Alix
Alix was taken slightly aback when she saw Zack standing behind Brady. It was the first time she had seen him since Brady and Casey’s wedding. He had caught her eye then and she had done everything possible to make it seem as if he hadn’t. Even though they had grown up adjacent to each other (as Brady’s little sister, she wasn’t ‘allowed’ to be friends with his friends), they had still maintained a vague friendship. Well, a friendly acquaintance, if nothing else.
She had once had a crush on him, back when she was a skinny little thing, but he had never noticed her. As Brady’s best friend, there was a forbidden quality to Zack, a sense that she could look but not touch. And of course, Zack had never paid any attention to her. He had females of all kinds clamoring for his attention. Over time, she’d learned to hide her feelings for Zack so well that she’d almost forgotten them herself. When he had left the shifter world for the human one, she thought she’d never see him again.
But then he had come back for Brady’s wedding, a grown adult, all shaggy hair and furry face, but the same as he’d been when he left. Since then, she discovered that her thoughts always seemed to circle around back to him. He was the last person she’d expected to see when she’d come through the Arch. The sudden smile on his face when he saw her made something go warm and soft deep inside her.
“Alix!” Brady ran down the rest of the stairs. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I’m fine. I just—”
“It’s Mother and Father, isn’t it? What’s happened?”
“Nothing, Braydon. They’re all fine.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m the one with a… situation.”
“What’s wrong?” Zack asked quickly. The look of concern in his eyes was confusing. When had he ever acted like he cared?
Alix glanced over to Zack, then focused on Brady. “Father’s actually done it. He’s making me marry Vardok Caligo.”
“Caligo?” Brady frowned. “I didn’t think that family married outsiders.”
“Apparently they do now.” Alix covered her face with her hands for a moment, trying to calm herself. The trip through the Arch had been disorienting and a little frightening. She knew that shifters passed through the Arch all the time, but she had never felt brave enough to do it on her own. Desperation could make a soul do almost anything.
“Does Father know you’ve run away?”
“No. He’s terrified of that beast, Vardok.” Alix frowned. “You should have seen him. He wouldn’t even raise his voice to him.”
“Who’s Vardok?” Zack asked no one in particular.
“I know it’s not right,” Brady said softly. “But Father’s going to come looking for you eventually. If he’s made an arrangement—”
“He sold me, Braydon!” Alix hated the note of hurt that she heard in her voice, but couldn’t hide it. “He knew I didn’t want to ever get married. He knew it. But he sold me anyway.”
She finally broke. All of the fear and anger and disappointment exploded out of her in a torrent of hateful tears. She didn’t like to let anyone see her like this. It was better to be seen as emotionless and icy, aloof and unconcerned. Weeping made her look weak. Feel weak. If she ever planned to be queen one day, she couldn’t let anyone know she had any vulnerabilities. Ever.
Brady gathered her into his arms, and she stiffened for a moment. She hadn’t embraced anyone in years. Usually she shied away from physical contact, keeping a slight distance even from her parents. She didn’t understand why, but she had always been that way. It was one of the many reasons she remained a virgin at her age; she couldn’t imagine allowing herself to be so vulnerable with someone, even someone she loved.
“I’m sure he has his reasons,” Brady said quietly. “Father would never do anything purposely to hurt you.”
“I don’t want to go back for a while,” Alix said as she raised her head. She pulled away from him slightly, quickly wiping at her face with the sleeve of her tunic. “Please. Let me stay for a few days.”
Brady sighed deeply. “Okay, okay.”
Alix managed a faint smile. “Thank you, Brayd—” She caught herself. “Brady.”
“Are you okay?” Zack asked, taking a step towards her.
Alix nodded, hating the way she felt warmed by the way he was looking at her. He was just as handsome as he had been at Brady’s wedding, even if he looked like he didn’t own a comb. For a moment, she had the urge to dig her fingers into his thick shock of hair to see if it was as soft as it looked. How many times had she thought about the beard stubble on his cheeks, wondering if it would scratch her skin if he kissed her?
Stop it, she told herself. Stop it right now.
“Where can I stay?” Alix asked, clearing her throat quietly as she turned her full attention back to Brady. Apparently seeing Zack instantly turned her back into a silly little girl. “How many homes do you have here?”
“Just the one.” Brady placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her to the stairs. “But you’re going to stay here.”
“Is it safe?”
“It’d better be,” Brady said with a smile. “Come on, and I’ll get you settled.”
Alix followed him up the stairs, startled by the bright bulbs of light protruding from the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Brady had told her about all of the strange things to be found in the human world, but he’d never hinted at how impossible it all seemed. She could hear a rhythmic thumping in the distance that sounded almost like war drums.
“What’s that noise?” she asked.
“Music,” Zack said dryly, making air quotes around the word. “Or so they claim.”
Alix was suddenly deeply aware of how closely Zack was following her up the stairs. It had been so long since she’d been this close to a male that she felt clumsy and at a loss for words. Any male would have made her feel that way, but with Zack, it was a thousand times worse. Every lurid fantasy she had ever entertained about him zipped through her mind, from the ones she had as a child of him simply holding her hands to her more recent thoughts of him ravishing her body from head to toe. She was just grateful that he wasn’t able to read her mind.
But who knew with Zack. He was always watching, seeing everything that happened around him. Nothing ever escaped his attention. He could sense moods and emotions and somehow knew exactly what to say or do. Maybe he could read minds. She didn’t like to admit it to herself, but the thought of him being able to peek inside her head and see her thoughts of him made her feel…
Feel what? Anxious? Happy?
Aroused?
Absolutely not, she told herself, casting a quick glance behind her as they ascended the stairs. I don’t have those feelings. I refuse to. That sort of thing is for others, not for a queen-to-be.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. Zack’s chestnut hair was shaggy and hung in his eyes. His beard growth looked unkempt and careless. Yes, it suited him, and yes, he was handsome in his wolfish way, but he was not appropriate for her, even if she admitted that she wanted him. He was just so rough-edged. Crude. Sometimes vulgar.
Exciting.
Stop that! she thought, quickly looking away from him. You are an adult now. You’re just getting lost in silly adolescent fantasies that should have ended a long time ago. You don’t need to complicate your life with… him.
She stumbled on a step and Zack caught her before she could fall. His hand accidentally brushed her breast and she gasped in surprise. She met his icy blue gaze for a moment and felt a quick jolt of pleasure shake her to the core.
No! No no no no no!
“Excuse me,” she said as coldly as she could, glancing down to his hand on her waist.
“You’re welcome, your highness,” Zack muttered, quickly pulling his hand back. She held his eyes for just a heartbeat too long, fascinated by the utter blueness of them, and then hurried up the steps to put some space between them.
Because that’s what she needed more than anything at the moment. Lots
and lots of space.
“You actually live in one room?” Alix looked around the studio apartment in dismay. “It’s so… small.”
The apartment was on the top floor of the club, which itself had once been a huge gothic cathedral. The Markonian family was entrusted to protect the Arch in its sub-cellar, the gateway to the shifter world. Over the years the cathedral was transformed into many other things, but the Markonians always guarded the Arch. Now, it was Brady’s time. Someday, it would be his child’s. Alix didn’t envy him the responsibility.
Built above Brady’s office, the apartment was simply decorated and sparsely furnished. It held a bed in one corner, an array of odd, complicated silver boxes and cabinets in the other, and a long cushioned bench that faced a black mirror. There was only one other room in the space, and its door was closed.
“I don’t live here,” Brady said as he followed her into the apartment. “I just keep this for any out of town friends. Or for me, back when I used to work eighteen hours a day.”
Alix barely heard him as she looked around the room. It was so bright she had to squint. Where were the candles and lanterns? Where did he get his water from? She had seen no well on her way up the steps.
“Let me give you the tour,” Zack said, smiling. “That’s the kitchen,” he said as pointed at the metal boxes. He swiveled around without taking a step and pointed at the bed. “That’s the bedroom. The room with a door is a bathroom—”
“A what?” Alix asked, frowning.
“And this,” he said with a flourish, “is the living room.”
“Don’t you live in all the rooms?”
Zack blinked, nonplussed. “Well… yeah, but…”
“You’ll be comfortable here,” Brady said, slipping his arm around Alix’s shoulders and guiding her to the couch. “I’ll have somebody go shopping so you’ll have plenty of food. Casey can bring you some clothes.”
“Does Casey still hate me?” Alix asked quietly.
Brady chuckled. “She never hated you. What are you talking about?”
Alix’s cheeks blushed, blooming into roses against her pale skin. “I wasn’t very nice to her before you got married. And I never got to apologize.”
“It’s fine. Trust me.” Brady gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll ask her to come over tonight to see you.”
Alix nodded, managing a faint smile. “That would be nice. I hope…”
Her voice trailed away as she looked over to the window, suddenly transfixed. She rose and walked over to it. The window looked as if it were open, but there was a cold, invisible barrier blocking her from the air. Past the faint ghost of her reflection, the darkness looked as if it were filled with frozen fireflies. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that the light was coming from windows in structures taller than she had ever imagined possible.
This world was magical.
“I’m gonna call Casey,” Brady said as he stepped away from them and into the hallway outside the apartment. “Be back in a sec.”
Alix became excruciatingly aware that she was alone with Zack. She smiled faintly at him and went back to the couch, perching on the edge of it like a nervous bird. Zack sprawled in a chair across from it, seeming to fill the whole room. Their eyes met, fell away, met again.
“So…” Zack said, leaning forward in the chair to rest his forearms on his thighs. “What have you been up to in shifter land?”
Alix shrugged. “Not a lot. Mother says my healing abilities are improving. I might be able to work with the village doctor soon.”
“That’s great,” Zack said and smiled. “Are you, uh, seeing anyone?”
“I see everyone,” Alix said and frowned. “I’m not blind.”
Zack laughed. “No, I mean… are you with anyone.”
The extra emphasis on ‘with’ made his meaning abundantly clear and Alix found herself blushing again. What is wrong with me? she asked herself.
“I don’t see how that’s your business,” she said quietly, trying not to sound too awkward, when what she really wanted to say was: You! I want to be with you!
“Oh…” Zack leaned back in his chair, chastened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“Father has been trying to marry me off,” Alix said quickly. “He says that marriage to another kingdom would create a strong alliance. We’d be better able to protect each other.”
“How do you feel about that?”
Alix shot him a look of exasperation. “I’m sitting here, aren’t I? How do you think I feel?”
Zack slowly smiled, his teeth white against the auburn-brown of his beard growth. He had a wolfish look when he smiled, as if he could read every improper thought in her mind and make it come true in reality.
“I think you don’t take crap from anybody, no matter who it is.”
“Well, I don’t know what ‘crap’ means,” Alix said with a hint of a smile, “but if it’s similar to ‘nonsense,’ then you’re absolutely right.”
The way Zack was looking at her made Alix feel strange. It was like he was studying her, memorizing her. She felt like she was the only other living thing in the world, and that he found her incredibly, enormously fascinating.
“Casey’s on her way,” Brady said as he came back into the apartment.
Alix jumped, as startled as if Brady had caught her doing something illicit with Zack. Zack saw the sudden guilt in her eyes and his smile widened. He knew what he was doing to her, she realized. She didn’t know if he was just teasing her or not, but he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
She was glad one of them did.
4
Zack
“Does Alix know you’re here?” Gareth’s voice sounded ancient, broken.
“No,” Brady said quietly, sitting beside his father on a stone garden bench. Zack hovered nearby, listening to the conversation but keeping his distance. This was a matter for Brady’s family to work out. He was there only because he was concerned for Alix. The idea of an arranged marriage didn’t sit well with him, especially if Alix was the one getting married.
The thought of her settling for another man bothered him more than he wanted to admit. It wasn’t as if he were still in love with Alix—he’d known and liked her since they were kids, and even though she was fully grown now, she still had her moments of acting like a petulant little princess—but over the years, whenever he visited their world, he had seen a side of her that she tried to hide. He’d watched her with the elders, helping them to eat or walk whenever they were too weak to do anything on their own. He’d heard stories of how she would defend the younger ones if they needed protection. She was an excellent healer, according to everyone in the region, and she regularly traveled throughout the region with her herbs and medicines.
But then again, he’d been on her bad side as well. He’d witnessed fits of pique if she didn’t have a tunic in the exact shade of blue that she wanted. He’d been on the receiving end of acid-tipped comments when he’d gone too far in teasing her. He’d seen her pout for hours if the sun wasn’t bright enough to suit her, or if the breezes were too cold.
Yet he liked her. Maybe even more than that...
She could be funny, when she wasn’t so caught up in being a princess. And even though her first instinct seemed to be selfishness, she was capable of great generosity and kindness. She had grown into her beauty, in both her dragon and female form. Every time he saw her, he noticed some new detail about her that only made her more perfect to him. Brady had told him many times that Alix had a crush on him when she was a kid, but it seemed like every time she saw him, she wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something nasty.
I’m a masochist, Zack thought. It’s that simple.
He forced his thoughts back to the present, tuning back into the conversation between Brady and his father. The shifter world was as it usually was: bright and warm, with the garden in full colorful bloom, but he couldn’t shake the sense that something dark was coming. It was a sense of foreboding that he
’d felt many times in his life, and it was usually always right.
He looked back to the garden bench, where Brady sat beside Gareth, his hand on the older man’s shoulder. Gareth leaned forward, resting his elbows atop his knees, his hands knotted together. His face looked gaunt, his eyes weighed down by dark puffy circles.
“I just tried to do what was right,” Gareth said quietly. His voice was brittle. “I didn’t want to, but…”
Brady rubbed his father’s back, trying but failing to comfort him.
“Where is this guy?” Brady asked. “I think I need to talk to him.”
“I am here.”
The voice boomed out of the shadows of the castle. Vardok Caligo stepped into the open doorway. His human form was huge, taller than any other male Zack had ever seen, and broad, bulging with muscles. He reminded Zack of a bodybuilder gone amok with steroids. All muscle and no brains. He’d dealt with that type before.
“This is Vardok,” Gareth said simply. Apparently he felt he needed no other introduction.
Vardok crossed the courtyard in long, fluid strides. Despite his large build, he was graceful, sure-footed. Zack had heard the stories about the dragon shifters in the Caligo region, that they only bred within their family to ensure the purest descendants.
Maybe they’re tired of playing in the shallow end of the gene pool, Zack thought, straightening his back to his full height. Even at that, Vardok stood at least a foot taller than him. Zack estimated him at seven and a half feet tall, give or take an inch.
“You must be the brother,” Vardok said, looking at Brady with a disingenuous smile. “It is unfortunate that you felt the need to surrender your throne. I’m sure your father’s time will soon pass. Or… you could do as I did and hurry the process along.”
Brady stood up, and Zack could tell that he was about five seconds from exploding. He hurried to get between the two.
“Hey now… come on.” Zack smiled the best he could manage. “Come on, man. We’re here to talk. Just talk.”
Undercover Wolf Shifter Page 2
