True Nature

by Jae

  Gently, the woman who smelled of jasmine helped him out of his shirt and cleaned the cut on his chest.

  The antiseptic burned in Danny’s nose and in the wound. Pain flared through him, setting his blood on fire. The itching increased until he wanted to rip the skin off his arms.

  Coyote woman squinted down at the scratch marks his nails had left on his forearms.

  With a light touch, jasmine woman wiped the dried blood off Danny’s skin.

  He leaned toward her, wanting to give her a friendly lick in return, but then stopped himself. Licking people? That’s not right. The aching in his joints increased. Heat washed through him, burning through every inch of his body. He couldn’t think. Instead, smells filled his consciousness, each of them telling a story.

  Jasmine woman cradled his face with one hand, stroking along his cheek. With her other hand, she guided his head so that he was looking into her eyes, which were as dark and soothing as the night. Her lips formed a gentle smile and then parted to talk to him.

  The movements of her lips no longer meant anything to him.

  A needle pierced his shoulder, and he jerked around with a snarl.

  Coyote woman withdrew a syringe, jumped back, and ducked her head.

  Still baring his teeth, Danny stared at the women, caught between the need to flee and the urge to attack. But when he realized that both women retreated and didn’t attack, he snapped his mouth shut and rubbed his stinging shoulder against the back of the chair.

  The scratching helped with the fire flaring through his skin, so he rubbed some more. His skin felt as if he were about to molt. Maybe then the itching would stop. It was driving him out of his mind.

  As if through a hazy veil, he watched the women turned toward each other. Their lips moved, but he didn’t understand. Their nervous sweat stung his nose and added to his own agitation.

  Coyote woman leaned forward and brushed her lips across the other woman’s.

  Danny’s frantic scratching slowed at the familiar sight. It reminded him of home.

  Slowly, the itching receded and the agony that stabbed his bones and joints dulled to a distant ache.

  When jasmine woman wrapped her gentle hands around his arm and led him down the corridor, away from the bright lights and the terrifying smells, he followed her willingly into the cool night air.

  * * *

  The woman’s car smelled of dog, ham sandwiches, and the coyote woman, and Danny leaned his burning forehead against the window. He wanted to curl up in this safe place and never leave.

  But all too soon, the woman stopped the car and got out.

  Not wanting to be left behind, Danny followed her. He trotted up the stairs behind her and waited while she unlocked and opened her apartment door.

  More scents engulfed him, but before he could inhale them all, tiny teeth ripped into his pant leg.

  The woman reached down and swept the rat of a dog into her arms. She loosely wrapped her hand around its muzzle and glared at it eye to eye.

  As soon as the woman let go, the dog laid back its ears and bared its teeth at Danny.

  Danny pulled back his lips and answered with a snarl of his own. But he instinctively knew he was invading another’s territory. This wasn’t his home. He didn’t belong here. It’s wrong. All wrong.

  Before the woman could stop him, he whirled around, leaped down the stairs in wolflike bounds, and escaped into the night.

  Chapter 44

  Kelsey drifted awake. She lay without opening her eyes and enjoyed the warmth engulfing her, safe and comfortable like a pup in a den. It was the first time in days that she hadn’t been wrenched from sleep by a nightmare. Instead, soothing scents surrounded her—pine trees, ocean air, sweat, and sex.

  Sex?

  She stiffened as memories of last night rushed through her.

  When she opened her eyes, she realized she was sprawled over Rue, who was holding her while she slept.

  Golden-blond hair spilled over the pillow. The intense blue eyes were closed now, and the lines of tension had disappeared from around Rue’s mouth.

  Without conscious thought, Kelsey lifted one finger, about to trace the vulnerable curve of Rue’s lips. She paused and curled her hand into a fist. Oh, Great Hunter. What did we do? She had been sent out to investigate Rue, and now she had slept with her. What were you thinking? You’ve never been into humans or into one-night stands. Now’s not the time to start!

  But even though most Wrasa wouldn’t approve, a part of Kelsey didn’t regret last night. Rue had needed her. And I needed Rue. In this moment of calm, she could admit to herself that living without pack bonds was against her true nature. No wonder you were longing for a connection.

  The thought didn’t ring completely true, though. I didn’t want just any connection, she admitted to herself. I wanted to connect with Rue. She had needed to hand over control and let Rue’s touch sweep away her worries.

  Giving in to those feelings was stupid and weak, but maybe it’ll help bring us closer, past the anger. Now that we’ve shared this, we can’t go back to hurting each other, right? Tentative hope trembled deep inside of her.

  Rue stretched beneath her, making their skin slide against each other and sending tingles of pleasure through Kelsey. Rue’s sleep-heavy arms around her took on the tension of wakefulness.

  Kelsey held her breath, unsure what to expect from Rue.

  Before she could decide whether to cuddle closer and wake Rue with a kiss or scramble out of bed and flee to the bathroom, Rue’s eyelids fluttered open.

  Hazy blue eyes stared at her, then blinked and widened. The scent of Rue’s sleepy contentment dissipated and was replaced with the sharp sting of nervousness. Rue dropped her arms from around Kelsey and slid out from under her. She sat up and leaned against the headboard. For once, she was the one averting her gaze.

  Kelsey bit her lip and pulled the covers up over her chest.

  Unlike Kelsey, Rue sat naked from the waist up.

  Is she embarrassed or not? Kelsey wasn’t sure. The scent of confusion wafted up from Rue. A deep breath would let Kelsey analyze the undertones of Rue’s scent and her emotions, but Kelsey didn’t dare. Rue’s scent was like a powerful aphrodisiac, and she needed to think clearly now.

  “Um, it’s four a.m. already. Let’s continue searching for Danny,” Rue mumbled. She sent a sidelong glance in Kelsey’s direction. “You want the bathroom first?”

  Kelsey stared at her. That’s all she has to say? What Kelsey wanted wasn’t the bathroom. She wanted Rue to acknowledge the growing bond between them. Oh, come on. Don’t be stupid. She’s human. She’s Rue. It doesn’t work that way with her. But that didn’t stop her from longing for a reassuring touch, a kind word, or some other acknowledgment that Rue hadn’t just been using her. She scrambled out of bed, taking the blanket with her and leaving Rue with the sheet. “Yes, please,” she choked out. The sudden urge to wash Rue’s scent off her skin made her rush to the bathroom.

  “Kelsey,” Rue called.

  Kelsey didn’t stop. She wasn’t ready to face Rue, to face having made yet another mistake. Quickly, she closed the bathroom door between them.

  Chapter 45

  Rue pulled her knees to her chest and bounced her forehead against her kneecaps a few times. Damn, damn, damn. Groaning, she ran her hands through tangled hair. The movement sent a dull flare of pain through her, and she fingered the skin where her shoulder met her neck. A coin-sized area was tender to the touch. “Ouch.” She couldn’t see, but she knew Kelsey had left a mark. What is she—a shape-shifter or a vampire?

  The thought made her jerk upright. Oh my God! She bit me! Will I turn into one of them now? She clutched the bite mark with both hands. Rocking back and forth, she tried to calm her racing heart. Get a grip. Kelsey said she’s a shape-shifter, not a werewolf.

  She didn’t feel different than she had the day before. No fur sprouting on her body, and no urge to order a raw steak for an early breakfast. She sank again
st the headboard. Shit, this is all so messed up.

  Last night, she hadn’t stopped to think about the consequences of her actions. Her anger and despair had sparked alive her passion. She had wanted Kelsey with an intensity that left no room for doubts. But now that the blood had returned to her brain, things were even more complicated than before.

  In her younger years, she’d had a lot of one-night stands and short flings, so she was no stranger to the awkward morning after, but this was different. Kelsey wasn’t just some woman she had picked up in a club. She couldn’t slink out of her bedroom with a vague promise to call her. Kelsey’s a shape-shifter, for heaven’s sake! You slept with a werewolf who wants to steal your son! But another voice insisted, No, I slept with Kelsey.

  She stared at the closed bathroom door. I hurt her. The thought made her stomach knot. She didn’t know what to say or do to make it better, though, and that unfamiliar helplessness gnawed at her.

  The ringing of her cell phone made her hit her head on the headboard.

  Cursing, she stumbled out of bed and nearly fell over one of her boots. Where the hell is the damn phone?

  Clothes were strewn around the bed, and Rue rummaged through them. Her fingers touched Kelsey’s bra. She flushed as images of undressing Kelsey shot through her. Stop it!

  Finally, she found her pants and located the phone. A quick glance identified the caller as Paula.

  Wonderful. Just what I need. Dealing with one woman at a time would have been enough.

  “Um, hi, Paula,” she mumbled.

  “I know it’s four a.m., but is there anything new on Danny?” Paula asked.

  “Nothing. We’re still searching.” Guilt at having spent the last few hours in Kelsey’s arms instead of out on the streets, searching for Danny, shot through her. She bit her lip.

  “Where can we meet?”

  Rue unclamped her teeth from around her bottom lip. “Meet?”

  “I just landed at LaGuardia. I’ll be in the city in an hour.”

  Shit. Rue pinched the bridge of her nose. When she inhaled Kelsey’s musky-sweet scent on her fingers, she jerked her hand away.

  “What?” Paula said when Rue stayed silent. “You really thought I’d stay in Bangkok until Monday? I know I wasn’t always there for Danny. Neither of us has done a bang-up job in that department. But I’m here now. We need to find him.”

  “I know,” Rue said. Keeping Paula away to prove she could handle Danny on her own had been stupid. But now that she knew Danny was a shape-shifter, things had become more complicated. It wasn’t just about her needs anymore. She needed to protect Danny and Kelsey too. If Paula got involved in the search, she would start asking questions that had no safe answers—questions about who Kelsey was and what was going on with Danny.

  “So where can we meet?” Paula asked.

  “You remember that little coffee shop on West Forty-Third Street? Let’s meet there in an hour.” When Rue ended the call, she stared at the dark display. She had an hour to get her head back into the game and come up with an idea that would allow them to search for Danny without Paula tagging along.

  * * *

  Rue paced in front of the bed and threw another glance at her watch. Four-thirty. Kelsey had been in the bathroom for half an hour now. So far, Rue had let her take her time, unsure how to face Kelsey. But if they didn’t hurry up, they’d be late for meeting Paula. “Um, Kelsey?” she called through the door.

  After a few seconds of silence, the bathroom door opened. Kelsey stood in the doorway, wrapped in just a towel that barely covered her.

  Rue forced her gaze away from Kelsey’s bare skin, amazed at how much effort it took not to drink in every inch of Kelsey. You just needed to blow off some steam last night—and you did. So cut it out now. She cleared her throat, hoping she would sound normal. “Paula just called. She’s in New York now and wants to meet.”

  “Oh,” Kelsey said.

  “Yeah. Oh.”

  Taking Kelsey, a woman she had slept with, to meet with her ex would be awkward under the best of circumstances. But they didn’t just have to make it through an awkward breakfast; they also had to stop Paula from joining their search.

  “How do we get rid of her?” Rue asked. She caught herself watching a drop of water run down Kelsey’s cleavage and wrenched her gaze away.

  Kelsey tilted her head in that cute way that indicated she was thinking.

  No, no, no. You don’t find her cute. It’s just your messed-up hormones. She’s a shape-shifter who wants to take Danny from you, remember?

  “We should split up,” Kelsey finally said.

  Rue shook her head. “So you can take Danny from me if you find him first? Forget it.”

  The hurt expression on Kelsey’s face instantly made Rue regret her harsh words.

  “I don’t want to take Danny from you,” Kelsey said. “Not anymore. But I failed him once, and I’m afraid of losing him all over again.”

  Rue stared at the cloud of steam wafting through the bathroom. “Where does that leave us?”

  Kelsey dropped her gaze. “I don’t know.”

  This is getting us nowhere. We have to find Danny first. “So what do we do with Paula?” Rue asked.

  “I could call Griffin and Jorie. They could take Paula off our hands.”

  Rue grinned. She reached out to pat Kelsey’s arm but pulled back at the last second. “Brilliant. Then let’s hurry up and get ready.”

  “Uh, yeah, but you should take a shower first, or my commander will smell…you know.” A blush rose up Kelsey’s half-naked chest.

  Is she ashamed? Rue pushed away the thought. For now, it didn’t matter. Only finding Danny mattered. Everything else could wait.

  * * *

  Rue glanced at her watch for the tenth time. Damn, what is taking Paula so long? And where are Jorie and Griffin?

  After twenty minutes of waiting, the silence between Rue and Kelsey was becoming awkward. Rue halfheartedly chewed on a piece of hash browns and watched Kelsey push her bacon from one end of the plate to the other. The screeching of forks over plates and the hum of the other patrons were the only sounds interrupting the silence.

  “You want to try some of mine?” Rue asked when she couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

  “Huh?” Kelsey looked up. The warm mahogany color of her eyes had dimmed to a chestnut color. Clearly, she had been miles away and hadn’t heard Rue’s question.

  Instead of asking again, Rue nudged a forkful of hash browns onto Kelsey’s plate. “Here. Try this.”

  Obediently, Kelsey pierced the square of hash browns with her fork and lifted it to her mouth. She chewed twice and then froze. Color flooded her cheeks. She coughed and spat the bite of food into her paper napkin.

  “You don’t like hash browns?” Rue asked.

  Kelsey stared at her. “No, I like them, but it’s... I, um...”

  What, then? Have we fucked this up so bad that she doesn’t even want to eat food from my plate? They needed to talk. Rue sighed. “Listen, Kelsey, about last night...”

  “It’s okay,” Kelsey said, averting her gaze. “We don’t need to talk about it.”

  “I think we do.” Rue’s words were barely more than a whisper. She put her forearms on the table and leaned forward. “We need to clear the air so that we can focus on finding Danny.”

  Kelsey peered up at her through shaggy bangs. Something cautious yet hopeful shimmered in her eyes.

  Rue stared back, not sure what she saw in Kelsey’s eyes. What does she want me to say? “Last night...” Rue cleared her throat. “We were both angry and desperate. It was a crazy moment, and we let our hormones take over.”

  Her light brown hair fell onto Kelsey’s forehead as she lowered her head. She said nothing.

  The silence sat like lead in Rue’s stomach. “Kelsey?”

  “You’re right,” Kelsey said without looking up. “We’re both adults, and it was just hormones taking over, nothing personal, right?”

&nbs
p; The hurt tone in her voice sliced through Rue. She rubbed her forehead, but that didn’t calm the chaotic rush of thoughts and emotions tumbling through her. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. What did you say to a woman after you first shouted at her and then jumped her bones? Sorry I had sex with you?

  At this point, an apology would just make things worse. And though she hated the awkwardness that had sprung up between them, part of Rue wasn’t sorry it had happened.

  “That’s not what I meant.” Rue took a big breath and reached across the table to lay her hand on top of Kelsey’s. The feeling of Kelsey’s soft skin beneath her callused palm sent tingles through Rue. She swallowed. “Look at me.”

  Kelsey lifted her head and fixed a hesitant gaze on her.

  Rue looked into her eyes and knew nothing less than the truth would do. Oh, hell. “Last night was as personal as it gets.” She rubbed her stiff neck muscles with her free hand and directed her gaze toward the black depth of her coffee cup. “I was afraid. Still am. Afraid of losing Danny—to a crime, to the Wrasa. To you.”

  “Rue...” Kelsey turned her hand beneath Rue’s. Warm and trusting, Kelsey’s palm rested against her own.

  “No.” Rue didn’t want to hear promises Kelsey couldn’t keep. If she were in Kelsey’s shoes, if she were Danny’s aunt, she probably wouldn’t rest until she had Danny back in her family. “I want you to know you weren’t just a warm body for me last night.” She squeezed Kelsey’s hand and held her gaze. “I needed you.”

  Stunned at her own words, she pulled her hand away from Kelsey’s. She had never said those words to anyone. I want you, sure. Even I love you. But never I need you. It instantly made her feel naked and defenseless. She leaned back in her chair. “What are we going to tell Paula once she gets here?”

  Kelsey blinked. “About...about us?”

  Heat rushed up Rue’s neck. “No, um...about Danny.”

  “Oh.” Now Kelsey was blushing too. “I don’t think we should tell Paula the truth. She’s an investigative reporter. I can’t take that chance.”