Scent of Salvation

Chronicles of Eorthe - 1

by

Annie Nicholas

To my loving family who accepted my erratic writing hours and a few cold meals.

Chapter One

Today seemed like the perfect day to burn bridges. Technocon, a small technologies company, had promised Susan free rein on all her projects. She ran her lab, hired her own staff, and ordered what she needed within budgetary reason.

Technocon was a liar, and she’d swallowed their scientific support story like it was candy, but really what they had served her was chocolate-dipped bullshit.

Who said a genius couldn’t be an idiot?

Out of public sight, she melted into her office chair and leaned her head against her hands. The universities had laughed at her proposals and her math on dimensional travel. She hadn’t been able to find a grant anywhere to allow her to build her machine, which led her to the private sector—to Technocon.

For five whole minutes, she’d been able to open and sustain a dimensional gateway to…God knows where. She had sent a chimp through and back yesterday with no apparent damage to his cellular structure. Last night she’d celebrated with her team, taking them all to dinner. It seemed like a hundred years ago.

Sitting at her desk, she stared at her blank computer terminal. The last seven years of her life were accumulated on the hard drive. Calculations, theories and articles she’d written. Her gaze wandered. Not a single picture adorned her desk or walls—no boyfriend or kids, not even a pet. How empty it all appeared.

She’d sacrificed everything for a glimpse of blinding blue light that led to possible exploration of the unknown and…adventure. What a waste.

She’d created DOUG as a means for peaceful exploration. To study other cultures on alternate Earths, maybe learn from their mistakes or successes. She doubted the military invading her lab wanted the same thing. Ultimately, she was responsible for any consequences of DOUG’s misuse. As creator, the weight of responsibility sat heavily on her shoulders.

She rose to her feet and straightened her labcoat with a sharp tug. Before she left her office, she grabbed the document her printer spit out and ignored the pointed stares from the soldiers while she exited the work area.

Crumpling the paper in her hand, she strode across the lobby, her labcoat swaying with her momentum. She couldn’t stop seeing the words in her mind’s eye.

Congratulations, the United States Marine Corp (USMC) has a legal interest in the Dimensional Opening Universal Gateway (DOUG), therefore you must present the following list: design specification, running systems, test results…

Didn’t matter how pretty their wordage, they were taking over her freaking life’s work. In less than five minutes she had typed her resignation—not too many ways of saying I fucking quit.

Her heels clicked on the cheap, faux marble flooring, and the sound echoed in the wide open space. The soldiers milling around the area parted like the Red Sea as she stormed toward the closed wooden door to the project manager’s office.

She swung it open and paused, taking a deep, shaky breath. Nothing good ever came from violence. Racing across the manager’s office and tearing out his flabby throat wouldn’t prevent DOUG from falling into the wrong hands.

Jeff sat facing the door. His assistant squirmed in a small plastic chair next to the desk and stared at his tablet.

“Get out, pipsqueak.” Susan pointed to the doorway.

“Yes, Dr. Barlow.” The assistant didn’t even glance at Jeff before jumping to his feet and scurrying from the room.

She slammed the door behind him.

“Was that necessary?” Jeff folded his pudgy fingers over his belly. At first sight, he gave the impression of a chubby favorite uncle, but under that soft exterior lived a cold-hearted number cruncher.

Susan used her best die-and-go-to-hell glare on him but it didn’t work so she tossed her neat resignation on his desk with the crumpled memo instead. “How could you have allowed DOUG to fall into their hands?” She leaned across his desk, jabbing her finger at him to punctuate her words. “You promised no military.” Tightness squeezed her chest. She wouldn’t dare sob in front of this jackal. Clearing her suddenly rough throat, she met his beady-eyed stare.

He spread his hands as if pleading with her. “I never thought in a million years you’d make that thing work.”

She took a step back, his words a slap to her ego. “What?” Her voice rose to a painful octave. “Why fund it then?”

“Tax break. We needed a pro-bono project or Uncle Sam took a chunk of our profits, but you made your crazy idea work. So I had to sell it to stay in the green.”

“They’ll abuse it,” she whispered. “DOUG was meant for exploration. I wanted scientists to cross into other dimensions, people who could understand the delicate balance between universes. Those soldiers will conquer or destroy any dimension they travel to, and God knows what they’ll bring back.”

“Or they’ll prevent us from being the ones who are conquered or destroyed. Did you ever think that maybe a different version of you might be developing the same machine in another dimension?”

“You’re afraid of DOUG. It’s a gateway to learning, trade—” She saved her breath. They’d argued this before a thousand times until she was blue in the face and Jeff’s face had been red.

He lifted the paper she’d thrown on his desk and read her resignation, then promptly dropped it in the shredder. “Nice try, Susan. Read the fine print on your contract. As long as the project is open, you’re bound to it. You can’t quit until you’ve trained a replacement.”

“Or what? I can’t be held prisoner. It’s against my civil rights.” She folded her arms. When she signed the contract she had thought that clause would protect her job, not trap her. Crap. They were going to force her hand somehow. She could see it in Jeff’s smug expression. “The contract states that once completed no one can take over my project without my consent.”

“You still haven’t had a human test subject go through DOUG, only animals. Technically, it’s not finished.”

“Bastard.”

“Flirting won’t get you anywhere with me, toots. According to subsection one seven four, you can get arrested for obstructing a military project of this classification.” He produced a file from his desk and offered it to her. “You’re not a civilian anymore. You’ve been drafted.”

Susan skimmed over the file. “This was prepared ahead of time. How long have you been working on this?”

“Doesn’t matter. Every bigwig with more stripes than brains is waiting for someone to hit the start button on DOUG. Either get in there and take some credit for your hard work or let me call the MPs in to arrest you.” He leaned forward and waited.

“I hate you.”

“I don’t care.” He raised a bushy eyebrow. “You’ll never get another job in research again if you ditch now. Choose.”

Exhaling a long, slow breath, she forced her shoulders not to sag. All that work, all those sleepless nights, and for what? To create a machine the government didn’t understand and would probably misuse. She clenched her fists. No one would take her control of DOUG away. Not now, not ever. “I’ll start it.”

She spun and left his office. He might think he’d outsmarted her, but there was still a way out if she could muster the courage.

Returning to her designated area in Technocon, she forced herself to meet the gaze of anyone brave enough to look her way. She passed a large window in the narrow hallway that didn’t face the outdoors but gave a view inside her lab. DOUG sat in the center of the room, a slim, clear rod standing eight feet tall. She slowed her pace to admire her achievement. At each compass mark rose a smaller version of the main rod. Thick, conductive fiber optic cables connected the rods at their bases, making a circle of electric tentacles.

By the wall, her staff stood guard at their computers, attention focused on the warm-up sequences and not on the gun-toting marines at their sides.

She entered her lab and pushed her way through the military personnel. Everyone turned to face her, and all her bravado wavered at being the center of attention, the butt of the unspoken joke. Leader of the DOUG project tricked by her supposed supporter and now an employee of the US military.

“Dr. Barlow?” An important-appearing, middle-aged man approached. “I’m General—”

“Don’t bother with your name. I won’t remember it by the end of the day. Kate, start it up.” She left General Buttinski gaping as she circulated to each workstation.

With a whispered request, she sent each member of her team on individual missions outside the lab. Her heart galloped as she changed the settings on DOUG’s start up to maximum power and glared at the thieves observing by the back wall.

If the military moved their uniformed asses fast enough, they’d make it to the exit in time and wouldn’t be hurt by the possible explosion. She really didn’t know what would happen with the overload.

Wiping her sweaty palms on her coat, she listened to the increasing hum of the crystal rods and faced her audience. “DOUG was created to open gateways between dimensions. I’ve studied multi-dimensional science long enough to see a pattern that integrated reality with mysticism.” She gestured toward her creation and blinked away the tears burning behind her eyelids. “It’s the next best thing to space exploration.” By some miracle, she’d kept her voice steady.

Heart drumming, Susan caught a glimpse of the red alert warning sign on the computer screen. The overload grew, and it would be seconds before the audio alarms outside her lab went off—before there was no turning back. “Naturally, some would claim it’s a supernatural phenomenon, but I assure you that solid science has been used to develop this technology.”

A blue glow formed around the rods as they shed the extra electrons produced. The protons remained trapped within, building a concentration strong enough to puncture a hole through reality and create a bridge to a parallel dimension. She only needed to hit the switch to release the energy, but that wasn’t the plan.

Her fingers itched and she rubbed them together, relieving the ache to stop the process and end her madness. Could she escape the lab in time if it exploded?

The screens flashed red and the sirens outside her lab rang. Startled by the sudden noise, she jumped and pointed to her audience. “Everyone out! It’s going to blow.” A low vibration ran through the floor, and loose objects on the tables rattled.

As one, the mob crowded toward the exit.

The rods shook. A blue halo surrounded DOUG. She couldn’t look away from the swirling light gathering in the center of the rods. It faded at the edges into nothing. The power within the Gate thrummed through the building. She’d never poured so much energy into the device. What would happen?

All she wanted was to make a difference in the world. Instead, she’d be a footnote in some military manual and a stain on the lab wall.

Blinded by the light, she shielded her eyes and turned to follow the last person out of the lab. She took an unsteady step, but a powerful blast rushed past her legs, knocking her off her feet. Gasping, she flailed and tumbled forward, heels over head, yet never hit the wall.

Round and round she fell. Her head spun and nausea flipped her stomach. If this was the road to heaven, they needed a better engineer.

With a sudden halt, she hit something hard. Her back ached with the impact. She tried to scream but nothing came out. Flopping onto her side, she gasped until her lungs remembered how to work. Next time she blew up something, she would get out of the freaking way faster.

Stars flashed in her vision. Air finally flowed into her chest, and she let out a groan. She felt more like she’d fallen than been blown to pieces.

Something cool and soft touched her cheek. She flinched and tried to sit up but only managed to roll onto her stomach. That didn’t help her nausea, and she struggled to keep breakfast down.

Fuck it. The blast hadn’t killed her so the military could clean her puke. Then they could haul her ass to jail—or the hospital.

Resting, she waited for Jeff’s yells for her arrest and execution, but the only sounds came from birdsongs. She jerked her face off the moist ground and grunted.

Birds? Had she blow the roof off the building?

Cool.

She rubbed her blurry eyes and blinked. Her heart did a double beat. She shook her head and blinked again.

Surrounded by lush green plants, Susan sat on a carpet of soft moss. She rose onto shaky, numb legs. A giant tree loomed thirty feet over her head. Three grown men touching fingertips might be able to hug the trunk.

There wasn’t a forest for miles, yet here she stood in the middle of one. She did a slow three-sixty. Tree, tree, bush, tree, building. Bingo.

Before her towered a stone structure overgrown with flowering vines. Taking one slow step at a time, she approached it. The steps were swept clean of any debris or growth. She climbed, listening for aything inside. Huge gaps in the walls let the sunlight in between the stone slabs, and deep, worn engravings covered them. She traced one with her fingertip and didn’t recognize the language. Hell, she couldn’t even read the symbol. Where was she?

Sucking in a sharp breath, she clapped her hands over her mouth.

DOUG had worked?

She was standing in another dimension.

Alive.

Her trip had been unintentional yet successful. She needed to high five someone. It had worked just like she’d said it would. All those people who’d laughed at her idea could shove it up their collective—

Twisting around with a foolish grin cramping her cheeks, she saw only rainforest. Shadows covered the ground since the trees’ canopy blocked most of the sunlight. Her grin faded and she broke into a cold sweat.

Oh shit, it had worked.

A vacuum of dread sucked the excitement from her body. The explosion must have punctured a hole through the dimensional veil and thrown her through. She couldn’t see the blue portal light. Without the machine, the gateway couldn’t remain open. Or ever open again since it should be slag with the rest of her lab. She shivered and pulled her coat tighter.

She was alone. Stranded God knows where.

For all she knew, T-rex lived over the next hill or worse, the Nazis had won World War II.

Taking a shuddering breath, she closed her eyes. She was a brilliant scientist, graduating at the top of all her classes. The unknown wasn’t something to fear but to be embraced and studied. However, field operations had never thrilled her. She was a lab geek with delusions of exploration. She’d always pictured herself guiding those brave souls who would step onto a new world from the safety of Technocon, not being that person. Glancing over her shoulder at the forest, she took a steadying breath.

What lived out there?

Birds sang, loud and uninterrupted by the hum of cars or machines. She couldn’t see any electrical lines or other buildings. Please, let there be some kind of path or road to follow. How long could she survive in the wilderness? Probably a couple days before something ate her.

The birds fell silent. She froze, facing the forest. Nothing moved. Her heart galloped as she searched the gloom. She backed into the building, not wanting to take her eyes off the woods. A crack in the floor caught her heel, and she stumbled while her arms pinwheeled until she caught her balance.

All right, she needed to get a grip. Just because things were quiet didn’t mean she should panic. Breaking her leg would be a death sentence. She kicked off her shoes. The logic was sound but the adrenaline coursing through her body told her to screw off and run. A cold sweat broke out over her skin, and a cool wind made her shiver.

She scanned the inside of the building. It didn’t have a roof. A stone altar in the center offered the only shelter. She hurried across to it and laid a hand over the smooth, cool surface. Breathing a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes for a heartbeat. It wasn’t bloodstained. That was a good sign, right?

She crept around to the other side and knelt behind it. Hiding felt right.

Crouched on the cold stone floor, she hugged her knees to her chest. At least the military hadn’t get her machine. A small consolation while squatting in another dimension, all alone like a frightened animal.

The rustle of leaves to her left made her squeak. She clapped her hand over her mouth and peeked around the corner. Something with silver-gray fur crawled under the vines through one of the wall’s many gaps.

Please let that be a big-ass raccoon. She watched as the creature’s dark, wet nose moved in her direction and sniffed. All her muscles seized. She couldn’t move or breathe.

The nose pushed through, followed by a large, wolf-like head. On his stomach, he crept into the building. Her vision tunneled as he rose to his hind legs and kept rising until he towered over her. Long claws protruded from his fingers and toes. Swinging his head, he sniffed the air. Three jagged scars ran over his muzzle. His amber gaze met her stare, and he bared his sharp teeth. As he moved, thick, solid muscles slid under his silver fur.

With a knocking heart,  Susan  was anchored to the spot. A werewolf. A real, honest-to-God werewolf stood not five feet from her. She hadn’t crossed dimensions. She’d died and gone to hell.

As he stepped toward her, something flipped off in her brain and it stopped functioning. Deductive reasoning vanished like a cheap parlor trick. Sixty thousand years of human instinct buried in her genes kicked in, and Susan scuttled away from the beast until her head hit the stone wall. Ignoring the sharp pain, she grabbed the vines and pulled herself to her feet. All the while she couldn’t stop staring at this magnificent creature made of nightmares. She took a deep breath and let out a scream that rattled her tonsils.

Chapter Two

Once in the faint sunlight within the Temple, Sorin rose on his hind legs and loomed over the cowering female in his feral form. Running as a beast was the fastest and safest way to travel through the forest.

Ever since the Dark Moon Goddess disappeared over one hundred years ago, the Temple resembled a tomb. The solitude appealed to him. It usually helped him think; however something strange disturbed the place today.

Shaking his mane, he tried to settle his crazed fur. He’d been awake all night tending the sick, and he stank of it.

The strange blue light no longer burned in the sky but he’d tracked an odd, delicate smell to this spot. Something different, something he couldn’t place. It smelled female, and she now crouched behind the altar. Screaming.

His ears folded back against his furred head as he continued to bare his canines at the female. Slim and tall, she remained in her civil form. Odd—she should have shifted at his challenge. She wore a well-tailored jacket that fell to her knees. He’d never seen cloth so clean and white. Her doe-brown hair was pinned in a strange manner, twisted behind her head. Inhaling her scent through his mouth, he tried to taste her pack, but couldn’t find anything.

Leaves rustled behind him as Peder, one of his pack’s omegas, crept through the bush and entered the Temple. Sorin shouldn’t have favorites, but if he did, Peder would be one.

The thin, wiry shifter glanced at him and ducked his head when their eyes met. Sorin’s father had been hard on the weaker members of the pack. Five years since the bastard’s death, and still none of them would meet his gaze, even after all the effort to place his omegas at ease.

He normally wouldn’t have dragged an omega from the pack on this type of journey, but he had to leave what healthy hunters remained to guard the den. Peder had to wolf up and take a more dominant role today.

For a little thing, the female sure could make a lot of noise. “Shush, you’ll attract every creature within earshot.” He had to shout so she could hear him as he stepped around the altar.

Her eyes widened to the size of the giant pink blooms adorning the Temple. All the color drained from her face. Flailing her arms around, she tangled them in the thorny vines growing on the walls. “You can speak?”

He winced. Those thorns could poke through the toughest hides but she didn’t seem to notice them piercing her delicate skin. Thin streams of blood trailed over her pale flesh. “By my hairy arse, female, what are you so afraid of?” He reached to untangle her, but she shrank away, deeper into the vines.

Her limbs trembled, and the scent of her fear almost choked him.

His ears shot up. “You’re afraid of me?” He sniffed her again and sneezed at her strange odor. She didn’t carry a shifter’s scent marks and definitely wasn’t a bloodsucker. What kind of female traveled alone?

Shifters stuck together. It was instinct. He couldn’t imagine any of his females leaving pack lands by themselves.

Maybe she was an outcast from her race? Eorthe held many species. The female could have wandered into their forest by accident. Being unmarked meant anyone could claim her, and that always meant trouble: challenges between males, jealousy among the females, dominance ranking shit. His pack had enough problems.

His heavy heart sank. He’d come to the Temple with Peder to gather the blue flowers that grew on these lands to help the Apisi, his small pack. An illness had set its deadly sights on them. Something invisible, something he couldn’t fight with tooth and claw. The fever was burning through his people, who now had no healer as Sorin had buried their pregnant healer just this morning. Before she passed she’d told him to gather more of these flowers to fight the fever since she’d used the last of her stores, and others still fell ill.

Then this stranger had fallen from the blue light in the sky above his head.

“What are you?” the female asked.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was speaking to him. “I—I’m a wolf shifter, alpha of the Apisi.” Taking a slow step forward, he sniffed close to her body. “What in creation are you?” Now that he stood only a few inches from her, he could see her un-callused hands, as if she’d never seen a single day’s hard work. No scars on the exposed skin of her neck and face. Apparently, she’d never fought for dominance either. Even her fine, tailored clothes appeared too rich for the area.

She struggled to free her arms but only made things worse. “What?” Cocking her head to the side, she stared at him. “I’m human.”

“Stay still.” He snapped the order. Sorin released his retractable claws on one hand, sliced the vines, and freed her arms. “I’ve never heard of hu-man. You must live farther south from the vampires.” So he’d been following the scent of a human.

She clutched her neck with shaky hands. “Vampires?” Her gaze never left his claws as he slowly sliced her legs free.

Once done, he gave her space. Her fear scent excited his beast since fright usually accompanied prey. He tapped his foot, his claws clicking against the stone floor. “What are you doing on Temple lands?”

“I’m lost.” The human spoke so softly he had to strain to hear. She kept glancing between him and golden-furred Peder as if waiting for one of them to pounce.

He tried not to stare so hard. Soft creatures didn’t survive in the wild long, and this female was filled with all different kinds of softness. He sighed. “Did you see the blue light?” All he had wanted was a few moments of peace. Instead, he found…her.

“No, where was it?” She sidestepped toward the Temple exit.

“Right above our heads, not long ago.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how you missed it.” Since she fell out of it. He’d seen her limp form tumbling in the air from the light just before it winked out.

She trembled, and her scent changed. “I—I—oh yeah, the blue light. Weird phenomenon. Scared the shit out of me.” She quickened her steps to the exit. “I should be heading home.”

“How?” The scent of her untruths grew stronger. Everyone knew you couldn’t lie to shifters. Why was she trying? “You just said you were lost. Will you wander unaccompanied through our forests until someone worse than me finds you?”

Peder quietly stepped behind her to block the exit. He might be submissive for a male, but he was smarter than most and could work without guidance. Sorin would make a hunter of him if it was the last thing he did.

The human blinked her large brown eyes, such an unusual color. Everyone he knew had amber, blue or green eyes, never the rich darkness of mother earth. Life came from the earth, which was why they returned their dead to it. Did this human bring life with her?

“Maybe the Goddess sent her?” Peder’s softly spoken question quieted Sorin’s doubts.

Fanning his ears, Sorin stepped closer to her. “Did she send you?” What little hope he’d sheltered for his people had vanished this morning when he’d spoken the burial rites over the graves. This stranger shed some light through his despair.

She shook her head. “N-no.”

“You will return with me.” Sent from the Goddess or not, he couldn’t afford to take any chances by letting her go. So much for not dragging an unmarked female to his den. It would make hunting and defense that much harder since his healthy hunters would strut through their canyon home and beat each other senseless over a stray.

Her gaze darted to the doorway just before she slipped under his arm and past Peder’s reach. Swift as a jackrabbit, she scrambled down the stairs and squeezed into the thick brush surrounding the Temple.

As he watched her escape, Sorin shook his head. He really was tired. Too many sleepless nights in a row were affecting his reflexes. The odd blue light, her sudden appearance and his need for a miracle were too coincidental.

He pointed at Peder. “Go get the flowers and bring them to Lailanie. I’ll take care of the female.”

“Chasing will only frighten her more, Alpha.” Peder still stared at the floor, but at least he offered his advice without being coerced.

“What would you have me do? Let some other pack have her?”

“No, just don’t be so…intimidating.” He pointed to his exposed teeth with his claws. “Try not thinking she’s prey.”

“Go get the fucking flowers, Peder. I promise not to eat her.” He leapt from the stone steps and skirted brush too dense for him to enter. The sly female wedged easily into the smaller spaces where he couldn’t pursue with his bulk, but the brush didn’t lead anywhere. It only surrounded the Temple foundation. She was trapped.

Crouching low to the ground, he moved along the thick wall of plants. His little prey made enough noise that even the youngest of pups could track her. With ears fanned open, he followed her progress. The birds started their songs again as he got to the far end of the area.

By the Dark Moon, she moved slowly. He could have taken a nap while waiting. He watched Peder head toward their home with a small sack of flowers. The rustling in the bushes drew closer, and Sorin gathered his energy to pounce.

From out of the brush snapped a young sapling, which whipped the sensitive tip of his nose. With a yelp, Sorin fell back, clamping his hands over his muzzle. Through pain-filled eyes, he watched the female tear across the open ground.

Sorin blinked to clear his vision and bounded after his suddenly fast quarry. Her white coat fluttered behind her like a treaty flag, but this female didn’t show any signs of surrender.

She ran full-tilt up the hill toward its summit.

Trailing closer, he could smell the trace of border markings on the wind. If he didn’t hurry, she’d run off the neutral ground of Temple lands and onto some other pack’s territory. He couldn’t follow if she did. “Stop! There’s danger that way.”

She twisted and glanced at him, not watching her step. Something caught her foot at the top of the hill and she fell.

Sorin leaped, reaching with clawed fingers. They pierced the hem of her white jacket. The delicate material tore along the sharp edges of his claws, and the shreds slipped through his fingers. Relief mixed with triumph, pumping through his veins, gave way to dread. He scrambled to grab the tatters and not lose the female, but the momentum of her flight downhill sent her tumbling head-over-heels out of his grasp.

A cry echoed over the quiet forest of Payami lands. Kele spun toward the sound. It came from the direction of the hills, off their path.

Her guards, in feral form, tightened the circle around her. They perked their ears forward as low growls rumbled in their chests.

The thick forest blocked her view. She couldn’t see who cried out. Shoving past the males, she headed toward the noise.

Ahote, her primary guard, blocked her way. “We’re to take you to the Temple and the Temple only.” He gestured at the overgrown path that connected their den and their place of worship.

Well, her place of worship. Not many of the pack prayed anymore.

“I’ll send someone to investigate.” He gestured to another of the males.

She glanced at each of her four guards. It wasn’t their fault she needed protection. Her defective body made her weak. Not being able to shift to feral form, stuck as a civilian, left her defenseless in the wilds. Traveling in the forest was safer as a beast, with sharp teeth and claws to fight. Until she figured out her trigger to change shape, she’d need guards whenever leaving the pack’s den.

But she rapped her knuckles on the tip of Ahote’s nose anyway. If she let him boss her around, the others would eventually start. Her place in pack hierarchy was a constant battle. Even her own mother didn’t know how to treat her. “I’m not ignoring a cry for help. They might be hurt.” As daughter of the Payami alpha couple, Kele was due more respect, but the fact she couldn’t shift confused everyone’s instincts.

Ahote’s ears folded back and he moved aside, not breaking eye contact. A quiet growl stirred in his chest as she passed him. It was difficult to ignore the huge, black beast, but if she showed even the slightest scent of fear he’d attack her.

With practiced ease, she slowed her heart rate and kept breathing in a steady rhythm. Any of her guards could tear her to pieces, but she needed to believe they wouldn’t. The only thing stopping them was her overprotective father.

Pushing past the bushes, Kele inhaled. A strange odor blew in the wind, mild and floral.

Not far from the path, a female in civil form lay on the ground at the bottom of the hill. She rested just over the Payami territory line, marked every four days by her father’s scent.

The female sat and gaped at them. Leaves and twigs clung to her brown hair. What used to be a white coat was twisted around her torso.

Kele halted in her tracks.

A massive, silver-furred male raced down the hill toward them.

For a second, Kele lost control of her fear as her heart took flight. He was big—bigger than her father. This boded ill. Packs were not allowed on each other’s territories without an invitation from the alpha.

Her guards charged forward, blocking the strange shifter’s path across their border.

The male slid to a stop but his feet remained on Temple ground. Barely. “She belongs to me.” He leaned forward and confronted Ahote nose-to-nose.

Kele knelt next to the female. “Are you injured?” The female had a traumatized expression. “Did he hurt you?”

She stared at the feral males and grabbed Kele’s hand, her eyes never wavering from the beasts.

Sniffing, Kele tried to detect any scent of abuse. Small amount of blood from minor scrapes. Nothing major. No smell of sex either. Actually, the female smelled very clean, of soap and flowers and more importantly, no scent markers declared her attachments. Not even a pack’s.

“She clearly isn’t yours.” Rising, she stepped between the female and all the males. Unmarked females were a rare commodity. Females were always in demand. Between childbirth and illness, their numbers were less.

Ahote turned, his nostrils flaring as his ears came forward and fanned in surprise. “She doesn’t carry anyone’s scent.”

Kele sighed as all her guards twisted toward the runaway female. Nice. An unmarked female surrounded by a bunch of unmated males. Even though her father kept assigning unmated guards to protect her in hopes one might claim her, no male ever had. Her natural gift to ward off mating interest was an unwanted talent.

She growled her own warning to back off. Not very impressive coming from her in civil form; however something had to be done before their intelligence dropped and they began to think with their cocks. Mating challenges could be bloody.

The silver-furred male crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s not a shifter, which is why she’s free of marks. She calls herself a hu-man.” He snarled at her guards. “I found her first. The Goddess sent her to me.”

If she could be in feral form, Kele’s ears would have perked. “You still worship the Goddess?” She’d thought most shifters either prayed to the vampires’ God or didn’t pray at all.

The strange shifter eyed her from head to foot and kept silent.

“Do you have proof?” Kele raised an eyebrow.

“She fell from a blue light in the sky. Ask her.” He pointed to the unmarked female, who rose to her feet and stood close to Kele’s back.

“Did the Goddess send you?” Kele asked. The blue light was the reason for the trek. Guards watching the entrance to their den reported seeing it burn in the sky above Temple lands. Her parents had sent her to investigate.

The female blinked, her gaze traveling from Kele to the strange male. “I—I don’t know. All gods work in mysterious ways, don’t they?”

Kele didn’t smell any lies. “Did you fall from a blue light?”

Wringing her hands, the female backed away. “Yes,” she whispered.

Kele’s breath caught in her chest. “Truly?” She looked at the strange male once more for confirmation and approached him. He easily towered two feet above her short frame, but she was practiced in how to hold her ground. “She’s on Payami ground now, so I lay claim to her.”

Surprised grunts came from her guards.

“You can’t claim her. You’re—you’re female.” The strange male lifted his foot as if to step over the territorial line.

Her guards growled and closed in on him.

Ears folded back, he bared his teeth and stayed on his side of the border.

“Enough of this.” She clapped her hands as if disrupting a puppy squabble. “She’s not a shifter so she’s not part of pack hierarchy. None of you have rights to her. But she’ll be my guest.” She glared at the foreign shifter who acted like an alpha. “Be off.”

The female leaned close. “Thank you.”

“You’ve grown bold, Kele, for someone who can’t shift.” The stranger shook his mane and relaxed his stance. “You don’t possess the power to order me.”

A small muscle ticked along her jaw. This mutt didn’t need to remind her of her impotence. She was quite aware of it. “And who exactly are you?” Especially since he knew so much about her.

Fur melted to tanned skin. The male kept his muscular shape as his animal nature faded and he changed to his civil form. His muzzle and ears reshaped, leaving a rugged, angry face. A pale scar ran across his face to the corner of his lower lip, giving him a perpetual frown.

He didn’t cover his nudity. “Sorin, alpha of the Apisi.” His untidy silver hair hung down his back to his hips.

The female who tumbled down the hill gasped, her tight grip on Kele’s hand weakening as her eyes rolled back. She crumpled to the forest floor.

Kele blinked at the prone body at her feet. What had happened? Did she just die? She knelt, pressed her fingertips to the female’s throat and found a steady, strong pulse.

The ground vibrated with the rising sound of growls.

The alpha had crossed the line and squatted across from her. “Is she hurt?” Sorin brushed a loose strand of hair from the female’s cheek. Concern flashed across his face—so quick Kele wasn’t sure if she’d truly seen it. Dark circles and worry lines made Sorin appear older. Her gut said the female wasn’t the cause of his premature aging.

Ahote went down on all fours behind Sorin. The fur along his spine stood on end, and his bared fangs dripped saliva. He crept closer.

“Wait!” She raised her hands to stop the attack but a second too late.

Sorin twisted in time to meet the assault but her guards were in feral form, and the alpha was outnumbered.

She heard the crack of flesh hitting flesh, and the scent of fresh blood masked all other smells in the area. The fight didn’t last long. Her guards stood over Sorin’s prone, unmoving body and panted.

“You better not have killed him!” The idiots. Her father had no tolerance when it came to trespassers. They were usually beaten and returned to Temple land as a warning. Repeat offenders became omegas of her pack.

But Sorin was an alpha. She shook her head. This was different. Kele had heard the stories about the Apisi, a small pack to the North—too small to be a threat and too crazy to absorb into her pack Her father barely tolerated their existence. She didn’t want them to retaliate over something so insignificant as young males fighting over a female. “Toss him back to neutral ground.”

Ahote returned her stare with his sharp blue eyes. “You sure? Your father may want to speak with him first.”

“About what? It’s not like his pack has anything we want.” Trading for the return of a trespasser was a common practice. Someone had to pay the price of breaking pack law. As an alpha, Sorin should have brought a nice bounty, but she knew his pack was poorer than dirt. She ground her teeth. She wouldn’t risk displeasing her father either. He might protect her from others but he didn’t have a problem tanning her ass. “Fine, bring him.”

She regarded the prone female.

Ahote knelt on the other side of her.

“She fainted. Sorin frightened her, I think.” Kele kept her laughter in check. “I don’t care if the Goddess sent her or not. That’s not a good way to leave an impression on an unmated female.”

Her first guard ran a gentle fingertip over the female’s unmarred cheek. “She acts like she’s never seen a shifter before. Have you ever heard of a hu-man?”

“No.” Kele bent closer to examine the inside of the female’s mouth. “No fangs. Her canines are too small and dull for a shifter.” She rolled her onto her side. “No wings, tail or fins.”

He leaned closer. “The light?”

“That’s why my father sent us.”

“Do you truly think she came from the Goddess?”

“She doesn’t work so openly, Ahote.” She rose to her feet. If the female came from the light, she’d need to question her before anyone else questioned her. Maybe she held the key to freeing Kele from the curse of remaining in civil form.

She assessed the female’s slim shape, a shape that contained a nice touch of extra curves that Kele lacked. “You’ll care for her? Not let these dogs abuse her?”

A snarl escaped Ahote. “But I’m not interested in a permanent mate.”

Kele fought to control a grin at his expression. Ahote could use a little humility. “I know. That’s why it has to be you until I find out more about her.”

He grimaced. “Fine, but you can’t hold it against me if I play with her. This is your idea, not mine.”

“Fair enough.”

Chapter Three

Something cold and wet nudged Susan’s face. Grimacing, she shoved it away. A dog must be loose. She blinked, trying to focus on the dark mass inches from her.

Her blood pressure rocketed into the danger zone, and she slapped away the muzzle. She scurried to her feet, then searched her surroundings.

The pale blonde woman who had rescued her nodded. “Are you better?”

Huge werewolves, right out of a horror movie, surrounded them. Bipedal, they stood well over seven feet tall. Fur covered their well-muscled, human-like limbs, and they each bore a wolfish head. They had claws.

And teeth.

Sharp ones.

Susan swallowed and then glanced at the top of the hill where she’d tumbled down head-over-heels. The silver-haired werewolf lay unconscious in his human form not far from where she stood. Ropes bound his wrists and ankles. “He changed shape.”

The blonde approached her with two of the monsters flanking each side as if they were guards. “They can all shift from civil form to feral form.”

“And you?” Susan straightened her jacket and attempted to brush off the dirt. Enough freaking out—she needed to deal. Panic never accomplished anything. She had wanted to explore other dimensions, and here she was. To begin, she needed to collect data. What kind of technology did these creatures have? Maybe she could rebuild DOUG and find a way to open the Gate again. She bit back a scream of frustration. It only had taken her ten years the first time around. Who knows—she could cross over to another dimension where the dinosaurs had evolved to be sentient.

She was so screwed.

Blondie’s eyes narrowed. “I cannot shift. Not yet.”

The midnight black werewolf standing next to the blonde snorted and shook the thick mane of hair hanging around his neck almost as if he was laughing.

She elbowed him hard in the side.

Nice going. Susan had mocked her only ally. Maybe next time she should poke her in the eye first.

Detonating DOUG had bought Susan a one-way ticket on The Twilight Zone express, and she was stuck here.

These creatures spoke English. With a slight accent, but it meant the dimensional fold couldn’t be that far from her Earth. And what was with the werewolf thing? What happened in this planet’s history to make them? And hadn’t Silver Mane said something about vampires?

Most importantly, where were the humans? Her gut dropped like an anchor. He hadn’t known what a human was. None of them seemed to have heard of one.

“My name is Kele.” The blonde offered the inside of her wrist to Susan’s nose.

She stared at it, having a sci-fi movie moment. “I’m Susan.” And returned the gesture.

The blonde sniffed her wrist then pressed hers closer to Susan’s face.

She sniffed it, not really smelling anything special. “Are you like them—a werewolf?” Susan pointed to the other beasts.

“Yes, we’re of the Payami pack. We prefer being called shifters though. Werewolf is more of an ethnic slur.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m not from here.” She tried to smile but her bottom lip kept trembling. It probably looked twisted and dim-witted.

“I’ve noticed.” Kele slipped her petite hand around Susan’s. “The one who chased you is from another pack. You’ll be my guest.”

Glancing at the four beasts accompanying Kele, she didn’t think she had much choice. “Is being a guest a good thing?”

One of Kele’s eyebrows shot up. “Would you rather spend the night in the forest?”

“No, of course not.” She shook her head. Her situation kept getting worse, and she needed to stop the trend. She’d gone from one werewolf to five. “I never met any were—umm—shifters before. I’m still trying to figure out if I’m on the menu.” Could this all be some terrible delusion? A side effect from DOUG exploding? Maybe she was really in some mental institution, drooling on her hospital gown. “What about him?” She pointed at Silver Mane.

“He’s a prisoner. Our alpha will decide Sorin’s fate for trespassing.”

One of the beasts nudged Susan’s shoulder with its muzzle then slid it so his head rubbed against her.

Stiff as a board, she remained planted to the spot. She didn’t know the rights or wrongs of this culture. Her dreams to explore other dimensions seemed naïve now. Or downright stupid. Up to this point everything she’d done led to disaster. It was time to go against sanity. Closing her eyes, she touched the soft fur on its head and stroked gently.

A sharp snarl sounded from behind.

Her eyes popped open and she jumped straight up in the air. Glancing back, she came face-to-face with the midnight black shifter. She’d done something to piss him off.

Stalking around her, the dark beast shoved the one she had petted away from her and knocked him to the ground.

Kele yanked her out of the way then led them through the forest ferns as the dark one leaped with teeth bared and claws exposed to attack.

The other two beasts followed, carrying Sorin between them. They swung their heads back and forth in slow arcs as if scanning the area for potential danger. What would be fool enough to harass them?

Susan glanced over her shoulder. She’d never seen anyone attack another person—beast—whatever before.

The large, black shifter pinned the other to the ground and held it there. His bright blue eyes met hers and sent a cold shiver down her spine.

“Don’t encourage them, Susan.”

She twisted to face her hostess. “I didn’t mean to. Why are they fighting?”

Kele raised a delicate eyebrow again. “Do you have a mate?”

“Mate?”

“A lover? A male?”

“No!” She didn’t have time for men and wasn’t any good around them, especially the really hot ones.

“You’re unclaimed and young—”

“And pretty,” an accompanying guard commented.

Glaring at the beast, Kele continued, “They’re showing off for you. Especially Ahote, the dark one. He plans to court you.”

Susan stopped midstride and was almost trampled by a guard. “What does court mean among your people?” The idea of being given over to a male made her stomach sour. She’d been ready to die to protect DOUG from military abuse. Was she ready to die to avoid her own abuse as well?

“I can smell your fear. It’s thick in the air. You’re going to need to control it if you want to survive.” The petite blonde caressed the closest beast. “None of them would ever take you against your will.”

“We’re not Apisi dogs,” someone mumbled under his breath.

“None of that. Now that the old alpha is dead, the Apisi will change. Sorin has promise.” She pointed to Silver Mane’s unconscious form.

The midnight-black shifter approached the group, not a scratch on him from what Susan could see. “Didn’t look that way to me the way Sorin chased this one down the hill. She could have been hurt.” He placed a huge, clawed hand over his chest. “I’m Ahote.” He nudged her to continue walking. “Our home is close but it’s still dangerous to be in civil form in the forest. Keep moving.”

Had the black beast won the fight? She searched for the beast she initially petted.

He straggled behind, his head hung low. Glancing at her, he shrugged.

Ahote, the winner, dwarfed her with his shadow. Any of these beasts did. Human boyfriends were difficult to deal with. Why would she want a shifter? She didn’t even like body hair. But how did you refuse a guy who could eat you for dinner?

She drew closer to Kele as they reached a path and swallowed with a mouth gone dry. A scientist lost in a primitive world. Maybe she could learn to garden? She snorted, and Ahote’s hungry gaze fell on her. He didn’t look like an herbivore.

A thirty-minute walk later, the ground inclined toward the side of a worn mountain with a cave mouth yawning at the base.

Susan’s heart sank even lower into her gut as they headed straight for the cavity. She’d be living the rest of her life in a cave. Kele’s well-made cloak had given her hope that they had some kind of civilization. The shifters should be beyond the Stone Age. At least, she had hoped they were.

Time should run at the same pace no matter what dimension DOUG bridged. She should be in the same historical period, since time travel was not possible within her theories. The only explanation was that technology hadn’t developed at the same rate as in her dimension.

The group stopped, except Ahote, who approached the mouth of the cave. Two unseen guards appeared from the cliff face above, their gray-brown fur camouflaging them well. Words were exchanged but she couldn’t make out what. Then Ahote signaled for them to continue forward.

On Kele’s heels, Susan did her best not to press against the female. Susan had spent her whole life in cities. Hell, her parents had never even sent her to summer camp. The closest she had to wilderness was the park she crossed on her way to work.

Deeper and deeper, they traveled into the tunnel. Darker and darker, the light faded until she couldn’t see her own hand waving in front of her face. She stopped and reached out. “I can’t see.”

Silence answered her.

She pivoted, her heart aflutter. “Hello?” Her voice hit a high pitch. Shame be damned, her dignity had vanished the second she tumbled down that hill.

Kele cleared her throat. “Your kind can’t see in the dark? Or do you have a—defect?”

Breathing a sigh, she followed Kele’s voice. “Humans need some kind of light to see by.” She came in contact with fur. “Oh, sorry.” She jerked her hands away.

A large clawed hand took hold of hers and set it back on the soft fur. “Hold onto me and I’ll guide you.” Ahote spoke close to her ear. His deep, seductive voice could melt iron.

She clutched his silken fur and followed his lead. Blinking didn’t make her sight better yet she couldn’t stop. Every time she stumbled, Ahote caught her. “Do you live in the dark?” Her voice sounded frightened even to her own ears.

A large hand snaked around her waist and pulled her close. “No, these tunnels are part of our defense system. From the time we’re pups, the paths are taught to us.”

“So, they’re like a maze?” And something to prevent her from leaving. Guest, my ass.

“Yes, not much farther until we exit.”

She appreciated Ahote’s comforting words but not the hand stroking her hip. Like she didn’t have enough freaking problems. The darkness constricted around her, tightening its hold until she thought she’d snap in two.

A faint light appeared ahead, and the vise of fear around her chest relaxed. She released the breath she’d been holding and shoved Ahote’s hand off her body. By quickening her steps, she crossed the threshold into the open before the dark shifter.

She panted as if she had run a marathon, and sweat trickled along her spine. Her breathing became easier, and what she stared at finally registered in her mind. Touching her fingertips to her lips, Susan gaped around and above her.

A hollowed-out mountain surrounded them. The sun shone through the open top, warming her skin and feeding the lush forest growing inside. Stone stairs were carved into the rock lining the walls. They stretched from terrace to terrace at least four stories high. Cave entrances with doors dotted the wide, wooden balconies, and rope bridges hung across at each level connecting both sides.

They had built their home in an extinct volcano.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ahote whispered as he passed.

Susan rubbed her eyes. “Amazing.” If amazing described the small city then extraordinary depicted the people. Not a beast among them. Tall and muscular, they milled around the huge ground floor. Children ran and screeched, racing between the adults. Everyone wore bright-colored dresses or dark leather kilts. No one appeared armed or causing harm. Thank goodness.

From what she could tell, a market of sorts was doing business in the distance, and some females strolled by with baskets of grapes in their arms. They smiled at Kele and one waved to the guards behind her.

Susan glanced back and sensed her eyes growing wider.

They’d changed—shifted—to men. Half-naked men. Half-naked, gorgeous men.

She shook her head to make the thought stop skipping. Locked in her lab the past year, trying to get DOUG to work, had placed a kink in her social life. And her sex life. She eyed the men. Not a fuzzy hair on them now.

A blue-eyed guard with black hair past his shoulders caught her attention. He pulled a leather kilt from his backpack and wrapped it slowly around his well-defined abs. Never breaking her eye contact.

She swallowed. Way out of her comfort zone.

One of the other men tossed a shirt at him. “Stop putting on a show. We all know you like her, Ahote.”

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Ahote was out-of-her-league handsome. She didn’t mind gawking at men that attractive but nothing more. Whenever she spoke with ultra-sexy men, her brain unhinged. It was a terrible thing to witness.

While he pulled the off-white, long-sleeved shirt over his head, he sauntered toward her.

She brushed the loose strands of hair from her face and found a dried leaf stuck to her head. What the fuck? Her French twist was a tangle.

“I’ll take you for a tour.” He gave her a lazy smile and she sensed her IQ plummeting.

“Don’t you have chores to do?” Kele, though smaller in stature, managed to look down upon him.

He gave her a pointed look. “You were my chore.”

“Well, Sorin is your present chore. He must be presented to my father when he wakes. I’ll tend his injuries after. Store him somewhere while I speak with Susan. My parents will want to meet her.” Kele eyed her and plucked another leaf from her head. “I should prepare her for the ordeal first.” She lifted Susan’s wrist up to Ahote. “Mark her.”

Susan tried to yank her hand away but the pale female’s strength outmatched hers. What kind of marking were they discussing?

Ahote ducked his head. “Very well.” He bowed and took Susan’s hand, rubbing it against his warm cheek by his ear. “I’ve a good place for shifters like Sorin.”

Kele heaved an impatient sigh, rolling her eyes. “We’ll go to my quarters.” She snatched Susan’s hand from Ahote. “Shoo! You’ve made your mark.” Then she led her away from the grinning male, climbing the stairs to the second level.

Something light and oily covered Susan’s wrist. She showed it to Kele. “What is this?”

“Ahote’s mark.”

“I assumed that much, but how does it work?” The scientist in her still existed. Fear hadn’t chased her curiosity away.

“You carry his scent. It tells other shifters he’s willing to fight for you.”

The blood drained from her head, pooling in her heavy feet. “I don’t belong to him now, do I?”

“Dark Moon, of course not.” She laughed. “That would make it too easy for the males to claim a mate. Could you imagine?”

Susan could only stare. Not really.

Sighing, Kele took Susan’s marked hand. “It only tells other males that he’s interested in you. If you want to be approached by others, then just wash it off. I thought it safer for you to bear some sort of mark for the time being.”

“I don’t want any males. How do I announce that?”

“Then keep it on. Ahote is dominant enough in the pack that most won’t challenge him.”

“What do I do about him?”

Kele gave her a sly look. “You don’t want him?”

“It’s not that. He’s very nice looking but—but we’re not even the same species.”

Her smile grew wider. “Trust me. I’ve know Ahote all my life. That won’t matter. If you want my advice, make him work for it if you’re interested in a lover. If you want more, go looking for someone else. He’s too full of himself.” They climbed two more sets of stairs to the top level. “We need to tend to more important matters than your love life. My parents will find out about yours and Sorin’s presence very soon. It’s in your best interest to be frank with me. Tell me about the blue light, and we’ll present your story in the best manner.”

Kele crossed a hanging bridge that swayed.

Susan took a couple of steps then clung to the rope. The ground appeared much farther away from above than it had from below. Inching one step at a time, she kept her gaze straight ahead. Sweat trickled down her back in a steady stream until her shirt clung to her skin. She hummed the circus tune as a distraction until she crossed the length.

Kele tapped her foot as she waited by the entrance to a cave at the far end of the terrace.

Susan hurried to catch up. Glancing inside the room, she found some civilization but not the kind she’d hoped for. The chamber was carved in pale stone with elaborate pictures covering the walls done in bright-colored paints. Most depicted hunting scenes.

Once inside, Kele closed the door and lit a few candles, then settled on the large cushions lying in a pile by the farthest wall.

Dark dread, which had been clinging to Susan since her arrival to this world, lightened a little. Books—wonderful, leather-bound books—filled a shelf. Susan’s fingers twitched to flip through the pages. “Is this your room?”

“Yes. I study and mix medicines in here.”

“So you’re the healer?”

“Yes. My parents thought it wise if took up a trade since…” Her solemn eyes darted away. “I can’t shift.” She patted the fur next to her.

Susan straightened her dirt-smudged lab coat before accepting Kele’s invitation to sit. “Is that common?”

“No, but I didn’t bring you here to discuss my problems.” She leaned in closer and trapped Susan’s gaze. “Did the Goddess send you?” She tapped her nose. “Don’t bother lying. We can smell it.”

A blush warmed Susan’s cheeks. She’d lied to Sorin at the Temple. He’d probably known. Why should she care? He scared the bejesus out of her. “The truth will be difficult for you to handle. Hell, it’s difficult for me to handle.”

Something hard bit into Sorin’s wrists. His hands were so numb he couldn’t sense them moving when he attempted to make a fist. Metal rattled as he jerked his arm. He hung from chains.

He listened to the many voices surrounding him. They echoed slightly as if he dangled within a great cavern. Laughter flitted over the noise. He must be displayed in the pack gathering room.

Forcing his limbs to go limp, he tried not to attract attention. The Payami had taken him prisoner and would try to ransom him, but his pack had nothing.

Painful cramps seized his shoulders but he ignored them, pushing the discomfort back in his mind where he shoved all his past abuse. Only the dead felt no pain. As long as he endured this glorious sensation he was alive. His useless father had taught him this.

He cracked his eyelids open and checked out his surroundings. Many members of the pack lounged in the room playing games, conversing and drinking. Thick carpets lined the cave floor and plush, colorful pillows supported the shifters in comfort. Sorin had never seen such luxury. The excess burned his senses.

“You’re awake.” A dark-haired male stepped into his sight with a tankard of ale in one hand and a pretty omega female in the other. He whispered in her ear.

She gave him a shy smile. Her gaze trailed over Sorin’s nude form in an appreciative way, and then she hurried away.

Such female interest would have given Sorin some pleasure in time long past, but he bore too much responsibility now to allow even that little bit of enjoyment.

The dark shifter watched the pretty omega wiggle through the crowded room before returning his attention to Sorin. “I was wondering how much beauty sleep you were going to need. With that scar, I would have guessed more. I almost had that nice little female convinced to follow me into the back of the cave. It’s dark and private there.” He winked.

Sorin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Muscle spasms ripped through his arms and they trembled. “Get on with it, pup. What are your alpha’s demands of my pack?”

“Pup? Is that the best you have?” The male bowed. “I’m known as Ahote.” He rose. “And I don’t know the answer to that question. You’ll have to ask him.”

The trembling eased in Sorin’s mucsles as his blocked the pain  and allowed it to pass beyond his awareness. “Then let’s be done with it. I don’t care for your name or any other introductions you might have.” He had to return to his pack. His absence wouldn’t usually alarm them since alphas led the hunts but they needed him. Now.

He was not his father and would never abandon them. Peder would return with the flowers at least. Working his tongue around his dry mouth for moisture, Sorin broke eye contact with Ahote and scanned the room. “Where is she?”

“Who?”

He kicked out toward the overconfident idiot and jerked against the chains. “You know exactly who I’m asking about. What did you do to the hu-man female?” If they harmed her, he didn’t care how powerful this pack was—he’d find a way to tear them down. She belonged to him, straight from the Goddess.

A huge grin spread across Ahote’s smug face. “You like her? Too bad—she bears my mark now.”

Snarling, Sorin yanked at his restraints until something tore in his shoulder. He sucked in a sharp breath and relaxed the tense muscles in his upper body. He was playing right into this pup’s hands. He had to act smarter. So what if she bore his mark? It couldn’t be a permanent thing. They’d only met today. It could be washed off. She’d been sent to save him—his people.

He cleared his throat. “I want to see her.” Make sure she wasn’t being misused. As a stranger to this land she wouldn’t understand shifter culture. The dominance games his people played confused those of other races. He’d witnessed how she arrived at the Temple. No one here had. They’d never understand how special she was.

“You’re not in any position to make demands, Sorin.” A familiar voice spoke to his left.

Sorin swung his head to glare at Inali, the Payami’s alpha. “Let me go. I only crossed to claim what was mine. Your hunters had no right to take her.”

“An unmarked female on my land? Sounds like she belongs to me now. You have no defense for breaking our laws.” Inali’s blue eyes bore into his. He’d been alpha for a long time and had known Sorin’s father at his worst. There was no love lost between their packs.

If only the other alphas would give Sorin a chance to prove himself, they’d see his pack had changed.

Sorin swallowed a growl and offered Inali his most reasonable expression. Dealing with his father had taught him how to control his temper. Arguing with Inali would only bring violence and waste more time. “Very well, believe what you like. What do you want for my freedom and hers?”

“Nothing.” Inali shrugged. “Your pack has nothing, and I haven’t met this female, who fell out of a blue light, to pass judgment. The idea of feeding another useless mouth doesn’t appeal to me though.” The Payami alpha turned his back on him.

If Sorin weren’t chained, Inali wouldn’t ever have let his defenses down in front of him. “The Goddess might have sent her and—”

“The Goddess abandoned us long ago when the vampires took over our people and our lands. If she did send this creature, then it’s best we just send her right back.”

“If you don’t believe then just let us go.”

“I plan to eventually, Sorin. But first I need to make an example of you. Maybe in a few days…” He glanced over his shoulder. “I have some females and males who wouldn’t mind taking some entertainment from you first. I believe your father was fond of such activities.”

Sorin watched Ahote stiffen at the mention of the crimes his father had committed. “I’d apologize for my father’s actions if I knew it would ease anyone’s pain but I know first hand that words do little to heal.” Even though his feet couldn’t touch the ground well, he tried to straighten with some dignity. “I am not my father. Nor will I ever be.”

Chapter Four

Before Susan could explain anything about dimensions and gateways, the door to Kele’s chamber crashed open, and Susan jumped to the balls of her feet, prepared—to what, fight? Was she nuts?

A female blocked the entrance, her muscular physique hinting at enough strength to twist Susan into a pretzel without breaking a sweat. The newcomer flung her black hair over her shoulder.

Rising with grace, Kele straightened her dress before addressing the intruder. “Mother.”

“Daughter, I heard you’ve brought home a stray along with the Apisi alpha.” The female’s stare drilled into Susan, her sneer far from welcoming.

Susan’s breath caught in her throat. Black, soulless eyes ate her gaze. Her fingers clutched the lapels of her jacket as she pulled it closed. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and offered her hand. “I’m Dr. Susan Barlow.”

The female shifter narrowed her eyes, nostrils flaring.

Susan withdrew her untouched hand, then hid it behind her back and glanced at Kele. Maybe she should have sniffed her mother instead? She wished someone would give her the Dummies Guide to Shifter Society and a little time to study it.

Kele’s mother crossed the room in two great strides and swung her arm.

Susan did her best impression of a statue. She didn’t budge as the impact of the slap swerved her head to the side and dragged her gaze from mother to daughter. Both of them were flushed with emotion yet at opposite poles of the color spectrum—one dark as an oncoming storm and the other pale as the moonlight.

The back of Susan’s heel caught the edge of the cushion and she landed hard on her back.

The bitter flavor of blood swept over her taste buds. “What the hell?” She rubbed her jaw and glared daggers at the crazy woman looming over her. Just as quickly, she schooled her expression to something less threatening before she insulted the bigger shifter further. With the tip of her tongue, Susan explored her mouth. She didn’t encounter any big gaps, so no lost tooth. A small blessing.

Kele’s crazy mother hovered over Susan’s face and bared her teeth. In beast form, her expression would have appeared fierce, but in human form it seemed terrifying. With an easy grace, she flipped Susan onto her stomach. A bony knee pressed between her shoulder blades, making her kiss the floor. Pain shot across Susan’s upper back and neck.

“How dare you come into my den and not submit to me.”

“She’s not a shifter!” Kele shouted. “You can’t expect her to know how to be polite.”

Something ran over Susan’s hair, and the sound of sniffing followed. She tried to take a deep breath but the weight on her back made it difficult.

The nutjob exhaled in disgust. “What is she?”

“A human.” Kele peered at Susan’s throbbing face as she stroked her hair. “Please, I wanted to teach her how to behave before meeting you and father.”

“Your father.” The bitch snorted. “It’s bad enough he’s entertaining a vampire and dealing with trespassing alphas. We don’t need any more vermin within the den.”

Susan was jerked from the ground by her hair and dragged across the floor. Pain shot into her scalp while she scrambled to support her weight with her legs. “Let go. Let go.” The shifter world was more brutal than anything she’d ever experienced. Susan slapped at the crazy woman’s hands tangled in her hair.

“My daughter took too many liberties in offering you shelter. You’ll need to find another den to take you in.”

At a loss, Susan yanked and squirmed but only made the pain worse. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kele leap.

The petite blonde used her wiry strength to jump across the room and land on her mother’s back. The collision knocked them both to the ground in a knot of arms and legs.

Untangling her limbs from the struggling shifters, Susan could finally elbow the bitch in the face. The impact made a satisfying crunch. She pulled back her arm for a second shot, but Kele grabbed her and half carried, half dragged her out of the chamber.

“Hurry, we need to reach my father before she beats you into cinders.”

Not needing any further incentive, Susan ran after her new friend. “Your people are crazy.”

They tore across the rope bridge, Susan ignoring the height this time. What chased her would do far more damage than falling. Kele’s mother howled profanities, and they echoed inside the volcano’s interior.

Susan cringed and glanced back. It wasn’t a matter of if Kele’s mother caught them, but more of when—then she’d have to kiss her ass goodbye.

The dark-headed, crazy female crashed out of the chamber, splintering the wooden door in her enthusiasm, and took chase in her human-appearing form.

Jumping down the stairs two at a time, Susan made it to the ground floor without breaking her neck. It was a miracle.

Thirty-one years on Earth, and she’d never been chased or hit by anyone. Less than six hours in this dimension, and it had happened twice.

A crowd gathered by the path Kele ran along. Some laughed and others rolled their eyes but no one helped.

Pumping her long legs, Susan tried to keep up with the shorter Kele but the pale-haired shifter outpaced her.

It wouldn’t be long before the mad shifter dug her nails into Susan’s flesh. She could almost sense Kele’s mother reaching out, the sharp edges of her nails tickling the hairs on the nape of her neck. Susan pushed her body to go faster. Her sides cramped. Her lungs burned. God, was she ever out of shape.

From nowhere, Ahote stepped out of the crowd. A huge grin spread across his face, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Keep running. I’ll try to slow her down.”

As she passed him, he slapped her ass like a fucking horse. The pain spurred her on. The crowd cheered but she couldn’t waste time to look around. Was it for her or maybe the crazy female chasing her? Insane people!

Kele ran into the vegetation that grew in patches inside the den, and Susan lost sight of her. Panic sent her heart into double time, and her pulse only slowed a fraction when she caught a flash of Kele’s blue dress between the plants. Susan ran after her. Over a fallen log, through thick ferns and across a spider web large enough to be classed as a condo. A large entrance in the side of the extinct volcano’s wall loomed ahead.

Susan crossed inside and slid to a stop, dirt blooming into a small cloud around her feet. Panting, she leaned her hands on her knees and dragged in a deep lungful of air. The eerie silence in the cavern had her lifting her head.

Shifters in human-appearing form congregated in small groups on cushions along the walls and around the large fire at the center of the room. It reminded her of a humongous family gathering. Games and cards were scattered on the low tables. Books lined one of the walls. Nice to know they did something other than try to kill each other.

Everyone had stopped to stare.

She straightened and tried to smooth her nest-like hair. Sweat beaded on her forehead and trickled along her face. She clenched her fist so no one could see her hands shake. What did Kele first tell her? Control her fear or they’d be all over her? A little too late to remember.

“Is this the troublemaker?” The deep voice came from a large shifter, who lounged among the multi-colored pillows. He motioned in her direction with a pewter cup.

Susan glanced from Kele, who lay sprawled on her stomach before him, to the shifters surrounding her. Unsure of what to do anymore, it seemed safer to join her on the floor. No matter how degrading. Every fiber in her body shook in defiance as she lay beside Kele, but if it kept her alive…

Crap, she didn’t even understand why Kele’s crazed mother wanted to rip her head off. All she did was offer to shake hands. Note to self: keep hands in pockets from now on. She glanced at the imposing male before them.

With cool blue eyes, he assessed her. Sharp intelligence was reflected in his assessing stare. She should tread carefully. He ran a hand over his long, orange shirt that fell mid-thigh. Leather straps crisscrossed his chest matching his tan leather kilt. The touch of white at his temples was the only sign of his age.

Kele elbowed Susan in the kidney and then pointed at her eyes, then to the floor.

Grinding her teeth, Susan bent her head and stared at the colorful, Persian-like rug.

“Father, this is Susan. I met her on the way to the Temple.” Kele cleared her throat. “I took her from the Apisi alpha when she crossed onto our lands.”

“Sorin crossed our borders because of this female?” He spoke softly since room’s silence allowed his voice to travel easily.

“He was chasing her.”

“Typical. She doesn’t seem attractive enough to warrant such recklessness. He must be desperate.”

A loud snarl to Susan’s left cut through the alpha’s comment. She followed the direction of the angry noise and caught a sound of surprise in her throat. Silver Mane—Sorin—hung from chains by his wrists. Naked. Suspended like a gruesome marionette. Dried blood had formed small trails along his torso. His face was contorted in a fierce scowl as his gaze met hers.

For a split second, she saw through his anger and knew he took offense at the insult tossed her way. She almost laughed, since what Kele’s father had said was true. Nobody would consider her much of a catch. She returned her gaze to the carpet. At least Sorin still lived. Had he really broken pack law to get her back? Something fragile within her chest fluttered.

”Sorin wished her return but I denied him. She’s not a shifter and bears no marks. He didn’t heed my warnings.”

Kele’s father’s silence weighed heavily on Susan. It took every ounce of her self-control not to glance up.

“Doesn’t explain why you prostrate yourself at my feet, Kele.”

“May she remain here as my guest?”

A roar announced the arrival of Kele’s bitchy mother. “Little disrespectful beast jumped me for a stray.”

Kele trembled.

Touching Kele’s hand, Susan steeled her spine for another attack. How awful to be related to that wicked female.

Her new friend glanced at her. “Stay strong.”

Susan’s stomach clenched and her eyebrows shot up. How the hell did she stay strong if she was weak to begin with?

A body hit the ground, hard, on the other side of Susan. She turned toward the noise and found Ahote lying on his stomach, face to the floor. A set of bloody scratches ran down his shoulder and arm.

Sandwiched between Kele and Ahote, Susan took a deep calming breath. It would do no good to run again. Think wolf, not human. The wild animal documentaries she’d watched all advised against running. Instinct could make the shifter chase her more. Running meant fear and gave them power over her. They’d continue treating her like prey. In other words, they’d tear her to pieces.

Kele yelped, causing Susan to twist again. Her mother had sat on her.

Fuck this. Susan lifted her head and faced Kele’s father. Wasn’t he going to do anything about his crazy wife?

He sipped his drink, a small smile on his lips as he watched his family. Next to him sat a slighter male with thick brown curls trimmed close to his head. His gaze met hers. He nodded before smiling and flashing fangs as long as a tiger’s.

So her day could get worse. This must be a vampire. Fantastic.

“Enough.” Susan’s shout echoed in the cavern, and she sat on her knees. “I’d like to go back to the Temple. At least there I only had one shifter trying to eat me.” She pointed at Sorin and ignored Kele’s spastic sputter.

“Eat you?” Kele’s father ran his fingers through his thick blond hair—the same pale shade as his daughter’s. He glanced at his companion, the one sporting fangs, and smirked. “Is that what the Apisi do to their females?”

The vampire’s grin grew wider. “You have to admit, your people come off as a little brutal on first impression.” He took a sip from his cup; all the while his gaze never left Susan. “This is about dominance, not food, young female. You must have done something to set Chaska off.” He gestured to Kele’s mother at the unfamiliar name. “That doesn’t take much.”

A growl rumbled deep inside Chaska—the unnerving creature Kele called mother. “The stray attempted to touch me without submitting first. I’m due at least that small measure of respect, vampire.”

Susan gaped at her. This was all about respect? She took mental notes. If she was going to survive she needed to learn the rules fast. No touching before showing respect. Check.

“Not everyone lives by shifter standards. You should unleash your mate and let her travel outside the forest more often, Inali.” The vampire addressed Kele’s father.

Susan started to file away what info she’d gathered into her mental cabinet for later examination. The vampire lived outside the forest? She hadn’t made it this far in her field of science by being stupid. Her mind was her biggest asset and her best weapon. The shifters lived in the forest but their laws didn’t extend past it. Who inhabited the area outside their borders, and were they easier to live with?

“My mate’s duties lay with the pack. Not dealing with outsiders. That glorious task is my responsibility.” Inali set his cup down.

Chaska dealt with pack problems, like Susan, and Inali took care of things outside the pack, like the vampire. That made some sense. Did that mean dealing with Inali would be easier? Somehow she doubted it.

Inali approached Susan. Even when he squatted, his size dwarfed her kneeling form. Twice as wide as her, probably close to seven feet tall, and all muscle. If she needed to imagine a shifter leader—alpha—it would be Inali.

Kele squirmed next to her under Chaska’s weight. The smaller female sent Susan a warning glare.

Susan comprehended the danger of her situation but she lacked the details on how to react in this culture and the consequences of those actions. Should she bite him? Take off her clothes? Maybe offer to cook them a meal? They obviously didn’t play by human rules.

He smiled at his mate, but no warmth shone from it. “Why are Kele and Ahote involved in this drama?”

“Our daughter attacked me and stole the stray from my hands.”

His hard expression turned to surprise. “Is this true, Kele?”

Her friend went limp. “Yes.”

Both parents beamed. The expressions disappeared so quickly, Susan wasn’t sure if she’d seen it. They turned more reserved gazes on Susan. These people spoke English yet she couldn’t, for the life of her, understand anything going on. Attacked, chased, and made both her and Kele grovel, but they found a moment to look proud?

“It’s about time you take a stand and strive for more dominance in the pack, Kele.” Her father continued to eye Susan as if she’d transformed from an insect to a sentient person before his eyes. “Though I question your motives.”

Chaska rolled off her daughter. She strolled to the cushions and crawled next to the vampire, whose smile turned to ice at her proximity. With a languid stretch, she reached over and snatched the cup from his hands. After draining the contents, she tossed it to an attendant.

The cup thudded on the carpeted floor, sending the servant to chase after it.

The bitch apparently enjoyed spreading her loving nature to all those around her. Susan wasn’t special. It almost made her want to cry. Not.

Chapter Five

Benic’s frozen smile cramped his face as Chaska settled in next to him. He sighed. If he showed any sign of annoyance, she’d only treat him worse. Inali ruled this huge pack with his intelligence, and Chaska made sure he remained dominant over everyone with her less than demure ways.

Through superior vampire armies, Benic’s people had taken over the vast lands of the wolf shifters. This grand forest reserve housed five packs. All that remained of the Iroq Nation. It was his responsibility to keep them under control. Otherwise the council would exterminate the proud race. Cat shifters were easier to manipulate with their desire for material goods. The wolves, though, were connected with their land. He hated to see such power wasted.

He ruled this forest and its surrounding lands, but years of experience had taught him good relations worked better with these packs than brute force.

Chaska had the right to take Benic’s drink if he was shifter. But he wasn’t. The bitch had done it on purpose to needle him, trying to get him to lose his temper so he’d appear weak. Vampire Lords were supposed to remain in control at all times. Instead of ripping her head off, he offered Chaska his kindest smile as if she were a simple child. He’d call her a wild beast, but she’d take it as a compliment.

As lord, he could technically cage her. Then he’d lose Inali’s friendship and his fine supply of wine. The trade-off wasn’t worth it.

Chaska lay across the cushions, her taut muscles relaxing.

Benic’s gaze traveled to Kele, sprawled on the rugs like a naughty pup. Thank God shifters didn’t all grow up to be hunters. The young female definitely had been filling out nicely over the last two or three years. With her mother’s beauty and her father’s intelligence, she’d be quite a catch.

Inali sniffed at the stranger next to his daughter and shook his head. “What exactly are you?”

The question snagged Benic’s attention like a baited hook. He leaned forward, studying the reckless female’s slim, plain face and the tangle of brown hair on her head. Dirt smudged her clothes and skin as if she’d rolled across the ground. Who was he to judge another species’ habits? His people fed off the blood of others.

“I am Dr. Susan Barlow, and I’m a human.”

Benic’s slow-beating heart squeezed painfully. “I’ve never heard of your species before, and I’ve been all over the world.” After all these centuries, nature could still surprise him with a new creature to study. He jumped up and down inside his mind, not wanting Chaska observing his excitement. She’d probably kill Susan out of spite. “Where do you come from?”

“From everyone’s reactions, I assume humans are a rarity.” She began to stand, but a low growl emitted from Inali. Kele’s hand shot out and tugged her back to the floor.

Benic swallowed his laugh. The human would receive more than a swat if she didn’t act more submissive. No one met Inali’s stare unless they were high in the pack hierarchy and no one ever stood to tower over him. The shifters would consider this human a stray, the lowest in rank, even worse than an omega. Someone without a home or pack—someone who wouldn’t be missed if killed.

“Susan, is it?” Benic offered a reassuring smile, but she cringed. “If you plan on staying with the Payami, you’ll need to be better at playing by their rules.”

Her hands clenched at her sides. “And I can’t play by the rules if no one tells them to me.”

He had wandered the world to add to his collection of blood samples and here appeared a new species, almost on his doorstep. If he was going to get a sample, he’d have to do it soon. With her attitude, she’d be dead by the end of the week.

Inali slipped his finger under her chin. “You’ve never been in contact with shifters before?”

“Never.”

“How is that possible? We populate most of these lands. Wild”—he glanced at Benic—“or otherwise occupied.” Inali sniffed her hands. Benic knew shifters tended to leave temporary scent markers in these areas. The alpha marked him every time he came to visit, warning anyone away from demanding some silly challenge. As Inali passed his nose over her right wrist, he chuckled. “Now I understand Ahote’s involvement.” He slapped the prone male shifter’s injured shoulder. “It’s always commendable to protect your interests.”

The young male sat up. A huge smile spread across his smug, idiotic face. Handsome and charismatic in a more-muscle-than-intellect way, Ahote drove Benic mad. Females threw themselves at the selfish shifter. He didn’t deserve such bounty.

Vampires cherished the few females born to their race. Their male-female ratios were even worse than the shifters’. However, most pack males would experience having a mate of their species at some point in their lives. Vampires males were lucky to even get a glimpse of one their females, let alone bed one.

Inali tapped his daughter on the head. “Kele, return to your room and teach your guest some manners.”

Without question, the alpha’s daughter snatched the human’s hand and pulled her out of the pack room. Benic didn’t miss the longing look the human gave the Apisi alpha hanging from the chains. How interesting.

He hadn’t had a chance to deal with that small pack personally. This offered so many opportunities on political, financial and personal levels. If he were a cat shifter he’d be purring.

Inali glanced at Ahote. “Get out, scamp. No more trouble tonight.” He watched the warrior saunter after the girls before returning to the comforts of the cushions. “Do you need to be so hard on Kele?” he asked his mate.

Chaska picked at the food displayed on the table next to her. “Yes, I do. She needs to learn to fight. We won’t always be around to protect her.” Chaska chewed on a piece of jerky. “Don’t misunderstand me—I’m happy she jumped me and defended that—thing. But why now? What is so important about the human that Kele would risk my wrath?”

“Maybe she’s just tired of you.” Benic grinned and didn’t care if his words hurt. He knew he was tired of her. The cruelty of fate astounded him when faced with the fact that a creature like Chaska would be gifted with a family and not him.

Inali laughed. Benic understood the alpha didn’t need to defend his mate since she was more than capable of tearing out throats. He protected her in other ways, like keeping Benic from putting her in chains.

Benic rubbed his chin as he watched Inali gesture for another wineskin. His relationship with the Payami pack was profitable, yet tentative to which alpha ruled. Benic’s life span had outlasted three Payami alphas already. A bond with Kele could be used to strengthen ties with the next generation.

“You still haven’t told me the reason for your unexpected visit, old friend.” The alpha filled a new cup with wine and offered it to him.

“I was returning home when I was blinded by a blue light. It shone in the sky over the forest.” Leaning back into the cushions, Benic took a sip of the fine wine the Payami produced. Benic always kept a stock of the decadent, rich liquid in his cellar. “It’s my duty to investigate such anomalies. What do you know of it?”

The alpha met his gaze, but a slight tic pulled at the corner of his left eye. It wasn’t in shifter nature to lie—they could sniff a fib from miles—but it made them proficient in twisting truths. “We sent some hunters out to investigate. It didn’t happen on our lands.”

Chaska stared at the cushions, picking at non-existent lint and chewing on her snack like it was the tastiest piece of dried leather.

Neither of them fooled him. This day kept getting better and better. First the strange light, then meeting a new species and now these alphas wanted to keep something from him. He’d been playing politics since before their grandparents were pups. This was like taking toys from babes. “Whose land, then?” This forest truly belonged to him by vampire law, the only laws that carried any true force. Inali could delude himself all he wanted. The blue light was a slight curiosity, but the alpha couple’s reaction just made his interest grow tenfold.

Sighing, Inali shrugged. “It was on Temple grounds. Neutral territory. I can’t guarantee your safety there. Not all packs have taken to vampire rule as mine has. There are some who would like your head.”

Benic ground his teeth. “I’m quite aware of my popularity.” Would it be worth risking his three-hundred-and-fourteen-year-old neck to explore the blue light without his warriors? His castle lay a few hours’ ride south of here. By the time he reached it and returned there might be nothing left to investigate. The light had been strong enough to see from the edge of the forest where he’d been riding in the northern region. Had the shifters discovered a new energy, or maybe a weapon? He swirled the wine in his cup as if looking for an answer within its depths.

Inali frowned. “What do you make of the human?”

“I don’t know. There hasn’t been a new species discovered in as long as I can remember.”

“Sorin says she fell from the blue light.”

Benic set his cup on the table before he dropped it. “From inside it?”

The alpha shrugged. “So he says. One should take what an Apisi says with a grain of salt.”

Pursing his lips, he allowed his gaze to wander toward Sorin’s hanging form. “Would you mind if I fed upon the human?” The only way he could learn the truth was by questioning the creature himself.

Chaska made a gagging noise.

“Behave, mate.” Inali grinned. “As long as she consents and you don’t kill her, then it makes no difference to me. Ahote on the other hand…”

Benic rolled his eyes. Ahote’s interest in the human just made her more appetizing. “If he doesn’t want me around the female, he should protect her better.” He rose in one graceful motion.

Strolling up the den’s staircases, he watched the main floor. Night covered the area but his keen eyesight penetrated the darkest shadows. Especially the one concealing Ahote as he drove his cock into some omega female he had pinned to the wall.

Fool. He had enough dominance to obtain a proper mate among the pack’s stronger females, yet he wasted his seed on the submissive, weak ones. Apparently his interest in the human wasn’t that strong; otherwise she’d be the one with her ankles clasped around his hips.

The faint sounds of the female’s climax reached Benic’s ears. He shook his head and grimaced, continuing his journey to Kele’s room. Only one hinge appeared still connected to her door, and splinters bloomed from the frame. He stuck his head past the doorway and pointed at the damage. “Your mother?”

Kele’s eyebrows shot up and she nodded. “I wondered if you’d be able to resist your insatiable curiosity.”

“Three days of hard work for the carpenters to assemble the frame and three seconds for your mother to destroy it.” He traced the sharp break with his finger. The end punctured his skin, and he hissed with pleasure. A precious ruby drop formed on his fingertip and he licked it clean.

“My female parent doesn’t comprehend the work it takes to build things.” An adorable crease formed on her forehead as she frowned at the damage.

Their dislike for her mother was a commonality they’d bonded over ever since she’d been a child. From there a friendship had developed. It wasn’t something he often allowed himself outside his species, but Kele’s sharp wit and intelligence acted as a natural magnet. Now that she’d developed into a stunning adult female, he hoped to convince Kele a more intimate relationship could be possible between them.

“May I come in?” Benic asked.

She gestured for him to enter her modest living space. As the only offspring of the pack’s alphas, Kele should have had more. In any other culture, she would have been a princess. Instead, she still occupied a room meant for a child. Who could understand shifters? He remained by the doorway and nodded to Susan. “Good evening, Dr. Susan Barlow.”

The human female sat on a pallet across the room. Her knees were bent up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. “I thought your kind could only travel at night.” She skipped any kind of social pleasantry. He enjoyed women who could converse with skill, not those who used words bluntly.

He raised an eyebrow and leaned toward her. “Why would we only travel at night?” He approached her and stopped as her eyes went wide. “I never heard that rumor before. Kele?”

The pretty shifter shook her head and joined Susan on the wide pallet.

“The sunlight doesn’t harm you?” The human scooted closer to Kele. Her reaction and questions set his already growing curiosity on fire. The drive for knowledge, to explore new places and discover fantastic things, would always rule him.

“What an odd thing to believe. Does it hurt you?” he asked the human.

She gave him a watery smile. “No.”

Benic could hear the pace of her pulse quicken as he inched toward her. His mouth watered. He hadn’t fed in days, but taking what wasn’t freely offered left a bad aftertaste. He could wait a little longer.

Her blood rushed through her veins. As a new species, it potentially contained unknown hormones and cells with all the possibilities to save his people. He needed a blood sample to study before he allowed his imagination to go wild.

He’d spent the last century taking samples of every species of Eorthe but in the past ten years his interest had waned. His theories had all been tested and proven wrong. Nothing he’d discovered could save his race. And here arrived Susan. He’d lost hope years ago, and his studies had been neglected for far too long.

The human paled, the muscles in her legs tensed as if ready to spring. She kept her gaze focused on him yet clung to Kele.

“You shouldn’t be frightened of me. I don’t attack people. Not like some mothers in this den.” He glanced from Kele to Susan and gave a mental shrug. Susan didn’t mince words, at least not that he’d witnessed. She was a direct creature. Maybe he should just ask? “May I feed from you and get a blood sample, Susan?”

She gripped the collar of her coat closed, her eyes so wide she appeared part owl. “I don’t want to become a vampire.”

He scratched his head and watched the human almost strangle herself with her collar. “You can’t become a vampire from a bite. You’re born as one. Just like shifters or incubi or—where did you get that idea?”

She blinked and tossed Kele a glance. “Stories my people tell. If you get bitten by a vampire or a shifter, you’ll become one.” She looked from him to Kele again. “At least that’s what I’ve heard. I never really had time to indulge any thoughts about it.”

“I’ve fed from Kele, and see, she’s not become a vampire.”

“But she’s already a shifter.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Something made her believe they could change her species. He took a shaky breath and swallowed to ease the tremor in his voice. Every rumor had a root of truth. This one could save his people. He really must find more of these humans. “You came through the light like Sorin said?”

“Yes.”

“And never met a shifter or vampire?”

She shook her head. “No. You don’t exist where I come from.”

Then how did her people have stories of vampires if they’d never encountered one? Changing a person…this he’d never heard of. What a concept. His contained excitement almost had him bouncing on the bed. So many new ideas, so many experiments he’d have to run. What would happen if he bit her?

“Benic, I don’t think feeding from Susan would be wise. She’s had enough excitement. Let’s not change her species today.” Kele hid her grin behind her hand. “Maybe tomorrow?”

Dipping his chin to his chest, he acknowledged Kele’s advice. “I thought as much.” Let them think he could be easily dissuaded—before he left for his castle, he’d have his vial of human blood, with or without Susan’s consent. He offered them both his most charming smile. “Did you see the blue light, Kele?”

Kele’s easy smile faded a little. “I think everyone within the forest did. Is the light your reason for visiting?”

“I can’t come just to admire the most beautiful female in all Eorthe?” He reached past Susan and tucked a strand of Kele’s silken hair behind her ear.

A blush graced her cheeks. “Save that kind of talk for my mother. What do you really want, ferret?”

The nickname warmed his cold heart. She had always compared his personal nature to the intelligent and conniving little creatures. Kele could make an old vampire consider abandoning the comforts of his castle to live in the forest among dogs. “I want to go to the Temple and see from whence Susan came.”

“There’s nothing to see. The gateway closed and won’t open again.” Susan leaned her chin on her knees, a faraway look in her eyes.

Chapter Six

Susan didn’t know how to explain her situation to people who didn’t even know about electricity. They might think she was some sort of demon or bad luck omen or worse, their missing goddess. “This will be difficult to believe. You need to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions.” She took a deep breath. “I’m not from this world.”

Benic raised an eyebrow, his smile growing wider. “Oh, this story is going to be good. I can tell.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Benic, let her talk.” Kele set a reassuring hand on Susan’s shoulder. The small shifter had been an odd comfort throughout this ordeal, and Susan found herself relying on it.

Susan took a steadying breath. “The blue light everyone saw was a doorway of sorts, and I fell through it.” If their roles were reversed and Kele was telling her this story back on Earth, she’d have called 911 to have her institutionalized.

Kele’s eyes sparkled. “So the Goddess did send you.”

“No!” Susan shook her head and waved her hands as if physically warding off the idea. The last thing she needed was to be linked to a deity. “No goddess, no magic. Science brought me here. I used pure, logical technology to create the machine that opened the portal.”

At her declaration, Benic’s amused expression transformed to awe. “A world of science? You built a machine to travel among the stars?”

“Not between stars, but dimensions.” They blinked at her like she must have done to them a dozen times in the past day. She sighed. “This won’t be easy to explain so remember, ‘open mind’. Let’s imagine we’re from the same world but different dimensions. You call your planet Eorthe and we call ours Earth.” She paused to let them absorb the idea. “I studied what is called super-string theories. Quantum physics, which is my specialty, tells us that the sub atomic particles that make up our world are collapsed from waves of probability simply by the act of observation.”

Glazed stares met hers. She recognized the look. Many of her students had worn it when she taught at the university. “Let’s pretend that every time something happens, a new timeline branches off as a probability, like a new branch sprouting from a tree.” She pointed at Kele. “You decided to bring me here. Another probability is that you left me with Sorin. This other timeline branches off your decision and continues to develop in another separate reality. If we used my machine to fold the fifth dimension through the sixth like a bridge, we could arrive at this other branch, but there would be little difference in reality because it was such a recent event.”

Benic nodded, his expression grave and focused. “Fascinating.” His enthusiasm had bubbled off him and left him serious. “I admit to not understanding most of it, but you obviously do.”

Susan finally met his green-eyed stare. “You believe me?” This was a big step in getting someone to help her find a way home.

His eyes widened a little. “What I believe doesn’t really matter.”

Jerking, Susan recalled she might have proof. She searched her jacket then her pockets.

“What are you looking for?” Kele leaned to glance inside her pocket.

“I had a badge.” She sighed. “I must have lost it between the Temple and here. It’s made of a substance called plastic. I know you wouldn’t have that here. My picture is also on it.”

“A small piece of unknown material lost in the woods. We should look for it in the morning.” Benic’s speech grew quicker as if excited. “There is more to tell, yes?”

“Much more. My machine was going to fall into the hands of—of a faction I didn’t agree with. So I destroyed it. In the explosion, I got thrown through the gateway and transported here.” She surveyed Kele’s room. “A very long way from my reality line.”

Kele leaned back on her hands, her legs stretching forward as she stared off into the distance. Silence hung in the room. “How different are our worlds?”

A sob strangled Susan’s voice, and her words came out rough. “I barely recognize it as home. The plants, sky and animals appear the same.” She peered from Kele to Benic. “There are only humans in my reality. No shifters or vampires—you’re only myths. Never proven to exist.”

“Myths?” He rubbed his chin. “Your race is not even myth here. You couldn’t have mistakenly jumped more than dimensions, but worlds as well?”

“No. I considered it this evening. Except we’re all speaking the same language, breathing the same air, and your food hasn’t poisoned me. Yet. To confirm it, I checked the stars. Even the constellations are the same. This is Earth, but something happened in your past to really divert the branch from my reality.”

“The only human on Eorthe.” Kele’s voice carried a regret that broke through the unemotional barrier Susan tried to maintain.

She reached for the small female with her hands, needing something to cling to and anchor her so she wouldn’t be swept away in the tidal wave of sorrow. What she would do to have someone strong to lean on, to protect her in this crazy world.

Trapped.

She needed to figure out what to do. Her future seemed bleak at best, living among shifters in a dormant volcano. She thought of Ahote’s dark form slinking through the vegetation. Nausea rose. She didn’t want to end up some male’s plaything. Hugging herself tight, she realized she needed a moment alone and some time to come up with a plan.

Exhaustion swept her into its strong arms. Her pounding head grew heavy, and she leaned it on her knees.

“It’s getting late, Benic.” Kele spoke softly and ran her hand over Susan’s back, sending a warm, comfortable feeling over her spine. It was the closest thing to safe she’d felt since arriving on Eorthe. “We’ve had a harrowing day. I want to wash and rest. I think Susan is ready to go straight to bed, though.”

Yes. Yes, she was.

Dazed, she watched Benic make his farewells to Kele. His hands lingered on the young shifter’s arms a fraction longer than a friend’s should, and the way he gazed at Kele with a soft expression made his interest apparent. Yet Kele didn’t seem aware of his extra attention.

She pushed the broken door closed, wedging it into the doorway. “That will have to do until the crafters can fix it.” She sauntered back to the pallet. “You can stay here tonight. Then we’ll find you a place among the omegas tomorrow.”

“Omegas?”

She pursed her lips as if thinking hard. “Do you humans live in packs?”

“We live as families. I don’t know if you’d consider that a pack.”

“Vampires live in families, or clans, as well. Packs are different. There’s a lot of…” She made a twisting motion with her fists. “Struggle. We live close to nature, and our animal instincts are very strong.” She blew out a breath. “This isn’t easy to explain. It’s like describing how to breathe to a fish.”

“I don’t have the right tools to sense what you’re explaining. Yeah, I got that impression when your mother WWE’d me into the floor when I tried to shake her hand. Pack life seems violent. Start explaining with the omegas.” Especially if she was to live among them.

“There’s a hierarchy in packs. Alphas are the top. The strongest, fastest, sometimes the smartest. They lead. My parents are the alphas of this pack.”

Susan nodded. How could she forget?

“Then there are hunters, like Ahote and my other guards today. They protect and feed the pack. This makes them very valuable to us, so in return we give them deference. First choice of mates and living space, the best clothes—”

“You said I wasn’t being given to Ahote.” Dread seeped into Susan’s soul and she clenched her fists.

“Not against your will. But most females would fight to have his attention. He’s a top hunter and can provide a good life.”

“Then why doesn’t he have a mate?”

“He hasn’t chosen one yet. He’s…biding his time.”

Translation: He’s fucking his way around the pack before picking. Susan rolled her eyes. “I’m not interested in males like him. I’d have a hard time deferring to him.”

“That might make him want you more.” Kele laughed. “But in his defense, I will admit to telling him to mark you. It will keep most of the males at bay until you understand our ways.”

“Your mother didn’t give me the impression she wanted me to stay. What should I do about that?” She’d been reduced to depending on a pack of shifters who didn’t want her. Even to her human sense, that didn’t seem to bode well for her. How long could she ward off unwanted male interest before she caved in to her need for security? “What if I went with Benic? Would living with vampires be worse?”

Kele blinked. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to the castle.”

Susan eyebrow rose at the statement. Castle trumped cave in her books. “He seems to like you.”

“He’s been the lord of this forest for as long as anyone can remember. From what we’ve heard of other packs, Benic is very tolerant of our ways in comparison to other vampire lords.”

Susan remembered the familiar way Kele spoke with him. “You don’t treat him like a lord.”

The pretty shifter shook her head. “No, he always treated me special as I grew up. Most of the others wouldn’t play with me since I couldn’t shift, and they were warned from hurting me. Benic used to waste hours playing games and telling me stories when he visited. He’d make a wonderful father.”

Susan’s stomach tightened into a smaller ball, and she was happy they’d missed dinner. From what she’d witnessed, Benic wasn’t looking at Kele with a father’s gaze. Not anymore. “Anyway, you were telling me about omegas?”

“Yes, under the hunters are crafters, builders and traders. They make our lives comfortable. These shifters are less dominant. Their interests lay outside the desire for power and more for quality of life. Then there are the omegas, the most submissive of the pack. They rank low and some, like my mother, consider them useless. But these are our artists, our caretakers, teachers and easy lovers. They’re very essential to pack life. Nothing is more soothing than to be taken care of by an omega.”

Heartburn crept up Susan’s chest. “So they’re the lowest position of the pack?” She so wouldn’t fit there.

“No, the strays are.” Kele wouldn’t meet her gaze. Her mother had called Susan a stray when they’d been in the pack gathering room.

“Shit.” Susan plopped back on the pallet and stared at the dark ceiling. Light from the candles flickered, trying to keep the night from swallowing her whole. Maybe it would be best if she blew the flames out and let the darkness consume her.

“This is why I ask you to keep Ahote’s mark for as long as you can. Maybe you can convince him to mark you again?”

Shifting her position, Susan tried to relieve the tension growing in her neck. “How do I climb your society’s ladder?”

“Dominance, skill and strength. If you want something you have to be willing to fight for it. The more you lose, the less respect you will receive from others, and the worse you will be treated.”

“Where do you fit in all this?”

Susan saw her spine stiffen.

“I’m not sure.” Kele remained quiet for a few moments as if trying to decide how to explain. “I can’t shift. That’s not something anyone would respect or fear, but my parents are the alphas. Only their presence and love defend me. If they were to withdraw it or pass away, I’d be in a dire situation.”

“Like me.” Susan rolled on her side and faced the wall, turning her back to Kele, unable to bear the pity in the shifter’s gaze anymore. This sucked monkey balls with extra tartar sauce.

“Your situation is unique, Susan.” She sighed. “We’ll speak with Benic in the morning and see if he can offer you something better.” Susan sensed Kele rise off the pallet. “I’m going to wash. Will you come?”

The caked-on layer of dust and dirt clung to Susan’s skin. She really ought to wash. “Can I in the morning? I’m exhausted and want to sleep. Hopefully things will seem better after some rest.”

“Very well. I won’t be long.” The sound of the broken door sliding open and closed followed shortly.

Susan buried her face in the pallet and screamed. She punched the bed and took another lungful of air before screaming into the mattress once more. When her throat burned and her lungs ached, she stopped and rolled onto her back.

Oh god, oh god, oh god. What the fuck? She kicked her heels.

She could remain here and be considered a stray with a high chance of receiving some sort of abuse in her near future. She could convince the vampire to take her back to his castle and most probably become dinner. Or…what? What were her other options?

She could find her way back to the Temple and seek the gateway, make a new machine out of sticks and mud, powered by desperation.

No amount of searching would find the portal home. Without DOUG to maintain the gateway, the opening had collapsed. The ceiling wavered through the sheen of tears she blinked away. If she’d learned one thing today, it was not to show fear or weakness. She doubted shifters ever cried. Clasping her hands, she stared at nothing in particular.

Ever since high school, she’d been so focused on her career, then her research. Until today, she’d never really been without purpose. The emptiness inside her soul was unfamiliar. She poked at it and decided to name it despair.

She’d be a stray. They’d want her to submit or they’d beat the shit out of her. Kele’s mother would probably ride her ass. If being submissive was part of Susan’s nature, she wouldn’t be in this mess to start with. The military would own DOUG, and she’d have a Starbucks coffee in hand right now.

Chapter Seven

The pack gathering room emptied after Susan and Kele left. Inali and his insane mate had retired right after the confrontation with their daughter, leaving Sorin to hang from the chains for the viewing pleasure of the Payami pack. None were brave enough to approach him.

Alphas, from one’s own pack or not, were due some respect at an instinctual level from all shifters of lower dominance. Inali didn’t fear him but everyone else here did.

Long, dark hair caught Sorin’s attention among a group of laughing shifters by the door. Ahote. That one didn’t fear him either. What he would do to have such a strong hunter in his pack.

Ahote lifted his head to meet his gaze. Hatred snapped in the air between them.

Maybe Sorin was lucky to not have such a shifter after all. Yet Ahote had deferred to Inali earlier this evening without a squabble. It sounded like he had tried to defend Susan. A commendable thing in a male, but it had stung to watch the rough treatment of the human.

She was a delicate creature, easily broken. A fire in his gut, which had nothing to do with hunger, burned at the memory of the scratches and the wide-eyed hurt on her face. He’d seen such looks in his past from his pack mates. Chaska had no business attacking her. Susan knew nothing of shifters and their laws. One taught before reprimanding errors.

How his heart had swelled when Susan had confronted Inali. Even from this distance, Sorin could smell the alpha’s confusion at this strange creature’s action. Sorin couldn’t think of a single female in his pack who would have done that. Not even Lailanie, his most dominant female.

Ahote strode toward him with three other large males who shifted to feral form—something not usually done in the den. As Ahote stood before Sorin, he crossed his arms over his chest.

Sorin smirked. “Four against one. I’m flattered.”

“You’re an alpha in size if not honor. I’m not stupid enough to fool myself into thinking I could take you on.” Ahote gestured to the males with him. “Inali ordered for you to be lowered for the night and chained to the wall like an Apisi dog.”

The insult didn’t sting. He’d been called that by other packs all his life due to his father’s behavior. Were they dogs? Not anymore. Not under his rule. He’d made right the wrongs.

As they lowered him to the ground, his arms dropped. A sharp zing of agony shot up both limbs, traveling to his back. His knees buckled but he caught himself before hitting the ground. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing his pain.

They put a metal collar around his neck that linked to a chain embedded in the stone wall. One of the males tossed a water skin at Sorin’s feet.

Ahote crouched next to him. “You have a few admirers. Would you like company to keep you warm for the night?”

“So you can all watch?”

The dark shifter laughed. “Of course. I don’t do this out of the kindness of my heart.”

“I don’t indulge in females.” Sorin gulped the cold, crisp water.

“Mated?”

He shook his head, too thirsty to talk.

Ahote sneered. “Males?”

Sorin choked on the water. “No, but you’re almost pretty enough, Ahote, to make me change my mind.” How he loved watching the flash of anger in the other shifter’s eyes. Sorin hadn’t taken any lovers since he’d become alpha. There were too many issues to fix within his pack to find the time to search since no one in his den stirred his desires.

With a snarl, Ahote rose and spun, leaving with his companions. The gathering room was empty now except for a low-burning fire in the pit.

As soon as the sound of the shifters’ departure faded from Sorin’s hearing, he examined his collar with the tips of his fingers. They really kept such faith in vampire crafts?

Shifters worked well with natural material like wood and stone. The vampires designed things of metal—monstrosities such as cannons and muskets, also machines that worked on coal, which polluted their air.

The longer he remained trapped here, the more his pack would weaken. At least Peder had returned with the flowers for the fever before this disaster had occurred.

He worked the collar around until he could finger the lock. Obviously the Payami were a more civilized yet naïve pack if they thought no one could pick it. When his father was displeased with someone, chaining them was a common occurrence, but there’d been times when he’d forget where or how long they’d been imprisoned. Sorin, with the aid of the other pups such as Peder, learned to watch for disappearances and track scents like full-grown hunters. They’d also learned a few tricks about locks.

If he shifted, the collar would strangle him—all vampire metal could withstand shifter strength—but by concentrating on just one body part, Sorin could partially shift. Most couldn’t do this, and it hurt like the Goddess had him by the balls. He focused on the fingertips of one hand. The muscles in his forearms trembled, and sweat beaded on his skin. With aching slowness his claws grew from under his nail beds. Blood dripped onto the floor as they extended to their full length. Shifting never hurt and didn’t normally cause bleeding but Sorin had forgotten the pain that came with partial shifting. What he did was unnatural, and his body didn’t know how to react.

Using the long claws, he fished around the lock until he heard a familiar click. The collar loosened and he set himself free. Setting it on the ground, he then focused on his hand and watched in agony as the claws receded. He swallowed the pain and drew strength from it. Pain meant he was alive and winning.

He wiped the sweat from his brow then jogged to the entrance. Before peeking outside, he allowed the scents of the night air to drift in his nose. Above the smells of shifters he could detect food, green things and sex. All common things within a den, but something else drifted faintly in the air.

Susan.

No shifter’s scent hung close to the door so Sorin stuck his head out and scanned the area. He’d heard of the Payami den and how they’d built a stronghold inside a mountain. It was quite a sight to see in comparison to his simple canyon home. High walls with multi-level living areas surrounded a well-manicured, garden-like forest. He could even scent a vegetable garden close by.

But where was the singing, the camaraderie of pack? He’d witnessed how the members socialized in small groups and how they all retired to their own entertainments. That was all fine but he hadn’t seen anything that made them pack. The Payami may have wealth but they lacked family. He’d take his close, impoverished pack over this life any day.

Sorin didn’t hear anyone walking around. It was late, and most shifters would be asleep or otherwise occupied. He crept along the wall and followed Susan’s scent trail. It was easy to identify since she was the only human inside the den. He backtracked it through a dense part of the garden.

Leaves rustled to the left. He froze.

Grunts and mewls of pleasure followed the movement. The couple was too distracted to care about him. He probably could sit next them to watch and they wouldn’t have noticed. Shaking his head, he continued on his hunt. He’d never personally experienced such blind passion. It seemed dangerous. He could have killed both of them if he’d cared to.

Susan’s scent led up a flight of stairs. He paused at the base and spotted a pile of clothes by an unguarded cave. The exit? Shifters usually left leather kilts and dresses by the den’s main entrance so they could dress after shifting to civil form. It was considered rude to stride around naked, like he was doing. However, there were no guards protecting the area.

He wasn’t sure what that meant but it gave him a bad feeling. He’d been unconscious when they carried him inside the den so he hadn’t observed any of their defenses. This was another reason to find Susan.

What if she didn’t want to come with him? Would he knock her unconscious and carry her home like his father used to do? He sighed. Never. Not even to save his pack. He’d have to rely on his charm. Nausea rose in his gut at just the thought. His pack was doomed. He knew enough not to barge into her room naked though.

He went through the kilts as fast as he could before anyone noticed him out in the open. One of the troubles of being an alpha was size. Nothing fit well. He settled on a kilt that fit his waist but fell well above his knees and didn’t bother with a shirt. At a glance he could tell none of them would get past his shoulders.

As he dressed, he noticed a pale figure making her way along the balconies toward the ground area. Sorin slipped back into the darkness and went still.

Kele descended the stairs at a leisurely pace. She passed his hidden position,  carrying fresh clothes and a drying cloth as if going to a bathing room. He noticed Susan was not accompanying her. Would they have imprisoned her? He somehow doubted it. Kele seemed to actually care about the human’s well being.

So did Ahote, but for other reasons. If that male laid one hand on her… Sorin’s heart screeched to a halt. Where had Ahote gone after locking him to the wall? Why was Kele leaving the human female by herself?

Taking the steps three at a time, Sorin followed Susan’s scent up two levels and across a hanging-rope bridge to a broken wooden door.

Susan blinked at the ceiling. Feeling sorry for herself wasn’t making her problems go away. She’d have to cope with being a stray until she could figure out a new plan. Maybe her skills as a scientist could give her an advantage? She could try to re-invent the light bulb.

Shit, she’d have to re-invent electricity first.

The door to Kele’s room shattered open again. Susan’s heart stopped as she stared at the opening, half expecting to see Chaska there once more, but found a silver-haired sex-god from her darkest fantasies standing in the doorway. He wore a short, leather, kilt-like skirt that bared enough thigh she’d be tempted to lean back and take a peek under it. A long, thin scar swept across his face from his forehead, over his eye and down his cheek with a matching small one across both lips. Sweat soaked his dirt-smudged skin and glittered in the candlelight. “Sorin?” Hot damn, she hadn’t really noticed his maleness until now. She’d been looking at this world through fear-goggles all day.

Ahote was sexy but Sorin was an untamed animal.

His chest heaved as he scanned the room. “You’re alone?”

She sat up slowly. “Yes. You just missed Kele if you’re looking for her.”

His piercing amber gaze met hers. “Why would I want her?” He shoved the almost-unhinged door closed behind him with one hand.

Why indeed? Susan swallowed a lump in her throat and glanced at the pallet she lay upon. “Last I saw you were chained up. Are they letting you go?” She highly doubted the pack would release a strange male within their den unaccompanied. “Kele should be back any minute.”

Sorin crossed the room with two long strides.

Her heart skipped as she scurried back against the wall. All the self-defense classes she’d taken in college vanished in a flash of girly panic.

He knelt in front of her and shook his head. “I’m doing this all wrong. I know I am.” He held out his hand toward her but didn’t touch. “There’s not much time before they discover I’ve escaped. Come with me.” He audibly grounded his teeth. “Please.”

“You’re escaping?” She stared at his hand, and a glimmer of hope bloomed. “And you want to take me?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

She reached for his hand, then hesitated. “The Payami will treat me like a stray. Why do you want me?” Not grabbing his hand was the hardest thing she’d ever done. She was a woman overboard, and Sorin was tossing her a life saver.

He made an impatient noise. “My people are sick. I have no healer. You falling almost into my lap in my greatest time of need—”

“Your Goddess didn’t send me, Sorin. I’m from another world, not Heaven.” She grabbed his hand. “But I might be able to help anyway.” Finally, something she could understand and do. “I’m not a healer but I understand things your people might not.” Like bacteria and viruses, disinfecting areas and quarantining the sick. “Let’s do this.”

A huge grin spread across his face, and it devastated her. The pure joy in his eyes made her realize how desperate Sorin was, and she’d just given him hope. He pulled her to her feet with one hard tug and stood to catch her in his solid arms.

Pressed against his bare chest, Susan couldn’t find enough oxygen in the room. “Th-thanks.” There wasn’t an ounce of fat under his flesh. All muscle. All male shifter.

His gaze softened, much like Benic’s had when looking at Kele, and he brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. “The Payami didn’t treat you well, but you have nothing to fear from me.” Slowly, he released her, then retreated a step, but didn’t let go of her hand. “I’m not familiar with this den. I think I found the exit though.”

She slapped the heel of her other hand against her forehead. “The maze. There’s a maze of caves we have to go through to enter or exit, and it’s completely dark.”

He nodded. “Together, we will find a way through.” Yanking her by the hand, he led her back to the ground floor. He held onto her the whole way, thank goodness, because she couldn’t see in the darkness of the night. The moon, wherever it was, didn’t shine within the den. Only a scattering of stars above gave her any light.

At the bottom, he shoved her against the wall and pressed his body over hers. “Someone’s coming.”

Her heart pounded so hard she was sure he could feel it against his chest. She heard footsteps approaching and glanced around Sorin’s huge bulk to watch the dark shifter climb the stairs with two females at his back.

“You want to change your mind?” Sorin whispered in her ear.

“Never.”

He brushed his fingertips along her waist under her coat. “Good.” Then he led her to the exit. Hand-in-hand, they entered the maze.

Chapter Eight

Benic strode across Temple lands, oil lattern in hand. He couldn’t wait for morning for proof of Susan’s story. This might be the most important encounter of his life. Sleep could wait and so could safety. He knew there existed shifters who would like nothing better than to get him alone and chew on his bones, but he wasn’t an idiot. He traveled armed with his well-used sword and wore his chainmail. It not only turned blades, but claws and teeth as well.

He waved the lantern back and forth over the foliage, looking for a plastic badge. Unlike shifters, vampires needed some light to see by. He didn’t even know what plastic looked like, but he imagined he’d know it when he saw it.

The Temple loomed above him, a shell of a species’ culture and religion. It was a shame what vampires had done to the shifters. They’d been such a strong and wild people; now most lived in the cities as tamed versions of their ancestors. Only the reserves held the wild packs, and there were rumors of vast lands with packs far out west.

Maybe one day he’d travel to see for himself. For now he had a mystery to solve.

If Susan spoke the truth, she’d be a treasure trove of knowledge. They could bring enlightenment to this world through scientific information. Together they could hopefully find a way to increase the fertility of vampire females and lead the world into a new age.

Light flashed on something by a large, thick bed of moss. His heart did a double beat, and he knelt next to the white, rectangular object. Cautiously, he picked it up and flexed the thin material between his fingers. He brought it closer to his face and scratched the smooth surface. Susan’s image was perfectly affixed to the thing. “Amazing.” He flicked the badge. There were symbols written on it but he couldn’t read the words. Odd, since they spoke the same language. He’d think the written word would have developed similar lettering.

He blinked.

Susan was truly from another world. This proved her story. A world of science, populated by a much more advanced race he’d never heard of, truly existed.

Rising, he moved with a swiftness born in every vampire. As soon as the sun rose he’d offer to take Inali’s stray problem off his hands, and Susan would accompany him home. In record time, he crossed the forested area separating the Temple from the Payami den and entered the dark maze.

Sorin crouched low to the ground and sniffed. He could swear they’d just passed this fucking spot not long ago, but in civil form, his sense of smell was not as good.

Susan’s hand landed on his bare shoulder, stroking his skin for a moment before jerking it away as if burned. “Sorry.”

A residue of her touch still tingled on his flesh. He wasn’t sorry at all.

“I can’t see in this darkness.” Her fingertips trembled as they brushed the back of his neck.

He took her slender hand and squeezed. “I see you. I won’t leave you behind.” Her voice sounded steady, yet he could smell her rising anxiety.

She gave a feeble laugh. “I hate feeling like this. Weak. Helpless.”

He could relate. He hated feeling that way as well, but he didn’t view her as either. Especially after confronting the Payami alpha as she’d done. No female he knew would have done it. Not many of the males either.

He returned to his feet and undid his kilt. They’d never find their way out if he remained in civil form. Handing Susan his only piece of clothing, he shifted.

She ran her hands over the leather, her blinded eyes staring straight ahead. “What’s this?”

“My kilt.” He sniffed, searching for a hint of fresh air.

“Are you naked? What the fuck, Sorin?” She clutched the kilt to her chest like a shield.

He took her hand in his. “It would have ripped while I shifted.”

With a hesitant finger, she touched one of his claws. “You’re in beast form?”

“We call it a feral form. My sense of smell is much better like this, and I can defend us if we’re discovered, which is becoming more likely. I hate to admit it but this maze is an excellent defense.”

“Or a trap.” Her soft whisper sparked an old memory. A young pup frightened of the thunder and his loving mother who eased those fears with a fierce hug. The urge to gather Susan in his arms and reassure her surged through him, but he let the wave crash. Emotional tides needed to be stronger to move him.

“Keep pace.” He guided her hand to his back where she clung to his fur as he tracked the air for a sign of an exit. Kele would have returned to her room by now and found it empty. Would she raise an alarm? Maybe she’d search the den for Susan first. He doubted the pack would care if a stray left but it might stir them enough to check on him. An escaped alpha would definitely bring out the hunters.

The scents of shifters didn’t fade as they took several turns within the maze. The Payami were smart. He could have tracked their way out by scent alone if they only used one route, but the scents were well dispersed. That meant hunters roamed the maze on a regular basis to keep from creating a clear scent trail.

Once more he paused and bent close to the ground, searching for anything that could help. Would it be too much for the divine to toss him a bone? A little aid in an escape would be appreciated.

Susan clenched his fur, almost pulling it from its roots. “Sorin. I see light.” She pressed against him.

In one swift motion he rose and slid her behind him. At the end of an adjacent tunnel, a dim light grew brighter. He sniffed in that direction then once more to be sure he smelled it right. A growl rumbled in his chest as he recognized the source, and he grinned. Things were finally going his way. “Vampire.”

He’d always wondered what Lord Benic would taste like. Striding toward the light, he extended his claws to their fullest length. In hand-to-hand combat, shifter versus vampire, shifter always won. The only reason the vampires had won the war was their advanced weaponry, which killed multiple shifters at a time and from a distance. Benic could be carrying a musket, but Sorin would risk getting shot for just one good bite. Vampire bastards all deserved to die slow, agonizing deaths.

The shuffle of feet behind him caught his attention. He glanced over his shoulder and met Susan’s wide-eyed gaze. She still clutched his kilt to her chest.

With a sigh, the fury slipped from his soul. Benic’s death wouldn’t change the past—all shifters would still be under the vampire yoke—yet he could use Benic’s presence to their advantage. Obviously the vampire knew his way around the maze.

Sorin set his fingertip over Susan’s mouth so she’d stay quiet. It was almost a mistake since he froze at the touch of her soft lips on his flesh. The fur on the nape of his neck rose. When had he last kissed a female?

He shook himself to wake from his living fantasy. Exhaustion and hunger were playing with his head. He left her to wait by the tunnel’s entrance until the lantern came into his view. With the speed only a few alphas possessed, he grabbed Benic’s wrist and yanked him against the far wall.

The lantern tumbled to the ground in Benic’s surprise. Pinned to the stone wall, he met Sorin’s gaze with an unnatural calm. “So you escaped. You’re more resourceful than I’d have guessed.” His glare broke from Sorin’s and followed Susan as she gathered the lantern. “Stealing the human was not expected though. What do you want with her?”

“None of your business.” He squeezed Benic’s throat tighter. Vampires didn’t need to breathe but they all feared decapitation—one of the ways to truly kill them. With his claws extended and buried in Benic’s flesh, it wouldn’t take much force to rip his head from his shoulders. The way the vampire tensed, this thought must have occurred to him as well. “You’re going to show us the way out. Quietly and quickly.”

Benic’s gaze darted to Susan. “Give her to me and I’ll show you the best route.”

“She’s not for trade.” Blood oozed from the wounds on Benic’s neck and onto Sorin’s claws. Sorin’s skin crawled at the oily texture. He changed his mind. He didn’t want to bite him after all. “How about I let you live if you help us escape?”

“This isn’t a negotiation. The Payami will realize you’re gone soon. They won’t treat you so kindly if they catch you again.” Benic grinned, his fangs glinting in the lantern light.

Sorin resisted the desire to pluck those sharp teeth from Benic’s mouth. His pack’s needs came first, and his pack needed Susan. “She chose to come with me.”

“Does she know that returning with me to my castle is an option?” Benic now spoke toward Susan. “I can help you return home. Vampire technology is more advanced than shifters’. Come to my castle, and we can work on it together.”

With a jerk, Sorin twisted to see the confusion on her face.

Her gaze traveled from him back to Benic. “Sorin’s told me about your advanced weaponry, and I fear it’s nowhere near what I need to build a new machine. I’d have to rebuild hundreds of years of technology before we’d be anywhere close.”

“We can try.” Benic flinched as Sorin’s claws dug deeper.

“Enough. She comes home with me.” He glimpsed a shadow of doubt creeping over her face and ground his canines. “Right?” he asked Susan.

Chapter Nine

Susan clutched the lantern handle tightly. “I—I don’t know. The only thing I know for certain is I’m not staying with the Payami.” And that she wasn’t staying another minute in the maze. She’d never been afraid of the dark until she discovered monsters truly did exist.

Sorin loomed well over her head in his feral form. The tips of his ears brushed the tunnel ceilings when he stood straight. At the moment, he leaned forward as he held Benic against the wall with one huge hand. His fur shone silver in the lantern’s soft yellow light. If not for the teeth and claws, he would have been magnificent.

The vampire struggled in his grasp but didn’t budge the shifter’s arm an inch. It said much for Sorin’s strength, but did little for Susan’s desire to follow him home. A shiver ran up her spine. What if he didn’t keep his word and treated her worse than the Payami? She couldn’t fight him. “Whatever I decide, we need to go. Benic, please, show us the way?”

His eyebrows rose at her plea. “Very well, but if you choose him I get little out of this deal.”

A small noise of frustration escaped her. She couldn’t hear any sounds of pursuit yet she knew it wouldn’t be too long before she did. Every second wasted meant a better chance at her being caught once more and possibly turned over to Ahote. “What do you want, then?”

Benic smiled. “Your blood, of course.”

She covered the V-neck opening of her blouse with Sorin’s leather kilt and swallowed. “Of course.”

“No.” Sorin shook his head. “I won’t allow you to feed from her.” He twisted his head to meet her stare. “Apisi do not feed vampires. Not willingly.”

His amber glare pierced her with its intensity, and she gave a small gasp. “But I’m not Apisi.”

He rolled his eyes, and she barely contained a hysterical giggle at the familiar gesture. Was he claiming her as pack? A day ago that would have meant nothing, but tonight it meant survival.

Benic cleared his throat. “If you’d ease off my neck a little…” His voice sounded strained, and he cleared his throat again. “So I can speak easier.”

A growl rolled from Sorin as he set the vampire back on his feet, yet kept a firm grip on him.

“I never said feed. I simply want a sample of your blood to study.” He pointed to a small satchel hanging from his shoulder. “May I?”

Sorin nodded.

Benic opened it and searched inside. He extracted a small glass vial.

Susan’s gaze traveled from the vampire wearing a chainmail shirt and well-worked leather, and who spoke of studying her blood as if he were a scientist, to Sorin in his feral form, who offered a place in his pack.

Not long ago she’d had noplace to go in this dimension; now she had too many options. None of that would matter if the Payami caught them in these tunnels. She rolled up her sleeve and offered her arm.

Sorin shook his head, yet released the vampire.

Sorrow in the shifter’s eyes made her hesitate and clench her hand. “I’m not feeding him, Sorin, and it will get us out of here. So stop looking at me like that.” He had no right to make her feel guilty, and he didn’t have any claim on her. By pack laws, Ahote had more rights to her, apparently.

“You will choose to follow him.” Sorin nodded toward Benic before crossing his arms over his wide chest.

Maybe. She needed to consider her future. Living with a pack of shifters in the wild didn’t hold a strong allure.

Moving with supernatural speed, Benic grabbed her wrist before she could change her mind. Something sharp stung her fingertip. She yelped and struggled in his grasp, but taking her blood was finished as quickly as it had begun. She hugged her hand to her chest.

Benic held the vial, with a pointed, needle-like end, filled with her blood, in his hand.

Susan tried to swallow but the tight constriction in her throat prevented it. “How will you study it?” She forced her arms to relax at her sides. The speed Benic had used to grab her was inhuman, and her brain still skipped in a what-the-fuck mode. What wouldn’t the US Military do to have that kind of speed? It only reinforced her decision to destroy DOUG.

“I’ll compare it to the others I’ve collected from species all over Eorthe.”

“You study blood that much?” Susan asked.

Benic shrugged. “It’s only natural.”

The muscles in her legs clenched, preparing to sprint. However, she took a deep breath and held his gaze. Fear would only kill her. She didn’t need Kele to tell her about controlling it. On Earth, she’d had to deal with corporate predators who had wanted to consume her soul. This wasn’t much different from Benic’s desires.

She pointed to the vial. “It will clot.” She watched the ruby liquid roll back and forth. The needle he’d used appeared clean, but that didn’t count for much. Things like HIV and hepatitis B or C couldn’t be seen. If she got ill she was screwed.

Benic grinned. “You’re familiar with blood.”

“Like I said, I’m a scientist. I’ve studied biology.” Her theories about dimensional gateways required knowledge of organic material that could travel through the Gate, such as humans. She had needed knowledge on cell function so she wouldn’t turn people inside out.

“The vial is laced with a serum that keeps it fresh.” Benic capped it with a cork and pressed on her wound with his thumb to stop the bleeding. “If what you tell me is true about your origins, have you given some thought as to where all the other humans are on Eorthe?”

A shudder traveled through Susan’s body. “I haven’t had time.” Yeah, what had happened to them all? She stared at the predators in front of her. Maybe the humans had been dinner. “What’s your theory?”

He grimaced. “Nothing yet. Are you sure the portal closed?”

“No, I’m not sure of anything.” Her heavy heart weighed so much it wouldn’t surprise her if it tore from her chest and landed in her gut. She’d never see home again. All her dreams, her studies and her work were for nothing. She’d wasted her whole life to end up some creature’s plaything until he grew bored and killed her.

A tender touch on the chin snapped her out of her pity party, and a rough finger turned her until she faced Sorin.

His ears were fanned out now as he tilted his head. “You have no pack or—or people close by?”

“No.” She could barely whisper the response through the pain in her throat. Sorin didn’t know her full story, and she lacked the strength to retell it. Not unless she wanted to cry like a babe in front of them. She tore her chin from his grip. “We done? Can we get out of here?”

Lifting his arm, Benic dangled something white and rectangular from his hand.

Susan gasped and stepped closer. “My ID badge.”

He held it in the light so her picture was visible. “I believe your amazing story. I think we could help each other. Once we’ve escaped these tunnels you’ll need to choose to stay with one of us. Give me the light.” He took the lantern from her hand before she could react. “We’ll go in this direction.”

Sorin blocked his way. “How can I trust you to lead us the right way and not back to the Payami?”

Susan paused her steps as she unrolled her sleeve and waited for Benic’s answer. She hadn’t thought this through. The vampire could bring them right back to the den instead of the dead volcano’s exit.

“You can’t.” The vampire shrugged and walked around the massive shifter. “But I want Susan to return with me, and what better opportunity to convince her than now. I don’t want her back in Payami hands any more than you do. If Chaska suspects my interest, she may kill her out of spite.”

Susan stared at Benic’s retreating back. “Kill me?” That crazy bitch would probably do it. She had to get out of this maze and off Payami land. Quickening her steps, she raced to follow Benic while Sorin brought up the rear.

“If you’d found the main exit, your escape would have been ended. They post many guards around the cave leading into the mountain.” Benic turned left into a smaller tunnel.

Sorin snorted. “That explains why there weren’t any guards posted inside the den.” The silver shifter stayed close behind her, almost stepping on her heels. “How do you propose we get by them? I’m weak from hanging on the chains all day. I might be able to take care of three of them.”

She stumbled, but Sorin caught her by the elbows before she hit the ground. “Watch your step.” He spoke softly and righted her. She’d forgotten about the chains. His arms and shoulders must ache terribly from the abuse, but he didn’t show any signs of discomfort. Here she’d been only worried about her safety. What would they do to him if they were caught again?

“Thank you.” She continued following the vampire.

Benic scanned two separate tunnels before choosing the one on the right. “This way. We won’t exit through the guarded entrance. I know of another entrance the Payami have forgotten.” Benic glanced over his shoulder and winked at her. “Sometimes a long lifespan is useful. I’ve outlived anyone who’s known about this passage.”

Her mind spun. “How old are you?” Were any of the myths about vampires true? Could garlic or wooden stakes work to destroy them? It seemed too easy.

“I’m over three hundred years old. I remember dealing with your great-great-great grandfather, Sorin. When he first split off from his pack in the far south and brought some of them here to live.”

The shifter growled. “He had to pay quite a price for that privilege. You asked for three daughters of the pack, isn’t that right?”

Benic’s steps slowed. “Yes, land can’t be free.” He sent Sorin a hard look. “I’m not a benefactor.”

“No, you’re not.” Sorin touched her shoulder and slowed his steps to match hers. He leaned by her ear, his breath warming her skin. “Remember that, Susan. Nothing a vampire offers is free.”

Shots of flaming electricity ran through her arm where he’d laid his hand. She rubbed the area and nodded. She couldn’t trust anyone. Not even Sorin. Her heart cried to believe him, but God, could she be anymore naïve?

Everyone wanted her for their own agenda. She needed to decide what was best for her. Going with Benic made more sense. He had what this dimension offered as the best technology. If she had even a glimmer of a chance of finding a way home it would be with the vampires.

The tunnels grew narrower and lower until Sorin stooped to walk on all fours. She leaned against the wall and let him pass. He moved as naturally as he had on two legs. Graceful and deadly all rolled into one. His long arms and torso compensated for the length of his legs as he strode behind Benic.

He glanced at her over his shoulder. “If you’re tired you can ride on my back.”

Her jaw went slack. “Uh, okay. I’m fine for now.” His fur had felt silky and thick in her hand when he had led her through the dark. She couldn’t think of a better mattress. With a shake, she cleared her head of images of bare-chested Sorin storming into Kele’s room like her own personal hero, except heroes didn’t really exist. No matter how much she wished.

Fresh air breezed into the tunnel but the night masked the exit. She squinted to see past the lantern’s light and glimpsed a faint outline of the forest.

Benic stopped by the cave’s mouth and waited. “From here, we can be at my castle in a few hours.” He offered Susan his hand.

“It would be quicker if you traversed Temple lands to get through the forest.” Sorin returned to his feet and sniffed the night air. “We’re close. I can smell Inali’s boundary markings.”

Susan stared at Benic’s hand, still not sure what to do. Heart and brain warred with each other. The vampire gave off such strong predator vibes. Each time she met his gaze, she saw herself on the menu. How long before a vial of blood wasn’t enough? Sorin had told her not to trust him.

Susan had to agree. As an employee of Technocon, she’d met enough sleazebags to smell one a mile away. Benic reeked. He might come across all smiles and pleasantries, but underneath he calculated every move around him. Besides, who the hell asks to feed from a stranger? Her blood could poison him. Maybe she should have let him bite her…but that could be even worse. Then every vampire would want her destroyed.

Shit.

She bumped against something solid and jumped. Twisting, she met Sorin’s gaze. Unconsciously, she’d eased up next to him. Her body kept trying to tell her something but she repeatedly turned a deaf ear to it. Maybe she should take a shifter’s approach and listen to her instincts instead of her brain.

The shifter stepped around her, placing himself between her and Benic. His ears went back, and the fur on his shoulders rose once more. With a quick, one-two jab of his fists, Sorin punched Benic in the head.

On wobbly legs, Benic retreated. The lantern slipped from his fingers, and the flame extinguished. “Wha…” His mouth went slack, and he slid to the ground, limp.

She tried to shove the immobile shifter aside but had a better chance at moving a mountain. “Sorin! What are you doing?” Just a second ago she’d been about to agree to go with him and then he—he went feral on her.

Not answering, he picked her up under one arm like a sack of potatoes and carried her deeper into the dark woods.

She kicked and wiggled. “Let me go.”

“No.” He kept marching—as if she weighed nothing—over logs, across a stream and up a hill. Of all the pig-headed males, she’d almost picked him.

She poked him in the side, meeting iron-hard muscles, and twisted her knuckle into an awkward position. “Ouch. Are you planning to carry me all the way home?”

“Yes.”

The Temple’s silhouette came into view. A faint blue halo sent shadows flickering between the trees.

Sorin slowed until he stopped. “What magic is this?” Setting her down, he continued to stare at the Temple in awe. “Is that—”

As soon as her feet touched the ground, she geared her ass into full throttle and ran her little heart out. She’d know that shade of blue anywhere. She’d spent months staring at it. The gateway. It shouldn’t be open, but she didn’t give a shit. She’d take her chances and dive through if it was truly there. God, please let it really be open and not some dream. She tore over the uneven ground and through the dark at a suicidal pace.

Silence chased her through the night. She glanced back but didn’t see Sorin. Her heart bronco’d. He must be circling around, hiding in the trees.

The forest was his friend.

Not slowing, she raced past the Temple and turned the corner. The Gate shone a couple feet off the ground, except it flickered. She’d never seen it do that in her lab, but she didn’t have time to give a fuck. Theories and safety be damned. She was going home, grabbing a huge burger to-go and watching shitty TV all night.

With her momentum, she leaped toward the Gate.

A force, akin to a truck, struck her from the left side, and she crashed into the forest floor with enough power to knock the wind out of her. As she sucked in air, the Gate flickered a few feet away then vanished.

Sorin crawled into her line of sight. “I can’t let you go. Not yet.”

Tears blurred her vision, and she rolled onto her back. Her gasping breath masked the sob that escaped her aching chest. “Why?” The question wavered in the night air. “I want to go home, Sorin.”

He lay next to her on the damp ground. “I need your help.”

She rolled her head to gaze at his face. His ears drooped while he stared at the dead leaves they lay upon.

Her chest wanted to cave in with the strain of not crying. She sat up with his help and tried to breathe. “That might have been my last chance to go home.” Twisting around, she pressed her hands against his upper body and shoved.

He didn’t budge, and her hands slipped off his silken fur.

She tumbled into his arms and lay limp. “I don’t want to be here. You’ve ruined my life.”

A warm, moist tongue licked across her forehead and she froze. Sorin continued this odd act a few more licks. If he’d wanted to quiet her, it had worked. “It’s not my intention to ruin anything. But if I have to sacrifice your happiness to save those of my pack then I will, even though it tears me apart to cause you such pain.” He rose to his feet and gathered her limp body in his arms with a grunt.

She remained silent, watching the night swallow the Temple as Sorin marched away. Rubbing her cheek on his fur, she tried to find what little comfort she could. “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to your new home.”

Chapter Ten

In the afternoon light, the forest seemed to go on forever. All Susan saw were trees, trees and oh, look—more trees. She’d never thought she’d miss the sounds of crowds, the smell of coffee and the sight of skyscrapers. What she wouldn’t do to see a cab right now. “Can we take a break?”

“No.” Sorin still carried her, and she ached from hanging off his shoulder.

She kicked out, catching something solid with her foot. Satisfaction curled in her stomach at his small grunt. “Put me down. I’ve got nowhere to run now.”

“How can you possibly be tired?” He set her down. “Are all humans this frail?”

Clenching her teeth, she turned her back on him and stretched the kinks from her neck. Frail indeed. Not her fault she ached from being jostled.

He crouched next to her, bending forward. “You can ride on my back.”

“Aren’t you tired?” If she’d owned half this male’s drive she would have ruled Earth by now.

Sighing, he angled his head and pierced her with his intense stare. “I’m exhausted, but what choice do we have? We need shelter, food and water. All those things are at my den.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “It’s not far now.”

“I could walk or…” Her words trailed off in a cry of surprise as he swept her onto his back. “Stop tossing me around like a sack of potatoes.” She clung to his shoulders as he guided her legs around his narrow hips.

“Hold tight.” She swore she could hear amusement in his voice.

The ride left Susan dizzy and breathless. She clung to Sorin, her chin bumping on his massive shoulders until she learned to flow with his motion. The closest she’d ever come to riding an animal was a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park.

But he wasn’t really an animal. Even though a thick coat of silver-gray fur covered his body, he had a human form. Well, not human. Man? Male?

His muscles slid under her without effort as he carried her along an incline.

Very male. She gripped his shoulders tighter. “What do you call the other form you can change to?” She knew the beasts were referred to as feral but she couldn’t remember what Kele had called their human-appearing one.

“Civil.” He spoke the word between pants, his voice breathless and deep. Civil made sense.

A shiver coursed through her body since her lab clothes weren’t meant for the outdoors.

A cliff face rose ahead of them. It made her dizzy just looking at the top, and Sorin headed straight for it. She pulled herself closer to his ear. “Shouldn’t we go around?”

“We’re taking a shortcut.” Sorin spoke quietly over his shoulder before leaping onto the cliff face, stabbing the hard rock with his claws.

She almost lost her grip. Did this asshole know a fall from this height could kill her? Granted, they were only four feet off the ground at the moment. Susan clenched his fur in a strangling grip and pressed her body to his spine. If she’d had a tube of Super Glue, she would have used it to bind them together.

Hesitating on the climb, Sorin shifted her weight higher on his back.

“Don’t drop me.” With a frantic scrabble, she hugged his neck while he supported her weight with one hand. Cold sweat trickled down her back, making her skin slick.

“I won’t but I have to breathe.”

“Jesus Christ, get to the top already.” She eased off her stranglehold. Clenching her eyes shut, she buried her face in his thick fur. His heavy muscles slid under her body with ease. Each pull moved his shoulder blades against her flanks, stroking along her sides for a moment before disappearing again.

Of all the shifters she’d met, Sorin frightened and attracted her the most. With him, anything was possible. She could be placed on the market, in his bed or in the cooking pot.

In a moment of pure stupidity, she glanced down. Why? Why would she do that? Her legs weakened and her arms went numb. A shortcut? More like torture.

She sensed the muscles in Sorin’s arms trembling. He’d been hanging from them all day in chains. Those muscles must be weak and sore.

His chest heaved as he reached for the next hand grasp.

“You can do it,” she whispered in his ear, because if he didn’t continue they’d be dead.

Step by slow step, Sorin reached the top and crawled over the edge onto his belly before dumping her on the ground.

She finally released the breath she’d been holding. All the muscles in her arms and thighs refused to work. She wiped away her angry tears before he could see them. Males like him probably lived off scaring people.

He invaded her space,  sniffing close to her face. “What’s wrong?”

A swat on his nose made him jerk away.

He clutched it. “Stop that. It hurts.” He tossed her a sore look. “Our noses are sensitive.”

Susan glared at him in return. “Do I look like I give a fuck? That climb could have killed us. What do you want from me?”

A startled laugh from Sorin shocked her into silence. “You’re no stray who needs coddling.” His warm gaze melted the cold fear gripping her limbs. “I’m not going to harm you.”

“No? Hanging off a cliff is your idea of safe? You scared the shit out of me.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Why did you take me away from Benic?” The wind blew colder on the barren clifftop. She bent her knees and huddled close. Exposed to the elements on this other Earth, Susan had never felt more alone.

Sorin lay on his side next to her. “If you would have let me speak with you when we first met at the Temple, instead of running, then you’d understand why.”

“Oh.” She’d been too busy freaking out to listen.

“I don’t believe in coincidences. Appearing in the Temple at the time of my greatest need—it’s just too much for me to ignore.”

“Whoa.” She sat up and raised her palms to ward off the crazy. “I already told you, I don’t have anything to do with this goddess.”

“She works in mysterious ways, Susan. I won’t pretend to understand where you come from but you seem very…knowledgeable. I want you to use some of this knowledge to help my pack.” He rose to his large, clawed feet and offered her his hand. “Where else do you need to be?”

By the Temple in case the portal opened again? She could live in the woods off berries and bugs until winter came to freeze her to death or some other shifter stole her to be his stray. She sighed. She needed shelter and protection. Sorin was her only hope. In some odd way she trusted him, unlike Benic. She took his hand and allowed him to help her stand. “What if I can’t solve your problem?”

“Then my pack will die, and it won’t matter.”

Her heart froze. “What?” She didn’t want that kind of responsibility. Nothing in her career had been about life and death.

“You’ll see when we get there.” He scratched his feral chin with a sharp claw. “We don’t have much, except a safe home to offer. If you’re unhappy, I won’t stop you from returning to the Payami.”

“What if I want to stay with Benic?”

“You’d be a fool, and I don’t get that impression. Vampires live off others. Once you have no use, he will discard you.” Sorin stretched his arms and back as if relieving cramps. His muscles slid under his fur, luring her eyes like a magnet.

She pried her gaze off him. The basics of survival were food, shelter and warmth. Without a match and a bottle of lighter fluid, she couldn’t even make a fire.

“Your way home is gone, and you need a new one. You’ll also have to learn pack customs and laws.”

“Within reason, I’m willing to do that. I won’t be abused.”

“Abused? My pack is the last place to worry about that.” He shook his head.

“I need to clarify our deal.” Her mistakes with Technocon were still fresh in her mind. She wouldn’t make an encore performance by blindly accepting agreements. Even if Sorin held the things she wanted. “I won’t be raped or used as a slave.” She counted her demands off on her fingers. “No beatings. I can’t eat raw meat, insects or rotten food.” She stepped closer to him and offered her wrist. “And you need to mark me to keep the males away.”

He bared his teeth. It didn’t give her any warm fuzzies. The long, sharp canines could rip her throat out in one bite.

“That kind of attitude will make it difficult for you to fit in with the omegas and most likely attract unwanted attention from the hunters.” He took her hand. “A temporary mark only. We need to wash Ahote’s off you first when we reach a stream. You will you get a permanent home in my den, but once my mark wears off you’ll have to fight for your own spot within the pack. I don’t keep favorites.” Yanking her into his arms, he settled her on his back once more.

“I have legs, you know.”

“We still have a long way to run, and you won’t be able to keep up. Hold tight.”

Chapter Eleven

Sorin shook his mane and let it settle around his shoulders. Once he’d caught his breath after his climb with Susan, he had continued his journey home. Unlike the Payami’s, the Apisi den lay at the other end of his land from the Temple border. He had to cross through a mountain pass to reach it. Thank what little luck he owned that it wasn’t winter.

Rolling his head, he tried stretching the kink out of his neck. Susan’s added weight had placed quite a strain on his already overtaxed body. Lack of sleep and food had left him drained prior to the Payami guards beating him, but every moment away from his sick pack sat heavier on his soul and drove him to keep moving.

After cresting the pass, Sorin paused for another rest. He sat on his haunches. Pinks and corals colored the sky as the sun began to set. The black outline of the branches from the forest rose in worship as Sorin took a sparse minute to rest and appreciate the view before descending the mountain pass to his den.

“There’s water.” He pointed to the mountain wall, where a well-known spring leaked out the side and trickled into a stream not far away. “We’ll rest here for a moment.”

Susan seized handfuls of his fur and pressed against him as if she were growing to his spine. The scent of her fear filled his nose. She tried to control it. He could tell by the way it fluctuated, but it had been growing worse the higher they climbed.

“Let go.” He twitched the muscles on his back and slid her toward his hips. “I’d like to keep my fur attached to my skin.”

With a gasp, she climbed back up. “Stop that. You’re going to drop me.”

“To the ground? Yes. It’s not like we’re hanging off the cliff, Susan. It’s just a pass.” He grinned as her fists tightened in his fur. Definitely not the spirit of an omega in this one—it would take a strong hunter to tame her.

“I’d hate to see your version of a mountainside.” The sweet scent of her sweat coated his nose. It mixed with Ahote’s mark and soured his stomach. The thought of that male touching his strong and innocent Susan raised his hackles. If he ever crossed path with Ahote again, there’d be blood.

He let her press to his back and strode to the spring. Careful not to allow her to pull any chunks from his hide, he reached behind him and pried her hand from his fur.

“What are you doing?” Her voice rose.

“Washing this mark off.” He leaned forward so the water could pour over her wrist and rubbed the area with his thumb. It didn’t take much work. The oily substance of Ahote’s temporary mark washed away easily. That would be the last time he’d ever allow Ahote anywhere near her.

Wind dried her skin quickly, and he brought her delicate wrist to the glands under his jaw by his ear. He’d never marked a female before. Something in his stomach fluttered. Technically, she’d belong to him. He glanced over his shoulder and met her big, brown eyes. Rubbing her soft skin over the gland, he scent marked her. No hunter would proposition her while she wore this.

That would be good. He didn’t want to watch his hunters courting her. It would lead to bloodshed. “There. You belong to me now.”

She tried to withdraw her hand but he wouldn’t let go. “Stop it.” She wrapped her legs around him even tighter as he tried to coax her off his back again. Dark Moon, when was the last time any female had clung to him like this?

“Let go of me.” He laughed as he tried to dislodge her. “You’re like a leech. Get off. I’m holding onto you.” The laugh cleared his head and eased some of his pain.

“No.” She buried her face in his fur. “I’m fine right where I am.”

Until now he hadn’t really noticed how lithe her body felt against his. He needed a rest from her touch before he did something stupid, like claim her. Once they reached his den he’d have to soak in the cold river and forget Susan. “Goddess, save me from stubborn fools.” He bent forward and grabbed both her arms. With one sharp yank, he pulled her free.

Like the parasite he’d named her, she wrapped her limbs around his arm as he set her feet on the ground.

He stroked her long, tangled hair before guiding her in front of him then turned her to face his valley. “I’ve got you, little leech. Relax.” He glanced at her face to experience her first reaction to his beautiful home and let out a frustrated snarl. “Open your eyes and look at the view.”

It took all Susan’s courage to do as he asked. The climb had been the last straw. After the last twenty-four hours she’d finally unhinged. Sorin’s presence was the only thing keeping her sanity intact. She cracked open her eyes.

For once the height of where she stood did not flood her senses. Instead the view held her in rapture. A small, emerald-green forest covered the valley snuggled between the mountains. Sun gleamed off the snow of the highest peaks, and a lazy river cut through the trees.

“My den lies east of the river where it bends close to the mountains. Hot springs feed the river from there.” He turned his head so she could see his feral profile. Bestial in appearance, yet the longing on his face was very civil.

“Do you live in a volcano like the Payami?”

“No, my people aren’t crazy. We live in a small canyon.” He continued to pet her head in slow, soothing strokes, his deep voice a coat of honey on her frayed nerves.

A flock of birds took flight over the isolated valley. Susan had never seen anything so surreal, and her adventures on Eorthe were just beginning.

Sorin sighed. “Home.” The word sounded so wistful. Without warning, he swung her around onto his back again and grunted as she resumed her death grip.

“I wish you’d stop tossing me around.”

“I’m alpha. I do as I please.” He gave her a hard look. “That might be the hardest lesson you’re going to have to learn.”

She swallowed with difficulty. Sometimes it didn’t pay to be weak. Her whole life she’d focused on studying, not working out. Brains over brawn only applied in a modern world.

The trip downhill went by in flashes of rocky slopes that transformed to brushes and eventually trees. Sorin was so attuned to his land he virtually soared over the ground. If they followed a path, she couldn’t see it. Through the trunks, she glimpsed the river. They followed as it curved to the right toward the mountain’s edge until they reached a massive, wooden gate that blocked the way into a canyon.

Weathered, ancient doors sloped outward, making it a difficult climb and easy to defend. As they drew closer, Susan noticed every inch was carved. Faces of feral beasts covered one door and smiling, civil faces decorated the other. The detail was so lifelike, she ached to touch them. “Beautiful.”

“My grandfather’s father spent his life making these doors. Every member of the pack at that time is on there.”

“A little piece of history.”

He paused by them. “They represent our duality.”

“The yin and the yang.” Maybe their worlds weren’t so different after all.

“What?”

“My people have a philosophy about how contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent.” She hooked her fingers together. “The good and the bad make a whole.”

“The feral and the civil? Interesting.”

The doors opened outward, just enough for them to squeeze through before they closed again.

Slipping off Sorin’s back, Susan glanced around the canyon. A single dirt avenue stretched in front of her. Caves lined the stone walls. No multiple staircases or balconies like the Payami den.

Simple and clean, it reminded her of her home—the small, sparse apartment she’d kept. Like her home, this place was empty of people.

Sorin meandered over as he pulled a shirt over his head. He’d shifted to his civil form and already wore a leather kilt. His hair matched the color of his fur, silver-gray and silky, but grew past his shoulders in tangles, almost to his hips. Firm jaw and a crooked nose, as if it had been broken a few times. He was smaller than the beast but still big enough to twist her into a pretzel and dip her in chocolate.

The idea of him licking it off her sent a burning flush to her cheeks. She twisted away from him. “Where is everyone?” The silence in the canyon echoed with forgotten laughter. The contrast this den had to the life-filled Payami home sent cold dread into Susan’s stomach.

Sorin pointed to the largest of the caves. “Most of my pack is in there.”

Chapter Twelve

What a horrid and exhausting day. Sorin took a deep breath and inhaled his pack’s scent, filling his lungs with the comforting smell. First the blue light, then the human female and finally confronting the Payami. His pack being the smallest of the six meant they did their best to maintain the impression they were stronger. Only the Apisi’s over-exaggerated feral reputation kept the other packs from trying to take over.

The light faded, and darkness crept through the narrow, dead-end canyon, which his pack had made into a den ages ago.

There should have been more than two warriors on the worn wooden gate, but the sickness attacked the strong as well as the weak.

He walked along the main avenue between the canyon’s walls and gestured for Susan to follow.

The human shuffled along as if her muscles were stiff. Her long hair, no longer pinned up, hung in tangles around her shoulders. Dirt smudged her white jacket and the tip of her nose. She gave him a weary smile. “Not going to toss me over your shoulder again?”

The joke caught him off guard, and he barked out an echoing laugh. His pack mates didn’t tease him often. The old alpha was never approachable, and they’d learn hard lessons about humor. “Not anymore.”

The quiet along the main avenue made his soul ache. Usually at this time of the day, females chased the pups to get bathed and into their beds, the young would flirt and compete for attention, some couples would seek out quieter rooms and the rest would set the day’s chores aside for music.

He passed the now-empty rooms carved into the canyon’s sides until he entered the expanse of the pack room converted to take care of the sick. A large common bed had been set in the center—being close together as a pack helped the healing. Each time he entered the pack’s cavern, he did a quick headcount on the bed.

On this return, two were missing. He searched the dark corners and saw the covered bodies. Guilt wrung him hard. Not long ago he’d been on the mountainside, laughing while these pack mates passed into the shadow.

Susan stopped next to him. Her eyes were wide as they swept over the room. “It’s not like the Payami gather room.”

No lush carpets decorated his den’s floors. What cushions and blankets they owned gave comfort to the ill. Empty bookshelves lined the back wall since his father had burned most of the books long ago, and their games were of the sporting variety instead of the board kind.

She faced the bed. “There are so many.”

“The first signs of sickness appeared twelve days ago.” Now, a once thriving pack lay days away from extinction. He and a few others had recovered quickly, but most still suffered. It tore him apart watching his people die.

“About time you returned.” Lailanie knelt by the bed with a pup in her arms, wiping his brow with a cloth. “The last thing this pack needs is to lose their alpha.”

The snap of her command irritated his feral side. Lailanie thought she’d be his mate someday. Being the most dominant female, she assumed the role that should be hers, except he didn’t love her. Not in the way he wanted. He’d witnessed his mother trapped in a loveless mating. It had destroyed her and left him wounded. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

She still hadn’t glanced up as they approached her. All her attention was on the sick pup. “Peder has been beside himself with worry since you never returned from the Temple, speaking about blue lights and strange creatures falling from the sky. If I didn’t need his help so much I would have confined him to his room.”

Ignoring her sharp tone, Sorin knelt next to her and touched the young one’s fevered forehead. “How are they?”

“What do you think?” She glared at him as if she had the right to do it.

He warned her with a low growl as he met her stare. Her frustrations made her forget her place in pack hierarchy, and he had to remind her gently.

Lowering her gaze, as was appropriate, she dipped the cloth in a bowl of water and wrung it. “I can’t work fast enough to keep their fevers down. I’ve used all the blue flowers Peder returned with to make a tea. It helped the fever for a while but I’ve no more.” Her questioning gaze slid toward Susan. “Where have you been?”

“It’s not any of your concern where your alpha spends his time, Lanie.” Taking a deep, calming breath, he blew off instinct before she forced him over the edge. Sometimes feral attack urges trickled into calmer civil logic.

Lailanie ducked her head lower, chin to chest, and remained still. “Sorry.”

He scrubbed his scalp with his fingertips. “It’s been a difficult time for everyone.”

She nodded toward Susan. “Who’s that?”

“I’m the strange creature that fell from the blue light.” Susan leaned forward, offering Lailanie her wrist to smell. The one he’d placed his mark on.

Lailanie’s eyebrows shot up, and she stabbed him with such a ferocious glare he was surprised his flesh didn’t peel off his bones.

Susan couldn’t have done a worse thing. She’d basically told Lailanie Sorin belonged to her. That would scorch the female shifter’s ass and make her Susan’s enemy.

Looping his fingers around Susan’s delicate wrist, he pulled her hand away from Lailanie before she bit it. “This is Susan. She’ll be staying with us and doesn’t understand our ways yet. Be patient. Susan, this is Lailanie.” It was the female shifter’s possessive nature that drove him away. She didn’t own his heart yet acted like she controlled it. Let the Dark Moon save him from females in general.

Rubbing the spot on her wrist where his mark lay, Susan glanced from Lailanie to him. “I did something wrong again.”

He shook his head. “It’s just a misunderstanding. We can discuss it later.”

Susan squatted next to the limp pup. The concern on her face touched him. They weren’t even of the same species, and she worried. He was right to have brought her here.

“Are you the healer?” she asked Lailanie.

The female shifter shook her head, her focus back on the pup. “No, she passed two nights ago.” She sniffed. “I wish Kay were still alive. I’ve been through all her herbs, but only recognize a handful. I’m liable to poison the sick rather than cure them.”

Sorin bowed his head. Kay had been their healer until she died of the illness. All her other knowledge went with her to the grave.

“Did you see anything like the blue flowers in Kay’s stores?” He stroked the pup she held, wishing he could trade places with the weak babe.

“No. We need to gather more.” She dropped the cloth into the bowl of water. A spray of cool water landed on his knee and left a clean spot on his dusty skin. She handed him the pup and rose on shaky legs. “I need some fresh air.” She weaved a little as she left the room.

Sorin stared at the tiny male in his arms. He couldn’t be more than three winters old. Carrying him to the center of the pack bed, Sorin watched the other pups sleep. He set him gently on the cushions. “We all need rest.”

He closed his eyes, mentally reaching out to his pack as only an alpha could. Some of the adults had weakened since yesterday, but all the pups remained strong enough. None of these young were sired by him, but in essence they belonged to him, just like everyone else. He poured what strength he could afford into those who were fading. The Apisi had occupied this narrow canyon for centuries. They would not die under his care, whatever the sacrifice. Packs stuck together no matter what.

Odd how he couldn’t sense Susan like he did his pack. He could smell her and see her but there was no animal essence to her being. Even vampires had some presence he could sense with his keen, wolf awareness.

Sounds of hurried footsteps drew him from the pack connection.

Peder, the omega male who had accompanied him to the Temple yesterday, approached the bed carrying a small, cast iron pot. Steam rose from the opening. He jerked when his gaze met Sorin’s, a huge grin spreading across his face. “Alpha, you’re safe.” His gaze fell upon Susan, and his smile faded. “And you brought the human home.” He set the pot by the bed. From the smell, it was soup.

Sorin’s stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten since—since he couldn’t remember. “Is there more in the kitchen?”

“Plenty.” The omega sat by the bed and spooned some broth into the closest shifter’s mouth. Peder kept his chin down but tossed Susan a few curious glances.

“Susan will be staying with us. Find her a room once you’re done here. I’ll take her to have a meal in the kitchen first.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

One day he’d get Peder to use his name. His pack needed so much healing, and not just from this illness, but he could only save one shifter at a time. “You did well yesterday, Peder.”

“I left you…” He set his spoon in the pot.

“As I ordered you to do. Delivering the flowers to the pack couldn’t wait I tracked Susan through the damn forest. You did the right thing and I’m proud.”

“If I’d stayed I could have helped.”

“Ifs, ifs, ifs.” Susan rose to her feet and sighed. “If I hadn’t run I wouldn’t have met the lovely Chaska or her fists either. None of it matters now. Your alpha’s home.”

Sorin nodded his appreciation to Susan. The omega needed to hear this from someone other than him. “And you brought home medicine that saved lives.” He squeezed Peder’s shoulder. “No apologies.”

“I didn’t bring enough. We’re already out.”

Weariness weighed upon his soul. He glanced at the shroud-covered bodies in the corner. First, he’d bury their dead.

“I think I’ve seen similar flowers before.”

Sorin’s sensitive hearing caught Peder’s whispered words. “Where?”

“On the cliffs that overlook the Temple.”

Sorin gave quiet thanks to the Goddess or whoever had listened to his prayers. “You’ll go in the morning and gather what you can carry.”

“Me?” Peder’s head shot up. “Shouldn’t it be one of the hunters?”

“You’re picking flowers, not going to war.” Sorin did his best to keep his annoyance from his voice. “The few remaining hunters need to guard the den.” He tried not to sound angry. “I have faith in you, Peder.”

“Yes, Alpha.” There was no confidence in the reply though.

He glanced at pretty Peder. As an omega, the young man tended to submit to anyone’s whims, so eager to please. Sorin had explained that he wouldn’t be punished if he denied someone, but it wasn’t in Peder’s nature.

Most omegas stayed close to the den, tending the young and the household chores. Why would Peder know about the cliffs by the Temple all the way on the other side of the mountain pass?

Sorin shook the thought from his head and gestured for Susan to follow him.

Susan watched Sorin exit the pack room with an aching heart. The broad shoulders that had carried her for hours over a mountain drooped under his grief.

She’d never seen anything so sad as that little boy he’d cradled in his big, rough hands. The sorrow swept off Sorin in waves so palpable it tore down any doubts she’d had of coming here.

They needed help. She just wasn’t sure what she could offer. She hurried to catch up to him and took his hand, trying to offer some of her strength.

The wind sent a dirt devil along the center of the empty avenue of the den-canyon. It spun under a set of wooden chairs, then by a tool basket lying on its side, the contents scattered on the dirt. The devil sped past a lone spear leaning against a dusty table, until the wind sent the old weapon clattering to the ground, the sharp sound a sacrilege in the hollow silence.

A tomb gave more warmth.

One slow step at a time, Susan managed to reach the entrance of what looked like a medieval kitchen.

Lailanie, the stunning female of smoldering dark colors who seemed in charge of the sick, exited through the doorway and glared at Susan. Great—more shifter attitude. Susan wasn’t groveling to anyone again. It left a bad aftertaste on her self-respect. She glared right back.

Hesitating by the doorway, Sorin waited for Lailanie to pass. “I’m sending Peder to find more flowers in the morning.”

“Peder? Alone in the forest?” Lailanie’s hand fluttered to her throat.

“Have faith. He knows where he’s going.” Sorin vanished into the room and Susan hurried after, not wanting to spend a second alone with the female shifter.

Chapter Thirteen

A cast iron pot simmered on the hearth carved into the mountainside. The rich, heady scent of stew was thick in the air and made Sorin’s mouth water.

Dirty dishes were piled on most surfaces of the pack kitchen, and the fire had burned down to a few coals. Sorin offered Susan a stool, then tended the fire. With most so ill, routines fell apart. Everyone pitched in to fill the gaps but things got neglected.

“When you told me your pack was sick, I hadn’t imagined it would be most of them.” She leaned forward on the table. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Pouring two bowls of stew, he took a quick glance at his little leech. “This is the problem I need solving.”

“I’m not a doctor—healer.” She massaged her temples as if trying to relieve a terrible headache. He could sympathize.

He set a bowl in front of her, then sat across the table. “Can you help us?” Eating his meal in big spoonfuls, he watched as she picked at her food.

“I don’t know.” She took a bite and her eyes sparkled. “This is good.” She chewed with a far-off expression. “Why can’t we ask another pack for a healer? I’m sure Kele would—”

“Jump at the opportunity to help us.” He interrupted her train of thought. “Just as her father would jump at the opportunity to wipe my pack out.” He pointed outside. “My lands are desirable, not my people. Once word gets out we’re weak and vulnerable, we’re dead. If not by the Payami then some other pack will come.” If word spread of their state, one of the other packs would attack.

It was in their nature.

Susan sighed. “I might be able to help in some way. And I stress the might.” She scratched her head. “I’m not making any promises but I come from a place that understands the way nature works in small detail.”

“What does that mean?” He sat, his stew forgotten and cold, listening to her crazy story of machines, other worlds and branches. What trees had to do with Susan’s magical travel, he couldn’t guess. “You come from another world that is Eorthe?” He couldn’t hide the incredulity in his voice. Subterfuge was never his strongest skill.

“I know it’s difficult to believe but it is the truth.”

Slow-burning frustration filled his gut. He needed a miracle and he brought home an insane stray. “What does it matter if it’s true or not? How does that help my people? You admitted to not being a healer.”

Setting her utensil next to her bowl, she met his fury with an easy grace. Her calm made him burn hotter. “Not a healer but a scientist.”

“What, by my hairy arse, does that mean?”

“It means I’m smart, you jerk. Remember knocking Benic out and tossing me over your shoulder? That wasn’t my idea.” Her sharp tone snapped him from his angered state. No one had spoken to him like that since the night he’d killed his father.

It was both refreshing and infuriating.

She wasn’t trying to preen for him, like some females did for alphas—she only stated what she believed to be the truth. Susan’s story seemed farfetched, but he had witnessed her travel through her gateway. Her type of smart could help. How many more graves did he have to dig before they found a solution? “I will take whatever you can offer us and be grateful.” He carried his bowl to the ever-growing pile of dishes. “Once you’re done eating, you’ll find Lailanie in the cavern. Tell her I’ve given you permission to help.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have graves to dig.”

Chapter Fourteen

Kele traveled the dark tunnels that separated the Payami den from the rest of the world.

Ahote prowled next to her, his silence not a good omen. He’d been far from happy with her when she’d interrupted his play with two females last night.

But after her bath, she’d returned to an empty room. Her first thought was Ahote had stolen Susan for the night. The human had expressed her lack of attraction to the male so it seemed the right thing to barge into his quarters.

She glanced at the huge, dark male in his feral form. He’d eventually have to speak to her.

She needed his help to search for Susan. The last thing she wanted was for the human to meet her mother alone in the dark. A shiver ran down Kele’s spine. She half expected to find Susan’s corpse. In either case, Kele required some muscle to back her so she dragged the male along.

Ahote didn’t understand her struggles within the pack. As a hunter, nothing was denied him. He chased after the willing omega females, who lived with open relationships, and he never participated in challenges for the more desirable dominant females. He lived an easy life.

Nothing was easy for her. One parent riding her to be stronger, more aggressive, and forgetting she couldn’t shift to save her life. The other coddling her as if she were a pup. But if not for her father, she wouldn’t have been able to coerce Ahote for help.

A day would come when Kele would find herself either omega or stray if she didn’t discover the key to her shifting soon. Her parents wouldn’t live forever.

Ahote knelt, sniffing the ground. “Susan’s scent is growing fainter. She’s definitely in the tunnels. We should go to the exit and speak with the guards.”

They had searched the den for Susan when Ahote discovered Sorin’s escape. That’s when he finally roused the other hunters. They  hunted in pairs. Ahote had led Kele straight to the tunnels, stating that the alpha probably had already left the den by now.

Susan’s scent mixed with Sorin’s in the tunnels. Apparently, the Apisi alpha was determined to keep the human. Why did he have to take her? The poor female had much to adjust to if her story was true.

Chiming of light chainmail filtered into their tunnel. Ahote rose in one swift motion then shoved Kele behind him. “What is the vampire doing here?” he whispered over his shoulder.

“I don’t know.” She’d forgotten about Benic, her thoughts occupied with other things like missing humans.

Lantern in hand, Benic came around the bend and stopped as he came face to face with them. “Good morning.” He rubbed his head. His usually well-kept hair stood on end, and a deep purple bruise lined his jaw.

“What happened to you?” Kele moved around Ahote’s blocking bulk and drew closer to Benic.

“I lost my way in the tunnels.” He gave her a soft smile.

She touched his injured face. “And ran into several walls?” Not many things could bruise a vampire. They were quite resilient.

“I take it you’ve discovered Sorin has escaped?” A thin smell of anxiety whispered around the ferret. So faint she doubted Ahote could detect it. What had Benic been up to?

Nodding, she focused upon not only his words but the subtle shift of his emotions. Her father had taught her how vampires could play lies into truths. “He’s taken Susan.”

He glanced at Ahote. “I know. I found them in the tunnels. Sorin forced me to show them the way out.”

“Did Susan go with him willingly?”

“No, she voiced her desire to stay with me.” He spoke the truth. No denying her nose.

Ahote snorted. “She wasn’t given much choice between you and the Apisi dog.”

“She made it clear she didn’t want to remain with the Payami and be treated as a stray.” Benic set the lantern on the floor, the light almost too strong for Kele to see properly after traveling the dark tunnels. He confronted Ahote. “She might not have run if you’d had the balls to claim her properly.”

“A stray? Are you mad?” Ahote snarled. “She’s not even my species and probably couldn’t bear my young.”

Kele turned her back on the males. Fights like this were common among the young. Though Benic wasn’t young and didn’t usually indulge in the mindless violence. She examined the tunnel he’d exited. It wasn’t a well-traveled one. “Benic?” She spoke softly. “Were you really lost?” If he’d been lost then how had he led Sorin out?

The insults behind her quieted. “Yes.” He spoke. “Sorin hit me quite hard so my thoughts were muddled.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and clung to what little faith she still had in the vampire. “What were you doing in the tunnels?” She inhaled deeply and caught Susan’s scent. The human had gone this way. Had Benic led them astray?

“Yes, Benic.” Ahote grabbed the vampire by the shoulders and pinned him to the wall. “Why don’t you recount your tale for us?”

Kele watched as Ahote slid his claws into Benic’s flesh. The scent of old blood now masked all others in the tunnel. At this point it didn’t matter. Sorin had Susan and was probably already on Apisi land.

Benic’s green eyes glinted with the lantern light as his gaze slid from Ahote to her. “I went to Temple lands to search for evidence of Susan’s story.” He grunted as the shifter shoved him harder against the stone wall.

“You have no business on those lands, vampire.”

“I have every business. By vampire law, I own all this. It would be good of you to remember who your master is.”

Ahote’s muzzle opened wide enough for Kele to count his back molars as he dove to ingest Benic whole.

“Stop it!” she shouted loud enough for the echo to hurt her sensitive hearing.

Jerking to a halt, the shifter shot her a glare, his ears pinned flat to the top of his head.

She assessed Benic carefully. He was provoking Ahote on purpose. A distraction? From what? “Did you find your evidence?” The scent of his anxiety grew. Odd how the smell of fear hadn’t surfaced while a shifter threatened to eat him. Either Benic wasn’t afraid to die or he thought himself a better warrior than Ahote. She didn’t care to find out the answer.

“Doesn’t matter now. The human is gone.” From her experience in dealing with Benic, that translated to a yes.

“Hold him still.” She waited while Ahote twisted Benic around and pinned him to the wall so he couldn’t move. Searching his gear and pockets, she found nothing, but within his pouch… “We were supposed to search for this together this morning.” She held up a white rectangle with Susan’s image somehow affixed to it. Scratching the surface, she couldn’t find an edge to the picture. “Amazing. Then you believe her story about other worlds is true?”

“What?” Ahote twisted to face her and must have loosened his grip on Benic, since the vampire tore from his hold. He didn’t run though.

Benic straighten his chainmail shirt. “Yes, I believe her.” Once again he smelled like truth.

She rubbed the odd, solid material with her thumb. “So you decided to search for this without me last night. You made it through the tunnels easily enough on your way out but lost your way on the return?”

“Why am I the one being questioned?”

Raising an eyebrow, she tried not to laugh. “Because you were the last one to see them, silly.”

He made a disquieting noise. “I’ve taught you too well, Kele.”

“Yes, you have, and you still haven’t answered most of my questions, ferret.”

“Very well. Sorin ambushed me within the tunnels and forced me to lead them out. I did my best to persuade Susan to return to my castle instead. When I had her convinced, Sorin attacked me.” He pointed to the bruise on his face. “He knocked me unconscious and I assume took Susan with him.”

“We should have protected her better.” Kele noticed Ahote flinched but she hadn’t directed the comment at him on purpose. Males… She rolled her eyes. Susan had worn Ahote’s mark. Sorin stealing her away would reflect poorly on the dark shifter.

Pocketing the strange item that bore Susan’s likeness, Kele left the males where they stood.

“Where are you going?” Benic grabbed the lantern and hurried to follow.

“Back to the den. Like you said, Sorin and Susan are long gone. There’s not much I can do for her.” The Apisi were known for their feral treatment of lesser pack members, but Sorin didn’t seem to act like his father who she’d only met once as a child and had had nightmares about for weeks.

Sorin didn’t stir those kinds of fears. Then again, she’d grown up and learned to deal with her terrors.

Ahote joined them, his ears twitching in annoyance. “All this bother and no results. Your father won’t be happy about losing Sorin.”

“I know.” She sighed. That meant the pack would walk on eggshells for the next few days. Better to stay within her rooms or better yet… “We can camp on Temple lands until my father’s temper cools. Susan expressed her wish to return home many times. Maybe she’ll come back in search of the blue light?”

Ahote caught her gaze, an understanding passed between them and he nodded. “I’ll gather supplies.” He’d be the center of her father’s displeasure if he stayed.

She restrained a smile. He was the closest thing she had to a sibling. They’d grown up together as pups and understood each other’s thoughts at times. If he wasn’t such a dog turd, she would have considered mating him.

Sunlight marked the exit out of the tunnels, and she hurried to leave her entourage behind.

However, Benic caught her in the den’s garden by the entrance. “We could organize a rescue.”

She spun around. Her long braid swung with the sharp momentum and landed over her shoulder. She gripped it like a security rope and tugged. “A rescue?”

“We can’t leave her there.”

“We can’t cross into Apisi territory either. My father won’t start a war over a female he considers a stray.” She didn’t need her nose to smell the scheming.

“She’s a different…” He glanced at some guards who were dressing by the entrance then pulled her farther into the garden. “From another world.”

“So what?” She released her braid.

“Aren’t you the least bit curious about what she knows?”

“A little. Not enough to break our laws. Or allow you to take her away.” She glimpsed Ahote over Benic’s shoulder as he dressed.

Her guard watched them, his face stern.

“Why would you think that?”

“Vampires always seek to control the unknown. I can see Susan’s whole existence inspiring new ideas in your mind.” The human had nobody to protect her. No pack, no family, no species. If Benic stole her away, no one would stop him.

“I’m not going to take her prisoner, Kele. She didn’t appear to want to leave with Sorin. She wanted to come with me.” Benic drew closer and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Who knows what he’s doing to her?”

“Sorin wouldn’t mistreat a person.” Doubt clawed her gut. She couldn’t ignore the terrible stories circulating about the Apisi.

“You don’t know him. The last Apisi alpha abused his people. Why do you think that has changed?” With a light touch, he trailed his hand along her arm.

Goose bumps blossomed on her skin, and her back went rigid at the suddenly pleasant sensation. “Sorin’s not his father’s son.”

“Is that so?” Something possessive flashed in his green eyes. “Why do you think this?”

“Not that it should be any of your concern but when I found Susan, I spoke with Sorin then. He could have attacked as Ahote did or attempted to make deals like you but he held to our laws. He acted as an alpha should.”

Benic clenched his jaw as he stared down at her. The ferret she’d played with growing up had changed to something darker, hungrier. “Monsters beget monsters. Sorin may act more rational than his sire but eventually, his feral side will prevail.”

“I don’t believe—but…” Was it possible? She didn’t sense evil in Sorin. Had she read her instincts so poorly? The Apisi pack had a bad reputation for a reason. What was happening to Susan as they spoke? Maybe Benic was correct and they should rescue her.

“Why the whispers?” Ahote gave the vampire a friendly smile as he returned, dressed and in civil form, but she knew the welcoming grin was false. “Making intimate plans?” He poked Benic’s hand on her arm with his sharp fingernail.

“Something of that nature.” Benic’s hand lingered on her arm a moment longer before dropping. He didn’t have a chance against Ahote in a challenge. Shifters were born fighters. Or at least, that’s what she’d always been told. But Benic hadn’t smelled of fear while in Ahote’s grasp.

Then again, vampires won their wars with words and tricks.

She groaned internally at the thought and glared at the fanged ferret. The sneak had almost convinced her to storm Apisi lands with his sweet words. By sowing doubts in her heart, Benic would have changed her mind.

Constant vigilance was needed when dealing with Benic. He knew how to manipulate others with his will, and a lonely female shifter could easily fall into his traps.

She retreated from both males. “No plans. He is just voicing his concerns for Susan’s welfare.”

Benic snorted and bowed slightly to her. “I’ll be in my room if you wish to finish our discussion.”

Kele watched him climb the closest set of stairs.

“Be careful of that one.” Ahote spoke softly by her ear.

She glanced at her primary guard. “Benic is just frustrated he isn’t getting his way. Let him sulk.”

“I don’t know what mischief he’s trying to involve you in but that’s not what I’m worried about.” He gestured to her body. “I don’t like the way his eyes follow you.”

“Me?” She laughed. Benic liked to flirt but he’d never expressed any real interest in her. “He’s harmless in regards to seducing me, Ahote.”

“Bloodsuckers are many things but harmless isn’t one of them.” He held her gaze for a moment before strolling farther into the den.

She remained in the deep shadows of the trees, pretending not to notice as he sat next to a homely omega female who was darning some clothing. The female set it aside when Ahote joined her.

A few whispered words in her ear, and she followed him away from her chores.

Sighing, Kele crossed her arms. Not that she’d ever bed Ahote, but it would be nice if someone asked. Being a virgin was becoming tedious. She grabbed her braid and gave it a hard tug. Why shouldn’t she ask one of the unmated hunters to her room? Because she wished someone would ask her, want her.

None of the males viewed Kele as a potential mate. They saw the daughter of their overbearing alphas and a defective shifter who owned no feral side. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek before anyone could see it. Weakness was her enemy.

The chime of chains drew her attention from the doorway Ahote and his new lover had escaped through. Benic stomped down the stairs carrying his travel bag.

Now what?

The vampire frowned, appearing deep in thought as he approached her, and tossed the bag at her feet.

“Leaving so soon? I thought you’d stay and join us at the Temple.” She kept her tone light and uninterested but it was a lie. Benic’s curiosity ruled him. She doubted he would leave Susan alone until all his questions were answered.

“I’m going home.” He smelled of truth once more.

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh.” His honesty shocked her so much she forgot to mask her disappointment. She’d miss his devious company, no matter how irritating.

He stepped closer, pushing her farther into the garden’s shadows.

The hard wall of the den stopped her retreat. She couldn’t take a deep breath around the band of anticipation constricting her lungs.

He cupped her cheek, his body so close it sent tingles of alarm through her skin. “Come home with me.”

All her usual witty retorts vanished. “What?” Warmth ignited in her lower abdomen. Ahote had been right. She took a shaky breath. What would her mother think if she took Benic as a lover? Oh the rebellious havoc that would cause.

With his thumb, he stroked her face. Tender and slow, his touch awakened a need between her thighs.

“I—I can’t, Benic. The scandal would be fun…but my father.”

“Let me handle your father.” He leaned toward her. “What do you want?” His lips almost brushed hers.

Lightheaded from the lack of air, Kele braced her hands against the wall. “I don’t know.” She wanted a mate, a true bonding of hearts and souls. Like her parents. Benic would never fulfill those desires.

He closed the short distance, melding their mouths in a sweet kiss. His lips were soft and full as they moved over hers, tasting exotic and male. Slow and leisurely, he explored her mouth.

She tried to relax and enjoy the moment but the shock kept her tense.

He slipped his tongue inside and stroked along hers.

She jerked at the initial silky touch. She’d seen others kiss this way, had even fantasized about it, but the current of desire it built inside her made her want more.

Taking his time, Benic encouraged her tongue to touch his by moaning with her delicate exploration.

Each pass of his mouth chipped away at her tension until she melted against his body and kissed him back.

Then it ended as quickly as it began.

Her eyes fluttered open. A wave of heat crept up her skin, starting at her toes and burning the tips of her ears.

A secret smile curled on Benic’s face. “You can think about that until I return.”

“When will that be?” The question came out before she could stop it.

“As soon as I can. I need some tools from home.” He bent, retrieved his bag and left the den.

Pressed against the den wall, in the shadows of the garden, she stared at the entrance to the tunnels. With trembling fingers, she touched her lips.

Her first kiss.

Chapter Fifteen

The pile of dirty dishes in the Apisi kitchen stood almost as tall as Susan. Dim lighting from the fire tossed shadows over the mound, and it loomed, taunting her. Sorin had left to dig graves and she stood, bowl in hand, beholding the mess, and grimaced. With everyone either sick or helping, she understood why the pile-up.

What pissed her off was her inability to walk away. It was in her nature to desire order in any form.

“Shit.” She slammed the wooden bowl on the table and examined her surroundings. A hand-operated water pump by the wall was convenient. She found a huge bucket and filled it with cold water. Hot would have been better but she needed a freaking clean pot to heat it in first. Scouring the shelves and cupboards, she searched for something that looked like soap. What she wouldn’t do for a bottle of liquid Dawn. A little clay dish on a high shelf by the pot rack held a lump of hard, waxy stuff. It didn’t look like Ivory, but it smelled right.

She’d never been able to walk away from a problem, and the Eiffel Tower of dishes didn’t compare to the sick in this den, but she had to cure this disease somehow. Mentally she began storming the stores of both useful and useless knowledge contained in her head. Scowling, she whittled some of the soap into the bucket and stared at the murky, cold water. This was her future.

How could she help these people? A physicist turned healer turned dish washer? Crap and a truck load of it. She tossed some of the dishes into the bucket to soak, then scrubbed at a pot with a rag as if her crumby situation were entirely its fault. Dumb, dumb, dumb. She’d bragged to Sorin about being smart but her resources were inadequate.

The monotony of washing dish after dish after wooden dish allowed her mind to free associate ideas. Somewhere in the muddle of thoughts must be something she could do to help.

Someone cleared their throat behind her.

She wheeled around and found Peder holding an empty cast iron pot.

“I need more cold water.” He pointed to the pump on the other side of her work area.

“Okay.” She stepped out of the way and gave him access, then offered him a cleaned pot. “Here.”

“I would have washed the dishes later tonight.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“I—I had the time. What you’re doing is more important.”

His eyes flicked up, then back to the pot in his hands before he squared his shoulders and met her stare. His shy smile softened his angular face into something stunningly charming.

She grinned back. “I’m Susan.”

“We met at the Temple.” His smile turned chagrined. “I was the other one in feral form when Sorin found you. Sorry for frightening you.”

Nodding, she glanced around the room and wrung the rag in her hands. He’d been the same golden color as his hair. “Umm…how do the flowers help the sick?”

His smile faded, and she was sorry to have chased it away. “It breaks the fever but wears off.”

In college, she’d studied microbiology as an elective. Ideas for bioengineered machines still fascinated her. In those classes they studied bacteria, cells and the tests needed to identify them. It wasn’t med school but it offered a start.

They needed to find the source of the illness, and that meant either a virus or bacteria. If it was a virus, they were shit out of luck. With a miracle and a load of time, she might figure out a vaccine, but that wouldn’t help those already dying. Figuring out how to manufacture sterile needles would be impossible. Shit, she had trouble identifying soap. The solution needed to be simple.

God. She grabbed her head. All this knowledge, and she had no way to implement it. If it was a bacteria then…what? Take a trip to a pharmacy?

“Peder, what kind of symptoms do they exhibit—uh, have?”

“Fever.” He twisted the hem of his shirt. “Coughing thick phlegm, then they start having trouble breathing. They don’t last long after that. You should really speak with Lailanie. She’s been in charge of the sick. I’m only an omega.”

“Okay.” She chewed at her lip while regarding the thin shifter. “What does omega mean exactly? I mean, what is expected of you?” She’d discussed it a little with Kele, but if this position, or worse, could be her future, she’d rather hear it from an omega.

With a jerk of his head, he glanced at her. “Lowest. It’s the lowest rank in the pack.”

“I thought strays and outcasts were.” At least that was how Kele explained it.

“Yes, they’re lower but not usually tolerated on pack lands, let alone a den.”

“Then what am I considered?” The Payami made it clear she was a stray to them. She didn’t sense that vibe from Sorin or Peder.

“Sorin’s guest.” Peder’s superb smile returned. “As an alpha’s guest, you’re not really part of pack politics. I guess your people don’t interact like us?” He shook his head. “Don’t answer, that was rude of me to ask.”

“It was?” She scratched her head. “Look, Peder, let’s make a deal. We can ask each other anything we want without worrying about hierarchy or customs or whatever. No holds barred. If I make you uncomfortable, tell me and I’ll back off. And I’ll do the same.” She squinted at the button on her shirt and straightened it. “Because…I could really use a friend about now.”

He scrutinized every aspect of the room but her. Shooting her a quick glance, he nodded.

“My people are called humans, and there’s definitely a similar hierarchy among us. Instead of being called alphas, hunters and omegas, there’s leaders, followers and uhh…nerds?”

“What group are you in?” He stopped scanning the room to watch her.

Chuckling, she tried not to blush. “A nerd for a long time—our version of an omega—but I learned to become a leader.” She shrugged. “I just need to figure out pack rules without getting my ass kicked at every corner.”

“Then you’ve made the right friend. I’ve made it my life’s goal not to get attacked.” He posed for her and flexed his slim muscles. “I might be small but I’m fast.”

“And cunning.”

His smile grew wider as he leaned against the table. “Yes, and don’t forget handsome.” The pot containing cold water rocked and splashed over the edge. He caught the pot before it spilled, then lifted it into his arms. “Follow me. Lailanie might answer your questions.”

“Might?” Susan left some dishes soaking while the rest air-dried. Butterflies in her stomach stirred the stew Sorin had fed her.

“You wanted to learn pack rules. This one will be a hard lesson. Lailanie is our most dominant female. She runs the den—”

Susan’s heart skipped a beat. “Is she Sorin’s mate?” Jealousy was a stranger but she recognized its greasy grip. She shouldn’t blow the sweet moment they’d shared on the mountain top out of proportion.

“No, which makes Lailanie angry so stay away from that topic. Don’t look her in the eye until she starts speaking to you, and if she attacks don’t fight back.”

Slamming on her brakes, Susan stood in the middle of the avenue. “You want me to lay there and let her beat me?”

Peder slowed his pace and spoke to her over his shoulder. “Yes, unless you know how to win. The more you struggle, the harder they hit.”

The muscles in her neck knotted, and she rolled her shoulders to relieve the tension. Things were so hard in this world.

Her new friend came to a halt then turned and faced her. “In pack life, you have to physically dominate others to gain respect. If intelligence and good intentions counted then I’d be considered a hunter. It’s the will of the wild. The strong survive and the weak perish.”

Setting her hands on her hips, she cocked her head to the side. “So, you’re telling me to aim for being an omega?”

“If you were pack, yes, but you’re not. As a guest, Lailanie should treat you nicer but she’s been under a lot of strain and the fact Sorin marked you has placed a burr on her hide. Any other male, and it wouldn’t have fazed her.”

“Great.”

“Don’t worry.” Peder’s face paled. “At this rate, there might not be an Apisi pack to deal with anymore, and you can return to the Payami.” He glanced at the cave housing the sick.

Nothing had changed. The bed remained full, and Lailanie wiped a small child in her arms with a cool cloth.

They passed through the entry and approached her.

Peder rested the pot of cold water on the ground and took over the care of the child.

Without a glance at Susan, Lailanie busied herself with the fresh pot of water. Focused on her work, she ignored them both.

Not sure how to sound out the moody female, Susan seated herself next to Peder on the dirt floor. The Payami’s pack room had soft, thick rugs and cushions everywhere—rich in color and texture. This place lacked anything of comfort.

The child in Peder’s lap coughed and spat up something greenish.

Susan rubbed her left eye with the heel of her palm, trying to ease the headache seeding there. It didn’t take a genius to see the signs of lung infection, but it would take one to cure these poor people.

The sick all slept together, some so close they were face to face. “It might be better to separate the sick. The cough might be contagious.” She sensed more than saw Peder flinch next to her.

Lailanie stopped bathing the fevered child. “Injuries heal better when we’re close to pack, human.”

So word of her origins was spreading. That would save her some breath in having to repeat it. “Injuries I could understand.” Not really; however, one issue at a time. “But they’re not hurt, they’re sick. Sleeping close together will just spread the disease. The healthy shouldn’t climb in bed with them like I saw Peder do before.”

Peder clutched the child closer to his chest and scooted out from between them. He passed behind Lailanie and gave Susan what she could only call a what-the-fuck-are-you-doing look.

Diplomacy was not one of Susan’s character flaws. When she spoke, she was to the point. She left the fancy words to her managers or, in some cases, her lawyers. People could never guess what she was thinking, so why let them?

“Are you a healer?” Lailanie glared at her.

“Not exactly. I understand things differently, though, and might be able to help.” If she started talking about little creatures they couldn’t see called microscopic organisms that made people sick, who knew how they’d react? Maybe burn her at the stake. Also, the amount of knowledge she divulged could affect their society and their future. Where did she draw the line?

The policy she’d drawn up with Technocon and her assistants, if DOUG ever worked, included a no-interference clause. They would use the technology to study societies, not change them. When the military took over, this policy was one of the reasons she’d destroyed her life’s work. Yet here she sat, breaking her own rules. She’d designed them as a scientist though, not someone desperate to survive in a new world. This was home now, and her idealism didn’t fit.

“If you’re not a trained healer, then stay away from my fam—” Lailanie’s murderous stare slid from Susan and locked on something behind her.

She twisted around—not something, but someone.

Sorin.

Dirt-smudged and sweaty, he led a small band of males to a dark corner of the cavern where they lifted two cloth-shrouded bodies.

Susan became lightheaded and released the breath she’d been holding.

Grim-faced, Sorin carried the smaller corpse by himself and marched out of the cavern without even a glance in her direction.

Bowing her head over the cool pot of water, Lailanie remained silent as Peder gestured at Susan to join him.

Without a second thought, she jumped at the offer. She wouldn’t make any headway with Lailanie. That shifter had hated her before they’d met, and Susan didn’t fool herself into thinking her personality would win the female over.

Lailanie refused her help but it wouldn’t stop Susan. She’d dealt with bigger obstacles than a sharp-clawed werewolf. Sort of. She swallowed around a lump in her throat.

Racing to Peder, Susan took measure of the situation. Everyone not ill, aside from Lailanie, gathered and left the cavern. “Where are we going?”

She and Peder followed the others before he whispered, “To bury our dead. An older couple, they always loved taking care of the pups while the hunters left the den.” His voice cracked. “Marta always had an encouraging word for me, especially when Sorin’s father was the pack alpha.” If Peder bowed his head any farther, he’d dig his chin into his chest.

Susan laced her fingers into Peder’s. “I’m sorry.” Coming from a small family, no one close to her had died. Her grandparents, parents and friends all still lived so she’d never really experienced grief. Not the way Peder sounded or the way Sorin looked.

They left the den by the gates and followed a trail ascending the hill to a moonlit glade. The pack surrounded open, unmarked graves.

Sorin knelt by a hole in the ground as he gingerly placed a kiss on Marta’s cold, pale forehead. “This is for all the sweets you snuck me from the kitchen and the kisses you gave my many scrapes.” He settled her at the bottom of the grave with the aide of another shifter and took the time to tuck her in properly before attending the male’s body and repeating the kiss. “This is for standing between me and my father that time the beating went too far.”

That time… which meant there’d been many. The violence in this world would kill Susan. She knew it.

And Sorin. The notion of some awful father hurting him as a child—it—it boiled her blood. She wanted to find a big stick and beat the bastard.

Surrounded by his pack, Sorin still appeared alone, isolated. No one touched or comforted him like they did each other. Hell, she held Peder’s hand and had only known him a day. These were his people, his family—someone should hug him.

After Sorin placed the body in the grave, others paid their respects with whispered words. These were good people they buried today.

Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

Their alpha receded from the gathering. Shoulders hunched, he observed each person as if it would be the last time he’d see any of them.

Heartsick, Susan marched over and threw her arms around his waist and hugged him close. No different than riding his back, except he wasn’t in feral form and smelled of hard work. She stepped back, stunned by the sudden tingles running through her arms.

Blinking, he stared at her. He hadn’t hugged her back and only looked confused by her bumbling human attempt at comfort.

She ran her hands over her arms to soothe her tingling nerves, trying to forget how solid he felt. “Can we talk?”

He nodded and led her along the path to the den.

Alone with him, she found her words fleeting. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“They were old and it was their time. I’m just glad they went together.” Sorin stared ahead, watching the forest.

“Umm, yeah. There are a few changes I’d like to make when taking care of the sick. I spoke with Lailanie.”

“What changes are needed?” He spoke with a hollow voice.

“To stop the spread of disease, we’ll start with handwashing with soap while taking care of the sick.”

“We’re not a wealthy pack, and soap is an expensive commodity to barter for.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “How does that help?”

“The illness can spread by getting it on your hands. Washing with soap kills it.” Soap was hard to come by?

“If it’s that important, maybe we can do some trade. A few pelts are cured. I can send someone with them to a vampire outpost. They should be worth a little soap. Anything else?”

Trade, bartering—these concepts were so foreign to Susan she didn’t even know how to respond. “Lailanie explained that shifters heal better when they’re close?”

“Pack energy.”

“Fine, but those who aren’t ill shouldn’t be in that bed. We should also narrow down who is helping with the sick to lessen the spread.”

Sorin nodded but appeared dazed.

“Hey.” She took his huge hand in hers. His pain transcended what she could comprehend. Hugs wouldn’t make him any better but a cure for his pack would.

He dragged his gaze across the trees. “How many more will I lose?”

Chapter Sixteen

Benic snapped his horse’s reins as soon as he was out of the shifter forest and continued on his journey home. If only he could run the distance to the castle instead of riding an inferior beast. Vampires were built for speed, not endurance.

He’d lost interest in studying blood years ago but the appearance of the blue light and Susan had rekindled the passion. Benic touched the vial of her blood in his pocket to reassure himself it was still present. Ahote had almost crushed it while handling him in the tunnels. What a stroke of bad luck to come across those two.

He had just regained consciousness not long before, outside his secret exit, when they found him in the maze. Only his quick wits kept Kele from finding out the whole truth. That one was too smart for her own good.

She had to be suspicious of the events leading to Sorin and Susan’s escape. Why else question him? He’d given her all truthful answers though. Omitting information was the only lie a shifter couldn’t detect.

He’d been so close to keeping the human. She’d been willing to accompany him. The vial of blood was a beginning, at least. From it he might be able to glean human secrets and the connection between their two worlds.

Other dimension? Incredible. The possibilities were endless to find a solution to his people’s fertility problems. Susan’s dimension contained only humans, yet she insisted they lived on the same planet.

Her theories on time branches were groundbreaking. A vampire could spend his lifespan researching it. He took what she said at face value, considering she’d built a machine to travel here. She had the knowledge.

What had changed to make their worlds so different though? If time passed at the same rate on all dimensions, then why was hers more advanced? What prevented his people from creating such machines? Were they stupid?

So many questions, and the source of his answers was a prisoner to animals. They probably treated her like a stray instead of a miracle.

He snapped the reins again. Galloping along the dirt road, he watched as the outline of his castle grew more detailed.

Built of local stone, it blended well with the surrounding mountains. The high-guarded walls used to be a necessity when he first traveled here from Europa. The packs were extremely feral in those days. Led by their priestesses, they had stormed this settlement countless times. Another vampire lord had ruled this area. He’d been only a guard following orders in those days. There’d been so many misunderstandings and so much bloodshed. Yet vampires had prevailed.

The Apisi alpha might have Susan for now, but Benic would prevail as well.

As he approached his home, the thick, iron gate rose. They didn’t need to guard against attacks like in the old days. Most of the castle’s inhabitants were tame shifters, from packs around the world, domesticated over the decades. Benic ducked under the sharp points of the gate without slowing the horse’s pace, and he entered the village inside.

Vendors shouted to the people crowding the main street as he passed. A careless pup ran across the street in front of him, almost getting trampled. Benic waved at a small cluster of his vampire warriors sitting outside a pub. The noise was deafening after the peace of the wilderness.

He hadn’t been home in weeks and didn’t miss it. His superiors had awarded him this castle and tied him down, but his first love was the open road.

“Welcome home, my lord.” His vampire chamberlain bowed as Benic dismounted.

“Jonas, things look well. As usual.” He handed the reins to a stable boy, a feline shifter from Afrika. “How goes it?”

“Some letters have arrived in your absence and rest on your desk. I’ve dealt with most petitions from the villagers, but there are a few that require your attention. The planting in the east fields has begun, and I’ve sent the plows to the south…” Jonas’s voice droned. Vampires didn’t farm, but their blood sources needed the food. Domesticating the shifters had, in turn, tamed them. Farmers mostly, raising the beasts they fed from instead of hunting them. Pack hierarchy didn’t seem as prevalent as in the wild shifters. Maybe it lessened with a safer lifestyle?

“Fine, fine.” Benic waved him away. “I’m retiring to my lab for the evening. Send me Inacio. I’ll take care of the other things tomorrow.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The great hall in the main part of the castle was empty except for a serving wench wiping tables and the dogs sleeping by the hearth. He recalled curling among the animals as a child in his father’s hall during the winter nights in Gaul.

Benic dunked a tankard into the ale barrel and washed away the travel dust caught in his throat. The tang of ale refreshed his spirit but a bottle of fine wine would taste better. A tower, connected to this main hall, was for his personal use. If he’d had a family they could have resided there. He frowned into his empty tankard. Instead, the tower remained mostly unused, housing only his incubus and his lab.

The vampire population in North Amerigo was diminished. After the great shifter war, their numbers had plummeted. His castle housed only thirty, and all of them male, warriors in a territory with no conflict. He was running out of ideas to keep them out of trouble. They all wanted the same thing. A fertile vampire female, a wife, to raise a family.

A disease had struck the vampire population before his birth, and most of the victims were female. He was now a member of an endangered species. The world didn’t know of their precarious situation. It would leave them open for annihilation. Instead, the vampires protected their most precious resource—their females.

This meant most had remained in Europa during the great migration. Benic had thought once the wild lands were settled and tamed, his requests for a wife would be granted. Yet fifty-three years had gone by since the last conflict, and he still lived half a life.

He climbed the circular stairs to his bedroom and grabbed a key from under his mattress. Continuing to the top of the tower, he inserted the key. It twisted unhampered, age not a factor with such good craftsmanship, and unlocked the door. Vampires made things to last.

He hadn’t entered this room in years.

A macabre lace of webs decorated the walls and ceilings of his lab. Benic trailed his finger through the dust on the sturdy table in the center of the room. It still held his chemistry set. He righted a small coal burner lying on its side.

“I’m home.” Many days and nights he’d spent here trying to demystify the mechanics of the body, every nuance of each microscopic element that triggered changes and fought disease. Hoping to find a way to save his people, he studied every species he came across.

He’d examined the fertility cycles of shifters and merpeople, classed their hormones and compared them to vampires. He even bought an expensive incubus from the southern slave markets and tried to isolate its pheromones, which acted like an aphrodisiac, to understand the effects on vampire sexuality.

Every known species on Eorthe had a blood sample preserved in his lab. All this effort, all this work and study, yet no results. Plenty of knowledge though. He’d created cures, helped in crop production and written books. Vampire birth rates still dwindled.

“Here you are.” A rich, male voice spoke behind Benic. It ran over his skin like thick silk and trapped his breath in his throat. He twisted to watch Inacio stride into the lab. Graceful and limber, Benic’s incubus could make a grown male fall in lust with a single glance. His effect on females was more diabolical.

Some said these creatures were worshiped in the far south as gods. If Benic were less learned, he could understand such beliefs.

“Inacio, you look well fed.” His incubus used the staff at will to fulfill his appetites. The waiting list was considerable. The better he fed Inacio, the stronger his incubus’s blood became, and in turn, the stronger Benic grew. Another benefit of Benic’s studies of the other races. “Come here, my sweet.” He opened his arms, suddenly starved. He hadn’t feasted since he left.

Inacio’s eyes narrowed. “I hate it when you call me that.” He still hurried to his arms.

Benic inhaled deeply and relished Inacio’s spicy scent. The pheromones became addictive with time. He’d learned that too late. “I know.” Grasping his thick, midnight hair, Benic pulled Inacio’s head back, exposing the well-muscled neck. “This will hurt.”

Strong hands pressed him closer. “Good.” The sound of Inacio’s pulse quickened.

The rush of his blood called to Benic. Not needing more foreplay, he bit. Fangs pierced delicious flesh with a sharp pop, and then the warm gush of blood met his tongue. Power enhanced the incubus’s salty flavor. Benic took long, slow swallows, in no hurry to finish his feed.

Inacio ground his groin against Benic’s thigh, moving as if caught in the throes of pleasure. His hands slid down Benic’s back and found purchase on his ass. Inacio’s unrestrained passion contrasted so much to Kele’s shy kiss.

Benic didn’t know which he enjoyed more.

Kele had been so unsure and shocked when he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was an impulse. She seemed so…alone hiding in the garden, watching Ahote take another female to bed. How could her pack waste such potential? There was untapped strength in that shifter, and he wanted to set her free.

Inacio went limp in his embrace and unbalanced Benic. Taking one more swallow, the vampire stumbled to set his incubus on a cot by the wall, the rich taste lingering on his tongue.

“So soon?” Inacio clutched him tighter. “You’ve been gone for weeks. You should need more. Have you fed from another?”

“No.”

The incubus was deathly pale.

“How is it that you can fuck anything with legs while I’m away yet can act so possessive of me?”

Inacio’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“No one. I fed from no one.” Benic turned his back on Inacio. “I don’t have time for dramatics today. Thank you for feeding me so promptly.”

The dusty glass slides he required were set next to the microscope. He listened to Inacio roll over on the cot, too weak to storm from the room, and Benic cleaned one of the slides to use. “I just need to examine a sample of blood then you’ll have my undivided attention.” He glanced at him over his shoulder.

Inacio sprawled with languid grace on his side. “It’s been a long while since you’ve spent time in here. What is the occasion?”

Benic retrieved the vial of blood. Tipping it back and forth, he watched the ruby liquid roll—such a simple thing to gaze upon with the naked eye yet it held vast, microscopic secrets. After he set a drop on the slide, he placed it under his priceless microscope.

As he examined the cells, his dormant knowledge returned as if he hadn’t left his studies. At first glance his heart stilled. Susan’s blood didn’t appear different. How could an unknown species from another world be so similar? He pinched the bridge of his nose and stared into the microscope again. Not a different world. It was the same world but a different dimension.

They were the same at this level of biology. He needed to search deeper. More tests had to be run. He filled another thin vial, cranked the spinner and set it into the contraption. Once the red blood cells were separated, he could test for smaller things like hormones, antibodies and electrolytes.

Soft snores grabbed his attention. He twisted around.

Inacio had undone his shirt and the laces of his pants but slept soundly.

“What am I going to do with you?”

Chapter Seventeen

Last night’s funeral had left Susan wiped out. Drained. Finished. None of her past projects had such stakes as high as this one. If she didn’t succeed, people would continue to die. This kind of strain sucked. How did doctors live with it?

She wandered the quiet den. Most of the sick were children. The marrow in her bones turned to ice in the early morning sun, and she tried to generate heat by rubbing her arms. Peder had offered her his pallet for the night. He’d be awake taking his turn with the ill. However, there were a lot of empty pallets in the rooms she passed, and the reason behind it drove away the solace of sleep.

Whispers carried through open doorways, too soft for her to understand yet their worried tones were clear. Were they saying goodbye? If not, maybe they should.

The sand squished between her bare toes, a hint of the night’s cool still present. She wandered between the canyon walls. She had breathed more fresh air in the last few days than in the past year on Earth.

Her aimless meandering brought her to the massive wooden main gate that kept the wild things of the forest from entering and eating her. She ran her hand over the surface. The wood was smoothed with age—not a single splinter tugged at her skin. Except wild creatures lived within the den and they might wear civil faces but she’d seen their feral halves.

“Leaving?”

The deep voice sent a shiver through her soul. She didn’t understand how he had such an effect on her. No other man had ever sent her heart racing at the slightest whisper. She spun around. “What are you doing here?”

“Guarding the den. You?” Sorin strolled around her until he blocked the gate. His long hair shone with the faint morning light and cried for a good brushing.

“I wasn’t leaving. I think better on my feet.”

“Ahh… Maybe you should take your thoughts away from the gate.” He pointed back toward the dead-end area of the canyon.

She set her hands on her hips before she used them to smack some sense in him. Alpha or no alpha. “Would you stop me if I wanted to go?” After spinning around, she stomped away but it was difficult barefoot in the sand.

A whisper of movement, which she sensed more than heard, followed. “Pay no attention to what the Payami said about me. I’ll keep my word. You’re not a prisoner, but it isn’t safe outside by yourself.”

“What do you mean?” She twisted around.

Sorin halted before running her over, leaving a hair’s space between them. “I’m not a dog. I’ve never mistreated anyone. If you want to return to the Payami, I’ll find someone to escort you, but I have to remain here.”

“Why do they think so badly of you?” He stood so close. She could barely breathe.

“Most people don’t trust Apisi. We have a bad reputation.” In the dawn shadows, she could only see the outline of his body as he shrugged, and the eerie glow of his wolf’s eyes. “My father was a tyrant.”

She resisted the urge to lean forward and close the minute distance between them. The male had the social skills of a drill sergeant, and hers were starved from neglect. She waited in the heavy silence but Sorin didn’t share any more information. “Sorry to hear that.” She shoved her toe into the soft ground.

He had buried pack members only a few hours ago. He needed a therapist, not a physicist. Susan recognized the weariness in his eyes though. “Do you have any tea?”

“In the kitchen, on the shelf above the potatoes.”

“Come and show me. I don’t know where the damn potatoes are.”

“We have limited guards on the wall. I should—”

She grabbed his hand and pulled. The Chrysler Building weighed less. “I don’t think an invasion is imminent. You sound like you need tea.” Hell, he sounded like he could use a hug, a massage and a good night’s sleep.

He allowed her to pull him to the kitchen where a small fire still burned in the hearth. She filled a pot with water while he retrieved the tea.

“I don’t know anything about the Apisi.” She hung the pot over the flame.

His stiff back was turned to her.

“It means I have no preconceptions. No opinion one way or the other about your pack. From what I’ve witnessed, you all appear very caring.”

He tossed some mint-scented leaves in the heating water.

The silent, strong act was becoming stale. He hid so much behind that mask of indifference, but she’d glimpsed the sorrow at the gravesite, heard his distress when he asked her help, and received a moment of his kindness on the top of the mountain. Combined, she suspected that was the real Sorin. Not this distant male.

She rested her hand on his shoulder. “I never doubted you.”

He withdrew from her touch. “You appeared terrified every time we met for someone so full of trust.”

“You snatched me from—from…” What exactly? Safety? Not really. Kele’s pack wanted to beat her and Ahote to bed her. “Then you insisted on climbing the cliff face. What were you expecting? Once we made the deal and set terms, I knew you’d keep to your part.”

“How?”

The question slapped her quiet. She knew so little about Sorin. This proved it. Sighing, she sat on the ground in front of the hearth.

He joined her. The light from the flame softened the hard edges of his face as he leaned forward. “So?”

“Uh, I don’t know. You didn’t hurt me like the Payami alphas did.”

He grimaced, a low growl emanated from his chest. “And they call us feral.”

“Kele’s mother is a bitch.” Susan poked at the ashes with a stick. “It’s over with. I survived. That’s another thing though. You never made me submit like they did.”

He brushed his fingertips along her cheek and under her chin, tilting it to meet his gaze. “You’re not a shifter. How can you know pack law?”

The firelight deepened the amber of his eyes; the cold mask had lifted and genuine concern reflected there. Susan wanted to bathe in the honey of his gaze. She leaned forward into his touch.

His lips twitched as if trying to decide to smile or frown. “Tea’s ready.” He turned away.

Swallowing her disappointment, she rose with a groan and stretched her aching back. She retrieved two clay cups and handed them to Sorin.

He poured the tea and carried them to the table where she plopped onto a chair. She hadn’t done any of the climbing yesterday but her muscles went into spasms as if she had.

Sorin’s large hands rested on her shoulders, his thumbs digging into the knots around the base of her neck. “You’re tense.”

Heated desire surged through her body at his unexpected touch. She tingled under his hands and leaned into the massage. Tense? No shit, Sherlock.

His presence loomed around her, more intense than anyone she’d ever met.

Closing her eyes, she pretended for a second that nothing else existed. She couldn’t read too much into this. Humans didn’t touch each other without permission. Well, at least the polite ones. From the data she’d gathered, shifters did.

“I’m not used to physical activity.” Most wouldn’t consider standing in front of a chalkboard crunching symbolic math an exercise.

He snorted.

“I’ve also been picking at my brain all night trying to come up with a solution for the sick.”

The massage slowed.

“It’s so frustrating. I know what is probably wrong and what they need but it’s not available in this dimension.”

Sorin’s hands slipped from her shoulders.

“If I could figure out how to open a gateway, maybe then we’d stand a chance. But there’s no electricity or computers, let alone a wrench…”

Sorin moved around the table and sat in front of her, his eyebrows drawn together. “If my world is similar to yours, wouldn’t it contain the things you need?”

“At a basic level, yes, but the technology isn’t here.”

“Tech—technology?”

“Machinery, science.”

“The vampires are more advanced than we are. They may have something we can use.”

She sat straighter. “Like what?”

“I’ve never been to the castle so this is only hearsay, but they have weapons that throw projectiles and carts that run on steam.”

Steam age. She’d already considered the possibility of time travel and decided it wasn’t a feasible hypothesis. That’s not how dimension hopping worked. DOUG created a bridge from a fixed point in time that matched the other dimension. If only she could figure out why Eorthe hadn’t developed at the same rate as Earth, then she might stop worrying about any errors she’d made in her dimension theories. “No.” What she wanted was a pharmacy and antibiotics. All these people needed were some medicines her Earth took for granted. Most of the pack would die from a simple, community-acquired pneumonia. She dropped her head into the palms of her hands.

“Maybe with Lailanie’s knowledge of the local herbs you can make what’s needed.”

She looked up at him slowly, her fingers trailing along her cheeks. “Make it…” she whispered.

“Yes, she’s not a full healer but she knows more than me and—”

“Wait.” Something she’d read slid into her thoughts. Slippery as a worm, it stayed out of her grasp. If she was distracted now, she might lose it. Make it, make it, make it.

Insomnia. Months ago, she’d been bored and surfing the net, reading tidbits here and there. Clicking on what caught her interest and floating on the flotsam of the Internet. Antibiotics were developed during the Korean War. Penicillin, the most basic form, came from blue mold. She’d read a blog about making it at home. Basic survival skills if the world came to end or something of that nature. She’d laughed at the idea. Who would trust homemade medicine?

She wasn’t laughing now. “Mold. We need old bread.” Standing so quickly she knocked her chair to the floor, she spun to scrutinize the cluttered kitchen. “Or cheese.”

“Old bread?”

Her heart fluttered. “The more mold the better.” She had it. Oh, she hoped she had it. The solution was so simple. “I also need water, sugar and yeast.” She counted off the things on her fingers while Sorin raced around the kitchen, lifting clay containers and sniffing through unknown jars.

Out of breath, he spun around. “What else?”

“Um—um…” Her brain cramped as she shuffled through the data. Great memory could be handy sometimes. Even the stupid things remained saved. She pictured her mental filing system—the way she retained all her knowledge. Searching under miscellaneous, she found her keep-for-post-apocalypse-scenario memories. “I need an airtight container.” Where would he find Tupperware?

Sorin set a jug on the table with a cork.

“Perfect.” She tried to high-five him and met air. “Okay, never mind my insanity.” With rising spirits, she emptied the container’s contents into the teacups and ignored the questioning expression on Sorin’s face. “Get the fire really hot. I need to boil the jug and cork.”

She stared at him as he did as she asked without question. None of her assistants back home were this focused. It wasn’t in his nature to take orders—she’d experienced this first hand—yet here he followed her directions. His trust touched her.

He knelt by the hearth, blowing on the coals and adding wood to boil the cauldron of water.

Some of those knots in her shoulders eased while she rinsed and cleaned the jug. She couldn’t imagine the Payami alphas working this hard for their pack. Sorin had traveled from the Temple carrying her yesterday morning, dug graves last evening, took care of the ill all night, and was now helping her make medicine early in the morning.

“You should rest. I can handle this.”

The line of his jaw tightened. “I will when you do.” He set the water closer to the flame. “What next?”

She ground her teeth and moved to the table where Sorin had deposited the spoiled food. No point in arguing with a hard-head. While the jug sterilized, she examined the moldy bits. The messy kitchen might have saved the pack.

“What are you making?” He peered at a decaying bread crumb between his fingers.

“Penicillin. It cures most infections. This is an old recipe that’s been mostly forgotten.”

“Something which is old for your world has not been discovered here.”

“Yet. Who knows what happened on Eorthe’s timeline to hold your progress back? Maybe something happened on Earth’s timeline to accelerate our advances.” She shrugged then held up a piece of cheese. “See the blue mold? It excretes a liquid called penicillium, which might cure the lung disease your people have.”

His bright amber eyes widened. He set the moldy bread back on pile gently. “How long before it’s ready?”

The intensity of his stare bored into her soul. Her IQ began to drop. “S-six days.”

He snapped his gaze away. “Six! Most will be dead in six days.”

Reeling in the wake of his presence, Susan busied her hands, cutting off bits of mold and kickstarting her brain. “I know. Let me think.” The antibiotics needed to ferment in a warm medium to make pharmaceutical-grade penicillin. “Can you make a thin broth?”

Sorin tilted his chin and frowned. “Yes.”

Responsibility weighed a lot. She set the knife aside. “We’ll make a weak batch and use it until the stronger one is finished. It can’t hurt to try.” She didn’t need his doubts plaguing her. She had enough of her own.

She scraped the mold from the old food while he prepared broth. Half the mold went into the sterile jug with the water, sugar and yeast. The other half, she stirred into the cooled broth.

“We need to let it sit until afternoon. The longer in the broth, the better the medicine.” She plopped onto a chair, weariness seeping into her marrow.

Sorin stirred the broth, then met her tired gaze. “Thank you, Susan.”

“Thank me if it works.”

He smiled at her.

Stunned, she watched his scarred face transformed by his lazy, crooked grin. Years of worry disappeared. She’d given up trying to crack his shell. Finally, he’d dropped his alpha’s mask and showed her the real Sorin.

“You’ve given me the most hope I’ve had in a long while.” He drew her onto her feet.

Before she could blink, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her lips. Quick and soft, it barely brushed her. The exhaustion plaguing her body vanished and her spirit soared. Thank God, she’d been wrong. He really did like her.

He hesitated as he pulled away, hovering over her mouth.

She licked her lips, making sure what she’d felt was real.

Sorin glanced at the movement, hunger blazing in his eyes. Strong arms engulfed Susan before she could take a breath. He bent, pressing their bodies together, and devoured her mouth. Hard and deep, he kissed her as if the secrets of life rested on her lips.

Tangling her fingers in his long hair, she pulled him even closer. A moan slipped from her throat as the warmth in her belly ignited into a full-blown wildfire.

He growled back, his hands moving lower to massage her ass.

She burned with desire, and Sorin held the only thing that would extinguish the flames. Running her hand under his leather kilt, she touched his bare, hard-muscled thigh.

“Sorin?” a woman’s voice called.

They sprang apart.

Lailanie entered the kitchen. “What are you doing?” Her eyes narrowed as her glare landed on Susan.

“Ma—” Sorin cleared his throat. “Making medicine.” His hair stuck out at odd angles where she had gripped him.

“Is that what they call it?” She strolled toward Susan and tucked part of her shirt back into her pants.

Chapter Eighteen

Sorin tried to keep his hope under rein as he carried the heavy pot of healing broth into the gathering–chamber-turned-sickroom. This had to work.

Susan hovered at his elbow. Anxiety tinged her clear, sharp scent as she nibbled on her nail.

The pot occupied his hands so he couldn’t keep her from chewing off her thumb. He stopped before entering the room. “All will be well.” Doubt would harm his pack. They needed her confident and calm.

“What if it’s not strong enough?”

“You’ve made us wait until afternoon to allow this weak brew to strengthen. The sick can’t afford to wait any longer.” He glanced at the mold soup he was about to serve his people. Doubts returned. “Will it hurt them?”

“No.”

“So this dose will help them and the next ones will only be stronger.” Some of the females were preparing bread to mold so they could continue making batches.

“I know, I know, but how much should they drink?”

“The human has a valid point.” Lailanie exited the chamber. The prickly odor of her anger still clung to her.

How did Lailanie make him feel guilty over a kiss? He held in a sigh. It was truly a gift. Staring her down didn’t work. The pain bleeding from her wounded gaze twisted his heart. He’d made his disinterest in her clear years ago yet she still hounded him.

He glanced at Susan. It was just a kiss—one that kept him busy all morning with thoughts of soft, unblemished skin, firm ass and needy moans. Biting his inner cheek, he banished these thoughts. They’d only lead him to the cold mountain spring outside the den again. Dumping bucket after bucket of icy water over his body and groin had helped a few hours ago.

“The children need smaller amounts than the adults. How many are sick?” Both females left him and approached the pack bed, discussing doses versus quantity.

He sought out Peder and placed the pot next to his favorite omega.

“Good morning, Alpha.” The slender shifter set out cups. Susan insisted on individual dishware to prevent the spread of the disease. The simple measures she’d suggested all made sense once she rationalized them. Yet no one from Sorin’s pack had thought of them. She continued to amaze him.

Sorin noticed a tremor in Peder’s hands.“Did you sleep?”

“Yes.”

Sorin didn’t need his keen sense of smell to recognize the lie and patted the omega’s shoulder. He appreciated Peder’s effort to ease his concerns then he knelt and stirred the broth.

The four of them were the only healthy people in the cavern. To prevent further spread of the illness, he called all other pack members to their duties in the den. Some worked to make penicillin, a few went to hunt and others managed the neglected cleaning. It would be nice to have fresh meat again.

Both females returned.

Susan smiled at Peder.

Sorin choked on a growl aimed at the pretty omega male. He didn’t like the comfortable manner between them. Once Sorin made his intentions clear, Peder had better back off.

Shrinking low to the ground, the other male remained still.

“Stop glaring.” Susan smacked Sorin’s shoulder. Her defense of Peder hurt a hundred times more than the strike.

Lailanie stepped in between him and Susan, making sure to sit next to him, so close he thought she would land upon his lap. “She doesn’t understand our ways. She’ll never adapt.”

A flush spread across his human’s cheeks. “This dose is weak and won’t affect their fever. We’ll still need more of those flowers you use.”

Sorin’s gaze traveled to the omega.

“I will depart this afternoon.” Peder didn’t meet his stare. He didn’t want to leave the den. Tending the sick suited the omega’s nature, but he was the only one who knew where another patch of the flowers grew.

“Good. Be careful. Stay off Temple lands.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Susan nodded to them. “We should test for allergies to the medicine before administering it.”

“How?” Lailanie leaned forward.

“Scratch the inside of the person’s arm and apply a drop. If the skin swells or a rash develops, then we can’t give them the medicine.”

Before anyone could ask, Peder rose with a cup of the broth and started the process.

Susan took command so easily. His pack did as she asked without question or challenge. That was the biggest difference between these two females. Lailanie ordered and bullied, where Susan made requests and suggestions. Her tasks were to the point, organized and well thought out.

He grabbed a cup of broth and joined Peder. “How long do we wait?”

“Not long.” She turned her back on Lailanie—something a shifter would never have done. Not with the hostility radiating from the other female.

At least Lailanie didn’t demand a challenge.

He wouldn’t have allowed it, but any of his interventions would lower Susan’s good status with the pack. Shifters didn’t respect weakness. Most saw physical prowess as the source of power and leadership. He knew better. Saw it this morning in the kitchen. Knowledge was true power, and Susan was the smartest person he’d ever met.

She stared at the sick. Her eyes were open but not seeing. She still wore the outfit from the day he’d met her at the Temple. He was a terrible host, never offering her fresh clothes or a bath. She hadn’t demanded any either. Her hair had once been tightly pinned up, but now strands hung loose and a brown smudge marred her cheek.

She was beautiful.

Someone touched his hand, startling him.

Peder winked. “She’d be quite a catch.”

Running his fingers through his tangled hair, Sorin shook his head and kept from laughing. Now the omega grew balls.

Peder removed the cup from his hands. “Let me finish the testing. She hasn’t eaten anything all day. You should feed her.”

Sorin raised an eyebrow. “Her being human doesn’t bother you?” It should.

“If she makes you happy? No.” Peder shrugged. “A happy alpha is a good alpha. Sometimes you need to take care of yourself in order to take care of us.”

The good of the pack always came first whenever Sorin made a decision. They had suffered so long under his father’s selfish reign. He wouldn’t make those same mistakes. Doing so would only weaken them further.

Indulgence in females, excess in drinking, and physically dominating each pack member would mimic his father’s behavior.

Sorin wanted something more. He wasn’t sure what though. A strong female by his side—someone the pack respected, and who loved them as much as he did. Did she exist? What, by the Dark Goddess, was happy?

When he kissed Susan—that made him happy.

She lifted her face toward him as if hearing his thoughts, a secret smile on her delicious lips.

The memory of her hungry, searching mouth still fresh in his thoughts, he rose and cleared his throat. He crossed the room and took her hand. “We should eat.” Not waiting for an answer, he led her away.

“What about the testing?”

“Have faith in Lailanie and Peder. We won’t be gone long. I wish to be there for the first dose as well.”

She followed him to the kitchen. The place had been empty for days, but not now. People filled it like before the illness. The scent of fresh bread came from the oven, a roast was being prepared and a pack of pups grasping fresh carrots almost ran him over as Sorin stood transfixed in the doorway. He glanced at Susan. “Wait here.”

His people moved out of his way when he entered.

“Alpha? Would you like a meal?” Marin, a female whose mate lay on the sick bed, offered him a chunk of buttered bread.

“Can you prepare a small meal for two to go?” He didn’t want to share Susan’s company. That was selfish. He glanced back at her.

She still wore the secret smile.

His stomach felt empty, and it had nothing to do with food. He wanted Susan to desire him. Sorin. A male, not the alpha of the Apisi. If he had been a hunter, would she have kissed him?

“Alpha?” Marin handed him a basket.

He returned to Susan, leading her past the pups who now played stalk and chase. “The kitchen is crowded. We’ll find someplace quieter to eat.”

“Like a picnic.” She slipped her hand back into his.

The gesture swelled his chest. As a lost female, she had no one to protect her. He rubbed his thumb over the soft skin of her fingers. She had someone to watch over her now.

They didn’t have much time before administering the medicine so he didn’t take her far. At the back of the canyon, a narrow goat path climbed the cliff face.

She dug her nails into his palm. “Up there? Are you nuts? I hate heights.”

Gently, he pried her talons from his flesh. “I know, but I’m here. I won’t let you fall.” He kissed her fingertips.

Her gaze grew heavy as she watched. The smoldering warmth caught his breath and could have melted a glacier.

“Here.” He cleared his throat from a voice gone rough. “You go first.” Placing his hand on her hips, he guided her to the path. The soft fabric of her pants would tear easily with his claws, but taking her against the canyon wall would be bad. Very bad, yet the fantasy would probably plague him all day and night. “It’s not a far climb.” He attempted to resist the urge to caress the curve of her hips by mentally reciting the list of birds living within the valley.

Midway, her steps became hesitant. She placed her feet carefully one in front of the other. He could hear her labored breathing; however she never stopped, only pressed a sweaty hand on his. Her trust was a precious gift.

He had to convince her to stay and give up a chance to live among the Payami, where she’d have a fine den with steady supplies and rich comforts, so she could live among his struggling pack. Another selfish act.

When she crested the top, she gasped. The view of the forest canopy was the reason he sought this spot. Sunlight sparkled off the green leaves as the breeze stirred them.

Settling under the small apple tree that grew in this glade, he set the basket next to him and waited for her to join him in the shade.

She surveyed the area. “So much wilderness…”

He quirked an eyebrow and examined his homeland. What was she expecting?

“There’s no forest where I live—just city and buildings with parks and gardens. Nothing there to hunt and eat me.” She rubbed her arms as if chilled.

“Your world, your Earth, sounds so very different.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “It is. This place frightens me.”

“There’s no reason for fear. That’s what packs are for.” He unloaded the basket, unable to look at her. “I’ll protect you.”

The grass rustled next to him as she knelt. “At home I took care of myself. I didn’t need a—pack. Or anyone, for that matter. I think my needing help scares me the most.”

“No mate?” The question popped out. He could have bitten himself for being an obvious idiot.

“No time for one.”

He handed her a piece of cheese and bread, then stuffed his meal in his mouth before anything else stupid came out of it.

Marin had also packed some winter apples soaked in honey—his favorite.

“The recipe for the penicillin is simple. Your pack will produce it without my help. You can use it for trade as well.”

Swallowing his mouth full of food with a dry throat proved difficult. He coughed and took a sip from the water skin. The cool liquid chased the bread down.

She set her cheese on her lap. “Do you mind if I try to live here?”

His heartbeat tripped over itself. “N-no.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to break any more pack laws.” She grinned. “I’d like to make sure the penicillin works. If not, maybe I can think of something else. I know sulfa can cure infections too. I’m just as sure how to make medicine from it.”

“Oh.” His pulse slowed and almost stopped. She wasn’t staying for him. “That would be…interesting.”

“Are you all right?” She placed her hand on his forehead. “You look pale.”

“I haven’t eaten since yesterday.” He took a huge bite and chewed without tasting. Still, he had some time to convince her he was worth staying for.

Chapter Nineteen

The cool night breeze blew through the entrance to the sick room. Susan took first watch, too exhausted to sleep, and looked after the patients.

No one had reacted adversely to the penicillin. Either shifters didn’t have allergies like humans or she’d done the test wrong.

She chewed on what was left of her thumbnail while sitting on the ground, her back against the wall and a frayed blanket over her lap. Fevers still raged, and one pup had trouble breathing earlier this evening.

Lailanie had focused most of her attention on the pup’s care. She used steam and pounding to loosen the phlegm, getting him to cough most of it out. They decided to give him an extra dose of the weak medicine.

Tears burned behind her eyelids, and she tried to blink them away. These people were strangers to her, but her soul would have fallen apart if that pup had died. The pack supported each other like a tight family, their love for each other palpable. She sniffed and rubbed her nose.

Compared to the pack, her parents were distant and her only brother cold. She never knew what she’d been missing until the Apisi.

The pack members treated her with respect, not like a stray as the Payami had. If she was trapped on Erothe she wanted friends. She wanted somebody who’d pat her back and help her cough when she was sick. She wanted to be loved.

But would the pack ever accept her?

Sorin entered the chamber. He used to frighten her. Not anymore. Huge for a human, he would have been mistaken for NFL linebacker on Earth. He could tie her in a knot with one hand but after this afternoon’s impromptu picnic, she doubted he’d ever hurt her.

His gentle side posed more of a threat than his feral beast, though. Stoic and loving was a killer combination in a male. Add those amber eyes and dark silver hair, and she was a goner.

Hovering over the sick bed, Sorin watched his sick pack slumber and didn’t notice her curled up against the far wall. Guess she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep.

She didn’t mind slipping his detection. The last few days’ events hadn’t given her enough time to observe him. Torchlight flickered and played over his muscles. He still wore the sleeveless shirt with his leather kilt. It gave a woman plenty to imagine.

The kiss they’d shared had curled more than her toes. Hot damn, without Lailanie’s interruption she doubted she would have kept her clothes on much longer.

She’d been with men. Nice men, not the kind to tear your clothes off and take you against the wall. Those types didn’t gravitate to her academic social circles.

Sorin lifted a foot and rested it on the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing?” she tried to whisper but it came out as a half-restrained shout. He shouldn’t expose himself unnecessarily.

“You were so still. I thought you were asleep.”

She struggled to stand with legs gone to sleep. “That’s not an answer.” Slapping her thighs, she tried to get the circulation going again.

He crossed the room and whispered, “I don’t answer to you.”

“Maybe you should.” The words slipped passed her brain-mouth filter. He loomed over her. The unnatural glow of his eyes reminded Susan she dealt with more than a man. She dealt with a wolf shifter. An alpha.

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t challenge me. You’ll lose.”

Heat developed low in her abdomen. She allowed her eyes to travel from his rugged face, along his broad shoulders, to his strong chest. Losing could be fun. She shook the thought from her exhaustion-filled head.

“I can’t rest while they need me.” His soft voice broke the spell she’d fallen under. “I’m their alpha. I’m their strength.”

“How?” Did he mean literally or metaphorically? Either could be possible in another dimension. Hell, she was ready to believe anything at this point.

“It’s difficult to explain.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “A connection exists between each pack, a bond. The alpha…” He shrugged. “They’re—mine. I can sense it. My presence offers them—safety? It’s hard to explain, Susan. I can sense they need me. Leave it at that.”

She grimaced and gazed at the bed. “Fine, but they can’t afford to lose you either. A-and I don’t want you to get sick.” The possibility made her nauseated. Placing him in a grave would destroy something new and flourishing inside her.

“I’ve slept with them every night and lent them my strength since this started. I won’t stay away.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “If I get sick, I trust you to save me.”

She sighed and closed her eyes, savoring the moment. His faith in her was daunting, but she didn’t have the power to stop him. If he caught it she’d be there to support his cough and serve his medicine.

Sorin left her side and crawled onto the bed, settling in the center. The sick moved without waking, as if sensing him. They enveloped his body. The youngest were pushed closest to their alpha.

A pack connection, huh? Just another thing that made her different, an outsider. She hunched under the blanket by herself and rubbed the ache in her hollow chest.

Chapter Twenty

The Temple always offered Kele peace. It was a place she sought whenever she could coerce a hunter to accompany her. Many in her pack didn’t like traveling here. Maybe the loss of their goddess was too much. Maybe they felt abandoned. Sometimes she did.

She trailed her fingers over the flowering vines holding the structure together. Odd how these plants had grown and supported a building that should have crumbled by now. She wanted to change her people’s lack of faith, to bring them hope, but she’d have to resolve her own doubts first. Where had the Goddess gone?

A few shifters from other packs made the journey. She found their offerings on the altar, but mostly, Kele was alone at the Temple besides her guards. Belief in the Goddess had diminished. It might be the reason she’d left or that no one heard her call. Either way, communication didn’t flow between shifters and nature like she’d heard it had. All stories and myth now, but she believed that once upon a time, shifters communed with their land instead of just surviving off it.

Escaping her father’s displeasure, she and Ahote, with two other, younger hunters, had made camp on Temple lands, planning to stay for at least a couple of days. She didn’t think Sorin would allow Susan to return—he’d seemed quite adamant about keeping her—but she’d like to be available to the human female if she escaped and found her way here.

It must have been terrifying to fall into another dimension with no knowledge of the culture or laws. Some part of Kele sympathized with Susan’s plight. In a way the human was like her—a shifter who couldn’t change to feral form, trapped as a civilian.

Her guards hunted the Temple lands for amusement, except Ahote. He sat in feral form on the Temple stairs, jerking the petals off flowers growing on the vines. Stubborn, impossible, pigheaded male wouldn’t talk to her. He preferred the comforts of the den to the wild.

A distant howl carried through the forest. Her guards were on the hunt.

Ahote’s ears perked forward, and he dropped his latest floral victim. “Maybe we’ll have lunch soon.”

At least his mood hadn’t affected his appetite. She strolled between the old stone walls that were broken and cracked.

Carved in the solid walls were faded words, their wisdom lost to time. She couldn’t read the broken symbols and longed for a miracle to bring her understanding. Brushing away the vines, she searched for her favorite engraving, full of twirls and one of the few engravings still deeply scratched within.the stone.

She’d figure it out one day. She’d even brought her paper and pen to copy some of the writing.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Ahote jumping to his feet. He crouched low as if preparing to attack.

Her pulse sped and she reached for her dagger on her belt, suppressing her urge to ask questions. Silence was a predator’s best tool, so she crept toward the exit.

The sound of struggle came from outside the Temple, followed by a body impacting the ground with a grunt.

Fear seized her gut, and she hurried to the stairs. Could it be Susan? She’d only recently made a delicate friendship with her. Such things needed time to grow, and it wouldn’t take much to shred those ties. Stupid males.

Ahote’s arm snaked around her waist and set her back behind him. “Stay here. I don’t want you tripping me if they can’t control him.”

“Him?” She caught a glimpse of her guards escorting a thin, male shifter to the foot of the stairs. “This is the Temple, Ahote. You have no right to treat others poorly here. It’s sacred ground. Neutral territory.”

“It’s also a place open for attack, and you’re my responsibility.” He pointed at the male. “Look, he’s not even bleeding.”

The unknown male cowed in submission. No posturing. No threats. An omega. Her pack had very few of these, and her father reacted violently whenever she approached one. “That’s enough.” She raised her voice in a perfect impression of her mother’s.

The guards glanced at each other then backed away.

Kele’s spirit lifted. It worked. Maybe her female parent had a useful influence after all.

As she descended the steps, Ahote hovered at her side like she’d grown a new shadow. She peered at the omega. “Please accept my apology. They protect me—from everything.”

The male’s golden fur shone with the sunlight. “Understandable, princess.” He raised his face and met her gaze with his intense green eyes.

The breath in her chest froze. Unlike her guards, the male didn’t look through her but at her, solidifying her existence. “I-I’m not a princess.” She blinked and waited but he didn’t move. “Please stand.”

Ahote tensed behind her.

“The Temple is open to all.” She spoke to the stranger but her words were for Ahote. A foreboding settled on Kele.

“You’re very gracious.” He rose and pulled out a leather kilt from his shoulder pack, then shifted to civil from. As his body reformed he dressed and maintained his modesty. “Better? I’m less a threat this way.”

Slight of shoulder, he still bore enough muscles to be mistaken as a hunter. Handsome. She had trouble meeting his gaze. His presence made her giddy and bashful all at the same time.

He climbed the steps until he stood next to her. “I’m Peder. Sorin of the Apisi sent me to gather some medicinal herbs. I couldn’t find any on our land, but I know they grow here.”

Ahote’s growl vibrated the stone under her feet. “More Apisi dogs…”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Sorin stole a female bearing Ahote’s mark yesterday.”

The omega’s gaze darted to the guards at the foot of the steps. “Susan? It must have been a temporary mark. She wears Sorin’s now. The way she stares at my alpha, I don’t think she came against her will either.” He winked at her.

Taking a deep breath, Kele forced the tension to ease from her shoulders. He spoke the truth. Or at least, what he perceived as the truth. She hated to admit it but Benic was correct about Susan being an untapped resource of knowledge. Kele had been a fool to lose her. Now, the naïve human was in the hands of tribe’s most feral pack.

Peder glanced at Ahote, who still looming over them. “You don’t seem heartbroken over the loss. They seem like a good match.”

The dark hunter stepped around her, his claws flexing in and out of his fingertips.

Peder’s eyes went wide as he sank to his knees.

“Ahote!” She sandwiched her body between the males. Could Peder stay quiet long enough to keep his head? Torn, she didn’t know if she should step out of Ahote’s way or not. This was playing out as Benic predicted. If Sorin mistreated Susan, the fault fell on Kele. “Susan wishes to stay and explore the possibility of staying with the Apisi.” She glanced at the pretty male kneeling at her feet. “In the meantime we should take measures to assure Susan can return to the Payami if she wishes.”

“As a token of my alpha’s good faith, I am sure he’d allow some kind of trade. I can pass along the message after I collect the flowers.” Peder’s eyes lowered once more.

Kele’s eyebrows shot up. That scent had a slight tinge of anxiety. Not enough for a lie. What did it mean? Was someone ill? Packs didn’t disclose weaknesses. Withholding information was the only lie a shifter couldn’t detect. “Your pack has little to trade.” Her gaze settled on him. Two hostages in the same amount of days. Maybe she was becoming too much like her mother.

Bad enough she brought home a human stray, but an Apisi omega? “You’re placing me in a difficult position, Peder.” If she sent him home then she surrendered her only leverage.

“He’s just an omega. Sorin probably won’t even care if he’s missing,” Ahote whispered in her ear.

She turned her head and glared at his bestial profile. “Why would you think that? We care for our omegas.”

Peder climbed a step closer, still on his knees. “Sorin does care about his omegas very much.”

They both spun and faced him. Ahote bent, a little drool landing on Peder’s shoulder. “You’re very bold.”

“My alpha has been encouraging me to find my inner hunter.” The smaller male swallowed visibly as the larger, feral beast circled him. “I forget my place sometimes.”

He obviously did. The outer shell of this shifter appeared omega but she suspected, as did his alpha, that a hunter lurked inside. What had broken this male?

She straightened her dress and squared her shoulders. “Take him.” She addressed the other two guards. Where would she house Peder? Her stomach went sour. She had a big, maternal concern. Her mother would eat this omega male alive with his pretty face and all that golden hair.

She stared at Ahote—a strong, massive, dominating male—then turned toward her other two guards. “Peder’s existence will remain a secret among us four.”

Their ears perked and they looked to Ahote.

She clenched her jaw. “If you squeal to my parents or anyone else like a pair of frightened pups, Ahote will deal with you in my stead.”

The dark hunter went still and silent next to her. She sensed the wave of shock from his body.

“Do we have an understanding?”

The taint of the guard’s fear carried on the wind as they nodded.

She wanted to give Susan an avenue of escape if she needed it. The only way to ensure a meeting with Sorin was to keep Peder. What harm would it cause if he stayed a few days? She’d write a note and leave it on the Temple altar for whoever came to search for Peder with her terms for his return. She only wanted to speak with Susan one more time.

Peder glanced at the guards, then at Ahote as if assessing his chance of escape.

“Don’t, Peder.” She didn’t want him injured.

The omega cringed. There was something fragile about the male that she found fascinating. All the hunters of her pack were muscle-bound fools with little to offer in conversation. She sensed something different in him.

“We’ll sneak Peder into the den.” She faced her guest. “If you value your hide, you won’t leave your room. My mother will eat you for dessert if she catches you inside the den.” She tapped her foot and glared at each of the males. “I expect Susan returned in good condition, and we’ll do the same with Peder.”

The omega raised his chin and appraised her under downcast lids. His interest washed over her, and she drowned in his gaze. “As you wish, princess,” the omega whispered. A submissive answer, yet the invitation in his eyes offered her what no male of her race ever had.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sorin sat by the gate as the midday sun burned overhead. He whittled at a branch, doing his best to shape it like a horse. The pups needed more toys.

With purpose in her step, Lailanie crossed the den toward him. “The fevers are getting worse. This potion your human made is not working.”

He didn’t meet her gaze, just kept working his knife over the wood in slow, easy strokes. “Susan said it wouldn’t affect the fever, and what we gave the sick is a weak batch. We have to wait for it to strengthen.” He’d been waiting for this confrontation.

Lailanie paced in front of him. “If we don’t cool them, the fever will kill some by tomorrow morning. One of the pups has taken a turn for the worse.”

Glancing at the gate, he nodded. “Peder should have returned with the flowers by now.” He’d been trying to ignore his growing anxiety. Peder was an omega and couldn’t travel as fast as a hunter, but he’d had plenty of time.

If anything happened to him…

Susan strolled along the main avenue of the canyon. She carried something in her hands. As she drew closer, he could smell the roasted meat. “Lunch is served.”

Lailanie snorted. “Training her to be your private omega?” She stormed back into the sick room, leaving him alone with Susan.

“Nothing I say or do will ever make her like me, will it?” She stared after Lailanie.

“No.” He took the small platter of steaming meat and popped a slice in his mouth, savoring the hot juice. The food would give him the energy he desperately needed to make the trip to the cliffs after Peder. “I have to leave the den. Stay out of her way while I’m gone.”

She spun to face him. “Where are you going?”

“Peder’s missing.”

“You shouldn’t go alone.” She crossed her arms over her chest, and that mesmerizing stubborn streak returned.

“I can’t take any of the hunters with me. I need them to protect the den.”

She nodded. “I’ll go with you then.”

He raised an eyebrow yet kept from laughing. “I have to go over the mountains again. There might be more cliffs involved in the journey.”

“Dude, is there nothing easy in this world?” She ran her hands through her loose hair. The long strands fell below her shoulders in thick waves. Her hair was the kind a male could bury his face in and lose himself for hours.

He set the empty platter on the table next to him. “No, but struggle makes life that much sweeter.”

“Struggle? More like trying to survive hour by hour.”

The droop in her shoulders made him ache to take her in his arms, but with pack about doing chores it would be a terrible idea. Instead he offered her a piece of wisdom his mother had told him. “Life is not about surviving the storms, but learning to dance in the rain, Susan.” He gave her a small smile before untying his kilt.

She tilted her head as if trying to figure out who he was. “That’s very insightful.”

“Thank you. That’s the best I have so don’t expect more.” He winked at her. He’d seen Peder do that to females in the pack when he teased them. They seemed to like it.

Susan laughed. Apparently, humans liked it too.

He grinned and spotted Lailanie standing in the shadows of the cave, watching him flirt. His grin faded. What would he do with that female? He needed to find her a good hunter. In the meantime Susan would be in danger. “Maybe you should come with me after all.”

“But you said mountains and cliffs.” She stepped away.

“You’ll ride on my back again. I didn’t let you fall last time and I won’t this time either. Trust me.” He dropped his kilt and shifted to feral form. He offered her his hand then waited. This time he wouldn’t take her against her will. He needed her to want to be with him.

She stared at it for a second then set her small hand within his. “I’ll do my best not to tug out more fur.” This time she winked back at him.

The ride over the mountain pass was easier the second time around since Susan knew what to expect and—and well, she trusted Sorin.

He trotted to a stop by a cliff overlooking forest below. What was left of the Temple’s roof peeked through a small opening in the tree’s canopy.

“This is where he was supposed to be.” Sorin snuffled along the ground.

Susan clung to his shoulders still, her thighs around his narrow hips as she pressed her breasts to his strong back. The power he exuded in feral form was exhilarating, like a roller coaster ride with muscles. She didn’t want to get off and mess up any scent trails or anything.

“He was here but not for long. There are no signs of those flowers here or of him picking any.” He stared out over the cliff and snarled.

The sharp noise made her jump.

“I told him not to go on Temple lands alone.” He strode along the top of the cliff face until he came to a less steep slope, then descended.

She snapped her eyes shut too late. Sweat trickled down her spine as she imagined the fall and the pain. How her frail human body would break on the rocks below and how 911 was not available here.

Sorin’s pace increased as their trajectory changed.

She peeked, seeing trees flash past in blurs. Sorin had been injured and exhausted when they escaped the Payami so she’d never known how fast he could truly run. The wind clung to her hair as strands flapped over her shoulders. She had to swallow a whoop of exhilaration at the sense of freedom. Until now she’d never known how empty and selfish her life had been.

The outline of the Temple drew closer. Sorin slowed to a stop and sniffed a specific spot of stunted grass. “Blood.” He assessed the surrounding area. “There was a struggle here. I’d say at least three shifters fought. This blood smells like Apisi. It has to be Peder’s.”

She released a small yelp as he raced to the Temple without warning, almost dislodging her from his back. A cold ache settled in her chest where her first taste of freedom had been. Peder was in trouble.

A low rumble rolled under her body as if the earth quaked. Then she realized it was Sorin making a continuous growl. He stopped suddenly at the stairs leading into the Temple and began to track with his nose once more. “Kele! That female is becoming troublesome.”

“Kele took Peder?” She twisted to stare at the forest in hopes of catching a glimpse of the pale shifter. “Why?”

With a shrug, Sorin gently set her on the ground. “Let me search the Temple. Stay here.”

She nodded. She wouldn’t make the mistake of running from him twice. Sitting on the steps with her legs tucked against her chest, she kept an alert eye on the wilderness around them. What if this was a trap? Kele had seemed like such a nice person. Susan couldn’t imagine why she’d take Peder.

Something shimmered between the trees. She blinked and leaned to the side. It couldn’t be. She rose to her feet. It was.

The Gate was flickering not far away. She took a step toward it.

“Susan?”

She twisted around.

Sorin stood in the Temple entrance, his feral face twisted with worry and exhaustion. He’d aged in the two days she’d known him. “I won’t stop you this time, but I’d like you to stay.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She glanced over her shoulder at the blue light dancing in the forest.

Home.

Safety, coffee, hot showers. She could go back to her empty apartment and start looking for a new job. As what? Who would hire her after she’d destroyed DOUG? Heck, she’d be lucky if the military didn’t take her away and force her to build another machine. Or send her to prison.

The light flickered and faded a little. This Gate wasn’t stable. She wasn’t even sure what kept making it open. Without the crystal matrix, the energy to punch through dimensions was erratic. She might step through and find herself in a completely different reality.

She returned her gaze to Sorin. Beautiful, majestic male who needed her. His people needed her even more. She was doing something good here. Saving lives with the knowledge she’d spent a lifetime building. Could she return home and leave these people to flounder? The penicillin might work, but then again, it might not.

The thumping in her chest slowed as she took the steps up to Sorin.

He raced down them and met her halfway, hugging her tight against his chest.

She stroked her hand over the silken fur of his back and languished in the pure joy soaring within her soul. All her sacrifices were worth this moment. She leaned to side and watched as the Gate faded.

Bye, Earth.

Sorin held a sheet of thick paper in his hand.

She gazed at the writing but couldn’t read it. “What does it say?”

“Kele will trade Peder for you. She’ll meet us here in two days to make the exchange.”

She jerked from his arms. “Is that why you wanted me to stay?” Oh, how much more naïve could she be? This male had never wanted her; geeky, skinny Susan with more brains than ass.

Sorin tugged her close, almost snapping her head back. “Stop it. I’m not making the trade.”

Her mouth remained unhinged, open for flies to take residence.

“We will have to make other arrangements with Kele for Peder’s return.”

“Let’s go now. Their border’s not far.”

Sorin’s ears drooped. “We can’t. No matter how much I hate leaving Peder in their tender care, we have to bring home flowers to stop the fever. We can’t waste any more time.”

She chewed her bottom lip. Being alpha was a very tough job. Sorin took so much on his shoulders and carried it with such dignity. “Show me what we’re looking for. Let’s pick flowers.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

The next morning, Sorin helped Rein walk from the sick bed to the main den corridor for some fresh air. His childhood friend had seemed on the verge of death two days ago, but last night’s fresh batch of flower medicine in combination with Susan’s penicillin seemed to have finally taken effect.

Sorin’s spirit soared. The scent of joy had never been so thick in his home. Even though they still served the weak penicillin broth, many seemed better at dawn.

Susan thought it was due to their naïve bodies, something about them never taking these types of medicine before so they didn’t need the usual dose for it to work. His pack was also strong. Either way, the why of their quick recovery didn’t matter—they would survive.

Upon arrival outside, he scanned the area, but she wasn’t around. He settled his pack mate on a chair next to others who wished to make the short journey by the cave’s entrance. Taking Rein’s head in his hand, Sorin gazed at his face. “It’s so good to see your ugly muzzle awake.”

“I’m too feral to die.” The male wiped a thin sheen of sweat from his forehead with a pale hand.

Sorin’s hunting instincts tingled. Something he wanted was close. He rose and searched the area again. At the end of the corridor Susan leaned against the canyon wall. Even from this distance he could see the dark circles under her eyes.

Marin, a female of his den, approached Susan with a change of clothes then pointed toward the back of the canyon where a hot spring bubbled to the surface.

“If you keep grinding your teeth like that you’ll snap a canine.” Rein followed the path of his gaze. “Is that the human?”

“Yes.” Sorin should have given her the clothes and shown her the spring before now so she could bathe. “I’m going to make sure she finds her way. She doesn’t see well in the dark.”

“Yeah, you should do that.” His friend winked and leaned back into the chair with a wolfish grin. “If you don’t then I will.”

Sorin snorted. “You can barely walk.”

“Females love a male in need. Maybe I can convince her to bathe me.”

The snarl was on Sorin’s lips before Rein finished speaking. “Stay away from her.”

Rein’s grin grew wider as he leaned toward Sorin. “Then go claim her, dumb mutt.”

Jerking away from his friend, Sorin glanced at the empty space where Susan had stood. If he rushed to the springs, he’d appear desperate. Bad enough Rein guessed of his longings. Soon the whole pack would know he wanted Susan. Who knew what trouble that would stir? But there was no doubt of his desire, not after seeing her contemplate crossing the Gate. His heart had stopped when he realized he was about to lose her forever and had never told her how he felt. She’d given him a second chance, and he wouldn’t waste it.

“I’ve already marked her.” Rein didn’t need to know the details of the deal he’d made with Susan or that the mark was only temporary. He turned and strolled to his room by the main gate.

Since the penicillin seemed to work, everyone helped with the sick today. They wouldn’t need him and Susan.

He grabbed a change of clothes and soap, then paused by a small, wooden box he kept by his bed. Dust covered the surface. He hadn’t opened it in years. An unseen hand gripped his chest. Sorin didn’t pursue females like his father. Duty held him steadfast. The pack didn’t need another alpha jumping from pallet to pallet seeking carnal pleasures from any willing or non-willing body.

The pack deserved a mated couple to lead them, but Sorin had never met a female who affected him like Susan did. He grabbed the box and hurried to the spring.

Inside the cave, at the farthest reaches of the canyon, warm water sprang from the ground. It filled a shallow pool of rock then drained into the mountain, and the warmth was a welcomed respite in the winter. His ancestors had bathed here for centuries. Gentle splashing greeted his ears.

Good, she was already in the water. It would make her escape more difficult. He shook his head. Not prey. This wasn’t a hunt but a seduction. He wanted to…persuade her. Maybe he should act like Rein. That male could coax a female out of her clothes with just a smile.

He ran his fingers through his hair and met a tangled mess. Striding into the cave, he swung his long muddle of knots over his shoulder.

Candlelight flickered over the water. Susan stood with her back to him, a golden glow shimmering on her skin.

His feet stopped as if rooted to the stone. The sight of her knocked the breath from his chest. When shifting, both males and females started off nude in civil form, and he’d seen his fair share of naked flesh. Yet none had ever made his knees weak. He wanted to crawl into the water and suck the drops collecting in the dimples over her ass.

She glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. Gasping, she covered her breasts and plunged into the water so he could only see her head.

“I see you’ve found the hot spring.” He set his clothes on a natural shelf formed by the cave. “I had meant to show you earlier.” The clasp on his kilt caught as he undid it. He gave it a harder tug.

“What are you doing?”

The mangy clasp was stuck on the leather. “I’m going to wash.” He used his fingertips to unhook the edges of the material, muttering under his breath about fate getting a laugh at him. With a sharp yank, the kilt tore loose and dropped to the floor.

She retreated, her eyes focused on the wall behind him as if doing her best not to look at him. “With me?”

“Uhh…” He stepped into the water and cleared his throat. “Yes. Is that—wrong?” As a pack they all shared the spring to wash. She seemed very uncomfortable with the idea. What must she be thinking? He covered his cock and resisted the urge to smack himself. He kept treating her like a shifter. “I’ll wait until you’re done.” Even when he tried his best, he still drove her away.

“Does the pack bathe together?”

He returned to his kilt. “Yes.” The heat of humiliation blistered his skin. Her poor eyesight was a blessing; she wouldn’t see the blush spreading across his body.

“Don’t go then. I’m sorry, I’ve made things awkward. I tend to wash alone.”

“No, I won’t force—I mean—I’ll go check on dinner.” He tried dressing but he broke the clasp on his kilt. He reached for the clean one.

“If I’m going to live here, I’ll have to get use to your customs. I’d rather the first time I share a bath be with someone I’m comfortable with.”

He stared at the wooden box on the shelf by his clothes and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Please?”

Once again, he dropped the kilt and faced her. With the soap in hand, he dove into the shallow pool. When he broke the surface, he whipped his head around and shook off the excess water. He could sense Susan’s stare caressing his body, could smell her interest even through the water.

How did a hunter catch his prey without terrifying it?

He scrubbed the soap over his skin, working it into lather. Glancing at Susan, he noticed her eyes following the motion of his hands. “You didn’t cross through the Gate.”

“No” Her voice was faint, almost wistful.

Slowing his strokes, he moved the soap to his chest. In easy, circular motions, he guided her gaze. She burned his flesh with her desire. Three long steps and she’d be in his arms. He could quench his long celibacy with her willing body.

Shifting the motion, he washed his torso. Lower and lower. He smiled a little. The gesture still felt unfamiliar on his face. She inspired such pleasant stirrings in his heart—and his groin. The more she gave him, the more he wanted.

If she left, how would he survive? Who would make him—happy?

He washed below his navel, the water lapping at his knuckles. “I’m happy you stayed.” If she looked below the water, she’d see how much.

She blinked and tore her gaze from him. A rosy blush spread over her face.

Had he gone too far? She reminded him of a doe on the edge of a cliff. If he startled her, she’d fall from his grasp.

“Would you like the soap?”

“I already washed.”

Fiddling with the small clump in his hands, he searched the shore for something to relieve the tension strangling the air. The wooden box caught his gaze. “I have a present for you.”

“You do?”

He strode from the pool and set the soap on the shelf, then returned with the box.

She pulled her long hair over her shoulders. As she stood it cascaded over her breasts, acting as cover.

His cock swelled. If she only knew the truth about how the long, brown strands only accentuated the lush curves and played havoc on a male’s imagination.

The pounding of Susan’s heart filled her ears as Sorin’s gaze traveled along her body. He was just here for a bath.

Just a bath.

Reading into things, like his roaming eyes, would only lead to more misunderstandings between them, but all her fantasies came true when he had walked into the cave and dropped his leather kilt.

To her horror, she’d acted like a fifteen-year-old virgin. Where was the do-over button?

She accepted the box and opened it. Her jaw unhinged. With a tender stroke, she grazed the surface of his gift. “It’s beautiful.”

“It belonged to my mother.”

She shot him a look. “I can’t accept this.” An intricately carved, ivory comb sat lovingly upon a scrap of silk. Flowers dotted the spine and a vine traveled over the surface in swirls. The deep cuts had browned with age. “It’s too valuable, Sorin.”

He smiled. The same earth-shattering smile he’d given her the night in the kitchen, when he’d kissed her. “It’s the most valuable thing I own. My father carved it from bone for her as a mating present. It’s the only good thing he ever did. She cherished it.” He took the comb and tossed the empty box onto the shore.

Large muscles slipped under his skin as he moved with an unnatural grace. He slid behind her, like a predator circling his prey.

Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to follow Sorin’s movements. The current of the water brushed her over-sensitive skin. “The hot spring is a nice asset for your den.” She didn’t know what to do with her freaking hands. Normally she’d stick them in her pockets. “Must be great to soak in during the winter months.”

He ran the comb through her hair, sending a shiver along her neck, over her shoulders then down her arms. She wanted to spin around and press her body against his but for all she knew this was pack etiquette—a grooming exercise. “I’ve been meaning to ask about Apisi history.”

“Hmm…” He swept all her hair off her shoulders.

Swallowing her gasp, she resisted the urge to cover her exposed, hard nipples. Come on, she’d been naked in front of men. Not many, and none anywhere near as sexy as Sorin. As alpha, he must have bedded all the single females in his pack. Some of them were drop-dead gorgeous.

“You’re very tense. Do you want me to stop?”

“N-no.” She ran her tongue over her teeth, searching for a drop of moisture. “How many other packs are there?”

“In this forest? A total of six packs make our tribe.”

“And there are other tribes?”

“Yes, all of them are west of here.” The tips of his fingers brushed the skin along her spine.

She jumped as if branded. “Sorry.” Stepping closer to him, Susan silently encouraged him to continue. Damn, she sucked at flirting. Either she read too much into a man’s actions or not enough.

Taking a deep breath, she turned and faced him. “Do you have a girlfriend—uh—a mate?” Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. She gathered all her courage to meet his gaze and not duck under the water to cover her bare breasts.

“If I did, I’d be a poor mate by combing your hair.”

“I thought bathing together was normal.”

“Yes, but grooming is more…more intimate.” He gave her a shy smile, a blush blooming on his cheeks. “That means no, I’m not attached to anyone.” His gaze traveled lower along her exposed flesh with appreciation. “If anything, according to that mark on your wrist, I belong to you.”

Assaulted by a wave of dizziness, Susan drifted away from him. She’d been in the hot springs too long and needed to keep it together. He was telling her he wanted her, and she was going to pass out. “Good.” Their kiss really had meant something and wasn’t some spur of the moment excitement. Her stomach rolled with nausea. Throwing up would be bad. She exited the pool and dried off.

He followed. “Is it good?” The glow of the candlelight played over his wet, tanned skin. Not an ounce of fat showed on his masculine body.

“Yes.” Oh dear God, he’d been created for her. Right down to that delicious scar pulling on his bottom lip.

He placed the comb in her hand and folded her fingers over it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Susan dressed in fresh, soft doeskin underwear and a dress with blue beading down the front. It clung to her hips as if made for her. She ran her hands over the fabric, enjoying the smooth feel under her palms. Slipping the comb in the front pocket, she glanced at Sorin.

He tugged an off-white, rough wool shirt over his head and flipped his wet hair back. “I’ll have to mark you again. The bath washed the other away.”

Strange how she couldn’t perceive the scents as shifters did—almost like being blind.

He rubbed her wrist slowly where his jaw met his ear. An oily substance clung to her skin.

Taking a shaky breath, she tried not to lose herself to his touch. “As I searched for the spring, I found a room not far from here with a map on the wall. Could you show me where we are located on it?”

“My grandfather collected maps. I know which one you’re speaking of.” He didn’t release her hand. “Let’s go look at it.” Sorin led her to the room. Shelves filled with rolled-up parchment lined the walls.

She itched to unroll them and pore over their contents. A large map encased in a wooden frame covered a good portion of the far wall. Painted in faded colors, it resembled North America.

The sight made her ache inside. She wanted to lean on Sorin, to have him wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be all right.

“We’re here.” He pointed along the northeast coast of the continent.

“I’ve traveled across dimensions yet I’m still in the same area as my laboratory.” She shook her head. “It’s hard to believe.” Touching the map made it seem more real. “We’re in New York. Where did all these freaking trees come from?”

“There’s no forest where you’re from?” He rubbed his neck.

Talking about dimensions bothered him. She didn’t need a shifter’s nose to sense this. “I worked outside the city in what we call upstate New York. There’s forest but not this kind of dense, primeval, untouched beauty. It’s a garden compared to this.”

“The vampires have a city by the ocean. They call it Paoro.”

Her heart skipped a beat. That didn’t even ring a bell. “What is the name of where we are?”

He grunted. “Home. We don’t name the land. Ours are marked by scent.”

“Of course.” She should have realized this after accidentally crossing the Payami scent borders. “What are those colored areas?”

“Different tribe territories before the vampires invaded. Things have changed since then.” A muscle in his jaw twitched.

Something sounded familiar, just out of her reach. The information danced around, taunting her. “The vampires aren’t from here, from these lands?” She pointed at the map. “They’re from across the ocean. They arrived in large ships two hundred years ago and have slowly been moving west. No way!” She clapped her hands against her chest and realized in her excitement she’d been speaking her thoughts out loud.

He quirked an eyebrow.

“They’re settlers, people from Europe trying to colonize here. This happened in my dimension too. Did I really go back in time as well?” She paced the room. Finally, some useful information to piece together the puzzle of where all the humans had gone.

“I don’t know, but—”

“They’ve built cities along the coast just like in my world.” She spun and faced him. “But what does that make your people?”

“Shifters.”

“No, no, there are no shifters in my world. It’s on the tip of my brain.” She tapped her forehead with her knuckles. Come on, the answer teased and cramped her thoughts. Europeans sailed across the Atlantic to settle North America. She came to a dead stop. “You mentioned tribes. That your packs made a tribe.” Rushing toward him, she couldn’t contain her bubbling excitement. She jumped up and down. “You’re Native Americans.”

He chuckled, the first laugh she’d heard from him. “What are you going on about? I feel like I’m hearing half a conversation.”

“I’m comparing our dimensions. There are similarities, yet our worlds are vastly different.” She continued her pacing as if chasing the answer. “Native Americans lived here before the settlers arrived, just like shifters were here before the vampires came. The settlers carried disease that decimated the natives.”

“You’re speaking as if this already happened.”

She pressed her hand against her big fat mouth. So absorbed in her theories, Susan hadn’t noticed Sorin withdrawing from her.

“What else did your settlers do to the tribes?” The question cut her with its razor sharp edge.

“I—I…you have to understand this is part of my history, not yours.” She knotted her hands, not sure what to do with them.

“Your history appears to be my present.”

“Time travel is not possible.”

“And crossing dimensions is?”

“I’m not going to start explaining the math, Sorin. Just trust me when I say my machine could only build a bridge at a fixed point in time from one dimension to another. We’re in the same year. Something drastic altered our timelines that either advanced our technology or kept yours back. What happened on my world centuries ago should not repeat itself here.”

“But it is.” He stalked toward her, his massive shoulders rolling with each step.

Backpedaling, she hit the stone wall. She’d missed the growing worry on his face during her eureka moment.

“This isn’t the first illness to hit my people. The vampires brought disease with them in the form of other shifters from different lands. What else happened?” For a moment, Sorin’s feral side surfaced through his civil eyes.

She took a shaky breath. “They took over the continent.” Her voice broke.

Sorin rested his hands against the wall on each side of her head. “How?”

“War. The colonists had more advanced weapons and tools. Their numbers grew with each ship off-loading more settlers.”

Sighing, he rested his forehead against hers. The metal in his spine bent. “This has already happened during my grandfather’s time. The vampires decimated our numbers with guns and cannons. This map is the last of its kind and outlines old tribe lands.” He stroked her hair. “But the vampires and their tame shifters do not outnumber us yet. Not many ships arrive in port anymore.”

“See, that’s a big difference, right there.” She cupped his cheek in her hand. “Please, you have so much to worry about already. Don’t add to it.”

“What became of your natives?

“They still exist.” Tears welled in her eyes at his palpable sorrow. She slid her hands over his chest as if to heal his bleeding heart. She couldn’t change history.

“Our tribes have shrunk, and we have been isolated from each other. Outside our territories, the vampires rule. Their laws, their ways and their colonies.”

“Yet you all survive.” She hugged him close, running her fingers through his hair. The strands were so long and still damp from their bath.

So wild and free. She could imagine Sorin hunting in the mountains, running through the tall grasses of the glades and stalking in the forests. She couldn’t do any of these things. If she lived here, would she be content to stay within the den waiting for him to come home?

Tilting her head back, she was trapped by his sorrowful gaze. No male had ever affected her like Sorin. He made her want to sacrifice everything to be with him, made her want to cast aside common sense and lie beneath him, moaning in ecstasy.

His gaze grew more heated, sinful. “You want me.” It wasn’t a question. “I can smell it.” He bent and captured her mouth. Rough and wanton, he claimed her with a kiss. His tongue pushed pass her lips, pumping into her mouth with abandon.

Knees going weak, she collapsed against his hard body with a moan.

His hands smoothed up her legs, drawing her dress with them until he cupped her ass. Lifting her against the wall, he pressed between her thighs, raking the hard bulge of his cock along her underwear.

“You make me crazy,” he murmured against her lips. As he trailed kisses along her neck, his teeth raked her skin.

She arched for him and shivered in pleasure. “I need you.”

A growl rumbled in his chest. His strong hands gripped her hips, and he ground his cock against the juncture of her thighs.

She panted as he rocked. The waves of pleasure crashed over her, growing stronger and stronger. Her attraction to Sorin was so much more than physical.

He groaned. “Not yet.” He grasped her jaw between his fingers and stole another scouring kiss. “I don’t want you this way, in here.” Setting her to the ground, he let her dress fall back over her legs. “To my room.” He patted her ass and pushed her toward the doorway.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Okay.”

Heck, Sorin could have suggested the kitchen and Susan would have agreed. She restrained her desire and led the way back to the main corridor.

He hesitated by the sick, who lined the wall on chairs, taking some fresh air. “Let me settle those who wish to return to bed, and I’ll meet you in my room.”

The brush of his fingertips over her cheek scorched her skin. Unable to resist anymore, she took his hands in hers. His calloused skin was a symbol of all his hard work and dedication to his pack. Confident, caring and intelligent all described him. She could wrap those traits around her like a thick blanket. “Where exactly is your room?”

He pointed toward the main entrance. “There will be a set of stairs on your right by the gate. The door at the top leads into my rooms.”

Before parting, he scooped her into his arms, pressing their mouths together. Nothing to melt her underwear off but not chaste either—a soft press of exploring lips with no tongue. When he straightened, he glared at his pack as if daring them to say something.

She could have heard a flea squeak in the silence that fell over the den.

Sorin gave her a gentle push toward the gate. “Go rest. You’ll need it.” Then he winked.

Butterflies took wing in her stomach, and a grin spread across her face. This playful part of Sorin hadn’t surfaced before today. She liked it.

A few females exchanged knowing glances. Even though Sorin spoke softly, they must have heard him. Heat rushed over her cheeks and burned her ears.

Susan hurried her step to place some distance between her and the unwanted attention.

“Who’s tired?” she heard Sorin ask in a too-loud voice.

Was it taboo for their alpha to show interest in a non-shifter? She’d never considered asking. Why would she? She’d thought Sorin was way out of her league. Just as she was starting to feel comfortable something new cropped up to unsettle her ease.

She retreated from the hustle of the pack by the sick room and headed toward the wooden gate. It loomed over her head as she drew closer.

“Susan?”

She twisted and faced Lailanie, who sat on the step leading to Sorin’s apartment. The female patted the stone seat next to her. An inviting smile graced her beautiful face.

Susan eyed the spot and hesitated. Lailanie appeared slight, but she could shift into feral form and tear Susan’s throat without breaking a sweat. Kele had told her not to show fear—it was her worst enemy. Smoothing her dress behind her knees, Susan sat down.

“Sorin seems quite taken by you.”

Susan’s stomach took a nosedive. Lailanie wanted to be the pack’s female alpha. From what Susan had witnessed over the past few days, she’d be a really good one. “I’m just a fascination for him. It should pass in a few days.” Those words stung but she believed them.

“You think our alpha is frivolous with his affection?” Lailanie refused to meet her gaze. She stirred the sand between her feet with a stick, her shoulders bent with exhaustion.

“No, but I assume…” Susan cleared her throat. “We barely know each other.”

“I know him very well. He hasn’t had a lover since he took leadership from his father. He hasn’t even kissed a female publicly until today.” The shifter stabbed the ground with a sharp jab.

Susan jumped. “Oh.” She wanted Sorin’s kiss to mean more than physical attraction but didn’t want it to turn into a death sentence either. Shifter culture differed so much from human. Sorin’s mark protected her from challenges. Eventually, she’d have to stop hiding behind it and fight for what she wanted.

“He watches you when you’re not looking.” Lailanie finally met her gaze. “I smell his desire for you. This isn’t curiosity. He’ll fall in love with you if he hasn’t already.”

Torn between wanting to high five someone and jumping into a suit of armor to deflect any wayward claws, Susan settled for rubbing her sweaty palms on her dress. “Is that so bad?”

The female wrinkled her nose. “It’s terrible. How can you be an alpha female? Who would respect a weak creature? You’re smart but that’s not enough to lead a pack.”

Susan’s eyebrows shot up. “Who says I want to lead? I’m only interested in Sorin.” She met Lailanie’s stare and leaned forward, remembering what little Peder had taught her about shifter dominance games. The harder she fought, the tougher Lailanie would be until one of them surrendered. But she couldn’t back down. The shifter would always try to push her around, and Susan didn’t want to live this way. “I can’t stop the way I feel.”

A low growl was Lailanie’s response.

Susan’s pulse hammered. However, she’d faced soldiers carrying automatic weapons in her lab.

The female shifter snarled and snapped her teeth in Susan’s face. Lailanie made military intimidation look like a kindergarten showdown.

Except the shifter didn’t know something about Susan—she wouldn’t yield when she believed in something strong enough. Hell, she blew up her life’s research so it wouldn’t become a weapon. “Sorin’s mine. Get used to it.” Don’t blink. Keep staring. Shoulders back and chin up. She could do it. If she flinched Lailanie would jump her.

“What about an heir? He’ll need pups. I doubt our species can mix. Will you let him breed with other females or would you rather allow his ancient line to vanish?”

“I just met him. Why would I be thinking about kids?”

“You should.” Leaning forward, quick and sharp, Lailanie invaded Susan’s personal space, coming nose to nose. “Sorin isn’t just some male. He’s an alpha. These traits can’t be separated. If you mate him, you mate the pack. Think about that before lifting your skirt.” She stormed off toward the cave housing the sick.

Susan slumped against the stone steps, a new set of worries tying her guts in knots. Kids? A few minutes ago this was just a roll between the sheets. Nevertheless, Lailanie shed some light on Sorin’s situation. She searched the corridor for a glimpse of him but he wasn’t around.

Celibate since he’d become alpha? She glanced above her at the door to his apartment, chewing her lip. How long? Years? She’d be his first release in awhile. It became difficult to draw breath. Hot damn.

Maybe she could be his mistress? A snort of laughter escaped her. No way. She’d never been good at sharing. The idea of some female touching him set her teeth on edge. If she went to his room—if? When did this become if? She dropped her head in her hands.

What existed between her and Sorin was more than curiosity. Obviously, Sorin didn’t view sex as a sport. He wanted more.

Sorin belonged to her. She wanted it all—his heart, soul and body. Hell, she’d given up her likelihood to go home for a chance with him. What a mess. She’d somehow fallen for a werewolf in a matter of days.

If she stayed she’d end up in his bed, no doubt about it, and she would lose her heart to him forever. God, she’d actually considered being his mistress for a split second. A few more days under his spell, and she’d be doing his laundry too.

Spotting the sun just rising over the gate, she guessed it wasn’t even noon yet. If she hurried she might make it to the Temple before dark. From there she could follow the trail back to the Payami den. She could get Kele to release Peder with her return.

She wouldn’t hurt the Apisi by screwing up their expectations of Sorin. Not after all the work and effort she’d exerted to save them.

Without a second thought, she slipped out of the den through the gate before her doubts grew into fear and rooted her to those steps. She had to be brave.

Lailanie was right. Sorin deserved better than a human stray.

As soon as Sorin escorted one sick pack mate back to bed, the other sick out of bed decided to return. He carried a few and supported others, tucking each under the blankets. By then it was time to pass another dose of penicillin, so he stayed and helped. Nobody mentioned Susan or the kiss, which he took for reserved acceptance. Within the next few days, he was sure he would hear more frank opinions.

He left the cave with a fresh spring in his step, taking the stairs to his room two at a time. Susan should be well rested. He had plans that would require lots of energy.

Inside his apartment, nothing appeared touched. No sign of Susan anywhere, not even her scent. The blankets remained smooth over his pallet. He scratched his chin. Maybe she went to help with making more medicine?

He returned to the den’s main corridor and jogged toward the kitchen. His instincts tingled—something was wrong. He quickened his pace.

Searching the small knots of pack members, he didn’t spot her or catch even the faintest scent. Had she changed her mind? Had he pushed her too fast? His heart stung that she wouldn’t have confided in him.

He halted as soon as he entered the kitchen.

Lailanie stood by the table; her chin dipped to her chest upon his arrival.

His bubble of happiness popped. “Do you know where Susan is?”

She set a bottle of penicillin on a shelf, not making eye contact. “She was sitting on the steps leading to your rooms, last I saw her.”

“She’s not there anymore, and my rooms are empty. I can’t find her.” Pain in his throat made his voice sound strained.

“Maybe she’s bathing.”

“She already bathed today.” His heart drummed at an aching rate. “Lanie, did you hurt her?”

She lifted her chin; tears stained her cheeks. “Not the way you’re thinking.”

“What did you do?” The shout echoed out into the corridor.

Lailanie dropped to the ground on her belly in submission. “I-I explained some facts about the pack to her.” She sobbed. “Things neither of you are considering.”

“What?” He threw his hands out and paced the kitchen.

“An alpha can’t mate out of his race, Sorin.” She still kept her gaze to the ground, but her words struck out.

“Mate? I never even had a chance to know her before you chased her away.” He slammed his fist onto the table, rattling bottles and bowls. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know.” She sobbed between words. “She was sitting by the gate when I left. I didn’t touch her. I swear.”

“The gate…” She wouldn’t.

He hurried outside. The sun showed high over the canyon, past midday. His heartbeat drummed, and it called to his inner beast. Did she leave for his sake? There was only one place she would head toward, and she’d never make it to the Temple before dark.

Out in the wild, a delicate creature like Susan was prey. He raced toward the gate, his people scattering out of his way. How long had she been gone? What if he was too late?

He shifted through his clothes. Leather and wool tore, fluttering to the ground as he hauled off past the gate and into the forest to find his female.

Chapter Twenty-Five

No one noticed Kele as she carried a tray filled with food and drink from the kitchen. Most of the Payami pack had eaten their midday meal and were busy with private endeavors or chores.

Even if someone had seen, she wouldn’t have been questioned. Who would suspect poor little Kele of anything as sly as hiding a handsome omega from another pack in their den?

Her heart skipped along with her hurried steps. She’d never found a chance to bring food to him until now. He must be starved.

She set the tray on the ground by the door and pulled the key from her pocket. So far the guards had kept their word and not told anyone of Peder. Their fear of Ahote helped, and she hoped the extra wine she’d sent over with some of the omega females kept their lips sealed.

“Feeding your pet?” Ahote stepped out of the dark.

The key clattered to the floor. She just about turned inside out at the sound of his voice. “Are you trying to stop my heart?”

He grinned but she didn’t see any amusement in it.

“What are you doing here?”

“Guarding the intruder you’ve invited into our home.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your parents are going to beat the hides off us when they find out.”

“If.”

“When.”

She sighed and retrieved the key. “It’s only until tomorrow.” She unlocked the door. “Go away. I’ll watch Peder.”

“I’m sure you will, but I’m not leaving.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve tangled me in this mess, and if you’re hurt, my hide will be tanned and worn by your father.” He pointed to the door. “Get your pleasure and get out.”

“But”—she shook her head—“I don’t—”

“Please, Kele. He’s a pretty omega. I’m not the smartest male in the den but I’m not the dumbest. Don’t take all night—that’s all I ask.”

Shocked, she grabbed the tray and entered the room then stumbled to a stop.

Peder lay in bed perched on an elbow and blinked his sleepy eyes. The fur cover slipped off his chest and gathered low on his lap.

She swallowed, unable to pull her gaze away from his bare hip. Palpitations assaulted her chest. Viewing nude males after shifting never affected her the way Peder’s small show of flesh did. And all that lovely, sleep-tousled hair. She pictured running her fingers through it and—

“Kele?”

She snapped out of her fantasy. “I brought you food.” Taking measured steps, she made sure not to rush to him like an over-eager pup. The tray settled over his lap and hid temptation.

“Thank you.” He picked at his plate.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers knotted on her lap. “Is it not to your liking? I can find something else.”

“No.” He shoved a big spoonful of stew in his mouth. “It’s very good.” Then he continued fiddling with his spoon. “I’m not used to being served.” He held out his utensil. “Would you like some?”

“I’ve already eaten.”

He nodded and ate with a voracious appetite until the plate was empty.

She should have brought more.

Peder set the tray on the floor. “Thank you, Kele.”

The whispered sound of her name off his lips sent a shiver over her spine. “You’re welcome.” She reached for the tray.

“Will you leave me so soon?”

From her bent position, she met his welcoming gaze as he lay on his side. She let the tray go.

Peder shifted over on the pallet to give her more room. “I’m not used to such comforts.” He ran his hand over the worn fur and leaned into the pile of thin pillows.

She turned away. “This room hasn’t been used in ages. It’ll have to do.” Her parents’ treatment, if they caught him, would be much worse than an old room. He should be grateful.

He chuckled. The easy laugh made her reexamine the omega.

His chin rested on his hand now, his sparkling green eyes full of mirth, not insult. “You have better? These are very fine, Kele. The rugs the Apisi own are all kept in the gathering room, never in private apartments, let alone abandoned ones.” He kept running his fingers through the fur. “It’s so soft. Bear?”

She tilted her head. “Yes.” She knew not all packs were as wealthy as the Payami, and her heart went out to Peder.

“You’re very lucky,” he whispered.

Being privileged, she couldn’t imagine what Peder lacked in his den. These things weren’t even of good quality. Didn’t the Apisi trade with the vampire merchants? She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I could bring you some books in the evening. It should help pass the time. What do you like to read?”

He swallowed visibly, and the mirth vanished from his eyes. “I-I can’t read.” His gaze slid from hers and she mourned its loss. “Sorin’s sire burned what little books we owned when I was a pup. Those who tried to teach us were punished.” He fiddled with the blanket. “Severely.”

“Oh.” Heaviness developed in her chest. She’d heard all sorts of sordid stories about the old alpha. She had hoped most of them were rumors but looking at this broken male, she knew otherwise. “That’s very sad. I’m sorry.” She truly was. Knowledge was the road to enlightenment. It was what separated shifter from animal. “Does Sorin continue this practice?”

Jerking his chin up, Peder shook his head. “No, not at all.” He took her hand in his. “Sorin’s gathered the old ones who remember something of reading to teach the pups, but we still don’t have books. They’re too expensive.”

“You should try to learn as well.” The spot where they touched seemed impossibly hot.

“Me? What use would an omega have with reading?”

She squeezed his hand, hurt that he thought so little of himself. “So much, Peder. Some of our omegas are the best poets and bards. Everyone needs to learn.”

“I would like to learn new songs.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “Maybe I will try to learn. For you.”

The sensation of the soft brush of his lips remained on her skin. A rush of heat swept through her body. Benic’s kiss never produced a quarter of this desire. Her heart pounded so hard she feared Peder would hear it. Caught in his gaze, she couldn’t move. No, she didn’t want to move. What was she supposed to do in return? She tried to remember all those flirtations she’d observed in the gathering room but her mind went blank.

“I make you nervous.” He stroked her hand.

She took a deep breath, and the tense muscles in her shoulders eased. “Yes.” She could barely make her voice work.

He pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist—a shy flicker of his tongue to skin flashed between his teeth. His eyes closed as if savoring her taste.

The fluttering in her chest exploded and she gasped. With each touch, the intensity of her body’s reaction increased.

He drew in a deep breath. “You only carry your pack’s scent. Why don’t you have a mate?”

“I—” She cleared her throat. “No one has asked.”

Closer and closer, he approached until his face was an inch from hers. “Will you spend the night?”

Her body screamed yes but Ahote waited outside. He’d known this would happen. It irked her. Omegas were promiscuous—their role in the pack, to ease tension, made it so. Instinct controlled their society. He sensed her great need and offered to ease it. That was all. She shouldn’t romanticize his actions. She didn’t want to use Peder, especially for her first time being with a male. It wasn’t about sex—it was about being wanted. Being loved. “No.”

The smoldering veil lifted from Peder’s gaze as he sat straighter and blinked.

She smelled his sympathy and it destroyed her. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. The world spun as her soul shriveled. He didn’t want her.

Her thoughts stilled, and she heard her feral instincts for the first time. She wanted to claim what was hers. To kiss him. Then she’d part his sweet lips with hers and caress the chiseled cuts of his muscles.

A secret smile touched his lips, something purely male and terribly sexy. “Maybe another time.” Peder contained a different energy than Ahote and it worked for him. If Kele were a different shifter, she’d crawl under the covers with him without thought of consequences.

“You’ll be returned to your pack soon.” Unfortunately, she was unlike the females Peder had encountered. If he knew she couldn’t shift to feral form, his polite interest might become worse. It would change to pity. Maybe this was why her father didn’t want her to socialize with their few male omegas, to spare her the hurt.

She couldn’t resist brushing her fingers over his smooth cheek. It was just one touch. Something to remember him by since he stirred such strong urges. A tender growl rolled in her chest. A completely feral noise she’d never made before.

He instantly responded with his own, leaning into her hand and closing his eyes.

A thrill of sensation coursed over her limbs. If caressing his face produced such awareness, what would more do? She curled her fingers into a fist and forced it back on her lap.

With a tender push, he nudged his cheek against her shoulder. Full of invitation once more. “Am I doing something wrong?”

Tingles stretched over her skin and grew into such intense pleasure where their bodies met. “Peder.” She scooted away from temptation. Better he remain a fantasy since she’d never be allowed to keep him. “I didn’t come here to take my pleasures from you.” She clasped her hands on her lap. “I do not trust the others to feed you.”

He pulled away from her, his scent a confusing mixture of lust and relief. “Thank you for your kindness, Hunter.” He cast his gaze back to the blankets and wore his submission like Benic wore his chainmail.

“I’m not a hunter.” Or was she? If she could shift, that would be her calling. She knew this. “Refer to me as Kele.”

Someone pounded on the door and Kele’s heart stopped.

“Benic’s arrived,” Ahote shouted through the thick wood. “He’s asking for you. Best get to the gathering room before your father sends a search party.”

She relaxed her clutched hands, taking note of the half-moon circles on her flesh where her nails had rested. “I’ll return later to gather the tray.” As she reached the door, she hesitated before glancing over her shoulder. “I’m the one who teaches our pups to read.”

His gaze snapped up to meet hers, interest flaring in his eyes.

It made her grin. “I’ll bring my teaching materials with me tonight.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Payami wine soothed Benic’s frayed nerves as he waited in the pack gathering room with their alpha. He hadn’t spotted Kele since arriving. He had important tests to run on the human and needed to convince the pretty shifter to help him retrieve her. If his hypothesis proved right, it would change everything.

Inali kept their glasses full. The drink washed away the travel dust caught in Benic’s throat. He’d ridden hard this morning once he’d seen the test results.

Clicking his fingernails on the table top, he watched the entrance. He’d requested Kele as soon as he arrived. What kept her? He ground his teeth. Maybe he should go find her instead. “Where is your daughter?” Benic swirled the red wine in his cup and admired the way the thick liquid clung to the sides.

Inali leaned forward. “Kele’s aware you’re waiting for her.” The alpha set his hand over Benic’s cup to still its motion. “Is there something I should know?”

Benic scratched his cheek. “About?” Kele had not told her parents about Susan. Smart female.

“About you and my only offspring.” Inali released Benic’s cup but not his gaze. “I may be mated but I still remember how a male’s mind works around a pretty female.”

“Hmm…no doubt.” The vampire sipped his drink, struggling not to down the whole cup. “Do you wish to warn me from your daughter? I don’t see any prospective mates in your den for such a special person.”

Inali clenched his fist. “Take care.”

Propping his chin on his palm, Benic observed his host. “I always do, but do try to remember who you threaten. Biting the hand that supports you will only lead to a fall.” The alpha needed the reminder every once in a while. His pack lived in a forest that occupied a very, very small piece of land in the vast Vampire Nation.

Kele slipped into the room, closely followed by Ahote. She spun around and poked the huge shifter male in the chest as she spoke to him.

Benic couldn’t hear the exchange but neither appeared happy. Good. He didn’t like that hunter always guarding Kele. Couldn’t Inali choose someone mated to watch his daughter?

An omega female filled his cup again. He relaxed into the cushions, enjoying Kele’s attempt at dominance from across the room. No one gave them any attention. Arguments were common; however these two didn’t fight in public often. Not that he’d ever seen.

Ahote bared his teeth as he spoke to Kele before stalking out of the room.

The vampire didn’t need to hear the words to know they were sharp.

She stared daggers at his back until Ahote was out of sight. Her pale hair spilled down her back.

Benic ran his finger around the lip on his cup as he watched her cross the room. He couldn’t recall ever seeing her appear so alive.

Perching on a cushion at the end of Inali’s sitting area, Kele kept her gaze turned toward the activity in the busy pack room, avoiding Benic’s stare.

“Are you well, daughter?”

“Yes.” She seemed short of breath. A rosy flush graced her cheeks.

Benic edged closer. Had she run here? He gave her a small, delighted smile and poured her some wine. Was she that anxious to see him again? “Here.” The racing beat of her heart was music to his ears.

She sipped and finally met his gaze.

Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, “I missed you.”

Her eyes widened as she raised her fingertips to her lips as if remembering their kiss. Good.

An odd sensation bubbled in his chest. He wanted to rest his arm over her shoulders. Publicly claim her in front of her pompous father. First he needed the human, then he could resume his pursuit of Kele. He had many things to teach the young shifter and not all of it carnal in nature. “Have you found your human pet?” He kept the question quiet.

“Not yet.” Kele cringed and set her cup aside.

He followed the line of her gaze. Wonderful. Chaska had lumbered in, the light of Inali’s life and Benic’s personal bane. Someday the opportunity would arise to rid himself of that beast. Time was on his side, after all.

He ran his fingers over Kele’s hand.

She snapped her head toward him and met his eyes with a frantic gaze.

He winked. Taking her to his bed would satisfy him on so many levels.

“Vampire.” The bitch plopped onto the cushion between him and the alpha. She pressed against her mate. “Sweetie.” And she allowed Inali to nuzzle her neck.

“I’m going to be sick.” Kele rose.

Chaska’s attention latched onto her daughter. “Where are you going? I haven’t seen you much these last few days.”

Before the two could start another hair-pulling contest, Benic stood next to Kele. “I’ve challenged her to a game of Mancala. Care to place a wager?”

Chaska’s grin faded. “Not with you, weasel.”

Inali choked on his wine. “Forgive my mate, Benic. We’ll let you go to your games.”

Games indeed. The alpha should make the crazed female apologize. It reflected poorly on Inali’s control.

Kele laid a hand on his arm and led him to a dark, private table—one reserved for lovers.

“You’ll give everyone something to gossip about, bringing me here.” He eased onto the cushions and lay on his side, patting the one next to him. “Your father has already expressed concern.”

She sat across the table from him.

Disappointed, he hid a wince.

“Let them worry.” She set the game board on the table, tossing the stones in the proper slots. “They insult you on purpose.”

“I know.”

“My father lets her speak her mind to keep you off balance.”

“I’m not dizzy.”

She paused in setting the game and grinned at him. “Good.”

Laughing, he checked his side of the board, counting the stones. Sweet that she cared, but it wasn’t necessary. He’d dealt with more cunning creatures than the Payami alphas. One of those creatures sat across the table from him. “What news do you have on Susan?” He adjusted the stones where Kele accidentally misplaced them. Little cheat.

“Nothing.”

He pressed his lips together and swallowed a hiss. Before leaning across the table, he set his cup carefully on the surface so as not to slosh any wine. “You’re lying.”

“How can you possibly tell?” She batted her eyelashes at him in mockery. “Is there some vampire trait I don’t know about?”

Lowering his gaze, he traced the line of her long neck down along the small curvatures of her breasts. “There are many. Care to learn a few tonight?”

She made a move on the board game but he had noted the hitch in her breath as he spoke. “We’re meeting at the Temple in two days.”

“How did you arrange all this?” He rubbed his chin and watched her concentrate on the game she played. Not the Mancala stone pieces, but the one containing people.

“He sent a messenger.” She blushed.

“Hmm…” Someone who flustered her. “Your guards let him live?” He doubted a female would have the ability to stir Kele.

“We were on Temple lands. Every shifter has the right to be on it.” She crossed her arms and gave him a piercing stare.

He met it, clenching his teeth. She hadn’t denied it was a male. “It’s dangerous to feel that way. Look what happened to your religion.” He should never have left the den. “I’ll return with you to the Temple when it’s time to meet Sorin.” She opened her mouth but Benic halted her words with a gesture. “I’ve brought my own guards this time—that way I’ll be safer traveling those lands without your father’s generous protection.”

“How thoughtful of you, Lord Benic.”

The title smarted. Why the anger? She acted as if he’d broken her toy.

She let her game pieces drop and stood. “Good night and pleasant dreams.”

“I had hoped we could share some of those dreams.” He must have misjudged her reaction earlier.

Pausing, Kele glanced from the exit then back at him. “No, I don’t think that would be practical.”

He rose, took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

Her gaze slid from his.

“Sleep well.” He watched her leave the room as he finished the wine at their table. Something was amiss. He rolled the empty cup between his hands. If he followed and she went to her room, maybe he could seduce his way in. Otherwise, he’d find out what caused her sudden change of heart.

Out in the pack garden, under the starlit sky, he searched for Kele’s presence inside the large den with his mind. Not an easy feat with so many shifters living here but he’d known Kele since birth. Like a light, she drew him in.

He couldn’t read or influence thoughts; however he could sense the living. Each creature had a unique pattern, and with time he could distinguish it from the rest.

Kele was not in her room.

Sighing heavily, he struck out in the direction of her presence. Guess there wouldn’t be a seduction tonight. If he found her with Ahote, there would be blood. Anyone but him.

The trail led him farther from the populated areas toward the abandoned parts of the den. Quiet, he stuck to the shadows. Melding with the dark was second nature. Shifters hunted as packs, vampires by stealth.

Ahote stood guard by a door in an abandoned section of the den. He leaned against the wall, cracking his jaw with a wide yawn.

Perfect. Sleepy shifters were easier to ping than alert ones. He didn’t do this often. The ping was a mental blast that caused confusion, which could be used in hunting and stunning prey. He didn’t need to hunt much anymore. His meals came to him willingly.

He pursed his lips. The assault could be taken badly by the alphas yet his latest toy was being sneaky. He had to know why. Approaching Ahote, he sent the ping as their gazes met.

The shifter grasped his head and crumpled.

Benic stepped past him, opened the door and entered. Curiosity betrayed him. He should have stayed in the gathering room drinking wine.

Kele sat on the edge of a bed.

A very pretty, naked shifter male sat next to her, his blanket barely covering his lap.

They were flipping through a book written for pups.

Betrayal seemed the theme of his evening. Benic barked out a sharp laugh. “Is there room for one more?” He leaned on the doorframe, glaring at the couple.

“Benic!” Kele blushed to the tips of her ears, the reaction not as endearing as before.

The young male bowed low, gaze pointed to the ground. An omega? She cast him aside for a submissive? A golden-haired, pretty male, probably with the intelligence of a rock.

“I don’t recognize you.” He tilted his head to get a better look.

“He’s Apisi.” She sighed and almost deflated. “I took him hostage and plan to trade him for Susan.”

A high energy shock hit him. “Your parents don’t know about him?” Oh, how Kele rose in his esteem. He couldn’t have come up with a better plan.

She straightened and opened her mouth only to shake her head.

He clapped and grinned. Deceived by his curiosity and his love interest, but not by fate.

“What do you want, Benic?” Kele’s voice hardened as he laughed more.

“Many, many things but let’s start with my going to the Temple for the exchange. Do you have any wine in here?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

After two hours of hiking, the mountains still soared ahead of Susan and did not appear any closer. When she had ridden Sorin to the Apisi den, it hadn’t seemed to take that long from the Temple.

Had she taken the wrong path? She walked along the river. There should have been a turnoff, one going to the den, the other to the mountain, yet she couldn’t find either. The trails didn’t have any visible signs she could follow. They probably were marked by scent. Everything in shifter life revolved around their noses.

She kicked a rock. It bounced off a tree trunk then plopped in the river. Sunlight no longer sparkled over the surface. Pursing her lips, she eyed the dark clouds in the sky. They hadn’t been there when she left the den.

Cold tentacles of fear crept up her spine. Glancing around, she couldn’t spot any shelter to hide under. She was lost in the woods with a storm approaching. Maybe Sorin would send someone from the pack to look for her. What if he came? Her gut clenched. What would she tell him? She had feelings for him and panicked? That might work. Nothing like telling a male she might be falling in love to make him run.

What if nobody came? She shivered, though no breeze stirred the leaves in its wake. From lack of choices, she continued walking.

A great big new world lay ahead of her to explore. The Disney World for scientists. She’d already considered spending the remainder of her life cataloguing Eorthe’s species, experiencing odd traditions, and witnessing new rituals. She sighed. Who would she share this information with? None of these things were new to the inhabitants of this world.

She was the new thing.

And what had happened to all the humans? This tribe had never seen her kind but that shouldn’t mean they didn’t exist. She rubbed her arms to soothe her goose flesh. The vampire, Benic, had never seen a human either and he claimed to be well-traveled. She felt weak in this world, as vulnerable as a babe. Maybe all the other humans had hidden or been eaten?

She could spend the rest of her life pondering their fate. Answers would only be found by asking questions and investigating what had diverged their timelines so drastically.

The clawing fear gripped her tighter. When her ancestors had stepped out of the forest to build cities, thousands of years of evolution didn’t vanish overnight. Instinct still existed, and it told her something watched from beyond the trees. Scanning the forest, she didn’t see anything.

She was in deep shit. Ahote had mentioned traveling the forest in civil form was dangerous. Maybe other monsters roamed the area. Things she’d never heard of.

Sweat trickled along her temple. Run! Her adrenal glands screamed, and finally her brain heard them. The locks on her knees released and she spun around. Pumping her legs, she ran faster than she’d thought possible. The pace would kill her. She headed toward a tree with branches low enough to climb. Her body went from wanting to flee to wanting to hide.

With a leap fueled by panic, she grabbed the first branch and swung her legs up as if Jaws would chomp on them from the thick, leaf-covered ground. Out of breath, she scrambled from branch to branch until they grew too thin to support her.

Nothing moved.

Had she lost her freaking mind? She’d watched way too many horror films. Catching her breath, she stared at the ground, which appeared way too far below. She tried to swallow but her throat went dry. She would have drunk pond water to quench her thirst.

What next, genius? She wouldn’t make it to the Temple any quicker trapped in a tree, jumping at shadows. Resting her head against the trunk, she closed her eyes. She had to get it together. Rain clouds were gathering, and she didn’t want to be stuck outside in a storm by herself.

But she sensed something out there. Her body might class a shifter as a predator. Could it have been Sorin? Her heart sank. Half of her wanted him to rescue her. The other half was horrified by the idea. She’d run away for a reason. She sniffed and wiped a tear away. If she cried for help, it would only confirm how much of a dunderhead she’d become since meeting him.

Future copies of Eorthe dictionaries would contain a picture of her under the definition of pathetic. Parents would show their pups and tell them not to be a Susan.

The bushes below rustled.

All the muscles in her back contracted. Her bones creaked under the tension. She could barely breathe.

Under the tree, a large, feline-like animal crept by. From her angle and poor experience, she guessed it could be a lion or a saber-tooth tiger. Anything was possible on this world, but it definitely wasn’t Sorin.

She clutched the trunk with both arms and tried to become one with it. Silence was key. It might not know where she was hiding.

The animal snorted as if hearing her thoughts and clawed the tree.

“Sorin.” Her voice rose as she cried out. The sound of his name traveled loud and clear in the quiet of the forest. Staring down at the big cat’s hungry face, she screamed again, a pure cavewoman sound. Lions climbed trees, right? She checked.

Yes, they did. “Sorin. Help me.” God, let him be searching for her. She climbed higher, into the branches too thin to support her. Every second branch broke while she scrambled to the top. A piercing howl shattered her ears. She couldn’t protect them with her hands since she clung for her life.

The tree lurched as if something heavy struck it, and she lost her footing. Hanging, she swung back and forth from the branch by one hand.

As if tossed like a bowling ball, the lion rolled across the forest floor.

The ground spun. She had a one-way ticket straight down, and she held her breath.

This would hurt.

Her weight cracked the branch. For a brief second she seemed buoyant, then gravity—the greedy bitch—grabbed hold and yanked her hard toward the forest floor. She struck and broke a branch across her side, which sent her rolling as she fell. Her hair snatched the little twigs and pulled at her roots, slowing her descent by a fraction. What truly helped was the last branch she hit full across her spine. It must have been thick because it didn’t snap. Instead she cracked, losing her breath, and she rolled once more to fall belly-flop style.

She landed on a thick bed of old, sticky leaves. Rolling on her side, she moaned in a terrible way and tried to make her lungs work.

The cat could finish her off now. She doubted she’d feel the pain.

Two different types of growls surrounded her. She blinked to clear her vision. A silver-gray mass approached her. Sorin? A flood of relief helped her breathe once more.

Sorin snarled at the mountain lion. He bared his claws and canines so it could see what it was fighting.

Susan lay limp on the bed of leaves behind him, making horrid noises. He feared they’d be her last. Humans were so delicate in comparison to shifters. Who knew what a fall like that would do to her?

Twisted with worry, he couldn’t keep from glancing at her. If she made noise that meant she could breathe. He kept repeating this in his head as he tried to focus on the animal threat.

It hissed while pacing back and forth.

The lion was off its territory. They usually hunted on the southern range. Prey must be scarce for the predator to wander this close to his den.

He rose on his hind legs, looming over it, and roared his response.

Crouching in submission, it retreated. The branches of the brush whipped back in the lion’s passing.

In a different situation, he would have chased it off his land, but the animal’s footfalls faded in the distance. Kneeling on the ground next to Susan, he ran his hands over her limbs. Everything appeared intact. “Where does it hurt?” His voice shook as he spoke.

She swallowed and coughed. “Everywhere.” She moved as if to sit, and he supported her body with his.

“I feel like I fell out of a tree.” She chuckled.

A tight knot released in his gut. He buried his face in her leaf-tangled hair. That she could laugh was an excellent sign. “We shouldn’t stay here. A storm is brewing.”

She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you came for me.”

Warmth spread through his body at her declaration. He pulled her closer. “Don’t ever leave the den by yourself again.”

Thunder rolled in the distance and he searched the sky, trying to gauge how much time they had. “Come.” He helped her stand. “Ride on my back.” He twisted so she could climb aboard. They were making a habit of this. Next thing he knew, she’d want a saddle.

“Sorry, my knees don’t want to work yet.” She leaned her head on his shoulder.

With his thumb under her chin, he tilted her face toward his. “Are you strong enough to ride?”

“Yeah, I just needed to catch my breath.” As she scaled the fur on his back he could sense her wince with each move.

The wind grew stronger and the scent of rain heavier. He would need to run to beat the storm. After taking a few steps, he stopped. Sharp pain traveled into his skin from Susan pulling his fur in a death grip. “Susan?”

“I can’t ride. My back is too sore to hold on properly.” She slipped off and landed in a puddle on the ground. “Sorry, we’re going to get wet.”

Fat raindrops fell from the sky, landing in scattered patterns. It wouldn’t be long before the torrents started. “There’s a cave not far from here. We’ll shelter there for the night.” He scooped her in his arms before she could protest and trotted. If only he could carry her like this back to the den, but his feral form wasn’t designed for long-distance, bipedal runs.

“I can walk if it’s not too far, you know.”

“Carrying you is quicker.” He glanced at her. “And I like it.”

She sighed a quiet sound, which she couldn’t hide from his keen hearing.

They had much to discuss. First, he’d provide shelter and protection, then he’d find out exactly why she ran. Worry clung to him on their journey to the cave, a familiar emotion since he killed his father and became alpha, yet this time the source of his distress was too unpredictable to figure out. There had been too many misunderstandings between them for him to make assumptions.

He stopped by some old, dry brush left leaning against a hill. Setting Susan on her feet, he steadied her before removing a pile of dead branches to reveal a hidden entrance. “It’s a winter hunting cave. We keep it supplied in case of emergencies or poor weather.”

“I’m fine, Sorin.” She rolled her eyes. “Really, I’m just being a wimp. I can hang—” Thunder crashed overhead and she jumped against him. “Never mind, the cave sounds good.”

He pointed to the ground where she stood. “Stay here.” If she wandered off again, he’d start tying her down. Crouched on all fours, he stuck his head through the small entrance. Just inside was a wooden door well-crafted to fit the narrow tunnel. It kept the vermin from their stores. Crawling, he went through the tunnel and found a lantern. Susan needed light to see.

Delicate fingers threaded through his fur. “Is it okay for me to come in?”

The unexpected touch sent a jolt through his spine. He’d been so focused on lighting the wick he hadn’t heard Susan crawl in. “Don’t you ever do what you’re told?” He held up the lantern so the soft light would chase the shadows away.

She withdrew her hand. “Not unless it makes sense. I didn’t hear any struggling inside, and the rain is worse. I can think for myself.”

The cave was too small for him to stand in feral form. He shifted. “Are you considered an alpha among humans?”

“Sort of. Depends on your definition.” She tracked her gaze over his body.

He’d never been so aware of his nudity so he grabbed a blanket off a pallet by the cave’s wall and wrapped it around his waist. She didn’t need to know how easily she triggered his arousal.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Humans don’t live in packs but I held a leadership role.”

Sorin admired the way Susan held up her chin and met his gaze. However, such an attitude had to be backed up with physical strength within the pack or she’d be beaten on a regular basis. “You’re not living among humans anymore. Unless you’re willing to fight, I suggest you learn to take orders.”

Anger flashed in Susan’s eyes, and she poked him in the chest. “Only when the orders make sense. Everyone expects me to become an omega or a stray but I can’t. It—it kills me to bow in submission to someone I don’t respect.” She shoved him out of her way and crossed to the pallet.

He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent as she brushed past.

“I won’t be crawling onto my belly for anyone again.” She flinched as she plopped herself onto the bedding.

Tilting his head to the side, he crouched in front of her. “Where does it hurt?”

“My lower back.”

He didn’t smell any blood. “Let me look.”

Pressing her lips in a fine line, she glared at him. Silence saturated the empty cave. “I’m wearing a dress.”

“Do you need help taking it off?” He tried not to grin but failed miserably.

“You’re an ass.”

“You left the den.”

“I did it for you.”

He rocked back on his heels. “How is leaving without a word and racing into a forest alone to become a lion’s snack for me?” Females. Maybe he should keep to his original plan and remain unmated.

“I’m not a shifter.” She squirmed on the pallet, her gaze falling to the ground. “And—and things are growing intense between us.”

The air left his chest, the pain sharp and burning. “You don’t want me.”

She jerked her chin up, dragging her eyes to meet his. “No—I mean yes. Oh, dammit, Sorin. Your pack won’t ever accept me. I can never truly be your mate. I probably can’t even give you pups. If I let things become—intimate between us, then I’ll never leave.”

A huge smile split his face, so big it hurt.

“Don’t.” She held up her hand.

“I don’t care that you’re human.”

“Sorin.”

He shrugged, still smiling. “My pack’s opinion doesn’t matter when it comes to my love life.”

She hung her head.

“Why do I need pups when I have a den full of other people’s pups?” He remained still, his legs cramping in their crouched position, but he feared if he moved she’d bolt.

“You mean that, don’t you?”

“I always say what I mean.”

Her breath hitched before throwing herself in his arms. She clung to him. “I feel so alone.”

Her words cut with a dagger’s edge. Tremors wracked her body, and he held her tight. “Not anymore. You have me.”

Pushing away, she wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry I ran. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” She wiped her nose. “The lion changed my mind.”

He laughed, letting his head fall back. She always found a way around his barriers that made him feel things stronger. Too long had he hidden behind duty to shield his lonely heart. He almost forgot who Sorin was until he found her in the Temple.

She cringed in his arms. “Too tight.”

He released his hold. “Let me examine your back.”

She removed the dress over her head, a pretty blush flaming her bare flesh, right to the tips of her erect nipples.

It only made him want her more. “I’ve seen you naked before.” He cleared his throat to rid himself of his rough voice. His words were meant to ease her discomfort but they only increased his.

She offered him a shy smile. “I remember.” Lying on her stomach, she gave him access to her back.

He recalled all too well. So did his aching cock. Tracing his fingers over her spine, he focused on her injuries instead of how soft her flesh felt under his touch. “Tell me if something hurts as I probe.”

He wasn’t a healer but he knew enough about broken bones to make a fair assessment. She didn’t say anything as he pushed with gentle force on her lower backbone, but when he made contact with the muscles she tensed.

“There.”

“The muscles are bruised. Time and loving care will heal it.” He bent, kissing the sore spot, and she shivered. “Are you cold?”

“A little but I’m sure you can warm me.” She rolled onto her side and patted the pallet.

Thunder continued to roll outside, and the wind whistled into the cave.

He wiped his sweaty palms on the blanket around his waist then crawled next to her. Inches away from her, he allowed himself a moment to admire all her lush curves. Tonight, nothing would keep him from having her.

The peaks of her rounded breasts hardened under his scrutiny. It had been so long since he’d made love. He didn’t want to make a mistake and frighten her away again.

Her eyes fluttered closed as he traced her arm with his fingertips. Smooth and creamy, her skin was perfection under his calloused flesh. She leaned toward him, her mouth parted.

They had the whole night to themselves. He licked his lips. No need to hurry. If he took his time maybe he’d remember how to do this right.

Dazed by the pulsing arousal coursing through her body, Susan melted against Sorin as his hand traveled over her body, threading through her hair, and brought his lips to hers. Starting at one corner, he trekked with sweet, slow movements over her mouth. Each sip and gentle suck increased her desperation.

“I won’t break,” she whispered against his mouth. “But if you don’t fuck me soon I’m going to hurt you.”

Flames ignited in his eyes and he rolled on top. He pressed his mouth hard against hers, slipping his tongue between her inviting lips. The kiss was like rough velvet and summer storms. She moved against him, wrapping her legs around his hips, and he groaned.

She smiled slowly, luxuriating in his response. Her best fantasies never contained a man like Sorin desiring her. The hard muscles of his chest flexed as she ran her hands down toward his abs until she gripped that dang blanket around his hips. She tugged.

The coarse material fell away and revealed a hard, ready cock.

“Lie back.” He moved over her body and spread her thighs. “Let me show you how a shifter male should please his mate.”

Susan trembled. His voice was deep, so dark it caressed her senses. Her pussy ached with the need to be touched.

He crawled to the bottom of the pallet, watching her with sinful intent. His large hands gripped her knees as he spread them farther apart.

Breathless, she grasped the pallet, afraid in her bliss she might float away. She wanted him there, wanted to feel him lick her, taste her.

A shifter male. The words sent shivers along her spine. Were they different from human males? She’d never thought to ask. His savage nature hinted at a strong, territorial passion. Susan wanted to know the truth. Sorin stroked an arousal inside her that consumed any denial. She belonged to him. “Sorin?”

He didn’t answer her. His lips came over her pussy with wicked force as he claimed her with an intimate kiss that curled her toes. Pushing past her nether lips, he pumped his tongue with slow, deliberate strokes, teasing her, making her moan in need.

Lost in abandon, she tangled her fingers in his thick, soft mane of hair. She would have been happy to clutch it all night. Her backaches disappeared, replaced with euphoric pleasure rooted from her core.

His hands smoothed up her hips, along her waist until he cupped her breasts. Tracing slow, intricate designs over her nipples, he possessed her body.

She let go of her past, her world and her species. She released all ties to these things to be with him. He possessed her heart.

He suckled her, groaning against her flesh, his tongue lashing at her little bud. Simultaneously, he pinched and tugged at her nipples.

Rockets of astonishing pleasure burst through Susan’s mind. She arched her back—so close, so good. Closing her eyes, she could find release with just the right stroke but he slid lower, his tongue moving between her folds again, tormenting her. “You’re driving me crazy,” she cried out.

Resting his chin on her pubic bone, he gave her a lazy grin that glistened. “Good.”

“I need you.”

He slid a finger inside her. “Not yet.” Kissing along her torso, Sorin traveled toward her mouth. “I’ve dreamed of this,” he whispered against her lips. “Dreamed of your sweet body, of being deep inside of you.”

A fluttery, empty feeling settled in her stomach. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever been told. She grasped his face between her hands and stared into his amber gaze. Wolf eyes. Beautiful. Wild.

She kissed him, surrendering to the joy and elation that rioted in her heart. A sound of naked yearning burst from her chest. She’d never experienced a need as powerful as the need to taste Sorin. To press against his rippling muscles, to lick and bite his skin.

She released his face then nibbled along the smooth skin of his jaw line until she sank her teeth in the thick muscles of his neck.

His hands clenched her shoulders, his fingers massaging her bare flesh. “Yes.”

She moved lower while still under him, flicking an erect male nipple with the tip of her tongue, her pussy clenching at the sharp growl that came from her shifter. Traveling past his rapidly heaving chest, she explored the clenching muscles of his stomach.

He rolled to his side, her name a plea on his lips.

She liked the desperate tone in his voice, and she wanted more.

Licking over his hard, tanned skin, she glanced along his torso and was trapped by his feral gaze. She slowed and sipped around his belly button, then grazed her teeth on its edge.

A tremor ran over his muscles.

Lower and lower, she eased toward the hard cock poking her in the chest. His tip rubbed against her as Sorin rocked his hips. His hungry gaze never left hers. The amber shone with an inner light in the dark cave. Promises of carnal acts, animalistic passion hid behind them.

She ran her tongue over the underside of his shaft with a long, slow stroke.

“Yes.” He ground out the word between clenched teeth.

Suckling the tip of his hard flesh, she struggled to become accustomed to his size. She didn’t have much skill, but she was greedy to learn. She wouldn’t deny Sorin any request and wanted to experience every sexual act with him. Stroking him deeper and deeper, she immersed herself in the sensation of his thick cock sliding in her mouth—this powerful male breathing harshly, desperately, as she sucked on his flesh.

“Oh, Susan, please…” He threaded his fingers in her hair, tightening his grip in her long strands as he pulled and thrust a little deeper in her throat.

She was doing something right. It wasn’t easy to grin with her mouth full. Her tongue caressed his shaft as shallow, strong strokes powered between her lips. She wanted to taste him, hear him cry her name, as his release gripped his body.

The sac between his legs tightened, drawing closer to the base of his cock. She handled his balls with care, enjoying the heaviness in her hand.

His cock throbbed and he stilled, his hands holding her steady as he withdrew from her mouth. “Not this way. Not our first time.” His voice was guttural and harsh. “Susan, you’ll be the death of me.” Slipping his hands under her arms, he lifted her to his mouth and ravaged her with a kiss.

Hard-pressed for breath, she gulped for air when he released her. She writhed under the weight of his body as he rolled on top once more, her hands racing over whatever flesh she could touch.

Staring down at her with sinful voracity, he nudged the tip of his cock against her sensitive entrance. “Now, I make you mine.”

Holy cow, yes, this was what she wanted. She caught her breath at the tight stretch of her tender pussy. He was big. Thick. She whimpered. She couldn’t help it.

Watching her closely, he paused and waited until her muscles relaxed. “It will be fine. We’ll go slow and tell me if it hurts.” He laid a gentle kiss on her lips. Warm and tender, just like his soul. He slid forward another inch and groaned.

That was so good. A mix of pleasure and pain like the synapses in her brain were crossed. Each light thrust increased both. “Sorin?” Her voice shook.

With another thrust, the head of his cock was buried deep inside her, a burning stretch filling her pussy. “You’re so tight.” He exhaled a harsh breath. The muscles in his arms trembled, his body corded with his fight for control. He began with a tender pump of his hips.

She grew wetter with his strokes. The profound bliss built, a blistering heat and desire that had her moaning, her pussy clenching around his cock.

Sorin rode above her. His muscles bulged as if he fought feral instincts. Amber eyes glowing, he glared at her through his silvered hair falling around them in an erotic veil.

Arching her back, Susan took him deeper, moving in time to his thrusts. “Harder. Take me harder.”

He muttered what sounded like a prayer before driving into her at a more demanding pace. He was fighting for breath now, his eyes closed, lips drawn back. “I can’t…”

“Sorin.” Her voice was strained as she sensed her pussy milking his flesh, drawing him deeper. Every sensitive nerve ending in her channel caressed his hard shaft.

“Sorry, I can’t wait.”

Susan barely had time to take a breath before he slammed into her, hard and deep and fast. In and out, in and out. She cried out, an animal-like noise as he stretched her even more, impaling her with his thick, male flesh.

Sorin gripped her thighs. He growled, breathing roughly by her ear. “Feel me.”

“Yes.” She nodded, the blend of pleasure and pain driving her mad.

His cock jerked inside her.

She needed him, needed all of him. She relished the weight of his body, his strength. He was so hard, so hot and firm. She dug her nails into his back.

He growled by her shoulder, his teeth grazing her flesh.

Sensations heaped one on top of the other, ecstasy building in her pussy, striking like lightning into her mind. Raising her hips eagerly, she matched his rhythm. Her nipples slid over the hard muscles of his chest and added to the shocks of pleasure. Closer and closer.

Susan trembled, her thighs grasping Sorin, her body writhing under him. Like an explosion, her orgasm struck. Intense, sharp, all-encompassing—it swept through her body, dragging a long, unarticulated cry from her as she fell apart.

Bliss ripped past her scientific mind, tore her fabric of reality, and sent her on a trip deep inside her primal pleasure centers. She shuddered under the thrusting assault of his cock.

Sorin arched above her, his head flung back as he released an eerie howl. Hot jets of his seed hit her womb. Each hard pulse triggered another set of pleasuring spasms.

She cried out again, trying to catch her breath until the shudders wracking her body grew weaker.

Sorin landed on top of her, supporting his weight with his forearms as he panted. His hands trembled and reached for her face. “Susan?”

Her arms had fallen to the pallet, gravity too strong a force to fight. She smiled at him. “Wow.” She’d gather the pieces of her brain in the morning. For now, one-syllable words would have to do.

Sorin rested his forehead against hers and held her close. “I want you to stay with me.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sorin hadn’t meant to say anything. The intense storm of emotions Susan had stirred wanted to swallow him whole. He needed to find a place to think, to figure out how to convince his pack to accept her. As he moved away, she whispered his name. It sighed over his body, caressing all the raw edges of his confusion.

She pulled at his neck, tugging him down beside her. Drowsy with exertion, she didn’t have much strength, but her arms might as well have been made of stone. Laying her head on his chest, she moved into his embrace.

He didn’t want to pull away. Her warmth spread over him like a thick blanket of refuge. Staring down at the dark hair fanned over his shoulder and spilling onto the blanket, he was grateful for every moment she spent with him.

What was he supposed to do? He’d never slept alone with a female before. When he used to take lovers, before becoming alpha, he’d leave after sex. Had never felt relaxed enough to stay. Susan was different. He pressed his face into her hair. In many ways.

Wrapping his arms around her, it surprised him how comfortable she fit against his body. He closed his eyes, swallowing as he recalled how her pussy clenched around his cock. Goddess, the sex had been powerful. Nothing he’d experienced so far could compare, and he wanted more. He let her sleep, though.

She was such a caring creature. Honest to the point of being blunt and so secretly sensual. She owned him. He didn’t need a collar and chain to follow her.

What if the portal door opened again? He hugged her tight. Would she leave him? If the pack didn’t depend on him for safety, he’d follow her home. He’d become a stray for her. A strange change had started in him the day they met. He accepted her as his mate. The soul-seizing connection between them made it plain, but she wasn’t a shifter. How did humans bond?

His species tended to fall in love fast. Attraction couldn’t be hidden—the scent was too strong. Eventually a shifter found a lover who matched in more than physical attraction, something deeper that kept them together. They’d give each other a permanent mark and allow their scents to seep under the surface. If a couple slept together long enough, they smelled similar.

He’d like that. Never had he considered anything like this with another female. After killing his father in challenge, everything changed. The Apisi had needed his strength to recover from the repeated abuses they’d suffered. All his energy and thoughts had been focused on them. Somewhere along those first months, he shut down his heart.

Susan was the key that had freed it.

Susan languished against Sorin in silence. Short of an emergency, she never wanted to move again. The hard muscle under her cheek cried of strength yet his thick arms held her tenderly, soothing all her fears. She’d never achieved this level of peace.

Sorin hadn’t stirred since resting his chin on her head but she knew he didn’t sleep. She listened to his heart race and sensed the tension in his muscles.

Running away had been a mistake. She’d almost died and never would have known him in such an intimate way. How she wished things could be different though. That she could be a shifter and be his true alpha mate. Or him a human and they could find a way back to Earth.

In Sorin’s alpha way, he expected everyone in the pack to do as he said and accept her differences. The pack might try but time would show her weaknesses. Her ancestors endured such conditions but not to a ripe old age.

Too bad she couldn’t survive on love alone.

Chapter Thirty

Finding eggs for breakfast was the easiest part of Sorin’s morning, picking berries without squishing them the hardest. The pack omegas did the gathering. He’d be picking thorns from his hide for the next few days. Storing the fruit in a bag at his feet, he tried to suck the purple stains from his fingers.

“What’s this? Berry picking? Pussy-whipped so soon?” A familiar male voice spoke from the other side of the bushes, downwind of him.

Sorin growled. He’d been so absorbed in finding food he could have become some predator’s meal. “What are you about, Tor?”

“Looking for you.” The large, brown-furred hunter paced around the bushes. The old male was a good friend. Two younger hunters accompanied him, but they waited far from their conversation. “Lailanie said both you and the human were trapped out in the storm last night. Search parties are covering the valley to find either of you.”

“We’re fine.” Sorin picked up the bag of berries and eggs. “We stayed in one of the hunting caves.”

The male observed Sorin’s naked state and snorted. “Nice bite.” He pointed to his neck. “Is it an official mark or is she just practicing?”

Sorin clapped a hand on the small bruise on his neck and narrowed his gaze on the male. Susan couldn’t help it if she lacked the canines to leave a proper bite. That she tried was enough for him. He bared his teeth at Tor.

The hunter folded his ears back and crouched onto all fours, his gaze on the ground. “So the rumors are true?” His voice didn’t reflect his posture. “You want more than to lay with her?”

“I plan on keeping her. She will carry my mark. Will you or the others give me trouble?” He crossed his arms over his chest. It was difficult to appear intimidating with berries and eggs in his possession.

“I’ve never known you to take to any female so quickly.”

“I know my heart.”

The hunter met his gaze, and his ears came forward. “I’m glad. I was beginning to wonder if you had one.” Stepping forward, the male rubbed his muzzle against Sorin’s shoulder, a sign of submissive affection. “A happy alpha is a happy pack.”

Sorin released a breath he’d held. Tor was the second pack mate to tell him that.

The hunter sat on the ground. “Will you bring her home today?”

“I planned to.” He rubbed his chin. “But we need to be at the Temple by morning. The Payami are holding Peder hostage. I have to go negotiate his release.”

“We should come with you.” Tor gestured to himself and the other two hunters.

“The pack is still too weak. You need to stay and protect the den. We shouldn’t be gone long.”

“There’s no hurry to return.” The male winked, his tongue lolling out the side of his muzzle. “Take some time with your new mate.”

“But the sick—”

“Are doing well. Susan’s medicine is working wonders.” Tor leaned forward. “If I were a young male with a new, pretty mate I’d want some time…alone.”

“Yes.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Sorin chuckled at the unsolicited advice from the old dog. “Alone time would be—nice.”

“I’ll tell the others you’re taking Susan to the Temple and will be back in a few days.” The shifter rose and made his way to the younger ones waiting in the shade. “Better teach her how to bite though.” He shouted over his shoulder.

Sorin planned to. He grinned as he returned to the cave and his sleeping mate.

He crept through the narrow tunnel, relieved to see his small fire still burned. With purple fingers, he cracked the eggs onto the hot frying pan. They popped as they contacted the heat.

Susan stirred on the pallet across from the fire. She stretched, her arms raised over her head, the blanket slipping low on her breasts. The perfect mounds rose as she sighed.

His breath caught in his throat. Tilting his head to the side, he tried to get a better view around the flames, urging the blanket to slip a little more. A half-naked woman could be a hundred times sexier than a fully nude one.

She rolled on to her side, grabbing the blanket as she moved. “Hmm…smells good.”

Smell? He blinked then glanced at their breakfast, flipping the eggs before they overcooked. His thickening cock needed to take a rest so she could eat.

Bed-tangled hair hung from her head, covering her bare shoulders. She rose onto her elbow. “What I wouldn’t do for a cup of coffee right now.”

He quirked an eyebrow but kept his gaze on the pan. He had a list of things she could do for him or to him, but he didn’t know coffee so couldn’t offer the trade. The eggs stuck to the unused pan but he salvaged most. He sat next to her, holding a wooden spoon, and offered her some. “Careful—it’s hot. I couldn’t find bowls.”

“What about you?”

“I already ate.” His traitorous stomach growled at the smell.

She ran her hands over his forearms. “You’re full of scratches.”

“I almost forgot.” He pulled the bag of bounty he’d struggled to collect closer to them. “Berries.”

She looked inside. “I can’t eat all this. We’ll share.”

Share—such an odd word for his heart to quiver over. As pack they shared everything. Yet Susan wasn’t Apisi. Not yet. They sat so close, her alien scent traveled over the egg’s smell. She was so delicate and fragile, yet strong and fierce—a mixture very different from any other female he’d met. She didn’t smell things like shifters did, not his present arousal or anxiety. Communicating with her would be different, if not difficult.

She took the wooden spoon from his hand where he’d stopped mid-air then offered it to him. He took the bite.

They’d done well so far.

It didn’t take long to finish the meal. Neither of them had eaten the evening before so later this afternoon he’d hunt and make them a bigger meal. “I’ve been thinking we could spend the day away from the den.”

“Okay.”

Grinning at her quick reply, he kissed her forehead. “We could take our time and travel toward the Temple.” He worked his way along her brow to her ear with kisses. “Camp out under the stars,” he whispered. “Make love all night again.”

She moaned and leaned into his body. “What about the sick?”

“I met a search party this morning. They said all are recovering well because of you. My pack is self-sufficient—they don’t need me hovering. We’ll be back tomorrow with Peder.”

“Have you thought of what to say to Kele?”

“That I’m not trading you and have taken you as my mate. She’ll need to ask another price.”

She remained silent.

“Do you think the Payami would harm him?” asked Sorin.

“Kele’s mother might.” Susan chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe you should let me do the talking.”

“Don’t worry.” She cared about omegas as much as he did. Truly, she’d been created for him. “Peder is very good with females.” He winked. Most omegas were gifted in social skills. The pack needed them to survive. He couldn’t imagine a bunch of hunters capable of living together without killing one another. Omegas defused the aggressive energy within packs somehow. To him it was like magic.

Peder had better be fine.

“Okay.” She didn’t sound so sure.

“As for the rest of the day…” He pushed her back onto the pallet, tugging the blanket from her luscious body.

She blocked him with her hands. “I stink.”

The heady scent of her arousal filled his nostrils. Bypassing her defenses, he pressed a kiss on her stomach. “You smell like mine.”

“No, I smell like old sex and sweat. It’s making me nauseous, and I can’t feel—sexy like this.” She squirmed away.

Following her off the pallet, he tried to grab her. She belonged in his arms, not running from them, no matter how she smelled.

She squealed and laughed, the sound free and happy. It reflected his heart that had been imprisoned in bad memories for so long. “Let me wash, let me wash.” She danced away, covering her breasts.

He leaped from the floor and snared her. Slipping his hands under hers, he caressed her breasts. The hard nubs pressed against his fingertips, and he traced small circles around them. “I know of a waterfall.”

She moaned and stopped struggling.

“The water is clear and cold. It’s a small hike from here.” He pinched her nipples, delighting in them.

“Sounds wonderful.”

Slithering out of his arms, she grabbed her dress. “Are you going like that?”

He glanced down at his naked body. “You don’t like it?”

“What’s not to like? I don’t want the important bits getting snagged on something.”

He couldn’t help but grin like a fool. As alpha, most people didn’t banter with him. Susan’s quick wit made her even more precious. She gave him spirit and—and fun.

By the Goddess, when was the last time he’d had fun and laughed?

With a hunter’s speed, he captured her again in his arms. He ravaged her mouth, tongue and lips. Tasting, he consumed her delicate flavor as he trapped her against his body.

Using his hair as leverage, she pulled him away. “Waterfall.”

“If you didn’t obsess about washing so much, you wouldn’t have to worry about my bits, and you’d have the whole day to fondle them.”

“Keep this up, and you may need to protect those bits from me.”

He growled. “Promise?” Watching her bathe in the cold waterfall would be a joy though—hard nipples, goose flesh and so many drops to lick. “Let’s go.” He set her down, shifted to feral form and gathered a few supplies.

“You shift so quickly. Does it hurt?”

“No.” He tossed the things in a large pack—blankets, flint, cooking gear. “Can you carry this on your back as you ride me?”

She ran her fingers through the fur on his chest. “Honey, I can do anything while riding you.”

His knees weakened at the image those words inspired.

The trip took an hour of climbing at shifter speed. If Susan had walked the distance it would have taken a day. She’d misjudged the distance and speed to the Temple when Sorin brought her to the Apisi den. She never would have made it on her own.

She dismounted from Sorin’s back and stared at the oasis he’d spoken of. Water trickled from a high cliff thirty feet above in a steady stream and collected in a sandy, oval pool. “You know the best spots, Sorin.” She kicked off her moccasins and dipped her toes.

Cold, but the sun rose overhead and promised to be warm. The light danced on the clear liquid, sparkling in a thousand diamonds. She undressed, tossed the dress on the grass and stepped into the pool.

After Sorin’s thorough exploration of her body last night, she didn’t feel timid. Tingles played over her skin but not from the brush of cool water on her thighs. She glanced over her shoulder at the source.

Sorin stood on the grassy slope watching, his avid attention almost solid enough to caress her skin.

Electric currents of sexual energy charged through her body. No one had ever looked at her quite this way. He made her feel sexy, desirable. With Sorin around, she wanted nothing.

He strolled to the edge, thick muscles moving under his fur, and lounged across the ground. The sun sparkled on his silver fur, giving it an almost metallic sheen. She’d never seen a creature more deadly—or more beautiful.

“Won’t you wash with me?”

“I’ll bathe after. I want to watch.” He shifted back to civil form. After only a few days, the act didn’t faze her anymore. The silver color of his long hair and his amber eyes always remained the same. “I want to look at you.”

Oh, she was in deep shit. She’d fallen so hard for him. She didn’t have any experience with these kinds of emotions. Clutching her stomach, she tried to settle the butterflies rioting inside. Would she be like Lailanie one day? Trapped living in the Apisi den forced to watch as he seduced a different female?

No wonder the female shifter hated her. “Were you and Lailanie—um—”

“No.”

“You didn’t let me finish.”

“You didn’t need to.”

The butterflies in her stomach dispersed and set her heart free. She hadn’t realized the guilt she carried until now. She didn’t want to be known as a male stealer.

His gaze wandered over her body. “No scars anywhere and no calluses on your hands. You’re so smooth and soft, I can barely keep from pouncing on you.” He sighed and plucked at the grass, one strand at a time. “You lived an easy life. I wish I could offer you the same.” He sounded hurt.

It twisted her gut that he thought he had so little to give. She came ashore and knelt in front of him. “I don’t think Eorthe could offer me what I lost.”

He flinched.

She caressed his face until his chin rested in her palm. “I never knew how empty and meaningless my life was until I met you though. You saved me, Sorin. I only existed in my world, but you showed me how to live.”

He turned his face against her palm and placed a kiss on it.

She slipped back into the pool. “Swim with me.” Floating in the center, she observed a couple of cumulus clouds passing across the blue sky. She’d never bothered to look at them on Earth. She’d been too busy meeting deadlines, secreted away in her lab, going over calculations and arguing theories. She should be trying to figure out how to return home. Instead, she rode shifters bareback through the mountains, bathed in hot springs and fell out of trees.

If the portal opened again while at the Temple, she wouldn’t step through. This world with its vicious creatures held Sorin, and he in turn owned her heart. How could she ever live without him?

Waves rippled around her. Sorin swam close, circling. “You have an advantage over me.”

She wanted to laugh. She had nothing on him—he had all the power.

“You know of my world. Tell me about yours.”

Settling her feet onto the sandy bottom, she stopped drifting away from him. “I told you some things. Only humans exist there as far as I know. Our technology is much more advanced. What else?”

“How many lovers have you had?”

Her breakfast rolled over and played dead. “Not many.”

With a grave expression, he swam closer and inhaled. “You’re not lying but I find that hard to believe.”

She opened and closed her mouth trying not to sputter. He wasn’t joking. “I wouldn’t lie about that.” Men chased after women like Lailanie, not super-geeky her.

“Children?”

She shook her head then pinned him with a glare. “Are any of the pups in the den yours?”

“No.”

“Any pups anywhere?”

He grinned. “No. I haven’t taken a lover in years.”

“Why not?” Lailanie had hinted at this when they’d had their heart-to-heart. “I mean—a guy like you shouldn’t have trouble finding one.” She spoke softer.

Raking his hair from his face, he sighed. “It’s complicated.”

The cold water became frigid. “Try me.”

“I explained the other night how the alpha is the heart of the pack. My…father was the alpha. His feral side was more dominant than his civil. This doesn’t happen often, but when it appears we try to put the shifter down before someone gets hurt.” He cleared his throat and stared at the waterfall. “My father hid it well until he grew too strong for anyone to challenge him.”

A chill ran through her limbs. She reached for Sorin and pressed her body to his back. She recalled the night of the burial when he’d mentioned something about abuse.

“There are many terrible rumors about the Apisi—beatings, murder, rape. They were all true while my father was alpha.”

She hugged him tight, unable to imagine a childhood in that kind of environment. What could she say?

“Every time I made a connection with someone he destroyed it. He saw it as a weakness and wanted me to take his place. Eventually, I stopped reaching out. I had to wait.”

She sensed the blood leave her face. “For what?”

“To grow stronger and do what he wanted by becoming alpha.” He twisted in her arms to face her. Any playfulness had disappeared. “I killed him.”

Her fingertips touched her open mouth as she struggled with the what-the-fuck moment. Murdered his father? Granted, that happened on Earth too, but not to anyone she knew, let alone cared about. She understood pack law was very different from human but she couldn’t bury years of her beliefs in just a few days.

Sorin grasped her elbow and kept her from drifting away. “He was hurting them, Susan. I had to protect the pack.” He hung his head. “You don’t understand.”

She straightened her shoulders and gripped his biceps. What would happen to her if they had a disagreement? Would he put her down? “Explain it then.”

The pain in his eyes when their gazes met cut through her doubts. “It’s instinctual for me to protect. I think my father didn’t have this natural instinct as an alpha.” His stare glazed over. “I found Peder early one morning. He was barely thirteen winters old.” He swallowed. “The blood—what my father—I mean…”

“Sorin?”

“It made me so angry. My feral side took control. Alphas take care of the pack, not destroy it. I hunted him down within the den in my feral form, which is against our laws, and attacked.” He shuddered. “No one tried to stop me.”

The ache in her chest grew. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Sorrow choked her voice and made it hoarse.

“Don’t be. I don’t regret it. I showed him mercy and killed him quick. That’s more than he deserved.”

She leaned her head on his resilient shoulder.

“After that I couldn’t take any female in the pack. Even in his death, my father’s shadow followed me. Any poor judgment on my part reminded the pack of him. I couldn’t indulge, not without damaging our fragile bonds.” He caressed her cheek. “No one sees me. They see an alpha, the son of a tyrant, or a savior.”

Closing her eyes, she struggled not to shed tears. “You’ve been as alone as I have.”

“Not anymore.”

Chapter Thirty-One

The pups scattered out the door of the school room a few seconds after Kele dismissed them from studies. She loved teaching but her mind kept wandering back to a golden omega hiding in her den instead of  focusing on the lessons.

No matter how busy she kept herself, she managed to end up at his door. Someone had offered her a tasty dessert last night, and she’d brought it to him. She’d found a book of maps and spent yesterday evening showing him how to understand them.

This morning her father threw out an old kilt. With a few adjustments, Peder would have something better to wear besides his tattered one. She collected her sewing basket—the kilt folded in the bottom—and found the doorway blocked by her female parent. “Mother.”

“Daughter.” She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “What’s in the basket?”

“Some sewing I mean to do.”

Faster than Kele could react, her mother snatched it from her grasp.

Kele tried to grab it but Chaska turned away, obstructing her reach. “Give it back.”

“I thought I saw you take this old kilt. What are you doing with it?” She held the clothing out of Kele’s reach.

“None of your business.” She shoved her mother. “Give it back.”

Chaska’s head knocked on the stone wall. The basket landed on the ground, the contents scattering.

Kele clasped her hands to her mouth. What had she done?

With a shake of her head, her mother leaned heavily against the wall.

“Mother, are you well?” She rushed to her side.

Growling, Chaska grabbed her by the collar and pulled her against her chest. Sharp canines snapped close to Kele’s face. “Mercy? What do I keep trying to teach you, pup?” She shook her until Kele’s eyes rolled with dizziness.

Tossed to the floor, Kele tried to regain her stance. She knew from experience if she didn’t rise to her feet, the kicking would commence. “Attack when my opponent is down.” Struggling with her balance, she stood and faced her mother.

“Exactly. Mercy won’t get you anything but a good bite.” Chaska rubbed the back of her head.

Kele held her burning tears in check. They would only bring on more ridicule. “But I don’t see you as an opponent. We’re supposed to care for each other. You’re my mother.” Her voice went hoarse.

A knot of repressed anger unraveled in her gut. Without another thought, Kele kicked out and side-swiped her mother’s legs from under her. All those years of being taunted and scorned, of shoving aside her emotions for her mother’s sake, ended today.

Chaska rolled toward the exit as soon as she landed on her back. With fluid grace, she rose. “Better.” She crouched low, her legs braced for an attack. “Now, with less passion and more thought.”

“Are you insane?”

Her mother tackled her. The hard floor knocked the breath from her lungs, but Kele was too busy keeping Chaska from biting her to worry about breathing. How were they related? She kneed her mother in the flank, close to the kidney, just like she’d been taught.

A sharp yip rewarded her effort. Without hesitation, Kele punched her mother across the chin, then shoved her off in a combined motion. As she tried to crawl away, Chaska yanked her back to the floor by the hair.

Kele howled.

The first true feral thing she’d ever done.

Chaska released her hair then grabbed her shoulders so they could face each other. A huge smile was plastered to her face. “You came close to shifting!” She hugged Kele to her bosom.

Bones creaked in the embrace, but Kele leaned into it. She blinked at her mother. “I almost did.” She touched her face but it didn’t feel any different.

“You need to set your feral side free, Kele.” Her mother pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Kele’s heart raced. She wanted to sing and dance. She wanted to fight some more. She wanted to race to Peder’s room and tell him what happened.

“What is going on in here?” Her father stuck his head inside the school room, his eyebrows furrowed as he glanced from wife to daughter. “Do I need to call for the healer again?”

Benic followed Inali into the school room where he found Kele and Chaska twisted on the floor. A lump the size of an apple stood on Chaska’s head and Kele’s dress had been torn. “We’re late. Such a pity.” He sighed and met the she-beast’s furious glare.

His gaze traveled to the small glimpse of white flesh peeking through the tear of Kele’s dress. He ached to puncture her tender, young flesh with his teeth.

Chaska grasped the cloth and pulled it together. “Some of the pins from your sewing kit are in my back. Once you pull them free, we will fix this tear.” She assisted her daughter to her feet. “We’re well, Inali. Go feed the vampire. He looks hungry.”

Benic licked his fangs. One day…

The alpha smacked him on the shoulder. “Let’s leave the females to their sewing. I have business to discuss with you.”

“Over a bottle of wine, I hope.”

Inali gave him a wolfish grin. “Of course.”

They strolled through the courtyard of the den. The sun beat down upon their heads from the opening in the mountaintop. Beads of sweat trickled along Benic’s neck. The wine better be from the cooling well.

A leather ball bounced past them followed by a group of dirty, male pups. He shook his head. Shifters bred so easily.

Vampires grew up lonely. He’d never heard of, let alone seen, a group of vampire children playing. The idea was novel yet impossible. So far…

“What’s on your mind, Inali?” He followed the alpha into a shaded area with a set of chairs. The wine waited for them on the table. The alpha was nothing if not generous. Benic sighed as he sat then filled both their cups.

“My daughter.”

Benic slopped a little wine onto the table and grimaced.

“I’m worried about her future.” The alpha sipped his cup, leaning back in the chair.

A group of hunters, in feral form, stalked by on their way out of the den. Ahote wasn’t among them. Benic knew what occupied the hunter’s time—a pretty omega male, who the vampire would like nothing more than to serve to Chaska at dinner time. The whelp couldn’t stop eyeing Kele. The only thing keeping Benic from revealing this little secret was his need for Susan’s return, and Peder was the key.

Benic finished his wine. “That seems like a natural thing for a father to do.” And why did he need to speak with Benic about it?

“I’m not blind. She’s a beautiful female, and you’ve been showing my daughter some interest.”

Benic’s slow pulse paused. He stared at the alpha. They’d already started this discussion. Apparently, Inali needed to finish it.

“Do you wish to marry her? That is what vampires do, marry?”

Benic poured the rest of the wine in his cup, filling it to the brim. “I think this conversation is going to require more.” He swung the empty bottle between his fingers. His tolerance would require the whole cellar to get through the rest of this day.

Inali frowned. “I doubt that.”

Sighing, Benic sipped as he stared at the leaves above his head. “You know I can’t do that, Inali. The council would never approve a vampire-shifter marriage.”

“It would give us too much power.”

“They would kill her.” He faced Inali. “The less attention she draws to herself the better. You know this. Why are we really having this meeting?”

“The alpha of the Urutu pack has made an offer to mate her.”

It took all of Benic’s training to keep from groaning. “That’s nice. She can spend her life with a poor pack on the fringe of the tribe. May as well betroth her to Sorin of the Apisi.”

“It’s not as terrible as that. I can offer the finances the Urutu need to provide Kele with a comfortable life. The alpha is simple but kind. He would worship my daughter.”

“It seems like such a waste.” Benic drained his cup again then toyed with it. “I can only offer a position of consort in my court, Inali. But she’d have influence and my protection.”

“Until she grew old and you lost interest in her, but I did want to hear your counter offer before deciding.” He set his cup on the table and rose.

An empty pit grew where Benic’s heart had stopped. He leaned forward. “You should let her decide.”

“No, I fear she’d choose you out of desperation. She doesn’t know your people as well as I do though.” Inali left.

Wonderful. Benic took Inali’s still-full cup. First the Susan problem, then Peder, now this. How would he get what he wanted?

Chapter Thirty-Two

The rabbits Sorin caught were young. They had enough meat to make a meal for him and Susan.

He and Susan had made camp outside the Temple, their trip over the mountain uneventful. The pot over the fire and the blankets Susan carried were their only gear, the sky their roof and the ground their bed.

She lay on her back, staring at the bright stars through the forest canopy. “That the constellations are the same gives me a small measure of comfort. Technically I’m still home.”

Dropping their dinner by the fire, he stayed in feral form. Easier to protect her this way.

She turned her head toward him and her eyes went wide. She pointed to her mouth. “You have some blood on your—muzzle.”

The firelight tossed red highlights in her hair as she lay on her side, her dress clinging to her hips. He couldn’t wait to slip it off again. He licked his chops. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Her voice grew faint.

“Can you skin the rabbits while I clean up in the stream?” He tossed some wood on the fire. It wouldn’t take long to roast them. He would find some branches to make spits after washing.

“Okay.” She dangled the dagger he handed her between two fingers and stared at their meal as if they were children.

“Susan?”

“Don’t ask me to skin Thumper.” She blinked repeatedly, tears sparkling on her lashes.

Tilting his ears forward, he removed the dagger from her weak grasp. Why was she so upset? “I’ll do it. That’s fine.”

She wiped her eyes. “We don’t normally hunt for our food. We raise animals on farms, and I buy my meat already processed.” Fiddling with the hem of her dress, she kept her gaze averted.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He rubbed his face against her hair.

“It’s going to be hard getting used to living so differently.” She sniffed and held up a large lump in her hand. “I did find six potatoes where you told me to dig.”

He lifted her chin. “See, you’re learning already.” They would have their interesting issues but it could all work out. Now he knew not to ask her to skin animals. He chuckled and took the rabbits from her sight.

“I’ve never eaten rabbit before,” she called out.

Yes, she had. She just hadn’t known rabbit was in the stew she’d eaten a few nights ago. “You’ll love them. I wish I had more spices.” He made quick work of the pair and laid the pelts out to dry. They’d make nice moccasins for a pup.

He shifted to civil form and returned to the fire. “Place the potatoes close to the embers.” He spitted the Thumpers, as Susan called them, with sticks, then set them over the flames.

Color returned to her cheeks, and she set a smile on her face. “I want you to know how much I appreciate your patience.”

The kilt he found in the cave fit his waist and he settled on the blankets, then pulled her into his arms. “I wish I’d seen your world so I can understand what you need.” With a stick, he pushed a young potato closer to the heat.

She glared at him.

“Don’t give me that look. It will take longer to cook if the potatoes are too far from the heat.”

Laughing, she hugged him close. “I doubt you’d have liked my world. There’s very little wilderness where I lived, and the smells probably would have killed you.”

“A little stink wouldn’t defeat me.” Sorin snorted.

Susan couldn’t picture him being happy surrounded by exhaust from cars and the general pollution of the planet. If anything, he’d be miserable in a city. Not that they ever had to worry about such a scenario. DOUG was gone. No machine, no portal.

Or at least there shouldn’t be, but something was forcing those weak gates to flicker open. Maybe a residual effect from the blast? Maybe she’d torn an opening through the dimensional wall?

The warmth from her shifter and the light show from the flames made her eyelids grow heavy. “I doubt anything could defeat you.” She cringed a little inside. Did she really just say that? How besotted of her.

“There’s so much I don’t know about you.” He stroked her hair.

She’d purr if she could. “Hmm? Ask away.”

Twiddling with the ends of a strand, he remained quiet. The pregnant silence grew until he sighed. “How do humans mate?”

Her lethargy vanished. “Would you like another demonstration? I thought we covered the basics last night.”

He laughed, a clear and loud sound. “Not sex. I mean, how do they bond, make a lasting relationship? An exclusive one.”

“Oh.” She joined him in laughing. “They get married. They proclaim their love for each other in front of witnesses. A ceremony of sorts.” Reluctant to leave his arms, she sat up straighter and withdrew so she could gaze into his face. “Do shifters do something similar?”

“No. Once the couple decides to be exclusive their scents mix as they share the same bed on a regular basis.” He stroked her cheek. “It’s quite obvious to everyone else that it’s a mating.”

Susan swallowed. “So when we return—the pack will know we’re sleeping together.” Then Lailanie could gut her. Yay.

“Yes.” His brow wrinkled. “We’ll deal with my pack when the time comes. No one will stops us from being together.”

His pack.

She kept the smile plastered on her face. No matter how much he loved her, she’d always be an outsider. The human. He’d fight her battles, protect and shield her from Eorthe, and she’d die inside a little each time.

His expression softened. “I hurt your feelings again.”

“No.” She shook her head and busied her hands by turning hot potatoes.

“I can smell your lie.” He nuzzled her cheek. “Susan, talk to me.”

She tossed her stick in the fire, and embers floated into the night sky. “That’s not fair. You can smell everything I feel, and I-I’m incompetent.”

“Not everything. Not the important things like love.” His whispered words sent a flood of warmth through her.

She blinked at him through the flickers of firelight.

“You saved lives where I was powerless. That’s not useless. I think you’re too hard on yourself.” He leaned toward her. “I want to mark you. I’ll kill any male who even presumes to sniff around you.”

“You’ve given me one.” She held up her hand where he’d placed his scent.

“That was only temporary and has been washed off.” He scooted closer, their noses almost bumping. “I want them to see how much you mean to me.” He caressed the skin along her neck. “I want to bite you right about here, where everyone can see.”

A lump formed in Susan’s throat. Things had become serious fast. Sorin was the kind of male who went after what he wanted. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. Hell, she didn’t want to deny him. “This makes things more permanent between us?”

“Yes.”

“What happens when you get bored of me and start sniffing at other females?”

He laughed right in her face. “You’d serve my balls for dinner and the pack would relish them. I can’t ever see myself becoming bored.” Sorin’s grin faded. “I would never hurt you purposely. I don’t make half-hearted decisions but…” He undid the bow tying her dress closed. “I can mark you somewhere less obvious—a place only you and I will know about until you’re ready to be more public, my love.”

My love?

She launched her body at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and planted a kiss on his mouth. Her momentum tumbled him back. Could he really be falling in love with her?

The impact made him gasp but he didn’t hesitate in pulling her closer.

Taking her time, she stroked his face, tracing the scars on his cheek, and deepened the kiss. How could she have doubts after all they’d been through? Breaking away, she straddled him and yanked her dress over her head. “I just can’t keep my clothes on when you’re around.”

“That’s a problem I hope we never solve.” He ran his hands from her hips, up over her breasts, and back down again. “You’re so beautiful.”

She tugged at the clasps of his kilt. “What’s the freaking combination number for this thing?” His hard cock pressed between her thighs. She craved him, wanted him inside her body, but on her terms.

The last few days had been a whirlwind of events out of her control. That stopped now. The clasp came undone and she grinned in triumph, then peeled the kilt off his hips.

Sorin lay back, arms out to his sides as she leaned over him.

“I’m going to make you howl,” she whispered.

“You made me howl last night.”

She squirmed at the memory. He really had howled, and she’d loved it. “I’m going to do it again.”

“Have mercy,” he whispered, his voice gone husky and deep. It made something inside her do a backward somersault, sending a hard shiver down her spine.

She leaned in for a kiss; however when he rose to accept it, she bypassed his lush lips. With the tip of her tongue, she traced a path from his ear, along his neck, and paused over his chest. She swirled it around his nipple until he arched his back.

He growled. The masculine sound just made her wetter. “Teasing is a dangerous game to play.”

She bit his nipple, smug with the hiss that escaped between his teeth. “You’re a dangerous male. Is there anything I can do to you that would be considered safe?”

Hunger, intense and hot, was in his gaze. She didn’t need to have shifter senses to know he wanted to make her his meal. Unyielding hands grasped her hips as Sorin rocked his cock against her pussy.

Denying his access, she sat up. “No touchy, touchy.” She shook her finger at him.

He chuckled, dark and insidious. “Will you stop me?”

She weaved her fingers through his and easily pried them from her flesh. She didn’t doubt he allowed her to do this. She didn’t have delusions about her strength. He could take her any way he wanted, when he wanted. She couldn’t stop him. She wouldn’t want to.

With a small struggle, she set his hands by his head, never releasing his gaze. “I’m going to ride you.” She gave him a small peck on the mouth, then licked along his bottom lip, teasing the scar that pulled it into a perpetual frown.

The sensuous ache only deepened as he stared at her. He placed his hands behind his head. “Make me howl then. I dare you.”

She grinned with a silent promise. Reaching between her legs, she grasped his hard cock with a firm grip and stroked. She ran her nipples over his chest as she leaned forward, arched her back slightly and moaned.

His eyes fluttered shut.

“You’re cheating,” she whispered close to his ear. His cock felt so heavy and thick in her hand. She remembered how much he stretched her pussy. The ache, the pleasure. Could she fit him in her throat? He hadn’t let her get that far last night.

She crawled until she sat between his legs, still stroking him as he rocked his hips. Veins bulged around the hard, flushed rod. Pearled fluid beaded on the tip and she licked it.

“Yes.” Sorin reached for her but stopped and returned his hands behind his head with a frustrated snarl.

Slipping his cock inside her mouth, she took her time running her tongue over him, enjoying the sensation. She pressed him deeper and deeper into her throat with each languid thrust.

Sorin’s chest heaved in labored breaths as he made encouraging noises. His cock spasmed. “Please, yes…” Sorin thrust it farther with a gentle hip motion.

The plea was what she wanted to hear. She slipped him out of her mouth and straddled his hips once more.

“You’d best fuck me soon because I’m not waiting much longer.” He bit out his words.

“Patience.” She rubbed her wet pussy along his length and coaxed him to her entry, letting the tip poke in and out.

Sorin arched his back, baring his teeth, sharp canines glistening in the firelight—the feral part of his soul becoming part of his civil form.

Susan didn’t know how she’d ever tame him.

She didn’t really want to.

With a sharp thrust, he pushed inside her, sending a wave of pleasure over her body. “Oh, yes.” Bending forward, she licked the sweat beading on his chest, her true goal coming closer. “You cheated again.” She nipped his nipple.

“Ouch.” He flinched and chuckled.

“Bad wolf.”

He propped his weight on one elbow, leaning up. “I’m going to show you just how bad I can—”

“Shh.” She pressed her finger against his lips at the same time as she let him sink his cock all the way inside her. “Not tonight.”

Gasping for breath, he returned to his back, a promise of retribution sparking in his gaze. She hoped he remembered that pledge.

She pumped her hips, setting an easy rhythm. The control empowered her. Gave her a confidence she’d never experienced in the bedroom. She thrust against him, never breaking his intense gaze.

“Sit higher.” The sinful tenor of his voice coated her like an erotic fantasy. “I want to watch your breasts.”

Her womb clutched at the thought and she did as he asked. Adding a bounce to her motion, she watched his gaze slide lower and hungrier.

A low growl rumbled inside his chest. She sensed it with her hands more than her ears.

“Touch yourself.”

She treaded in new territory. No one had ever wanted to watch before. She ran her hand over her torso. Her over-sensitive skin electrified. She added her other hand, stroking and caressing. Cupping her breasts, she fondled the smooth flesh.

Sorin groaned and thrust with more urgency.

She pinched her nipples, letting the slight pain mingle with the bliss he gave her. It built. Higher and higher. She tugged. Harder and harder. Arching back, she clenched around his thick cock, milking him.

“Oh please…” Sorin grasped her hips and overrode her pace. Driving inside, he thrust hard, guiding her body to ride him deep. He growled and snapped at the air, digging his fingers into her flesh. “Fuck me. Oh yes.”

She let go and rode the power, the passion. She’d driven him wild.

He sat, clutching her, and bit right where her clavicle met her shoulder. A feral growl emitted from his throat while he pushed so deep inside against her womb.

Crying out, she let him support her body as wave upon wave crashed down upon her. Drowning in the ecstasy, she couldn’t surface. Her mind went white with the release. It took her to the brink and dropped her back into her body where Sorin held her, whispering sweet sounds of satisfaction in her ear.

With his head resting back on the blankets and his eyes fluttering closed, he rubbed her thighs. “Oh, my Susan. You can tease me like that anytime.”

She collapsed on his chest, her limbs lifeless. “Not tonight.”

“No.” He laughed. “Not tonight.”

She sighed and breathed. The only two things she could still manage to do. Something sizzled on the fire, and she rolled her head with great effort. “I think dinner is ready.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

The next morning, Susan lay on her back enjoying the warm sunlight. The Temple’s stone walls broke through the forest like fingers poking through the sand above their campsite.

Sorin snored softly in his sleep, his face pressed into the crook of her neck.

Sleeping on the ground hadn’t been as bad as she’d imagined. Not with a hot male to keep her warm and occupied. She ran her fingers over his hair. Conditioner didn’t exist in this world, yet the strands flowed like silk.

He gave her a little lick on the neck. “Good morning.” His voice was rough with sleep.

She rolled on her side to face him. “I’m glad you’re awake. I have so many questions.” She’d been up since dawn thinking about the Temple and shifters.

Stretching, he eyed her. “So early?” He rubbed his face. “Can’t we eat first?”

“No. Who built the Temple?” The two dens she’d visited were both built into naturally formed homes with caves and tunnels. They had stairs and gates but nothing constructed.

“My people.” He rubbed his face. “Why?”

She sat up and took the blankets with her. “If your people built it, then why are there no other structures?”

“Like?”

“Houses, villages—you know, other buildings.” Nothing had changed around the Temple since the day she arrived, yet it seemed like ages had passed.

“We used to travel as packs, following the herds across the land before the vampires came. The Temple was a place of meeting and of worship. We didn’t need buildings.”

Things still nagged at her about the timeline. The shifter history sounded so similar to the Native Americans, so maybe other species would have continued along the same line as Earth? She pulled on her dress and went to the entrance of the Temple.

Sorin followed, tying his kilt around his hips.

“Your people worship a goddess.” She climbed the stairs.

“Used to.”

She spun to face him. “Then who do the vampires worship?”

“A god.”

The bottom of her gut dropped out.

“Some of them wear a cross on a chain.”

She sank onto the steps. Christian vampires? She giggled. Oh, the irony.

Sorin knelt in front of her, peering at her face. “Susan?”

“I’m all right. Just—shocked.”

“From what I’d been told, they tried to convert us but this was way before the war, during the time of illness. The priestess wouldn’t allow their missionaries on tribe lands. Many shifters still left, though, seeking help and salvation. To this day their descendents follow the vampire ways. They even live among them. Fight for them.”

“I’m so sorry this happened.” Ancestor guilt, even a dimension removed, dug deep into her heart. Nothing could change the past. “There’s peace between shifters and vampires now?”

He shrugged. “A tentative one. Our numbers grow but vampire weapons are more advanced. We are at an impasse.”

The cold knowledge of the possible future weighed heavy on her conscience. “They could destroy you.” On Earth, the settlers had tried to annihilate the Natives.

“Their food source? I think not.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” It was true. There were too many variables to take in. So their future would split from that on Earth because the vampires needed a blood source. She rubbed her fingertips where Benic had poked her and taken a blood sample. Over the last few days, she’d been too busy to wonder what he’d done with it. “How advanced are the vampires compared to shifters?”

“Ships that can cross the ocean, weapons that kill from a distance and I’ve heard rumors of a machine that travels on steam.” He scowled. “Do you think they can help you get home?”

“No.” She took his face in her hands. “No.” She repeated with more force. The steam age—she had a few decades to wait before they’d be even close. She glanced at the spot where the portal had dropped her. “I wouldn’t go.”

Sorin turned his face into her palm and kissed it.

She’d found her mate.

“Can I hunt now?” His expression appeared so wistful.

She laughed. “As long as I don’t have to skin it.” After getting to her feet, she strolled toward the abandoned building and entered. She stopped by the vine wall where she’d been entangled when they’d first met. He had petrified her.

Resting his chin on her head, he leaned against her. “Who would have guessed we’d be mated a few days after meeting?”

“Not me.” She’d been so confused and frightened faced with a living werewolf in a magical-like forest.

Sorin spun to face the entrance, dropping his kilt and shifting to feral form all in one smooth motion.

All her muscles froze. “What is it?”

He sniffed the air and crept forward. “Peder is close. His scent is on the wind.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

In all the centuries Benic had lived he’d never understood females of any race. They had a secret culture males couldn’t contrive.

Kele strolled way ahead of him with Ahote next to her. The little seducing mutt, Peder, walked behind them, with his Payami guards on each side, and ahead of him.

Benic brought up the rear with his own escort—two of his finest vampire warriors. Both had behaved impeccably in the den, not gathering unwanted attention and keeping their ears open. His castle guard was comprised of domesticated shifters. These males accompanying him were valued knights, vampire brothers whose blood ran thick with honor and duty to their nation. They understood the mission and swore to give their immortal lives to accomplish it.

Kele glared at the dark shifter in feral form. “Ahote, if you give me one stone of trouble with Sorin, I’ll tell every female in the den you carry a pox.”

Turning his face away from the shifters, Benic hid his grin. He didn’t doubt Kele would do as she threatened. He almost wished Ahote would attack the Apisi alpha just to witness Kele’s follow through.

“As long as Susan is returned, I see no reason to defend my honor.”

Benic rolled his eyes. Shifter ideas of honor varied greatly from vampires’. Sorin stealing Susan from the den while she still wore Ahote’s mark had lessened the hunter’s dominance in the pack.

She nodded, a sharp jerk of her chin. Fearless, determined and delicate—if only she were vampire—or human. Increasing his pace, he reached her side. “Trouble? I thought that was the meaning of your name, Ahote.”

The dark shifter snorted.

A thin spray of snot flew in Benic’s direction. Forced to use his supernatural speed, he sidestepped the slime. Ahote played a dangerous game he didn’t know the rules to. Benic glared at him over Kele’s shoulder. The shifter would learn soon enough.

“Excuse me, vampire lord. I must be coming down with a cold.” Ahote never stopped scanning the Temple forests while giving him a mock bow. Ahote watched as if waiting for a hidden army. “We should have brought more hunters.”

“My father would have noticed. Benic brought his warriors.” She touched Benic’s arm, and her faith in him warmed his slow-beating heart.

Shaking his massive head, Ahote strode ahead of them on all fours. He set a hard pace for the bipedal in their group.

Benic glanced over his shoulders at his knights. They strode as if escorting a walk through the palace gardens—muscles relaxed and eyes unfocused.

The omega kept his gaze to the forest floor, his golden, feral form just as attractive as his civil one. His Payami guards paced next to him, on all fours, watching the forest as well.

Peder.

Benic kept a snarl off his face with some difficulty. He couldn’t really blame Kele’s interest. The slight male was pretty. Under different circumstances, he might have snatched the shifter for an evening or two of his own pleasures. Thank the fates he’d discovered his presence before Kele could overcome her awkwardness around him. She still smelled of virgin.

Benic had awakened desire in Kele. He should be the one to claim it. If he’d stayed after their kiss, his hunger would have forced him to take her harshly. One didn’t take a virgin to bed and eat her for dinner then expect a return visit.

“We exchange Peder for Susan then return straight home. No squabbles.” Kele called out to the thick-headed shifter leading them.

Ahote glanced back at her. “This would be an excellent trap. Not many guards and you as a hostage. I couldn’t think of a better scenario for Sorin.”

Kele gasped. “I hadn’t considered this. Why didn’t you say something before now?”

“What would you have done? Tell Daddy you were hiding an omega in his den and I knew of it?” The dark shifter shook his head slowly in disgust. “No, I’d rather fight an army of Apisi, thank you.”

Benic toyed with the throwing dagger on his belt. The Payami hunter was more astute than Benic had thought. He’d had similar thoughts, hence his knights.

Kele flicked a look his way. “Will you behave?”

“Of course, as long as Susan is returned.”

“What if she wants to remain with the Apisi?”

Benic laughed. “And live among the poor? Besides, could she truly refuse Ahote’s charms?”

Kele stared at the hunter’s back. “She’s not interested in him.”

“I can hear you.” Ahote tapped his ear.

Hiding a smile behind her hand, she winked at Benic.

Benic sighed. Things never went as he wanted. They’d probably have to do this the hard way. “I had hoped Ahote’s animalistic charms would be enough to lure Susan back to the Payami. We should formulate another plan just in case.” He rubbed the back of his left ear, signaling his warriors. His own plans were now going to take effect.

One of his warriors leaned forward. “Maybe this human would like some vampire charisma instead.”

Kele coughed, doing a poor job of hiding her amusement. “Benic terrified her with his.”

The Temple came into view. Tall and imposing, like the gods wanted them to cower. He didn’t frighten that easily. Shade darkened the entrance, making it difficult to see if anyone moved inside.

Sorin, in feral form, leaped from the building and bared his teeth. Shifter etiquette left much to be desired.

Ears flattening to his head, Ahote growled low, yet submitted to the alpha who stood on his hind legs, topping over seven feet tall, silver-furred like his grandfather.

Susan ran down the stairs and stopped close to Sorin. It was obvious even to him that they had coupled.

Sighing once more, Benic shook his head. He caught sight of his guard passing the shifters on each side. So the hard way it would be.

Ahote’s nose twitched. “You’ve mated her.”

Benic rolled his eyes. Great. Did he want to waste time watching the males thump their chests first?

Stepping past the males, Kele approached the human. “Have you been treated well?”

With a huge grin on her face, Susan nodded. “I’m going to remain with the Apisi.” She took Kele’s hand within hers, a very trusting and non-shifter thing to do. “Let Peder go. I wasn’t taken against my will.”

Flinching, Benic braced for Ahote’s attack. The male shifter had been nothing but ornery since Sorin stole Susan. Two Payami guards stood to witness this for the dark shifter. He’d regain his place among the hunters if he returned with a subdued human female in his arms wearing his mark once more. Benic released the breath he’d been holding. Nothing happened.

Ahote remained by Kele.

“Peder?” Sorin spoke.

Kele focused on the omega behind Benic. Her hard glare softened when it met the golden shifter’s.

“She treated me very well and met all my needs, Alpha.” Peder remained between his Payami guards.

A beautiful, rosy blush colored Kele’s cheeks.

Benic ground his teeth, almost chipping a fang. That mongrel had better stick to his lands after this because Benic’s bedroom could use a new fur rug.

Kele chewed on her bottom lip, her gaze never leaving Peder’s. “You were a considerate guest.”

Swallowing a groan of disgust, Benic signaled his warriors with a small gesture. Time to get this over with.

They both strolled from the group in separate directions—one examining the flora, the other the Temple walls. Their movements bored and slow so as not to draw attention.

There were five shifters, not counting Kele, and only three vampires. The odds didn’t favor them but he’d counted on this in his plans.

“Congratulations on your pairing.” Benic nodded to Susan and Sorin as he elbowed past Ahote. “Obtaining an unmated female is a blessing for your pack and a sign of your great prowess, Sorin.”

The alpha’s chest visibly expanded.

“A true feat of male skill to escape the clutches of the Payami hunters with a rare female.” Benic bowed in respect, listening to Ahote’s labored breathing.

“That’s overkill. You make it sound like I’m a prize turkey.” Susan rested her head against Sorin’s upper arm. “We’ve a lot in common and—”

Ahote leaped over Benic, landing dead center on Sorin’s chest. They reeled away in a ball of black and silver fur, claws and teeth seeking to tear flesh.

Knocked away in the process, Susan fell into Benic’s waiting arms. As planned, Kele and the other shifters went after the males. Not to interfere in the challenge, but to play as witnesses. If Ahote actually managed to defeat Sorin, his dominance would rise within his pack. Maybe even become lead hunter.

From a pouch hanging on his belt, Benic pulled out his blowgun and poisoned darts, as did his warriors. The drug would sedate the shifters, not kill. His incubus had shown him a few things over the years, and not all them in bed.

“What’s that?” Susan pointed to the darts, her voice rising.

He quirked an eyebrow. “Let me show you.” He pricked her with one and watched as her eyes rolled back in her head. After she fell to his feet, he armed his weapon and signaled the others to shoot.

He aimed for the fighting males then blew in quick succession. He reloaded and blew until both Ahote and Sorin bore two darts, enough to make them nap for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon.

His warriors shot the others except Kele.

Covering her mouth with her hands, she stifled a scream then spun to face him. Unshed tears shone in her eyes.

Blowing out an exaggerated sigh, he stepped over the human toward his delicate shifter. “Don’t cry. They’re not dead.”

“Traitor.”

“To whom? I’ve pledged nothing to anyone here.” Shifters and their odd code of honor. He shook his head.

“I thought we were friends,” she shouted.

He chuckled. “We are, which is why you’re still awake and they’re not dead.” He’d never seen her so angry—it gave her more appeal.

The manipulating rat. Kele wanted to rip out his black heart and chew it. She knelt next to Peder and petted his soft fur. He still breathed. They all did.

Betrayal burned deeper than she thought possible. Dagger sharp, it buried in her heart. “Why?”

Benic captured her hands in his, drawing her away from Peder. “Return with me. Your father has terrible plans for you. Come, live at the castle. Let me save you.”

The rushing pulse of her blood filled her hearing. “Plans? What do you mean?” Her thoughts were scattered—she couldn’t concentrate.

“He wants to send you off to another pack to be mated.”

She couldn’t breathe. She blinked at Benic then glanced at her pack mates lying at her feet. “Liar.” However, she scented no such thing. The truth hurt too much.

“You’d smell it on me if I were.”

Tears burned a path along her cheeks. She just didn’t want to believe it. Her parents wanted to give her away to some stranger?

He squeezed her hands. “Come with me. I’ll take care of you.”

Taking a deep breath, she puffed her cheeks and let it out slowly. Kele then pried her hands from Benic’s hold. “I don’t trust you.”

“You can in this. Our fates are entwined. You sense this as well.”

Benic had always been part of her life, and she couldn’t imagine a future without him. Even when gray laced her hair, she pictured his young face laughing with her. She’d never lived anywhere but in her den. She never pictured herself leaving either. Could her parents betray her like this? Yes. They worried about her role in the pack once they’d passed into the dirt. Kele needed someone to protect her. Ahote couldn’t do it forever.

She squared her shoulders and faced him. He was right. “I will go with you only if you do no further harm to the others and let them return to their packs.”

Shaking his head, he retreated. “Susan comes with me.” He gestured to one of his warriors. “Carry the human. Be careful—she’s fragile.”

“Benic!” Kele clung to his sleeve. “Don’t do this.”

“She’s a new species. Her blood contains hope for my people. I need to study her.” He shoved Kele away. “Go home.”

She scrunched her fists and stumbled over Peder. Benic would leave her in the forest alone in civil form to defend her unconscious people?

Ahote had been right. Vampires didn’t think like shifters. Their loyalties didn’t run deep. None of them could be trusted. Not even her childhood friend.

With a heavy heart, Kele watched one of the warriors sling Susan over his shoulder. Susan’s arms hung down his back as he strode toward vampire lands.

They didn’t fear her. Why would they? Weak as a pup, she presented no threat to anyone.

Laughter reached her ears.

It burned with the intensity of the sun. Clenching her jaw, she punched her thighs. Hot tears poured freely now, and a sob erupted from her chest.

She failed in everything—her people, her Goddess, Susan. Scowling in their direction, the heat of her anger turned cold and froze her blood, clearing her thoughts. She wiped her futile tears. How dare he think she was insignificant? As a daughter of the Payami, the strongest pack in the tribe, a thousand generations had brought her to this moment.

Failure was not an option.

Standing at the base of the Temple surrounded by the bodies of her people, she appealed to the Goddess. Please, please, don’t let them get away with this. Haven’t we suffered enough?

The wind blew some dead leaves over her feet, and the vampire laughter faded.

Nothing happened.

She glared through narrowed eyes. The vampires were farther along the path. The bastards. All of them. She ran. No plan. No weapons. Her soul raged for the human.

A creature more helpless than she, torn from her world, alone and frightened. Susan deserved better than being experimented on. No one recognized her species but she still had rights as a person. Sorin laid a claim on Susan and she had accepted it. Benic, vampire lord or not, couldn’t break that sacred promise by taking her away.

“Stop!” she shouted.

The warriors kept walking, ignoring her plea, but Benic turned, his gaze sad and hurt. “Go home, Kele.” He wheeled around.

“Stop.” The word rolled up from her stomach and roared out her throat. She panted with the effort and clutched her abdomen. “Give her back. Take me instead.”

A gentle smile graced Benic’s handsome face. The wind blew through his short curls, making them dance on his head. “You’re so beautiful, Kele.” Benic raised his blowgun to his lips.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The bouncing woke Susan. A polka band jammed in her head in time with the movement. She peered through crusty eyes and blinked. What the fuck? Something held her legs as she swung back and forth.

“Easy, I don’t want to drop you.” A vaguely familiar male voice spoke.

She rubbed her eyes and gaped. First, she hung upside down, which explained the pounding headache. Second, she was being carried up a spiraling stone staircase. It would hurt if she fell. A lot. She stopped squirming. “What’s going on? Where’s Sorin?”

They stopped on a landing where he set her down. The world swam but her captor held her steady.

She squinted and her rolling stomach dropped. “Benic?” She glanced over his shoulder, hoping to see more familiar faces. Any other faces. Why was she alone with a vampire? They’d been at the Temple—Kele had just arrived then Ahote freaked and attacked Sorin.

“Better? You look green. Is your stomach queasy?” Benic grabbed her chin in his hand and forced her to meet his gaze. “Your pupils are reacting to the light. The drug should be wearing off by now.”

She needed clarity. “You drugged me?” Her sluggish thoughts seemed a step behind her situation. She recalled him stabbing her with something sharp and rubbed the spot on her arm.

He released her.

She swayed but refused to topple.

One hand opening the thick wooden door, he gestured with the other for her to enter. “Welcome to my laboratory. As I promised, my race has more to offer you than the shifters, and as scientists we will have many things to discuss.”

The world stopped acting like a ship on high seas, and she found her land legs once more. Dazed, she eyed the spiral staircase and sprang. Like a jack rabbit on wobbly knees, she tried to escape.

Sorin’s stories of vampire conquest still fresh in Susan’s mind, she knew Benic wanted more than to show her his lab. God, she’d almost gone with him instead of Sorin. Thank goodness Sorin did the thinking for them instead. She didn’t make it very far. Rounding a corner, she collided with a solid wall of flesh.

Her gaze traveled along the chest made of stone and met Benic’s stern expression. “Damn, you move fast.”

“I move normal. You’re slow. Enough games.” He grasped her upper arm and half dragged her to his lab. Once in the room, he shut the door behind them.

A long table stood in the center of the room, covered with a medieval-looking chemistry set. She paced its length, tracing a finger over the clean, wooden surface. Clear glass vials in all shapes and sizes filled the top. A burner, pipettes and even what appeared to be a microscope lay scattered on the surface.

Without permission, she glimpsed through the microscope’s eyepiece. She saw a red blur and adjusted the knobs. “I can’t see anything clearly.”

“Here.” Benic’s voice by her ear startled her.

She scooted away.

He adjusted it slightly. “I can see fine.” Gesturing to the microscope, he stepped away.

“I still can’t make anything out. The magnification is too weak for my eyes.” She stood straighter. “What am I suppose to see?”

“Your blood sample.” Benic leaned against the wall, his arms crossed lazily over his chest. Dressed in black leathers, he appeared more menacing than the first time they’d met. His curls tumbled over his forehead, hiding one of his eyes.

She licked her lips with a dry tongue. “Where am I? And why did you kidnap me?” She hoped she wouldn’t be on the dinner menu.

“I’ve brought you home to run a few tests. Your blood is very fascinating.”

Hands fluttering to her throat, Susan stepped toward the door. Oh God, he was going to drink her dry. “C-couldn’t you just have asked for another sample without stealing me away?” Sorin must be going nuts looking for her. She gasped, her eyes narrowing. “What happened to the others? You better not have hurt them.”

The vampire’s grin broadened, showing her a little fang. “They’re well and probably still napping on the Temple grounds. Against popular belief, I’m not a murderer. I study life, I don’t destroy it.”

Nausea made her stomach turn again. Would Sorin come for her? The Apisi were not fully recovered, and he didn’t have any backup.

Shit, she was on her own again.

“The last time we spoke, you explained diverging timelines.” Benic crossed the room, blocking her way to the door.

She tilted her head, frowning. “And?”

“It left me with much to think about.” He plucked the hand safeguarding her neck and led her to a table by the only window.

She sat on a cushioned chair he held out for her, not removing her glare from him.

Benic continued to smile as if entertaining a guest instead of a prisoner. He poured two glasses of red wine and offered her one.

“You’ve got to be kidding. You just drugged me. I’m naïve, not stupid.”

Sipping from her cup, Benic raised an eyebrow and offered it to her again. “See? It’s safe. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I wanted to give you a chance to see the world from a non-shifter point of view.” He shrugged. “I doubt you would have come voluntarily or that Sorin would give permission.” Gesturing around the room with his free hand, he pointed at the clutter. “It’s not all caves and beasts and dirt. This world could be more comfortable for you.”

A few days ago, she had jumped on his proposition. “I’m comfortable with the Apisi.” Especially their alpha—she wouldn’t give him up for some cushions.

“Stay a few days, let me conduct my tests, then you can decide.”

She leaned across the table. “You have nothing I want.”

“Very well. In the meantime we can engage in some speculation—maybe you can assist me with a few hypotheses.”

The exposed fangs of his grin gave her no comfort. She fingered the wineglass and gazed out the window at the courtyard. The scene below came out of King Arthur’s court. She rose a little from her seat to see all the people bustling about. Her stomach clenched. There were no castles in her history built on American soil. “Are they all vampires?”

Benic chuckled. “How could I feed so many if they were? We’re not an over-bred people. Most are domesticated shifters that have abandoned the wild for a more refined life. Some are from across the ocean.”

“From Europa?”

He raised an eyebrow, stopping mid-sip.

“Sorin told me some of your history.”

“And how does it compare to yours?”

Susan had to admit that Benic’s lab contained more advanced equipment than she’d suspected. His grasp of timelines and dimensional travel seemed more solid than Sorin’s. Maybe she could find some of the answers to her question here. “Eorthe appears to be following similar event patterns but your dimension is behind by a few centuries. It’s almost like something made time stall.” She snorted. “And you have the whole monster thing.”

“Remember, in this dimension, you are the monster. Could you have traveled in time?”

“No, not possible. A gateway through dimensions is like a bridge or fold that crosses over but only in a direct path. Not forward or back. Something must have happened to either retard the progress here or accelerate our progress on Earth.”

Benic clicked his fingernails on the rim of his glass while staring out the window. “Your blood lacks a virus that everyone else in this dimension carries.”

She sat bolt upright. “You know about viruses?” They were very small in comparison to bacteria and needed powerful microscopes to detect them. Or, possibly, vampire eyesight with a regular microscope.

“Yes. I discovered them about one hundred years ago.”

“You discovered them?” She’d been underestimating this culture and Benic. “And I don’t have this specific disease. That doesn’t seem too odd. I am from a different world.” She leaned her elbows on the table.

“Our worlds are similar. Why is it absent from you and no one else I’ve studied? We’re speaking of hundreds of thousands of test subjects from different species.”

“What does this have to do with our timelines?”

“Exactly.” Benic pointed at her, excitement flashing in his expression.

“I’m not following you.”

“You mentioned that something big had to have happened to have no humans here and only humans on Earth. It left me thinking.” He gestured to his lab. “And studying your blood gave me an idea. A virus made the difference.”

She chewed her bottom lip while staring at the vampire, but not really seeing him. Was it possible? His theory was the best thing she had at the moment. “I’m listening, go on.”

“Something happened six hundred years ago.” He spoke quietly. “A plague. There’s no written record of it, but spoken history lasts long among immortal vampires. We’ve found old ruins of cities in Europa and in the Middle East but no evidence of who built them.” He shook his head. “It’s like another civilization existed here then vanished overnight.” He fell silent and stared at her with an expectant expression.

She scratched her chin. People lived here before the monsters. Her eyes grew wide as she gasped.

Benic nodded and finished his wine.

“Humans?”

“Very possibly What leads me to this idea were your charming myths about humans being bitten—”

“And turning into—vampires or werewolves…” She slapped her hands on the table.

“Yes, that’s what I’m thinking. A great disease fell upon this world. Few know of it but we vampires call it the Black Plague. From the bones we’ve found, buried in mass graves, we speculate that many, many died.”

Susan grabbed her wine glass and drained it. Wiping her hand across her lips, she focused on what Benic hinted at. Had a virus wiped out the human population? Then where had all these species of creatures—people—evolved from. She rubbed her temples. “Get to the point, Benic.”

“You don’t have the virus because the disease never existed on your world. It’s a bloodborne pathogen transmitted via mother to child, which is why everyone has it here.”

She slapped her forehead. “You think the virus changed the humans into other species.”

“Yes, some of them. It seems most died. You, my dear, are a blank slate waiting to contract the virus and change.”

The world dropped out from under her and spun. She couldn’t catch her breath for a moment and clutched the table for balance. “You think I’m going to catch the virus?” Oh shit, she’d had unprotected sex with Sorin.

“I know you will.” His secret smile made her queasy.

The empty wine glass next to her hand caught her attention.

“My blood was mixed into the wine. It should be enough to trigger a reaction if my hypothesis is correct.”

She jumped to her feet and pitched the glass at him. “I’m not a fucking lab rat. You said most of those people who originally went through the change died from the virus.” Her voice cracked with strain. “You’ve killed me.” She pointed to the window. “Sorin is out there and he loves me. Don’t think this is over so easily.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Somebody retched next to Sorin. He rolled on his side, blinking away his blurred vision.

Ahote, in feral form, dry heaved. The contents of his stomach were already on the forest floor. His back muscles bunched with another wave. The hunter wasn’t much of a threat at the moment.

Sorin scratched his head and glanced at his surroundings. Did the oversized pup knock him out? His head didn’t hurt, only felt groggy, like he drank too much the night before. “What happened?”

Peder popped up out of the underbrush in his civil form. He blinked, his eyes wide as he stared with a dazed look. “The vampires.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “They attacked us.”

Shock kicked him low and hard. Sorin sprang, using his feral strength, and landed on his paws. Claws dug into the moist soil as he scanned the area. “Susan!”

Her name echoed among the towering trees. No one answered him. His heart beat so fast it skipped. “Susan?” He shoved ferns aside, praying to glimpse her sleeping form among the plants.

Ahote finally straightened. He rolled something tiny between his claws. “Some kind of small arrow.” He glanced at Sorin. “Poisoned?”

A growl built in his chest. Raw and jagged, it vibrated, cutting up his insides. They’d taken her. That creature had taken his Susan.

“Kele?” Peder climbed the steps to the Temple and returned immediately, shaking his head. “Why would they take them?” His soft voice sounded loud in the hush that fell among them.

Ahote gestured to his pack mates, the hunters who had accompanied them, and tossed the dart aside. “Doesn’t matter. They have the females.” He turned to the groggy Payami males. “Report back to the alpha what has transpired here, especially Benic’s traitorous actions.”

The males took off without comment. Sorin didn’t envy their duty. Kele was Inali’s only child.

Ahote stomped past Sorin, knocking against his shoulder.

Primal instinct took over, flashing through his thoughts. Sorin grabbed Ahote’s arm. “Where are you going?”

“To the castle. That’s where Benic would take them. I can’t return to my den without Kele.” He glared, challenging Sorin’s dominance.

He didn’t have time for this nonsense. Turning on each other wouldn’t rescue Susan any quicker. The vampires knew how to divide shifters, and Benic had done an excellent job with him and Ahote. Sorin shoved his claws into the other shifter’s flesh, drawing blood. “Brother, I’m not the one who stole her away.”

The Payami hunter’s eyes flashed before he stepped into Sorin’s personal space, butting chests. The odor of his breath coated Sorin’s tongue. “Yes, you are.” Ahote punctuated each word with a thrust of his shoulders. “And I’m not your brother, dog.”

They weren’t speaking about the same female. Technically, Sorin had stolen Susan from the Payami while she wore Ahote’s mark. “If she was so important, then you shouldn’t have failed in your job to protect her. Susan gave herself freely to me.” With a move his father taught him, Sorin tossed the other hunter on the ground, his teeth around his throat the moment he landed. Sorin might not be Ahote’s alpha but he needed to understand Sorin deserved the title. The Apisi had a terrible reputation because of his father but Sorin had earned the position. He shook Ahote by the throat until he went limp in submission.

The dark shifter took a shaky breath.

Sorin dropped him onto the ground and pinned his chest with his hand. “Don’t forget this.” By the setting sun, they’d been asleep for hours. Storming the castle was suicidal. Yet what choice did he have?

The Apisi were weak, still recovering from illness. Sorin couldn’t remove the healthy hunters guarding them for his selfish desires. Also, his territory lay in the opposite direction from the castle. He didn’t have the time to return to the den and come back.

With aching lungs, he took a deep breath. Who knew what the vampire was doing to his newfound love? Glancing at Peder, he couldn’t ask such a sacrifice from the smaller omega either. “Peder, I need you to return to the den with a message.”

The young shifter changed into his feral form and approached him on his stomach. “Don’t send me away. You need help.”

Pride swelled in Sorin’s chest. He cleared his throat. His omega would risk life and limb for his happiness…

Ahote pushed Sorin off his chest. “Let him come. We don’t have time to waste.

The metal bracelet around Kele’s wrist chafed her skin. A thick chain linked it to one of the solid wooden posts of the bed. She yanked at the restraint again. It didn’t even creak. The metal was vampire-made, which meant shifter-proof, and definitely Kele-proof.

Short of breath, she paced at the limit of the chain’s length, searching for something to break the lock. She tried not to look at the other empty chains on each bedpost. No matter how much she tried to ignore them, her gaze would return.

Benic restrained people to his bed? Queasy, she pressed her hands to her stomach. Things could have been worse. She could have awoken restrained by all four limbs but Benic never struck her as the kind who would take a female against her will. Yet here she was, chained to a bed after being drugged.

Her parents lacked the resources to attack the castle. Would Benic bargain with them for her release? According to him, they wanted to mate her to some stranger and send her away.

She flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. No one would rescue her. She needed to make an escape plan and include Susan in it.

Resting her arms on her forehead, she squeezed her eyes shut. She’d been such a fool. She’d watched Benic manipulate her parents for years. A simple statement at the right time or a minute change in expression. He used those same tricks on her so she’d allow him on her journey to the Temple.

With a small growl, she grabbed the chain and gave it a good yank again. She’d thought herself so smart.

Naïve. That’s what she was. Taking Benic into her confidence, thinking him a friend but he had played her. History should have taught her. Vampires knew how to weave themselves into a shifter’s life and tear them apart. She’d thought Benic was different. Sneaky, but not malicious.

He’d kissed her. Made her think he cared. She would have followed him home if not for Peder. The omega had opened her eyes. Showed her a shifter’s interest was what she truly wanted. She glanced at the bed. Benic would use her.

The bedroom door cracked open.

She jumped to her feet and swallowed her fear. With a snarl that would have made her mother proud, she met a stranger’s wide-eyed gaze.

He kept the door between them. “Benic must still be occupied in the laboratory.” Moving with the combined grace of a predator and a dancer, the stranger entered the room. His gazed traveled from her head to her toes. “I do love it when he brings me a present.” The stranger didn’t smell like shifter or vampire—or human. Step by slow step, he approached, remaining just out of her reach. “Aren’t you a pretty shifter? Do you bite?”

His scent drifted deeper into her muzzle. She leaned toward him. He smelled of cedar and fresh rain. She took a deeper breath and caught a hint of sex in his scent as well. Dark eyes watched her with pretend disinterest. She recognized such a look. Benic used it when he hunted, yet this one was no vampire. “What are you?”

The male sat on the floor. Crossing his long legs, he settled and made a pleasant sound in his throat. It vibrated along her spine. “Straight to what and not who?”

She wanted to stretch out over his lap and let him pet her. Shaking her head, she cleared those urges. Or tried to. Something was clouding her judgment, making her react more on an instinctual level.

He gave her a lazy smile. “I’m an incubus. My name is Inacio.”

Lungs burned and muscles ached as Sorin finally reached the edge of the forest, close to Benic’s castle.

Ahote and Peder followed somewhere behind him. Once he started running, he couldn’t rein in his speed, not with Susan awaiting rescue. He clenched his jaw to silence the snarl wanting exit. Better to keep his thoughts on task and not allow his limited imagination any freedom when thinking of Susan in Benic’s clutches.

Crouching in the thick underbrush, he caught his breath. The stone castle rose on the crest of a hill. Colorful pennants snapped in the wind on the peaks of the three towers. He had never seen a castle, let alone been in one. The thing was huge. Where would Benic hold Susan? A wall surrounded the structure, too high to jump, and soldiers guarded the entrance.

How would two-and-a-half wolf shifters take over this monstrosity? He laid his head on his arms and watched the guards pace the wall back and forth, more like a mechanism than people.

A silent brush of ferns announced Ahote’s arrival. He settled next to Sorin. “You drive a hard pace.” Licking his muzzle, Ahote took in their surroundings and panted. “I lost the omega though.”

“Peder will follow our trail. He has a great talent for tracking.”

The guards were shifters and never missed a beat. Back and forth, back and forth they covered the wall. In some sick way these shifters considered this eyesore a den. “Have you been here before?”

“Yes. My alpha came on occasion for diplomatic visits. You should try it sometime.”

Sorin cuffed his ear. “I bow to no one. A shifter doesn’t need to live in a castle to be domesticated.” Ahote didn’t deserve the brunt of his frustration but he kept poking at Sorin’s wounds.

“Are you calling my alpha a pet?”

Sorin ignored him. The vampires used diplomacy and sweet words like shifters used claws and teeth. Benic’s control over the Payami, the strongest pack in the tribe, galled him.

Sorin had been fighting the world his whole life. First his father, then the demoralization of his pack, now the illness, but he’d won each fight. He wouldn’t lose this one either. The only difference was for once he acted for himself.

“The gate is too well guarded.” Sorin pointed to the entrance at the castle front. Merchants and farmers passed through, each questioned by the guards before entering or leaving.

“Benic is smart. He’ll have warned the guards about us and given our descriptions.”

The bastard knew tactics. “He mocks us by leaving the gate open like an invitation.” Who knew how long he’d been fighting shifters? The vampires had ruled these lands all Sorin’s life yet he knew very little about them.

“We should wait until nightfall to move.” Ahote stared at the walls with as much hatred as Sorin felt.

“I can’t bear what he could be doing to Susan during those hours.” She could be dead by then. He shook his mane and laid his ears flat. “We move after the sun sets.” They had at least an hour to make a plan.

“You really do care about her.” It wasn’t a question. Ahote grasped his shoulder, the tips of his claws resting on the skin. “That’s commendable.”

Guilt stabbed Sorin’s chest. It didn’t last long but it made an appearance. Had this shifter cared for Susan? He glanced at the dark hunter and words escaped him. He nodded then turned his attention back to the castle. He almost wanted to apologize. Almost.

A branch snapped, and a disheveled Peder plopped onto the cool ferns—eyes closed, tongue lolling out. He caught his breath.

“Good, we didn’t lose you.” Sorin patted his shoulder.

“Not yet, Alpha.” He spoke between gasps.

“Tell me about the castle, Ahote.”

He sighed. “What can I say? It stinks of stale offal. The shifters who live within have gone nose blind. People are everywhere. They keep prey animals in pens and some…farm.”

Sorin shuddered. “Any other ways inside?”

“The south gate is just as guarded as this one. I haven’t been here enough to discover any secret ways in or out.”

Scratching his chin, Sorin continued watching the guards pace the wall but the eastern sentries passed at a slower march than the northern. “We’ll have to climb the wall under cover of night, take out the guards and search the castle.” With an army of shifters, they might succeed. He gazed at his exhausted, recently poisoned companions.

They were doomed.

“And how do we escape with the females?” Ahote asked.

“On my magic unicorn.” Sorin pointed at his cock then punched the hunter in the shoulder. “How do I know? We run. My main concern is getting inside. I must have missed the lesson on raiding castles as a pup.”

“I didn’t.” Peder spoke into the thick silence. He crouched low under both their sharp gazes. “I listened to stories the old ones told. Actually, I begged them to re-tell them when I could. About when the vampires first arrived on our lands.”

“And what is your idea?” Sorin prompted his resourceful omega.

“We’ll need a cart, some peasant’s clothes that fit me and a skunk.”

Sorin refused to blink, afraid if he looked away, he’d miss his Peder blooming into a possible hunter.

“Sounds like the making of a nasty joke.” Ahote chuckled.

“We’ll separate and meet back here. Peder, you find the clothes and I’ll get the cart.”

“What? That leaves me with the…“ Ahote’s eyes went wide and he grimaced.

Chapter Thirty–Seven

With a racing heart, Susan clung to her chair, afraid if she let go she’d make a fool of herself by attacking Benic, a vampire ten times stronger and faster.

“Separating you from Sorin is a tragedy I would have avoided but I doubt he would have agreed to sit quietly while I study your reaction to the virus.” Benic leaned against his lab table, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not a cruel person. I have good reason to do this.”

The conniving trickster sounded sincere. Then again, all professional liars did. “Let me go. You’ve infected me already.” She jumped to her feet and ran for the exit.

Benic blocked her way using his supernatural speed once more. “Not yet. You’ll die without my help.”

“You bastard.” Her heart shattered into sharp shards. She’d probably never see Sorin again. “This is wrong. You’ve violated me on a cellular level.” She gazed at her diseased body. “Most people died from the virus. What makes you think I won’t?” A sob choked her last word.

“We’ve made advances since that time. Come…” He supported her by the elbow. “I’ve had my servants make a comfortable bed for you to recover on. No need to—”

She yanked her arm from his grasp.

“—make this unpleasant.”

“How are you so sure I’ll become vampire and not a shifter?”

“As the disease spread worldwide the virus mutated. Different continents begot changes matching the strains. Europa vampires, Aphreka cat shifters, North Amerigo wolf shifters, Rossiya yetis, South Amerigo incubus, Ch’in dragons—”

“Dragons?” She couldn’t sort through the tangle of emotions knotting her thoughts. “Australia?” Her voice sounded faint even to her own ears.

“You must mean Astralaya. Selkies. Merpeople have settled all the oceans.” Benic gave her a small smile. “You’ll have all eternity to explore this world and solve its mysteries as a vampire.”

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “You know about virus mutation?” Medieval housing with more advanced science than she’d assumed. How the hell did they miss inventing electricity? “I—I can’t figure out how you can know about microscopes and genetics…and—and not other things.”

“I don’t know what other things you hint at, but since we’ve existed blood has always held a fascination for my people.”

A thin layer of sweat covered her skin. She wanted to smack herself in the forehead and kick-start her brain. Of course, hematology would be a vampire hobby, dumbass. Shivers ran through her limbs.

“You look pale. Maybe you should lie down.”

“This is happening too fast. I just drank your—your blood.” She fought nausea as her stomach went squishy. “The virus needs time to incubate before I should show symptoms.” Wobbling, she grasped the edge of the table before she fell on her ass.

“You know much about viruses?” Benic slipped his iron-strong arm around her waist and guided her to the cot by the wall.

“Of course I do.” She took a walk down the green mile as she approached the bed. Her hopes for the future faded with each step. Would she wake as Susan, if at all? A tear slid from the corner of her eye.

“The antibodies you produce will be your salvation.” He laid her against the pillows and wiped her cheeks dry. “No need of these. You received a concentrated dose of the virus in your wine but I will boost your immunity. You will survive.” He brushed loose strands of hair from her face. “You have to.”

She turned away from him, betrayal a bitter comfort. How could the world population change so drastically? From Benic’s legends it sounded as if humans transformed overnight. A latent gene? Maybe the mutation was already present and the virus triggered the cells to regenerate quickly, activating changes.

Presto chango, those who survived the infection awoke non-human.

Cramps assaulted her legs and she curled into a ball. Either way, something of her would die today. “If you’re going to help me, better do it soon.”

“We’ve made great advances in medicine since the plague. Boosting your immunity will increase the chances of your survival.” He frowned and touched her chin. “I’m sorry for the pain. I can’t risk mixing medicines in your system.”

“Bastard.” She rubbed her calves as sweat trickled off her forehead.

Benic grabbed a cloth and wiped it. “I’m prepared to stay with you. I’m not evil, Susan. I wish you’d believe that. I’m desperate.”

“For what?” she shouted. The absurdity of everything shattered her sanity. She’d traveled dimensions to be transformed into a vampire.

He stared at the window and cleared his throat. The sun was setting the sky on fire as it slid behind the horizon. “I am part of an endangered species. Vampires never could breed like the other races. The longer the life span, the more infertile the people. Only one out of ten vampires born is female.”

The cramps grew worse but she could care less as the meaning of what he told her dawned. “I’m for breeding?” She rolled onto her back, ready for the nightmare to end.

“Shh…” Benic wiped her forehead again. “Not like some animal. A wife. A cherished, pampered and worshipped wife.” The cloth traveled down her cheek and under her chin, where his hand guided her face toward his.

“Your wife.” So hell on Eorthe really did exist. She groaned and closed her eyes.

“I’d never force you—”

“But you’d infect me against my will.”

“I couldn’t take the chance you’d say no. It’s too important.” He rose and backed away. “Take another vampire as a mate. As long as you have children…” His voice went hoarse and he turned toward the lab table. “I need to prepare the medicine.”

Benic handled a delicate glass vial where he would mix the concentrated essences of herbs and the adrenal hormones of a rare shark he’d discovered off the tip of South Amerigo. He’d spent a day preparing the ingredients for the immunity-boosting drug so all would be ready for when he brought Susan home.

He had hoped once she comprehended his motives for violating all his ethics, she’d comply. He was a fool and could have handled that better. She’d never agree to be the mother of his children now. The forgotten glass vial in his fist creaked. He was desperate—he’d had no choice. Susan was the first glimpse of hope he’d seen in what felt like ages.

Grinding his teeth, careful not to chip a fang, he set the expensive vessel back on the laboratory table. He grabbed a flask of strong-smelling liquid then measured some into a beaker sitting over an open flame. It had to be sterilized before he could inject Susan.

“A good dose of this should increase your white blood cells as well. Your body will be well-armed to fight the virus enough to survive the infection.”

Susan lay quiet on the cot. Fever raged through her body. Her gaze never left him though, her hatred palpable on his skin. His heart grew heavier and would settle in his feet soon. Too late for regrets; he’d crossed a line he never thought possible and would accept any consequences.

Among vampire society, females were the highest commodity. Not just any male mated. All marriages were arranged, contracted and paid for in full before the bride was even introduced in person. As far as he knew only two females lived in North Amerigo. The Duchess of Paoro and the Princess of New Swanton were guarded twenty-four hours a day.

All the others resided in the old world. Europa was a much safer place for raising a family than the wilds of the west. Benic had petitioned for a wife but his role as a shifter enforcer made him an undesirable candidate.

Once, a very long time ago, a female had answered his request, but her family had intervened and ended the correspondence.

He glanced at Susan. A whole world of humans who could be potential mates existed. He drew up the medicine using a large metallic syringe and needle. That’s if his theory was right. The thick fluid in the syringe needed to cool before he could inject her. “At this rate, the transformation shouldn’t take long.”

“There are so many things that can go wrong. I’m human. What if I react to the medicine?” Even ill, Susan’s mind was still active. She’d be such a great addition to the species.

Wiping her forehead with the cool cloth again, he settled on the edge of the cot. “One problem at a time.”

“Fuck.” She rolled, turning her back to him.

Staring at the wall, he wished he could visit Kele. Wished he could change her to vampire instead of Susan. She probably was awake now and confused. Angry. Yes, she’d be furious. He should visit her and explain. Glancing at Susan’s back, he knew Kele wouldn’t accept his reasoning any more than Susan had.

What was he going to do with the female shifter? He had hoped Kele would come willingly. She had assented but under conditions he couldn’t agree to. Maybe with time she’d learn to love him as Inacio had.

Unlike his people, he did care about the proud wolf shifter race of these new lands. He’d fought against the movement to drive the race into extinction. His people saw the wolf shifters as too wild to tame, unlike the felines. Pack loyalty was the strongest in the world of any shifters. He had proved those vampires wrong. Wolf shifter loyalties could be swayed as those living within his castle and others had proven.

The tribes may hate their reservations but at least they lived.

First, he needed to bring salvation to the vampires. Susan had built one gateway machine. With the right resources, she could build another. Then no male would have to die unmated.

He poured a glass of cool water and rolled Susan over on her back. “Drink. You need it.” He supported her as he brought it to her lips.

She gulped the glass empty.

“More?” He laid her against the pillow. The neck of her dress twisted, exposing her shoulder. “What’s this?” He fingered a fresh wound. “A bite?” The glass he held shattered on the floor. “From what?”

“Not a what, a who.” She stared at the ceiling.

“Sorin?” He hadn’t intended to shout but this wrecked everything. “When?”

She frowned and rubbed the offending mark. “Last night.”

“You let him mark you after a few days? You barely know him. Is this crazy behavior common among humans?” At some point in his rant, he’d started pacing along her cot. Stopping, he ran his hands over his short curls and gave them a good tug. “I can’t believe this.” Why couldn’t the fates sway his way for once? He’d worked so hard for a family and when it was within his grasp something had to go wrong. Always…

Susan covered the mark with her dress and raised a thin eyebrow. “Are you done?”

He tossed himself in a chair and finished the wine bottle with a few long swigs. “He probably infected you with that bite.” He watched her face for comprehension to sink in.

Her eyes widened after a moment as the implications dawned on her. “Oh.” She licked her lips. “I guess we have a new problem.”

He slammed his hand on the table so hard the wine bottle fell and rolled off, breaking on impact with the stone floor. “I should have examined a fresh sample of your blood prior to infecting you. Careless.”

“Would that have stopped you?”

“If you were already infected? Of course, I’m not trying to kill you.” He shook his head and stared at the ceiling, praying for divine intervention from a god he didn’t believe in.

Susan shivered visibly on the cot. Sweat beaded on her exposed skin, and she appeared very flushed.

“Your fever is worse than I expected. You can allow your body to fight both strains of the virus on its own or you can allow me to give you the medicine I’ve prepared.”

“What will happen?”

He shrugged. “After that bite, who knows?”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Under the cover of night, Sorin did his best to remain still. It took all his restraint not to leap to his feet and pace along the forest’s edge. Where were they? The sun had set. He’d borrowed a handcart from a local farm. The hardest part was pulling it through the forest without breaking a wheel. How hard could it be to find clothes and a skunk?

The rustle of leaves announced Peder’s arrival.

Sorin heaved a sigh. “It’s about time. I was wondering if you went back to the den to find clothes.”

Dressed in rough gray cloth, his hair tucked under a cap, Peder appeared much younger and more innocent.

It made Sorin’s heart ache. Life with the Apisi had stolen both of those things from Peder.

“Sorry, I couldn’t find anything that fit. Almost had to steal a dress.” He grinned and the sparkle in Peder’s eyes eased Sorin’s grief.

“You have the legs to pull off a dress.” He grinned back but the muscles in his face creaked with the effort. Rolling his shoulders, he tried to relieve the knots of tension.

A putrid odor oozed among the ferns.

Peder slapped his hands over his nose. “I think Ahote’s close.” He spoke nasally.

Invisible in the dark, the black shifter moved in silence, the parting ferns the only evidence of his passing. He dropped a squirming sack on the ground.

Nausea rose in Sorin’s stomach with the stench and he raised his hand. “That’s close enough.” He glanced at Peder. “Exactly how does smelling this bad help us sneak into the castle?”

“It doesn’t. It deters anyone from wanting to be around us. You need to shift to civil form and roll in the mud.”

Ahote snarled before speaking. “By all that’s sacred, Peder. If this doesn’t work I’ll skin you and wear you on my back in winter.”

Sorin cuffed the hunter on the ear as he stalked by. “Mind your manners. Peder belongs to me. I get his pelt.” He winked at the omega over Ahote’s shoulder.

The small shifter cleared his throat. “Make sure the mud is thick. I’ll meet you by the road with the cart.”

“Mud.” Ahote kicked a fern as he shifted to civil form.

Naked, they followed a trench that led them to a shallow creek. Sorin tossed an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “Stop complaining. We’re here to rescue, not seduce. You can look pretty tomorrow.”

“How can you let an omega lead a hunt?” Ahote grabbed a handful of mud, smelled it and grimaced.

Sorin took a deep breath and held it, counting to ten before letting it out. “You didn’t have a plan and mine would have gotten us all killed. A good alpha listens to his pack.” He shoved Ahote from behind, sending him face first into the mud. A satisfying splatter accompanied his landing. Sorin fought a grin. “Hurry, princess, my mate is waiting for us.”

Sorin jumped in next to the hunter then rolled through the muck, getting a thick layer over his skin. He crawled to his feet and followed Peder’s trail to the road where the omega waited with an angry skunk.

Ahote joined them, wiping his eyes.

“The mud should prevent the skunk’s spray from sticking to your flesh.” Peder bent over the sack. “Turn so it doesn’t land in your eyes.”

Twisting around, Sorin chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from snarling. Should prevent it from sticking? The strong smell of skunk drove shifters into illness. Even the nose-blind domestic ones in the castle would avoid it, but he had to admit Peder’s idea was sounding good.

A warm spray hit the back of his thighs. The stench slammed into his nose, and his mind went blank from the overload. He gagged, and his knees wobbled. An image of Susan shimmering with sweat in the firelight came to his mind. He straightened and swallowed his queasiness. Something knocked into his legs.

Ahote had fallen, head bent to the ground. “Mother Darkness, save me.”

The world’s scents faded, covered by the stink. Sorin shook his head, disoriented. He could only smell skunk. Nose blind. His heart raced as he glanced at Ahote. They’d lost a sense. It made them less effective hunters. They would have to rely on their vision and hearing more. “Peder?”

The skunk scrambled into the underbrush.

“Climb into the cart and act sick if a guard lifts this cover.” He held up a dirty blanket. “Leave the rest to me.”

Pressed close to Ahote in a cart was not how Sorin had planned to spend his evening. “This bites.” He pulled the cover over their bodies. “Can you act?”

The cart jerked forward with a tortured groan of effort from Peder.

“Yes. You?”

“No. Be prepared to spring out of this cart if I fail. We can’t afford to get pinned in here.”

“Just clutch your stomach and wretch over the side of the cart if they come too close.”

The cart jolted, and Ahote’s elbow stabbed Sorin in the kidneys. Pain shot across his side and he wheezed through it. With the slow, rocking motion of the cart rolling over uneven ground and the stink, he didn’t think he’d need to act.

A way too long, intimate moment with Ahote later, he heard the wheels make contact with the wooden bridge to the castle gate. The sound sent a wave of tension through his muscles. He clenched his fists. Attacking would be unwise, attacking would be unwise…

Tossed in the air by a hard bump, he landed hard, knocking his head against the cart’s side. Stars flashed in his vision and he groaned.

“What do you have here, pup?” The rough male voice sounded close.

Sorin held his breath.

“My sire and his litter mate, sir.” Peder’s voice sounded higher than usual. “They’re ill. My mam rushed me to bring them to the castle healer.” The omega acted well. Sorin could hear the tears in his voice.

The guard made a reassuring noise. “The healer’s on the far side of the castle yard by Lord Benic’s tower. Follow this road to the right.”

Fresh air assaulted Sorin’s face as the blanket was lifted. His heartbeat charged and he tensed for an attack.

Groans mixed with curses greeted them. “Cover them,” someone shouted. “What a stink.”

The guard’s gaze met his. “You’ve got a good boy.” He tossed the cover on him before he could answer. He knew Peder’s worth more than the guard. The plan was working.

“You’ve got coin?” the guard asked.

“N-no, but I can work it off.” Peder spoke with a meek voice.

Sorin’s heart silenced. They were so close. Would they refuse them access because of coin? What kind of place was this? Vampire society made no sense.

Something jingled. “Here. Take the coin. Return it to me when your da is better.”

Holding his breath, Sorin waited for the cart to move but they remained still. He clenched his jaw to keep from yelling at Peder to move his hide. What was he doing?

“That’s very kind of you, sir.” Peder sounded genuinely surprised. The cart rolled and swayed again.

Sorin released his breath. Domestication didn’t seem to have destroyed the core of shifter honor. What else was preserved of their culture within these walls? Did they continue to live as pack? Was there an alpha? Maybe they hadn’t deserted the tribes as believed but were forgotten by them.

The sounds changed within the walls, and he struggled not to spring from the cart. It echoed off the buildings in unfamiliar ways, mixed together so he couldn’t tell his direction or the spacing around them. Out in the forest, sound traveled in a more linear way. The effect in combination with being scent blind disoriented him further. What a hero.

The cart jerked to a stop and the cover was removed. Peder stared down at them. “What do I do with the coin?”

Sorin leaped out, racing Ahote over the edge. “I don’t care.” He crouched, searching their vicinity—empty courtyard, stables, no torches casting any light. Good.

“It feels like I stole it.”

Sighing, Sorin resisted the urge to shake his sensitive omega. “We have greater concerns. You can donate it to a cause later if you wish.”

He nodded and stuck the coin in his pocket. “There’s water to wash with.” He pointed to a full trough with a hand pump next to it.

Ahote lay in the trough and scrubbed while Sorin pumped water over his body, letting the mud slide off in clumps. The noxious smell helped them past the guards but they didn’t want to attract attention once inside. Most of the skunk washed away. Sorin shook the excess water off and reassessed the area. A stone tower rose above them. The guard had called it Lord Benic’s tower. “We’ll start the search in there.”

Ahote stepped next to him and shook dry. “Where’s Peder?”

Spinning around, Sorin searched for the omega. The cart lay empty with no omega next to it. “Bugger.”

Peder returned in silence with blankets from around the corner of the stable. He handed them over. “I didn’t see anyone in feral form as I crossed the village. I think you’ll stand out naked.”

“We’ll need clothes then.”

A female giggled close by.

The three of them melted into the shadows surrounding the stable.

She strolled into the courtyard with a guard on each arm. They entered the stables.

Sorin scratched his chin. “Peder, you’ll get a chance to wear a dress after all.”

Inacio watched Kele with hooded eyes. The lazy interest didn’t fool her. Her father played games like this. If the incubus’s curiosity wasn’t stirred by her presence, he wouldn’t be sitting on a cushioned chair across from the bed where she’d been chained.

His dark hair curled slightly around his ears, inviting her to run her fingers through the strands. Warm brown eyes softened by thick lashes regarded her. She didn’t enjoy the lust he invoked. The desire seemed stirred by his scent rather than from her heart.

“I’ve never seen a shifter with pale hair. Your people are more like mine, bold in coloring and passionate.” He leaned his head on his hand.

“Not many are born so blonde.” She ran a finger under the metal bracelet clasped around her wrist, trying to ease the tightness.

“Is it too tight? If you shifted to feral form, it would break.”

She scowled. If she could have, she would have been free already.

“If you’re shy I’ll wrap a blanket around you to cover your nudity before you shift.” He gestured to the bed.

A flush burned her flesh up to the tips of her ears. She didn’t know much about incubi except they fed from sexual energy. Indescribable and unnatural desires for Inacio burned in her blood. They were fake. She focused on the emotions Peder inspired with his shy smiles. Those were true. The need faded but did not disappear.

Inacio chuckled. “I’m well fed, Kele. I have no interest in virgins. The meal would be so scant.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Then ease away from me. Your scent stirs my blood.”

“Forgive me. I did not wash after my last interlude but be assured I am a gentleman.”

She crossed her arms as best she could with a chained wrist. “Why would you help me escape?”

“I don’t see any keys in my hands so I don’t see how I’m helping.” He hid a smile behind his hand.

Her blood boiled but not from lust. “You just told me I’d break free if I shifted.”

“Yet strangely, you haven’t.” He tilted his head. “Is this some sex game you are playing with Benic? I don’t mind sharing as long as I’m included.”

Jaw unhinged, she could scarcely breath. “A game?” The question was almost inaudible.

“You know, a little slave and master role playing?” He batted his eyelashes. “I can be the cabin boy. I give great cunnilingus.”

Clutching her throat, she couldn’t make any sound. Did mates play such games? An uncalled image of her parents playing this flashed in her mind. Dark night, she’d have nightmares for weeks. “Stop it. This isn’t some game.” She whipped the hair from her face and glared at the overly amused incubus.

“So, then, why haven’t you shifted yet and torn out my throat?”

“I can’t shift.” She tossed the words at him as if they were stones.

He sat up, his gaze clear and bright. “Really? You’re always in civil form?” Without permission, he stroked her arm.

She shrugged him off.

“Are you afraid?”

She squirmed, her heart twisting. “What kind of question is that?” Of course she was, but years of practice kept it under control. Better to be angry than afraid.

He laughed, loud and easy. “You’ve a sharp tongue. I’m happy Benic brought you home. I could use a companion and more stimulating conversation.”

She snorted. “I doubt you lack in companions.”

“Then you know very little of my people.” His smile took on an edge of sadness.

“I thought the incubi lived far south from our lands. What are you doing here?”

“The arms of the Vampire Nation are long. I was captured and sold on the black market. Benic was kind enough to rescue me from a worse fate than being his toy.”

Vampires traveled the world. They weren’t tied to the land. She’d been so focused on her little forest that she never gave thought to beyond the tribe’s borders. “Then you are a slave?”

“I must repay my debt, then I am free.” He winked. “I was not cheap. Even then, what will I do? Walk back to South Amerigo? My kind is hunted outside the protection of our nests.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t been aware of such things. “With your—power, couldn’t you persuade someone to help?”

“Fuck my way home?” His smile grew wide as he leaned closer. “That would be dangerous.” His pupils constricted and his scent grew strong.

Musk floated around her. She held her breath but already the muscles in her back relaxed. Her thoughts grew slow and she sighed. Scooting nearer, she strained against the chain and touched his face, but she wanted so much more.

He retreated from her touch, leaving a void.

She almost cried out, the emptiness that sharp.

He watched her while pouring a cup of water from the pitcher. “What would you do for me, Kele?”

“Anything.” She clawed at her clothes.

He tossed the water in her face.

The cold bit through the fog of lust. She shook her head with a growl. Blinking the water from her eyes, she tried to gather what diginity she still owned. “Don’t ever do that again.” She’d fallen under his spell so easily.

Inacio leaned against the table. “See? If I force someone under my will, I have to keep them there. Creating the pheromone is not an easy task. At some point I need to rest. When they awakened from my influence, I would be dead or worse.”

She retreated from him. “Lesson learned.” He spoke the truth. If Inacio had taken advantage of her she would have torn his throat out afterward.

“I’ve never met a wild shifter. All the servants are domesticated shifters. Benic protects me too much.”

She blinked, not sure how Inacio fit into Benic’s life. “He does?” The ferret had never mentioned Inacio once in the years she’d known him. She recalled the kiss—the promise hidden within it. All false. “Are you—together?”

“As in being in love?”

Treachery ripped her guts and licked at her inside. She pressed her hands to her stomach, the pain a surprise. Benic meant nothing to her.

“You’re very innocent to think such things, Kele.”

She turned her shoulder from him. “Then what would you call it?”

“I’m a food source with benefits. A well-fed incubus or succubus can sustain a vampire much longer than any other creature.”

The pain grew worse as Benic’s duplicity deepened. “What about humans?”

Inacio shrugged. “Never heard of them.”

“Benic stole one today when he took me.”

“Oh, that female? I doubt she’s for feeding. He took her to his laboratory where he conducts experiments.”

A shiver ran up her spine. She twisted to face him once more, her earlier anger forgotten. “What kind of experiments?”

He shrugged. “You can ask him yourself. He shouldn’t be long. The laboratory is above us, on the top of the tower.”

“Inacio, please. Tell me what he’s doing to her.”

“I don’t know but don’t worry so. He studies blood, Kele, not torture.”

A knock on the door sent her into a defensive crouch.

A servant girl entered carrying a tray. Food. She was starved.

Two guards stood by the entrance.

Inacio moved out of the servant’s way, turning his back to the door.

Kele’s gaze met one of the guard’s and her heart stopped. Ahote. She gasped.

The incubus spun around as her pack mate attacked and punched him with a quick, hard jab. Inacio crumpled to the floor unconscious.

Dropping the tray on the table, the girl rushed to her. “Did he hurt you?”

Kele looked closer at the familiar face. “Peder?” Not a girl. Her omega wore a dress. He’d braved the dangers of the castle to rescue her. With a soaring heart, she hugged him tight. “No, he was—nice, in an odd way.”

Ahote shouldered between them. “This is all very touching but have the reunion later.” He grasped her metal bracelet, his thick civil fingers barely fitting. The muscles of his shoulders bunched and strained as he tried to force it open.

She gasped.

“You’re hurting her.” Peder wrestled with Ahote’s wrists.

A pop vibrated through her body as the bracelet clattered to the floor. She sucked in a long breath and watched her guardian shake off Peder.

She cleared her throat and rubbed her wrist. “Susan’s at the top of this tower. Benic might be with her.”

Sorin, standing in the doorway dressed as the other guard, left without a word.

Ahote glanced at Kele and Peder then back at the exit.

She waved him away. “Go. I’ll wait with Peder.”

Before he stepped out he twisted around. “You need a better disguise. Wear the dress. Peder, take the male’s clothes.”

Peder knelt next to Inacio and undid the fastenings of his clothes. He glanced at her. “Kele?”

“Yes?”

“You should undress.” He tugged the shirt over the incubus’s limp head.

She nodded. Undress. Yes, she could do this.

“Kele?”

She opened her eyes, surprised that she had closed them. “I can’t. Not with you in the room.” Her voice quivered as she spoke. Weakness. She shouldn’t express such submissive behavior.

Peder took her hands. “I’ll turn my back.” He smiled. “You can trust me.”

A knot in her chest unwound. She squeezed his hands, leaned forward and rubbed her cheek against his.

He pulled the pink dress over his head and handed it to her. “It will look better on you.”

“Thank you.”

“The color suits you.” He turned his back and dressed in Inacio’s clothes, keeping his promise to not peek.

She’d never owned anything pink before. Her mother detested the color. It was now Kele’s favorite.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Cramps assaulted Susan’s abdomen. They grew more intense with each wave. The damn vampire had known this would hurt, yet refused to ease her pain. She watched Benic gather ingredients from his worktable and pictured staking him like she’d seen in the movies.

Unbelievable.

She’d been infected by a mutating virus. She kept praying for someone to shout cut and see a movie set pull apart.

Benic left his table and hovered over her face. Placing his hand on her forehead, he appeared concerned. “You need willow bark tea for the fever.” He glanced at his equipment and grimaced. “I don’t have any here. It’s in my storeroom. I won’t be long.” He hurried from the room and left the door open. A cool breeze brushed over her.

The brilliant idiot truly was sorry. She believed his sincerity but it wouldn’t save her. Like in a horror stories, she was turning into a monster, except she didn’t know what kind.

She shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. She was going to die.

The Black Plague received the name for a reason. It wasn’t called the Happy Plague or the Sunshine Plague. This version of the disease would try to change her DNA.

On a scientific level, it amazed her into awe. Humans had studied DNA for decades and hadn’t produced such effects. Yet a little virus had figured it out. The universe never stopped evolving.

Would Benic’s medicine work? Her system would help fight the virus but she had two strains attacking her body—shifter and vampire.

Virus and bacteria infected people differently and treating them needed separate tactics. Moldy bread juice wouldn’t help. The Apisi had a bacterial lung infection so the simple form of penicillin should cure them. Her treatment wouldn’t be so easy. She was armed only with her immune system and luck.

They needed to stay ahead of her fever so her brain wouldn’t fry. She had to keep hydrated no matter how nauseated her stomach became. A little prayer or a miracle wouldn’t hurt.

She drained the flagon of water Benic left on the side table by the cot. The tepid liquid soothed her sore throat. She tongued her sore gums and tasted blood. Lovely. Ebola caused hemorrhaging. What if she’d caught something else from Benic’s blood? HIV, herpes, syphilis? The vampire could be a petri dish of diseases.

The sound of heavy footsteps climbing the stairs traveled into her room. She sat up on the cot, her head spinning. “Did you ever consider humans are frailer than vampires?” Her voice faded at the end of her question.

Sorin had stepped through the doorway dressed like a medieval guard in chainmail.

She gasped. Her world tilted yet she couldn’t pull her gaze from him. God, he looked fantastic. She reached for him. “Sorin,” she whispered. Darkness folded around her like a scorned lover, yanking her from Sorin’s presence.

Benic hadn’t given her the immunity-boosting medicine yet.

A roar shattered her thoughts as she slipped into oblivion.

Sorin ran to Susan’s cot on the other side of the room where she had collapsed. He knelt next to it and shook her shoulders. “Susan?” Running his hands over her, he couldn’t find a wound. Sweat covered her skin, pasting her thin dress to her body.

Ahote charged into the room. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s not waking up.” Her flesh burned just like the sick in his pack. She’d been dealing with the ill. She could have caught the chest disease. It wouldn’t be long before the cough set in. “She’s sick. We need to get her home and give her the medicine she made for my pack. It saved them and should save her.” He prayed with all his soul it would.

“Let’s go.” Ahote gestured to the door.

Sorin gathered her slim form in his arms. How would they travel through the castle unnoticed with a female in his arms?

A table filled with glassware stood in the center of the room. What was Benic doing with Susan? He’d been worried about rape but this appeared more sinister.

The bloodsucker would pay. He wanted to hunt him down and pluck his limbs off one by one. Benic had stolen his mate then left her to die all by herself in this horrid room. Once Susan was safe, he’d come back. Vampire lord or not, nobody stole from Sorin.

Ahote scouted ahead, descending the stairs.

When Sorin reached the room where Kele had been kept, he paused.

She and Peder waited by the door. Both dressed in castle garb. From a distance they appeared like a couple.

“You look normal,” said the alpha.

They glanced at each other.

“Normal enough to walk out through the gate with the cart.” Sorin raised his eyebrow at them. “You should try to hide your hair, Kele. Not many blondes in this part of the world.”

She hurried to Susan. “What did he do to her?” She examined her throat and wrists. “I don’t see any bites.”

“She’s ill.” He contained a snarl. Benic feeding from his Susan hadn’t crossed Sorin’s mind. “I think she may have caught the illness afflicting my pack. We need to return her to the den where we have medicine to save her.”

Peder paled. He met Sorin’s gaze, his eyes filled with sorrow and knowledge on how fast the disease killed.

Sorin wasn’t ready to mourn Susan. He’d fight tooth and claw with death if necessary. Holding her close, he pressed his nose in her hair and savored her scent. How could he live without her? He’d just discovered love, and fate would tear them apart?

“We’re wasting time,” he snapped. “Cover your hair, Kele.”

She ran into the bedroom and returned with a scarf wrapped around her head.

“Exit through the front gate facing the forest. Bring the cart we used to get in. We’ll use it to carry Susan.” He led them out of the tower.

Ahote stood guard by the door they had used to gain access earlier. Security entering the castle was tight but once inside, it lessened.

Peder approached Sorin. “I don’t think we can fool the gate guards with another sick person in the cart trick. How do you and Ahote plan to pass as guards? They probably all know each other.”

“Valid concerns. Susan will remain with me and Ahote. We’ll leave the castle by descending the walls.”

Peder offered him a doubting look but kept silent.

“Don’t worry. Meet us where the road enters the forest.”

“Yes, Alpha.” He took Kele’s hand and led her toward the stables and into the night.

“I don’t like the way he’s touching her.” Ahote’s glare could have stabbed the omega right through his back.

“Worry about Kele’s virtue later. Peder will protect her with his life, and she has a better chance of escape with him than with us. Give me your belt and cloak.”

The Payami hunter did as ordered, to Sorin’s surprise, without question.

Sorin slung Susan onto his back, dropping her arms over his shoulders. “Attach my belt to yours and tie her to me.”

Ahote wrapped the belts around Sorin and Susan. “I ran it between her legs as well so she wouldn’t slip down.”

“Excellent. Place the cloak over her but make sure she has access to air.” Sorin could barely take a deep breath himself. He twisted and tested their disguise as he hunched forward. “And?”

“You look deformed.”

“Good.” Sweat trickled along his spine, and it wasn’t from Susan’s heat. If they were attacked, it would be hard to fight with a female strapped to his back. Dragging his right leg to add to the disguise, Sorin followed Ahote across the dark courtyard to the castle wall.

They climbed the battalions. When they reached the top, no one approached them. Sorin sighed. The guards defended against invaders, not escaping thieves wearing guard uniforms.

This section had three males securing the wall with their attention on the forest, not the stairs. Quiet as a wraith, Ahote disposed of them.

Sorin raced to the wall and glanced over the side with a grimace. Not wasting any more time, he checked on the security of Susan’s makeshift harness. If he jumped from this height he’d survive, but he couldn’t promise the same for his human mate. He’d have to take the risk of climbing. The dark should help hide them. He threw his leg over the wall’s edge but stopped as someone grabbed his arm.

“Wait.” Ahote pulled him off. “What are you doing?”

“I have to climb down. Susan’s too frail and sick for jumping.”

“Swing her around to your chest and keep her between you and the wall. I’ll go down first, and if she slips out of the harness I can catch her.”

Sorin blinked. He grabbed the hunter’s shoulders and nodded. A knot formed in his throat, preventing him from talking. Ahote had no allegiances to him or his pack.

Ahote undressed and shifted to feral form before jumping.

Sorin watched him land then tossed the cape to the floor. He lay Susan on top of it and undressed as well. After shifting to feral form, he held her to his chest and cinched the belt tight around their waists. He then settled her limp arms about his neck but they fell to his sides and Susan slumped away from his body.

Snarling, he scanned the area and listened intently. Still no alarms. His gaze caught the cloak on the ground. With a flash of genius, he tore a strip of cloth from the cloak and tied her hands together behind his neck. He smoothed the hair from her face and planted a gentle lick on her fevered forehead. He had to save her.

Please, Goddess, he’d just found her. He swung over the edge, digging his claws deep into the mortar between the stones. With each move he held his breath, prepared to catch his female if she slipped or the mortar gave.

“Hurry,” Ahote whispered from below.

Growling, he swallowed his sharp retort. The hunter meant well. So far he’d done everything he could to aid in the rescue. Sorin couldn’t have asked for a better companion.

The descent took longer than either of them wanted but he finally touched ground with his mate intact. He sucked a deep, shaky lungful of air. The muscles in his arms trembled from the abuse. Not bothering to untie Susan, he raced toward the forest with her pressed to his chest. Running as if in civil form, Sorin didn’t have the speed of Ahote, who sprinted on all fours.

The hunter made it to the forest first.

Tripping on the uneven ground, Sorin fought with his top-heavy balance. The last thing Susan needed was for him to crush her in a fall. Moonlight shadowed the forest trees and allowed him to see the road. His companions waited by the cart just inside the tree line.

Peder had shifted, his clothes lined the bottom of the empty cart—probably to soften Susan’s ride—and Kele waited next to him.

Sorin laid Susan inside, cushioning her head with his hand until he made a temporary pillow out of Peder’s shirt.

She stirred and grasped his hand.

“It’s all right. I have you now,” he whispered close to her ear, loathe to move his hand from hers.

She whimpered as he retreated, and the sound shredded his heart. Benic would pay dearly. He took hold of the cart’s yoke.

“We’ll cover more ground if I push at the same time as you pull.” Ahote gripped the edge of the cart.

Sorin nodded, gratitude thick in his scent. They raced against time, with Susan’s life as the prize.

Chapter Forty

Taking the steps two at a time, Benic climbed the stairs of the tower back to Susan. What had possessed him to place his laboratory at the top? He carried a pot of willow bark tea to help reduce her fever and rehydrate her body. He should have had it on hand prior to infecting her.

The immunity-boosting medicine should be cool enough to administer now. He’d used this combination of essences to heal dying shifters many times over the decades. It had worked wonders.

His plan to make Susan a vampire still might work. He hadn’t expected her to mate a shifter. Why would an Apisi give a stray, unknown creature a mating bite? Bed her, yes, but not claim her. Shifters with their marking fetishes. Mine, mine, mine.

He ran past his open bedroom door and halted so quickly he almost spilled the tea. Backpedaling, he peeked inside.

A broken metal bracelet lay next to a prone, naked Inacio.

Benic roared and entered the room. No sign of Kele anywhere. “Inacio.” He toed the incubus’s side hard enough to make him moan.

Inacio sat up, holding his head. “My face hurts.” He spoke with a lisp. His hands slid away to reveal swollen lips and a blackened eye. “Benic?”

“Where’s the shifter female I left chained to the bed?”

“Someone attacked me.” Inacio wiped the blood from his lips. “And you’re worried about your new pet?”

Benic rolled his gaze toward the ceiling in the direction of his laboratory. “Susan!” He handed Inacio the teapot and scrambled up the stairs to where he’d left her. The door was already open, the cot empty.

No.

He grabbed a glass beaker and smashed it against the wall by the doorframe. The shards flew in all directions.

Inacio ducked the broken glass as he stepped into the room. “I take it your project escaped as well?”

“Yes.” The snap of his response crackled between them. “How?” he pleaded to the empty room. “I have twenty-foot walls surrounding this castle, guarded all day and night, and a cursed incubus lounging in my tower. How did they get out unnoticed?”

“A small rescue party. It was a hunter with midnight-black hair who knocked me out.” Inacio rubbed his jaw. “A very handsome one.”

“Ahote.” He spat out the name. “They can’t be far.” Susan burned with fever. It could kill her if left untreated. The fools weren’t saving her. He grabbed the cold metal syringe of the immunity-boosting medicine and placed it in a satchel. “Where’s the tea?”

Inacio set the pot on the table. “What is this about? What does this female mean to you?”

“None of your business.” He was quite aware of the incubus’s possessiveness. The idiot was a lovesick fool.

Benic emptied the flask of water on the floor then poured the tea into it, spilling some in the process. The flask’s cork fit snugly in the neck.

He knew the forest best among the castle dwellers, and he could move faster alone. Somehow he’d have to stop the shifters and convince them he meant no harm. He groaned in silence. They would never believe him. How would he explain the virus and the mutations it created without sounding mad? Vampires had kept their suspicions that all races of Eorthe evolved from a common ancestor, for centuries. He hadn’t a name for this ancestor until he met Susan. Humans were their missing link. Should he even speak of it?

He raced from the laboratory back to his bedroom where he gathered a travel cloak and his sword. The blowdarts rested on top of his bedside chest. He fingered the set. It would make his job easier to just knock the shifters out; however he’d have to spend the next fifty years rebuilding their trust. He’d already done damage the first time he took the females. He didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.

Leaving the blowdarts, he swung the bag containing the syringe over his shoulder. Taking any knights with him would appear threatening as well. It would only make the shifters run faster and hide. He needed them to feel safe so they’d stop and confront him.

“Benic.” Inacio blocked the doorway. “I need you to know I didn’t even touch the pretty shifter, no matter how tempting.”

Incubi used emotions like shifters used claws and vampires words. Benic would never trust Inacio with anything. He should have locked his damn bedroom door. “I don’t have time for this.” He shoved past the incubus.

Emptiness threatened to consume Benic. Dark and cold, the possibility he’d made a grave mistake by infecting Susan wanted to consume the confidence he thrived on.

It would have worked. If only…

He shook the doubts from his mind. Didn’t matter anymore. He ran across the courtyard toward the gate. Questioning the guards wasn’t necessary. He knew where they were heading. All trails led to the Temple.

Chapter Forty-One

The moon had set, and soon the haze of dawn would threaten the sky. They’d wasted too much precious time on travel. For the hundredth time, Sorin glanced over his shoulder at the cart carrying Susan. He was losing her.

She wheezed with every breath and burned with so much fever Sorin had to strip off her dress. Without medicine he was helpless to save her.

The edges of the Temple peeked through the trees. Breathing hard, he stopped and allowed the others to catch up. He’d set a brutal pace with Ahote’s help.

Peder and Kele guarded their rear but were lost to his sight.

He stared at Susan, who lay curled in the bottom of the cart. Beads of sweat covered her skin. She needed to drink but he had no water. He’d been a fool to take her from the castle. As he watched her, doubts plagued his heart. Somehow he should have forced Benic to help her. He placed a soft lick on her forehead. “I’m so sorry.” His voice cracked as he spoke.

In silence, Ahote closed his eyes and rested his head on the edge of the cart. The hunter had worked hard to save Sorin’s mate, and he would never forget the effort.

The others approached through the trees, panting. They gathered close.

Kele rested a hand on Susan. “We have to break the fever. There’s a stream not far from the Temple. We should submerge her.”

“She won’t make it to my den. It will take too long to cross the mountains.” Sorin glanced at Peder. “I’d like you to run as fast as you can and retrieve the penicillin. Bring the strongest batch. The first one she made. I’ll make camp at the Temple where I can attempt to keep Susan cool and allow her to rest in more comfort.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Peder was a swift runner but he lacked endurance. Already his tongue lolled from his muzzle and his nose dripped. He leaned heavily against the cart. Sorin feared his omega would run himself into a grave to save Susan. Could he afford to lose both?

He glanced at the Payami shifters. “You can return to your home. I’m very grateful for your aid.” Placing his hand over his heart, he bowed to them.

“I’ll accompany Peder,” Kele announced. She held up a hand to Ahote as he opened his muzzle in a snarl. “I have Peder as a guard. I’ve heard the journey is difficult so there will be a better chance of success with two, and I can keep pace. I’ve had to run with the pack all my life in civil form.”

Sorin swallowed with a dry throat. “Very well. I’ll give you a temporary mark.” Anything to get her away from here. He rubbed his scent gland on the inside of her wrist. Entering his den, she’d need some kind of protection besides Peder’s presence.

Without another word they left.

Ahote came around the cart to stand next to him. They watched the forest swallow the two frail shifters. “Benic will follow our trail here. Who knows how many warriors he’ll bring.”

“I know. Those two should be far enough away before they arrive.”

He grunted. “You sent them away for safety? What about the medicine?”

“By the time they return we’ll be dead. If you hurry, you can make it to Payami lands before the bloodsuckers arrive.” He lifted the yoke of the cart and pulled it over the uneven ground. Even though the Temple was in sight, it would take time to arrive there. He could abandon the cart and carry Susan the rest of the way but he didn’t like the idea of her sleeping on the cold ground or hard stone. The cart offered a measure of comfort and shelter from the winds that stirred the forest branches.

The cart lurched and he almost lost his grasp. He glanced back and met Ahote’s glare.

Ahote pushed from behind. “What are you waiting for?”

“What of the vampires?”

“I’ve always wondered what they tasted like.”

Sorin grinned, his long canines rasping along his bottom lip. “Me too.”

They stopped at the main entrance to the Temple after the rough journey over the trail. He gathered Susan in his arms and rushed her to the stream. She weighed nothing. It was as if he carried a shadow of her. Delicate as thin ice, his heart shattered. Nothing would ever be the same after tonight. All his plans for the pack seemed empty without Susan there to be part of them.

The bubbling song of the stream rolling over stones reached his ears, and he laid her in the shallow, cool water.

She jerked, her eyes sprung open. “What—what?” she whispered and struggled to sit. She gripped his arm with weak hands and pulled. “Sorin?”

He ached watching her feeble attempts to escape. “Shh.” He held her down. “You’re sick and have a fever.” With his free hand, he scooped the water over her body then offered her some to drink. “You must have caught the chest illness while tending our pack. I’ll take care of you.”

Her teeth chattered behind pale lips. “Our pack?”

“You are the mate of my heart. Nothing can make me choose another.” He caressed her cheek. “I sent Peder and Kele for the penicillin. We’ll camp here so you can rest. Don’t worry.” He pressed his fingers over her soft mouth when she tried to speak.

Ahote brought a cloak. “I started a small fire inside the building. The wall should shelter us from the winds but I smell a storm brewing.”

Sorin did as well. The Temple roof had caved in long ago. “Can you construct a shelter?”

Searching around them, Ahote’s gaze seemed to focus on an evergreen tree. “I already started.”

Sorin wrapped Susan in the cloak and carried her to the small camp.

Ahote had carried the cart up the steps and tipped it onto its side. For bedding, he had spread the clothes on the inside of the cart’s wall. The evergreen branches were used to construct a lean-to wall against the cart, creating a tent-like structure. A fire burned next to it.

Sorin set his sleeping Susan on the bedding with the cloak as a blanket, then approached Ahote. “Why are you helping us?” Only yesterday he’d tried to tear Sorin’s throat out over Susan. “Do you love her?” Being indebted to someone who wanted to steal his mate didn’t sit well with him.

Ahote tied the branches with vines, securing them to the cart. He met his gaze. “No.” Then he turned his back to Sorin as if daring him to attack.

Sorin wasn’t a dog. He would never jump a…friend. “Why challenge me yesterday?”

With an exasperated snarl, Ahote snapped at him. “You’re worse than my mother. Your stealing Susan from under my nose lessened my standing within the pack.” He tossed a branch with excess force by the cart. “Susan was never interested in me. You’re secure in your claim. Females don’t usually refuse me—only the mated ones. Sometimes.”

“Mated?” Sorin’s fur rose along his spine.

“Save the lecture. My alpha has already given it to me.” Ahote gave a weary chuckle. “I have the scars to prove it.”

Sorin shook his head. The hunter had the nerve to call him a dog.

Ahote tied the new branches on the lean-to. “Remember to treat her well because I’ll always be sniffing at your borders.”

A possessive growl shot through Sorin’s chest. He’d tear Ahote to pieces so small, even the buzzards would have trouble finding him if he ever laid a hand on his mate.

The Payami hunter didn’t flinch. He just slapped him on the shoulder good-naturedly. “Excellent answer.”

His urge to fight vanished. Sorin snorted and tended to his mate while Ahote continued to build their shelter.

The wind howled around the Temple, some of it sneaking between the cracks in the walls to stir his fur. A dim outline of storm clouds approached in the distance. They blanketed the fading stars and muted the coming dawn. The storm would also mask the coming of the vampires.

Ahote stood back, examining his work. “This should hold during the storm.”

“It’s time for you to go, Ahote. This isn’t your fight.”

The dark shifter squatted to tend the fire. “And who will protect your mate while you tear Benic’s head from his shoulders?”

Sorin struggled to breathe. Honor, trust, love—these were the traits he searched for and nurtured in his hunters. “You will always have a place within my den, Ahote, if you need it.”

He laughed. “I’m actually touched, Apisi dog.”

“Though I’d have to curb some of your unsavory habits.”

Ahote’s laugh grew louder.

They didn’t bother to hide. Benic would find them no matter what.

Crackles woke Susan. Evergreen branches created a roof over her head and danced in the wind. She lay on the hard paneling from what looked like a cart. Her joints flamed in agony when she tried to sit, and chills wracked her body. There wasn’t enough warmth under her blanket.

A fire burned just out of her reach, taunting her with thoughts of heat. She tried to crawl, urging her body to move, but it hurt so much.

Sorin stuck his head through the entrance to the shelter. “You’re awake.”

Tears burned in her eyes. She wanted to spend her last hours with him. Holding out her wavering arms, she fought not to cry.

“Rest. You need your strength.” He brought her some water to drink.

Of all things, her fingertips and teeth hurt the worst. She stared at her right hand, knowing the virus was changing her DNA. If she survived she wouldn’t be the same. These were the last moments of her humanity, no matter the outcome. She closed her eyes. Tired. Defeated. The last human on Eorthe. The loss sat heavy on her chest.

“Susan?” He slipped his arms around her.

She pressed her face into the thick mane around his neck and watched the firelight flicker over his silver fur. Feral or civil form didn’t matter to her—both were Sorin, and that was all she wanted.

“Don’t fret. Peder is bringing the medicine. Hang on.” He rested his head on hers. “Please.”

She couldn’t bear to break his heart by telling him the truth. Antibiotics wouldn’t save her. She didn’t have a bacterial infection. Her only hope sat on Benic’s lab table. The syringe of immunity-boosting medicine he’d concocted.

She squeezed Sorin’s hand. “Can you hold me for a little while? I’m very cold.”

He scooped her onto his lap and settled her against his chest, his fur a living blanket. “I love you, Susan.”

Smiling, she stroked his arm. “I love you too.” So strong and confident, honorable and honest. She never thought she’d find the perfect male. She sniffed. “I don’t want to die. I just found you.”

His embrace tightened. “I won’t let you. We’re going to have so many adventures together. You’ll be the happiest female, I promise.” He sounded so sure and she needed to believe him. “Don’t give up.”

Raindrops spotted the stone floor as distant thunder rumbled. She pressed closer to Sorin, absorbing his heat and strength. Closing her eyes, she inched toward sleep. As she drifted off, she sensed Sorin settle her onto the bedding.

“If she gets worse, Ahote, howl for me.”

“I should go instead of you.”

“No, protect her. If I could split myself in two then I’d stay at her side as well. I’m the stronger of both of us. She has a better chance of being free of them with me out there fighting.”

Vampires? She wanted to shout for him to stay. Benic might be her only salvation. She struggled to speak but only a whisper came out. Neither of them paid her any attention. She fought for consciousness, reaching to remain on the surface, but the virus won. It dragged her down—down into the dark. Who knew if she’d awaken, or as what?

Chapter Forty-Two

The sun must have risen in the sky, but the storm and tall trees blocked any light it could have offered. Rain poured too heavy for the forest canopy to shield the ground. And Benic.

Leather worked well to ward off teeth and claws but was terrible to wear when soaking wet. He discarded his travel cloak, the weight a burden he didn’t need if attacked. Cool water dripped from his hair, the cold not touching him like warm-blooded creatures. Something in vampires kept them from freezing, yet they all loved the heat.

Winds whipped through the forest, making the underbrush sway to its song. It masked most sounds. A predator would be upon him before he heard them coming.

The Temple, a distant blur between the trees, would provide shelter. They must be hidden inside. A flash of lightning lit the area for a second and then thunder rolled over the sky. Benic’s prey wouldn’t hear him either. He needed to get to Susan and inject her before anyone could tear him apart. If she survived there was still a chance she’d become a vampire.

He’d considered explaining the situation to the shifters but they could be so thickheaded and paranoid. What if they refused to listen?

Ahote didn’t lack in vampire hatred. He’d likely eat Benic before he could utter a word. He wasn’t a fool. In hand-to-hand combat, shifters were the best. Even with his sword, he didn’t have much of a chance. He slipped it from its sheath, the steel singing, and held it ready.

Staring at the Temple, he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He could do this. The storm would help hide him. He would climb through a break in the ancient walls and figure out a plan from there. One step at a time.

He eased his way through the brush, keeping the trees between him and the Temple as much as possible. He was downwind so they wouldn’t catch his scent. Crouched low, he concentrated on listening while he continued to move. A hunter could always become prey.

The wind swayed the foliage back and forth, and back and forth. Focusing on the noise of the storm, he made it fade in his mind. An old hunting trick his father had taught him.

Leaves moved out of cadence to his right. He swung around, sword pointed toward the sound. His slow heart pounded thrice in his tight chest. He tried to quiet his breathing and trembled with the effort. Lightning cracked across the sky. He crouched among the ferns, waiting for an attack.

A whisper to his left had him changing in that direction. He should have brought warriors—him and his damn honor. Step by measured step, he crept through the brush. Nothing. Yet his instincts still rang with danger. Adrenaline pumped into his system, heightening his senses further.

Something stalked him. “Ahote?” The question slipped from his mouth before he could stop it. “Ahote?” He repeated louder.

He caught movement in the corner of his vision and swung around, sword extended. Nothing again. Sweat mixed with rain, trickling along his face. Panting, he searched the area.

They had him surrounded and were playing games. He clutched the bag containing the syringe. He could retreat to the castle. They wouldn’t dare follow. The Temple came into his line of sight. If Susan survived and became vampire, would Sorin let her live?

Without a backward glance, he raced toward the building. He might not stand a chance in a fight but he sure could run. Dodging plants and branches, he moved swift and sure. A log blocked his path so he leaped. The mud puddle he landed in sent his feet sliding in opposite directions, and he planted face first in the muck. Scrambling on all fours, he finally found purchase, then continued his forward momentum.

Paws hit the wet ground behind him. His imagination had not been playing with his mind after all. A roar shattered through the thundering gales. Claws grazed his back, brushing the leather of his jacket. It spurred extra speed into his legs. The stairs to the Temple entrance were in front of him. He leaped, taking them in great strides.

Set ablaze by Benic’s flight, Sorin’s feral side took control. He wanted to taste vampire flesh, crack his bones between his teeth and suck them clean of marrow. How dare Benic take his mate?

The bloodsucker dodged through the forest toward the Temple, faster than Sorin thought possible. Benic moved between the foliage like a creature of the wild and not of the city.

He had almost missed the vampire as he patrolled around the Temple. The whisper of his sword being drawn, between the peals of thunder, had caught his attention, and stalking him had been easy.

Benic reached the Temple stairs.

Sorin wouldn’t let him hurt his Susan. She had suffered enough.

With a roar, he leaped, tackling Benic. They tumbled in a knot to the forest floor at the base of the stone staircase.

The rain fell in a torrent, beating down on his head and making it difficult to see. A flash of metal had him rolling to the side before Benic could pierce him with the sword.

It was unnatural to fight with tools. Both races were born with natural weapons but the vampires had to corrupt the system by overextending themselves and inventing new ways to kill.

With the momentum of his roll, Sorin rose to his feet and blocked the next downswing using his claws. The shock rang along his nerves and his arm went numb. It dropped to his side. He leaped back to avoid another possible attack but the vampire took the opportunity to climb the stairs and enter the Temple.

Snarling at his stupidity, Sorin gave chase. He never lost prey. He charged through the entrance and found Benic confronting Ahote.

“How did—who have I been fighting?” Benic twisted so his back faced the wall. “Sorin? I should have known you were behind her rescue and not Ahote. You wrecked everything.” He altered the sword’s aim between them.

“Stand down.” Sorin gestured to his fellow shifter. “Benic is mine.” Using all his strength, he ran and hurdled over the bloodsucking warrior. There were only three ways to kill a vampire—decapitation, fire and cutting out their heart. All other wounds healed with time. Sorin swiped his extended claws at the back of Benic’s neck.

Moving with a warrior’s instinct, the vampire ducked.

Sorin growled as he missed his mark. Crouching, he stalked toward his prey; he wouldn’t allow him room to use his weapon. With an up-swing, he knocked Benic’s fighting arm at the elbow, and the force sent the sword flying in an arc. They both watched it land next to the shelter housing Susan.

Benic retreated from him, his eyes wide and hands ready to defend. “You need to listen.”

“No, I think my people have listened too much to your kind.” Sorin paced around him, inhaling the thick, rich scent of fear.

“Susan’s sick. I have medicine—”

Sorin pounced on Benic, pinning him to the stone floor. He savored the sensation of his teeth around the vampire’s throat. This was for more than just stealing his mate. It was empty retribution for oppressing his people.

“Wait!” Benic cried as he struggled under his body. “I—I can save her.”

“We already have medicine on the way.” Ahote crept closer as he spoke. He met Sorin’s gaze, his ears bent forward. “Do it.”

“It won’t work.” The vampire seemed out of breath. “P-please, let me speak.”

Another trick—they always talked themselves out of trouble. Sorin folded his ears even tighter against his head, trying to block his voice. He squeezed his jaw but didn’t break skin.

What if he spoke the truth? The rain was washing away most scents. A lie would be hard to detect.

Tremors ran through his shoulders and jaw as he resisted the urge to chomp. He pressed his hands to Benic’s chest, over his heart, and Sorin extended his claws to pierce. Only then did he relax his bite.

Benic drew a gasping breath.

“Make me believe you.”

“In my bag, there’s a syringe of medicine that will help Susan fight the illness.” He pointed to his shoulder pack.

Sorin cut the strap with a claw and passed the bag to Ahote. “Check it.” The rain eased into a drizzle.

“I came here with the intention of helping her. Not to fight. Look—” He waved his arms around. “No warriors with me.”

“Still not believing you.” He tapped his claw on Benic’s chest. Vampires usually lied yet Sorin couldn’t smell one. The rain must be washing the scent away.

Ahote held a metal cylinder in his hand. “This?”

“Yes, I need to inject Susan with the contents. It will improve her chances. The longer we wait, the less time she has.”

“Sorin, just kill him. Peder’s bringing medicine.”

Conflicted, Sorin’s gaze traveled from the two males. “True.” He leaned his weight onto his claws so he could tear out Benic’s heart.

“Wait.” Benic shoved Sorin’s shoulders. “I don’t know what medicine you have but I doubt it will work.”

“It saved my people and Susan made it—a more reliable source if you ask me.”

“She doesn’t have the same illness. Trust me.”

Sorin barked a surprised laugh. “Trust? Are you insane?”

“Poor choice of words, but doesn’t change what I said. She’s transforming, Sorin. She’s becoming one of us.”

“What?” The question came out as if he’d been kicked in the balls.

“If she survives she won’t be human anymore.” Benic stared at him with intense focus.

Sorin tried to breathe but his lungs forgot how to work. “What will she be?” The vampire tempted him with hope. The bastard.

“I don’t know. That’s the problem, you big oaf. You bit her, and I didn’t know before I infected her with my blood.”

“You did what?” Sorin’s grip on Benic’s chest deepened. Blood seeped around his claws.

Benic grimaced. “I wanted to change her into a vampire.” Pain laced his words.

“You knew she was my mate when you stole her. There’s no excuse.”

“There’s not but if you kill me I won’t tell you how to give her the medicine.” Benic’s voice cracked.

The decision was easy. Retracting his claws, Sorin sat on his haunches. “Pass me his sword, Ahote.” He outstretched his hand without taking his glare off Benic. The hilt slid heavily into his grip.

“You’re making a grave mistake. It wasn’t my intention to kill her. I was trying to save my—”

Sorin plunged the sword into Benic’s stomach. The force of his anger drove the point through stone.

He screamed and the sound fed Sorin’s hatred.

“There. That will keep you from escaping.” It wasn’t a killing blow. Benic would survive. For now. Sorin could always finish the job later. “How do I give it?” He took the syringe from Ahote.

Panting, Benic grasped the sword in feeble hands. “Bastard.”

“I’m becoming fond of ‘dog’.” Sorin twisted the sword a little.

The vampire screeched. “There’s a needle—” He gasped. “In the bag, there’s a needle. Attach it to the—the side—”

Sorin turned the cylinder in his hand as Ahote passed him the needle.

“Oh by all that’s sacred, give it to me so I can attach it right.” Benic held out his hands.

Sorin gave him the contraption and watched him attach the needle. Where would he have to shove that thing? “Will this hurt her?” His stomach went flat. It was one thing to stab a vampire but Susan—well, he cared about her.

“Does it matter?” Benic handed back the syringe. “Expose her thigh and stab the needle into the front of the large muscle then decompress the plunger. The—the thing on the opposite end of the needle.”

Sorin pointed to a rounded knob at the end of the stick protruding from the syringe. “This?”

“Yes—yes.”

He glanced at Ahote. “Watch him.”

Susan’s breathing was labored as he sat next to her. “If she dies, Benic, so do you.” He pulled the cloak from her hip and ran his hand over her thigh. She didn’t even stir. He jabbed the needle into her soft flesh and pushed the plunger as instructed.

She bled a little when he withdrew the needle.

He wiped it with the hem of the cloak. “How long does it take to work?”

“Hours for improvements, but I’ve never given it to her race so I’m taking a guess.” Benic set his head onto the floor and stared at the sky. “There’s a flask of willow bark tea in the bag too, if you didn’t break it in your attack. It will help her fever.”

Ahote reached over to hand Sorin the flask.

He settled Susan against his legs and pulled the cork with his teeth.

She swallowed reflexively as he poured small drips in her mouth.

“Can you remove the sword now? It—it’s quite uncomfortable.”

Sorin chuckled. “No escape for you. Not until she’s better.”

Chapter Forty-Three

The Apisi lands contained more wildlife and ancient forest than the Payami. A deep river ran through it, fed from the snow-capped mountains.

Kele followed Peder toward a carved wooden gate set in the mountain. Her legs trembled with exhaustion. How would she ever climb back through the pass?

Peder jogged a steady pace but his tongue lolled from his muzzle, and he stumbled every once in a while. He never complained, though a slight droop bent his shoulders and ears. His will strengthened hers. He’d run a greater distance than she. All the way to the castle to rescue her then all the way back here. More distance than the two hunters they’d left at the Temple. For an omega, he bore responsibility well.

The doors opened as they approached, and three hunters in feral form met them. “Who’s this, Peder? Did a stray follow you home again?” One of the guards offered the omega a leather kilt.

Her ears perked. She didn’t like the idea of other females touching the omega. But, of course, they must have. She wasn’t that naïve. With his handsome face, soft voice and willing body… She shook her head. What was she thinking? His offer the other night in the bedroom didn’t mean anything to someone as experienced as Peder. He had just taken pity on her.

“She’s not a stray.” Peder shifted to his civil form and took the kilt.

The other two sniffed at her.

Her spine stiffened involuntarily as a nose came too close. She cuffed the guard. It was a reflex she’d developed living in her own den. She needed to set her dominance now before they found out she couldn’t shift. One never knew who they would meet in the future.

He jumped away and rubbed his offending snout. “A Payami bitch?”

“Sorin’s given me permission to accompany Peder.” She held out her wrist. “I carry his mark.” Squaring her shoulders, she met their gazes, mimicking her mother’s usual behavior. “Get the medicine, Peder.” She shoved past the guards into the Apisi den.

Her heart raced as she waited for a hunter to attack from behind. She’d heard many terrible stories about this pack.

The den was set in a canyon. Caves lined the two sheer walls that only went up another story with small landings and stairs. She glanced around. The guards watched by the gate. “I’ll wait here for you.”

“Sure, as long as you don’t challenge my pack mates anymore. Smacking the guard was foolish. I can’t defeat him if he were to challenge you.”

“Who asked you to fight for me? I don’t bend over for anyone. I can’t afford to.” Her father always told her to act like the biggest shifter in the room. Most wouldn’t call her bluff. One day, though, someone would.

“I’d be disappointed if you did.” He grinned. Dark circles hollowed his eyes.

She wanted to hug and shake him at the same time for tying her emotions into a knot. She was a daughter of alphas, yet an omega brought her to heel. How pathetic.

A pretty female carrying a basket of laundry paused on her away out the gate and waved at Peder.

He smiled and nodded in her direction.

Kele growled and turned her back to him. How many lovers did he have, anyhow? And she thought Ahote a terrible flirt.

“The medicine is kept in the kitchen. This way.” He led her along the single corridor to a dead end of the ravine. The den was so much smaller than hers.

They entered the kitchen where a stunning, strong female worked with—moldy bread?

“Peder?” She set her work aside and hugged him. “Where have you been?”

“Lailanie, we’re in a hurry. Susan is ill. Sorin sent me to fetch some penicillin for her.”

The female’s expression fell flat. “Susan? Did she return?”

“No, they’re at the Temple.” Peder explained what had transpired in the last couple days.

The attentive female nodded as he spoke and stroked his arm.

Kele couldn’t tear her eyes away from their touch. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.

Lailanie retrieved a bottle on the shelf above the hearth. “Take this one. It’s the first batch Susan made and should be the strongest.” Tears spilled from her eyes. “It’s all my fault. Sorin will never forgive me.”

“You made Susan sick?” Kele asked.

The female sniffed. “No, I convinced her to leave the den. It’s not fair. I’ve done everything expected of a good alpha female, and he doesn’t see me. She makes one potion and now she equates the Goddess.”

Drama grew in all packs apparently. It sounded as if Susan had not had a dull visit in the Apisi den.

Peder sighed. “Sorin mated Susan.”

Blinking her tears away, Lailanie nodded. “Good.” She wiped her face and avoided their gazes.

“We have to go, Lanie.” Peder squeezed her shoulder. The gesture shot another jolt of jealousy through Kele.

“I’m all right.” She gave them a thin smile.

Leaving Peder behind, Kele stormed from the kitchen and headed toward the gate. He didn’t belong to her. These emotions twisting her gut didn’t have any place within her body. Peder was not Payami and worse, he wasn’t a hunter.

Omegas were generous with their bodies. It was their position in the pack to ease stress, and the omegas needed dominant mates to protect them, to possess them. She cared to do neither for a male. She wanted to be the one that was desired.

Peder caught up with her. He carried a back satchel.

Against her will, she glanced at him. He appeared happy. No signs of guilt or—or, what was she expecting?

An old female waited by a cave entrance. She waved at them to approach. Unable to deny the elderly anything, Kele did as asked. Others from the cavern gathered around her.

Peder hurried to them, hugging his pack mates. “You all look so much better.” His voice cracked as he spoke. “I’ve been so worried.”

Better? They looked like death.

“We heard you’ve been off adventuring with the alpha.” A hunter ruffled Peder’s hair. “Having fun?”

“I’m surviving.”

Most laughed.

Warmth spread through Kele at the sight. Many around them were pale and some needed assistance walking, but all smiled. These were the sick that Susan had saved. If only they could do the same for the human. They needed to hurry.

“This is Kele. She’s from the Payami.”

His introduction froze her heart.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Even though Sorin’s temporary mark should protect her, one didn’t dangle bait in front of a hungry lion and not expect it to bite. Sore feelings had existed between their packs for ages. “I’m Susan’s friend.” It was the only good thing she could think to say.

“That’s a fine female to be friends with.” The elderly female patted her cheek.

A huge weight lifted off Kele’s soul. She took a deep breath. They wouldn’t eat her.

“We have to go,” Peder whispered in her ear.

She blinked and broke eye contact with the elderly female. “Yes.” They had to return to Susan.

Her parents would have a fit when they heard of her visit here. Unguarded, she’d been an easy target. She sighed and glanced at the omega male as he undressed to shift. Not completely alone though.

Chapter Forty-Four

The storm had passed during the time Susan slept. She lay across Sorin’s massive, feral chest, listening to his gentle snores. The soft fur comforted her in this rough environment—a living coat keeping her warm.

Her joints no longer burned, only a distant ache existed. The fever had faded. Vague memories of Sorin plagued her—him forcing a foul drink in her mouth, the crash of thunder mixed in with his roar, whispered prayers of him pleading for her to live.

Sun warmed her back and Sorin’s flesh her front. She didn’t want to move but thirst drove her to stir. She ran her hands over his shoulders. Her big, strong shifter who—had saved her? The memory of a few nights before flashed in her mind of Lailanie tending the pup who hadn’t been able to breathe easy. Sorin had taken care of her like pack. No one but her mother had ever tended to her when she’d been ill.

She stroked Sorin’s silky fur. She’d found her place on Eorthe. But why had she been so sick?

Her head seemed full of wool. She recalled being at the Temple then… Benic’s lab. The wine. Oh shit, the virus.

She jerked from Sorin’s arms. She had survived the mutating virus. Searching her teeth with the tip of her tongue, she found enlarged canines.

No.

She sat bolt up right and tumbled from Sorin’s chest. The thirst, the teeth—”No, no, no.” How else could she check her mutation? She touched her face.

“Susan?” Bleary eyed, Sorin reached for her.

She grabbed his hand. “What am I?”

His eyes sprang open. “You’re my female.”

“No! Am I a vampire?” A strong scent hit her senses, scattering her thoughts. Coarse and raw, it turned her stomach. “What is that stench?” She covered her nose. The closer she drew to Sorin the stronger it became. “It’s you.”

He opened his mouth then snapped it shut. Shaking his mane, he glared at her. “I’ve swam in mud, been sprayed by a skunk, and been out in the rain most of the night. What do you expect?” His scent altered a little into something sharper and prickly.

“Your smell changed. How did you do that?” Why hadn’t his stink bothered her when she lay across his chest?

Sorin’s ears perked forward. “You noticed the shift of my emotions through scent?”

“I guess I did.” She uncovered her nose and buried it in his fur. Past the exterior odor she found something musky, spicy like cinnamon and earth mixed together. Very sexy. Very male. This smell transformed from prickly to smooth and heavy. It soothed her nose. “You’re pleased.” Her senses were already mutating in less than twenty-four hours. She’d know what she was turning into within days at this rate.

“Yes.” His voice deepened as he traced her face with a claw. He shifted to civil form. The soft fur disappeared into his sun-kissed skin and his scarred muzzle reshaped to his scarred, serious face. His amber eyes remained the same though. No matter which form he wore, he was hers.

He swept her into his arms, crushing her to his chest, and his lips found her mouth. He kissed her as if drowning and she was his only air. Pinned in his embrace, all her worries vanished.

Somebody cleared their throat. “Can I eat Benic now?”

She twisted in Sorin’s arms.

Ahote lay on his side by the burnt-out fire. “I don’t mind watching if you’d rather I wait.”

“What are you doing here?” Last she remembered he had attacked Sorin.

He shrugged. “I had nothing else to do yesterday so I volunteered to help your mate.”

“Never mind him.” Sorin turned her face back toward him, his gaze drinking her in. “The fever’s gone. How do you feel?”

“Tired, achy, thirsty.” She’d never had someone so focused on her.

“Ahote, hand me the water skin.” Sorin ran his fingertips over her cheeks, her arms, then her thighs. “I knew you were a fighter. Knew you’d win against the illness.”

The Payami shifter brought the skin. “I’m going hunting. I could eat a whole stag—antlers and all.”

Meat. It made her mouth water. “I’m hungry too.” She drank the water in great gulps, trying to quench her thirst and fill her stomach at the same time.

Sorin pried the skin from her hands. “Not so much at once. You’ll make yourself vomit.” He set it behind him, out of sight. “Besides your sense of smell, is anything else different?”

“I don’t know.” Disoriented and exhausted from being sick, it was difficult to tell.

“Try to shift.” The eagerness in his voice was clear.

Her pulse fluttered in her chest. “How?” He may as well have requested her to see with her knees.

“You need to find an emotional trigger that will set off the shift. My trigger is when I recall the sound of my mother singing.”

“Uh—okay.” She massaged her temples, trying to relieve her growing headache.

“Try random memories.”

She wandered down memory lane—her childhood home, her family, going to college, developing DOUG, her co-workers. Nothing happened. If she couldn’t shift, did that mean she was a vampire?

Sorin hated them. He’d leave her and she would be lost on this monster-infested world, left to the mercy of Benic. Tears ran along her cheeks. She wiped them away, hoping no one saw.

“Don’t try so hard.” Sorin pet her hair. “You’re exhausted. I shouldn’t have asked you to try.” He kissed her cheeks.

“It’s too soon.” Someone spoke from outside their shelter—a male voice, weak and empty.

“Who’s that?” She started to move from Sorin’s arms but he pulled her back.

“It’s Benic. Stay here while I take care of him.”

Her heart flatlined. What was the vampire doing here? “Wait…”

Sorin didn’t listen. He crammed his large body into a pair of too-short pants and left her.

She crawled out after him and gasped.

Benic lay supine on the stone Temple floor, arms and legs splayed out. His pasty, pale skin contrasted against the dark stain of blood under his body. She couldn’t believe he lived since a huge sword protruded from his abdomen.

The chances that Benic had tripped and impaled himself on the huge weapon were pretty slim. She pinned Sorin with a glare. “You did this?”

He raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms. “Yes.”

Benic rolled his head to face her. “I’m glad to see you survived.” He stared at Sorin. “Now, set me free, you over-paranoid, crazed alpha!” His shout echoed in the forest, sending a flock of birds flying in the trees above.

Sorin crouched next to the vampire. “What do you mean it’s too soon?”

“She survived the initial virus infection, and now she’s a carrier like the rest of us. I assume the changes don’t happen overnight. She probably needs more time—”

“To incubate.” She should be jumping for joy at being alive, not desiring to creep in a hole and cry.

She wasn’t human anymore.

She stared at her hands. They appeared the same but for how long? Her sense of smell had already changed. What would it be like to have super strength, to drink blood or shift?

If she knew which virus had won the battle, she’d be coping better. “How long do you think I have to wait?”

“How am I supposed to know? This was all theory until this morning. Now, get this forsaken sword out of my gut, Sorin. We had a deal.”

Sorin fingered the sword hilt. They had made a deal. Susan lived; so should Benic. He’d given his word. Then again…

Why should he let the vampire go? They’d broken agreements with shifters throughout history. He would be doing his people a service by destroying a vampire lord.

He glanced over his shoulder at Susan. “He infected you on purpose. He wanted to steal you away from me.” He couldn’t restrain the growl that followed his words.

Dark circles hollowed her eyes, and her long hair fell limp over her shoulders. The sickness had drained her but left her alive. She’d heal. Into what, though?

She watched his hand on the sword. “You infected me when you bit me as well.”

“Making you sick wasn’t my intention. I barely understand this virus even with both of you explaining it to me.” He twisted the sword a little.

Benic’s scream pierced his sharp hearing.

“I should kill you for putting her through this.” He yanked the sword from the vampire body and pressed the blade at his throat. “I’ll keep my promise for today, because you saved her. Next time we meet I won’t be so generous.” The sword felt awkward in his grasp. How did vampires fight with such bulky things?

Benic rolled onto his knees and rose on shaky legs. He clutched the wound. In a few days, the bloodsucker would be fine. “If she turns vampire, I want your word you won’t harm her.”

“I’d never hurt Susan. This wasn’t her choice.”

The vampire nodded, then shuffled to the Temple’s exit. “You might want to tell her that when you find her.”

“What?” Sorin spun around. The shelter was empty and Susan gone.

Chapter Forty-Five

The scent of roasting pig had Kele halting in her tracks. She met Peder’s questioning gaze. Who was cooking?

Outside the Temple, by the entrance stairs, Ahote guarded a fire pit in feral form. He waved.

Kele stared at the food, her stomach rumbled. “You went hunting?” When had she last eaten?

“There’s plenty for everyone.” The hunter’s ears fanned out as if pleased with himself.

She expected a different scenario upon arrival. The worst being Susan dead, but Ahote seemed far from grieving. “We brought the medicine. Where’s Susan?”

Someone moved in the shadow of a tree close to the pit. “She left.”

“Benic?” She recognized his voice. Glancing at Ahote, she posed a silent what-is-he-doing-here question.

He shrugged. “I found him sitting on the steps. Waiting. Clearly, he’s not in his right mind.”

“I’m not leaving until I know what Susan has become.” The vampire remained under the tree, unmoving.

Kele frowned at his uncharacteristic behavior. “What are you talking about?” The vampire seemed more subdued than usual, and she smelled old blood drifting from his area.

“Those myths Susan spoke of—the ones about humans changing into vampire or shifter after a bite—they’re true.”

Kele scratched her ear as she tilted her head. “And exactly how did you find this out?” She wanted to shake him. That’s why he’d stolen Susan away. He wanted to try out his theory without her permission. Arrogant ferret.

“She gave me a blood sample to study.” He shifted his body and clutched his stomach as if uncomfortable.

Pausing by the cooking pit, Kele gave Ahote a questioning look. What, by the Dark Moon, had happened while they’d been gone? “So there is a world full of people who could change species by a single bite?”

“If they survive the infection.” Ahote crossed his arms. “He forgot to mention that important fact.”

A jolt of revelation rocked her. “What have you done, Benic?” Susan had been so ill leaving the castle. Sorin had told her he assumed she’d caught the Apisi illness.

The vampire hung his head. “I’m tired of being alone. I don’t expect any of you to understand.”

“What happened? Where are they?” Her voice rose as she spoke. Two good people were missing and—and here Benic, Ahote and Peder sat having a pig roast.

“They’re fine.” Ahote poked at their cooking meal. “It’s done.”

“I gave Susan something to prevent her from dying. She left the Temple and Sorin went after her.” Benic sighed. “But she’s carrying both vampire and shifter viruses.” He turned his head toward Ahote. “I’m not leaving until I have a better idea of what she’s becoming.”

She shook her head. “Oh, Benic.” He always meddled in other’s affairs. She searched the surrounding woods but saw nothing. May the Goddess bring Susan light.

“Once we eat, I’ll return you home, Kele.” Ahote sliced some meat from the roast with his claws and handed it to her.

She juggled the hot food between her hands. Juices ran from it and the smell… If she could shift to feral form, she could have gobbled it like the others. Instead, she needed to bite and chew. “I’m not going back.” She spoke with her mouth full. “Not until I know of Susan’s fate. I have not traveled this far to run home now.”

“Spoken like a hunter, Kele.” Benic chuckled.

“A hunter who can’t defend herself.” Ahote sliced another piece of meat from the roast. “I tire of the wilderness and want to return home. There’s a bath and better company at our den. No matter how long we stay out here, we’ll still have to explain the events of last night to your parents.”

She grimaced and swallowed the lump of meat in her throat. This would make her parents even more determined to safeguard her future. Would they really send her away to some strange pack as a potential mate? Maybe she should have tried harder to find a male within her own pack. “I’m sure Peder will stay until his alpha returns.”

The omega was reaching in the pit for more meat, his gaze on Ahote as if waiting for the hunter to pounce. When she spoke, he halted. “I will.”

Ahote closed his eyes for a moment and wiped his muzzle. “I guess that means I must stay.” He sighed with a heavy heart. “I’ve protected your hide since the day you were set in your own cave. I’m not leaving you here with only an omega.” He glared at her then at Peder. “This better not be because you want another opportunity to pet him.”

“Ahote.” She flushed so hard her toes curled. She didn’t need reminding of her attraction to Peder. Her reaction at his den was enough shame to swallow, but she hated the way everyone kept touching him. If he returned home she’d never see him again, and maybe she’d regain some sanity. Her gaze drifted over to Benic, who sat so still.

Kele’s discomfort with her attraction to Peder made Benic chuckle in silence. If he laughed aloud, it would hurt too much. As it was, his hand kept his guts from spilling to the ground. The moist sensation against his palm made him queasy. He needed to find something to bind around his midsection if he ever planned to walk home.

His wound would eventually heal. He’d had worse. The indignation of being injured with his own weapon would take longer.

He couldn’t believe Sorin had kept his sword. The alpha didn’t have any use for the weapon. It was perfectly balanced for Benic’s hand. He’d owned it ever since he came to Amerigo over a hundred years ago. Finding a replacement would be time consuming.

“Benic?” Kele stepped under the shadow of the tree and knelt next to him. “You’re hurt.” She pried his hands from the wound.

Pain shot across his abdomen. He bent over and clutched his gut, breathing hard. “That’s an understatement. I’ll be fine with time. Don’t concern yourself with me.”

“Have you fed?”

Shifting his hips, he sat up straighter. “From whom? I doubt Ahote or Sorin would have offered since they’re the ones who impaled me in the first place.”

“Here.” She presented her wrist close to his mouth.

A shudder ran through his body. Instinctual hunger could drive a vampire mad. After his blood loss last night, it was a wonder he hadn’t torn out Peder’s throat upon his arrival. He possessed little love for the omega but he had to admire how Peder slipped into Kele’s affections so quickly.

For someone who was supposed to be submissive and fulfill everyone’s needs, Peder seemed to always get what he desired. That required skill.

“That’s very gracious of you, Kele.” He took her wrist in his hands, careful to be gentle, and brought it to his lips. With a meal close at hand, his hunger jumped up and roared. He met her stare as he pressed his fangs against her skin and licked the spot he planned on biting.

Her gaze softened.

With an expert’s ease, he pierced her. The salty flavor of her blood filled his mouth. Sucking at the dual puncture, he closed his eyes and moaned.

Kele’s quiet gasp was pleasure to his ears.

He could sense her leaning forward and deepened his feeding, taking longer, slower draughts. She tasted better than the finest wines. Rich and warm, her blood eased his pains. How easy to drain her, but he released his bite. His muscles trembled with restraint. She hadn’t quenched his thirst. A few more volunteers would be needed before his hunger was sated. With his thumb, he applied pressure to the wound and stopped the bleeding. It wouldn’t take long.

Licking his lips, he rested against the tree trunk, savoring the aftertaste. She rarely agreed to feed him.

Over her shoulder, Benic didn’t miss the glare directed at him from Peder. Let the games begin, little shifter. “Why would you feed me after all the wrong you think I have done?”

“Sorin has Susan back, and I forgive your misguided attempt at rescuing me from an unwanted mating.” She stared at her lap and picked at imaginary lint. Her pale hair fell across her face, hiding her expression. “You were a friend once.” She whispered the last sentence.

The words struck deeper than the sword. His smile faded, and he slipped his hand from her wrist. “I still am.”

Ahote coughed, choking on a mouth full of hog. He hit his chest and swallowed with some difficulty. “You have an odd way of showing it.”

Kele rose and sat next to the fire pit.

Physical pain could be ignored. It would heal and become a faded memory. The sight of Kele taking a morsel from Peder’s hands branded a hurt on his heart that would never mend. Did he love her? Or was it her rejection? Only time would tell.

He glared at the dark shifter. “You’re alive. I could have used a poison instead of a sedative on my blowdarts.” He pulled his knees up to his chest to ease the pain and gazed out into the forest.

Ahote shook his head. “I’m sure in a sick, vampire fashion, this is considered a sign of friendship.”

“As a matter of fact it is. You mean something to Kele. It would be rude to cause her unnecessary grief.” Though he could live with the loss of both these shifters.

Kele raised her hands. “Enough. It’s a matter that is finished.”

She said she forgave him but he could sense the difference. Their relationship was damaged. He’d have to find a way to make amends since he still wanted good ties to the Payami. Benic sighed, suddenly feeling all his years. He watched the forest. Where was Sorin? For an alpha, he sure was taking his time in catching his exhausted and weak mate.

Chapter Forty-Six

Sorin, in feral form, followed Susan’s trail from the Temple. Once again she ran from him in a time of trouble, instead of to him.

When they’d first met at the Temple, he’d forgiven her for running away since she’d never seen a shifter in feral form before. Rushing from his den, after Lailanie had confronted her, had hurt but he thought they had cleared their misunderstandings. Now this—once again she was distressed and ran from his care. Ran from him. Didn’t she know he loved her with all his heart?

Her lack of faith in him stung more than any injury he’d ever suffered. He followed her scent and stayed in close proximity, to protect her, but didn’t intrude on her need to be alone. She ran for a reason and he let her. For the moment.

She made enough noise in her supposed escape that it required little effort to follow. He hid in the brush and watched her collapse by the stream, her head bent and the ends of her hair trailing in the fast-flowing water.

Quiet sobs reached his ears.

They twisted his heart into knots. He took a deep breath to relieve the pressure. Why was she crying? She’d survived the infection and they could be together. When she woke this morning, he’d experienced a joy so deep it stole his breath.

He sat hard on the ground and watched her. Nothing stalked the forest that he could hear or smell. She was safe from everything but his confusion.

Should he go to her? He flicked his ear, swatting a curious fly away. In all the years since his mother passed, he’d never needed her advice more than now.

“I know you’re there.” Susan spoke with a broken voice.

He sighed, somewhat relieved she’d taken the decision of contact from him. He rose to his feet and pushed through the brush until he reached the edge of the stream. “How did you know?” If she ran again, he wouldn’t chase. This kind of game had to end. He sat close without touching her, even though every instinct in his body cried out to cradle her in his arms.

She chuckled and sobbed at the same time. “I could smell you.” She faced him, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, and threw herself against his chest. Her shoulders shook as she cried in silence.

Relief melted him against her. She still needed him, wanted him. He crushed her in his arms, burying his nose in her hair, and waited.

Susan’s throat ached. She couldn’t remember ever crying like this before. She never had reason to, never lost anything important enough to grieve this hard. Her sobs eased into shudders as she clung to Sorin.

Rubbing her face against his thick fur, she inhaled his scent. It eased the tension in her shoulders. The comfort his presence offered only reminded her of how much she would lose if she turned into a vampire.

She wanted to cry some more but her tears had run dry. “Shift to civil form for me?”

He leaned away to stare into her face, concern in his expression. The soft fur disappeared, and his stern face returned as he fulfilled her request. “Why are you so upset?” He brushed her hair from her cheeks.

She crawled onto his lap and nestled her face into the crook of his neck. “I’m not human anymore. I don’t know what I am.”

“You’re Susan.” He sounded so confused, she laughed. His response was so simple, as if it should solve all her worries.

“Am I? Wasn’t being human part of me?”

“Sure, but so will this.” He kissed her forehead. “Is that what all your tears were about?”

“Yes. You make it sound silly.”

“When you ran…” He squeezed her tighter. “I thought maybe you’d changed your mind about us.”

She pulled away from him so she could observe his face. “Never.” The sorrow in his eyes tore through her grief. She’d hurt him unintentionally.

“Is it so hard for you to turn to me in time of need instead of running away?” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.

“No—yes. I’ve never really had someone t-to lean on.”

“You do now.” He cupped her face.

“What if I’m a vampire? What would you do then?”

His smile faded. “I would love you.”

Those words eased the sharp ache in her heart. The truth was evident in his eyes. Shifters didn’t lie. “Could you? I mean, you hate them so much.”

“I do.” He sighed and leaned closer until his lips met hers. Kissing her slowly, he drew her back into his arms, the heat from his body a delicious comfort. “I hate them for what they did to my people. You were never part of that. I love you.” He slid his hands along her thighs, raising the hem of her dress. “I want you. Nothing will ever change that.” He kissed her again, deep enough to curl her toes. “Nothing.”

“No more running.” She surrendered to him, leaning into his affection. Gazing into his amber eyes, she wanted to lose herself. “I love you so much.” She encircled his face with her hands. “You’re mine.”

He gripped her hips, pulling her tight against him. “I almost lost you. I don’t know what I would have done—”

She pressed her fingers against his mouth. “Don’t. You’ll make me cry again.” Finding a smile for him proved to be difficult. She wanted to believe him with all her heart, but knew she wouldn’t until the transformation was completed, and he still stuck around.

Who knew how long before her change took effect? She imagined the virus would need time to corrupt all her DNA. Her canines were longer and her sense of smell more acute, but both species carried these traits. Time would reveal her fate. Soon, she hoped.

Repositioning herself, she straddled Sorin.

He moved his hands higher along her thighs until he cupped her ass, his hard cock slipping between her legs. “Can I have you?” Deep and rough, his voice caressed her ear.

It sent a shiver down her spine. Rocking her hips, she rubbed his tip between her nether lips for an answer.

He moaned and whispered, “Susan, I’m going to claim you now.”

“Yes.”

With a gentle thrust, Sorin buried himself deep inside her.

She arched her body against him and cried out. She loved the sweet pleasure he gave her—the desire on his face, his wild amber eyes.

His hands held her hips as he pulled back and pumped inside her. He moved her up and down on his body, plunging deeper.

Tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. Raw bliss was a hard, grazing want inside her belly. “Sorin! Please…” She shook with pleasure as wave after wave cascaded through her body. They needed this moment to reaffirm their commitment. She’d never leave Eorthe given the chance again, and he’d love her even if she became a creature he despised.

Sorin ground into her, pressing her swollen clitoris against him.

There was power in this male. Potent, unrelenting, brawny. But she couldn’t ponder it. Sensation took over, different than before—instinctual, carnal. She grasped his hair and pulled his head back, exposing his neck.

This male belonged to her. No other should dare touch him, and she needed to let them know. She bit him. The salty flavor of sweat and dirt met her tongue.

“Fuck, yes.” He forged harder and faster inside her pussy, his rhythm becoming erratic.

She growled, biting harder, and wouldn’t let go as her climax mixed in with his.

He roared and bucked underneath her, guiding her hips to milk his cock and make her own him, until she no longer cared who or what she was as long as she had Sorin.

They came together.

Belonged together.

Susan rested her head on Sorin’s shoulder, her arms around his neck, and caught her breath. Even though exhausted from the recent events, they both needed this moment—a reaffirmation of their love.

Probing his neck with his fingers, he felt along her bite mark. “Nicely done. A proper mating bite.” He grinned as if she’d given him the best present.

Her stomach went queasy. She turned away.

“What’s wrong?”

“I bit you like a vampire.”

“You didn’t drink. Do you desire my blood?”

“No,” she whispered and searched deep inside. The idea revolted her. Smiling, she faced her mate. “No, I wanted to mark you as mine.”

“That’s good.” His grin grew wider. “That’s very good. You’ve worried so much about becoming vampire, but what if you are a shifter?”

She blinked. What if? Her heart raced. “That would be wonderful. I could truly be your mate.”

“You always have been.” He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. “Let’s go home.”

“Home. I’d like that. We should stop at the Temple and tell Ahote we’re leaving.”

Sorin snorted. “You’re not allowed near him anymore. He’s not to be trusted around mated females. Let him go back to his own pack.”

She laughed. “What about Kele and Benic?”

“Let Benic rot, but I guess Peder and Kele may have returned in our absence. We’ll skirt around and reassure them.”

Sorin rose from the ground with her still in his arms and shifted to feral form. He swung her on his back. “Hang on. I can’t wait for the pack to see your bite upon my flesh.”

She lay across him, her arms around his thick neck, his fur a comfortable bed. “Me too.”

Epilogue

The sounds of birds singing vanished as Susan stalked through the forest. She raised her muzzle to the wind and caught the scent she’d been searching for.

Sorin.

Her ears came forward and she quickened her walking pace. After six months, she still had trouble running on all fours, and she didn’t want to risk tripping. The cargo she carried was too precious.

Howls flooded the forest air. The hunters were successful. It would be a good night in the Apisi den.

She followed their song over a hill until she reached the meadow.

Sorin and his hunters gathered in the center with their kills. He raised his head in her direction and raced at full speed, coming to a sudden halt when he reached her. “Is everything all right? Are the pups well?” He touched her swollen belly with reverence, and worry tinged his cinnamon scent.

“Everything is fine.” She placed her hands on his. The dark brown of her fur contrasted with his silver. “I miss hunting.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “You’re too swollen to run.”

“You mean too clumsy.”

“I worry.”

She shifted to her civil form, not concerned with her nudity like she used to be. Ever since she learned to shift, her world had changed for the better. She’d never been so happy.

The forest wasn’t a fearful place anymore. She welcomed nature now and loved the land. A new connection existed between her and the world— something humans were missing. She wished she could share it with them.

Settling on a patch of moss, she watched the hunters carry their kills home.

Sorin shifted and joined her. He laid his head upon her belly, caressing her roundness. “I can’t wait.”

Born of Earth, she’d been lost in the world of technology. Susan didn’t miss any of it. She was a daughter of Eorthe now, female alpha of the loving Apisi, and mate to her Sorin. She’d bear his pups with pride and hopefully lead their people into a new age.

Content

Scent of Salvation
Chronicles of Eorthe - 1
by
Annie Nicholas

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty–Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Epilogue