Page 36 of Wolf Bitten

“What the hell—” the shorter, bulkier guy exclaimed, turning to us just as Raffe pushed the third-floor button.

The taller, more athletic one shook his head and tugged on the guy’s shoulder. “Dude, that’s Raffe Wright. Don’t piss him off.”

“You got something you want to say to me?” Raffe arched a brow, edging in front of me to block me from the guys’ view. His jaw twitched, everything inside him on edge.

The shorter guy’s jaw dropped open. “Uh, no, sorry we were in your way.”

“Don’t let it happen again,” Raffe sneered as the doors slid close.

I pushed him gently in the back and sighed. “Seriously?”

Raffe shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at me. “He was running his mouth, and I have a reputation on campus to maintain. We don’t need humans feeling tempted to hang out with us.”

“Did you forget?” I pointed at myself. “I’mhuman.”

“Don’t smell like one much since I claimed you.” He winked, a smug smile tugging at his mouth for a split second. When the elevator opened, the smile vanished like it had been a figment of my imagination.

Still, my heart pattered—until we stepped into the hallway. On the right, four doors down, the door to an apartment was open. As soon as Raffe’s gaze landed on it, he bolted to it.

I couldn’t move as quickly as him, and by the time I entered, things were chaotic. The apartment had the same floor plan as ours but opposite, so I turned left toward the living room and found Raffe grabbing a guy I’d never seen before by the throat and lifting him high above an evergreen couch.

Adam and Keith stood at the sides of the couch, watching Raffe as if this wasn’t a big deal.

My instinct was to close the door so no one would see what was happening and rush to help this random man I didn’t know. I inhaled sharply. That wasn’t normal. But Raffe had to be acting this way for a reason.

“Where is he?” Raffe spat, droplets of spittle hitting the guy’s face.

The scent of honey hit my nose, and it took me a second to realize I was smelling a man I didn’t know. His scent overpowered the woodsy smells of the other guys, suggesting he wasn’t a shifter.

“I don’tknow,” the man rasped, his wavy, dark-blond hair framing his face. “He left late last night to find something to snack on. He asked me if I wanted to come, and I told him no because I’d eaten earlier. I told these two the same thing when they woke me up around three this morning, and I don’t know why you’re here, askingagain.”

Adam flinched. “Yeah, about that, we—”

Snapping his head in Adam’s direction, Raffe’s eyes glowed. “We’ll discuss that shortly. Right now, I need Jared to tell me where I can fucking find Dave.”

I swallowed. This must be Dave’s roommate. Vampires already hated shifters, and the Veiled Circle was using that to their advantage. Raffe’s behavior would only help their cause. “Jared, I’m sorry we barged in, but Dave stuck a needle into my neck and drugged me.” If we couldn’t get his help via threats, I hoped he was a decent person—er, vampire—and would help because of the situation.

Jared’s light-gray eyes focused on me, and I moved to Raffe’s side. I placed a hand on Raffe’s arm and gently pushed down. The buzz of our connection thrummed, and I could feel Raffe’s rage retreat a bit.

He growled, clearly unhappy, but he obliged me by lowering Jared.

Jared’s legs hit the couch, and he caught his balance and stood in front of it. Raffe released him but didn’t move back. He was prepared to grab Jared again if needed.

I continued my explanation. “After Dave drugged me, people who wanted to brainwash me held me captive.” I wasn’t sure how else to put it. “We need to know how and why Dave is involved. So it would mean a lot tomeif you could help us find him.”

Keith snorted, unhappy with me, but I understood what it was like to feel threatened by bullies, and that was how the witches and the vampires viewed Raffe and his pack. If someone had shown me kindness, it would’ve made a difference.

Jared lifted his hands. “Seriously, I don’t know where he is, but before he told me he was going to eat, he got a phone call.”

“Who was it?” Raffe seethed. “And what did they want?”

“If I don’t tell you, will you choke me again?” Jared rubbed his neck where Raffe’s handprints showed faintly.

Nostrils flaring, Raffe hissed.

He was going to ruin the progress I’d made. I tightened my hold on his hand, wanting him to get the hint. He needed to shut up and let me handle this.

I tried to shuffle him sideways so he wasn’t standing right in front of Jared, but he refused to budge.

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