by Dannika Dark
Lakota’s laugh was expressive, creating curved lines in his cheeks that made him all the more handsome. A cool breeze captured his long hair, and it fluttered behind his shoulders. It wasn’t as straight or long as the hair of those around him, nor was it black, but those wild brown locks were always the one thing I’d loved about him. I couldn’t stop noticing the predatory manner in which he moved his body, the deliberate way he turned his head to acknowledge me only to quickly look down and rejoin the conversation.
Something transpired in that split second of eye contact, and this time, I saw not just recognition in his eyes but also fear.
Shikoba looked between us and tapped his cane against my leg. “You like Sky Hunter?”
My brows knitted. “Who?”
“Lakota. The pretty one who doesn’t wear a braid.”
“Why do you call him Sky Hunter?”
“We gave him that nickname because he carries the sky in his eyes as a reminder of what his white ancestors want.” Shikoba opened his arms wide. “Everything.”
“Is he in your tribe?” I asked.
“No. He is a half blood.”
“And you trust him?”
“Tribal blood will keep his wolf grounded. He runs with my pack and treats them with respect, but he’s not a member of our tribe. There are rogue allies who have befriended my people, but they are not invited to live on this land unless one of my daughters takes them as a mate.” After a beat, Shikoba cracked a smile. “Why don’t I introduce you? He has no woman to speak of.”
To speak of? I pondered that phrasing just a little too long.
“Uh, no. Thanks.” I wiped my brow. “Once I find a motel, I’ll give you my number there. Reception out here isn’t so great on my cell. I hope you reconsider and want to talk further before I leave. Hope respects you. I don’t know much about gemstones, but I trust her judgment enough to know that I want to make this work. Obviously you weren’t expecting someone like me to show up at your door, but I’m a free spirit—not an irresponsible person.”
Shikoba took a seat in one of the rocking chairs. “Free spirits get lost. Safe journey, Melody Cole.”
Discouraged, I plodded down the stairs and across the gravel. Sweat touched my brow, and I discreetly slanted my eyes toward the men, some of whom gave me cold stares. But one man’s gaze managed to set my body on fire, and for the two seconds he locked his eyes with mine, I couldn’t breathe. Then I grew weak in the knees—literally.
When I hit the gravel, I heard Shikoba bellowing behind me. I couldn’t make out what he said—maybe my name or something more along the lines of “Hey, interloper, get off my property! You’re not a lawn ornament.” I pushed myself up with one arm and snapped my head up at the men, who were stirring with quiet laughter. Lakota’s expression had altered, a guarded look clouding his face. Though he turned away as if uninterested, I was certain he was watching out of the corner of his eye. If we were at home, he would have bolted toward me in a heartbeat to see if I was okay.
But we weren’t at home, and he just stood there. Maybe Lakota was scouting for a pack to take him in, or maybe he wanted to mate with one of Shikoba’s women. I’d been quick to assume that he was pretending not to know me because of a job, but what if the real reason had to do with the simple fact that he was embarrassed to know me? I might blow his chances if Shikoba’s tribe lost respect for him because he hung out with white girls. I hadn’t prepared myself for that, and it hurt.
I dragged my knee forward and prepared to stand. Please, please don’t let me throw up in front of everyone. My stomach twisted and spun like a carnival ride, and I instantly regretted eating the food at the bar as it finally brought on its wrath of destruction. My chest tightened, my palms became clammy, and my throat slightly expanded in such a way that signaled it was getting ready to expel unwanted contents. Focus, Mel. Focus. Not in front of Shikoba. Not now.
Footsteps approached from behind me, accompanied by the distinct sound of a wooden cane tapping against the gravel. “Sky Hunter, come help this woman.”
“I’m dirty,” Lakota said gruffly.
“Do as I say,” Shikoba commanded, inviting no argument.
Lakota exchanged glances with the men standing by him then swiped his T-shirt off the ground. As he sauntered toward us, I could sense his reluctance to help.
I swung my gaze down, my legs shaky as I stood up. “I don’t need any help. Something just made me dizzy for a minute.”
Lakota feigned a smirk. “Maybe we should put our shirts back on.”
I glared at him as I scooped my purse and dignity off the ground. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Shikoba studied my face and shook his head as he came to some conclusion. “Drive this woman and show her the way to the motel.”
“How do you propose I get back?”
“Take a room there,” he replied, stepping close and lowering his voice. “It’s a bad omen if she dies after visiting my land and eating our food. Her sickness or death will bring trouble. You must take her off this land, or else her spirit will latch on to us in the afterlife.”
“Whoa,” I said, raising my hands. “Let’s not plan my funeral just yet. Something I ate at the bar didn’t agree with me. I just need to lie down for a little while, and I’ll be as right as rain.”
Ignoring me, Shikoba continued giving Lakota orders. “I’ll send Tak over in the morning with your truck.”
“Someone’s growing roots over there,” one of the men razzed. “The bet’s not over, Sky Hunter. You still have one more throw.”
Lakota yelled back, sounding like someone who’d just received punishment. “I’ll see you boys later. I have to babysit.”
“Careful not to turn your back on that one,” another called. “She’s a trickster.”
“Nice friends you got there,” I murmured as we headed to the Jeep.
When we reached the driver’s-side door, he got in, and I stood there for a moment, staring at him through the window. Still too queasy to give him the finger, I shuffled around to the other side, irritated by his lack of manners. It wasn’t that Lakota was the shining example of a gentleman, but he’d always respected women. That was what his parents had taught him as a child.
But apparently he’d grown up to become a jackass.
Wondering why the fates were punishing me, I climbed in and buckled my seat belt. Without a word, Lakota backed out and turned around. We passed a few more of Shikoba’s packmates along the dirt road, and they watched with curiosity.
Ignoring the awkward silence, I searched the glove compartment before reaching beneath my seat. There had to be a plastic sack somewhere that I could use to get sick in. My stomach took precedence over everything else, including having a conversation with someone I hadn’t seen in years.
“What are you looking for?” he asked curtly.
I closed my eyes, struggling to think about something that would take my mind off this terrible feeling. But the more I tried to pretend it wasn’t happening, the more my mouth began to water and my stomach began to churn. Every bump in the road became torture.
“Pull over,” I croaked.
“You look green.”
When I unhooked my seat belt and gripped the door handle, the truck lurched to the right and came to a hard stop. Without a second to spare, I flung open the door and stumbled into the high grass. It was as if the smell of fresh air had given my body permission to release, and I bent over, every muscle contracting as my stomach offered a full return on lunch.
My vision blurred with tears, but the humiliation hadn’t quite sunk in yet. It was just a physical reaction, and I had no doubt that my eyeliner was officially everywhere. I walked farther out and dropped to my knees.
I swear to the fates I’ll only eat prepackaged food on my next road trip, I vowed, heaving once more. Donuts, pizza, potato chips.
Wiping my face, I cleared my mind. “Stop thinking about food.”
Before I knew what was happening, Lakota wa
s behind me, holding my hair back with one hand. But by then I was done and just needed a minute to collect myself. He must have sensed that and let go. My hair curtained my face, allowing no breeze to offer me any relief.
When I finally stood up and turned around, my jaw slackened. Lakota had ditched me and was getting into the Jeep.
It wasn’t until he tapped the horn that I knew I wanted to slap him.
Chapter 5
As soon as we arrived at a cheap motel, I went to the main office, checked in, and headed straight to my room. After the scenic stop on mile marker fifty, I felt remarkably better but still not back to my old self. What I needed was to sleep and recharge. I would have liked to shift, but since that wasn’t an option, I filled the sink with hot water, submerged my tank top and socks, then crawled into bed and wrapped myself in a cocoon.
Though I was tired, my mind wouldn’t stop racing. If only Shikoba had given us a chance—a trial period to prove we could work together. I didn’t have the courage to tell Hope that the real reason she wasn’t getting the best gemstone dealer in North America was because of me. I hadn’t just failed to secure a deal—I’d failed my best friend.
When my phone rang, I groaned beneath the covers. It had to be Hope. I could just let it ring, but then she would worry. What am I going to say? Our store was opening in a week, and if she didn’t have any luck with the other two guys, we were screwed.
I squirmed out of my cocoon and answered. “Hello?”
“Mel, I’ve been trying to reach you,” Hope said, her voice shaky. “Are you all right?”
I kicked the covers away. “I got food poisoning from the worst roadside burger in history. How was your day?”
“I had lunch with the dealer. We never made it back to his place.”
I snorted. “Didn’t get lucky?”
“Don’t be silly. We sat inside a Mexican restaurant at the River Walk. It’s so hot down here. The fans were blowing, but it didn’t help.”
After putting the phone on speaker, I rested it on my stomach. “You should have come up here instead. You would have gotten to enjoy a nice electrical storm and a rain shower.”
“Maybe the fates are trying to tell us something,” she said absently. “I cut the meeting short because I didn’t get a good vibe from the man. Maybe he has a good reputation with some people, but he’s hiding something. There’s a mark on his character I couldn’t put my finger on. Some of his answers were evasive, and others were chosen with fastidious care.”
I stayed quiet, praying she’d continue.
“Mel? Do you have good news to share?”
The hopefulness in her voice about killed me, and I shielded my eyes. “I’m staying overnight, and I plan to talk to him again in the morning.”
“Again? Oh, Mel. What happened?”
When the door suddenly opened, my entire body jolted as if hit with an electric shock. The phone flipped onto the bed, and I immediately pressed my hands over my black bra.
“Melody?” Hope called out. “Did I lose you?”
Lakota pressed his index finger against his lips and quietly closed the door. When he turned to secure the drapes, I grabbed the phone.
“I’m here. Don’t worry if you can’t reach me. The connection up here sucks. I’ll call you when I have news.”
“All right then. As long as you’re okay. I’ll be heading up to Waco tomorrow and will give you an update then.”
Just as soon as the words left her mouth, Lakota jerked his chin at me, fire dancing in his eyes. Alone? he mouthed.
“Talk soon.” I quickly ended the call and set the phone on the nightstand. “It’s a business trip. Unlike me, she’s in the company of civilized people.”
He stalked toward the bed and crawled onto it, planting a fist on either side of me and pinning me with his gaze. His brown hair fell forward, framing his face, and the ends were damp and clumped together.
“You smell like rain,” I said, forgetting to put the filter between my innermost thoughts and my mouth.
Lakota’s hair had grown since I’d last seen him. He was bent down low enough that it tickled my face as I stared into his narrowing eyes.
“What are you doing here?” he growled slowly.
I’d never been more aware that I was half-naked beneath a man until that moment. “I had a business meeting with Shikoba. The real question is: what are you doing here, Sky Hunter?”
His eyes twinkled, and for a moment, I saw the old Lakota flickering in their depths. “Why is my sister traveling alone to Waco? And don’t skip over the part where she said up to Waco. Up from where?”
I tried shoving at his chest to throw him off, but it was like pushing a boulder. Instead, I wriggled down and crawled out from beneath him. I snatched a pillow and hugged it against my body, my feet wide apart and my chin held high. “Because your sister has one week to secure a new gemstone dealer before all hell breaks loose. We’re up to our ears in preorders and don’t have enough inventory to last through the next quarter. Especially with the time it takes for her to make those pieces. The guy she was using flaked out on us, and now we’re in a crunch.” I looked down and smoothed out the wrinkles in the pillow I was clutching. “She drove down to San Antonio, and that didn’t work out. We’ve got one more prospect in Waco, but I’m not holding my breath.”
Lakota was still on all fours, and it was a titillating image. Unable to wait for his answer, I stumbled backward into the bathroom and slammed the door.
What is wrong with you? I scolded my reflection in the mirror. Even as I stood there trying to collect my thoughts, I imagined him still on the bed, waiting for my return. And that thought sent tingles between my legs. Renegade desire pulsed through me. I sure as heck wasn’t in heat, not unless all the stress was somehow inducing it.
The faucet squeaked when I turned it on. As I splashed cold water onto my face, I replayed the scene from the moment he walked into the room. Something about his scent was intoxicating, and it wasn’t the rainwater. The nearer he came to me, the more I felt power in his presence. It must have been his wolf I was sensing. Or pheromones. Lakota was no alpha, but he was a born leader who, if he chose to, could help lead a pack as a second-in-command. My uncle Reno had the same effect on people. So did William, just not to the same degree. Maybe it was his amicable personality.
Lakota’s energy was raw and unbending, making my wolf immediately want to submit to his command. And I didn’t like submitting to anyone. What would have happened had I not wriggled free from beneath him? Would he still have me pinned, trying to dominate my wolf? Would he have settled his body on top of mine? What would it feel like to have Lakota’s weight come down on me, his teeth nipping at my neck?
“Best friend’s brother, best friend’s brother,” I kept whispering to myself.
I stared at my tank top floating in the sink. Since this trip was only supposed to have been for a day, it hadn’t occurred to me when leaving that I might need a change of clothes. I snatched a white towel from the rack and tied it around my torso, ready to face Lakota and finally get some answers about what he was doing in a small town called Running Horse.
But when I swung the bathroom door open, Lakota was gone.
The news lady on the television spoke about another unidentified body found by the tracks, gas prices, then segued to a video of a local woman who had just turned one hundred. I finished towel-drying my wet hair before using the towel to wipe some of the fog off the mirror in front of me.
After Lakota had vanished from my motel room, I’d taken a shower and hung my tank top on the towel rack to dry. Even though I hadn’t planned an overnight trip, I’d put an extra pair of panties in my purse just in case. I could have brought emergency clothes, but I didn’t want to lug around a bag, and wearing the same outfit for two days in a row wasn’t anything new in my life.
Oh, what to do about this Shikoba situation? I’d outright lied to Hope when I told her I planned to see him in the morning. But if I actually di
d go, would it still be a lie? Maybe that wasn’t such a terrible idea. It would give me time to think of a better approach.
I looked at my reflection. All the smeared eyeliner and lipstick was gone, so without makeup, my freckles were noticeable. I was born with pouty lips, but they were more swollen than usual after I’d nibbled on them so much in the past hour.
My fingers traced over my black bra, the fabric too big since my breasts didn’t fill the cups completely. Did Lakota notice the woman I’ve become? My waist was no longer as narrow as a pencil, and aside from my colorful hair, there was nothing childlike in my features. I was a full-fledged Shifter. Could he sense the wolf inside me?
As I hooked my thumbs in my black bikini bottom, I remembered the lustful looks when I’d entered the bar earlier. Then I thought about the way Shikoba’s tribe had looked at me indifferently. And Lakota was one of them. I didn’t fit their mold of beauty. Hell, I didn’t seem to fit anyone’s.
I sighed and flipped off the light before padding into the bedroom. Normally I didn’t sleep in a bra, but my plan was to sit up for a while. Though my stomach was all right, my head was throbbing from dehydration. I’d somehow managed to build up an appetite again, but the area didn’t have any places to eat that I’d noticed. I turned in a circle, searching for my pants. I’d made those pants, and the last place I wanted them was lying on the dirty floor of a motel room.
Just as I bent over to collect them, hinges squeaked behind me. With my ass to the door, I frantically lifted my pants to cover my chest and whirled around.
Lakota stood frozen, eyes wide, a sack in one hand and the card key in the other. “Uh…” He quickly turned around and shut the door, still facing the wall. “I thought you were, uh—”
“Don’t you knock?” I quickly stepped into my jeans and yanked them up. With my tank top still drying in the bathroom, I clutched the pillow and hugged it tight. “I thought you left.”