even in the dark. "I'm happy where I'm at," she said. "It works for me. No, we're not lovers. Lenorre doesn't take lovers."
It was my turn to give her a disbelieving look. Lenorre, the countess who had oozed her sex appeal all over me, didn't take lovers. Right. I don't turn furry once a month, either.
If you asked me, that seemed a little absurd.
When we arrived at Guns Unlimited I wondered: If she wasn't looking for good publicity, what in the world did Lenorre want with me?
*
Rosalin was silent on the drive back to my apartment. I'd spent five minutes reassuring Rupert that I would be fine with her. He didn't seem to think so. I disagreed with him, because even though Rosalin's wolf had challenged mine, I'd understood it. It pissed me off, still, but I couldn't say I didn't understand. Rosalin and I knew where we stood with one another now, and on the human level she'd been nothing but polite and friendly. Hell, she was worried about her brother.
That she couldn't fake.
I trusted my gut and my abilities. Whether it's foolish or not, they haven't failed me yet.
I parked the car and got out, carrying my thermal draped over one arm. Rosalin followed, and when I heard her door close I hit the lock on the keypad, climbing the stairs to my apartment.
I hit the switch on the wall and the light flooded the room. I shut the door, locking it behind her.
"Shit," she said.
"What is it?" I asked watching her take a cell phone out of her pocket.
"I was in such a hurry I forgot to bring stuff."
"That's fine," I said tiredly. "We're about the same size. I'm sure I can find clothes and a spare toothbrush."
"You don't mind?" she asked, uncertainly.
"Right now, I'm too tired to mind."
She went to the couch and sat down. "It seems strange, doesn't it? How all of this has happened?
You're not used to it."
"I'm not used to what?"
"Putting your trust in someone else," she said.
"No."
"I meant what I said." She held my gaze. "I won't betray your trust, Kassandra."
"Good," I said, "I'm a bitch when crossed."
She smiled. "I find that hard to believe."
I ignored the sarcasm in her tone and went back to my bedroom. I found a pair of shorts and a gray shirt with a white dragon on it. I handed the clothes to Rosalin and went to the closet at the end of the hallway to procure a black comforter. There were pillows already on the couch that she could use. I dropped the comforter on the arm and set about starting a fresh pot of coffee.
If I was going to question her, I really needed some freaking caffeine.
"Do you want some?" I asked, turning just in time to see her shirt fall to the floor.
"Sure," she said and my gaze dropped to a line of white scar tissue that decorated her back.
She pulled the shirt down and turned to look at me.
I got two mugs out of the pantry and carefully poured the coffee in, adding milk and sugar to mine.
"Milk or sugar?" I asked.
"Milk," she said.
I handed the white coffee mug to her. "What happened to your back?"
Her eyes met mine. "Silver," she said and dropped her eyes to the pentacle scar at the top of my sternum.
She smiled. "I'm guessing that was silver, too?"
"Yeah." I sat down, nursing my coffee. I grinned over the brim of my mug. "Fortunately, though, the chain wasn't."
She laughed and it seemed to lessen the tension between us.
"You don't want to tell me more about your back, do you?" Leave it to me to bring the tension back.
"No."
I nodded, dropping it. I curled my legs under my body, resting back in the chair.
"How did Sheila become your alpha?" I asked.
"She's stronger than the rest of us."
"I'm taking it that's your way of telling me she wasn't elected by democratic vote?"
Rosalin laughed. "Elected? Lykos don't elect their leaders," she said. "That's a pretty idea, but it doesn't work that way."
"Why not?" I asked.
"In order to be an alpha," she said, "you have to be able to prove to the rest of the pack that you're more dominant than the rest of us. Most of the time,
It was my turn to give her a disbelieving look. Lenorre, the countess who had oozed her sex appeal all over me, didn't take lovers. Right. I don't turn furry once a month, either.
If you asked me, that seemed a little absurd.
When we arrived at Guns Unlimited I wondered: If she wasn't looking for good publicity, what in the world did Lenorre want with me?
*
Rosalin was silent on the drive back to my apartment. I'd spent five minutes reassuring Rupert that I would be fine with her. He didn't seem to think so. I disagreed with him, because even though Rosalin's wolf had challenged mine, I'd understood it. It pissed me off, still, but I couldn't say I didn't understand. Rosalin and I knew where we stood with one another now, and on the human level she'd been nothing but polite and friendly. Hell, she was worried about her brother.
That she couldn't fake.
I trusted my gut and my abilities. Whether it's foolish or not, they haven't failed me yet.
I parked the car and got out, carrying my thermal draped over one arm. Rosalin followed, and when I heard her door close I hit the lock on the keypad, climbing the stairs to my apartment.
I hit the switch on the wall and the light flooded the room. I shut the door, locking it behind her.
"Shit," she said.
"What is it?" I asked watching her take a cell phone out of her pocket.
"I was in such a hurry I forgot to bring stuff."
"That's fine," I said tiredly. "We're about the same size. I'm sure I can find clothes and a spare toothbrush."
"You don't mind?" she asked, uncertainly.
"Right now, I'm too tired to mind."
She went to the couch and sat down. "It seems strange, doesn't it? How all of this has happened?
You're not used to it."
"I'm not used to what?"
"Putting your trust in someone else," she said.
"No."
"I meant what I said." She held my gaze. "I won't betray your trust, Kassandra."
"Good," I said, "I'm a bitch when crossed."
She smiled. "I find that hard to believe."
I ignored the sarcasm in her tone and went back to my bedroom. I found a pair of shorts and a gray shirt with a white dragon on it. I handed the clothes to Rosalin and went to the closet at the end of the hallway to procure a black comforter. There were pillows already on the couch that she could use. I dropped the comforter on the arm and set about starting a fresh pot of coffee.
If I was going to question her, I really needed some freaking caffeine.
"Do you want some?" I asked, turning just in time to see her shirt fall to the floor.
"Sure," she said and my gaze dropped to a line of white scar tissue that decorated her back.
She pulled the shirt down and turned to look at me.
I got two mugs out of the pantry and carefully poured the coffee in, adding milk and sugar to mine.
"Milk or sugar?" I asked.
"Milk," she said.
I handed the white coffee mug to her. "What happened to your back?"
Her eyes met mine. "Silver," she said and dropped her eyes to the pentacle scar at the top of my sternum.
She smiled. "I'm guessing that was silver, too?"
"Yeah." I sat down, nursing my coffee. I grinned over the brim of my mug. "Fortunately, though, the chain wasn't."
She laughed and it seemed to lessen the tension between us.
"You don't want to tell me more about your back, do you?" Leave it to me to bring the tension back.
"No."
I nodded, dropping it. I curled my legs under my body, resting back in the chair.
"How did Sheila become your alpha?" I asked.
"She's stronger than the rest of us."
"I'm taking it that's your way of telling me she wasn't elected by democratic vote?"
Rosalin laughed. "Elected? Lykos don't elect their leaders," she said. "That's a pretty idea, but it doesn't work that way."
"Why not?" I asked.
"In order to be an alpha," she said, "you have to be able to prove to the rest of the pack that you're more dominant than the rest of us. Most of the time,
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