The Adversary

by Lindsay McKenna

  “Vortex number two,” he said, standing at her side. His arm yearned to curve around her shoulders. Colt trembled inwardly. He was so close, so close to doing it.

  “Maybe a number three,” Shelly said, taking off her pack and placing the knit cap and jacket inside it. “I love the beauty here. But I live in absolute fear of that sorcerer who wants the emerald.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Colt said, turning around. He felt as if they were being watched. Scanning the shore and the slight knolls that proliferated with thick stands of fir, Colt couldn’t spot anyone.

  “Are you sensing Yellow Teeth? Is he near?” Her voice went a little high with tension.

  “Yes. We’re being followed and watched. It is Yellow Teeth.”

  Shivering, Shelly said, “I’ve been too focused on finding the vortex energy. I’m glad you’re aware of him.”

  Colt’s stomach clenched with anger against his old nemesis. He tried to sound confident for Shelly’s sake because he didn’t want her to feel afraid. “We’re not going to be blindsided. Keep concentrating on finding the vortexes with me. We’ll be all right.”

  Reaching out, Shelly touched his arm. “You’re a big, bad guard dog, Colt.”

  Her touch electrified him, and his body went hard between his thighs. Groaning inwardly, Colt wondered if Shelly realized her touch sent fire coursing through him. Her lips were parted, begging to be kissed. By him.

  All he could do was agree with her and tear his gaze away. “Your guard dog.”

  As she felt heat flow from her neck into her cheeks, Shelly released her hand from his upper arm. The look in Colt’s eyes at her touch stunned her. His blue eyes narrowed instantly. She felt a naked desire from him embracing her. It was a wonderful feeling, filled with promise. Its raw primal quality sent Shelly into connection with her own womanly core. What would it be like to make love to Colt? She knew it would be special. Wild. Natural, like him.

  Chastising herself, Shelly realized this morning just how powerfully she was taken with Colt. Oh, it was nothing he did or said; it was just him. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the truth. The way he looked at her made her yearn for him in every possible way. Colt was like decadent chocolate walking unexpectedly into her life. Any candy, especially eye candy like him, had to be savored fully, but that was all, she sternly told herself.

  “Come on,” she said, gesturing for him to follow. “We have more ground to cover before lunch.”

  JEFF STOOD WELL-HIDDEN in the grove of small and large firs. When the male Taqe turned and looked directly at him, it had scared the hell out of him. Frozen like a deer, Jeff heaved a sigh of relief when Black turned away and paid attention to his partner. Had they found what they were looking for? He waited impatiently until they were out of sight.

  Jeff bounded down to the bank where the woman had gotten on her hands and knees, but Jeff could see nothing of interest. Sitting back on the heels of his hiking boots, he was aware of turbulent energy around him. What was it? Then he realized it was a tornado-like energy spinning near where he knelt—a vortex. Frowning, Jeff wondered about that. Back in his room he had the woman’s book, How to Find a Vortex. It had been on the New York Times bestseller list for months. He vowed to read it tonight since it could give him more insight into what the team was doing.

  “THERE!” SHELLY SHOUTED from the bow of the red canoe. She lifted her paddle out of the smooth, quiet water of Lake Louise. They were ten feet offshore and slowly paralleling the bank where no trail existed. “Can you feel it? A vortex! A few feet ahead.”

  Colt sat in the stern of the canoe. He dug deeply into the water with his paddle and guided it closer to shore. “It’s another male vortex.” Shelly had been dead accurate about the possibility of it being here. At least in this area, they were true teammates with the same amount of experience and knowledge.

  “A little stronger than the first one we ran into.” She craned her neck and narrowed her eyes. The early-afternoon sunlight was in her eyes. She took a baseball cap and fitted it low over her eyes in order to see better.

  Colt saw nothing along the shore that resembled the two boulders they were seeking. The strength of this vortex was noticeably different.

  Colt twisted around and looked at the geography of the area surrounding the lake. “Placement of a local or regional vortex has everything to do with determining its strength,” he remarked. The canoe’s bow scraped the pebbled bottom near the shore.

  Shelly anxiously looked along the bank. No boulders. Just pretty, smooth and rounded pebbles instead. “I think because the main energy line runs between those two mountains it makes this vortex more powerful.”

  The paddle resting across his thighs, Colt grinned. “Yes,” he agreed. It was a secret pleasure to watch her move. Like those of a graceful deer, her motions flowed from one act to the next. What would it be like to have her hands flow over his naked body like that? The thought made him burn.

  Turning around, Shelly sat back on the wooden seat. “We’ve only got about half a mile to go. I don’t see where there could be another vortex based upon the shapes of the land. Do you?”

  “No, but we’ll scour every inch, anyway,” Colt promised. “Can you push us off with the paddle?”

  Nodding, Shelly carefully used the paddle to ease the canoe off the pebbly shoal until they were once more out into deeper water. “My guess is that whatever lake we saw in our dreams, it wasn’t this one.”

  “I saw a long, oval lake,” Colt said. “Looking at the topo map, there’s plenty of them in this area besides Lake Louise.”

  “I know,” Shelly murmured, stressed over the fact there were so many. “I wish our dreams had been more specific.”

  Looking up, Colt saw a red-tailed hawk and its mate flying in ever higher spirals above the lake. Their rust-red tails were beautiful against the deep blue of the summer sky. “Mine was general, too,” Colt said, paddling and enjoying the bobbing motion of the canoe.

  “This seems so impossible,” Shelly said, glum.

  “Cheer up. Once we get done here, we’ll go back to the Wildflower Restaurant for some iced tea. We’ll look at the topo map and decide what lake we should look at next.”

  That perked her up. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Shelly longed for downtime to get to know Colt better. Laughing, she said over her shoulder, “I can hardly wait!”

  Neither could Colt. Any excuse to be near Shelly, to hear her breathy voice, to catch her fleeting scent that reminded him of sweet honey, was worth it.

  MIDAFTERNOON IN THE Wildflower Restaurant was quiet compared to the breakfast rush, Shelly thought. She sat at Colt’s elbow, sipping iced tea with lemon. They spread out the topographic map and she inched closer, inhaling Colt’s scent. He’d rolled up the long sleeves of the dark green cowboy shirt to just below his elbows. His hands were work-worn, and Shelly yearned to have those fingers slide across her skin with reverence. Colt seemed so aloof and guarded. She could feel his attraction but he didn’t seem willing to give in to it. Shelly struggled to shelve her desire for him. How could she fall for another man? It was too easy to forget her rules when Colt’s confidence and masculine strength were so alluring. He reminded her of these tall, rugged Rocky Mountains in so many ways. Colt was unlike any other man she’d ever been drawn to. Maybe that was a good sign.

  “So? What do you think?” she asked him, tapping the topo map with her index finger. “The next closest oblong lake is Lake Agnes. It’s northwest of Lake Louise.”

  Colt followed her slim index finger on the map. “It says there’s a teahouse at the lake.” He recalled his dream and told her about the log restaurant he’d seen.

  Shelly craned over the map. “So there is! It looks as though we could hike the very long and steep trail up to Lake Agnes. Once we get there, it is an easy walk around half of it. The other half has no trail and it will be rough going.”

  “Then we could stop at that teahouse and rest,” Colt said. “It means I can trust my dream. I couldn�
��t imagine a teahouse in these mountains.”

  “Actually,” Shelly said with a grin, tapping the map again, “there’s another one indicated on the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail that’s southwest of Lake Agnes.”

  “We don’t have to hike out to it,” Colt said, looking over at her. Colt had the wild, unbidden urge to tame an errant lock of her red hair. He was so taken with her, but he had to keep reminding himself that it couldn’t be. Not ever. Sadness riffled through him as he neatly folded up the map. Sometimes Colt didn’t like his life. Right now, he was rankled by it. Shelly was a constant reminder to him of what he couldn’t have. But dammit, he desperately wanted it now. Right now.

  Colt stole a look over at Shelly as she sipped her iced tea. She was so pretty, alive and magical. Never mind she was an expert on vortexes. He was simply enjoying spending time in her company. When had he ever had this kind of pleasure? Never. Colt tucked the map away in his day pack. For whatever reason, amidst the danger and threat of dying, Colt had found a woman he dared to dream of. Dared to want a future with. But how? Yellow Teeth might try to possess Shelly and kill her just as he had killed his sister, Mary.

  Chapter 7

  “Did you find anything?” Victor asked as he sat with Lothar and Jeff in the lounge. Most people were at one of the many fine restaurants at the hotel and they were alone in the sumptuous area. They huddled together, looking like a football team on a field of battle.

  “My lord,” Jeff said, “I went to every spot they stopped at and surveyed.”

  Lothar nodded. “Jeff took me to them and the only thing they had in common was a vortex at each site.”

  Rubbing his chin, Victor muttered, “There must be a tie to vortexes. That’s obvious. The sphere did not show me a vortex. Only those two boulders.”

  “What about the flowers?” Jeff inquired. He instantly regretted his question as Victor snapped up his head and glared at him.

  “Fool! That was a lie on their part. A ruse. You have to get used to Taqe lying to cover their tracks.”

  “I didn’t think Taqe lied,” Jeff said.

  Snorting, Victor said, “Oh, they lie! They will do anything to get these emerald spheres. They’re no white knights, either, as much as they’d like to think they are.”

  From where they sat, Jeff could smell bread baking at the Wildflower Restaurant. He inhaled and savored the fragrance. Being in body was such a treat. He looked forward to every meal as never before. “How many vortexes are there around these lakes in this vicinity?” he wondered.

  Lothar grunted. He sat up and rubbed his hands down the length of his jeans. “That is a real question, isn’t it?”

  “That is our dilemma,” Victor growled unhappily. “There are many vortexes in this area. Since we’re clairvoyant, they’re easy for us to spot.”

  “The question then becomes—are they looking for a particular vortex along a particular lakeshore along with those boulders?” Jeff said, relieved that Victor’s withering glare disappeared. This time, he’d posed the correct question.

  “Exactly.”

  “I saw them earlier at the restaurant with the topo map open,” Lothar said. “I couldn’t get close enough to see what they were examining on their map. And we can’t probe their minds or they’ll know we’re here and that will blow our cover.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Victor grumbled. “All we have to do is follow and watch. It’s obvious to me that they don’t know on which lakeshore this emerald sphere exists, either. They’re searching and looking just like we are.”

  “At least that gives us a chance to get it,” Lothar said. “If they don’t know where it is, all we have to do is keep tailing them.”

  “On another topic,” Victor said, “did you notice their auras are changing? The pink colors in their astral fields have increased?” He rubbed his hands together and chuckled. “They’re sexually attracted to one another. And that will cause them to lose focus.” He hooked a thumb in the direction of the restaurant. “It’s happening again as it did with the other Taqe who were at the Great Serpent Mound. Lovebirds. Perfect for us because they’re going to leave us an opening to drive a truck through at the right moment.”

  “I’ve noticed a deepening red color in the male Taqe’s aura,” Lothar said.

  “Even better,” Victor snickered. “Men tend to think between their legs, unlike women. He will be our weak spot. Just as Robert Cramer was the weak member in the last team, Colt Black is going to give us a similar opening.” And then his smile widened. “Besides, Yellow Teeth wants a shot at him first. He has to remain far away or the Taqe male will sense his presence. At the right time, I’m going to take Yellow Teeth off his coyote leash and he can kill him.”

  ON THE WAY BACK to their rooms, Colt felt his heart was so open that he was helpless to control it any longer. Shelly was sunshine to his world of threats. As they walked, their hands occasionally touching, Colt agonized. He’d been a perfect gentleman throughout dinner, even though all he could do was focus on her lips. When they curved in a smile, his heart soared like a hawk flying toward the sun. She possessed such beauty, the kind that didn’t need enhancement. Colt found himself admiring her confidence. There was a guileless nature to her that drew him.

  Slowing to a halt, Colt couldn’t stop himself. He reached out and pulled Shelly around to face him. When she lifted her lashes to gaze wonderingly up at him, he went weak inside. “I don’t know what’s happening,” he told her in a husky voice. “All I want to do is kiss you.”

  Touched by his sudden vulnerability, Shelly hesitated, then lifted her hand and slid it across his cheek. Mistake or not, she followed her pounding heart. “Kiss me, Colt,” She settled her hands on his chest and leaned upward.

  Colt felt her lips settle against his own. Shelly’s mouth was soft and pliant. Groaning internally, Colt swept his arms around her and brought her fully against him. He captured her and tasted her. Just the grazing touch of her soft skin against his sent a keening ache through him. Her fragrance was a combination of fir, fresh mountain air and a sweetness that was only Shelly. Fire ignited within Colt as he deepened their kiss. Feeling her hands creep upward and slide around his neck told him so much.

  Breath growing ragged, Colt felt her need matching his with a ferocity that shook him to his soul. And when she moaned, the sound sweetly reverberated through him, and every cell in his body responded. Framing her face with his hands, Colt absorbed her soft lips, her scent, the tickling sensation as the red strands of her hair grazed his cheek and temple.

  The pressure of her breasts, the way her arms encircled his neck, all conspired against Colt. He wanted Shelly in every way. And yet, at the moment of greatest realization came the terrible, sinking sensation. Tearing his mouth from hers, Colt stared down into her half-closed eyes. Colt saw love in them—for him. How was it possible to fall in love this quickly? He gripped her shoulders and gently eased her away from his hard, throbbing body.

  “Shelly…” His voice broke. Colt stared darkly down at her.

  “Oh, Colt,” she whispered, her voice filled with regret. “I’ve tried to be immune to you.” She gave him a confused look.

  “We shouldn’t have kissed. I can’t do this, Shelly. I want to, but I know I can’t.”

  Whispering his name, Shelly stepped out of his grip and leaned against the wall next to the door. “It’s the Skin Walker threat, isn’t it?” Shelly could feel him being torn apart by his own personal need and the dangerous life he led. Reaching out, she touched his jaw. “From the moment I saw you, I was drawn to you.” She pressed her fingers over her heart. “I see your struggle with the Skin Walker stalking you and it hurts me.”

  Resting his hands on his hips, Colt stared hard at her. “I’m torn, Shelly.” He wanted to say, I want you so badly I can taste it. He stayed silent and held her warm hazel gaze. Clearly, she was just as shocked over the kiss as he was. “My relationships have been short. I’ve deliberately walked away from the women I was attracted to.”r />
  “Why would you give up happiness?” Shelly asked, searching his dark blue eyes. “Is it all because of the threat of the Skin Walker?” Shelly could understand that up to a point. She’d never tasted or faced evil as Colt had. Further, he was so tight-lipped about it, she had little to go on.

  Colt fought to not raise his arms once more and pull Shelly into his embrace. “I haven’t told you everything.” He felt as if his heart had turned into a nest of angry snakes. The emotional pain of telling Shelly the truth wrestled with his tribe’s mantra never to speak of evil. To do so brought it to the person who spoke of it.

  “Then tell me,” she countered, hoping to coax out the storm she saw in his eyes. “I know I’m not trained to look for evil like you are. I’m not afraid to listen to you, Colt.” Her voice became more firm and knowing. “I’m not into short-term anything. I’ve been burned by every man I fell for. I don’t have a great track record of choosing the right guys, either. I can’t keep making the same mistake. Help me understand.”

  Colt took a step away and looked up and down the quiet hall. In many ways, he had to tell her. They were on a mission together and needed a foundation of trust. So without hesitating, he told his story, his fear and the loss of Mary. Shelly’s face had gone white by the time he’d finished the terrible tragic tale. Her copper freckles stood out across her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were wide and filled with a mixture of shock and sympathy. “So, now you know everything, Shelly. I’m a dangerous man to be around for any length of time. Yellow Teeth relentlessly stalks me.” He held her gaze, hoping she understood the danger. “I’m afraid that he’ll attack you, not me. I know how to defend myself against a possession attack. You don’t. And Mary wasn’t trained to do that, either, but I was. That’s why Yellow Teeth went after her first. She was a lamb going to slaughter.”

  Gulping, Shelly stood, hands clenched in one another in front of her. “And that’s why you don’t stay with a woman very long.”