Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (329 page)

But would going out dancing really be something I would find fun? I toyed with the fringe on the dress. Yes, dancing would be fun. The men who I’d rather avoid made it a less than fun idea. I looked at the ring in my palm. The large stone sparkled brightly. It was meant to be noticed, but not gaudy. Would it work?

“We’d leave at the first sign the ring doesn’t work? Even if we never make it in the club?” I glanced up at her and caught her hopeful expression.

“I’ve got your back,” she promised. “First sign and we’re home, curled on the couch watching a chick flick.”

“All right,” I sighed and grabbed the black dress. “I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“Gee, thanks,” Rachel said with a laugh as I left to change.

R
achel
and I had to stand in a long line. It seemed the college crowd favored the downtown club despite the overpriced drinks. We shuffled forward every few seconds while listening to the muted music that thumped from within. Each time the bouncer opened the door it briefly grew louder. The door didn’t open frequently enough.

I shivered as we inched forward and tried not to move too much so the cold beads wouldn’t touch my legs. Eventually we grew close enough that I could watch the man at the door methodically check everyone’s ID. I wasn’t worried. I knew I wouldn’t have a problem getting in.

“Finally,” Rachel said with a smile as she stepped up to the man. She showed her ID.

The bouncer barely looked at her. He eyed me closely, not even glancing at the ID I held out. I withstood his scrutiny, wishing he’d hurry so we could warm up inside. I’d pulled my hair back into a messy knot and added a touch of eyeliner and mascara. It wasn’t much of a change, but between the makeup and the dress, he looked at me as if I were a goddess. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

Then his eyes settled on the ring I wore.

“You come get me if anyone inside gives you any problems,” he said. I nodded. He opened the door for us, and I stepped inside after Rachel.

The music’s bass reverberated in the floor and my body. I wouldn’t be able to hear anything else but didn’t care. The club’s warm air enveloped me.

Rachel pointed toward the bar. A long blackboard above the bar, filled with neon colored chalk, listed their specialty drinks and prices. As promised, the drinks were expensive. Good thing we wanted to dance, not drink.

Grabbing my hand, she pulled me to the edge of the swaying crowd and started to dance. I did a little twist in the dress and smiled to myself as the beaded hemline flared out. The dress was as fun to wear as I’d thought. Then the beads slapped my legs on the back swing. The sting of it made me rethink the fun factor. If anyone got out of line, maybe I could use it as a weapon.

The music freed me from worry about male attention, about Clay, and about Sam and his stupid rules. I danced with Rachel and truly had fun.

Eventually, reality invaded in the form of our own all male crowd, and our dancing became a game of evasion. Rachel arched a brow at me. I shook my head, not yet ready to call it quits. The deafening music made it impossible for them to talk to me, and its fast heavy beat didn’t inspire a slow, close dance. As long as I evaded the bump and grind, I could still enjoy myself.

After a few songs, I signaled to Rachel because a persistent member of the group kept rubbing up against my backside. She grabbed my hand, and we both ignored the protests of the men around us as she led the way to the bar. A few of the men followed. One of them managed to pull out his wallet and order drinks for both of us before we could stop him. Rachel took hers, but I shook my head and shouted to the bartender that I just wanted water. The generous buyer sulked a bit, but I ignored him and his shouted attempts at conversation.

Sipping my water, I looked around feeling watched—by someone not in the immediate group of men who surrounded us.

I spotted two women further down the bar. They weren’t exactly watching me. They were eyeing the crowd of men around us. Neither looked angry, but both looked a little envious. Dressed very similar to Rachel and me, they stood isolated at the bar. The way they kept glancing at me, they probably wondered what I had that they didn’t. I couldn’t blame them. I looked a bit frumpier than they did.

I motioned to Rachel, and we moved down the bar so our group would spread out to include the two women, as well. I shouted my name over the music and pointed to myself by way of introduction. The women smiled and seemed friendly. They tried to make conversation with a few of the men.

I didn’t notice someone leaning close to me until his breath tickled my neck and his unfamiliar voice spoke smoothly in my ear.

“About time you left your guard dog at home.” He was just loud enough so I could hear him over the music.

Curious, I turned. He stood several inches taller than I did. No surprise since just about everyone towered over me. He looked even taller than Clay, but not as wide shouldered. He had copper brown hair and hazel eyes. A humor-filled smile flashed at me as I studied him.

“Excuse me, do I know you?”

He leaned in and spoke in my ear. “No need to shout, love. You know I can hear you just fine.” His lips touched the curve of my ear, and I shivered as he inhaled deeply. “Mm, you smell good.”

I pulled back, leaned against the bar to make some space between us, and really looked at him. In the background, the bodies on the dance floor moved in rhythm to the steady beat of the music. I opened myself to my other sight and wasn’t surprised to see his blue-green spark or several other matching sparks in the crowd behind him. Blue-green I could deal with. The other color I didn’t want to face until I knew what it meant.

“What do you want?” I said.

With humans, the “safety in numbers” rule worked. Not necessarily so with werewolves. But they did have their own non-human set of rules they still needed to follow, unless they were Forlorn. I’d be okay, as long as I followed the rules Sam taught me.

He leaned in again. “Just to say hi, love. You’re hard to catch by yourself. Did you know your dog follows you to school?”

“Hi, then,” I said refusing to respond to his last question. If Clay followed me to school, how did he ever find the time to work? Again, I wished he’d just start talking to me.

The man beside me remained close. I didn’t like that his breath continued to tickle my ear. Clay would smell him on me.

Rachel noticed us and sent me a questioning look. I gave her a half-smile to reassure her that I didn’t mind—even though I really did.

“I was hoping we’d be able to go somewhere quieter to talk.”

“Really? Just us? Or those other guys in the crowd, too?” I took a sip of my water and glanced at him.

His smile stretched wider. “And I thought we were blending in well.”

None of their kind could ever blend into a human crowd. At least, not for me.

I decided to be blunt. “Do you have permission to be here?”

“We have permission to approach you and request a second meeting.”

“Second?”

“This would count as the first,” he clarified helpfully.

“Ah.” So talking me into leaving with him would probably be the second meeting that he had permission to request. However, I bet he didn’t have permission to have the second meeting without Elder supervision. Typical Forlorn rule breaking. His eyes never left my face, and the longer I remained silent the more his humor slipped. I didn’t think he would accept no to his request. It might even result in my immediate forceful removal from this bar. Could nothing in my life ever go easy?

“I can’t go with you tonight. I’m with a friend. But I plan to be at the Compound for an Introduction tomorrow night.”

“Really? It’s odd that no call’s gone out for it.” He tilted his head and studied me, probably trying to sense a lie. Didn’t matter. He wouldn’t sense one as I’d just made up my mind.

“That’s because I haven’t told my guardian yet. We had a fight, and I’m still pretty pissed at him.” Pretty pissed at him, and pretty pissed at you. Why couldn’t everyone just leave me alone? “I’m tired of being told what to do and want the Introductions on my terms. I didn’t think about the call. Sorry.”

He looked at me closely for several moments. “I can understand not wanting to be told what to do. That’s why we left our packs.”

Forlorn. My stomach dropped, and my hand tightened on my glass. Bad grew worse the moment he smelled my fear. His nostrils flared minutely, and his grin widened.

“Don’t worry, little one. We’re not going to cause you any trouble tonight. We will see you tomorrow night.”

Yep, that sounded like a threat. If I didn’t go to the Compound, they would be coming to get me either way.

He nodded to me, turned, and disappeared into the crowd. I used my sight and monitored his progress as he and his group left the club. Once they cleared the building, I grabbed Rachel’s hand to distract her from her shouted conversation and motioned for the exit. A true friend, she immediately set her barely touched drink on the bar and moved to follow me.

One of the women noticed and snagged my arm.

“Please stay!” she shouted.

I smiled regretfully at her and her friend. Both pleaded with their eyes as did the men behind them. But the men begged for a different reason—they were only feeling the effects of the pull I had. I felt a moment of pity for the women. At some point in our lives, we all looked for that one being to connect with. These two just wanted a chance to find their special someone.

Though I understood, Rachel and I needed to leave in case the Forlorn changed their minds about waiting until tomorrow. I reached out to the women ready to apologize.

As soon as my fingers made contact with their arms, a large shock took the three of us by surprise. I knew immediately what I’d done. It hadn’t stung as bad as it had when I’d zapped Nicole, but the drain of it was worse. Now Rachel and I had even more reason to leave quickly.

The women looked stunned. I just laughed it away and patted their arms.

“Sorry,” I shouted over the music and waved goodbye.

This time when I moved to go, no one paid me any attention. One of the men behind the girls had already called the bartender over to order more drinks for the group. I hoped the woman would stick together and be smart about the attention soon to be showered on them.

The first wave of dizziness washed over me as Rachel and I pushed our way through the crowd toward the door. The bouncer didn’t even give me a second glance as we left. No man did. It confirmed what I had already guessed.

Our heels tapped out a rapid cadence on the sidewalk, but the clipped sound seemed like it came from under water. I wondered how long it would take my ears to recover from the loud music.

“We need to get home,” I said as soon as we were far enough away from the club that I could hear.

“Why? Is someone following us?” She turned to look behind us.

I hadn’t thought of that. I hoped the Forlorn would keep their word because I couldn’t look for them with my sight. I didn’t want to drain myself further.

“No, I’m just really not feeling well.”

We reached Rachel’s car, and I slid into my seat. By the time Rachel eased into the driveway, I shivered uncontrollably. She had cranked the heat in the car, but it hadn’t helped. After all, the shivering wasn’t because of a chill or a fever. I didn’t argue when she parked and told me to stay sitting. She came to my side of the car to help me out.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you weren’t feeling well?” Rachel said with one arm wrapped securely around my waist as she helped me into the house. The cold beads of the dress tickled the backs of my legs.

“I d-didn’t know. It c-came on f-fast.”

Rachel unlocked the door. We’d stayed at the club an hour at least, but the house remained quiet and dark.

“Clay?” I called from the kitchen. No answer. How long did Dale keep him on a Friday night? Rachel helped me to my room and frowned the empty bed.

“I wonder where he is,” she murmured.

Too late, I realized my mistake. When I’d called for Clay, I’d wanted the man, forgetting all about Clay-the-dog. Thankfully, I hadn’t said anything more.

She unzipped the back of my dress because I shook too badly to reach it, then left my room to search the rest of the house for Clay. I let the dress fall to the floor and struggled to put on my warm pajamas. Rachel came back a few moments after I’d managed to pull up the pants. She looked even more worried.

“I can’t find him anywhere.”

“M-maybe he got out. I’m going to bed. I’m sure he’ll s-show up tomorrow,” I said, crawling under the covers.

Rachel got me a glass of water, set it on the dresser, then felt my forehead.

“Doesn’t feel like a fever. Maybe it’s low grade.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ve had this before and just need sleep.” I burrowed deeper under the covers and tried to curl up to stop shaking. I wished for Clay again. I needed him. He warmed me, comforted me, and I needed to tell him about my promise to go to another Introduction. That wouldn’t go over well.

Rachel continued to watch me—nurse Rachel, not friend Rachel. I needed to distract her before she insisted I go see someone.

“I forgot to tell you. I have plans to leave tomorrow to see Sam. If Clay’s back, I want to take him with me.”

“You sure you’ll be up for it?”

“Yeah, it’s not something I have a choice about.”

“All right. Wake me up if you need anything.” She left the room but kept the door ajar. It made my heart ache as I recalled how, first my mother, and then my grandmother, had done the same for me whenever I’d been ill.

I
felt
Clay hop up on my bed and forced my eyes open. Tremors still shook me, and the mid-morning light sent shafts of pain into my aching head. The last time this had happened, it had taken close to twenty-four hours of sleep before I woke up without a headache. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to sleep this one off. If I didn’t show up at the Compound on time, those Forlorn would come looking for me, and Clay would get hurt again.

My mind worked sluggishly as I stared at the time. The clock displayed nine. It would take a little over eight hours to get to the Compound. We’d arrive around dinner.

“C-clay, we need to get to the Compound. Can you drive?” I struggled to sit up. He cocked his fuzzy head at me. “A lot happened last night while you were gone. I’ll tell you about it on the way.”

I tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness knocked me back onto the bed. Blood rushed to my head and pulsed in my ears. I almost didn’t hear Clay move while I sat there panting. I waited a moment, took a deep breath, then tried to stand again.

This time, Clay wrapped an arm around me to help. He’d shifted. I glanced at the door. It stood ajar. Was Rachel still home? He needed to be more careful. My wandering eyes caught our reflection in the mirror.

He stood beside me, looking down at me with concern. No wonder. I had my arm curled around his bare waist in a death grip, just to stay standing. My pale face enhanced the dark circles under my eyes. A frizzy mass of hair haloed my head. I looked like hell.

He, however, looked—I stopped gazing at his naked chest long enough to see his eyes narrow—pissed. He’d just figured out what I’d done again, and for the first time, I experienced a sense of appreciation that he didn’t talk. Not wanting to meet his gaze, I decided to go back to enjoying the view. He wore jeans, unbuttoned and low on his hips. One arm wrapped around my shaking shoulders. He started to rub little circles on my skin with his thumb. He reached up with his other hand and lightly touched my forehead. Though he was upset with me, his concern was plain, as was...I squinted in an attempt to see clearly and then scowled.

He once again sported bruises and what looked like a bite mark. How many challengers were there out there? I’d thought just a couple. He came home with bruises too often for it to be the same few. And a bite? I frowned at the mark on his shoulder, but my fuzzy brain distracted itself again. I lost my scowl. Even with his bruises and bite mark, Clay looked incredible. I would have drooled at the view he gave if I weren’t so sick.

“I need to use the bathroom then start packing.”

He nodded and helped me through the door. My head throbbed with each step. I leaned against him, let my head hang a little, and trusted him to guide me. Because of my position, I saw Rachel’s feet as she intercepted us.

“Hi, Clay. How’d you get here?”

I forced myself to look up. Still in her pajamas and sleep rumpled, she looked gorgeous. How she pulled that off, I had no idea. Concern filled her eyes when she took in the sight of me.

“I called him. Sorry, Rachel, I didn’t want to bug you.”

Her gaze drifted to Clay. “It’s okay, I get it.” She eyed Clay’s bare chest and his face as he continued to support me.

I’d forgotten she hadn’t seen him cleaned up like I had. Although bruised and bitten probably wasn’t the best first impression, being shirtless kind of made up for it. She certainly wasn’t looking at him in a clinically concerned way, and it made me smile. Rachel was a free spirit and loved life. She didn’t mean anything when she looked, but I could sense it made Clay a little uncomfortable. I shivered again. Perfect timing.

“Are you sure you should be going?” she asked, managing to look away from Clay.

“Yeah, Clay’s going to pack for me, and then we’ll go. Oh, and he came by last night, saw the dog out, and took him home. We’ll take him with, so don’t worry.”

I closed the bathroom door on both of them and focused on pulling myself together. I splashed some water on my face, leaned heavily on the sink, and ran my fingers through the snarls. It didn’t help much, but I didn’t think it would matter anyway with a long drive ahead of us. I took care of business and shuffled out of the bathroom to look for shoes, not concerned about changing.

Clay came in from the back door before I could make it to the hall closet. He took one look at my chattering teeth and scooped me up in his arms.

My squeal brought Rachel from her room before Clay could make it out the door.

“When you’re feeling better, let’s talk about rental rates,” she called after us with a snicker. “And I’m not talking about the house!”

A blanket waited for me in the front seat of the warmed car. My bulging messenger bag, packed to the point of bursting, sat on the back seat. I twisted, grabbed the cell phone from it while Clay closed my door, then I buckled up. My fuzzy slippers were on the floor, but I curled my legs under me instead and pulled the blanket snuggly around me.

He slid in behind the wheel and took some time to better tuck the blanket around me. His hand smoothed over mine briefly before he pulled away and backed out of the driveway. I struggled to keep my eyes open. Sleep pulled at me.

“I don’t want to keep going on like this,” I said once we cleared town.

His hands noticeably tightened on the steering wheel, and I could have smacked my forehead if it wasn’t already hurting so badly.

“I don’t mean being with you. I like that. But I don’t like seeing you bruised.”

He loosed his tight hold on the wheel and glanced at me. A smile twitched his lips. I scowled at him.

“There’s nothing amusing about it. I don’t like worrying.”

I lifted my cell, dialed Sam’s number, and struggled to hold the phone to my ear. My arm trembled from the effort. Sam picked up during the first ring. I didn’t wait for his greeting.

“I’m on my way. Put out a call for tonight only.” I hung up before he could speak. I wasn’t ready to talk to him. He’d hurt me too much with his last appearance.

I tossed the phone on the back seat and ignored it when it started to vibrate again. My gaze drifted to Clay. He looked outright pissed now. He knew who I’d called and what I intended. I hurried to explain.

“It’s not what you think, Clay. I don’t want to do another Introduction, but something happened last night. I went out with Rachel to a club downtown, not my best decision, but I think I’ve figured out what’s going on with me.” I shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around me. Sleep continued to tug at me.

“Remember the party with Nicole? When I touched her, I gave her a huge shock. That happened again last night. I think I can transfer my gift, that thing with guys, to other people. I didn’t know how it happened the first time. But I think I’ve figured it out.

“Last night, these two women at the club had been on their own until Rachel and I—and the groupies I’d collected—joined them. When we made to leave, the women had been so disappointed. They knew the guys would walk away when we did. I felt so bad for them that I went to...I don’t know...pat them, I guess. I’d just meant it as an ‘I’m sorry’ gesture, but then it happened again just like before. A huge shock.” My words started to slur, and I had a hard time keeping my thoughts coherent.

“Both times I was thinking about how I wished I could help find the person they were meant to be with. And I think that’s the key.” I noticed the speedometer hovered ten miles over what I considered a safe speed, but I didn’t comment on it. “I don’t understand why I can see the lights, but I know it must be all tied together because when I try to use my sight, it hurts. Really bad.” Clay’s expression hadn’t changed, and I realized I’d skipped the explanation of why I agreed to an Introduction.

“Oh, yeah. Before I shocked those two, a Forlorn came up behind me and started a conversation. My fish finder still worked then. There were more of them in the crowd, Clay. The one talking to me said he just wanted a chance to say hi. He was very persistent so I told him I would see them at the Compound for an official Introduction. They left right after but gave me the impression that if I didn’t show up, they’d come looking for me. I got the feeling they’d been pushed too far.” I watched his face. “Has it been the same werewolves trying to see me or is it always different?”

He didn’t answer, but I didn’t really expect him to. I sighed and snaked a hand out from under the blanket to touch his leg.

“It hurts to see you like this, Clay. If I have to put up with an Introduction to keep you safe, then that’s what I’ll do.” My lids refused to cooperate any longer and drifted shut.

“I’m sorry, Clay,” I mumbled sleepily. “I wish I could just get over my need for freedom and Claim you. We both know you’re the one. I just don’t want to lose myself.” I fell asleep without looking at him to see his reaction.

I
was surrounded
by darkness and in a bed. Clay had carried me around while I slept again.

“Clay?” I whispered, reaching out to feel the mattress beside me. Empty.

Sam’s voice came from nearby. “You’re safe, Gabby. At the Compound.”

“Where’s Clay?” I asked, trying to wake fully.

“In the unMated’s wing. I was surprised he chose to stay there. After I kicked him out of here, I thought he’d go to the woods.”

Sam’s words annoyed me. How dare he kick Clay out. He had no right.

Still tired, I could have easily fallen back asleep. Instead, I struggled into a sitting position to keep myself awake.

“You don’t know anything about him,” I muttered, using Sam’s own words. “Can you turn on a light please? I can’t see.”

The lamp next to the bed clicked on. Sam sat in a chair near the bed. He looked worn, but I didn’t feel very sympathetic. I looked around. I wasn’t in the same room I usually occupied, but I didn’t bother asking why.

“What time is it?”

He glanced at his watch then met my eyes again.

“Just after seven. You look worse than sick. Charlene came in to look at you. You have us all worried. You going to tell me what’s happened to you?”

Of course, they were worried. They’d promised their horde an Introduction.

“Nope, I won’t. Did you put out the call? Did anyone respond?”

He didn’t care for my answer, but let it go. “Yes, there’s about fifty or so. There were more, but we explained that you were ill and wouldn’t be able to—”

“Put the call out again.” Why did he choose now to care about my wellbeing? “They have an hour to get here. Get Clay for me, please.” I swung my legs out from the blankets and started to get up.

Sam moved in a blur of speed and pushed me back down, his hand on my collarbone. He didn’t have to use much force. I flopped back into the pillow and glared at him. He kept his hand on me for a moment, probably waiting for me to try again. As if I could move a werewolf.

“I get it, Gabby. I disappointed you and lost your trust, but you’re sick. This isn’t what I asked for when I said you’d be better off doing Introductions at the Compound.” His voice turned gruff. “Please, don’t push yourself like this. You’ll get worse.”

His expression and pleading tone swayed me enough to take pity on him. I patted his cheek sadly and half-smiled.

“Not everything is about you, Sam. Yes, I’m still mad at you, but this is about Clay and me. I don’t want to see him hurt because he’s trying to fight other werewolves away from me. Now, help me up, and go get Clay.” I held out my hands, and he reluctantly helped pull me to my feet.

Wobbling a bit, I made my way to my bag that lay at the foot of the bed. Sam shook his head as he watched my determined, but slow, progress. I sat on the mattress and pulled the bag toward me. With a sigh, he left to go get Clay while I rummaged through my messenger bag.

I still dug in the bag when Clay walked in without knocking. He didn’t walk past the threshold, though. Concern filled his expression when I looked up. I lifted my hand from the bag and let the bikini I’d found dangle from one finger.

“Really, Clay? You’re killing me. Where are my jeans?”

His lips twitched with a smile as he leaned against the frame, content to watch me dig through the bag some more.

Despite my playful greeting, I felt winded and dizzy again. Shocking both of those girls took more out of me than I’d anticipated. I’d expected to feel much better by now, like I had the last time. The shocks hadn’t seemed as strong as Nicole’s had, but perhaps, because it had split between the two of them, it drained me more.

At least my head didn’t hurt. I took a break from my search to look up at the fading bruises on Clay’s face. He still wore his hair back. I loved seeing his face.

He must have seen something in my gaze because he pushed away from the door and moved closer. He stopped in front of me, and without breaking eye contact, reached into my bag and pulled out a pair of jeans. He held them out to me and tapped his lips.

I smiled widely. “A kiss for the jeans?”

He nodded. I grabbed the jeans from his loose grasp and tossed them on the bed.

He watched me, curious, as I stood and placed my hands on his chest for balance.

“I don’t need bribes to kiss you, Clay. Come here.”

His lips covered mine in a move so fast, my head spun even more. I clutched his shirt in my fists, not sure if it was his kiss or my condition that caused the current wave of dizziness. His arms circled around me. I felt safe. And so desired. I pressed myself closer, and he increased the pressure on my lips. His warm breath fanned my face. One of his hands roamed up to curve around the back of my neck.

My heart skipped a beat, and my breathing became more erratic. I knew he’d hear but I didn’t care. Standing on my tiptoes, I loosened my hold on his shirt and slid my hands up and around his neck. I didn’t want him to let go just yet.

Tentatively, I opened my mouth and ran my tongue across his bottom lip. He growled, and his hold tightened fractionally. A thrill shot through me, heating my limbs and tickling my stomach. I used my tongue again. His mouth opened in response. He took control of the kiss and turned it from tender-sweet to passionately melting. Our tongues touched. I stopped breathing. My world tilted then steadied. He anchored me. How could I doubt this? Us?