Dalton leaned back in his seat, murmuring under his breath. Salvatore was being very patient about this. Any other leader would have barked the order then punished any protests. She wished he would. As of right now, she’d rather take a bunny rabbit for protection than this arrogant jerk.
“All right,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll book us plane tickets tonight.”
“No,” she said as confidently as she could muster.
He gave her a surprised look. “No?”
“I have a better idea. One that doesn’t require a passport and hours of being air sick.”
With a smirk, he leaned back in his chair. “What’s that?”
She glanced at Salvatore self-consciously, and he nodded for her to continue. “Ostium Invenire.”
Dalton’s brows shot up. “A door maker?” At her nod, he snorted. “Where do you plan to get one of those? Only the sorcerers make them. They’re our enemy, remember?”
A fire grew in her chest. If he kept up with the condescension, she was going to snap. Maybe she’d bite him. She might not have the strongest fighting form, but her teeth were still pretty sharp. With a deep breath, she calmed her temper. “Sorcerers make them, but the fae commissioned a few a long time ago.” This time it was her turn to be smug. She grinned. “And I just happen to know a fae who owes me a favor.”
Chapter Two
Standing shoulder to shoulder with a werewolf while surrounded by fae archers made Dalton seriously consider his life’s direction.
“Let me do the talking,” he whispered to Eden.
One fae stepped forward and addressed them. “What’s a werewolf and a shifter doing in Unseelie territory?”
“Since when are a werewolf and a shifter an enemy of the fae?” Eden answered.
Dalton rolled his eyes. So much for letting him do the talking. Still, her bravery was admirable, if not slightly stupid.
“Strangers are enemies until proven otherwise,” the fae countered, though he lowered his weapon.
She stepped in front of Dalton and smiled at the stoic fae. “Let us prove otherwise then.”
Just who was protecting who He went to pull her back, but she batted him away. With a sigh, he gave in. If she didn’t want his protection, who was he to force it? Except the duty had been entrusted to him by their colony leader, and he’d sworn to do his job to the best of his ability. He’d never questioned Salvatore’s orders until recently. But trusting an unruly pack of werewolves to help them fight a war they wanted no part in was a gamble. Salvatore had said the alpha, Cristian, knew they’d have to pick a side sooner or later. That didn’t mean they’d choose their side though. This could turn into a suicide mission.
Yet here he was anyway, nothing more than protection detail for this chipper little wolf who smelled strange and acted stranger.
“I’m a friend of Mac’s,” she told the leader. “I need to speak with him.”
Reading the skepticism in the leader’s eyes put Dalton on edge. Discreetly, he placed his arm around Eden’s shoulders while pulling her behind him. This time she cooperated. He caught the scent of her shampoo as her head brushed his shoulder. It was all woman and he found himself wanting to bury his nose in her hair. Maybe he’d been alone too long. He brushed the thought aside. The rebellion was his life now.
The fae arched a brow then said drily, “We have a lot of Macs. You’ll have to be more specific.”
Dalton waited for her to answer, but she only stared. With a little nudge, he whispered, “What’s his last name?”
“I don’t know.”
Gods! What the hell had Salvatore got him into? His hand twitched to draw his sword. The half dozen arrows pointed at him were unsettling. Why had he decided to trust this girl? They should’ve made arrangements to fly like he’d suggested.
Finally, Eden shifted her feet and sighed. “You know me, Ryder! Quit showing off in front of my partner.”
The fae cracked a smile then glanced at his men. They dropped their weapons. “Good to see you, love.” He opened his arms, and Eden stepped into them.
What the fuck was going on?
After they hugged, Eden gently punched Ryder’s arm. “That wasn’t funny.”
He laughed. “Yes, it was. I had you there for a minute.”
“Did not. I put on a show for the shifter.” She hiked a thumb at Dalton. “You got him good though.”
A flicker of frustration ran through him.
“Come on,” Ryder said. “I’ll take you to Mac.”
“Thanks.” She turned to Dalton and smiled. “Come on.”
He was still trying to sort out what had just happened. The small group of fae had supplied a few rebels for their cause, but even though they lived close to the shifter colony, they weren’t considered friends. But Eden was laughing and joking as though they’d been buddies for years. Just what did this girl get up to in her free time?
When he took too long to move from his spot, she held out her hand. “Trust me.” The adorable smile plus the easy way she said it made it sound so sincere. A day, a smile, and a few words and she’d almost turned him into a blind follower. Almost.
He mentally shook himself out of the daze and scowled down at her. “I don’t trust people I barely know. Especially not a werewolf.” Roughly, he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. He was going to fucking protect this little hellion whether she wanted him to or not. Then softness of her skin felt too good against his calloused palm. That he even noticed it made him angry. Since when was he so easily distracted from a task? Salvatore couldn’t have picked a worse partner for him. A sweet-smelling distraction was the last thing he needed.
Together, they followed the group of fae gods only knew where. Traveling with a werewolf to a fae village to retrieve a sorcerer’s device? Being a warrior meant stepping out of his comfort zone, but he was pretty sure he’d left his comfort zone back in Salvatore’s office. It’d be easier if he felt like he was in charge. He had years of experience leading missions, ordering groups of soldiers and making hard decisions. All of that meant nothing right now. If he felt more prepared, he wouldn’t be so twitchy passing through the high cliffs and into the dark.
Eden squeezed his hand. He looked back, and she gave him a small reassuring smile. He almost laughed. As if he needed reassurance from an inexperienced little girl.
From what he understood, Eden had been found alone on the beach as a child. No one knew where she’d come from or how she’d gotten there. Eden had been too young at the time to say. Werewolves had never occupied Wales as far as he knew. One theory was she’d been brought by the sea, maybe fallen off a ship and floated ashore. Regardless of how she’d gotten there, the colony had decided to keep her and raise her as one of their own. But most shifters kept their distance. She smelled different, acted different. She’d never truly be one of them.
Though shifters and werewolves could technically both shift, it worked very differently with each species. Crinos was a werewolf’s fighting form—half human, half wolf. But only males could take that form. Females shifted to lupus, regular wolf form. In crinos, a werewolf was a formidable enemy—seven feet tall covered in muscle, three-inch claws on each hand, and a strong muzzle with fangs. Even in human form, werewolves were stronger than a non-supernatural, stronger than a vampire even.
He’d seen Eden spar in classes he’d instructed – though he wouldn’t call it sparring. It was more like repetitive dodging. What skill did she offer on this mission? Only her scent? If so, they were fucked.
Between the glowering and angry mutters under his breath, he made it obvious he wasn’t happy about this. Ignoring his displeasure, Eden followed the fae toward the hidden town. The entrance was between two high cliffs and looked, from the outside, like a dark cavern. But once they passed through the short tunnel, the rock opened up to a sunny valley where a small castle sat. It was a mini replica of the fae kingdom in Ireland, which was made entirely of quartz. This one was made of stone and looked like a remnant f
rom medieval times, but from what he’d heard, it contained modern appliances and technology. The mix of old and new made for a complete mind trip.
Dalton walked stiffly beside Eden, watching everything warily, shoulders tense and eyes darting side to side.
“Relax,” she whispered. “I have this under control.”
Dalton snorted. “You have things under control, do you? We had a dozen fae with bows drawn on us just a few minutes ago.”
“What’s a little arrow in the flesh?” She shrugged. “You’ve had worse.”
He arched a brow. “Have you, little wolf? Have you ever felt the pointy end of a weapon tear through your muscle and press up against bone?”
Yeah, it was meant to scare her. When she audibly gulped, he grinned inside. Then she sucked in a deep breath and looked into his eyes.
“Your constant twitching is putting them on edge,” she said. “You need to work on your poker face.”
Twitching? He wasn’t twitching, was he? His hands did ache for a weapon. And the uncertainty was unsettling. “I don’t like this,” he admitted. “I feel unprepared.”
“Sometimes you just have to improvise.” She gave him an impish look and smirked. “You’re not scared, are you?”
He rolled his eyes.
“Are you scared of The Big Bad Wolf?”
Leaning in, he whispered, “Said the little wolf to the bear.”
Her smile faded, and he chuckled. Technically shifters could take any animal form, but it was very difficult to change into an animal for the first time, so they usually picked one fighting animal and one flying animal then practiced until they were adept at shifting into each one quickly.
Though it went against every instinct, when they invited Eden inside while leaving him guarded outside, he let her go. He guessed his fae guards weren’t interested in small talk, so he remained quiet as he waited, impatiently, for her return.
Twenty minutes later, she strolled out the front gate, smiling and chatting with Ryder. As they approached, she gave Dalton a friendly wave. For some reason, his gaze dropped to her legs. Her tiny shorts showed off tanned skin. Lickable skin. Auburn hair curved around her ears and stuck up in places at the top. The messy but stylish do was endearing combined with her sunny smile.
What the fuck? He gave his head a shake. Licking the girl who was currently driving him crazy shouldn’t even be a passing thought in his head. Maybe if he made her put on more clothing, she’d be less of a distraction. Or maybe he should just man up and quit letting his libido control him.
“Thank you so much, Ryder,” she said as she sidled up to Dalton. “I promise we’ll return it as soon as we’re done. And hopefully we’ll bring back some werewolves.”
Dalton felt his jaw drop before he collected himself. “Eden,” he barked. She frowned and looked at him. “You told them about the mission?” Did the girl have no sense of confidentiality? He took a deep breath, reminding himself this was her first time.
“Well, why not?” she answered. “We fight for the same cause.”
But they weren’t one of them, he wanted to say. Maybe they were helping the rebellion, but they weren’t shifters. He stopped himself when he remembered that she wasn’t either. Losing his patience, he grabbed her arm and dragged her away.
“Thank you,” he said over his shoulder as they headed back toward the entrance in the mountain.
After a quick stop back at the colony to retrieve their bags and supplies, they headed toward a shrouded set of trees, away from lingering eyes.
They both stared at the device sitting in Dalton’s outstretched hand. A round metallic object with strange etchings along the side, it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. And they trusted this thing to take them to the other side of the world?
The door opener worked like a wormhole, only the user could sort of direct it to the area they wanted to go. But it wasn’t perfect. They could step through the door and land in the middle of the ocean. At least they weren’t travelling to a small island. Just to Yellowstone National Park.
“Ready?” she asked.
He sighed. “I don’t like this.”
“You don’t like any uncertainties. You won’t get anywhere without taking some risks.” Before he could stop her, she pressed down on the button and said clearly, “Yellowstone National Park.”
A hazy circle appeared, just large enough for them to step through. Eden put out her hand. Dalton grabbed it, and they walked through the door.
A chill ran down the length of his spine as he was pulled through the void. A moment later he was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down at a rocky precipice below. He tightened his grip on Eden’s hand and pulled her back from the edge.
“Shit.” She clutched his arm, digging her fingernails into his skin.
“Easy.” He peeled her hand off and set it at her side then looked her in the eye. “I’ve got you.”
A few chunks of rock broke and fell down the hundred-foot drop-off, echoing in the chasm as they went. He turned around to see if the door was still open, but the only thing behind them was more rocky cliffs, steep and difficult to scale. And going down didn’t seem any easier.
“Jeez.” She took the device from his hand and analyzed it. “This thing needs to get a better navigation system.”
Where the hell were they? The sun was low in the western sky. The time of day was right for this side of the world. It’d be dark soon. He needed to shift to search for a way to get Eden either up or down.
“I bet we’ll have more luck in the valley,” she said. “If werewolves are anything like me, they’ll prefer lower ground.”
He snorted. “Werewolves are a lot like you, sweetheart. You are one. Or did you forget?”
“No,” she answered quietly. “I never forget.”
****
How could she forget something like that? It was practically branded on her forehead – different. Friendships stayed superficial and only formed because she made people laugh. No one wanted to get too close to a werewolf.
Dalton cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, shift and take a look around.”
He wasn’t even going to ask if she could climb down? Or if she had an idea of what to do? She was tired of people underestimating her. Maybe she’d always be fluff to her father, but she’d better prove herself in the rebellion. Shielding the setting sun from her eyes, she peered down the edge of the cliff. The rock surface looked pretty smooth but there were small ledges here and there.
When she turned to tell Dalton she could probably climb down, he was already gone. Nothing left but a ball of clothing on the ground. With an irritated huff, she grabbed his clothes and shoved them into her backpack.
She would show him what this fluff could do. A werewolf didn’t need help from a bird to find a way down a cliff. It only took a moment to shift her fingernails into claws then she stepped to the edge of the cliff and jumped.
Just because she wasn’t a showoff didn’t mean she couldn’t do some things well. She landed deftly on a small ledge then dug her nails into the rock behind her to keep her balance when she started to slip.
Extraordinary reflexes, check.
The next jump wasn’t as far down, but the ledge sat to the left quite a distance. She crouched down as much as she could then sprang up from the ledge and soared through the air. Pebbles fell off the small ledge when she landed hard. She grinned.
Super leaping skills, check plus.
Looking down, she could see the flat floor of the valley only two jumps away. She was out of ledges though, and it was too big a jump to land without breaking a foot at the very least. An idea emerged. She looked at her claws then tested them against the granite.
Facing the rock, she crouched down and grabbed the ledge with her hands while letting her feet dangle off the edge. She couldn’t find a foothold so this next part would take a certain amount of risk.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe descending a cliff wasn’t a big deal to
some people, but to her it made an important statement. She didn’t want to be at the mercy of an egotistical jerk throughout the entire mission – no matter how hot said jerk was and how much his assessing glare made her shiver.
After a short prayer to the gods, she shoved two clawed fingers into the closest crevice while she lowered herself down to where she felt a foothold. The strain made them ache horribly, and she could feel the nails start to break
A small whimper escaped her as she tried to keep them pressed in. If she let go, she’d free fall all the way down to the ground. It wouldn’t kill her, but it’d hurt like a bitch. She couldn’t let Dalton have the satisfaction of knowing she’d failed.
Slowly, she made her way down the cliff like this – placing her claws into tiny spaces her hands wouldn’t fit while lowering herself to each rare foothold.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the ground, not too far away. With a grunt, she pushed against the wall and unhooked her claws. The landing stung a bit, but she brushed it off, thankful she made it down without serious injury.
Her fingers ached badly though – and blood seeped from one broken nail. A cool stream would help. She sniffed the air. Fresh water. Somewhere close by.
A sharp caw echoed through the valley. She looked up. A large bird circled the air—a hawk or a falcon maybe. After inhaling a deep breath, she whistled as loud as she could. The bird turned its direction and headed toward her.
While she waited for Dalton, she fished in her backpack for his clothes. Twigs snapped behind her, but she scented him before he emerged from the clump of trees.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded sharply.
She didn’t turn to face him. He was naked, and though shifters were used to it, and probably werewolves, too, she still felt too awkward to purposefully look. She could imagine all too well what that sculptured body looked like under clothes. Feeling a blush crawl up her neck, she held out his clothes behind her.
“What are talking about?” she said, though she knew very well what he was talking about.
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