shifters, would probably say that he had the reflexes of a cat. It was something Billy prided himself on. “When is what going to stop being an excuse?”
“I’ve seen your alpha on TV and read his interviews in the paper. He keeps talking about a total integration. How’s that going to work if every time we humans turn around, you keep reminding us of how different you are from us? That hardly seems in the spirit of what he’s trying to do.”
It was an astute question, and not one that Billy wanted to debate. Billy saw the top of Alex’s head stop. He turned back toward them, and Billy saw his arm waving in the air.
“Looks like our ride’s here,” Billy said, neatly sidestepping her question. As they arrived at the busy street curb, Billy saw that Alex had indeed managed to flag down a taxi. He crawled in, and Billy thought for a moment of climbing into the back seat with them, but it would be too tight. He gently helped Thea get inside, and then made his way around to the passenger’s door next to the driver.
As he got inside, he heard the murmur of conversation in the back seat. He turned to look and found Thea with her eyes closed, resting her head against the headrest. Alex stared out the window with an unreadable expression. The driver looked at Billy expectantly.
“So, I don’t know where we’re going,” Billy reminded the two in the backseat.
Thea opened her eyes with a guilty expression, but Alex was already rattling off their address. Billy turned back to the front. As he looked out the windshield at the bright, harsh neon lights that seemed to be everywhere, he realized that for the time being his bear was quiet. That made dealing with the sensory overload of the city somewhat easier to handle, and he gratefully absorbed the silence while it lasted.
Ten minutes later, the taxi pulled up to the curb of a building in what was obviously a very nice part of the city. A doorman hurried up and opened the back door. Alex slid out.
“Hang on a sec,” Billy told the driver. He opened the door and got out realizing that he felt anxious. He knew why. This was the point in the evening where Thea and Alex went up to their apartment, and Billy went back to his hotel. That was what was supposed to happen, but he didn’t want it to.
He stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets as he watched Alex help his sister up the sidewalk. Alex waved off the doorman. As they reached the door, Billy wondered if she was going to leave him without even saying goodbye.
Then she looked back over her shoulder at him. He could see by her face that the wheels were spinning in her mind. Then she sighed and shook her head. “You promised Eric you were going to make sure that we arrived safely home, so I assume that means you’re going to want to see that we are inside the door. Are you coming in or what?”
Billy grinned at her in response and quickly paid the taxi fare. He didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind.
CHAPTER SIX
It had to be the attack that had thrown her so far off balance. She didn’t invite strange, yet thoroughly attractive men into her apartment, especially with Alex there. But Thea didn’t want to be alone just yet, and she could tell by Billy’s stance next to the taxi that he was hunkering for an invitation. It was so strange and surreal, but she was too tired and stressed to question it.
“This is new,” Alex muttered under his breath. Thea knew that he thought she couldn’t hear him, but she didn’t have to be a shifter to hear the mock whisper of sarcasm.
Billy stepped into the lobby with them, and Thea pushed Alex away a couple of inches so that she could walk by herself to the elevator. Both Billy and Alex hovered close by as if they expected her to topple at any moment. She was feeling the effects of the whiskey, and it was just the shot of energy she needed.
As the elevator hummed its way to the top floor, Thea saw Alex giving Billy looks out of the corner
“I’ve seen your alpha on TV and read his interviews in the paper. He keeps talking about a total integration. How’s that going to work if every time we humans turn around, you keep reminding us of how different you are from us? That hardly seems in the spirit of what he’s trying to do.”
It was an astute question, and not one that Billy wanted to debate. Billy saw the top of Alex’s head stop. He turned back toward them, and Billy saw his arm waving in the air.
“Looks like our ride’s here,” Billy said, neatly sidestepping her question. As they arrived at the busy street curb, Billy saw that Alex had indeed managed to flag down a taxi. He crawled in, and Billy thought for a moment of climbing into the back seat with them, but it would be too tight. He gently helped Thea get inside, and then made his way around to the passenger’s door next to the driver.
As he got inside, he heard the murmur of conversation in the back seat. He turned to look and found Thea with her eyes closed, resting her head against the headrest. Alex stared out the window with an unreadable expression. The driver looked at Billy expectantly.
“So, I don’t know where we’re going,” Billy reminded the two in the backseat.
Thea opened her eyes with a guilty expression, but Alex was already rattling off their address. Billy turned back to the front. As he looked out the windshield at the bright, harsh neon lights that seemed to be everywhere, he realized that for the time being his bear was quiet. That made dealing with the sensory overload of the city somewhat easier to handle, and he gratefully absorbed the silence while it lasted.
Ten minutes later, the taxi pulled up to the curb of a building in what was obviously a very nice part of the city. A doorman hurried up and opened the back door. Alex slid out.
“Hang on a sec,” Billy told the driver. He opened the door and got out realizing that he felt anxious. He knew why. This was the point in the evening where Thea and Alex went up to their apartment, and Billy went back to his hotel. That was what was supposed to happen, but he didn’t want it to.
He stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets as he watched Alex help his sister up the sidewalk. Alex waved off the doorman. As they reached the door, Billy wondered if she was going to leave him without even saying goodbye.
Then she looked back over her shoulder at him. He could see by her face that the wheels were spinning in her mind. Then she sighed and shook her head. “You promised Eric you were going to make sure that we arrived safely home, so I assume that means you’re going to want to see that we are inside the door. Are you coming in or what?”
Billy grinned at her in response and quickly paid the taxi fare. He didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind.
CHAPTER SIX
It had to be the attack that had thrown her so far off balance. She didn’t invite strange, yet thoroughly attractive men into her apartment, especially with Alex there. But Thea didn’t want to be alone just yet, and she could tell by Billy’s stance next to the taxi that he was hunkering for an invitation. It was so strange and surreal, but she was too tired and stressed to question it.
“This is new,” Alex muttered under his breath. Thea knew that he thought she couldn’t hear him, but she didn’t have to be a shifter to hear the mock whisper of sarcasm.
Billy stepped into the lobby with them, and Thea pushed Alex away a couple of inches so that she could walk by herself to the elevator. Both Billy and Alex hovered close by as if they expected her to topple at any moment. She was feeling the effects of the whiskey, and it was just the shot of energy she needed.
As the elevator hummed its way to the top floor, Thea saw Alex giving Billy looks out of the corner
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