Queens of Noise by Leigh Harlen

Author:Leigh Harlen [Harlan, Leigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Leigh Harlan, Queens of Noise, Neon Hemlock, speculative fiction
Publisher: Neon Hemlock Press
Published: 2020-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

R and I didn’t see a damn thing happening in the witches’ house. If they were up to something, they were being very quiet and not doing it anywhere near any of the open windows. We spent more time than we should have making out, but only for one-minute intervals, then we went back to our stakeout, so I was pretty sure nothing real big happened. KC and Rowan arrived only five minutes apart. When we climbed down from the tree, I only protested a little when R held out her hand to help me down from the last branch.

Together we explained what we’d found and what we suspected. KC’s eyes widened as we explained and Rowan stood in stony faced, angry silence.

“That’s fucked up,” he said when I finished talking. Of my pack, Rowan was the least at peace with what we were, so his anger was expected and probably something I’d have to prod him to talk about later.

“You two keep watch for the next few hours and we’ll send someone to relieve you. Did you bring food?” I asked.

They both nodded.

“And your phones? If you see something, call us both,” R said.

“Got it.” KC gave Rowan a skeptical look and then forced a smile.

“Be nice,” I warned Rowan.

He held up his hands and smiled. “I’m always nice.”

I shot him one last warning glance and turned to leave. It was true that he was usually a calm, kind-hearted person. But, when Rowan felt like he or someone he cared about had been, or was about to be hurt, he was not the calmest. Part of the reason we were run out of Felton was our lack of control when we shifted, but it was also because, imbued with his new strength, Rowan broke his sister’s abusive boyfriend’s jaw. A move I normally would have applauded him for, but he did it with his entire face shifted into a coyote and in the middle of a busy shopping mall. I’d left that part out when I told the story to R. I was beginning to like her. Okay I was in deep, wild, heart soaring lust with R. But if she didn’t already know that part, she didn’t need to be that deep in my pack’s business.

We were quiet as we walked back into town. In the warm light of day, I didn’t know what to say to her that wouldn’t sound ridiculous. My tongue was clumsy and weighted down and every time I tried to break the silence I tripped over my words and said something inane like, “Wow, it’s sunny today.”

As we reached the edge of the city, R cleared her throat. “So, Mixi, I suppose we should talk about last night.”

My heart hammered in my ears. Oh god, here it was, a feelings conversation. I could talk and listen to the deepest, most intense feelings with my pack, but when faced with a simple conversation with a woman I’d made out with and my entire brain ceased functioning.

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