Page 29 of Dominion

“It’s fine,” she said in a voice that really meant it wasn’t. “I think you should talk to Stanley again.”

He didn’t answer. He had a whole heap of shoulds hanging over his head as it was.

5

Zolla’s house was dark and quiet. Ben knocked on the door, but no one answered and his wolf senses didn’t detect anyone inside. He sighed and called the phone number Mark had given him for the omega. An omega was the lowest ranking in a wolf pack, usually because of size or some other weakness.

Zolla answered the phone by saying, “Ben Stone,” with a note of surprise. Obviously he had Ben’s phone number programmed into his phone, which would seem odd, except that the wolf was the kind of guy who was all about information.

“Hey, are you around? I was wondering if I could meet with you tonight.”

“Oh, yeah? I’m not home right now, I’m at El Parador, the salsa club on Speer.”

“I’ll meet you there in twenty minutes.” He hung up and ushered Ashley back to her car.

“Now where are we going?” she asked.

“Salsa dancing.”

“Really?”

He didn’t answer.

“Wait… really?” she repeated. “Are you serious?”

“Well, we’re going to a salsa joint.”

“Do you know how to salsa? Well, of course you do, you’re from South America. You probably were born dancing.”

“Pretty much,” he said. In Latin America, every party had dancing, even the most simple get-togethers. He hadn’t meant they would actually be dancing, but she seemed so stunned by it, he found himself asking, “Do you?”

“Um, not exactly, but I’d really like to learn. Will you teach me?”

His skin prickled at the thought of holding her close to him on the dance floor. It would be too much. But he couldn’t make himself say no to her—she looked so cute looking over at him with pleading eyes. “We’ll see,” he said.

They arrived at El Parador and went inside. Ashley tugged at her too short t-shirt, looking embarrassed.

“You look fine,” he said. In fact, she looked smoking hot. Still in her tight little work skirt and high heels, the t-shirt took away the business look of the outfit, leaving pure feminine pizzazz.

A band was playing on the stage and people were out on the dance floor. Tables were scattered around the perimeter and couples sat together, heads inclined toward each other. He didn’t see any sign of Zolla.

He swept the room again, stopping short when he realized the omega was playing conga drums in the band. Zolla lifted his chin in greeting. Ben picked a table and sat down, ordering them drinks in Spanish.

When the song ended, Zolla appeared at their table. He wore a faded t-shirt with what looked like a coffee stain on the front. His hair needed cutting, hanging in his eyes and curling over his ears. He looked from one to the other of them.

Ben waved him into a chair.

“Okay, why are you here?”

“I need your help,” Ben said.

“I’m not in your pack anymore.”

“I don’t have a pack. Someone’s trying to kill me and they kidnapped Ashley’s sister. I’m hoping you can trace a call and a license plate.”

Zolla’s eyes turned to Ashley, naturally dropping to her tight shirt.

He tensed. “Don’t look at her,” he said, trying to keep the menace he felt from his voice.