Chapter 3
“Hold up,” I announced as I pushed my way back to the guard. “Cancel the execution. He’s going to come with me.”
“But you just said he didn’t want your help.” The guard narrowed his eyes at Percy. The way the guard was looking at the shifter told me he really wanted to chop Percy’s head off.
“You think the king wants a big mess and a bunch of traumatized citizens?” I arched a brow. When the guard had nothing to say, I pointed the sucker at him. “Didn’t think so. Thanks for your help.”
I patted him on the shoulder and then crouched down to Percy’s level as the guard ordered the villagers to leave.
“So here’s how this is going to work. You’re going to act as my muscle through the outlands and back. Then you’re going to go your happy way and leave me the fuck alone, got it?”
“Why?” Percy grunted.
“Because you’re annoying pain in the ass.” When Percy just looked at me, I added on. “Oh. That’s none of your business.” I paused for a moment and cocked my head to the side. “Why didn’t you just shift back to your human form?”
Percy grumbled under his breath so low I had to lean in to hear him. “I can’t.”
My brows rose. “What do you mean you can’t? I’ve seen you jump back and forth between forms plenty of times.”
“Let me go, and I’ll tell you.” Percy’s red eyes bore into me with a low snarl.
I hummed to myself and then booped him on the nose. “Nope. Tell me now.”
Percy snapped his fangs at me, a few inches away from my face. “You’re such a raging bitch. No wonder you live alone.”
Used to his particular flavor of rancid venom, I shrugged. “It’s up to you. Play by my rules, or I call the guards back and you can see how easily you heal without a head. Maybe I’ll ask them if I can have it. Do you change back when you die? I’m just asking because if I’m going to mount it on my wall, I want to be sure that I use the right pegs to get it just—”
“Fine. Fine.” Percy’s eyes rolled to the side. “I can’t change back until I mate with someone or mating season is over.”
I stared at him for a long moment. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re stuck until you fuck someone? Then why haven’t you just… you know?”
“Because I have some dignity,” Percy growled and jerked his arms until the ropes snapped on one and then another.
“That’s debatable.”
“Tara usually makes me a potion to suppress it.”
Now it all made sense. Percy was on his way to see Tara and got caught by the mob squad. Which was perfect for me, but the idea of having a horny shifter following me around didn’t exactly rank high on my to-do list.
“Well, I don’t think that you’re going to be able to just waltz into town and get the potion from Tara now.” I stood and stretched out my knees from one side to the other. “But I’ll add on to my side of the deal and make you the potion. But only after you take me to the outlands and back. Just no humping.”
“I would rather dip my wick in acid.”
Pushing up to his full height, Percy pulled the ropes off one wrist and then the other. Standing on his back legs, Percy towered over me by several feet. The fur that covered his body did little to hide the muscles beneath his thick skin. Eight abs stood prominently through the brown hairs. His body was almost humanoid if not for the claws, paws, and canine head, his little tail flicking in agitation.
I forced my eyes to stay above the waist, having come face to face with the behemoth that lived between his legs on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, not in a good way. The ears on his head twitched as I looked over him, almost smirking at me as I took him in.
I forced the shiver of fear that tried to dance down my spine away. While Percy had never hurt me physically, I wasn’t naive enough to think that meant he wouldn’t. He hated me as much as I hated him.
“If you’re done grandstanding, can we go?” I bit into the sucker until it crunched. “I have things to do and don’t want to spend all my time loitering around here listening to the villager women wonder what if they’d survive your monstrous lovin’. No matter how brief it would be.”
Percy finished removing all the ropes that were tied around him and glowered at me. “Lead the way, bitch.”
“Dog,” I shot back before spinning on my heels toward the path through the Candy Forest to the outlands.
If we were lucky, we’d make it before dark, but that still meant we’d have to stay the night there. That was something I was loath to do. If Percy was right, there were going to be a bunch of horny shifters prowling around. I hoped that having the asshole trailing me would deter the majority of them.
The ground shook beneath my feet and a hulky shadow followed behind me. Spinning around, I planted my hands on my hips and glared.
“Do you have to stomp so hard? Why don’t you just tell everyone where we are?”
Percy grabbed one of the many colorful trees around the middle and raked his claws through it until a pink candy center peeked through. “I could. But I won’t. Afraid?”
“Of you?” I snorted and rolled my eyes. “No. Of attracting unwanted attention when I’m in a hurry, yes.”
“What do you need in the outlands?”
“Oh, you know. Just figured I’d take a vacation.” I turned my back on him. “I always wanted to go somewhere drier than your girlfriends’ cunts. I mean, the ambience itself is worth the trip. It just says welcome to hell you?”
A low growl was my only warning before Percy wrapped a clawed hand around my throat and shoved me against the nearest tree.
“Stop fucking around and tell me, or I’ll snap your neck and leave.” Percy’s breath was hot on my face, his claws biting into the sides of my neck until I winced.
“We had a deal,” I gasped, my fingers tickling with my powers.
Percy’s form hulked over me, his body so hot that it almost burned against my usual icy skin. “Well, deal’s off. I’m free. I’ll deal with my mating heat on my own. I don’t need you. In fact, I should just get rid of you right now.” His hand tightened until I was fighting for breath.
I clamped my hands down on his wrist. Percy roared in pain as my powers inched up his flesh, freezing whatever it touched. He jerked his arm away from me and stumbled back. Free, I dragged in ragged breaths.
“I should have let you fucking die, you piece of shit.” My voice came out low and scratchy, each word making my throat ache more. I coughed and rubbed my throat, letting my cold touch soothe the aches.
“Excuse me for wanting to know what I am risking my life for.” Percy clasped his injured arm in his claw.
I flopped down on the ground with a frown. “Risking your life? Aren’t you shifters all friends? You know, you sniff my ass, I sniff yours?”
It took me a moment to realize the chuffing sound coming from Percy was laughing. “Fuck no. They hate my guts. You picked the worst person to be your bodyguard.”
I scowled and stood to my feet. “I don’t need a bodyguard, just someone to keep them off my back while I get what I need.”
“And what’s that?”
I didn’t see any reason not to tell him now. “Pot ash,” I croaked out.
Percy scratched his snout. “Pot ash?”
“Yeah, a shit ton of it.” I brushed my pants off and stalked forward. “Hence the need for someone to watch my back.”
“What do you need so much pot ash for? Building a bomb?” Percy chuffed again and then went silent when I didn’t answer. “Shit. You are building a bomb. What the fuck, Bianca?”
“Look, I don’t need your judgement. I need your help."” I sighed, then pulled a sucker out of my pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into my mouth, needing something to focus my nervous energy on. “So, are you in or what?”
Percy bent down with a growl, snatching the discarded wrapper off the ground. “Don’t litter.”
“Sor-ry,” I grumbled, shoving down how cute it was that the shifter cared about if I littered or not. “So?”
“Fine. I’ll help you. But you better keep your word and make me that potion.” Percy shook a clawed finger at me.
I resisted the urge to smile at how he looked scolding me like a child. I held my hands up. “Promise. Let’s go. We’re losing daylight.”
“You know you shouldn’t eat those.” Percy grunted, stalking past me. “They’re bad for your teeth.”
I snorted. “Worried about me now, mutt?”
“No,” he clipped. “Just wondering how you can suck on those things when Tara probably used the prince’s dick as a model.”
I froze, the sucker in my mouth suddenly tasting like molten slug. I jerked the offending thing out of my mouth and tossed it over my shoulder before Percy could see me.
Not only did I have to deal with the grumpy shifter but he’s now officially ruined all of Tara’s candies for me.
“Asshole,” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” I sang out, shoving my hands in my pockets with a frown.
We walked in relative silence for a while, the only sounds being the stomps of Percy’s feet trailing behind me. The birds and small animals scattered before we reached them.
At least the mere presence of Percy was enough to keep most things away from me. I just hoped it didn’t attract something bigger and badder to us.
“So, what did you do to get kicked out of your pack?” I asked, spinning around to walk backward so I could see him.
Percy turned his face away. “Can we not?”
“What?”
“Can we skip the whole story time about past trauma?” He stalked past me, his large body bumping into my shoulder. “We aren’t friends. So let’s just get this over with and go back to what we do best. Avoiding each other.”
Percy and I had never gotten along. Even the very first day I met him, when Tara came by with Percy chasing after her like a little puppy dog begging for attention.
I didn’t know what it was exactly about him that rubbed me wrong, but every time I saw him, I just wanted to wring his neck. For all intents and purposes, the feeling was mutual.
“Yeah, sure.” I pulled another sucker out of my pocket and then caught myself before putting it in my mouth. I shoved it back into my pocket with a grimace and focused on the path in front of me. If this was any indication of how this trip was going to be those rich old saggy balls were looking mighty tempting right now.
It had to be better than dealing with a pissy mutt the next couple of days.