“So I guess I have no choice. I have to give up my life and everything I’ve worked for and live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, all because of some weird genetic defect in my blood.”
“Or we kill him.”
Chogan’s voice came from the doorway.
Blake turned to his cousin and nodded. “Or we kill him,” he said in agreement.
Autumn blanched. “I don’t want people killed.”
Chogan straightened and walked fully into the room. “Even a psycho who has kidnapped your best friend?”
“It’s vigilante justice. I’d rather see him go through the courts for what he’s done.”
“That’s never going to happen,” said Blake.
“What about all those people out there?” she said. “They don’t seem like people who would kill a man.”
“Perhaps as humans they’re not, but in their animal forms they are. An animal doesn’t consider the things a human does, it only does what it needs to survive. In this situation, their animal guides will show them what to do.”
“They’ll fight for the cause,” said Chogan. “They know what’s being done to those shifters is wrong.”
Autumn chewed her lower lip. “I hope you’re right.”
Voices rose from the living room again. Chogan turned and left, Blake watching him go.
“What about you and Chogan?” Autumn asked, keeping her voice low. “Are you two going to be able to put your differences aside?”
“I don’t trust Chogan. You know that.”
“So cut him out. Leave him behind.”
“You don’t understand. We need him.”
“Just because of our numbers? Surely it’s better to have one person less than someone by your side you don’t trust.”
Blake paused and then said, “You’ve noticed that when we shift, our fur is a different color.”
She nodded. “You’re silver and Chogan is a russet red. I thought, because your hair is black, your fur would be too.”
He shook his head. “The color we are as a wolf isn’t anything do with us. It’s to do with the type of guide our spirits are. Each color has a different strength. For example, my silver fur means I am a protector.”
A small smile played on her lips and she lifted her eyes to his. “I could have guessed that.”
He smiled back and glanced away briefly before looking back at her.
“And red?” she asked. “What does red mean?”
Blake frowned. “Fighter. It means Chogan is a fighter.”
“So that’s why we need him.”
Blake nodded.
She seemed to mull this over.
The voices in the living room rose another notch and she looked toward the sound. “I guess you should get back in there before they rile up the whole reservation.”
He grinned. “I’m not sure that would be a bad thing.”
As they headed back out into the hall, the door burst open. A young man in his early twenties stood in the doorway, his eyes wild. “There’s a van full of men in SWAT gear on the outskirts of the reservation!”
The people in the other room all rose to their feet, looking worriedly at each other.
Instantly, Blake focused in on his wolf, trying to get an idea of what lay outside. The big animal ran through the streets, heading toward the edge of the town. A few people had wandered out of their homes, wondering what the disturbance was. The now familiar thrum of helicopter blades filtered through to his sensitive ears.
He and Autumn exchanged a glance.
“Shit!” he said. “They’ve already found us.”
Chapter Twenty-one
THE INHABITANTS OF the small house burst into action.
“Quick, everyone, out the back,” said Blake. “Head into the forest and shift. They won’t be able to track you so easily in animal form.”
The shifters grabbed their things, hustling to get out of the property. Too many bodies filled the small space, jostling each other in their haste to get out. Autumn’s heart fluttered in fear as she kept her back to the wall, trying to stay out of the way, unsure of what to do.
“We’ll meet you in Chicago, Blake,” said Enyeto. “We won’t let these bastards win.”
Blake gave him a grim nod.
Lakota Wolfcollar stood tall. “I’ll try to put them off the scent. I’ll tell them you were here, but that you left hours ago.”
Blake shook his head. “You should hide too, Father. I don’t know how far they’ll go to get information from you.”
Lakota’s lips thinned. “No one is chasing me out of my home. This is a reservation. Those men don’t have any authority here.”
Seeming to remember Autumn, Blake took hold of her arm and shoved her toward Chogan. “Take Autumn. You’re faster than me. You need to get her out of here.”
Chogan caught her against his strong body, but she spun back to Blake and blurted, “But you don’t trust him! You said so yourself.”
His eyes flicked coolly toward Chogan. “I guess I don’t have any choice in the matter. You need to get out of here.”
“No!” she cried. “I won’t leave you.”
“You have to. Don’t worry, I’ll catch you up. You need to leave here. Right now.”
Tears threatened, her lower lip trembling. “Please, Blake. Don’t make me go without you.”
“It’s all right. I’m trained to deal with these people, and I won’t leave the reservation in their hands unprotected. I’ll be fine. Now get the hell out of here.”
She hesitated again.
“Go!” he snarled at her.
She turned back to Chogan. The other man caught her by the hand and they ran from the rear of the house, across the yard and out onto the street behind. The thrum of the helicopter grew louder and louder. Autumn craned her neck, trying to catch its location, but Chogan yanked on her hand again, pulling her forward. She had to watch where she was going or she’d fall over her own feet. Her breath rasped in her lungs, her heart hammering so hard she thought the organ might burst from her chest. Shouts came from behind them, and they exchanged a wide-eyed glance. Chogan was much faster than she was, but she pushed herself hard, her feet pounding the sidewalk, her thighs burning, determined not to be the one responsible for getting him caught as well.
Oh, Blake …
They left the outskirts of the small town and broke through the line of trees. The terrain was harder going now, her feet seemingly resolute in getting caught in roots or in stumbling over rocks. Whip-like branches lashed at her face, and she used the hand Chogan wasn’t holding to shield her eyes. The sound of the chopper faded, replaced by the rustle of wind moving through the trees.
Where had everyone else gone? The reservation and surrounding forest was plenty big enough for them each to get lost in.
A stitch ripped pain in her side. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. I need to—” She couldn’t finish; there wasn’t enough air in her lungs.
Chogan noted the state she was in and stopped beside her, glancing over the top of her back where she was bent double. “We can’t stop long.”
He seemed to make a decision. He reached beneath his leather jacket and pulled out a gun, handing it to her.
She took the weapon from him, the metal cool and heavy in her grip.
“Where the hell did you get this?”
“Never mind where I got it. Do you know how to use it?”
“I think so.” The past forty-eight hours had brought her closer to guns than she’d ever been in her life.
“It’s just in case they catch up before I’ve finished shifting.” On the last word, his bones crunched, cracking, his shoulders wrenching one way and the next. His face stretched, teeth appearing in his lengthening jaw.
“Oh God,” Autumn whimpered, taking several steps away from him. She held the gun out at arm’s length, pointing it in the direction they’d come. She didn’t want to have to shoot someone, though she would if it came down to them or her.
&
nbsp; Or Chogan. I’d shoot them for Chogan.
But Blake doesn’t trust him. Had something really been going on between Chogan and Blake’s girlfriend when they’d been younger? From Chogan’s disposition, she certainly wouldn’t put it past him to have tried something, but she also got the impression that he would be the first to admit it if something had been going on. And despite what Blake said, Chogan did seem to genuinely care about his cousin. It had been such a long time ago now, what reason would he have to continue lying?
Unless he was trying to protect Blake from something …
She realized how close she’d grown to the two cousins in such a short space of time. There was no denying they were special, but she felt more connected to them than she had to anyone else—probably with the exception of Mia—in her whole life.
The big, russet wolf approached, his head lowered in a form of submission. Autumn checked left and right, making sure none of the men now swarming the town was heading toward them. She waited a moment longer, praying Blake would come bursting through the woods, but he didn’t appear.
Oh, Blake. Please stay safe.
Feeling like she was leaving a part of herself behind, she turned from the direction of the town and ran to the wolf waiting for her. She checked the safety on the gun and then shoved it in the waistband of her suit pants before stopping beside Chogan.
Before she climbed onto him, she remembered something. “Hang on,” she told him.
Running to where he had completed his shift, she scooped up his discarded clothes, bundling them together in her arms. When they reached the city, he would need something to wear.
“Okay, ready,” she said, back at his side. He lowered his body down to the ground, allowing her to swing one leg over his back and pull herself on, straddling his back. She stuffed his clothes between her body and his, then leaned forward, placing her bodyweight between his shoulders, burying her fingers into the soft fur of his neck.
Movement came from behind them and she turned to see men appear between the trees.
“Go!” she urged him. “They’re coming!”
A shot rang out, a hot streak of air close to her ear. Instinctively, she lay closer to Chogan’s back. The wolf leapt forward, taking off at a gallop through the forest.
Blake had been right, Chogan was faster. But then, they’d not had men shooting at them when she’d been riding with Blake. More shots cut through the air, but now they seemed farther away. They were leaving their attackers, and Blake, behind them.
Please be all right, please be all right.
She placed her cheek against Chogan’s red fur and was surprised to find it damp. Only then did she realize she was crying.
He continued to run, his powerful body moving beneath her, loping through undergrowth, splashing through rivers, leaping from boulder to boulder. He slowed in places, navigating harder territory, but as soon as they were in any kind of space, he took off at a gallop, the wind tearing at her hair. She buried her face in his fur to escape the force of the air.
They’d been going for a couple of hours now, but he didn’t seem to tire. Daylight faded, to be replaced by a purple dusk and, finally, night. The daytime sounds of the forest, tweeting of birds, were replaced by those of night, the scurry of nocturnal animals and the hoot of an owl.
This time, Autumn didn’t sleep. She was too worried about Blake, praying the other shots she’d heard hadn’t been meant for him, hoping Dumas’ men hadn’t taken him captive. Would he be waiting for her and the others as planned? She thought her heart would break if they reached the rendezvous point only to find him missing. What would they do then? While she was sure Chogan would try to lead the rest of the shifters in a rescue attempt, she would feel so much better with Blake by her side.
Finally, they slowed to a trot.
They were on the outskirts of the city. Chogan needed to shift back.
She climbed down and moved away. In a small clearing, he sat on his haunches, his body shrouded in moonlight. Bones cracked and snapped into place, his limbs shrinking, fur melting back into his skin. She blinked several times, her brain still trying to convince her that what her eyes were seeing wasn’t real.
Chogan stood naked before her, his long hair falling down one side of his chiseled chest, his features noble and strong.
The sight of him caught her breath, and she realized she’d been staring.
“Here,” she said, thrusting the bundle of his clothes toward him.
He sauntered up to her, standing nude, only a foot between them. He made no attempt to take the items from her. She deliberately kept her gaze averted, her cheeks coloring with heat. She shoved them against his chest.
“Just take them, will you,” she hissed.
He chuckled and finally relieved them from her grasp.
“We might as well rest up for a bit,” he said, pulling the clothes on. “There’s no point in us heading into the city before the others, just in case we get some unwanted attention.”
She nodded. She guessed that made sense, though she was desperate to find out if Blake was safe.
The cool night air made her shiver.
“Come and sit with me,” Chogan said, sitting down at the base of a large pine tree. The forest floor was covered in a soft bed of needles. “I’ll keep you warm.”
She didn’t miss the cheeky smile on his face, but she couldn’t say no. She’d freeze if she did.
She sat down beside him, and he slung his arm over her shoulder, like they were a couple of high school sweethearts. Deliberately, she kept her back angled toward him so as not to give him the wrong idea.
In an hour or so, they’d head to the outskirts of the city and grab a cab to take them to where she hoped Blake and the other shifters would be waiting.
THEY GOT THE driver to drop them off a couple of blocks from the meeting point. They walked the rest, side by side and in silence. Tension encompassed Autumn’s entire soul, not just in anticipation of what might take place over the next few hours, but because she worried Blake wouldn’t be waiting for her. Her heart thrummed, her breath shallow with nerves. She found herself clenching and unclenching her fists.
Please be there; please be there, she found herself chanting over in her head.
She glanced at Chogan and a slow smile spread over his lips. With a jolt, she remembered something Blake had told her about being able to send his wolf ahead of him to scout what lay further on. Had Chogan done that now? Had he already seen Blake waiting for them?
“Is he there?” she asked.
He only gave her a grin, which, with how Chogan worked, could have been either positive or negative.
“Tell me, damn it!”
He only smiled that knowing smile.
She gave a growl of frustration and broke into a sprint, rounding the corner where they were supposed to be waiting. Her heart dropped. No one was there. But then she caught movement from the alley right before the junction.
She almost burst into tears with relief. There was no possibility that the huge man standing, surrounded by a small group of people, was anyone else. His solid, indomitable form towered over the other men and women. Her heart beat hard, her mouth running dry. She wanted to run to him, but he’d told her he wasn’t interested in her, that he couldn’t think about her that way. Chogan lurked behind her, sandwiching her between the two cousins.
Blake must have caught sight of them in his peripheral vision. He turned his head toward them and a smile broke out on his face. Immediately, he left the people he was with, striding toward her. She held her ground, but he reached her and scooped her up, crushing her to him.
“Autumn! Thank God, you’re safe.”
Her arms found their own way around his neck, pressing her face into the strong curve of his throat, feeling his heat, drinking in the musky scent of him. His fingers laced in her hair and he pulled back her head, exposing her face to him, and kissed her, deep and sweet.
Whatever he’d said before, his actions now
spoke differently.
She broke away from his embrace, her fingers automatically touching his cheek, his jaw, tracing down across his chest, back over his shoulders. “Are you all right?” she asked, part of her still feeling frantic. “Did they hurt you?”
“No, Autumn. I’m fine, honest.”
“What happened back there? I heard gunshots. I was so scared.”
He nodded grimly, his dark eyes locked on hers. “Yeah, I heard them too. I was worried you might have been shot, but once I’d managed to lose them, I doubled back and checked the direction you’d headed. When I didn’t find any sign of blood, I figured you’d made it away safely.”
As if his words had reminded him of the reason for her safety, he turned to Chogan. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
The corner of his lip quirked. “No problem.”
“So what happened at the reservation?” she asked, wanting to fill in every detail of their time apart.
“I let them catch sight of me and led them in the opposite direction of the one you’d all headed in. I found a spot near the river which was hidden from the aerial view by some boulders and overhanging trees, and managed to shift. Once I’d done that, I knew I’d be able to lose them.”
“What about your father?”
Blake chuckled. “As expected, Dumas’ men came to the house, but he threatened to pull a political shit-storm down on their heads because they were on reservation land, and they went away with their tails between their legs.”
Autumn smiled. “Good. That’s good.”
They both became conscious of the people standing around them.
“There are still a few reporters hanging around the entrance,” he said.
“Don’t worry,” said Chogan. “I can take care of them. Enyeto and I will take things from there.”
“Okay.” Blake turned to her. “Autumn, are you sure you’re up for this?”
She nodded. “I want this to be over. I want my life back, or as much of it I can still get, and I’ll do whatever I need to make that happen.”
His lips tweaked in a smile. “Okay, then. You’ll come with me.”
Autumn's Blood: The Spirit Shifters, Book One Page 17
