Another shot slammed into a nearby tree, missing him and the other cat. The one he fought snarled and leapt away into the woods to safety.
Chase didn’t wait to ensure the men were off to hunt the other cat down, but ran to save Shannon. Another round smacked into a tree near his rump. Damn! They weren’t some of his kind. They had to be cougar hunters. Not cougar shifters!
He was liable to lead them straight to Shannon, but he couldn’t help it. She was fighting for her life up in the rocks. He couldn’t deviate from taking the most direct path to her. The only good thing was he didn’t hear a second cougar fighting her. Just the one, which could mean he was waiting in the wings.
As soon as Chase saw the rocks up ahead, he suddenly felt an eerie bit of déjà vu. Except this time he wasn’t climbing the rocks as a human, Shannon was fighting a cougar, and hunters were hot on his tail. As soon as he began his ascent, he would be exposed to the woods until he could get far enough back on the ledge and out of the hunters’ sights. The good thing was that they would have to catch up to him, and he was running far too fast for them. Still, their boots tromped through the brush some distance back, and he wanted to turn his anger on them. But his focus had to remain straight ahead.
Once Dan arrived with reinforcements, he could stop the men from hunting the cougars even if they had the license to do so. He’d come up with a damn good reason why they suddenly couldn’t hunt in the area. Dan just had to get there in time.
What if a bunch of shifters in their cougar forms arrived to help Chase and Shannon? The hunters would be assured that there were plenty enough of them to kill. And then? All it would take would be for one cougar to die and turn into a human in front of the hunters.
Chase finally reached the rocks. He leapt onto one ledge, and then the next, getting closer to the growls and snarls of the two cats, Shannon’s and another’s. Before he could reach the cave ledge, he growled to let her know he was coming to her rescue and to warn the cougar fighting her that he had more of an opponent to battle, hoping Chase would garner all his attention. To Chase’s horror, Shannon, bloodied and injured, jumped off the cave ledge above him.
No ledge jutted out below her in that direction to afford her a safe way down. Only a seventy-five foot drop to the waterfall pool below existed. She plummeted to the water, her legs stiff, as if she was about to land on the ground. She plunged into the deep, cold water nearly giving him heart failure.
Desperately, he wanted to see her swim to the surface, but the cat she’d been fighting jumped onto the ledge where Chase stood. The cougar appeared to be about his age, as well muscled, but bleeding on his shoulder and leg. His mouth sported blood. Sickened to think the blood was Shannon’s, Chase tore into him. Chase had to end this quickly before the hunters saw two cougars fighting and shot them both. He had to get to Shannon. What if she had drowned? Or had injured herself badly? He couldn’t think of that now, not with the cat in front of him trying to rip out his throat.
A gunshot sounded and the round pinged off a rock to Chase’s right. Hell. Chase leapt onto the rock above him where he could fight the other cat nearer the cave and the hunters couldn’t see them.
For a moment, Chase didn’t think the cat was going to follow him. Had he decided to leave before he got shot, or had to face a male cat instead of a weaker female? Bastard.
Without warning, the cat jumped onto the ledge. Before the cougar could get the first bite in, Chase pounced and took the advantage.
***
Forever Shannon swam toward the surface of the waterfall’s pool of water this time. She had been wrong about how deep it was. Thank God. The water was much deeper than ten feet, and she hadn’t killed herself as she feared she might. She couldn’t have fought Roger any further. When she heard Chase’s growl, she did the only thing she could do—she jumped—a last desperate chance to save herself.
Men were coming, their boots running through the brush as they searched for the cat that had jumped from such a height and landed in the pool. Was it Dan or his men? She couldn’t take the risk that it was if it was not. She had to do what her kind should never do. Not wet and in this cold weather. Not when the last the men had to have seen of her, she had been a golden cougar. If they found her, which was inevitable, and they were hunters, they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot and kill her. Their boots crunched through the fallen leaves, and if they were hunters, they’d be excited with the chase and the promise of a kill. Even if she was half dead already. Some mighty hunters that would make of them.
She was spent, wounded, bleeding, and struggling to paddle to the rocky beach. She intended to hide under the shelter of the rocks where she had taken the boy who had fallen in the pool so long ago to save his life.
She dragged herself out of the water and limped to the rocky overhang. She shifted out of sight, right before the first of the men scrambled down the rocks to reach her. Her leg and side burned as if they were on fire.
She was bleeding and freezing all at once, shivering, and not believing she could hurt any worse than she did this minute. The water-pummeled rocks serving as her bed were smooth at least, but cold and hard beneath her naked body as she collapsed on top of them and shivered uncontrollably.
Way up above in the rocks, Chase and Roger’s angry growls persisted, and she prayed Chase came out the victor. If she could have, she would have helped him. But she couldn’t have done a thing and it was better for Chase for her to get out of his way.
She heard the first of the men land on the rocks nearby. She glanced at him briefly. His bearded jaw was slack, his rifle in his hands, blue eyes wide, and he was wearing camouflaged hunter’s gear. He was a hunter, not a shifter. He had fully intended to shoot and kill a wounded cougar.
For a second, he stared at her naked, bruised, and bloodied human body as if his mind was still trying to recall what he had last seen—a wounded, bloodied, golden cougar.
“Holy shit,” the hunter finally said.
That’s just the way she was feeling right before her world vanished in a sea of black.
Chapter 13
The hunters shouted to each other down below, warning each other about the badly wounded woman. Chase knew then that Shannon had made it out of the pool, but she wasn’t out of danger. She must have shifted before the men saw her do it. It was the only thing she could have done under the circumstances. She would be naked, freezing, and badly injured.
“She’s alive. I’ll give her my coat. Someone else have something to bind her wounds?”
“Yeah, wait. I’ll give you my flannel shirt.”
Chase was glad the men were taking care of her.
The cougar that Chase was fighting heard the conversation, too, and paused to listen to hear what else was being said. Chase lunged at him in what he hoped was the last time he’d have to in an attempt to kill the cougar. Both of them were wearing out. He wondered briefly what had happened to the other men who had been with this one.
For now, he concentrated on killing this cougar. Chase attacked and bit into his neck, sinking his teeth deep. The cougar struggled to get free, but Chase held on, determined to make this the final killing blow.
The cougar finally collapsed on the rocky ledge, his heartbeat slowing, and then it was gone. Chase released him.
Desperate to get to Shannon, Chase couldn’t go to her as a cougar. And he sure as hell couldn’t reach her as a naked man. Loose rocks below him fell as someone climbed up the face of the rock headed in his direction. Hell, the hunters couldn’t be foolhardy enough to climb up there and try to shoot him. If Chase had been a real cougar, he could kill the hunter before he had a chance to ready his rifle. He glanced down at the dead man. This looked really bad though. A bloodied, naked, dead man lying at Chase’s cougar paws. Really bad.
Chase didn’t have any choice, either. He shifted. He was nearly as bloody as the dead man, shivering, and pissed off that he couldn’t go to Shannon.
The climber’s head crested the rock ledge, and C
hase saw that it was Dan. Relief washed over him in waves.
“Hell, Chase, what did you go and shift for? It’s too damn cold for that.” Dan continued to climb up the rock face.
“What about Shannon?” He couldn’t talk as a cougar and he had to know about Shannon.
“Where in the hell is she?” Dan asked.
“The same place she was when she protected the boy—down on the rocky beach next to the waterfall pool.” Hell, he’d thought Dan was already on it.
Breathing hard, Dan reached the ledge. “Hell, I didn’t think I’d ever have to come this way again. Not as a human. Shift. I’ll watch your back with the hunters.”
“What about the other men that were after Shannon?”
“We’ve got men and cougars after them. We’ll catch them before long.”
“They’re wearing hunter’s spray.”
“Hell, I know, but they’re tracking other signs they’ve been running through the brush. We need one of them alive so he can take the word back to their police station to let them know that this was the man who killed his brother.”
“Hennessey? This is the one?”
“Yeah. Now shift before you catch pneumonia.”
“Shannon…”
“I’m on it.” Dan had already yanked his phone out of his pouch and had punched in a number, waiting for a response. “Rick, you know where Shannon saved the boy at the falls? She’s at the same beach, same area she was in when she protected him.”
“She’s badly wounded and in her human form,” Chase said.
“Did you hear that? Get the word out to everyone, whoever can reach her quickest needs to get there ASAP.”
“Hunters are with her,” Chase warned.
“No cougars. Hunters are on the scene,” Dan added.
Despite having a million more questions to ask, like how the hell they were getting Hennessey down from here, Chase was too cold to do anything else but shift.
Then he paced as a cougar, tail whipping back and forth in agitation.
“Yeah, she’s where she rescued the boy,” Dan said to Rick. “Naked. I’ve got Hennessey and he’s dead. Chase is beat up a bit, but he’s going to live. I want the others caught and taken alive if possible. We’ve got to get Hennessey down from here. All right. Out here.” Dan glanced at Chase. “We’ll get her and take care of her. We’ll ensure she never has to run again. If you want her and she wants you, the whole town is ready to celebrate.”
Hell yeah, he wanted her. And if he had any say in it at all, she was staying with him for the long run.
Dan’s phone rang and he frowned. “Okay. Good show. Bring up the gear and we can get down from here.” He ended the call. “Some of our men have reached her. One of the hunters had already wrapped her in his parka. She’ll live. They’re carrying her back to the lake where the closest vehicle is. They’ve told the men to clear out of the area as this is a police matter.”
Chase wondered how the hunters would take that. Cougar nearly kills woman and suddenly the police don’t want anyone involved in hunting down the cat?
“A couple of our guys are going to give them a ride to their vehicle and they can drive about ten miles from here and hunt to their heart’s content. Our men will let us know when the hunters are far enough away so that you can join Shannon.”
All of this was taking too long. Someone else began climbing up to the cave and Chase was ready to shift and take Dan’s parka. No, two more people. Dan peered over the edge. “Hey, Hal, Jacob, glad you made it okay.” Then Dan got a call. “Yeah? Okay, I’ll tell him.” Dan said to Chase, “The hunters are out of here.”
Chase didn’t pause to consider the news. He leapt to the ledge below this one, and kept going until he reached the slope. From there he tore off, leaping and running for the cover of the woods. Once he reached the relative safety of the forest, he raced through the underbrush, his heart thumping hard, his pace frantic.
He wanted to be with her for the ride to the clinic. Not once had Dan said how bad off she was. She needed Chase at her side. To know how much he cared about her. Moving too fast, he wasn’t his usual wary self and watching his surroundings while running as a cougar. A branch broke beneath someone’s footfall. Chase dove beyond a tree. The rifle blast sounded and the round hit him in the flank. Sharp pain stabbed him. He stumbled. Snarled. Damn it to hell.
He got back to his feet and kept on running. He prayed the hunter couldn’t reach him in time before Chase made it to his place. His side burned and ached. He was in the most god-awful pain, but he had to reach the cabin before the hunter could get him in his sights for a second time. Chase stumbled again, cursing himself. He just had to reach the safety of his place. Another hundred or so yards. Just a little farther.
Blood coated his flank, the pain excruciating, and he felt lightheaded. The woodpile came into view and it would provide a little shelter for a minute while he caught his breath and made his next move. The hunter crunched through the woods, running after him.
Just a little farther. Another shot pinged off a tree. Damn it.
Chase skidded through the fallen leaves and dashed around the wood pile. Panting he stared at the back of his cabin. He had to get into his house, shift, and apply pressure to his bloody wound. And he had get word of his injury to Dan. Eyeing the bedroom window, he judged if he could make it. But the hunter might see him leap inside and could even shoot him as Chase made the jump. If Chase managed to get inside, the hunter would come in after him, feeling it was his duty to finish off the wounded wild cat.
Running around the house to the front door would expose Chase briefly, too. But he believed he could get inside before the man saw him enter the cabin. Chase had to risk it.
He crouched at an angle, then sprang forty-five feet, a record for himself, and landed at the corner of his cabin. Close to being out of sight, but not all the way. The man fired another shot, but Chase tore around to the front as a round struck one of the ends of the logs of his house, splintering it with a crack. Chase was ready to arrest the hunter for trespassing, shooting at his house, endangering him… and whatever else he could charge him with.
Briefly, Chase thought of jumping through the broken window in his living room, but as much as he was hurting, he was afraid he might skim a jagged piece of glass and injure himself further. He stumbled to the front door, saw that it was wide open and remembered he’d left it that way when he was in such a rush and had searched for Shannon and the men after her. Without any time to waste, he shifted, sank to his knees as a jolt of pain ran all the way from the bullet wound in his side to this brain. He fought the dizziness washing over him, not wanting the hunter to see him naked and bleeding like this. He managed to push the door shut.
Despite the broken window, the curtains still hid the living room from the hunter’s view.
Trying to block the pain, Chase forced himself to his feet and locked the door. Then he stumbled like a drunk into the kitchen to get a towel. Pressing a towel featuring a bottle of wine against his wound, he fought the blackness that continued to battle for control. Phone. He had to call Dan. No one would know of his condition if he didn’t reach Dan. He tried to remember where he’d last used the phone.
Where…
Crap! He’d dropped his police-issued phone outside with his clothes when he’d shifted and taken off after Shannon. He’d never be able to reach it.
Shannon had been on his other cell phone though. Where had she left it? In the bedroom? Where she’d shifted? The phone had to be in there. Holding the towel tight against the wound, attempting to stop the blood flow, he made his way down the hall to the bedroom, trying to remain conscious, keeping his body against the wall, which was helping him to stay on his feet.
Every step, as quickly as he tried to make them, brought another wave of dizziness and nausea and pain, slowing him down. When he reached the bedroom, he recalled too late that she’d locked the door. He needed a nail, thought of the spare hardware he kept in a kitchen drawer
, but didn’t think he could make it. He glanced at one of the pictures hanging on the wall. He made it to the closest one and yanked it off and dropped it on the floor, the glass breaking in the frame. He grabbed the nail that had held the picture up, yanked a couple of times, glad for once for hollow board walls, and pulled it loose. Returning to the door, he felt his strength ebbing. He poked around at the doorknob hole until he felt the lock click open, heard the pop, and quickly twisted the knob. Throwing the door open, he stared at Shannon’s clothes, but no sign of the phone. Thinking the pocket of her jeans was bulging a bit, he stumbled across the floor as fast as he could and leaned over to dig out the phone, if that’s what it was.
His vision turned dark and he fell to the floor. In pain and barely able to keep his wits about him, he managed to pull the phone out of her pocket, hit Dan’s number, and said, “I’ve been shot. Home.”
Then without his damned permission, he fought surrendering to the darkness and lost.
***
Dan shouted into the phone, “Chase! Damn it, Chase, talk to me!”
“What’s going on,” Hal asked as they managed to carry Hennessey’s body down the cliffs and to the base.
“Chase was shot. He’s home. You guys get this piece of shit to the morgue. I’ve got to get to Chase.”
Dan ran through the woods as fast as he could. After as many harrowing missions as he and Chase had been on while abroad in the army and at home, and with his woman—because Dan couldn’t see Shannon as anything but—going into surgery soon, they couldn’t afford to lose Chase now.
“Chase, answer me, buddy!” Dan’s heart couldn’t have beat any faster as he raced through the forest to reach his friend’s place.
It seemed to take forever to make it to the woodpile at the back of Chase’s cabin. Chase’s bedroom window was still open. Dan headed around the cottage to the front door, when a man wearing hunter’s camo gear came around the side of the house, rifle at his shoulder.