by Kimber White
Cassia.
The scream didn’t come from her. But something scared her. I barely had time to process what that meant. I roared down the hall and back into the main room. Every side room had emptied, and a small crowd gathered near the front door.
I pulled body after body out of my way. Cassia’s scent poured over me. She was close. She was terrified.
I got to the door and the rest of the crowd parted for me. Moonlight lit the stairs leading up to street level.
“Where is she?” I shouted, more wolf than man. A dozen pairs of bloodshot, whacked-out junkie eyes stared back at me.
“The girl?” I grabbed a scrawny kid standing closest to the exit. I shook him until I heard his teeth rattle. “Where is she?”
“Rainbow girl?” he asked, his voice thick and drowsy.
“Yeah,” I said. “The girl with the colored hair.”
“She’s gone, man. Poof. Billy and me, some of the others, we just wanted to get a taste of whatever she was using. Didn’t even touch her. I swear to God. But she was here one second, then bam, pow, she disappeared.”
My heart racing, I shoved the kid against the wall and bounded up the stairs.
I felt the adrenaline coursing through Cassia’s veins as if it were my own. Her frantic pulse ripped through me. But, as I reached street level, she was gone.
Chapter 5
Cassia
There were three of them. Two men. One woman. The biggest of the men had a big, bald, meaty head. He kept the woman close to him, his beefy hand resting on her hip, his muscled arm coiling around her waist. He had that vacant stare that junkies have. She might have been pretty once, but her skin had gone yellow, her teeth gray, her hair was coming out in clumps.
It was stupid of me to keep my eyes on the big guy. Naïve, almost. In the end, it was his lanky, long-haired companion who caused all the trouble. He was with it enough to maybe not want to seem like a third wheel.
I kept my back against the wall, careful to watch the line to the door. If I had to make a run for it, nobody in here could get in my way.
“Where are you, Colm?” I whispered to no one. It had been forever since he disappeared into the backroom. I had half a mind to charge down the hallway looking for him. But there was no way I could manage that without walking past at least four other rooms filled with people I didn’t know.
The lanky guy made his move. From the corner of my eye, I saw sparks swirl around his shoulder. He drew in a sharp intake of air; his eyes went wide for a moment as his borrowed magic gave him one last punch.
Crap.
The second his eyes cleared, that’s when I knew I was in trouble. He’d think his fix wore off too quickly. In another minute, his high might turn to pure rage.
He was too close. I pushed off the wall and started for the door. Just then, a group of six staggered through the door, blocking my escape.
One of them was a natural magic user. He’d probably come here to make a few quick bucks selling a brief hookup to the Source to each of his five companions.
I sensed wind. Thank God. If this guy had been a fire mage, he’d have locked on to me right away from this close.
I had no time to feel relief. The lanky guy from the back of the room got to me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him.
“You smell good,” he said. “What is that?”
I tore my arm out of his grasp and ran for the door. I stumbled up the broken stairwell and launched myself toward the street. It was raining now. But not hard enough. The lanky guy gave chase.
Dammit, he was moving too fast. I judged wrong. His magic high hadn’t worn off, just the opposite. He was picking up steam. I could sense the source of it. Water and earth both. The man had gotten greedy. It also meant there was a group of witches out there who didn’t seem to care how badly they messed someone up.
A blast of air hit me square in the back with the force of a punch. I felt my own magic rising to repel it.
No. No. No.
He was too close.
“Hey!” he shouted. Clumsy. Ungainly. The guy threw off another charge. The idiot was chasing new magic by spending everything he’d already collected. If he was lucky, it would only leave him with one hell of a headache. If he wasn’t, that kind of borrowed power could leave him in a coma.
“I just want a little taste,” he yelled. “You’ve got plenty. I can smell it from here, baby. Just one hit. You’ll like it. I’m an easy fix.”
His companions came to join him. I turned. Lanky guy had chased me right into the alley. It was a dead end. He licked his lips and swaggered forward.
“There’s my girl,” he said. “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.”
Sweat poured down my back. First, I felt the crackle of heat between my shoulder blades. Then came the wave of fire curling out from my core. The wind shifted, lifting my hair off my shoulders. I could see reflected flames swirling in the guy’s wide, black eyes.
My shoulders burned. I felt that familiar, slicing pain followed by a quick release as my wings popped out.
I took a breath. I said a prayer. I let my magic out and hoped it would be enough.
The lanky guy, the meathead and the girl became nothing more than dots beneath me. The force of my magic knocked all three of them to their asses.
I flailed my arms, trying to get control. It didn’t work. My stomach roiled as I got caught in my own downdraft. Far below, I saw flames licking the walls of the alley.
Great, I thought. I’d set fire to a pile of garbage rotting in the corner.
I got my bearings, let out a breath, and began my stomach-churning descent. There was no way I could go back in that building. I’d pulled off enough of a cloak to confuse those three junkies, but any real magic users in that place might be able to see right through me.
I landed on the sidewalk with a painful thud. Fire shot through my knee as it buckled. I clutched my stomach, hoping to keep from puking like the last time.
I tried to stand up, but the world spun out of control. I staggered sideways and mercifully made contact with the nearest wall to right myself.
Count to ten. Try to breathe. Then figure out what the hell to do next.
Those were all great ideas. They might have even worked. But then, a shadow enveloped me from all sides. Strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders and brought me forward.
I looked up and up, staring into the gleaming, golden eyes of one massively pissed off Alpha wolf.
“Cassia!” Colm’s voice was deep and sharp. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
The second before Colm touched me, I felt chaos. Swirling fire and that dizzy pull of out-of-control magic that usually left me panting and retching on the ground.
The second after Colm touched me, the heat settled. My magic centered. My heart thundered inside my chest. Lust flashed through me, setting off a different kind of chaos through my entire body.
“Nope!”
I pulled away. Found my feet. Took a step back.
Colm stood before me, his eyes still flashing, his chin dropped. He took a ready stance, his fists clenched, his legs slightly parted.
“Cassia,” he said. His voice was ragged, as if he couldn’t quite find his breath either. His fangs were still out.
“What. Is. That?” he said.
“What’s what?” I asked, forcing a smile. I was better now. Much. Behind me, the three junkies from the underground bar came barreling out of the alley. The girl let out a high-pitched laugh that reminded me of a hyena. The meathead just looked terrified. The lanky guy saw me and stopped in his tracks, letting his companions run ahead. They disappeared back into the bar.
“You,” he said, pointing a shaky finger at me. “You’re touched.”
He took a step forward. Just the one.
Colm turned. A growl ripped from his throat and he reached the lanky junkie in two strides. He fisted his shirt and lifted him off the ground one-handed. The guy’s feet dangled; he kicked out, but Colm held him steady
.
“Colm!” I shouted. Even I knew hurting this kid would draw attention we didn’t need.
Colm snarled. He was really more wolf than man right then. His growl was a low, vibrating staccato. He dropped the guy. Somehow, he landed upright, took two steps back, then ran after his companions.
Colm turned to me, still snarling. I held my ground as he advanced on me.
He put two solid hands on my shoulders. Heat speared through me. I felt sweat beading my upper lip. Something was wrong with my head. As Colm’s breath caressed my cheek, I felt almost drunk.
“What are you on?” he managed. “Who are you?” His wolf started to simmer down. Slowly, his gold eyes faded back to their normal color. His fangs receded.
“I’m Cassia Brandhart,” I said.
“I need to know what you’re using,” he said. “No more lies.”
I pried his hands off me. “I’m not using anything. I’ve told you a million times.” Even as I said it, I wondered if it might be smarter to just lie. Say I took a hit of fire magic just before Hurley brought him to me. I could tell him I lied because I thought he wouldn’t help me if he knew.
It wouldn’t work though. As sure as I was standing there, I knew Colm would be able to see right through my deception. He was seeing through it now.
I wasn’t just Cassia Brandhart. And my father wasn’t just some shifter smuggler who’d gotten in over his head.
“What about you?” I said. “What took you so long in there?”
The question rattled Colm. Or maybe it was the accusation in my tone. The moment I got the question out, doubt plagued my mind. He really had left me alone for too long. Something was up. He’d come out of that meeting almost feral. Maybe I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.
“You don’t want lies?” I said. “Then stop telling them yourself. Tell me I can trust you. You’ve seen what I have to offer. Were you trying to find a better deal back there? Did you send those three junkies after me to stall for time?”
Colm’s eyes flashed gold again. His color drained. My heart pounded. Dammit. Maybe I was on to something. No. This couldn’t be another dead end. Colm was the only person left who could help me.
“You were going to sell me out, weren’t you?” I said. I jabbed a finger into his chest. “Is that it? Turn me over to the highest bidder? I’ve heard you traffic in things, Colm. Not people. I’m starting to think my intel wasn’t up to date.”
His hands were on me again. God help me, I loved the way it burned.
“Be careful what you accuse me of,” he said. “And if you’d have done what I told you, those three idiots wouldn’t have given you a second glance.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I said. “I stood by the door waiting for you like you wanted me to. It’s not my fault they were sold bad magic. Or they couldn’t handle what they had.”
“No,” Colm said. “They just sensed something with a bigger kick. It’s you, Cassia. It’s oozing out of you. Don’t lie to me. What is it? Who are you connected to?”
I jerked out of his grasp. “Nothing,” I said. “And I’m tired of denying it. You can believe me or not. I’ve offered you a hefty payment of something you know you can’t find anywhere else. Whatever your contact in that bar offered you for me, it’s nowhere near as valuable as what I have in my pocket. Are you going to help me or not?”
“Prove it!” he shouted.
His demand sent a shock-wave through me. “What?”
His eyes searched my face, blazing. “Prove it,” he said again, his voice dropping back to that growl-speak. “Prove you’re clean.”
I was about to tell him to get bent. Never mind, he was probably my last hope. I’d come this far alone. I wasn’t powerless, even if I was feeling even more out of control. Until…
Then, something snapped inside of me. The heat from his touch seared me. Colm stirred my darkest nature. He was dangerous. Deadly. But at that moment, I didn’t bloody care.
I jerked away from his grasp. I slipped off my jacket and threw it to the ground. I stood before him, chest heaving, wearing just a thin, black tank top. Colm’s eyes flashed as he raked them over me.
“Go ahead,” I said, jutting my chin. I thrust my chest out. Goosebumps covered my flesh. My nipples peaked under the thin fabric. I pulled my hair away from my neck, exposing it to him.
“What?” he asked, his voice finally cracking.
“Go ahead,” I said again. “You want a taste? Is that what you need so you know I’m not lying? I’m not using. There’s nothing inside of me that doesn’t belong there.”
He licked his lips. His chin quivered. I could feel the power growing inside of him. His wolf was so close to the surface. God help me, I wanted it to tear out of him. I wanted to see it.
For an instant, I thought I’d called his bluff. I expected him to stand down and tell me he was done asking. Either he’d agree to help me, or he’d tell me to get lost. I saw the decision waver in his eyes.
Then, at the last second, his wolf came just to the surface, making his gaze turn wild again. He was on me in one powerful stride. He slipped his fingers behind my neck. Gasping, I let my hands fall to my sides.
He stood there, hovering over me, his lips just an inch from mine. Hot breath. Pounding heart. A pulse jumped near his throat. The rhythm of it perfectly matched my own.
I let out a groan.
Then Colm’s lips were on me. My knees went weak as he devoured me with that single kiss. Fire roared in my veins. I felt that tickle between my shoulder blades as my wings threatened to unfurl.
This was dangerous. Delicious. Irresistible. I felt his wolf. I saw him in my mind’s eye. Black as midnight. Eyes on fire. Power. Strength. Elemental magic.
Then, Colm’s fangs came out. He grazed my lower lip, drawing blood.
Lightening went off behind my eyes. If it weren’t for his arms around me, I might have sunk to my knees. I wanted to. I wanted to writhe on the ground with him and wrap myself in his shifter magic.
Colm’s eyes snapped open. He let me go. He drew away, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.
Clenching my fists, I recovered. Somehow, I found enough control to keep from turning into the thing he would never believe. The thing I could never reveal.
He took a great breath and squared his shoulders.
“Satisfied?” I asked. There were a million layers to the question. Colm considered me, those infernal gold eyes of his flashing. But he found his own control too.
“Yeah,” he finally said. “For now.”
He looked over his shoulder. Laughter came from the bar, but nothing else.
“Come on,” he said. “We’ve been out in the open far too long. Follow me. I’ll tell you what I know.”
My jaw dropped. I froze for a moment. Then, I grabbed my jacket off the ground and followed after him, breaking into a run to keep up before he disappeared down another alley into the darkness.
Chapter 6
Colm
Want. Need. Mine.
My wolf roared inside of me, clawing to get out. I tasted Cassia’s blood on my lips. I felt drunk from it. It was her pulse thundering in my ears.
Warm. Sweet. Lust.
God, I don’t know how I managed to keep two legs under me as we raced away from the downtown area.
She was fast. Faster than a human woman should have been. And yet, she wasn’t a shifter. She wasn’t a witch. She was something quite different.
Her truth simmered below the surface. I tasted it. I craved it. She hadn’t lied. Whatever magic she had coursing through her veins belonged there. It wasn’t borrowed or stolen. It was hers and hers alone.
“Where are we going?” she shouted.
I wanted to shift. More than that, I wanted to pull her against me, throw her over my shoulder and run at top speed. No. That wasn’t it. I wanted to drag her to the ground, watch her spread her legs for me and slide inside of her as far as I could go.
If a single kiss stirred my darkest
nature, I could only imagine what the rest of her would do.
I went on autopilot, leading Cassia down the twisting, darkened alleys. We left the city streets and rubble behind. I led her to the edge of the woods. The lake churned beside us, calming me.
I did better out here, away from the human smells and tainted magic Cyrus Bach peddled. I’d been no more than a second from tearing those three junkies limb from limb just for looking at Cassia.
Want. Need. Mine.
She followed me, running to keep up. Trusting me. That was the thing that stirred my heart. I wondered if she’d tasted something from me as well. What kind of girl would blindly follow a guy like me into the darkest, thickest, most dangerous part of the woods in the middle of the night?
“Colm!” she shouted. “Stop! Tell me where we’re going.”
I had enough human left in me to turn and give her an answer in words. “Over the next ridge,” I said.
She sighed but trudged behind me. I offered her my hand as the ground here softened. She shrugged me off and matched me stride for stride as we crested the hill.
Her breath caught as she saw the cabin tucked far below in the valley.
“Is this yours?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said. We scrambled down the hill together. I supposed the place was something to see for someone like Cassia. I’d built it by hand, picking the perfect spot. No one could sneak up on me out here.
I had a well hooked up, but no electricity. I never needed artificial heat, but it occurred to me the temperature had dropped quite a bit since the sun went down.
But Cassia didn’t seem cold. On the contrary, it was almost as if she had a fire burning inside of her all her own.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, running her hands across the tightly fit pine logs.
I opened the front door and let her inside. I had a lantern on a ledge by the door. I lit it, casting a warm glow over the four walls.
There wasn’t much to the place. A kitchen. One bedroom. A huge living room with high ceilings and exposed beams. I kept a loft up there but never used it.
