My choice of café was closed, so we ended up at a run-down diner. They had picked the place and since it was in the direction I wanted to go anyway, I tagged along gracefully. It looked like your average blue-collar diner, which was very far from the truth.

  We sat down at a table near a window. There weren’t that many customers at the all-night deli and while not many of them smelled human, it was well lit and public enough for me. We had no one near enough to make me nervous.

  I held my coffee cup with both hands warming them on the cup. Not because I was cold, but it always felt good to warm your hands like that. Dominic had ordered cranberry juice and Gemini mineral water. I didn’t figure Dominic for a cranberry guy. It was so weird that I just stared at him.

  “What?” he asked defensively.

  “Nothing. Nothing,” I said raising my hands. “Just a bit surprised.”

  Dominic squinted at me, waiting for me to crack some bad joke.

  I was surprised, that was all. But even more surprising, they served cranberry juice.

  I never really liked cranberry juice. Too bitter, unless you add something else. Like vodka. Or you could throw it away and drink malt whiskey instead. Or some good red wine. Italian wines, I mean. I could go on; there were a lot of better alternatives.

  I knew that my new-found stalkers weren’t human. Humans don’t jump from rooftops of three-story buildings or jump four-five meter high walls. Dominic was some kind of animal – a were. What animal, I wasn’t sure, but probably something with big teeth. Something that flashed its fangs when trying to intimidate. I had more trouble trying to figure out Gemini. She had no obvious scent I could connect to. There were glimpses of power that felt alien to me, like Dominic’s power tasted familiar.

  The walk to the diner had been interesting. Gemini had switched between friendly, aloof, cold, and interested without warning, while Dominic had been brusque and pushy. She had turned more remote and aloof as we neared the café. Now, she sat directly across the table with blank face. There was a different kind of distance now. She talked easily enough, but there was a detachment in everything she did. It was like she suddenly needed to keep me at a healthy distance. To make sure I couldn’t read her perhaps. But maybe I was wrong.

  “So, I won’t ask what you are, but I’d like to know what you want?” I sipped my coffee. “Chicago is a bit new to me, so feel free to start from the beginning.” I had to keep it vague. If I was careful, I might get some information.

  I reveled in the fresh coffee. It was a n ice dark roasted coffee with just a tinge of bitterness. Coffee was even better with my new sense of taste. I tasted divine!

  Dominic looked at me. “Well…we’re the ones who backed the syndicate that negotiated with Simon Burns, on behalf of Tony’s father. Not me and Gemini in person, but the Outsiders. They did the actual negotiation, but we were the party responsible for making sure they were protected from other things.”

  “You believed it passive threat?” I asked.

  “Yes. We’re usually good at keeping the opposition on the straight and narrow. The shop and Tony and his family was under our protection, and they should have checked that before doing anything. We do not accept the reasons given for killing Tony, and we do not accept that they ignored our protection. They should have made sure that the target wasn’t protected, but they didn’t. At the moment we’re at an impasse.”

  “Impasse in what way?” I asked, trying not to grind my teeth to dust.

  “There are complications where agreements, let’s say, overlap. We can’t under the circumstances go after them ourselves, because that would cause a bloodbath. Chicago cannot take a war at the moment. So, we want to offer you a reward, if you would take these people out.”

  I glared at Dominic. “I don’t do contracts!” Gemini seemed to find my statement funny, so I threw her a look as well. “It’s not even negotiable.”

  “You mean, you’re going to let this slide?” Dominic’s flat voice and blank face radiated scorn, as did his scent. It was as good as an accusation.

  “Shut your mouth!” I hissed at him as my anger rose. A bit of it was performance, but I let a bit of my internal anger and hatred bled through. “I will hunt them down and kill them, but I will not take your money for it. I have taken a Blood Oath on this, so you canjust shut the fuck up!” Anger coursed through me and my claws were beginning to come out. The sound of the claws biting into the ceramic made me reign in my temper somewhat. “Don’t make me regret meeting you!”

  There was a threat in my voice. Not an idle threat. I didn’t need any more guilt. I had enough grief and guilt to drown an army, so I didn’t need an asshole to poke at my conscience trying to get a rise out of me.

  “Fair enough.” Dominic shrugged like nothing had changed. “But don’t make threats you can’t back up!” The warning was clear.

  “Fuck you!” I stood up. I was so out of there! “Take your fucking business elsewhere. I’d hate to see you two again!”

  I grabbed my jacket and got ready to go, but Gemini caught my arm. “Sit down, Maria. Don’t mind Dominic. He got issues and it makes him a bit rough around the edges.” She looked at me, asking not pleading that I sit down again.

  I didn’t really feel like staying, but I figured I wasn’t the only one with problems and I guess I didn’t have a patent on having a bad mood. I also should try to get more information out of them, since I was sorely lacking in intelligence.

  That sounded bad even in my own head.

  Then there was Gemini. She was and oddity I couldn’t figure out – she made me think of a lot of things that had nothing to do with business at hand. She was doing something as she sat there. I could feel a hint of power flaring, wrapping around us and stretching out, but had no idea what she was doing. I had the feeling that I shouldn’t reveal that I could feel her using her power, so I did my best to keep my face neutral.

  “Okay, but he can keep his fucking issues, because I got my own. I have enough guilt and grief to drown myself in, so I don’t need another leather-clad asshole to give me more.”

  Dominic tilted his head and looked at me. He didn’t say anything he just watched, assessing me trying to figure me out, I guess. I took a deep breath and centered myself. I put the anger I felt back in my mental box, but that didn’t mean I was in a good mood. Dominic made me angry with his stupid comments even if I knew he was doing it to test me, but I wasn’t about to forgive him just like that.

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  Anger oozed off Dominic like waves. “Okay, Maria, I apologize.” he seemed sincere, but his tone of voice never changed. Something was affecting him as well, making him angry. That didn’t mean I would accept him taking it out on me. I didn’t want to know what his problem was, because I didn’t want to feel sympathy for him. And I didn’t need to add to my own problems.

  “Fine.” I said and sat down again.

  I sipped my coffee again. I needed to collect my thoughts. My problem at the moment was that I was reacting to everyone else. I had gone on instinct when I followed Gemini through the alleys and agreeing to sit down and talk. I had no plan but “go out and kill the bastards” which to be honest wasn’t that good of a plan. I needed more information, and they had at least some of the answers.

  I wasn’t comfortable with the situation. Gemini and Dominic were tight, like partners working together for years. Gemini never initiated any conversation, apart from the first contact, while Dominic couldn’t open his mouth without putting his foot in it. Dominic was deliberately trying to provoke me. It was an interrogation, but more subtle and dangerous. The subtle and dangerous part came from whatever Gemini was doing. I was pretty sure she was monitoring me in ways that I couldn’t understand. But I would play along for a while. At least until my lack of anger-management got me in trouble again. But the good cop - bad cop routine was a bit tiring.

  “Look, Dominic,“ I said less grumpily, “I have a hard time dealing with Tony’s death and I have some serious guilt-issues here, so please don’t bring that up again. I’m not even sure I’m altogether sane right now, and I’d hate to try to kill someone I have just met. That isn’t a threat, Dominic, it’s just that I have a hard time being rational right now.”

  “Okay, Maria.” Gemini said and Dominic nodded in agreement, even though his face was blank. “Dominic understands better than you think. He’s just angry that he read you wrong. We didn’t know you didn’t do contract killings. More to the point, the rumors have it you have taken more than one contract yourself.”

  I looked at Dominic while Gemini talked. Aside from the humor in the alley, I hadn’t seen much of any other emotion than anger in his eyes or in his voice. His appearance didn’t give him away, but his scents did. He was feeling much more that anger from what I could pick up. Anger was there, sure, but there was also hate, scorn, and all the rest, but it never really touched his expressions. He only made me careful, but he didn’t scare me.

  Gemini was harder to read and harder to assess. She was still being remote, but I caught some flashes of something from her now and again. Something that resounded in me and made me want to lower my guard. That something scrambled my brain and made it uncomfortable for me to sit. I tried to control my attraction, but it was hard.

  Every time I looked at Gemini, I felt that – that something – and it was totally illogical. I didn’t believe in love at first sight! I didn’t even believe in lust at first sight, but here I was sitting thinking lustful thoughts about someone who was possibly my enemy. Perhaps not an enemy, but not a friendly either, and definitely not a neutral. The enemy of my enemy and all that shit only went so far. I knew that didn’t include me lusting over the enemy of my enemy. My problem was that I was a softie. I tended to lose my head when my feelings got involved and made me trust people I shouldn’t trust. Feelings were my undoing. So getting involved with Gemini was not a good idea. Not to mention that I had no damn idea what the hell she was, or even if we were compatible so to speak.

  The most likely answer was that I was being manipulated. Being led by my hormones in some way by something that Gemini was doing.

  I realized that I couldn’t scent or sense any emotions from Gemini. Not anger, hate, fear, or any other feeling. While she didn’t have much of a scent, that power she was using did tell me more than that power was being used. I could almost taste that power. It was like another sense of smell. I had no idea of how, just that her personal power had a feel to it that I could recognize and that I could follow it like I could scent. But it wasn’t a scent. Not exactly. It was like tracking a sound, only that this “sound” was like an echo.

  “That’s only rumors from a disgruntled former employer. That’s what my real problems are all about – the fact that I won’t do contracts. Assuming things is the mother of all fuckups,” I said turning my attention to Gemini. “And it’s not your fault, even if Dominic needs to work on his people skills.”

  “Well, how much do you know?” Gemini asked.

  “How much…well, I’m guessing I’m chasing werewolves here?”

  “Yeah, “ Dominic answered. He sounded hoarse. “We have pictures of two of them that we know were there, but we can’t go after them. The pictures were taken by a hidden surveillance camera in the back of Tony’s shop.”

  I nodded for him to continue.

  Dominic pulled out a pad and ran a short video sequence. It flickered between sharp and grainy, but it was enough to pick out faces. “We installed it, and we run it.” Gemini said as if explained everything. And it did.

  “You heard my oath! You saw the whole thing!” I accused.

  “No sound, but I know the ritual, yes.” Gemini said calmly.

  “And you!” I turned slowly and glared at Dominic keeping my voice low, but with a growl in the background. “You knew, and you still provoked me? I ought to take that off your hide.”

  Dominic didn’t move a muscle. “You can try…”

  The air crackled with tension.

  I could feel the animal in me wanting out, wanting release. I could hear my blood whooshing as the pressure rose. I welcomed the pain as claws were growing out of my fingertips again. It pulled me back to almost rationality.

  I breathed deeply and did my best to calm down. I made my face relax and breathed until I was myself again. I cranked my neck, so the vertebrae popped back into place.

  “What are you?” Dominic hand streaked out. I caught it before it connected. But he had something else in mind. He pulled my hand back towards him and licked it. “I had you figured for Breed. The sense of it flickers, and it shouldn't. But I sensed your animal when you partially changed, so you must be Breed.”

  I pulled my hand back. “I have no idea what you’re after, Dominic, and I don’t care. And please don’t lick my hand again. We aren’t dating, you know?” I shuddered. “A napkin, please?”

  Gemini smiled and gave me a paper tissue.

  “What the hell are you?” Dominic asked again.

  “You have noticed that I haven’t asked you what you are, so you’re not entitled to any answer.” I tried my best to rub the skin of my hand with the paper tissue. “Yuck, Dominic. That was really disgusting! You’re yucky!”

  “Yucky?” Dominic asked incredulously. “Licking increases the scent. You should know all these things. You’re Breed.”

  “Hey, Dominic, back off! Your lack of people skills is showing again. Now do we continue our conversation, or do I leave?”

  Dominic sat down and glared at me. “You’re hiding something. There’s something really strange about you, and I will find out what the hell that is. But perhaps you would rather tell me now?”

  “Yeah, well I don’t go around sucking on people.” I snapped back.

  “I don’t suck on people!” Dominic growled back, offended.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever!”

  “So, explain yourself!” Dominic demanded.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like I want to tell you anything, Dominic? Just because you have the word ‘Asshole’ stamped on your forehead, doesn’t mean I have the word ‘Stupid’ on mine. And even if I have, yours is not the warm cozy bosom I would snuggle up an’ tell tales to, if you know what I mean? You licked my hand, but you don’t get a date. So there!” I stuck out my tongue at him. Sure I was angry, but I was certain that my attitude would irritate both Dominic and Gemini more.

  I knew they were testing me. Trying to drive me to change or flip, trying to find my breaking point. I resented that, but not enough to get really angry.

  They were actually very good. Dominic provoked and asked questions that made you angry or stumped, while Gemini watched and assessed. A bit of good cop bad cop, only they weren’t cops. Dominic did his part even though his anger was real. That is how you know you’re dealing with professionals.

  “Asshole?” Dominic voice had gone deeper.

  “Can we please stop pretending now, and get down to business? Have I passed the test, or do you need me to do anything freaky? I can do the amazing cherry stem trick. You know, tie it in a knot with my tongue.” And then turned off the charm and let my anger through. “Or you can go fuck yourselves!”