by Jane Jamison
He jerked his head away then confronted her again, the snarl bigger than before. Growling, he reached out and tore her panties off. “I told you to calm down. Don’t you ever listen?”
His voice sounded calm and determined, but she saw a flash of heat in his eyes. Was it anger or lust? Was he going to rape her? Then what? Leave her to freeze during the night?
“Hang on to me. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He tugged her to her feet then picked her up and carried her even closer to the drop over the waterfall.
“Please. Don’t.”
His strong arms pressed against her breasts as he held her in front of him. She continued to struggle against him. She doubted she’d get free, but she was damned sure going to go down fighting.
“Relax. You’ve got this all wrong.” He tightened his arms around her, keeping her back to his chest. “Close your eyes. It’s not as scary that way.”
“What are you talking about?”
If he answered her, she never heard it over the scream ripping out of her throat. Holding her tightly, he jumped off the cliff, taking her with him.
Chapter Three
“You had no right to bring her here.”
Charlton, the oldest of The Hidden’s council members and considered one of the wisest men in the community, didn’t motion for Rosh to take a seat on the ground before them. His white beard touched his chest and his mustache covered his mouth. Wise blue eyes shone with intelligence, and he held on to a cane everyone knew he didn’t really need for support.
Charlton had long ago given up his life as the mayor of a small town in California on The Outside to live in The Hidden. His leadership abilities had quickly earned him a place on the ruling council. In The Hidden, he no longer had to hide that fact that he was a werewolf.
“I didn’t have a choice.” Rosh hadn’t had time to figure out what he was going to say. He’d arrived less than an hour before with the unconscious woman. Then as soon as the women saw her condition they’d whisked her into Rosh’s hut and had called their best healer, Penn, to care for her. Although most supernaturals could heal themselves, they found it necessary at times to enlist her help. Penn’s skills had healed the gash on Shay’s head then she’d given her a sleeping potion so she would rest peacefully for a day or two.
After checking to make sure Kira was back with her mother, he’d answered the summons of The Council. Now he wished he’d come up with an excuse and given himself time to prepare for their interrogation.
“There’s always a choice.” Xnax, one of the native residents of The Hidden and one of the oldest shape-shifters who could change into any animal he wished, played with the fire in front of him. His belly protruded outward from his skinny body, giving him the appearance of being pregnant. He passed his gnarled hand with five-inch nails that were as black as his eyes over the flames. Snatching at the air, he caught a ball of fire, bounced it in his hand, then tossed it back into the fire.
“Xnax is right. You should’ve left her where she was.” Tina, the youngest and only female member of The Council, met his gaze. Her silver eyes held the hint of playfulness that all fairies possessed.
Two other members of The Council, a werewolf and a werecat, nodded in agreement.
“No, I couldn’t. The road was impassable by then, and no one would have found her before the cold took her limbs and, possibly, her life.” He slid his gaze over the row of leaders. “Leaving her alone would have left her defenseless against Burac.”
They remained silent, taking in his words. He was right, and they knew it. The rule had always been to never bring a human into The Hidden without the sole purpose of mating with him or her. Once the human agreed to mate, he or she could choose to remain human or to change.
Those humans foolish enough to get stranded in the woods on The Outside and who were not intended as mates had always been left to their fate. But since Burac, leader of The Cursed, had started going to The Outside, things had changed. They couldn’t and wouldn’t allow him to take a human into his pack. To keep him from doing so, they’d help the person find their way out of the forest without giving them any clue about The Hidden’s existence.
“What’s done is done.” Charlton added more wrinkles to his face with his scowl. “The question is what to do with her now.”
“We could keep her locked in the basement of one of the cabins. Then, when The Time of Leaving comes again, Rosh can blindfold her and take her down the mountain. She wouldn’t be allowed to see our people or our home.”
“It will be a few more weeks before anyone can drive safely on the road. Keeping her locked up will be difficult. She might not be able to see anything, but she would hear us.”
“What does it matter if she sees or hears us? No one on The Outside will believe her.”
“Then we’re back where we began.” Tina tossed her blue hair behind her shoulders.
He had to make them let her stay. If he had to, he’d risk his reputation for her. He didn’t understand why, but he sensed she was special. The way she’d glared at him, the way she’d spoken to him had excited him. But the way she’d clung to him, terrified yet thrilled, as he’d taken her over the waterfall had intrigued him. He wanted to find out more about her.
“I think I may want her as my mate.”
The words were out of his mouth and gone before he’d given them a thought. What was he saying? He didn’t know the woman, and yet he was pledging his life to her?
“You think you may want her?” Xnax laughed. “Our people don’t think they want someone. They know it when they meet.”
“Then I know it.” Hell and damnation, why can’t I keep my trap shut?
Charlton’s knowing gaze made him look away. “Fine. We’ll give you a week. If you’re certain by then and she has found at least one other to mate with her, then we’ll meet again and discuss the situation further.”
“Renkon wants her, too.” What the hell was wrong with him? Not only had he committed himself, he’d tied his cousin to her. Of course, she was the one who would decide to mate them or not. If they weren’t right for each other, she’d refuse them and everything would return to normal again. Hopefully, she’d be allowed to choose different mates.
“Very well then. But you’re responsible for her. Make sure she doesn’t stir up any trouble.” Tina’s wings popped out from her back, a sign that she was excited. “If you want her to stir up anything else, then go right ahead.”
* * * *
Shay fell, her arms flailing around her as she tried to grab on to air. The man who’d thrown his body into space with his arms wrapped around her fell in front of her. His back was to the water, and he plastered on an insane smile. His smile turned into laughter as he flung out his arms and spread his legs wide.
She screamed and reached for him, but he was going too fast for her to catch up. The water approached them faster by the second. Her mind refused to believe what he’d done even as her heart clenched with terror. They’d hit the water moving too fast for any human to survive the impact.
She closed her eyes, remembering what he’d said, then opened them again, too frightened not to look. But he was gone. In his place was a huge black wolf. The wolf, his back to the water as the man’s had been, opened its mouth to expose treacherous fangs. Its tongue lolled out as its mouth spread into a smile that reminded her of the man’s.
Shay sat up, a scream caught in her throat, her arms outstretched as they’d been in the nightmare. But she wasn’t anywhere near the water. With her heart thundering in her ears, she glanced around her then pulled the brightly colored blanket up to her neck. She peeked underneath it and found that she wore a dress of a soft material that she didn’t recognize. After skimming her hand over her body, she didn’t think she was injured. Lifting her fingers to her forehead, she was amazed to find the gash in her head gone.
Where am I?
Bright light spilling in from a hole in the roof formed a circle on the dirt floor next to the oversized bed
that was made of more blankets piled on top of one another. The material reminded her of silk, but the vibrant hues looked as though they were a natural part of the fabric and not a result of any dye. Taking up a large portion of the one-room interior of the hut, the bed was large enough to accommodate several people.
The walls of the hut were made of dried clay or mud while she guessed that the roof was made of branches and straw. Smooth bowls made of wood were lined against the far wall, and candles that were more resplendent than any she’d seen in high-end boutiques were stacked on top of each other next to the bowls. A flap extending across a wide portion of one wall served as a door.
“Why did you bring her here?”
“I’ve already told you why. I didn’t have a choice. What should I have done? Left her alone? You know what could’ve happened.”
She recognized the man’s voice as the one who’d taken her. Yet even now she couldn’t get past the impression that he’d done so to help her and not to cause her any harm. Other than risking her neck by diving off a cliff and into a waterfall.
“I understand, Rosh, but I’m not sure everyone else will. Impromptu visitors aren’t exactly commonplace, you know.”
“Let me handle it. I’ve already spoken with The Council.”
“Well, at least if you had to drag a woman home, you picked a good one. I think I almost came when we were getting the dress on her. She’s got curves that just won’t stop.”
Warmth that had nothing to do with shyness took over. But who was the other man? And where had Rosh taken her?
“Keep your hands off her until we know what we’re going to do.”
The other man chuckled. “I will if you will. But I wouldn’t take any bets on it.”
“One other thing. I’m responsible for her.”
“Are you saying you told them—”
“Yeah. I didn’t have any other choice. And you, too.”
“Me? Why’d you do that, Rosh?”
“I couldn’t leave you out of it. They know we plan to do it together.”
“But that’s not our decision alone.”
“Which might be our way out of this situation.”
“I see what you mean. But thanks anyway for playing roulette with my life.”
“No problem, Renkon. That’s what cousins are for.”
She heard their footsteps as they walked away. It had been almost dark when they’d made the leap into the water, but the sun was shining and she could feel the warmth in the air. In fact, if she didn’t know better, she’d swear it was springtime outside.
Throwing the cover off, she crawled over to the door flap and peeked outside. Yet she wasn’t sure she wasn’t still dreaming. Snow no longer covered the ground. Instead, green grass and an abundance of flowers of various types and colors surrounded what looked like a campground. Other huts, some larger, some smaller, dotted the perimeter, along with teepees. Canvas tents straight out of the local sporting-goods store were scattered between the huts. Even more astonishing, a few cabins with porches boasting several rocking chairs sat farther back, closer to where the valley led into the mountainside.
Shay dropped the flap and tried to make sense of it all. Where had he taken her? Even the lower levels of Montana didn’t look like this in the winter. Had he taken her over state lines? Had she really been abducted and transported to another, albeit warmer, place?
And what kind of community lived in everything from cabins to mud huts? She peeked out again. What kind of place had homes like these but no people? She scanned the area, checking for any signs of life. The place looked lived in yet deserted.
Stop wasting time.
She grabbed a pair of moccasin-style shoes next to the opening and slipped them on her feet. They fit perfectly, reminding her of a pair she’d had as a child. Gathering her resolve, she pulled the flap back and got ready to run.
She didn’t even make it out of the tent before a grand buck blocked her way. It shook its head, waving the points of its antlers in front of her. She yelped and fell backward then crab crawled as quickly as she could back inside. After taking a moment to regain her breath, she tugged back the flap again, determined to face what had to be another hallucination. The buck was still there, pawing at the ground and snorting.
She’d seen enough photographs of ill-fated campers who’d tried to take on a buck to know she couldn’t get past it. But she wasn’t about to give up. Come hell or high water, or even a big buck standing outside the hut, she was getting out.
The sun on the tip of her nose gave her an idea. She gazed up at the hole in the roof then stood and studied its width. Although she’d always been considered plump, her weight had never bothered her. Instead, she’d focused on enjoying life and not worrying about what others thought. But at that exact moment, she suddenly wished she’d joined a weight-loss program.
If she could squeeze through the opening, she could jump out, putting the hut between her and the buck. It wouldn’t be much of a head start, but she hoped it would be enough. If she had to, she’d hightail it to one of the cabins and pound on the door until someone let her in. They might have a phone she could use to call for help.
But what if she got stuck in the opening? She pushed the idea away. Having chosen to be an optimist most of her life, she wasn’t about to let doubt sideline her now. The only problem was how she could heft her body high enough to pull herself through the hole.
Could she stack the bowls? Would they hold her weight? The only way to find out was to try. She hurriedly took one bowl after another, turned them upside down, and stacked them as high and as wide as she could. The resulting structure didn’t look very stable, but it would have to do.
Carefully, she put her foot on the first bowl, took a breath, and hopped, reaching for the rim of the hole as she balanced on top of her shaky sculpture. She let out a small cry of victory and pulled her upper torso through the hole.
She took a quick look, saw that the buck had his head down in front of the flap, and knew she’d caught a lucky break. Flattening her hands on the top, she heaved the rest of her body through the hole until she could sit with her legs hanging inside. She grinned and started to swing her right leg out of the opening.
“Ayyy!”
* * * *
Rosh yanked on the woman’s leg and pulled her back through the opening. As before, she wasn’t going to make things easy on him as she kicked and struck out. Avoiding a punch that almost clocked him in the jaw, he dropped her, letting her land on her butt. How many times would he have to toss her on her ass before she’d stop fighting him?
He fell on top of her before she could scramble away and pushed her to her back. Holding her arms around her head by her wrists, he put his face close to hers. She froze, her big brown eyes widening as he settled his body over hers without resting his entire weight on top of her.
Her tantalizing scent drifted into his nostrils, and he dragged in a deep breath, closing his eyes for one moment to savor the aroma. He opened his eyes again and let his gaze fall to her chest, hidden under the modest dress she wore, as it rose and fell, making him choose between watching the swell of her breasts and studying the fullness of her lips. Her lush body molded against his, and he knew in that instant that he never wanted to let her go.
Her mouth parted as she peeked the tip of her tongue out. Was she trying to drive him insane? His cock was already straining against his jeans. If he dared kiss her, he wouldn’t have a chance of restraining himself.
“Turn me loose.”
If only she’d keep her mouth shut.
Yet another part of him, the side that enjoyed a spirited woman, rejoiced. She was irritating and stubborn, but she was fiery and every inch a woman. “Where do you think you’re going to go?”
“Home.”
“Trust me. You’d never make it.” She had no clue where she was, but he wasn’t ready to tell her. Not until she’d agreed to stop trying to run off. If she did, he wouldn’t be able to protect her, but
he doubted she’d understand that.
“You want me to trust you? Are you fucking kidding me?”
He’d never liked women who cussed, but she made it seem sexy. “Nope.”
She narrowed her eyes, obviously trying to decide whether she should believe him. “What are you talking about? Why the hell did you bring me here? Where am I anyway?”
“Once you promise not to run away, I’ll explain that to you later.”
“Why not now?”
He smiled and then, unable to stand it any longer, he put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “Do you always get whatever you want whenever you want it?”
He bit down on her earlobe just enough to sting but not enough to hurt. She gasped but didn’t attempt to move away.
“Well, yeah. If I have any say about it. Doesn’t everyone? Are you planning on chomping my earlobe off?”
She jerked her head to the side, pulling his teeth off her ear then cupping her hand over it. “Shit, man. A bit animalistic, don’t you think?”
“So you’re a princess, huh?”
He tilted his head, daring her to deny his accusation. She didn’t. Instead, she dropped her gaze down the length of their bodies.
Was she trying to see his erection? He let a small smile escape. “Can’t you feel that I want you?”
Her gaze whipped back to his, then pointedly glanced down then up again. “Trust me. It’s no big deal.”
He let his body push against hers a little harder then worked his leg between hers. “Is that so? If it’s not, then why are you hot against my leg? Hell, I can feel your juices through my jeans.”
Surprise then shyness flitted across her face until her brash nature came back in full force. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
