felt the magic of the ward crackle. “Open the fucking door, Colbana.”
“He has a nasty temper,” Jude murmured.
Absently, I touched my throat. “I can handle it.” To be fair, Damon hadn’t laid a hand on me since that first day, except to push me out of the way a few times. It had been necessary more than a few times, and not just when we’d gone trolling down in Wolf Haven.
“I heard the Alpha’s nephew was missing.”
I shot Jude a dark look as the pounding at the door increased. Damon shouted, “Colbana, open the door or I’m going to wring your fucking neck again.”
Sighing, I leaned forward and buried my face in my hands.
A hand touched my knee. Cool as death. I knocked it aside.
Too bad I couldn’t brush aside the whisper in my mind.
“ She does not tolerate failure, Kit. Why did you take this job ?”
I shoved up out of the chair.
The hell would I answer him.
Jude continued to watch me while Damon banged away on the door. Each time he did, the magic sparked. He’d break the ward soon. It would cost me money to put it back up if he broke it. “I can’t let him break my wards. I need the safe room.”
“Look at me.”
I shouldn’t.
But I did.
The green of his gaze started to glow.
“ If you fail her, it’s likely she will try to have you killed. You already know this .”
With a short nod, I acknowledged that. What was the point in denying it?
“ I can help you. Not many can stand against the cat Alpha. But I can .”
Rolling my eyes, I stared at him. Why in the hell would he?
I knew I amused him, but my amusement factor wasn’t going to get me that far in life.
He came out of the seat. “ Would you like a way out, Kit ? It will not cost you much .”
“Uh-huh.” I wasn’t about to become another one of his servants.
A faint smile canted Jude’s lips upward. “ I have enough of those. Just …” He brushed his fingertips along my bruised neck. “ One taste. For now. Another when you require my assistance…should it come to that .”
I tensed. No .
“ Why not ? It’s just a taste, Kit. And it will not harm you, nor bind you…and if it comes to it, it could be the very thing to save to you .”
Why in the world would he be willing to fuck with the Alpha Cat just for a taste of my blood?
A smile pulled his lips back from his teeth and the glow in his eyes started to go red.
“ Fucking with her is reason enough. But you…you amuse me, as you already know. And you are…unique. Now…do we have a deal ?”
The banging at the door grew louder and something that looked like lightning whipped around the room.
With a curse, I shoved my wrist into his face. The wrist would have to work. My throat had been abused enough lately.
Jude smiled.
It had hurt.
Plain and simple.
There was nothing erotic or seductive about it, although I know they can make it pleasant.
I don’t think he wanted it to be pleasant, and I’m actually happy with that.
He did seal the wounds; another thing I was happy about, despite the fact that it only made it hurt more.
The entire exchange lasted maybe fifteen seconds.
I had maybe another thirty before Damon would break the wards.
Jerking away from him, I went to the door. Under my hand, the door knob buzzed. The magic responded to my touch and the abused wards faded away. Since they hadn’t been broken, once they had enough time, they’d rebuild themselves and be as strong as they had been before the bastard had started beating on them—the beauty of things made from the earth. They healed.
I opened the door and then found myself on the ground, shoved there by Jude’s hands just in time to avoid a punch that just might have caved my head in.
“You should show more control, cat,” Jude said icily as he helped me to my feet.
Damon’s face was fixed in an awful snarl. And something…I bit back a curse as I stared at him. His face was awful. The bones were stretched and terribly wrong and he looked…bigger. Nearly
“He has a nasty temper,” Jude murmured.
Absently, I touched my throat. “I can handle it.” To be fair, Damon hadn’t laid a hand on me since that first day, except to push me out of the way a few times. It had been necessary more than a few times, and not just when we’d gone trolling down in Wolf Haven.
“I heard the Alpha’s nephew was missing.”
I shot Jude a dark look as the pounding at the door increased. Damon shouted, “Colbana, open the door or I’m going to wring your fucking neck again.”
Sighing, I leaned forward and buried my face in my hands.
A hand touched my knee. Cool as death. I knocked it aside.
Too bad I couldn’t brush aside the whisper in my mind.
“ She does not tolerate failure, Kit. Why did you take this job ?”
I shoved up out of the chair.
The hell would I answer him.
Jude continued to watch me while Damon banged away on the door. Each time he did, the magic sparked. He’d break the ward soon. It would cost me money to put it back up if he broke it. “I can’t let him break my wards. I need the safe room.”
“Look at me.”
I shouldn’t.
But I did.
The green of his gaze started to glow.
“ If you fail her, it’s likely she will try to have you killed. You already know this .”
With a short nod, I acknowledged that. What was the point in denying it?
“ I can help you. Not many can stand against the cat Alpha. But I can .”
Rolling my eyes, I stared at him. Why in the hell would he?
I knew I amused him, but my amusement factor wasn’t going to get me that far in life.
He came out of the seat. “ Would you like a way out, Kit ? It will not cost you much .”
“Uh-huh.” I wasn’t about to become another one of his servants.
A faint smile canted Jude’s lips upward. “ I have enough of those. Just …” He brushed his fingertips along my bruised neck. “ One taste. For now. Another when you require my assistance…should it come to that .”
I tensed. No .
“ Why not ? It’s just a taste, Kit. And it will not harm you, nor bind you…and if it comes to it, it could be the very thing to save to you .”
Why in the world would he be willing to fuck with the Alpha Cat just for a taste of my blood?
A smile pulled his lips back from his teeth and the glow in his eyes started to go red.
“ Fucking with her is reason enough. But you…you amuse me, as you already know. And you are…unique. Now…do we have a deal ?”
The banging at the door grew louder and something that looked like lightning whipped around the room.
With a curse, I shoved my wrist into his face. The wrist would have to work. My throat had been abused enough lately.
Jude smiled.
It had hurt.
Plain and simple.
There was nothing erotic or seductive about it, although I know they can make it pleasant.
I don’t think he wanted it to be pleasant, and I’m actually happy with that.
He did seal the wounds; another thing I was happy about, despite the fact that it only made it hurt more.
The entire exchange lasted maybe fifteen seconds.
I had maybe another thirty before Damon would break the wards.
Jerking away from him, I went to the door. Under my hand, the door knob buzzed. The magic responded to my touch and the abused wards faded away. Since they hadn’t been broken, once they had enough time, they’d rebuild themselves and be as strong as they had been before the bastard had started beating on them—the beauty of things made from the earth. They healed.
I opened the door and then found myself on the ground, shoved there by Jude’s hands just in time to avoid a punch that just might have caved my head in.
“You should show more control, cat,” Jude said icily as he helped me to my feet.
Damon’s face was fixed in an awful snarl. And something…I bit back a curse as I stared at him. His face was awful. The bones were stretched and terribly wrong and he looked…bigger. Nearly
Similar Books
