Kiss Me Deadly: Tales of a Paranormal Romance

good. Almost as good as ‘or something.’”

He slipped out of the room and closed the door before he could see just how red I was able to turn.

* * *

Two bowls of cornflakes later—I never claimed to be a great chef—we were out of the house and on the same route we were taking yesterday morning.

“Look, Brenda,” Owen said after a couple of minutes. He stopped walking and turned to me. “I know this has been a real nightmare. I appreciate your help.”

“My help? I stole your bracelet.”

A smile played at his lips. “I didn’t exactly come by it honestly myself, although if it helps, I stole it from a horrible rich woman who killed a litter of kittens by drowning them when her Persian got knocked up.”

I shuddered at the horrible thought. “It represents a lot more than a few expensive diamonds to you, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

“I know I shouldn’t have listened in yesterday, but I did. And I’m worried that what you’re doing is going to end up getting you in trouble.”

There. I said it. It was none of my business, but I said it anyway.

“Because of my brother?” he asked stiffly.

“Yes.”

His jaw set. “Let me worry about Jeremy, okay?”

I racked my brain for a good answer to his difficult situation. “What if you don’t go back to your pack? What if you find a new home and a new, uh, pack? Just start fresh somewhere else?”

His expression shadowed. “Because it’s not that easy. You don’t understand. That bracelet that you’ve got stashed somewhere is my only answer.”

“I totally disagree.”

“You don’t know my situation. Overhearing one conversation isn’t enough to make you an expert on me.”

I faltered. “Maybe not.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Just like my knowing that you’re afraid to embrace your magical potential is only part of who you are.”

I felt a sharp and sudden stab of anger at the accusation. “I’m not afraid.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Just because I’m not interested in doing something doesn’t mean that I’m afraid.”

Owen shrugged. “If you say so.”

I crossed my arms and studied him for a moment. “You’re trying to change the subject.”

“From what you were talking about, you mean.” He blew out a breath. “All I want is the bracelet. There’s nothing else in this town I’m interested in. And the kiss? Don’t read too much into it. It was more to fool my brother than anything else.”

I’d be hurt more by his words if I didn’t remember what he’d said to me only forty minutes ago.

“I want to kiss you again.”

Maybe he was lying. Maybe he thought I was easy and just wanted a distraction to get his mind off his troubles.

The smiley-faced PJs were rather fetching, now that I thought about it.

I mean, what did I think this was between us? Something real? Something that had the potential to be something more?

I was such an idiot. All I was to Owen was a flashing arrow pointing him to where his shiny diamond bracelet was—his one-way ticket back into a shifter pack that he was too stupid to see didn’t even want him around.

And I wasn’t scared about learning magic. I wasn’t afraid that I’d be a big fat failure and disappoint my mom when she realized I was nowhere close to being as talented as she was.

Of course not.

I bit my bottom lip.

Well, maybe I was a bit scared. But that wasn’t a very helpful realization at the moment.

“Let’s go,” Owen said angrily as he started to walk again. “All I want is the bracelet, and then I promise I’ll be out of your life once and for all.”

I glared at him. “Fine with me.”

We continued on until we reached an alleyway, just west of the main street. I stopped walking.

“Is this where you put it?” Owen asked without a lot of enthusiasm.

I turned to face him. “About your bracelet—”

But then my words were cut off by the sight of what loomed behind him.

The werewolves.

More this time. There were three men and two in large, scary wolf form. None of them looked very friendly even though it was a bright and shiny Saturday morning.

And this was a very deserted part of town. Just my luck.

Owen’s shoulders tensed, and he turned slowly to see what had turned my face ghost-white.

There was nowhere for us to run. My back was up against the end of the bricked-in alley, and the werewolves were blocking the only escape route.

“Morning,” one of them said. He was roughly the size of a small tank and had a bald head and a scruff of beard. “Let’s just make this really nice and easy, Owen. How does that sound? No more messing around this time. My patience has worn very thin with you.”

Owen’s biceps flexed. “Don’t do this.”

“Are you going to turn into a tiger again? I wouldn’t suggest it. I brought reinforcements this time.” The thug nodded at the wolves. “And I also brought this and I’m not afraid to use it.”

My gaze went to the black metal of the gun he held as it caught the sunlight.

I truly wished that I’d taken the few magic classes I’d attended seriously. I wouldn’t have been able to do that much—however, I might have been able to mentally influence this bully to leave us alone. Or I might have been able to throw up a glamor to fool or confuse them so we could escape. As it was, I couldn’t do anything but stand there and look like a victim-in-waiting.

Or could I? I searched my mind for what I’d learned. What I’d paid only partial attention to since I was too busy fighting what my mother wanted me to do.

Think, Brenda, think.

Mom always seemed convinced I was able to do more magic than I thought I could. She always believed in me, but I was the one who didn’t believe in myself.

“Get the girl,” the thug said. His two companions didn’t hesitate to go around Owen toward me, grabbing both of my arms tightly. I fought against them, but they were so strong and big there was no chance I was going to break away. Fear ripped through me.

Owen didn’t move, but his body looked poised to pounce, his hands fisted at his sides.

“Here’s the thing, Owen, and I want you to hear me out.” The man shifted his weight to his other foot, looking very calm and relaxed, considering the situation. “Your family and mine have always had this turf war going on. But I heard you got the boot. They don’t want you anymore.”

“You heard right,” Owen admitted hollowly.

“I’m willing to open my doors to you. Have you come on board with us as an honorary member of my pack.”

Owen laughed humorlessly. “You want me to be an honorary member of your werewolf pack?”

“That’s right. And in turn you can give us some inside information about Stan and your big brother’s secrets. You don’t owe them a damn thing anymore. Not your presence, your loyalty, or anything else.”

“And you’re willing to do this out of the goodness of your heart, are you?”

“That bracelet you have should help the goodness of my heart a little bit. I know you were going to use it to buy your way back into your pack. Now you can use it to buy your way into mine.”