She gently pushed his head off her legs, then stood and brushed the dirt off her butt. “Your move, pretty kitty.”
With that, she shifted, shook all over to get rid of the dust, and sat.
4
Nic shifted into human. The pants tied around his neck were well named, because they brought instant sweat. He stayed crouched before Skyla’s racing-hound thin, stilt-legged wolf. She had huge ears and the warmest solid brown eyes he’d ever seen.
He held out his hand in invitation. She moved closer and leaned her head against his hand. A trace of magic brushed his skin like the caress of a silk scarf, waking his hopeful dick. Pretty much his constant state around her.
“I’m damn sure you’re my mate, and my tiger agrees. I’m sensitive to magic, but I can’t work it for shit. My mother says tigers are thick-skulled, so it might take me longer to feel the mate bond.” He thought he might be sensing it already, but maybe it was just wishful thinking. She licked his wrist. “I want a month of hot sex with you, but I’d like to get to know you, too. I’ve been hoping to find you for a long time. I want to do it right.”
She whined and moved closer, butting his thigh with her head. He stroked her shoulders through the thick mane, which felt thicker and coarser than it looked.
Another drip of sweat made him wish for something to tie up his hair. “I’m Canadian. I’ve never been this far south. The auction house probably has traps and hunters in all the nearby towns, to catch any escapees, but we need clothes and transportation. If you’ve got friends you trust in Santa Barbara, let’s go there, so we can get the hell out of here.” He blew out a noisy breath. “I don’t know where St. George, Utah is, but I’d like to go, because I promised two bobcat boys I’d check on them.”
He impulsively kissed the side of her furry snout. She shook her head and sneezed in his face. He laughed. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. You’re not a pet dog.”
He checked the knot to make sure his sweatpants would stay around his neck. “You lead, I’ll follow.” He raised a hand to shade his eyes from the sun. “If we hear hunters, we’ll stop and hide, because they’ll be looking for runners.”
The night was warmer than it had a right to be as Nic-the-tiger padded silently through Santa Barbara’s well-kept botanic gardens. The fat crescent moon provided enough light for his tiger’s eyes to follow Skyla along the tended trails. Her slender wolf looked almost spectral as she led the way to the small stand of California redwoods at the north end of the park.
In other circumstances, he would have reveled in an afternoon’s mountain run with his mate, getting to know the wolf side of her. She’d kept her humor despite all she’d been through, and her playful wolf amused his tiger. He might even have taken in stride the appalling heat and the newly unstable ground. However, the real threat of being shot with a high-powered rifle or caught in one of several traps they’d nearly triggered ruined any pleasure in it. So far, they’d outpaced the hunters, who were flying expanding spiral patterns in their helicopters, but that wouldn’t last.
He hadn’t seen much of Santa Barbara itself, except for closely-spaced Spanish-style houses on steep, terraced slopes, and yards full of exotic dry and potted wet-climate plants. The citizens seemed to take great delight in driving compact cars as fast as they could on the city’s narrow, twisty residential roads.
No one had given them a second glance as they walked in twilight, him wearing only filthy sweatpants and pilfered sandals, and her as a “dog” beside him. He talked to her when he could, telling her what he knew about the auction house, and guessed about the hunters who might be after them. He hoped the sheer number of escapees overwhelmed the local resources, and he worried that he couldn’t find even a wisp of a connection to the bobcat brothers. The magic that seemed to be an inherent part of Skyla kept him constantly aware of her, constantly wanting.
The garden trail dipped down and around into a noticeably darker section. A glance up explained why—the tall redwoods blocked most of the moonlight. He crouched down on the asphalt as Skyla’s wolf form vaulted over the railing and into the low-growing plants. She snuffled, taking in scent, then picked her way toward one of the huge trunks. Between one moment and the next, she became a human, kneeling at the base of the tree, the other hand touching the bark. He’d never known anyone who could shift that fast. Or keep their clothes.
“Guardian Ivylandi Hellica, I give you greeting,” she said quietly.
A capricious breeze brought a frisson of unfamiliar magic that tickled his fur. The tree bark seemed to warp outward and morph into a separate human-like shape. The bark faded from the skin to reveal a naked, spiky-green-haired, multi-pierced woman with glowing tattoos. He’d never met any dryads before, so had no idea if she’d stand out or blend into a swarm of them.
Another breeze of magic, and wispy, glowing orbs rose from the ground cover to light the area. “Sky!” She pulled Skyla to her feet for a hug and a kiss. “You’re back!”
“Not really.” Skyla hunched a shoulder. “I…” She looked to Nic, then back. “We need a huge favor, and it might be dangerous.”
The dryad grinned and gave Nic a lascivious wink. “If it’s as dangerous as Mr. Long and Stripey, I hope there’s more where he came from.”
Skyla shook her head. “I’m serious, Ivy. Very bad people want us. Hunters, maybe wizards. If they find out you helped us, they might hurt you or your babies.”
Ivy’s tattoos blazed red, reminding Nic of his mother’s oft-repeated admonition to never, ever cross a dryad, not even if the tree was a perfect scratching post. Ivy’s voice dropped an octave and became gravel and flame. “They will die.”
Nic-the-tiger switched his tail, wanting to answer the challenge and protect his mate. Down, boy. No fighting with mate’s friends.
Skyla patted Ivy’s arm soothingly. “I hope it doesn’t come to that, but it was only fair to tell you the risks. Can we borrow your old truck for a few days or a week?”
Ivy’s tattoos faded to gold and black again, and her voice returned to normal. “Sorry, it’s in the shop. How about my old hybrid?” She shrugged. “It’s cantankerous as hell, but maybe it’ll do better for you.”
“If it won’t leave you stranded. How about I buy it from you?” Skyla’s mouth pursed in a frustrated frown. “Except I can’t pay you until I get my life straightened out.”
Ivy waved dismissively. “I’ve got the motorcycle, and I know you’re good for the money.”
The faraway sound of a helicopter had Nic rising to four feet and listening intently.
“Deal,” said Skyla. “Where is it parked?”
“In the visitor lot, next to the Gardens’ van.” Ivy knifed a hand into the tree trunk beside her, and came back with a bejeweled key, which she handed to Skyla. “I’ve given you ownership. Say your full name as you turn the key in the ignition, and the onboard computer should behave. You can authorize your furry boy-toy, too.” Ivy put her hands on her slender hips and smirked. “I expect a detailed report on the sexy times when you get back.”
“I promise, and thank you.” Skyla hugged Ivy tightly for a long moment, then stepped back and shifted into her wolf form in the blink of an eye.
Ivy winked at Nic, then disappeared into the tree. The wispy lights sank and faded moments later.
Skyla led him to a white hatchback sedan. Trees darkened the narrow, sloping parking lot, but it paralleled a city road with traffic. She shifted to human, then opened the car door and looked inside for a long moment.
She turned to him where he sat on the pavement. “It’s not big enough for a tiger, so you’ll have to be human, and I have to be human to drive.” She removed the tied bundle of his sweatpants and stolen sandals from around her neck and held it out to him. “I’ve been thinking about where we could go once we hit L.A.” They’d agreed that route would be fastest to get out of California, and that they’d be hard to track in the city’s world-famous traffic.
Nic took long seconds to shift into human
. He took his clothes from her, glad she’d thought of vanishing and returning his clothes with hers. He couldn’t help but smile at her. “I know I said it before, but you’re amazing. You smell amazing, too.”
She returned his smile with interest but shook her head. “None of that now, or I’m toast. Your scent is like an arsonist with matches. I might be in wolf heat.” She made an exasperated noise. “Next thing you know, I’ll be howling with sirens and train horns.”
She wrapped her arms around herself and moved back a small step. “I think we need a sanctuary town. We can’t bring our kind of trouble down on some unsuspecting clan or pack. Not even the Shifter Tribunal headquarters could handle a desperate magister and an army of wizards. Like you said, they’ll want all the escapees back, or verifiably dead.”
Nic slipped on his sweatpants to keep himself busy, so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. If he did, they’d be lost. Safety first, sex second. “I’ve heard the arctic sanctuary is only accessible by air or magic and is hard to find. Once we got to Canada, I’d have to ask around for directions.”
“There’s supposed to be a sanctuary somewhere on the west coast, but it’s really well hidden, and mostly for water-based species.” Her lips thinned and she looked away. “My family’s meetup plan said to go to the sanctuary in southern Wyoming. It’s a one-day drive if we only stop for gas. It takes us through Utah, too, so you can check on the bobcats.”
He promised himself he’d ask her later why any mention of her family upset her. “That works for me.” He dropped the sandals and stepped into them. “We need food.” He eyed his bare chest and her stained T-shirt and tried not to notice the hardened nipples on her high, firm breasts. “And toiletries and regular clothes, or we’ll be picked up for being rough sleepers, if the police are of a mind to detain us.”
“Yeah, we need money, too, but I can take care of that at the next ATM.” She looked up at the sky, then the open car. “I’ll drive for now, because I know the roads, but if I start weaving because I’m higher than a kite on your sexy scent, you’ll have to take over.”
“I’ll watch out for you.” Was it too soon to tell her he’d always watch out for her?
He walked briskly around to the passenger side and ducked into the compact car. He slid the seat back as far as it would go, but he couldn’t straighten his legs. She got in and fastened her seatbelt.
As she inserted the red-bejeweled key and spoke her name, he noticed the ignition and the console display had red gems that looked like the ones in the auction house’s monitoring room.
“Just what kind of car is this?” He pulled the seatbelt across him as she pulled out onto the down-sloping public road.
“Ivy’s hobby is cars. Okay, sex and cars. This was her first hybrid. Runs gas, electricity, or magic.”
“I didn’t know that was even possible.” He hovered one hand near the console display to get a better sense of the meld of multiple magics and technology. “Do Ivy’s babies live in the redwood trees, too?”
Skyla laughed. “The trees are her babies. She says they’re orphans who need a mother, so she moved in. I helped her create an illusion spell that makes her look human. The Gardens staff think she’s just a really dedicated volunteer.” She stopped at the five-way intersection, then crossed two streets to head west. “A lot cheaper than the dorm where we met.”
They passed a police car coming from the opposite direction.
Skyla swore. “I should have asked about the registration. Do me a favor and look in the glove box and the visor above your head.”
Nic did as she asked and found blank cards. He recognized those. “Four universal documents. Good ones, too, not the cheap kind.”
“Oh, thank the gods. Best magical invention ever.” She glanced at him. “Keep one. You need a passport.”
He looked down at his pocketless sweatpants and made a disgruntled noise. “We need a story.”
She smiled. “That’s easy. You’re my Canadian boyfriend who’s too sexy for his shirt because he’s not used to the heat. I’m a poor grad student from Santa Barbara. I’m showing you the country.” She turned onto a more crowded street. “Money first.”
She pressed the INFO button on the center dashboard console, then touched two of the red gems. Magic flared briefly. The display changed from a complicated flow diagram to an equally complicated street map. She glanced at it several times as she drove.
“Problem?” asked Nic.
“I’ve only been in this car once, and Ivy drove. I don’t know how to get the computer to plot routes.”
He and Skyla both twitched when magic surged and a voice came from the car’s speakers. “May I be of assistance?” The male voice had a distinctly German accent.
She gave Nic a startled glance, then returned her attention to the road. “Yes, please. Can you show us the route to the nearest ATM?” She fluttered her fingers on the steering wheel. “I’m Skyla, by the way, and this is Nic. He’s an authorized driver.” She glanced back to Nic. “Er, you do know how to drive, don’t you?”
Nic nodded reassuringly. It was a fair question. Not all shifters embraced modern conveniences, and his scraggly beard and long hair made him look half feral.
“Greetings, Skyla. Greetings, Nic. I am Mauk.” The spelling of his name appeared as an overlay on the map. It was the most realistic synthetic voice Nic had ever heard. “The nearest ATM is behind you. Would you prefer to continue southward?”
“Yes, please.” She stopped at an intersection. “I didn’t know you could speak.”
“Here is the route.” A blue line and instructions appeared on the map. “Ivylandi preferred silent mode. Will there be anything else?” The voice sounded almost hopeful.
“Not for a bit, Mauk. Thanks.” Two red gems dimmed. The map stayed on, updating as the car moved.
Nic kept an eye on the map and matched it to the street names they passed. He liked new technology—air travel, online everything, heated socks—but magic added a whole new dimension.
Skyla navigated around a traffic circle, then turned left into the lot of a strip mall and parked next to a bank.
“I’ll be right back.” She started to open the door, then hesitated. “I don’t know if the auction wizards can track my accounts, but I think it’s even riskier to run without money.” She looked down at her bare feet and wiggled her toes. “Or shoes.”
“Want company?” He’d learned from his parents that a strong, capable woman didn’t appreciate being herded by an overly-protective tiger, and was likely to bop said grumbling tiger upside the head if she felt disrespected.
She smiled. “Of course I do, if it’s you.” His tiger chuffed with smug satisfaction.
At the ATM, she used magic to make it think she had a debit card, and to ignore the daily limit. Her magic felt like she was kissing him all over, and once again, his dick hardened. He hadn’t been that ready to rock and roll even when he’d been a teenager. It was going to be a long trip.
She glanced down at his tented sweatpants and sighed. “I’m glad it’s not just me on the hormone thrill ride.” She handed him half her thick wad of twenties. “In case we get separated.”
He hadn’t planned on letting her out of his sight, but then again, he hadn’t planned on being kidnapped, either. He pointed to the building next to the bank. “That grocery store will have water and food. Soap. Toothpaste.” He brushed his shaggy beard. “Scissors, maybe.”
“Do you mind if I use a small illusion spell to make us less interesting?” The corners of her mouth quirked in a teasing smile. “We look like wild animals.”
He laughed. “Sure.” He hoped her illusion would hide his obvious male response to her, too. It took everything he had not to sweep her into an embrace and kiss the daylights out of her.
5
Skyla finally felt like she had a handle on her needy desire to pull over and invite Nic to pounce. She’d been afraid his proximity would make her mindless with lust, but taking in his scent with
every breath actually seemed to help. It left her horny as hell, with a perpetual ache in her lower abdomen, but able to think.
Traffic hadn’t been bad, for a Sunday evening. With the help of Mauk and the maps, they’d topped off the gas tank, avoided a night-time construction slowdown, and taken the faster route to Victorville. They were now headed northeast on Interstate 15, toward southern Utah. She borrowed her wolf’s night vision to help her see in the dark. Shifter strength and magic should keep her alert until they got to Las Vegas. The legendary town held no appeal, especially after Nic had told her how the bobcat shifter twins had been caught, but scruffy people carrying a wad of cash would be completely unremarkable.
She felt more comfortable now that she wore the underwear, pull-on bra, and flip-flops she’d bought from the grocery store. She’d grown up in human communities, not a clothing-optional shifter town. Nic found boxers and a T-shirt that just barely fit, and tied his long hair back with a rubber band. Her filthy hair was too revolting to think about. Their California-casual look would have to do.
“More?” he asked, pointing a thumb toward the two cases of bottled water on the back seat.
“I’m good, thanks.” She handed him the empty. She approved that he put it in their designated trash bag instead of just tossing it on the floor. “I’ve been trying to place your accent.”
“French, Greenlandic, Finnish, First Nations, Russian, take your pick. My parents emigrated from Russia to Greenland when I was a child because they didn’t want to be anywhere near the Russian monarchy when it fell. They moved to Canada to be closer to civilization. My mother is a caribou and an iduyan, a hearth witch, and my dad’s a Siberian tiger, like me.”
Heart of a Dire Wolf Page 4
