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. Nothing is more difficult for a Were than physical pain.You know that.So stop giving me therunaround.We re partners, Val.In this and all things. A moment passed while we stared stubbornly into each other s eyes.Her resolution and determinationmirrored my own.Deep inside, I felt the panther silently bare her teeth, as though daring Valentine toeven try to stop us. You re right, she said finally, breaking the staring match to look over her shoulder toward the entranceof the hallway. I know you re right. Mollified, I pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. So.Since Kyle won t take us back, what s your planfor figuring out where and when the Circuit meets next? At that, she smiled a dangerous smile that showed her teeth. I was thinking, she said, pulling meclose again, that s it s time to pay a visit to Sebastian Brenner. CHAPTER TWENTY -ONEIwasn t used to feeling animosity toward a man for how he looked at my girlfriend, but the waySebastian s gaze roved Val s body made me want to unleash my literal claws.Of course, he wouldutterly destroy me.Since my first transformation, I had become even more attuned to those kinds ofthings the subtle gradations of power conveyed by a glance, a single step, a roll of the shoulders.I nowunderstood why animals circle each other when they met.The evaluation was still a process for me.Ittook time.For him, I was certain, it was instantaneous: he was an alpha, and I, a nobody, was beneathhis regard.For now.Val was wearing a heather green sweater and khaki cargo pants.She looked youthful.Boyish.IPage 141 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlwatched her play it cool with Sebastian; she kept her tone nonchalant and her movements deliberate.This was Valentine s public persona, stripped of the puppyish enthusiasm that only I ever saw.She wassmooth, smart, slightly aloof.And it was turning him on.But while Val was adept at realizing when awoman was interested in her, she seemed completely oblivious to the desire in Sebastian s attention.That frustrated me.And my frustration, in turn, frustrated me.This prickling jealousy wasnew Sebastian s desire for Val had amused me when first we d met.Now he felt like a rival.But howcould he be? Who was he to her? An interesting new acquaintance, nothing more.Whereas I I was theworld. I ll talk to his agent, Sebastian was promising her.I had been listening to the subtext, rather than theconversation itself. He seems like exactly the sound my weekend clientele is looking for. Music.Probably some obscure DJ.Val did love her electronica.The entire genre was too repetitive forme, but Valentine thrived on a strong, fast beat.I wondered if she had noticed that whenever we werewith Sebastian, he very effectively cut me out of the conversation, even now that I was also a shifter.Thatwas fine with me.I wanted a chance to observe him unnoticed.The panther agreed; uneasy in thepresence of such a powerful alpha, she wanted to watch from the shadows. So, I spoke into the brief pause, hoping to move this conversation along. We have a bit of an ulteriormotive in coming to see you today, Sebastian. He raised one eyebrow. Of course. What a condescending bastard.I struggled to remain calm.He was probably baiting me on purpose, tosee if he could needle me into a transformation.I wasn t about to give him any kind of satisfaction.At all.Very slowly and deliberately, I ran my palm from Valentine s left knee to the slight concavity between herleg and pelvis.Her muscles rippled beneath my hand and I could hear her breathing change.I knew hecould, too.Choke on that, Sebastian Brenner. Why don t you tell him, love? I said sweetly. All all right. Val sucked in a deep breath when I letmy fingers ghost over her inner thigh.She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat in what I knewwas a desperate attempt to focus.When it came to me, Valentine had no defenses. We want to go to a Red Circuit party, she said, looking Sebastian straight in the eyes. Can you get usan invitation? Sebastian didn t answer right away.He cocked his head, looking from Val to me and back again.Didthis request change the way he thought of us? Would that be a good thing, or a bad thing? Or was hemerely trying to decide whether we were serious, or tourists? Whatever he saw must have intrigued him,because he sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers beneath his chin.I snorted softly.Oh sopretentious.No one pulled that move naturally. Why? he asked. Well, you know what they say about curiosity, I jibed.Val jerked and glared at me. Don t even fucking joke! I kissed her neck in apology, continuing to placate her by circling two of my fingers slowly against theseam of her pants. We ve been before, as guests of a regular, but that option s not available anymore.We need to get in another way. Page 142 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlSebastian appeared to be lost in thought, presumably making up his mind. I can help you, he saidfinally. But you ll owe me one. I stiffened, not liking the sound of that one bit.The longer we played in this secret world, the morepeople we owed.But Val just shrugged. Fair enough, she said.She was vibrating with a nervoustension now that had nothing to do with my touch and everything to do with the promise of hunting downher quarry.As much as I didn t like being beholden to Sebastian, Val s peace of mind was more thanworth it. There s an abandoned theater in Hell s Kitchen, on the corner of Forty-seventh and Eleventh. Hebared his teeth briefly. In the old red light district. The party s there? I asked, feeling disappointed at the simplicity.After being spoiled by the grandtheatricality of the Steiner Studios location of the first Red Circuit party we d gone to, this was a definiteletdown. Oh, no. He laughed softly. Every Monday, the marquee on the theater changes.It announces thedate, time, and location of the next party.In code. Against my will, my eyebrows arched.That was more like it.Val s excitement was palpable sheseemed to like the cloak-and-dagger aspect [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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. Nothing is more difficult for a Were than physical pain.You know that.So stop giving me therunaround.We re partners, Val.In this and all things. A moment passed while we stared stubbornly into each other s eyes.Her resolution and determinationmirrored my own.Deep inside, I felt the panther silently bare her teeth, as though daring Valentine toeven try to stop us. You re right, she said finally, breaking the staring match to look over her shoulder toward the entranceof the hallway. I know you re right. Mollified, I pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. So.Since Kyle won t take us back, what s your planfor figuring out where and when the Circuit meets next? At that, she smiled a dangerous smile that showed her teeth. I was thinking, she said, pulling meclose again, that s it s time to pay a visit to Sebastian Brenner. CHAPTER TWENTY -ONEIwasn t used to feeling animosity toward a man for how he looked at my girlfriend, but the waySebastian s gaze roved Val s body made me want to unleash my literal claws.Of course, he wouldutterly destroy me.Since my first transformation, I had become even more attuned to those kinds ofthings the subtle gradations of power conveyed by a glance, a single step, a roll of the shoulders.I nowunderstood why animals circle each other when they met.The evaluation was still a process for me.Ittook time.For him, I was certain, it was instantaneous: he was an alpha, and I, a nobody, was beneathhis regard.For now.Val was wearing a heather green sweater and khaki cargo pants.She looked youthful.Boyish.IPage 141 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlwatched her play it cool with Sebastian; she kept her tone nonchalant and her movements deliberate.This was Valentine s public persona, stripped of the puppyish enthusiasm that only I ever saw.She wassmooth, smart, slightly aloof.And it was turning him on.But while Val was adept at realizing when awoman was interested in her, she seemed completely oblivious to the desire in Sebastian s attention.That frustrated me.And my frustration, in turn, frustrated me.This prickling jealousy wasnew Sebastian s desire for Val had amused me when first we d met.Now he felt like a rival.But howcould he be? Who was he to her? An interesting new acquaintance, nothing more.Whereas I I was theworld. I ll talk to his agent, Sebastian was promising her.I had been listening to the subtext, rather than theconversation itself. He seems like exactly the sound my weekend clientele is looking for. Music.Probably some obscure DJ.Val did love her electronica.The entire genre was too repetitive forme, but Valentine thrived on a strong, fast beat.I wondered if she had noticed that whenever we werewith Sebastian, he very effectively cut me out of the conversation, even now that I was also a shifter.Thatwas fine with me.I wanted a chance to observe him unnoticed.The panther agreed; uneasy in thepresence of such a powerful alpha, she wanted to watch from the shadows. So, I spoke into the brief pause, hoping to move this conversation along. We have a bit of an ulteriormotive in coming to see you today, Sebastian. He raised one eyebrow. Of course. What a condescending bastard.I struggled to remain calm.He was probably baiting me on purpose, tosee if he could needle me into a transformation.I wasn t about to give him any kind of satisfaction.At all.Very slowly and deliberately, I ran my palm from Valentine s left knee to the slight concavity between herleg and pelvis.Her muscles rippled beneath my hand and I could hear her breathing change.I knew hecould, too.Choke on that, Sebastian Brenner. Why don t you tell him, love? I said sweetly. All all right. Val sucked in a deep breath when I letmy fingers ghost over her inner thigh.She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat in what I knewwas a desperate attempt to focus.When it came to me, Valentine had no defenses. We want to go to a Red Circuit party, she said, looking Sebastian straight in the eyes. Can you get usan invitation? Sebastian didn t answer right away.He cocked his head, looking from Val to me and back again.Didthis request change the way he thought of us? Would that be a good thing, or a bad thing? Or was hemerely trying to decide whether we were serious, or tourists? Whatever he saw must have intrigued him,because he sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers beneath his chin.I snorted softly.Oh sopretentious.No one pulled that move naturally. Why? he asked. Well, you know what they say about curiosity, I jibed.Val jerked and glared at me. Don t even fucking joke! I kissed her neck in apology, continuing to placate her by circling two of my fingers slowly against theseam of her pants. We ve been before, as guests of a regular, but that option s not available anymore.We need to get in another way. Page 142 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlSebastian appeared to be lost in thought, presumably making up his mind. I can help you, he saidfinally. But you ll owe me one. I stiffened, not liking the sound of that one bit.The longer we played in this secret world, the morepeople we owed.But Val just shrugged. Fair enough, she said.She was vibrating with a nervoustension now that had nothing to do with my touch and everything to do with the promise of hunting downher quarry.As much as I didn t like being beholden to Sebastian, Val s peace of mind was more thanworth it. There s an abandoned theater in Hell s Kitchen, on the corner of Forty-seventh and Eleventh. Hebared his teeth briefly. In the old red light district. The party s there? I asked, feeling disappointed at the simplicity.After being spoiled by the grandtheatricality of the Steiner Studios location of the first Red Circuit party we d gone to, this was a definiteletdown. Oh, no. He laughed softly. Every Monday, the marquee on the theater changes.It announces thedate, time, and location of the next party.In code. Against my will, my eyebrows arched.That was more like it.Val s excitement was palpable sheseemed to like the cloak-and-dagger aspect [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]