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“Yes, bad. And everyone would have blamed me.” He jerked her across the room into a corner far from the door and possible escape. “So I paid for a lot of it myself.”
Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, fingers and toes tingling with adrenalin as she tried to think of a way out. This man, this camel, was clearly vindictive. And she wasn’t sure what he might be capable of. Where were her dragons? What happened to their promises?
But, hell, she could handle herself, right? Play it cool until she could determine whether panicking served. Abasi might just want to yell at her, make her feel bad for ruining his party.
“I know you must be upset.”
“I was upset when the first few people disappeared. By the end of the evening, as I sat alone in the bar, I was furious.” He lifted her onto a table and gripped her wrists. “Those two you were with were always showboaters. The best at everything. Gathering all the attention for their sports and their talents, their grades, their stupid science trophies, and once they stopped talking to each other, everyone wanted to talk about that, too.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Panic, coming soon. His breath fulfilled all the rumors of stinky camel halitosis, puffing in her face with rapidity that she feared indicated he was about to do something bad. So, in her panic, she said the one thing she probably shouldn’t. The worst thing possible. “I wish I could do something to make up for it.”
Yeah. Bad choice.
His rheumy brown eyes narrowed. “Of course you can.” And he was on her like gravy on biscuits and twice as greasy. She gathered herself to shift, but he hissed, “Go ahead and shift. If you bring out that cat, I’ll stomp it to death.”
Could he? She didn’t know, and she hesitated. His full, slimy lips came toward her, pressing into hers, and, gagging, she bit him. Bit him hard, tasting blood and glad of it. He drew back his hand and slapped her across the face. “You bastard!” she shrieked.
Her cat yowled.
She lost it. Gathering herself, she prepared to shift. Her cat would not in a million years allow her to be treated that way.
As her teeth lengthened and claws shot from her fingertips, he was wrenched away from her. Because, as it turned out, there were others who would not allow her to be treated that way. While she crouched in the corner, caught mid-shift, crashes of breaking furniture and curses came from one part of the room then another. She peered into the darkness but couldn’t make out a thing. So she shifted the rest of the way. Because her cat could see much better than she without any light.
As she changed, the crashing and banging grew louder, the curses and shouts more vehement. Her senses sharpened. She could smell the nasty camel as well as the familiar, wonderful scents of her two men. But she saw something else as well. The camel. Looked like shifting was in today. But she also saw two of the most magnificent winged creatures in her experience. The ballroom ceiling was two stories or so high, allowing them to unfold their wings. And she could hear them.
Are you all right, beauty?The rose gold one spoke to her. Sky, of course it was him.
I’ll live. Don’t kill him.
We have to. He touched what’s ours.The silver. Thunder.
What makes you think I’m yours? We just met.
Don’t play coy. You know we belong together.Sky again.
Just then the lights snapped on, and the killing issue was put to rest as the entire class of 2003 pushed through the doorway, chattering and gasping and demanding to know what happened.
She watched the tall, magnificent dragons shrink back to tall, magnificent men. And her cat purred.
Two hours later, hotel security released them to go to their room and rest. The camel was going to be sent back to his people for punishment. They’d told their story over and over, once the others returned to the party to eat, drink, and be merry. The three of them…not so much. They were tired and just wanted some peace and to be together. The concierge caught them on their way through the lobby and suggested they order room service. “As a gift of the hotel.”
After riding up in the elevator that once again did not fly through the roof, they ordered an appalling amount of food and ate it. Drank wine and toasted one another and retold the story of the camel until they had changed the details enough to be unrecognizable. Which made it just a bit better. Finally, sated on food, they sat together on the big, cushy sofa, with Gina in the middle.
“So, what shall we do now?” she asked, weak with laughter and relief that she had been saved before anything too horrible could happen. “Bedtime?”
Sky laughed but took her hand in his. “Gina, are you really all right?”
She scoffed. “Of course. I can handle a masher.” But maybe not one who threatened her cat. Not much could make her madder than that.
“We knew he’d be unhappy but had no idea how much animosity he holds against us. Turns out, he thought we were stealing his limelight. And last night just made it worse.” Sky brushed a lock of hair back from her forehead. “Like he had any limelight. The class elected him president because nobody else wanted the job.”
“I see.” She leaned forward and took a sip of wine then replaced the glass on the coffee table and rested her head on the sofa again. “Well, he’s got all the notoriety he needs, now. I know camels have odd customs, but I’ve never heard of rape being one of them.”
“No. It’s not. And he’s the son of the dominant in his herd, until now was the heir apparent. This will probably cost him that. And possibly banishment as well. They are not the most forgiving group and, like him, they hate being embarrassed.” Sky slung an arm around her shoulder, his hand landing on Thunder’s back. “Let’s forget about him for this afternoon. And everyone but us. The dinner dance is in a few hours, and everyone is going to want details.”
Thunder smiled over her at Sky. “We could just go home and skip it all.”
“No!” burst out before she could temper her reply. “I mean…you came all this way. You don’t want to skip the party, do you? All your friends are here.”
