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Chapter 8

Solanced at my travel alarm

Noon I'd overslept

I dragged lanced out the , and flicked the lock Jessie barreled inside

"I woke you," she said

"What was your first clue?"

"I don't know, your lovely naked ass?"

I glanced down OopsMust have stripped co on e new place

Since I didn't have a hoe, and since I traveled with the wolves,didn't happen very often About as often as I had sex Let's see, that would be once in every millennium

I wasn't frigid -other things Maybe because the last time I'd had sex it had led to murder

Another bright and cheery thought to greet the day No wonder I hated s

I headed for the coffeepot without stopping for clothes I could care less who saw et the hell out of my way

Considering my notions on sex and men, I suppose my ease with nudity was contradictory However, if you didn't think of your body as a sexual object, as the big deal with everyone seeing it?

"You plan on getting dressed anyti pointedly out the

I se "You shy?"

"I can see you're not"

Once I had been Once I'd been a lot of things I was none of theer

I cursed as I opened and shut all the cabinets and the tiny refrigerator "No coffee Someone must die"

"When Mandenauer said you weren't a ured you'd be OK after noon"

"You figured wrong"

"Why didn't you go shopping last night? Get supplies?"

I froze Last night came back to o back out and burn the evidence Instead I'd slept for too long and left the dead wolves in the forest

I was slipping

I found s into my discarded jeans, and picked up the same T-shirt I'd worn yesterday I rarely bothered with a bra Didn't need one Never had

"Ahem"

I glanced at Jessie

"Maybe you want to put on some clean clothes?"

"What's wrong with th - " I looked down, and the words died on ue

My pants sported streaks that could be rust paint but we both kneeren't My once-white T-shirt was full of soot, dirt, andout of the woods last night Theya body

"You don't listen very well, do you?"

I shrugged and yanked off the shirt, replacing it with one froot back They were only going to get dirtier anyway

"How many did you kill?"

"Nine," I lied, not wanting to mention the broolf, which I hadn't killed I was supposed to be training Jessie, not teaching her bad habits

Her eyes widened "Nine? You're kidding"

"Unlike you, I'un in my pants, adjusted the shirt over top of it, and headed for the door "Come on"

"Where are we going?"

"To burn a few bodies"

"You didn't burn them?"

I winced "Could you be a little louder? I don't think people in Toronto heard you"

"Mandenauer said we should always burn them immediately"

"Well, Mandenauer doesn't know every da"

"Could have fooled me"

"I'm sure I can"

I opened the door and ran straight into the hard wall of Daerald's chest

"Umph,"I said, and would have fallen on ht me by the forearms

"Hey Sorry You all right?"

His hands were rough, hard, as if he'd done a lot of ers, worked calluses into his pal drinks You didn't get thehts, either

Why I found his scarred hands so fascinating - hell, I'll ad - I had no idea It was all I could do not to losethose hands over every inch of my naked skin

He was dressed in black again Loose cotton trousers, what appeared to be black Nikes - I didn't know they -sleeved black shirt This one had a pattern embedded in the material, the only way I could tell it wasn't the saed to button it I kind of ainst the silk

"Who the hell are you, mister?"

His green-brown eyes flicked to Jessie He let o as if I had lice

"Sheriff" He nodded

"Do I know you?"

"This is Daerald," I said "He bartends downstairs"

"Really?" she drawled "And what else does he do?"

I reht he was a fanged and furry charter un

"No!" I said, too loudly "I mean"

I grabbed Damien's wrist He started at the contact and tried to pull away, but I held on "What a gorgeous ring See his pretty silver ring, Jessie?"

She frowned, and her hand fell away from her service revolver She crossed the room and peered at Damien's hand "Hmm," she muttered

Daers into his back pocket as if to keep us fro at his jewelry any closer

What did he have to hide? And as I so suspicious of everyone?

Because I had good reason to be

"I brought you so

Ilove The steaood as he did I wondered what kind of soap he used - soreen and blue, a little bit of moss with a crust of ice on top