“You!”
Then he turned to the black man. “Why do you obey me?”
“Because you are.”
Good answer, but there was little humility in the man’s gaze. Lip service, then, because he smelled no terror coming off him. Nothing but the lingering scent of stale cigarette.
“I should kill you,” he said casually.
The man’s head jerked straight in surprise, but he didn’t speak.
“Do you know why?”
“Because I am large and scary looking. Because I am the next logical challenger.”
“Yes.” Then Simon allowed his lips to curve. “I don’t need to be a grizzly to kill you. I could do it right now with my bare hands.”
Again the man stayed silent. So did almost everyone else. Everyone but Alyssa who whispered his name.
“Simon.”
It was barely audible and not meant to distract. It was a plea or a prayer to God. Either way he whipped around and stalked toward her. In this group of dangerous, vicious creatures, she was the only one who dared challenge him. She was the one who looked him in the eye and he should kill her. But she was female and he meant to mount her. So she would not die yet, but he would punish her.
Once in front of her, he gripped her arm and hauled her to her feet. And when she was not sufficiently compliant, he jerked her against his body. She was dressed in tight jeans and a thin tee, and he was naked. And while he held her hard against his body, he rubbed himself up and down against her crotch. Let them see how big he was. Let him see what he would do to her.
She gasped in shock, her eyes going wide. Behind her, Vic shifted uncomfortably, but he didn’t speak. If he did, he’d be the one to die. But Alyssa’s brother kept his eyes down and his hands clenched. And best of all, Vic was completely and totally human looking now. No monster in sight.
So he focused on Alyssa.
“I told you to be quiet,” he said against her ear.
He was gloriously erect now. Around her, it took nothing for him to be hard as a rock. He thought about bending her over here. He could show everyone that he possessed her. But he would be vulnerable while inside her. It was too soon for such a thing, more’s the pity. Because he wanted her now with a hunger that burned in his belly.
Meanwhile, her expression softened. It was not the look he expected. He only understood submission or challenge. But her brows lifted and her mouth eased. And then she slowly lifted her hand to touch his cheek. Her skin was cool and her touch gentle.
He reared back in shock and though she stilled, she didn’t cringe at the violence he felt churning inside him. She simply stood poised with her hand suspended in the air. And then she spoke, her voice barely audible even to him who stood a few inches away.
“Come back, Simon. Come back to who you really are.”
He inhaled, his nostrils flaring. He scented fear from everyone around him including her. Good. But from her, he also scented arousal. He saw it, too, in the rapid pulse in her throat and the flush to her cheeks. But beyond those signs, she remained steady and focused.
“Do you remember why we’re here?” she asked.
“Doesn’t matter. I own them now.” His gaze cut around the room, searching again for his target. Maybe the wounded one who’d been nearly killed by the monsters when they’d first walked in. He stalked over to the man who looked like a pale blond surfer with bloodshot eyes and shaking hands. The fight and the shift had taken everything out of him, not to mention the thigh wound, which had sealed in the change back to human but still looked like a raw jagged line.
“Who are you?” he demanded, his voice raw.
“Yours.” His voice was higher than the black man’s, but no less quick. It was the weary anger that simmered in the man’s eyes that bothered Simon.
“Why were they trying to kill you?”
“Because I’m a cop, and I was asking questions.”
Interesting. Part of him wanted to know more, but the rest was more concerned with obedience. “Who did you ask?”
“Nanook.”
Simon’s hand shot out, hard and sharp. He slapped the cop across the face and sent him reeling. He didn’t need to kill him to show power. In this, all he required was his open palm, which was more insulting than a fist.
