Man-Eater Read Free Page B

belongs to is going to have a hell of a bill to pay,” Roland said.
    “Well, she’s a tough one. I’m sure she’ll work it out,” Cyrus replied.

    ∞ ∞ ∞

    Kendra awoke in her motel room feeling refreshed. Her heat tended to last three or four days and it was always less bothersome in the morning. She barely felt it when she woke up, but as the day would progress she would get hotter and hotter, until the desire she felt itching beneath her skin grew to be almost unbearable. Right now, however, in the early morning cool, she could deal with it.
    The motel room itself was nothing special. It was clean enough, though, and the previous evening Charlize at the strip club had been kind enough to give her the lay of the land. Apparently, the older gentleman, Peter, had established Man-Eaters as a place for shifters to congregate to find their mates. Most of the dancers were also shifters, and so far the basic idea had worked well. Many successful pairings had been born of the place, and shifters came from far and wide to see the Man-Eater’s da ncers.
    Of course, not everything was perfect in paradise. It was tough for the bouncers to control the unruly tigers, and even the dancers could be a chore to keep in line when they entered their heat. All in all, though, the shifter community realized they had an obligation to police themselves, and things ran remarkably smoothly. If anything, Charlize had said, it was the non-shifters that got most out of hand. The possibility of violence concerned Kendra, not because she couldn’t take care of herself, but because she didn’t need that kind of drama in her life. Still, she was a big girl. If it came down to it, she could handle herself. Either way, Kendra thought, when you combined alcohol and heat, there was always the distinct possibility of trouble.
    Kendra grabbed a cup of coffee from the lobby and headed out into the bright sunlight, ready to face the day. Fortunately, it looked like the garage beside the tow yard was already open. She sauntered over silently, hoping that the tow truck driver from the night before was nowhere nearby.
    “This your ride?” the burly mechanic called out.
    “Sure is.”
    “Thought I’d just take a look in case it was something simple.”
    “And?”
    “And you’re going want to take a seat before you hear this.”

    The mechanic was right about one thing. She had needed that seat. Turned out that her car, the last thing of any value she actually owned, was a mess. The engine was blown. Fixing it was going to cost a bundle. Something about not changing the oil. Her damn ex. He’d sworn up and down that he’d done it. Now what was she supposed to do? She was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no money and no car. Sure, the mechanic could get her a used engine, but was it even worth it? Yes, it was worth it. She needed the car to get back to the city, not to mention to and from work, but where was she going to get the cash to fix it?
    The whole reason she was even out here in the middle of nowhere was because she had no money to book into someplace safe to ride out her heat. Her ex had really done a number on her. First, he’d verbally abused her, and then, when she’d kicked him out, he’d stolen her identity. The problem was, with only her paying the rent, she couldn’t afford the place anymore. To make matters worse, he’d used up every bit of her credit to the point that she couldn’t even qualify for another apartment.
    Kendra had al ready tried to get a roommate with no luck. The only thing she had left was her car, and now she didn’t even have that anymore. The whole situation made her feel so alon e, so h elpless. No, not helpless, angry. She wanted to scream in rage.
    Damn heat. If it hadn’t erupted, maybe she wouldn’t have tried to get away from the city. Maybe she’d be okay right now. She needed to sit down and think this through. She needed to eat. Yes. Maybe she’d feel better after a good breakfast.