Chapter 11
Carter
I rubbed fruity shampoo in my hair and tried to make sense of Katya’s near-drowning. I’d never heard of a ghost changing an MO so drastically, so I had a hard time believing the famed spirit had gone after Katya.
As I rinsed the shampoo, an idea struck me. What if she had actually started to shift under water? Being pulled under by a ghost might have been the only thing that made sense to her. And honestly, a failed shift was the only thing that made any real sense.
The good news was that she hadn’t shifted. I drew in a deep breath and tried to take solace in that fact. I finished the shower and smelled like citrusy body wash and fruity shampoo. At least it beat smelling like chlorine.
I dried my hair with a purple-flowered towel and raked my fingers through my hair since I didn’t have a comb with me. I lifted my arms and sniffed my pits. They were okay for now, but I still needed deodorant. I glanced around the bathroom. There was some exotic orchid scented antiperspirant.
That was where I drew the line. I’d rather risk sweating than smelling like a flower—that was far worse than fruity. If either Alex or Bobby caught a whiff of that, I’d never hear the end of it.
I double-checked my reflection before going into Katya’s room. She sat on the bed, with the extra-large pizza box open, already eating.
“Sorry. I was too hungry to wait.”
“That’s why I got it.” I sat on the other side of the box, grabbed the biggest piece, and dug in. With that first bite, I realized just how hungry I was, too.
We ate in silence, and I contemplated the day’s events. What a day it had been. Not only had I found her after so much searching, but I had learned so much about her. And then I ran into other jaguar shifters. I hadn’t seen another one in so long.
I glanced over at her as she picked up another slice. Between the two of us, we’d easily finish the entire pizza. I studied her, trying not to be obvious. Her coloring and breathing both seemed fine. That was a relief, but I wasn’t letting her out of my sight just yet.
She finished off her piece, then leaned back against her pillows. “Sorry I’m not more talkative.”
I met her gaze and smiled. “Don’t apologize. This is nice, even without conversation.”
Katya nodded and closed her eyes. “It is.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better, now that I’ve eaten.”
I closed the pizza box and moved it out of the way, giving her more room to stretch out, which she did. She was beautiful even when almost asleep. It was so hard not to kiss her. It felt like we’d known each other much longer than we had. I supposed waiting so long to find her made me feel like that.
“Do you need anything?” I asked.
“Just sleep—and not because I’m exhausted from dry drowning symptoms. It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”
“I believe you.” I pulled the covers out and covered her after she climbed under. “Sweet dreams.”
She opened one eye. “Are you real?”
“Of course.”
Katya mumbled something I couldn’t understand and closed her eyes. I brushed some hair away from her face and gently pressed the back of my fingers along her cheek and forehead. She didn’t feel feverish or chilled.
“I’m fine.”
I smiled. “Yes, you are.” In many more ways than one.
Her breathing deepened almost right away. My bones ached, demanding to shift soon. I ignored them, not wanting to leave her side. Not when she had a pack of jaguar shifters who wanted to steal her away, and not when she’d just suffered not one but two attacks in a row. Then there was the whole dry drowning thing—just one more thing to worry about.
I turned off the light, pulled up her desk chair, and sat down just a few feet from her. The rhythmic sounds of her breathing lulled me into wanting to sleep. I closed my eyes, listening for anything that could be wrong.
Knock, knock.
I pulled myself out of sleep and checked my phone. It had been two hours. I stretched, then felt Katya’s forehead again before answering the door.
Che stood there. “How’s she doing?”
“Sleeping like a baby. I was just sitting on a chair.” I didn’t know why I felt like adding the last part.
“Nobody tried to get in?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Good. Okay, I’ll stay by the door all night and make sure nobody tries to get in. Then you’ll head over around the time she leaves for classes?”
“Yeah. I can have my friends watch the door and give you a break.”
He grimaced. “I don’t trust werewolves.”
I stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind me. “Let’s not talk shifters within her hearing.”
“She’s asleep.”
“People wake up.” I glanced up and down the hall to make sure nobody was around. “So, what you’re saying is that you’d rather stand guard all night than let someone give you a break?”
His expression stiffened. “No, what I’m saying is that I trust myself to watch over her more than I trust werewolves watching over her.”
“I told you, they’re my family. I trust them to watch her.”
Che stood taller. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay, just know that I want her safe.”
“I appreciate the help, I do. Just not from werewolves. I trust you—you’re a jaguar who also left the traditional families. We have to stick together.”
I nodded. “That’s actually how my pack runs, though it extends beyond shifters. You’d be surprised. We even have a vampire.”
“In a werewolf pack?”
“Right.”
“And he doesn’t fear for his life?”
“No, she doesn’t.”
Che studied me. “You’ve struck my curiosity. I want to hear more about that later. Go and shift. Meet me here about eight.”
“Will do. Last chance to get help from my friends.”
He folded his arms and shook his head. “Maybe some other time, after I get to know them. For now, no.”
“Okay.”
I headed to the room I’d rented and filled Bobby and Alex in on everything, asking them to check on Katya every so often. What if the other jaguars came back and overpowered Che? He might have been willing to risk it, but I wasn’t.
“Hey, you smell nice,” Bobby teased as I left.
There was no hiding anything from shifters. Not with our hypersensitive sense of smell.
I ignored him and hurried out of the building and across the street to where I’d parked my car that morning. It felt like days ago.
As I drove home, my muscles burned and various bones popped. I gritted my teeth and clutched the steering wheel, fighting the shift. Only a few more minutes until I reached the woods.
Once parked, I scrambled from my car and undressed, putting my clothes inside. Then I closed my eyes and shifted almost immediately. It was so fast, I barely felt anything.
I opened my eyes, and everything was brighter and more vivid with my jaguar sight. The scents of the forest all grew stronger around me. I walked toward the forest and roared, the sound echoing and warning any potential threats to stay away.
Without another thought, I burst into a run and raced into the trees. Luckily the Olympic National Park gave me far more miles than I would need to burn off my energy. I tore through the familiar area, barely taking in the scenery around me.
After a while, I came to a stream and paused. It was full of fish, which I loved catching as a jaguar. I easily snatched up the first few—there were so many, it was hardly a challenge. Then after eating those fish, I played with the next couple before finally feeling full.
I padded around, enjoying the pleasant silence. There was nothing like the solitude of the forest, and as a jaguar, it couldn’t be better.
As my stomach settled, my mind wandered back to Katya and all the issues I needed to deal with as a human. I jogged toward the Faeble, Tap’s supernatural bar in the middle of the woods. He was a former troll king and had more resources than almost anyone I knew. If someone knew about the new jaguars in town, it would be him.
Once there, I went around to the back where shifters kept extra clothes in cubbies. After making sure nobody was around, I turned back into a human and got dressed.
Inside, glass shattered followed by roars of laughter. There were several groups who liked to give Tap trouble, and I never could figure out why he put up with them.
There was a chance he might be too busy to talk with me, but I would try. Inside, a group of mesmers filled a banquet room, laughing like lunatics.
“What are you looking at, jaguar?”
A full glass of brown liquid flew toward my head. I ducked out of the way just before it shattered against the wall, then I headed over to the bar. Tap and Quinn were busy mixing drinks and didn’t see me sit at one of the stools.
“What’s up with the mesmers?” I asked.
Quinn glanced over and wiped sweat from his brow. “It’s one of their top leader’s birthdays. They’re extra crazy.”
“Why do you put up with all that?”
“We have a deal.” Tap filled a tray with drinks of every color and raced toward the party room.
I leaned over the bar and looked at Quinn, who was busy wiping the counter. “I can’t imagine what they have to offer.”
“You’d be surprised.” He threw the towel into the sink. “What can I get you?”
“Nothing to drink. Can you take a break?” I nodded toward the back door. “I have some questions.”
“Yeah, sure. If it’s quick.”
“Should be.”
We headed out back. Quinn waved at Tap, letting him know he was taking a break. One of the mesmers picked up Tap and threw him into the air.
“What the—?”
Quinn pulled me away. “He can handle himself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about him.” Once outside, Quinn pulled out a cigarette. “Want one?”
I shook my head.
He lit it and turned to me. “So, what do you want to know?”
“Know anything about jaguar shifters coming to town?”
“No, we’ve been pretty busy with those mesmers. This is the third straight day of that party.” Quinn blew a smoke ring.
I stared at him. “A three-day party?”
“Nobody can celebrate like those tricksters.”
“Apparently. So, no jaguars have come into the Faeble?”
“Not other than you.”
I leaned against the building and tapped my foot. “Haven’t heard anything?”
“Nope.” He blew another smoke ring. “Why? Does it have anything to do with that girl you’re tracking?”
“Yeah, actually. I finally found her, and the same exact day, so did her family of origin—only she doesn’t know she’s a shifter. No idea about our world.”
Quinn arched a brow. “So she thinks she’s just a human? And those traditional jags want to pull her into their backward lifestyle?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, I can keep an ear out. Maybe some patrons will talk about them. What do you want to know, specifically?”
I sighed, frustrated. “Anything. I don’t know where they’re from, how long they’ve been searching for her, or anything. One thinks she’s his bride-to-be and that he owns her.”
“Typical.” Another smoke ring. “Do you want me to ask Tap about them? Might not be for a couple days. I don’t know how long the mesmers plan on staying.”
“I hope they pay well.”
“You have no idea.”
I studied him, but he didn’t give me any indication of what he meant. We stood in silence for a while, and I tried to think of any other questions to ask. It was hard to think. My eyes were growing heavy.
Quinn dropped his cigarette and smashed it. “Anything else you need? I gotta get back in there.”
Glass shattered inside as though to prove his point.
“No. Just call me if you learn anything. Anything at all.”
“Will do.” He nodded and went inside just as more laughter erupted.
I headed over to the cubbies and undressed before shifting and running back home. After changing back into my clothes, I headed inside to see if anyone was awake.
As soon as I opened the door, the hearty aroma of stew greeted me from the pack’s dinner earlier. Laura, our pack mother, made the best food for us every night.
The house was quiet, so I crept into the kitchen and warmed up leftovers. Despite the pizza earlier, two shifts left me famished.
As I was finishing up, Toby meandered in. He gave me a double-take. “I thought you were staying in the hotel?”
“I needed to shift.”
He nodded knowingly and sat across from me. “How are things going with Katya? I still can’t believe she’s the jaguar you’ve been searching for. I was talking about that with the rest of the pack, and we’re all shocked. It even turns out Elsie is in art with her, and she never picked up any supernatural vibes, either.”
“You have Darrell to thank for that. Katya has a bodyguard, and he’s been covering their scents.”
“That makes sense. She’s done an excellent job of hiding.”
“It’s easy for her since she has no clue.”
We sat in silence until Toby finally spoke. “What are you going to do now?”
I filled him in on everything that had happened since I saw him on campus earlier.
Toby released a long, slow breath. “Sounds like we might have another battle on our hands.”
“I’m hoping it doesn’t come down to that. Che and I were able to handle them tonight.”
“You don’t think they’ll show up with more of their family?” He arched a brow.
I frowned. “I’m sure they will.”
“I’m waiting to hear back from Gessilyn to see what she or one of the other witches can dig up. Maybe you should get some sleep. You look exhausted.”
Irritation built in my gut. It always did when Toby tried to tell me what to do, even when he was right. I nodded, though, and stood.
“And I’ll let you know when I hear back from Gessilyn.”
We said our goodbyes, then I made my way back to the hotel. I was tired enough that I could’ve fallen asleep walking.
Before heading to my room, I went over to check on Katya’s hall.
Che wasn’t next to her door. Or in front of it. Or anywhere.
My throat nearly closed up. I raced over to the door and looked around frantically.
Che stood down the hall, speaking on his phone. He waved when he saw me.
Relief washed through me, and I very nearly collapsed. I took a deep breath and headed back to my room.
Bobby snored from one bed and Alex sat on a chair. He glanced up from his phone when I walked in. “I just checked on her. That jaguar wasn’t too happy to see me.”
“Thanks.” I fell on top of the empty bed.
“Any news?”
“Nothing worth mentioning.” I closed my eyes and fell right to sleep.