Delilah Harrington swore under her breath as she stumbled on the cracked steps leading up to her apartment building. Flipping one unruly tendril of hair from her face, she tried to collect herself and stop the world from spinning.

Humidity hung in the air, clinging to Delilah’s silk dress and making her skin feel sticky. She hated Boston in June. Hell, she just hated Boston.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to the Emerald City? The DJ tonight is supposed to be beyond incredible. Plus, two-dollar cosmos and they never card.” Tammy begged with her eyes, while holding Delilah’s arm to steady her friend. But why did she keep glancing up at the window to De’s apartment?

“Nah. I’ve had enough for tonight. Finals start tomorrow, and it’s my last chance to pass Hollinder’s class. If I don’t do that; I don’t get to junior year.”

Tammy snort-laughed, still holding her arm. “Um, you’re not in any shape to study. Either you pass or you don’t at this point, De. At least you can go out with a bang. Your parents will bribe you on to Junior year, just like they did last summer. Come on!”

De yanked her arm away and followed Tammy’s gaze up to the window again. WTF? “Why are you trying to get me away from here so hard?” she slurred. “Is it Patrick? Did he do something again? Shit. If he’s cheating…” De let her voice trail off as she forced her way up the remaining steps to the glass door that was never locked.

“Come on, De,” Tammy whined, but stayed at the bottom of the steps. “Screw him anyway. Let’s go pick up some real men.”

Delilah ignored her and stormed inside the building as much as someone drunk off her ass in stilettos could storm into a building. The metal stairs clanged as she yanked herself up floor by floor until she reached number four.

Being quiet was unnecessary, she realized after finally jimmying the door open on their studio apartment. A tornado wouldn’t have stopped Patrick when he was that far along. Delilah watched as his bare ass rose and fell between two legs stuck up in the air like flags waving shiny patent leather heels—strawberry-colored, of course. Because you couldn’t pick anything trashier.

Delilah shrieked, stalking forward and snatching every garment off the floor around the humping couple. A bra way too large and red for De, a leather mini-skirt, Patrick’s favorite T-shirt with his band’s logo on it, and a pair of thongs that matched the bra in color and material. She’d have grabbed Patrick’s pants, too, but they were down around his ankles.

“Wait,” the slut said, finally noticing her presence as she continued toward the same window Tammy kept glancing at. “What are you doing?”

Delilah didn’t pause because she knew Patrick well enough to know he wasn’t about to pause either. Using her shoulder, she forced the window open in one shove and tossed everything out.

The clothing fluttered to the sidewalk and stairs. All except the bra, which got snagged by a tree branch and hung in the heavy night air. Delilah poked her head back in, the immense flood of satisfaction already waning.

“Oh my gawd!” the slut said, smacking Patrick’s sweaty chest with her scarlet-nailed hand. Could she be any more of a cliché?

Delilah leaned against the window frame, crossing her arms.

Patrick let out a grunt, which usually meant he was satisfied and collapsed over the Jersey Girl, rolling off and spying De for the first time.

“Shit.”

“Yeah. That about sums it up,” De said, straightening up. She’d waited for his full attention for her next move.

Grabbing hold of his favorite – and only – acoustic guitar, which he’d had since he ran away from home at age seventeen, she swung it like a baseball bat, spinning around in the small space.

“Whoa! De! Stop! That’s not funny,” Patrick screamed, scurrying to his feet only to nearly trip over his pants, which were circling his ankles.

“Oops.” Delilah let the body of the beast hit the window frame, where it made a horribly satisfying crunching sound.

Patrick yanked his pants up and rushed to her side as she watched it bash its way down the side of the old building, finally hitting pavement below.

“Bitch! That was important to me.” Patrick raised a hand as though he was about to hit her while she stood her ground, trying not to flinch.

He let his hand drop, smacking his thigh instead. “She’ll be okay. Kitty is sturdy.”

She should have known he wasn’t worth it when she found out he’d named his guitar Kitty.

De shrugged. “I tried. If I managed to get a good chip out of it, maybe you’ll think of me whenever you see it. Either way. This is it. The last straw.” She hated that her voice wavered on the last sentence. She’d tried so hard not to cry in front of him. He didn’t need to see how much he’d gotten to her.

“Get me my clothes!” the slut on the bed demanded.

Delilah didn’t know if it was her drunken state or some primal animal chord Patrick struck by cheating too many times, but she leaned around and hissed at the girl, sending her cowering back on the bed.

She pulled her beat-up suitcase out and began shoving everything inside. It was sad, but she didn’t have all that much to show for herself after being at college for two years. Maybe it was her way of telling her parents that she didn’t want to come to this Ivy League shithole in the first place.

Pre-law? They actually thought they could buy her a degree. Maybe they could. But the one thing they couldn’t afford was her. It was time to stop throwing away her life feeling sorry for herself and start doing what she wanted.

Patrick followed her to the door, his face pale beneath his shadow he called a beard. His washboard abs still glistened with sweat, and she wrinkled her nose.

“Come on, babe. You know I’m sorry. I’m a temperamental artist. You got even though, throwing Kitty out the window like that, right?”

“You can stop with the fake British accent,” De said, holding her suitcase between them. “I know you’re from Kentucky. Look, it was fun. The sex was great. But it’s time I move on anyway. Do that girl a favor and go down and get her clothes when you get your precious Kitty. You and I both know the clothes don’t make much difference, but it’s the right thing to do.”

With that, Delilah flipped a stray piece of hair from her face again and left her apartment and her sad excuse for a boyfriend without looking back.

When she got to her car, a Mazda convertible and her eighteenth birthday present from her parents, she finally let loose. Tears rolled freely down her face as she slung her suitcase in the trunk. Some part of her wished Patrick would run after her, begging her forgiveness again. But she knew it didn’t mean anything anyhow. It would just be easier was all. Easier to keep living the charade of a life her parents set out for her than actually striking out on her own.

Because that’s exactly what was going to happen the second the Harringtons of Marsh Harbor got wind of their daughter deserting her post. They’d disown her without blinking. Anything rather than risk the family name.

Delilah drove away from the city, ignoring the texts filling her phone from both Patrick and Tammy. In fact, Tammy was the only one she felt a twinge of guilt about leaving. But her friend was one of those people who could command the whole room’s attention the second she walked in. She’d be fine.

By the time her tank needed filling, she was long gone from the city and all the noise and pollution. She bought a pile of gas station snack food and a giant coffee to keep herself fueled and drove on through the night and most of the next day, stopping only when necessity demanded it.

She had no clue where she was going, but she already felt like a new person. By night number two, she stopped at a crappy motel and paid cash, not yet ready to face her parents. She treated herself to a shower, a hot meal at the local diner, and was on her way again. This time in skinny jeans and a cut-off shirt she’d found on sale the week before. She left the top down on the car and braided her hair so it wouldn’t fly around like crazy as she sailed through the middle of the country on the back roads.

The scenery provoked the first real smile she’d managed in a while. Thick pockets of trees and rolling green pastures filled with crops and old-fashioned red barns dotted the sides of the road. The sky was almost purple it was such a deep shade of blue, and the wind picked up as she passed a herd of cattle, chewing lazily on the emerald grass.

This was real beauty. The farmers here were probably real people, too, unlike the people she was used to. They worked hard and lived a simpler life where the things that mattered didn’t have a price tag or a designer label.

The sky grew a deeper shade of purple, darkening so gradually that Delilah didn’t realize how ominous it appeared until it was too late. She slowed her little red convertible to a crawl and lowered the volume on the song she had blaring from her phone. The wind continued to whip her hair loose from her braid and the field of long grass beside her seemed to do the wave as a great shadow engulfed the land.

“Shit,” De said, pulling over and pressing the button that would put the roof up on her car.

An earth-rumbling crack made her jump, gripping the steering wheel tighter as she glanced over to the other side of the road. In the distance, a monstrous storm wound around like a giant spinning top. Objects and even animals were sucked into its massive corona as it slithered across the field.

Her car wasn’t going to protect her from that.

De snapped into action, snatching her cell and abandoning her car. She could come back for it later. She tried punching in 911 as she stumbled across the field, but there was no service.

When she finally gave up on the phone and stuffed it in her pocket, she realized the wind behind her had stopped and everything was unnaturally still.

Maybe the storm died. Maybe it went a different direction. Maybe it was really miles away and it was her big-city imagination that scared her senseless.

De stopped running and turned.

That wasn’t possible, was it? The twister had somehow gained at least half the distance between where she’d first seen it and where she now stood. And it appeared even bigger. Jaw droppingly big.

De ran.

The closest structure was a farm house with a large brown barn in the rear. She changed trajectory and shot toward the house, coming within a few feet of a large black cow who mooed in protest as she whipped by.

“Sorry, Bessy, every girl for herself,” she yelled back, wondering even in her panicked state if there were some way she could save the animal.

Maybe the people in the house would know what to do.

The gale force winds were so strong by the time she reached the front steps that the swing on the porch banged back into the picture window and the cushions flew off into the melee.

De pounded on the door and twisted the handle, desperate for shelter, but no one was answering. She cupped her hands and pressed her face against the glass, careful to avoid the wild wooden swing.

All she saw was a quaint living area with a patchwork quilt slung over the back of an overstuffed loveseat and a wooden table beyond. Living plants lined the sills across from her so she knew someone had to live there.

She pounded again, but it was no use over the sound of the storm.

Heart thumping against her chest like it was trying to escape, De began searching for some other way in. The twister was closer than ever, and visibility was almost non-existent past about a foot in front her. But she pushed on, fighting against the force of the winds, grasping the side of the house as a guide until she nearly tripped over a stone ledge.

A cellar! She’d found the double doors to a storm cellar. That’s where the owners must be. Surely they wouldn’t mind a little company? De knelt beside the wooden doors and tugged at the plank holding them down.

When it finally swung open, the wind tore it off the hinges and the two-by-four flew into the swirling dust. The doors flipped open, slamming into the borders and a gaping dark square beckoned her out of the chaos.

De swung a leg over just as one of the doors was ripped off. She squealed and tucked inside, finding footing on some sort of stairway.

“Hello?” she called, feeling for some kind of banister to guide her.

Nothing.

She swallowed and glanced back at the opening just in time to avoid a mailbox that threatened to decapitate her. The twister was practically on top of her now and it was time to throw caution to the wind.

Trusting that the stairs would be there, De jogged down into the dark. She was just starting to calm down again when her right foot caught on something that shot out from beneath her with a screech. She tumbled down the steps, banging her knee and shoulder, grappling for hold, but unable to see anything. Then her head hit cement and the world blurred as she finally came to a stop.

The last thing she heard as she blacked out was a man’s deep voice saying, “Bad kitty.”

De threw an arm over her eyes to block out the sunlight that had blinded her right through her closed lids.

“Ow,” she moaned, working her way into a sitting position. She must have had too much to drink again because her head pounded like it had hit a ton of bricks. But before she could even work her eyes open, it all came flooding back.

She’d fallen down the steps – tripped over something, a cat? Was the storm over? How had it gotten so bright in the cellar?

De blinked and forced her lids open.

She’d expected devastation. She’d expected trees torn from their roots, houses with roofs ripped off, cars overturned. She hadn’t expected to be lying outside in the center of a tiny ghost town rimmed by thick forests on all sides and green mountains in the distance. She definitely hadn’t expected the buildings neglected by time to be tiny, three-quarter versions of normal ones, like they’d been made for spoiled rich kids like herself.

She’d had a dollhouse like that in her backyard in fact, growing up. It had a full kitchen and furniture, but she’d never seen anything on this scale. There was a tiny courthouse, a general store, and even a miniature hotel with the wooden door open and wavering in the light wind.

“Hello?” she called, but only silence answered.

De swallowed hard and pushed against the ground, trying to stand. Her palms rested against the rough surface of bricks, and she noticed for the first time she was on what seemed to have been a brick pathway that had long since overgrown with weeds. Roots had worked many of the bricks out of the ground, making the surface uneven at best, but some were still painted a bright golden color that reflected in the overhead sun, making her head hurt even more.

Managing to stand rather unsteadily, De also realized she was no longer wearing her own clothes.

She had on a dress, which was probably two sizes too small. It was a light blue checkered dress with short puffy sleeves that dipped off her shoulders, way too much cleavage, though probably because of the small size, and a wide skirt that was so short she made a mental note not to bend over. She also had on stiletto boots that fit skin tight all the way up to her thighs. They were sparkling in the sun just like the bricks, and bright, ruby red.

“Holy shit, I’m dressed like a hooker.” De spun around, trying to wrap her head around it. Who had changed her? She felt slightly ill as she thought of some guy dressing her up like a doll and putting her here in what appeared to be a giant doll city. Well, she wasn’t about to act out some sicko’s idea of a fantasy.

Time to vacate.

The heels took a little getting used to, especially on the uneven surface of the bricks, but the old road led away from the creepy little city and that was exactly where she was headed.

The countryside only grew stranger as she wound her way along the path, the sun beating down on her bare shoulders. There were strange tall flowers with brightly colored petals and leaves and twisted trees that almost looked alive. She could have sworn she saw one move at one point and hurried her pace.

Miles went by. Strangely, her feet felt perfectly comfortable in the strange boots, but her stomach grumbled and her mouth was parched. She had to at least find some water in this crazy place. She wished there was someone to ask for directions. She couldn’t be that far from the farmhouse on the back roads she’d last remembered. Yet something told her she wasn’t anywhere near Kansas anymore.

That was when she spotted it in a clearing up ahead. It didn’t look like much at first, but as she got closer, she realized it was a campsite. A sign of civilization!

De hurried forward, then remembered she had to be cautious since she still had no idea who’d brought her here or changed her clothing.

She dove into the twisted trees to the side of camp and peered around the corner. There was a circle of stones around the remains of a campfire, now long put out. A tree stump nearby looked like it was being used as a table of sorts as a map was laid out on top, held down by… a tin cup full of water!

De glanced over at the small tent wavering in the breeze and noted that it was empty. The place was as silent as ever. More so even, since she’d heard occasional rustlings in the brush on her way down the brick path. Now there was nothing. Like everyone and everything had suddenly cleared out.

She squinted at the campfire and noticed a stick with some sort of burnt meat still stuck on the tip. Her stomach grumbled, filling the emptiness, and she decided she had to go for it. So she rushed out, snatched the stick and, holding it in one hand, grabbed the water with the other and chugged.

It was the best water she’d ever tasted; cool, clear, and refreshing. Then she bit into the meat. Less perfect, but edible and worth the effort. She wasn’t in a position to be picky after all.

She was on her third bite, and it was tasting better than ever, when she was engulfed in shadow. She spun around just in time to be tackled to the ground, hard.

The man on top of her was enormous, probably well over six feet tall with a wild mane of dark blond hair and a rough shadow of a beard to match. His eyes were golden like the bricks on the road and were narrowed at her as a low growl emanated from his massive chest. He was simultaneously breathtaking and frightening, like a wild animal that she would love to stare at but not get too close to. Unfortunately, he was closer than she’d been to a guy since her last time with Patrick.

She stared back into his eyes, chest heaving against his, frozen because she didn’t know what he’d do if she moved. Should she say something? Kick him in the balls? She mentally calculated her chances against a ripped, possibly psycho guy twice her weight. If only she had her pepper spray, but whoever changed her clothes didn’t leave her keys and phone on her.

Wait.

“Are you the asshole who dressed me up while I was unconscious?” she blurted.

Golden Eyes blinked, shocked at her outburst. “What?” he asked in a low treble voice that vibrated through her. Probably because he was still lying on top of her.

“You heard me. You did, didn’t you? If you think I’m going to play out some sick fantasy of yours, well, you can forget it right now.”

Golden Eyes backed off, staying in a squat, watching as De worked her way to her feet in a much less graceful way. His eyes narrowed, drinking her in from head to foot. De tugged the tiny dress down in response. It didn’t help. Either it rose too high on her thighs or too low on her chest.

“Where did you get those boots?” he asked finally.

Yeah. Right. It was the “boots” he was interested in.

“Why did you kidnap me?” she demanded, crossing her arms while trying to look tough and hide her trembling.

“Kidnap you?” he roared with sudden deep laughter and stood as well.

De’s eyes widened at the sight of him at his full height. He was a mix between Tarzan, Chris Hemsworth, and some Greek god. His body rippled with muscles beneath his tanned skin that contrasted deliciously with his golden hair and eyes. He wore only a pair of tight black pants with legs tucked into tall leather boots, worn down to practically nothing in spots.

“What’s so funny?” she said, trying to distract herself from gawking.

“Why would I kidnap you? You’re the thief who stole my dinner.”

“Stole your dinner?” De repeated incredulously. “You mean that rat on a stick?” God, she hoped that wasn’t what it was.

“If it was so horrible, why did you eat it?” he asked, folding his own impressive arms across his chest.

“I was starving,” De admitted, exhaustion washing over her.

“You must have been. You did a pretty shitty job stealing and now look. It’s ruined, so neither of us can eat it.” He gestured at the ground where the remainder of the hunk of meat sat, layered in dirt and covered in ants.

De’s stomach turned. “Look, I’m sorry I ate your food and drank a little water. If I had any money, I’d pay you for it.”

“I’ll take the boots.”

“What? No. I’m not giving you my boots. I can’t walk on this awful road barefoot. It’s probably miles to the nearest town. Wait. Do you have a cellphone?” Hope lit inside her as she glanced past him around his tiny campsite.

“A what?” he asked.

“Ha ha,” she said. “I’m serious. I need to contact my friend. She’ll be worried about me.”

“What are you?” he asked, watching warily as she poked around his meager possessions, searching for his phone. He had to have one, right? Even if he was some weird naturalist or something he’d have a cell phone. Everyone did.

“The name’s Delilah,” she said, peering in the tent.

“What is a Delilah?” he asked.

De jumped when she felt his hand on her arm. But he wasn’t tackling her, he was just trying to get her attention. Man, his hand was enormous. And warm. Tiny shivers of excitement trailed up her arm and she swallowed. Bad, De. Don’t go there. Not now and not with the weirdo, no matter how hot he is.

“I’m a girl, Tarzan,” she said, wishing her voice didn’t sound so hoarse.

“My name is Aspen, not Tarzan, and I’m not buying it. No way you’re a human. So what are you? Shifter? Witch?”

“Did you just call me a witch?” she asked, yanking her arm away.

“I meant no insult. There are good witches, too, you know, though admittedly fewer than we might like.” His eyes shifted to the side when he said that, like he was afraid someone might be listening.

De shook her head, confused. Maybe he was more than just weird. Maybe he was insane. If so, she should probably play along until she could get away. She didn’t want him going off and tackling her again.

“Um yeah. So I better be going,” she said, headed back for the old brick path. “I need to find some civilization.”

“You aren’t going that way, are you?” Aspen asked, stepping in her way.

“Why not?”

“That’s the WWW’s territory. You wouldn’t last five minutes. I barely got out alive and let’s face it, I’m far more formidable than you are.”

De felt her cheeks heat up. That may be the case, but what a rude, egotistical ass to say it.

“What’s WWW?” she asked, trying to remember she didn’t want to piss him off.

“Wicked Witch of the West,” he whispered, glancing around again.

“I don’t think the trees care,” De said, unable to help herself.

“You never know which side they’re on.”

She wished she hadn’t said it.

“Right. Well, I’m just going to go ahead and take my chances.” She moved to step around him, and he stopped her with one strong hand on either shoulder.

“You want to get to the Emerald City to the Resistance. Trust me, little strange one. Even if you’re a powerful witch, which I somehow doubt, you stand little chance against her in her own territory and alone.”

De sighed. “Thanks for the tip. Really. But I want to make it as far as possible before I lose all the daylight. So if you’ll excuse me.”

He kept hold of her shoulders and caught her in his intense gaze. “I’m telling you I barely escaped with my life.”

“What did she want with you?” De asked, sucking in her bottom lip. He looked so earnest, it was hard not to believe him.

“She wanted my body, of course. I refused to be her lover, and she ordered me killed. I can’t blame her. Who wouldn’t want me?” He grinned, flashing a set of perfect white teeth and De’s stomach flipped. She’d had enough ego maniacs for a lifetime.

“Well, I doubt she’ll want that from me, so thanks for the tip, but if you don’t let go, I’m going to have to use my magic powers on you.” She wiggled her fingers for effect and it actually worked. He let go like she was on fire and stepped out of her path.

“I’ve done what I can,” he said as she walked on past. “If you want to commit suicide, that’s your problem.”

“Yeah. Okay, thanks.” De waved over her shoulder at the strange man.

Maybe this was all a dream and she’d hit her head harder than she though

De walked on along the path as the strange and twisted trees grew thicker and larger, closin off some of the sunlight. It felt good at first not to feel the burn on her shoulders, but soon a chill crept over her, making her hug herself and wish she had a sweater.

To top it off, the sun itself was dipping lower in the horizon, casting long and twisted shadows across her path. Maybe she should have begged to stay the night at Aspen’s camp. Would it be safe to lay down out here with who knew what type of animals on the loose?

Well, it definitely wasn’t safe to stay the night with Aspen. Even if she could trust his motives, she’d never be able to trust herself. Too bad the hot ones were always such jerkoffs.

De drew a deep breath and hurried along. She’d have to come out of these woods at some point. A sudden rustling in the tree tops quickened her pace even more.

It’s just some stupid birds. Still, she didn’t like how the rustling grew louder and seemed to come from all sides. She had no light, so she had every reason to get the hell out of there.

De jogged forward, trying hard to concentrate on the path before her and not the memory of Aspen’s enchanting golden eyes.

An ear-piercing howl shot from the trees behind her, and De broke into a full-on run as all around her dark furry creatures appeared in the leaves.

Fangs flashed and screeches filled the air as she raced for her life, scared to death she’d trip because that would be the end for sure. What the hell were these things?

A sharp claw swung low from a branch to her left and De screamed, dodging to the right. She could have sworn she heard laughter as she abandoned the path and crisscrossed between trees, heading toward what looked like a clearing of sorts ahead. If she could reach an area free of trees…

Something grabbed a length of her hair from behind and yanked, jerking her to an abrupt stop. De’s hands scrabbled at the thing behind her, hot tears escaping freely down her cheeks as more furry claws grabbed at different parts of her dress, hair, and legs.

Kicking out hard, De landed a solid hit to something and she pulled away, falling back on her bottom and scooting backward toward the clearing. She could see them now, but she could hardly believe it.

They were monkeys. About three feet tall, mangy-looking brown and gray fur, with long fangs bared, black claws to match, and wings poking from their shoulder blades made of bone and covered in leathery skin.

They were horrifying, and De couldn’t stop screaming as they stalked toward her. There must have been at least thirty of them, some hanging from the treetops and some limping toward her on the ground. She was sure they were smiling, like a sick kid who has a magnifying glass and is about to fry an ant.

She was the ant.

She’d reached the grass of the clearing, but she was no longer so sure that would be helpful. Not if those wings of theirs actually worked. Something moved at the edge of the trees on the opposite side and she risked a glance over.

Aspen’s strong chest heaved with anger as he watched the monkeys approach her.

De reached out a hand toward him, so grateful to see someone – anyone – else. “Help!” she yelled.

The monkeys screeched and one grabbed hold of her ankle again. She tried to kick it away, but it was smart and avoided her while another beast grabbed her other leg. Panicking, she screamed out again and reached toward Aspen, who was much too far away. And he wasn’t moving. He just stood there watching like he was somehow conflicted as they dragged her into the clearing, more monkeys taking hold of her arms and hair.

Conflicted! He was a big chicken! Just because he had rippling muscles didn’t mean he was prepared to use them on anything more than a helpless girl drinking his water.

She writhed and wriggled, trying to keep the monkeys’ awful hands off of her, but it was impossible now that they had such a good hold of her. The two holding her by the ankles spread their wings and rose into the air, carrying her with them.

She screamed, tears pouring from her eyes as Aspen and his pale face flipped upside down. The monkeys shook her like they wanted her to fall out of the boots and crack her head open on the ground, but luckily they were stuck on pretty well.

“Help me!” she shrieked again. “Aspen, please!” Two more monkeys pulled her arms the opposite direction like the four of them were going to rip her apart.

Still Aspen stayed put at the foot of a tree, fists clenched, chest heaving, nostrils flared. But he wasn’t making a move to try and save her. Maybe it was unreasonable of her to want him to. What could he do against thirty flying monkeys anyway?

De hoped they’d make it quick.

Then the monkeys yanked harder, one more ripping at her dress, and she screamed again. She wasn’t going down easy. “Do something!” she screamed at Aspen. “Anything!”

One of the monkeys ripped a length of her skirt off and this time she was certain it was laughing.

Aspen hid his face behind his hands.

“Coward!” she screamed.

The monkeys froze, holding her in mid-air. Aspen’s hands dropped to his sides and his face read pure anger. His golden eyes seemed to glow even from the great distance, and De wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut.

The veins all along his body rose beneath his sun-kissed skin and he ran forward at a charge, arms and legs pumping with a graceful fluidity that mesmerized De even upside down and in the air.

A low and ferocious roar tore through him as he leapt into the air, higher than should have been humanly possible. De’s breath caught as his dark blond locks seemed to fly outward and spring from all over his body. His face, legs, arms, and torso contorted in mid-leap like bones and muscle were bubbling hot and pouring themselves into new molds. And when he landed just below he… he… he was a lion. An enormous lion, about the size of two grown men, and in his jaws hung the limp body of a monkey, still gripping a patch of De’s dress.

“Holy shit,” De breathed as he dropped the broken body and roared.

The monkeys gave a collective howl of panic and raced back toward the cover of the woods as De fell through the air toward the ground and the deadly animal below.  But the beast reared onto his hind legs and opened his mouth, revealing rows of sharp incisors.

De closed her eyes at the last moment, but when she came to rest and wasn’t impaled or chomped, she finally opened them.

Aspen the lion had caught her in his mouth, but hadn’t made a mark on her as he set her carefully on the grass and backed away, head bowed.

“Holy shit,” De repeated, unable to fully comprehend everything that had just happened.

The lion glanced up at her and she saw that he had the same golden eyes that Aspen had. No wonder he’d been conflicted about helping. That whole body contortion thing had to have hurt like hell.

“Can… can you change back into a human?” she asked softly. If he couldn’t and it was all her fault…

But the lion bowed his head and ripples of light blanketed his body, moving faster and faster until she had to look away. When she turned back seconds later, Aspen knelt on the ground before her in all his gorgeous glory, every beautiful muscle glistening with sweat.

“Where are your pants?” De asked, unable to look away.

“That’s what you have to say?” Aspen laughed, standing, not the least bit embarrassed, though admittedly he had nothing to be embarrassed of.

“Thank you?” De guessed, finding it difficult to look him in the eyes.

“Just don’t ever call me a coward again. Okay?” he said, his low voice vibrating through her.

“No. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. But still…” She stopped and took a breath. “I was literally being ripped apart. Why did you take so long to help me?” she asked, finally ready to search his face for the truth.

He knelt again, this time right beside her, so close she could feel the intense heat of his body and she scooted in closer, drawn like a magnet. “I believed they were only playing with you. Trying to take your boots.”

“My boots?” De asked, incredulous. “You were worried about my boots?”

“No. They’re just so… shiny. You know, animals like shiny things. It attracts them. So I thought maybe they’d take those then leave you alone. I don’t like to kill if I don’t have to.”

De’s cheeks warmed again, and she studied what was left of her ruined skirt. “It felt pretty serious to me.”

She looked up again, surprised when his large hand cupped her cheek. “I’m sure it did. Those are the witch’s monkeys. Most folks here in Oz are so terrified of them that they immediately faint. But you held your own. It was quite impressive, though I am surprised you didn’t use your magic at all.”

“My magic?” De repeated, confused until she remembered wiggling her fingers at him earlier and threatening him. “Oh. My magic. Yes. Well, I didn’t want to attract any undue attention from, um, from Her Wickedness.”

Aspen nodded, face serious. His hand was still cupping her face, and his fingers moved gently at her temples, sending tingles down her neck and deep in her chest. “Are you hurt?” he asked in a voice like melted butter.

“No. I don’t think so. Just a couple of scratches.” De didn’t want to move because she was afraid he’d take his hand away. She kept seeing his body leaping gracefully through the air and morphing into the magnificent lion that saved her life.

“Scratches?” Aspen’s eyes opened wide. He stood so fast, De’s head spun. “We have to get you back to my camp. I have some medicine.” He motioned for her to give him her hand.

“Honestly they’re just scratches,” she said, turning her arm to inspect one. It was a nasty claw mark with three red welts swelling on her skin.

“Their talons secrete poison,” Aspen said, reaching down and scooping her easily into his arms. “Hold on tight. We have to hurry.”

De gripped his massive shoulders, happy for the excuse to cradle her head against his pecs. It was quite comfortable.

Aspen ran fast. Faster than a human should have, but now she understood he wasn’t human. He was a lion, too. What had he asked her? Was she a witch or a shifter? He must be the latter. It was lucky he couldn’t see her face in their position because she was sure she was bright red as she considered whether he took the term “animal in bed” to a whole new level.

They slowed down minutes later, and she heard him unzip his tent. Then he laid her gently down on a thin mat that felt remarkably like a bed of soft feathers. The world spun around his face above her like he was the center of the universe. His forehead was creased in the center as he considered her arm. He looked so serious.

“Hold still. This may be an odd sensation.”

She heard some more zipping and fiddling then felt something cool on her arm. But the coolness slipped inside the wounds and turned to ice that sent shivers spraying up and down her body just below the skin. A sense of headiness clouded her mind like she’d just had a couple of martinis. She gasped a little as his fingers deftly worked on matching wounds on her stomach and side where the dress had been ripped.

“I’m going to need to remove these clothes,” Aspen said, fingers splayed deliciously close to the side of her breast.

She thought about protesting, but first of all, it was absolutely possible they’d scratched her elsewhere the way they were handling her, and secondly, if she was honest, she didn’t mind at all.

She let him help her to a sitting position and held her arms up as he tugged the tiny dress up and off. She giggled a little as he laid her back on the ridiculously comfortable mat and began to check her body for more damage. She stared up at the sky through the top of the tent and was amazed at the hundreds of tiny pinpricks of light that lit the velvety black expanse. More stars than she’d ever seen in her life.

She felt his hands tug at her boots, progressively harder until he accidentally dragged her down the mat a little bit.

“Whoa there, big fella,” she said. “I don’t think they got beneath those anyhow.” She lifted one leg in the air and rested it on his shoulder, only then truly realizing that except for the boots they were both completely naked.

“I don’t see any further damage,” Aspen said, somehow ignoring her leg bouncing against his back.

“I think you should check more thoroughly,” De said softly. “You missed a couple of spots.”

“Where?” he asked, like a challenge.

De took hold of his hand and slid it up along her stomach while watching his eyes. Two stars from heaven. She steered him up and over her breast and left his hand there, cupping her in his warm grasp.

“You might want to examine the other one, too,” she said, voice hoarse again. She hoped he’d get the message and explore between her legs as well, since she was already wet with anticipation.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips as his thumb ran back and forth over her nipple. De closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath as she felt him shift his weight. She knew his body was just above hers because she felt the intense heat rolling off of his skin all along her own shivering body. Her knee was still hooked over his shoulder, and she was seriously glad she’d remained flexible through her first two years of college, thanks to yoga. And Patrick.

She opened her eyes again and ran her fingers up through the tangles in his golden mane. It was incredibly thick and silky, and she hooked her hands in it so she could pull his face down toward hers.

“You are under the influence of the medication,” he said instead of kissing her.

“So?” she challenged.

“So I should wait until you aren’t to make sure this is what you want.”

“I know what I want, whether I’m drunk or not. And I want you.”

“I suppose that’s only natural.” Aspen’s grin was infuriatingly self-indulgent as she pulled his mouth to hers.

But oh it tasted good as she kissed him deeply, hungrily and he ran his hands along her body with more pressure and serious skill.

His fingers teased at the wet spot between her thighs, and she moaned with desire. His mouth worked down her neck to her breasts where he sucked at her nipples, gripping them carefully between his teeth and tugging lightly, first one then the other as his long fingers finally slipped inside of her to explore.

“Oh, Aspen,” she murmured, gripping his shoulders and throwing her head back.

“You know,” Aspen said, running his thumb along her clit as he continued to explore inside of her. “Lions are very good with their tongues.”

“Mmmm,” she managed in response.

He took that as a challenge and slid down the mat, running his tongue past her navel and straight down between her legs, where he used it to flick her clitoris until her hips were arched in the air. Then he inserted it inside of her, moving in ways she’d never experienced until the stars above exploded in pops of light.

Aspen kissed his way back up her body again until he was positioned over her. His lopsided grin told her he was unbearably proud of himself, but she didn’t care. He really was that good.

She laughed as he placed her other knee over his opposite shoulder and walked over her with his hands until her knees were level with her own shoulders.

“I’ll go slowly in case I’m too large for you,” he said, probing at her entrance, which was primed and ready for him.

“You wish,” she said, matching his grin.

He entered excruciatingly slowly, touching deeper and wider than she’d had before and sending electric thrills through her belly as he worked his way inside.

She couldn’t stand it any more.

“Fuck me,” she commanded. “Like an animal.”

Aspen growled low in his chest and thrust himself inside of her, making more stars explode overhead and all around as he increased his rhythm and intensity to an animalistic setting.

Each thrust filled her with sensations of pleasure beyond imagining, and she let wave after wave pulse over her body until she cried out, unable to hold back. Hearing her climax must have given him that final push because he too thrust hard one final time, holding his position and grimacing as he released inside of her. Then he collapsed to her side, spent.

Both of them lay there in the tiny tent, panting and covered in sweat.

“I think,” he said, pausing to catch a breath, “I did a pretty thorough job that time.”

“Pretty thorough,” she echoed. “But you might have to check again in the morning. You know, in case another scratch pops up.”

De woke to sunlight streaming in through the top of the tent. She blinked and rolled to her side where she spotted Aspen, already sitting, one knee pointed upward, another pair of worn boots and pants on. She frowned.

“I’ve decided to accompany you to the Emerald City and the Resistance,” he announced, patting her leg.

“How far is it?” she asked, sitting up and trying not to look like she was waiting for her head to stop spinning.

“About three days walk unless we cut through the badlands. Then we can do it in a day.”

De crawled forward on hands and knees and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her naked chest to his.

“I don’t mind taking three days.”

He grinned. “That’s three days walking. I suspect it could take a month with your appetite.”

“Humph,” De pouted. “I didn’t hear you complaining last night.”

Aspen pulled her into his lap and kissed her deeply, his hand running up and down her back.

“I have no complaints, little witch. I felt your magic last night. You’ve put a spell on me, but I don’t think I mind.”

De smiled.

“But,” he said, setting her on the ground and turning to unzip the tent.

“But?” she asked.

“But we need to find the Resistance and get you there safely. The WWW is aware of you by now, thanks to your furry little friends. And she’s going to be after someone with your power.”

“She doesn’t know if I have any power,” De laughed, following Aspen out of the tent to stretch.

“She’ll want to know how you summoned and tamed me. I told you, she was unable to do it. She won’t understand it is because she is hideous and you’re beautiful.”

“Image issues?” De asked, hugging herself now that they were out in the open. “What happened to my dress?”

“It was destroyed.”

“You got your pants back.”

“I travel prepared.”

De balked. “I can’t just walk around naked!”

“I would enjoy it,” Aspen said, cupping her buttocks and pressing her close.

De’s mouth dried up. She was not going to walk to some city butt naked.

“You are adorable when you are frightened,” Aspen said. “Don’t worry. I have some extra clothes that should work. And extra boots if you would prefer something… flatter.”

“You probably just want my boots for yourself,” De snapped. “For a chew toy or something.”

“I am not a canine,” Aspen growled, eyes glowing.

De backed up a little. “Clothes would be fine, thank you,” she said quickly.

Aspen grabbed a leather pack and dug inside, finally tossing her something white.

De caught it neatly and held up a man’s tunic, sleeveless and ragged at the bottom. It looked huge. But once it was on, she adjusted it so the big neck opening slid off one shoulder and then tied a piece of cord Aspen offered her around her waist like a belt. About an inch of thigh showed between the top of the boots and the bottom of the tunic, but that was actually better than the other dress, De decided.

Plus, it smelled like Aspen – all musky and masculine.

“Take this,” Aspen said, handing her a wicked-looking knife with a thick leather hilt. “You need a weapon so you can defend yourself. At least until I reach you.”

De nodded and tucked it carefully into her belt.

“Drink,” Aspen ordered, thrusting the same cup at her she’d drunk from the night before. “It will refill itself as you drink. It is a magic gift from a friend.”

De followed instructions, wondering miserably exactly who this magic friend was, as he folded up everything, including the tent, and stuffed it all inside his satchel.

She guessed that was magic, too. From the same friend, she supposed.

“We should move,” Aspen said, sticking his nose up into the air like maybe he’d caught a whiff of something. Could cats do that, too?

De set one hand on the hilt of her dagger and hurried along beside Aspen as he moved smoothly and quietly away from the path she’d so foolishly followed the day before.

“I should have listened to you,” she said, slightly out of breath from trying to keep up with his ridiculously long legs and quick stride. “When you told me not to go that direction.”

Aspen grunted, sniffing the air again before changing course slightly so that they moved across some fields with sad-looking crops of corn and wheat.

“This place is depressing,” De muttered, noting an old barn in the distance, dilapidated and partially demolished with the roof caved in like something had hit it from above.

“Tell me about it,” a man’s voice answered, familiar, but not deep enough to belong to Aspen.

“Who said that?” De asked, hurrying to catch up to Aspen’s side again.

She searched their surroundings, concentrating on the overgrown wheat billowing in rows. It could be a hiding place for flying monkeys or other horrible things.

“I did,” the man said again, and Aspen’s hands closed on her shoulders so he could angle her toward the barn.

All she saw was an old scarecrow stuck on a wooden post with half his stuffing hanging out.

“Don’t tell me…” she said, narrowing her eyes at the scarecrow’s face.

“No. Not the scarecrow, little witch,” Aspen breathed over her ear. “Look toward the building.”

De’s gaze trailed along the overgrown grass and crops until she spotted something glinting in the sun. Cautiously, she moved toward it until she could make it out better.

A metal man stood in the tall grass. He was a beautiful statue made of some kind of silvery substance. The likeness of the perfect man. Well, human man. Aspen was far more perfect as far as De was concerned.

“He’s beautiful,” she said, relaxing a little.

“Thank you,” the statue answered, its eyes swerving in its head toward her.

De screamed and backed right into Aspen’s hard chest.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” the statue said. “It’s just that I rarely get to interact with anyone and well, there you were saying exactly what I was thinking about how depressing this place is.”

De was speechless. Why would someone create a beautiful piece of art, bring it to life and then abandon it in a corn/wheat field no one used?

“You look familiar to me,” she said, trying to see past the shiny metal surface.

“Maybe we were meant to meet,” the statue said in a British accent.

“Cheesy pickup line,” De said, “Fake British accent. What the hell, Patrick? Did you paint yourself silver and chase after me?”

Aspen’s chest rumbled behind her, and she felt him tense.

“I beg your pardon,” Patrick said. “My name is Brett, and I have not painted myself. I can’t even reach the frickin’ wind up on my back so I can move again. Fine joke on the part of the witch that did this to me, putting it out of reach.”

De rubbed her temples and tried to work things out. It made no sense that Patrick would even be able to find her, let alone paint himself silver and pose outside a broken-down barn, waiting for her to show up with a half-man/half-lion.

“You reminded me of a friend of mine, Brett. My apologies.”

“No need to apologize to the metal man,” Aspen said. “But I do smell food in the barn behind him. I believe someone’s been stashing supplies. I will go check it out and get us something to eat.”

“Should I come with you?” De asked, not wanting to separate from him.

“No. Wait here. I don’t know whose house this is and where they are. Metal Man, you will watch out for anyone approaching and warn this witch. If you do so, I may see fit to wind you up on our way out.”

“Yes, sir,” Brett said, following Aspen’s stealth-like movements with his eyes. “I’ll just wait here then,” he called after him. “So you’re a witch, huh?” he asked, switching to a much more pleasant tone.

De grimaced. She didn’t want to perpetuate the lie, but she also didn’t want to admit anything to Brett, who she wasn’t sure if she should trust.

“Not in the mood to talk? That’s a shame,” Brett continued with a sigh. “I sure could use the company. Honestly, I could use a lot more attention than just conversation, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m sure I don’t,” De said, walking around to his backside to examine this so-called wind up mechanism. As expected, it was centered between his shoulder blades. What she hadn’t expected was the view of his tight metal ass.

“Enjoying the view?” he asked.

How did he know? “Deciding whether I should wind you up or not,” De answered, glancing toward the barn in the hopes that Aspen would be quick.

“It would be a good idea. If someone does show up, I won’t be able to protect you without being able to move.”

“I don’t need you to. I can protect myself.” De stayed behind him because she didn’t feel like looking him in the face. Or worse, accidentally looking down when he might notice.

“That’s right. You’re a witch. I forgot. A good witch, I assume?”

“You hope,” De said, staring at the barn door and willing Aspen to come back out.

“I know who’s been using the farm house,” Brett said. “Neither of you asked, so I thought I should volunteer the information.”

“Who is it then?” De asked.

“Wind me up and I’ll tell you,” he said.

De was about to say the hell with it and follow Aspen into the barn when Brett hushed her.

“Excu—” she started, but he shushed again.

“I think I heard something,” he whispered. “Stay behind me. Stay quiet.”

De ducked back behind him and knelt low in the grass, heart beating hard against her chest.

“Well, if it isn’t the old Gnome,” Brett said loudly.

“Well, if it isn’t the broken toy,” a gravelly voice answered.

“Find any tender young flesh today?” Brett asked lightly.

“Not today, but there are rumors of a newcomer. Wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

Brett snorted. “Yeah, someone dropped randomly out of the sky while you were out.”

Silence.

De put a hand on the hilt of her dagger and peered around Brett’s knee. The Gnome was about four and half feet tall and bulky, covered in some sort of makeshift armor. His head was oversized with pointed ears and an enormous nose that twitched as it sniffed the air.

“I smell something delicious,” he said finally.

De ducked back behind Brett’s legs.

“Why, thank you,” Brett said. “It’s a new cologne.”

“Who are you hiding?” the Gnome asked, stepping close to Brett’s face.

“How the hell would I hide someone when I can’t fucking move?” Brett asked, all polite pretense gone from his voice. “Now if I could move, I could defend someone from the likes of you, since I know how.”

De got the message loud and clear. But what if it was a mistake? What if he was on the Gnome’s side?

“Tell me or I’ll dismember you and make a scarecrow out of ya.”

“In the barn,” Brett said quickly.

Bastard! He gave up Aspen so fast he never even paused.

“Sure. You’d love it if I ran off into the food stores while whoever’s here escapes.”

“Okay. Stay here. You know I love the company.” Brett began to whistle.

“If it’s a female, you know what I’ll do?” the Gnome asked.

De peered around Brett’s knees again. Her stomach turned as she watched the Gnome mime lewd hip movements as he spoke.

“I’ll cut off her arms and legs and eat ‘em while I—”

De had enough. She grabbed hold of the winder on Brett’s back and turned with all her might. It resisted at first then slowly creaked into action, becoming easier and easier to turn with each twist.

“Well, well, well,” Gnome said with a chuckle. “She’s just as pretty as they said. And I bet just as tasty. Come over here, girly.”

“Fuck off,” De said, jumping back as he hobbled forward.

“Oh I like ‘em feisty,” he said and wiggled his fingers at her, lust written all over his face.

De’s weapon flew from her belt and into the Gnome’s old hand.

“Next is that dress. Then the boots. Then you!” he shouted with a cackle, wiggling his fingers again.

De’s tunic pulled forward like invisible hands were trying to rip it off of her body, but she held tight to the bottom and screamed.

“Aspen!”

“Oh ho ho!” The Gnome laughed. “You have a friend? Let me guess, he went to the barn to look for food? That’s exactly what I expect greedy little thieves to do. I doubt he made it through my traps.”

De’s face fell as she pictured him caught in a cage or a net of some sort.

Brett turned with an enormous squeak toward De, standing next to the Gnome, who handed him De’s dagger.

“What?” she asked. “You’re working with him? But he left you unwound!” She fought to keep her feet on the ground as she was pulled toward them by the same invisible force, sliding across the surface of the ground and kicking up gravel.

“But he pays so well!” Brett said. “And we had an innocent little bet to see if I could talk the next one into winding me up. I believe you won me twenty rubies. Thank you, dear.”

De dug her pointed heels in the dirt and looked for anything she might be able to hold on to.

“Stubborn little thing,” the Gnome grumbled. “I should be sinking my teeth into her tender flesh by now.”

“She’s a witch,” Brett explained, taking a few heavy steps forward to reach her.

De struggled to run, but was forced back an inch or so toward Brett, who grabbed her wrist with his cold, metal hand and held out the dagger.

“You trusted me,” he said.

“I’m an idiot,” she answered.

Brett smiled and threw the knife. De watched in shock as it flew back and slid in the Gnome’s forehead right between his eyes.

Dee leaned over and vomited as Brett waited patiently.

“What the hell?” she finally asked, trying unsuccessfully to tug her hand away from his grip.

An earth-rattling roar made both of them stumble in place and De looked past Brett’s shoulder to find Aspen flying toward them in lion form. She barely ducked in time as his massive jaws closed around Brett’s torso and he was dragged ten feet away from De, who was left rubbing her wrist.

Aspen shook his enormous head and tossed Brett across the field about twenty feet. But Brett was made of metal and though a human would have been chomped in half, Brett stood shakily and ran a hand over the row of indentations on his torso.

“Asshole!” he shouted. “That’ll cost money to get fixed.”

Aspen roared again, nearly causing Brett to fall over.

“In case you didn’t notice, I saved your little girlfriend from the Gnome. The food stores are yours now. You’re welcome,” Brett shouted.

“You had something else in mind,” De shouted back, stalking through the tall grass toward Aspen. The closer she could get, the better. “You weren’t letting go.”

“I didn’t want you to run off to the barn to try and save Kitty here. I was trying to prevent you from falling into a trap.”

De stopped as Aspen finally reached her and nuzzled her outstretched hand. Brett waited in the field, still examining his wounds. One minute he was on her side, the next he was an enemy. What was she supposed to believe?

Aspen morphed back into his human form and pulled her into his side. “There were several traps set. Luckily none anticipated a lion’s strength or agility. Thank you for protecting the little witch, Metal Man.”

Brett snorted. “You’re welcome. Now you can pay for my trouble and my buffing.” He wiggled his fingers.

“We must be on our way. We’ve already wasted too much time here,” Aspen said, tilting De’s chin up to look into his golden eyes.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” she agreed, anxious to get away from the strange place.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Brett said, hurrying to catch up. His movements were smoother now that he’d begun moving again. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Aspen pulled De over to his other side and puffed out his chest. De noticed he hadn’t changed back into pants yet and wondered if it was because he thought he may have to turn again at any moment or if it was because he was demonstrating his superiority to the other naked man in their company.

“We’re headed to the Emerald City,” De said.

Brett jumped in front of Aspen, bringing them to a halt. “The Resistance?” he asked.

Aspen growled again and held a hand to his cheek.

Brett grinned. “Sorry if I hurt your teeth there, buddy. The one and only plus to being made of metal. Listen, it doesn’t matter. Resistance or not, that’s your business. I’m coming along either way. I can get to a shop at the Emerald City, and I’m not leaving your side until you’ve paid for the damage.”

“That’s reasonable,” De said, setting a hand on Aspen’s arm to calm him down. “We don’t have time to argue and it can’t hurt to have someone else along as protection.”

Brett’s smile was huge. “Excellent.”

Aspen shrugged and shouldered past to lead the way.

It wasn’t that De had decided to trust Brett completely, it was that she had the feeling it would be better to have an eye on him so he couldn’t go blabbing about them.

She was starting to believe that in this part of Kansas, the trees really did have ears.

When the sun began to sink below the horizon, and the sounds of birds and other animals picked up, Aspen decided it was time to make camp for the night. De was eager to rest up. Even in her ruby boots, her feet were starting to hurt. She pictured blisters in her future.

“I need a shower,” she said, sitting on a rock while Aspen unpacked his magic bag to set up.

Aspen grumbled. “There should be a stream to bathe in close by. I will take you.”

“I can accompany the young witch,” Brett said with a low and creaky bow. “You’re busy.”

“This can wait,” Aspen said, glaring at Brett. “You will stay here and keep watch for anything out of the ordinary. If you disappear, so be it. If you take anything with you, I will hunt you down and crush you into scrap metal. So please do.”

“Nice boyfriend you have there,” Brett called after me as I followed Aspen into the forest.

“Humph,” Aspen grunted.

“What?” I asked, trying to keep pace.

“Boyfriend.”

“Oh.” De hadn’t thought much of it. They did have some pretty amazing sex the night before and after all, he’d saved her life now multiple times. But he was an animal, so to speak. Did they have commitment issues? Honestly, how could she even make a commitment to a half-human when she didn’t even know what had happened to her or what she was going to do with her life?

“Here you are, little witch.” Aspen stepped aside and gestured toward a beautiful little pond. Crystal clear water, still and smooth as glass, beckoned her. It was surrounded by dark green shrubs and big leafy plants that dipped toward the water.

De peeled off her belt and tunic and sat on the edge of a boulder to yank at her boots. But they wouldn’t budge. Starting to panic, De searched for a zipper or some other kind of opening mechanism, but found nothing on the glove-tight, thigh-high footwear.

“What’s wrong?” Aspen asked, sounding tired.

“I can’t get them off,” De said, pushing at the heel of one with the toes of the other. “Not even a little bit.”

Aspen lifted her into his strong arms. “You probably can’t. Not without the right spell.”

“What?” De asked, confused, just as he heaved her into the water.

She hit with a squeal, but the water was warm and felt like a hug to her tired body. She sighed and dipped her head beneath the surface for a moment.

When she emerged, smoothing back her hair from her face, Aspen was in mid leap. She threw up an arm to block the splash, but it was minimal as he executed a ten-point dive into the pool, surfacing inches from her face.

“Show off,” she said and splashed him lightly.

He grinned. “I decided I needed a bath as well. Besides, we are likely not going to be left alone by that man you invited along.”

“Invited?” she asked, incredulously. “No. But haven’t you ever heard the saying, keep your friends close and your enemies even closer?”

Aspen moved forward, sending small ripples through the water between them. “Then we must be the worst of enemies.”

De’s throat dried up as he pulled her to him beneath the water.

“I cannot seem to get enough of you,” he murmured, pulling her forward by the back of her neck. He leaned down and kissed her softly, pulling her tight by the waist beneath the surface.

Desire awakened eagerly inside and De kissed back harder, sucking in his bottom lip and biting it lightly. She felt him smile against her mouth before pulling away a few centimeters.

So he wanted her to work for it? She snapped her teeth at his mouth as he pulled further back, keeping just out of reach, even holding her back by the waist.

“You big tease!” she said, splashing him again.

He growled low in his throat and raised his eyebrows in challenge.

“I shouldn’t even let you kiss me,” she said. “If it upset you so much to hear Brett call me your girlfriend.”

Wow. She hadn’t planned on saying that. What was she thinking? She was acting like a teenager.

Aspen tightened his hold as she squirmed, trying to escape the embarrassment of the situation. “I do not have girlfriends. I have a pride. And I would gladly accept you as part of the pride, little witch, if that is what you choose.”

“What does that mean?” she asked and the struggling ceased. “You mean like a lioness? But I’m human – er, I mean a witch.”

“It means you’d have to share me with others,” he said, tipping her chin up to look him in the eyes again.

“Others? You mean you’re already… you have a… a… wife?” De felt a little sick.

“I have two mates so far. You would be my third, but perhaps my favorite.” He pulled her close again, pressing his body to hers so that she felt every slippery ridge of muscle beneath the water. His hands slid down to cup her bottom and lift, pulling her legs up and around his sides.

“Now just a minute,” she said, heart thrumming with a horrible mess of both desire and disgust. “I am not a polygamist or a cheater. I am a one-man kind of girl.”

“Good. I am the jealous type,” Aspen said, covering her protests with his delicious mouth and creeping his fingers down along and underneath her beneath the water.

For a minute, De’s head filled with only the scent and feel of Aspen and everything else was forgotten. Then the picture of a proud lioness appeared in her mind, and she pushed him away.

“I can’t!” she said. “Who are these other women? Are they human?”

Aspen chuckled. “They are both full lions. I have not had a woman in human form in some time. I find the relationship part difficult. But you are irresistible, little witch.”

He stalked forward in the water with such heat in his eyes that she nearly melted on the spot. If he touched her again, she’d never be able to resist him. So De dove beneath the surface of the pond and pushed off toward the other side. She needed some time to cool down and think straight.

As she cut the surface with her hands, she felt something catch her ankles and tug her back down beneath. She flipped around, hair fanned out in suspended tendrils all around her, expecting to find Aspen playing a game. But it wasn’t Aspen who held her ankles, it was a girl with the tail of a fish and the torso of a well-endowed woman. A mermaid, she guessed, only this one had a hideous flat face with circular eyes without lids and scales and gills instead of hair.

De opened her mouth to scream and nearly choked on a lungful of water. She kicked and scrabbled at the mermaid’s grip with her own hands, but the mermaid smiled a horrible smile and dragged her further down toward the bottom of the pool.

De’s lungs burned with desperation for air, and her head felt foggy. She had to get to the surface, but it was so far away now even if she could get away.

She wriggled and writhed. She pulled and tugged. She scraped at the bottom, sending a cloud of sediment into the water between them. Finally, she could hold her breath no longer and she let the water in, fighting to find the air that wasn’t there.

If only I had real magic, De thought as her vision turned black at the edges and her chest felt like it was filled with bricks. Air, air, air… Her desperate arms slowed their clawing motions and she floated still in the water. Her last sight was that of Aspen’s frightened face rushing toward her, yet still too far away.

Then she sucked in a full breath, gulping it in like she’d been in the desert for a year with no water. She blinked and her sight came back in time to watch Aspen choke the mermaid from behind with his arm around her neck. His face was ferocious, the muscles in his arm clenched so tight she could see the tendons raised along the length of it.

The mermaid’s eyes bulged and became still. Aspen let go of her and she floated back, no longer moving.

When his eyes met De’s, he shook his head in disbelief. His mouth moved and bubbles shot out with some sort of exclamation as he rushed forward and pulled her into his arms. De let him kick to the surface with his powerful legs until they broke through into the warm night air.

Aspen’s fingers explored De’s face, as he searched to make sure she was truly alive.

“I think it was magic,” De whispered.

There was no stopping Aspen’s kisses as he devoured her mouth with his. “You’re alive,” he said finally, coming up for air.

De nodded, sucking in her swollen lip. “You killed her,” she said.

“I thought she’d killed you. I will protect you, little witch. I’ve bonded with you, like it or not. But I will always respect your decisions.” He pulled her close again, entangling her legs with his and slipping his hands down over her back and bottom.

God help her, she couldn’t resist him either. It wasn’t like he was cheating on a human wife. They were lionesses. They would deal.

She threw her arms around his neck and put a finger on his lips as she let herself slip slowly beneath the water again. She felt her way along every inch of his body from toes on upward until her head broke the surface again.

Aspen’s head was thrown back in ecstasy, his throat bared.

De stood, smoothing her palms across his chest as he met her mouth, hungrier than ever.

They spun around in the water, exploring each other’s bodies with an abandon De had never felt before. She knew every millimeter of him intimately and he her.

“Float on your back,” Aspen said through heavy breaths.

De felt more like jumping him, but she did as he asked and lay back on the water, weightless, eyes closed.

Aspen ran one finger down between her breasts and past her navel, causing goose bumps to rise all over her body. She shivered with anticipation as he trailed lower and lower, taking an uneven path toward her pleasure center.

“Relax, little one,” he whispered. “If you tense up, you won’t be able to float.”

It was harder than De could believe when she felt his head pressed between her legs. She gasped, trying to relax through the ripples of pleasure as he explored her sex with his tongue and mouth.

De’s back arched as he finally entered her, but he supported her at the waist so she wouldn’t dip below the surface. It was like doing it in the air. The only thing in existence was Aspen, and she didn’t know where she began and he ended.

He moved slowly at first, driving her crazy with desire and the overwhelming sensations that traveled through her body. Aspen pushed inside of her, as deep as he could, and moaned with pleasure before speeding up his thrusts to a final crescendo of pure rapture.

They both sunk beneath the water, then surfaced again, catching their breath.

“You’re incredible,” she said, wrapping herself around him again and laying her head against his chest. The pond was lit only by the multitude of stars and the half moon that hung above them in the sky.

“I know. You are a very lucky witch,” Aspen said, making her stand up straight, mouth open. But he was chuckling softly at her.

She smacked his chest playfully. “You’re the lucky one.”

“So I am.” He pulled her into his arms and lifted her up to carry out of the pond. “I believe we should go back and check on our friend. It’s been some time.”

“No need,” said Brett from the edge of the wood.

De shrieked as Aspen dropped her to her feet and stepped in front of her protectively.

“What?” Brett leaned against a tree, casually. “You told me to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. I’d say what you two did qualifies.”

De shoved the tunic over her wet body, barely taking time to note that her magic boots were completely dry. “You pig!” she said, peeking out from behind Aspen’s large frame.

“No. Robot is closer, but not quite right either.” Brett stood tall and stretched before tossing a pair of pants to Aspen. “Please do us a favor and cover that up.”

Aspen caught them but growled in response.

“Down, Kitty. I came over here to warn you that I saw some ravens circling this area. I think they were communicating with one of the witch’s spies. But when I got here, I noticed the dead mermaid floating on the other side of the lagoon, figured it was the spy, and well, you two were busy celebrating your victory. I didn’t think you wanted to be interrupted.”

Brett winked at De and she dove back behind Aspen, tugging at her tunic.

“You will never disrespect my lover like that again,” Aspen said, shoving Brett in the shoulder.

“Hey now.” Brett put up two hands in a gesture of peace. “No harm done. No disrespect intended. I really did see ravens and wanted to warn you.”

“So ravens work for the WWW?” De asked, trying to move past the whole embarrassing incident.

“Yes. She speaks many animal languages, including feline, I believe,” Brett said, smiling at Aspen.

“What exactly are you insinuating?” Aspen asked, moving into Brett’s personal space.

“Nothing at all!” Brett stepped back. “Just making conversation. The tent’s all set up. I’ll stand guard outside, and I promise not to peek if I hear any interesting noises.” He wiggled his silver eyebrows at De.

But De was confident they were through doing that for the night. And probably for the rest of the trip to the Emerald City. As much as she wanted Aspen, she hated the idea that someone was watching, and she wasn’t going to risk it with Brett close by.

“The witch wants me dead,” De said the following morning as they packed up camp. The idea hadn’t fully sunk in the night before because she’d been distracted, but it was hitting full force now.

Aspen glanced at her, face filled with worry and something else she couldn’t quite put a finger on. Was it guilt? It wasn’t his fault any of this happened, and she’d have to tell him that the next time they had a private moment.

“She wants something from you. Maybe death.” Brett said, tossing her an apple from the supplies Aspen had taken from the Gnome’s barn.

She took a bite and walked on, being sure to stay close to Aspen.

“It matters not,” Aspen said, confidently. “She will never get the chance to retrieve or kill you.”

De smiled. Her insides heated up when he talked like that.

“How far to the EC?” Brett whined. “I’m starting to rust from all the humidity.”

De thought she caught Aspen roll his eyes. “Not far. In fact, if we cut through the poppy fields, we can reach it by tonight. I hadn’t considered it before, but as they’re all dead, I wouldn’t worry about their magic. Besides, we have the little witch to protect us.”

“I wish you’d call me De. Or Delilah,” she said, taking his hand.

Aspen paused for a moment, surprised, but then continued on as though nothing had happened.

“De-lightful name,” Brett said. “De-licious. De-lectable.”

“De-ad,” Aspen said over his shoulder. “If you say one more.”

Brett made a zipping motion over his mouth and skipped forward.

The day grew hotter as they crossed the poppy fields. There were no trees to shield them from the sun, and De’s shoulders burned from it. The flowers must have been beautiful once, but now they were no more than brown weeds, lying crushed on the yellowed ground.

In the distance, De could make out the distinctive golden bricks of the path she’d first walked escaping from the edge of a tangled forest. She shivered. How had she ever thought that place would be okay to travel through?

They climbed toward the top of a hill as sweat beaded on De’s hairline. She needed to bathe again. Then she saw what had to be the Emerald City.

It rose from the ground like a giant green crystal formation, shining in the sun. The mere sight of it brought a sense of excitement to De, who had no idea what to expect.

“I see it!” she said.

Aspen squeezed her hand in response.

“I see something else,” Brett said, pointing toward the woods and the brick road. “Ravens and monkeys by the looks of it. And I don’t think we can make it to the force field in time.”

“Force field?” De asked as Aspen’s grip tightened.

“Run!” he shouted over her and the three of them raced down the hill toward the city.

De couldn’t help glancing back toward the woods. What looked like a storm moved toward them at an angle. If they weren’t fast enough, they’d be intercepted before they reached the outskirts of the crystalline city. She slipped from Aspen’s grasp and pumped her legs harder, but she was already slowing and the pain in her side stole the breath from her body.

She didn’t have the stamina of the two men – one of whom was a lion, the other made of metal.

“De!” Brett yelled, realizing she was falling behind.

Aspen let out an earth-shaking roar and turned to scoop her up and toss her over his shoulder.

“We won’t make it,” Brett called as the screech of the monkeys and cawing of the ravens grew unbearably loud. “You have to morph. Take her to the entrance, and I’ll hold them off. They can’t hurt me.”

Aspen swung De around so she was riding his back, holding his neck to stop from flying off.

“Hold on tight,” he yelled as he leapt into the air.

De felt the fur shoot from his body beneath her. It was soft and thick like she remembered and when they landed, he was on four giant paws at a gallop and she was leaning across his back, fingers tangled tightly around his mane as the landscape flew by, wind rushing through her hair.

They were headed for a collision with the swarm of animals the WWW had sent and just beyond, maybe thirty feet, was the great gate of the Emerald City. Brett was right, they wouldn’t make it!

But Brett leapt by them, landing with his own earth-cracking thud before the swarm. The entire company of animals hesitated, hovering in the air as Aspen flew forward with a great roar.

De buried her face in his mane, inhaling his familiar scent as Aspen tore past the edge of the swarm where Brett was busy leaping and striking out with a long metal axe she recognized as something from Aspen’s magic satchel.

A monkey screamed toward them, claws outstretched and Aspen chomped it with his teeth, tossing the body aside as he ran. But a good six or seven ravens made it through Brett’s distraction and flew at them from above, pecking at De’s hair and clothing. She screamed, swatting wildly at them as they dive-bombed her. She didn’t realize until Aspen’s final leap toward the gate that she’d let go. She tumbled off his back as he flew over the barrier and fell hard on the ground.

The ravens kept diving at her face, and she continued to shield herself and swat at the air before her. “Help!” she screamed.

“All you have to do is hand over the boots, my lovely,” said a woman’s cold voice from beside her.

De felt her hands being wrestled to her sides, and she squeezed her eyes shut to prevent the ravens from plucking her eyes out. But the pecking and attacks ceased.

“You can open your eyes,” the same voice said with a hint of disdain.

De blinked and bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming. The woman was inches from her face, kneeling by her side and she was truly hideous. Her face was a collection of bumps and warts, green in color and surrounded by straw-like orange hair. Her eyes were large and wholly black, no pupils, no whites and she directed them at De.

“You must be her,” De said, very nearly calling the woman a witch. That could be bad.

“Yes,” the witch answered. “I am the Witch of the West and those,” she tapped one of De’s knees, “are my boots.”

“Your boots?” De asked, dumbly.

The witch nodded. “I don’t like thieves much.”

“I didn’t steal them,” De said. “I got knocked out and when I woke up my whole outfit was different. I think some perve did it.”

“How very convenient,” the witch said.

“Look, you can have the damn boots. I never asked for them and I don’t care. Just tell me how to get them off.”

“Off?” the witch cackled. “Off?”

“Yeah,” De said, working herself into a sitting position. “What’s so funny?”

The witch’s cackling ceased and as she leaned in to De’s face, De regretted her outburst. A laughing witch was better than a serious witch any day. A row of flying monkeys stood about a foot behind her, each with a raven perched on a shoulder.

De swallowed hard. Where was Aspen? Where was Brett?

The witch followed her gaze to the great gates of the Emerald City and smiled. “The force field is up. That’s how they keep me out. But it also keeps everyone inside. And as for your metal man? I’m afraid his time has run out.” The witch gestured behind De’s head and she scooted around to find Brett frozen in place, axe raised in mid-swing. A raven perched on his head, pecking at his face, and a monkey yanked at his wind-up gear, trying to rip it from his body.

“Stop!” De screamed. “Please, stop!”

The witch cackled. “Give me the boots, and we will leave him alone.”

“I told you, you can have them.” De’s eyes burned with tears. “Take them!”

The witch stroked the length of her leg and licked her lips. “You have to use your magic to release them.”

“I… I don’t know how,” De whimpered.

“That’s a shame,” the witch said, pointing a long crooked finger at Brett. The winder fell off into the monkey’s hands.

“No,” De choked out. “No.”

“Your turn next. I’m being nice after all,” the witch said. “Either you relinquish the boots or I have to get them the old-fashioned way and it’s so much messier.”

She stood, and De watched, wide eyed, as she held an open hand toward Brett. The axe flew from his frozen hands into hers, and De scrambled backward until two monkeys caught her arms.

The witch stalked forward, swinging the axe every few feet. Two more monkeys held down De’s ankles so she couldn’t move anything but her head.

“Last chance,” the witch offered, holding the axe above her legs.

“Please. I’ll try, I promise. Just give me a chance,” De begged.

“At least they’re already red.” The witch winked and swung her axe.

De screamed, heart pounding, but no sudden pain came shooting across her thigh. Instead, the witch’s axe was stopped again, mid-swing, just inches from her skin.

It was the witch’s turn to scream with frustration as she tugged at the weapon to no avail.

De wondered if she’d done that again. More magic?

But then the monkeys holding her flew from her sides, landing hard against the gates of the city where they sparked and caught fire.

A glimmering ball of green light emerged from before the gates and floated down between the witch and De.

The witch responded with a hiss.

De shielded her eyes as the ball glowed bright then dimmed, revealing a beautiful woman with long auburn hair braided over her shoulder, tall black leather boots, and tightly fitted hunter-green fatigues. The woman turned toward her and De gaped. She looked remarkably like the friend she’d left behind with her life in Boston.

“Tammy?” she asked.

The woman smiled politely. “No, dear. My name is Glinda. I am the Witch of the North.”

“This is none of your concern,” said WWW, shooing Glinda like a fly that wouldn’t leave.

“Nonsense. This is my territory, Rinalda. You’d do well to take your pets back in the forest before they end up as dinner for the citizens of the EC.” Glinda continued to smile benignly despite the threat in her words.

“When I get my boots back—” the WWW began.

“Yes, well, I don’t think they’re yours anymore,” Glinda said, shaking her head sadly. “In fact, I doubt they ever were. Now be gone.” She wiggled her delicate fingers at the WWW and De held her breath.

“I’ll leave for now,” WWW said. “But I’ll be back, and I will have my boots.”

With that, she disappeared into a cloud of gray smoke. Her animals flew back toward the safety of their woods, squawking and screeching.

“Thank you,” De said, accepting a hand up from the good witch. “But my friend…” She pointed to Brett, still frozen, his winder laying feet away in the dirt.

“We will take him to the gadget maker in the city. If anyone can fix him, he can.”

“Thank you,” De said, allowing Glinda to steer her back toward the gate. She couldn’t wait to see Aspen and collapse in his arms.

Glinda led the way, pausing only to wave a hand over the front of the great gate, which glowed for a moment then swung open to admit them. De was barely through the threshold when it clanged shut once again and she heard a tiny pop.

“The magical force field helps us prevent a sneak attack,” Glinda explained.

De gaped at the enormity of the city before her. Crystalline buildings as high as anything in New York, all with a greenish glow. And people of all sorts, every one of them wearing some variant of the color green. 

“This city is the only one untouched by the evil magic of the wicked witches,” Glinda continued, unfazed.

“Wait, witches? As in plural?” De asked, coming to a sudden stop.

Glinda giggled and it sounded like wind chimes. “Why, yes. There’s the Wicked Witch of the West, which you’ve met, and her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East.”

Damn. One was bad enough.

“I’m sure you’re exhausted after your arduous journey, my dear.” Glinda put an arm around De’s shoulders. “Corissa will show you to a room in the palace and you can change and rest up. We have much planning to do for tomorrow.”

“What’s tomorrow?” De asked, overwhelmed by everything happening so fast.

“The Resistance meets with you of course. We must act quickly if you are to fulfill the prophecy and return Oz to it’s previous glory. But enough of that now.”

“But—”

“Not another word until you’ve had some proper rest and a hot meal.” Glinda stepped back, glowing until De had to once again shield her eyes. Then the good witch disappeared into the sky in a glowing green bubble.

“Hi,” said a tiny woman, maybe half of De’s height. “I’m Corissa.” She curtseyed and blushed.

“Hi,” said De, searching around the crowds of curious onlookers for a sign of Aspen. Surely he was here waiting for her? It must’ve been torture for him trapped behind the gate when she needed him so badly.

“Please follow me to the palace. We have a room ready for you. It used to belong to the Wizard himself. You know, before the tragedy.”

“Tragedy?” De echoed, still searching the crowds.

“He was killed by the wicked witches when they took over rule of Oz.” Corissa shook her tiny head sadly, and De took a closer look at the girl.

She was adorable, with died green hair and bright eyes, but her face was lined and De realized that despite her size, she must have been closer to forty than her own age. Her proportions were perfect, just miniature.

Corissa saw her staring and smiled sadly. “I used to live with the rest of my kind in Munchkinland, but the WWE attacked. I ran with a group of others to the Emerald City where Glinda took us in. But the rest of my people were turned into flying monkeys to serve the evil ones.”

“I’m so sorry,” De breathed. What if the monkeys Aspen had killed were actually munchkins under an evil spell? This was horrible. Far worse than Boston, that was for sure.

“Don’t be. Just use your powers to save us and set things right.” Corissa opened the door to the biggest building of all, which indeed resembled a palace complete with turrets.

What was it these people expected of her? And why her?

“Excuse me, Corissa, but have you seen my friend? I was riding him – um, he’s a lion – and we got separated, but I saw him make it over the gate.”

Corissa pressed a finger to her lips, thinking. “Oh yes. I remember. He was the one who shouted for Glinda’s help. But after that, I’m afraid I don’t know. I think he probably retired to his room. I don’t think he was injured or I’d suggest the infirmary.”

De gasped.

“No. I’m sure he was fine.” Corissa smiled quickly, continuing to lead the way through the great halls of the palace with flying buttresses arched high overhead and windows along every wall. “Shifters heal very quickly, you know.”

No, De didn’t know. In fact, there was way too much De didn’t know. Her head spun with all of the new and strange information. By the time they reached her room, high at the top of one tower, she was all but ready to collapse.

“I’ll leave you here,” Corissa said at the double doors. “You’ll find everything you need inside, but if you want something else just ring the bell.”

“Thank you, Corissa.” De gave the little woman a hug and slipped inside. She prayed she’d find Aspen waiting for her. But the king-sized bed on the dais was empty, as was the swimming-pool-sized bathtub.

Trying not to cry, De stripped off her filthy torn tunic and started the bath.

The water soothed her sore muscles, and she laid back, closing her eyes and remembering her last bath with Aspen. Was his pride here in the Emerald City? Was he with his lioness wives right now?

De felt a bit ill and wrapped a fluffy green towel around herself as the bath drained. She faced the gilded mirror and combed through her long chestnut locks. What was she doing? She was sleeping with a strange man she knew so little about. Not just sleeping with him, but depending on him. She felt completely lost without him near her.

Typical. She’d run away from her made-up life only to immediately give in to another fake identity and dependence on someone else.

“You need to get it together,” she told her reflection. “No more, Delilah. From now on you are yourself and you depend on yourself first.”

She marched over to the walk in closet and perused the section of clothes that appeared to be her own size, selecting a flowing red and green dress. It would be easy to move in because there was a slit up the side and the neckline dipped low toward her navel, held together by elastic straps across the center of the V. She looked confident and that was half the battle, she decided.

When she returned to the main room, she noticed a small round table in the corner, piled high with food. The delicious smell was enough to convince her to eat her fill despite the creepiness of the idea that someone had been there while she bathed.

“There’s a very nice bottle of wine as well,” Aspen said from behind her.

De spun around to find him leaning against the inside of the double doors, golden hair pulled back in a ponytail and wearing tight dark green leather pants and a matching tunic mostly open down the front. He held a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other.

He was gorgeous and it took every fiber of De’s being not to rush into his arms.

“Where have you been?” she demanded, fighting tears.

Aspen stood straight and joined her at the table. “I am sorry, little witch. I had much to tend to. Believe me, I did nothing until I knew Glinda had reached your side.”

De stiffened and kept her hands in her lap. She didn’t trust herself not to cave. “My name is De. Not little witch. And I need to know what you had to ‘tend’ to that was so important.”

Aspen knelt by her side and lifted her hand from her lap to bring it to his mouth. De closed her eyes, trying to ignore the tingle of pleasure that traveled up her arm at the soft brush of his lips on her skin.

“I’ve wanted to join the Resistance for some time now and this was my chance, De.”

De opened her eyes at the sound of her name. His eyes pleaded with her to understand.

“I don’t understand what they want from me,” she said. “It’s time I was completely honest with you, Aspen.” She stood and turned away so she didn’t have to see the disappointment on his face.

His hands found her shoulders, and she couldn’t help but lean her cheek against his calloused skin.

“I’m not a witch,” she said. “I have no magic.”

Aspen’s belly laugh shook her as he pressed against her from behind.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I know you aren’t a witch. That’s become clear to me. But you are magic. You breathed under water, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“And you resisted the pull of the old Gnome. I saw that from a distance before I had any hope of reaching you on time.”

De paused. She had done those things. Or was it the boots?

“And,” Aspen said, turning her gently around. “You made me fall in love with you.”

Her stomach fluttered, and her breath caught with his words.

Aspen held her captive in his gaze as he gently lifted her face and brought it to his, nuzzling his nose against hers and brushing the surface of her lips with his.

Their breath mingled as her pulse sped up. He was the one putting her under a spell.

“You really think I have magic?” she asked against his mouth.

“Try something,” he said, moving his mouth over her ear and sending shivers down her body with his hot breath.

De concentrated on what she wanted more than anything in that moment and in place of their clothes, their bodies pressed against each other, skin on burning skin. Aspen always seemed to run hot.

Unable to hold back, Aspen lifted her and pressed her back against the wall as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

De’s head pressed back against the rough surface of the wall as Aspen sucked her nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his long tongue. She needed very little attention and neither did he. She was wet with anticipation as he entered her with a quick, hard plunge and when she cried out with the pleasure of it, he began to thrust his hips with savage motion, slamming her into the wall with a wave of pleasure.

De grasped his back, digging her nails into his skin in an attempt to pull him even closer and he let out a deep growl, encouraged to release his passion without holding back.

When she reached her peak, he tossed her onto the enormous bed on her stomach and mounted her from behind, engulfing her body in his. She peaked again, faster than she’d have thought possible, right along with Aspen.

They collapsed on the bed, spent, and she cuddled back into the warmth and safety of her lion. She’d be herself from now on, she decided. But she wanted him to be part of her life whoever she was.

Exhaustion finally claimed her and De gave in, falling asleep with a smile on her face.

De awoke to the sun shining through the high tower windows, and she stretched out across the bed with a satisfied moan. Her eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning,” she said.

But when no one answered, she feared Aspen had disappeared again. Fuming, she made up her mind not to forgive him so easily this time, when he came striding out of the bathroom wearing what looked like a soldier’s uniform. Tight green pants, along with an emerald jacket with gold cords decorating the shoulders and breastplate. His hair was back in a smooth ponytail and he wore tall leather boots, this time in great condition.

“I hope you don’t have to ruin that,” De said, standing and stalking toward him, nude except of course for her boots.

“Hopefully it will be unnecessary. But there are plenty more if there is a problem. You should get dressed; they are expecting you soon.”

“Surely we have time for a little play,” De cooed, spinning around in front of him.

“I better leave before you get me booted from the Resistance,” Aspen said. “Get ready. I will be downstairs.”

“Wait for me. We can go down together.”

Aspen hesitated. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“What? Why not? Aspen, I’m scared of what they’ll expect from me. I need you.”

Aspen grinned. “You don’t need me. Besides, I’d rather stay out of the spotlight if you don’t mind. Not really my thing.” He turned to leave.

“Aspen,” she called and he paused once again at the door, without turning around.

“Good luck, Delilah.”

De couldn’t believe it. He’d left. Walked out when she needed him the most. She took a shower and dressed on auto-pilot. She felt removed from everything because she just couldn’t understand what had happened. Maybe she was making too much of it. Maybe Aspen just wasn’t comfortable in the spotlight, like he’d said. He didn’t strike her as the shy type though.

De twisted her hair up on her head, securing it with a sparkling green clip she found on the vanity. She selected a more practical outfit this time, a crop top with leather shoulder armor and a pair of green leather shorts. She would have preferred the leggings, but the boots were in the way.

Luckily the palace was a fairly straight forward place and she was able to navigate back down to the front without Corissa’s help. Or Aspen’s. She nearly did a U-turn when she spotted Glinda at the head of an enormous wooden table, filled with fifty or more people. But the witch spotted her coming and beckoned her with a smile and a wave.

Drawing a deep breath, De strode confidently toward the head of the table. She was halfway there when she spotted Brett, shining like she’d never seen him. She met his smile with her own and ran to his arms to give him a hug.

“You’re okay!” she said, backing up to take a look at him.

“Better than okay. They even got the dents out.” He pounded on his chest and turned for her to take a look at his winder. It was lower down and more to the side where he could reach it himself. And he was wearing a pair of shiny green pants for once.

“I like the new look,” De said, genuinely happy for him.

“Thanks. I owe it to you. Oh, and do you think you could put in a good word for me with Corissa? She’s been talking about how sweet you are all morning.”

De laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Delilah,” Glinda said, welcoming her to her side and everyone grew so quiet that De could hear the creak of the door as it was closed for privacy.

“Hi,” she said to all the eyes trained on her.

She scanned the crowd and finally spotted Aspen in the back corner, sulking in a wooden seat with a mug of ale.

Glinda cleared her throat. “The prophecy has finally come to pass. Perhaps a decade later than expected, but here she is.” She held up De’s arm in a victory pose and cheers rose from the crowd.

“What prophecy?” De whispered through clenched teeth.

Glinda continued addressing the Resistance. “The ruby shoes shall enhance the power of their owner, bringing an end to the old regime!”

They whooped and hollered, clapped and stomped in response.

De glanced down at her boots. “Um, the only thing is, I don’t know how to use them exactly,” she said, again low enough for only Glinda to hear.

“It doesn’t matter,” Glinda whispered back. “You can present them to me, and I’ll take care of both witches.”

De’s heart dropped into her stomach. “I can’t,” she hissed.

“Excuse us,” Glinda said politely to the crowd. “But Delilah and I must discuss strategy in private. Follow me, dear.” Glinda led the way to a smaller and more private room to the side of the main hall.

“Why can’t you?” she asked the second the door was closed. Her polite smile was gone and De backed up into a chair.

“I’d be glad to, honestly, but I don’t know how to get them off. That’s why the WWW was going to chop off my legs.” De hoped that Glinda didn’t have similar ideas.

Glinda sighed, squeezing her eyes shut tight. “I see. Well then, I suppose we will have to go together.”

“Go where?” De asked, fidgeting in her seat.

“To kill the WWW of course. We have to reclaim the lands to the west in order to regain control of Oz. You have no idea how many have been displaced or enslaved because of the witch.”

De did have an idea. It seemed the only ones still living to the West were under the witch’s control, like the monkeys/munchkins, and users like the old Gnome. It was a chance for De to do some good in the world and something that her parents didn’t plan for. Who could have?

“Okay. I’ll go. But I want Aspen to come along.”

Glinda relaxed her shoulders and her smile returned. “Who is Aspen?”

De blushed. “My friend. He’s the lion who told you I was out there yesterday when we were separated at the gate. He’s a shifter. A lion.”

“I saw you myself out the window of the palace, Delilah. I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware of your company other than the metal man.”

That couldn’t be. De’s head spun. “Well, he’s helped me all along. If it weren’t for him, I’d be dead for sure.”

Glinda’s eyes filled with pity. “Beware of lions in human clothing. I believe that’s the saying.”

“No. It’s wolves in sheep’s clothing,” De corrected, bristling.

“That can’t be right. Sheep don’t wear clothing. But the point is, dear, where did you meet this Aspen?”

“I met him on the road. I woke up in what I guess were the ruins of Munchkinland and walked along a path I found.”

“The yellow brick road.”

“Yes. I suppose. Anyway, I saw his camp outside the woods and he caught me stealing. He told me not to go into the woods, that I should come here, but I didn’t listen. The monkeys had me, but he shifted and saved me. Then he traveled with me all the way here.”

“Why haven’t I seen him with you?” Glinda asked politely.

De felt warm and uncomfortable in the stuffy little room. “He doesn’t like attention, that’s all. But he’s out there. I saw him.”

“The witch doesn’t just let Ozians camp outside her woods, Delilah.” Glinda moved close to stroke her cheek.

De pulled away and stood. “He was running from her. She wanted him, but he didn’t return her feelings.”

Glinda considered this.

“I trust him,” De said, trying to convince herself as much as Glinda. If one of her company had been a spy, it would have been Brett, and Glinda didn’t give him a second thought. “And if I go on this mission, he’s coming with me.”

“Perhaps it is a good idea to bring him along anyway,” Glinda said with a forced smile.

De fumed silently. She’d gotten Glinda to agree, but was sure her motive was more to keep an eye on him rather than trust him.

“When do we leave?” De asked with clipped words.

Glinda opened the door and motioned for her to exit. “Immediately.”

A party of eight set off from the palace, including De, Glinda, a brooding Aspen, and five heavily armed guards dressed in green leather armor. De supposed it was no good hiding their identity anyway.

“How will we get close enough to kill her?” De asked, falling in step with Glinda since Aspen was silently trudging along behind the guards.

“I will carry us in my force field over the woods and to the witch’s castle. The others will hold off her minions while you and I find her.”

De marched along quietly, thinking about her encounter with the witch the day before.

“How will we kill her?” she asked in a small voice. She hadn’t really thought about the actual murder portion of the quest. As evil as the woman was, she didn’t know if she could really be the one to plunge a knife into someone’s heart.

“Magic of course,” Glinda said. “We combine our powers. It’s something she and her sister cannot get on long enough to accomplish.”

“So they’re East and West. You’re North. Who’s South?” De asked.

Glinda glanced sidelong at her. “I was hoping it would be you.”

They’d reached the edge of the woods and Glinda waved her arms, encasing them all in a bubble of green light that lifted gently off the ground and flew forward over the woods. De struggled to keep her balance as she watched the scenery whoosh past through the partially opaque force field.

In minutes, they traveled as far as it had taken Aspen to lead them in two days. Of course, they did take the woods.

“There it is,” Glinda said, nodding toward a tall building in the distance.

It was built into the side of a mountain with tall towers and surrounded by a moat. But while the Emerald Palace was made of light and crystal, this was made from black obelisks that seemed to soak in light and shut it away.

De shuddered.

“Are you ready?” Glinda asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” De glanced back at Aspen, who watched out the side of the bubble with a serious expression.

“Now!” Glinda shouted, setting them all down outside the dark palace. The second the bubble burst, hoards of monkeys and ravens flew at them from all sides. The guards jumped into action, firing contraptions that shot nets or flaming arrows.

Glinda grabbed De’s hand and she had one last look at Aspen’s face, no longer sad or serious, but anguished before she disappeared.

De had to speak to him. She had to find out what was wrong. She did trust him with her life, but she also sensed there was something he was keeping from her. It would have to wait though, because Glinda had just transported them to a great room with a tall thorny throne fashioned from a twisted tree trunk. It was empty.

“Where is she?” De whispered, staying close to Glinda’s shoulder.

“Looking for me?”

De spun toward the voice just as a beam of red light shot from her long, bony fingers. Glinda reacted just in time, throwing up a force field of green that sizzled when the red beam hit it.

“Do something while she’s distracted,” Glinda said over the sound.

De drew a deep breath and concentrated. An iron cage fell over the top of the witch.

Glinda looked stunned and the witch cackled.

“You think a cage can hold me?” she asked. With one wave of her hand, the bars disappeared and fell like daggers into the ground before De and Glinda.

The witch cackled again as she raised her hands, ready to do more damage.

“I can’t hold this field forever,” Glinda said. “You have to do something more permanent.”

De’s body shook with combined fright and effort of concentration. Then she saw Aspen’s face appear in one of the many arched doorways surrounding the great hall. Her heart soared, but she feared what the witch would do if she were to catch sight of him.

“Take this, ugly!” she shouted as distraction and threw out her own hands with enormous effort.

An invisible force shoved the witch backward into the stone wall of the great room. Her eyes grew wide with fear and she finally stopped cackling. “Kill, my pet!” she screeched at the top of her lungs.

De braced herself for an attack from one of the monkeys or something worse. And Aspen chose that moment to charge from his hiding spot.

The witch pointed a crooked finger at him, and De shoved Glinda’s shoulders so that her force field fell between the witch and Aspen, leaving them vulnerable.

Aspen leapt through the air, morphing into the great lion as he did so. He charged back toward De and her heart soared. He was coming to protect her and she’d used Glinda to block his attack on the witch and vice-versa.

But as he charged, De’s smile fell. Something was wrong. His golden eyes showed immense pain and he stared only at Glinda.

“Stop!” De screamed, understanding only a moment before it happened.

Aspen pounced on Glinda, knocking her to the ground where her head bounced against the rock, finally resting still, a pool of red flowing beneath her like a tiny river.

Aspen let out an enormous roar and barred his teeth like he was about to rip out her throat.

De didn’t think. She threw herself across Glinda’s motionless form. If Aspen was going to rip out anyone’s throat, it would be hers and she’d deserve it for trusting him. She pressed her eyes closed, shielding Glinda’s head and shoulders and felt his familiar warm breath against the back of her neck.

But instead of teeth, she felt his human head, moments later, lying on hers. His body wracked with sobs as he folded her into his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” he cried, turning her to face him. His eyes pleaded with her for forgiveness.

“You will give me the boots,” the witch said, standing behind him. “Now. Or they die.”

“Who dies?” De asked, looking back into Aspen’s eyes and searching for the truth.

“My pride,” he said, powerful voice cracking. “She has my family, De.”

“And you’re willing to kill to protect them,” she said. She knew it was true. Hadn’t he already killed to protect her? “But I thought I was part of your pride.”

The anguish on Aspen’s face was too much to bear.

“He doesn’t love you, silly girl,” the witch said with a snort. “It was a part he played to get you to take off the boots.”

And he had. He’d tried at every turn to get her to take them off, hadn’t he? Until she admitted she couldn’t do it.

“I’m such a fool,” she said softly, unable to hold back the tears.

“It was easy at first,” Aspen said, tilting her chin and forcing her to keep looking at him despite the pain it caused. “I only had to get the boots. How hard could that be? Killing was unnecessary.”

“You know I can’t get them off,” De said. “So it’s not a choice anymore. You’re going to have to kill me. Or at least rip my legs off.” She tried to control the trembling, but her body betrayed her.

Aspen cried and growled then stood. De supposed he’d have to be a lion to really do it.

“Do it now. No more lollygagging,” the witch demanded. “The owner of the boots will bring an end to the old regime. I’m the new regime. Those are my boots.”

“No,” said Aspen, still watching De.

“Excuse me?” the witch asked, danger in her voice.

“I won’t hurt you, De. I may have been trying for the boots at the beginning, but I really did fall in love with you. I won’t choose between you and my pride.”

“You fool,” the witch said. “I’ll kill them and you.”

Aspen spun on her. “You would have kept using them against me until I was no longer valuable to you. You never meant to let them go. Or me.”

De stood on shaky feet and tugged his hand, pulling him back. “Aspen, no. You have to protect them. I’ll never make it out anyway.”

“I will kill her,” he whispered, nuzzling her ear. “You run when I attack. Don’t look back.”

De shook her head. Others had sacrificed enough trying to protect her. She was more sure of herself in this moment than she’d ever been in her whole life. She concentrated hard and the boots that had been stuck on her legs for so long appeared in her hands, which she offered to Aspen.

His golden eyes grew wide. “De? You used magic?”

She nodded and pushed past Aspen to face the witch, whose hungry face focused only on the boots.

“They’re not your size,” De said as the witch lunged for them.

They disappeared from her hands.

“Where did they go?” the witch asked, panicked.

“To their rightful owner.” De nodded toward Glinda, who sat up slowly, clutching the back of her wounded head, barely noticing the boots on her feet.

“No!” the witch shouted, backing up toward the wall.

Glinda grinned and her eyes glowed green. The witch shook her head vehemently as steam sizzled from her skin. De buried her face in Aspen’s chest as the Wicked Witch of the West disintegrated into a pile of ash.

“We did it,” Glinda said. “Thank you, Delilah.”

“You’re going to need those. But,” De said, walking right into Glinda’s personal space, “if I ever find out you aren’t treating the people of Oz right? I’m coming back.”

Glinda swallowed and forced a bigger smile. “Got it.”

“Aspen?” De said, taking his hand. “Let’s go find your family.”

De’s heart sang with a mixture of love and grief as she watched Aspen, in lion form, nuzzling with the two lionesses, one of which had the sagging belly of a mother-to-be. De wondered if the cubs would be shifters or full lions. In the end, it didn’t matter. These were beautiful creatures and she understood on some level how he could love them so much.

But watching their reunion also made De’s decision that much easier. She’d understood what she had to do so clearly in that one moment of danger. When Aspen had refused the witch in order to spare her life, she realized she couldn’t let him or his pride die for her. She had to start making it on her own.

She’d love him to be a part of her new life. Lord knew she’d never find a lover like him in a million years, but his place was here, and hers… Well, it was somewhere back in the real world, that much she knew for sure. And it wasn’t running from her parents, it was facing them head on.

“I have to go back,” she said, sensing Glinda, who’d just entered the room.

Glinda sat next to her, folding her ridiculously long ruby boots.

“You can do that yourself. Just use your power. But I think you owe him a goodbye first.”

De nodded. She didn’t know if she’d be strong enough, but she did owe it to him. So she waited patiently for him to finish with his pride and accepted his hand when he came back to her in human form, beaming.

Aspen lifted De around the waist and swung her around in a circle as she laughed. It was so good to see him like this. To see him with the secret weight he’d been carrying lifted.

“It’s nice to see you smile,” she said, when he set her back down again.

“It’s all thanks to you,” he said in his deep, treble voice that vibrated her soul.

“That’s why it’s hard to tell you what I have to say.”

“Then don’t say it.” Aspen pulled her in for a lingering kiss that threatened to melt away all conscious thought.

“That wasn’t fair,” she breathed when he finally let her go. “But I still have to go home.”

“I will go with you,” he offered.

“No.” De glanced over his shoulder at the two lions waiting patiently in the grass. “You have to stay here. You’re going to be a daddy after all.”

Aspen grinned. “You noticed.”

“Hard not to.”

“We could make some beautiful cubs,” he whispered, nuzzling her ear.

“I’m not ready for that yet,” De said, pulling back, but hanging on to his hands. “I’ll never forget you, Aspen.”

“Nor I you, Delilah.”

De’s vision blurred with tears as she finally let go of his hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Home, she repeated in her mind. Home. Home.

When De opened her eyes and saw Aspen’s face, she thought it hadn’t worked. But then she realized she was lying down and the space was dark, cool, and much smaller than before. Taking a second look at his face, she realized his eyes were a shade darker than she remembered and his beard was more neatly trimmed.

Seeing her open her eyes and smile, Aspen relaxed back into his huge lopsided grin.

“Aspen,” she said, her voice hoarse.

“Is that your name?” he asked.

“What? No. My name is Delilah. But you can call me De.” She sat up slowly, head spinning. A dull ache clung to the back of her skull. “Ow.”

“Take it easy, De. You had quite a fall. You really scared the crap out of me. I mean, the last thing I expected was a beautiful woman to come running down into my storm cellar in the middle of a tornado.”

“I tripped,” De said, remembering.

“Yeah,” the handsome man said, rubbing the back of his head with some embarrassment. “That would’ve been my cat, Lion.”

A small meow made De turn her head to find a golden cat sitting at the bottom of the steps.

“Sorry to barge in like that,” De said, accepting his help to stand. His hands were warm and calloused. They sent shivers of anticipation down her body.

“Glad you found a safe place.”

She smiled and they stared into each other’s eyes for a full minute.

“My name is Luke, by the way. This is my farm.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Luke,” De said, tucking a stray hair back behind her ear. “You don’t happen to have a wife, do you?”

Luke turned bright pink up to his ears. “No, ma’am. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, just making sure before I do this.” De sauntered up to the man before her, pulled his face down to hers, standing on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

“Wow,” he said when she stepped back again. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? I mean, was that because you hit your head? I don’t want to take advantage.”

De smiled. Being in control of her life was a damn good feeling.