Page 21 of Remington’s Mate

As they flew he saw the tethers stabilize, but they were still faint. He didn’t have much time.

They landed at the cottage, and she preened his feathers in a rare show of affection. You always go, she said.

I know. I’m sorry.

This really had to be the last time he saw her. Squatch was right. He could get lost here—and he didn’t want that to happen.

But he didn’t want to leave without seeing her as a human, just once. With a great effort of will, he stepped out if the owl body and rose into his human form.

Mirroring his actions, she became human as well, wearing a misty gray dress the color of her wolf, and a veil over her face.

She looked at herself and gave a tiny gasp, and then looked up at him.

He had to see her face.

One kiss, she said in his mind. And I’ll let you go…

He reached for the veil, and suddenly the boy from the woods was there, pulling on his arm. Don’t!She’ll take your magic!

Remy stopped. I don’t have any magic.

Then she’ll take your soul.

He turned back to look at her, and the boy tightened his grip. Tighter, tighter, until Remy felt the bones of his forearm crack.

The pain pulled him out of the spirit world. As the woman faded, he saw she’d removed her veil.

She had Jaeda’s face.

Remy barely had time to register his shock before he slammed back into his body. He was lying on the carpet in his hotel room, and the talisman lay halfway across the room.

His arm hurt like a son of a bitch. He moved it, and realized it really was fractured.

Glitter shit on a piece of toast.

That was going to take all day to heal.

And also, what the actual fuck?

Had the what’s-it-called—the halaika—pulled Jaeda’s face out of his mind?

Or had it just been his imagination, or wishful thinking, because she was so fucking hot?

It couldn’t be real. Jaeda had no animal; there was no part of her living in the spirit world. And she couldn’t be dead—that wasn’t a newly crossed spirit. He’d been meeting her for months.

But he was beginning to believe she was dangerous. Whoever Superboy was, he might have saved Remy’s life by breaking his arm.

He used a towel to pick up the talisman, and stowed it in a hidden pocket in his duffel bag.

He definitely had to quit going to the spirit world. Squatch was right—that place was fucked up.

Chapter 9

Remy knew it the second Jaeda walked into the hotel bar.

He wasn’t even watching the entrance. He’d positioned himself at a secluded booth in the back out of range of any security cameras, and mostly out of the sightline from the mirror behind the bar. He’d tipped the bartender to watch out for Jaeda and send her back when she arrived.

Turned out he could have saved his money. He felt her—a tiny fizz of adrenalin like someone had popped the cork out of a bottle of champagne.