Shameless Desire (The Outlawed Realm) (18 page)

“Go on,” Nikoli said to Regina, “call Damir.”

“I want to listen in,” Gwen said and offered her phone.

Waving it away, Regina headed for the hall. “I’ll set up my computer in here so we can all hear what she says.”

Gwen went to the kitchen door, standing between it and Kuma. If he bolted for the front entrance, she’d be in deep shit. By the time she got there, he’d be out on the street, running to who knew where, possibly gone forever.

She begged as she’d never done with another man before, “Kuma, whatever you’re thinking, don’t leave.”

His entire body seemed to tighten.

“I need you to be here for me…please,” she said.

He turned his face to the side and glanced at the kitchen wall, rather than her. Gwen waited for him to bitch, whine, or growl like the animal he was.

Kuma pressed his lips together as though he didn’t trust what he wanted to say.

“I’ll have this set up in a sec,” Regina said, hurrying back into the room with her computer.

Minutes later, Gwen stood behind Regina’s chair. Kuma remained to the side, which still gave him an adequate view of the screen. Using Skype, Regina made the call.

Gwen gaped at the image that came on the screen. She glanced from it to Nikoli and back, comparing features. The guy on the computer could have been Nikoli’s double except for their differing ages and the nasty scar on the older man’s face.

“Hi,” Regina said.

The man nodded once, his attention on Gwen. Although he betrayed no outward emotion, Gwen saw something in his eyes. Curiosity? Panic? Leaning down, she whispered in Regina’s ear. “Is that Nikoli’s father?”

“No.” Regina spoke as softly. “All the males on E2 have the same physical features.”

Gwen wasn’t about to ask why or comment on how lucky they were to be so good-looking. “Who is he?”

“Meelo, Damir’s mate.” Regina turned back to the screen and addressed him. “There’s no need for concern. This is Gwen and Kuma.” She gestured to the werewolf. “They need our help against Vakar’s guards. I have to talk to Damir about the antidote I’m preparing.”

Gwen’s shock was just as great when the woman came on camera. Despite being fifty or so, she was freaking gorgeous.

Anxious to get this show on the road, Gwen spoke before Regina could. “Hi, we’ve made your antidote, but we need to test it on the tranquilizer the guards use. What’s in the stuff they put in their darts?”

The woman didn’t blink or move a muscle. She might as well have been a statue.

Gwen whispered to Regina again, “What’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing. The people on E2 were trained never to show emotion.”

Sounded like the white-bread world Gwen’s biological father had come from. “Will she help us?”

Regina turned back to the screen and addressed her. “We really need those ingredients.”

“Of course.” The older woman gave up the goods with absolutely no inflection in her tone, despite what was in the mixture.

“You’re certain about this?” Gwen asked as she studied the list that Regina had written.

“Yes,” Damir said.

She sounded as though she had no reservations at all or couldn’t have cared less about any of this. Gwen cleared her throat and plowed ahead. “Would Kuma take the antidote differently than I would?”

With his name, he moved closer to the screen.

Damir registered no surprise at seeing him.

“He’s a werewolf from E4,” Gwen offered.

Still no reaction.

“How would he use the antidote?” she pressed.

“Injection would be best,” Damir said. “Though I advise you and Regina to take it by oral means alone.”

“Regina’s not going to be taking it,” Nikoli muttered, his attention on the device he continued to calibrate.

Kuma snorted, the sound telling Gwen he didn’t expect that she’d be testing it either.

We’ll see.
“Thanks for your help,” she said to Damir. When Regina ended the call, Gwen lifted the list. “Do you have these ingredients here?”

“All except for numbers three and six.”

“I don’t want you going out to get them,” Nikoli said, frowning at Regina.

“Not a problem,” Gwen assured. “I’ll go get—”

“We will,” Kuma cut in.

She smiled. He didn’t. Gwen fought a sigh. “Fine, we’ll both go, and then we’ll come back here with them.”

Kuma’s expression said he didn’t much like her plan.

“Where’s the nearest supermarket?” Gwen asked Regina.

“About three miles. Did you drive here?”

“No. Kuma and I walked.”

Regina went to a series of hooks on the wall and pulled off a ring of keys. “Take my car. Wait.” She held the ring to her chest. “You do know how to drive, don’t you?”

“I learned when I was fifteen. Since my last car died, I haven’t been able to afford the payments, upkeep and insurance on another one.”

Regina bit her bottom lip.

“Want to see my license?” Gwen asked.

“Drive slowly,” Regina said. “Don’t run any red lights. If a cop stops you—God, you have no idea what problems that would bring.”

“Don’t you worry. I’ve worked on more cops than you can imagine in the ER. Most of them know me. Those who don’t, know the ones I’ve saved. I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. Kuma and I.”

She wiggled her fingers, wanting those damn keys.

Regina finally handed them over, along with enough cash for the purchases and directions to the store. “My car’s out front, the black BMW.”

“Thanks.” Gwen led the way down the hall, followed by Kuma and Regina. The woman watched them from the front door, hand to her throat, as if they were her children about to go out on a prom date that would end in tragedy.

Kuma followed Gwen to the driver side. At his uncertain expression, she realized he wasn’t being protective. He’d never been in a vehicle before and didn’t know what to do.

“Go around to the other side.” With her finger, she directed him there. “When you hear a clicking sound, that means I’ve opened the doors. Grab the handle and pull it toward you.”

Inside the vehicle, Gwen showed him how to put on his seat belt.

He frowned as it tightened around his body. Clutching it in his fist, he tried to rip it off.

“Hey, stop,” Gwen said. “It won’t hurt you.”

“It’s trapping me.” He yanked it up to pull it off his chest and over his head. “I don’t want to be trapped.”

Of course not. He’d witnessed what had happened to those in his pack when the guards or rulers had captured them on E4.

“Hey, hey,” Gwen said more softly this time, her hand on his. “I won’t let anything happen to you. We have to wear these things, or the authorities could stop us. Look down here.” She directed his attention to the release button. “When you want to be free, all you have to do is this.”

She depressed it, and the belt slid across his lap.

Still breathing hard, he stared at the limp nylon restraint.

“You control when you want to be free,” Gwen assured. “No one’s going to—”

A sharp rap on his window startled her, stealing the rest of her words.

Regina bent at the waist and spoke through the glass. “What’s wrong?”

Gwen swallowed and shook her head. “Nothing.” She talked loudly enough for Regina to hear. “Just getting used to the seat belts.”

Kuma fooled with his, locking and unlocking it. At last, he smiled and regarded Regina as though she was intruding on his domain.

The woman straightened and backed away.

“Since you’ve never been in a car before,” Gwen said to him, “the forward movement might be a bit surprising. But there’s nothing to be concerned about, I’m a good driver. No tickets, no points on my license.”

“I don’t understand.”

She patted his knee. “We’re going to be fine. Hang on if you want. It might make you feel better.”

“Hang on?”

Gwen clutched the sides of her seat to show him what to do.

Once Kuma was gripping the supple leather, she started the car, put it into gear and pulled away from the curb.

His feet slammed into the floor, clearly trying to stop the vehicle.

“Easy now,” she said, driving so slowly the few people outside glanced up and watched. “I’ll have to go faster or we’re going to bring attention to ourselves. You going to be okay?”

With his fingers digging into the seat, Kuma nodded.

Gwen accelerated down the street, following Regina’s directions to the store. At the first red light, she rolled to an ultra-gentle stop and glanced over, staring at Kuma’s face. “You still all right?”

His eyes were wide. He grinned. “I want to do this. I want to make this thing go forward as you’re doing.”

“It goes backwards too. We call that reverse.”

“Show me,” he demanded.

Gwen leaned over and kissed his cheek, enjoying the feel of his beard-roughened skin, his clean yet musky male scent. “I will…in the store’s parking lot.”

Before their time together ended—fifty or so years from now—she was going to teach him how to drive, watch TV, gorge on junk food. In other words, enjoy life in this realm with her right beside him because all the fucking guards here would be dead, while those on E4 would be too afraid to cross over again.

“They’re going to be all right,” Nikoli said.

Chewing the side of her thumb, Regina stared at the wall phone, no doubt expecting the thing to ring with the worst news possible. Gwen and Kuma had been in an accident or caused one. Cops were swarming all over the wreckage, running the plates, figuring out to whom the vehicle belonged. Detectives, perhaps Sheehan and Goddard, were on their way here to question Regina on why Gwen and Kuma had been using her car. The detectives would want to know who those two were, since they were uncooperative or unconscious. Worse, they’d want to know what species Kuma was given that the EMTs noticed his fingerprints didn’t match anything anyone had ever seen on this—

Stop it.
Before Nikoli started to frighten himself, he left the table and gathered Regina into his arms, needing her comfort as much as she needed his. “They haven’t been gone that long.”

She slumped against him. “Nearly an hour. They only had to buy two things. That’s all. The store’s just three miles away.”

“Could be it’s busy. Or maybe they had to go to another store because the ingredients weren’t at the first one.”

“No, you’re wrong.” Regina pressed closer. “We’re not talking about them having to buy something exotic like caviar. It’s everyday stuff that’s always there. We have to go after them. See what’s happened.”

“How? We don’t have another car.”

A low moaning sound poured from her. She dug her fingers into his back. “I shouldn’t have given Gwen my keys. I should have driven them. This is all my fault.”

“Hey.” Nikoli eased back and cupped Regina’s face in his hands. “I’m the one who crossed over and brought all of this crap on you. If anyone should be blamed, it’s me.”

She frowned. “Don’t say that. Ever.” She covered his hands with hers. “Where are the other devices you made? Promise me you’ll go with me if we have to escape. I don’t want any heroics from you. I want to know that you’re going to be with me. That you’ll never leave—”

The front doorbell chimed, cutting off her words, making her flinch. “Oh shit. Who could that be? What if it’s the police? Oh Jesus, do you think it could be Sheehan and Goddard? Grab your device.”

Nikoli didn’t move. “Even if it is them, which isn’t likely, we can’t leave Gwen and Kuma to fend for themselves.”

Regina’s expression changed, as though she’d just remembered them. “Grab the damn thing anyway, just in case you have to use it. If you do, once you’re in another part of the city, or another state or country on this realm, you can help Gwen and Kuma from there.”

“And leave you here alone? No.”

“Dammit, I can deal with the police. Now, get your stupid device.”

“Stupid is right. It’s calibrated to take the guards to E3. You want me to go—”

“Grab another one you made.” She glanced over at the sound of a fist hammering against the front door. “Hurry.”

“Maybe it’s Gwen and Kuma returning finally.”

“And they’re pounding on the door? Why, when Gwen has the key to it?”

She refused to see any possibility unless it was bad. Deciding not to argue, Nikoli went into the pantry and pulled another instrument from an empty container of oatmeal. “Wait.” He caught up with Regina at the kitchen doorway and grabbed her wrist to stop her. “I’ll answer it.”

“Uh-uh. We’re in this together.” With surprising strength, she broke free and ran into the hall.

Nikoli followed, stopping as Regina did just shy of the front door. Despite the thickness of the stained-glass window, he could still see a bit of the street, the front of her BMW.

“It’s them,” he said. “I see your car out front.”

Regina yanked the door open and bitched, “Where in the hell have you been? Why didn’t you use the key?”

Gwen’s brows lifted. She glanced over both shoulders as though she feared someone outside might be listening. Leaning toward Regina, she said, “I didn’t want to just barge in. This isn’t my house.”

“Why have you been gone so long? What happened?”

“Nothing. I was teaching Kuma how to drive.”

“What?” Regina snapped.

Gwen made a face. “Take it easy, all right? It was only for ten minutes or so.”

On her toes, Regina craned her neck to see past the woman. “Did you hit anything? Did you bang up my car?”

“Of course not. Do you think I’d bring that kind of attention to us?”

Regina sank to her heels. “Like teaching him how to drive?”

“It’s all right,” Nikoli cut in, squeezing Regina’s shoulder. “No harm done.” He sensed Gwen’s only purpose was to give Kuma a bit of pleasure, something he might not experience again if things went badly in his hunt for the guards.

“Let’s go inside,” Nikoli said.

Gwen headed that way. Kuma continued to regard the BMW.

“Come on,” Gwen said to him.

He remained on the front porch, clearly enthralled by the car. “I want one of those.”

Nikoli suppressed a smile. He tapped the werewolf’s arm to get his attention. Kuma reacted instantly, shoulders drawn in, teeth bared. Unafraid, Nikoli said, “You need to come inside now. Gwen will let you drive the car again later.”