Lost & Found (A Lost Ones Novel Book 1)

by Khristine Stain

  “Who the hell is this?!” Iya screeched, finally seeming to realize they weren’t alone in their apartment.

  Wow, this was going to be good! A screaming Iya was the most entertaining Iya she could be. Dae just had to keep Iya at least as pissed as she already was. Not a problem.

  “Him?” Dae asked in faux confusion.

  “No, the other Sasquatch in the room! Of course him!”

  Dae chuckled. She didn’t mean to but, damn, it felt good to be right.

  This was definitely going to be fun.

  Dae put on her game face, casually pointed in his direction and replied, “This guy? Nobody really.” Dae shrugged before she continued, “Although we did spent a significant amount of time together.”

  Koda looked at Dae in confusion. The bastard was probably trying to figure out what she was up to. Dae had to pinch her thigh to keep the smugness off her face.

  “You spent a significant amount of time with him and he’s nobody?” Iya was beyond irritated. Dae could build that up to flaming anger quite nicely. Koda was speechless, looking at Dae with wary eyes.

  “Well, I didn’t really have a choice. I was tied up for most of the time.” Dae said it so innocently, so matter of fact, Iya stopped breathing and turned her heated gaze on Koda.

  “Now wait just a–” Koda protested.

  “This guy WHAT?” Iya spoke to her but glared at him, fists clenched at her sides.

  “Tied me up like I was a loose end.” Dae nodded.

  “He. Tied. You. Up.”

  It sounded like Iya asked a question so Dae responded, “Yup, those knots were good too. I think he might have been a boy scout. I couldn’t even get loose–”

  Iya surprised Dae by grabbing the little end table next to their lumpy sofa and tossing it at Koda. He dodged pretty well for that big of a guy. Yup, canary feathers were all over her mouth. Dae would be crapping them out for a month. Iya screamed something unintelligible while Dae stood in the same spot and tried to reign in the sheer joy she felt. It was a war like no other she had ever experienced.

  This is what people must have been talking about when they said ‘absolute happiness’.

  Koda ran behind Dae and grabbed her arms, using her like a shield as the other end table came flying in the exact same spot he just fled. Well, damn.

  Her best friend had some good aim. Well, Koda was a big target but Dae gave Iya points because both end tables exploded upon impact. Dae was reminded again that Koda was fast, like martial arts movie fast, so Iya got more points. Dae would have given her a perfect ten, but the tables didn’t hit him.

  “Wait a minute! You should ask your friend the whole story. Something tells me that you know her better than I do so you should realize she’s left out like 95 percent of it!”

  “You get away from my friend you bastard!” Iya already had the candy bowl in her hands, readied to throw. And Dae was ready to duck.

  It’s like fucking Christmas, Dae thought tearing up.

  “Ask her! She attacked me! Even with her head, there wasn’t a part of her that didn’t try to kick my ass!”

  Iya paused with the bowl behind her head and raised her physic eyebrow at Dae. “Well?” Iya demanded.

  “Well what?” Dae questioned as innocent as a babe.

  “Is that true?”

  Dae pursed her lips. “Truth is such a slippery slope. If he believes his story to be true, how can I say it’s a lie?”

  “Are you going to explain the specifics’ of that statement?”

  “Well I could but I promise you won’t like it. It could also be very bad for his fragile psyche. Breaking someone’s delusions–”

  “Dae–” Iya started in warning.

  “–could really destroy an already fragile mind-”

  “HOLLY DAE–”

  Dae tsked tsked Iya, “Jesus Christ on a Cross Iya, you really need to control your–”

  Iya chucked the candy bowl at Dae like a major league pitcher. Dae already saw that one coming so she ducked, hoping the silent Koda would be too busy waiting for her explanations to duck in time. Dae wasn’t so lucky; the guy had the reflexes of a freaking samurai. The candy bowl shattered against the refrigerator door. Crap, Dae had a feeling Iya would expect her to clean that up.

  “So not cool–”

  “The truth and no bullpoopy either.” Iya said through her clenched jaw.

  “The truth.” Dae took a deep breath. “Yes, when I awoke after he knocked me unconscious the first time, I attacked him. Then I was knocked unconscious again and he tied me up.” Dae said it with such a straight face that she had no doubt whatsoever that she was going straight to hell.

  There were times Dae loved being herself. This was one of those times.

  Iya’s eyes blazed with a fire Dae had never seen before. She could have sworn her friends green eyes whitened from sclera to iris while darkening at her nose but that could have been bad lighting and the tight squint of Iya’s eyes. She looked downright scary.

  Koda must have felt the same way because in the blink of an eye he dragged Dae to the front door, crouched behind Dae and growled, “That’s not the whole story! Ask her the whole story before you maim me for no reason. I saved her!”

  “Are you leaving anything out Dae? Or can I kill him now?” Iya threatened. Iya threatened someone! Score!!

  “Not really.” Dae shrugged in nonchalance.

  “Ask her directly. Specifically. Then she’ll have to tell you the whole truth about how I saved her from being attacked. From somebody else!” Koda tacked on the end.

  “Dae?” Iya was glaring at her now. Dae sighed. The silence stretched as Dae contemplated her thoughts on how to proceed. Iya knew Dae could lie, but Iya also knew she hated outright lying. It was better to mislead with the truth, allowing her prey to make his or her own conclusions. Iya wasn’t prey. She was family. Dae wouldn’t do that to Iya, unless it was for shits and giggles. And then only to a certain point. To do it for fun up to that point was ok in Dae’s book, but to do it seriously… nope. Not to Iya. Not acceptable. It would still be too much like a lie. And Iya looked damn near like she’d blow a gasket if Dae kept this up. Dae couldn’t cause irreparable damage to her people.

  “DID THIS MAN–” Iya bellowed.

  “Alright already!” Dae cut her off and looked around the room trying to beat down the guilt for getting Iya all super-bitch crazy. It wasn’t working because it had been so much fun getting her there. Why the most enjoyable things ended up being so wrong, Dae didn’t know.

  “I’m waiting.” Iya’s hand was on her hip and her foot thumped like a happy rabbit on the linoleum. It was fun –so much fiendish fun Dae swore she’d never forget it– while it lasted. She got her best friend to say bastard, to throw things, destroy property, and to threaten murder.

  All in a day’s work.

  “Well, if you want to get technical–”

  “I do, very much, want to get technical.” Iya snarled. Dae had her snarling!! Iya was so mad the vein on her head was thrumming with the steady beat from her foot tapping.

  “He saved me.” Dae whispered it like it was painful to admit –well because it was– but she knew Iya would hear her. At that moment, Dae likened herself to a spoiled six year old forced to say ‘sorry’ after destroying public property. Dae felt her lips form a pout she couldn’t have pulled back for all the instant hot cocoa with tiney tiny marshmallows in the world.

  Iya straighten up as she walked toward the table. “Well. Let’s all just sit down while you tell me everything about your night and then I’ll tell you about mine. Sasquatch, you can come out from behind her now.”

  Dae’s pout slipped into a smile at Koda’s new nickname. This was the best freaking day ever, Dae thought smugly.

  Dammit. He was there with her and the half-and-half in the apartment. He couldn’t believe that of all the ones the fuckers could have sent, they sent him. Well, time to adjust tactics. The Uktena would not be happy, but since that wasn’t abnor
mal for his foul breathed Ulagu, he figured it didn’t matter much.

  Shit. This assignment was getting complicated when it began so simply. Find the girl, bring her to the homeland. It was supposed to be simple enough. He growled and cleaned his bloody muzzle on the shirt of the human he had for dinner. Snorting his disapproval, the wolf released control to the man.

  If Uktena wanted her, he’d get her. She had something the Uktena needed, so she’d give it with her dying breath, if necessary. But she was way too pretty not to play with a little first.

  His lip curled in anticipation. It was just time to play a new game. He’d already started setting up his contingency plan before. Just had to make some alterations and he would have her. All he needed was to follow through. He smiled a wolfish smile as he shifted to man and kicked the corpse at his feet.

  Dae went to work ignoring Koda. It took real skill to ignore somebody that large. Not only did Iya describe him accurately as Sasquatch; at 6 feet, something or other and all muscle his presence was nuclear. She felt the heat radiating off him like a furnace, almost reaching out to her, caressing her skin. If Dae hadn’t been sitting opposite of him, she wouldn’t have believed he was not touching her.

  There was something important she needed to make clear. She had to let him know that the only reason he was there was because she allowed him to be. She had to let him know that the only reason she let him stop her from going into her room was the stinky bastard smell faded to Iya’s. She also had to let him know that the licking and biting was… not … acceptable.

  Touching was an all-together a neuter-able offense. Yes, that was it. She needed to convey this, no matter how much her stupid body protested it’s indignation. Why did it have to melt at his embrace? Why did it have to burn for more of him? Stupid, deranged body.

  As if her mind was any better. Parts of her needed to be buried. Why did it feel so good to give in to that part of her she thought she lost? She didn’t know the answer to those questions. The only thing she knew for certain was that Koda was bad for business. She’d have to fix that little problem soon, preferably before she turned into ‘The puddle formally known as Dae’ that resides right before his feet.

  Maybe she’d get a really cool sign like Prince did… Nope, Dae couldn’t silver line that scenario at all. It would end badly for her. Things that ‘just happened’ to her always ended badly.

  Stick to the plan. You didn’t get this far by letting things just happen to you.

  Dae’s mind replayed those thoughts over and over again. They were sound thoughts, not the thoughts she’d expected from the women who was falling into an abyss of need for the Sasquatch across the table. Dae mentally slapped herself. She needed to focus on her thoughts, not her evil disloyal body. It didn’t need to touch him. It needed to realize who wore the pants in this relationship. It had to understand who brought home the bacon. Shit, those metaphors sucked. Whatever. Focus.

  Her neck was fine. It didn’t burn where his lips and teeth raked over it. It was just hot in here. Too damn hot. The kind of hot that made her want to take off all her clothes and–

  DAMMIT! No more hip-hop before bed.

  What was happening to her? Damn him! It was all his damn fault!

  Dae felt his eyes bore into hers, as if he was willing her to look up at him. As if she would be that stupid. Again. Dae’s peripheral vision was working just fine, thank you very much.

  She heard him inhale deeply, saw his nostrils flaring and his gaze heat. She just bet that he knew how she burned. Somehow he had insider knowledge he shouldn’t. And it was making Dae cranky. His gaze crept to her lips, which, thanks to her treacherous body, were suddenly so dry she thought they would crack off her face at any second. She focused most her control to not pay attention to her dry lips; hoping that he would turn his head for even a second so she could lick them. She focused the rest of her control on staying firmly planted in her seat, avoiding his gaze nonchalantly. She didn’t want to give him any encouragement. She had to try to act as if she would have any other day. That might work. She hoped.

  His eyes remained on her as he told his side of the story. Dae gracefully insisted he tell it, putting much emphasis on her not really able to remember the ‘little pieces’ between her not one, but two, bouts of unconsciousness. Iya would know the truth regardless. Iya was the smartest person Dae knew. And even if he kept the whole ‘saint’ act up, she would see right through any bullshit because Iya knew Dae better than anybody, period. Right? Iya would see through it. She had to. He was not what he was pretending to be.

  So while he told his story, she tuned him out and focused on something important, something that deserved her undivided attention. Something that required her utmost concentration: the irksome state of disarray her nails were in from clawing at him. Bastard.

  Dae had her preferred tools laid out to her right side, blocked by her right arm as her left hand went to work on filing down the chips. At least they didn’t crack down the middle. Dae had that happen a few times, and it took forever to heal. Almost two whole freaking days before they started even resembling normal again.

  Dae sat on an angle, poised away from him even though he kept staring at her. Dae felt his gaze, and Iya’s, judging her reactions to his story as he continued. Dae didn’t give them any, her face set in the same mask since he began.

  Dae placed the file on the table to her right, pointed the sharp part in his direction and started buffing her nails smooth. She slid the buffer to the right slowly. Then to the left at the same, slow pace. She quickened her speed, swiping right and left three times. She examined how soft her nail felt with her thumb. She was concentrating so hard that she was actually surprised when she heard the Sasquatch growl, “What are you doing?”

  He sounded angry. Hmm. This could be fun. Angry was a step up from hungry, Dae thought mischievously.

  Dae looked up her face still expressionless. Her gaze moved to the nail file she just placed down, the tiny bottle of lotion with the Sally Hanson Nail Hardener beside it and to the buffer poised at her middle finger prepared to buff away again. His gaze followed hers as if cataloging her tools.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” she questioned him deadpan as she raised the finger she just finished buffing –the middle finger, of course– in solitude, for no other reason than to show him what he clearly couldn’t comprehend.

  “I’m building a bomb.” She had a hard time trying not to grin at his face: his jaw clenched like a vise, so clearly angry at her comment and her behavior that she thought he might break his teeth. Well damn, looks like Dae found a button. The way Dae ignored him was really bothering him.

  Oh, Captain Ego, you should have known better. Never show weakness.

  Iya coughed a laugh but it was downhill from there. Dae couldn’t stop the grin. Dae pretended to try, and it seemed to piss him off even more.

  Dae guessed Iya had been watching the Sasquatch fume at being ignored. Iya kept silent, looking entirely too amused at the situation, “Do you have anything to add?”

  “What could I possibly add? I wasn’t even paying attention.” Dae could hear the grinding of his teeth.

  “You weren’t paying attention?” he asked incredulously.

  “I was a little busy.” Dae rolled her eyes. His eyes narrowed to slits.

  “You were so busy with filing your nails that you couldn’t pay attention to anything I said?” Dae didn’t think it was possible, but he sounded even angrier.

  Dae mocked a naval salute, “Captain Ego, glad to have you back on board. Should I batten down the hatches, sir?”

  Iya snickered. He was seething and Dae was basking in the aroma of his scent when he was royally pissed. If it was at all possible, he smelled more wild than man.

  “I was talking about your attack, you know, the one I saved you from and how it led to the here and now. I would think you would be interested that.”

  “Didn’t we have this discussion already about you and your assumptions? I mean rea
lly, if it wasn’t half an hour ago, I’d think I was having déjà vu–”

  “So you just want to act like you don’t care–”

  “Hunny pie, sugar bunch, I don’t act. What you see–” Dae paused dramatically, “is what you get.”

  He snorted. Dae shouldn’t have found that sexy. “You know, if you really believe–”

  “Hey! Children, to your corners! “

  Dae’s eyes narrowed at Iya, but Dae saw what Iya was doing. After Koda’s initial shock, his gaze was fixed on the table. This amused both Iya and Dae.

  Iya continued. “I thank you for taking care of my friend but I think it’s time for you to go. We’ve all had a rough time, and maybe some space will give us time to cool down.”

  Koda’s head jerked to Iya, his face looking menacing, enraged. That pissed Dae off. What the hell did he have to be so Goddamn angry at Iya for? That bastard! He was angry at Iya?! What did he think; they were all going to move in together like the Brady bunch?

  “What’s with the face Sasquatch? You got a problem?” His stare snapped to Dae’s face as she fought the urge to snarl at him. She slowly stood, feeling good that she towered over him as he sat.

  “Now Dae–” Iya started, resuming her role as peacekeeper between Dae and the world.

  “Uh uh, no fucking lunatic is going to look at you like that! I don’t give a shit–”

  “Dae, let’s just calm–”

  His face quickly looked repentant. “I’m sorry. I apologize, if I offended either of you. Please forgive me.” He stared into Dae’s eyes as she slowly backed away from the table.

  Iya didn’t know what was going on, but she decided mimicking Dae by standing was a good idea. Better to stop the bloodshed if Iya was prepared at least. Dae was pissed; she looked damn near ready maul the poor guy. The Sasquatch –she meant Koda– looked apologetic and Dae wouldn’t give the poor guy an inch. Sure, his face probably scared a year off Iya’s life but Iya had a feeling it was because he didn’t want to leave Dae just yet. Even though Dae was torturing him as only she could. Which should have sent him running like all the rest of them. Iya couldn’t understand her friend most times.