HOTSHOT BROTHERS: Coyote Shifters

by Hunt, Sabrina

  All too soon, however, I came undone, unraveling and unwrapping in a blaze that shook me to my core. When Rayner slid out, I shivered, curled up, willing back a sudden rush of tears. The intensity of it scared me even as I craved it again.

  Fear of loss, I realized. And I opened my eyes to see Rayner gazing down at me, his hand cupping my face. Desperate to convince myself he was still here, I bounded up and wrapped my arms around his neck, knocking him back against the pillows.

  There was a slight hesitation in these kisses, as though he could taste the salt of my tears and was having second thoughts. So I held on tighter until he forgot everything but me.

  Straddling him, I found his hardness and was filled again. Bouncing over him, I gasped as Rayner met me thrust for thrust. A triumphant, sexy smirk spread across his face as he watched me. His fingers gripped my breasts and I held his arms. It was faster this time – too fast. I watched as the pleasure rushed over him as it did me and we came together.

  Breathless, I fell onto the mattress and stared up at the ceiling.

  How am I supposed to go on living after this? How can I live without him? Squeezing my eyes shut, I chided myself, don’t think about things like that!

  Suddenly I was wrapped up in his arms, my head tucked under his chin and legs entwined. “Do you mind if we lay like this?” he asked in a husky voice. “I want to hold onto you for a while.”

  Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms around his neck and willed that this would be the first time of many. That Rayner and I had all the time in the world.

  I’d lost track of time, but I knew it was now dark outside with the dark of night.

  Rayner was running one hand through my hair, but then his fingers began to tease in circles up and down my spine. I squirmed against him and then I was flat on my back. He was pinning me down, holding my wrists and smiling.

  When our lips met this time, however, there was a desperation on both our parts. Both of us wanted to make each touch memorable and lasting. And when Rayner finally thrust forward, filling me, I had the sense he was holding back, trying to spin out every second.

  Moving against each other, our eyes met and I couldn’t look away. Rayner’s eyes were a swirl of blue and silver and even a tint of gold, it seemed. It was like he’d given in to the fire inside of him and was struggling to keep it in check.

  Don’t, I wanted to tell him. Let it burn. Consume me.

  But there was no need. The inferno swallowed us both.

  I woke the next morning hours before Rayner did and well before dawn. I couldn’t sleep. Instead, I pressed my cheek to his chest and listened to the reassuring sound of his heartbeat. His tattoo had healed – if it had ever been injured – and was glinting in the light.

  Lying there, I felt a helpless kind of rage for the position Rayner was in. Even though I didn’t know everything, I could glean from his journal that he was carrying an incredible burden at the moment. One that wasn’t fair and far too heavy.

  A stubborn, strangely feminine protectiveness rose up in me. And I felt like snarling at the universe, back off, he’s mine! Little good that would do, but it would probably make Rayner laugh.

  Lifting my head, I studied his face. He was so handsome it made my heart hurt. In sleep, most of the worry lines were smoothed form his face although his lips pressed together in a serious line. Seized with a sudden impulse, I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

  When I pulled back he was smiling and I blinked in surprise. Then his eyes opened and he laughed. His hand tangled at the back of my head and pulled me back in for another kiss.

  “Mornin’ bookworm,” he said when we broke apart. “Tired?” A self-satisfied and sleepy smirk was on Rayner’s face. “Sore?”

  “You wish,” I retorted.

  “I don’t.” Light leaped into this eyes and his smirk grew. “But I’m a little surprised.” He pulled me closer and kissed my nose. “So, wanna stay in bed all day?”

  There was a light to Rayner now, one that had been stifled for too many months and I smiled. This was the Rayner I’d known last summer. “No, I have to get up and take a shower. Take Nim out.”

  “Oh.” His hands fell away and he gave me a sheepish look. “Right.”

  Slipping out of bed, I stretched at the edge of it and sensed his gaze on me. Glancing back, Rayner gave me a grin and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. I strutted across the floor and stopped in the bathroom door. He was now gritting his jaw and glaring at the mattress.

  A laugh bubbled up. “Rayner.” He jumped and looked at me. “Aren’t you coming?”

  He laughed, too, scrambling out of bed after me and vowing, “You’re gonna pay for that.”

  By the time we got out of the shower, I was thankful to see Nim had not had an accident, although he was clearly dying to go out. When we got back to the room, Rayner set up breakfast for me and Nim, who darted for his.

  He’d ordered ours from room service: a pile of eggs, pancakes, French toast and home-fries. Bless this coyote shifter for having impeccable breakfast taste.

  Glancing at my watch, I was shocked to see it was 10:30.

  As I sat down across from Rayner, I peeked at him. In one hand he held a map, the other wrapped around a fork, and his shoulders were loose. His face was serious though, and his eyes a flinty gray as he studied it. Then he looked over at me. “Yes?”

  “Huh?” I said and my fork slipped out of my hand. “Oh, damn.”

  Leaning across the table, Rayner raised an eyebrow. “You were staring.”

  “I-I was not,” I protested, wiping at the mess I’d made.

  “Oh, so you didn’t need something?” The side of his mouth curved up.

  “I’m good,” I chirped, staring down at my plate. Something stroked along my ankle and I jumped, pulling my feet up. I looked down to see Rayner’s foot and up to see his grin. “Ray.”

  “Mm?” He was pretending to ignore me again.

  My phone buzzed, back on for the first time in days after I’d neglected to shut it off and the battery died. Getting up, I went over to it and saw an email had come through. It was from the university – I’d gotten to the second round of interviews for the position.

  Biting my thumb, I opened the email and hastily wrote back that I couldn’t come in for interviews right now; there was a personal emergency going on.

  My excitement was now tempered. All of that felt far away and unimportant.

  Glancing back at Rayner, my heart squeezed. I wondered if turning down the position would let me keep what I really wanted.

  Hell, I’d barter anything. Sell my all my worldly goods.

  Sell my damn soul.

  Lost in thought, I wandered back to the table and was seized around the waist. Rayner pulled me down onto his lap and in the process nearly knocked my glasses off. He reached up and straightened them with an apologetic smile, then pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder.

  “Sorry,” he murmured, his whiskers scraping my skin and setting off sparks everywhere. “It had been a while.”

  I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Good Lord,” but joy sang through me and I let my arms settle around his neck. I know what you mean.

  “What was that about?” he asked, gesturing with his head at my phone.

  “Oh, nothing. Work stuff.” Rayner made a guilty face and I shook my head. “Ray. It’s fine.”

  “Do you want to stay here another night?” He asked in a husky voice. “I think it’d be okay.”

  I started at those words. There was a recklessness to Rayner, a hunger in him that was taking over. Part of me – no, most of me – wanted to give in.

  But as I looked at him, I was suddenly seized with the urgent need to learn the whole story. I had talked to Aunt Sil and the other girls. We had things to do.

  And I had to figure out a way to save Rayner, possibly from himself.

  “No,” I said slowly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Tossing my hair, I said archly, even as my heart twisted
in my chest with regret, “Am I proving too much of a distraction?”

  Rayner let his head droop onto my chest. “Yes,” he groaned.

  “Well, that’s too bad!” I said briskly and gave his cheek a small slap. “We have things to do. A world to save. Maps to look at.”

  As Rayner let me go, he let out a sigh and I glanced back. He was looking around at the room and then at the bedroom with soft, affectionate eyes. “I know. I just didn’t want to leave so soon.”

  The twist in my chest became more pronounced and I turned around. “I’ll pack.”

  From here on out, it looked like it was up to me to keep us focused. Well, I thought. I did start the fire. And if I can take some of his burdens, so much the better.

  Stumbling over a wayward root, again, Rayner caught me against his hard chest and I gasped. He took his time letting me go and then pressed a kiss to my temple.

  “Extra clumsy today, huh? What’s whirling around in that brain of yours?” he asked.

  Keeping you alive and with me. Out loud, I said, “Oh, you know. Shifter stuff.”

  “You can ask me, you know.” Tugging at his beard, Rayner gave me a grin. “I’m kind of an expert. Come on, Green, hit me with your hardest questions.”

  “Uh…” I muttered, freezing up now that I was on the spot. Dammit. “Why did you guys go to Arizona?”

  Cocking his head, Rayner gave me a look like that wasn’t what he was expecting. Making a face, he asked, “Are you trying to guilt-trip me, woman? I already feel bad enough.”

  “No,” I blurted out, stumbling over another root but managing to catch myself. “It just seems like Montana is the place where you guys are needed. Why go south?”

  Rayner proceeded to explain how Ash Walkers popped up anywhere there was a concentration of corruption. Pollution and violence against nature were usually a sure indicator, which was why being a wildland firefighter had come in so handy for their double-lives.

  I nodded. “So you guys were on assignment? Arizona has forests?”

  “Oh, yeah, some. But no. We were looking for something.”

  I waited for him to continue, then squinted over at him. “Care to share?”

  He gave me a bland smile. “Nah.”

  “Of course not.”

  The rest of the day proceeded like that, with Rayner giving the barest bones of information about why he’d bounced around the country with his brothers.

  By nightfall, I didn’t even care. My feet hurt and my shoulders were aching from the new things I’d bought in town. Plus, all we had to look forward to was a cold cabin. We were back on Sil’s land, but I had no idea how he could even tell.

  Rayner was frowning as he walked forward and then he stopped abruptly, sucking in a sharp breath. I was about to ask him what was wrong when I saw it too.

  A cabin, or rather, what was left of it.

  It had been burned to the ground, probably the day before it had rained. But the ash that had been scattered in the front the remains of the building were still clear. Black against the green – a rendition of a ghastly smiley face – grinning up at the sky.

  “We need to go.” His hand closed on my wrist and then Nim let out a bark. “No, Nim! Sh.”

  I swung around and knew it was too late. Gleams blazed out in the darkness. Eyes.

  Surrounding us.

  I’d never seen Rayner move so fast. He swung me behind him, shoving his phone at me and muttering under his breath. “Figure out our coordinates and text them to Hazel. Along with 9-1-1. And write ‘Paige and the dog first.’”

  Before I could draw the breath to ask a question, he’d shed his backpack and darted off, shifting into a coyote and drawing the eyes straight towards him. One of the beast’s eyes closed and I heard it running off. Nim was trembling by my feet and I was shaking as I followed Rayner’s instructions. The map was blurry in my hands. Finally, once I got the coordinates, I hastened to type them in. I was trying to focus on the phone, but I kept glancing up, frantically seeking Rayner in the gloom. But his fur, for being gold-hued, blending right into the fauna.

  Suddenly a man lurched out of the woods and I squeaked. A growl emanated from Nim. Realizing I hadn’t pressed send, I did so and prayed Hazel would get it in time.

  Please tell me we have service.

  “Who are you?” asked a guttural voice. I squinted at the man. He was holding something and his face was covered – sunglasses and a bandana.

  I didn’t answer, just glanced at the phone. No response.

  “Who are you?” he demanded again and swung the object up.

  At that moment, I realized it was a crossbow and a cold spike of fear went through me. His movements were jerky as he stepped forward, as though he was a creature not used to walking in a human’s body. Then I recoiled in horror as its skin cracked with black and the glasses slipped off.

  Pale yellow eyes met mine.

  “Who are you, bitch?” it growled, leveling the crossbow at me.

  Something shot past me through the air and hit the Pale Eye on the nose, knocking him backward. I peered forward. He was unconscious.

  Rayner? I wondered, trying to catch my breath as I glanced from side to side.

  “Ugh, I hate that word,” said an unfamiliar female voice from behind me.

  “I know, Lolo, but we have more pressing concerns,” came a familiar, British-accented female voice. “Paige, are you alright?”

  I stumbled and spun around. Two women had appeared behind me. One was a tall, elegant Native American woman, her long black hair tied in a neat braid down her back. A crossbow loaded with flat arrows was resting on her shoulder. The other was a smiling, rosy-cheeked girl with chestnut curls who threw out her hands.

  “Hazel!” I cried out. “How are you here?”

  “No time for that,” the Native woman said, swinging down her crossbow and firing another flat bolt into the night. A grunt from behind me alerted me to another Pale Eye. “I only have so many of these things. Where’s Rayner?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, wringing my hands.

  “You brought your dog?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “He didn’t tell you a damn thing, did he?” Rolling her eyes, she muttered, “Honestly, he’s worse than Burr.”

  “You mean Ben,” Hazel said lightly, but as she stepped forward I could see the shadows under her eyes. “Can you pick up your dog and hold onto me for a moment?”

  Nodding, I went to scoop up Nim when the other woman let out a shout. Hazel tried to grab me, but her hands missed. A heavy body had slammed me on the side and I was down, rolling over and over across the ground, glasses flying off.

  “Rayner!” Hazel screamed.

  Looking up, I blinked and saw a cougar growling at me. Ash was streaked across its face and its eyes burned a dull, manic red. Gasping, I tried to crawl away when its claws lashed out. White-hot pain lanced across my arm and I let out a cry.

  Then it was flung to the side, a panting coyote in its place. When it went to leap back, fire snaked across the ground, chasing it away.

  Rayner appeared at that moment and touched the side of my face. “Paige, oh my god.” His eyes were frantic and his face white. “Hazel, Willow!”

  Hazel came running over, while the other woman, Willow, carried a squirming Nim. “Take hold of me,” she ordered Rayner.

  “All of us?” he asked, staring at her.

  “We don’t have time. Willow, grab my shoulder. Paige, take my hand.” She threw out her other hand at Rayner. “Take my damn hand, idiot!”

  I thought I heard Rayner mutter something like Ben is going to kill me, but suddenly my hand was clasped and the universe seemed to blink.

  One minute we were in a clearing in the woods, the cool wind rustling through the trees and the night full of the gleam of yellow eyes.

  The next we were in a kitchen I hazily thought I recognized.

  Hazel sat down heavily and Willow placed down Nim, her hands landing on Hazel’s shoulders, keeping her upright. I tho
ught I saw Willow’s mouth moving and I glanced over at Rayner. He was staring around like he couldn’t believe where he was and his shoulders sagged with relief. Then he swung around to me, his mouth moving soundlessly. I lifted my hand to my eyes.

  It was covered in blood.

  And I fell backward into darkness, again, even as Rayner tried to reach for me.

  Chapter 15

  “She’s going to be fine, Ray,” came Sky’s soft voice in my ear and I raised my head.

  The moon was shining down overhead, waning into darkness. The sight was filling me with unreasonable panic, so I’d spent the last hour or so staring down at the ground, trying to stay put after Pea had banished me from the room where they’d set Paige up.

  My little sister sat down next to me and smiled, her blonde head shining in the faint light and her gray-green eyes dancing. “Guess Willow was right. You really care about Paige, huh?”

  I let out a grunt and settled my chin on my arms. “Yeah, and see where it landed her.”

  “Oh, do not start with that, Rayner Hess,” Sky chided. “You Hotshot Brothers are all the same. You were surrounded by a million mountain lions and all on your own. The girls told us.”

  Nodding, I tried not to relive those moments of darkness and horror. The fetid breath and the snarls, darting away from claws and trying to draw them off, all while a voice inside of me screamed to be cautious, to remember that if I got hurt or died, it would seal my brothers’ fate.

  “At least we’re back,” I sighed. “How’s Hazel?”

  “Exhausted, but she said she’d do it again in a heartbeat. She’s probably asleep now.”

  Stairs creaked and Aunt Sil walked past Sky into the yard. “Excuse me, Sky, may I borrow Rayner for a walk?”

  Sky nodded and gave me a quick kiss on the side of the head. Standing up, I jogged towards Sil, dully expecting a lecture or a reprimand.

  Instead, she gave me a sad look and asked, “Did you tell her?”

  “Who, Sky? Uh…”