But still… a trap? That didn’t make her feel much better. She realized that with all of her running from danger, she hadn’t had to experience the Aberrant’s wrath face to face and that was definitely going to change.
They drove along in silence once again, Bradley having turned down the radio until was a barely perceptible buzz in the background. Jaelle kept her eyes glued to the window, but the forest whipping by outside didn’t look any out of the ordinary.
But then, they reached it.
Sure enough, a giant oak had been felled, blocking all of the lanes so no car had a hope of getting across. It would take all of the Hunters and her in large forms to drag it out of the way. Not a bad way for the Aberrant to buy himself some extra time, she had to admit.
Bradley pulled up until they were a few feet away before slowing to a full stop. Jaelle noticed he didn’t put the car into park, which she assumed was in case they needed to make a quick getaway. No wonder he had a knack for surviving set ups. It was clear he always had his mind ready for the what-ifs.
The leader of the Hunters picked up the walkie again. “Dannon, what do you smell?”
A new voice came over the line, one that was both low and measured. “This wasn’t done by any Shifter. I smell oil, and smoke from gears grinding together, and human sweat.”
“A human did this? Could it just be an illegal logger, or even some sort of prankster?”
“I know you think I’m pretty amazing, but I can’t smell that, Bradley.”
“Right. Sorry. We need to be careful, so let’s not go about this willy nilly. We’ll have a few of us scout the area to make sure there’s no obvious traps.”
Jaelle was only half-listening, her head turned toward the trees in the hopes that she could find some minute detail the Hunter’s hadn’t seen yet to prove her loyalty to them.
But really, there was just a bunch of trees. And more tress. And then some fallen branches, and then more trees.
Actually… shouldn’t there be wildlife? Sure, they were on a two-lane road and most of the animals would have learned to avoid it except in desperate circumstances, but there should have at least been birds or squirrels gleefully flitting about. Even a fallen tree wasn’t enough to completely clear out a chunk of forest.
But an Aberrant was.
Narrowing her gaze, she pressed her face as close to the window as she could.
“Mike, Creed, we’ll handle the hea—”
Then she saw it, two circles suddenly illuminating just beyond the edge of the forest line, barreling through a line of bushes and heading straight toward them.
“C-car!” she blurted, unable to think of anything else as the front end of a vehicle accelerated ever closer.
One moment Bradley was talking, the next the oncoming car slammed into them so hard the Jeep began to flip. Jaelle could feel their momentum taking then in that direction and she knew that was the last thing she wanted. Thinking quick, she started to shift into what she hoped was a rhinoceros as quickly as she could.
The sudden weight did the trick, with the Jeep’s left side wheels setting back down, causing the car to skid instead of throwing itself head over hood. She returned back to her human form – lest she crush the Hunter across from her – holding on for dear life until they finally stopped.
There was maybe one moment of peace as they all tried to figure out what happened. But before any of them could really recover, someone was jumping out of whatever had hit them and clambering up the log.
Jaelle’s head spun and her hands went to her temples, trying to steady it. Looking to the completely crumpled car wall beside her, there was something familiar about the scene. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, she realized exactly what she was recognizing – a scent. A very particular scent that spoke of nights in front of the television, curled up in a blanket with cups of irish coffee in hand.
“Listen here you sonsofbitches! I know you have her in one of your little prison towns so you’re going to take me there.” He fired several shots into the air and suddenly everything clicked. “So, come out nice and slow. See if you can Shift yourself out of a gunshot wound.”
David! How had he found her?
Several low growls sounded around her. “Wait!” she sputtered. “I know him!”
Bradley’s head whipped back, his lips pulled back in a snarl. “You know this jackass?”
“Yeah,” she said, grinning uneasily. “That’s David.”
“Who’s Davi- Your boyfriend? This is your human boyfriend that you told about the Shifter world!?”
“Yup.”
“Does he have a death wish? And how the hell did he know where we would be?”
“Um, I dunno, but it would probably be a good idea if I got out of the car and asked him.”
“Give me one reason why I don’t hop out and teach him a lesson.”
“One, I wouldn’t like that very much. Two, this is probably a good time to mention he’s won a whole lot of rodeo competitions in both horseback riding and marksmanship.”
“Of course, he has. Fine. Get out before he makes a mistake.”
Jaelle didn’t need to be told twice. Since her door was practically inversed, she squeezed out of the shattered window and out onto the hood of the truck he had rammed into them with. Where the farmhand had gotten another truck, she had no idea, but it was definitely just as big and hardy as the last one.
“David!” she cried. “David, it’s me! Don’t shoot!”
He looked less than convinced. “How do I know you’re not some Shifter with her face?”
Jaelle rolled her eyes and slid to the ground, crossing her arms as she did. “Only Aberrants can do that, numbskull. Now put the gun down before you go from Clint Easterwood to bear food real quick.”
“Jaelle! How the hell are you with these guys?” Thankfully, the barrel of the gun went down and he was scurrying down the log. “Do they have you prisoner or something? Am I going to need to take them down?”
“No! No shooting. I’m fine and here of my kinda own free will.”
He finally reached her and pulled her into the tightest, fiercest hug she had ever felt. She relaxed into his hold, letting her form melt to his. Emotions came rushing up to her and her throat grew scratchy with held back tears. Relief at seeing him again, sorrow from all the death she had seen, and the utter certainty that she would never see him again slowly draining away.
“You okay?” He asked, running a finger through her thick curls.
“I am now. How did you find me?”
There was the screeching sound of a busted door being opened. “Yeah, how did you find us?”
“That’s for me to know and you to never find out.”
“David…” she murmured in a low tone, nudging him. “These are our allies now. Try to be a little polite.”
“These guys? The ones who have been hunting you since you were a kid?”
“Well these men weren’t specifically the ones who chased me down when I was younger. But yes, basically. It’s complicated.” He gave her a look and she did her best to bat her eyelids at him. “How about you put your guard down and let us explain things. A lot has changed.”
“Fine,” he said, narrowing his eyes but keeping his arms on her protectively. “I’ll try to keep an open mind.”
“First things first,” Bradley grumbled, walking closer but still stopping a safe distance away. “Let’s get that damned log out of the road.”
“I’ve got my chainsaw and fuel in the truck. Give me about thirty minutes, and I can cut it into smaller chunks you animal people can move out of the way.”
“Animal people?”
“What, is that offensive? Fine, Shifters.”
Jaelle patted him on the arm, giving Bradley a look that begged him to stand down. “Why don’t you go do that, babe?”
He glared at Bradley and the other Hunters beginning to exit from their cars, but walked to the truck. As he went, Jaelle couldn’t help but heave a sigh.
Whether it was one of relief, or one of worry about what was to come, she wasn’t sure. Either way, it was certainly going to be an interesting journey to take down the Aberrant.
Chapter Six: Unreasonable Reactions to Inexplicable Explanations
“So, you’re telling me, after torturing her basically her whole life, killing her mother, capturing her and slating her for death, you had the gall to ask Jaelle for her help to save your sorry asses?”
“David,” Jaelle murmured again. “We just finished moving the tree that you felled. Could you not start a fight instantly?”
Well, that wasn’t entirely correct. They had moved the tree, started up their cars to move them to the side of the road, then all got out to set up a bonfire while they took a meal break and give David the explanation he was demanding. Jaelle could sense that some of the hunters were resenting him for slowing them down even further, but she couldn’t blame her partner for needing to understand why she was doing what she was doing.
“Look, I’m trying to keep an open mind about all this, but they literally were going to kill you. How can you be so fine with working with them now? Especially with the fact that, if y’all win, they’re going to kill you as thanks?”
“That part’s not necessarily concrete.” Bradley interjected.
David was unimpressed. “Give me a reason, Jaelle.” He said, looking to her beseechingly. “Give me a single reason why I should trust these assholes and let you go with them?”
“One, you don’t let me do anything, and you know that. Secondly, it’s not about trusting them, David. You didn’t see what that Aberrant did to the town. He ripped people limb from limb, slit throats, eviscerated men and women alike. If there had been more children, I’m sure he would have slaughtered them just as gleefully. I have to stop him.”
“But why? Why you?”
“Because, right now, I’m the only person in the entire world that he feels a connection to. I’ve survived meeting him multiple times. I am the tipping point and I can’t keep running from this.”
“So what, you’re trying to tell me this is some kind of destiny thing?”
“Maybe. I don’t really know. All I know is that if I want other children who are born like me to live beyond their teens, I need to stop him. I need to prove that Aberrants aren’t necessarily ticking time bombs. That we don’t deserve a death sentence right off the bat.”
“I don’t understand how that’s something you need to prove and not a matter of course! Don’t kill kids, no matter what their genetics might dictate!”
Jaelle could only shrug. “Shifters have a complicated set of beliefs. Changing them will take a lot of work.”
“Fine. So, we’re on the same team now. Not my favorite match up, but I get it. Necessary evil and all that.”
“Whoa,” one of the Hunters that she didn’t know interrupted. “Who said you were going to be a part of this? We let you live after you brandished your gun around like an idiot, but that doesn’t mean we’re letting you tag along for the ride.”
“Yes, it does,” David answered, steel in his voice.
Jaelle could feel all the men tensing around her, so she figured now was when she needed to take the reins. “Guys, I’m aware that you don’t know me and in most of your eyes I’m scum, but David needs to come along. For multiple reasons.”
“Such as?” Bradley asked. His tone was friendly enough, but there something hard in the stares he kept sending to the human. Perhaps it was because David was the first human he talked to who knew what he really was. Maybe it was something else. Either way, it made Jaelle nervous.
“First of all, a lot of you guys are worried about how to control me. What better way than to have a human that I care about in your ranks? Consider him a sort of security blanket, to keep me in line if I get rowdy.
“Secondly, you guys keep letting the Aberrant slip through your fingers because you rely almost entirely on Shifter techniques. I can tell you all have pieces on you, but I’ve never smelled discharge or gunpowder on any of you. How often do you use them? I’m willing to bet hardly ever.
“Bringing in an actual marksman will a new element that the Aberrant isn’t used to. One that he’s definitely not planning on.”
Bradley looked surprised at her solid line of reasoning. “Valid.” He cleared his throat and stood. “He’s coming with us.”
A few Hunters opened their mouth as if they were going to object, but Bradley turned to give them a look that Jaelle could only guess was utterly scathing because they piped down real quick.
“We should get going in the next few minutes then,” David said, standing up and grabbing his chainsaw from where he had set it on the ground.
“Not so fast. I’d like to know how you were able to set all this up.”
“That part was easy. After Jaelle and I parted ways I was gonna head toward the boat drop-off like she asked me to, but then I realized there was no way in hell I was going to leave her behind. So instead, I hiked my way to the nearest road and hitched my way back to civilization. Took me a bit to get the supplies I needed, but then it was so sweat to call back Jaelle’s old boss back in Braywire and get the info from your cars. From there, I asked my daddy to call in a favor with his friends and the next thing you know, I’m getting recognized every time you pass through a toll.”
“Impressive,” Bradley admitted. “But that doesn’t explain how you got here. The last toll is at least a couple hours’ drive from here and there are a lot of different ways that road forks.”
“Yeah, I might have had help on that part.”
Jaelle recognized his tone and groaned. “Him again?”
He nodded. “‘Fraid so.”
“Who’s him? Let’s not play the vague pronoun game when time is of the essence.”
“The Aberrant. He helped David find me before, and apparently he did it again.”
“Told me that you guys had her holed up in some sort of off-the-grid town. Said y’all were going to kill her.”
“And that was it?”
“Yeah.”
“So the rest was all you?”
“He didn’t tell me how to get there before disappearing, so I had to improvise. Figured you guys would leave after dropping her off, I’d catch you, and I’d make you take me back.”
“Really? That was your grand plan? One human against a whole group of trained Shifters?”
“Well… I also might have laced the road with explosives.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, I should probably pick those up before we leave.”
“Since when do you know about laying explosives?”
“I’ve cleared enough stumps in my day to know the basics, and for everything else there’s the internet.”
“Oh. Well. Yeah, I would get on that.”
Bradley was shaking his head. “You two are something else. You know that?”
David turned and was wearing a smile that she had never seen on him before. It was almost… predatory. “You don’t even know. And by the way, Jaelle’s riding with me.”
“What? No. There’s no way I’m agreeing to that. What’s going to stop you from pulling away at any moment?”
“What’s to stop you from trying to kill me at any moment?” Jaelle said, standing up, as well. “Look, if we’re going to be working together, we’re going to need a modicum of trust between us. So, Bradley, that means you let me ride with David for a bit, then as we get closer I can ride with you when it’s needed. David, you stop acting all hyper-macho and threatening unless someone threatens us, okay?”
The farmland looked from her to the strapping Hunters surrounding them. “Deal,” he said, offering his hand to Bradley.
“Deal,” the Hunter leader repeated, shaking on it, much to Jaelle’s relief. She couldn’t believe it. If a couple of weeks ago someone had told her that an Aberrant, a human and a group of Hunters would all be working together, she would have told them that they were insane.
&nb
sp; “I’ll go pull back my truck from your Jeep. I’ve got some duct tape and sheet plastic in the back so we can cover your window.”
“And why do you have that?”
He shrugged. “Didn’t know if I’d have to hide any bodies.”
Bradley gave him a double take at that but Jaelle just laughed wildly. Although she had never seen David like this, and she was aware that they had strayed into some very dark humor, she wasn’t exactly opposed to his demeanor. In fact, it was making a certain heat pool in her center. One that hadn’t been satisfied since she’d seen him last, and she had certainly been through enough to need to blow off a little steam…
Stop that, she reminded herself. Now was not the right moment. Besides, she didn’t need all the Hunters around her smelling how hot she was getting for the human. There was a time and a place for everything, after all.
“Right, well. Glad you won’t be using that the way you intended.”
“Yet.”
“All right, David! Very good. Let’s go patch up that window, okay?”
“Sure. Whatever you say.”
They walked off, hand in hand, and Jaelle heaved a sigh of relief. Sure, everything had gotten a lot more complicated, but it was amazing not to be alone. Even if she was on friendly terms with Bradley, that didn’t mean she implicitly trusted him. Just more of… didn’t distrust him as much as she did the others. Because no matter how much they joked around or bantered back in forth, these were still the men who had probably contributed to the deaths of dozens of her kind.
They reached the car and David lead her around the back, setting his chainsaw inside the half-uncovered bed. As soon as the mechanical blade was set down, he whirled to her, gripping her arms in his hands and yanking her to him.
Before she could even draw in a breath, his lips crashed to hers.
How did he always know exactly what she needed? She pressed herself to him, her mouth responding to him with all the desperation and happiness she felt within her. The kiss was intense, the kind that usually preluded a frantic romp that would leave both of them exhausted and covered in sweat.
The Aberrants Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 16