The smelled of wet dog was strong as we stepped inside. A large fire was going in the fireplace that dominated one wall. She-wolves in both animal and human forms, lay about on thick cushions beside a large chair, a throne made from antlers and leather. Logan sat on the chair wrapped in a towel. He stood a little over six feet. He was proud of his body and its well-defined abs and strong arms. His blonde spiked hair was still wet. Two she-wolves were drying his legs. His light blue eyes bore into mine.
"So, Shravani, you have come to join my harem." Logan smiled, leaning back in his chair. The she-wolves around him glared at me with burning deep hatred. We have had this conversation many times. He knew of my tastes in mates, but he persisted. He still bore the bite scar on his left bicep from one of our last encounters. Now, I believe he just asks me to join his bevy of fine women to anger me and make those already in his harem more loyal.
"Cut it, Chakor."
"You will address me as Logan."
"And you will address me as Toni." I let go of Jade's hand to cross my arms against my chest. Logan was a cocky pup, and it became more apparent when he became Alpha. He did not fight for the position; rather, his father had given it to him. Unheard of by pack standards. His father has been a good man and blessedly died of old age. "Let's get down to business."
"You are not going to even let me dress?"
"No."
"Dangerous for you."
"Just try."
Logan looked at me. His eyes wandered over my body. He then turned his attention to Jade. He smiled, the tips of his fangs showing. I took a step forward; a petite blonde she-wolf stood to challenge. Logan held up his hand, and the she-wolf sat back down, her light brown eyes never leaving me. "You have gotten yourself a mate. Pity, you both would have made fine additions to my harem."
"Cut the crap, Logan. Why did you mark Jade's shop?" I pulled out my cell phone and brought up the image burned into the countertop. Logan took the phone to study the image.
Logan had the decency to act shocked. He looked over at Mica, but the old wolf's face was unreadable, before he looked back at me. "I have no clue what you are talking about," he said, handing me back my phone.
His scent told me that he was telling the truth. That bothered me more. I disliked him and his ways, but he had never lied to me before. I chewed my bottom lip in thought. I started to ask about the Barbie demon fight at my ranch, but I felt Jade move to stand closer to me.
"How many know your clan's symbol?" Jade asked, cutting me off from my next line of questioning.
"All in the otherworld know. It is required, pup."
"She is not a pup," I shot back at him. "She's human."
Logan took a sniff of the air. "She doesn't smell human. Okay, maybe a tad, but there is something more to her. I am surprised that you haven't taken wind of it, Toni." Logan stood. The towel stayed in place, slung low on his narrow hips. "I will take my leave. You may show yourself out, Shravani."
"Logan, you need to find out what is going on."
He walked away from his chair and stood a pace before me. "No, bounty hunter, you need to find out what is going on. I have no say in the human world. That is your domain."
"You do well with the shops."
"That is my only connection. You know that humans run the shops. I just oversee. Good hunting." Logan turned and left through the door behind his chair.
I took Jade's hand in my own. "Come on. Let's get out of this den."
Jade said nothing as she followed me back to the truck. I felt Mica's eyes staring at my back, and I turned around. The look on his face made me walk all the faster. I untied the peace knot on my sword and unclipped the holster of my beastie taser. I helped Jade into the truck. As I came around to the driver's side, a shadow moved between the oak trees that surrounded the property. I fired up the truck, slammed on the gas and wound my way off the DeLupi property.
Jade bounced in her seat as I took the rutted road too fast. She held on to the door. "Slow down."
I didn't pay attention to her. The gate was rising fast, I floored the truck. "Bring on the games, you damnable old wolf," I muttered.
"What are you talking about?"
The howls grew louder as the chain grew higher. "Hang on."
I slammed into the gate. The chain snapped, slapping the sides of the truck, but I did not stop. The howling grew to a crescendo before dying down to mere yips and barks. Back on the highway, I slowed the truck down to the speed limit, checking the rearview mirror to make sure we were not followed. I settled back to watch the road.
"Is it true you can smell what others cannot?" Jade asked, staring out the window.
"Yes."
"So it can't be fully hidden," Jade muttered.
I continued to watch the road as I pondered the comment. "I think the dog is lying," I told her, trying to calm whatever fear she had.
"Werewolves are strange."
I laughed. "If you think werewolves are strange, you really need to get out more. Hon, there are meaner things than us."
"Do you regret becoming a wolf?" Jade asked, her voice quiet.
"I was never bitten, I was born."
I heard the tumble of rocks before Jade screamed. "Hang on." I yelled when the first boulder crashed onto the road. I swerved to avoid the first boulder, only to be caught in a shower of smaller stones. The banging of stones drowned out the music playing. "Find 'Stand My Ground' on the MP3 player and crank it," I said.
Jade leaned towards the MP3 holder and ran through the cycle of songs, swaying with the truck as I wound my way around the stones that kept falling. The song blared from the speakers. I smiled and welcomed the challenge in front of me. The rocks, stones, and boulders continued to fall. Finally, the strange storm seemed to die and fall away behind us. Too easy. I slammed on my brakes.
"Why are you stopping?" Jade asked. Her hands were holding onto the dashboard, knuckles white.
"Watch," I whispered.
The rolling crash of a boulder grew louder. I threw the truck in reverse as a massive boulder fell just in front of us and blocked both lanes of the road. "I have a plan. Care to go off-roading?" I asked, looking at Jade.
Jade smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "After what I have experienced in just the past few hours, sure, why not? This has got to be a dream."
"This is no dream. I'll pinch you if you want." I cranked the steering wheel right, and we plunged over the side of the mountain. The music was strong and fast, helping me to concentrate. Jade said nothing, only gripped the sissy bar beside the door, her face ashen. I swerved through the oak and pine trees, losing one of my side mirrors. I slammed on my brakes, leaving skid marks in the fallen bracken.
"Do you have any idea what you are doing?" Jade's voice was shaky.
I kept my eyes on the terrain in front of me, watching the old oak tree loom larger in front of us. I smiled, letting my fangs show. The truck slowed down and stopped just before hitting the tree. I sighed, releasing the tension that had grown between my shoulder blades.
"Come on," I said, unhooking my seatbelt and opening the door.
"Where are we going?"
"Deeper into the woods," I answered as I unsheathed my sword and made sure that my taser was charged.
"We're what?" Jade sounded shocked. "Are you looking for a fight?"
"No, I'm looking for answers."
We moved deeper into the woods. The scent of pine, earth, and oak calmed me down enough to think. If I was wolf, I would be running for the sheer pleasure of it, but with Jade with me, I could not let that happen. Walking into a small clearing, I found what I was looking for: a small cave and a running stream.
"You knew about this place?" Jade walked around the small clearing, stopping at the stream to take a drink of the clear cool water that bubbled its way down towards the lake.
I nodded as I gathered fallen bracken and rocks from the edges of the clearing. I created a fire circle in the middle of the clearing and placed the bracken. Jade understood
what I was doing and began to find fallen branches to help fuel the flames. In short order, we had a small fire going in the gathering darkness. Small plumes of smoke drifted up into the night sky. I took off my weapons and placed them next to Jade.
"What are you doing?" Jade asked, shying away from the weapons.
"Going to hunt for dinner," I answered as I sat down to remove my boots and then stood to remove the rest of my clothing.
"Do you want me to turn around?" Jade asked.
I could see the spark of lust in her eyes as well as sensing her growing arousal. I smiled inwardly; maybe watching over her was not such a bad thing after all. A smile twitched at the corner of my lips. "Why? You have already seen me in the nude."
"That was before all this karma started coming back and attacking me."
"Karma is not attacking you. She is more subtle. Demons are attacking under someone's command. The fates have other plans, and I am only the gatekeeper until such time." I finished undressing I and stood nude before her. While the spark of lust was still there, there was also something more. I cocked my head. "What?"
"I just want to watch you change."
I have never allowed anyone to watch my transformation. It is painful. "Are you sure?" I wasn't. I did not need her to panic and run blindly into the woods.
Jade squared her shoulders. "Yes." Her voice was even, no emotion. She gave me a weak smile, which I returned.
I let the change happen. The snap of bones breaking and reforming threw me to the ground. Muscles ripped away only to be reattached. My pelt thickened. I howled, and the change was complete. I stared at Jade with my wolf sight. There was something more in her aura that I had not picked up on before. It was almost true magick, but wild and untamed.
Jade leaned forward, her hand held out, palm side up. I pushed my nose into her palm and she giggled. "That's cold." She began to scratch behind my ears. I let my eye close a bit at the pleasure. She pulled her hand back and sat down. "That was something to see. Thank you. Do you know that they scar that is on your eye when you are human is also there when you are a wolf." I nodded. Jade watched me for a moment. "You understand me?" I nodded again. "I wish I could speak with you. Okay, I will stay here, but I will scream if something attacks. I will not use one of your weapons." I nodded again and loped into the forest.
I returned with two rabbits, cleaned and dressed. I had to change into human to complete the task, and then back to wolf It was risky, but I did not want to push too much onto Jade than she had already experienced. I still didn't know what the council had in mind for her. I dropped the rabbits at her feet and moved to the opposite side of the fire. I let the change occur. Jade paid no attention as I dressed.
"How did you manage to clean the rabbits?" Jade asked, placing them on wood stakes that she had found.
"Better you don't know." I looked about the site. "You've been busy." Jade had reinforced the fire ring with larger stones and constructed roasting spits. I glanced over at the small cave and saw fresh pine had been laid down. The area had been well attended. The crackle of real magick brushed up against my skin. "What have you done to the area?"
"I cleaned it up."
"No. I feel magick."
"Of course. I laid wards to help throughout the night. I am not traipsing through the woods," Jade said while keeping an eye on the rabbits. The scent of roasting meat filled our small campsite. My mouth watered as I stared at the food. I could have eaten it raw. Changing makes one hungry. Jade took pity on me and handed me one of the rabbits. I dug in, the juices exploding in my mouth. There was no gamey flavor.
"Herbs?" I asked around a mouthful of rabbit.
Jade nodded, swallowing her bite. There is a small patch of wild sage and rosemary just behind the trees.
I swallowed hard. "I told you not to leave the clearing."
"Had to."
I said nothing more, and we finished our meal in silence. I gathered up the remains of our meal and buried them away from the clearing so nothing would be tempted to intrude. I returned to find Jade with her chin on her knees watching the fire. She looked up when I returned and gave me a small smile, which I returned. I walked over and sat beside her. She moved closer to me and without thought, I wrapped my arm around her. The warmth of her body felt good.
"Why do you have to watch me?" Her voice was quiet.
I shrugged. "I am only doing what the council ordered me to do."
"You don't seem like the person who would take orders so easily."
"Trust me, I did not take this assignment easily."
"Why?"
"I don't trust New Agers."
"I'm not a New Ager." Jade huffed, trying to pull away.
I refused to relinquish my hold. She sighed and settled back into my embrace. "You do not let people finish statements."
Jade laughed. She snuggled closer to me. If it were not for the fact that I would have to turn her over to the council, I would have liked to stay just as we were. "So finish your statement," she urged.
"After Logan made the comment about there being more to you—"
A thundering crash came through the woods towards our clearing. A howl of pain followed.
"The ward triggered. Is it just an animal?" Jade asked.
I didn't answer. I undressed as the sound grew closer; Jade didn't stop me. Despite her earlier declaration of not using a weapon, Jade grabbed my sword, holding it in front of her in a defensive stance. She looked at ease holding the weapon before her. I cocked an eyebrow; she only shrugged as I flash formed into wolf. The sound in our clearing was almost deafening. A large wolf—one I had not seen before—lunged through the trees directly towards Jade. I jumped, crashing into the side of the beast, knocking us both back. Jade jumped out of the way and kept the fire between her and the wolf. I stood, with my fur raised in anger, hoping to intimidate the wolf. It snarled. No luck trying to scaring it away. The gleam in its eye was that of pure murder, and its focus was on Jade.
The beast began to pace back and forth in front of me and the fireI, its gaze never leaving Jade. One lunge and the beast was over the fire, and so was I. Again I crashed into the wolf's side, sending it sprawling. I closed my jaw around the wolf's throat and clamped down. The wolf attempted to flip me off. I tightened my grip. The wolf's howl became gurgled. I tasted its blood in my mouth. The beast went limp. I did not release him.
I felt Jade's hand on my shoulder. "Let it go," she whispered.
I released the beast and walked over to plunge my muzzle into the small stream. The cold water washed away the blood and my anger. I let the change happen quickly. Human hands once again my own, I splashed cold water on my face. I didn't worry about clothing while the dead wolf was still in the clearing. I walked back over to Jade, stunned at what I saw.
She knelt over the wolf's prone body, her fingers deep into its coat. Her voice—deep, harsh, and rhythmic—tumbled out words that I had never heard before. The creature changed into its true form. It was one of the Barbie demons that had attacked Jade's shop. The creature opened its eyes, its mouth moving silently. A piercing scream rent the silence of the clearing before it to fell into nothing but dark sparkle dust. Jade scattered the dust before she collapsed. I was at her side before her head it the ground.
"You all right?" I asked.
Jade only nodded, wrapping her arms around my waist. Her mouth sought out my breast. I inhaled sharply as her lips wrapped around my nipple. I tried to push her away, but I could feel her smile as my body shuddered while she tasted me. I reluctantly pulled away and helped her stand. She looked at me with a pout on her lips that quickly turned into a grin that held devilish delights.
"Damnable New Agers." I muttered, returning her smile. Jade laughed as I turned away to put my clothes back on.
She came up from behind to wrap her arms around me once again. Her body pressed tightly against my back. She had removed her top. I could feel the heat rising between us. "Don't," she whispered.
I turned around
within her embrace. Her lips touched mine. The kiss deepened, tongues tasting new territories. I moaned. My hands trailed down her back. Jade pulled away and slowly removed her jeans and panties. She stepped back into the embrace. The heat I felt had nothing to do with the fire.
Under an almost full moon, I laid Jade down to claim her as my own.
The predawn light entered our clearing. I struggled to pull myself out of sleep. Jade had wrapped her body around mine, her right knee nestled between my thighs. I shifted a bit, and Jade stirred, pressing her knee in the most delicious of ways. I carefully lifted her leg away.
"Who's Bael?" Jade asked sleepily while I tried to untangle our bodies.
I cold shiver ran down my back. "Why do you ask?"
"The creature called out the name just before it dissolved."
"I heard nothing," I answered, reaching over to grab our clothes. I pulled on my jeans, knowing that Jade would not go back to sleep.
"You know I like you better without your clothes on."
"I feel the same way about you, despite my better judgment," I replied, and then tossed her clothes over to her and pulled on my shirt.
While she dressed, I made sure that the fire was out and cold. I scattered the rocks away from the fire ring, wanting the place to look as though no one had been here.
"What are you doing to do about the wards?" I asked, surveying my handy work.
Jade only smiled, picking up a small pine twig, and snapped it in two. "Ward gone."
"Seems kind of destructive."
Jade held up her right hand, showing a thin cut across the palm. "I offered my thanks when I set the ward."
"Dangerous."
"But necessary. So what are we going to do now?"
"Get back to town."
"Mmm, pancakes sound good." Jade grinned, pulling her own shirt on.
The sun was rising on my last day of this assignment. It had drawn me to a person that I would normally have nothing to do with, but within a very short amount of time, she had wormed her way past my defenses. A part of me was angry at myself. I had never wanted to trust anyone again, but a new part wanted to explore this new road the fates had decided to lead me down. I so wanted to have a talk with them when this was done.
Daughters of Artemis Page 18
