Page 268 of Flirting with Darkness

He didn’t have to, not when he was the most powerful monster in this city.

But for some reason, she was crystal clear, even when the bar around her was still hazy and unfocused.

“I’m not sure,” she murmured, glancing over her shoulder like she was afraid she might get caught talking to him.

Dex leaned forward ever so slightly, making sure she could see his sharp grin if nothing else. “Waiting for someone?”

She hesitated once, and then shook her head.

For some reason that didn’t make him feel better.

The glass clinked when she set her drink down. Then she carefully pulled out her chair and sat down, folding her hands on top of the table like she knew he’d want to know where they were.

Dex eyed the keys in her hand, noting the various self-defense weapons easily within reach. He leaned back and sighed, letting his eyes lose focus once more.

Of course she was afraid of him. Why wouldn’t she be?

“You can go if you want,” he told her, taking a long drink of his vodka.

It was stupid and Dex knew he should figure out what she was, but there was absolutely no power coming off of her. Even if she was a shifter, it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle – nothing the boss would give a shit about.

Fear was boring.

Everyone was afraid of him. It was nothing new, nothing…interesting.

He drained nearly half the bottle before he realized she was watching him with that one glittering blue eye. How did she see anything with her hair in her face like that?

“I have time,” she told him, voice stronger this time. The rasp of it made him focus on her again before he’d even realized it. “What’s your name?”

He grinned. So, the mouse had balls after all.

5

NOVA

“My name’s Dex.”

Nova kept her hands still despite the urge to doanythingelse. She glanced up into the shadows again, eyes catching on the man’s white teeth that almost glittered when the light caught on them.

He had sharp canines and wasn’t afraid to show them off.

Vampire?

It was hard to tell with all the smells and noises of the bar. Nova had never come across a vampire before even on hunting trips with her family, and they didn’t have them at the university. It was only witches and hunters there.

Shifters always had a smell, her professors had said. It was a wildness that was difficult to mistake, and once she became familiar with it, she was able to pick out exactly which shifter by the nuances.

Then there were the obvious ways to recognize them. The wolves’ eyes glowed silver, and the large cats glowed gold. Bears were copper, and ravens were a ruby red. But they rarely showed that side of themselves among the humans. Exposing themselves was a death sentence if they were caught.

She dropped her gaze when she sensed his attention, studying his gloved hand instead.

The leather was so tight she could see the lines of his knuckles and fingers as if they were naked. For some reason, the sight of it stretching across his massive hand felt almost obscene.

Nova licked her lips and picked up her drink.

Definitely not a witch. After five years of training alongside them, she knew what they all smelled like, what they all felt like.

So, what the hell was he?

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