The mood lightens, but Parker and I never really get back the playfulness we had before our disastrous kiss. He keeps a good distance from me the rest of the evening, careful not to touch me at all or even get too close. I’m both relieved and disappointed at the same time.
When it’s time to eat dinner, he asks if we can skip the food court and go to a place nearby that he really likes. “As long as it’s not all fancy like the last place you took me to.”
He grins. “Actually, it’s a bit of a dive.”
“Sounds like my kind of place.”
We drive to the south end of Dearborn to a building that looks like a doctor’s office. It’s closed for the night, but Parker stops there anyway. “What are we doing here?”
“Look closely at the building.” He smiles at my confused frown. “You’re an underworlder. You should be able to see through a weak glamour.”
“That building is glamoured?”
He nods. “To keep humans away. Let your eyes relax and pay attention to the feel of it, then wait a second. If you concentrate, you should be able to shake off the glamour and see the building beneath it.”
I focus in front of me, trying to pay attention without really looking directly at the building, like he suggested. My eyes catch a glimpse of a ripple in the air, and when I look back there’s a dumpy-looking motorcycle bar in front of me where the doctor’s office was. “Holy shit!”
Parker laughs again. That’s three times now I’ve made him laugh. This time he’s laughing at me, but I don’t care. I love the sound.
The place is busy but looks rundown. It’s made of dirty old cement and has no windows out front. It’s long and skinny, with a row of motorcycles parked along a wooden walkway lining the front of the building. Sadly, none of the bikes are half as nice as Nick’s beauty of a machine. Eighties rock pours out the open door, and the neon sign above the place is half burned out, so instead of Skinny’s it just says Skin. I snort, wondering if they haven’t bothered to fix the sign because they find it amusing. “Classy place.”
Parker grins. “I told you it was a dive.”
“It’s perfect…as long as I survive it.”
Parker looks up at the place, considering. “You should be all right. Enough people know about the crazy little human now. Plus, you’re with me. Even if we got jumped by everyone in there, I should be able to get you out.”
I’m not sure if I want to comment more on the cockiness of that statement or his use of the word should. In the end, my need for food wins out, and I choose to worry about neither. “Whatever. I’m hungry enough I’m willing to risk it.”
Inside, the place is dim but surprisingly clean. A counter lines the back wall of the dining area, and a row of dark green vinyl booths runs along the front of the building. There’s not much room for anything else.
The place is fairly busy with a variety of underworlders. Like with the club, a lot of them have dropped their human glamours and look like the creatures they really are. All conversation stops when I walk in. Some recognize me from the club and quickly go back to their meals. Others openly gawk. I shrug it off. After the last few weeks working at Underworld, I’m used to being stared at.
A tall man with gray skin that looks almost like stone grins at me from behind the counter. The smile is creepy, considering this man has the face of a goblin and several horns protruding from his head. He’s also got thin, leathery wings tucked behind him and a set of razor-sharp claws on his hands. “Ah, Parker, you’ve brought me something new to cook.”
I snort. His words are disturbing, and I don’t doubt he’d probably roast a human if he could get away with it, but I can tell he recognizes me. I trust Terrance’s reputation to keep me safe. Parker doesn’t appreciate the joke, though. His arm slides around my shoulders in a protective grip. “Skinny, this is Terrance’s human,” he says by way of introduction.
“Ah. The crazy one who works at the club.”
“Nora,” I say, rolling my eyes. “My name is Nora. Not Terrance’s human, or the crazy human. Just Nora.”
Skinny’s smile spreads so wide it seems to pull his face out of proportion. A long, thin lizard-like tongue shoots out, licking his entire chin. “Sexy and feisty. I like it. Welcome to my joint. No fighting inside. If you’re going to start something, take it to the parking lot. And eat my food at your own risk. Word to the wise: stay away from the fey and demon food.”
“Do you serve human food here?” I ask, suddenly worried I’ll starve tonight.
Skinny shrugs. “Enough. Shifters and magic users eat pretty similar. You’ll be fine if you just stay away from the magic and the poison.”
I nod and say, “Thanks for the heads up,” even though I would have been smart enough to avoid those things anyway.
Parker ushers me to an open booth, and we slide in across from one another. Most people have gone back to their own business. Only a couple still stare. Parker ignores them, so I do, too.
“So…” I grab a laminated menu from the side of the booth. “What’s good here that I can eat without turning into an animal or being cursed or whatever?”
“Stick to the burgers or steaks. Stay away from anything you can’t pronounce.”
“I’m always up for steak and potatoes.”
“Then you’ll be fine.”
Skinny quickly comes to take our orders. I get the steak, and Parker, thankfully, doesn’t order any blood, though it’s on the menu. Conversation doesn’t get awkward until after our food comes and I take my first bite. The steak is the best I’ve ever had, and I moan with pleasure. “Mm, this right here is worth all the shit I’ve been through since I got caught up in the underworld.”
Parker smiles. “Has it really been so bad?”
I smirk. “Well, let’s see. Aside from all the drama with Henry, Elijah kidnapped me and stabbed me. Then there was that faerie who strangled me. Oh, and of course Josephine tortured and nearly killed me. But I’m still kickin’, and I got myself a nice new coat. So, you know, not too bad, no.”
Parker looks horrified. I haven’t really done much to ease the awkwardness. Oops. Guess I’m feeling unsettled because of our earlier kiss. When I’m out of sorts, I tend to get bitchy. I feel bad about snarking, so I backpedal and try to soften my attitude. “Actually, despite everything, I’m doing better than I have…well…ever. I’ve got a great new place to live, and I’ve got friends for the first time in my life. It’s strange that I’ve finally found where I belong, and it took becoming part of the underworld to do it.”
“Makes sense since I think you’re really an underworlder. Plus, with your powers, even if you are human, you still fit in better with us than in the human world.”
My smile becomes a little more genuine. “I’ll admit it is very cool to not have to hide the fact that I’m different. Now if I could only figure out the why and how, and find a way to break my curse, I’d be all set.”
Parker’s brows draw low over his eyes, and he leans forward over the booth. “What curse?”
I cringe. I hadn’t meant to bring that up. But since I kissed him and then freaked out earlier, it’s only polite to explain it to him. “It’s not a curse, necessarily. I just draw people in.”
Parker grins, and it reaches his eyes. “I’ve noticed.”
I can’t help returning his smile. “I’m serious. It’s—”
I’m interrupted when someone steps up to our booth and clears his throat. Rage bubbles up inside me at the sight of Henry, Parker’s clan leader and sire. “Well, isn’t this cozy,” he says with a pinched smile. After giving Parker a hard look, he smiles at me again. This one is real. “Hello, Nora. It’s lovely to see you again.”
I grit my teeth and manage not to cuss at the jerk. “Wish I could say the same, Henry, but I was kind of hoping we’d never see each other again.”
Henry sighs. “We got off to such a bad start, Nora, and I would really like the chance to apologize. Not only for my own behavior, but also for the recent behavior of one of my vampires. Do you mind if I join you?”
I scoff and throw my hand out when Parker starts to scoot over to give Henry room to sit. “It was way worse than a bad start, and no, you can’t join us. What are you even doing here? You need to quit stalking me.”
Henry makes a face as if he’s sucking on sour lemons. The ancient vampire has never found my temper endearing. (It’s very unladylike.) Considering how bad it is, you’d think he’d be a little less obsessed with me. But he got a good look at all of my memories once, and it turned him into a possessive asshole. He wants to be my savior or something and protect me from all the bad men out there. That’s ironic, coming from him.
“I am not stalking you.” He makes another face. “I simply wanted the chance to apologize to you for Josephine’s actions.” His eyes narrow on Parker. “When I asked you to talk to her, I didn’t mean for you to ask her on a date.”
Ah, there’s the possessive douche bag I know so well. “It’s not a date,” I say. “But even still, you’re not welcome to crash it.”
Henry sucks in a sharp breath through his nose. He opens his mouth to reply but stops. His head rears back, and he looks at me with wide eyes. “Why do you smell of werewolf?”
It takes me a moment to realize that I’d been wearing Rook’s jacket earlier and there must still be some lingering scent on me. Damn. Vampires have better senses of smell than I thought. Before I can explain, a man sitting across from us at the restaurant counter spins around and grins at me. “Haven’t you heard? She’s dating Rook Winters.”
Henry whirls on the man, while my jaw drops to the table. “I beg your pardon?” Henry asks.
“I’m not dating him. Sheesh.” I eye the man. He isn’t someone I recognize, but he looks wolfish enough for me to make the assumption that even if he isn’t from Rook’s pack, he’s still a werewolf. “All you wolves gossip worse than a bunch of old ladies at a quilting club.”
The stranger winks at me, then grins at Henry as if he’s thrilled to burst the vampire’s bubble. “I heard he took her home and cooked her a meal, then escorted her to his pack social. Males only cook for females that they’re courting.”
The blood drains from my face. “Is that true?” I ask Parker.
“As far as I know.” He doesn’t look any happier about this new information than Henry.
Well, no wonder all the wolves in Rook’s pack have been acting so strangely. I’m going to kill Rook next time I see him.
“So you did allow Rook Winters to cook for you?” Henry demands.
His eyes are glowing a soft red that all vampires get when they start to lose control of their temper. That Henry cares so much pisses me off. “It’s none of your damn business.” I glare at the wolf sitting at the counter and add, “Yours either.”
The man laughs. “Sorry, honey. Every wolf in Michigan knows about Rook Winters and how he lost his mate and won’t look for another. The two of you are the biggest werewolf gossip this century. Personally, I’m rooting for you. He could use a good woman again.”
I groan, and the wolf chuckles. Henry and Parker are not amused. It’s Parker I defend myself to. “I was low on my red count because Josephine nearly drained me, so he cooked me a steak to build up my iron. He’s my trainer. We’re friends. That’s all. We’re not dating.”
I don’t know why I’m so determined to set the record straight right now. It’s not like I’m dating Parker, either. But he’s been really sweet tonight, and I feel bad throwing my relationship with Rook in his face.
“Rook Winters is your trainer?” Henry asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
While I’m busy glaring at Henry, Parker—the traitor—answers him. “He’s teaching her self-defense.”
Henry perks up at this. “You wish to learn self-defense?”
“Seeing as how people keep trying to kill me, it seems appropriate.”
“Nora, love, if you wish to learn to protect yourself, will you allow me to teach you instead of the wolf?” He ignores my laugh. “Wolves fight using their brute strength. Vampires use more finesse. I am a master in six different forms of martial arts and many weapons that would be well suited for your size and stature. I would be a better fit to teach you than Rook Winters, and I would be honored. Please consider—”
“The answer’s no, Henry. I don’t care if you’re five hundred times the teacher Rook is. I trust him. I don’t trust you. And I don’t like you.”
“I could change your mind about that. Give me one date.”
I laugh again, throwing all the sarcasm and condescension I’m capable of into it. “Never going to happen, so stop asking. Even if I were to start dating a vampire one day, it sure as hell wouldn’t be you.”
My eyes flick to Parker, and he gazes back at me with so much hope that I can’t look away.
Giving up, Henry hisses and then goes storming out of the diner. Once he’s gone, the werewolf at the counter stands up and leaves some cash by his plate. He meets my eyes, chuckling, then tsks. “It’s not wise to piss off a master vampire.”
“And yet it can’t be helped,” I say, pushing my plate away. I’ve lost my appetite.
Understanding my current mood, Parker signals to Skinny for the check and asks him to box up our food. As we’re waiting, tingles shoot up my spine. “Shit!” I hiss.
Parker stiffens. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Someone here means to do me harm.”
Parker rears his head back. “What?”
“It’s a thing I have.” I slide out of the booth, glancing in every direction. No one in the restaurant looks suspicious. They’re all too busy watching me like I’m a freak on display for their amusement. “My intuition always tells me when I’m in trouble. Right now it’s saying get the hell out of here, quick.”
Parker looks around the diner, same as I just did, and throws some cash down on the table. “Then let’s go.”
He takes me by the sleeve of my new coat and tugs me close behind him as he steps outside. Neither of us sees anything, but the warning of impending danger grows stronger. “There has to be someone out here.”
Parker takes a deep breath, smelling the air, and snarls. “Werewolves. Quickly, Nora.”
He doesn’t wait for me to respond, but rather scoops me into his arms and dashes to his car so fast I want to vomit. “Ugh…” I moan as he unlocks my door. “Remind me never to—”
A huge werewolf comes out of nowhere and tackles Parker to the ground. “Nora, get out of here!” he shouts as three more wolves run toward us.
I dive into the car, locking the doors. I feel like a jerk leaving Parker alone to face off with four werewolves, but I’m just a human with only a handful of self-defense classes under my belt. I can’t fight them, and Parker would lose his focus if I were out there. He’d probably die trying to protect me.
I call the only person I can think of to help us. “Nick!” I shout when he answers the phone. “Parker and I are at Skinny’s Diner. We’re being attacked by were—agh!”
A fist smashes through the passenger window, and before I can duck, a huge man with a big scraggly beard and dark eyes grabs me by my new coat and pulls me out the broken window. “What the hell?” I shout as the broken glass rips my new jacket. “Let me go!”
“I don’t think so.” The man holding me pulls me close and breathes in deeply, scenting me. His eyes take on a faint glow, letting me know his wolf is close to the surface. “You’ll make a very strong wolf,” he says in a rumbly, gravelly voice that is more wolf than human. “You’ll be an excellent mate.”
Oh. Hell. No.
Rook says all it takes is one bite from a werewolf while they’re in wolf form and I start the change. So when Mr. Needs To Trim His Beard flashes me his teeth and starts to shake as if he’s about to shift, I quickly use one of the moves Rook taught me for getting out of someone’s hold. I half expect it not to work, but the move performs as well on him as it did the hundred times Rook made me do it on him and Wulf.
Once I’m free, I jump-slide across the hood of Parker’s car, putting the vehicle between us before Beard Man even realizes the weak little human got away from him. He snarls at this and goes to follow me around the car, but another guy quickly snatches me from behind. This one smells a little better and has a lot less hair on his face, but he’s sniffing me and telling the other one that I’m his, so you know, he’s still a douche.
Beard Man and New Guy start trading threats and insults. I’m lucky they have to be in wolf form to turn me, because this new guy’s teeth are too close to my neck for comfort. I have another move Rook showed me to get out of a hold from behind, but I know that even if I escape, I can’t outrun them. They’ll wolf out to chase me, and then I’ll be in real trouble. For now, I let them fight with each other and hope Nick shows up quickly.
Parker is now fighting two wolves while two lie on the ground dead or unconscious. Parker is a badass, but he’s starting to slow down. He’s got huge, bloody gashes across his chest, and the way he’s blinking and wincing, I don’t think he’s going to be on his feet much longer. If only there were some way to help that didn’t end with me sprouting fur and a tail.
Parker knocks a wolf away, and the wolf is slow to get up, but the second wolf gets the jump on Parker. Parker’s jacket gets ripped to shreds, and he screams out in agony.
“Parker!”
I can’t help my fearful scream. He’s going to get killed. My shout gains the attention of the wolf, and he turns on me with a vicious growl. My heart leaps into my throat, and the feeling in my gut becomes so strong my knees buckle. The man holding me keeps me from falling, but he makes no other move. He and the bearded guy have both lost the dominance battle.
I’m going to die. This wolf isn’t interested in a mate. He’s hungry for a kill. “Nice doggy?”
The wolf snarls. Guess werewolves can understand English.
The wolf slowly stalks toward me, growling and drooling from his bloody snout. That’s Parker’s blood on his muzzle. Parker’s down on the ground now, and I can’t tell if he’s dead or alive. With each step the wolf takes, the man holding me from behind grips me tighter. The feeling in my gut intensifies.
Then, something else rises from deep inside me, a power that I don’t understand. It’s only happened once before. I got kidnapped by a sorcerer when I’d been searching for the missing underworlders. When he was about to kill me, I put him under a spell somehow. I don’t know what kind of power it is, or why I have it, but I know it has to do with my curse. The one that makes men become obsessed. The sorcerer had eventually used his magic to fight me, but this guy doesn’t have magic.
I embrace the power coming alive. Now that it’s awake and I can feel it, I can sort of grab onto it and bring it all the way to the surface. Once I’m fully in control, I know that I’m stronger than the wolf in front of me. I’m stronger than the two holding onto me, too. I’m more powerful than all three of them together. If I want them in my thrall, they will be.
I focus my attention on the one in front of me, the one who means to kill me. When our gazes lock, he flairs his nostrils and his pupils dilate. I have him now. He’s under my control. “Stop,” I say. My voice sounds strange. It’s lighter somehow. Almost musical.
The wolf stops moving.
“Sit.”
He does.
“What the hell?” the man holding me from behind mutters.
I keep my focus locked on the wolf sitting before me. It whines and jerks forward, as if it desperately wants to come to me but doesn’t want to disobey me, either.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, man,” says the guy with the scraggly beard, “but I’m getting out of here. This bitch ain’t worth losing my mind.”
The man runs off, but I don’t break my gaze. “Turn back into a human,” I order.
The wolf whines again and then morphs into a man right before my eyes. He’s sitting on the ground, completely naked, and still staring at me with complete adoration. He looks so infatuated that I bet he’d do anything I ask him to right now, even kill himself if I ordered it.
The man holding me isn’t gripping me tightly anymore. He’s merely watching the scene in front of him with morbid fascination. “What have you done to him?” he asks. His voice is a whisper, and he sounds awed enough that I wonder if some of my power hasn’t captured him as well.
The sound of a roaring motorcycle breaks my concentration. I look just as it screeches into the parking lot. The second I break the werewolf’s stare, he shakes his head as if coming out of a daze, and then his eyes become hard. In an instant, he changes back into a wolf and lunges for me. Nick is faster. As the wolf jumps at me, Nick tackles him, stabbing him with a knife I can only assume is silver, judging from the way the wolf howls.
The battle is over in seconds, and the wolf will not be attacking me again. It won’t be attacking anything again. Nick climbs to a stand with his kill at his feet and glares at the man still holding me. The man instantly lets me go and raises his hands in surrender. I almost do the same thing.
Nick isn’t his normal self right now. He’s in fight mode. He’s radiating some sort of power that I think is meant to strike fear into his prey. It works, because both the werewolf and I start to tremble with terror. Nick’s eyes have changed; his pupils are now vertical slits like a cat’s. His skin is different, too. I can’t see it well in the dark, but it’s glinting in the moonlight as if it’s shiny now. Like it’s made of metal or something. Maybe armor? Or scales?
“Are you hurt?” he asks. His voice is rough, with a surprising amount of emotion, but it’s also just deeper, more guttural. It’s almost as if he’s having difficulty speaking.
I shake my head, unable to stop staring. Just what in the hell is Nick Gorgeous? “I’m fine. Just shaken up.”
He looks me over from head to toe. After deciding to believe me that I’m not injured, he shakes himself out of his fury and seems to transform back into his normal self. It takes him a moment to collect himself. Then he flashes me a roguish grin and nudges the body at his feet with a snort. “Well, he’s not going to be any good for questioning.”