Every day, he seemed to grow more attuned to her thoughts and feelings—to the point that it could be downright scary. What would she ever do without him when he left town? Fear twisted her gut.
Thick darkness settled upon them like a cloak.
Tombi hung his backpack on the lower branches of an oak, its black fabric blending almost seamlessly into the night. “Tallulah, hand Nita your slingshot and a few rocks.”
Quickly, she gathered the weapons and pressed them into Nita’s trembling hands. “Good luck,” she said reassuringly.
“Step back a good twenty yards,” Tombi commanded. “And shoot at the backpack.”
One of the hunters motioned to Nita and she walked in place beside him as he marked off the distance and then came to a halt. “This is it.”
Nita nodded and assumed her stance. Feet planted sideways, she stretched the slingshot’s band and loaded. She released the band and the rock flew like a missile. With a dull thud, it landed unerringly in the middle of Tombi’s backpack.
“Huh.” Tombi rubbed his chin. “No doubt she has some talent.”
Tallulah hid her triumphant grin. Nita’s parents beamed with pride.
“This time we’ll go forty yards out,” Tombi said.
Again, the distance was marked, and again Nita hit the bull’s-eye on the first attempt.
“Excellent job,” Tallulah called out.
Nita grinned and triumphantly raised the slingshot as if it was a gold medal.
Tallulah surreptitiously watched the other hunters. Begrudging respect had grown on their faces. Even Tombi gave Nita a nod.
“Now let’s see how you do from sixty yards.”
Tallulah sucked in her breath and spoke up. “That’s hardly fair. Sixty to seventy-five yards is pushing it even for an experienced hunter.”
“It’s okay. I can do it,” Nita declared.
Chulah shook his head. “Pride goeth before a fall.”
“My money’s on the kid,” Payton countered. “A steak dinner on me if she misses.”
“On the first shot?” Chulah laughed. “Easy win for me.”
“I didn’t say first shot, but what the hell. Okay.”
The other hunters picked up on the wager, all betting against Nita. Tallulah shook her head at Payton. “Trying to go bankrupt? Tough shot coming up.”
“Have some confidence. I’ve got a feeling.”
Nita took her stance and sent the rock flying.
It missed.
Loud laughter rang through the field and into the woods.
“You owe me, Payton,” someone said.
“I’m ready for my steaks,” another joked.
Poor Nita. Tallulah watched the girl closely. Her shoulders hunched slightly and she shot her parents a look of misery. Tallulah walked over and handed her several more rocks. “That’s a hard shot for anybody. Keep trying. If you want to be a shadow hunter, you have to demonstrate courage and persistence.”
“I—I usually make it,” Nita stammered.
“Prove it.”
The girl nodded, reloaded and shot, hitting the backpack dead center. Again and again, she loaded the slingshot and pummeled the target.
“Enough!” Tombi held up a hand and they all gathered around Nita.
“You can see and shoot in the darkness, I’ll give you that.”
“Can I join now? I want to hunt with you tonight.” Her young face practically glowed with eagerness.
A reluctant laugh escaped Tombi’s lips. “I admit you’re good, but it takes training. And it’s extremely dangerous. No place for a kid.”
“We agree,” Koi said quickly. “But if you would allow her to train with you until she reaches age eighteen, she’d appreciate the opportunity.”
“Two years!” Nita’s face fell and she pointed at Tallulah. “But you started hunting when you were sixteen.”
Terrific. She’d helped the girl and now she was under attack. “That was because of a rare circumstance,” Tallulah pointed out drily.
Nita hurried to speak. “I just meant that you’re awesome! I’ve always wanted to be a shadow hunter like you. Even when I was little.”
Okay, now she felt positively ancient.
Payton gave her an evil grin. “Old lady,” he whispered.
“Which makes you a dirty old man,” she muttered.
“Come back this weekend and we’ll assess your trekking skills,” Tombi said. “If they’re half as good as your eyesight and shooting ability, we’ll start your training.”
Nita clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “Thank you, thank you. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
She watched as Nita strode away with her proud parents. A sharp pain unexpectedly sliced at her heart, a stabbing longing to be with her mom and dad once more. Had it really been over a decade since Hurricane Katrina had struck? It didn’t seem that many years ago since their family home had been blown into matchsticks and her parents had been killed. Tallulah closed her eyes. She could smell the scent of her mom’s cornbread and melted butter in the kitchen; she saw her father’s head bent over a small wood carving of a bird, his large hands capable of sculpting such delicate art.
Warm, strong hands rested on her shoulders, drawing her into Payton’s hard chest where she rested her head. The steady beating of his heart pulsed under her cheek. It drummed and throbbed with reassuring regularity. But how swiftly everything could be taken away.
Mom. Dad. Bo.
She clung to Payton and grabbed onto his shirt.
“Hey, now. What’s the matter, Lulu?” he whispered into the top of her scalp.
“N-nothing.”
Horrified, she realized her tears had dampened his T-shirt. She let go of him and swiped at her eyes. This wouldn’t do. She pasted a brittle smile on her face and played with the backpack handles at her shoulders. “Time we got moving. Ready to hunt?”
“If it will make you feel better. Yes.” He gently brushed a lock of hair from her face.
Holy crap. Tender gestures absolutely undid her in this vulnerable state. She drew a deep breath. “I’m fine,” she answered automatically with her fallback line. She winced at his rueful smile. “And I really mean it this time.”
“If you say so.”
Silently, they entered the woods, taking care to keep their distance from other hunters doing the same. Tallulah couldn’t shake off the melancholy, and she carelessly stomped down the path, creating a ruckus of snapped twigs beneath her feet.
“For someone who says they’re okay, you sure are in a temper,” Payton said.
She turned and held a finger to her lips. “Quiet,” she breathed.
He laughed. “Like you? C’mon, what got into you just now?”
She sighed. Might as well tell him, he’d pester the truth from her if she didn’t. “Seeing Nita with her parents...it made me think of my own. I miss them.”
“Understandable.” His gray eyes turned dark and smoky. “Miss mine, too,” he confessed. “Guess I always will.”
What an ass she could be at times. She wasn’t the only one who’d suffered tragedies. “Sorry,” she murmured. She also wasn’t good at apologies or offering comfort.
“I know. It’s okay.” Payton tipped her chin up with his fingers and gave her his easy smile.
Holy crap, he made her heart flutter with those smiles. Actually stole her breath away. Did she have a fraction of that effect on him? Highly doubtful. She turned away from his too-perceptive eyes and proceeded down the path. This time, with her usual silence. Payton’s own footfalls were light and silent. How well they worked together, seamlessly fitting into a team. Again, Tallulah wondered how she would bear the loneliness when he left. Bracing her shoulders, she tried to push aside the thoughts. But they kept
circling around, refusing to yield to her will.
Tallulah stopped abruptly, shock waves pounding her blood. Holy hell. How had she allowed this to happen? The truth mercilessly slammed into her consciousness.
She was in love with a wolf. A wandering wolf who would soon leave the bayou. What a stupid, stupid, stupid thing to do.
Yeah, she loved Payton Rodgers. And wasn’t happy about it one damn bit.
* * *
Women.
Payton trudged through the swamp feeling like nothing more than sweaty mosquito bait. The hunt seemed to be dragging on forever. The opportunity to shift hadn’t presented itself—too many hunters were too near. He slapped at the circling insects and eyed Tallulah ruefully as she continued on, barely even looking his way. What had he done now? Just when he thought he’d figured her out, she went and got her dander up about some other matter.
The cloud cover beneath the full moon did nothing to satisfy his craving for release. His wolf nature was pulled to the moon’s elemental force, as subject to its laws as it was to the ocean’s tide.
Surely, he was being overly cautious in this lonely bayou. The need to shift overwhelmed and demanded release. Payton gave in to the urge, glad to roam and run. As a lone wolf, he didn’t need to try and understand Tallulah, appease his alpha, or work a job. He just was. A creature of the night, his senses alive and tingling.
The earth vibrated beneath his four paws. A heavy tread—not Tallulah’s. Too late, he caught a whiff of human, more than one.
“Someone’s coming,” she warned. “Hide!”
But it was too late.
Tombi, Chulah and the rest of the shadow hunters had stepped forward from a bend in the path just as he’d shifted. They stared, looks of wonder on their faces. These men had battled evil spirits in many forms...but he reckoned they’d never seen a man transform to an animal.
Two impulses clawed in his gut—to run into the cover of darkness and deny, deny, deny this had ever happened to anyone who ever mentioned it, or return to human form and ask them for their silence.
Payton shifted back to his two legs. He shrugged into his jeans and faced the tribe, arms crossed against his naked torso. Tallulah came to his side and stood in a silent stance of support. The men walked closer and he mentally braced himself, studying their faces for signs of anger or disgust. But their expressions were stoic, even if a little curiosity crept through the stern, angular features.
Payton focused on Tombi and Chulah, the leaders. What would they do? What could they do? Whether they disapproved of him or not, it changed nothing. He’d stay with Tallulah and he’d always remain a werewolf shifter.
“I suspected as much,” Tombi said flatly. “Even asked Tallulah if it were possible, but she can be tight-lipped and stubborn.”
Of all the possible reactions that had raced through his mind, this calm acceptance had not been one of them.
“Well, I had no idea,” Chulah said. “I thought we were friends—you could have told me.”
Payton kept his wall of reserve in place. “I’m bound to secrecy by the pack. Of all people, you guys should understand that.”
“There shouldn’t be such secrets among friends,” Chulah insisted. “If—”
“What about my sister?” Tombi interrupted, cutting off his friend.
Payton raised his brows. “Yeah? What about her?”
“How does this affect Tallulah? I want to know your intentions.”
“Stop being an ass, you two.” Tallulah rolled her eyes. “I’m standing right here. I can speak for myself.”
Tombi scowled at her. “He’s been living with you for weeks now. Is he committed to you or to his pack?”
Damnation. Tombi had nailed the quagmire in less than ten seconds. He didn’t dare look at Tallulah.
“None. Of. Your. Damn. Business.” Her words fell as hard and cold as ice cubes in the steamy swamp air.
Chulah cleared his throat, shooting Payton a sympathetic glance. “Maybe we’re missing the bigger picture here. Who attacked and killed Jeb Johnson?”
The switch from commitment to murder should have ramped up the churning in his gut, but it actually freed him to take a deep breath and find his voice. “His name’s Russell Hull. But he ran away from us when we realized he was the murderer and confronted him.”
Chulah’s brow furrowed. “Why’d this guy do it? You’d never hurt anyone that way.”
His friend’s unquestioning belief in his moral character staggered Payton. “Russell’s infected with a lycanthropic fever that consumes his mind and body until all he can think about is sating his blood thirst.”
Tombi’s face grew sterner, a muscle working his jaw. “He bit Tallulah. If it wasn’t for Annie, she’d have died. The same as Jeb.”
“True.” Payton couldn’t deny it. “I’m forever in debt to your wife.”
“And don’t forget, Payton’s the one who found me after Russell’s attack,” Tallulah quickly added. “I’d have died otherwise.”
Tombi nodded and held out a hand. “We consider you one of us.”
He accepted the peace offering and shook Tombi’s hand. Tombi pulled him in close and whispered in his ear.
“Just don’t hurt my twin.”
“Hey, what did you say to Payton?” Tallulah asked, her hands on her hips.
Payton nodded at her brother, acknowledging his demand. He understood Tombi’s concern. Hell, if he had a sister he’d feel the same.
Chulah stepped forward and shook his hand as well. “I consider you one of us.” He grinned impishly. “Only a hairier version.”
Everyone laughed and the tension was lifted. One by one, each of the shadow hunters came forward and shook his hand.
His chest tightened—in a good way. Had the situation been reversed, his wolf pack would have never accepted anyone outside of their own group. But these men had. They were so much more tolerant and open-minded—a true brotherhood.
And Tallulah. His mate.
Payton wrapped an arm around Lulu and pulled her to his side. Somehow, he had to make everything work out, convince the pack that the shadow hunters were special. Maybe they could even form an alliance of some sort and help one another—an unexpected home where they could grow roots.
The shadow hunters drifted off, done for the evening, until he was alone again with Tallulah. Roughly, he snatched her into a tight embrace, not knowing the words to tell her how much she and the others meant to him—that this night was one of the happiest of his life.
Luckily, she was no frail flower easily crushed. Tallulah hugged him back just as fiercely. Something unspoken hung in the air between them.
A black silhouette moved in the dark. Payton stared out at the trees, over the top of Tallulah’s head, trying to pick out the shape. Had he imagined it? A low growl rumbled not twenty yards ahead. He zeroed in on the creature. Its white teeth were bared in a snarl, and two pinpoints of blue light glowed.
“What was that noise?” Tallulah loaded and raised her slingshot in five seconds flat. “How did it get so close, so quick?”
“Lower your weapon,” he said quietly. “It’s a wolf.”
One he recognized immediately with the black hair and blue eyes. A lone wolf. Which meant the alpha’s rule had been disobeyed.
By Matt, the alpha himself.
Chapter 15
The following day, Payton stayed well out of Matt’s way, thankful for the confines of the skidder cab. For once, the sound of the lunch whistle brought him no pleasure. Matt had barked orders all morning and been edgier than usual.
Reluctantly, he scampered out of the vehicle, lunch pail in hand. He’d briefly considered eating inside the cab, but better to get the confrontation with Matt over with, unless his alpha wanted privacy when it came time to chew him out.
After all, he’d been roaming the woods alone, breaking his own rules.
He swung a leg over the picnic table bench, joining the other men, who laughed and talked with ease. Matt was across the work site by the road, talking to a man dressed in a suit. Probably a city council member or something. How could anyone stand to be armored in a jacket in this heat?
Payton opened his lunch box and stared at the uninspiring offerings. He’d overslept this morning and at the last minute had tossed in a hodgepodge of food—a box of raisins, a case of saltines, a can of beef hash. Not great, but a man had to eat on a job like this. He set to work on the crackers, spreading them with dollops of canned hash.
Across the table, Adam signaled at someone in the distance, and then pointed at him. “Matt wants to talk to you.”
Just what he needed. Payton chugged some water before ambling over to Matt, who now stood alone under the shade of an oak, one of the few trees that had been spared from their murderous saws.
Matt lit a cigar, a sure sign he was angry or stressed, or both. The boss didn’t spare him a glance, instead gazing down at the tobacco’s red tip.
“You got something you want to say to me?” Payton asked, vexed at the waiting.
Arctic-blue eyes landed on him like a blow. “I’ve got plenty to say to you. What the hell were you thinking, shifting in front of all those people?”
“Why were you alone in the woods?” he countered.
Matt blew out a haze of smoke rings. “Reconnaissance work.”
“I call bullshit.”
That got his attention. Matt faced him, eyes blazing. “Watch your mouth, kiddo.”
“I’m not a kiddo anymore. And I’m damn tired of your orders.” He could hardly believe his own ears. He’d never talked this way to Matt. Ever.
“I’m still your alpha. If I do something, it’s always for the good of the pack. You got that?”
“Must be nice to set rules for everyone else to follow, only to break them if they don’t suit you.”
Matt jabbed a finger in his direction. “I was out there checking up on you. See what the hell you’re up to these days with that strange girl and her kinfolk.”
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