Changeling Dawn (17 page)
Authors: Dani Harper
“Come on, old girl, you don’t want to mess with us,” he said in the soothing tones he usually reserved for nervous patients at his clinic. “We’re not going to hurt you or those fine big cubs of yours. Just move along and let us by, why don’t you?”
For a moment he thought she was going to do just that. Then the dogs barking on the bluff above became louder and more ferocious. Stanton realized they’d found the spot where he and Anya had climbed down, and were racing back and forth along the edge searching for a way to follow. Christ, it was only a matter of time before he and Anya were trapped between the dogs and the bears. As it was, the roar of the dogs was agitating the big female further. She was slapping the ground now and her mouth was foaming with saliva, sure signs of an impending charge.
“Anya,” he said aloud, and pushed home the message telepathically as well. Most Changelings had to be in wolfen form to do that—but then, most weren’t as old as he was. “Listen to me. I need some room, I need you to run back away from me about ten feet. Can you do that, honey?”
The little wolf didn’t move immediately, and he was afraid she wasn’t going to. Then, hunching low to the ground, she slowly crept back along the way they’d come. He never got a chance to make sure she was far enough away. The bear launched herself with terrifying speed and Stanton called the Change.
Anya hid under a stand of willow and watched in horror as the grizzly reached the old man within a heartbeat. But a flash of light and a rain of blue sparks erupted and the angry sow was tossed back abruptly onto her rump. The younger bears jumped backward, making whining sounds of distress despite their size as they found themselves suddenly facing a very large silver wolf, its broad head lowered and fangs bared. Anya was surprised too—her mother had told her
never
to Change too close to anyone. She’d never gotten to see what would happen before. The mother bear looked dazed, and it held a paw to its head as if it had a headache.
never
to Change too close to anyone. She’d never gotten to see what would happen before. The mother bear looked dazed, and it held a paw to its head as if it had a headache.
The big wolf held his ground as the grizzly recovered and flattened her ears at him. Two of her cubs were making short dashes forward. Suddenly Anya heard Stanton’s gravelly voice in her head again.
Anya! Get out of here! Run as fast as you can! I’ll catch up with you!
She dashed out from under the willows and sprinted away, ducking under bushes and leaping through reeds and standing water. She could hear an awful ruckus behind her, growls and grunts and breaking twigs. Her mother had told her that full-grown Changelings were too strong to be eaten by beae ear rs, but Anya wasn’t so sure about
old
Changelings like Stanton. And he’d sent her away just like her mother had done. What if he disappeared too?
old
Changelings like Stanton. And he’d sent her away just like her mother had done. What if he disappeared too?
You’d better not go away!
She was so busy thinking about Stanton and the bears that she nearly ran full-tilt into something else.
Several
somethings
that towered over her and showed very big teeth.
somethings
that towered over her and showed very big teeth.
The dogs had found her.
Stanton figured he might have fought one bear—
might
, since it had been quite a while since he’d flexed much wolfen muscle—but fighting four of the damn things was asking a little too much of an old fart. The young grizzlies were following their mother’s lead now. He ducked one swipe only to be caught by another that tumbled him over and over as if he weighed nothing. Lucky for him that the cubs were inexperienced. With strength like that, if they pursued their advantage, he’d end up looking like Kenzie’s tent in no time.
might
, since it had been quite a while since he’d flexed much wolfen muscle—but fighting four of the damn things was asking a little too much of an old fart. The young grizzlies were following their mother’s lead now. He ducked one swipe only to be caught by another that tumbled him over and over as if he weighed nothing. Lucky for him that the cubs were inexperienced. With strength like that, if they pursued their advantage, he’d end up looking like Kenzie’s tent in no time.
He rolled to his feet and crouched, waiting until they were about to rush him again, then spun and ran east across the river flats. The bears were agitated enough to pursue him, and although grizzlies were capable of outrunning a horse for short distances, he was still a little faster—for the moment at least. His plan was to lead them off, circle around, and get back to Anya.
He should have known. The Copper River and all its tributaries were filled with spawning salmon, and every bear in Alaska was on a riverbank right now. With four bears hard on his ass already, Stanton’s nose told him his luck wasn’t about to improve. He was coming up fast on yet another grizzly—a boar, and therefore likely to be twice as big as the sow he was trying to leave behind.
Goddammit.
With his pursuers so close behind him, veering off to one side or the other wasn’t an option. It was straight ahead or nothing.
Goddammit.
With his pursuers so close behind him, veering off to one side or the other wasn’t an option. It was straight ahead or nothing.
Stanton put everything he had into running flat out for the huge dark shape he could now see ahead. Fortunately the business end of the new grizzly was facing away from him. With an enormous leap, he landed on the bear’s broad back and was up and over before the surprised creature had time to react. And when it did, it no doubt found four other bears frantically trying to put on the brakes before they ran into it.
A wolf ’s body was designed for running and built for speed. Until it got too damn old and the joints got a little arthritic. Stanton wanted nothing more than to flop down somewhere and pant openmouthed until his heart rate returned to normal. Instead, he kept going. He gritted his sharp teeth as adrenaline wore off and aches and pains dragged at him. And something else—a hot line of pain now ran from his shoulder to his hip, and he could smell his own blood. Dammit, one or more of those four-inc
h claws must have connected while they were cuffing him around. He could barely manage a soft lope, but still he pushed himself, determined to find Anya. He called for her in his mind but heard nothing.
h claws must have connected while they were cuffing him around. He could barely manage a soft lope, but still he pushed himself, determined to find Anya. He called for her in his mind but heard nothing.
Back at the base of the bluff, he nosed the ground, casting back and forth until he found her most recent trail—and where it ended. There, another scent filled his veins with ice water.
Uncle Stanton!
Her voice was faint in his mind, but there. She was okay, at least for the moment. He reassured her as best as he could as he ran along the bluff, searching for a place to climb the bank. For the place where the damn dogs must have found their way down....
Her voice was faint in his mind, but there. She was okay, at least for the moment. He reassured her as best as he could as he ran along the bluff, searching for a place to climb the bank. For the place where the damn dogs must have found their way down....
Chapter Fifteen
J
osh pulled his jeans on rather reluctantly. They had made love twice last night and again upon waking. They’d showered together, giggling as elbows were banged and the curtain fell down. He’d be willing to attempt another round of sex, maybe something slow and tender this time, except Kenzie wanted to get back to Anya.
osh pulled his jeans on rather reluctantly. They had made love twice last night and again upon waking. They’d showered together, giggling as elbows were banged and the curtain fell down. He’d be willing to attempt another round of sex, maybe something slow and tender this time, except Kenzie wanted to get back to Anya.
Fair enough. He did too, if the truth be known. Sure, Stanton was an experienced parent but it had to take a lot of energy to keep tabs on a little girl. Even if she was a wolf. In addition to relieving his friend, however, Josh was anxious to continue building a relationship with Anya, hoping to establish trust. All of Stanton’s contacts had come up empty. No one knew who she was or where she’d come from. And so all of the answers would have to come from Anya herself. He didn’t know how long it would be before she felt comfortable enough to resume her human form, but for now, he’d be happy if she’d just be willing to communicate.
And he’d be
really
happy if the flashbacks quit. Somewhere around dawn he’d opened his eyes to see a little dark-haired girl in a green and red tunic standing by the window. She vanished as he came fully awake, but something about her—well, something besides the fact he was having yet another damn
hot memory
—was different. He lay awake puzzling over it until a naked Kenzie had rolled over and blinked up at him... .
really
happy if the flashbacks quit. Somewhere around dawn he’d opened his eyes to see a little dark-haired girl in a green and red tunic standing by the window. She vanished as he came fully awake, but something about her—well, something besides the fact he was having yet another damn
hot memory
—was different. He lay awake puzzling over it until a naked Kenzie had rolled over and blinked up at him... .
Anyway, the dream/vision/hallucination still bothered him, a niggling sense that there was something he should know, something he should see. He chewed it over as he went to check out, only to find that Kenzie had been there ahead of him and paid the bill for both rooms.
Damned efficient woman.
He resolved to fuel up the truck and pay for breakfast as he returned to Kenzie’s room.
Damned efficient woman.
He resolved to fuel up the truck and pay for breakfast as he returned to Kenzie’s room.
“Can you talk to them anytime?” he asked her.
Kenzie was rubbing her hair with a towel and looked up, baffled. “What?”
“Can you talk to Anya and Stanton anytime?”
“Like now?”
“Yeah, like right now.”
“No. It doesn’t work like that. Most Changelings can communicate telepathically only as wolves, you know. Connor and I can both manage it in human form, but he’s way better at it. I’d have to be a lot closer—at least within a few miles. Right now we’re too far away from camp, even if I was on four feet.”
“That’s too bad. Cool that you have the ability, of course, but too bad we have to wait.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, just wondered how things were going, that’s all.” The way he figured it, the sooner he helped Anya get back where she belonged, the sooner he’d stop having the damn flashbacks. At least he hoped she was the trigger of all this—after all, he’d had the first major flashback at Kenzie’s camp. But what about during the flyby of the IBC compound? Or the museum incident—God, that one had been a
bitch
. And now the dream. They just didn’t fit a pattern. Not that he could see, at least. His Gramma Kishegwet said there were patterns to everything but this one made no sense to him.
bitch
. And now the dream. They just didn’t fit a pattern. Not that he could see, at least. His Gramma Kishegwet said there were patterns to everything but this one made no sense to him.
He watched Kenzie run her fingers through her damp wavy hair and smiled at her. That was all the grooming she was likely to do, and she still looked hot enough to melt a glacier.
“Why didn’t you run screaming down the street?” he asked.
“Sem"e stillomebody had hold of me in the shower.”
He flashed a grin. He’d like to have hold of her again too.... “No, I mean yesterday. When I had the flashback. You didn’t freak out.”
Kenzie shrugged as she shoved things into a bag. “Maybe because I’ve seen it before. One of the best archaeologists I’ve ever worked with, Magdi Ahmed, was at the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. In 1997.”
Ninety-seven ... “Luxor?” Josh guessed.
She nodded. “Six terrorists opened fire on unarmed tourists. They gutted some and beheaded others. Over sixty people were killed and I don’t know how many were wounded. Magdi was struck by three bullets, but worse than that, she saw it all.”
He understood perfectly. The inner wounds could be far worse.
“Magdi left Egypt after that. Never went back. I worked with her on a project in Monte Verde, Chile, for three years, and she still suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after all this time. She’d have nightmares. Bad ones where she’d start screaming and it took forever to wake her up, bring her out of it. Twice while we were on a dig, she just zoned out on me. Couldn’t see me, couldn’t hear me. She was terrified. Started yelling things in Egyptian and ran away.”
“Flashbacks. Like mine.” And damn depressing to think the poor woman was still having them after so much time had passed.
“Magdi had warned me ahead of time that she sometimes got them so I was able to just wait it out and make sure she was safe. She’d get so depressed afterward though.”
“Of course she did. You think you’re done with that shit, and then
kabam,
it happens again. I hadn’t had an incident in years until I met up with Anya.”
kabam,
it happens again. I hadn’t had an incident in years until I met up with Anya.”
“Magdi said they didn’t happen to her very often anymore. Not unless there was a trigger, something that reminded her. Monte Verde isn’t much to look at, just some sandy banks along a creek surrounded by hills and trees, but it’s completely different from Luxor. It didn’t look the same or even smell the same—I mean, the artifacts are in a peat bog, not a desert. We finally figured out what the trigger was. The sound that one of the workers was making with his hammer was just like the ping of bullets hitting stone at Luxor. We got the man to use a different tool, which changed the tone and that was it. The trigger was gone and Magdi didn’t have another episode. So maybe your flashbacks will go away again once we figure out where Anya belongs.”
“I sure as hell hope so. Hate to think you might have to chase me through museums on a regular basis.”
“Hey.” She wandered up to him with swaying hips and seized his shirt collar with both hands. Pulled his head down and kissed him long and slow. “Maybe I’d
like
to chase you on a regular basis.”
like
to chase you on a regular basis.”
“Only if I get to chase you sometimes too.”
“Deal.”
They stood for a few moments, just holding each other. Finally Josh said, “Okay, you have to choose, sex or breakfast.”
“What do you mean?”
“Either we go for breakfast right now or we stop and have sex again. You feel just too damn good to me.”
She backed out of his arms hastily. “Breakfast. Definitely breakfast because I’m starving.” Kenzie made her way to the door and paused on the threshold. “But once I’m refueled, I’ll just bet there’s dozens of spots on the way back to camp where we could pull off and havll ade here a little fun.” She waggled her brows.
He knew there was a goofy grin on his face but there was nothing he could do to wipe it off. Didn’t even want to. “Well then, if it’s refueling you need, I know where the biggest Alaskan breakfast in the state is served.”
Josh hadn’t been kidding about the breakfast. Their plates were laden with wild blueberries, reindeer sausage, and sourdough pancakes, and afterward, Kenzie was certain she wouldn’t have to eat again for the rest of the summer. Certainly not during the drive back. But by the time they were coming up on Glennallen, she found she had an appetite for something else. She turned off the highway and followed the tree-lined lane to the log house.
It was only a matter of minutes before clothing was flying across the guest room.
Happily naked, Kenzie perched on the very edge of the bed. She could feel the energy of the vibrant colors of the quilt through her skin, but most of her attention was on Josh. The window was behind him, the sun illuminating his powerful body. He had no uniform, no weapons—in fact, he was as naked as she was—yet there was no mistaking his warrior’s build and ready stance. His energy was as calm as ever, grounded and centered, but she could sense clearly that this man would be tough to catch off guard.
And didn’t that just sound like a challenge?
As he approached and leaned in to kiss her, she succeeded in surprising him by cupping his tightened balls, caressing their taut velvet with her fingertips. He froze in place as she ducked her head and flicked her tongue experimentally over the head of his cock, tasting, savoring. Lapped at its hypersensitive underside and saw his stomach muscles twitch. Satisfied, Kenzie smiled against the smooth broad tip before licking her lips and sliding them over it.
Her wolf was still hovering in the background but it had made no further move to be involved since the night before, and she ignored it now.
This
moment was all hers. It was Josh’s fingers tangled in
her
hair now, his breath hissing between his teeth ...
This
moment was all hers. It was Josh’s fingers tangled in
her
hair now, his breath hissing between his teeth ...
Until he seized her wrists and pulled away, drawing her to her feet. Anticipation throbbed through her. Already she was oh-so-wet, needing him, wanting him, now, now,
now
, but her hands were captive. Seeking relief, she parted her legs and rubbed her slick clit hard against his thigh.
now
, but her hands were captive. Seeking relief, she parted her legs and rubbed her slick clit hard against his thigh.
A moan escaped them both and he seized her hips, positioning himself just so—and drove his cock upward. She gasped and gripped his shoulders for balance, reveling in the glorious sensation of it as he took her standing up, lifting her to her toes with each powerful thrust.
Yes, yes, omigod yes.
Relentlessly he pushed her pleasure higher and higher, faster and faster, until she peaked when he did.
Yes, yes, omigod yes.
Relentlessly he pushed her pleasure higher and higher, faster and faster, until she peaked when he did.
They clung to each other like prizefighters at the end of a bout, their muscles gone lax and their bodies languid from pure pleasure. Staggering to the bed, they collapsed in a fit of laughter and didn’t move for half an hour.
Whereupon she surprised him all over again....
They’d barely gotten dressed and into the truck before Josh’s cell phone rang. He answered it and winced. “Where? Is everyone okay?” He gave Kenzie an apologetic look as he listened to the caller. “On my way. I’m just in Glennallen so it’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Duty calls?” asked Kenzie.
Why the an>ithell did I answer the phone?
“I know I’m supposed to be off but a mother moose has treed some sport fishermen from California across from Tazlina. That’s about five miles south of the turnoff.”
“I know I’m supposed to be off but a mother moose has treed some sport fishermen from California across from Tazlina. That’s about five miles south of the turnoff.”
“Tazlina? How do tourists hear about a place like that? I’m sure that’s not even on my map.”
“Are you kidding? I had a buddy who was addicted to fly-fishing. He’d go anywhere to fish, even brought his damn rod and reel all the way to Afghanistan
just in case
. Tazlina’s well known in fishing circles for its red salmon run. Or
sockeye
, if you’re a cheechako. That’s a—”
just in case
. Tazlina’s well known in fishing circles for its red salmon run. Or
sockeye
, if you’re a cheechako. That’s a—”
“
Greenhorn
, I know, and I’m not one. Anyway, sounds like you’re busy so I think I should drop you at your office so you can get your truck. I’d like to get to camp and start getting set up.”
Greenhorn
, I know, and I’m not one. Anyway, sounds like you’re busy so I think I should drop you at your office so you can get your truck. I’d like to get to camp and start getting set up.”
“That’ll work fine. I’ll follow as quick as I—oh, no. No, no,
no
.” Josh groaned as the Fish and Game office came into sight. His truck sat out front listing drunkenly to starboard with two flats on the righthand side. The two that
hadn’t
gone flat on him the day he first met Kenzie.
no
.” Josh groaned as the Fish and Game office came into sight. His truck sat out front listing drunkenly to starboard with two flats on the righthand side. The two that
hadn’t
gone flat on him the day he first met Kenzie.
“Wow. Do you always get two flats in one day?” she asked. “Guess we better take the tires to the garage or something.”
“No, drop
me
at the garage and I’ll get Frank to send somebody over with some tires. I’ll get a loaner from him and go save the tourists. You go ahead and I’ll follow along shortly.”
me
at the garage and I’ll get Frank to send somebody over with some tires. I’ll get a loaner from him and go save the tourists. You go ahead and I’ll follow along shortly.”
Kenzie looked hesitant, but then nodded. “Okay, but only because it’s getting late in the day and I’d like to get set up before dark.”
“I’ll be there soon to pick up Stanton. Hey, uh—”
“What?”
“Don’t give the kid all her presents till I get there, okay?” He didn’t want to miss
seeing how Anya reacted to the gifts they’d gotten for her.
seeing how Anya reacted to the gifts they’d gotten for her.
“I’ll save some, don’t worry. We went a little overboard so there’s plenty. Geez, we’re probably going to spoil her.”
“Naw, she’ll be fine. The kid could use a little spoiling.”
Kenzie grinned at him and the short goodbye kiss he’d intended stretched out to something more epic, like they were being separated for years rather than an hour or so. He even entertained the notion of taking the big bear pelt off the office wall and laying her naked on it.... Instead, he sighed and waved as she drove away.
Later. They’d definitely try out that bearskin later.
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