Wild Shadow : A Sweet Paranormal Romance

by Martha Dunlop

  The door banged open. Linden. Dylan grinned in relief. At least there would be one friendly face in the audience. He hadn’t realised how much the argument with Linden had been dragging him down until things were fixed. Linden winked, and then went to the bar. He raised his eyebrows and tapped his watch. Time was ticking by and the audience was becoming restless. He was completely in tune, he had warmed up his voice, but he’d never begun a gig before and had no idea of where to start. He held Linden’s gaze until the other man nodded, walked through the increasingly packed room and vaulted up onto the low stage.

  ‘Welcome Wildley Forest!’ Linden shouted over the noise and the room stilled. ‘This is a very special gig for me, because for once I get to sit back, have a drink and enjoy the show. Dylan is an incredible musician. He was the power behind Instantaneous Rock and I’m so excited to hear what he has for us. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dylan McKenzie.’

  Linden vaulted off the stage. The crowd parted as he made his way back to the bar. He picked up his pint and held it up in salute, a grin of anticipation on his face.

  This was it. Dylan had to deliver, or he wouldn’t get another chance. The pause stretched out. He had always imagined Tabitha in the audience and her absence was like a yawning hole that swallowed up his will to go on. He took a deep breath. Either he was a professional or he wasn’t. He closed his eyes, blocking out the room, and played. The rolling chords felt so familiar under his fingers and the sound calmed his nerves. He had this. His connection with the guitar grew. The feel of it under his arm, the solid wood curving perfectly against him. The vibration filled him, and he moved with the notes as they engulfed his body and mind with sound.

  Eyes still closed, he felt the shift in energy. He opened his eyes and searched the room. The tiger was standing in the middle of the crowd. She was watching Dylan, her clear blue eyes so familiar he felt his heart expand. A smile spread across his face and he started singing.

  The room fell completely silent and his voice filled the space. They had never heard him sing and he felt the jolt of their surprise, and then an easing as they began to ride with him. He felt Tabitha more than he saw her, her tiger form flickering in and out of his vision.

  His break came so fast. He put his guitar down and the audience groaned. ‘I’ll be back in twenty minutes,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘Recharge your glasses, have a chat and we’ll reconvene.’

  Rather than going to the bar, he ducked out the back, gulping down air as the adrenaline hit. There was a jug of water and an empty glass on a small round table in the corner. He downed the first glass, and then refilled it and sipped at a second. He was entitled to free beer while he played, but he never drank alcohol until he’d finished. Drinking dulled the senses and persuaded people they were performing better than they were. He didn’t want any part of that.

  ‘Dylan?’

  The voice behind him sent chills down his spine. He took a deep breath and turned. Tabitha stood just inside the door. Her long hair fell in copper waves around her face and down past her shoulders. Her skin shone with an otherworldly glow. She wore jeans and a long-sleeved, fitted tunic with a beaded pattern that glinted in the artificial light.

  Dylan swallowed. The moment seemed unreal. He felt breathless, disconnected somehow from his body and completely aware of it at the same time. He longed to reach out, to touch his fingertips to her fine-boned hands, to stroke her cheek. Her huge eyes were pools of liquid blue that pulled him in. He couldn’t look away. He walked towards her, drawn too strongly to resist. ‘You came,’ he whispered.

  She nodded. ‘You have Linden to thank. I can’t say I like him, but he’s a good friend to you.’

  Dylan swallowed and nodded. ‘I owe him for that. Will you stay for the rest of the gig? I saw you earlier. I saw your tiger. God, I’ve missed her. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for freaking out. I have regretted that moment more often than I can possibly say. Is there any chance you might forgive me?’

  ‘It’s not about forgiving you. I can’t always control where I go when I travel, and I can’t paint if I tether myself. I’m trying to stop myself travelling to you. I don’t want to intrude, but I need to be able to draw and paint. So if you don’t want my company in that way, we need to stay away from each other for good.’

  Dylan closed the distance between them. He took her hands in both of his, felt his heart race as the smooth skin of her delicate fingers touched his own. ‘Please, don’t keep away. You are always welcome in my space whatever form you are in. Please, visit me tonight after the gig. Come into my home and you’ll see that you’re welcome. Just promise me that if you’re there, you’ll be visible, so I know.’

  Tabitha nodded. Her chest rose and fell. Her hands gripped his with strength despite being so delicate. Her slight form belied a strength of character that he knew was formidable. This woman was so much more than she seemed.

  She reached up on her toes, holding his gaze.

  Dylan’s heart was hammering in his chest as he lowered his mouth to hers, allowing their lips to meet with a featherlight touch. He pulled back slightly, searching her intense blue gaze for any sign that he may have read things wrong.

  Putting her hands around his neck, she pulled him back. His head swam as she leaned in to him, her breathing grounding him into a sense of wonder. This was actually real.

  The door banged. Linden stood there, hands on his hips, a grin fixed on his face. ‘Are you coming? Everyone’s waiting.’

  Dylan swallowed. He took a deep breath, stepped backwards and rolled his shoulders. ‘Wait for me after?’

  She smiled.

  45

  Dylan

  Dylan was flying. He felt as though Tabitha was feeding him a personal stream of inspiration. From the moment she stepped into the room he had got everything right. The crowd was made for him, shouting his name between songs and whooping and screaming with their applause.

  There was one song left to go. Tabitha was sitting at the bar, a pint of Guinness in her hand. Her huge blue eyes were pointed right at him and they held him transfixed. He tuned his guitar again. This was the song. This was the one he had poured his heart into. He swallowed. He would hold it together. It was the only way. He stilled his fingers, allowing the sound to die away. Raising his eyebrows, he took an ostentatiously big breath and waited. The room stilled. A smile played around Tabitha’s parted lips.

  He plucked the guitar string so lightly, the sound wouldn’t have carried beyond the first row or two of people, but the anticipation started there and he still felt the buzz when he began to sing. The room was silent and he breathed into the note, making it soft, gentle and seductive. He sang louder, weaving a web with his voice and pulling in his audience. Looking over to Tabitha, he met her gaze. Her eyes were burning, their blue more fire than ice now. There was a mirage of the tiger next to her, completely still, watching Dylan.

  Stripes in the moonlight

  Silent paws on glassy ground

  Eyes flash in the darkness

  Eyes flash and my heart drowns.

  You shatter my defences

  You fill my heart with fire

  With you I am creation

  With you I find my wild.

  But when the shadow fades,

  My world is small and dark

  I can’t find my way forward

  I can’t light my inner spark.

  The tension in the room rose, lifting him, carrying him through the emotion of the song as he soared over the crowd, pulling them up with him. His heart expanded, the fingers of his energy reaching towards Tabitha.

  He felt her respond, her tiger snaking through the crowd towards him. He surrounded the creature with sound, feeling the pull of the thick white fur, the memory of her delicate hands in his. He closed his eyes and saw only her face, her big, blue eyes drawing him in, captivating him and holding him forever.

  Wild Shadow you consume me

  With your flames that burn so bright.

 
Come back to me my tiger

  Come back to me my light.

  Wild Shadow

  As the last notes dissipated, Dylan was breathless. Eyes still closed, he sat motionless, fingers millimetres from the strings while the sound faded.

  The room exploded in applause: clapping, whooping, screaming. Linden jumped onto the stage, pulling Dylan to his feet and wrapping him in an enormous hug.

  ‘Take a bow, and then come to the bar. The first round’s on me. You were incredible.’

  Dylan was beaming. He stretched his arms out on either side of him, bending low to accept the applause.

  ‘Thank you so much,’ he shouted above the noise. ‘If you’d like to download my album, take a leaflet. It has all the information. I am looking for a record deal, so if you know anyone in the music industry, please do let me know and I’ll give you a free album to pass on, as well as one for yourself as a thank you. You guys are my first audience and you will always be my favourite.’

  He bowed again and the crowd roared. Clipping his guitar into the case at the side of the stage, he vaulted down to the floor. Hands grasped at him as he made his way through the crowd. His name floated continually through the air. He had seen this happen to Linden, but he’d never been on the receiving end of it before.

  ‘Here you are, my man!’ Linden clapped him on the back and handed him a pint of lager.

  ‘Dylan, that was unbelievable.’ GJ was staring at him, eyes wide.

  ‘Coming through, coming through, make way for the hero’s mother!’ The crowds parted and Rachel came into view, her arms stretched out to Dylan.

  ‘I always knew you were that good,’ she whispered into his ear. ‘Those boys were fools not to have made more of you sooner.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum.’ Dylan smiled and squeezed her tighter.

  Tabitha had stepped through the chaos and was standing behind his mum.

  He stood up. Baring his soul through his songs had seemed like a good idea when he was alone in his flat. Now that he had to face her, he had gone off the plan.

  ‘Your songs are beautiful,’ she said. She stepped closer, so close he could barely breathe. Then she reached up on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around him, putting her cheek to his. His heart exploded in his chest. The rightness blew through him, taking his breath away. He put his arms around her, closing his eyes and blocking out the world.

  ‘Tabitha,’ he said, his voice hoarse.

  She pulled back.

  He opened his eyes and his breath caught when he saw that she was smiling. ‘I really am sorry.’

  ‘I know. I heard your songs.’

  ‘Is there any chance we might take up where we left off? I mean … carry on getting to know one another?’

  Tabitha stepped backwards.

  Rachel was watching Dylan, a huge smile on her face. ‘Go on, Tabitha. Give him another chance. He’s worth it, I promise you.’

  Tabitha looked at Rachel and smiled. When she turned to Dylan, the light was still there. She reached out, took his hand in her own and squeezed. ‘Come to the gallery tomorrow after work. About seven. I’ll get in some nibbles.’

  Then she was gone.

  Dylan swallowed. He took a deep breath, and then looked over at his mum.

  She was beaming. ‘That really was a great gig, darling. Here’s to the future.’

  46

  Max

  Max thumped the desk. He had put the report off for too long. He knew nothing about tiger conservation and it was too late to figure it out now. He had hours before the report was due on Ursula’s desk, not the days or weeks he needed to pull it out of thin air. He looked after captive tigers. He did not reintroduce them to the wild.

  The Wildley Forest Zoo website was filled with information about conservation, but he hadn’t bothered to look. He had ignored the posters plastered to the walls in visitor centres and skipped staff meetings. He had ignored his pigeonhole, which he now knew was filled with information, reminders and official warnings. Basically, he was screwed.

  The phone rang. Sophie’s name flashed up on the screen. She had always given him immunity, but his phone was now filling up with messages from her demanding information. There were more from Ursula. He was tanking big time and he had no idea how to get this under control.

  He looked around his office. He wished it felt more familiar. He had been so proud to get a job with an office and staff. But he’d barely stepped into it since that first day. The drawers and cupboards were empty. The computer was covered with dust. The room was musty and unused.

  He hadn’t cared when his staff had all resigned within a few weeks of his appointment. He was happier with the cats than with people anyway, so when the positions weren’t filled, he didn’t complain. There always seemed to be someone around to help, even if they were managed by Ursula.

  Max rolled his shoulders, and then rubbed at his neck. There must be a way out of this. He may have fudged his CV, but he was clever enough to have faked it this far. He would find a solution, or he would find someone to help him.

  47

  Dylan

  We can now confirm that London and the Home Counties are on course for a direct hit from Storm Benjamin. The advice is to cancel all unnecessary travel. Where possible, stay inside and check on any vulnerable friends, family or neighbours. The storm is forecast to be at its height for the next twenty-four hours.

  The voice on the radio sounded serious. Dylan sighed. The trees were bending further and further in the wind. The few visitors who had braved the zoo seemed to have left, but the place was still open.

  ‘Damn it,’ Dylan muttered to himself as he checked his watch again. It was only five minutes later than last time. ‘If I don’t get out of here soon, I’ll be stuck.’ The tree outside the Playbarn bent ominously in a huge gust of wind. Dylan shivered.

  He picked up the phone and dialled Sophie.

  ‘Hello?’ She sounded distracted, but less fierce than normal.

  ‘Can we close up here? There isn’t a single visitor.’

  Silence.

  ‘The trees outside are swaying alarmingly,’ he added, hearing the stress creeping into his own voice. ‘I’m worried my staff won’t get home safely if we leave it any longer.’

  He could hear the howling wind from the other end of the phone. She was clearly outside. There was a loud crash, and Sophie screamed.

  Dylan jerked backwards from the handset, the noise cutting through his eardrums.

  ‘Do it.’ Her voice was shaky. ‘I’ll shut the whole zoo to all non-essential staff. Get your people out as soon as. Keep an eye on your phone. You’ll be notified when we need you.’ She hung up.

  ‘Come on, guys,’ Dylan shouted across the echoing Playbarn. ‘Get out of here. Go home. If anyone has a long way to travel and can’t get back safely, tell me now. I won’t see anyone in danger or stranded.’

  ‘Thanks, boss. We’re all good.’ Ed, a guy with an open, friendly face and long, brown dreadlocks nodded at Dylan. ‘Stay safe.’

  ‘You too, mate.’ Dylan held the door open as they all filed out. The wind caught it and pushed it backwards. He held on, trying to stop the door from slamming against the wall and smashing the glass. When the gust eased, he shoved the door shut and locked it tight. He stood with his back to the solid surface and looked around him. The trees were bending further than he would have thought possible. Dead, muddy leaves flew around as though they had newly fallen.

  He heard a growl to his right. The white tiger glared at him and then growled again. She walked over, rubbing against his legs. He gasped. She felt so real.

  She took his coat in her teeth and tugged. He jerked forwards, straight into a gust of wind that pushed him backwards.

  Putting his head down into the wind, he pushed forwards towards the exit, foot by hard-won foot. The wind was still getting stronger and was joined by sheeting rain that soaked him in moments. He was freezing, but the going was slow. His hands turned pink, and then took on a strange tinge of
blue.

  Tabitha growled more urgently this time, tugging at his coat again and propelling him faster towards home.

  By the time he reached her house he was shaking with cold.

  She nudged him up the path towards her front door, but he shook his head. ‘I need to shower and change. I’ll freeze if I stay like this. I’ll be back in half an hour.’

  She growled.

  ‘I promise.’

  She rumbled and then dissipated.

  He looked up and saw Tabitha’s face at the window, pale and wide-eyed. He raised a hand and then turned for home.

  The water in the shower felt roasting, but the dial was barely turned to warm. His teeth chattered as he stood under the spray, allowing it to heat his bones and still the incessant clattering of his teeth. He didn’t want to get out of the water, but Tabitha was over the road, and soon he might be unable to cross even that small distance. Forcing himself to turn off the spray, he towelled off and dug his warmest clothes out of the wardrobe. Fully dressed, he reached for the hairdryer, and then put it back. His hair would be soaking again in moments when he stepped out the door. Instead he combed it, and then hunted for his raincoat in the pile of boxes still waiting to be unpacked.

  A movement on the other side of the road caught his attention. A tall, dark-haired figure stood in front of Tabitha’s door. The door opened. He couldn’t see Tabitha’s face from here, but her shoulders went from relaxed to hunched in a moment.