Page 29 of How a Vampire Falls

The wolf stopped ten feet back, keeping to his own territory despite his fighter’s stance: slightly bent knees, slightly fisted hands, heart pounding with such strength and adrenaline that Ryker could faintly hear the thumping. The wolf’s breaths were measured and slow, yet a little tight. He was riled, all right.

“Leslie Snow,” he said. “And a friend.”

“That’s right,” Ryker said. No volunteering information, not even his name.

“We were just walking,” Leslie said. “We didn’t mean any harm.”

“Just walking. At three-forty-five in the morning.”

“We don’t sleep much.”

This was out of hand. Ryker allowed himself a full-on glare that held nearly as much aggression as his teeth, though not quite. “Why do you get to interrogate us, anyway? We’re not on your land.”

“You’re ten feet from our land,” the wolf growled.

“Don’t tell me—you’re the alpha wolf.”

A deep growl rumbled in the wolf’s chest. “I’m beta.”

“Then please,” Leslie said, “on behalf of your pack, accept our apology.”

How was she talking to this wolf so calmly while her fingernails nearly gouged holes in the back of Ryker’s hand?

The wolf from inside the nearest house stepped onto the porch and joined his pack brother—wasn’t that what they called themselves?—in the road, their burly frames effectively blocking the way onto their land. He was taller than the first wolf, his curly hair a riot of bed-head, wearing nothing but pajama pants. The first wolf, on the other hand, was barely over six feet, compact where his fellow wolf was simply big. He wore a T-shirt and slick active-wear pants. The buzz cut along the sides of his head hinted at the military, though the top was grown out a bit.

“Go back inside, Jeremy,” the beta wolf growled.

“Let me think about that for a minute,” Jeremy said. “No.”

Ryker stepped in front of Leslie as his heart gave a single, hard beat that almost hurt. He must not bear his teeth. He must not escalate this. Think. Stay calm. But every instinct in his body was in screaming overdrive.

“No, Ryker.” Leslie stepped out from behind him with her palms up toward the wolves. “Jeremy, we’re really sorry. We’ll go now. Right now.”

“Probably best,” Jeremy said. “Leslie, right? You’re the artist Ezra and Nathan talk about.”

She nodded.

“Look, we don’t mean to be aggressive any more than you do. But you just woke up a lot of wolves, and your scent on our doorstep is going to make everybody edgy. It’s not personal.”

Ryker blinked. A conciliatory wolf?

“I know it’s not,” Leslie said. “We react to y’all’s scent too.”

“There you go.” Jeremy spread his hands. Then he turned to the second wolf, whose posture hadn’t eased. “Rhett, it’s fine. Let them go.”

Letthem go? Ryker would show this wolf exactly how—

A new scent hit Ryker so hard it nearly knocked him down. He coughed once as it registered in his mouth as well as his nose. Whatwasthat? Musk and…ginger?

This wolf approached with less stealth than Rhett had. He was a tower, over six-and-a-half feet and layered with so much muscle he looked like a sculpture, not a living man—until his glowing amber eyes rested on Ryker.Fight fight fight fight fight!

“No,” Leslie said. Her nails gouged his wrist. “No, Ryker.”

Fight fight fight fight fight!

“Ryker!”

Leslie’s other hand was on his chest, palm flat, pushing hard although Ryker was standing perfectly statue still. Why…? Oh. He had bared his teeth at…the alpha wolf. This was the alpha. Ryker’s entire body felt like a deep freeze, icicles piercing his skin. He had never felt this kind of wild rage before. His eyeballs felt frozen solid with the depth of vampire rage that tried to take over his body.

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