“And I am?” His brows shot up.
“As far as I’m concerned you are. Now will you move your arms and let me go?” Mya feared his closeness, but perhaps not for the reasons she should have. If she didn’t put some distance between them soon, she would melt right where she stood.
“What reason do you have to suspect me?” he asked in a low voice, his icy gray eyes cutting right through her.
“You had a motive,” Mya told him, refusing to look away. She was shaking inside, but not from fear. Being so close to him made her feel as if she were losing control.
“Maybe so … but a hundred other people around here also had a motive … including you,” he whispered. His lips were so close to her ear that she could feel his hot breath against her neck. “It didn’t start until you got here … did it?”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“Is it?” he smiled. “No more ridiculous that making me a suspect just because I had a motive.”
“I had no reason to kill them. I didn’t even know either of those men,” she argued.
“You do have a motive … but maybe you don’t know that yet.”
Now her thoughts were buzzing all over the place. What was he trying to tell her?
“I don’t understand,” she said, fighting to catch her breath.
Now his lips were right against her cheek, and she felt fire erupt at the very core of her being.
“The witch should be chasing the witches,” he breathed.
Mya’s body began to tremble and at that moment she couldn’t even remember what it was they were talking about, nor did she care. When he covered her mouth with his and she felt his tongue dance with hers, it was as if time stood still. All that existed was his nearness - his touch, and the way he was making her feel. Somewhere deep within her subconscious, she knew there was no turning back now. It was in that moment that he laid claim to her soul.
Mya’s arms went around his neck and she drew him closer until her body was melded into his. She was so lost in her passion for him that he could have done anything to her, and she wouldn’t have questioned it. Being with him was like a drug that was instantly addicting - a little just wasn’t enough. She wanted to be closer to him - so close that they would become like one.
He pulled back suddenly and looked down at her, his eyes still smoldering. “This shouldn’t have happened.” His voice was raw and filled with pent up desire.
Mya opened her mouth to ask why, but he put a finger to her lips. “I’m sorry … this was my fault. I should have recognized what was happening,” he apologized before leaning down to kiss her forehead.
As soon as he released her and stepped back, Mya felt like she were surrounded by an empty - cold void. “What are you talking about?” she asked, though what she really wanted to do was fall into his arms again.
“Tell Donny I was looking for him,” he said and then turned to the door.
“Wait a minute!” she cried. “You can’t just do that and leave without telling me something.” Mya followed him out the door.
“A few minutes ago you didn’t even want me here,” he said without turning around to look at her.
“David!” Calling him by his first name seemed natural to her.
He stopped a few feet from his bike, but still didn’t turn to face her. “Mya … I know you don’t understand now, but you will soon. Then you will be glad that I walked away.”
Mya bit at her bottom lip, not sure if she wanted to cry or scream at him. How dare he stir such feelings within her, and then leave her high and dry?
Mya stepped off the trailer’s stairs, but went no further. “You at least owe me an explanation.”
Finally he turned to look at her. “Mya … if you really knew me … you’d be terrified right now,” he said with a sad smile. “Take my word for it … I’m not really someone that you want to get close to.”
Without another word he got on his bike and drove away. Mya watched him until he disappeared behind some tall juniper bushes. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get a hold of her emotions.
When he’d kissed her, she’d turned to putty in his hands. Never in her life had a kiss made her feel like that, but then again, no other guy had ever intrigued her like David Bray.
He spoke in riddles. There was no mistaking that he’d wanted her in those moments that he held her in his arms, but he was afraid of something. He’d said she was a witch that should be chasing witches.
David Bray was at the heart of the mysterious happenings on the reservation, and whatever was happening to her, but she was no longer sure she wanted to find out how he was involved. Mya desperately wanted the killer to be anyone but him. She suddenly realized that from the moment she began to suspect he was involved, she hadn’t wanted it to be him. That’s why she’d been so intent on confronting him. She’d wanted him to deny any involvement.
* * *
A loud hissing sound erupted as the spray of water hit the hot rocks. Steam rose up from the rocks to fill the lodge with a suffocating vapor. David sat alone in the sweat lodge, oblivious of the heat. Strands of long - wet hair framed his handsome - sensual face. His bare chest heaved as he tried to pull oxygen out of the hot - moist air.
He prayed to the Creator for the strength to overcome his weaknesses. He needed to rid his body of its need for her. Somehow he had to purify his mind so that she was not constantly in his thoughts.
When he’d kissed her, he’d crossed the line and stepped into forbidden territory. He feared there would be no turning back. Now that he’d tasted those lips - she would become an obsession - a deadly obsession.
For months now she’d haunted his dreams – bewitching him until he’d been nearly mad with need. At first he hadn’t known who this dream woman was - not until he’d seen her standing on the corner that day. That was when it dawned on him that he’d seen her before - that she was the one sent to destroy the Sinapu and the Dineh. She was bait to lure him away from the heart.
He had to keep reminding himself that the attraction between them wasn’t real; they were both witched. Knowing this should have helped, but it didn’t. Every time he saw her, it grew more difficult to control his longing for her.
It would take all his strength to fight the urge to take her over the edge with him. Even now his body shook with the need that Mya had ignited within him. If he were ever forced to choose between her and the fate of the people, how could he be sure he would do the right thing? How could he force himself to kill her, even if it meant saving thousands of lives.
Mya hadn’t a clue of the evil that ran through her veins. She was innocent - a victim as sure as those that were dying. She was the bait they were using to draw him in and convince him to forsake the people.
That was what he had to remember - he had to remember his vow to protect the heart of the people.
She had to leave. It was the only way she would be saved. As long as she left this place and never returned, he would never have to choose.
* * *
Mya spent the rest of the day trying to forget David’s kiss, but she wasn’t very successful. She couldn’t concentrate on anything without seeing his face and hearing his voice. It was almost like being haunted, but this phantom was no ghost. No, he was very physical and very real, and just the memory of his touch sent a tingling sensation through her body.
After spending hours researching skinwalkers on the Internet, she hadn’t really found out anything that she didn’t already know. They were witches that could shape-shift. These witches would take the form of animal and human, and when done with that form, they would shed the skin. Skinwalkers would spread misfortune, and witch people with spells of enchantment. Nowhere had she found any mention of the Sinapu. Mya concluded that talking about them must be even more taboo than mentioning the skinwalkers.
The hunger pains gnawing at Mya’s stomach finally got her attention and she realized that she hadn’t eaten a thing all day. Sliding her chair back from the kitchen table tha
t doubled as a makeshift desk, she stood up and stretched to get the kinks out of her muscles. She’d been on the computer far too long; it was time to quit for the night.
Mya thought about her bare fridge and wished she’d taken the time to go shopping over the weekend. She also wished that she were closer to town and could just make a quick run for some fast food.
Donny still wasn’t home yet, which was unusual. Mya’s eyes rested on her phone as she thought about calling him, but at that instant there was a loud thud against the door. Startled, she jumped so high she thought she would come right out of her skin.
Mya eyed the door, unsure if she should answer it. She lived miles from town. The chances that someone had just dropped by for a casual visit were almost nonexistent. But it hadn’t really been a knock - it had been more like a thud.
Before she could decide what to do, she heard it again - this time louder. It sounded like someone had kicked the door.
She remembered Donny’s advice about checking noises outside at night. If you wanted to stay alive - you didn’t.
Mya opened a kitchen drawer and pulled out the largest knife she had. Gripping it tightly in her hand, she stepped over to the door.
“Who’s there?” she called out in a shaky voice.
Mya put her ear to the door and waited, but there was no answer. She’d just turned away when there was another bang against the metal door.
“Who’s there?” she asked again.
Still there was no answer.
Though it went against her better judgment, she opened the door just a crack - ready to slam it shut again at the first sign of trouble. There was nothing. It was too dark to see past the steps so she turned on the porch light. Opening the door a little wider, she stuck her head out, but still she saw nothing.
Everything happened so fast that she didn’t have time to think, only react. There was a loud flutter close by her head. All she saw were the flapping of large wings as it swooped down at her. Screaming, she pulled her head in and slammed the door.
Forcing herself to be calm, Mya went to the small window that looked out onto the porch. Lifting the blinds, she wondered why she hadn’t done this in the first place.
It was still on her porch. At first she couldn’t tell what it was, only that it was a large bird, but then it turned in her direction and she saw its large - luminous eyes. For just a few seconds, she was in too much of a daze to do anything but gape at the animal. The owl stared back at her, and Mya thought she detected something in the bird’s eyes that shouldn’t be there - intelligence - awareness.
Mya began to shake uncontrollably. What she was seeing was finally sinking in. Her stepfather had taught her about the owl a long time ago. When the owl visited you, it was bringing you a message from the spirit world - a message of death. To the Navajo, the owl was an omen that you or someone close to you would soon die.
She slammed the blinds down so fast that there was a loud crash when they slammed against the bottom of the window.
It was just a coincidence!
But what had Steve told her about coincidences?
There is no such thing as a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason.
Chapter Nine
The next several days passed without incident. Mya began to relax, brushing off her encounter with the owl. There were no more murders, and everyone she knew was still alive. She’d slipped into a comfortable routine, and although settling domestic disputes and filing papers wasn’t exactly exciting, at least she was sleeping better at night.
She hadn’t seen David since the day he’d kissed her. It was like he’d disappeared from the face of the earth. When she’d casually brought up the subject to Donny, he told her that David and his friends didn’t visit Window Rock frequently.
Mya confronted Donny about his relationship with David, but he’d shrugged it off.
“I know lots of people here … I was born in Navajo country,” he’d told her.
“But he seemed to know you fairly well,” Mya insisted.
Again Donny just shrugged. “Like I said … I know lots of people.”
It was already the weekend again, but Mya was determined that this Saturday night wouldn’t be nearly as dreary as the last one had been. This weekend there was a powwow in Window Rock. She’d never gone to one of these events and was excited to check it out.
Because she’d never been to a powwow, she hadn’t the slightest idea how to dress. Of course she didn’t have anything traditional to wear, and even if she did, she’d feel out of place wearing it. She finally decided on casual and pulled a white - lacey shirt and a pair of blue jeans from her closet.
Mya stood in front of the mirror trying to decide if she should even bother to style her hair. Sighing, she grabbed the curling iron and plugged it in. Though she knew it would probably be limp by the end of the night, she went ahead and spent the next half hour trying to put a little curl into her hair. When she was done she ran her fingers through the curls to fluff it out.
Mya wasn’t exactly excited about going alone, but it was better than spending another night at home. She had hoped Donny would go with her, but he had to fill in for a patrol officer tonight.
Her drive into town passed faster than usual. Before she knew it, she was only a block away from the powwow and could already hear the singing and drums. The dance arena was set up in the large parking lot of a grocery store. Several vendors had erected booths outside the dance area and were selling everything from Indian Tacos to beaded jewelry.
There was nowhere to park except for on the street, but she was lucky enough to find a spot close to the arena. After locking her car, Mya made her way to the area surrounding the arena where she could view the dancers.
From where she stood, the drums were so loud they seemed to vibrate the earth she stood on. Fascinated by the colorful costumes and fluid - graceful movement of the dancers, Mya had a hard time pulling her eyes away. Hypnotized by their strange - sometimes erratic dance, she lost track of time.
Mya had no idea how long she stood there, but she suddenly felt like she couldn’t swallow. Her throat was so dry it was as if it were on fire. She needed something to drink.
Glancing around, she saw a nearby vending booth. On the front of the booth was a crude cardboard sign advertising soda for a dollar. It was tricky to get out of the way of the crowd, but finally Mya managed to break free.
A short - round Indian woman smiled when she walked up to the booth. “Ya'at eeh,”
Mya tried to return the woman’s greeting in Dineh, but failed miserably. Giving up, she said hello in English and asked for a soda.
While paying the woman, Mya felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned abruptly, surprised to see Trent Metzger standing behind her. He was wearing a wide grin on his face.
“It’s all in the way you move your tongue,” he told her, referring to her clumsy attempt at the Navajo language.
Mya was on guard instantly. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but there was something about Trent Metzger that made her uncomfortable. He wasn’t outwardly menacing, but there seemed to be something dark just beneath the surface. To be fair about it, Mya wasn’t so sure if it was actually him that put her on edge, or the fact that he was believed to be a skinwalker.
Mya gave him a vague smile. “I doubt I’ll ever learn the language.”
“It just takes time,” he told her.
“I was watching the dancers,” she said, pointing to the arena. Mya hoped that she could get away, but it didn’t work.
“Any word on my brother’s case?” he asked.
Mya shook her head, pretending to be absorbed with the task of opening her soda. She took a big drink and gave Trent a sideward glance. He was looking good tonight. She liked the way the breeze played with his wavy brown hair.
Mya blinked as if she were just waking up.
What was she thinking? She didn’t even really like Trent that much.
“Maybe we’d have better luck if you t
old the police what you knew,” she said.
Trent chuckled, apparently amused by her suggestion. “There is something I’d like to talk to you about though.”
Mya didn’t respond, but waited for him to continue. She was hoping that he would finally divulge whatever information he’d been keeping to himself.
“It’s kind of hard to have a conversation here,” he told her. “Why don’t we go somewhere that’s a little quieter?”
“My car’s parked on the street. It won’t be so noisy there.” She could tell by the disappointment in his eyes that he had been hoping to go somewhere more secluded, but Mya wasn’t going for it.
He shrugged indifferently. “I’ll follow you.” Trent motioned with his hand for her to take the lead.
When they reached her car, Mya sat on the hood and waited for him to tell her what it was that he wanted to talk about.
“You know … sitting on your hood can put dents in it.”
Mya looked down at the banged up Nova and tossed him a sour look. “I don’t think it’s going to make a lot of difference.”
Just then she heard the rumbling of motorcycles approaching and her heart leaped into her throat. Mya turned in the direction the sound was coming from, but couldn’t see anything except headlights. It was David; she was sure of it.
As the four bikes passed by, David turned his head sharply in their direction. Mya was shocked to see rage in his eyes.
Trent was watching the bikers closely, especially David. They reminded her of two opposing predators - sizing each other up. David’s three companions continued down the road, but he turned around.
Bad Moon Rising - Paranormal Romance Page 8