by T. A. Foster
I carefully laid it on its velvet resting place, embellished side up.
“What happened to them? Did they live a long life together? Lots of children? Something happy, right?” Her voice was urgent.
I shook my head. “I’m afraid not. He was hunted down by a pirate he had double-crossed and killed the next year. Amelia used the dagger to take her own life as she promised. I’d like to think they’re together somewhere.”
I latched the cabinet and spun the lock underneath.
“That’s both incredibly romantic and haunting,” she whispered.
I leaned into her ear. “See? I told you history could be romantic.” I grabbed her hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the town founder’s room next.”
Twenty minutes later, we returned to the dinner. Dessert was being served. We had a choice of cheesecake or crème brulee. I noticed the museum was pulling out all the culinary stops tonight.
I felt a pat on my back. “Zac Morgan, festival star, how are you enjoying tonight?” The museum director stopped by our table.
I tried to turn in my seat.
“Dinner is wonderful.” Dare smiled at him. “This has been such a special night for the museum.”
He looked at me, and then Dare again.
“This is my date, sir, Dare.”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. The gesture made me a little uncomfortable.
“So nice to have you here tonight with us. Will you be at the festival tomorrow?”
“I’m going to do my best.” She placed her hand in her lap. This girl was refinery at its best. “Everyone in Sullen’s Grove is so appreciative of what the museum is doing. I wanted to thank you.”
I’d never seen my boss at a loss for words. He stood fixed on her.
“Thank you, sir.” I coughed. It seemed to bring him back to the moment.
He slapped me on the back again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Morgan. Dare, so nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
He walked to the next couple, but I saw him glance back toward our table.
“What do you say we cut out a little early?” I nodded at the door. I had had enough stuffy and story time previews. The rest of my weekend, I’d be with these people. There was a beautiful woman sitting next to me, and I wasn’t the only one who had noticed.
“And miss the stories on the early pottery and blacksmith trades?” She smirked.
“Can I tear you away?”
She folded her napkin and placed it next to her plate. “Let’s go.”
I pulled the chair out for her.
Her hand slid against my palm, her fingers threading through mine. I liked how sure she was.
“All right. Let’s get out of here.”
I led her through the dining room, slapping backs and grinning at board members who paid my salary on our way out. I reminded myself I could spend time tomorrow with them. Tonight I was with a gorgeous woman.
We walked outside. She flinched at the breeze picking up off the boardwalk.
“You cold? Here. Take my coat.”
Before she could protest, I draped my tuxedo jacket over her shoulders.
“Thanks. It turned chilly all of a sudden.”
“No problem.” I struggled to find something to talk about. First dates were awkward that way. I didn’t doubt I connected with this girl. I could feel it, but I hadn’t known her long enough to talk about a damn thing.
“Want to try my favorite bar?”
I saw her face. She was deliberating. “Depends. What is your favorite bar?”
“It’s just around the corner. I stop there after work sometimes.”
“Good. Let’s do it.”
“You were going to turn me down if I had another place in mind?” I helped her navigate over the cracks in the sidewalk.
“I try to avoid the college bars, that’s all.”
“Ex-boyfriend or something?” I didn’t know why that mattered.
“Something like that.”
I smiled at Isaac as we entered the pub. He polished a glass. “Hey, brother. What can I get you and the lady?”
I pegged her as a wine drinker.
She looked at me. “Whatever beer you’re drinking.”
“Two beers.”
“Got it.” Isaac poured from the tap levers.
“This place is different.” I watched as she surveyed the hole-in-the-wall I had found.
I grabbed the beers and slid a bill across the bar. “Let’s try over there.”
She followed me to a corner table. There was a candle flickering in the center, the wax pooling at the base.
I had never sat at the tables. I was usually close to the TV at the bar where Isaac and I could trade our daily rundown.
I wanted to say something cool—something that would impress her. But with a background in history, I didn’t know what we would have in common. I usually didn’t worry about it. I couldn’t figure out why it mattered now.
She held the pilsner to her lips and smiled after a few sips.
“So this is your place?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I started coming here after work. Got to know Isaac, the bartender, a little. It’s good to have a place to go when you need to get away.”
“Because working at the museum is demanding?”
I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or sincere. “It has its moments. After this festival is over, I’ll get back to the book I’m working on.”
“Book? You’re a writer too?”
“That’s the whole point of my research. I research so I can write. I think I’ve found my next topic too.”
“What is it?”
I leaned a little closer. The music was loud. The bar was dark. I liked how the single flame flickered in her eyes. “I thought I’d try to unearth the mystery of the famous she-panther. But really give the story some depth.”
She broke the stare. “Oh.”
“What? You don’t like her story?”
“No, it’s not that. She’s fascinating. A strong character. But what kind of angle are you taking with it?”
I scratched the back of my head. “I don’t know yet. Thought I’d talk to a few of the storytellers tomorrow and get a sense of the legends. There are so many stories about her. Too many I think. She’s as famous as Loch Ness or Bigfoot and just as elusive.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard them since I was a kid.”
“I figured if I talked to some of the locals, they could point me in the right direction.”
“But aren’t you supposed to be an expert?”
“That’s museum PR. For tomorrow, I’m an expert, but after that, I’m a student. I’m going to learn as much as I can about this she-panther. I think there’s something to her.”
“You believe there’s a panther guarding the city?”
“I do.”
“And you wouldn’t rather focus on the witches?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. My glass was empty and so was hers. “Want another one?”
“Sure.”
I walked to the bar and ordered two more drinks. Isaac gave me a grin. I knew exactly what he was thinking.
I dropped the pints on the table. “Here you go.”
“Does your work give you the chance to travel much?” She looked relaxed, as if she wanted to talk to me all night about anything I wanted.
“Yeah. You could say that. Most of it I’ve done on my own. I took a couple of years off after college and traveled around the world. South America, Europe, you name it.”
“That sounds amazing. What was your favorite country?”
“I don’t know. I think my favorite spots are the ones off the beaten path. I just like to blend in with the locals. The year I backpacked I learned a lot about people.”
She took another sip. I wondered what the beer would taste like coming off her lips. I inhaled.
“Not many people get to do something like that. How did it work out that you didn’t have to start a job?”
“Just a bucket list thing I had after graduation.” I forced a swallow down.
“I’ve always wanted to travel. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t left Sullen’s Grove much.”
“What about spring break?” I asked. “Surely, you went to Panama City or Padre.” I pictured her in a tiny string bikini dancing with her girlfriends. Stop it, man.
She shook her head. “No, too much responsibility here. But tell me where you’ve been. I want to hear about it. Do you have pictures?” Her eyes glowed.
Something about her made me feel surges of light. It rushed through my chest, hitting me like tiny jolts.
“I do have some pictures.” I pulled out my phone. I scrolled until I hit one of the Argentinean beaches. I loved how her eyes sparked as if there was a flare inside and the things I said lit the fuse.
We looked through everything I had stored on my phone. I told her about the people I met in villages. How I had to wash dishes one night to pay for my cot. How I hitchhiked in a sketchy part of Germany and how I missed my flight in Paris so I ended up sleeping on a park bench in front of the Eiffel Tower.
She laughed at my stories. She asked questions. Somewhere between Costa Rica and Moscow, her hand had landed on my thigh. There was heat in her touch.
“Should I order another round for us?” I was feeling good. Another one would probably be too much, but I wanted to talk to her all night if I could.
“It’s getting late. I think I need to get home.” She glanced at the time on my phone.
“Right. Early day for me tomorrow anyway.”
We walked to the car in silence.
I pulled up in front of her house. It looked like the roommate had left the porch light on for her. The windows were dark.
“Thanks for the dinner and the beer.” She reached for the door handle.
“Thanks for going.” I hopped out of the car and made it to the other side before she stepped out of the car.
She reached in her purse for keys. The date was over, but I wasn’t ready for the night to be. It had been a long time since I had shared an evening with someone who was easy to be around.
“Is your roommate home?” I asked.
“No, she went out for the night.”
“Maybe I should do a quick security check for you. Make sure it’s safe,” I offered.
She laughed. “You want to do a security check? I don’t think I’ve heard that one before.”
“What? It’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”
She stepped back from the door to let me pass. “Go for it.”
It was dark inside. The only light shone in through the windows from outside. She closed the door behind her.
Before she had a chance to reach for the light, I cupped her face between my hands, taking her lips against mine. She tasted like cinnamon, hot, spicy cinnamon.
Her hands entwined in my hair. I moved forward, pressing her back against the door. I lashed at her tongue, teasing her, tasting her.
“You’re gorgeous. You know that?” I breathed against her neck, kissing her throat, making a trail to her shoulder.
“Zac…” I swear it sounded like a purr. God, she was sexy. Her head rocked back. I found her lips again in the dark, my mouth drawn to hers. The way she tasted, the way she sounded.
Her hands groped at my back, pressing through my shirt. I pulled her closer as if there was too much air between us, and our bodies needed to be closer. I felt the curves of her hips, the small of her back, the silkiness of her hair, my hands moved desperately to touch every inch of her.
She dropped her arms to her sides. “I—we—”
I kissed her between breaths, each time my lips starving for more.
Her hands circled my neck again, and I moaned, feeling her nails dig into my skin. I was ready to scoop her up and take her to the couch, her room, anywhere she’d let me carry her.
“Zac.” Her words were slow and heavy. “Really, I need you to go.”
“What if I don’t want to go?” I didn’t want to stop kissing her. My mind was already ten steps ahead. I tugged gently on her bottom lip with my teeth.
She laughed as she kissed me on the cheek, and then tried to make more room between us. “You have to. It’s a first date rule.”
I ran my fingers through her hair and tried to take a deep breath. I didn’t want to screw this up. I liked her. Maybe slowing it down would work.
“First date rule?” I traced the outline of her lips with my finger. All I wanted was to taste them again.
“But maybe we can meet up after the festival. You can tell me what you find out about the she-panther.”
“Are you asking me out on a second date?”
“I guess so.” She bit her bottom lip and I had to will myself not to kiss her again.
I cleared my throat. “Sure. We could do that.” I reached for the door handle next to her hip. “Good night, Dare.”
“Good night.” She moved enough to let me out of the door, and then closed it behind me.
I stood under the porch light for a second. I wasn’t a paranoid guy. Never had been. But the walk across her yard to my car, I felt as if someone were watching. I car zipped by, and I discounted the growl I thought I heard.
I drove away from Dare’s house, unsure if I was leaving her in danger or if I had just escaped it.
One of the problems of shifting into a panther is that you can’t exactly carry a phone on you. I texted all the girls, but no one responded. They were patrolling. The date lasted longer than I planned and I couldn’t say I had any more information on Zac’s investigation than I did before. What I did have was a crush.
An all-consuming, I-want-your-hands-back-on-me, why-did-I-make-him-leave crush. I wanted to keep the doors locked. Keep him inside with me. Find out how far things could go if I let him have reign over my body.
I touched my fingers to my lips, feeling the remnants of his kiss fade. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He kissed me as if he was drinking me in, breathing my breaths. My heart was still racing. I needed a few minutes to steady my pulse again.
I reassured myself I could keep more distance between us next time. Crushes had a way of fading like kisses.
I stepped out of the dress Vix let me borrow and hung it back in her closet. I needed to get to the lair and check in. I slipped on my running shorts and tank top and headed toward the park.
Life would be simpler if we could just move into the cave. We could come and go in whatever shape we wanted. We wouldn’t have to keep such a careful eye out for surveillance, but I refused to live like the animal side of me. Living in the house kept things in perspective. Having a blow dryer and a TV reminded me that half of me was a girl. A living, breathing girl. And that girl wouldn’t want to live in a cave. There was a limit to my darkness.
I meandered through the trails bordering the park. I always tried to take a different route. After last night, I didn’t know if Noah would be sniffing around again. Luckily, Case still didn’t know where the lair was. It was a safe house for all of us. It had to stay that way.
I did one more perimeter check before ducking under the thick leaves that covered the cave’s entrance. I pulled the limb behind me and descended into the tunnel. There was only enough room for one person to walk into the tunnel, but once you entered, it widened. Several rooms branched off the hallway. We usually met in the center, what we called the den, but we each had our own space. Well, Tegan and Abi shared a room, but the rest of us had our own.
It was a backup plan. One I hoped we would never have to use, but we could survive here if we needed to. There was food, water, blankets, and medical supplies. I wasn’t s
tupid. We were at war with Case and his tribe. I had to have a way to protect the Nox.
I moved past the meeting room along the stone corridor. My room was in the back. I had moved a bed here a few weeks ago. I had a feeling the time was coming when I’d have to be here twenty-four-seven. I just hoped it was after graduation. I didn’t want to be a college dropout on top of everything else.
My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. I twisted the knob on the oil lamp and watched the room glow with flame.
I was getting ready to shift when I heard Vix.
“Dare! You here? Dare!” She was speaking panther. Her growl echoed off the walls.
“In here. What’s wrong?”
She raced toward me; her green eyes winced at the light. Her tail whipped back and forth. “They took Eva.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s gone. She never checked in for patrol tonight. I went by her dorm. There’s no sign of her. We’ve been searching the woods. I can’t find her.”
“Eva’s gone?”
“I don’t believe Trev. What if he told you they’re in town to keep us out of the forest? Or what if Case split them up? They sent us in one direction so they could go another?”
I slouched on the bed. “This cannot be happening.”
Vix sat on her hind legs. “We need to take them out.”
“You mean kill them.”
She roared. It was deafening.
“I think you need to shift, Vix. You’re thinking panther right now.” Her primal side had kicked in.
I waited while she stood on her back legs and shed the fur, her body morphing back into human shape. I tossed her the blanket on the end of my bed to cover herself.
“Thanks.” She wrapped it around her chest, tucking it under her arms. “I shifted on the run. I have no idea where my clothes are.”
“You’ve got to be more careful than that. What if you leave a trail?” I asked.
“Maybe we could get lucky and lead them into a trap.” Her eyes blazed.
“We’re not killers. We’ll get the girls back without killing off the Tribe.”
“Maybe we need to be.” Her voice was still throaty. She was clinging to her panther side.