"Damn right," agreed Gregory. "We deserve a chance."
Vivian laughed.
The Five converged on her. They peered through the vines like angry satyrs.
Rafe tore aside the tangle of stems, and his claws grew. "What's so funny, Viv?"
"You," she said. "You honestly think you'd have a chance in the Ordeal? That the pack would follow you? Grow up."
Rafe bared his teeth. His new beard gave him a demonic look. "The fight's the thing," he said tightly, but she knew his fantasy was to win.
"I don't want to get dragged back to the sticks again," Willem said, almost pouting. His twin gave him a glance of disgust.
"Why not?" Vivian asked. "Life was good there. The hunting in the hills, long runs with no one around, no one to cry wolf, no hiding, no skulking, no worrying."
"No fun," ended Rafe.
"I don't like your kind of fun," she said. "It doesn't amuse me to rouse lovers out of the long grass by snapping at their heels, or to creep up on children at dusk with my fur on to hear them scream."
"It's a laugh, Vivian," Gregory said. "Just a laugh."
"You used to think it was funny," Willem said, looking hurt.
"And how funny will it be when you scare the wrong person and get a bullet in the face?" she asked. "You might be stronger than Homo sapiens, you might heal faster, but you're not immortal. You can die if your head's blown off. It's not only silver bullets or fire that kills us; anything that severs the spine will do."
"Come on, Viv. Don't worry," Willem said gently. "We'd get them first, honest."
Vivian groaned and a cold thread of fear ran through her. "That's exactly what I am worried about. This is the same shit that got our home burned and my father killed."
Rafe swung himself through the crumbling frame of the arbor. Moonlight lent a brief sheen to his sleek, muscled arms. "But it's different in the city. Better. Lots of people. Lots of suspects. Easy to hide."
"Anonymous," Gregory agreed, shredding leaves from the length of a stem.
"Don't act so prissy, Viv," said Finn. "You've got a taste for boy flesh, they tell me." He ran a tongue over teeth that were pointier than they had been seconds before.
"Who told you that?" she snapped.
"Mom said you have a date tomorrow," Gregory answered with a sly smile.
Blast Esmé; she'd told Renata. "So what?" Vivian said. "I'm going to a concert, not disemboweling him. I don't think that's going to get anyone into trouble."
Rafe stepped closer. "We don't like our woman hanging out with meat-boys. It's unnatural." His breath was hot on her face. "You better not choose some meat-boy over one of us."
"Piss off," Vivian spat, and got up. "No one tells me what to do." She shoved Rafe away so she could pass him, catching him off guard.
"You're not Princess Wolf now," Rafe growled behind her. "Wait too long and we'll take what we want."
"Don't give that human anything we can't have," Finn called after her, "or we'll give him something, too."
As she stalked into the house, Vivian heard Ulf's high-pitched giggle.
Damn them, she thought.
Chapter 5
5
"You're not wearing that dress, are you?" Esmé demanded.