Ocelot of Trouble

by Zenina Masters

  She could hope.

  Chapter Five

  Robar looked around when he returned to the dining room. “Where did she go?”

  Teebie didn’t look up from the huge book she was flipping through. “She is off to engage in her normal daily activities so that she won’t go nuts while waiting for me to find a cure for her condition.”

  He sighed and sat down, pulling more muffins onto his plate and carefully pouring more coffee. “What is her condition?”

  Teal smiled, “She is under a curse that has an effect on any man who pursues her. They suffer a series of annoying incidences designed to drive them off.”

  Robar sat back and nodded. “That would describe the effect I have experienced. The more I am interested in her, the more violent the shock of whatever happens to distract me.”

  Teebie looked up and nodded. “Good. Do you feel anything else?”

  “There is a feeling of hostility that washes over me. It isn’t from Mina but rather from something or someone near her.”

  The djinn nodded. “That is what I am looking up. I believe that her first boyfriend was an untrained curse master. If he didn’t know what he was doing, he would not have placed an expiration on the curse. I need to find a way around it.”

  Robar smiled. “Good. Whatever you need to effect a cure, I will do it.”

  Teal grinned, “I thought you were here to get out easily with a woman you could dismiss as soon as you were back in the human world?”

  He blushed. “I apologize for my attitude. I underestimated the effect of the Crossroads. None of the women I invited here are suitable mates, and I know that now.”

  Teal pressed her query. “And how do you feel about Mina?”

  “She is definitely attractive to my beast, and my instincts are to get as close to her as I can. I never understood how my parents could have been content with just each other, but after being in the Crossroads, where shifters can be shifters, it makes sense that our instincts guide us.”

  Teebie smiled and kept reading. “The human world confuses shifters. You end up wanting what you see in the media and that is not what your kind needs. Even the families who force matings forget that your inner beast guides you, protects you and supports you. When you seek a mate, you need to offer it a companion for life.”

  He had to ask, “How do you know so much about it?”

  “Ah, my grandmother and my great aunts were shifters. My mother married a djinn because she knew he was the one. My great aunt waited until her inner beast had its true mate and that is why I am here. She is learning to live in the human world with him right now, so I have taken over her bed and breakfast.”

  The immense age that she seemed to be referencing was surprising. “How old is your aunt?”

  “Old enough. My grandmother was a gryphon who died defending her town and her children.”

  “A mythical beast?”

  “Unless you know of a different kind of gryphon. All the women on my grandmother’s side were mythical. And in case you wonder, no, most of my cousins are not blue. I am a throwback.”

  She looked up at him and winked before she resumed her studies.

  Robar watched her as she muttered under her breath and stroked the pages. She was using more than just her eyes as she rifled through the book. There was the gleam of energy in her eyes.

  Teal sighed. “Well, I am glad that you are enjoying the process at last.”

  He tilted his head. “Enjoy is a strong term. I have surrendered to it. My preconceptions have been shattered and I am ready to do it properly.”

  “Excellent. I am going to be collecting ten bucks from Tony. I told him you would not be stubborn enough to make it over a week without coming around.”

  He snorted. “You bet on me?”

  “You were very obnoxiously intent that you would be able to make your selection and return to your family unchanged by finding a mate. Even Tony knew that you would change, we just didn’t know when.”

  Ruefully, he poured another cup of coffee. “Do the women change?”

  “Of course, but they usually pick up on it sooner. Their beasts rise the moment that eligible mates are nearby, and they slap the inner human around to their way of thinking.”

  A basket floated in from the kitchen and settled next to Teal. The Crossroads guardian chuckled. “And on that note, I am on my way. Teebie, call me if you can’t get a hold of Mina.”

  The proprietor waved her off and kept flipping through the pages of the book.

  Teal patted Robar on the shoulder as she left with her basket.

  He sat and watched as Teebie moved through the book but didn’t seem to get any further into the tome. She flipped a page every ten seconds but the book remained divided down the centre.

  He got a little dizzy and stood up. “Please pardon me. I believe that a walk is on my agenda.”

  She grinned and waved him off. “Have a nice time. The shifter’s meadow is not usually occupied this time of day.”

  Taking the hint, he left and headed to the shifter’s meadow where he could shift during daylight hours and no one would think anything of it.

  * * * *

  Mina crouched down in the field full of daisies and watched bees and butterflies go about their daily routines. The inventory had taken five minutes, so Mina had the rest of the time until lunch to enjoy being out and about as her other self.

  Her tail twitched and her nose picked up on every subtle scent that wafted through the meadow. When she smelled musk and blueberries, she lifted her head and sat up slightly, watching the male fox as he chased a butterfly through the meadow. That fluffy tail of his was far too tempting.

  She crouched low with her tail lashing until he was within a few feet of her, and then, she pounced, rolling him over until he yelped in surprise.

  Unsure of how he would take her overtures to play, she stepped away and sat primly, her tail thudding rhythmically on the grass behind her.

  He sat down, mimicking her. His head tilted from side to side, and he slowly got to his feet, coming toward her. His feet were placed carefully, daintily in the grass and flower stalks that her tumble had flattened.

  She sat warily as his pointed muzzle approached hers, and her eyes crossed when he sniffed at her forehead before working his way down her cheeks and neck. The soft fur of her coat ruffled as he exhaled and inhaled, taking in her scent.

  Mina managed to hold still until he reached her lower back. When he got too close to her tail, she growled.

  He froze and then continued.

  That was it. She yowled and swatted him with her claws in. He let out a yip and jumped at her.

  It was so peculiar for her to be attacked by anything that she didn’t react for a moment. When she finally was in a reacting mode, her claws came out, and she swiped him across the shoulder and ran from him when he jerked back in surprise.

  She streaked through the meadow, into the forest and up into the tree line. She jumped up the fourth tree she passed and headed toward the sun.

  Mina huddled on the highest branch that would support her, and she heard the low growl coming from her throat.

  Her fox sat at the foot of her tree and yipped.

  She snarled. As she watched, he shifted and her heart skipped a beat.

  Robar was standing naked and completely at ease at the base of the tree. “I apologize for jumping you like that. Please come down.”

  She blinked and slowly crept down the tree, staring up at him from her vantage point near his knees. He crouched and reached out to stroke her.

  The feel of his hands moving through her fur made her eyes narrow, and she let out a low sigh. It was wonderful.

  “I don’t know what your name is, but would you like to go to dinner with me?”

  She opened her eyes wide. Taking her courage into her hands, she shifted into her human form, kneeling across from him with his hands still in her hair, his fingers behind her ears.

  “I think that it might be dangero
us, Robar.”

  “Mina!” He blinked and sat back.

  “I know. You have changed your mind about dinner now.” She sighed and put her hands over his, removing his grip and putting his hand back on his thighs.

  “No, it isn’t that. I just didn’t expect your other form to be so…perfect.” His smile was warm, and she stared into his eyes, looking for truth.

  She warmed. “It is just my fur form. It lets me get around. Yours is very elegant.”

  “And you are exceedingly graceful.”

  There was a flash from her wrist, and she heard a creak of wood. In an instant, she flung herself onto Robar; the collapsing branch missed him by inches.

  He blinked and smiled slowly. “Thank you for your defense of my person.”

  Her body was plastered against his, her breasts flat against his chest and a hot length rapidly firming against her thigh.

  “Um…it was no trouble. I could see that one coming, so to speak.”

  Robar had wrapped his arms around her and he slowly stroked the line of her spine.

  The slow stroke made her arch against him belly to belly, it was difficult to ignore the nudity of their human forms.

  Mina stared at him and slowly lowered her lips to his. A moment before she made contact, a rainbow burst across their faces; the charm she had threaded onto her wristband was lit up and sparkling. Blushing, she moved carefully and parted them.

  “I am being paged, Robar. Are you still interested in dinner?”

  He gracefully sat up, pressed her knuckles to his lips and winked. “I will brace myself for whatever comes.”

  It wasn’t the most romantic declaration, but she smiled with delight before she slipped into her four-footed form to run back to the cabana where she had left her clothing.

  He was willing to risk himself to have dinner with her, knowing where the danger lay. It was the nicest thing he could have said.

  Chapter Six

  Giddy described Mina’s mood as she returned to the Open Heart.

  Teebie was on her feet with the book cradled in her arms as she paced back and forth.

  “You rang?”

  Teebie jerked her head up and smiled. “Yes. Please, have a seat. I have found a way to break the curse or at least bend it so that it doesn’t have the devastating effect that it has been having up until now.”

  Mina rubbed her neck. “Why can’t we break it?”

  “Because the person who cast it probably had no idea what he was doing. We need to find him and that can take time. The curse masters don’t give out their membership locations gladly.”

  Mina was surprised. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Did you ever hear from him again after he moved?”

  “He tried to friend me online a few years ago, but I didn’t agree to it.”

  Teebie perked up. “Really? That will make things much easier.”

  The djinn propped the book open on the table, using a coffee cup as a bookmark. She raised her hand and a laptop appeared in her grip. “Here, logon.”

  “We can get Wi-fi here?”

  Teebie grinned, “Well, I can. Now, go and see if you can find him on the network.”

  Mina logged in and checked for him. To her surprise, there was another friend request from him waiting for her. “He has asked me to friend him again.”

  “Do it. I will be able to use the connection to find him and get him targeted for a reversal proposal.”

  “Will I have to see him?”

  Teebie shook her head. “No. It will be handled via the guilds.”

  “Excellent. So, what do I have to do now?” she finished with the laptop and slid it to Teebie.

  “Now, we need to have a serious talk.” Teebie turned and faced her, extending her blue hands to Mina.

  Mina slipped her hands into Teebie’s grip. “What is it?”

  “You are a virgin, correct?”

  She blushed. “I am. I haven’t been able to get close enough to change it.”

  “Of course. Well, you will have to change that in order to expand the field to protect your mate. That is the nature of this curse. It is to protect you from the interference of any other male, whether his interest be violent or sensual in nature. The more intense his affection, the more violent the repulsion.”

  “So?”

  “So, if you make the first move, and, in fact, make all the moves, your partner will not come to harm but will, in fact, be included in the protection offered.”

  “What?”

  “The counter-spell is called Virgin’s Prize. It will protect you and your first lover against all curses from the moment of consummation. Now, you merely need to find the man you want to protect.”

  Robar walked into the Open Heart at that moment and leaned in the doorway. “Am I interrupting?”

  Mina looked at him, the column of his throat exposed and leading to the trail of skin displayed by his open shirt. The jeans he wore were tight but not constricting.

  Mina asked Teebie, “What if the male I pick isn’t my mate?”

  “He will simply be curse-resistant for the rest of his life, as will you.” Teebie glanced between them with a smile.

  “Do I have to tell him the details?”

  Robar was listening curiously.

  “It would be wise if you want his cooperation, and you will need it.”

  Mina winced. Yes, she would have to get some cooperation if she had to do all the work. “All right.”

  Teebie looked at her and turned to Robar. “We need a bit of privacy here. Could you give us a few minutes?”

  He looked befuddled but nodded. “I will go for a walk to the meditation centre and back.”

  Teebie smiled brightly. “That should be fine.”

  The moment he was out the door, the djinn sighed. “Well, since you are staying at the hostel, I am going to offer you a room for this purpose. It will have restraints for him and a lack of items that can fly around and damage him. I need to mark you for the spell to take hold, so hold out your wrists.”

  “So you are casting a spell to counteract a curse?” She still held her hands out, wrists up without question. Something about Teebie was very trustworthy.

  “Yes. My enchantment is going to go blood deep.” Teebie smiled, slowly wrapped her hands around Mina’s wrists and she sharply dug her thumbnails into the vulnerable skin.

  Power surged through Mina’s body. Fire, energy and a hunger that had just flirted around the edges of her senses for her entire life spilled through every cell in her system.

  She heard Teebie through the roaring in her ears. “The power is in you now, and when you complete the counter-spell, it will push the curse off your flesh and away from your partner as well.”

  “So, all this power is going to come out?” She blinked as the sparks faded from her vision.

  “Sex always releases energy, Mina. Sometimes it is a rush, a gradual waning, and occasionally, if you are very lucky, it will be a starburst that connects you to the one who will be yours alone.”

  It sounded wonderful, and as the power simmered in her bloodstream, she wished for Robar to return. Her fox would be the first man in her life and body. She was nowhere near his class, but she was sure that he wouldn’t turn up a chance to sleep with her.

  “Don’t sell him short, Mina. Robar has come to the Crossroads to find a mate, the same as you. Yes, he was sent by family and you were sent by your community, but you both have had situations that you needed to overcome before you can accept what your instincts are telling you.”

  “How do I…” Mina blushed hot and leaned forward.

  Teebie quickly offered her a basic outline that included instruction on how to manage the manacles without too much fuss. “When it comes to dealing with him, let him tell you what he wants and you can act on it.”

  “I thought that I had to be the one doing all the work.”

  “You are, but he can offer as much direction as you are willing to take.”

 
They both jumped a little as Robar returned. There must have been something in their gazes, because he suddenly became wary. “Is everything all right?”

  Mina looked to the djinn and listened to the singing in her blood and got to her feet. “I have something I would like to ask you, Robar.”

  He took her hand and walked toward the stairs. “What is it, Mina?”

  “Would you have sex with me?” She bit her lips.

  To say he was startled was a gross understatement. His eyes turned into hot bronze orbs that stared into her own. “Yes, I will.”

  “Right now? With you restrained?”

  He blinked rapidly. “Right now?”

  She exhaled in relief when it was the timing and not the restraint that caused him to pause. “Yes. Teebie said she had a room upstairs for me—us.”

  “Why the rush?”

  “I want to stop the curse and keep you safe. That can only happen if we engage the spell that Teebie primed in me.”

  Despite his questioning, he was leading her up the stairs. When they arrived at the upper floor, there was only one room.

  Robar blinked. “I swear that my room was off and to the left.”

  Mina giggled. “I am guessing that Teebie didn’t want to wreck the mood by confusing us.”

  He inclined his head. “Well then, with one choice, shall you lead the way?”

  She sucked in a deep breath and opened the door, stepping inside to seduce her way into a new and free dating life. She was going to bungle this on the way, but as long as she made it to actual penetration, the spell would be released and the men in her life would no longer be at risk.

  Mina just had to keep her nerve and get through shackling the most attractive man she had seen in years and crawling on top of him. What could possibly go wrong?

  Chapter Seven

  The bed was huge, swathed in crimson, and the manacles gleamed against the dark fabric in the bright room. A door to one side led to a bathroom, and once she had explored, Mina returned to Robar’s side. She looked up at him, and he said the one thing that caused her heart to swell with grateful affection.