by Cali Mann
I laughed. “No, you’re a hawk.”
“They can be taught tricks too. Have you ever seen a falconer handling one?”
“Yeah, on those nature shows.”
He flipped through the book. “Here’s something on mating tattoos.” He leaned closer to show me the page, and I reached out, squeezing his arm.
“It says each one is unique to the mated pair,” I read aloud. “They often have leaves and vines and sometimes have symbols for major life events.”
“They start small, though, here on the shoulder, and grow through a lifetime together.” Drew nodded his head. “I think Eric can do this.”
“What? You’re bringing someone else in?”
“I have to. I can’t give myself a tattoo.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re getting a real tattoo? But then it will be there forever. You can’t.”
He smiled. “I’m a shifter. It won’t last forever.”
“But—” I pointed to his wing tattoos.
“Don’t tell, but I have to get them redone every year or so.”
“That’s ridiculous.” I snorted with laughter.
“Hey, don’t make fun of my beauty marks and I won’t make fun of yours.”
I laughed harder, careful to not jostle my injury.
“Now, that’s how I like to see you. You look like pure sunshine when you laugh.” He leaned over and kissed me sweetly, then he returned to his seat on the side of my bed.
After reaching out a hand, I squeezed his muscled forearm. “You don’t have to do this, Drew. You don’t need to get involved in my problems.”
“And miss a chance to seduce the girl of my dreams?” he said with a wink.
“I’m more trouble than I’m worth, to be honest,” I said. “And pissing your dad off can only go so far.”
His brown eyes darkened. “You let me worry about my dad. I want to do this. No one deserves to be under a death threat.”
“But you’re going through all this pain and trouble for a girl you barely know.”
“One that I’d like to get to know better,” he said. “But if you’d tell me who Chuck is, we could try other means to get him off your back.”
“No, I’ve told you too much already.” I sighed. “I just need to keep Alex safe.”
“Then let’s figure this out,” Drew said, handing me another book.
24
Drew
When I left the infirmary, I ran into Sasha’s kid brother at the door. He couldn’t be anything but, with that golden hair and stubborn pout. “Hey,” I said, and he glared at me. “I’m Drew.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “So?”
I scratched my neck. Fucking kids. “I’m kind of dating your sister.”
“Don’t care about her fuck buddies.” He hiked his backpack farther up on his thin shoulders.
“It’s not like that,” I said.
He smirked. “You don’t know my sister.”
I sighed. “I don’t know her well, but I’m getting to know her. We’ve been working on a project together.” I couldn’t say much more than that. Sasha had been very clear that Alex was to know nothing about the whole Chuck situation.
Looking me over, he frowned. “What makes you think you’re so special?”
“Nothing,” I growled. “I just like her, and I thought I’d say hi to you.” I turned to walk away, my shoulders tight with tension. Who knew Sasha’s little brother was such a prick?
“Hey man, wait,” he said.
I turned around, scowling. “What?”
“I hope you do like her.” The corner of his lip lifted. “My sister could use someone who actually cares.” Then he headed into the infirmary.
I stared after him. What must it have been like to grow up in a home where no one cared, well, except a kid brother? As much as my dad drove me crazy with his constant demands and his insistence on perfection, he still loved me.
He at least kept me clothed and fed. From the stories she’d told me, Alex and Sasha had been on their own from day one. I couldn’t imagine Sasha juggling diapers and bottles for a newborn when she was just a kid herself. I’d been a pissy, snotty kid when my sister was born, angry that I’d lost my parents’ attention temporarily. And I hadn’t been very nice to Kalto since then.
But Sasha’s brother really cared about her. He wanted what was best for her.
As I exited the infirmary, I thought I might go find Kalto. When this whole plan of ours went into action, my little sister was going to be shocked, and she might need some reassurance from her jerk-face older brother. I grinned.
* * *
Every spare moment I got, I headed back to the infirmary to check in on Sasha. She stayed in a good mood, despite her injury, or maybe because of the painkillers they’d given her.
When Eric worked painstakingly on my tattoo, I almost wished I had a few of those. The lines of a mate tattoo were thicker and more intricate than my small wings, but Eric was a great artist. It was amazing watching everything come together.
I stopped by the morning of her release to give her a peek at it, but her brother was already sitting in the chair next to her bed. “Hi, Alex, Sasha,” I said, standing at the foot of her bed.
She smiled.
Alex stood. “I gotta get to class.”
Reaching out a hand, Sasha squeezed his arm. “I’ll be fine. Really.”
He grunted and shook her off. Meeting my eyes as he passed, he muttered, “Take care of her.”
“I will,” I answered, sliding into the seat next to Sasha.
“He’s a good kid,” I said as Alex strolled off down the aisle.
“I know,” she said, squeezing her hands in her lap.
“You told him about the mark?”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t need to know.”
My mouth fell open. “He’s gonna freak out.”
“My brother wouldn’t notice if the ceiling fell in on him, as long as he has his art.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “He cares about you. Kalto freaked out when I told her, but she’s okay with it.”
She pinned me with her gaze. “You told your sister? She’s going to tell your dad, and everything we’ve done will be for nothing.”
“Hold on,” I said, raising my hands innocently. “I told her we were seeing each other and I thought you might be my mate. Just so she doesn’t freak when it’s revealed.”
Still unhappy, Sasha crossed her arms and glared at me. But finally, she said, “Is it finished?”
Making sure it was safe, I yanked off my shirt and showed her the design.
“It’s incredible.” She traced it with her fingers.
My skin prickled under her touch, and I could feel my fangs dropping. Even after a week in the infirmary, drugged and bedridden, she was beautiful. I let my fingers slide along the side of her face. “You’re amazing.”
She snorted. “Sure. Amazing enough to let you go through tons of pain for me.”
“Hey now, I volunteered.” I winked. “I told you I’d have been happy to do it the old-fashioned way.” And I would have. Sasha was sexy as hell, but she also had a big heart. She cared for and protected—maybe overprotected—her brother. She only refused to mate me because she cared.
“Thank you for letting me help you.” I leaned forward and kissed her softly.
25
Sasha
I finally got out of the infirmary after a week. I had been so bored, I’d actually done schoolwork. Miraculously, Chuck had left me alone, but even after a week of Drew bringing me every spirit shifter book he could find, I hadn’t come up with any better ideas.
The first thing I did was take a shower, because, frankly, I stunk, and I needed to do something about that. I hadn’t liked bringing anyone else in on the plan, but Drew had been right: Eric was an incredible artist. The tattoo was perfect. I scrubbed my hair, rinsed it, and scrubbed it again. I couldn’t take enough showers to rinse the infirmary bleach smell off of me.
Eric had worked on Drew’s tattoo all week, basing it off the mate tattoos we’d found in some books. The good thing was, mate tattoos were as unique as the individual, so it could really look like anything. Eric had used something from his art kit called India Ink and a sterile needle. It must have hurt like hell.
And Drew’d done it for me. Something inside me curled up into a little ball. I couldn’t repay him. Well, actually, the best way to repay him was not to mate him for real and avoid ruining his life. I toweled off and ran a brush through my hair.
Tonight was for show. We were going on a date, and when he showed up tomorrow in class with a tattoo, there’d be no question. I had to admit it was a good plan. I just hated to do it when he’d been so good to me. Drew had visited me every day in the hospital and told me about his life. I’d shared stuff about mine, too, because why not? I was going to die anyway. What secrets did I have to keep?
I’d told him about our mother and Chuck, about growing up in Denver, and about life as a sort-of human. He’d been interested because his life had been set deep within the shifter community. His dad was famous, not only for archery but for business and his wife’s career as a model. They sounded like superstars. I couldn’t imagine a life like that.
Digging through my drawers, I pulled out a blue blouse that brought out my eyes and a pair of jeans. They’d probably hurt, but it would be worth not wearing a skirt. The good news was: my burn had long since healed. My kidney was recovering, faster than a human, but still healing. I swiped some makeup on—mascara and red lipstick—like I believed this was a real date.
Which was ridiculous. Drew and I were just friends.
I tossed a sweater over my arm and crossed the suite lounge with my head held high. The triplets swiveled from their show to watch me, their eyebrows arching in near unison. I flipped them off as I walked out the door.
The halls were quiet as I made my way down to the main level. Everyone was at dinner or off in their rooms. It was strange how silent the halls could get when I knew there were hundreds of students here.
“Hey, Sasha.” Cal waved at me from the stairwell. He was dressed as if he was going diving, carrying flippers over his shoulder.
“Where are you going?”
He jerked his head toward the stairs. “There are pools at the bottom.”
I blinked. “Pools?”
“For the water shifters.” He grinned. “Part natural formation of the mountain and part shifter-made.
“But why do you need all that?” I gestured to his outfit.
His eyebrows waggled. “I’m not going swimming. If you go deeper into the caves, after the rebuilt area, there’s real cave water.”
I frowned. “Like flooded caves and such?”
“Yes! And they’re awesome to go diving in.”
“But not very safe, are they?”
“Safe? I’m a water shifter.”
“But you haven’t actually shifted yet, or you wouldn’t be wearing all that gear.”
Cal winked. “I told you, babe. I like to live on the wild side.”
“Are you going to take someone with you?” I asked.
“You volunteering?”
I bit my lip. “Nah, I have a date.”
“Well,” he said. “Maybe next time I can persuade you to give up your date for me.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, maybe next time.”
“Have fun, Sasha.”
“You too, Cal.” I watched him head down the stairs, enjoying the way his butt looked in the close-fitting scuba gear. I hoped he wouldn’t get himself killed before we had a chance to have some fun. Then I shook myself. Being a spirit shifter meant I wasn’t allowed to have fun with anyone. There was always a chance I’d mate with them.
Then I headed on to the dining hall. I entered and crossed the room, making sure everyone saw me. Drew sat at an end bench, and I climbed in his lap and kissed him. His arms closed around me. Showtime.
Even to myself, I wouldn’t admit how good it felt and how much I wished this could be our future.
I glanced around as we were getting up to leave and saw one pair of eyes I didn’t expect to see: Lucan’s. He looked furious, as if he hadn’t told me after our own kiss that we would never have another. I flipped him the bird. He turned his eyes away. Good. You had your chance, and you blew it.
Everyone had seen Drew and I making out, so we walked off together, hand in hand. His skin was cool to the touch but not uncomfortably cold. When we got to the back porch, the sky was darkening and a long yard lay before us.
“Where to?” I asked.
Drew slung his arm over my shoulders and guided me down the steps. We strolled by a barn and up onto the hill. He let me go, and I stared into the distance.
“You can see the whole world from up here.” I turned and froze, gaping at the picnic he’d laid out. A flannel blanket lay across the grass, and there were steak sandwiches, fries, and two beers.
“Dinner?” he asked.
“When did you have time for all that?”
He laughed. “I keep my archery gear in the barn, so I brought it up here earlier.”
“Oh.” I sank down on the soft blanket.
Drew handed me a beer and one of the plates. Then he dropped down next to me. Lifting his bottle, he said, “To success,” and we clinked.
The yeasty taste of the beer slid down my throat, and I had to blink back tears. I don’t think anyone had ever made me a picnic before. The guys I’d done had barely even taken me out on dates. Not entirely their fault, as I’d never wanted to leave Alex home alone for too long. I dragged the back of my hand across my eyes.
Ridiculous. He was helping me out, and this was just something to distract us. He was doing this to piss off his dad, not because he actually liked me. I chuckled to myself. Even I could hear how absurd my excuses sounded. Picking up the sandwich, I glanced over at Drew and met his eyes. “Thank you.”
He smiled.
I swallowed. “I can’t give you what you want, but I appreciate you helping me anyway.”
He winked. “I’m willing to wait.”
“Why are you interested in me, anyway?” I asked.
“Sasha.” He took away my sandwich and caught my hands in his. “You are a good person.”
I shook my head.
“You take care of everyone who comes into your sphere. You practically raised your little brother. You watch out for Molly and you only just met her.” He smiled. “And you even try to protect me.”
I dropped my gaze to the blanket, heat rising in my cheeks.
Lifting my chin, he met my eyes. “You’re hot as hell and you have a fantastic heart. I’d be lucky to have a mate as wonderful as you.”
“Bullshit,” I muttered.
He laughed. “I’m not doing this to piss off my dad, although I admit that’s a bonus. I’m doing it for you.” He let my chin go. “Besides, we’re probably not even mates, anyway.”
“Right. We could have been fucking like bunnies this whole time.”
He rubbed his forehead. “Damn, that would suck.”
I giggled.
“Come here,” he said, pulling me over to him.
With my back leaning against his chest, we gazed down the hill to the tree line. His arms came around me, and I breathed in his scent. He smelled like fresh air and leather, even when he wasn’t wearing his jacket. I wrapped it around me like armor. He was someone who cared enough to look out for me, to go out of his way to help when I was in trouble. I’d never known anyone like him.
“Remember, you were asking me what it felt like to fly?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve flown over this hill, across the forests, and to the peak of that mountain you can just see over there.”
“That’s amazing,” I breathed.
“You know spirit shifters can transform into any form,” he said.
“How do you know that?” I hadn’t thought too much about it. If I lived long enough, I mi
ght be able to soar over the mountains too.
He chuckled. “I have read dozens of books this week.”
“Oh, yeah.” I hoped he couldn’t see my warming cheeks.
“I might know more than you do about spirit shifters.”
With a grin, I teased, “You are turning into a nerd.”
“Oh yeah?” He tickled me.
I burst into laughter and tried to wriggle away.
But he pulled me back into his lap and, meeting my eyes, kissed me.
Wrapping my arms around him, I kissed him back.
26
Lucan
Seeing her all over Drew yesterday had pissed me off. I could be honest about that. But no matter how my wolf whined, she wasn’t mine.
I’d gone for a nice long run in the woods last night and howled at the moon with the pack. It had been good. That was where I belonged, with my people. Not chasing spirit shifter tail, as Nancy had reminded me last night. I’d smacked her down for it. No matter how stupid I was being, I was their alpha and they needed to show some respect.
Besides, I wasn’t going to do anything about it. Let Sasha fuck whoever she wanted. I’d find my own mate in time. My wolf whined, but I ignored him.
The halls were quiet before my first class, people whispering in little groups. An itch crawled up my spine. Something was going on. Something I wasn’t going to like.
I hailed Nancy outside of History and hissed at her, “Tell me.”
Her eyes widened, and I could smell the fear pouring off her. I squeezed her arm harder, and she whimpered. “What is it?”
“She mated the hawk shifter,” Nancy whispered, ducking her head in submission.
My eye twitched. I let Nancy go. Sasha had taken a mate. She’d taken a mate, and it hadn’t been me. My stomach rolled as fury ripped up my spine. Vision blurring, I stumbled down the hall.
As if conjured from my mind, Sasha appeared in the middle of the hall. My wolf howled. I didn’t even see the other students; I just charged straight at her.
Her blue eyes widened at my approach, but she didn’t move.
I picked her up and tossed her over my shoulder, carrying her away. She was light as a feather as I ran through the halls and out into the back yard. I sprinted across the yard and into the woods. Branches scraped my skin as I took her deeper and deeper through the forest.