Page 27 of Revenge of the Blood Pack

"What's happening?" she says, and my gaze jerks to her face, where a light green bruise stains part of her cheek and around her eye.

I don't know why, but I sometimes wish I saw some recognition in her expression. Something that says she at least notices that I'm a man, and a decently attractive one, but Asha has this way about her. It's beyond supernatural. It's like she's not a living, breathing being any longer. Like she’s a beautiful painting. Or a robot, even if she tends to accuse me of being one. The only emotion she seems to be able to show is anger.

But I also understand that a mutual attraction would be even more dangerous. If I'm this distracted by her when she treats me like a really annoying fly, I can't imagine how bad it would be if I saw even a flicker of desire from her. Which I remind myself of as she goes to her bed and starts putting things into her bag. "As discussed, we're going to pack up and get out of here. Probably drive through the night and most of tomorrow to get to Fairmore, where we'll meet with an informant who actually saw a member of your pack getting into trouble."

"Someone saw a Blood Mage and lived to tell about it?" Braxton asks, smirking. “And here I thought they were so big and bad.”

"Well,youhave." The anger in Asha's voice makes his head snap toward her.

I see it the moment he remembers that she's now been labeled a Blood Mage. "Uh, sorry, ma’am. I, uh..."

"I know." Her words are clipped. "It doesn't matter that we were normal people, taken prisoner, tortured, and infected tobecome these things. All that matters is what we are now, and thatyouall see us as dangerous."

"To be fair," he says, and I wish I could tell him to just shut up before he digs himself into an even bigger hole, "most of you are dangerous."

"And you aren't?" she asks him, lifting a brow. But rather than waiting for an answer, she jerks her bag closed and tosses it on her shoulder with a wince. "I'm ready to go."

I clear my throat and grab my bag as Braxton shuts off the TV and grabs his, Trouble at his side like a faithful sidekick.

She pauses at the door, then turns to look at me. "Did they give you a description of my pack member?"

"No. Why? Is there someone in particular you're trying to find?"

Something flashes in her eyes before she turns her back to me. "No, just anyone who might mean I didn't lose everyone I loved."

We follow her out the door, and Braxton gives me a look. I almost tell him a woman like Asha needs someone smooth and gentle. Basically, the complete opposite of us. But she's too close, so I just nod my head, and head for the car.

Whatever we're facing next, at least it might give us more answers than the curiosity that is Asha.

NINE

Asha

The rest stopbathroom was about as horrific as a crime scene. So, when I go racing out of it like my ass is on fire, I barely look where I'm going. I just find the closest bench and sit down, waiting for whatever private conversation Max and Braxton are having to be over, while they throw a chew toy back and forth for the dog. Unfortunately, I picked a spot where a bunch of kids are playing by the vending machines.

I almost get up. But then a little boy laughs and holds up a candy from the machine with triumph. "Twix! Lizzy's favorite!"

His little sister squeals and he hands it to her with a smile. A smile with dimples. And as I stare at him, he's no longer just some random kid. He's my brother, Simon. Simon with his head full of crazy red hair and his smile full of dimples. Simon was never that mean older brother and always the one who looked out for me. Isabelle might have been my responsibility, but I was Simon's. And he embraced the role like he was born for it.

I remember how I used to tell my mom that I was unbreakable. That I could do anything. She'd get so mad whenI'd fight with the boys, climb trees, or swim in the river when the current was fast. Mom would scold me, threaten to ground me, and go on long lectures about how kids always think they're invincible. But my brother would always tell her to lay off… until I fell from a really high tree and broke my arm. My mom was going to go ballistic, I could feel it, but my brother just said that some people just have to learn through their own experiences, and I was one of those people. And that as much as a broken arm hurt, if it taught me to be careful, that was enough of a lesson.

It shut my mom right up.

"What are you smiling about?"

I stiffen and spin to my side, forgetting about the children. Braxton stands with a bag of chips in his hand and a smile on his face. It bothers me that I have no idea how long he'd been watching me.

"I wasn't smiling."

He shakes his head, grinning, then plunks down on the bench beside me. "It looked like you were enjoying watching those kids play. You have little ones?"

"No, I was just thinking about my family."Fuck, did I really say that out loud?Now, I'll have to hear a bunch of stupid questions, probing to find out if there are more of my kind to track down and kill.

"I do that too. Any time I see a happy family, I think of Max and I when we were kids."

His response surprises me in the best possible way, and I feel a little of the tension in my chest easing. "You knew Max when he was a kid?"

He gives me a funny look. "Max and I are brothers. Twins, actually."

---