Night Caught

by Godiva Glenn

  Logic said they should be enemies. Something between them had changed, though he didn’t exactly know why. The thought of killing Sky now left a sour taste in his mouth.

  Did he not want his freedom enough? Had his wolf been a sign that he’d given up?

  * * * *

  The sun set over Sky’s trembling shoulders, but she kept walking forward, one shaky foot at a time. After she’d been soaked, she’d never given herself time to dry off. Instead, she’d become intently focused on moving forward, even though the breeze had a distinct chill to it.

  Kalle had long since dried off, but that’s because his clothing had never gotten wet. Whatever else was in Sky’s mysterious pack of provisions, a spare set of jeans or a t-shirt were missing. He could have lectured her for being so unprepared, but there was no point. She’d make it his fault.

  His kidnapping didn’t go as planned. It inconvenienced her.

  Still, he hated to see her shivering. With night coming, she wasn’t going to get any warmer.

  “This looks like a good spot,” he called out.

  She didn’t reply but her head swiveled side to side as she checked out the area. He stayed back. His range had tightened to be far but limited. He had about two feet of wiggle room. Sky was definitely still pissed at him.

  As had become custom, he milled about as she made the fire. He’d had his chance and he’d blown it. What was he supposed to do? Hurt her? Torture her? He’d done some terrible things in his life, but even in his current situation, he couldn’t find the drive to do it.

  If it were another lupine, sure. He’d been in plenty of fights before. It’s not like there weren’t challenges against him as the upcoming alpha. He’d broken more than a few bones to hold his place, even if in the end it was for nothing.

  His life was on the line now. Shouldn’t this be an easy decision? Catch her. Hurt her. Make her cooperate.

  She leaned over the fire, delicate hands rubbing and waving over the weak flames in search of warmth. She’d been in his arms and thinking back he could smell her fear, but it was masked with defiance.

  He cursed and yanked off his shirt. Balling it in his hands, he clicked his tongue for her attention. The moment she looked, he tossed it underhand in her direction. It landed beside her, but she made no effort to grab it.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “I’ll turn around. Put it on. Take off your wet one. Hell, maybe it’s long enough to wear as a dress and you can let your jeans dry.”

  “I’m not getting naked for you,” she hissed.

  He groaned. “For fuck's sake. You’re going to freeze to death. You already made it worse by hiking like your feet were on fire. You’ve been sweating and making the wet and cold worse.”

  “We had to pick up the pace,” she countered.

  “Put on the shirt and fix the stupid collar range. I’ll set up a rig to dry your clothes by the fire.”

  She scooted to the side and snatched up his shirt. “Why would you help me?”

  “It’s kind of what I do,” he replied without thinking. It was his way. Probably the way of every older sibling in the world, to start with. Compounded by being raised to be an alpha. The disbelieving arch of her brow made him sigh. “Clearly, I’m not trying to kill you.”

  “It’s your fault I got soaked to begin with.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s your fault you jumped in the water. You did it based on your own assumptions. It’s not my fault.”

  She stood and looked the shirt over as she held it in front of her. It hung to her knees. “Why didn’t you try to kill me?”

  “Because I’m not a killer.”

  Her eyes met his, and for the first time, they seemed to consider him instead of judging him. “You threatened me, and you started to hurt me… but then you let me go.”

  “And what do you think that means?”

  “You really don’t mean me any harm. Even though you’re a beast. Even though you killed Tommy.”

  That word again. Kalle was sick of hearing himself referred to as a beast. “For the hundredth time, I’m not what you think I am, and Tommy was an accident.”

  Her attention turned to the fire. “I don’t have a line to hang over the heat.”

  “I’ll figure that out.” He motioned to her. “Should I turn around?”

  “Please,” she said. “And thanks,” she added in a near whisper.

  He walked away until the collar hummed and stared out at the darkening forest. The air smelled like food. Not human food, but wild animals. Squirrels. Rabbits. Maybe a weasel. He’d ignored his hunger like a damned champion, but now it came crashing back.

  “Okay,” Sky announced.

  He turned, rubbing his stomach and wondering if his kindness had earned him dinner.

  She smoothed the black shirt down her body with one hand while the other held her wet clothing. “You think we can get it dry?”

  “It’ll dry faster now that it’s not on your body, so yeah.” He stepped forward, testing the boundaries. He made it to the fire with no warning from the collar, though she’d backed away a few steps. “You do have a line.”

  “Huh?”

  He pointed to her pack. “We can use one of the straps.”

  “It’s not very long.”

  “Trust me.”

  She set her clothing down and got to work cutting the strap off the backpack while he looked around for fallen branches of the size and sturdiness he needed. They worked in silence, and though he noticed that the range of his device had been lowered—he at one point nearly brushed against her arm while fumbling with the fire—he didn’t remark on it.

  It took longer than he’d anticipated, but before too long her clothing was draped close to the fire.

  “Since that’s done…” She reached into the pack and pulled out the bunches of watercress, which she’d packed into a plastic bag. She moved carefully not to expose anything while crouching in his shirt and reached into the pack. “This is the last of my supplies.”

  “What?” He glanced at what she held, a can of beans, a small baggy of chocolate-covered peanuts, and three protein bars. “How is that everything?”

  “I wasn’t planning on the van breaking down. It’s a miracle I even have this. We were supposed to have a one-day hike to the cabin at most,” she snapped. “There’s food there.”

  A one-day hike at most. Meaning the cabin wasn’t too far from a road? Perhaps escape was still possible. If he could get on the road and maybe flag a car… but how would he get that far away? And hopping in a car with the collar on would likely shock him into a severe coma.

  He frowned at his thoughts.

  “I’ll share,” she said.

  He looked up and realized she’d misinterpreted his expression. “If it’s the last of the supplies…”

  “Don’t,” she said, eyes darting away. “You haven’t behaved like a… well, what I thought you were. It doesn’t change my mission, but I can’t drag you on, day after day, with no food, and pretend that’s okay.”

  “Feeding me doesn’t change the fact that you’re handing me over to die.”

  She spread the green leaves out on the surface of a flat rock she’d found. “Nothing you’ve shown me changes the fact that my parents are dead. Tommy is dead. Countless others are dead, all because your kind lurks around.”

  “Humans kill humans too. Much more often than lupine kill humans,” he pointed out.

  “Maybe,” she agreed. “But most people don’t know that you exist. You can mingle easily to find your prey, and when you catch them, you have the strength and abilities to make sure you get your way. You’re overpowered. The average human stands no chance.”

  “Humans have a military, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Special forces, I think they are. Humans trained to kill. Your government has spies and assassins—”

  “That’s not the same.”

  “It is. Especially given that most lupine do the
ir best to stay away from humans. Some live entirely off the grid. They keep their packs small. They even go as far as to limit reproduction. All to have their peace and privacy.”

  “Right,” she scoffed.

  “The average lupine doesn’t even know how to fight. We aren’t trained. How many forms of martial arts do humans have?”

  She set the now open can on the edge of the fire, ignoring his question. “The Wardens have studied your kind for centuries. Lupine. Vampires. They’ve even researched witches, as they seem to be the humans responsible for enabling the paranormal in living on the fringes of humanity.”

  “So what?”

  “In all that time they’ve tracked violent encounters. Maybe your pack was fine. But it seems most aren’t.”

  “And you’re still comfortable handing me over?”

  The fire popped and she stared intently into it. “It’s for the greater good.”

  He stared out into the night. Her voice lacked the conviction it had before, but it didn’t matter. The last of her provisions. She could have stretched it out somehow, but if she was going through them now it meant they were close to the cabin.

  A day, maybe two, and he’d be in someone else’s hands. Someone who likely didn’t care that he wasn’t the beast of lore. He had his chance and he’d squandered it. He didn’t owe Sky anything, much less forgiveness, did he?

  And was his inability to harm her due to his morals, her similarity to his sister, or something else? Maybe that something that called to his wolf, even though the potent wolfsbane coursing through his veins?

  FIVE

  Kalle’s assumption proved correct as a small cabin appeared ahead of them late into the afternoon of the next day. The boarded windows gave him hope, however. It seemed that the cabin was unoccupied.

  “That’s it?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Luxury compared to the last few days,” she said brightly.

  He trudged along behind her, thumping an empty water bottle against his thigh. Since his moment in the stream, he’d stopped drinking from the bottle she gave him. She trusted him to drink, and he pretended to. Over the last day he’d been trickling the water on the path. If only he’d thought of it sooner, but then again, at first, she’d watched him like a hawk.

  Pure wolfsbane, the kind that grew wild across the country, was incredibly potent. Sky’s version was manufactured, so Kalle couldn’t be sure how long it stayed in his system. Twenty-four hours seemed likely. Just like medicine, wouldn’t it have to be taken daily to continue working?

  If that was the case, he’d be ready to shift by nighttime. It would be tricky.

  He slid a finger between the collar and his bare skin. He’d never shifted while confined. The transition would easily destroy clothing, but a metal band? There was a chance the damn collar wouldn’t break and instead choke him or get stuck in his skin.

  Hell, most lupine didn’t wear jewelry. Not specifically for this reason, but it meant he’d never heard of someone shifting in a necklace much less a disturbingly high-tech restrictive piece like the one around his neck. Asphyxiation wasn’t his kink, and he wasn’t interested in giving it a go.

  She paused and fiddled with the bracelet. He leaned to the side to watch. A tiny screen lit up as she slid her finger to the left across the surface. She caught him watching. “I have to reduce the range inside,” she said carefully.

  Something wasn’t being said, but he didn’t ask. He’d gotten sick of asking questions that weren’t going to get an answer.

  She entered first and he followed at a safe distance.

  “You said you’ve been here before?” he asked while scanning the large living area they stepped into. The stale scent of unpolished wood furniture and dust made him wrinkle his nose.

  She dropped her pack and made a beeline to the kitchen. “Once.” She opened a cabinet and released a moan. “Food.”

  He stepped around a lumpy couch. She stuffed crackers into her mouth and leaned against the counter.

  “Once and you found it just like that? No map? No compass?”

  “I’m a natural with directions.”

  He scoffed. “That’s not a ‘natural’ ability. That’s magic. It’s not like it was a straight path. I was certain we’d been turned around a few times, and I actually do have a natural gift with tracking.”

  Crumbs stuck to her lips, which she licked thoughtfully. “I can’t explain it.”

  “You’re not treating me like your prisoner anymore.”

  The bag crinkled in her hands and she stared down at it. “It’s possible I had the wrong impression of you.” She took a deep breath and met his eyes. “I have a job to do, though. We don’t always have to like our jobs.”

  “But you’ve killed lupine before. You seemed proud of it.”

  “That’s different.”

  “Because you didn’t talk to them first? Didn’t spend time and realize they weren’t bloodthirsty animals? Beasts, as you say?”

  Her expression darkened. “Nothing has changed. Maybe you’re the one decent specimen of your kind, so what? I don’t have to have you on a leash to control you—that’s great. But I haven’t forgotten why I’m doing this.”

  “Have you convinced yourself I’m passive? Tamed?”

  “You had your chance.”

  He held back a laugh. Her words were empty. The fire and passion she’d had before were gone. He doubted she’d given up in her cause, but she was lying to say she thought she was doing the right thing with him. And as for him going along, he hadn’t given up. Maybe briefly he’d thought he had.

  He glanced pointedly at the crackers in her hand. “Please tell me that’s not all you meant by supplies.”

  She set the snack aside and brushed her hands on her jeans. After some rummaging, she tossed him a box of cereal. The smiling cartoon on the front boasted nutrition but the bright marshmallows scattered through the puffed corn pieces said otherwise.

  “This is garbage.”

  “Better than an empty stomach.”

  His wolf needed meat. Kalle couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gone more than a day without legitimate protein. The first thing he was doing once he shifted was snatching the first unfortunate critter to cross his path.

  Tearing into the box, his freedom seemed that much closer. He pushed away the concern about what could go wrong and planned for what he’d do when everything went right.

  * * * *

  Late that evening, Kalle pretended to read a book while spying on Sky. She stared intently at her phone, but as far as he could tell, she hadn’t responded to the missed calls and texts that had been bombarding her since they came within range of a tower earlier in the day. He’d expected her to hurry and get backup, but he wasn’t complaining about her hesitance.

  She looked up and caught his eyes on her. “We should sleep.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  “But I am, and you can’t be roaming around if I’m asleep.”

  “What’s the plan then?”

  She tucked the phone into her back pocket and gestured down the single wide hall that led from the living room. “There’s a room on each side. Yours is on the left.”

  “You going to lock me in?”

  She didn’t answer but jerked her chin towards the rooms in a sign for him to get moving. Locked in or not, it would beat sleeping on the ground. His aching body felt decades older thanks to the last few days.

  The tired wood floor creaked beneath his boots and when he opened the door to his room the stale scent he’d smelled earlier returned. He tapped the light switch and growled as the room lit up.

  “I’m not sleeping in that.” He refused to take another step into the room. No furniture existed in the space save for the metal cage pushed into one corner.

  “There’s no other option,” she insisted from the end of the hall.

  “Aren’t we passed the pretense? You’ll be just as safe if I sleep on the couch.”

  “I have orders.”
/>
  “There’s more to life than orders.”

  She looked away. She almost always did when confronted with the ugly side of her organization. “You don’t understand.”

  “I grew up in a pack. Do you even know what that means? It boils down to many of my decisions in life being made for me. Granted, I was never ordered to kill someone, but I understand the pressure to make someone else happy.” He braced his hands against the sides of the door frame. “It also means I know that the ones in charge—they aren’t perfect. They make mistakes.”

  “In that case, you know that you’re asking me to ignore everything I’ve learned in my entire life based on a single encounter that’s barely gone on for a week.”

  He sighed. “That’s different.”

  “They’re my family. I owe them everything. I know you understand doing things for family. That’s the pack structure, isn’t it? There’s the people calling the shots, and sure maybe they aren’t great. But what about everyone else?”

  Family was everything to him. To all lupine. It’s why he still loved his crazy sister. Why he was out on his own in the first place. He’d do anything to give her a fighting chance in the world. “Will they still love you if you let me go?”

  Her brow furrowed. “Of course.”

  “Then let me go.”

  She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. After a moment, she squared her shoulders. “Get in the cage.”

  “No.”

  She held up her wrist. The metal band taunted him and even though she hadn’t done a thing, he swore he could hear the hum that meant pain was coming.

  “Don’t do this.”

  “I don’t want to do this. But I do what I have to. What you make me do.”

  “Sky…”

  Unease slipped through her determined expression. “Please, Kalle. Get in. Don’t make me hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She sounded lost, but that wasn’t the most startling thing about what she’d said. “I don’t think you’ve ever used my name before,” he said. “I assumed you’d forgotten it.”

  Now it was her turn to be startled. “I didn’t.”