{"id":3082,"date":"2023-01-16T11:39:52","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T16:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/?p=3082"},"modified":"2023-12-29T13:22:39","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T18:22:39","slug":"wolf-pack-sneak-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/?p=3082","title":{"rendered":"Wolf Trap sneak preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wolf<\/em><\/a>Wolf Trap<\/a> is now live!\u00a0<\/em>Here are the first few chapters so you can see if Tru’s adventure floats your boat…<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u200bChapter 1<\/h2>\n

Flee! Scary Guy!!<\/em><\/span> demanded the scrawl of black ink up the inside of my left arm, the words at just the right level so my opening eyes couldn\u2019t help but fixate on the written advice. Blearily, I noted that my sleeve had been pushed up to reveal even more tiny letters decipherable only because they matched my own handwriting: <\/span>Light sleeper!!! Get out now!!!!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I blinked away grit and tilted my head to consider the situation. Scary Guy didn\u2019t look particularly scary. His head rested on the neighboring pillow, my breath just barely fluttering his long, ebony lashes. Equally dark hair atop his head was mussed as if he\u2019d tossed and turned in the night, and no wonder since his broad, fully dressed body indented the covers rather than resting beneath them. Still, he\u2019d managed to curl protectively around me while never quite touching the lump I made beneath the luxurious duvet, all while wearing a formal lounge suit that had not been made for sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, nothing appeared to have happened here last night. Nothing that would risk my standing in society\u2026other than our completely inappropriate proximity without benefit of a chaperone, of course.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, if I couldn\u2019t trust my own words, what could I trust? The marked-upon arm was stretched up under my head and sound asleep, but I eased it down in preparation for a sneaky exit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Or, rather, I tried to.<\/span><\/p>\n

Something soft yet unyielding held the arm in question exactly where it had been when I awakened. Something that made no sense, then suddenly did as my understanding of the world twisted on its axis, unlocking knowledge that felt at the same time old and brand new.<\/span><\/p>\n

The item restraining my motion was a <\/span>sex toy<\/em><\/span>, the mere phrase making me blush. Absurdly fluffy pink handcuffs wrapped first around my wrist then around the bed frame. I\u2019d been locked very gently yet very firmly in place.<\/span><\/p>\n

The puzzle of last night\u2014why was I here? Who was Scary Guy?\u2014tickled my mind like a sword umbrella found in a thrift shop with a price tag far less than a collector would have paid for it. But my racing pulse demanded flight rather than puzzle-piecing, so I focused instead on potential tools within easy reach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lamp on a bedside table. Alarm clock with huge glowing digits that tried to consume my attention with its marvelousness but which I ignored as unhelpful. Drawer that I guessed from the hotel-like atmosphere might hold branded stationery and pen.<\/span><\/p>\n

No flexible wire was in evidence, and I couldn\u2019t quite recall what I intended to do with the item if I found it. But I trusted the shred of memory promising a solution, so I kept searching. Perhaps if I was very lucky the hotel would have splurged on one of those newfangled retractable pens\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

After one quick glance to ensure Scary Guy was still sleeping, I bent my body slowly, slowly, away from him then eased the drawer open to reveal exactly what I\u2019d expected. <\/span>Bingo. <\/em><\/span>Not only information about my location\u2014\u201cLexington, Kentucky\u201d was helpfully typed beneath the hotel name on the expected stationary\u2014but also the exact item I needed to free myself. Tucking the ballpoint beneath my chin, I let muscle memory guide me as I unscrewed the top from the bottom and tapped out the metal spring.<\/span><\/p>\n

Straightening even a small part of the curved wire was a bear with Scary Guy asleep on the bed beside me. Each time I moved, his breathing hitched and I froze. But eventually I held a length of semi-straight metal pinched between thumb and forefinger. Eventually, I was ready to work myself loose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hairs prickled on the back of my neck as I turned my back on Scary Guy completely this time. The posture was necessary to reach the handcuff, but a niggling memory promised that long eyelashes were false advertising. The man sleeping on the bed beside me was a predator and if I woke him\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Quieting my breathing with an effort, I inserted the wire into the hole then bent it into a V shape. Out it came then in at a different angle. <\/span>Twist. Click. Success.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I grinned then froze as Scary Guy moved on the bed behind me. I couldn\u2019t tell whether his eyes had opened. Could only feel the possessive weight as a huge hand slung itself across my shoulder and neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

The touch should have been distasteful or worrisome, but his skin smelled like lemon-meringue pie. Sweet and tart with furry undertones.<\/span><\/p>\n

Werewolf,<\/em><\/span> my foggy memory suggested. <\/span>Alpha. Danger!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I scraped the lining of my brain in search of further information but found nothing I could put words to. Just oddly mixed emotions and a complete absence of tangible puzzle pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, behind me, Scary Guy\u2019s breath had eased back into the regular susurration of slumber. He was unaware of my imminent escape\u2026for the moment at least.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enough puzzling<\/em><\/span>,<\/span> I warned myself. <\/span>On task, please.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

With the full use of all my fingers, it was simple to unlock the other handcuff from around the bed frame, even though I had to be fastidiously slow now that Scary Guy\u2019s heat pushed into my skin through layers of fabric. The hotel had very helpfully chosen a bed with a slatted headboard, which meant I could move the handcuffs down the line, reattach them, then.\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

The pink fur was so soft that Scary Guy didn\u2019t wake when I slid his wrist into the unlocked side of the restraining device. He didn\u2019t wake when the latch clicked shut. That success made me cockier than I should have been.<\/span><\/p>\n

Easing a pillow into the space beneath his arm where I\u2019d reclined one moment earlier, I crept out of bed and came erect on high-laced boots. No wonder my toes had complained so adamantly. It would have been entirely inappropriate to undress last night, but surely I could have at least slid off my footwear?<\/span><\/p>\n

I paused to consider\u2026and a huge hand lashed out to clamp shut around my billowing skirt fabric. \u201cWait,\u201d Scary Guy rasped, the single word as harsh as sandpaper against my skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was caught. Then I wasn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lunging sideways, I used the release of spring-like tension in one leg to rip myself free of my captor\u2019s grip. \u201cI\u2019d rather not,\u201d I rebutted, dancing out of reach then continuing toward the window that offered escape into night just on the cusp of dawn.<\/span><\/p>\n

The crash behind me could have been the headboard being ripped apart or just a display of temper. I didn\u2019t dare slow to check. Only once I\u2019d pushed the window open and slammed my shoulder through the screen\u2014such a shame to ruin astonishingly fine craftsmanship\u2014did I dare turn back to assess the situation I was leaving behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Drake\"Flat gray eyes bored into mine and now I understood the nickname I\u2019d scrawled up the inside of my arm. This man <\/span>was<\/em><\/span> scary. Not because of his size and his muscles but because of the emotionlessness behind those pupils as he patiently wriggled the headboard slat back and forth and back and forth again. Brute force hadn\u2019t broken the wood but it wouldn\u2019t be long before patience won him free.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, I found myself succumbing to the temptation of the puzzle rather than fleeing. \u201cWho are you?\u201d I demanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tiniest crinkle of humor formed on either side of his otherwise emotionless eyes. \u201cTell me your name and I\u2019ll tell you mine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That seemed like a fair trade so I opened my mouth to oblige him\u2026and found nothing where my identity should have been. No given name, no family name, no knowledge of who I was and why I was here in this hotel room.<\/span><\/p>\n

A lightning bolt of terror spun through me. Then, on its heels, something I could cling to. A female voice slicing through the fog of memorylessness like a remnant of previously uttered breath.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are strong. You can do this.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The sounds didn\u2019t quite match the words, but I understood them anyway. And even though I still didn\u2019t know who I was, the remembered voice of my mother was immediately recognizable. I knew on an instinctive level that her belief in my abilities had buoyed me up in the past. If I so chose, I could let that maternal trust buoy me up now.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first ray of early morning sun struck my back like the warmth of maternal kudos. A sharp whistle from the street almost jogged more reminders loose inside my head.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost, but not quite.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo idea, huh?\u201d Scary Guy\u2019s rasp was louder than it had been a moment earlier. And while he hadn\u2019t shared his name, I somehow knew this man wouldn\u2019t raise his voice without good reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was covering something up. The sound of slowly splintering wood maybe?<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t wait to find out. I jumped through the window\u2014first floor, thankfully\u2014and obeyed my own instructions. Feet against pavement, I fled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 2<\/h2>\n

I was running flat out when someone pounded up beside me. Not Scary Guy but a woman. <\/span>Ignorable<\/em><\/span>, I decided, then found myself veering toward her instead of away as something huge and rumbling sped by so close on my other side that the breeze of its passing whipped hair into my face.<\/span><\/p>\n

That <\/span>thing<\/em><\/span> was tremendous. Loud. Dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\n

I shook my head as I realized I was mistaken. That<\/span> thing <\/em><\/span>hadn\u2019t been a monster. It was just a very fast motor wagon. Or rather\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCar,\u201d the woman said, nudging my shoulder in what seemed like a companionable manner, all without breaking stride. \u201cHave you forgotten them today? Bad morning, I see, but I\u2019ve gotcha.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

By this point we\u2019d reached a corner and she turned right, the opposite direction from the one in which I\u2019d intended to travel. After all, the area straight ahead seemed busier and more likely to hide me from my pursuer.<\/span><\/p>\n

But curiosity instead sent me following the stranger. \u201cHow did you know I\u2019d forgotten?\u201d I demanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you forget every day at dawn.\u201d She pointed where the sun would have been if a four-story building hadn\u2019t blocked our view of the horizon. \u201cSometimes you forget more, sometimes less. Major buzz kill, but whatcha gonna do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the language that only barely made sense, her assertion seemed reasonable. Still, I wasn\u2019t quite willing to accept daily memory loss on a stranger\u2019s say-so. \u201cAnd you know this because\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The woman stopped dead, turning to point into a darkened shop window. \u201cLook.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t have time for extended chitchat. Scary Guy would be loose by now and instinct told me he could follow my scent trail around a corner as easily as if I\u2019d been strolling along an empty beach with absolutely nothing to hide behind. Still, good manners dictated that I at least glance in the indicated direction. And what I saw froze me in my tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two young women were reflected by the glass-turned-mirror, two young women clad just as differently as I\u2019d guessed at first glance. I wore a dress that covered my arms, neck, and ankles, precisely as societal mores dictated. She wore tight trousers\u2014<\/span>leggings<\/em><\/span>, my erratic memory offered\u2014and a bodice that revealed more than it concealed\u2014<\/span>tank top<\/em><\/span> suggested another brief memory burst.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t the clothes that had startled me into stillness. Instead, I fixated on the eerie similarities between our two faces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Straight dark hair on both of us framed features that were common in my homeland but not here in the States. Because those words from my mother hadn\u2019t been English, had they? They\u2019d been Japanese, just like me and this woman by my side.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our similarities weren\u2019t confined to a shared nationality either. No, we both boasted cheekbones a trifle sharper than was truly attractive, just like Okaasan\u2019s. And we both sported that strange streak of white hair at our left temple, a streak that made us look older than the mid twenties I\u2019d otherwise guess us to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re twins,\u201d I breathed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite. You\u2019re Tru. I\u2019m Kami. Here, this should cheer you up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I hadn\u2019t even realized the other woman was carrying something until she thrust it into my hands. But the object was mine, I knew, as soon as I touched the polished wooden handle. Because while it appeared to be an ordinary umbrella\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

I snicked the latch and a sword slid free. The same sword that had sprung into my mind while I assessed the hotel-bed situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d I breathed, deciding then and there that I could trust Kami. After all, she\u2019d brought me a sword that felt like safety, a solid link to a murkily obscured past. Plus, how could I not trust a woman who shared my own face? \u201cYour kindness is noted and will be reciprocated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kami snorted as if my wording amused her. But she had just enough time to say \u201cIf that\u2019s a thank you, then you\u2019re welcome\u201d before a dull thud caught both of our attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sound was so quiet it might have originated in my imagination. It hadn\u2019t, though. Not when the scent wafting toward us was unmistakable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lemon-meringue pie and fur. Scary Guy.<\/span><\/p>\n

I spun to find his dark shape rounding the corner and stalking wolf-like toward us. He wasn\u2019t running, but he wasn\u2019t stopping either. And Kami was biting her lip now, proof that the incoming danger wasn\u2019t all in my head.<\/span><\/p>\n

Save ourselves with sword or feet? Scary Guy\u2019s emotionless eyes made the decision for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Slamming my blade back into its umbrella hiding place, I addressed Kami. \u201cIt\u2019s been a pleasure making your acquaintance. Now run!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
***<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Kami knew the city in a way I didn\u2019t. Or, perhaps, in a way I once had but had since forgotten. We shimmied under a chain-link fence using a gap so small it had clearly been created by dogs or children. Our bodies barely fit, so we knew Scary Guy\u2019s shoulders would be a no-go.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than trying, he launched himself up the side of the fence itself, something I caught out of the corner of one eye in all its tendon-bulging glory. Despite myself, I slowed to watch the spectacle, only to be chided by a memory of my mother\u2019s words.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDumplings above flowers.\u201d<\/em><\/span> When had Okaasan reminded me that substance trumps beauty? I itched to tug on this thin thread of memory, the only one that seemed willing to rise through the fog that shrouded the rest of my past. Now, though, seemed like the time to stick to the present and take the remembered recommendation at face value.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because, yes, Scary Guy was unbelievably agile. He moved with skill few humans managed, all smoothness and lithe grace. But he was also running after us with the single-minded intensity of a predator. I didn\u2019t intend to become his prey.<\/span><\/p>\n

So I followed Kami across a combined playground and ball field as fast as I was able. Even in morning dimness, there was nowhere to hide if you weren\u2019t a small child content to giggle in shadow. A gate at the opposite end swung wide, however, and who knew what lay beyond that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our time to find out, however, was rapidly wearing thin. We\u2019d made it only two-thirds of the way to the gate when the faintest thud of bare feet on grass promised Scary Guy had completed his descent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to stand and fight,\u201d I gasped.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kami was equally breathless when she answered. \u201cNot quite. Trust me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then we were at the gate and through it. The street we\u2019d ended up on rose slightly to a set of railroad tracks where warning bars were even now lowering to block access.<\/span><\/p>\n

To block vehicle access, maybe, but not foot access. The train was in sight, barreling toward us, but I\u2019d gauged Kami\u2019s and my running speed by this point. We could make it. Barely.<\/span><\/p>\n

We ducked under the warning bars and shot across the tracks so close to the train its lights blinded us and its horn blared warning. Then we rested with hands on our knees, catching our breath while large bare feet appeared and reappeared in gaps between huge metal wheels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 3<\/h2>\n

The train offered a longer delay than the fence had, but I knew my scent trail would continue to attract Scary Guy\u2019s attention. So I was surprised when Kami slipped into a darkened alcove in a long stone wall three blocks later. The indentation had once been a doorway, I guessed, but now the erstwhile entrance was bricked off while broken bottles on the ground suggested others had used this spot to gain a degree of seclusion. We wouldn\u2019t be immediately visible to passersby, but I had no doubt Scary Guy would smell us the moment he stepped onto the block.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStrip,\u201d Kami demanded while I was still working through why we\u2019d paused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be late for work if you don\u2019t head to the mall now. I\u2019ll draw the Executioner away, but I need to look and smell like you to make that happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Executioner?\u201d I asked, shivering even though I hadn\u2019t started unfastening the long row of buttons down the front of my dress. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t sound promising. Are you sure you\u2019ll be safe on your own?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Kami snapped her fingers instead of answering, I leaned my sword umbrella up against the wall and obeyed her orders. After all, she seemed to know much more about the mess I\u2019d woken up in than I did.<\/span><\/p>\n

She might\u2019ve known more, but her motives came into question rather abruptly. I looked up from the dress I was trying to step out of without dragging it through the dirt to find her snatching my umbrella, winding a mass of dark fabric around its handle, then tossing the combination up over the wall behind us. The entire grab-twist-throw happened so quickly, I only had time for a single word. \u201cHey!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going after it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I was? Certainly not <\/span>directly<\/em><\/span> after it since the wall was well built and offered few obvious footholds. But, yes, Kami was right\u2014I was definitely going to find a way to the other side to regain my most prized possession, all while rethinking the trust I\u2019d so blithely granted to the woman by my side.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a lot of time,\u201d Kami chided, cocking her head as if she could hear the train even though we\u2019d come too far for the sound to carry. \u201cDitch the dorky shapewear and shift.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have the foggiest idea\u2026\u201d I started. But my skin was tingling, my body twisting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abruptly, my eyes were far closer to the pavement than they had been a moment earlier. The puddled dress beside me was no longer rose but pale yellow. And scents that had whispered secrets when we arrived now yelled overwhelming knowledge of everyone who had passed this point for several hours prior.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was a fox. Of course I was a fox; how could I have forgotten? The hard stays of my corset prodded my fur as I wriggled free of the tunnel cautious humanity dictated.<\/span><\/p>\n

I appeared to owe Kami an apology, not that I could offer one now that I\u2019d ditched human vocal cords. I whined instead and she seemed to get the gist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo worries. I get it. It\u2019s weird not remembering.\u201d Then, before I could try to broach any other topics, she returned to my previous question. \u201cAnd yes, I\u2019ll be fine. The Executioner will lose my trail in no time then I can spend the day busking.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s what you need to know,\u201d she continued while shedding her own clothes without a single glance at the empty street. \u201cI wrapped your uniform around the umbrella. Rosa is your friend and co-worker. She\u2019ll fill the gaps in your memory and I\u2019ll pick you up at the end of your shift.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I was listening, but I was also paying attention to the twitch of my whiskers that told me the Executioner was approaching. The train had passed and even though I couldn\u2019t smell or hear our pursuer, I somehow knew our time was running out.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sooner I left, the sooner Kami could take herself to safety. Fox feet found the wall\u2019s ornamental bulges as easy to traverse as a wide staircase. I was up and over before she stopped grousing at the buttons of my dress.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
***<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bright lights in the mall\u2019s parking lot made up for the fact that only a handful of cars graced the pavement at such an early hour. Which was handy since I had no idea what the woman I was meeting looked like.<\/span><\/p>\n

For my own part, I was newly two-legged, dressed this time in the strange one-piece suit Kami had provided for me. Thus covered, I ignored the twinge of impropriety at my lack of a skirt and headed toward the only current sign of life. A minivan had pulled up around back as I approached, its taillights facing me. And for one split second, the woman emerging from the driver\u2019s side door matched the only person my memory held dear enough to name.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkaasan,\u201d I murmured, hurrying forward to join her. I knew before she took a step that my mother would move carefully due to age biting into her bones. Knew, even from this distance, that her hair would smell like cloves and cinnamon. Her arms around me would be as warm as sunbeams and\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

I was almost close enough to suck up that beloved scent when the woman turned with just as much care as I expected and shattered the heartening illusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, this woman was my mother\u2019s age\u2014sixtyish\u2014and her dark eyes twinkled like Okaasan\u2019s, making her appear much younger. But her facial features were clearly Latina, not Japanese. Unless I\u2019d not only lost memories but chopped others up into confetti, this wasn\u2019t my mother after all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRosa?\u201d I guessed, ignoring the sinking sensation in my stomach as I reached out to take the heavy tote of cleaning supplies out of her hand. After all, even if this wasn\u2019t Okaasan, she was old enough to demand assistance and respect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome imbued every feature of her face as she nodded. \u201cNone other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TruShe might have intended to say more, but just then the back door of the minivan slid open. And muscle memory whipped my sword out of its umbrella sheath in response to the overwhelming aroma of fur.<\/span><\/p>\n

Male. Young. Fit. <\/em><\/span>That was all I saw before the human-form werewolf flung himself at me with a one-word growl. \u201cFox.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWolf,\u201d I rebutted, slicing at the air in front of his nose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then Rosa was pushing her way between us so abruptly I had to turn my blade sideways to prevent it from cutting into innocent flesh. \u201cBenito! Tru! Stop it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>T\u00eda<\/em><\/span>, you don\u2019t understand.\u201d Despite the aggressive scent flowing off him, the young man\u2019s voice was low and restrained. \u201cThis woman isn\u2019t who you think she is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI could have said the exact same thing about you,\u201d I rebutted. As I spoke, I angled my body to place it between him and Rosa, well aware that the older woman was only human and no match for an angry werewolf. The tricky part was deciding when the erratically moving Benito might spring in her direction\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Before I\u2019d won more than a few inches of progress, however, Rosa slammed one palm into my shoulder and one into Benito\u2019s chest then straightened her arms in unison. \u201cEnough. I mean it. Both of you, calm down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her strength was no match for ours, but any resistance on our part might result in her injury. So I let myself be shoved, and my estimation of Benito went up when he retreated as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

And now that we finally had some very real physical distance between us, I was able to notice what I hadn\u2019t earlier. The boy was years shy of his full growth, perhaps only a tall fourteen and skinny in the way of teenagers who\u2019ve gained height so quickly they haven\u2019t managed to match it with muscle.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was also clinging to humanity with clear effort while menacing no one directly. Instead, he appeared to be angling to protect the older woman the same way I was.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which meant\u2014\u201cI overreacted,\u201d I admitted, sheathing my sword. \u201cI apologize.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The young man vibrated for one long moment, then he jerked his chin down in a nod that appeared almost painful. He didn\u2019t meet my eyes, however, and his response was aimed at his relative. \u201cI can\u2019t do this right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWalk it off then,\u201d Rosa agreed. \u201cCome in when you\u2019re ready.\u201d Then, dismissing Benito and heading toward a smaller, less flashy door than the one I\u2019d passed while rounding the building, she tossed over her shoulder, \u201cFox, huh? I didn\u2019t see that coming. Didn\u2019t realize introducing you to Benito would provoke such fireworks either.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Looked like Rosa wasn\u2019t going to fill all of my memory gaps after all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 4<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rosa might not have been privy to my complete history, but she did know how to smooth my way through a job that my muscles found familiar but my conscious mind struggled with. From the locker where she stashed her purse and I reluctantly parted with my umbrella to the best way to clean without bothering the few early morning business owners, Rosa led me through a work day that should have felt familiar but definitely did not.<\/span><\/p>\n

At first, I stared at the huge television screen in the mezzanine every time I passed near it and blushed at the skimpiness of my coveralls. But modernity faded from amazing to run-of-the-mill within a few hours. Soon, I was more interested in guessing why my vocabulary sometimes made Rosa chuckle then point out that <\/span>plimsoll<\/em><\/span> was deeply archaic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe word you\u2019re looking for,\u201d my mentor said gently, \u201cis sneakers. Here, you\u2019ll enjoy this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And I did. The vacuuming robot entranced me so thoroughly that I had to force myself to actually do my job rather than stare at it awestruck. Following the machine across the floor like a cat stalking a mouse, I almost failed to notice the security guard cornering Rosa when she returned from refilling the cleaning fluids in her tote.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll need to see some ID.\u201d He swaggered closer, boxing her into a bend in the hallway with body language that proclaimed he was a lion slapping his paw down over a cockroach. In contrast, thick glasses and a potbelly made him an unlikely predator.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rosa\u2019s attention, however, fixated on his right hand and I strained to see what had her curling in on herself. The same woman who\u2019d stood between my sword and an angry werewolf was doing her best to look innocuous as she murmured apologies. Why\u2026?<\/span><\/p>\n

Gun,<\/em><\/span> my slippery memory informed me after a moment of intense concentration. <\/span>Far more dangerous than a sword.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Rosa might not be my mother, but there was no way I was letting this man threaten her. I started toward the pair, but Rosa met my gaze and gave the tiniest head shake. Meanwhile, she obeyed the security guard as easy as if he wasn\u2019t bullying his way into her personal space.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re new,\u201d she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a rectangular card. Her voice was firmer now than it had been before she noticed me watching. \u201cBut I\u2019m not. I can assure you, everything is very much in order.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than answering, Mr. Potbelly snatched the card and turned it over in his hands, considering it far more intently than the small surface seemed to merit. As he did so, Rosa took advantage of his lack of attention to widen her eyes at me. <\/span>\u201cTake a break,\u201d <\/em><\/span>she mouthed, jerking her chin toward the exit door, outside which we\u2019d shared beef jerky with Benito not so long ago. He\u2019d been four-legged at the time, keeping his distance from me but accepting the snack from Rosa\u2019s fingers as gently as if she was made of glass.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that was only relevant because it meant now was very much not the time for another rest period. On the other hand, it was true that my pockets didn\u2019t contain any rectangular cards. If asked for ID, I\u2019d have nothing to share with this armed bully.<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t obey immediately however. <\/span>\u201cWill you be safe without me?\u201d<\/em><\/span> I mouthed back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rosa nodded once, rolling her eyes in a way that made it clear she\u2019d moved on from fear to disgruntlement. Just about then, the security guard gave up on trying to turn the card into something it wasn\u2019t. He handed it back, then frowned and swiveled to find out what Rosa was looking at\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026But I was already gone. Speedwalking past barred shop entrances and sliding into the break room Rosa had led me in through. I snagged my umbrella from the locker then vacillated in front of the back door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, Rosa had seemed in control of the situation when I left, but how much of that was a facade donned for my benefit? Was I really going to leave Rosa alone with a man who threatened unknown trouble? A man using a dangerous weapon to bolster his weakness?<\/span><\/p>\n

The gunshot that made up my mind came from in front of me, not from behind me. From outside where we\u2019d left Benito pacing fifteen minutes earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n

Time slowed as I shoved my way through the doorway. But I was too late. By the time I reached his furry body, Rosa\u2019s nephew was dead.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
***<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

He was dead and a vehicle was speeding off around the corner. I got the impression of something dark and blocky, then the shooter was gone far faster than feet could follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, I took off after the vehicle anyway, or tried to. Three steps in, a different car screeched to a halt directly in front of me, disgorging the same man I\u2019d woken up handcuffed beside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d the Executioner demanded, the saw rasp of his voice sharper than the part in his hair. This morning, long lashes had hinted at innocence, but that illusion fragmented as his gray eyes bored into mine in daylight. A stark memory of a losing battle with a dogpile of snarling werewolves drifted through my mind like smoke before a fire. <\/span>Alpha. Danger. <\/em><\/span>Every instinct demanded I run far and I run fast.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, I wasn\u2019t about to abandon evidence of Benito\u2019s killing. Not when Rosa would need answers to fill the hole her nephew left behind him. Not when Rosa might be in just as much danger from the Executioner as I was.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, I spat questions back in his direction. \u201cWhy are you following me? How did you find me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The third potential query\u2014was it coincidence that he\u2019d shown up so soon after a deadly shooting?\u2014wasn\u2019t asked in words. Instead, I swallowed my fear and closed the space between us, hairs standing up along the back of my neck as I approached the werewolf that rubbed shrouded fear raw.<\/span><\/p>\n

To my surprise, he didn\u2019t move as I grabbed his wrists and yanked his hands up toward my nose. It was hard to force myself to breathe, not just through fear of his proximity but because of the way those gray eyes considered me in silence for an endless moment before he rasped out an answer to questions both asked and unasked. \u201cI followed you because I didn\u2019t want you running scared all day. I found you by driving a grid between the points where I lost your trail over the last three days. Now it\u2019s your turn. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I only half listened, paying more attention to my nose than to his explanation. This man stank of the mouth-puckering astringency of alpha, yet lemon-meringue pie overwhelmed that more generic aroma. Sweet-tart deliciousness enfolded me in its embrace like the warmth of the hotel bed I\u2019d woken in not many hours earlier. Despite myself, I found my urge to flee receding along with the half-memory from my past…<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wolf Trap is now live!\u00a0Here are the first few chapters so you can see if Tru’s adventure floats your boat… *** \u200bChapter 1 Flee! Scary Guy!! demanded the scrawl of black ink up the inside of my left arm, the words at just the right level so my opening eyes couldn\u2019t help but fixate on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,167],"tags":[24,151,14,7,27,23,8],"class_list":["post-3082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-excerpts-aimee-easterling","category-series-time-bites","tag-kindle-unlimited","tag-kitsune","tag-paranormal-books","tag-shifter-books","tag-urban-fantasy-books","tag-urban-paranormal-romantic-fantasy","tag-werewolf-books","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3082"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3596,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3082\/revisions\/3596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}