Wild and Fevered

by Long, Heather

  How? The wolf’s request bloomed in her heart.

  I don’t know, but we have to do it together. Although an unsatisfying answer, the wolf accepted it nonetheless. Rising to her feet, Mariska waited for Delilah to glance in her direction. Miming that she planned to leave, she waved farewell and set off from the quarry.

  The three working below would be fine. Delilah had mastered her ability. She would guide those two dangerous abilities and infuse trust into the boys as she did so.

  Mate? The wolf’s inquiry carried a hopeful note.

  No—not yet. She wanted to see Cody, too. But the desire was one she woke with each morning and went to sleep cuddled against every night. She loved Cody. She loved to be around him. Even when he grew taciturn, she enjoyed his company. Yes, he was her shelter and her home and she was his, but this was something she and the wolf needed to master alone.

  Why? The animal didn’t dispute her belief.

  Walking steadily, her focus remained inward. This deep onto Flying K property the only real concerns she had were weather or possibly a stampede. They’d feel a stampede long before it arrived, so she ignored that possibility. Anger. Guilt. Abandonment. All of those feelings were inside of her. Anger at her father and Babchi, her grandmother. Guilt for pushing them by flouting their laws. Abandonment because they’d walked away.

  Thankful, the wolf whispered into her mind. Halting, she turned the sense of gratitude over. Why should she be grateful to them for any of those things?

  A sense of smugness swept over the wolf, then… Mate. Me.

  Mariska laughed and, even as she put a hand over her mouth to stifle the hysterical sound of it, tears pooled in her eyes. By abandoning her, her clan had left her to Cody and she’d found such tremendous love with him. His bite had brought the wolf within her to life… Choking on the conflicting emotions, she tried to make sense of the train of thought.

  The wolf within her wouldn’t exist without any of those choices. Yes, she’d hurt others and been hurt in return.

  But you have me. The wolf told her, the soft voice growing stronger. I’m here.

  She’d pushed her feelings aside for so long. At first, helped by Kid and later because she didn’t want to confront her own sense of inadequacy. Yet, in doing so, she’d also pushed aside a fundamental fact.

  We’re not alone. Scrubbing her hands over her face, she tried to brush away the tears.

  I love you. The wolf rubbed against her inside her skin and she recognized the behavior she’d experienced so many times. Times she’d believed the wolf had been trying to push out of her, but the caress was one of affection and comfort.

  I’m sorry I haven’t been better for you. And she was. She’d rejected her wolf and wanted to be in control, believing somehow that if she suppressed the base desires then… Why do you settle when Cody is here?

  A careless shrug of sensation. Because you are happy.

  Resuming her walk, she considered the response. When Cody was there, she was happy. Emotion would flutter in her belly and excitement twined in her blood. She relaxed, confident in the depth of his feelings for her. Confidence born from her absolute surrender to both the man and the wolf.

  Maybe I’m not as smart as I thought I was. The wolf said nothing, but Mariska recognized a personal truth. She’d not claimed her multitude of feelings or the very real need her wolf experienced which so often left them at odds. Mariska was an adult. Her wolf was young.

  Teach.

  What? I know less about being a wolf than you do. No, they’d need to ask Cody again. Maybe with better questions…

  No. The wolf rubbed against the inside of her skin, the rasp of fur so profound she half expected to see the animal standing next to her. You teach.

  What could she teach? She barely understood all of this herself.

  You. Teach about you. The animal’s limited vocabulary stretched, then ideas flowed into her mind. Mariska cooking. Mariska sewing. Mariska talking to the others.

  The wolf wanted to know about her. Taking the longer route back to Haven, she tried to explain her life to the wolf. How life among Travelers differed from life on the ranch. Hours passed as they walked. She shared her memories, her life, and what she wanted.

  Children. The wolf loved the idea of children. Like her, the animal wondered if their children would be like them—wolf and human. If they are, at least they will be born together. The line of reasoning proved comforting to both. Settling beneath a tree near the banks of a creek, Mariska stared at the rushing water.

  So much to consider, to do, and to learn for both of them. Restlessness invaded her. She was not a morose person. She’d never been one prone to brooding. No, Cody brooded. She acted. Babchi had raised her to lead. Leaders wrestled with problems, large and small, but in the end, they acted.

  Run.

  Yes, one word to sum up the wild feelings twisting inside of her. But where would they go?

  Wherever. The wolf’s easy acceptance drew a reluctant chuckle from Mariska.

  If we shift, I’ll lose my clothes. You never remember to bring them. Or worse, they shredded right through the fabric. The animal considered her objection while Mariska pulled off her boots. I could bundle them. Can you remember to get the bundle?

  Yes. No hesitation. No doubt. Scanning the area visually and testing the air with her nose, she found no one nearby. Stripping off her clothes, she tied them together into a loose pouch, then created a loop with the sleeves of her shirt. Only when she was satisfied with her work did she take a step back. Still trepidation tightened her belly.

  Why afraid? The wolf’s presence and voice soothed her, the constant connection and contact easing the fray of her nerves.

  “Because it hurts,” she said aloud. “Sometimes it feels like I’m dying.” The rending apart of her body.

  Oh. A cool breeze wrapped around her skin and her flesh pebbled with the chill. Going to her knees, Mariska closed her eyes. Deep breaths. In through the nose and out through the mouth until the rapid cadence of her heart slowed. Every other time she fought, she dreaded, she struggled—this time she reached for the wolf and the sense of the animal rushed to the surface.

  Her body bent, contorted and burned. Pain, yes, but on the heels of the pain came bliss and when she threw back her head and howled, wolf song flowed from her. The world looked different, felt different and she stumbled one step and then another until she claimed her balance.

  The wolf shook, then hit the ground and rolled in the grass. Stretching and tossing from side to side until the wild tingles on her over sensitized flesh passed. Leaping to her feet, she dashed after a white butterfly.

  Clothes.

  Reminded, the animal whirled and dashed back to the loose pack created of her clothing. A grumble of confusion then the wolf and Mariska considered the problem. Neither wanted to carry the clothes in their mouth. They could, but it would be uncomfortable over a long distance. Easing onto her belly, they scooted forward until they worked the loop of the sleeves over their head.

  The clothing banged against her legs.

  Not a very good solution. Again, they worked together and Mariska managed to get one leg through the sleeve until the clothes were pulled tighter to her sides. The wolf didn’t like the confinement of the arrangement, but it wasn’t that uncomfortable either. Only when both were satisfied did she resume her hunt for the butterfly.

  Run? The wolf asked after several minutes of exploring the trees. They could move, even with the clothes around them.

  Yes. Inside, Mariska smiled. Run!

  Chapter 7

  Cody

  “What do you think?” Kid gestured to the open fields surrounding the gradually widening river splitting the property. Though rivers and creeks demarcated nearly every border of the Flying K, one stream flowed through the center. The late rains had increased the flow, though according to Kid this stream had been steady even during drought years.

  “You want to build a water wheel? Here?” Cody had listen
ed to Kid’s idea with only half an ear. This part of the stream was the widest, further along it passed by the main house and then continued on a lazy path through the property until it joined the river separating the Flying K from the newly rebuilt Dorado.

  Dressed in a tanned dear hide jerkin and leggings, Kid faced him with a relaxed grin. “Exactly.”

  “Why?”

  “We can haul stone in from the quarry, cut and shape it for the main basin and foundation. Then double board the interior and sand down the tubs and set them into the stone. The water wheel can flush water through a cistern and into the house using a forge heating system then continued the flow until it empties out the far side.”

  Amusement curled through Cody. “Someone missing the Mountain?” On the land his family had cultivated at the top was also a bathhouse warmed by a forge. The wide variety of pools allowed bathers to cleanse in one and soak in the hotter ones up in stages. Even when they were snowed in for months at a time, the bathing house allowed them all a respite from the grueling labor of survival.

  “Yes and my wife is not fond of bathing in the pond.” Kid’s unfettered grin and ease earned another chuckle from Cody. He’d once thought Jo to be prim and proper, but Evelyn Kane gave her sister-in-law competition on that front. At last check in, she’d ordered several bolts of fabric and more from back East. She planned to make a whole selection of outfits. Kid, however, was quite satisfied with the arrangement, so who was Cody to complain?

  “It could work,” he said after studying the way the river cut a diagonal path before continuing. “If you build there, the downward slope will help push the water into the wheel, powering it to run water through the heated cistern. The question will be what happens downstream when the heated water is added back to the river.”

  Kid scratched his jaw in consideration. His whole being seemingly focused on the water way. “Jason suggests we add more stones to the spillway, and commission a grating. It will allow the majority of the debris to be sluiced from the water returning to the stream. The heated water itself shouldn’t be too much of an issue. This isn’t a popular fishing stream, so we’re unlikely to damage a food source.”

  Then, as if sensing Cody’s next question, he said, “And we add some stones down river, creating more of a churning as it passes through, this will help break up the dirt, so we’re not polluting the water. We can add a soaping tub, that we fill from a pull lever, then that water is not emptied back into the stream.”

  The plan sounded reasonable. “I’m not an engineer, but on the surface, you seem to be addressing the issue of maintaining the ranch. What about further downstream? Any chance of contaminants for Haven? Or the horses?” His brother Micah would have their hides if they didn’t take the animals into consideration.

  “I doubt it. We’ve been bathing all over the ranch property for years. We do restrict the bathing ponds, but I think the running water makes this the most effective especially if we keep a soaping bath separate. Then the hot tubs are there for soaking and relaxing—and recreation.”

  Cody didn’t have to ask what he meant by that. “You do realize you’ll have everyone up from Haven as well.”

  “Once we have this one operational, I don’t see why we can’t do another for the town eventually—and in Dorado. The old town had a bath house. Not this sophisticated, but we could make it work. Make everyone more comfortable.” Kid paused. “Jason said we’ll draw out the plans and measure the impact one bathhouse at a time.”

  The simple fact that Kid and Jason were working together, communicating and sounding pleasant about the whole situation, added a fresh layer of cheer to the idea. “Let me know when you need laborers. We’ll help.” They always did. No longer did he consider the Flying K merely the home of the Kanes.

  It had become his home, a home for many Fevered and non-Fevered alike. He’d always pitch in when needed. A movement flickered on the edge of Cody’s peripheral vision and he spared a half-glance while pretending to check something on his saddle. Mariska stalked through the tall wheat colored grass. Low to the ground, she’d managed to stay downwind and disguised her darker fur amidst the autumn landscape.

  They’d had an interesting few days and he fought the urge to smile. Each morning, he kissed her and left. Pretending to ignore her had been the hardest task he ever set himself. When he returned in the evening, he never knew what he would come home to find. The first couple of days she’d been in a surly mood, barely speaking to him. On the third, she’d been humming and preparing a meal. She’d even set a bowl in front of him before settling in to eat her own.

  While it took him a moment to lift up a spoonful, he had eaten her stew and enjoyed it. The fourth morning, she had been gone before he awoke and wasn’t there when he returned. She appeared only when he’d been ready to go out in search of her. So profound was his relief, he’d nearly yelled at her and it took all of his willpower to remember, to treat her as his equal. Her description of a day spent with only her wolf for company had been ample reward.

  Today, however, was the first time she’d actively sought him while he worked. Thank the spirits. Because he had run out of tasks to keep him busy and had long-outstripped his desire to continue the farce of separation. Treating her as an equal meant leveraging a distance he didn’t want in order to give her the time to acclimate.

  Being together because they both chose that path was far preferable to this. He hadn’t lied to her in the cave. He wanted his wife back.

  “Take my horse with you when you go, Kid.” He didn’t wait for the younger man’s response, heading away from him at an angle. Trusting Kid not to follow him, Cody deliberately took a path away from Mariska’s hiding spot. Ten minutes later, he continued to traverse the streamside until it disappeared into a heavily wooded area.

  Part of what he loved most about Flying K was the topography. Canyons. Woods. Streams. Ponds. High pastures. Low valleys. The land possessed stunning scenery and lush playgrounds. Once below the trees, he wasted no time climbing one. Pressed against the bark, he kept his gaze steady on the route she would most likely take if she continued her pursuit.

  Please let her continue the pursuit. Several minutes passed and she still didn’t enter the grove. Scowling and more than a little disappointed, he scanned the land below him. No sign of her. Had she given up? Or had she merely been passing by and caught his scent?

  Not even a whiff of her teased him on the breeze. Surly and annoyed, he dropped back to the ground. Now, not only had he missed his mate, he had to walk back because he’d sent his horse with Kid. Well, at least she worked with her wolf. That had to be something? Still, he had the uneasy sense of being watched, tingling between his shoulder blades the only warning he received before something slammed into the back of his legs and sent him sprawling.

  After twisting and springing to his feet, he whirled to meet the blue-eyed gaze of the black wolf facing him. Long and lean, her mouth parted in a pant to show her gleaming white teeth. Her tail flagged up and wagged slightly. The little wolf laughed at him.

  Biting back a wide smile of his own, he glared. Instead of cowering from the menace in his manner, she met his gaze unrepentantly. They locked eyes for several seconds, then she dashed forward and back, invitation to play in her every movement.

  Hope turned to sunshine and Cody grinned. “Tag. You’re it.” He pursued her and she took off. He gave her the advantage of playing on four legs while he stayed on two. In and around the trees, she avoided him deftly. Not that she seemed all that interested in escaping him, only in keeping him from catching her.

  After playing for a while, she rushed him again and he let her take him down to the ground. Settling on his chest, she panted and studied the area then looked at him again. A low whine of noise escaped her throat and she nuzzled his cheek.

  She wanted him on four legs. Chuckling, he scruffed her by the neck and urged her off. Obliging, she settled in to sit beside him. “Having fun?”

  A yip in response and a
bob of her head. The combination of wolf and human in her answer sent a thrill of anticipation racing through his blood. Rolling onto his side and ignoring the dirt, he studied his mate as he rubbed her ears. She leaned into the caress, all wolf in her affection and yet—“You’re truly in there, aren’t you, princess?”

  The rumble of a low growl and a snap of her teeth. She’d never liked it when he called her on her entitlement, but the nickname meant more to him than that. Yes, she and her wolf were talking. Better, they were working together.

  “All right, let me store my clothes and we’ll go for a run.” He couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. Running with her, being with her—being together? That was what he wanted. Bundling his clothes and boots, he studied the area, memorizing the location. It might take him a couple of days to come back for the clothes, though once they had a bathhouse out here, he and Mariska could store clothes there, too.

  His mate waited for him, her posture taking a watchful guard position and, though he scented the air once, he trusted her to keep him safe and the burning bliss of the change swept over him. When he rose on four legs, he tested his limbs and shook off the shivering sensation left over from shifting. Mariska leapt to her feet and rubbed along his side.

  She marked him with her scent and he returned the favor. Their playful tussle ended when he snapped at her to get her attention. Choosing west to get away from the main house, he took off running and she was right there, racing alongside him.

  Mariska

  Running with Cody offered a sense of freedom and completion she experienced nowhere else. Her wolf rejoiced, even more than she had when they’d invited their mate to play and he’d romped with them in the woods. They raced across the empty fields then paralleled a fence line, refusing to cross it for fear of startling the horses on the other side.