Page 6

Chapter 6

Dex

D ex couldn’t believe she just left.

He sat there considering her empty glass.

Should he go after her?

That would be the smart thing to do.

The girl would never see him, never even know he was there.

He definitely hadn’t seen her before, and she wasn’t a human. At least, he was pretty sure she wasn’t. If she did something stupid in his territory, the boss would hand him his ass.

Dex sighed and stood.

Everyone who had been watching him and Nova was careful not to make eye contact, and everyone else shied away from him out of instinct.

The bartender took the vodka bottle with a nod. Dex would come back and finish it later, maybe another bottle after it would finally get him in that buzzed state. Thanks to Nova and her mysterious lack of scent, he was completely sober now.

And her lips.

They were fuller than he’d been expecting.

Dex glared, annoyed that he was even thinking about that. She could be an actual threat, and here he was, thinking about her fucking lips.

Why did she hide half her face anyways? What was under all those purple curls that she didn’t want anyone to see?

Dex stepped outside and froze when he realized he wouldn’t be able to follow her scent.

Hiking his coat up, he looked left and then right.

There – her purple hair.

Backing into the shadow of the wall in case she looked over her shoulder, he watched her closely. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the way light seemed to slide away from her, the shadows clinging to her unnaturally.

What the fuck was she?

The streetlights didn’t exactly flicker when she passed, but they dimmed ever so slightly, and humans avoided her.

Interesting.

Dex went down the street after her and then turned into an alley. He jumped and grabbed the fire escape, pulling himself up, landing on the railing in a crouch. Then he leapt for the next level. Up and up until he reached the roof.

Walking along the rooftops allowed him to follow her without whatever senses she had becoming aware of him.

Where was she going?

He jumped from one building to the next easily enough, keeping an eye on the streets and the people walking along them. Friday night was always busy.

The light turned red and she stood there, waiting patiently at the corner.

Fuck.

She was leaving official Corp territory.

Dex considered the risk.

If his boss learned there was a new paranormal in town, one they couldn’t accurately assess the risk of, he’d punish Dex for the fuck-up.

He crouched in the shadows and studied her again.

Nothing about the way she dressed told him anything other than she didn’t want people looking at her skin, or her face. The way she carried herself – well, she wasn’t afraid to walk alone at night.

Either she could actually take care of herself, or she was na?ve enough to think it would be just like whatever small town she’d come from.

Nova could be nothing but an average shifter, but if he couldn’t at least confirm that then who knows who else might find out she was here and what she could do before he could.

The light turned green and she started walking.

He gripped the edge of the roof and hauled himself up and over silently. Dex slid down the side of the building and then pressed against the wall. Nova was halfway across the street and he waited to see which way she would go.

Without hesitation, she turned right, shadows deepening around her as she left the bars and clubs behind.

Dex went to follow her, but something tickled his senses and he stopped.

Two shifters came up behind her, their eyes glowing silver.

Fuck. The last thing he needed was for them to see him following her. Dex waited, wondering if this was a coincidence, or if they were hunting her.

When she turned down the next street, he watched them grin and follow her. Then two more came up on the other side and Dex didn’t hesitate.

He was across the street faster than the human eye could follow, but he stayed back so the wolves didn’t catch his scent.

Nova was out of his sight and Dex didn’t like it.

He came up behind one of the wolves and wrapped his hand around his face, snapping his neck with a quick tug. Before the other could react. Dex had a knife in his throat. Both their bodies went behind a dumpster to deal with later.

Every sense was on high alert now, and he gritted his teeth as the sound of blood dripping from his hand scratched against his ears.

Dex didn’t have to kill them, but they were low-level competition chasing after something the Corp might be interested in. This he could explain away to the boss, not a dangerous paranormal he’d let slip through his fingers.

When he caught up to where he’d last seen the first two, Dex stopped and cocked his head, listening.

“Hey, baby,” one of them said, voice low and vibrating with a subsonic growl. “Are you lost?”

Dex felt his blood boil and he closed his eyes, tipping his head back to breathe in the cold air. He couldn’t afford to let his monster out, not right now when he had no idea who or what she was.

Besides, it would take nothing to kill these two as well if he had to.

“I’m not lost,” she said in that husky voice. Why did it almost sound like she was laughing?

Dex opened his eyes and stuck to the shadows, following the voices.

They were inside an alley, hidden from the main streets. Dim orange light from the street put their features in sharp relief.

Both wolves were getting closer and closer, backing her up to a wall, but her hands were still in her pockets and her eyes were on the ground.

Smart.

If she knew about shifters, she’d do anything not to piss them off, and questioning their dominance was always sure to do that.

Whiny little babies.

But she wasn’t even trying to defend herself.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance and looked up. Dex quickly inspected his surroundings to make sure no one could see him.

Between one breath and the next, he was on top of the roof, rolling his shoulders back to readjust his coat. He crouched down to watch and rested his arms over his knees, wondering if the shifters would out her before he had to step in.

“Why are you all alone?” the other one asked. “Don’t you know it’s not safe for something as pretty as you to be out alone at night?”

Dex wasn’t expecting her to smile.

“Maybe I like being alone,” she murmured, pulling her hands out of her pockets.

Brass knuckles covered her left hand, not her right. He sniffed once. No, not brass – definitely silver. Whatever she was using to cover her scent was messing with his head.

Was she planning to fight off two wolf shifters alone with nothing but those silver knuckles?

Interesting.

Shifters were strong, not as strong as he was, but they could kill her with a single punch. Dex chewed on his lip as he considered. Should he step in?

If they killed her, then his problem was solved. If she killed them, then he’d know what she was.

He settled in to watch.

“Well, why be alone when you could hang out with us?” the one on the right asked.

They were easily twice her size.

Nova looked up at the one who’d spoken last, her blue eye shining bright even in the darkness. “You are very pretty,” she admitted. Dex snarled softly when he heard the truth in her voice.

“Then come hang out with us.” They both took a step closer, but she held her ground, dropping her gaze again.

That smile stayed on her face though and for a second Dex thought he saw the shadows retreat.

“I’m good but thank you for the offer.”

The one on the left shoved her back into the wall and Dex flinched when she didn’t even react. “It wasn’t optional.”

Fuck.

Could he sit here and watch her die?

Why did he even care at all? If they killed her, everything would be less complicated, and he could go back to his life.

Drinking and zoning out no longer held the same appeal though as it had only an hour ago. Not when there was this mystery right in front of him.

“Look,” she murmured, her voice low and soothing, but her hands were still hanging at her sides which made Dex nervous. There was no way she could defend herself like that. “I’m just trying to find a good pizza place. Do you have any suggestions?”

The fucking balls on this mouse. Dex couldn’t help his grin.

“Actually, yeah,” the one on the right told her. “It’s just a few blocks over. Best pizza in Seattle.”

“Thanks.” She ducked under the guy’s arm and started walking in the direction of Zio’s Pizzeria.

Dex had to admit, they had good fucking pizza there.

“Hey, I wasn’t done with you.”

The wolf grabbed her right arm and Dex tensed.

She could be a paranormal unable to take on the speed and strength of a wolf and he’d be condemning her to a death sentence if he did nothing. Was that risk worth finding out what she was?

“You’re hurting me,” she said calmly, eyes still down.

Dex had better figure out what he was going to do and fucking fast.

“I think you should come with us,” the wolf growled, silver eyes flashing. Then he yanked her forward until she was pressed up against him.

Dex was up and standing without even realizing it.

Before he could make another move, there was a flash of purple and he froze.

Her left hand came up wicked fast. She punched the wolf right in the abdomen with the silver knuckles and a pulse of purple magic that sent him flying into the wall.

Before the other one could react, she crouched down and yanked a knife from her boot, angling it like she actually knew what she was fucking doing.

A witch? One who could fight?

“Just let me go,” she told them, voice still calm and unruffled. “I’d rather not get blood on my jacket.”

Dex covered his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing.

Good to know she kept that attitude with her at all times.

“You have no idea who you’re messing with.” The wolf picked himself up from the ground and shook the rubble and dust off of him. Dex could see him bulking up with the strength of his wolf and so could Nova.

She saw it the moment he did – the point of no return.

Nova threw her knife and it thudded into the closest wolf’s heart. She turned but was too slow.

The one she’d blasted with magic gripped her by the throat and slammed her into the wall, the brick cracking at the point of impact.

Dex leapt from the roof and slammed into the ground.

“What the fuck?”

He stood and took in the scent of fear before he gripped the male’s neck, yanking him off of Nova. The sound of her coughing and choking registered somewhere far away.

She was still breathing at least.

Dex focused on the wolf. “What should I do with you, hm?”

“Hey, look, please don’t hurt me. I didn’t realize she was one of yours.”

He tossed the male into the wall, putting his body between Nova and the wolf.

“Please,” the shifter begged. “I didn’t know.”

The scent of fear spiked when Dex stalked forward.

His control slipped, and he could feel the hellfire roiling through his veins, pushing him to make the most violent and bloody choice. It mixed with the righteous rage that demanded justice at any cost and Dex tasted wrath.

“I didn’t know!” the wolf shouted, trying to scramble away.

Dex grinned and reached for the shifter. “That sounds like a you problem.”