Everyone agreed, so they set about making camp.
The guys gathered up some firewood, while the girls set up the tents. Caleb came back dragging nearly half of a fallen tree.
“I don’t think we’ll need quite that much wood,” Honi said with a laugh.
“This is for us to sit on,” Caleb explained in a voice like he was talking to a child.
Once they got it all situated, they found it did make a nice sitting area. There were just enough branches intact to make it feel more like a living chair. And with their sleeping bags spread out over it, they were quite comfortable.
They had a very pleasant evening sitting around the small fire. They ate, visited, and then just enjoyed watching the fire as its flames licked up toward the sky – toward the stars. Jack chasing stray embers amused them all as well.
Jaisey, sitting in front of Quinn, leaned back, fitting perfectly against his chest. His arms were wrapped around her securely. He loved the feel of Jaisey in his arms.
Caleb and Honi were side-by-side but slowly inched closer to each other. It was not long before they were intertwined, her legs draped over him, and his arms wrapped around her.
When it was late enough, they were all reluctant to head into their separate tents to get some sleep. Quinn would have been comfortable holding Jaisey all night long, right there next to the fire. But until she was truly his, he didn’t have the right, so they headed to their own tents.
* * *
Morning brought cloudy skies. It was going to rain.
They packed up after a quick breakfast and headed out. Quinn kept the pace up to avoid getting caught in the coming downpour. They made it to Kenyon’s cabin before noon, just as the rain was starting.
Kenyon wasn’t there.
Quinn and Caleb decided to go do a quick search for him. The scents had already been washed away with the rain, but they had seen an aural trail heading north. They would be able to track and catch up to Kenyon fairly quickly.
The girls put all the packs on the porch out of the rain. Jaisey had been getting more and more anxious as the day had worn on. Quinn could imagine how uncomfortable she must have been feeling – knowing she was about to have more interaction with her father than she’d had in a decade. Quinn had given her a quick reassuring kiss, and then he took off with Caleb.
He was feeling edgy and again acknowledged that he didn’t like being separated from Jaisey.
Out of sight from the girls, they shifted and ran a few miles, following the aura as the rain began in earnest. They were almost to their northern border; Quinn hadn’t realized how close they’d come. Caleb shifted from his wolf form and asked if maybe they should just go back and wait for Kenyon. But, before Quinn could answer, they heard the warning.
The howl cut through the forest. It wasn’t far away; Kenyon was close. They ran to help him, only to almost get run down by the man as he was barreling back toward them.
Kenyon didn’t shift, but he paused and tilted his head up. There in the sky was a streak of red-headed straight back the way they had just come, toward Jaisey.
They took off running again. This time Quinn focused the power from the valley like never before. It gave him speed he’d never known. He followed the aura, hoping that it would divert from its course. It never did. Just before the clearing to Kenyon’s cabin, the aura dropped from the sky to the ground and proceeded to the clearing. He immediately picked up on the wolf’s scent. If the Ishaks had the ability to mask their animal scents, this one wasn’t even trying.
Quinn didn’t stop running as he took in the situation in the clearing. Honi was on the ground in the center of the clearing not moving, but Quinn could see no blood. Jack was growling, bristling and ready to attack, standing his ground next to Jaisey who was backed up almost to the cabin, holding her walking stick like a bat. She was ready to fight the wolf – again.
Not this time, he thought with a barely controlled rage.
No one threatened his mate!
He charged through the clearing and had the wolf by the throat before it could even turn to look at him. He bit down and snapped the neck so hard, it ripped nearly in half. The wolf dropped to the ground and only then did he realize what that must have looked like to Jaisey. He would have appeared more vicious than the one lying before him.
Jack was spinning in circles, so excited to see Quinn there, but he ignored the mutt and slowly lifted his head to Jaisey’s. He had to make sure she was all right. Her eyes were wide; she had not moved from her defensive stance. He slowly backed up, pulling the wolf along and edged back to the forest. Jaisey watched his retreat, carefully, calling Jack back to her as the dog tried to follow him. The moment Quinn started to turn into the forest, he saw her drop the stick and rush over to Honi who had moved a little and was groaning slightly.
Quinn went a few more feet and found Caleb and Kenyon waiting for him. Their eyes were wide as he dropped the body at their feet and then shifted.
“How in the hell did you get back here so fast?” Caleb asked.
“Seriously Quinn, that was faster than I’ve ever seen anyone move,” Kenyon asserted.
“I connected to the valley power while I was running, focusing it in my muscles” he explained. He wondered why Kenyon had not done the same; assuming it was something that all elders could do since Aatu had been the one to tell him of it in the first place.
Kenyon nodded, “Ah, the power doesn’t always aid everyone in the same way.”
Quinn didn’t have time to wonder about his explanation.
“Are they all right?” Caleb asked quickly. However, he ignored any response and headed to the clearing. Quinn had to grab him to stop him.
“Jaisey just watched me pull the wolf this way. We’ll circle and come in from a different direction. Remember she doesn’t know about us yet,” he warned.
They moved quickly to the western side of the clearing. As it turned out, it hadn’t been necessary – the girls were nowhere to be seen. Kenyon hung back, letting them go in first, but then he didn’t follow them through the door.
In the cabin, they found both girls sitting next to Kenyon’s fireplace, Jack curled up at Jaisey’s feet. Honi was holding something to the back of her head.
Caleb crossed the room quickly, “What happened? We heard a howl…”
Jaisey looked squarely at Quinn and responded, “Wolves.”
“What happened?” Caleb asked again.
“The one that almost killed Seff…” Jaisey replied, her voice shaky. Quinn took her in his arms fiercely, protectively. He would give anything to take away that look of fear in her eyes.
Honi caught his eyes and explained. “We were about to go look for you guys, to tell you to get out of the rain. And the thing just came bounding out of the forest at us. I didn’t even have time to,” she paused with a glance at Jaisey, “react.”
“It all but ran her over trying to get to me,” Jaisey replied. Her voice had steadied some. “I barely had time to grab my walking stick from the porch. It stopped when it saw Jack, but then another wolf showed up and killed it.” She seemed like she wanted to say something else, but she stopped with a look at Honi.
Quinn reluctantly released Jaisey and headed to check Honi.
“She hit her head pretty hard. There’s a good-sized lump forming back there. She’s got ice on it now, but she should get looked at,” Jaisey said. Her voice was too even; it didn’t sound right.
“Let me have a look,” he said.
Caleb reluctantly moved out of Quinn’s way. He checked the bump. It was a pretty good one, but the skin wasn’t broken. He looked in her eyes and had her follow his finger around.
“I think she’ll be just fine, but you’re right. We should get her back so that Aatu can have a look at her,” he said. The Healer knew how to use the power of the valley to accelerate healing; something Quinn had not learned yet.
Kenyon stepped through the door and all eyes turned to him.
“Good afternoon,” he said, sounding
completely calm and natural.
Quinn quickly explained the story as Jaisey had told it.
“It was the same wolf that attacked Seff,” Jaisey started to explain again, but she stopped.
Her eyes hadn’t left Kenyon’s face since he walked in the door. Quinn sighed. This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen.
Kenyon nodded. “Well, I guess we should get Honi to the Healer to get looked at.”
Quinn looked up at him questioningly.
“I have a dirt bike out in my shed. I think we should be able to get it going. If you know how to ride Caleb, you could take her down to the village,” he explained.
Caleb nodded. His eyes still locked on Honi, watching for any change.
“Great,” Honi said with a chuckle, “The back of a dirt bike.”
Caleb seemed relieved at her good humor, “Don’t worry, you can keep your arms wrapped around me the whole way.”
She punched his arm playfully, blushing.
Quinn and Caleb followed Kenyon out to the shed. Quinn was so angry with the Ishaks. He felt good about killing the wolf. He wished he’d had the opportunity when it had first attacked Seff. It was then that the thought occurred to him – Seff was not around now.
No, the wolf had gone right for Jaisey. That made his stomach tighten with fear. They must have found about her. He had to protect her, no matter the cost. She was his life now.
Twenty-five
Jaisey
Honi looked at Jaisey, embarrassed. “I’m so sorry about this,” she said apologizing.
“Oh Honi, it wasn’t like you were trying to get attacked by a wolf today,” she replied. “You go and get better. And don’t fall off the back of that bike!”
“Thanks. Good luck with your dad,” she said, giving Jaisey a quick reassuring hug. “Everything is going to work out for the best, I promise.”
Jaisey nodded, hoping her new friend was right.
They went outside to join the guys, who were tightening something up on the side of the bike, revving it loudly. Jaisey’s eyes roamed to the eastern edge of the clearing, where the one-eyed wolf had been dragged… by the grey wolf.
The grey wolf. She was sure she’d seen it following her, yet it never approached her. She’d caught glimpses of it near her cabin multiple times, and when she was near the swimming hole, but it was always just far enough away that she couldn’t be entirely sure. She must be losing her mind. It couldn’t have been the same grey wolf each time. And yet, the idea had stuck in her head that it was.
She slowly started walking toward the edge of the clearing. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt a compulsion to check and be sure that the black wolf was dead. Or perhaps, she simply wanted to see if the grey wolf was still there.
She entered the forest, half expecting to find it still alive. Her mind was fighting the images of the grey wolf attacking and killing the other. It had been so violent, and yet, if she could have done the same thing, she would have. If it had only taken a few more steps, she knew she would have cracked its skull in two this time.
She found it then – definitely dead. The pool of blood near its head was a testament to that. She felt a hint of satisfaction in that. It had hunted her in her nightmares since that afternoon with Seff. She couldn’t pull her eyes from the wound at the neck; the wound that the grey wolf had created.
The image of the grey wolf swam into her mind. Clear grey eyes, staring into hers as it backed away into the forest; as if it were afraid it would scare her. It didn’t make sense, and it made perfect sense because somehow, she just knew that the grey wolf would never harm her.
“Jaisey,” Quinn’s voice made her jump, though he’d said her name softly.
She turned to him shaking; his eyes were locked on hers. Clear grey eyes, staring into hers full of concern. A jolt ran through her – the same?
“That’s not possible,” she said in a whisper.
“What?” Quinn asked.
She couldn’t find her voice to reply.
“Come back to the cabin with me… please,” he said.
She nodded, still thinking about two sets of grey eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and led her from the forest. There was such comfort in his embrace, she felt so safe with him. He would never harm her… like the wolf? Her mind was trying to conjure a new thought, but she kept pushing it back. It wasn’t possible.
“Are you all right?” he asked as they walked.
She shook her head no but refused to meet his gaze. How could she even voice what she was thinking? Yet the more she fought the thought, the stronger it became, demanding to be acknowledged. Even the reaction Jack had shown the grey wolf had been the same with...
Quinn stopped in the middle of the clearing. He placed his hand gently under her chin and lifted, so her eyes met his. Again, that jolt ran through her. Recognition.
“Please, tell me what’s wrong,” he pleaded, his expression full of worry.
She stared at him for a few long moments and then the words tumbled from her lips before she could stop them. “It’s you somehow, isn’t it? The grey wolf, I mean. Somehow that’s you?”
He held her gaze, not looking away. A pained look crossed his features, but he nodded once, briefly.
She felt the release of emotion hit her; she felt as though she was falling. The only thing she had to hang onto were those clear grey eyes. She clutched at him, holding him tightly, knowing darkness was trying to pull her under.
The next thing she knew, lips pressed to her forehead and she heard Quinn softly saying, “It’s okay Jaisey, you’re going to be fine.”
She knew she would be fine, as long as she had him in her life. She stayed still in his arms, breathing in his scent, listening to his heartbeat.
“She’s fine Quinn, just give her time to get past the shock,” another voice said softly. It sounded vaguely like Josh; that brought her more fully awake.
“Josh?” she asked. Knowing she sounded confused.
She heard a chuckle nearby, and then a relieved sigh from Quinn.
She opened her eyes. She was lying on a couch with her head in Quinn’s lap. She looked up at him and noticed his eyes were tired and worried looking, his expression wary.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him, reaching up to stroke his face.
“Do you remember what happened?” he asked her. His voice was grave.
“Yes. I was nearly attacked by that wolf and you saved me,” she replied.
A look of shock crossed his features, “Saved you… how?”
She studied his features. “Am I not supposed to know that you’re also a wolf?” she asked quietly.
“I… no, it’s fine… I just…” he stammered.
“He was just supposed to let me explain things to you,” the Josh sounding voice replied.
Her father.
She turned her head reluctantly away from Quinn to face her father. So many thoughts raced through her mind at that moment, she could barely keep up.
“Explain,” she said softly, pulling herself into a seated position next to Quinn.
He nodded and smiled sadly.
She looked back to Quinn. He smiled as well, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was worried about her.
Kenyon cleared his throat and seemed like he was going to say something, but then he paused. He seemed to be searching for the right words.
It hit her then. Really hit her. She was in her father’s house. She hadn’t even had the time to look around earlier. She’d been intent on making sure Honi was all right. She permitted herself a quick glance around while her father put his thoughts in order.
There was the dark blue leather couch she was on with Quinn. A coffee table was piled with books and papers, and there was a matching end table with a lamp. Her father was sitting in a deep golden, high-backed chair with Jack curled up at his feet.
Traitor, she thought at her dog.
Across the room, a few wooden chairs were pulled up near the fireplace which had a
roaring fire in it. And then, there on the mantle... she gasped in shock.
Kenyon looked back at the mantle as well and then lowered his head. Ashamed, embarrassed, resigned?
She rose and walked slowly to the fireplace. Just like at home, on her mother’s mantle, the school pictures were lined up of her and her siblings. No, there was one photo that was missing; the one from her college graduation back in December; the one her mother had displayed but had not yet sent out... because of the accident.
She turned and shot an accusatory glance at Kenyon. “Where did you get all these?” she demanded.
“From your mother,” he replied.
“But, that’s not possible…” she trailed off. It suddenly all made sense. Why her mom had gone back east alone in the summers.
“Oh,” she said to herself, “she lied. She was coming here.”
“Please sit down Jaisey, so I can explain,” Kenyon said.
She nodded and started to head back to the couch, but took one last glance back at the pictures and stopped in her tracks. There near the end was a picture of her mother up on the bluff. She went back and took it down and looked at it closer. It was from the previous summer; she was sure of that. Her mom had decided it was time to cut her hair and had gone super short, like Jasmyn. It looked good on her. In the picture, her mom was smiling and clearly laughing. She’d been happy here. The tears were flowing freely before she could get her emotions in check. This truly was the best possible resting place for her mother.
This time, it was her father that embraced her. She clung to him with everything she had in her. She was holding her father for the first time in years, and it felt right. She wiped the tears away and looked up at his face. He still looked so young – too young.
“Please, sit and let me explain,” he repeated.
She turned to head back to the couch but stopped. Quinn was gone.
“He’s just giving us a little privacy,” Kenyon explained.
She nodded slowly, glancing at the door. She had honestly wanted him here for this exchange, but that had been based on her own insecurities. She realized this was between her and her father. She sat back down on the couch, curling her legs up under her.
Shift (Castlerock Shifters Book 1) Page 21