Harlequin Nocturne March 2014 Bundle: Shadowmaster\Running with Wolves (37 page)

Jason smiled at her. “Walk around the fire and as you do, imagine walking upright, imagine walking on feet and not paws, imagine yourself in your human form.” She did as he said and it was that simple, that painless to make the change back from wolf to human, complete with her limited senses. The room's chill hit her and immediately she wanted to change back.

“When can we do it again?” she asked. “Why did we come back here?”

“Because that was your first time. You need to take it easy, give your body time to adjust.”

“Adjust? Why?” She knelt on the blanket next to him, though she was still too keyed up to sit for long. “Why couldn't we have run all the way to The Colony?”

“Transforming requires a lot of energy and resources. It's a long way to The Colony. You're still too new. If there's any other way, I'd rather not take the chance if we don't have to. Not yet.”

“But I want to run, to feel the night air in my lungs, the earth beneath my feet. It was magical. It was exhilarating.”

He laughed and reached for her, pulling her into his arms.

“Why would you ever want to change back?” she asked, lying next to him on the blanket, nestling into his warmth.

“Because you have to. If you don't, if you stay in wolf form too long, you'll forget your human side. You'll forget what it's like to
feel
human, or that you ever were human. Then there will be no coming back. You will stay a wolf. Always.”

She thought of the wolves surrounding her house, attracted by the scent coming from the cracks in her walls, and shivered. He held her tighter, and she sighed as his lips found hers. His warm energy, which she'd felt while in the forest, cocooned her and she was thrilled it was still there. This connection between them.

And now, in her human form, she could recognize it for what it was. His happiness. His joy. Her heart lifted and she kissed him deeper, pulled him closer, until he was making love to her again. Filling her with his need. His want. His heart. It could have been hours that they lay there next to the fire that had burnt down to the embers, lost in each other's touch, exploring, touching, feeling, loving. She'd never been happier. She knew she'd made the right decision, didn't have a doubt in her head. Not even when she heard Buddy's low growl.

She looked up and saw two men standing just inside the chamber's opening, their faces filled with shock and anger.
Demons?
Shay gasped and grabbed the blanket around her naked body. She stared at the men, but didn't see a dark aura surrounding them. Was it because she'd changed? Did she no longer see auras? Or was it because of the dim light in the cave?

Jason stiffened next to her. He stood, stepping into his jeans. “Mitch.”

“Jason,” the taller of the two men answered.

Surprised, Shay looked up at him. How did he know their names?

“You mind waiting for me outside?” Jason asked, his body tense, his tone harsh.

Shay waited for the men to turn and walk out of the chamber before turning back to Jason. “Do you know them? Who are they?” she said, her tone hushed.

“They're Malcolm's men,” he grumbled, obviously not happy.

“Isn't that good? Doesn't that mean we're almost there, that they'll help us? That we're finally safe?”

“Perhaps,” he said evasively, pulling on his jeans. “Get dressed and ready to go. I'll be right back.”

“All right.” She stood.

The warm current connecting them was now sharp, edgy and prickling. She didn't like it. She stepped into her capris, grabbed a fresh T-shirt out of the trunk and pulled it on, surprised to see that, as Jason had said, the bite mark and scratches from her fight with the
Abatu
were gone.

She picked up the blanket and quickly folded it then put it back into the trunk. She grabbed what was left of the food and three water bottles for herself, Jason and Buddy. Buddy whined low in his throat. She patted his head and gave him a piece of jerky, then plopped another in her mouth. She was starving. Beyond starving.

“It's going to be all right, boy,” she said, more to make herself feel better than him. He had to be as hungry as she was. Maybe even hungrier. She couldn't help wondering what he thought about her “other self” or if he'd even realized it had been her. She poured some water into her cupped palm and he drank greedily. “We are going to get through this.” They had to. But the prickling sensation coming from Jason seemed to be growing stronger.

She tried to block it, to put it out of her mind as she stood and kicked dirt over what was left of their fire, when she heard raised voices.

“She was meant for Malcolm,” one of the men said.

“There are
Abatu
after her. At least two that we know of are left on the mountain looking for us right now,” Jason said. “We needed to hide out here, to rest...to heal. She was hurt pretty bad. We had no choice.”

“No choice but to bed a beautiful woman?” the man sneered. “There are always choices, Jason. And you know that's how Malcolm's going to see it. You're a traitor now and traitors aren't tolerated. Not in The Colony.”

“I am not a traitor. You know it and so does everyone else at The Colony. No one will see it that way.”

“From where I sit, all that matters is how Malcolm will see it. He counted on you. We all counted on you and you let us down. Again.”

“I've always been there for you and for the pack. You know that.”

“All I know is that if I were you, Jason, I wouldn't come back.”

Shay felt slightly sick, and it wasn't from the overwhelming hunger gnawing at her stomach. When Jason stepped back into the chamber, she hurried toward him. “Is everything okay?” she whispered.

He looked troubled.

“I wasn't eavesdropping. I just heard.”

“I know. Your hearing has intensified now.”

“Yeah?” She wanted to smile, but couldn't. He was too upset. She could smell his anxiety, but more than that, she could feel fear rolling off him.

“What is it?” she asked. “What's bothering you?”

“We might not be able to drive straight into The Colony as I'd planned. We might need to be more evasive, keep our presence a secret, take refuge with your family.”

“Why?”

“I don't trust Malcolm, not after what I've just seen. His men reacted much more strongly to us being together than they should have. They weren't listening to what I had to say. They didn't care how much danger we were in. In fact, I think they would have preferred it if we didn't come back at all rather than come back with you already transformed.” He sighed. “With you as my mate.”

She walked into his arms and he held her close, his heat encompassing her. “What are we going to do?”

“First off, we're going to go back down to the truck. But instead of driving straight into the Colony, we will find a different way in. I'll take you to your grandparents' house and together we will figure out what to do.”

Excitement filled her as he said the word
grandparents.
She really did have a family. “Are you sure? What about the
Abatu?
Aren't they still on the mountain?”

“There are only two left. They are no match for us now. If we have to, we will change so they won't be able to follow our scent.”

“If we do change, it would make the trek down the hill a whole lot more pleasant,” she added, smiling.

He kissed her then, long and hard, stealing her breath and making her almost giddy with lightheadedness. “We're going to be okay.”

“I know.” How could they not? Because even with the trouble they faced, she was happier now than she had ever been. But even as she said the words and kissed him one more time, she heard a loud ripping sound behind her. Stunned, she turned and saw a large crack splitting the wall of the rock chamber. A crack that looked a lot like the one in her living room and kitchen back home.

“Oh, my God! How is that possible?”

“It's the
Gauliacho.
They've found us.”

Chapter 11

T
hey ran out of the chamber and had just cleared the rocks outside the cave's entrance when Shay heard the crack of a gunshot. A piece of the rock flew into the air, barely missing her. A wave of fear slammed into her. She scurried to the edge of the clearing toward Jason. Another shot came dangerously close. She hurried down the hill following after him as fast as she could with Buddy right on her heels.

“Change!” Jason demanded, disappearing into the thicket.

“Change?” Just like that? She couldn't. She ran after him. He must have heard the hesitation in her voice, for, as she passed a fairly large tree, he was standing on the other side waiting for her.

“You can do it,” he said, taking her hand.

“I know I can. I just don't know...
how.
”

“Focus. Concentrate.”

A twig snapped off to the right. “Jason, those men were shooting at us.”

“I know. You need to hurry.”

She turned and saw a man in the distance coming toward them.
Abatu
or wolf? She didn't see a gun, so she had to assume
Abatu.
“Jason,” she warned as panic crawled through her.

“It's okay, Shay. Take off your clothes and close your
eyes. I've got you.”

Take off her clothes? Feeling extremely vulnerable but knowing she had no choice, she did as he said, quickly looking around her as she stripped out of her clothes. The
Abatu's
footsteps were getting closer. She pushed aside her fear and the overwhelming instinct to run and instead put her trust in Jason's words, in the strength in his tone, in the security in his touch.

“Focus on your heartbeat right here.” He placed his hand over hers and then rested it on her chest. “Focus on the breath filling your lungs and then leaving your mouth. Think about last night. About how it felt to run through the trees, the cool night air against your face, the scent of the forest deep in your nose.”

She did as he asked, letting his soothing voice wash over her.

“Think about all those things. Picture them in your mind and then run.” She opened her eyes and then, hand in hand, they started running down the hill. She focused on the blood racing through her body, on the breath rushing through her mouth, on
the forest around her. And soon, she wasn't thinking about her nudity or about the
Abatu
behind them, or even about the man with his gun. She was running on all four legs, loping through the forest, a feeling of exaltation bursting through her chest.

With Buddy next to her, she followed Jason, giving a joyous bark as they brushed their faces against each other. Soon the sounds and the scents of the forest overwhelmed her and she no longer thought about why they were running or where they were going. All she could see was the beauty surrounding her and the multitude of hiding places for all the different kinds of burrowing animals, animals she wanted to chase and catch and eat.

In the distance she heard the rush of water. Compelled, she wanted to run toward it, to jump in and see what she could find. The scent was intoxicating. She started to turn, to run that way when suddenly Jason was by her side, nipping at her neck, pushing her forward, keeping her on the path. Right. Yes. For a wonderfully blissful moment, she'd forgotten about everything but the forest around her. And for that brief time, everything had been
perfect.

For a long time, she ran next to Jason down the mountain. After a while, they stopped near a river and took a long drink from the crystal-clear, icy water. It tasted wonderful and soothed her raspy throat. But before she could finish drinking, something quick and dark skirted past her, brushing against her skin.

A shadow. Her nerves tensed, her heart quickened. It was only a shadow, but was it? No. It moved, a cloud of darkness, darting through the trees. The sound of the wind, pulling at the bushes and rustling the leaves, changed, turning into the echo of a whisper. A chanting that raised the hair on her skin. Low voices in discord, all saying the same thing.

Abomination. Abomination.

Fear, dark and menacing, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Shay turned to Jason. Anxiety had his lips quivering, his snarl low in his throat. She whimpered, but before they could move, two men stepped into the clearing. Immediately, Buddy started barking, but the men still continued forward.

Buddy lunged toward them. One of the men rushed forward and kicked him viciously out of the way. Buddy flew against a tree and landed in a heap below it. Instinct taking over, she sprang forward, hurling herself at the man. He kicked at her, too, but missed. She lunged, leaping for his neck.

He grabbed hold of her, trying to wrap his arms around her, to squeeze her like the other had done Jason, but she snapped at him, feeling her canines rip into his skin, tasting his blood as it seeped into her mouth. She wouldn't let him get his arms around her. She saw what had almost happened to Jason before. She fought with even more ferocity, twisting this way and that, when burning pain sliced through her side.

She yelped and fell to the ground, licking her wound. The man came at her again, a bloody knife in his hand, a demonic smile on his face. She turned to Jason, but he was savagely fighting off the other man. She wanted to scream but all she could manage was a bark and whimper. He couldn't help her any more than she could help him.

She struggled to her feet, watching the man come toward her with the knife, trying to think of a plan. But she couldn't think. Couldn't focus. He wanted to kill her. He would kill her, if she let him. They circled round, him stepping forward, her stepping backward, only to lunge forward and snap at his feet. If she could get her jaw around his Achilles tendon, if she could bring him down, he wouldn't stand a chance.

He pivoted, a move she didn't see coming. Pain shot through her shoulder. It was a shallow wound, but he came at her again. This time, she jumped up, throwing all her body weight into him, knocking him off balance. He faltered and she lunged again. No holding back. No thinking as she went for his neck.

He threw up his hands to guard his face, the bloody knife still clutched within his grasp. He thrashed it back and forth, trying to stab her. She couldn't get the upper hand. From out of nowhere Buddy came rushing forward and bit down on his leg. The man screamed, flailing out with the knife. She bit his arm, wrenching with her razor sharp teeth, and tore into his skin. The knife flew out of his hand.

Before she could move, Jason was there; his steel-trap jaws locked around the
Abatu's
thick neck. Not taking any chances, she ran toward the knife, picked it up between her teeth and turned back to Jason. He stood watching her, her attacker lying on the ground, not moving.

Jason turned and ran. She and Buddy were close behind him. They were a good ways away from the men when she finally dropped the knife from her mouth. The cuts and bruises she'd sustained hurt, but not enough to stop her or even slow her down. She wouldn't think about those men, about what they'd done to them or the salty taste of blood in her mouth.

Or the black shadow that had raced by her, preceding the attack. She knew on some instinctual level what it had been, what had finally come through the walls. What had led the
Abatu
to them.

The Gauliacho.

After a while, Jason slowed. He stopped by a large redwood with an opening within and slipped inside. A second later, he came back out and stood in front of it, gesturing for her to go in. She and Buddy went inside the hollow. Jason whimpered and she had the impression he wanted her to stay put. She dropped to the ground and placed her head on top of her tired paws. Buddy followed suit.

She watched until Jason disappeared into the trees then closed her eyes and tried to listen to the sounds around her. His soft footfalls could barely be heard above the racket of the birds in the trees and the cacophony of insects. But she could smell his fear, his sense of frustration and sadness. A low keening wail escaped her lips. Buddy pushed himself against her, and she dropped her head once again. By loving her, by saving her, Jason had risked so much.

After a while he returned. He stood before her, naked and beautiful with the last of the sun's rays shining on his beautiful body. She looked up at him and knew in that instant that she wanted to spend a lot more time with him, getting to know him. All of him. He had done so much for her, had risked everything just to save her. She walked out from the hollow and approached him. His large, warm hand brushed the top of her head.

“It's all right. We're alone. You can change back now.”

She focused on his touch, on the warmth of his hand on her head, and remembered what it had felt like on her skin. Touching her. Caressing her. And then she was standing in front of him, wishing he'd touch her again.

He pulled her into his arms and ran a gentle touch along the shallow knife wounds on her shoulder and her side. “You're hurt.”

“They're not bad.”

“I'm sorry.”

“You keep saying that but it's not your fault.”

“I just wish all this was over and that you were home in The Colony and safe.”

She smiled, trying to imagine it. Trying to imagine being home with him. As they reached the truck, he walked forward and she couldn't help watching the strong line of his back, down to his incredibly well-defined butt. No man should look that good. He crouched behind the back bumper and pulled a hide-a-key box out from beneath the truck bed. Soon the door was open and he was rummaging in the backseat for a T-shirt, shorts and a pair of boxers. He handed her her duffel.

“The last of my clothes,” he said. “I've lost a lot more clothes than I'd expected to on this trip.” He quickly dressed, covering that gorgeous body. She sighed, sorry to see it go, but as he said, they would be at The Colony soon enough. A hot shower and his bed was definitely something she was looking forward to. She pulled on a T-shirt then slipped into a pair of jeans. She was getting low on clothes herself.

“Would it be too much if I mentioned I was starving? It seems to be a constant state these days.”

He smiled as Buddy barked in agreement. “Sorry, no place to grab something to eat between here and The Colony.”

She reached into the back and scooped a handful of dog food out of the bag and into Buddy's bowl. Buddy devoured it instantly. “How long till we get there?” she asked, giving Buddy another scoop of dry food.

“Shouldn't be too long. Depends how many more complications we run into.” He put the truck into gear and headed back out across the meadow toward the dirt road.

“I'm not sure I can take any more complications,” she said truthfully.

He looked at her, his gorgeous pale eyes locking on to her and causing a quickening in her chest. “You've been...great.”

They sat in silence as the truck barreled over the uneven ground. Shay held tight to the handle above the door to keep her teeth from rattling. Then very slowly became aware of a heavy sensation pushing down against her chest. Pushing so hard she was having trouble catching her breath.

Wide-eyed, she turned to Jason. “What's happening?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, turning to her, looking all relaxed, like he didn't have a care in the world. But she knew better. The oppressive sensation of anxiety was rolling off him and onto her with such force that she felt as if she might be pushed through the truck's floorboard.

“Why are you so afraid?” she asked. “After everything we've already been through, what else could happen to us?”

He stared at her for a moment, his gaze examining her face before his eyes widened with surprise. “You can feel my emotions that strongly?”

“I've never felt you so afraid. And I've never felt your emotions...physically. In here.” She touched her chest. “Just tell me what's going on,” she insisted.

“Yes, it's true I'm worried, but there isn't anything we can do about it until after we talk to your grandparents.”

“Will they help us?”

“I'm not sure. I just hope they'll understand.”

“About?”

“About us.”

“Of course they'll understand. How could they not?”

He smiled. “Exactly.”

She still didn't understand, and he still hadn't told her much, but after a moment the uncomfortable tension dissipated and she relaxed. “How much of
my
emotions can you feel?”

“Not a lot,” he admitted. “Only when you're highly stressed or emotional do the feelings break through.”

“Are you highly stressed, then?”

He looked at her, his eyes thoughtful. “No. Not really. Not enough for you to have noticed them. You might be extra sensitive.”

“How?”

“I don't know. Some people are. There's no reasoning. You are part human. That will make you different. As we grow closer and spend more time together, this connection between us will strengthen.”

“I'm not sure I like the sound of that,” she admitted.

“For me, it was the hardest transition to make. Knowing I wouldn't be able to hide my feelings from the person I was connected to. It is a loss of privacy. But I learned how to block it, and you can, too. I'll show you.”

“Is that what you're doing with me now? Are you blocking your feelings?”

He hesitated then admitted softly, “Yes.”

“Then perhaps you should tell me what you are so worried about. Who was shooting at us and why? I don't remember the
Abatu
having guns but those men you were talking to did.”

“They work for Malcolm. I knew Malcolm sometimes crossed the line in his pursuit for power, but I never dreamed he'd go this far. Shooting at us goes against every tenet of the pack. We have rules against this. Extreme rules. If what they did was discovered, all those involved would be banned from The Colony and not allowed back in.”