“You say it as if I don’t want to know.” Linda helped him place the harness safely on the sled and then they went around to talk to Gina and Joaquin.
“You probably don’t.” Craig looked concerned which made Linda worry. He was good at hiding his emotions so if Craig was worried then it must be bad.
“Tell us anyway,” Joaquin said.
“There is a section of the mountains surrounding Bear Creek that is inhospitable. Most hikers avoid it. Only a few solitary shifters venture there when they want time alone.” He raked his hand through his hair. “If I’m right we have at least another two days out here.”
“That’s not so bad,” Gina said through chattering teeth. “I can survive for a couple more days.”
“The problem is, if I’m right, we’re in a kind of a bowl.” Craig cupped his hands together and Linda immediately saw the problem.
“We have to climb out of the bowl.” She turned away for a moment and covered her mouth with her hand. This was not the news any of them needed to hear.
“Is there no way a rescue party might find us?” Joaquin asked. “There must be people out looking for us.”
“I’m sure there are. But if the pilot didn’t log a flight plan and there is no beacon on the plane, then we are like a needle in a haystack.” Craig’s words were like a slap in the face.
“I never thought about there being a beacon,” Linda admitted.
Craig shrugged. “I rummaged through what was left of the plane and never found one.”
“Maybe it fell out and a search party would at least have a ball park area to search in.” Joaquin was grasping at a hope Linda didn’t share.
Linda shook her head. “The pilot didn’t want us found. He knew the plane was going down, so I doubt there ever was a flight plan or a beacon.” She looked up at the high peaks surrounding them and hugged herself. “We’re on our own.”
“Then you go on without me.” Joaquin’s voice was firm. “I can’t climb out of here. But the three of you can. You are in much better shape.”
“We’re not leaving you behind,” Gina insisted.
“What if I refuse to go?” Joaquin asked.
“If you refuse, then I pick you up, put you over my shoulder, and carry you.” Craig’s voice and expression were firm. “We leave no man, or woman, behind.”
“You think you can do that?” Joaquin asked angrily but he was in no shape to argue.
“Yes.” Craig pulled his shoulders back and flexed his muscles. “You hired me to protect you and that’s what I intend to do.”
“You’re fired.” Joaquin wasn’t joking, Craig had injured Joaquin’s pride in front of the woman he loved. He was not ready to take this news lying down, but as he struggled to sit up his face paled and he slumped backward.
“Joaquin!” Gina turned on her side and placed her hands on his shoulders.
“You are all better off without me,” Joaquin insisted.
“Linda, Craig, could you give me and Joaquin a few moments alone, please?” Gina’s cheeks flushed pink as she looked at her friend.
“Okay.” Linda glanced at Craig, who raised his eyebrow at her. “We’ll take a look around and try to find somewhere for us to spend the night.”
“I thought we were going to stay under this overhang.” Craig looked around the sheltered area they had discovered as they edged their way down a particularly steep slope.
“We might. Or we might find somewhere better.” Linda inclined her head away from the sled and widened her eyes.
Craig frowned and then his eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, good idea.”
Linda shook her head and walked away. Craig followed. They didn’t speak as they left the shelter of the overhang. The snow was falling heavier. It drifted lazily on the air and landed in their hair and clung to their eyelashes. “This worries me.”
Craig trudged along by her side. “It gives us some cover, though.”
“The eagle can sense us, surely.” She turned to look at him, but he was obscured by the falling snow.
“Not if we find a nice warm den to hole up in.” Craig looked skyward, although he wouldn’t be able to see anything in the thickening snow. “I can’t sense him now.”
“Do you think he’s gone?” Linda pushed her own senses out to their limits but couldn’t locate anything but Craig. Maybe she consumed his senses in the same way he consumed hers. He overwhelmed her with his presence.
“Probably. He must realize we would stop for the night. He also has a bird’s-eye view of where we are headed. It wouldn’t take him long to pick up our trail in the morning.” Worry filled his voice. “Joaquin’s right, we should leave him behind.”
Linda jerked her head around. “You’d leave him here to die?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“You said we should…” She stalled. “But we won’t.”
“There is a difference between what we should do and what we are willing to do. I’m not leaving him. If being around Gina wasn’t so dangerous I’d tell you to take her and go on alone. But I can’t bear for you to be out of my sight.” Craig stopped in his tracks.
“What is it?” Linda asked, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she peered into the gathering gloom.
“A rabbit.”
“A rabbit?” Linda asked in surprise. Then her bear brain took over and excitement coursed through her.
“We could start a fire and roast it…” Before Craig had finished talking Linda had shifted into her bear and was on the trail of the rabbit. “Hey…”
The air filled with static electricity as Craig’s bear emerged and ran after her through the stubby trees that lined the edge of the valley. Thrilled to be on a hunt with her mate, she ran at full speed, knowing they had no chance of catching the rabbit, but thrilled to be on the chase anyway. They skidded in unison around a large rock, just in time to see the rabbit’s fluffy tail bobbing along as it ran away from them.
Her feet slipped in the snow as she tried to propel herself forward. Digging her back feet into the ground, she leaped over a fallen log and landed in a snowdrift that all but covered her whole. If a bear could laugh, she would be rolling around on the ground right now as she floundered around trying to find the way out of the pit she’d fallen in. As her feet finally found hard ground and she dragged herself out of the snow pit, she looked up to see Craig’s bear looking down at her and she swore he was grinning.
Climbing out of the pit, she shook herself and sent snow flying in every direction. It was soon lost in the heavy snow falling from the snow-laden skies. Soon their tracks would be covered, but their senses would allow them to find their way back to the sled. But not yet, Gina and Joaquin needed some time alone. She suspected Gina was about to break the news to Joaquin that she was pregnant with his child in the hope that would give him the drive to survive, the drive to accept help, even at the expense of his pride.
Maybe they should be making the most of this time alone, too.
Although the thought of someone or something out there watching them was a little off-putting. A search for a cave might just have jumped to the top of her list. Somewhere nice and warm where they could spend a little alone time snuggled together.
Her bear shook her head, she wanted to hunt another rabbit. And this time catch it.
Craig nudged her shoulder and rubbed his head along her neck before striding off across the snow. With a sigh, Linda followed.
The two bears skirted along the edge of the valley, keeping the stumpy trees to their left. Craig had one eye and ear on the trees, the other on the rocky side of the mountain that rose up above them. From here they could watch for rabbits, look for a cave, and keep out of sight of any bird that might be out there spying on them. Although, Linda hadn’t sensed the eagle in the sky since they found the rocky overhang.
The rabbits were gone, they must have sensed the presence of two predators, or else the rabbit who had escaped them might have told all his friends and family to sta
y low. Rabbits talked to each other, right?
Linda’s bear was pondering that thought when Craig stopped and turned toward the rock face. Linda drew close and stayed near to his side as he approached the cliff face. Linda peered into the gathering gloom. As she leaned forward she saw what Craig had seen. A cave mouth.
Craig shuffled forward with his snout to the ground. Linda did the same, trying to catch the scent of anything that might be inside the cave, like a large hibernating bear who would not be happy if they disturbed his long winter sleep.
Nothing.
Craig looked at her for confirmation and she nodded. Unless the scent of the bear was completely covered by the snow then the cave was empty.
Great, they had found somewhere to shelter for the night.
But before they went to get the sled, they were going to check it out fully.
Craig went first, alert to every sight and sound around them. They could not afford to take any chances here. There was a possibility this might be an ambush. A slim possibility, but it was safer for them to investigate on their own.
Linda looked over her shoulder, hoping Gina and Joaquin were safe, and that Gina had persuaded Joaquin to fight for his life.
Craig slipped inside the cave while Linda held back, scanning the area outside for any sign of movement. If this was an ambush someone could close the mouth of the cave and leave them to die inside, a much easier way to get rid of their enemy than a face-to-face confrontation and the risk of getting hurt. Once she was certain they were alone, she stepped forward and entered the dry calm of the cave.
“We can spend the night here.” Craig’s voice echoed around the cave and Linda shifted to stand before him.
“It’s a good place, plenty of room, and we should be able to light a fire and keep warm while we cook some of your rations.” She didn’t dare look at him, her thoughts were consumed with the need to be in his arms.
He moved away from her and circled the perimeter of the cave before he began clearing the floor of debris. “There’s some wood here we can use to kindle the fire, then we have the wood on the sled.”
Linda helped pick up some large stones from the edge of the cave and set them down in a circle. Then Craig expertly made a fire out of the kindling, which leaped into flame when he set a match to it. He really was good at this kind of thing.
“You know you’re staring.” He looked up at her quickly and she shrugged, not afraid of being caught in the act.
“I was learning how to light a fire.” She gave him a lopsided smile. “I never went camping or did any of that stuff.”
He suppressed a grin. “And there I was thinking you were staring at me.”
“Sorry if that dents your ego.” Linda moved closer to the fire and held her hands out to it.
“My ego can take it,” Craig replied as he reached out for her hands and closed his fingers around them as if capturing her.
“Should we go and get the others?” she asked, her voice thick with unspoken emotions.
“Maybe give them a little more time.” He pulled her close and kissed her lips. “I have been wanting to do that all day.”
“I’ve been wanting you to do that all day. And more…” She leaned forward and kissed him again, her hands threading around his neck as she pressed her body close to his. “I wish we were out of these mountains and in a nice warm bed.”
“I can keep you warm,” he offered, stroking her cheek with his fingers.
She groaned and pulled back from him as the fire warmed the cave. “I want you. But we need to go and get Gina and Joaquin.”
“Do you think she’s persuaded him to come with us and not try to sacrifice himself for her?” Craig asked as he stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants.
“I hope so. Because I’m not going to let him make any kind of sacrifice unless it’s the only way to save Gina and the baby. A child needs a mother and a father.” Her voice caught in her throat.
“Hey.” He held her close and inhaled her scent before he kissed the top of her head and pulled away from her. Craig picked up another log and put it on the fire. “That should keep the fire burning while we go and get them.”
“Is it safe to leave the fire?” Linda asked.
“Yes. We’ve cleared the area, but even if it did spread, it’s not going to burn down the mountain. However, if it melted all the snow, I would not mind one bit.” He scanned the cave one more time while the flames licked up the sides of the thick log he’d added to the fire. Satisfied it would be okay while they were gone, he led her back into the white swirling snow.
“This sucks,” Linda said as they stumbled forward into the dark.
“It does, but at least we have somewhere dry and warm for the night.” He took a couple of steps forward and then shifted in midair, the words, “I’ll race you,” hung on the falling snow, before he ran off, leaving her alone in the world.
“Not a chance,” she said and then shifted into her bear and ran off after him.
Chapter Fourteen – Craig
He ran like the devil himself was on his heels instead of his mate. But if he didn’t keep running and if he didn’t keep some distance between them then he would drag his mate back to the cave and make love to her and hang the consequences. But those consequences were too great. Linda was right, they had to get Gina and Joaquin and move them to the shelter and warmth of the cave.
Craig followed the route they’d taken to get here but skirted around the trees on the opposite side in the hope of finding a nice juicy rabbit they could roast over the fire. His bear’s mouth watered at the prospect.
Then he stopped dead in his tracks, all thought of rabbits and a warm fire gone as he gazed down at the giant footprint half-covered by snow.
What the hell made that? his bear asked as Linda skidded into him.
Her bear looked confused, but then her eyes widened as she too saw the large footprint in the snow. Not that it looked like a footprint, not a human footprint anyway. Nor a paw print, although it did have claws.
“What is it?” Linda asked as she shifted back to her human form and stepped into the flattened snow where a large creature had stood.
“I have no idea.” Craig shifted and joined her in examining the footprint, although it wasn’t easy with the snow falling so fast. “There’s another one there.”
They shuffled through the deep snow between the footprints then searched the immediate area where they found two more footprints and what looked like a tail print.
“Crap, if this is what is searching for us, we should get undercover fast.” Linda turned to stare in the direction of the sled. “I can’t sense anything out there.”
“This might be what I sensed last night.” Craig recalled the sense of something being out there.
“You didn’t tell me you sensed this.” She pointed back toward the footprints.
“I thought maybe the accident had messed with my senses. I mean I’ve never sensed a thing that wasn’t real. You know, like a bird or a mammal. Never anything like this.” He used his hands to gesture to the flattened area. “There is no animal I know of that has feet this big.”
“No, I agree.” She looked around. “But they’re not here now, so let’s move, get the sled and get inside the cave. Tomorrow we move as fast as we can across the valley floor and the day after that we climb out. If we’re lucky, this thing will leave us alone. Perhaps it’s native to this valley and doesn’t venture any further.”
“Perhaps.” Craig wasn’t convinced, but there was no point discussing it now, they were just wasting time.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Linda admitted. “But I need to hang on to the thought that this thing is not going to hunt us all the way back to Bear Creek.”
“I don’t think it will. If it were that kind of predator then we’d know about them, or there would be reports of lots of people going missing.” Craig turned his back on the footprints. “We deal with what we know.”
“Which is?” Linda aske
d.
“There’s a safe cave with a fire that we have to get Gina and Joaquin inside. We spend the night there warming up and then tomorrow we deal with what’s outside the cave.” He nodded and was about to shift when Linda spoke.
“What if this is why the eagle has gone?” Panic filled her voice, but she pushed it back down.
“That might be true. In which case it’s done us a favor.” Craig shifted and ran off toward the sled with Linda following.
When they reached the sled to find Gina and Joaquin wrapped in each other’s arms, he could sense Linda’s relief. “Did you miss us?” Linda asked.
“No, not really,” Gina answered. “But we could sure do with some heat.”
“I thought you two would generate enough heat to melt all the snow,” Linda teased as she studied Joaquin’s face. “Have you given him a reason to live?”
“She has.” Joaquin leaned forward and kissed Gina on the cheek. “I had no idea.”
“Why would you?” Craig asked. “But these things happen, as your protector I should lecture you on safe sex, but as a bear shifter, making a baby with the woman you love is about as good as it gets.”
“I don’t know what happened because we were practicing safe sex,” Joaquin told Craig. He seemed to have a new source of energy to tap into as he propped himself up on the sled.
“Fate has a way of stepping in,” Linda told them. “Wouldn’t you agree, Craig?”
“I can’t argue with fate.” Craig picked up the harness and put it over his shoulders. “Maybe fate also led me and Linda to a cave where we can spend the night. We lit a fire so it’s nice and toasty.”
“Sounds like heaven. I can’t wait to get off this sled,” Joaquin admitted.
“Once we get you inside we can check your injuries, but you look better already.” Craig took the strain of the sled and with Linda’s help took a couple of steps forward. The sled slid across the snow a little begrudgingly. The fresh fall made it harder going. The snow continued throughout their journey toward the cave. Craig focused on the image in his head of Linda lying naked on the cave floor, her skin glowing in the light of the fire. It might not have happened, it might not be real, but one day it would. One day he would claim her as his mate.
Survivor Bear (Bear Creek Protectors Book 2) Page 10