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Chapter Eight
Zee’s thoughts weregetting fuzzy.
The wolf that was her other self nudged at her, told her she needed to shift, eat, rest. But Zee didn’t want to do that. It took more effort than she liked to remember why, even more effort to understand why she didn’t want to see him. Wolves weren’t simple creatures, but they didn’t think in the same way humans did either.
Her wolf had scented her mate, her other half, the one who’d made her feel safe and wanted and loved even as he made her want to do crazy things, like run wild under the moon and dance and act like the girl she’d never had a chance to be.
It didn’t help that the other part of her nature, the part that came from her long-dead mother, kept pushing closer to the surface and whispering about the time that had passed, how it would be so much easier if she just forgot about the hurt—or better yet, take it out on him in a fury of passion, until he knew nothing and nobody but her, until he was enslaved and never again thought of sending her away.
Each time she’d managed to coax her heavy thoughts into some semblance of order, she’d half-forgotten what she’d been trying to reason through and had to backtrack.
But then she heard his voice.
Just like that—everything fell into place.
Niko.
He was here.
Understanding why he might be there was harder, but she remembered something else eventually. Something about her father.
Yes. That was it.
Her father was gone.
The bastard.
A low whine emanated from her even as rage burned. The rage wasn’t welcome because it made her thoughts clear, pushing the fog back until she was thinking more like her human self. The wolf was a predator and understood the need to hunt, to kill. It even understood vengeance. But the tangle of emotions Zee felt for her father was far too human for the wolf to understand.
Pain burned in her side and made it hard to get comfortable, curled there on the balcony. She tried a few times to lick at the hurting places. It just made the pain worse. The simple logic that guided her animal self insisted she shift so she could care for the wound before it healed too completely. If that happened, she’d have to cut it open again, or have Donner do it, the sadist. The thorns inside, and the debris, all would have to be cleaned out unless she wanted everything to work its way to the surface over time.
She scented the air warily, checking once more for Niko.
Still there.
Sensing movement behind her, she wearily turned her head toward the bay. The sun had risen during one of her fitful naps and she caught sight of a shimmering, iridescent tailfin, silver and blue, sparkling in the sun as an Atargarian dived.
Meridia.
She wasn’t the only mermaid in the Cape Cod area but she was the most beautiful—and the most powerful.
Zee’s eyesight in this form was far sharper and she saw the silly seals crowding around the area where Meridia had gone under. A few dived down to chase her while others rolled into the water and splashed like pups.
It was a peaceful sight and she stayed focused on it as the man came up to crouch beside her.
His scent wrapped around her and one big, warm hand rested on her neck.
She tensed, but he didn’t speak, didn’t do anything else.
The stupid, silly wolf that had missed him so much breathed in his scent. She tried to fight the instinctive unclenching inside. But the animal was more in control now and she lost the battle.
She was almost asleep when he murmured her name. “Sleep, Zee. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
* * * * *
WHEN HER BODY FINALLYrelaxed into the deepest of sleep, Niko slid his arms under her sleek form and lifted her.
A countdown clock still ticked away in the back of his head. Almost twelve hours now. Time was halfway gone.
