by Tl Reeve
He nodded.
“I think it’s a great idea you’re talking to her.” She squeezed his hand. “You know, I’m surprised we found this kind of honey. I was prepared to go to a big name grocery store and buy a bear-shaped bottle of honey.”
“Bear-shaped bottle of honey?”
She pulled her phone out and then typed away on the small contraption. When she turned it so he could peer down at the screen, he barked out a laugh. Yes, they had to get it for Gee.
“He’d love it.”
“Then we’ll go get it and forget this little hunt for tricolored bee honey.”
“As much as I want to give this all up and buy a bottle of honey, we’re going to finish the job.”
“I’m only giving you a viable option.” She grinned, the teasing quality of her tone went straight to his groin.
“You’re complete trouble. I’ve come to realize.”
She shrugged and gave him an impish look before adjusting her glasses. “It’s part of my charm.”
Yes, it was. He chuckled. “What else do you like? I’ve seen you wear all these T-shirts, seen all your books.”
“They’re my way to escape for a few hours.” She gazed out at the scenery surrounding them. A thick blanket of snow had been piled on the side of the road. Some clung to the spiny branches made naked by the changing of the seasons.
“Sometimes you need to get away. Forget about all the bullshit.”
She nodded. “I find myself enchanted by the stories. The way the authors whip the tale around the reader. It’s like a warm blanket, you know? The layers of a complex book gather around you, and, before you know it, you’ve got a cup of hot chocolate in your hand and the story is over. The Neverending Story!” She smacked his arm. “Please tell me you’ve seen it.”
He cocked his brow. “Can’t say I have.”
She gasped. Sheer horror filled her hazel-green eyes. “You’ve never seen The Neverending Story?”
“No.” He didn’t understand her distress.
“It’s a rite of passage for every child. A must-watch movie.” She gifted him with an excitable smile, which snatched him up by the balls. “What about Labyrinth?”
He shook his head.
“Dark Crystal?”
“Can’t say I have. Wait, what are these movies?”
“Classics.” Again she began typing on her phone then turned it to him. On the screen were creatures he’d never seen before. “This is Dark Crystal. They’re Skeksis.”
“Okay.” He still had no clue what she was talking about.
“That’s it. I packed my DVD player and my movies. We’re binge watching them when we get home.”
“Kind of hard to do. I don’t have anything to watch them on.” He didn’t even own a television.
“Not a problem. While we’re in Aberdeen, we’ll find an electronics store and get one. My treat. One should never go their whole life without experiencing the love that is Jim Henson and Wolfgang Peterson.”
If she said so. “Anything else?”
“Oh sure. Several things. Dr. Who. Torchwood. Star Trek. Star Wars.”
Nope, she lost him completely again. “And you watch these…?”
“Shows and movies.”
“For fun?” He took the interstate exit to the state route. From there, they had another hour and a half before they’d arrive at their destination.
“Yep. Like I said, it’s my escape. Didn’t you do anything, you know, after your parents passed away, to…escape?”
The compassion coupled with her gentle touch undid him. He yanked the truck—which was a fucking stupid idea—to the shoulder. The truck fishtailed before coming to a shuddering stop. With the vehicle in gear, he pulled her to him and kissed her. He groaned as sugarplums danced on his tongue and her sugary taste beckoned him to take more. Pushing aside her coat, he skimmed his fingertips across her side. Shit, he didn’t think he’d get used to the magnetic pull toward her. “God, you’re so…innocent.”
She tried to jerk away from him, but he held fast. “I’m not innocent.”
“Not the type you’re thinking about.” He brushed his cheek against hers. “Innocent in the way of being pure. Your heart is soft. Precious. When I’m around you, I feel like I could tell you anything and you’d embrace it.”
She cupped his cheek. “I would, you know. Accept what you told me. I’m well aware we haven’t spent much time figuring each other out, but I’d take you. The good and the bad.”
Fucking hell. She saw straight through his worries and his fears. “Something tells me you would. Later, though. I promise. Right now, we need to get on the road. If we’re not at the farm before four, we’ll never make it.”
She kissed him once more before settling in the seat next to him. “I have so much I want to share with you.”
“We’ve got all the time in the world.”
The sprawling farm took up at least a quarter mile of land. The weathered red barn stood in contrast to the white blanket of snow, and if the purple clouds were any indication, they’d get more of the powdery substance. Sayer pulled into the driveway, still not 100 percent convinced these humans would have what his mate required. Honey, at this time of year, especially fresh, was a rare commodity. He feared they’d come all this way for a slight-of-hand trick.
“The famers’ market is right over there.” She pointed to a smaller shed where the door stood open with a sign welcoming them off to the side. “The owner’s name is Cindy. Her husband is Earl. They have a dog named Beau and a cat named Jinx.”
“You learned all this from a phone call?” He gave her a curious look.
“Well, she was easy to talk to. Super nice. I didn’t feel right hanging up on her mid explanation after I had my information. It’d have been rude.”
He parked near the front of the shack then got out. When he arrived at her side of the truck, she was already out and making her way to the market. “Slow down, Kizzy. We don’t know them.”
“We’re fine.” She took his hand and tugged him. “Hello? Anyone still here?”
A woman with long gray hair pulled back into a braid stepped behind the counter and placed a bushel of apples on top of it. “The weather changed so quickly we almost lost our winter crop. Are you Kizzy Rhapsody?”
She nodded.
The woman leaned across the counter and gave her a hug. “I was telling Earl last night, our honey production this year has gone down. All those pesticides and Monsanto and GMOs. Anyway, I told him it was a good thing you called to say you’d be on your way. I only had one jar left and three people after you also wanted it.”
He’d pay triple the amount to make sure she got what she wanted. “Do you still have it?” His tone came out a lot gruffer than he’d planned. “Ma’am.”
The old lady chuckled. “Bit of a bruiser, isn’t he?” She winked at him. “Yes, my boy. I have it right here. One jar of tricolored honey bee honey.” She retrieved the jar from the shelf beneath the register. The clay pot appeared plain, surprising him. He’d expected a clear glass jar with labels and all kinds of useless shit.
“It’s a honey pot!” Kizzy exclaimed with a gleeful squeak. “It’s perfect and adorable. I love it.”
“My daughter does all the pottery. She lives down the road a piece. Say, would you care to stay for dinner?”
Sayer stiffened.
“We’d love to. Unfortunately, we can’t.” Kizzy frowned. “It looks like snow, and we have a long drive ahead of us. But, perhaps when it’s not so nasty, we could come back and take a tour of your farm and stay for supper?”
Cindy smiled. “Of course. Where are my manners. You come back anytime, dear. We’ll be here.”
With a wave, they departed. Town was three miles east of them. “I thought we’d stay here for the night. In Aberdeen. They should have nice accommodations and the stores you require. I’d rather not drive in the middle of a snowstorm, or worse, in ice.”
“Really?” A spark of enthusiasm filled her eyes.
“Yes. We’ll even go out to dinner.”
“Hot damn. I think I love you.” She leaned across the seat and placed a smacking kiss to his cheek. The words hit him square in the chest. As much as she said the words in jest, there was a thread of truth to them. His wolf soaked them up. Basked in them then rolled around, trying to draw that feeling of exultation deep within his soul.
Unsure of what to say or do next, he turned left out of the driveway. “Buckle up.”
“As you wish.”
Chapter Nine
Kizzy stepped into the small hotel room Sayer got for them. The whole trip had been…fun. Surprised by the ease in which he opened up to her, she took his truths with ease and with a little brokenheartedness. No wonder he didn’t trust very easily. She doubted she would either. To have seen someone come to his home and kill his parents. Ugh. Her heart went out to him.
The door to the room opened, and he stepped inside, carrying their things. They’d gone to the small grocery store and found the bear-shaped bottle of honey she wanted and then gone on to the electronics store. She picked out a mid-size television, something that wouldn’t be construed as garish or overdone, but big enough they’d be comfortable watching it.
She enjoyed the fact he didn’t have one to begin with. It made her time in Los Lobos interesting, while she wasn’t wallowing in her own self-pity. Why she thought she could ever leave him, she didn’t understand. Sure, hearing the truth of it made a big difference for her; however, as much as she preached trust, and his trusting her, she’d never really trusted him and what he said.
Taking their dinner bag from him, she placed it on the table near their bed. “Weather’s getting bad out there.”
He nodded. “Whiteout conditions. First sun, we have to leave or we’ll never get home.”
She agreed. As much as she liked being out, the idea of not being able to return to her new home had her stomach knotting. “Figured. We should eat and get some sleep.”
A wicked gleam glittered in his obsidian eyes. “I have plans for you tonight.”
Nervous energy danced through her. “Oh?”
He prowled toward her with a predatory grace. The smile gracing his face reminded her of predatory animal. Wolfish, which was completely ridiculous. No way in the world a man and a wolf resided within each other—or whatever. Right? She gave herself a mental shake. Too many paranormal novels and not enough human interaction.
Did he growl?
Wouldn’t be the first time. It seemed every time he got into her personal space he was making some kind of primal noise. Something to make her blood boil and her panties dampen. He crowded her into the corner of the room and grabbed her arms. In one swift motion, he had them pinned about her head and his face buried in the crook of her neck. There he goes again, making that sound. It vibrated from his chest and rumbled against hers, pearling her nipples into hard peaks.
“Mmm.” He nipped the sensitive skin at the juncture of her throat and shoulder. “You smell good.”
“Uh…thanks?”
His hold on her tightened. “Shut it.”
“Such a brute.” She rolled her eyes. She loved the fact his commanding tone got her excited and wet for him. The deep intonation of his voice raced through her, leaving little snaps of electricity popping against her skin in its wake.
“I’ll show you a brute.” He lifted his face, and, not for the first time, she saw the golden gaze she’d sworn had been a trick of the lights.
“Your eyes.”
He closed them then opened them. The golden hue was gone, and their normal obsidian darkness returned. “There are things you should know.”
“Like you’re the king of optical illusions?” His grip loosened and she cupped his face, trying to figure out how he did it. Like touching him would give away his trick.
He placed his hand on her hip and shifted her closer to him, keeping her off-balance both physically and emotionally. “I’m…different.”
Of course he was. “Are you a sex god?” She arched a brow before pushing her glasses up her nose. “Use your powerful penis to keep women chained to your bed?”
His chuckle sent tingles rushing through her. “No. Not a sex god.”
“Damn. I really like your powerful penis. It makes my girly parts sing.”
He groaned. “You’re not making this any easier on me. All I can think about right now is getting my powerful penis in your singing girly parts.”
She busted out laughing then covered her mouth. When he removed her hand, she continued to giggle. The visual he painted set her off, and she worried she wouldn’t be able to regain her composure. “Sorry.”
“It’s funny. I agree.” His thumb brushed over her side. “What if I told you there were some things in this world that can’t be explained?”
“I’d tell you….” She believed? What if he meant to trick her? She glanced up at him and saw the unsureness reflected back at her. “I think there are things we can’t explain.”
“What if I told you Los Lobos got its name for a reason. A very specific reason.”
For the first time since she’d met Sayer, she saw his pulse flutter at his neck, almost as though he worried what she might say next. She stared up at him for a second, trying to discern what he might be talking about. “I’d tell you to continue.”
He took a step away from her and pulled his shirt off. After dropping it to the floor, he pointed to his stomach. “Remember the first night we were together and you asked me about this scar?” He ran his fingers over the three-inch angry, jagged discolored line.
She nodded.
“The night my parents were killed.” He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. “They attacked me. They wanted me to die, too, so they stabbed me...deep. I don’t know exactly how I got away. Everything became a mess after my parents….”
She moved to him, and he automatically put his hand out, stopping her. “Sayer?”
“It should have killed me. I-I should have shifted to fix it, but I thought if I lay there a bit longer, they’d think I was dead.” He snorted. “I almost was.”
She hung on to his words, mesmerized while also angry and brokenhearted. Yet, for everything he said, one word stuck out to her. Shifted. She didn’t understand. “What do you mean shifted?”
“I’m not good at explaining it. I’ll show you.” He knelt down to remove his shoes while he continued to talk. “Do you know how hard it is for me to trust you?”
She had an inkling. For the last several weeks, it had been as though she put together a puzzle that didn’t contain all the pieces. Now, she had one more to fill in a hole. “I can only imagine.” She ached to touch him. To lend him her strength. “Be strong. Better yet, be the asshole you’re famous for being.”
He grunted. Once his boots were off, he stood back up. His gaze never left hers as he undid the button then eased the zipper down on his pants.
“And here I am without dollar bills. Damn your luck.”
He gifted her with a small smile. “Next time. I expect to be paid in twenties.”
“Sorry. Dollars are the best I can do.”
He shucked the pants, leaving him completely naked. “Here goes nothing.”
With a pop of light so warm and inviting, he went to his knees. The ball of illumination expanded to encompass his whole body. She reached out to it, touching the soft tendrils. Energy so powerful and so pure raced through her that, for a second, she thought she could feel Sayer within the light. It didn’t make any sense to her and for her to refute what she saw as a hallucination wouldn’t work either. She was in the room, standing right in front of him, watching the show he put on for her.
She didn’t know how long she stood there with her fingers dancing through the burst of brightness before it started to dissipate. When it finally retreated into wherever it came from, a beautiful white wolf appeared in front of
her. Kizzy gasped. The animal stood at least three feet from the shoulder to the floor. His face was massive. Those eerie golden eyes she witnessed a few times stared back at her. Sayer.
None of it made sense to her. Mostly the hows and whys. Her vast knowledge of all things paranormal or supernatural came from movies and books. First, she tried to rationalize it. Yes, Sayer had warned her he was different. However, different ran the gamut of ideas. For her, she liked things others thought childish or had no place in an adult’s life. When kids were playing sports, she liked reading. When people were dating, she was writing fanfic. When others were getting married, well…she didn’t have a ring on it. His different? She hadn’t been expecting a big, white furry different.
He took a step toward her then paused. His ears were back, almost touching his head, and his belly practically scrubbed the floor when he moved again. She shook her head. “Stop it. I’m not going to hurt you. Hell, you can eat me. You have all the teeth for it.”
He popped up and crossed the room to her.
“So, this is the big secret you’ve been keeping from me?” She didn’t know what to think. She figured shock had a weird way of numbing things for a second before reality came crashing down around her. “Wait. How is this possible?”
He nuzzled her hand and licked it.
“Yeah, you’re an adorable fuzz ball. But it doesn’t explain how this is physically possible.” She stared at him and tsked. “I know how it works book-wise. You’re either born this way or you were bitten. Oh sweet baby Jesus.” She hurried to the window. Pushing aside the curtain, she looked to the sky. Cloudy.
“Kizzy.”
While she’d been gazing out the window, Mister Tall, Deadly, and Furry changed back. “Can’t tell if it’s a full moon. Should I worry about going wolfie?”
He shook his head. “No, we’re not made from a bite.”
“Well, there’s a load off my mind.” She plopped down in the chair next to her.
“The best way to explain it is a story Gee told me when I was a kid.”
“The big grr guy back at the bar?”
