Chapter 9
LEAH
The vampire regards the box with folded arms and a hard stare. He looks like he’s trying to intimidate it into submission.
“Just think of what you want, will it to appear, and open the lid.” The box was a Christmas gift from Karina, and it will produce anything the user wishes to wear. Karina and I use it to create ballgowns for holidays and Halloween costumes for the witch clan.
He slices me a glance from under lowered brows. “I expect this will go as well as the binding spell.”
“That worked as intended.”
A single arrogant brow goes up. “Did it? Do you like having me in your head, then?”
“I’m—getting used to it.” The truth is something that I’d rather die than admit—that I don’t entirely mind having him there. It’s almost comforting to feel the cool anchor at the back of my thoughts.
His gaze is probing. “I am getting used to it too. We should figure out how to use it in the fight.” He turns back to the box, squeezes his eyes shut, and pulls open the lid.
I choke on air. “You can’t wear that.”
He holds the leather pants up to the light. “What do you mean? These are of excellent quality.” He holds them out for my inspection.
“You need to fit in. The lumber yard is owned by weres but frequented by humans from the next town over.”
Silver Falls sits on the border between the forest and the human towns nearby. The forest and the waypoints inside it spawn nasty supernatural creatures and draw vampires to hunt. The human towns are mere miles away, and Marcus knows we are bound to keep our existence a secret from the humans.
His lip curls. “What do you suggest?”
“A hoodie. Jeans. Black if you insist upon being a cliché. It’s October and it’s getting chilly. You cannot walk bare-chested into the lumber yard in leather pants. There will be a riot.”
Something feral sparks in his gaze. “A riot?”
I keep my expression carefully neutral. What’s worse? A truce with your enemy or the humiliation of wanting to touch his bare chest and knowing he’d recoil if you did? The latter, definitely the latter.
I take a deep inhale through my mouth so I catch none of his scent, concentrate, and yank open the lid of the box. A black hoodie rests inside, alongside black jeans. “You know what I meant.”
That lopsided smile again. “I did, slayer. Leah. Humans notice me. I just wondered if you did too.”