5: Hood - Pack Trust (6 page)

He conceded that with the slightest of nods.

When he didn’t move or say anything else in response, I asked, “What are you thinking now?”

A devilish grin slipped onto his face. “I was wondering how you’d react if I said--”

I got laughing, interrupted him with, “Oh, please don’t say ‘on your knees, bitch’.”

So, okay, he didn’t. But that had been exactly what he’d been about to say. He asked, “You think that’s funny?”

“Well...yeah.” Dogs and men are so predictable sometimes.

He chewed on his lower lip, trying to figure me out. “I don’t get you.”

I scooted on over to him. “Why’s that?”

“You were going to--”

Stepping closer, tweaking his manhood with a quick grab, I asked, “What?”

To his credit, he didn’t jump.

“You’re a fucking tease.”

“You just noticed?”

“I just realized that you knew I would read your thoughts.”

“Hm.” I yanked. Not hard. Just enough to make him jerk a little--you know, defensive worry setting in.

“Stop that.”

Offering a pout, I asked, “You don’t really want me to, do you?”

“I want you to get serious.”

Always so serious.

Slipping around behind him, I tiptoed so I could whisper in his ear. “I am serious, Hood.” I let my fingers glide from his manhood, over his hip, across his buttocks, reached lower....

Amazing how quick he can turn--in a flash, he snagged me by the wrist, pulled me around in front of him and said, “What are you playing at?”

Chapter Six

Feigning innocence, I asked, “Whatever do you mean?”

Hood didn’t answer. Not out loud, anyway. In my head, I heard,
be careful, Giselle
.

“Or what?”
You’ll hurt me?

Don’t tempt me.

I tugged free. I didn’t want to tempt him. I wanted to send him over the frigging edge. Instead of thinking that at that moment, though, I simply dropped to my knees in front of him. Shocking the hell out of him, I grabbed his cock, looked up at him--my mouth poised over the knob--and asked, “What happens if I tempt you?”

Not waiting for a response, I went down on him, swallowed him whole. That made him gasp, reach for my head with both hands and groan, “Ah, Giselle.”

There was definite satisfaction in knowing that he hadn’t really been expecting it, and that, once again, I’d won the round. I mean, he got pleasured, but I got true satisfaction, because in nothing more than seconds, he was out of his mind with what I was doing to him.

He’d be going over that conversational foreplay for a long time.

But true to my wicked ways, I got him right there, to the edge of the precipice he wanted to reach, and...stopped. My lips were swollen from my efforts, I knew. I could feel how puffy they’d gotten.

It took him a second to get it, before he looked down at me. I mean, he’d been watching me most of the time--or what he could. My hair is layered, full, and I’m pretty sure that it blocked his view much of the time. I’d only stopped momentarily from time to time to push it out of the way and glance up, get a breath.

Some of the time, he’d had his head up to the ceiling, and I knew he wanted to howl for how good it felt. He just had that werewolf pose, you know? Head up, knees buckled, shoulders hunched, trying to get more, afraid to move for fear I’d quit...?

He gutturally insisted, “Don’t stop.” And he looked down at me, his dark eyes even blacker than normal. “For Gaia’s sake, don’t stop now.”

So, that prompted a small smile from me. “Why, Hood...are you begging?”

There was a long pause between us before he got some self-control together, let go of my face--his fingers were wrapped up, a little, in my hair--pulled himself from my hand, and backed up. “No, Giselle,” he said.

Tongue in cheek, I waited for him to withdraw completely--because he and I knew this was really a test of all that he was. I could see admiration in his eyes--for the fact that I’d brought him almost to that point.

I rolled my shoulders in an easy shrug. “Shame. Like I said, Hood, you cheat yourself out of a lot.”

Squeezing himself, he beat off in front of me. He was not happy with me. He said, “Wrong, Giselle. You cheat me.”

Okay. That felt like a hard slap. One more mistake to put on the record book.

Watching him spurt onto the floor, I tried not to think, not to give him the satisfaction of knowing that I hated myself at that moment. Always trying to outthink him, to be clever. Always losing.

I had to close my eyes.

Unbidden, I thought of Jack. How he’d made me laugh, and never made me feel less than what I was.

Bastard read my mind. I know because Hood said, “Fuck that,” and he stomped into the shower.

I cried. Not for long, just a few tears, and then I got up, swiped them away and stepped over the mess he’d made.
Get one of your other bitches to clean up after you. I’m out of here.

I dressed fast, and got out quick. I don’t think he really believed I’d be gone. I mean, usually that was his trick. Leave before the next round, get a little distance. Make me think about what I’d done.

You know what, though? I was tired of thinking about everything. I pretty much figured it was a lost cause.

And I’d considered things a long time--ever since Jack and Fera took off--and thought,
I can pull a Jack
. I mean, he made it look easy. Disappearing into the sunset.

Suddenly, that sounded way too good to me. I had to get out.

The elevators at Lobos are silent, speedy. I was in the foyer in seconds flat, crossing the expanse with purpose before I noticed the security guard on the phone, his gaze on the elevators--me. I knew Hood had called down, given orders to detain me. Damn me for not thinking of this a day earlier, while he’d been gone. I changed directions, but the security team headed me off. Turning again, I went back to the elevators. I could see the executive lift lights racing downward. I knew he was coming for me.

Hitting the button to go up, I jumped into the first elevator that opened.

What do you think you’re doing?

Get out of my head.

Giselle, calm down. Wait for me.

Some frigging mind-talking psychic garou in the foyer had volunteered what I was doing, I’m sure. It’s like they’re all in a ‘Borg connection or something. Only, usually, Hood can filter his thoughts so they aren’t all in the middle of his business--but I honestly think that’s how he keeps them in line. They can’t do squat without his knowing about it.

I hit a couple buttons so he wouldn’t be sure which floor I got off on, though I figured he’d have guards looking on every floor in no time. And someone else in security central giving a playby. I could only hope that the loser there was an unnatural on my side that would enjoy watching the big boss hunt and peck a little bit. Not that I’d get away with running for long.

There was one place I could hide, that he’d never expect, though. I slipped off on the habitat level and disappeared in the foliage. Habitat is a full floor level that’s made to look like a natural wolf reserve. There’s fresh water running in waterfall and creek, real trees growing--including nut and fruit trees. I wouldn’t starve. All I had to do was bide some time, stay where no one could smell me. There were garou in there at all times, I think. So, I had to be smart about it.

I’d only been in there on full moon nights, and that had been crazy. I don’t want to go into the monster I become when I go crinos. Suffice it to say that I’m one insane bitch. I’m not sure that the DNA screen was honest on me. I mean, holy shit if there are unnaturals who get crazier than I do. No wonder they hunt them down. I swear, I could kill anything on a night like that.

You’re not getting out. The doors are locked. Everybody’s looking for you.

Fuck you, Hood. Get out of my head.

Now, this is how calculating I am. I knew that I’d need a contingency plan. Every day I was getting more and more--what? DNA driven? It’s like something garou builds up in your system, concentrates in your brain. You really think you’re going nuts, because you can see that the world they’ve drawn you into is maniacal.

The S.D. was developed by an unnatural scientist. A garou like me. There is a shifting underworld I can’t talk about. But I’m telling you, when the time comes, we’ll be ready to fight the Armageddon.

Not that I want to fight Hood. I really want to be on his side. I found my stash, though, and took the S.D. and then sat back, in a dark den, one that the lupus didn’t seem to like much, and I prayed.

You’d think I’d give up on God. I mean, knowing that he hadn’t saved me from that whole nightmare. But if anything, it just gave me strength. I knew he was watching, and when I really needed him, when I couldn’t do it by myself any more, I had faith that he’d help me.

But yeah, I cried alone in the dark. I don’t know how long I had to listen to Hood asking
Where did you go? Giselle, answer me!

He’d sounded a little desperate, there at the end. He knew I was praying, crying, and someplace dark. That’s all.

But there’s a whole lot of dark places at Lobos. Little cubbyholes, mini-dens, closets, cabinets, beds to climb under. He could turn the freaking place upside down and not find me for days. Unless he sniffed me out.

Okay, that made me panic. I got up, snuck out, carefully slipped into the water, then rolled in the dirt, covering myself with mud. Then, wading through the water, I found another of the unpopular dens. But I knew I couldn’t stay too long. Not now that I realized he’d sniff me out. You see? I still think like a girl. I’d bought myself some time, but I had to get a new plan.

Thank God I have a genius I.Q., and riddle solving is one of my specialties. I went through various scenarios, worked through exit possibilities, including everything from trash and laundry chutes to delivery doors and the roof and fire escapes. Those were too obvious. I knew he’d cover those.

And yes, I thought about how silly it was. How I ought to make him look a complete fool and just sneak back to his bed, and wait there for him to return. Damn, I wanted a shower. But something in me couldn’t do that. I don’t really know how much of me worried about his saving face. Pride, obviously, was important to him, and all the garou.

So, I wasted a little bit of my time in weighing that. How much pride would Hood lose if I showed up in his apartment versus if I disappeared altogether? Or if he hunted me down? Don’t think for a minute that I considered he was chasing my tail for anything other than guarding his pride and his secrets, because I didn’t.

I did some of the math on my chances of Hood killing me, too. Pictured him strangling me without a second thought. I considered what Jack would do. Go out fighting?

Somehow, I didn’t think so.

Find the humor in it? I grimaced, wishing he was there to point it out to me, because I sure as hell couldn’t see it.

I considered going through the animal testing labs. I hated it down there. Or enlisting my friend, the one who’d given me the S.D., but that would be really stupid. I mean, if I survived this, I might need more of that. I sure didn’t want my supplier cut down--and I’m sure Hood would do that if he found out what was developed without his knowledge.

But that had me thinking about the other unnaturals. Could I get help from any of them?

That could expose the whole organization they were pulling together. I worried my lip over that, and in the end, decided I couldn’t enlist their help. I couldn’t endanger anyone purposely. Certainly not the ones who could end up saving the world from the total insanity that threatened.