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She was breaking into a thousand pieces after everything that had just happened. Ripples of fear like tiny pricks of electricity ran through her. Right now she could use not knowing any of the things that had happened, too.
But it had. All of it.
Somehow she’d remembered enough of her minimal self-defense training to defend herself against Cory. And…and Kodiak, he—
She cast him a glance. What the fuck had happened to Cory? Was he even still alive?
Worse, did she even care or want to know?
A soft groan escaped her lips as she rubbed her temples.
“Are you all right?” asked Kodiak.
She caught his gaze. Concern shone there; a bright, calming light that soothed her.
But that was a fallacy, wasn’t it? She’d gone from creatures with fangs that drank blood to one with fangs and claws and fur that wanted to rip flesh apart.
Like hers. Like that dog which had attacked and scarred her all those years ago.
Kodiak was that, beneath the handsome, virile man sitting next to her.
A man in clothes that he’d taken from a dead vampire because he was actually a wolf inside, and—
A small sob tried to break free, but she bit down on it and quickly looked out the passenger window of his car. She let the changing scenery tumble through her mind as she tried to find a place inside that was still familiar, still grounded in what she’d known as reality.
But how did someone do that when they’d seen things that ripped open the tiny bubble of her reality into something new and terrifying?
“Tamaska.”
Her skin prickled at the way he said her name, the deep cadence of it, something that could both soothe and rile.
How could she want him the way she did, like the beat of a pagan drum in her veins, and also fear him? All at once he called to her, a creature that had scarred her psyche worse than her flesh, a man who offered her shelter, risked his life for her, and pushed her away.
She wasn’t the type of woman to be conflicted over a man. She was either attracted to them, or she wasn’t. And if one small thing marred that attraction, got her hackles up, she walked. Yet here she was, knowing all she knew about Kodiak, after everything they’d done, everything she’d seen, everything she’d said, still wanting him. Even though the fear lingered.
She leaned her head against the glass, the coolness a balm against her forehead. The lights of the city blurred, flashing past. She was glad he didn’t ask any more questions.
While he’d done what she’d asked and gotten her the hell out of there, she needed a few moments to process, to shake off the chill of the enemy, of everything.
She wanted to coil up in on herself and never unfurl, but she couldn’t. Too much depended on her standing strong. Her job, life, maybe even the future because if bloodsucking creatures of the night wanted the Blood Opal, she didn’t think it was over the monetary value.
And her friend…no way was she going to let Tahla’s death be in vain.
She licked her lips, sitting up.
“Thanks for….” Tamaska couldn’t say the words. What words could she say, anyway? Could she thank him for fending off the vampires? If she did that, she would be admitting out loud that they were real, and she didn’t want to do that.
Oh, she couldn’t deny it, just like she couldn’t deny Kodiak changing into a powerful wolf, but not saying it gave a tiny bit of comfort.
Her world, as she knew it, was gone. Everything had changed.
As much as she wanted to deny the existence of vampires and werewolves, how could she? It was quickly becoming apparent that this was all part of her world.
“My pleasure,” he said.
His tone was soft and warm. The man was intelligent, if arrogant—she’d learned that before she’d discovered his secret. But she’s seen the violence, the power of him as a wolf. And what would happen if he turned that on her?
She cast him a long, low look. Could he change at any moment? Were there signs she needed to watch for? How the fuck would she even know until it was too late? Tamaska swallowed, glancing out the window.
