Dare (18 page)

“Don’t you? Aren’t you the least bit curious about her?”

I stared at the eyes painted on the wall. The green, the fierceness, the power. He captured her.

“I-I’m not a kidnapper. I’m not interested in hurting her.” I imagined a cage in his studio with a black panther pacing inside the bars.

“I wouldn’t hurt her.” He twisted the brush in his hands. “I only have one interest in her.”

“And what’s that?”

“I want to paint her in her true form.”

“And that’s it?” I asked.

“She is art to me. In my world, there’s nothing more sacred. Art is everything. It’s my life.”

I rubbed my hand along my stubbled chin. It was crazy. Ludicrous. The ramblings of a drunk artistic type. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about. What if there was truth there? What if he wasn’t insane? What if the panther I had seen in the woods was actually a woman? What if she had stopped to listen to me?

Before I had been cornered in the forest, I had thought it was legend. I was a non-believer. Now, with a gash in my leg that throbbed with every step I took, I was reminded that the legend was real. The legend was out there in the woods.

“I’ll help you.”

He stopped pouring his third cup and looked up. “You will?”

“I have a few conditions.”

“Of course you do. Let’s hear them.”

The green eyes hovered over his shoulder. I wondered how many hours it took him to get the eyes just right. “First, we don’t hurt her.”

“Never. What else?”

“We don’t involve the media. No press. I don’t want this turning into a media circus.”

He shook his head. “Wouldn’t want them anyway.”

“The last one.” I waited. “I want to write her story. You can’t give her story to anyone else. I get the rights to write it. You can’t tell anyone about her.”

He chuckled. “I guess she’s more than one man’s muse.”

“I guess so. Do we have a deal?” I held out my hand.

“We do.”

We shook. “Now what’s your plan?”

I listened as Silver explained an idea he had been concocting for years.

T
his wouldn’t be as easy. I could see three of them. Case, Trev, and Noah were inside. I wondered if Sloan was here too. I hoped she was in class. The thought of fighting against her would be more than Vix and I were emotionally prepared to handle today.

When did Case branch out in Sullen’s Grove real estate? This loft apartment was nowhere near where he lived.

I realized he had chosen populated areas to hide the girls. Places away from the forest. Places where we couldn’t shift. A panther on the city’s main streets would take panic to a new level.

We had spent too much time in the woods. Worried he would stake his claim to the borders, I had posted the Nox in regions around the city. Now we were completely divided, fighting to reunite.

“It’s the middle of the day. They have to leave for class soon.” Vix spoke quickly. “We’ll break her out. They’ll leave and we’ll find her.”

I put a hand out to stop her from pouncing too soon.

“Unless they’re skipping classes like we are.” My part of the group project was due tomorrow. I hadn’t touched the assignment. I wasn’t sure I’d get it in tonight. Maybe if I had a cave full of Nox panthers, I’d be able to focus on school again.

“They must not know we have Abi, yet.”

We stared at them through the window. They were engrossed in video games. Case was laughing. I didn’t see anyone else. Tegan must be in a back room. Rescuing her from this scenario wasn’t going to be easy.

“I think we need to go after Eva.” I turned from the window.

“But we need Tegan. She’s our best hope to stir Abi’s memory.”

“We need all of them,” I reminded her. “Eli’s out. These guys are here. Eva is probably alone. Let’s get her before their guard is up.”

Vix hurried behind me. “Where is she?”

I rolled my eyes. Case had chosen an especially significant location for Eva, the spot of our first kiss. “Under the union.”

“The union on campus? That union?”

“Yes, that one.”

Looking back, I should have known he was a roaming jaguar. All the signs were there. He was cocky. He was gorgeous. He was smart. He circled me every day until I gave in. I should have seen it a mile away, but I didn’t.

Case lured me in one line at a time. One look. One kiss. Until I found out his truth. That was when everything changed.

“Let me guess. Don’t tell. Don’t tell me. You’re a model.”

I looked up from my book. His head blocked out the sun.

“Excuse me?”

“You look familiar. Thought I’d introduce myself. Hi, I’m Case.”

“Case?” I shoved my sunglasses on my head to make out his features. I felt a magical presence.

He sat next to me and I shifted on the bench. “Am I right?”

“Right about what?” I wanted to see his eyes.

“The modeling. You’re beautiful.”

I gathered my books. “I’m not a model.” I pushed them both into my backpack.

“You should be.”

I cut my eyes in his direction. “Nice meeting you, Case. Maybe I’ll see you on campus.”

“Wait. Don’t go. That was lame line. I can do better than that, darlin’.” He followed me through the quad.

I paused. “Where are you from?”

“Tennessee. What about you?”

“Sullen’s Grove.”

“A little home grown I guess.”

I stopped walking. “Are you always like this?”

“Like what? Charming? Irresistible?”

“Irresistible?” I laughed louder than I meant to. I covered my mouth as a couple walked past us. I wasn’t going to tell him he was attractive. That was the last thing this guy needed.

He finally slid the glasses off his face. Not that it mattered, but I was relieved to see he had brown eyes. Whatever he was, it wasn’t a threat to me.

“Look, I know I came on a little strong. I’m sorry. But you’re beautiful, and I knew if I didn’t say something, I would kick myself for being a coward. I took a chance you’d take one on me.”

Without trying to impress me, he had done it. “I like it when guys don’t try so hard. Just a tip.”

“I can do that.” He winked.

I leaned toward his ear. “Tell me what you are.”

He glanced around. “That obvious?”

I nodded. “Shifter? Vamp? Witch?”

“That’s awfully personal, don’t you think? We just met.”

“True.” I considered which one I thought he might be.

“Get a drink with me. I’ll tell you, if you tell me.”

It wasn’t even noon yet. “How about something from the union?”

He grinned. “Lead the way.”

We sat across from each other at one of the small bistro tables inside the student union. We talked for an hour. Case told me what it was like moving from Tennessee. I learned he was a biology major, thinking about pre-med. He was sweet, overly flirtatious, and hot. The kind of hot I knew Vix would be excited about.

He threw our empty cups in a trash can.

“Have you ever been in the movie theater during the day?” he asked.

“The union only shows movies at night.”

“That’s why you’ve got to see it during the day. Come on.” He grabbed my hand, taking off down a side staircase. We descended to the bottom level of the union.

I laughed as he ran faster, tugging me behind me.

He pushed open the double doors and stopped. The theater was pitch black.

“Where are the lights?” I asked.

“Lights?” He smiled.

I felt his hands circle my waist, his breath against my cheek.

“You said you’d tell me,” I warned. I knew his lips were dangerously close. The magic was humming around us.

He brushed his lips across mine. “You were right. I am a shifter.”

I smiled. God, I just wanted him to kiss me. “What kind?” He pulled me against him, tight enough I could hear his heart beating.

“Does it matter?” His lips made another pass against my mouth. I almost sighed out loud.

“Yes. Tell me. I’ll tell you.”

“A fox.” His hand toyed with the base of my neck. I leaned into the contact. “You’re turn.”

My eyes had adjusted to the darkness. I could see every line on his face, every speck of brown in his eyes. They glimmered. I didn’t expect a fox to be so certain. I worried telling him who I was would intimidate him or make him nervous. I was a predator to him. Although, at this moment, I felt like the one who had been hunted.

“Come on, tell me.” He nipped behind my ear.

“A panther.” I exhaled.

“Really? That’s pretty hot.” His lips trailed along my throat. He moved the hair from my neck. “What’s this?” He had found my tattoos.

“Oh, that’s the symbol for the other panthers in my group.”

“There are more of you?” His finger traced over the design.

“Yes. We’re the Nox. There’s one star for each of us. We all have them.”

“Good to know.”

My eyes flashed to his, but before I could ask, his hands caught my face and he crashed his lips against my mouth. I kissed him relentlessly, fisting my hands in his hair, breathing in his scent, purring against his tongue.

“I was hoping it would be like this,” he breathed into my ear.