For another not-quite-as-long moment, shock locked his muscles before he jumped the steps two at a time to follow her into the house.
The front room was her business office. One lemon-yellow wall boasted design awards. Three computer screens crowded a pine desk big enough to have made his uncle jealous. Splashes of paprika-red and cool lime tones brightened the central hallway that led past a tiny bedroom on one side and bath on the other. He poked his nose in each, breathing her spicy amber fragrance.
Her call echoed down the hall. Do you want this coffee or not?
He sauntered to the kitchen and great room at the back of the house and dug in his heels again to admire the view framed in the floor-to-ceiling windows. While the porch at the front of the house had faced the pretty little lake below, the back looked out to the mountains, just trees and sky and freedom. Unlike the cheerful office, it looked wild and a little lonely.
The view of a woman who wanted no one to hold her back.
Merrilee shoved a mug at him. The mug was big, almost a soup bowl, and the coffee was black, just the way he liked it.
Did she know he drank his coffee black, or was she just not willing to give him the pleasure of cream and sugar?
Thanks, he said. Do you have any hazelnut?
She gave him an incredulous look. Where is the imp carcass? I want to see it.
He shook his head. It was mostly dissolved when I stopped by on the way here. Orson and his quartet started out at dawn. I expect theyll have a report for me by lunch.
I want to hear everything they find, she demanded.
Good coffee, he said.
She paced toward the windows. My mother told me stories of the phae.
I think every wereling mother did. Hard to keep a kid safe under the covers in bed with bogeyman tales when you are the bogeyman.
Her lips quirked. Yeah. She told me if I kept sneaking out at night, theyd steal the verita luna from me.
He studied her over the rim of his mug. What were you sneaking out for?
She shrugged. My grandmother wasnt getting any younger, and since my mother wasnt Alpha, Id decided the more I ran, the sooner Id change. I figured running under the moonlight would make me better.
I thought fighting would make me better. Takes more, doesnt it?
I thought fighting would make me better. Takes more, doesnt it?
She gave him another look, more speculative this time. Anyway, Mom was always trying to find a way to keep me home until she could finally turn me over to Grandmère.
According to my sources, your mother wasnt stretching the truth too far. He headed for one of the chairs pulled up in front of the windows, forcing her to follow, and settled into the deep, overstuffed cushions with an appreciative grunt. A heather-gray throw on the back of the chair tickled his nape, as if wanting to swathe him while he contemplated the view. The phae Queen warps human desires into the magic that empowers her. Who knows what she would do with wereling passions?
Merrilee lowered herself to the chair beside his but stayed perched on the edge. Is that what you think this is about? The phae Queen coming after werelings?
He shrugged. Im told the imps are her creatures, used for spying. This wasnt a courtesy call.
She drank the last of her coffee in one slug and surged to her feet. I want to see whats left of the imp.
He looked at his coffee mournfully. With a huff, she plucked it from his hands and went to the kitchen to transfer it to a travel mug. She topped it off before screwing on the cap, and he felt an inexplicable surge of pleasure at the small kindness. It was good coffee.
They left the house after she fetched shoes and a coat, and she pulled the door closed behind them.
Lock it, he said. Until we know whats going on.
Her jaw worked, but she nodded. Ill have to find the key. Go ahead and Ill meet you there after I borrow a car.
Ill take you down.
No, its fine. Ill
Im going that way anyway. He gave her a steady look, not a challengenot quite. And then he slowly cocked one brow.
She stiffened. Wait here.
He leaned against the railing while he drank his good coffee and admired the shimmering lake and the impressive amount of noise she made banging around her office, muttering something about Alphas.
He took another savoring sip. She should know.
Chapter 4
Merrilee finally found the key where it had been long lost in the bottom of a haphazard ceramic pot made by one of the packs homeschooled kids, though most of the children were bused out daily to attend school with town werelings and unaware humans.
Was the wandering imp a sign that the phae had decided to mainstream?
She made a quick call to Keisha, updating her Beta, then tromped out to the porch where Beck looked far too comfortable. And far too sexy, his dark gear contrasting with her red carnations. The scent of leather and coffee and cold wind whispered to her, and she tried to ignore the way her body wanted to fit itself to his, as if they were already leaning into the curves of the mountain road. She refused to look at him as she locked up.
However, refusing his offered ride would be pointless. And weak. And she didnt want that.
She turned. Ready?
He took one more pull off his coffee, bottoms up, and then tucked the mug behind the newel of the porch stairs. Thanks for that. You make it just right.
She narrowed her eyes. Its nothing. I just have a very expensive coffeemaker.
He sighed. Cant you just say Youre welcome?
Not when youre really saying Im a good little woman in the kitchen.
Ive seen your kitchen now, remember? I think youve only used one of those stove burners, ever.
How many burners do you need to warm up soup?
He shook his head. No wonder you come to the bar so often, just so I can make you burgers.
She crossed her arms over her breasts. I had a very nice Kobe filet in New York.
To her surprise, a flash of hurt darkened his eyes before he turned to go down the steps. If they hadnt been so close together on the small porch, she wouldnt have noticed.
No exotic beef here, he said. But if you want a sniff of dead imp before its gone, we better get moving.
Despite his long, angry strides, she lingered.
She hadnt meant his burgers werent good. He knew his way around raw meat, knew how to throw on a quick sear and then be patient, letting the juices simmer. Shed meant that she didnt go to his bar just because he fed her. She went for...other reasons. She respected his leadership and knew hed tell her all the valley gossip. Plus, he was always quick with a smile that made her feel better after being too long away from her mountains. And he did look mighty fine, whether he was in an apron or one of his bar T-shirts or his leathers like right now.
Actually, he looked mighty, mighty fine right now. And mighty dangerous.
He started the Harley with a roar that echoed inside her. He gave her an impassive look before pulling on his helmet and holding a second out to her. The darkened visor cut off any further fulminating stares.
She stalked toward him, zipping her coat. The strap on the helmet fit just right under her chin, as if it had been sized for her.
He twisted around to help her mount, but she avoided his hand and slid up into place behind him, settling her hands primly at his waist.
His flanks jerked under her fingers as he caught his breath in surprise. As if he thought shed never been on a bike before. Well, she hadnt, but shed thought about it. Maybe dreamed about it, once or twice.
The phae Queen couldve discovered all sorts of crazy powers on the strength of those dreams.
He spun the bike in a tight circle, leaning hard and forcing her to line her body up with his. But as they headed down valley through the crisp morning air, she found herself grateful for the close proximity. His broad shoulders blocked the wind, and even through his leathers and her heavy coat, his body heat burned her. Shed forgotten her gloves, though, so she sneaked her hands inside his waistband, finding blazing-hot bare skin.
His scarred abs contracted to escape her ice-cold fingers, but the Harley never wavered. Even when his growl was lost in the bikes rumble, she still felt it in her bones. She grinned at the back of his head, knowing he would sense her amusement just as clearly.
They pulled into the alley behind Orsons bungalow, and Beck halted. He held her elbow, steadying her as she dismounted. At his touch, the vibrations seemed to keep humming in her body. She slanted a glance at him as he shut down the bike and called Orson from the cell phone that looked ridiculously tiny in his big hand.
It had been...odd having him in her house. She always told herself she liked her privacy too much to have many guests. Plus, she could never have any Alphas claiming her space. But when she saw Beck sitting in one of the two chairs facing her mountain view, she realized she did have two chairs. Shed never really asked herself why.
He finished his call and looked over at her. He said the quartet should be finishing up soon. Theyll meet us at the bar.
She nodded and pushed through the back gate.
Her hunters eye took in the signs of strugglethe scuffed grass, the upended grill. The iron tongs sticking up out of a puddle of greenish gunk.
She wrinkled her nose. Thats disgusting.
She wrinkled her nose. Thats disgusting.
It wasnt much better when it still had three legs and one eyeball. Beck circled the imp remains.
She sniffed more cautiously, parsing the scents of charcoal, rot and grizzly-kind musk. Underneath was the hint of wolf-kind. And beneath that, an elusive fragrance, strangely sweet. She crouched next to the pile of stinking jelly streaked with black char where the iron speared it.
The perfume was coming from the imp. It smells like cotton candy.
Orson says all the phae have a wonder to them, even the grotesque ones. When Beck prodded the tongs, the jelly sizzled, sending up a puff of oily smoke and another whiff of scorched sugar.
Shed recognize the scent from now on. She stood. We need more iron.
At the general store, to their consternation, they found few usable items.