Tempest, p.21
Tempest, page 21
I helped Juliette clean up the girl while Ronan assisted the others in removing the bodies. Aside from the bite, which was already healing thanks to the gunna paste, she had no other visible injuries. Juliette told me she would see the girl got back to whomever had come to the carnival with her.
Ronan and I decided to call it a night, and we were quieter on the drive home. Though neither of us mentioned the almost-kiss, I sensed a shift in our relationship. I saw it when he looked at me as we got into the SUV, and I felt it in the way he held my hand during the drive.
“Thank you for today,” I said when he walked me to my door. “I had fun.”
He wrapped me in his arms. “I did, too, but let’s try it without the vampires next time.”
I gave a breathy laugh. “I’m up for that.”
He kissed my forehead as he always did, but this time, he lingered longer than usual. It got harder for me every time I said goodbye to him. Tonight, I wasn’t the only one reluctant to go.
The door swung open to reveal my father’s worried face. Ronan had insisted I call my parents from Boise so they heard about the incident from me instead of someone else. I’d played it down as much as I could, but Dad was anxious about my “first” vampire encounter. He had no idea this had been my fifth vampire, and I had no intention of telling him.
I smiled at him as Ronan and I separated. “I’m fine, Dad. Not a scratch on me.”
My father looked at Ronan, who nodded. “She handled herself well. She would have killed the vampire without my help, and I’m sorry I took the kill from her.”
A warm, pleasant sensation spread through me at his praise and the pride in my father’s eyes. I did feel good about what I’d done, and Eldeorin would be delighted when he heard about me incapacitating an older vampire.
“Is it true?” Dimitri came up behind Dad. “Did you guys kill vampires at a carnival in Boise?”
“Yes,” I said, and he gave me a playful scowl.
“You have all the fun.” He threw an arm over Dad’s shoulder. “What do you say to a trip to the carnival? It could be a great training exercise for me.”
Dad laughed. “I doubt we’ll find more vampires at this one. I’m surprised we found two there.”
Dimitri’s dejected expression gave way to a smirk. “Mom said you called her a disaster magnet when you met her. Maybe Dani inherited that from her, too.”
I shook my head at Ronan’s inquisitive look. “Ignore him.”
“No, I might be onto something,” Dimitri said, grinning. “The Boise team can go a week without trouble. The last two times you went to Boise, you ran into armed mercenaries and vampires.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I’m just lucky I guess.”
Ronan made a noise, and I gave him a sidelong smile. “Look at it this way. Life will never be dull.”
* * *
I dropped my backpack on the ground and gazed at the crystal-clear lake. Its surface was so calm it reflected a mirror image of the snow-capped mountains rising around it and the puffy white clouds in the blue sky. The crisp air was thinner up here, and it carried the scent of pine and the promise of snow in the next day or so.
“We’ll make camp here,” Dad called. “Find your partner, and set up.”
Turning away from the lake, I scanned our group of hikers and located Naomi, who was already unpacking the tent she and I were sharing. I grabbed my pack and went to help her. In minutes, we had the tent up and our stuff stored inside.
I surveyed the eight tents forming a semi-circle around the firepit Dad had started to dig. His and Dimitri’s tent was on one end, and he’d directed me to set up mine beside theirs. The rest of the trainee tents were pitched on our other side with Ronan and Gavin’s tents on the opposite end.
I rolled my eyes. My father might be a clever tactician in battle, but I saw right through his plan to keep my sleeping bag as far from Ronan’s as possible. Almost three weeks had passed since Ronan and I bonded. Dad seemed to have come to terms with it, but he was nowhere near ready for what would inevitably happen.
I caught sight of Ronan breaking up a large branch for firewood, and I watched him until Dimitri walked by and cleared his throat. It was getting harder and harder to keep the bond a secret. Ronan and I spent time together whenever we could, and it felt like I’d known him my whole life.
Aside from our near kiss over a week ago, he had kept our relationship almost platonic, to my eternal frustration. The lack of physical intimacy hadn’t stopped our feelings from growing deeper. I was head over heels in love with him, and I believed he felt the same way about me. He didn’t come out and say it, but I knew he was holding back because his wolf still hadn’t imprinted on me.
I turned with an audible sigh and went to help Dad. This had been our thing since our first camping trip. Dimitri and Mom gathered firewood while Dad and I built the firepit. Then we would take our fishing gear and catch dinner in whatever river or lake we were camped beside.
He and I worked quietly and efficiently. When we finished surrounding the pit with rocks, I laid the tinder and kindling so it was ready for our campfire tonight.
“Better than yours, Dad,” Dimitri joked as he dropped an armload of firewood nearby.
“Of course, it is.” Dad ruffled my hair like I was still ten years old.
Dimitri brushed off his hands. “We’ll need a good fire for the big trout I’m catching for my dinner.”
“Oooh, that sounds like a challenge.” I nudged Dad with my shoulder. “Be gentle when you annihilate him.”
Dad laughed. “You’re not going to accept the challenge?”
“I’m relying on you guys to catch my dinner. The girls and I are going exploring.” I pointed at a ridge above us. “There are supposed to be some caves up there and an amazing view.”
He studied the mountain. “Take your radios, and be back by dark.”
“Better take a flare, too, just in case,” Dimitri said.
We made a face at each other. The chances of running into anything more dangerous than a mountain lion up here were slim. If we couldn’t fight off a cougar, we might as well go back to junior training.
Naomi waved to me, and I walked over to where she stood by our tent with Anna and Teresa. I grabbed the small hiking pack from my backpack and stuffed my water bottle inside along with a radio, a small flashlight, and my phone. We had no cellular service up here, but I wanted to get some photos for Mom. She couldn’t leave her patients to come with us this time.
Victoria and Elsie joined us, and we set out. I couldn’t resist casting a last look around for Ronan, and I spotted him disappearing into the woods farther along the lakeshore. I pictured him shifting and running through the trees, and I wished I was with him. This was only a three-day trip, but I already missed being able to go off alone with him.
A colorful carpet of fallen leaves crunched under our feet as we entered the woods and began our ascent. The slope grew steeper as we climbed until we had to hold onto the skeletal branches to pull us up. The higher we went, the colder the air got, causing our breaths to come out in steamy puffs.
It took us twenty minutes to reach the ridge. From this vantage point, we had a sweeping view of the entire lake and the surrounding plateau. The woods were a canvas of rich colors from the thick evergreens to the blanket of red and gold leaves on the ground. The turquoise lake glittered like diamonds in the sun, and the figures standing on the shore looked no bigger than ants.
Naomi uncapped her water bottle. “Now this was worth the climb.”
“Totally.” I took out my phone and snapped a few panoramic photos. I scanned our surroundings and pointed to a rock formation a hundred yards away. “I think the first cave is behind that.”
“Lead the way.” Anna waved for me to go ahead of them.
I made my way along the wide ledge and around the outcropping where I was greeted by an icy blast of air. Tufts of yellow grass grew among the rocks, and there were patches of snow and ice that made the path a little treacherous. I walked another dozen yards, and the terrain leveled into a small grassy area strewn with a few large rocks. On the other end, the way was blocked by a pile of boulders and smaller rocks deposited by an old rock slide. To my right, the ground sloped upward, and twenty feet above me was a dark crevice.
“Found it,” I called over my shoulder. I waited for the others to catch up before I climbed to the cave entrance. It was wide enough for a large man to fit through, and after a few feet it expanded into a cavern no more than fifteen feet across with a tunnel at the other end.
I took out my flashlight, expecting it to be dark inside the cave, but there were smaller crevices that let in light. It was enough to make out the streaks of mineral in the walls along with something that looked like quartz. Light came from the tunnel as well, indicating another opening down there.
“Cool,” said Anna as she entered the cave behind me. Her voice echoed through the cave and down the tunnel.
The others filed in. Teresa sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. “What’s that smell?”
“Bat guano,” Anna answered. From somewhere in the tunnel came a chirp and the flutter of leathery wings.
Elsie made a face. “Ugh.”
“If you say you’re afraid of bats, I’m going to need to reevaluate our friendship,” Anna told her.
“I am not scared of bats.” Elsie took off her gloves and rooted in her pack. She pulled out a stocking cap and tugged it down over her hair. “I don’t want to have to wash guano from my hair when we get back. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t pack shampoo for this trip.”
Everyone snickered, but we all covered our heads with caps and hoods. I was hoping to sneak a few minutes with Ronan later, and stinking of bat dung wouldn’t exactly set a romantic mood.
Anna led the way into the narrow tunnel, which curved downward. A few small slits in the rock let in enough light to guide us. We walked for two minutes and came to a branch in the tunnel. The right side went farther into the mountain, and the left led to a smaller cavern lit by an entrance large enough for us to exit through.
“Right or left?” Anna asked.
I checked my watch. “Left. There’s another cave I’d like to check out before we head back.”
“Left it is.” She ducked through the opening and entered the cavern.
I followed her and grinned when I saw the low ceiling. I was the only one who didn’t have to stoop.
I peered through the cave entrance and discovered it opened to the same grassy area but on the other side of the rock slide. We’d have to go back through this cave to return to camp.
“Damn it,” Elsie muttered. “I lost one of my gloves. It must be in the first cave.”
“You can get it on the way back,” I said.
She turned to the tunnel. “I might need it. Give me a few minutes to run back and get it.” She disappeared through the opening, and we could hear her footsteps as she hurried up the tunnel.
I stepped outside, and I had to shield my eyes from the sun after the dim cave interior. Finding a rock to sit on, I took out my water bottle and drank. The others did the same while we waited for Elsie to return.
A tickle of awareness at the back of my neck was my first warning we were no longer alone. I leaped to my feet and spun to face a huge tawny cougar standing beside a boulder thirty feet away. Piercing amber eyes locked with mine, and I was startled by the intelligence gleaming in them. I knew this was no ordinary cougar before the cat curled back its upper lip to reveal four-inch fangs.
Someone gasped behind me as a second werecougar appeared atop the boulder. One by one, more cougars walked into view until eight of them faced us. They watched us with narrowed eyes, their muscles bunched as if they were about to spring at any second. Werecougars were aggressive by nature, but they didn’t normally provoke a fight unless they felt threatened.
“What do you want?” I asked in a loud clear voice. A group this large had to be a hunting party, and they went after large prey such as elk and deer, which they were unlikely to find up here.
None of them moved except the two baring their fangs at us. If they thought that would intimidate us, they were in for a disappointment. Werecougars derided anyone who showed them fear or weakness, so the only way to handle this was to match their aggressive stance.
I crossed my arms. “I’m not a mind reader. Tell us why you’re here or leave.”
Several pairs of eyes dropped to the knife on my hip, which was now visible to them. The cougar on the boulder jumped down to the other side, and seconds later, a girl no older than me with strawberry blonde hair walked out, her breast bared and her lower half hidden behind her friends.
The girl’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “We will ask the questions.”
“Fine. Go ahead,” I said since I was apparently the unofficial spokesperson of my group.
She stared at me for a moment, clearly surprised by my response. “What are you and your friends doing here?”
I looked down at my hiking clothes and held my arms out from my sides. “We’re hiking. What does it look like we’re doing?”
“Few humans come up here this time of year, and those that do are not armed.” Her eyes moved over us. “And they do not know what we are. You did as soon as you saw us, which tells me only one thing. You were looking for us.”
“Bzzt! Wrong on all counts.” I held up my hand and began ticking off each finger. “First of all, we are Mohiri, not human. Second, we are hardly armed to the teeth. Third, even a moron knows normal cougars don’t travel in groups or have fangs that big.”
A ripple went through the werecougars, and the girl spat. “We’ve heard of you demons. You call yourselves protectors of humans, but all you want is to rule over everyone.”
I scoffed. “This is getting us nowhere. Why don’t you tell us what you want, and go on your way?”
She folded her arms over her breasts. “We will leave, but we are taking you with us.”
“And why would you want to do that?” I let my hands rest on my hips, my right one within reach of my knife.
Her teeth gnashed. “My brother Felix and his girlfriend Lena were kidnapped last month, and now we find Mohiri sneaking around our territory, no doubt to spy on us. We will take you to our elders, and they will decide what to do with you.”
Their presence and aggression suddenly made sense. Mom had told us the Oregon werecougars were riled up since the kidnapping, and I didn’t blame them. That didn’t mean my friends and I would meekly become captives ourselves.
“I’m sorry about your brother, but we had nothing to do with that,” I said in a softer tone. “My best friend was kidnapped, too, and we have been doing everything we can to find her and the other people taken.”
She scoffed. “A nice story. You expect us to believe someone kidnapped one of the mighty Mohiri?”
“She’s not Mohiri. She’s a werewolf.” I choked a little on the last word and covered it with a cough.
The werecougars moved restlessly, and the smallest one looked back at the girl. For a moment, she wore an expression of vulnerable uncertainty, but her face hardened again. “You can tell your story to the elders and see if they believe you.”
“And what will your elders say when I tell them we aren’t even in your territory?” I asked. “You’re from Oregon, and this is Idaho.”
She faltered and said, “We are close enough to it. No more talking. You will lay down your weapons and come with us now.”
“I don’t think so.” Anna strode over to stand beside me.
Naomi appeared on my other side. Victoria and Teresa took up positions next to her. I wondered briefly where Elsie was, but I forgot about it when all but the smallest werecougar spread out in a circle around us.
“Defensive positions,” Naomi ordered.
The five of us drew our knives and moved into a circle with our backs to each other. I still faced the girl, who appeared less confident than she had a minute ago. The look in her eyes said she wouldn’t back down now and lose face in front of her friends. I didn’t want to fight them, but I would to protect my friends and me.
“You are outnumbered, and your knives are no match for us,” she said loudly. “This is your last chance to surrender.”
None of us responded. She and I were locked in a stare down until she broke it to shift back to her cougar form. For a long moment, no one moved.
There was a rush of movement behind me, but I didn’t take my eyes off the cougars. Naomi lunged, and a werecougar let out a pained yowl.
Two cougars ran at Anna and me. I waited until mine was about to pounce, and then I slashed my blade, nicking both of his front legs. I didn’t want to kill them, only make them give up and leave.
Hot pain scored my cheek when one of his claws made contact. His wide eyes told me he hadn’t meant to hurt me, and I felt bad when he limped away.
“Stop this,” I shouted at the leader who hadn’t moved yet. “We don’t want to hurt you.”
For a second, I thought she was going to listen to me. My heart sank when she screamed and came at me. Her enraged eyes and snarling mouth told me she meant to do more than take me down. The cougar I’d injured tried to cut her off, but she leaped over him and closed the distance between us.
“Dani!” Anna yelled, but I blocked out everything except the charging cougar.
She pounced, her claws aiming for my throat. At the last second, I dropped to my knees, and she sailed over me. I was back on my feet in a second and whirled to make sure none of my friends were hurt by her attack. Naomi and Anna had pulled Teresa and Victoria out of the way just in time.
The female cougar spun and roared. My stomach twisted at the realization she wasn’t going to stop until someone made her stop.
“Felicity, no,” shouted a boy.
She leaped at me. Expecting me to kneel again, she swiped a paw beneath her. I jumped to the side, and her fur brushed my face as she flew past.
Something hit the ground hard behind me. I whirled and nearly fell over the cougar lying on her side, the hilt of a knife protruding from her chest.
