Page 48 of Artemis' Bow
“That’s true.” Raven nods. “And helping people gives us allies we wouldn’t normally have.”
“Almost there,” Jayden says, and I stiffen.
“That’s not comforting,” I grumble.
“It will be okay. We just need to stop and pick something up. No problem.” Jayden squeezes my hand.
I nod and stare blankly out the window. It’s quieter than the last time we were here. It’s almost eerie in its silence. No people mill about the streets, raising my hackles. This is LA, people should be around. The streets shouldn’t be deserted.
“I wonder if people are avoiding the heat,” I mumble to myself.
“It’s possible. I know we have all been annoyed with the sun lately and the god associated with it,” Jayden says.
“It doesn’t feel right. It feels like there’s a predator in the area and the humans are instinctively steering clear,” I say.
“You can feel that?” Greyson sits forward in his seat.
“Do you feel it too?” I ask.
Greyson nods. “It’s a part of my animal instincts. I can smell the fear even if I can’t see the humans or even know what they’re afraid of.”
“I don’t think I smell anything. I just feel this tension and underlying terror in the air.”
“Does that mean you’re going to have an animal you shift into?” Raven bounces in her seat. “That would be wicked.”
“I don’t think I would want to turn into an animal,” I say.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. Your senses are probably becoming sharper, but not necessarily animal. That would be my guess anyway.” Greyson glances out the windshield. “And the humans are correct to sense a group of predators.”
I turn to where he’s pointing and ten men the size of Greyson are standing in front of the strip club with their arms folded across their chests. All are wearing scowls except for the one in the front. His dark hair and eyes match Greyson’s. Grant was hazy in the mist but in person he is almost a carbon copy of our shifter friend.
“They aren’t here to jump us, right?” Thad asks from the back of the vehicle.
He’s been unusually silent for the hour from the academy into the heart of the city. I’ll have to ask him what’s going on later.
“No, he won’t let his guys attack us. That’s his beta and enforcers. They’re probably just here to protect him in case things go south.” Greyson opens the door as soon as Jayden puts the SUV in park.
“We should probably get out,” I mumble.
The humans’ trepidation has only grown since we got here and my skin itches with the feel of it. It’s like ants burrowing under my skin and crawling around in my veins. They are just as scared of what we may do as the actual wolves in our midst.
“Did you really have to bring all the meatheads?” Greyson asks Grant.
“Hey, that’s unkind,” Grants says, smiling. “They were your meatheads until you found your mate and became some kind of mutant.”
I stiffen at Grant’s words even as Greyson snarls at his little brother.
“Watch it with that word. I’m not the only one who’s changed, and my mate and our friend are sensitive to being called different,” Greyson says.
“It’s fine, Greyson,” I say as I hop out of the vehicle.
“Hmmm, who’s this?” Grant grins. “Hello there, sweetheart.”
“Greyson, tell your brother if he knows what’s good for him, he needs to back off.” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree with this one, little brother.” Greyson chuckles. “Meet Beth, the beautiful demigoddess who helped Tristan out a few months ago.”
“That was you? I thought he was exaggerating how hot you are to make the story sound better. You really are as sexy as he said.”
