Nexus Chapter 5

      Drew sank down on to the bed.  Now that she was alone the whole night’s events came crashing down on her.  
      She was a Mythos now, one of the elusive magical beings that the world either hated, feared, or wanted to be like.  
      Her life was wrecked.  Drew felt panic start to build in her chest.  
      She took a deep breath.
      Hell no!  She was not going to behave like a flaky woman, she was stronger than that.  
      Her life wasn’t wrecked, just completely different.  She’d adapt and survive.  
      My car really did stop in the Bermuda triangle didn’t it.
      She had to stifle the sudden bark of hysterical laughter that threatened to burst out of her.  Drew lay back on the bed, her feet dangling over the edge and stared at the ceiling, contemplating her current situation.
      I’m changing into a wereleopard.  We aren’t sure which class, but definitely a wereleopard.  The change will probably be painful, but we don’t know how painful.  
      All that’s scary as hell. Damn, I’m going to give myself a gold star for not being a complete wreck right now.  Any sane person would be.  
      But then Brynn always said Drew was far from sane.
      Oh my God, Brynn!
      Drew flew up of the bed. Her sister didn’t know where she was or what happened to her.  She must be crazy with worry.  Drew flipped the top of her bag open, the one thing she had with her that was hers, and that was only because the bag was permanently over her shoulder.  She dug for her phone.  
      “Thanks goodness.” She said as she felt the small rectangle shape of her cell phone.  
      She pulled it out and flipped it open.  
      “Damn it!” she cursed with vehemence when she realized that the battery on the stupid contraption was dead.  She wouldn’t be getting hold of Brynn that way.  
      She looked around the room but couldn’t see a phone.  
      Her eyes wondered to the connecting door that led to Seth’s room.  She didn’t want to go in there, but she was going to have to.  She needed a phone and Seth would be able to tell her where to find one.  

      She steeled herself and marched up to the door and knocked.  There was no answer.  When he still didn’t open the door on the second knock she turned the knob and eased the door open.  
      “Seth?” She called softly.  
      Nothing.  She stepped into the room pulling the door closed behind her, a quick glance around the room told her that it was set out very much like her own.  It did have a more used feel though. and you could see that a man lived here.  She smiled.  Then she heard the shower through the closed bathroom door.  
      She wasn’t going to wait for him to come out there.  Images of him in nothing but a towel briefly flashed through her mind.  
      Nope, she wasn’t going to wait.  She’d just have go find someone else to show her where the phone is.  She gave the closed bathroom door one last glance and sighed.  
      She started to turn towards the door, as her eyes passed over the bed she froze, she must be hallucinating!  There wasn’t a leopard spread across the length of the bed, no there wasn’t.  The creature moved.  
      Gracefully slipping onto the ground, the massive leopard sauntered towards her.  
      Drew couldn’t move.  He limbs were literally frozen.  
      Did they get that big in the wild?  The leopard was right in front of her.  
      She should be screaming, she really should, but she could hardly breathe.  
      Great, now I’m going to be some leopard’s lunch!  She thought as the big cat sniffed at her legs then sat down at her feet looking up at her as if asking “What the hell are you doing here?”
      “Nice kitty,” Drew whispered,  “I’m not going to hurt you,” she almost snorted, yeah right, as if she could hurt a full grown leopard. “Just don’t eat me okay?”  
      “Khan won’t eat you.”  
      Seth’s deep voice startled her.  Her head snapped up so she could see him, but she quickly dropped her head again, thinking she should rather keep her eyes on the big-ass leopard sitting at her feet, that thought vanished when her head snapped right back up.  
      He was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, his hands resting on the edge of the towel that hugged low on his hips, he must have just tucked it in.
      It was very clear her imagination had not done the man justice.  
      His dark hair was dripping water down his broad chest - his broad, built, chest.
      She watched a water drop roll down over a tattoo on his right pectoral.  The leopard in the tattoo was peeking from behind a tree, perfect on Seth’s skin.  It was a beautiful piece of art, but her attention was caught by the silver glint that flashed as Seth moved slightly.  The man had a silver ring through his left nipple.  She felt her legs go week at the sight of that tiny silver ring, she had the insane urge to run her tongue over it.  She let her eyes devoured his flawless stomach.
      Lord, the man is put together like a god!
      She’d never seen such a perfect build, he was the definition of the term “ripped”
      Drew couldn’t help it her eyes kept traveling lower, across his smooth skin, flowing down to narrow hips. She couldn’t stop wondering what he’d look like with out the towel.  Even his legs were gorgeous, long and muscular.  He was perfection.  She almost sighed in pleasure.
      Then she realized she was ogling him, and he was standing there watching her ogling him.  She blushed and forced herself to look at his face.  
      He seemed amused, a grin playing around his lips, but his violet eyes had darkened and gone smoky. She could almost feel the heat in his eyes, it made her stomach flipped.
      “No, Khan won’t eat you.  But if you keep looking at me like that, I can’t guarantee that I won’t take a bite or two.”  
      He started moving towards her, if she had thought that the cat was graceful she’d been wrong.  Compared to Seth’s slow saunter, the cat moved like a lumbering elephant.  
      She felt heat coil low in her stomach.  
      There was an element of danger in the way he moved, she felt like he was stalking her.  Damn it was sexy.  Her breathing was already speeding up and he hadn’t even touched her.  
      Drew never believed that seduction was possible without touch ‘till this moment.  
      He stopped in front of her, she just needed to lean forward a little and she’d be touching him.  Something she was seriously tempted to do.  
      Seth could smell her arousal the moment she’d started devouring him with those beautiful eyes.  It did things to him he’d never felt before, there was an instant sense of possessiveness and need, he wanted this woman like he’d never wanted another.  
      For the first time in a very long time he was happy that he had a body women appreciated.  
      The more she stared at him the harder he got, till he felt that if he didn’t have her soon he was going to burst.  
      When she’d looked up at him with her cheeks glowing and her eyes heated he’d had to bite back a growl of pure lust.  
      Now he was standing right in front of her, he just had to breath deeply and they’d be touching, but he was fighting himself.  
      She was bewildered enough with all the new craziness in her life.  He didn’t want to add to it.  It was hard to ignore what she made him feel, but he forced himself to do just that.  
      He couldn’t remember ever feeling pure lust for a woman.  The last woman he’d had any attraction too, had been Veronica.
      That thought worked better than a cold shower.  Instantly quelling his need.   He stepped back from Drew.  
      Veronica, world supreme bitch, the reason he never wanted to a woman to toy with him again.  
      Seth looked around the room for Khan, and saw that he’d gone to lie on the bed.  
      “Drew, meet Khan.” He walked up to the leopard and stoked between he’s ears.  
      “Khan is my sentin, or sentinel,  for lack of another word, my guardian.  All Du’call lycos get a guardian from their animal species.”  
      Drew was reeling.  What the hell was going on?  Just seconds ago the man looked ready to pounce her then he just steps away and pretends like nothing remotely sexual happened.  Maybe she’d misread him.  Maybe he hadn’t felt the way she had.  She would have bet her treasured mp3 player, that he had wanted her as much as she wanted him.
      She must have been wrong, a man who wanted a woman didn’t just walk off and start doing the small talk thing.  
      She straightened her shoulders, she’d be damned if she’d let on how disappointed that thought left her.  If he wanted to pretend nothing happened, she could play that game too.   
      “Your guardian?”  
      
      He looked over his shoulder at her.  
      “When a Du’call lycos reaches maturity a sentin will come.”
      She frowned, trying to concentrate on his cryptic statement and not on how good his ass looked in that towel.  
      “You’ve lost me.”
      “Sentin just appear.  Khan is not a real leopard, he wasn’t born, he came in to existence when I reached maturity.  He’s been with me ever since.  I can leave him here most of the time.  But if I’m in true danger he’ll phase, or teleport too me, and help me.”  
      “Can I touch him?”  Drew asked walking to stand next to Seth.  
      He nodded and her arm brushed his as she leaned forward to stroke the now purring Kahn.  
      Seth closed his eyes and breathed in the sent of her.  He felt himself hardening again and quickly stepped away from her and cleared his throat.  
      “You were looking for me?”  
      “Crap, yes” she grimaced and stepped away from the leopard.  She’d gotten so distracted by him she’d once again forgotten about calling Brynn.
      “I need a phone, I have to phone my sister and let her know I’m okay.”  
      He nodded and moved over to the dresser, picked up a cordless phone and handed it to her.
      “I’m sorry I should have asked you if there was anyone you need to get hold of, family, a boyfriend or someone along those lines.”  
      Was that Seth asking if she had a boyfriend?  Nope, she had to be wrong, after what had just happened, or rather, not happened, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t care one way or another.  
      “Just my sister.”  Drew took the phone from him and started dialing her sister’s number.  
      Seth wanted to grin, she didn’t have a boyfriend.  He didn’t know why, but that was the best news he’d gotten all day.  
      He pointed at the walk in closet.  “I’m just going to throw on something and go hunt Selphie down for that food and stuff.”  
      “Kay.”  she nodded with the phone to her ear.
      “Hello” Brynn answered the phone.  
      “Hi Brynn, its me…”
      “Oh thank God!” Brynn sounded relieved “I was so worried about you.  Where the hell have you been and why the hell are you only calling me now?”  
      “It’s a long story Bry…”
      “Well it better be long and told, cause I’m going to kick your scrawny ass when I see you again…”
      Drew was distracted from Brynn’s tirade when Seth sauntered out the walk-in closet in just a pair of old tattered jeans, he walked towards the door barefoot and bare-chested, opened it and turned mouthing the words “I’ll be back now” he smiled and walked out pulling the door closed behind him.  
      “Drewcilla!”  Drew heard her sister’s ‘I’m the adult’ tone, and the use of her full name, something she knew Drew hated.  She realized she’d zoned out so badly watching Seth walk across the room she hadn’t even heard her sister.  
      “I’m here.”  Drew answered.  
      “I asked you where you are.”  
      Drew thought about telling Brynn everything for a second then realized it would completely freak her sister out.  So she decided on a lie instead.  
      “I’m visiting with a friend for a week or two.  She had a crisis and I said I’d come help her out.”  
      “Which friend?”  Brynn sounded suspicious.  
      Drew grasped for the first female name she could think of.  “Selphie.”
      “You don’t have a friend named Selphie.”
      Drew blew out a breath and rolled her eyes.  Damn her sister’s elephantine memory.
      “I don’t tell you everything Bry, I do have a friend named Selphie and she needs my help this week.  Look I’ve got to run, I’ll call again soon. Love you, bye.”
      She hung up before Brynn could quiz her anymore.   
      There was a soft knock at the outer door.  Drew was just about to call to come in when a blond head peeked around the edge and Drew was treated to a dazzling smile.  
      “You must be Drew.”
      The woman stepped in to the room balancing a pile of clothes in one arm while she pushed the door closed with the other.  
      Drew nodded mutely.  She couldn’t think what to say.  The woman was tiny.  Elfin in looks she had long white blonde hair that hung loose to her waist.  She was absolutely beautiful. She wore a gypsy skirt and pretty pink shirt. Drew was stunned.  She felt like an ogre next to this petite beauty.  
      “I’m Selphie.” She smiled again dimples dancing in her cheeks.  
      “Ross found me, and told me Seth asked that I try and find you some fresh clothes.  Food will be brought up in a little while.”  
      Selphie deposited the clothes on the bed.  Then turned to look at Drew appraisingly.
      “I asked Ross if he could guess your size, he just shrugged and said you are tiny and beautiful.  So I brought some of my old stuff. He was right, you are tiny and beautiful.”  
      Drew was taken back by Ross’s description of her.  It was quite flattering considering that Ross was a major hotty himself.  
      “Don’t say much do you?” Selphie babbled on like a little brook. “Well don’t worry about it, I’m told I can talk enough for ten people.  Especially if I like someone, and I’ve decided I’m going to like you.  I’ve got a good feeling about you.  My l-dar says you are going to be good for someone here,” she grinned “but I’m not going to tell you who just yet.  That, you are going to have to figure out all on your own.”  
      Drew frowned confused by Selphie’s running chatter.  “L-dar?”
      “Her love radar” Seth said from the doorway
      Damn the man moved quietly.  
      “Seth!”  Selphie literally threw herself into Seth’s arms.  He had no choice but to catch her “I’m so happy you came home safe.  Squishies!” She squealed as she squeezed him in a hug.  
      Drew felt her heart flip over painfully.  Was Selphie the reason Seth hadn’t been interested.  She felt sick to her stomach and her chest ached.  
      So this is what jealousy felt like.  God it sucked!
      She’d never had a reason to feel jealous before.  With the few boyfriends she’d had there had always seemed to be some spark missing, so jealousy had never been an issue for her.  One time, during a fight, Brynn had accused Drew of being a cold fish, because Drew never got gah-gah over a guy.  Drew had to admit she probably kept those guys at arms length because she didn’t want to fall in love and risk loosing that love the way she’d lost her parents.  
      Now she was standing here watching that beautiful wisp of a woman hug Seth and it was killing her.  What was it about this guy that made all her reactions so extreme.  
      Seth disentangled himself from Selphie and put her down.
      “Good to see you to little-one.  Did you miss me.”  
      “Duh.” She grinned at him.
      Drew wanted to strangle them both.  So she asked a question instead.
      “Love-radar?”
      “Of course silly,” Selphie grinned  “I’ve got great l-dar. I know immediately when someone is meant for someone else.”  
      What Seth wanted to know, was who Selphie had decided her l-dar was pointing Drew at, and what kind of shit he’d get into if he killed the man.  
      Drew was completely confused.  
      Seth came to her rescue.  “Selphie is a nymph.  When it comes to love, people in love and matchmaking no one knows more than she does.”  
      “Oh I see.”  Drew felt her spirit sink to her feet.  
      Just frigging great, how the hell was she supposed to compete with a nymph for Seth’s attentions.  
      “Enough of this now, come,” Selphie grabbed the clothes off the edge of the bed and tugged Drew along by the hand towards the door to her room  “let’s go try this stuff on and see if any of it will fit.”
      She glanced over her shoulder “Seth, don’t forget you’ve got a debriefing in about an hour.  Don’t be late.  Gabe’s been grumpy enough lately, you don’t want to piss him off.”   
      “He was born grumpy.”  Seth called out as she closed the door.  He went to the closet for a tee-shirt and some shoes.
      Last time he’d shown up at a debriefing in without a shirt Gabriel had nearly blown an artery.  “Case in point” he muttered.