Shit.
It was the animal who’d taken a swipe at me, and now another shifter knew who and what I was. Throwing on a shirt and a pair of sweatpants, I headed for the front of my house, checking for any intrusion along the way. The house didn’t appear to be breached, but that didn’t explain why the scent was so strong.
I moved into the living room, scanning the front yard through the window.
“So you’re the famed Eagle of Elk Springs,” a deep, thickly accented voice said from behind me near the kitchen.
I spun, shocked that I’d somehow missed him.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?” I demanded, keeping my body ready in case shit went sideways.
The man was making me uneasy. His eyes were already the amber of the monster lurking inside him.
“No need for names. I came here to make you an offer. I believe you to be a reasonable sort of man, who cares for his friends and community. Nod if I’m right,” the man demanded.
I complied, nodding in the affirmative.
“Good. You see, there’s been rumors about an eagle in Colorado so big it would break records. Videos online, too. We both know that’s you. I’ve got several buyers who are willing to pay a premium price to add such a fine specimen to their collection. Come willingly, and I won’t kill everyone you’ve ever cared about. Decline, and I’ll level this town.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was he really asking me to willingly hand myself over for slaughter?
“Hard pass. Sorry, but I’m not really the suicidal type.”
The man tutted with his tongue, sauntering forward. He put on a good show, trying to make me think he was relaxed, but his eyes gave it all away. The monster was barely holding control.
“That pretty little FBI agent isn’t yours, is she? I see you’ve been spending your time chasing her around. I have ways of finding every single person you care about and making them die a slow and very painful death. You really think you’re worth more than they are?” the man pointed out.
It wasn’t very often I let my emotions get the better of me. I was known to remain calm under pressure, but I was on the verge of snapping.
“You come into my town, my territory, and my home, thinking you can make demands and threaten me? You’re more delusional than I realized. Fuck you, and fuck your proposition,” I spat. “Touch a single person in this town, and I’ll rip your throat out myself. Now you’ve been warned.”
His lip lifted in a snarl, and I could practically see everything that was about to happen before he even shifted. A loud pop echoed through my home. The monster was about to shift in the middle of my living room. I needed to get out of the house before I was trapped. If I could take to the sky, he wouldn’t have a hope in hell of catching me.
White and black fur began to push out from his pores, and his teeth lengthened. His bones cracked and reformed. The beast was huge. While he was mid-shift, I bolted for the door.
I should’ve known better than to give a predator my back; I’d learned that the hard way once before. Pulling the door open, I leapt off the porch, shifting as I went. It was a blinding pain, but I pushed it hard and made sure it was over quick. Before I was out of reach though, claws sank into the meat of my thigh. It knocked me off balance, and I fell to the hard, frosted dirt. Landing with a thud, I scrambled up and flapped my wings, trying to get airborne again.
I kept my eye trained on the monster below. I’d never seen a white tiger before, but I’d heard of them. This was bad. Really bad.
Ignoring the burning pain in my leg, I lifted off the ground and climbed high enough before the monster could launch a second attack. Blood seeped from the wound in my leg, yet I couldn’t think about it. I wasn’t weak or without my own line of defense, and I sure as hell wasn’t going down without fighting for my life. I circled overhead, just out of the tiger’s reach, as I waited to spot a weakness or opening. I kept my circle tight then changed directions. He was larger and slower than I was and was having a hard time keeping up with me.
In the quick directional change, he’d left his flank open to attack, likely thinking I would be too scared to take the shot. He didn’t know me though. I dove, talons outstretched, and tore a strip of flesh from his side before climbing again. He couldn’t react before I was out of his reach.
The tiger unleashed a roar of pain and anger, vibrating right down into my bones. By now, he’d caught onto my plan and changed his game plan. He wouldn’t leave his flank open again, but maybe I could get behind him and blind him enough to scare him off.
My talons were sharp as razors and ready for war.
Let’s go, you son of a bitch.
I faked a dive, pulling up right before making contact. He took the bait and lunged where he thought I was going to be; however, I was quicker. I swooped around behind him and made my move.
My talons dug into his face, tearing away bits of fur and flesh. Keeping my wings beating fast, I dodged his paw just before it would have torn my wing damn near off. His guttural cries echoed off the mountains and could likely be heard for a mile. The tiger’s blood was coating my feet. With my beak, I latched onto his ear, slicing through flesh until it tore free.
I let go, flying higher into the air than I had before. If he wanted a fight, I’d bring it, but if he was smart, he’d regroup and heal.
The tiger shook its massive head, trying to clear the blood running into his eyes. He gave one final glance to the sky before tearing off into the forest. I followed, making sure he was gone. After nearly a quarter of a mile, I lost him. I didn’t know how, but it was like he just disappeared. No sign of man, nor beast.
My leg was on fire and bleeding badly. Even with my shifter healing being fast, it was bad. My guess was he’d nicked the bone and probably an artery. Thankfully, the blood flow was beginning to slow, and I hadn’t felt lightheaded yet. I turned, heading back toward my house. The wind was at my back, lifting me and letting me rest as I glided on the current. I wanted to enjoy it, but my head was scattered. Things were going to get messy, and I needed to find a way to keep my people safe. If the tiger wanted me, he’d have to fight for it. I was ready and willing to rain down hell on him.
Chapter 6
Gen
I waited as long as I could. By eleven o’clock, I knew Talon wasn’t coming and had stood me up. For some reason, I had actually expected he’d stay true to his word.
“Fuck it. I’ll go by myself,” I said under my breath.
The sky was grey and overcast, and the air was damp with an icy bite. The forecast had called for a light dusting of snow, and I was sure I could reach the summit before the snow began to fly. It was at least another hour before I was above the tree line and would be able to spot gaps.
I pulled the map out of my coat pocket and checked my progress, making sure I wasn’t off track. There weren’t any defining landmarks around me on the mountain to base my location off of. My compass still read east, so I climbed on.
The muscles of my legs screamed in protest with each step. I hadn’t realized how out of shape I was before this assignment. Some incline hiking was definitely in my future. Twenty minutes later, tiny snowflakes began to filter down through the canopy overhead.
Fuck.
The snow was starting early. That fact alone worried me. The storms moved in fast and fierce in those parts of Colorado. I’d packed a tent, just in case, but I was beginning to think I just may have to use it and brave hiking down after the storm passed.
I didn’t stop, climbing higher and pushing my body harder. Sweat dampened my clothes under all the layers; when I stopped, I’d have to get a fire going or risk catching a chill. Call me old fashioned, but I didn’t believe that being chilled to the bone didn’t affect one’s health. I snuggled deeper into the warmth my coat offered and kept moving until finally, there was a break in the trees.
I had finally reached the top.
The trees were too tall to see over from that height, but
I could still match up the visible landmarks and begin scouring the area for the elusive campsite.
I pulled the map back out and began to match up the noticeable hills and valleys within sight against those on the map. The vantage point was much better than lower down but still left a lot to be desired.
A twig snapped behind me. I froze, holding my breath.
To most of the creatures in the forest, I was the predator to be feared but not to all. To the rest, I was the prey. I slowly lowered my hand, maneuvering my fingers deftly enough to unsnap the strap holding my gun in place.
Another crunch of something heavy coming down on brittle underbrush echoed through the space. I un-holstered the weapon and scanned the gaps in the trees searching for whatever had joined me.
Talon’s handsome form strode out of the trees, looking like he hadn’t even just hiked a mountain or broken a sweat doing it. The man made this shit look easy. Then, I remembered he’d left me hanging and by now was well over an hour late.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” I remarked, sliding the gun back into place.
He came to a stop in front of me, a little closer than most. Talon had shaved since I’d seen him last and was damn near painfully gorgeous to gawk at, which is pretty much exactly what I was doing.
“Yeah, I had a personal emergency come up that delayed me, but I saw you heading up here and figured someone had to follow and make sure you didn’t put yourself in danger.”
“Well, I’m fine as you can see,” I snapped.
“Do you have a death wish or something? There’s a storm about to bear down on this mountain, and you’re acting like it’s no big deal. I told you I’d be your guide, and I meant it. I believe the appropriate response would be to thank me. After all, I did go out of my way to follow you and make sure you didn’t die.”
“Thank you for being a stalker? I didn’t need your help. I mean, thank you for caring, but I had this all under control.”
“Under control? Do you know how to start a fire in a storm? Where to seek shelter? How to keep yourself from freezing to death? I get that you’re angry with me, but that’s no excuse to act stupidly and get yourself hurt or killed in the process.”
There was an anger and frustration in his voice that took me by surprise. I didn’t know what to say. I had a lighter and a fire starter, but he was right. Finding dry kindling up there was going to be rough.
“I-I…”
“I’ve carried corpses off this mountain that likely had a hell of a lot more experience with this terrain and survival 101. I’d really like to not have to add yours to that list of names if you don’t mind.”
I didn’t know what to say. For all intents and purposes, I’d just been reprimanded like an errant child by a man who I had most certainly thought about spanking me before. The worst part of it all was that he was right. I was stubborn and pig-headed.
“Well…thanks, I guess. Think there’s time to get back to my car before we can’t see where we’re going anymore?”
“Nope. The two of us are stuck on this mountain until the storm breaks at the very least. We can get part way down, but we’ll have to stop and find a sheltered spot to camp.”
“Well, you’re the expert. I guess I’ll be following your lead.”
Talon motioned to my day pack, “You need help carrying that?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t going to add to the load he was already carrying with his own backpack.
He lifted an eyebrow as if to say really. I hadn’t been raised to be the sort that needed a man for anything. I could change tires and just about anything else on my truck, shoot and field-dress game, and drive a stick shift better than most. I’d never wanted a man to do things for me, but I had to admit that it was nice to be asked. Some of the men I’d dated over the years hadn’t even offered to pick up the check at dinner or open a door for me. Talon was not one of those men.
I pulled the straps of my day pack tighter.
“All right, have it your way,” Talon said, turning and mumbling something about stubborn women under his breath.
I followed closely behind him, admiring the grace with which he moved. After about ten minutes of walking in near complete silence, I began to notice that the man actually made no noise when he moved. No crunching of snow under his feet, no twigs breaking or leaves rustling. Nothing besides my labored breathing and clumsy attempts to mimic his technique. The silence and strain was beginning to drive me mad.
“So, you know the area pretty well, don’t you?”
“Like the back of my hand.”
“Then how come you slammed a door in my face when I was asking for help? I’m not trying to start a fight or anything, just really curious,” I added quickly.
He shrugged. “Shy. Not really the talkative type. Besides, didn’t your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?”
I scoffed.
What the hell did a man like him have to worry about strangers for? It wasn’t like a guy like him couldn’t handle himself if shit went south. Hell, his arms alone looked like tree trunks. Being an officer of the law, I shouldn’t condone violence in any way, shape, or form. However, I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t turn me on to see a man who looked that good brawling and sweaty. Visions of Talon taking me fast and rough ran through my mind, heating my cheeks. I barely knew the guy, and I was already fantasizing about how he’d be in bed.
“You know who I am, therefore, I am not a stranger. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re a rather large man, and I’m a fairly small woman. Not really your biggest threat.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Agent Mendoza. A beautiful woman is the biggest threat to a man like me.”
Had he just called me beautiful?
“You know, I like to be called Gen for short. Thought maybe we should be on a first name basis if we’re going to be spending the night together. Don’t get any bright ideas though if you’re a serial killer. I will not hesitate to shoot you if you get sketchy as hell.”
“What qualifies as being sketchy?”
“Why? Are you planning on getting weird?” I retorted.
“Well, you’re talking about shooting people if they cross some line in the sand. Shouldn’t I know what the parameters are if I’m risking my own life just by being around you?”
Damn. He was right.
“Weird. Sketchy…I don’t know; I guess I meant that if you planned on trying to shimmy into my sleeping bag without asking first or if you try to chop me up into little pieces with a machete and scatter my bits. Then, I’d probably shoot you. Sorry, not sorry.”
“Rape’s not really my style, and where on earth do you think I’d be able to hide a machete? I’m not Jason. You don’t just walk around with those things.”
“I don’t know? Pant leg, maybe?” I challenged.
“No room. All John, babe.”
Oh no he didn’t.
Talon didn’t even turn around, but his jeans hugged his thighs like a glove and made me curious whether or not I’d be able to see an outline.
Relationships weren’t possible, not when this was a temporary assignment. However, that didn’t mean that two consenting adults couldn’t fool around and scratch that itch when the need arose. As long as nobody got a case of feelings, we’d be golden, but Talon felt dangerous. Different somehow.
I felt safe when I was near him…like I instinctively knew he’d protect me when the chips were down and I needed it most.
“Have you lived in Elk Springs very long?” I asked, not sure what to do with his comment about his dick taking up too much room to hide a machete in his pants.
I was keeping that comment tucked away in the back of my mind until I could examine the subject properly, complete with side-eye scrutiny of the man’s crotch.
“All my life, save for about five years when I was in the Army. This place is home; what can I say?”
“That must be nice to have deep roots to a place like that.”
“It ha
s its benefits,” he said it with a finality that told me the conversation was over.
I wanted to ask more, but thought better of it.
We kept walking in silence, neither of us making a move to start another conversation. It grated at me. I wasn’t one to sit in silence very long when there was someone perfectly interesting to talk to while we made our way back down the gnarled mountainside.
The tree roots had it out for me. I had almost fallen headlong into Talon’s back several times already. Stepping over a small rocky outcrop, my booted foot came down on a series of crisscrossing roots. My footing was unstable, and my ankle rolled to the side of them, giving off a loud pop. Pain shot up my leg and I went down.
“Fuck!” I hollered, hitting my knees and rolling onto my butt.
Talon was there almost instantly.
“What happened? Can you move your toes?”
He was already pulling my boot off and peeling my sock from my foot. His touch was gentle yet firm as he examined the wounded limb like a skilled professional. Pushing my pant leg up finally gave us both a good look at it.
“I can move my toes, but I think that’s about it. It’s not broken, but I can’t walk on it. Not right away anyways.”
The ankle was beginning to puff up a little, and the faint blue of a bruise forming spread like the plague under my ivory flesh.
“It’s just a sprain, but you’re right. You shouldn’t put any weight on it right away.”
Talon looked into the forest around us like he was searching for something. He stood, hooking his hands on his hips.
“All right. This should be as good a place as any to camp for the night,” he said almost to himself. “There’s a spot over there where it’s a little flatter. We’ll set the tent there and then get to work on a fire and food.”
My foot had begun to grow hot as the sharp pain dulled to a throbbing ache.
“What can I do to help?”
I’d always been a hands-on person. Sitting around while everyone else was working was not my style in the least.
“You’re helping me immensely by doing exactly what you’re doing now. Relax, and let me take care of everything. You need to nurse that sprain, or it’ll get worse, cause more damage, and then you’ll be in a world of trouble. Trust me; you don’t want to live on crutches for the next month.”
Fly Me Home (Rescue Squad Shifters Book 1) Page 6