"Dustin! Tell me you are joking!"
Dustin belted out a laugh loud enough for her to hear. "You should see your face right now. You look so dumb. Nice tits by the way." He held his hands up as if he was squeezing them in the air. "Perfectly symmetrical. Do you know how rare that is? You're like a unicorn, Em."
"Again, why am I naked?"
Dustin reared back and looked scandalized. "Because you can't sleep with your clothes on. Who does that? I'll tell you who. No one. You're welcome."
Emma shook her head to rattle out the imaginings of Perv-Wolf undressing her in her sleep. She didn't point out he'd actually slept in his bloody jeans because, at this point, she just wanted to escape. She snatched her neatly folded pile of clothes-undies on top-and dressed as best she could under the covers. "How did you get my stuff out of my room?"
Dustin hunched like the volume of her voice hurt his dog ears. "I told John we were fucking when I returned the first-aid kit, and he gave me the key to your room. What's wrong with your voice?"
Heat blasted into her cheeks, and she ripped her eyes away from his lips because she didn't want to read them anymore. She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. Dustin had seen her naked!
She stood and bolted for the door, but Dustin was there in a blur, looking confused, hand splayed on the door to keep it closed. "What did I do wrong?" He looked back at the room. "I got your morning shit and food to feed you. I researched what humans eat. Who knew it's the same shit I eat, just less meat, and furthermore, your shirt is on backward." He reached for her. "I can fix it."
Emma slapped his hand so hard it stung her fingertips. And then she signed a long string of curses at him because she sure as hell wasn't going to talk again after he'd made fun of her voice.
His eyes got round as full moons. "What did you just do? Did you hex me? Is that voodoo shit? Take it back! I don't need bad mojo, Emma!" He grabbed her wrists and flopped her hands around, but he was pissing her off, so she yanked out of his grasp, clenched her fist, and blasted it at his jaw like Dad had taught her. Only Dustin ducked neatly, and she hit the door with her knuckles.
"Oooow!" she howled. He hunched again, covered his ears, then hurried and covered his balls like a genius because she really was considering kneeing him in the groin. Again.
I hate you! she signed. And then she pulled open the door, gave him one last fiery glare, and stomped outside. But she really did need her toothbrush so she turned around angrily. He was there with her toothbrush, toothpaste, key card, and the little baggie of breakfast like a dad sending his kid off to school.
Beast was sitting a few rooms down, leaning against his door and staring at them with so much judgement in his eyes Emma yelled out, "We didn't screw!" And then she snatched the stuff out of Dustin's hand, shoved him as hard as she could, considered snapping her teeth at him, decided against it, and stomped back to her room. Only it wasn't her room because her key card didn't work, and when she looked back at the boys, they were pointing to the room next door. Assholes.
She opened the correct door easily enough and tried to slam it behind her, but it was one of those easy-closing doors that slowed down and clicked gently into place, and everything was stupid.
In a cloud of fury, Emma shoved her hearing aids in their charger and readied for the day. She wanted to maul Dustin. No. She wanted something more severe. She wanted to leave here and never come back and never see him again so she could swallow her embarrassment eventually and move on with her life. It wasn't like Kane was going to let any of them into the crew. Not after he'd only given Winter and Logan invites.
What was she even doing here?
You know what. Stupid subconscious thought it new everything, the smarmy heifer. Truth was, Emma was here to enjoy the sunlight and enjoy the competition of trying to get into the crew. And she didn't hate the D-Team. Well, other than Dustin. Winter was nice, and Logan wasn't bad. Beast was terrifying but probably wouldn't kill her for fun, and she looked up to Kane and Rowan. She had a good feeling about their crew and felt a strange sense of loyalty to the people she was getting to know here. She could be happy in the territory of the dark dragon until she joined her people again.
She sighed and glared at herself in the mirror, then pulled her honey-colored waves into a high pony tail. Today, she was going to play the stay-far-away-from-Dustin game. She would go into town, fill out job applications, and do her best not to think about the infuriating, sexy, pervy werewolf living a few doors down.
Feeling much better with a plan of action in place, she put in her partially charged hearing aids, clamped her teeth onto the donut, threw open the door, and stepped into the sunlight. At the looming figure near her door, Emma startled so hard, the donut fell out of her mouth and plummeted to the dirty sidewalk.
Dustin caught it before it hit the ground and shoved it back in her wide open mouth. "I don't understand what I did wrong. I got your stuff, bought you breakfast, complimented your tits like the Internet said girls like, and then I went one better and complimented your hair like a gentleman."
"You called it a bird's nest."
"I like birds!"
Beast snorted from where he was still sitting outside his room.
"You can't just undress girls, Dustin. It's illegal."
"Why? Everyone has tits." Dustin dipped his gaze to her cleavage. "I mean, granted, I haven't seen a rack like yours in … well … ever. More compliments!" He lifted his hand like he wanted a high five, but Emma rolled her eyes and walked away.
Dustin followed. "I wanted to ask a question, and I swear it isn't about STDs or what size bra you are. But like, a C-cup at least right? A C? They felt like a C."
Emma took a giant bite of donut and desperately wanted a nap.
"Anyway," Dustin continued, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward his car. "I have an errand to run and I'll let you come with me."
"Why would I want to go anywhere with you?" she snapped, yanking her hand out of his.
"Because it involves a puppy, and the Internet said bitches love puppies."
"Uhh, women not bitches, and not every human woman loves puppies."
"But do you love puppies?" Beast called. He wasn't helping.
Dustin arched his blond brows and waited.
Emma glared across the parking lot at the vending machines and sighed. She wished she could lie to him, but both Dustin and Beast had those pesky heightened senses and would be able to tell. "Yes, I like puppies."
"Great, our first date."
"It's not a fucking date," she gritted out as Dustin opened the passenger's side of his car like a valet.
"I've seen your tits, Em. It's a date." And before she could yell at him, Dustin shut the door and jogged to the driver's side.
She scarfed down the last bit of her cherry-filled donut as he turned on the engine and rolled down the window. The stereo was blasting AC/DC, but she could still hear Dustin as he pulled away and called to Beast, "Don't eat anyone we like while we're gone."
Beast narrowed his eyes, which were now gold and terrifying, and flipped them off as Dustin peeled out of the parking lot.
"Why do you think people call him Beast?" Emma asked.
"Darlin', he earned that name."
"What do you mean?"
"First, can you not feel him? God, being a human must suck. How do you know who is a danger to you when you meet them? Beast is as unstable as Logan. Both of their animals are thoroughly and irreparably broken."
"And yours isn't?"
"Yeah, but it's different for werewolves. That's all genetics, Sugar Puff." Dustin grimaced. "Ew, I tried Emma, I did. I tried on that pet name but didn't like the taste of it. Babe? Does that work better for you?"
"No pet names, Dustin. And how is it different for werewolves?"
"You tell me, Princess Human, claiming to live in a crew. If you really did live in a crew, you would know werewolves are just naturally badass predators-"
"-murderers-"
"-with superior hunting skills and minds geared for battle. We're born bad. It's accepted. Predator animals like Logan and Beast, though? Nah. When they break, they break. Any moment they can go psycho on you and never level out again. What crew, Perky Nips?"
"Even if I okayed a pet name, Perky Nips would never make the cut. And I'm not from a crew." She stared at his profile to watch his reaction. "I'm from a coven."