entirely in control over what was happening.
“Shit!” She let go of my arm,
stepping away from me. “Why’d you go and have to do that?”
“Do what?”
“You know exactly what you did, you
little bitch.” She rubbed her arm. “Fuck!”
“Are you all right?” Tracy glanced at
me. “You’re gonna pay for that one.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Your little innocent look isn’t
gonna get you outta this. Count on it.”
Tracy whispered, “What did it feel
like?”
“It fucking hurt like hell.”
I glanced at my hands, wondering what
I had done. Whatever it was had been purely a reflex, and I hadn’t meant to
injure anyone. They would never believe me, and I wasn’t given the opportunity
to defend myself. Gerard and Mila appeared several minutes later. His
expression was grim.
“Who’s next?” asked Mila. “Joe and
Renee can go in. I’m gonna grab a coffee.” She seemed relieved; her intense
expression had softened, but an unpleasant look entered her eye, as she glanced
my way. “You might as well cut your ties to this one. It’ll never work.”
Her words were like a knife in my
heart. I hadn’t expected acceptance from these people, nor did I want it. I was
a stranger after all and far too dangerous, but it still hurt to be rejected. My
association with the werewolves had brought out several interesting side
effects of my own condition. Things were happening that I had never experienced
before, and they were worrying, yet exciting.
“I’m getting outta here,” said
Gerard. “Call me if anything happens.”
“You should stay.”
“No, thanks, Mila. I’ve seen enough.”
“You know what you have to do now,
don’t you? You’re our new alpha. We’re gonna need you for the shows.”
He bristled. “I will not perform in a
fucking circus show. I ain’t your new alpha.”
Her look sent a shiver through me. It
was intense, stoic, and indisputable. “You’re our leader now. We defer to you.”
She inclined her head, bowing slightly. Those in the room did the same; their
behavior indicated their deference and their allegiance.
“Shit!” Gerard took my hand. “Let’s
go.”
As we headed for the exit, I glanced
at him. “What will you do now?”
“I have to lead this shit, dammit!”
“So you’ll be their alpha?”
“Yeah.”
The energy he gave off was not only
angry, but it was laced with excitement and passion. The actions of the pack
had affected him, and being the leader was a heady and intoxicating feeling for
him. I felt all of these energies and more, my body buzzing from our joined
hands. If he were going to be their packmaster now, he wouldn’t leave tomorrow.
He would stay in Clarksville for an entire month while the circus was here…and
that made me incredibly happy.
In the elevator, he pulled me to him,
holding me close. I was slightly startled by this, feeling him tremble slightly.
His nose was in my neck, and his breath was hot against my skin. When I thought
he would let go, he gripped me tighter, squeezing me.
I pushed against him, putting
distance between us. “You better watch yourself. Don’t go getting too attached.”
Throwing his words at him had been
done teasingly, but his look lacked humor. The starkness was puzzling, and he
continued to stare at me, while withdrawing his phone. He texted quickly and
tossed it in his pocket. In the parking lot, he handed me the helmet.
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll take you home.”
Disappointment registered. “Oh,
okay.”
“You’re gonna have to tell me where
you live.”
“Yeah.”
I got on behind him, while the bike
burst to life with loud pop-pop-pop sounds. Heads turned in our direction as we
drove to the stop sign; several nurses smiled at Gerard, his lean, rugged body
hidden beneath well-worn jeans and a leather jacket. My grip tightened around
his midsection. He’s mine, bitches . I
glared at a thin blonde, giving her the evil eye. She ignored me entirely.
My peasant blouse