by A. Star
Hannah’s mind completely froze. Was Nick right? Were they after her? And now were they actually threatening—and not so subtly—to challenge Nick for her?
We’ve got to get out of here, she thought. Coming at all had been a colossal mistake.
“It’s a good thing our Alpha doesn’t condone such things then, isn’t it?” Nick said, and scooted ever so slightly closer to Hannah.
She smiled and thought it smart of him to mention her brother like that. Jaxon Keller wasn’t an Alpha other mountain lions messed with lightly. And he particularly wouldn’t be happy about a law he opposed being enacted against his sister and best friend.
“Although we’re not too worried about a challenge, anyway,” Nick continued. “Since we are Fated.”
Hannah stifled a small gasp, and Walter and Kyle looked a little shaken. No matter what dare one was from, you didn’t screw with Fated Mates.
“Fated Mates…” Walter raised his eyebrows, and his tone revealed his disbelief. “How interesting. We rarely see those around here. Which Seer predicted this for you?”
Nick frowned. “I’m not supposed to speak the name.”
Hannah glanced at Nick. As part of the forming of the Shadowcat Nation, only the Alphas knew the Seers. Unless you’d actually received a prediction from one, you wouldn’t be able to identify them.
Walter waved aside Nick’s protest. “As the future Alpha, Kyle is already privileged to know their names. So you won’t be revealing a secret.”
Nick took a sip of his water. “Sarai,” he eventually said. “She contacted me when Hannah was about sixteen.”
Hannah locked eyes with Nick. Could that possibly be true?
He gave her hand a squeeze, and she tried to keep her composure as if this were something she’d known all along.
Walter and Kyle exchanged a smug look. “You know, Sarai belongs to the Carstairs,” Walter said.
Hannah felt Nick tense beside her and wanted to groan. Sarai would certainly call them out on their lie. And what did Walter mean by “belongs to”? The dares were formed to protect and, to a certain extent, govern the cats in their wide-ranging territories. But owning them? No self-respecting mountain lion shifter would put up with that.
“I’d love to hear more of this story,” Walter continued. “I’m a bit of a romantic. We’ll have to include Sarai at dinner tonight, too. Then we can hear all the sides.”
“Of course,” Nick said calmly. “I’d love to see her again.”
*****
Fortunately the rest of lunch went relatively smoothly. Afterwards, Nick and Hannah went up to their room to unpack and rest.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Hannah turned to Nick, panicked. But before she could say anything, he pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. Every word and worry flew right out of her mind. Her arms came up around his neck and she sank into him. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and took the kiss deeper. His velvety tongue tangled with hers in long, slow, deep sweeps.
Many breathtaking moments later, Nick pulled back. Hannah smothered a small sigh of disappointment. Before she could react, he held up a finger to her lips. He took her by the hand and led her into the bathroom where he started the shower running.
He leaned back against the counter and pulled her close again. Hannah closed her eyes expecting another kiss, but only felt his hot breath tickle her ear. “They’re probably listening to us right now,” he whispered.
Hannah opened her eyes and her heart sank. He’d only kissed her to shut her up. Focusing on the top button of his shirt, she nodded.
“We need to get out of here,” she whispered. “Or they’ll challenge our Mating…and kill you.”
Nick looked grim. “They’d be fools to mess with Fated. But I think you’re right. They don’t trust our story, so they’d kill me first and ask questions later.”
“That was an inspired idea,” Hannah said. “It at least gave them something to think about. How’d you know about Sarai?”
Nick shrugged. “Um… Jaxon let the name slip once. I had no clue she belonged to the Carstairs Dare.”
“Oh. I’m surprised Jaxon said anything. He’s usually so tight-lipped.” She frowned again. “She’ll reveal the lie you told when we meet her at dinner tonight. We should go. Now.”
Nick nodded. “I agree that was rotten luck. The question is, how do we get out of here?”
Hannah grinned. “That I have taken care of.”
“You do?”
She stepped back, reached inside her shirt and pulled out a piece of paper that was tucked into her bra. Nick’s eyebrows shot up.
“I was worried they’d check our phones or computers. Or my purse,” Hannah explained. Only a tiny twitch of his lips gave away Nick’s amusement.
Hannah unfolded the paper. On it was a series of numbers. Hannah texted the number with a single message: 911.
“What next?” Nick asked.
Hannah stepped back into Nick so they could continue to murmur to each other. “We wait.”
“For what exactly?”
“The cavalry. I have an insider.”
Nick’s grip on her arms tightened. “Who?”
“I went to college with a member in this dare. We’ve…kept in touch.”
“And this person will risk their life to help?”
“Absolutely. A.J… Well, hates it here.”
“A.J.?”
Hannah smiled. “Yeah.”
“How long—”
A knock sounded at the door.
Hannah moved to answer it, only to be pulled up short by Nick’s hand on her arm. “I’ll get it. I don’t want you getting yanked out of the room if it’s not your man.”
Nick opened the door a crack. On the other side, Hannah heard a male voice say, “I’m Mike. A.J. sent me. Take only the essentials and follow me.”
At the same time, Hannah’s phone beeped. She looked down and saw a text from A.J.: Trust Mike.
Nick glanced over his shoulder at her, and Hannah nodded. She deleted all messages from A.J. from her phone. Then she dumped out her purse and grabbed only her wallet and phone charger. She threw them in the backpack, along with her Ultrabook.
“I’ll carry that.” Nick took it from her and slung it on his back. “Let’s go.”
They followed Mike’s broad back through a series of hallways in silence. The Carstairs compound was just as complicated and large as the Keller’s.
Once or twice, Mike stopped and stood perfectly still. The second time this happened, Hannah looked at him questioningly. He pointed to his ear, and upon closer inspection she saw that he wore a small earpiece. She looked up and spotted a security camera in the corner of the ceiling. Realization struck. Someone--most likely A.J.--was directing them through the halls with the security cameras. Hannah gave the camera a little salute of thanks.
Finally, after so many twists and turns that Hannah knew she’d never find her way back, Mike opened a door that led outside.
“Head east two miles. Run hard. Go as cougars. You’ll come across an electrified fence. We’ll turn it off for a hundred-yard section. Test it until you find the spot and then use these—” Mike handed Nick a pair of wire cutters. “About a mile past that fence you’ll hit a shallow river. I suggest you follow that as long as you can. They’ll be tracking you, and if you stick to the rocks in the sun as much as you can it’ll diminish the scent.”
Nick nodded. “Thanks.”
“Good luck then.” Mike offered his hand to shake, and then he closed the door behind them.
Nick glanced at Hannah and then turned his back respectfully. She stripped off her clothing and folded it up neatly. She laid it next to him on the ground and averted her eyes as he did the same.
With only a thought, she changed form. It was so fast that if you blinked too long you’d miss it. There was no sound or visual clue. Just an instant, and suddenly where before there had stood a woman, there now stood a mountain lioness. Hannah was
on the small side with a pale tan coat that had deep russet undertones and a white underbelly. She saw that Nick had stuffed all their clothes in the backpack and shifted as well. He was large in his lion form and tawny, though much darker than Hannah. He had distinctive black markings around his white jaw. He was just as impressive as a cougar as he was as a man–but in a more dangerous, potent kind of way. Powerful muscles rippled under his golden coat. He was long, and lean…and incredible.
Nick picked up the backpack with his mouth. With a nod, he took off in the direction Mike had indicated. Hannah followed his lead. Usually when she ran or leapt or climbed as a cat, she gloried in the power of her body, in her speed and strength. But right now she was too terrified of being spotted to enjoy it. She was sure she’d hear the blare of alarms ringing, or the sound of lions chasing them at any second. She trusted A.J., but there was only so much her friend could do.
After what seemed like forever, they reached the fence line. Nick shifted back to human, and Hannah averted her eyes once more. The image of his tight tush stuck with her anyway. As she listened, he tested the fence by throwing small sticks at it. Finally, they found a spot that didn’t react. Nick determined the size of the non-electrified area, then pulled the wire cutters from the backpack and cut a gap in the fence.
Hannah breathed a little better once they were on the other side. She looked back just in time to see Nick shift into his cat form and then, still on the inside of the fence, take off down the fence line. Where the hell was he going?
Before she could get too worked up, she saw his form appear on the horizon, now on her side of the fence. He moved fast as a cougar. Even in danger she still admired him. Nick reached her after a few moments. He immediately shifted and, once again in human form, started dragging the section of fence he’d cut back into place. Hannah shifted as well, though she stayed crouched down so that if he looked he wouldn’t get a good shot of all her private bits.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“They’ll have a harder time tracking us if they don’t know exactly where we went out.”
Nick grunted as he dragged the heavy fencing into place. He took a moment to position it so that the cuts were barely visible. Brushing off his hands, he turned…and froze.
Hannah, still in human form, and very naked, was crouched down watching him. Nick swallowed, looked away, and cleared his throat. “Let’s get going.”
Both shifted and Nick snagged the backpack in his jaws again. He loped off, Hannah right behind.
They ran as fast as they could until they hit the river. Following Mike’s directions, they headed south, making sure to leap from rock to rock to hide their tracks and scent. When they’d gone a good number of miles—Hannah wasn’t quite sure how far exactly—Nick indicated that they should get a drink and rest a moment.
Hannah gratefully lapped up what must have been at least a gallon. Mountain lions were built for quick bursts of speed, not long distance runs. Nick shifted and Hannah followed suit. She sat on a rock in the river and modestly pulled up her knees in front of her.
“What a trooper,” Nick praised.
Hannah gave him a tired smile. “Thank God for all those tough workouts. Otherwise I’d never have been able to keep up.”
Nick grinned. “You did great.”
“Why the rocks, by the way? Why not run in the water?”
Nick smiled. “Contrary to popular belief, water amplifies scent for predators. But the scent won’t linger on sand or on rocks in the sun.”
“Got it. So what’s next?”
“I messaged Jaxon. He has a helicopter on the way to us. In accordance with the Lyons Treaty between all the dares, it can’t land within twenty miles of Carstairs’s property without permission. I calculate that we have about ten more miles to go to reach them.”
Hannah glanced at the sinking sun. “Are we going to make it?”
Nick gave her cocky look. “Absolutely. But we’d better get moving.”
Hannah looked over the rough landscape with chagrin. They were in the middle of a clearing, but the rolling golden hills were giving way to granite boulders and pine trees. The next ten miles looked to be brutal. Hannah stifled a sigh and nodded. She shifted back to her lioness form. Pushing the weariness from her thoughts, she once again followed Nick.
Five more miles at a pretty fast pace and Hannah’s paws, not used to such rough terrain like most mountain lions would be, started to rip. She did her best to ignore the pain. She’d fix it when she got home. But it also meant she was slowing down.
As they neared the eighteen mile point, Hannah’s sensitive hearing picked up a faint sound. She froze in her tracks. Nick, sensing her change in momentum, looked over his shoulder and stopped as well. He gave her a questioning look but Hannah ignored him and just listened, her head cocked, her ears pricked. Taking his cue from her body language, Nick stood silently and also listened.
They heard it almost at the same time: the subtle cadence of large cats--several of them, based on the sound--running.
Nick and Hannah looked at each other and then took off at a sprint. Only two miles to go. The helicopter would be waiting for them, but it would be close.
Hannah could hear only the rasp of her breath pumping in and out as she and Nick made their way over the rough terrain. Her muscles and bleeding paws burned, but she pushed through the pain. Suddenly, over the sound of her labored breathing, she could hear the cats behind her in full pursuit. They weren’t trying to be quiet anymore.
Nick skidded to a halt and shifted to human. “We’re not going to make it,” he yelled. “Go on without me.”
Hannah shifted too. “I’m not leaving you!”
“Hannah, go!”
She shook her head.
He stepped up and took her face in his hands. “If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself. Please, go!”
Only the fierce panic in his eyes convinced her. She was putting him in more danger with her presence. But if he thought she was just going to leave him, he had another thing coming.
“Stay alive. I’ll bring the helicopter here,” she said. She kissed him, hard and fast. And then shifted and sped off into the night.
*****
Nick didn’t give himself time to watch Hannah leave. He breathed a little easier just knowing she was going. He shifted and then braced himself, preparing for the attack that would be on him any second.
Only the slight rustle in the tree alerted Nick to the position of the cat directly above him. Cougars were incredible stalk-and-ambush predators. He waited a heartbeat and then, using his powerful back legs, leapt up about fifteen feet, landing on another nearby tree trunk. His claws dug deep, holding him in place. The sound of the other cat landing where he’d just been drew his attention. He turned his head and hissed, ears flat back.
With an almost unnatural agility, Nick flung himself high in the air and twisted. Just before he landed, he swiped his huge paw, claws unsheathed. He had the satisfaction of hearing his attacker’s yowl of pain before he landed on his feet. Without looking to see what damage he’d caused, Nick took off. He’d probably only slowed the one lion. But he knew there were more in these woods.
He deliberately made a bit of a racket as he ran. His sole intention was to steer them away from Hannah. There was no warning when a massive form barreled into him. Instinct had Nick maneuvering to keep his neck far away from the deadly jaws of the cougar above him even as they both fell and rolled.
Through more luck than anything, Nick landed on top and pinned the big cat below him. He wasn’t at the right angle to go for the kill, so instead he sunk his claws into one of the lion’s shoulders and ripped. There was no way that cat would be able to do any more fighting tonight.
Nick bounded up into the branches of the nearest tree. He slunk down and prepared to pounce on the first animal appearing beneath him.
He didn’t have to wait long, but instead of one cat, three appeared, drawn by the mewling of the
injured beast below. Nick wasn’t going to risk going up against three. Not if he wanted to get out of this alive. He held his position.
Just then the sound of helicopter blades whirring overhead filled the night. Nick prayed they had Hannah. They were close. He might just be able to make it. Nick dropped to the ground with a thud and sprinted in the direction of the sound. The three cougars took off after him.
*****
Hannah had never run so fast in her life. She pushed through the pain of exhaustion, protesting muscles, and paws ripped raw by the day’s hard run. Nick was in danger. She couldn’t hear anything behind her. Not that that was unusual. Cougars couldn’t roar and were generally silent, even in the midst of a hunt. She prayed that Nick was okay, and at the same time she pushed herself to go even faster.
The sound of the helicopter grabbed her attention. They were so close. She burst into a small clearing and sprinted with all her might to the waiting rescue team.
She shifted mid-jump and landed inside the helicopter. “Nick’s out there!” she yelled.
“Stay on our side of the perimeter,” Jaxon ordered. Five men jumped to the ground, shifted, and took off.
A blanket was wrapped around Hannah. She turned to her brother. “The men can’t cross the border without Carstairs claiming they hadn’t been invited on his land, but technically I already have an invite, so I still can.”
Jaxon grimly shook his head.
“Please. It’s Nick.” Hannah laid her hand on his arm.
Jaxon didn’t look happy, but he finally let out a troubled sigh. “Go.”
Hannah dropped the blanket. She was out of the helicopter door and shifted into her cougar form before Jaxon could change his mind. She soon caught up to his men, who were stopped at the border.
Hannah pricked her ears and listened. She couldn’t hear any sounds of fighting, and she hoped to heaven that was a good thing. Suddenly Mitchel, one of Jaxon’s guards, jerked his head to the right. Hannah looked in that direction and waited.
Just as she was about to run into the woods, Nick came flying around a tree with three big mountain lions in hot pursuit. Hannah stayed where she was. If she crossed the border now, she’d slow him down or trip him up. That wouldn’t help anyone.