Beast Behaving Badly
Page 2
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After taking a breath Blayne had replied, Nothin. Why?
Her father didnt seem to believe her much, but he let it go. Tracey, however, did not let it go. She blamed Blayne for blowing the tigresss chance at being the futureand very wealthymate of a hockey star. Tracey never spoke to her again, which Gwen was very happy about, while Novikov lasted another month with the minor league team before landing his first major league deal. She hadnt seen him since that day and didnt bother to go to many hockey games, so she hadnt seen him play. But shed heard about him. It was impossible to be around sports lovers and not hear about Novikov.
To quote her father, who loved sports so much he even watched the full-humans on TV, That boy would take down his grandmother if she had his puck. And as usual, her father was right. If she had any doubts about the accuracy of his statement, all she had to do was continue to sit in this stadium with five thousand other shifters and watch that vicious barbarian batter the much smaller leopard into the ice. And why was he doing that? Because the smaller leopard had taken his puck.
The opposing team, the Charleston Butchers, tried to stop Novikov, but he tossed them off his back like they were puppies. The buzzer sounded and Novikov immediately stopped what he was doing, which somehow made Novikov seem even more coldblooded.
The New York Carnivores newest center and enforcer stood. He was no longer the six-one, two-hundred-fifty-pound serial killer looking sub-adult shed met all those years ago. Nope. He was now a seven-one, three-hundred-seventy-eight-pound serial killer looking adult.
Thankfully, though, she couldnt see his face or those frightening eyes because of all the blood hed splattered over the protective glass between Blaynes and Gwens primo seats and the rink. But Novikov didnt move away. She could see he was just standing there, facing in her direction.
He cant remember me, she thought desperately. Theres no way he can remember me. She kept chanting that in her head while a gloved hand reached up and wiped at the glass. The blood smeared, but it was clear enough for Novikov to look through it and directly at her.
He was chewing gum. So was she. Cold blue eyes that had not changed to gold like most lion and lion hybrids gazed coldly at her. Blayne gazed back. She wouldnt run this time. Shed done her research and had a better grasp of serial killers. Not that she had proof Novikov was one, but a girl could never be too careful. And what shed learned was to not show fear. Serial killers preyed on those they considered weak. She may not be all wolf but she had enough of her father in her to give her a backbone. So . . . so there!
If someone asked Blayne later if she had any idea how long they were staring at each other, she knew shed have to honestly say she had no clue. It felt like hours, but basic logic told her it was more like thirty seconds or so. Long enough for one ofNovikovs teammates to push his shoulder to get him to move off the ice. Probably not a good idea. Novikov caught the pushy wolfs right arm and launched him the entire length of the rink and right into the other teams unprotected goal. He didnt score anything by doing that, but the crowd loved it.
Her mouth open, Blayne gaped at him. That was his own teammate. Not the opposition. Wheres the loyalty? she wanted to know.
She wouldnt know there was any fan love, though, from the way Novikov looked back at her, ignoring all his cheering, screaming fans. That impossibly angryokay, fine! And gorgeous! face glaring at her through all that blood.
The man may have been a sub-adult bear-cat when shed first met him all those years ago, but he was a full adult predator now. Not only had he hit his bear shifter growth spurt, but his gold-brown lions mane had grown in under the white hair that poured from the crown of his head, the two hair colors mixing into a silky mass that tumbled to just above his wide shoulders, giving him a kind of rock-and-roll meets punk look that worked for him. And although his eyes may be blue, the shape of his eyelids combined with sharp cheekbones, full bottom lip, and blunt-ended nose that faintly resembled a cat muzzle revealed his Mongolian descent.
Blayne would never say it out loud, but there had to be a cool factor to saying that his birth-Pride had descended directly from a lion shifter bloodline dating from the time of Genghis Khan. Novikovs ancestors ran before Khans armies, destroyingand eatingwhatever was in their way, helping the barbarian leader expand his territories until the cats grew bored and wandered off. Of course, Novikovs family on his fathers side wasnt exactly filled with peace lovers, either. Nope. The Novikovs were descended from mighty Siberian Cossack polars dating back to the early 1600s, and they still ran some tough towns near the Arctic Circle.
Finally, after their endless staring, Novikov glided back from her, gave her one last hard look, and skated back to his team.
Once gone, Blayne crumpled into her seat.
Youre panting, hon.
I am not panting, she told Gwen. Im trying to not breathe in fear. I thought he was going to rip my face off.
Gwen held out a bag of popcorn. I dont know why you find him so scary.
Now Blayne gawked at her best friend. Gee, I dont know. Maybe its because it looks like he wants to cut my throat and watch the life slowly drain from my body so he can fuck my corpse without all that screaming-and-putting-up-a-fight distraction!
Blayne cringed and, ignoring Gwens shoulders shaking as she silently but hysterically laughed, turned and smiled at the family of six behind her. The youngest about five. Sorry, she croaked out. Sorry about that.
Her father didnt seem to believe her much, but he let it go. Tracey, however, did not let it go. She blamed Blayne for blowing the tigresss chance at being the futureand very wealthymate of a hockey star. Tracey never spoke to her again, which Gwen was very happy about, while Novikov lasted another month with the minor league team before landing his first major league deal. She hadnt seen him since that day and didnt bother to go to many hockey games, so she hadnt seen him play. But shed heard about him. It was impossible to be around sports lovers and not hear about Novikov.
To quote her father, who loved sports so much he even watched the full-humans on TV, That boy would take down his grandmother if she had his puck. And as usual, her father was right. If she had any doubts about the accuracy of his statement, all she had to do was continue to sit in this stadium with five thousand other shifters and watch that vicious barbarian batter the much smaller leopard into the ice. And why was he doing that? Because the smaller leopard had taken his puck.
The opposing team, the Charleston Butchers, tried to stop Novikov, but he tossed them off his back like they were puppies. The buzzer sounded and Novikov immediately stopped what he was doing, which somehow made Novikov seem even more coldblooded.
The New York Carnivores newest center and enforcer stood. He was no longer the six-one, two-hundred-fifty-pound serial killer looking sub-adult shed met all those years ago. Nope. He was now a seven-one, three-hundred-seventy-eight-pound serial killer looking adult.
Thankfully, though, she couldnt see his face or those frightening eyes because of all the blood hed splattered over the protective glass between Blaynes and Gwens primo seats and the rink. But Novikov didnt move away. She could see he was just standing there, facing in her direction.
He cant remember me, she thought desperately. Theres no way he can remember me. She kept chanting that in her head while a gloved hand reached up and wiped at the glass. The blood smeared, but it was clear enough for Novikov to look through it and directly at her.
He was chewing gum. So was she. Cold blue eyes that had not changed to gold like most lion and lion hybrids gazed coldly at her. Blayne gazed back. She wouldnt run this time. Shed done her research and had a better grasp of serial killers. Not that she had proof Novikov was one, but a girl could never be too careful. And what shed learned was to not show fear. Serial killers preyed on those they considered weak. She may not be all wolf but she had enough of her father in her to give her a backbone. So . . . so there!
If someone asked Blayne later if she had any idea how long they were staring at each other, she knew shed have to honestly say she had no clue. It felt like hours, but basic logic told her it was more like thirty seconds or so. Long enough for one ofNovikovs teammates to push his shoulder to get him to move off the ice. Probably not a good idea. Novikov caught the pushy wolfs right arm and launched him the entire length of the rink and right into the other teams unprotected goal. He didnt score anything by doing that, but the crowd loved it.
Her mouth open, Blayne gaped at him. That was his own teammate. Not the opposition. Wheres the loyalty? she wanted to know.
She wouldnt know there was any fan love, though, from the way Novikov looked back at her, ignoring all his cheering, screaming fans. That impossibly angryokay, fine! And gorgeous! face glaring at her through all that blood.
The man may have been a sub-adult bear-cat when shed first met him all those years ago, but he was a full adult predator now. Not only had he hit his bear shifter growth spurt, but his gold-brown lions mane had grown in under the white hair that poured from the crown of his head, the two hair colors mixing into a silky mass that tumbled to just above his wide shoulders, giving him a kind of rock-and-roll meets punk look that worked for him. And although his eyes may be blue, the shape of his eyelids combined with sharp cheekbones, full bottom lip, and blunt-ended nose that faintly resembled a cat muzzle revealed his Mongolian descent.
Blayne would never say it out loud, but there had to be a cool factor to saying that his birth-Pride had descended directly from a lion shifter bloodline dating from the time of Genghis Khan. Novikovs ancestors ran before Khans armies, destroyingand eatingwhatever was in their way, helping the barbarian leader expand his territories until the cats grew bored and wandered off. Of course, Novikovs family on his fathers side wasnt exactly filled with peace lovers, either. Nope. The Novikovs were descended from mighty Siberian Cossack polars dating back to the early 1600s, and they still ran some tough towns near the Arctic Circle.
Finally, after their endless staring, Novikov glided back from her, gave her one last hard look, and skated back to his team.
Once gone, Blayne crumpled into her seat.
Youre panting, hon.
I am not panting, she told Gwen. Im trying to not breathe in fear. I thought he was going to rip my face off.
Gwen held out a bag of popcorn. I dont know why you find him so scary.
Now Blayne gawked at her best friend. Gee, I dont know. Maybe its because it looks like he wants to cut my throat and watch the life slowly drain from my body so he can fuck my corpse without all that screaming-and-putting-up-a-fight distraction!
Blayne cringed and, ignoring Gwens shoulders shaking as she silently but hysterically laughed, turned and smiled at the family of six behind her. The youngest about five. Sorry, she croaked out. Sorry about that.
