I woke out of a dreamless sleep wondering why. Someone was touching my hair. The realization hit me with a rush of fear, and I rolled out of the bed in a fluid motion that had nothing to do with human grace. The pads of my feet landed on the floor with a soft thud and I looked up into Dinah's honey-colored eyes.

 Her hand stopped in mid-motion and she let it fall into her lap. "You're cute when you're asleep," she said and curled her legs up under her body. She leaned back against my pillows. "Why did you wake me up?" I asked, sounding grumpy. "Lauren called. She wants you to meet with her tonight. She has a reservation at Francesca's." I just looked at her. Francesca's was an Italian restaurant in the city. It was by reservation only, and they usually put a person on a week-long waiting list. I'd been there only once and that was for a friend's birthday party.

 I never knew food could be so expensive. It was classy as all get-out...fine dining for the best dressed and the richest. I couldn't believe what Dinah was telling me. "You look shocked," she said. "You don't believe me, do you?" 

"I would say no, that I think you're joking, but I'm afraid you're not."

"Lykos's honor." She grinned. "She wants you to meet her there at seven." Dinah crawled out of bed and headed for the door. She stopped in the doorway, turning to look at me. "You'll want to wear something nice." 

"What if I don't go?" I asked. "Trust me, Camila. You don't want to test her kindness." The look in her eyes was very serious. I nodded. Surely, I could find something nice? I looked at the clock. I'd slept through the entire day. The red numbers glowed brightly in the dim lighting. It was six o'clock.

 "You're fucking kidding me!" I hissed at it. I had less than an hour to get ready. I still had to take a shower, find something to wear, and get there. I took the dress that I'd worn once to a witch's ball off a hanger. It was one of the few expensive outfits I own. I grabbed everything I needed, trying to hurry. Dinah peeked around the corner of the door. "By the way," she said, "where'd you go last night?" I'd gotten home just as the sun was rising. The note had still been on the coffee table. I'd thrown it away, thinking that she'd slept through the whole thing. "Police business."

 She nodded, turning to go. "Dinah," I said, catching her attention. She paused. "Hmm?" 

"Do you happen to know a wolf named Evan Peters?" Her eyes widened. "Why? Was there another murder? Do you suspect him?" 

"Answer my question first," I said, "and then I'll answer yours."

 "Yes," she said, leaning against the door frame. "I know him."

 "How?" I asked. "He's the pack's gamma."

 "Gamma?" 

"Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon..."

 "Ah," I said, "the whole pack is based on the Greek alphabetic numerals?"

 "Yes." 

"So, he's third?" I asked. "Just below you?" She gave me a look. "I keep telling you more than I should," she said. "I can't tell you any more than that, Camila. Besides, you never answered my questions."

 "Yes," I said, "there's been another murder." 

"Do you suspect him?" I wanted to tell her, yes, I did, but I didn't know how much to tell her, so I decided not to give her a yes or no answer. "I don't know. What do you know about him?" She looked thoughtful. "He's a nice guy," she said, "but he's got a horrible temper." I hadn't noticed. "How horrible? Horrible enough that he'd kill someone?" Dinah shook her head. "Honestly," she said, "I don't know."

 "Dinah, you can't tell anyone in your pack about this conversation." I walked toward her, giving her a hard look. "Give me your oath that you won't." She laughed. "God, first Lauren makes me give her my oath, now you. I'm beginning to feel like no one trusts me," she said. Strangely, I did trust Dinah, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you why. 

There were some people in my life that I'd met and trusted on an instinctual level. It happened very rarely, but Dinah was one of those people. Being a witch could come in handy when trying to figure out if someone was likely to try and kill you. Lauren I wasn't so sure about. Oh, I trusted that she would help me. I just didn't trust her motives for helping me.

 "Dinah," I said. "You have my oath, Camila. You have the oath of the beta of the Black-thorne Pack. I will not tell anyone in the pack what you have told me here." 

 "Give me your oath that you won't tell anyone," I said, "period." She shook her head. "I can't." 

"Why?" She gave me a look. "If Lauren asks me then I am bound by my previous oath to her. I am not an oath breaker, Camila." 

"Fine," I said, "but no one else. Promise?"

 "I do so swear."

 "Good," I said. "If you do, Dinah, there will be hell to pay. I promise you that."

 "Are you threatening me?" she asked, blinking. "No," I said, "I'm simply stating fact."

-------------------------------------

The dress was a nice combination of medieval gothic and modern Goth fashion. The corseted bodice was lined with red trim. The same bright red material peeked through the lace that crisscrossed up the front of my torso. Two thin black straps were more for style, as the dress was tight enough it would've clung to my body without them. The off-shoulder sleeves looked like a splash of blood against my tan skin. 

The rest of the dress flowed gracefully to my feet. I knew it was inevitable that I was going to be late. If Lauren hadn't made the reservations at Francesca's it probably would've been a different story. She had, and that meant that unless I wanted to stick out like a sore thumb, I had to look my best. It took two hours minimum to look my best. I leaned over the counter by the sink and applied the kohl to my eyes. A light coating of black shadow added dramatic effect. The gray eye shadow in the crease made them smoky, and white beneath my brows made them stand out. 

I'm not one of those women who wear makeup like icing on a cake. Makeup is supposed to enhance, not cover. I put on mascara and brushed the ivory powder across my face, smoothing it out with the palms of my hands. A little bit of sparkling clear lip gloss and I was done. I went to the closet door at the end of the hallway, pulling out a trench coat that matched the outfit. The trench was unmistakably feminine. The back of the coat cinched at the waist. The hood of the coat was lined in faux fur, as were the sleeves.

 I put it on and buckled the front straps. "Meow." It was Dinah's voice. I spared a glance at her, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Aren't you portraying the wrong animal?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm to my tone.  "Would you prefer I bark? I'll bark if that's what you want." She was still wearing the shirt I'd loaned her.

 I watched as her hips swayed. The muscles worked beneath her skin as she came to me. I froze with my hands hovering over the last buckle and closed my eyes, listening as she stopped in front of me. With a gentle touch she lifted the white streak of my hair. It slid through her fingers before falling back into place. Her breath was warm against my lips. 

"You look beautiful." I opened my eyes to argue with her when she leaned in. My entire body went rigid a second before her lips brushed my cheek. "Have a wonderful evening," she said with a light in her eyes. She'd meant for me to think she was going to kiss me. I grabbed the keys and put my cell phone in the pocket of my coat. There's one problem with wearing a dress, and that is there's usually no room for concealed weapons.

 I left my guns and knives at home and prayed to the Morrigan I wouldn't regret it. I stopped with my fingers hovering above the doorknob. "There's a spare key in the cabinet above the sink," I said looking over my shoulder, "use it if you leave."

 Dinah sat down on the couch. "I will."