Even though I’d be nervous as hell about getting lost, I knew I’d still meet Trent. I could do it. I just had to believe I could, or at least that’s what I told myself. Hopefully I wouldn’t make an ass of myself by getting lost and having to have him come find me.
* * * *
“Are you sure you want to do this, Mika?” Mom asked. “Wouldn’t it be better if you called Trent and had him meet you here instead?”
I shook my head. “No, Mom. I want to do this.” I pulled a light nylon jacket out of my bedroom closet and put it inside my backpack. I didn’t want to go hiking unprepared since it had turned out to be an overcast day.
“You have your cell phone with you?”
“Yes, Mom. I have it and the map. I’ll be fine. If I get lost I’ll call so stop worrying.”
Mom’s worried expression didn’t leave her face even after my reassurances. “I don’t know, Mika. You’re not exactly an outdoorsy-type girl.”
I zipped my backpack closed and swung it up onto my shoulder. “Well, there’s always a first time for everything.”
“Yes, and there’s always a first time to have a search party sent out after you as well.”
“You are so not helping.” I left my bedroom and headed down the stairs. Mom followed behind me.
At the front door she stopped me one last time. “Just be careful. And I know you think you can do this, but it would do a lot to make me feel better if you phoned when you’ve met up with Trent. Then I’ll know for sure you aren’t wandering around in the bush lost somewhere.”
“Fine.” I grumped. “I’ll call you.”
Outside, I quickly got into my car and pulled away from the house. I already knew where I had to drive to reach the hiking trail Trent had mapped out so the map stayed in my backpack for now. It wasn’t a long drive to reach the reservation lands. When I arrived at the lake, I parked the car and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds scudded by, looking as if they promised rain. It seemed as if I had a very good chance of getting wet.
I pulled my jacket and the map out of my backpack. I slipped the jacket on before I looked at the map and tried to get my bearings. Much to my dismay, it took me a full minute to figure out where to go. Hopefully, that wasn’t a sign of how things would go for the rest of the day.
With my backpack hanging off both my shoulders instead of one as I do in school, I started out on my hike. There was a bit of a path to follow, if you wanted to call it that. It looked more like a trail that had been formed from people walking on it rather than a planned path.
Following the map, I made my way to the lake. I had to skirt around it and find another path that would take me into the bush. This part of the trail I dreaded. Most likely here would be the place to get lost. The trail I’d been following disappeared at the tree line. With a deep breath, I forced myself to step into the trees.
It was much gloomier among them, but they did shelter me some when it started to rain. According to the map, I had to cross through this wooded area and come out the other end to pick up the trail again. Having to step over fallen branches, or fallen trees, slowed me down. Sometimes I couldn’t get over them and had to skirt my way around.
I’d been walking for at least fifteen minutes and still couldn’t see a break in the trees that would tell me I’d reached the other side. I’d no idea if I was headed in the right direction or not. I couldn’t see the sun because of the clouds and the trees rising above me. Even if I could have seen it, it wouldn’t have helped. Part of being able to read a map was knowing where north, south, east and west were, which I wouldn’t have known unless I had a compass. And the map didn’t have those kinds of directions.
After what seemed like an hour of hard slugging through the trees, I finally came to the end of the bush area. Just as I stepped out into what appeared to be a clearing, the sky decided to open up. It wasn’t quite a downpour, but it was close enough. I yanked my hood up and tried to find the trail I still had to follow.
Once I found it, I took the map out of my pocket. With my hand held over top of it, I tried to shield it as much as I could from the rain. According to it, Trent would be meeting me in the middle of this clearing. I shoved the map back into my pocket for safekeeping and trudged on.
By the time I reached the middle of the clearing my feet were soaked and water had leaked through my jacket. I looked around, but I couldn’t see any sign of Trent. Could I have missed him? I didn’t think so. According to my watch I had arrived right on time. Where can he be?
Five minutes went by, then ten, then twenty and still Trent didn’t show up. Drenched and feeling cold, I debated whether I should continue to stand out here looking like a drowned rat or head back to my car and forget about the whole thing. In the end, I decided I’d give Trent ten more minutes. If he hadn’t shown up by then, I was outta here.
The sound of a branch snapping made me turn to see where the noise had come from, but I couldn’t see anything. I stiffened when I heard the roar of a large cat that sounded very close by. That so wasn’t good.
A loud growl sounded to my left. Slowly, I turned to face what had made the sound. I froze in place as a large cougar stalked closer. Rain water rolled off the cat’s gray-brown fur. His gold-colored gaze latched on to me as he moved closer. I knew the cougar was a male. He was too big to be a female. He had to be at least nine feet in length from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail.
I bit back a whimper as raw fear coursed through my body. The urge to turn around and run just about took me over, but I forced myself to keep still. Running would only make him go on the attack.
With careful steps, I slowly took one back and then another. The cougar hunched down until his belly almost touched the ground as he matched my strides. I took another step back, this time bigger than the last. My attention focused on the cougar in front of me, I didn’t see the large rock on the ground behind me until it was too late. As I stepped down on it, I twisted my ankle and lost my balance. I went down hard on my butt.
The cougar growled as he bunched his back legs under him, readying himself to jump. I instinctively threw up my arms in front of my face. Just when the cougar launched himself in my direction, a streak of black came out of nowhere and slammed into him. I put down my arms to better see what had stopped the large cat. Blinking the rain out of my eyes, I watched a second one take on the first. It was a black cougar, and it was another large male.
Still in shock and unable to move, I sat in the wet grass as I watched the two cougars battle it out. The black one soon gained the upper hand. He overpowered the other and chased him off. Once the first one disappeared into the trees, the black cougar turned and slowly crossed to where I sat.
Before I could collect my thoughts enough to force myself on my feet and try to get away, the black cougar shifted to stand over me. A whimper rose inside me as the cat came even closer until his four paws straddled my body and we were practically nose to nose. My breath caught in my throat with fear while my heart thudded against my ribs. I couldn’t help but think I was looking into the face of death. The cougar only had to take me by the throat and it would be game over.
I stared into his gold eyes. Unlike the first cat, this one didn’t seem quite so aggressive. If anything, he appeared the opposite given the loud purrs he made. Along with those, he head-butted my chin a couple of times, then rubbed his face against my cheek. I held myself perfectly still when his rough, raspy tongue came out and licked my jaw as he continued to purr loudly. I silently hoped he wasn’t trying to see if I tasted good.
The cougar nuzzled the side of my throat. My heart beat even faster as he used his face to nudge my jacket and the collar of my shirt aside from where my shoulder and neck met. He dragged his tongue across that spot just before he bit me hard. Unable to stop myself, I whimpered as he held on to me with his sharp teeth. Even though I hadn’t done it very loud, it was enough to get a reaction out of the cougar. With a loud growl, he let go and took off at run into the trees.
Breathing as if I’d just run a marathon, I reached up and put my hand on the bite mark. My fingers came away spotted with blood. Not wanting to wait around to see if the black cougar would come back to take another bite out of me, I quickly stood. Shaking, I turned in a circle not sure which way to go or what to do. I didn’t want to hike through the trees again. For all I knew both cougars could still be in there, waiting to pounce.
Hating how close to the verge of tears I was, I tried to calm down. I let out a yelp as someone grabbed me from behind. The hand that gripped my arm spun me around. I then lost it completely. With my gaze blurred with tears, I threw myself into Trent’s arms and blubbered like a baby.
Chapter Twelve
“What are you doing out here, Mika?” When I didn’t answer Trent right away, he grabbed me by both arms and held me out in front of him. “Mika, calm down. Why did you come out here alone?”
I took a big hiccupping breath as I tried to pull myself together. “I-I came out here to meet you like your note said.”
Trent scowled. “What note? I didn’t give you any note.”
“Then what’s this?”
I reached inside my jacket pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with the map drawn on it and handed it to Trent. The rain continued to pour down on us as he read what had been written. When he finished, he balled the now sopping wet paper in his hand and handed it back.
“I didn’t write that note, Mika. That’s not my handwriting.”
Confused, I asked, “Then how did you know where to find me?”
Trent continued to give me a hard look. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed off at me or just about someone giving me a note that supposedly came from him. “Your mom told me. I went to your house to see if you wanted to do something today. She said you’d come here to meet me.”
Great. Mom will be freaking out right about now. “If you didn’t put that note in my locker then who did?”
“I’ve no idea.” Trent reached up and brushed my jacket aside. His finger lightly touched the bite mark on my neck. His face grew even harder.
About to explain how I got it, and about my encounter with the black cougar, I heard someone call Trent’s name. We both turned to watch this new person walk toward us. Judging by his black shoulder-length hair and tanned skin, I figured he was Okanagan. He also appeared to be a teenager about the same age as Trent and me.
Trent curled his lip when the boy stopped a short distance away. “Back off, Craig.”
Craig shook his head. “I didn’t come here to start a fight with you, at least not yet. You’re in my territory.”
“I only came here to get the girl.”
I watched Craig as he came closer. He was just about as tall as Trent, and just as muscular. He could by no means be called ugly, but he didn’t do anything for me. Not like Trent.
Craig stopped when he stood a foot away. He seemed to study me as closely as I did him. When his gaze latched on to the bite mark, he snorted and shook his head. He turned his gaze to Trent. “Nice mark. I’m getting the impression she’s more than just ‘the girl’ to you.”
Trent made a low growling sound in the back of his throat. “It’s none of your fricking business.”
“I wouldn’t piss me off, Trent,” Craig growled back. “Remember, you’re just another lone male in my territory. That gives me the right to try to take you down in a fight. Do you want to risk it in front of your ‘girlfriend?’”
Craig’s implied threat had me turning to see Trent’s reaction. What I saw made me gasp in shock. His eyes had changed from brown to gold—a gold that all too much reminded me of the color of the black cougar’s eyes. With his hands fisted at his sides, Trent growled—and that could all too easily be mistaken for a cougar’s. My gaze shot over to Craig, knowing I wouldn’t be the only one to notice the difference in Trent. Instead of seeing the expected expression of shock on Craig’s face, I found his eyes had also turned the same color. His lip curled back in a threatening snarl.
“I’m not one of your boys, Craig,” Trent said through his clenched jaw. “And speaking of them, tell the one I chased off that if he ever pulls a stunt like that again, he’ll be lucky to slink away a second time.”
“Then I suggest you keep your girl off my territory. If she ever comes back here alone, she’ll be fair game. Maybe then someone else’s mark will be on her neck.”
I just about jumped out of my skin when Trent lurched forward and roared like a cat at Craig. I slowly backed away as they stood snarling at each other like a couple of wild cats. Not sure what I’d gotten myself into, I decided it would be best if I got as far away from them as possible.
Taking advantage of their distraction, I turned on my heels and took off at a run toward the trees. It wasn’t that I was afraid of Trent really—I found Craig to be the scarier of the two. I just didn’t want to get caught in the middle of it if they decided to have a go at each other. But seeing Trent like that didn’t exactly give me the warm fuzzies, either.
I’d almost made it to the tree line when a strong arm grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to a stop. I screamed when I ended being held captive against a hard chest. In the hopes of freeing myself, I jabbed my elbow into the ribs of whoever held me.
“Stop it, Mika,” Trent commanded.
At the sound of his growled words I stopped struggling to get free. Trent relaxed his hold, allowing me to turn around to face him. I gulped when I saw his eyes were still gold. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from them. His pupils had even narrowed like a cat’s.
With both my hands on Trent’s chest I tried to break free of his hold, but he didn’t release me. Confused, trying to make sense of the changes in him, I blurted, “What the hell are you? How can your eyes change like that? And what was all that about with Craig?”
Trent didn’t say anything in response to my questions. He merely held me against him with an arm wrapped around my waist as he threaded the fingers of his other hand through my wet hair at the back of my head. His mouth slammed down onto mine as he held me in place. His grip on my hair tightened, verging on pain, while he slanted his lips across mine. I futilely pushed at his chest, but it didn’t seem to faze him. At another time, if he hadn’t been so rough, I would have enjoyed it. But the hard way he held me, scared me more than a little. I didn’t want Trent to kiss me this way. I wanted him to do it the way he had before.
I bit down hard on his bottom lip. Trent lifted his head and growled softly. His arm tightened around my waist as he bent his head to take my lips once again. I reached up and pushed his face away before he could make contact. My voice shook when I spoke. “Stop, Trent. You’re scaring me.”
He stared at me with a confused look on his face, as if he didn’t know what he had done. His gaze fell to my lips that had to be swollen from his kisses. With a groan, he dropped his arms and took a step away. I wrapped mine around myself as my body shook from the cold and what had passed between us. Trent’s chest rapidly rose and fell with each breath he took. As I watched, his eyes slowly turned back to brown.
“You’re wet and cold. I’ll take you back to your car.” Trent’s voice sounded flat and emotionless.
He started to walk past me, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. “That’s it? You’re going to take me back to my car with no explanations?”
Trent yanked his arm free. “There’s nothing to explain.” He then turned away and headed closer to the tree line.
I went after him. “Like hell there isn’t. Help me understand. You at least owe me that much. First I have the crap scared out of me by two cougars, and one actually bites me, then you and Craig have some kind of standoff—”
“Drop it, Mika,” Trent said with a snarl.
“I won’t drop it.” I stopped walking. “Fine. I’ll just stay here and wait for one of the cougars to come and take another bite out of me. Maybe it’ll be the black cougar since he’s the one that bit me in the first place. He seemed to like me.”
/> Trent turned around and stalked back. He took me by the arm and forced me back into motion. “Enough. You’re not staying here. I’m going to put you in your car and then you’ll go home.”
“You can’t expect me—”
“No more.” Trent stopped walking and gave me a rough shake. “Enough. Let it go. It’s better for you this way.”
I opened my mouth to say more, but the hard look on Trent’s face stopped me from saying what I’d wanted to. When I closed my mouth, he started walking again as he pulled me along with him. Obviously, this was one argument I didn’t have a chance of winning.
With Trent dragging me along behind him, it didn’t take us as long to reach my car as it had taken me to reach the clearing. It helped that he seemed to know unerringly where to walk so no major obstacles blocked our way. By the time we got to the cars, I was drenched to the skin and my teeth were chattering with cold. His father’s was alongside mine.
Trent took my backpack off and dug around in it until he found my car keys. He unlocked the driver’s side and threw the pack onto the front passenger seat. He turned to face me. His long, wet hair hung partially in his eyes. I resisted the urge to reach up and push it away. With his face set in hard lines, I didn’t think he would appreciate the gesture.
“Get in the car.”
I didn’t want to leave things that way. “What about tomorrow? Do you want to work out together again?”
Trent’s gaze skidded across the bite mark on my neck before he lifted his gaze to my face. “No.”
With Trent standing there, showing no emotion, I wanted to scream at him to snap out of it. During the walk back to the car, I’d gotten over my original fright. A thousand and one questions filled my mind as my inquisitive nature took over. But I knew I wouldn’t get any answers this day.
MikasBlackCougar Page 8