Wolf Tales VI. Kate Douglas
her goals of college and a family of her own were long forgotten and her dreams so strange she couldn’t discuss them.
Dreams of running through thick forests and climbing steep cliffs and mountains, hearing the cry of night creatures, tasting fresh blood, thick and intoxicating on her tongue. She’d long ago given up trying to find an explanation for the strange places her mind took her at night. In some perverted way she actually looked forward to her dreams, to the escape they gave her from such a desolate reality.
Mei felt Eve’s fingers wrap around her hand. She squeezed a silent reply as the cab took them back to the motel. Eve paid the cabby while Mei grabbed up all the packages. “I’ve got everything,” she said. “Eve, I…” She stopped. Stared.
The hood on the black pickup was raised. There was a man, his broad back glistening with sweat as he fiddled with something on the engine. His perfect ass was covered in worn jeans that fit him like a second skin and from this angle, at least, he was gorgeous. Standing next to him, though, was the most beautiful man Mei had ever seen.
About her height and slightly built, with smooth, dark skin and a perfectly proportioned body, he stared intently into the bowels of the truck. He wore an immaculate white sleeveless tank top and khaki shorts with sandals. His hair was cropped close, his face a blend of many races. A very pleasing blend. As Mei stared at him, she could have sworn she felt a connection, an unseen link that reminded her of the sensation she’d felt the first time she and Eve were together.
The packages slipped out of her fingers and fell to the sidewalk with a rustle of plastic and the solid plop of boxes hitting asphalt. Spellbound, she let them go.
“Adam! You’re here. I didn’t expect you so soon!” Eve raced past Mei, as the man working on the truck turned around and stood up. He had a smear of grease across his left cheek, but it didn’t take away from the perfection of his face.
Damn. Mei shook herself free of whatever spell seemed to hold her, suddenly aware the one she’d been watching had turned and now studied her. She glanced away, at the other one. The one Eve ran to. Both men were gorgeous. Totally different from one another and absolutely beautiful.
“Ah, so I was right. You were expecting me! I wondered about that phone call to Keisha.” He held his arms out and Eve practically leapt into his embrace.
She was crying and laughing all at the same time, obviously thrilled to see this guy. Mei stood there, grinning stupidly with all the good feelings pouring out of the two of them.
“I’m Oliver. And you are…?”
She jerked her head around and realized the other man had crossed the short distance between them. He held his hand out, but he was obviously sizing her up. She wondered if he liked what he saw. He certainly got her nod of approval.
“Mei. Mei Chen. I knew Eve years ago. When we were kids.” She took his hand and saw his eyes widen almost imperceptibly.
Did he feel the same jolt she did, the same amazing current that seemed to arc between them when they touched? Mei held on to his hand, well aware his grip hadn’t relaxed, either.
“Wow,” he said. Softly, almost reverently. He glanced down at their hands, at their fingers still entwined. Then he raised his head and smiled at Mei. “And wow, again. Like I said, who are you?”
Mei smiled and shrugged and slipped her hand free of his grasp. Little tingles of current continued to race along her arm, but she chose to ignore them for now. She nodded in the direction of Eve and her friend. They still hugged, Eve still cried, even Adam’s face looked suspiciously damp. “I guess they missed each other, eh?”
“I guess so. Here, let me help you with these.” Oliver picked up the packages Mei had dropped. She pulled the extra room key from her purse and opened the door. Oliver set the packages on the bed.
“Should we, like, disappear for a while and give them time together?” Mei glanced at Eve and her man. Their arms were still wrapped around one another and they appeared to be having a fairly intense conversation.
“Not a bad idea. We can take the Jeep.” Oliver grabbed Mei’s hand and led her back outside. “Hey guys. Mei, this is Adam. Adam, Mei Chen. I’ve missed you, Eve.” He leaned close and kissed Eve on the lips. It was obvious she kissed him back. With feeling. Before Mei could figure out the dynamics among these three, and well before Adam could shake her hand, Oliver was dragging her away. “Mei and I are going to take a ride. She’s taking me on a tour of Tampa. Figured you two could use some quiet time…”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Eve said.
“Yes, it is. Thanks, Ollie.” Adam grinned and tossed the set of keys. Oliver snagged them out of the air.
They were in the car and on the road before Mei had her seat belt fastened.
Adam shrugged into his shirt as he watched the Jeep disappear down the highway. When he turned to Eve, there was a speculative look in his eyes. “She’s Chanku, isn’t she? How did you find her?”
“I’m not sure. I found her this morning. There’s something about her…”
“I know. I sense it. Does she know?”
Eve shook her head. “No. I’ve told her the pills help with telepathy. I had to say something. She knew I was reading her mind. Her thoughts are so…” Eve waved her hands helplessly. “I’m pretty new at this myself. I’m not sure what to look for.”
Adam took her hand and tugged her toward the open door to the room. “We’ll worry about Mei later. Right now, you’re the only one I want to think about.”
“Oh, Adam.” Eve wrapped her hands around his upper arm and leaned close as they walked to the room. “I feel like such an idiot for leaving the way I did. I just…I…”
“It’s okay. Now. You had your reasons and they were important ones.” He leaned down and kissed her, then closed the door behind them. “It was pretty intense. When you shifted ahead of me, I was so afraid I’d lose you, and then you were gone.”
“I couldn’t stay. Something seemed to draw me back here.”
“Mei?”
“I don’t know. I think so. I’m not sure. At first I thought it was just me, needing to understand myself, my independence. Now that I’ve met Mei…I imagine Anton will have a field day with whatever is going on.”
Adam laughed. “Yeah, well, Stefan won’t like it. One more instance where his coincidence argument goes down the drain.” He brushed her hair back from her face and slowly, thoroughly, kissed her once again.
Eve drew his breath into her lungs, his scent, the hard feel of his body against hers. She’d been so stupid, leaving this amazing man, but she’d had no choice. Something stronger than desire had drawn her back to Florida. “How was it?” She pulled away from his lips. “The first time you shifted. Was it absolutely amazing?”
“It still is. Every time. The hardest part has been shifting back, being human and so damned horny I ache. And you’re not there.”
Eve felt her smile spread, felt the warmth of his soft words like a caress across her heart. “I’m here now. So are you. Both of us here and very needy. Make love to me, Adam. I’ve missed you so much.”
He took a huge breath and his chest rose and fell with it. She felt his confusion, his desire, but his thoughts were blocked, hidden from her searching mind. He suddenly turned and walked away from her, toward the small bathroom. Eve followed and watched while Adam carefully washed the grease from his big, battered hands and used the damp towel to take the smudge off his cheek. He led her back out into the room and stood with her beside the bed.
It was freshly made. Eve thought of the rumpled and sweaty sheets she and Mei had left this morning, but housekeeping had obviously come while they were gone. She wasn’t sure how Adam might feel about her morning with Mei. There was so little she really knew about him. What they’d