His own need was pressing insistently against the inside of his jeans. He distracted himself by capturing one pert breast in his mouth, drawing on the nipple roughly with his tongue while his fingers worked between her legs. She was in a frenzy now, pushing frantically against his hand with her hips and whispering his name over and over, pleading for release. Egan could tell she was getting close, so he backed off, letting the tension drift away slightly to keep her from going over the edge before he was ready for her to. He ran his hand across her pelvis and over her hip, squeezing her ass in his hand.
He released her, smiling when her eyes flew open at the abrupt end of contact. “Good night, Cambria,” he teased.
“What? No.”
He threw his shirt over his head and slipped out of his pants, lowering himself on top of her. “Why not?” He arched his eyebrow playfully, but he didn’t relent.
“Egan, I want you. Please.”
“You do?” He was having too much fun. Cambria punched him lightly in the arm.
“Dammit Egan, you know I want you. Please. I’m begging you.” She pushed against him again, smiling wickedly when she felt his erection against her. She surprised him, knocking him off balance and rolling. Pinned beneath her, she moved until she was hovering above him, her body teasing him with her heat.
“Now who’s in control?”
“Don’t fool yourself, my love. I’ve always been under your control. You have absolute power over me.” He sucked in a breath as she slid onto him, willing his body to be patient. She might have the upper-hand, but he still had plans for her.
Cambria lowered herself until she took him fully inside her, giving him an impish look when she did. She began to move, slowly at first. But her body was already too ready, forcing her to increase the speed of her thrusting. Egan grabbed her hips in his large hands, slowing her movements and forcing her to take her time.
Undeterred by him, she continued pushing against him, clenching her muscles around him and watching his face as he struggled to maintain control. She grabbed her own breast, squeezing and squishing them together, letting her head fall back as the pleasures overwhelmed her.
The heat built within him, but he held on. He was enjoying the show as he watched her use him to bring herself closer to orgasm. Gradually he softened his hold on her, letting her move faster and faster on his shaft, working him into a frenzy while she chased her own pleasure.
Without warning she screamed out, her body starting to convulse as the orgasm overtook her quickly. He watched her for a moment, delighting in her wild abandon as she rode him. When he couldn’t hold back anymore, he released himself, his heat spilling into her as it had so many times over the last week. He called out to her and she met him where he lay, kissing his lips hungrily and cutting off his cries with her mouth.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. They held onto each other for dear life, riding wave after wave of pleasure until their bodies finally tired. Cambria collapsed on top of him, her body damp, breath coming in quick gasps as she fought to catch her breath. Egan wrapped his arms tightly around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, tangled up in him. She didn’t bother to move off of him, and Egan delighted in the feel of her heat surrounding him as they both began drifting towards sleep.
Egan reached over and pulled the other sleeping bag on top of them, protecting them both from the cold that would seep into the tent as the night wore on. Cambria nuzzled his neck and her breathing slowed along with her heartbeat. Her voice was soft as she whispered to him an instant before she fell asleep. Egan could’ve sworn she said I love you.
***
The sky was starting to brighten with the first light of day when Egan quietly let himself out of the tent and headed down the trail. Cambria was sleeping peacefully and he didn’t want to wake her. He gave one last look at the campsite as it disappeared behind him. With any luck, he would make good time and be back by midafternoon.
He jogged where he could, enjoying the feel of his muscles as they stretched out beneath him. After so many solid days of rain and spending so much time in the cramped tent, Egan’s body was stiff and a little sore. Each step felt better and the miles passed quickly beneath his feet.
Going into town had the advantage of also being mostly downhill, which made the journey faster. He made it to the road much faster than he thought he would. But he still had almost two miles to go before he got to town. The rental car they’d left behind was gone, either stolen by someone who saw an opportunity or towed away after being abandoned. Egan was pleased that whoever had found it didn’t think to look for them in the woods, instead making the logical assumption that they’d hitchhiked their way back into town.
Egan decided to jog his way into town, saving as much time as possible on the downhill portions of his trek so that he would return to Cambria sooner. Already, he missed her horribly and wished he’d brought her with him. It was dangerous and there was the possibility that someone would see her, but something in the back of his mind told him it didn’t matter. He should have brought her anyway.
He was tempted to turn around and go back when the town came into view. He was so close, and would be in and out of the convenience store at the edge of town in no time if he just hurried. Then he could get back to Cambria and the anxiety he felt leaving her behind would be gone. The door chimed as Egan opened it, announcing his presence to the loan cashier at the front counter.
They greeted each other and Egan made a beeline for the camping section. As much as Cambria had complained about the MREs, they were the best source of sustenance in their current situation and traveled well. Like her, he couldn’t wait to get home and have a hot meal. But that would have to wait. He dug his cell phone out, turning it on and slipping it into his pocket while it booted up. On the shelf was a solar powered phone charger. Egan put it into his basket, along with the food and the rest of the items on the list.
He strolled to the perishable foods, grabbing a few things to take back to Cambria. He wanted to celebrate with her, though what he wasn’t sure. She’d opened up so much since he’d first found her, and he was looking forward to getting to know her more and more as she shook off the weight of her past and found herself within all of the lies she’d been told over the years.
Grabbing a few chocolate bars and a two premade deli sandwiches wrapped in paper, he looked around to see if there was anything else that caught his eye. The sun was warm today, but the air still held a chill from the night before. If he packed the perishable food at the bottom of his bag it would stay cold until he returned, and they could enjoy a meal that wasn’t freeze-dried.
The phone buzzed in his pocket, signaling that he had multiple missed calls and text messages. He was pulling his phone out of his pocket when the clerk came around the corner of the aisle.
“Have we met before?” the man asked. His brow was furrowed and Egan could tell the man was wracking his brain, trying to figure out how he they might know each other.
“No. I’m not from around here.”
“No, I’m sure of it. I’ve seen your face before.”
Egan almost laughed. He hadn’t shaved in a week and he imagined that most disheveled long-term hikers started looking the same after a while.
The clerk snapped his fingers and his eyes lit up. “I’ve got it! Your brother is looking for you. He was here yesterday afternoon and I saw him showing your picture around at the diner down the road. Oh man, you should call him. He’s really worried.”
Egan didn’t doubt that, but he wondered why Sable would come looking for him. “Was he alone?”
“Yeah. He said you and your sister disappeared and he was looking for you both.”
Egan thought that that was strange, and wondered why Sable would leave his wife and child behind to look for Egan. “I’ll call him now. Thank you.”
Egan pulled out his phone, rolling his eyes at the massive number of texts and voicemails he’d received. Almost all of them were from Sabl
e. He dialed the phone and Sable picked up on the first right.
“Hey it’s Egan.”
“Holy shit Egan, where are you?”
“In the woods. I wanted to tell you, but she was in danger and I needed some time to think. Where are you? I need to explain the situation with Grace. She didn’t have any part in it and I don’t want her going to jail. Is that why you’re here looking for me?”
“Where? I’m at our home in Florida. I haven’t left because I was hoping you would turn up and I didn’t want to leave you behind.”
“No, this guy is telling me that my brother was here looking for me. Did you send someone?”
“Of course not. I knew you were after your fated mate. I wish you’d come to me for help, but I knew that you would figure it out. Where are you?”
“The Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma. Hold on.”
Egan motioned to the clerk, who had gone back to his counter when Egan called his brother. “Did that man tell you his name?”
“Oh yes. Hold on, he gave me his phone number too. I almost didn’t take it, but he was pretty adamant.” The clerk fished his wallet out of his pocket and searched through the jumble of wadded papers and folded business cards. “Here it is.” He handed the card over to Egan, who scanned it for a moment before reality dawned on him. It was Tom.
“Egan what’s going on?” Sable asked in his ear.
“Did any of Laskin’s men escape?”
“Yes, two of them, but we don’t know who they are for certain. Grace said there was a man named Tom that kidnapped her, but she didn’t know if that was his real name.”
“It is. At least it’s the name he gave to the man at this store.”
“Just take the girl and run then. Come home and we’ll fix this.”
“I can’t. I left her in the woods for her own safety. I have to go. I have to figure out where Tom is and stop him.”
“Hold on. Grace wants to talk to you.”
Egan groaned. He apologized to the clerk, leaving the basket behind and heading out the door and back up the road.
Grace’s voice was soft and ragged when she got on the line. “Egan. You have to save her. This man Tom, he’s Satan himself in the flesh. If you don’t get to her before he does, there’s no telling what he’ll do to her.”
“I will. Grace, she’s so sorry for what happened.”
“Tell her not to be. I know she had no choice and she was scared. She’s young, practically a child. I didn’t expect her to stand up to all those people and put her own life in danger. No one blames her. Egan, find her and bring her back home. We’ll figure everything else out together.”
Egan thanked her and hung up. He was nearly to the trailhead, but part of him wondered if it was too late. Tom was in town the day before, looking for them. Could he have found her already? Egan hoped not. The refuge was vast, but only a small portion of it was completely off-limits to the public. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is exactly where Egan and Cambria would have gone.
When Egan reached the tree line, he took off at a fast pace, pushing his body up the hill and onto the outcropping of boulders. Just over a week before, he and Cambria had stood in this very place, but it seemed like an eternity had passed. His body screamed in pain as he shifted, pushing himself to transform as quickly as possible. His clothes tore and fell to the ground beneath him, though his pack remained on his back. As soon as he completed the shift, he took off into the forest at full-speed. His massive paws tore up the distance, bounding up steep hill and over boulders and streams more quickly than his human body could have.
But his progress was still infuriatingly slow and he couldn’t help but think that it was already too late.
CHAPTER 12
Cambria spread the last of their clothes on a rock, looking around the campsite and admiring her work. She was starting to get the hang of this mountain woman thing, working through supplies and cleaning every scrap of clothing she’d found. Only the clothes she was wearing were left, but she’d only put those on a few hours ago when she’d woken up long after Egan had left for town, and they were still clean.
Still, it had been awhile since the sun was out for so long and so warm against her skin. It could start raining again tonight and who knew when she would get another chance like this. Throwing caution to the wind and feeling a bit giddy, she stripped out of her clothes and set them on an unused rock new the streams edge. The stream moved quickly here, the water rushing down the hill so quickly that Cambria had yet to notice any fish or other wildlife trying to swim in its rapid current.
At only a foot or two in depth, it was enough for her to get clean without worrying about being swept downstream to the waterfall that spilled over the edge and into the valley. She tested the water with the tip of her toes, shivering when the cold crept up her foot and ankle. It was bearable, but Cambria would definitely say it was brisk. She decided to go for it, stepping in and sitting quickly before she changed her mind. The water came up just over her breasts and was much colder than Cambria had first thought. She squealed in delight then laughed at the childlike outburst.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so free.
Cambria dipped her hands into the water, scooping up a small handful of sand and working it over her skin. They hadn’t brought soap of any kind, and Cambria longed for the coconut scented shampoo from their last hotel. But the sand was doing its work, scrubbing the dirt and grime from her work around the campsite away. She dipped her head back, soaking her hair before using the sand again, using it to scrub her scalp clean before dipping her entire head back into the water. She used her fingers to work the tiny granules out of her hair.
Cambria was shocked by how clean she felt already, but she was loath to get out of the water. Her body had grown used to the temperature, and the water rushing around her was invigorating. She found herself lost in thought, amazed by how much her life had changed so quickly. Cambria wouldn’t admit it to Egan, but she was falling in love with him. If she was honest with herself, it had started on the drive from Florida to Oklahoma, though she couldn’t pinpoint the exact time.
At some point, she’d gone from wanting to get away from him as quickly as possible to enjoying his company. Maybe that wasn’t how most people defined love, but for Cambria, it was better than any relationship she’d ever been in.
Her hair was starting to dry and her skin was wrinkling when she finally dragged herself out of the stream and onto the rock where she’d left her cloths. The flat boulder was sun-warmed, the wind crisp but not chilly. Her skin dried quickly and she began dressing slowly. She had just pulled her pants on when she heard a rustling down the trail. Running her fingers through her hair to quickly work out the tangles, she watched the trail with a smile on her face. Egan was back so soon, though she really had no idea what time he’d left. She’d been fast asleep.
When he stepped from the trees she waved. “Hey! I’m glad you’re here already!” she called, jumping up and picking her way around the rocky trail in her bare feet.
He looked up and Cambria froze.
It wasn’t Egan. Her heart stopped and her body screamed at her to run when she looked into Tom’s familiar face. She weighed her options, wondering how quickly she could get down into the valley when she saw the gun in his hand.
“Cambria, it’s so good to see you. I was worried about you.”
He smiled warmly, but the expression never reached his eyes. There was nothing genuine about him in any way, but there was something more. The Tom she knew had been self-centered and egotistical, but Cambria saw something else that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Tom closed the distance between them and Cambria stood her ground, hoping that Egan was somewhere, lurking in the shadows and ready to spring into action at any moment. Tom kept the gun trained on her even though his smile remained.
Cambria’s mouth was dry and she had to swallow twice before she could speak. “Put the gun away,
Tom. He’s not here.”
Tom blinked at her and looked down into his hand. He seemed surprised to see the gun there and quickly put it in the holster. He took in her bare feet, her wet hair and the campsite around them.
“Where are your shoes?” he asked, as if that was the most pressing matter.
“I was bathing. I’m here alone, Tom. I’ve been hiding here all week, trying to lose him so I could get back to the compound.”
Tom nodded, as if that made all the sense in the world. Cambria wracked her brain, trying to remember if Egan had left anything of his behind to give her away. Aside from his clothes, which looked exactly like hers, just bigger, there was nothing that screamed Egan in the campsite.
“He’s close, Cammy. We have to leave.”
Cammy? Cambria shook her head. Tom seemed off, and she wasn’t about to go anywhere with him. “I’m fine on my own. There’s no one here but me. And you, but you’re the first person I’ve seen in a long time.”
He pulled the gun out again, his eyes wide and his expression frantic. “No!” he shouted at her. “We have to leave now. We’re all that’s left and we have to rebuild the army.” He was pointing the gun at her stomach, his hand trembling almost imperceptibly.
Cambria put her hands up. “Okay. It’s okay. Let me get my things and we’ll go.” She plastered a glowing smile on her face and hoped he believed her when she said, “I’m so happy you came for me. I thought I’d been forgotten.”
“You should have known that I would never let you go, Cammy. I’ve been searching for you since the day after the battle. It took so long, but I finally found you.”
“How did you know where to look in the woods?” she asked. She was killing time, hoping that Egan would show up any minute and rescued her.
“It was easy. I checked the roster for campers. When I didn’t see you on there, I knew you would go where no one was allowed. I found a place on the map that looked like a place I would set up a long-term camp and I started hiking.”
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