Page 272 of Flirting with Darkness

Either she could actually take care of herself, or she was naïve enough to think it would be just like whatever small town she’d come from.

Nova could be nothing but an average shifter, but if he couldn’t at least confirm that then who knows who else might find out she was here and what she could do before he could.

The light turned green and she started walking.

He gripped the edge of the roof and hauled himself up and over silently. Dex slid down the side of the building and then pressed against the wall. Nova was halfway across the street and he waited to see which way she would go.

Without hesitation, she turned right, shadows deepening around her as she left the bars and clubs behind.

Dex went to follow her, but something tickled his senses and he stopped.

Two shifters came up behind her, their eyes glowing silver.

Fuck. The last thing he needed was for them to see him following her. Dex waited, wondering if this was a coincidence, or if they were hunting her.

When she turned down the next street, he watched them grin and follow her. Then two more came up on the other side and Dex didn’t hesitate.

He was across the street faster than the human eye could follow, but he stayed back so the wolves didn’t catch his scent.

Nova was out of his sight and Dex didn’t like it.

He came up behind one of the wolves and wrapped his hand around his face, snapping his neck with a quick tug. Before the other could react. Dex had a knife in his throat. Both their bodies went behind a dumpster to deal with later.

Every sense was on high alert now, and he gritted his teeth as the sound of blood dripping from his hand scratched against his ears.

Dex didn’t have to kill them, but they were low-level competition chasing after something the Corp might be interested in. This he could explain away to the boss, not a dangerous paranormal he’d let slip through his fingers.

When he caught up to where he’d last seen the first two, Dex stopped and cocked his head, listening.

“Hey, baby,” one of them said, voice low and vibrating with a subsonic growl. “Are you lost?”

Dex felt his blood boil and he closed his eyes, tipping his head back to breathe in the cold air. He couldn’t afford to let his monster out, not right now when he had no idea who or what she was.

Besides, it would take nothing to kill these two as well if he had to.

“I’m not lost,” she said in that husky voice. Why did it almost sound like she was laughing?

Dex opened his eyes and stuck to the shadows, following the voices.

They were inside an alley, hidden from the main streets. Dim orange light from the street put their features in sharp relief.

Both wolves were getting closer and closer, backing her up to a wall, but her hands were still in her pockets and her eyes were on the ground.

Smart.

If she knew about shifters, she’d do anything not to piss them off, and questioning their dominance was always sure to do that.

Whiny little babies.

But she wasn’t even trying to defend herself.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance and looked up. Dex quickly inspected his surroundings to make sure no one could see him.

Between one breath and the next, he was on top of the roof, rolling his shoulders back to readjust his coat. He crouched down to watch and rested his arms over his knees, wondering if the shifters would out her before he had to step in.

“Why are you all alone?” the other one asked. “Don’t you know it’s not safe for something as pretty as you to be out alone at night?”

Dex wasn’t expecting her to smile.

---