smell me coming?”
“No,” I admitted, curious.
“You’re a new shifter, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “I’ve been looking for my brother.” I never considered that there were other hounds out there besides me and Sam.
China’s eyebrow lifted. “Really? I know some other hounds.”
“Sam,” I said, feeling the hope rising in me. “My brother’s name is Sam.”
“You’re Sam’s brother? Are you Logan?”
She knew my name! “Do you know him?”
She nodded. “He’s my roommate.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and willed the tears away. Only babies cried. Hellhounds that lived on the streets did NOT cry. “Can you take me to him?”
China shook her head slowly. “Sorry, I have somewhere to be.”
My hope fell away to be replaced with anger. If she wouldn’t take me to my brother, she was of no use to me. Maybe I would just show her what happened when someone crossed me. No. Do not harm her, the voice spoke, and the anger I felt seemed to melt away. Sam was right. I shouldn’t hurt his roommate.
“But I can give you the address and directions to our place.”
“Yeah?” I smiled. Sam always gave me good advice.
“Got any paper in that bag?” She glanced at my backpack.
I unzipped it and found a scrap of paper and a pen. China took it and scribbled down an address. “It’s about an hour from here,” she said as she wrote. “I’ll write the roads to take. When you get into this town,” she said, circling the name I couldn’t yet see, “just ask for directions to the street we live on.”
“Why can’t you just take me?”
She laughed. It was a wicked sound. “Because I have a date.” She handed me the paper and I took it, sticking it in my pocket. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Besides your brother and I… we don’t get along so well anymore.”
“Why?”
“We used to, but then he met this girl. He’s a lot different now.”
“He has a girlfriend?” Jealousy filled me, but so did excitement… a hard knot formed in my stomach at the thought of Sam’s girlfriend.
China smiled. “Yes. I have a feeling that you two will get along famously.” She made it sound like a bad thing.
“You mean she’s not very nice?”
Getting in the way. I shook my head at the voice, ignoring the odd statement.
China considered my words, then took a step closer to me. “I’m going to be honest because you are Sam’s brother, and Sam and I used to be good friends.” I nodded so she would continue. “His girlfriend’s a bitch. A real troublemaker. If I were you, I would do everything I could to get between Sam and Heven.”
Yes.
Her words didn’t shock me. It was my reaction to them that did. Part of me wanted to get between Sam and this girl. “Her name is Heven?”
China nodded. “But don’t let that fool ya, kid. She’s nothing but trouble. Now help me drag these bodies into the bushes.”
I did as she asked, my stomach revolted every time I had to touch one of the bodies, so I was thankful when we were done. After the nasty job was finished, she began walking away without another word. I stood there for a minute, absorbing everything she said, and when I turned to call out, she was gone. I sank down on the nearby bench and stared up at the fountain. It was shimmering; the air around it seemed to be moving around it differently than everywhere else. I blinked and then my vision cleared.
I reached into my pocket to pull out the paper she had given me and stared down at the words scrawled across the paper. I had been searching for him for months, but now that I knew where he was, I was nervous.
What if he didn’t want me, either?
Where would I go? What would I do? I didn’t think I could go home. China said he had a girlfriend now. Would that mean he had forgotten about me? He probably wouldn’t want his kid brother around
“No,” I admitted, curious.
“You’re a new shifter, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “I’ve been looking for my brother.” I never considered that there were other hounds out there besides me and Sam.
China’s eyebrow lifted. “Really? I know some other hounds.”
“Sam,” I said, feeling the hope rising in me. “My brother’s name is Sam.”
“You’re Sam’s brother? Are you Logan?”
She knew my name! “Do you know him?”
She nodded. “He’s my roommate.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and willed the tears away. Only babies cried. Hellhounds that lived on the streets did NOT cry. “Can you take me to him?”
China shook her head slowly. “Sorry, I have somewhere to be.”
My hope fell away to be replaced with anger. If she wouldn’t take me to my brother, she was of no use to me. Maybe I would just show her what happened when someone crossed me. No. Do not harm her, the voice spoke, and the anger I felt seemed to melt away. Sam was right. I shouldn’t hurt his roommate.
“But I can give you the address and directions to our place.”
“Yeah?” I smiled. Sam always gave me good advice.
“Got any paper in that bag?” She glanced at my backpack.
I unzipped it and found a scrap of paper and a pen. China took it and scribbled down an address. “It’s about an hour from here,” she said as she wrote. “I’ll write the roads to take. When you get into this town,” she said, circling the name I couldn’t yet see, “just ask for directions to the street we live on.”
“Why can’t you just take me?”
She laughed. It was a wicked sound. “Because I have a date.” She handed me the paper and I took it, sticking it in my pocket. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Besides your brother and I… we don’t get along so well anymore.”
“Why?”
“We used to, but then he met this girl. He’s a lot different now.”
“He has a girlfriend?” Jealousy filled me, but so did excitement… a hard knot formed in my stomach at the thought of Sam’s girlfriend.
China smiled. “Yes. I have a feeling that you two will get along famously.” She made it sound like a bad thing.
“You mean she’s not very nice?”
Getting in the way. I shook my head at the voice, ignoring the odd statement.
China considered my words, then took a step closer to me. “I’m going to be honest because you are Sam’s brother, and Sam and I used to be good friends.” I nodded so she would continue. “His girlfriend’s a bitch. A real troublemaker. If I were you, I would do everything I could to get between Sam and Heven.”
Yes.
Her words didn’t shock me. It was my reaction to them that did. Part of me wanted to get between Sam and this girl. “Her name is Heven?”
China nodded. “But don’t let that fool ya, kid. She’s nothing but trouble. Now help me drag these bodies into the bushes.”
I did as she asked, my stomach revolted every time I had to touch one of the bodies, so I was thankful when we were done. After the nasty job was finished, she began walking away without another word. I stood there for a minute, absorbing everything she said, and when I turned to call out, she was gone. I sank down on the nearby bench and stared up at the fountain. It was shimmering; the air around it seemed to be moving around it differently than everywhere else. I blinked and then my vision cleared.
I reached into my pocket to pull out the paper she had given me and stared down at the words scrawled across the paper. I had been searching for him for months, but now that I knew where he was, I was nervous.
What if he didn’t want me, either?
Where would I go? What would I do? I didn’t think I could go home. China said he had a girlfriend now. Would that mean he had forgotten about me? He probably wouldn’t want his kid brother around
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