Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(66)

"Nope, sure doesn't," he said.

"You're twisting my words," Lisa said, frustration beginning to show on her face.

I studied her for a moment, my mouth pursing just the slightest bit. Maybe. "Back to Caroline, what was it about being friends that she took issue with?"

Lisa stared at me for a long moment before jerking up one shoulder. "She invited me into her room, and then flipped out when I touched her things."

"So, it wasn't friendship that pissed her off. It was you invading her space."

"No, she invited me."

I made a face as if I understood. "But, I thought you said you pressured her."

"Yes, to be friends. That's all."

"So, it's her fault?" I asked.

"Yes." Her face blanched. "I mean no. It's just being a new werewolf can be hard. I think she lost control for a moment. That's all. Everything since then has gotten blown way out of proportion."

"Now, you're saying she over-reacted to what happened," I said in a flat voice, not bothering to hide my dislike for her anymore.

She scowled at me. "I don't think I like your tone. I'm not here for you to cast accusations and blame me for things that aren't my fault."

Bitch was good, playing the whole 'we women have to stick together' card before transitioning to righteous indignation. Too bad I'd dealt with that sort of thing more than once in my life. It stopped having an effect on me a long time ago.

"No, you're here because your alpha ordered your presence. I doubt he did it, so you could lie and misdirect us," Liam said from his corner, his voice a cold wind. He fixed Lisa with a gaze that said he was wondering what she would look like with her throat torn out and her blood gushing down the front of her pretty dress.

She blanched, reading the intent in his gaze, her gaze going to me for help.

I shrugged, allowing my amusement to show through. "Don't look at me. I've heard very few truths out of you since I sat down."

"That's, that's—"

"Unfortunate," I finished for her. "How about you try a little harder to tell us what happened? Otherwise, I'll leave you in a room alone with Liam. He's kind of upset with me because I took a bit of a breather from all this earlier tonight. He might enjoy working his frustration out on you."

Liam's lips curved in a dangerous smile, his fangs denting his lower lip and giving no illusion about just how he would get the information.

"You can't do that. Brax won't let you." Fear showed in her eyes. I think we were finally getting to meet the real Lisa.

"I think he would if it meant learning what actually happened that night." I leaned forward, my face set in a cruel expression. "I'm told some vampires can see memories from blood. He's pretty old. What do you want to bet he has that ability?"

"Please, help me. I didn't do anything. I'm not lying." Her eyes pleaded with me. A nicer person, a less determined person might have felt bad. Not tonight. She'd picked the wrong person to play her games on.

I rubbed my chin and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I gave her an easy smile. She blanched. Hmm. Guess that smile needed work. "If the next words out of your mouth aren't the truth, I'm walking out that door. It's best that way, believe me. Right now, I'd like to dismember you piece by piece then watch as you heal, so I can do it again."

My smile held all of the dark yearning and terrible wrath that I concealed on a daily basis. I let some of my darkness peak through. This time she flinched, her mouth shutting so she could watch me with the intensity of a rabbit faced with a wolf. Pretty funny since she really was a wolf.

"Caroline is my best friend. One of my only friends. You did something so horrible to her that she fled a place that was supposed to make her feel safe, at a time she needed it most." My voice was a low thrum in the quiet. The yearning for violence might have scared me a few years ago, but now I embraced it. She had to believe I would hurt her if she lied to me. Had to believe I'd make her wish she was dead.

She’d brought this on herself when she did whatever it was that sent Caroline fleeing into danger. I wouldn't forgive her for that, and if scaring her was the most I could do, I'd take it.

"She found out I was still seeing my boyfriend. The alpha decreed that we weren’t to have contact until he approved." The sneer in her voice made it clear what she thought of that order. "I don't think she planned to tell anyone, but I had to be sure. Jonathan can't go through another punishment."

"What did you do?" I asked, my voice doing that weird growl thing that happened when my emotions were too close to the surface.

Lisa gave a negligent shrug. "I just planned to threaten her a bit."

A yowl escaped me, the dangerous sound similar to what a cat makes when they mean business. The sound was deep, and promised pain for anyone stupid enough to keep pressing me. It was a warning.

Lisa jerked, her lips curling to expose teeth that were a lot sharper than they had been a moment ago. I tensed, ready to act if she thought to attack me. She settled down when Liam shifted forward, violence in every line of his body.

"Nothing too bad. I cornered her in her room. Said some things."

"You're lying again," I threatened, my voice full of power that had an odd reverberation to it.