Skin Walkers Conn (24 page)

“If she weren’t, we wouldn’t be speaking right now.”

“For Christ’s sake Remy look at her.  She looks nothing like me.  She is not my sister.  I contacted you because I don’t want you dying
as a result of
your hatred
for
me.  I’m trying to save your worthless ass, but if you’re so damned bent on keeping her
from me because you think she’
s m
y sister
than you can go to hell.  But know this Remy McCabe, my hands are clean of your blood!”

Remy shook his head vigorously, clearing all trace of Mason from his thoughts. 
He again eyed the loft and wondered if it could be true.  If she wasn’t really Mason’s sister than he’d kidnapped an in
nocent woman and hurt a fellow
Walker
by doing so. 
She doesn’t look anything like him.
  He inhaled sharply trying again for the hundredth time since he met her to find some familial scent that would tie her to Mason.  There was none.  Only her own scent and the stronger more over powering scent of Conn could be found.

Slowly
Remy
climbed the ladder to the loft and quietly crossed to the bed before sitting on the edge to stare down at the sleeping
Aries.  From what he’d heard she’d been taken from her hideout in the South American jungle.  He shook his head as a pang of guilt ate at him.  He’d originally met her here in Montana, and his repeated presence put her on the run
and he’d been chasing her ever since. 
God, what if she’s not Mason’s sister?  I’ve ruined her life for nothing!

He let his head fall into his hands as true grief struck.  He’d been so blinded by his hatred of Mason and Amanda’s betrayal that he hadn’t even realized what he was doing.  He flicked his eyes to Aries and his breath caught when she silently stared up at him.  He read fear in her expression and guilt gnawed at him again.  “It’s okay.”

“W-what are you doing?”

He dropped his hands and lifted his head, squaring his shoulders.  “I’m taking you to
StoneCrow
.”

Aries sat up, “Please take me to Conn.”

Remy smiled without humor, “I can’t.”

“Why?”

He eyed her halo, “When did he give you that?”

Her eyes rounded. 
He believes me! 
“Yesterday.”

Remy groaned, “Great!  Just fucking great!”

“It’s okay,” Aries tried to convince him, “he’ll be grateful if you take me back.  I won’t let him be angry with you, I swear it!”
  She wasn’t about to confess that Conn had only gifted her with his halo in hopes of finally being able to sleep and eat.  She knew that if Remy believed she was in a
relationship with Conn then it was better for her.

Throwing back his head to laugh, Remy sobered after a few moments.  “Oh Aries, you have so much to learn.”  His eyes met hers, “If Conn gifted you his halo yesterday that means he’s only just claimed you, and that means he’s still afflicted.”

“Afflicted?  You mean rutting.”

Remy smiled, “Sure.  Rutting.  Which means he’s going to
want to fight any man that stands between you and him.  I took you out of his bunker, out of his room.  What do you think the good Commander
Drago
plans on doing to me when he sees me.”

“I won’t let him Remy.  I’ll protect you, I’ll…”

He held up a hand.  “Save it.  While I feel great guilt over what I’ve done, I’m not nearly that regretful.”  He stood, “I value my life Aries, so I’m
taking
you to
StoneCrow
.  You don’t have to worry.  Mason will ensure you get back to Conn.  While you’re not his sister, he will feel obligated to ensure your safe return.”

“You can leave me here.  I can call Conn, he’d come and get me.”
  She didn’t bother telling him that she had no idea how to contact Conn.

“Why don’t you want to go back to
StoneCrow
Aries?”

“Because they keep me locked in a cell.  Because they take me from Conn.  Because
that
d
octor
wants to do tests on me.  I don’t want to go back.”
  An idea struck, “Hey!” She eyed him hopefully.  “You can contact him through the mysti
c.  Conn told me about it, how
Walker
’s can communicate with one another telepathically.  Just tell him where I am and leave and he’ll come for me, I know he will.”

Remy smirked, “Well of course he would love, but it doesn’t work like that.  I can only communicate with Walkers that I know.  I don’t know you
r
Conn.”

“But you said…”

“I know
of
him.  We’ve been in the same room once or twice, but we’ve never
been formally
introduced. 
While Walkers can contact each other telepathically, there has to be some connection, some friendship, or relation…at the very least there should be a need to be in contact.  Conn and I have never formed any such bond.  We aren’t friends Aries.” 
Heaving a
great sigh Remy smiled, “It’ll be alright love.  Now that Conn has claimed you
,
those at
StoneCrow
are obligated to treat you as one of their own.  Besides,” his eyes dipped to her thigh, “you’re going to need stitches.”
  He didn’t lift his eyes instead let them narrow in on her leg, “And when Conn finds out
you were injured while in my care
, I’m certain I’ll require a few stitches as well.”  He shrugged then
crossed to the ladder and slowly descended.  “Get ready, we’re leaving in five.”

“Wait!”

He halted hal
f
way down the ladder to stare at her.

“How did you know that Conn wouldn’t wake up?”

“What?”

“At the bunker, when you took me.  How did you know that Conn wouldn’t be awake that he wouldn’t defend me?”

Remy half-smiled.  “I knew when I got within a half-mile of the place without being attacked that something was off.  When I got to the bunker and broke in, I knew I was home free.”  He shrugged one shoulder, “Taking you wasn’t my intention at first, I just hoped he’d let me near you to discover if you were in fact Mason’s sister.
  Him being incapacitated was pure luck.”

Aries watched Remy descend the ladder and her heart rate accelerated.  He was taking her back to her captivity at
StoneCrow
.
Oh no, what do I do, what do I do?
  She stilled and she blinked several times before a faint grin touched her lips. 
I’ll escape!

Chapter
23

“XO!
”

“Report!”
Conn commanded of James.

“Just
spoke with Mason.  He said Remy’s got Aries.”

Conn’s tone was clipped with impatience,
“I already knew that James!”
 

“Uh, yeah.  Mason said he ordere
d Remy to return Aries to
Stone
Crow
but Remy refused.  He thinks she’s Mason’s sister and is keeping her to hurt Mason.”

“Fuck!” 
Conn sighed, “
This is all over Remy’s jealousy of Mason and Amanda’s
binding?”

“Appears so
XO
.”

“Did Mason get a location on Remy?”

“No Sir, Remy didn’t say, but Mason thinks he’s holed up at his cabin near
Holter
Lake.”

“Does Mason believe Remy would hurt Aries?”

“No
Sir
, he thinks Remy’s more interested in paying him back
over Amanda
.  If
anything Remy would
fu…
”
 
James cleared his throat,
“Remy’s hurt over the loss of his mate.  He’s looking for another, preferably Mason’s sister.”

Conn couldn’t control the growl that escaped his lips and consequently car
ried to James through the mist
.

“Easy
XO
, we’ll get her back.” 

“Contact the men and meet me at
Holter
Lake!  I want you there five minutes ago!”

“Sir, yes Sir!”

***

“You ready to go love?”

Aries frowned up from where she sat perched on the edge of the sofa.  “Don’t call me that.”

Remy smiled rakishly.  “Does it make you uncomfortable to be called love?”

“By you it does.”  Her frown deepened, “I don’t know you.”

He nodded, “No, you don’t.
”  His eyes dipped to her injured thigh, “Would you like me to carry you?”

She quickly stood, “No!” 
She hid a wince at the pain the sudden movement brought.  “I’m fine.  Let’s go.”

Chuckling to himself, Remy followed Aries as she hobbled toward the door
.  “I almost feel sorry for the good Commander
.  You’re
as stubborn as he’s rumored to be.”

“I’m not stubborn,” she offered petulantly as she continued to limp toward the front door.

“Jesus love!”

Before she could react Remy had her up in his arms.  She refused to wrap her arms around his neck and she didn’t look at him.

He stopped walking once they hit the front porch and nudged her cheek with his nose.  “Come on, I’m not that bad to look at.”

“No, you’re not.  But I promised you that I’d try to keep Conn from killing you.  It’ll be harder to do if I’m covered in your scent.”

Remy didn’t respond,
but Aries
hid a smile when he straightened his arms with her still in them so that she wouldn’t rub against his body. 

He carried her to his vehicle and this time she was placed in the passenger seat instead of the trunk.  Before Remy could close her door Aries looked up at him imploringly, “
Could you grab the bottle of ibuprofen from the first aid kit?  My leg is really starting to
hurt
.”

Remy eyed her suspiciously.

“Please Remy,” she shrugged
, “unless it’s a short drive, then I guess I’ll be fine.”  She knew the drive would be long.  “I just don’t want to arrive in pain in case Conn is there.  I want him to think you took good care of me.”  That did it.

Remy turned and stalked back toward the house.  Aries didn’t hesitate.  She palmed the car key she’d stolen off his key ring when he’d been cleaning the cabin prior to their departure.  She slid into the driver’s seat and hit the electronic door locks before she started the car and slammed her foot on
the gas.  She knew Remy was a
Walker
and could easily
catch
up with her in several forms, but at least she’d be deciding where they were going. 

The gravel drive
way led out to a main road.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a sign and turned that direction.  In Montana signs meant civilization and that’s where she wanted to go.  She noticed that Walkers kept to them
selves and didn’t associate
much with the rest of society.  She guessed it was because they didn’t want the world to find out their secrets, so getting lost in the nearest town was her best chance of escape. 

After long minutes she finally found a sign that indicated the highway was fast approaching.  She gunned the motor.  A shadow crossed over the hood of the car and she leaned forward to peer up at the sky.  “Shit!” 

A huge bird with a massive
wingspan was shadowing her.  She knew it had to be Remy.  She gripped the steering wheel tighter and prayed she found the highway soon. 
She took a blind curve and had the vehicle under control until she spotted a deer in the middle of her lane.  Her mind raced a mile-a-minute. 
Is it Remy?
 
She couldn’t be sure.  “Move!” she shouted at the animal as the car sped toward it.  “MOVE!” she screamed again hoping if it were Remy he
wouldn’t force her hand.  Whether it
was
in fact
Remy or a real deer
didn’t matter,
she knew she couldn’t hit either one. 

At the last second s
he jerked the steering wheel hard and the car swerved just barely missing the deer.  The driver’s side tire caught on the edge of the asphalt and she had to jerk hard to get it back on the road.  She jerked too hard, overcorrecting and sending the vehicle down the opposite embankment.  All she heard was the screech of tires and a loud pop then time stood still
.
A
ll was
silent
as the vehicle left the road
and sailed through the air
. 
Aries
was weightless for a moment before time started again, but this time more rapidly and loudly than she ever could have imagined possible.