HOTSHOT BROTHERS: Coyote Shifters

by Hunt, Sabrina

  “Thank you!” I exclaimed, feeling my confidence surge back. “I’m Sky. Sky Hess.”

  “Kalin Montero,” the girl replied brightly as we left the bathroom. “And she’s Willow White-Eagle. Lolo, do you see the boys anywhere?”

  “Oh, I don’t want to intrude–” I started to say.

  “Don’t be silly,” Willow said, lacing her arm through mine. She was strong, I realized, pulling me with her, and I had to jog to match her long stride. “You’re one us, now.”

  At the end of the bar, I caught a glimpse of a pair of huge shoulders standing out from the crowd. Something about them seemed familiar, but Willow was ordering drinks and I was distracted by their insistence on paying for mine. But once Kalin and Willow steered me to the corner, my eyes all but fell out of my head.

  “Burr?” I gasped.

  “Hey, kiddo.” The pair of shoulders belonged to a giant of a man in a sharp suit, his usually unruly curls tamed and slicked back. His green eyes twinkled. “Lookin’ fierce.”

  Hazel was smiling at me from the side of a tall, dark-haired man with something secretive about his smile. Something about that reminded me of Cree.

  “Wait, why are you here?” I asked.

  Burr didn’t answer, only gestured to Hazel’s boyfriend, saying, “Ben Ofreo, this is Sky Hess. Rayner’s little sister.”

  Ben extended a hand and I shook it, blinking at him. “Nice to meet you, Sky.”

  Willow had walked up to Burr and poked him in the side. “Oy, Empire State Building, anything?” He shook his head. “Where are the other two?”

  “Checking outside,” Burr replied mildly. “Didn’t you just get a drink? Why are you so edgy?”

  “Toilet paper incident,” Kalin murmured and Willow and I laughed.

  “Wait, do you mean my brother?” I asked. “Is he here – outside?”

  “No, not Ray. Though I imagine he’s racing to get here now that he knows you’re not at your apartment.” Burr was grinning like we were sharing a joke. “I told Cree his plan sucked.”

  I started and stared around at them, then I folded my arms. “Unbelievable. What, so you’re all my babysitters?”

  “No, no, of course not,” Hazel said swiftly. “There are extenuating circumstances–”

  “Circumstances my ass! Where is Cree?” I ground out. “He needs a good punch in the head.”

  Willow laughed. “Oh, I like you.”

  “This is ridiculous!” I scowled. “Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?”

  Standing in their circle, I saw silent looks of understanding exchange between them. Before I could speak again, Kalin squeezed my arm and I turned towards her. She was looking behind us, her gaze soft and her smile full of adoration as a tall, black man came up to us.

  “Oh good, you found her.” He gave Kalin a long look of open love that stirred up a sharp sting of envy. “’Lo, Sky.” There was a touch of the south in his accent, a warm drawl that belied his serious gaze. “Wes Young. You did a number on my boy there. And while it’s nice to have a break from his shenanigans, sad Cree is far more annoying than happy Cree.” His hazel eyes studied me. “Rayner put him in a bad spot, Sky. I hope you can–”

  “Sky, there you are,” Mary appeared next to me, breathless. “I need you. Oh, are these…?” She gazed around at the circle of tall, brawny men and their glittering, beautiful dates. Mary looked dazed. “Who are these people?”

  “Family,” Wes said smoothly. “Of Sky’s boyfriend. So her family, too, in a way.”

  I mustered a smile, then said, “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

  As I walked away, I glanced back. There was indeed an aura of familiarity and family over them. Again, a memory tickled the back of my head, urging me to go back to them.

  “Sky, there’s someone who wants to meet you,” Mary was saying in my ear.

  “Mary,” I stopped her. “Can it wait? I have to do something first. It’s important.”

  “Oh, um…” She bit her lip. I’d never seen Mary so out of sorts.

  “What’s wrong? Who is it?” I asked.

  Then I glanced right by some instinct. My breath caught.

  Cree was coming towards me, his gaze intense and dark. He moved with ease and quickness through the crowd, appearing at my elbow in seconds. I hadn’t seen him in his tux yet and for a minute, I was afraid my knees would give out, he looked so handsome.

  “Sky,” he said in a low, intense voice. I stared up at him, forgetting Mary was there. “I have to talk to you. Now.”

  “Mary, I’m sorry, I’ll meet them later,” I said, not even looking at her.

  Dragging me to a quiet, empty hallway, its windows reflecting the blinding sunset, I stopped and Cree walked a few steps ahead of me. In the distance, I could see a smudge of blue that was the Puget Sound and the arch of rose-gold sky over it.

  Even though I’d seen Cree last night, an eternity seemed to stretch between us – a wall of ice – and I found myself getting furious again. Then he turned to look at me and those words caught in my throat. Now I found myself flushing hotly.

  Cree is the worst liar, a whisper of thought went through my head. That’s why he left that stupid note. Tears burned my eyes and throat. He can’t even lie on paper.

  “Jesus, Sky,” he finally said, still drinking me in. “You’re a vision.”

  “Fine feathers,” I murmured, glancing down. Then I leaned against the warm glass. He seemed to be purposefully staying out of arm’s reach and I gave him a curious look. “Didn’t you have something to say to me?” I asked. “Or, oh wait, did you leave it all in the note?”

  Regardless, I’m still pissed at him.

  Flinching, Cree rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “I’m tired of this, Cree!” I burst out. “I’m so angry with you! And I still want to kiss you! It’s so hard to stay mad. But it wasn’t fair of you to shut me out. You know that.”

  Nodding, Cree said, “I do know. Everyone’s been yelling at me all day about it.”

  “Good,” I said. Silence spun out between us and Cree shifted from foot to foot. “Cree.”

  “I wish you didn’t come,” he said, his voice bleak. I sucked in a breath, ready to yell at him. “I wish you didn’t come because I am never going to get you out of my head now.” His voice was full of the kind of longing that made my heart spin out of control. “I never told you what I said when I kissed you that first time. Todo lo que hago es pensar en ti. All I do is think of you.

  “And I lied to you, twice – I imagine you already know that. First, when you asked if I’d been in love before. I had never... But now…” He let out a long breath.

  “Now…?” I asked, my heart pounding so hard against my ribs, I was afraid they’d crack.

  Cree walked over to me, cupping my face in hands. Our lips met like two waves crashing together and I gripped his jacket tightly. The sensation of drowning was coming over me again, but it was a different kind. Instead of being crushed, I was being lifted.

  When we broke apart, Cree’s breath was ragged. “Sky, I still don’t know if this will work. There’s so much you don’t know. So much I should have told you. The other lie was when you asked if it was dangerous or if we could get hurt. We can and we do. It is dangerous and I don’t want my life to become a burden, Sky. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  I was about to answer when my phone buzzed insistently in my clutch. A call.

  “Sorry, hold on.” I pulled away from him and fumbled for it. Ten bucks it’s Rayner. He has the worst timing. Looking at it, I saw I did have a missed call from Rayner along with a text. My heartbeat became uneven. “It’s Ray. He’s outside. Wants to talk.”

  Cree’s chest rose and fell rapidly. “Okay,” he said, his throat working.

  “Cree, I don’t think there’s anything that can change how I feel about you,” I murmured.

  “Akba Atatdia, I hope so,” he murmured. “Okay, go. Before I kiss you ag
ain. That dress.” A glimmer of Cree’s signature joy came back. “Grade-A stunner.”

  “Hold that thought. All of those thoughts. I’ll be right back,” I told him, squeezing his hand. “Right back. And remember what I said. Nothing, Cree. I mean it.”

  I love you.

  Taking a deep breath, I turned and headed for the main room, then slipped outside. The sun had fallen below the horizon and the west was full of a dying glow, like a snuffed ember. In the east, clouds were mounting and a cold breeze hissed across the landscape. I shivered.

  Glancing to my right, I saw a walkway and a man standing at the end of it. He gestured to me. Hurrying over, my heels clacking on the pavement, I rubbed my arms.

  At the end of the walkway was a small garden surrounded by trees and a fence. A path snaked off into the woods, the shadows dripping from the trees and hiding from sight where it went.

  Suddenly everything was remote. It was as though I’d crossed a line and the rest of the world had been tucked neatly behind a veil. Disoriented, I glanced behind me to see the club was no longer in sight. A deeper, more jarring shudder went through me.

  “Rayner?” I asked. “Where have you been?” The man turned and I gasped, my vision blurring with instant tears. “But, how…” My knees hit the ground. “I don’t understand…”

  “You will,” came the light, laughing reply.

  Chapter 19

  Watching Sky walk away had been like a knife to the gut that pulled straight up into my heart. It was the clearest feeling I’d had in the last few days, after the blur of knotted, suppressed emotions and jagged thoughts. In a way, it was almost a relief to feel pain after the numbness.

  She’d been hurt, but she’d been brave. Braver than me, anyway. And she was right. Sky had done nothing to deserve that kind of cowardice from me, running off and leaving that note.

  Wes had given me hell for it. Then Kalin found out and everyone found out, and everyone gave me hell for it. I deserved it. And I’d tell her so.

  I’ll tell her everything, I thought. After Rayner is done, I’m going to be honest with her.

  Closing my eyes, I saw her standing in front of me again. Her gaze mirroring back my own longing. Her gorgeous, shapely body in that green dress. And those full pink lips I’d never get tired of kissing. Not even after a hundred lifetimes together.

  I’m in love with you Sky. I never want to be parted from you again. I want you.

  I want to spend my life with you.

  With a sigh, I pushed off the wall I was holding up and moved back into the main room. It was filled with people, the noise assaulting my ears and I had to struggle to get over to where my brothers and their girls were holding it down.

  Wes gave me an alarmed look. “Where’s Sky? Did you tell her?”

  Every eye was on me and I hunched my shoulders. “Jeez, Wes. Put me on the spot.”

  “Answer the question, Cree,” Kalin ordered.

  “No,” I muttered. A collective sigh went around the table. “What, Rayner showed up and–”

  “What about me?” a voice interrupted. Rayner came into my periphery and offered me a small smile. I stared at him. “What’s wrong? You look like you saw a ghost.”

  “Not saw, I am seeing one!” I said. “Damn, Ray, about time.” Then I gripped his arm. “How’d she take it? Where is she?” My heart was sinking fast. Oh no, she’s horrified, she’s disgusted…

  “How did who take what?” he asked, nonplussed. “Where’s Sky?”

  “Stop screwing with me, asshole,” I said, harsher than I meant to. “Sky. What happened?” My stomach clenched. “Did she leave?”

  “I haven’t seen my sister, Cree,” Rayner was getting irritated now. “What do you mean what happened? Where is she? She wasn’t at her apartment.”

  “Didn’t you get my text?” Burr interrupted.

  Rayner shook his head, reaching for his pocket. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he searched his pockets. “My phone is gone. That guy – outside her apartment on the street – he bumped into me…”

  My vision swam as fear and rage ripped a hole through the center of my chest.

  Turning, I ran, almost flying I went so fast. I didn’t look behind me, didn’t care what anyone else was doing. I had to get to Sky.

  Bursting outside, the chill hit me right away. It was noxious, sucking at the bottom of my stomach, curdling my blood and making it hard to breathe. I had no idea where she was.

  But I could sense where it was.

  Down at Foster Point, over the bridge, through the dead-hanging-deer woods. Great.

  Not even pausing, I rushed through the woods, my feet hammering the boardwalk as the silent trees around me filled with deepening shadows. They seemed alive, moving out of the corner of my eye and slinking alongside my flying feet.

  Up ahead, I thought I caught a flash of color in the twilight and I put on a burst of speed. The Crooked Man was standing in front of Sky, who was sitting on the ground with her head in her hands. Her shoes were gone, her feet bleeding and her entire body was shaking.

  Its pronounced limp, a dragging, God-awful sound, scraped into my eardrums as it began to walk towards her. It murmured something to her and while I couldn’t catch the words, I could hear the dark amusement. They were in a small clearing with a picnic table and benches, with the water glinting beyond them. I was almost there when its head flew up and blue glinted at me.

  “Stop,” it said. “Don’t take another damn step, coyote. You’ll regret it.”

  The Crooked Man was in his blonde skin-suit, the face of his true human form. I couldn’t understand it. And I didn’t like the way it was looking at Sky, with a covetous, satisfied smirk.

  I did stop, somehow. “Sky,” I said, my voice ragged. “Are you okay?”

  Standing there was like my entire body was being pierced with heavy spikes. Sky looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears and her face filled with an emotion I couldn’t name.

  Not fear. More like shock and incomprehension. She nodded.

  “I told you, Sky. If you come with me, I’ll explain everything,” the Crooked Man said.

  “No,” she said weakly. “I can’t… How long?”

  “Don’t listen to him, Sky,” I said in a low voice, poised and ready. I would shift in a heartbeat if it took a step closer. But we seemed to be at a stalemate – the two of us on either side of her.

  “Sky, it will all make sense, I promise.” Its smile became cruel.

  “No,” she whispered. Then Sky stood up in one fluid motion, her spine was straight and hair tumbling down. “No!” she burst out. Sky’s eyes found me and she managed a smile.

  Something in my chest loosened at that. “See,” I remarked airily. “Can’t come between us.”

  Sky was walking towards me when the Crooked Man hissed, “I’ll tell you what he is.” Almost against her will, she looked at him and bit her lip. “You know I’d never lie.”

  What? What was going on here? Why was he implying some sort of intimacy with Sky? My Sky? And why would the Crooked Man be giving up secrets? Our mutual secrets, in fact?

  It made no sense.

  Finally – why was he wearing his true face?

  Something was trying to sort itself out in the back of my head, but I was too caught up in wondering how to get Sky out here safely to pay it mind.

  The Crooked Man gave her knowing look and asked, “Haven’t you wondered about all these monsters in Seattle, Sky? Haven’t you wondered where he vanishes off to, where Rayner’s been all this time?” Its eyes flashed red. “I’ll pull off the mask – I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

  Sky’s fists went tight at her side and she shook her head. “I’ll find out for myself, thanks.”

  “Oh, Sky,” it said, in mock sadness. “Cree won’t tell you. He’s too ashamed. I suppose I would be, too, if I were half a beast. No, he’ll never reveal his other face.” The Crooked Man shrugged. “The face of a monster.”

  Sky was looking b
etween us, her eyes wide, and I could tell she was reading my face. An open look of fear and sickening shame at that fear.

  A faint roaring started in my skull. How did it know?

  But it didn’t matter.

  The creature was right. I was ashamed and afraid. I couldn’t handle it if Sky rejected me. Unable to hold her gaze, I looked down.

  “Cree,” Sky started to say.

  “Pathetic,” the Crooked Man interrupted and I heard a rustle of cloth. “At least I own it.” My head flew up and it grinned at me. “Let’s test your fear against your shame.”

  And it leveled a gun at Sky.

  I heard the shot go off, saw the silver streak, and that was it. I was running and leaping, knocking Sky to the ground. A line of fire tore across my recently healed shoulder and I bit out a cry.

  But beyond that, I paid it no mind. I was too busy checking to see if Sky was okay, sniffing and eyeing her. She stared up at me, her lips parted and pupils enormous.

  I could see myself reflected in them. A shaggy, dark brown coyote.

  “Wolf,” she squeaked.

  Sitting back, I let her scramble away and her hands lifted to her mouth. I shifted back and she gasped, her hands now pressing against her mouth as though to stop herself from screaming.

  “Actually, coyote,” I said, trying to smile. “Coyote Shifter.”

  “See, Sky. A monster,” the Crooked Man uttered with contempt. “Doesn’t this prove it?”

  “Sky, no, I would never hurt you – it’s not what you think,” I said desperately.

  Her eyes darted to it and then back to me, moving to my shoulder. There was panic and fear in her eyes, but it wasn’t at me.

  It was for me.

  I smiled at her, warmth rushing through my veins. “I never should have doubted you.” The click of the gun sounded and I turned back to the Crooked Man. “Guns. Kind of below you, isn’t it? Guess the girls really did a number on you in Alaska.” Slowly I stood up, the sight of the gun following me. “You can have me. You can even kill me. I don’t care. Just let her go.”