Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain) - By Amanda Carlson Page 0,13

wasn’t as strong as a wolf. In our world, your animal matched your strength. A fox would be at a serious disadvantage against a powerful goddess. I wasn’t willing to take the risk. Plus, someone had to stay behind to keep the business running. I had no idea how long I’d be gone—or if I’d even be coming back.

“He’s a big boy. He can take being left behind,” Marcy declared as she sat down and started shuffling papers, avoiding me and the emotional conversation we both knew was next. “He’ll get over it. Eventually.”

I walked over and braced my knuckles on her smooth wooden desk. “You’re a frustrating witch, you know that?”

“I know.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes as she continued to stack her notes.

“You’re going to cry like a baby when I don’t come back.”

“You’re coming back,” she said, finally tilting her head up to meet my gaze. Her eyes were clear, but I could sense her emotion.

“How can you be so sure? You have no idea what’s in store for me. Selene could rip my skin to shreds with her bullwhip, or she could shred my heart with her metal Wolverine claws.” Sounded like something the sadistic bitch would have. “There are a million ways she could kill me, and you know it. We’re just sidestepping the main issue—this might be our last tender goodbye forever.” I didn’t want to admit it, but I was a little nervous I wouldn’t see her—or anyone—again. All jokes aside, I was betting on me, but I had no idea how things were going to turn out in the end.

“Let me tell you something.” She motioned me to lean over further with a curl of her finger, and I obliged. Very softly, right next to my ear, she said, “I know you’re going to survive, because I’m witchy and I know a thing or two about the future. And guess what?”

“What?” I whispered.

“Chicken butt.”

4

I crept down my apartment hallway like a burglar.

I hadn’t had the balls to confess to my neighbor, and unlikely new pal, Juanita, I was leaving again for an undisclosed amount of time. She was an extremely intelligent woman and at some point she was going to start questioning me and my new revolving posse of extra-large men, and begin to reevaluate the misplaced loyalty she’d somehow invested in me. Plus, I’d already inadvertently put her in harm’s way when I’d asked her to keep an eye on my place, and I wasn’t planning on doing it again.

Keeping her at arm’s length was the safest for everyone.

My wolf snapped her jaws at me, urging me to move faster. I’m going. It’s just easier if we don’t have to deal with the neighbors. This is what humans call finesse. See me finessing my way through the hallway instead of barreling down it like you’d prefer? My way makes us invisible; your way brings people out to investigate. She bit the air in front of her.

My wolf was past agitation and on to full frustration. Her number one priority was reaching Rourke. Nothing else mattered to her. But my human obligations made it impossible to drop everything and run after him. Not to mention we had no idea where to start the search until the vamps arrived. Getting their help locating Colin Rourke, the werecat who happened to be my mate, was the no-no deal I’d struck with the Vamp Queen. I’d sworn an oath to her, against my father’s wishes, to return to New Orleans very soon, in exchange for vampire aid. The vamps in question had been out scouting since last evening, and after they awoke tonight, they were supposed to magically arrive on my doorstep. They were our quickest way to Selene, the Lunar Goddess, we were tracking, and I’d sacrificed a lot to make that deal.

It had been only thirty-six hours since we’d left the Queen, but it felt like an eternity.

We’re leaving soon. Hang tight. She growled, but finally settled down.

In the very brief time I’d spent with Rourke something had changed. His clear, pale eyes, ringed with the thinnest line of emerald, were still at the forefront of my mind. His scent was etched like an intricate pattern into every part of my soul in painful detail—the rich, dark cloves mixed with sweet molasses—almost as if I smelled him right now. The images of him fighting for me, protecting me, kissing me, were overwhelming, and they played over and over in my mind like a