Steal the Sun: (Book 1)

by Stephanie Kelley

  “He didn't lie and try to make a life with me!” she yelled as she pushed me again.

  My phone buzzed on the table beside us and I felt my jaw twitch in anger. That thing could go for weeks and not ring. I’d had Koda back in my life for nearly twenty four hours and I was in demand by everyone but her.

  “Probably Dez, you should get that.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm as the phone started to replay the generic ringtone.

  “I don't care who it is, or what they want, they don’t matter. You do.” I grabbed my phone off the table and tossed it into the fire. I didn't even care anymore. I wanted one thing and one thing only and I would do anything for it. “How do I fix this?”

  “You don't.”

  Her words felt final. I didn’t want to back down but I didn’t know what else to say at that moment.

  I fought down the thoughts of her and that damn merman together. I caught myself staring at the darkening bruise on her neck to avoid that look of pain I saw in her eyes. At least Caleb would have a nice reminder of me for a few weeks. Not my best moment, I’d never marked her like that before. There was a small part of me that didn’t regret seeing her marked as mine, just a larger part of me that knew it was another lie that I couldn't hold onto.

  “You bit me!” Her quiet voice didn’t even sound like her own as a wave of panic struck her as she realized where I was staring.

  I ran my hand through my hair. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have. It’s been too long since I shifted and I got out of control.”

  “You’re a shifter! You bit me!” she yelled this time.

  “Whoah, Koda, calm down,” I said holding my hands up as I saw her reach for her knife at her thigh again. Frustration flashed across her face at the realization that her knife was over by the bed. I still expected her to start coming after me. “It doesn’t work like that. I can’t pass it on to you.”

  “You expect me to believe that with all the other lies?”

  “Yes, there is no passing it on like that. We are Fae, not your traditional shapeshifter. The bite, Gods, that was nothing more than me being an idiot. That's the truth.”

  “Then how? Are you and Will some freaks of nature?”

  “It's a bloodline, Koda. Just like you and Ken with your eyes, it's genetics. Our parents are selkies and our children will be selkies.”

  “Oh shit,” she whispered. Koda grabbed the door handle for balance as her knees buckled. I had expected her to take the news hard, but not like this. To yell and scream, yes. To threaten my life like her brother was so fond of doing, yes. I never expected her to break down as if she was about to pass out. I just stared at her for a moment confused by her sudden worry. I didn't know how to react to this, even when we’d lived together I’d never seen anything just stop her like this.

  “The donated blood- you’re positive?” She finally managed to stutter as she sank further against the door.

  I nodded, the bite, the blood I had donated to her after the incident on the glacier, she would be fine, of that I was sure. Then it struck me.

  How much more of an idiot could I be? Will was right when she said I couldn’t keep my sense around this woman.

  “Koda, if you’re concerned about what just happened--” I stuttered, unable to find the right words. I had wanted her so desperately I hadn't even bothered to ask if she was still on the Pill or even think to use protection when we were having sex. “I - we’ll figure it out if it does come to that.”

  “Just answer yes or no. That’s all I need.”

  “Yes. It's in our blood, my children will be shifters too.”

  That did nothing to calm her, her breathing quickened and I was afraid she was going to hyperventilate. What was going on? I would have thought that answer would have calmed her down.

  “What is wrong, Koda, please talk to me.” How did I keep screwing this up?

  I reached out to try to touch her cheek and she flinched away.

  “A shifter saved a hunter? What kind of messed up world is that?” I could hear the tears starting to form as she barely managed to get through the words.

  “Is it really so bad?” I finally managed, my heart breaking again, my chest tight as I fought my own emotions.

  “The picture Snow sent you last night wasn't it--that was you, that's why you freaked out?”

  “No, that wasn't me.”

  “Then why did you freak?”

  “It was Willow-”

  “You know what, I don't want to know.” Tears were starting to run down her cheeks. “I can’t keep talking about this, it's not fair, I won’t do it.”

  I hung my head with a sigh. I wished so bad that I could go back in time and make this right.

  “Let me get dressed. I’ll help you hunt this creature Dez sent us up here to hunt, then I’m gone. For good. I’ll be out of your life if that's what you want. I won’t do this to you again. ”

  As I turned away from her to grab my clothing, the bitter cold air hit me as she bolted out the door.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Kodiak

  I should have just opened my mouth and said something but I turned and walked out the door that he was no longer blocking shut. I needed the air desperately. The panic in his eyes made me hate myself. I shouldn’t have let him think whatever he was thinking. I’m sure it was worse than the truth, it always was.

  But what could I say to him? There was no fixing this if I tore the bandages off my heart just to break his more. I couldn't undo the decisions I had made, so why burden him with the same tortured heartache I had? Why let him know the secret that he kept from me had a ripple effect that stretched beyond he and I? Why make him scramble to try fix this when there was no way he could?

  It was easier to let him keep believing the lie he’d put together in his head. Rhen would be angry if I told him the truth about what happened after he left and there was nothing I could do to change it. I just covered the words I should have said with something that I knew would hurt him to try to keep the distance between us. I could forgive him, but now I wasn’t sure he could forgive me, and I wasn’t about to put either of us in that position. I was the coward.

  I wiped my tears on the sleeve and tried to convince myself I was making the right choice. What would telling him do? We couldn't change the past. I needed time to think. Time away from him.

  The cabin door slammed shut as he called my name.

  I ignored him and kept walking.

  “Koda, at least take your coat. You’ll freeze out here.” I’d left my coat in the cabin in my haste to get air. And just like always, no matter what I did or said, Rhen was trying to put me first.

  His crunching footsteps behind me as he let out a heavy sigh as I walked blindly down the road. It wasn't long before I was caught off guard by footprints; large animal tracks. Canine tracks, a single paw print was the size of my head.

  Caleb and Dez had said that whatever it was that was killing shifters was getting braver. What was it after? These tracks were fresh in the snow that had fallen in our tire tracks in the last few hours. Was this thing still in the same area?

  Instinctively I went for my knife on my thigh only to curse myself for once again not having it. I could only hope that the creature was gone. If Cash was right, this thing was a hired assassin and after anyone. As I crouched to take a closer look, the tracks were pointed the direction I had just come from and they just stopped. No turns, no going up an embankment, they just stopped, traces of blood outlined the front left paw in the stark white snow.

  The further I followed the tracks, the more I worried about my decisions in the last few hours rather than focusing on what could be out here. My head needed to be in the game and it wasn’t, not by even a remote chance.

  “Koda, please, at least put your coat on,” Rhen managed as he came up beside me.

  “Get the hell away from me. You’re worried about me wearing a coat but are walking barefoot in the snow?.” I bit harshly as I glanced at him.

  “The
cold, the storm, Koda, they don't effect me the same way, you’ve known that--”

  The glare I gave him was as sharp as I kept my knife. I didn't want to hear anything about him being a shifter right now.

  “Fine,” he muttered as I turned away from him back to the tracks and walked further down the frozen road, only in Alaska could summer still involve ice and snow. I don’t know what I’d ever do if I was somewhere that was actually warm and squishy for summer.

  As I followed the perfectly placed prints, one after the other, always the same depth and they continued on. As far as I could tell it walked straight up the road after us. I was shocked to find only one set of tracks, wolves usually hunted in packs, but a creature this large? I guess you didn’t need a pack.

  “These look like the prints outside of my trailer yesterday. Just without the blood.”

  “What?” I stopped in my tracks to face him, still not willing to take my coat from him, the bite in the air settling in quickly. The weather in Alaska could be as fickle as the Northern Lights. “You had tracks outside your trailer at the mine and didn't think anything of it? Cash said these things are smart. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  My words had been harsh and clipped and I immediately regretted the tone I took with him.

  “I’ve been a little pre-occupied!” He yelled at me before taking a deep breath to calm himself. “I figured the guys were messing with me after they saw me freak out over your dog. Scratched my trailer. Ken saw them too. Your brother wasn't worried, I didn’t think anything of it. And I’ve been too busy finding gold for Dez and his threats that I haven’t been to town to hear rumors and gossip. Hell, scratched my Suburban too outside Broken Tusk I thought it was that damn fish or his crew.”

  “Doesn't mean shit with Ken anymore. He’s been messed up since the start of summer. Now I realize it's since you've been back. And they were shifters. Not just animals. Poor bastards probably had families too. Damn it.”

  He blinked at me a few times in surprise.

  “Since when would that bother you? You kill first then ask questions”

  That pissed me off.

  “Since about two years ago, asshole. I bought Broken Tusk to use as a neutral ground for Others after Caleb showed me you aren't all bad.” I bit my tongue to keep from saying more I wanted to call him a liar and a coward, but I wasn’t any better, I could give myself those same labels.

  I heard him growl at the mention of Caleb’s name. This jealousy was ridiculous and uncalled for. What did he think he was accomplishing by showing it? I didn’t remember him being like this before he left, then again, he didn't have a reason to show it before he’d left. He’d been the first and only back then.

  “Fuck, Rhen, it is after you. Ordeneige was next. Kenai was right to worry. We need weapons. We can’t be doing this, not when whatever it is is literally shredding people. And with those marks on your trailer, and your SUV, you’re next.”

  I hustled past him back towards the cabin. Branches snapped to my right and I jumped. I turned to see two deer bouncing through the snow and trees. I breathed out heavily, pissed at myself. No weapon, no coat. I truly was an idiot around him.

  “Koda,” he called after me.

  I ignored him. There was enough going through my mind. We’d be cooped up back in the cabin soon enough, the more I could separate myself from him now the better. Not having my shit together would get me killed, probably him too, this wasn’t play time.

  “Kodiak!” he yelled.

  I jerked my head back towards him to cuss him out and and met chartreuse eyes.

  “Hello, Lamb.”

  Its breath was hot on my face, the faintest smell of blood and meat on its breath. My knees gave out and I fell backwards on my ass. I had to be dreaming. This couldn't be anything but a dream. Wolves weren’t up to my chest. Even werewolves couldn't speak. Maybe Cash was right, this was a loup garou.

  “It's bad manners to gawk and stare. I said, ‘Hello, Lamb.’” It took another step toward me, the slightest limp in its step as I noted the dried blood on its front paw. I tried to scramble backwards in the snow, but was not making much progress. “I expect that even dinner should have manners.”

  “Get away from her!”

  “Wait your turn. You’ll make good dessert.” The creature snarled at him without turning its head. The movement highlighted the missing patch of fur on his cheek where it appeared to be burned.

  The paw, the burn. A flash of anger rode me. Was this the same man I had told Cash I’d pick up his tab for last night? Had this asshole been at my bar all summer stalking us? Stalking me?

  Snow exploded over the back of the wolf’s head pelting me in the face. Rhen did the only thing he could to distract it and he was going to put himself in harms way.

  The creature let out a growling laugh, drool dripping onto my jeans as it whipped its head towards him, its breath fogging the air. My heart sank as it bared teeth and snapped at him. Gods, Rhen was there holding my coat, no shoes and only his jeans and sweater. Both of us knew better why Dez had sent us up here, yet here we were, acting like foolish teenagers with no way to defend ourselves.

  “Keep it up. I’ll have dessert first.”

  “You’ll need more than threats,” he shot back as it slowly paced towards him.

  “You are a brave human.” The creature paused to sniff the air around Rhen. “Salt, fur, fish, oh ho ho, you are not human. That is not what I expected from all the smells at the mine. But it's familiar, otter? No, no, that's not right. What else swims in the gulf besides meddlesome fishes? Seal? Yes, yes, seal. You smell of her too. Hmmm, I wasn’t told not to kill seals. Maybe I will have you for dinner and her on ice for dessert instead.”

  So this thing had a boss, it was for hire. Who the hell had sent it after Rhen? Who had been sending it after all the other shifters?

  I saw Rhen’s jaw clench in frustration as the creature paced towards him. Every step he took backwards in the snow, the creature took a step towards him. Even if he shifted, what could a seal do on land against a wolf? I was going to watch him die.

  “Sounds like you got the short stick.”

  “I don't know about that, seal, its given me some really tasty meals.”

  “Kodiak, get up,” Rhen growled at me, snapping me back to reality. I was still on my ass in the snow where I had fallen.

  “Yes, Lamb, do get up. Make me work up an appetite and chase you.” The beast didn’t even bother to look my direction.

  I scrambled to my feet while the beast growled and Rhen shouted at it. I hoped he could distract it till I could get one of the guns from the cabin. My heart was racing as I heard Rhen yell for me again as the huge beast leapt in front of me in the snow, causing me to skid to a stop and almost fall again.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, not so fast, Lamb. You’re not getting back in that cabin.” Its lips curled showing me those nasty stained teeth. “Run, run little lamb.”

  I tried to make it to Rhen’s SUV, I knew he had slipped the keys under the sun visor. If I could make it there maybe I’d have a chance to use the SUV against it. But before I could make it there, the beast was between me and the vehicle. I turned and ran blindly away from the creature to only hear the beast laugh, Rhen yelled my name as he was headed towards me.

  “Watch out for the ice, Lamb,” the loup garou laughed.

  Thunder cracked and my world went blue. This could only be a dream.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Rhen

  Koda was gone. I heard my own strangled scream of her name as that damn beast laughed. I took off after her as soon as I realized what had happened. The crack of thunder was the ice giving way as she ran onto the frozen glacial river. She’d plunged into the freezing water.

  I started to run to where she had disappeared only to have that damn beast jump in front of me. I’d have to agree with her bar tender, this was no werewolf. The bite on my arm from where it had grabbed me before going after Koda was pounding, blood dripped on he
r coat I still held in my grip. I was going to lose some use of my arm with the burning nerve pain. I couldn’t worry about that right now. I needed to get to her, and fast.

  “Out of my way.” I managed. I didn’t expect the beast to listen, but I had nothing to threaten it with, and it knew it. I was just a play thing and a meal.

  “Tsk, tsk, seal, say please. She’ll die if you don’t. I honestly wanted to play with the both of you more.”

  My nails dug into the leather of her coat as my teeth ground together in anger. I needed to get to her.

  “I wonder if the boss knows there is another seal in Alaska. Maybe I shouldn’t eat you just yet after all. You gonna save the tasty Lamb or not, seal?”

  “Please,” I ground out between my teeth. If she died, I would rip this beast apart with my canines.

  “Another day then, Dinner.” The damn thing walked away, swishing its tail and laughing.

  I tossed her coat on the bank of the river then dove into that bone chilling cold after her. I couldn't remember ever being in water that cold in human form. Painful did not begin to describe it. I fought every instinct that wanted me to take a breath from the shock of the cold. I forced my eyes open to try to find her in the dim light, cursing the cold, but thankful for once for the abilities my heritage did grant me.

  Hurt does not being to describe how plunging into mid thirty degree water feels, especially as a human. It felt more like I was jumping straight at a frozen concrete wall. But that same thirty something degree water that hurt me, could cause shock and immediate cardiac arrest for humans. The thought of her dying scared me more than I thought imaginable, more than her jumping that day at the glacier.

  Shifting was not an option, I didn’t know what state she would be in if I found her - not if, when- and shifting back to get her out of the water would not have been possible in such a short span of time. There was no way to accomplish it without out residual effects from the magic that could last indefinitely. I was good, but not that good. I had never wished so hard to have my selkie hide in my adult existence, but that wasn't an option anymore.