B005EMAYWS EBOK (3 page)

They knew that when a victim was taken, it was only a matter of time before they’d find her body somewhere, and now there was another missing. All of the victims had been college girls, but so far that seemed to be the only connection.

Saunders often asked her to help out with difficult cases because of her uncanny ability to feel things, and to flesh out the crime. He thought she was a gifted investigator, with the unique ability to get into the criminal mind. And though she had always been a good profiler, it was her other talent that helped her most of all. The talent that Summer never talked about. It was the one thing she’d inherited from her mother that she wasn’t so sure she wanted.

Drained and tired, she stuck the key in the ignition, but before she could start the car, a dark shadow blocked the light from the driver’s side window. Summer couldn’t bring herself to look. A scream tore from her throat at the sound of a loud thud against the window.

Fingers of thick fog crawled across the earth, as if it were alive. The scene was unsettling - even eerie. The forest was dark, but with his vampire eyes he could see well enough to find his way through the trees.

In the distance, he could hear the howling of wolves. They were hunting, but they weren’t hunting him, at least not yet. Dash pushed ahead, unsure of where he was going. Every direction looked the same - nothing but shadows, trees and fog. Again he heard the wolves, and this time they were closer.

Dash moved faster, his eyes piercing the darkness in search of a hiding place. He knew he must confront the wolves, but at the moment he was at too much of a disadvantage.

The night was so still that when a twig snapped, it might as well have been thunder.

Dash swung around to face whatever was stalking him. He didn’t dare twitch a muscle.

They watched him. The ethereal glow of their yellow eyes stabbing through the fog. Now he was the prey and the wolves the predators.

This was it. This was his moment of truth.

The wolves were big - larger than the wolves found in nature. Dash estimated there to be about eight of them. They were all around him, and slowly moving in. There was no place to go but up. Raising his eyes to the trees, Dash wondered if he could get off the ground before the wolves pounced.

He could hear their growls. Soft at first, but the snarls grew louder as the seconds ticked by. The instant he left the ground, they pounced - missing him by mere inches. Dash came to rest on a tree branch that was beyond the reach of the wolves. He could not be in the tree when the sun rose. The vampire was supposed to be immune on this side of the portal, but how could he chance it? He would just as soon acclimate slowly so there would be no real danger.

From his vantage point, Dash watched as the wolves began to shift, their bodies twisting as they took the form of men. It would have been the best time for him to ascent into the air and disappear. Instead he sat there, transfixed by the image of these beings moving from one form of existence to another.

The eight men stood around the tree, their eyes glowing with rage. The physique of the wolves was magnificent. They were a mass of sinewy muscle, covered by sleek skin. Dash could not help but be envious. The vampire was beautiful, but the wolves were magnificent specimens of nature. The
Sungmanitu
were one with nature.

Dash came to his senses and began to lift off of the branch, but before he could get any speed, he felt a sharp sting in his leg. For the first time since turning, he lost control of his body, and then there was only oblivion.

* * *

When Summer heard the pounding on her car window, her first instinct had been to jump to the other side of the car and flee out the passenger door. It took a moment for her to see through her terror, and realize it was Anton knocking at the window.

Unlocking the doors, Summer motioned for him to get in. Anton walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door. It was almost comical to watch someone of his stature try and fit into her tiny car.

“You going to make it?” she asked, trying not to smile.

“Yes … it is a tight fit though,” he commented. Anton squeezed in and shut the door. His long legs were practically pulled up against his body so that he could fit.

“Okay … buckle up.” She started the car and backed out of her parking place. A moment later they were on Virginia Street and headed toward her apartment. Summer didn’t live far from the University. A mile from her apartment was the motel where Anton was staying.

Desert Skies was somewhat of a joke among the students. Everyone knew that a few of the professors practically owned rooms at that motel. At least that’s what everyone believed. If Summer was seen at the motel, she’d get teased for sure. In reality, she didn’t know anyone that had gotten a good grade this way, so she figured it was probably more of a tall tale than anything.

Anton waved the suggestion aside. “I wanted time for us to talk … away from crowds. I’ll take a taxi to pick it up in the morning.”

Barely slowing the car, Summer pulled into the parking lot of the motel. She looked over at Anton and saw that he was gripping the dash, a look of fear in his eyes.

Summer got out of the car and followed him into his room. When Anton switched on the bedside lamp, she saw that the inside was as old and tacky as the outside. There was a single chair, a doublewide bed, and a dresser. The TV was almost an antique.

“Thanks,” Summer said as she sat down. “So what did you want to talk about?” She decided to get right to the point. There was no sense in keeping him stuck in Reno longer than necessary. It was not that she minded the visit, just the purpose of it.

“Summer … your father has made it clear that he wants me to return with you,” Anton explained.

The
Sungmanitu
were the Native American wolf people. The
Vilka
were a pack that originated in Eastern Europe. Though there had been peace between the two packs for generations, her father believed that a marriage would seal that peace for a long time to come. It was just her luck that she was the one chosen to marry the leader of the
Vilkas
.

Both the
Sungmanitu
and the Vilka occupied the natural world, as well as
Outerlands
. There had never been a problem, at least in her lifetime. She just didn’t feel that this marriage was necessary.

Smiling, Summer shook her head. “I realize that my dad believes that this marriage contract is important for the
Sungmanitu
, but I also think there is another way to achieve what he wants … without me having to marry the leader of the
Vilkas
.”

“I think if your father could give you your way about this, he would.”

“Well … I love my father, but I can’t agree to this marriage. At least not right now. I’m still having too much fun,” Summer added with a sly smile.

Sighing, Anton sat on the side of the bed. “Summer you are not a child anymore. Fun is not an option.”

“That’s right, I’m not a child any longer,” Summer agreed. “That is why I will be making my own decisions from here on out. I’m twenty-two years old now.”

The way his laughter lit up his sensual eyes sent Summer’s heart lurching. She stood up and stepped next to the bed. Before he could protest, she seated herself on his lap. Her lips brushed against his, and it was like being hit with a bolt of lightning. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and felt his tongue moving with hers.

Moaning, he pulled away.

Summer boldly pushed him down onto the bed and positioned herself on top of him. Again her mouth claimed his. Her kiss held all the passions she had ever felt for him. Her mouth was hungry - demanding. She could feel his hand on her leg, moving up toward her thigh. Summer groaned in anticipation of feeling Anton touch her, like she’d always wanted him to. He was not immune to Summer’s hunger - she could feel him trembling beneath her.

Suddenly he was pushing her off.

Anton quickly got off the bed. His eyes were now the eyes of the wolf - he was shaking. She could see that he was angry, but she could also see that he was nearly mad with lust.

“Why did you do that Summer?” he growled.

Sitting up, she straightened her dress. When she looked at Anton she couldn’t miss the bulge in his pants. There was little doubt that he’d wanted it as much as she did.

“Countless reasons!” he stormed. “The first being that you are to marry someone else … and I am much older than you,” he reminded her.

“You are only twelve years older, and I am not going to be married.” Summer retorted. She would not let him brush her aside.

“Well there is also the fact that I am charged with seeing you safely to your father and husband to be. It wouldn’t be good if I were bedding you along the way.”

Summer shrugged. “I would rather be in your bed than his anyway. I don’t even know him.”

Anton turned away from her. “Summer I am a Zen warrior. I could never offer you anything other than my lust. At least your fiancé can give you a life.”

Summer blinked away her tears, determined that he should not see her pain. “Did I ask you to marry me? Maybe that’s all I want is your lust?”

Anton turned sharply to face her. “You don’t know what you are saying.”

“I do know what I am saying.” Summer gave him a cool smile. “But of course you are not the only male that can give me what I need,” she lied.

He
was
the only man that could give her what she wanted.

Anton gazed at her with stormy - turbulent eyes. “Don’t test my patience Summer. Be ready to leave tomorrow.”

Folding her arms in front of her, Summer stood her ground. “If my dad wants me, he will have to come and get me. I have no intention of leaving right now,” she told him, her voice growing more serious as she remembered Bridget Pearson. “What’s more … there is a maniac that’s killing people here. I have to help Warren and the police.”

“Sounds to me like all the more reason why you should be leaving.”

“No,” Summer shook her head. “Something’s really wrong here. I’ve worked homicide cases before. Usually I get visions of what happened and can pick up on things about the killer … but not faces.”

Anton started pacing the floor and he seemed even more apprehensive than he had earlier. “I saw a news report about the girl they found in her apartment. Is that the one you saw?”

“No,” Summer shook her head. “ It was the one that is still missing. Her name is Bridget Pearson. The girl they found was a freshman named Donna York. They found her two weeks ago.”

It was at times like this that she really wished she could call home. Unfortunately, there were no phone lines that would reach to
Outerlands
. She sometimes forgot how really strange her situation was.

Her father was the leader of the
Sungmanitu
, the wolf people, and her mother was the Queen of
Coba
, the jaguar shifters. Anton was the same as her dad - a wolf. The only difference was that he was from another part of the world, and another part of
Outerlands
.

There were many kingdoms in
Outerlands
, and just as many types of beings. Some called them werewolves or shape-shifters, though these creatures were only the tip of the iceberg.
Outerlands
was a magical place, but it was also a dark place. It was a place of phantoms and everything the humans thought of as non-existent. It was called
Outerlands
because it existed on the fringes of reality - separated from the natural world by a thin veil.