She barely registered when he suddenly shifted. Her skin-tight black hipster jeans were pulled down her thighs along with her panties before she even managed to take a deep breath. When she heard clothes rustle, she lifted her head, and as if in a trance, her eyes saw that he was naked, but her brain refused to process the image.
When his weight returned, his bare skin brushed against her legs, her sex, her abdomen. Once again the strange see-saw of arousal and languor swung higher and higher. Her body was out of control, inflamed at his touch, cold and numb when he moved on. All she could do was gasp, eyes closed, and hang on for dear life.
When he finally pushed up her knees and slipped inside her, the stretch and friction came as a relief. Her mind blanked as he began moving inside of her. Her head twisted sideways, sounds she never thought herself capable streaming out of her mouth. She wondered what the wetness was, leaking onto her pillow.
The glow in her groin burst into full flames, and her legs contracted around his hips as she came. Her hands gripped his head, and she cried out her ecstasy. When her fingers brushed past his head, they shrank back when they encountered the elongated tips of his ears. They felt like cat ears, pointy at the top with slight fuzz on the skin. The strange sensation pierced through the fog of arousal now that her initial lust was sated. Her eyes flew open, only to see a perfectly shaped human ear right next to her head.
Florice’s lips brushed her temple as he whispered, “What’s up? Am I not fucking you hard enough?”
He twisted his hips, and just like that, Adi forgot all about what her fingers had felt but her eyes hadn’t confirmed. There was only this gorgeous man over her, inside of her, making her come over and over again, until she couldn’t even remember why this was a bad idea.
13
“Ugh, why the hell is it so hot in this bed?” Adi grumbled, turning from her belly to her back. Gross sweat had collected under her boobs and between her thighs. The weight on top of her was far heavier than her lightweight comforter. Something didn’t compute. She kicked ineffectually at the cover, trying to get some air to her overheated body.
When she lifted her head, her eyes widened as she stared at what was on top of her. Brown, glossy, slightly musky fur. Why was there fur on her? She gave up struggling for a moment and turned her head. This wasn’t her room. Gone were the walls next to her bed, the large window onto the square, the glossy red door to the hallway.
Instead there was a dark brown wooden ceiling above her, far higher than the standard room height she was accustomed to. The headboard of the large bed she was in butted against a stone wall, covered with tapestry. Her heart rate speeding up, Adi scooted out from underneath the suffocating animal skin and whipped her head from left to right in disbelief.
She was inside a room furnished in medieval fittings. Was this a prank? She’d been looking forward to a guided tour of Heidelberg Castle, and by the looks of it, that’s where she’d ended up. She flushed as she remembered how she’d spent the night. Florice. He must have pulled a prank on her, maybe drugged her, and dumped her in an exhibition room—literally. She looked down at herself to confirm what she already knew, that yes, she was naked, except for her wolf medallion. She needed to find some clothes and get out of here before the museum guards, or worse, a group of tourists, saw her like this.
Grimacing at the sticky feeling between her thighs, she slipped out of the elevated bed with its four posts. Thankfully, there was no fabric suspended between the wooden supports. Otherwise, her dust allergy would have kicked in already. She looked around frantically but couldn’t see her clothes anywhere. There was a pile of fabric on a stool, though, and Adi hurried over to see whether there was something to cover herself with.
She pulled up the first item and frowned. She held a tunic made of finely woven cotton, or maybe linen. She wasn’t sure, but it slipped through her fingers like silk. Adi lifted the item out of the way and realized that that was it. There was nothing else. Oh, great. She sighed, then pulled the fabric over her head. It whispered down her body like a cool caress.
“Just the right size. You look lovely,” an amused voice said from the doorway. Adi whirled around. Florice was leaning against the door frame, arms folded in front of him. The light from the windows hit his face in such a way that his eyes shone an electric green. It made him look alien, unapproachable, when she knew he was anything but.
“Get me the hell out of here before anybody sees me,” she hissed at him. “And where did you put my clothes, you fucking lunatic?”
Florice laughed out loud. “That’s why I like you so much. You’ve got spunk, little girl.”
Adi gaped at him. Little girl? Seriously? She’d had just about enough.
“Look, I get it. You had fun last night, and you pranked me good. I didn’t know Germans went in for hazing, but if that’s what this is about, well done. I’m properly hazed. Can I go home now? And preferably before anybody else sees me?”
Florice chuckled. “’Fraid not. You see, you’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.”
Adi rolled her eyes. Way to go with the melodrama. She knew there was a reason why she hadn’t taken to him. God knew why she’d ended up in bed with him. He’d been pretty good, though. Adi couldn’t suppress a shiver as she remembered what they’d done last night. Florice’s smug smile made her hope her face hadn’t mirrored her thoughts. Then his words sunk in properly. Wait, what?
She quickly walked to the window, and Florice didn’t stop her. Where she’d expected to see all of Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley spread below her, there was nothing but dense forest. She pressed her forehead to the uneven glass to look straight down. There were no masses of tourists or any trappings of modernity. Instead, groups of people dressed in tunics and colorful shrugs walked arm in arm through a manicured garden.
For a moment, her mind went blank. She wasn’t in Heidelberg. She had no idea where she was. More importantly, nobody else knew where she was. Florice was a sociopath. He had to be. He stood right behind her, not touching her, but she could feel his body heat. Breathe, Adi, breathe. Don’t let him know that you’re scared.
When Florice touched her shoulder, she jumped with a yelp. Then she turned around, swallowed down her panic, and put a plastic smile on her face. “Where am I? What’s happening? Will you let me go, please?”
Contrition blew across Florice’s perfect features like clouds before a storm. The same regret sounded in his voice when he opened his mouth.
“I’m afraid not, Adi. Haven’t you figured it out yet? You’ve made a powerful enemy in Cos ve Naima.”
“Cos ve what?”
Florice patiently repeated. “Cos ve Naima. The spirit world. Cos is part of Emain Ablach, the faerie realm. You’re in Faerie.”
Adi blanched. She suddenly had a really bad feeling about where this was going.
“You pissed off the queen of all Faerie. I’m part of her Court and was tasked with getting you here.” His strange eyes ran up and down her body before he smiled. “And it wasn’t exactly a hardship, seducing you.”
Adi gathered her courage, aided by a burst of anger at being played. “You know I’ve beaten her before. Why don’t you just let me go? You can always say I’ve—I don’t know, made myself invisible and snuck past you.”
Florice scoffed. “Can you do that?”
“No,” Adi admitted. “But she doesn’t know that.”
“She’s planned this for a while. When your flatmates come looking for you, one of our Court will open your door. She’ll use her glamor, and they will see you. Nobody will miss you, Adi.”
Florice lifted his hand and stroked his fingers over her cheek. His voice turned softer.
“I won’t risk it. She’s my queen and I’m bound to her. I’m sorry. Maybe if you show remorse, she’ll go easy on you. You have powers that may be useful to her.” His fingertips wiped away a tear Adi hadn’t even been aware of.
There was no way out for her. Even if she did escape, she couldn’t get b
ack to the human world. And Honi would have no idea that she’d disappeared. The thought of never seeing him again opened the floodgates. Under the watchful eyes of her abductor, she slid to the ground and covered her face with her hands, desperately struggling for composure.
14
Honi stared at Patty. She’d been talking for the last five minutes, and he had no idea what about. Her chatter felt like cobwebs blowing into his face, unavoidable and irritating. His brows drew together. What the hell was he doing here?
Patty was lovely, her chestnut-brown hair wavy, her large doe eyes sparkling in the candlelight. It had seemed such a good idea to move on and start dating after Adi had left him. Patty was curvaceous yet fragile. Her skin creamy and… Honi closed his eyes and groaned. How had he not noticed this before? Dammit, she looked just like Adi.
He became dimly aware that Patty had stopped speaking. She reached out and covered his hand with hers. When he opened his eyes, she looked at him with a mixture of irritation and fondness. Just like Adi used to.
“I’m sorry, Honi. Are you okay? I know I sometimes talk too much…” Her voice trailed off.
What was he going to say? Sorry, Patty, you remind me of my ex-girlfriend? He pulled his hand back slowly, and a wave of misery washed away the last vestiges of a romantic dinner. This couldn’t go any further. Not tonight, not ever. He missed Adi too much, and although he knew it was over, it was too early to move on. And if he was honest with himself, he didn’t have time for dating anyway.
Tonight was the first night in two weeks that he didn’t have a deadline for a paper or a training call with John. And what did he do? Rather than exercise or work on his sleep deficit, here he was with a girl who looked like his ex. Patty didn’t deserve to be his rebound, and besides, she wanted far more than he could give her right now. He still had no time to develop a relationship.
“I’m fine, Patty. I’m sorry… I’m exhausted. If you don’t mind, I’ll go back to my room and catch up on sleep. I’ll call you, okay?”
By the way the girl’s eyes narrowed, they both knew that wasn’t going to happen. Honi quickly settled the bill and left so fast, he might as well have been running away. Patty’s car was parked outside the restaurant, and Honi glanced at it as he rushed past. Damn, she was perfect. She had a “Native Pride” bumper sticker, and for a quick moment, he considered turning around and apologizing. But Ho’neo pushed his damp nose against his palm and whined.
“You’re right,” Honi sighed. “She isn’t her.” For the rest of the walk home, his mind swirled with images of the girl he had let slip away. The longer he walked, the more his mood darkened. Why hadn’t he given her more of his time? Why had he always put her last on his to-do list, after his studies, his training, meetings with John? By the time he arrived at his room, all he wanted was a quick shower, then sleep. Preferably without dreaming of what he’d lost.
Just as he closed the door behind him, his phone rang. He quickly checked the display. He wasn’t interested in talking to Patty any further tonight, although he knew she’d want an explanation eventually. Groaning, he answered the call.
“John, it’s late. Can’t it wait till the morning?”
Silence. Then John said, “Is that the way to talk to your Elder, Honi?”
Honi sat on his bed and closed his eyes. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just—” He took a deep breath. “Let me try again. Hi, John, how can I help you?”
“Thanks. You know I worry about you. What’s going on? You’ve been really down over the last few weeks. Are you still hung up on that German girl?”
Honi rubbed his forehead. John had never accepted that his relationship with Adi had been serious. He hadn’t said it outright, but when she’d left for Germany, John had been relieved. To his mind, Honi needed to finish college and law school before getting serious with any girl.
Since Adi had defeated the queen last year, the spirit animals were once again quiet. John had been all in favor of training Adi to prevent her from causing harm to both the human and spirit worlds. But once her core training had been finished, he hadn’t seen the need for her to spend any more time with Honi than necessary.
When Honi didn’t respond, John continued. “You know what’s expected of you. The tribe and your family have worked hard so that you can attend law school next year.”
And there it was. Honi was sick of it. He was grateful that he didn’t have to work like so many other students. Years ago, the tribe had set up a fund for his education fees. That fund had exhausted their financial reserves and was one of the reasons why Honi couldn’t rely on any further contributions to his stipend for the moment.
A buzzing headache that had threatened to descend on him all night finally settled behind his forehead, just above his eyes. Rubbing harder, Honi felt numb. What was the point of continuing his education, of going to law school? What was the point of working every hour God gave, just to lose the one thing that had brought some hope, some color into his life?
“I don’t want to go to law school.”
“What?” John barked out the word, and Honi registered that he’d spoken out loud. He was stunned. He was about to open his mouth and take it back when he realized that it was God’s honest truth.
“I don’t want to go to law school,” he said again, louder. “I’m sorry, I don’t. I’m very grateful to the tribe, but I can’t see myself as a lawyer. Maybe there’s another career path—”
“Whoa,” John interrupted him. Honi imagined him standing in his kitchen, clutching the avocado-green handset to his ear, the ten-foot curly cord wrapping around his feet as he paced up and down.
“Think about what you’re saying. Do you know how many sacrifices your parents and the community have made so that you could go to college? After your stunt last year, you’ve lost your funding until the end of the year. We had to plead—beg even—with the Board of Trustees to let you finish your degree!”
Not fair. Not fair to bring this up! Honi’s temper was rising. He replied sharply, “You know it wasn’t a suicide attempt. I had to help Adi, and I couldn’t think of any other way to follow her to the spirit world. You know that! Why are you throwing it in my face like it was all my fault?”
John’s reply was equally heated. “You’re missing the point! I know it wasn’t your fault. It was Adi’s! It was her ignorance and stubbornness that trapped her there! We could have lost you, Honi! Do you know what that would have done to your parents? To me?”
Honi understood. He really did. John loved him like a son. He’d been so pissed last year when Honi had nearly died. While his father had met Adi and realized how important she’d become to Honi, John had never warmed to her.
Honi suddenly felt his exhaustion bone-deep. He didn’t want to have this conversation. He was such a disappointment—to his parents, to John, to Adi. The only one he hadn’t let down was his spirit wolf.
Absentmindedly petting the large black predator’s head, he said dejectedly, “I need to go to sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
After hanging up, he flopped backwards onto his mattress. Just before slipping into sleep, he felt his wolf’s fur tickling his arm as Ho’neo curled up at his side. His fingers tightened reflexively on the warm, solid bulk next to him. Then the dreams came.
15
At first he didn’t even realize that he was dreaming. He looked at the ceiling, fascinated by the shifting shapes flickering on the smooth surface like shadow puppets. The moon was full tonight, and swaying branches, heavy with their full fall display, conjured bizarre figures that seemingly moved of their own accord.
Honi lay still for a while, listening to the night noises trickling in through his half-open window. He loved it when cool night breezes drifted over his exposed skin while he was snuggled under his warm blanket.
Adi had always complained that it made the room cold, but when he’d pulled her close to his body, she’d moved happily, throwing an arm over his waist and placing her head on his chest. Honi scr
unched up his eyes, fighting against the regret and feeling of loss.
A waft of warm breath on his ear alerted him to the sigh before he heard it. His head whipped around so fast, he nearly pulled a muscle in his neck. He could hear the rhythmical breathing of the dark shape sleeping next to him. Honi didn’t move a muscle while his thoughts tumbled frantically over each other.
Who the hell was in his bed? Had he gone out again, gotten high, and scored at the club? He lifted his blanket slowly, so as to not wake the intruder next to him. Yes, he had no clothes on. Which didn’t necessarily mean he’d had sex, because he always slept naked. Carefully, he rolled to his side and lifted the cover a little more. He couldn’t see the hair color of the person next to him, but he assumed by the length of it that there was a girl in his bed.
Honi didn’t know what to do. Wake her up and potentially cause a scene? He so wasn’t ready to confront her naked. Or sneak out of bed and put some clothes on to gain a little strategic advantage? He’d feel a lot more comfortable at least wearing a pair of underpants if he was going to be shouted at. He couldn’t see how she wouldn’t, given that he had no recollection of who she was or how she’d gotten there.
Just as he rolled away from her, a louder sigh signaled the girl waking up. He turned his head towards her, his eyes wide with apprehension. The dim white light from the moon outside must be playing tricks on his eyes. There, on his pillow, smiling sleepily at him, was Adi. She was just like he remembered her, soft and tempting, with heavy-lidded eyes and tousled hair.
Honi froze. How… where… what… Wishful thinking warred with the knowledge that Adi was in Germany. He hadn’t heard from her in weeks. But if she was there, then how could she be here, in his bed? At which point he face-palmed because, yeah, he was obviously dreaming.
books 1 - 3 Page 33