“Can you believe how Danielle acted last night? She just threw herself at him. I was so embarrassed for her.”
“I know, it was ridiculous. As if he would …” The skinny blonde in the light blue sundress stopped talking in midsentence. She faltered for a moment, shaking her head. “Becky, I … I think I left something in the car. I … I need to go back.” Her voice was stressed.
“What do you mean? What’d you leave?” Becky was a foot taller, with long brown curls.
“I dunno … but I have to get it. I’ll be really quick … I promise.”
So our friend Drake did have persuasion skills. I hoped like hell that was all he had.
“We’re already late, Jen,” Becky said impatiently. “Just forget it. Honestly, it can’t be that important if you can’t even remember what it is.”
“Um.” Jen struggled. She was hearing one thing from her pal, and another in her head. “No … you go on ahead … I’ll catch up. I’ll be really quick. I promise. I just have to get … this thing.”
Becky clearly wasn’t willing to leave her friend alone. Go, Becky. She started trailing after the now departing Jen. “I don’t know why you’re doing this. We’re already late.” Two paces in Becky stopped abruptly. She shook her head. After a short pause, she mumbled, “Um, okay, Jen. You go get it and … I’ll wait for you … in the theater.” Even though Becky was clearly getting a missive from Drake to leave, it took her more than a few seconds to actually tear herself away and head in the opposite direction. She was warring with herself. People with strong will were always harder to persuade than those without.
Controlling two individuals was going to be a double struggle for Drake. It sapped a lot of energy to do a dual persuasion, as Nick could attest to, and I hoped he was motherfucking tired.
Becky trotted off toward the movie theater, while Jen wandered back toward her vehicle. Drake followed behind her like a shadow, keeping a single car in between them as he went. Another shot of sweat-laced, moldy pheromones wafted up my nose. He was getting more and more aroused. It made me want to tear his arms from his body.
I was still on the grass, waiting for an opportunity, when my wolf lunged to the surface with no warning whatsoever. She barreled into my psyche like a hammer exploding down on a nail, demanding control in a rush of power. My arms shot forward and I sprang onto the balls of my feet.
She wasn’t going to take no for an answer this time.
With gigantic effort, I forced myself to my knees in the grass. I was furious. Goddamn it, I’m not going to lose control again! Do you hear me? This is my body and we do what I say when I say it! I plunged my hands into the earth hard enough to break all my nails to the quick. I clutched at the dirt like a life-line, trying to ground myself in my humanness. As she fought for control I closed my eyes and pushed back as hard as I could. I couldn’t let my wolf take control, it wasn’t an option. If she ruled me, I could kiss my life goodbye.
My arms trembled with the need to change, my muscles shifting under my skin. I clenched my teeth. I couldn’t believe I’d been stupid enough to think I could come here tonight. I was a newborn. A ticking time bomb. I had no control. What was I doing here?
I opened my eyes and glanced frantically around me. I had to get out of here. Right now. Nick could handle Drake by himself. I wrenched a hand out of the earth and was about to push the vibrate button twice, when Jen’s childish sound of alarm rent the air.
Drake had made his move.
I spotted them quickly. He had her around the waist. Jen was struggling, fighting for her life. In his anxiousness, he must have dropped his persuasion over her. Either that or he just wasn’t strong enough to manage both girls at the same time after all.
There was no way I was letting sweet, blue-sundressed Jen become Drake’s latest victim.
No more time to think; I had to act. I closed my eyes once again, and with all the power I could gather I grabbed my human side and shoved it into the forefront of my mind in one massive mental heave. My wolf rose against the tide, snapping and growling, doing her best to block my human instincts as she fought for her own. She wanted to win.
But I wanted it more.
Beads of sweat broke out along my skin, prickling my fore-head. I continued forcing the pressure forward, making it count, not relenting. It was like pushing against a giant rubber band, I had no idea if I was gaining ground. It bowed one way, and then back the other, as we both fought hard for command. I threw one more shock of energy into it and a loud tearing sound reverberated along my senses, like a massive sheet of paper being ripped in half. My mind pulled apart like a photo negative, one side gray, the other side black. Both still the same image, but now fully separate.
No time to worry about it.
I was in control and that was all that mattered.
I jumped up and started moving. I’m in the driver’s seat now, got it? She was still in my mind, but now she sat just behind an opaque film that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Fighting humans and imps is mine, I told her as I slid between the parked cars. You can have the nasty werewolves.
She let out a howl of frustration.
We’re searching for harmony here, so feel free to help a girl out. I stopped and crouched lower. I was one car length from Drake and Jen. He had a grimy hand covering her mouth and one solidly around her middle. He was fully occupied.
I shimmied to the edge of the fender. As much as I was aching to jump in right away, I had to be patient. We had to pin Drake with everything we could. If I jumped too early, especially since he had the gift of persuasion, he could easily convince Jen that nothing had happened and get away scot-free. I couldn’t risk that.
Jen bravely kicked and slammed her head into his shoulder over and over. She was fighting a good fight. It was all I could do not to attack then and there. Drake was obviously struggling to keep his hold. He finally grabbed her face and hissed something in her ear. She stopped moving instantly.
He hurried her back toward his car.
I followed closely, keeping myself low and out of sight. I spotted Nick across the road. He was right on time, whistling something under his breath, making a good show of a man heading back to his car from a night at the movies. Drake saw him immediately and arched himself around, Jen still in his arms, changing his plans instantly. He started toward the knoll to get out of sight, just like we’d thought.
Drake, although not full on brains, would’ve had a loose plan in place. If he failed to get his victim to his car in time, the hill would provide a cover from any human interference. That’s why he’d picked this particular theater complex.