Snared (9 page)

“But it obviously has more serious ramifications than we thought,” said Quinn. “Or you wouldn’t be standing there, looking like you want the floor to open up and swallow you.”

“You don’t always have to be so observant,” she said. “But you’re right. It’s got long-lasting effects, at least on me.”

“Riddles, sweetheart. Rogan and I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It means that my body is ready…it wants to bond. It’s chosen the two of you as its mates and the next time we make love, it’ll link your genetics to mine.” She stared at their blank faces, and huffed. “It means that I’ll be bound to you for the rest of my life. If in a week, or a month or a year, you decide having a girlfriend who can claw at the furniture isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, you can walk away…but I can’t.” She sighed, feeling more exhausted than after three days of sex. “It’s a lot to ask of anyone, and we’ve only just started to really get to know each other. I didn’t know if you both were ready for that permanent of a relationship.”

Quinn pursed his lips, looking over at Rogan for what seemed like forever before running his hand through his hair and meeting her gaze again. “From the sounds of it, you’re not all that sure, either.”

Tayen snorted and threw her hands in the air. “Now who’s talking in riddles?” She waved a hand at him when he moved to speak. “I’ve been drawn to the two of you since you first moved here. Why do you think I fought you so hard? I knew this would happen, and I knew you’d both have reservations. I suppose I thought that if I just stayed away, the feeling would eventually pass, and I’d spend my life having the occasional, casual encounter—forgo the whole
bonding
aspect. But that’s not possible, anymore.” She backed up, opening the door with one hand as the other balanced against the frame. “I know how I feel, and what I want. I was leaving to give you a choice, while we all still had one.”

She sighed when neither man spoke, dreading each tick of the clock as it marked out the growing distance between them. Finally, she nodded and motioned out the door. “I have to go home.” She turned away as a single tear dropped and shattered on the floor, talking back over her shoulder. “Oh. I’ve been meaning to tell you. That poacher’s license plate was all letters, starting with B. I’m sorry, that’s all I could get. The rest was splattered with mud. But at least you know it’s a vanity plate.”

She gave one last look as she closed the door, then she bolted forward, ripping off Rogan’s shirt and shifting mid-stride. Quinn’s sweatpants billowed to the ground with a flick of her hind legs as she headed for the forest, her only thought to see how far she could run before she collapsed to the ground.

Quinn jumped at the sound of the door clicking shut, finally shaking himself out of his thoughts. He looked at the entry, suddenly aware that Tayen was gone. He cursed and ran to the door, yanking it open and bouncing it off the hinges. He ignored the way it crashed against the wall, his attention focused on the bobcat racing across the yard toward the trees.

“Fuck!” He pushed past Rogan and grabbed his keys off the hook by the door, then ran to the truck, slamming the door shut as he twisted the ignition.

The vehicle rumbled to life as he revved the engine and shoved it into reverse. He was just starting to move when Rogan jumped in beside him, catching his balance on the dashboard as Quinn spun the tires and popped it into gear.

“Easy, dude. Killing ourselves isn’t going to get Tayen back.”

Rogan braced his arm against the window as Quinn skidded out of the driveway, heading toward an old dirt track at the edge of the forest. Quinn took the bumpy road without slowing down, nearly bouncing their heads into the roof.

Rogan laughed. “But I guess dying in the truck will be less painful than the thrashing our little bobcat’s going to give us, once we catch up with her.”

Quinn glared at Rogan. He didn’t see the humor in the situation. “We basically just told Tayen we weren’t interested. I’m not sure she’ll consider giving us another chance.”

“We never said that.”

“No…we just stood there like a couple of jackasses, worrying about whether there was any chance in hell another woman might come along who would fall in love with both of us and be half the wildcat she is.” He slammed his hand on the wheel. “We’re bloody idiots.”

“True. But how were we supposed to know she was going to drop a bomb like that on us?”

Quinn glanced at him from the corner of his eye as he nearly tipped the truck around another corner. “We should have asked her about the mating process in the kitchen, instead of jumping straight to the sex again. She even said she knew we must have questions about it…but we were obviously thinking with the wrong fucking head.”

“Sorry, but when the woman of your dreams asks to suck your cock, everything else pretty much seems unimportant.”

Quinn sighed. “Perhaps we should have told her she was our dream lover instead of saying nothing.”

“What’s done is done. All we can do now is catch her and beg for forgiveness.” Rogan pointed toward a distant hill. “That’s where we spotted her that night. I have a feeling it might be her territory or something. And seeing as she was headed in that direction…”

Quinn nodded and hit the accelerator. “I know a shortcut. Hold on…this isn’t going to be pretty.”

* * * *

Tayen ran along the trail, leaping over logs and darting through the underbrush. The forest passed as a dark-green blur, her attention focused on the path stretching out in front of her. She didn’t know how long she’d been running. She only knew that she hadn’t left enough of the pain behind yet.

A clap of thunder shook through the trees, finally drawing her attention. She slowed her pace, allowing her senses to give her clues to where she was. Familiar scents painted the scene, and she realized she’d instinctively headed for the narrow transition zone she’d spent the past year guarding.

She headed toward the far side and padded to a halt at the top of the ridge, watching the line of rain ascend the hill. Lightning flashed along the leading edge, charging the air and making the hairs along her back stand up. What she wouldn’t give to go back to that night and change the pattern of events. If she’d never gone after the boys…

Tayen sat on her haunches and tipped her head back, a low, mournful cry resonating through the valley. Part of her wanted to change back, but she knew once she started crying, she wouldn’t be able to stop, so she sank to the ground and rested her head on her paws, allowing the encroaching rain to splatter over her coat. Somewhere in the distance, a coyote howled at the rising full moon flickering in and out of view amidst the gathering clouds. This was usually her favorite time of month. When her animal form felt the strongest. But tonight, it only reminded her that she didn’t truly belong in either world. That her one chance at happiness had faded like the morning mist.

The thought had her baring her teeth and she stood up, the need to run once again claiming her. She turned to head farther up the ridge, when a stick snapped off to her right.

Tayen reacted and leapt onto the branch of a nearby tree. Her claws dug into the bark as she climbed to a higher branch, well hidden from the ground. She turned and searched the surrounding landscape, picking up movement behind a cluster of bushes.

She crouched low, laying her ears back and curling her lips into a snarl. Every instinct told her to be wary, and she knew better than to doubt her senses. She waited, camouflaged by the varying shades of brown. More wood creaked and snapped, and she knew whatever lurked beyond the trees was large.

Another roll of thunder rumbled overhead. The rain fell harder, soaking through her fur and reducing the visibility. It wasn’t until voices sounded beneath the tree that she realized two men had stepped out from the underbrush.

Her eyes narrowed and her claws lengthened. She didn’t need to see their faces to know it was the poachers from the river. Their scent twirled with the wind, giving her all the proof she required. She inched forward, watching them from above as they stopped several feet away to check a snare she hadn’t even realized was there. Anger burned through her veins. They’d attempted to kill her mates, and that was a crime she couldn’t allow to go unpunished.

Tayen straightened and moved to another branch, using the trunk of the tree to keep her hidden, but still observing their defenses. The larger man she’d bitten had a rifle slung across his back, while his partner cradled a pistol in his left hand. She suspected they both had knives, but the guns were her main concern.

She jumped to a lower branch and caught a waft of alcohol. They’d obviously been drinking, a dangerous combination with the weapons. She paused, judging her best line of attack as she waited for the perfect time to leap. Her body twitched, her muscles primed for the upcoming battle, when a new scent joined the others. She turned, recognition dawning on her a moment before Rogan and Quinn burst through the trees, weapons drawn, rain dotting their skin.

“Drop the gun, asshole, or I might find an excuse to fire.” Quinn motioned to the smaller man with the muzzle of his gun. “Trust me. We’re in a very bad mood. Now drop it.”

The men looked at each other, then back at Rogan and Quinn. The poacher nodded and tossed the gun on the ground, dropping his hands behind his back. Rogan shouted at him to keep them where he could see them. The guy grumbled and raised his hands, but Tayen saw him slip a knife down his shirtsleeve. She glanced at the other man, growling when he did the same thing. Fear prickled up her spine as the scene unfolded before her.

Rogan moved forward, holstering his gun as he reached for his cuffs, obviously confident Quinn would cover him. But she knew the bad weather had masked the men’s movements.

Instinct took over and she jumped down from the branch in front of Rogan. He stopped in mid-step, but didn’t back away as she bared her teeth and hissed at the poachers. The men cursed and drew their knives, brandishing them in defense. Tayen stayed vigilant, drawing closer, her ears laid flat, her fur raised. She could smell their fear as she hissed again, pawing the ground with her claws. She sensed movement behind her as Rogan stepped closer, his gun once again pointed at the poachers.

“Bloody hell, you hid knives in your shirts?” Rogan grunted in disgust. “Do you idiots have any idea what kind of prison time you’ll get if you kill a Ranger?” He shook his head. “Put them down, before you end up cutting yourself.”

The men stared at her, fear widening their eyes. They pointed at the cat, the knives shaking in their grasp.

Quinn joined Rogan. “I believe my partner asked you to lose the knives.”

The larger man shook his head. “Are you crazy? There’s a fucking bobcat right there! What the hell? Is it some kind of trained attack animal?”

Quinn smiled. “Something like that. Only she’s far from trained…it’s more mutual respect. So I suggest you move slowly, so she doesn’t feel threatened.”

“The cat feels threatened? Right.” The poacher slowly lowered his hand and placed the knife on the ground, his partner following suit.

Rogan mumbled under his breath as he cuffed both men and turned them toward the clearing just beyond the trees. He looked at her then at Quinn.

Quinn nodded and waved Rogan on. Quinn waited until the men disappeared behind the trees before turning to her.

“I don’t trust those jerks enough to leave Rogan alone with them. But we’re far from finished.” He bent down, but didn’t try to touch her. “Do you have any idea how long we’ve been traipsing around these woods searching for you? I never knew tracking a bobcat was so damn hard.” He looked down before finally meeting her gaze. “I know we behaved like fools, sweetheart, and I’m sorry. I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see us again, but I’m asking just the same. If you think we’re worth another shot, meet us back at the house. We’ll keep the light on until you come home…as long as it takes.”

He sighed and stood, jogging after Rogan. She stayed there, rain pelting her fur, the scent of her mates heavy in the humid air. She closed her eyes and listened to the storm rage through the forest, unsure of her next move. The lone coyote howled again, its mournful tones echoing the feeling inside her. She looked to where Quinn and Rogan had disappeared, the leaves on the bushes still swaying from their retreat. They’d come after her. That had to mean something.

She pawed at the ground, undecided. Then she took off running, her nose leading her home.

Chapter Seven

Rogan paced across the living room floor, pausing to look out the window after every pass. They’d been home for hours, but Tayen still hadn’t returned. He’d hoped they’d find her waiting for them after they’d tossed the two men in jail and filled out the necessary paperwork. But the house had been exactly as they’d left it—empty.

“If you don’t stop pacing, you’re going to wear a bloody groove in the wood.” Quinn leaned against the fireplace. “Besides, it isn’t going to make Tayen materialize out of the darkness.”

“It gives me something to do. Just sitting here, waiting, is killing me.” Rogan looked over at Quinn. “What if she doesn’t come?”

“She’ll come.” Quinn stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked out the window. “But if she doesn’t then we’ll go over to her place and pound on the door until she lets us in. I told her this wasn’t over, and I meant it.”