The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep) (Kitty Norville 0.50)

I gave Daniel another withering look that didn’t seem to faze him. He was extremely striking, in an outdoorsy-type of way. His hair was chin length and russet, and he had a faint weathering to his features that spoke of long days outside. Daniel only looked a couple of years older than me, which would put him at about thirty, but there was an air of command about him that made him seem older. None of the lawyers at my office had such a dominating presence, in fact.

But I wasn’t about to let him know how much he intimidated me. Wasn’t there a saying that showing fear in front of an animal made it more aggressive? “So, you’re the group’s babysitter, is that it?”

“I’m the Pack’s enforcer, so it’s my job to make sure anyone who’s a danger to us - like you - doesn’t get away. And I’m very good at my job, Marlee.”

At over six feet tall with muscles bulging from every limb, yeah, Daniel looked like he did a good job of enforcing. He’d scare anyone with half a brain.

“What are you going to do with me for two weeks? You can’t keep me tied to your hip.” I didn’t even want to think about after that, or what might happen on the full moon.

He rubbed a knuckle under his chin and considered me. “With your limp, you wouldn’t get far even if you did manage to slip away from me - which you wouldn’t. So, let’s get some dinner, then you can wash up and begin plotting ways to outsmart us dumb animals.”

Daniel said that last part with a challenging look that let me know he was both aware of my aversion to what they were and of my dreams of escape. I glanced away, gritting my teeth.

“Didn’t you say you were hungry?”

He held out his hand again. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

I had to take Daniel’s arm to avoid hopping on one leg to the dining lodge. They didn’t give me any crutches, which I supposed was deliberate so as to keep me at a disadvantage. It looked like I was in some sort of tiny Wild West town, of all things. A narrow strip of street ran down between the twin rows of shops, lodgings, and . . . were those saloons? I half expected someone to gallop by on horseback, shooting at the moon.

“What is this place?” I asked.

Daniel grunted. “Not what you were expecting, right? Let me guess. You thought we’d live in a big den in the woods?”

From his expression, he was teasing, but I wasn’t trying to make friends with my kidnapper.

“The 1800s called. They want their town back,” I replied. Two could play at being a smart ass.

Daniel kept perfect pace with me. I was using his arm as a sort of brace. His reflexes were so fast that he counter-balanced my every step so I almost walked at my normal speed.

“You’re not far off,” he said, ignoring my sarcasm. “This was an old mining town back in the nineteenth century. It was empty for decades after the silver dried up, but then some of my relatives bought it and the surrounding land. We restored many of the original buildings and cabins, plus added upgrades. Now, we rent it out seasonally as a private resort area.”

That brought me to a stop. “Werewolves running a resort town?” I asked incredulously.

He shrugged. “We have to make a living, just like everyone else.”

This was like being in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

We passed several people on our way down the street. I was surprised at how normal they looked. There were men and women of varying ages, plus a couple of children, and everyone appeared to be minding their own business - aside from all the sideways glances I was getting.

“Are all of them like you?” I asked, keeping my voice calm. My heart had started to pound, however, and if the movies were right, they could hear it. There were so many of them. How would I ever get away?

“Most of them,” Daniel said. “The others are skinwalkers — normal people to you. But you don’t have to be afraid of anyone, Marlee. We’re not what you think.”

“I’ve already had some of your group try to kill me, and you and Joshua seem pretty open about how you’ll finish the job,” I replied shortly. “So you’ll excuse me if I don’t buy the whole ‘we’re misunderstood’ speech.”

Something flashed in Daniel’s eyes. It made me back up a step, but his hand shot out and gripped my arm.

“Why’d you bring that gun camping with you?” he asked, his voice soft. “You brought it for protection, right? Because if anyone tried to hurt you, you’d hurt them, right? Well, now imagine someone’s trying to hurt your entire family. How far would you go to stop that?”

Daniel leaned in, tightening his grip so I couldn’t pull back. “I’d do anything to stop that,” he whispered near my ear. “Including holding you hostage. If you got away, you’d tell people about us. People who would come and hurt my family. So yeah, I’m ruthless when it comes to protecting my pack. But don’t pretend you wouldn’t be the same way, if the shoe were on the other foot.”

That gleam of wildness was in his eyes again. The otherness that reminded me that an animal lurked inside him. I shivered.

“Let go of me.”

He did, dropping my arm only to hold his out again. “We’re almost there,” he said, nodding at the square building to the left.

I balanced on his arm again. We didn’t speak as we walked the rest of the way to the dining lodge.