Scent of the Heart (3 page)

When the skunk passed the mushroom completely, Casey knew he was screwed. “Fine. Can we move this along? You spray me. I’ll go home and wash it off. Of course I’ll have to run through the village and everyone is going to be really pissed because I’ll stink to high heaven, but at least I can get going.”

Casey stood, waiting for the inevitable. The skunk sauntered up to him and wound around his legs like a damn cat. It made a strange chittering noise, almost like it was happy, and Casey wasn’t about to get on its bad side. When it put claws to his leg and attempted to climb him, Casey knew he’d have to make a run for it.

“Hey now, be careful. You’re getting near some pretty tender areas, and I might need those at some point.”

The skunk peered up at him, then rubbed its face against his leg. Casey stood stock-still. The claws were sharp and hurt like a bitch as the skunk climbed his body, but it didn’t seem as if the thing was trying to hurt him. It began to rub on his stomach, digging in tight to hold itself steady. It wasn’t long before a warm spray soaked through Casey’s shirt, but this didn’t stink like…. He jumped back, horrified at the realization of what just happened. The skunk fell to the ground, cocked his head, then dark eyes opened wide and it fled into the forest.

“Not enough that the damn things spray me, now they jizz on me too. This is just freaking great.”

Casey pulled a cloth from his satchel and began mopping up the mess. Jake would scent it anyway, and that would lead to all kinds of ribbing.

“Should just burn the damn shirt,” he muttered. Some of the nice people of the village had made him clothes. Hakiim had been right. There were amazingly talented people in the enclave. What he liked best about the people, besides their openness and generosity, was the fact that there was no division between men and women. Everyone did what needed to be done without old-fashioned thoughts about gender roles. Mr. Adamczeski knew how to knit. Mrs. Tanangier chopped lumber like no one’s business. The twins he’d helped deliver earlier had a teacher for a mother and a fisherman for a father. Yet he would help raise the children while his wife gardened.

Casey stripped his shirt off and threw it on the ground. If Mr. Adamczeski wasn’t averse to lotion for his rheumatism as payment, maybe Casey could get a couple of shirts from him. He sighed and picked up the mushroom, putting it back in his pouch, then turned toward home.

***

Tsvetok was mortified. He’d been so overcome by the scent of his mate he couldn’t help himself. He had to touch, to love. Casey had to be shown how much he meant to Sev. Instead he’d rutted against him and marked him. Shame coursed through him. He shifted back to his human form, reveling in the pain he so richly deserved. When the transformation was complete, he stepped from behind the trees where he’d concealed himself and began the long walk home.

Spotting the discarded shirt that Casey had worn, Sev picked it up and held it to his face. His musky scent mingled with Casey’s earthy one, creating a wholly new and delightful aroma. Sev sighed and clutched the shirt to his chest. He pictured Casey, his round, mischievous face, sparkling blue eyes, and shaggy blond hair smiling at his beast. He’d been afraid, but hadn’t shown it. Few creatures did that around a skunk. Even predators in the enclave respected his beast enough to give it a wide berth, even if the people themselves did not.

Sev caught a whiff of the shirt again and his cock began to lengthen. He sneered, disgusted with himself that he would fawn over another man. He was not interested, and his beast would have to learn that the spirits made a mistake and let go. Even if it meant he could never find love, it would be better to be alone than with someone he could never have feelings for beyond the physical. He threw the shirt down and kicked it away. Then stormed homeward. He would, could never love someone like Casey.

And for a moment, Sev truly believed it. Then he pictured Casey once again. His gentle demeanor, his strange attempts at humor, the smile that never seemed to dim. He turned back, picked up the shirt and brushed the detritus from it, put it on to wrap himself in the amazing scent, and headed for home. This time he walked slower than he normally would. It wasn’t because he was enjoying the scent, though. That wasn’t it at all.

And he thought if he said it enough times, he might actually start to believe himself. One day.

“Please, tell me again what happened,” the Alpha asked as he leaned forward, chin on his palm. “I am intrigued.”

“I hate you, Zak,” Casey grumbled. “This is the third time you’ve asked me to tell you the story.”

“Yes, but it does get funnier with each retelling. I think Jake will also enjoy hearing this.”

“No!” Casey shouted. “I mean, please don’t tell him. It’s bad enough you know.”

“When I see you running into the enclave shirtless, I do wonder what happened.”

“Look, seriously…please don’t tell Jake.”

Zak sighed and rolled his eyes. He could be such a drama queen. “Very well. I promise not to tell him, but if he reads my thoughts, he will undoubtedly find out.”

Casey glared at his friend. “What do you want?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Zak said innocently.

“We both know that you guys can hide something if it’s important, so I figure you must want something to keep quiet. I’ve already finished your ointment for your”—Casey waved his hand—“problem.”

“For which I am grateful. It was of use when I had to sit in meetings all morning.”

Casey stuck his fingers in his ears. “No. No, no, no, no, no. We don’t talk about the sex stuff. We don’t make our friends think about the sex stuff. I have to draw the line somewhere. And if you insist, the next time I’m going to mix a little sexual sedative into Jake’s lube.”

Zak’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You would not.”

Giving his best predatory grin, Casey chuckled. “Try me.”

“Very well, I shall not tell him. Do keep in mind, however, that if this animal is rabid, it could well bite someone. It would be better to discuss this with Jake so that he may ensure the safety of the other members of the enclave. Now that we have removed Elizar’s restrictions, more and more people are allowing their animals to run in the forest. And if I am not mistaken, you do not have a cure for rabies.”

“No,” Casey agreed. “I don’t. There are a few things that modern medicine has over what I can do.”

A warm hand covered Casey’s. “I promise I will not tell Jake of your incident. Perhaps you could simply tell him that the skunk behaved in an abnormal manner and allow him to do what he thinks would be best.”

“You’re probably right.”

Zak sat back in his chair, a smug expression plain to see. “Of course I am. Now, tell me again what happened so that I will not forget.”

“Really hate you,” Casey grumbled.

***

Sev stuffed the shirt into his cabinet. He should get rid of it, common sense told him that, but the scent calmed his beast, and with what he was about to do, he needed all the help he could get.

“Mikhail, where were you this afternoon?”

“After my studies, I went fishing with Tiam,” he said defensively.

“You were supposed to come home. You have a list of chores that you have not yet done.”

A snarl from Mikhail told Sev what was about to come. “And where were you? Not all of us have the luxury of running in the forest,
brother
.”

“This has nothing to do with me. Mrs. Havanec has requested that you not play with Tiam anymore.”

“What? Why?”

“She said you were encouraging him to leave the enclave. She doesn’t feel you should be allowed to influence decisions that he isn’t old enough to make.”

“Influence?” Mikhail spat. “The Alpha has made it clear we can explore. Are you saying he’s wrong?”

“Don’t twist my words. You know the Alpha said we could explore the forest. The
forest
, Mikhail. He hasn’t said anything about leaving the enclave. And right now the geas is still in place. If you leave the forest, you won’t be allowed to return.”

“I don’t care!” Mikhail barked. “I hate it here. I don’t like anything about this place. Things aren’t any better than they were under Elizar.”

Sev grabbed his brother by the shoulders and shook him. “You listen to me. Zak is a true Alpha. He is everything Elizar wasn’t. Did you enjoy living in the outer rim of the enclave? Did you like having to scrabble for a bit of food? Or being looked down on by the others?”

“Because you stole from them. They didn’t have any problems with me and Vadim, only the thieving
skunk
.”

Sev stumbled from the weight of the words. “Mikhail?”

“I hate this place and I hate you,” his brother cried out as he ran from the room. Sev heard the door slam and couldn’t find the strength to go after his brother.

Twilight found Sev on the shaman’s steps yet again. He needed advice, direction. It had nothing to do with seeing his mate. Everything in his life was falling apart. His family, his identity…his heart.

“Sev?”

His mate rubbed bleary eyes. Such a beautiful blue. They reminded him of the sea; clear and bright when he was happy, dark when he was angry or upset. Or now, a shade he would only associate with Casey, a magical blue, electric in its intensity. One that Sev knew would be there whenever his mate looked at him.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Shaman. Perhaps I should come back when you have had sleep.”

The hand that touched his arm seared Sev’s soul. A connection he never expected to feel with anyone scorched him. He peered into his mate’s eyes, seeing only concern. Then Sev scoffed. Of course Casey was concerned. He was the shaman, and it was his responsibility to be worried about the members of the enclave. But for now, at least, he’d pretend that the worry he saw was only for him.

***

Casey had slept in the early evening, exhausted from his activities of the day. First the twins came, and their birth wasn’t easy. One of them, the boy, refused to come out. Normally shifter births were in and out in less than an hour. This one had kept him elbow deep for four. When the child was finally born, he had a full head of fluffy gray hair, indicative of his mother’s rabbit side. When they’d asked his advice on what to name their new son, Casey had said Thumper. His parents had fallen in love with the name, and Casey learned that people who had never seen a movie had no idea what humor was.

Then there was the incident with the stupid skunk in the forest. He hoped to hell Jake never found out, because after all the crap Casey had given him, he knew for a fact there would be hell to pay.

His intent had been to sleep a few hours, then try another dreamwalk. They always left him drained when he didn’t have a tether to this world. Casey shook his head. Six months ago he never would have talked about different worlds, men that could become animals, or ghosts outside of his weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. Now it seemed he was actually living a campaign. He was a shaman, a wizard of sorts. Jake was a paladin, righteous and good. Zak was…well, Zak probably would have been royalty. With his demeanor and attitude, he would have made a great king.

He’d been dozing fitfully; his dreams filled with visions of future events, where a fork in the road left him with too many decisions. One was life, the other was death, but both were fraught with peril. The knocking at his door had jolted him awake, and he was actually glad for it.

Sev looked absolutely miserable as he stood at the door. This would be only the second time the man had come to see Casey. Most everyone else in the enclave had stopped by, even for a friendly visit, numerous times. Yet Sev always hung back. This time, Casey needed to understand what was going on.

When they came in contact, skin on skin, Casey had no idea what happened. A surge ran up the length of his arm, seemingly connecting him to Sev. He could tell the man across from him needed his help. Sev was different from all the others in the enclave who’d come and talked to him in the last six months. He didn’t need advice; what he needed was someone to understand.

Sev sat at the table, looking for all the world as if he were lost. He sipped the calming tea that Casey had brewed, his eyes downcast as he told Casey his story—the death of his parents, the problems he now had with his brothers, and his uncertainty that he was doing the right thing. Never before had Casey wanted to pull someone into his arms and promise them that everything would be all right. He’d heard so many stories after Elizar’s defeat—beatings, rape, murder, and still he was able to maintain a detachment. Not with Sev.

“How can I help?”

Sev sighed. “I don’t know that you can. I just wanted to talk to someone.”

Casey could see the shine of tears when Sev finally lifted his head, and his chest tightened as he stood and wrapped his arms around the man. He didn’t have words, and he couldn’t think of any other way to comfort him. Not one of the salves, potions, ointments, teas, or other remedies on his shelves had the power to offer the healing that a hug brought.

“Thank you, my mate.”

The words were so soft Casey was certain he had misheard them.

***

Casey’s arms tensed around him.
Damn me. I hadn’t intended to say that.
When Casey began to draw away, Sev held on with all his might. He needed the contact. No one had ever made him feel this way. Not his family, not any of the friends he’d had before. He clung to Casey as if he were a raft on a rising tide.

“Please,” he begged. “Not yet.”

Casey’s stance relaxed and Sev melted into the tight grip of the affection his mate showed him. When a hand cupped the back of Sev’s head, he gasped. Nimble fingers stroked his hair and Sev purred at the touch. In this moment, he would deny his mate nothing. He had never touched a man before, but with Casey, he wanted to learn what made him happy. To be the one that Casey called his home.

“You should talk to the Alpha,” Casey murmured in his ear. “I’m not sure if I’m the one to give you advice.”

“No,” Sev pleaded. “Please don’t make me go away.”

“Whoa, hey, hang on.” Casey leaned back and placed his hands on Sev’s shoulders. There was such tenderness in his gaze. “I’m not going to leave you high and dry, but I think Zak may have a better understanding of some of the issues.”