Page 12 of A Wolf's Heart

I tracked Weylin’s movements as he walked through the door, wearing an entirely different suit with no jacket. His blond hair was a mess; he was only now fixing it as he combed his fingers through it.

He smiled as he walked up to the female barkeep, sending a grin and wink her way that had her blushing fifty shades of pink.

Two men walked in after Weylin. The first was so tall, he ducked his head slightly when walking through the doorway, as if he was used to walking into doorframes.

His shoulders and body were so thick that, when he stood to full height, a few locals couldn’t help but stop and stare. NotWeylin’s officers, though. They avoided any kind of eye contact, staring down at the table or at the floor. I didn’t like the look of that.

From here, I could see the sharp angles of his face, the dark brown of his eyes, and the perfectly styled black hair atop his head; not a strand was out of place.

He had a five-o’clock shadow along his jaw, but it was clearly intentional. This man wore a crisp grey dress shirt tucked into pants that screamed money. He wasn't from here, he didn't have family from around here, and everything about his demeanor screamed trouble. If I thought Weylin had struck fear into me, that had been nothing compared to this guy.

Behind the big guy, another man stepped out and took a seat at the bar next to Weylin. His lips were pinched tight, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the crowd. He had black hair, like Big Guy, though his was longer. Tattoos curled around his neck, popping up above the collar of his shirt, and he was dressed to the nines, his clothes just as expensive as his friend’s.

I took another sip of my beer.Do I say hi? Do I run away? Do I ask if they were stalking me not long ago?Or maybe I just sit here and wait them out, since they didn’t seem to notice me.

Of course, that’s when Big Guy tilted his head to the side, his nostrils flaring before he turned in my direction. Tats was subtle when he sniffed the air, but I didn’t miss it. Weylin turned and stared directly at me before giving the other two a nod. The three of them grabbed their drinks and headed directly for me.

My eyes moved to my exit, but it was Friday night. Practically everyone in town was here. They would be alarmed if I suddenly ran out the door. I was safest staying here in this booth.

As soon as they approached my table, the wolf in me let out a low warning growl, completely instinctual and out of my control. Tats seemed surprised, Big Guy narrowed his eyes at me, Weylin grinned, but all three had stopped their approach.

“Did the little wolf just growl at us?” Weylin asked.

My eyes darted around, wondering who, if anyone, had heard his comment. The music was loud enough, and laughter around even louder, that I was confident no one heard anything. Even if they had I doubt they would suspect I was a human that could turn into a wolf by will.

“Enough, Weylin,” Big Guy said, fixing his sleeves and throwing on an indifferent look. “It would be wise, young wolf, to inform your pack alpha of a formal request for a meeting of the packs.” He dropped his hands and looked up at me, his stare meaning to be intimidating, but something about his tone ruffled my fur the wrong way.

I did exactly what my wolf wanted me to do. I ignored him, taking a sip of my drink.

Big Guy took a step forward, but Tats shot his hand out, stopping him. “Kage,” he whispered in warning before slyly looking around.

Big Guy—er, Kage—took a deep breath. “What is your name?”

Ignore. Ignore them until they move on.

Weylin burst out laughing. “This is Lila Evans. Local homicide detective.”

A muscle ticked in Kage’s jaw, and I fought back a smile. I was winning. My wolf puffed her chest out within me. I just had to hold it together. The three men looked amongst themselves, seeming dumbfounded.

Tats sighed. “Surely, we can call a meeting without getting councils involved. We come on good terms.”

I took another sip of my beer; my gut told me he was lying. Tats tilted his head once more and took a sniff before a smirk threatened the corner of his mouth. He looked every bit the predator my instincts told me he was.

“You have no pack,” he said, seeming to just now come to the conclusion.

Kage’s eyebrows rose, checking in with his friends before turning to me, taking me in with new eyes. Bloodthirsty eyes.Shit, my wolf mumbled.

Weylin chuckled. “I guess this will be easier than we expected.”

I sighed, setting my beer down.

“For a lone wolf, you have a lot of attitude,” Kage said.

“If I sit down, will you bite?” Weylin asked.

“I don’t want you guys here. I want you to get your stuff together now and leave my town,” I admitted. “Also, give me my case back,” I tacked on.

Weylin sat down next to me. “I’ll take my chances. Who knows? I may even enjoy a little nip.”

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