Her Lycan Lover (27 page)

She craved sharing her feelings with him. But how could she without giving away she lacked the buffer. Steady, she told herself and drew all her feelings in the cavernous depths of her being. “How? You never once gave me a sign. For a skirt chaser, you were chill.”

“Out of not wanting to cross boundaries. You were also so professional. Ice Princess. I never thought I’d have a chance.”

“Maybe we were both too cool for our own good.”

“You’re almost mine. And then we’ll have access to each other.”

“And your family. All pure immortals. I can’t imagine them thinking this is happy news. Their son now possibly mortal.”

“Not exactly. They’d be thrilled.”

“With a human.”

“With a woman I’m mad about, and yes. They are aware of my Midnight predicament. Solitary immortality is hardly a prize.”

“Are there other humans in your family?”

“Not for a while. And that reminds me. We’ve still never sat down and talked. There are so many things we need to discuss.” His phone sounded. He stared at her, his hands rubbing down the side of his face.

She stroked his arm. “You’d better get that. It might be about Sonya.”

“Right.” He sighed, lifted off the carpet, and bent his hand down to her. “Up?”

Grasping his large, warm hand, Sherry rose, feeling even smaller than before. Consumed but in the best of ways. This talk of discussion and the concern that blanketed his face, what was it he wanted to say? Queasiness took hold of her stomach. “We can talk later. Okay?”

Quinn picked up his phone. “That was Tristen. I’d better find out the news.”

He dressed while she scouted for her clothing. Unbelievable that it was her office littered from a clothing tornado. With Quinn’s attention elsewhere, she began thinking of how she could get over to the elevator shaft. From what she gathered, the building was in the vicinity of the one Quinn and Shawn owned. Figures the ley line would be smack dab in the middle of a property dispute.

Some easy outpost assignment this turned out to be, she huffed to herself, writing a list of the things she’d need. Nothing came easy this time around. She met Quinn’s gaze as he talked on the phone and he arched an eyebrow at her. The heat from his glance made her nervous. She dropped her pen like a love-struck teenager.

He lowered into a chair in front of her desk, still talking with Tristen about confirming fingerprints.

Sherry clenched her jaw, reaching down to pick up the pen that had rolled under her desk. She pushed her shoulder against the corner, moved the desk over a foot. That shouldn’t have happened. The desk had to weigh a few hundred pounds with the connected credenza and shelving. But no, it was repositioned away from the marks in the carpeting. She’d moved it all right.

Quinn hung up and she made her face impassive. She thought about menu items, clearing her mind, and began silently reciting each item and price to focus herself and appear calm in the face of a highly protective Lycan. His shifter perceptions grew stronger each time they made love just as she physically changed, developing Lycan qualities.

“How’s it going?” he asked, looking over at her, then down at the carpet.

“I guess this time it’s brute strength. How strong are you?”

“Want to arm wrestle?”

“Take a rain check. Any news?”

“Confirmed. Carrigan is part of this. Tristen is pulling together a team to begin searching Carrigan’s properties. We’ll need those articles of clothing to give the shifter volunteers. With a target, those guys will sniff Sonya out within the perimeter they’ve formed around downtown.”

“Great. How soon will they begin?”

“As soon as I take Sonya’s clothes outside.”

“I’ll walk with you to the locker.”

“No. Stay here. If you could, Shawn would like you to call her family and touch base with them. He has but it might be better from you. They’re all shifters and they don’t think this is going to turn out well.”

“Why, because I’m human?”

“Yes. And because you all are friends. It would help them to be reminded not all humans are heartless.”

“I can see why that would be a problem. We’ve not done well with our stewardship of this planet… have we?”

“Things can always change.”

“I’ll call. And what about her photograph? Getting out flyers.”

“Shawn already created an APB for the shifter wire.”

“I’ll pull up her personnel file and call her husband and mom.”

She clicked open Sonya’s personnel file and with a heavy heart dialed the number. She spoke with Sonya’s husband Eric and her brother. Her mom was out putting up flyers. Sherry assured them Sonya would be found. Hanging up, she met Quinn’s stoic face.

“Good girl. I bet they feel a whole lot better.” He kissed her cheek, running his finger along her jaw. “See? You are an angel. If you wanted to, you could make a list of the buildings around this address.” He pushed a paper he’d written the street and number not far from the abandoned building she needed to get to fast.

“I can do that.” She inhaled slowly, girding her emotions when she wanted to disagree. No time to do that!

He left, his footsteps growing fainter down the hall and she had to act. It was now or never. Quinn needed the list. She needed to leave. It was too late to save her caster reputation and she started what bordered on banishment activity. Focusing her energy, she stared at the printer and requested the names and addresses of every property Carrigan owned. Slowly, she wove her hands while the secret words spilled from her lips. She’d memorized every incantation and spell from the Book of Shadows and this one came to her as though emblazoned on the tip of her tongue. She picked up the stack from the printer, and quickly clipped them and placed the papers on her desk, right where Quinn could find them.

She scanned her to-do list and opened her desk drawer, searching for a flashlight. There she found a small, sleek black one. She grabbed it and shoved it into her bag.

Now, to leave without being seen. She stuck her head out her door, hearing voices down the hall toward the back where the staff lockers were located. She headed toward the front of the club, past the bar and restaurant, and skidded to a halt. Fin leaned against the counter, and he lifted his gaze to her.

“Going somewhere?”

“I—” she stammered unable to think of an excuse. The doorway was only feet ahead. She’d never used her magick to lay someone out before. These were shifters. They wouldn’t understand her work exactly. There was no choice and she prayed Fin would understand. The words lifted from her tongue, embodying a sleeping incantation that wouldn’t hurt Fin, but would have him out cold for a few minutes. Enough time for her to disappear.

His eyes fluttered and she stepped forward wrapping her arm around his waist, and wondering how she’d manage his weight. She got behind him, and lowered his body that amazingly was lighter than she expected for a guy. Hooking her hands under his arms, she dragged him behind the counter without much effort, and gently lowered Fin all the way to the floor.

“This Lycan shifter stuff rocks,” she said to herself.

Once outside, she skittered along the walkway in front of the building. At the corner, she peered around and no one was on the side of the club. Bolting forward, she raced over the immaculate lawn, not stopping until she came to the wrought iron fence. She heaved her bag over the top of the spindles, and scrambled upward as though she’d been scaling fences all her life. Exhilarated by her ability to run and jump, she tore across the pavement as though she were a trained marathoner. No wonder shifters had such egos. If she could routinely race the wind, she’d be a little narcissist, too.

She had no idea how long the aftereffect of possessing Lycan abilities would last, but she pressed on toward the old part of the city. The LoDo section was about two miles to the Northwest. She ran near to the river on uneven terrain, skirting away from the jogging path. There were signs of damage from the storm yesterday with several hail trashed cars and windows. Less traffic on the streets, and considering the amount of storm damage, she wasn’t surprised. Hardly any from what she’d seen thus far.

After sprinting five blocks, she crossed the street and headed deeper into the center of downtown. There were pockets of the city that had suffered worse damage. On either side of the street were boarded up windows and doors as though a severe hailstorm had blasted through the area. Debris covered the pavement farther ahead where high-rises gave way to small buildings. Finally, she reached a part of the city where fenced areas carried warnings signs against entry or loitering.

She had begun to pant, and wished she’d thought to bring water for her parched mouth and throat. A car was coming down the street. She scanned the block for a place to hide. Close enough was a building with a door flapping in the wind. She sprinted toward the front steps and leapt up on to the landing. Her heart thudded. She crouched within the corner of the entryway, mingling with the shadows. Her black attire made hiding easier. The car rolled by slowly, music blaring, and the sounds of loud bass reverberated in her chest. A large spider crawled over her foot and she bit back a screech. She hated creepy crawlers. Flicking the spider off her pant leg, she peeled herself off the wall before anything else could latch onto her clothing.

The elevator shaft she sought was two blocks over and she jogged in that direction. Coming to the corner of the block, she glanced around as she casually walked toward her destination. With no more distractions, she rushed up the front steps, and into the interior of the dilapidated building. Her heart clattered, drumming loudly in her ears. Sweat dripped down her face. The cloying interior surrounded her, and her stomach churned.

Sherry straightened at the thought that Quinn might come looking for her. His Lycan sense of smell gave him an advantage. He’d track her down. But by that time, she’d have an answer. She hoped. It was a gamble. She didn’t want to take anyone away from Sonya’s search and rescue team. Only it might take them hours to locate Sonya. For a spellcaster with access to the ley lines, she’d be able to tap into Sonya’s life force and then she could point them in the right direction.

She walked over to the elevator shaft, peering inside to where dank air swirled within the dark pit. Removing the flashlight from her bag, she shone it down within the shaft, catching sight of the ladder on the wall.

Tucking the flashlight into the band of her pants, she began climbing down toward the basement area. She stepped off onto the ledge, and gasped at the feel of something flying past her.

Sherry pulled her flashlight free and waved it around the space. A shadow flew across her peripheral vision. She quickly turned. But there was nothing. Again, another dark form moved. She focused her attention on the walls dimly lit by the beam of light from her flashlight. Were these unfettered Dark Fae? They didn’t have the associated sensations she normally perceived within the ley line passages.

These were slinky shadows that were similar to the ones she’d seen in the lower passageway along the ley line. She didn’t understand why they were here. Their energetic tendrils played havoc with her peripheral vision. She told herself these shadows couldn’t harm her as she stepped into her casting circle on the floor. This was the one place in which they didn’t seem to venture.

She set down the flashlight and brought out her blade, taking the white bone handle into her grip, and relaxed as the laces reconnected with her arm. Next, the hairbrush. Sherry unraveled a few strands of hair and encircled her blade. Immediately sparks were released as the hair appeared to melt into the metal.

She invoked the blessings of the Earth gods and goddesses, and this time thunder crashed outside, rumbling from a near strike. The message—Back off!—delivered as though she were seeking to do universal harm. She stood her ground, and repeated the incantation again, stronger in her force to assert she was here on a mission to preserve. The doorway appeared. A sign the gods were appeased. But the elements invoked were unsteady.

None of it felt right. If her energetic fingerprint had changed, it would make sense with all she’d been through. She forced her mind to clear and focused her attention. She entered into the corridor of the first realm.

Energy flares erupted and aftershocks rippled around her. The whole realm was under some sort of storm. Worse than what she’d seen along the streets in the city. She rocketed forward, searching for the Sonya’s fingerprint using the blade as a divining rod for one specific life force. The blade began to glow, the energy emitted by Sonya’s hair matched a single energy point in the distance. Sherry let her own psychic senses guide her toward the place and at the point of contact an arc flared.

She’d never used the realm passageways to randomly exit. Always she’d ended up where she’d started. Except that one wormhole moment she’d tried to escape Quinn. This would be similar. All she needed was a doorway back to the world of form. She spoke the incantation, seeking help in finding a pathway out of the energy corridor. Before her, a dark hallway appeared. There was no choice. She followed the movement of energy lines, Sonya’s growing stronger. Sherry hesitated a moment and then jetted forward.

“Bejeezus!” A woman’s voice came to her as though far away.

Cool hands swiped down her face and Sherry opened her eyes. This was the first time she’d made it through the realm, exiting by way of a different portal from where she’d started.

She felt giddy and her stomach twisted. “Sonya?”

“Jesus, how on Earth did you do that?” Sonya was squatting down next to her. They were in a room with skylights and floor to ceiling glass panels. The wine colored streaks of the sun setting were the backdrop for Sonya’s bruised face. Her cut lip was swollen.

“I’m a spellcaster. My God. Everyone from the Den is searching for you,” Sherry whispered.

“I wish I was a spellcaster to get the hell out of here. Can you take me back wherever you came from?”

“No. I don’t know how to do that. We could get lost in an energetic realm. Who kidnapped you?”