Drifter

by Leslie Georgeson

  “No. You were perfect. That was incredible. You were definitely worth waiting for.”

  He smiled, a true smile that lit up his face, accentuating his handsome features. “And so were you.” He rolled over onto his side, pulling Kate back against him. He lay an arm across her hip, his hand moving down to cup her between the legs. “This is mine now.” His breath tickled her ear. “You’re mine now.”

  “Yes,” she murmured, snuggling back against him. “I’m yours now. And you’re mine. Forever.”

  * * *

  Forever.

  That was a word Mitch had never believed in before. But now, with Kate, he believed. He wanted. He ached for a forever. Could he have that with her? Did he even deserve a forever?

  She lay sleeping next to him, her dark hair a beautiful, tangled mess behind her. She was so gorgeous. So kind. So giving. So brave and strong. He wanted to just lie beside her for hours and hours, taking in her beauty.

  It was too soon for her to figure out what her shared gift from him would be, and too soon for him to know if he would share her gift or not. He couldn’t stop the fear that she would inherit his empathy and he worried that it would be too much for her like it had been too much for Lisa. His selfishness could ruin her like it had ruined Lisa.

  Kate’s strong. Remember that. She’s not Lisa.

  Reality crept in, reminding him of the urgency of the situation. He needed to figure out a way to get through to Ethan, and he needed to do it soon. Ronin had Ethan’s notes on the drifters. Ronin knew everything they did. Ronin might already be heading for the mountain with a pack of drifters.

  Kate stirred next to him. Her eyelids flickered. She turned her head. Smiling, she leaned over and kissed him. “Do you ever sleep?”

  He shrugged. “I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.”

  “How about I give you something else to think about?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Come here, stud.” Grabbing his arm, she pulled him closer. Mitch chuckled. He couldn’t resist. He would never get tired of touching her. If he could, he would just run away with her right now and forget all of this.

  But he couldn’t.

  He let out a soft growl, rolling her beneath him, unable to keep his hands to himself. He kissed her deeply, letting her know she was his. “I’m never letting you go, Kate. I’m addicted to you. I’ve had a constant hard-on since the moment I met you.”

  She smacked his arm. “Really?”

  He let out a soft growl, pressing that hard-on against her, then sliding into her soft heat. “Fuck, yes.” He moved slowly, seductively, in and out, drawing out soft moans from her.

  “Mitch…” She moved with him, rising to meet his thrusts. They came together as one, and Mitch lost himself in her all over again. He would never get tired of loving her. She was his and he was hers. Forever.

  Finally, they collapsed, breathing heavily, their passion spent, happiness swirling between them. He kissed her again, tenderly, then grew serious. “We need to figure out a way to get Ethan to snap out of whatever is taking over his mind. He’s not himself anymore. He’s slipping away, Kate. I’m losing him. We need him to help stop Ronin and control the mountain.”

  Her attention sharpened on him. “What should we do?”

  Mitch let out a soft groan. “I’m not sure. Ethan’s going to need some persuasion to convince him to come up out of the crater. The drifters have corrupted his mind. I don’t think he’ll willingly come up out of there.” He paused. “Do you have any ideas?”

  Kate covered his hand with hers and leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I think Ethan might be more willing to listen to you if I’m not there. I think I made him more agitated. He’s not comfortable with me yet because he doesn’t know me. Maybe if you go back in there alone, Ethan will listen to you.”

  Mitch considered her words for a long moment. She was right. He and Ethan had been friends for years. He was pretty sure Ethan trusted him. Or at least had trusted him. But Ethan wasn’t the same anymore. The power that dwelled deep in the crater was controlling Ethan’s mind. If Mitch went back in the drifters’ lair, the mountain might control his mind too. If he went back in there, he might not come out alive.

  “I’ll do whatever you want me to,” Kate went on. “I’ll help you in any way I can.” There was so much love in her eyes that his heart warmed, joy swirling within him. He kissed her, long and slow. He was falling for her, harder than he’d ever fallen before. Loving her could well be the death of him. If he lost Kate, it would surely kill him.

  So don’t lose her. She’s yours now and you’re hers. You dragged her into this. It’s up to you to make sure she stays safe.

  Mitch was responsible for whatever happened to Kate now. The pressure of that weighed heavily on him. His selfishness could cost him Kate. He should have kept to his vow to not touch her, to not bond with her.

  As if you could have stopped it. The pull between you is too strong. It was only a matter of time before you gave in.

  Mitch sighed. He leaned back. “I think you’re right. Ethan might be more willing to listen if I go in the drifters’ lair alone.”

  Kate held his gaze. “I’ll be waiting for you. Please be careful. We can do this again later.”

  He kissed her. Hard. Then rose from the bed.

  Would there even be a “later” for them?

  And would he be able to uphold his vow to protect her, keep her safe?

  He had to. There was no other option.

  They had to get through to Ethan. They had to stop Ronin.

  Before it was too late.

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Mitch was in the drifters’ lair. An eerie silence filled the dark tunnels, and the deeper he traveled into the crater, the louder the mountain spoke to him.

  Shira. Come closer.

  Shira. We’re waiting for you.

  Shira. We need you.

  Shira. Come.

  Shira.

  Shira.

  Shira.

  Shit, if the mountain was speaking to Ethan like this, it was no wonder it was taking over his mind. Mitch didn’t know how long he could be in here with that persistent tug and pull at his mind. He did his best to ignore it as he searched the tunnels for Ethan.

  Shira.

  Nothing stirred around him. Not even a hint of another presence. Where had all the drifters gone? Where was Ethan?

  Shira.

  He reached the nursery area and slowly approached the large nest. Broken egg shells, now empty of life, were scattered about the nest. The eggs had all hatched and the hatchlings were gone.

  Mitch slowly glanced around. Where would they go?

  The surface. The drifters were probably teaching the youngsters how to hunt. Was Ethan with them?

  Mitch knew there were other ways to reach the surface besides back through the dinosaur dig, because Kate had escaped through one such tunnel. But he had no idea where the tunnel was. It could take hours to try to locate it. It would be smarter to go back through the dinosaur dig and then search the savannah for the drifters. There were still several hours before daylight. If he could catch Ethan above the surface, he’d have a better chance of getting through to him.

  Shira.

  The mountain continued to call to him as he headed back through the tunnels toward the dinosaur dig.

  Shira.

  Mitch let out a hiss. Shut up!

  Shira.

  Something darted in front of him, blocking his escape.

  Mitch halted, his senses coming alive at the presence of another drifter.

  The beast’s glowing green-blue eyes left no doubt it was Ethan. That and the fact that the drifter was huge, much larger than a regular drifter.

  The giant Ethan-drifter rose on its hind legs. Drifters were capable of bipedal locomotion, though they only used it on rare occasions. Mitch had only seen a drifter moving on two legs once, a few years ago, while it had been racing across a shallow part of the river, fleeing from a hungry leopard. Mitch ha
d assumed the drifters used the bipedal locomotion more as an escape mechanism than anything else. But the giant drifter facing him now was certainly not fleeing.

  Stretching to its full height, the Ethan-drifter towered over Mitch and hissed out a warning, flipping its frill back, its green-blue eyes glowing angrily in the darkness. Its spittle splattered Mitch in the face and oozed down his cheeks.

  Mitch lifted a hand to wipe the slime away. He held his ground. The drifters respected strength, courage. They sought out the strongest. It was fear that they despised. Fear that made them want to hunt, capture, destroy. The drifter in him knew this and felt it on a regular basis.

  Ethan was his friend, even if he wasn’t acting like himself anymore. Somewhere deep inside, Ethan had to have some humanity left. Mitch wasn’t afraid of Ethan, no matter how big he got or how much drifter coursed through his veins.

  But he was afraid of what might happen to Kate if he died in this crater. He had to come out of this alive.

  “The mountain’s calling me,” he began, keeping his gaze on the Ethan-drifter. “It won’t let up. Shira, it says. Over and over. Shira, we need you. Shira, come closer. Shira. It’s driving me crazy. But it just goes to show how important I am in controlling the mountain.” He paused, watching as the Ethan-drifter slowly lowered to four legs. “I need your help, Ethan. I can’t do this alone. Gabe and I need you. Please. Please, come with me to the mountain. The drifters will follow us. You know they will. It’s the only way to stop Ronin. Do you want Ronin to rule the world? Do you realize what will happen if he wins?”

  Ethan hissed at him again, then took a step back. Another step back. Then another.

  “Please, Ethan.”

  Ethan turned on his heel and raced into a tunnel off to Mitch’s right.

  Mitch waited, hoping Ethan would come back as a human so they could talk.

  Seconds ticked by.

  Minutes.

  The mountain kept calling to him: Shira. Shira. Shira.

  Goddammit! Mitch shook his head. Go away!

  Shira.

  Ethan wasn’t coming back. Why had he fled? What was going on?

  A faint scream echoed from somewhere back down the tunnels in the direction of the dinosaur dig.

  Kate!

  Shit.

  Mitch raced back down the tunnels, his heart in his throat. He shouldn’t have left her alone. What was he thinking? Had the drifters entered the dinosaur dig, no longer respecting his territorial boundaries? Had they attacked her again?

  Or had Ronin returned?

  By teleporting, Mitch was able to make it back to the dinosaur dig in only a few seconds. He slowly peered around the corner into the room with Ethan’s table full of fossils. The army was there, standing along the wall. Ronin stood near the center of the room, his sword raised. Kate was on her knees before Ronin, glaring up at him, daring him to do it. A streak of blood smeared her cheek. Someone had hit her. Anger boiled inside Mitch. That someone would pay.

  Mitch was bombarded by emotions, but by focusing on his anger, he was able to push most of them back.

  Ronin sniggered, his gaze flicking to Mitch. “Took you long enough, Mitchell. I was just about to chop her head off. I would have too, if you hadn’t decided to show up when you did.” He lowered his sword, shoving it back into its sheath.

  Mitch stepped into the room. “Let her go, Ronin.” His heart twisted painfully. This was his fault. He should have known better than to leave her alone, even for a second. He should have figured Ronin would come back here. But he’d just assumed Ronin would take the information he’d found and head to the mountain.

  Mitch was supposed to protect Kate. Keep her safe.

  He’d failed her.

  Just like he’d failed Lisa.

  Now, Ronin would punish him by making her suffer, just like he’d done with Lisa.

  Mitch swallowed hard. He couldn’t bear that again. It would fucking kill him.

  “I’m sorry, Kate. I shouldn’t have left you alone.” He dropped to his knees before her, reaching for her hand. “Please forgive me.”

  Ronin jerked him away, yanking him back to his feet. “I have need of you, Mitchell. You’re going to help me control the mountain. I still have some unanswered questions and you’re going to help me figure them out. And to be sure that you obey, I’m keeping her hostage. Remember what happened the last time you disobeyed?”

  Mitch squeezed his eyes shut. “Just let her go. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll help you control the mountain. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

  Ronin sneered at him. “Yes, you will tell me everything you know. And yes, you will help me control the mountain. But she’s not going anywhere.”

  He grabbed Kate by the hair and yanked her to her feet. She let out a cry of pain and squirmed in his hold, one of her fingernails raking along his cheek. Ronin bared his teeth, then slapped her across the face. She stumbled back, wiping blood from her nose, and glared at Ronin. Pride burst through Mitch. Even in the face of danger, even fighting against a beast she would never defeat, Kate was still brave and strong. She gave him hope. She gave him strength. Her positivity seeped into him, making him want to keep fighting. Making him not want to give up.

  Ronin shoved her toward Lionel. “Take her back to Aftermath and put her in that dungeon you found in the ground. No one touches her until I say to bring her out. If Mitchell gives me any trouble, we’ll use her to make him behave.”

  Ronin turned back to Mitch. He smirked. “Come along, Mitchell. It’s time we had a long chat.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Kate stared up at the grate of her tiny prison in the ground. Thank God Ronin had imprisoned her instead of tossing her to his men. Though she didn’t enjoy being locked in a hole in the ground, it was certainly better than being brutalized and passed from man to man. She didn’t know what they’d done with Mitch, only that they’d taken away her knife—her only weapon—and tossed her into the ground as soon as they’d returned to Aftermath. Locked the metal gate, and left her alone.

  That had been hours ago. The sun was now high in the sky, a ray of light streaming down into her prison. She was thirsty. Dirty. And her face stung where Ronin had slapped her. But she wouldn’t give up hope. She’d survived ten years in this harsh world, all on her own. She and Mitch would find a way out of this. Somehow. Someway. Even though Kate had no idea what “control of the mountain” meant, she couldn’t let Ronin win. Ronin already had too much control of everyone.

  The day dragged on and then the sun went down. Her stomach growled. No one had come to the prison since they’d tossed her in early that morning. How long would they leave her here without food or water? How long before she lost her mind to the endless monotony of staring at nothing but dirt walls?

  Voices came from above, then the metal grate was yanked open. Kate stared up as a soldier reached down into the hole. “Give me your hand, woman. Ronin wants to see you.”

  Kate hesitated. Whatever Ronin wanted with her, it couldn’t be good.

  But if she got out of this hole, she might find a chance to escape.

  She lifted her hand, reaching for the top of the prison. The soldier grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the hole. When she reached the surface, he kicked her forward, sending her sprawling face first in the dirt.

  Asshole.

  Kate spit blood and dirt out of her mouth and rose to her feet. The soldier shoved her forward, steering her toward the front of Aftermath. They climbed the stairs and paused at the fourth door on the left. The soldier knocked.

  “Enter!” Ronin shouted.

  The soldier pushed the door open and ushered Kate inside.

  Ronin and Mitch sat at a small table in the center of the room. A large pitcher that was about half full of some kind of alcohol—beer?—sat in front of Ronin, but Mitch had no beverage in front of him. What looked like Ethan’s handwritten notes on the drifters were spread all over the table in between them. There was a bed in the far
corner, a handmade dresser along the wall, and a small, square nightstand next to the dresser. A kerosene lantern burned from atop the nightstand, lighting the small room. The room was the same as the rest of the rooms at Aftermath, simple, containing only the most basic items.

  The soldier shoved Kate farther into the room. He went out and closed the door behind him.

  Kate hesitated, glancing at Mitch, then Ronin, then back to Mitch. Mitch didn’t look at her. In fact, he didn’t even acknowledge her presence. He was staring at one of Ethan’s notes and tapping his fingers against the tabletop.

  “This one is new. I’ve never seen it before.” He held it up to Ronin.

  Ronin snatched it from him, lifting it to his face. “A bonded pair is more powerful than any singular entity. If each of the three cones has bonded, then their joint powers will become unbeatable.” Ronin huffed and tossed the paper back on the table. “That’s bullshit. I don’t believe it.”

  Mitch finally lifted his gaze to Kate. There was remorse in his eyes. Sadness. Regret. Her heart skipped a beat. What was going on?

  “I do,” Mitch whispered, holding Kate’s gaze. “Love is more powerful than anything on earth.”

  Kate’s heart pounded. Was he saying he loved her?

  Ronin snorted. “And you’re a fool.”

  Mitch shrugged. “Maybe so. But the guy who wrote these notes knows more about the drifters than anyone I know. He’s been studying them for years. He’s become a part of them. He is one of them. I’m starting to believe he’s more powerful than you or I. If anyone has a chance of controlling the mountain, it’s him. If you want to control the mountain, you’ll need to find him and learn what you can from him. You’ll need his help to do it.”

  Ronin scowled. “Where is he? Where can I find this all-knowing drifter man?”

  Mitch glanced at Kate. “In the crater,” he said quietly. “He lives there. He controls the drifters. But if you venture inside, chances are you won’t make it out alive.”