15 Targeted (35 page)

Xen’dex took the cup, sniffed it, and made a face.

“A medicine made with dark-weed and lyer juice? I don’t think so. What have you done with her? What have you done with the
Khalla?”

“Only helped her, like she asked!” the old woman who called herself Grandy See-er protested shrilly. “She didn’t want her nectar to flow, nor her honey neither. So Grandy See-er stopped them, so I did! Gave her my best star-silver nubbin pinchers! Twere most expensive but I gave them for free, from the goodness of my heart!”

“Star-silver!” Xen’dex looked so grim that Tragar demanded,

“What? What is it?”

The other male looked troubled.

“So many Beast Kindred have settled here and bred with the Wulven in the past thirty cycles that several
Khalla
have been born. It was one reason I came here—to offer my expertise. Because the Wulven didn’t understand what was happening and some tried to stop the process—to halt the
Tenrah
in its tracks.”

“Well, you
can
slow it down some, right?” Tragar asked. “That is what you taught us.”

“Yes, but stopping it completely is incredibly dangerous. This metal—this star-silver she’s talking about—will do that. It’s a natural hormonal retardant. But if it isn’t removed in time…”

Tragar felt sick. “What? What happens?” he made himself ask.

His old master sighed deeply.

“If it isn’t removed in time, the
Khalla
may die.”

“She won’t die of the star-silver, so she won’t,” Grandy See-er said. Her face broke into a crafty smile. “Though she
might
have a hard time surviving where she went.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Tragar demanded.

“Why—I’m only talking about the direction she was headed when she and I parted ways,” the old female protested. “Twas none of my doing—I tried to warn her. But she wouldn’t hear anything I said—so stubborn she was!”

“Where?” Tragar wanted to shake her. “Where did she go? Tell me, Goddess damn you!”

The witch gave him a wide-eyed innocent look.

“Why…to the
Howlund
, my Lord. Leastways, that’s where she was headed when last I saw her.”

Chapter Seventeen

“Hello, little female—are you lost?”

The voice from behind her made Emily jump and gasp in surprise. She whirled around, putting an arm over her ridiculously capped nipples and stared up at a tall, muscular male with piercing blue eyes and a smirk on his face. She
was
lost actually—completely lost. But somehow she didn’t think asking him directions would be a good idea.

“Um…I’m fine.” Slowly, she began to back away, only to bump into something hard and warm.

“What’s your hurry, little female?” another deep voice rumbled behind her.

“Leave me alone,” she managed to say, though her mouth was so dry it was hard to talk. The bright blue sunlight beat down on her, making the whole scene seem horribly surreal but she knew she couldn’t afford to believe this was all just a really vivid nightmare. Thinking like that would get her killed…or worse.

“We would, but clearly you don’t
want
to be left alone.” There was a third voice now—another male was closing in, cutting off her escape route.

“Jey’s right,” said the first male. “If you wanted to be left alone, why would you come to the
Howlund
just at this time dressed like that and smelling so hot?
I
think you want to try love with a changed one—is that right, little female? You want to rut with a male in his fur-form?”

“Or maybe with the whole pack,” rumbled one of the others and all of them exploded into coarse, deep laughter that set Emily’s teeth on edge.

The Howlund—they said the Howland. Where have I heard that before?
Suddenly she remembered—it was something Tragar had said. And hadn’t he said it was someplace dangerous? Someplace she shouldn’t go? If not, that was still the idea she had gotten.

So how did I get here all by myself with these weird things on my nipples?
Emily asked herself desperately.
And what in the world is inside me?
Because she could feel something hard and cold and heavy in her channel—it shifted uncomfortably every time she moved.

Then a big, hot hand fell on her shoulder and she knew that it didn’t matter how she’d gotten there or what else was going on—right now she needed to concentrate on getting
out
.

Emily shrugged off the hand and tried to bite back the frightened squeak that wanted to pass her lips as the three males got closer, forming a triangle around her. Oh God, this was horrible—she was being surrounded!

“What is
that?”
she gasped, pointing into the sky. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

The trick might’ve been straight out of a silly, slapstick comedy but it worked—all three men looked at the same time.

Heart pounding, Emily turned and dived under the arm of the first man who had opened his arms as though to catch her or maybe keep her from running. He let out a curse that sounded more like a snarl and Emily was sure he was coming after her. In fact, she was sure
all
of them were but she understood instinctively that she didn’t dare to look back even for an instant—any delay might get her caught.

Not that she could outrun them for long—they all had incredibly long legs and she was running barefoot and didn’t know where she was going. But she had to try. Dodging around other shoppers and vendors alike, she tried to get to the edge of the crowded market place. She just had to get away. She had to—

Suddenly someone was right in front of her and though she tried to dodge, Emily couldn’t miss them. She hit hard, nearly bowling the person over but somehow they stood their ground and didn’t go down. There was a brief, blurred confusion of limbs and then someone was grabbing her arm and hissing in her ear,

“What are you doing out here like this, Sister? Has the madness taken you to behave so?”

Emily was prepared to fight but the feminine tones took her by surprise. She looked up and saw a girl with black hair and blue eyes looking at her with a frown on her face. Then the pert nose wrinkled and the blue eyes widened.

“
Khalla!”
breathed the girl. And without warning, she thrust Emily behind her back.

In front of them, the three males who had been chasing her came skidding to a stop. Emily stared at them fearfully but the girl who had grabbed her stood tall in front of her, glaring them down.

“Jey…Zeth…Tirn,” she said, frowning up at them all in turn. “What are you doing, bothering this poor female?”

“We weren’t bothering her—she came to us,” protested the first man.

“Stand aside, Saskia,” growled the second. “She’s an unmated female out in the
Howlund
just before the change. You know the law—she’s fair game.”

“Yes,
if
she came here of her own volition.” The girl glared at them, not moving. “But she was running from you—I don’t think she meant to be here at all.”

“She’s right,” Emily spoke up, wishing her voice sounded stronger. “I don’t know how I got here but I certainly didn’t come looking for, uh, anything. I just want to go home.”

“There, you see?” the girl demanded, frowning up at the huge males. “She’s not here a-purpose and she doesn’t want the likes of you three. So be off now and leave her alone!”

“But she smells
hot,”
protested the third male. “She
must
be in heat!”

“That doesn’t mean she wants
you
to breed her, Tirn,” the girl snapped. “Now get you gone! All of you!”

Grumbling and looking like a pack of scolded dogs with their tails between their legs, the three trudged off in the direction they’d come from.

The moment they were gone, the girl called Saskia grabbed Emily by the arm and started marching her to the edge of the market area.

“Thank you so much,” Emily babbled. “I was in so much trouble—I don’t know how I got here or how to get back.”

“Back to your chosen mate, you mean?” Saskia eyed her. “Why did he let you come to the
Howlund
at this time of month?”

“He didn’t—I told you, I don’t know how I got here. And I don’t really have a chosen mate anyway,” Emily protested.

The girl’s dainty nose wrinkled again.

“Must be why I don’t scent a male on you. In fact, I care barely even smell your
Khalla
scent. How did you mute it? I mean, it’s a good thing you did or you’d have had the whole
Howland
after you instead of just three hungry Wulven but it’s still strange.”

“I don’t know—I didn’t know it was, uh, muted.” Emily was having to trot fast to keep up with her, the cold metal thing moving awkwardly inside her with each step. “I can’t smell it myself,” she offered.

“Of course not—it’s
your
scent. It’s natural to you.” Saskia shot her a glance. “Look, my mate is a Beast Kindred and an expert on your kind. I’ll bespeak him now and take you to him.”

“But I have to get back to Tragar—back to the shuttle,” Emily protested.

Saskia frowned. “I thought you said you had no mate.”

“I don’t—Tragar’s not my mate. He’s just…helping me out until I can get this whole mess sorted out.”

“The mess being your
Tenrah,
I take it?”

“Yes, exactly.” Emily nodded. “So you know all about it too—the
Tenrah
, all the stages…?”

“Of course.” Saskia nodded as though it was common knowledge. Well, maybe it was, here.

Emily had a sudden thought.

“
You’re
not a
Khalla
are you?”

“Me?” Saskia gave a short laugh. “No, but I’ve known one. My dearest friend, actually.”

“Really?” Emily asked eagerly. “Does she live around here? Could I meet her?”

Saskia’s face was suddenly closed.

“No, you can’t.” she said shortly.

“Oh…” Emily was crestfallen. “It just…this is all so new to me. And I thought if I could meet someone who’s already gone through it—”

“You can’t meet her because she’s dead.” Saskia looked away and for a moment Emily had the idea she might be fighting tears. But when she looked back, her face was smooth and calm again. “I’m sorry. I still miss her.”

“Of course.” Emily nodded, feeling miserable. She felt bad for Saskia but she also felt bad for herself. Now she felt like she couldn’t ask any more questions about
Khalla
or
Tenrah
or the stages or any of it. And she
so
would have liked to talk to another woman about what she was going through—especially one who knew about it first hand!