Smashed (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8.5)

I raised both hands in surrender, unable to stop the grin that spread across my face. “Settle down, little wolf. There’s no need to wave shit like that around. If you want to talk, I’ll listen.”


Juliet advanced on me, using the pistol to herd me away from the bodies. “Keep going,” she said with a nod. “Over there by that tree. Your friend stays put.”

She issued a command to her men to keep an eye on Jenner while ensuring no passersby happened to notice the murder victims. I walked backward, refusing to take my gaze off her. She was a feisty one. Unpredictable as well. Must be in the blood.

“We both know I could blow you all sky high,” I said, doing my best to appear bored with her tough federal agent act. “If you think I did this, then clearly you haven’t studied up on my MO.”

Her glare darkened until it was downright impressive. Only when we were out of human earshot did she speak.

“I know you didn’t do this. It was Alexa. That’s what I want to talk to you about.” Slowly she lowered the weapon. Her finger remained on the trigger though. Apparently the youngest O’Brien didn’t trust me.

“So talk,” I said when she fell silent.

Taking the opportunity to study her, I determined that Juliet was experiencing regret. It was evident in the way her shoulders hunched and the faint aroma of self-pity that tainted her aura. Alexa’s sister was one of my least favorite people. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t seem to mean to cause Alexa so much distress. But she did. And I simply am not as forgiving as my better half.

“I’ve been watching Alexa, tracking her phone and finding her victims. This is the third confirmed since she…died.” Juliet blew a stray strand of curly brown hair out of her face. She glanced back at the waiting agents. “Nobody knows it’s her. I’ve reported it as a continuation of those vampire kills we started looking into a couple of weeks back.”

“Well, isn’t that gracious of you. That might actually mean something if your organization hadn’t just tried to kill her.” Crossing my arms, I fixed the young werewolf with a patronizing look.

The guilt disappeared from her face, replaced by a mask of fury. “Well, I guess you succeeded where we failed.”

I stared into Juliet’s dark-brown eyes. If she was hoping to elicit a reaction from me, she would be disappointed. Though my gaze was hard and cold, inside I was mourning. Alexa’s eyes were the same deep, amazing brown; at least, they were supposed to be.

“Well played,” I said. “I’m not going to discuss that with you. It was out of my control. It had to happen.”

“Then why aren’t you with her now?”

Ah yes, the same question I’d been asking myself for days. “You’re asking the wrong person. Alexa has this tendency to run to Kale Sinclair when feeling overwhelmed. She doesn’t want to see me right now, and I’m not about to force the issue.”

Juliet seemed to ponder this, nodding slowly. “From what I understand, the two of you are tied together somehow. Twin flames. I looked it up. It sounds like a recipe for disaster. So should we be expecting some kind of repercussions? Is it going to get worse than this?” She pointed at the corpses without looking.

I, however, stared at the bloodless bodies. It was difficult to accept that my beautiful wolf had done such a thing. She was the good one. The light. I needed her to keep being that. To be the one that held the promise of something better.

“It might,” I answered honestly. “I think she just needs to get it out of her system. She’s a new vampire. It’s difficult to control the urges in the beginning. There is very little sense of conscience and remorse.”

“How much longer is she going to be a ravenous maniac? I can’t keep covering for her. I could lose my job. Or worse.” With her lips pressed tight together, Juliet regarded me with a hopeful glint in her eyes, seeking from me something I could not give her.

“Worse? The FPA would kill you for protecting your sister? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“It’s possible. I could always end up in other places. The lab, for instance.” She paused, then sighed and swore. “You’ve got to understand. Alexa isn’t just a vampire and werewolf hybrid to the FPA. She’s a serious threat. As long as she refuses to work with us, she remains on a watch list. Given the right reasons, the FPA won’t hesitate to take her out.”

“And yet, you still work for them. Willingly.” I felt no pity for her. No sympathy. Maybe even a little part of me hoped she would get caught covering up Alexa’s tracks. It would serve her right for having such divided loyalties.