Cynful

Chapter Six

Julian nodded off again long before the movie ended. Cyn stared at him, worried at the thin strands of white still silvering his hair. She hadn’t seen the silver sparks in his eyes when he’d first picked her up. It had been too dark outside the shop and in the car. Now that they were in Julian’s home those sparks were obvious, and worrying. They weren’t fading the way they were supposed to, and he was almost as weak as he’d been after saving Chloe.

What the fuck had he done to himself?

She covered him with a blanket and left him, determined to let him rest. She left the film on loop so the lack of noise didn’t disturb him. She just turned it down before heading into the kitchen with the pizza boxes. She put the leftover pizza in the fridge and pondered what to do next. Should she leave him on the couch? Call Alex and Tabby and the rest of that insane gang of shifters? They might have a better clue what was wrong with him.

She didn’t like not knowing how to help him. Not one little stinking bit.

Hell. She was beginning to mutter in Spanish under her breath. Maybe it was time to call for some back-up. Cyn picked up the phone. If Julian was sick or needed help, then she needed Alex.

“Hello? Cyn? What’s wrong?”

Cyn grimaced at the breathless tone of Tabby’s voice. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Yes.”

“Oops. Sorry. Julian’s hair is white and he’s passed out on his sofa.”

Tabby sighed. “Why don’t you sound sorry?”

“Because I’m not. Put Alex on the phone for me. Good girl. Good girl.”

“Damn it, I’m not a dog, y’all. And stop leaving that bag of kibble in front of my door!”

Cyn heard deep, muffled laughter, and then Alex was on the phone. “What’s wrong with him?”

Damn, Bears had good hearing. She’d have to remember that. “Not sure. He picked me up at my shop, but halfway to his place he pulled over and asked me to drive. Honestly, once we were inside I was shocked. His hair is half white and his eyes are washed out.”

“Shit. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” The phone clicked shut. Cyn headed back into Julian’s living room to wait for Alex and Tabby, because where one went the other was rarely far behind.

She sat on the edge of the sofa and studied the man who claimed he was her mate. The white streaks didn’t bother her at all; in fact, they gave him an otherworldly look that was stunning. His Native American heritage was obvious in his dusky skin color, deep brown eyes and high cheekbones. His full lips invited kisses; his strong jaw showcased his stubborn side. The thin laugh lines at the corners of his eyes made her smile. His waist length hair was loose, lying around him in an inviting pool she wanted to sink her fingers into. He had the lean build she’d always preferred in her men, but with enough muscle underneath those scrubs to make her feel like she’d won the lottery. He had to be one of the handsomest men she’d ever seen, bar none, and he said he was all hers.

She still wasn’t sure she believed it, but she certainly wasn’t going to turn his fine ass away.

She sat and watched him until a soft knock on the door got her up off the sofa. She let Alex and Tabby in, directing Alex to where Julian lay.

“Oh crap. He looks like three-day-old dog poo. What did he do this time?” Tabby kept her voice low, but that southern drawl was more pronounced than usual. Tabby was worried, and that couldn’t be good.

Alex rested his hand on Julian’s forehead, his brow furrowing. Whatever the hell he was doing it didn’t look comfortable.

“Well?” Cyn tapped her foot, impatience riding her hard. What was wrong with Jules?

Alex sat back with a sigh. He swayed and nearly fell of the sofa. “If I were to guess, I’d say he saved someone’s life today.”

Cyn ground her teeth. “Oh. Really.”

Alex’s hazel eyes had gone deep, dark brown. “He can’t help it, Cyn. I think one of the reasons Kermode hold themselves apart from the rest of us is because Bear’s gift is, for them, a curse as well.”

She smiled, and it wasn’t pretty. “So. How close to death was he this time?”

Alex’s brows rose. “He’s exhausted, but he’ll be fine. I gave him what I could, but only rest will cure what ails him now.”

Julian’s cell phone rang. Cyn, not caring she was snooping, picked it up and frowned at the name displayed. “Who the fuck is Tai?”

Both Alex and Tabby shrugged, but before they could speak Cyn answered his phone. “Hello?”

There was a pause, then a male voice spoke. “Is Julian DuCharme there?”

“He’s sleeping at the moment. Could I take a message?”

“Who is this?”

The arrogant command in the man’s voice got Cyn’s back up. None of your business, cabrón. “A better question would be who are you?”

“Fine. Who are you?”

Lovely. Another smart-ass. This one had an undertone of condescension she had no intention of bowing to. “Cyn.” She left it hanging and waited for his answer.

There was a deep, frustrated sigh. “Could you tell Julian that I called?”

Another command. She had the feeling she was going to love this guy. “Why?”

“What do you mean, why?” He sounded baffled, and a little annoyed.

“You’re not his boss, you’re not his significant oth…wait, are you?”

The man actually growled before abruptly cutting it off.

“Because that would mean he’s cheating on your ass.”

“He’s not my—”

“He does have a nice one, doesn’t he? Ass, I mean.”

“His life is in danger.”

Cyn paused, her intention of playing with Julian’s rude caller momentarily suspended. “Is that a threat?”

Tabby, a Wolf and a predator, took a step back at the cold chill in Cyn’s voice.

“Tell him this: Two becomes one, one becomes three. Bear knows the way, but Fox holds the key. Tell him, mate of Julian, that every fucking Kermode has had this same dream. All except me.”

She took a deep breath. A shiver ran through her. “I’m not his mate.” How the hell did this stranger know she was Julian’s?

“The dream I had showed Julian lying on the ground, covered in blood.”

She didn’t even react when the asshole hung up the phone. Alex had to pry it out of her cold hand. “We heard.”

Tabby took a deep breath, her hand going over her still flat stomach. “I’ll rally the troops.”

Alex shot Cyn a worried look before picking Julian up like he weighed less than nothing. “I’ll carry Julian to bed. Man has to be getting a crick in his neck.”

Cyn could barely see her friends moving around her. She was too busy bristling over the threat to Julian. She might not want to admit what she felt for the annoying, quirky, hot-as-fuck Bear, even to herself, but there was one thing she hadn’t failed to grasp.

Tai’s vision was never going to come to pass. Not if Cynthia Reyes could stop it.

Julian stirred. Something was different, out of place. What the hell had woken him—?

A loud snore interrupted his thoughts. He opened his eyes and stared down at the face he’d grown to love since he’d moved to Halle three months ago. Despite the hectic scramble to get his nursing certificate and keep his visa he’d managed to make friends with all the girls at LA, but none of them meant more to him that Cyn did. The first moment he’d seen her, her dark hair was streaked a delicate pink. Her laughter was contagious to a man who was feeling desperately homesick. Her dark, sparkling eyes had captivated him. He’d been smitten before he’d ever caught her scent, but when he had that was all she wrote.

She was the one.

He’d been wandering through Halle, happy to have made it, worried that he hadn’t been in time. He hadn’t understood why Bear wanted him to leave home and come to this small college town in the middle of Pennsylvania, but the hassle of getting into America without a work visa had taken months to clear away. In the end it had taken Tai’s political clout to get him here.

He’d almost ignored the tattoo parlor, but the girls had propped the door open to the early summer breeze. He’d been enchanted by the easy laughter, the sweet smiles of the two girls he’d seen. Then Cyn had stepped out from behind the curtain blocking the work area from the front of the shop, laughing and joking with the sisters of her heart, and his world had tilted on its axis.

He’d found his mate.

Convincing her he was hers, on the other hand, was turning out to be a major undertaking. Good thing he was stubborn when it came to the things he really wanted.

He hated to admit it, but he was curious why she was sleeping in his bed. They hadn’t reached the part of their relationship where Cyn would be comfortable sleeping with him.

Or had they? He sniffed the air, hoping against hope that he hadn’t somehow mated her and, spirits forbid, forgotten it. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he hadn’t, not yet, anyway.

Another indelicate snore made him smile. She was so tough when awake, so vibrant and alive, it was odd to see her like this. She was practically sprawled on top of him, one leg thrown over his, one arm pinning him down, her head tucked just under his chin. She felt so good, so right, he was reluctant to move her.

But god damn did he have to piss.

He moved cautiously, gradually working his way out from under her and headed for the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief as he finally let nature take its course. The headache was gone, and when he took a look at himself in the mirror he was almost back to normal. A few white strands remained, a few gray specks in his eyes. Nothing to see here. Please move along.

“Jules?”

He headed back into the bedroom at the sleepy sound of her voice. It had taken on a husky quality that sent blood racing straight to his cock. “I’m here.”

She was sitting up, pushing her mass of multicolored hair out of her face. “Where’d you go?”

“Bathroom.” He hit the foot of the bed and, instead of getting in on his side, began crawling up it until he was hovering over her. “Hi.”

She glared up at him. “You’re in big trouble.”

He whimpered. Fuck. He had her in his bed and he wasn’t going to be allowed to play? That was like chaining a recovering chocoholic in front of a Godiva store that was giving out free samples. “Why?”

Cyn bopped him upside the head. “You could have died, asshole.”

He sat back on his heels, his erection completely forgotten. This was something that couldn’t wait, something every Kermode had to do before mating with someone from the outside. “This is who I am, what I am. Bear made me this way for a reason.”

“Does that mean you have to risk your life?”

“Yes.” He sighed and stroked his hand across her knee. “He was two minutes from death. An aneurysm. What would you have me do, let a man die right in front of me when I can save him?”

She blew out a breath and refused to meet his eyes.

“I’m a nurse because of what I am. The urge to heal is strong within all Bears, but more so for the Kermode.”

“Alex said that was the reason the Kermode hold themselves apart.”

“He’s partially right. There’s more to it than that. The First Nations say that Kermode were made white by Raven to remind us all of the Ice Age, but it’s not true. Kermode were made white because…” He grimaced. “The truth is, not all Kermode are white. Only one in ten is, and they’re the ones with the special gift. But those of us who are born Spirit Bears are slowly dying out.” And the majority of human mates turned never became Spirit Bears. He doubted Cyn would be any different.

“Genetic problems?”

“Partly. We have our own problems as well, problems that up until now we’ve tried to deal with on our own.”

“Tell me.”

He hid a grin. He couldn’t wait until Tai and Cyn spoke for the first time. He had the feeling they’d seriously butt heads. “I can’t.” He held up his hand, stalling her objection. “I’m not allowed to. Bears might not have Alphas and Packs, but we have our own way of doing things. Tai Boucher is the closest thing we have to an Alpha, and until he tells me it’s all right to tell you, or until you accept the mating and become one of us, I can’t.” He shot her a cheeky grin. “It’s a Spirit Bear thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Your leader’s name is Tai?”

Hell. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard that much guilt in someone’s voice. “Yes. Why?”

She rolled her eyes. “Then trust me when I say he’ll never give you permission.”

His stomach rolled. “Crap. Did Tai call while I was sleeping?”

She nodded. Her expression now matched her voice.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing!”

“Cyn.”

“I may have taken exception to his tone of voice. I might even have retaliated a little. Just a tiny bit.”

He rubbed his forehead. Wow, look at that. A headache really could come roaring back to life. “What did he want?”

“He said to tell you that every Kermode has had the same dream, something about a key and a Bear, I forget exactly what he said.” She waved it off even as a shiver worked its way down his spine. This was bad. “He also—” She bit her lip and frowned ferociously.

“Also what?”

She looked him dead in the face and lied her pretty ass off. He’d made it a habit to study all things Cyn, and her left eyebrow always twitched just the tiniest bit before she fibbed. “Said to tell you hi.”

He traded stare for stare with her, but she didn’t back down, didn’t give him what he wanted: the truth. “Is that all he said?”

“Would you like some cookies?”

What the fuck? “I doubt he said that.”

“No, I’m hungry.” She pushed him away and clambered out of bed. “I want cookies.”

“I want answers.” He followed her to the kitchen where she helped herself to a large glass of milk. “What did Tai say, Cyn?”

“Oreos? You don’t have any chocolate chip?” She put the bag on the counter and ripped into it. “You need to do a grocery run.”

“I need to paddle your ass if you don’t tell me what he said. And Oreos are manna of the gods, you evil heathen. Especially if they’re double-stuff.”

She glared at him and shoved an entire Oreo in her mouth.

“Oh, that’s attractive.”

She grinned at him, black goo staining her teeth.

“Not even you are cute enough to pull that look off.” He handed her the milk and watched her devour six cookies at once. “Why aren’t you the size of a whale?”

“Metabolism.” She put the cookies back and finished her milk. “Well, it’s been fun, but I’m outta here.” She waved and started toward the front door. “See you later.”

She wasn’t. She couldn’t be. Julian chased her to the front door, but he was too late. She’d already climbed into his car, locking the doors behind her. She gave him an evil little wave and left him stranded on his front porch in the early dawn light.

Julian turned around and stalked back into his living room. He picked up his cell and dialed Tai. Fuck the time difference. He needed answers, and he needed them now. He left a message for Tai to call him back pronto, then headed off to shower.

An hour later he called Alex, because the other thing he really needed was a ride to work. Damn that sneaky Oreo-stealing, car-thieving female.

But he still couldn’t stop himself from sniffing his shirt right where her head had rested through the night, nor the smile that followed.