by Lucy Farago
“I thought the two of you hated each other,” she shouted after them.
“Nothing brings two guys together better than dishing shit about a woman,” Loki hollered back.
If he wasn’t Mia’s fiancé… and damn, before she forgot and made her best friend mad at her… “Thanks for the birthday gift.” It had been, dare she say it, a thoughtful gift. Turning twenty-five sucked, but nothing unsucked it as well as a souped-up ATV.
Loki turned and gave her a bow. “Anything for you.”
Sarcastic asshole. But she wisely kept that to herself. It was a cool machine, and no way was she giving it back. It gave her the freedom she craved and an excuse to search out the occasional solitude she’d discovered she really loved.
She gave Loki the finger, because that was how their relationship went, and resumed her jog. If Sirius were here to teach, then he’d find out sooner or later why the cadets had given her the nickname. Besides, she had that shower waiting for, and after spending all this time with that much testosterone, she was going full throttle on her showerhead.
2
“A tartigrade,” Loki was saying “is this tiny creature that can survive anything. People generally call them water bears or moss piglets.”
“Ah,” Sirius said, trying to get the image of Winter showering out of his head. “Miss Piggy. And she’s okay with that?”
His old army buddy shrugged. “I think Cooper told her to play nice. Winter earned that nickname after a cadet accidently blew up one of the labs. The entire room came down on her. She was buried under metal and concrete for twelve hours.”
“No shit? How’d she manage to escape?” He’d seen first-hand what bombs could do, and never wanted to see it again. He counted himself as one of the lucky ones. No injuries, no real PTSD. He’d been accused of being as tough as nails, physically and mentally. It wasn’t true. He just knew how to compartmentalize.
“She said she found a pocket of air. Couldn’t get much more out of her. She can be as ornery as a cat. And if she thinks you’re getting in her business...”
“Let me remind you, your fiancé is a cat. But she can’t be worse than Sergeant Hiller.” Their old boot camp trainer made grown men cry.
“I assure you Mia never lets me forget. And Winter is about the same as Hiller, until you get on her bad side, then she’s worse.” They’d reached the front entrance, where Loki opened one of the old majestic wooden doors. “After you.”
Inside, they were greeted by hardwood and more hardwood. Six-inch floorboards, obviously original to the old house, extended past a grand staircase and disappeared down not one but three corridors. Wood paneling covered all the walls, but surprisingly, the foyer wasn’t dark. He looked up to see a small glass dome allowed light to shine in.
“The architect understood Canadian winters and wanted to allow for all the light possible.”
“How much of the old house still exists?” It would be a shame to destroy all the history, but this was an academy, not a hotel.
“Quite a bit of it. The extensions took care of the functionality required for training. Most of the rooms in this part were converted to offices, a games room, a movie theatre, things that would keep the integrity of the house. Come on, I’ll take you to Cooper.”
“Thanks for doing this. I owe you one.” His military career behind him, he’d found himself floundering, unsure of what to do next and bored out of his mind. If not for Loki’s wedding invitation rekindling their old friendship, Sirius was certain he’d still be bartending in Vegas and hating every minute of it.
“Like you said, I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you.”
“I just wish I’d been with you the night your plane went down.” His assignment had kept him longer than expected, and he’d missed the mission.
“Given how it turned out, I’m glad you weren’t.”
Loki had had to shift to save the team, and then afterward, they’d insisted a massive dog had kept them warm. Everyone assumed the cold had gotten to them, but by then, damage done. The men he’d considered family turned their back on Loki. He left the army before their squadron was released from the hospital. Sirius had attempted to track him down on more than one occasion, but had come up empty.
“Now,” he said, motioning for Sirius to take the stairs, “don’t fuck this up and make me look bad.”
“I’ll try not to.” When Loki had told him that FUC was looking for an arms and munitions expert, Sirius had jumped at the chance. This was something he knew, and truth be told, he liked blowing things up.
“Put that charm of yours to good use.”
“Didn’t you tell me to lay off the charm? That it would be the death of me one day?”
“That’s because you don’t know when to turn it off. You’re like honey to a bee, only it’s the hornets you attract.”
He stopped on the first landing and regarded his friend. “They weren’t all hornets.” Although, much of what Loki said was true. He did tend to fall for the wrong women.
“I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve been stung. Just go in there and be yourself. Even Cooper will be hard-pressed not to like you.”
Sirius snorted and resumed his climb. He had a lot of female friends who he’d had to bail out of trouble a time or two. That much was true. But he’d promised himself when he left the army that he would no longer be taken in so easily. The card dealer in Vegas being the only exception, he’d pretty much kept that promise. He wouldn’t count Regina, the cop who’d released him from his handcuffs on the bed. If not for her eight brothers, he was certain the two of them would have made it work.
When they reached the top of the stairs, he remembered there was something he wanted to ask. “What’s up with Winter?”
“What do you mean?”
“She doesn’t smell human, but she doesn’t smell like a shifter either. Come to think of it, she doesn’t have any scent.”
“Yeah, it’s one of her talents. She can mask it.”
“So she’s a shifter.”
“She used to be a FUC agent.” He pointed to the third door on his right. “Through there, bud. I’ll wait for you in the foyer. And remember—”
“Don’t fuck it up. I got it.” He hadn’t known that much about FUC before Loki had filled him in. What he did know was explosives and firearms. The rest he could learn. He made his way to the door and stopped before knocking.
“Loki.”
“Yeah.”
“What kind of shifter is she?” Although neither of them would admit it, Siberians fared less favorably with curiosity than cats.
“The kind you don’t want to piss off. Now get in there before Cooper blows a gasket. There’s nothing in my garage that’ll help you if that happens,” he said and disappeared down the stairs.
Okay, so that was weird. Was it possible Loki didn’t know what Winter was? He racked his brain, unable to recall ever hearing of a species able to mask their scent so effectively that had he not heard her, he would’ve thought he was alone. Her spying on him hadn’t bothered him. In fact, she hadn’t been off the mark in accusing him of being macho. Only it had nothing to do with his jumping in the lake and everything with how she looked at him when she opened her eyes to find him staring. At that moment, something inside him snapped and he’d been tempted to use her scratch post for relieving more than an itch. At that moment, if she’d read his mind... Then again, her eyes... Whatever she’d seen, she liked. And that did a man proud. Winter Fable was beautiful with all that platinum hair, and if he had to paint himself green and croak like a frog, he and Miss Piggy were going to get to know each other better.
After leaving a successful meeting with Director Cooper, he had a newfound respect for llamas. He’d always thought them one step above donkeys. A shifter who could regurgitate their food wasn’t someone he wanted to eat dinner with. But he liked Cooper. For one thing, other than appreciating Loki’s referral, she wasn’t keen on his old army pal. It was funny, given most women couldn’t r
esist him, despite his off-putting cold exterior. Words like headstrong, malcontent, and nonconformist came up so often that it was a wonder she’d taken anyone he’d recommended for the job seriously. To be fair, Siberians weren’t huskies. Besides being four times the size, they didn’t like everyone. But when their kind befriended you, you had a friend for life.
Siberians were loyal and, as Loki had proven, could be trusted with your life. He’d yet to meet Loki’s mate, but he’d bet Loki had chosen well. He himself had never been so lucky. And shit like that couldn’t be forced…no matter how hard people tried.
“How did it go?” Loki called up from where he waited at the bottom of the stairs.
“She doesn’t like you.” Blunt, but he guessed Loki knew that.
“She likes me. She just doesn’t like me, like me.”
“And what does that mean?” He reached the bottom step to stand with Loki.
“She hasn’t fired me.”
Sirius laughed. “Maybe she doesn’t want to lose one of her favorite instructors.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m her favorite.”
“I meant your fiancée.”
“You have a point. Guess I’d better marry her if I want to keep my job.” He slapped Sirius on the shoulder.
“Which reminds me, when do I get to meet this beguiling lynx?” Hearing that Loki was getting married had been surprise enough, but when he heard it was to a cat, he’d just about dropped the case of vodka he’d lugged out of storage. His boss, one very nasty hyena, had cackled so hard Sirius had hoped he’d give himself a heart attack. It was then he realized he needed to get the hell out of Vegas. He didn’t wish ill on anyone, not even his shithead of a boss.
“She went camping with the recruits. Won’t be back for a week. It’s pretty quiet around here. It’ll give you time to settle in. Come on, I’ll show you where you’re staying.”
Sirius followed Loki out the front door, wondering what his friend knew that he didn’t. “How do you know I even got the job? Maybe she hated me.”
“No one hates you. You give off that I-love-everyone vibe, and people like that.”
“Unlike you,” Sirius was happy to point out.
“Yes, but unlike you, I don’t give a shit.” Loki smiled, flashy teeth that, in Siberian form, would scare the meanest grizzly.
Sirius shook his head. It wasn’t that Loki didn’t give a shit. He just wanted people to think he didn’t. He’d had some hard knocks in life, his mother dying young for one. But once you earned Loki’s trust, he was loyal and a friend for life. “So how did you know she was going to hire me?” He didn’t buy the everyone-liked-him bullshit.
“I bet her a couple of days off that she’d put you on payroll. She sent me a text just as you were walking out. Said it would be a pleasure not to see my face for the next two days.”
“So, you’re off now?” Sirius slipped his rucksack onto his back, freeing his hands.
“Nope. I never said anything about which two days.” He flashed those teeth again.
“I can see why she hates you.”
Loki led them to a small outdoor building located to the left of what looked like an archery field. Inside were three golf carts and an array of outdoor fitness equipment…a stack of tires, cones, soccer balls, and other such things. Loki hopped onto a cart and signaled for Sirius to join him.
“Throw your stuff in the back.” He glanced upward toward the newly darkened sky. “Let’s get you settled before that incoming storm hits. Cottages aren’t far, but this beats walking.”
Or running, which reminded him. “Hey, about Winter…” He took his spot in the passenger side. “You never answered me. What is she?”
Loki started the engine. “Don’t know. I’m not sure anyone does, except maybe Cooper, but even that I can’t say for sure.”
That was odd. “Anyone ever ask her?” It was an obvious question, one he assumed she wasn’t willing to answer. It was more her reaction to the question that had him curious.
“Remember my telling you she’s mean? Well, the last person who asked ended up in the lake…in the dead of winter…through the ice.”
“Mean and scary. What more could a man ask for?”
Loki maneuvered out of the supply shed and onto a gravel path leading into the woods, not far from where he’d last seen Winter jog off.
“Listen, while the lake isn’t frozen-over anymore, stay clear of asking what species she is. It’s a touchy subject with the lady.”
“I was just curious if you knew. But it begs the question.”
“What’s she hiding?”
“Figuratively and literally. I mean she can mask her scent. Don’t you find that unusual?” The cart went over a small pothole on the path, jarring them both. “I see your driving hasn’t improved. How the hell did you land this gig?”
“Charm and wit. I told you, Cooper likes me.”
“She did nothing but complain about you. And hey, is it true you found Bigfoot?” He’d had a hard time not laughing as the director explained how Loki and his now-fiancée had crashed the Academy’s Cessna, only to end up tangling with a not-anymore mythical creature.
“Sasquatch, and it’s a long story.”
“One you’re going to tell me, right?” This he had to hear.
“Sure…if you tell me what you did that nearly got you dishonorably discharged.”
Sirius snorted. He’d left the army of his own accord, and it had nada to do with anything he had or hadn’t done, but no way in hell was he telling that story. Loki would never let him live it down. In his defense, how was he supposed to know she was the general’s daughter?
“Fine, don’t tell me your stupid story.”
Loki laughed, an evil in-your-face kind of laugh. “I already know.”
A low growl escaped Sirius as he ducked, narrowly missing a low-hanging branch from blinding him. “Then why did you ask?”
“Just wanted to see if you’d fess up. I called the base looking for you. Ropper told me. It’s how I knew to find you in Vegas.”
“Ropper doesn’t know shit.” It was between him and the lady…and her mother.
“You got between a mama elephant and her calf. Are you insane?”
Damn. Given how irate the general had been, he shouldn’t be surprised that word had gotten out. “I was just trying to help. She was going on and on about a crazy, overprotective parent. I mean I figured her for early twenties. Elephants need to learn to cut the apron string.”
“Maybe. But that’s not your call.”
They drove past the last of trees and left the earthy smell of wet earth and sprouting greenery behind them.
“She asked for my help.”
He’d met her at a local coffee shop where she’d been reading a book on overcoming difficult parents. They’d started talking and came to be good friends. He should’ve found it odd that she only ever wanted to meet at the café, but given he’d harbored no romantic feelings for her, he never bothered to ask her why.
“Come on. You’d have done the same. It wasn’t like I threw her in my car and drove across state lines.”
In the clearing ahead sat rows of tiny cottages, each with a different-colored door, some with landscaped front lawns, others kept simple. Every second or third one was adorned with a porch, and others with a second story had balconies. Most had tin roofs, a couple shingles, and one cedar.
“You bought her a bus ticket out of town.”
He had. “Her mother tapped her phone. There was no way for Sarah to get a ticket without her finding out.”
“You’re lucky the general didn’t throw you in the brig.”
In his defense, she told him she was rhino, a species who appeared younger than their true age and indistinguishable in scent to elephants. “I didn’t know she was seventeen.” She’d lied and backed up her lie by acting far older.
“How many times have I told you need to stop being so gullible?”
“I am not gullible.”
> “You fall for all their pretty words. Women know a sucker when they see one. Take my advice. Stay away from anyone who sounds too good to be true. They’re only showing you what you want to see.”
“You want me to date women who tell me to fuck off?”
Loki shrugged. “At least then you know they don’t see a sucker. All I’m saying is you could benefit from being a tad more selective.”
He couldn’t argue with that, but this had been different. “She needed my help.” He’d felt bad for her. It wasn’t like the other times. He hadn’t fallen for her.
“You can’t be everyone’s savior. It always comes back and bites you in the tail.”
His friend had a point. Maybe it was time to put away the shining armor and act more like Loki…a true dickhead.
They hopped onto the paved path between the rows of dwellings and then stopped when Loki came to the last cottage. “This one used to be mine. There are some…cool additions. I’ll show you once you get settled in. How much time did Cooper give you?”
“A week. Something about official security clearance, red tape, blah, blah. Where are you living?” Sirius said, getting out of the cart to inspect his new digs.
“Four down, with Mia.” He pointed to a far too cutely landscaped cottage. “She likes to garden,” Loki explained—having read Sirius’s mind—daring him to say anything other than….
“She has a green thumb.”
Loki snorted. “Get settled. We’ll talk soon.”
Sirius gave him a quick salute and was heading up the path leading to his humble abode when he caught the faint but definite smell of blood. All his sense went on alert as he turned to see if he and Loki were on the same page. “You smell that?”
“Smell what?”
“Blood. Almost like it’s been…masked.” Sirius jerked his head in the direction of the cottage beside his. “Who lives next door?”
“That’s Winter’s place.”
He didn’t wait, racing Loki to her porch. Spotting the claw marks grooved in the front door, Sirius splintered it in half as he blew through it. “Winter,” he called out, panicked she’d met with foul play.