by D McEntire
“I have some things to tell you, and it’s going to sound pretty far-fetched, but I assure you it is one hundred percent true.”
Suma sat in the living room of the trailer with Rayne, trying to make small talk. She could tell he was as uncomfortable as she at their being alone.
The sound of a vehicle barreling up the driveway made them jump. Suma ran to the window and slightly pushed aside the curtain, being careful not to let too much light into the trailer and harm Rayne. She also didn’t want anyone outside to notice the movement of the curtain.
When a dirty, old, red truck came in to view, Suma gasped.
“Who is it?”
Rayne was standing behind her, though away from the light. She could feel his warm breath against the side of her face, and she almost turned her head to lay her mouth over his.
Suma bit her lip to keep from doing that when she turned her face to his and spoke.
“It’s the truck I found hidden at the park. The one the wolf picked up the scent of several animals all over.” The bad feeling she had gotten that day was returning.
When the truck stopped abruptly, she noticed a woman walk from the side of the house and approach the front of the deck. Recognition hit Suma instantly. It was the woman from the park.
Suma noticed Dana’s body language was screaming caution loud and clear.
“Dana’s on the deck, but she looks a little nervous to see this man.”
She felt Rayne’s hand on her shoulder, and his body move closer to hers, his thigh pressing lightly into the crease of her behind.
Suma took a deep breath and willed herself to focus on what was happening outside.
“He’s getting out of the truck.”
When the man sauntered over to the steps of the deck, she could feel the dangerous vibes emanating from his body, even from inside the trailer. His posture was arrogant and lethal.
Suma called forth the keen hearing of the wolf to eavesdrop on their conversation. If the man made any threatening moves, she vowed she would be out of the trailer in a heartbeat, and on him like white on rice. Dana had been there for her, and she would watch the woman in return.
“What’s going on?” Rayne whispered in her ear. The sensation was so soft it tickled, and she stifled a giggle.
“He’s angry she bought a couple of goats he had planned to buy. She said she wasn’t going to let him use them in his shows.”
Suma wondered what kind of shows Dana was referring to.
“He’s threatening her.”
With a jerk, she pulled from the window, bumping into Rayne.
“I’m going out there,” she whispered harshly, but couldn’t manage to move the wall of muscle blocking her way.
“Suma, wait. I don’t think that’s a good idea. Give it a minute and see what he does. Unless he attempts to physically harm her, we should stay out of sight.”
She thought a moment and then nodded, knowing Rayne was right. Gritting her teeth, she returned to the window, pulled back the curtain and listened.
“A man just stepped out of the house, and he looks pretty pissed.”
“That must be her husband.”
Rayne’s words, along with the change of tone she heard in the man’s voice in the presence of Dana’s husband, gave her some relief.
“Wow!” Suma quickly cupped her hand over her mouth, realizing she had spoken a little too loud. “Dana’s husband told the man to leave and not come back. The man’s getting in his truck.”
Suma dropped the curtain. Gravel crunched as the man barreled down the driveway. She moved to the couch and sat, a sense of dread running through her veins.
“Rayne, this guy must be the one who dug the traps. Perhaps he is some sort of hunter or something. Do you think he is after the wolf?”
Rayne moved closer and wrapped her in his arms. She felt his lips press a kiss on the top of her head.
“Everything will be okay. We will think of something. There has to be some way to stop him. He will never get the wolf. He will never get you.”
One of his hands lifted to touch her hair, letting the strands sift through his fingers. Suma wondered what was going through his mind, then saw it in his eyes.
His touch sent a shudder through her body, and she sucked in a breath. Her mind raced. She could feel the heat from his body, and his scent wafted over her—purely male, purely Rayne. Her nostrils flared as she took it in. The alpha male even had her wolf on edge.
Rayne stared at Suma’s face as he caressed her hair with his fingertips. She was incredibly beautiful, he thought. He could tell her wolf was taking in his scent by the way her nose twitched, and he smiled. He wanted nothing more than to let her know all of him.
When her gaze met his, he could not hold back any longer.
Rayne bent down to her face, slowly, giving her the chance to refuse before he captured her mouth with his, sucking in her bottom lip, then tugging slightly before opening his mouth and using his tongue to coax her to open for him.
He spoke against her mouth, “Kiss me, Suma.”
“I don’t know what to do. I haven’t done this before,” she breathed.
He smiled against her mouth, then whispered for her to relax and follow his lead. Much to his pleasure, she did.
The kiss, started out soft and slow, slipped into want and need. Their tongues danced and tasted. Hers scraped his fangs, and his skimmed along her lower lip.
Rayne leaned in, devouring her as her arms came up and encircled his neck, pulling him in closer. After several heated moments, they slowly pulled away from each other.
Both were breathing heavily. Rayne leaned his forehead on hers as he tried to control the beast inside wanting to be released. He wanted her.
Ever since he had caught sight of her on the waterfront in Louisville, he had felt drawn. Then, he had held the door open for her at the coffee shop, totally amazed at seeing her again. Deep inside, he knew the attraction was much more than her beauty, and more than the fact she was Native American. It was something deeper. Something he could not begin to explain.
A war waged between his head and his body. Suma was no doubt an innocent, and she deserved more than him pouncing on her in a trailer. He needed to rein himself in and let her get to know him, and him to know her. He needed to move slowly—show her how he felt and how special she was to him. Man, I am in deep.
Rayne smiled at his thoughts, then settled against the back of the couch.
“Suma, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I’m sorry for moving too fast on you like this, but I had to taste you. I know the ways in this world have changed much over time, but I still follow the old ways. I want you, Suma. I will never do anything to rush or make you feel uncomfortable.”
Suma returned Rayne’s gorgeous smile, her mind wrestling with the realization of what was happening. She had been alone for so long, having a nice conversation with a man, much less being kissed by one, had seemed out of reach. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t fast asleep in her camper, having a wonderful dream.
Rayne reached out and lifted her totem. As if she had been yanked out of her seat and thrown in front of a movie screen, a vision snapped through her head, making her jerk back with a gasp.
Suma’s heart leapt with joy. Now I know I must be dreaming.
“You are a Skinwalker!”
Never in a million years had she thought she would come across another Skinwalker. Elation burst inside of her, until a sudden question formed in her mind. Suma pulled aside the collar of his shirt.
“Where is your totem necklace? Why aren’t you wearing it?”
A slight shake of his head was her only answer as he stood and walked to the kitchen. Unease settled over her as she watched him busy himself washing his hands. Something was wrong, and she had a feeling she was not going to like the truth.
“Rayne? What’s wrong? Are you denying you are a Skinwalker? Are you denying you are like me?”
When Rayne d
idn’t turn around realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mind registered his feelings about Skinwalkers loud and clear. He was denying what he was because he was ashamed.
Her people had turned their backs on her, just like he was doing. It was obvious he could not face her, or speak of his gift. She felt like a fool.
Suma began to shake inside, and her stomach knotted. She had thought for once her life was heading in a positive direction. She had tasted some of the happiness every other person in the world was allowed to feel.
But, she was wrong.
Unable to hold her emotions inside, she leapt from the chair and bounded out the door, sending a burst of light through the room.
A blast of the sun’s rays flashed over Rayne, and it felt as though a bucket of knives had been flung at him. He threw himself off the couch and onto the floor, quickly grabbing the blanket as he did so. Covering himself as best he could, he crawled to the door calling Suma’s name, but she didn’t respond.
Slowly, Rayne reached out, gritting his teeth at the searing pain as the light touched his arm and hand, and pulled the door closed.
The stench of burning flesh filled the trailer, turning his stomach. He was breathing heavily, wondering what the hell had just happened. Why had his inability to speak of his past caused her to be so upset she ran out of the trailer?
Groaning, Rayne flung off the blanket and staggered to the bathroom where he ran cold water over the burns on his arm and hand. He knew they would heal in a few hours, but they were the least of his worries.
Staggering to the couch, the daytime lethargy began to overtake him, leaving him unable to stand. He flopped down on the cushions, and though he tried to fight it, drifted into the deep, daytime sleep. In the distance, he heard the lonely howl of the wolf before he fell under.
Chapter Fourteen
Jed grit his teeth and pressed harder on the gas pedal, speeding down Highway 3 and not caring if the cops were around. His mood had been foul this morning after having to leave the park last night before he had gotten a single deer.
Cursing vehemently, he slammed his palm on the steering wheel so hard the entire truck shook.
“That bitch! She’s got my wolf. I know it,” he growled.
“Well, she won’t have it for long. Two can play games, but I don’t play nice, and I don’t play fair.”
Looking at himself in the rearview mirror of the truck, he grinned sardonically at his sudden plan of waiting until dark, returning to the Viers’ place and hunting for his wolf.
Out of nowhere, a huge black dog darted out of the trees, right in front of his truck. Startled, Jed slammed on the brakes and slid sideways, leaving black marks on the street behind him as his truck came screeching to a halt, barely missing the animal.
When he pulled to the side of the road, he could not believe what he saw. The black wolf.
His heart leapt. Now was his chance. He reached under his seat and grabbed his tranquilizer gun, then aimed it out the passenger side window. In a flash, the black wolf turned and bounded across the field. While spewing a few curses, he threw the tranquilizer gun on the passenger seat and slammed the truck into gear.
Laughing at his sudden change of luck, Jed followed the wolf as it led him through alleys, then down one road and up another. He knew there was nowhere for the animal to hide. They were now in a more populated area, and had left the woods behind.
Making a quick decision to attempt to head the wolf off and catch it by surprise, he yanked the steering wheel and turned down a road which ran parallel in the direction the animal was running.
At the end of the road, he pulled the truck over to the side and jumped out with his tranquilizer gun fully loaded and ready. He waited, holding his breath and trying to calm the giddiness he felt.
Suddenly, movement caught his eye as the black wolf came around the bend in the road, heading in his direction. I’ve got you now. Come to papa.
The wolf slowed its pace, panting heavily. Jed quickly lined up the animal in the gun’s sight, and watched quietly as it turned its head in one direction, then the other, its nose tilted up, catching a scent—his.
Jed knew the wolf was about to bolt. It was now or never. He squeezed the trigger twice, in rapid succession, sending two darts flying at the wolf.
Bingo!
When the darts hit their mark, the animal jerked and let out a yelp. As the wolf tried to flee, its movements slowed before its legs gave way, and it sank to the ground.
Rayne awoke with a start. He had been in a deep sleep and the sun was sinking behind the horizon. He sat up abruptly and looked around the living room for Suma, but she wasn’t there. Checking the bedroom, he found it empty.
Slowly, he pulled back the curtain to make sure the sun was low enough for him to go outside. Shadows cast along the ground let him know it was.
He left the trailer in a hurry and jogged up the steps to Dana’s deck, but stopped short when he saw a teenage girl sitting on the porch swing. He could tell, from the resemblance, she was Dana’s daughter.
“Hello.”
Rayne thought her voice was soft and quiet, and her smile was genuine. “You must be Rayne.”
Rayne smiled and nodded.
“I’m Shayla. Mom said you and Suma are staying in the trailer.”
When she looked around him, he turned his head to follow her gaze, finding she was looking at the trailer.
“Is Suma still asleep?”
Rayne shook his head, and his smile faded. “No. That’s what I need to talk to your mother about. Is she around?”
“Yes. I’ll go get her, or you can go inside if you want.”
Shayla moved the laptop, and placed it in a chair beside the swing, then got up, but stopped and looked at him questioningly.
“Can I ask you something?”
After he nodded, she continued.
“You’re a vampire, right?”
Rayne cocked an eyebrow at her question. Hesitation had him holding his tongue before he thought about Dana and figured her daughter had most likely overheard her mother speak of them. He prayed she could be trusted to keep their identity quiet.
“Yes. I am a Watcher.”
The sudden widening of her eyes, and the excited glimmer sparkling within their depths made him chuckle.
“Cool!” She beamed at him. “I heard Mom telling Dad, but I thought I’d ask. But, don’t worry. I won’t say anything. Besides, who would believe me anyway? But, Matt doesn’t know. Mom told him you and Suma worked at night researching wildlife at the park.”
When she stopped a moment, seemingly in thought, Rayne almost felt relieved. As fast as the girl was talking in her excitement, he was afraid he would have to spend his time answering questions when he desperately needed to talk to Dana.
Just as he feared, he saw a question form on her face moments before her mouth moved.
“Hey, I invited you to go into the house, but you didn’t go. Did I do it wrong?”
Rayne laughed at her question, not bothered in the least at having to answer that one.
“Vampires don’t need to be invited to go anywhere. That’s just something someone made up eons ago.”
The laugh she returned was loud, which surprised him since her voice was soft when she spoke. Thankfully, she opened the door and went inside, returning a few moments later followed by Dana.
“You look like you are all in one piece. I take it she didn’t try to attack you again? Did you get things straightened out?” Dana said as she stepped onto the deck.
“Well, in a way,” he replied, unable to hide the wariness in his voice. “We were talking, then she got upset about something and hightailed it from the trailer. Have you seen her? Did she come see you?”
Dana’s frown was deep, and he saw worry in her eyes. “No. I haven’t seen her. What happened to make her so upset she left?”
Rayne didn’t quite know where to begin. He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair as he plopped heavily on on
e of the chairs.
After running back through his mind everything which transpired in the trailer since their return from the park, he decided to start with the totem necklace, bypassing their passionate interlude, something neither Dana, nor her daughter, needed to know.
“She had a strange vision or something and found out I am also a Skinwalker.”
Dana looked taken aback, astounded by his declaration. “Wow! But, I don’t understand why it would upset her.”
Rayne shrugged his shoulders. The question was something he had been asking himself. The answer slowly dawned on him, and he cleared his throat.
“I’m sure I wasn’t too pleasant about the issue. She wanted more information, but I didn’t want to talk about it. It’s something which has been hard for me to accept.”
He looked up at Dana, unable to hide the pain in his eyes. “It’s the reason why I am the only one left of my tribe. I am the only living Karankawa.”
Dana’s confusion was plastered all over her face. “I don’t understand. How can your being a Skinwalker be the cause of the extinction of your people?”
Rayne sighed, remembering the past—the day which had changed the rest of his life. He knew deep inside he needed to open up to someone and tell his story. It had eaten away at him for over a hundred years.
“I was young and stupid when I was first given the identity of the Skinwalker by the Spirits. I spent more time reveling in my abilities than I did taking on the responsibilities which came with it.”
“What is your totem animal?” Dana asked.
“My totem spirit is a golden hawk, and I am sure you can imagine how I spent my time. Flying was a thrill and such a great experience. I thought I was invincible.”
Rayne shot to his feet and paced the deck as he gathered his thoughts to continue his story, feeling the layers of pain contract as if trying to suffocate him.
“The sun was sinking behind the trees, and I was out soaring above the hills, far away from my village. There weren’t many of us left, probably about thirty or so. Years of fighting with invaders upon our lands, as well as suffering various illness and disease they had brought with them, greatly decreased our number. We were already in danger of disappearing from this world forever. One evening accomplished what years of turmoil and uncertainty had tried to do. My village was attacked by Rogues. No one survived, but me.”