Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(49)

And that was only if she managed to convince Storm to help Tzader hunt down the source of the infection so Evalle could slide out of Atlanta without Storm noticing.

“How was Storm?” Lanna asked.

Was? Evalle slowed to let her catch up. “He is fine. I think he’s healed completely.”

“That is not question. How was date with Storm?”

Oh. Lanna had helped Evalle dress to see Storm after they’d returned from the battle where Storm had witnessed Evalle in all her beast glory. Not one of her more feminine moments. That had happened only because Evalle had been given permission to shift into her Alterant beast state to protect Brina and Treoir Castle from Svart trolls.

Lanna had come home with her and pushed Evalle to go face Storm even though Evalle had been sure he’d been disgusted by seeing her hideous beast form. She’d walked up to Storm’s front door wearing makeup and a sparkly sweater for the first time in her life—all Lanna’s doing. He’d welcomed her with open arms.

And chided her for doubting him.

Then kissed her and . . .

“Evalle?”

“What?”

Lanna’s shorter legs moved quickly to keep up. “I asked how date was.”

Slow down and stop being so irritated. Lanna was just a kid. Evalle breathed deep and searched for the calm that seemed just out of reach this evening. “The date was not really a date, but it was okay.”

“That is all?”

“It was nice.” That night with Storm had been like stepping out of her life and into one that belonged to a normal woman.

He’d made her feel alive. Cared for. Special.

“?‘Okay’ and ‘nice’ not good.” Lanna frowned at her. “Dull. What went wrong?”

Being with Storm was anything but dull. Evalle shot a glare at the nosy teenager. “Nothing went wrong. We enjoyed our evening. That’s all you need to know.”

“Ah. You spent night with Storm?” A speculative gleam brightened Lanna’s eyes.

Evalle had thought Lanna’s Russian-ish accent charming until the little busybody had decided to tamper with Evalle’s love life from the first moment they’d met. Now the teenage terror rubbed salt into Evalle’s wounded ego, reminding her she’d been a coward for backing away from intimacy with Storm.

She didn’t need the reminder, blast it.

She was ready for him. Any time he wanted it.

Now!

Who was Lanna to question anything she did, anyhow?

Before they reached the doorman holding the glass door open for them, Evalle dropped her tone to a level meant to end all discussion. “What Storm and I did that night is none of your business. Got it?”

Lanna looked over at her, openmouthed.

Guilt stabbed Evalle from head to toe. Why? The teenager needed to learn when to talk and when to be quiet.

Outside, the drizzle had turned into a steady downpour. But Evalle was sweating. It was so blasted hot. How could Lanna wear a sweater in this?

Lanna dragged the suitcase along, wheels clacking faster to catch up. Her shoulders drooped teenage disappointment.

Evalle slowed her pace once more and pointed at the covered parking deck ahead. “We’re going there.”

Big mistake. Lanna took that as a sign that they were chatting again and started yammering, oblivious of poking at a beast. “I do not understand why you did not stay. How can you not want man like Storm? If Adrianna had Storm—”

“Don’t—” Fury rocked through Evalle so sharply that she couldn’t get another word out. Her body burned with the urge to strike out. Just hearing Adrianna’s and Storm’s names in the same breath spiked her anger off the charts. Gorgeous Adrianna would never turn down what Storm offered.

Muscles rippled beneath Evalle’s shirtsleeves and along the sides of her jeans. She shuddered and slowed her pace, clenched her hands together. Imogenia had said the person wearing the bone could not shift. Had she meant it was not physically possible, or had she just been warning not to attempt it? Evalle assumed Imogenia had meant her body wouldn’t try to shift on its own, but that’s what she was fighting at the moment.

Lanna had continued on several steps and entered the covered parking deck, then paused, turning slowly to look back at Evalle.

Her face lost a shade of color at something she saw in Evalle.

People hurried through the garage entrance, ignoring Lanna, who stood there still as death.

Evalle struggled between embracing her anger and wanting to tell the girl she was sorry for hurting her feelings.

When Evalle reached her, Lanna spoke quietly. “Your face changing. Are you having trouble with other part?”

She meant Evalle’s Alterant beast.

Her muscles had swollen with the impending change. The armband was cutting off her circulation. Her skin was on fire.

The Volonte.

Evalle swallowed the snarl clawing up her throat and took a breath, then one more and said, “Don’t. Say. Another. Word.”

Lanna nodded silently, hurt bleeding into her worried face as if Evalle had just squashed a kitten.

That’s all I need. Evalle drew in one more calming breath and leaned close to Lanna. “I can’t . . . explain right now, but I’m not myself. Sorry. I don’t mean to yell at you. Not your fault. I’m having . . . issues. Our truck’s on the fourth level. Big black Expedition. I need . . . peace and quiet. Okay? Please.”