Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(108)

Nicole smiled up at her. “I’m in no danger, love.”

Standing upright, Red released a put-upon sigh and accepted what Nicole told her even though she didn’t like it one bit. The glare she sent Evalle was to remind her how much Red didn’t like her.

This favor would put a nice touch on the relationship. Sort of like a turd in a gourmet meal.

“Go ahead and change, Storm,” Nicole directed him.

He stepped back around the sport utility. A door on the other side opened for a moment, then closed.

Was he stripping? Evalle stuck her head past the rear of the truck to check that no one was in the area, when in truth she wanted to scout all the way around the vehicle out of curiosity.

But that would be an invasion of privacy she wouldn’t appreciate in his place.

She’d never been around lycanthropes or Skinwalkers. How long did it take to change? Barely a minute had passed when a sleek black jungle cat stepped around the front fender.

Looked like Ashaninka Skinwalkers were the plug-and-play version.

His eyes glowed like embers and didn’t look the least bit friendly. He snarled low, a vicious sound.

Evalle’s nerves rippled, lifting hairs everywhere.

Red’s fingers clutched the handles of Nicole’s chair so hard that her knuckles were white.

Nicole spoke softly to Storm, as if she saw a jaguar that had to weigh over two hundred pounds every day in Avondale. She held a hand out to Evalle with a silver disc in the center of her palm. A leather thong had been strung through a loop on the disc. “Tie this amulet around his neck.”

Me? But Evalle didn’t want to look like some wimp in front of Red, so she took the amulet and turned to Storm, whose lips curled back from his teeth.

She bent down slowly to her knees and waited quietly. Didn’t seem wise to say “Here kitty, kitty” to a ginormous jaguar.

Storm padded over until her face was close enough to smell the warm animal scent of his fur. He stared hard into her eyes, then lifted his head so she could reach his neck. As she tied the amulet, she realized he was exposing his most vulnerable spot to her.

But he’d said he wouldn’t hurt her, so did this mean he trusted her not to hurt him?

She grabbed his head, bringing his eyes back level with hers, then kissed his nose. “You’re the best.”

He nuzzled her face, then turned to Nicole.

Evalle stood up and backed away as Nicole chanted softly in a voice that should be singing lullabies. When she finished, Nicole looked at Evalle. “No one except you will see him unless he chooses to reveal himself. Three hours isn’t an exact time, so don’t push it any longer than you have to. It’s already one o’clock. You should go.”

Evalle would have hugged Nicole if not for Red standing guard. Red was the jealous type to begin with. “Thanks, Nicole. I owe you one for sure.”

“I’ll hold you to that if it means you’ll be here to pay up.” She smiled, then patted Red’s hand. “Let’s go back up.”

After loading Storm into the backseat, where he’d have more room, Evalle drove back to Tenth Street and parked along the curb in a neighborhood close to Piedmont Park. She held her breath when Storm jumped out of the truck and prowled along the sidewalk.

At the corner, two men jogged past Storm. One had a Labrador on a leash. Neither human noticed the jaguar who stepped out of their path and onto a front yard.

But the dog jerked around, sniffing, until his leash tightened.

Storm watched them pass, then looked up at her. This time, when he pulled his lips back, he exposed razor-sharp teeth in what she thought might be a smile.

“Let’s beat feet and see what we can find at the park,” she said, catching up to him.

When she reached the spot where she’d last seen the woman with the rock, Storm put his head down to the ground and turned into a predator on the hunt.

She was glad not to be his prey.

He spent almost two minutes there, then spun around and headed for Tenth Street, where he dashed across the highway without going to a crosswalk where a streetlight would stop traffic.

Running to keep up with him, she waved her hands at cars trying to mow her down when she crossed right behind him.

Evalle, where are you? Tzader asked in her mind.

Back at Piedmont Park. Storm thinks he may have picked up a scent. Literally. Where are you two?

Sen decided there was nothing to be risked at this point by bringing in recruits since the stone is going to bond with the new master by daylight. We’ve been tied up all day calling in more Beladors to flood the city to search for the Kujoo.

No. That’s just what the Medb wanted. I don’t think that’s a good idea, Z. Not until we know what they meant about wiping out all the Beladors.

We’ve got strength in numbers once we link. I’ll put a wall of Beladors up against any Medb or Kujoo at any time.

What if the Medb had a plan to kill Brina when the Beladors linked? Massive slaughter. But that wouldn’t wipe out all the generations.

Got to go, Tzader said. Call us if you find anything and we’ll get warriors to you.

Will do. The lump in her throat was getting thicker by the minute. She’d put her trust in Storm, which was what she believed Nicole’s vision meant. Don’t let me be wrong.

Storm wove through streets, hesitating occasionally to sniff a mailbox post or a car tire. This area was packed with animals, which had to be hampering his tracking.