Red Wolf

  “Gotta go,” Zander said quickly. “He’s my ride. You two take care of yourselves. Rae and I are staying in Austin a few days, so now’s good time for your sun ceremony.” He pointed both forefingers at Jaycee and Dimitri. “Later.” He swung around, coat flying. “See you, Ben!” he shouted, then the front door banged, letting in a blast of warm, humid air.

  A moment later, a motorcycle rumbled to life. Jaycee heard Zander shouting for Tiger to wait; the motorcycle paused, then revved and drove off, its roar disappearing into the distance.

  Jaycee wanted to fall into Dimitri and hang on. She was exhausted and starving, and a little nervous about what Tiger might have been trying to tell her.

  Dimitri’s gray gaze rested on Jaycee, no doubt about what was on his mind. The love in his eyes was plain too, and Jaycee felt the mate bond tighten around her heart.

  Ben eyed them both and cleared his throat. “I should get going. I’ll stop by and make sure Casey’s all right, take him home. I’ll just . . .” He began drifting toward the door. “I’ll let myself out.”

  Jaycee knew she should be polite, ask Ben to stay, offer him dinner maybe, but she couldn’t find the words. She needed to be with Dimitri, to reassure herself he was all right, that they’d survived. Hell, they’d even completed their mission to find out what was up with Brice and his Shifters.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ben grin, then drift away. After a moment or two, another motorcycle started up and the sound of its engine faded into the afternoon.

  Dimitri put his arms around Jaycee and tugged her close, their mouths meeting in a hungry kiss . . .

  The door to Faerie burst open. Ice-cold wind blew through the house, shriveling the vines around the door.

  Dimitri spun from Jaycee, thrusting her behind him at the same time. Jaycee tried to shove her way to his side, but Dimitri’s strong arm held her in place.

  Simeon strode through the door, his sword drawn, his face twisted with terrible rage. Maybe the iron in this house wasn’t enough to impede him from entering the human world, maybe he knew spells that mitigated the effects, or maybe he just didn’t care.

  He kept advancing, his sword poised to kill. “You murdered my best Shifter,” he snapped at Dimitri. “I promised his people I’d avenge him.”

  Jaycee’s growls filled the room as she became leopard. Her party clothes shredded and fell from her, then she rushed Simeon with Feline speed.

  Simeon whirled to face her, sword ready, but Dimitri grabbed his sword arm with his human hands, his strength renewed from Zander’s healing. He twisted, but Simeon kept hold of the sword, snarling as he whipped it around to strike at Dimitri.

  “Shit!” Dimitri danced out of the way and aimed a roundhouse kick at Simeon’s middle. Simeon anticipated and spun away, only to find himself facing a leopard.

  Jaycee read the flash of irritation in his eyes, annoyance at himself for miscalculating. Jaycee sprang before he could recover his surprise, landing on him full force.

  He fought her, but Jaycee’s impact pushed them both into the nearest wall. Which shook.

  The house began moving, every beam rattling, the crystal sconces tinkling, the chandelier in the main hall creaking noisily. The windows shivered, the shutters clacked, and the floor heaved.

  The house was furious. Why it had let Simeon in, Jaycee didn’t know, unless it hadn’t been paying attention. Or maybe it had wanted him there . . .

  Jaycee leapt from Simeon as the wall behind him bowed backward. The paneling split open, showing red, crumbling brick, which itself began to part. Mortar shattered, brick dust fell, and a gap behind it opened to nothing.

  Simeon’s eyes widened as he was sucked into this gap, then the bricks rushed together around him. His sword clanked to the floor and he screamed, looking to Jaycee imploringly, his hands reaching for her.

  Jaycee started for him, but Dimitri yanked her back. She shifted to human, landing against Dimitri, his arms enclosing her.

  The vines around the door shot to the bricks. They slithered between them and whipped around Simeon’s body where it was pinned, wrapping him tighter and tighter. Vines covered his face, and then there was a sickening crunch, and Simeon’s screaming ceased.

  The vines tightened once more, and then Simeon’s body dissolved to dust, much like Shifters did when their hearts were pierced by the Guardian’s sword. Pieces of brick and mortar rained down with the dust, then the vines withdrew, the paneling closed again, and all was silence.

  “My, my.”

  Lady Aisling stood in the doorway to Faerie, once more in her gardening clothes. She wore her broad-brimmed hat and carried a basket and trowel.

  “A sentient house,” she said, stepping through the doorway and making her way to the pile of dust that used to be Simeon. “Quite a rarity. They are very protective of their people.” She put a light hand on the painted paneling that looked none the worse for wear. “I will just take care of this, then leave them alone,” she said to the house. Aisling knelt, scooped the dust with her trowel into her basket, and rose again.

  “Actually, I came to give you this,” Aisling said to Jaycee and Dimitri, who clung to each other as they watched her in stunned silence. She took a stone from her pocket, an amethyst wrapped with gold wire. “You two seem to have a nose for trouble. But I like you. If you ever have need of my assistance, hold this and say my name. I’ll hear you.” She seemed to understand that neither Jaycee nor Dimitri wanted her to approach while she held the basket, and she set the stone on a table. “My felicitations on your upcoming nuptials,” she said, then gave them a brisk nod and turned away.

  She stepped out the door, calling ahead to someone beyond. “Stop worrying, my good woman. I was only collecting what was left of Simeon Mac An Bhaird. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.”

  Her voice drifted away, then the door slammed shut, its lock clicked, and then the door itself winked out of existence. Bare blank paneling was left in its place, white-painted and innocuous. The vines that had encircled it withdrew all the way out the window, until there was no evidence that they’d ever entered the house in the first place.

  Jaycee turned in Dimitri’s arms, shaking all over. “I think I want to go home.”

  “Yeah,” Dimitri said. “Me too. Let’s grab our stuff and hit the road.”

  They went up the stairs hand in hand. The house was quiet, the wind chimes whispering on the veranda, late sunlight slanting through the windows.

  Jaycee’s room was bathed in warm light, the clouds on the horizon stained gold, red, and orange. A cool breeze blew through the open window, curtains moving softly.

  Jaycee lifted her bag of clothes, then put it down. The house made no sound, but she sensed its tension, its worry that it would be left alone again. “On the other hand,” she said to Dimitri. “It will be dark soon. We could make a start after breakfast tomorrow.”

  Dimitri leaned on the doorframe, his tall, honed body unclothed, his wanting showing plainly. “What did you have in mind to do until then?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Jaycee folded her arms and leaned back on a bedpost.

  Dimitri started for her at a leisurely pace, his gaze never leaving her. She’d noticed that since they’d left Simeon’s fortress, he hadn’t stuttered, as though some switch had been thrown inside him. She decided not to mention it.

  She didn’t have the chance. As soon as Dimitri reached her he pulled her against him, drawing her up for a slow, need-filled kiss.

  The wind chimes jangled in the breeze, the air cooling as the sun slipped over the horizon. Jaycee was plenty warm as Dimitri lowered her to the bed, coming over her with his heated body. He skimmed the hair back from her forehead as he slid inside her, his kiss slow and full of fire.

  When he eased from the kiss, he looked at her with eyes heavy with desire. “I love you, Jaycee. Mate of my heart.”

&n
bsp; Jaycee touched his face. “Always my mate,” she whispered. “My friend, my love, my other self.”

  Dimitri grinned. “Shut up and kiss me.”

  Jaycee did, then she wrapped her legs around him and drew him in, surrendering to love, desire, and the hot-bodied man who was her best friend and the truest mate of her heart.

  EPILOGUE

  One week later, Kendrick conducted the first full sun and moon ceremonies he’d done at his ranch, the new home for his Shifters. With his mate, Addison, by his side, he blessed the union of Dimitri Kashnikov and Jaycee Bordeaux—in the afternoon under the blazing Texas sun; then that night under the gentle full moon.

  Shifters from Kendrick’s ranch and the Austin Shiftertown went crazy at the party after that, celebrating a new mating, a new hope.

  Kendrick had snarled and shouted and growled at Dimitri and Jaycee when they’d come home to the ranch, more furious than Dimitri had ever seen him. Kendrick had kept up the severe, pissed-off leader stance for a while, then had grabbed Jaycee and hugged her hard, tears in his green eyes.

  He’d continued yelling at Dimitri for not keeping Jaycee safe and then for nearly dying himself, and losing his best trackers. Then he’d pulled Dimitri into a firm embrace.

  They’d been joined by Addie and the cubs, everyone crying, the cubs in turn yowling and hugging them. Once they’d settled down, Addie had seized Jaycee by the hand and taken her into the kitchen for girl chatter. Their laughter and squeals had pierced the air.

  Everyone came to the sun and moon mating—Zander and his mate, Rae, she with a Sword of the Guardian on her back; Ben, who’d brought beer for Dimitri and a bottle of a very fine Côte du Rhône for Jaycee; Dylan and his family; Tiger and his—Tiger carrying the very tiny boy, Seth, with great pride but also much care. Casey had come, brought by Angus, who’d said that attending a mating ritual would do the man good. Casey was grieving from his mate leaving him, Dimitri could see, but he did seem cheered by the party and meeting new Shifters. Hopefully he’d get over Maeve and find someone worthy of him.

  Angus brought a boy of about ten with him, explaining that he was his cub. A troublemaker, he’d said, pride in his voice. Raising him on his own was hell. The cub, a Lupine with a serious expression, agreed it was tough taking care of his dad by himself. Dimitri wondered if Angus had told the kid about his adventures or if he’d decided not to mention what danger he’d been in.

  The party lasted well into the night; Charlie happy to keep supplying beer, burgers, pizza, even champagne. Cubs ran wild, Kendrick’s cubs romping and playing without worry.

  One day soon, according to Tiger’s prediction, Dimitri and Jaycee would be watching their cub run with them.

  Dimitri enjoyed hanging out with his friends, but after a while, he wished they’d all disappear so he could be alone with Jaycee. But Shifters loved a good shindig and weren’t about to leave anytime soon.

  They all wanted to talk to Dimitri and Jaycee. Ben cornered them on the back porch of the ranch house while Shifters in various forms did a conga line around the outer cabins.

  “So,” Ben said, slamming himself into a porch chair and shoving his feet onto the railing. “Dylan just told me you met one of the Tuil Erdannan. No way. He’s making that up, right?”

  “You mean Aisling?” Jaycee asked. She’d curled up next to Dimitri on the porch swing, his arm around her, her warm head resting on his shoulder. “I think that’s what she said she was. She was nice.”

  “Nice?” Ben came up, feet thumping on the porch floor. “Sweetie, the Tuil Erdannan are not nice. They’re crazy, powerful, ultra-magical killing machines. You met one, and you’re still alive? That’s what you should be asking yourself.”

  Jaycee started but Dimitri soothed her, stroking her shoulder. “She helped us,” he said. “She liked Jaycee.”

  Ben stared at them. “Seriously, you two . . . You’re amazing. Totally amazing.”

  “Are they that dangerous?” Jaycee asked. “I’d never heard of the Tuil Erdannan.”

  “That’s because you don’t care what goes on in Faerie. The Tuil Erdannan don’t pay a lot of attention to lesser mortals, thank the Goddess. Can’t be bothered. They’re very old, can wipe out their enemies with their pinkies if they want to, and some say they created the dokk alfar. Just for fun. To see if they could. I don’t know if that’s true, but they seem more disposed to leave the dokk alfar alone, while they are happy to beat the high Fae to a pulp. They didn’t help my people though.” Ben scowled. “I bet they didn’t even notice.”

  “If you ever meet Aisling, you can ask her,” Jaycee said.

  Ben blew out a breath. “I doubt I ever will. Maybe that’s best.”

  “You could,” Jaycee said. “She gave me a talisman to summon her. But she said only in need. You asking her what the fuck? probably doesn’t qualify as great need.”

  Ben’s eyes widened. “She gave you a talisman? Shit.” He ground the heel of his hand to his forehead. “The most powerful beings around, except for the Goddess, and she just hands you a summoning talisman?”

  “Yes.” Jaycee started to smile. “I think I will ask her to meet you. Might be fun to watch.”

  Ben rose, making an I-give-up gesture. “What you call fun and what I do are vastly different, sweetie. You two enjoy each other.” He started down the steps, then turned back. “Congratulations,” he said, his voice softening. “Really. I knew you belonged together.”

  He sent them a grin, shook his head again, and headed back for the party.

  “Everyone did,” Jaycee said softly. “Addie too. She told me when she first came here that we should be mates.”

  “We knew,” Dimitri said, kissing her hair. “We just took our time admitting it. At least, you did. I always said you were the one for me.”

  Jaycee turned to him, her eyes lit with her love. “You’re a shit.”

  “Yeah, but you adore me.”

  Dimitri bent to kiss her, but no, they couldn’t be left alone even long enough for one hot kiss. Dylan climbed to the porch, sent them an unapologetic look, and sat down.

  “I wanted to talk to you alone.”

  Dimitri spread his hands. “Here we are. Alone. Mates on their moon ceremony night—how weird is that?”

  Dylan shot him an exasperated look. “I won’t keep you. My own mate is feeling the power of the sun and moon mating. But I haven’t had a chance to speak to you.”

  Dimitri conceded. “Speak, then. Before Glory comes and drags you off. She will, you know.”

  “Yes. I do know.” Another wry glance. “During the last year, I’ve been rounding up Shifters,” Dylan said. “Ones I handpick—Kendrick has been helping me.”

  Dimitri remembered what Angus had said when they’d found the circle in Brice’s basement, that Dylan had been pulling Shifters out of Shiftertowns for who-knew-what reason.

  “I heard,” Dimitri said. “Sort of. Angus mentioned it.”

  “I’ve talked to Angus too,” Dylan said, unruffled. “I asked him to join.”

  “Join what?” Jaycee asked.

  “My army. Fae are recruiting Shifters—coercing, promising, or out-and-out abducting. They want their Battle Beasts, as you saw. Simeon was only one of the Fae gearing up. They are mainly fighting each other at the moment, trying to decide who will lead them. They want back into this world, which they ruled in the deep past. They want to use Shifters to do it—are using them already. I want to fight back. So I’m picking the best Shifters I know to gather them and train. I need Shifters like you, who are not only good fighters but can make decisions without leaders there every second to guide you.” He sat back. “It’s entirely up to you. Are you in?”

  “Yes,” Jaycee answered immediately.

  “No,” Dimitri said.

  Jaycee blinked at him in shock. “What?”

  Dimitri braced his bare f
oot on the porch floor, stilling the swing. “They nearly killed us in there. Nearly killed my mate. Jaycee’s going to have a cub. I want her safe—I want the cub safe. If you want me to answer now, I can’t.”

  Jaycee’s mouth was open. “Speak for yourself.”

  “I am,” Dimitri told her. “And our cub.”

  Jaycee watched him a moment longer, then drew a breath. “He’s right. I need to think about the cub. Maybe later?”

  Dylan rose, seeming unworried by Dimitri’s answer. “I don’t know how long the Fae will wait. If you change your mind, let Kendrick know.” He sent Jaycee a faint smile. “Now I will leave you alone. The blessings of the Goddess be upon you.”

  With that, he walked down the stairs, along the path to the cabins. A tall woman with very blond hair was striding toward the house, and when Dylan reached her, he slid an arm around her and led her into the shadows.

  Jaycee didn’t speak for a time. Dimitri held her, the swing rocking, the night breeze kind.

  “I can’t tell whether I’m having a cub or not,” Jaycee said after a while. “I might not be.”

  “Tiger thinks so.” Dimitri caressed her bare arm with his thumb. “I haven’t known him long, but so far, he’s never been wrong.”

  Jaycee smiled, her golden eyes glinting in the darkness. “We could always make sure.”

  “That we could.” Dimitri grinned back at her. “Should we try to reach my cabin without being intercepted, or use your room?”

  “My room’s closer.”

  They studied each other a moment and then as one sprang to their feet and made a mad dash into the house. Jaycee bounded ahead of Dimitri, laughing, flowing into her bedroom and spinning in place to wait for him.

  Dimitri kicked the door shut. “Vixen.”

  “Leopard,” Jaycee corrected him. She came to him, beautiful as ever, and Dimitri’s heart soared. She was his—his love, his life. Jaycee slanted him a sly glance. “My sexy red wolf.”