“Were these two involved?” He asked her, indicating the two in the living room.
“Not this time they weren’t, apparently.”
“You sound like you don’t believe they weren’t.”
Myra signed. “You know those three, they’re always together. But this time Kayla is adamant she did it alone, and she was the only one caught by the Dragons.”
“And don’t you go interrogating them either. Myra and Kai have already done enough.” Amelia told him.
“I won’t.”
“Good. Now, get out my kitchen, the pair of you.”
“Okay.” They said in unison.
“I’m going anyway now, Mum. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Myra kissed Amelia on the cheek, then picked up the basket. “See you later, Connor.”
“Yeah, bye Myra.” Connor said before returning to the living room.
Caleb and Misti were nowhere to be seen. Connor assumed they ran upstairs when the hall was clear.
“Why were you rubbing the back of your head when you came in earlier?” Kai asked as Connor sat on the sofa.
“Oh, that.” Connor smiled. “Mum threw a spoon at me.”
“Ah, what did you do this time?”
“I didn’t do anything.” He said, adamant he didn’t do anything wrong.
“Yeah, somehow I don’t believe you.” Kai shook his head. “You do know, if I ask her she’ll tell me.”
Connor held a hand over his heart. “I swear, she said it was her way of showing motherly love.”
Kai burst out laughing. Connor tried to look hurt but he couldn’t keep up the pretense for long.
“Do you still want help with the basement conversion?” Kai asked when he stopped laughing.
“Yes, please.”
When Connor originally built his house, he made sure the basement was large enough to be turned into usable rooms, but until recently he couldn’t think what to do down there.
“What are you doing in the basement?” Amelia asked as she joined them in the living room.
“I’m turning it into three rooms, a laundry room, a store room, and a den. The den will be the largest room since it’s going to be used like a second living room. Then the rest will be divided equally between the laundry and store room.” He explained.
“That sounds nice. It’s about time you finally did something with the space. What are you going to keep in the store room?” She asked.
“I’m not sure yet. I might use it to store food and things like that.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“When do you want to make a start?” Kai asked.
“Some point over the next couple of days, if that’s okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Is it just us?”
“No,” Connor shook his head. “Aidan and Kellen are going to help as well, that’s as long as Kellen can spare the time.”
“I don’t think the Dragons are going to be too hard on him.” Amelia said. “After all, they know he’s not to blame and they know how hard he tries to keep Kayla under control.”
“It’s not as if their young don’t get into trouble every now and then.” Kai added.
“Every young shifter goes through a rebellious stag at some point or other.” Amelia said.
“Do you remember when Connor went through it with Kellen and Aidan?” Kai asked her.
“Only too well.” She said, shaking her head. “Those three were a lot worse at times.”
“Anyway,” He said, cutting in before they could start telling stories of what he got up to when he was younger. “With more of us working, it shouldn’t take us too long.”
“Just don’t invite too many people, otherwise we’ll be getting under each other’s feet all the time.” Kai said.
“Oooh, that means I won’t have to do your laundry anymore.” She said, adding, “Yes.” At the end with a little fist pump in the air.
“I can still bring my washing round if you want.” He said jokingly.
“Don’t you dare.” She replied quickly. “I’ve done enough of your laundry over the years. It’s about time you started doing it yourself.”
“But I thought you enjoyed doing it for me.”
“Well, you can think again. It was bad enough having to do it while you were growing up, I didn’t expect to still be doing it now that you’ve left home. At least Myra has been cleaning her own clothes since she moved out.”
“That’s because she’s a girl, it’s what they do.” He said cheekily.
“Do you want a slap?” She asked him.
Kai was silently laughing behind her.
“No, Mum. Sorry, Mum.” He said seriously.
“So, you should be.” She said, then stood and walked back into the kitchen.
As soon as she was out the room, both Connor and Kai burst out laughing.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It wasn’t until the first fat raindrop landed on Anya’s face that she realized the sky had gotten darker. She looked up through the trees to see dark rain clouds rolling across the sky.
She’d been so engrossed with taking pictures she hadn’t notice the weather changing.
Anya returned her camera to the backpack, she zipped it in a pocket inside the bag so it wouldn’t get wet, then she started walking back the way she had come. Anya knew she had no chance in reaching the hotel before it rained. Even still, she couldn’t stay up here any longer.
She hadn’t gone far when the rain came down in earnest. She picked up the pace as best she could. The rain was making it increasingly harder to keep her balance, her feet slid uncontrollably in the wet mud. It didn’t help that the pathway was narrow with a steep slope on one side and outcropping of rock on the other.
Anya had heard the weather could change extremely fast up in the highlands, but she still hadn’t thought it would be so quick. Never before has she struggled so much just trying to see through the rain while walking. Driving yes, but not walking. She didn’t think it was possible until now.
She screamed as the ground suddenly gave way beneath her and she went tumbling down the steep slope. Franticly trying to grab hold of anything to stop her fall.
“Umph.” She hit a tree with such force that it knocked the wind out of her. Clinging desperately to the tree, she tried not to fall any further.
She found a root sticking out of the ground with her foot. Using that as a ledge, she managed to lift herself onto the tree, hugging it tightly until she was sure she wasn’t going to fall again.
When she finally got her breath back, she took stock of the situation. Sitting up, she looked around. It was still raining heavily and obscuring her vision.
“Fuck!” She said when she didn’t spot any paths, or an easy way to get out of the predicament she found herself in.
Anya could only see two options. One was to stay where she was and wait for help, that was probably the wisest option. The second was to slide down the slope. The problem with that option was she didn’t know what awaited her at the bottom. It could be another pathway, or even a field, but it could also end with a sheer drop and jagged rocks at the bottom, or even a river.
After contemplating her options, she decided not to stay and wait for help. With the weather getting worse by the second, it could be hours until someone came for her, if they came at all tonight.
The idea of spending the night in a tree spurred her on. There was no delicate way of getting down. Once she plucked up enough courage, she maneuvered into a sitting position next to the tree, and let go. Gravity took care of the rest.
She did her best to slow her descent, grabbing hold of anything she could, and praying she didn’t go flying of a precipice at the end.
Luck seemed to be on her side this time. Anya was relieved when her descent started to slow as the ground leveled out, eventually she came to a gradual stop.
Anya scanned her new surroundings. She couldn’t see another path, or even another way off the mountain, but she did spot an area she might find some shelter
from the weather.
A large rock sticking out of the ground looked to have enough space underneath for her to hunker down for the night.
She crawled gingerly over to the rock, trying to ignore the throbbing pain all over her body. As she got closer, she realized it was an entrance to a cave. Not knowing how large it was inside, or if it had any occupants, she decided to take her chances in there and away from the unpredictable weather.
After getting past the main overhang of rock, the entrance was high enough for her to easily walk through without having to crouch. Not that she was in any fit state to attempt standing at that moment in time.
“Thank god.” She breathed a sigh of relief.
Once inside, her arms gave way and her body collapsed to the floor. Every part of her hurt. She didn’t think there was going to be one inch of her that wasn’t covered with bruises by the morning. And to top it off, she had a feeling she cracked a couple of ribs when she hit the tree. It wouldn’t surprise her with the force of the impact.
Anya didn’t know how long she laid there in agony, her eyes closed as she tried to suppress the pain, but when she finally opened her eyes it was pitch black.
She pushed herself up until she was perched against a wall and then carefully removed the backpack. Luckily it was the kind of bag that clipped together at the front as well as going over the shoulders, otherwise she would have more than likely lost it on her way down.
She unzipped the bag and fished around inside it, blindly looking for the pocket containing her phone. When she found it, she pulled the phone out and pressed the button to checked the time. The bright light momentarily blinding her until her eyes adjusted.
“Well, shit.”
Any hope in getting back to the hotel tonight was instantly squashed as she looked at the clock. Dinner with Sasha had come and gone hours ago. Anya knew she should have paid more attention to the time and turned back earlier, but she had been too focused on taking photos and enjoying the natural beauty around her.
She wondered if Sasha had reported her missing yet. If she hasn’t already, then it was only a matter of time before she did.
“Well, I guess I’m staying the night.” Which didn’t seem like much fun since her clothes were soaked through and caked in mud. She wasn’t expecting to need a clean set of clothes, so she didn’t pack a set.
She didn’t need to worry about food, she packed plenty of energy bars to keep her going. Water was another thing, she didn’t know how long the water she had was going to last, at some point she might have to go looking for more, but that depended on how long she was going to be here.
The cave lit up as a bolt of lightning streaked through the sky, seconds later the loud rumble of thunder echoed in the cave. Anya didn’t need to count the seconds to know the lightening was right above her.
“Don’t think I’m gonna get much sleep, but I’m definitely staying.”
Rain was one thing, but there was no way on earth she was traipsing down the mountain in the dark and in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Anya managed to get to her feet, and using her phone as a torch, she explored the cavern. Her shoes made squelching sounds with each step she took.
The cave was larger than it appeared. From what she could see, it looked like an oval shape. Anya walked the perimeter and found a passageway at the opposite end from the entrance.
Anya’s curiosity got the better of her, she knew she shouldn’t go any further without the proper equipment, but that didn’t stop her. She took a deep breath and carried on deeper into the mountain.
She hadn’t gone more than a couple of steps when she regretted her decision. Her feet slid out from under her again, this time it was on the slippery rock. Anya didn’t realize it was wet. That, along with her still muddy shoes, meant she had no grip. She threw out her hands to try to stop the fall but this time there was nothing to grab hold of, just smooth rock.
Anya slid down what seemed to be a giant slide, gaining speed as she went. She was starting to think it was never going to end when it finally did. With the speed she was going, and with nothing to grab onto to help slow her down, there was no avoiding the wall at the end as she slid across the ground and right into it. Her head hit the rock with such force that it knocked her out.
When Anya finally came around her head felt like it was going to explode, so much so that she wished for the sweet oblivion of nothingness again.
After what felt like an eternity, she tried pushing herself into a sitting position, and nearly threw up. The movement sent shooting pains through her body and increased the pain in her head, which made dots appear in her vision.
Anya knew she couldn’t stay here, so she kept trying until she finally succeeded.
However, sitting was as far as she could get, every time she attempted to stand the pain in her head got too intense and she had to give up.
Instead, she looked around. Not that she could see anything, but she was hoping she might see the slightest bit of light coming from somewhere, even if it was just from her phone, which she lost somewhere along the line. There was nothing though.
Not giving up, she felt around on the floor for her phone, but she came up empty. All she could feel was solid rock under her hands.
Well, I can’t just sit here.
Anya managed to get on her hands and knees, but that was as far as she could get before the pain in her head got too severe. So, she explored the area on all fours, carefully testing the ground before putting her weight on any spot so as not to go falling down again. Twice in one day was bad enough.
Anya wasn’t normally so clumsy.
There seems to be a pattern happening here. She thought as she was left with three options this time.
There was the good old trusty ‘stay where you are and wait for help’ option that she never seemed to choose. Then there was the way she got down here to begin with, but in the state she was in she wouldn’t make it back up the slide. The last option was the riskiest out of the three.
Just to the side of the slide was a passageway she could go through. The problem with that option was she didn’t know where it went. It could lead to a way out, or it could lead her into an even worse situation than she was currently in.
Anya decided to trust her instincts on this one, and her instincts were telling her to choose the passage.
She was going to be extra vigilant this time. Staying on her hands and knees, mainly because her head wouldn’t have it any other way, she carried on feeling around on the floor and slowly made her way down the passageway.
After a while of going along like this, she came to a section that was covered in spiderwebs. It took all her willpower not to turn back screaming. She tried clearing the web from in front of her, but no matter what she did, it didn’t seem to make any difference.
Thankfully, she made it through without coming into contact with any spiders, otherwise she really would have screamed.
Once Anya was through the web she could feel a breeze coming from up ahead of her. She crawled as fast as she could while still being careful.
It didn’t take her long to reach the entrance, it wasn’t the same one she came in, but she didn’t care as long as it was a way out.
When Anya reached the entrance, she looked outside and saw that it was still dark, which meant she couldn’t have been unconscious for too long. She also noted that it had stopped raining.
It didn’t look like dawn was going to be anytime soon, so she crawled over to the side of the cave and laid down, trying to get as comfortable as possible on the hard rock. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the pain radiating through her body and head.
She needed to get some sleep if she was going to be ready for her trip back down the mountain when it was light enough.
CHAPTER NINE
The next morning Rush called an emergency meeting of all senior Hunters. He wouldn’t tell any of them what it was about when he spoke to them through a shared telepathic link, but he made
it clear that they were all to attend.
By the time Connor arrived at Rush’s house, everyone else was already there. Because there wasn’t enough room in Rush’s office to fit them all in, they gathered in the spacious living room.
Rush stood in front of a large fireplace, watching as both male and female Hunters arrived.
The sofas and chairs dotted around the large room were all occupied, with even more people left standing.
Connor stood at the back of the room, leaning against an empty space along one of the walls. When Aidan and Kellen spotted him, they made their way over to stand with him.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Aidan asked him.
Connor shook his head. “I’ve no idea.”
Before they could say more, Rush spoke.
“I know you are all wondering why I’ve gathered you here.”
A lot of nodding was happening, but no one thought to interrupt.
“Last night,” he continued, “A human female was found in the cave leading to our realm.”
All but a handful of people were shocked at hearing the news. To be honest, it was the last thing Connor thought Rush was going to say as well. He assumed the few that weren’t surprised at the news were the ones to find her, and Rush confirmed his suspicions a moment later.
“Tanya and Krystal found her a little while ago.” He said, indicating two of the female Hunters. “She was unconscious when they reached her, and in a bad state. They called Dominic and Ryder to search the area for any more humans while they took the female to medical. No others were found, but just in case anymore find their way through the portal, I want at least two of you stationed at the cave entrance at all times, until we can be sure there are no others.”
“Is the female going to be okay?” someone asked.
“As far as we can tell, she should be fine. She has a couple of cracked ribs, a few minor cuts, and bruises are beginning to show. Other than that, she is physically fine. She’s still unconscious at the moment, but we’re hoping she’ll come round soon.”
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