Forged by Greed Read online

  “What is it, J?”

  Jasmira drew away from him, her eyes troubled. She took a thick elastic band from her pocket, raised her hands up and twisted her hair into a messy pony tail. Jatred stole a quick glance at her, and then turned his eyes back to the street. The traffic lights changed to red. He pressed the brake pedal and turned his body toward Jasmira, cupping the side of her face with his hand.

  “Are you afraid the Goddesses are going to get pissed at us? Because we’re of the rival Races? Or because we’re both of the Royal blood of the rival Races?”

  “Yes to all.” Her stomach gave a lurch, and the corners of her mouth drooped. “I’m scared and I don’t even know exactly why. The Summer Goddess is like the mother I don’t have. Maybe deep inside, I’m worrying about what the Winter Goddess would do. She’s so… I’ve heard she’s terrifying.”

  “Yeah, in fact she is. Crystal is very different from Amber. She almost never comes to the Human World from her Realm. She just summons us there. Your Goddess stays here, in the Human World, most of the time. I saw her in a crowd once. She could easily pass for a human.” Jatred shrugged. “I wish Crystal was more like your Amber.”

  They locked eyes and sat motionlessly until he turned his head to look at the street. The lights turned green, and Jatred moved his foot from the brake pedal to gas. The truck rumbled and lurched forward. Jatred reached up and turned the music off.

  “We will get through this—”

  “How? J, we can’t even tell my grandma or your uncle. We have to hide. It’s insane,” she interrupted, exasperated.

  Jatred chewed on his lower lip, frowning. Jasmira shook her head, lost for words. They drove in silence for a few minutes.

  “Should we join my friends? They are at Shilshole Bay beach today.” Jatred’s eyes flickered to Jasmira.

  “Do they know about us?” She turned her head to face him.

  “They will if we meet up with them today.” He smiled. “Say ‘yes’.”

  Jasmira’s lips twitched as she tried not to laugh.

  “Is that a ‘yes’?” Jatred asked, his eyes twinkling.

  “Mhm. But if they’re mean to me you’ll have to tell them to behave.”

  “They won’t be mean to you. They’re really cool. You know all of them from school anyway.”

  “Just barely. It’s a small school but you know, Winter and Summer kids don’t usually hang out together. I know Bogdan and Lusia a bit, but I never talked to the blond quarterback guy and his sister.”

  “That’s Erik and Georgeta Johansson. They are awesome, trust me.”

  “They won’t like me, J. You will see. And then I’ll say ‘I told you’.” Jasmira pouted.

  Jatred laughed and chucked her under her chin. “Yes, they will.”

  ***

  “Is he crazy?” Lusia’s eyes widened in horror. “She’s the Summer Princess. The Summer Princess.” Lusia bobbed her head as to emphasize her words. A small diamond earring shone in her nose and multiple small hoops adorned her ear lobes. There was a large tattoo of a running wolf on front of her right thigh and another—of snowflakes—around her ankle.

  Bogdan raised one eyebrow but didn’t comment, only nodded in assent. Absentmindedly, he dug a hole in the sand, his eyes on the crowd playing in the water. In the distance, Jatred and Jasmira splashed each other, laughing. Jasmira squealed in delight when Jatred picked her up. He lowered her and kissed her on the lips. She grabbed onto his neck and deepened the kiss.

  “Hello, anybody?” Lusia sounded frustrated. She punched Bogdan on the arm and glared at Georgeta.

  “Hmm? What?” Georgeta looked up from her Kindle, a half-smile on her lips. She pulled earplugs out from her ears.

  “What’s with the earplugs?” asked Bogdan.

  “I can’t find my iPod. I think Erik took it. Again. Someone’s playing country music and I’m not in a mood for it.”

  “That’s like at the other side of town. I can hardly hear it. Your Shifter’s senses are running on overdrive.” Bogdan snorted.

  “No, it’s only a mile or so away. Are you going deaf?” Georgeta rebuked him.

  “Argh. Enough with country music already. Didn’t you hear what I just said about Jatred?” asked Lusia, exasperated.

  “No, sorry. I think you had your mental guards up.” Georgeta looked from Lusia to Bogdan. “What’s up?”

  “Yep, you did, Lusia.” Bogdan leaned back to rest on his elbows.

  Lusia motioned with her chin toward Jasmira and Jatred, who were trying to push each other’s head under the water.

  “I don’t know. I hope this is just a little fling, that’s all.” Georgeta shrugged, her eyes back on the Kindle. “We need to move the blankets more into the shade. The sun is creeping out from behind that tree, and I’m getting way too hot. Maybe we should go to Ray's Boathouse for lunch?”

  “Lusia, relax. Georgeta’s right—this might not last past next week.” Bogdan looked from his girlfriend to Jatred and Jasmira, who now were passionately kissing in the water.

  “You think?” Lusia motioned at the couple with her hand. “He’s our Race’s Prince. The Goddess will freak out.”

  “Which Goddess are you discussing this time, people? Amber or Crystal?” Erik asked, his tall frame casting a large shadow on the sand and the blanket. He wore only shorts, a pale-green, washed-out t-shirt half-stuffed in his back pocket. In his muscular arms he held a large paper bag filled with ice cream bars.

  “Both Goddesses, isn’t that obvious?”

  “Lusia, Jatred’s a big boy. He can take care of himself; stop worrying about everybody,” said Bogdan, caressing Lusia’s shoulder.

  “Okay, he’s a big boy. We’ll see.” Lusia exhaled loudly. “Maybe we should tell your parents, Bogdan? Winter and Summer people don’t date. Period.”

  “Nah. Let go, Lusia.” Erik made a face and shook his head. “No need to report to anyone.”

  “Oh, you got ice cream. Did you get my favorite?” Georgeta clapped her hands, looking at Erik, a big grin on her face. She stood up and took the bag from him.

  Erik sat down with a groan.

  “What?” Georgeta fixed him with a look.

  “Nothing, just my knee.”

  “Maybe you should be at least somewhat careful when you show off on your skateboard,” Georgeta murmured, searching the bag. “You got root-beer flavor for me. Thank you.”

  She patted Erik on the head, grinning.

  CHAPTER 3

  Human World, August 1, morning.

  A very tall, slim woman was crossing the street on the corner of 4th Avenue and Pine Street. To an average person she looked about twenty-five. The late morning traffic was still heavy. Several cars waited for the light to change. A tanned young man in a red convertible honked and whistled loudly. “A goddess! I see a goddess! Baby, you need a ride?”

  She didn’t slow down but smiled fondly at the man. Her long legs moved fast in the black Jimmy Choo stilettos. A shimmering-gold Gucci mini dress elegantly outlined her body. She carried a small clutch; large Armani sunglasses shaded her eyes and a part of her face. Her movements were fluid, like those of a cat. She was Amber, the Summer Goddess.

  You have no idea how right you are, she thought. Today her sunflower-blonde hair was sleek and came down right above her shoulders. She hopped onto the sidewalk and strode straight for a coffee house on the corner. The sign above the entrance said “SUNRISE COFFEE”. There was a rising sun painted above the letters.

  Amber pushed the door and went inside. The strong, pleasant smell of freshly brewed coffee hit her nostrils. The sun was on the other side of the building, so the place was still cool but already bright. The interior was tastefully arranged—there was no mismatched, scuffed furniture, no weird posters on the walls, and no bicycles hanging from the ceiling.

  “Hello, Amber ,” said a middle-aged man behind the counter. A large, sincere smile deepened the long wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. “The usual?”

  “Yes
.” She sat down at one of the window tables, crossing her legs. “How is your morning so far?”

  “Can’t complain. It’s gonna get busy soon.” He raised his voice over the loud espresso machine, “The place always fills up with high school kids… and with all those gadgets they carry with them these days. I rarely see any of them bringing a book anymore,” he grumbled.

  Amber nodded, smiling.

  “That reminds me.” She opened her Dolce and Gabbana clutch and took out a cell phone to send a quick text message. “I’m meeting a friend here. I should check my emails before he arrives.” She looked at the small screen and tapped it a few times with her sparkling-blue fingernail.

  A few customers had arrived and placed their orders. Amber sat by the window, watching the traffic of cars and pedestrians moving by. Her thoughts drifted to prehistoric times, some four hundred thousand years earlier. She thought about her leopards running free through the woods, chasing their prey in the full-moon light. Since then, the two-natured had evolved so much that there was little left in them from their ancestors.

  Amber smiled to herself as she marveled how they had learned to control their bodies and minds. They had also acquired the skill to resist an urge to hunt and kill, until it had disappeared completely. They had adapted to the low temperatures. Now they could live in most of the places in the world, unlike their forefathers. The skill of mind-communication had been greatly improved too. The Shifters lived among humans, fully adjusted and comfortable.

  She let them be free and independent. Her Shifters loved, trusted, and respected her, and Amber knew all of them. Many lived close to her, in Seattle, where she had one of her favorite, of her numerous, Human World residences. Others lived wherever they preferred: some in South America, some in Europe, Asia, or Africa.

  Amber sighed and took a sip of the hot, creamy liquid, marveling at the smoothness of its texture and the rich flavor. She thought about Jasmira, and her eyebrows drew together. Is she the right one?

  CHAPTER 4

  Human World, August 1.

  A heavy rain drummed on the cabin roof. Jasmira sat by the window, looking out at Hood Canal. One lonely sailboat bobbed on the water surface. The Cascade Mountains stood in the background, their tops capped with snow. Jasmira sighed and propped her elbows on the back of a sofa, resting her chin in her hands. The door opened, and Jatred walked in, his hair and clothes soaking wet.

  “Hey! Did you enjoy your run? I left a towel for you there.” She pointed at the coat rack next to the door. “You’re drenched.”

  Jatred took the towel and, kicking his running shoes off, dried his face and hair.

  “It was great. Too bad I couldn’t shift. Too many humans around. They would freak out and shoot me or something.”

  “They would freak out. I can only imagine the headlines in the local paper. And since you guys don’t look like the regular wolves, all impossibly huge and all, it would be a double sensation.”

  “I’m gonna jump in the shower. Mind joining me?” He wiggled his eyebrows, smiling.

  “No thank you. Stop tempting me, you naughty thing.” Jasmira threw a small pillow at him. “And don’t ask me again if you can sleep in my bedroom. This sofa will make a fine bed for you. Or, there’s another small bedroom upstairs.”

  “You know I’m only teasing. I’m happy with what we have. I don’t want to mess anything up.” His face turned serious.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m happy too.”

  Jatred took his shirt off and draped the towel around his neck. He crossed the room and knelt on the floor next to the sofa. He cupped Jasmira’s face in his hands and kissed her.

  “You are dripping wet. Go take that shower and change into something dry.” She giggled, wriggling out of his grasp.

  “And I’m starving, J.”

  “Me too. There is a small bakery not far from here. The food is fantastic there.”

  “You got my attention,” he hollered from the bathroom, turning the water on in the shower.

  Jasmira smiled, her eyes back on the mountains. After a short while Jatred emerged from the bathroom, wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. He pulled a t-shirt, socks, and a pair of shorts from his duffel bag.

  “I want eggs and bacon. A lot of bacon,” he said, walking out of the room.

  “They’ve got eggs on the menu, I’m sure.”

  “What are you gonna have?” He was back, already dressed.

  “A muffin. Well, maybe two muffins. I love having the Shifter’s metabolism. Oh, and a Mocha with whipped cream.” Jasmira stood up and put her arms around his neck, smiling. “A lot of whipped cream,” she added mockingly.

  Jatred chuckled, and then pecked her on the lips. When he tried to pull away, she pressed the back of his head toward her. Their lips met again and, this time, the kiss was long and sensual. Jatred slid his hands over the curve of Jasmira’s waist and her back. He held her in a tight embrace.

  “You are crushing me.” She laughed, breaking the kiss.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, loosening his grip, his lips tracing the side of her neck. He inhaled deeply, and, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, said, “Okay, I really am starving. Let’s go.”

  Jasmira put her rain jacket on and slipped into her shoes. Jatred didn’t bother with a jacket. He hadn’t even brought one with him to the cabin. He didn’t mind rain or lower temperatures, while Jasmira, a Summer Shifter, preferred dry and sunny conditions.

  They ran to his truck, Jasmira shrieking, holding the hood with one hand and pulling the zipper up to her chin with the other.

  “It’ll stop raining soon. Look.” Jatred pointed at the sky. Small patches of blue sky were visible between the rain clouds.

  “Not soon enough.” Jasmira climbed onto the passenger’s seat, slamming the door behind her.

  “So where’s that bakery?” Jatred turned the key in the ignition.

  “Do you remember the florist shop? It’s right next to it, just kinda tucked away between the buildings,” she said, pulling the seat belt around herself.

  “Will your grandma be back on Monday?”

  “Oh, it’s crazy. She just came back from Peru two weeks ago, and now she’s in Denver. Normally everyone from the US comes here, to Seattle, for meetings, but this time she had some other business in Denver. Anyway, this coronation thing is getting out of control.”

  “I told you, the Winter Historical Society is doing it too. My uncle is not as involved as your granny, but still. He’s gone a lot, and there are people coming to our house more than ever for meetings and stuff.”

  “I wish it was over. I’m totally freaking out.”

  Jatred glanced at her, the corners of his mouth twitching. He studied her for a moment, before saying, “Change of subject then. This place rocks. I wanna live right in this area. I should check out rock climbing spots here.”

  “Okay, so you will like to know this little fact.” She cleared her throat and gestured at the Hood Canal, visible between the trees to her right. “This, right here is a genuine glacier-carved fjord. It is the only one found in the continental United States.”

  Jatred arched his brows. “Impressive. I didn’t know that.”

  “Grandma told me. Actually, this was one of the first things the real estate agent said to her, when showing this place.”

  “It’s a good hide-out spot.” Jatred laughed.

  “Yeah, this one and the cabin on Lake Chelan. But I like it here better.”

  “What? How many cabins does your grandma own?”

  “Old money. That’s the Royal Family for you.” Jasmira made quotation marks with her fingers in the air. “They’ve been buying real estate for generations. I don’t even know exactly what she owns, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find out she’s got some castle in Scotland or something.”

  Jatred smiled, revealing perfect teeth.

  “You saw her car collection, didn’t you?” She gave a short, humorous laugh. “There are seven cars in the garage, and I don’
t have permission to drive even one of them. I’ve got my Beetle and I love it of course, don’t get me wrong. Just sayin’, that’s all.”

  Jatred burst out in laughter, stealing a quick look at Jasmira. She was laughing too.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You are.” He brushed a long strand of her curly hair away from her face.

  “How so?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, I never hear you complain, but here you are, pouting about cars. It’s hilarious.”

  “Hilarious?” Jasmira punched his arm. “The bruise on your arm will be hilarious if you won’t stop laughing at me.”

  “Okay, I surrender,” he yelped, but continued chuckling. “Your Beetle is a convertible and brand new.”

  “Now you’re gonna think I’m some kind of a material chick.” Jasmira made a face, her arms crossed over her chest.

  “No.”

  “No? Fine then. How is that bruise?” She pulled up the sleeve of his t-shirt and touched his arm.

  “Oh, it hurts so much. Ouch!” Jatred suppressed a laugh, pretending to be in pain.

  Jasmira rolled her eyes. They drove into a small town. Old trees clustered around the buildings, providing patches of shade from the sun that now shone between dispersing clouds. The teens got their food and sat outside on a weathered wooden bench. The side of the building was covered in graffiti. A few benches away sat an older couple, sipping their coffee and sharing a muffin.

  When Jasmira’s cell phone shrilled, she fished it out from her purse, and said, “Hello, Grannie.” She nodded a few times with an “Aha,” sound, and looked sharply at Jatred, her eyes opening wide.

  “What?” he mouthed silently to her, but she only shook her head.

  “Uhm, no. Penelope couldn’t come with me this time. Her aunt and uncle are visiting from Boston this week,” Jasmira cleared her throat and took a quick sharp breath, before saying, “A friend drove me.”