by Bianca D’Arc
Once again, she was taken aback by how huge he was. Big and furry. He looked soft. His longer fur made her want to rub up against him for warmth, which would never do. Not on so short an acquaintance.
She padded over to the cave opening for a moment to scent the wind wafting through the trees and into her hidden place. She couldn’t scent any intruders. All smelled as it should be. After that little ritual was done, she walked to the make-shift bed she’d made and curled up on it, her head facing the cave entrance, just in case.
She watched the bear as he lowered himself to the ground just to the side of the entrance, in a watch position. She yawned. She was so tired. It was as if part of her was starting to relax off the high-alert she’d been on for so very long. With the presence of the bear, she was able to drift off to sleep, knowing that someone else had her back, for a change. She closed her eyes, and that was all she knew until morning.
Matilda woke in the early morning to find her head resting on a furry shoulder. What’s more, she felt warmth all along her back. The grizzly shifter must have gotten up in the night and come over to her nest, cuddling with her for warmth.
And he was downright hot…in so many ways. She hadn’t felt so safe in months. After her captivity, it had felt like she would never be truly warm, again. It was a coldness of the body, but also of the soul. Somehow, this bear was doing something to alleviate both.
The fact that her cat hadn’t roused when the grizzly had joined her on the make-shift bed spoke volumes about how much she already accepted the bear shifter’s presence. That, and how cold she’d been these past nights sleeping in a damp cave with nothing but some pine boughs wrapped in dusty canvas to keep her off the stone floor. She couldn’t deny that the grizzly’s fur was just as soft as she’d imagined against her.
But this would never do. She was a strong, independent lioness. She didn’t accept just any male’s presence. Surely, her lion should have objected to cuddling up to a bear shifter… The fact that she hadn’t was something that would need further thought. A lot of thought.
Right now, though, she wanted to sneeze. Her whiskers shivered as she sneezed, waking the bear, who came to instant alert, standing in a flash, ready on all fours, though he favored one of his back legs. The fact that he was injured but still ready to fight at the drop of a hat—or the sound of a sneeze—was impressive.
She shook her head and sniffed the air. There was a faint scent that smelled of danger in the cool night air. Just a whiff…
Then, she jumped to her feet. Smoke. That’s what she smelled. Something was burning, not too far away.
Without thinking too hard about it, she prowled to the opening of the cave, the bear right behind her. He seemed to want to shoulder her aside when she got to the entrance, but she was having none of it. She was faster on her four feet than he was, and if necessary, she’d take off into the forest without him. First, though, she wanted to get a bearing on where the wind was coming from and how close the smoke was.
When she got a clear sense of the wind’s direction and speed, her worst fears were confirmed. For the smoke to be in the direction and concentration as it was, it had to be coming from somewhere near Frank’s cabin. It was way too early or late—depending on how you looked at it—for a backyard bonfire. There was an hour, at most, before dawn. This much smoke at this time of night spelled trouble.
She streaked out of the cave and into the undergrowth. She had to make sure her lone human friend was all right.
In the back of her mind, she knew she should be more cautious. The smoke could be part of some elaborate hoax to get her to come out of hiding, but she thought not.
Matilda was vaguely aware of the bear following behind her. He wasn’t quite as fast as she was, but he was definitely faster than she would have expected. That damaged leg didn’t hold him back much when he was in bear form. She was even more impressed by him the more she was around him.
Matilda kept to the ground cover as much as possible. She went fast, at first, but then saner thoughts prevailed, and she slowed as she approached the cabin. The scent of smoke had grown stronger and stronger. It was wafting through the trees like fog. Dense, choking fog.
She kept her head down, low to the earth, where the air was clearer as she wound her way among the trees, approaching Frank’s backyard. What in the world had happened here?
Georgio pushed himself to keep up with the lioness. He knew the smoke was from a structure. He’d smelled that acrid scent before. Forest fires smelled different than the fumes given off by man-made buildings and the substances that comprised the furnishings and décor. He knew where they were headed. He’d scouted the area around Frank’s cabin pretty thoroughly the day before.
He knew Frank had a main cabin along with three outbuildings of differing sizes. One housed his vehicles, but if that had gone up in flames, the scent would be different. It would have more petroleum traces in it. There was also a barn-like structure and a smaller shed on the property.
Georgio thought, from the amount of smoke, it must be one of these structures that was on fire. Hopefully, it wasn’t the man’s house. Whatever was going on, the timing was suspiciously coincidental. He wanted to tell Matilda to slow down, but thankfully, as they got closer to Frank’s place, she seemed to think better of her headlong dash through the woods.
Georgio caught up with her, and together, they stalked closer to the perimeter from which he’d watched Frank’s homestead the day before. He guided her to the right a bit in order to avoid a lot of the smoke that seemed to be intensifying.
There was a disturbed area clearly visible outside the open back door of Frank’s cabin. Scuff marks in the dirt made it look like someone—Frank, probably—had been dragged out of the cabin, his feet hanging on the ground, making parallel grooves in the dirt. Georgio knew what it meant, but did Matilda?
From the low growl issuing from her throat, he thought she probably did. They had to be cautious about their approach. If Frank was still alive, Georgio would get him, but he had to do this smart. Moving them both toward the cover of a wild hedge, he took the chance of shifting to his human form for a moment so he could communicate more clearly with Matilda. She didn’t shift, but she watched him carefully as he laid out his plans and reasoning.
“Bears are common in these woods,” he said, knowing he had to appeal to her human intellect, not her animal nature. “I’ll scout closer in my fur and see if I can find out what happened to Frank. Looks like one of the outbuildings was torched, but it’s damp enough here that the fire’s already well on its way to being over. If he’s alive, I’ll get him. If this is an ambush, you can warn me from the perimeter.”
She didn’t seem to like this plan, but she wasn’t shaking her head. She was still listening, which was good.
“This could all be a way to draw you out. They won’t be after me. They’ll think I’m just a native bear. If you show up and they’re still around, you could be hunted—even captured—again. Neither of us wants that. Frank wouldn’t want that for you, either.” She tilted her head in an adorably feline way that he found incredibly attractive. “Stay hidden, but you can watch and warn me if there’s trouble, okay?”
She seemed to consider his words for a moment before nodding her head in agreement. Thanks be to the Mother of All.
Georgio shifted back to his bear form and prowled away, wanting to stick to the cover of the undergrowth as long as possible. His strategy paid off when they rounded a thicket and saw Frank lying in the dirt. He was bloody, but he was breathing.
Georgio sent the lioness one last speaking look and broke cover, walking casually into the clearing where the house and outbuildings stood. They were behind the outbuilding that had been set on fire. It was still smoldering, but the worst of the flames were already out. The air scented of rain, now, and the sky was overcast. The rains that were undoubtedly coming would put an end to any further danger from the fire. That was good, because they would have their hands full with tending t
o Frank.
Someone had hit him, repeatedly, in the face. His eyes were swollen, and he looked unconscious. Using Frank as the center point, Georgio quickly, but thoroughly, scouted in widening circles, looking for anything out of place. He did this while trying to roam somewhat naturally, as a bear would, just in case anyone was watching—particularly for animals behaving strangely.
He sniffed over at the smoldering ashes that had once been an outbuilding, but there was nothing there. He widened his range and strolled into the bushes where he’d left Matilda, but she wasn’t there.
Georgio panicked a bit when he couldn’t find her. Had someone taken her? But his nose indicated that nobody else had been in the area, and her delicate scent had left a trail clear to the old man’s house. He followed, using all his stealth skills and found where she’d entered through an open window that was shielded by bushes on three sides. She’d mitigated her risk very well, he had to admit.
Following in her footsteps, he climbed up into the window and found himself in a small bedroom that had to be Frank’s. A chest of drawers had been opened and clothing removed. Which explained where Matilda had gotten the large flannel shirt she was buttoning up over a pair of baggy jeans.
She had shifted and dressed. Georgio wanted to be angry at her for not staying put in the woods, but she was a lioness, after all, and Frank needed their help. Georgio shifted quickly and grabbed some of Frank’s clothing, though even the large T-shirt he’d found was a bit tight on him. A pair of sweatpants that must be baggy on the old man stretched over Georgio’s butt to the point where he was concerned they might rip, but they were better than nothing.
“Let me go out and get Frank,” Georgio said as Matilda made to move past him and out the door of the small bedroom. “See if there’s a first-aid kit here somewhere, okay?”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but after a considering head tilt, she nodded. “Be quick,” she advised and allowed him to precede her out of the room.
Georgio did a quick sweep of the small house on his way out. There was no one inside—nor had there been, recently, except Frank. He hoped Matilda would stay inside, hidden, this time. Georgio headed out and went straight for Frank. He lifted the old man as gently as he could and limped back to the house with him.
Matilda met them at the door and said not a word until they’d locked and bolted the door behind them and Georgio had carried Frank into his bedroom. He lay Frank on the bed, next to a large first-aid kit that Matilda had found. Then, the two shifters set to work on Frank’s wounds, cleaning, disinfecting and bandaging as best they could.
About halfway through the process, Frank started to wake up.
Chapter Seven
“Mattie?” Frank said, looking at Matilda through eyes that were swollen with bruises. “You have to get out of here. They were looking for you.”
Matilda was touched that Frank’s first thought when he woke up was for her safety, but she wasn’t going to run. He’d been attacked because of her—his words proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt—and her conscience wouldn’t let her just leave him. No, her inner lion wanted blood. The blood of those who had dared hurt her friend.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said quietly, continuing to wipe the blood away from his face as gently as she could. “I’m through running,” she added when it looked like Frank would argue. “It’s time to make a stand, and it looks like it’s going to be here. I’m so sorry, Frank.”
“Not your fault,” Frank said, gasping as Georgio pulled his boots off. “You didn’t do this to me.”
“Maybe not, but I know those hunters wouldn’t have been here but for me.” She felt the guilt deep in her heart.
“Speaking of which,” Georgio put in from the foot of the bed. “What can you tell us about your attackers?”
Frank looked at Georgio and then quickly to Matilda. “Sorry. Frank, this is Georgio. He’s a friend. Definitely one of the good guys.”
“Are you certain?” Frank asked, eyeing Georgio as suspiciously as he could through swollen eyelids.
“Hundred percent,” Matilda replied at once. “We can trust him. He’s here to help.”
Frank seemed to think about it for a moment before reaching up to his shirt pocket. “They left a card,” he told Georgio, reaching into his top pocket with uncoordinated fingers to pull out a black business card. He held it out to Georgio.
“Thugs with business cards?” Matilda asked, speaking her thoughts aloud.
“Stranger things have happened,” Georgio said, shrugging as he accepted the little black card and looked at it. “Ever heard of Belasco Industries?”
Matilda shook her head. “I haven’t, but Sam should be able to track down anything that’s publicly available.” And quite a bit that wasn’t, Matilda thought silently. Sam Kinkaid had myriad sources of information. Not all of them were what one might expect of a respectable business tycoon.
“Call him,” Georgio said, holding out the sat phone to her.
Matilda ended the call a few minutes later. She had walked out into the main room of the cabin while Georgio continued applying his first-aid training to Frank’s injuries. Her conversation with Sam had been both helpful and concerning.
Sam had decided to send in a team of Wraiths. That was the nickname for Major Jesse Moore’s team of ex-Special Forces shifters based out of Wyoming. It would take them some time to get there, of course, so Sam suggested they lay low in the meantime.
Sam had also revealed some interesting information about Frank. He’d been busy learning all he could about the reclusive mountain man and had discovered some startling facts. Very startling facts.
Tapping the phone’s little antenna against her chin, Matilda walked back into the bedroom, where Georgio was just easing Frank into a new shirt after bandaging his ribs. The old man had a heck of a bruise forming, but Georgio had done a good job of supporting the injured area.
“That looks painful,” Matilda observed with a wince. “Is anything broken?”
“Just bruised,” Georgio said.
“Hurts like the dickens,” Frank added, taking over the task of buttoning his flannel shirt once it was in place. He looked a lot better than just a few minutes ago.
“What did Sam say?” Georgio asked.
“He’s sending help, but they’re in Wyoming, right now. Won’t be here until tonight, or tomorrow at the latest. He suggested we find a place to hole up until then. He thinks maybe Frank here might have some suggestions about that, considering one of his holding companies owns the entire mountaintop.” Matilda dropped that bomb looking straight at Frank.
Frank’s swollen eyes narrowed. “Just who is this Sam fellow?”
“Did I fail to mention my last name is Kinkaid?” Matilda replied sweetly, wondering if Frank would make the connection.
“Kinkaid? Sam? You’re related to Sam Kinkaid?” Frank shook his head, and a small grin lifted the corners of his mouth, which had to be painful with a split lip, but he didn’t even flinch.
“You know him?” Georgio asked suspiciously.
“We’ve met, but it was a while back. Before I retired,” Frank replied.
“Seems our mountain man, Frank, is the reclusive billionaire, Frank Malone of Malone Enterprises. Everybody in the business community has been wondering where you went for years, but the folks running your many companies claim they get regular instructions regarding your wishes every few months,” Matilda said.
“I like to keep my hand in, even if I can’t take being around all those people anymore,” Frank said almost defensively.
“All right,” Georgio broke the uncomfortable silence that followed Matilda’s revelation. “You’re a rich guy. So, you must have a safe room or something hidden around here, right?”
Frank’s expression grew canny. “I’ve got better than that,” he said. “But I want to talk to Sam Kinkaid myself, before I reveal anything else to you.”
Matilda was a little hurt that Frank didn’t trust h
er, but then, she realized it was Georgio he probably objected to, rather than her. And they were asking a lot of the man. It had to be hard for a recluse to give up his secrets. He’d hidden himself away on a secluded mountaintop for a reason. She didn’t know what would make someone take such drastic steps, but she understood the need for privacy and alone time, probably better than anyone.
Frank reached over to his bedside table and pushed a button hidden under the edge of the tabletop. A mechanism whirred and the tabletop slid back and flipped over, revealing a state-of-the-art communications console. Several handsets were there, on chargers. Frank lifted out a small phone that looked a lot like the one Georgio had and started pushing buttons.
“I’ve got Sam’s office line in here. Was he at his desk when you spoke to him?” Frank asked Matilda.
Surprised, Matilda nodded. “Yeah, he said he had a board meeting in an hour and he was in the office today.” She realized this was a test, as well. By dialing direct on his own equipment, Frank was getting independent confirmation that she really was related to Kinkaid.
“Excellent.” Frank pushed the final button that would connect the call. He waited while it rang and then was answered by someone in Sam’s office.
While that was happening, Frank reached into the cabinet and casually retrieved a very large handgun that he handled with expert ease. He didn’t point it at anyone, but he kept it ready. Matilda was a little shocked, but Georgio seemed to approve if his smile was anything to go by.
When Frank finally got Sam on the phone, they greeted each other like old friends. Matilda began to relax as Sam vouched for her and thanked Frank for helping her. She could hear both sides of the conversation easily with her excellent shifter hearing, and she knew Georgio could, as well.