by Leela Ash
Once more, Donnelly sailed over the ravine. He dipped down, hovering a few feet above the ground. The inkblot scurried beneath him and waited, patient and hungry.
That’s my cue.
Quietly, he slipped over to the coyote. To his disappointment, he couldn’t see any marks or amulets on the creature’s corpse.
No, not ‘corpse’. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the animal’s chest rose and fell.
Ah, hell. I didn’t quite kill the poor thing.
The kind thing to do was to put it out of its misery. Fortunately, he carried a .357 at all times. (You just never knew when you’d need one. History had taught him trouble didn’t always arise in places where it was safe to Shift.) He pulled it out, aimed….
Across the creek, Donnelly snorted loudly. Rex looked up to see the shadow rushing across the water toward him.
With a silent prayer for the coyote, he pulled the trigger. The bullet slammed into the fallen creature.
And, without a sound, the inkblot faded away.
Leaving the Shifters without any clues.
Chapter 6.
The sun set late this time of year. Yet, worn out by the fear of the attack, the children fell asleep early. Even Jake slumbered, tucked in beside Nate and poor Sam, who refused to be alone in his own bed.
Only Paige remained awake. Pacing. Nervous. Twice, Mr. Fairburn called to warn he was delayed, and to beg her to keep an eye on the kids. She tried to watch tv but ended up staring blindly at the screen, oblivious to the images that flickered across it.
Close to 9:00 pm, lights shined along the driveway and Rex’s dusty Jeep rolled up to the house.
Paige turned the tv off and waited.
He entered quietly, taking his shoes off at the door. When he spotted her, he paused, pursing his lips.
“Hi,” he mumbled at last.
“Hey.”
“Helluva day, right?”
Paige snorted. And suddenly, she was giggling, more from nerves than the joke.
A smile spread across his craggy features, warming the hard lines of his face. “You want a drink?”
“No, thank you.” Memories of Leonard were still too fresh, and Paige felt her flash of humor melt away.
Rex didn’t notice. He poured himself a double scotch and sat down across from her. “I guess I have a lot to explain.”
“You’re a Shifter, right? A Bear. Micah told me a lot on the drive back,” she admitted.
“I, uh, guess that’s good. I’ve told the kids not to talk about this but, well, I guess today was an exception.” He grimaced as the first gulp of scotch burned its way down his throat. Paige found herself growing tense. ‘Drinking’ meant ‘drunk’ which meant… very unpleasant things. Leonard had taught her that.
His next taste was smaller, a sip he held and savored. Despite her growing unease, the happiness on his face startled her. Leonard never enjoyed alcohol. The purpose of drinking was to get drunk and once he started, her ex never slowed. He slammed back one drink after another, charging toward a drunken stupor as fast as he could.
As she watched him relish the next mouthful, the knot in her stomach slowly unraveled. Rex wasn’t Leonard. With him, maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with a drink or two.
Soothed by the scotch’s bright touch, the tension drained out of Rex’s shoulders. “Micah saved me some work, anyways. Do you have questions?”
“Only one: is he serious? Is the world really full of werewolves and werebears and… and… dragons?”
“Yup. And magic. And witches who turn into Hares.”
Crazy… mad… unbelievable… and a hell of a lot better than believing that it was her, not the world, that was insane. Terrifying as it was, she couldn’t pretend today hadn’t happened. That she hadn’t seen strange, impossible, unbelievable things.
Even… beautiful things.
There. Baffling, maddening though it was, she had to admit it was true.
Shifters were beautiful. Terrifying, shocking… and wonderful. Just by their presence, they shredded her dull, mundane world of unpaid bills and soul-less work. Sure, that shadow monster had been a horror. Yet, it had ushered something into her life, something she hadn’t felt since she was a little girl.
Mystery. Enchantment.
Magic.
Staring across the coffee table at Rex, she felt a longing stir within her. She wanted to be a part of this craziness. To throw her arms wide and embrace the wildness of it all. Oh, the thought terrified her too. All her life, she’d fled from danger. She’d spent years trying to wrap herself and her son in a cocoon thick enough to keep them safe. Had she been wrong? Had she lost something precious in her fervent fight to avoid risk?
Maybe when you drove risk from your life, all that remained was mush. Life became a safe, boring bowl of oatmeal mush that you had to eat, day after day after day.
Could she push that bowl aside and ask Rex to share his world with her?
Would he want to?
Paige swallowed hard. “I’m sorry I put your children at risk. You must think I’m the world’s worst babysitter.”
Rex choked on his drink, then booms of laughter burst out of him. “Lady, you attacked a grizzly bear with a stick. You’re the best babysitter I’ve ever had. Well, the ballsiest one, anyway.”
The praise brought a flush to her cheeks. “I didn’t feel ballsy. I was scared out of my mind.”
“As you should have been. Nobody sane stands in front of a pissed-off grizzly and doesn’t sweat.”
That meant a lot. She found herself smiling, even though he emptied his glass and reached for the bottle again. “What was that thing? Micah didn’t know.”
“Nobody does. Best guess? Something dark and nasty from the Other Side.”
“What’s that?”
“Some people call it the Spirit World. Supposed to be another universe parallel to ours. They say that Shifters’ animal souls came from there, once upon a time.” Rex shrugged and toasted her with his new glass. “Don’t know if any of that is true. Honestly, I didn’t believe in the Other Side before today. But that blob made a convert out of me.”
“Is it dead?”
“It’s gone. It needed a host and when we killed that coyote it lost its grip on this world.”
That would be a relief… except for the obvious questions. “How did it get here? Is it coming back?”
“No idea,” he admitted. “We searched the ravine and couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary.”
“Not even at the ruins?”
His head snapped up and he stared at her with his intense brown eyes. “What ruins?”
“They don’t have a name and they’re not on any map. Jake and I found them on our last trip to Sweetwater. Up over a rise, maybe a quarter mile from the swimming hole.”
Rex bounded to his feet, drink forgotten. “That’s it! It’s got to be! Somebody–we don’t know who–has been screwing around at ruins in this area. Looks like they’re trying to do some kind of magic ritual. I bet they succeeded at Sweetwater.”
“Tomorrow,” he added, “can you show us where those ruins are?”
And there it was: her invitation to this new world. Cheeks flushed, Paige nodded. “Of course! I’d be happy to!”
Until, suddenly, the old world struck back. “Oh crap. I can’t. I have to work.”
He laughed, throwing his arms wide. “I’m your boss. I give you the day off.”
A kind offer, but she winced. “I can’t. I really need the money. Things are… not good for Jake and me right now.”
“What’s wrong?” He sat down on the couch next to her. Heat radiated off him, a strong, masculine warmth that sent a shiver of pleasure through her.
“A few months ago, we had to leave Los Angeles quickly. I had enough cash to rent a small place, but we left most of our stuff behind. Been hard to replace things.”
“Why the rush?” The brush of his hand against her thigh sent her thoughts scattered like startled doves.
&
nbsp; “It… it was complicated.”
He caught her chin in his firm grasp and tilted it up, breaking her free of that welling shame. Intent, patient, he studied her with concern. She found herself staring back, caught by details. The flecks of gold that brightened his brown eyes. The faint shadow of a beard darkening his square jaw and broad, handsome cheeks. Nothing was small or delicate about him. From the bulge of his muscled arms to the wide planes of his face and the hard, Roman line of his nose, he was a big, big man.
Paige found herself wondering if other parts of him were as generously endowed. A thought that set her cheeks alight with desire.
“Tell me,” he urged, mistaking her blush for something more innocent.
“It’s a long, ugly story,” she stammered. “The short version is, I have lousy taste in men.”
“Did he hurt you?”
She could hear it then. The Bear that lurked inside of him. A hint of its growl echoed behind those words.
Any sane woman would be terrified to know that the man sitting beside her, touching her, wasn’t fully human. An animal, a predator, lived inside him. Something wild and dangerous.
Yet, the emotion that set her heart racing wasn’t fear.
How could that be? All her life, she’d been afraid. Of her strict, domineering father. Of Leonard. Of muggers and strange noises and sudden laughter on the streets at night. Now, when she sat inches away from the first truly dangerous thing in her short life, she was free from fear’s weakening touch.
Why?
A memory rose. Rex, rearing up between her and the shadow monster. A shaggy mountain of protective rage, shielding her and the children. Willing to lay down his life to save the innocent.
How could she fear a love like that? The form it took—Bear or human–meant nothing. Love was beautiful, no matter what it looked like.
He leaned even closer and her lips parted as he hesitated, inches away from them. “You can tell me.”
Tell him what? Oh! Lost in admiration of his powerful, magnificent body, she’d completely forgotten his question!
“Um, yes,” she stammered. “He did hurt me. Though only toward the end.”
A thumb, rough from hard work, caressed her cheek. “How could anyone do that to someone so beautiful?”
His kindness… the gentle shock of his words… the desire she saw burning in his face… they merged, creating a heady, sweet brew. Intoxicated by it, she leaned forward and kissed him.
Lips, warm and welcoming, met hers, sending a shock of electric pleasure coursing through her body. And he returned her kiss with a hunger of his own. A hand caught her, pulled her close, and she felt strong fingers wind through her short curls.
But even as her body yielded to his urgent, demanding touch, her mind rebelled.
Rex is my boss. I’m kissing my boss.
“I’m sorry.” She broke away from the pleasure of his touch, trembling with the force of her need. “I shouldn’t have done that. I….”
He kissed her again, silencing her protest with proof of his desire. She had awakened the Bear and it was too late to turn back.
Not that she truly wanted to. Behind her feeble words, her body urged him on. Her mouth, welcoming, eager. Her arms wound about his muscular shoulders. Her breasts, nipples stiffening as she pressed against his chest.
I should say something… I should stop him… this won’t end well….
No. She swept those mewling doubts aside. No mixed messages. She wanted him and she wouldn’t pretend she didn’t. She didn’t care what anyone said. Not her parents, not Leonard, not the rest of the housecleaning staff at Ancient Ways. She wanted Rex Fairburn–and he wanted her too.
Nothing else mattered.
Arms like steel beams lowered her to the couch. Their lips, still locked in passion, never stopped exploring each other. He bent down, shifting closer. The hint of his weight pressed against her, a delicious prison from which she never wanted to escape. One leg slipped between hers, the rough cloth of his jeans rubbing against the crotch of her pants. She wrapped her legs around it, pulling it close. Letting its strength, its heat, tease her womanhood.
His hand slipped under her shirt, skimming lightly across the soft skin of her belly. It rose, seeking her breasts. The lacy cloth of her bra taunted him, denying him the secrets he lusted after. Her nipples came alive as those fingers sought them, stroking, squeezing. Then he caught the band of the bra and pushed it upward, freeing the pert globes of her breasts.
Paige moaned at their freedom and arched her back, surrendering herself to him. Having won its first ‘battle’, that roguish hand caught her shirt and pushed it up too. Soft cotton whispered across her bare breasts, their touch breathing on the flames of her passion, fanning them into a hotter blaze.
And then, he broke away from her, leaving her aching, yearning for the return of the sweet taste of his mouth. That pain lasted only for a second, though. Then those lips touched her belly in a hungry, reverent kiss. She moaned as his mouth rose, seeking the curves of her breasts. Teasing lips sucked eagerly, a sly tongue lashed her nipples, sending a wave of pure ecstasy sweeping through her. Her body burned, possessed by some primal, animal nature. Helpless beneath him, she writhed, thrusting her breasts against his face, rubbing herself against the hard, unyielding strength of his leg.
As her passion flared higher, a sound broke through it.
A door clicking open.
The pad of small feet.
Like a pair of scalded cats, she and Rex scrambled apart. As Paige yanked her shirt down, little Eden appeared in the hallway.
“Uh, hem,” Rex coughed. “Hi, sweetie. Trouble sleeping?”
“Mmm.” The child stomped into the bathroom and closed the door.
Stiff and silent, the pair of them sat a foot apart, waiting for the sound of a flush. Eden reappeared, tottering back toward her room with the focus of a tiny zombie.
“Night, baby!” her father called. The girl didn’t answer.
A second click told them when they were alone again. But though her body burned with unfulfilled need, the interruption had shredded the mood.
Worse, it had given her time to think, and regret.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started this.”
Eyes twinkling, Rex rose to his feet and offered her a hand up. Paige took it, heart sinking. Knowing that it was time for her to collect her son, trudge home… and spend the night burning with unmet needs.
Her boss had other ideas, however. When she stood, he didn’t release her hand. Instead, he pulled her toward the sliding glass doors that opened onto the backyard. “Hang on. I want to show you something.”
Meekly, she followed him outside and around to the pool. Submerged lights filled its depths with a sapphire glow.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked her.
“Um, a pool?”
“No.” He waved his arms wide, taking in the pool, the sauna, the slide and lounge chairs. “This is a child-free zone.”
She could see where this was leading, and she giggled. “Your pool is a child-free zone?”
“Yes. Even if one of my kids wakes up in the middle of the night with a desperate need to go swimming, they will not come here. They will go to my bedroom and start whining that I need to take them to Totten Reservoir.”
“Why? What’s wrong with the pool?”
“I have no idea,” he grumbled, as he turned to her with a mischievous grin of his own. “Want to go for a swim with me and try to solve that mystery?”
Why yes, yes, she did! It would beat the hell out of going home frustrated. But… “I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
“Good.”
Without a word more, he shucked off his clothes and tossed them aside.
And just like that, her hunger came roaring back as she gazed at his naked body in all of its splendor.
Rex Fairburn was a big man. Stripped of his clothes, it became clear that not one ounce of that was flab. Broad shoulders, long legs circle
d by bands of muscle. A barrel chest covered with soft brown hair. And his manhood… Roused, it swelled from between his legs. Inviting her to finish awakening it.
He was a giant of a man. Nature hadn’t shorted him in any part. Her breath fluttered at the thought that this man, this mountain, would be hers.
Stairs descended into the shallow end of the pool. Rex waded down until the glittering waters hid his manhood from her. “Coming?”
Oh, she wanted to. She did. Yet, she hesitated. No fence shielded the pool from prying eyes. The desert surrounded them, sweeping away in all directions.
The kids… the neighbors will see…
What neighbors? Moonlight softened the harsh badlands into a silvery wilderness–one where not a single light broke through the darkness. Rex owned all the land around them. And the kids? All of the bedrooms faced the open desert. Not the pool.
No one could see. No one would be shocked.
She could do what she wanted.
And what she wanted was to join him.
Logic assured that her modesty was safe. Yet, an irrational feeling lingered as she stripped. A titillating, mischievous notion that she was doing something shocking. Something delightfully scandalous.
Cool night air surrounded her as she shed her shirt and jeans. Bra and underwear joined them, and then she stood, free in the moonlight. Unhindered by clothes. For all of her life, nakedness had shamed her. It was something to be hidden in bathrooms and behind locked doors. Now, she stood feeling like a goddess as she surveyed the land around them.
And Rex watched her in delight and wonder, offering her the adoration that a goddess deserved. His eyes traveled the curves of her body, pausing on her breasts and the short fuzz between her legs. When they rose, at last, to meet her gaze, they were filled with marvel and a desire, a lust, that took her breath away.
No man had ever looked at her with such naked hunger, such a powerful need.
A need as strong as her own. One she could no longer deny.
Pale under the moon’s silvery rays, she strode to the steps. Letting him enjoy the sway of her hips, the bob of her breasts. As she took the first step, water closed over her ankles, still holding echoes of the day’s relentless heat. Deeper she waded, until she stood by Rex’s side.
