by Ann Raina
Lovers in the Woods
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
If you thought falling in love in the woods is romantic, think again.
Rayenne thought this would be an easy police job—take the suspect to Belson Park for interrogation and make it fast. However, there is a strange wood to cross with stranger creatures to encounter before she gets rid of him. Can she withstand the challenges of both her male companion and dangerous animals to reach her destination and not lose herself on the way?
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Lovers in the Wood
Copyright © 2013 Ann Raina
ISBN: 978-1-77111-530-8
Cover art by Carmen Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Smashwords Edition
Lovers in the Wood
Or
How to reach your destination without losing yourself on the way.
By
Ann Raina
Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. - Josh Billings
Every man’s dream is to be able to sink into the arms of a woman without also falling into her hands. Jerry Lewis
Chapter One
Sajitar woke up to sunrays trying to hack through his closed eyelids. His head felt like a medium sized bomb, close to exploding. Wearily, he slighty opened one eye to glimpse at the dark yellow sun and then, with some effort, at the line of orange trees in front of the window. After all that I’m still where I started. That’s comforting. However, he did not know exactly where he was, who had brought him to this room that looked like some cheap hut, or for how long he had been kept here. Fact was that his right wrist was handcuffed to the wooden bedframe. Should I be glad it’s not some dark hovel and a monster waiting at the entrance? Not by much. He closed his eyes once more, moaned, and tried to figure out how he had spent the last hours. There was not even the glimpse of a memory lurking in the back of his mind. There had been other days and more nights when he had drowned in Kaniza, but this utter blankness was new to him. And it was frightening.
He tugged the chain and, as if waiting for a signal, a black-haired woman entered the room. She was about twenty-five years old, although her demeanor told of more experience and self-confidence than her years. Her tanned face was dominated by two large brown eyes and framed by thick brows that were not really ladylike, but complemented her expressive features with high, prominent cheekbones and dark red lips. She smiled as if she knew more than she would ever tell.
Sajitar sighed and rolled his eyes. Though she had not worn a Belthraine Police Division One uniform before, he recognized her. She had shared some strong drinks with him at the only bar in this remote village, whose name—if there had been any—he could not recall. Now she stood with her hands on her hips, looking cocksure and very attractive. To his chagrin she didn’t look a bit hung over, which left him wondering if she had fed the bar’s plants with her drinks. She was tall and he imagined her long legs without pants easily. Hadn’t she worn a dress last night?
He cleared his dry throat, trying to focus on the main problem.
“Where are we? And why—” he lifted his tied hand. “—am I here? Don’t misunderstand me. You look great, positively radiant in that uniform, but I hope we are not here for the game I think we are here. Am I right?”
Her frown quickly vanished and was replaced by a gentle expression of mockery.
“You had one drink too much, and when you pestered the other guests I brought you up here.”
Her voice was pleasant, her words were not.
“Pestered?” His mind tried a catch-up on the tidings. “I don’t remember to ever have…okay, never mind. But what’s the story with these things here? Is there a special reason why you handcuffed me to the bed?”
Her right eyebrow twitched.
“You had your hands everywhere, Sajitar Haju.”
The words rebounded like a shockwave through the lower parts of his body. His catch-up attempt came to a sudden halt. Is this a game? Where does it lead?
“Oh, and that displeased you? Rayenne, right?” Sajitar’s lips twisted to a smile when he suddenly realized that he wasn’t wearing his pullover anymore. His hiking boots stood like good soldiers in front of the bed, his pants, pullover and socks were draped across the foot end of the bed and his boxers… He checked. He was still wearing his underwear. The day started looking up.
“I had to check you for weapons,” Police Officer Rayenne said with an all but innocent shimmer in her eyes. “I like to be thorough.”
Sajitar’s smile couldn’t compete with hers so he shut it off. Now he knew she was only playing around, as she obviously had the night before. He had never been shy when it came to women, so he cursed his lack of memory, sighing.
“Sure. But now that I’m sober—and I assure you I’ve never been that sober so fast—you could be so nice as to untie me so I’d be on my way.”
She moved to the foot end and lowered her head. “Your way and mine will be the same for a while.”
“You bet.”
“Safe bet. My colleague and I are ordered to take you to headquarters for interrogation.”
His heartbeat sped up and the exchange of pleasantries was over. Sober was not enough now. He was wide awake and on alert.
“Concerning what?” he asked, more sharply than he wanted to.
Apparently not insulted, she didn’t change her expression.
“A trial. Captain Felberi and I are escorting you because of your knowledge concerning the case against Sananda Wang, accused of illegal export of substances deriving from protected Belthraine animals, and the assassination of Environment Senator Rhyhis Tafni. The trial will take place as soon as all of the witnesses are gathered.”
Sajitar swallowed, trying to cope with the news. The remotest village was not remote enough. If they found me, who else will?
He sounded breathless when he finally nodded.
“So I am a witness. Fine with me. It includes that I’m not to be treated like a criminal.” He clanked the handcuff again. “Untie me.”
“Not so fast, Mr Haju.” The smile vanished and left a mask of seriousness, all down to business. “The investigation not only brought forth your connection to Mrs Wang, but revealed that you were an accomplice to the assassination.”
“An accomplice?” he echoed. In his
mind, the different possibilities of how to get out of this situation reverberated, but he came up with nil. The two officers were armed and he was not. His fighting skills had been honed in street fights, but would not suffice against shotguns. And he had no chance as long as Ms Officer kept him handcuffed.
“If I got it right, you also succeeded in getting money from Mrs Wang illegally.” Mockery was back. She cocked her head. “If that is possible under the circumstances. I wonder why she didn’t give you the money voluntarily. Did you disappoint her?”
Sajitar shook his head. He was sweating, searching his memory for all the deeds and misdeeds in his recent past. He didn’t come up with anything, since he’d tried to vanish from the radar of everyone during the last moon phases. He licked his lips and tried to take a deep breath, but it felt as if a load of stones weighed on his ribcage. Why have I been so stupid?
He put on his best innocent look.
“No, Ms Police, you got the wrong guy. I don’t know this Mrs Wang and I never had anything to do with an assassination, no matter what you investigated or where.”
“Believe me, we work thoroughly. There’s no mistake. You’re not just a witness.”
He put a hand to his temple. The headache had reached its climax.
“And I’m telling you that you handcuffed the wrong man. How did you get me that drunk, anyway? Usually, I remember where I was and what I did.”
Officer Rayenne smiled knowingly. Her voice turned cheerful and still he could not tell how much of it was real or just mockery on his expense.
“It’s a pity you don’t know anymore.”
With that unnerving shot, she left Sajitar behind to brood over lost hours, the context of Rayenne’s happiness and how to get rid of the handcuffs. He needed to see a man about a horse and had forgotten to tell her.
Police Captain Ron Felberi made the impression of a no-nonsense guy in his late forties, ready to leave Belthraine to find joy and happiness on a planet with more water, beaches and attractions instead of woodland and one booming city that was as crowded as it was dangerous. When he walked into the room, grunting and lifting his wide-cut pants to fit under his paunch, Sajitar realized he was caught between a rock and a hard place. While Rayenne would take him to headquarters to earn praise and promotion, Felberi would do it to get rid of a nasty obligation and start an overdue vacation.
“Thank you,” Sajitar said politely when Felberi opened the handcuffs. He eyed the man and came to the conclusion that it would do no good to try and convince him to let him run. It would only earn him a grunt and a bullet in the back with the first wrong step. “I thought, I’d burst any minute. Where’s the bathroom?”
Felberi grunted again and nodded across his right shoulder. His oblong face with thin lips and eyes the color of stone did not even twitch.
Sajitar hastened to relieve himself. When he got out of the bathroom, washed and smelling of soap, Rayenne checked his body up and down to end with a curt twitching of her brows.
“Nice as before.”
Felberi stood in the doorway, hands on his hips, looking bored and angry at the same time.
“Stop undressing him with your eyes, Officer Whiteclaw. He’s wearing little enough for my taste.”
“Whiteclaw? You’re one of the Whiteclaws?” Sajitar lowered his voice to imitate the rumble of an advertisement speaker. “A member of the famous family, known to find traces everywhere and under any circumstances. Great.” Sajitar whistled through his teeth, indicating a bow. “I should be honored, I guess, to have you at my heels.”
“And you stop flattering her,” Felberi warned with a pointed finger.
Sajitar kept the smile to himself, got dressed and joined the officers, who packed their stuff. Felberi indicated with one hard glance that he would suffer no offences or tolerate misbehavior. Sajitar grimaced. This will be a hard and long ride.
“Where’s your headquarters?” he asked, just to start a conversation.
“Belson Park, of course,” Officer Whiteclaw answered, and swung the saddlebags across her shoulder. She appeared light-hearted and in a fine mood. She was smiling as innocently as a student girl he had once known.
Sajitar’s memory made a virtual jump. Bits and pieces of yesterday’s entertainment came back to him. The slim cut of her gown, the view of her deep décolleté, and her inviting glance. Music had played and she had wrapped her arms around him. Her perfume, an invitation to do much more than talk.
“I suppose you’re used to riding long hours?”
Sajitar glanced away from Officer Whiteclaw and put on his light brown canvas jacket. The question was just another mockery. Everyone of Belthraine was used to either riding or driving a coach. There was no other way to get around.
“Did you take care of my B-horse?”
“Can’t you truly remember anything?”
Oh, yes, your radiant smile, big shining eyes, intelligent words and heaps of understanding to make me feel good. You were like fire to a candle.
Sajitar decided to stick to his amnesia. “If that’s a trick question, I’m already sick of it. Try something new.”
“Your mare’s all right. She bristled a bit, but I calmed her down when we got here.”
“By telling her a goodnight police story? I’d have loved to hear that.” He got a nasty glance from both officers, and under different circumstances he would have laughed.
She followed him through the door and into a misty alley toward the stable. Only few people were up at this hour and all of them looked nervously at the man being escorted by two officers of the Belthraine Police Division One, short PDO, trained for cross-country chases. Sajitar understood their distrust and pondered once more about a way to escape. But he knew no one and could not expect a stranger to help him. Those men and women who chose to live far away from the pleasantries of a large town had either a criminal record or religious motifs. Wherever the police showed up there was trouble ahead for everyone, even in the remotest districts.
Two men evaded them by escaping through a swinging door, another vanished behind a curtain. They avoided eye contact, but Sajitar knew they would watch the police walk by before they went about their business. It was a pity he didn’t even know anyone with a gun in this town to help him out. Remaining alone had been the trick to stay unnoticed. No questions asked and no trouble for anyone. He, for that matter, would not have acted any different.
“If you start to get on my nerves during the trip,” Rayenne pointed out, “I’m authorized to gag, handcuff and throw you across the saddle.”
Sajitar couldn’t help but smile.
“Authorized, hmm? Officer Whiteclaw, do you like using this phrase when talking to your…suspects?”
“Beware if I turn my phrases into your harsh reality.”
“Beware if you find out that you've got the wrong guy,” he replied earnestly, ignoring her mockery once again. “Your suspect is still on the move, don’t you forget that. And if he learns you’ve arrested me, he’ll double his efforts to get away.”
Whiteclaw frowned, then after scrutinizing his face, shook her head.
“No, we know that you worked there. We also had a definite description and visual confirmation of you being there at the time in question. Plus your fingerprints were at the spaceport. There’s no mistake.”
“You got my…” He broke off, pretending that he still could not recall the evening hours.
“Yes.” She nodded slowly, clearly letting him feel her superiority. “And we found remnants of the substance known as Barylom. A soft grey powder, as you well remember.”
“I didn’t—”
“Save your breath and spare your explanations for the judge. I’ve heard all of this before.”
Sajitar complied, realizing that no argument would get him off the hook.
They reached the stable and Sajitar was relieved to see his mare in one of the stalls. She pricked her large ears and gave him a quizzical look out of dark brown eyes. Sajitar stroked her nost
rils gently.
Due to the high percentage of oxygen in the air, all animals on Belthraine were able to run for miles once they had enough training. Cross-breeds with the zebra-like animals living on the planet were called B-horses. They were the only animals the settlers could ride, since the native ones were too wild to be tamed. Few lines of breeding existed that would take men half across the planet without asking for a stop. Sajitar loved his brown mare dearly. He usually stayed in her box or slept close to her while they were outdoors. The night was lonely for her. And I was too drunk to know.
“How long will the trip take?”
Rayenne frowned and watched the groom take up his hayfork and leave through the back entrance. “Four standard weeks’ ride, if it works well. We’ll leave the road and cross a part of Emerald Green to be faster.”
“Cross…” He stopped stroking the mare, searching eye contact with Rayenne, trying to make her listen to his words. “Do I hear badly this morning or are you truly nuts? There have been reports of Horlyn attacks. And we are talking of the large sizes here, not the small ones you know from the outskirts of Oak Village. Don’t you know anything about this area?”
“We have protective gear,” Whiteclaw replied, glancing at Felberi, who was already currying his B-horse. The captain was listening, but did not interfere. He only patted his saddlebag with a sideways glance. “No Horlyn with more than one brain cell will get close to us.”
“That’s what you hope, but it’s not knowledge.” Sajitar exhaled, trying to calm down. The situation grew stranger by the minute and he racked his brain about how to escape this damned trap. Escorted by the police, who would guard him and therefore be slow, the ride would take much longer than they anticipated. There was no shortcut through the wood, that much was certain. And no matter what kind of protection the police had developed, the animals of the forest were hard to keep at bay if they searched for prey or were disturbed. And though the aggressiveness of Horlyns was disputable, they did not like strangers to enter their territory.
