by Jaide Fox
“Me too,” Jaxon agreed.
Adolpho snorted. “None of you have it that bad. I have to ride listening to them right behind my back. They complain every time I hit a pothole.” His eyes dropped and a smile curled his lips. “I hit a lot of potholes.”
They all laughed.
Mali began to wonder if her parents were right in keeping her secluded from the pack all these years. They didn’t seem that bad. No worse or different than her family. Some of the tension and fear that’d gripped her began to ease off in spite of the reactions of the other women. She knew most of them were probably in the grips of heat or close to it. Having gone through it herself just a year past, she knew the havoc going into heat could play on her emotions with no outlet to relieve the painful ache. It was almost enough to allow her to forgive them. Almost.
Looking at Jaxon made strange quivers inside her belly, and she began to wonder if being around the opposite sex might send her back into the throes of heat. She hoped not. She couldn’t afford to entangle herself with anyone and risk exposing her secret to the clan.
Mali vowed to behave herself and be a model citizen until they reached the festival. She’d have a better chance of slipping off to escape in a crowd. Here, they’d notice her gone and come right after her. Maybe if they were far enough away from her parents’ homestead, they wouldn’t consider tracking her back down. Especially since they’d be too busy—hopefully—selecting mates of their own.
She could stay alive a little longer.
Chapter Four
The wind carried the unmistakable scent of blood to their sensitive noses. Jaxon halted his run, sniffing at the air as Ranger and Torolf stopped behind him. He huffed a sharp bark. Words were not needed amongst them. Soft whines and snuffles, a jerk of their head, communicated all they needed to know.
The buck they’d tailed through the woods had encountered another predator somewhere in its retreat from the pack. They had the option to retreat back to camp empty handed, or forge ahead to see who’d reached their kill first. Jaxon had been looking forward to eating fresh meat, and exchanging looks with the others he recognized they’d wanted the same.
Brush and brambles, turning brown from the late changing of the season, caught in their fur, scraping the sides of their heads as they found the deer path and followed it to the source teasing their nostrils. Great ferns standing shoulder high to a man crowded a treeless circle in the woods. The ferns trembled in the wind, keeping guard on secrets held close. The three wolves nosed through the leafy path, coming upon a trampled and bloody sight. There was little left beyond fur, bone, and innards. Blood painted the trampled ferns and grasses. Moist dark earth soaked up the remaining fluids, leaving the scent of death heavy in the air. A clear path exiting the site was forged by something broad of shoulder if the snapped and flattened ferns were any indication.
Jaxon froze at the edge of the site, glancing around and sniffing the wind. He put his nose to the ground and snuffled along the edges until he found impressions in soft black earth leading away from the kill. A hind print with five distinct holes marking the claws along the top. Easily double the size of his footprint.
Bear tracks.
Jaxon’s gut wrenched as fragmented memories flooded him—following dozens of tracks through the night; fresh fallen snow blotting out their trace as he runs until his lungs feel close to bursting; Jen’s screams in his ears, swallowed by the growing distance
He gulped air. The scars on his body pulled tight beneath his fur.
Jaxon shifted back into human form, crouching naked beside the paw print in spite of the stiffness of his knee. He scarcely noticed Torolf and Ranger returning to human form beside him.
“Is that—a bear track?” Torolf said, putting his hand beside the print.
“Looks that way,” Jaxon said.
“The ursine shouldn’t be down here. They’re supposed to stay on their land. Up in the mountains,” Ranger said. “Why would they be down here? There’s nothing for them here.”
“There’s plenty down here they want. Always has been. They should be hibernating by now, but the season is late changing this year. That always means a long winter when it finally hits. They must have a shortage of food up in the mountains if they’re coming down this far to forage. Unless I’m wrong and they mean to attack us when we’re most vulnerable,” Jaxon said in a thoughtful tone.
Torolf looked around them. “During the festival? Why?”
Mating season always entailed mindless rutting once the heat hit the women and they chose their mate—the men were helpless to resist. It was an understood agreement amongst the clans that none were raided or attacked during this time.Wolves didn’t war on the bears, and bears didn’t attack the wolf clan.
Jaxon grunted, wiping dirt off his hands onto a clean frond. Shaky truces might not be enough for a hungry bear who was past hibernation mode. Or one on the lookout for a mate. Ursine females were notoriously short in number. A wolf female would do in a pinch even if the combination proved sterile more often than not. He’d heard legends of chimeras blending different shifters, but had never seen the product of such a union. He’d always assumed they didn’t exist. “I hope it’s just my overactive imagination at work here,” Jaxon said.
“It’s possible a wild bear could have gotten this, but I doubt it. Most of the wild bears moved on long ago. We’ll need to keep tighter watch. If this was a Kodiak clan member, there could be more in the area. We need to get to the festival to alert the others. Another day or two of hard traveling and we should be there.”
***
Mali huddled under a tree until the skies finished dumping buckets of water. The temperature began a sharp decline. Or perhaps it was her sodden hair and clothes. She was miserably wet. “Stupid man. He should have let me get my things,” she muttered, looking at the other women gingerly exiting the canvas covered wagon with their dry dresses, shoes, and hair, warm shawls and knitted coats. She didn’t have a change of clothes or shoes to keep her feet warm. Her toes were numb. Anger and irritation could only keep her so warm.
Angelica walked over to her by herself. “Look, I don’t like you, but I’m sorry for what I said.”
Mali gaped and nodded. “Thanks. I’m sorry I pulled your hair.”
“We’ll just agree to keep out of each other’s way?”
“Agreed.”
Angelica swiveled on her feet and rejoined her friends.
Mali felt a little stunned by the short exchange, but at least it was one less thing to worry about.
Adolpho had miraculously started a fire on the sodden ground by laying out a bed of rocks and spruce bows. He was busy constructing an iron spit over the flames. Mali watched him struggle to get the makings of a soup together and decided to help despite the presence of the others standing nearby.
“Much thanks, Mali,” Adolpho said, giving her a grateful smile. He ducked his head close to her, talking softly, “Most of these others will make useless mates for those waiting in town. Can’t even boil water, me thinks.”
Mali chuckled and began cutting potatoes into the black kettle. “I agree,” she whispered.
“Wish we had a bit of cream to go into the pot. Maybe the boys will bring some fresh meat instead. I’m off to fetch some water. Be right back,” Adolpho said as he walked away with a bucket.
Mali focused on her task rather than the swirl of activity and conversation around her. She was so focused that it took her a minute to realize someone was watching her. She looked up into the face of a petite girl with dark, reddish-brown, braided hair and a mahogany complexion much the same as her own.
“You need some help?” the girl asked.
“Sure, if you don’t mind cutting onions. I’m Mali, by the way.”
“Kimber,” the girl said, making short work of the onions.
Adolpho came back and added water to the pot then hefted the pot over the fire to stew.
“Thanks, ladies. Now we wait.” He looked them over and
handed them a thin sliver of soap. “Wash up that way,” Adolpho said, pointing.
“Thank you. I need to wash this off my hands. Gods know I don’t need to walk around smelling like onions. I have enough trouble fitting in as it is,” Mali said, following the path Adolpho made wading through the dry grasses to the creek.
Kimber followed her and did the same.
“We should do something with your hair. I’ve got an extra blouse, and skirt too, if you’d like to borrow them and change,” Kimber said on the way back.
Mali couldn’t help the surprise she could feel on her face. “Really? I’d love that.”
Kimber nodded. “I figured if you’d had something to change into you would have by now. Come on, it’s going to take at least an hour to comb out your hair.”
“If we’re lucky,” Mali mumbled, dragging her fingers through her tangled tresses. “I’ve never felt it like this before.”
Mali changed into the simple white blouse and the sky blue skirt that flared around her legs and hugged her hips. She thought the ruffles made her small chest look fuller. At the least, she didn’t look like a muddy drowned rat.
They sat on the back of the wagon. Mali’s legs dangled off the end and Kimber sat behind her on a bench to the side. She winced when Kimber began dragging the comb through her hair and caught on a tangle.
“Ouch,” she said.
“Sorry. It is bad. You can do more with it when we get to the festival. I can braid it by sections and keep it from getting tangled again. They won’t be pretty, but we’re limited with supplies now. None of these other girls know what it’s like to have curly hair like ours,” Kimber said.
“No, I wouldn’t imagine they would,” Mali agreed. Her mother had always taken care of this chore for her before. She felt a sudden, heart wrenching need to see her mother and father again. Tears stung her eyes. Even knowing that she’d stopped running and fighting if only to draw attention away from her parents—it didn’t help with the knowledge that they were too far away to offer her any help if she needed it.
“Are you okay?” Kimber asked.
Mali wanted to return home, not carry on with this masquerade. But she had to pretend nothing was wrong. She gave a watery laugh. “I’m fine. Just a little homesick. I’ve never been away from home before.”
“Me either. They had to pry me out the door,” Kimber said. “I’m terrified at the thought of letting a man bed me let alone the things that happen at festival. Don’t tell the others. I feel like we have a connection. Can I…trust you?” she whispered.
Mali was good at keeping secrets. She looked over her shoulder at Kimber. “Of course. I won’t say a word. I feel much the same about choosing a mate.”
***
Jaxon, Torolf, and Ranger returned to camp. With a glance, Jaxon could see there was no security in the arrangement of tents. His guts twisted with the realization that if the ursine were close by and so inclined, they could ravage through the camp and kill everyone. The women couldn’t be counted upon to mount a defense. Adolpho was old and out of shape. Torolf and Ranger had never even seen one of the bear clan.
A sense of urgency swept through Jaxon. He wanted to tell everyone to pack up their belongings and leave right then, but that would create a panic. He wasn’t even sure they had anything to worry about. It was nearly dark, as well, and the horses would have difficulty navigating the hillside leading up to the festival in the night. Much as he hated it, their best bet was to keep watch through the night, taking shifts, and hope like hell that the rogue ursine didn’t come their way.
“Check the area discreetly. We’ll take watch in shifts tonight. Don’t let the others know. We’ll move fast tomorrow,” Jaxon said.
“Aye,” Torolf and Ranger agreed.
Jaxon walked to Adolpho to give him the news. The old man took it in stride. Behind the big man, Jaxon’s gaze caught on Mali. She’d changed out of her dirty clothes and braided her hair into thick braids.
Had he even looked at her before—as anything more than a scraggly female? He remembered feeling her soft warm body beneath him and her heavily fringed eyes wildly looking for some way to escape. His suspicions about her had not been waylaid, even by her change in attitude. Knowing women, he suspected she was merely biding her time until she had an opportunity to return home.
But now, with that white blouse and the skirt that hugged her curvy hips, he felt stricken by a feeling he hadn’t experienced in years. Heat. Need. Was he addled? She was too young, too sheltered and inexperienced to consider for anything but dumping off on another, misinformed clan member. The faster he could have her out of his safekeeping, the better.
Without realizing it, he stared long and hard at her as the thoughts piled up in his head. She looked up, as if sensing his eyes greedily taking in every inch of her and the dirty things he imagined doing to her willing flesh. She smiled, almost shyly, and looked down at her bare feet.
Damn women and their wiles. He sucked in a harsh breath.
She tucked her thick bottom lip under her teeth. The corners of her mouth begged a nibble.
Blood throbbed low and dull in his belly.
“Jaxon?” Adolpho said, ripping him out of a daze.
Jaxon grunted. “What?”
“Stop looking at the girl like you want to eat her, boyo,” Adolpho said.
“I feel like I haven’t eaten in years,” Jaxon muttered.
Adolpho chuckled and pushed a bowl of soup in his hands. “Eat this and get your mind on more important matters. Like keeping us all alive.”
“Aye,” he said before walking off to drink his soup. Soft potato chunks slipped down his throat. He studiously ignored the dark temptress until he noticed her approach from the corner of his eye. She had a natural sway in her walk that the skirt agonizingly accentuated. Jaxon snapped his mouth shut so he didn’t look the fool. “Where you going?” he asked her.
Mali stopped and looked at him. “To wash my bowl of course.”
“Let one of the men take that,” he said. He didn’t need anyone making themselves a target by wandering off alone right now.
She laughed a throaty chuckle. “I’ve never known a man willing to wash dishes when there’s women around. I can do it myself. I don’t mind.”
“I’ll come with you. Let me grab the other bowls in that basket. We’ll make one trip.” He tipped his bowl up and finished his soup.
“Are you afraid I’ll try to escape? Is that why you’re coming with me?”
Jaxon stepped around the issue. No sense in scaring the girl without reason. “You’re not a prisoner, Mali, just an unmated female of breeding age. Your parents should have told you clan law before now.”
“They did. Papa’s very protective,” she said, casting her eyes down at the ground as she walked beside him.
He couldn’t help but notice the way she walked, gingerly picking her path to protect her bare soles. Her small brown toes looked ripe for nibbling. She stumbled and grabbed his arm.
“Ow. Sorry. I caught a stone in my heel. I’m not normally tender-footed,” she said, letting go of his bicep, which felt branded by the heat of her hand.
“We should have looked for your shoes. Let you get your things before leaving. I dunna what I was thinking.”
“I didn’t know you had an accent,” she said.
He swore she…purred. “I’ve lost most of it over the years. Livin’ here in the area, town life can change you given enough time.”
She sighed. “I suppose it’s just as well we didn’t collect my things. Mama and Papa probably would have been waiting on you at the house and fed you to the pigs…if we’d gone back.”
Jaxon choked on a laugh. “Good to know I escaped an early demise.”
She nodded. “I thought so. It would’ve been a shame to see you brought down in your prime.”
“I’m far from my prime, gel. You don’t get a face like this and a limp from being a young man.”
Much as he tried to hide the limp, i
t had bothered him since he’d gotten the scars across his face. The two were entwined, sealing his fate as an undesirable mate. Not that he’d been interested in finding a new woman after losing Jen to the Ursine.
He cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the discussion being focused on him. “So you’re ready to do your duty and commit to finding a mate now?” he said, setting the basket by the riverbank.
“No,” she said, squatting by the river to wash bowls.
The simplicity of the scene caused a twinge in his gut, a longing for something more for himself. He scowled inwardly. Such was not his lot in life. Soldier, guardian, loner—that was more in line with his future and the end of his days. To want happiness was as unknown to him as a rainy day without an ache in his back and knee. Old men only got peace when they died.
“I didn’t think you would. It’s natural. You’ll get the hang of it with enough practice. Young gel like you should have plenty ah offers,” Jaxon said.
“Wonderful,” she said in a sarcastic tone he didn’t miss. “I’ve never even been kissed, and yet I am supposed to find someone to…” She looked up at him with those big doe eyes that made his groin squirm in uncomfortable ways. “You should show me how to kiss. It is the least you could do.”
Jaxon choked on his own saliva. He coughed for several minutes before giving her an incredulous look. “Why should I be the one to break you in?”
She shrugged, but something in her eyes made him believe she wasn’t so nonchalant about the matter. “Why not? You dragged me into this.”
“It’s our duty—”
She dropped the last clean bowl into the basket and stood to her full height before facing him. “I’m not a child, if that’s what bothers you.”
He scowled and looked around the woods. The sky darkened. The back of his neck prickled as the wind rustled the trees and leaves fluttered on the damp loam. They should be getting back, not playing games.
“Just a quick peck to alleviate my fears?” she said, closing the distance between them. She put her hands on his chest. He wondered if she could feel the sudden quickening of his pulse.
