Dare (31 page)

“All right.” I shuffled to the other side of the tree, leaning against branches, praying there wasn’t poison ivy in the mix. I couldn’t see anything in the dark.

I sat on a stump, and tried to find constellations through the thick tree canopy overhead. The clusters reminded me of Dare, the line of stars behind her ear.

My eyes grew heavy and I started to doze when I heard a branch break. I jumped to my feet.

“Silver? Is that you?” I didn’t know if I had actually fallen asleep.

He was likely going to lecture me on what a slack-ass job I was doing.

“Silver?” I whispered.

He would probably berate me for calling out to him again, but the air had changed. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I took a small step in the direction of the tree. I stepped on a twig, snapping it in half. Man I was jumpy.

I reached out for the tree when my hand felt something wet and warm oozing down the trunk.

“Silver?” I grabbed my flashlight, but when the beam reached the high branch where the artist was waiting, I dropped it.

“Oh, God.”

I stooped to pick it up, feeling more drips slide down my neck. Silver dangled above me, his body tied in rope. His eyes were open, but I knew he wasn’t breathing. There was too much blood. The rope wound over every limb, across his neck, cutting off any chance for air.

I fumbled with the flashlight and began to run toward the path. I heard it. The snorting, the hissing. The jaguar was on my heels. He growled. I didn’t have any weapons. Like an idiot, Silver was the only one armed and I was left defenseless. He had convinced me the cats would somehow sense I was trying to protect myself. It would be better if I were defenseless. Now that seemed like a screwed up plan.

I ran faster, propelling myself on the trail. I felt the asphalt under my feet. I was close to the parking lot. If I could make it past the next corner, I’d be able to see my car. There was a chance I could make it out of here without dying. That was when I saw him. Ahead of me on the path was another jaguar.

He snarled and hissed. His long teeth extended from his gums. I stopped running and turned to see the one chasing me had blocked my entrance into the woods. They scratched at the ground, their stance wide.

Another jag appeared from my right; soon there were five in all. I was surrounded.

I realized then there was a good chance tonight I was going to die.

T
onight was our first patrol as the newly formed Nox. I looked at the girls in front of me. The den was now more like a dorm. Girls had to bunk together until I could figure out how to rearrange our setup.

The younger girls would enroll in fall classes, but for now, I was working on training them, teaching them the geography of Sullen’s Grove, and teaching them how to identify the Tribe. It wasn’t as if I could set up an introductory meeting with our enemy. They were going to have to meet evil head on, like the rest of us.

Abi was in her room. Maya said she wasn’t ready to join us. “It’s too hard on her to shift right now,” she explained.

“I’d rather her stay in,” I directed. “When she’s stronger, she can fight.”

“I understand. Have you heard from Holly?”

“No, she said she’d let me know when she had something to help her. I think we’re doing the best we can.” I hugged Maya. “Thank you for taking such good care of her.”

“She would do it for me.”

I pressed down the thought of anyone else ending up like Abi. A shell of the she-panther she used to be.

We joined the others in the den. I scanned the new faces in front of me.

“Tonight, we will patrol together. If you encounter another shifter, assume they are dangerous. The Tribe has been warned that they need to stay out of Nox territory.” I looked at the smile on Vix’s face. She was dying to claw Noah’s eyes out. “I appreciate that you are all here. I know you left your territories to join us. Thank you.”

They nodded, bowing their heads at me.

“It’s time,” I announced.

We formed a circle, linking arms around waists, closing the gap between us.

“Be safe tonight,” I ordered.

“We will,” they replied in unison.

Slowly, the transition took place. Girls with sharp green eyes and long, dark hair found new shape as stealthy midnight black cats.

We slinked through the tunnel, taking turns to exit into the night.

I meant to call Zac before I shifted, but he had left a message earlier that he was going to work late and we’d have to meet later. I pictured him huddled over his laptop in his office. He would be safe there. I worried Case would try to hurt him again, but it wasn’t as if I could keep him locked in the lair with the Nox. That would never work. So far, he had kept up his end of the deal to stay away from the legend and the magic. My heart raced a little faster every time I thought about what that meant about his feelings for me. At the same time I tried not to think about Holly’s warnings. I convinced myself dating humans must be different for the witches.

I prowled out of the cave, keen to the sounds of the woods. I decided to patrol near the edge of the park, the others split off in different directions. Vix wanted to show Bey the trails near campus.

The wind whipped over my fur. I caught a hint of blood in the air. Human blood.

I turned to face the wind, sniffing strongly. It was a lot of blood; whomever it came from probably wasn’t alive.

I cautiously crept toward the scent. I scanned the thick brush for movement. The wind made it hard to tell if there were other creatures watching. The leaves bent back and forth.

My ears perked. I could hear the drip-drip sound. I looked up.

My God. There was a man hanging from the branches, swinging in the wind. I scaled the trunk, careful to avoid the ropes tossing him between the limbs. I cut through the rope with my claws to lower him. He landed with a thud, and I jumped to the ground.

He was dead. His body was still warm. This had just happened. I looked around. Then I picked it up. There was another scent. It was warm juniper and mint. My ears pinned back. My nose twitched. I started to growl. Zac had been here.

I canvassed the area. His blood wasn’t here. Thank God. I walked closer to the park. Maybe he had gone for a run today and I was catching remnants from the afternoon. It grew stronger the closer I walked. Then I picked up another scent. One that always made my stomach turn. Case.

I ran in circles. More than one member of the Tribe had been here. I followed where the scent became the thickest. They had arrived from different paths, but they left together. Zac was with them.

I ran faster. I had to find them. I had to find him. I swore I wouldn’t let anything else happen. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself against them in shifter form. Their claws and teeth would rip him apart in seconds.

I hurled my legs under me, sprinting faster than I ever had.

The smell was fresher. I was closer. I slowed down so I could plan my attack. Garbled voices spoke on the other side of a line of bushes. They were speaking jag. I peered through the leaves, and then climbed the closest tree.

My heart froze. It wasn’t possible. This wasn’t happening.

Tegan and Eva stood next to Zac. Sloan paced in front of them, her tail flicking with each lap. I wanted to scream to them to run, to break away from the Tribe, but there was something wrong. Terribly wrong.

Tegan held a knife. I didn’t know why she and Eva were the only ones who hadn’t shifted. I edged forward to listen.

Case snarled. “This man is a threat to all of us.” He glared at Zac. “The queen wants him. She continues to defy me. To defy all of us.” He had their attention. “Together, we will show her what happens when you defy the laws of the council. When you defy royalty.”

He nodded at Tegan, and she ran the tip of the knife along the side of Zac’s throat. Eva held his arms back.

I could see the blood trickle faster now that the point of the knife was pressed against his skin. His eyes were closed. He didn’t see me. None of them did.

They were too focused on the fire and the sacrifice they were about to make in the shadows of its flame.

I crouched, the limb supporting me as I edged closer. I was outnumbered. If I pounced now, the Tribe would surround me in seconds. But, if I waited much longer, they would kill him.

There in the center, I could see everything familiar to me. I knew them and somehow the wildness and violence I witnessed had stripped away the memories of who I thought they were.

I was forced to feel my raw emotions spilling around me, consuming my choices, my inaction. How had this happened?

My ears twitched at the low growling sounds that started in the center of the circle, and then made their way around until they were so loud it was deafening.

My head throbbed from the sounds of their celebration. I didn’t have time to regret the choices that led us here. Later. Regrets were for later.

The steel blade sank against his skin, and my eyes narrowed.

Now. I needed to move now or he would be lost to me.

The forest would hear my roar and so would the Tribe. I leapt from the branch, landing in the center, scattering the fire and the knife. They growled, their sharp teeth bared at me.

I’d spent my life fighting for humans, but tonight, I knew in my heart that I would fight until I was dead.

The commotion was enough to take Tegan and Eva by surprise. Zac swept his leg against their ankles, knocking both of them to the ground. I couldn’t help him and attack the Tribe at the same time. I prayed he could keep them away.

Sloan was the first one to swat at me, her claws extended to their full length. She hissed and lunged.

I darted to the side, and she soared past me.

“Sloan!” I roared. “Stop! What are you doing?”

Ronan growled at me. “You can’t give her orders anymore.”

I jumped at him, striking his back and the curve behind his ears. He rolled to the side, howling.

Sloan attacked from the back, sinking her teeth into my neck. “You can’t hurt him, Dare.”

I spun hard enough to throw her off balance, sending her through the air. She landed hard against a tree. I wasn’t sure if I had knocked her out, but I didn’t have time. The rest of the Tribe was aimed in my direction.

Trev lined up behind him. “Trev, you don’t want to fight me.”