1: Chaos - Pack Alpha Read Online Free PDF Page A

have to go past them to get to the elevator. There’s a joke. My mind ran through a ton of Ho cracks. I hated the gauntlet that I guessed would come, had to steel myself for that.
     
     
    I wasted time digging in my purse, running a brush through my hair, though I roughed it up with my hands after that. I prolonged my departure, I don’t know why. It wasn’t the homey goons. I could handle that. I didn’t like leaving things as they were. And he was avoiding me, too, it looked like, had disappeared back into the bathroom. I knew I should run then.
     
     
    But I hate being a coward. That’s not really my nature. So, I waited for him to come out. Waited forever. Waited so long that I started to think about going in and telling him what I thought about him, and all his practicing. Got downright pissed, actually.
     
     
    I sent him a thought. If you can read my mind, you bastard, come out and say goodbye. The least you could do is call me a cab.
     
     
    I could call my own cab. I could hail one on the street for that matter. I could walk home. Hell, I needed a good, hard run in fresh air. I couldn’t breathe in there.
     
     
    There was no excuse for staying. He’d made it quite clear that we were done.
     
     
    When no answer came, I felt a little devastated. I expected a Get lost, bitch, or something. But I got nada. And, eventually, I couldn’t stall any more. Feeling totally used, terribly let down, unbelievably depressed, I squared my shoulders and headed for the door.
     
     
    The minute one of his boys thought to open his mouth, I shut him down fast. Looking him in the eye, I warned, “Don’t be stupid. You see me being happy?” I raised my lips, gave him a little hint of the teeth, a glimpse of the crinos me. In a split second, my nose and jaw extended, pearly fangs gleamed and then were gone, and I was me again.
     
     
    There’s a flash for ya. Yeah. I got respect.
     
     
    As I climbed on the lift, I heard them snicker to themselves. “Ain’t often a bitch leaves here without a smile. Wonder what that shit’s all about.” A whole lot of that sort of talk.
     
     
    The gate started to close and I looked up at the ceiling of the elevator, an open steel cage. Glass panels alternated with metal in a haphazard pattern in the factory style warehouse. We were on the top floor. Briefly, I wondered how long Chaos had lived there, and how many other garou were in the building, on the other floors, how many floors there were. I didn’t really want to know--just trying not to think about him.
     
     
    Again, I repeated to myself I don’t need any more Chaos. But you know, I was feeling real depressed, heartsick and part of me, the part that wasn’t admitting squat, knew that I’d fallen for him. If that ain’t about the dumbest thing ever. Fall for the biggest playa in the league.
     
     
    The cage made some noise like it needed oiled. Old gears in a cranky set-up. I sagged against the back wall, closed my eyes, thanking Gaia I’d been able to get out relatively unscathed, refusing to get introspective while he was still within breathing range.
     
     
    Of course, that moment of relief was short-lived.
     
     
    I heard growling, furious roaring, actually, and I smelled fear, a lot of it--goons?--and opened my eyes in time to see Chaos slam a hand on the lift stop button--right before the doors closed. Making them open again.
     
     
    So what if he looked fucking hot? Good enough to eat? He also looked mad enough to kill.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    He didn’t say a word. At least, not straight up. No. He stared at me, though, and that said plenty.
     
     
    Apparently, he’s not used to women walking out on him. Not until he dismisses them. How the hell was I supposed to know? I thought I had been.
     
     
    See, that’s the thing about Chaos and me. He thought I ‘got’ him. He thought I was playing him, like I had a better grip on my brain and my