The Maine temperature in February, even when lucky, held bite in the air. Most would have bundled up in their cable-knit sweaters or donned coats to prevent the chill from overtaking them. Tiger shifters had no such worries. Their blood ran warmer than humans’ did.
Dax rubbed his palms across Zhara’s suitcase and worried about what she wore. No doubt she’d spent an evening chilled. Hopefully she purchased more suitable wear by now. Visions of her shivering and miserable out somewhere in town drove him insane. Thoughts of her anything but happy, comfortable, and safe bothered him. He’d connected with her last night, but couldn’t get a fix on where she’d been. He’d assumed the lodge in town, but no record placed her there.
He hated dragging Fin with him, especially since the ass had pretty much caused the blow-up between him and Zhara in the first place. But Fin knew all the new places and made far more contacts than Dax did as a result.
“I’m assuming she’s still not answering her cell?” When he nodded no, Fin asked, “You ready to head out?” He strolled over ,wearing weathered jeans, an old gray tank and shit-kickers.
“Yeah. Still strange I wasn’t able to get a fix on her location from the dream state last night. I did before. Why not now?” Dax rolled the tension from his shoulders and grabbed his wallet from the dresser.
“Dude, you’re asking me why? I still haven’t figured out how to do that shit. Honestly? I thought Grams was telling old wives’ tales and shit. I can’t believe she really did all the magic she claimed to.”
“Well, she said the dream state was easier to perform when you use it with your mate, which explains why you’ve never been able to,” Dax explained.
“Oh. Well then. Makes perfect sense because I haven’t and don’t want to. Not ready to be with one woman. Not for a long damn time. Dude. One piece of tail, like forever? Nah, man. Not for me.” Fin appeared appalled at the mere prospect.
“When and if you meet yours, you won’t know what hit you,” Dax assured.
“Bullshit. I don’t buy into all this mate crap. Soul mates or tiger mates.” Fin shook his head, clearly denying he bought any of it.
“Right. I get to be the one who says told ya so.” Dax laughed as they headed down to the garage.
“If it happens, dude, I’ll let you scream you’re right from a bullhorn,” Fin promised, sliding his long frame into the cab of the old, lime green antique Ford truck.
Once in town, Dax realized how much things had changed in the short time he’d been gone. His parents hadn’t been bluffing when they claimed building had started booming in their tiny community. Still, there was only one main lodge and no Zhara. Where in the hell had his little minx steamed off to? Instinct screamed she wasn’t alone, but during their astral hookup, he hadn’t sensed anyone else. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what he would have done if he had.
Again, the tiger within clawed to get free. To find her in cat form.
Dax glanced out the windows and saw far too many people around to chance shifting. A wolf might be explained, but a tiger? Their small town of Pine Needle had no zoo. So hoping others would assume the cat had escaped was out of the question.
“Bro, I can hear your thoughts. You’re projecting. Tell you what. Why don’t I pull over up at the Crow Bar, and you can haul ass to the woods, shift, and find Zhara?”
Fin’s suggestion made sense. His only true concern would be the fact it was bear season in Maine. He’d have to stay cautious and on high alert.
“Do it.” Dax was way past ready to have Zhara back where she belonged.
Fin pulled them into the gray, crunchy gravel lot. Since they were early in the day, the bar sat nearly vacant. Tonight, though, the place would be packed with rowdy locals looking for fun and some fighting. He’d spent many a night there. It’d been Sparrow’s favorite hangout.
“Look, I don’t want to draw any attention to an old truck sitting in the vacant parking lot. I’ll cruise around town looking for and asking about her, while you try to pick up her scent. Meet back here in an hour?” Fin asked, taking them around back where deliveries took place.
Dax nodded as he slid from the seat and pulled his tee over his head. Once he’d stripped down, he placed his folded clothes in the cab of the truck and leapt toward the woods, shifting in the process. The truck would block any possible view from any workers who may or may not be in the bar preparing for the day.
As soon as his large paws hit the leaf-covered ground, Dax took off in the direction of the lodge. His tiger was happy to be freed yet his beast was tense with anxiety. His inner animal mourned his mate’s absence. Wanted her back. Demanded it and would stop short of nothing to see her return.
In the frigid temperature his white fur cloaked him as if today were a perfect warm spring day. The tiger urged him in the direction he assumed Zhara had gone. He hoped he’d have some kind of scent to track. Sure enough, as he circled the woods encompassing the lodge he detected her unique fragrance. Faint as the smell may be, she had indeed stopped at the lodge.
Why hadn’t she stayed? What had driven her to leave the only lodging in town? He picked up traces of male mingled with her scent. She hadn’t been alone.
Then it hit him. The vague memory of Sparrow worried about one of her brothers. A hard-ass biker who she claimed ate nails for supper and spit bullets when pissed. They’d seen a biker stop and pick Zhara up. Sparrow had popped in— unexpectedly, according to his mother—yet no doubt she’d caught wind of Dax bringing a mate home. Would Sparrow have stooped so low as to conspire with her brother to cause problems? Sparrow claimed she was over their calling off the wedding years earlier. But the rumor mill from friends over the years hinted she remained bitter when not even Fin had stepped up to mate with her.
Dax took off in the direction of the scent. Once he determined where it came from, he turned back to meet up with Fin. Zhara was with Starl, Sparrow’s biker brother, at their family’s bed and breakfast.
Rage drew his claws out, and Dax fought to keep his tiger from roaring. The large cat didn’t want to wait for Fin. He knew where to go and what to do get his mate back. But they weren’t in the wild, and killing his opponent was out of the question.
Or so Dax prayed.
*****
Relief coursed through her when Starl, wearing only a towel around his sculpted waist, let her off the hook. Nothing had gone down between them. Her room shared a bathroom with his, and he’d overheard strange noises. Thought she was having a nightmare or had been startled awake after a night of drinking.
He’d only come in to check on her. She’d fallen asleep shortly after stripping down last night. Between the drama and the booze, exhaustion settled deep, yanking her into sleep. Starl simply covered her up. Nothing more.
“I may look a brute, but I’m not. You’ve feelings for Dax and until they’re resolved, you and I, missy, are strictly friends. Get me?” He wore a huge grin that was both warm and disarming.
“Yes. Thanks for not, well, for seeing the whole picture,” she mumbled, embarrassed she’d given him a peep show with no follow through.
“Hungry?”
As if answering of its own accord, her stomach growled. What with having missed dinner the night before, she was famished.
“Yes.”
“Well, get dressed. We’ll go into town and grab a bite at a diner that serves the biggest, best country fried steak you’ve ever tasted. But don’t tell my mother I said that.”
Zhara realized that, being in an inn, his mother was probably downstairs cooking as they sat there half dressed. Good lord only knew what the woman thought of her houseguest. Zhara also vaguely remembered she’d said she’d be down to eat last night. Starl’s mom had probably heated up food, and then Zhara wasn’t even polite enough to go down and eat. Nope, she’d stripped and teased the woman’s son.
Oh, gawd.
“Hey, don’t look like that. You’re thinking about my mom and, uh, the way we came in and disappeared?”
“Yeah. Lord knows what she must think of me,” Zhara admitted, burying her face in her hands.
“Nah. When you passed out I wasn’t about to let her famous meatloaf get wasted. I ate my share and yours. Explained what happened…” He put his hands up when she shot him an even more mortified expression. “…in limited detail, and she sent me back up to make sure you were covered and snug as a bug in bed. Then she came up to verify I was snug in mine.” He laughed, shaking his head, she assumed over the thought his mom had checked up on him.
Zhara thought of the pint-sized woman with threads of gray running through her bun who’d greeted her last night checking up on Starl. It was funny. Big biker dude had to answer to Mom when he was home.
“Anyway, I thought eating out would avoid the many questions and stares from the assorted family who work here.”
“Much appreciated. I’d kill for some sustenance. Both food and coffee. Oh, yeah. A huge, never-ending mug of energy.” Even thinking about a hot cup of java sounded like heaven.
“We’ll get dressed and were out of here.”
Starl leaned over to pat her shoulder in a friendly manner. As he turned to leave, his towel slipped, and the delicious lines that formed a V on a man sprang to view.
Then the towel dropped the rest of the way.
His physique wasn’t the only part of him that ranked as big and burly. Uh, wow. The hard lines and veins all led to one impressive place.
“Whoops.” He snatched the towel from the floor and held it against his crotch.
Too late to pretend she hadn’t noticed. Wasn’t like she’d meant to. His thang was sorta just there. Just a-swinging and all.
“No problem,” she sputtered, curious as to her own lack of blush. Maybe because it had been an accident. Maybe because something about Starl felt far more brotherly this morning. Like a good friend. Someone, regardless of how rough and bad-assed he’d seemed, had been a true gentleman even while she’d acted the harlot.
Starl headed back to his room, and she tossed on her clothes, cringing at the fact she wore the same outfit, sans panties, as she had the day before. She also crossed her fingers the day lacked any wind. As she went to grab her purse, she lost her grip on the handle, and out spilled all the crap she lugged around. Including her phone.
Which she found turned off.
Zhara sat on the edge of the bed she’d quickly made and flipped the phone back and forth. Was she ready to hear any potential messages from Dax? Would she be able to explain her own actions, including ending up at Sparrow’s family home, drunk, with her brother?
Suck it up, buttercup. You’re a competent woman, not a child. Act like it.
Zhara hit the power button and took a deep breath.
Five messages.
Message one from Dax begging her to call him back.
Message two, from Dax asking for her to at least text him she was all right.
A text message from Dax.
Zhara, please call me
, followed by a sad-faced emoticon.
Message four, the simple words, “I love you.” Nothing more.
Message five, from one of the few close friends she had, Charisma. Zhara’s heart sped up and she tapped the accept message.
“Hey, girly, hate to interrupt your hump-along weekend, but I need to ask a quick question. So, whenever you take a breather from that stud of yours, call me.”
“Ready?” Starl asked through the adjacent bathroom door.
“Yep. Let’s go.” Zhara would call Charisma back when they got to the cafe.
Dax yanked his pants back up while he explained to Fin what he’d discovered on his run.
“Damn, dude. Sparrow’s folks? Are you sure?” Fin asked, understanding the full ramifications of the news.
“Not enough to start a war between the families, but that’s why were heading there now. To find out.”
“And if she hooked up with Starl? What then?”
Dax claws burst through his knuckles and ripped the leather armrest to shreds. “I don’t know.”
“Fuck, man. This is going to rip this town in two. You get that, right?”
“Would you walk away from your mate?” Dax asked through aching gums. His tiger itched for freedom, and his fangs pushed painfully as the desire to shift again rode him hard.
“No, I suppose not,” Fin muttered, pushing the pedal to the metal in the direction of the Long’s bed and breakfast.
A short ride later, and they’d pulled up in front of the elegant, rustic B & B.
“Dude, odd as this will sound, I think you should let me do the talking,” Fin offered.
Dax rolled his eyes. “You implying you’re the more responsible one?” Dax coughed out on a laugh.
Mrs. Long came out with a covered basket in her hands and approached them with a wary expression. “Dax? Fin? What brings you boys out this way?”
“We were looking for a friend of ours. Kinda had a misunderstanding,” Fin volunteered, shooting the older woman a bright smile.
“A misunderstanding, you say?” Mrs. Long had a wise gleam in her eye. “Can I give you boys an honest piece of advice from an old woman?”
Dax only wanted to know if Zhara was or had been there, but he bit his tongue and nodded in a courteous manner.
“Anything for a lovely lady such as yourself,” Fin gushed, laying it on too thick.
Mrs. Long snorted at Fin’s feeble attempt to seem innocent and sweet. “When a lady is angry, it’s best to give her some cooling-down space. You push too hard—well, the end result may not be what you hoped for.”
Zhara had been there. Question was, did she remain still?
“No, Dax, she isn’t here. If you love her, let her breathe. If the love is true, she’ll come back.” Mrs. Long winked at him. “Now, if you boys will excuse me, I’ve got some truffles to find for supper.”
Dax started to ask where Zhara was now, but deep down understood the older woman was right. He suspected she wouldn’t have answered him anyway.
“Now what?” Fin asked, fidgeting behind the wheel, obviously as antsy as Dax was to resolve this and get on with whatever he had planned for the day.
“Fuck if I know.” After a lengthy pause, Dax added, “I guess head back home. Maybe Mrs. Long is right and pushing to find her will only screw things up worse?”
“Depends,” Fin stated.
“On what?”
“Whether you’re okay with the fact she’s out strolling around with Starl.” Fin raised one blond eyebrow as if questioning the likelihood Dax could truly sit back and wait.
“For now. If we haven’t heard from her by tonight, we go out again,” Dax admitted in a huff.
*****
Zhara swirled her crispy fried steak in the thick, white gravy covering the mound of homemade mashed potatoes and sighed as she raised the laden fork to her lips.
“Told ya. This place is the best.” Starl shoveled in another mouthful.
“Yeah. No joke. My hips are expanding with each bite.”
“Worth it,” he mumbled with his mouth full while patting his stomach.
“Well, hey, stranger.”
Zhara glanced up as a cute redhead sauntered over. Yeah, sauntered. If she shook her ass any harder she’d be arrested on prostitution charges.
“Maxine. Uh, how are you?” Starl choked over his food and his words.
Zhara picked up a tense awkwardness between the two.
“Still waiting.” The redhead pouted, planting a well-manicured hand on her hip.
“Excuse me a moment. I need to return an important call.” Zhara scooted the chair back and purposely avoided the accusing glare Starl shot in her direction. Yep, she was bailing on this. Zhara felt a little guilty until she caught the other woman’s head bee-bopping in angry fashion in tune with her finger.
Yeah. Not.
Zhara parked herself on the wooden bench that sat out front of the quaint little diner and dialed Charisma’s number. The minute her friend answered, calm washed through her.
“Okay, so like, you two weren’t in the middle of bumping uglies or anything, right?”
“Bumping what? Girl you are not right in the head.” Zhara laughed, and the warmth of laughing with a good buddy stalled the turbulent emotions. “What’s up?” Charisma wouldn’t have bothered her on what was supposed to be a romantic Valentine’s trip unless something important had come up.
“Well, remember that issue that came up with Mickey?”
Zhara could clearly visualize her chewing nervously on her nails. “Yeah.” The “issue” Charisma spoke of was a restraining order against her asshole ex-boyfriend.
“Well, in order to continue it, I need to file a permanent lifetime motion, which needs the same witness signature as the previous one.”
“Ahh, gotcha. Honey, of course I’ll sign, but this can’t wait until I get back?” Yeah, she was en route now, but since she wasn’t sure how or when she was going to get home, she didn’t want to commit to a certain day.
“Well...”
“You waited until the last minute,” Zhara guessed.
“Yeah. I’m so sorry, Zhara.”
“Oh, hell, I don’t mind signing. Sweetie, I’ll sign with bells on the pen, but something’s come up and I’m trying to find a way home now. I’m calling the bus station as soon as we hang up. What’s the deadline on the order?”
“Tomorrow.”
“And you’re just now calling?” Zhara shrieked, garnering the attention of a few elderly folks passing by.
“I thought the deadline was next month. I happened to pull out the form and noticed the date. I freaked out. I’ve called to ask if your signature has to be present, and the clerk said yes. Now you have me worried. What do you mean something happened?”
Zhara glanced around. She didn’t really want to get into it with Charisma out in the open like this, and when she peeped behind her she saw the redhead flailing her arms about in an aggravated manner. Starl had rescued her when she’d needed a bit of help. Now was her chance to repay that favor, as she doubted she’d ever see him again.
“You still in between jobs?” Zhara asked as an idea formed.
“Yeah, why?”
“I’m hiring you,” she announced.
“What?” Charisma sounded confused but intrigued.
“I want to hire you to come pick me up. Bring your paperwork, and while you drive down I’ll find a place where we can get it notarized and faxed over.”
“Oh, yay, that sounds perfect. Give me some directions and I’ll hit the road now. It’s about what? A five-hour drive?”
“Yes, so in order to get here and have me sign and fax the papers back, you need to hit the road.”
Zhara shot off the directions and returned inside the diner. She owed Starl a rescue.
Maxine’s nasally whine rose above all other voices in the diner, and Zhara saw the angry yet contained lines creasing Starl’s face.
“Hi, honey, what’d I miss?” Zhara belted out, coming around to plant a big kiss on a shocked Starl’s lips. “You going to introduce me to your friend?” She plopped down in his lap and fought the giggles when Maxine went slack-jawed and her eyes went satanic red.