“I always knew my mate would be smart.” His good humor lifted her spirits.
“So we go together.” He nodded in response and she continued, “If we shift we can get down to the tree line in an hour. It might take a couple of hours to get back up here with the wood.”
“A moonlit walk. Are you trying to seduce me?” He arched an eyebrow and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss him or put him in his place with a cutting comment. They might be mates but she wasn’t about to just jump into bed with him.
“How are we going to carry the wood back?” She continued the conversation, keeping it businesslike.
His face grew serious. “I have two suggestions. We can break off a part of the plane to use as a sled, but that would leave us more exposed to the elements. Or we make some kind of sack, or hammock, which we fill with wood and drag behind us.”
“Yeah, I have one of those in my back pocket.” She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out nothing.
“Cute.” He inched closer, his body heat covering her, and she breathed in his scent. Her mouth watered, she’d take Craig over food any day.
“So where do we get this sack from?”
“Well, I figured a plane like this would have a parachute. You know, since not everyone can simply shift into a bird and fly to safety.” Craig shrugged.
“Good thinking. Although I didn’t see anything like that. But then I wasn’t looking. Plummeting to the earth was not on my to-do list for the day.” She inhaled one last incredible time and closed her eyes as a wave of desire swept over her. Then she gathered her senses and said, “Let’s start searching.”
They began at the back of the plane. Each of them scooped out handfuls of snow as they searched for a parachute, or anything else they could make use of. As they worked she was drawn to Craig, it was as if he’d hooked her on a line and was reeling her in.
“Can I help?” Gina asked as Linda brushed past her.
“No, thanks, you need to stay warm.” Linda placed her hand on Gina’s shoulder. “Please. Just stay warm.”
“Impossible,” Gina said through clenched teeth.
“What are you looking for?” Joaquin asked wearily.
“A parachute. Or something that we can use to drag some wood up here.” She stopped searching as she saw Gina’s worried expression.
“You’re leaving us alone?” Gina’s voice trembled.
“We need to get fuel for the fire. It’ll be dark soon and the temperature is already beginning to plummet.” Linda hunkered down and pulled the covers up to Gina’s chin.
“What if you don’t come back?” Gina clutched at Linda’s hand.
“I will. But we need to collect some wood.” Linda nodded reassuringly. “If there was any other way, we wouldn’t go.”
“What if you and Craig just…you know.” Gina’s eyes went wide. “There are wild animals out there. Real wild animals.”
“We’ll be fine. And so will you,” Linda reassured Gina and then glanced at Joaquin in warning. Their eyes locked and she knew he understood her meaning. “You two can look after each other.”
“We’re pretty much useless!” Gina exclaimed.
“Your mouths still work just fine. Perhaps you two could learn to communicate while we’re gone,” Craig suggested from behind her back.
Linda swiveled her head around and glared at him, too, but he didn’t seem to notice. Or was ignoring her, which was completely disrespectful.
“You go.” Joaquin’s voice was weak but firm. “I’ll look after Gina.”
“Oh, you will, will you?” Gina said tartly.
Linda got up to continue her search when Joaquin said, “Try underneath the pilot’s seat.”
“The pilot could fly. Why would he have a parachute under his seat?” Gina asked.
“Because…” Joaquin was cut off by Craig who held the parachute triumphantly in his hand.
“Got it.” Craig nodded toward the slit in the plane. “Let’s go. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
With that he ducked out of the plane and Linda followed. “Are we going to open the parachute up now?”
“No, it’ll be easier to carry like this.” The parachute looked like a normal backpack, the only difference was the cords on the side that indicated to pull them down in a short sharp jerking fashion.
Linda shuddered. “Okay, let’s get this done.”
Craig hooked the parachute over his shoulder and trudged away from the plane. Linda followed. The fading light cast an eerie glow over the mountainside. The steep slopes where the sun had shone so brightly only hours earlier were now covered by long shadows.
“Are you okay?” Craig asked as she lagged behind him. They planned to shift once they got deeper down into the valley but it sure would be an easier journey on four stout legs.
“Do you think he’s out there?” Linda looked up at the high peaks above their heads.
Craig stopped in his tracks and looked around. “The pilot?”
“Yes.” Concern covered her face as she looked back toward the wreckage. From this distance there was no sign of the fire, or that anyone else was left alive in the wreckage.
Craig put his hand on the strap of the parachute and turned a full circle, his eyes scanning the skyline. “To make sure he finished the job.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Linda’s lips formed a thin line as she watched Craig. “If his task was to kill Gina and not just crash the plane…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
Craig turned his attention on Linda. “He might be here waiting for a chance to act.” She nodded, her expression filled with pain. Anguish spread across Craig’s face to see his mate upset. “If we don’t go and get the wood, the cold might finish Gina off instead.”
Linda knew he was right but hated it all the same. “I promised to protect her.”
“And that’s what we’re trying to do. If the eagle is watching, he might assume he did kill Gina…and Joaquin.” Craig looked troubled. “It would help if you told me everything you know.”
“I don’t know much.” Should she hold back and not tell Craig everything? She couldn’t lie to her mate, but she could omit certain details. Only because Gina had told her certain things in confidence.
“Is Gina pregnant?” Craig’s direct question took her by surprise.
“How did you…?” Mistrust covered her face. “Does Joaquin know?”
Was the baby the reason why someone was trying to kill Gina? But how did anyone know? As far as Linda was aware, Gina hadn’t confided in anyone else. Or had she told Chuck? Who might have told Joaquin or his family. Or Harvey.
“She placed her hand over her belly. As if she were trying to protect something…someone.” His eyes narrowed, and his voice deepened. “I am on your side, Linda.”
“You were hired to protect Joaquin. What happens if you have to choose?” Linda asked.
“You or Joaquin.” His breath came out as a cloud of vapor as he huffed. “Do you really need to ask that question?”
Evidently, she did. Yet when she searched inside of herself she already knew the answer. “Trust isn’t a thing that comes easily to me.”
“Apology accepted.”
“It wasn’t a…” She relaxed as his eyes danced merrily. “But it should have been.”
“Very magnanimous of you. And if you really need to hear me say it, then yes, if I had to choose, I would choose you. Every time.” He swept the area once more with his soft brown eyes. “Let’s go. I can’t sense anyone out here.”
“When we shift we might pick something up.” She followed him down the steep slope that led into a shallower valley. Unfortunately, the snow was deeper here and came up above her knees. Were they ever going to catch a break?
Fighting her way through the snow made her muscles ache. There was no way Gina would manage a long journey through deep snow. But how else were they supposed to get down from the mountain? Perhaps a rescue party would come looking for them.
Sh
e took out her cell phone and looked at it longingly. No signal. About what she had expected, but disappointment still flooded through her.
“We might get a signal lower down.” Craig circled around to the edge of the valley as she shoved her phone back in her pocket. “The ground should be firmer here.”
“How do we get Joaquin and Gina down off the mountain?” With a long sigh she waded through the snow, which clung to her clothes, making each step harder.
“I’ve been giving it some thought.” He slowed down and waited for her. “Actually, it was while I was working out how to transport the wood.”
“You want to build a sled.” It was a sensible plan.
“Yes.” He sounded surprised she’d guessed his plan. “We don’t have cutting tools, but my bear claws are sharp and strong. I could cut out a section of the fuselage and we could use the parachute as a harness.” Craig placed his foot down carefully. “There’s rock here. If we can’t build a sled we’re going to need to go slow and make the journey down as easy as possible for them.”
“Or one of us goes on ahead.” She hated the idea, but it might be the most sensible option. Before they left the plane, she thought the cold would be the only danger they faced. Now it was obvious the terrain was inhospitable and unforgiving. Even on four paws this was not going to be easy.
Craig half-turned to face her, his expression hidden in the deepening shadows. “I thought we’d ruled that idea out.”
“We had. Until we came out here.” She shook her head. “What if Gina…”
“Loses the baby?” Craig finished for her.
“I hate this. I hate all of this.” She sounded like a petulant child. “Sorry.” She raked a hand through her hair. “I’ve worked enough jobs to know I’m supposed to stay detached.”
“But Gina is your friend.” Craig reached out for her and she allowed him to pull her into his arms. “This isn’t any other job. Not for you and not for me.”
Nestling against his chest, she allowed herself to be comforted by his presence. Wasn’t this what having a mate was all about?
She didn’t know, not really. All she knew about shifters she’d learned from her grandma. But her grandma wasn’t a shifter herself and so Linda had no idea if those stories were true or simply made up. Her grandma always wanted Linda to feel connected to the shifter world even though she’d lived on the fringes of it her whole life.
Until now. Now she’d been thrown slap bang into the middle of a shifter world and a shifter mystery. Who had paid the eagle to jump out of the plane and leave them to plummet to their deaths? Or had he done it for his own reasons?
Was he the enemy? And was he waiting out there somewhere to finish the job he’d started?
Chapter Eight – Craig
He held her tightly in his arms, never wanting to let her go. Yet he knew they had to move on. The scent of her played across his nostrils and he inhaled deeply, allowing her to pierce his senses and leave him exposed. Exposed to the fear of losing the most precious thing in his life.
Craig ground his molars together and only just stopped himself from growling. A deep, menacing growl that would tell anyone who might hear to back off or they would have a pissed-off bear to deal with.
Okay, so he was way past pissed off, but they would get the picture.
Yes, a picture of a rampaging bear with sharp claws and teeth that can slice through metal. His bear roared inside Craig’s head, which didn’t help his mood.
“Thanks, I needed that.” Linda slipped from his grasp. Had she sensed his change in mood, did he scare her?
“Anytime.” He flexed his jaw and released the tightness.
“We should move on.” She looked above their heads at the steep cliff that shielded them from the higher peaks. “Perhaps this would be a good place to shift.”
Craig nodded, and a thrill of excitement coursed through him. He was about to see his mate in her animal form. It was almost as good as seeing her naked for the first time. Almost, but not quite.
Speak for yourself, his bear replied with excitement.
Craig chuckled as his excitement threatened to spill over. There was something inappropriate about his sense of joy at being out here in the freezing cold with his mate when Gina and Joaquin were in danger. However, the joy of being with his mate was totally appropriate.
Linda gave him a questioning look, as if asking who was going to go first. Then she rolled her eyes and the air shimmered around her and static electricity made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
The woman before him faded from this world. Then an instant later a large creature appeared in her place. Linda’s bear was as incredible as the Amazonian woman who had captured his heart and soul. Larger than any other female bear he’d met, she had a thick, lustrous coat and eyes that shone in the fading light like two stars in the heavens.
His bear nudged his consciousness, telling Craig it was time to let go of his own human form and let the beast free.
Showoff, Craig commented as his bear leaped forward, plowing through the snow as he ran along the side of the valley, heading down toward the tree line at a run.
His bear was too preoccupied by their mate to take offense. Linda’s bear matched him stride for stride. Each time Craig tried to forge ahead she increased her speed.
Snow flew up all around them as if the world had turned on its head. It fell to earth once more in small clumps, as the bears left a trail behind them in the deepening snow. If anyone was out here looking for survivors from the plane, they would only find bear paw prints.
A shiver of fear crept along Craig’s back. What if Linda was right and whoever wanted Gina dead sent out a hitman to finish the job? If they sent a shifter, they could come in any form and take them by surprise.
Linda’s bear nudged his shoulder and he fixed his attention on the tree line which was only a couple of hundred feet away. Craig pushed his senses outward, sweeping the area for any sign of a shifter. Or human. But there was no sign of any life. This was a cold and barren world where food was scarce, and no creature set up home.
There was, however, wood. The trees here were stumpy pines that clung to the mountainside with shallow roots that couldn’t penetrate the hard rock. A storm must have passed through the valley in the last couple of years, leaving upturned trees which lay crisscrossed on the ground.
“Let’s collect as much wood as I can pull in the parachute,” Craig said as he shifted back to his human form and began picking up smaller pieces of wood and setting them down in a pile.
“We can pull it together,” Linda suggested.
“We could.” Craig picked up a thick branch and broke it easily in two. He might have flexed his muscle in an attempt to impress Linda, but she wasn’t paying him any attention.
“But we don’t need that much wood.” Linda threw some thick branches onto the pile.
“Not really. I don’t intend to stay in the plane. We don’t know if the pilot submitted a flight plan so the chances of a rescue party finding us are slim. We also don’t know if he knows we are still alive and has gone to fetch reinforcements.” Craig gathered an armful of wood and walked back to the growing pile.
“What I wouldn’t give to get my hands on that damn pilot.” Linda snapped a long branch in two with enough force to send splinters of wood spraying into the air.
“You’d have to get in line.” Craig looked up at the cliffs around them. He sent out his senses in a sweeping curve. If there was someone out there watching them, they were keeping themselves well hidden. “Gina and Joaquin might have escaped hypothermia, but I have a bad case of paranoia.”
“We should just focus on what we know.” Linda stood with her hands on her hips looking down at the wood. “That’s enough for tonight.”
“Okay, this is the moment of truth, will the parachute work?” Craig placed the pack down on the ground and pulled the cord. “Yes.”
They watched as the parachute appeared as if a magician were pulling it
out of his sleeve in an endless stream of silk. Together they worked to release the fabric and then moved the wood onto it where it lay on the ground.
With some trial and error they managed to fold the fabric over to make it stronger. When they were satisfied it would hold, Craig shifted into his bear and with some effort, and a few curse words, Linda fitted the pack to his back.
“You look like a pack horse.” With one last tug at the harness she shifted into her bear and they began the long climb back up the mountain.
One paw in front of the other, he wore down the distance between them and the plane. It was fully dark by the time they reached Gina and Joaquin and the temperature had dropped significantly.
“We thought you’d kept on going down the mountain,” Gina said as she watched Linda duck down and step inside the plane.
“The thought of hot cocoa and whipped cream nearly made me leave you here. But Craig insisted we come back.” Linda hugged Gina and checked her temperature by pacing her hand on Gina’s forehead. “You don’t feel too cold.”
“Tell that to my toes,” Gina stated before she glanced sideways at Joaquin who had remained quiet.
“How are you doing, Joaquin?” Linda asked as she switched her attention to Joaquin. Even in the dim red glow of the embers of the fire they could see the strain on his pale face.
“Okay.” Joaquin rocked his body forward and back. If Gina had told him about shifters, he didn’t seem to want to talk about it further. Linda was okay with that.
“Let’s get the fire burning and we’ll all feel better.” Linda turned away from Joaquin and began helping Craig pile the wood on the inside of the plane. As she worked, concern played across her face. She cared what happened to Joaquin even though he wasn’t hers to protect.
“He’ll be okay,” Craig told her quietly.
“Can you be so sure?” Linda asked candidly.
“Yes. Because we’re getting off this mountain alive. All of us.” He really needed to stop making promises he couldn’t keep.
“I’ll believe you.” She leaned forward and whispered, “For now.”
Survivor Bear (Bear Creek Protectors Book 2) Page 6