already closed?”
“Looks that way.”
He looked past me to the doors. “Too bad.”
I offered a half-hearted smile and went on my way. I could check with the library tomorrow, though patience was not one of my virtues. Ugh ! Maybe I could distract myself with food. My stomach growled, apparently a fan of my new plan.
When I rounded the corner, I caught the scent of something…different. Adam had encouraged me to trust my heightened senses, so I checked back over my shoulder. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. I wiped at my nose, hopefully hiding the fact that I was sniffing the air. There was a definite scent, earthy but clean. It seemed out of place on this busy street in downtown Reno when so many of the people reeked of perfumes, aftershaves, and body odor.
Shaking my head, I walked back toward my hotel. After I got some food in my stomach, I’d call a cab and see about getting back to the diner for my car. By morning I could be back on the road.
A flash of Adam’s green eyes filled my mind with an echo of his words. Don’t disappear on me .
Regret stabbed at my heart, but I forced it down. I was making the right choice. I could get the car, exchange it in case the Nero guys had my plate number, and head for Texas to dig up more on who my shifter parents might be.
A block from the hotel I caught a whiff of garlic and marinara. My mouth watered, and I wandered into the lobby restaurant.
Halfway through my lasagna, I caught the scent again. A chill ran up my spine. My senses were on full alert, but after glancing around the restaurant, I had no idea why. Nothing seemed out of place. I didn’t recognize anyone. No one was staring at me, or looked angry or upset, and thankfully no men in riot gear.
So why did I feel the undeniable urge to run away?
“How is everything?”
Jumpy isn’t usually one of my character traits. Late maybe, and stubborn often, but nervous and jittery wasn’t me. Still, I almost needed to peel myself off the ceiling. “Oh! Everything’s fine.” I looked up at the waiter as I caught my breath. “Could I get a to-go box and my check?”
“Certainly.” He gave me a curious stare and then vanished toward the kitchen.
Sipping my iced tea, I kept glancing around the restaurant, trying to take notice of every patron’s face. Something about the scent put me on full alert, but nothing I saw with my eyes appeared dangerous.
What good was using my superhuman senses if I couldn’t recognize what I was smelling? Where was Adam when I needed him?
I almost groaned. I couldn’t afford to “need” anyone.
After I paid the bill and boxed what was left of my lasagna, I walked toward my hotel, careful to keep peering back over my shoulder. I still didn’t see anything.
Instead, I walked right into it.
I knew the second we collided. I recognized the scent now. It was coming from a tall dark-haired man who was now smiling down at me.
The man from the library.
I stepped back, ready to run. “Sorry. I should’ve been watching where I was going, but I’m looking for my friend. She’s picking me up.”
He raised a brow with a smirk. His teeth looked sharply white against his tan skin. “I did not see your friend at the library or in the restaurant.”
I frowned. “Are you following me?”
“I could ask you that same question.” His self-confident smile never faltered.
My heart pounded in my chest, but I fought to keep it from showing. I lifted my chin slightly, my hand sliding into my pocket for the pepper spray. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m not interested.” I gripped the canister. “Leave me alone.”
I walked away, fighting the urge to look back. I didn’t need to look, I reminded myself. If I paid attention, I could hear if he was following.
Suddenly he was right in front of me again, his broad shoulders blocking the flashing lights of the casinos, leaving me in shadow. I didn’t hear a thing. Shit.
“We need to talk, Little One.” He
“Looks that way.”
He looked past me to the doors. “Too bad.”
I offered a half-hearted smile and went on my way. I could check with the library tomorrow, though patience was not one of my virtues. Ugh ! Maybe I could distract myself with food. My stomach growled, apparently a fan of my new plan.
When I rounded the corner, I caught the scent of something…different. Adam had encouraged me to trust my heightened senses, so I checked back over my shoulder. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. I wiped at my nose, hopefully hiding the fact that I was sniffing the air. There was a definite scent, earthy but clean. It seemed out of place on this busy street in downtown Reno when so many of the people reeked of perfumes, aftershaves, and body odor.
Shaking my head, I walked back toward my hotel. After I got some food in my stomach, I’d call a cab and see about getting back to the diner for my car. By morning I could be back on the road.
A flash of Adam’s green eyes filled my mind with an echo of his words. Don’t disappear on me .
Regret stabbed at my heart, but I forced it down. I was making the right choice. I could get the car, exchange it in case the Nero guys had my plate number, and head for Texas to dig up more on who my shifter parents might be.
A block from the hotel I caught a whiff of garlic and marinara. My mouth watered, and I wandered into the lobby restaurant.
Halfway through my lasagna, I caught the scent again. A chill ran up my spine. My senses were on full alert, but after glancing around the restaurant, I had no idea why. Nothing seemed out of place. I didn’t recognize anyone. No one was staring at me, or looked angry or upset, and thankfully no men in riot gear.
So why did I feel the undeniable urge to run away?
“How is everything?”
Jumpy isn’t usually one of my character traits. Late maybe, and stubborn often, but nervous and jittery wasn’t me. Still, I almost needed to peel myself off the ceiling. “Oh! Everything’s fine.” I looked up at the waiter as I caught my breath. “Could I get a to-go box and my check?”
“Certainly.” He gave me a curious stare and then vanished toward the kitchen.
Sipping my iced tea, I kept glancing around the restaurant, trying to take notice of every patron’s face. Something about the scent put me on full alert, but nothing I saw with my eyes appeared dangerous.
What good was using my superhuman senses if I couldn’t recognize what I was smelling? Where was Adam when I needed him?
I almost groaned. I couldn’t afford to “need” anyone.
After I paid the bill and boxed what was left of my lasagna, I walked toward my hotel, careful to keep peering back over my shoulder. I still didn’t see anything.
Instead, I walked right into it.
I knew the second we collided. I recognized the scent now. It was coming from a tall dark-haired man who was now smiling down at me.
The man from the library.
I stepped back, ready to run. “Sorry. I should’ve been watching where I was going, but I’m looking for my friend. She’s picking me up.”
He raised a brow with a smirk. His teeth looked sharply white against his tan skin. “I did not see your friend at the library or in the restaurant.”
I frowned. “Are you following me?”
“I could ask you that same question.” His self-confident smile never faltered.
My heart pounded in my chest, but I fought to keep it from showing. I lifted my chin slightly, my hand sliding into my pocket for the pepper spray. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m not interested.” I gripped the canister. “Leave me alone.”
I walked away, fighting the urge to look back. I didn’t need to look, I reminded myself. If I paid attention, I could hear if he was following.
Suddenly he was right in front of me again, his broad shoulders blocking the flashing lights of the casinos, leaving me in shadow. I didn’t hear a thing. Shit.
“We need to talk, Little One.” He
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