Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(124)

His frown tightened. “What’s his name?”

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“His name. This guy, the gallery owner that you have a thing for.”

“Kylie told you?” she asked, but strangely she wasn’t really annoyed. When explaining Cary’s behavior to Kylie, Miranda, and Della, Fredericka had mentioned Brandon. Barely mentioned him, but all three of them had picked up immediately that there was more to it than she was willing to say.

“Spill it, were,” Della had said. “And don’t try to lie, because I’ll know.”

They’d finally gotten her to admit that he was … well, hot, and drove a motorcycle, and was, well … really hot. Then she’d told them he was part were and how he’d kissed her. She probably shouldn’t have told them that, but … it had felt kind of good.

All three of them had announced they were coming to the gallery’s open house just to get a peek at the new hot artist in town. As crazy as it seemed, Fredericka had felt as if she’d been a part of something that night. A girl something. Like maybe she might even become friends with them. It seemed almost impossible, but she could dream.

Lucas cleared his throat, drawing her back to her problem at hand. “Yeah, Kylie told me about him. We’re joined at the hip, remember?” Lucas said.

Fredericka rolled her eyes. “Hips don’t have ears.” She waited for him to warn her against getting close to a human, but then recalled Lucas was different. He himself was breaking the Were Council’s rules and was planning on marrying Kylie. Fredericka admired him for that.

“Does he shift?” Lucas asked.

“No,” Fredericka said.

“Does he know you…?”

“No,” she said. “He doesn’t even know that he has were blood. I mean, I think he senses it, but just hasn’t accepted it.”

Lucas shook his head. “But that’s where you’re headed, isn’t it, to see him? Why? If he doesn’t know, this is not the way to tell him.”

“I’m not. I’m going there to…” She hesitated one second, then decided she might as well tell him. “I’m going there to protect him. I’m scared Cary might try something.”

*

As soon as the shift was complete, Fredericka’s paws hit the dirt and she moved with the wind. She wanted to get to Brandon’s as soon as possible, before Cary did—if that was his plan. Of course, she could be wrong, as Lucas had pointed out, but she didn’t want to chance it.

Brandon was … already too important to her.

As always her muscles burned and ached a bit after a turn. But it was a good pain, like someone rubbing a sore shoulder. Pushing herself into a full-fledged run worked the soreness away. Soon the liberating feeling of being in her were body took over.

As she ran, cutting through the woods, hiding in shadows as she darted through neighborhoods to get to his house, a sad thought hit. Brandon would never feel this. Never know the freedom of shedding his human form and seeing the whole world through different eyes.

Then she remembered how it had felt to ride his motorcycle, a sense of freedom and power. Had he subconsciously turned to riding to experience something that gave a similar sensation to shifting?

As she neared Main Street, she picked up some lingering were scents, not strong enough to know for sure if they were Cary, but enough for her to push herself to move faster.

She was less than a block from Brandon’s home and gallery when the were scent grew stronger. Inhaling, the hair on her back stood up as she recognized the scent. Cary was already here.

Knowing how fast a were could kill a human, her speed grew faster.

A growl rose from Fredericka’s throat and she prayed she wasn’t too late. Now with the gallery in sight, she spotted Cary in wolf form leap over the back fence. She charged, her hind legs pushing against the ground as she flew over the fence after him.

He must have sensed her, for her paws hadn’t hit the ground when he pounced. Their bodies met midair and the fight began. Unprepared for his attack, his jaws clamped down on her neck.

Thankfully, the fall to the ground offered her a chance to escape before his sharp teeth ripped into her flesh. She rolled once on the ground, shot up onto all fours, and growled. He already had his stance, ready to pounce. His eyes glowed orange, but no doubt hers did as well.

He had more weight on her, and probably strength, but she’d never backed down from a fight and had lost few. His lips curled up in a menacing growl, and she sensed he wasn’t just out for blood. This was a fight to the death.

He charged again. They met in midair. His weight knocked her to the ground. He landed on top of her, his teeth cutting into her side. Pain had a howl slipping from her lips. She turned, sinking her teeth into his neck. Blood, his blood, spilled on her tongue. His jaws released and his yelp brought her pleasure. But she knew she’d barely broken his skin.

He bolted back; for one second she hoped he was satisfied that he’d left her injured and would leave. But his menacing growl said otherwise. He didn’t plan to stop. One of them wasn’t going to make it through the night. By no means was she backing down, but with the wound in her side, she accepted her odds were not great.

A cloud must have shifted in the sky, because the wooden wolf statue seemed almost spotlighted. Anger rushed through her with the thought that if she failed, Cary wouldn’t stop with just her. He’d go after Brandon.