What She Wants. Lucinda Betts

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СКАЧАТЬ beauty of his power spun its spell, leaving Ann’s wrists longing for his lips, leaving her tongue hungry for his.

      Ann could so easily be in the tiny woman’s shoes. The unnatural scent floating between them made her crave the attention the other woman received—even if it meant Ann’s own death. A predator always killed his prey, eventually.

      This predator didn’t kill now, though. His fingertips purposefully traced the line of the tiny woman’s collarbone, his eyes still locked on Ann’s. His sexuality was so blatant—so dangerous—that her heart pounded. She could almost imagine him as the alpha stallion pawing the ground, shaking the earth beneath his hooves with his lust.

      And the fragrance made her want to submit to his will, his strength.

      She exhaled, anger winning the war against fear and lust—at least temporarily. If he thought she was some filly, some weak thing with whom to trifle, he was wrong. He could no more crush her neck in his palm than he could sprout wings and fly.

      She could protect herself. She might not have the strength to fight, but she could run. Ann turned and walked through the door, her eyes on the elevator.

      Ann.

      What was that? Pain tore through her head, leaving her stunned. Leaning against the wall, she pushed her temples to try to counteract the searing pressure.

      Anemone, honey. I need you.

      Mom? She must be imagining this. She hadn’t heard from any family member in fifteen years. Mom?

      I’m here. You have to listen to me. The predator has found you. You must stop him. The pressure in her skull lifted as her brain relearned the mindlink of her childhood.

      Oh, Mom, I love you. In a haze of pain and shock, she remembered to breathe. After so many years isolated and alone, she wanted to put her head in her mother’s lap and savor her company. Where are you?

      I can’t tell you, and I love you, too, but you need to listen to me. Are you listening?

      Yes.

      Do you know where the predator is? Right this minute?

      Yes! He’s behind me. How did you—

      Hide! her mother said. Ann glanced around the crowded lobby and spied a darkened hall. Not looking behind her, she walked toward it. It led to a series of conference rooms. She tried the first glass-paned door. It was open.

      Okay. Using her animal vision, she walked through the darkened room until she found a chair. I’m alone.

      Keep alert. I don’t want you near the predator until you’ve heard me.

      I don’t want to be near the predator at all. I barely escaped just now. I wanted to—

      That’s why I’m reaching out to you, but first you have to promise you won’t try to find me.

      What are you talking about?

      Just promise!

      How can I do that?

      Promise me.

      Ann paused, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to give up on her mother if she were in trouble.

      Promise me, her mother insisted.

      Ann pushed her selfish needs aside. What else could she do? I promise.

      Thank you. Ann heard the softness in her mother’s voice, remembered the gentleness in it as she’d read her poems and sung to her. In that moment, she would have done anything to feel her mother’s arms wrapped around her, to feel like she belonged someplace.

      Now listen to me. Her mom’s voice sounded intense now, no hint of lullaby. I don’t have a lot of time. The predators. I know how they seduce us—and you can stop it.

      How?

      You’re the only one who can do it. With your resistance, we can save all our kind.

      How?

      You have to go back to him. You have to get near him, search his pockets, his car, his hotel room.

      What?

      I’ve discovered their secret.

      Their secret?

      They’re just humans. They created a pheromone, genetically modified it from something. And they’ve bottled it in two small vials. Silver. They’re passing them among themselves. You have to find them.

      Pheromones? That’s how they…seduce us? Shock poured through her. She’d always thought the predators were supernatural. They don’t have magic?

      No magic, her mother said. They’re simply human men with a terrible drug.

      They couldn’t be human. Her mind raced over the implications, seeking a flaw in her mother’s statement—and she found it. That doesn’t make sense. Whenever they seduced us, it drove them mad. They created something that was just as bad for them as for us.

      That was fifteen years ago, Anemone. It was a trial run.

      What are you talking about?

      They’ve refined it. The pheromone they’ve concocted now—seducin, they call it—it lures us like rats to the Pied Piper. Apparently this new seducin doesn’t drive the wearer insane, but it’s just as much of an aphrodisiac as it ever was for us.

      They’re human? She swallowed. Really?

      Yes. Someone has designed a trap.

      What for? What do they want with us?

      I don’t know yet. She could tell her mother was distracted, could feel her peering over her shoulder. Listen, Ann. She envisioned the fear in her mom’s eyes. You need to find the vials and smash them, flush the perfume, destroy it.

      Destroying the vials would break the predators’ hold on them, but would it solve the problem? Shouldn’t we destroy the lab first? They’ll just make more. We need to—

      Don’t worry about the lab. I’ve got that covered. Can you take care of the vials?

      Of course I’ll do it, Mom. To save her family.

      You’re strong enough now—I know it. Now I have to run—

      Be careful!

      The predators, they’re coming as we speak. Don’t try to find me. Don’t use the mindlink. They can track us. I love you—

      Her mother’s voice broke off.

      Mom?

      No one answered.

      “Mom?” Her voice sounded so lonely in the empty conference room. “Mom?” she asked again, but Ann was alone.

      She sat back in the chair. The residual thrum the mindlink left in her head СКАЧАТЬ