On the Growl: A Shifter Romance Anthology

by Lynn Red

  Jack clambered over the seats and pulled her into his arms. He ran his hands up and down her body, giving her a perfunctory check over. He passed her to Matt.

  Jack said, "Head bump, but otherwise seems okay."

  She felt Matt's arms tighten around her slightly and for once in her life didn't feel the need to fight or reject the help. They were alive.

  Jack clambered over the seats to front and shouted back to them, "Don's alive! Bad shape though."

  He came back and pushed open the emergency exit. Jack pulled himself up and out. Matt boosted Jena up to Jack's outstretched arms. He lifted her easily out of the wreckage. She stared around her, shocked that they'd even survived. Let alone mostly intact. Of course, they still had to survive the wilderness.

  Jack pulled the yellow-eyed man up next, and he stood off to the side, not participating or trying to help at all.

  Jena's already low opinion of him plummeted about a thousand points. Her training kicked in and she quickly surveyed the area. It smothered her initial hysteria. They could always relocate, but they needed shelter now - exposure was their biggest threat. She picked where the lean-to would go and said to the yellow-eyed man, "Start clearing."

  He stared at her and said, "I'd like to see how you think you can make me do scut work."

  Her wolverine was dangerously close to the surface as she said, "Help now or starve."

  For a moment he looked like he was ready to fight. Her rattled nerves almost welcomed the action and distraction. Maybe he sensed how on edge she was or he realized it was survival time, but he started clearing the area she indicated. Luckily the crash had taken out a dead tree, so there was lots of easily gathered dry wood.

  She needed to get to her luggage. She had some basic survival gear and wanted to feel the weight of her knife in her hand. Stupid TSA and their stupid rules. After making a woodpile, she wandered over to the plane. The men had been pulling gear out. She tried not to think about how they were going to get the pilot out. He'd borne the brunt of the injuries suffered. Battered, a broken leg, but appeared to have no internal injuries.

  She was just relieved her bag was intact. She opened it and rooted around until she found her beloved fixed blade knife. She could have kissed it as she strapped it to her belt. She called up to Matt and Jack, "How goes Don's extraction?"

  Jack said, "Letting the drugs really take effect before we try to haul him out. No reason to make it harder than it already will be."

  Jena nodded. She appreciated how well the men worked together. They'd clearly worked together for a long time and she said, "Getting a fire and hopefully some shelter set up."

  She walked over to the clearing and laid out wood for a fire. She wasn't sure if he was stupid or an asshole or both, but the man stared at her contemptuously and said, "You’re going to just magic up a lighter."

  She felt her lip pull back exposing her teeth and was barely able to contain herself as she snapped, "Yup."

  He looked on as she struck a spark on her knife. He frowned at her, unable to reconcile her abilities with her gender. By the time Matt and Jack wrestled the well-drugged pilot out of the plane, she had a roaring fire going and a place to settle him. Matt clapped Jena on the shoulder and said, "Thank you. Glad to have your skills."

  She nodded at him and said, "You didn't happen to stumble on anything like a saw, did you?"

  "Even better." Matt grinned as he presented her with a large metal stockpot.

  She lifted an eyebrow and said, "There better not be a sandwich making joke in here."

  He laughed and shook his head as she opened it. She riffled through the contents and grinned back at him. A water filtration system and soup mix. Lots and lots of soup mix. He handed her a big black duffel bag, with even more gear, and most importantly in that moment a collapsible saw.

  "I could kiss Don. A well-stocked plane. We're so lucky."

  "Call me Jason." The yellow-eyed man said, with a sardonic smile. Jena knew it wasn't likely his real name. That he was playing off his similar looks to a far more famous Jason, one from the movies. But she didn't really care as long as he pulled his weight and left her alone.

  The four of them made short work of building a shelter that would hold everyone. Jena enjoyed how easy it was to work with Matt and Jack. They moved smoothly, almost like the three of them had been working together for years, not just a few hours. They really only had to speak to tell Jason what to do. Jena'd never been so in sync with anyone before.

  Jason finally said, "Do we really need to build a shelter? How long will we really be here? Isn't there a tent in that pile of kit?"

  Matt said "Realistically, it will take a while for anyone to even realize we’re gone. You said it was a surprise visit to the site, they aren't expecting us. And Don was going to be put up until we left. So until someone has a check-in go overdue, they won't even know that they should be looking for us, let alone figuring out where we went down. We didn't file a flight plan."

  Jack nodded and said, "We're all incredibly lucky to be alive. Even Don is going to be okay."

  Jena said, "And it's fall. We've had a gorgeous few days, but we can't trust that to hold up for long. Better to take the afternoon and know we're taken care of. Besides, it's gonna get cold out here at night. Real cold. Gather our pine duff while we may..."

  Jason glared at them and said, "That pile of branches will collapse at the first wind. I have a one-man tent. I'll be staying in it." He gave Jena that skin-crawling up-down he had given her on the plane. "I can think of a few ways to keep warm."

  Jena deliberately turned her back on him and said, "We need to find a water source. The few bottles that were on the plane won't last long. Let's take ten to see what we can find."

  Matt and Jack nodded, their faces fixed in distaste at Jason, who just shrugged at Jena. She was determined not to let him get a rise out of her.

  Matt said, "Jason, stay with Don. If we don't find anything, we'll hit the last point after."

  They each took a cardinal point and spread out. Since she only had a few moments, Jena knew she had to move fast. She made sure no one could see her and shifted. She reveled in the strength of her form and tipped her nose into the air, hoping its sensitive nature would pick up a likely trail in the air. She caught the hint of water in the air and snuffled in delight. She moved quickly and found the small stream. She stuck her nose into the water and desperately wanted to plunge into the water. No time, but she would kill to have a good wash. To clean the stink of burning plastic off her body.

  But she knew she had to get back. She didn't know why she felt the urge to hide her shifter nature from the men. She probably would have told Matt and Jack, but Jason...no, she needed to have leverage, something he didn't know about. It wasn't just that he was a jackass, she'd met plenty of them. Something about him set off her radar.

  She ran back and shifted before she got back. She got back to the clearing around the same time as the others and said, "I found a nice little stream."

  Matt said, "I found something ever better. Come on!" They all followed him.

  Jena stared at the perfect little waterfall. If Jason hadn't been there, she would have stripped down and plunged into the cascading water. She had to be satisfied with trailing her fingers through the surprisingly warm water.

  Matt said, "The stream mixes with a hot spring, just above. I think it will be great for soaking, but it's perfect for showering here.

  Jena turned away from the calculating gleam in Jason's eyes. She had no idea when she would be able to truly enjoy the thorough wash. Jason hadn't actually done anything inappropriate. Yet. But he was always watching her with his sharp, yellow eyes and it made her skin crawl.

  He made every alert fire in her brain and body and she trusted her instinct. He was a man that would take the first opportunity to hurt her. She knew she could defend herself, but at what cost? Her mind flashed back to that alley. The screams. The blood.

  She pulled her hand out of the water
and smiled at the other men. Jena said, "We'll have to take turns." She turned and walked back to the camp, needed to put some space between her and the man that triggered all those bad memories. She didn't see the look the other two men exchanged as she walked away.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning, the group was casually discussing exploring the area they were in more completely, and finally Matt said, "Let's draw straws."

  They gathered round and drew. Jena frowned at the short straw in her hand, then shrugged. She pointed at Don and said, "It's you and me for the day."

  Matt, Jason and Jack headed into the woods. Jena puttered around the campsite, chatting with Don and tidying up. She pulled out a deck of cards and sat next to the wounded pilot. They played a few rounds of gin rummy, until Don waved Jena off.

  He said, "Go already. I know that waterfall is calling you. They'll be gone for hours, it's a lovely day and I'm not gonna die sitting here."

  "Don't be silly Don, I don't mind keeping you company."

  "But you really want to get a good bath."

  Don waved Jena off and said, "Go. You won't have a better opportunity. They'll all be gone for hours, It's a lovely day and I'm not gonna die if I sit by the fire."

  Jena walked up to the waterfall. There was a flat rock within easy reach of the edge. She set her things there and slipped out of her flannel shirt. Jena took a deep breath and enjoyed the crisp bite of the air around her. She reached for the edge of her tank top when the snap of a breaking twig stopped her. She turned slowly as Jason came into the clearly.

  "Please, don't stop on my account." Jason's eyes gleamed and he took a step forward.

  His eyes were locked on her hands wrapped around the material of her top. She slowly released the fabric and said, "What are you doing back? I thought you were exploring and hunting?" Jena tried to keep her tone very casual. Jason had always scared her a little, but he'd never actually done anything to her. But there was something in his deliberate steps towards her that put Jena on high alert. She was just grateful she wasn't already in the water. She didn't want to be so vulnerable with him.

  He took another step, his eyes darting up and down her body. He said, "I am hunting. I haven't seen you without that ridiculous, shapeless flannel shirt since we ended up in this godforsaken wilderness."

  Jena struggled to keep her voice even, to keep her rising fear hidden. She took a firm grip on her inner beast. If she turned now, it would be bad. Really, really bad. She couldn't let that happen again, so she firmed her mouth and said, "It's fall, Jason. Not summer. Off course I'm going to wear warm clothes."

  Jason licked his lips, took another step forward and said, "From the moment I first saw you on the plane, I had a yearning for you. I wanted to experience a particular vision of you."

  He practically hissed the last words. Jena was determined not to react to him, kept her voice monotone and said, "How odd." She pointed behind her and said, "Well, you should go back to camp."

  Jason tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. A tight smile lifted the edge of his mouth and he said, "Why would I do that? I told you I was hunting. I dodged those stupid mercs I hired. Then I came back here, hoping to catch you. I'm delighted you were already here. Figured you couldn't resist it."

  Tendrils of fear crept through Jena's body. If she turned now - her wolverine would never back down. She could almost taste his blood in her mouth and she fisted her hands. She felt her nails cut into her palms and used the pain to focus her. She could only try and get away from Jason if she stayed in her human form.

  Jena met his eyes, kept her mouth in a thin line and said, "Maybe I've been too polite. Go away, Jason. I do not want to be alone with you for any reason."

  He took another step towards her, this time never breaking eye contact and said, "I know."

  His boldly stated words pushed Jena closer to the edge of her control, as her fright grew. He took another step forward, put his hand on his belt buckle and loosened it. Jason said, "Let me tell you about that vision I had of you on the plane. You're bound."

  He whipped his belt off, the sound of the leather whisking through the loops of his pants made Jena go cold. She felt her control slipping as he continued, "Tears are running down your face. Too bad you aren't wearing makeup now, but in a perfect world, it's tracing the path of your tears. You fought well, so you have the start of a nice black eye. And I've fattened those beautiful lips up."

  He was between her and the path back to the clearing and camp. And safety. She edged away from the pool of water. The sharp grin on Jason's face as she moved gave them both away. She was cornered. Her breath started to speed up as the every instinct screamed at her to shift and kill him.

  Jason said, "You know the best part of this? I am going to force your body to respond. You'll be coming as I finally slide my dick into you."

  "Get away from me Jason. This is your last warning."

  He looked at her, threw his head back and started laughing. He said, "God, I love your spirit. I'm going to bring you with me so I can really break it."

  She turned and dashed away from him. If she could get away from him, into the woods, she wouldn't kill him. As much as he deserved it, she never wanted to kill again. But he was fast and determined. His fist swung and the force knocked her off her feet, the side of her face aching from the impact. His low laugh as she struggled to her feet terrified her and she felt the last of her control over her shifting slip.

  "Damn girl, you look good knocked in the dirt. It's even better than I imagined." She made it to her feet when he lashed out again. Jena hit the dirt and that's when all hell broke loose.

  She held her control until two massive bears exploded into the clearing. Jason spun around and started yelling at the bears as Jena shifted.

  She finally registered what he was yelling as he said, "I'm not in danger, you assholes." Those bears, they must be shifters. Two of them...he'd called the men mercs. Oh my God, they were Matt and Jack. As the realization rocked her, one of the bears reached out and slapped him with a paw. She delighted in watching Jason go down like a sack of rocks.

  It was a silent triangle, two bears staring at a wolverine. Jena wrapped her brain around the truth that those two massive bears were Jack and Matt. And they'd seen her shift. They knew she'd been hiding her ability and form from them. She froze, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins made her want to fight, to tear, to destroy. Her human brain knew that Jason was down, that he was out cold, that he couldn't hurt her right now. But the vindictive wolverine she also was wanted revenge for every vile word. For every bruise he'd put on her and whatever his victims before her had suffered.

  She struggled to calm herself while the two bears stared at her. Were they on her side? Indecision clouded her vision and warred inside her. Finally, one of the bears shifted. It was Matt. He held his hands out towards her while he approached the prone man. He picked up the fallen belt and all of Jena's fur stood on end. Jason said he'd hired them. Were they like him and she'd just missed it? Were they going to try and finish what Jason had started?

  Matt looked at her reaction, then back at the belt and closed his eyes. He said, "I'm sorry, Jena. We didn't realize he'd doubled back. We would have come sooner." He met her eyes and slowly knelt next to the fallen man. He moved slowly but with a quiet authority and hogtied the man, who was starting to regain consciousness.

  Some of the tension flowed out of Jena. The other bear, whose coloring was just like Jack's hair, also relaxed after the man had been firmly bound. He watched her, then sat back on his haunches as Matt turned back to Jena. He held his hands out, took a step towards her and said, "Hey Jena, it's okay now. You're safe. We aren't going to let anything happen to you. Not while we're here."

  Jena growled at him when he took another step towards her. He had to know she wouldn't, she couldn't back down and away from him. He had to stay away. She'd hurt him, she couldn't not.

  He paused at her growl, but continued towards her, and said, "
Jack's the same way, you know. Takes him a while to calm down enough to shift back. He's very territorial, and once those instincts are roused, it's hard for him to let go."

  She glanced over at the other bear. He looked at her and flopped forward onto his belly. He then started inching towards her. The inherent ridiculousness of a bear belly-crawling towards her eased her fear and she allowed herself to shift. She was kneeling in the dirt when the bear rested his massive head on her lap. She couldn't help but start gently stroking between his ears.

  It wasn't until he shifted back that she realized her panicked shifting had left her naked and she blushed. She looked up as Matt walked over to her, his eyes averted to the ground, her flannel shirt extended in his hands. Jack sat up, leaving his back to her, giving her privacy to slip into the over-sized shirt. She hadn't forgotten to shift her clothes in a very long time, and was more embarrassed by that than her nudity. Jena didn’t want to try and slip into the rest of her clothes in front of Jason.

  She froze staring at him. He was awake and watching her. His mouth was twisted into a nasty sneer and he said, "I paid good money for your skills." For a moment, she wondered if the entire photo shoot was a trick, but he wasn't talking to her. He was talking to Jack.

  Jack growled at him and said, "You're alive aren't you? Stupid jackal, she would have made mincemeat of you. Good thing you're such a slow shifter, isn't it."

  Matt said, "Let's go back to camp. Jason will be fine here. We'll figure out what to do with him later."

  The men flanked Jena, but gave her enough space not to feel crowded as they walked back to the camp.

  Chapter 4

  Don struggled to sit up as they came into camp. He looked at them and Jena's state and said, "Oh my God, Jena! Are you okay?" She nodded at him and slipped into the shelter. She just wanted to get dressed. Matt followed her in and she spun to face him, her hands out, warding him off.