Page 8 of Heart of a Dire Wolf
Nic stripped off his T-shirt. “Western US, I think. The guards watch American TV shows. Ads and brand names are all American.” He slid out of his pants. “Earthquakes.”
Her brain short-circuited when she got a full look at the splendor of his naked form. Taut, down-tipped male nipples over wide pectorals. A thin strip of hair led from his navel down to the thick, dark curls that cradled his half-erect shaft. She licked her lips.
He smiled. “Skyla,kultaseni,we need to shift.”
She gave herself a shake and stepped sideways. “Ow!” A sharp pine needle pierced her toe. The pain helped her focus. “Right, okay. Sorry, you’re so freakin’... My brain is mush.”
She opened her heart to the wonderful beast in her and invited her to rise. Thanks to her talent and years of practice, her shift was nearly instantaneous, and her magic took care of her clothes—they’d come back when she became human again.
Her physical senses expanded and her instincts sharpened, but in wolf form, her sensitivity to magic dulled. She was gratified to see her long-legged, thin-bodied shadow on the ground, meaning her illusion still held. She’d have to explain to Nic later.
He stuffed his T-shirt into one leg of his sweatpants, then tied the legs loosely around his neck. Several moments later, he was a yellow-and-black striped tiger, huge and regal. His tiger scent predominated, with his unique and human scent undertones.
A gust of wind that brought a weird mix of smells of the ocean, ash, and engine exhaust gave her a strong sense ofdéjà vu. She whined softly at Nic and pointed her nose toward the western ridge. The view from there would be high enough to confirm or disprove her growing conviction that she knew where they were.
Nic’s long tail switched in agitation, but he nodded. He took a leaping bound over a rocky outcrop and made a fast beeline for a scraggly pine tree. She loped along after him, letting him choose the path. Tigers were much better at being sneaky than she was.
In her animal form, she found herself less distracted by her overwhelming physical desire for Nic, but more distracted by the mental rapport that was slowly building, part of the mate bond. They were already working as a team, looking out for each other.
She ordinarily gave alphas and dominants wide berth, because sooner or later, they tried to test her, and it usually cost her a friend. Maybe the mate thing changed how Nic viewed her, but so far, he hadn’t once tried to bend her will.
On the other hand, she’d only actually met him less than an hour ago. Even her shouty, bullying Ancient Elven Magic professor could be polite once in a while. Shifter lore said shifters got the mates they deserved, but in real life, that wasn’t always true. Humans didn’t have a lock on the prize for Jerk of the Year. Bad matings were the stuff of shifter legends.
He slowed before the top of the ridge and eased into the shadow of a giant rock. She joined him. He looked at her, then up the short rise, then back at her again. He settled on his back haunches. She assumed that meant he’d wait for her.
She sprang up the hill, using her long legs to make short work of the distance. She crouched down to make her silhouette less visible, then focused her eyes and her magic due west. In the far, far distance, she saw small islands, interspersed with oil drill rigs. She knew them well.
If she’d known she’d been in her own backyard the entire time she’d been captive, she would have escaped a hell of a lot sooner. Maybe Rayne would still be alive. But maybe she wouldn’t have met Nic, either. And they weren’t safe by a long shot.
She trotted down to where Nic sprawled in the little scrap of shade. Felines could relax anywhere. She shifted to human and sat beside him, sorry to be wearing the smelly sweats and T-shirt again. He raised his head to regard her with his pale gold eyes.
“We’re in the hills above Santa Barbara, California.” She put her hand on his round tufted ear and rubbed, because she’d always wanted to pet a tiger. “Crazy rich people build religious retreats and mini-mansions up here, because apparently, money makes you immune to wildfires, landslides, and flash floods.” She rolled her eyes. “And earthquakes. Electrical lines follow the paved roads, and most of them eventually lead to the coast, or to cities up north. On four feet, we’re maybe three hours away from Santa Barbara, assuming we stay close to the roads. I look like an exotic-breed dog, but you’ll have to shift once we get to civilization.” She smoothed his coarse fur. “Santa Barbarans aren’t fazed by much, but I think a twelve-foot-long tiger with sweatpants tied around his neck would do it.”
Nic-the-tiger rolled forward and rested his big head on her thighs. It was like a furry bowling ball in her lap, but she didn’t mind. She felt his need to take in her scent, and no sense trying to hide that he aroused her. Her airheadedness around him should have already given him plenty of clues.
“If we can get to town, we can take my car wherever we need to go, unless it’s been towed. Or maybe one of my friends would help, but that might expose them to trouble. I’ve been gone longer than a month, so my apartment has probably been cleaned out and re-rented. My phone, and my ID and credit cards are gone, but I can get money from my account.” She shook her head. “I’m babbling like a loon. I suck at this. I’m not a soldier. I’m a grad student. The only reason I ever got any shifter war games medals was because of my sister, and now she’s gone.”
Memories stabbed her heart with a psycho-style knife. Her eyes hurt as tears formed. She wrapped her arms around Nic, burying her face in his thick-furred neck, soaking in the warmth of him despite the heat. “I’m sorry. I’m a basket case.” She sniffled. “But not as bad as Lerro.” A thought hit her. “Damnit! We forgot to block the culvert.”
She sat up and wiped away her tears. “Cards on the table. I can get us to town, or we can go with whatever better plan you have, but I can’t stay human around you right now. When we’re both human, just the smell of you makes me stupid with lust and I can’t think. My wolf says you are her mate, and I feel the mate-bond potential. If you don’t feel the same way, tell me now and we’ll go our separate ways.”
She gently pushed his head off her legs, then stood and brushed the dirt off her butt. “Your move, pretty kitty.”
With that, she shifted, shook all over to get rid of the dust, and sat.
