Taking It Off for the Coyote

by Serenity Snow

“I need to talk to Sam,” she said and stalked back inside. She found Sam and Mallory still in Mallory’s office. She knocked not allowing her friendship with either as an excuse for disrespecting them.

  “Come in,” Mallory called.

  She stepped inside to find Sam glaring at Mallory and Mallory wearing an impassive expression.

  “What is it?” Mallory demanded not taking her eyes from Sam, which warned her that the two were in alpha bitch mode.

  She closed the door and walked to stand behind yet to the right of Sam. She’d kill Mallory if she attacked Sam not that she’d need to. Sam was a shadow coyote, an alpha. She could kill Mallory no matter how long the fight went.

  “I think I just discovered one of the hyena spies,” she said and both women looked at her then. “Audra.”

  “The wolf?” Mallory asked.

  “Yeah. Did you get anything from Connie?” Sydney asked.

  “She was dead when we arrived and your scent was at the scene, so now Jen wants to question you and his alpha wants answers.”

  “You’re kidding right? I was in the den until 11:30, and then I was buying wine at Fannie’s.”

  “You could have come here for liquor,” Mallory muttered.

  “It was a gift,” she snapped.

  “Will she alibi you?” Sam asked.

  Sydney shrugged. “I’m not getting her involved.”

  “The same woman you were with the other night when you were being watched?” Sam pressed.

  She blew out a harsh breath and pushed her fingers through her hair. “Sam—”

  “She could already be a target,” Mallory cut in. “Who is she?

  Sam snorted and Sydney shook her head. “Cambrie.”

  “What is it with you two and dancers?” Mallory muttered. “How long have you been seeing her?” She angled her head and her eyes glittered with knowledge.

  “I’m not really. We ran into each other at the bar where I met my source,” Sydney said.

  “This could get ugly if you can’t stay away from her,” Sam said.

  “I think it’s too late,” Mallory told them grimly. “I talked to the Randi this morning and she said Connie just missed her heart and her breastbone. The shoulder bone was nicked. And you said yourself it looked like Connie was going after her on purpose.”

  “Sounds like Sorrento think the girl’s your woman,” Sam said. “And now he’s really going to go after her. Don’t let him turn her into a distraction that gets you killed.”

  Chapter Eleven

  He’d planned to get out of dodge before shit hit the fan, but it looked like he was stuck despite all the work he’d done against his old packmates.

  Cargo shook his head as he watched the girl’s apartment. She’d only gone out for an hour after the coyote left, so he’d had to rush to get the get the surveillance equipment into place.

  He didn’t like this. Messing around in a shadow coyote’s territory was going to get nasty for them all no matter how well Darden and his pals planned out their assault. Never mind that some of the wolves were working with Sorrento and his pal. That wasn’t going to be enough if they didn’t get all of Oaklyn’s people on board, and from the sounds of it, they weren’t.

  That murder of that woman and her husband and son was already causing a stir around the Gray Tail den. From what he’d heard this morning, all it would take for the resisters to rise up was the appearance of the dead woman’s heir. She was human—she’d be torn apart within moments, but the resisters would fight.

  Hyenas would tear them apart, but before they could, he was willing to bet they’d call in Snow Fur.

  The phone in the seat next to him rang, and he grabbed it. A glance at the display told him it was his boss. “Yeah?”

  “Kill the girl.”

  He almost laughed. “Now?”

  “Now.” Sorrento’s tone vibrated with rage which meant the meeting with Snow Fur hadn’t gone well.

  The dumb jackass and his alpha had expected too much.

  “I want her head sent to Spring at the club within two hours.”

  “Okay.” He disconnected and set the phone aside before climbing out of his car and rounding to the trunk to get his tools. He didn’t like this, but he’d do it. Then, this time, he’d haul ass out of town.

  ****

  The sound of a motorcycle barely drew Cambrie’s notice as she zipped up her skirt. She hadn’t made any friends yet except the dancers and a couple of the bartenders at the club. So she was heading into Mystic again.

  That bar where she’d run into Sydney was where the cute bartender worked. She didn’t plan to have sex with her, but she wouldn’t say no to a drink when the lady got off. After all, Sydney had made it quite clear. She’d only wanted sex from her.

  Her taste in women wasn’t the best obviously, but she wasn’t looking for a woman to settle down with. She had hoped things with Sydney led to something serious, but—she shrugged.

  The bang at her door made her jump and Cambrie assumed it was her neighbor. She wasn’t getting any mail, so she had to want to borrow sugar or something. She glanced out of the peep hole and her features pulled into a scowl as she unlocked the door and tugged it open.

  “What do you want, Sydney?” she demanded keeping her hand on the doorknob ready to slam it closed at any second.

  Sydney studied her and in the dim light from the lamp in the room, Cambrie saw the flicker of anger flit across her face before it vanished.

  “Where the fuck are you going?” she demanded coldly as she stalked toward her.

  “Out.” Cambrie shrugged. “You made it pretty clear this afternoon that all you wanted was sex. You couldn’t even look at me while we were doing it.”

  “I didn’t want to hurt your shoulder or your chest.”

  “How sweet,” she said drolly. “See you at work.” Cambrie attempted to close the door and Sydney caught it and shoved it open again nearly knocking her off her feet. “Damn it, Sydney!”

  Sydney stepped inside and glanced around the room as if she expected to find someone else there. She locked the door and advanced, but Cambrie refused to budge though she was a little afraid of what Sydney would do.

  “The bartender?” Sydney asked removing the black leather jacket she wore.

  She was sexy in that jacket, Cambrie hated to see her take it off. It made her think of hot sex on a motorcycle. “I’m going to that bar, so what?”

  “Maybe I should go with you. Make sure the beta understands you’re off limits.”

  There was a growl in her voice that made Cambrie so hot she glared at Sydney now as she crossed her arms over her chest angry with them both for her reaction. “You have no right to screw with my life, Sydney, so don’t even think about it.” She turned and headed back into her bedroom to finish dressing. “And lock up on your way out.”

  She didn’t hear anything and tensed even as she reached for a pair of square-heeled sandals. She didn’t wear high heels or dance in them because despite the sex appeal, they hurt. She pulled them on admiring the way they looked on her and then stood up. Maybe she’d wear her hair out tonight.

  Her grandmother had always said she had lovely hair. The curls were thick and coal black.

  “What do you need to go to that bar for? You can get a drink at the club,” Sydney said.

  “Maybe I want more than a drink.” She released her hair only to twist it into a loose knot and holding it in place, she pulled down a tendril to trail along the right side of her face. She looked on the dresser for a couple of pins, found them, and secured her hair.

  “You want to get fucked.”

  Sydney’s voice was hard and a peep at her face in the mirror revealed a frigid golden gaze that sent a chill down her spine. Her animal’s rage was so palpable Cambrie expected her to snarl.

  Cambrie reached for the lip gloss she planned to smooth on and then take with her.

  “That’s not why I’m going, but so what if I am?” She turned from the mirror. “I don’t
owe you any explanation or consideration.”

  A low growl escaped Sydney as she stalked over to her and Cambrie shivered. The animal was glaring at her but the woman had it tightly leashed.

  Sydney leaned toward her as she helmed her in and there was no doubt she was in the presence of the animal. “This is why I didn’t want to start with you,” she murmured roughly, her tone barely human. “I already want you again and here you’re telling me you want to go be with someone else. It’s all I can do not to throw you on that bed and tie you to it and then fuck you until you’re too drunk on the pleasure I gave you to think.”

  Cambrie’s lips parted and her breath quickened, but there was nothing in Sydney that made her want to run away. She wanted to be closer, to feel the animal’s strength as Sydney caressed her.

  She could tell the animal thought Cambrie belonged to her and Sydney was on a fine edge and the animal could easily slip the lease and have Sydney snarling at her. So, Cambrie put her hands on Sydney’s shoulders and glided them down her arms to rest on her wrists.

  “You feel tense,” Cambrie said. “Why aren’t you at work?” Sydney’s eyes darkened a bare fraction.

  “I was at work,” she replied, the animal still in her voice.

  “At the club or that case you mentioned?” she asked softly, stroking Sydney’s wrists.

  Sydney growled. It was a low barely audible rumble that made her knees weak. Sydney leaned a little closer and nuzzled Cambrie’s mouth before taking it.

  Her kiss was hard, demanding. Cambrie whimpered and curled one arm around her neck. She melted against Sydney, the folds of her pussy dampening and her nipples growing hard.

  Sydney was so warm and smelled like patchouli. She just wanted to crawl all over her and drag her to bed.

  Sydney tore her lips from Cambrie’s to kiss the side of her neck. “You want to go out?” Her voice was ragged, her breath hot. “Change into jeans, and I’ll take you out.”

  “Jeans? Where?” she asked dazed. Why did they have to go anywhere?

  “Just do it, and don’t take too long or you’re damn well going to get fucked.” She straightened and slipped from the room.

  “Yeah. Run away instead of manning up,” she muttered.

  “Trust me, baby, now’s not the time to taunt me,” Sydney growled from the other room.

  The animal wasn’t fully under control obviously, but she wasn’t afraid. That coyote belonged to her, but would the animal be able to bring the woman around?

  Chapter Twelve

  Cargo slipped back inside his car after grabbing his computer from the back seat. He turned it on not sure what he’d find, but he knew he wasn’t going in there just yet. Sorrento wanted Spring’s girlfriend dead, but he didn’t fancy himself any kind of assassin.

  He watched the dancer change in her bedroom and surmised they must be going out. When she turned, his heart sank. There was a claw mark on either side of a paw low on her back. Another fucking shadow’s mate. It was just his luck.

  Spring was even more feral than Summerfield. From what he’d seen at the bar in Mystic, Spring would kill first and ask questions of the corpse.

  Cargo was no coward, but he couldn’t do this. This wasn’t even his fight.

  How he had gotten pressed into further duty was beyond him. There was only one real way out though besides death. Like he said he was no coward, and he had no problems stealing, but whatever game the Midnight Howling had drawn Darden into was going to get bloody. People were already dying, double-dealing and back-stabbing was already in play.

  He was standing on the sidelines playing errand boy when he had no stake in any of this. Not until now. His life meant more to him than watching alphas conquer for the sake of destruction. He wasn’t about that.

  The door opened ten minutes later, and he watched them exit, the coyote glancing carefully around as she stood with her body blocking her lover’s. The move wasn’t just reminiscent of a dominant, but of a possessive-ass man who’d kick any guy’s ass for checking out what was his.

  Dominant lesbian shifters could be some of the hardest-nosed opponents alive. They often gave new meaning to hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

  He watched them stride to the big black Harley parked in the driveway. It took them a moment with putting on helmets and the dancer slipping into a jacket.

  He started his car and prepared to follow, but he wasn’t about to attempt to take them out during the drive. It might be a prime time or the coyote might be able to drive that thing defensively and he could end up getting himself killed instead.

  ****

  Cambrie had been more than a little bit leery about climbing onto the back of a motorcycle. She thought they were dangerous, but once they’d gotten going, the wind whipping around her, tearing at her jacket, ripples of pleasure tore through her.

  She tipped her head back even now wishing she wasn’t wearing the helmet with its windscreen covering her face. She flexed her fingers on Sydney’s stomach and she felt rather than heard a growl as it vibrated through Sydney.

  They took a sharp turn setting her heart racing and Sydney took another turn before picking up speed. The bike slipped onto a dark street and Sydney took a turn before switching off the lights and whipping the bike into a narrow alley.

  A door at the side of the building slid soundlessly up and Sydney glided inside with the door coming down behind them. Dim lights flooded the garage as Sydney put the stand down and rested both feet on the ground.

  Cambrie kissed the back of Sydney’s neck and felt her shiver. Cambrie smiled glad she wasn’t the only one affected by the chemistry between them.

  “Where are we?”

  “Just a little place I escape to now and then.” She climbed off the bike and so did Cambrie.

  She removed her helmet and set it on the seat following Sydney’s example and then removed the leather jacket that smelled of patchouli and spice, of Sydney.

  “Let’s go upstairs,” Sydney said. “I’ll make us some dinner. We can eat by moonlight.”

  “Sounds like a picnic.”

  “I guess you’re a romantic on top of being a shameless flirt.”

  Cambrie laughed feeling light. “I am not a flirt.”

  “But you are shameless,” Sydney teased and Cambrie grinned.

  “If I wasn’t, would I be here?”

  Sydney shrugged. “I don’t know, but you’re wrong about one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t just want sex.”

  “Then, what do you want?” Cambrie asked.

  “I want to get to know you a little better, but I’m not tame, Cam,” she murmured. “I can be as dangerous as an animal.”

  She ran a finger down Sydney’s chest between the valley of her breasts and felt her stomach tighten when she rested her hand on the flat expanse. “Trying to scare me away?” she whispered.

  Sydney leaned toward her. “I’m hoping you don’t scare that easily,” Sydney replied with a faint smile.

  “Not even.”

  Sydney removed Cambrie’s hand and kissed the palm. “Let’s get some dinner and that drink you promised me.” Sydney released her hand turned.

  Cambrie followed Sydney up a narrow flight of stairs into an open spacious room where living area and kitchen were separated only by a low wall. Dim light illuminated the room from pot lights overhead and the two windows were shielded by plantation style shutters that shut the world out.

  Sydney washed up and Cambrie followed suit waiting for her to tell her what they were going to make.

  “I thought we’d keep it simple,” Sydney said. “Warm steak salad?”

  “Make mine well done.”

  “You’ll like a medium well so much better,” Sydney promised her.

  Maybe if she was an actual shifter. “I know what I like.”

  “Spoiled little brat,” Sydney commented giving her a look.

  She smiled sadly. “Far from it,” she replied wistfully. “My grand
mother was strict and that’s partially how I ended up picking the wrong girls every time.” She studied the items Sydney set on the counter.

  “She tried to make you straight?”

  “At every turn and if there was a bad girl with a bad attitude I dated her or wanted to,” Cambrie admitted s and accepted a knife Sydney held out to her. “I always had to be conscious of not calling attention to myself, of being invisible so we wouldn’t be found.” Her chest tightened with fresh pain. “I just wanted a normal life, but I couldn’t have that.”

  Being a strong psychic child with a legacy of power had ensured her normal would always be different from the kids in her school.

  “How did your grandmother deal?” Sydney asked banging pans behind her at the stove.

  Cambrie took her items and turned so she stood at the end of the butcher block topped island. She could see Sydney as they worked. Her profile was cast in shadow for a moment until she switched on a light over the range.

  “She reminded me how my mother died in front of me by showing me pictures of her dead body and my father’s.” Her skin chilled and her bones suddenly ached as she recalled the bone-crushing terror of the night she’d witnessed her mother’s death.

  “That was cruel,” Sydney said. “P—kids should never be handled that way.”

  Cambrie shook her head and swallowed back tears. “She loved me, she just didn’t know how to deal with my being gay and—” Her power. Her grandmother had been a healer with the heart of a warrior. On the other hand, she hadn’t known how to handle a child whose power exceeded her own in a fundamental way.

  She could control her grandmother’s mind or even unhinge it should she have wanted to. She hadn’t come into her ability to borrow other people’s abilities until she was in her late teens. Even then it hadn’t been as strong as it was now. “That was no excuse,” Sydney said tightly. “She could have harmed you emotionally.”

  She had in a way. For all the love her grandmother had given her, she’d given even more for her lover. She became invisible when the couple was in the same room. She’d craved that kind of love and devotion to the point she was angry that neither of them loved her with as much passion as they loved each other.