Free Lore vs. The Summoning by Anya Breton Page B

looked for anything that could tie Chet to the Covens. The only thing my search merited me was a nose full of dust.
    As the sun rose over Jamaican Plain I hobbled to the sidewalk, bloody, battered and bewildered.

CHAPTER SEVEN

    The last person I wanted to see at my front door was the werewolf Alpha. Which meant he was the first person I saw through the peephole. I thought about turning around and going back to bed but knew if I didn't open the door to end his incessant banging someone was going to call the cops.  
    I lived in an upscale row house in Back Bay that had been converted into apartments. My neighbors knew who I was, who I worked for and tolerated little tomfoolery. At least one of them had their fingers in the symphony pie because my business had been blabbed to my co-workers on more than one occasion.
    That was why I reached out, took hold of the Alpha's shirt and yanked him inside before too many neighbors got a good look at him.
    "What the hell do you think you're doing coming here?" I demanded in a hissing voice that sounded whiny even to my ears. I had a right to whine. Two minutes ago I'd been blissfully unconscious, drugged to the gills and surprisingly pain free. Now I was shockingly awake and felt like I'd been run over by an eighteen wheeler.
    "Laura Denham?" The bastard asked while looking me over with a crinkled brow.
    I gave him a dirty look in answer.
    "What the hell happened to you? You look like you got run over by a truck."
    I ignored him to head into the kitchen for an infusion of sugar. Once I'd gotten there and wrenched open the refrigerator door, I let out a grunt of displeasure. There was only one can of generic orange soda left in my refrigerator and little actual food to speak of. I was in serious need of a trip to the grocery store.
    "You sure you're Laura Denham?" The Alpha asked again.
    I'd already cracked the last can of soda open with the surprisingly pain-free fingers on my right hand and downed an eighth of it by the time he spoke. "Did you meet someone else last night claiming to be me?"
    The Alpha's eyes narrowed. "You don't look the same. The woman last night was...well...hotter."
    I shot him another, dirtier look. "Yeah, well, I clean up good. Now what the hell do you want, besides insulting me about my morning appearance?"
    "You've got the same sparklin' personality and almost the same voice, I guess you're Laura Denham," he said derisively.
    Almost the same voice? What was wrong with my voice?  
    I probably didn't want to know.
    I remained quiet while chugging the soda. I needed two more of these and maybe a box of Nerds candy to be able to handle this guy this early. What time was it anyway?
    My eyes drifted to the digital clock on my microwave. Eleven thirteen! I'd gotten less than four hours of sleep! Ooooh, this guy had better pay me for my time.
    The Alpha eyed me carefully. "So...did...Michael do that to you?"
    I couldn't help but laugh. Michael, the mailman, wouldn't have been able to bruise me, much less give me a single one of these wounds. Well, that wasn't completely true. My hand lifted to touch the back of my head where the little asshole had hit me when I was unconscious.
    I didn't answer the Alpha's question until I'd finished my soda. "No," was my entirely verbose response.
    The Alpha's half frowning face completed the look to a full frown. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"
    Without moving more than my arm I aimed the empty can at the trash bin across the kitchen, took the shot and landed it. I could totally play for the WNBA...if I didn't suck at dribbling, jumping and running.  
    "I distinctly recall asking you that question twice, Alpha," I answered dryly.
    The Alpha's frame drew up to his full height. I guessed it was somewhere north of six feet but not by much. If he meant to appear intimidating by doing that he was failing miserably. I'd killed five guys twice his size last night.  
    "Michael said you shot him six times," the Alpha said in a low