Bonded

  Reno started to pace back and forth and seemed to be arguing with himself. Then, quite abruptly, he stopped.

  “I’m going to give it a try.” He spoke in a rush, his breathing visibly faster. “I know I can’t stay down here if the lights give out. I don’t know what I’d do, what my wolf might do. It’s too dangerous for you to be here with me.”

  “What?” She stood up. “If you think for one minute, you’re going to go alone—”

  He interrupted before she could finish her thought. “It’s safer for you if you stay here, away from me. I’d rather be lost in the tunnels than hurt you. And if I make it out, I’ll send someone back—”

  “Reno Smith, there is no way in hell I’m staying here by myself. We go together or stay together.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. You’re not even making any sense. If you try to leave without me I’ll just follow along behind.”

  He gave a frustrated growl and for a few moments they locked gazes, a silent battle of wills ensuing. Finally, he huffed in frustration and conceded. “Fine. But if I think my rogue is taking over, if I tell you to leave, I want you to head back this way as fast as you can, understand?”

  Brandi felt Reno was being over-cautious, letting a label, and Lycan society’s expectations of what that label meant, rule his life. However, his eyes were boring into hers as he awaited an answer. She nodded, agreeing to his terms while her own wolf confidently stated it could handle Reno’s wolf and even looked forward to the experience!

  Reno visibly relaxed after she agreed and the wild look in his eyes faded to the background. “We can probably track our scents at least half the way back along the route we took, and when we reach the part where the mask was working, we can use the markings on the wall. I think we can make it.”

  Brandi shook her head still doubting the wisdom of the plan. “My nose isn’t that good at tracking.

  “Mine is.”

  She hesitated hoping he wasn’t over-confident, but finally nodded. The truth was she didn’t want to be in the cave if the lights gave out either. It was too close to some of her childhood nightmares about how her father had died and she said as much to Reno.

  “Okay let’s do it.” He extended his hand to her and she grasped it, holding the flashlight in the other.

  At the entrance to the maze, she sniffed the air, detecting the faintest trace of their earlier presence, but the natural smells of the mine obscured too much for her to be confident in following the trail.

  “Come on,” Reno gently tugged at her arm.

  “You’re sure you can follow the trail?”

  “Tracking was one of the courses I taught at the Academy, remember? Don’t worry. You’re in good hands.”

  Deciding she’d have to place her trust in him, she gave a tentative smile. At first, Reno walked along quickly, barely pausing at each junction to check for the symbols before choosing which way to go. Brandi followed and prayed his nose was as good as he claimed it was.

  Eventually Reno began to slow his pace and finally stopped altogether.

  “What’s wrong? Has the trail disappeared?”

  “It’s fading but still there. Now there’s something else, a new scent. Don’t you notice it?”

  Brandi sniffed carefully, furrowing her brow. “What is it?”

  “I think the other cave-in was in one of the tunnels in the maze.”

  “What?” She stared at him aghast, gripping her flashlight even tighter. “But, surely, not the one back to the town hall, right? Klaus had that one in good repair! It has to be one of the other ones.”

  He nodded grimly. “Maybe, but I doubt it. There’s a distinctive chemical odour that wasn’t present at the site of the other cave-in. And it would make sense for Victor and Walt to seal the tunnel we escaped in. They likely followed your scents into the cellar and found the tunnel entrance. When they realized they couldn’t track you, they decided to trap all of us inside.”

  Brandi swallowed hard, not wanting to believe him, but knowing his words made sense. “And the other cave-in?”

  “There was no chemical smell so I think it was just an unexpected by-product of this explosion.”

  A thought suddenly occurred to her. “What about Klaus! They must have noticed his scent too!”

  “Probably. The man’s been lucky not to have been discovered in all this time, even if Walt has been sitting on the news. He must have stayed deep underground and depended on his ‘spies’ to bring him news of what was going on in town.”

  “So they’re looking for him now.”

  Reno nodded. “And that means we can’t count on him to organize a rescue party. He and Peter and the rest will be trying to stay ahead of the hunting parties. No one will be trying to clear the cave-in and we can’t use the town hall exit.”

  “Maybe they didn’t blow it up. Maybe it’s just—”

  Reno cut her off. “Brandi, what else would they be blowing up down here?”

  “I don’t know, but I want to check.” She set her chin in a determined fashion. Usually she didn’t want the facts candy-coated but was reluctant to give up hope.

  He sighed. “All right, follow me.”

  They travelled a bit farther, but all too soon came to the remains of the tunnel’s entrance. “See?”

  Brandi stared at the tumble of stone, her spirits plummeting. There’d been a vague hope in her heart that Reno was wrong, but now… “You were right.” She turned to look at him, making no effort to hide her fear. “What do we do now?”

  Reno slung an arm around her shoulder. “We look for another way.”

  Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face against his shoulder, breathing in his comforting scent. “I’m scared.”

  “Hey, I’m the one who’s afraid of dark underground places, remember?”

  “Yeah, well I’m going to join you now.”

  “Sorry, no can do. It’s an exclusive club.”

  She tried to smile, knowing he was attempting to lighten the mood but it wasn’t working very well.

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then turned and started to lead her back the way they’d come. “You know we were damned lucky.”

  “How is it lucky to have someone blow up a tunnel and trap you underground?”

  “The coal dust didn’t spark any fires and there was no methane gas to ignite.”

  Brandi stopped in her tracks, realizing how much worse off they could be. A fire would have depleted their oxygen if the smoke didn’t kill them first. “You’re right, we are lucky.”

  They walked in silence for a while before she questioned him. “Where are we going?”

  “Klaus said there was an exit farther up the mountain. We’re heading towards that one.”

  “But what if they block that one too?”

  “We’ll have to hope they don’t. And if they did, we’ll look for the next one. Actually, I think they’ll have their hands full and might forget about us for a while. Someone must have noticed the halves are missing by now and Victor’s group needs to capture them before the other Purist leaders arrive.”

  “Maybe he’ll just cancel the meeting and the others won’t come.”

  “No. From what you and Peter related about the conversation you overheard, Victor won’t want to lose face in front of them. I suspect he’s been boasting about having the perfect location for them, a place to meet, to hide if necessary. After all, no one can get into Kolding’s Pass unnoticed. He won’t cancel; he’s too sure of himself. We’re no more than an annoyance to him, as is Klaus.”

  Brandi hoped he was right and said no more. However, inside she had her doubts. Even if they got to the second entrance, what would they do then? Victor, his men, and any number of Purists were still out there and they had no idea where Klaus might be or how many followers he had.

  Reno stopped. They were at a junction and he was staring hard at the symbols on the wall. “Circles were for the maze,” he murmured.

  “And tr
iangles were danger.”

  “So this… is definitely an ‘x’ and here’s another.” Reno traced his fingers over the rough cut markings. “We must have to go this way to the second exit. What do you think?” He looked at her for confirmation and she nodded.

  And so they continued on, pausing each time the tunnels branched off, studying the markings before proceeding. For the most part, Reno was silent, but in the dim illumination of the flashlights she could see the inner struggle he was waging. His face was tight, his pupils dilated. At times he would pause to take deep breaths, give his a head a shake, or mutter under his breath. Was he battling his wolf, his fear, or both? Whatever the case, he gave her no cause to worry for her own safety.

  The ground finally developed a definite upward slope, and Reno seemed to be trying to make it a positive sign.

  “See?” He grinned back at her. “Klaus said the second exit was higher up in the mountain. We must be going the right way.” The grin seemed forced but she said nothing about it, merely nodding and rubbing his shoulder.

  He placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. No word of thanks for the encouragement crossed his lips, but she knew he appreciated the comforting gesture. She was starting to believe that with Reno, actions carried more meaning than words.

  Hours—days even for all she knew—seemed to pass. This part of the mine had been played out years ago and was in greater disrepair than the tunnels Klaus had used. They climbed over rocks, ducked under low beams, and sidestepped old coal carts left abandoned by long ago miners. The remains of the tracks that the coal carts had run on appeared and at first she’d thought that meant the entrance was near, but after walking, and walking, and walking some more, she realized she’d been premature in her thinking.

  At some point Brandi fell into a bit of a daze, moving automatically and barely acknowledging Reno when he pointed to a symbol and changed their path. His stamina exceeded hers and she was more tired than she’d ever imagined possible. He could lead them anywhere for all she cared. Her legs were tired. Her eyes itched. Her throat was dry. She eyed the dampness on the wall with a scowl. It seemed to mock her with its wetness, but she knew the moisture wasn’t palatable. Dreams of a long, cool drink were filling her mind when quite unexpectedly she slammed into Reno’s back.

  “Why did you stop?”

  “Sniff. The air is fresher, which means… ” He paused and looked at her expectantly.

  It took a moment for her tired brain to process the information and its implications. When it did, she gave an excited whoop and clutched his arm. “We’re almost at an exit!”

  “And no one has tried to seal us inside.” A real smile spread across his grime covered face. Impulsively, she kissed him before pushing at his body, urging him to move on. Her legs lost the heavy, tired feeling that had plagued them for the last while and the final yards seemed to fly past.

  “There it is!” Reno pointed straight ahead and the sky, awash with the bright blue colour of a crisp mountain morning, showed through a small opening in the stone. They gave each other a quick hug and then hurried towards the entrance.

  Unfortunately, it too had suffered a cave-in for just feet from the opening it became apparent that it was too small to fit through.

  “Crap.” Brandi eyed the debris and sighed before exchanging weary glances with Reno. As one, they began the tiresome task of removing the rubble from the opening.

  Brandi’s muscles ached. Her fingers were bleeding, her nails were cracked. Sweat dripped down her face. She leaned back against the wall to catch her breath and watched Reno working.

  A sheen of sweat covered him and his muscles flexed and bunched with each move. He must be just as tired as she was, despite his training, yet he kept on working, each motion smooth and fluid, his face set with determination. She wondered what extremes he could be pushed to; if he’d ever admit to a weakness. Or would the rogue in him keep going, refusing to give up until he finally collapsed of exhaustion.

  Well, she wouldn’t chance it. Shoving off from the wall, she set to helping him again, carrying away the smaller stones, rolling those she couldn’t lift.

  “I’ll do that.” Reno grabbed a large piece she’d been struggling with and easily hefted it.

  “Show off,” she gibed teasingly.

  He flashed her a smile, his teeth startlingly white against the grime on his face, but kept on working.

  Finally, just when she was sure her arms couldn’t move another stone, Reno stopped. “I think we can squeeze through.”

  Brandi eyed the hole and then the breadth of his shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe if you shifted… ”

  “No. My wolf’s too unstable right now to be set free.” His face showed that he’d brook no argument so she merely nodded.

  “Guess we’ll have to try this way then.” She stepped towards the opening and began to squeeze herself through.

  It wasn’t that tight of a fit, though the roughness of the stone could be felt through her clothing. Her main injury came from banging her head when unexpectedly she felt Reno’s hand on her rump.

  “Hey!” She yelled in protest.

  “Sorry, but the way you were wiggling it back and forth I couldn’t resist.” Laughter could be heard in his voice and after the tense tones he’d been using over the previous hours it was like a balm.

  She smiled and gave her rear an extra wiggle before continuing. The fresh air and blue sky were calling to her and she moved as quickly as she could. One inch, then another… She was out!

  Scrambling to her feet, she barely glanced around before poking her head into the tunnel. “I made it! Your turn!”

  The sound of grunting and swearing following. She could see Reno’s head, then his shoulders. Wincing, she noted the fresh raw scrapes and cuts on his flesh as he forced his too wide torso through the narrow space. Biting her lip, she said nothing until at last, he too was free.

  The strength seemed to leave her legs and she sank to the ground beside him and he gave her a hug.

  “We did it!”

  “Yeah, we did.” He kissed the tip of her nose and then they both just sat there, faces tilted to the sky.

  Chapter 25

  New Chapter

  Reno knelt on the ground, taking in deep lung fulls of the fresh mountain air while looking around at his surroundings. They were on a small plateau and several yards away the mouth of the coal conveyor could be seen. The broken remains of the tracks that the coal carts had moved along still remained, though weeds grew up between the ties. A lone coal cart was lying on its side, forgotten and rusty, with a clump of daisies blooming nearby looking rather like a simple funeral bouquet.

  A passing whim almost had him getting up and plucking them to give to Brandi, but moving seemed too complicated to even consider at the moment. Instead, he revelled in the feel of the sunshine on his bare skin. After the cool dampness of the mines, the warmth of the sun and the untainted scents of nature were like an elixir pouring life back into his tired body.

  And he was tired. While the physical exertion of traversing the tunnels had been hard, it was the battle he’d waged internally that had drained him. The feeling of being enclosed underground, and the knowledge that only the dim glow of a flashlight kept the darkness at bay, had driven him and his wolf to the edge.

  At least he, in his human reasoning, had been able to understand the need for measured progress through the maze of tunnels. His wolf, however, had constantly pushed for control, wanting to transform and deal with the nebulous enemy in a frenzied rush. Of course, that would have worsened the situation but the beast hadn’t seen it that way. Only through a combination of reassurances, stern reprimands, and a call to duty had he kept the creature in check. It was the knowledge that Brandi and her wolf depended on them that had held the most sway.

  He turned to look at the woman beside him, knowing that if he was weary, she must be exhausted. Enforcers were trained to go days without sleep and endure extended periods of physical
exertion, but that wasn’t the norm for a DC officer.

  Surprisingly enough, rather than collapsing in a heap on the ground, she was studying him, a smile on her face.

  “What?”

  “You’re a mess.” She reached over and ran her hand across his chest then held it up for his inspection. A thick layer of dust covered it.

  Glancing down, he noted the filth covering him, slightly cleaner streaks showing where she’d run her fingers. He felt a crooked smile forming on his face as he imagined how he must look. It widened even more when he took in her grubby appearance. “You don’t look much better.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek and showed her the smudge.

  Brandi stared at it for a moment and then laughed. “We make a fine pair, don’t we? But you know what? I don’t care. We made it out of that stupid mine and that’s all that matters.” Unexpectedly, she leaned over and gave him a hug.

  “Yeah, we did.” He returned her embrace, chuckling at her lack of vanity. Leaning back against a convenient boulder, his arms still loosely holding her, he mused over what a trouper she’d been. Never once had she complained and she’d kept up with him. There’d been no lagging behind or asking for reassurance; she’d just jutted her chin and continued on. Strength of spirit, brave and sexy… Even covered in coal dust, her beauty was obvious to him. An ache grew in the region of his heart and he tightened his grip on her. A primal need to possess and protect rose up inside him.

  This female is ours. We’ve saved her, taken her from Victor and safely led her through the darkness. Don’t let her get away this time.

  His wolf’s thinking closely echoed his own and he wondered why he hadn’t listened to the beast’s thoughts on the matter sooner.

  Brandi shifted in his arms. His concentrated appraisal of her must have been noticeable for the smile faded from her lips and a blush showed under the layer of grime. She glanced down at the ground and cleared her throat.

  “I… uh… I suppose we should try to get cleaned up and then find the others.” She pulled away and he reluctantly let her go. “If I recall correctly, this particular mine entrance is fairly close to a stream.” Pointing to the left, she continued. “If we head that way, there should be a place we can splash off; it widens out to form a pond not too far from here.