Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Cedara

Ipad barefoot over the thick carpet of pine needles, trying to find my bearings. I know that I've spent endless hours out here, but now, confused, disoriented, nothing is familiar anymore.

Flashes of memory tumble through my mind – the terror of seeing my family caged, the desperation as I prowled around that awful place, searching for a way in. I know I shouldn't linger here, that every moment they're in there risks their safety and mine.

God. What am I doing?

My steps slow as confusion clouds my thoughts. Where am I going? What am I searching for? I should turn back, make for the cover of the trees where I can keep watch. And yet…an inexplicable force tugs me onward, a call I can't ignore. The pull intensifies with each stride until I find myself walking down a well-defined trail.

You shouldn't be here!

I've steered clear of every type of human structure since I've been out in this place. Yet here I am, half-walking, half-jogging along a path that will surely lead to the entrance of that hellhole. I wrap my arms around myself, shivering against the cool air…and maybe more.

I've lost my mind.

But I keep going, my steps speeding up, moving quickly. Until footsteps pound from up ahead, steady, rhythmic, coming toward me.

Shit! Hide!

I don't. I keep moving…moving faster in the direction of the sound, that invisible rope drawing me forward until the footsteps stop.

And there he is – the stranger from before. The man who is like me.

Our eyes meet, and I freeze, a rabbit caught in the gaze of the wolf. Except I was the wolf before. And he was my prey.

I can't think about that now.

I'm naked.

That wouldn't normally bother me – I've been naked in front of males before – it's how we come back from a shift, after all. But now, I feel naked in a way that I've never felt before. Although, his eyes haven't even dipped below my chin. They're still locked with mine.

My breath hitches. Even with the distance between us, I can scent blood on him. The same blood that was on my hands. I can still taste the wildness of him. The undeniable…maleness. For an eternity, we stand there, lost in a moment that extends beyond natural time. And again, I feel it… That pull. Heat blossoms in my cheeks as that strange, bewildering connection sparks between us once more.

It's you!

And then, before I can figure out what he's about to do, he's striding toward me, coming to a halt directly in front of me. He towers over me. I stop breathing, every fiber of me taut with tension. I can feel his warmth, inhale him, and for one foolish moment, I want to lean forward and bury my face in his chest. But suddenly, he's unzipping his jacket and shrugging it off his broad, powerful shoulders. I blink at him in confusion as he swings the garment around behind me. The leather is warm, softened from long wear, the grain of the hide rich with his scent. Unwittingly, I breathe in deeply.

"Put it on. We need to get out of here." His voice is deep and ripples over me.

"What?" I stare at him stupidly, the word thick on my clumsy tongue. But obediently, I fumble to get my arms in the sleeves. He tugs the jacket closed over my chest, zipping it up over my exposed breasts in a way that's almost clinical. The ends of the sleeves dangle inches past my fingertips, the heavy hem skimming my knees.

He must outweigh me by a hundred pounds…and yet, I overpowered him, tasted his blood. I know it's his. There's no doubt in my mind. I attacked him…took him down. Now that his jacket is off, I can see that his shirt is in tatters, strips of bare flesh exposed by the rips in the fabric.

Did I do that? How?

I've seen him in his wolf form – he could take out my beast without breaking a sweat.

It doesn't make sense.

"This place is going to be crawling with cops any minute now." He glances around us before locking eyes with me again. "They're hunting wolves."

Ice floods my veins. "I don't… Who…?"

"Barrett." He says the name in an off-hand manner as he looks around us again. "I'm Barrett," he says again, facing me, his expression switching to one of determination. "Come! This way." His grip on my arm is light but firm as he leads me from the path and into the undergrowth. "There's an overhang in the rocks up beyond the trees here. A cave behind it. I found it when I first got here. Been using it to camp out. We can hide there until things settle."

I stumble without resistance in the direction he's guiding me. It doesn't occur to me to fight him.

Barrett…

His name is Barrett.

It rolls around my mouth the way his blood did. A piece of him within me. A piece of him that's mine.

Cedara! What the hell?

I shake my head to clear my insane thoughts, focusing on the route ahead as I try hard not to scamper to keep up with him.

We don't speak for the minutes it takes for us to disappear from the trail, the trees swallowing us. He's taken my hand in his, his fingers warm around mine as he tugs me along with him.

Why am I letting him hold my hand?

I know I should pull away, but it just feels so right.

When we finally reach the steep incline where the trees begin to thin and rocks start to take their place, the footing grows more treacherous. I try not to flinch as I pick my way over the uneven ground; my feet are sensitive after all this time that I've been on paws. I hide my discomfort, not wanting to slow us. The sound of shouting has begun to build in the woods behind us.

They're coming!

The thought spurs me on, but still, I hesitate as we take a sharp turn and stop at a towering rock face. When I glance up, I see the overhang I'm sure he was talking about. It's overlooking a deep pool, a waterfall tumbling from it, churning up white waves. It's odd to be struck by its beauty in this moment, but I am.

"Around here," he says, leading me behind the falling water and past the rocks until we reach the mouth of a cave. I pause, staring into the inky blackness within. My pulse throbs in my ears as a wave of trepidation washes over me.

"It's the safest place for now." Barrett's deep voice comes from beside me. "We can't risk being out in the open with the cops swarming in. Especially not looking like this." His voice grows wry.

I glance over at him, my eyes traveling over the tattered remnants of his shirt. Claw marks rake across the blood-stained fabric, and I wince inwardly as I recall my teeth sinking into his flesh. The memory is less foggy now.

"I…I did that to you," I murmur, shame burning my cheeks.

He follows my gaze down to his shredded clothing and shrugs one broad shoulder. "Occupational hazard. I should've known better than to startle a wolf with a fresh kill." A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "No hard feelings."

I shake my head slowly, marveling at his nonchalance. If our roles were reversed, I'm not sure I could be so blasé about being viciously attacked. "Still…I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He takes a step closer, the scent of leather and woodsmoke and something uniquely him wrapping around me. "We're the same, you and me. Wolves recognize each other, even in human form."

My breath catches at his words as that strange connection between us hums to life once more. I can't tear my gaze away from the intensity blazing in his dark eyes.

"Now, are you coming?" He nods toward the cave entrance. "Or would you rather take your chances out here when the cops roll through?"

I swallow hard and force my leaden feet to move, ducking into the shadows of the cave. It's not a large space, more of an alcove, really, but it will shield us for now. Barrett follows close behind, his shoulders brushing mine as he squeezes past. The dim light filtering in from the entrance is just enough to make out his strong features, the sharp line of his jaw…the fullness of his lips…

Get a grip, Cedara!

I give myself a mental shake, pressing deeper into the cave to put some space between us. What is wrong with me? This man – this wolf – is a complete stranger. And yet…I can't deny the pull I feel toward him, this undeniable sense that we are intrinsically linked somehow.

Again, I'm aware of being surrounded by his rich scent from the jacket I'm bundled in. I shiver despite the warmth of the leather enveloping me.

"You cold?" His voice rumbles from the shadows. "The water tends to drop the temperature in here."

I hug the jacket tighter around me, shaking my head. "No, I'm…I'm fine."

We lapse into silence, the weight of it stretching between us as the darkness presses in. My thoughts are jumbled, whirling around the enigma of this strange wolf-man. I can't begin to make sense of any of it.

All I know is that it just feels so right being here with him. As crazy as it seems…I feel safe.

Minutes drag by, with me acutely aware of how close he is to me. I force myself to relax, leaning back against the rough surface of the rock behind me.

"You haven't told me your name." His words come from the dark, startling me.

I hesitate for a moment before answering his question. "Cedara," I say finally, my voice muted.

He's silent for a beat. "Cedara," he repeats, rolling the syllables over his tongue. A tremor runs through me at the way my name sounds on his lips. "You okay over there, Cedara?"

There's a gentle concern in his tone that touches something deep inside me. Why is he worried about me? I tore into him not long ago. Yet he appears to genuinely care about my well-being.

"Why are you here?" I blurt out before I can stop myself. "At the sanctuary, I mean. Why were you prowling around there?"

He shifts slightly, and I sense he's about to answer when a chorus of distant shouts cuts through the stillness. I stiffen instantly, every muscle in my body tensing as my instincts take over as the sounds draw nearer.

Then, without warning, I find myself shrinking back against the solid wall of his chest. His arms come around me, strong and secure, enveloping me in his warmth as he pulls me protectively against him. I should resist, fight his hold on me. Instead, I melt into his embrace, letting the steady beat of his heart soothe the wild panic clawing at my ribs.

The men! The men who took us!

Even though I'm sure they're not the same people, memories surge, fear blotting out reason.

"Easy," he murmurs, his breath stirring my hair. "We're safe here. Just stay quiet, and they'll move on."

I nod mutely, forcing myself to control my ragged breathing as the commotion outside grows louder…closer. Barrett's arms tighten fractionally, and I sense he's shielding me with his own body in case anyone finds this hiding place.

The thought of his instinctive protectiveness over me, a woman he doesn't even know, sparks something warm and unfamiliar in me. I tuck my face against the solid plane of his shoulder, breathing him in as the sounds fade into the distance. It's only when it's been silent for what feels like an age that I allow myself to relax again. Yet, when he peels himself away from me, I have to force myself not to cling to him.

"Gonna take a look." He rises smoothly, leaving me hunched on the floor of the cave, my arms curled around my knees, tucked in on myself. I keep feeling flashes of my wolf prowling inside of me, and I realize that many of my reactions are more animal than human.

My eyes track Barrett as he moves silently to the entrance and ducks out of sight. It's only when he returns moments later that it occurs to me that I've been holding my breath. It comes out in a rush as he takes his seat beside me again.

"They're everywhere," he mutters. "More than I'd expected."

"What happened? Why are they doing this?" I want to curl up against him again, but I don't.

"There was an attack at the facility." His expression is grim. "They're blaming the wolves. Hunting them down now."

"No!" My heart stutters. "They're there! My…my family!" I say the words, though part of me is afraid to share this with him.

You can trust him.

I know I can, though I'm not sure why.

"Your family? They're being held there?" He tilts his head as he turns to look at me.

"Yes," I say huskily. "Locked up. All of us."

"That's why you've been staying around here. Because of them." He doesn't phrase it as a question.

I nod anyway. "I got away. I…I killed one of those…men." My mouth tastes bitter as I say it. "Broke free. Got out. Been trying to find a way to get them out, too." I push out the words that feel foreign in my mouth. Guilt washes over me as I think about my mom and the others. I've been so useless, unable to do anything to help them.

"Don't blame yourself," he says, as if reading my mind. "I've been down there, taken a look around. You'd never get in without being caught."

I know this. Still, it hurts. And what hurts more is the knowledge that they're in even more danger now.

"We have to help them!" There's urgency in my voice. I start to rise, but he puts a hand on my arm.

"You can't go out there, Cedara. Certainly not alone. And if we go together, we're going to draw the wrong kind of attention." He's talking about our appearance, I'm certain of it. I tug at the hem of the jacket self-consciously.

"But we can't leave them," I whisper.

"I'll go back." He's on his feet again. "I can move quietly, and I've already managed to sweet talk my way out of a situation with one of them. I can do it again."

In the dim light, I see him frown down at his chest. Then before I know what he's about to do, he unbuttons his shirt and peels it off. I suck in a breath as a sea of bare skin is exposed. Those broad shoulders I'd been aware of…and more. So much more. Muscles move smoothly across his back as his shoulders roll. I keep watching as he strides out of the entrance, then returns moments later, wringing his shirt out. His skin is gleaming as if coated in water. He's washed himself, too.

"It'll look better without, you know…the blood." He grins, then stops as he takes in my expression. I'm staring, my mouth hanging open. I snap it shut. But who could blame me? The view of his front is even better than his back. I swallow hard, tearing my eyes away from the wide expanse of his muscular chest. There's just a smattering of hair there. It leads down in a tiny trail between the defined grooves of his abs.

Pull it together, dammit!

What I should actually be looking at is the torn flesh at the base of his neck. There are faint streaks across his chest that may have been claw marks, but there's a bite mark on his throat that hasn't healed.

Oh God. I did that.

"Uh… Yeah. Good idea," I manage. There has to be something wrong with me. My family is in trouble, and I'm here, gawping at a man like I've never seen a bare chest before.

He's holding the shirt up to the dim light, his lips twisting. "Okay, it's not going to pass any sort of close inspection, but if I pull the edges together and tuck it in firmly…" He looks at me.

Dammit, my mouth's hanging open again.

"Yep. That'll work." I clear my throat. "But… Are you sure? What if…?" I trail off, not quite sure what my question is going to be.

What if they're in trouble?

What if they're gone?

What if you get caught, too?

What if all of that happens?

Each scenario leaves me more worried than the last. Moving closer, he leans down and takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger. The gesture is oddly intimate, surprising me.

"This is what I do, Cedara. If they're there, I'll find a way. Trust me." He straightens. "Now, sit tight. Do not leave this cave for any reason; do you understand me?" He pauses as if waiting for a response. I nod. "Good. I'll be back." He smiles, though his jaw is set, tension radiating from him.

I nod again, gnawing on my lip to stop myself from telling him not to go. Because if he doesn't come back, I'm going to be alone here. Trapped. And then I have no idea what I'm going to do.

I watch him leave.