Page 44 of Taken By Raider Kings
“Just relax, Sophie.”Zach now sounded, of all things, almost bored.“You’re on Tribe turf.This is pretty much the safest place for you in the whole city.”
“You gotthatright.”The big guy’s grin widened and turned more genuine, lips sinking to cover most of his teeth.A rush of noise like crickets on a summer night filled her skull for a moment, and her vision did a funny double-trick.
A smear of fur over him resolved into a hump-shouldered bear, standing on its hind legs with nose lifted inquisitively, looking at her sidelong.Andgrinningat her, its tongue lolling fat, wet, and pink.
She backed up, moving so fast she barely felt it when her shoulders hit the door, and suddenly Zach blocked out most of the strange vision, his hands cupping her shoulders.
“Easy there,” he said softly, but over his shoulder the bear had turned back into a man, but still stared at her, chin lifted, broad nostrils flaring.“Sophie.Sophie.”
She tore her gaze away from the stranger with a wrenching effort, found herself staring at Zach instead.His eyes were dark and deep, gaze fixed on her face.That odd, heavy musk filled her nose, and her heart gave a high hard leap.
“I need you to be calm,” he murmured.“Otherwise we’re going to have a situation here.”
“She all right?”the bear-man asked, and a heavy sense of tension rode the smoke-ghosted air.
“Just peachy.”Zach kept staring into her eyes, almost as if willing her to do something.“Come on, Soph.Help me out here.”
You don’t get to nickname me yet.It’s Sophie, goddamn you.Her lungs also refused to work properly, and another panic attack threatened, her muscles on the verge of locking down.
“I thought you said this was safe,” she managed, a breathy whisper.
“Itissafe.”He didn’t roll his eyes, but it was awful close, and for a moment he looked amazingly like Julia.The sibling resemblance was at once uncanny and comforting.“You’re withme.”
Oh, well, that’s all right, then.She swallowed another thin hysterical laugh.
She’d seen him change on a rooftop and take on threevampires,for God’s sake.A man who looked like a bear—whowasa bear—was no sweat.Zero perspiration, as Lucy used to say.
Sophie hitched in a breath, found her lungs could get with the program.I can deal with this.I’vegotto deal with this.“Oh.”She searched for something to say.“Yeah.I’d forgotten that bit.”
“Is she all right?”the bear-man asked again.
Zach’s expression didn’t change.But she couldfeelhim, again, willing her to buck up.To help him out.She didn’t know quite what would happen if she said she wasn’t okay, but it probably wasn’t anything nice.“I’m fine.”The words marched out confident, if a bit breathless.“It just… a price on my head?”That’s news.
Zach’s nose wrinkled, a repressed wince.“I’ll explain.”
She nodded blankly, found herself staring at his mouth.He’dkissedher—never mind that it was just a chaste press of closed lips.If she could handle that, and handle the way he kept moving in on her now, his body inching into her personal space, she could certainly deal with a man turning into a bear, right?
“I will,” he repeated.Calm, even, unwavering.“I’m getting to the bottom of it.Just hang loose, okay?”
He waspleadingwith her, Sophie realized, and her head felt too light suddenly, stuffed full of that strange cricket-noise.“Okay,” her mouth said, without her prompting.“But we’re going to have to talk about this.”
“In a little bit.I promise.”His chin dipped, that soft curve of hair falling over his eyes, and she suddenly longed to push it away.Wondered what it would feel like.
She nodded.Her shoulders peeled away from the door; when she was steady he let go, finger by finger.
“You sure she’s okay?”The bear-man stood alert, tense, every hair quivering.She couldsmellthe readiness on him, and a queer coldness that managed to be soothing.Like a snowy night, peace coating every edge with a soft white blanket.
“I’m all right,” she repeated—a touch more loudly, for his benefit.Zach’s mouth firmed, and she dropped her gaze since it didn’t seem polite to keep staring.A flush rose to her cheeks; a fresh swell of low whispers rolling through the room.
“Christ, she’s raw.”The bear-man shook his shaggy, feather-decked head.“Come in and have a drink, Carcajou—and keep her calm.I’ve got a whole barful of Tribe here, they won’t take kindly to a shaman losing her cool.”
I lost that a few days ago when Lucy bled to death.I’m not sure I’ll ever get it back, either.Jesus.“I’m okay,” she repeated, numbly.“Why don’t you believe me?”
“They can smell otherwise, honey.”Zach half-turned, glanced across the bar.Everyone had gone still, even the women at the pool tables.“Just like I can.How much is she worth, Cullen?”
“Quite a lot, actually, but only if she’s dead.”The bear-man shrugged, backing up with eerie, soundless grace.Someone that huge shouldn’t have moved so quietly, but somehow he managed.“Some interested party dangled a prize for a hit.Then something went wrong a few nights ago.Some sort of rumor about downtown and a Puppet ripped to shreds?—”
“A Puppet?”Amazingly, Zach perked up.“I thought…”
