Connected (Gem Creek Bears Book 5)

by Jennifer Snyder

  “Yeah,” Cato said. “That asshole has been busy. The woods are booby-trapped.”

  Chapter Seven

  My gaze shifted between Rafe, Liam, and Cato, waiting for someone to say something. Time ticked away with no one speaking.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked, hoping someone had something in mind.

  Liam glanced at me. “We need to remove the traps. The woods aren’t safe,” he said. “And, we need to scour the woods for Marshall. He needs to be dealt with.” His teeth ground together as he said his last few words.

  Clearly, Liam was not someone to piss off.

  It was always the quiet, calm ones you had to watch out for. They tended to go off like a bomb when they’d had enough or someone messed with someone they cared for.

  “Which means we need to split up,” Rafe insisted. “Someone needs to go after Marshall while someone else—”

  The sound of footsteps outside trickled into the RV. I held my breath, listening. Surely, Marshall wouldn’t be stupid enough to come back for a second time. Liam crept to the door, while Rafe positioned himself in front of me and Cato took a defensive stand near Tris.

  “Finally got that woman settled. She’s super sweet and was worried about you,” Billie said, looking to Rafe as she stepped inside. Her cheeks puffed out while she exhaled a long breath. Her eyes widened at the sight of everyone ready to attack at the drop of a pin. “What’s wrong? Did you get Marshall?”

  “I lost him,” Cato ground out, clearly not happy about it.

  Billie tucked her hair behind her ears. Her eyes snapped to Liam. “Crap, okay. Fill me in.”

  Liam brought her up to speed.

  “What do we do now?” Billie asked.

  “Now, we need to split up. Two of us need to resume searching for Marshall while the other two disarm as many bear traps as safely as possible,” Liam insisted. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt. Having the woods booby-trapped like that is just asking for a lawsuit if one of the campers stumbles upon it and gets hurt. It’s also not safe for the clan. We need the traps disarmed as soon as possible, but we need Marshall found too.”

  “I’ll continue the search,” Cato said, looking like he was ready to redeem himself and take Marshall out.

  “I’ll disarm traps,” Billie offered.

  “Okay,” Liam said, folding his arms over his chest.

  “Who’s going to stay here with them?” Rafe asked, nodding to me and Tris.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, locking eyes with him. “We both will. Tris is sleeping it off and I’m fine. My head doesn’t hurt much anymore. You bandaged my cut, and my ankle is just tender. Nothing to worry about.”

  Rafe frowned as he contemplated my words.

  “Go,” I insisted. “I’ll make sure I lock the door.”

  Rafe squatted down, his gaze dipping to my knee first and then my ankle. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “Positive.”

  His eyes narrowed. Then, he stood and made his way to the drawers near the sink. He rifled through them until he found what he was looking for—a large knife. He stepped to where I sat, holding it out to me.

  “Lock the door behind us,” he said.

  “I will.”

  He leaned in and skimmed his lips across mine. “I won’t be gone long.”

  A low whistle sounded, and my cheeks flamed.

  “Looks like I owe Tris twenty bucks.” Liam smirked.

  Rafe arched a brow. “Twenty bucks?”

  “We had a bet going—she thought you two would kiss within the first week of Penny being here, but I thought you’d hold out at least until the second week.”

  “I think we all owe Tris money,” Billie said. “She totally saw that one coming.”

  I took the knife from Rafe, praying I wouldn’t have to use it, and ignored the conversation happening. Tris placing a bet on us didn’t surprise me. Surely Marshall wouldn’t be dumb enough to come back into the campground. He had to be long gone by now, right?

  Liam stepped to where Tris lay, and placed a kiss to her forehead. “It will be a while before she wakes. Healing something like that generally takes it out of her.”

  “Okay. She’ll be fine,” I insisted. “I won’t leave her.”

  Liam nodded. “I know.”

  He stepped outside. Billie and Cato followed. My attention shifted to Rafe.

  “Lock the door behind me,” he said, walking to the door. “Wait, you need ice for that ankle.” He made his way to the mini fridge and pulled a small ice cube tray from the tiny freezer bin. He cracked out a few ice cubes and wrapped them in a paper towel for me.

  “Thanks. Be careful.”

  Rafe winked, walking to the door. “Always. Lock this door.”

  I hobbled to lock the door, my ankle still aching. Then, I made my way back to sit at the booth. I propped my foot up and pressed the ice to my ankle. Silence built within Ruby. My hand holding the knife trembled, and I put it on the table. I forced myself to inhale a deep breath, knowing what I felt was adrenaline fading and shock slipping in.

  Tonight had turned into a shitshow.

  My mouth grew dry as I thought about everything that had happened. I leaned over and opened the mini fridge from where I sat, grabbing out a soda. Fizzy bubbles burst across my tongue as I drank. Soda had sugar, and sugar was good for shock.

  At least, that was what I’d always heard.

  I glanced around, taking in the tiny RV that seconds ago had been filled to capacity. Part of me wondered if I should have asked Rafe to stay. I didn’t like being alone.

  Not after everything that happened tonight.

  My gaze drifted to Tris. She was still on my bed, sleeping. I took another sip from my soda. How had she been a part of this crazy supernatural world without the strength of a bear for so long? How had she handled so many nights like this?

  She’d talked about me being strong with Liam when I’d been eavesdropping, but the truth was, Tris was the strong one. Not me. I was freaking out.

  Tris shifted in her sleep and released a tiny moan. My brows pinched together.

  Was she in pain?

  I set my soda on the table, along with my paper towel of ice, and made my way to her side. Her face was flushed, and she was drenched in sweat. When I pressed the back of my hand to her forehead, it was blazing hot.

  Was that normal?

  I should have asked Liam if I needed to be on the lookout for anything while she slept. I didn’t know how all this Mystic stuff worked. When she moaned again, I worried it was because her fever was too high. My teeth sank into my bottom lip while I contemplated what I should do. I couldn’t text Rafe and ask to speak to Liam. They’d probably shifted into their bears to track Marshall by now.

  “Think, Penny,” I muttered to myself. “What did Mom always do when you had a fever?”

  My mind drew a blank. All I could think about was how extremely high fevers could cause seizures, brain damage, and deadly dehydration.

  My heart raced.

  Taking a fever reducer or a cool bath was an easy way to knock a fever down, but neither would be possible in this situation. I rubbed my temples as I tried to remember what else my mom used to do when I was sick. Something shifted in my chest, and the threat of tears tightened my throat.

  My mom would never be able to take care of me when I was sick again.

  Never again would I have a bowl of her chicken noodle soup. She’d never rub my back while I got sick from the stomach bug or be there to give me a cool washcloth. She’d never tell me a million times to use my nose spray when my allergies were going crazy.

  No one would. I had to take care of myself now.

  Tris moaned again, and I snapped out of my thoughts to search for a washcloth. When I found one, I grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge and poured it on the washcloth. Then, I draped it over Tris’s scorching hot forehead. Even though the water was cool from the fridge, the washcloth was hot in seconds. That couldn’t be normal.

&nbs
p; Then again, what was in this situation?

  Tris’s Mystic magic wasn’t normal. It was part of the supernatural world—a world that had its own rules and definition of normal. This was probably what happened after she healed someone. I wet the washcloth again and draped it over her forehead for a second time.

  A noise captured my attention.

  Someone was outside Ruby.

  My heart skipped a beat, and I froze. It couldn’t be Rafe or the others. They hadn’t been gone long enough.

  The noise sounded again.

  I held my breath. What was that? It sounded like someone tapping against the outside of the RV as they walked by. I crossed to the table and grabbed the knife Rafe had pulled out for me. Then, I peeked through the blinds. I didn’t see anyone.

  The noise sounded again.

  This time, it was beside the door like someone was standing at the steps. Goose bumps prickled across my skin. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited. When it sounded again, my stomach hardened. I forced myself forward and peeked out the window beside it.

  Marshall stood at the base of the steps, grinning like a psycho.

  I jerked away from the window. My pulse hammered in my ears. What the hell was he doing here? My grip on the knife tightened. I glanced at the lock, making sure it was still secure.

  Would that even be enough to keep him out?

  Tapping sounded on the door. I held my breath, listening. The handle jiggled, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

  Shit, shit, shit. What was I going to do?

  A scraping noise sounded. It took me all of two seconds to figure out what I was hearing—the sound of Marshall picking the lock. Adrenaline spiked through my system. I glanced around, searching for anything I could place against the door, but there was nothing. Everything was bolted down except for my suitcases.

  My cell phone caught my eye.

  I grabbed it and dialed Rafe’s number, hoping he’d stayed in his human form. It rang, but he never answered. I hung up and tapped out a text to him, letting him know Marshall was here.

  The door handle jiggled.

  I licked my lips and then shoved my cell in my back pocket. My grip tightened on my knife. I glanced around, searching for a place to hide or a better weapon. I found neither. All I could do was shift into a fighting stance and wait. More scraping sounded until something inside the door clicked. Ice spread through my veins.

  I knew it was the sound of the lock falling away.

  The door swung open and there he stood, smirking at me in all his crazed glory. His eyes flashed silver and shifter magic pulsed around him. It charged the air, filling the tiny RV.

  “Why are you doing this?” The question fell from my lips without much thought.

  “Revenge.”

  My brows pinched together. “For what?”

  “You’re kidding right?” Marshall tipped his head to the side. His eyes never wavered from mine, but he pointed at Tris. “That bitch ruined my life. She could’ve easily healed Ezra, and everything would have been fine. Instead, she selfishly kept her Mystic magic to herself and for this clan. She is the reason my pack was killed. She’s the reason I have no home and that my life is over. It’s all her fault. Everything. And she’s going to pay for what she’s done. The starting price is your life.”

  He took a step forward, and I took a step back. We continued our dance until the edge of the counter dug into my back and there was nowhere else for me to go.

  I was trapped.

  “Don’t worry,” Marshall insisted, his eyes flashing with his coyote and rage. “I’ll make it quick, but only because I always liked you.”

  I scoffed, not meaning to.

  “Don’t believe me?” he snarled. “Do you not remember the time you chained yourself to that tree in town? I was there. I bought you a bottle of water and a chocolate bar. The kind with the salt crystals you like.”

  I blinked. He had been there. I remembered him giving me both. He’d even sat with me for a while until Tris got there.

  “You forgot about that, didn’t you?” he asked.

  I swallowed hard. “I did.”

  “Figures.” His eyes flared silver again. “You never paid attention to me.”

  He took another step forward. I pressed myself against the counter even harder, gripping my knife. He wasn’t close enough yet, but when he was, I planned on striking.

  “Don’t do this. You know I had nothing to do with your pack being killed,” I insisted. “I’m human.”

  He paused, looking as though he was giving what I said some serious thought. I was sure it was an act, but I didn’t care. It was buying me time to figure out what my next move should be beyond stabbing him.

  “I could let you go, but then I’d just shift my attention to her.” He nodded to Tris. “After all, she is the cause of everything. Is that what you want?”

  “No,” I said.

  His right eye twitched, another smirk formed, and then he lunged toward me. I swung my knife, praying it sliced through him, but it didn’t. He hit my wrist, blocking my blow. In the next instant, he shoved me against the counter so hard that pain sliced through my back. I swung at him. He dodged my fist, but only barely. He was unsteady on his feet. It had to be because of the shifter sickness pulsing through his veins.

  Maybe I could use it to my advantage.

  If I ran, he’d have a hard time catching me in this form. Maybe even in his other. I jammed my palm into his nose, causing blood to spray from it. Then, I kneed him in the groin. He let out a moan and then dropped to the floor.

  I had to get him away from Tris. The only way either of us would survive this was if I lured him to the woods where the others were and prayed they heard me.

  I bolted for the door. My ankle throbbed as I ran, but I knew I didn’t have any other choice. I had to suck it up and make it to the others. Marshall growled from behind me. It was inhuman and made the fine hairs along the back of my neck stand on end. I glanced over my shoulder as I hit the last step, checking that he was coming after me. He’d stood and adjusted himself before jolting down the steps, a look of hatred twisting his features.

  My heart pounded as I slipped into the woods. I’d wanted to make a dash for Liam and Tris’s cabin so I could hit the trailhead behind their place, but I didn’t want to risk running through the center of the campground and being seen. Instead, I headed for the coverage of the woods behind Ruby. It was close enough to the trailhead that I figured if I continued straight I’d connect to it soon enough. Then, with any luck, Rafe or someone would hear me.

  It was darker outside than I remembered. I could barely see my hand in front of my face, my ankle continued to throb, and I was scared out of my mind, but I couldn’t stop.

  I had to get to the others.

  “You’re not going to make it far,” Marshall shouted. “Not with that ankle.”

  I sped up, not liking how close he sounded. A crash came from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted him righting himself after falling.

  “Rafe!” I shouted. “Liam!”

  I tripped over a crooked root protruding from the ground and fell flat on my face. My forehead hit the edge of a rock nearby, and I felt warm wetness trickle into my eye. I pushed myself up with the palms of my hands, ignoring the pain raging through my body, and continued deeper into the woods.

  “Rafe!” I tried again, but got no response. Someone had to hear me.

  They were shifters, after all.

  A howl burst into the night air from behind me. My heart kick-started inside my chest. I knew that sound. I’d heard it more than once when Ezra’s pack abducted me and locked me inside the cage at the old sawmill back in Opal Pine. It was the sound of a coyote howling.

  Marshall had shifted.

  Chapter Eight

  I pushed my legs harder. Pain shot through my ankle each time I connected with the ground, but I had no choice besides to push through. Distance between me and Marshall needed to be kept.

  My life
depended on it, especially now that he’d shifted.

  “Rafe!” I screamed, praying I was close enough that he—or anyone else from the clan—could hear me.

  The prickly sensation of being watched tingled over my skin. Marshall was close. I could feel his eyes on me. My legs burned as I pushed myself harder. I jumped over low-lying branches and wove my way through the trees, wincing in pain the entire time. My ankle felt like it would snap in half.

  “Rafe!” I screamed. This time, a roar answered me.

  How far away had that been?

  My legs stalled at the sound, and I tripped over a curved root that was exposed in the ground. I fell forward, landing inches from a metal bear trap gleaming in the sliver of moon hung in the sky.

  Shit, that was close.

  I forced myself to my feet, my legs shaky, and spun around. “Rafe! I’m over here!” I shouted.

  A howl sounded from somewhere close. Marshall was near. I froze, listening. My pulse pounded in my ears.

  Should I yell for Rafe again, or remain silent so Marshall didn’t pinpoint where I was?

  My gaze scanned the surrounding trees, searching for any sign of movement. To my right, a flash of silver eyes caught my attention. I shifted in that direction, being cautious of the bear trap behind me, and licked my dry lips.

  Marshall had found me.

  A low growl rumbled from him, rolling through the thick night air. My breath hitched when he stalked forward, moving like the predator he was. Panic fired through my brain. I needed a weapon.

  Something. Anything.

  My gaze dipped to the ground, searching. When my eyes landed on a fat stick, I bent at the waist and picked it up. Then, I snapped my eyes back to Marshall. His mouth was open, and if coyotes could smile, he definitely was.

  “Rafe!” I screamed, louder this time, knowing him and the others were my only hope.

  I was about to either become coyote food or a freaking coyote myself. Whatever Marshall decided.

  My grip on the stick I held tightened as Marshall sauntered closer, licking his lips. I swung once.

  “Stay back!” I shouted. A rumbling noise came from him. I swore he was laughing at me. “I mean it!”