Jez tilted his head in question. He folded his arms across his chest.
“The foxes are back.”
“Slymoors?”
The messenger nodded.
“Fuck.” Jez ran his hand through his hair. An aching twinge caught the palm of his hand. How the fuck did he get this injured fighting a tree? “They’re bad news.”
Karla paused from her work and flicked her gaze between Jez and the messenger. “Didn’t we chase them off last year?”
“They’re relentless.”
“Thought they would have learned their lesson after that ass-kicking we gave them.”
Jez nodded. The fox clan had an eye for Diremere territory, but the wolves always had the upper hand. And since they were such sly pieces of shits, the foxes enjoyed causing mischief and disrupting operations.
Jez realized he should be paying more focus on the issue at hand, but his mind kept getting drawn back to that girl. The one with the red, flowing hair. She reminded him of something from his past, but he couldn’t quite figure it out.
Karla clicked her fingers in front of his face. “You all right?”
Something snapped in his mind, but he wasn’t the kind to show his surprise. “Yes?”
“You have this dazed look.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” Jez noticed that the messenger had already left. “I’m just thinking about the foxes.”
“Sure.” Karla tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Sapphire earrings hung from her ears. He had given those to her long ago, and seeing her wear them made him wonder if she still had feelings for him. He didn’t think so. As a pair, they truly didn’t work out.
Nonchalantly, Karla nibbled on the cap of her pen. “Haven’t seen you look like that in a long time. Last time I remember was when you were a kid. Before she disappeared.”
“Who?”
“You still refuse to remember her.” Karla smiled and shook her head.
“It’s not helping that you’re speaking in such vague terms.” He crossed his legs. “And I don’t look dazed. I’m someone who knows what he’s doing.”
“Not in this you don’t.” Karla sauntered away. “All right. I have to check on the goods on the other side, and it seems like you’re going to be mighty busy soon having to work on the fox case.”
“I’m glad you’re fine.” Jez sometimes wondered if it would be better if he and Karla stayed an item. They’d been together for five years. But the constant quarrels had been too much. Plus, Karla kept saying that he had a mate out there, waiting for him. He wasn’t sure why she had been so certain. Most wolf shifters didn’t have mates. That phenomenon had died out years ago, and mates had become less of a thing.
Karla stepped away. “Thanks.”
He wasn’t looking forward to dealing with the new trouble. “Wonder when the foxes are going to—”
The place shook. Jez had to lift a hand to support his weight so he didn’t fall over. The crackling of fires swallowed the place. It was coupled with booming noises and the sounds of burned goods crashing and splintering. Jez looked up and saw a menacing red orange that the fires cast on the underside of the roof. Heat swelled through the warehouse, prickling his skin and threatening to burn it off. Screaming came from one side of the enclosure, and with that, a chilling howl from a wolf who must have shifted in the chaos.
Karla pushed herself to her feet. “What the fuck?”
“Guess your morning’s activities have been for naught,” Jez said. “No use keeping stock if the stock is just gonna incinerate.”
Karla snorted. “Yes. That’s, of course, my biggest concern right now.”
A pillar croaked and broke from the roof. Shouting came from all sides, and the pillar toppled, smashing onto the ground.
“I think that’s our cue to get out,” Jez said. He was stronger, faster than most humans, and he could shift into a wolf, but most wolf shifters were susceptible to fires just like everyone else.
“No,” Karla said sarcastically. “I’m perfectly comfortable with staying here.”
“Then stay,” Jez said.
“It’s like a sauna.” Karla dodged a couple of fallen goods and spun around, going toward the nearest exit.
Jez sighed. “Don’t wait for me or anything.”
He looked sideways, ready to chase after Karla, and his mouth dropped. There, behind the fires, he saw the girl from his flashback. He pressed his hand to his side pocket, making sure the hairpin was still there.
“Jez!” Karla called.
The whipping of the fires drowned out the sound of her voice. Need gripped him like a tight rope, stringing him along and coaxing him to run to the girl.
“Jez!”
All he could think about was her.
“Head on without me!” he shouted.
“Jez!”
He ignored Karla’s call once more and pushed himself onward, following the fox girl’s silhouette. He couldn’t see her clearly through the mess. He told himself that this was part of his job. That there was no other reason for pursuit. That he needed to find her because she was a stranger, and most likely responsible for the fire.
He used all the strength in his legs to run toward her, but the falling beams and the chaos all around made it impossible to. He hopped over a couple of sacks and had to make a detour. The girl had climbed up to the second story of the warehouse, leaving him behind in the blaze she’d created.
A protruding piece of metal nicked the side of his arm. He didn’t flinch at the pain and kept pressing on. But she was too fast. Too nimble. And it seemed like the farther and longer he chased, the more difficult she was to get a hold of. Her hair fanned out behind her, and despite the red-hot pandemonium, all he could see was beauty.
What was wrong with him?
A name edged around the corners of his mind, wishing to intrude, but he pushed it away. He’d always associated it with pain. Remembering was too hard, but he wanted to shout it and ask the running silhouette to stay.
The image of her kept getting stronger, and suddenly the ruby of her lips glistened in his mind’s eye. He wanted to know how the flesh of her skin would feel pressed against his. How soft or taut her waist would be with his hands circled around them. Would she taste salty or sweet? She seemed like someone with a little bit of spice—from his brief glances of her, anyway.
Why the fuck was he drawn so much to this woman?
He dodged another falling pillar, but then they all came down. Pillar after pillar, stray objects and debris tumbled toward him. He swatted away a whiff of flame that caught his shirt and growled.
“Watch out!”
Jez looked over his shoulder, following the direction of the female’s voice. He longed to hear more. That was distraction enough to make him miss the giant metal container that groaned above him, slipping from its position. He jumped over then rolled across the ground, hoping it wouldn’t crush him. It landed right next to him, and a bone-chilling crash rang through the warehouse.
Jez looked at his foot. He hadn’t been crushed. He wasn’t given time to blow out a breath of relief when the female’s voice interrupted his brief reprieve.
“That too!”
He spun to his left. A huge crane was swinging toward him, dislodged from its rig.
“Shit,” he said. He was about to get flattened into a splatter of meat and bone.
A force hit him on the chest, and he flew. He groaned. What in the world had hit him so hard? Was it the crane? But wouldn’t it hurt instead of feeling this… comfy?
He looked down and saw the red-headed woman with her arms hooked around him. He raised a brow in surprise. “Who are you?”
Shocking blue eyes gazed up at him. Abruptly, Jez thought this girl the most beautiful woman in the world. He shook away that notion as soon as it came. He couldn’t possibly be falling for such ludicrous sentiments. She had a small, heart-shaped face he likened to a fox.
And as soon as that idea came to mind, he realized sh
e was the enemy.
He shouldn’t be enjoying her touch this much, and yet…
“Get up,” she said.
“Huh?”
“Hurry up and get up or you’re going to get burned alive.”
He blinked. “Oh.”
“Don’t ‘oh’ me. Just stand your butt up.” Her fingers wrapped around his. He stilled, staring at her hand and how dainty it was. Her skin was smooth, cool to the touch. His surroundings were crashing around him, but all he could focus on was this woman.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked. “Still a dumbass after yesterday?”
He tilted his head. “Yesterday?”
“You don’t remem—”
A booming noise interrupted her, reminding Jez that he ought to escape before they got buried underneath a heap of ash. He let her pull him to his feet, although he mostly used her to pull him out of his daze.
“Do I know you?” he asked. “Were you the one who started this fire?”
“Watch your step.” She kicked a stray piece of metal aside. She missed another one, however, so Jez just hopped over it. He was the fastest wolf shifter in their clan. He didn’t need her to make sure he didn’t get himself killed.
“Who are you?”
“Too many questions.”
“A fox?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“With the fox gang?”
“Focus on keeping your ass alive.”
“I can do that just fine.” He rounded a corner, following her. He pushed aside a charred piece of wood, not bothering that his hands might get burned.
“Didn’t seem like it before.”
“Worry about yourself. A small girl like you looks like she might get easily crushed.”
She loosed a snort. The scent of smoke hung thickly in the atmosphere, making him teary and leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. They went around more obstacles, and each time, he saw her moving more quickly than he did. It was a common trait of fox shifters to be agile, so he wasn’t surprised. Despite that, the swiftness and grace of her movements enamored him, and a brief sense of familiarity captured his attention.
“Where have I seen you before?” he asked. They reached the outside of the warehouse. The breeze whipped around them, fueled by the heat from the raging fires. He saw firemen scampering about, trying to put out the incessant flames. Some of his men were injured and lying on the ground, getting tended to by their healers.
He should be more concerned about the chaos, but instead he focused on her.
The fox lady looked over her shoulder and lifted a brow. “You truly have no clue?”
He shook his head.
“You’re dumber than you look.”
“Most say I look handsome.” He failed to hide the cocky twang from his voice. He wanted to impress this woman.
She gave him a once-over. “You are,” she replied. “I hurt pretty boys like you.”
And then she was off.
She quickened into a run, one his legs couldn’t match. Inside, he cursed himself for not being able to match her pace—she was simply too nimble. His footsteps were clunky, while hers ghosted past the asphalt, barely even touching the ground before kicking off into the next step.
“Hey!” Jez shouted.
He bumped into a fireman who blocked the way between two trucks. She had danced around the fireman as if he was air itself earlier, which made Jez want to catch her even more. He was always up for a challenge.
But his movements were heavy compared to her feathery ones. “I still have questions!”
She climbed up the side of a building and hopped onto the rooftop. Seconds later, she was traipsing across the corrugated metal as if she were made for it.
Jez surveyed his surroundings. If she continued in that direction, she would end up at the east wing of the docks. He knew this area, since he’d been here since childhood, and a couple of potential shortcuts popped up in his mind. If he worked it right, he could catch her in—
A clatter interrupted him from his plan. He looked down to see the hairpin. “Fuck,” he muttered. He bent to the ground and picked it up, wondering if he should have wasted precious time. What did he care for this hairpin, anyway?
The moment his fingers wrapped around the cool metal, flashes pounded through his head.
White.
Black.
White.
Red.
Blue eyes.
Soft curls the color of warm autumn leaves.
Her face popped up in his mind again, and this time, it was smiling. Her name lingered on the tip of his tongue when his vision completely flooded, thrusting him into a memory.
“You can’t touch it.”
An eight-year-old Jez lifted a brow. “And why not?” His eyes were glued on the object inside the little girl’s hands. A red hairpin. He wondered how the rubies got so red, like the color of fresh blood. Not listening to the girl, he reached out.
She swatted his hand away. “No,” she said. “And I mean it.”
He gave her a pout.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She tucked the hairpin into her ponytail. “It’s from my momma. She tells me it shows people I’m a very special person, and only very special people like me deserves to hold this. You’re not allowed to hold it.”
“All right.” He sniffed. “Are you sure about that?” He really wanted to touch the hairpin. It looked so shiny and pretty, especially on the girl.
She huffed. “Definitely.” She swatted dirt off her dress. The girl was a couple inches taller than him, which made her a little scary, but he still enjoyed spending time with her.
“What’s your name?” He still hadn’t figured that out. He’d met this mystery girl two weeks ago, intruding on his usual play spot. At first, he wanted to chase her away, because girls were stinky, terrible creatures and shouldn’t walk the face of this earth. He still thought the same about every other girl, but this one was different. He wanted to be close to her and didn’t mind that she interrupted his playtime. Actually, she made his playtime better.
“I’m not supposed to tell people. You can call me D.” The branches of the forested area above cast soft shadows on her porcelain features.
“D?” He wasn’t convinced. “That’s not your actual name, is it?”
“It’s what I’m giving you.” She kneeled in front of the lake and circled a stick through the clear waters. The fish swam away, avoiding her. She tossed the stick after the fish, enjoying tormenting the delicious-looking creatures while wearing a curious expression. “So, what’s your name?”
“Jez,” he replied. He had nothing to hide. He spotted a beetle on the ground, stuck on its back and having trouble getting up. Jez didn’t see the need for suffering, so he bent down and flipped the beetle over, sending it on its way. That left him squatting right next to D and her flowery dress.
“You smell funny,” he said. What he actually meant was “nice,” but he would never tell her that. He had a rule that all girls were meant to be stinky and ugly, and he wasn’t proud that his thoughts made him break that rule.
“You like to sniff me a lot.” D continued tormenting the fishes in the lake.
Was she seeing through him? “Do I?”
“Keep your nose to yourself.” She scrunched hers up.
“Why do you keep coming here?” He continued staring at her pretty features unabashedly.
“We just moved here.”
“Who?”
“Mom and Dad. And the kids back in the clan are stupid. They don’t know a good friend when they see one.”
“They ignore you?”
Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red, but not as vibrant as her hairpin. “I’m the one who doesn’t want to be her friend!”
Jez jolted. He almost felt scared. Almost. He refused to admit that a tiny girl like her could frighten him. “I can play with you.”
She paused in her rage. “I didn’t ask.”
“You didn’t ask when you decide
d to invade my favorite spot, either.”
“Hmmm. Maybe I’ll let you play with me. But you don’t deserve it.”
Jez didn’t have many friends either. Since his father was the alpha for their wolf pack, and Jez was meant to rule eventually, his caretakers overly sheltered him, and the cubs his age didn’t want to hang with him.
He supposed he wouldn’t mind a playmate.
He offered a handshake. “Truce?”
“What does that mean?” D asked.
“Means that we’re going to be good friends with other, and I won’t be mad at you for being here anymore.”
She pouted. “You didn’t seem mad before.”
Jez snorted.
Sighing, she accepted his handshake. “Fine. I’ll be your friend.”
They shared toothless grins.
That was all Jez had really wanted, someone who could understand him and not leave. And D really felt like that person.
Of course, he wouldn’t tell her that.
Chapter 3
Jez shot up into a seating position.
His breath left his lungs heavily and his head spun.
“Ugh.” He looked down at his hands. At least the wounds had healed over. He looked around, checking out where he was, and noticed a bunch of injured patients around him. Loki sat next to him, smoking a cigarette. He always had a thing for stimulants and vices. Probably why Loki wanted to mate with Karla now, since she was a good provider of them. Jez found Loki’s demeanor sickening.
“Hit your head too hard?” Loki asked, propping an ankle on his knee. He sat on an empty bed next to Jez.
This was the Diremere wolf infirmary, where they sent most of their sick and injured clan members.
“Did I?” Jez pressed a hand to his forehead. He recalled the female he’d seen in the fires. “Did you see her?”
“See who?” Loki took a big pull from his cigarette before blowing out a deep sigh. A puff of smoke came from his mouth and nostrils. He shouldn’t be smoking while there were a bunch of patients around him, all trying to recover.
Love Potion: A Valentine's Day Charity Anthology Page 42
