“You think the clothes we stashed are still around here?” Finn asked, rummaging around in the trunk, which had gotten chewed into by squirrels. He brushed over balls of crumpled-up clothing they’d stored here, but with the damage and weathering, they were the crunchy sort of musty he wasn’t keen on throwing on.
“Depends on where this conversation is heading,” Raven said from behind him, her thigh brushing against his side when she crouched beside him. The plum and clear-water scent of her was so familiar, so safe, and he didn’t miss the suggestive note in her voice. Because like her, a part of him prepared to submit to their usual modus operandi.
He tossed on the shirt, wrinkling his nose as the starchy fabric settled over his skin, dust and grit cascading from it. Raven snatched another old pair of spares from the trunk while he pulled on the shorts. Tension brimmed from her in spades and that storm-cloud wouldn’t be retreating any time soon.
However, if he wanted to break this chain, he needed to begin now. His stomach tightened as he settled onto one side of the picnic table, leaning on the splintered surface.
“Look, I know we talk about anything but us,” he started, flexing his fingers in front of them, since he suddenly found his nails fascinating. “We need to, though.”
Raven took a seat on the opposite side of the picnic bench, her quietness unsettling. Not like he expected her to be chatty—the woman hated idle small talk—but this was a loaded silence. The nearby stream murmured in the background, the sound growing louder in this absence of communication between them. Finn’s skin itched and he shifted in his seat. If she didn’t say something soon, he would have to plow right through the silence.
“I know we never discussed being exclusive,” she said, her voice hesitant. The hurt there broke him. He wanted her mad, wanted her claws out and her eyes flashing pissed—that he could work with. Raven contained more strength than these weak displays, than bending when she should be standing strong. Hell, he put on just as bad a front. He had no problem barreling into danger or going head to head with his alpha, yet this relationship broke him every time, like he was nine years old again and stepping into the room reeking of death and decay. Like if he didn’t grip on to whatever lifeline he could, he’d end up in a motel room, alone.
“Your scent was all over her,” Raven murmured.
“She put on one of my shirts,” he argued, even though he knew what she meant. “We shifted earlier and her clothes got left behind.” Except even with all the time he and Raven spent together, the hundreds of times they’d hooked up, his scent had never imprinted on her. That was reserved for true connections and he’d be an idiot to deny what bloomed between him and Navi.
“You know she can’t stay,” Raven warned as she clutched tight to the park bench beneath her. “She’s Tribe, so once her business ends here, she’ll be leaving and it’s not like you can go with her.”
His throat tightened. He and Navi had never discussed a future, never contemplated anything beyond a one-night stand. Because deep down, they knew that was all they could ever have. She was Tribe and he was Red Rock’s beta. They had found their roles, and those were cemented into place.
Except her arrival shifted his views, opening his mind. He’d been so focused on the past that he’d clung to the relationship with Raven, which wasn’t helping either of them. He opened his mouth, knowing what he needed to say and what he needed to do, but the words stuck like glue.
Raven’s brows furrowed, as if she could see the inevitability on his face. “Take the time you need to with her,” she said. Her lips formed a thin line afterward and the unhappiness was broadcast clear on her face, in her voice. “You know I’ll always be around.”
Finn’s gut twisted at how she cared so little about herself. He leaned forward, tilting her chin until their eyes met. “You’re worth more than this, Rae. We’re using each other as safety nets at this point and it’s not helping either of us.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I’m not sure I could survive without this.”
Fuck. With the hellish shit she’d been through when she ran away from the pack, he knew what demons she fought every day. He was one of the only people on this planet who did. The weight of that burden settled on his shoulders every time he considered walking away, every time he prepared to break off their complicated relationship. Because at the end of the day, he would never be in love with her and she would always be in love with him.
“Enjoy your time with her while you’ve got it,” Raven said, running a hand through her thick black hair. Even in the crusted tee she wore, three sizes too big, the woman had a sloping, delicate beauty, from her oval face to her small, slender nose. “Just don’t cut me out.”
He clenched his jaw, hissing out a sigh. “Even if I had someone else in my life, our friendship doesn’t have to die.” She met his eyes with a knowing that twisted his gut. They both knew he spewed utter bullshit. With their history and the depth of Raven’s feelings, an ordinary friendship would never be on the table—not for them.
“Just…take your time with her,” Raven repeated, the hoarse scrape of her voice revealing the pain. No version of this situation would make her happy, unless he swore his undying commitment to her. That would never happen, and they both knew the truth. He had tried to be clear with her on how far his feelings extended, and she’d begged him to stay anyway.
The longer he stayed here, the more he’d be tempted to fall into the patterns of the past. Finn leaned forward and mussed her hair, causing her to wrinkle her nose. “Raven, I just want to see you happy,” he said before tugging the crusty shirt off and tossing it into the trunk. “I’ve got a stakeout to attend, but I want you to think on that—what your happiness is separate from me.”
He didn’t look back to witness the disappointment on her face as yet again he failed her. He ditched the shorts and shifted into his wolf form before taking off into the deep forest, heading toward Beaver Tavern.
* * * *
Finn had barely returned to his car when his phone started buzzing. By the time he jumped into the driver’s seat, the ringing had already stopped, adding to the other five missed calls from Navi. Several texts crowded his inbox too, so he settled into the seat and scrolled through the first one. All the text said was Meet me at the general store. Now.
He jammed his keys into the ignition and tore down the highway, unable to quell the nerves rushing through him. The way Navi threw herself into danger triggered every protective instinct in him, even though she was Tribe, capable and a hell of a lot stronger than him. He pressed harder on the gas pedal, sending his girl rocketing faster, farther. Navi wasn’t the sort for dramatics—in fact, she leaned toward the extreme opposite—so if she contacted him, trouble was a guarantee.
The setting sun sprawled out across the horizon, those amber, rose-gold and ruby streaks painting the skyline in front of him. This day had passed by in a whirlwind of problems and he’d raced through it from beginning to end. Yet, despite the confrontation with Raven not having been the firm step he needed to make and the way the clash with Navi at the bar had twisted up his insides, Finn felt a distinct change. The restlessness, the itch under his skin that had begun to grip him on a daily basis had vanished.
Since he’d been working alongside Navi, purpose had seized him by the throat and hadn’t let go. He’d been searching for that ever since he’d become beta of the Red Rocks.
All too soon, the stretch of buildings of the next town cropped into view. Finn had barely entered when he spotted the problem. When the wail of sirens filtered in through his open windows.
The general store was going up in flames.
Chapter Six
Focusing on the job had been Navi’s best avenue after she’d left Finn at the bar with his girl, since the two of them obviously had a talk in store. Not like she cared. Well, that was a load of horseshit—not like she should care. However, when she’d hopped in the Plymouth and headed into town to scope out the best avenues through the
woods, a much bigger distraction had smacked her in the face.
The general store was burning down.
Flames licked the surface of the store, climbing up the old wood with a vengeance. The charred scent of burning cedar tingled her nose even from the distance and oily tufts of blackened smoke rose to the sky. The heat threatened summer’s own, battling the humidity with every gust like forge billows. She’d called the human authorities at once, since a human-owned store fell under their jurisdiction, despite the shifter interference. Then she’d called Finn, willing the charming bastard to pick up his phone, and left messages when he hadn’t.
Time to get to work.
The burning building was beyond her control, but she could keep the flames from spreading to the nearby stores. If the fire moved, the rest of the town would go up like tinder. Navi loped around the back of what looked like an ice-cream shop and prowled back and forth in search of a bucket lying around. No dice.
Except she had other avenues. Navi climbed the back steps. The moment she rattled the knob to find the door locked, she altered her nail into a claw and began jimmying the lock. It clicked open and she shoved her way inside. Even in the darkened kitchen of the place, her panther eyes could see with ease and she slunk over to the sink where underneath lay a bucket that she filled with water to start. She’d summon the rest once she got there.
Dampen any tendrils of flames crawling closer. Reach out with my powers to pull the water from the ground. Refill the bucket. Continue the cycle.
Sweat poured down her forehead from the heat from the fire, warmth from the summer night and sheer exertion. Navi didn’t falter. Until the fire trucks arrived, she needed to keep the flames from spreading. It wasn’t until she heard the first wail of the sirens that she stopped in the middle of summoning more water.
Navi jogged up, droplets of sweat tickling while they trickled down her forehead, her neck, her arms. Her tank top plastered to her chest with sweat from the humidity and the heat from the fires. The firefighters set to work at once, a swarm of efficiency as the squad attached the hose and got the water flowing. By the time she made it to the roadside, the first jet of water blasted into the general store.
The red-and-blues flashed and a police car pulled up around the same time, coming to a screeching halt in front of her. A wide-eyed officer hopped out, the sort of green she’d expect out here. Navi didn’t hesitate as she trekked in his direction, wiping the sweat from her forehead and sweeping the strands of her pixie cut back in place. As the governing force on the shifter side, she’d had plenty of run-ins with human law enforcement. Even though they packed silver bullets to handle her kind, in a one-on-one fight, she’d always have the edge. Tribe members didn’t intimidate.
“Investigating a trafficking ring amongst my species, Officer,” Navi called out, stepping in front of him before he approached the firefighters. No need to waste time. “I’m thinking the bastards I’m tracking down are behind this arson.”
The officer eyeballed her, pausing on the tattoos up and down her arms. “Your kind did this?” he said, far from incredulous. “I’m going to need to verify your identity—standard protocol and all.”
Her gaze heated and, based on the way his hand jumped to his pistol, her eyes must’ve flashed silver. With the amount of shifters living around here, the law enforcement should’ve been used to her kind—except from what she’d seen, the two species tended to stick to their own turfs.
“Navi Tremere of the East Coast Tribe,” she said with a smile, extending her fangs for extra emphasis. The man near dove into his car before punching the information through the system, the screen illuminating his pasty skin. Even if the cops gave her a little trouble at first, once her credentials followed through, humans stepped the hell in line. For that matter, shifters did, too.
The cop slunk out of his car again, his gaze skating the ground as he refused to make eye contact with her. A member of the Tribe, Navi’s powers placed her high on the food chain, but those abilities came at a price. No one wanted to be friends with a monster.
“Ms. Tremere, feel free to continue with your investigation. I will forward any information we find regarding the arson your way,” he said, growing docile like the rest. In fact, only one man had the brass balls to treat her like an equal—like she was normal. Yet he remained wrapped up with his piece from the past and none of her business.
Navi swallowed, hard, and nodded. “Appreciate the help. I’ll see if the culprits are within running distance.”
Headlights on this lonely street drew her attention past the blare of the sirens and the rotating red, white and blues. A familiar Dodge Challenger came to a screeching halt yards away, since no one in the Red Rock pack could drive like a sane person.
Navi didn’t bother saying goodbye to the cop, just walked toward Finn’s car. Even though the adrenaline from trying to quell the flames had petered out when the fire truck appeared, her heart picked up speed the second the handsome bastard stepped out of his car. He wore the same tee from earlier, too well, as the honed muscles of his upper arms were on clear display with his rolled sleeves. His umber eyes near glowed with concern when he met her halfway.
“Looks like the assholes from this morning took notice of our visit.” Navi hooked her thumbs through the belt loops and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.
Finn swiped a hand over his buzz cut, his mouth twitching. “Fuck, I saw the texts and thought something happened. The old biddy who owned the shack was a shady bitch—I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Navi winked. “That’s cute, babe. You do realize I could knock out most folks with my pinky, right?” A prickle of a flush rose regardless, one she was grateful didn’t show for an inch.
He shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I can’t worry.”
Damn the man. And damn me for reacting when I need to be retreating. No drama and no attachments, the two rules she’d followed her entire life when it came to hook-ups. Finn Kelly somehow threatened those rules in every way possible, even though she’d trained herself in shutting people out. Navi thanked the Spirits she hadn’t felt the mating bond snap into place. If she ever ended up with a mate, her ship was beyond sunk.
“Well, if you’re done dragging your heels, we’ve got work to do,” she said, tilting her head toward the woods behind the general store. He loped past her, those long legs outpacing her tread in seconds.
“Waiting on you, sweetheart,” he said, flashing her a smile. The hungry gleam returned to his eyes, so different from the sheepish awkwardness she’d dealt with before—this was the predator she’d come to respect.
Navi jogged to catch up, directing them away from the path through the woods they’d traveled before. Chances were, the Landsliders would have left someone as sentry to send the heads-up of any further investigation. They might not have realized the pot they stirred in attempting to outsmart Navi Tremere, but they would soon.
Navi and Finn passed the ice-cream shop, and she directed them past another empty lot to where the woods thickened, closer to the section she’d uncovered earlier. Navi stepped to the edge of the forest, the leaves scraping around her ankles and the long grasses brushing at her calves.
“Shift,” she commanded as she stripped off her shirt and shorts and tossed them to the ground. Even as Finn did the same, she could feel his gaze on her, a brand she didn’t want to admit she liked.
Given the timing of the blaze, whatever idiots had set the storefront on fire couldn’t have gotten far on feet or paws. She didn’t give a damn if they were the fastest wolves in the region. She was a panther. She was Tribe.
Navi shifted, the switch as natural as breathing. Her tattoos kept the wild side of her close to the surface even in human form, so the change rarely affected her. That black and white nature, the aggressiveness and the enhanced senses were always close at heart. Her hands turned to paws, she sprouted vicious claws and the thick fur coated her body when she settled onto all fours.
In this
form, doubts didn’t cling to her, worries faded away and the hunter’s clarity settled in. The whole change was addictive. Too many times she’d shifted into panther form and sometimes for so long she forgot how to be Navi Tremere.
A huff came from behind her as a big silver and rust wolf approached. Finn. Navi took the first couple of steps toward the woods, padding across the dry leaves and soft dirt. Already, she caught the scent of unfamiliar shifters on the breeze. She nudged her muzzle forward, catching Finn’s gaze, those piercing eyes that seared right through her.
Together, they ran.
As the breeze filtered through her fur and the mud churned under her paws, the joy of the hunt swept through. In their haste, these shifters had been sloppy. Their scent marked everywhere with no effort to hide it and branches were bent, leaves trampled. Even though Finn lagged a couple of feet behind, he made a valiant effort to keep up. Her panther form was bigger and thick corded muscles burst with energy, so, at a flat run, she outpaced. The forest quaked where she landed and, in this form, the raw power of the panther spirit-bonded to her radiated through.
Navi slowed upon reaching a stretch of caves with openings that swallowed darkness. The scent trail led straight up to the entrances. Even with her enhanced vision, she couldn’t make out what lingered in those black holes. She paced the ground in front of the entrance, unable to quell her suspicion. The Landsliders might be in a panic, but they hadn’t been complete idiots so far. Backing themselves into a corner would snap a noose around their necks, meaning this was a trap. Diving in would be sheer lunacy.
Finn sailed past her, not pausing for a heartbeat.
Into the depths of the cavern he plunged, disappearing from sight. Her heart slammed as her muscles tensed to leap. Not like she could leave him to get eviscerated on his own inside. He’d made their choice the second he thundered in. Navi let out a low growl that reverberated through her chest before racing into the caves after him.
Forged Decisions Page 5