by Shae Mills
Chelan lost her concentration. “What?”
“Never mind,” came the strained reply. “Do I shoot it now or later?”
Chelan peered around Korba at the majestic creature and tried to tame her fear. Her heart wanted to spare it, but her mind screamed self-preservation. She was about to speak her decision when the bear took another few hesitant steps back. Then it rose up on its hind legs, its nose pointed to the sky.
Korba raised his arms, keeping the gun trained on the head of the now nine-foot creature. “Speak, woman.”
Chelan flinched. “How the hell should I know what to do?”
Korba was silent for a moment. “Well, then, what is he doing?”
“Trying to scent us.”
“Sizing up dinner, I suppose.”
Chelan swallowed. “If he charges again, shoot.”
“If I do not my men will anyway.” Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger the bear twisted, landing on its front paws, and galloped away and over the rocky ridge. Korba lowered his gun.
Chelan sat back on her rump and dared to relax. “Oh god. That I did not expect.”
Korba eyed the ridge a time longer and then looked down at her. “What happened? Why did he leave?”
Chelan shook her head. “I don’t know. He could not have scented us—the wind was the wrong direction. Either something spooked him or he decided his meal was too large.”
Korba smirked at her momentarily, and then he bristled once again. He dropped down beside her with his gun, and drew out his sensor.
“What is it now?” she cried.
“I caught a whiff of what he did.”
Chelan waited anxiously as he studied the scanner.
“People, four of them, coming up the ridge from the east,” he whispered.
Chelan looked along the crest. “Hunters, I would bet.”
Korba leapt to his feet. “You stay here,” he ordered. “Our men are near. You will be safe.”
Chelan’s jaw dropped. She watched helplessly as he ran from her, leaping a large windfall like a deer and disappearing into the forest. “Stay here?” she croaked incredulously. “To do what?” She looked back to the ridge and stood slowly. “What if the damn bear returns?” she snarled to herself. “Talk to it, I suppose? Pet it even?” Then she glanced in the direction Korba had disappeared, and shouted, “And why did our security not blast the bloody bear in the first place?!” But he was gone.
“We would have if necessary.”
Chelan jumped and whirled about, but she saw no one. She lowered her voice. “Where are you?”
“Three of us, ground level, twenty meters, straight ahead.”
Chelan squinted. “I cannot see you, but I guess that is the point.”
The voice chuckled. “There are hundreds of us here, most in the trees. His Lordship wanted us to remain back, giving the two of you privacy, but we tracked the animal and came forward. Now we have our guests in sight. One appears armed. But intentions are not hostile. All is well.”
Chelan went to ask just how he knew the intruders were not hostile, but suddenly there was a burst of motion in the trees up to her right. Chelan stifled a scream while at the same time detecting additional motion to her left. Her trained eye caught a glimpse of more warriors, lazguns drawn. Then she looked right again, and stood still as she stared into the wild eyes of a woman carrying a very large-caliber rifle.
“Oh God!” shouted the woman.
Chelan tried to catch her breath, her hands clasped at her chest. “Not quite god,” she uttered, carefully switching to English.
The woman relaxed her hold on her gun. She smiled. “And not the bear either, I see.”
Chelan shook her head with relief. Then she gave a signal in battle language, and most of her security melted farther into the shadows. Finding her voice, she spoke. “No, but I did have a chance to meet him.”
The woman turned around just in time to greet her three comrades. All three men skidded to a halt, breathless. “Jesus, Jackie,” said the first. “You shouldn’t get so far ahead of us like that. It’s dangerous.”
Jackie nodded toward the woman. “Shut up, Bob. Mind your manners. We have company.”
All three men looked along Jackie’s gaze and then stared at the lone woman.
“Hi,” Chelan greeted warmly.
Bob smiled and nodded to her. “Well, hello there. We didn’t exactly expect to find any two-legged creatures this high.”
Chelan shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t exactly anticipate running into your four-legged creature either.” All of them laughed.
The second man spoke. “We’re sorry, miss. Never intended to flush him your way. But then we don’t have much control over the direction he chooses.”
The third man nodded. “That’s right. We’ve been hunting that rogue for a couple of years now. He’s still outsmarting us.”
Chelan’s eyes widened. “Surely this time... I mean...” She looked at the rifle Jackie carefully had aimed at the ground. “Surely you were close enough this time.”
Jackie smiled. “Oh yes, several times for the rifle, but my companions here are bow hunters.”
Chelan noticed for the first time that none of the men carried rifles, only Jackie. “Oh my,” she whispered.
Bob smiled and began toward her. “I see you’ve met my sister, Jackie.” He extended a hand to her. “I’m Bob.”
“Hi, Bob, I’m Chelan.”
The other two men stepped up to her, each shaking her still trembling and very white hand. “I’m Mike,” one of them announced. “And this is Les.”
Chelan smiled. “Pleased to meet you all.”
“So,” began Bob. “How’d you get way up here?”
Chelan hesitated. “Well actually, I hike a lot...,” she began. Then she suppressed a wince, realizing she was not exactly dressed like a hiker. “I just—” Her words broke off as she watched the hunters’ gaze lift in unison to a point beyond her.
Chelan turned and glanced behind herself. Her jaw dropped once again.
“Good day,” came Korba’s deep voice.
“Hello there,” responded Bob.
Chelan’s mouth was still agape as she watched her Warlord step out of the shadows of the trees and into the clearing. He was wearing light tan jeans, their narrow, form-fitting legs melding into his uniform boots. Chelan stared at the ever-present knives, and then her gaze shifted up. He wore a cream-colored shirt, a voluminous shirt she had seen in movies of the past, its full sleeves ending in tight cuffs about the wrists. The top two buttons were undone, revealing only fleeting portions of his powerful chest. His very long hair was obviously tucked beneath his shirt, only the feathered sides brushing over his open collar. Except for the knives, he appeared unarmed, but Chelan knew better.
Korba’s warm eyes met hers as he moved to her side. He signed in battle language meant for her only. “Had to do a quick change. And by the way, you are catching flies.”
Chelan’s eyes bulged in a questioning glance, but then her jaw snapped shut.
He took her by the hand and nodded to the foursome. “Hi, my name is Alex Mason. I see you’ve already met my wife.”
Bob extended his hand. “Hello there, I’m Bob Reynolds, this is my sister Jackie, and our friends Mike Harding and Les Anderson.”
Korba shook hands with them all before Bob spoke again. “Heard you met our pet?”
Korba nodded. “Seems like it.”
Bob shrugged. “Should’ve given you and the lady here a bow. Seems you’ve gotten closer to him on your first encounter than we’ve been able to in years.”
Korba stared with intrigue at the strange weapons the men carried on their backs. Chelan glanced up at him. “They’re bow hunters... Alex.”
“I see,” he answered properly.
Chelan rolled her eyes and then looked back at the people. “Why bows?”
Les unslung his bow off his back along with his quiver and laid them gently upon the grass. Then,
not so gracefully, he slumped to the ground in a weary heap. “The challenge,” he stated somewhat proudly.
Korba pulled Chelan down with him as the rest of the hunters took advantage of the unexpected yet welcome reprieve from their quest.
Mike smiled at them. “It’s not fair to stand at four hundred yards and unceremoniously blast the poor creature without giving him a chance. That’s hardly sporting.”
Chelan’s eyes travelled to the .357 Magnum Jackie laid down beside her.
Then the young woman looked into Chelan’s questioning eyes. “Safety,” she informed her. “When you’re close enough to a bear to get an arrow off, you’re close enough to get chewed on.”
Les huffed as he picked his teeth with a stalk of grass. “Amen, especially an old bugger like Sawtooth.”
“Sawtooth?” asked Chelan.
Bob chuckled. “Yeah, we christened him that two summers ago. We’d been tracking him for nearly two weeks when one night we were all asleep in our tent and he arrived to check us out.”
Jackie flinched. She was not smiling. “We were careful and all—no food or garbage. It was just like he was checking out the competition.”
“No kidding,” continued Bob. “Chewed up everything in sight. Packs, quivers, bows, you name it.”
“How’d you know it was him?” asked Chelan.
“Oh,” said Mike. “When you’re as well acquainted with him as we are, you know. Besides, not much around here has paws that big.”
Korba smiled. “You’ve been after him so long, think you could still take him when the time comes?”
The men all looked at one another. Mike shrugged. “Good point. He is kind of like an old war buddy.”
Bob smirked. “I could take him. He ate up so much of my damn equipment last time, he owes me.” All laughed.
Then Mike straightened and looked at Korba. “Ever shot a compound bow?”
Korba shook his head. “Can’t say that I have.”
“Want to try?”
Chelan beamed at him. “You should try. They’re actually marvelous weapons.”
Korba’s eyes widened. “And you have?”
Chelan slapped his arm. “Yes, when I was younger. Crossbows too.”
Les flinched. “Don’t like those. Too slow to reload.”
Chelan smiled. “It was just for target. I wasn’t reloading to take out a charging wounded bear. I’d love to shoot either again.”
Les pushed to his feet. “You can try mine,” he offered. “The pull is pretty light.”
Chelan rose gracefully and took the bow as Les handed her an arrow. “Where should I shoot?”
Mike stood and pointed. “How about that large fir. Give it a try about head height.”
Chelan smiled at Korba as he rose to his feet. Then she took careful aim through the sights. She drew back, held her breath, and let go. The barbed arrow cut through the air and struck the tree with a resounding chunk. It was dead center but a little low.
“Tallyho,” expressed Les appreciatively.
Chelan grinned and then turned to Korba. “Your turn.”
Mike stepped forward. “Here, use mine. You’re a big boy. This one’s heavier, more your size.”
Korba nodded and took the unfamiliar weapon in his hands. He knew Chelan had saved him from looking completely ignorant by taking the first shot. Now he understood how the weapon worked. He accepted his arrow from Mike and placed it expertly on the bow. “Where?” he asked.
Chelan rocked forward on her feet with heated anticipation. She was well aware of her Warlord’s capabilities, even with a new weapon. “My arrow,” she challenged.
The four hunters murmured. Korba grinned mischievously at her. “As you wish—as long as Les doesn’t mind losing an arrow.”
Les rubbed his hands together. “Well worth the challenge, my good man. Go for it.”
Chelan’s eyes glinted at her mate. “Yes, go for it. I dare you.”
Korba grinned. “Care to wager?”
Chelan stopped her smug rocking. “No,” she said curtly. “The stakes would be too high, I know.”
Korba winked at her.
He raised the bow and pulled the string back as easily as he could slice tallow. He did not use the sights. Decades of target training had honed his ability beyond belief. In one smooth motion, he released the arrow, his target realized.
“Jesus,” mumbled Bob.
Jackie chewed at her lip. She had watched from behind the man. The muscles in his back and arms had rippled imperceptibly, the large bow nothing to the massive man. She could see he had not used the sights. There was more to him, she knew—more to him than the strange eyes and oddly highlighted hair. It was almost as if...
Her thoughts were interrupted by Mike’s voice. “And you’ve never used one of these before?”
Korba shook his head. “No, sir. Though I am impressed.”
“You are?” cut in Les. “How ’bout coming after old Sawtooth with us tomorrow?”
Korba smiled. “Thanks, but Chelan and I head home tomorrow.”
Jackie continued to stare at the man before her. Her eyes travelled over every inch of him, finally resting on the blades in his boots. She looked up just as his eyes met hers. “Where’s home?” she asked.
“New York,” he answered without hesitation.
Jackie smiled. “A lot of knives for a city bloke.”
Korba returned her smile. “A lot of thugs in that city.”
“So I’ve heard.” She stared at his eyes. “What do you do there?”
Chelan peered up at him expectantly as Korba’s hesitation was obvious to them all.
Korba looked at Chelan. “Should I tell them the truth?”
Chelan blanched. This time she clamped her jaw tight before it fell. Then she answered. “Well, I guess, if you want.”
Korba’s warm eyes returned to Jackie’s. “I’m a male model. I pose for the covers of romance novels.”
Chelan had to call on every ounce of Imperial training to keep from breaking up. But it was obvious Jackie had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.
“My word,” the woman whispered amorously.
“Oh, damn,” mumbled Bob. “There goes the hunt.”
Chelan grinned at Bob. “How so?”
“Oh Christ, every waking minute she reads those damn things. It’s no wonder she’s not married yet. No one measures up to the hunks on the front covers.” He peered up at Korba, humor tinting his words. “It’s all your fault.”
Jackie was still staring at him like a love-struck adolescent. “Which books?”
Korba looked down at her. “Pardon me?”
“Which books have you been on?”
Chelan came to his aid yet again. “Oh, too many to mention. You know, publishers contact his agent for the rights to the pictures they want. Then they color his hair.” She flicked at a lock of his metallic blue-black mane. “Switch his contacts, and poof, he’s a whole new man.”
Korba nodded in appreciation of her story, not to mention her help. “Yes,” he finished a little lamely. “It’s pretty much like that.”
Jackie continued to stare. “Been to a lot of exotic locations for shoots, I would imagine.”
Korba grinned at her. “You have no idea.”
Chelan lost it. She slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter, her eyes watering. Everyone stared at her.
She waved at her face as she collected herself. “Sorry. Was just thinking of some of some of the incidents we’ve encountered on some of his shoots.” And she cleared her throat and took a deep breath, Korba staring at her with amusement.
Jackie smiled. “I can imagine. Well, I’ll have to keep my eye out for you!”
Chelan glanced up at the sky and rolled her eyes. Jackie had no idea how far she would have to look.
Just then, Bob grabbed Jackie by the arm. “Come now, it’s getting late and camp’s a long way away. We have to get going if we’re going to get an early start tomorrow.”
Korba straightened when she reached a hand to his. He smiled and took it gently, planting a soft kiss on the back. “Pleasure’s all mine, Jackie.”
Chelan groaned inwardly. Maybe she should dump him in New York at a modeling agency. God knew he could play the part.
Jackie finally retrieved her forgotten hand and took a step back. “Well, Bob’s right. We have to get going.” She smiled at Chelan. “It was nice to meet you too. Sorry about the gun I almost pointed in your direction.”
“No offense taken. I’m still here.”
When all the good-byes were said, Korba and Chelan watched as the group quickly disappeared down the ridge.
Then Chelan turned to Korba. “A male model? Really?”
“Well it worked, didn’t it? What was I supposed to say? How many Earthly positions do I fit?”
Chelan wrinkled her nose. “You could have said you were with Chippendales.”
“With whom?”
Chelan licked her lips. “They are absolutely delicious men that dance and strip naked for women.”
Korba’s brows rose. “Oh, do they? For strange women?”
Chelan nodded. “Uh-huh, and they are wonderfully sexy.”
Korba’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps we could take a quick flight back to New York. I could audition.”
Chelan bit her lip. “I have a better idea.”
“What is that?” Korba said, his voice becoming a low rumble.
“Why don’t you check the scanner first?”
Korba drew it out of his back pocket. “Ah, all clear, hunters still moving away and... no bears. Not big ones, anyway.”
Chelan grinned shyly. She reached for his zipper. “And our men?”
“Nearby, and no matter what, I am not sending them out of range.”
Chelan nodded. “What is next on our agenda? And when do we get to visit my brother?”
“Soon, but first we return to the ship for a bit. I have some tasks to attend to.”
“How long till we leave?”
“Near dusk, about two hours, just time for a leisurely dinner.”
Chelan unzipped him and then began at his buttons. “Dinner, hey?” She moistened her lips as his bronze body began to emerge. “I rather like these Earth clothes, or rather, I like removing them. I think we should skip dinner.”