Stripes of Fury (2 page)

Teebie left her alone, and Nika went to the bathroom and wrestled her hair into a thick braid. She wished that she had her mother’s blonde hair, but she was stuck with Frennin’s dark locks. With her dark eyes, it made her look mysterious, which was better than hung over.

She brushed her teeth with the equipment in the amenity kit and made sure that she smelled appropriate. She didn’t want to wear these clothes out during the evening, so she was going to take a shower after she had finished shopping.

Teebie met her in the lobby and tied a charm on her wrist. Nika would use it to pay for anything she wanted, and it would all be on the fey account.

The streets were full of people who were relaxed and smiling. A few of the men smiled at her and nodded, but she wasn’t in heat, so she wasn’t going to pursue them without any courtship on their part. Since she was here, she was at least going to play along with the idea of looking for a mate.

Her shopping trip took about an hour, and she managed to score several dresses, some new underwear and a stash of chocolate for her room.

She headed back to her room and showered, blow dried her hair and dressed for light flirtation. If they wanted to play, she would play. The idea of a mate was a vague form in her mind. Since her mother and father had not bonded together, she was stuck with having to make up the idea of a union on her own. It hadn’t really taken any firm shape since her mother had been ejected from her herd when Nika’s first shift freaked everyone out.

She and her mother were a herd of two, and she was used to going out for sex when she needed it and not otherwise. She would get it over with and go back home. Her mom needed her.

Nika looked at herself in the mirror, and her shoulders slumped. If she dressed in leather, she went straight into slutty bondage, and if she wore chiffon, she was plastered in fairy tale. Today, she was definitely rocking Snow White.

She slipped on some sandals with short heels and left her room with a sense of dread mixed with anticipation. Being social had never really been part of her repertoire. She just got what she wanted and got out.

This was going to be different.

After she got a soda, she took a seat in the shadows and watched the movement of the fey and shifters around her.

Every time a new male entered the space, she looked him over and assessed his possibilities. That one was too timid, the next too smug. She was critiquing herself out of the possibilities.

When a shadow darkened her shadows, she looked up. “Hello?”

“You are too lovely a woman to be sitting here by yourself.”

“Thank you, but my appearance has nothing to do with my ability to have company. I will pass on your no-doubt delightful company.”

She couldn’t see him in the shadows, but his chuckle ran through her soul and touched bits of her that shouldn’t have been possible without closer contact.

“As deliberate a brush-off as it was, I feel it necessary to get you out onto the dance floor.” He held his hand out to her, and it was tanned, scarred and definitely out of place in modern times.

She told herself it was manners and not fascination with that rough appendage that had her putting her hand in his and letting him lead her to the dance floor.

Out in the light of the bar, she snuck glances at him, determining that the tan extended to his face, his features were sharp, nose hooked and he was the most unconventionally attractive fey she had ever seen. His entire body looked like it was designed to take a beating, and his expression said,
bring it on.

His hair was a non-descript brown, only a few shades lighter than his skin. If it wasn’t for the slight points of his ears peeping out of his locks, she wouldn’t have pegged him as fey at all.

When they faced each other on the dance floor, she glanced up at his eyes. They were a strangely soothing grey so dark as to be nearly black. The slight softness was calming, and she breathed a little easier until he wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her against him.

The music pulsed, and he swayed against her in a modified tango. He led and she followed.

He moved her easily through the other dancers, and she found it was both stimulating and relaxing to let him lead. In all the years she had been hitting the clubs, no one had ever just danced with her. She felt a smile creeping around her lips, but it faded as the music ended and she realised that there was no good reason to remain standing there.

She looked up at him, smiled slightly and tried to leave the dance floor. Her partner kept hold of her hand and pulled her back toward him, kissing the inside of her wrist before smiling and releasing her. “May I join you for a drink?”

His polite manner was not what she was used to. “Um, sure.”

He smiled again, and the gentle expression made her want to stare at him indefinitely. She quickly shook herself and headed back to the bar for a soda before heading for her booth.

As she settled, he took a seat next to her, forcing her to move over or have him plastered over her thigh. It was a fun thought, but she wasn’t sure what he was after, so caution was a better idea than surrender.

He gestured to her soda. “No alcohol for you tonight?”

“No. I only drink when I need to numb myself to what I am doing.” She bit her lip and sipped at her soda.

He nodded. “Does that happen often?”

“More often than I would like.” She made a face.

“Do you want it to happen?”

“It is inevitable. My time comes and I need to go out, so I do and then I go home and the cycle starts all over again.”

He nodded and extended his hand. “My name is Markkios.”

She gripped his hand with hers. “Nika.”

He lifted her hand to his lips. “I am pleased to meet you, Nika.”

“What brings you to the Crossroads, Markkios?”

“Mark, please. I was sent here by the fey seers. They finally located a mate for me, and she is due to be cruising through here any day now.”

Nika decided to go on the offensive. “How old are you?”

He grinned. “Older than the cities in the Americas. From an age of horse and steel.”

“Wow. That is pretty old. You have waited this long to find a mate?”

“It isn’t a matter of waiting; it is a matter of the right fit.”

She grinned. “Something tells me that this three-bears scenario involves testing out beds.”

His lips settled into a slight smile. “From time to time, but I prefer to remain alone rather than get into a tangle in a situation that doesn’t fit.”

“Sensible.” She smiled and sipped at her soda.

“It did take a few decades to come to that conclusion, but I can and do learn eventually.” His tone was wry.

Silence fell between them for a time, and while it felt natural, she wanted to ask, “So, what are you seeking here at the Crossroads?”

He sat back and rolled his wineglass in his fingers. “I am seeking a match, a partner. I am seeking what has been missing because it hasn’t existed until now.”

“That is a tall order.”

“I am confident in the finding of the fey seers. If they have pointed me at the Crossroads, I am sure that they contain what I seek.”

“You have confidence in their discoveries?”

“There have been six elder fey and nineteen under fey who have found their mates. I am confident that the seers know what they are seeing when it appears.”

She nodded and looked out to watch the dancers, some lingering on the dance floor and others leaving with arms linked.

They had the kind of relaxed intimacy that she had always wanted. When she left with a man, there was a rush of hands, a surge of lust and then a cool dismissal. It stopped the heat, but it left her with regrets. Her mother’s recriminations didn’t help either. It wasn’t something that either of them wanted, but a regular mate of her own kind was not available. She was a one-off.

With Mark next to her, she could almost pretend she was on a normal date and not in the realm where the undateable ended up.
Almost.

“I think I am going to leave. I haven’t had anything to eat today, and it is going to cause me problems.” She smiled slightly at Mark.

“May I join you?”

Nika nodded. “Please. Eating alone here is an invitation to folk that may just want to try their hand. Café or restaurant?”

“Restaurant. I am never in a hurry when I eat.”

She smiled and got to her feet. “Excellent.”

Mark got up and offered her his arm. He was dressed neatly, as most fey were, but the black jeans veered from the standard. His boots were a western cut, and his shirt was excellent fabric but a modest design. He was very well put together, his clothing included.

Nika curled her fingers over his forearm, smiling at the strength and warmth in the limb. It was a strong arm, an arm that was used to move heavy objects. She had made a study of the male form, and her companion was someone who was used to working with his hands.

A ripple of heat curled down her spine. It was a natural reaction, but she pushed it aside. Dinner was on the agenda, and she hadn’t eaten all day.

The night air was bracing as they rounded the corner and passed the café. Inside, couples went through the awkward first moments that were mitigated by everyone knowing what everyone else was. It was a built-in icebreaker.

The restaurant was a contrast. The room was quiet, fey magic kept the sound from passing from table to table, and the servers moved with grace and discretion.

Apparently, Mark had made a reservation, and they were seated in a secluded corner.

The server came over and offered them wine, but Nika stuck to lemon water. Mark joined her.

He smiled. “Is there a reason for your abstention?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I suspect that my father dosed me with something. I don’t want to mix alcohol with whatever is still in my system.”

Surprise showed on his features. “He dosed you? You didn’t come willingly?”

She chuckled as the bread arrived. “I have no idea. He left a note with me that said I agreed to it, but I have no memory of last night.”

“So, he tricked you into coming? Didn’t your mother fight that?”

Nika slathered a piece of bread with butter. “Ah, as to that, I am a bastard. I live with my mother, but my father asked me to go out with him. The rest was a blur.”

“From what I have learned, that is unusual in the shifter community.”

She took a bite and chewed for a moment before answering. “My father isn’t a shifter.”

He cocked his head. “But you are.”

“I am. I am a little on the unusual side, but I am definitely a shifter.” She lifted her glass to her lips and smiled.

“May I inquire as to the nature of your beast?”

“That depends. I will share one piece of information with you if you share one with me.”

He leaned back for a moment before leaning forward again. “Done. What do you want to know?”

“What do you do when you are not pursuing leads at the Crossroads?”

Mark chuckled. “I used to work for the king of the southern spaces, but now, I am semi-retired. My services are only called for on special occasions.”

She wanted to know more, but she had to give him his turn.

“What is your beast?”

“Zebra.”

“What was your occupation before you semi-retired?”

“Master of horses.”

She sat up and blinked, laughter bubbling out as her soup was placed in front of her. “Seriously?”

“That is another question.”

She sighed. “Fine. Your turn.”

“What is your mother’s beast?”

Nika blinked. “She’s a horse. A lovely, pale-grey horse.”

“What about your father?”

She sipped at her soup and held up her hand. “That is another question.”

“True enough.” He tasted his own soup, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. “This is really good.”

She laughed. “Who normally does your cooking?”

He grinned. “I cook for myself.”

“That would explain your delight.” She smiled. The soup was good, but she could do better.

“Do you know how to cook?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “What is your favourite food?”

“Roast beef dinner. It has been a favourite as long as I can remember. What is yours?”

She covered her eyes with a hand. “Hotdogs.”

He snorted. “Odd choice. Can we give up on the even questions and simply converse?”

She lowered her hand and finished her soup. “Yes, we may.”

“Why hotdogs?”

“They were the first thing I learned to prepare when I was a kid, and I have tried them in every possible permutation and combination. I just like being able to eat and get back to the barn.”

“Do you spend a lot of time with animals?”

She nodded again as the soup bowl was removed and a salad eased into place. “I spend every day with the horses that my mother boards. They are fine with me in human form, but my equine form freaks them out. I have to head to the outer paddock for my own runs.”

“Do you run often?”

She munched at the salad and paused. “Not as often as I would like. My legs are kind of stubby and I can’t keep up with my mom.”

He blinked. “That is not something that I would have considered. How big is your mother?”

Nika knew he was referring to her shifted state. “Seventeen hands. I am thirteen if I am lucky.”

Mark winced. “I can see the problem.”

She looked into his eyes and nodded. He knew that she was a herd animal. Being unable to keep up with her family was going to cause stress.

“What about your mother’s family?”

“They don’t like me. Because of my father, I am not quite proper in my equine form, so they get as freaked out as the normal horses do. We don’t talk to them.”

The next course was up, and she shredded chicken off the bone.

“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried that you were an herbivore.” He was serious.

She snorted. “My beast and I have an arrangement. I don’t eat meat within two hours of shifting, and she doesn’t consume grass or oats right before I get my own legs back.”

“So, there is an actual consciousness in your mind that belongs to the zebra?”