Indecision twisted Cristían's face. His shoulders sagged from trying to decide what to do. Then he pulled them up, shrugged off Carmen's help, and walked toward the vehicles with her.
"I called the police.” Joaquin passed the stack of clothing to Wyatt.
"Good.” Wyatt accepted the pile with one hand and gently pushed Trina toward Joaquin with the other. “See that she's thoroughly briefed before the police get here. We want her on the same page as the rest of us."
Trina's fingers molded into the cleft of Wyatt's bicep. “You'd better take a flashlight with you. I have one in my car. Even with the moon so full and bright, you don't want to have to explain to the police how we can see in the dark."
"What?” Carmen's head whipped around so fast, Wyatt thought she'd snapped her neck. Long strides brought her back to them. “What do you mean, we?"
Wyatt refused to allow a confrontation. He wasn't sure he believed in these changes Trina mentioned, but she believed it and that was good enough for now. In fact, he blessed the fact that despite whatever was happening to her, she still managed to keep her wits about her. Thrown into the path of tragedy yet again, they needed someone thinking clearly.
Joaquin blocked Carmen's path before Wyatt could do so. “Let it go. We have enough to deal with right now. This discussion is best saved for another, more private time."
Carmen hiked her nose into the air. Wyatt could practically see the lightning bolts of tension in the air between the two women. There were problems here well beyond Carmen's inability to conceive. He couldn't begin to guess at what they might be and didn't have time to deal with it now.
Forcing a smile Trina's way, he shoved his hand into his jeans pocket and pulled out his car keys. “Thank you. A flashlight would be nice. I appreciate your thinking of it. Could you grab mine, too? It's in the glove compartment."
"Sure.” She curled her fingers around the keys he placed in her palm. Wyatt held on for a second or two, struck by the urge to kiss her and tell her everything was going to be all right. Or perhaps hear her say those words to him.
"And Carmen will give you ours as well,” Joaquin said.
Carmen's eyes narrowed in a glare. She pivoted on the ball of her foot and stomped away. Trina kept a good distance between them as she followed.
"What did she mean, Wyatt?” Joaquin quietly asked.
Wyatt shook out his jeans and shoved his feet into the legs. “I'm not sure. She says she wants answers. That she's ... changing."
"Shifting?"
He yanked his T-shirt over his head and finger combed his hair into place. “I don't know. I don't see how that's possible. However, as you've already pointed out, we don't have time to deal with it now. Just make sure she's thoroughly briefed. I want her story seamless and on track with ours before the police get here."
"I'll have Barry work with her. You go on. I'll grab the flashlights and be right behind you."
Wyatt stabbed his bare feet into his sneakers, grabbed the rest of the clothing from where he'd placed it on the ground, and aimed for the area where Rose was. Once he turned his nose to the air, Wyatt picked up the scent right away. The stench of blood was impossible to miss.
It was downwind from their previous location, which might explain why none of them noticed before. Also, Carmen's overactive pheromones had flooded the immediate area, and none of them had been thinking about much outside the bonding ceremony. Between her and the scent of Trina's essence screaming at him, Wyatt hadn't been able to focus on anything except sex.
He saw Dean and Paolo standing watch near Rose's body. Both had respected the need to protect the scene as much as possible and stood far enough away to do so without leaving her alone to possible scavengers. The men glanced at him but said nothing. They didn't need to speak; their pain-wracked eyes did instead.
Wyatt paused a few feet from Dean, trying to steel himself for what he'd find. He handed him the clothes, indicating he and Paolo should dress. He took a deep breath and moved forward. One cautious step in front of the other led him closer. Then he saw her.
He pressed his hand to his mouth to keep his emotions locked inside. Sweet little Rose, the youngest of them all. She stared into the night sky she'd loved so much. Those big brown eyes saw nothing now. Her throat was sliced from ear to ear. Her mouth was agape in a scream that had been cut off before she could release it.
Wyatt started to back away and smacked into Joaquin. The other man's tension rippled through him. Wyatt wished he could spare him the view, wished he could spare them all. What kind of leader was he that he couldn't protect this people from this?
"The gods truly have deserted us, El-ian,” he whispered. “She never had the chance to fight back."
"It sure looks that way,” he replied just as quietly and wrapped his fingers around one of the flashlights in Joaquin's white-knuckled grip, taking it from him.
Joaquin pulled in a sharp breath. “There are cat prints all over our cars, and every one of them has been sprayed."
"Fuck,” Wyatt spit out through clenched teeth. “Obviously, something's making a statement. It's probably the same mountain lion we saw earlier.” The cat had had blood on its snout. Wyatt should have scented Rose on him then, but his mind was too fogged with Trina at the time.
"It's them, isn't it?” Dean stomped toward them, fists clenched at his sides, forearms tight with rage. “The same ones who cornered our people in the fire. They're hunting us down and killing us one by one."
Joaquin lifted his palms. “How is that possible, Dean? And why?"
"They sense we're cats and are after the territory.” He snarled and stabbed his fingers in his hair, pulling hard enough to yank some tufts out. “God, how many more places are we going to be chased out of?"
Wyatt reached for his shoulder to try to calm him but thought better of it. Dean deserved his anger and the right to rage. “I'm sure the mountain lions are thinking the same thing. They've lost their habitat to fires and urban development. We saw the cat earlier."
"Actually, I didn't ... Paolo and I...” He glanced at Rose's body, then jerked his gaze in the opposite direction. “If Paolo and I hadn't been so absorbed in each other, we could have saved her. We would have smelled it.” He turned an eager gaze upon Wyatt, and Wyatt stiffened, knowing what was coming next. “We could shift now, hunt it, kill it before it kills one of us again."
"Stop it.” Joaquin sliced his hand through the air. Dean actually took a step back. “Hotheaded actions never help any situation. We were all distracted. None of us were aware of the cat until it threatened Trina Tate. This was a coincidence, nothing more. We've all heard the reports on the news of mountain lions in the area."
Dean's lip curled in a sneer. “Yes, around the homes in Mission Trails Regional Park, not Balboa Park. This is no coincidence. They're after us. We need to strike back now.” He stabbed his finger into Joaquin's shoulder for emphasis. Wyatt thought Dean was damn lucky Joaquin didn't break it off.
"No vendettas.” Wyatt fought the urge to make it sound like a royal decree. Too often that inflamed matters rather than calmed them.
Dean shoved his face so close to Wyatt's, Wyatt could smell Paolo's jism on his breath. “Fine words coming from you. What were all these years about, if not a vendetta? Look what it cost us. We could have gone our separate ways and never crossed paths with the skinwalkers again. And yet—"
"And yet, you're advocating a similar behavior now.” Wyatt stared him down. The emergency lights flashing their way didn't give them time to hash this out. “The police will be here any minute. You and Paolo need to get dressed. Let's take care of Rose first, then we can evaluate and discuss this in a calmer fashion."
"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to discuss.” Dean motioned to Paolo and walked away.
Joaquin's heavy sigh echoed Wyatt's turmoil. “They'll be going hunting as soon as they can."
"I know.” And there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it right now. They couldn't go and dra
g them back when they had to settle matters with the authorities and see that Rose was cared for.
Joaquin closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temple. He sighed. “Do you think it's the same ones from the fire?"
Wyatt didn't have answers, only suspicions. He also didn't believe in coincidences. “It sure as hell looks that way."
* * * *
"Very good. Very quick. I like that.” Barry Page's eyes pulsed with golden light and his approval. All of the clan's eyes did that, now that she looked closer. Trina figured it was a small aftereffect of shifting and would dissipate shortly. Barry's gaze calmed the turmoil twisting her stomach.
She had newfound respect for the man. In the past, she'd considered him nothing more than an annoying, weasel-faced pain in the ass. But tonight, she elevated him to godlike status, more like an eagle soaring than a sneaky weasel. He multitasked like nobody's business, gathering the remaining clan members, calming their worries, making sure they were put together, while he briefed and rebriefed Trina on the story they were to give to the police.
She couldn't count the number of times he had her recite the scenario. When she made mistakes, Barry repeated the tale and had her do the same thing. Not once did he raise his voice or show a glimmer of impatience. If he had, she was fairly certain she'd have fallen apart. Trina appreciated the consideration, if that's what it was. He could very well be this way all the time, and she'd just never noticed before. The old Trina had been too self-absorbed to pay attention to anyone or anything not considered within her realm.
God, she hated that person.
By the time they saw the flashing lights approach, she had the story down pat. It was simple, not far from the truth. The group of them occasionally liked to come to the park at night and watch the stars, to reconnect with their ancestral Maya roots. Yes, they sometimes did so naked, but kept clothes nearby in the event other visitors showed up. They used to do this in the regional park, but the growing threat of mountain lions there forced them to relocate.
Trina could remember that if the police asked her. Now, if only the shakes would stop. She sat in the backseat of Wyatt's SUV and hugged her midriff while chills quaked through her body.
It was shock. Not too hard to make that connection. She'd heard what the shape-shifters were saying; after all, they weren't exactly whispering. The men she'd seen fucking earlier in the bushes indicated Rose's throat had been slashed. They were blaming the mountain lion that had nearly attacked Trina. She wanted to agree with them. The cat's muzzle had been covered with blood. She'd thought she'd smelled death minutes before that encounter, too. But a lingering fear nagged at her and wouldn't let go. What if...
Emergency lights flooded the parking lot. Trina squinted from the glare.
"Okay, everyone, sunglasses on.” Barry put his on, and the others followed suite. He handed a pair to Trina. “You, too.” She wrapped her shaking hand around them, but moved no further.
Barry squatted beside the open SUV door, so he was on even level with her, and placed his warm fingers on her knee. “The sunglasses will keep the humans from noticing our eyes until the glow fades. You can't stand out. If an officer asks you why you're wearing them, just say the emergency lights are giving you a migraine."
She frowned. “We're all going to claim migraines?"
He smiled. “No. Our stance is still the same—this was your first time with us. We are protecting our night vision in the hope of continuing our bonding-with-nature ritual. By the time the police tell us we won't be able to return to our plans tonight, the glow will have gone and we'll be safe."
Trina slipped the glasses into place. “If they order us to remove them, I'll do so first. It might buy you all a few minutes. Most likely, they'll probably just think we're trying to hide drug use."
"Thank you.” His smile broadened, and he gave her knee a tap as he stretched and stood up.
"Carmen, come sit on the other side.” He jerked his hand, motioning her toward the bench seat next to Trina.
Carmen's mouth tightened. There was little doubt a glare resided behind her dark glasses. Nonetheless, she whipped open the back door and plopped into the other seat. The small SUV rocked with the force.
"I want a guard around the women,” Barry said. Trina saw that no one hesitated to obey, the men automatically dividing and taking a defensive stance next to Trina and Carmen as the first team of police officers started their way.
Barry shoved a flashlight into Cristían's hand. “Hang in there. Don't offer up anything. Wait until they ask. Be careful of where you step."
Knuckles darkened under Cristían's grip. Trina swore she saw fur and claws. Barry clamped his hand over Cristían's shoulder. “No, fight it. Don't let your emotions make you lose control."
Cristían lifted his chin on a sharp intake of breath and gave a single nod.
Barry echoed the movement. “Good. Let's go."
In step beside each other, the two men strode toward the approaching police officers, meeting them halfway.
Carmen snorted. “Barry too often forgets his place. Make sure you don't make the same mistake. You're under our protection for our benefit, not yours. It doesn't make you one of us."
Emotions boiled up from Trina's gut. She felt her skin crawl, like something was trying to come out of her. Maybe something was ... or had already done so. She glanced down at her fingernails, at the blood and skin wedged under the tips. There was no way she'd be able to hide that from the police, especially since the scratches no longer existed on her arms. They'd disappeared quickly under Wyatt's magic tongue.
Trina dared what she hoped was a surreptitious look at Carmen's nails. The woman had, after all, gouged furrows in Joaquin's chest. But her shifting into and out of jaguar form had removed any remnants of that act from her nails.
"Are you ladies all right?"
Trina jumped at the deep voice so near her. A paramedic hovered over her, sage green eyes quickly assessing her physical status before they flicked up to Carmen. A smile lit his face.
"So, we meet again."
Carmen's eyes narrowed.
"Steven Bernard,” he added. “I was part of the Search and Rescue Team that pulled you from the park during the wildfire."
"Ah, yes ... now I recall.” Her glare indicated more than recollection. Still, Carmen deigned to give him the merest hint of a smile.
"It's unfortunate to meet again under bad circumstances, but I'm glad to see it isn't your life in jeopardy this time, Ms. Valera. I hope your other injuries healed well. They were quite substantial. You'd lost a lot of blood."
Carmen fisted the neckline of her blouse closer to her throat. “It was a quick recovery. I had excellent care."
"Good. Are you all right now? Any injuries?"
"I'm fine."
"Perhaps suffering shock? Let me check you.” He leaned over Trina to check Carmen. The flashing lights glinted off the gold in his blond hair. His earthy scent crawled up Trina's nose, a nasty combination of sweat, rank mud, stale blood ... and death. Side effects of being a paramedic, she supposed, but Trina still didn't like it. Recoiling, she pressed deep into the seat, trying to put a little distance between them, even if only inches. But when he reached for Carmen's sunglasses, Trina wedged her knee in his chest. A not-so-subtle reminder he was intruding on her space.
He glanced down, anger chasing away his apparent concern. In an instant, his caregiver façade returned.
"Sorry,” he muttered and eased back out. “I get too focused on individuals at times. Are you all right, ma'am?"
Trina nodded. “I'm fine."
"Why the sunglasses?"
"Migraine from the light."
"Hmm ... and you, Ms. Valera? A migraine, too?"
"I've just lost a dear friend. Allow me a little dignity. Do you think I want strangers seeing my grief?"
"I apologize for my lack of consideration. Another loved one lost so soon after the other two has to make you feel like death is stalking you."
/>
"That was uncalled for, Mr. Bernard.” Trina shoved herself from the vehicle, forcing him to take a step away. “I think you'd better leave."
Those green eyes tried to stare her down. Trina refused to be intimidated. This man was nothing more than a bully in a pretty package. She'd dealt with his kind before.
The clan men formed a semicircle behind Steven Bernard, prepared to physically remove him. From the corner of her eye Trina saw Barry striding toward them. He stopped behind the men and moved no farther. That's when she realized they were letting her handle the matter, but ready to back her up if necessary. Their actions empowered her. Trina felt more strength well up from her core.
Steven blinked first, glanced over his shoulder, then brushed past the men and went into the rescue squad truck. Trina didn't allow herself the luxury of a relieved sigh; she didn't need one.
The shape-shifters returned to their original guard positions. Barry continued monitoring the world around him. And Trina slipped back into her seat.
"Don't think this makes us friends,” Carmen told her.
"Don't worry. I won't.” If anything, Trina had a feeling she might have sealed their fate as enemies.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Five
Wyatt felt every year of his very long life. Each death his clan suffered took its toll, but this? Little Rose. Wyatt couldn't think of her any other way. She'd clutched her hand in his when she was a small child, her smile bathing him in adulation. He'd watched the woman she'd become, attended her transition ceremony to womanhood and calmed her worries before it. Now this. She'd trusted him in so many ways, and he couldn't even keep her alive, hadn't even realized she was in danger.
He sighed and kept walking toward the parking lot. The beam of a flashlight he didn't need guided the way. He and Joaquin had a few minutes to warn the others the police were going to interview each of them. But then, Barry would have already thought of that contingency and prepared everyone.
Into the Night [Into the Heart 2] Page 5
