“I didn’t come here looking for trouble,” I said. “But I had to pass up a fight earlier, and I’d be happy to take one on now.”
A woman walked into the bar, from a door on the other side. I guessed she was about my age. Light brown skin and a scattering of freckles across her nose. Dark eyes topped by thick lashes and brows, and a generous mouth. Her hair was a dark cap of soft, loose waves. She was petite, noticeably smaller than most of the men in the room, but her body was athletic, strong. She wore jeans and a tank top, a bundle of thin necklaces shimmering around her neck. And plenty of magic buzzed around her.
“Who’s this, Jax?” she asked, striding toward us.
Her energy was different from that of the other shifters in the room. The vibration faster, like someone had plucked a different string on a violin.
“Vampire,” Jax said.
“Vampire,” she said, looking me over. “Elisa Sullivan. I recognize your face.”
“I don’t recognize yours.”
“Miranda. North American Central Pack. I work for Gabriel. You don’t.”
“No, I don’t. I’m here to see Connor.”
Emotion flashed across her face, but she hid it away again before I could guess what it meant. “Why?”
“For reasons I’d like to discuss with him.”
She took a step forward, and the fingers on my arm tightened. “You aren’t in charge here.”
“I didn’t suggest otherwise. But I doubt you are, either. Do you want to tell Connor I’m here, or should we just start fighting and I can apologize to him later?”
I might have needed the bravado to get past the shifters, but beyond that, I really didn’t like bullies. Standing up to them was one of my particular joys.
“Vampires don’t own Chicago,” Miranda said. “You can’t just waltz into our place, expect to take control.”
“I don’t know.” I looked at each of them. “Seems like this place could use a vampire. Maybe a class on etiquette and manners?”
“Bitch.”
“Vampire,” I reminded her. “So, yeah.”
“What the hell’s going on in here?”
I knew it was Connor before I turned around. Not just from the sound of his voice, but from the aura of scent and magic that sliced through the air and left behind a charge of its own.
Itcommanded.
It was impressive. And another surprising change for the prince of wolves.
I glanced back. Betraying nothing, Connor met my gaze. “A little out of your territory, aren’t you?” he asked.
“I’m here to see Lulu, and while I was here, I had a few questions for you. You want to explain why these guys attempted to manhandle me?”
Connor’s expression didn’t change. “Attempted?”
I smiled slyly. “I’m better than I was.”
“She was sniffing around,” said the taller one, stepping forward beside me.
“I’m not a dog,” I said with a brittle smile, my gaze on Connor. “I don’t sniff.”
“So you’re just here to cause trouble, dead girl?”
The challenge in his eyes was marked by a glint of humor, and I guessed the performance wasn’t for me, but for the shifters around us. No problem. I knew my part.