Wolf or Love

Danica rolled her eyes. Great, she was being assailed by Dumb and Dumber. “Is there any chance either of you could tell me why I’m being pinned against a wall?”

Fine eye puffed up. Maybe he thought it made him look impressive or intimidating. “We have a message for you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“From Kevin. Tell your mate that his uncle feels it would be in your best interest if he agrees to unite the packs. He only has seven days left before the twelve weeks are up, so if he’s wise he’ll give in to Kevin’s request quickly.”

Anger rushed through her veins and her wolf began pacing and flexing her claws. “Kevin,” she growled with an involuntary snap of the teeth that

had both wolves jerking in surprise. “If Gio doesn’t…?”

“Next time what we do to you will be much worse than what we’re about to do. In other words, we might not let you live next time. We may even have some fun with your little friend there after we’re done here.”

“Oh. And what is it you think you’re going to do to me now?”

Jake smirked. “I’m thinking that I’d like to fuck that mouth of yours.”

“Sorry. I was raised to never put small objects in my mouth or I might choke.”

Fine eye burst out laughing. “She got you there.”

“I’m thinking I’m not your type either,” she said to Fine eye. “What with me not being inflatable and all.”

“Cheeky bitch. You should watch how you talk to us, little girl. There’s pain and there’s pain.”

“You do know that you’re signing your death warrant, don’t you? Gio will kill you.” And Kevin had to know that…which meant this was probably

a trap to enrage Gio. Having grown up with Carrick as a father, she knew all about alpha games and she could spot one a mile away. It was pretty damn possible that Kevin was thinking that if he could make Gio go against protocol and attempt to attack him before the twelve weeks were up, Kevin could appeal to the council to agree to his request. Fuck. That.

With one of the hands dangled at her side she abruptly struck Fine eye in the throat with the web of her hand. He made a choking sound and instantly released her, backing away slightly as he struggled for breath. She then followed that up with a sharp kick to his groin that had him falling to his knees.

“Shit,” cursed Jake in surprise before his hand then shot out and shackled her wrist as he tried to pull her to him. Knowing that the weakest point of his hold was where his fingers and thumb met, Danica twisted her wrist so the thumb-side of her forearm was at that weak point and yanked herself free. Before he made to grab her again she delivered a head butt to his nose that had him stumbling backwards as blood poured from his nostrils. Wanting him down on the floor with Fine eye she quickly grabbed his testicles, squeezed, twisted them sharply, and then jerked so hard she was surprised they didn’t come off in her hand. He fell to his knees with one hand cupping his nose and the other cupping his balls. Both peered up at her wearing looks of total astonishment which satisfied her wolf. “Yeah I see you had low expectations of me. It happens a lot.”

“You broke my nose and nearly ripped off my ballsack you crazy bitch!”

“Crazy bitch? Oh no, honey, I’m an angel, I swear. The horns are only there to hold up the halo. But, all the same, I think it’s best that you don’t

come at me again until you’ve at least learned how to wipe your ass.”

Fine eye spat what she suspected was supposed to be an insult but it was garbled – whether because of the pain from the throat strike or the groin kick, or maybe both.

“Now, let’s chat. You can thank Uncle Kevin for getting in touch and inform him that he shouldn’t expect his little plot to work. You know, I’m curious, why would you let him use you as bait?”

The wolves exchanged a confused glance that had Danica groaning.

“I can only assume that Kevin is just as dumb as you to not only think his little plot would work, but to send two guys who’d be out of their depth in

a puddle. Now, if I were you, I’d get out of here as quick as I could. I’ve no doubt that my friend called her boyfriend who will have told Gio what’s going on so he’s most likely on his way here.” They hadn’t even been smart enough to think of that. She was kind of insulted that Kevin thought these

two were a match for her.

“You’re letting us go?” said Jake.

She shrugged. “I’d be playing into Kevin’s hands if I didn’t. Besides, it would be like handing over two mentally handicapped kids to a sociopath.

But before you go, you can help me out with one thing…How did you guys know where to find me? I know I wasn’t being followed, I’d have sensed you long ago.” Unless of course they were good at what they did.

Fine eyes’ face instantly closed down. Apparently she wasn’t getting any information from that corner. Jake, on the other hand, shrugged like the answer was simple. “Kevin’s informant from your pack told him you’d be – Ow!” He scowled at Fine eye, rubbing the spot on his head where Fine eye had hit him. “Hey, what did you do that for?”

“You just don’t know when to shut up. Idiot.”

Their arguing faded into the background as the implications of what Jake had said finally settled into her brain. Sure she’d known she wasn’t

liked by everyone in the pack, and she’d known that one of them hated her enough to vandalise her property, kill her bird, and even cause her to have a bad fall. But for them to be an informant for Kevin, for them to betray Gio so completely…She was surprised by just how much it hurt.

Turning her attention back to the idiots at her feet, she gestured with her hand as she ordered, “Go, get out of here.” She watched as they hobbled

away, constantly casting her suspicious glances. Her wolf growled her disappointment, wanting to rip out both their throats for daring to touch her.

Only when Danica saw them drive off in a transit van did she get into her own car. Lucy was trembling and panting. “You okay?”

“You fought them,” said Lucy, wide-eyed. “I can’t believe you fought them. I was expecting you to trick them and get away, not to -”

“Did you call anyone?”

Lucy double-blinked, shaking her head as if to clear it. “Um. Yeah.

Richard.”

“Which means Gio and some of the pack will probably be on their way here.”

“Why did you let those two guys go?”

Danica glanced at her face in the mirror of the sun visor and cursed. As she’d suspected, there was a small cut on her forehead from when she’d butted Jake. This was going to make Gio’s reaction so much worse. Jamming the keys in the ignition she threw the car into gear and reversed

from the parking space. “Call Richard. Tell him we’re making our way back.”

Nodding, a still shaky Lucy fished her cell from her pocket. “Richard, it’s me, we’re – No she’s fine. She, well she kicked their asses. We’re just on our

way back to – No they, um, got away. Danica can explain – Really, I swear, she’s fine.” Danica and Lucy both winced as they heard Gio yelling in the background. “Danica, Gio wants to talk to you. I’m going to put him on speakerphone.”

“Danica, tell me you’re okay, baby,” he demanded through his teeth.

“I’m fine, really, we’re -”

“What the hell happened? Where’re the bastards? Did they touch you,

Danica? Tell me they didn’t touch you. I swear to God I’ll -”

Knowing what he meant by ‘touch’, she quickly assured him, “No, they didn’t touch me.”

“Who the hell were they?”

“Um…we’ll talk about that when I get home.” She knew for a fact that if she mentioned Kevin, the guys would drive straight to his territory, playing

into his hands. “We’re about ten minutes from Lilas. Where are you?”

“I don’t know, five minutes away from the mall maybe.”

She had thought about asking him to turn back and she’d meet him at home, but hearing how frantic he sounded she knew that the sooner he saw her safe and unharmed the better. “Then we’ll probably come across each other soon enough. We’ll keep a look out for you.”