by Tiki Kos
“I’m sure you would like to have some time alone. Do you want me to leave?” Sho asked.
“No, not yet.” I shook my head.
“We could play a game if you have any, or watch a movie?” His dark eyes darted around the room. “Or we could talk about what happened?”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to rehash the night. I just wanted to lock away the memory of the decapitated head flying through my window in the deepest, darkest spot of my brain. The night with my dad was submerged in there. If I thought about it too much, every part of my body would crumble into a sobbing, useless mess.
“I think I actually have the Game of Life.”
“Well, I think I’m pretty good at life,” Sho proclaimed.
I scoffed. “Really? Is that a challenge?”
“Why don’t we make this interesting?” He rubbed his hands together and bit down on his bottom lip.
“What do you have in mind?”
“If I win, I get to kiss you.”
I knew what he was trying to do—throw me off my game. I sucked in a deep breath. “And if I win, you have to take me out for supper.”
He nodded. “I agree to those terms. Now get that board game out, and let the best man win.”
“Or woman.”
I found the game in the darkest corner of my bedroom closet, blew the dust off the box, and brought it into the living room.
Sho cracked his knuckles before smoothing the board game onto the coffee table. He claimed that he was a veteran board game player and that he always ended up winning in the tournaments held around the reservation. I wasn’t. I dabbled a bit in games, but that was when I was younger. I had a sneaking suspicion Dad often let me win.
As predicted, Sho won. He’d hit the lottery, the best-selling author list, and many other pay day squares. I did okay. I went to college, got married, had twins, and spent most of my money on bills. I had a fulfilling yet expensive fake life. And Sho? He was rolling in cash.
“So…” His voice trailed off. “When do I get to cash in this grand prize?”
I didn’t get him. The whole decapitated head thing had barely bugged him.
“Soon.” I shook my head. “But I have to say something first. You’re a little strange.”
He cocked his head towards me. “What do you mean by that?”
“You seemed to be mad about me questioning you in the truck, and now…”
“Now, I want to kiss you.”
I nodded.
“I’m not perfect, and I’m still trying to deal with this whole lifestyle of being a shifter. I miss the life I had in Riverview when things weren’t complicated.”
“What’s so complicated about your life?”
“You.” And with that, he kissed my cheek and headed out of the house.
I liked Sho; he was nice enough, and he was pretty drop dead dazzling, but I was too tired to even process the spectrum of emotions. The weird rotting smell of decay finally vanished, and was taken over by the smell of lemon cleaner. I was worn out when he left, and I was sure I could sleep for two days straight. I wanted to crawl into bed, but instead I flopped down onto the couch and flicked on the television.
“Suspects in the Riverview murders have been brought in for questioning, including Mob Boss Carmine “Ripper” Pagano, whose reign of blood has been terrorising the city for the last two decades. His signature calling card to his enemies is a carved ‘P’. He has been known to decapitate, kidnap and drown his alleged victims.”
A rush of energy flowed through my body, and I turned to look out the window that had been shattered only a few hours ago.
“The Paganos are attacking The Disciples?” I whispered. “Why would they do that?”
“My client is innocent until proven guilty, and has never once been charged with a crime.” The camera shot towards a man with a rather peculiar face. His chin was pointed almost as sharply as a dagger, and the curves of his cheek bones protruded more than any others I had ever seen. He was a skinny man, with a sharply tailored suit that seemed to fit him well. The grey color of his suit didn’t contrast well with his pale pallor, making it seem as though his skin was green.
The man wasn’t ugly, but he wasn’t attractive. His off brown hair was cut in a stylish manner that suited his strange face. His brown eyes were murky, with highlights of mossy green.
“Mr. Carmine has been nothing but supportive of Riverview. Just this past year, his organization has funded multiple charities and events to raise awareness of crime, drugs and domestic violence.”
The front door swung open, and in stumbled Mom with a trail of black makeup smeared down the sides of her cheeks, as if she had just finished a crying marathon. She bent forward and swayed back to standing, anchoring a hand against the wall for stability. In one sharp motion, she kicked off her leather boots and hurled her purse against the closet door. Mom watched the floor carefully as she ambled towards the couch and let out a grateful sigh once she made it onto the cushions.
“He killed those girls…” she muttered, nodding her head towards the lawyer on the television.
“Who, the lawyer or Carmine?” I wondered how she would know such a thing. Were the Disciples involved?
She hummed, then closed her eyes, snuggling against the soft corner of the couch.
I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a good shake. “Mom?”
She muttered something that sounded like a jumbled mix of sentences. I tried to shake her once again, but not a single peep slipped from her lips. I grabbed a knit blanket folded in the corner of the couch and tucked it neatly against her snoring body.
I hurried back in my bedroom, found Oisin’s business card, and punched the numbers into my cell phone.
It was late, but I was sure the investigator was used to being woken up at all the strange times of night. I let the phone ring around five times before giving up.
As my finger went to hold down the power button, a text message popped up on the screen.
Sho: Want to train tomorrow afternoon?
My cheeks blushed from the memory of his sweet kiss, and I typed the only word I could think of.
Me: Yes.
Chapter Eight
“Why are you helping me?” I gasped, taking in a long, deep breath. With the back of my hand, I swiped at the beads of sweat on the top of my forehead. “I mean, why are you helping me train?”
A slow smile spread across Sho’s face. “I believe every family deserves to continue their lineage. If you don’t train and learn to fight, yours will be over. Everything your dad, mom and you ever accomplished will vanish.
“In a few years, your family will be forgotten. Like you never even existed. Your legacy is everything.” Sho shuddered, as if the room had cooled down—which it hadn’t. It was smoggy and could use a good blast or two of air conditioning. We had been training in the gym at the reservation for the past hour. The room itself was nice, except for the overwhelming smells of sweat, blood and vomit, which made my head spin at the beginning of the session. I hated to admit it, but the smell was growing on me. It was evidence of the prior attendants’ workout success. There was a small part of me that felt a little motivated from it—if they could work out and train, so could I. I knew I had the potential to be great, I just needed to tap into it before I found my father’s killers.
He swayed back and forth, then swung his fist at me. I jerked back, cursing that I wasn’t fast enough. His fist pounded my shoulder.
“Are you afraid of being forgotten?” I whispered as I jabbed my fist towards him.
He was faster than me, and smoothly moved to the side without batting an eyelid. Or getting hit.
“Yes, I am. Aren’t you?”
“No,” I said, breathless. “I figure I’ll have a good run at life and hopefully someone will remember me for something other than what happened in this town.”
His black eyebrow shot up as he circled around me with his fists in the air, ready to engage once again. “What kin
d of things?”
I scuttled to his right side as fast as I could and jabbed his ribs in one swift motion. A little oomph escaped his lips, which made me smile. My heart flickered with a little burst of victory.
“Oh, you know…Dad got eaten by wolves and I’m labelled the town slut.”
His eyes met mine and a flicker of sadness passed over him. “Once you get out of high school, those things just disappear.”
I nodded, and tried to keep my smile casual. “Do you they really, though?”
“Of course.” He winked, then kicked my feet apart until I was off balance and landed on my butt, making me thankful for the cushioned mat. “High school is just a tiny blimp in your life.”
Sho offered me his hand and pulled me back to standing. I shook my arms out and twisted my back to break the kink that was brewing.
“That’s what people say when they haven’t been bullied in school. That shit has a lasting impact. I can almost guarantee that you were popular in school.”
Sho let out a warm, belly hurting laugh. “Not really. I sneaked out, partied too much, and made the mistake of getting my girlfriend pregnant at fifteen.”
His fist lashed out towards me, but this time I was ready and ducked out of the way.
I swallowed, my pulse beating against the collar of my shirt. I wanted to ask him a million questions. Did he tell me before that he had a kid? No, I couldn’t remember.
He zeroed in on me with an intensity that made me catch my breath. “The baby was stillborn.”
I gulped. It took me a minute to regain myself and figure out the right thing to say. “Oh,” I whispered. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Sho nodded, then without a word, grabbed a towel that hung on a chair next to the wall. I watched him as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. A ring of wetness seeped down the back of his shirt. He peeled it off, revealing the glistening of his sweaty muscles. My senses were going into overdrive and I couldn’t help but watch. From where I was standing, he smelt sweet, with a subtle hint of salty. I wondered for a moment how long would it take me to explore his chest with my tongue.
I had to take a deep breath to steady myself. The flash of his perfect naked body appeared before me and my cheeks reddened.
This was not the time or the place to be mesmerized by his well-cared for body—not to mention highly inappropriate when just a minute ago we were speaking of his dead child. I tsked at my inner wolf. I understood that her senses were heightened, but she needed to show some self-control.
“It’s okay,” he said in a soft voice. “At the time I wasn’t ready to be a father, but now, I’ve helped the Nokado and prepared for the future. I’m trying to help make an impact that is meaningful and that will outlast me.”
“And now that your legacy is intact, what will you do?” I whispered. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to know his answer. My cheeks were already hot and flustered to the nines.
“Live my life to the fullest.” He winked. I could’ve died in that moment. I knew the circumstances of us meeting weren’t ideal, but I liked Sho. I wondered if he was talking about me.
Sho went to shower and change, giving me some time to find the café he wanted me to meet him at. I wished I was smart and had brought a change of clothes. The light material of my shirt clung to my back. I prayed I didn’t smell too sour, and made a mental note to ask Sho if shifters had sensitive smelling, too.
I managed to find a bathroom and washed my face and wet my hair to comb it back. I looked a little rough, but nothing a good night’s rest wouldn’t cure. This was a hell of a lot better than if I was human. I barely worked out and probably would’ve only survived 15 minutes back then.
I left the bathroom and wondered around the complex for a few minutes looking for the café, until Sho caught up with me.
“You look good,” I said, eyeing his tight cerulean shirt that complimented his dark skin tone and grey athletic pants.
“Of course I do,” he agreed, swinging his hair back like a shampoo commercial model. “You do as well.”
I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to say that just because I did.”
“I wasn’t.” He shrugged, entwined his hand with mine and gently guided me down the hall. “But you probably should’ve brought a change of clothes. You smell a little tart.” Sho’s nose crinkled up, but the whole time, he was smiling.
“Hey!” I planted both feet into the ground in a show of rebellion. “That was a little sassy.”
“I said tart. Not smelly or vile.” Sho gave me a little motivating jerk towards the hall. “Tart isn’t bad. Sour candies are tart, and I love those.”
I laughed. “Right. Whatever you say.” I knew we were getting close to the café. I could smell the delicious scents of chocolate, caramel and fresh coffee. My stomach moaned in hunger.
“I see the mention of candy and your stomach is rumbling.” He chuckled.
“Isn’t yours? After that workout, I feel like I could eat a horse. But not literally, because they’re really cute.”
“You did eat a deer,” Sho added.
“That was different!” I tried to avoid his glance, and focused on the paintings hung against the walls of the hall.
“How so?”
“I wasn’t in control, the wolf was. She was just doing her wild animal thing.”
“Why don’t you blame your little wolf for everything?”
I rolled my eyes and elbowed Sho in his ribs. “I will.”
“Of course you will. It’s convenient to place the blame on an animal who can’t stick up for itself.” Sho nudged me back.
He continued to hold my hand when we walked into the café. The walls were wood with red beaded tapestries hanging from metal hooks. A little sign welcomed us to the Steaming Mugs café.
Cherry wood tables and chairs were placed next to the windows—and what a fantastic view this side of the reservation had. Several small snowflakes fell outside, but melted as soon as they hit the ground. There was a clear view of the mountains and the lush forest.
“Do you want me to order for you?” Sho asked, as I kept my eyes on the tiny snowflakes.
I nodded. “Sure, surprise me with something delicious.” The café was empty, which I liked. I had my choice of tables and picked the farthest one from the coffee counter. I sat down, still keeping an eye on the snowflakes. Three kids in snow suits ran out from around the corner, splashing in the puddles and making soggy snowballs. I couldn’t help but laugh as the only boy got a face full of snow and the girls burst out in a surge of uncontrollable giggles.
After a few minutes, Sho returned with two gigantic mugs of coffee and a basket filled with bannock donut holes. He grinned at me as my eyes widened at the pastries. My cheeks salivated. I could smell the cinnamon, butter, vanilla and sugar. This was one time I thanked my super senses.
“Try one,” he whispered, as if I needed his permission. I needed no guidance or nudge toward the best looking dessert I had ever seen.
I tossed a donut into my mouth and instantly let out a groan. It tasted a hundred times better than it smelled, if that was even possible.
Sho laughed. “These donuts are like tiny balls of cinnamon heaven.”
“You can say that again,” I mumbled, scoffing another.
“The first time I tried these decadent suckers, I think I ate whole entire basket to myself.” Sho had a satisfied smile on his face as he poured the creamer into his coffee and stirred in a packet of brown sugar.
“That is no small feat.” I bowed my head and gave him a miniature applause. “I must say that I’m impressed, Mr. Sweetwater.”
“I—”
As he was about to come back with a surely witty comment, a shrill scream came from outside, cutting him off. Sho placed the mug on the table without spilling a single drop, and stood up. In the corner of my eye, I could see the tall barista behind the counter drop everything she was doing and come forward.
A skinny woman dressed in a white t-shirt and
pale jeans stumbled into the snow with bare feet. Her arms were tiny, reminding me of a skeleton, and her skin had an odd yellowish tinge to it. It looked as though she was trying to grab something in the air, but fell down. Her body convulsed as yellow foam spewed from her lips.
“Oh my god,” I whispered, placing a hand over my mouth. “We need to do something.”
Before I could turn to Sho, he was already outside, pointing towards the children and dialing a number on his cellphone.
As I turned to follow, the barista cut me off. She placed a hand on my shoulder and blocked my view.
“Why don’t you come with me into the kitchen?” I was surprised how deep her voice was and how much it soothed me. “I’m Tracey, by the way.” She offered my hand and I took it. Tracy had a firm grip that shook my entire arm.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sunny. Maybe I should go help Sho?” I whispered. I tried stepping on tippy toes, but the woman was just too tall. She reminded me of one of those beautiful Valkyries. Her stance emanated power, and her long black hair flowed past her shoulders, almost all the way down to her waist.
“I promise he will be fine. Sho told me you were interested in the culinary arts?”
I nodded. “I am.”
“Well, let me teach you a thing or two about traditional Native American cooking.” I followed Tracey past the little café and through a steel door into a kitchen. It was the biggest kitchen I had ever seen, with all brand new stainless steel appliances.
For the next hour or so, I chopped vegetables, stewed rabbit, and cooked wild rice. I learned how to make a simple Dakota berry sauce and bake corn bread muffins. Tracey was kind, but not the type of person who liked to dive into small talk. I didn’t mind; I liked cooking and chopping without distraction.
When Sho finally reappeared, he looked as though he’d aged about 15 years. Dark grey half-moons clung to his eyelids, and his eyeballs looked like they had been struck by tiny red bolts of lightning. He didn’t smile, or enquire about what we had been up to. I had a bad feeling about what had happened. I didn’t want to pry or ask any sort of question to make him more upset. Sho took me back home, but before I left, I turned to give him a hug. He wasn’t expecting it and it took a moment for his shoulders to ease into it. His body began to tremble. I tightened the hug, steadying his body. My hand ran up and down his back.