by Renee George
“I’m Johnny,” he said. “And you are?”
“Leaving after breakfast.”
Johnny raised his eyebrows. “Where are you headed?”
Sol frowned. “It was nice to meet you,” she lied. She pulled out her smartphone. “I need to call my mother.”
“I’ll wait.”
“The hell you—“
“Johnny. I see you’ve met my…friend.”
The familiar voice rumbled from behind Sol. She looked over her shoulder, startled to see Ty standing behind her. She hadn’t heard or seen his approach. If looks could vaporize, Johnny would’ve been a puff of smoke.
The young man frowned, but he vacated his seat. “Ty. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Obviously.”
She caught Johnny’s gaze and saw a flash of hostility. Apparently the boy wasn’t a fan of Ty’s. Or maybe he was just scared of him and trying to front a little.
“Good luck,” Johnny said. He smiled at Sol, and she felt a chill zip down her spine. “With him, you’ll need it.” He turned around and strode away.
Ty’s lip curled into a snarl as he took the seat opposite Sol. “Johnny’s a punk. Ignore him.”
“He works here?”
“He’s a pet project of Meredith’s—she manages the casino.” He studied her face, and then asked, “Bad dreams?”
His dark, obsidian eyes held sympathy. She didn’t want to forgive him, but she couldn’t look away. No one’s eyes were that naturally dark, she thought. It felt as if he could see down to the bottom of her soul. Gah! The man hadn’t even apologized for leaving her in the lurch. She narrowed her eyes at him and began loudly eating her toast.
“You’re up early,” he continued as though she’d responded.
“And you care why, exactly?”
“I’m keeping my promise.”
“How white-knight of you.”
Ty frowned, as though he didn’t understand her ire. “You didn’t sleep well, did you?”
“No, I didn’t, Nosey Pants.”
Her answer seemed to amuse him.
“Your breakfast is getting cold.” He reached out and plucked a piece of bacon from her plate and took a bite. “This is really good.” Ty looked around the empty dining room until he spotted the waitress and waved her over. He smiled at Sol. “I think I’ll join you.”
*
As Ty sat across from Sol, watching her eat, his cock pressed against the seam of his jeans. He remembered how good her lips had felt wrapped around him, and he wanted her to do it again. He wanted to return that pleasure, and show her how it felt to be fully claimed. He wanted Sol to be his, and only his. It had taken every bit of self-control to stop his bear from tearing Johnny White apart. It didn’t matter that the boy was Meredith Big Horse’s cousin. Seeing Solange smile at Johnny had triggered a primal instinct to protect. Mine, he thought.
How could she flirt with another man? No, not even a man—a boy! The problem was, he shouldn’t have cared. She was his murder suspect. So why did she already feel like she was his to keep? The magic had probably infiltrated him. Perhaps the bear stone hadn’t protected him at all. The excuses felt weak, and he knew that his need for Sol went far deeper than he wanted to admit. Magic did not compel him—the mating urge did.
“Ty!” Meredith approached their table, her usually calm expression full of panic. “Joseph is dead.” She swallowed hard as tears spilled down her cheeks. “He’s in the parking lot.” Her gaze said all he needed to know. Her husband had died violently. Like the others.
“Call the tribal police.” Ty looked at Sol. “Stay here.”
He hurried out of the casino and paused, sniffing the air. He followed the scent of blood that rivaled the smells of asphalt and burned motor oil. In a remote area of the hotel parking lot, between an SUV and a van, he found the lifeless and mauled body of one of his oldest friends. Like with the three previous murders, his stomach had been ripped open and his throat cut. This was a fresh kill—only minutes old. But Joseph hadn’t been a bear shifter, so why murder him? Why this manner of death? He sensed the remnants of magic and thought of Sol. She had been with him at the diner. How could she have murdered Joseph?
“Ty?”
He surged to his feet and whipped around. How had Solange managed to follow him without him sensing her at all? She was too powerful to be innocent. She could fool even his honed shifter abilities. Ty grabbed her arms, grief for his friend strangling his thoughts. “This is your fault, witch!”
Solange’s mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. Ty felt a spike of power. Her magic was wild, untamed, and it made the hair on his arms stand up.
“Stop your spellcasting,” he demanded.
“Let go of me.”
Ty could scent her fear, but not her deception. He released her, and she backed away, rubbing her arms. “You’re crazy.”
He felt the magic shaking the cars, making alarms blare and windows crack, and it was definitely coming from Sol. Louder sirens warned the tribal police were nearly on scene. He would need to assess the body quickly before they arrived.
Ty realized that Sol was close to running away, that she truly feared him now.
“Please,” he said, “go to the hotel and wait for me. Give me a chance to explain.”
“No,” she said, her voice trembling. She turned and ran.
Damn it.
Chapter 6
“You have a funny way of explaining things,” said Sol. She sat in the passenger seat of Ty’s car. “Kidnapping is a federal offense.”
“Only if you cross state lines.”
His intensity hadn’t abated, but at least it wasn’t focused at her anymore. She realized he’d been grief-stricken seeing his friend so brutalized. She couldn’t get the image of the dead man out of her head. How could someone do that to another human being? When Ty had gone after her and urged her toward his car, she relented. She had no idea why. She just felt better when she was near him.
The car traveled on a single dirt road through the rolling plains of the Osage reservation. They arrived at a shack near a small ravine. A beat-up truck, empty buckets, a covered well, and fire pit decorated the yard.
“C’mon.”
“Why are we here?”
“To find the truth.” Ty’s dark eyes surged with gritty emotion, and Sol could almost feel his pain.
“All right,” she said and got out of the car.
She yelped as a yellow dog nudged her hand. Ty rounded the car and petted the dog’s head.
“Hey, Spot. How you doing, boy?”
“Spot?”
“Yeah, a joke.” The dog’s tail wagged fast and furious as he licked Ty’s hands. “Red Sun learned to read on Dick and Jane books, you know, See Spot. See Spot run.” He shrugged. “Anyway, when this animal chose to stay with him, he looked like Spot from the books.”
An old man emerged from the shack. “Hawai,” he called from the door, his voice raspy with age.
“Hawai, Uncle,” Ty greeted back. He leaned over to Sol. “It just means hello.”
“Oh, well, hello…Uncle.”
Ty shook his head. “You call him Red Sun. He’s my actual uncle, well, great-uncle.”
Sol shuffled nervously as the old man narrowed his eyes on her.
“Why do you bring her here, young bear? She is sorcellarie.”
“Did he just insult me?”
“Not exactly,” Ty said. He looked at Sol. “He’s calling you a witch.”
Sol blinked at him. “Well, he called you a bear.”
“She doesn’t know,” Red Sun said. His eyes, almost as dark as Ty’s, crinkled as he examined her. “You have just turned twenty-one. And strange things have been happening to you.”
“How did you know that?”
“Come,” said Red Sun. The medicine man held up his hand and gestured for them to come into the shack. “Both of you.”
“How did he
know that?” Sol whispered to Ty.
“He an aural. It gives them empathic abilities.”
“Oh,” she said with mild exasperation. “That explains everything. Not.”
Inside the shack was a small room, sparsely furnished, and dark. Bundles of dried herbs and jars with multiple ingredients and liquids littered shelves that lined the walls. Red Sun lit a lantern, illuminating the dirt floor. Ty, who seemed to know what the shaman wanted, sat on the ground, legs crossed, in front of a small pile of twigs in a round metal bowl. He took Sol’s hand and gently pulled her down beside him. Red Sun joined them across from the pile.
“She is not the one you seek,” said Red Sun to Ty. Then the old man began speaking in a language Sol didn’t understand. As she listened, she noticed they had the same inflections used by Ty while she’d given him the blow job. It made her wince.
“He wants to know your name,” said Ty quietly.
Okay. She was already on board the crazy train. Why not stay for the ride? “Solange Tremaine.”
Red Sun leaned toward her. His fingers traced along her nose and cheeks making Sol feel like a braille exhibit. She glanced peripherally at Ty. “What’s he doing?”
“Memorizing your aura.”
“Oh.”
Red Sun lit the twigs on the floor and began to chant. She looked at Ty, who nodded at her.
Sol had to admit that the whole medicine man thing intrigued her. Especially since Red Sun had known about her birthday and the weird crap that had been happening around her—and to her.
Ty took her hand as she sat next to him. The better part of herself, the part that still had some pride left, wanted to yank her had out of his, but the other part, the part that already had strong feelings for the deceptive bastard, kept her palm snuggling in the warmth of his. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, and the comforting intimate gesture took her by surprise.
Smoke gathered in the shack—the aroma pungent and dusty. Sol coughed as she inhaled. “What is that stuff?”
“Sage with some other herbs.” Ty gently squeezed her hand. “We must be quiet.”
Red Sun continued to chant as the smoke rolled from his small fire. He waved the wisps of smoke toward his face and down his body. Ty did the same. He nudged Sol, who reluctantly followed suit, coughing as the acrid substance hit her throat.
She leaned into Ty and whispered, “What is he doing?”
“He’s opening a path to the Unseen so that he may walk among the spirits. He is asking the Great Mystery to grant him access and allow us to travel without harm. The smoke will cleanse the spirit, to purify you. If your soul is unclean, the Great Mystery will not allow the Spirit Walk.”
The Spirit Walk? Sol didn’t know what surprised her more, the fact she had somehow gotten herself involved in a Native American “spirit” ritual, or the fact that she was actually going to stay for it. She sighed. Would it really hurt anything to feed into the delusion?
Red Sun lifted a bowl from the ground beside him and brought its contents to his lips. He passed it across the flames to Sol.
She looked inside the bowl—the liquid, thick and sticky, smelled of sulfur. “No, thank you.”
“If you want answers,” said Ty, “you must drink.”
“It smells yucky.”
A small smile touched a corner of his mouth. “It tastes even worse. But, as you can see…” He gestured to the old man whose chorus grew louder with each passing second. “…it won’t kill you.”
She handed the bowl to Ty. “You first, young bear.”
He grimaced, but drank the noxious liquid. “Your turn.”
Rolling her eyes, she forced herself to sip, gathered a small amount in her mouth—Yikes! it tasted bitter—and swallowed. At first, the only thing that happened was that her tongue went numb. Soon though, her vision began to blur. The energy of the old man’s mantra began to thrum in her brain, like a drum beating inside her skull. Next, sharp pain coursed through her body, and her blood felt as if it were gasoline and someone had lit a match. She screamed as the burning gripped her chest, semi-conscious of the fact she was being held. Her blurred vision darkened through her cries of pain and terror until the whole world went silent and black.
*
Sol awoke under the night sky. Stars glittered in the distance, bright and large, so close they seemed that if she reached out far enough she could pluck one from its resting place. The air was warm, dry, and comforting—like the whole wide world had decided to take her into its embrace. She lay there, massaging blades of grass between her fingers, enjoying the lushness.
Ty was suddenly there, next to her. He lifted Sol to her feet. “Walk with me.”
She took his hand. “Where’s your uncle?”
“He is watching our mortal bodies.”
Their surroundings appeared to be a great plain, but absent of sounds of nature, except for the occasional coyote laughing in the distance. Sol didn’t see the shack, the old man, or the dog, and surprisingly, she didn’t care. She felt calm, happy, and had a greater sense of well-being than she had ever experienced.
“Did we drink LSD?”
“No.” She watched the intense expression on his face. It was a look that demanded trust—acceptance. “There is the Seen and the Unseen. We are in the Unseen. We have left our bodies behind and walk among the spirits.”
She reached out and pinched his firmly muscled arm. “You still feel like you’re in your body.” It hadn’t occurred to her before, or maybe it was the surrealness of the plains, but she noticed for the first time that Ty only wore a breechcloth and boot moccasins—looking raw, savage, and…oh, so hot! His long hair moved like silk against his smooth skin, and she realized it was the first time she’d seen it out of its braid. Sol wondered what if would feel like brushing across her skin. The thought tightened her nipples.
Ty gave her a look of pure desire. “Business first,” he muttered.
A breeze brushed against her, running cool but comfortable air up her legs. She shifted her gaze down at herself. What the hell am I wearing? A body-hugging, white negligee made from lace and silk barely covered her ample curves. Self-consciously, she wrapped her arms over her breasts.
“Why am I dressed like a call girl?”
“This is your spirit walk, Sol. You control the way you appear.” Ty took a step back and eyed her attire. “You’re beautiful.”
Sol blushed hotly. “You’re not half bad, either.”
Her response garnered her a wicked grin from the man. A howl sounded in the distance followed by a crow’s call. Ty kissed her lightly. “It’s time to begin.”
A path of light appeared leading toward a crop of trees. “Whoa. This is kind of freaking me out.”
“I will not allow any harm to come to you.”
For good or for ill, she believed him.
Chapter 7
In the far night, Sol heard a coyote laugh, and she shivered. It felt like they’d walked miles before they reached the tree line. A large boulder, covered in vines of thorns, sharp, long, and treacherous, stood in the path of light, blocking the entrance to the woods.
“Is this it?” Sol asked.
“It’s a test,” answered Ty. “The spirit walk is not an easy one.”
A squawk sounded, then the flapping of wings, before a raven settled onto the top of the boulder. The sleek black bird preened and hopped around the brambles on one leg, then it spoke. “Why have you come?”
Ty let go of Sol’s hand, and he knelt in front of the boulder. “Teacher, tell us how we defeat an enemy hidden from us.”
The raven’s beady eyes pinned Sol, and it spoke again. “Turn back, witch. This path is not yours.”
“We’re in this together,” said Sol. “Where he goes, I go.” She put her hands on her hips. “Answer his question.”
“So brave. So bold. So foolish, child.” Its beady eyes shifted from Sol to Ty and back to Sol. “I see,” it said ominou
sly. “Answer my riddle and I will let you continue. I cry but have no voice, no wings but I can fly, no teeth but I can bite, no mouth yet you can hear my whisperings. Who am I?”
She leaned in close to Ty. “I’m lousy at riddles. Any ideas?”
Ty shook his head. “The riddle was given to you, so the answer must come from you.”
Silently, she cursed. Why had she opened her big mouth?
He stood up and caressed her face. A shiver of pleasure rippled over her skin as his lips brushed hers. “I have faith in you.”
“So, what happens if I get it wrong? Do I get to guess again?”
“It doesn’t work that way.” His hand felt incredibly warm as it moved down her face. “Close your eyes. Relax and clear your mind.”
She inhaled, which was a mistake—the man smelled good even in the Unseen world, his scent a mixture of musk and vanilla—and then she nodded.
“Good. Keep your mind clear of distractions. Think on the riddle.”
The only thing coming to Sol’s mind was the raven. She envisioned ripping off its wings, smashing its beak, and wringing its neck. Stupid bird.
*
Ty opened his eyes, and realized he’d returned abruptly from the spirit walk. His uncle stared at him, his expression worried. Ty turned to Solange. Her eyes jerked rapidly under closed lids.
“Why did you pull me out of the spirit walk, Uncle?” Ty felt panic rise as he realized Sol was in the Unseen without him.
“It wasn’t me, young bear.” He reached across to Sol and touched her forehead with his fingertips. “She’s at a crossroad. A dangerous one. Another sorcellarie has found her in the Unseen world. The witch is trying to lead your mate down a dangerous, broken path.”
“Wake her up,” Ty growled, resisting the urge to shake Sol from her vision. “She doesn’t know what she is—how can she battle another of her kind?”
“Have faith in your woman. Sol must find her own way back to you. Waking her now might kill her.”
Ty took Sol’s hand and focused all his energy into giving her the strength she’d need to fight.