The one with the two colored eyes and the silver streak.
The one with the attitude.
Gunner dropped his hand and shifted backward, almost upending himself off the table.
“Wait... You’re the girl from the speed dating thing… The one—”
“Ah, there it is. Memories are still intact, I see, which is good. Means whatever I did does not have a long-term effect. At least, I don’t think it does.” She pulled away from him and walked off toward the… kitchen?
“Where the hell did you take me?” he growled as he stood, looking around the room for any sign that might tell him who this woman was and where exactly he had been taken. His gaze settled on the woman who stood in a black tank top and grey skirt against a muted greyish wooden counter. The counter itself was lined with glass canisters, nearly two rows of them, filled to the brim but left unlabeled. Gunner watched as she poured a glass of some kind of liquid into what looked like a black wine tumbler with white stars.
“Why, I took you home, of course. I couldn’t very well revive your ass out of stasis otherwise,” she bit out and then sipped her drink.
Before Gunner could speak, he felt a large nudge against his knee, and he noted the scent of fire and brimstone clear in his senses.
He looked to his side to see a rather large black creature thatresembleda wolf, but as a shifter Gunner was more than capable of sensing a creature like himself, or the animal within.
This animal was neither of those things, and the moment he realized what the creature was, he nearly leapt out of his skin.
He’d heard tales of hellhounds, but he didn’t think they were real.
As if the creature could sense his apprehension, it growled.
“Do you mind?” he said to it as he slowly moved away from the big black dog-like creature.
“Oh, don’t mind Spike. He’s harmless, really. Well, unless you are a soul bound for Hell, naturally.”
“What?” Gunner’s voice escalated an octave, much to his dismay. Not much frightened him, but he had to admit he did not want to end up downstairs well before his time. He backed away slowly from the creature, who just cocked its head at him as if he were nothing more than a rogue raccoon in the house.
“Why did you bring me back here? You one of those crazy chicks who want to sacrifice me to the gods or some shit?” He crossed his large arms.
She glanced over his form, before meeting his eyes.
“First off, I don’t partake in human sacrifice anymore. I was… going through a difficult time then. Second, even if Ididwant to sacrifice you, it would be for my own pleasure. I do not serve the gods. Such a thing is quite pointless when youareone.”
She said the words deadpan and it took a moment for them to hit Gunner completely.
“You could have just said you’re crazy.”
All the hot ones usually are, Gunner.
You know that from experience.
“I can be that, too, if you give me reason to be.” The way in which she said the words was not simple, clear. Her voice also carried a seriousness that Gunner felt to his soul.
The spirit within him responded to her voice, to her tone, and rattled against him. Gunner clutched his chest, his eyes closing as he grimaced involuntarily, stifling a grunt.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the woman standing in front of him, and she held out a second tumbler, a black one with little white moons on it, to him.
An offering.
“How do I know this isn’t poison?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“You will just have to trust me, Gunner.”
Hearing his name on her tongue stirred his wolf once more, and the beast surged forth again. He gritted his teeth but fought against closing his eyes and showing any sign of pain.
If what she says is true…