by Tasha Black
Now all I had to do was follow her example.
25
Kendall
I lay on the grass, looking up into the twilit sky, muscles shaking, heart pounding, feeling more alive than I ever had before.
But Jared was still below. Given that I’d made it up safely, I figured he should be fine with those long limbs and massive muscles.
Though he had been trapped in that prison cell for two years. And he was clearly a little rusty.
Before I had time to fully panic, he dragged himself up beside me and relief flooded my veins.
“Hey,” he said softly, rolling onto his back and facing me.
His chest moved as he panted, and I pictured what it would be like to have him panting like that with me on top of him.
Easy, Kendall, get inside first.
“Let’s go get some food,” I said, instead of jumping his bones.
He nodded and we both scrambled up.
My legs felt like jelly after the walk, the climb, and the general stress of the day. It was going to be amazing to sleep in a real bed. I couldn’t even imagine how long Jared had dreamt of that luxury.
I glanced up at him and he smiled down at me, wrapping his hand around mine.
We headed toward the A-frame shape of the ranger’s station as the sky faded from pink to blue, the grassy field firm beneath our feet.
Suddenly, Jared wheeled around, clearly alerted by something close.
Then I heard it, too - a thump and clatter coming from a stand of trees on our left as the ambush was sprung.
The boar was running faster than should have been possible for a creature that was half rotting away. The skeleton rider brandished his liquid metal sword over his head, an eerie grin on his bone face.
I froze in place, horror overwhelming my senses.
The feral monster was rocketing straight at me, there was no time to move. I closed my eyes.
At the last instant, I felt the impact, but it came from the side rather than the front.
Tumbling onto the grass, I opened my eyes to see that Jared had pushed me out of the way.
But his arm was slashed open, scarlet blood dripping down his side.
“Run, Kendall,” he screamed to me.
Behind us, I could hear a demonic snort as the boar and his ghostly rider turned and thundered toward Jared again.
Heart in my mouth, I watched as he managed to dodge it, but only barely.
Jared wasn’t moving as quickly as before. His injury had slowed him too much. It was only a matter of time before the thing took him down. He couldn’t keep dodging it all night.
The boar turned again, its eyes flashing a sickly yellow as they found their target once more.
Jared sprinted toward a massive tree, but when he tried to pull himself up to the first branch his bad arm slipped, leaving him pinned to the trunk as the boar closed the distance.
“Hey,” I screamed, grabbing the closest rock and hurling it at the vicious pig.
Years of softball paid off in an instant. The rock hit its sagging skin with a sickly thud.
The creature bellowed with rage and turned to me, rocketing forward on the turn of a dime.
The first part of my plan had worked. It was really too bad I didn’t have a second part.
And there was nothing behind me but the slick cliff face.
I closed my eyes and called on my magic like I never had before. I could feel the trickle of water the instant it agreed to defy gravity and spread itself along the grassy field between the boar and me.
Drawing on the last of my reserves, I slowed the water molecules, pulling them from a tarantella into a waltz inside of a second.
The water froze beneath me, forming an ice slick.
I threw my body to the side, without a moment to spare, and saw the exact second when the boar’s hooves began to slip out from under him.
With an ear-shattering squeal of panic, he flew past me on the path of ice, sailing off the cliff with his unlucky rider like some kind of demented bobsled.
26
Jared
I stared at the place where the skeleton and boar once were, and was struck all over again at the strength and resourcefulness of my mate.
“Are you okay?” She was already running for me.
“Fine, fine,” I told her, ignoring the pain in my arm. “Let’s get inside and find the radio.”
Ignoring my claims, she wrapped an arm around my waist and walked me slowly toward the station.
The scent of her hair was driving me over the edge, even as I felt the lightheaded sensation of blood loss.
I had felt it enough times in the last two years to know I wasn’t in danger of passing out yet. But I needed to wrap this arm as soon as possible.
We made it up the stairs and Kendall tried the door.
“Key’s under the mat,” I told her, grateful when she bent to retrieve it.
“High security here, huh?” she asked.
“Do you wish that key was on a ring somewhere in town?” I asked.
“Good point.”
She opened the door and we stepped inside.
The familiar musty scent greeted us. These stations farther out from Primrose Castle didn’t get as much action as the others. Though our stated mission was to act as rangers on this land, there were hardly ever hikers out this far. And we tended to visit the farthest stations as seldom as our obligations allowed.
It wasn’t much, but the sight of beds and a kitchenette was incredibly welcoming. We could air this place out in no time and get something cooking. It looked like a palace compared to where I had spent the last two years - not the least of which was the total lack of iron bars.
“Sit,” Kendall said strictly, pointing to one of the wooden chairs near a card table by the kitchenette.
“First we need to radio home,” I told her heading to the small table in the corner.
I flicked the power switch, and the radio came to life. At least the battery was still good. Someone must still be making the rounds. I tried to send out a message, but didn’t get a response. That wasn’t completely unusual. The Guardians were spread pretty thin, and there wasn’t always someone manning a radio.
I settled for activating the emergency beacon. That would be sure to get someone’s attention, and the tracker would lead them right to us.
Sitting back, I took a deep breath and then sighed it out. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been looking forward to finally hearing the voice of one of my brothers. It looked like I was going to have to wait a little longer.
But at least we’d done all we could. Help would soon be on the way.
“Is that it?” Kendall asked.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “They haven’t responded yet, but I set the tracking beacon. That sends out a signal to every station on park land. They’ll find us.”
She nodded and gave me a grim smile.
We had both been hoping to get a real response on that line. But this was better than nothing. Much better.
“Take off your shirt,” she said, heading into the kitchen.
“I’m fine,” I lied,
“Sure,” she said. “Take it off anyway.”
I tried to hide my smile as I peeled my shirt over my head, wincing as I moved the injured arm.
My shifter magic used to heal me almost instantly. A wound like this one might have taken half an hour. And my pain tolerance meant I hardly felt the cut.
But it was probably good that Kendall wanted to clean me up and bind this arm. I didn’t want to think about what kind of evil germs might have been on the beast’s horrible tusks.
“Put your arm on the table,” Kendall said. “Let’s have a look.”
She had found the first aid kit while I was messing with the radio. We kept them pretty well stocked, so that was good. She laid it on the table and examined my arm.
Her touch was so light I could barely feel it. My brave warrior had a gentle side.
I watched her forehead fu
rrow as she examined my torn flesh.
“If there’s a trace of my panther still in me, it may knit together by morning,” I told her, not wanting to force her to play nurse maid. “I can clean it up myself in the meantime.”
“No way,” she said, opening the first aid kit. “This needs a good cleaning. Who knows where those tusks have been?”
I nodded, smiling.
“What?” she asked, pausing in her rummaging to fix me with her bright eyes.
“Nothing,” I said. “I was just thinking the same thing, that’s all.”
“Great minds,” she said, turning her attention back to the supplies in the kit.
There was something satisfying about watching her work. She was all business, no fussing about my injury. Kendall was a woman of action.
She placed a container of rubbing alcohol and a bag of cotton balls to the side. Digging through the rest of the contents of the kit, she pulled out antibiotic ointment, a gauze wrap and some tape.
“I think this is the best we have,” she told me. “This is going to hurt.”
“All good,” I assured her.
Honestly, she probably could have hacked my arm off, and I would have been happy to submit to her ministrations, just to be near her.
But it actually looked like she knew what she was doing.
“You’ve done this before?” I asked.
“I’ve always been into sports,” she said, shrugging. “You have to know basic first aid if you like to play hard.”
I nodded, smiling.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said.
She got to work quickly. The alcohol stung the wound, but I kept my eyes on Kendall, distracting myself with the sight of her graceful movements.
“You’re pretty tough,” she said, glancing up at me before applying the antibiotic.
“You have a gentle touch,” I told her. “It’s nice.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and I felt a surge of lust that had me wanting to sweep all the first aid stuff off the table and get her under me.
I managed to restrain myself long enough for her to wrap a clean bandage around my arm.
“Kendall,” I breathed, placing my hand on top of hers.
“Food now,” she said crisply, withdrawing her hand.
I stifled an impatient roar.
But she was already in the kitchen, banging around, without a care in the world for how badly I wanted to feed on her.
“Score,” she said, popping up from a lower cabinet with a delighted expression.
“Is that instant ramen?” I asked her dubiously.
“Yes,” she said with a rapturous expression. “I haven’t had it in forever. Doesn’t that sound amazing?”
It did, actually. Anything with her sounded amazing.
“Yes,” I told her. “And more than amazing, it sounds quick.”
“Was there something you were in a hurry to get to?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.
“Kendall,” I growled.
“You’ve had an injury,” she said primly. “You shouldn’t be thinking about that.”
“Kendall,” I roared.
“Gotcha,” she said and broke into a fit of giggles.
“That’s not funny, woman,” I complained.
“You’re just cranky because you’re hungry,” she scolded. “Go get cleaned up while I fix this. But make it quick.”
I headed up stairs to the loft bedroom, but I made sure to walk with a slow confidence that proved she wasn’t the boss of me.
She smiled and shook her head, but kept unpacking her noodles and powder packets.
27
Jared
Upstairs, the bed was nicely made but dusty. I grabbed fresh sheets from the trunk beside it and remade it, then hit the bathroom.
A quick wipe down of the bathroom had it sparkling again. Or at least as near sparkling as it could be. I estimated it had last been remodeled in the 1940s.
I turned on the shower and after a couple of coughs, the pipes allowed a stream of clear water to emerge from the head.
Stripping off the rest of my clothing, I stepped in and let the water pound away at me.
It had been so long since I had been able to bathe with privacy. I soaked in the luxury of the warm water and the silence.
But too soon I was thinking of Kendall again, needing to be near her. I finished washing up and headed back out to the loft.
There were a couple of pairs of ranger’s sweatpants in the trunk. There was also a plaid flannel and a thin white t-shirt.
I pulled on a pair of sweats but left the shirt off. I had noticed how Kendall was eyeing my pecs. I figured since she was covering dinner, I could treat her to a show.
“You took long enough,” she scolded me happily as I joined her in the kitchen.
“Yeah, but I’m better company now,” I told her.
“You do clean up nicely,” she said, skimming her eyes over my muscles.
I resisted, barely, the urge to flex for her.
“Ready to eat?” she asked.
“Very,” I told her, eyeing her mouth.
“Behave,” she said, elbowing me in the ribs.
She handed me a bowl of noodles and a can of generic soda, and we both headed to the little card table.
“How long before they come?” she asked, twirling noodles on her spoon.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “It depends on how soon one of the guardians checks on a ranger’s station.”
“Hours? Weeks?” she asked.
“Probably no more than a few hours,” I told her. “Someone should be here by morning.”
I hoped that her being missing hadn’t sent the guardians deeper into the woods or town, instead of making their usual rounds. But there was no point upsetting her with the idea.
Instead, I dug into the noodles.
She was right, they were damned delicious. After what I had been eating for two years, anything would probably be delicious. But I swore I could taste the flavor of each rehydrated vegetable and the tender noodles, steeped in savory broth that sang like a chorus in my mouth.
“You’re not making fun of me for loving these anymore, huh?” she teased, staring in awe at my empty bowl. “Do you want more?”
I shook my head and cracked the can of soda.
The sweet beverage went down easily, and I swore the bubbles delivered the sugar and caffeine faster. I already felt like a new man.
“How much magic did you do tonight?” I asked her, placing the empty can back on the table between us.
Her eyes flicked up to mine and all of a sudden, the air seemed to go out of the room.
“Enough,” she said. “But it’s had time to dissipate.”
“How does that work?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “Same way it’s always worked except for the last time. I feel the need, endure it, and eventually the price is paid, and it goes away.”
I thought about that. Maybe she had suffered some of the same pain I had during those endless, aching full moons.
“So right now, any choice you make is because you want to make it?” I asked her. “Your price is paid?”
She nodded and put down her spoon.
“No, no,” I said. “No way. Finish your dinner while I take care of the kitchen.”
She smiled and picked up her spoon again as I carried my stuff into the kitchen to clean up.
The kitchen had seen better days, so I took my time, washing dishes, wiping down all the counters, even digging a broom out of the closet to sweep the floor.
“I think I’ll take a quick shower,” Kendall said, bringing her bowl to the sink.
I nodded without comment and let her head upstairs, glad I had taken care of the bedding and the bathroom so there were no distractions to slow us down.
My heart pounded, but the panther didn’t roar at the thought. I wondered how I could dare to try to claim her without him.
Maybe it will bring him back…
It wasn’t the craziest idea. But I wasn’t holding out much hope.
I locked the doors and checked the windows. Since the whole front of the A-Frame cabin was glass, it wasn’t like I could effectively cover the windows, but I did my best to ensure the place was as secure as it could be.
We hadn’t come across any actual warlocks in the woods. It seemed that the Order had only sent the skeleton and boar in this direction after us. I had to hope that it would be some time before they learned that their ghastly duo had failed.
I heard the click of the bathroom door in the loft above. My panther would have been able to scent her clean, damp flesh by now.
I loped up the stairs, forcing myself not to take them two at a time.
Kendall stood just outside the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her, long wet hair cascading down her shoulders.
I stopped in my tracks, waiting for her to indicate that she wanted me closer.
“Hi,” she said, suddenly shy.
I had watched this woman launch herself off a tree onto a watery ledge not two hours ago. But she was afraid to meet my eyes now.
“I can sleep downstairs,” I offered. “We don’t have—”
“Jared,” she said softly, cutting me off. “I don’t want you to sleep downstairs.”
“Let’s sit and talk then,” I told her.
She nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.
It was hard not to look at the way the towel stretched over her breasts, but I kept my eyes on hers and knelt before her, my heart pounding.
“We don’t have to rush into anything,” I told her.
“I’ve been waiting for you for two years,” she said simply. “That’s hardly rushing.”
I took a deep breath. Her words were a balm to my soul. But I had to be honest with her.
“I’m not the man you were waiting for,” I told her slowly. “That man had magic, and an animal side that could protect you from anything, and keep away the cold.”
