His polite manner was not what she was used to. “Um, sure.”
He smiled again, and the gentle expression made her want to stare at him indefinitely. She quickly shook herself and headed back to the bar for a soda before heading for her booth.
As she settled, he took a seat next to her, forcing her to move over or have him plastered over her thigh. It was a fun thought, but she wasn’t sure what he was after, so caution was a better idea than surrender.
He gestured to her soda. “No alcohol for you tonight?”
“No. I only drink when I need to numb myself to what I am doing.” She bit her lip and sipped at her soda.
He nodded. “Does that happen often?”
“More often than I would like.” She made a face.
“Do you want it to happen?”
“It is inevitable. My time comes and I need to go out, so I do and then I go home and the cycle starts all over again.”
He nodded and extended his hand. “My name is Markkios.”
She gripped his hand with hers. “Nika.”
He lifted her hand to his lips. “I am pleased to meet you, Nika.”
“What brings you to the Crossroads, Markkios?”
“Mark, please. I was sent here by the fey seers. They finally located a mate for me, and she is due to be cruising through here any day now.”
Nika decided to go on the offensive. “How old are you?”
He grinned. “Older than the cities in the Americas. From an age of horse and steel.”
“Wow. That is pretty old. You have waited this long to find a mate?”
“It isn’t a matter of waiting; it is a matter of the right fit.”
She grinned. “Something tells me that this three-bears scenario involves testing out beds.”
His lips settled into a slight smile. “From time to time, but I prefer to remain alone rather than get into a tangle in a situation that doesn’t fit.”
“Sensible.” She smiled and sipped at her soda.
“It did take a few decades to come to that conclusion, but I can and do learn eventually.” His tone was wry.
Silence fell between them for a time, and while it felt natural, she wanted to ask, “So, what are you seeking here at the Crossroads?”
He sat back and rolled his wineglass in his fingers. “I am seeking a match, a partner. I am seeking what has been missing because it hasn’t existed until now.”
“That is a tall order.”
“I am confident in the finding of the fey seers. If they have pointed me at the Crossroads, I am sure that they contain what I seek.”
“You have confidence in their discoveries?”
“There have been six elder fey and nineteen under fey who have found their mates. I am confident that the seers know what they are seeing when it appears.”
She nodded and looked out to watch the dancers, some lingering on the dance floor and others leaving with arms linked.
They had the kind of relaxed intimacy that she had always wanted. When she left with a man, there was a rush of hands, a surge of lust and then a cool dismissal. It stopped the heat, but it left her with regrets. Her mother’s recriminations didn’t help either. It wasn’t something that either of them wanted, but a regular mate of her own kind was not available. She was a one-off.
With Mark next to her, she could almost pretend she was on a normal date and not in the realm where the undateable ended up. Almost.
Chapter Three
“I think I am going to leave. I haven’t had anything to eat today, and it is going to cause me problems.” She smiled slightly at Mark.
“May I join you?”
Nika nodded. “Please. Eating alone here is an invitation to folk that may just want to try their hand. Café or restaurant?”
“Restaurant. I am never in a hurry when I eat.”
She smiled and got to her feet. “Excellent.”
Mark got up and offered her his arm. He was dressed neatly, as most fey were, but the black jeans veered from the standard. His boots were a western cut, and his shirt was excellent fabric but a modest design. He was very well put together, his clothing included.
Nika curled her fingers over his forearm, smiling at the strength and warmth in the limb. It was a strong arm, an arm that was used to move heavy objects. She had made a study of the male form, and her companion was someone who was used to working with his hands.
A ripple of heat curled down her spine. It was a natural reaction, but she pushed it aside. Dinner was on the agenda, and she hadn’t eaten all day.
The night air was bracing as they rounded the corner and passed the café. Inside, couples went through the awkward first moments that were mitigated by everyone knowing what everyone else was. It was a built-in icebreaker.
The restaurant was a contrast. The room was quiet, fey magic kept the sound from passing from table to table, and the servers moved with grace and discretion.
Apparently, Mark had made a reservation, and they were seated in a secluded corner.
The server came over and offered them wine, but Nika stuck to lemon water. Mark joined her.
He smiled. “Is there a reason for your abstention?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I suspect that my father dosed me with something. I don’t want to mix alcohol with whatever is still in my system.”
Surprise showed on his features. “He dosed you? You didn’t come willingly?”
She chuckled as the bread arrived. “I have no idea. He left a note with me that said I agreed to it, but I have no memory of last night.”
“So, he tricked you into coming? Didn’t your mother fight that?”
Nika slathered a piece of bread with butter. “Ah, as to that, I am a bastard. I live with my mother, but my father asked me to go out with him. The rest was a blur.”
“From what I have learned, that is unusual in the shifter community.”
She took a bite and chewed for a moment before answering. “My father isn’t a shifter.”
He cocked his head. “But you are.”
“I am. I am a little on the unusual side, but I am definitely a shifter.” She lifted her glass to her lips and smiled.
“May I inquire as to the nature of your beast?”
“That depends. I will share one piece of information with you if you share one with me.”
He leaned back for a moment before leaning forward again. “Done. What do you want to know?”
“What do you do when you are not pursuing leads at the Crossroads?”
Mark chuckled. “I used to work for the king of the southern spaces, but now, I am semi-retired. My services are only called for on special occasions.”
She wanted to know more, but she had to give him his turn.
“What is your beast?”
“Zebra.”
“What was your occupation before you semi-retired?”
“Master of horses.”
She sat up and blinked, laughter bubbling out as her soup was placed in front of her. “Seriously?”
“That is another question.”
She sighed. “Fine. Your turn.”
“What is your mother’s beast?”
Nika blinked. “She’s a horse. A lovely, pale-grey horse.”
“What about your father?”
She sipped at her soup and held up her hand. “That is another question.”
“True enough.” He tasted his own soup, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. “This is really good.”
She laughed. “Who normally does your cooking?”
He grinned. “I cook for myself.”
“That would explain your delight.” She smiled. The soup was good, but she could do better.
“Do you know how to cook?”
“Of course.” She smiled. “What is your favourite food?”
“Roast beef dinner. It has been a favourite as long as I can remember. What is yours?”
She
covered her eyes with a hand. “Hotdogs.”
He snorted. “Odd choice. Can we give up on the even questions and simply converse?”
She lowered her hand and finished her soup. “Yes, we may.”
“Why hotdogs?”
“They were the first thing I learned to prepare when I was a kid, and I have tried them in every possible permutation and combination. I just like being able to eat and get back to the barn.”
“Do you spend a lot of time with animals?”
She nodded again as the soup bowl was removed and a salad eased into place. “I spend every day with the horses that my mother boards. They are fine with me in human form, but my equine form freaks them out. I have to head to the outer paddock for my own runs.”
“Do you run often?”
She munched at the salad and paused. “Not as often as I would like. My legs are kind of stubby and I can’t keep up with my mom.”
He blinked. “That is not something that I would have considered. How big is your mother?”
Nika knew he was referring to her shifted state. “Seventeen hands. I am thirteen if I am lucky.”
Mark winced. “I can see the problem.”
She looked into his eyes and nodded. He knew that she was a herd animal. Being unable to keep up with her family was going to cause stress.
“What about your mother’s family?”
“They don’t like me. Because of my father, I am not quite proper in my equine form, so they get as freaked out as the normal horses do. We don’t talk to them.”
The next course was up, and she shredded chicken off the bone.
“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried that you were an herbivore.” He was serious.
She snorted. “My beast and I have an arrangement. I don’t eat meat within two hours of shifting, and she doesn’t consume grass or oats right before I get my own legs back.”
“So, there is an actual consciousness in your mind that belongs to the zebra?”
“Yes. Do you shift into something else?”
He nodded. “I choose the form of a Pegasus. It allows me the option of running and flying.”
She nodded. “I have an odd question. How did your parents meet?”
Mark paused and chuckled. “In fey families, it was customary to buy a bride or groom to keep the line moving forward. My father was purchased for my mother, and she didn’t like him. I think she still hates him, but they do have four children, so they occasionally liked each other.”
“Is four a big family?”
“For the fey? Definitely. The decrease in reproduction is why this project has taken off with such determination. Our rulers want us to have little fey-shifter half breeds that will hopefully breed back into the fey line.”
“That seems a little mercenary.”
“We are dealing with extinction. Mercenary action is called for.”
She could understand that.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before he asked. “Now what about your father?”
“What about him?”
“What is his beast? I am assuming he isn’t a horse or your family would not have a problem.”
“He takes a horse shape and that is how he met my mother. She was in heat in a meadow, he was in that same meadow and I came along eleven months later.”
“Eleven?”
“Occasionally, when a shifter gets pregnant in her beast form, she has to carry the child to term in that same way. Since the beasts were in control and shifter magic would have destroyed me, her horse kept her in the beast form for her entire pregnancy.”
“Where was your father?”
She shrugged. “I am guessing he was at the fey court somewhere.”
Mark paused. “You are joking.”
“I am not. My father has pointy ears and very little sense when it comes to women.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. My mother stopped talking to him when she found him taking one of the borders on a tour of one of the empty stalls.”
“He lived with you?”
“No. He was visiting, but he took the time out of his schedule to bend Mrs. Wexler over a mounting block.”
“That is... I have no words.”
She laughed. “Yeah, don’t worry, my mom had a lot of words that day, and she still lets Frennin have it anytime he dares to show his face.”
He sat up straight. “Frennin the horse lord?”
“Yes. Have you met him?”
“Oh yes. He despises the fact that I outrank him. He is not one who likes to turn his head to someone’s will, so I had to prove that it was within my power.”
“What did you do?”
“I enforced my position as lord of horses.”
“I beg your pardon? I thought that was Frennin’s title.”
“No, he is the horse lord. He takes the shape of a very handsome horse, and nobility can ride him into battle. I, on the other hand, prepare and maintain all the battle horses for whatever king I am serving.”
Nika giggled. “That must really chap Frennin’s ass.”
He smiled slyly. “You could say that. I have to ask, how is it possible that you even exist?”
“We discussed it with the equine guild. They said it probably had to do with the two beasts coming together in agreement for the purpose of reproduction. It was a meeting of the magics, and now, they swirl through me like the green band in toothpaste.”
“That is so poetic.” He pursed his lips.
“How about chocolate-vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream?” She arched her eyebrows.
“Better.”
Ice cream and peaches arrived, and she enjoyed her dessert, feeling markedly stronger now that she was properly fuelled.
When the dessert cups had been whisked away, Nika sat back and tried not to pat her stomach for a job well done.
“Is there any other part of my life that you want to delve into?”
Mark inclined his head. “Not this evening. Would you care to take a walk around the Crossroads?”
She smiled. “I think that would be nice.”
He got to his feet, and the server came by with the small pad that would take payment for the efforts of the restaurant.
When Mark offered her his arm, she curled her hand around it, pressing her breast against him as they walked out of the restaurant and into the night.
The crunch of the stone under her shoes was a peculiar beat. She got used to it after a few steps and no longer felt like running.
“So, where do you live?” She just threw it out there.
“I have a ranch with a few thousand acres. I just live day to day, taking care of my horses and livestock.”
“Who is taking care of them while you are here?”
“That is what brothers are for.” He grinned.
She looked up at him slyly and smiled. “Do they know how to cook?”
Chapter Four
Two hours later, she was shivering, even with Mark’s arm around her.
Teebie took one look at her and urged her to have a seat in the sitting room while Teebie went for hot cocoa.
Mark started a fire with economical movements, and as soon as it was flickering, he wrapped her in a throw from the back of the couch and bundled her in his lap. “How did you get so cold?”
She made a face. “I am used to more physical activity. I depend on it. At home, I am running horses and throwing hay bales around. It keeps me warm.”
He was rubbing his hands brusquely over her, and she eagerly absorbed any warmth she could get.
“What would help?”
She smiled. “Push-ups.”
He blinked. “Seriously?”
“Yes.”
Shrugging, he unbundled her, and she tried to pull off her sandals with shaking fingers. Mark leaned down and helped her with the buckles until she kicked free of her shoes.
“Thank you.”
She rolle
d to her belly in front of the fire and started to push upward and lower herself on shaking arms.
“Will that really help?”
She grunted. “It will have to, unless I start lifting the furniture.”
Nika kept doing push-ups while Teebie brought in hot cocoa. When she began to work up a light glow, she switched from one arm to the other until her body felt more in control of its thermal condition.
“You glow when you exercise.”
She wrinkled her nose. She knew it was literal. “It is the only time that my fey half comes through in human form.”
“When you exert yourself?”
“Yeah, or when I sweat. Working in the barn, I do most of my work in daylight, so it isn’t much of an issue.”
She sat up and knelt in front of the fire. “See? All better.”
He handed her a cup of cocoa, and she sat with her legs crossed, sipping at the beverage.
Mark sat back and propped his chin on his fist, using the arm of the sofa for support. “You know, just when I think I have you assessed, you throw me.”
She was wiggling her toes where they peeped out of the edge of her skirt. “What do you mean?”
“You have the skills of a seductress, the moves of a confident woman, the appearance of a princess and currently the attitude of a child. It is a strange combination.”
She curled in her toes. “I am sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Do not get me wrong, I am perfectly comfortable with your attitudes. It is just surprising that there are so many in that little body of yours.”
She snickered. “There are many moods you haven’t seen.”
“I look forward to being educated.”
The twist to his lips kept her attention longer than it should. He notice and it spread into a grin.
Damn.
She finished her cocoa and struggled to her feet. “Well, I thank you for a charming evening.”
He snorted. “I will walk you to your door.”
Nika bent and hooked her fingers through the straps of her sandals and waited for him.
Stripes of Fury Page 2