Jody’s eyes erupted into a fiery red so hot Becca reflexively leaned back.“Careful, Becca,” Jody said, her voice ice. “I’m not some harmless house pet you can tease for your amusement. Remember, I bite.” Exactly how she bit flashed through Becca’s mind, and she forced the image away.
“Then talk to me and I won’t have to risk my virginity.”
Jody’s brows rose and she laughed. “I can see why you’re good at your job.”
“How do you know I am?”
“I follow your byline.”
Inordinately pleased and chiding herself for the ridiculous response, Becca refused to react. “Give, Detective.”
The waitress slid toast and eggs in front of both of them.
“Thank you,” Jody said. She tore a slice of toast in half and buttered it. “A Jane Doe was dropped—literally—in front of the emergency room last night. Naked and unresponsive. She had a very high fever and almost immediately went into convulsions.”
“Jesus,” Becca whispered. “No recorder, but I have to take some notes.” She found her pad and paper. “Go ahead. What happened?”
“Unfortunately, the girl—and it was a girl, a teenager—died despite efforts to resuscitate her.”
“Was the Alpha notified?” Becca scribbled teenager and circled it.
“Not that I’m aware of.”
Becca looked up, frowning. “Why not?”
Jody regarded Becca silently.
“What? What aren’t you tell—” Becca caught her breath. “Because the girl wasn’t a Were, was she?”
“I can’t confirm that one way or the other. I’ll need to follow up with the coroner on COD as well.”
“What does it mean?” Becca rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “If she’s human, it can’t be Were fever, can it? But my source said—”
“Tell me about this source,” Jody interrupted sharply.
Becca sat back in the seat. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Male or female?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. Even if I was, I wouldn’t say.” Jody hissed in frustration. “How do you contact—them?”
“I don’t. I get a phone call.”
“Saying what?”
Becca blew out a breath. “That a patient with Were fever had been brought to the emergency room.”
“And you don’t find it suspicious that they know this?”
“Of course I do, but it could be anyone,” Becca argued. “An ambulance driver. Someone in the hospital. A friend of the girl’s. The point is, the call was accurate.”
“Someone wants the press to know about this,” Jody said, “and he, or she, is counting on you to make that happen. Why?”
“I don’t know,” Becca said. “But I’m willing to bet that Sylvan Mir does.”
“Then I guess I’ll be talking to her,” Jody said.
“I’m going with you.”
“I don’t think so.”
Becca reached across the table and grasped Jody’s wrist. She felt as if she were gripping carved marble. Smooth, hard, cool. “I will, with you or without you. But if I go on my own, I’m not going to share.”
“I work alone. And even if I didn’t, you’re a reporter.”
“I’m an investigative reporter. I work with the police all the time. This isn’t even an active crime case yet.” Jody shook her head and pulled a slim black leather wallet from her pants pocket. She placed several bills on the table. “The next time you decide to visit Nocturne, make sure you have an escort.”
“I don’t need anyone to protect me. Least of all you.”
“You do if you’re going back there again.” Jody slid out of the booth and leaned over Becca, bracing one hand on the table and her arm along the back of the booth, caging Becca in. “I can smell your hunger. I might not take you without your consent, but there are plenty of others who would consider your being at the club consent enough.”
“My consent is one thing you’ll never have,” Becca said, refusing to back away even though Jody’s mouth was almost on her neck.
“Have a nice day, Ms. Land,” Jody said.
Then she was simply—gone. Becca jumped up and searched the length of the diner, but the Vampire had vanished.
“Nice try,” Becca muttered as she stormed out to the street. “You’ll have to work harder than that if you want to scare me away.” Jody, watching from the shadows of a tree-shrouded second-floor balcony on the opposite side of the street, smiled at Becca’s words.
She didn’t want to frighten her away. She wanted to taste her. But she wanted to be invited to satisfy Becca’s hunger, and Becca had made it clear she would never offer.
Drake knew she was dreaming when she opened her eyes in a forest glade dappled with sunshine. The world burst upon her in a kaleidoscope of scents and sounds—the rush of leaves fluttering in the breeze, the whir of thousands of insect wings, the pungent scent of wildlife and growing things. She felt so alive, such a sense of wonder, she wanted to dance. She wanted to run. She wanted to share this perfect moment, but she was alone. So alone.
She trembled, aching with a vast and terrifying sense of emptiness.
She whimpered, lost and uncertain.
“It’s all right,” a deep, gentle voice whispered.
Strong arms clasped her tightly, drawing her against a sleek, muscled body. Drake rumbled with pleasure and she pressed her hips into the curve of the pelvis cinched against her ass. A low growl from behind her struck fire in her core and her belly knotted. Pressure ballooned in her sex and a bolt of pain exploded between her legs.
“What’s happening,” she groaned.
“Your body is adjusting to the change.”
“Sylvan?”
Sylvan kissed the back of Drake’s neck. “Yes.” Drake felt another hand caress her thigh and then a warm cheek rested on her hip.
“Who?”
“That’s Niki,” Sylvan whispered. “We’re Pack. We’ll look after you.”
“I feel strange. I hurt…inside. I want…I’m not sure…” Drake reached back and slid her hand down the hard abdomen curved against her back. She feathered her fingertips over a thin line of soft pelt low down in the center of Sylvan’s belly and followed it to a firm ridge.
She pressed and Sylvan groaned. Niki growled a warning. Drake stiffened, anger making every hair on her body stand up. She made a low threatening sound deep in her chest.
“We have to leave you for a while,” Sylvan said, loosing her hold and edging away. “Your wolf needs time to find her feet.” Drake rolled onto her back, breathing hard. Niki, naked, sat up on the end of the bed. Her wary eyes never left Drake as Drake focused on Sylvan.
“My wolf?”
“You turned, Drake. I’ll explain later. Right now, our medic Elena needs to see you.”
“Wait.” Drake grabbed Sylvan’s arm.
In a flash, Niki loomed over Drake on all fours, her lips pulled back to expose her canines. Niki scraped her teeth down Drake’s neck, leaving a thin trail of blood. “Release the Alpha, whelp.”
“I’m sorry.” Drake pressed both hands flat to the mattress and met Niki’s gaze. When Niki growled she wanted to growl back. Rage swiftly engulfed her and she envisioned tearing into Niki’s throat. She turned her head away, confused.
“Ease away, Imperator,” Sylvan said, running her fingers through Niki’s hair before stroking her rigid back. “She’ll learn . ” Snarling, Niki slowly lifted her weight off Drake but crouched nearby, still poised to strike.