by Anthology
After his errands, he’d pulled off the main road headed back to his place. A set of thick, deep tire tracks stretched out before him in the mud. Someone in a large truck had been up this way, which was odd considering there were very few homes up here. The neighbors who lived a half-mile from him on either side had been spotted in town…so who?
The tire tracks continued, but Blue slammed to a halt. Something in his periphery had caused him to brake hard and pull over to the side of the road.
Out of the cab in a bound, taking his meager first-aid supplies with him, he’d run over to what turned out to be a body. A badly mutilated, shredded and quite dead body. Blood soaked the green grass beneath and was splattered across the wild flowers. Deep slashes through muscle, clear down to the white of the bone were across the chest and ribs, as if the person who’d done this wanted to make the body unrecognizable. His experience told him that it was a precision job made to look like a messy accident. And where the hell was the head? Even in war, with the beheadings and charred bodies, he’d seen nothing as gruesome as this. Nothing quite this “up close and personal”.
“Holy hell,” he’d whispered to himself. “What in the ever lovin’ hell could have done something like this?”
Just as Blue removed his phone from his jacket pocket to call for help, the rumble of a big engine had sounded just up the road.
He’d jumped to his feet and waved down the motorist, who’d stopped and come running.
That motorist had told him that he knew exactly what had done this—a wolf shifter. Blue had looked at the guy and bluntly asked him if he was off his medication.
“Medication? That’s cute. No meds needed. I’m an agent for the Shifter and Were Armed Tactics agency, also known as S.W.A.T. It’s a top secret organization, but since you’ve already seen this mess, there’s no harm in telling you as long as you keep it to yourself.”
“I’m former military. I understand protocol.”
“Good.”
“But I’ve never heard of your agency. Shifters? Weres? Sounds like too many fiction novels and late night vodka to me.”
“I can prove it to you, but you can’t freak out. I’m a wolf.”
“Uh huh.”
And then the man had changed, right there on the spot, and Blue had literally pissed his pants as the creature pounced, landing on his chest. It, he, snarled right in Blue’s face as he lay on his back wondering if this would be the last breath he took.
And then, the beast simply dismounted off of Blue’s chest, moved a few feet away and changed back.
“Did you do this?” Blue asked.
“No, but I know who did. I was chasing him in these parts and lost him. But his scent is all over this body.”
“I don’t smell anything,” Blue said.
“I don’t expect you to. I’m going to have to call this in.”
“Uh…okay.” Those were the only two words Blue could manage to form around the lump in his throat as adrenaline tore through his body.
“What’s your name?”
“Blue. Harrison Blue.”
“I’m John Green. My people will be here soon to take care of this. I don’t want to pull a human into our mess, so get on out of here. I won’t tell anyone that you were here. Remember, this is top secret.”
“Got it.”
And he’d hauled ass and never looked back.When he finished relating the tale, Harrison Blue was on the verge of being physically ill. His brain was full of all the various colors he’d seen that day—the green of the grass, the gray of intestines, the red of muscle and blood, the white of nicked, exposed and broken bone.
He watched for body language and cues as he spoke, and he had to admit that Kotara Pryde was very good at keeping her expression relaxed and somewhat cool, though he knew he’d surprised her at least a time or two with his tale. The problem was, he had no idea what he was dealing with, no idea why she would be surprised at anything he had to say if she worked for the same agency as the guy he’d met on the side of the road that day.
* * *
The man was visibly shaken as he finished his tale, and the raw emotion, anger and confusion of what in the hell had happened that day took up residence in her head as if she owned them, experienced them. Hated them.
They sat in silence a moment, then she asked, “Blue, you served several tours in a warzone, yes?”
As he nodded, it was obvious that he was trying to push those memories back where he kept them sealed away. To his credit, the distant expression she expected when a person was lost in their past never appeared on his face. Instead, Blue was coping, doing a series of breathing exercises right in front of her with no shame whatsoever. She was glad for that. Impressed, actually.
“Do you have PTSD?”
“After leaving the service, they gave me the all clear. Technically I don’t have PTSD, but sometimes I swear I want to lose my shit at certain triggers.”
“Like what?” she asked, genuinely curious.
“Well…” he paused, seeming to think about how to phrase his thoughts. “I don’t do well with people running up into my personal space. I’m all right with loud noises, but I loathe fireworks. They sound too much like battlefield artillery fire.”
Understandable.
“I can usually handle it better but reliving all that blood and gore, giving a voice to it, made other instances of bullshit surface. I hate blood and gore. Hate. It.”
“So is that why you were wearing your guns when I walked into the kitchen for breakfast?”
“Nope. Last night you said you were looking for me, then you passed out. These babies,” he said as he patted his hardware, “had everything to do with the fact that you were a relative unknown and I had no idea how you would respond to my presence once you woke up and were in full control of your mental faculties.”
“God, you sound so much like a doctor. I wonder if I sound like this all the time when I talk. All clinical and shit.”
He burst out laughing. She liked what the sound did to her tummy. In fact, she kind of appreciated the little twitch behind her kneecaps, too. And just like that, the tension of his reliving of the past was broken.
“Wanna take a break?”
“Are you patronizing me?” he asked bluntly.
“Nope. I just want some ice cream. Plus I need to check in with my family before they all converge on this place.”
“Holy hell, I hadn’t even thought about that.” Then he gave her a lopsided grin. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied with my current patient.” He rose and crossed over to a chest freezer tucked into a corner across the kitchen. “You look good in my robe, too. And yes, I’m totally flirting with you.”
Now it was her turn to laugh, but it was accompanied by a blush. She wondered what would make this man blush in turn. “Watch it, bub. I hear my type has sharp claws.”
A couple of bowls from a cabinet joined what looked like an entire shopping cart’s worth of ice cream on the counter. “You have very nice claws, if you don’t mind my sayin’ so, darlin’. You’re kinda heavy, though.”
Good lord, she was a goner, a total sucker for that country drawl. And those eyes. And that body. And the strength of character she sensed in him.
In an attempt to change the subject, she said, “Well, I’d like to sink my claws into…well, what have you got ice cream wise?”
“I’ve got butter pecan, chocolate peanut butter chunk, a coconut pina colada-like thing, cherry and walnuts with these little crispy wafer things in it, and a light raspberry sorbet. And if you don’t like those, we can ride into Stanley and find whatever it is you do like.”
A man who knew his way around his ice cream? Oooh, well all righty then.
“You pick,” she countered.
He stared at her with an unreadable expression, but the zap of energy that came with it was unmistakable. And that expression screamed, “Me wants!” With an unexplainable lump in her throat, she turned on her heel, headed back to his bedroom, and took her flaming cheek
s and screaming lioness with her.
5
The change rode her hard as she did something that she didn’t even think was in her vocabulary—she’d retreated. Her dual nature, her lioness, wanted out so she could play with the flirt she’d left in the kitchen.
She slapped her hand over her mouth with a gasp at the first purr that rumbled in her chest as an image filled her brain—her lioness wrapping herself around Blue’s body, rubbing like a kitty cat sliding itself around its favorite scratching post.
Kotara loved strength—both in body and character. Harrison Blue appeared to be a strong man in every sense of the word. She couldn’t think of anything more difficult for the mind, body and spirit than performing the duties of a doctor on the battlefield. Watching comrades die. Seeing innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire. In war, everyone was a victim, both young and old. And Blue had seen and endured it all, over and over again, both physically and mentally.
Kotara sucked in a breath and commanded the tears that threatened to fall to remain hidden. Not bothering to pretend she didn’t know what was happening, she embraced how she knew things about this man that hadn’t been in his file.
Mate.
Back in his room, she shucked off his robe and immediately missed his scent wrapping around her. Rather than linger, she slipped into a pair of sweats and a loose fitting t-shirt. Changing her mind, she called out.
“Hey, do I have time for a quick shower?”
She wasn’t sure why she was asking. Typically, she’d just do what she wanted considering this was her interrogation…er, interview.
“Sure. Go ahead,” he called. “Bathroom is off to the right. Your bag is at the foot of the bed.”
Yeah, she remembered that. Her toe still ached a bit from that one.
Moments later, Kotara stood under a fall of barely lukewarm water, hoping the lack of temperature in the chilly space of the bathroom would cool her heated skin. Five minutes later, she gave up on achieving her goal of getting rid of the instant heat that sprang up in her body. Washing quickly, she dried off and jumped back into the sweats and t-shirt and then shrugged Blue’s robe back on.
Grabbing her gear bag again, she retrieved a pair of warm socks and added it to her oh-so-fashionable wardrobe choice and then sat on the floor. She slipped the earbud for her comm unit into her ear. As soon as the connection was made, Kotara braced herself.
“Where the fuck are you!?” Derria’s voice snapped through the earpiece.
“I made contact with the subject,” Kotara responded. A piece of her flinched at her choice of words.
“You’ve been silent for three fucking days, Kotara! What the hell? You know you’re supposed to check in when on a hunt! I ought to fly up there and kick your—-”
“I was injured, you loud mouth. But I do appreciate your concern.” And she did. Her family meant the world to her. But she often felt like the third wheel among all her mated sisters and cousins.
“Injured? Holy hell, Tara!?”
“Girl, will you let me tell you what’s up?”
With a snarly huff, Derria piped down. But Kotara knew it wouldn’t last long if she drew this out, so she got right to the point. “I was making my way around the back of one of these god-forsaken mountains and fell off a cliff into some snow.” She didn’t bother getting into the whole ‘avalanche’ thing, knowing it would just make Derria and all the others worry. In the end, she was fine and there was no reason to make everyone panic.
“How bad are you hurt?”
“I’m actually good. Blue found me and—”
“Blue? Harrison Blue? And why does his name sound all breathy rolling off your tongue? He’s the subject of an investigation.”
Well, she couldn’t ever say her cousin wasn’t observant.
“So anyway, Derria,” she hedged, “the subject saved my ass and dug me out. I’ve been recuperating at his place for the last couple of days. And since I’m where I was supposed to be anyway, no worries, right?”
“Wrong, dammit. We were worried sick about you.” Koreas Pryde was now on the line and Kotara felt her heart tug at the sound of her twin’s voice. “I couldn’t feel you, Tara. I couldn’t feel you at all. It was the scariest damn thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“Aw, Kory, I’m fine, sweetie. Honest.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t miss the fact that you blew off Derria’s question about the whole breathless sounding name-rolling-off-your-tongue thing.”
Yeah, she wouldn’t have missed that.
“Kory, I need to speak with you in private for a moment. Derria, I’ll have an update on the case shortly, but I need to ask the subject a few more questions first.”
The moment Dare dropped off the line, Kotara lost it.
“Oh my god, Kotara, you’re crying? What the hell is going on? I’m flying up there right now, damn it.”
“No, Kory. Listen. I think Blue is my mate. But don’t tell the family yet because I don’t know. I want to be sure. Can you run some tests on my blood? You know which ones.”
“Of course I can, you big goof. And I’ll respect your boundaries in regard to keeping this all hush for now, even if I don’t think you should.”
“Well, just because I feel all googly about him over breakfast doesn’t mean he’s mate material. It could be that he’s simply hot as hell and I had a head injury.”
“I understand. But the whole mating thing is pretty hard to mistake. Do you have your field kit with you right now?”
“Yep. I’m poking my finger and inserting the slide into the tech now.”
A few tense moments passed. As soon as Koreas said, “I’ve got it. Initiating sequencing now,” Kotara let out the breath she didn’t realize was stuck in her lungs.
“I remember when we did this blood test for Derria. It was pretty exciting to measure her hormones and stuff. We finally had some kind of proven method to detect mating heat, even though we still have no idea what causes it. That part is annoying. Hey, Kotara, I have an idea, if you’re up for it.”
“What?”
“Do you think you can get Harrison—?”
“Blue, Kory. Just…Blue.” And there she was, doing the whole sighing-his-name thing.
“Uh, okay,” Koreas said. “Do you think you can get Blue to provide us a bit of his blood? I’m curious as to whether there’s something about the males that push the females into heat.”
“He’s human, Kory.”
“So. We’re scientists. Since when does species matter to us when it comes to research?”
Good point.
“Fine. I’ll ask him. When will you have my results?”
“After you get me a sample of Blue’s blood.”
“Are you blackmailing me, little sister?” Kotara demanded with a chuckle in her voice.
“Little sister by a few minutes, and damn right I’m blackmailing you.”
“What if he doesn’t want to?”
“Kotara Pryde, I have a feeling that he’ll agree to just about anything you want right now. Remember, if it’s mating heat, it goes both ways.”
And if it’s not, then make the most of it while you can.
“All right, Kory. I’ll check in with you later. Love you, sis.”
“Kotara, are you okay?”
“Absolutely.” Not.
* * *
During some delicious ice cream—correction, homemade ice cream—Kotara listened to Blue’s story again. By the time they were done, she felt as if she’d been the one put through the ringer.
She’d never been super empathic before, except with her twin. As twins, they had an unshakeable connection, just like Neesia and Niah did. At times that connection could be a pain in her ass but today, it was Blue that seemed to bleed right into her consciousness until Kotara couldn’t tell what was up and what was down. As he’d told his story, deep-seated emotion that ranged from care to molten hot anger whooshed around the room, kicked her in the face, and then took off again.
&nbs
p; It was exhausting.
Finally, she said, “Okay, I need a minute.”
He sat back in his chair and sucked in an exasperated breath of his own. Then he said, “Want lunch first?”
“Lunch? We just ate breakfast.”
“Uh, that was four hours ago, Kotara. We’ve been at it for a while.”
“Four hours?!” Genuinely shocked, she immediately felt awful. Sure, she was a hunter, but four hours without a break was a long time to ask someone questions…and sit there while your brain is bombarded with everything they’re not saying. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”
“No problem. I was in the military, remember. I can withstand prolonged questioning.”
But she felt bad none the less.
“Thanks for the offer of lunch. I think I’ll have a nap. Maybe lunch later? Okay with you?”
“Absolutely,” he said around a big yawn. He stood and stretched and, to her surprise, held out his hand.
She looked at it.
“What?” she asked.
“You said you need a nap. So let’s go take one.”
She sat stunned for a moment, then a wide grin spread across her lips.
“Fine. A nap. But that’s all, mister.”
“Hey, you slept naked in my bed for two days without raping me.” Her mouth dropped open. “I think I can trust you to keep your hands to yourself.”
She burst out laughing and followed him to his room.
Sliding off his holsters, he said, “Since we’ve gotten to know each other a bit better, I don’t think I really need these. Do I?”
She shook her head and said, “I think you’re safe with me.”
Blue removed his guns and tucked them into the nightstand, then motioned her into bed. Since they were both dressed, or semi-dressed considering Blue was in jammie bottoms, he pulled the covers back and neatly rolled them at the foot of the bed. They climbed in and pulled up the sheet.
A moment later, Blue was back out of bed. “Crap. I forgot something.”
Kotara didn’t want him to go.
“I need to set the fire in the front room or it’ll be freezing when we get up.”
