Red Wolf

by Jennifer Ashley

“Pretty,” Jaycee said, craning her head to look up the stairs.

  “What happened to c-creepy?” Dimitri asked from directly behind her. “Which it is.”

  “It’s just an old house,” Jaycee said, trying to make herself believe that. “I know Shifters older than it is.”

  All was quiet. No one else was here—Jaycee would have scented another living being and so would Dimitri.

  Leaving the light on, she continued down the hall to the back door. This bolt and chain easily came undone, and Jaycee stepped out onto the rear porch.

  She breathed a sigh of relief, the tranquility of the setting beginning to overwhelm her uneasiness. “Even nicer,” she said. “I could get used to this.”

  The veranda ran the length of the house, the green shutters on the windows contrasting nicely with the white paint on the house’s trim. A gazebo jutted from the porch, forming an outdoor room complete with benches and a bookcase. The benches and bookcase were empty, Jasmine having taken her things, but she’d told Jaycee where the cushions for the seats were kept.

  A light wind blew down the veranda, rustling the leaves, yellow roses, and wind chimes. Peaceful. Jaycee hadn’t liked how the front door had opened as though it had decided to, but standing here in the cool breeze soothed the ruffled fur of her leopard and calmed her.

  Jaycee set down her pack and helmet and rested her hands on the railing, looking out to the setting sun and the rest of the property. A few outbuildings were scattered in the back, screened by trees, but a glimmer of water caught her attention.

  Her hot body urged her to see what it was. A fountain that would cool the air? A little babbling stream?

  A stream would attract snakes, Jaycee told herself as she walked down the stairs toward the gleam, Dimitri coming close behind her. But oh well. She’d put up with snakes to dip her feet in cool water.

  She moved around the thin stand of trees and then halted, smiling in delight. “A swimming pool. Hot damn.”

  Jasmine had said nothing about a pool, but it must belong to the house. The next house was too far away for the pool to be meant for it, and the other properties around Jasmine’s held warehouses for cargo from the river.

  The pool sparkled in the evening light, the water clean and inviting. Jaycee lost no time in stripping down, tossing her sweaty, dusty clothes to the ground. She hadn’t brought a bathing suit, but Shifters didn’t need bathing suits.

  She dove in, the water embracing her like cool silk. A perfect ending to a hot journey.

  “I thought cats hated w-water.” Dimitri stood at the edge of the pool, having rid himself of his backpack, helmet, and sunglasses. He put his hands on his hips and watched her, his gaze taking in her bareness.

  “Cats hate it.” Jaycee treaded water, keeping her head above the surface. “I don’t.”

  Dimitri didn’t answer. He watched her, the setting sun glinting on his eyes, which were lightening to the white-gray of his wolf. Jaycee continued to tread water, not wanting to swim away and have Dimitri make snide remarks about her backside bobbing on the surface.

  Dimitri didn’t say a word. He silently peeled off his shirt, then his jeans and boots, his underwear and socks. This pool was isolated, hidden from the outside world, allowing them to be completely alone.

  The thought made Jaycee’s heart pound. So did the sight of Dimitri’s intoxicating body coming into view, tall and strong.

  He didn’t dive in as Jaycee had done; he waded in using the wide steps at the shallow end, walking down, down into the pool. The water lapped his calves, then his thighs, his belly, his chest, as he came on toward her.

  He wasn’t going to stop. No breaking into a swim to stroke to the other side or splashing around to annoy her. Dimitri simply walked to Jaycee, his gaze on her as though daring her to flee.

  Jaycee stood her ground—or at least floated in place. Dimitri was tall enough to stand with his feet flat on the bottom, water up to his neck, while Jaycee had to paddle. Her arms were getting tired but she didn’t want to move to shallower water.

  Dimitri just looked at her. He didn’t reach for her, only watched, his gaze intent on her.

  “What?” Jaycee asked irritably when he didn’t move. Why didn’t he grab her, try to kiss her as he had at the club last night—anything?

  “I was thinking how beautiful you look in the sunshine,” Dimitri said.

  No stammering, no pause while he struggled over a word.

  “Don’t,” Jaycee said quickly.

  Dimitri frowned. “Don’t w-what?”

  “Melt my heart.”

  Slowly Dimitri reached out and placed his hand between her breasts. “So you do have a h-heart in there?”

  It sped under his touch. “You know damn well I do.”

  Dimitri moved his hand up her chest to her collarbone, then back down again. “I feel it beating.”

  His gaze sharpened, eyes fixed on hers. Dimitri wasn’t like other male Shifters who blatantly ogled Jaycee’s body—Dimitri looked her in the eye. Meant he was more dominant than the others but also that he cared about Jaycee’s reaction to him.

  Jaycee had seen Dimitri’s body plenty over the years—she should be used to it by now. Shifters took off clothes before shifting and didn’t hide themselves. Naked was their natural state.

  Jaycee had known Dimitri’s bare body when he’d been a lanky youth, then noticed when his limbs started becoming muscular and honed. He’d grown bulkier and harder after his Transition, and now he was a beautiful specimen of a man.

  She couldn’t help but put her hands on his shoulders as he stood before her now, feeling the heat of him, the minute movement when he shifted his feet on the pool’s bottom. His skin was sleek with water, water darkening the red hair that brushed his chest.

  “Dimitri, if we start . . .” she began softly.

  His eyes darkened. “If we start what?”

  “We’ll never get out of here and find Casey.”

  Dimitri rubbed between her breasts again. The heat of his hand built the fires in Jaycee’s heart.

  “The mission always c-comes first,” he said in a low voice.

  “It’s our job,” Jaycee said. “What we signed up for.”

  “I know. It w-wasn’t a question.”

  “The mission will always come first,” Jaycee echoed, hearing the regret in her voice.

  “I just s-said that.”

  “I was wondering when we would come first.” Jaycee caressed Dimitri’s shoulders, loving the slick, smooth skin over tight muscle. “You and me.”

  Dimitri shrugged, an enticing ripple under her fingers. “When all Shifters are free of their Collars and living in peace in the human world. When the Fae gates are sealed so the bastards don’t keep popping out and giving us hell.”

  Jaycee sighed. “Not anytime soon, then.”

  “We don’t know that.” Dimitri stroked the side of her breast with his thumb. “This C-Casey might be k-key to defeating the Fae and freeing all Sh-Sh-Sh . . .” He swallowed the word, closing his mouth.

  “Right.” Jaycee slid her hands down his chest, then let her fingers fall away. “Or Casey might take us square dancing.” She let out another unhappy breath. “If we have to go meet him, why do you keep touching me?”

  A fierce light entered Dimitri’s gray eyes. “I don’t care if the world goes to hell,” he said, his voice savage. “I don’t care if Shifters go with it. I won’t stop touching you, Jase. You’re my girl. Always have been.”

  Dimitri had come closer somehow, his hips now against hers. In the water they seemed to be nearly the same height, Dimitri having to bend only a little as he lifted his hand from her chest and closed both arms around her, pulling her closer still.

  He studied Jaycee as they hung face-to-face in the water, then he lifted her up to him and kissed her.

  Heat flowed down
into Jaycee, cutting the coolness of the pool’s water. This kiss held the ferocity she remembered from the night at the fight club, when she’d leapt into the ring to his rescue. While everyone else had yelled at Jaycee for ruining the match, Dimitri had helped her get the younger Shifters to safety, and then he’d kissed her. And such a kiss.

  They’d been body to body then as now, his mouth commanding, not punishing. Dimitri kissed Jaycee to enjoy her, not to subdue her.

  He held her chin between thumb and finger, pulling away to look down at her. The strength in his grip, gentling, told her he could take what he wanted whenever he wanted, and Jaycee couldn’t stop him. She could fight like hell, and be good at it, but Dimitri would win. He was stronger, a merciless fighter, skilled and able. He’d best her without trying very hard—Jaycee knew that in her heart.

  Dimitri’s eyes softened. He released her chin and moved his hand to her back, pulling her against him. The tenderness in the touch showed Jaycee his other side—he might be able to take her anytime he wished, but he wouldn’t be cruel, wouldn’t hurt her.

  Dimitri lifted her in his embrace, moving his mouth to her shoulder, lips on her skin. He inhaled her scent and licked the curve of her neck.

  Jaycee tilted her head, wanting his burning touch, his kiss. His body pressed the length of hers, the hard ridge of his cock firm against her abdomen.

  It would be so easy to float upward, to wrap her legs around his waist and let herself take him deep inside. Make love to him here in the shadowy dusk, then lead him to the house, to a bedroom upstairs and have him love her again.

  Who cared about Casey and his mysterious friend? Who cared that he might be the link to the troublemaking Shifters Dylan wanted to spy on? Why couldn’t the world leave her and Dimitri alone?

  Do it.

  The suggestion seemed to come from outside herself, and Jaycee jerked her head up. Dimitri raised his head at the same time, confusion in his eyes.

  “Did you say s-something?” he asked her.

  “No.” Jaycee unwound her arms but rested her hands on his shoulders, unable to make herself push away. “Know anyone with telepathy?”

  “T-telepathy’s not real.” Dimitri scanned the area around the pool, alert. The light was fading now, the sun having slipped over the horizon while they kissed. “Maybe C-Casey . . .” He trailed off, uneasy.

  “Casey doesn’t know we’re here,” Jaycee said. “Unless he put a GPS tracker on us or something.” Probably he hadn’t—they would have scented a device. “Besides, why would Casey want us to have sex all night?”

  Dimitri rumbled in his throat. “I don’t know.”

  Jaycee rubbed his shoulders. “Well, the sooner we find this guy and drag him to Dylan or decide he’s harmless, the sooner we can kick back, hang out in the pool, drink some beers, relieve the tension . . .”

  She expected Dimitri to relax, smile, tell her that was a great idea. Instead, his eyes narrowed.

  “It’s not relieving tension.” His voice was strong and clear. “Never that with you. When you’re with me, Jase, it will always be far more than relieving tension.” He hauled her up into his arms, bringing his mouth down on hers in a powerful kiss.

  Jaycee could tell he meant to give her a single bruising kiss to show her how much her declaration had pissed him off, but the kiss lengthened, Dimitri enfolding her in his unbreakable grip. Jaycee’s mouth opened readily for his, her entire being wanting to hold him, kiss him—screw the mission.

  Dimitri broke the kiss, his eyes Shifter gray, the wolf in him growling. He released her abruptly and leapt backward into the water with a crashing splash. “Let’s go find this son of a bitch so I can come back here with you and show you exactly how it’s going to be.”

  He backstroked to the edge of the pool, then turned around and heaved himself straight out, not bothering with the steps. His body rose, water streaming from it, back straight, legs firm, buttocks tight. Dimitri landed lightly on his feet and bent to retrieve his clothes without looking at Jaycee. Not bothering to dress, he balled up his clothes in one hand and strode up the walk toward the house.

  Jaycee watched him go, her heart beating so fast it rocked her, her mouth raw from his kiss. The evening light touched Dimitri’s backside as he went, flaring every desire Jaycee had for him to unbearable incandescence.

  * * *

  When they tried to leave the house, the front door wouldn’t open. Dimitri, whose body was already shaking with annoyance that he hadn’t grabbed Jaycee in the pool and made hard love to her, pounded his fist on the wooden panels.

  “What the hell is wrong with this thing?”

  “Did you unlock it?” Jaycee asked demurely behind him.

  Dimitri swung around. “Hell yes, I unlocked it, smart-ass.”

  Jaycee slid around him, jiggled the bolt, and turned the handle. The lock and the latch slid smoothly back, but the door itself refused to budge.

  “Must be stuck,” Jaycee said, her reasonable tone irritating him. “We’ll go out the back.”

  Dimitri snarled and didn’t answer. He tramped after Jaycee’s enticing body down the long hall and to the door that led to the veranda. Jaycee undid the dead bolts she’d latched when she’d returned from swimming and turned the handle.

  The door didn’t move. Dimitri’s heart beat rapidly. He didn’t like being trapped. Not for any reason.

  “What the hell?” he said in a near shout.

  Jaycee thoughtfully studied the walls, then moved down the hall to the front door again. Dimitri didn’t know why she was so calm.

  Trapped, lost, can’t get out . . .

  The memory came at him from nowhere, tapping at his subconscious.

  Windows. This house had a ton of them. Dimitri shoved his way into a room, which turned out to be a dining room, the table and chairs draped with dust covers. Dimitri shoved back the heavy curtains, unlocked the window, and strained to shove the heavy sash upward.

  Nothing. Even his Shifter strength couldn’t move it.

  He turned around, lifted a chair, and prepared to break his way out. The fire was coming. Burning all around him. No! Don’t leave me here! Let me out!

  It was a cub’s voice, Dimitri’s. Walls in his mind hastily descended, blocking the glare of the flames. The panic didn’t recede. He had to get out of here before it was too late . . .

  “Dimitri!” Jaycee’s voice broke through like light warming a cold room.

  Dimitri closed his eyes and dragged in a breath. There was no fire, no evil people locking him in. Just Jaycee, her golden eyes wide, the silence of the empty house, and Dimitri holding a chair.

  “If you break the windows, Jazz will kill us,” Jaycee said, unruffled. “Let me try something.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, Dimitri made himself lower the chair to the floor. His hands were trembling.

  Jaycee walked back to the hall, Dimitri right behind her. She chose a space between the interior doors and put her hand on the wall.

  “We’ll be back,” she said, looking up at the ceiling. “There’s something we need to take care of, but we’re coming right back. I know it’s lonely here without Jasmine.”

  Dimitri opened his mouth to ask Jaycee who the hell she was talking to, when a breath of air streamed down the hall. With a sound like a sigh, the front door silently swung open.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Dimitri grabbed Jaycee’s hand and shot toward the open door, dragging her outside. The door closed slowly behind them, the lock clicking audibly into place.

  Dimitri pulled Jaycee all the way down the porch stairs, where he halted breathlessly. “What. The. Fuck?”

  Jaycee calmly detached herself from Dimitri, but there was a bright look in her eyes. “Jazz told me the house was haunted. But also that if it likes us, it will treat us well.”

  “Jazz is a crazy woman who thinks she’s ps
-psychic,” Dimitri said. He’d met Jazz only once, at her mating ceremony to Mason. Zander, the insane polar bear, spoke highly of her.

  “Jazz is a psychic,” Jaycee returned. “I didn’t believe it either, but the house is doing exactly what she said it would. Well, she didn’t know exactly, but she told me staying here would be weird.”

  “She’s got that right.” Dimitri gave the house a wary eye.

  Jaycee caressed the newel post at the bottom of the steps. “I’m thinking that if you want a place to stay tonight, you’d better be nice to it.”

  Dimitri stepped back until he could see the entire house. It looked innocent enough, an old plantation home restored and ready for Old South tours. As he peered at it closely, he saw that the middle of the porch roof sagged a little, something he hadn’t noticed before, making the house look like it was smiling.

  Dimitri gave the place a scowl and moved quickly to his motorcycle. “Come on. Shifters will be coming out to play now that the sun’s down.”

  Jaycee stroked the porch post again, then finally turned away to join Dimitri. She gave him an odd look as she climbed on behind him, but Dimitri started the motorcycle before she could ask questions. The roar of the motor precluded any talking.

  Haunted, right. Shifters didn’t believe in ghosts. There was life, and there was the Summerland for your soul when you were done living. That was it. The soul could be stolen and enslaved, true, but you weren’t exactly a ghost when that happened—more in limbo between one state and the next, hoping like hell a Guardian would stab his sword through your body and release you.

  But Shifters didn’t hang around and haunt houses. Humans didn’t either, in spite of all their stories. Humans might be feeling the residue of violence or great sorrow in certain places, but Dimitri was certain no actual spirits of the deceased were there.

  Even so, something had been going on in Jazz’s house. He’d go through it when they returned and look for webcams or monitors—humans had all kinds of crazy gadgets that let them remotely manipulate things in their houses. Jazz or Mason might have set up something as a joke. Or Zander—he had a bizarre sense of humor.