Into the Flame (3 page)
She sighed. He noticed everything, but he wasn’t always insightful. ‘‘Everything went great, and best of all, they’re over.’’
He glanced at the door. ‘‘Did that guy Jacob upset you?’’
‘‘No, honest! I’m just happy.’’
Douglas
caught one of her tears with his thumb. ‘‘You’ve got a funny way of showing it.’’
caught one of her tears with his thumb. ‘‘You’ve got a funny way of showing it.’’
Douglas
didn’t talk about himself or his past, and so far, Firebird had let him get away with evading her questions, because something had put far too much cynicism into his dark eyes.
didn’t talk about himself or his past, and so far, Firebird had let him get away with evading her questions, because something had put far too much cynicism into his dark eyes.
Something else—her—had brought him joy, and when she caught him looking at her, that stunned expression of happiness on his face, she didn’t want to rock the boat.
Someday she’d coax him into telling his life story. Right now, they could just be in love.
‘‘I brought you flowers.’’ He let her go and handed her the bouquet of red carnations and yellow roses. Leaning over, he picked up the dog and offered it. ‘‘And a cuddly buddy. And congratulations, my darling—in five weeks, you’ll march across the stage and get your diploma.’’
‘‘Thank you.’’ She grinned, delighted and relieved to be through with finals, with the pressure of finishing a four-year degree in three years, and finishing at the top of her class. ‘‘Thank you.’’ She smelled the flowers—there weren’t many, only a handful, but for a campus cop the pay wasn’t great.
‘‘They’re lovely. You remembered the kind of flowers I like!’’
‘‘I remember everything about you.’’ His gaze intent, he watched her fill a glass with water and arrange the flowers on her desk. ‘‘I could pick you out of a crowd in a full
Las Vegas
casino.’’
Las Vegas
casino.’’
She laughed, not believing a word. ‘‘Now let me see this guy.’’ She lifted the stuffed animal out of his arms and stared in surprise. ‘‘I thought it was a dog, but it’s a cat!’’
‘‘A dog? I wouldn’t give you a dog.’’
Douglas
sounded grossly insulted. ‘‘It’s a cougar.’’
Douglas
sounded grossly insulted. ‘‘It’s a cougar.’’
‘‘That’s right. It is.’’ A big, fuzzy, floppy cougar with a white belly and dark glass eyes that stared right into her soul.
Wrapping her arms around the animal, she hugged him and buried her face in the plush fur. He smelled like
Douglas
: like shampoo and spray starch, like the flowers he had carried, and like the rich, intoxicating scent of her first and only lover. ‘‘This sweetheart will sleep on my bed with me.’’
Douglas
: like shampoo and spray starch, like the flowers he had carried, and like the rich, intoxicating scent of her first and only lover. ‘‘This sweetheart will sleep on my bed with me.’’
‘‘That is exactly where he wants to be.’’
Douglas
watched her with that expression that told her he considered her a miracle.
Douglas
watched her with that expression that told her he considered her a miracle.
That was why she’d succumbed to his seduction. To the Wilders, she had always been a miracle, the first female born into the family in a thousand years. But she was a smart girl.
Her father and mother had immigrated to the
United States
, fleeing his family, the ones known as the Varinskis. Her father had been their leader, and she didn’t know what he’d done to win that honor, but whatever crimes he’d planned, approved, and committed, he repented of them now. Yet no matter where he was, in the old Varinski home in the
Ukraine
or in his vineyard in
Washington
, he still had the ability to change, to transform himself into a wolf.
United States
, fleeing his family, the ones known as the Varinskis. Her father had been their leader, and she didn’t know what he’d done to win that honor, but whatever crimes he’d planned, approved, and committed, he repented of them now. Yet no matter where he was, in the old Varinski home in the
Ukraine
or in his vineyard in
Washington
, he still had the ability to change, to transform himself into a wolf.
That was a miracle.
He’d passed his abilities onto his sons.
Like his father, her oldest brother, Jasha, ran the forest as a wolf. Her second brother, Rurik, soared through the air as a hawk. Her third brother, Adrik, had disappeared when he was seventeen, but he had been wild and rebellious, a black panther who hunted his prey without remorse.
Those were also all miracles.
She was intelligent, she worked hard, yet she hadn’t inherited one little drop of supernatural abilities. The rest of the world considered her pretty normal, and so did she.
But Douglas Black, a campus cop, a guy she’d met four months ago . . . he made her feel special.
She dropped the cougar and went back into
Douglas
’s arms. She put all her heart, all her love, into the kiss she gave him, and turned him toward the bed.
Douglas
’s arms. She put all her heart, all her love, into the kiss she gave him, and turned him toward the bed.
He braced himself against the pressure. ‘‘No. This is your night to celebrate.’’
She rubbed against him. ‘‘I want to celebrate my way.’’
‘‘You want to celebrate with your friends, with the people you saw every day in class.’’ He never seemed to mind that he wasn’t one of the crowd. He stood apart, friendly, but watching, always watching. ‘‘Your friends are up at Bruno’s.’’
‘‘I can’t drink. I’m not old enough. And I’m dating a campus cop, so it’s not like I can fake an ID.’’
‘‘I promise not to toss you out as long as you stick with soft drinks.’’ He put his forehead to hers. ‘‘I’ll let you in on a secret.’’
‘‘Yeah?’’
‘‘I’m the same age you are.’’
She pulled back. ‘‘You’re kidding. How did you get the job?’’
‘‘I have a fake ID.’’ He didn’t smile, but his eyes twinkled.
‘‘You’re pulling my lariat.’’ Was he serious?
‘‘Nope. But don’t tell anyone; I will lose my job.’’ He released her and went to the closet. ‘‘Come on. Let’s go.’’
He held her jacket as she shrugged into it. ‘‘You said you’d been a cop for four years.’’
‘‘That’s right.’’
‘‘Since you were sixteen? That’s impossible.’’ Had he even graduated from high school?
‘‘I’m good at what I do, so the police departments ignore discrepancies in my job history.’’
‘‘What do you do that’s so special?’’
‘‘I track people. I find criminals. I find missing persons.’’
She stared at him, uneasy for the first time since she’d met him. ‘‘How?’’
He shrugged. ‘‘It’s a gift. Are you ready?’’
‘‘Let me get my purse.’’ With the card inside.
They headed outside into the May evening.
The campus was old and lovely, mellowed by age and hard use. Massive trees lined the walks, their leaves still a new, bright green. Springtime had brought a burst of flowers along the paths, and lured lovers out to walk hand in hand. No one noticed when
Douglas
took her hand in his and kissed her fingers.
Douglas
took her hand in his and kissed her fingers.
‘‘Tracking seems like such an odd talent,’’ she said. It was the talent that had started the Varinskis on their path to infamy and riches.
‘‘I grew up in pretty rough circumstances. I spent a lot of time on the streets.’’ His mouth twisted bitterly. ‘‘I can make contacts most cops can’t even imagine.’’
Firebird caught her breath.
At last, a glimpse into his past.
‘‘I guess your parents were poor?’’ she asked.
‘‘ ‘Poor’ doesn’t begin to describe them.’’ He led her around four students lined up on the walk and singing a jaunty opera in Italian. He nodded at them. ‘‘That’s just not something you see on most college campuses.’’
But he wasn’t going to distract her. ‘‘Why don’t you like to talk about your parents?’’
‘‘My parents were not pleasant people. I’d rather talk about your family. When you talk about them, your face lights up.’’ He hugged her shoulders. ‘‘You like them. Do you know how rare that is?’’
‘‘No, it’s not. Lots of people like their families.’’
‘‘Lots of people don’t.’’ He headed them toward Bruno’s Bar and Grill. ‘‘I’ll buy you a steak.’’
He had given her a hint of his past, then offered a steak as a distraction.
It wouldn’t work. She wouldn’t let him succeed. She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. She faced him and took his hands. ‘‘You’re only twenty. Is your past so disgraceful you can’t talk about it?’’
‘‘Not disgraceful. But not the subject for this place and this time.’’ He gestured around at the laughing, shouting students headed for Bruno’s.
‘‘Then we’ll talk about it later.’’
He looked down at their joined hands, then up at her face. ‘‘Tonight, I’ll tell you everything. I just hope that you—’’ He stopped, his face twisted with remembered pain.
‘‘That I what?’’
‘‘Sometimes I wish I’d never started this.’’
Alarmed, she glanced at the approaching circle of shouting students, then back at
Douglas
. ‘‘What
are
you talking about?’’
Douglas
. ‘‘What
are
you talking about?’’
The students surrounded them. Her friends, jubilant, exhausted, celebrating.
‘‘Hey, Firebird, we did it!’’
‘‘Hey, Doug, let’s party!’’
They jostled
Douglas
and Firebird, pulling them along the path, separating them. Firebird laughed and talked with them, but she kept
Douglas
in sight—and he watched her. Watched her as if she really were a miracle.
Douglas
and Firebird, pulling them along the path, separating them. Firebird laughed and talked with them, but she kept
Douglas
in sight—and he watched her. Watched her as if she really were a miracle.
He caught her as they walked into Bruno’s. ‘‘Tonight we’ll talk. Okay?’’
‘‘Okay.’’ She remembered the card in her purse. ‘‘Definitely okay.’’
The place was packed, a distillation of the elation that held the campus in thrall.
Douglas
kept her at his side, tried to order her a steak—she insisted on a hamburger—and kept her in as many bottles of water as she wanted. Half the guys in the bar tried to sneak her a beer, and she was glad she could use
Douglas
as an excuse to say no.
Douglas
kept her at his side, tried to order her a steak—she insisted on a hamburger—and kept her in as many bottles of water as she wanted. Half the guys in the bar tried to sneak her a beer, and she was glad she could use
Douglas
as an excuse to say no.
She was posing for a picture with three of her best friends when two guys, too drunk to walk, started swinging at each other. The fight spread like wildfire, and
Douglas
waded in, shouting for quiet, separating the combatants, making arrests. By the time the police and EMTs arrived, he’d impressed Firebird with his patience and his strength.
Douglas
waded in, shouting for quiet, separating the combatants, making arrests. By the time the police and EMTs arrived, he’d impressed Firebird with his patience and his strength.
He worked his way over to her. ‘‘I need to stay here and help mop up. Wait for me.’’
‘‘I can’t. I’m pooped.’’ These days, she tired out very quickly. ‘‘I’ll walk home with the girls.’’
He looked around at the mess in the bar. ‘‘You’ll stay with your friends? You’ll be careful?’’
‘‘Very careful. You’ll come by later?’’
‘‘I don’t know if I can. It’s going to be a wild night.’’
‘‘Then I’ll see you in the morning. And we’ll talk.’’
‘‘Yes. In the morning, we’ll talk.’’
The other girls lived in an apartment five minutes from Firebird’s dorm. Meghan had Blue Bell ice cream her mother had sent her from
Texas
. So of course Firebird had to stop by for a bowl of Homemade Vanilla with chocolate sauce and some quick gossip, and by the time they’d gone from high spirits to quiet reflection as they realized their years together were finally over, it was one a.m., and Firebird figured she’d better get back to the dorm or she’d fall asleep in their chair.
Texas
. So of course Firebird had to stop by for a bowl of Homemade Vanilla with chocolate sauce and some quick gossip, and by the time they’d gone from high spirits to quiet reflection as they realized their years together were finally over, it was one a.m., and Firebird figured she’d better get back to the dorm or she’d fall asleep in their chair.
The main walk of the campus was still hopping with celebrating students, but the crowds were thinning fast, and when she turned off toward her dorm, it got darker, quieter.
She didn’t mind.
Douglas
had told her the campus wasn’t safe, but her father had taught her to protect herself, to be careful, to be aware. She was all of those things, and right now, she was bummed to be alone.
Douglas
had told her the campus wasn’t safe, but her father had taught her to protect herself, to be careful, to be aware. She was all of those things, and right now, she was bummed to be alone.
The evening hadn’t turned out as she had hoped. Not at all.
Douglas
had hinted at his past, had promised to fill her in, and work had interfered. And she’d made him promise that they’d talk in the morning, but she’d seen the look on his face—he didn’t want to.
Douglas
had hinted at his past, had promised to fill her in, and work had interfered. And she’d made him promise that they’d talk in the morning, but she’d seen the look on his face—he didn’t want to.
What secrets did he hide? He was only twenty. He was a policeman. How bad could his past possibly be?
As she strolled along the tree-lined walk, she at first didn’t notice the sounds behind her. She was listening for footsteps, not the rustle of leaves and the creak of branches. But once she heard them, she knew what they boded.
Someone was stalking her, creeping along through the trees, and that someone wasn’t all human.
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