by Jo Larue
“What did he look like?”
“Tall, black hair, and he was wearing sunglasses.”
“What did you say?”
“You fucking heard me, Trey. Not in the mood to repeat it,” Craven barked at him. He watched Trey stiffen. He could tell Trey was fighting the urge to shift. He’d never seen him this out of control, since he was literally vibrating with anger. “Spit it out, Trey, before you lose it. I can tell you know him. So who the fuck is he?”
Trey growled long and low before he could speak. “The name Sylas Taiken give you a clue? I'll find you the girl and take out the puma for you, but that fucking asswipe is mine!”
“Fuck! You’re telling me the Fate’s Enforcer was there? You’re sure that’s him?”
“Fuckin’ positive. He has to hide his eyes because they glow in the dark. He can shift into anything that walks or flies; that’s why you couldn’t scent his animal. He’s mine, Craven. In my time and my way!” Trey growled in warning, his voice raising at the end.
Craven narrowed his eyes and growled his own warning, moving closer and into a fighting stance. “You don’t tell me shit, Beta. I tell you when to eat, sleep and shit. Don’t get me wrong, I get it. He’s the one that did this.” He motioned to Trey’s leg. He waited on acknowledgment from Trey. When he finally got it, he stressed his next words with another loud growl “Don’t you ever forget your place again and I might consider letting you have him, but not now and not here. There are bigger fish to fry first and we don’t need the Fate’s watching us any closer than they are. Understood?” Trey automatically tilted his head and bared his neck in supplication. Once he did, Craven eased his stance, but only slightly.
* * * *
It was all Trey could do to keep from challenging for Alpha right then and there. No one was going to take this from him. He’d waited more than a century to get his hands on Sylas. It figured that the time he'd finally decided to show himself, was the same night his Alpha got his ass kicked by a human. Not once, but twice. He was shocked that Sylas let the girl fight. But that tidbit was neither here nor there.
Trey finally had a standing chance now to accomplish a life’s vendetta and take the pack. Life just got interesting in immortal land and he wasn’t going to miss another chance or second of it. Craven’s time on earth got a whole lot shorter, and Sylas was going to go right behind him if it was the last thing he did.
Chapter 7
The late dinner with Chance and Jack was exactly what the doctor ordered for Sylas. He finally had a purpose and she was sitting right beside him. The entire conversation was mainly between him and Jack sharing old stories but every chance he got, he pulled Chance in to it. He wanted to know more. Who she was and what made that mind tick. She shared some, but nothing that seemed personal. There was a time or two he kicked Jack under the table to keep him from going too far back in time. It seemed he was pulled into Chance’s spell too. His mouth almost got them caught a time or two, but it was good to see the male laugh. It had been way too long.
Jack was older than Sylas by nearly a hundred years. He’d lost two mates in the last two hundred, and the last almost killed him. His mate was shot in the heart while they were in puma form, roaming the mountains of Montana, while carrying Jack’s baby. They were so far out in the country that Jack could do nothing but stay at her side, while he watched the love of his life fade away, taking his baby with her.
It took Sylas years to get him back into a normal life. He’d nearly lost him. Jack refused to shift back after the shooting… wanting to lose all human thought and interaction in that form. It happened to others before. Shifters who have been through trauma like this can lose their sense of reality. They forget who they are and live out their lives lost to human civilization. If it hadn’t been for his intervention, Jack would be one of those lost immortal souls.
When they finished eating, Chance stood as if to go. Sylas wanted more time with her, but was wary of scaring her away. Luckily, Jack saved his ass again.
“Either of you busy Sunday?” He asked, looking between them.
Sylas waited while Chance thought about her answer. “I have a meeting this morning, but other than that, Sunday is free. Why?”
“I invited my staff up for a barbecue tomorrow, since the bar is closed on Sundays and Mondays. You two are more than welcome to join us. I have a place up on Lanier. It’s right on the lake and you’ve already met most of the staff.” Jack replied. “Oh! And there will be plenty of beer!” He added over his shoulder, winking at Sylas when his back was to her, on his way to pay the dinner bill.
Chance looked up at Sylas and he could see the indecision in her eyes. “I’m game if you are, Chance. Jack and his staff are harmless. Could be fun.” He said to her quietly, shrugging his shoulders on the last part. “I could meet you somewhere and you can follow me up, or I can drive you up. No pressure, just… fun.”
“Okay, I guess. I’ve nothing else better to do after my meeting. Thank you for inviting me, Jack. I’d love to come,” she replied looking at him with those beautiful green eyes, but talking to Jack. They exchanged cell numbers and said she would call sometime after the meeting was done. She would let him know where to meet him when they spoke again.
Sylas followed her out to her bike, wanting to say more to her, but he was tongue-tied for the first time that he could ever remember. She entranced him. She was beautiful and a fierce female. Tough, and yet… vulnerable. He helped her again with her coat, wishing his arms were wrapped around her body, keeping her warm. He never thought he could be jealous of inanimate objects before this evening.
There were two things he wished he could change places with… this coat and her Harley. He wanted to be between her legs, be inside her, be one with her. He shifted his stance as those thoughts made him rock hard. No need for her to see that yet, he chastised himself. He knew he couldn't rush this. He needed to gain her trust first. He would have to be content in her presence for now, no matter what his body wanted.
Sylas waved goodbye to Jack as he watched Chance pull away on her Harley. He was enveloped with an overwhelming need to know where she lived. To make sure she was safe. The wolf worried him. He knew the former rogue Alpha would not let this die down and it made him very uncomfortable. He let her get a block away before he followed with his lights off. One of the advantages to being a shifter was night vision. He could see as well at night as he could during the day.
Dropping back a little more to stay out of her sight range, Sylas stayed as close as he could. When she pulled into a housing subdivision, he pulled over and shifted into a husky. His leopard form would frighten anyone who might be out, and he didn’t need the hassle of screaming neighbors and police. Tracking her by sound and scent, he located her house at the same time the garage door lowered.
Sylas waited nearby as she entered the house and checked the doors. Hearing the locks clicking was a turning point. He knew leaving her alone was dangerous. Her home was a one level ranch style. Easy in and out if anyone wanted to get to her. He watched lights come on as she moved through and then out when she was finished. He trotted to the back and found where her bedroom should be. He waited until the last light went out, and then moved to the front porch to keep watch.
Now you’re a watchdog for a woman you don’t even know. You’re losing it, Sylas, he thought, trying to relax. The Fates are definitely fucking with you this time. Taking a quick sniff of the air, Sylas finally allowed sleep to take over; assured she was safe with his presence.
* * *
“Well, who are you, pretty baby? I don’t remember seeing you around here before.” Sylas jumped to his feet confused for a few seconds. It was Chance talking to him on the porch. He’d slept longer than he intended. He watched Chance crouch down to his level and reach out her hand to let him sniff it. He did and licked her hand in response. “Are you lost, boy? You sure are beautiful with those striking green eyes.”
Sylas moved closer to her as she sat down on the fr
ont steps, a glass of water in her hand. “Thirsty boy?” Chance crooned to him and poured some water into her hand, offering it to him. He gratefully drank what she offered. When finished, he sat down on his haunches next to her and leaned in, lowering his head for a scratch.
She obliged until a large white SUV pulled into her driveway. A man got out and raised a hand in greeting and she waved back with a smile. Sylas took this person to be the one she was meeting with and decided it was the perfect time to disappear. He stepped off the porch, looked up at her, and whined once. She walked down, ignoring the man that was waiting on her, and stepped over to where Sylas was standing in her yard.
“Time to go, beautiful boy? You can come back here anytime you want. Maybe next time you can stay longer, okay?”
Chance talked to him as if he was human, as if the dog understood everything she said, and he did. He sat and raised a paw. Chance crouched down to shake his paw, staring into his eyes. “Your eyes. I… I feel like I know you.”
Sylas watched as a frown tried to appear while she looked at him, but she erased it with a nervous giggle and the sound made his heart quicken.
“Well, I need to take care of business. Later, beautiful boy,” she whispered to him. Then she got up and walked inside her home with the visitor. Sylas smiled inwardly. I do understand you and I will be back. Later, beautiful girl.
Sylas shifted to human form behind some trees and walked to his Harley. Thankfully immortals could shift and keep their clothes. He could also magic other clothes if needed, but he was already in his leathers, so there was no need. He rode home in silence, thinking about the woman he left behind. She is more perceptive than I thought. It may take time, but she will definitely be worth the effort of winning over.
As he rode, he remembered the fight from the night before, his body responding again to his thoughts of her. She was like a dancer in her comfort level with fighting, and he wanted those warrior legs wrapped tightly around him. He sported another raging hard on thinking about it and no immediate way for relief. He readjusted himself, trying to ease the pain.
Sylas arrived home, shifted to his leopard form, and cat napped the rest of the morning. When he got up, he showered and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. Sylas pulled out his cell and put in a call to Jack to discuss the previous night. They both agreed that she needed protection from the pack.
According to Jack, the entire pack was made up of former rogues and they were considered extremely dangerous. He said the Alpha was the worst of them and would not take the beat down well. They both agreed to talk up a game plan later and Sylas told him that for now he would watch her until they could come up with something better. Since Chance was human they couldn’t tell her why she was in danger, and that was the difficulty. Keeping their world secret from humans was priority number one.
Chapter 8
Chance temporarily forgot about the strange dog with those somehow familiar eyes while she talked to Rick, the contractor. She had very solid ideas as to what she wanted built on the property. The requirements were anything over fifty acres, have running stream or pond, and away from any close city. The agent hit the mark with over sixty acres, a stream, and it backed up to a wilderness area. It was pristine land with no previous buildings. Chance wanted a log home, and not prefabricated. The lot was thickly wooded but it did have a clearing on it, situated on the top of a small rise, right in the middle of the property.
Up to this point in her life, nothing excited her more than this. Explaining to Rick in detail what she envisioned, Chance was non-stop with her ideas. Three or four bedroom ranch with a full basement. She would accept a second above ground story, if it could have a loft and lots of windows. She wanted a sub level bomb shelter under the basement. It would be a survivalist’s dream.
Each level had to be fire and flood safe. The subbasement would contain a pantry/wine room. The deeper in the earth you go, the more the temperatures level out. It would stay cool year round. She included an emergency generator with ventilation and well water pump system with ventilation. Chance wanted the house to be powered by solar panels and a wind turbine, but if all hell broke out, she could use the generator as a last resort.
Since there wasn’t water, septic or power on or near the property, she would need two septic systems dug and placed. She would be going out at some point this week to place orders for any other furniture she might need and appliances for the kitchen. Rick told her she would need to pick the flooring, cabinets, plumbing, and lighting fixtures as well. Her preferences must have pleased him, because he grinned whenever she spoke up about her choices. Roomy and airy, it would be very Feng Shui, and would include the house facing north/south to take full advantage of the tracking sun on the solar panels.
Rounding up the last of the details, they finished up after one in the afternoon and scheduled another meeting in two days. She impressed upon him her time schedule, so he was going to take a design he already had and make it work for her needs. She knew she was pushing the table with wanting this done in weeks and not months. He told her it could not be done in a month, but thought they could complete it in less than two months time. Rick thought most of the time spent would be for the sub levels. He wanted to do that part right and she was glad he was honest about the schedule. Besides, permits and such would take at least a week, if not more.
Chance asked him to go ahead and design her a barn and stable for horses. She would need a garage for her two and four wheeled toys, with a repair area. She asked him to get a permit to install her own gassing station, which would mean more permits and more digging to install underground tanks. Why not go for the gusto? She thought as she made those last minute decisions. Self-contained meant exactly how it sounded. She wanted no reason to interact with outsiders any more than was necessary.
Chance giggled as she thought about the locals, and them calling her a recluse some day in the future. She really liked people; she just didn’t trust them much. Holding more faith in animals than the two-legged variety. She wanted to trust, she really did. Thinking about the subject, Sylas came to mind. He felt trustworthy to her, like someone she wanted to know more about. He was gentle, thoughtful, and very intuitive when it came to her. It didn’t hurt that he sported a rocking hard ass body. Her knees tended to liquefy when he smiled at her. On the one occasion she touched him during the fight, she could tell he was all muscle.
Chance spent the rest of her Saturday packing up the clothes she would never wear again, cleaning house, and getting in a good workout.
When Chance woke up on Sunday morning, she found the husky waiting on her porch again. He followed along when she went out for a long run in the fresh morning air. It was nice to have him there for a change as it took away some of the boredom running tended to bring with it.
Running gave free time to think more about the fight and the two men she met. The more she thought about it, the more unsettled she became. Things had gotten way out of control and fast, much faster than she was prepared for. Chance shook it off and chalked it up to lesson learned. Next time she played, it would be against someone not quite so drunk. She turned her thoughts once again to Sylas. She felt the old soul in him and wanted to learn more about him and hoped to do exactly that today.
Chance really liked his friend, Jack, too. They both made her laugh and it felt good. When she arrived back home, the dog yipped and took off, but she didn’t pay it any mind. She was sure he lived in a house nearby. She showered quickly and dressed in low cut skinny jeans and a red tank top. She decided to trust for a change and let Sylas drive her up to Jack’s place.
Chance put minimal makeup on and pulled out a black leather jacket that reached her hips. She was still commando under her clothes, preferring it to bothersome underwear. Bras, in her opinion, should be banned. They were uncomfortable in too many ways to count.
It wasn’t warm enough yet to go swimming, so she didn’t bother with swimwear. Piling her hair into a bun, Chance used a single chopstick to h
old it in place. Her mane was heavy, so nothing else was needed. A quick twist and done. All her necessities were in her jacket and boots; weapons, cell phone, and wallet.
Chance called Sylas and gave him directions to her house. While waiting for his arrival, she made them something to eat. She’d skipped breakfast and was starving, and hoped he was too. Brunch was tuna salad, crackers, and some sliced Gouda cheese. She added fresh fruit and chilled some sparkling cider. It wasn’t much but it would help ease the hunger pains. She didn’t want to drink beer on an empty stomach.
Right as she was pulling down some glasses, she heard his Harley rumbling in her driveway. A minute later the doorbell rang. Here goes nothing. You can do this, Chance. Time to allow some trust in your life, she thought as she walked towards the door.
Taking a deep breath, she opened it and stared. Sylas stood in the doorway in jeans and a t-shirt, looking fine and totally GQ centerfold worthy. She started at his boots and drank him in slowly as her eyes roamed up his body. When she finally got to his face, she heard him chuckling and snapped out of the trance.