Shifting Crossroads 8 - Ocelot of Trouble (2 page)

“Don’t worry about it. It is all set up. We have two predators who are probably leaving today. You will have the hostel all to yourself in short order.”

Mina followed Teal with a sense of hope. “Oh good.”

Teal cleared her throat. “We have been warned of your special circumstances.”

“Polite way of putting it. I am a jinx, a klutz. No man can stay in my vicinity and not suffer an injury.”

“I know. Chuck is being briefed as we speak, so are the staff at the café and restaurant.”

“It is so embarrassing.”

“No, it is inconvenient. We will make sure that your actions do not ruin your chances to find happiness.” Teal put her arm around Mina’s shoulders.

Mina felt like laughing and bawling at the same time. “How can you be so calm about it?”

“We are professionals. We are here to design and maintain an atmosphere in which you can meet your match. However it is going to happen, we will support you. Oh, and we also have a full-time medic on hand. Lee is ready for anything at a moment’s notice.”

A bit of Mina’s soul unfurled happily. “How long do I have here?”

Teal smiled. “As long as you need. There has been no limit to the amount of time you are here. The involvement of your entire community has earned you an open account that will provide you with every resource we have at our disposal.”

“I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”

“It is too late. We love working with special cases. Yours is the most peculiar we have seen in some time.”

Mina groaned. “Nothing like feeling special to make one’s day.”

“It is going to be fine. Nothing to it. Just relax and let your senses guide you. They are your best determination of what is right for you.”

Mina nodded and hiked her bag over her shoulder. She had clothing selected that would leave no doubt as to her availability. “Right, well, I had better get in a hunting frame of mind.”

“Good. Well, here is the hostel. It is gender and predation locked. We want all of our guests to feel secure. I will show you where to put your things, and then, we will continue our tour.”

Mina nodded eagerly and asked, “Should I change first?”

“Sure. That way, I can leave you at the Crossed Star after the tour and you can get to work.”

It was set; she was going to do this. With her shoulders straight, she followed Teal’s lead and checked into her temporary home. The possibilities of her future life began tonight.

She hoped that she was ready for it.

Mina smiled shyly as another male showed interest in her. Women surrounded him, his dark auburn hair had an adorable curl and his eyes were a solid leaf green.

She quickly turned her back to him, sure that a male so pretty with all those women could not possibly be interested in her.

“Another strawberry margarita, Chuck.”

“Coming right up, Mina.” He inclined his head and went to work.

Four days in the Crossroads made her a regular and known to almost everyone whose path she crossed. Chuck knew her preferences for beverages, the café prepared her meals with no more than a cursory confirmation and Lee stopped by the predator hostel to play checkers every afternoon. It was a wonderfully safe routine.

With the drink in hand, she turned to watch the handsome male and his harem. “Oh-my-god-excuse-me.”

The pink and red that had looked so tempting in the glass looked less so while running down his shirt.

“It is fine, I am sure that it will wash out.” He tried to keep the charm on, but his bevy of women surrounded him and coaxed him back and away from Mina.

She stopped and whispered, “I am sure it will.”

Turning back to Chuck, she met his amused gaze. “Another please.”

Chuck got to work, but he had to ask, “Are you tagging him for later capture?”

“No, just to mark and release him back into the wild. He needs to be with his own kind. The pretty ones.”

“Aw, Mina, you are very attractive. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“Wrong, Chuck. I am cute. There is a world of difference between attractive and cute. I accept it.” She saluted him with the drink he handed to her and took a sip. “Wonderful as always, Chuck. Are the strawberries from Teebie’s garden?”

“Of course. Where else could we get such freshness on a daily basis?”

Mina didn’t have an answer, so she sipped again and then turned with the intention of returning to her table.

He really should not have been standing there when she turned around.

The hot pink colour of the drink absorbed into the starched white of his shirt and spread from his collarbone down toward his navel. She looked up and met his gaze for a moment before she did what her instincts urged her to do. She ran as far and as fast as she could.

* * * *

Robar looked down at the sticky mess that used to be one of his favourite shirts and then at the retreating figure of the woman with blood-red hair and a pert little nose.

“I am guessing that she was in a hurry.” His absent comment caught the attention of the bartender.

“She is usually in a hurry. I can get you some club soda for that.”

Robar sighed. “Never mind. I will just discard it. What is her problem?”

The serpentine bartender scowled. “She doesn’t have a problem; she is just a little uncoordinated when she gets close to a male. If you are interested, just stay at arm’s length.”

“I hardly know if I am interested or not. How could I be if I can’t get close enough to her to determine anything?”

The bartender shrugged. “Follow your instincts. I have seen your little entourage, and I will guess that you have just determined that none of them are mate material.”

Robar jolted. “How can you know that?”

“This is not my first rodeo. I have seen men like you come here with old flames, hoping to rekindle something into a blaze. It never works.” The bartender nodded. “Can I get you something?”

“No. I will head out into the woods and go for a run. This night is a total write-off.”

“The north woods are usually pretty empty at this time of night. You should have plenty of cover for a safe run.”

Robar scowled and plucked at his shirt. “Thanks for that.”

Maintaining dignity while being covered in frapped fruit was difficult, but he straightened his shoulders and left the bar. A night run was just what he needed.

* * * *

Mina crouched in the trees and watched the nightlife beneath her. A few large predators crept past on their way to a tryst, but Mina kept her vigil up high in the trees.

It was rather sad that the only place she felt in control lately was inside the body of her beast.

She didn’t know what it was that made her so damned awkward and dangerous when the opposite sex was around, but it was much easier to deal with the world in general when she was in her fur.

Her ocelot form came with excellent vision, a sense of smell that was sometimes inconvenient and a set of claws that were still less dangerous than her human form.

Hiding up in a tree was an attractive option every day of her life, and she was pleased to be able to indulge it.

She watched the traffic beneath her, and her beast perked up when a male fox sauntered through the path worn by claws and paws.

Mina tensed and watched him. His pointed ears, bushy tail and confident prance were hypnotic. He sprinted off down the path, and she fought the urge to follow him.

It was an hour later when he sashayed back into her field of vision. He sat and yawned, stretching his body out and flicking his tail.

Mina couldn’t resist. He was about her size and she wanted to play.

With smooth moves, she came down from the tree and sat across from him. He blinked and cocked his head.

Mina lowered her head and raised her haunches, lashing her tail playfully.

He mimicked her, and she pounced on him, knocking him flat before she streaked through the woods and into the meadow.

He made a high-pitched bark as he chased after her, and she quickly changed direction, leapt into the air and twisted, landing on his fluffy tail.

He yelped and stopped suddenly.

Mina jumped to the side and crouched low while her playmate made sure that his tail was still attached. He mimicked her and his ears went back. She watched his nose twitch, and the moment he jumped, she met him in mid-air.

Her paws were soft, claws held in as she wrestled with him. It was fun to pit beast against beast, but when they were both done rolling around, she flopped on her belly and yawned.

He sat next to her and rubbed his body against hers, using her for support as he yawned and blinked sleepily.

Mina was happy. Sure, the next day she was going to be back in her human form and looking for a man who could dodge the bad luck that she brought with every step and gesture, but tonight, her beast had a playmate that smelled like musk and strawberries.

For this one piece of time, life was good.

She sighed and enjoyed the feel of the warm body against her own. His fur wasn’t as soft as hers, but the differences made it more enjoyable.

Mina wriggled against him and closed her eyes for just a moment, pretending that this was normal and she could enjoy the sensation whenever she pleased.

After a few minutes, the feeling of a sharply pointed muzzle lapping at her made her sit up and blink at her companion. He licked at her neck and cheek. She backed away in confusion. She had just wanted to play, and he was starting something else entirely.

When he started to shift into his human form, she ran. Being faced with a naked male was off the agenda for the evening.

He shouted after her, but she kept running until she reached the safety of the predator hostel. She shifted to human in order to open the door and quickly ducked inside. She was sharing the hostel with two wolves and a lioness, but none of them were home from the rest of the Crossroads yet.

Her room was a quiet haven. If she could, she would not leave it for the disasters awaiting her outside its confines.

Mina sighed and smiled at the small moment of happiness that she had just experienced. It seemed forever since she had just played with another shifter.

She hoped that the fox wasn’t good at matching people to their animals. She was looking forward to another romp through the woods but would not have the nerve if he knew who she was.

Mina slipped on a robe and headed into the shower. A quick scrub and a good night’s sleep and she would be up for the following day’s trials. It was a hope that she would cling to until it was proven to be wrong once again.

Optimism was as much a part of her life as the damage that she inflicted on the men in her life. Somehow, they kept a fairly even appearance in her life, hope and disaster, neck and neck.

The knock on her door had Mina jumping in panic. “Yes?”

The door opened and Teal entered. “Mina, we have been observing you for the last few days, and you have a problem.”

Mina tucked her shirt into her jeans and sighed. “I believe that I mentioned that when I first came to the Crossroads.”

“This goes beyond social awkwardness. You have magic sticking to you, and you need to get it sorted.” Teal’s expression was serious.

Mina snorted. “Magic? Shifters don’t deal with magic.”

“How do you think you got here? Magic makes us change our forms, and it also has been flaring around you in an evil aura every time you get near a man.”

“You can see it?”

“Not me…Chuck. He has been watching you in an effort to help diagnose your problem.”

“Well, that explains his attentive nature.”

“He is that attentive to anyone that he and his mate get along with.”

Mina quickly ran a brush through her hair and put it up in a ponytail. “Okay. Where are we going to get me a diagnosis and how much extra will it cost?”

“Nothing extra. When you were granted access to the Crossroads, it was with the assumption that we would be able to help you find a match. In your current condition, that isn’t likely.”

Teal smiled brightly. “Come along. Teebie makes the most wonderful breakfast. You can eat there.”

The thought of breakfast brought her to attention more than anything previously mentioned. Sure, she knew that there had to be another influence somewhere that was helping her clumsiness along, but she hadn’t thought that it was external.

Fully dressed, she left the hostel at Teal’s side, walking through the early morning in the Crossroads. Shipments of supplies were being trundled in to the café and restaurant. Jim was bringing a stack of pallets to the bar, and he waved cheerfully at Mina as they passed.

“I see you have made a few friends since you have been here.” Teal was chuckling.

“One or two. I make friends easily as long as they don’t have any designs on me romantically.”

“I see. Well, you will enjoy meeting Teebie then. She is the newest addition to the management of the Crossroads.”

“What kind of a shifter is she?”

“One of a kind, my dear. One of a kind.”

Curious, Mina looked forward to meeting a specialist in matters of magic. If her problem was caused by outside influences, she was eager to find the cause.

The Open Heart Bed and Breakfast was prim, proper and excellently maintained. The door swung open to admit them, and Teal led her inside and to the left where a table was set and a coffee carafe was waiting for them.

Mina blinked in surprise as a woman in a navy day dress with a white apron stepped forward. Her blue-purple skin would be eye catching under any circumstances, but here at the Crossroads, it was truly extraordinary.

“Welcome to the Open Heart, Mina. I am Teebie.”

“Thank you for the welcome, Teebie. I am grateful for any insight you can give me on this matter.”

Teebie gestured for her and Teal to sit. “This will be easier if you relax and have something to eat. Your aura will settle, and I will be able to pinpoint the spike points.”

No one had to tell Mina twice. She took two muffins onto her plate and poured coffee for all three of them.