Tracking Trisha (37 page)

“I’m her mate.” Kelan growled out right before he buried the knife through the man’s heart and into the tree.

Kelan took a step back letting his head fall back until he was gazing at one of Quitax’s other moons. He felt his symbiosis reshape into a Werecat. He didn’t even bother to turn and look at the body pinned against the tree. It would be gone by morning. Any number of the predators in the surrounding forest could probably already scent the fresh blood and would come to investigate it. Kelan was not afraid of them for there were few predators fiercer than a full-grown Valdier male dragon and his symbiosis.

Kelan let his eyesight remain enhanced by his dragon.
We need to find out if Trisha was able to leave us a message.

It took almost an hour of hunting but Kelan found the hidden message. His legs went weak as he read what she wrote. She pointed him to where she hid a rolled up map. Kelan gazed down at the symbols she taught him. In the dim light of the fire circle, he pulled up a holovid of the moon’s surface. Glancing back and forth between the roughly drawn map on the leaf and the holovid, Kelan let out a loud roar. She was alive and she was moving to the southwest towards a small group of mountains. She would leave him another clue at the fork in the river. It was the last line on the map, written in Valdier which pulled the roar out of him.

I love you, my true mate. Come for me and our son.

Trisha was working on building a small fire in a knot in the tree they were using for the night. It was their fourth night on the move and they were finally at the foot of the small mountain range Trisha wanted to get to. After the first day, the men realized Trisha really did know how to survive in the thick forests; predators, obstacles, and all.

At first, the men were serious when they said they would protect her and take care of her. They quickly reorganized the survival packs before they left the meadow giving her one that was practically empty. It took several miles before the men threw their hands up in the air when they realized Trisha was better at hiking through the forests then they were. They rested for the designated ten minutes on the hour and at every stop Jaron would check on Trisha and the baby to make sure they were doing well. They covered almost six miles before Trisha stopped suddenly looking around and listening. The two men stood silently watching the surrounding forest, trying to see what Trisha sensed. Trisha suddenly motioned for the men to start climbing. Trisha went up first, followed by Jaron. Terac was almost to the first limb when a massive creature burst through the undergrowth charging at him. It resembled a cross between a rhinoceros and a Komodo Dragon to Trisha. She realized instantly the thick hide would protect it from any laser fire. Dropping down onto the branch above Terac, she and Jaron gripped Terac’s arms and pulled him up as fast as they could. Even so, they lost one of their survival packs as it was ripped off of Terac’s back. Trisha said it was actually a good thing that it happened as anyone following them would think they didn’t survive. After that, they decided to use the trees as much as possible and began their turn to the north.

That was three days ago. Earlier this afternoon they finally made it to the fork in the river not far from the mountains. Trisha laid out a series of rocks and branches as a message for Kelan. If he remembered the symbols, it would lead him to the map she left in the hollowed out section of a rock near the river. Trisha closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift back to the last time Kelan held her in his arms. Kelan was above her moving slowly deep inside her. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, cocooning her against his hard length as he pulled almost all the way out before pushing back into her deeply. She remembered looking up into his eyes and thinking there could never be anything more beautiful than belonging to him. He made her feel loved, protected, needed. Trisha bit her lip as she opened her eyes and stared at the tiny flicker of flames beginning to burn in the dry moss. Tears burned the back of her eyes as she gently gripped the thin strand of gold around her neck and sent a message for Kelan to find her and their baby soon. She missed him so much.

Releasing the gold thread, she looked up and smiled at the two men working on building their sleeping platform. She remembered giggling at them the first night she showed them how to make one. She explained it served many purposes. First, it would protect them from the elements. Second, it provided some protection from the insects and other creatures of the night and helped keep them less visible from the ground. Third, she pointed down towards the ground and reminded them it was a long, long way to fall out of bed. It began to rain later that night and the guys agreed it was nice sleeping in a warm, dry bed. Neither one of them admitted to her it was more because she was curled up in between them. Trisha was blissfully unaware of the effect she was having on the two men.

“You know it is an impossible dream.” Jaron said quietly as he threaded thick, broad leaves through the branches they tied to the top of their sleeping platform.

Jaron noticed how protective and attentive Terac was of Trisha. He also noticed at night when they took turns sleeping that Terac waited until Trisha fell into an exhausted sleep before he would pull her close against his warm body and wrap his arms protectively around her. He made sure he woke before she did knowing she would be uncomfortable with his desire to be her mate. Jaron couldn’t blame Terac. He watched as she bent awkwardly forward to blow on the dry moss. She was the most unusual female he ever met. He smiled softly as she sat back and rubbed her lower back. In the last few days her stomach had swelled with the child she was carrying. She seemed to glow with an internal beauty.

“I am not the only one dreaming.” Terac said as he glanced at Trisha out of the corner of his eye. “I would take her for my mate in a heartbeat if she would have me.” He replied sadly.

It did not bother Terac that Trisha was rounded with another warrior’s child. He would raise it as his own if she would have him. He often lay at night with her wrapped in his arms wishing it was. At first, her dragon did not like the two men so close to Trisha. It was only when Jaron was checking on the baby that Jaron conveyed the need to protect Trisha and keep her warm during the frigid nights. It was the honest caring of the men that allowed her dragon to finally let Trisha get some much needed rest. Terac worried she was pushing herself too hard. He pushed up and walked across the thick branch to where Trisha was kneeling.

“You should rest for a while.” Terac said quietly. “Jaron and I have finished the sleeping platform.”

Trisha smiled her thanks but shook her head. “It will be dark soon and all of us will go to bed. I’m good. Dinner should be ready soon. Want to guess what we are having?” Trisha teased as she rubbed her lower back again.

Jaron grinned as he came over. He flicked a look at Terac who nodded and moved around behind Trisha. Jaron chuckled as Trisha let out a startled yelp before she finally relaxed back against Terac who was gently massaging her shoulders.

“Hum, how about roasted kocta nuts and fresh fruit?” Jaron said as he used a branch to turn the large nuts in the hollowed out knot in the tree.

At first he thought Trisha was nuts for lighting a fire in a tree but he soon realized she looked for shallow indentions in the tree then coated it with layers of mud or clay creating a type of burning bowl. She insulated the bottom with wet moss first so it would not heat up. Both he and Terac asked Trisha a million questions about her world. The females there were so different from any they ever heard about. It was when she talked of her father that struck Terac the hardest. The love and admiration for him was clearly evident.

They put the fire out as darkness descended not wanting to take a chance of anyone seeing it. Trisha was in their sleeping platform unbraiding her long hair. Jaron surprised Trisha with a comb he whittled on the second day. He even proudly showed her all the wood shavings he carefully rolled up in a leaf for their fire later that night. Now, it became her nightly ritual to unbraid the long length and comb it out before re-braiding it for the night. She was just starting to comb through the long strands when Terac entered the platform and slipped around her quietly.

“Let me.” Terac said softly.

“Terac…” Trisha started to say but stopped when Terac laid his fingers gently against her lips.

“I know.” He said sadly. “Let me have this memory…please?”

Trisha bit her lip to keep it from quivering. She gave Terac a small, crooked smile before turning her back to him. He and Jaron were so good to her. How could she deny him this little joy?

Terac ran the comb slowly through Trisha hair enjoying the feel of the silky strands as they tried to curl around his fingers. He let his fingers touch the tight curls pulling them up slightly to see them glitter in the bright glow of one of Quitax’s other moons.

“I’ve never seen this color hair before or felt any so soft and curly.” Terac murmured under his breath.

Trisha giggled. “My dad thought it was a nightmare when I was little. I was always running through the woods and sometimes I would get tree sap in it. He would spend hours trying to get it out.”

Terac laughed as he began to braid the long length. He felt Trisha’s surprise at his knowledge of braiding a girl’s hair. He wove the strands in and out.

“I have two little sisters, Jetta and Mia. They are nine and eleven.” Terac said quietly as he pulled the strands together. “They would often beg me to braid their hair before they went to bed at night when I was home from my training.”

“Where are they now?” Trisha asked curiously.

She was about to turn but Terac began massaging her shoulders and lower back again. She felt herself start to melt as the constant exhaustion she fought pulled on her. She didn’t bother resisting as Terac gently pushed her down onto the moss-covered bedding. She moaned softly as he rubbed a particularly stubborn knot on her shoulder.

“They are with my older brother and his wife on Subtera Spaceport in the Bovi galaxy.” Terac replied enjoying the feel and sound of Trisha’s soft moans and groans and wishing they were for a different reason. “Our parents were killed during the attack on our village. My father tried to prevent Raffvin’s men from taking them and my mother. They killed him in front of them. Jaron and I were out hunting when we saw the flames and smoke. We hurried back as fast as we could but another group of Raffvin’s men captured us before we got to the village. My mother hid the girls but stood guard over their hiding place. Raffvin’s men raped and murdered her.”

Trisha turned and looked up at Terac with tears in her eyes. “Oh Terac, I’m so sorry.” She sat up and gave him a hug. “How did your brother know where to find them?”

“Another woman from our village who was hiding near the river found them. She notified my brother. I was able to speak with him briefly after I was transferred to the freighter to guard you.” Terac said. He brushed a strand of loose hair away from Trisha’s face letting his hand gently cup her cheek where a single tear slipped down it. “You are so beautiful.” He whispered.

Trisha’s eyes widened as she realized Terac was about to kiss her again. She shook her head and placed her fingers against his mouth. “Terac, I love Kelan. He is my true mate and will come for me. I belong with him.” She whispered.

Terac closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Trisha’s fingers. “I could always hope. Sleep now. You are exhausted. Tomorrow will be another long day and you and the baby need your rest.”

Trisha looked hesitantly at Terac before she scooted back down and rolled over so her back was to him. After a few minutes, Terac saw her breathing even out as she slipped into a deeper sleep. He laid down beside her and wrapped his arm tightly around her splaying his hand over her swollen belly protectively. Jaron came in a few minutes later and looked at both of them. He quietly scooted in and curled his fingers in Trisha’s to let her know they were there, protecting her.

Kelan reached the river just as it was getting dark. He quickly found the message and map Trisha left for him. He followed the tracks the two men and Trisha left. He knew others searched for her but they would never find her. It took all of the skills he learned from tracking her the first time through the woods of their home world in addition to the clues she left, to follow her. He continued to be amazed at her resourcefulness. She covered her tracks well.