Her hostess asked, “Is that painful?”
“Nope. Can I find out where I am staying? I am a little tired.”
Teal nodded. “Of course. You have the charm on, so all you need is your bag and we will head off. The contract is signed, and you aren’t leaving without a mate.”
Eileen nodded. “Right. Well, I am glad that I handed my homework over to another teacher while we waited for the transporter. I would hate for the students to wonder what I had done with their reports.”
“You are a teacher?”
“Substitute. I have to master all classes at a moment’s notice and make it look like I know what I am doing.” She smiled and hefted her bag. “Lead on.”
Teal took her hand and led her through the large open doors and into the surprisingly bright sun.
“I thought it would be later.”
“You left at night?”
“No, it was Saturday afternoon, but it still feels like it should be later here.”
“The transporters try to synch with us as much as they can. Krisia could have thrown you here at any time she chose to match you to us.”
“Nice. Well, I suppose I will have the evening to get used to things. What day of the week is it?”
Teal laughed. “That is where we differ. We don’t keep track. We are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Day is night, night is day, and all we do is keep track of supplies. The managers of the shops keep track of days, but they are the only ones. The idea is to take you out of time and space and put everyone in an unfamiliar territory. When everything is even, you can put all your attention into finding your match.”
“How long does it take, on average?”
“Five to seven days. Many click on the first night, but once the match is made, we ask that you leave. The sex hormones are a little hard for some of the unattached to deal with.”
“I understand. I can’t see me being a fast match. Since I smell like both predator and prey at the best of times, it gets a little awkward to fit in. I might need to take out a loan or something to stay long enough to find a proper match.”
Teal laughed. “The amount that Krisia stipulated will last you for three months or more. I cannot see it taking you that long.”
“Oh, I am an over achiever when it comes to some things and those things include wasting time and wrecking first dates.”
“You will fit right in then.”
They were walking down a lane of Victorian-style homes.
“What do I say when they meet me? They will ask what I am.”
Teal paused for a moment. “Wait until you find one that you are truly attracted to. The one that calls your beast from within and makes you want to run wild. Tell him and prepare to have your heart broken, but if he calls your beast, you are calling his. He might take some time to get used to the idea, but he will come around. I am sure of it.”
“You seem very sure.”
“I am. I have been doing this for decades. I have yet to find someone who came here that was unmatchable. If you desire a mate, truly want one, you will find one here.”
“I am not sure what I want.”
“Take the time to figure it out, but let yourself be open to the idea. This is your bed and breakfast, the Open Heart. Teebie is a djinn and she is your hostess. Will that be a problem?”
“Only if she shakes hands with me. There is occasionally a spark between fey and djinn magic, but I have never experienced it before.”
“I am sure you will find out. She’s a hugger.”
Teal had no sooner mentioned it than the door opened and a blue woman walked out with a smile splitting her face. “Welcome, Eileen Heller. Come in.”
The welcome hug was like licking a nine-volt battery. The shock and tingle ran through both of them.
“I am sorry. I was adopted by a half-elf after her father covered me with fey magic. It is stuck in my cells quite well.” Eileen apologized.
Teebie leaned back and patted her hair smooth again. “Well, I am more alert now, so that is a good thing. Come on in. I have cookies and tea.”
“I can never resist a cookie.” Eileen followed her hostess inside, hauling Teal along for the ride.
Chapter Three
Three hours and a change of clothing later, Eileen was ready to go out and forage for food at the café.
She looked to Teebie. “So? How do I look?”
The djinn cocked her head. “Like you stepped out of a 1950’s pinup poster.”
Eileen grinned. “Excellent. That is what I was going for. Is it too tight?”
Teebie smiled. “It looks fine. How are you managing to breathe?”
“Practice. My dates may end badly but they always start out with his tongue hanging out.” The fitted dress went to her knees, but every curve was outlined with matte electric blue. Her waves of black hair were tamed into a straight sheet with curled edges.
She knew she looked good; it was just a matter of finding a man that made her heart pound as well as being the one doing the stimulating. At the same time, she wanted a man who found her attractive and appreciated the skills of all the years of her mother’s teachings. You could not go to a fey gathering looking less than your best. You would be ripped apart and a social outcast. The worst thing that could happen to a fey family was to be cut off from others of their kind. When you were a shifter among fey, you blended in or were a complete social outcast. Eileen had always been good at changing to meet the situation.
With a bright smile and a small wave, she left the Open Heart and headed toward the café.
The roads weren’t easy on the high heels that she favoured, but she kept her head high and shoulders back while she followed the directions Teebie had given her. There weren’t a lot of options when it came to buildings, so she headed to the large cluster that had the most people moving around it.
Eileen read the signs and mounted the sidewalk with relief. She pulled the door of the café open and paused to let her eyes adjust to the difference in light.
Conversations stilled and ground to a halt when the denizens got a look at her. She quickly spotted an open table and moved as silently as she could to take a seat and pick up a menu.
A woman appeared at her side in seconds. “What can I get for you?”
Eileen smiled and made eye contact. The woman seemed surprised by whatever she was reading in Eileen’s features.
“I would like a cup of coffee and three minutes to make up my mind.” She winked.
“May I ask; how do you get your hair to do that?”
“Practice.” Eileen smiled. “I can give you some suggestions.”
The woman grinned and swept herself behind the counter, fetching the coffee.
Victory curls were the most striking thing she could do with her hair, so she did it often. It kept things neat and out of the way, and it made an impression while leaving the rest of her hair free.
When the coffee came, she ordered a cheeseburger and fries with a fruit salad. The server had just left when a man slid into the chair across from her.
“You must have just arrived. I would have remembered you if you had been here last night.”
She gave him a long look, took in the set of his shoulders, the jut of his chin and the gleam in his eyes. “If I chose you, what could I do for a living?”
He smiled. “Oh, you wouldn’t need to work, sweetheart. I would take care of anything you needed.”
She sprouted serpentine fangs and hissed. “Get bent.”
He was up and out of his chair in under a second. Good reflexes.
She let her fangs recede and read the display of the daily specials. Another man came up to her table, but he didn’t sit down. She looked up at him and he asked, “May I join you?”
Smiling, she gestured to the open seat. “Please.”
“Lowson isn’t a bad guy.”
She chuckled. “He is arrogant and didn’t bother learning my o
pinion on matters of occupation and equality before stating his ideal for a mate. He is going to be looking for a while unless he changes tactics.”
Her new companion leaned forward, his dark brown hair sliding slightly with the motion. “What should he have said?”
“To get my affections?”
“Yes.”
“He couldn’t. He and I are not a good match. He needs to be honest and seek out a woman who wants to be cared for, protected. Not all women like to make the house their home base, though I have no quarrel with those who do.” She smiled. “Answer enough?”
“Yes, and some sage advice for him. He has been coming on strong and striking out.”
She sipped at her coffee. “How long has he been here?”
“Ten days. I got here just three days ago and he has been despondent.”
“Tell him to ask the folks at the bar to help. They are here to help us find our matches. They will help him along.” Eileen smiled, her briefing via Teebie and Teal had been thorough as to behaviour and the role of the various branches of the Crossroads.
“I don’t think he bothered to ask for help. Will you excuse me for a moment?”
“Of course.”
He got up and left, but she had to admit that the view was nice as he went.
Her food arrived, and she moved on to more interesting things than the man who was probably hearing that she was a large snake.
To her shock, he returned when she had two fries dangling from her mouth. She bit them off quickly and returned them to her plate. “Excuse me.” She mumbled. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”
He smiled. “Of course I was. You are the best company here, though your eating habits need a little refining.”
She coughed delicately. “I thought I was eating alone. Time is a factor. The tomato is saturating my bun.”
He chortled and waved her on. “If it is a matter of urgency, by all means. My name is Harris.”
“Eileen. Pleased to meet you.” She picked up the cheeseburger and attacked it with polite savagery. The food disappeared in a matter of minutes.
When there was nothing left but smears of dressing and shreds of lettuce, the server brought her the fruit salad.
Eileen wiped her hands and lips daintily then picked up her fork for the first time during the meal.
Harris was watching her with his chin propped up on his fist and an expression of admiration for her. “I have never seen a woman eat with such a good appetite.”
“If you had any idea how many calories I burned getting my hair like this, you would not be so surprised at my appetite.”
He chuckled. “So, what drove you to the Crossroads?”
Eileen smiled. “Do you want the truth?”
“Please.”
“Fine. I am nearing my first heat and I need a mate. None of my kind is available, so this is the easiest way to find someone suitable.” She shrugged and stabbed at a grape in her bowl.
“First? No offence, but you are not precisely a teenager. May I ask what species you are?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I would rather you didn’t. It isn’t exactly something I am comfortable with.”
“Lowson claims you are a snake, but I don’t think so. You have a varied appetite and that isn’t something usually found in snake shifters.”
“It could be an off day.” She didn’t know why she was defending her food choices, but it was hard to be indignant with a wedge of pineapple in her jaws.
Harris smiled slowly and the expression lit up his broad features. “When you are finished slaughtering your fruit salad, would you do me the honour of a dance?”
She blinked. “You have seen me massacre a meal and you are eager to risk contact?”
“I like to live dangerously.” He winked one of his dark chocolate eyes.
Her fork clattered in the bowl, and she finished her coffee. The server brought the pay unit over, and before Eileen could swipe her charm over the icon, Harris had his hand in front of hers.
She scowled. “Why did you do that?”
“I always pay for entertainment. That was dinner and a show.” He smiled winningly.
She couldn’t be mad at that boyish charm. She really tried, but it just wouldn’t come.
“Fine. One dance and then I am going to check the population of fish in this particular pond.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
Harris rose to his feet and extended his hand to her.
She pivoted, took his hand and got to her feet with fey grace. She could see the hairs on the back of his hand standing upright at the slight contact, and she sighed. It had been a while since she had touched another shifter, and she had forgotten the effect she had on them. Fey magic clung to every cell of her body. It was as much a part of her as the rapid and varied shifting.
“Will you tell me why I tingle when you touch me?” Harris tucked her hand into the curve of his arm.
“Nope. Not until I decide if you are trustworthy.”
She was only three inches shorter than he was with her heels on. He seemed surprised by her height, but he straightened his shoulders and opened the door for her when they left the café. She could feel the gazes that clung to them, but with a delicate burp, she left the café behind.
The Crossed Star Bar was getting into full swing. Harris escorted her inside and straight to the dance floor.
The songs were upbeat but slow enough to close-dance to, and when Harris settled her in his arms, she moved against him with as much grace as she could remember from all of her dance lessons every weekend since she was seven.
She swayed and shifted with him as they moved around the floor.
“How is it that you are such a good dancer?”
Eileen smiled. “My mother raised me right and my grandfather was a stickler for protocol.”
When he tried to pull her tight against him, she locked her arms and remained at the appropriate distance.
“You are a good dancer as well, Harris.”
“Thank you. Coming from a woman of your skill, that is a compliment.”
The music came to a halt for a moment and she stepped back. “Thank you for that. It was just the thing to settle that burger.”
He looked like he wanted to insist, but instead, he gave in gracefully. “Thanks for the dance, Eileen.”
She walked to the bar and ordered a glass of malbec. The woman behind the counter filled her glass expertly and slipped it onto a coaster. “I absolutely love your dress.”
“Thank you. It is a side effect of online shopping and my hairstyle is caused by the dress.”
“Which makes the makeup rise to cover its own bases. I am Spike. I am here most of the time, and Chuck is here the rest. The owner’s wife is about to go into labour, so they are retracting from the daily grind of the bar.”
Eileen blinked at the babbling. Some folks reacted that way to her magical outer shell. It helped when she was teaching teens. Getting to the truth of things was a lot easier when confessing was all they wanted to do.
Eileen sipped at her wine and watched Harris romance other women on the dance floor. Those women were interested in getting far more than some light exercise out of the excursion. His ass was grabbed frequently.
Spike was nearby so Eileen asked, “How can they stand being groped like that?”
“What, the men?”
“Yes.”
“This is speed dating on a shifter scale. They want to meet someone who is compatible and grinding on them on a dance floor tells interest from disinterest in a matter of seconds.”
Eileen couldn’t fault the logic.
“Now, if you would just turn your attention to the group of men who have been trying to catch your gaze all evening, you might be able to learn a few things about the available shifters tonight.” Spike jerked her head over to the far edge of the bar where three men were staring at Eileen with focus and interest.
&nbs
p; “Why haven’t they come over before?”
“Because you had no interest in being interested if that makes any sense. This isn’t the place for force or trickery. If a woman isn’t receptive, they leave her alone or suffer my wrath. Now that you have made eye contact, you are fair game.”
Eileen made a face at being tricked into that eye contact, but when the first of the three introduced himself and asked her to dance, she headed to the dance floor with him and an eye to locating a likely mate.
She shrugged mentally. It could happen.
Chapter Four
After Robert, Teddy and Leroy took her for chaste turns around the dance floor, she thanked each one in turn and returned to the bar.
She knew that they were not for her, but they were very close. After the dancing, she settled at the bar and had another glass of malbec.
“So, the Earth didn’t move?”
“Not even enough to wobble Jell-O.”
“You might consider engaging in bodily contact while you dance. Your grace is remarkable but the distance between you makes intimacy awkward. No connection can be created if you don’t touch.”
Sighing, Eileen put her hand, palm up, on the bar. “Put your hand on mine.”
Curious, Spike wiped her hands on a bar towel and put her fingers over Eileen’s. She jerked them back quickly. “Holy crap.”
Eileen shrugged. “I am stuck with it. It is mine; I can’t get rid of it. This is what the men feel when I touch them. Rubbing against them would have an unusual reaction to say the least.”
Spike put her hand on Eileen’s again. “It isn’t bad. It is just strange if you are not expecting it.”
“How can I warn against that? My touch may charge you? Kissing me may feel like frenching a joy buzzer? This is going to take some strategy, and I don’t know where to start.”
“It is your first day. Give it some time. You might find a guy who likes it.” Spike winked.
Eileen sipped at her wine and casually watched the other inhabitants of the bustling bar as the evening wore on. She danced several times and all of her partners rubbed their hands against their thighs the moment the song was over.
Misenchanted Shifter Page 2
