Dark Wolf: 1 (Spirit Wild) (14 page)

Another reason why they needed to solve the murders. “So why are you hiding from Tinker? You afraid your dad won’t want to see you with Alex?” She laughed. “Of course, I couldn’t blame him.”

“Watch it.” Alex growled. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Since when?” Laughter bubbled up before she could stop it, but it was so much fun, seeing that absolutely besotted expression on Alex Aragat’s face. He didn’t do besotted, and she clearly remembered telling him years ago that Annie would be his perfect match. This was gonna be so much fun!

“Since we were toddlers and you used to cover for me. That set a precedent. I’m sure it’d stand up in court.”

“Yeah, right.” Lily was still laughing, but Annie leaned against his side and Alex tightened his arm around her waist.

“I don’t want Dad to see the bruise. He’s so overprotective that he’ll never let me out.”

“He let you go to Europe for what, six years?”

“I know. Can you believe it? Mom convinced him that since I was on another continent, he couldn’t worry about me, that Eve would watch over me.”

Alex’s eyebrow shot up, just like his father. “And he bought that?”

“Alex!” Lily jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “You know Eve watches over all of her Chanku, no matter where they are.” She glanced at Annie. “I see your point. Why don’t you shift? That always helps heal stuff faster.”

Annie’s eyes practically glowed. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve shifted. Alex? Do you want to run?”

“Whatever you want.”

His studied disinterest was such a tell. The boy definitely had it bad. Lily glanced from Alex to Annie. “Do you mind if I come with you? I was planning to go by myself, but . . .”

“I’d love it.” Annie squeezed her hand. “It’s been so long since I’ve had anyone to run with.”

Lily opened her thoughts, checked in with her father, and let him know they’d be out for the next few hours. She could hardly contain her relief when he merely said he and her mom were going out for the evening and they could discuss her visit with Eve in the morning.

She wasn’t ready to talk to her dad. Not yet. Not until she had more time to figure out how she planned to approach Sebastian. Not until she knew for sure if his magic was the source of the malevolence tainting the astral, or if Aldo Xenakis had somehow commandeered his son’s abilities.

She barely knew Sebastian Xenakis, but she’d sensed goodness in him. Even when he’d chased her on Mount Tam, she’d not been able to accept that he was scaring her on purpose.

Somehow, once she got back to San Francisco, she needed to get him on the nutrients. Once he shifted naturally, without magic, she should be able to read him better, see what made him tick.

And hopefully discover what force was using him, working through him, to harm her. Lily had no doubt someone wanted her either too badly frightened to function, or maybe just plain dead. But it wasn’t Sebastian. It couldn’t be Sebastian.

A
lex shifted. Lily had always loved the way his wolf looked. She thought the glossy black fur with silver tips on his rough outer coat made him look very much like his father. When she was little, she’d had a horrible crush on Stefan Aragat. Like his son, he was handsome and smart and too funny for his own good.

Alex glanced toward both girls before trotting out of the big cavern, following a long, winding tunnel that would eventually lead them up and out of the caves higher on the mountain.

Annie and Lily quickly undressed and shoved their clothes in a corner. Lily completed her shift, but she stopped in her tracks and stared at Annie’s wolf.
I never would have recognized you. Your coat used to be almost as dark as mine.

Now Annie was a pale gray with black tips, an almost perfect mirror image of Alex’s black and silver.
It changed while I was in England. Dad blames it on the lack of sunlight.

Lily’s snort was pure wolven humor. Padding on big paws, she led Annie away from the artificial light in the main cavern, along twisted tunnels and through huge caverns, so familiar with the various routes that the utter darkness didn’t slow her down. It was dark outside by the time they took the narrow tunnel that led to an opening high on the mountain above the valley where most of the pack lived.

Alex waited for them, his eyes glimmering in the moonlight. Lily felt Annie’s excitement practically bursting out of her as the gray wolf scampered through a narrow crevice between two huge boulders and took the lead. With Alex close behind on her right and Lily on the left, she led them down the steep hillside, away from the caverns, and into the forest. The moon wouldn’t be full until tomorrow night, but it glowed so brightly in the big Montana sky that light shimmered between the huge pines and cedars and filled the open meadows with an ethereal silvery glow.

Lily followed easily, holding the steady pace Annie set, head high, ears pricked forward, with her tail waving behind her. The air was fresher here, the scent of cedar and pine, of bay and damp, mushroomy humus, and the drying needles crackling beneath their feet an almost overwhelming cry of home.

She missed this. Missed the freedom to run without fear, to breathe air unpolluted by the stench of so many humans living so close together.

Wolves were not meant to live in cities.

She refused to think of Sebastian. Not tonight. Tonight she was with friends she knew she could trust.

They paused on a hilltop beneath a towering oak. Lily raised her head and sniffed the air. Faint, so fragile a scent she could barely catch it, but she knew Sebastian had run this way. Not recently. No, it could have been as much as a week ago or longer, but he’d been here, on Chanku property.

But why? His father owned thousands of acres. Not as much as Anton Cheval, but more than enough to give him room to run. He didn’t need to come on their land.

Unless this was the oak he’d mentioned, the one he used to shift. Lily had long sensed the spirit that resided here, the strength inherent in the tree that had dominated this promontory for hundreds of years. She knew it was somehow linked to the same huge tree she’d sat beneath on the astral, though how she understood that was a complete mystery to her.

Still, there was a sense of familiarity about the oak. A feeling that she knew the entity that lived within. A dryad, perhaps? A wood nymph? Sebastian drew on the natural energy of the world around him to power his magic. Had he called on the spirit of this particular tree? Would she ever know for sure?

Damn. The man confused the hell out of her. Confused her and at the same time, fascinated her. Somehow, she had to find the answers she sought. But not tonight.

She gazed out over the valley below. Lights from her parents’ house twinkled brightly in the distance, lighting up the meadow and surrounding forest. More homes, some nearby, others scattered farther out from the center glowed with their own light. Others were dark. Her own tiny cottage was lost in shadows, but she hadn’t left any lights on. She’d not expected to be away this late.

Nothing about today had gone as planned.

Annie spun and kicked up loose dirt as she took off again. It was impossible to ignore her high spirits. Just as impossible to ignore the pheromones arcing between Annie and Alex. Lily followed the two of them, almost drowning in the scents and sense of need and want, of desire that raised her arousal right along with theirs.

She tried to concentrate on the night around them, on the almost soundless flitter of bats overhead, the soft hoot of an owl, the scream of a panther off in the distance.

Igmutaka, maybe? She wouldn’t be surprised, as surly as the big cat sounded. The spirit guide had taken to spending most of his time in his puma form since his charge, Star Fuentes, had gone off to Yale without him. None of the pack really knew the details, but apparently Star had grown weary of the Ig’s overenthusiastic guardianship as she’d reached adulthood. He’d watched over her father and all the males of his line going back beyond memory, but Star had been his first female charge.

She’d left for college almost fourteen years ago after leaving Ig with explicit instructions that he wasn’t welcome to come along. Lily wondered if Star was ever coming back. Probably not, as long as Igmutaka insisted on protecting her from everything under the sun—especially any young men she might meet.

Anton Cheval might be an overprotective father, but Igmutaka, spirit guide, was a whole lot worse. Lily really did feel sorry for Star. Having a gorgeous spirit guide getting in the way of every potential relationship had to be beyond frustrating.

Annie’s sharp yip pulled Lily out of her thoughts. The gray wolf veered off the trail. She’d found a narrow path through a patch of wild blackberry vines and raced beneath the tangle with Alex close on her heels. Lily followed, leaving a few tufts of thick fur in the brambles before bursting out into a moonlit meadow. A steaming pool glimmered at one end.

She’d not been here for years—one of the more isolated hot springs on the huge piece of property—but it had always been one of her favorite places. The water was always warm, even when snowdrifts made the trail hard to follow, and the smell of minerals lay heavy on the still night air.

Annie shifted first and Lily was right behind her. The night was still, the thick grass damp beneath their feet. Small patches of snow lingered in the dark corners of the forest even in June, but here, near the warmth of the spring, the air was warm and humid. Lily glanced at Alex—he’d been quiet throughout the run, which wasn’t at all like him. He hadn’t shifted. In fact, he crouched as if to run, his body tense, hackles slightly raised. His sharp gaze was fixed on Annie.

Okay, that was definitely not typical Alex behavior, but she tried to see Annie as Alex might.

She was absolutely breathtaking, small for Chanku, just under five and a half feet tall, with slim shoulders, small breasts with dark nipples, slightly rounded hips, a tiny waist, and long, long legs. She stood with one foot in the warm water and gazed at Alex with painful longing.

Lily glanced at Alex. His eyes glowed like amber jewels in the moonlight, and his body was so filled with tension he quivered. He jerked his head around and stared frantically at Lily. His thoughts punched into her like a fist.

I’ll be back. I promise, but I can’t stay right now. I can’t, Lil. I’m sorry!
He’d barely completed the thought before he spun about and raced back through the brambles.

“Where’d he go?”

Annie looked so crestfallen, Lily moved closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I don’t know,” she said. “He’ll be back. The pond was a great idea. C’mon.”

She took Annie’s hand and led her out into the water and over to the far side beneath a cliff of solid granite. There was a natural ledge along this end where the two of them sat. Even sitting up straight, the water lapped at Annie’s chin while barely covering Lily’s breasts.

“It’s a good thing you’re not any shorter.” Lily tightened her arm around Annie and pulled her close. “I just don’t get it. Your mom is tall, and your dad’s a moose. How come you’re so petite?”

Annie snorted. “I think they saved all the tall genes for my brothers. Have you seen Mike and Ricky lately?”

“How can you miss them? They’re huge! Bigger than Tinker.”

“Exactly.” Annie shivered.

“Are you cold?”

She shook her head and hugged herself. “No. Just really aroused. I haven’t run in ages. I forgot what it feels like, that all-consuming
fuck-me-now-before-I-scream
need to get laid.” She gazed wistfully in the direction Alex had run. “I wonder how long Alex will be gone?”

Lily’s laughter echoed against the stone walls of the grotto. “Hang on for a few minutes. He shouldn’t be gone long, wherever he’s off to. You and I used to have a pretty good time together, before you left. Let’s wait. It’ll be more fun with Alex. Three’s always better.”

“Lily, I can’t.” Annie scooted away from her. “I’ve never . . . I mean. I just can’t.”

“What? You can’t what? Have sex?”

Annie glanced off to the side. “Have sex with Alex.”

“Why the hell not?”

“I’ve . . . it’s complicated.” Annie’s cheeks flushed dark, and she shook her head, then shrugged and looked away.

Bemused, Lily just stared at her for a minute. When Annie didn’t say anything more, she asked, “How complicated? Spill, Annie. What’s going on?”

“You’ll laugh at me.”

“I won’t. I promise.” It was so quiet, Annie’s breaths, even her heartbeat seemed to echo in Lily’s head.

“I’ve never been with a man. I wouldn’t know what to do.”

The silence hung in the air. Annie stared down at the dark water. Lily stared at Annie.

Finally she took a deep breath. Annie was Chanku. They were ruled by a libido so powerful it took a lifetime to learn to control the needs they felt. Their parents hadn’t known of their own Chanku heritage until much later in life, and they’d all fought their own sexual demons without understanding how their Chanku genetics affected them even before they’d ever shifted.

They’d learned the hard way, the effect shifting had on the Chanku libido. Arousal took on an entirely new level of meaning, so powerful, so demanding that abstinence wasn’t an option.

Lily didn’t know a single Chanku capable of abstaining after shifting. Even her father, with his brilliant mind, his magical powers, and all his strengths admitted that fighting the need for sexual release after a shift was the closest thing to hell he could imagine, if such a place existed.

“Annie, you and I’ve had sex. I mean, it was years ago, but you were certainly no blushing virgin. But you’re thirty years old. You’re saying no guys? Ever?” Lily couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.

Annie nodded. “With girls, sure. I mean, we all learned how to bring each other off when we were teens, when we felt the first stirrings after shifting.” She raised her head and grinned at Lily. “Thank goodness we didn’t get aroused when we were real little. That could have been awkward.”

“No kidding. I don’t get it, though. Pregnancy’s not an issue. Human diseases don’t affect us so we’re not limited to Chanku males. You could have slept with a human. Why no guys?” She laughed. “Hell, all men are interested even if they haven’t shifted. They don’t have to be Chanku for the sex to be good.”

Annie stared off in the direction Alex had gone. Lily waited, tempted to look at Annie’s thoughts.

She was glad she hadn’t snooped when Annie sighed softly and said, “I didn’t want you to hate me, Lil.” She turned and looked directly into Lily’s eyes. “I’ve never wanted any man but Alex. I’ve always loved him. Since I was a little girl and he used to protect me from the bigger kids.”

She bit her lip and looked away. “I was always small for my age and such a serious kid, but he made me laugh. I’ve loved Alex for as long as I can remember, but he was yours. We all knew that.” She turned and smiled at Lily. “It was like the two of you were mated in the crib, or at least betrothed by your parents, which put him firmly out of bounds. I didn’t want casual sex with Alex. I wanted Alex. Unfortunately, no other man ever appealed to me. I figured if I couldn’t have the one I loved, I didn’t really care about sex with any other guy. Why do you think I chose to study in England?”

Lily hugged her close. “Oh, Annie. I’m so sorry you felt like you had to go away, that you couldn’t see what was right in front of your eyes. Alex and I were never meant to be mated. Besides, I think every girl in the pack has loved him, but he’s never looked at any of them the way he looks at you. He’s always loved women, and he’s more tomcat than wolf, but I have a feeling Alexander Aragat’s days of chasing around have come to an end.”

Annie’s eyes glowed like two amber saucers in the moonlight. “Do you really think that? And you don’t mind?”

Laughing softly, Lily leaned against the slick granite wall behind her. “Everyone, including our parents, have had us in love and bonded since we shared the same crib. I do love Alex, but not in the way of mates, and he doesn’t love me that way, either.”

She turned and cupped both hands on Annie’s shoulders. “He needs a woman like you, Annie. Someone who will love him, who appreciates his manic side, who knows what a brilliant, amazing man he is under all the silly jokes and laughter. He’s tender and sweet and very brave. I think he’s very much like his dad.”

Tears sparkled in Annie’s eyes. “I’ve always adored Uncle Stefan. He’s a lot like your dad, but without the scary vibe.”

“Scary vibe?” Laughing so hard she could barely get the words out, Lily hugged Annie close. “What’s that?”