He took pity on me. "Their control over their wolves gets shakier around the full moon. Passion has been known to snap that control. If any part of him changed during sex, his bodily fluids would have the potential to carry the lycanthrope virus. In rare cases, it has been known to spark the change in a partner."
Lisa looked slightly uncomfortable at the revelation.
Liam continued with a cool look in her direction. "I thought Brax had counseled his wolves on being careful around such times so as to avoid such a circumstance."
She bit her lip, looking slightly abashed. "He had, but we figured since I was on the list for the bite anyway, there would be little harm in it." Her eyes were avid as she leaned forward. "Plus, sex with a werewolf around the full moon is really intense. The inner animal comes out, if you know what I mean."
My eyes widened slightly, and I nodded. I did understand this time.
Liam retained his hard expression. "You realize your boyfriend would have been punished severely for disobeying his alpha. Brax has killed others for less."
She looked shamed, her chin wobbling and her eyes filling with tears. One escaped to roll down her cheek. She looked no less perfect for the show of emotion. When I cried, I tended to turn a blotchy red, my eyes looking like a puffer fish and my nose looking like it had a severe sunburn.
"I know. Since finishing Brax's punishment, he refuses to talk to me. I haven't spoken with him since that night." She sniffed. "I hope he knows I never meant for any of this to happen."
Liam looked unconvinced. Both of us studied her with a laser focus.
"What happened between you and Caroline?" I asked in a soft voice, trying to appear sympathetic.
She looked up at me, her eyes still watery. "It was my fault."
"I'm sure it was an accident," I said, giving her an excuse.
"I know better than to corner a new wolf." Her hands twisted in her lap, the picture of a remorseful woman. "I've just been so lonely being the only girl on the farm. I thought it might be nice to have a friend. All of the other wolves don't like me much because they think it's my fault Jonathan got in trouble."
"Of course, that's understandable," I said with a warm smile.
"It is?" Her look was hopeful.
"Yeah, I was in the military for several years, and it was always nice when I found a female friend. Guys are great, but they sometimes don't get everything we're going through."
I ignored the look Liam shot me, one that said he suspected someone had invaded my body.
She gave me a relieved smile. "Exactly. I just thought we could help each other out."
"Give each other tips?" I said, helping her along.
She nodded. "Yeah. Maybe even cover for each other when one of us needed a few minutes away to get ourselves back under control. I mean Brax and his people are so nice, but I think they forget sometimes what it's like."
"You know, I'm going through some of the same things. These older vampires, they just don't understand. They're all about rules and nit-picking everything I do. It's enough to drive a person mad," I said, flicking a glance Liam's way.
Her eyes went to him to as if she had just realized he was in the room with us. Panic flitted over her features, and she leaned forward, her hands gripping my arm, "Please don't tell Brax I said anything against him. He's a good alpha, but he wouldn't understand that sometimes us girls just need a moment. He might punish me for such thoughts."
My eyes narrowed. I kept my sly smile inside.
"Sounds like a pretty awful person to punish you for such a natural way of thinking," I said in an idle voice.
"Oh no, he's great. I mean, he's set in his ways and he can be a little harsh sometimes."
I nodded as if I agreed with every word she said. "Right. Sounds like you don't like him at all."
"No, that's not what I said," she denied, her gaze going from me to Liam and back again.
My voice was puzzled. "First you say he's great, then you say he's harsh. That you'd face punishment for saying anything against him. Does that sound like the alpha we know, Liam?"
Liam's eyes rested on me, warm with a slight quirk to his lips. It was a long moment before he looked back at Lisa, his eyes turning wintry. I shivered at the thought of such a gaze being turned on me. I'd faced his stony expression before, so I knew exactly how unsettling it was when the stone-cold enforcer came out to play.
"Nope, sure doesn't," he said.
"You're twisting my words," Lisa said, frustration beginning to show on her face.
I studied her for a moment, my mouth pursing just the slightest bit. Maybe. "Back to Caroline, what was it about being friends that she took issue with?"
Lisa stared at me for a long moment before jerking up one shoulder. "She invited me into her room, and then flipped out when I touched her things."
"So, it wasn't friendship that pissed her off. It was you invading her space."
"No, she invited me."
I made a face as if I understood. "But, I thought you said you pressured her."
"Yes, to be friends. That's all."
"So, it's her fault?" I asked.
"Yes." Her face blanched. "I mean no. It's just being a new werewolf can be hard. I think she lost control for a moment. That's all. Everything since then has gotten blown way out of proportion."
"Now, you're saying she over-reacted to what happened," I said in a flat voice, not bothering to hide my dislike for her anymore.
She scowled at me. "I don't think I like your tone. I'm not here for you to cast accusations and blame me for things that aren't my fault."
Bitch was good, playing the whole 'we women have to stick together' card before transitioning to righteous indignation. Too bad I'd dealt with that sort of thing more than once in my life. It stopped having an effect on me a long time ago.
"No, you're here because your alpha ordered your presence. I doubt he did it, so you could lie and misdirect us," Liam said from his corner, his voice a cold wind. He fixed Lisa with a gaze that said he was wondering what she would look like with her throat torn out and her blood gushing down the front of her pretty dress.
She blanched, reading the intent in his gaze, her gaze going to me for help.
I shrugged, allowing my amusement to show through. "Don't look at me. I've heard very few truths out of you since I sat down."
"That's, that's—"
"Unfortunate," I finished for her. "How about you try a little harder to tell us what happened? Otherwise, I'll leave you in a room alone with Liam. He's kind of upset with me because I took a bit of a breather from all this earlier tonight. He might enjoy working his frustration out on you."
Liam's lips curved in a dangerous smile, his fangs denting his lower lip and giving no illusion about just how he would get the information.
"You can't do that. Brax won't let you." Fear showed in her eyes. I think we were finally getting to meet the real Lisa.
"I think he would if it meant learning what actually happened that night." I leaned forward, my face set in a cruel expression. "I'm told some vampires can see memories from blood. He's pretty old. What do you want to bet he has that ability?"