Harlequin Nocturne March 2014 Bundle: ShadowmasterRunning with Wolves

by Susan Krinard

  * * *

  The mountain was easier to climb than she’d expected it would be. She walked a lot, so she wasn’t totally out of shape, but she certainly didn’t walk up steep inclines, and yet she seemed to have more power in her legs than usual, more stamina. They stopped for a water break and she devoured another piece of jerky.

  “Do you think they’ve given up?” she asked, knowing it was too much to hope for, but needing to voice it anyway.

  Jason stared at her as if she’d just said she could fly. “Not a chance.”

  “How much farther do we have to go?”

  “A good twenty miles.”

  Shay swallowed. “Twenty miles of this?” She pointed to the small deer path they’d been following. “That will take all day.”

  “Even more at our pace.”

  “You mean we could still be out here tonight?”

  “Most likely.”

  Panic expanded in her chest. “This is never going to work. We’re not going to make it.” A snap sounded behind her. She spun around, looking between the trees, her nerves bunching and stretching as she expected to see the men coming toward them.

  No one was there.

  “It was just a falling pinecone. But we should keep moving,” he said.

  She looked at the briars and branches, at the multitude of scratches on her arms. “I can’t do this. There must be a different way.”

  Jason grabbed her hand. “You are doing great. And yes, you can do this. You are stronger than you think. Here.” He handed her the water bottle.

  She took it and drank one last swig of water before falling back into step behind him once more. She watched the sweat glistening on the bare skin of his back and tried to think of anything other than who or what could be coming up behind them at any moment.

  After a while of watching him move, thinking of nothing but his long legs and how effortlessly they seemed to carry him up the mountain, she wondered if they would have a chance to be together, to continue what they had started with their kiss earlier that morning. Or if he’d continue to pull away from her. His words echoed in her mind. We can’t. It’s complicated.

  “Jason?” She ran ahead to catch up with him, but once she did, she had to take a minute to catch her breath. The air was getting thinner as they rose in elevation. Breathing, moving, was getting more difficult.

  Impatience flashed across his face. Clearly, he wanted to keep moving. He started to walk.

  The words she’d been about to ask froze in her throat as she struggled to keep up with him. “How much farther? What’s the plan?” she asked instead.

  “To keep moving. We don’t have time to stop and talk.”

  “Why not? We’re obviously alone here.”

  “No, we’re not.”

  Fear scuttled across her back. “What do you mean?” She glanced behind her, peering into the gaps between the trees, but didn’t see a thing. And she couldn’t hear anything beyond her labored breathing and the blood rushing through her ears.

  “We’re being tracked right now. He’s about five hundred yards behind us.”

  “Just one?” Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper.

  “Yes. They must have split up, each one taking a different route.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that.”

  “And?”

  A stitch of pain arced through her middle. They’d been keeping the same quick pace for too long. She needed to rest. But she knew she couldn’t take a break. Not yet. Maybe not at all. She was slowing them down, and by the time the demon man caught up with them, she’d be so exhausted she’d be useless.

  “Do you see those large rocks up there at the top of the hill?” He pointed straight ahead.

  “You mean way up there almost near the top? Barely,” she muttered.

  “If you and Buddy continue straight up this hill heading for those rocks, I can double back around and ambush him.”

  “But won’t he know you’re coming? Can’t he smell you, or something?”

  “Only if I’m in human form.”

  She stared at him, at the sheen on his beautiful chest, at the startling pale blue eyes, and knew what he meant.

  “You’re going to change back into a wolf?”

  “I’ll be faster and quieter. He’ll continue to track you and I’ll be able to sneak up on him.”

  She shivered at the thought but knew it was the only chance they had. “Then do it,” she said. “Because honestly, I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to keep up this manic pace.”

  Steely determination entered his eyes and suddenly she saw him differently. She saw him as what he could be, a deadly protector.

  “Just head for those rocks, steadily and as quickly as possible.”

  “And if I run into another one of those things?”

  “Then scream and fight, using every technique your father taught you, and try to hold him off until I can reach you.”

  “All right.” She nodded, trying to look brave and confident, but she didn’t think she was fooling him.

  “Here.” He pulled a knife out of a side pocket on his pack and handed it to her. “Use it if you have to. Don’t be squeamish.”

  She took the wicked-looking blade from him, turning it over in her hand, hoping if she had to she would have the courage to do what needed to be done. But would she actually be able to push the sharp steel into someone? Honestly, she wasn’t sure. She grimaced at the thought then straightened her shoulders and nodded. “Absolutely. Don’t worry about me.”

  Jason took off his pack, placed it on her back. She grabbed his arm as the weight of the pack knocked her off balance.

  “Jesus, what do you have in this thing?”

  “Just some supplies we might need. It’s mostly the water weighing it down.”

  “Then maybe I should drink some.”

  He smiled and touched her cheek. She stared up at him, suddenly not wanting him to leave her.

  “What if something happens to you? What if you don’t come back?” A tremor shook her voice as she spoke.

  “There is a satellite phone in the pack. Make it up to the rocks. Continue behind them and to the left. There is a cave hidden behind two tall redwoods joined together as one. Call the number for Malcolm, tell him what happened, tell him you’re in the cave and wait for him.”

  “What’s so special about this cave?”

  “The Abatu won’t be able to smell you inside. But you must go in as deep as you can. There’s a flashlight in the pack.”

  “All right. I can do that. But Jason—” she placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heat and the strong beat of his heart beneath her palm “—promise me you’ll come back. We still have a lot to talk about.”

  His eyes held hers for a long moment and then he leaned down and touched his lips to hers—warm, gentle and holding the promise of everything she’d ever wanted. “I will,” he said softly. “Now go on, and don’t look back.”

  * * *

  Shay didn’t want to leave him. And she certainly didn’t want him to leave her, but what else could they do? “Come on, Buddy,” she said, when she thought the dog might follow him instead of her, and then she did as he asked and continued straight up the hill without looking back.

  She didn’t make it very far, though, certainly not far enough, when she heard a loud howl breaking through the woods. A chill cut down her spine followed by a surge of adrenaline pulsing through her blood. Her heartbeat sped up and a strange prickling peppered her palms.

  She hurried even faster, reaching out to touch the nearest tree for balance as the pack weighed her down, making the climb even harder, if not impossible. She considered dropping the pack and leaving it for Jason to get on his w
ay up, and after another five minutes of struggling, that’s exactly what she did. She dropped it to the ground next to a large tree, resting for a moment as she unzipped it.

  She dug inside and pulled out a bottle of water and a packet of jerky. Before she could dig further to see what else was in there, the snap of a twig sounded from behind the tree she was squatting next to.

  She froze. Buddy whimpered softly and she placed her hand on his neck, pulling him to her. “Shh,” she whispered against his head, and then set the jerky and the water bottle on top of the pack and pulled out the knife Jason had given her. She peered around the large tree.

  No one was there.

  She stilled, listening intently. All around her the woods were alive with the sounds of animals rustling through bushes, birds with their constant chatter and the occasional cry when a hawk got too close to their nest. Every animal in the forest was either looking for food or trying not to get eaten by something stronger and bigger. She was beginning to understand how that felt and knew that even with her father’s training she wouldn’t be able to protect herself. She had been too young when he’d taught her to fight. But even if she had been old enough to remember the moves, she wasn’t strong enough to fight a demon.

  Buddy whined, his ears twitching, his eyes alert and scanning. Was it Jason? No. She could still hear him in the distance, sounds of growls, barking and the occasional yelp. But the truly frightening part was that he didn’t sound that far. In fact, he sounded a lot closer than he should. Had she really not made that much progress?

  Taking a deep breath, she shoved the knife back in its sheath and clipped it on her jeans’ belt loop, snatched up the water bottle and jerky and ran.

  Behind her, a howl ripped through the air, turning into vicious growls. She looked up the hill at the outcropping of rocks in the distance. They were still too far. She had to put some distance between them, because if Jason didn’t win, if he couldn’t stop the demon, then she’d never make it to the top before the demon found her.

  She put her head down, barreling forward, watching her feet, following the narrow path through the thick trees. Despair bordering on hopelessness filled her as another painful stitch cut through her side, and her lungs burned with each breath. She had to stop thinking bad thoughts. Jason would make it. He would come back to her. He would help her navigate this new life. He had to, because she couldn’t imagine doing it without him.

  The growls and barks behind her intensified. Fear clenched her insides tighter. Buddy stopped and barked, looking behind him, obviously anxious to go back and help Jason. “Shh,” she said, patting her side for him to follow, and tried to break into a jog, anything to put some distance between them, afraid of the demon and terrified Buddy would leave her and go back for Jason. And if he did, and something bad happened to them both, then she really would be alone.

  And that was something she just couldn’t handle.

  “Come on, Buddy,” she called when he lagged behind her. He sprinted up ahead of her, easily maneuvering through the terrain. She watched him with his sure footing and boundless energy. He wasn’t tired at all. She needed to be like Buddy. She needed to be like Jason. She needed to be a wolf.

  Now.

  If she were able to transform, she could easily make it the next twenty miles, and the best part would be that the demons wouldn’t be able to follow her scent.

  Then they’d all be safe.

  But in order to make that final transformation, she’d have to make love. And she wanted to make love. To Jason. Buddy ran in circles around her, his growing agitation obvious. “You stay with me, Buddy,” she demanded and forged ahead, her hand clutching the handle of the knife as she hoped and prayed she wouldn’t run into another one of the demons. But she knew if she could hear the loud battle going on behind her, then the others could certainly hear it, too.

  And come running.

  Her gaze flitted through the dense woods around the tall pine and spruce trees. She peered beyond the thicket of bushes. They could be anywhere. Suddenly all sound ceased. Shay stopped, looking behind her, listening intently.

  But she could no longer hear the growls and yelps of battle. “Jason?” she whispered as fear stole into her heart and squeezed. Buddy whined and rubbed against her legs. She listened for a moment longer and still no sound reached her. Not even the rustling of an animal cowering in the bushes or the song of a bird in flight.

  The squeezing fear blossomed into panic. She rushed forward, climbing up the steep hill, moving toward the rocks above. Her safe place. Her haven.

  This had been a dumb idea, she thought, struggling to hear anything over her labored breathing. She and Jason should never have separated. She could have helped him. They worked well together. She shouldn’t be out here on her own. She skirted around a massive tree and skidded abruptly to a stop, her arms pinwheeling as she struggled to keep her balance on the uneven ground. Her heart lodged painfully in her throat as she stared at the large man standing directly in the path before her.

  Chapter 9

  The man didn’t say anything. He just stared at her through dark, menacing eyes, a black cloud swirling around his head. She knew what that was now, knew the glimpse of teeth she saw within the maelstrom of darkness was the demon. A demon sent to kill her.

  She dropped the water bottle and jerky then gripped the knife with white-knuckled fingers, pulling it from its sheath and shifting it back and forth in front of her.

  Buddy started barking ferociously, lunging forward, his paws digging into the earth as he held his ground. “Get away from us,” Shay warned with as much bravado as she could muster.

  Her dad had trained her for this. She could take him, she told herself, though she didn’t believe it. Not for a second. He stepped toward her and she saw how big he was, at least six feet three inches of sheer muscle. His biceps were as big as bowling balls. And when he flexed them, like he was doing now, they rolled, moving like something alive was buried beneath his skin.

  She shivered and looked around, contemplating her options. He was blocking the path directly in front of her. What if she headed back down the mountain? Could she outrun him? Would the momentum help her or send her flying? If she could find the truck, could she drive back out to the road? Back to the store? Back to help?

  Not without a key. Before she could finish weighing her options and decide what to do, the man lunged. He grabbed hold of her, his teeth sinking into her shoulder.

  What the hell! She screamed and pushed against him, slicing his arm with the knife. Buddy went nuts, barking like Cujo. The man pulled back, laughing, her blood painting his lips. She tried to sidestep him to put some distance between them but instead tripped over a root, lost her footing and fell to the ground with a teeth-jarring thud. Terrified, she stared up at him. His smile deepened. Before he could pounce, Buddy jumped, his teeth tearing viciously into the man’s arm. He roared and turned, then kicked Buddy hard, sending him flying with a loud yelp.

  “Buddy!” Shay screamed, then tightened her grasp on the knife, jumped up and ran at the bastard. He could hurt her all he wanted but no one messed with her dog. She thrust the knife toward him but before she could connect, he swung round, hitting her with the force of a Mack truck and knocking her back to the ground. Her head hit the trunk of the huge tree. Pain shot through her skull. Blackness swirled around the edge of her vision.

  The ground shuddered as he came at her. She shook her head, trying to clear her sight and instead sent a bolt of pain pinging through her brain. She touched her head and her fingers came back wet and sticky. Blood. Lots of it. Through a haze she saw the man bend over her. She tried to move, to jump to her feet, to get away from him and fight. But her legs weren’t following her brain’s commands.

  She struggled to rise, pushing against the tree for purchase, swimming through the dizziness, but it was too late. It
didn’t matter now. The struggle. The fight. It was over. She wasn’t going to make it.

  She braced herself for another blow. But it didn’t come. From behind her a gray blur flew through the air, crashing into the man’s chest, pushing him backward to the forest floor. Jason. The wolf’s teeth tore through the flesh of the man’s neck. He screamed, an agonizing howl of pain.

  Then the giant wrapped his arms around the wolf and pulled it down away from his neck, his face turning red with the effort, his teeth clenched together. The wolf continued viciously snapping and tearing. The man’s arms, encircling Jason, squeezed until his face turned purple with the effort. Hell, he was a freaking machine.

  “Jason!” she screamed. But she could do nothing as the two fought, rolling over and over across the ground. The giant Abatu was trying to crush Jason even as Jason tried to rip out his throat. The battle was taking too long, too painfully long, to watch. Shay couldn’t tell who had the upper hand, but she knew she had to do something.

  Acting on a spike of adrenaline, she rushed forward, her knife clutched in her hand as they rolled back and forth along the ground, rolling away from her then turning back toward her again. Somehow, she had to distract the monster, to weaken him before he squeezed Jason to death.

  As they rolled away from her once more, she jumped forward and thrust the knife into the man’s shoulder and then jumped back out of his way, falling into the nearest tree as a wave of dizziness broke over her. The man roared in pain, flailing his arm out to his side, trying to grab for her, for the knife still stuck in his back. His hold on Jason loosened. It was all the leverage Jason needed.

  Jason scurried forward, crawling up the belly of the beast, his back paws scraping against the man’s legs as he pushed himself up his body, toward the massive neck where the wolf’s powerful jaws clamped down in a vicious tearing bite.