Pack or Prey (Wolfblooded book 1)

Chapter 7, Part 1

July 2nd 2011 2:36 p.m.

"Do you ever miss sex?"

Liz's question came so unexpectedly I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep my soda from spraying all over the steering wheel. It burned my nostrils, all those tiny fizzy bubbles threatening to shoot upward and outward.

I blindly set my cup in the cup holder and took the rough paper napkin Liz offered me, dabbing at my nose.

"Miss sex?" I asked, though I’d heard her loud and clear.

"Yeah. I know you're kinda in a dry spell. I'm just curious if you miss it or if you even think about it."

"Do you miss it?" I threw back at her, knowing she wasn't getting her cookies either. It had the desired effect. A glance to the side found her tugging at a blond curl, her lip captured in her teeth.

"Yes. I mean I guess I do," she answered shyly. "I've never been the sex-starved type, but I don't know how much longer I can go before I explode."

Oh. Okay.

So we’re actually going to have this conversation.

Her forthright surprised me. She was my best friend, and these were the things best friends were supposed to talk about, but the fact that she was so open about her sex life was something I could not empathize with. Unlike her, I couldn't chit chat about my sexcapades. It was just something I preferred to keep private.

Honestly, I hadn't even thought of Liz as a sexual creature until recently. She was too small, too introverted, too... Liz. It seemed wrong to think of her getting all hot and sweaty with someone. Not because that someone would have been female—I honestly couldn't give less of a shit about that—but because she was like a kid sister to me.

So when she'd asked me if the club I danced at was looking for dancers, I’d been completely thrown. It so didn’t fall in line with how I saw her. But since she asked, and I didn't want to see her starve, I pulled a few strings and got her an audition. To my complete surprise, she not only went through with it, but she'd nailed it. Andre was so happy he'd been gushing about her debut for the last few days.

Liz's sudden silence was unsettling. She looked embarrassed at having said what she’d said. She was tensed up, her knees jerking and fidgeting in the small leg space on the passenger side.

"Sometimes," I offered her, "but it's never been something that I needed." That was a lie.

With Frank I always seemed to need his touch, his kiss, his warmth. I craved him in a way that edged on desperation. It scared the shit out of me. "I mean... I know what it's like to need a specific person, but when I don't have a guy to paw it just doesn't seem to bug me."

"How can you dance the way you do every night and not feel all revved up? It doesn't turn you on to know you're the object of desire for those men in the club?" The question was innocent enough, but it brought a slight burn to my cheeks hearing it like that.

"It's an illusion, Liz. Dancing doesn't turn me on. It's just something fun to do. Afterwards, I don't need a cold shower for anything more than cleaning the sweat and smoke off my skin," I shrugged as the car started forward again. "Why do you ask?"

She went quiet beside me. I counted about three city blocks before she drew breath to answer.

"I don't know. Just... wondering," she said, but she sounded utterly defeated about something.

"Do you ruminate about my sex life often?" I flashed her a toothy grin for the use of my newest four-dollar word.

"I just mean," she started again after rolling her eyes at me. "We've been friends for a while, and I don't think I've ever seen you with anyone. A date, a fling, nothing. That's a long time to hold it all in without even a little..."