Frostbitten (42 page)

When I found the trail, I whistled for the other. Sure, I’d said I could handle this alone, but that only meant I wouldn’t waste time hunting for them. A whistle or two, I could do. When no one answered, though, Reese and I set out on the trail.

We hadn’t gone far when a blast of icy air whipped past, laden with that thick musky scent.

“What the hell is that?” Reese asked, rubbing his nose.

Before I could answer, a massive form lumbered from the woods, stopping twenty feet away and turning to look at us.

“What the hell—?” Reese said.

The beast reared up, casting a shadow that reached to our boots.

“Holy shit!”

The beast dropped and charged. Reese grabbed my sleeve and tried to yank me to safety. When I wouldn’t budge, he gave me a shove off the trail and raced past me into the forest. I calmly walked back to the path.

The beast roared… and ran around me. Then he turned, pawing the path, breath streaming from his nostrils.

“Eli,” I said. “Cut it out.”

“That’s—” Reese said from his spot in the woods. “That’s Eli? The Shifter guy?”

“Shifter
kid
. He’s a teenager.”

“I don’t care how young he is. He’s fucking huge. And fucking pissed off.”

“No, he’s just putting on a show, trying to warn us off. Do you want us to leave, Eli?”

He snorted, still pawing the ground like a bull, head down, eyes blazing.

“Okay, we’ll do that,” I said. “We’ll go pick up Noah, and let your Alpha and your father handle this.”

Eli growled. He lunged. When I stood my ground, he stopped short, snow flying from his massive paws.

“Go Change back so we can talk about this.”

* * * *

“Shit, that was fast,” Reese said as Eli lumbered out of the thicket where he’d Changed.

“That’s one advantage they get,” I murmured.

“Nice, but I don’t think I’d trade,” Reese said as he took a better look at Eli.

Reese quickly hid his reaction to the young Shifter, but Eli couldn’t disguise his own response to the young werewolf, shoulders and jaw lifting as he drew nearer, eyeing Reese with the barely disguised envy of an awkward sophomore in the presence of the high school quarterback. I felt sorry for Eli, then. He wasn’t an ugly kid, but at that age, no one—supernatural or human—needs to be reminded of his shortcomings.

He turned his back on Reese and talked to me. “She doesn’t want to go back.”

“Good. Then she can tell me that.”

He hesitated, big jaw working. Then he pushed back his hair and scanned the forest, and I thought he was working on an excuse, but instead he said, “Fine. She won’t like it, though.”

He led me along the path.

“She does want to stay,” he said as we walked. “She
asked
me to move her.”

“All right.”

“You don’t believe me.”

I glanced over at him. “Do you really expect me to take your word for it?”

He didn’t answer, and we walked the rest of the way in silence.

* * * *

We reached the cabin, another small backwoods, off-the-grid one probably used by anyone needing shelter.

When we arrived, Eli insisted Reese stay outside—apparently, he didn’t want the cute, blond Aussie getting too close to his girl. That was fine, but I made Eli wait, too. If this girl was as set on staying as he said, then she needed to tell me that herself.

I opened the door. Inside, it was dark, the light having flicked off the moment we drew within sight of the cottage.

“I won’t go,” said a voice from deep in the shadows. “You can turn around right now. I’m eighteen, so I can make my own decisions.”

Of the three missing girls, two had been twenty, which gave me a good idea who I was talking to. The one who’d been living on the streets, trying to escape a life of abuse and neglect.

“You’re seventeen, Adine.”

“Eighteen next month. Better off saving yourself the paperwork and pretending you never found me.”

“I’m not from social services. I’m just someone who wants to make sure you’re okay.”

I turned on the nearest lantern. A wavering light filled the cabin. Adine sat on a cot in the corner, her face set, her expression saying if I was going to take her out of here, I’d damned well better have brought an army to do it.

“I know what happened to you,” I said.

“Yeah? Same shit, different day.”

I met her gaze and recognized that haunted, hunted animal look. I’d never been this tough, though, as much as I’d wanted to be.

“What happened to you is—” I began.

“Gonna leave scars. Scars no one can see. Yeah, I’ve done the sessions. If you’re expecting me to say I’m fine, you’re wrong. But I’m sure as hell going to get back to fine. And Eli’s going to help me.”

“He—”

“He’s just a kid, I know. And something… something’s not quite right about him. I know that, too. But I don’t care. He rescued me and he took care of me, and he doesn’t want anything in return, just to be with me, talk to me.” She met my gaze. “You know what that’s like?”

Actually, I did, but I knew she wouldn’t believe me. And as I looked in her face, I knew she wasn’t kidding herself. Eli wasn’t her knight in shining armor. She didn’t expect happily ever after. But whatever it was, it’s what she wanted. What she needed.

“If she wants to join us, she may,” rumbled a voice behind me.

I turned to see the Shifter Alpha in the doorway. Behind him, Eli’s father had his son by the scruff of the neck. The Alpha stepped in and shut the door.

“This is not our way,” he said. “But if the girl wants to come…” He looked at me. “We should not argue.”

In other words, sending this girl back to civilization, angry and unhappy, really wasn’t the best idea. She was likely to start talking about the Shifters. That might only land her a bed in the psych ward, but they couldn’t take the chance.

He turned to Adine. “We live far away. You will not be able to visit your people.”

“Fine by me,” she said, chin lifted, defiant.

“We have a village, but we are hunters. We do not come to the city.”

“I can hunt and I can fish, and I’m a damned fine cook—though I like the hunting and fishing part better. I’ve had enough of the city. It wasn’t…” A look passed over her face, disappointment and regret. “It wasn’t what I thought it would be. I’m ready to go back inland.” She straightened and met his gaze. “I’ll do my share. You won’t regret it.”

The Alpha’s expression said he was pretty sure he would, but he only nodded.

I turned to him. “She might want to go now, but after a while…”

“She may change her mind,” he murmured. “If she does, we will bring her back. You have our word.”

As I looked at Adine, I realized I had no right to make this choice for her. No one had that right, because no one was her, no one else lived her life and knew what was best.

What would I have done if someone told me to stop seeing Clay when we were dating? They couldn’t have told me anything I didn’t already know. I’d spent years telling myself that Clay tricked me, deceived me, but he hadn’t. I’d seen the warning signs and I’d worried about them and, in the end, I’d decided to do what was best for me—stay with him.

I’d spent years dealing with my choice, and the consequences, and went right back to where I’d been. Did that make me weak? No. I’d realized that what I needed wasn’t necessarily what the world thought was right.

For me, this worked, and no one had the right to interfere. No more than I had the right to interfere with Adine now.

So I gave them my blessing. If this was the life she chose, if it made her happy, that was what mattered.

The shifter alpha and I stepped from the cabin, leaving Eli and his father inside with Adine. Reese stood beside the window, where he must have been peering in. As I came out, he heaved a sigh of relief.

“Everything okay?” he asked. “I wanted to go inside, but they—”

“I’m fine.”

“I whistled for the others,” he said, as much to the Alpha as to me, as if warning him. “Someone whistled back, so they’re coming.”

“Good, thanks.”

I turned to the Alpha and told him that I’d taken care of Tesler’s pack, as per our deal. I’m sure he already knew, but he listened politely. Reese hovered at my elbow, playing bodyguard, which would have been just fine except for the awkward glances he kept shooting at the Alpha. He was trying so hard not to stare it would have been better if he’d just taken a good, hard look and gotten it out of his system.

“Reese? I think I hear the guys coming. Can you run and warn them, so they don’t come barreling in, ready for trouble?”

He hesitated, gaze shunting again to the Alpha. “I’m fine,” I said. “Go.” And he did, but slowly, shuffling off with plenty of checks over his shoulder, making sure I wasn’t in imminent danger of being devoured. A week ago, the guy ran every time I came near. Now I couldn’t get rid of him.

At a noise, Reese whirled, fists raised. It was Noah, rounding a corner in the path, walking a few steps ahead of his captor.

“He is yours now,” the Alpha said.

“Hey there,” I said.

Noah smiled weakly. Reese pulled off his glove, extended his hand and introduced himself, I could see the wheels turning in Noah’s brain, running through the names he’d probably heard from Dennis—Pack names—and not recognizing this one. I was about to explain when he took Reese’s hand in an awkward shake, and felt the bandages.

“Oh, you’re the guy…” Noah said. “Travis told us. Sadistic bastard.”

Reese gave a wry smile. “Yeah. But he’s worse off now than I am, so that’s some consolation.” He thumped Noah on the back. “Elena’s got some business here, and I can smell Nick coming. Let’s go see if we can sneak up on him.”

Terror flicked across Noah’s face. Obviously he didn’t consider scaring the crap out of a senior Pack member a good way to make a first impression. I sent Reese on his way and motioned Noah over, stepping from the Alpha and lowering my voice. The Alpha nodded and went back into the cabin.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

He nodded. “I went back for you, but they grabbed me. I tried to fight, but…” His face reddened and I could see a bruise along his jaw, probably only one of many hidden by the oversized parka they’d given him.

“You weren’t the only one who got captured. And I
didn’t
fight. Took one look at them and didn’t dare.”

A shout to our left. I glanced up as Clay loped through the trees, Reese on his heels. I don’t know who looked more worried—Clay hoping I was okay or Reese thinking of how Clay would react if I wasn’t.

“Everything’s good,” I called as Nick, Antonio and Morgan jogged up behind Reese. “Guys, this is Noah.”

When Noah didn’t budge, I took his arm with my uninjured hand and pulled him forward. I could feel him trembling through the parka, and the mother in me wanted to let him hang back, not push too hard. But the Alpha-to-be knew how important this was. So I only held him steady when it seemed his knees might give way.

“This is Noah,” I said again. “Joey’s son.”

Clay stepped within inches of Noah, towering over him. I could only imagine what stories the Teslers had told him about Clay, what stories even Dennis might have told. I can only imagine what fate Noah thought might lie in store for him now, after joining the enemy in his misguided attempts to protect his father. So I can only give him full credit for not turning tail, but standing firm, even if he was shaking so hard his teeth chattered.

Clay’s nostrils flared, taking in Noah’s scent as he surveyed him head to foot. When he reached forward, Noah flinched, but didn’t fall back. Clay took his arm and drew him over to the others.

“Noah, this is Antonio Sorrentino…”

Twenty-four hours later, I was still in Alaska, back in those woods, in a huge clearing, watching the rest of the Pack play touch football in the snow with the twins. My bruised and battered body—and broken finger—kept me sidelined, but I was enjoying the rest and peace.

There’d been little rest and peace in the last day. Less than Clay and Jeremy wanted for me, anyway.

Joey was gone. He
had
returned to the hotel; I gave him credit for that. He’d left a message with a hotel clerk, saying it was urgent and Clay had to get it right away. That was about the same time that Jeremy convinced someone to wake Clay. They gave him the note, which explained what had happened, and provided a map to the last place Joey had seen me. Then he asked for forgiveness and promised he wouldn’t trouble us again. When Noah took us to Joey’s condo, we found it empty.

While a happy ending, full of forgiveness and mercy, would be wonderful, I think this was the best solution for all. At least for now. If anyone remained of the Tesler pack—some lackey who hadn’t come to Alaska but knew the story—and spread the word that Joey betrayed us and Clay had done nothing… Clay would have had to make an example of his old friend. Maybe Joey knew that. Maybe that’s why he ran.