Cammy didn’t mind the question. She’d never met another Pantera who had her unique gift, so it was understandable that someone who was working with her would want to know what to expect.
She far preferred that they just ask than to speculate behind her back.
“When I touch an object that’s emotionally connected to a person, I can sense where they are,” she said.
He returned his gaze to the road. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“Is it magic?”
Cammy shrugged. During her childhood there had been a rigorous effort to figure out where her gift came from. Now she refused any more testing. It didn’t matter where it came from, just that it worked when she needed it.
“No one really knows. I’ve been tested by the Healers, and even the elders, but no one has figured out the how or why,” she said.
He accepted the lack of explanation with a nod. “How close do you have to be to the person you’re searching for?”
“The farther they are away, the less accuracy I have,” she admitted. “I can tell the general direction, like a compass, but no specific address. As I get nearer I can start to pinpoint an exact location.”
He picked up speed as the road widened. “How did you discover your talent?”
Her lips twitched at the memory. “I was in nursery school when one of my friends went missing. We were sent to our homes so the pack could gather together and start a search. I grabbed the missing cub’s favorite ball so I could give it to him when he was found.” She gave a low chuckle. While the pack had been in a frantic search, she’d merrily led her mother straight to the caves that were a favorite playground for the young cubs. “As soon as I touched it I knew he was hiding in one of the caves to play a trick on our teacher.”
The air was abruptly scented with the musk of Ice’s cat. Cammy’s nose twitched. She could smell his sudden surge of anger.
“Let me guess—the cub was Rage,” he snarled.
Cammy frowned, studying the stark lines of his profile. “Why does Rage bother you?”
“He doesn’t,” he growled. Then, with a visible effort, he eased his clenched muscles. “Not anymore.”
Cammy blinked. “What’s that mean?”
“Exactly what I said.” He lifted one shoulder. “I no longer need to concern myself with Rage.”
Cammy shook her head. Ice had never truly fit in with her and her friends.
When he’d decided to remain in the Wildlands rather than continue to travel with his parents, he’d instantly been elevated to the upper ranks of the Hunters. Not surprising with his skills, but it hadn’t sat well with all the younger males. And his lack of interest in trying to become a part of their group had only deepened the resentment.
“Always so cryptic,” she muttered.
He shrugged. “I’ve never seen the point in using a hundred words when I can use ten.”
“Yeah, right,” she muttered. “You just like playing the role of the mystical, always-aloof Ice.”
There was an unexpected silence, and Cammy realized she’d struck a nerve. It was obvious in the tight line of his jaw and his white-knuckled clench on the steering wheel.
“I wasn’t raised in the Wildlands,” he said in low tones. “I didn’t develop the same bond with our packmates that you find so easy.”
Regret flared through her. Ice had always been so…reserved, she’d never considered the fact that he might not be comfortable in their company. Now she was forced to accept that she hadn’t been fair. She’d blamed her own unease in his presence on him.
“It must have been lonely,” she murmured.
He shot her a startled glance, clearly unprepared for her attempt to offer an olive branch.
“At times,” he admitted. “But I had schooling from top scholars around the world and the ability to develop a variety of fighting skills. And, of course, we returned to the Wildlands every few months to release our cats.”
A part of her envied his travels. Her own parents rarely left the Wildlands, considering humans as dangerous beasts who should be avoided at all costs. Which meant that Cammy had a very limited opportunity to discover the world.
“Why didn’t you join us when you decided to return home?” she demanded.
He returned his gaze to the road. Was there something he was hiding from her?
“I was more advanced,” he said. “It made more sense to spend my time with the mature Pantera.”
She rolled her eyes. Okay. She wasn’t entirely to blame for their awkward relationship.
“Arrogant ass,” she muttered.
His lips twitched. “Possibly.”
“Definitely.”
Ice was smart enough not to argue. He was an arrogant ass. Although Cammy was beginning to suspect it wasn’t so much conceit as it was sheer confidence, combined with an introverted nature.
They drove several miles before Ice abruptly broke the silence.
“I’ve explained my occasional discomfort in being a part of the gang,” he said.
Cammy arched a brow. “Gang?”
He ignored her taunting. “Now it’s your turn. Why do you go to such efforts to avoid me?”
“I don’t—” She bit off her instinctive denial as he shot her a narrow-eyed glare. Could he read her mind? “Okay. I might avoid you.”
“Why?”
She hunched her shoulders. “I see how you look at me.”
He jerked, as if she’d struck him. “How do I look at you?”
She glared at him. Did he think she was stupid? Not even a blind female could have been unaware of his lingering gaze.
“Like I’m a bug who just crawled from beneath a rock,” she snapped.
The Jeep abruptly slowed as he took his foot off the gas pedal, gazing at her in pure disbelief. “That’s what you think?”
She gave a slow nod, caught off guard when he tilted back his head to laugh with shocking amusement.
Cammy scowled, angered by his reaction even as her heart missed a beat. Heavens. He was always gorgeous. But when he laughed his features lost their stark edges and his eyes became a luminous blue.
“I don’t know what’s so funny,” she muttered.
His gaze swept over her flushed face, lingering on the soft curve of her lips before he returned his attention to the road. “Trust me. I’ve never once thought of you as a bug.”
Feeling oddly vulnerable, Cammy glanced toward the twinkle of lights that indicated a town not far ahead.
“I doubt you’ve ever thought about me at all,” she said.
“Which just proves how little you know me.”
Cammy pressed her lips together. She didn’t understand this male. Rage had been charming and open and utterly uncomplicated.
But Ice…
He was like an intricate puzzle that fascinated her at the same time as he completely frustrated her.
Giving a shake of her head, Cammy concentrated on the tiny tug that warned her they needed to make a turn.
“We need to veer to the east,” she said.
“Damn,” Ice muttered.
“What’s wrong?”
“They must be headed for the interstate,” he said, his tone threaded with resignation. “I was hoping they would stop at a nearby house.”
Cammy grimaced. “Since when have our enemies ever made anything easy?”
“True.”
Settling back in his seat, Ice took the exit that would lead them to the interstate as the dawn crested the horizon to paint the sky with gentle shades of pink.
***
Karen woke from her deep sleep to discover she was currently locked in a cage with heavy steel bars.
Gasping in shock, she rolled to the side, tumbling off the narrow cot she was lying on, directly onto a hard cement floor. She groaned as the impact sent a bolt of pain through her aching head. What the heck? Lying on her side, she took in the long room that was brightly lit from the fluorescent lights in the ceiling. There were in
dustrial cabinets lining one wall and stainless steel walk-in refrigerators that lined another. In the center of the room was a gurney that was surrounded by rolling trays that were usually found in hospitals.
This was a laboratory. And she was locked in a cage.
Just like the one she’d been trapped in for over twelve years.
Her stomach cramped, fear momentarily paralyzing her. Then, with a fierce effort, she called on the courage that had allowed her to survive.
No. Oh no. Not again.
She’d been a victim once, but she’d be damned if she was ever going to be a victim again.
Gritting her teeth, Karen managed to force herself to her hands and knees, crawling toward the door of her cramped prison. She’d just managed to wrap her hands around the bars when she heard the unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps.
“Hello?” she called out. “Is anyone there?”
“Good,” a low male voice spoke from the shadows of a door on the far side of the lab. “You’re awake.”
She froze. There was something familiar about that voice. It scratched at the edge of her mind.
Was it one of her previous abusers?
“Who’s there?”
There was a small pause. “It’s not the time for introductions,” the mystery man at last drawled. “Not yet.”
“At least step into the light so I can see you.”
“I don’t think so.”
Karen frowned. Why would he hide?
“Can you at least tell me where I am?”
“Someplace where you’ll be safe.”
“Is that a joke?” Karen’s fingers tightened on the bars, giving the door a shake. Not surprisingly it wouldn’t budge. “I’m locked in a cage like an animal. That doesn’t feel safe to me.”
“A necessary precaution,” the stranger murmured, almost as if he was trying to soothe her.
Karen blinked back tears. She’d been working in her office in the Pantera Wildlands when she’d heard the explosion, swiftly followed by the sound of her window being busted in. She’d had less than a split second to catch sight of an intruder dressed in black entering the room before she felt a fist connecting with her mouth, swiftly followed by another punch to her temple.
After that everything had gone dark.
“I don’t understand,” she breathed. “Why was I taken?”
The man clicked his tongue. As if he was growing impatient with her questions. “I told you. To keep you safe.”
Karen refused to be silent. She was desperate to know what’d happened. “What about the others?”
“What others?”
“My friends. My—” She bit off her words. She didn’t know why she’d been taken, which meant she didn’t know whether or not to share the information that she had three biological sons. Two had already been stolen from her. The last thing she wanted was to make the only child she’d managed to save a target. But then again, if they’d known exactly where to find her, it was doubtful they didn’t know about Caleb. “My son,” she finished.
There was an unmistakable sound of disgust. “Their fates aren’t my concern.”
She tilted her chin to a defiant angle. “They are mine.”
“In time you’ll forget them,” the unknown man drawled.
Her breath hissed through her teeth. The man was out of his mind if he thought she would ever forget her friends, let alone her sons.
“No,” she hissed, her eyes narrowed. “Never.”
A creepy laugh echoed through the lab. “You will. I know you better than you know yourself.” There was a long pause before he at last whispered her name. “Karen.”
Karen shuddered. God almighty.
This was different from the first time she’d been kidnapped.
Then, it’d been clinical. Brutally detached. She was a brood mare who was there to produce hybrid Pantera babies.
Now it felt oddly intimate. As if her capturer believed he actually knew her.
Which was more disturbing than being treated as a brood mare.
She might, however, be able to use his weird behavior to her advantage.
“Please, let me go,” she pleaded in soft tones.
“Relax,” he murmured. “I’ll have dinner sent to you. I think you’ll appreciate my chef. He once worked at a five-star hotel. Now he’s pleased to serve me.” His low chuckle sent a chill down her spine. “Just as you will.”
She heard a shuffle, as if the stranger was turning to leave. Panic thundered through her. “Wait.”
“I’ll return when you’ve grown more accustomed to your new home,” he promised.
The sound of retreating footsteps warned her that the brief encounter was at an end. She was alone.
Again.
With a low cry of despair, Karen leaned her head against the cold bars of her cell. “No.”
CHAPTER 3
Ice exited the interstate, pulling to a halt in a rest area and putting the car into park.
For the past half hour Cammy had grown progressively more withdrawn, her brow creased with concern. Clearly there was something on her mind.
Turning in his seat, he studied her tense features. “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”
She glanced out the window, her gaze sweeping over the pine trees that were bathed in gold in the early morning sunlight.
“I can sense Karen, but she feels very distant,” she said. “More distant than she should be.”
Ice frowned, not certain what she was trying to tell him. “We’re not gaining on them?”
“No.” She gave a decisive shake of her head. “I thought at first it was just because they had a head start on us. But…”
Her words trailed away, as if she was lost in her thoughts.
“Cammy?” he at last prompted.
“She’s too far away for them to have driven,” she at last said.
He considered a long moment, debating the various reasons that would explain Cammy’s sense of distance.
It was possible that Karen had left the Wildlands before the explosion. No—Indy had indicated that Karen had been seen in the clinic not long before all hell had broken loose.
Which meant there was only one reasonable explanation.
“You think they flew?”
She gave a slow nod. “It would explain why we aren’t gaining on them.”
Ice parted his lips, only to snap them shut as he was struck by a sudden memory.
Putting the Jeep in gear, he was heading out of the rest area, taking the narrow access road rather than returning to the interstate.
“Hold on,” he muttered as they jolted over the decaying pavement.
Cammy sent him a confused glance. “Where are we going?”
“The bastards who held Keira prisoner left the area using a private airfield not far from here,” he said, referring to Parish’s sister who’d been held prisoner by the humans. “I think we should check to see if we can find someone to question.”
Cammy nodded her approval at his suggestion, sending a surge of warmth through Ice. He’d tried to deny his need for this female’s respect, but it’d always been there, lurking just below the surface.
Doubling back, Ice took the rarely used roads that would lead to the airfield they’d discovered after Keira had been rescued. At the time, he and the other Hunters had been chasing the disciples who worshipped an evil goddess, Shakpi. Recently, however, they’d been searching for a direct connection to Benson Enterprises.
Less than ten minutes later he had the Jeep parked in a small copse of trees just off the road. It was the perfect location to study the large metal hangar with a bi-fold door that was built in the middle of the empty field. In front of the hangar was a cement pad that led to a grassy area that had been precisely trimmed to create a runway.
A quick glance assured them they were out of view, and rolling down the window he sniffed the air, able to sense there was only one human inside the hangar.
Perfect.
Ca
mmy had her own window rolled down, breathing deeply of the morning air. “Karen was here.”
“Yeah. I’m going to talk with the man inside.” Ice reached into the backseat and grabbed a gray hoodie before he was sliding out of the Jeep. He waited for Cammy to join him as he pulled on the sweatshirt. “Stay here and keep watch,” he commanded. “I prefer not to be interrupted.”
She held up the handgun she’d obviously pulled out of her backpack. “No problem.”
He resisted the urge to lean down and brush his mouth over the temptation of her lips. If he started kissing her, he was fairly certain he wasn’t going to be able to stop.
Plus…she was holding a loaded gun.
Never a good combination when he wasn’t sure if she wanted to be kissed.
Turning, he jogged toward the metal building, pulling up his hood to hide his face from any security cameras. He reached the side entrance and turned the knob. Locked. Tightening his grip, he slammed his shoulder against the metal door. It popped open and Ice stepped inside, swiftly searching the open space for the human.
There was the echo of footsteps coming from the back of the hangar, where a small prop plane was parked. Rounding the wing of the aircraft, a short, thickly muscled human with a buzzed haircut headed straight for Ice. His square face was flushed with anger as he barreled forward, clearly itching for a fight.
“Hey idiot, can’t you read?” he barked. “This is private property.”
Ice folded his arms over his chest. If his prey wanted to come to him, that was fine. It saved him the trouble of having to chase him.
“I’m looking for some friends of mine who used this airfield,” he said. “I need to know when they left and where they went.”
Unaware he was walking straight into a trap, the man continued forward. “Fuck off.”
“That’s not very nice.”
Just steps away from Ice, the man reached for the gun that he had hidden beneath his leather jacket.
“Get out of here before I blow your brains—”
Ice’s arm shot out as he wrapped his fingers around the man’s thick neck. Then, with a brutal strength, he was lifting the stranger off his feet.
“Clearly your mother didn’t teach you any manners,” he murmured in smooth tones.