“Um, hello?” My voice came out as a squeak, and I cleared my throat. Before I could try again, the dog shook its head and whined.
“You can hear me?” The voice sounded urgent.
Okay, this was weird. The other cages were empty, and there was nobody else in the corridor. “Where are you?” I clutched the box tighter. “What do you need?”
The dog yipped and I glanced down at it. At him. Don’t know why, but I knew it was a him.
“I’m right here. Locked in this fucking cage.”
Chapter Two
The first thought that leapt into my head was, his mouth didn’t move. As if a dog could really be speaking to me.
“Cage?” I repeated, my eyes fixed on the beast behind the bars. It was enormous for a dog, with thick, dark fur, and a lighter splash of colour on its face. And those eyes. I’d never seen anything like them.
“You have to help me. I can’t stay here.”
I took a deep breath. If this was a stunt, if a hidden video camera watched me talking to a dog, I’d feel like a right idiot. A quick glance left and right showed there was a camera above the door. “This is a trick, yeah?” I jerked my chin at the camera. “I find myself on YouTube later?”
“No trick.” The blue eyes beseeched me. “You’re the only one who can hear me. All you have to do is unlock this cage, and let me out.”
“Why are you locked up?” Why was I even replying?
“Because I made a mistake.” He snapped the words out, and I realised I was hearing them inside my head. My spine prickled.
“Please.” I couldn’t miss the urgency in his voice. “In about ten minutes, all hell is going to break loose. There’s going to be a media-fucking-frenzy here, excuse my language, and I really don’t want to be in the middle of it.”
I blew out a breath, and then dumped the box on the floor. Was I going to do this? “Are you talking to me? Is that why they’ve locked you up?”
“Yes. I’m talking to you. We’ve got about nine minutes left, so if you could just open this door, I’d really appreciate it.”
“Where are you going to go?” I peered up at the video camera again. There’s no way it could miss me. “I mean, where does your owner live? And how will you get there?”
“Eight minutes. Please. Just open the fucking cage.” He sounded scared rather than angry, and I made a snap decision.
“My car is right outside, and the back door is hanging open. If you really understand what I’m saying, go and get into my car and I’ll drive you away from here. Okay?”
“Yes. Please hurry.”
The cage was fastened with bolts, top and bottom. They were shiny and new, and stiff to open, and I struggled with the first one. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“I can’t believe you heard me.”
The top bolt squealed when I dragged it back, the noise ringing out in the quiet of the corridor, and I froze. The only thing I could hear was my pulse banging in my ears. I could do this.
“You’re doing great. Don’t stop now.” The second one was easier. The moment it released, the dog shoved against the cage door and tumbled to the floor in a tangle of legs. “Thank fuck. I mean, thank you.”
This was unreal. I shouldn’t even be in this corridor, let alone releasing a dog, and my common sense screamed at me to run. The dog scrambled to its feet, and once standing, it was even larger than I’d expected. It took off, racing toward the door and I followed.
Chapter Three
The dog lurched onto the back seat, his legs giving way beneath him, and I slammed the door shut. I’d left the keys in the ignition, and seconds later I started the engine, and spun my aging car to face the exit.
“Go, go.”
I didn’t need him to urge me on. My foot slammed onto the accelerator and the car shot forward in a flurry of squealing tyres. The dog pound was at the end of a quiet road and it would take a minute to reach the highway. How soon would they realize he was gone? Would they come after me? My heart raced every bit as much as the engine.
I swung around a tight bend, way faster than I’d normally drive, and saw the dog moving in the rear view mirror. “You okay back there?”
“Yeah. Thanks. Really.” His words slurred together and I glanced in the mirror again. Shit. Had he banged his head?
“You sure you’re okay? We’re nearly at the highway. Where do you want me to go?”
“They inj…” His head dipped, and then jerked up again, as if he was trying to stay awake. “Doped. Fuckin’ cat.”
“Cat?”
His eyes were closed. “Ketamine.”
“What?”
No reply. I reached the junction with the highway, and took the turn for home. I’d only gone a short distance when two brightly coloured cars shot past me, garishly logoed with the local TV station decals. I watched in my mirror as they swung onto the road to the pound. Holy fuck, the dog had been right. The talking dog that currently lay unconscious on the back seat of my car.
I tried to figure out a plan as I drove. I’d be home in half an hour, but I was leaving tonight. I had to be at the airport by seven this evening, and it was nearly noon already. Would that be enough time for him to wake up? What did he say? Ketamine? It sounded familiar, and I could Google it later.
Parking outside my shared house, I faced another problem. How would I move him inside? He looked heavy. Thankfully, when I opened the back door, he lifted his head and opened his eyes.
“Where are we?” He may have been awake, but his words were still slurred and the sapphire gaze was unfocused.
“My place. Do you think you can walk?”
“Uh huh.” He slithered out of the car, to stand by my side, and I led him slowly to the door. I wasn’t expecting my housemates back for hours. Just as well, really. If they heard me trying to have a conversation with a dog, they’d think me crazy.
The hallway was cool after the blazing sunshine outside, and I wondered how cold it would be back home in England. It’d be strange wrapping up in layers again, after weeks of living in shorts and T-shirts. My trip down under was almost over, down to a matter of hours. Would I come back to New Zealand one day? Maybe.
The dog padded beside me, looking more alert by the second. “Could I have some water, please?” His voice was clearer too.
“Of course.” I pushed open the kitchen door and grabbed a bowl from the draining rack, before filling it with cold water from the tap.
He didn’t speak again until he’d emptied the bowl, and the refill I gave him. Sitting on the floor, he pinned me with his gaze, sharp and alert again. “Thanks. I owe you. What’s your name?”
I swallowed down my laugh at the absurdity of the conversation. “Jessie. My friends call me Jess.”
“I won’t forget your help, Jess. But you know you can’t talk about this.”
I snorted, my giggle escaping. “Like anyone would believe me. What kind of dog are you, anyway? Apart from the talking-variety.”
He huffed a soft laugh. It made me tingle, every nerve ending suddenly aware of the delicious timbre of his voice. “I think it’s time I went.” He stood, stretched his front legs, and then shook his entire body. “Where are we?”
“Plimmerton. Do you, uh, want a ride somewhere?”
“I can run home from here, but thanks anyway.”
Padding up the corridor beside me, he waited until I opened the door, and then paused on the doorstep, and turned to face me. He stepped closer and nuzzled at my hand. “Whoah.” He jerked his head back, and stared at me, eating me up with his gaze.
The air felt charged, as though we were in the middle of a lightning storm and I felt the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. What just happened?
“My name is Levi. I’ll see you again soon, Jess.”
What? “Um, no. You won’t.”
The dog—Levi—cocked his head to one side. “Why not?”
“I’m leaving in a few hours. Going home. To England.” His stare was unner
ving, and I babbled to fill the silence. “I was only here on a work visa, and even though I might come back one day, it won’t be for years. And I’m not sure this isn’t all a hangover-induced dream. I’m probably going to wake on the sofa in a few minutes and forget all this happened. I mean, you’re a talking dog. Either I’m dreaming, or I’m crazy. I think I prefer the sane-but-asleep option.”
“I have to go. But for the record,” he paused, his voice a low and seductive murmur. “I’m a wolf, not a dog. And I’ll find you. I will see you again, Jess.”
Chapter Four
Hours later, I twisted in my window seat and gazed at the final rays of light playing across the ocean beneath me. The afternoon had passed in a whirl of last minute packing and goodbyes, along with several glasses of wine. I’d not had the space to sit and think about the weird encounter with the dog. The wolf.
If it hadn’t been for the bowl of water on the kitchen floor, and the clump of long, black hairs on my car seat, I’d be convinced it was a dream.
His last words echoed in my head, silky and all too enticing: I will see you again. I shivered, just thinking about his voice.
As the sun drifted low in the sky, my eyelids followed suit. Snuggling under the airline blanket, I settled down to sleep. With luck I wouldn’t awake until we landed in Bangkok. My return flights had been cheap, but included several stops: Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok, Dubai, and finally, Manchester.
I dreamed of home, and Christmas shopping. I sat on a wooden bench in my local shopping mall, the giant Trafford Centre, and gazed at the opulent decorations strung from the glass ceiling. Busy shoppers hurried past me—the usual crowds—but even though I’d shopped here a thousand times, it now felt alien.
I felt, rather than saw, someone take the space next to me. A glance to my side revealed a young man. He sprawled against the bench seat, one arm insolently thrown across the back, as though we were a couple.
I gave him a proper look. Messy, dark hair fell to his chin, and thick stubble raked his cheeks, as though he’d stumbled here straight from his bed. A black T-shirt hugged his chest, and worn, dark jeans clung to strong thighs. The denim looked soft and much-washed, and I dragged my gaze up from his crotch, to meet twinkling—startling—blue eyes. Where had I seen eyes like that before?
A lazy grin broke out on his face, and my cheeks heated. He couldn’t have missed the way I’d been staring at him. With his dark tan and perfect white teeth, he looked far too exotic to be sitting in a Manchester shopping mall.
“Hi, Jess.”
The rational part of me questioned how he knew my name. The rest of me wanted to swoon at his voice. Deep, and husky, it reminded me of salted caramel chocolate—velvety, but with a dangerous edge. It also had a lilting accent that was familiar. He was a Kiwi.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” My polite English upbringing stepped forward, even though I’d never seen him before. I couldn’t forget someone so delicious.
His gaze dropped briefly, as though he considered how to reply. A smile tugged at his lips. “Not really. I’m Levi.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say, I don’t think we’ve met, but something held the words back. He was familiar, oddly so. He continued to stare at me, amusement lighting his brilliant eyes, along with something else, an intensity that made my spine prickle.
“You’re from New Zealand?” I blurted. “Are you here on holiday?”
“Kind of.” He gestured to the shops around us. “I’ve never been here before.”
“To the Trafford Centre? Or to Manchester?”
“Either. Would you show me around?”
Show a hot guy around my favourite shops? Shame it was only a dream. I smiled at him, and wondered where to begin. Something niggled. “How did you know my name?”
Levi pushed away from the bench to stand before me, tall and imposing, but delicious. He shrugged and held out a hand. “We met briefly, but you were, uh, distracted.” Wiggling his fingers, he gave me an enticing smile. “Shall we?”
Still, I hesitated. I’d never conjured up such a gorgeous apparition in my dreams before, and I knew it was too good to be true. Would he morph into a psycho and toss me over the railings to the gallery below? “I don’t usually hold hands with a guy I just met.”
“I wouldn’t want you to make a habit of it,” he countered swiftly, “but it’s solely for my benefit. I might get lost otherwise.” His eyes widened with mischief. “Man, I could be stuck in here for weeks.”
How could I resist?
Taking his hand, I let him pull me to my feet. His grip was firm and confident, his palm warm and slightly calloused, and the moment I stood beside him, he tangled our fingers together. It felt right. Good.
“Where to? What’re you going to show me, Jess?”
“The Christmas tree. That’s what catches everyone’s attention the first time they come here.”
He was tall, and I barely came up to his shoulder, but he matched his stride to mine, and we strolled along the upper level, dodging the other shoppers with ease. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the crowd moved out of his way, and we walked easily.
A thrill bubbled in the pit of my stomach. This was so unlike me. Not only was he a complete stranger, but also completely out of my league. Six foot tall Adonis’ didn’t make a beeline for me. They paired up with Barbie dolls, in my experience, or cover-model look-alikes. My nose was a little too big, my freckles too ginger, and my hair a dull brown. I was spectacularly ordinary.
Levi squeezed my hand, and caught my attention. “How big is this place?”
His voice scrambled my thoughts, and it took me a moment to respond. “I read somewhere, there’s three miles of covered walkways, with all the shops and cafés.”
He gave a low whistle. “You could walk the length of Wellington in less than that.”
“And you’d stay dry here.” I glanced up at him. “And out of the wind.”
This drew a laugh. “You’ve got me there.” We strolled another couple of steps before he spoke again. “You like it here? With all these people?”
“It’s one of my favourite places to shop. There’s nothing like it in New Zealand.”
“No, there isn’t.” He tugged me to a stop, and I peered up at him. “It doesn’t have this though.”
Chapter Five
I blinked, and everything changed. Instead of pretty tiles beneath my feet, there was now forest floor. Giant trees formed a dense canopy high over my head, lush vines twined around a nearby branch, and sunlight filtered through the treetops. It was noisy. A myriad of birds called and chattered, as they flitted above us.
Levi held my hand still, and I slowly turned to him. “Are we in the jungle?”
His eyes crinkled in the corners when he laughed. “No, it’s the Rimutakas.”
I recognised the name—the mountain range north of Wellington. I’d driven through the area, but it hadn’t looked anything like this.
“We’re well off the beaten track,” he continued. “Few people have ever walked this path.” He eased me closer, and then turned me to stand with my back against him, his hands caging my hips. “This is one of my favourite places.”
I breathed in the scents of the forest, and gazed at the scenery. I’d never seen anything so wild, so prehistoric. I half expected a dinosaur to amble into the clearing. “It’s beautiful,” I said.
Levi rested his chin on my shoulder. “So are you.”
It was just a line, I knew that. I also knew it was a dream. In the real world, hot guys like Levi didn’t look twice at me. I determined to enjoy the moment, and when his hands shifted to rest on my stomach, I leaned back into the embrace.
His chest was firm, his abs flat and hard, and warmth poured from his body. He smelled good, of pine and green leaves, with a salty tang, as though he’d been standing in the sea. Delicious. Could he be any more perfect?
I yawned, my eyelids growing heavier by the second. “This is nice,” I murmured. “I hope I dream of you
again, Levi.”
“You will, gorgeous. Look out for me.”
❄ ❄ ❄
I opened my eyes to find we were circling above Bangkok. The next hour was a flurry of leaving the plane, and traipsing through the airport to my connecting flight. Every step taking me closer to home.
I looked forward to seeing my family, and my dog, Charlie. He’d been my best friend since I was seven years old. In my head he was still a bouncy, lop eared puppy, intent on chewing my shoes and school bag at every opportunity. He was now a grizzled, grey-haired pensioner, in dog terms, but Mum assured me he was still fine. I’d missed him. It would be good to take him for a long walk in the woods near home.
In a flash, I remembered. Walking through an ancient forest with Levi. I couldn’t help smiling. My subconscious had obviously been hard at work, mixing together a hot guy, and the weird talking dog, and throwing them together into a colourful dream. It had been so real. I’d felt the springiness of the forest floor, heard the raucous birds, and smelled the mossy, green-leaf fragrance all around me.
The dog couldn’t have been talking to me. That was crazy. I must have been over-tired. Stressed. I’d had a moment of madness where I’d released a dog from the pound, and then taken it home. I’d been out in the sun too long.
❄ ❄ ❄
The flights finally over, I stumbled down the exit corridor at Manchester Airport. The past thirty-six hours all merged together and it was only when I stepped into the Arrivals hall that I realised it was daytime. To me it felt like the middle of the night. My sleep patterns would be screwed for days.
I hugged Mum and let her welcoming chatter wash over me as we headed for the car park. “Sorry.” I smiled while fighting another massive yawn. “It feels like I haven’t slept in days. I’m convinced any minute I’m going to wake up and find myself back on the plane.”
“You doze on the way home, love. We’ve plenty to catch up on, but it can wait until you’ve rested.”
I’d emailed home every few days, Skyped weekly, and talked on the phone a few times. There wouldn’t be any big news that I hadn’t heard already. I knew about my cousin Sheryl’s upcoming wedding, my friend’s new baby girl, and that Jack Harper had stepped up his campaign to buy my dad’s shop. What else could there still be to tell me?
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