my husky Timber, is the best ally I’ve ever had. He’s back in D.C., where I was based before this.”
“I thought you were from New York?”
“I was. Anyway we can shift, but some can see the future, or manipulate luck. Others of us can control elements or read minds. There’s so much variety, but I wouldn’t trade what we are for anyone else’s powers.”
“But we’re–”
“Different, but still us and not alone anymore,” he replied, walking over to her. “Yes, helping train you…helping you learn the full extent of your powers, that will take calling on nature and sometimes, yes, intercourse. Magus Corps officers only do it with consent, but it’s part of your craft.”
“I’m sure it is. How convenient for you.” She ignored him to stroke Rainstone’s nose.
“It’s not convenient. It’s the most beautiful expression of togetherness that there is. Some of the Magus Corps have been at this for centuries, and those unions, the fully initiated ones, are the stuff of legends.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he cocked his head, amused at the way she showed shock so easily.
“ Centuries? ”
“If you have unprotected sex with a Magus Corps member, truly have that intimate a joining, that will make you immortal.”
“You can’t be more than twenty-five.”
“The immortality keeps me looking that way, but I’m young compared to the others, just fifty.”
“That’s close to Dad’s age.”
He shrugged.
“I know this is a lot to take in, and I meant to do better and find a way to prepare you, to help start your training. But even I wasn’t sure how to say ‘so you’re in line to be an immortal witch.’”
“I’m sure you do it all the time,” she said, but not sounding as sure of herself.
“No, actually,” he said, finally coming to stand inches from her.
She shuddered and he smelled her arousal even then, the sweet tang of juices flowing to her pussy. Animals calling to each other, shifter calling to shifter. Reaching down, he stroked her cheek.
“I’ve been on the front line in the battle,” he said quietly. “I’ve never initiated anyone else.”
“I’m a job,” she said flatly.
“You’re more than that, and that’s why I messed this up. I wasn’t supposed to, but I’m falling hard for you, my country gal.”
“I can’t know anything is real,” she said through clenched jaws, but she didn’t move, just regarded him with an intensity that matched her wolf form.
“Then watch,” he said, kissing her cheek and then stepping back. Unbuckling his jean jacket, he let her get a good look at the item around his waist. She reached out and stroked it and most of him wished she’d stroked an area farther south. “Do you know what this is?”
She nodded. “It’s a fur belt. That’s the most popular totem for skinwalkers.”
“Yes,” he said, reaching into his pocket and tossing her the tooth. “You left this at your place. You weren’t there when I was looking for you today. It’s how I guessed to come here. You’ll need the totem to change.”
“That’s the last thing I want to do!”
“This,” he repeated even as the fur spread over his body and his ears elongated, “is a gift. So accept it, Elaine, and run with me.”
After that, he could no longer speak, not as bones crunched, forcing him to all fours. His face stretched out and teeth erupted from the gums. His ears crawled up the side of his head. Viscera rearranged within his gut. Eventually, he was fully changed, long since used to the pain of it. It was a dull ache now, something to be borne when changing bone and trading flesh for fur or feathers. Slipping out of his clothing, he glanced up at Elaine and howled, hoping she understood the message repeated again.
Run with me .
• • • • •
The pain was as sharp as it had been the past times. That was the first thought that occurred to her. The second strongest one ringing through her mind was that she was nuts.
“I thought you were from New York?”
“I was. Anyway we can shift, but some can see the future, or manipulate luck. Others of us can control elements or read minds. There’s so much variety, but I wouldn’t trade what we are for anyone else’s powers.”
“But we’re–”
“Different, but still us and not alone anymore,” he replied, walking over to her. “Yes, helping train you…helping you learn the full extent of your powers, that will take calling on nature and sometimes, yes, intercourse. Magus Corps officers only do it with consent, but it’s part of your craft.”
“I’m sure it is. How convenient for you.” She ignored him to stroke Rainstone’s nose.
“It’s not convenient. It’s the most beautiful expression of togetherness that there is. Some of the Magus Corps have been at this for centuries, and those unions, the fully initiated ones, are the stuff of legends.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he cocked his head, amused at the way she showed shock so easily.
“ Centuries? ”
“If you have unprotected sex with a Magus Corps member, truly have that intimate a joining, that will make you immortal.”
“You can’t be more than twenty-five.”
“The immortality keeps me looking that way, but I’m young compared to the others, just fifty.”
“That’s close to Dad’s age.”
He shrugged.
“I know this is a lot to take in, and I meant to do better and find a way to prepare you, to help start your training. But even I wasn’t sure how to say ‘so you’re in line to be an immortal witch.’”
“I’m sure you do it all the time,” she said, but not sounding as sure of herself.
“No, actually,” he said, finally coming to stand inches from her.
She shuddered and he smelled her arousal even then, the sweet tang of juices flowing to her pussy. Animals calling to each other, shifter calling to shifter. Reaching down, he stroked her cheek.
“I’ve been on the front line in the battle,” he said quietly. “I’ve never initiated anyone else.”
“I’m a job,” she said flatly.
“You’re more than that, and that’s why I messed this up. I wasn’t supposed to, but I’m falling hard for you, my country gal.”
“I can’t know anything is real,” she said through clenched jaws, but she didn’t move, just regarded him with an intensity that matched her wolf form.
“Then watch,” he said, kissing her cheek and then stepping back. Unbuckling his jean jacket, he let her get a good look at the item around his waist. She reached out and stroked it and most of him wished she’d stroked an area farther south. “Do you know what this is?”
She nodded. “It’s a fur belt. That’s the most popular totem for skinwalkers.”
“Yes,” he said, reaching into his pocket and tossing her the tooth. “You left this at your place. You weren’t there when I was looking for you today. It’s how I guessed to come here. You’ll need the totem to change.”
“That’s the last thing I want to do!”
“This,” he repeated even as the fur spread over his body and his ears elongated, “is a gift. So accept it, Elaine, and run with me.”
After that, he could no longer speak, not as bones crunched, forcing him to all fours. His face stretched out and teeth erupted from the gums. His ears crawled up the side of his head. Viscera rearranged within his gut. Eventually, he was fully changed, long since used to the pain of it. It was a dull ache now, something to be borne when changing bone and trading flesh for fur or feathers. Slipping out of his clothing, he glanced up at Elaine and howled, hoping she understood the message repeated again.
Run with me .
• • • • •
The pain was as sharp as it had been the past times. That was the first thought that occurred to her. The second strongest one ringing through her mind was that she was nuts.
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