Trace Calder sat down to his own plate and twirled his pasta between his fork and a large spoon. “So, Ms. Dilian. What can I do for you?
“Well, Mr. Calder.” Benie could be formal too. “Can you tell me why a tracker would risk exposing itself by coming to a well-populated apartment complex to attack someone?” She thought about the beast’s bloody corpse and its head she’d nearly severed.
Calder winced. “I’m not sure.” He pushed his plate forward. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
“I told you to stay out of my head.” She took a hunk of bread. “I can’t believe you’re squeamish. I thought you were an expert.”
“I’m an expert in languages, Ms. Dilian. I can fluently speak 5874 of the 6900 known human languages, and sixty-seven other hominid languages.”
“Only sixty-seven?” Benie tried not to look impressed.
“Yes.” He shook his head. “Tracker’s aren’t stupid. I’ve never heard of them attacking someone where they might get caught.”
“So, you’re clueless, huh?”
“No, I have some ideas…”
The wheels were working in his head, spinning round and round, formulating possibilities. And while Benie wasn’t psychic like Trace Calder, she could tell he held back—not telling her everything. Of course, she hadn’t told him everything either. Like that fact that she came from a long line of hunters, and this was the first time she’d been the huntee.
Trace raised an eyebrow.
“Shit.”
“It’s all right. I wondered which category you would fall in.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“I get two kinds of clients, Ms. Dilian.”
“And the two types would be?”
“Rich or desperate.”
Benie didn’t like the implication. Cute ass or no cute ass, Trace Calder was way out of line. “I think that’s my cue to leave. This has obviously been a colossal waste of my time…and yours.”
Calder grinned, the tiny lines around his eyes crinkling, making him more attractive, if possible. “Maybe. Then again, maybe not. I know someone who might be able to help.”
Benie stood up. “Someone or something?”
“Just because they’re not human doesn’t make them monsters, Benie.” He stood in front of her. This close, he towered over Benie by at least six inches. His amber eyes reflected sadness and past pain. “I’ve seen monsters. Real monsters. And most of us—the people you call beasts—don’t fall into that category.”
Impulsively, almost involuntarily, Benie placed her hand on his cheek. His skin was warm, and for an odd instant, her only thought was to comfort Trace and take away his sorrow.
Calder dipped his head, and his lips brushed against hers. Benie felt a sizzle all the way to her toes. His mouth was hot and giving as he moved forward, the tip of his tongue gliding across the edge of her lower lip. A strange sensation—a pure sexual energy—took hold of Benie, much as it had earlier when she’d slept with Ian. Thinking of him brought on a slight stab of guilt. But he’d rejected her. Made it clear there was nothing between them but friendship. And here was Trace, this sexy man, holding her in his arms. Benie could feel his desire wrap her skin like a warm blanket and she wanted more.
She closed her eyes, moaned into his mouth, and enjoyed the way her body react to him instinctually—her breasts tightening, nipples growing hard, and her lower bits slicking with heat. The heady scent of rosewood filled her with a sense of calmness and well-being.
Safe. Happy. Horny.
His large hand slipped from her shoulder, down her arm, then dropped to her waist. Gentle and unhurried, he slid his fingers under her shirt, until his thumb brushed against her breast.
She fumbled with his belt, unhooked the button on his jeans, and then slid her hand down over his bulging cock.
Trace moaned. He reached between her legs and rubbed the seam of her jeans. A breathtaking jolt of passion ripped through Benie as she fought to keep her knees from buckling. Everything about Trace’s touch felt right, familiar, necessary. Her body wouldn’t wait for the clothes to come off. Instead, she shoved him to the floor and straddled him.
She rubbed her jeans-clad sex over his straining erection, grinding out her pleasure.
Trace slid his arms around her, deepening his kiss, exploring every inch of her mouth with his tongue. He flipped her onto her back, thrusting between her legs, fucking her in earnest, even without penetration.
A low groan started in Benie’s chest and came out of her mouth as a wail when a powerful orgasm shattered inside her bucking body. Mine, a voice cried in her head.
“Yes,” she said, panting through the waves of ecstasy.
Trace roared as his own orgasm took him, his chest and abdomen jerking forward, shuddering above her. He collapsed beside her on the hardwood floor.
She rolled toward him. This stranger who she’d just dry-humped stupid. This stranger who made her feel so calm and at peace.
Calder stared at her with the same wonder and awe.
His voice was soft and low when he pulled her close. “Your hair and face have all but blended in with my house, Benie. It’s amazing. But your eyes, they are still a lovely shade of pale green. Beautiful.”
Her chest tightened when she thought of what she’d done. She didn’t understand the powerful urge that pushed her over the edge, but she knew the catalyst. “Why did you kiss me?”
“I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Benie tensed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know how to explain it.” He shook his head. “You move me.”
She’d moved him all right—from the table to the floor.
Trace laughed. “Not that kind of moving. Emotionally, spiritually maybe. There is something about you. You’re…different.”
Great. Ian had rejected her after their encounter, and now Calder thought of her as some kind of weirdo. She pushed her way out of his arms. “Sixty-seven hominid languages and you’ve never met any freaks? I doubt that.”
“I don’t think you’re a freak.”
“Yeah, right. And monsters are people too.”
“Most of them,” he agreed. “But that’s not what I mean. You’re special.”
Benie flushed, her index fingernail instantly going between her teeth. “That’s me. Special all over.”
“I’d like to find out.” The corner of his mouth tugged into a crooked grin.
Benie snorted. She bet he would, and God, she hated herself for thinking it, but she’d like for him to find out too.
“Look, your normal color is returning.”
She gazed at her hands. They were shifting back to sun-kissed and freckled. “None of this messes with your head?” She shook her own, remembering he was an other worlder. Of course, he was used to crazy.
“Is that how you see yourself? As crazy?”
Benie shrugged. “I’ve got a shrink.” She relaxed. He had that effect on her, and now that her brain wasn’t sex addled, she didn’t like it. Not one little bit.
Trace reached for her.
“Don’t.” She got up and moved to the front window, putting space between them.
Trace stepped toward her. “It’s okay.” Suddenly, his facial expression and body language changed to alert, defensive. “Move away from the window,” he shouted.
Glass shattered around Benie as she lunged sideways to avoid the body flying past her into the house. “What the fuck!”
“It’s a polandrial,” Trace said, crouching, his legs a little more than shoulders’ width apart. “Watch his spikes. They’re deadly poisonous.”
Benie took up a similar stance. She’d never seen this kind of OW before. His skin was mottled gray with quills poking out of his face and neck. She did, however, recognized the swirling tattoo on his upper arm at the base of the quills. Another fucking tracker! The beast ignored Trace, focusing his cold eyes on her. The quills lifted, jutting outward like a porcupine in attack mode.
“No. I don’t like guns.”
“Brilliant,” Benie muttered. Trace Calder wasn’t only a card-carrying, tofu-loving, telepathic OW—he was a goddamn pacifist.
A spike shot out of the hissing creature’s neck. Benie barely ducked in time for it to miss her head and bury itself into the wall. She yanked her knife from the sheath under her arm and held it out toward spiky jerkface.
Trace jumped forward into a tuck and roll, came up near the monster’s position, and kicked the back of the attacker’s knee.
Howling, it dropped down to the floor on all fours. Benie seized the opportunity, throwing the knife end on end at its big, ugly head.
It ducked. Lightning quick. The knife buried itself into the wall.
“Fuck’n A.” She ran across the living room to the hallway as spikes from the beastly OW marked her trail like a spray of bullets from a machine gun. “Does this thing ever run out of ammo?” she yelled as she ducked into the guest bathroom. Partly because she wanted to know, and partly because she wanted to know if Trace was all right.
“I have no idea,” he shouted back, his voice coming from farther away than the living room.
“Not comforting.” But she was pleased he wasn’t out there all by himself like a sitting duck. “How do we kill it?”
“It can hear you,” came the polandrial’s inhuman voice.
“Son of a bitch.” Benie scanned the small bathroom for anything she could use as a weapon. There wasn’t much. A pump dispenser of soap, a hand towel on a ring, and a large mirror. No medicine cabinet, but there was a plastic shower curtain on a spring-loaded rod.
The rod. It would have to do. She yanked the curtain down, rod and all. It fell apart when it hit the tiled floor. “Excellent,” she whispered, picking one pole up in each hand.
“Come out, come out, girl. Wherever you are,” the beast beckoned.
Great, it wanted to play hide and seek.
Benie heard its heavy footsteps coming up the hallway. She looked in the mirror. Her skin had changed to match the small surroundings. She needed to strip to nothing and fast. Setting the poles on the sink, she yanked off her shirt and bra, kicked out of her shoes, and shoved her pants and underwear to the floor.
The creature’s heavy breathing grew closer with every step. Benie crouched inside the doorjamb and waited—surprise her only hope.
The polandrial charged in, spraying spikes in all directions. Luckily, they hit above her head.
“Where are you?” the creature snarled. He lifted his snout and sniffed the air. “I know you’re in here. I can smell your cunt.”
Benie’s eyes widened. That was fucking rude for…anyone! Man or beast. She would rip out its tongue for that remark.
When it turned its back, Benie grabbed the plastic curtain from the floor and threw it over the asshole’s head. It thrashed around, but before it could knock the curtain off, she tackled him into the tub. She dropped an elbow down hard on its shoulder, making the beast cry out in pain.
Good. It felt good to hurt it. An overwhelming urge to kill the tracker coursed through her. She literally saw red. Screaming out a battle cry, she went into a berserk-rage, wildly punching, kneeing, kicking out, and making as much physical contact as she could with the monster. She wanted it dead, but she wanted it to suffer first. Benie couldn’t think. It was as if her brain had shut off and only the animal part of her existed. Her hatred fueled her rage with pure adrenaline and instinct.
Unfortunately, the spiked tracker managed to remove the curtain from his head and three darts pierce her forearm. The effect staggered her. A sheer burning pain where the quills had hit traveled up her arm like all her veins were fuses and someone had lit a match.
The monster threw her off, and Benie’s backside hit the vanity doors. She rolled onto the tile floor. Even though she’d been hit in the right arm, her left started aching as the pain reached her chest. Her heart.
A guttural laugh cut through the fog building in her mind. “The prize is mine,” the tracker declared, leaping from the tub.
She braced herself for death. So, when its decapitated head went rolling past her body and out the bathroom door, she couldn’t have been more surprised.
Trace stood over her, looking magnificently warrior-ish with a bloody sword in hand. “I’m not a pacifist.”
“Good…to…know,” Benie managed, right before pain and darkness swallowed her whole.
Animal Page 18
