"How could you? That isn"t fair, Tiffany! Why would you do such a terrible thing?"
Tiffany was startled into a laugh, though there was nothing funny about the situation. "Fair? You call this fair? Heather, you"re the only one of the Diamondfangs who has listened to me from the start. I"ve got nothing against you. The rest of you need to listen to me, this time, and believe me when I say that I don"t intend to cause you any harm unless you decide against honoring my request. All I wanted when I came here was to find a home in this pack. Nothing has changed. File the papers, do what you need to do to initiate me, and that video will disappear."
Alexis, trembling and white in the face, raised a clawed finger that still sparkled with the crumbled remains of her Gold Pearl nail polish. "You have no right to demand anything from us. Videos and pictures can be doctored. You have no way of proving that it"s really us."
"That"s right." Ca.s.sandra, who had been too stunned to react immediately, showed her fangs in a fierce and humorless grin. "You can"t possibly believe we"d give you what you want or let you walk away from this. Bravo for the attempt-but there"s no way you could ever prove to anyone that your film is real."
Tiffany smiled slyly, reaching for her messenger bag again. "That"s why I saved some other evidence."
Alarmed, the four girls watched with slack jaws as she withdrew a glittering diamond tennis bracelet, dangling with a "VK" charm-Vera"s missing jewelry, taken the same night Tiffany recorded them in the woods after the party.
One that had been clearly visible mixed in with the clothing at the end of the video.
The other girls shot Vera a look. She was pale, her fists clenched so tightly that spots of blood were pooling under her fingernails.
"You little thief! How dare you!"
Tiffany smirked. "Don"t get any ideas. This isn"t the only thing I took-just the most obvious. Travis told me how often you forgot and left jewelry behind when you went hunting with the pack-or stayed the night at his place. Tsk, Vera. I doubt your husband would approve."
Vera"s reaction was immediate and intense. With an enraged howl, she leapt toward Tiffany, closing the distance between them with supernatural speed, hands arched into claws.
Though Ca.s.sandra and Heather moved to stop her, Tiffany was on her feet in no time, ducking behind furniture and flicking her wrists to dislodge daggers from sheathes hidden under the cuffs of her Marc Jacobs peasant blouse.
Everyone froze at the unmistakable gleam of silver.
"Vera, sit down!"
Ca.s.sandra"s voice, usually smooth and sure, cracked on a high note. Aside from the unbelievable f.u.c.k up of leaving evidence of her shift behind, she was terrified that Vera or Tiffany might actually attack one another. Free of a contract, Tiffany"s injury could mean a death sentence for all four of the women if Vera didn"t back off. Plus, the silver weapons Tiffany was holding were deadly weapons-even a small nick could do enough damage to incapacitate or kill them.
Vera stayed where she was, straining against the solid hold Ca.s.sandra and Heather had on her arms. Her glittering gaze, maddened with rage, never left Tiffany"s.
Alexis moved to take Ca.s.sandra"s place restraining Vera, whose skin was starting to darken with fur and muscles were now bulging unnaturally under her clothing. Moving slowly, carefully, palms up to show she meant no harm, Ca.s.sandra edged closer to Tiffany. With any luck, she could draw close enough to incapacitate her without risking injury.
"What does a hunter want with our pack? Did someone send you?"
Tiffany"s gaze didn"t waver from Vera, though one of her hands shifted so the weapon was now pointed at Ca.s.sandra, making her flinch and stop in her tracks.
"Like I told you before, I"m not a hunter anymore. If I show myself in Manhattan after dark, the vampires will kill me. If I show up in Central Park, the Moonwalkers will kill me. If I show up anywhere the White Hats are planning a raid, they will kill me."
Tiffany was met by incredulous stares. All the while, she maintained her fighting pose, poised and ready to strike at a moment"s notice. After giving her statements time to settle in, she continued, very slowly lowering her weapons in a bid to show she wasn"t about to attack-but would be ready to defend herself if need be.
"I want what you have. I want your strength, your speed, your stamina. Your ability to heal. I"ve had too many trips to the hospital, and too many brushes with death to kid myself. The only way I"ll ever be able to survive in this world, particularly with my past, is with a supernatural edge."
Heather, Alexis, and Ca.s.sandra were stunned speechless for the second time in as many minutes, hardly able to believe Tiffany"s motivations.
"You don"t deserve what we have!"
Vera gave voice to a thunderous growl, the gla.s.ses rattling on the table nearby as she b.u.mped into it when she struggled against Alexis and Heather"s hold. They managed to keep her from breaking free, but just barely.
With a contemptuous sneer, Tiffany finally shifted her gaze to Ca.s.sandra, whose mouth was working soundlessly as she tried to find the words to speak. Vera used the distraction, forcing a quick shift and using her superior strength to slide out of Alexis and Heather"s grasp, yanking her arms free with an audible rip of clothing. They stumbled forward, and then fell to their knees when she slammed her fists down on their shoulders.
It took a talented shifter to rearrange the bones and tendons in their body so rapidly without being crippled by the mind-numbing pain of the change. Rather than a.s.sume the form of a wolf, she"d chosen the half-man, half-wolf shape that all werewolves were forced to take during the height of the full moon, her body reformed into the dog-headed beast of legend. Her clothing fell in tatters at her clawed feet, the leather bands of her sandals groaning and snapping, and she shook her muzzle hard enough for her earrings to give a discordant jangle. The jewels at her ears and throat glittered obscenely against her pelt, a mockery of the fashionable image she"d projected only moments ago.
Now towering over the other women, Vera"s sleek fur bristled, dagger fangs dripping saliva as her lip lifted. She stalked forward with murderous intent, clawed, furry arms outstretched to wrap Tiffany in a crushing embrace.
Ca.s.sandra stepped in her way, shouting at her to stop, but Vera batted her across the room hard enough to send her careening into an end table, shattering the furniture.
Tiffany stood her ground as Vera came on, staring up and up into the ma.s.sive Were"s murderously glowing eyes. Defiant to the last, Tiffany curled her own lip, tossing her hair back as she raised a dagger in invitation.
"Bring it, b.i.t.c.h."
With an ear-shattering howl, Vera sprang forward.
CHAPTER 13.
Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart"s desire; the other is to get it.
-Socrates Gaping jaws and talons snapped and clacked as the twisted, furred creature that was Vera pressed the attack. Despite her size and bulk, she moved with supernatural speed, though her paws slid on the smooth marble tile and prevented her from launching into a full charge.
Tiffany moved with the grace of a dancer, arching, twisting, skipping back from swiping claws. She wanted to be turned-but not crippled in the process.
For her part, Vera didn"t take any care as to how sloppy and uncoordinated her attacks were until after the first burning swipe she received on the inside of one ma.s.sive, hairy arm. She yelped, dropping onto all fours and backing up, tail between her legs.
Tiffany circled around, balanced on her toes, ready to spring away if she needed to. The other girls were only just struggling to their feet when Vera sprang with catlike agility, diving in low so talon-tipped fingers could close on the hunter"s ankle, yanking her off her feet. Tiffany was unable to compensate and lost her balance, crashing onto her back and sending one of the daggers clattering across the floor to slide under a couch, far out of reach.
Before any of the other werewives could stop her, Vera was on top of Tiffany"s sprawled form, one paw on her shoulder to keep her down and ma.s.sive jaws diving for her throat.
Tiffany didn"t hesitate to bury the remaining dagger in Vera"s side, the sharp metal sinking between her ribs with the ease of a hot knife through b.u.t.ter. Vera"s head snapped back and she howled in pain, her talons ripping through Tiffany"s silk blouse, and then her skin as she convulsed and jerked away. The knife came free as she pulled back, and Tiffany dropped it in favor of scooting back across the slick floor as far from Vera as possible and grabbing at her bleeding shoulder, crying out in pain.
By then Ca.s.sandra and Alexis had regained their feet. Heather, the weakest of the three, was still clutching at the back of her neck and moaning on the floor. Ca.s.sandra was a little unsteady, but she put herself between Vera and Tiffany, her jaw tight and a muscle ticking in her cheek as she placed her fists on her hips. She glared down at Vera, who was whimpering and rolling on the floor, writhing against the silver burn now racing through her bloodstream. It wasn"t enough to kill her-the blade hadn"t struck anything vital or damaged any internal organs-but she"d be in a great deal of pain for the next few days, and left with a permanent scar.
a.s.suming Ca.s.sandra let her live, that is.
"I hope you"re happy," Ca.s.sandra said, a scowl twisting her features as she kicked Vera"s bleeding side, drawing another choked yowl of pain out of her. "You"ve just signed our death warrants, you moon-crazed, silver-tainted, imbecilic wh.o.r.e!"
Heather"s head jerked up, her eyes widening. She gasped when she spotted all of the blood now pasting Tiffany"s shirt to her chest, then dragged herself to her feet using a nearby chaise as leverage. "Ca.s.sie-"
"If I told you once-"
"Ca.s.sie!"
Ca.s.sandra turned a withering glare on Heather, and she shrank back from the heat in her gaze, voice a low whisper.
"I filed the contract."
Everyone-Alexis, Tiffany, Ca.s.sandra, and Vera-turned their attention on Heather, who wrapped her arms around her stomach and looked away so she wouldn"t have to meet the incredulity and anger in their gazes.
"I filed it this morning. Before the meeting. I knew none of you would ever do it, and I didn"t agree with Gabriel saying no."
Tiffany gave voice to a raspy, triumphant laugh, sitting up and tossing her hair back over her shoulder, though some of the longer strands were now red with blood and clung to her chest and shirt. Ca.s.sandra sucked in a breath through her teeth, her gaze torn between Tiffany and Heather, who was busy hugging herself and trying to look as small as possible. Alexis simply ran her palm over her face, though she was admittedly relieved that it now meant there was no liability connected to herself as far as this unbelievable f.u.c.k up on Vera"s part was concerned.
Tiffany used her free hand to grab a nearby lamp pole to lever herself to her feet. The wounds weren"t too deep, but they stung when she moved around, dragging a wince out of her. Ca.s.sandra tensed, but made no move to help, not wanting to risk being struck by another silver weapon she might have hidden in her clothes.
"Well," Alexis ventured, hoping to defuse some of the tensions between the women now that the worst seemed to be over, "I suppose that means you"re really going to be one of us, now. Congratulations."
Tiffany"s sunny smile was at odds with her pallor and the way she swayed on her feet. Despite the pain, she stood tall and proud, arms folded in front of her chest. Lifting her chin, she turned that pleased grin on Alexis, her look just as predatory as any of the werewolves could have pulled off.
"Don"t worry. None of you will regret the decision. I promise."
Vera growled, the low rumble cutting off into a pained whine when Ca.s.sandra shoved her again with her foot until she subsided. Ca.s.sandra whirled on Tiffany, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed into tight knots as she stalked forward, though she still left a healthy distance between them.
"You may have gotten your way, but you"ll have to rise through the ranks just like the rest of us did. Gabriel isn"t going to make it easy for you, and neither will the rest of the pack. What you did was inexcusable, and hardly fitting behavior for a member of the Diamondfangs. I have the feeling you"ll be spending the next couple of years proving yourself to the rest of us."
Tiffany"s smile faded, and she inclined her head by way of apology. She was still far too pleased to be terribly sorry. "If that"s what you wish, so be it. I suppose I have nothing but time now, so I"ll spend as long as it takes to prove my worth."
Heather paused in rubbing the back of her neck, still sore from Vera"s blow, to turn a puzzled look on Tiffany. "What do you mean?"
"You know that"s why I came to you instead of the vampires, don"t you? I wanted immortality without the nighttime limitations, and I got it. Under the circ.u.mstances, it seems to me being furry for a few nights out of the month isn"t such a bad deal. Now that what"s yours is mine, I"ll do whatever it takes to earn the respect of the pack. We can start with my overseas connections-which should help the pack expand its influence enormously. It"s only a fair trade, considering."
Ca.s.sandra snorted, leaning back on her heels and eyeing Tiffany with a sly twist to her lips. The other girls were staring blankly now, even Vera, too surprised to contradict her.
"Really, now. That"s why you wanted to join us so badly? Immortality?"
"Of course. You think I like the idea of being a monster? What"s the point if you don"t get something out of it-like living forever?"
Ca.s.sandra startled everyone by throwing her head back and laughing, covering her eyes with her hand. Her shoulders shook so hard with mirth that she couldn"t speak right away. Irritated, Tiffany huffed, looking at Heather, who was watching her with wide eyes, her hand over her mouth.
"What"s so funny about that?"
Heather shook her head, not wanting to be the one to break the news. So Alexis did it for her.
"Honey, you should"ve stuck with the vampires. Werewolves aren"t immortal. We have decreased life spans because of our nature."
Tiffany blinked. "Come again?"
"Decreased. Life. Span," Alexis repeated. "We"re destined to die young. Well, relatively."
Already pale from blood loss under the bronze shimmer of her makeup, Tiffany grew whiter still. She staggered a few steps to collapse into a nearby chair. Heather grimaced when she saw the b.l.o.o.d.y handprint left behind on the furniture, but felt it was the wrong time to caution her guests about keeping the place tidy.
"... but ... but I thought ..."
"Wrong, obviously," Ca.s.sandra said, lacing her tone with as much sympathy as she could muster. Under the circ.u.mstances, it wasn"t much. "Sorry, sweetness. I"m surprised you didn"t know. I thought the White Hats were better informed than that."
Tiffany shot her an angry look, though she was still too shocked and weak to do more than raise a shaky fist at her. "I didn"t care about the details, I just went with Richard when he went on hunts. No one ever told me!"
"Get used to it," Heather snapped, her own patience at an end. "You"re one of us now. Welcome to the werewives."
EPILOGUE.
If you want to know what G.o.d thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.
-Dorothy Parker.
Six Months Later.
Alexis stirred her martini, watching a woman ordering one of the cabana boys at the hotel pool to get her a towel and something from the bar. The werewives had decided a vacation down to Atlantic City was in order, and were making the most of the time away from their husbands by shopping, gambling, visiting the local clubs, and soaking up sun by the poolside. Now, resting at a gla.s.s table with a view overlooking the rest of the patio, the pool, and the ocean in the distance, the ladies were relaxing after a long, hard day of wearing out the magnetic stripes on their husbands" credit cards.
Alexis studied the woman with interest. She was dark-haired and golden-skinned, probably from out of town. Her bikini and matching sarong were ones Alexis had considered buying herself when she was shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue earlier in the week. The rock on her finger shone brightly enough that Alexis was glad she"d remembered to bring her Christian Dior sungla.s.ses with her.
The lady said something so sharply that the boy taking her order was quick to pick up her purse for her when she gestured for it, and then rushed off to fetch her drink. Though the sight of the tight b.u.t.t as he bent over to pick up the bag was distracting, Alexis used the excuse of plucking the olive garnishing her drink out and shaking it in the woman"s direction to turn the attention of the other werewives her way.
"What do you think?"
Heather glanced over the rim of the oversized pina colada she"d ordered, then shrugged. "Not bad."
Ca.s.sandra nudged her Prada sungla.s.ses down to rest on the tip of her nose and tipped her sunhat up. She watched the girl snap her fingers as she made demands that the hotel personnel scurried to carry out, catering to her whims as if she were the Queen of England.
"She looks like she"d be a pain in the a.s.s to break in," Vera commented, not bothering to crane her neck to take a look.
Tiffany slid behind her, giving her a hug as she put one of the two c.o.c.ktails she was carrying down on the table in front of Vera, giving her an air-kiss on the cheek. "That"s why I love you. You"re always so positive about these things."
Vera gave Tiffany a vicious, toothy grin, which was soon returned in kind. Tiffany slid into her own seat, crossing her legs so that her Zac Posen floral skirt rode up high on her thigh, distracting several of the men working and lounging near the pool.
"We"ve taken chances before," Ca.s.sandra said, smiling wryly at Tiffany and toasting her with her drink. "What do you think, darling?"
Tapping her cheek with one French-manicured fingernail, Tiffany made a big production of thinking about it, taking her time while the other women rolled their eyes and sipped at their drinks. Lips curved into a Cheshire grin, she curled her fingers around her gla.s.s, hairline cracks appearing in her polish as her nails began forming into talons.
"I say it doesn"t hurt to give her a chance. After all, she looks like she"d fit right in."
The woman, thanks to the Bulgari sungla.s.ses shading her from the sun"s glare, failed to notice five pairs of glowing, golden eyes simultaneously focused upon her with predatory intent.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-7442-7.