Lover Beware by Christine Feehan, Eileen Wilks

weren't listening, were you?"
    Biff's eyes bulged in sudden pain. He went stiff and made a choked sound.
    "Rule!" She spoke sharply. How had he crossed the room so fast? "Don't break anything."
    "Hmm?" He glanced up, his eyes meeting hers. His eyes. Dear God. The color had bled into the whites until they were wholly dark, gleaming. "Oh, yes," he said mildly. "Sorry about that. Here, let me help you up."
    He didn't give Biff much choice, hoisting him bodily from the chair. The big man swayed for a second, blinking fast to get rid of tears of pain.
    Just how strong was Rule?
    "What the hell—?" Biff's protest was weak. He was trying to regain his swagger as he turned. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, grabbing me that—holy shit."
    He'd seen Rule's eyes.
    Lily shoved her shield back in her purse and stood. "I don't like it here. Too many friendly people. Let's go somewhere else."
    "Hey!" Biff's voice rose. "Hey, I know who you are. You're that werewolf!"
    Silence scattered like sparks around the room, striking those closest first and spreading fast. Biff's buddies shoved to their feet.
    "You're right," Rule said, but he was looking at her, not Biff. His eyes still looked weird, but the whites showed at the comers again. "We need to leave."
    The crowd was decidedly unfriendly now. There were mutters from a couple of men at the bar. Biffs two buddies started toward him. Lily and Rule headed for the door.
    "Hey, you!" the bartender shouted. "You didn't pay for your drink!"
    Lily barely slowed. "I gave you a five."
    "No, you didn't. You come back and pay or I'm calling the cops."
    "I am— "
    "Here." Rule tossed a bill in the general direction of the bar, grabbed Lily's arm, and pulled her toward the door. He let go as they stepped outside.
    It was dark and drizzling, a drab wash of grays and blacks. Parked cars lined the street on both sides, but there wasn't much traffic. Hardly any pedestrians, either. The traffic light on the corner was barely visible through the haze, a dim red glow.
    "My Explorer is this way." He set off to the left.
    She thought of pointing out that her car was the other direction, decided it wasn't worth arguing over. "Don't grab my arm again."
    "What?" His head swiveled. "Oh. Your gun. You want your right hand free. Sorry—I didn't think of that."
    "What's the thing with your eyes?"
    His voice was clipped. "I needed to Change."
    "Ah ... are you okay now?"
    He didn't answer. That worried her.
    They'd reached the corner. The light was red and a car was coming, so she stopped. So did he. The drizzle was heavier now. Lily's clothes were damp, her face and hands wet, but the rain was warm and made her feel clean and private, alone with him on the street.
    As soon as the car passed they stepped together into a shiny-wet street—without a word, both of them moving at the same instant.
    Weird. Lily asked, "Is it because the moon is nearly full?"
    "He was threatening you."
    "Biff is a bully and an asshole, but I had things under control. Until you played macho man and your eyes went spooky."
    "It excited him to force himself on you. You couldn't smell his reaction the way I could, but you must have known he enjoyed making you uncomfortable. A man who gets off on intimidating a woman in public is likely to do worse in private."
    Lily wanted to understand. She wanted that with an urgency that strummed along her nerves like adrenaline, turning her skin sensitive, as if she could feel each tiny, separate drop of mist that fell on her. But there were so many pieces to him. Pieces that didn't fit any pattern she knew.
    Inhuman pieces. "So," she said, trying to sound casual, "this need to Change—that's part of those protective instincts of yours? When you feel that a woman is in danger, you—"
    He stopped dead, grabbed her shoulders, and said fiercely, "It was you he threatened, Lily. Not some woman. You." he crushed his mouth down on hers.
     
    Chapter 9
    LILY'S MIND WENT blank. Unwilled, her hand