Stripes of Fury

by Zenina Masters

He sighed and finished his cocoa, setting the cup back on the tray with a click. Mark got to his feet and offered her his arm.

  Nothing he did was hurried. That much was certain.

  Nika walked up the stairs with him; the thick carpet runner was lush on her bare feet.

  “Is your name really Nika?” He raised his brow.

  “Partially. My father asked for me to be given a fey name, so I am Annathalianika. I settle for Nika.”

  “Very wise.”

  “Yeah, my first day of kindergarten was a nightmare, so after that, I was Nika.”

  They were moving down the hall, she pointed and soon they were at her door. She opened it and smiled. “Thank you for the evening.”

  “No, dear Nika. Thank you. It has been entertaining and intriguing all wrapped into one. I rarely venture out of my comfort zone, but with the way I feel around you, venturing out should now become a habit.”

  He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. She felt her fey side surge and try to match him power for power. It was a very odd feeling, and by the time he pulled his head away, it was too late for her to get control of it.

  “Good night, Nika. Will you join me for a picnic lunch tomorrow?”

  She blinked, bemused. “That sounds nice. I will see you then.”

  She drifted back into her room and closed the door on his smiling face. The lock was force of habit, but she really regretted it the moment the click happened.

  She sighed and walked away from the door, dropping her shoes in the wardrobe and wandering to the bed, falling onto it with a huff. When she was in heat, she knew what to do. What am I supposed to do now?

  * * * *

  Mark went back to the sitting room and collected the cups before carrying the tray to the kitchen. When he saw Teebie there, he asked her, “What do you think of Nika?”

  “I think that she has many problems forming normal attachments, but she wants them more than anything. She wants a normal life and family more than you can imagine, but she has no idea how to go about getting one.”

  Mark nodded. “Thank you; it was what I had begun to realise but confirmation is nice.”

  “You are welcome, elder. Does she know who you are?”

  “By title, yes. I do not think she knows what it means. She has not been involved in the fey community, so she might not understand fey social structure.”

  Teebie smiled at him. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. She seems like a woman who is very aware of the world around her.”

  Mark nodded. “I was getting that impression as well. Did her father really deliver her here unconscious?”

  Teebie snorted. “Yes. He flashed in, dropped her off and put a note on her chest and flashed out. That had to have hurt. Teal and Tony nearly took him apart before he managed to leave. We had to piece together who she was by the note and her signature. There are less than four of her kind in the world. It was easy to narrow it down from that point.”

  That surprised him. “There are other fey-shifter mixes?”

  “When the fey was in animal form compatible with the shifter, yes. It isn’t the best way to come into the world, but they adapt if they learn to take on human form.”

  “Some don’t?” He watched as she shrugged.

  “Their mothers don’t know how to coax them into turning or are so traumatized by the extended period in their beast form that they have lost ties with the human world. This is where some of the ancient and mythical creatures came from. Nika was lucky that her mom put in the effort.”

  Teebie finished washing the dishes, and Mark scowled, “You can do that with magic, why are you doing it by hand?”

  His host smiled. “As you know, when you do the little things with your hands, you retain appreciation for them. I like washing dishes. It gives me time to think and get in touch with my guests. I can tell what is going on in the rooms by the vibrations through the floors. If the floor is silent and no one is in, I do the housekeeping. That I do use magic for. You would not believe what folks get up to when there are no humans around to frighten.” She winked.

  Mark chuckled. “I will keep that in mind. Good evening, lady djinn.”

  “Good evening, elder.”

  He left the woman as she prepared to mop the floor. Buckets and soap were flying through the air, but the djinn had a firm hold of the mop. Some things were better done by hand.

  He headed up to his room and walked out onto the balcony that had been installed for him. Since the decline of the fey bloodlines, the desperate attempts to rebuild their species had gone from ridiculous to the criminal.

  This was his chance to gain a mate who could and possibly would have children with him. He had no objection to sharing his power with her. She seemed to have more than enough energy to share with him, so it would go both ways. He did wonder how he was going to gentle her into showing her beast. He wanted to know what he was going to be dealing with.

  He had agreed to take her as she came, but a zebra with fey stripes woke his curiosity. Is she fey with zebra stripes or zebra with fey stripes? He looked forward to finding out.

  * * * *

  She felt warm and happy with the way the evening had turned out. She also felt exhausted, but instead of sleeping, she found a pen and paper and started drawing out a sketch to turn into a digital drawing and, from there, into an embroidery pattern.

  Her little sideline had gotten her and her mother through the rough patches when Frennin’s support had been sketchy and the recession had stopped folks from being interested in maintaining their horses. Six court cases had resulted in Argus Stables being the registered owners of the horses whose upkeep hadn’t been paid for in a year. Somehow, folks had simply assumed that the stable would be only too happy to pay out of their own pockets while the bills went unpaid.

  Those six horses were now part of a tour of the local parks. They were fat and happy with plenty of folks to pet, care for and feed them. Annabella covered their medical bills and checked up on them regularly.

  To make ends meet, Nika had seized on her digital and artistic skills to begin to create designs for the expanding market of digital embroidery. It had not been an easy start, but now, she had steady clients and worked with a few websites that carried Kicking Zebra designs. The income had kept her, her mother and their horses fed during lean times.

  She finished the design of the fey warrior and tucked it into the bag that she had picked up at the general store. If it bore a resemblance to Markkios, it was just coincidence.

  Jeans, slip-on flats and a sober, button-down blue shirt were her choices for daily wear. Nika twisted her hair into a long, neat braid down her back and prepared to head downstairs. She had heard whispers of Teebie’s muffins, and she wanted to find out if they were true before other mouths beat her to it.

  The sky was just heralding dawn, so she tiptoed down the stairs, following the scent of baking. To her surprise, Mark was sitting at the table and reading a digital tablet, flicking through articles while sipping at his coffee.

  He looked up when she entered. “Good morning.”

  She nodded. “Good morning. I see I am not the only guest up.”

  He shrugged. “I am used to rising early.”

  “Oh, right. Horses.”

  “Correct.”

  Teebie came in with a tray, and a pot of coffee was perched on the surface next to the platter of muffins.

  Teebie grinned. “Morning, Nika. Please have a seat.”

  Nika bounced into a seat next to Markkios and clapped enthusiastically when the muffins were placed in front of her. She nearly died from bliss when honey was set down next to it. The coffee was poured and a cup was placed in front of her. The scents assailed her.

  The coffee was nice, but it was the muffins she wanted.

  Nika tore into them with enthusiasm and smiled as the first bite melted in her mouth. She swallowed before saying. “These are amazing.”

  Teebie darken
ed and headed back to the kitchen, bringing in a platter of bacon and a stack of small plates for the sideboard.

  She slid a plate in front of Mark and then Nika before she disappeared into the back again.

  Nika was into her third muffin before she asked, “What do you think she is doing back there?”

  Mark set aside his tablet. “I don’t know. Coaxing leprechauns into making green apples?”

  “That doesn’t make sense. What was in that coffee?” Nika smiled.

  “A lot of caffeine. Teebie makes an excellent cup of coffee.” He nodded and took a few muffins off the plate as well as a helping of bacon.

  “How long have you been here?”

  He shrugged. “A few days. I have ranch hands taking care of things.”

  Nika nodded and nibbled at a strip of bacon. “How many horses do you have?”

  “Four hundred or so. There was a mare due to foal, so she may have had her young one by now.” He shrugged.

  “If she let herself have it.”

  “Right.”

  She sipped at her coffee and sighed happily. Breakfast was her favourite way to start the day. Running to the barn because of an alarm was her least favourite.

  “So, it has been mostly you and your mother during your lifetime?”

  “Yes. Frennin has never been reliable. We have gotten by.” Nika shrugged.

  “He was always a trickster by nature. Perhaps he doesn’t know where to start with his ready-made family.”

  “Or perhaps he hasn’t put the effort in.” She shrugged again. “Anyway, he is not my favourite topic. So, how long have you been interested in horses?”

  He blinked and sat up. “Since I was a child. My family are beast masters. Each of us has an animal we are drawn to and can control. I began upsetting the horses until I was able to control myself, and from there, I could communicate with the horses. It took me decades but I managed it.”

  “How long have you known my father?”

  He grunted and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “Frennin came to court causing trouble and making mischief. I was asked to control him and calm him down. He hated it, and I was perturbed at being summoned for such a flighty man. That was four hundred years ago.”

  Hearing her father described as flighty made her smile. He was definitely flighty.

  Mark glanced at his tablet.

  “May I ask what you are reading?”

  “I have been checking in on the fey court and their needs and wants. There is quite the underground resistance to this program.”

  “Program?”

  He waved his hand around at the bed and breakfast and the dimensional space beyond it. “The fey mixing with shifters. Do not get me wrong, the children that have been born so far are strong, healthy, favour the fey parent and are exceedingly powerful. The wild magic has found a home again.”

  “The what?”

  He sat back with his coffee, and they had a very interesting conversation.

  Chapter Five

  Nika went for a walk on the paths that were marked for this purpose. So, magic had once covered the earth and as humans began to walk it, it settled inside them.

  With every generation touched by the magic, the humans changed. Those with more magic gathered together and bred a new branch of the species, and it changed their bodies. At first, the new beings were built for physical stamina, but eventually, their lines started to diminish, so they sent their more attractive folk out to get humans to join them.

  They started to monitor their numbers, and they formed great kingdoms across the world. Wherever there were humans, there was a fey kingdom nearby. From time to time, they took humans to top up their bloodlines.

  When the shifters began emerging, it was another strain of wild magic. The fey couldn’t incorporate it into their lines like they could the other energies. The shifters had to hide, and the fey remained in the shadows until the humans near their largest settlements no longer feared them as devils.

  The shifters didn’t have that option. They turned into animals. That wouldn’t go down well in many places around the world; in fact, she couldn’t imagine one place where it would be a good thing.

  The program was designed to refill the coffers of magic and increase the chances of more cross breeds in the future. Shifters bred like animals under optimum conditions. The fey wanted to build their population before it faded to a critical point.

  That was the reason that she was here. Specific fey had specific needs in a life mate, and those needs had to be met or children were not a likely outcome.

  Nika looked up and sighed at the forest edge. The trees reached skyward and swayed lightly in the wind. She wanted to feel that wind through her mane, and when she looked around and didn’t see anyone, she quickly kicked off her shoes and stripped to the skin, stepping forward slowly as her shift overtook her.

  The bounce she always felt was there the moment she changed. With her beast wanting to run, she took off to the far edge of the meadow and turned to bolt back to the changing cabanas that she had passed on her way out.

  Her legs stretched, her lungs pumped and her hooves thudded against the ground as she ran until she felt sweat gleaming on her hide. She slowed only to hear another set of hooves, much larger than her own.

  A rich, black Pegasus pounded toward her, his wings folded against his back. He paused in front of her, rearing and pawing the air in front of her.

  She shook her head, her short mane flexing back and forth. He gestured with his head, and she followed him, gradually picking up speed until they were running side by side.

  The fey gleam was reflecting off his hide, and she wheeled at the end of the meadow to pound back to the other edge, flat out. He overtook her and gently herded her back to the far side of the meadow.

  She snorted as her legs worked to pass him, but there was no way. He was just taller than she was.

  When he stopped her in her tracks, she snorted and shook her head. He advanced on her, and she reared back, lashing out with her hooves and snapping at him with her sharp, square teeth.

  He snapped his own jaws together, warning her back.

  That didn’t work for her, so she turned and kicked him. While he was down, she ran down the path that she was pounding into the grass.

  He circled around her again and backed her toward the treeline.

  Nika sighed and cheated. She turned human just as he was starting to raise his wings and posture toward her.

  “Knock it off, Mark. I am not backing down.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

  He blinked and backed up. She could feel the magic trying to pull inward, but it was harder for him than for her. His was outer magic; hers was from the inside out. First came the magic then came the animal.

  “So, nice wings.”

  He paused in his efforts to turn bipedal. He cocked his head.

  “They look sturdy.”

  He opened them, and she walk up next to him and ran her hand down the feathers. She stroked the space between the wings and gauged that she could comfortably fit on his back without impairing the glossy appendages.

  She felt soft lips at her lower back, and she turned to see him watching her with his wide, liquid, black eye.

  Sighing, she reached out and stroked his neck, running her hand along the muscles, feeling the veins, and finally, she stroked his jaw until those pretty eyes closed.

  He exhaled, and his breath had a hint of honey in it.

  As he relaxed, he shifted, and soon, she was up against a very naked elf covered with scars from events long past.

  She slowly lowered her arm from around his neck, and he caught her, replacing it.

  “Well, you don’t seem to want to back down.”

  She chuckled. “Not really. You may be bigger than me, but I am exceptionally wily. It would take you quite a while to wear me down.”

  Markkios chuckled. “I do happen to have the time.
”

  “You don’t say.”

  His erection was pressed between them, but he wasn’t making a move to rub it against her or pursue it. Points for him.

  “I do say. The problem is do you want me?”

  Nika blinked. “You are asking?”

  “Of course. This isn’t a one-night stand to take the fire out of your heat. This is a mixing of lives and energies that may result in offspring. If you don’t want to be with me, this won’t work.”

  She stepped back and looked at him, really looked. He was covered in the marks of a life that she knew nothing about, and she had to admit that it was an attraction. He had been someone before he met her, been something and done something. She was more than the sum of her genes as well.

  “I will be honest, and out of all the fey and the humans that I have been naked with, you hold the most appeal. I know that it isn’t the resounding agreement you—”

  He had closed the distance between them and threaded his fingers in her hair. With a sharp tug, he pulled her head back, and she gasped a moment before he pressed his lips to hers.

  His hand was her only point of support as she was pulled off balance by the firm grip at the back of her head. His lips pressed against hers firmly, but he was careful with her. As his lips stroked hers, they parted in invitation. He slowly took advantage of her agreement, running his free hand across her breasts and between her thighs.

  She was wet, hot, aching, and it had only taken a little bit of effort on his part to get her there. Nika was embarrassed that she was making it so easy for him, but he had asked first, so that was a plus.

  He lifted his head, and his eyes were glowing with dark heat. Wings sprouted from his back, and he gathered her up in his arms, flying them back to the Open Heart.

  Nika was staring at the ground and turning her face into the wind as they flew.

  “You don’t mind heights?”

  She laughed and turned back to her sharp-featured elfin angel. “No. I have never had an issue with heights. I love the wind against me, anyway I can get it.”