Flying Fur (2 page)

Tony and Teal moved to take up their greeting positions, and Misty moved to the side, out of the way but able to watch the newcomer.

A flash of light illuminated the room and a figure staggered out of the glow. Tony and Teal moved to catch him, and Misty blinked as they eased him away from the drop point.

She heard Tony soothing the newcomer. “Come on, predators have a rougher time entering the Crossroads.”

The man grunted, and Tony led him off to the side, helping keep him steady while Teal gave him the briefing of how the Crossroads’ system worked and she gave him the wristband with the charm on it that would shift with him, pay for his purchases and open his hotel room or hostel door.

“This is Misty; she is another guest here, but she has offered to help us with tours of the Crossroads today as we are a little slammed. He is staying at the hostel. Misty, I need you back here in an hour. We are about to get a flood of new arrivals, and while that is great for folks like you, it means a long day for us.”

Misty smiled and snapped off a salute before greeting the newcomer. “My name is Misty; come this way.”

He nodded and followed her. He was still a little wobbly, so she took his arm. “Come on, big boy.”

He looked down at her and an amused grin covered his features. “I am not big, you are tiny.”

She snorted. “I am just the right height for me. What is your name?”

“Conrad. She said you were a guest?”

Misty laughed. “Yes. I just haven’t clicked with anyone yet.”

“But, you are gorgeous.”

“And as soon as I open my mouth, you will forget all about that. Now, this is the general store and it delivers what it promises.” She grinned and gave him the tour that included the high points of the Crossroads’ commercial endeavours and the shifter’s field where he could run in his other form if he was so inclined.

She took him to the hostel and stopped at the gender barrier. “This is where I leave you. There is a hostel manager inside, but I believe you can pretty much pick your spot now.”

He took her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you for the tour. For the record, your mouth didn’t stop you from being beautiful, but I don’t feel a connection.”

She snickered. “Me neither, but the mouth thing works most of the time. It gives the guys a nice out.”

Conrad kissed her cheek. “They don’t need an out; they just need to be the right man for you.”

Misty wrinkled her nose. “Thank you. I will see you around. It is time to get back to the Meditation Centre. My charm and verbal dexterity are actually in demand today.”

She winked and waved him off as she turned to get to her next assignment. It was nice to have something to do.

Her feet were throbbing and she had done five rounds of the Crossroads. Misty was now waiting for her last tour of the day.

Teal and Tony leaned against each other as they waited for whatever signal came through from the real world. It had been a tiring day all around. The café and restaurant were about to get overrun.

“Here he comes.”

The light flared and a form appeared. As the light receded, the newest arrival was on one knee with his forearm braced on the other. He stood easily, and Teal and Tony gave him the briefing while tagging him.

“Misty will be giving you your tour. Misty, he is staying at the Open Heart.” Teal smiled wearily and waved her hand toward Misty.

“Please come with me.” She beckoned to him and waited until he joined her. She would say he was tall, but everyone was tall in comparison to her. It was his thick and wavy dark blonde hair that made her smile. His dark amber eyes were heavy lidded and his lips had a sensual pout. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed or was intent on getting back into it.

His voice rolled across her skin when he said, “Your name is Misty?”

She ignored the interest that his voice woke in her tired body and wrinkled her nose as she linked her arm with his. “It is. I know, I am far too short to be an Irish stripper, but that is the name I am stuck with.”

He chuckled. “It is a good name. My name is Samuel.”

His voice made her shiver. “Nice to meet you, Samuel.”

She steered him toward the general store.

“We have met before, Misty. I was not at my best but you were magnificent.”

She blinked. “We have?”

He laughed. “I was one of those you rescued before you returned to the Council headquarters, and by the time I was out of recovery, you were here, so I have come to see if we are as good a match as I imagined.”

Misty wanted to know what his animal was. Who was he from that final collection?

She went through the motions of the general store, the restaurant, the mani-pedi office that she had taken advantage of four times in the last two weeks, and of course the Crossed Star Bar.

They walked arm in arm to the shifter’s field. “This is where you can change into yourself and go for a run or just lie in the sun.”

“Do you change here?”

She chuckled. “No, I am a little more tree bound.”

She didn’t mention that she was considered a prey item to most of those that ran in this area.

He smiled. “I would protect you.”

She blinked. “You just met me.”

“Our first interaction made a powerful impression on me. I took a chance that you would still be here, which wasn’t reasonable, but then, instinct isn’t reasonable. Here you are, my escort into the Crossroads.”

Her stomach growled. “As soon as I get you tucked in at the Open Heart, this escort is getting some food. I have been filing you newbies away all day. I need a sandwich.”

“How much can you need? You would eat like a grape and you would be done.”

“Jokes about my size will not be tolerated.” She made it clear. She found that clarification was always a good thing. It told the guy right off where he stood, which was equal to her.

“I see. May I join you for dinner?”

She paused. “Why would you want to do that?”

“I have always been curious how long it takes a dainty lady to lose her temper. I am willing to keep at it until I have the answer.”

Misty was startled into laughing as she brought him to the Open Heart. When she stopped laughing, she said, “I will be leaving for dinner in ten minutes. Settle in and I will meet you in the front room.”

“It’s a date.” Samuel grinned and followed Teebie to his room.

Misty bolted up the stairs behind them, changed into a sundress and sandals and tried to ignore the sigh of relief from her toes. She released her hair and brushed it out into a flattering halo around her face. Smiling, she winked at herself in the mirror.

She had a date.

Skidding down the stairs and trying to pose casually in the lobby wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

Teebie offered her a glass of lemonade. “Hot date?”

“A date. Period. It is the most action I have had all week.” Misty sipped the lemonade and tried to look relaxed.

“It has been a little sparse for you since you have been here. I am glad that you and Samuel seem to be sparking.”

Misty made a face. “That is a word for it. I actually feel awake, though a little tired.”

Teebie nodded. “It has been a weird day all around.”

Samuel came down the stairs and grinned at her. “You changed.”

She looked down and blushed. “My sneakers were getting on my nerves. I had hoped to give my feet a break.”

She looked up at him, and those sleepy amber eyes were looking over her with a slow admiration that made her nervous.

“Right, well, dinner. Restaurant or café?” She bit her lip.

“Restaurant is fine.”

Teebie nodded. “I will give Albert a call. You will have a table when you arrive.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” Misty winked and gestured for Samuel to come with her.

He stepped up next to her and offered her his arm. She placed her hand on his forearm, and he led the way out the door with complete confidence. He had obviously been paying attention when she had given him the tour.

“You look lovely.” His low voice rumbled through her.

She tried to hide her shiver. “Thank you. Blue is a good colour on you.”

He grinned. “Thank you.”

In one day, the Crossroads went from ghost town to buzzing with activity. The music was pouring out of the bar. Laughter and small talk carried with it, and the café was bright and rioting with the coloured clothing of those who were in for a casual dinner.

The restaurant’s lighting was more subtle and designed to give the illusion of privacy for each table. Shadows surrounded them, and soft light and a tall candle in a glass hurricane lighted the menus.

Misty looked at Samuel with a bit of a blush. “I haven’t actually been here before. Spike shares when Albert delivers to the bar, so he brings extra.”

Samuel grinned. “I am glad. Over the last few weeks, I have been going over what to ask you.”

She blinked and looked down at the menu. “Ask away. I will answer what I can.”

They placed their orders, and he leaned back with a glass of wine in his hand. “How many collectors have you busted?”

She blinked. “Um, three.”

He rubbed his head. “I had no idea that there were collectors out there. Why isn’t this common knowledge?”

Misty looked up at him. “It is up to each guild member or clan leader to inform and educate their people. Some of the species think that they aren’t targets because they are common or they are too small or not colourful. It isn’t about the attraction of the beast; it is about the imprisonment and torture for entertainment. Lots of species don’t accept that.”

He sighed and nodded. “I guess so. I can tell you it came as a bit of a shock to me. One moment, I was running through the woods, and the next, I was waking up in a crush box. The collar went on and I entered the exhibit until the day you released us.”

She didn’t know how to speak to one of the kidnap victims.

He held up his hands. “Don’t stress. I have met with a councillor and talked out my frustrations. I just wanted you to know that I hadn’t simply met a woman in a bar and been seduced into doing something stupid.”

She chuckled and sipped at her wine. Bread arrived and they shared it while she tried to think of what to say next.

“How long have you worked for the Council?”

Misty smiled. “My family has always worked for the Council. Members of our family serve on a rotation, usually before we have kids.”

“What do you do when you aren’t saving dozens of shifters?” Samuel smiled.

“Paperwork for my family’s company.”

“What do they do?”

She chuckled. “We run a small candy company, and we have just entered into online sales. It stung a little to miss the first few months, but duty is duty. You do what you have to.”

“But, you went right from your assignment to the Crossroads.”

“The timing was right. I was in between obligations and it was the perfect time to make a change, to seek out a mate before anything new caught my attention.” Misty shrugged. “I am easily distracted.”

He laughed. “And very honest.”

Their food arrived and she grinned down at the elegantly arranged plate. “Mm. Yum.”

“I second that. This looks delicious.” Samuel grinned and dug in.

They didn’t speak for five minutes, but when one of them broke the silence, it was a happy sigh.

Samuel leaned back and smiled. “That was good.”

She grinned. “Albert will be happy to hear it. You just have to tell Spike and it will trickle through.”

He sighed happily again.

Misty finished her pasta and vegetables, sipping at her wine and then her water.

Samuel grinned. “Would you go dancing with me?”

She blinked. “Now?”

“After dessert. If dinner was this good, I don’t want to pass up dessert.” He chuckled.

Albert appeared behind him in his chef whites. “I am glad to hear it. I made an amazing apple tart and vanilla ice cream.”

Misty smiled hopefully, “And coffee?”

Albert bowed gracefully. “And coffee. For two?”

Samuel turned to see him and smiled, “Yes, please.”

Albert grinned and returned to the kitchen.

Samuel looked at her. “He is very handsome.”

“And graceful but not my type. His wife is one of the bartenders at the Crossed Star. The one with boobs.”

He choked slightly on his wine at her bald statement.

Dessert came out, delivered by the same cheerful server that had delivered their meal.

“Thanks, Robbie.”

He nodded and disappeared.

Samuel gave her a sly look. “You seem to know everyone here.”

“I have been here for weeks. I find that socializing keeps a person from being bored. I can’t do much to help out, but I am a heckuva conversationalist.”

She lifted her fork, positioned it and attacked the tart. Misty stifled a moan.
Damn the tart is good.

Samuel was in his own world of food-related bliss. The heavy-lidded look on his face was practically sinful. Misty had trouble not staring.

The clinks of forks on plates were the only sounds at their table. The coffee cleansed her palate and washed away all traces of the ice cream.

She sat back and looked at Samuel with a smile around her lips. “So, what do you do for a living?”

He blinked, “Well, I suppose fair is fair. I design websites for commercial enterprises.”

Misty chuckled. “Too bad we didn’t meet a year ago before my family’s company started their efforts to start selling online.”

“A year ago, I was in a relationship. It ended amicably six months ago, but a week after the breakup, I was caught and in the collection.”

Misty frowned. “Wait, a week after you broke up, someone grabbed you in the woods? How amicable was the breakup?”

“She said she wanted to see other people and I said fine.”

Misty winced. “Ouch. Who was she seeing?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t delve into it. If she didn’t want to commit to me, I wasn’t going to chase her. It wasn’t worth the effort.”

“Was she a shifter?”

“No. She was human.”

Misty blinked. “Is that why she wasn’t worth the effort?”