellow club lights that were hitting her from every corner. But even as they were about to blind her, Joan didn't care. It was her birthday after all, so why not have some fun? "I need to get laid!" she yelled and headed for two seats that just opened up at the bar. She didn't see the eye roll and exasperated look her friend, Bonnie, was sending her way as she tried to keep up despite the hindrance of the ridiculously high heels Joan had forced her to wear. Bonnie's eye-rolling only got worse when Joan stopped in the middle of the room and began dancing to the fresh beat blaring through the expensive sound system, her drunken arms flying up as her hips swayed. It was at this time Bonnie knew she had to intervene. Grabbing Joan's hands, Bonnie dragged her through the cramped dance floor and towards the bar. "Ouch! Slow down, Bon. I thought you said your heels were killing you?"
* * *Bonnie stared at the man, tongue-tied, and watched as his pale green eyes peered back at her with an expression she couldn't understand. Was he surprised, modified, or angry? His thick, dark, wavy hair looked tousled. His strong set of square jaw was set in a tight clench. And his sexy lips... Damn! Those lips looked like they were made for bad, bad things. He wore an expensive suit, complete with a tie. Bonnie knew his suit was freaking expensive because she was very much her father's daughter. What she couldn't fathom though, was why he was looking at her so darkly. If she was to guess, he had probably caught her gawking at Joan's panties and now thought she was some kind of pervert. Shit! Why did she always have bad luck with good-looking men? Bonnie cleared her throat. "Hmm... Err, what you saw back there... What you saw me looking at... Shit! What I mean to say is it's not how it looks." Lord! She was stammering. How convenient. "And what, pray to te
* * *Grabbing Joan by the waist, Bonnie guided them both out of the club and into the fresh air of Crossia's North Village. She set Joan down by the wall against the club and went to hail a cab. Outside the lounge club, patrons stood in clumps, smoking and chatting in private tones, unconcerned about the women who were breathing hard beside them. It was Crossing after all. People could be stabbing each other and no one would blink. "Oh, my God! This was supposed to be my night!" Joan moaned and Bonnie couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course, this was what her friend would be worried about. There was a drunk supernatural on the loose and no one except her knew about it. Although she didn't like the idea, she knew she had to speak to her father as soon as possible. "We should have just stayed home as I suggested," Bonnie stated, her eyes darting from one side of the road to the other in case a cab pulled up. "I'm sure we could have, but I was so horny, Bon, I'm
* * *After what felt like forever, the cab driver finally pulled up in front of Joan's address. Bonnie softly woke Joan and aided her into the building as quickly as their legs could carry them. Using the keys in Joan's purse, Bonnie unlocked Joan's apartment, tucked an already sleeping Joan into bed, and then went into the kitchen to get some aspirin and water for Joan. Bonnie contemplated staying over till morning, but then she remembered she had a client's work she had to deliver first thing tomorrow and knew she couldn't stay. Bonnie locked Joan's apartment with a spare key and took the elevator to the lobby, wondering if she'd get a taxi this late. The taxi driver that had brought her hadn't been an option if not, she would have just asked him to wait. But doing that had been a no-no for her because Bonnie couldn't help but feel like something was very off with him the moment he started asking her personal question. Bonnie walked out of the building and glanced around the dimly
* * *“Nate, is that you?” Nate heard Darrell's casual shout at the sound of the closing front door. The question didn’t get an answer, because Nate's mind was on what he’d just done. He dropped his keys into the hand-carved wooden bowl on the table just inside the Midtown two-bedroom flat he shared with Elliott. Strolling into the well-decorated living room, he nodded to his roommate and their guest, two of his pack members. The balcony door opened and Danny, the fourth and final member, walked in with a look that said he knew things that no one else did. But the truth was, Danny recently became as suspicious as ever since Katherine. As Nate stepped further into the room, he noticed all three werewolves staring at him, their nostrils flaring at his impossible-to-ignore stench. Oh well, there went his plan to lie about where he'd been. From where Elliott sat on their couch, he demanded, “Why do you smell like murder?” Nate exhaled deeply and walked behind the sleek bar to reach fo
* * *Elliott rubbed his head. If he didn't do something to calm Nate quickly, things were going to turn shitty. “Alright. Easy, boy. We’re just a little surprised, and worried about you. About all of us.” Elliott threw a clean, white bar towel to Nate who caught it at the same time Darrell rose from the couch, walked towards him, and held out his hand to Nate who quietly placed the broken glass in his hand. Satisfied, Darrell processed to pick up the remaining pieces of glass from the floor and threw them in the trash next to him. “Give me the towel for a second,” he said to Nate and Nate handed it to him with a grimace as Darrell began wiping the blood off his hand. They were treating him like a child and although he didn't like it, it gave him a weird but comforting feeling. “It's okay, I've got it, buddy," Nate finally said and collected the towel from Darrell. Darrell smiled and picked up the trash can while Nate proceeded to wrap his nasty wound up. Darrell walked away
* * *Nate rose on his elbows and looked at his best friend. “For a minute I thought you wanted to have a sleepover.” Elliott's hard features remained as he grinned, “Who says I don’t?” The smile stopped at his brown eyes, which were now glowing in the darkness. Here he didn’t have to hide his supernatural qualities as they did out in public. “When was the last time you killed someone?” Nate asked. Elliott stared at him. “Never have. I thought you knew that.” They’d been friends for eleven years since they were eighteen, but they’d never talked about this subject. “No.” Nate sat up, his shoulders heavy. “I didn’t.” “Why did you ask?” Elliott inquired. “Never mind.” Elliott nodded, rubbing his closely shaved head as he glanced out the window at the New York skyline before meeting Nate’s waiting gaze. “So, are you gonna make me torture the whole truth out of you?” Nate smiled a little. “I’d like to see that.” “No, you wouldn’t,” smirked Elliott. “Seriously. What’s up with the wo
* * *An hour later, Bonnie walked into the restaurant looking and feeling more like herself. She planned on telling Joan everything, but the words kept getting stuck. It seemed so dark a thing to haunt a beautiful morning with and she didn’t want to bother Joan about it until she had all the information she needed. Putting it behind her, for now, seemed a more positive, proactive approach, so she smiled extra wide and suggested a toast instead. Joan raised her glass, waiting. “To both of us getting home safely,” Bonnie said. Joan paused and clinked the champagne flutes together with a shrug. “We could toast to that every day.” Bonnie took a sip. “Mmm.” “Right?” Joan licked the pulp from her top lip and set the glass down on top of her menu. “What have you got cooked up this week?” Happy for the change of subject, Bonnie took another sip and set her glass down as she answered, “Well, I’ve hired some teens to do a Twitter campaign for Mac Designs.” “That clothing store in the Cros
But then he heard someone behind him in the doorway and he spun around to see Linda standing there with her suitcase in one hand, her light blue coat in the other, keys jingling as she nervously fiddled. She asked, quietly “Are you okay?” the rain pattering loudly behind her. With all the self-discipline he could barely muster, he struggled against his wolf and cracked his neck as he gave a very curt nod and grated through gritted teeth, “My…friend…seems to have left.” “You need a ride somewhere?” Danny blinked to the ground and then back to her. He grimaced and commanded his wolf to calm the fuck down. Gasping for air, he said, “Excuse me a moment. Please, don’t leave.” He walked to the bathroom and shut the door, splashing water on his face. The cold baptism he coupled with direct and soothing, silent mantras. I’ve got this. I can do this. Control. Control yourself. Let her go. She had to leave. Let her go. You are stronger than this. Afraid he’d lose his ride out of here, he q
He listened at the door to make sure what he heard wasn’t some kinky, consensual sex play. It wasn’t. He stepped back, looked left and right for anyone watching. No one was around. He closed his eyes and listened for heartbeats in nearby cars. The lot was empty of human beings. He focused on the door and took a single step back. Cracking his neck, his eyes began to glow and with all his supernatural strength he shot out a powerful kick. The door split in two, splintering at the hinges. A disgusting sight waited for him inside. The dead-eyed employee of the motel had a woman of at least sixty against the wall. At the explosion, they both looked toward the door. Her eyes were wide with terror and shock, his narrowed in irritation at the interruption. Her suitcase lay on its side on the ground like she’d tried to throw it at him, the contents splayed on shag carpet. The attacker had a bite mark in his arm, but now was pinning hers. Her polyester pants were down around only one ankle and
Danny collapsed on top of her trembling body, panting as Kat held him close. She kissed his neck, lacing her fingers into his damp hair. But without a word he got up and pulled out, leaping off the bed like she was contagious. He strode swiftly to the bathroom, slammed the door and then had the audacity on top of everything, to fucking lock it. On shaking elbows, she rose up and stared at the door. The shower came on, muffled through the walls. She blinked at the sound, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Oh my God,” she whispered, stunned and terribly hurt. Getting up, she slowly paced the room. Her shirt was broken, as were her bra and panties. Only her jeans were intact so she put them on, went to his suitcase and pulled out one of his t-shirts, a black one she would no doubt swim in. Slipping it over her bedhead, she grabbed a pair of his dress socks and put them on, too. As she tugged on her sneakers, the shower turned off. She froze then ran for the door, swooping down to
He released her, glanced to the guy behind the gun-proof glass watching the scene with interest. “Come on,” Danny grumbled, reaching for his suitcase. The fact that he held the door again was a miracle but that’s just what he did. She hesitated. He cocked his chin as if to say, Well, what are you waiting for? “You never cease to amaze me,” she snarled at him, walking cautiously past like he might slam it on her if she wasn’t careful. As soon as they were outside, he led the way with the self-confidence of someone who knew she would follow. “Why am I staying here with you? Am I a glutton for punishment or what?” Under the minimal shelter of an insufficient awning they made their way to Room 7, millions of drops hitting them from the left. Without finesse he jammed the key in the lock and again held open the door for her. “Since when are you a gentleman?” “I’ve always been a gentleman. Have you really forgotten that?” She shrugged and walked inside, looking around the original décor
“Wish I had a towel,” she smiled. He stared at her until it faded away. “What are you doing up here? Is this your car?” “It’s my parent’s car, which you would know if you’d ever come over to their home. And I’m going to MarhVelly.” She paused at his expression. “What? Why the face?” Danny stared at her. There’s no fucking way. He pushed wet hair away from his forehead and asked in a very low voice, “Why are you going to MarhVelly, Kat?” Flustered she blinked back to the road. “Lobster. I’ve never had it there, and I’ve always wanted to.” Pointing ahead, she glanced over to him, “Oh no, looks like an accident.” He turned and saw ominous lights of both fire engines and police cars spinning through the storm. He and Kat were quiet as they waited to see how bad the damage was. A car was turned over, the driver nowhere to be seen. Probably already taken away by a speeding ambulance. Two more driverless cars lay on one another in the fast lane. A tow truck was busy pulling the upturned
“Okay, I can handle this,” he said, under his breath, not believing it. As though on dramatic cue, lightning illuminated the heavens followed instantly by powerful claps of thunder. In heavy undulating sheets, the rain exploded from the darkness, assaulting his Audi A4 Sedan. With every curse word he could think of he searched for the windshield wipers. He hit the turn signal, accidentally turned off the lights and put them back on, and hit the cruise control. “For what I paid for this piece of shit, the wipers should be zipping on their own at the first drop of rain.” Finally, the wipers moved and he cranked them up full gear. Exhaling, he sat back, gripping the wheel. “If Eli could see me now. He’d never let me live this ineptitude down.” For two miles he drove fairly quickly despite the storm until suddenly red taillights illuminated the darkness. Stopped traffic. “SHIT!” He slammed the brakes and hydroplaned to a diagonal stop, narrowly missing the rear end of a Subaru. Panting,
“It’s called conversation. Someday you’ll learn how to participate in one. The car is there. Gas it up before you bring it back. And remember to let Jonathan put the gas in. A man wants to be the man,” Marcy replied. “You think so, eh?" Kat paused near their coat rack filled with scarves and coats. Quite a few hats were hung on the rungs as well, each assigned to at least one memory, not all of them good. “I’m going over to get the car now. Is Dad there?” “Your father is sitting across from me. So no.” “Since when do you and Dad have lunch together?” She frowned at all of it. It seemed like every inch was seeped in memories. Breaking up sucks so badly. “What’s going on?” “Your mother and I are getting to know one another again!” Henry Zane called out, loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to make an undignified scene. Kat stared into her parent’s past, at the infidelities on both their parts, the fights, the estrangements. “Is this true, Mom?” “Oh, it’s Mom now, is it?” h
As soon as he hit send, Danny jumped up and headed for the bathroom easily the size of a small Crossia studio. He hadn’t held back when he’d renovated this unit. After the Co-op approved him, he’d gutted the place to match his taste. Everything elegant. Shining. Black or charcoal grey, with the ceilings white for an added feeling of space. His bathroom had two showerheads with room for four people, not two. There was a separate, Jacuzzi bathtub. If he and his wolf friends were going to live like humans, they should live like the best of them, since by default werewolves were superior already. Not that human beings would see it that way. He ran the water extra hot and stripped off his clothes, kicking the annoyingly tight shoes aside with extra gusto. As soon as the scalding water hit his sore back, he sighed long and loud. Then he turned and got a surprise. It felt a little better than he thought it would. He glanced down. “What the fuck?” He was hard as a rock. Now that he was payi
This was her chance to make a run for it…or to commit to him for good. He was a good man. Such a good man. Her family loved him, probably more than she did. He’d make an okay father except for the probability that he’d not teach them anything new. He’d probably just make carbon copies of him, a man designed by the term “normal.” For God’s sake, Don’t Rock the Boat was one of his favorite things to say whenever Kat had a contrary opinion she meant to voice among their judgmental social circles. “Well, Kat. What is it?” Her body was as tense as though she were about to cage-dive with Great Whites. She closed her eyes begging for the answer from her angels, or anyone who could tell her that she should follow her heart. The room was so quiet. She held her breath, waiting. A small voice inside of her whispered, You know what you have to do, and suddenly she inhaled. “Kat, you’re scaring me.” Meeting his frightened brown eyes, she shook her head with sadness. “I’m sorry, Joe. I can’t ma