Hot Blooded

I laughed. “I have no idea. That’s why we’re having this conversation. But just so you know, Dad and I both don’t think this has anything to do with me being the next Alpha. I’m not a threat to your direct status.” Tyler was on track to be the next Alpha leader, and every wolf in the Pack knew it.

There was a distinct difference between being alpha-born and Alpha. Alphas were leaders, meant to be head of Pack—alphas were dominant wolves with aggressive natures.

“I know.”

My jaw unhinged a bit. “What you do mean, you know?”

“That smell thing I was just telling you about?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m really good at it.”

“So?”

“If you were supposed to be the Alpha, I’d already know it.”

“What? How does smell have anything to do with being a leader of Pack?”

“Dad and James both have the same particular scent underlay. It took me a long time to figure out what it meant. It isn’t something I can explain in words. Scents are complex and strange, with millions of delicate layers. But I knew what it was when…” He stopped.

“What?” I urged.

“When I scented it on myself.”

“Wow. That’s crazy,” I breathed. “Do you think being able to smell other people’s auras is a special gift of some kind?” Many supes had additional powers, something enhanced beyond the scope of what was normal for their supernatural Sect. My brother could run twice as fast as any other wolf,

which was considered a “gift.”

“No.” He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck and paced in a circle before answering. Just like our Dad. “I think I’ve just paid extra attention to it over the years and honed what was already there—what every wolf is capable of doing. We underutilize our noses because we rely too heavily on our strength.”

That was the truth. “So let me get this straight. You’re saying I don’t smell like a leader? What exactly do I smell like then?”

“I didn’t say that. I said you don’t smell like an Alpha. There’s a difference.”

“Less than a week ago you told me I smelled like a yucky girl.”

“You do… You have a very distinct smell. At first I thought it was because you were female, but now I’m not quite sure what it is. But your ‘aura,’ or whatever you want to call it, is totally unique.

I’ve never smelled it on anyone, human or supe.”

“Maybe it’s the Lycan marker?”

“That’s a possibility.” He seemed deep in thought for a minute.

My eyes caught the light—or rather absence of light—out my window.

I must have appeared shocked, because Tyler turned to look out the window too. “What?” he shouted as I turned and ran without so much as another word.

“It’s full fucking dark!” I yelled as I raced into my bedroom.

5

I ripped a duffel out of my closet and tossed it onto my bed. Then I yanked every shirt and jean combination I had in my drawers and threw them into the bag, finishing with various undergarments.

My kick-ass gear, made of spandex with reinforcements, and my stash of weapons went in after.

Luckily, most of my throwing knives were packed together in a modest-sized carrying case. My dirks, made for quick slashing, were wrapped in safety sheaths. I threw them on the very top and zipped it all up. Once I got outside, I’d grab my palm-sized handgun out of my car. I owned a 9mm

Glock that shot silver hollow-point bullets, each filled with a gram of silver shavings at the tip, for those pesky hard-to-kill beasties. Guns were considered a pansy alternative for wolves, but I was willing to use whatever it took to defeat Selene.

Pansy-assed or not.

I dropped the bag outside my bathroom door and opened a few vanity drawers, grabbing essentials and shoving them into the side pockets lining the duffel. Then I pulled my long, dark hair in to a ponytail for ease of travel. For combat, I’d secure it in a bun and hope like hell it stayed there.

I was back in the living room in less than seven minutes.

Tyler stood by the door waiting for me.

“Where’s your stuff?” I asked.

“It’s already down in the vehicle.”

“Which car are we taking?” I slung the duffel over my shoulder. “Oh, and in case I forgot to mention it before, Ray’s coming with us.”

“Which Ray?” Tyler’s face showed his confusion. “You’re not talking about the cop, are you?” He read my expression. “Come on, Jess! We can’t possibly bring someone like that with us. Not only is he going to be under our feet the entire time, but he’s an epic fucking asshole. Why would you possibly want to do something like that?”

He was right on all counts. But instead of answering right away, I reached around him and yanked the front door open. “I’m doing it because I refuse to kill him for no other reason than he found us out.

At the very least he deserves a chance to come around, and it was either he came with us or he died. I picked alive.”

“I could give you twenty good reasons to pick dead,” Tyler muttered behind me.

“I bet you could give me a hundred in under a minute, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve made up my mind.” I stepped into the hallway. “Turn out the lights, will you?”

“Your electric bill is the least of your worries.”

“I’m all about the environment.”

“You rented a Humvee?” The vehicle parked at the end of my lot was not only a monstrosity, it was a canary-yellow monstrosity.

“What’s wrong with it?” Tyler grumbled.

“I don’t know. I could start with the color, but why go with the obvious? How about its sheer girth and notice-ability? Was the Batmobile taken?” I retorted. “Bruce Wayne’s car is the only other car in the history of the universe more noticeable than this beast of a thing.”

Danny came up behind Tyler and slapped him on the back. “See. I told you yellow was too flashy for the ladies. They tend to enjoy the blacks and beiges.”

Tyler calmly placed his hand on the hood. “For your information, I didn’t rent it. I bought it. I

found this guy two hours away who details old army vehicles. This one was available and I wasn’t in a position to be picky. It’s reinforced and ready to roll, so I paid the man and drove away.” He arched an eyebrow at me, which I could see clearly despite the deepening darkness. “I wasn’t under the impression we were going for stealth. I was under the impression we needed space and strength to achieve our goal.”

“A pairing of the two would’ve been nice,” I said. “An inconspicuous Jeep Cherokee would’ve sufficed. Riding around in this is like painting a gigantic yellow X on our foreheads. And in light of the recent news, the entire supernatural community is going to be interested in my whereabouts very quickly. We just gave them a huge beacon to follow.” I felt like kicking one of the enormous tires in frustration. My emotions began to roil and a soft coating of fur erupted on my arms.

“Jess, you need to calm down,” my brother said in a quiet tone. “I had no idea news about you was going to break. We’ve been home for less than two days. In the future I will be sure to couple stealth into all of our plans. Until then, no one is here to see us leave, nobody is watching. We will be fine.”

“I realize I’m being irrational.” I took a step away from the vehicle. “But, honestly, a yellow monster truck