Page 61 of Resurgence of the Pack

‘Maybe so,’ Timmy said with quiet menace. ‘I guess we’ll see.’ He turned to the ogre next to him. ‘Fred, grab a Knight of the Napkin and get us some fizz.’

Fred stepped away and collared a waiter to bring us a tray of drinks.

‘So,’ Timmy said as he sipped, the glass looking like a thimble in his oversized fist. He turned to me with a condescending sneer. ‘What’s a nice little wolf like you doing in a place like this?’

I smiled faintly. ‘Who said I was nice?’ I let that sit for a moment, and in our head Esme bared her teeth. I let all my regal authority build and show in my eyes, then I held Timmy’s gaze for a beat too long. Before he got too riled, I deigned to answer his question. Kind of. ‘I am here because your man Fred brought me.’

Fred had seen the predator in me too and he balked a little at the suggestion that he’d manhandled me in some way. ‘She didn’t resist,’ he muttered hastily, ‘She came right along. Asked to see you. By name.’

‘I rather gathered that resistance would have been futile,’ I said laconically.

Timmy’s eyes swept up and down me, lingering overly long on my meagre bust. There wasn’t much for him tolinger over so I was pretty sure that he was doing it to make me feel uncomfortable. It was an amateur power play, but he didn’t know that I came from a time where women weren’t just bed warmers. I was more than a pretty face; he could learn that the hard way if he needed to.

He leered at me. ‘You’re a fine filly.’

‘She’s taken,’ Greg growled forcefully, his jaw working. Only an idiot would have missed seeing him move his hands closer to his waist where no doubt various weapons were hidden.

Timmy shot a questioning look at Fred who shook his head guiltily; he’d been so focused on me that he hadn’t checked Greg for weapons. His jaw tightened but when he spoke his voice was still light, devil may care. ‘Is she? I can’t see a ring, fella.’ He took another slow sip of his champagne and looked Greg over.

‘It’s being made,’ Greg shot back tightly.

Timmy smiled unpleasantly. ‘All the same … I could just get rid of you.’

‘You could try,’ I interjected with a laugh. ‘But if you succeeded,’ I let all the humour leave my voice, ‘thenI’dget rid of you.’

Timmy looked startled for a moment and then burst out laughing. ‘Could you, now?’ he said between chuckles. ‘Ah, now I like you even more! Tell me, little wolf, what brings you to my town?’

We are NOT little,Esme snarled.

He’s trying to rile us.

Well, it’s working. I am riled. We should shift and eat him.

Not today. We have the orb to save, remember?

Esme sank back into my head muttering mutinously, but nevertheless she lay down.

‘We’re just passing through,’ I said. ‘We’re not here to interfere in your business.’

Timmy laughed again. ‘As if you could. If you tried, I’d kill you with my own hands. I’d wring that pretty neck quicker than you can say “six feet under”.’

Before I could respond with a retort, a seer approached. Her dark hair was piled in an elaborate updo and she was dressed in lilac couture, which served to accentuate the dark purple of her skin. She jostled me as she joined the group, ‘I’m so sorry!’ she said with faux sincerity.

‘No you’re not.’ I sighed. ‘You did it on purpose. I’d rather you own it than pretend it was an accident.’ I took in the strength of her shoulders and set of her jaw. ‘You’re not a feeble woman, so don’t pretend that you are. Now, did you get a good read off me?’

The seer smiled. ‘Just alittle taste. A handshake would give me more.’ She held out her hand optimistically.

I shook my head and gave a short bark of laughter. ‘No, thank you. I’m no fool.’

She pouted. ‘Enough flirting, Candice,’ Timmy growled importantly. ‘What did you get from our guest?’

‘Not so muchwhat, aswhen.’

Oh fucksticks. That wasn’t good. I was obviously shit at keeping a low profile. And this … this wasCandice. The ‘strong’ woman that the seer at the Other circus had told me about; the one that would be perfect for ‘him’. But who the hell was the ‘him’?

Timmy raised a questioning eyebrow at Candice and her smirk widened. Her eyes were warm as she looked at the ogre. ‘She’s from the future, Timmy – and she can definitely help us with our little problem.’

Double fucksticks.

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