She grabbed a bottle of the water and drained it in moments. So thirsty…
There were five bottles left. She needed to conserve them. Who knew how long she would be trapped. She also needed to conserve the batteries in the flashlight. Reluctantly, she shut it off, leaving herself in total darkness. Exhausted, she curled up on one side, using the duffle bag as a makeshift pillow, and closed her eyes.
»»•««
The next time Sharon woke up, the earth was shaking again. At least this time she remembered waking up before and seeing the man get pummeled by the rocks. She remained still while the earthquake continued, gripping her flashlight and holding her body stiffly. Where the hell was she? And how would she ever be rescued?
A presence to her back made the hairs on her neck stand on end. She wasn’t alone? She fumbled with the flashlight in the nearly total darkness, flipped it on, and aimed it behind her as she came to a sitting position.
A short gasp escaped her lips, and then she closed her eyes for a second and took deep breaths. When she reopened them, she found the same vision in front of her. A shadowy figure. An aura. She squinted at the apparition, straining to find an explanation in the back of her mind.
She should know about this. Whatever it was, it was calming. It meant her no harm. It was a protector of sorts. She knew that with clarity, even though she fought to regain the memories that would tell her why.
More deep breaths. When she flipped off the light and turned it back on, the figure was still there. It almost seemed to sit next to her as if it would wait with her. It absorbed some of her fear. It was indeed a protector.
She closed her eyes again and tried to find a detail in her mind that would bring the rest of her life into clarity. It was as if she’d woken up the last time with no memories.
The pills… Had this man kept her drugged? She shuddered. Could a pill wipe out your memory? And would it come back now that she had no intention of taking them?
Something faint echoed in the back of her mind, as if someone was calling out to her. But who could that be? And what was her name? She glanced once more at the aura, flipped off the flashlight, and lay back down.
She sensed the shadowy figure inching closer, almost surrounding her. It calmed her racing heart more with each passing moment. She would survive this. There was no doubt. She just needed more time.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cooper came to a halt next to Trace when Melinda and Wyatt did in front of them. The four of them stared at what appeared to be the entrance to a cave. Or was. Before it got covered with rocks and debris.
“She’s in there, isn’t she?” He knew. He didn’t need confirmation.
Shit.
He and Trace inched closer.
“Sharon. Baby, please answer me…”
Was Sandhouse also in there? And why was she not responding? He’d called out to her thousands of times in the last hour and a half. It was growing late. The night was dark. The moon was a sliver of light often covered with clouds as they floated by.
“Yeah.” Melinda paced in wolf form. “Get word to Jackson. Have him send someone up the south face of this mountain. There’s an access road not far from here if I’m not mistaken. We need equipment. We need help. We need water.”
Cooper sat on his rear haunches and tried to catch his breath from the long run. “Jackson. We think we know where she is. There’s a cave. It seems the entrance is blocked, probably from the earthquakes. We need manpower and tools. South access road behind this peak. I hope to fuck it’s still passable.” He glanced around and winced. If a volcano erupted… He shook the thought from his mind and focused on the scene in front of him.
“On it.”
“And Jackson…” Cooper turned around, opened his eyes, and faced north. He inhaled long and slow. If he wasn’t mistaken, enough tremors had opened up the earth for lava to flow. The pressure had probably gotten to be too much. “…Anyone who comes up here needs to be a shifter. I can’t keep humans alive. They won’t be able to run fast enough. Plus I’m naked. How are we going to explain that?”
Jackson sighed into his head. “Right. I’ll coordinate with Sharon’s parents. But just so you know, I’m not including me in your list of humans who can’t come to the site. Forget it.”
Cooper gave a mental nod. “I didn’t expect you would.”
How fast was lava coming their way? How long did they have? He had no idea.
“Can you feel her?”
“No. But I think Melinda can. In any case, the spirits that led us here stopped. They’re hovering at the blocked entrance.”
When he opened his eyes again, he found Wyatt in human form working as hard and as fast as he could to remove one rock at a time.
Cooper couldn’t stand the idea of the man working alone. He rose onto all four paws and let the shift wash over him. When he stood naked in the cramped space at the entrance to the cave, Wyatt shot him a glare. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, man? You’ll freeze your ass off. Stay in wolf form until help arrives. You have no choice. I’ll work as fast as I can.”
Dammit. Cooper ran a hand through his hair and glared at the night sky that dared to mock him in this crisis. “Fine.” He shifted back. He had no choice. It was fucking cold out. He was naked. Lucky bastard, Wyatt, got to take his clothes with him? Who made him the king of the beasts anyway?
He paced.
He watched Melinda pace. He watched Trace pace.
He watched Wyatt dig with his bare hands as if his life depended on it.
“Jackson?”
“Yes?”
“We need clothes. Tell Sharon’s parents to bring clothes.”
“Right.”
»»•««
Cooper stared at Wyatt, nearly crawling out of his skin. It had been thirty minutes, and Wyatt was like a machine, lifting rocks as fast as he could and tossing them aside.
Tremors came and went. A plume of smoke probably a mile away rose into the air. Cooper didn’t need a seismologist or a volcanologist to tell him lava was flowing down the mountain.
“Sharon,” he called again. Nothing.
If they were lucky, it was a small eruption that wouldn’t cover more than a few acres. If they were not lucky, they would all die. Cooper would never leave this location without Sharon. He’d rather die.
Jackson interrupted his horrible thoughts. “Cooper. Stop thinking morbid thoughts. You’re killing me, and you aren’t blocking. You’re not going to die on the mountain. Besides, you said yourself the cave is sealed off. If lava flows over it, Sharon shouldn’t be harmed inside. You’ll get out of harm’s way, and we’ll return to get her as soon as it’s safe.”
“Who made you the voice of reason?” Cooper teased.
“No one. I’m a fucking mess. I’m just trying to help screw your head on straight.”
“It’s working.” Cooper blew out a breath. “How far away are you?”
“Not far. Heading the rest of the way on foot now. But we need better directions.”
Cooper howled, tipping his head back and angling toward the sky. “That work for you?”
“Yep. See you in a few.”
The two spirits who seemed to have befriended each other, as if that were a thing, hovered over the entrance to the cave. They had stopped shimmering with agitated urgency. That could be a good sign.
When the first wolf burst through the trees and landed in front of Cooper to drop a large backpack, Cooper quickly shifted alongside the other wolf. It turned out to be Adam. Trace shifted just as fast at his side.
They riffled through the duffle, grabbed jeans and shoes first, and quickly shrugged into them.
“You really believe she’s in that cave?” Adam nodded over his shoulder.
“Yeah. I’m sure of it.”
“And you can’t reach her?”
“I’ve tried hundreds of times. My voice should be rough from yelling so many times in my head.”
“And nothing?”
Cooper shook his head. “But she’s in there, and she’s alive.”
Melinda grabbed clothes out of the bag while Cooper spoke to Adam. Seconds later, she was dressed also. They didn’t have enough clothes for prolonged exposure to cold, but they would survive for quite a while without issues.
Jackson stepped through the trees. He was breathing heavily. “You wolves are going to kill me.” He turned to face Isaiah next. “And a bear. Don’t forget the grizzly bear.” He rolled his eyes as he handed out bottles of water.
Wyatt spoke from the growing pile of rocks in front of him. “You guys want to help?” His voice was gentle. Light in an intense situation.
All of them raced to the entrance as several more wolves jumped into the clearing. They each held a bag between their teeth. Cooper knew they would be Sharon’s brothers.
As they worked, Cooper listened to Jackson continuously trying to reach Sharon. “Babe. God. Please. Answer me. Just let me know you’re okay. We’re just outside the cave. We’ll get you out. We’re working hard. We have more men now.”
All Cooper could do was pray Sharon could somehow hear them. He didn’t want her to lose hope. He had no idea how deep this pile of rocks was or how long it would take to remove it, but he needed her to be alive when they finished.
Every time he thought of her inside this cave, trapped with a madman, he cringed. What if Sandhouse decided he’d rather kill her than let her be rescued? He glanced at Melinda.
Melinda met his gaze. “Stop it. She’s alive.” She leaned on one of the shovels her brothers had hauled in. Her face was contorted. There was something she wasn’t saying. Cooper prayed it didn’t have to do with Sharon’s well-being.
“And Sandhouse? What about him? You gonna ease my mind by telling me she’s in there alone?”
She scrunched her forehead and wiped sweat from her brow. She shook her head. “I can’t feel anyone else. Just Sharon. It’s weird. I know. But let’s have hope.”
“You think he put her in there and left her there to die?” Jackson asked.
“I don’t know,” Sharon muttered.
Cooper lifted his gaze to the two spirits still hovering above them. They were calm and shimmering. Please… Please let her be safe.
But why wasn’t she answering?
»»•««
Sharon moaned. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temple as she realized it wasn’t a nightmare. She was still trapped in a cave in the dark. Cold. Shivering. Achy. Her head was less foggy, though.
She flipped on the flashlight, thankful it still worked, and rolled onto her back to find the black smoky aura still at her side.
She blinked several times.
It’s a spirit… A guide… The manifestation of the soul of a wolf who had already passed on. Clarity made her sit upright. She blinked at the shimmering spirit as it swelled to a larger size. Was it pleased with her recognition?
A noise made her jerk her head around, half expecting to find the asshole who’d gotten himself killed alive and well and ready to terrorize her some more.
He was still dead on the ground. But there was a tapping noise. It had no distinct rhythm…
The rocks. Oh God. She jumped to her feet. Was someone outside trying to reach her?
She suddenly heard a voice, making her jump with a small shriek. She spun around, glanced at the dead guy to once again confirm he was dead, and forced herself to aim the flashlight at the farthest crevices of her enclosed space.
Nothing.
Again. The faint sound of a voice calling a name. “Sharon…”
She focused. It was in her head. Jesus. A voice in her head? Mated shifters could do that…
She came alive and screamed into her mind at whoever might hear. “Hello?”
“Jesus. Sharon. Are you okay?”
She spun around again. The spirit still hovered next to the backpack, but she needed to face the rocks. She knew with more clarity than before that she was trapped by a pile of rocks blocking the entrance. There was no doubt. And some man was out there who cared. Her mate. He had to be. “I’m here. I’m inside the cave. Can you get me out?”
“Sharon?” Another male voice. It brought tingles to her hands. “Love. Talk to us. Are you okay? Are you alone?”
Another mate… She had two? Clearly she did, but Lord. “I’m fine. Drugged. Trying to shake the fog.”
“Baby…” the first man said. “I love you so much. Please hang in there. Is Sandhouse with you?”
Baby… He loved her…
“Sandhouse?” She communicated the word, but it slipped from her mouth at the same time she realized the dead man on the ground had kidnapped her. Why? She projected her thoughts back. “He, uh, died.”
“Died? Did you kill him?”
She flinched. Would that be a bad thing? He seemed evil. “No. He died in the quake, or one of them. Crushed by the rocks.”
The other voice joined the first again. “Thank God. Love. Don’t move. We’re getting closer. Can you see light peeking through anywhere?”
She shook her head before realizing no one could see her. “No. Not yet.” Shouldn’t she help?
“Please get back, love. I don’t want anything to fall on you in the event we dislodge it from outside or another tremor does more damage.”
She put several paces between herself and the collapsed section of cave. As she listened to the din of voices and clanging of tools, she closed her eyes. Her mates… Jackson… Cooper… She nearly jumped out of her skin. “You’re my mates.”
“Yes, baby. We are. Are you a safe enough distance from the cave-in? I don’t want you injured when this thing falls.”
She nodded and then hesitated. No one was watching. She spun around again to find the spirit still hovering. “Who are you?” she whispered, knowing there would be no response. The spirit only meant to protect her, keep her calm, not hurt her.
Sandhouse… The dead man was named Pete Sandhouse. Fuck. She jumped again. Her memory flooded back. He was a deputy on the reservation. He was a bigot… And he had kidnapped her by forcing her car to stop and then drugging her. So obvious. What she didn’t understand was why…
Because you’re mated to two men. He doesn’t believe in that way of life.
His rambling rage filtered into her mind. He was opposed to the races mixing. He’d spoken of having met his mate once. Was she white? And he’d denied her? The idea sent a shudder down Sharon’s spine. Denying one’s mate was nearly impossible. Unheard of. Perhaps he’d gone crazy from the act.
“Sharon?” The voice of the first man came through clearer.
“Cooper,” she responded. “Jackson?”
A relieved collected sigh.
And then Cooper spoke again. “Stay with me, babe. Are you injured?”
“No. Scared.”
“I know, love,” Jackson added. “We’re getting closer.”
The ground shook. Harder. With so much force she fell on her ass, skidding back from the pile of rocks. They dislodged, at least some of them, tumbling farther into the cave and covering the man who’d kidnapped her.
Sandhouse.
A hole at the top of the pile opened up the cave.
“Sharon!” The shout was loud. In fact, it was out loud.
“Yes. God, I’m in here.” She scrambled to her feet again.
“Shit.”
“I can see the smoke…”
“Work faster…”
“Hurry. Fucking hurry…”
So many voices. How many people were out there?
The spirit behind her came closer, hovering at her side now, seemingly staring down at her with a smile, even though that was ludicrous because there wasn’t even a discernable front or back to the aura. It was a shimmering cloud of smoke. Nothing more. Wasn’t it?
A hand reached through the top of the pile of rocks.
She screamed out in delight. “I can see someone.”
A woman’s voice broke through. “It’s me, Sharon. It’s
Melinda. Stay back. Let us get a big enough hole. As soon as we can, you’re going to have to climb through here, and we’re going to run. Got it?”
“Yes.” Her heart pounded. “Run from what?” Sandhouse was dead. Were there other predators?
“The volcano, babe.” Cooper’s voice was soothing in her head.
She glanced at the ceiling. Right. Jesus. Shit. She sure hoped this fog would clear soon. She felt like she was constantly one step behind everyone.
More rocks were removed. She could see Melinda’s entire arm now. Why was she the one at the top? Probably because she was smaller.
Yes. Melinda was incredibly small.
Sharon crept closer. She didn’t want to get injured if the earth shook again, but she wanted out of there. She was crazed with sudden claustrophobia and damn glad it hadn’t snuck up on her before.
“Sharon, can you see a big enough space to crawl through? How far off the ground is the hole?”
“Not far. I can do it.” She raced the two paces toward the pile and grabbed onto the highest rocks she could reach. She hauled her feet up next and then reached higher. It was only about eight feet off the ground. She could do this. She had to do this.
The earth shook again, and she froze, holding on for her life and praying this tremor was shorter and weaker than the last. Several rocks fell around her, and both her mates could be heard above everyone else, shouting for her to hurry.
She kept scrambling upward even during the latest earthquake.
“Sharon?” Jackson shouted. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.” She grabbed higher, getting a good grip but wishing she had her normal strength. She wasn’t sure she was clear-minded enough yet to shift.
Finally, she reached the top and peeked over the edge. She smiled. “I have brothers.” She knew it sounded ridiculous, but she didn’t care. Besides, all of them chuckled for a few seconds before sobering again and pointing at her.
“Come on, Sharon. Let’s go. We’re running out of time.” She jerked her gaze to the man to one side. Cooper. The man next to him was Jackson. She knew. A flood of her life seeped back in. Four brothers. All mated in threesomes with another man and a woman. Her parents were there too. She felt the love as she put every ounce of her strength into getting higher and then squeezing through the hole.
Sharon's Wolves (Wolf Masters Book 10) Page 25
