Rhea blew out a breath and started down the narrow strip of blacktop, going back to the loop she’d been walking for the past hour. Through the town she felt oddly protective of. Maybe it was because this is where she really found herself. Discovered who and what she was.
Or at least finally admitted it.
Christine’s small cottage at the edge of town came into view. The peace and calm radiating from the small, wood-sided home enveloped her, slowing her pace as she soaked it in. As Rhea got closer the front door opened. Christine stared out at her, eyes soft, with a gentle smile on her face. “How about you take a break.” She tipped her head back, motioning into her house. “I have a batch of fresh tea.”
Rhea moved her tongue around the dryness of her mouth. Three laps around town in the heat was starting to take its toll. She paused, contemplating the prospect of sitting down with a woman who knew the things Christine knew. Like her future.
“Okay.” Rhea stepped up the sidewalk, hiding the hesitancy she felt. “That sounds good.”
Christine stepped aside and let her pass into the house. “I figured you’d be tired from walking all over the place.” She closed the door and led the way to her dining room table. She directed Rhea to sit as she grabbed two tall glasses of tea from the kitchen counter, handing one to Rhea and sitting down with the other. “I started this on your second pass.”
“Thank you.” Rhea took the glass and sipped at the chilled drink, downing a good portion before setting it on the table. “I guess I was thirstier than I realized.”
“I figured as much.” Christine leaned back in her chair. “How are you doing?”
Rhea shrugged. “I don’t even know.”
Christine sat quietly. Her face a serene mix of understanding and knowledge.
Knowledge she once offered to Rhea. Slowly Rhea reached across the table letting her fingers move toward Christine’s.
Christine grasped her hand and held it firmly between both of hers. Rhea held her breath, expecting Christine to close her eyes or do whatever seers do when they read people.
She smiled and squeezed her palms around Rhea’s. “I don’t need to see anything. Everything has already been put in motion.”
Rhea swallowed around the lump parked in her throat. She came here for help. Christine could give it to her. Tell her what to do to make Hagen come back. “I don’t want it to have started.” She yanked her hand from between Christine’s. “I want it to stop. I want it to go back to the way it was.”
Christine shook her head. “It’s too late.” Her head tipped up as Rhea jumped up from her chair. “Hagen made decisions he has to see through.”
“What about my decisions? This is my life. Don’t I have a choice?” Rhea couldn’t stop the frustration from bleeding into her words. The sound of her voice bounced off the walls of Christine’s house. “I need him.”
The admission was painful but not as agonizing as the realization she could be living without him. The thought seized her chest, stealing her breath, crushing her lungs.
Christine stood. “This isn’t about what you need Rhea.” She looked solemn. “This isn’t about you at all.”
Like hell it wasn’t. Rhea straightened her back in defiance. “I have to go.”
She turned and ran. It was rude. It was ungraceful. It was completely necessary.
Because it was time to make shit happen. Christine might be able to sit around and see the future.
Rhea was going to grab it by the horns and show it who the boss was. Do what needed to be done to make the future what it needed to be.
Christine was half-right. This wasn’t just about her. This was about a hundred other people who deserved a happier life. And she would help give it to them.
And then she would get her own.
This was her fucking life and she was in control of what happened in it. If Hagen thought he could just run away and hide without having to face her like a man then he had another thought coming. Tonight she’d save his town and tomorrow...
She was coming for him.
22
“Why aren’t you guys ready?” Rhea stared at the group sitting around Gail’s kitchen table. “We are supposed to leave in fifteen minutes.”
Chauncey waved her off. “Calm down Rhea. It’s not like we’re going to see anything anyway.” He bit into a cookie and continued to talk around the mouthful. “If I hadn’t already canceled the bus we wouldn’t be wasting our time.”
“What?” Rhea looked around the table. “You were on board just a few hours ago.”
Heath and his buddies avoided her gaze. Her eyes zeroed in on their guilt-stricken faces. “If you don’t want to go out with us, then don’t go.” She looked at Chauncey and Stewart. “I’m going out and I’m pretty damn sure Lance will go with me.” She grabbed a cookie off the tray in the middle of the table. “I don’t give a shit what you two do.”
She marched from the kitchen and into the entryway, nearly colliding with Lance. He jumped back just in time to avoid knocking the cookie against Rhea’s lips down her throat. His big hands grabbed her elbows, steadying her. “You okay?”
He smiled down at her, thick dimples slashing into his five o’clock shadow covered cheeks. “Sorry. I was coming to see where everyone was.”
“So you’re still going?” Rhea didn’t immediately twist free from his grip, relieved Lance was as on board as she hoped he would be. “Everyone else is in the kitchen dragging their feet.”
“You guys ready?”
Rhea turned to find Jerrik standing in the doorway to the B&B. He eyed Lance’s hands on her arms. She smiled at him. “Yup. I think there might only be a few of us.”
Jerrik shrugged, his eyes still fixed where Lance’s hands held onto her. “Doesn’t matter to me how many of you come.” He slowly turned his icy glare to Lance’s face. “I can handle all of you with one hand tied behind my back.”
Lance’s mouth tugged into a smile as his hold on her stayed firm. “That’s a pretty bold claim.”
Jerrik seemed nonchalant even though his eyes bored into the spot where Lance’s hands met her body. “It’s not a claim. It’s the truth.”
Slowly Lance’s fingers uncurled from her arms. The men continued to stare at each other as Chauncey’s brother tipped his head back defiantly. “Let’s get going then. See just how much truth we can find out.”
“Jesus Christ.” Rhea huffed out her aggravation. “I can’t believe I want to deal with this shit the rest of my life.”
She hurried down the hall past Jerrik, bumping him forcefully as she past, knocking him out of her way. She grabbed her bag off the curb and loaded it into the worn pickup sitting in front of the bed and breakfast assuming it was Jerrik’s. She jumped in the front seat. Everyone else could ride in the back today. She needed a little time to talk with Jerrik before their adventure.
“Holy shit.” Rhea almost jumped back out of the cab. A giant man sat in the driver’s seat staring at her. Even with his shaggy hair and even shaggier beard it was easy to identify who the half-crazed looking mountain man was.
“Bigger and Scarier.”
He cocked one eyebrow at her. “Than what?”
She clutched her chest as her heart continued to pound from the surprise of finding the truck already occupied. “Hagen.”
The big man stared at her a moment. His light eyes were a cloudy blue. Like Hagen’s only tinted with sorrow and pain. Like the energy he tried to hold tight.
“I know who you are and I know what you can do.” He turned away from her and hooked his hand over the steering wheel. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t do it on me.”
Rhea pulled back, giving him a nod. “I’ll do my best.”
“Fair enough.” He looked up in the rear view mirror. “Looks like we’re getting ready to go.”
Rhea turned to look behind her. Chauncey, Lance and Stewart loaded a few bags into the back of the truck while Jerrik stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed, still glaring at Lance. It
made her smile a little bit.
Jerrik needed someone who liked to aggravate him.
“You think this’ll work?” Magni looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he continued to face out the windshield.
She nodded, sitting up straight in her seat as Jerrik climbed in the back of the truck and pulled the tailgate closed.
“I think it has to.”
****
Hagen stood outside the cabin, staring down through the forest, arms crossed over his chest, scowling.
He could feel her coming.
And damned if he didn’t like knowing she was trying to find him.
His scowl deepened. Rhea should have left when he gave her the chance. Gone back home to LA with Stewart. Probably moved to New York. Met a nice man who wore suits and shiny shoes.
The beast inside him growled in protest.
“Shut up.”
Hagen sat down on the cabin’s porch. She was making him crazy. First letting his beast roam free all night, now talking to it. Like it had any say in what he did.
His whole life was spent keeping his beast carefully restrained. Pushing it down deep inside where it couldn’t ruin his life anymore than it had.
Then she came along.
For once in his life, he and his beast wanted the same thing.
Rhea.
She was his. Theirs.
Hagen leaned forward, elbows on knees, head in hands and took a deep breath. He had to fix what he’d done. He had to go to her. Beg her forgiveness.
If Rhea was willing to give him the chance he’d spend the rest of his days proving what she was to him.
Hagen heard the low rumble of his uncle’s truck far in the distance. He could smell the excitement on the wind as the air rustled the trees around the tiny cabin.
It was amazing how easy it was to let the beast in when it suited him. Much easier than putting him back to bed. Especially when it knew Rhea was out there. Doing what needed to be done. What he should be doing.
Hagen stood, staring down the mountain, listening to anything he could pick up from the group venturing out below. He couldn’t make Rhea do this on her own. His beast wouldn’t let her.
Not after seeing what could happen.
He should be there to protect her.
Always.
Hagen turned and went in the cabin to get ready.
These would be the last minutes Rhea questioned what he was willing to do for her.
****
“Don’t stop filming.” Rhea leaned into Stewart’s side as he strapped on his camera. She caught the desperation in her voice and checked it. “I don’t want all this to be for nothing so we can’t afford to miss anything.” She strapped on her own shoulder harness and fitted her camera onto the base. The mic Heath sent was already attached to the top. “We need every sound, every movement.” She looked at Stewart. “Everything.”
Stewart grasped her arms. “Listen Re-Re. I know you feel like you saw some shit out here but...” His voice trailed off as he looked away.
“I’m not crazy.” She adjusted the strap of her small, cross-body bag. “I know what I saw.”
“Crazy is the wrong word.” Stewart reached out and picked off a tiny bug crawling along her ribbed tank top. “You’re under a lot of pressure right now to perform.”
“I don’t need Cialis.” Rhea batted at his hand as it went for another gnat. “This film needs to happen. This is important.”
Stewart yanked his hand back as one of her slaps made contact. “Chauncey is going to work with you again no matter what.” He rubbed at the back of the swatted hand. “And just for that I’m gonna let you get West Nile virus.”
She rolled her eyes and started to walk away. “Those aren’t even mosquitoes.”
Lance wiggled into his backpack, hurrying through what remained of the clearing Magni parked in to catch up with her. “I was thinking I could stick with you.” He bounced the pack into place. “You seem to be interesting to the beast.”
“I don’t know that I’d say that.” Rhea passed Jerrik as he and Magni spoke quietly just before the wall of trees.
“You’re coming with me.” Jerrik grabbed Lance by the arm, stopping him from following Rhea into the woods.
Rhea stopped, tipping her head back in frustration. There wasn’t time for this. It was already getting dark and she had a feeling Chauncey’s generous spirit was waning. She poked her head back out of the thick line of brush. “It’s fine.” She stared long and hard at Jerrik. “You stay with them. I’m sure Lance and I will be just fine.”
Chauncey pointed at Magni. “What about him?”
Magni looked up from the cigarette he was lighting behind a cupped hand. “I look like a fucking tour guide to you?”
Chauncey looked Hagen’s uncle up and down. “You look like you live out here.”
Rhea held back a smile. She had to give it to Chauncey. The guy had balls. So far he’d managed to hold his own with Hagen, Jerrik and Magni, in spite of their size and attitude. She glanced Lance’s direction. He was probably the reason. Nothing like brotherly love to toughen a man up.
Lance looked at Chauncey more like a proud papa than an older, dominating brother though. All along she assumed Chauncey was out to prove something to his father. Show his rich dad he was worth something. Now she wasn’t so sure.
Maybe he was just trying to make his brother proud.
Rhea groaned inwardly. As if she needed more of a reason to make tonight a success. Now she fucking wanted it for Chauncey too.
“Come on.” She grabbed Lance by the shirt sleeve and drug him into the tree line with her. Chauncey’s older brother was sort of starting to grow on her too. He was an interesting mix of charm and abrasion. Handsome. Well-built. And an absolute pain in the ass.
And tonight he would be her pain in the ass. “Let’s go find a Bigfoot.”
She almost choked on the word. It made her want to laugh. It made her want to cry.
It made her want to kick something.
“You really think it exists?” Lance’s voice was low as he scanned the rapidly darkening woods around them. The heavy shadows made the planes of his face look almost sinister as they walked deeper into the woods.
The air around them was heavy. Darker than it should be.
Something didn’t feel right. Rhea opened up, letting in more than she normally would, trying to decipher where the feeling of unease came from.
They should go back. Maybe tomorrow would be better. Rhea looked around, suddenly panicked for a reason she couldn’t identify.
What was happening?
Rhea braced against a tree, leaning back and closing her eyes as she tried to slow her breathing. Her head was cloudy as she was hit from all angles by conflicting emotions. Chauncey’s embarrassment and frustration. Jerrik’s agitation. Lance’s determination. Magni’s sadness.
She leaned forward, rubbing her temples, trying to separate the lines of energy as they bombarded her. The air around her vibrated, making her sick to her stomach. Her skin crawled with the energy as her body let it in, let it soak into her veins, rushing through her flesh like a current along a wire.
“What’s wrong with her?” She heard Jerrik’s voice beside her as she fought to open her eyes.
“Re-Re?” Stewart was close, shaking her.
She forced her lids to separate. “Something’s wrong. We need to go.”
“Holy shit.”
Her stomach dropped at the sound of Chauncey’s voice.
A light flashed beside her as a loud bang cut through the quiet night then everything went silent for a long second.
This was what was wrong. It was Chauncey. His energy was the one she was overwhelmed by. Because his plan tonight was a devastating one.
Jerrik grabbed the gun from Chauncey’s hand. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Chauncey stood wide-eyed. “I thought this was why we were here?” He looked around the group, his brow furrowed in honest confusion. “Are we
hunting Bigfoot or not?”
Rhea reached out, using her senses to check on Magni, make sure he was okay.
It wasn’t Magni she found.
Her stomach dropped.
She needed to get away from the group and she needed to get away now. Rhea pushed at the group’s already heightened aggression adding to it.
Jerrik turned to Lance. “What the fuck is wrong with your brother?”
Lance shoved at Jerrik. “Don’t make me kick your ass deputy.”
Jerrik immediately tackled Lance. It was the distraction she needed.
Her feet moved as fast as she could make them through the woods. Scrappy trees caught her clothes and hair as she ran toward Chauncey’s target. Nothing mattered if she couldn’t get there in time.
Rhea’s ankle twisted as she stepped on a protruding root. She ignored the pain and pushed on, closing the gap between her and the only thing that mattered. She felt Hagen’s energy waning, dipping low as she neared.
Her skin went cold as she dropped to her knees at his side. Blood seeped from a wound in his chest, spilling out over his skin, matting in the soft blonde hair covering his chest. A halo of shed fur surrounded him. He gasped for air as he looked up at her. “Rh—”
He coughed, a tiny bit of blood tinting his full lips.
“No.” She shook her head as tears burned her eyes, burned her skin. “No.”
This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t what was supposed to be. “You can’t leave me.” She sucked in a breath as his hand reached up to cup her face.
“I’m sorry.” The words were barely a whisper as his eyes started to flutter.
Her mind raced. She had to get him to the hospital. They could fix this. It’s what her parent’s built their life on. Healing people. It’s what she tried to build hers on until her gifts got in the way.
Her gifts.
That was it.
This was what her gift actually was meant for.
She was on the right path from the beginning. Just not headed in the right direction.
Rhea put her hand over Hagen’s heaving chest and focused, pushing all her energy to that spot until she felt the heat collecting. She pushed it into him, easing it over the gunshot, the same way she did with Jerrik, only this time it was with purpose and intent.
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