Free Electric Moon by Stacey Brutger Page B

they
never really had to stand alone. They couldn’t survive without the support of
their pack behind them. That gave Raven and London a very important edge they
needed to come out on top.
    She took a deep breath and stepped up to the door, only to
halt in surprise when a doorman opened it for her. Clearly they had money and
wealth and weren’t afraid to show it.
    The thick glass was bulletproof. The doors reinforced. There
was even a fall back door behind the main desk if the lobby fell in an attack.
    Everything inside was marble. One would normally call it
elegant, but the quantity tipped the scales to vulgar. The place would’ve been
a beautiful piece of artwork if you could discount the awful décor.
    “Status.”
    “What?” Raven continued into the lobby, grateful for
London’s presence when the smell of wet dog threatened to overpower her. Not
appreciating the scent either, her wolf pawed the ground restlessly. The beast
took advantage of her preoccupation to peer through her eyes and assess the
scene.
    The unexpected action startled Raven so badly, she stopped and
scrutinize everything around her. The sheer quantity of information filtering
into her brain nearly overwhelmed her. She didn’t care if it appeared she was gawking
as she processed everything.
    Her wolf’s vision muted the distracting colors of the human
eyes. Movements were sharper, shadows disappeared, and every predator was
noted, judged and found lacking.
    “They’re proclaiming their status amongst other packs.”
    His words broke her concentration. Her wolf retreated,
dormant for now, waiting to be called at even the slightest sign of trouble. The
disorientation lasted seconds. Vision restored, Raven snorted at London’s
comment. “More like screaming it at the top of their lungs.”
    She continued toward the front desk, resisting the urge to
sneeze and clear her nose. Without waiting for her to speak, the man rose.
     “If you would follow me, Miss Raven, they are expecting
you.”
    She tensed at the recognition, so used to her anonymity
throughout the years that being identified on sight disturbed her.
    Though slim and unassuming, the sidearm revealed the guard
was prepared for trouble and would take care of it the most efficient way
possible. Not surprising. He was a wolf, the scent of pack all over him in what
smelled like itch weed.
    London prodded her in the back, nearly sending her sprawling
when her feet were reluctant to move. “Thanks.”
    Teeth flashed. “My pleasure.”
    “This way, please.”
    They were led down a series of corridors. After
crisscrossing their own path more than once, she decided it was either a test
or they were trying to make sure she couldn’t find her own way. She was betting
on the former.
     “If you could wait here.” The room was blindingly white, the
walls, the floors, the flowers and even the furniture. She saw the refreshment,
but wasn’t tempted closer.
    London stood to the side of the door, took the standard
bodyguard pose, and just froze. His uniform of a white shirt and black pants
did nothing to diminish his impressive size. Though he looked bored, she knew
he would come to attention at the least provocation.
    The room didn’t really have a smell to it, everything new
and unused. Cocking her head to the side, she closed her eyes and concentrated.
The walls teemed with energy, the wires all but crackling with power. She couldn’t
resist the urge to probe further. She mentally hovered her fingers over the
cables then stiffened when she saw where the electricity pooled.
    The room was rigged.
    They were being watched.
    She withdrew slowly, careful not to trip any wires, leaving
no trace of herself. Turning, she lifted her chin toward the camera artfully
hidden at the top of the picture frame, another in the far corner and a third
hidden in the fireplace.
    “Most guests never discover the cameras.” The boy from the
club slipped into the room, his dimple flashing as he spoke. The jeans