“So you murdered Dallas?”
“It wasn’t intentional. When Dallas went into his room, we didn’t expect him to come back out so soon. He caught a glimpse of Micah with his dog. He panicked and tried to run, but the dog attacked.”
“His handler couldn’t stop him?” I heard the anger in Kayla’s voice. I didn’t blame her. These guys thought anything was justified if it brought them closer to their goal of getting to us.
“Maybe we didn’t do everything we could to stop it. So sue us,” Mason said cruelly. “But in the end, Dallas was the enemy. He was willing to betray us. Good riddance, if you ask me.”
He got up and walked away. I disliked his confident swagger, his whole attitude that because we were Shifters, we were less than human. It was driving me nuts; I had to do something.
I searched the ground until I found a small rock. Picking it up, I aimed carefully and threw it toward Connor to get his attention. His head came up and I could see him searching the forest. I crept out just a little from my hiding place behind a bush. His eyes widened and I read his lips when he mouthed a word he’d never use in front of his mother.
Go…away! he mouthed next.
I shook my head vehemently and mouthed back to him, Be…ready.
He shook his head. I sent him an air kiss, trying to offer him some reassurance that everything was going to be okay.
A hand came to rest lightly on my shoulder. I almost screeched, before I realized it was Rafe. He nodded his head to the side. Hunched over, I followed him away from the camp until we reached a place where we intended to bed down for the night.
“I hate leaving them there,” I told him.
“I know, but if you ever expose yourself like that again, I’m going to leave you behind. Do you know the risk you were taking?”
“I had no choice. I wanted to let them know that we were here, and that they need to be ready.”
I could tell that he wasn’t happy, but I also knew he couldn’t argue my point.
In silence we ate some dry cereal that tasted like cardboard, although quite honestly I was so tense and worried that I didn’t think I’d be able to appreciate even the tenderest steak.
“When this is over, I want to go to a fancy restaurant and eat the best meal of all time,” I said.
“It’s a date.”
My heart did a little stutter, and my cheeks warmed. “Rafe—”
“I know we’re not making any future plans, but you opened the door on that one. Besides, what would dinner hurt?”
It seemed ages ago that Connor and I had argued about Rafe, that Connor had suggested I go out with him. I nodded, pushing back my guilt. “I won’t say no, but I won’t promise yes.”
“You know, I always thought it was supposed to be guys who had commitment problems,” he teased.
As much as I appreciated the lighthearted banter, I kept silent. It just felt wrong when our friends were prisoners.
“Why don’t you get some sleep?” he suggested.
“What about you?”
“We’re so close to them that I want to keep watch.” He leaned against a tree, and I stretched out on a sleeping bag beside him.
“Did you see the way Mason talks to them, the way he looks at them?”
“Like they’re animals that have no rights?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Do you think all Statics view us as less than human?”
“I hope not. If this continues on, I just don’t see how we can avoid the inevitable. We’re going to be outed.” He skimmed his fingers over my knuckles as though he needed some sort of contact. I knew I did, and I welcomed it.
“Do you have a plan for getting them away from Mason?” I asked.
“I’m working on it.”
I released a small laugh. “In other words, no.”
“We’ll figure something out, Lindsey. Don’t worry.”
Only I was worried. It was really hard to try to figure out my feelings for Rafe and Connor with all this other, more important stuff bearing down on me. Their safety had to come first, and I couldn’t be distracted by my emotions.
But they were there. They always seemed to be right there.
FIFTEEN
The following night, while I watched over Mason’s encampment from a hidden place further up a mountain, Rafe shifted and went exploring. I brought my knees up to my chest, wrapped my arms around my legs, and wondered if it wouldn’t be better to just try and rescue them now. Then we could all go searching for this stupid lab together.
The moon was way past its zenith when Rafe dropped down beside me. It always fascinated me how we could be as quiet in human form as in wolf form, as though stealth was inbred in us. I suppose it was, since part of us was predatory.
“I found it,” he declared, smiling brightly.
Twisting around, I stared at him. “The lab?”
“Yeah. As slowly as they travel, it’ll be another day or two before they reach it. I think it’s time for a jail break.”
I was almost giddy with the hope that this would all be over soon.
“You have a plan?” I asked.
“I think so. The problem is the dogs. I can shift, create a diversion, draw them—and hopefully some of the handlers—away. You can slip down, cut the ropes on Lucas, Kayla, and Connor. You and Connor can ride the bike out of here. I’ll move it into place before I shift, so you can get to it easily enough. Kayla and Lucas can shift and run like the wind as soon as they’re out of sight.”
It sounded simple enough. Maybe too simple. We could have done this a couple of nights ago—though of course now we knew exactly where the lab was.
Two guards were patrolling the camp. Each had a dog with him.
“Okay, you’re going to have to move quickly,” Rafe said. “The dogs, along with their guards, should take off after me, but the dogs will probably make enough noise to wake everyone up. Hopefully it’ll take them a while to get oriented.”
I gave him a thumbs-up.
He made a move away from me, toward some bushes where he would remove his clothes and shift. I grabbed his arm, stilling him. After everything that we’d been through, this moment seemed as though it should be bigger; after all, it was going to change everything, not only for us but for all Shifters. I held his brown gaze, a gaze that was at once warm and tender, but also determined and unafraid. It touched me deeply; it gave me courage.
“Be careful,” I whispered.
“Always. And remember, you save yourself first.”
I nodded, even though I wasn’t certain it was a promise I was prepared to keep. How could he expect me to put myself before my friends? I mean, what kind of friend would that make me? Besides, I wasn’t the one planning to serve myself up as bait for two Rottweilers with powerful jaws that could crush cement.
Rafe started to move away again, but his gaze dropped to my lips. “Ah, hell, I can only be so good.”
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. His lips were very much like his gaze: warm and tender, yet determined and oh-so-passionate. I couldn’t help but wonder if, like me, he was fearful that we might never have another opportunity for this, so he wanted to make the most of it. He cradled my face between his hands, tilting my head slightly upward and deepening the kiss, until my toes, my fingers, my entire body simply wanted to curl into itself and savor every aspect of this moment.
All too quickly it was over, and he was dashing into the brush before I could plead with him to come up with another plan. I touched my fingers to my tingling lips.
A couple of minutes later, I saw the moonlight glinting off his fur as he slipped away to the far side of the camp, where one of the guards and a dog were headed. The other guard was on his way back to my end of the camp, where the prisoners were secured.
Suddenly, at precisely the same time, both dogs stilled and lifted their heads. Their ears flattened, and I heard their ominous growls. I knew a Rottweiler could move fast. I could only hope that Rafe could move even more quickly. They’
d tear him up if they got their teeth into him.
All of a sudden both dogs took off running, barking, growling, pulling their handlers along with them. The guards finally released the leashes and just followed as best as they could. I darted out from my hiding place. Kayla saw me first, and her smile was so bright that it seemed as though she was simply welcoming me to a sleep-over.
“Jesus, Lindsey, are you insane?” Connor asked, bringing me back to reality.
Ignoring his ungrateful greeting—and knowing it was fear for me that prompted it—I was at the tree, sawing through the ropes that held Kayla before the guards were even beyond the camp.
“Hurry,” Lucas said, and I heard in his voice how anxious he was to get into the thick of the battle.
“I’m trying.”
As soon as I had Kayla free, I started on Lucas’s bindings.
A light came on in the tent.
“I got Connor,” Lucas said as soon as he was free. He took the knife from me. “Get out of here.”
“Connor, meet me at Rafe’s bike,” I ordered before rushing toward where it was stashed. I knew I would be the slowest of all of us.
Kayla took my hand and we started running, our very lives depending on our speed.
“Hey! They’re escaping!” I heard Mason shout. “Damn it! People! Get up, get after them!”
I didn’t know if the guys would shift and take care of them or just use their fists, I had to trust that whatever they decided, they would succeed. Although I was the most vulnerable, I had a strong urge to turn back around, face them, and fight.
“Can you drive the bike if Connor doesn’t get there?” Kayla asked, her breaths coming in short bursts.
“Yes, but I don’t want to take off unless I know everyone is safe. I don’t think we’ll get another chance at escape.”
“I can’t believe we got this one. You’re awesome.”
I heard the rapid pounding of footsteps. Glancing back, I saw that it was Connor and Lucas—so it seemed we Shifters weren’t always quiet, not when our lives were in danger and we had to get away fast.
“The bike’s over here,” I shouted and headed for some brush.
“I’ll take care of Lindsey,” Connor said, coming up beside me to grab the bike and straddle it.
“Kayla and I are out of here,” Lucas said, turning to go even as he spoke.
“Get on,” Connor ordered as he turned the bike on and revved the throttle.
I straddled the seat and wrapped my arms around him. “What about Mason—”
“Left him and his buddies knocked out.”
Knocked out. Not dead. I hoped that decision wouldn’t come back to haunt us—although killing someone brought its own haunting effect.
With a roar of the engine, we took off, slicing through the forest. Suddenly there was a low growl, and one of the Rottweilers seemed to come out of nowhere. It leaped up and bit into my thigh. I screamed. Connor quickly veered, knocking the dog against a tree.
“You okay?” he asked, never reducing speed.
“Yes.” But then I was aware of a distant explosion like gunfire. I felt a burning pain rip through my shoulder, and I clung more tightly to Connor.
I heard him curse and felt a sticky warmth seeping into my clothes.
“Hang on, Lindsey,” I heard him yell, although the words seemed to come to me through water or some sort of barrier. “Stay awake! Stay alert!”
How did he know that I wanted to go to sleep? Oh yeah, he can read my mind. No, he can’t. Rafe can.
“Stay with me, Lindsey!”
I wanted to. I really did. But my shoulder was on fire and my thigh ached. I wanted the agony to go away. Something seemed wrong about going to sleep, though—and then I realized that if I succumbed to the darkness hovering at the edge of my vision, I might tumble off the bike.
Yes, that’s it. That’s what would happen. I have to stay awake and hold on. If I let go of Connor, I’ll have to add aching head to my list of pains.
“Talk to me, Lindsey. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
“My shoulder hurts.”
“Mine, too. I think you were shot. The bullet went through.”
Oh, that makes sense, I thought in a vague sort of way. I was having difficulty holding onto my thoughts and analyzing the situation. But if I was shot, then that was the reason I could feel warmth turning cold on my back. But if the bullet went through me…
“Did the bullet hit you?” I asked, and was surprised to find that my words sounded somewhat slurred.
“Yes, but I can heal as soon as we stop.”
“When will that be? I really want to sleep.”
“I know, babe. Just hold on.”
He’d never called me babe before. Never used any endearment for me. That was so sweet of him to do it now. I wanted to tell him that I’d been worried about him, but it was so difficult to form words. My mouth didn’t want to work. I laid my head against his back. He was so comfortable.
“Lindsey?”
I heard him calling my name, but the darkness called more loudly, so I answered it.
“You were supposed to take care of her!”
“Well, if you’d kept the guards and their stupid dogs from turning back, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt!”
The yelling and accusations continued. As I slowly broke through the fog of unconsciousness, I recognized the voices: Rafe and Connor. They were both alive, thank God, and clearly feeling way more energetic than I was.
“Guys, stop it!” Kayla demanded. “Don’t make me go all Dog Whisperer on your butts!”
I realized I was lying on the ground and she was sitting beside me. We were in one of our smaller lairs. So we’d gotten away. We were all safe. Weren’t we?
“Lucas?” I rasped.
“You’re awake,” Kayla said, and squeezed my hand.
“Lucas?” I repeated.
“He’s outside keeping guard. He spread some stuff around so the dogs would lose our scent. We think we’re safe here. At least for a while. We need to get you home.”
“How are you feeling?” Connor asked as he knelt beside me.
I could see Rafe standing a little off to the side, his worried gaze on me. Having two guys who wanted you was probably every girl’s fantasy, but it came with so many complications—especially when you had to choose one. Soon.
“I’m hurt. Not too badly, though.” The pain wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d expected.
“We found a first-aid kit,” Connor explained. “Had some pain meds in it. Your thigh is lacerated from where the dog pulled a Cujo on you, and your shoulder has a hole in it where the bullet went in and traveled out. We were able to pack your wounds to stop the bleeding, but Kayla is right. We need to get you home. We were thinking of tying you behind me on the bike.”
I forced myself to grin. “That’s not a ride we ever went on at an amusement park.”
“No.” He brushed my hair off my brow. “We need to move quickly, before infection starts in.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I’m going to scar.” In a few more days, when I could shift, wounds would heal without scarring, but now—
“Maybe not. Or not too bad. And if you scar…well, I think scars are sexy.”
I laughed lightly. “You do not.”
“Sure, I do. Try to drink and eat a little. Then if you feel strong enough, we’ll go.”
I knew that even if I didn’t feel strong enough, we needed to go. Because I wasn’t going to get any better without medical attention.
Connor moved away. As much as I knew Rafe wanted to approach, he didn’t. It wasn’t his right. Until I made my decision, until I told Connor that I wasn’t choosing him, he was my guy.
They both went outside. Maybe to check on the bike or on Lucas. Maybe to continue fighting where I couldn’t hear them.
“They’re both pretty worried about you,” Kayla said as she twisted the top off a bottle of water before handing it to me.
I nodded, knowing she was try
ing to make a point: They were equal in their affections and concern for me. Maybe she was also acknowledging that she understood the difficulty of my decision.
“Only a few nights until the full moon,” she said quietly.
I groaned low. “I know.”
“If you’re still recovering, will your body delay its transformation?”
I slowly shook my head. “No such luck. The moon has some kind of mystic power over us. It’s stronger than anything we face on earth. When it calls, we have to answer.”
She handed me a peanut butter cracker. “You need protein,” she said distractedly, then, “That is so weird—about the moon, I mean. I’ve felt it. I’ve gone through the transformation and it’s like nothing I ever felt before. You can’t prepare for it, and maybe that’s the reason the guys don’t talk about it. I know I tried to explain it, but it’s as though for a short time your body isn’t yours, but it is yours. It’s foreign and yet it’s so familiar. All because of a full moon.”
“It’s just the way it is,” I said, using the bottled water to wash down the dry cracker. I guess it was easier for me to accept these things because I grew up with them.
“What if you choose the wrong guy?” she asked quietly.
“I don’t know. I’ve known Connor forever. I’ve only recently become aware of Rafe in that way. What if all this confusion and doubt is just because he’s forbidden to me? How did you know with Lucas?”
“I just knew. Not much help, huh?”
“None at all.”
Hearing footsteps, I glanced toward the entrance. Connor stood there. “Dawn’s coming. We need to get going while you have the strength.”