Shadow Walker (13 page)

Debating whether or not to change back to human form paused her a moment. Stealth was a factor here, and she opted to remain in form and crept through the garden. Though the scent was stronger, she could tell it was no longer in the area. The trail led back around the other side of the garden and back into the forest in another direction. Her interest piqued, she left the garden and looked up at the rear of the mansion.

On the second floor one of the sets of doors was open that led out onto a stone balcony. A white form was crumpled in the shadows. Shifting to human form, clothing herself at the same time, she climbed the trellis. Another more familiar scent struck her, and she gasped when the being on the balcony turned out to be Dori.

The poor girl was naked save for the white silk sheet covering her body.

Amber knelt next to her and felt for a pulse. It was strong and steady. Dori didn’t look like she’d been hurt, aside from the healing bruises around her eyes. The strong stench of alcohol and fear burned the Tigress’ nose. With her senses heightened, it was obvious there had been sexual activity, but Aaron was nowhere to be found. The scent of the jaguar was strong inside the bedroom and balcony.

“Shit.” Turning, Amber leapt from the balcony, shifting just before reaching the ground and rushed back through the garden. Frustrated to learn the Silver Wolf wasn’t where she’d left her, she hurried to track her scent which combined with that of the jaguar.

Rounding a bend, the wolf turned to her and moved back, giving her a glimpse of the black jaguar. He caught their scent and sprinted away.

“It’s Aaron,”
the wolf said.

The Tigress sighed.
“Poor guy. Happy birthday.”

They spent the rest of the night tracking the jaguar to make sure he stayed out of trouble. Just before dawn he crept back to the garden and collapsed. They watched his shift back to human form. There were no longer any doubts. The black jaguar was indeed Aaron Sorenson.

Amber led Casey back to the edge of the forest for her change back from the wolf. When she rose to her knees, dry heaves wracked her.

Pulling a package of medicine from her pocket, Amber passed it to her. “It will help, I promise.”

Casey groaned, tears ran down her cheeks. Ripping the paper open, she took the powder and sat there for a moment in the frigid air, naked.

Amber laid her folded clothes next to her and let her friend take her time getting dressed. There was no accurate way to describe the pain when it wasn’t properly channeled. But it was something similar to burning alive while every bone in your body was broken and twisted at once.

When her friend was ready, they made their way back to the road where the car they’d rented waited, hidden behind a copse of trees, and then back to the hotel.

After only three hours of sleep, Amber frowned at the clock. Casey was already awake. Coffee and food had been brought up before Amber had climbed out of bed.

“She hasn’t called yet.”

Amber stumbled over to the cart to pour some coffee. After a few sips she responded, “So, what’s the plan?”

“I have no idea. Do we tell Aaron we know because of what we are? And do I kick her ass because she went against my rules about sleeping with the client?” Casey growled.

Amber laughed and leaned against the couch. “She may just shrug it off as an alcohol induced nightmare. I wouldn’t worry so much about Dori. My concern is with Aaron. The guy knows nothing of his past and was adopted. Then the night of his twenty-eighth birthday he shifts into a jaguar. That’s some scary shit.”

“So he’s never shifted before?”

“No, I did not detect it. And you know when you come across another Were. You’ve got to have learned that while in the Run. You sense them. Your animals come forward in greeting even if you don’t acknowledge them. He was a human, but I did sense something was off. That had to be it. My Tigress knew, but was unable to explain why.”

Casey frowned and downed her mug. “It would explain the pains he was having. The alcohol was used as a pain deterrent.”

“Do you think he’d be willing to go on with the shoot today? He has got to be in serious pain.”

Her friend winced and rubbed her neck. “Yeah, I know all about that.”

Pulling another pouch from her pocket, she tossed it over. “Dump it in your coffee, it has no flavor. It’ll work for a couple hours.”

Gratefully, Casey poured it in her cup and drank deep.

“Drink up. If Aaron is prepared for us to come in today, I’ll find a way to sneak some into his water.”

Swirling the drink around, Casey reached for her cell. “Have you talked to Dean?”

“I called him before I hopped in the shower. They are aware of the situation, and they claim to have full faith in my responsibility to handle it.”

“So why do you sound pissed?” The blonde quirked a brow.

Amber sighed. “Dean isn’t happy about it, but Braedyn’s trying to talk him into it.”

“Braedyn will make him understand.” Dialing Dori’s number, Casey growled when it went to voicemail again. “Princess is starting to piss me off now.”

“I doubt she’s made it back within the last three hours, Casey. Give me a sec, and I’ll go check her suite.” She slipped out into the hall and picked up no more recent scents than those from the evening prior. Nothing fresh. Shaking her head, she came back in. “Dori hasn’t been back since before we left last night.”

“I am
so
going to kick her ass. She knows my rules about sleeping with clients
before
the end of the shoot.”

“Give the girl a break. How many times has she done it?”

“To my knowledge this would be the first. But I did catch her out having a romantic dinner once about a year ago with one of our clients.” Casey shook her head and yawned, pacing the floor. “It just messes with the shoot. If things don’t go well, my assistant is full of attitude, and if they do go well, then my assistant is still severely distracted. Either way the shoot is compromised.”

Amber grinned, watching her. “You had a fling once, didn’t you?”

Casey stopped midstride and turned, her eyes flashing golden. “If you
ever
breathe a word to Braedyn, I will
stomp
your ass.”

Taking three steps back, she raised her hands in surrender, laughing. “I swear I won’t say a thing,” she said, glancing down from her eyes. Casey’s anger had triggered the wolf. Amber showed her submission before things could get out of hand. “Was it that bad?”

The blonde let out a deep breath and dropped onto the couch. Her eyes returned to the emerald green of norm. “It was just a fling, but it totally destroyed the shoot. There have also been a few times when my assistants have screwed around with either the client or the crew and things just spiraled into chaos. You have to learn from your mistakes, and that’s a big one so far as I’m concerned.”

“A fling? I never would have figured you the type.” Amber tried hard to suppress her grin.

Shrugging, Casey took a long pull from the coffee. “I’ve had a couple, nothing I’m proud of. Heat of the moment sort of thing with alcohol usually being a big factor. What about you?”

Feeling her cheeks heat up, Amber glanced away from her friend. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she mumbled and went back to the cart to top off her coffee.

“Aw come on, I told you a secret. Friends do these things. Tell each other their deepest, darkest, scariest secrets.”

Clearing her throat, she turned back to Casey. “You know I didn’t have the greatest of starts in life, right?” She saw the chill run down her friend’s back when the insinuation hit home. “So after moving to Walker’s Run, I’ve only ever had sex while I was in heat. Not exactly something I could stop. I mean…I didn’t always look for someone, it’s…kind of hard with my reputation to find a lover anyway. You know, my family
did
try
to
kill
everyone in order to get me back.” She sniffed and made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Your brother has been the only person I’ve consented to have sex with when I wasn’t in heat.”

Casey’s brows lifted and she pursed her lips. “Well, hell,” she muttered. “I thought for sure you’d have something juicy for me.”

Amber laughed again and shrugged. “I’m sorry, looks can be deceiving. I’ve learned using my sexuality helps out tremendously in battle. With my small stature, most Weres take me for granted and usually threaten to do horrible things to me…
if
they manage to get the upper hand. All I have to do is out think them while I distract them. Men are so
very
easy
.”

“I—I remember the twins, you had me go into the bedroom to protect Aquene. The…things they said to you.” Casey shook her head, sorrow and tears filling her eyes. “I am so sorry you had to grow up that way, and that you’ve had to deal with that.”

Taking a deep breath, Amber set her mug of coffee down on the cart. She blinked the tears away and cleared her throat. “Your brother has done a lot in such a small amount of time to try and help me deal with it.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Casey sniffed and glanced at her phone again. “What do you say I call to have a car brought around? I am dying to find out how Dori’s doing.”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

* * * *

Amber cleared her throat when a limo with mirrored windows passed them in the narrow driveway.

A muscle in Casey’s jaw twitched. “I’m so going to kill her.”

Snickering, Amber settled back in the seat and let out a deep breath. “Let the girl live. You’ve settled down and well…I’m pretty screwed up. Let her do
her
.”

“I give her an hour. Want to make a wager?”

“I say closer to two hours, fifty bucks.”

Casey laughed and shook her hand as their car came to a stop. “You’re on.”

A moment later the door was opened, and they climbed out. Aaron was standing on the stone front stoop wearing jeans, a white button down, and was barefoot in the cold morning.

“Good morning,” Casey said, mounting the stairs with a smile. “We seem to be lacking one this morning, but I figure she’ll be here within the hour.”

“Two…” Amber struggled to keep the knowing grin from her lips. Noticing the dark circles under Aaron’s eyes, she lightened up the snarky remark that was waiting to come out. “How are you feeling this morning? You’re looking a little rough.”

“To be honest? I feel like crap. Woke up with a pounding headache and feel like I’ve been hit by a tractor trailer.” He rubbed the back of his neck and opened the door wider for them to enter. “I haven’t even had anything to eat yet.” Yawning, he ushered them inside. “Would you ladies care for anything?”

“I’m a caffeine junkie. I could do for more coffee,” Amber admitted.

He motioned for them to follow and led them into the kitchen. “Coffee’s on the counter over there.” Stifling a yawn, he hooked three mugs down from the cabinet and slid them over. “Pour some for me too, please.” When he turned to peruse the cabinets, Amber poured a shot of the powder into his coffee and stirred it.

“Sugar?” she asked while adding some to hers.

“Two, please,” he murmured around the bagel he’d shoved in his mouth.

She slid his coffee down the counter toward him. “You should have a candle in that. It’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

Aaron laughed and nodded. “Twenty-eight today.” Swallowing the bite from his bagel, he sipped the coffee. Looking lost in thought, he stared out the windows into the garden and finished his breakfast. After a few minutes and another cup of coffee, he appeared to be feeling much better. “So, what’s the plan for today? I hope I didn’t ruin anything yesterday, I wasn’t feeling well.”

Casey frowned, looking him over. “From the looks of it, you don’t feel much better today. That make-up chick is going to have a blast with you.”

He grimaced. “I was an ass to her yesterday. Lack of sleep lately. I guess it just…compounded. But honestly I feel better than I have in a couple weeks right now.”

“Good.” Casey pulled out a notebook and leaned against the counter. “Have you got any expensive toys you’d like to be pictured with? A motorcycle or a fine Italian sports car.”

Aaron scoffed. “I’ve a decent car, nothing that would raise any interest. I get my thrills from rock climbing, not so much on speed.”

“Hmm.” Casey’s eyes glittered with new thoughts and she began making more notes. “Have you got a wall you practice on?”

“Not here, I don’t. There’s a small rock cropping I use to practice on when I’m staying this way.”

“You wouldn’t feel up to gearing up and climbing up maybe twelve feet for me to get a couple shots?”

He gave a tentative roll of his shoulders, testing for lingering soreness and raised his brows. “I’m feeling better than I have, so I don’t see why not. Let me go see what equipment I have stashed out here. I normally stay at my apartment in the city. Give me a minute?”

When he left the room, Casey turned to Amber. “What on earth is in that stuff? My God I feel like I could run a marathon and back! I remember how I felt the morning after my first shift, and had it not been for Braedyn being able to help me with the pain…there is no way in hell anyone could pay me enough to gear up and climb a friggin’ rock.”

Amber laughed. “It’s all natural stuff. A little something for pain and a little something for energy. Hell, had I known we’d be climbing I’d have brought some of my own equipment.”

“It’s not too late to get some. We still have to get everyone out there and set up. It may be two or three before I can begin shooting.”

“Hmm…is that wise. The sun sets earlier in winter.”

Casey frowned, and then nodded in agreement. “You’re right, just the photo shoot today. But sometime today one of us is going to need to talk to him. He can’t be in public after sundown.”

“I know, give me some time, and I’ll figure it out. Even if I have to spike his drink and knock him out for the night.”

Little more than an hour passed before Dori was led into the kitchen by the large, bald black man who’d driven them from the airport when they’d first arrived.