Page 13 of Semi-Reckless

Play time was over.

Levi flew off her, landing in a crouch ten feet away, lip curled back in a snarl. He charged her again, but she was able to get back on her feet in time to stop him with a quick but very firm throat chop. When he staggered back, clutching his throat and gasping for breath, she kicked him in the nuts, because that quip about how he liked being on top of her, pinning her down, was gross. But, because she was in a good mood, she’d only put ten percent power behind the kick. He could thank her later.

Anyone who said she wasn’t the very picture of a benevolent goddess, the epitome of grace under pressure, could eat a bag of dicks.

The werewolves had turned away from Roan by this point and were staring at her like they’d never seen a badass boss bitch before. Glancing down at Levi, who was curled up in the fetal position, moaning, she asked, “Are we done? Was that alpha enough for you?”

He rolled to his knees, but made no effort to get up. “Fucking hell. Yeah, little red, you’re definitely the alpha. We’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” He gestured to one of the wolves who’d been trying to hold Roan back. “John, tell her what you saw.”

John, who looked all of seventeen, bit his thumbnail nervously. “It was a monster, man. I ain’t never seen nothing like it before. But all it did was touch those cows and they melted. Then it ate their hearts and livers before it kinda…dissolved into thin air. It was fucking wild.”

Haven tipped her chin at Roan. “Ever hear of anything with powers like that?”

He frowned back. “No. Never.”

Well, wasn’t that just fucking awesome? The guy from an actual hell dimension, the one who’d visited at least fourteen other dimensions that she knew of, hadn’t seen anything like the cow melter before. “What did it look like?” she asked John.

“Huge. At least eight feet tall. Muscle-y. Really muscle-y. Purple scaly skin and two giant black horns on its head. Smelled like sulfur.”

This just kept getting better and better. “Any idea where it might’ve went?”

Levi coughed, finally finding the strength to stand up, albeit in a slightly hunched over position. “We tracked its scent to the old quartz mine. We didn’t engage it, though.”

“Huh,” she said. “Maybe you’re not as dumb as you look.” She glanced over at Roan. “I think we have what we need. Right?”

“We have more than enough to tell your parents and have them assign a team to check out the mine,” he said pointedly.

Haven rolled her eyes. “We won’t engage, either. We’ll just do a little reconnaissance and surveillance.”

His eyes narrowed. “Just surveillance?”

She blinked innocently at him. “Of course.”

It was a lie. She knew it and he knew it. Hell, the werewolves probably knew it.

His chin hit his chest. “Fucking great,” he muttered.

Turning back to Levi with a wide grin, she said, “This has been fun. Thanks for the info.”

Levi grabbed her arm before she could get too far from him. “Go out with me,” he blurted.

Well, that was unexpected. “Huh? You just tried to beat the shit out of me and now you want a date?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation.

Her gut told her to refuse. And not because Levi wasn’t attractive.

Werewolves all had a certain…hungry look about them. It wasn’t an unattractive look. In fact, there was something kind of sexy about their feral nature and innate strength. Vampires, dhampyres, and demons had it, too. For werewolves, though, it was more earthy, less elegant. They were apex predators, they knew it, and they exuded that confidence and power with every step they took.

Levi was the quintessential werewolf.

Over six feet tall, wild, unruly dark hair, the kind of 5 o’clock shadow that showed up at noon every day, face that was far too rugged to be considered pretty but attractive enough to still put him in the “crazy hot” category, gorgeous hazel eyes, the lean, muscled body of an Olympic swimmer…yeah, he was kind of spectacular. If all that turned her on, she’d be one lucky bitch.

But it didn’t. Damn it. She still wanted Roan. How sad for her.

Not that she was telling him that. Not after what he’d said to her earlier.

Even though he didn’t want her, though, he wouldn’t want her to go out with Levi. So, she should definitely say no, if for no other reason than to keep the peace.

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