by Lexy Timms
Right, Sebastian. Go on. Let your guard down.
For a moment, they fall silent, staring at each other. Then Sebastian sighs.
“Fine.”
As he pulls off his shirt, I grin.
Now.
I pounce.
Sebastian falls to the ground, my claws digging into his skin. He gives a whimper but then throws me off, getting back on his feet and baring his fangs.
Theo starts climbing out of the water.
“Stay out of this,” Sebastian tells him. “This is between me and the Cat.”
Theo stays still.
I chuckle. “What? You think you can take me, mutt?”
He growls.
“Stop!” Clarissa shouts.
Still, Sebastian charges at me. I leap out of his way and pounce again only to land on Theo’s back, Sebastian pinned down beneath him.
“Clarissa told you to stop!” he shouts.
I step back. Taking on a Wolf, and at Alpha at that, head on, is hard enough. Taking on a Bear and an Alpha? Let’s just say the odds aren’t in my favor. Besides, while I have many things against Wolves, I have nothing against Bears. Like us, they keep to themselves and like their sleep. They’re pretty agreeable, actually, unless they’re protecting something.
This one is protecting Clarissa and I better not bring out the beast in him. Let sleeping Bears lie.
“Get off me!” Sebastian growls.
Theo gets off, standing between Sebastian and me like a wall. It should be enough to prevent Sebastian from charging, but not from glaring. He’s still tense, as am I.
“What the hell is going on?” Clarissa asks, standing knee deep in the water still, arms crossed, looking absolutely furious.
“He started it.” Sebastian points at me.
Clarissa shakes her head. “Who’s acting like a kid now?”
I can’t help but laugh, though I stop when Clarissa turns to me.
“You.” That look of betrayal in her eyes is enough to make me want to scurry away. “You’re...one of them?”
I say nothing. I think the answer’s pretty clear.
She slaps her forehead. “Oh, Clarissa, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you really attract just ordinary human men?”
“What did you do to her?” Theo asks, turning his head towards me.
“Nothing,” I tell him. “I just showed her around, tried to cheer her up.”
“Oh, you tried to cheer her up, did you?” Sebastian asks. “Is that what you’re doing here? Is that why she has most of her clothes off?”
I open my mouth to speak but Clarissa beats me to it.
“Stop!” She takes a deep breath. “Toshi is telling the truth. He didn’t hurt me. I was having fun, actually...”
I grin.
She looks at me. “Until now that I’ve found out he’s not who he said he was.”
Ouch.
“I never said I was human,” I tell her.
Theo’s eyes narrow.
I raise my hands. Fine. I’ll shut up.
“What did you want with her?” Kyle asks. “Why whisk her away?”
Ah. Maybe the human is not as stupid as he looks.
“I was just curious about her,” I confess.
“Curiosity kills the cat,” Sebastian mutters with a little too much emphasis on the word ‘kills’.
Of course he had to say it.
“What do you mean?” Kyle asks. “How do you know about her?”
“I saw you guys when you went after Noboru,” I answer. “You weren’t exactly quiet. I heard a bit of your conversation.”
“What were you doing there?” Sebastian asks.
“Noboru’s always struck me as suspicious.”
“Aren’t all Cats?”
“Sebastian,” Clarissa scolds. “I think we’d all agree this would be much easier if you weren’t so bent on killing Toshi just because you’re a dog and he’s a cat.”
“Wolf,” Sebastian corrects, with a baring of his teeth.
“Sebastian,” Theo warns.
I find that look on Sebastian’s face as he’s silenced very satisfying.
“Go on,” Kyle urges me.
I shoot him a grateful glance. At least some people around here still have a modicum of respect for the Cat. “Noboru was working for someone powerful who got displeased. I was sent to tell him he no longer had the job.”
“Job?” Clarissa asks.
“As an assassin,” Theo enlightens. “Cats happen to be the best ones.”
I grin. “Thank you, Theo.”
“Not that there is any honor to be had from it,” Sebastian mutters half under his breath.
“Honor, no. Profit, yes.”
“You’re an assassin?” Clarissa asks me, her eyes going wide. “Wait. Were you going to kill Noboru?”
I don’t answer.
“Wait. Did you kill him already?”
“A job is a job and these days, jobs are rare.”
Clarissa looks like she’s going to throw up and for the first time in my life, I feel...awkward. Ill at ease for who I am. Is this shame? I’m unsure and I don’t like it.
“Were you going to kill Clarissa, too?” Theo asks, the look in his eyes telling me I should be very careful in choosing the words I’m about to say.
“If I was going to, I would have already,” I answer. “Without a sound. Without a warning.”
Theo steps forward.
“But I didn’t, did I?” I continue, unfazed. “I don’t want her dead. I just wanted to find out who she was and maybe, like you, find out what she was.”
“And?” Kyle asks. “What did you find out?”
“Nothing,” I admit.
“So, you were just trying to amuse yourself?” Clarissa asks me. Her voice is hurt. I see the realization in her eyes. There was no school project. Everything I’d told her was a lie.
“At first,” I tell her, a little awkwardly then I smile. “Though I did find you very amusing.”
Clarissa rolls her eyes. Apparently she doesn’t see that as the compliment that I do.
“There’s nothing more we can find out here,” Sebastian speaks. “You know that, Clarissa.”
“You can’t force her to go to Africa,” Kyle says. “Can you imagine how hard this is for her?”
“I’ll go,” Clarissa says, taking a deep breath.
Sebastian, Kyle and Theo all look at her in surprise.
“You will?” Kyle asks.
“You’re right, Sebastian,” she says. “I can’t run away from this. And you’re right, Toshi.” She glances at me. “I have a duty to myself to find out who I am and I can’t let anyone use that against me.”
Sebastian’s opal eyes narrow at me. “You said that?”
I shrug.
“He might not be as good as I thought he was and his intentions may have been less pure,” Clarissa says, the words like pin pricks on my skin. “But his words make sense.”
“So, we’re going to Africa?” Kyle asks.
“We?” Sebastian faces him. “Kyle, it’s dangerous...”
“I thought we already established that where Clarissa goes, I go,” Kyle says, squaring his shoulders. “Unless Clarissa says otherwise.”
I have to hand it to the guy. He’s also tougher than he looks.
“I don’t mind,” Clarissa says. “In fact, it will be nice to have a friend when I find out the truth.” Her eyes meet Kyle’s. “And I promise that next time, I won’t bite your head off.”
“And I?” Sebastian asks. “Am I not your friend?”
I roll my eyes.
“You know what I mean,” Clarissa tells him.
“I’m coming, too,” I offer.
Sebastian shakes his head. “You’re not.”
“Like you said, it’s dangerous,” I say. If Kyle can stand his ground against him, so can I. “You’ll need all the help you can get.”
“Not your help,” he snarls. “I’ll die first before I get help from a Cat.”
“I’m
not helping you,” I point out. “I’m doing this because I want to help Clarissa.”
“I’m not helpless,” Clarissa reminds us both. “I don’t need anyone’s protection.”
“You should let him come with you,” Theo speaks out.
My eyes grow wide.
“Since I’m not coming along,” he adds.
“You’re not?” Clarissa’s eyebrows furrow.
He scratches the back of his head. “I don’t really belong in Africa.”
Right. Cats can’t handle alcohol, Wolves can’t handle being ordered around and Bears can’t handle hot weather. They’d be the first to die from global warming.
“I’m not bringing a Cat along,” Sebastian insists. “What if he stabs us in the back, huh?”
“You mean stab you in the back? Do you really think I wouldn’t have done that already if I wanted to?”
Sebastian growls.
“As much as I want to, this isn’t about you or me,” I continue. “Something’s going on here. Clarissa’s just one part of it. You and I both know it. We have to get to the bottom of this and we have to keep her safe.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Sebastian tells me. “What do you know about what’s going on? And what do you care about Clarissa?”
“More than you do,” I answer. “I hear things, too. And as for Clarissa...” I glance at her. “I do care about her.” For once I’m telling the truth. There’s something about her that’s gotten under my skin. I’m curious to find out what that is.
Sebastian grits his teeth.
“You know, when I first saw her, someone was following her so it’s possible she’s already in danger. I can help keep her safe.”
“He’s right,” Clarissa says. “Someone was following me. I thought it was you, Toshi...”
“Not me,” I assure her. “It was a Cat, too, though. I didn’t see who it was.”
“But if it’s another Cat,” Clarissa says. “If we’re up against Cats...”
“Cats have no qualms fighting other Cats,” Sebastian explains. “In fact, some say they take pleasure in it. Absolutely no honor or loyalty.”
I don’t answer to that. I’m used to the jabs. Besides there’s truth there too.
“If Theo isn’t coming, maybe it’s a good idea to have Toshi come along,” Kyle says. “As long as he promises not to hurt Clarissa.”
“Like I’d take his word,” Sebastian says.
“I trust Toshi,” Clarissa says to his surprise and mine. “He can come along.”
Whoa. Did she just say she trusts me?
“If he betrays us, you can kill him,” she adds. “As long as you let me know first.”
The words send shivers up my spine and ripples of heat under my skin.
Ruthless. Another endearing quality.
Sebastian nods. “You heard her.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be too excited if I were you,” I tell him. “I don’t plan on getting myself killed.”
“Good,” Theo says, giving me a warning glance. “Then everything should be fine.”
“Well, it’s nice to see everyone playing along,” Kyle says.
“Now that it’s been decided, can everyone please turn around so I can get out of the water?” Clarissa asks. “I’m starting to feel cold and numb. I’m not even sure why I’m here in the first place.”
I forgot she was still in the water. It’s still very early spring, and rather chilly out. Maybe I shouldn’t have um...encouraged...her to go swimming. Though it had ruled out her being a Cat.
I turn my back to her and so do the others, though I catch a glimpse of all three stealing glances as she climbs out of the water and dries herself off, as do I.
The drops of water glisten off her pale skin like beads covering her body, some of them trickling down her curves. I draw in a deep breath as I see one of them disappear between her breasts, her wet bra clinging to the mounds of flesh so their dark peaks are visible.
In spite of myself, I’m unable to control the wave of lust that washes over me. I close my eyes to calm myself down, and I catch a scent of the others’ desire as well.
Ah. A competition.
Too bad Bear is getting left behind.
Chapter Fifteen
~ Theo
I WANT TO GO WITH CLARISSA.
The thought swims in my head and grips my heart like an unforgiving fist as I stare at her sitting there on the porch of the inn, her legs dangling over the edge. She’s leaning on her arms, her hair a copper cascade down her back, the tips dancing just an inch or so over the bamboo. Her head is tilted up towards the turquoise sky.
She’s all alone. Sebastian, Kyle and Toshi are all busy making preparations for the trip to Africa. I’ve been left in charge of her because after today, I can’t be.
I never thought my inability to stand hot weather was a curse until today.
I step forward, the wood creaking beneath my weight.
“Theo?” Clarissa says my name before she turns her head.
No use sneaking up on her. Then again, sneaking is Toshi’s thing, not mine.
I sit beside her, crossing my legs beneath me because I know there isn’t enough space between the porch and the ground for them. “Tea?” I lift the cup I’m holding.
She shakes her head. “You know I don’t like tea very much.”
“Yeah, though I don’t understand why.” I wrap my hand around the cup.
“What tea is that?” Clarissa asks, nodding toward my mug.
“Just green tea,” I answer.
She leans over me to glance at the cup. “And what’s that in it?”
“The stalk of a tea leaf,” I tell her. “The landlady said if it’s standing up, it’s good luck.”
“I see.”
As it so happens, the stalk is upright, floating like a buoy on the surface of the greenish gold liquid, which strangely reminds me of the color of Toshi’s eyes.
“So, maybe you’ll have good luck.” Clarissa gives me a weak smile.
“I’d rather give it to you,” I tell her. “I hope you’ll find whatever it is you’re looking for in Africa.”
She falls silent.
I take a sip from my cup and then set it down beside me. “Speaking of giving and of leaves, there’s something I want to give you before you leave.”
I take a carved wooden leaf out of my pocket, handing it to her.
Clarissa takes it, examining it closely. “Is this...?”
“The leaf you were trying to make back in Anchorage,” I tell her. “I continued it and finished it for you. I’ve even polished it. I hope you don’t mind.”
She shakes her head. “Not at all. It’s far better than I ever hoped it would be.”
“And I’ve put it on a leather strap so you can wear it,” I add.
She turns to me. “Do you want to put it on me?”
“Sure.”
She turns her back to me, holding her hair up and I try to tie the necklace around her neck. Try. The gesture takes a few attempts because of my large fingers and the strands of her hair getting in the way. With each attempt, my fingers graze against the soft skin of her nape, the soapy smell of it drifting to my nostrils. It reminds me of how she looked back there at the waterfall, so much of her skin bared, including those of her slender shoulders, her flat abdomen, her long legs. The memory doesn’t help with what I’m trying to do.
Finally, I finish and Clarissa lets her hair down.
“Sorry,” I mumble, still blushing, which I’m glad doesn’t show because of my dark skin. “Big, clumsy hands.”
I show them to her.
She places her hand on top of one of mine, the whole thing barely fitting in my palm. “I like your big hands.”
My blush intensifies.
She then runs her fingers over the leaf pendant of her necklace. “Now, I wish I’d been more ambitious, maybe tried to carve something more complex.”
“Like?”
Clarissa shrugs. “A flower.”
<
br /> I grin. “I’ll carve a flower for you and give it to you when you come back.”
“It’s fine.” She shakes her head again. “One necklace is enough.”
As she speaks, her gaze falls on the one I have around my neck. I can tell what she’s thinking. I touch my own pendant. “You’re wondering about her, aren’t you? About the woman who used to own this necklace? The one whose picture you saw?”
She looks away. “I’m sorry for prying, for saying all those things I said.”
This time, I shake my head. “You’re right. We’ve been unfair wanting to know so much about you but not wanting to share about ourselves. I think it’s time we change that.”
I get my cup of tea, taking a sip, wondering where to begin.
“Do Bears live in groups?” Clarissa asks.
I nod. “Bears live in tribes. The leader is called a Chief. The females stay in one village. The males travel around to work and gather food or to eliminate any threats to the tribe.”
“I see.”
“Primals have three ruling instincts,” I go on. “The first is to survive. The second is to reproduce. The third varies for each race. For us Bears, it is a protective instinct. When we swear to protect something, we dedicate our lives to doing just that and when we fail, we find it hard to live with it. Some of us prefer death than failing to protect what we have to.”
“What happened to her?”
I take a deep breath, summoning my courage. “Her name was Gia. She was the mate chosen for me. I’ve known her since childhood. Gia had the gift of healing. Some of us do. And I don’t just mean healing herself. We can all do that. But healing others? That’s special.”
Clarissa nods. “Of course, it is.”
“We were supposed to heal only those of our kind but Gia, she had a heart of gold. One time, she came across a human child that was wounded and she healed him. He was fully healed but what did the people of the village do? They thought she was a witch and hunted her down.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I was away at the time. They burned her and left her to die. The only reason she was still alive when I found her was because she wasn’t human. Still, when I found her, she was dying all the same. I was...enraged. I wanted to kill all the people at that village, but she made me promise not to. She made me promise not to take vengeance, or to allow anyone to take vengeance. She said if I loved her, I would do that because love was stronger than hatred.”
