Lost Roar (2 page)

Nicia hefted her bag. “I will wait.”

Teal looked nervous. “Do you ever smile?”

Nicia smiled briefly. “I am trying.”

Teal was about to speak, but the door opened and she gasped instead.

Nicia turned, “Yes, I am that one.”

Lee was waiting, and Nicia walked to her and gave her a hug. “Hello, Leandiir.”

“Nicia. You look amazing and your voice is so much better.”

Nicia gave her a genuine smile. “You are blooming, Lee. How pregnant are you?”

Lee hushed her and ushered her out into the sun. “I haven’t told anyone. Most folks here don’t have the best sense of smell, and my mate is usually distracted when I am around.”

Nicia linked arms with her childhood friend and walked out with her into the strange environment that smelled of shifters and magic.

“How have you enjoyed your time here?”

Lee shrugged. “Well, once I helped to stamp out an illegal drug infiltration, it has been fairly calm. I set bones and give x-rays, as well as stitch up cuts. We have a full contingent of beavers here, and they can get into the oddest scrapes with trees.”

Nicia felt another smile flit across her face.

Lee pointed out the café, restaurant and new salon. “I want to introduce you to my husband. He was with me that night when I faced my father.”

Lee had mauled her father into a comatose state from which he had not woken. The lion guild was watching him for any sign of waking. He had to pay for what he had instigated.

“I see. My grandfather came for me that night. I have been with them since.”

Lee blinked. “That is amazing. I thought your father said you had no relatives.”

“He lied. My mother was one of the stolen ones. After she ran and died, my grandfather found out that I was alive somehow. They never have said how they learned about me.”

“I think the lion guild had us under surveillance. They were eager to help when we decided to move to rescue my mother and siblings.”

Nicia nodded. “You did very well.”

They entered the Crossed Star and Lee hauled her past the bar, waving cheerfully at the tattooed serpent shifter behind the bar. “Hiya, Chuck.”

Nicia didn’t have a chance to say hello; she was dragged up a set of stairs and prodded into an office. “Jim, this is my friend Nicia.”

Nicia inclined her head to the tiger shifter. “I am pleased to meet you. Lee is a handful once you get through her initial hesitation.”

Jim extended his hand. “You are correct. Lee has mentioned you. She worried.”

Lee grimaced.

Nicia smiled slightly. “She does that. She was born to nurture.”

Jim looked between them, and he blinked. “She told you before she told me.”

Nicia actually cackled. “She didn’t have to. I have abnormally keen senses.”

Lee’s mouth was open. “How long have you known?”

Jim sighed, “About a week. I was waiting for you to tell me.”

Nicia recognized a family moment when she saw one. She had done research. “I will just be downstairs or maybe someone down there can show me to the Open Heart. You two need to talk.”

She retreated before Lee could call her back. With her backpack in place, she headed into the main area of the bar. Nicia walked up to the bar.

“What can I get for you?”

She looked at Chuck and cocked her head. “Directions to the Open Heart Bed and Breakfast.”

He looked toward the stairs. “Where is Lee?”

“Having a heart-to-heart with Jim. She forgot to tell him something.” Nicia arched her brows. “So…directions?”

He blinked at her directness and was about to speak when a man came out of the shadows and stood next to her. “I can show her, Chuck. I need to get back to change for dinner anyway.”

She turned and looked at him, smelling predator and dog. It wasn’t unpleasant because his human form also smelled of musk and warmth.

“I am Nicia.” She extended her hand.

“Braxton.” He smiled and took her hand.

She blinked at the heat that ran up her arm, and he jerked noticeably. Shaking her head, she released him. “So, directions?”

He smiled. “This way. It is nearby.”

She walked next to him and absorbed his traits as casually as she could. Black hair, ice blue eyes and an easy-ranging gate put him in the wolf family.

Nicia kept pace with him and in a few minutes, they were walking up the steps into a Victorian home with the sign out front.

A blue woman who smelled of magic and nothing else opened the door with a smile. “Nicia Mooring. So nice to see you. Teal sent your icon along. Apparently, something about you flustered her and that is not easy to do.”

Braxton passed her and continued up the stairs.

Nicia took the charm and tied it on her wrist. “Thank you.”

“My name is Teebie. I am your host, and yes, I am a djinn.”

Nicia cocked her head. “I am still behind on my reading. You are made of magic, right?”

Teebie laughed, “Basically. So, you have met Braxton?”

Nicia nodded. “He was very kind to offer me escort here.”

Teebie looked at her and tilted her head. “I am beginning to see what threw Teal off. You are very much the predator, are you not?”

“I am. It was what I was forced to do, so I have not bothered breaking the habit.” She shrugged.

“Understandable. Would you like to see your room?”

“Please. I think I need to dress for the evening. From the research I have done, this is not appropriate attire to snag a male with.”

Teebie nodded. “That is probably correct. Hunting camo is not a standard clothing choice for seduction.”

Nicia looked down and then up again. The djinn might have a point. If she was going hunting for a husband, she was going to have to use different bait.

Wearing a cocktail dress and some heels that Helena had taught her to walk in, she brushed her hair down in a long curtain and then slowly coiled it up and pinned it on her head with jewelled spikes.

She wasn’t hiding the shiny scars on her neck. They were part of her, and she wore them as a mark of survival. Nicia slipped in two earrings and turned her head from side to side. If one ignored her neck, she looked quite striking.

The dress was golden lace over a black slip. It showed skin around neck and shoulders, and the lace hem was three inches longer than the black, which would lead the eyes up her legs.

Seduction was a manoeuvring business, but like any trap, you just had to have the right bait.

She checked out her butt and nodded when she confirmed that she hadn’t tucked her skirt into anything. With nothing left to do, she headed out to find herself some dinner, and then, she would return to the bar.

Teebie was working at an antique desk in the entryway when Nicia came down.

She looked up and her eyes widened. “Oh my. That is certainly a change.”

Suddenly insecure, Nicia ran her hands down her thighs. “Is it all right?”

“It is gorgeous. You are gorgeous. I am sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you to turn into something with such grace.”

Nicia felt a smile fight to the surface again. “Thank you. It takes some getting used to, but I pride myself by not just changing into an animal but another kind of human.”

“You have done very well. Where are you off to for dinner?”

“I believe that the café would suit me. My grandparents are footing the bill for this, so I don’t want to tax them.”

Teebie’s face sobered. “I understand. Well, have fun this evening, and if you run into trouble, don’t be afraid to call for help.”

“Thank you for your offer of assistance. It is really appreciated though my features may not show it.”

“I am beginning to understand that. Well, have fun and enjoy yourself. Don’t put pressure on to meet someone right away.”

“I won’t. Thank you again.”

Nicia headed out to the café, and she acknowledged that she was drawing attention. She kept her senses on alert and entered the café. She found an empty seat and slid into the narrow booth.

A form appeared next to her, and she smiled at Braxton. “Hello, again.”

He blinked, and his mouth opened and closed. “Nicia. I had no idea that you…I mean you look…I mean. Good evening.”

She laughed again and enjoyed the relaxed feeling it gave her. “Have you eaten?”

He nodded. “I have, but I would love to join you and keep you company while you eat.”

“Please.” She gestured for him to sit. Nicia hadn’t heard of that one before; she asked, “Is that common?”

He sat straight. “I don’t know. I have never before had the urge to wrap a woman in a sheet to keep other eyes from her.”

She blinked as she realized that he was referring to her. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Because you look good enough to eat.”

She stifled another laugh. The idea of being prey was hilarious. “Thank you.”

She ordered a cheeseburger and salad with a lemonade. He ordered pie and coffee.

While they waited, she worked on her small talk. “So, Braxton, what do you do in the outside world?”

“I am a bounty hunter.”

She perked up. “A what?”

“I track people who have skipped out on their bond. They promised to attend court and then they didn’t.”

Nicia rifled through the television shows in her mind and found a movie with that subject matter. “Oh. Do you like it?”

He wrinkled his nose. “Sometimes more than others.”

“How hard do you have to train? Is there school involved?” She leaned forward, fascinated. Hunting people was something she was born to do.

He smiled. “You have to know how to work computers to learn how to track the jumpers. Aside from that, you can just follow leads and use tracking techniques to find them. Being what I am, I have an advantage over human hunters.”

“Could you teach me how to do it?”

Braxton blinked. “You want to track humans? You are such a little thing.”

She wanted to growl at him, really wanted it, but there was nothing in her throat. Aggression made her silent and far more dangerous. “I may be smaller than you, but my senses are keener.”

She was also bigger and stronger, but she didn’t want to play that hand yet. “Tell me more about how you catch someone. I need an occupation in the human world.”

She listened to the details about becoming a skip tracer while she ate her meal. He didn’t touch his pie as she ate and the scent teased her nostrils.

Her mind made frantic notes on how to follow his instructions while she smiled and nodded, the smiles coming easier now that she was getting information in return.

He finally asked, “If I can ask, what is that scar on your neck?”

She lifted her head. “There is more than one. It is the mark my father made the night he tried to strangle me. He knocked me out with this pressure, and when I woke, I was chained to the front yard and designated the official guard animal. The collar remained in place, and I fought it every chance I got and injured myself. These scars are the result, as is my voice.”

His astonishment was apparent. “Your parent tried to kill you? Where was your mother?”

“He had already mauled her nearly to death. I kept him from killing her and fought him off while she ran for her life. I heard later that she died from her wounds, but at least her family was with her.”

Braxton’s mouth was open in surprise. It was a funny look for a predator.

She blinked at him. “I am guessing that is not the response you were looking for.”

“Uh, no. I was not expecting that. You were…chained?”

“I was. I am sorry if that upsets you.” She frowned and finished the last bite of her salad.

He blinked rapidly. “No. I just don’t see you as the kind to give in to chains.”

She smiled and was sure she showed some fang. “I didn’t, which is why I am here today. I didn’t give in to the chain. I waited.”

Braxton cocked his head. “What was your education level?”

“I was homeschooled through high school and have my diploma issued by the state. That was achieved when I was fourteen.”

“Good. What have you thought you wanted to do?”

She smiled. “That is the problem. My grandfather rescued me, and he and my grandmother have offered me time to heal and recover. I concentrated on healing my voice, but it still isn’t quite right.”

His look said he knew what kind of damage a collar could do. “So, you are intrigued by the idea of becoming a skip tracer?”

Nicia smiled, and it was not a friendly smile. “Hunting is something I know how to do.”

Braxton started eating his pie, and she ordered a slice for herself. Over the next two hours, he gave her a complete breakdown of legalities, procedures and methods of dealing with the weapons that several of the targets would be carrying.

She soaked it all in, finding herself interested in the details of the procedures involved. When he got into the equipment needed, she paid extra-close attention. Cuffs, zip ties and Tasers were his preferred accessories. His particular speciality was pulling in his targets without using guns. It meant he could easily work in several of the states that restricted weapons.

“Wait, you are a wolf. Where is your pack?”

“You know what I am?”

She blushed, “You smell like wolf.”

He blinked, “When did you know?”

“When you came up next to me in the bar.”

“Wow. You do have exceptionally keen senses.”

She remained hot pink. “Yes, I actually do.”

He leaned forward and asked, “What is your animal?”

Nicia laughed. “I was wondering when you would ask. I am a lion.”

Braxton blinked and exhaled. “That would explain it. There is something about you that says you are ready to slash or pounce.”

She rested her chin on her open palms and batted her lashes at him. “I save the slashing and pouncing for special occasions.”

He grinned. “So, would you care to go dancing at the bar?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know how to dance.”

“I can show you. I promise, nothing funny.”

She got to her feet and reached for the bill.

He slipped it out of her fingers with a quick move.

Nicia blinked. “Why are you doing that?”