Resurrection (2 page)

“What? You’re telling me a child could shift to Lycan
and
to Centaur?” She stopped in her tracks. “How is this possible?”

Releasing her arm he turned to face her. The air around him shimmered and he shifted into a golden wolf briefly before shifting back into his human form. “Yes, it is true.”

She gulped. “Well, Z, if I needed a distraction, you certainly came through for me.”

He bowed. “Now,” he looped his arm in hers once again, “we are also very good at Astrology. We all have individual strengths, as I’m sure Lycans do. I, for one, have a touch of precognition. I’m also a bit of a healer.”

Shifting his eyes, he glanced at her while keeping his head forward. “Care to know why a Lycan of your age looks quite a bit older?”

She could not hide her embarrassment. The desire to jerk her arm loose and run far from him was overwhelming—or perhaps she could crawl under a rock. “Nothing I can change, so why bother?”

“And if one simple kiss from me would turn the clock back for you, would you grace my lips with yours?” He didn’t slow his pace as he waited for her to reply. When she tried to jerk her arm free, he held on a bit tighter.

“What? No.” She wanted to go back to the house, away from Z. She wanted some space so she could focus on the problem at hand…the university, her brother trying to get rid of her, being hopelessly single and aging.

“Your beautiful hair, restored to its former glory, the worry lines erased…the only cost being one simple kiss?” He laughed. “Does the thought of kissing me repulse you
that
much?”

“No.” She finally pulled her arm free. “I’m not some young pup you can trick into your bed.” She turned her back to him and started off toward the main house. His long legs prevented her stomping pace from putting any distance between them.

He latched onto her hand. “Please. I did
not
mean to offend you.”

She stopped, causing him to bump into her. The heat from his body sent her senses on fire. She could smell his arousal, meaning he could smell hers. She silently groaned. “Look, I don’t know what you’re playing at.” He was so sexy, standing there in a pair of jeans, hanging low on his hip. His blonde curls bounced when he moved.

“Fuck it.” She meant to give him a quick peck to shut him up, but something else happened. When she stood on her toes, large warm hands cupped her face. His searing lips brushed up against hers, making her limbs feel like putty. Her ears started to ring.

The kiss was slow and tender, but quite respectful. He didn’t shove his tongue in her mouth. He didn’t crush her mouth with his. This…was a first kiss, a tender moment and it melted her.

When he released her, she felt heaviness in her lids.

“That wasn’t too repulsive, I hope.”

Staring at him, she was at a loss for words, or a singular thought.

“I see,” he said with a smile, the thought of rendering her speechless apparently entertaining. “Race you back to the house.” Shifting into his wolf form, he tore off, leaving her behind. Wendy shook her head to clear her mind before shifting and taking off after him. His wolf was large, nearly as large as Grace’s. Wendy figured it had something to do with the royal blood. However, he didn’t spend much time in his wolf form and it was obvious as he was rather slow.

Wendy pushed hard to get next to him. He looked over at her and made a leap to get ahead of her. She dove under him, digging in her hind quarters then sprinted toward the yard, which was only a few feet ahead. When she finally skidded to a stop, the large Centaur-Wolf was skidding up behind her. The both shifted in unison.

“You’re a vivacious runner, Wendy.” He nodded. “Very impressive.”

“Wendy!” Colin stood glaring at Zoltar. She’d just been caught cavorting with a Centaur…by her brother.

Nala had insisted Wendy join the table and let some of the other pack mates serve for a change. Wendy was certain it was supposed to be a kind gesture, but it made her feel so much more out of place. She had to sit and stew that Colin would make a federal case out of her run with the Centaur King.

“Wendy?” Grace called to her from across the table. “We are going up to take a look at the progress on the school’s dorms tomorrow. I’m wondering if you would not like to join us and take a look around.”

She looked at Grace—the Lycan Queen—what was she supposed to say? Was it an invitation or an order? The day had just been too much—too many emotions, too much to consider and then she had to worry about her brother.

“There are also a few humans I need to interview and I think I could most certainly use your help. It’s going to be a very touchy subject and you’re so good with people. You seem to set others at ease and that would be invaluable as I explain what they’ve gotten themselves into.”

Xander, Grace’s half-brother and the pack’s tech guy, shot out of his chair, face red and eyes blazing with fury. “You’re exposing us to the humans?”

Wrenching her fingers as she watched Grace flash her violet eyes at her younger half-brother—a sign of her authority. Xander reclaimed his seat but glared back. “That’s a violation of our laws.”

“The Fae have already pre-screened the individuals who are…shall we say…more open to the idea of our kind. And if they become a problem, the Fae will just use their gifts to erase their memory.” Grace kept her voice calm, though her clenched jaw demonstrated her frustration with Xander.

Wendy knew there had been tension between the siblings before, but they seemed to have come to a better place, though Xander still challenged Grace quite frequently.

“Did you do something different with your hair?” Colin asked waving his fork at her, swirling it around.

Every muscle tensed. Was this going to be when he mentioned seeing her running with Zoltar? Was he going to out her at dinner? The question startled Wendy. It apparently threw everyone else for a loop too as all eyes were on her.

“Interested in becoming a cosmetologist?” Roman teased, tossing a roll at him. He sat stiff, allowing it to bounce off his chest.

Colin studied her, pulling his brows together while waving his finger, encircling her. “You look different.”

She shot a glance at Zoltar, who was smiling back.
Did he really turn back my clock?
She had to get some control back of the situation. “Grace, I’d be happy to check out the new building with you and help with the interviews. Thank you for the invitation.” She scooted her chair back. “If you’ll excuse me.” She
had
to get to a mirror.

Fast as she could, she hustled up the stairs to her room, stopping at the mirror. “Holy hell!” Every gray hair was gone. Every worry line, erased. One kiss made her look like a woman in her early thirties, instead of one pushing mid-forties or 200 in the case of a Lycan. One kiss from Zoltar had turned back the clock, which seemed to run fast for her.

“Wendy?” Nala stood behind her with her hands folded. “Is everything okay?”

The Alpha was good at sneaking up, a skill which would suit her well. Wendy stood a little straighter. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

Nala cleared her throat and lifted her chin a bit higher. “You know, uh, Colin is very worried that he’s hurt your feelings. He’s been stewing about it all day.”

“He has?” Wendy hadn’t known Colin to worry much about her. True, when he was Alpha, he worried a lot, but it never seemed to be aimed at her. Maybe because she’d always taken care of him, she hadn’t noticed.

*

“You’re really exposing us to humans?” Xander prodded as he pounded the handle of his fork against the oak table.

Grace crossed her arms across her chest. Her left brow shot up toward her hair line. “Just how many Supernaturals can you find with the qualifications to become a professor at an accredited university?”

“Three,” he groaned. His shoulders slumped forward, apparently losing his battle with the Lycan Queen.

“Exactly. We don’t have time to wait, so we have to go with human professors for now. Don’t worry, little brother, we’re taking every precaution. I think having humans around will help us blend better into society. ”

Colin put his hand on Zoltar’s shoulder. “Thank you for suggesting Wendy for the university. I really think she’s a good fit and if she can let go of this place, I’m sure she’ll be happy there.”

Zoltar forced his lips into a smile, eager to get the Lycan’s dangerous hand off his shoulder. “I’m certain she will be fine. She seems like a strong woman, your sister. I also noticed how organized she was with the large group we had here with no notice. Those kinds of skills will serve the students well.”

Releasing his grip, Colin leaned in on his elbows. “She needs a purpose. She’s spent far too long taking care of everyone else. It’s her time to have something that’s…hers.” His mouth turned down in a frown. His brow furrowed as he stared at his plate.

Was the frown caused by seeing his sister running with a Centaur? He focused in on Colin, searching his thoughts. “
She deserves a mate, happiness, and a family. I’ve been so selfish.”
The Lycan seemed pure of heart, making him feel more at ease.

“Don’t worry. This university equates to a brighter future for us all, your sister included. I’m sure she’ll find what she’s looking for there.” He stood from his chair. “Thank you for an excellent meal, but I’m going to retire for the evening.” He made his way to the guest room and locked the door behind him.

There was something about this woman that pulled at him. He had premonitions about her after first meeting her, but his visions were always a little fuzzy. He saw them by a fire drinking wine. Because his premonitions were sporadic and unclear, they could mean anything. It didn’t
necessarily
mean they were meant to be together. She roused him though. She roused him in a way he’d never experienced. He wanted to be near her, to feel the warmth coming from her. He found himself reveling in her smile and pained by anything less.

For far too long, his kind spent their lives alone, unmated because there were no women in their species. Women of other species didn’t want to be outcasts of their packs and marry the enemy. This new beginning could mean actual love instead of lust for the Centaurs. He had high hopes for his herd.

He scooped up a book on Lycan bonding, devouring each word, determined to learn more. True, honest-to-goodness, reliable literature on Lycanthropy was difficult to find. There was too much fiction and mythology blended into most reference books he could get his hands on. He traced the author of this particular Lycanthropy guide. A Lycan scholar, long since dead, had managed to get it published prior to his demise.

This woman stirred desire in him he’d not felt in his two hundred years. Thoughts of her swelled his cock to an unprecedented hardness. He stood from the bed and dropped his pants to the floor. He imagined their bodies intertwined, Wendy’s warmth enveloping him as he eased into her, while their lips danced in a lover’s kiss.

Hoping for release, he stroked his hard-on. He licked his lips, remembering the sweetness of hers gracing his in the woods, how she melted into him. He wanted to put her back against a tree and take her there. Picturing her delicious plump lips wrapped around his cock, he gave his balls a firm squeeze. That image was all he needed for his release to come.

Wendy wrecked him. She had to be his. He only hoped she would accept him.

*

Wendy crawled under the covers.
So Z wasn’t tricking me. His kiss actually had an effect on me. Well, more than making my knees buckle. What would a Centaur King want with me? I’m just an average Lycan—nothing special.

Continuing to question herself and Zoltar’s motives, she turned on her side and stared at her pillow, her stomach doing flops.
Centaur sex is supposed to be phenomenal. I haven’t had sex in two decades. Do I even remember how?

She groaned as lust reverberated through her body once more. The stupid Centaur had twisted up her mind and body. She needed to focus on what she was going to do about moving. Would she go to the university and be the Headmistress? What did being a Headmistress even mean? Was she qualified?

There were too many questions in her head. She needed rest, but she couldn’t stop her mind from pictured him standing in the woods, his jeans barely clinging on at the hip. How easy it would be to slip them off and explore his nether regions.
Stop it! Knock it off, dammit!
She cursed herself, burying her face in her pillow.

“He is part Lycan. He could be our mate.”
Her wolf, who was usually quiet, spoke to her.

“Fat chance.”

“Our world is changing. It might be more acceptable now. Consider it.”

Consider it? She was damned near panting at one simple kiss. She turned to mush and couldn’t think straight around him. That’s not the mark of a good mating. How would their life be?

“What am I thinking? He doesn’t want any more than a Centaur baby to cart off to his pack.” A tear rolled down her cheek. She just wanted a mate and pups like any other Lycan. Why was she doomed to be alone?

Wendy wasn’t in the habit of wallowing in self-pity. It irked her that she sobbed into her pillow, mourning the love that never came. He’d showed an interest, true. But what sort of future could a blended couple have? Centaurs and Lycans didn’t mate. They didn’t bond. Centaurs came in, seduced and impregnated them for years, only to leave a grieving, childless mother full of shame. She wasn’t going to be just another mark in his belt. An incubator, she was not!