Page 8 of Werewolves Don't Howl
I followed the scent more than I followed the librarian up the steps to the large double doors. She reached for the knob, like she was going to open it, but it opened first, like he’d been waiting.
I smiled at him then froze while his face, all sculpted cheekbones and elegance, hit me with the weight of a sledgehammer. It was the Silver Senator with the violet eyes and bear-trap mind who used his unearthly beauty to put people off-balance so he could manipulate them more easily. And he’d insulted me every time we’d exchanged words.
I knew who the Librarian’s lawyer was. It was part of the known gossip, but somehow I’d overlooked the obvious when she called him Cross. It’s like I was stressed out from the threat of exposure and forced marriage hanging over my head. And the stalker. Still, I should have realized who I’d be walking into. Then I wouldn’t be here, standing on his front porch, feeling like an abandoned orphan begging for a crust of bread.
The Librarian smiled brightly. “Great, you were expecting me. This is Delphi. Isn’t she adorable? She’s looking for some advice on werewolf law, so I told her you’d be able to help.” She dropping the books in his arms and he scrambled to capture them while looking from me to her with those annoyingly beautiful eyes.
I winced. Now I’m an adorable helpless thing? “I’m sorry. This was a mistake. I can handle the situation on my own. I wouldn’t dream of bothering you, Senator.”
Senator Silverton raised a perfectly arched brow. “You’re already here, and any friend of Libby’s couldn’t possibly be a bother.” He frowned down at the books in his hands and then up at me. “How did you get on the wrong side of werewolf law?” The frown seemed much more authentic than the smile he showed his public.
“She’s got a stalker,” the librarian called, already in the center of the large hall, studying an enormous vase of fresh hydrangeas and lilies. “He’s been leaving her presents.”
His face whipped from her to me, the frown intensifying on his annoyingly stunning features.
His voice was certain. “You aren’t frightened, just very, very frustrated. Why aren’t you afraid of a werewolf stalker, Miss Era?”
I wasn’t about to answer that question. I held onto my smile while I considered. No, I never would have approached the senator if I’d realized it was him, but I was already here, and he had a great deal of influence in the government that he could use to apply pressure to the Alta. Maybe he could even push to change werewolf law. I needed to go in or walk away, but where would I go? Anywhere else would be better. And yet, he had a reputation for making things happen, but not for spilling secrets. If he could help me with this werewolf law tangle, it could help other people down the road, not just me. Who knew how many vulnerable females were stuck in this kind of situation? It would be worth the humiliation it would cost to ask.
I hesitantly took a step towards him and the open door. He immediately backed up, gesturing me inside, then closed the door gently, but firmly, behind me.
“The knell of doom,” I whispered, getting a puzzled look from him.
“Beg your pardon?”
“What?”
“Didn’t you say something?”
I smiled sweetly until he shook his head.
“Why don’t we adjourn to the library?” he asked, gesturing towards the Librarian who was already far down the long hall, like she’d been here before and knew where she was going.
The house was large, elegant, tasteful, exactly what you’d expect from an elf like Silverton, in silvery blue and muted apricots, with an underpinning of rich cream.
“Tell me about your stalker,” he said as we walked.
I was stuck between trying not to look at him too much, or ogle the priceless paintings that lined the hall. He certainly wasn’t struggling to pay his rent if he could afford originals like that. A Van Gogh? And was that a Renoir? I stopped to stare at it, raising my hand for a moment like I would touch it before I curled my fingers and turned back to the annoyingly handsome, wealthy, and tasteful man.
“It isn’t the stalker that’s the problem, not really,” I said, shaking my head. It was the Alta Manada that was going to ruin my life.
“No? How many presents has this not-a-problem given you?”
I looked at him suspiciously. That had the bones for an implied insult. I was too stupid to realize that the stalker was a serious problem. “A few.”
“A few dozen? Please be specific, Miss Era,” he drawled, an elf who was on his last manner.
I smiled brightly. “Two at last count, but I haven’t been home since I got off work, so who knows how many fluffy bunnies he could have sacrificed to my beauty since then?”
His eyes hardened until they were violet sickles of death. “Where are you staying?”
I gave the senator a side-long glance. “I haven’t decided yet.” Not here, though. You couldn’t pay me enough money to live with this terrifyingly capable, manipulative, handsome elf. I’d probably fall in love with him and end up leaving fluffy bunnies on his doorstep. That would almost serve him right for being so rude.
“But you aren’t going back to your home? Good. Establish new territory, habits, scents, and perhaps he’ll forget his fascination.”
“Yes, well, I hope so.” But would that be enough? Everyone knew where I worked. I stopped walking. Why try to hide? Maybe I could go to Max, show him my wolf, and convince him that I wasn’t in danger. But the Alta Manada had been notified, so I’d have to display my wolf to them as well. Perhaps it would be fine. Maybe they would be open-minded and allow their laws to be broken so I could be independent. Or they’d want my extremely strong wolf in the gene pool. Ridley was connected to someone in the Manada, so there had to be some corruption.
“Miss Era?” Senator Silverton’s low voice startled me from my thoughts.
