Nature of the Beasts (Spark of Magic), page 11
Dastan studied her for a brief second and then nodded. Her wineglass appeared in his hand, and he passed it to her. “Don’t forget this.”
Sarah snickered low in her throat. She had a feeling she would need that. It would help to calm her rattled nerves. “You guys aren’t going far, are you?”
“From here on out, one of us will always be here.”
Sarah felt more relief than she’d expected to. Protection was what Dastan and Dmitry did. It was what they’d done for centuries. They were good at it. Unfortunately, this time she didn’t think the target was her. She believed it might be one of them.
DASTAN WATCHED HER go and fought the desire to send her back to the protected dimension where she would be safe. As much as he would miss her, she was in danger here. Unfortunately, he also knew her well enough to know she would never go for that.
“Money says this is all about you. Who in your past did you piss off?” Dmitry asked.
Dastan snorted. “Who haven’t I pissed off at one time or another?” He turned to face Dmitry. “I can count on my hands the number of us who are still left. There were fifty in the beginning. One by one, they’ve died, been killed.”
“What happened to your sire?”
With a sigh, Dastan strolled to the kitchen island and, with a wave of his hand, conjured up a pizza. “He died in Persia over a thousand years ago. Lord knows how many of us there would’ve been if he hadn’t been killed.”
“If you were to create another shifter, would they have the white tips?”
Dmitry joined him at the island and grabbed a slice of pizza. Dastan took a bite and chewed slowly. He’d never created a shifter, so he couldn’t answer that question for sure, but he knew others who had, and the white tips had not transferred down. That was a trait apparently only passed from the original sire. “I don’t think so,” he finally answered around his bite.
“So it has to be one of the original fifty that he created.”
“Probably.”
“You said there were less than ten left?” Dmitry asked.
“I think so. To be honest, I’m not sure. Persia was so long ago, and I haven’t seen any of them since the night the assholes left me for dead.” Dastan stopped chewing and dropped the slice of pizza down onto the counter.
That night… There was only one person he knew of who hated him enough to pull something like this off. He’d tried to kill Dastan twice, so this little stunt shouldn’t surprise him. “Son of a bitch!”
“What?”
“Razeen.”
Dmitry frowned. “Who’s Razeen?”
“He was a sick, evil fuck. He mistreated the females of the pack. I banished him when I was alpha. He was behind the group who beat me to within an inch of my life and wormed his way back into the pack. A few hundred years later, I ran into him again, and again, he tried to kill me. I heard through the grapevine that they eventually kicked him out again. He dropped out of sight. I assumed he’d died, that someone had finally put him out of his misery, but maybe not.” He picked up the piece of cloth and studied it again. “I need to know for sure.”
Dmitry inclined his head toward the cloth. “Is that going to be enough?”
Dastan shook his head sadly. “I don’t know. I have to make it work, though. It’s all we’ve got right now.” He raised his gaze to meet Dmitry’s. “Stay with Sarah. I’m going to go check things out. Roam the grounds for a while.”
“Be careful. It’s not dark yet, and some of the hands are still out. I would hate for them to shoot you as the wolf, then have to explain to them why you have a bullet wound as well. Why don’t you wait until it’s dark?”
Dastan sighed. “This is important enough to risk it. The longer I wait, the colder any trail might get.”
“I doubt that there’s any trail at all,” Dmitry grumbled.
“There may not be, but I have to try.” He held up the piece of material. “Later tonight, after Sarah’s in bed, I’ll do this.”
“You might want to hide that until then. Sarah seems determined to be a part of casting that spell. What do you suppose is going on there? Why does she want to do it so bad?”
“I don’t know. See if you can find out.”
Dastan didn’t wait for Dmitry’s agreement; he just turned and headed out the back door. The only tracks he’d seen earlier were the ones around the body. There weren’t any leading up to the top of the hill or away. The shifter was using magic to cover them and unfortunately doing a damn good job of it.
But maybe, just maybe, he may have missed something.
He would have to look close to find it, which meant he would have to keep his mind clear. Something that was becoming harder and harder to do, especially with Sarah so close by.
* * * *
Sarah sank farther into the warm water and stared at the candlelight flickering on the ceiling. Was her hunch right? Was this shifter the same one who’d attacked her mother? The same one who fathered her?
Closing her eyes, Sarah prayed that it wasn’t.
Please don’t let me be a part of something so vile.
“Sarah?” Dmitry called softly from the doorway.
Sarah screamed and sat straight up. Water sloshed over the side of the tub, hitting the floor with a splash. She put her hands over her beating heart and turned to glare at Dmitry. “You scared the crap out of me! Don’t do that!”
Dmitry chuckled as he came in and leaned against the bathroom sink.
“How can you be so quiet?” she asked as she settled back into the water. Her fingers were still shaking slightly, and she clenched them to get them to stop.
“I wasn’t that quiet. I think you were just deep in thought. What were you thinking about?”
Sarah stared up at him. She liked the way the candlelight made his tan skin look even darker. The way the light played along the gray in his black hair. He had it pulled back at the base of his neck, and she frowned, realizing she liked it much better down and around his shoulders. Had she never noticed how sexy he was? Or was she just too determined to hate him to realize it? Well, she definitely realized it now.
She licked her lips and turned her attention back to the water and the ripples she created with the slow movement of her hand. The attraction she felt for Dastan and Dmitry was still there, the need still coursing through her. Perhaps it was the events of the day or perhaps it was time that had lessened it somewhat. It wasn’t quite as overpowering but definitely still a part of her. At least now she felt that she could control it and not let it get away from her.
“Sarah?”
Startled, she looked back at him and realized he’d asked her a question. “I’m sorry, I’m just… Do you think there’s a connection between this guy and the one who attacked my mother?”
Dmitry appeared startled for a second; then he quickly composed himself. “I hadn’t thought about it. Did she give a description of the shifter?”
Sarah shook her head. “She couldn’t remember what he looked like.”
“That’s understandable. Is that why you want to weave the memory spell on the blood?”
She nodded. “I want to know what this guy looks like.”
“You would see that girl’s last images, Sarah. Trust me. You don’t want to do that.”
Sarah sighed and bent her knees, lifting them out of the water. She ran her hand along her thigh. She wasn’t doing it to be sexual. It was just an unconscious nervous action. Sex was truly the last thing on her mind right now. All she could think about was the past. The man who might be her father. Was there a sick side to her also? Would she become like him in time? Once she allowed herself to shift, would that dark side emerge? There were so many questions, so many unknowns now about herself.
“I don’t want to be like him,” she whispered.
Dmitry sat on the side of the tub. He gripped her chin and forced her to meet his firm gaze. “Is that what you’re worried about?”
She nodded as much as his hold would allow.
“For starters, none of us knows if this guy is the same one who attacked your mother. Second, even if it is, you are not like him. Period. Don’t allow yourself to think otherwise even for a second. Are we clear?”
Sarah again nodded like a child being scolded. She couldn’t remember seeing Dmitry so commanding. That was Dastan’s personality. Dmitry normally stood in the background, patient, quiet, levelheaded. It made her heart race to see Dmitry like this.
Was it wrong for her to feel like this after all that happened today? She had to admit it felt a little wrong, but at the same time, she couldn’t seem to help herself. It was like she had almost no control over her body anymore. Exactly like it had with Dastan earlier, lust began to work its way through her veins with the speed of a bullet. Hot, wild, demanding lust that made her breasts tingle and her pussy throb.
Could Dmitry tell by looking at her?
“Good. We understand each other,” he said as he tapped her nose playfully. “Finish your bath. I’m going to head downstairs and make sure everything is secure. Do you want me to bring you up something to eat?” he asked softly.
Sarah swallowed. Did Dmitry read the indecision in her eyes? Was that how he knew that she wanted him but at the same time felt so weird about it? Or did he even know that at all? She was so freaked out by all this. So scared that the killer was still out there.
“Something to eat would be great. You won’t be long, right?”
“I won’t be long,” he whispered.
Sarah wrapped her arms around her knees as she watched him go.
Chapter Fourteen
Mike Sims led the horse out of the trailer and patted his neck affectionately. “You and I are going to do a little exploring, Sundance,” Mike explained.
The horse turned and stared at him as though he could understand. Mike snorted at the look of displeasure that appeared to wrinkle the horse’s brow.
“Don’t give me that look. I know we’re trespassing. I know anything I find would not be admissible without a warrant, but I’m not searching for anything to use against them.” Mike patted Sundance’s rear flank, then climbed onto the saddle and took the reins in his hand. “I’m just checking things out. That’s all.”
He kicked the horse’s side gently, and Sundance began to work her way through the hills. The sun was setting, casting the land in rays of gold and purple. It was a beautiful sunset.
He had no idea what he was looking for. Something just didn’t fit with those two. And Sarah was yet another enigma. He didn’t believe that story about Dastan being a friend of her father’s. Not for a second, although he couldn’t put his finger on why. He just got the impression she was lying. But why would she lie? Why did she feel she needed to make up a story like that to explain why she was there? It didn’t make any sense.
Mike pulled the rifle from the case that was attached to the saddle and rested it across his lap. Better to be safe than sorry. Ranchers had been complaining about unusual wolves in the area. Mike knew Fish and Wildlife had been trying to reintroduce gray wolves, but the wolves the ranchers were describing were not the grays. It was apparently some new breed that had moved in, but Fish and Wildlife hadn’t been able to catch one yet.
A noise off to the side caught his attention, and he pulled back on the reins. Sundance came to a stop, and Mike surveyed the dense bushes a few feet away from him. Through the leaves, he could just make out what looked like a deer. The coloring was close, but surely that wasn’t what that was.
The leaves moved as the animal came forward. Mike’s eyes widened as it came into full view. That wasn’t a deer, and it certainly wasn’t a gray wolf that normally inhabited this area. What the hell was that? It was about the size of a small deer or twice the size of a normal gray. Dark blond fur with platinum streaks covered what appeared to be the body of a large wolf. He’d never seen one that big.
Very slowly, he switched off the safety on his rifle. Eyes the most unusual shade of gray-blue and rimmed in black stared fearlessly at him. This animal wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything, that was for damn sure. But there was something awfully familiar about those eyes. Where had seen eyes like that before?
Sarah. Mike frowned. That couldn’t be right. Or was it Dastan? Hell, it was all of them. All three of them had eyes like that. What the hell was that all about? How could three people have identical eyes and not be related? And what about the wolf? How could they have eyes exactly like the wolf’s?
This was freakin’ nuts.
Very slowly so as not to spook the animal, Mike aimed his rifle toward the sky. He just wanted to startle him, not kill him. Maybe if he fired off a shot, the wolf would run away. The shot echoed across the land, and Mike cringed, sure Dastan and Dmitry had heard it all the way back at the house. There would be no hiding he was here now, especially if they came to investigate who might be hunting on their ranch.
Son of a bitch.
To his credit, Sundance didn’t move. He was used to hearing the sound of gunfire. The wolf, unfortunately, didn’t move either. Instead his eyes narrowed as though in anger. He pulled his lips back, showing off sharp, pointed teeth. Mike stiffened as the wolf’s menacing growl startled his horse enough that he pranced sideways.
So much for scaring the wolf.
DASTAN HEARD THE shot and stopped so fast his paws scooted across the dry, packed earth. He tilted his ears, listening. He could make out the distinct sound of a growl coming from just a few yards away. Was that him? Was that Razeen?
He took off at a run, letting his instincts lead the way. He broke through the brush just in time to see Razeen lunge toward the sheriff. Dastan didn’t have time to worry about why the sheriff was here. He leaped hard, catching Razeen midflight and knocking him sideways. The bullet from Mike’s rifle shot whizzed past Dastan, ruffling the fur along his back. That was too damn close.
“What the hell,” he heard Mike shout.
Dastan and Razeen both landed on the ground with yelps before scooting several feet apart along the rough ground. Rocks bit into Dastan’s side and lodged in his fur. Dust flew into his nose, making him sneeze. Climbing quickly to all fours, Dastan blew out his nose to loosen the dust and turned to face Razeen in anger. He growled low in his throat as Razeen cautiously got up as well.
Without waiting on Razeen to steady himself, Dastan attacked. He sank his teeth in Razeen’s neck. Fur and warm blood filled Dastan’s mouth as he tightened his hold on the wolf. He swung his head, slinging Razeen several feet away.
MIKE WATCHED THE fight in a combination of horror and fascination. He’d never seen anything like it. Two wolves, almost identical, were obviously intent on killing each other. His first instinct was to get away. Even his horse pranced nervously to the side, but Mike couldn’t bring himself to flee.
Mike kept a firm hold on the reins as he watched the wounded wolf climb to his feet and run into the brush. The other wolf quickly gave chase. Mike kicked the horse’s sides and took off after them. He told himself he needed to get a picture of them, give it to Fish and Wildlife so they could figure out what kind of wolves they were and how would be best to handle them. That was what he told himself anyway.
Another reason was more at play. Despite how crazy it seemed, despite how nuts people would think he was, Mike couldn’t help but notice how human those wolves appeared. There was something very intelligent about their eyes and the way they moved. Yes, they moved like animals, but their movements and interaction seemed so much more calculated.
The wolf that was running away glanced back over his shoulder. Fear clouded his eyes as he spotted the one behind him closing the distance. Even at a near gallop, Mike and Sundance were having trouble keeping up with them. Up ahead was a gorge, and Mike resisted the urge to yell at the wolf to stop. If he didn’t, he would run clear off the edge and into the river forty feet below.
Mike pulled hard on the reins, forcing Sundance to stop. His front hooves came off the ground, and he held tight as the horse swung slightly to the left. Mike watched as the first wolf kept running right off the edge. He could hear his yelp as he fell the long distance to the water below. The other wolf stopped at the edge and looked down.
Thinking the wolf would leave, Mike was shocked to see him back up, a determined look on his face as he scratched his front paw against the ground.
“No,” Mike said as the wolf took off at a breakneck run toward the edge of the ravine. “No!”
He wasn’t sure why he tried to stop him. It hadn’t done any good. The wolf leaped off the cliff as though he hadn’t even heard him.
Mike jumped from his horse and ran to the edge. Glancing over the side, he saw the roaring waters below, but no sign of either wolf.
He sighed and put his hands on his hips. “Now what the hell kind of animal does that?”
* * * *
Sarah tied the belt to her silk robe and climbed onto the bed. She still felt incredibly nervous and jumpy. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as though she could feel someone’s eyes on her. She glanced toward the window and the purplish-pink sky. The sun was down, the sky painted in an array of beautiful colors, but Sarah couldn’t enjoy it. Instead, she walked over and quickly closed the blinds.
That made her feel a little better, but she still had that odd sensation. Tightening her lips in determination, she grabbed the curtains and pulled them closed too.
With a nod of satisfaction, she turned back toward the bed. She instantly spotted the figure in the doorway and screamed as fear raced through her. It took her only seconds to realize it was Dmitry, and she sighed in relief. He stared at her with wide-eyed surprise that almost made her laugh.
She put her hand over her chest. “You scared me. I swear you need a cowbell or something.”
Dmitry grinned. “You know, you keep threatening that.”
“One of these days I’m gonna make it happen too,” she countered as she moved to sit on the bed.
