Wanted: Wild Thing

Chapter Nine

My calendar was all messed up, thanks to the missing days, but I prioritized things, and first on the list was a make-up lunch with my bestie, Marie.

Marie Bellavance was a few years older than me and pretty much my polar opposite. She was snarky and sarcastic, where I was cheery and happy. I liked makeup and cutesy things. Marie wore big nerd glasses, did nothing with her dark, curly hair, and had the most boring wardrobe possible. She also cussed like a sailor, always in French. And as of last month, she was a newly turned were-cougar.

But I absolutely loved Marie. I’d adored her since she’d first walked into Midnight Liaisons. Despite her sour personality, she was a blast to be around. She had a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, and I’d loved watching her wield it against the unsuspecting. Sitting across from her every night at work had made the time pass fast, and we’d had so much fun together. During slow periods, we’d chatted for hours about everything in the world.

Marie also knew my secret side. After a client had gotten a bit too fresh with me once and mistaken my casual flirting for genuine attraction, he’d grabbed my hand. I’d twisted free and retreated to the back conference room while Marie had shown him out, and she’d caught me mid-change. Instead of flipping out, she’d calmly shut the door again and waited until I’d returned, then she’d asked me if I’d needed a drink of water. I’d begged and pleaded for her not to say anything, and we’d made our first pinky swear that night. I hadn’t realized that Marie’s dark, sad eyes had been so accepting because she’d had secrets of her own, and when she’d gotten sicker and sicker, I’d realized that I could keep her secrets, too.

Those mutual secrets had cemented our bond. And even though Marie had been fired from the agency and was now working as Beau’s personal assistant, we were still best friends. I missed seeing her sitting across from me every night, though. Savannah was a sweet girl, and quiet, but she wasn’t Marie. Work hadn’t felt the same since Marie had left.

Now that Marie worked days and I was still stuck on nights, we didn’t have the chance to get together as often as we’d have liked. Our regular weekly lunches were to catch up on gossip that was too long to text to each other. Today’s lunch, though, was to catch up on everything since I’d been flaking out on her. She didn’t want to wait for our normal date to get filled in, and I didn’t blame her.

For our meeting, I’d changed into floral jean capris and a pink sweater crop top (with matching pink sandals, of course). My blond hair was twisted into two topknots, and I’d paired my ensemble with my favorite Hello Kitty purse.

The only thing marring my cute perfection?

My big, scary shadow, Hugh, who’d was coming to lunch with me.

Between text messages, Marie and I had agreed to meet someplace slightly different for lunch today—a café in the mall. I hoped I could give Hugh a few dollars and turn him loose so he could explore while I chatted with my friend. Surely I’d be completely safe out in public, right?

Hugh wasn’t buying it.

“No,” he said when I sweetly suggested that he take off.

“Just for an hour,” I pleaded. “Come on.”

“No.”

“I’m going to be in the middle of a busy café. It’s not like anyone’s going to try anything. You don’t have to hover over me!”

“That is my job.” He frowned as I slung my purse over my shoulder. “It is especially important I hover today.”

“Why?”

“Your clothing is inappropriate.”

Was he joking? I glanced down at my outfit. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? It’s cute.”

He ran a hand over his mouth. “Your . . . stomach is exposed.”

“I know.” I wiggled a little in display. I had a nice stomach . . . in human form anyhow. “That happens when you wear a crop top.”

“It will be . . . enticing to men.” He couldn’t stop staring at my stomach.

My skin prickled and I was reminded that I’d left him last night in the company of a porno flick. What had he seen? What was he thinking? I felt my monster surge and fought it back. “All this modesty coming from a man who tends to walk around naked?”

To my surprise, he scowled. “That is different.”

“Don’t go all chauvinist on me, Hugh. I’m allowed to wear what I want.”

“And I am allowed to stay at your side.”

I sighed. “If I wear something more modest, do you promise to leave me alone for a few hours?”

“No.”

“Then the crop top stays.”

“As do I.”

I took a long, steadying breath and jingled my car keys at him, knowing I wasn’t going to get anywhere. “Then come on. I don’t want to be late, and we’re going to need to set you up nearby without freaking Marie out.”

As we drove to the mall, both of us were silent. It wasn’t like me to remain quiet when I could flirt, but things were feeling weirdly awkward with Hugh. For starters, he’d watched porn last night. His first porn. I’d never made it through one myself, because even a few seconds of a skin flick gave me the uncomfortable urge to transform, and I loathed the helpless feeling that gave me.

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t envious of his porn watching. I was so curious. Had it been sexy? Had he been aroused by watching it? Had he mentally taken notes for things to do to his mate when he got her?

And then I pictured him giving a tall, feline-looking woman those deep tongue kisses like in the movie, and I frowned to myself. I didn’t want to think about that. For some reason, the thought irritated me. Maybe because by him getting his mate, I’d be completely screwed over.

It didn’t seem fair. For him to get his fantasy, I was going to have to live a nightmare. I glanced over at Hugh as I drove and found his gaze on me more than once. Each time I saw it, though, he jerked away again, as if embarrassed to be caught.

And it made me wonder.

The local mall wasn’t all that busy at lunchtime on a weekday. There was a moderate crowd, and I parked the car and headed in. Hugh got a few stares, but I guessed it was mostly due to his size and not his slightly furry arms and legs, or his fangs and catlike eyes. I knew those were there, but strangers might not think anything of it unless they stood very close to him. With Hugh’s intimidating size, that wasn’t likely.

“Now here’s the thing,” I told him as we entered the café fifteen minutes early. It was a cheery little chain bistro with tiny tables and lots of kitsch on the walls. It wasn’t a favorite of mine, but we couldn’t have picked a better place to blend in. I scanned the room and headed to the back, Hugh trailing a step behind me. There was a big crowd, thanks to lunch, but I managed to find two tables reasonably close together. “You can’t sit with me or you’re going to drive me insane. So I need you to sit at this table here.” I pointed at an empty table in the corner. “And I’m going to sit here.”

The table I pointed at for myself was two tables away.

Hugh frowned. “No.”

I turned and gave him an exasperated look. “Come on. I’m in earshot. You’ll be able to hear everything we say without hovering over me like an overprotective mother hen. Meanwhile, I’m going to have some semblance of privacy. Understand? I need this or I’m going to lose my cool.”

He studied me for a long moment, then gave a short nod. “Very well.”

I gave his shoulder a happy little squeeze through his sleeve. “Thank you, Hugh! You are the best.”

Hugh gave me a gruff nod and sat at the table, looking momentarily lost. He picked up the napkin roll of silverware and examined it curiously.

“Just sit here and order some food,” I told him. “Tell them I’ll pay for your bill.” I reached over the table to pull the menu out, and when I leaned back, I noticed that Hugh jerked backward as well, his nostrils flaring. “Did . . . did you just sniff my hair?”

He wouldn’t look at me. Instead, he glared at the menu I handed him.

That made me feel a little . . . funny. Fluttery. “The menu has pictures,” I told him breathlessly. “Just point at something that looks good and don’t worry about the cost. The bathroom is across the room if you need it.” I hoped I wouldn’t have to show him how the flush handles worked—again.

“I’ll be fine,” he said in a low voice, his gaze flicking to my bare stomach.

Again that weird flutter in my stomach. My monster prickled but didn’t rise to the surface. Just nerves? Anxiety? Something. The way he was looking at me seemed very personal, though. And he hadn’t answered me when I’d asked him if he’d sniffed my hair.

Which meant that he had sniffed my hair and didn’t want to admit it.

I sat down at the nearby table, waiting for Marie and pretending to look over the menu. My thoughts were whirling, and I was distracted until Marie plunked into the seat across from me. “Earth to Ryder, come in, please. I’ve said hello to you twice.”

“Oh!” I jerked up and hastily slapped the menu down. “Sorry. I was lost in thought. Hey, girl.”

“Clearly.” Marie grinned and tossed her messy hair back over her shoulder. “Good to see you, silly. Where’ve you been hiding out?”

“Hiding out?” I asked absently.

“You disappeared for days,” she said with a frown. “Didn’t answer my calls or texts or anything. I was worried sick.”

“Oh. Stuff came up.” I wiggled my pinky at her.

“Stuff,” she said blankly, unrolling her silverware and giving me a skeptical look that said she clearly didn’t believe my too-simple answer. “You have a lot on your mind or something?”

“Something like that,” I said.

Her nostrils twitched, and she rubbed her nose. “You smell like cat. I don’t know what kind, but cat, definitely.” She lifted her head and glanced around. “A cat that’s here.” Her gaze scanned the room and stopped two tables over, on Hugh. Then her gaze whipped back to me. “Don’t tell me that you’re hooking up with Tall, Dark, and Behemoth over there?”

“I’m not hooking up with anyone,” I whispered. “You know that.”

“But that’s who you needed the change of clothes for the other day?” She peered at me from over the glasses sliding down her nose. “That guy?”

I gave her a helpless look and stuck my pinky out.

She sighed heavily. “Voyons. I’m starting to hate the pinky swears.” She hooked her pinky in mine, though. “So tell me about work. How’s Savannah doing?”

“When she’s there, she’s fine,” I said. “But she’s been really sick with the pregnancy. I came in the other day and Everett was filling in. I don’t think he was a big fan of it, either.”

She chuckled, glancing over the menu. “No, I guess not.”

The waiter arrived, a teen girl that was all smiles. “Hi, what can I get you ladies to drink?”

Marie ordered a water, and I took a coffee, then gestured at Hugh’s table. “I’m paying for that one, too.”

“Oh.” The waitress gave me a confused look. “Okay. I’ll be back in a minute to get your orders, then.” She sauntered over to Hugh’s table and greeted him.

Marie pushed her glasses up her nose and gave me a skeptical look. “Call me crazy, but did you hire a gigolo or something to solve your little problem?”

“What? No! You are crazy.” And God, that made me blush. Not only because it was embarrassing but also because I was pretty sure I was going to have to explain gigolo to Hugh later. “It’s a long story. But I’m paying for his meal, and no, I won’t say more than that.”

“Oookay,” Marie said. “So let’s go back to Savannah. She talking to Connor yet?”

“Only when she has to. At least that’s my understanding.”

“Poor guy. Poor Savannah, too. He’s miserable with love for her and she’s just miserable.” Marie shook her head. “Beau’s all tied up in knots about it, too.”

“Why? Savannah’s his cousin.” I didn’t understand why Beau—who had a nice, sweet human wife in Bathsheba—would be so very stressed about Savannah’s love life. “She’s an adult, right? She can date who she wants.”

“Yeah, but Connor’s a wolf. You know how tense things are with them ever since the Sara thing.”

“Ah.” As I was human, no one had ever given me tons of details on the “Sara thing,” but from what I could tell, one of the nearby wolf packs had tried to claim Bath’s sister, Sara, as their own.

It had gone over about as well as could be expected. Some wolves had been exiled, pack leaders had changed, Sara remained free, and most Alliance members gave werewolves an even wider berth than before. Wolves were not well liked in Alliance territory.

Which made it harder for Savannah, because she’d gone into heat a few months ago and had been impregnated by Connor. A wolf. It was all really messy. From what I could tell, Connor was desperately in love with Savannah, and Savannah resented Connor for knocking her up.

Yeah. Complicated.

“Beau wants the wolves to be welcome so they can continue to make inroads with the packs, but the whole Savannah-Connor thing is still unresolved, and with Sara’s history with the packs, it’s just a weird time right now. Beau just tenses up every time we get a call from a local wolf, though most of them are benign sorts of questions.” She shrugged. “I can tell when a problem is wolf-related just by the stress lines in his forehead.”

“Do you like working for him?” I asked her as the waitress stopped by and dropped off our drinks, then took our orders. I had a salad, and Marie ordered the same. She’d told me that meat sometimes made it difficult to control her new shifter side, so she went vegetarian when she could. I understood that. I lived a life of avoiding triggers.

“I do,” Marie admitted once the waitress was gone. “Bath’s there so often and I see so many of the same people that it’s almost like being in the office again, except I’m working days now instead of nights, and you aren’t there.” She gave me a sad frown and pantomimed a tear going down her cheek.

It was then that I noticed the big flashing rock on her finger. I gasped and grabbed her hand. “Holy crap, what’s this?”

She gave a happy little hop in her seat. “What do you think it is, silly? Josh proposed!”

We shared a girlish squeal, and I squeezed her hand happily. “Oh, my God! I’m so excited for you!”

Marie seemed unable to stop smiling. “Thank you! I’m so excited. It happened about two days ago. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.” She gave me another curious look.

I waggled my pinky at her.

She rolled her eyes.

“Just give me the deets and spare not a single detail,” I told her, leaning forward and resting my chin on my hands dreamily. “I need to know everything.”

Over the next half hour, we picked at our salads and Marie talked in happy, animated gestures about Josh and his moving into her apartment. She acted exasperated when she talked about their bickering in regards to whose laundry went where (Marie was a neat freak and Josh was apparently a slob), but every time she said his name, it was with a note of affection. Then she told me all about the engagement. How they’d gone to Konstantine’s and he’d taken her into the alley (which apparently meant something to the two of them) and showered her with flowers and had a band there to serenade her. He’d gone down on one knee in the midst of the dirty alley and proposed to her, and she beamed, like it had been the most romantic thing ever.

Weird, but Marie loved it, so I couldn’t protest.

Then she talked about their plans for the future. They would get married at some point next year, and then maybe look at getting a house in Little Paradise to be closer to Josh’s family; he was one of many Russell were-cougars in the area, and Marie naturally fit into their clan well. Her father wanted to pay for the wedding, and the two families were already bickering about location and catering.

“It’s only been two days,” she said with an exasperated smile. She forked another mouthful of lettuce into her mouth and added,“I can only imagine what the next year is going to be like.”

“Oh, you’re eating up every bit of it,” I told her with a smile. “Admit it.”

“Maybe just a little.”

I smirked to hide my wistfulness. Marie was so happy and animated. I was used to pale, sarcastic Marie, but the Marie of the last month had truly come out of her shell. She was lively and had color in her cheeks for the first time since I’d known her, and she looked healthy and oh-so-happy. She was beaming.

I was insanely envious of my friend. Her life was perfect and on track.

Mine was in danger of running off the rails.

“So you’ll come to the engagement party? It’s a week from tomorrow. You can even bring your date.” She winked and nodded her head at Hugh. “It’ll be so much fun.”

“Of course I’ll be there,” I told her, sharing her excitement. “Do you need me to do anything? Help with anything?”

“It’s a pretty informal get-together,” she said. “We’re renting out a barbeque place over in Little Paradise, though I personally thought a pizza or two would be great.”

The sound of breaking glass made me jerk in my seat, and Marie winced, clapping her hands to her sensitive were-cougar ears. I looked over at the direction of the broken glass . . .

And saw Hugh sitting at his table alone, his drink spilled all over the table, the broken glass in his hand. He was staring at me with an intense look on his face, and his cheeks were bright red. Blood covered his hand.

He’d smashed his glass in his fist by accident as soon as he’d heard the word pizza. And I knew why, and the thought filled me with heat.

It seemed the porno viewing last night had affected Hugh more than he’d let on. I got up and hurried to his table, bringing my napkin even as the waitress rushed over.

“Oh, my goodness,” the waitress gasped, plucking glass from the table and putting it onto a tray. “I am so sorry, sir. Let me get you another drink and some napkins. Are you okay?”

I peered at his hand. “Did you hurt yourself?”

He glared at me. “My drinking vessel broke.”

“I see that,” I said mildly. “Did you want me to help out?” I held my napkin out to him, intending to dab at his hand.

“No,” Hugh said as he snatched the napkin from me.

“Fine, be that way.” I went to sit back down with Marie.

She watched Hugh with confusion, a frown furrowing her brow. “He okay?”

“He’s fine,” I said cheerfully. “Just not good with fragile things.”

“Then it’s probably good that you’re not dating him,” Marie said.

For some reason, I didn’t like that comment. I wasn’t that fragile. I glanced over and noticed that the waitress had remained at Hugh’s side and was wiping his hand, taking it in hers and dabbing at the blood as she babbled about how very sorry she was. Hugh looked . . . confounded. Like he wanted to jerk his hand away but couldn’t. He stared at the woman, fascinated, as she fussed over him.

Was he thinking of his mate? I felt another envious surge. Everyone was getting their happy ever after but me.

“Oh, crap,” Marie whispered as I picked up my fork again. “Don’t look now, but things are about to get really crowded in here.”

“Huh?” I looked up and found she was staring over my shoulder. I glanced behind me and froze.

A celebrity with a pretty-boy face and tousled curls was sauntering through the café. He waved at people while giggling women pulled out their camera phones and snapped pictures of him. A famous celebrity. At the mall I was having lunch at. What a remarkable coincidence.

Yeah, right.

My heart sank. One of the fae was here. Just what I needed. While this man had the face of a lesser-known actor from a recent pirate movie, I knew it had to be Finian, checking up on me. The fae could take on any appearance they wanted, and they often switched between a few choice celebrities.

My salad suddenly tasted like dirt in my mouth. “I should probably go,” I told Marie as I raised a hand to flag down the waitress.

“Go? But we’ve barely talked,” she said, giving me an odd look.

“I know.” I glanced at the fae man again as he declined autographs and posed for photos at the far side of the room. Was it my imagination, or was he swinging around to this end of the café? Or was I just paranoid?

Turned out that nope, I wasn’t paranoid; the fae made a circle around the room and began to head unerringly in our direction, his gaze focusing on me. A cool smile crossed his face as he hurried toward me.

I was trapped.

Marie continued giving me that odd look as I jerked to my feet, fumbling for my purse. “I need the check,” I told her again. “I have to go. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she told me. “I can get the check.”

I gave her a grateful look and moved to head to Hugh’s table.

The fae stepped in front of me. “Hello, delicious. What have we here?” He tilted his head, staring at me with fascinated eyes. “Is this my lucky day?”

I kept my voice low. “How did you find me here?”

“Oh, it’s obvious, my darling,” he said in a smooth voice. “You’re positively clouding the air with pheromones.”

My eyes narrowed at him. His voice seemed a bit smoother, more urbane than what I recalled. “Do we have to talk about this now, Finian?” I asked, my heart hammering in my throat.

“Finian?” His eyebrows arched. “So that’s who’s been hiding you away?” He tsked. “What a naughty boy. I had no idea he was holding such a delicious prize . . . and so close to ripening.” He plucked an imaginary piece of lint off my shoulder. “Too bad for him, though. You’re coming home with me.”

If he wasn’t Finian . . . who was this? “I’m not going anywhere,” I told him, a little clench of fear settling in my stomach.

“Oh, but you are,” he said in a low voice and leaned in. “Look at all this skin you have exposed. I’d hate for you to have an accident and show your true side to all these people. They might not understand what they’re looking at . . . and then what would happen to you?”

I remembered Hugh’s story about the Jersey Devil, and I shuddered. No one here would understand. The strange fae was blackmailing me. I was so afraid that I took a step backward, only to have his hand remain on my shoulder. He pulled me closer, his arm going around my shoulders. “All these people think you’re so lucky to be getting my attention. Every single one of them has a camera phone trained on us. I’d hate for you to end up on a YouTube clip, dearest.”

I shuddered. That was my worst nightmare. “Just . . . please don’t.”

A big hand clapped down on the fae’s shoulder and jerked him backward a step. The fae’s hands flew off me. To my relief, Hugh had appeared behind the man and had pulled him away. He leaned in, his feral eyes gleaming. “She is not yours to touch, friend. She is spoken for.”

The fae’s gaze remained on me, though his mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “I should have known that Finian would set a watchdog on you.”

“The biggest,” I agreed, relieved to have Hugh at my side.

Everyone at the restaurant was now staring at us. Phones were raised into the air, and I knew several people were recording. My skin prickled—not with my monster but with fear. I just wanted to get out of here.

And the fae was not leaving.

“Let’s go, Hugh,” I told him. “Please. I just want to leave.”

Hugh growled, causing a few people nearby to jump in alarm.

“Do as your little friend says,” the fae said in a charming voice. “I’d hate to make a scene. I don’t think anyone wants that.”

“We don’t,” I said desperately. “Come on, Hugh. Let’s just go, okay?”

But Hugh’s eyes were gleaming, and as I watched, his fingernails seemed to grow past the manicured, blunt ends, forming claws again. He was losing track of his human side smack-dab in the middle of a crowded mall café. As I watched, his teeth elongated, poking out from under his upper lip.

This was a nightmare.

What was I going to do if Hugh changed into a saber-toothed tiger in front of all these people? It would be as bad as my own change. Worse, maybe, because if something happened to Hugh, then who was going to protect me from the fae that wanted to kidnap me?

I had to stop him. My hands went to Hugh’s sleeve, and I stepped forward and tugged at his arm. I looked up into his eyes. “Please,” I whispered. “Please stop. For me.”

Hugh looked down at me. His hard, rugged face twisted a bit. He shook himself, and I watched the long fangs slowly retract. He nodded. “Very well. We are leaving.” His eyes hardened as he focused on the fae stranger. “Do not follow us.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” the man said, far too easily. He gave me an unctuous smile. “See you later, dearest.”

I shuddered and clung to Hugh’s sleeve as we pushed out of the café. People were milling around us, drawn by the celebrity, but luckily we only got a few stares and no followers. As soon as we were out of the café and in the parking lot, I breathed a sigh of relief and slowed my steps.

Hugh, however, didn’t slow down. He placed his hands carefully on my shoulders and continued to propel me forward. “Keep walking, Ryder,” he said. “We must get into your cart and drive immediately.”

“Car,” I corrected. “What’s wrong?”

“I do not trust him not to follow us.” Hugh headed to my side of my car with me, and he didn’t leave until I opened the door and slid inside. He shut the door behind me, then moved to his side of the car and got in.

I was getting more scared by the minute. Hugh was on high alert, his nostrils flaring as he rolled the window down a crack and scented the breeze. He gestured for me to start the car, and I did so, pulling carefully out of the parking lot.

“Is there more than one road to your home?” Hugh asked, still scanning the parking lot as we pulled onto the highway.

I could hear my cell phone buzzing in my purse, and I knew Marie was texting me, wanting to know what the hell was going on. I couldn’t answer her right now, though. I was too busy driving and being wigged out by Hugh. “There are lots of roads,” I told him. “I can take several routes. Why?”

“He will not be deterred by a public scene,” Hugh said in a clipped voice. “He will attempt to come after you tonight, once he has determined where you live.”

My eyes widened. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stare at the road and not at Hugh. “I don’t understand. How will he know where I live? Is he going to find me by tracking my scent?”

“By your pheromones.”

“If I’m giving off all these pheromones, how is it that all the other shifters aren’t going nuts around me?” Panic striated my voice.

“He does not have the same senses that the primordials do. He does not need them.”

“Then what do we do?” There was a panicky note in my voice, and I made a left at the next light instead of a right, because a right would lead me closer to home. “Can you put another one of those magic seals on my front door so he can’t come get me?”

“And then what?” Hugh snarled. “Let him take you as soon as you go out again?”

“I don’t know,” I bit out. It was getting harder to concentrate. I pulled off the road and cut through a grocery store parking lot just because it was random. “I don’t know about any of this. Aren’t you here to protect me? Can you stop him?”

“He knows I am here. He will seek to go around me. Or to eliminate me.” Hugh sounded grim.

I shot a horrified look in his direction. “Eliminate you?” Someone honked at me, and I forced the car back into a straight line. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly that,” Hugh said. “We need a new plan.”

“Where do we go?”

“Somewhere new. Someplace that you have not been before so there is not a thick concentration of your pheromones. He will find your home because your scent will be imprinted in your things.”

“So we get new clothes,” I said, thinking quickly. “And stay at a hotel for a few days?”

“Hotel?”

“It’s a place where they rent rooms,” I told him.

“Are there many of these? We will need a new one every night. We do not want to take chances.”

I was beginning to freak out, but I forced myself to remain calm. “Okay. Okay. New hotel every night. We can do that. And some clothing changes. No problem. I have room on my credit cards.”

Hugh grunted. “Good. We will start with that.”

My bodyguard continued to peer out the windows of the car as I drove—aimlessly—around the city. I eventually settled on a downtown hotel, just because it seemed more public than most and the roads here would be more heavily traveled. If I’d left a scent trail, hopefully it’d be covered up by exhaust and afternoon traffic before long.

I parked in the parking garage and we briskly walked the block to the hotel. Hugh kept his arm around my shoulders as I clutched my purse close, and I did my best not to stare around me.

The fae could glamour himself to look like anyone. I’d have no idea who he was until it was too late. He could even look like Hugh, really. Suddenly the concept of Hugh not leaving my sight didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.

My hands were shaking by the time I went to the front counter and got us a room with two full-sized beds. We rode the elevator to the fourth floor, and luckily, Hugh didn’t ask any questions. In fact, he didn’t say anything until we shut the door behind us.

Then he took out his necklace charm and began to run it along the edge of the door, magicking it to lock me in.

I collapsed on the edge of one of the beds, my thoughts in turmoil. Another fae wanted to nab me. It didn’t matter if the fae was Finian or a stranger—both wanted the same thing. They wanted to turn me into the changeling version of a puppy mill. If I disappeared with one of the fae, I was done for. There’d be no second chance for Ryder. No hope of ever escaping my changeling fate.

And the fact that I now had a second fae prince pursuing me? It was like the icing on top of a very crappy cake. The weight of it all felt like it was pressing on my shoulders. A small sob escaped my throat, and I sank to the floor.

“Ryder?”

I looked up to see Hugh looming over me, his necklace hanging from one big hand.

He frowned down at me. “Why do you cry?”

“It’s nothing,” I said, wiping at my cheeks. “I’m just . . . stressed. That’s all. Pay no attention to me.”

“You are upset,” he said, glowering down at me.

“Of course I’m upset. You would be, too, if you were in my situation. One guy wants to turn me into his own personal exotic pet and stud me out so I can breed him more little exotic pets, and the other guy wants to steal me from guy number one. I don’t have a way out, the True Love thing is bunk, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life as someone’s pet monster.” Just letting it all erupt out of me made fresh tears crop up, and I continued to wipe at my cheeks. “Now I’m hiding out in a hotel with some big jerk that doesn’t even like me, and my best friend is getting married to the love of her life.”

He said nothing, which only made it worse.

I put my head down and continued to weep, feeling sorry for myself. The situation just continued to swirl in my mind, all the pieces interlocking. Just as Marie’s life was coming together, mine was falling apart. My best friend was happy and engaged and radiant with joy. I was having to overnight it in a hotel with a stranger because I couldn’t go home thanks to the fact that I was being hunted.

Yeah, there was no way I could put a happy spin on this.

To my surprise, the bed shifted and Hugh sat down on the floor next to me, leaning up against the bed. He sat close enough that our shoulders rubbed, and then he awkwardly patted my shoulder. “I will not let anything happen to you, Ryder.”

For some reason, that quick, impersonal touch just made things worse. I only cried harder.

“You are not comforted?” He sounded chagrined.

“You’re trying, and I appreciate that, but . . .”

“But it is not how a man comforts a woman,” he guessed. “And this makes you sad.”

Hearing it said aloud made a sob catch in my throat, and I nodded miserably. “I . . . can’t . . . even . . . be . . . held,” I choked out between sobbing hiccups. “It’s not fair! Why can’t I be normal?”

One big hand landed on my hair, and the next thing I knew, my face was mashed against Hugh’s broad chest. He rubbed my shoulder, and his arms went around me. “I will hold you.”

My heart melted at his thoughtfulness. “Thank you,” I said around the knot in my throat. I leaned against him, careful to avoid his skin. “You’re sweet.”

“I am sorry you are sad.”

I sniffled. “I just . . . want to be normal. I want a boyfriend. Someone that will hold me when I’m scared and love me for me.” I thought of Marie’s engagement ring with a pang of envy. “Someone to share my life with.”

Hugh said nothing. He simply continued to stroke my hair.

That was fine, really. It wasn’t a situation that could be solved by kind words. It was just me, full of self-pity that I normally didn’t allow myself to indulge in.

We were silent for long moments, my head snuggled against his chest as his hand slid over my hair. “I know how you feel,” he said after a pause. “This world . . . I see people together, and it makes me envious. I see men walking with their women, and holding their hands. I see the easy touches of couples. I see their children. I see families, and I realize that my men have nothing. We have nothing but a bare, lonely existence in our realm. And . . . I want things, too.” He sighed, the sound heavy and sad. “I cannot help but want more.”

I felt a weird kinship with Hugh in that moment. He was just as lonely as I was, just as stranded and isolated in this sea of happy, normal people. He understood how alienating it felt to watch someone casually caress a loved one’s cheek and know that you could never have the same.

He got it. And he got me.

The thought was so incredibly warming that I lifted my head from his chest to look up at his face, to tell him that I understood. That I knew what he was talking about and how he felt.

And when I looked up, I realized that his face was mere inches from mine.

Hugh’s gaze dropped to my mouth, and my breath quickened when I realized what he was thinking. He was thinking about kisses. Hot, wet, delirious kisses like he’d seen in the movie. I knew this, and knew I should pull away.

But I didn’t. I pressed closer to him, my breasts brushing against his chest. My hand clutched at his T-shirt, and I tugged myself up against him, my mouth angling closer. Any second now, he’d push me away. Demand that I cease. So I figured I’d get as close as I could before he did so.

Yet as my mouth moved closer to his, my breathing escalating into small, excited pants, I flicked my gaze to Hugh’s. Wasn’t he going to stop me?

The look in his eyes was scorching with heat. It made me suck in a breath to see all that desire storming through those catlike pupils, to see the ache in them.

He wanted to kiss me. He wanted it just as badly as I did. My pulse settled low in my thighs and I whimpered, even as my other hand dug into his shirt and I slanted my mouth down over his.

And then, I was kissing Hugh.

Our teeth banged together, startling me. I wanted to pull back and apologize; I wasn’t very good at this, and my experience was limited. I was good at letting others kiss me and then running away. Me starting the kiss? Clearly I needed work.

I moved to pull back . . . and Hugh’s hand was on the back of my neck, suddenly, holding me against him. His mouth slanted over mine, shocking me with the heat and intensity of it.

I melted against him. The feel of his lips against mine was stunning . . . and wonderful. Hugh was clearly a quick learner; I felt his tongue press into my mouth, seeking entrance. I opened to let him in and was shocked by the wave of arousal that swept over me when his tongue touched mine. I licked him back, and when he retreated, I grazed my tongue over one of his extra-long canines, earning a throaty groan for my efforts. Then he was tonguing me again, stroking into my mouth.

His body was rigid under mine. Even as our mouths meshed, I could feel under the throbbing of desire the prickle of my skin as I transformed. The hands digging into his shirt were turning to claws, and my back ached, my wings thrusting out of my skin even as Hugh’s tongue thrust into my mouth again. It left a wild ache between my legs, and I moaned.

The sound was gutteral; inhuman. During the kiss, I’d transformed into my changeling form. Even now, I could feel the scales over my nipples pushing against his chest. The feeling was oddly erotic. I wanted more of it, and I brushed up against him as he continued to kiss me.

But just as quickly as the kiss had started, it ended. The hand that had landed on the back of my neck to pull me toward him? Suddenly pulled me backward and jerked me away. My eyes flew open—I didn’t even realize I had closed them—and I stared at Hugh in surprise, panting.

He’d transformed during our kiss, too. His face had changed, his nose flattening, the whiskers along his sideburns becoming more prominent. His fangs had extended and his eyes had no whites, and I could feel his claws pressing against the now scaly skin of my neck. It was like he lost control of his humanity when he got turned on. Seeing that gave me pleasure. He was just like me.

I leaned in to continue our kiss.

Hugh shook his head, jerking away. “No.”

“No?” He shook his head again and shoved backward, the bed sliding across the room. Hastily, he stood, spilling me to the ground. He wouldn’t look me in the eye, either. Instead, he went to the window and peered out the curtain.

And I was left sitting there, my tail and wings lashing through my clothing.

Utterly humiliated.

Utterly devastated.

He saw my transformation and didn’t want to kiss me anymore. It was okay that he’d turned more tigerlike; I’d actually found that arousing, because I’d known it had meant he was losing control. But me? I didn’t turn into something pretty. I turned into something ugly.

And he didn’t want to put his mouth on that.

The tears returned, and with a choked sob, I fled to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind me, then locked it and leaned against it. The mirror was to my side, but I turned away, not wanting to see my hideous reptilian face.

I was so ugly I was beyond kissing, even to a shapeshifter like Hugh.

I was doomed.