by Britt Bury
“Ah, aside from what you just said. No.” Arrogant ass.
He stood there speechless. Izel looked to the floor, then to him, then to the floor again. The long, awkward silence filled the room. Had she just violated a local taboo? Was this Kerr clan famous or something? She suddenly felt like a bouncer turning away a celebrity at an exclusive club. At any moment she would hear this oversized man cry, Don’t you know who I am!
“Well,” he finally said with caution in his tone, “I am a Razorback Pookah with the charge to take you safely to the Kerr castle.”
She bit her lower lip and jutted her neck out, displaying the universal look for, Boy, are you crazy! The man chose to ignore her questioning glare. With his fists clenched and his breathing ragged, he may as well have stomped his foot and formally declared his unwillingness to dish details. So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?
Izel was a master at avoiding conversational questions. She realized right then why her roommates back home got so irritated when she ignored them. Turns out karma was a bee-itch.
Izel analyzed her situation. She was a human hidden by magic for the last twenty-five years, currently being bossed around by an overgrown stranger intent on taking her to his castle.
P.S.… Mr. Tall, Dark, and Deadly tried to kill me earlier. How can I trust him? Chills rolled down her spine.
She wanted to talk to this Ryo about her grandfather, but maybe there were other ways to find the details surrounding Euan’s disappearance, rather than traipsing through Scotland with this Pookah. Pull the cord. I’m getting off this bad-news bus.
“Well—ah, Kelvin, this sounds just dandy, but I’m going to have to pass—”
“That’s no’ an option I gave.”
Izel threw her hands up. “Look, Man-Bear-Pig! You aren’t my father or my keeper. You have no claim to me—”
“It’s Man-Pig-Pookah,” he cut in. “Man-Bear-Pookah is my cousin.” Was he serious? “And you are the most fickle woman I’ve ever encountered. Not a moment ago you were set to leave with me.”
“Was not.”
“And now another debate? You know what will happen to you out there on yer own?”
Actually, Izel had been trying not to think of that.
“More than one species would gladly kill you on sight. Many will eat you. And almost all would scent you coming a mile away.” His eyes flickered with an eerie seriousness that made Izel’s gut ache.
“You are the last human.” He enunciated the last word with care. “I am instructed to deliver you safely until we know more.”
“Know more about what?”
“You,” he snapped. “Now, if you are done with this questioning, we can get goin’.” He turned toward the door.
Izel, completely unsatisfied and about ready to boil over, stood still. “You expect me to believe that you are taking me to your castle purely for informational value about my humanness? I don’t think—”
“Believe what you want, lass.” He spun to face her. “The fact o’ the matter is, we live in a world where the majority feeds on blood, bodies, or souls like they were candy.” He drew in a deep breath. “And, lass, you are a rare treat this realm hasn’t indulged in for decades.”
The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She couldn’t determine if it was from the sound of his rough voice or from the warning in his words. Although she didn’t want to admit it, he was right.
Izel was struck anew by her lack of knowledge regarding the world. She’d never known excitement or risk, only boredom and routine. The sexy male before her was a symbol of everything she’d been protected from—adventure, danger, fear, love. Her emotions were so new, they hurt. Although Izel knew he had ulterior motives he wasn’t admitting, the truth was, she was safer with him than without him.
“Does your kind, um, eat my kind?”
He jolted his head up and let out a little chuckle. “Christ, no. I eat food. It’s just that you are”—he slid two fingers absently along his lower lip—“distracting…” He cleared his throat.
“How about a barter then,” he offered, as if sensing her hesitation. “I know you’re curious about your background, so we’d be helping each other.”
How did the Pookah know more about her lineage than she did? Then again, she knew practically nothing. Her grandfather was chief of the Campbell clan here, but he never went into details. It was as if he wanted to keep Izel as far away from her heritage as possible. Still, she must have some kind of family nearby, and maybe the Pookah knew just how to find them.
“And what do you know of my background?”
“Apparently more than you. You have kin in these parts. So you come with me and once we reach my castle, we’ll”—he trailed off again, seeming to pick his words carefully—“arrange to meet them.”
A spark of excitement burst through her. She might finally get to find out about her family. Maybe even learn about her parents. How they died. What they were like. If they loved her.
“You’ll help me?” she asked, looking at him from under her lashes.
“Aye.”
Although Izel wasn’t technically a Fionn anymore, she was still raised one. And with that came wordplay. She needed to bind this Pookah to a contract. The magical forces over immortals could be very useful.
When immortals agreed to a verbal contract and staked their honor, the being was bound to said agreement until completion. Should one default on the bargain, there would be painful ramifications. Izel didn’t know the details, mostly because she had never entered into such a bargain before. Today, she had to. She needed this Pookah’s protection, at least for a short while.
She had two goals, finding her grandfather and keeping her humanity. Never would she be camouflaged again. She was alive, feeling, and she’d trade a lifetime of emptiness for a single day of emotion.
She flicked her neck, sweeping hair from her brow, and summed up the contract. “I allow you to take me to your castle. You will not physically hurt me in any way.” She paused for emphasis. “And once we’ve arrived at your clan territory, we will locate my grandfather’s clan and I will be allowed to speak with Ryo at a time of my choosing.”
She’d stated her terms and expected his word. If he wouldn’t give it, she’d run. His eyes were like blue flames looking down at her. She thought she heard him mutter, “Clever lass.”
“Aye.” He picked up his pack, slinging it over his shoulders, and his gaze fixed on her mouth. “On my honor, you have my word.”
Chapter 4
“Can you slow down?” Izel was staggering through the dark woods of Scotland at a pace that would make a puma’s heart explode, let alone a mere human’s. In the early hours of the morning, she could almost see the glow of tension radiating from the Pookah in front of her.
“Kelvin!” she hollered when he didn’t slow his pace.
He stopped, turned, and stomped back to her. “Donna scream. You want the entire bloody forest ta hear you?”
She narrowed her eyes and stood her ground. “I can’t go on! It’s two o’clock in the morning. I’m jet-lagged, exhausted, and my back is killing me!” Breathing hard, she softened her approach. “Please.”
He clenched his jaw, brows furrowing. “All right, we’re far enough out, should be no threat near.”
Izel sighed with relief and dropped her pack. She massaged and twisted her neck while making her way to a nearby log. Kelvin handed her a canteen of water. Unable to help herself, she greedily chugged the contents. The cool liquid sliding along her dry throat was heaven. She hadn’t meant to, but a loud moan broke from her lips as tiny drops escaped from the sides of her mouth, running down her chin. Her eyes shot open to find Kelvin staring intensely at her.
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she lowered the canteen.
Swiping a forearm over her mouth, she handed the water back to him. He took it, eyes never leaving her face. What was his deal? He looked as if he was fighting off blood poisoning or something.
�
�I’ll be right back.”
She jerked her head up. “Wait, what? Don’t leave me in this creepy forest by myself.”
“You make me uncomfortable.” He looked over his shoulder and gave a sexy smirk that robbed her of breath. “But I have ta admit, I thought it’d take at least a full day before ya’d warm ta me.”
Did he just wink at me? Arrogant prick! She rolled her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. I basically prefer your company over death. Well, that and”—she tapped her chin and looked to the sky—“nope, just death.”
Kelvin’s eyes raked over her, his wicked grin returning. “Well, at least you prefer me over something, lass. Though I’d wager my odds are bound to improve.” She shivered at the sound of his husky voice and watched him step away, hating her heartbeat for slamming against her ribs.
“You’ll be fine,” he said with a sudden change of tone. Wait; a second ago he was flirting, and now he was acting like she was a stranger.
“I’m no’ goin’ far. Just getting some firewood and dinner. I must feed and house my charge.”
His charge? Lovely. Her racing pulse simmered. She was nothing more than a task at hand. “Ah, Kelvin, you melt my heart.” Determined not to give him a second thought, she unzipped her pack. The Pookah was silent as he walked away and disappeared into the dark forest.
“Damn,” Izel whispered to herself. What was it about Kelvin Kerr that had her acting like a tween with a bad crush? She hated and wanted him all at the same time. He’d tried to kill her only hours ago, and here she was pining after him. She was starting to understand the annoyance emotions brought on.
But it wasn’t just her internal struggles. There was a force, some kind of sightless, tasteless influence that was pulling her toward Kelvin.
I should slap myself.
She rubbed her temple with two fingers, attempting to clear her mind. She would hold on to the hope that her grandfather lived, refusing to believe differently until proven otherwise.
She scoured through her bag. There was a candy bar in there somewhere.
Although she had no experience with “instincts,” certain underlining truths smoldered in her belly. Euan was alive. The gut feeling that told her he lived was coming from the same place that pushed her toward the Pookah.
Frick.
Euan was a smart, powerful man. He must have known she was going to morph into a hottie with great breasts and killer hair. Which was probably the reason behind the letter he’d sent her last week. Except she’d been too late. Euan was gone and now it was her turn to come through for her grandfather.
Izel might not be a full-blooded Fionn, but she was Euan’s granddaughter. She had felt his spirit slip from the Earth realm the day the letter had arrived. No, Euan wasn’t dead, he was just no longer present on Earth.
Her hands returned to the bag. Seriously, where was that freaking chocolate!
Now, more than ever, she needed to locate the Campbell clan. Although Euan never spoke of them, they were her best bet in securing her grandfather. All Fionns had some kind of magical essence. Mystics had magic in their blood, and Poets had it in their lips and words. Warriors possessed power in their muscles and physical strength. Izel wondered what her powers would be, if any. She glanced around the dreary forest fearing the trouble that lay within. A fleet of Warriors would come in handy right about now.
Although she was experiencing a sense of nervousness, she was surprised that handling these emotional waves didn’t seem as daunting as it had when she’d first transformed. Fear, anger, hate, lust. Her pulse picked up. It was still better than not feeling at all.
Her mind turned back to the Pookah.
When her body had flooded with feeling that first time, the jolt of emotions was overwhelming. Especially when she was hit with his emotions as well. She had felt Kelvin’s essence buzz inside her, and for a split second caught a glimpse of his true self.
Perhaps that’s why she wasn’t as afraid of him as she should be. The anomaly of feeling Kelvin—literally under her skin—had not only shocked her but enlightened her. It was as if, for the briefest moment, they were one soul.
She groaned. Although her mind didn’t understand what the eff was going on, her body sure as hell recognized Kelvin. Wanted Kelvin.
Traitorous body.
Just then, she felt the leather-bound book she had snagged from her grandfather’s cottage. She’d stealthily grabbed the book and shoved it in her pack. And she was glad she had.
The brown hide was thick, the paper stiff. It reeked of dust and crackled when she opened the cover. She could barely see faint scribbles on the first page. Turns out humans have pretty weak eyesight. Bummer.
Izel scooted into a beam of moonlight. And there she saw it: a small square cutout. Inside was hidden a silver chain that held a small vial of clear liquid. Euan had in fact left this for her. Sliding the necklace over her head, she stuffed the small bottle under her shirt, reasoning that anything left on a chain was meant to be worn and kept close.
As she flipped to the second page she saw a date in the upper corner, underneath the gold leafing. It was her birthday. This was no book; this was a journal. She squinted, barely making out the script.
Izel Rose,
Drink a sip at a time. It will disguise your scent for a short while. Never forget, you’re a Campbell. You come from a long line of great men. You, though, are a miracle.
With Love,
Grandpa E.
She placed a hand against her chest, pressing her palm over the vial hidden beneath her shirt. Disguise my scent?
The sound of Kelvin’s clomping feet neared.
She shut the book and jammed it back into the bottom of her bag, deciding to keep the Pookah on a need-to-know basis. She wasn’t sure what to expect with Kelvin. Trusting him to keep her alive was one thing. But trusting him with her secrets or her body was something else entirely.
He trekked through the trees, flinging a rabbit, a massive amount of wood, and an armful of oversized leaves to the ground.
“Souvenir from the outlands there?” Izel asked, not recalling the obscenely large foliage.
“Dinner and bed,” he answered, arranging the stalks beside her.
He was making her a bed? Nothing about this Scot made any sense. She knew Kelvin wasn’t particularly fond of her grandfather. The way he sneered every time he said “the Mystic” was a dead giveaway. And she still wasn’t sure why he’d wanted to kill her in the first place. Ten bucks said it was merely because she was related to Euan Campbell.
True, Kelvin was a Scottish ruffian, but he wasn’t the savage beast he pretended to be. She had to wonder if Kelvin Kerr had ever once put another before himself. Nevertheless, he was here, in the middle of the night, being kind to her.
After he finished aligning her “mattress,” he set to building a fire.
“Yes!” she sighed, pulling a half-eaten Snickers bar from her pack and taking a heaping bite. She chewed deliberately, telling herself she didn’t give a rat’s ass about the Pookah.
Okay, maybe a rat’s ass. But definitely not two!
The chocolate instantly melted inside her mouth and the caramel stuck to her back teeth. Mmm, so good. The candy bar was gone in two bites.
She tried not to stare at the sinfully chiseled man before her. Tried not to notice the way his sweat-soaked shirt clung to his broad shoulders and rippling abs. Tried not to tilt her head in examination as he moved.
“Will we reach town tomorrow?” she asked.
Kelvin’s body tensed and he peered over his shoulder. “No. No town.”
“But where will we get a car?”
“We won’t.”
“Then how will we get to—”
“We walk,” he said with exasperation, then returned his full attention to building the fire.
Izel was all for exercise, but the only reason she had eventually hiked to get to her grandfather’s cottage in the first place was because there literally was no other way to get there
. Now that she thought about it, there wasn’t so much as a trail through the forest, let alone a road. And cell-phone towers? Forget it! She wondered how his phone seemed to work and assumed he had some kind of special service or connection.
“I don’t understand. Surely we can get some kind of vehicle?”
He didn’t even bother facing her. “The Kerr stronghold is not easily accessible. No vehicle could make that kind of trek.” His dark brow rose when he quickly stole a look at her face. “Besides, staying far away from roads, towns, and anything that involves others is in your best interest.”
The fire crackled to life. The glow of light made his tan skin glisten and shine. She stifled a moan and clamped her thighs together. She would ignore him. Ignore the tingles on her spine and the wetness between her legs.
Inhaling a shaky breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose. This was the worse wave yet.
“Another spell?”
She looked up and found him sitting across the fire, eyeing her intently. So he was thoughtful now?
Silently nodding, she turned away from him. Straining for control, another wave hit before she could even get a handle on the first rush of feelings. This surge of emotion was stronger than the last.
Lust. Raw, raging lust. It coursed through her veins, her whole body burning with it. She pressed her palm against her forehead and tried to slow her breathing. She focused her energy on not wanting to taste the sculpted body of the Pookah in front of her.
“Think of other things. Think of other things,” she quietly chanted.
“Lass?”
She had to be hallucinating because she could have sworn she heard worry in Kelvin’s tone. She spun back around and faced him, fists at her side, fingernails digging into her flesh. Her eyes met his.
In a sultry voice she didn’t recognize, she pleaded, “Distract me.”
Chapter 5
Distract her?
God, if she only knew what he really wanted to do to her. Kelvin watched her gently sway with her head in her hands. Poor lass was getting bombarded by aftershocks of her transformation. He wanted to pull her small body against his and rock with her—
