by Lisa Daniels
“Why?” His beautiful eyes were like a storm as the concern shone in them. “Why are you helping me?”
“Why am I helping the children? I don’t turn my back on people in need. Even if they have been fighting with the guards.” She felt him tense up as she put his arm around her shoulder. It was obvious that he wanted to move away from her, but his eyes closed for a moment. Deciding it was best for him to keep his mind moving, Noely continued to explain as she helped him take a few steps forward, “I guess if you really want an honest answer, it’s because I am partial to shifters.” The man stumbled at the word. “It’s okay, I’m not going to try to kill you or turn you into an aphrodisiac. I don’t even know what kind of shifter you are. I can say you aren’t a bear, wolf, or one of the more common types. I admit to being a bit curious, but you don’t have to say anything. And in case you were wondering, I know Sir Gwavas. Well, I know about him. I don’t actually know him. I have never met him or communicated with him, but still, I know his work. So please just focus on making it to the cave. You are in no danger from me.”
At the mention of one of the most renowned men on the planet, the shifter sighed. Noely smiled as she felt him press into her, clearly at ease. Not many people outside of a couple particular circles knew the man’s name, so it acted like a safe word for certain species, particularly shifters. Though he didn’t look it, the man was remarkably well built. His thin frame was incredibly sinewy, and she could feel a lot more muscle than bone, which was surprising. Her initial assessment that he had been starving was clearly wrong. The young woman knew that she was holding up an incredibly rare and agile shifter. Again, her mind pondered what kind of shifter he could be to have such a deceptively lean physique. He looked like he would never be able to win in a fight, but feeling the way his muscles moved, Noely suspected that this particular shifter likely was not accustomed to losing.
To keep herself from blurting out any of her thoughts, Noely kept talking about basic things. “I’m Noely. As I told you, I work in the kitchens at the palace and live in the city. I’m not from around here though. I actually grew up on the shores of the Tethys in a tiny town called Kanza. It was washed away when I was young. Well, it wasn’t really washed away, but that was the story that was told about it after everyone disappeared. I was one of two living creatures who know that the people who lived there had decided that they would rather drown than be burned by the government. My parents sent me away, but I refused to go too far when they made the march into the water. I cried. My guardian held me that night, he didn’t even try to take me away. He just let me cry. When the military showed up the next day, they found that everyone was gone. Not that they knew where or even cared where the people of the town had gone. Since everything was left behind, the soldiers did what soldiers do best and started to spook themselves with speculation about what happened. One said that he had heard the town had been cursed, so they were pretty scared after that. I can kind of understand since you don’t usually find a town in good working order with everything showing signs of life, but no actual life anywhere around. It must have been pretty creepy for them, so I can kind of understand what they did. They didn’t think it necessary to burn our homes, or more likely they were too afraid if they did that their souls would be trapped there, so they just knocked all of the houses over and desecrated them. As soon as they started to push over our neighbors’ home, my guardian took me away, but I learned later what they did once I moved here. I suppose I’ve never quite forgiven them, even though they now employ me. Sort of.”
The man was looking at her like she was a strange kind of creature, and it was clear the questions were accumulating in his mind, but she left him no opportunity to talk. Not that she thought he would speak much in his current state. There was something in his eyes that let the young woman know that there was far more going on in his mind that he was holding back. Though Noely was curious to know what he was thinking, she knew that it was more important to get him to sleep. That would be far more difficult if they started conversing. For a brief moment, she wondered what it would have been like to encounter him when he was not in such a dire situation. Something told her that his personality was adjusted to match his surroundings, and it made her curious to know more about the man. The thought passed as she realized that there would be no time to get to know him better since she would need to be at work for most of the next week, leaving her no time after that night to talk with him. Though his wounds were serious, experience had taught her that even the slowest healing shifters were able to heal much faster than humans, and it was very likely that this shifter would be able to move on within a week. It was a shame as it was the first time in years where she had taken any interest in another adult humanoid. Pressing forward, she kept talking about growing up with her guardian and being relatively happy, even though they didn’t have much. When her guardian had suddenly disappeared with only a short, vague note, she had tried to find him. She explained how his trail disappeared in the city, and how the funds she had would not allow her to track her guardian any further. In the end the only way to continue was to take a position to earn money, so at age 14 she had taken a job in the stalls because she was much better at dealing with the animals than the people. Of course, it was only meant to be a short-term job until she got enough to leave, but it soon became obvious that she could do a lot of good in the city. By the time she had enough to move on, a couple of years had passed, and Noely no longer felt confident enough that she could find her guardian. But here in the city she could accomplish things without having to put herself in too much danger. Everywhere around her, Noely saw people who were so much poorer than she had ever been. Not that she had more money growing up, but she and her guardian had been better able to stay fed and clothed in the country. There was always something to hunt, growing food was easy enough, and her guardian had been a master at making and adjusting clothing. All of this she had learned to do before his disappearance. They were skills she had never really appreciated until she had reached the city.
“I was only 14 years old at the time. It was rather difficult, but back then I looked more like a boy. That was probably my real saving grace, because few men bothered me until I had learned about the kinds of things they try on women. I would have fallen for it when I was young, despite my guardian’s warnings because it sounded so… sweet. Like the guys actually cared about the women they were seducing. And that is exactly what they want you to think, but I didn’t exactly believe it at first. The girls always seemed so happy after talking to them that I kind of hoped it would happen to me. It was only after I saw several of my acquaintances end up pregnant that I decided that I wasn’t going to fall for it. Yeah, it took several instances because I didn’t exactly grow up around other people. My guardian didn’t really talk much about other people because I don’t think he meant for me to live with so many other people. Not that I have any way of knowing what he intended since he disappeared. Anyway, given enough time, I evolved into the creature you see before you today. An odd-ball who spends more time taking care of people I barely know and turning down promotions that will put me in front of men who will want to use me. And here we are.” Noely smiled at the man, who had been watching her intently. He was a bit taller than her, and his hair was mingled in hers as he watched her. It was obvious that he hadn’t noticed, and at the moment she didn’t mind. As long as their hair didn’t get tangled it would be fine.
“Don’t worry. It’s a lot more comfortable than it looks. Now let’s get you to bed so that you can start to heal.” Slowly they made their way into the cave. “The bed’s just over here. In the morning I’ll show you around a little bit more,” her mouth continued to ramble as her mind considered the man. He had been quiet for a while, and she knew that only a fraction of what she was saying at this point was going to make sense to him. There had been far too much blood loss. Helping him onto the bed, she decided there was no more reason to talk. The shifter’s eyes closed as soon as his he
ad touched the pillow.
Making sure to be careful as she sat back up, Noely’s head hitched a little. Reaching her hand out, she gently cradled the shifter’s head and began to separate their hair. She felt relief that the man seemed to be asleep, or nearly so, because this would have been incredibly embarrassing if he had been awake to see her trying to get her hair to be a bit less wild. As she separated the last few strands, Noely’s eyes went to the stranger’s face. He looked so peaceful, like a sleeping angel. On instinct, one of her hands went out to his face and she felt for a fever. She hadn’t expected for a fever to set in with his wounds still bleeding, so there was no surprise that he did not feel warm. Thinking that he felt a bit too cool, the young woman decided that it was probably an indicator that he had lost too much blood and that she needed to get to work tending to his wounds.
Without a word, Noely moved over to her supplies and pulled out some healing medicines and ingredients. She gently pressed against the two worst wounds, her mind too engrossed on the work for her to notice as the shifter flinched almost imperceptibly.
The young woman worked for a while, stemming the flow of blood and making sure that the lesser wounds would not get infected. Once she finished, the young woman put everything into a bucket to throw out later. She could always get more rags for the cave later, there was no point trying to get the blood out. Without thinking, her face turned back to the shifter’s, and her eyes took in his exquisite appearance. Her hand went out to his face, and she gently pushed his hair behind his ear. Instead of pulling her hand back, the young woman let her hand rest gently against his face.
There was no warning when a hand shot up and took her hand as she looked into his peaceful features. The shifter did not open his eyes, but he pressed her hand against his face. Another hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her down beside him. Noely was taken completely by surprise, but she did not resist. Her mind was racing in many different directions as she tried to understand what was happening. His eyes still closed, the shifter pressed her head against his chest.
As she tried to figure out what to do, Noely was soothed by the gentle flow of words that she could hear through the man’s chest. “Thank you. I will repay your kindness. You have had a long day. Please, sleep.” One of his hands gently stroked her head, and the young woman could not help but close her eyes in response.
Noely wanted to argue or at least to put up some kind of resistance, but she found that she wanted to stay where she was. Giving a gentle nod, she placed a hand on the shifter’s chest. The way the man’s arm flexed as he held her to him made Noely feel that everything would be alright. Pushing herself against him in response, Noely’s mind took in every aspect of the shifter and the way his body felt. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to calm her excitement.
The gentle voice spoke again, “You don’t need to fear me. I swear nothing will happen to you while I am here.”
Noely gave a little nod. Though it took a bit, she was finally able to still her thoughts and she drifted off into her first dreamless sleep since she had watched her parents walk off into the ocean so many years ago.
Chapter 2
A Debt to Be Repaid
Noely woke with a start the next morning, her mind immediately trying to remember what had happened. Usually when she woke, there was a sense of urgency and a need to start reviewing the events leading up to where she was. Life had been rough, and the young woman had had to be very alert since her guardian’s disappearance. Sleeping comfortably wasn’t something she had done since that morning when she found the note on the table, and it had been even longer since she had felt at peace. Now she found that she was having trouble thinking through a haze of muddled ideas and images. Giving her head a little shake, Noely tried to figure out where she was and what had happened.
The first thing she noticed was that she had slept in the cave. Furrowing her brow, she tried to remember what would have led to her staying in the cave, something that usually indicated danger at the palace. The second thing that caught her attention was the gorgeous man standing near the cave entrance. He had a finger to his lips. Suddenly alert and her thoughts a little clearer, Noely nodded her head, although she wanted to tell him that he needed to lie down. Looking at him reminded her of everything that had happened, and she knew there was no way the shifter should be up and moving after the injuries he had sustained. Still, there was nothing she could do to stop him if he was planning on leaving. She watched as his attention went back to the entrance of the cave. Then, to her astonishment, the man slipped out, his movement never betraying just how serious his wounds had been the day before. Her hand went to her mouth, and the young woman bit her lip as she wondered what would happen to him.
For a few seconds, Noely looked at the entrance and thought about going after him. He certainly seemed focused on something. Then again, she had done most of the talking yesterday. Perhaps he had to be somewhere. Despite his promise of repaying her, Noely knew that there was a good chance she would never see the beautiful shifter again. Staring at the door, the young woman couldn’t help but feel that the peaceful sleep he had given her was more than enough of a payback for what she had done. It had been so long since she had felt so comfortable and calm. Hoping that he would be back quickly (or at all), Noely watched the cave entrance and thought about her life.
Now that she was fully awake, Noely felt much better than she had in years. Events and images were clearer than they had been and she could even see a few solutions to the problems of a couple of the other kitchen staff. With a slight laugh at how easy things seemed now, the young woman decided that she needed to get back to the palace before too much time passed. There was no way to tell how long the shifter had been gone, but she felt it was too long for someone who intended to return. Figuring that he had just wanted to leave in silence, Noely stood up to prepare for her return to the city.
She knew it would be difficult to explain how she had managed through the night outside, but she also knew that there were a couple of plausible scenarios that would satisfy the people who would question her whereabouts. It was not unheard of for people to go into the woods and come back just fine, just there were high enough odds that people seldom thought it was worth the risk. She headed to a small stream flowing through the back part of the cave to wash up. Remembering that she had tended to the shifter’s wounds, Noely realized that she should have cleaned herself up last night, and there was some horror at the idea of what she must look like after the events of the previous evening. That was quickly followed by thoughts that were surprised that she would care how she looked. Noely normally did not think twice about how she appeared to others, not since her guardian had left.
Slightly confused by her own thoughts, Noely removed her clothing and began to wash herself. There was a sound at the mouth of the cave, and she immediately stood up, looking for a way to arm herself.
“I-I’m so sorry,” an elegant yet slightly embarrassed voice caught her completely off guard, so that Noely went from trying to find a way to defend herself to trying to hide her body. Crouching down, she picked up her clothing and tried to cover her nakedness as she realized that the shifter had not left for good.
“It’s alright, but please don’t look at me.” Noely tried to slip back into her clothing while keeping herself covered.
“Take your time. I will wait outside.” His voice barely betrayed the fact that the shifter was still a bit upset by what he had seen.
“No. It’s not a good idea for you to be moving about in your condition.” The young woman finished shimmying into the underclothing and turned to try to talk to the stranger. Her eyes searched the cave but she did not see him anywhere. Without thinking, she quickly moved to the cave entrance to see if she could find the shifter. He was sitting not too far away looking out over a small lake, his face a faint shade of pink.
Walking over to him, Noely tried to keep her voice level because her heart was still beating faster than usual after he h
ad seen her naked. Though she hadn’t seen his face, the alarm in the shifter’s voice had been enough to let her know that he had seen enough of her. And if his tone hadn’t conveyed that idea, his face which was still blushing told her that he had seen enough to be embarrassed. Something told her that embarrassment was not an emotion that this man was accustomed to feeling. She herself could feel her cheeks turning red and knew that the simple act of talking was going to be difficult if she let her mind continue to think about the incident. Trying to set her own thoughts at ease, Noely sought to keep her feelings in check. “You really should not be out here, you know. No matter what kind of shifter you are, no one heals that fast. I was just, um…” The subject she had been trying to avoid came up much faster than she had expected as she tried to get the man to go back inside. He turned to look at her as she stammered through her attempt to get him to go back in the cave. For a moment, his face flushed again, but the corners of his mouth tugged up as his eyes looked away. Then the startling blue eyes turned to her again, and his expression indicated that he had reached a conclusion.
As she tried to get the words out while understanding what the look on the shifter’s face meant, Noely found she could not speak as his hypnotizing eyes bore into hers. The only hint that he also remembered what had happened was the tinge of pink on his cheeks. “I dare say that you have little chance of meeting any kind of shifter like me. Our healing rate is impossible once we get the blood flow under control.” He stood up. “I have taken up enough of your time and concern. I am still indebted to you, so it is now my turn to take care of you.” He was still looking at her as he spoke, a slight smile on his face. “And judging by your behavior, I believe I know the best way to fulfill that debt.”
Cocking her head to the side, Noely tried to figure out what he could mean. This was the point where she usually insisted that there be no repayment, but the way the man moved was hypnotic and calming, making her forget her usual habit. She watched as the stranger moved closer to her and took her hand. Noely lifted a shoulder, her cheeks now feeling absolutely feverish. Unlike last night, it was clear the shifter was in no danger from his wounds. Based on the way he was moving, there was a very good chance that he was completely healed, as he had suggested. He watched her reaction, his eyes blinking as if he were observing a new species. Carefully, he stretched out his other hand and pulled her toward him. In that same movement, he stepped toward her. Noely’s mind was racing as she tried to comprehend what was going on. His eyes shone like two blue stars as he continued to observe her from up close. Her heart was racing and she could feel the color creeping down her neck.
