by Caris Roane
“Ryan,” he all but shouted.
His voice brought the tourists in the boat craning their necks in the direction of their hidden spot.
“Let’s get back to the house,” she said.
He slid an arm around her waist and just as together they moved toward her back gate, Ryan and three of his men landed in front of them.
“Yes, Boss.” Ryan had a fierce, wild look about him. All the wolves on the property were warriors. Not one of them was under six-foot. Each was muscled like Grant. Ryan was the shortest but had to be six-two.
“We may have had an intruder, an invisible type. I want the men flying overhead in quick unpredictable patterns and patrolling the perimeter in the same way. Let’s keep our visitors on their toes even if we can’t see them.”
Ryan nodded to the three men. They disappeared but as they entered the property, each man gathered a group of three more warriors and before long, the entire house looked like a stage for war games.
Natalie approved.
The tourists did as well, since they started applauding from the boat.
Ryan opened the gate for them.
“What food have you got coming in?” Grant asked. “We both need a meal, especially Natalie. But I want the men fed as well.”
Ryan smiled. “I knew you would. I’m having steaks brought in and the grill fired up. Beer. Potato salad.” He met Natalie’s gaze. “I asked around and the best Italian Revel restaurant said you often order pasta primavera. I took the liberty. They said for you, they’d deliver. Will that do? There’s time to change the order if you want.”
“Sounds perfect. Exactly what I would want.” She smiled, then added, “And a beer or two as well.”
“Then we’re set.” He shifted his gaze to Grant. “Anything else, Boss? We’ve only got a couple of hours til dawn. We’re bedding down here for the day, right?”
“Yes, just for tonight, though.”
Ryan’s expression sobered. “How’s Alanna?”
“Shaken up. She was fighting her abductors when the van drove up. She’s strong, that one.”
“She’s…special.” There was just enough of a pause that Natalie watched him closely. “She’s got spirit.”
“I suppose,” Grant said, his gaze drifting to the warriors now flying overhead. “For now, she’s safe at Agnes’s.”
“Good. That’s good.” Ryan looked relieved which confirmed Natalie’s suspicions that the young wolf, in a very short time, had gained Ryan’s attention.
For the next hour, Natalie kept her wolf at the fore and set her to running around the property as well, even along the canal-side stretches. Between her wolf and the men patrolling everywhere, they would know if the fae, Kryder or anyone else made an appearance.
The steaks arrived along with her pasta dish. She sat with Grant in the garden at a table not far from the canal. She ate her pasta and sipped her beer.
“Your wolf is working,” Grant stated as he sliced off another very red bite of porterhouse.
“Yes, she is. She might just be the best thing that could have happened for me, given Kryder’s fixation on my abilities.”
“You’re right. I also wonder if she’s a wild card, that maybe Kryder didn’t know about her.”
“It’s possible.” She watched his expression as he chewed. She had to smile. “You are enjoying that steak.”
“Hell, yeah I am.”
His complexion glowed as he dined on the rare meat. The men were wolves. She suspected they’d all be happier if they could hunt for their food and not just buy it packaged from the supermarket.
There was continual talk of moving Savage Territory to the White Mountains in the northern part of the state. She supposed one day it could happen, but it would take years to move the Federal legislature to approve plans for a hundred square miles of National forest to be set up as a preserve for alter wolves.
Finishing her last bite of pasta, she realized she longed for some solitude. Though it was barely one in the morning, she was worn out. Of course, learning new skills and getting shot up in a rescue, might have had something to do with her need for rest.
“I’m about ready to retire, Grant. I need to rest. But feel free to hang with your wolves if you like. I’ll keep my wolf roaming the house for a while yet, as well.”
“Sounds like a plan. But are you okay?”
“I am. Just a little tired.”
When she rose from her chair and started to pick up her dishes, one of the wolves was before her. “I’ll get that for you, ma’am.”
She was surprised by his deferential address. “I’m not—” But Grant caught her hand and warned her with a quick squeeze. She addressed the wolf. “Thank you.”
When he was gone, Grant rose to his feet as well. “As long as you’re with me, you’ll find the wolves will want to take care of you. They’ll see it as their obligation. It’s a pack-rank thing.”
She met his gaze. “Am I with you?”
He offered a crooked smile. “For now, yes.”
She wanted to ask about the future, but it didn’t make sense to broach the subject. They were lovers at this point, there was no doubt about that. But could they be more? She was fae. He was a wolf working toward become an alpha of an entire pack. Maybe if he’d been a permanent beta like Ryan, the discussion would be much simpler.
As it was, she repressed her concerns then she kissed him again. “See you in a little while.”
She almost said she intended to have a nice soak in her bathtub but thought the better of it. No doubt one mention of her being naked in water would have prompted him to follow after her. In any other circumstance, she would have done so. But with a dozen wolves around, she wasn’t exactly eager for all of them to know what they were up to.
She said good-bye to the security detail and thanked them for their service. She was already working at learning their names and noted again their deferential attitude toward her because of Grant. Most of them touched their foreheads and offered a small bow. It would have been unsettling, but her wolf revered them so that all she felt was gratitude.
Once she reached her bedroom, she set her wolf on guard once more. The iridescent specter padded around restlessly, tongue lolling. Her wolf was content and loved being on watch.
She set the bathtub waterfall flowing, poured in some bubble bath and watched the foam rise. A delicious sensation of pure decadence moved through her, of sinking into a warm bath, of floating, of feeling at peace with the world and life. Sometimes, for brief moments, there was nothing better than a bath.
With the temperature just right, and the water level at the height she preferred, she stepped in. As she sank, she took her time and savored every second. Because the tub was deep, she floated easily. She’d made sure the bath was exactly the right size. She let her head sink as well until her hair was fully covered and swaying beneath her.
She waved her arms back and forth to approximate the gentle movements of the ocean when the sea was calm. She’d often wondered if this was what she’d experienced in utero when her mother moved around, a padded jostling, a rocking, a sense of being cocooned, safe, cared for.
The only thing she lacked was a glass of wine. But the beer still moved slowly through her veins and had left her at ease.
As the bubbles began to recede, she scooted up and played with them, letting herself relax. She tried hard not to think about the night’s events. This was her down time, as much as it could be.
Maybe for that reason, she began to ponder her evolving relationship with Grant. He was all man and more than she’d ever dared hope for once she’d become an alter fae. What rose to disturb her was an uneasiness about her part in the Fae-Wolf Wars.
She’d spoken to Grant about the role she’d played. She’d at least done that, but could he truly forgive her? Could she forgive him?
After her bath, she spent some time reading then watched an hour or so of TV. Every once in a while, she could hear the wolves laugh at something. Sh
e could also see some of them cross over the backyard on patrol.
As dawn approached and the shutters came down, a powerful longing for Grant’s company surged over her. She knew he’d needed time with his wolves, but he would also need time with her. And she needed him.
Grant?
I’m here.
She smiled. She heard and understood the urgency in his voice. Feel free to join me at any time.
Sweetheart, I’m coming to you now.
She wore a lavender see-through negligee and was reclining on the bed when he walked in. His deep voice flowed over her. “You look wonderful.” His gaze raked the length of her. “Did you enjoy your alone time?”
“Infinitely. Are your men settled in for the day?”
He chuckled. They drew straws for the guest rooms. The rest will sack out on your couches and the floor.
She was about to protest because it seemed an uncomfortable way to spend the sleeping hours, but he lifted a hand. “Those on the floor will shift to wolf-form. Believe me, wolves can sleep anywhere.”
“Good to know.” She smiled. “You said something earlier about having a certain idea about our time together tonight.”
“I do. How would you like to go dreamgliding? We could find a beach somewhere on the California coast. Even if there are joggers up this time of day, no one will see us.”
She understood exactly what he was suggesting. Shivers chased up and down her arms and legs. Would she really be making love with a man, on the beach, even with the sun rising?
“Sounds like heaven.”
Chapter Nine
Grant smiled. “Let me take a quick shower. We’ll stretch out in bed then head out in the dreamglide.”
“Can’t wait.”
He all but ran to the shower next door. He had the oddest sense that he didn’t want to be separated from Natalie even if all he was doing was cleaning up.
He moved quickly and set the showerheads on high and hot. He washed his hair, scrubbed his skin, and got the night’s battle grime off his body.
What he wanted with Natalie didn’t allow for grit or dirt of any kind. He wanted to make love to her in as pure a way as he could.
Deep in his heart, he knew he was living a stolen season with her. They’d been at war three years ago without having known each other. Their losses before Five Bridges and those suffered afterward festered at the bottom of their relationship. What healing could there ever be? How could he ever forgive her part in the Fae-Wolf wars once he knew the details? How could she ever forgive him?
As he washed his hair, his thoughts turned to Renee and suddenly she was there in ghost form. She hovered in the air within touching distance. The water splashed on her yet didn’t connect with her at all. It just moved some of her ghostly mist around.
She reached out to his mind. You must forgive her, no matter what, no matter how bad or how tragic. She will need to forgive you as well. She looked him up and down. Damn, you look good. Clearly, I missed way too much when I gave up the ghost. Make Kryder pay on my behalf as well, will you?
She tossed back her head in disgust, then vanished.
Two heavy emotions hit him at once: How much he missed his wife and how much he wanted to avenge her death.
Yet, he wondered why, though she hadn’t shown herself to him at all up until this point, she’d come with a message of forgiveness.
He shut the water off and toweled dry.
How much was there to forgive? He’d lost a good friend, one of his best, in the Fae-Wolf Wars. But he’d lost a number of pack-mates as well. Natalie had already admitted to playing a regretful part in the ongoing battles, so could he forgive her?
Maybe the more important question was whether she could forgive him. He’d killed his share of fae warriors.
How had he gotten involved with a fae female in the first place? He thought back to how she’d shown up in the Graveyard, at Renee’s insistence, and saved his ass.
The rest was history.
He blow-dried his hair just enough to get some of the wet out. He then braided the mass.
For a split-second, he didn’t recognize himself. The science teacher that had truly loved teaching high school students was long gone. He was a wolf now and had been for the past six years. He was taller and had muscles. He’d worked out in his former life but hadn’t come close to what he bore naturally as an alter wolf.
He shook his head.
What a strange life he led.
He headed to the doorway, turned the light out and left the bathroom. Natalie had opened up the interior patio and was reclining on her side staring out at her plants. She no longer wore her nightgown. “I need to prune the morning glory. It’s trying to take over the cypress again.”
He moved toward the bed and glanced at the garden. Astronomy had been his emphasis. He’d always loved the stars. Botany had been at the lower levels of his interests. He wasn’t even sure which plants she referred to although one was a vine with tendrils over a tall, cylindrical plant. Must be what she meant.
As though they’d already fallen into the habit, he climbed in bed behind her and spooned her. He wasn’t sure there was anything finer in the world than sliding behind a woman and pulling her close, something he’d definitely taken for granted when he’d been married to Renee.
Feeling her hand reach back to take his arm and drag it over her breasts assured him she felt the same way. “So, you want to go to the beach.”
“I do. I’ve been thinking about it ever since we were at Cape Town. Of course, we won’t have any penguins to keep us company on a California beach.”
She chuckled. “No, I suppose not.”
“You ready?”
“I am.”
He closed his eyes then focused on building the dreamglide. He felt the apparatus begin taking shape until soon he split into the second reality and hovered above the bed. Only in this one, he was naked.
He smiled as he looked down at Natalie. Come up here.
He watched her eyes close, though a smile formed on her lips at the same time.
The next second, she stood next to him.
He held out his arm. She drew close and slid her own arm around his waist.
He set his gaze toward the west, focused on California. Within seconds they were airborne, flying beneath the dawn light and climbing high into the atmosphere on a northwest trajectory. The craft flew faster than jet speed. “I thought we’d go to Santa Cruz. It’s much farther north though south of the Bay Area. It will be colder than the lower beaches, but there will be fewer people around.”
“Sounds perfect.”
~ ~ ~
Natalie hugged Grant and kept on hugging him. She wasn’t sure if there was such a thing as autopilot on a dreamglide, but Grant kept his gaze glued to the horizon.
“What if we hit something?” she asked.
“We could pass through a mountain and it wouldn’t matter. We’re on a different plane. I just don’t want to overshoot our destination.” He glanced at her and squeezed her shoulder. “That’s why I’m not kissing you right now. Once we get started, I won’t stop.”
She gave him a quick kiss then let him get back to managing the dreamglide. Barely a minute passed before they were descending toward the beach. The sun was just coming up and the long stretch of sand was deserted. It was a beautiful time of day, especially in September. The rays of the sun were longer, sweeter.
It occurred to her that she had a boyfriend, a thought that made her chuckle.
“What?” he asked as he guided their dreamglide down to the beach. He landed near the cliffs which were a few dozen yards from the surf. The tide was out, the sea calm.
Although landed wasn’t the right word. She could feel her feet in the sand and as she moved the dreamglide moved with her, with them. There didn’t seem to be any real boundaries, yet she knew she was safe inside and protected, especially from the sun.
What an odd world she lived in that she was in two places at once, yet she
could feel the sand between her toes.
She turned back to him. He looked relaxed. “Want to go for a walk?”
“Love to.”
She turned and put her feet in motion. As he caught up with her, she could see his gaze was fixed on the ocean.
“I think I love this the most about dreamgliding,” he said. “I’m looking at our world as the sun comes up.”
“And it doesn’t hurt.”
He looked down. “I can feel the sand as well.”
“I know. And hear the surf. You realize we could go swimming.”
“It would be cold.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “I want to anyway.”
She took off running. A few seconds later, she was splashing through cold water and didn’t care. Another few seconds and she was diving. When she came up, the splash of his dive hit her in the face. She lifted up to face her hip into a low swell then dove once more.
They were in a dreamglide, yet swimming and the sun was coming up. She floated on her back. He did the same. “I may stick with you,” she said laughing, “just so I can do more of this.”
He laughed, swam closer then stood up. The water barely reached his chest.
She joined him. He took her in his arms and kissed her. As a swell moved past them, he lifted them both into the air and swept them back to the beach, to a curve in the cliff that offered a little privacy. It wasn’t really necessary since the beach was deserted and the dreamglide kept them invisible.
He laid her out on the sand and stretched over her. She opened her arms. His body was warm as he made contact then kissed her.
She parted her lips and received his tongue. ‘Dreamglide’ was probably the right word because all of this felt like a dream, a miracle, and completely unreal.
She could feel the sand beneath her and Grant’s weight on top; the earth and a wolf, the sun, the beach, the sand. A complete miracle.
Tears touched her eyes as he kissed her neck then slid his tongue over the well at the base of her throat. She gasped softly and held him tight. Her fingers explored the powerful curves of his muscular shoulders as though they had a mind of their own.
