Mountain Wolf's Courage (Daddy Wolves 0f The Wild Series Book 4)

by Serena Meadows

  Sarah knew that Rachelle was bluffing but went along with her just to get her off the phone. “I’m sorry, Rachelle, I’ll try again,” she said, trying to sound frightened.

  “That’s better,” Rachelle purred into the phone. “See, isn’t it much better when we get along?”

  When the call was over, her hands were shaking with anger, and she wanted to throw the phone across the room. If what Marley had told them was true, Melissa was in the underworld with her demon, the very demon she’d help bring to life, and that was exactly where she belonged and where she’d stay. There was no way she’d help save Melissa when she’d gotten exactly what she deserved, even if it meant she’d no longer be plagued by the evil spirits that haunted her.

  Wishing she could confide in Marley, she headed for the last shower she’d have for a few days, planning to take her time and let the hot water soak into her until she was pink. As the hot water soothed her tense muscles, she felt a sense of anticipation beginning to fill her. She’d spent months wondering and worrying about the paintings, and now she was on the way to solving the mystery.

  Her problems with Rachelle could wait; she knew deep down in her heart that nothing she had to offer would make her help. She’d learned to live with the spirits, and she’d continue to if it meant protecting Serendipity from witches like Rachelle and Melissa. Besides, with the demon back in the underworld, it was always possible that the magic might wear off on its own and her normal powers would come back.

  It was a long shot, but something she could hold onto, a little hope that someday she could be a normal witch, not one who lived with evil all the time. As much as she loved Serendipity already, she knew that time would come when she’d have to leave, and when the time came, she hoped that she’d be strong enough to return to her old life, and that maybe she wouldn’t be alone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ***Trevor***

  It was becoming more and more difficult to avoid Jordan as she made her rounds, checking on all the riders. He’d hoped that Sarah would be there to go through the pre-ride checklist with her, but she still hadn’t shown up, and there were only three more riders to go.

  To his relief, he saw her hurrying down the road, her saddlebag slung over her shoulder. When she got to him, she was slightly out of breath, but smiling. “Sorry I’m late,” she said, sliding up next to her horse and stoking it on the face. “Did I miss anything?”

  He shook his head. “No, not really. Jordan is going over the pre-ride checklist with each rider, but I forgot something at the cabin, so you’ll have to do mine,” he said, then before she could answer, took off toward his cabin.

  There was nothing he really needed other than to avoid direct contact with Jordan, so he went to the cabin, walked around a few times, then headed back. The riders were all mounted when he got back. Jordan was nowhere to be found, and relief washed over him. For a second he considered ending the whole charade and going into the barn to confess, but then he thought about Gabe and stayed put.

  Sarah was looking at him nervously. “Is it too late to change my mind?” she asked, giving him a weak smile.

  “I’m afraid so; once you’re on the horse, there’s no going back,” he teased. “You’re going to be fine, Sarah, and maybe we’ll have some answers when we get back.”

  “I know you’re right. I’m just being a baby,” she said, and this time the smile she gave him was real.

  “Are you ready for an adventure then?” he asked, wanting more than anything to lean over and kiss her.

  “Let’s do this,” she said.

  Right at ten o’clock, Jake came out of the barn and walked over to them. “Okay, you two are the only ones taking the old mine trail, so I’m sending you out first. Don’t forget to check in every night, and happy hunting,” he said, slapping Trevor’s horse on the butt and sending them on their way.

  Sarah seemed nervous at first, and the horse could feel it, but after about half an hour, he slowed their pace, and they both seemed to do better. When they stopped for lunch a few hours later, she jumped down from the horse, and her knees nearly buckled, but he got to her first. Grabbing her to keep her from falling made his body go haywire, but he held her only long enough to give her legs time to adjust, then let her go.

  She seemed a bit disappointed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched and knew that kissing her would have been a huge distraction. Until he was sure that they were alone, sure that the eerie feeling in his gut was just nerves after his call to Richard, he was going to be on his guard.

  Trevor had good reason to feel like they were being watched because not far behind them on the trail, Marley and Jake were just getting down off their horses. “Looks like they’ve stopped for lunch,” Jake said.

  “Good, that should give me enough time to get a few things ready,” Marley said, going to her saddlebag and taking out a white pouch. “I won’t finish the spell until we’re closer to the crystal mine, but I can get everything ready.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Jake asked, a skeptical look on his face. “It seems like a nasty thing to do to them. What if they get hurt or something?”

  “It’s just going to be a little storm; they’ll get a little wet, have to spend the night in the mine, and if we’re lucky, things will go well,” she said with a mischievous grin.

  Jake shook his head. “You are taking this matchmaking thing way too seriously,” he said. “Maybe you should just leave them alone and let things happen naturally.”

  Marley shook her head. “We don’t have time for that. Something is coming, and soon. We need to know if Trevor and Sarah are really who we think they are. Serendipity never makes the wrong choices, but just this once, I’m not convinced.”

  Jake looked over at her in shock. “You never told me that,” he said, walking over to where she was setting up the things she’d taken from her bag on a flat rock. “What do the spirits say?”

  Marley shrugged. “They aren’t saying much; it’s just a feeling I have and giving them a little push isn’t going to hurt anything. Would you rather have them with us or against us?”

  He gathered her into his arms. “I trust you, Marley; you know what’s best for Serendipity. I just worry about all this meddling in other people’s lives,” he said.

  “It won’t go on much longer, I promise,” she said, then stood on her tip-toes and kissed him.

  When Jake finally let her go, she lit the white candle she’d placed in the middle of the rock and began reciting a protection spell. She sprinkled some oils into the flame of the candle, and thick white smoke rose into the air, followed by what sounded like the rumble of thunder. Marley chanted a new spell as she sprinkled herbs into the flame and the smoke filled with little bolts of lightning. As the white smoke rose into the air, it spread and disappeared, but the air around them felt charged.

  “Okay, we’re all set. When the time is right, all I have to do is add a little power, and we’ll have a nice little harmless thunderstorm,” she said, grinning at Jake. “Did you bring your rain gear?”

  Jake just shook his head. “Promise me that you’ll never get angry with me?”

  ***Sarah***

  They’d been riding in a comfortable silence since lunch. Sarah was feeling far more confident on the horse, and it was a beautiful afternoon. They’d come across a little stream right after lunch and Trevor had been all set to stop and try to catch some fish. But instead, they continued to follow it up the mountain, it’s pretty gurgling filling the afternoon air with its own special music.

  She was feeling a little sleepy from the soothing sounds around her, the leaves rustling in the breeze, the sound of the little stream and the occasional call of a bird. Trevor had been quiet for a long time, and she felt her eyelids beginning to droop, so she sat up straighter in the saddle, and that was when she felt something strange.

  Stopping her horse, she looked around her at the forest and the stream. “Do you feel that?” she asked when Trev
or stopped next to her.

  He looked around them, then over at her. “What do you feel? I thought I felt someone watching us earlier, but it went away after lunch,” he said, then took one more good look around them.

  “It’s not that,” Sarah said, taking a deep breath of the air. “It smells like, oh...I don’t know...electricity, or power or something like that.”

  Just then, a rumble came from the mountains in front of them, and they both looked up. The sky was filled with dark swirling clouds, and as they watched, a bolt of lightning split the sky, followed several seconds later by a loud clap of thunder.

  “That doesn’t look good,” she said, her heart sinking.

  “Did you pack raingear?” Trevor asked.

  Sarah looked over at him. “No, you didn’t put it on the list.”

  He grinned at her. “Well, then we’re about to get really wet.”

  She looked up at the clouds again, and then over at Trevor, who seemed to be enjoying himself. “You act like it’s going to be fun,” she said, scowling at him.

  “I was just thinking that I might actually get to see you without your clothes on if we get wet,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

  “You’re terrible,” she said, a thrill of pleasure rushing through her.

  “The truth is, we’re only a half a mile or so from the mine. If we hurry, we might make it before it rains,” he said.

  Only seconds later, the skies opened up, and the rain came down in sheets, soaking her to the skin and making the trail slick and muddy. Frightened by the intensity of the storm, she looked back at Trevor. Barely able to see him through the rain, she started to panic. The horse, sensing her fear, began to slip and slide on the trail, nearly throwing her off, and the scream that came out of her mouth did nothing to improve the situation.

  “Sarah, take a deep breath and relax,” Trevor yelled at her. “It’s only a little rain; your horse knows what to do.”

  She wanted to scream at him that it was more than a little rain but took a deep breath instead and began talking to the horse. “It’s okay, we’re fine, it’s just a little rain,” she said, over and over until they both began to relax.

  Letting the horse pick her way up the trail, they made slow progress, but Sarah’s panic had faded. When they came around a corner and the mine came into view, she wanted to shout with joy until she saw that they’d have to cross the stream to get there. She pulled her horse to a stop and sat, the rain pouring down her back, and stared at what had once been a gentle flow of water but was now a swollen torrent.

  When Trevor pulled his horse to a stop next to her, she looked over at him and said, “I don’t know if I can do it.”

  He smiled at her. “Yes, you can; it’s only a little water. It’s not as deep as it looks, but I can look for another place to cross if you want me too.”

  Sarah looked up and down the stream, saw that it was worse everywhere else, then took a deep breath and nudged her horse into the water. “I don’t know what to do,” she said.

  “Just give her a nudge to get her going, and she’ll do the rest,” Trevor said.

  Digging her heels in, she held on to the saddle as the horse stepped out into the stream, the force of the running water making her sway and stumble for a second. She quickly found her footing and began slowly crossing the raging stream, Sarah sure that they were both going to go under at any moment. Leaning over her neck, she closed her eyes and held on until she felt the horse jump onto the bank.

  She sat up to find Trevor next to her pointing up at the mine. “We need to get up there. Lean forward like you were and hold on; she’ll get you to the top,” he said.

  The rain was beating down on them, and the mine looked dry and inviting, but the slope up to the entrance was steep and wet. “Isn’t there another way?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

  “It’s the only dry place around here, and that’s the only way in,” he said.

  Right then, being dry sounded like the most wonderful thing in the world, so she leaned over the horse’s neck again, took a deep breath, and dug her heels in. The horse started forward, her first lunge taking them halfway up the steep hill, but then they slid back several feet, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming. But then she felt the horse tense under her, and suddenly they were at the top, the horse blowing through her nose and prancing around the flat area in front of the mine.

  She pulled on the reins and got out of the way just as Trevor’s horse appeared, landing right where they’d been standing. Sitting in the pouring rain, she looked back down the slope and over at the river, shocked that she’d survived. But then she began to shiver, the rain chilling her to the bone now that they weren’t moving.

  “Come on, let’s get inside,” Trevor called, jumping down from his horse.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ***Trevor***

  Trevor hobbled the horses as best he could in the rocky soil of the mine while Sarah watched shivering. “I wish I could help,” she said, her teeth chattering.

  “That’s the best I can do,” he said, standing up. “They won’t go anywhere with this rain, but if it quits, we’ll have to move them.”

  Sarah’s lips were turning blue, and he knew that he had to get her warmed up, and fast; even in the summer, temperatures in the high mountains could fall quickly. “Let’s see what’s back here,” he said, putting his arm around her and leading her further into the mine.

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked, her chattering teeth making it hard for her to talk.

  “This far in, I’m sure we’re fine,” he said, pulling his flashlight out of his pocket and switching it on.

  “What about animals?” Sarah asked, her eyes wide as they continued deeper inside.

  “Have you forgotten that you’re with a wolf shifter?” he asked, a teasing grin on his face.

  Sarah blushed, and his heart rate went crazy. “I kind of did,” she admitted.

  They’d come to a wide spot in the tunnel, and Trevor stopped, then looked up, realizing that there was light coming from up above. “The mine entrance must be around here somewhere. This was a staging area or something like that,” he said, shining his light on the walls.

  When the glint of metal caught his eye, he stopped and focused the light on a huge metal door. Rusted to almost the same color as the walls, it was hard to see, but what made the grin break out on his face was the pile of firewood and supply boxes piled in front of it.

  “Look,” he said, pointing to the pile. “Firewood, and probably food.”

  “Oh, we can get warm,” Sarah said, a huge shiver wracking her body.

  “The sleeping bags and our clothes should still be dry,” Trevor said, stepping over to the pile of wood and picking up a few pieces. “This is nice and dry. It’s been here for a while.”

  “Who put it here?” Sarah asked, looking around the mine, hoping there were spirits hanging around.

  “It’s kind of a custom around here,” Trevor explained, filling his arms with firewood. “This was left here so someone could use it in an emergency. People who come up here probably know about the mine.”

  Sarah nodded, no longer capable of speech, and held her arms out for wood. He started to tell her he didn’t need any help but realized that the physical activity would keep her warm, so he piled some on, and together they carried it to the firepit under the ventilation hole. He talked as he worked, explaining what he was doing while Sarah watched and shivered, the sound of her teeth rattling together loud in the quiet of the abandoned mine.

  When the fire finally flared to life, Sarah sighed with relief and held her hands out to the warmth. She was still shivering, her teeth chattering, but he felt better. “I’m going to go get the saddlebags; some dry clothes will make you feel much better.”

  “That sound wonderful,” Sarah said. “Thank you, Trevor. I know you must be freezing too.”

  “I’m okay; shifters are warmer than other people,” he said. “I’m mo
re worried about you.”

  He saw something in her eyes at that moment that he hadn’t seen before and it filled him with a warm feeling that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with love. It took his breath away, and all he could do was stare at her as his heart went crazy in his chest. This feeling was unlike anything he’d felt before.

  Turning to go to the horses, he let that thought sink in, and all the hurt and pain Claudia caused him seemed to fade away. He felt power surging through him as her grip on him disappeared, and with it, all the fear that had haunted him for years. It was almost as if the years slipped away, leaving the old him, the strong and capable man who wouldn’t let someone like Richard push him around.

  Realizing that he’d been stupid not to talk to Marley and Jake, he grabbed as much as he could and headed back into the mine. It was time to stand up to Richard, time to reclaim his pride and his life from the man who had turned his own sister into a temptress and, he hated to think it, but a whore.

  When he got back to Sarah, he found her feeding wood into the fire, and this time, the warm feeling he got when he saw her was a heady mixture of love and lust. He’d finally found a woman who was everything he’d ever wanted, smart and sexy, brave and fearless, and he was falling in love with her. Desire hit him like a tidal wave, and it was all he could not to pull her into his arms right then, but she was still shivering, her lips slightly blue.

  ***Sarah***