Head Hunter (City Shifters the Pack #3) - Layla Nash Page 0,13
who could rightfully try to sentence Silas to death for what had happened that morning. Only his faith in Evershaw’s willingness and ability to defend the pack let Dodge keep talking. “The human caught sight of Silas and flipped out. She panicked and ran. Now we’ve got to talk to her before she runs her mouth.”
A low growl started in Rafe’s chest, and a muscle in his jaw jumped as he ground his teeth. “She’s fully human? Nothing – else?”
“Far as we know, one hundred percent human,” Dodge said. He’d heard that Rafe’s mate wasn’t entirely human, which made him sensitive to how much the magical community was involved in shifter business. Although Dodge didn’t know if that would be a help or a hindrance in their particular situation with Lawson.
“Anything else we should know about? She lives on my territory, so if she starts making a fuss, she’s our responsibility.”
Dodge didn’t like that one bit. Not at all. Rafe was an all right guy, as far as up-tight alphas went, but Dodge didn’t like his pack – bunch of young kids, slick and inexperienced but too confident. And Rafe’s sister was mated to a lion, and who knew what kind of trouble that meant? He studied his cigar and wished he could have scented more of the architect’s perfume in the air. “She might have seen Deirdre working magic. We don’t know for sure.”
Rafe cursed and ran a hand through his hair. “God damn it. What the fuck is Evershaw doing over there, letting this kind of shit happen?”
Dodge let his expression settle into a dangerous mask, so the other wolf would know he was serious, and leveled a calm gaze at the guy. “Probably best you don’t talk about my alpha like that. It’s our problem, and we’ll fix it. I won’t be on your territory a moment longer than I need to be.”
A growl answered, and Rafe’s eyes glinted gold as he bristled, responding to Dodge’s challenge with the necessary posturing. Dodge didn’t back down, but since Rafe no doubt wanted to avoid an all-out brawl on his own turf, he didn’t push it much further. “Get the fuck off my territory in the next thirty minutes. I see you over here again without a head’s up, you’ll get your ass kicked. Got it?”
Dodge snorted and tried not to laugh. “If you say so.”
Rafe grabbed a fistful of his shirt and looked like he wanted to fight, regardless of whether they were bystanders. “Listen, jackass –“
“No one’s here from your pack,” Dodge said, biting off each word. “You don’t know a goddamn thing about me, mate, so don’t bite off more than you can chew by throwing the first punch. I won’t start the fight but I’ll damn well finish it, hear me? I’ll take care of my business with this girl and get the fuck off your territory. Talk to Evershaw about everything else.”
He managed to stay calm, at least, although his wolf howled to get free and show the bastard why Dodge would have been a better alpha. He held onto control with his fingertips as red flashes filled his vision and started to distract him from the reality surrounding them. Dodge struggled with his own control, enough that he figured Evershaw would eventually have to bail his ass out of jail for pummeling Rafe O’Shea into a puddle on the sidewalk.
But Rafe shoved him back, all his teeth showing in a warning, and snapped, “You have twenty minutes.”
He stormed off, still growling, and said something to a hulking bruiser that had accompanied him. No doubt the meathead was there to verify Dodge went on his way in twenty minutes. Dodge turned his attention back to the apartment building, carefully straightening his shirt and jacket, and checked his cigar. Son of a bitch knocked the coal off. He muttered and carefully re-lit it, then leaned against the building behind him so he could look even more like he had zero fucks to give. Let the meathead report that back to the O’Sheas.
Dodge stayed right where he was for twenty-three minutes, just to make sure BloodMoon pack knew he wasn’t going to be intimidated, even by their alpha. But he called Evershaw to warn him the O’Sheas might end up pretty pissed off, and damn well enjoyed making his own alpha’s life a little more difficult.
He grinned as he enjoyed every minute of the cigar. There was a lot to be said for not being the