Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

“Cassie,” Seth says, and there’s a strange note in his voice that makes me turn to look at him. Only he hides his expression by taking a long swig from his beer—an old trick—and before I have time to analyze it, based on my expertise on human emotions, har har very funny, Cassie is making a beeline toward us.

Toward me.

Talk about awkward.

“What a coincidence, finding you here,” she says and gets into my private space without missing a beat. Her blond hair is caught in a swinging ponytail, and she has silver loops hanging from her ears. She’s dressed in a red top that isn’t much bigger than a bra and a mini skirt that’s showing off her shapely legs. Dressed to kill.

“Yeah, I bet ya didn’t expect me,” I drawl as her warm flesh presses against me. I take a step back, trying to discreetly put some distance between us. “Whatcha doing here?”

“Oh, sorry, did I bust into an only-boys evening?” Her smile is anything but repentant. She knows damn well what she’s doing, this girl, and normally it would have turned me on like nobody’s business.

But it’s not working, not tonight. Somehow, not anymore.

“Is Ev with you?” Micah asks, whose mind is so stuck on one girl only, it’s kinda funny.

“She said she’ll be by in half an hour. I came with Manon, but she’s at the bar over there, chatting up the bartender.” She bats her lashes at me.

Crap.

Cassie is here on a mission, time frame calculated and target set. Realizing the target is me isn’t too big of a leap. I mean, she’s still advancing on me even as I’m retreating. I’ve always attracted people, both chicks and boys somehow. I learned to take advantage of it, work with it. Own it.

I had no other choice, and on certain days I forget I now do.

“Hey, Cass, you’re going to Asher’s wedding, right?” Seth asks, momentarily distracting her.

She glances at him, her eyes gleaming below lashes that seem long like a rail. Can’t be natural, right? “Yeah, I guess.” She turns back to me. “If Jesse’s going.”

Holy shit. I also glance at Seth, hoping he can read my mind and get her off my hands, but he’s staring at her with a heavy frown, his neck reddening.

No good.

So I turn to Shane, who catches my eye, lifts a brow, and then nods.

“I’m going out for a smoke,” I mutter and back away, into the crowd.

“Um, I think I’ll join you. I’m—”

“Tell me something, Cass.” Shane steps around the pool table and inserts his tall body smoothly between her and me. “Do you play pool? Wanna bet I can beat you with one arm tied behind my back?”

What the hell, is that line supposed to work? I walk away quickly, before she sidesteps him and comes after me, but a look over my shoulder shows her with a cue in one hand.

What do you know… Maybe she’s shifted her focus to Shane? Chicks often seem fascinated by his long hair and exotic features.

Feeling sorry for Shane, I shove between people, earning a few shoves back. I make it to the back entrance of the bar and step out, onto the street, patting my pockets for my smokes.

The night is warm. Wait, scratch that, not warm. It’s oppressively hot, even more so than inside Halo. No breeze, and the sky is overcast. I walk the few feet to the sidewalk bench and light up.

I don’t notice Seth has followed me until he drops down on the bench beside me with a sigh.

“Goddammit, man.” I almost choke on the smoke in my lungs. “Scared the bejesus out of me.”

I offer him a smoke, and he takes it, borrows my lighter and lights up.

“So what’s up?” I run a hand over my short hair. “I see you also made your escape from her clutches.”

He keeps the cigarette between his fingers but doesn’t draw on it, just stares into the distance.

Huh. “Everything okay?”