Free Stay by Julia Barrett, J. W. Manus, Winterheart Designs

he was doing?
    Cass said, “Only four people know about this, Lucas‌—‌I know about it. Syd knows about it because she saw the whole thing, my wife knows about it because I had to tell her, and the person who saved my life knows about it. That would be Wolf. He’s the only other person who knows about this. This morning you asked me about this gold and you poked me, right here.”
    The man opened his shirt and Lucas stared, stunned. Hangover forgotten, Lucas reached a hand out as if to brush away the gold from the sheriff’s chest, but he stopped just short of touching him. The sheriff turned around and showed him his back. Just to the left of his spine was an even larger patch of skin, the color of gold. The area shimmered in the morning light.
    Time and space reeled away and Lucas found himself standing outside his body, watching the scene before him. It was night, winter, and the sheriff lay in the snow, his life’s blood ebbing away from a gunshot wound. It was Wolf who pressed his hands on the dying man but Lucas felt the hot blood ooze through his own fingers. It was Wolf Syd spoke to, but Lucas heard her speaking to him. She begged him to do something, pleaded with him to save the sheriff’s life.
    In that moment his heart broke.
    He could save Cass Weber, but to do so he’s have to resume his real form. He’d forfeit the one thing he’d wanted more than immortality‌—‌to live a real life, to love a real woman.
    But he did it. He did it for Syd and for the sheriff and because he had no choice. It was in his nature to preserve life.
    Wolf spoke to Sydney Blake, but Lucas recognized his own voice. I would have loved you for all eternity .
    Who was he? No, that was the wrong question. What in god’s name was he?

    Syd leaned out the window of her truck to clip the last ear tag on the last calf. Chuck and Ryan grabbed their sticks and climbed into the mule.
    “You can head back,” Syd called. “I want to wait until they mother up.” The two men waved to her as they turned the little vehicle around and headed back to the barn.
    Syd wiggled around in the driver’s seat, trying to get comfortable. She needed a good stretch, a long hot shower and a nap, but not just yet. The herd came first.
    Besides, she wasn’t sure she wanted to face Lucas. It was her fault he’d drunk enough whiskey to kill a horse.
    Apparently supernatural beings could tolerate a whole lot of liquor.
    “Shut up, Syd. He’s not a supernatural being, he’s a cowboy. Stop trying to make him into someone he’s not.”
    Syd pulled the elastic band from her hair and shook out her ponytail. She knew she had to go back to the house sooner or later to face the music, but for the moment she allowed herself to watch and listen. The way the mothers called to their babies always made her smile. Every cow knew her calf and every calf knew her mother.
    The bawling soothed her. She doubted anyone who had grown up in the city would find a noisy herd of cows so comforting, but their lowing had always put her to sleep.
    She hoped she’d be half the mother her cows were. Syd closed her eyes and folded her hands across her abdomen, fingers caressing her unborn child. She knew it would be hard work, to be a good doctor, a good rancher, and a good mother. And right now she was so very sleepy.
    “Sydney.”
    “Hmmm?”
    “Sydney Blake, wake up.”
    She bolted upright at the sound of his voice. Lucas stood there, right next to the window. Without another word he opened the door of the cab, used the bulk of his long, hard body to keep her still, and he kissed her. He put his heart and soul into that kiss, as if she were his salvation, his personal life-giving manna from heaven.
    He kissed her as if this was the last kiss they’d share for all eternity.
    Syd nearly fainted when he let her go. She knew he was saying goodbye.
    “Don’t go,” she said. She tilted her head back, searching his eyes. They blazed with raw, savage need and not a little