Page 26 of Terror

“Fuck the rules.”

“Okay, great. I love this. I’ll love it even more when I’m proven right. I only hope you’re fucking dead by then.” Sotay stands. “You want news, asshole? I’ll give you fucking news.”

Arkin stands too and bumps his chest with Sotay’s.

“The pancakes are burning,” Arkin says.

Shit.I spin around and shut off the gas, waving my hand at the smoke. So much for not trying to burn my kitchen down. I lean on the counter and cross my arms, watching the two males rattle at each other. Maybe I’ll try to break the ice anyway. I clear my throat. “I’m unsure what the problem is here, but if you could take it outside, that would be nice.”

“She can’t be trusted,” Sotay says.

Arkin head-butts him.

It’s so fast, I can barely gather my wits about me. Before I know it, the pair of Hordesmen are on the floor, snarling, rattling off menacing sounds. Oh my God! I round the counter. Sotay’s on the top, pounding Arkin. Arkin isn’t moving. He’s just taking a beating. I scream and look around me. An antique fire extinguisher catches my eye. Yes! I grab it, run around the counter, aim, and spray, screaming at the top of my lungs.

The white mist covers their bodies, and they go still, coughing. Getting up, they stand there like white statues, glaring at me as if I’d done something wrong.

I rest a hand on my hip. “Politely, I asked you to take it outside.”

Arkin throws his head back and laughs. Sotay joins him. And I’m just confused. I drop the fire extinguisher on the counter, noting the big mess in my kitchen. “Who’s gonna clean this up?”

Thumbs point at one another.

A knock comes at the door. “Tabby? Tabby! Are you in there? Oh my God, let me in.”

“Great. Frickin’ great. I have people over, and my house looks like the Horde raided it.”

Leah pounds on the door. “Let me in!”

“Coming.” I jog to the front door, open it, and Leah pushes her way inside, slamming the door closed, visibly shuddering. She blows her bangs out of her eyes and drops the big bag she’s always carrying. “There’s at least thirty Collectors next door. No fucking way I’m going with any of them, and if anyone asks, I am a Beta through and through. Got me?”

“Um.” I scratch my head. I don’t reply because a pair of white Hordesmen are walking into the foyer.

“Got ya,” Arkin says and winks. To me he says, “Babe, gonna go take a swim and clean up.” He proceeds to the back of the house, then stops and turns because Sotay is just standing there, a deer struck with headlights.

“You coming?” Arkin asks.

Sotay lifts his head and flares his nostrils.

Arkin returns and grabs Sotay’s elbow, drags him outside, and slams the door.

Accusing brown eyes stare at me. “Babe?” Leah asks, eyebrows arched.

“It’s complicated.”

“Why didn’t you warn me you’re housing Hordesmen?”

“Got stabbed yesterday. Forgot to call.”

Leah’s jaw drops.

I remove the scarf to show her the stab wound.

She slaps a hand over her mouth. “I thought you were joking.” She grabs my hand and leads me to the kitchen. When she sees the white mess on the floor, she proceeds to the sunroom overlooking the backyard, where we sit on the plush lounge chairs. The poor plants in the sunroom need water. I sigh.

“What happened?” she asks.

I tell her about yesterday.

---