***Quinten***
When he woke the next morning, it was to an empty place beside him, but then he smelled bacon and smiled. Penny had never cooked for him before, and he found that he liked the idea even if it tasted terrible. Stretching, he discovered that his muscles weren’t sore anymore, which surprised him considering what he and Penny had been doing for the last two days.
He took his time getting up, enjoying the idea that he’d have breakfast and coffee as soon as he did. When he sat down by the fire, Penny looked up from the pan of bacon she was watching intently and smiled at him. “Good morning; breakfast is almost ready.”
There was a strange edge to her voice, and for a second, he wondered if something was wrong, but then she stood up and breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, I didn’t burn it, so we’re doing good,” she said, taking the bacon out of the pan and cracking eggs into it. “I’ll get you some coffee in a minute.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” he said, starting to get up, but she glared at him, so he sat back down.
“You’ve been cooking every meal; I think it’s my turn.”
Quinten still thought that something was a little off, but he sat back down and waited. In only a few minutes she handed him a steaming cup of coffee fixed exactly like he took it and a huge plate of bacon and eggs. “It looks amazing. Are you sure you didn’t lie to me when you said that you couldn’t cook?” he asked.
Penny got a strange look on her face. “No, I promise I didn’t lie,” she said, a little too quickly.
Quinten was becoming surer that there was something going on, but Penny smiled and took a big bite of her breakfast, made a big show of chewing it, then swallowed. “See, it didn’t kill me; it won’t kill you.”
They ate in silence for a while, but Quinten noticed that Penny wasn’t eating, she was mostly pushing the food around on her plate and long before it was gone, she got up and put the plate in their dish tub. When she began to fuss around in the little kitchen he’d set up, he knew for certain that something was wrong.
He finished his breakfast as quickly as he could, hoping that once he was done, she’d tell him whatever it was that had her so upset. She took his plate and put it in the kitchen, then came over and sat down next to him by the fire. She poked at it a few times, then put some more wood on, clearly stalling for time.
Finally, she turned to him, her eyes full of sadness and said, “I haven’t been completely truthful with you.”
The statement surprised him so much, he was silent for a long time, “What about?” he finally asked, hoping that she didn’t have a boyfriend or something waiting back home, the memory of all the men around her at the party making his jealousy come to life.
“First let me say that I only lied to you because I thought I had to and it was before we, well, before we got together,” she said.
“You still haven’t told me what you lied about,” he said, wishing that she’d get to the point before he went crazy.
“I told you that we had no idea who the wolf-shifters were, but that wasn’t entirely true,” she began. “That night in the clearing, before he tried to use the amulet on Justin, the shifter said that he was our half-brother, that our father had left his mother alone and broke to raise him on her own. He kept saying that the ranch should be his, that it was his birthright, not Justin’s.”
Quinten jumped to his feet. “Penny, this changes everything and makes this so much more dangerous; greed and envy are the exact emotions that make shifters go crazy. Didn’t you think that this was information I should have had, if for no other reason than to protect myself?”
Penny jumped up and followed him. “I’m sorry, Quinten, I didn’t think of that. I didn’t want to lie to you, but we don’t even know if it’s true and my father would hate an outsider hearing our business.”
“I get that part, Penny, but didn’t any of you question him about this? Didn’t anyone think that it might be important to know if there was someone else out there? You said yourself that some of the pack got away. Where did they go?” Quinten’s annoyance was clear in his voice.
Penny sank down next to the fire. “I don’t know, I don’t have answers to any of those questions, but when we get home, I intend to find out. I was never supposed to handle stuff like this, Quinten; it was supposed to be Justin out here, not me.”
Quinten wanted to forgive her for lying but found that he wasn’t ready. “What else have you lied to me about? Was any of this real?” he asked, gesturing around the cave wanting to hurt her as much as she’d hurt him.
Penny stared at him open-mouthed. “How can you even ask that? Do you really think I’d sleep with you just to keep my father’s secret?” she asked, the hurt clear in her voice. When Quinten didn’t answer, she got to her feet. “I guess that answers my question. I’m going to go check on the horses. Hopefully we can start home today.”
Quinten let her leave, part of him wanted to stop her, to tell her that he didn’t think she was a terrible person, that, in fact, he loved her and that she’d hurt him. But he couldn’t do it, couldn’t risk getting hurt again. He never should have trusted her to begin with; she was a shifter, and they couldn’t be trusted.
Chapter 18
***Penny***
Penny barely made it to the opening of the cave before the tears began to stream down her face. She’d known that Quinten would be mad that she’d lied, but she’d never imagined that he had so little trust in her, or that he could be so cruel. Clearly, she’d made a mistake, didn’t know the man half as well as she thought she did, and that mistake was going to cost her.
Morphing into her mountain lion form, she took off through the trees, slowly at first, then faster, until the trees were nothing but a blur as she ran past them. It felt good to let herself go, to run just for the joy of running, to shut off her mind and just be. She was headed to the barn to check on the horses, but it felt so good to be free, she changed directions.
As she ran, she realized that it had been a long time since she’d done this and wondered if that was the reason she’d fallen so hard for a man she shouldn’t have. Her father had talked about how difficult it could be for a shifter who doesn’t get to change very often, how other impulses could be intensified, leading to bad choices. She’d never imagined that she’d find herself in that situation, but now she had.
After weeks in New England and then this trip, it had not been often that she’d used her gift. Which she now realized had been her real mistake, one she promised herself she’d never repeat. From now on, she’d make sure that no matter where she was or what she was doing, she’d change, use her gift so it didn’t turn on her.
Years of training should have already taught her that lesson, but clearly, she’d had to experience it to truly understand. Thinking of Quinten made her feel not only hurt and sad, but foolish for acting like she had; it wasn’t long before those feelings began to turn to anger. Anger at herself for letting him into her heart and anger at him for being who he was: a man who was so stuck on one idea he couldn’t see the truth.
She’d been so sure that he’d changed, that he understood that not all shifters were bad, but it had all just been words. Words that she’d been so eager to hear that she’d believed him, but now that she knew that truth, it would be easy to push him back out of her heart. To forget that under his tough exterior, there was a loving and caring man who was haunted by the death of his parents.
She’d nearly exhausted herself but pushed on a little farther, her pace slowing as she calmed down. When she finally came to a stop, her sides heaving from exertion, her head felt clearer, and she was much calmer. What happened between them had been wonderful and exciting, but she wasn’t in love with Quinten; he’d just been a way to burn off some of her energy.
Keeping that thought in her mind, she headed for the barn and the horses; it was past time for them to get off the mountain and go home. She no longer cared about the investigation, the witch’s council or any of it. Quinten co
uld give any report he wanted to; Annabelle and Justin would have to deal with it when they got home. She’d already done more than she should have, and she had her own problems to deal with.
When she got close to the barn, she changed forms again, knowing that the horses wouldn’t like the smell of mountain lion. Instead of going in the front of the barn, she used the little door in the back that led to the bedrooms upstairs. It was difficult to get open with all the snow piled in front, but after a few minutes, it swung open.
When she stepped inside, the hallway seemed brighter than she remembered. Passing the stairs that led up to the loft, she walked slowly down the hallway, the feeling that something wasn’t right creeping up her spine. As soon as she stepped out of the hallway, she saw what was wrong: the big barn doors were open, and the horses were gone.
She quickly stepped back into the hallway and flattened herself against the wall. Someone had let the horses out, but for what purpose, she wasn’t sure. She considered the possibility that it had been Quinten; he might have come looking for her and decided to take them; she had been gone for a long time.
But then she discarded that possibility; he would have never been able to saddle all four horses and get them out of here in the time she’d been gone. That meant that someone else had done it, and she didn’t like that possibility one bit. Without the horses, they were stranded here; a trek through the mountains on foot this time of year could be deadly, and someone knew that.
For a second, she started to panic, without the horses they were sitting ducks, but then she realized that Quinten had his magic. He would be able to get them out of here, all she had to do was get back to him, but she knew now that someone was waiting out there for her, someone who wanted her attention.
It was then that she realized that they were probably watching the door of the barn, thinking that she’d come through there to get the horses. They probably didn’t know about the back door, which was hard to see, so they didn’t know that she was here. That would give her the advantage: an advantage she dearly needed.
***Quinten***
As soon as Penny walked out of the cave, he felt bad about what he’d said, or more precisely hadn’t said. He’d been hurt by her admission that she’d lied to him, and afraid for her all at the same time, and hadn’t been able to handle the two emotions together.
Part of him had wanted to go after her and try to explain, but the damage had been done, and maybe it was for the best; he wasn’t cut out for this romance thing, there were too many opportunities to get hurt, and he’d spent too much of his life hurting. His parent’s death and guilt he carried had long ago taught him that to love meant you could get hurt and he’d sworn to never let himself get hurt again.
Penny had managed to get through all his defenses, had shown him that he could feel love again, but she’d also shown him a new kind of hurt: one he would have been happy never knowing about. The only problem was that the hurt he felt was still laced with the love he felt for her, and more than anything, he wished that he could figure out how to separate the two.
The fire had burned down by then, and he knew that after their fight she’d want to go home, so he got up and began packing up their supplies. It saddened him to know that their magical time was over, but she’d lied to him, brought the real world into their little bubble of passion.
As he packed, he thought about her lie and realized that it really hadn’t been that big of a lie and that she’d done it to protect someone she loved. It also struck him like a splash of cold water in the face that at the time she hadn’t owed him the truth; in fact, in her place he might have done the same thing.
He knew now that he never should have let her go, that he should have told her that he didn’t believe any of the things that he’d said. He should have told her how he really felt, and about the impending sense of doom he just couldn’t shake, that even now was bearing down on him heavily. That had been what he was reacting to, not the lie itself; he understood that now.
As he was packing up the last bag, he looked out the cave opening and realized that Penny had been gone a long time. He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he’d lost track of the time and now it was late morning, and there was no sign of her. When he stepped outside, he saw that her tracks led away from the trail to the barn and he knew that she’d gone the other way.
At first, he was suspicious, but when he stopped to think about why she’d gone that way, he understood: she’d run off into the woods to burn off her hurt and pain. Guilt rocketed through him; he’d been a colossal jerk and driven her out into the forest alone when he knew that there was someone out there who wanted to hurt her.
He was just about to go looking for her when she came bounding through the trees. When she saw him standing in front of the cave, she shifted back to her human form, but not before he felt a rush of desire. Cursing his body, he waited for her, then grabbed her and hugged her when she got close enough, but she pushed him away.
“I’m sorry, Penny, I didn’t mean what I said,” he said, looking down at her. It was then that he saw the look on her face. “What’s wrong? What happened? Are you okay?”
Penny took a deep breath, still a bit winded from her run. “The horses are gone; someone let them out.”
Quinten stared at her for a minute, letting that news sink in. “Are you sure?”
“The stalls and both sides of the barn door were open; the horses couldn’t have done that on their own. Someone wants us stranded up here,” she said, feeling panic beginning to take over.
“Shit, I knew something was going to happen, but I didn’t see this,” Quinten said, beginning to pace in front of the cave.
“I think we need to get out of here. I hate feeling like someone’s just waiting to pounce, that they’re out there watching our every move and waiting for just the right time,” Penny said, then realized what Quinten had just said. “What do you mean you saw something coming?”
“It’s just a feeling I’ve been having.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Penny asked, a little mad.
“No, I…well…I guess I should have told you,” Quinten said, realizing that he’d screwed up too. “I guess we need to work on our communication.”
Penny glared at him. “We can do that later,” she said, then asked, “Can you get us out of here?”
Quinten shook his head. “I wish I could, but locomotion has never been one of my talents; we’re stuck here just like they wanted.”
Penny sighed. “Okay then, we’d better come up with a plan because I think we’re about to meet whoever has been stalking us.”
Chapter 19
***Penny***
It had been one of the most difficult things she’d ever done when she pulled out of Quinten’s arms; it had been so nice to feel them wrapped around her that for a second, she’d almost forgotten her promise to herself. But as she watched him pace, she knew that no matter how many times she told herself that she didn’t love him, she did, and that when this was over, she’d have some healing to do.
She’d had her heart broken before, everyone had and survived, but this felt like she was losing a part of herself, a part that she’d never know existed, and that made it hurt even worse. Trying desperately to focus on the problem at hand, she pushed her pain and hurt from her mind; she’d deal with those emotions when they were safe and sound back at the ranch.
“What we need is some help,” she said.
“Yes, but how are we going to get help all the way up here? There are people I could summon, but it would take them hours to get here; it’s a complicated spell for most witches.”
Then Penny remembered the satellite phone in the cabin. “When you were in the cabin the other night, did you see a phone?” Penny asked, beginning to get excited.
“No, I don’t remember a phone,” Quinten said.
“It’s in the bench by the front door; you lift the seat, and there’s a compartment underneath. It’s hooked up to a solar panel on
the roof, so it’s always charged,” Penny said, hoping he’d opened the bench.
“I didn’t touch that bench; it looked fine when I was there,” he said, raising her hopes.
“If we can get to that phone, I can call the ranch, and they’ll come get us, or at least back us up if we can’t get out of here without a confrontation,” Penny said, relieved to have found a solution.
“Then we have to get to the cabin. Did you see anyone out there?”
Penny realized that she’d been so upset when she’d been running that she hadn’t noticed anything. “No, I mean, I was upset…not paying very close attention,” she said, then trailed off, not wanting to bring up their fight.
“About that,” Quinten began, but she held up her hand.
“I know you didn’t really mean what you said, but I can also see that we’re not right for each other; we’re just too different. Let’s just forget about it and get out of here safe. We can go our separate ways and pretend that it never happened; it’s clear that you can’t trust me, and maybe you shouldn’t,” she said, then turned and headed for the barn.
She could feel Quinten’s eyes on her back, but she kept moving; the last thing she wanted was for him to see her tears. It had taken a lot out of her to give him that little speech, especially when she didn’t mean any of it, but it was for the best; there was too much distrust between them.
Maybe if things had started out differently for them, maybe if Quinten didn’t have such an ingrained hate of shifters, they could have figured it out. But the things standing in their way were just too big, their lives just too different for it ever to work. Better to accept that now than put themselves through a lot of pain and suffering that would probably be for nothing in the end.
Fairplay Shifters Boxset Page 35
