by Lane, Soraya
CHANGE
by
SORAYA LANE
Copyright © Soraya Lane 2012
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Visit Soraya at her website www.sorayalane.com or on twitter @Soraya_Lane
CHAPTER ONE
Riley King let her head fall against the cool, flat pane of glass. Her skin bumped hard against the window as the car rolled over the thick gravel. She tried to swallow, but her throat was still thick with the tears she’d snuffled back.
She opened her eyes, cringing at the burn as the sun hit her pupils. Riley wished it was raining. The sun had no right to be out.
Her eyes followed the tall trees that lined the driveway, tracking the back and forth sway of the leaves.
“Honey, if you don’t want to stay, we can just turn around.”
Riley listened to her mom but the words passed over her. She didn’t want to talk.
But she did look around. Riley checked the trailer they were pulling. She could make out the faces of both horses through the small window.
“Riley?”
She turned to her mom. Looked at the deep sag under her eyes.
“I’ll be fine, Mom.” It was an effort just to make her tongue trace around each word.
Riley sat up, her back sore from slumping in the seat. They’d been driving for hours.
She’d been here as a girl, but it didn’t feel familiar. The home was timber with a big deck wrapped around it. White shutters were pinned to the windows with flower pots hanging around the door.
Riley could imagine how pretty it was, but it was like her brain had shut off. Ever since Claudia had died… she bit down hard on her lip, pushed the thick black cloud of sadness away.
Since that day, when she’d found her sister, she’d felt dead too. Like her heart had been ripped out and left to burn in the sun.
Without Claudia, it was like half of her own body, her own soul, had been taken too.
That’s why she’d brought Claudia’s horse. It was the only part of her sister she had left. Something Claudia had loved that she needed to care for, to be close to. It had been her only condition on coming here. If she could bring the horses, they could leave her anywhere.
“There she is.”
Riley followed her mom’s eyes. She could see the taut line of her mom’s mouth, see the tense hold of her hands on the wheel.
She watched as a woman walked slowly down the porch steps. Her hair hung in a thick black braid, wisps escaping around her face, tiny strands of grey only obvious once they pulled up next to the house.
She was beautiful.
“Hasn’t aged a day in the last decade,” her mom muttered.
Riley swung her door open and let her boots fall to the ground. She was pleased to see her gran wasn’t all dressed up. Her mom had tried to get her to make more of an effort, but Riley had worn what she was comfortable in. Faded jeans, white tank, steel capped boots. As if she’d want to wear pretty dresses and make-up now.
Her gran smiled, her face kind. Riley fought the urge to flee into her arms.
“Riley.” She opened her arms wide. “It’s so good to see you.”
She let her gran hold her, didn’t resist.
Riley listened to her mom walk closer, heels crunching on the gravel. Her grandma stiffened and released her.
“Hello, my dear.”
Riley watched the awkward exchange between them. They hugged, but at a distance.
She listened to the horses moving in the trailer and her grandma seemed to sense the problem without her having to find the words.
“Unload them here. I’ll help you take them to the field.”
Riley nodded and walked around to open the side door of the trailer. She inhaled the sweet, familiar scent of horse sweat. It made her throat choke up again. Claudia usually opened the side door and she let down the back ramp.
“You ready?”
Her grandma’s voice pulled her from the trance.
“Yeah.” She wished her voice wasn’t so strained. It sounded like she had a sore throat.
She stood in the trailer with the horses and backed them off. “I didn’t know you were good with horses.”
She received a wink back. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, girl.”
The horses walked calmly beside her, despite the new surrounds. They led them through the gate, before unclipping their ropes. Riley leaned against the fence, watched as they trotted around, ears pricked, tails swishing.
“I’m glad you came, Riley.”
An arm slung around her shoulders. It was like a weight had been taken off. Like a softness was swaying over her, helping her, healing her.
“Me too,” she rasped.
“Ah, maybe we should get your things inside?” Her mom’s voice cut through the air.
“Come on, let’s get you settled so your mother can get back to the city.”
Riley almost laughed. Her mom might have grown up in the country, but she sure didn’t like it anymore.
She relaxed into her grandma as they walked back to the house. Maybe coming here had been the best thing she’d ever said yes to.
“Honey, are you sure?”
Riley was doing her best to be patient but her mom wasn’t making it easy. She counted to three in her mind, forcing a smile.
“I’ll be fine, Mom.” She did the pretend smile again, even though acting happy made her ache inside. “I’m going to be just fine.”
Her mom didn’t look convinced.
“I’ll take good care of her, Sarah. You don’t have to worry about us.”
Riley watched her mom fidget. “Honey?”
Riley steered her back to the car. “I’ll call you every day, I promise.”
Her mom hugged her and she returned it. “I’m just going to hang out, go riding, try to deal with stuff.”
Riley could feel the warmth of her grandma’s body as she moved close.
Riley stood, watching, her eyes following the path of the car and trailer as her mom finally drove down the drive.
She didn’t feel anything. No sadness at seeing her go, no relief at being here, nothing. Except that familiar emptiness that had nagged at her like a hungry stomach for the last few weeks.
“Riley?”
She closed her eyes, listened to her grandma’s voice.
Her grandma placed a hand on each of her arms, squeezed while searching her face, then drew her in close. Held her tight. Riley tried to push her away but she couldn’t. She started to cry, sobbed like she’d never let anyone hear her cry before.
Her body started to shake. Long, aching gasps poured from her. She couldn’t help it. The tighter she was held the more she wanted to cry. Like every last tear was trying to escape from her eyes.
“Let it out, sweetheart. Let it all out.”
Riley was beyond exhausted. Her body shuddered as she gulped back air.
“You need to trust me, Riley. You’re going to heal here. I promise.”
For some reason, Riley believed her.
“And honey?”
She pushed back to look at her grandma. Felt a calmness wash over her as green eyes the same as hers watched her back.
“Don’t be calling me grandma, okay?” She laughed and dropped a kiss to Riley’s head. “I’m Sophia to everyone else around here, you included.”
“Sophia.” Riley repeated, liked the gentle way it rolled from her tongue.
“Come on, love. Let’s get you into bed for a rest. You’re going to need your strength.”
<
br /> Riley wondered what strength she would need, aside from the will to get through each day without her sister, but she was too tired to ask.
CHAPTER TWO
“What do you want to do today?”
Riley looked up at Sophia. She was staring out the kitchen window, hands on the counter, like she was watching something of interest.
Riley had no idea. She didn’t even know what there was to do here. Aside from sleep. But then Sophia was hardly going to let her crawl back into bed for the day.
“Um, I might go for a ride.”
She hadn’t ridden in weeks, but it was about time she got back in the saddle. Might help her clear her head, use up some of the energy that was making her jumpy.
“You need to be careful around here.” Sophia turned back to her now, carrying her cup of coffee over to the table. “Keep your eyes open for wildlife.”
What? “It’s safe though, right?”
Sophia shrugged. “I don’t know about safe, but I’m sure you’ll be careful.”
Riley cracked up. No wonder her mom didn’t get on with her!
“You might come across Hunter though. He’ll be keeping an eye out for you while you’re here.”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Hunter?
Sophia smiled. “Kind of like a son to me. I’ve known him since he was a boy.”
Okay. Adopted son. Sort of.
“How will I know it’s him and not some crazy guy?”
“Believe me Riley, if there are any crazy guys around here, Hunter will keep them away.”
Riley wasn’t sure about the grin on Sophia’s face. It was like she was up to something, like she was keeping some sort of a secret from her. Then again, she hardly knew her. Maybe her imagination was just getting the better of her. Her eyes still felt like they were hanging out, from not sleeping and too many tears falling from them.
“So can I go anywhere?”
She watched as Sophia sipped at her coffee and reached for a cold piece of toast.
“Head down to the beach, the trail leaves from behind the house. Just don’t go on any other tracks into the forest. I’d rather you wait until Hunter can take you through there.”
There went his name again. Riley had a feeling she was going to be seeing a lot of this Hunter guy, whoever he was.
“Sure.”
But she didn’t care enough right now to question her. Riley got up, took her plate and cup to the sink.
“If you don’t see him today, I’d like you to meet him soon. Tonight maybe.”
Riley didn’t want to say no. Sophia was having her to stay, so far she’d been pretty cool, and she was having some sort of healing effect on her. Calming her and keeping her mind off what had happened. For now, anyway.
Ever since she’d sobbed her heart out in front of her, the darkness had stayed away. Teetering around the edges but not coming too close, not suffocating her like it usually did.
“Maybe later on,” she said.
“Have a nice ride.”
Riley smiled back. For the first time since Claudia had passed, she didn’t even have to force it.
Riley didn’t know what was wrong. She’d ridden all her life, had started riding as a little kid, but today she was losing it, could hardly stay in the saddle.
Riley took a few deep breaths and steadied herself. Pushed her heels down, forced her eyes up. It didn’t help that she was leading her sister’s horse.
Before Claudia had died, they’d always ridden together. That was why she had both horses out today.
Just like old times.
But without Claudia.
Tears choked her eyes but Riley pushed through it. Made the horses go faster, tearing down the beach along the wet sand by the water’s edge. She didn’t want to feel today.
The wind in her hair, the way it whipped harshly against her face – yes. The burn of sunlight on her cheeks – sure.
But not the pain. Not the darkness.
Something caught her eye. Something fast. Whirring through her vision.
It looked large. And black.
Shit.
Her horse tensed beneath her and Claudia’s horse pulled hard on the rope she was leading him by.
“Whoa, guys. Whoa now.”
They were both skitterish but they listened. Just. Riley managed to steady them.
She searched the forest with her eyes as they snorted and stomped and did the same. There had been something. She’d hadn’t imagined it. She couldn’t have, could she?
Something was in there. Her eyes weren’t playing tricks. She clamped her jaw shut tight, willed the flutter of worry sending goose pimples up her forearms to go away.
The horses could sense it too; she could feel it in the powerful way they held themselves. Prey animals, ready to flee in the face of danger.
Hadn’t Sophia said something about wildlife? She’d thought maybe bear, but what moved that fast, and was that big, and that black?
She wanted to be sick. Was this punishment for saying she wished she could die too? Because being killed by some sort of super-sized zoo animal was not what she wanted.
No way.
Unless she was actually losing her mind.
“Come on then, let’s go home.” Her intention was to soothe the horses but the tremor in her voice didn’t fool either of them.
She started to turn them both, something she’d never quite gotten the hang of doing in tandem, when a flash of black streaked past again. Then stopped.
Oh, God.
She was panting, her breath coming out in short, sharp bursts. Riley could feel a damp, nervous sweat start to clam across her skin.
The animal was standing so stealthy still that it made Riley’s heart thunder to a standstill. Made her breath halt.
Her entire body froze.
Riley locked eyes with an enormous wild cat. She watched the black feline, its tawny, sleek body moving only with the motion of breathing. Head on an angle. Watching. Listening.
Hunting?
Riley took a deep breath. Hopefully not. Was it a leopard? A panther? Whatever it was it was huge, and looking at her horses like they were on the menu.
Fuck.
“It’s okay.” She tried to calm the horses again but her voice came out as a shallow whisper. “Just a cat. It’s just a cat.”
Only it wasn’t. This was the kind of cat people watched on Animal Planet. In the comfort of their favorite sofa, not so close you could make out every quiver of its body. Every blink. Every hair across its back. Every twitch of his whiskers.
The cat looked interested. More than just inquisitive.
It almost looked… like it recognized her, which was stupid.
But the slow building terror tickling her spine wasn’t, it was deadly accurate. And so was the dry, sandpaper itch of her throat as she tried to swallow back her fear.
Riley fought against the voice in her mind telling her to run and kept her eyes locked on the cat instead. She bit back at the fear, at the terror, and did her best impersonation of brave. The horses were still dancing, but she maintained her stance. As her body started to relax under her command, she was able to look at the creature without anticipating an attack. If it hadn’t happened by now, surely it wasn’t going to pounce without provocation? It didn’t look hungry, but then how the hell would she know?
Riley gulped as the cat slowly turned, eyes dragging from hers at the last moment. It moved carefully through the trees before darting off. Out of sight.
Riley felt it coming before it happened. Before she even had the chance to exhale as the fear she’d been bottling fled her body.
Her horse reared, so high she lost the rope attached to Claudia’s. She leaned forward, kept her seat, but once they’d landed back on all four hooves again she could only watch, helpless, as her sister’s horse bolted off down the beach.
Damn it!
The horse had a good head start and it would take forever to catch up with him.
She dug
her heels in and hurtled full speed down the sand.
If that cat decided to go for them… It could still be watching them, waiting. And she didn’t particularly want to be hanging around if it decided they were its best option for lunch.
There was no way either of her horses could out run a predator like that. She just knew it.
And that meant she wouldn’t stand a chance in hell either.
Riley was still trying to fight the adrenalin hitting her nerves when she arrived back at the house. She was leading both horses. Silly, given the size of the cat she’d seen, but leading them both had seemed like the only sensible option after battling them most of the way back.
She saw Sophia, long hair out and billowing, waiting for them on the veranda. Like she’d known they were coming back at that exact moment.
“Nice ride?” Sophia’s voice carried on the wind to them.
Riley scowled back. “Not really, no.”
Sophia seemed to float down the steps. It only irritated Riley more.
“I see what you mean about the wildlife,” she muttered.
Part of her was seething. Being cool was one thing, but letting her granddaughter out on horseback with those kind of creatures hanging around seemed pretty irresponsible. Even to a seventeen-year-old.
“I take it you saw Hunter.”
The way Sophia smiled only made her want to snap more. Was she purposely talking in riddles? Who the hell was this bloody Hunter anyway? She was in no mood to chat about who she should have seen or how her ride was. What she wanted was answers about what had been stalking her out there!
“No, actually,” she snapped. “I saw a huge black cat…”
“Leopard,” Sophia corrected her. “It would have been a leopard, actually.”
Riley glared at her. “A leopard.” Her tongue curled with anger around the word. “Then I lost one of the horses, and managed to somehow get back here without being eaten.”
“You weren’t in any danger of being eaten.”
Screw this. Sophia was laughing at her like this was some sort of joke.
Riley walked away, she had to. She was getting so angry, so close to snapping like a tightly coiled rubber band that she had to take herself away from the conversation. If she’d known there were leopards out there she would have stayed at home. She was miserable, mourning, not suicidal.