by Jane Jamison
“Holy shit, Shay. What have you gotten yourself into now?”
Chapter Four
Shay had never given much credence to sayings, but she was betting on the old “the third time’s the charm” phrase. If she didn’t get away tonight, she’d take it as fate and stick it out until Rosh delivered on his promise to take her back to her car.
Peeking out the flap, she watched as more and more people arrived. Men, women, and children poured into the campground and greeted each other with friendly slaps on the backs, hugs, and kisses. They were from different ethnicities as well as shapes and sizes. The women all wore the same type of dress she wore, while most of the men went shirtless with jeans or cotton slacks with ties in the front. Most of the men wore either boots or running shoes while the women had on the same style of moccasin she’d found. Occasionally one of them would glance at the hut as though they knew she was there and she’d duck out of sight. But for the most part, they ignored her.
The sun dropped like a rock from the sky, plunging the world around them into darkness. The men started a large bonfire in the center of the area while the women went about cooking dinner over smaller campfires. A few women brought food from the cabins while others kept watch over the children. Laughter and the murmur of friendly talk flowed around her, making her wish she could join in. Her stomach rumbled, and although she’d found a bowl of fruit and a jug of water in a corner of the hut, she was still hungry. Would they bring her a meal once they’d finished eating?
Like a group of lifelong friends, the crowd passed around the food and drink, sharing whatever they had with everyone. A rotund man stood up and sang a song as the others feasted then roared their approval. Like a scene from a movie, they danced around the campfire, raising their cups in toasts and joking with their friends.
“Here.”
She jumped, startled by Renkon’s abrupt appearance. How had he snuck up on her?
He held out a metal plate filled with meat and potatoes along with cooked carrots and an apple. The large goblet he held in the other hand was filled with a dark liquid she guessed was wine. “Sorry, but I didn’t know what you liked, so I brought a variety.”
She couldn’t help but return his infectious grin. His ocean-blue eyes sparkled with humor. “Thanks. Should I come out there?”
His smile faded. “No. For now, it’s best that you stay inside. Rosh hasn’t gained permission yet.”
“Permission for what?”
“For you to join us.”
Rosh’s call had Renkon twisting his head around to nod at him. “Hold your horses. The girl has to eat.”
Shay took the plate and drink. “Thanks. I’m Shay Mathews.”
“I know. And I’m Rosh’s better-looking cousin, Renkon McClain.”
He could make her smile without trying. “Right. His better-looking, humble cousin.”
“Now you’ve got it.” He glanced back at Rosh. “Hang on, man.”
“Would you like to sit with me?”
She’d surprised him as much as herself by offering.
“Sure.” He held up a finger at a scowling Rosh then joined her inside the hut.
She drew in the aroma of the meal, but it was his scent that made her mouth water. Like Rosh, he smelled like steel, musk, and the forest around them. He was a man’s man with broad shoulders she longed to run her hands over. He was tanned and rugged, and she dropped her gaze to her plate to keep from pushing him on his back and climbing on top of him as she’d done with Rosh.
“I’m sorry about how you came here.”
She met his amazing eyes. “You are? But why? You’re not the one who brought me.”
“No, but I’m glad you’re here.”
The sizzle of powerful attraction she’d felt for Rosh came back, roaring between Renkon and her. “Why?”
His soft smile tore at her heart. She could sense a gentleness about him, one that was as appealing as the hardness Rosh had.
“Have you ever met anyone and just clicked?”
“I guess so. Maybe.”
He skimmed his fingers along her leg, inching toward the hem of her dress. Yet as soon as he reached the material, he pulled his hand away. “No, if you had, there’d be no maybe about it.”
She put her food down. Potatoes and the chicken were the last things she wanted to feast on. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“So you don’t sense that we could have something like that?”
Her mouth parted and he lowered his gaze to her lips. The urge to kiss him swept through her with a dizzying effect. She was astonished that she resisted it. “I-I don’t know.”
A sad look crossed over his face. “I helped take care of you.” He indicated the bed they sat on. “While you were healing.”
“And?” What would he tell her? And yet, she couldn’t imagine that he’d tell her anything she wouldn’t like.
“You woke up once and we talked. Do you remember?”
“No.” She wished she had.
“Well, we did. You told me about all sorts of things. About your life, your friends. We talked—okay, I did the most talking—for a while. You’re special. I suspected it the second I laid eyes on you, but after that, I was sure.”
He’d stolen her ability to speak. Yet when he touched her again, she believed him. Like Rosh, he was special, too. But just how special?
“Renkon, come on!”
He sighed. “Rosh is anything but patient. Especially about waiting on someone.”
She grinned, at once disappointed and relieved that they couldn’t speak longer.
“Don’t worry. We won’t take long. Until then, stick to the hut.” He opened the flap and she followed part of the way out before he stopped her.
“Why? Because he hasn’t gotten permission?”
A strange expression darkened his face as his gaze drifted to the woods behind the hut. “That and for other reasons.” The smile was back in full force. “Gotta run.”
“But wait.” She didn’t want him to leave. Instead, she would’ve liked to have spent more time with him. Maybe she could get a few answers. Or kiss him. Or more. But he was already halfway to Rosh before she could say anything more.
All at once, a strange, animallike wail drifted into the air, and everyone stopped what they were doing. As soon as the sound had faded, the women began gathering the children and hurrying them toward the cabins. The men grouped together and, as if on cue, tugged off their shoes and jeans.
She gaped at them. Most of them had good physiques although not as rugged as Rosh’s, Renkon’s, and Walker’s. A few of them looked like the average office worker with his belly full from a weekend beer fest. Yet none of them acted embarrassed or shy. Instead, they treated each other no differently than when they’d worn clothing. The men turned toward the cabins as the doors opened and most of the women who’d gone inside came running out, pulling their dresses over their heads and tossing them to the ground. She assumed that the other women had stayed inside, closing the shutters on the cabins to keep the children from peeking out.
Had Rosh taken her to a nudist colony? Not that she was against that sort of thing, but these people seemed freer, even more comfortable in their own skin than any nudist. It was as if their nudity was not a choice but a necessity.
Men and women came together, arms entwining, legs wrapping around waists. She blinked, noting that each woman had at least two men with her. A few of them fell to the ground where they were, kissing and fondling one another. Two men positioned their woman between them, supporting her as one man shoved his cock inside her pussy while the other entered from behind.
“Holy shit.” She’d heard of orgies, but she’d never seen one.
A blonde woman squirmed in feigned fear as the three men next to her grabbed her and dragged her inside a tent. A large woman, her heavy pendulum breasts resting against her full stomach, basked in the attention of two very fit, very handsome men. More and more of the women led their men inside a
hut or a tent, but none took their men back to the cabins.
Her heart pounded as desire rushed outward from her pussy. Although voyeurism had never been her thing, she doubted anyone could keep from getting turned on by the scene. The men, although commanding and dominant, catered to their women, treating them with respect. Even when they handled their partner roughly, she could sense an underlying affection and adoration. The men were real men who treated their women like goddesses that they not only worshipped but hungered for.
Some of the men, including Rosh, Renkon, and Walker, who were not involved with the women strode away from the fire, blending into the darkness surrounding the campground. She wasn’t sure if they’d gone into the woods or if they stood on the outskirts watching. Taking one last look at the sexual antics, she forced her mind back to the task she’d almost forgotten. Now was the time to make her getaway.
Checking to her right then to her left, she eased the flap back and slipped around the side of the hut. The tree line was several yards away and the area was dimly lit by the bonfire. Taking care to watch where she stepped, she ran as hard as she could to the trees then slipped under the low-hanging branches and into the forest.
Luck was with her as she came upon a dirt path that provided a break from the thick underbrush. She quickened her pace to match the quick beats of her heart. She hoped the path would lead to another campground or perhaps even a ranger station. She wasn’t sure where she was or even what state she was in, but every forest had rangers, right?
Stumbling, she let out a yelp then got back on her feet. Time meant nothing in the darkness, and she had no idea how long she’d traveled. At last, she had to stop and rest.
Sinking to the ground, she pulled off her shoes and turned them over, dumping out pebbles and sticks that were biting into her feet. A sound to her left had her freezing like a deer hearing a nearby predator, but when she didn’t hear the noise again, she let out a breath and calmed her nerves.
Take it easy. You can do this.
She glanced back the way she’d come. Would Rosh or Renkon come looking for her? She doubted it.
The sharp pang of disappointment deep in her gut surprised her. Why would she want them to? And yet, the memory of the way Rosh had held her, had cocooned her in his arms, came crashing back. The tender way Renkon had gazed at her left her wishing she could see that look one more time.
She wiped a tear from her cheek. She wasn’t crying about them. That couldn’t happen. She was just tired and a little scared. If she forced herself to think rationally and calmly, she’d realize that her emotions were out of whack from everything she’d gone through.
Should she try and find a place to hide and sleep through the night? Walking in the daytime would be safer and faster. Besides, she was exhausted and needed the sleep.
A different, louder noise not too far from her changed her mind. Pushing to her feet, she moved carefully but swiftly forward.
God, if you get me back safe and sound, I swear I’ll never drive in the snow again.
God, if you get me back safe and sound, I swear I’ll stay in Passion and never leave again.
God, if you get me back safe and sound, I swear I’ll adopt ten orphans.
She pushed a branch out of the way.
Okay, maybe not that third one. Instead, I’ll make a donation to the first church I see.
She paused to draw in a ragged breath. Was that running water? Was the waterfall nearby?
Listening as hard as she could, she tried to determine where the sound was coming from. At last, she headed off in a parallel direction, leaving the path to forge her way through the underbrush.
* * * *
Shay had taken his breath away the first time he’d seen her. Walker could still remember the intense sensation that swept over him as Rosh burst into the campground with her in his arms. Her body still glistened with drops of water as her arms hung limply by her sides. Her hair, a dark cascade trailing down to Rosh’s thighs, swayed with his movements and her skin was tanned and glowing. Long, dark eyelashes feathered over her skin and a rose tint colored her pale cheeks. Her chest was large, but not overly so, and led his gaze to the swell of her stomach. Her legs were shapely and beckoned a man to caress them.
She was the most glorious vision he’d ever seen.
He’d followed Rosh toward the hut that he shared with his cousin Renkon. But Rosh had ignored his questions and refused him entrance to the hut. Fortunately, Renkon had relented whenever Rosh wasn’t around and he’d gotten to spend time alone with her on two occasions. He’d stared at her and listened to her mutter in her sleep. His heart had leapt to his throat when she’d opened her eyes and looked up at him, but he couldn’t tell if she’d really seen him.
Walker grumbled under his breath. Rosh and he had never called each other friends, but they’d managed to act civilly toward each other. They were, after all, part of The Hidden and, as such, they were expected to treat other with respect.
But their personalities had clashed from the moment Walker had entered The Hidden a year earlier after leaving his practice as a plastic surgeon in his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina. He’d tried to get along with Rosh, but Rosh had remained hardheaded, preferring to spend his time with his cousin and a few select others. Yet, a year later, Walker was content living in his new home and had no intention of ever leaving.
Renkon and he got along well enough. Why couldn’t he do the same with Rosh?
He studied Rosh. Maybe Charlton was right. Maybe it was because they were alphas who needed a pack to lead. Or maybe it was because they were among the strongest men in The Hidden. They were always fierce competitors in the games the men played and, on more than one occasion, Walker had bested Rosh in hunting. Was Rosh jealous? He doubted it. Maybe it really was as simple as being too much alike.
In a few rare moments, like after a successful run or when they’d shared in a celebration, they’d actually gotten along. But then they’d argue about who would lead a hunt or something equally trivial, and the barrier between them would go up again.
With Shay’s arrival, he’d known that the time for them to put aside their differences had come. As stubborn as Rosh was, Walker vowed to find a way for them to live together as her mates. For their sakes as well as Shay’s.
Walker saw Shay scurry around the hut and break into a trot toward the forest. He opened his mouth, ready to tell Rosh and Renkon, then closed it. They’d had their chance with her. He didn’t know if they’d told her about both of them wanting her, but it didn’t matter. He’d smelled her woman scent on Rosh. Now it was his turn.
He’d take this time to convince her that he should join Rosh and Renkon as one of her mates. If she agreed, Rosh and Renkon would have to accept her decision. That was the way of The Hidden.
He lifted the jug of wine he held and shook it. “We’re almost out. I’ll get some more.” Without waiting for the cousins to respond, he headed for a cellar located in the basement of the nearest cabin. They’d managed to accumulate a large store of wine, champagne, beer, and other drinks by carrying the barrels and crates in from The Outside. The way was longer than jumping into the water, but that had been the only way to get supplies through to keep the community going.
Halfway to the cabin, he glanced over his shoulder, saw that they weren’t watching him, then dashed behind the nearest tent. Leaving his cup and the jug there, he checked again, made sure that they were engrossed in the orgy, then ran toward the woods.
It wasn’t long until he’d caught up with her. Yet instead of grabbing her and hauling her back, he hung behind, keeping guard, knowing that he risked much in doing so. But with the greatest risks came the greatest rewards.
Had Rosh told her about The Cursed yet? If so, why would she risk going into the forest at night? He should take her back before anything happened, but he was too curious and too determined to make his case. Where did she think she was going anyway? No one could find their way out of The Hidden on their o
wn even when The Time of Leaving was present.
Although The Cursed could venture out in the day, they preferred the cover darkness gave them. Night was when they went hunting for food. But animals weren’t their only prey. They snuck through the trees in search of anyone unlucky or foolish enough to venture away from their home. He had no doubt that Shay would make one or more of them a grand prize. His inner wolf growled at the idea of one of them touching her, and he swore he’d die before he let that happen.
He stayed behind the trees, staying even with her as she hurried down the path. When she almost fell a couple of times, he wanted to reach out and catch her.
She cried out in joy when she broke through the trees and found the small pond. The majestic waterfall, a different one than the one they used to enter The Hidden, rose high above the clear blue-green water until the top of it could barely be seen in the low-lying clouds. She stood, her head thrown back to survey the water as it plunged over the precipice of the cliff and fell to form a curtain of white foam.
Her hair streamed over her shoulders, lifting with a slight breeze. Her profile was that of a queen, serene yet powerful. She thrust out her chest as she fisted her hands on her hips like an explorer claiming victory in her discovery. The dress she wore molded to the rounded curves of her body as the mist floated to wet the simple material. His heart swelled with pride. His woman-to-be was all woman, proud of her voluptuous form and strong in spirit. From what he’d heard Rosh and Renkon speak of her, she was also intelligent and witty.
She would be his. Sooner or later. To think otherwise would be to doom his existence.
His cock twitched, aching to break free of his jeans, when she pulled up the hem of her dress and walked into the shallow water. He wished he was the cool liquid that flowed around her body, over her skin, and between her legs. The swell of her sweet ass led to the material floating away from her, and he held his breath as the water rose around her shapely breasts.
Was she chilled? Were her nipples hard? Had the temperature of the pond vanquished the heat of her pussy? He doubted any cold could ever smother that fire.
