Kaitlyn’s birth father could be an ancient. Chayton dropped his head as the irony smacked his ego. No braid hung down his back and his scalp felt like an air conditioner blew across it constantly. Most of the time he didn’t notice he was a natasla, baldhead, because his thoughts were wrapped around a redhead.
He’d been such an ass. Not only did she have the bloodline of an ancient, but she’d saved his mangled hide, defunct shifting and everything.
“I fucked up so bad.”
“We all do at some point.” Des said, his tone sympathetic. He rose and walked out the door, barefoot, onto the damp deck.
Chayton followed. “I cursed having her as my destined mate.”
“That was your mother’s thinking. Proud to the bone of her heritage, and mine.” He chuckled softly. “If I succumbed to that line of thinking, I would’ve turned feral long ago. I slept my way through every ancient female I could find. No mate. Decades passed and my envy grew of those who found their mates among humans. Once your mother crossed my path, I didn’t care if she had the bloodline of a gnat, I wanted my mate.”
“Thanks for making me feel like shit, Ahte.”
Des clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll pass your Sioux blood down to your young no matter what. I’m more worried all your ina’s native knowledge will be lost.”
“Never.” A lump formed in Chayton’s throat. “She taught me everything and I remember it all.”
“Good. Good. Perhaps, your mate will enjoy learning.”
Would Kaitlyn allow him to teach her his traditions? Tika probably knew them all, but she held no appeal for Chayton.
***
“You sure you want to tackle the roads?” Tawny peered outside between the blinds. “The sun’s been out enough to melt the roads, but it’s still cold enough to turn it into a sheet of ice.”
“I’ll drive slow.” Kaitlyn finished brushing her hair. Choosing a French braid, she started weaving the plait into her long hair. It was second nature after having worn it secured back nearly every day. She contemplated cutting it, and just like that, a scarred and bald shifter came to mind.
Tawny glanced over her shoulder. “You’re thinking about him again.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
Being stranded with Tawny had been just the vacation Kaitlyn had needed. A sister. Kaitlyn and her best friend, Cassie, had bonded like sisters when she was fostered by Kaitlyn’s aunt and uncle. Kaitlyn hadn’t dared hope the same would happen with Tawny.
Turned out the girl was just as desperate for someone who understood what it was like to be the progeny of Cian. Tawny had the gift of knowing who her father was her whole life, but it wasn’t roses and lollipops.
“I can’t believe he hasn’t even called you.” Her sister left the window to drape herself on the seat next to Kaitlyn.
“It’s better that he hasn’t.” Hadn’t even tried. No text, nothing. Argh. She should hate him, not fall into mournful longing whenever he crossed her mind.
“Sucks, though.” Tawny tucked a short lock behind her ear. “Why don’t you hack your hair off? It has to be a pain to braid every day.”
“Short hair can get in my eyes, and if I trim it, part of it escapes when I tie it back.”
“What if a bad guy grabs it?”
Kaitlyn smirked and her sister looked away. Tawny could ignore being destined to be a Guardian, but she couldn’t escape her fighting instincts. Maybe she’d come around.
“I can tuck the tail back up and secure it if I’m worried, otherwise I’ll just hack it off.”
“Midfight?”
Kaitlyn snatched a knife from her ankle holster. Tawny’s eyes widened as she tried to follow the sudden movement to where the blade rested next to Kaitlyn’s partial braid. It wasn’t shock that filled her gaze, but pure interest.
She’d come around. Kaitlyn knew the drive to protect and defend with no outlet. It’s not a craving that would be satisfied until she was strapped with deadly metal ready to kick down the door of an abusive shifter.
“You can come with me back to the lodge, check the place out.” Kaitlyn finished her hair and tied it off. “Cian doesn’t control you, and now he knows about me, so maybe he’ll feel differently anyway.”
Tawny’s expression waffled between running to her room and packing or planting her butt firmly on the chair. Kaitlyn rooted for having company for the treacherous drive home, and to have her sister enter training.
Resignation won. Kaitlyn silently cursed.
“There’s still my mom to think about.” A muscle twitched in Tawny’s jaw as she glared at the door. “She won’t give up on Cian when he’s given up on her. It kills her every time he lures a female out to spend time with him.”
Ugh. Was that Kaitlyn’s future—living in the forest and luring sex partners out?
“I’d better go.” She stood and grabbed her pack.
Tawny rose to embrace her.
Kaitlyn clutched her sister. She needed the life raft. “Thank you so much.” Hell, tears burned to escape.
Tawny sniffled. “Thank you for finding me. Keep in touch.”
“You’re welcome to visit any time.” Please.
“We could meet in Freemont, have a girl’s weekend. Bring this Cassie you told me about, who kept you out of trouble.”
Kaitlyn snorted. “She didn’t keep me out of it, she kept me from getting caught.” With a grin, she broke away. Outside, she stepped gingerly over the ice to the SUV.
Time to go back to normal life.
Chapter Twelve
She should’ve stayed in Valley Moon. Lord, the roads were as slick as a hockey rink.
Creeping along the highway at twenty-five miles per hour meant she’d reach Freemont in an hour. Darkness approached and fluffy snowflakes hit the windshield with increasing frequency. Snow on top of ice in the dark while in the middle of the country, not a good combination.
Kaitlyn’s alarm flared each time she thought the back wheels hinted at a fishtail. She hadn’t thrown it in four-wheel drive yet. Four-wheel slide, her dad had always said.
What would Cian say? Four feet are better than wheels?
Crappy driving conditions meant Kaitlyn had a lot of time to ponder the new people in her life, and the person who’d left her.
Before she had left Spirit Moon, she’d checked on him. It was disconcerting to see his scars in such contrast to the gray pallor of his skin. Tika talked incessantly about how well she cared for Chayton, and Kaitlyn had left mid-sentence.
She flipped the wipers on and eased up on the gas pedal. Any slower and she might as well walk.
A brief sensation of weightlessness, then the vehicle drifted into the other lane. Kaitlyn let off the gas completely and turned the wheel in the direction she wanted to go. She hit a patch of dry pavement and jerked back into her lane, only to slide on another icy section. She couldn’t correct in time and the SUV skidded into the ditch. Punching the gas and hitting the four-wheel drive button, she tried to plow out of the deep snow. Progress slowed until the wheels spun.
Motherfucker!
Kaitlyn slapped the wheel, but had to back off before she ripped it out. She threw the gearshift in reverse and slowly pressed the gas. The vehicle jerked, followed by the sound of wheels spinning. Put the gearshift in drive. Wheels spun. Reverse. No luck. Drive. Nothing.
She sighed. At least she’d get a workout shoveling.
Climbing out, she sunk into knee-deep snow. She tromped around to the back and lifted the hatch. The shovel lay on top as if it had known she’d need it.
Before she began, she called the commander and explained her situation. “So, I’m gonna be late.”
“Get yourself out, get to town, and get a room. The snow won’t quit until morning. Our roads are plugged and there’s no rush for you to get back.”
“Got it, sir.”
At least two hours of hard shoveling had passed when her phone chimed. A surge of hope went through her that it might be Chayton. What wo
uld she say? Act neutral, pissed, or cool?
She wiped off her sweaty brow and pulled out her phone. Waylon?
“Hey, Guardian.” His rough voice was a welcome balm to her ragged ego. “Whatcha doing tonight?”
She rested an arm on the shovel and held the phone to her ear with the other hand. Her shirt had been more than enough to keep the chill away while shoveling, but with fresh snow falling on her and her sweat evaporating, the cold was nipping at her exposed skin.
“I’m digging myself out of a ditch.”
He chuckled. “Sounds like a killer of a night. Need me to help you warm up when you’re done?”
A booty call. She kicked at the tire she’d been unburying. “I need a place to stay tonight that’s not a dive.” If I can make it to town and not camp out here. “Where do you think I should go, the Freemont Inn?”
His voice dropped low. “I think you should cross the river and stay with me.”
She didn’t reply, but thought hard about her answer. Would she turn Waylon away forever and explain why, or would she move on with her life like Chayton was going to do with Tika?
“I need a roof over my head tonight, nothing else. It’s been a shitty couple of weeks.”
“Come on over, Kaitlyn.” Waylon’s tone turned serious instead of flirty. “Save your money and come hang out. I’ve got leftover Chinese.”
Laughter bubbled up. She’d never been to his place. They’d always met at Pale Moonlight to meet their needs, but he was an incorrigible bachelor who worked all the time. When he wasn’t working, he trolled the clubs for willing bodies. She doubted he had time to cook a meal or decorate his pad.
Money wasn’t an issue, but her inner rebel encouraged her. “Text me your address and I’ll roll in as soon as I can roll out of the snowbank.”
She disconnected and put her phone away. Why did she feel guilty? She needed a place to stay and she didn’t plan on getting any action. Waylon was a friend first, bed buddy second. She was taking a friend up on an offer. Why’d it feel so wrong?
***
More snow. Any wind and it’d turn into an iwoblu.
Chayton spun away from the window. His ahte was out running and Chayton should’ve gone with him. Staying behind was supposed to be for thinking about what he was going to say to Tika. Everything sounded lame and he was more worried about Mato. Would he blow? Now that Tika was an adult, would he not care? Would Mato kick Des out of the colony, along with him?
Would they release him from the bond in the first place?
He eyed the phone he held. Kaitlyn’s number was punched in; he just needed to hit send.
He tapped the green button and ignored the somersault in his gut.
She answered with a wary, “Hello.”
“You okay?”
Her sigh of resignation cleaved through him. “Yeah, I am.”
“Are you still in Valley Moon?”
“No, I left yesterday and made it to West Creek. I’ll try to make it to the lodge today, but I think the snow will clog the route for at least another day. I don’t feel like digging myself out again.”
“Again. You went off the road?”
Before she could answer a male voice cut through the line. “Kaitlyn, want to grab some lunch before you head out?”
Chayton’s fist’s clenched. His phone gave under his grip. It’d crumple if he didn’t ease up. “Who. The fuck. Is that?”
“I stayed at a friend’s house last night.”
His head threatened to explode. “Waylon.” His voice bounced off the kitchen walls.
“Yes, but we didn’t—” She made a disgusted sound. “You know what, it’s none of your damn business. You chose Tika for your mate instead of me.”
When her words registered, he stilled with shock. “You knew that we were supposed to be mates?”
“Of course. I’m a shifter. Regardless of what you think of me, I function like one.”
“And you didn’t say anything?” He shouldn’t feel a sense of betrayal, but that didn’t stop it.
“You made it obvious you didn’t want me by the way you treated me.” Her voice rose louder with each sentence. “You could’ve cut the bullshit, showed me some respect, and told me why. Instead you used it as an excuse to demean me. I wasn’t good enough for you.”
He opened his mouth to defend his actions, but she was absolutely right. The fact should’ve made him apologetic, but his mating instinct overrode good sense. “Did you fuck him?”
“Oh my god, Chayton. It’s none of your business. When I left Spirit Moon, you were in Tika’s bed, so fuck off.”
She disconnected.
She was with a male. And she’d spent the night with him.
He slammed his phone down, otherwise he’d whip it at the wall. He flung his head back and he roared. Rage echoed off the walls.
When he was done, he was still alone, and still sworn to Tika. Eya! Kaitlyn could move on, so could he.
Chapter Thirteen
Tika opened the door with a surprised smile. “Hey, Chay. I didn’t know you were coming to town.”
She blinked at his glare. Chayton dragged in a breath to soften his gaze. He’d made himself wait a full twenty-four hours to approach Tika. Acting rash in the face of extreme emotion hadn’t benefitted him in the past. “I thought we could talk.”
“About?” She stepped aside to let him in.
“Us.” Closing the door behind him, he considered his words. “What are you going to do if you meet your mate after we’ve bonded?”
“It seems really unlikely I’ll meet him when I don’t leave the village.” She ran a hand through her long hair, a frown on her face, her eyes pensive.
She wasn’t confident about committing to the eternity of a bond.
“Why haven’t you told your parents you don’t want to bond with me?” Was there a way out of this?
“I do want to be with you.” She fiddled with the ends of her hair. “But maybe we don’t have to bond fully. Like when I meet my mate, we can go our separate ways.”
“Are you kidding?”
She rested her fists on her hips. “You swore yourself to me. I’m the only surviving child of this colony’s leader.”
“And?”
He was rewarded with a duh look.
“And you have the honor of protecting me so I can assume the leadership position.”
Physically recoiling, he shook his head. “A leader shouldn’t have to be protected. She should be able to handle herself in a fight.”
She kicked her chin up. “I can.”
He didn’t know how to reply without bringing her to a fight involving Kaitlyn. Or hell, any other female that belonged to the West Creek Guardian pack. But he didn’t have to reply.
Glass shattered as a body rolled through the picture window. Tika screamed and thrust her hands up. The fall of glass slowed. The shifter who surged through the window halted midroll. So, Tika did have a power, and thankfully, it was useless on Chayton. He charged the male just as her ability wore off.
He tackled the male shifter. A knife aimed for his gut. Chayton wrenched his arm to the side and cracked it against the couch. Bone crunched and the male yelped.
Chayton sensed another intruder. He strained to look over his shoulder for Tika. Two more males were charging her. She stood frozen with fear.
“Tika,” Chayton roared. “Move.”
A fist slammed into his jaw. He flew back. The male he’d been fighting jumped on him, pinning him down. One of the other attackers dove in to help.
“Help, Chayton!”
Chayton gritted his teeth as he fended off fists and knees. Silver glinted. Chayton let go of one attacker and yanked the wrist holding the knife down and to the side. Bone yielded as it snapped. He released and jammed his elbow into another male’s nose. They must’ve thought that because they had him on the ground, they had the advantage.
A blow nailed him in the gut, forcing the air from his lungs. Chayton jerked his knees up an
d used one leg to wrap around a male neck. The shifter fought and beat at Chayton’s legs. Chayton squeezed harder. He slapped away a lamp swinging toward him. Tika screamed. He smelled her blood in the air.
Enough playing around. He twisted his whole body, releasing the shifter only to stomp him in the face. Both he and the other male dove for one of the knives laying on the floor. Chayton beat him to it and rammed it to the hilt in the male’s chest. Bonus. He hit the heart and the male dropped. He drew his gun and shot the first male in the head.
Spinning around, he found the third male was gone. Tika lay on the floor gripping her side. Blood seeped through her fingers. A gray pallor tinted her skin; she gasped for breath. Her mouth was moving, but he couldn’t hear. Sinking to his knees, he focused on her mouth.
“S-s-silver.”
Sweet mother. Ripping open the pouch on his belt, he snagged his salt packets and emptied them onto her wound. She hissed.
Not enough.
He jumped up and ran to the kitchen. Cabinet doors were flung open, the contents sifted through. He ignored what fell to the floor, interested in only the one ingredient.
“Come on, Tika. Every proper shifter has a ton of salt.” The only thing that can offset silver toxicity should never be in short supply.
Finally! He gathered the container and a cup he filled with water. As he ran back to Tika, he poured salt into the water. Not ideal, but if she hadn’t been shanked with a big dose, home brew saline was best.
She teetered on consciousness and her hand had fallen limp to her side, revealing a gaping wound. He overturned the contents of the glass directly on it. Tika moaned in pain, but was too weak to fight against it.
Nothing more could be done for her and there was more to take care of.
The two intruders hadn’t yet healed. The one with a knife sticking out of his heart wouldn’t begin healing until it was out, the blade suspending in him stasis. Handy. Chayton would wait to remove it. Odds were fifty-fifty for the guy with a hole in his head. Sometimes recovery was fast.
Instead of securing them with cuffs, he plunged a knife into the second shifter’s heart. He’d pull them out when he had time to interrogate them.
Ancient Ties (Pale Moonlight (Wolf Shifters Romance) Book 2) Page 13