"I, uh..." He gulped, catching tantalizing glimpses of bare flesh as she sat curled into a ball with hair rolling around her shoulders and legs crossed, covering all the bits he was suddenly very interested in seeing... His body responded with a jolt of excitement straight through him and a yearning that left him hard for her. The pressure so intense he thought he’d ache for weeks.
She glared, and he turned around to give her some privacy. His jeans had tightened below the belt, and he took the opportunity to adjust himself. "I didn't mean to scare you." He just wanted to talk to her, figure out where this would lead.
"You didn't scare me." Her words sounded both angry and proud. He listened to her feet pad along the floor. He wouldn't turn around until she let him know it was okay. Yes, Sadie was his mate, but that didn't give him the right to do what he wanted. He wasn't always nice, but he did respect her as a female. Instead, he tried to erase her naked image from his head, or maybe archive it for a later release, he hadn't fully decided.
Sadie cleared her throat. "You can turn around now."
Levi faced his mate. Her neck and cheeks were a pink blossom color, which looked splendid along her skin. He grinned. She wore a pair of tight gray sweatpants and a T-shirt. Her nipples were hard peaks beneath the material, and Levi tried desperately not to look down at them blatantly. "We should talk this out. Neither of us were expecting our zodiac signs to be invoked. This is a shock to both of us and it's happening to both of us. First, let's acknowledge that at least."
She nodded, chewed at the side of her thumb, but remained silent.
"Second I need to know if you're okay. I've never seen anyone shift into two creatures at once." He glanced up at her horns and back to her face. Her bright amber eyes hardened, but he couldn't be sure why. He thought he'd been polite so far. "And uh...your horns—"
"Yes, they are still there. Take a picture, it lasts longer. They don't go away. I've had them since my first shift. It's a birth defect. Speaking of... you're the magic practitioner, right? The one who works in potions?" Her voice carried an edge to it, as if she’d recited the spiel so much she despised explaining herself.
Horns were a touchy subject apparently. Levi crossed his arms. "Yup."
Sadie bit at the side of her thumb, looked around the room, and then seemingly settled and asked, "Would you help me? I would like something to hide my horns and maybe stabilize my shifting." Her small hand reached up and touched one of her horns.
"Is that what just happened? You're unstable? Are you turning primal...I mean were you turning before your sign was invoked?" That kind of information was important to know. A mate turning primal could be a very dangerous problem, especially when he lived outside the safety of the enclave. And it would make their true bonding imperative if she had been. Though they may have found each other, the ritual words needed to be said before the bond held in place.
"I...um. Well, I don't know." She threw her hands up. "What I do know is I don't want it to affect my healing abilities and I can't go around half shifting. I don't know if it's a primal thing or a biological thing coming to fruition inside my body, like my horns always being present. Either way, I can't risk harming someone else. I'm a healer. I can't exactly not be one. I don’t think it’s primal though. It doesn’t feel right and as a healer I’ve seen a lot of our kind going primal."
Levi eyed her up and down, contemplating what kind of ingredients he might use to stabilize her. Normally he didn't do those kinds of potions. Generally speaking, people wanted glamour potions, so he could help her hide her horns. He was great at those. He could probably pull off something to help her stop randomly shifting but he'd need time with her. And it was entirely possible half shifting was a result of primal beasts taking over, though two creatures at once was unheard of. "I can get you something to glamour your horns. They will technically still be there, but others won't see them. As far as the other thing, well I'd need to observe you further. That kind of potion magic doesn't come easily, and I'd need a lot more details to even try it. Plus, you'd have to acknowledge that this would be trial and error. I may be the best, but that doesn't mean I get it right the first time every time. It's highly possible things could get worse before they get better."
Sadie bit her lip in contemplation. "How would you observe me?" Her arms crossed over her ample breasts.
"Well I'd need you at my place for a while. I'd need to know your habits. Things you put into your body food-wise and the like become important to how a potion is accepted. For example, someone who eats mostly junk food and drinks a potion might have some side effects because of sugar spikes, et cetera, which change some of the balances inside the body, making the potion irregular. My customers know the risks. I need to know your habits and try to make the potion accommodate those." His sign being triggered was a bonus. He would be around the one person who would save his humanity and he hers.
"So, I'm just supposed to what? Pack up and go to your house in the enclave...for how long? I mean I know our signs are invoked. But we haven't completed the bonding—what if we don't get along or hate each other? What if I can't stand you eating with your mouth open?" Panic made her voice rise again. She must be overwhelmed. Her gaze darted all over before finally coming back to him.
"To start, I don't live in the enclave. Actually, I rarely come here." He hoped his admission would ease her panic.
"Wait...with the humans?" She backed away, her hands moving in front of her as if to stave him off somehow. "I can't live with humans." Color drained from her face.
Levi stayed very still, anticipating her moves. If he went forward, she might bolt. He kept his voice as calm as possible as he said, "I don't live with humans, exactly. I have land outside the actual Meeteetse city. Humans come visit me sometimes for potions, otherwise I don't see them much either. The worst you might have to worry about is a few wild animals and cattle. I think you'll be all right." His most recent customer, Meredith, came to mind. She was the most frequent of his glamour potion visitors.
"How would you know that? You know nothing about me! I can't live with humans. I can't. I've always been in the enclave. I can't do this."
Levi needed to calm her down; he could feel her fear, smell the sour scent wafting off her. "We can work it out, let's just talk about it. You don't have to make any decisions right now. The bond isn't complete, and you’re fine here. I only mean that I can't help you if you aren't around me."
Sadie crossed her arms but managed to find some control over herself. Tears slipped from the corner of her eyes, and she swiftly wiped them away, as if they'd never been. "Why not observe me here?" He hated how hopeful her voice sounded.
Valid question.
What could he say? Her fear was as real as his need to stay away from people. But he couldn't stay here. "I have some serious problems on my land. I can't leave it unattended. I'll tell you what. I'm leaving the enclave in one hour. I know that isn't a lot of time, and I'm sorry about that. But the truth is I want to help you and I want to help me. And I don’t visit the enclave often." He stepped toward her. She looked so vulnerable. A deep-seated part of him wanted to wrap her up in safety, tell her everything would be okay, but rationality took over. He didn't know this female from a random stranger. Sure, they would complete each other if the bond was performed. But he wasn't about to give up on his land because she couldn't come to terms with the outside world. Frustration set in, she would either meet him half way or she wouldn’t. "If you want to, come meet me at the portal. If you aren't there, I'll leave without you and I have no real intention of heading back any time soon. You can travel with me, or if you decide to get my help or complete our bond, you can venture out of the enclave without me. The choice will always be yours."
Levi nodded then walked out the door. His body had driven him to follow her, his mind took over with rational thought. He didn't have time to coddle her. He needed to get the tracker. His stomach twisted at the thought she likely wouldn't meet him. He had seen her desperatio
n. Had felt her fear. He couldn't expect her to come and she couldn't expect him to stay. He hadn’t heard of anyone not accepting the bond directly, being out of touch with most his kin, but that didn’t mean they had to bond, he’d never heard of anyone being forced to be together either. Marked or not they both had the right to choose.
Chapter Five
Sadie stared at the closed front door, unsure what to do. Fear and surprise laced through her, zigzagging flutters in her stomach. Levi was probably the only person who could help her, and within an hour, she'd need to decide what to do. She chewed on the side of her finger and walked into the bathroom.
Frustration clung to her muscles, a sore feeling, an ache deep inside.
She could feel his absence like a hole inside her already and they'd barely met. The invoked zodiac sign triggered that ache and it would stay that way until they bonded permanently. Sadie glanced at her pale features in the mirror, pulling her shirt down to reveal her invoked zodiac mark, Capricorn. It looked like a swirled letter n.
What had happened to her? She'd been strong for so many years. Been able to tackle nearly everything. Why was it so freaking hard to just be out in the human areas? She'd blamed her horns. She never wanted the kind of attention they brought. She'd already drawn a lot of flak in the enclave growing up. She didn't need it from humans too. They were far worse already— looking down their noses at Khimairans, let alone one who couldn't make her horns go away. Levi could though. He'd said he could create a glamour potion for her. Wouldn't that make it easier to be in the human city? Outside of the enclave...no other Khimairan protection... in a giant place she was unfamiliar with.
Bile rose from the back of her throat and she swallowed the panic threatening to come up. She wasn't a weak person. This small insignificant idea that she couldn't be outside the enclave was irrational. A glamour would make it possible. Just because she'd never done it, didn’t mean she couldn't do it. Sadie glared at herself as she turned the faucet on. She splashed cool water along her cheeks, toweled them off, and set her goal to helping herself. She always helped her kin. Her work was nearly done in the enclave anyway. She'd healed as many as she could. All of them would recover without significant damage. They were immortal, after all, and the only way to truly hurt a Khimairan was via a primal blade. Only a few had taken damage from the blade and only a single death. The healers in Wyoming were just a bit overwhelmed by the number hurt in the small battle that resulted in their portal guardian being kidnapped. They didn't need her anymore. Technically, she could head back to her home, back to Dante and those she knew. A safe place.
But doing that wouldn't help her half shifting.
It wouldn't help her heal people.
It wouldn't allow her to be the best form of herself.
No, she couldn't go back without trying. And even though she was marked, he wasn't likely to want her. It was natural for Khimairans to just accept their bond, especially with their humanity on the line, but the choice was free will, he didn’t have to be with her. The disappointment on his face as he walked out on her was clear. She likely wasn't the kind of female he'd pictured bonding with. It shouldn't bother Sadie, but the idea he wouldn't be attracted to her stung. He had been all too willing to help with her horns. More proof he disliked them showing. They probably made him uncomfortable like they did everyone else. Resolve charged through Sadie. She would go with him, and he'd find a way to help her whether they bonded or not. Deep down she did want that bond, she wasn't sure he would be her best match, but the Gods weren't generally wrong, were they?
***
Sadie's knee bounced up and down as she waited for Levi ten minutes before his impressed deadline. She had no idea when he would actually show up, but she hoped he would hurry. There was always the possibility that he had already gone through without her—maybe expecting her not to come. That might be in everyone's best interest anyway. What would she do in the human city? Sadie stood and circled the small woodsy area where the portal hid.
Just a few steps and she would be outside the enclave for the first time. Out in a world where her kind were often shunned, beat up, ignored, and worse. On the other side of the etched celestial symbols of the portal Bellers and humans had free rein.
Sadie stared at the portal.
What the hell was she thinking? How could she possibly go out into that kind of environment? What kind of disaster would befall her once she stepped outside the enclave? Why was she—
"I just wish I knew what was doing this on my land." Levi's deep baritone broke through her thoughts.
Sadie glanced over her shoulder. Bastien came into view first, his dark brown shirt blended into the background. Levi followed only a few seconds behind. Levi looked up, and their eyes met. The world tilted and righted itself within seconds. If only the yearning kindled inside her subsided as quickly. His eyebrow rose, and a smile toyed with his lips. Not a full, happy smile, but one Sadie could only think might be one of pleased surprise, but more subtle.
"Sadie, glad you made it." Levi nodded toward her as the men walked past. "You ready?"
Her stomach dipped low, as if falling into the deep, dark depths of a cave. Perspiration pebbled along her brow, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand as nonchalantly as she could manage. "As ready as I'll ever be." Her hands tingled, and panic welled up. Sadie swallowed her fear, pushing it deep inside her, willing herself to not freak out. Stay calm. The guys put their palms in the middle of the portal and it glowed. Each one stepped through. Sadie had no idea what it would feel like. She'd watched plenty of people enter and exit the magical doorway, but she had never tried it. Well not into the human world.
Would it hurt?
She could just leave right now. They'd go on without her, and she could go back to Colorado. Sadie chewed on the side of her finger. She had already come this far. What was a few more steps? If the world on the other side was bad, she could always stop and come back.
Sadie shook out her hands and walked up to the portal, rolling her suitcase behind her. Her heart thrummed in her ears as she put her palm in the middle like the others had. A warm sensation slid over her flesh, very much like moving from one enclave to the next. Sadie held her breath and stepped through.
The other side didn't seem much different. The sun was still shining high in the sky. Birds tweeted in the surrounding trees, and the guys stood waiting for her. She let out her breath and rolled her shoulders back. She could do this.
"Let's go; it's about a twenty-minute drive to my house." Levi turned and headed away from the hidden portal.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Relief filled her followed by another feeling. A giddy awareness of trying something new. She would be staying in the same house as her mate, and they might actually bond permanently. Kin back home would never believe she had stepped beyond the enclave. She eyed Levi’s backside as he moved forward and wondered if he might be able to see past her horns once he made her glamour potion. If he might actually see her as a mate.
Chapter Six
Levi threw his keys on the stand by the front door. Bastien would be staying the night, so he'd need two beds made up for his guests. "Sadie you'll be in the guest room next to my room down the hall there, and I have a hide-a-bed couch for you, Bastien. That work?" Levi didn't look back to see if they followed; he assumed they would. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten all day. It was a bit past one in the afternoon. He’d forgone breakfast to his inner beast’s dismay.
"That's fine," Sadie said right behind him.
"Either of you hungry? I'm going to make a late lunch." Levi moved into the kitchen. His home was pretty basic. Front door, living room, kitchen. Off the kitchen was a side door that led to his basement lab.
"I'm good. I'd like to see this dead animal though," Bastien said. He rounded the island counter.
"Sure, let me get a sandwich, and we can head out. Sadie, you want one?" He glanced over at her, and his heart skipped a silent beat. She s
canned the area with surprise crossing her features. Her chin upturned, taking in the sun’s rays cascading through the kitchen window. Sadie looked at that moment as if she glowed, and he enjoyed the sight so much he nearly forgot he was hungry until words tumbled from her sweet, kissable lips. The female made his inner control shift.
"I'm good thanks, just point me in the direction of my room, and I'll get settled while you eat."
Levi pointed to the right, and Sadie walked off with her suitcase rolling behind her. Levi watched her hips sway as she left. He could imagine grabbing a handful of ass and moving her back against him. He would take her in this kitchen at some point if she’d have him. But once she said yes, she’d never be safe from him again.
"How far out is the animal?" Bastien's voice tore through his thoughts.
Levi cleared his throat and pulled lunch meat, mayo, and mustard out of the fridge. "I rode my horse out maybe five minutes or so beyond the house? It's before the tree line on the south side." He untwisted the bread bag and pulled two slices out. "I hope it's still there. I didn't do much but check for the heart."
"Which was missing," Bastien seemed to say more to himself than to Levi.
"Yup." Levi pulled out a drawer in the island, retrieved a butter knife and slid the drawer back into place with a soft thud. He made up his sandwich and took a big bite. The tangy mustard and mayo mix hit the hungry spot and Levi licked his lips as he chewed. He had the food gone within two more bites. "Let's shift and head out.” He turned to look down the hall, part of him hoping to spot Sadie, but the space was empty. “Sadie, we’ll be back in a bit," Levi called out.
"Got it!" she replied.
Bastien followed Levi out the front door and around the back of the house. They removed their clothes, Levi didn’t want his shredded. Bastien shifted into his beast form. He could have taken Monty, but the horse was skittish around other shifters. Levi called upon his change, coaxing his bull out from deep within. His horns stretched from beneath his skin, extending out. It wasn’t painful, more an uncomfortable tightness. It had been a while since he’d called on his bull. His flesh itched as fur covered his body, growing out from the same human hair follicles. He hunched over and snorted through his beefy nose at Bastien, who had shifted into a large brown wolf. In animal form, it wouldn't take them long to get to the carcass. Bastien sniffed at the air. Levi hoofed the ground and then headed straight for the tree line at a full run. All four hooves pounded against the dirt as he charged. It had been so long since he’d carried this big of a form he forgot how heavy a bull actually was.
Unraveled: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Capricorn (Dark Khimairans Book 2) Page 3