A Town Called Nowhere Read online

  Ashley had always been on his radar. She was beautiful and intelligent, and increasingly included in the appropriate human social circles. Panther circles as well, as she clawed her way back up from her family’s disgrace. Her own was a prodigious family of panthers in south-western Victoria, who were outcast after her Grandfather revolted against Dru’s family many years ago. Since then, not a single public incident or accidental sighting marred their family name. They were as squeaky clean as the long locks of golden hair that they all inherited. But Dru knew that what happened behind closed doors was far less pleasant.

  He remembered many nights as a teenager when he would morph and find his way led to her doorstep, not out of the common requirement of sexual urgency, but a longing to protect her that he couldn’t describe. Something more primal than that. He would gaze up at her window and see the shadows of her movements, and wonder if she knew that he existed at all. He would find out years later, tucked up in the crook of her warm body after making love, that she often did the same. He found it ironic that they never discovered each other’s secrets earlier.

  Nicci was nothing like Ashley. From the curve of her hips to the dark fall of her hair, she was the complete opposite. If he was to describe her now it would be impulsive, brooding and....sexy, he sighed. He wasn’t sure how much of his desire for her originated with the smell that she emitted, and how much was from the knowledge that she was exactly the person who her father would never agree to. Either way, she was the tantalising object of his sole focus when he was around her. Perhaps having wild and rampant sex with her would cure him of this affliction, he considered. It was not the first time that a woman had caught his attention through the years. He was known for his conquests, both on and off the track. But this one seemed different. When he contemplated that this woman might mean more to him than just a one-night stand, he was filled with unease. Still, it would be worth the try.

  ‘Are you even listening to me?’ She caught him off-guard.

  ‘Sorry, what?’ he uttered, dragging his mind away from fleeting thoughts of her face wrapped up in ecstasy and coming up beside her.

  ‘I asked if you wanted to go back to the hunt later on? I don’t know what we have for dinner tonight.’

  ‘Um, sure,’ he stuttered, stumbling on a non-existent piece of debris. ‘But I have some canned food if you prefer? Nothing flash, but I think we can make it into something.’

  She nibbled on her bottom lip, and a tingle began in his belly that rolled toward his groin. He tried to shake it off.

  ‘Yeah okay, maybe we can try tomorrow.’ She looked around at the abandoned township. ‘Shall we have a look around instead? We might find something of interest.’

  ‘Sure,’ he agreed, following her lead. Heat was radiating off her in waves, the sweet smell of it lowering any defences he had. They walked along the main weed-ridden street to a house with vines climbing over the front wall. Climbing over the debris on the front lawn, she dug around in the dirt and pulled out triumphantly a piece of jagged plate. ‘China!’ she exclaimed, the first hint of a smile he had seen on her lips, and it warmed him like a ray of sunshine.

  ‘Hardly the priceless gem of antiquity,’ he smiled back, wrapping his arms around himself to stop them from straying towards her. From this angle she looked younger, arm raised with the acquisition and light beaming across her face. Her eyes were sparkling and gave off an almost green sheen. ‘Hazel,’ he thought to himself, ‘not brown.’ His eyes drank in her beauty, and the warmth that the sun brought to her face, until flushed with longing he had to avert his gaze. He looked down and found his own prize, a piece of an old white cup that was decorated with small green tangled ivy. ‘Got one!’ he pronounced, his smile deepening as she grinned back at him. It was fun picking through the remnants of what was once a home. Someone had once loved this place; he could feel it in his bones. A knowing that exceeded time and place. He tried to imagine what it would have looked like in its day. With bright walls of and long strips of wood that brought the touch of outside in. It would have been beautiful. It seemed strange that such luxury had been abandoned, and he wondered what was set up for. There were no letterboxes at the gate, only faded numbers still showing on the front of the houses.

  ‘Let’s check out next door,’ she encouraged, and he followed her silently. This house was intact and smelt old and stale when they entered. The floor creaked under each step, but the floorboards were still sturdy. Old wallpaper clung like moss, the decaying edges lifting in places but untouched in others. Stepping from room to room, he could feel the history of the town envelope him. The layouts for each of the houses appeared to be uniform, as if they were designed for en masse rather than for individuals. But the finer details made all the difference in each place, the clever swirls or colours that made each unique.

  ‘Do you know what this place used to be?’ she called out to him from another room.

  ‘No idea, but it looks like it was once nice,’ he responded. The room he was in was wall papered a deep lush red, with intricate interwoven designs of soft gold. There was remnants of carpet in the corners of the room, but they were faded and jagged.

  ‘Yeah that’s what I thought.’

  There was a pause. A silence that cut between the rooms and encased them both.

  ‘If I had money, I think I would buy this place and do it up again.’ She let out a barely audible sigh.

  ‘Yeah,’ he agreed. ‘We could make it a town for our kind.’

  As the words escaped his lips, a plan formed. It twisted and turned in his brain, solidifying into a concept. ‘Actually,’ he stopped mid-sentence.

  She came into the room he was in, staring at him with an intensity that dragged him back to the present. ‘That’s a good idea.’ It was brewing in his brain, inviting closer inspection.

  ‘I have a mate who does reno. I could ask him to come up and see if it would be possible to restore the principal houses.’

  Her eyes narrowed at him, the assessment cutting. ‘You really think so? Would there be enough of our kind who would want to live here?’

  ‘Yeah, I think so.’ His mind went back to hours spent calming down distraught pack members because of some harsh new law that his father had enforced, and assuring them that he would do things differently. Many had felt they had no choice but to flee, taking their families with them into a world of potential new dangers they had yet to see. Maybe this was his chance to make a difference.

  ‘My family pack has been around for generations, but there are others of our kind who are not so lucky. They don’t have the resources and family that I have grown up with and they can find it tough. Living away from protection can make them tough. Your kind, for example.’

  The words slipped out, but they weren’t as easily pulled back in again. ‘What do you mean, my kind?’ she hissed back at him, her eyes narrowing.

  ‘Oh, you know,’ he muttered. ‘Packless...’

  Even to him, the response was weak and poorly timed. She was not the type that required, nor asked for, a pack. In fact, everything about her screamed that she was far better without. Instead of being ruled by a leader, she was a free woman and that freedom radiated off her like a beacon to him.

  Instead of responding, she arched an eyebrow at him and her lips drew together in a sharp line. She disappeared into the other room, and he wished he had remained silent. He continued to explore the rooms, hoping that the red heat he felt in his cheeks would die down quickly.

  They spent about an hour wandering through the township and exploring the abandoned buildings. There were several houses in various states of disrepair, an old garage, town hall, library, and cafe. A wide park and garden space, with an empty and cracked pool lay in the centre. In total there appeared to be six blocks worth of houses, all similar shapes and sizes, and all with a stylised garden. The town must have once been a thriving community before it suddenly went into h
ibernation.

  It tucked into the folds of the woodlands around them, like a once coveted jewel that no longer shone.

  ‘I wondered what happened here,’ Nicci repeated for the umpteenth time. The only thing that Dru could guess is that work dried up and people moved on. It was common for small towns to face recession and lack of growth. Without new families moving in to grow and expand, eventually they would die a slow death.

  ‘Guess people just slowly moved out,’ he said. ‘It would explain why some buildings are in better condition than others.’

  ‘Do they still have power and water in the town do you think?’ Nicci reached over to an old tap and twisted it, the spluttering of the water pulsing slowly through the unused pipes being louder than they have both expected.

  ‘Looks like it,’ he leaned against a wall. ‘Not sure that there would be power though.’

  Nicci paused and looked out the window at the skyline. ‘Guess you could also put a generator or some solar out here.’

  Like her, his mind was filling in the blanks. Sure, the town was deserted and decaying. But with the right work and input, there was life here yet. He could feel it and he could feel that energy from her body a mere few meters away. He tried to block out the pull to get closer to her.

  She turned to look at him, and he could feel the increase in his heart rate as her eyes tested him. The increasing thump against his chest as her hazel eyes probed him.

  ‘So how much money do you have?’ she asked bluntly. ‘Do you think you would have enough?’

  He gulped, anxiety radiating from the pit of his stomach and pushing outward. ‘Sure, plenty. But I might have to liquidate a few assets. It might take me a couple months to pull it together. And then there would be the rebuild time...’

  Slowly but surely, a semi-solid plan formed in his mind. Maybe he could re-brand the town. Give it a new identity for the world. It within his grasp, if he just took the first step.

  No, he stopped himself short. Nowhere was exactly the right name for the place he wanted to live. He would respect the town’s history.

  His gaze stopped on Nicci’s face, the line of her cheekbones and the smooth edge of her jaw making his mouth water with wanton need. ‘This is exactly what I want,’ he thought. There was no place on earth he would rather be.

  #

  CHapTEr TeN

  Nicci wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not, since his expression hadn’t moved an inch. But the more she thought about the prospect of having a permanent home, a place of her own, with her own kind that she could mix and mingle with without care, the more she wanted it. It started as a little itch. It was blossoming into a raging need.

  She had never had somewhere safe to live. Her homes, where she had been placed without little consideration for her wishes, were temporary and often unpleasant. Luckily for her, the first shift in her early teens had been swift, and she had managed to not inflict any permanent damage to herself or anyone around her. Her foster brother, three years older than her and far less experienced in life, hadn’t even seen her change but that didn’t stop him from rueing the day that she had been placed with them. Many times, at his local bar he told the story of the foster kid who had attacked his family on a late evening in August.

  But as the story was repeated, the claws became fingernails, the teeth became dulled, and the sheer detail of her transformation would become less like an actual event and more about some kind of madness that overtook her. It was far easier for a man to explain an attack of hysteria than it was to accuse someone of transforming into a panther. She didn’t even know where he was anymore. Probably still holding a beer at the pub, his breath reeking and the stale tale still rolling off his tongue.

  As they had wandered around the township, she imagined what changes she would make if she had a choice. Some buildings, because of their neglect, might have to be demolished. But the prospect of opening up parks and spaces where their kind could play and train in peace was wondrous. A play-centre for the youngest using one of the houses. A small school for the older children from the large hall building and a couple of surrounding buildings, where being different was not just a common occurrence, but it was par for the course. They would be as self-sufficient as possible. Growing their own food locally, perhaps farming and hunting as well if they could buy the adjoining lands. Being so remote and removed from the next town made it easier for them to control the flow of people, both in and out. And in the future they could even build an airstrip, to make it faster and easier to get to civilisation if they needed something urgently.

  ‘How long do you think it would take to get started?’ she asked Dru. ‘I mean, I have very little money, but I would like to help if I can?’

  She bit back the reality, which was that she didn’t have any money at all apart from the jewels, and she stole them. Nor did she have any experience that would be in any way practical or helpful in this scenario. But she wanted to be involved. To be a part of something bigger than herself and she was good at hard work. It had been her burden throughout her life.

  ‘I dunno. Depends on who owns this land and these houses, I guess. I could make a few calls and find out.’ He paused and cursed. ‘Fuck, I need to get myself a new phone.’ He looked across at her and gave a lopsided grin. ‘Fancy a road trip to get one? We can grab some more supplies while we are at it.’

  She bit down on a smile. ‘Aren’t I under orders to stay here until your Dad gets back?’

  ‘All the more reason to head out I say,’ he beamed and gave her a wink. Closing the gap between them, he reached out and put his arm around her shoulder to lead her to the car. A sudden rush of longing flooded her senses. She could smell the warm woody scent of his skin and felt the heat and weight of his arm around her. She resisted the urge to turn and curl up into him, to surround herself with him.

  Her body shuddered in shock when he released her and opened the car door to offer her a seat. It was both sweet and unnecessary for him to open chauffeur her into the vehicle, but she again bit down a rising grin. She didn’t want him to stop doing it.

  Climbing into the leather seat she could smell him everywhere, almost making it impossible for her to breathe. She jostled with the seatbelt for a moment as she figured out how to click it in. He dropped into the driver’s side and gave her another small wink before he pushed in the keys, adjusted his seatbelt and the engine roared to life.

  Underneath her, the feel of the monster engine reverberated and rumbled, giving her small waves of pleasure. There was nothing sexier than this car, she decided. This time she couldn’t stop the lift of her lips and the thrill of exhilaration as he took off. His hand holding the gearstick was mere centimetres from her own and she resisted the urge to cover it with her own. She would have loved to feel the soft warmth of his skin as the car hurtled along the road. But now was not the time, she told herself.

  ‘This car is amazing,’ she sighed, watching as he adeptly weaved between potholes and back onto the main road. Seeing him in control of the vehicle was like watching a maestro in full glory. The swift shift of the gears, the tight lines of his corners. He was a born and bred natural and she could sense it in every move he made. She wondered what it would be like to have those same hands move across her body. To dip and dive into her secret places, the heat from them warming her skin and causing ripples of pleasure. She shook her head. This day-dreaming needed to stop. He was engaged!

  She refocused on the road ahead. Driving into Nowhere, she had been in a panic and hadn’t bothered to pay much attention. It had been dark, and her biggest concern was her lack of petrol and the chance she would hit a roo. Now, as she watched the bushland roll past the window, she marvelled at how pretty it was. Gumtrees in blossom lined the way, their skin hanging off in large strips and their branches broad and laden with green leaves. Parrots of various shapes and colours darted and dived in the canopy. At one point she saw an
emu, the long lean of its neck protruding from the fluff of its body.

  ‘Where are we going exactly?’ she asked, as she watched a crow lift and fly off in front of them.

  ‘There’s another town about fifty kilometres away. I drove through it the other night.’

  They sat in companionable silence. It was the first time in what felt like forever that she was able to relax in someone’s company. The bush opened up and a town came into view. A dilapidated sign hung at the entrance to the township which read Welcome to Bundaroo. It was faded and weather worn, matching the rest of the township. A few cars and utes passed them, the locals lifting a finger to acknowledge their presence. This had once been a thriving farming town, now depleted and inhabitants. But it did still have a pub, a garage and a small post office cum supermarket. Dru pulled up at the front of the building and they both took a moment to look around.

  ‘Jeez, talk about small town living.’ He reached down and unclipped his belt. ‘I don’t know that we’ll have much luck finding a phone here. By the looks of the place, it’s still running on candles and oil lamps.’

  Nicci chuckled. He wasn’t wrong. An old lady wearing an outdated cotton dress exited the store, her shopping trolley trundling behind her. Examining the car, she adjusted her glasses, gave them a nod and then continued along the path. Dru looked at Nicci and smiled. ‘I guess we have been noted already, let’s go see what we can find.’

  Climbing out of the car, she missed the feeling of him beside her and the feel of the leather behind her back. But she was keen to see what this small township had. If they were making plans on living down the road, she wanted to get to know the neighbours. The building that housed the post office cum supermarket was in fact an old bank. The etched plaque by the door announced that a local important person with an exceptionally long name had founded the bank in 1918. Stepping inside was like stepping into another world, though. The art deco styling fell away, and inside it was full of fluorescent lighting, bright signs and shelves and shelves of products. From fishing rods to bread, this was the place to get any of your purchasing needs. Dru walked ahead of her, finding tucked into the corner of the room a rotating display cabinet which housed a couple of mobile phones and other expensive items.