and hurried deeper into the alley. He stepped around the corner––
––and found himself face to face with Jacob Black.
“Hi there,” Jacob said.
What happened next was so fast that Alexandra almost missed it. The stranger was quick. He swung out a fist and caught Jacob unawares, which was something she never thought she would see.
More stunned than hurt, Jacob staggered back a step. The two “associates” who had accompanied him into the alley took a step forward to intervene, but a curt hand gesture from Jacob stopped them short.
The man took a step forward to advance on Jacob, hands balled into fists at his side.
He did not get a second step.
Jacob slammed his palm forward, his arm extending to its full reach and planted it into the stranger’s chest. The force of the blow sent the man airborne as he flew backward into the graffiti-covered wall beside one of the overflowing dumpsters on the opposite side of the alley. He dropped to the littered pavement, stunned, but otherwise in one piece.
Not for the first time, Alexandra wondered what she had stumbled into the middle of this time. “Is he…? She asked and started forward, only to have one of Jacob’s men take hold of her arm. He didn’t jerk or squeeze, but held her firm. She shot him an irritated look.
His only reply was a short shake of his head.
The stranger recovered quickly and rested on his haunches, an angry snarl forming deep in his chest.
The man lunched himself at Jacob.
It was a clumsy attack, easily telegraphed, and Jacob was ready for it. He sidestepped the attack, pushed against the man’s weight as he passed, and let gravity do the rest. The newcomer collided with the dumpster. It rang with a dull thud.
Before he could recover, Jacob grabbed the man and pulled himupright. With a not-so-gentle shove, he pushed the man against the garbage bin and held him there with a hand against his chest.
“What say we try that again?” Jacob said through clenched teeth, his voice just above a whisper.
A soft snarl escaped the newcomer’s lips. He recoiled under the intensity of Jacob’s stare. “Who are you, mate?” the man said, his Irish lilt catching.
“Why are you following my friend?”
“Following…?” the man said, seemingly confused. “Following who?”
“Me.”
Alexandra stepped out from cover and approached. Jacob’s associate did not try to hold her back this time.
“Should I know you, lady?”
“Don’t feed me that line, buster,” she said, anger getting the best of her. “You’ve been following me since I left home and I want to know why!”
“She’s not the only one who would like answers,” Jacob said plainly as he grabbed the front of the man’s shirt and pulled him closer so they were only inches apart. He lowered his voice, a gesture meant to invoke terror. It worked. “I assume you know who I am?”
“Not a clue, mate.”
Jacob pulled him closer and lowered his voice so that Alexandra couldn’t hear what was said. “Then I’m guessing you’re smart enough to know what I am, aren’t you?”
The man nodded quickly as the realization of his predicament set in.
“Good. So, I’ll ask you one more time, why were you following my friend?”
“Your friend? She’s your friend?”
“Yes. She is.” Jacob sniffed at the air. “Well, now, that’s something new,” he said. “Or should I say, something old? A Slaugh?”
“How did you know?”
“I know a great many things,” Jacob said. “I know that it has been a long time since your kind walked this plane of existence.” He sniffed again. “Or I should say, it’s been that long since a pureblooded Slaugh was seen on this world.”
“How dare you?” the Slaugh hissed.
“Oh, I dare a lot of things, my friend,” Jacob said with cool calm.“If you had shown up here and announced yourself, we would probably be having this discussion in a much more pleasant atmosphere, probably over a pint of something from your homeland. Of
––and found himself face to face with Jacob Black.
“Hi there,” Jacob said.
What happened next was so fast that Alexandra almost missed it. The stranger was quick. He swung out a fist and caught Jacob unawares, which was something she never thought she would see.
More stunned than hurt, Jacob staggered back a step. The two “associates” who had accompanied him into the alley took a step forward to intervene, but a curt hand gesture from Jacob stopped them short.
The man took a step forward to advance on Jacob, hands balled into fists at his side.
He did not get a second step.
Jacob slammed his palm forward, his arm extending to its full reach and planted it into the stranger’s chest. The force of the blow sent the man airborne as he flew backward into the graffiti-covered wall beside one of the overflowing dumpsters on the opposite side of the alley. He dropped to the littered pavement, stunned, but otherwise in one piece.
Not for the first time, Alexandra wondered what she had stumbled into the middle of this time. “Is he…? She asked and started forward, only to have one of Jacob’s men take hold of her arm. He didn’t jerk or squeeze, but held her firm. She shot him an irritated look.
His only reply was a short shake of his head.
The stranger recovered quickly and rested on his haunches, an angry snarl forming deep in his chest.
The man lunched himself at Jacob.
It was a clumsy attack, easily telegraphed, and Jacob was ready for it. He sidestepped the attack, pushed against the man’s weight as he passed, and let gravity do the rest. The newcomer collided with the dumpster. It rang with a dull thud.
Before he could recover, Jacob grabbed the man and pulled himupright. With a not-so-gentle shove, he pushed the man against the garbage bin and held him there with a hand against his chest.
“What say we try that again?” Jacob said through clenched teeth, his voice just above a whisper.
A soft snarl escaped the newcomer’s lips. He recoiled under the intensity of Jacob’s stare. “Who are you, mate?” the man said, his Irish lilt catching.
“Why are you following my friend?”
“Following…?” the man said, seemingly confused. “Following who?”
“Me.”
Alexandra stepped out from cover and approached. Jacob’s associate did not try to hold her back this time.
“Should I know you, lady?”
“Don’t feed me that line, buster,” she said, anger getting the best of her. “You’ve been following me since I left home and I want to know why!”
“She’s not the only one who would like answers,” Jacob said plainly as he grabbed the front of the man’s shirt and pulled him closer so they were only inches apart. He lowered his voice, a gesture meant to invoke terror. It worked. “I assume you know who I am?”
“Not a clue, mate.”
Jacob pulled him closer and lowered his voice so that Alexandra couldn’t hear what was said. “Then I’m guessing you’re smart enough to know what I am, aren’t you?”
The man nodded quickly as the realization of his predicament set in.
“Good. So, I’ll ask you one more time, why were you following my friend?”
“Your friend? She’s your friend?”
“Yes. She is.” Jacob sniffed at the air. “Well, now, that’s something new,” he said. “Or should I say, something old? A Slaugh?”
“How did you know?”
“I know a great many things,” Jacob said. “I know that it has been a long time since your kind walked this plane of existence.” He sniffed again. “Or I should say, it’s been that long since a pureblooded Slaugh was seen on this world.”
“How dare you?” the Slaugh hissed.
“Oh, I dare a lot of things, my friend,” Jacob said with cool calm.“If you had shown up here and announced yourself, we would probably be having this discussion in a much more pleasant atmosphere, probably over a pint of something from your homeland. Of
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