Shadow Wolf, page 8
Perhaps he shouldn’t have left his post to help her, but he’d also been on point the rest of the night, as had his team. Then again, was that how they did it? Pretended to be upstanding and helpful while they robbed a place blind?
But how?
She just needed something.
A glance at the morning’s paper had turned her stomach to acid. Seeing the theft on the front page along with her name disturbed her deeply. It made it sound it was her fault, simply by being the organizer.
Her cell had been buzzing all morning with messages and calls from acquaintances, but Tamaska hadn’t answered a single call or responded to any messages. Most of them probably just wanted to gossip about the theft. Others wanted to indulge in Schadenfreude—that was, enjoy her misfortune as firsthand as they could get.
Her friends were messaging her repeatedly, demanding to know if she was really all right. They knew how much the job meant to her, how much pride she took in making her events into huge successes.
She couldn’t face any of it—at least, not until after she’d gone for her morning jog, showered, and had a coffee. Then she would get started countering the damage to her reputation even though it was tempting to hide under her covers. She wouldn’t do that.
She followed the path around a bend. There hadn’t been anyone else around for a while. That wasn’t so unusual, considering how early it was on a Saturday morning.
Her mind kept turning to the Blood Moon Nightclub and their anniversary event tonight.
She was going; there was no doubt about that. If any chance stood with there being a link between the club and the opal, she would take it.
She would prefer not to go on her own. Not that she was worried about trouble, but a single woman out at a club would always draw attention. But that wasn’t a big deal. Some of her friends would probably offer to go with her for safety. She reckoned Tahla would be up for the adventure, but Tamaska would need a cover story to explain to her why she wanted to go to a club like that. Maybe a new potential client? And, since the theft, she couldn’t be choosy about her clients.
That might convince Tahla to come along without making her worry that she was doing something dangerous that should be left to the police.
Her skin prickled as she ran, and the shadows somehow seemed darker, which was silly. An icy shiver trailed down along her spine and even though no one was round, an uncomfortableness, like she was being watched or followed, settled in her stomach.
But as she glanced about, no one was there.
It was in her mind. After last night, who could blame her for jumping at the slightest shadow or expecting trouble?
Even so, she slowed down. This was her usual morning jogging route. She knew every inch by heart, and never had felt anything spooky like this before.
As she ran farther along, the sensations grew instead of receding.
She hit pause on the music app on her watch and the loud beat in her ear pods stopped.
Where were the voices? The rumbling of traffic beyond the Western Sydney Parklands?
Why did it feel like she’d suddenly plunged deep into the bush at night?
Fuck, the opal thing really had gotten to her.
She turned around, slowing her run to just above a brisk walk, but no one was behind her. Then, she squinted at the trees to make sure no one was lurking there. Above, the birds sang as if they were happy about the new day. But that was all she heard. If anyone was around, Tamaska couldn’t see them. Worse, she couldn’t hear them.
And she should be able to in the park.
She sucked in a hard, deep breath.
All in my mind. Stop acting crazy.
She quickened her pace, driven by the need to purge herself of the strange feeling of being watched, or being followed. Purge herself of everything that had happened last night. Purge herself of the lingering disturbing effect of Kodiak.
She wanted to fling herself past the breaking point. Only then could last night’s events be replaced by physical pain and exhaustion.
Her body began to ache, and her breath became labored as she pushed herself. Her leg muscles felt like dead weights and she struggled to keep moving, but there was no way she was stopping before the creepy feeling had passed.
She stumbled, lost her balance, and tumbled to the ground. She skidded across the concrete path and winced at the discomfort as it shot through her.
Fuck.
She closed her eyes as lancing streaks of pain filled her body. Then, that agony focused to a point. Finally, it eased, leaving her heavy with exhaustion and nothing else.
Tamaska had reached her breaking point, just like she wanted. But she hadn’t intended to find it lying injured on the ground, wondering if the damage was worse than grazed skin.
Ouch.
Her upper left arm spasmed in a sharp cramp, in the same spot she’d been somehow hurt last night. She sat up and placed a hand over the tender spot and rubbed it.
Not hurt, drugged. That was what Kodiak had said. It still didn’t sit well in her.
She froze. There was a flash of darkness, as if someone stood to her left, and she turned her head. For a second, there was nothing. Then a huge, sleek dog came bounding out of the bushes.
She screamed, her fear of dogs taking over her entire being.
It was a giant of a beast, so much bigger than any dog she’d ever seen before, with clean patches of ochre fur. And it was beautiful. It didn’t seem like a feral dog.
She froze, staring at it.
She couldn’t move as it bounded onto the path coming right at her. Then it paused, stopping short, standing in front of her as its yellow and golden-flecked eyes stared straight into hers, sending heat spiraling through her.
The dog panted. The sight of the rapid flutter of its ribs that came with the breaths it took, almost like it was in total control, chilled her. Its mouth opened and the lips drew back, exposing long, sharp teeth. But in those eyes, intelligence glittered. The dog looked like it was on the hunt.
Tamaska waited for it to come and sink its white teeth into her flesh. Terror ricocheted through her, along with the horrible memories. Bracing herself at the thought of more pain, she couldn’t move as fear gripped her.
A dog had attacked her when she’d been a small child, a savage thing with hate and bloodlust in its eyes, the jaws strong and hungry for meat.
She’d fought and screamed and cried. She’d been too young to fight it off, and it had left scars on her arms and legs. She’d been lucky it hadn’t sunk its teeth into her face. Fortunately, neighbors came to help her, saving her life.
Ever since, she’d had a huge fear of dogs of any size.
Now, here she was, face to face with one that wasn’t on any leash. It looked down into her, almost like it knew her.
She swallowed over the hot, hard lump in her throat. The dog didn’t know her. It was just a huge dog, one that was too close, too big. She was scared shitless. She’d recognized the glint in its eye, the need to attack, the same look she’d seen in the dog who’d attacked her when she was a child.
The dog turned and ran off into the bushes, back towards the place where she'd first felt like someone had watched her.
Tamaska exhaled in relief and confusion. The dog could have bitten her, even attacked her, but it hadn’t.
The thing had looked at her almost like it had been checking up on her.
She raised a shaking hand, the heel of her palm scraped raw but, ignoring the bite of pain, she pushed her hand over her hair.
How had her life suddenly become so strange and complicated?
As she looked about, she realized she could hear voices and traffic once again, all the sounds of Sydney bubbling back in. They hadn’t been there before, had they?
She couldn’t sit on the concrete path all day.
Gritting her teeth, she put her scraped hands down and attempted to push up. Her legs, still leaden, trembled, and she collapsed back down.
“Are you all right?” A couple rushed up to her before she could try again. Both dressed in active wear and looking like they were outside for fitness.
The fear started to disappear, along with the shock of everything, and she took a breath.
“Yes.”
She was, surprisingly. Her ankle hurt a little, and there was that odd stinging in her arm. But she felt better than she had earlier. Her legs weren’t as leaden as moments ago.
She tried to stand once more, but her legs wouldn’t hold her weight.
Tears of frustration stung her eyes.
“Sit a bit longer,” the woman said.
The adrenaline generated during the encounter eased, and her body shook as she tried and failed to stand once more. She hated feeling so weak.
“I’ll call an ambulance,” the woman said.
“No, it’s not that bad. I pushed myself a little too hard running and I just had a fright when I fell. You’re right, though. I need a few minutes sitting here.”
Facing a dog like that up close and somehow escaping unscathed had left her more rattled than her fall.
Why didn’t it attack me?
She couldn’t shake that question, or the feeling that her life was getting crazy.
And somehow, someway, Kodiak was involved.
CHAPTER 11
Kodiak
Kodiak’s paws hit the ground hard, his claws digging into the damp soil and pushing off as he chased Tamaska’s voyeur.
In his wolf form, he jumped easily over a fallen branch in the small area of bushland that marked the perimeter of the park.
He’d been right to go and keep watch over her. Now, he had his reward—a lead. At least he hoped that was what it was. Every instinct he possessed said it was.
The Western Sydney Parklands were popular among city dwellers during the day, and among supernaturals during the night including pack members and other shifters. The park boasted over five thousand hectares with walking and cycling paths, as well as picnic areas and of course plenty of trees and native wildlife. A type of Australian oasis in the outer suburbs of Sydney, providing a chance to escape the busy city life.
While the cul-de-sac where the pack lived bordered the bush that was heavily populated with the native plants and trees, it wasn’t enough. The bush gave them a place to run when needed, like here.
They couldn’t hunt so much in the bushland close to the city, since there weren’t many kangaroos.
Humans ate them as did the pack, and on occasion, the pack would go out to the country to roam and hunt properly.
They kept away from protected native animals and endangered species. Just as they kept from the livestock in the country humans bred for food.
The park, though, was Kodiak’s usual stomping ground, a place where he could run in both human and wolf form and keep an eye on the goings on. He knew it well.
As wolf, he was faster, stronger, and able to cover more ground.
Tamaska’s scent had caught him by surprise. He didn’t have the strength to resist following her sweetness in the air for the chance to see her once more.
Close to her but hidden, he followed her easily, enjoying the sight of her tight ass as she jogged.
Out of nowhere came a flash of a shadow moving fast toward Tamaska. Straight away, he knew it was a vampire.
He rushed to give chase. The lust to rip apart flesh and destroy evil taking over, but he’d paused after seeing her hurt on the ground.
The fear in her eyes had locked him there, and he had only been able to watch, making sure she was fine. He'd wanted to soothe her with his nose or paws or tongue, but the terror stopped him.
Instead, he’d leaped after the attacker. He’d managed to hit them with his paws, forcing them to flee instead of attack.
Tongue lolling to one side, he ran after the shadow. Trees flashed past him as he sprinted. He hoped to sink his sharp teeth into the attacker, to taste their blood and rip their flesh apart.
How dare they threaten someone under his protection? He could no longer deny his need to protect Tamaska, beyond the job they were hired to do, beyond the pack’s stance to protect those weaker than them.
There was something about her that attracted him, and he couldn’t control those feelings. Ordinarily, he would complete a job, protect people, and then move on. That hadn’t been the case with Tamaska.
It wasn’t just about getting the Blood Opal back. His protectiveness stemmed from a need to claim her as his own.
But he wasn’t about to do that. Instead, he would take revenge on whomever he was chasing. Plus, maybe his target could give him a lead on the Blood Opal’s location.
He wanted to find the opal. It was a matter of pride, completing the job he’d been hired to do. But it went beyond that. He needed to stake his claim as Alpha sooner rather than later. Why did Olcan want the gem?
And he wanted to know why the vampires did, too.
Magic? Or just money?
For now, though, he wanted whoever had stalked Tamaska.
The entire incident had happened so quickly. He’d detected her would-be attacker a second before they’d rushed towards her.
The vampire was solid, strong, and incredibly fast. Kodiak hated to think what would have happened if he hadn’t been there.
What is she thinking, going out here so early by herself?
Then again, she had no idea what types of supernatural beings, including him, shared the earth with humankind.
Anger burned inside Kodiak’s veins, directed not at Tamaska but at the vampire who had tried to hurt her.
This wasn’t the usual time for vampires to be out and about. The sun would soon be peeking over the horizon and the sky was already becoming blue, pushing away the night and the nightmares that lurked in the dark. Right now, it wasn’t safe for a vampire to be out.
He tracked the scent, detecting the musky, metallic blood odor that convinced him he was chasing a vampire. The contradicting information was confusing. It was too light for a creature who would burn to ash beneath the sun to be outside.
What the fuck was going on?
That motivated him to speed up. If he was right, then soon there would be nowhere for the vampire to go. The vampire would have to find a hiding spot for the day.
This could be Kodiak’s chance to catch the attacker and rip him apart. Bloodlust stirred inside him, saliva thickening in his mouth at the thought of fighting. He was made for this. He had missed that vital excitement of taking down a vampire. That thrill of the chase, knowing his quarry was within reach.
Letting his wolf take full control of the chase. The feel of the air in his pelt, with its earthy hues which matched Australia’s typical ochre, was freeing. Kodiak pushed forward, his senses fully engaged as he closed in on his fleeing target.
Although they were originally from America, a few of his kind had emigrated to escape the Dust Bowl and the Depression. After finding their way to Australia, they’d claimed the continent as their new home. They’d thrived in their new land, adapting easily, and now they were once more changing to thrive in an increasingly urban landscape.
To really run, to completely release his wolf, was like nothing else. A special gift.
He rarely went into the city in wolf form. If seen, he would draw too much attention. He didn’t need to be hunted by humans.
He wouldn’t allow himself to be killed, and he might not like them, but he didn’t want to kill humans, either. Besides, the humans would hunt him down out of revenge if he ever had to hurt one of them.
To defend himself, he could change a human into a wolf, but no one in his pack had ever done that for as long as he could remember. He descended from a long line of purebred wolf shifters that weren’t permitted to breed with humans.
His pack kept to themselves, occasionally associating with other Australian packs, but never converting humans. They’d agreed on that to protect themselves since it had taken so long for them to build up the numbers after first coming to Australia. That had been over a century ago.
One thing hadn’t changed—the need to keep the vampires from creating total chaos and killing people.
Shifters served as protectors in the shadows, quietly working, unbeknownst to humans. They had been excellent protectors for generations, and it annoyed Kodiak that the vampires were up to something again and had to be stopped.
Whatever the vampires were planning caused Kodiak’s stomach to tighten. First, they’d brazenly stolen the Blood Opal for reasons he didn’t quite understand. Now, they were roaming around outside when they should have been indoors, cowering at the light.
Well, one roamed.
Perhaps this vampire had discovered a type of magic that allowed him to stay outside? If so, where, and how?
Or could it have something to do with the Blood Opal?
Thoughts crowded Kodiak’s mind like a pack around a kill, tearing apart the details as though they were flesh. If he found the vampire, there was a chance of finding answers.
It didn’t make sense if he looked at it objectively, but instinct told him time was most definitely running out.
Kodiak knew the layout of the thinning bushes that signaled the end of the park. He had to use the terrain to his advantage. Using his smell and his sight, he predicted where the vampire would go next.
Kodiak cut around the path, hoping to reach the vampire before the stretch of grass in front of the buildings. The grass marked the beginning of the suburbs of western Sydney where it would be harder to stay unnoticed by the humans.
As Kodiak calculated where he would attack and launched himself from the ground.
He felt as if he were flying. He reached out for the body he wanted to assault, but he met only air.
Fuck.
Had he missed?
Kodiak looked down. Everything was happening in slow motion. He could see the dead leaves on the ground, a few crawling ants, some red flowers, and small animal tracks in the rich soil between the bushes.
