by Vella Day
Missy leaned forward, indecision crossing her face. It was if she thought he’d just collapsed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Zane needed to keep his lying to a minimum. “I’ll be fine.”
She slipped off her sweater and handed it to him. “I don’t want you to catch cold.”
“Thanks.” Zane smiled. Clearly, she was uncomfortable with him being naked as the temperature outside wasn’t all that chilly. When he placed the sweater on his lap, her shoulders relaxed. “If you want to wait someplace else for your friends, I’ll just rest here.” Resting was the last thing he needed right now. He certainly wasn’t sleep deprived.
“They’ll find me, but I do need to call another friend. I was here collecting mushrooms for a healing potion for her, and I need to let her know I’ll be delayed.”
Collecting herbs, coupled with her nurturing nature implied Missy was a healer. “Go ahead.”
Once more she swiped a finger across the rectangular box, tapped it, and then lifted it to her ear. Zane really wanted to understand how she was able to communicate with that box to another person without wires.
“Anna, it’s Missy. How are you feeling?” She glanced off to the side almost as if she was trying to decide if she should leave. “That’s good. I’m calling because I got a little caught up at the caves, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. Please rest. I’ll see you soon.”
His gaze lowered to the torch in her hand. Even though he understood its purpose, the size and shape wasn’t anything he’d ever seen before. More proof kept coming his way that the life he knew was about to change.
Between the light emitting device and her fascinating communicator, he needed answers in order to decide his next course of action. Unfortunately, he had to keep his secret a little longer.
After walking about fifteen strides, Missy leaned against a tree and studied him. As long as he was in acting mode, he decided to carry his ruse a little further, mostly to see how she’d react. Zane leaned over, rubbed his scalp, and let out a slight groan, pretending as though the blow from the fight still affected him. “I think I might have hit my head before I passed out.”
Missy straightened. “How long were you out for?”
He had no idea. That was the problem. “I’m unsure. Right now, everything is a bit fuzzy. I know this sounds crazy to ask, but what year is it?” She’d used the same crazy comment as an excuse for asking something out of the ordinary, so he thought it might work for him.
“It’s 2017. What year do you think it is?”
Zane’s heart nearly stopped. She had to be wrong, but to question her again would ruin things. “The same year.”
Well damn. His situation was worse than he could have ever imagined.
Chapter Two
‡
Missy kept checking the time on her phone to see what was keeping Rye and Kalan. In case this man wasn’t on the up and up, having the Clan’s Alpha and his Beta join her would prevent a bad incident from occurring. And if he were some fugitive or criminal from another town, Kalan should be able to figure it out.
She probably should ask this newcomer if he was a shifter, but if he weren’t, no telling what havoc might result. Questions would abound, and she wasn’t prepared to answer them without a lot of thought. Rye and Kalan would know for sure if Zane were one of them.
She tried to get a look at his back to check for a paw print, but the man managed to keep that part of his body out of sight. It wasn’t a big deal. At the moment, he didn’t seem to pose any threat.
With her sweater across his lap, he was leaning back on his elbows, looking up at the sky, seemingly disinterested in her. The trees, the clouds, and the small animals had captivated him. She should be happy he was ignoring her, but his actions still seemed suspect.
It wasn’t as if she was interested in the scruffy man who had drunk himself into a stupor. She was staying only because he was in need of some clothes. Once Rye provided him with some, she’d go on her way and not give him a second thought.
Liar.
Fine. Zane intrigued her. Missy glanced his way once more. His abs were flat, and his upper thighs were bodybuilder large. She let her gaze drift downward. Damn sweater blocked her view of his cock. She never should have given it to him.
Shame on me! While Missy wasn’t a prude by any means, she wasn’t in the habit of taking a quick peek just for a thrill—or to indulge in a one-night stand. Before she did anything risky like that, she’d have to learn a lot more about him.
In all honesty, she’d given up hope of finding that someone special. Her sister Izzy, her cousin Teagan, and many of her friends were mated. She, however, hadn’t even had a date in quite some time. At a few parties she’d attended recently, Missy had overheard words like spinster, too sweet for her own good, and focused on helping people. She didn’t think the last two descriptions were particularly bad, but she probably should be more aggressive when it came to men. Somehow it just wasn’t in her nature to be that way.
Missy returned her attention back to the enigmatic man. “Zane, where did you say you were from?”
He shot to a sitting position. “I didn’t. But I’m from…”
She waited a beat for his answer, but then his face changed from cheerful to confused. “From where?” she asked again. Oh crap. “Did you lose your memory when you hit your head?”
“I must have.” He almost sounded happy.
“What is the last thing you remember?”
He glanced off to the side. “Sitting in a pub and having a drink.”
“Where?”
“I can’t say.”
This poor man really was a lost soul, and her need to help him resurfaced. “I should see what’s taking my friends so long. I’m going to the ridge to make sure they can find us. Wait here.”
It wasn’t so much that she feared this man, she just didn’t want Rye and Kalan to have to search for them. Not only did Zane need some clothes—and soon—but he needed medical help.
As she headed back along the ridge, she wondered if Zane had arrived at the caves naked or if someone had stolen his clothes while he’d been passed out. It was possible that he’d shifted at some point, and his clothes had shredded.
Missy picked up her pace until she spotted one man, not two, coming up the path toward her. It was Rye. She waved, and when he waved back, she stopped to wait for him. Two minutes later, he reached her with an armful of clothes.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You look a little spooked.”
“I’m fine.”
“I was worried about you, Missy. You shouldn’t have stayed around a stranger. You don’t know if he is dangerous or not.”
She shook her head. “I would have sensed it if he meant me any harm.”
Rye cocked a brow. “Since when does your magic extend to reading people’s minds?”
She blew out a breath, not needing him to be so overprotective. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
Rye nodded. “Next time, run and get help first.”
“Hopefully, there won’t be a next time.”
“What do you know about him?”
“Not much. He told me he was drowning his sorrows with a few drinks because his best friend had died, and the next thing he knew he’d woken up in a cave naked.”
“I trust he’s a shifter?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t ask him.”
He studied her. “Something is bothering you, or you wouldn’t have suggested I come with Kalan. I did ask him by the way, but he was busy with a case and couldn’t come.”
“I wanted to be cautious.”
“If that’s true, why didn’t you move to safety and then call me?”
She didn’t like the grilling. “Like I said, I don’t think he’s a threat. He just seems to need some clothes and medical attention.”
Rye’s brows rose. “Where is he from?” he asked as he motioned they walk and talk.
“He doesn’t remember.”
<
br /> “So our mystery man is a naked amnesiac?” She could hear the censure in his voice.
“Seems so.” All the more reason why she shouldn’t have reacted to him physically.
With a pile of clothes snug in his arms, Rye walked alongside her toward the cave. When they arrived, Zane was still sitting on the ground studying the sky. As soon as he noticed them, he jumped up, but then winced, careful not to let her sweater drop.
Missy wanted to help him, but she refrained. Rye would have a fit. “Zane, this is my sister’s husband, Rye.”
With some hesitation on Rye’s part, the men shook hands. Rye then handed Zane some clothes. “Not sure these will fit, but it’s the best I could do on such short notice.” Rye smiled, but the cheer didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve been in this kind of situation a time or two after I was forced to shift.”
Zane chuckled. “So you understand. I didn’t want to mention anything about shifters to Missy since she’s human.”
He turned his back and pulled on the black pants that were a good two inches too short. He then rotated back around and slipped on the T-shirt that had Silver Lake Fire Department blazoned on the front. My, but it fit him well—too well in fact.
“She’s more than a human,” Rye said. “Missy’s a Wendayan.”
“Good to know,” Zane said, but something about the way he hesitated told her he’d never heard of her kind.
Zane then slipped his feet into the sneakers, which looked like they barely fit. Considering Rye’s feet were huge, she thought for sure there would be room to spare.
“How about coming back to town with us? I’m our Clan’s Alpha. I’d like to have one of our doctors check you out to see if he can do something about that memory of yours.”
Zane held up a hand. “I’m good. Really. Once I shift again, I’ll heal quickly. My bear can help with my memory issues as well.”
Missy stepped closer. “How can you be sure? Has this happened before?”
“I haven’t lost my memory in the past, but I have been injured. I’m not sure why my bear didn’t do his job this time. If I can’t remember anything by tomorrow, I’ll let the doc have at me.”
If she’d been in Zane’s position, Missy would probably do the same thing.
Rye placed a hand on Zane’s shoulder. “Sounds good. How about we go to the fire station where I work? You can grab a meal and a hot shower. Maybe the food will help jar your memory.”
“I’d like that. I am definitely hungry.”
Rye smiled. “Great. Are you looking for a job by any chance?”
Zane stared at Rye for a moment, as if he were crazy. “I have a job. Only problem is that I don’t know where it is.”
“Amnesia does have that effect on a person. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I just thought you could use a helping hand while you figure things out. We have a janitorial opening. I need to ask my boss first if he’d consider you for the vacancy, but I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes.”
“I could use the help, but even though your offer is really kind, especially since you don’t know me, I couldn’t impose.”
“You wouldn’t be. You’d be doing us a favor. Our janitor, Victor, is in the hospital and will be out of commission for an unknown length of time. We could really use your help. Pay’s not great though.”
Zane grinned, and Missy’s stomach fluttered.
“Then thank you. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”
“I’ll tell him it’s just until your memory returns.”
Damn. She didn’t need Zane hanging around longer than necessary. He was sending out a vibe that had her off kilter.
“That would be great,” Zane said.
“Come on,” Rye said. “Let’s get you that shower.”
His jaw tightened. “Sure thing.”
He couldn’t have forgotten what a shower was, could he? Missy’s sympathy surfaced once more at the possibility.
Together, the three of them headed back down the mountain. At the bottom of the hill, Rye motioned for Zane to slide into the front seat. Instead of hopping in, Zane just stared at the truck.
“Something wrong?” Rye asked.
“No.”
Was it possible he’d forgotten how to open a car door? If so, then he was worse off than she had first thought. Trying not to embarrass him, she stepped in front of him and opened it. “Climb in.”
Only after Rye hopped into his side did Zane enter. He looked up at her. “Thanks for everything. Will I see you again?”
The intensity of his tone had heat racing up her face once more. “I’m sure we’ll run into each other. Silver Lake is a small town.” She smiled. “Take care.”
Missy closed his door, and as quickly as she could, rushed off to her car. Even though the man needed a shave and a shower, she had a good feeling about him. Zane seemed like a gentle soul, and she liked that. Sure, he was a bit odd, but that could be explained by the amnesia.
Be honest. Being near him had amped up her blue sparks to the point that she had to slap them away. Fortunately, Zane hadn’t seemed to notice. If he had, he probably didn’t know what they represented.
Ready to help reduce Anna’s flu symptoms, Missy continued down the hill. The herbs alone would do wonders, but when Missy added in her magic, she was sure to succeed.
By the time she arrived at Anna’s house, Missy had been gone far longer than she’d intended. Before she rushed inside to help her friend, Missy called her mom and briefly explained what happened.
Her mother sighed. “Just so you know, my sweet girl, we will be having a conversation on the potential dangers of friending a stranger. You need to think twice about going off on your own from now on.”
She restrained from telling her mom she knew what she was doing. “I could sense he wasn’t a threat.”
“This time, maybe. Go take care of Anna. If you have time later, come back to the store. I love you.”
Missy rolled her eyes. “I love you too, Mom.” Grabbing her bag with the mushrooms she’d collected and the ginger from Natalie, Missy pushed open her car door. When she reached Anna’s door and knocked, her friend answered a few seconds later.
“You made it!” she said, rubbing her stomach.
Missy stepped inside. “I’m sorry I’m late. You won’t believe what happened.”
“Do tell.” The fact Anna was animated implied she was feeling better.
“Let me fix this concoction first and then I’ll tell you a strange tale.”
“You have me intrigued.”
“I have to admit even I’m intrigued.”
Anna motioned her to the kitchen. “Go ahead and do your magic. I’ll just sit on the sofa. If you can mix and talk at the same time, I’ll listen.”
Missy smiled. “That works.”
*
Zane wasn’t sure he could pull off this ruse. The way Missy was able to communicate with her sister while being so far away from her had his mind spinning. Next was her portable light, and now Rye’s transportation that was so sleek, it couldn’t possibly be safe. Zane’s cover would surely be blown, as he had serious doubts about his ability to adapt to this new-to-him world.
He’d almost ruined things already when he couldn’t figure out how to get into the damned huge vehicle. The cars he’d seen on rare occasion had levered handles not pullout ones. Thankfully, Missy had stepped in front of him and tugged on the long slit of metal to open it. He was even more convinced it was going to take all of his concentration to remember what to do and how to do it.
When Missy hurried away, it was clear she wanted nothing more to do with him, further taking him aback. Women in his world did not reject Zanedar Barons, but apparently his lack of knowledge didn’t sit well with this one.
Pushing the slight aside, he sat back and studied the vehicle’s interior. Zane was struck by all the dials and displays. As much as he wanted to reach out and touch everything to see how they worked, he refrained.
Without a doubt these next few
days were going to be highly challenging. Zane’s main concern right now was avoiding any doctors since he could only claim amnesia for so long. The only way to pull off this deception would be with a lot of nodding and not asking too many questions.
One thing in his favor was that Zane was built more or less like a human, or rather like a shifter who looked like a human. Blending in would be easy—or so he hoped.
Rye’s truck engine roared to life, and he headed down the mountain following in Missy’s wake of dust. Zane worked hard not to grasp the seat. Holy shit, but the man was driving fast.
“Put on your seatbelt. It’s the law,” Rye said.
Shit. To him, a belt went around the waist, and Rye hadn’t provided him with one. Don’t ask any questions. Zane checked out Rye, noticing he had a black strap across his chest. Not wanting to run into trouble with the law, Zane studied what was hanging over his right shoulder, recognizing that it matched what was on Rye’s side. Zane tugged on the strap, and to his delight, it moved. Some kind of thin metal clip was at the end. He drew it across his body and when the metal hit the second clip, it slid right in and held. Pleased with his success, Zane leaned forward to test it. Because it constrained his movement, his first instinct was to fight the pressure, but since Rye seemed so calm, Zane leaned back and tried to go with the flow.
The vehicle hit a small rut in the road and to his delight, the truck barely dipped.
“So you have no inkling where you are from?” Rye asked, sounding a bit skeptical.
“No. I keep picturing lots of trees and rocks though.” That much was true, but they had cities too.
“I’m sure things will slowly come back to you. You mentioned you had a job. What did you do for a living?”
“I was a blacksmith and an artist. I love to combine iron with either wood or glass to create works of art, such as swords, wall art, or whatever someone commissions me to make.” He hoped that true admission didn’t make Rye wonder how he could know what he did for a living, but not where he lived or how to open a car door.
“That’s cool. A fellow bear shifter owns a woodworking studio in our compound. I bet you two would have a lot in common. Brian can make anything.”