by Maya Banks
Hunter frowned as he stared down at Kaya’s sleeping form. “I don’t know. Why do we have to have an answer now? Today? We’ll take it as it comes.”
Then he looked up at Jericho, his eyes burning with quiet intensity. “She needs us. That’s what I know today.”
“And maybe we need her,” Jericho returned.
Chapter Nine
Kaya awoke, her skin crawling with the edgy need to shift. The room was bathed in the pale shadows of dawn, and the fire had reduced to a scattering of barely glowing embers. And yet she was engulfed in warmth.
She was still draped across Hunter’s lap, only during the course of the night she’d turned to face him and edged upward until her cheek rested against his chest, her head tucked securely under his chin.
Both his arms were wrapped around her, his left hand cradling her hip. The reassuring rise and fall of his chest against her face soothed some of the restlessness, but still, the cougar rose.
She needed to go so the cat could run.
Regretfully, she pushed herself up only to be caught in two hands. She looked up to see Hunter staring back at her, his eyes unclouded by sleep. How long had he lain awake holding her?
“I must go,” she said.
His grip tightened until his fingers pressed into the skin above her elbows. “Why, Kaya? Where are you going? What waits for you out there?”
She placed her palms on his hard chest, enjoying the muscular planes, the dips and curves, the subtle ridges.
“I will come back. Please do not worry for me.”
He shook his head. “No. I won’t allow it this time.”
She understood his reluctance, even if his arrogance ruffled her independent spirit. Never had she answered to anyone. It was as foreign to her as having a home.
“Hunter, I have to go. I don’t have a choice. Will you please trust me?” She looked beseechingly at him. “I’ll return tonight, before it falls dark.”
“Are you in some kind of trouble?” he demanded. “Is someone hurting you in some way? Are you threatened? Jericho and I can help you.”
She smiled and slid her hand up to cup his jaw. “Will you trust me? Please? I swear to you on my honor that I will return.”
He sighed deeply. His green eyes were rife with indecision. With reluctance. “I don’t want you to leave, but if you must…if you must go, I’ll understand.”
Her heart lightened with relief. “Thank you.”
“But,” he said, holding up a finger, “you’ll go out dressed and warm this time.”
“But—”
She broke off at the fierceness in his eyes. It wasn’t as if she could explain why she’d rather leave the clothes behind. She’d just have to get out of sight of the cabin and undress before she shifted. She could stow the clothing and return to the spot tonight to put it back on.
“No buts,” he countered. “And you’re going to put some damn boots on. They’ll be way too big but if we put enough pairs of socks on you, they’ll do, and they’ll keep you warm.”
“Okay,” she agreed. The resolve she saw in his face told her in no uncertain terms that she’d never get out of the door unless she capitulated.
“And you’re going to eat a decent meal too,” he muttered.
She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his in a brief kiss. When she would have pulled away, he palmed the back of her head and held her so that his mouth could meet hers again.
Pleasure exploded in her brain. Bright and mindless. She could only follow her instincts, because every thought left her. His tongue feathered lightly over her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth. He took immediate advantage and slid inside, tasting her, leaving his taste on her tongue.
Firm and spicy, warm and so delicious. Male. He tasted wholly male, rugged and woodsy.
She broke away, gasping for air, struggling to clear her clouded senseless. He looked similarly affected, and that gave her sweet satisfaction.
“Did you like kissing me?” she asked.
He appeared surprised by her question, but his eyes darkened, his pupils dilating until only a thin ring of green surrounded the black orbs. “I like it too damn much,” he growled.
“I like kissing you too,” she said shyly. “Does this mean you don’t dislike me so much?”
He touched her face, sliding his palm over her cheek. Then he smiled, and she watched in wonder as it transformed his entire face. She raised trembling fingers to trace the curve of his mouth.
“I’ve never seen you smile.”
The thump of feet startled her into dropping her hand. She stared beyond the couch to Jericho’s bedroom to see him walk out in his shorts. Her gaze fastened on his broad chest, to the light covering of hair along the upper portion and the thin line leading down to his navel.
He stared back at her, his eyes flashing when he saw her perched on Hunter’s lap.
Hunter patted her hip. “Better get up so we can get you fixed up. Jericho’s going to burst a blood vessel when he hears what I’ve agreed to.”
Jericho strode over, a scowl on his face. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Hunter sighed and eased Kaya off his lap. “Why don’t you go take a hot shower while I explain to Jericho. I’ll leave some clothes out for you on the bed, and we’ll get a start on breakfast.”
Kaya backed off the couch and skirted cautiously around Jericho who wore an expression blacker than night.
As soon as she disappeared, Jericho rounded on Hunter. “What the hell is going on?”
Hunter grimaced, a sure sign Jericho wasn’t going to like what was coming.
“She’s leaving.”
“You want to run that by me again?”
“You heard me,” Hunter said irritably.
“Okay, now you want to tell me why the ever-loving fuck you’re just going to let her waltz out of here after we agreed we weren’t going to let that happen?”
Hunter sighed and ran a hand through his hair in agitation. “Look, I can’t explain it, Jericho. There’s something… I don’t even know. I just sense that this is somehow vitally important. It’s a gut instinct. She said she’d return tonight before it gets dark. She asked me to trust her. She begged me to trust her. What was I supposed to do?”
A rude noise blew past Jericho’s lips followed by a string of curse words that blistered the walls. “Your gut. You’re letting her go out alone in the bitter cold because your gut tells you to.”
“I made her a promise. I won’t go back on it.”
Jericho threw up his hands in disgust. “Well since you two have got it all figured out, I’ll just keep the hell out of your way.”
He turned and stalked into the kitchen, seething in irritation. It didn’t matter that Hunter was right. They couldn’t make decisions for her, but they damn sure could have provided a united front. Letting her go was stupid. Hell, she’d returned stark naked. In the fucking snow. And Hunter was willing to let her just walk out again?
He yanked out the pans to start on breakfast. He was standing at the stove a few minutes later when two small hands crept around his middle. He immediately tensed and looked down as her arms encircled him.
Her cheek pressed to his spine just below his shoulder blades, and her soft breath blew over his bare skin.
“Don’t be angry, Jericho,” she said. “I’ll be back tonight. I’ve given my word.”
He sighed and put down the spatula. Then he pivoted in her arms until he was looking down at her upturned face.
“I guess I don’t understand. Any of it. Where are you going? If I thought you were taken care of, it wouldn’t bother me, but Kaya, you are not being taken care of.”
He braced his hands on her shoulders as he said the last. Hell, he was tempted to shake some sense into her.
A sweet smile curved her lips and damn near turned him into jelly. Lord, but she was beautiful. And insanely stubborn.
“I am well taken care of, Jericho. I promise. I have a protector.”
> Protector? As in a man? Boyfriend? And if so then where the flying fuck was he right now? Over his dead body would she be gallivanting around in the snow, bare-assed naked, if she belonged to him.
“I see. And where is he right now?” he asked in an even voice.
Confusion clouded her face. “Who are you talking about?”
“Your protector,” he said patiently. “The guy who’s supposed to look out for you.”
“I never said it was a he. There is no one for you to concern yourself with.”
Jericho shook his head. She was making him want to pull out all his hair. It was no wonder Hunter had caved. It was give in or beat his head on the floor.
He gave it one last shot. “I’m worried about you, Kaya.”
She leaned up on tiptoe. “Kiss me. Please? I want to know if it feels as wonderful as when Hunter kissed me.”
Well hell. Nothing like a little pressure. If any other woman had said something like that, he’d think she was playing them against each other, but Kaya said it without artifice. She seemed genuinely curious.
With that in mind, he squelched the urge to yank her up and kiss her breathless. A little finesse wouldn’t be amiss in the situation.
Slowly, so slowly he thought he’d go mad, he leaned down, gently pulling her to him. She licked her lips in nervous anticipation as their mouths danced, chasing to one side, hovering and then adjusting the angle. Finally they met in a hot, sweet rush, melting on contact.
The shock warmed him to his toes. A tingle raced down his spine, spread around his groin. His balls drew up and his dick hardened until he ached with wanting. All because she tasted like sunrise.
“How can I let you walk away?” he rasped.
Her eyes glittered, awash with the colors of autumn. Red suffused her cheeks, and her breaths came in rapid little bursts.
“I will come back to you,” she said.
The words so carefully rendered were a vow in the silence of the kitchen. In that moment he believed, as Hunter evidently did, that she would indeed come back and that she would be okay.
“All right,” he agreed in a quiet voice. “I’ll have something for you to eat when you return.”
Her smile warmed the entire room, chasing away the lurking shadows. “Oh, I’m so glad I decided to come to you and Hunter. I was afraid but so lonely. I’ve wanted to come for so long.”
He squeezed her hands in his. “I’m glad you did. Even if it seems you’re destined to drive us insane.”
Chapter Ten
“It’s colder than a witch’s tit out here,” Jericho grumbled.
Hunter’s breath came out in a visible puff as the two men crouched in the snow several yards from where Kaya had stashed her clothing hours earlier.
The two men had followed her tracks, determined to find out what they could about their mysterious visitor. They’d come to a scattering of boulders where her footprints disappeared and the clothing they’d made her wear was carefully stacked among the rocks—as were the boots and three pairs of socks they’d outfitted her in.
Hunter had sworn a blue streak while Jericho had shaken his head and muttered a hundred I told you sos.
And now they had staked out the area, waiting for her to come back—if she indeed intended to do so. The clothes so carefully arranged gave Jericho the impression that she planned to return here and dress before going back to the cabin when she’d promised. Because she knew damn well he and Hunter would blow a gasket if she turned up naked again.
But where would she come from? Would she be alone? They wanted answers, and so here they sat, freezing their asses off, waiting for her to appear.
The sun had slipped over the horizon when Jericho looked up to see their cougar in the distance.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“What is it?” Hunter asked.
“Cougar.”
Hunter grunted and moved over so he could see where Jericho stared.
“Damn.”
“Yeah. What the fuck are we going to do? She seems to like us fine, but if Kaya stumbles across her, the cougar could kill her.”
Hunter’s fingers curled into a tight fist. “We’ll have to run her off.”
Jericho knew it wasn’t what Hunter wanted, but they didn’t have a choice. After this, any trust that had been built between the cat and the two men would probably be gone.
The cat moved closer, taking measured steps through the snow. Then she froze and raised her head into the wind, sniffing, and then her ears went back. She looked in their direction. She’d scented them.
Hunter closed his eyes briefly and then raised his rifle. He took careful aim and took a shot over the cougar’s head.
The cat flattened on the snow, her gaze focused on where the two men sat. Hunter rose and waved his hands.
“Get on out of here! Go on!”
He raised his rifle to take another shot, but the cat sprang away, her tail flashing as she disappeared into the trees.
Hunter settled back down, his face hard but his eyes dim with regret. “She better damn well show.”
The cougar crouched in the darkness watching the silent cabin. There was no movement within. It had gone quiet in the dark, suffocating hours of predawn.
The human within fought for balance, wanted the shift. She cried out to the humans inside the cabin. But the injured cougar carefully guarded her counterpart, unsure and betrayed by the two men she’d trusted.
Pain and sorrow vied for equal attention. Finally with a shuddering growl, the cat became human, and a naked woman huddled in the snow as pain screamed through her body.
She pushed herself up with her right hand as she favored her left arm by holding it tightly against her chest. The snow burned her knees, and the cold seeped into her muscles, stiffening them and making her unwieldy.
Still, she forced herself to her feet and staggered toward the cabin only to stop in front of the door. Should she go in? She’d given her word, but they had chased the cougar away. In her fright, her animal instincts had taken over, and she’d fled. In a jump over a crevice, she’d broken her front limb. It had taken her hours to crawl her way back to the cabin, and now she didn’t know if she’d made the right decision.
The cold and her pain forced her forward. At this point, she didn’t have a choice. She needed warmth and rest so she could heal. She could only hope they didn’t turn her away.
She stumbled when she got to the door and reached out to brace herself on the worn wood. The handle was frigid, and she fumbled clumsily at it. When it cracked open, a welcome rush of heat drifted out to envelop her.
The living room was dark. No fire burned in the hearth to her dismay. She hurried forward and shut the door behind her. It landed with a bang, and she winced.
The couch was her goal, because the five steps to it were all she could muster, and she’d be lucky to make it that far.
She’d taken two steps when light flooded the living room, and Jericho and Hunter both charged from their bedrooms.
Anger glittered brightly in Hunter’s gaze. Jericho looked furious and his reaction was explosive. Her ears rang from the harsh expletives.
Jericho was in front of her in an instant, reaching for her arms.
“Don’t touch—!”
It was too late. His hands curled around her broken arm.
Pain exploded through her body. Her scream was primal, rolling like a jolt through the cabin. Jericho dropped her like he’d been burned and stepped away, his fury reduced to shock.
She went to her knees, holding her arm as breathless, silent sobs billowed from her depths.
Hunter pushed by the stunned Jericho and knelt on the floor in front of her.
“What happened?”
“My arm,” she gasped out. “It’s broken.”
“What the fuck?” Jericho finally found his voice.
Hunter curled his hand underneath her other elbow and hoisted her gently to her feet. He led her to the couch and eased her onto the cushion.<
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She trembled from head to toe, unsure of what bothered her most. The cold or the pain.
Jericho scrambled for a blanket and draped it around her body, taking care not to touch her arm again.
“Kaya, I didn’t know. God, I’m sorry for hurting you.”
She couldn’t find the words around her clenched throat, but her gaze found his and she gave a short shake of her head to let him know it was all right.
She watched as they broke away from her long enough to build up the fire. Then they returned to the couch, their expressions hard. Determined.
“Who is he?” Hunter asked, his tone cold and deadly. “Is he your husband? Boyfriend?”
She blinked in confusion as her teeth started to chatter. “Who is who?”
“The son of a bitch who did this to you,” Jericho said icily.
Her eyes widened in shock. “But—”
Hunter cupped her chin and turned her so that she faced him. “I’ll take care of it, Kaya. I swear to you I will. Tell me who he is and where I can find him. He’ll never hurt you again. We’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
“There is no one. I swear it.”
Jericho threw up his hands in frustration.
She sank back into the couch, bracing herself for what was to come. She had to see to her arm, and though she would heal quickly, she didn’t look forward to setting it.
Tired. Cold. She had reached exhaustion, the bone-deep kind that made processing her thoughts impossible.
“We’ve got to get her down the mountain,” she heard Hunter say to Jericho.
She turned her head to bring them both into view and frowned at the intensity on their faces. They weren’t talking to her. They were deciding her fate between them.
“We can take her in the sled,” Hunter said. “If we can just get her down to the truck, we can drive the rest of the way provided the roads aren’t too snowed under.”
“Where are you taking me?” she asked faintly.
Hunter turned, his gaze softening just a bit. “The hospital, Kaya. Your arm is badly broken. We have to get you care.”
“No!”
Her vehement exclamation startled the two men. Jericho frowned, and Hunter looked at her in bewilderment. Then he knelt down in front of the couch and took her uninjured hand in his.
“You’re badly hurt. We have to get you to the hospital. I don’t think you understand how bad that break is.”
