Page 44 of The Way You Bite
She yanked her wrist free, not guilty at his terror. This jerk planned something disgusting in an alley. Something, had she been a human, she may not have been able to fight in her weakened state. “Sometimes monsters are the ones you least expect.”
He continued to tremble.
She whispered, “Leave. Or I might feel inclined to hurt you.”
The car peeled away. She shouldn’t have revealed herself, but how else did urban legends start? She merged with the shadows in the alley where the driver planned his evil. Now where to go?
Her apartment? Squad vamps would be watching. If not them, then Ambrose’s guys. However, she needed new clothes and her passport. She could get scrubs at the clinic and regroup from there.
She walked the many blocks to the veterinary hospital and circled the building three times, sticking to the shadows. Casting a mental net, she searched for vamps or wolves. Nothing after two passes.
She marched to the front door, locked after hours. The receptionist buzzed her in. The twenty-something part-time receptionist smiled. “I thought you took the night off, Dr. Scarpa.”
“I forgot something.”
“You look different. I mean, it’s good. You look like you got a tan or something.”
“I just worked out.” Vee flashed a smile. With an air of authority, she headed to the office she shared with three other vets.
Her options for a next step were limited. Few friends were safe to phone. Roman’s allegiance was to his king. He could only go so far to help her. She trusted only a handful of vamps. Trace was too entrenched with Dominic. If he found out she was half wolf, she wasn’t sure what he’d do after he freaked out. She used the office phone to call her aunt, who answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Carol. It’s Vee.”
“Where have you been? I left you at least ten voicemail messages. You’re okay?”
“Right now I’m fine.”
“Thank, God. Hsu-Li phoned me a few hours ago acting all concerned that you’d disappeared. That slimy bastard doesn’t give two shits about you. What’s going on?”
“I’m in a bit of a situation. I missed a mandatory meeting with Dominic. Did he tell you he wants me to start the treatment?”
“What? Ambrose knows about this?” Carol’s tone was tight.
“Seems so.”
“Two bloody assholes. Honey, that’s not happening. You hear me? There’s too much risk. I wish Dominic hadn’t agreed to marry you to Ambrose in the first place, although Ambrose has given you a huge measure of freedom, which earns him a few brownie points in my book.”
“I won’t do it. And then there’s… Did Hsu-Li say anything else?”
“He assumed you’d call me. What else is going on?”
Vee massaged her head. “Did my mother speak to you about Dominic not being my father.”
“Ah, so that’s why Aleksander Dimitrov is in the States.”
“What? How did you know he was here and that him here has to do with me?”
“The news of him here is absolutely everywhere. It’s about time the wolves reached out to you.”
Her hand tightened around the phone. “It’s true? I’m a mix?”
“Yes.”
Now it felt real. Drinking Lexan’s blood could’ve been a fluke. But to hear it from her aunt… Oh God, she was in a lot of trouble. “Seriously? What the hell, Carol?”
“I’m so sorry, honey. I’m really sorry. Wish I could give you a hug right now. I love you so much, and this scared me. Well, it still scares me.”
“I’m lucky Ambrose hasn’t tried to bite me. Did you ever think about what might’ve happened? God, if he died…”
