his ear. “If you have an emergency, call me. Go straight home after the meeting. If it’s close to dark, then I want you to find a nice hotel. … Don’t worry—I’ll reimburse you. Do you know anything about this male you’re meeting up with?” Lakota gave me another scolding glance while Hope must have been talking his ear off to pacify him. “Uh-huh. And if she doesn’t?”
I hooked my arms on the back of the chair and coolly tilted my head to the side. Does he really think this was all my doing?
He fished his hand in his pocket and pulled out a black band. “You do that. And carry the pepper spray I gave you. Okay, love you too.” He set the phone on the bedside table and raised his arms to tie his hair in a bun.
I’d never found man buns attractive until the moment he turned to look at me. His face was no longer obscured by all that hair, and I could really take in how much he had changed. High cheekbones drew all the attention to his lustrous blue eyes, and his complexion was warmer than usual, amplified by the summer sun. Lakota had a pensive brow and a broad mouth with soft lips. At least, they looked soft. I could definitely see where his Native American features warred with something else.
He stood up and reached in the sack, eyes still on mine. When he pulled his arm free, he was holding a bottle of mustard.
I grinned. “You remembered.”
“How could I forget? You’re the only person I’ve ever known who eats it straight out of the bottle.” Lakota set it in front of me and stood so close that I could feel his wolf’s power vibrating against my skin.
He wanted my approval.
When I reached for the bottle, our hands touched briefly. Before I could register that my stomach was getting that fluttery feeling, I twisted the top off, peeled back the lid, screwed the cap back on, shook the bottle, and squirted the mustard straight into my mouth.
Lakota shook his head with a tight grin. “Disgusting.”
After swallowing, I set the bottle on the table. “If you think that’s gross, you should see my Shifter craving.” Suddenly embarrassed, I licked the corner of my mouth and looked down, only to find myself staring at his abs. Deciding that was even more awkward, I dragged my gaze back up to his eyes. “Thanks for bringing me all this stuff. I’ll pay you back.”
He reached out and swiped mustard from my lips. “No worries. Get some rest. I’ll swing by in the morning and see you off.”
But I had no plans to leave right away, and I wasn’t certain whether it had more to do with Shikoba or the wolf standing before me.
“Good night, Sky Hunter.”
Lakota walked past me and opened the door. “Good night, Freckles,” he murmured quietly.
Chapter 6
My wolf was bounding through the dark woods, her paws sinking into wet earth and leaving behind muddy footprints. Her throat was parched, legs aching, heart beating at a wicked pace. It wasn’t the scent of pine or soil in her nose—it was fear. When she turned to look over her shoulder, I glimpsed a dark shadow gaining on us. The clouds blackened as a vortex spun in a slow circle, the ominous storm threatening to destroy everything.
Gasping, I shot up in bed. My heart raced out of control as I glanced around at unfamiliar surroundings. It wasn’t my bed or my home, and I didn’t recognize the smell. Dim light filtered through a gap in the heavy drapes on my right. I glanced down at my hands, expecting to see paws caked in mud. But I wasn’t in the forest or in wolf form. It took a minute or two for the dream to shake off, but remembering I was in a human motel didn’t calm me in the least. If I shifted, someone might take it upon themselves to shoot me and use my pelt for decorating their cabin floor. I shuddered at the thought.
Loud chattering outside my window caught my attention. Unable to hear the conversation, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and approached the window. Through the slim opening in the drapes, I saw three men hanging out on the walkway in front of my room, laughing and talking about a truck show. My wolf must have heard them and sensed danger. Thank the fates I hadn’t shifted.
When a fist