Harlequin Nocturne March 2014 Bundle: Shadowmaster\Running with Wolves (32 page)

The next thing she knew, he was bursting out the diner's door, running toward them. They kicked into high gear, running faster than Shay ever thought she could and still the man reached the truck before they did.

“What is he, a track star?” she cried as Jason sprang into action, running at the man, bracing his hands on the hood of the truck and swinging both legs around and planting them square in the man's middle.

The man buckled over with a loud whoosh.

“Get in the truck,” Jason yelled.

Shay ran past him and jerked on the door. It was locked.

“Dammit!” She fumbled in her jacket for the keys. Found them and pulled them out. She quickly hit the unlock button and pulled open the door then tried to climb up into the cab, but Buddy was moving back and forth across the front seats, barking ferociously.

“Move over, Buddy!” She pushed him back then slammed the door shut as he tried to plow across her lap. The other three men, seeing what was happening, were running toward them.

“Hurry Jason!”

Jason punched his assailant once more, sending the man soaring, then turned, rushing toward her, but before he could reach the driver's door, another man, a giant red-haired beast, grabbed him by the arm, swung him around and punched him straight in the face.

Jason hit the ground. Hard. The giant turned toward her, his hard green eyes narrowing as he spotted her in the truck. Quickly, she hit the lock button, locking all the doors.

He pulled on the handle anyway, jerking it up and down.

Another man appeared at the passenger's door, rattling it as he, too, tried to get in. Buddy was going nuts, barking and jumping at the window. And then the third and fourth men appeared.

She was surrounded.

“Jason!” she screamed, but she couldn't see him. Where was he?

Buddy sprayed spittle all over the driver's-side window, and jumping against it so hard, she was certain he was going to break the glass. What was she going to do? She couldn't just sit there. Surely Marge would see what was happening and call the police?

Wouldn't she?

“Jason!” Shay had to get out of there. She stood in her seat, trying to see beyond the front of the hood, but the men were surrounding the truck now, pushing against the doors and windows, rocking the vehicle back and forth. They were going to tip her over!

Shay blared on the horn, hoping someone would come running. Would help. “Jason!” she screamed again. Then she remembered the keys. She still had them. She pushed Buddy out of the way, stuck the keys in the ignition and turned them. The truck roared to life. She popped it into Reverse, quickly glanced behind her and then pushed down on the accelerator. The truck flew backward, tires squealing, smoke rising.

And still the men kept coming.

She saw Jason lying on the ground, his head torqued at an odd angle across the cement parking spot, blood dripping down his face. “Please let him be okay,” she whispered. He had to be okay. Marge and a few truckers ran out the front of the diner. They would help him. They had to.

The men ran after her. Pushing her foot against the gas pedal, she floored it, pulling out of the motel parking lot and careening back onto the highway. She looked behind her to see if the men would follow her or if they'd turn back to Jason.

And if they did? Would the others help him? Could they? Before she could give it much thought, she saw them running toward their vehicles. They weren't after Jason; they were after her.

She drove down the highway faster than she ever had before then quickly pulled off at the next exit and skirted behind a gas station facing the highway where she waited for the two trucks to pass her. She didn't have to wait long. Within minutes the two trucks sped by, barreling down the highway.

Immediately, she gunned it, turning around and driving back to the diner, hoping the men wouldn't figure out what she'd done for at least another ten minutes. By then, she would have Jason and they would be gone.

If he was okay.

She pulled back into the parking lot, tires squealing, the truck pitching dangerously. But she didn't care. Quickly, she scanned the parking lot, but she didn't see Jason anywhere. Panic crawled up her throat.

“Shit, Buddy! Where is he?”

She lurched to a stop in front of the diner, throwing the truck in Park; she jumped down and almost reached the diner's door when Jason came rushing out.

“Shay!”

Pumped up with adrenaline and so happy to see him standing, she ran into him, throwing her arms around him and holding him tight. “Oh, thank God you're okay.”

After a second, she pulled back and looked at him, noticing the blood trickling from a nasty wound on his forehead. “Are you okay?”

He smiled, and her heart lifted. “I'll be fine. Where are they?”

“Hopefully still flying north up the highway.”

He nodded, looking impressed. “Good thinking on your part.”

“Thanks, though I don't know how long they'll continue on before they realize what I've done and double back.”

“Then we'd better get moving.”

“Can you drive?” she asked, eyeing that wound once more and the bloody towel in his hand.

“No problem. But we're going to have to take a different route. A longer, slower route.”

“But I thought...”

“Yes, we need to get you to The Colony as soon as we can, and not just because Marge called the police. Each moment that you move closer to your transition, your wolf scent gets stronger. Add yours to mine and we have become a large neon target.”

“And once we make it to this colony, they won't be able to sense us?”

“Exactly.”

“Then we'd better get a move on,” she said.

“My thoughts exactly.”

Chapter 6

J
ason hurried into the truck and they drove down the road, pulling off the highway at the next exit and heading east through the forest on two-lane isolated roads. They drove for miles, not seeing any sign of the men. They still had a long way to go. The good news was Shay finally seemed willing to take this ride, the bad news was he wasn't sure he'd be able to get her there.

He'd taken too long to find her, the crystals on his wrist were losing their power and would soon no longer mask his presence and she was changing too quickly. He glanced over at her. Her scent was almost as strong as his now. The two of them were bright beacons in a vast sea of darkness. All the demons had to do was run across one disturbed or lost human, hitch on and take a ride, becoming an
Abatu.
They would bide their time, tracking him and Shay until there were more of them, and then they'd attack. Just like they had at the diner. Only next time he and Shay might not be so lucky.

“I don't think I've ever been so scared,” Shay admitted, turning to look at him, her blue-violet eyes filled with fear. “Those men weren't going to stop until they had me. I was afraid they were going to flip the truck over.”

“You were great. You did exactly what you should have done.”

“I hated leaving you.”

“Luckily, I wasn't the one they wanted. Not then.”

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked, concern betraying the fear in her voice as her gaze moved up to the wound on his head.

“I am a great healer. We are both going to be fine. Better than fine,” he assured her with more confidence than he felt. It didn't help that his head hurt like hell and the bleeding wouldn't stop. If it didn't stop soon, he'd have to transform. He didn't want to do that, not in front of Shay. Seeing what he changed into, what the transformation really meant, would only spook her. It would be easier on her if he could get her settled with her family and in her new home before she had to face what her transformation would ultimately mean.

He'd have to call Malcolm. That was a phone call he didn't want to make. Malcolm wasn't a great leader, not like Dean had been—he was too heavy-handed and prone to a bad temper—but he wasn't a bad leader either. They'd had relative peace and prosperity for the past fifteen years. At least until now. Shay's cousin, Scott, who had been too young at the time Dean had left to step up, now led a rival faction and was making a bid for pack leader.

Pack politics could be complicated, but Scott's bloodline was strong. He was well liked and he had some good and sound ideas. But Jason couldn't—wouldn't—abide Scott's tactics. An underground movement to unseat Malcolm and take over the pack's leadership wasn't the way they did things. There had been a few instances of violence that made Jason doubt if Scott was the right person to lead their pack.

Violence was never an answer. That's why there were rules. No wolf can ever cause the death of another wolf. If that happened, they were banished from The Colony to the outside world. They were on their own. As they should be. Some wolves had never left The Colony. They had no idea how dangerous it was out there. How chaotic.

Jason did.

Unfortunately, Malcolm was right. Getting Shay to come back, to marry him and to rule The Colony with him, was the only way to divert the bloodshed. No matter how much Jason was growing to hate the idea. Especially after what had happened between them earlier that morning. That kiss! It had taken all the strength and willpower he possessed to pull away from her. And he still wondered why he'd bothered. Why couldn't he be the one for Shay? Because he'd heard the whispers of rebellion; he knew what was coming. And Malcolm did, too. And right now, Shay was their only hope for peace or things were going to get really bad. He only hoped Shay would be on board with this.

He stole a glance at her long dark hair, the slim curve of her face, her high cheekbones and the slight russet shade to her skin. She looked exotic, stunning, especially with her brilliant blue eyes. But he hadn't expected her not to know anything about them, to have no understanding of pack loyalty and allegiance. These were tenets Dean had stood for. And values Jason never imagined he wouldn't pass on to his daughter.

Now it fell to Jason. But he couldn't tell Shay about Malcolm and her responsibilities to the pack yet. Especially not after what had happened between them. He'd just got the fear out of her eyes. If he told her what Malcolm had planned for her, she'd bolt the first chance she got. The woman was skittish. Beautiful. Independent. Feisty and strong. But very skittish.

Buddy sat up and whined. Jason went on immediate alert, checking the forest around them as they drove down the lonely road. They appeared to be alone, but he knew better than anyone that appearances could be deceiving.

“I think he has to go to the bathroom,” Shay said. “It's been quite a while since we've had a break.”

Jason checked his surroundings once more then reluctantly pulled the truck over to the side of the road. “Wait here.”

He got out of the truck and walked off the shoulder into the trees, listening, smelling, sensing. Nothing. They were alone. He walked back to the truck. “We need to be quick. We're vulnerable out here in the open.”

“All right.” Shay opened the door and Buddy jumped down. Within seconds he was off and running. “Buddy!”

Jason cringed at the way her voice echoed through the trees. “What is he after?” he asked as he pressed the bloody towel harder against his head. A wave of light-headedness rolled over him and he leaned against the side of the truck.

“I don't know,” Shay muttered, heading off toward the dog. “Buddy!”

The dog came running back, appearing from the thickness of the trees. He ran up to Shay and jumped up on her.

“Buddy, get down. You know better than that.” She turned to Jason. “I think he just wanted to stretch his legs.”

“Well, if he's done now?” He gestured his head toward the truck.

“All right. Come on, Buddy. Back in the truck.” Buddy didn't look happy and needed more coaxing, but soon they were back in the truck and on their way.

Nothing had happened. No one was there. Not an
Abatu
in sight. They just might make it after all, if they had no more unforeseen problems.

“Tell me more about The Colony,” Shay asked, filling the silence in the truck.

That one was easy. “It's beautiful,” he said. “It's nestled in a valley of soaring mountains and surrounds a lake of crystal-clear water fed by underground springs and snow runoff. Ice-cold most of the year, but so clear you can see several feet down.”

“Sounds stunning.”

“Most beautiful spot on earth. A hidden jewel and those of us who live there know it. We do everything we can to protect it from the outside would.”

“That can't be easy.”

“Nothing worth keeping ever is.”

“So, why can't the demons sense us there?”

“There is a magnetic field in the mountains, a force field that makes us invisible to them. We also have crystals surrounding the perimeter of The Colony and a very special woman who has the power to energize and sustain them.” He held up his wrist, displaying the stones intertwined within the black cord.

“This bracelet is made from those crystals—it prevents the
Gauliacho
from sensing my energy.”

“But they can now?”

“Yes. The crystals' power has worn down. They need to be rejuvenated.”

“How does she do it?”

“No one really knows. Some of us are born with the gift to see energy and manipulate it.”

“Like the auras?”

“Exactly. Those are people's energy signatures. The different colors you see tell you about that person's soul. The kind of heart they have inside.”

“Interesting.” She smiled.

“What?”

“Your heart, it's very beautiful.”

He stared at her for a minute, his eyes dropping to her sweet lips. He wished he wasn't driving so his hands would be free to pull her close, to hold her in his arms as he had last night and to kiss her senseless. Obviously, he was losing it.

“Is this the only place where your people can be safe?” she asked, breaking his fantasy.

“
Our
people,” he corrected, his gaze locking on hers. She quickly looked away. She still wasn't accepting.

“How long until we get there?” she asked.

Not soon enough,
he thought. But he said, “Hopefully by midnight.” They were approaching a small town. “Let's stop here, fill up with fuel and get something to eat. Plus I need ice for my head.”

“It still hasn't stopped bleeding,” she said nervously, leaning forward to look at his wound.

Close enough for him to pick up her delicate scent—lavender and chamomile with a touch of honey. “It will be fine,” he rasped.

Concern filled her beautiful eyes. “Maybe you should lie down in the back and let me drive for a while.”

“I would, but you haven't a clue where we're going. The way is a maze of logging roads.”

“We could stay here for a while so you can rest. I am starving. I know that's hard to believe after that breakfast I devoured, but I suddenly seem hungry all the time.”

He took a deep breath, fighting another wave of dizziness. “Don't worry, that won't last long,” he pushed the words out as he pulled the truck alongside the gas pump. Speaking was beginning to take more energy than he had.

The gas station was attached to a small diner where they could get lunch. Maybe if he could send her inside, he could sit here and rest for a minute.

“Good, because at the rate I'm eating, I'll be as big as a house,” Shay said, her eyes on the diner. Buddy whined from the backseat.

“Your body needs a lot of fuel for the cell restructuring.”

“Cell restructuring? If you say so. You say I'm changing. But I still don't see it.” She glanced down at her arms. “Much. And honestly, you look quite human to me.”

Her eyes swept over his body and he saw appreciation there. And something more.
Desire.

That would change. As soon as she saw him transform she wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. He pulled the blood-soaked rag away from his head. “Listen, I might need to show you my other side sooner than I'd planned. I don't want to, but I'm not healing. The bleeding hasn't stopped.”

She took his hand and held it, surprising him. “Then maybe you should. Don't worry about me. I can handle it.”

The earnestness in her voice, the concern in her eyes overwhelmed him and he felt the urge to lean across the cab and kiss her once more. The sweetness in her voice and the dewy wetness of her lips made him hate his orders, hate what he had been asked to do. Hate that he had to put Malcolm and the pack first. He sucked in a breath, but his resolve was weakening.

And what made it worse, she wanted him to kiss her. He could see it in the way she was leaning into him, feel it in the expectation in the air. The memory of her touch on his neck, her lips on his assaulted him, battering his defenses. He wanted to touch her. To kiss her. To love her. He shook the images out of his head. He couldn't. She was meant for Malcolm. Malcolm had to be the one to help her with the final stage of her transition. Jason couldn't thwart that process. The pack needed him to be strong. Malcolm needed him. And he wouldn't let them down.

Not again.

No matter how enticing the she-wolf was.

“Will you run in and get us some burgers while I fill up?” he said, his voice catching in his throat. He had to put some distance between them.

“Are you sure you don't want to go in and rest for a little while?”

“We can't. The sooner we get to The Colony, the safer we'll be.”

She sighed. “All right.” She turned to Buddy and patted him on the head. “Stay here, boy.”

Buddy whined and they both watched her get out of the truck and walk toward the small restaurant.

“She is a beautiful woman, Buddy,” Jason said, appreciating the gentle sway of her hips and the nice way she filled out her blue jeans.

Buddy barked in agreement and Jason couldn't help smiling as he popped another two Tylenol. He got out of the truck and started pumping the gas when a wave of dizziness rocked over him, stealing his balance. He got back into the truck and sat there, waiting for the throbbing pain to ebb.

It didn't.

He took a swig from the large water bottle. Soon as he ate his burger, he'd feel better.

“Jason?” Shay asked as she opened the door to the truck.

He looked up at her. He must have fallen asleep. She eyed the bloody rag that had fallen to his lap.

“That really doesn't look good. Maybe we should find you a doctor.”

“No. No doctors. I'll be okay.” He got out of the truck and unhooked the fuel nozzle, took his receipt, then got back in. That small amount of effort took all the energy he had left. Blackness encroached, pushing in at the corners of his vision. His stomach flip-flopped.

“If you say so,” she muttered. “Why don't you at least let me drive while you eat?”

He relented. He had no choice. He was in no condition to drive. He moved over to the passenger's seat while Shay ran around to the driver's side. He tore into his burger as she slid behind the wheel and pulled her bag of fries next to her. She adjusted the mirrors and put the truck in Drive.

“So where to?”

“Stay on this road for the next eighty-three miles. At that point you will see a small gravel road hidden within the trees to your left. Take that.”

“Will it have a name?”

“Nope.”

“Okay,” she said. “Checking my odometer now.”

“Thanks, Shay.” He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

“Don't thank me. Just get better. I'll wake you when we reach the road.”