Coyote Gorgeous (15 page)

To help the process along,
Kaletaka laid his hands on both of Madison’s frail shoulders and
screwed his eyes shut, focusing on giving her all his life force.
Hot tears rolled down his cheeks.
"
Great Coyote, I implore you. Let this woman
live.
"

When he felt a slight movement under
his hands, Kaletaka opened his eyes. There, in the moonlight, lying
on the desert floor, Madison stared at him in alarm.

Kaletaka’s heart jumped in
his chest. Did he dare to hope the Great Coyote had done it?
Madison was conscious. His chest bubbled with joy as he realized
the gashes in her skin had mended. She was whole, breathing! Filled
with gratitude, he raised both arms toward the sky. His voice
trembled with fervor.
"
Thank
you, Great Coyote!
"

A howl answered in the distance. A
coyote.

"
Great
Coyote?
"
Madison sat up and
frowned.
"
Are you all
right?
"

He threw his arms around
her and held her tight. Salty tears ran down his cheeks. Realizing
how he must look, bloody from the fight, Kaletaka chuckled
nervously.
"
I’m okay. It’s
not my blood, mostly.
"

He loosened his hold to bask in the
look of her, alive.

Her face relaxed and she
smiled with relief.
"
What
happened? You killed the beast?
"

"
I had
help.
"
And what help! He
still shook from the experience.

Madison didn’t seem aware
of the miracle that brought her back to life, and Kaletaka kept
silent about it. There would be time later. He simply moved aside,
revealing to Madison the headless ranger.
"
Do you know who that
is?
"

Madison paled under the moon and
struggled to get up. Kaletaka helped her stand and gave her some
space, amazed at the wonder of seeing her alive. She approached the
dead ranger. When Madison faltered, Kal rushed to support her and
held her steady.

"
Who is
it?
"

Madison looked so pale and
shaky.
"
He is my boss. Was my
boyfriend once. His name is Jake.
"

Kaletaka sighed and shook
his head.
"
I’m so
sorry.
"

Madison turned toward the
body of Mrs. Esteban.
"
Is
this?
"

Kaletaka nodded.
"
Our
skinwalker.
"

At that moment, a flash of lightning
rooted itself into the dead body of Mrs. Esteban. Kaletaka grabbed
Madison and jumped back. Within seconds, the lightning charred the
body into a black, unrecognizable mess that looked like a large
dead animal. The acrid smell of singed flesh filled the
air.

A refreshing breeze swept away the
stench, then peace fell on the desert night. The birds and insects
chirped again, as if nothing had happened.

A whimper nearby brought
Kaletaka down from his euphoria. He’d almost forgotten.
"
Felix!
"

Madison ran to the
bobcat’s side.
"
I’ll call
emergency animal rescue.
"

Kaletaka nodded. Without the Great
Coyote, he couldn’t heal anyone, not even Felix. But Madison would
know what to do.

She pulled her cell phone
from her belt and punched a number.
"
I have a severely wounded bobcat.
About forty pounds.
"
After
giving directions, she dialed another number.
"
Officer
down
...
"

*****

In the cacophony of sirens and the
flashing of red and blue emergency lights from Animal Rescue,
Rangers, and the Coroner’s vehicles, officers and medics carried
the bodies down the hillside.

Madison huddled against
Kal.
"
I thought I was dead,
but I’m not even hurt. How did that
happen?
"

Kal winked, brought her
close and nuzzled her ear.
"
It’s a miracle.
"

Now safe in his arms,
Madison had to believe him and followed a hunch.
"
Did
you
bring me
back?
"

He grinned.

"
How?
"

"
I told you I
had help.
"
Kal kissed her
temple as they watched Animal Rescue carry the drugged bobcat into
an air-conditioned compartment of their white truck.

The driver locked the door
and turned to Kal.
"
That’s a
tough cat. He lost a lot of blood, but he should be fine. We’ll
keep you posted.
"

Madison watched the white
truck as it drove away.
"
When
I thought I would die
...
"
She had to clear her voice.
"
My only regret was leaving you
behind.
"

"
And when I
saw you dying, I couldn’t stand the thought.
"
Kal gazed into her eyes and rubbed her back
gently.

Madison looked up at his
grave face.
"
I want to be
with you. We make a good team.
"

"
Then be my
partner for life, and help me slay monsters with that lethal rifle
of yours.
"
He had a small
nervous laugh, and the regular planes of his face tensed slightly
around the eyes. Still not comfortable with guns.

Madison choked, too overwhelmed to
utter a word.

"
Come
on.
"
He caressed her hand but
never broke eye contact.
"
You
are good at hunting monsters.
"
He chuckled.
"
And at
other things, too.
"

She shivered at the idea
of another monster in their future, but his caress reminded Madison
of their incredible night together. He really wanted her to say
yes. A slow smile she couldn’t suppress curled her lips.
"
Well, I guess, if I’m so good at
it
...
"

"
Is that a
yes?
"
His eyes sparkled with
contained exhilaration.

"
Yes,
"
Madison whispered
in a soft breath.
"
As crazy
as it sounds, I love you, and I want to share your life, with or
without monsters.
"

She leaned in for a kiss and closed
her eyes to taste the sweetness of his lips. He took her by the
waist and drew her into his arms. Madison never felt so safe, so
valued, so needed. Yes, she wanted this wonderfully refined man,
this magnificent coyote, this talented artist, this monster slayer,
this demigod who had brought her back from the brink of death. And
she never wanted his kiss to end.

The end

O
ther available works by
Vijaya Schartz

Romantic Suspense novella:

A Desperado for Christmas

Paranormal Romantic novel:

Ashes for the Elephant God

Romantic Science Fiction stories:

Borealis: Black Dragon - Novella

Alien Lockdown - Novel

Snatched - Novel

Romantic Science Fiction series (full length
novels):

ANCIENT ENEMY SERIES

Book One - Anaz-voohri

Book Two - Relics

Book Three - Kicking Bots

CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK SERIES

Book One - White Tiger

Book Two - Red Leopard

Book Three - Black Jaguar

Book Four - Blue Lioness

Prequel - Noah's Ark

Science Fiction Fantasy:

ARCHANGEL SERIES

Crusader - Book One

Checkmate - Book Two