Bad Moon Rising - Paranormal Romance (21 page)

They were about a hundred yards from the hogan when the wolf stopped and released her. Mya trembled, waiting for it to sink its teeth into her throat and tear her life from her, but it didn’t. The wolf sat on its haunches, staring at her with eyes that seemed to have captured the moonlight.

She slowly began to realize that the wolf was not a threat and her fear subsided. If she had been an adult, Mya might have questioned the timely appearance of the animal, and she might have wondered why it had saved her instead of eating her. But in her innocence, all that mattered was that he had rescued her from the monsters.

The wolf stood up and started moving away from her, but it had only gotten a few yards before it stopped and looked back. The animal seemed like it wanted her to follow. Mya stole a glance over her shoulder. She could still hear cries coming from the hogan, but they were not as intense now. Soon the men would recover and come after her. Maybe her only choice was to go with the wolf.

Mya got to her feet and slowly walked behind the wolf. They had gone a long way before the animal led her into a small rock shelter at the base of a cliff. It was a good thing that they stopped because she was just too exhausted to go on much longer.

With her legs trembling and weak, Mya could not stop herself from collapsing to the ground. The wolf was at her side - licking at her face. Her eyelids grew heavy. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was the wolf lying across her; it’s warm fur shielding her from the night chill. During her long sleep she woke once. She searched for the wolf but it was gone. Now there was a boy there, and he was staring at her with the wolf’s eyes.

As the darkness began to fade, she found herself gazing into the fire. She was back in the medicine man’s hogan. Her eyes wide with disbelief, she looked over at Ren.

“That couldn’t have been a real memory. I know that it was David Bray that got me away from the skinwalkers. What I saw in that memory was a wolf.” Even as she spoke the words, the truth was crashing down all around her. David and the Wolf were one in the same.

With a tip of his head, Ren confirmed what she remembered while under hypnosis. Suddenly David’s words came back to her. He had tried to tell her.

“It’s impossible,” Mya shook her head violently.

Ren spoke in a deep - soothing voice. “The
Sinapu
are wolf spirits. That is why the skinwalkers are not strong enough to go after them … that is why they need you.”

Mya still could not accept the truth that was right in front of her. “But how …”

Ren cocked his head to one side. “How is not for us to know. What I can tell you is that they are wolf spirits that can take the form of either man or wolf … except for the guardian priests.”

“What do you mean?”

The shaman stared at her warily, as if he were wondering how much she could be trusted. “I can’t tell you anymore than I already have. You know too much already.”

Frustrated, Mya turned away. “Now what?”

“You came to me and asked that I help you uncover the truth of what happened that night. You have that now. What you do with that information is up to you.” Rend told her.

Mya paced her kitchen floor. All morning she’d felt as if she were being torn in a dozen different directions. Part of her wanted to just crawl into bed and cover her head with blankets. She needed time to grieve the loss of her parents, but at the same time, she wanted revenge - for them and for Lucy.

The best revenge she could extract would be to leave the reservation and foil their plans for David, but she wanted more than that - she wanted to destroy them. Even if she left, it would only be a matter of time before they came up with another plan. No, leaving wasn’t the answer.

Then there was the fact that Jen was still missing. She’d gotten a voice mail from her that morning, but had still been unable to get her on the phone.

If that wasn’t enough, there was also her confusion about David, and her feelings for him. The thought of going away and never seeing him again left her feeling hollow inside. Maybe the reality of what he was hadn’t really sunk in yet, but she couldn’t deny what was in her heart. David had ignited a hunger within her that only he could satisfy. How could she just leave before she had exorcised him from her mind?

Mya stopped pacing and snatched up her mobile phone. Eying the phone in her hand, she nervously bit at her bottom lip. She had to talk to David, but she knew he might not be too happy with her after the way she’d left him.

Taking a deep breath, she dialed his number. It rang several times before she got his voicemail.

“David … I’m sorry about the other night, but I really need to talk to you. Please call me.” Mya hung up the phone with a heavy sigh.

She wasn’t even sure he’d get the message. As far as she knew, there was not even service where he lived.

Pushing her thoughts of David aside, she poured herself a fresh cup of coffee. There was still plenty to do. The funeral for her parents wouldn’t take place until the coroner was done with the autopsies, but they would be buried on the reservation, which was really their home. Several of their friends in Wyoming planned to attend.

Mya felt her throat tighten. Seeing him made her nervous enough, but to see him now that she knew what he was - well that was something else all together.

* * *

The red - orange sky gave the ruins an almost mystical look. Mya was near the top of the trail and could see up close, the majestic cliffs that housed the dwellings of long ago Pueblo Indians. The ruins were massive, with over a hundred dwellings built into the cliffs. Amazed, she could not help but stare in awe at the beauty and complexity of the dwellings. They reminded her of ancient apartment buildings.

Finding David in there would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

She didn’t see his bike anywhere so she assumed he wasn’t there yet. Mya concluded that it would probably be best to wait for him outside the ruins. Though they were beautiful, she wasn’t anxious to go exploring them alone, especially this close to dark.

No one was there but her. This late in the day, all the tourists had vanished.

It was a walk, but she finally made it to the edge of the ruins. Mya was tempted to stick her head into one of the many doorways of the ruins to get a peek, but instead she sat on the outer edge of a large kiva to wait for David.

The minutes ticked by and she started to get nervous that he wouldn’t show, but then she heard movement in the brush surrounding the ruins. To her surprise, it wasn’t David that emerged from the sage, but his three friends.

“Well imagine finding you here!” It was the mean one that had blocked the road to the
Sinapu
village.

Mya’s senses were instantly on alert. “Where’s David?”

The mean one knelt beside her and lifted her chin so that she was staring into his eyes. “Oh I’m sure he’ll be along soon … but he won’t find you here.”

He smiled, but it didn’t warm his icy gaze. “You’ve been warned to leave. Now you’re giving us no choice but to get rid of you ourselves.”

Mya’s eyes search for Cole. When she was at David’s place she thought she’d detected some sympathy from the man, but right now he was looking away from her.

Ayden took a couple of steps back. “This is exactly what they are trying to do. They want to turn us against each other. It’s all part of their plan.”

“Then why are you playing into it … why are you trying to betray me?” David’s words were soft and dangerous.

“I’m not the betrayer,” Aden glared at the other man through narrowed eyes. “You are the one betraying the people and your duty. You’re letting this
Tchin'dih
slut get to you.”

A roar tore from David’s throat and he threw back his head. His rage-filled eyes lit up with an unearthly light and the features of his face began twisting into something grotesque and inhuman. She could hear his bones cracking and popping as he slid into the wolf’s body.

In a blur of movement, his clothes ripped from his body and he crouched low to the ground - ready to leap on the other man. But Ayden was no longer a man either - he had turned.

Snarling, the wolf bared his teeth and flew at the animal that had been Ayden. With Mya’s screams echoing through the cliffs, she scrambled out of the way. She was almost not fast enough. Mya felt the stir of air next to her as the two animals rolled around on the ground, both of them trying to sink their teeth into their rival’s throat.

Though the confrontation only lasted a moment, to Mya it seemed like hours. She heard one of the wolves yelp and saw that it was trying to crawl away. In the mass of confusion, she wasn’t sure which one had retreated, David or Ayden, but she wasn’t about to stick around and find out. No matter who was the victor, they could turn on her the instant they noticed she was still there.

Mya looked around frantically for an escape route. It was a long way back to her car - too long. There was no way she’d make it before being overrun. The dark corridors of the cliff dwellings beaconed to her. She could hide in there.

The wolves would easily track her scent, but there was no other choice. At least inside she’d have a better chance of avoiding them. If she tried to make it to her car, she would have to outrun them, and there was no way that would happen. She hadn’t gone very far when she heard one of the animal behind her, and gaining fast. Her lungs burned with exertion. Gasping, she tried to breathe in enough air to keep going, but she was failing. Soon she would drop, and then it would only be a matter of seconds before she felt fangs ripping at her throat.

The wolf pounced, knocking her to the ground. Though she struggled, she was not strong enough to throw the animal off of her. When she looked into the wolf’s eyes, she knew who had won. His shimmering silver eyes were wild with hunger, but there was something else in his eyes that Mya’s terror prevented her from seeing at first. Her struggles ceased as it dawned on her that he was aware of who she was, even in his current state.

As she watched he began to shift. He cried out in agony, as his muscles and bones twisted into the shape of a man. Mya lay beneath him - frozen in place.

The wolf was gone and David stared down at her - the hunger still in his eyes. Without consciously realizing what she was doing, Mya brought her hand up to brush his long black hair away from his face.

Before she could say a word, his mouth was on hers - devouring her lips. His kiss sizzled with hot - ravishing hunger - a hunger that she shared. Mya returned his kiss, biting at his tongue. His lips left her mouth, and found their way to her throat. She could feel his teeth against her flesh, but she wasn’t afraid. In fact, she welcomed the pain of his teeth piercing her skin.

Feeling his hot breath against her skin sent ripples of heat throughout her body.

“I want you,” he growled.

There had been no need for him to say it. She could feel his stiff erection pressing hard against her hip. Everything but her burning need for him retreated into the background - her doubts - her grief - her desire to do what was right. This was right. She felt as sure about being with him as she had ever felt about anything. It was like her entire life had been about this moment.

Mya slid her fingers along his bare back, enjoying the feel of his firm muscles as they rippled beneath his skin. A low growl erupted from his throat. She had consented without words, but something told her that at this point her consent might not matter. His passion had gone beyond thought - he would take her regardless.

Though she was looking at a man, she could still sense the savagery of the animal within him. With one swift movement, he’d torn the thin material of her T-shirt from her body. Now only her white lacy bra hid her breasts from his burning gaze, but not for long. That too was removed. Next were her shorts. His movements were liquid smooth as he expertly slid them down her legs.

Mya cried out with delight when she felt his hot tongue circling her taut nipples. His mouth moved to the hollow between her breasts, and then lower. Wherever his lips touched her, he left a trail of scorching fire that seemed to steal the air right from her lungs.