Payback's a Bitch

Marissa slammed the bar door closed and locked up. Damn that Lex and his cockeyed schemes. Spy on a wolf pack? Sure. She’d just waltz into Dante’s with her witchy scent blasting away like a neon sign, a huge flashing arrow that said “human.” Yeah, they’d take her in like a long-lost sister, if she lived through the first five minutes.

The alternative was dating Mooney. Poor puppy. Six phone calls and a text message, all with “mange” as the operative word. Served him right, running with a coyote. And this was her best source of info? Selene help them all, but mostly her.

“Hey, Blue! Heads up!”

Marissa turned, just in time to catch a face full of water balloon. It drenched her hair, skin and clothes. The man standing upright in the convertible hooted in triumph. The car sped off with the man still howling like a maniac.

Son of a bastard! Who the hell? He hadn’t gotten that drunk in HER bar. She blasted a curse in his general direction while searching for the words to the cleansing spell that would leave her dry and tidy again.

Wait. Wait just a cotton-picking minute. Her anger hadn’t even reached full boil yet when the stench hit. It seeped into her clothes and skin and especially into her nose. Its pungency indicated it intended to stick around a while. A long while.

Oh shit. This wasn’t water at all. It was –

Joker Wayne dropped back onto the passenger seat of Maggie’s convertible. He sniffed his fingers. “Eww! What’s that stink? That wasn’t water in that balloon, was it?”

“Water is so plebian,” Maggie said. “The Fulmers owed me a favor. Skunk shifters,” she explained. “There’s a jar of tomato juice in the glove box.”

Joker cackled. “Doll, I am loving you more by the minute.” He smacked the side of the car. “Can this crate go any faster?”

“Hang on.” Maggie floored it. The car sped into the night.