Page 24 of Revenge of the Blood Pack

“Sit?” Max suggests softly, then gestures to my bed.

I pause for a moment, noticing that I’m still crouching on the ground, then realize that if Max wanted to hurt me or kill me, he’d had a lot better opportunities than now. I move out of my crouch, then sit lightly on the side of my bed, wincing at the pains awakening in my body that I hadn’t been able to focus on when I’d been in fighting mode.

Max sits across from me, almost close enough for our knees to touch. “Sorry about the way you were woken, but he really didn’t mean any harm.”

“I’m told I’m quite harmless,” the other man says, flashing me a smile that’s anything but harmless. Hell, it should come with its own permit. A license to make a lady swoon. Something like that.

“What happened last night?” Max’s question pulls my focus back to him.

Last night? Last night I was cornered by three shifters who hated my old pack. Who hated half breeds. Who had heard rumors my people were going around slaughtering anyone connected with the attack on our town. At least, that’s what I’d managed to pull out of them while we were fighting. Those were the things they threw at me like weapons. But I hadn’t learned how they managed to track me down. If it was luck, or something more sinister.

But I can’t tell Max all of that. “I was attacked.”

He stares at me waiting for more but sighs when I don’t continue. “By who?”

“Three shifters.”

His brows rise. “Why?”

I shrug. “Probably smelled what I am.”

It’s not impossible, some shifters can smell half-breeds, and vampires usually know too. Hell, a lot of creatures have a second sense for when a creature is an abnormality. So, Max can’t be sure I’m lying. Except the look on his face says he does know.

“And did they survive the fight?”

“Unfortunately, they did.” My words come out laced with a growl.

Max stares at me for a long minute. “So, there will be no reports of dead bodies found in this city?”

I salute him. “No, sir.”

His gaze locks with mine and I stare right back at him. I might be hiding the whole truth, but I’m not lying about them being alive. The second I was able to overpower them, I ran for it. Had I stayed around, that low on blood and wounded, I don’t think I would have made it out of that alley alive.

“And how are you feeling?” he asks, his expression changing to a more professional one. It’s almost an assessment as his eyes run over me.

“Like I got hit by a truck, dragged for a few miles, and then stepped on by a herd of buffalo. And you?” I ask, flashing him a smile.

Braxton chuckles.

Interesting. One of these two has a sense of humor.

“I mean, do you feel well enough to travel?”

My spine stiffens. “Why, do we have another lead?”

Max has that familiar screen that drops over his face. Now, he’s all Enforcer. “Do you feel ready to travel?”

“If you’ve heard anything about my pack members, I can be ready in twenty.” I try not to sound desperate, but I’m pretty sure I fail.

He studies me. “I have a lead and planned to leave tomorrow morning, if you were ready.”

“I can be ready now.” I eye the time and see that it’s seven o’clock at night.Hell, did I really sleep a whole night and day away?

Max nods. “Okay, we can leave tonight then.”

I stand up, then eye the other man. “Uh, are we going to discuss the predator and what he’s doing here exactly?”

Braxton lifts a brow, probably because I just insulted him, but it’s Max who answers. “He’s going to be joining our team.”

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