Chapter Ten
Camber couldn’t be more annoyed than she was now. She should have left Brogan on Oipra.
Why the arguments started, she didn’t know, but everything coming out of that scowling wolf’s mouth made her furious, and annoyance grew inside her.
“How long is this going to take?”
“Well, since we are on the staff elevator, which is slower, and we’re travelling down, deep beneath the crust of a moon, I’d say another while yet.”
Brogan growled and leaned against the side of the elevator.
“Honestly, if I wasn’t here, you’d be scrambling at the door.”
Brogan said nothing, but Camber remembered something that would annoy and freak the life out of her. It had done that first time Ziggy had shown it to her.
Camber swiped her hand surreptitiously over the panel behind her. Brogan yelled as the walls disappeared and it suddenly appeared as if they were flying at lightning speed through a rocky tunnel, plummeting to their deaths.
What Camber wasn’t expecting was Brogan pulling her into a protective embrace from behind, not that even the strength of a werewolf could have protected them if they were truly in danger, but she still tried.
“It’s okay. Brogan, it’s just a trick. Brogan, stop.”
Camber reached over and touched the panel. The walls came back on in an instant.
Brogan finally let her go and shouted, “What was that?”
“The walls are programmable matter to create the illusion of a normal elevator for those that find it too realistic. Look.” Camber swiped the button, and again the walls and floor disappeared. “It’s not a traditional elevator. Force fields are in place as the walls, floor, and ceiling.”
She quickly turned on the illusion again, since it hadn’t gone down well. “It was just a joke.”
Brogan’s eyes were full of fury. “Just a joke? Making me think we’re falling to our deaths is a joke to you?”
Camber felt immediately guilty. “I didn’t—”
“You know I’m already struggling with this new-to-me, futuristic world, and you do that?”
“I—”
Again Camber couldn’t get a word out.
“No, I don’t want to hear it. Don’t talk to me.”
Brogan turned away from her, and Camber could feel the anger rolling off Brogan. So they rode on in awkward silence.
When they finally arrived at the bottom, Camber said, “Follow me.”
Brogan followed without a word. They walked down a staff corridor until Camber opened the door onto the public hotel and casino floor.
She looked back, and Brogan was purposely trying not to meet her eyes. Petulant wolf.
It was just a joke, after all.
Camber walked to the hotel desk and waited her turn in the line. The man behind the desk said, “Hello, how can I help?”
“I’m here to see Ziggy. She told me to ask for her at the desk.”
“Of course. I’ll have one of the staff take you over.”
He looked past them and shouted to one of the waitstaff, who was Flusion. They were blue skinned with a flat nose and ears and a strong body.
As they walked into one of the gaming rooms, Camber sneaked a look at Brogan and saw her taking in all the lights, sounds, and people with wonderment. Maybe she hadn’t taken full account of how much Brogan’s world had changed since she was flung through the portal from Earth.
Brogan had to take every new thing she met in this realm in her stride. Maybe her joke in the elevator was a little unfair. She could try to make it up to her later.
She could hear Ziggy before she could see her.
“Little Cam! Come to me, sweetheart.”
A woman in a dark pink suit, an open button-down shirt, and her hair tied back in a short ponytail held her arms open wide, welcoming Camber. Camber sneaked a peek at Brogan and saw a dark scowl on her face.
She went into Ziggy’s arms and hugged her tightly. It was so reassuring to be hugged by someone she knew she could trust.
They pulled apart, and Ziggy cupped Camber’s cheeks. “I was so happy to get your message. I hadn’t heard from you in a while, and I was worried.”
“I’m okay. I’ve been on the move for—” Camber looked around in case anyone in particular was listening. “We can catch up in private. Anyway I’m so happy to be here. I’ve brought a friend with me.”
They both turned around to face Brogan. Ziggy put her arm around Camber’s shoulders.
“Ziggy, this is Brogan. Brogan, this is Ziggy, owner of this moon world.”
“Good to meet you, Brogan. You’re a wolf?”
“How could you tell?” Brogan asked.
“I’m good at reading people. I won this moon, and everything on it, by the turn of a card,” Ziggy said.
Camber watched Brogan give Ziggy a false smile.
“Well, hello,” Brogan said flatly.
Camber noticed Brogan was zeroing in on Ziggy’s arm across her shoulders. She didn’t understand that.
Camber felt she had to fill the silence. “Brogan’s not a GallowGlas Wolf. She’s not even from this realm. I’m trying to help her find her way home.” Camber was sure Ziggy could feel the tension between them all. “We wondered if you could put us up for the night.”
“Of course, Little Cam. I’d be delighted if you made it a few days. Let’s find a quiet table and we can have a catch-up.”
Brogan trudged after Camber and Ziggy. If she’d been in a foul mood in the elevator, she was in an even worse mood now.
Ziggy was the exact type of person Brogan didn’t like—showy, flamboyant—and she was sure there was something going on between Camber and Ziggy. The pair had no boundaries, like the way Ziggy held Camber by the waist when they hugged, and then the possessive arm around her shoulder.
Brogan didn’t like it. Something in her gut didn’t like it, and Brogan wasn’t going to think any deeper than that.
They sat down at a table, and Ziggy asked, “Drink, Cam?”
“Honey fruit punch, please.”
Ziggy turned to Brogan, “Would you like a drink, Brogan?”
“Do you have anything like beer, lager?” Brogan asked, trying to be difficult. There was little chance they’d have that.
“You mean like ale?” Ziggy said.
Dammit!
“Um…yes. That would do.”
Ziggy gave her order to a waiter, then said, “Computer, seal table.”
Brogan looked up and saw a bubble form, then disappear.
“Now we talk freely. What’s been going on?”
“The Abnobians are on our tail…”
Brogan didn’t think it was a good idea to tell this Ziggy everything. It was clear from looking around the gaming room that Ziggy loved money. Who’s to say that she couldn’t be influenced or bought out by those that wanted Camber? Brogan wasn’t going to let that happen.
Over the minutes, hours, and days, Brogan’s urge to protect Camber was growing and growing, and she didn’t want anything jeopardizing that.
She lifted her hand to stop the conversation. “Could I have a minute alone with Camber, please?”
Ziggy looked at them both, clearly feeling the tension. “Absolutely, I’ll get the drinks.”
Once Ziggy left, Camber rounded on her. “What are you playing at? You’ve been scowling and rude ever since we met Ziggy.”
Brogan slid closer and Camber’s scent again intoxicated her senses, making it hard to get her thoughts together. “Maybe some of that so-called scowling is to do with that stunt you played in the lift. But we are running from people. Are you just going to tell that person everything?”
“That’s not that person. Ziggy is like family, and she is the one that sent me the signal when everything was safe at this end.”
“Look around. She likes money. Ziggy could have been bought off.”
“Ziggy is not like that,” Camber said angrily. “She offers good jobs and benefits. Ziggy has been working with the resistance for a long time. She is utterly trustworthy.”
They were so close to each other. She could feel Camber’s eyes on hers, and as Camber ran her tongue around her lips, Brogan so wanted to bite them, kiss them.
“Why are your eyes becoming yellow?” Camber breathed.
In that moment Brogan couldn’t think of anything but Camber’s lips—and her scent, which was driving her crazy.
Brogan leaned into Camber, and Camber closed her eyes, waiting for a kiss, but they were thrown out of that moment by Ziggy’s voice.
“May I come back in now? I have the drinks.”
Camber pulled away quickly and put a smile on her face. “Of course. Come in.”
Brogan slid back over and closed her eyes, trying to calm from the arousal she felt.
Ziggy put Camber’s drink in front of her. “One honey punch, and one ale. Be honest, Brogan, I would like to know how it compares to your world.”
Brogan took a sip, and it was surprisingly good. “Hmm. It’s nice. Similar to a stout called Guinness we make in Ireland—the country I came from.”
Ziggy looked pleased. “Good, I’m happy to hear that. Now if you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“The Abnobians attacked Danus, and I managed to escape through a portal. A group of mercenaries followed me. Vampires, witches, others. Then as two of them had me cornered, this wolf”—Camber pointed to Brogan—“jumped out and eliminated them.”
Ziggy put her hand on her heart and said, “Thank you, Brogan. We need the Map Keeper.”
“Anyway, I left, and she insisted on following me. I landed through the portal at Oipra. I didn’t know if Brogan was a plant. They’ve tried that before, send someone to befriend me, and make me feel safe, and get me that way.”
“But all I wanted was a way home. After some negotiation,” Brogan said.
Camber jumped in. “That included more chasing, and a fight in a barn.”
Brogan watched as Camber actually laughed, and her heart pounded. Stop it. She made you feel like a fool in the lift.
“How did you get away from Oipra? There’s Drazani and Abnobians everywhere.”
Camber gave a half smile and wrinkled her nose in such a cute way, Brogan thought. She didn’t think she’d ever described another woman as cute before, but the feeling filled her chest with the warmest feelings.
Camber continued, “We got into their hangar, knocked out a couple of pilots, and stole their ship. Then contacted you.”
“Camber.” Ziggy laughed. “You never cease to amaze me. I’m glad you’re here, glad you are safe, and delighted to meet you, Brogan. I’ve not known wolves from beyond our realm.”
“My planet has paranormals from a lot of your different worlds, it seems.”
“Paranormal?” Ziggy said.