Kenny (Shifter Football League Book 2)

by Becca Fanning

  He looked over at her several times between watching the road. She met his eyes once or twice, then had to look away. Of course she missed him. She knew that her feelings for him were stronger than she liked. And the reason she didn’t like liking him so much was partly because of how he was. Would he just flip out and stop talking to her every time he got mad at her? She couldn’t live like that. Always worrying about making him mad.

  “Can we just focus on getting there and worry about the rest later?”

  He groaned again. “I blew it, didn’t I? I totally screwed up. I’m such an idiot!”

  “Kenny, it’s okay. I missed you, too. I’m just a little freaked out right now. These people want to kill me, and it’s kind of all that’s on my mind right now. I can’t think about us. I mean, you did really hurt me by ignoring me like that, but I do have feelings for you. I can’t process this all right now.”

  “Right. I’m sorry, you’re right. Well, I just want you to know that I’m sorry. Hearing you say on your message that you were in danger made me realize that I couldn’t lose you. The idea of something happening to you drove me mad. I’ll never do anything like this again, I swear, if you forgive me. I know now what you mean to me and what it feels like to lose you or almost lose you. I don’t ever want to feel it again.”

  “Okay,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Okay, let’s just get there and see what happens and then we’ll figure it out, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Thank you for coming and doing this. It might be too late, but thank you for at least showing up and trying.”

  He huffed. “It was only the least I could do after I put your life in danger. I’m so stupid!”

  She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. She had to have a plan, to think about what they would say to convince the pack. That he had only been mad? That it was a lover’s quarrel and he never thought she was in danger or he wouldn’t have said what he did? Would they buy any of that?

  Kenny pulled into Kara’s driveway and Audrey yanked her door open. She was at the front door, banging hard before Kenny reached her. He shoved his hands in his pockets and watched the door.

  Kara opened the door and her eyes widened. “Why are you here?” she hissed.

  “We had to come,” Kenny said. “I had to tell you that I didn’t mean it. I was just mad and I didn’t mean it when I didn’t have a reason not to tell. I didn’t know Audrey was in danger. But I’m not going to say anything.”

  Kara looked at him with her expression still pure shock. She looked back at Audrey. “Is he for real?”

  “Yes,” Audrey said. “Sometimes his temper gets the better of him, and he felt really betrayed by what I did, but when I told him I would be killed, he realized this was serious and that what he said could get me killed.”

  “I didn’t know,” he said. “I didn’t know you would kill her, and I would never do anything to hurt her or let her be hurt. I love her. Please, forget what I said earlier. I won’t tell anyone. I promise. I’ll make whatever blood oath you guys have or whatever you want. But I swear, I’ll keep the secret no matter what.”

  “Until you’re mad at her again,” Kara said. “Then what?”

  “I was mad,” Kenny said. “Really mad. I didn’t tell then, even if I made it sound like I would. And I won’t tell. I promise.”

  Kara looked back and forth between them. Then his words sunk in to Audrey’s mind. He said he loved her. He just said it, in front of Kara, just blurted it out. That he loved her. Did he mean it? Or was he trying that hard to convince them? Did he feel so bad that he would say anything to save her? Or did he really feel that way?

  Finally Kara said, “It’s too late, Audrey. We just voted.”

  “But he’s saying he won’t tell,” Audrey said. “He promised and he won’t.”

  “But that wasn’t the only reason we voted to put you to death. You shifted in front of someone. You didn’t have consent to tell him, and it turned into a really bad situation. Even if he claims now that he won’t tell, he claimed earlier that he would sell us for his own benefit. I don’t know him. How am I supposed to know which is the truth and which is the lie?”

  “I’m telling you the truth now,” Kenny said. “You have to believe me. Let me talk to the rest of them. I’ll tell them all that I won’t do anything to hurt any of you.”

  “I can’t allow that, I’m sorry,” Kara said. “Once the leaders vote, it’s final. That’s how it’s always been. There’s no reversing it.”

  “No.” Kenny slammed his fist against the door. It flung open and crashed hard into the wall.

  Kara stuck her hand out to catch at as it bounced back and to stop him from entering. “You need to go.”

  “Everything okay?” Matt’s voice came from around the corner, then his head appeared. “What the hell? What’s he doing here? What’s she doing here?”

  Matt stormed into the entryway and Scott was on his heels.

  “They’re here!” Scott called.

  Kenny pushed the door back again and knocked Kara’s arm out of the way to force himself inside the house. “You have to listen to me.”

  “We don’t have to do anything,” Scott said, stepping up to stand in Kenny’s way.

  “I’m not going to tell anyone,” Kenny said.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Matt said. “She did.” He pointed at Audrey. “I always thought you’d go so far. I can’t believe you did something so idiotic and threw your life away for this joker.”

  “Hey.” Kenny stepped up to Matt and shoved him. “Listen. I’m not going to tell anyone your secret, so leave her alone.”

  Matt shoved back and Scott stood tall beside him. “We can’t have you out there, either. After we take Audrey out, there’s really nothing stopping you from blabbing. We’ll have to take you out, too.”

  “I don’t think so,” Kenny said.

  Kara shouted, “Enough!” She burst into tiger form and within seconds, Matt and Scott followed.

  The others came running and as they saw the leaders shifting, they all shifted, too. For a moment, Audrey and Kenny stood in a cloud of falling clothing shreds and popping bones as they all shifted.

  “Kenny! Run!” Audrey said.

  She turned, leapt into the air, and shifted before she landed on all fours on the hard floors. She heard him tear his clothing and roar loudly as he shifted into bear form. They bolted out the door, a pack of murderous tigers on their heels.

  Their feet hit the paved driveway. They ran past the car and into the closest cover they could find. Anyone who saw a pack of tigers running through the street would be suspicious. But Kara lived near a patch of forest that would keep them mostly hidden.

  Audrey and Kenny reached the trees first, and the ground under them turned from soft grass to sharp twigs and crunchy leaves as they continued to sprint. Every time Audrey braved a look behind them, the tigers were there, chasing them.

  They ran hard, and soon she was panting and getting short on breath. She didn’t have a way to communicate with him like this. Neither of them could talk to the other. She could communicate with the other tigers through growls and roars and gestures, but she hadn’t established anything with Kenny, and this was no time to create a language.

  She tried to study him. Was he holding up okay? Bears had great stamina usually, but he was still injured. And he’d recently pushed himself too hard and been in great pain because of it. Was he in a lot of pain now? Was he close to his breaking point? He’d shifted, so that was a good sign. But how long could he last? They needed a way to lose them.

  Audrey nudged her nose into his side to get his attention. He looked at her and she gestured with her head to the left. Through the trees, there was a house with a long fence along its yard. They she turned sharp and ran down the length of the fence, putting the fence between them and the chasing tigers. Kenny followed close behind.

  He was a bit too tall, though, and wouldn’t be as hidden by the fence as she was. She ran faster,
crossed the street, hoping no one saw them, darted down another yard, and turned back. She ran the opposite direction they had been running before. Maybe this would throw the pack off. Pavement didn’t carry scent as well as grass and trees. If they ran on it enough, they might have a chance of losing them.

  But then, as she cut again to head left of the direction they had been running, she smelled something that might save them. A stream. It didn’t sound or smell like a huge body of water, but it might be enough. She ran to it and jumped in.

  The water was cold and shallow, but she rolled around in it and jumped out of it as far as she could on to the bank. She rubbed the dirt to hide her paw prints, though, that would leave more of her scent. Maybe this was a lost cause. Kenny did as she did and followed her as she resumed her running.

  She turned whenever she could, sending them in a sort of zig zagging pattern. The pack seemed to be falling back, but they were still there. So they kept running.

  For an almost an hour straight, they ran. She was so tired and so out of breath, she had to stop for a time. They hadn’t heard the pack nearby in a while, so maybe they had stopped, too. This would have to be brief, though.

  She shifted back and sat on the cold ground, naked, breathing hard. Kenny shifted too and collapsed down beside her, lying on the ground. He was sweating despite the cold, and he looked pale.

  “How’s your leg?” she asked.

  “Awful.” He grabbed the muscle and tried to massage it.

  “We can’t rest long.”

  “I know.” He pulled himself up to a seated position after a few minutes and sat beside her. “I’m in bad shape. I can’t even fully appreciate that you’re naked beside me, I’m in so much pain.”

  A small chuckle escaped from her lips. It felt good to have that tiny release. She’d been checking him out plenty as he lie there. His thick muscles and strong body. He was big in every area. And yes, she’d even checked out his dick. She’d never admit to it of course, but how could she not look when it was right there in front of her?

  Her cheeks grew warm at the thought. He leaned against her, his hot arm resting against hers. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  She turned to look at him. He was so close to her. Her heart raced now, not from the physical exertion, but from his proximity. He leaned closer and pressed his nose to hers. She swallowed hard and her throat felt thick. She didn’t like this. Not when she was naked like this and he was, too. This was far too vulnerable.

  She sat up straighter and scooted away. He stood and took her hand to help her up. They were both filthy. After rolling in the muddy water in the stream and spending so much time running, they were sweaty and covered in bits of dirt and leaves.

  “We better get moving,” he said.

  “Are you okay to run more?”

  “I’m going to have to be. I’m not going to get you killed because I’m too weak to run. I’ll do whatever I have to to keep you safe. Even if it means being in pain.”

  “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  “Nothing can hurt me more than having something happen to you.” He put his hand to her cheek for a moment, then dropped to the ground in bear form.

  Chapter 18

  After another hour or so of running, Kenny felt Audrey nudge him. He looked over and she had stopped. He stopped, too, and when she shifted back to human form, he did the same.

  “We can’t keep this up forever,” she said. “I think we should head back to our houses and get some things and drive somewhere.”

  “Okay. Your car is at your house, right?” His car was still at Kara’s, where they’d left it when they fled.

  “Yeah.”

  “Then let’s head there. We can get your stuff and drive to my house and get my stuff, then take off.”

  She nodded. “I don’t know where to go.”

  “I have an idea.” Not long ago, he’d been looking into buying some property out in the woods. A place he could be in bear form safely and just spend time out in nature. He’d hadn’t decided whether or not to buy the place, but he knew where there was a cabin sitting empty.

  It took them almost another hour to run back to her house. They’d gone in such a roundabout direction. But while they ran, only once did he think he heard her pack following them. Maybe they had lost them, once and for all. If the pack was smart, they would have split up and sent multiple parties out. If they were really smart, they’d have people at both houses, waiting for them, knowing they would come eventually for clothing and food and cars.

  When they got closer to her house, sure enough, he smelled them. They were there and would attack. He got Audrey’s attention and gestured with his head toward the house. She needed to go in and get her stuff. Meanwhile, he’d cause a distraction.

  Kenny took off running the opposite direction, making sure to run close enough to the house so that they would smell or hear him and follow him. He wasn’t naive enough to think all the tigers would follow and leave the house wide open for her, but hopefully, she could handle anyone who was still there.

  His plan worked, and when he got closer, the tigers were on alert and turned from the house to chase after him. He ran slow enough that they could stay in sight. Eventually, after zigzagging through the woods, he circled back around to make sure Audrey was okay.

  He saw her run out of the house, arms full of bags and loose clothing. She jumped into her car. Kenny ran toward her. As she backed out of her driveway and took off, he ran across the road. She abruptly slammed on her brakes and when he got closer, he heard the door unlock. He changed back to human form and jumped into her car, naked.

  “Hi,” she said and stomped on the brakes.

  “Everything go okay? Were there any on you?”

  “Yeah.” She held out her arm and showed him a long gash in her skin, running from her elbow to her wrist. Blood seeped at the edges of the wound.

  “Whoa, you’re bleeding!”

  “I know. Can you get a napkin out of the glove compartment?”

  He opened the hatch and pulled out a wad of napkins. She used one hand to hold the wheel and the other to dab at the blood.

  “You need some kind of bandage or something,” he said.

  She gave him a “duh” look. “I was hoping we could grab something at your house? Like a towel or something if you don’t have any bandages.”

  “I don’t think I do, but I have towels.”

  “Do you think they’ll be waiting for us there, too?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Probably.”

  “Then how do you want to do this?”

  “I’d say, you drop me off, I run in and grab whatever I can find, then you circle around the block and come back to get me. Kinda like what we did at your place.”

  “Inside my place were two more tigers that I had to fight off in order to be able to get to my stuff.”

  “You fought two in there?” He was surprised by that. She only had the one scratch on her arm.

  She nodded. “I had to chase them out so I could get my things.”