by Ovidia Pike
“Sophie, it was on fire,” I said in exasperation. She sighed and shook her head.
“You don’t know how to cook,” I said.
“Not at all. I don’t even know what I was just trying to make,” she admitted. I laughed.
“What do you mean?”
“All I know is there were eggs involved, and now my eggs are ruined.”
“Do you have more?”
“Yes,” she said, pulling a carton out of the fridge.
“What exactly were you trying to do with them?” I asked.
“I don’t know—cook them,” she said impatiently.
“Do you want to fry them?”
“Is that easy?”
“Very,” I informed her, picking up the pan, dumping the contents in the trashcan before wiping it down and putting it back on the burner.
“How did you learn to cook?” she asked as I added oil to the pan.
“My mom taught me.”
“You had a mom?” she asked in surprise.
“Of course I had a mom.”
“I just meant—you’ve never talked about her.”
“I like to keep her to myself.”
“What does that mean?” she asked curiously, looking down at the pan as I cracked four eggs into it.
“It means I don’t have a lot of great memories, but she’s one. I don’t want to share her.”
“Not even with me?” she asked with that look on her face that made me want to give her everything.
“I can share it with you,” I said, knowing that I didn’t have a choice.
“What was she like?”
“She was sweet. Really sweet. And smart—so much smarter than my father. It was a shame that they were natural mates.”
“Was she a shifter?”
“Yes. A wolf. It’s rare that an old blood shifter has a human for a mate.”
“Are you sure I’m yours?” she asked.
“You’re mine.”
“But how do you know?”
“The same way you know,” I said, seasoning the eggs as she watched.
“I’m still not positive.”
I laughed.
“Yes, you are.”
“Am not,” she argued.
“I wish I could prove it to you.”
“How?” she asked in a shy, tentative voice. I stared at her for a moment, rubbing my hand over my mouth.
“When I’m inside of you, you’ll feel the bond.”
“When...” she repeated.
“I meant—if it were to happen, you would feel it. It’s what drives our bodies together.”
“Feel it how?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve never felt it.”
“Hmm,” was all she said in response, staring at the food again. I slid it onto two plates and passed her one.
“Easy,” I said.
“Sure,” she replied as we sat down at the table.
“Thank you for trying, anyway,” I said.
“I owe you a breakfast or two.”
“I ate plenty last night.”
She giggled, blushing deeply and rolling her eyes. The sound of her laugh was enough to make me almost forget what was happening, why we were in the city in the first place. It suddenly rushed back into my mind—Chelsey, Gerend, the bar he trolled in the evenings.
“What is it?” she asked, obviously noticing the sour look on my face.
“Chelsey,” I said.
“Did you find out where she is?”
“Kind of. I didn’t get an address, but I figured out where to find Gerend. It won’t be until later this evening, though.”
“Where do we find him?”
“At a bar on the other side of town—the one on shifter street.”
“Shifter street?” she asked in confusion. “Where’s that?”
“Over on south Looman,” I said.
“Why is it called shifter street?”
“It’s the center of activity for shifters in the city. I’ve only been there a couple of times. There’s a bar there that Sheila says he frequents in the evenings. We’ll go there tonight. In the meantime—”
“You’re showing me around shifter street,” she said.
“Am I?” I asked, filled with amusement rather than irritation. By this point, I wasn’t put off by her bossiness—the pursed lips, the heat in her eyes made me love her more every minute.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. They don’t really take to humans over in that area.”
“I’m not a human, then. I’m a shifter—a lizard.”
“A lizard,” I repeated and laughed.
“Yeah, I want to be a lizard. I’ll be your backup.”
“What am I going to do with a lizard as backup?”
“I’ll...bite them.”
“If anyone asks, you’re a wolf.”
A pout came over her lips, followed by a sly smile as she batted her lashes.
“You really want to be a lizard.”
“If anybody asks...”
“Fine,” I acceded then sighed, and she laughed.
“I hope someone asks.”
“You’re ridiculous. Go get dressed.”
She muttered something to herself and disappeared into the bathroom after grabbing some clothes, emerging in a short sundress that showed off her long legs, the curve of her hips. It was short enough that I could see her full, soft thighs. I took a long moment to look her over and she shook her head.
“I’ve never seen you in a dress before,” I said.
“I love dresses but they’re no good for work.”
“That’s too bad,” I said. She bumped me with her hip before grabbing her purse.
“Let’s go,” she said.
“You can go ahead of me.”
“You just want to look at my butt,” she said.
“It’s really quite nice, Sophie.”
She shot me a pleased but exasperated look as we got into the car.
“The bar is on south Looman,” I told her. “We can look around there. Maybe we’ll run into him or Chelsey. Maybe we’ll find her.”
“I hope so,” she said, glancing over at my face as she drove. I knew that I had a tense look on my face because she frowned.
“It’s going to be okay. We’ll get her back. We have you—I have guns.”
“I thought you were a lizard.”
“A lizard with guns,” she corrected.
“Perfect,” I said as we pulled up to the parking lot of an abandoned grocery store at the south edge of the street. We got out of the car and I went to her, immediately taking her hand in mine.
“What are you doing?” she asked but didn’t pull away as we started to walk.
“I just want people to know you’re with me. That they shouldn’t try anything.”
“Do people get mugged over here, or what?”
“Sometimes,” I told her. “It can be dangerous for small, easy targets.”
“I have a gun and I’m good with it.”
“I know you do, but you’re still only a human.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled. “It’s not fair.”
“You’d rather be a shifter? An animal?”
“Yes,” she said in a dreamy voice. “I would love that. To be something...special. Extraordinary.”
“You are those things,” I said. “I’ve never met a human like you. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“I’m strong.”
“You are powerful,” I said. “It’s breathtaking.”
“Do you really believe that?” she asked, looking up at my face as we walked. “That I’m strong?”
“Yes. In some ways, you’re stronger than me.”
“In all ways,” she said with a teasing little smile.
“Sure,” I casually confirmed. She glanced over my shoulder and her eyes widened.
“Gabriel, no!” she began, but before she uttered the words someone had barreled into me from behind, sending me sprawling forward. I ha
d no time to respond before the person hugged me from behind in a pair of massive arms, squeezing me against his big body.
“Little buddy!” the man yelped, swinging me around in a circle before letting me go, sending me flying forward. I caught my balance and swiveled around, grinning at him as he ruffled my hair with his giant hands.
“What are you doin’ here, you tiny bastard?”
Sophie laughed and he turned to look at her for the first time.
“Who’s this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Sophie is the new—”
“I’m a lizard,” Sophie said, covering her grin with her hand.
“A lizard,” Arthur repeated. “Really?”
I opened my mouth to speak and felt Sophie pinch the back of my hand.
“Yes,” I said with a laugh.
“Bullshit, she’s human. That’s your mate,” he said, slapping me hard on the back. “Congratu-fuckin-lations, baby boy.”
“Um—”
“We’re not mating,” Sophie said. “We’re just working together. I’m the ranger assigned to the village in the park.”
“I see,” Arthur said with a big grin, his bushy beard twitching with amusement. He was almost as big as Nathaniel and barrel-chested, with thick arms and a jolly, ruddy complexion to his skin.
“Who are you?” Sophie asked, looking between us.
“This is Arthur Berwin. A good friend,” I said.
“His best friend in the whole world,” Arthur said. “And his most adoring fan.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but to laugh as Arthur wrapped his arms around our shoulders and turned us around.
“Where are we going?” Sophie asked, excitement in her voice.
“To buy this little man a drink,” Arthur said. Sophie laughed.
“Little man?”
“He’s small, don’t you think?” Arthur said, looking me up and down. He was taller than me by a good four inches, and his body broader than mine from shoulder to hip.
“Oh, yeah, he’s itty bitty,” Sophie said. I grumbled in response and he clapped me on the back with a roar of laughter.
“It’s good to see you here, my friend,” he said as we entered the bar without a sign and slid into a faded and worn booth in the corner. I sat so that I had view of the door, though I wasn’t sure who I was looking for. I only knew to look for someone suspicious, someone powerful and dangerous. I had never met a multi-shifter and had never wanted to—their powers were immense, the ability to transform into anything making them nearly indestructible in a fight.
“I can’t say I’m glad to be back,” I said grimly. “I’m here looking for a girl. Chelsey. She’s a witch who was kidnapped from my land.”
“She’s here? On the street?”
“She’s with a multi-shifter named Gerend who frequents this bar.”
“I know that fucker Gerend,” he said as the waitress set three large mugs of beer on our table. He swallowed half of his in one gulp and wiped his arm over his mouth.
“Do you?” I asked, perking up in my seat.
“Oh yeah, he walks around here like a prick. Arrogant son of a bitch. He’s strong and he knows it.”
“Has he ever had a little girl with him? She’s eleven, long blonde hair, about this tall.” I gestured to indicate her size.
“I haven’t seen a girl with him,” Arthur replied with a frown.
I sighed. “Do you know where he lives?”
“Yeah, I do. What are you thinking?”
“We’re going in there and getting her back,” I said determinedly.
“I’m in,” he said immediately.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Hell yeah.”
“We shouldn’t just storm in there,” Sophie said. “What if he hurts her?”
“Do we have a choice?” I asked.
“He comes here, right?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Almost every night. That guy’s a drunk,” Arthur said.
“So someone waits for him here, makes sure he stays, and then the other two go get Chelsey.”
“I’ll wait—crush him if he leaves. You two can go get the girl,” Arthur said.
“I’m not waiting for him to get here. I need to go now.”
“It’s better to have a plan, Gabriel. A multi-shifter—”
“Could take you both. Especially since you’re both so small.”
I snorted.
“Sophie is my natural mate. My strength doubles—triples—when I’m around her. I can take him myself.”
“I thought you weren’t mates?” Arthur said.
“We’re natural mates, but we’re not going to bond.”
Arthur looked between us with a frown.
“That’s bullshit, man. You’re meant to be together.”
“I don’t want to be with Gabriel,” Sophie said in a casual voice, her words piercing my chest, not unexpected. “We’re just working together.”
“That’s a damn shame,” Arthur said.
I shrugged. “Nothing I can do about it.”
“How do you two know each other?” Sophie asked, mercifully changing the subject.
“I used to do a little camping in the woods near the village,” Arthur said. “This bastard tried to kill me.”
“That’s because you were in my woods,” I said with a laugh.
“He tried to kill you?”
“He failed, obviously. Little fella can’t take on a full-sized bear, even with extra strength.”
“What kind of bear?” Sophie asked in an excited voice.
“Grizzly,” Arthur said, downing the rest of his beer. Sophie had finished hers and sat there looking bubbly and bright, eyes lit up with curiosity.
“So how did you two become friends?”
“I spared his life—”
“Please,” I said with a chuckle. “I was not in danger.”
“You were,” Arthur said with a big, teasing grin.
“So I spared his life and he told me to go away and get out.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Nope. I went back to the village. Wanted to see what it was all about.”
“I caught him sneaking around in the middle of the night, drunk off his ass.”
“In bear form,” Arthur said. “I scared the shit out of him.”
“He did scare the shit out of me,” I admitted. “Until he shifted and I realized he was this big, dumb blockhead who’d come back again. I almost killed him.”
“You were too sleepy. Like a little baby,” Arthur said. “It was way past your bedtime.”
“It was. That’s the only reason I let you stay that night.”
“We had a slumber party,” Arthur said.
“A slumber party,” repeated Sophie with a grin.
“I made him sleep in my hut.”
“Why didn’t you put him in the outhouse?”
“Because he knew I could rip the door off the hinges.”
“So you let him sleep in your hut? He could have killed you.”
“He was too stupid and drunk to kill me,” Gabriel said.
“Lucky for you, little fella,” Arthur said, ruffling my hair.
“So after that, we became best friends,” he said.
“Right. Best friends for life,” I agreed.
“Yes.”
“How did you end up becoming friends?”
“I wore him down,” Arthur said, gesturing for another beer, his third, cheeks redder than ever behind his full beard.
“He wouldn’t leave me alone.”
“I made him drink with me one night and we sang all the way home.”
“You sang?” Sophie asked.
“Yep,” I said.
Arthur clapped me on the back. “The beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
“A drunk friendship,” I added.
“I didn’t think Gabriel had any friends.”
“I’m his only one, god bless him.”
“
He is,” I agreed. Sophie gave me a small smile, eyes sparkling with delight as we spoke. She stared at me for a long moment, studying my face.
“Are you sure you two aren’t going to mate?” Arthur asked, looking between us. “Can’t keep your eyes off each other to save your lives.”
“She’s pretty,” I mumbled and shrugged.
“And he’s weird-looking,” Sophie teased.
“He’s handsome,” Arthur said, pinching my cheek. “But what’s with the scars?”
“A lion got me,” I told him.
“One of the lions in the park?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a story I gotta hear.”
“It’s a very long story,” I said to him. He clapped me on the back again and gestured toward my drink.
“Well drink up,” he said. “We’re gonna be here awhile.”
Chapter 10: Sophie
I watched as Gabriel laughed loudly, eyes crinkled at the corners, amusement all over his features. I had never seen him so happy, so relaxed, sipping his beer, occasionally glancing over at me with that grin on his face that made my heart leap in my chest. It was hard to remind myself of who he really was when I saw him like that, his body no longer rigid, relaxed in the booth. It was hard to remember that he was a dark, sometimes cruel man at all when I saw him enjoying himself with someone other than me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as they talked, just listening to their stories, delighting in the way his features lit up as he spoke.
“There’s our man,” Arthur said with a nod over our shoulders. I glanced back to see a man just walking in, with long dark hair, pale skin, and a thick, strong form. I saw Gabriel grimace, fists tensing on the table, his face suddenly serious and determined. I put my hand over his when it seemed like he’d get up to confront Gerend.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“I’ll keep an eye on him. Yellow house on the corner, two stories. You won’t miss it.”
“Thanks, Arthur,” Gabriel said, quickly getting out of the booth. We hurried through the bar and outside, and before he could go any further, I took his hand. He turned to look at me with a question on his face and I took his face in my hands, bringing his lips to mine for a kiss I hadn’t planned, lingering for a long moment outside of the bar. I pulled away and brought my hand to my mouth, beginning to walk in the direction of the house. He paused for a moment before catching up with me.
“What was that all about?”
“I’m a little drunk,” I told him. “And you really are handsome.”