She recalled they were in room 317. As she headed to her room, she got a great idea.
* * * *
“What if it’s true?” Will’s body hadn’t stopped zinging ever since Sella had so convincingly stated that they were shifters. He dropped onto his bed, kicked off his boots, and leaned against the wall.
The idea was totally preposterous yet thrilling at the same time. Common sense told him it was all a sham, but in his heart he wondered what it would be like to have a talent such as that. He could picture himself chasing some criminal by being able to shift into lion form. A spike of adrenaline pumped up his heart rate. Hell, if he were a lion, he could outrun anyone. That would be so cool.
“It’s all bullshit.”
He spun around and faced Gage. “What would be her motive for making up something so absurd? Surely, she had to know we wouldn’t take what she said at face value.”
He shrugged. “Maybe to get us to go out with her again. She is intriguing. I’ll admit that. No woman has ever used the line about us being lion shifters before.”
He’d been thinking about the whole concept all the way back to the hotel. “She was right about one thing. The hair on my neck stood up when we got near her two friends.”
“It stood up because you were protective of her. You didn’t like her talking to those men.”
Will dragged the iPad from the side table and did a quick search on lion shifters. “Damn. The only thing it has about them is being mythical creatures.”
“You’re surprised?” Gage slipped a hip on the bed. “Type in Anterra.”
Will did and got everything from energy companies to wine distributors. “There’s no country or region by that name.”
“Damn, what is she up to?”
“She’s no spy if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Gage huffed out a laugh. “No. There’s something too innocent about her, but I will admit that as soon as I saw her I had this natural instinct to want to claim her.”
That got a laugh out of Will. “Claim her? As in, she is your mate?”
“I know. Weird, huh?”
“I say we ask her out tomorrow and see what she’s up to.”
Gage shrugged. “She’s got me curious all right. My cock hasn’t come down since I laid eyes on her.”
“Me, too.” He leaned back on the bed. “What if it were true? What if we were shifters? That would be cool.”
“But we’re not. I would like to watch her interact with others.”
“You thinking she’s trying to pull the you’re a shifter idea on a lot of guys to see who bites?”
“No. I don’t get that vibe.”
His brother must have something in mind. “What do you want to do?”
He shrugged. “If we spend the night sitting in the bar having her wait on us, it will look too obvious.”
He agreed. “How about this. I’ll head on down toward the end of her shift and try to catch her in action to see if I can sense something false. Maybe her two friends will be there. Perhaps they’ll be plotting something with her.”
Gage cocked a brow. “Don’t let your imagination get the best of you, bro.”
His imagination had already been hijacked.
* * * *
All night, while she served her drinks, she kept glancing at the entrance, wondering if one of the men would show up. She had tomorrow off and had hoped they’d suggest another outing. If she could get them close enough to the alignment point, and if they were willing to concentrate enough, they might be able to shift. Whenever she’d asked Taryn and Kellum how they did it, they’d shrug. It was as natural as learning to walk, they said. One just got up and turned into a lion.
The question she kept asking herself was whether she should tell them her plan in advance. Will actually seemed the more adventuresome of the two, so it would be Gage who would be the hard one to convince. By the time the bar was about to close, she hadn’t come up with a game plan.
As she finished wiping down the last table, Will sauntered in. Her pulse raced, and a smile spread across her face. Since she wasn’t serving anyone, she raced over to him. Throwing her arms around him would be a little over the top even in Anterra.
“You came!”
“Just to see you, sugar.”
Her pulse soared, and her traitorous pussy dampened. She never got that kind of reaction to the men in Anterra. “You want a drink?” She could use one. Her throat had turned dry, seeing him again.
“Of you.”
She didn’t quite understand what that meant, but from the way his eyes twinkled, it had a sexual overtone. “I have an idea.” She might as well blurt it out.
“I’m listening.”
“Would you and Gage be willing to take a hike with me tomorrow? I want to show you something in the forest.” That was non-committal enough.
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Say ten?”
“Perfect.”
He winked and left. Darn. She wished he’d stayed a little longer. She’d be the first to admit that she was disappointed that the two hadn’t been eager to see her tonight. It didn’t matter that they’d spent all day with her. She missed them already.
Hey. Maybe they were debating the shifter issue and were afraid she might drop another weird comment on them. Perhaps he’d come down to see if she was putting the moves on other men and telling them the same thing.
Stop analyzing.
Since the bar was empty the bartender told her she could go. He’d close. She practically skipped back to her room, needing some time to figure out what to wear on their date.
She looked through a few items and after two hours finally settled on an outfit.
Unfortunately, she was so excited about seeing if the men could shift that she hardly slept a wink, an event that hadn’t happened in a long time. All night she tossed and turned, trying to figure out how she, a non-shifter, could teach two men how to change form. That would be like trying to teach a teenager to drive when she herself had never driven. She prayed by being near the alignment point their natural instincts would take over.
The next morning, she gathered her jacket and gloves and took the stairs down. The moment she spotted Gage and Will in the lobby, her stomach twirled and her pulse raced. She tried telling herself her reaction was due to the fact they were shifters, but if that were the only reason, why hadn’t that response ever happened to her in Anterra where every male was a shifter? She’d have to think about that later.
Both men were wearing small backpacks. She walked up to them as casually as she could and smiled. “Hi. I see you came prepared to hike.”
Will nodded. “We even got the hotel to pack up some box lunches.”
She scrunched up her nose. “I don’t eat boxes.” She couldn’t imagine why anyone wanted to.
He laughed. “You are a hoot.”
She merely smiled, not sure why he’d want to compare her to an owl. Maybe they all needed some fresh air to clear their heads. “Ready?”
Gage nodded to her hands. “You don’t want to bring any water with you?”
“I don’t have a water bottle.”
Will held up a finger and rushed over to the check-in counter. A minute later he returned with a plastic water bottle. “Here ya go, sugar.”
These two were so considerate. She hoped they’d think highly of her after her little experiment. She wasn’t sure where to put it, so she stuffed the bottle in her pocket.
Will held out his hand again. “Why don’t I carry that for you in my backpack?”
Once more his consideration endeared him to her. “Thanks.”
It was only a short walk to the lift. On the way up, Gage jumped on the seat next to her and mentioned something about some bet he’d won. She liked them both equally, though she sensed she’d have a small fight on her hands with Gage when it came time to shift.
He moved closer. “You know where you’re going?”
“Yes.” She wanted to tell them all about A
nterra and the alignment point and how it worked, but if she overloaded them with too much information, Gage would probably throw up his hands and hop on the lift back to town.
She tried to make this trip a fun adventure for all of them. “How many times have you two been to Spirit?”
Will glanced at Gage then counted on his fingers. “I’d say five times.”
“Have you ever hiked these woods?”
They both shook their heads. “When we come it’s mostly to ski,” Will said.
“Good. Then this will be new to you.” The path was more worn than when she’d arrived two days ago, mostly because it hadn’t snowed. It appeared as if this were a popular place. “I have a spot in mind. It’s about an hour from here. Is that okay with you two?”
Gage smiled. “When we were in the Special Forces we’d have to hike for hours. Will and I were in Iraq in temperatures over a hundred degrees, carrying an eighty-pound pack. We’re tough.”
“I figured. You both are in amazing shape.” She prayed it was appropriate to say what she thought. Lara seemed outspoken, so she figured all Earth women were.
Will wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “So are you.” He winked, and her traitorous pussy clamped down hard. It must be the difference in atmosphere that was making her so responsive to these two.
Their toughness would come in handy if she could figure out a way to help them become lions, but she wasn’t going to spring that on them until they’d arrived. The trip through the forest was delightful as it reminded her so much of Anterra—minus the snow and cold.
They came to the three-pronged fork. “It’s the left one.”
“You sure? Have you been here before?” Gage asked.
“Yes.” She wasn’t saying anything until they reached the point where she’d entered. It seemed like no more than ten minutes when they arrived. “Time for a break.”
She brushed off some snow on a rock and sat down. She wasn’t tired since she spent much of her life running around the forest, but she wanted to be comfortable when she spoke with the men.
Will took off his backpack. “Anyone up for some lunch?”
She smiled. “I am hungry.” Eating would take the edge off of what she had to tell them. Gage removed his pack and pulled out a large piece of silver foil from a very small package. “What is that?”
“It’s an emergency blanket. I always carry one. If you’re cold, it will keep you warm. It also doubles as a picnic blanket.”
“Cool.” Or perhaps she should have said warm. Lara always used awesome and cool as her two expressions.
Will handed her a carton. She waited to see what the men would do with theirs. They opened the container and pulled out a sandwich. Sella did the same. While pre-packaged food wasn’t something they had on Anterra, she decided it would be best to keep that information to herself.
She unwrapped her sandwich and ate a bite. While it wasn’t really fresh, it was better than she expected. After she washed the food down with water, she figured it was time to tell them her plan.
“You might wonder why I wanted to come out here.”
Will shrugged. “I figure it was to give us a chance to get to know each other better.”
“Yes, but there’s more. Please hear me out. I wasn’t lying about the fact that you two are different than other humans.” They glanced at each other, but thankfully didn’t question her. “I am from a place called Anterra, which isn’t far from here.” This was going to be more difficult than she thought. “I’m not sure where to begin.”
“Wherever you want,” Will said. “We’ll fill in the gaps.”
She doubted that. “In Anterra, people are different. The females are the same as your females, but the men all possess a gene that we females don’t have.”
Will grinned. “It’s called the Y-chromosome, sugar. It’s what makes us so compatible to you.”
She had to laugh at his good humor. “Yes, but I’m talking about another gene. All men in Anterra possess it. It’s called the shifter gene.”
Gage had been about to take another bite of his sandwich but stopped with his mouth open. He sealed his lips and inhaled. “And you think we have that gene?” He shook his head, sending a stab of depression straight to her belly. “Hate to break it to you, but my father has never been to Anterra, so I couldn’t have inherited it from him.”
She’d expected his comment. “That may be so, but we go back as far as your civilization. In fact, we formed when humans formed. At some point in our history, our reality broke off from yours. Sometimes, the Anterran men want a different life and jump into Earth’s reality.”
Gage leaned back on his elbows, and his jaw hardened. “I’m trying to play nice here, so I’ll go along with this crazy notion. If my family comes from shifters, how come we’ve never known about it?”
This was the second question she expected. “Because when you get too far from this jumping point, which we call the alignment point, the ability to shift lessens. I’ve been told that if you leave Spirit, you can’t shift at all.”
Will elbowed Gage. “See? It could be true.”
Gage shook his head. “If one of our relatives had been able to shift, you think he could have kept it quiet?”
Will shrugged. “Maybe. Hell, even if he mentioned it, do you think anyone would have believed him, especially since he couldn’t prove it?”
Go, Will.
She figured Gage would have a retort and decided to interject. “Gage, how many people do you know who want to be different? I’m not completely sure about the people from Earth, but on Anterra every one of us works hard to fit in. Doesn’t everyone want to be part of a group?”
“Sure, but—”
“There is no but. Let’s say your great-grandfather left Anterra to settle in the new world. The last thing he would do is announce he could shift. First of all, he couldn’t prove it if he moved away from Spirit. Why would he subject himself to ridicule? Besides, he left for a reason. He wanted to get away from the shifters.”
“Is Anterra that terrible?” Will sat up straighter.
“No, but there are dangers. There’s been an ongoing battle between the lions and the wolves. In fact, my two brothers are in charge of Anterran security. When the wolves come into lion territory, the lion shifters have to shift in order to fight these wolves.”
Will leaned forward. “I wouldn’t think a wolf would go up against a lion.”
“Not unless there are at least three wolves against one lion. In that case, unless the lion is highly trained, the fight would end in a draw. When it’s four against one, I’m afraid the lion might lose or at the best come away with some serious wounds.” Malik, and possibly Taryn, were the only two lions she knew who had handled four wolves and lived to tell about it.
Will slapped his thighs. “I say we give it a try. What do we need to do?”
Excitement sped through her veins. She glanced over at Gage, whose pinched brows implied he didn’t believe a word of it. Perhaps if Will could successfully shift, Gage would get on board.
She wiped her sweaty palms down her pants. “Mind you, I’ve never shifted, so I’ll tell you how my brothers explained it. The atmosphere in Anterra is a little different. It has a lot more psychic energy in it. My sister-in-law, who’s from Denver, said she can’t tell the difference between the two environments, but that’s because she isn’t as tuned in as they are. Anyway, all you have to do is concentrate real hard.”
Gage got up. “This is ridiculous. Just concentrate? That’s all you have to say?”
Will jetted to his feet and placed himself between the two of them. “Hold it, man. Give her a break.” He whispered something she couldn’t hear.
Gage stormed off but stopped at a large tree and leaned against it. He waved a hand and shot his gaze to the sky. “Go for it. You go ahead and look like the fool.”
Will grinned, flapped his arms on his shoulders, and broadened his stance. “Here goes.” He closed his eyes and inhaled.
>
Chapter Four
After a long minute, Will’s shoulders sagged. “I got nothing.” His lips thinned. “I’m so sorry.”
Sella sank back. “Maybe you should walk down the path a little way. I forgot to mention that the alignment point moves all the time.”
Gage still hadn’t moved. “Where is it now? Can you see it?”
He acted like she believed she was some holy shaman who saw things they didn’t. That talent belonged to the bear shifters. “No. Only when one is in shifter form can he feel the heat emanating from the point.”
His shoulders stiffened, acting like he wanted to do battle. “How are you going to get back to your precious Anterra if you don’t know where the alignment point is?” He crooked his fingers around those words, clearly not believing anything she’d told him. In truth, she couldn’t blame him.
“When Malik and Cavon want to go back, I’ll follow them.”
“Convenient.”
Keep quiet. From all her years around her brothers and her dad, when they got into one of their stubborn moods, it was best to say nothing. “Go ahead, Will. Walk down the path.” At least one of the brothers was cooperative.
Will took the trail and eventually disappeared. She inhaled, hoping that if he got close enough to the point, he could shift. She faced a still scowling Gage. “What are you afraid of?”
As expected, he straightened. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
“What would you do if Will does shift?”
He laughed, but the sound held no cheer. “I’ll play your little game. If he did shift, I’d tell him to shift back, and we’d get the hell away from here.”
“I repeat, what are you afraid of?”
“It’s not a matter of being afraid. It’s called being practical.” He held up a palm as if he were willing to stay for a moment longer. “Suppose we are lion shifters, which I’m not saying we are, but just suppose.”
“Good. Go on.”
“Do you realize what that would do to our lives?”
From the way his voice shook, he had given this some thought, and this new paradigm shift was scaring him senseless. “It would upset your life for sure, but you could always go over to Anterra and take your rightful place with your other lion brothers.”
Stray Cats [High-Country Shifters 2] Page 4