“Is there something wrong?” I ask.
He tenses for just a second, and his hand falls down to the table as he heaves a mighty sigh. “Your puppy is exhausting. Do you keep him on a leash at home?”
Bane lunges across the table with a fierce growl. I barely react in time, scrambling to grab his arm.
Dante’s quick on his feet, springing sideways like a cat. And Bane, being a hotheaded wolf, just has to give chase.
“Bane, stop! Don’t do this!”
But he isn’t listening. He stands and leaps over the table, his claws outstretched.
Dante reacts quickly, putting more distance between them. Bane lands where the vampire had been just a moment ago. He wheels around and slams his fist into the wooden tabletop hard enough to crack it to vent his frustrations.
“Bane, stop!” I shout, rushing around the table as he strides toward the vampire.
The wolf stops in front of me, still glaring daggers at the vampire.
“Listen to your master, puppy.” Dante sounds close, right behind me.
“You really aren’t helping!” I holler over my shoulder.
“I’m not trying to.”
The vampire is seriously overestimating me if he thinks I can keep the larger shifter at bay. I’m blocking him, but he could easily push me aside.
No, hemuststay put. There’s a message I need to deliver, and my partner in crime better hear me out.
Bane leans in with his shoulder, ready to shove me out of the way, so I take a deep breath and place my hand right in the center of his chest.
It gets his attention.
Blackwood recoils as if I’ve tased him. I follow, keeping my hand in place. He still has his full attention on the vampire taunting him from behind me, but he doesn’t surge forward or knock my hand away.
I feel his heartbeat thrumming against my palm. Clearly furious, yet his heart isn’t racing nearly as much as mine is while touching his solid chest. His shirt is softer than I expect, and I can feel the warmth radiating from his body...
No, there’s no time for... whatever it is I’m doing. It’s time to focus.
Bane refuses to meet my gaze. I tilt my head back and stare up at him, digging my fingers into the fabric of his shirt. His gaze finally shifts down to meet mine, eyes locking onto me.
For a moment, I almost think his heart skips a beat in sync with mine. The position is just so intimate, and looking into those deeply golden eyes gives me a jolt like I’m the one beingtased. All alphas have gold eyes, but the hue varies. His are so vivid, so easy to get lost in… No, can’t get distracted.
Carefully, I flash my eyes at him, just a bit.
That breaks the weird tension. His eyes narrow and he presses into my hand, squaring his shoulders and raising to his full height like he thinks I’m trying to challenge him. I roll my eyes because now is hardly the time for me to start posturing; these two fools have that taken care of.
I flash my eyes again, flickering them on and off and raising my eyebrows this time, trying to deliver the message once more.
Bane grits his teeth, still tense, and it seems like his head inclines just a fraction. Is he nodding? Does he understand? He better.
My face must be flushed as I try to pretend the last few moments never happened and turn my head toward the vampire with what I hope is a charming smile. Passably charming. More charming than demented is all I’m aiming for.
It might not work.
“This isn’t fun anymore. Get out,” Dante demands. “Now.”
“Sorry for the trouble,” I say. “We will leave, I promise. Just one more question, please?”
“The Q&A portion is over.”
