Beauty and the Brute [Werescape III] Page 7

  So terminally deceased. Or more like crypts. Homes for the dead.

  The horse halted.

  Something niggled in the back of my mind, so deeply, my gut somersaulted.

  Another warning. Someone watched from the buildings. “This is wrong, Brutus. Please, let's go back,” I whispered.

  He turned the horse in a blink.

  Not one word. Not one second of hesitation. Before we passed the second row of houses. I

  couldn't help but watch behind us. Watch for any movement supporting my fears. Wise elders always said it's better to be safe than sorry.

  Skirting the suburb's rows of boxy hills, Brutus kept us hidden among the trees. Good thing because when we turned the corner of the enormous village, we saw what must have bothered me. Fields. Row after row of low green plants growing in tilled soil.

  Planted fields meant people.

  People meant the fear of death conveniently relabeled survival.

  We sat a moment, studying the view from deep within the tree line.

  “More than a ghost town,” he mumbled.

  The horse shifted its footing.

  “How did you know?” he asked, not looking away from the view.

  “It just felt like we were being watched.”

  “Probably so. That means we need to get as far from here as possible before nightfall.”

  * * * *

  The presence Beauty had felt probably was a sentry. One Wolf should have detected. The useless animal needed to focus on protecting the female it wanted instead of panting at her ear. The whole Normal community had to know we were here by now. They probably didn't have the forces to send out a party to take what they wanted. Still, they had some kind of animals capable of pulling a plow. Anything could happen. And where was Wolf?

  “You're quiet,” she said.

  Feeling a little too confident in herself. I'm running this operation. No Normal will be telling me what to do. “Like you need to be.”

  She didn't budge.

  Smart Normal. We had to go. Move quickly but not too fast in case the forest was filled with traps. No telling how many hungry mouths lived in this community. I turned Trance away from the fields.

  We stopped once so Beauty could tend to her business but kept moving until the sun ripened like an orange in the distant canopies. At an old house. Who called the monstrosity of walls riddled with bullet holes and the solid door partially hanging on its hinge home? Hopefully, no one. I drew Wolf into my head and used his senses to scan the area.

  Only a raccoon's scent, the distant chirp of a nest full of baby robins, and the drumming of

  Beauty's heart noted anything's presence.

  Her fingers dug into my shirt and clinched two fistfuls, including a few stinging chest hairs.

  Before we'd enter the building, I'd check around back.

  Trance didn't shy away from where I tugged the reins. Not one ear flinch. Not one sideways step. All was well. And a small structure like a roof with a back and two side walls looked even more promising than the house. All I needed was a place for Trance. I slid from the saddle and handed the reins to Beauty.

  Her eyes widening, her heart thrashing into full speed. She could handle staying put for five minutes. I turned to the open building.

  “Brutus?”

  The sun set. We had little time for female needs. I turned to meet her worried stare.

  “Be careful,” she said.

  Not exactly what I expected. Better than a scold. I nodded and went back to the shadows beneath the metal roof.

  Nothing but a hard concrete slab. Manmade. Long ago. The back of the square space had a long solid wall. And a door. Shut. Anything could be inside. But my Wolf radar wasn't detecting any sounds or odors. I tried twisting the cold dark metal knob.

  The door popped free of the doorframe.

  Into a long empty space about three feet wide. Wide enough for Trance if I could get his gut through the doorway. A window in the middle sported a bunch of boards nailed to the window frame. Not a spot of light penetrated the room. But my night vision revealed nothing in the darkness. Maybe too small for Trance. Hopefully, there would be a storage building out back.

  Sure enough. I led Trance and Beauty to a partially-open garage lacking doors.

  Now to find a place off the ground for Beauty and I.

  The peaked roof hinted a space hid above the flat ceiling. Hopefully enough room for her and

  I to hold up for the night. Unless there were crickets. I just didn't want to be on the ground with Beauty if Bounders showed. But crickets could prove deadlier than Bounders. I gulped down a chuckle and scanned the ceiling.

  On the far end, an opening. Square. Most likely used by others moving west like us. I jumped up and grabbed the edge, kicking, pulling myself into the barely-lit space. Someone somewhat barred the small round attic's window with more two-by-fours. Orange sunlight burned through the cracks, lighting the space enough for Beauty to wait up here while I

  tucked Trance away for bed.

  As long as there weren't any bugs, we were in business.

  Beauty looked as green as ever when I stopped at her knee. “Don't worry, Lorelei. We'll be safe here.”

  She nodded, surveying the quiet forest from her vantage point.

  That little heart of hers raced.

  She should trust me to protect her by now. I grabbed her tiny waist and lowered her to the ground beside me.

  Her palms fell atop my wrists.

  Soft warm skin. Not good.

  Play. Wolf hopped into action.

  She must have known something changed. Her gaze flicked to mine.

  To the shimmering gold, the color of a Shifter's eyes when a warrior's Wolf was right beneath the surface.

  She stiffened, then lowered her gaze.

  Oh, yes, she'd seen the telltale change. Showing respect? Being submissive? Neither mattered. We had to work together. Or she would be right back where she started that night we met. I used a finger to tilt her chin until she couldn't avoid my gaze. “I'm putting you overhead.” I pointed up at the ceiling. “Sit tight. Don't move around until I can check the safety of the flooring up there. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  A minute later, I shoved her shoulders through the opening, then her ass. One hell of a hard little ass.

  Mine, Wolf yapped.

  Accursed wolf. He needed a hobby. Or at least to broaden his vocabulary. I turned to my large bulky stallion who was at least half Quarter Horse.

  Big. Awfully big to squeeze through the doorway.

  Somehow, Trance knew I wasn't giving in until he wedged his body into the small storage room. The stallion didn't argue with his ration of oats either. I patted his muscular neck and shut him in for the long night with Bounders roaming the countryside and Wolf panting about a tight little ass. I leapt at the attic's frame around the opening and pulled myself into the darkness.

  Red and orange heat of her form outlined how she clutched her knees to her chest, sitting right beside the hole where I'd instructed her to wait. “The horse okay?” She watched me, apparently comforted by the darkness shrouding everything.

  My eyes probably glowed with Shifter gold in the low light.

  Greet, Wolf whined.

  Stupid dog thought of nothing but licking and mating. But Beauty finally seemed concerned about my stallion. “Trance is.” I shoved myself up with my palms, grabbed the rope tied to my belt loop, and pulled hand over fist, hauling up the dead weight of my saddlebags, saddle blanket, bedroll, and the bag of coffee I'd tied to the end.

  “It's so dark,” she whispered.

  Greet!

  Protect, you Gods-be-damned mutt. One would think his inner Wolf would opt for protecting a female to win her favoritism over fucking her. She obviously didn't look interested in having

  Wolf cover her with his scent. Or much of anything in the wilderness. “You've never been out of the city, have you?”

  She inhaled, a soft sound that Wol
f's senses heard loud and clear. “Not that I can remember.

  Without guards and things people need to travel.” She kept her eyes down.

  Wouldn't look at me. Probably embarrassed she felt so vulnerable. A man couldn't blame her for hating her weaknesses.

  Protect. Wolf started clawing at my ribs.

  If the damned thing would just chase a stick ... I tossed the bag with clanking cups and coffeepot a foot away from the opening and slid a finger into the knot at my belt loop to wriggle the taut rope loose.

  “You have everything you need.” Maybe not a steaming cup of coffee. But we couldn't light a fire up here. Hard tack would have to do. I foraged through a saddlebag for the bag of beef jerky and thrust the soft leather into her knuckles. “Eat.”

  Wolf settled down.

  If he'd been here, he'd probably be laying at her side, waiting for a bite. Not of the jerky in her bag either. He'd be aiming for collarbone.

  Beauty pulled out a piece of meat and nibbled on the lump. “Thank you.”

  Gratitude. Normals didn't share their thanks that much. She could stay as long as she liked just for thanking me. Although, Wolf wasn't about to allow her out of his sight.

  Wolf whimpered.

  Probably telling me to watch my thoughts. If I made things any cushier for this Normal, I'd have to carry her on my shoulders and wipe her ass. Tight little ass.

  Wipe, Wolf barked.

  What was I thinking? I rose and began the careful steady dance of testing the floor, one weight-shifting step at a time.

  We'd be lucky if the wood wasn't dry-rotted.

  Her heart thundered.

  Women. I know what I'm doing.

  “Be careful,” she whispered.

  This Normal seemed awfully concerned with my safety. I'd send my annoying Wolf to sit with her if I could. But dangerous times AEI didn't allow for coddling females.

  * * * *

  Lorelei couldn't see anything in this blackness of night. The only thing that noted the Shifter's presence was the squeak of the floor as his weight moved across the surface.

  Oh. God. If he fell through the floor, would he die? Even though he was so quiet, his exterior so impenetrable, I still kind of liked him. Well, understood him. How could anyone live out here and not be so cold to others? So ruthless. And lost his parents the way he had. Yet, he took care for me. And painstakingly studied the surface we were forced to sleep upon. Just like he'd paced over every inch of the cabin's floor last night. Complaining about anything he did to save my butt was ridiculous. And he'd allowed me to nap against his back today, carefully keeping me from falling off Trance. Brutus might behave like a brute but was thoughtful in his own little way. Probably the only way one of the best warriors could be in

  the middle of nowhere.

  He returned to kneel at my side, fussing with something I couldn't see.

  He had to be hungry. I shoved the leather pouch until it bumped something, something moving. Hopefully him. “Here. I saved you some jerky.”

  The solid presence stilled.

  “I have more. You should eat,” he said.

  “No. It's alright. I've had enough.”

  Brutus plucked the bag's light weight from my palm. “Use this.”

  Something larger, bulkier, soft as well-worn clothing fell into my lap.

  “I don't get cold at night except in winter. You use my bedroll,” he said.

  He could have been one of the angels Father Leigh spoke of.

  My heart sank.

  Spoke of before all living things in New Pittsburgh were fried.

  My fault. Father Leigh had been a kind man. He never ranted about how we'd all burn in Hell because Yale dealt with extraterrestrial devils. Or how we had been abandoned after the

  Rapture. How we were the spawn of evil left to grovel on Earth. No, his silence with such topics only reflected his understanding of how he was part of all this AEI. How his conscience made him a good man. How my choices had stolen his life.

  The blanket's softness yanked from my grasp.

  But I wanted the cover.

  A breeze swooshed through the darkness.

  Softness settled over my shoulders.

  “Try to sleep, Lorelei.”

  Yes. Sleep. I grabbed my pack, leaned onto my side, propping my cheek on the backpack's soft leather, and tried to get comfortable against the pinching floor.

  The wood didn't care about my needs. I rolled onto my back.

  Much better. I snuggled into the blanket.

  Smoke and strength. The thick fabric smelled like him. Brutus was on watch. Everything would be okay.

  * * * *

  Chewing on a fourth salty piece of jerky, I kept Wolf's senses in my head, listening, smelling, watching. Not one insect hid in the crawl space. An owl hooted in the distance. Back east.

  Trance neighed below us. And Beauty's heartbeat slowed and quieted. Good. Things would be easier for her if she slept each night instead of lying in the darkness, frustrated with worry.

  Her sleeping red form sucked in a deep breath and rolled onto its side.

  Toward the hole in the floor.

  Wolf leapt to life.

  Hell. The animal needed to sleep too. I shifted over, between her long form and the opening, and stretched out with my back to her.

  The hard floor didn't care I wanted a little sleep.

  Nor did Lorelei the way her body seemed to sense my presence. She scooted up against me.

  All those sweet curves, reminding me of that tight little ass.

  Wolf growled.

  Or I did.

  My cock turned to stone.

  Keeping Wolf's paws off her would be a battle to remember.

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  * * *

  Chapter Five

  How I slept at all with Wolf and Beauty battling over my body, I don't know. Her arm wrapped

  around my waist. And she had mumbled faint words every so often in her sleep. Things Wolf strained to hear. Both reminders of her presence kept Wolf whimpering and snorting all Godsbe—damned night. But I slept enough not to feel much more than too damned old to be sleeping on a hard floor without a thick pad under my carcass. Let's not even begin to ponder the cock, unbelievably pissed at the world after a night of standing ready for duty, twisted precariously in my pants.

  Enough. Time to end this madness. I stared at the pale light glowing through the opening and carefully curled my fingers around her wrist.

  The only way to get out of this position with any sort of confusion was to lift and roll. Or something. Hell. Now or never. I dropped her arm onto her hip, rolled onto my belly, and shoved, close to the hole.

  It'd probably be easier to just jump down below and check out the area. Avoid her altogether. Get Wolf down to stretch his legs and expand his mind. Even though nobody had discovered us during the night. Wolf made certain to note everything. I couldn't complain too much with my watchdog.

  Rustling sounds behind me noted she woke.

  Better to gather our things, saddle up, and head out. Just in case someone trailed us. I got my boots beneath me and collected our belongings.

  Our? Mine. My belongings.

  Ours, Wolf snapped.

  Stay out of this, Wolf. Annoying son-of-a-bitch. I hurried and focused on tying all the bags to the rope only to find Beauty standing, extending me the bedroll, neatly rolled as I'd given it to her.

  “Thank you.” Her words sounded confident again.

  A good night's sleep did that for a person. Not a Shifter with a horny Wolf. But everybody else. I tossed her a small pouch of dried blueberries and sunflower seeds.

  She shot me an appreciative glance. “Are you eating?”

  Beauty sure worried about me a lot. “I have my own. There's enough for another week. Then we'll start cooking game.” I shot her a glare. “Eat it all, Lorelei. I have enough to worry about without you getting weak on me.”

  Her heart stuttered into a rage.

 
The way her shoulders slumped and she stared at the pouch I knew I hadn't thought out my answer. She'd only been concerned about my welfare. About causing problems by eating my food. Then I shamed her.

  I'm an ass.

  Protect, Wolf growled.

  I gulped down the budding sound in my chest and tied the bedroll to the rope. I had to do more to help her feel significant. “Can you help me?”

  Her confused gaze rolled up from the floor to meet mine. “Yes.”

  We'll keep her busy, Wolf. I handed her the rope near the bedroll. “When I ask, lower these packs to me.”

  “Okay.” Her voice lilted slightly.

  Yes. She'd be okay. I just had to think first. Talk later. I swung down from the opening's frame and dropped my boots to the hard ground.

  Trance neighed.

  About ten minutes later, his massive black body stood saddled and ready to go. All but for the packs and Beauty. I stood beneath the hole. “Lorelei, hand down the packs.”

  The bundled goods edged through the opening.

  Carefully. As if she worried she'd break something. Alright. Just lower the—

  The packs flew toward my head.

  I dodged the load.

  It paused. Swinging.

  “Oh, God, are you okay, Brutus? It slipped.”

  Slipped my ass. I guess I deserved an underhanded punch. “Shifters have quick reflexes. Now, lower the packs to the ground. I'll tie them on Trance. And then we'll go.”

  The remaining two feet of my goods lowered without incident. I attached everything as usual, adding her personal backpack to the saddle's accoutrements, then turned to the hole. “Your turn, Lorelei.”

  “Oh, well, um, what do you suggest?”

  Her squared brow from the shadows where she stared down at me noted she didn't climb many things at Yale's mansion. “The way I did.”

  She thrust her hiking boots through the opening and sat, her legs swinging.

  Thinking? We'd be here all Gods-be-damned day if she didn't hurry. If Yale was on our tails, he'd catch up for certain.

  Her legs dropped completely, one at a time, followed by that sweet little ass in those blue jeans. She hung by her hands. “It hurts.” She hissed at her grip on the frame.

  What? Her ego or her fingers? What's her game? Pretending to be the helpless princess? Or playing the Shifter? I'd teach her a lesson later. I circled her slim hanging form and grabbed her waist.