Page 17 of Howling
His left eye twitches, and he slowly stalks toward the fox, clearly pissed that information was kept from him.
Foxy shoots me a vexed look from over his shoulder before he hunches over the stove with a casual shrug. “You told me to keep a low profile, avoid any fights. What was I supposed to do?”
“Tell us!” the asshole roars, and I nod in agreement. “We would’ve handled it.”
I cock my head at the dickhead, my anger easing when I realize he’s genuinely upset. Part of me was afraid his friends were allowing him to take the beatings to keep themselves safe. I grab the beer, take a swallow, and grimace at the taste.
While my genetics will burn through the effects of alcohol fast, I push the can away. It’s not safe for me to have any of my senses or reflexes dulled. If I want to stay alive, I can’t let down my guard for even a second.
“You mean you would’ve beat the shit out of them, likely killed them, and we would be forced to move. Again,” Foxysnarls back, banging pots and pans, even as a delicious smell fills the kitchen.
My mouth waters and my stomach growls in appreciation. After months of eating at greasy fast-food places and questionable diners, the scent of real food is almost enough to distract me from their argument.
While I can cook, I’m not often in a place long enough to have access to a kitchen.
You can only eat so much soup and sandwiches before the novelty wears off.
Food should be a pleasure and not just a way to fuel the body.
I shake off my lust for the food and focus on the conversation. Maybe I should be put off by the casual mention of murder, but since I barely resisted killing them myself, I don’t bat an eye at the threat. Shifters are brutal creatures, often fighting just for the fun of it.
In Kyperian, we’re trained so hard that compassion is beaten out of us.
There is only one enemy in Kyperian—each other.
We can’t afford to fight for fear of drawing the wrong kind of attention. It’s the fastest way to become dead…or conscripted in the Orion.
So…same thing, basically.
“Who gives a fuck if we move again?!” the asshole yells back, hands on his hips as he scowls. His muscles flex, as if he’s struggling to keep his beast from breaking free and hunting down the fuckers who injured his friend.
I find myself nodding in agreement, distantly sniffing the air, as if I could sense his beast now that he’s closer to the surface.
Still nothing…except a dose of hormones that goes straight to my pussy.
Whoa!
I immediately shut that shit down, praying the slip goes unnoticed. Unfortunately, the two men inhale sharply at the scent of my arousal, and embarrassment heats my cheeks.
Ugh, stupid horny wolf.
Silence fills the kitchen for a beat, then the fox murmurs almost too quietly to hear, “We’re running out of places to run. Soon, we’ll be labeled feral and hunted.”
All amusement fades as I realize the seriousness of the situation. The asshole deflates, dragging his hands through his messy blond hair. “That’s not something you ever have to worry about. No matter what happens, we’ll keep you safe.”
Foxy slams down his spatula before spinning to glare at the fucker with a snarl. “Don’t treat me like I’m not an alpha and don’t know what I’m doing. I relish a good fight just as much as you two dickheads, but we promised to try and make this place work, so that’s what I’m doing. Deal with it.”
Okay, that’s sexy as fuck.
My eyes are drawn to his bright red hair, reminding me of embers in a fire. The freckles on his face stand out, the pattern emphasizing his good looks, and I lick my lips when my gaze traces the firm press of his lips.
I’m distracted from lusting over him when the massive black wolf growls, and my attention snaps toward the beast. I watch him warily, a little unnerved that he’s able to break my hold. I’ve been constantly feeding the bindings containing him, but he’s been shredding them almost as fast as I place them on him.
He’ll break free soon, and he doesn’t look happy.
Sadness swirls in my chest at the thought of leaving.
I’m not ready to say goodbye.
