When I resurfaced, breathless, he smiled down at me. “So what’d ya wanna show me?”
“Uh…” I swam up through the tide of lust that had submerged me. “You mean besides my bed?”
“I’m good with that.” He grinned. “But ya said it wasn’t gonna give me a hard-on, an’ considerin’ I’m gettin’ one just thinkin’ about it, I’m guessin’ your bed ain’t what ya meant.”
“Oh. Right. No, it wasn’t, but I could be convinced…”
“That’s one a’ the things I love about ya.” He brushed my lips with his. “But now ya got me curious. Lead the way, darlin’.”
“Okay.” I grinned up at him. “You’re going to like this. Come on.”
As I led him toward the main building, he asked, “So ya ain’t heard from Kane?”
“No, not since he was here in February, right before his dad went into the hospital. Has he called you?”
“Nah.”
I let out a breath. “Shit, I was hoping he had.” We walked on in silence for a few paces before I burst out, “Damn, I hate this. He could be anywhere; hell, he could be dead and we’d never even know. He thought it would be better if we weren’t working together, but it really sucks not knowing.”
“Yeah, I know, darlin’.” Hellhound’s arm closed around me. “But he’s been doin’ this for a long time, an’ he’s dropped off the grid lotsa times before. Try not to worry.”
“I’m not really worrying, I’m just… I wish I knew, is all.”
He nodded silently, and I shook off my mood as we rounded the corner behind the main building. Glancing up at his puzzled expression with a smile, I whispered, “The surprise is in that shed over there.”
“What, that ol’ piece a’ shit?” He frowned at the dilapidated structure. “Looks like it’s ready to fall down.”
“Not quite.” I put my finger to my lips and led him over to the door.
When I dragged it open, his jaw dropped and his face lit up.
“Aw…” he breathed, and knelt as if in reverence before the ledge containing a nest of wood shavings that cradled a gray-and-white mother cat with five multicoloured kittens nestled side by side against her, their tiny paws kneading her belly while they suckled.
I sat in the shavings beside him, smiling. “This is Misty. She had her kittens about three weeks ago.”
“Aw…” he said again, and lowered his voice to the same husky croon he’d used with Peaches. “Hey, Miz Momma-cat.” He extended his hand slowly for her to sniff. She inspected it thoroughly, then offered her seal of approval with a whisker-rub.
He gently massaged her jaw and she slitted her eyes with pleasure, then stood and stretched in an exaggerated arch, stiffly extending first one hind leg, then the other. Deprived of her warmth, the kittens emitted a chorus of high-pitched mews, staggering and tumbling clumsily over each other in search of the missing milk dispenser.
Hellhound’s brow furrowed. “Lie down, Misty,” he urged. “Your babies need ya.”
Misty seemed to think otherwise. She cracked her jaws into a cavernous yawn before picking her way over to the edge of the shelf and jumping down.
“Wait, come back!” Hellhound eyed her departing posterior with anxiety. “Shit, Aydan, we scared her off. She’s leavin’ them.”
“No, she’s not,” I promised. “She’s just taking a break now that the babysitters have arrived.” He looked unconvinced, and I added, “If she was a feral cat she’d never let us near her kittens and she’d move them as soon as anybody discovered them. But she’s so used to having people around, she knows we won’t hurt them. She’s probably just going to get a snack or something.”
“Ya think so?” He turned a worried face back to the mewing kittens.
“I know so. Trust me, she does this every time I come to visit. Here.” I reached carefully into the nest, gently grasping the nearest kitten by its scruff. It went limp as I lifted it, its hind legs and tail curling under.
Hellhound sucked in a breath. “Jesus! Aydan, stop! You’re killin’ it!”
“I’m not, I promise. And it’s a ‘him’. I think. It’s hard to tell when they’re this young.” I tucked a hand under the little warm bundle for extra security while I transferred it. “This is how their mother carries them, and they’re programmed to go limp like this when she takes them by the scruff. Hold out your hand.”
Eyes wide, he complied and I lowered the small orange fluff-ball onto his palm. As soon as I released my grip the tiny tom uncurled, his spindly legs splayed across the uneven surface, his pipe-cleaner tail flailing for balance.
Hellhound instinctively tucked his hand to his chest, cupping his other hand around it to make a protective fence. The kitten mewed once before nuzzling close to Hellhound’s warmth, and he extended a single fingertip to caress the small head and downy fluff of the body with infinite gentleness.
“He’s so little,” he breathed, his face full of awe. “I never knew they were so little. Hooker was full-grown when I found him.”
“You should have seen them when they were first born and their eyes weren’t even open yet. They looked more like mice than kittens.” I fell silent, tucking a hand around the remaining kittens in the nest to silence their mewing while I enjoyed Hellhound’s enchantment with the mote of life he cupped in his palm.
The spell was broken a few minutes later when Misty returned from her errand, chirruping a half-purr-half-meow as she hopped up on the shelf. Hellhound’s little tom responded with a piercing mew, and as Hellhound leaned to bring him closer, Misty craned her neck to clamp her teeth gently but firmly on the kitten’s scruff. Hellhound’s mouth dropped open as she transferred the kitten back into the nest and curled herself around her brood again. After only a few moments of squirming and tumbling they rearranged themselves in a rapt row against her belly, and soon the silence was broken only by an occasional sucking noise.
“And visiting hours are over,” I quipped, smiling. “See, I told you she wouldn’t leave them.”
“That’s amazin’.” Hellhound’s gaze was riveted on the little furry family. “That’s absolutely fuckin’ amazin’. How do they know?” He turned a wondering face to me. “How the hell do they know?” He turned back to Misty and caressed her side with tenderness. “Goodbye, Momma-cat. Take good care a’ your babies.”
We rose and I quietly swung the door closed.
“Ya ain’t shuttin’ her in there, are ya?” Hellhound inquired worriedly. “She can still get out, right?”
“Yeah.” I pointed to a hole left by a rotten board near the middle of the shed. “She goes in and out through there. If we left the door open she’d probably move the kittens because predators could get in too easily.”
“Oh. Okay, good.” He nodded absently, his gaze still fixed on the shed, his mouth curved in a smile.
Chapter 27
As we came around the corner of the main building I turned to Hellhound. “I forgot to ask, are you hungry? I’ll show you the kitchen, and we can grab a snack.”
“Nah, I ate when I got off the plane a coupla hours ago, but I wanna see inside the buildin’ anyway an’ get the layout.”
I led the way inside, pointing out the kitchen, phone, showers, laundry room, and storage. We were just coming out of the meditation room when Karma strode into the main hall.
“Oh, hi,” I greeted him. “I thought you were going to be busy all day, but this is perfect. This is Arnie Helmand, or Hellhound if you prefer. Arnie, Karma Wolf Song.”
Karma smiled and shook Hellhound’s outstretched hand. “The Earth Spirit released us a little earlier than we expected. It’s good to meet you-”
Moonbeam had entered as he spoke, and her gasp cut across his words. “Merciful Spirit, what a beautiful man!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining.
Hellhound and I both twisted to look behind us and found no one. When we turned back to face Moonbeam, I realized she was drinking in Hellhound as though worshiping at a holy shrine, her hands clasped in rapture.
He cast another puzzled glance around the room before crossing his arms over his chest, frowning uncomfortably.
“Oh…” Moonbeam reached for him as if unable to prevent herself, her hands skimming the air beside his bulging tattooed biceps. “Oh, you are so beautiful!”
“Uh…” Hellhound shuffled his feet and his frown deepened. “Sorry, Miz, uh… ma’am… I think ya got the wrong guy.” He leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Is she blind or somethin’?”
Moonbeam came back to earth with a little shake of her head. “I’m sorry, where are my manners?” She smiled and extended her hand. “I am Moonbeam Meadow Sky, and I do apologize for my impulsive behaviour, but you have the most beautiful aura I’ve ever seen.” Her eyes unfocused again as she gazed up at Hellhound. “Silver and white and yellow, with streaks of that lovely sensual pink…” She sighed. “Extraordinary.”
I tucked an arm around him, smiling. “He is.”
Hellhound flushed and ducked his head as he took Moonbeam’s slender hand in a careful grasp. “Pleased to meet ya, Miz Moonbeam.”
I knew she was truly smitten when she didn’t even correct him to use her full name. Instead she smiled and caressed his hand as though the contact was a gift beyond price. Then she dipped into the folds of her caftan to bring out another wood-beaded bracelet.
I had briefed Hellhound about the bracelet ceremony, so he stood patiently while she tied the hemp cord, carefully securing the short tails that remained after spanning the girth of his wrist.
She clasped his hand in both of hers and looked up at him with unconcealed admiration that made him flush again.
“This bracelet gives you the protection of the Earth Spirit as long as you are here.” She repeated the words of the ceremony with reverence. “Wear it always. From now on, you’ll be known as Blessed Soul Dream, the name the Earth Spirit has bestowed on you. Go forth in peace, tolerance, and harmony. The blessings of the Earth Spirit are upon you.”
“Blessed Soul Dream?” Hellhound’s voice came out slightly strangled. When she nodded up at him with her ethereal smile, he cleared his throat, his face crimson. “Uh, thanks, Miz Moonbeam. Blessin’s on ya, too.”
As if to spare him further embarrassment, Karma spoke up in his hearty bass voice. “Well, Storm Cloud Dancer, have you been giving, er…” he hesitated with a sidelong glance at Moonbeam. “…Hellhound… the twenty-five cent tour this afternoon?” At my nod, he smiled and turned to Hellhound. “I hope you’re feeling welcome.”
“Depends on what ya mean by ‘welcome’,” Hellhound replied. “If ya like gettin’ bayonets shoved in your face, then yeah, I got a helluva welcome.”
Moonbeam gasped, and Karma wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. “What happened?” he demanded.
“We took a walk over the bridge, an’ these four guys jumped outta the woods an’ held us up with bayonets,” Hellhound explained. “Who the hell are those assholes… sorry, Miz Moonbeam, I mean, who are those guys?”
“Oh, Storm Cloud Dancer, I thought I had been clear about the boundaries of the commune,” Moonbeam chided.
“Sorry, Miz Moonbeam, that was my fault,” Hellhound said hurriedly. “I pushed her into it, but I wouldn’t’a done it if I’d known it was gonna be dangerous. I didn’t think there’d be armed guys runnin’ around out here.”
“Are you going to call the police?” Moonbeam asked.
“I don’t know what we’d say if we did,” I replied. “We were trespassing. And they weren’t carrying real guns, so I don’t think the police would do anything. I’m pretty sure it’s legal to play war games on private land.”
“Maybe we should call the police anyway,” Moonbeam quavered.
A flicker of movement near the kitchen door caught my eye, and I glanced over to the now-empty doorway, trying not to distract Moonbeam and Karma.
Shit, had that been Ratboy? Several of the commune members were slim dark-haired men sporting beards, so maybe not…
I returned my attention to the conversation as Karma’s arm tightened around Moonbeam. “We’ll deal with it, my love,” he rumbled. He turned back to Hellhound and me. “I’m very sorry that happened to you. That’s actually what our meditation was about today. The Earth Spirit warned us that our renters were not living in the harmonious way of the Spirit, and after this incident it’s obvious we’ll have to evict them. Please stay far away from them. We’ll ask them to leave as soon as possible.”
“They might not take too kindly to that,” I said. “We were barely across the bridge before they accused us of trespassing. We were lucky another guy happened along who seemed like their leader and he let us go. I don’t think you should confront them. Send an email or a letter or something, and call the police if they don’t cooperate.”
“Thank you, dear, that sounds like good advice.” Moonbeam exchanged a glance with Karma. “We’ll write the letter tonight. But please, stay away from them. Such violent intent is against everything the Earth Spirit represents.”
“We will,” I promised.
“And speaking of the Earth Spirit,” she continued, “I believe Aurora Peace Rain is helping Blaze Featherwind prepare for her talk this evening. Have you instructed Blessed Soul Dream in the way of the Callings, or should I arrange for Aurora Peace Rain to do so later?”
“I told him,” I assured her.
“Very well then. We will need to meditate on the contents of our letter, so we’ll take our leave now.” Moonbeam hugged me and Hellhound in turn. “Spirit bless you, children.”
“You, too,” we chorused, and watched them leave arm in arm.
I hurried to the kitchen and peeked in, but it was deserted. I eyed the opposite door speculatively. It led to an outdoor deck with firepits that were likely used for cooking when the weather was too hot for woodstoves, but it would only be a short dash to the concealment of the trees from there.
“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Hellhound asked.
“I thought I saw Ratboy.”
He strode across the kitchen and stepped out on the patio, scanning the forest. After a moment he returned, frowning. “If it was him, he didn’t hang around.” Then he glanced around the empty room and leaned close to growl, “Fuck, Aydan, what the hell? A pink aura? An’ Blessed Soul Dream? Don’t tell Kane, or I’ll never fuckin’ live it down.”
“I won’t, I promise.” I kept a straight face with an effort. “But she didn’t say it was completely pink.”
“Yeah, well, yellow an’ white an’ silver ain’t much better.” He eyed me suspiciously. “Did she name Kane, too? What colour’s his aura?”
“Um, yeah…” I made a stab at changing the subject. “Maybe you should think of it as chrome instead of silver. Nothing cooler than a chrome aura, right?”
“Nice try. Spit it out, darlin’. Tell me what she said about Kane.”
I sighed. “Sorry, but she named him Sunstar Desert Hawk and said his aura was clear red.”
“Fuck.” Hellhound glowered at his boots. “Okay. Fine. She’s just seein’ what she wants to see an’ I ain’t gonna let it bug me.” His scowl deepened. “Much.”
“I don’t think aura colours are supposed to be manly,” I comforted him. “And, anyway, she’s right.” When he looked up, scowling as though he expected me to poke fun, I cupped his face in my hands and reached up to kiss him. “On the inside, you truly are beautiful.”
He flushed and his face softened. “Thanks, darlin’.” He kissed me back. “You an’ her are the only people that’d ever think so, but thanks anyway.” He blew out a breath. “So what else do I need to see?”
“That’s about it.” I led him outside. “There’s the garden and a bunch of paths and the main encampment, but you saw the layout from Skidmark’s bench. All the other tents are occupied so there’s no point in going down there. I think there’s only one thing left for you to inspect.”
“What’s that?”
“My bed.”
He grinned. “Lead the way, darlin’.”
As we strolled down the path hand in hand, Hellhound glanced around before dropping his voice. “So what d’ya think the deal is with Orion an’ the renters?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to be into any of that paramilitary stuff, and he doesn’t seem to hate women the way Ratboy does.”
“Or he’s just smarter about hidin’ it.”
I refused to shudder at the chill that chased itself down my spine. “Yeah. But I wonder what he’ll do when they get their eviction notice. His tent is here, but he must be part of their group or they’d be on him with bayonets the instant he crossed the bridge.”
Hellhound walked in silence for a few moments, frowning. “I dunno, darlin’; my gut says there’s somethin’ rotten here, but I can’t figure out what it’d be. If those nutjobs’ve been there for a year, they were there before Stemp’s cover breach so they shouldn’t be after his folks. If Orion’s part a’ them, then he shouldn’t be a threat, either, but then why’s he pretendin’ to be part a’ the commune? An’ I still got a bad feelin’ about Skidmark, too.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “That’s exactly what I’ve been struggling with. So you don’t see anything I’m missing?”
“Not off-hand. As long as you’re trackin’ Orion, I think that’s the best ya can do unless somethin’ else changes.”
“Shit.” I stared gloomily at my feet. “So I’m stuck here, just waiting. Damn.” After a few more strides, I added, “I wish Nichele wasn’t here. I have a really bad feeling about this, and I don’t want her in the middle of it.”
“Ya think she’ll leave soon?”
I cocked a jaundiced eye at the blue sky. “If the weather turns to shit like it’s been for the last four months, she’ll be gone before you can say ‘five-star hotel’. But as long as it’s nice like this, who knows? She’s having so damn much fun with Aurora and she’s so freaked out about Dave’s marriage proposal, she might just decide to stay a while.”
“But ya said Dave’s back in Victoria tomorrow. If ya tell him it’s dangerous here, d’ya think he can convince her to go?”
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