“Don’t, Peder.” She didn’t want him injured.
The omega cringed. There was something fragile about the male that she found fascinating. All the hunters of her pack were muscle-bound fools with little to offer in conversation. She sensed something different in him.
“We’ll sneak Peder into the den.” She faced her guest. “If you value your hide, you won’t leave your room. My mother will eat you for dessert if she catches you inside the den.” She tapped her foot and glared at each of the males. “I expect Susan returned in good condition, and we’ll do the same with Peder.”
The omega raised his chin and appraised her under downcast lids. His interest washed over her, and she drowned in his gaze. “As you wish, princess,” the omega whispered. A submissive answer, yet the invitation in his eyes offered her what no male of her race ever had.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sorin sat by the gate as the midday sun burned overhead. He whittled at a branch, doing his best to shape it like a horse. The pups needed more toys.
With purpose in her step, Lailanie crossed the den toward him. “The fevers are getting worse. This potion your human made is not working.”
He didn’t meet her gaze, just kept working his knife over the wood in slow, easy strokes. “Susan said it wouldn’t affect the fever, and what we gave the sick is a weak batch. We have to wait for it to strengthen.” He’d been waiting for this confrontation.
Lailanie paced in front of him. “If we don’t cool them, the fever will kill some by tomorrow morning. One of the pups has taken a turn for the worse.”
Glancing at the gate, he nodded. “Peder should have returned with the flowers by now.” He’d been trying to ignore his growing anxiety. Peder was an omega and couldn’t travel as fast as a hunter, but he’d had plenty of time.
If anything happened to him…
Susan strolled along the main avenue of the canyon. She carried something in her hands. As she drew closer, he could smell the roasted meat. “Lunch is served.”
Lailanie snorted. “Training her to be your private omega?” She stormed back into the sick room, leaving him alone with Susan.
“Nothing I say or do will ever make her like me, will it?” She stared after Lailanie.
“No.” He took the small platter of steaming meat and popped a slice in his mouth, savoring the hot juice. The food would give him the energy he desperately needed to make the trip to the cliffs after Peder. “I have to leave the den. Stay out of her way while I’m gone.”
She spun to face him. “Where are you going?”
“Peder’s missing.”
“You shouldn’t go alone.” She crossed her arms over her chest, and that mesmerizing stubborn streak returned.
“I can’t take any of the hunters with me. I need them to protect the den.”
She nodded. “I’ll go with you then.”
He raised an eyebrow yet kept from laughing. “I have to go over the mountains again. There might be more cliffs involved in the journey.”
“Dude, is there nothing easy in this world?” She ran her hands through her loose hair. The long strands fell below her shoulders in thick waves. Her hair was the kind a male could bury his face in and lose himself for hours.
He set the empty platter on the table next to him. “No, but struggle makes life that much sweeter.”
“Struggle? More like trying to survive hour by hour.”
The droop in her shoulders made him ache to take her in his arms, but with pack about doing chores it would be a terrible idea. Instead he offered her a piece of wisdom his mother had told him. “Life is not about surviving the storms, but learning to dance in the rain, Susan.” He gave her a small smile before untying his kilt.
She tilted her head as if trying to figure out who he was. “That’s very insightful.”
“Thank you. That’s the best I have so don’t expect more.” He winked at her. He’d seen Peder do that to females in the pack when he teased them. They seemed to like it.
Susan laughed. Apparently, humans liked it too.
He grinned and spotted Lailanie standing in the shadows of the cave, watching him flirt. His grin faded. What would he do with that female? He needed to find her a good hunter. In the meantime Susan would be in danger. “Maybe you should come with me after all.”
“But you said mountains and cliffs.” She stepped away.
“You’ll ride on my back again. I didn’t let you fall last time and I won’t this time either. Trust me.” He dropped his kilt and shifted to feral form. He offered her his hand then waited. This time he wouldn’t take her against her will. He needed her to want to be with him.
She stared at it for a second then set her small hand within his. “I’ll do my best not to tug out more fur.” This time she winked back at him.
The ride over the mountain pass was easier the second time around since Susan knew what to expect and—and well, she trusted Sorin.
He trotted to a stop by a cliff overlooking forest below. What was left of the Temple’s roof peeked through a small opening in the tree’s canopy.
“This is where he was supposed to be.” Sorin snuffled along the ground.
Susan clung to his shoulders still, her thighs around his narrow hips as she pressed her breasts to his strong back. The power he exuded in feral form was exhilarating, like a roller coaster ride with muscles. She didn’t want to get off and mess up any scent trails or anything.
“He was here but not for long. There are no signs of those flowers here or of him picking any.” He stared out over the cliff and snarled.
The sharp noise made her jump.
“I told him not to go on Temple lands alone.” He strode along the top of the cliff face until he came to a less steep slope, then descended.
She snapped her eyes shut too late. Sweat trickled down her spine as she imagined the fall and the pain. How her frail human body would break on the rocks below and how 911 was not available here.
Sorin’s pace increased as their trajectory changed.
She peeked, seeing trees flash past in blurs. Sorin had been injured and exhausted when they escaped the Payami so she’d never known how fast he could truly run. The wind clung to her hair as strands flapped over her shoulders. She had to swallow a whoop of exhilaration at the sense of freedom. Until now she’d never known how empty and selfish her life had been.
The outline of the Temple drew closer. Sorin slowed to a stop and sniffed a specific spot of stunted grass. “Blood.” He assessed the surrounding area. “There was a struggle here. I’d say at least three shifters fought. This blood smells like Apisi. It has to be Peder’s.”
She released a small yelp as he raced to the Temple without warning, almost dislodging her from his back. A cold ache settled in her chest where her first taste of freedom had been. Peder was in trouble.
A low rumble rolled under her body as if the earth quaked. Then she realized it was Sorin making a continuous growl. He stopped suddenly at the stairs leading into the Temple and began to track with his nose once more. “Kele! That female is becoming troublesome.”
“Kele took Peder?” She twisted to stare at the forest in hopes of catching a glimpse of the pale shifter. “Why?”
With a shrug, Sorin gently set her on the ground. “Let me search the Temple. Stay here.”
She nodded. She wouldn’t make the mistake of running from him twice. Sitting on the steps with her legs tucked against her chest, she kept an alert eye on the wilderness around them. What if this was a trap? Kele had seemed like such a nice person. Susan couldn’t imagine why she’d take Peder.
Something shimmered between the trees. She blinked and leaned to the side. It couldn’t be. She rose to her feet. It was.
The Gate was flickering not far away. She took a step toward it.
“Susan?”
She twisted around.
Sorin stood in the Temple entrance, his feral face twisted with worry and exhaustion. He’d aged in the two days she’d known
him. “I won’t stop you this time, but I’d like you to stay.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She glanced over her shoulder at the blue light dancing in the forest.
Home.
Safety, coffee, hot showers. She could go back to her empty apartment and start looking for a new job. As what? Who would hire her after she’d destroyed DOUG? Heck, she’d be lucky if the military didn’t take her away and force her to build another machine. Or send her to prison.
The light flickered and faded a little. This Gate wasn’t stable. She wasn’t even sure what kept making it open. Without the crystal matrix, the energy to punch through dimensions was erratic. She might step through and find herself in a completely different reality.
She returned her gaze to Sorin. Beautiful, majestic male who needed her. His people needed her even more. She was doing something good here. Saving lives with the knowledge she’d spent a lifetime building. Could she return home and leave these people to flounder? The penicillin might work, but then again, it might not.
The thumping in her chest slowed as she took the steps up to Sorin.
He raced down them and met her halfway, hugging her tight against his chest.
She stroked her hand over the silken fur of his back and languished in the pure joy soaring within her soul. All her sacrifices were worth this moment. She leaned to side and watched as the Gate faded.
Bye, Earth.
Sorin held a sheet of thick paper in his hand.
She gazed at the writing but couldn’t read it. “What does it say?”
“Kele will trade Peder for you. She’ll meet us here in two days to make the exchange.”
She jerked from his arms. “Is that why you wanted me to stay?” Oh, how much more naïve could she be? This male had never wanted her; geeky, skinny Susan with more brains than ass.
Sorin tugged her close, almost snapping her head back. “Stop it. I’m not making the trade.”
Her mouth remained unhinged, open for flies to take residence.
“We will have to make other arrangements with Kele for Peder’s return.”
“Let’s go now. Their border’s not far.”
Sorin’s ears drooped. “We can’t. No matter how much I hate leaving Peder in their tender care, we have to bring home flowers to stop the fever. We can’t waste any more time.”
She chewed her bottom lip. Being alpha was a very tough job. Sorin took so much on his shoulders and carried it with such dignity. “Show me what we’re looking for. Let’s pick flowers.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The next morning, Sorin helped Rein walk from the sick bed to the main den corridor for some fresh air. His childhood friend had seemed on the verge of death two days ago, but last night’s fresh batch of flower medicine in combination with Susan’s penicillin seemed to have finally taken effect.
Sorin’s spirit soared. The scent of joy had never been so thick in his home. Even though they still served the weak penicillin broth, many seemed better at dawn.
Susan thought it was due to their naïve bodies, something about them never taking these types of medicine before so they didn’t need the usual dose for it to work. His pack was also strong. Either way, the why of their quick recovery didn’t matter—they would survive.
Upon arrival outside, he scanned the area, but she wasn’t around. He settled his pack mate on a chair next to others who wished to make the short journey by the cave’s entrance. Taking Rein’s head in his hand, Sorin gazed at his face. “It’s so good to see your ugly muzzle awake.”
“I’m too feral to die.” The male wiped a thin sheen of sweat from his forehead with a pale hand.
Sorin’s hunting instincts tingled. Something he wanted was close. He rose and searched the area again. At the end of the corridor Susan leaned against the canyon wall. Even from this distance he could see the dark circles under her eyes.
Marin, a female of his den, approached Susan with a change of clothes then pointed toward the back of the canyon where a hot spring bubbled to the surface.
“If you keep grinding your teeth like that you’ll snap a canine.” Rein followed the path of his gaze. “Is that the human?”
“Yes.” Sorin should have given her the clothes and shown her the spring before now so she could bathe. “I’m going to make sure she finds her way. She doesn’t see well in the dark.”
“Yeah, you should do that.” His friend winked and leaned back into the chair with a wolfish grin. “If you don’t then I will.”
Sorin snorted. “You can barely walk.”
“Females love a male in need. Maybe I can convince her to bathe me.”
The snarl was on Sorin’s lips before Rein finished speaking. “Stay away from her.”
Rein’s grin grew wider as he leaned toward Sorin. “Then go claim her, dumb mutt.”
Jerking away from his friend, Sorin glanced at the empty space where Susan had stood. If he rushed to the springs, he’d appear desperate. Bad enough Rein guessed of his longings. Soon the whole pack would know he wanted Susan. Who knew what trouble that would stir? But there was no doubt of his desire, not after seeing her contemplate crossing the Gate. His heart had stopped when he realized he was about to lose her forever and had never told her how he felt. She’d given him a second chance, and he wouldn’t waste it.
“I’ve already marked her.” Rein didn’t need to know the details of the deal he’d made with Susan or that the mark was only temporary. He turned and strolled to his room by the main gate.
Since the penicillin seemed to work, everyone helped with the sick today. They wouldn’t need him and Susan.
He grabbed a change of clothes and soap, then paused by a small, wooden box he kept by his bed. Dust covered the surface. He hadn’t opened it in years. An unseen hand gripped his chest. Sorin didn’t pursue females like his father. Duty held him steadfast. The pack didn’t need another alpha jumping from pallet to pallet seeking carnal pleasures from any willing or non-willing body.
The pack deserved a mated couple to lead them, but Sorin had never met a female who affected him like Susan did. He grabbed the box and hurried to the spring.
Inside the cave, at the farthest reaches of the canyon, warm water sprang from the ground. It filled a shallow pool of rock then drained into the mountain, and the warmth was a welcomed respite in the winter. His ancestors had bathed here for centuries. Gentle splashing greeted his ears.
Good, she was already in the water. It would make her escape more difficult. He shook his head. Not prey. This wasn’t a hunt but a seduction. He wanted to…persuade her. Maybe he should act like Rein. That male could coax a female out of her clothes with just a smile.
He ran his fingers through his hair and met a tangled mess. Striding into the cave, he swung his long muddle of knots over his shoulder.
Candlelight flickered over the water. Susan stood with her back to him, a golden glow shimmering on her skin.
His feet stopped as if rooted to the stone. The sight of her knocked the breath from his chest. When shifting, both males and females started off nude in civil form, and he’d seen his fair share of naked flesh. Yet none had ever made his knees weak. He wanted to crawl into the water and suck the drops collecting in the dimples over her ass.
She glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. Gasping, she covered her breasts and plunged into the water so he could only see her head.
“I see you’ve found the hot spring.” He set his clothes on a natural shelf formed by the cave. “I had meant to show you earlier.” The clasp on his kilt caught as he undid it. He gave it a harder tug.
“What are you doing?”
The mangy clasp was stuck on the leather. “I’m going to wash.” He used his fingertips to unhook the edges of the material, muttering under his breath about fate getting a laugh at him. With a sharp yank, the kilt tore loose and dropped to the floor.
She retreated, her eyes focused on the wall behind him as if doing her best not to look at him. “With me?”
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“Uhh…” He stepped into the water and cleared his throat. “Yes. Is that—wrong?” As a pack they all shared the spring to wash. She seemed very uncomfortable with the idea. What must she be thinking? He covered his cock and resisted the urge to smack himself. He kept treating her like a shifter. “I’ll wait until you’re done.” Even when he tried his best, he still drove her away.
“Does the pack bathe together?”
He returned to his kilt. “Yes.” The heat of humiliation blistered his skin. Her poor eyesight was a blessing; she wouldn’t see the blush spreading across his body.
“Don’t go then. I’m sorry, I’ve made things awkward. I tend to wash alone.”
“No, I won’t force—I mean—I’ll go check on dinner.” He tried dressing but he broke the clasp on his kilt. He reached for the clean one.
“If I’m going to live here, I’ll have to get use to your customs. I’d rather the first time I share a bath be with someone I’m comfortable with.”
He stared at the wooden box on the shelf by his clothes and closed his eyes for a moment.
“Please?”
Once again, he dropped the kilt and faced her. With the soap in hand, he dove into the shallow pool. When he broke the surface, he whipped his head around and shook off the excess water. He could sense Susan’s stare caressing his body, could smell her interest even through the water.
How did a hunter catch his prey without terrifying it?
He scrubbed the soap over his skin, working it into lather. Glancing at Susan, he noticed her eyes following the motion of his hands. “You didn’t cross through the Gate.”
“No” Her voice was faint, almost wistful.
Slowing his strokes, he moved the soap to his chest. In easy, circular motions, he guided her gaze. She burned his flesh with her desire. Three long steps and she’d be in his arms. He could quench his long celibacy with her willing body.
Shifting the motion, he washed his torso. Lower and lower. He smiled a little. The gesture still felt unfamiliar on his face. She inspired such pleasant stirrings in his heart—and his groin. The more she gave him, the more he wanted.
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