by E A Price
Teena shrugged, too cool for fear as always. “I reckon it was just teenagers. Besides, if it wasn’t, they were probably after Mal anyway.”
Ariel gawked at her. “You don’t know that.”
“I mean, he’s probably done like a million shady things as a hunter.” Teena’s eyes flashed as if she found that exciting.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” sniffed Ariel, a tad primly.
“I’ll bet it is – I bet he did all sorts of cool things as a hunter. But no matter how much I nag him he won’t tell me. The dude is kind of awesome.”
“Not that awesome,” groused Burke as he limped over.
Teena smirked in retort. Ariel decided on a subject change.
She cast a sympathetic look at Burke. “How does your ankle feel?”
“Not great,” admitted Burke as he lifted his pant leg.
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Ariel, trying and failing to hide her alarm at the swollen, red, bumpy appendage being brandished at her.
“Yeah, it’s looked better,” murmured Teena, “normally, he has very shapely, sexy ankles.”
Burke looked delighted to hear that, and momentarily forgot the fact that his ankle was almost swollen to the size of an elephant’s foot.
“I think the rash is from poison oak,” said Ariel, attempting to inject a degree of level-headedness into proceedings. “Where’s our first aid kit? I packed some lotion.”
Teena nodded at the door. “Still in the SUV, I’ll get it.” She shifted the large pile of wood she was still holding.
“No, you deal with the fire – it’s almost out. I’ll get it.”
It was true that Mal had only mentioned keeping the kids inside, though, perhaps he assumed it was implied that no one else should leave either. She would just be a few seconds, though she felt infinitely guilty as she did it.
After fishing the keys out of Teena’s pocket, while she giggled uproariously and Burke pouted that he didn’t get to stick his hand in Teena’s shorts, Ariel darted outside. She barely had the door to the SUV open before her reindeer hooted in alarm and something hit the back of her head. See, this was why she should have stayed inside. This was what being bad got you!
Chapter Sixteen
“Hoot!”
Mal saw the flash of movement, the sheen of Ariel’s blonde hair, and the black-clad figure attacking her. He ran full pelt, unable to stop his reindeer from calling out in anger.
Whoever they were, they were fast, and not keen to hang around waiting for a rampaging reindeer to reach them. On hearing him, they scarpered, and Mal caught Ariel before she even hit the ground.
He blew out a breath of relief as Ariel groaned. She was hurt, but alive and still conscious.
“That really hurt.”
His reindeer howled at the direction her attacker retreated. Carefully, he pulled Ariel into his arms and swiftly stomped into the cabin.
“Ariel!” exclaimed Teena running to them, followed by eight worried kids. “What happened?”
“She…” started Mal.
“Tripped,” blurted Ariel, who had rallied enough to give him a warning look. “I tripped and hurt my ankle like Burke. Good job I have my first aid kit.” She shook the box she had been clutching to her chest like a life preserver.
The kids all looked at her with varying degrees of doubt. But it was hard to doubt Ariel. She was so sweet and honest that a lie seemed unlikely – even the kids could see that.
“Clumsy Ariel,” said Teena, not believing it for one second, but able to pick up cues quicker than Burke. “Mal, why don’t you put Ariel on the couch over there, and guys, it’s almost bedtime, how about everyone starts putting on their jammies?”
This suggestion didn't particularly move the kids, but once she included cocoa and ghost stories, they were much more willing.
Ariel wiggled in his arms. “Aren’t you going to put me down?”
Mal let out a long breath and strode over to the couch and gently put her down, kneeling beside her. “What were you doing out there?” he demanded, struggling to contain his fury.
She could have been… Ariel could have… He almost lost… He couldn’t even finish his thoughts; both man and beast were too rattled.
“I needed the first aid kit.” She gave it another shake for emphasis.
“You should have waited until I returned,” he hissed.
Ariel trembled, but whether it was because she was scared of him, or because the attack shook her, he didn’t know. He hoped it was entirely down to the attack. He was internally raging, but she never had anything to fear from him.
Mal placed a hand on her shoulder to try and still her. The shoulder seemed like the least dangerous area on her body, short of just patting her head and saying ‘good girl.’ That was too much like dog owner behavior.
Her pretty face scrunched guiltily before pointing at the approaching Teena. “Well, Teena went outside way more than me.”
“Snitch,” teased Teena in a mixture of concern and amusement. She bustled Burke out the way - he had been painfully hovering, and she squeezed up to Ariel. She tried her best to move Mal, but he couldn’t be moved even by a jackhammer at that moment. “Seriously, though, what happened?”
Mal briefly filled her and Burke in. Teena inspected Ariel’s head, there was no blood, and Ariel eschewed any mention of a hospital. Mal didn’t push that; he wasn’t sure they would be able to get hold of a shifter-friendly doctor out there, and he couldn’t risk a regular human doctor.
“I can’t believe this. I went out there like ten times, and nothing happened to me,” griped Teena. It wasn’t clear whether she was annoyed or glad about that.
“You said five before.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” dismissed Teena. “My point is, doesn’t that seem odd?”
“Yes,” replied Burke quickly and loyally before frowning, “why does it seem odd?”
“I’ve virtually spent more time outside than in since Mal left…”
“Oh, Teena,” sighed Ariel.
“And yet, Ariel’s the one that gets attacked? Nah, too much of a coincidence.”
“You think they targeted Ariel?” snorted Burke. “Someone jealous that she has a bigger Care Bear collection then them?”
He burst into laughter so hard, he moved his foot and dissolved into painful whines. Even Ariel wasn’t generous enough not to think he deserved that.
“It seems unlikely,” said Mal when Burke had finally quieted.
Teena harrumphed. “What about Hollis?”
Burke stopped fidgeting long enough to take an interest. “That the stag that wanted to mate Ariel, and she completely broke his heart and he promised she’d be sorry?”
“Precisely!”
Ariel gaped at him. “You’re very well informed. Who told you all that?”
Burke looked at Teena guiltily before doing the gentlemanly thing and refusing to say a word. Teena had no such qualms.
“I did, of course.” Teena all but added the word ‘duh.’
Mal and his reindeer grunted. Yeah, Hollis was a creep, but actually following them out there and shooting at them and trying to hurt Ariel? Nah, Mal couldn’t imagine him being proactive enough.
Ariel started to shake her head and then thought better of it. “I don’t know; I imagine he’s already found another female to… date.”
“Humph, men are completely nuts when it comes to their egos.”
Burke appeared mildly insulted at the generalization. “Ahem.”
Teena blinked at him. “You getting a cold, babe? If you are, stay back – I don’t want to get sick.” Burke tried not to look too crestfallen. “But, yeah, I could totally see Hollis coming after you. I mean, you rejected him repeatedly, and he still wouldn’t take the hint. He actually thought you were together even though you never agreed to date him, and you never kissed or had sex…”
“I get it,” interrupted Ariel softly. She darted nervous glances at Mal.
Mal couldn
’t help but feel some elation at hearing those details. He had thought that there had been something to her relationship with Hollis, but clearly, there hadn’t. He always just assumed that all Ariel felt for him was a crush, one that would go away when she met someone much more suitable for her - obviously, not Hollis because he was a total dick, but someone who was actually worthy of her divine nature. The only male he had known her to be entangled with was Hollis, because against his better character – which wasn’t particularly strong – he had kept tabs on her over the years. Clearly, there hadn’t been anything to the relationship. Had she really been single this whole time? An egotistical part of him – the reindeer inside – grasped this idea with both hooves. He selfishly reveled in the belief that she had been pining away for him… because he had been pining for her.
“I’m just saying,” said Teena remorselessly, “it sounds like he had a few screws loose. Most men run a mile when it comes to commitment. Watch this.” She turned an evil smile on Burke, “When are we mating?”
Burke’s eyes bulged worryingly. “What?!”
Teena smiled smugly. “See? Plus, didn’t you tell me he collects guns?”
“He has a few,” admitted Ariel.
While Mal appreciated how horrified Burke looked at that moment – he had the look of a hunted rabbit – he just couldn’t see the slimy Hollis risking his freedom to scare Ariel. He could definitely see that Ariel could make men a little crazy – not on purpose – but Hollis seemed to have too much self-interest to risk jail.
“I think it’s more likely about me,” said Mal.
“Humph, ego,” muttered Teena, who then beamed at him sweetly when he glowered.
She wasn’t about to be intimidated; thanks to so many years of practice with her brother, she knew she could wrap men around her little finger.
“I’m just saying I have enemies who don’t care about breaking the law.”
“Yeah,” agreed Burke, “Mal was a hunter for years – there are probably hundreds of shifters who want him dead.”
Mal scowled at him – he really didn’t need his help!
“Well, that’s fine,” said Teena.
“Is it?” squeaked Ariel.
“But, if they’re after you, why would they attack Ariel and not me?”
Whoever shot at them saw them kissing – so now Ariel was in danger because they assumed she was important to him - which she was, but he was still figuring out where they stood with one another. Ariel’s eyes widened as she remembered the kiss, and immediately, guiltily, turned bright red. He didn’t bother hoping that Teena wouldn’t notice – the female only pretended to be oblivious to certain things. In reality, she had to be half bloodhound.
Teena’s eyes lit up excitedly, and she was about to unleash a squeal, but gratefully the kids came to their aid.
“We’re ready for ghost stories and cocoa!” called Milo – a young bear shifter.
The pajama-clad kids all jumped up and down, chorusing their excitement. Teena’s interrogation would have to wait.
Mal insisted Ariel take it easy, but he had Teena making cocoa and Burke scaring the kids with a highly inappropriate ghost story that gave more than one kid nightmares.
He started making plans for how to handle this situation. It was hardly the first time someone had come after him, tried to turn the tables and hunt him. It was actually the thirteenth. This was nothing new. He’d always found it kind of fun – a shake-up of the norm. He’d still enjoyed letting them get close, letting them think they were winning before ultimately he caught them. He’d always found it exhilarating and satisfying – he’d always lived for moments like these. But rather than the rush he usually got, all he could feel was unease, maybe because he was a little out of practice.
Mal glanced over at Ariel who was trying to calm Sophie – Burke’s stories were definitely an acquired taste. His reindeer rumbled lowly - maybe because the stakes were so much higher.
Chapter Seventeen
Ariel chewed on her lip as Mal packed the kids into one of the SUVs. She rubbed the back of her head. Thankfully, her headache had gone. Whoever hit her hadn’t been too harsh, they could have been a lot worse, which made her wonder about Hollis. Could he really have followed them out there? Maybe he wanted to kidnap her and force her to mate him… and that’s where that theory fell apart. She couldn’t imagine she could ever incite such strong feelings in a male so that he really would try anything crazy like that.
She watched as Mal pulled Burke aside to have a word with him. Mal insisted she stay in the cabin while he sent everyone away. He wanted the kids out of there, so he told Teena and Burke to take one of the vehicles and book the kids into the nearest motel. It was a tight squeeze for all the kids in one SUV, but Mal just wanted them out of there. She was surprised he hadn’t tried to insist she go with them, but then, he thought she was a target too – she assumed because of their kiss. She was just relieved that the kids and Teena would be out of danger. Oh, and Burke also – yes, it was easy to forget about him.
Mal had been awake all night, alert and watching in case of danger. How did she know? She had been awake all night too. Was it because of being attacked? Was it because they all might be in danger? No, it was all because of that damnable, beautiful kiss. Oh, her reindeer simpered as she remembered that powerful, hungry moment.
Ariel smiled and waved as the SUV set off, displaying confidence she wasn’t sure she felt. The kids were a little confused about what was happening, but Teena certainly hadn’t wanted to go. Ariel had to insist that the kids came first before she finally relented.
The kids waved back, and Teena gave her a reluctant thumbs-up before the SUV disappeared. Mal scanned the area before he jogged back to the cabin.
He closed the door and locked it. “You should stay away from the window,” he rumbled disapprovingly.
Ariel nodded and closed the curtain. She walked to the center of the cabin and folded her arms, a little unsure as to what was going to happen now.
“So um, what do we do now?”
Mal did a lap of the cabin, checking the window locks. “We wait. Burke’s going to contact the hunters. They’ll send someone out here to track down whoever’s doing this.”
“Okay.”
Her voice must have been more brittle than she intended because he stopped in his tracks, and stared at her.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said with feeling.
“Oh, I know. I just want to make sure I’m prepared in case anyone turns up here. I have like a million things in my calendar for the coming month. I mean, I still need to bake about fifty pies for the Thanksgiving food drive.”
Mal raised an eyebrow. “You think something might happen to you, and all you can worry about is whether someone will get a pie for Thanksgiving?”
Ariel shifted awkwardly. “Well, someone has to worry about it,” she muttered, a tad defensively. She sighed. “Okay, I get why everyone makes fun of me.”
“They don’t…”
“Yes, they do,” she groused somewhat petulantly. “They call me Saint Ariel. They used to call me Mary Poppins – I mean, what kind of eleven-year-old has the nickname Mary Poppins?”
Mal’s lips twitched as if he was trying not to smile. “They’re jealous – because you are practically perfect in every way.”
She smiled, “Have you seen the movie?”
He groaned. “A thousand times growing up. Carrie loved it, and she always wanted me to watch it with her so I could do my cockney Bert impression.”
“Was it good?”
“No, terrible – I think that’s what she liked. Always made her smile.” His amusement died. “We didn’t have a lot to smile about growing up.”
Woman and beast melted for him, and he groaned again.
“Don’t give me that look?”
Ariel frowned. “What look?”
“That look, the look that makes me…” He shook his head and growled softly.
“What
?” she insisted.
Mal ignored her. “I’m going to get some more wood in for the fire. I don’t know how quickly hunters can get here, but I don’t want to leave the cabin tonight.” He pointed at her. “You are not to leave the cabin under any circumstances, you hear me?”
Ariel nodded meekly. “Who do you think is doing this?”
His cheek twitched angrily. “Some crow shifters.”
“Oh, did you put one of their murder in prison?”
“No. I killed one of them.”
“I see.”
Mal stared at her defiantly, and she stared right on back. What did he think she would say? Did he think she would be horrified or disgusted? She wasn’t a complete rube. She knew he was a hunter, and she knew what hunters did, and whether he believed it or not, she also knew him. If he killed one, she was sure it was because he had to do it.
“No comeback on that?” His tone was brusque, but he couldn’t hide a little curiosity.
“No.”
Mal snorted. “You don’t think I’m a bad man?”
“No, I think you’re the best of men,” she admitted with raw honesty that knocked him off guard. But she was just too tired to pretend she didn’t adore him and think he was the greatest man alive.
“No, I’m not.”
“To me you are,” she whispered.
Her reindeer whimpered as he just looked at her. She had no idea what was happening with them, but honestly, after all the years of obsessing over him, what was the point in pretending she didn’t love him anymore? He was probably leaving soon anyway, so why bother?
“I better get that wood,” he said wearily.
He gave her instructions about locking the door after him and only opening it for him – yadda, yadda, yadda. She listened on autopilot and just did as he said.
*
Mal stomped to the wood stack, annoyed and mad and unsure at whom exactly. There was Ariel – that insanely sweet female who was hung up on him and who thought he was some kind of good guy. Then there was himself – who was thrilled to know that she thought of him that way, even if it was utterly untrue. Or perhaps his reindeer - the beast was urging him to give in to his baser desires and mate with Ariel.