Page 31 of Ash

Many Dires lived within the city limits. She’d even caught the scent of a few, out there on the street, in human form. They must shift to beast and run somewhere. Golf courses? Parks? They all presented the risk of running into humans.

The only place nearby that she might trust was the cemetery where she’d spent the night after the battle. It was large enough, maybe, to allow her to run without frightening any locals.

But she also had an energy issue.

She’d attended a soup kitchen for lunch, but that was all she’d eaten today. The caloric demands of being a shifter were complicating her life on the street. Before, she’d survived on very little. But now, she needed far more to just exist, and that was a problem.

She’d been lightheaded for hours and had almost fainted while waiting for the shower. Remy had told her how dangerous shapeshifting was if you didn’t have the energy reserves.

Right now, it might not be safe to shift to beast.

The beast didn’t agree. The burning intensified to a fierce pain. Dani gritted her teeth and did her best to ignore it. She’d been through far worse.

The showers here were in demand. After waiting for others, the hot water was almost gone. Dani was grateful it was at least warm.

As she scrubbed off the layers of dirt, her tattoos emerged from the grime. She’d have more if the good ones weren’t so expensive.

Her mind flashed with images of those running along the arms of the dream Dragon. They’d been so real looking that they could have leaped off and flown on their own. And the arms they’d sat upon...

No testicles.Not even in her dreams. Good to remind herself of that. Frequently.

Dani shut the shower off, dried herself with a complimentary towel, and then wrapped her long hair in it.

She’d been born with the weird white streak at the temple. In foster homes over the years, she’d dyed it bright colors, but here on the streets, she should dye it as black as the rest of her hair.

It was better not to stand out in this crowd.

Dani grimaced as she pulled on her pants—with eight days of continual wear and street living, they were getting grimy. After rinsing the tee shirt in the sink, Dani put it back on wet. With her long hair still wrapped in the towel, she exited the washroom.

Another woman stood in the hall, waiting her turn. As Dani walked toward the communal sleeping quarters, she passed the hallway leading to the front entrance. And what her nose detected had her hugging the wall in an instant.

She inhaled hard. The air currents drifted toward her from the door beyond the front desk. She closed her eyes and sniffed again. It wasn’t a Dire she scented.

Cautiously, she peeked around the corner. A big man spoke with the staff member behind the old metal desk. And by big, she meant tall, close to six and a half feet, she estimated. And muscular. He carried himself loose, balanced on the balls of his feet, like a dancer.

Or a predator.

He was dressed in a hoodie and old jeans, but no way this guy was off the street. Too healthy. And when a decrepit older man entered through the door behind him, the fresh gust of night air carried more of his scent to her.

Then she pegged it. Cat. He was a bloodySabre.

Remy’s condemnation of the big cat shifters had been absolute. He’d ranted about generations of abuse the Sabres had rained down upon Dires.

Considering what a brute Remy had been, how much of it had actually been true? But it didn’t matter, really. She had pounded the crap out of a bunch of these guys during the battle. What were the chances that he wasn’t looking for her?

Doubtful he was here to say hello or offer a helping hand. She had to get the hell away, and fast.

Just as that thought occurred to her, he straightened and looked down the hall. She ducked back behind the wall, spun on her heel, and jogged toward the eating area, and in back of that, the kitchen. It led to the only other exit not rigged to a fire alarm.

The dining area only had a handful of late nighters eating junk food from the vending machines. They stared as Dani hopped the counter and slipped through the swinging door into the food preparation area.

Moments later, she was jogging down the alleyway behind the shelter, her heart pounding like a trip hammer. Too close. That had been too close.

She needed to be more alert if she intended to stay alive as well as free.

10

Tyrez’s keen eyesight deciphered every detail of the human city below. To him, Winnipeg’s beauty shone brightest at night. The lights gently sparkled in long rows, marking streets and avenues, interrupted only by the graceful, arching branches of trees.

---