Winter Eve

Chapter 7

“This will be the only form of communication.” Cameron’s firm tone drew Nevan’s gaze from Danica to the Enforcer handing a tiny earpiece to Jared. The large male rolled his eyes and put the device in his ear. Cameron glared at her brother. “I mean it. No mind linking. And no shifting.”

Danica held an identical earpiece in front of Nevan’s face. “Right or left?”

Nevan focused back on Danica’s green gaze. He smiled and reached for it. She jerked it back, shaking her head. “Let me.”

“Right.” Shifting to allow her to secure the earpiece in place, he ran his fingers through her hair.

She shivered and locked gazes with him. “I still don’t like this.”

“It has to be done. I’ll always be the human to them otherwise.”

Her shoulders dropped. “I know.” She leaned into him, pressing her breast against his chest. “But you’re my human.”

Snaking his arms around her, he captured her lips unconcerned of the others in the room until someone cleared their throat. They broke the kiss, and Danica stepped aside. Nevan gave her hand a light squeeze and moved toward the door.

He stepped out into the cold winter evening. At least it’s not snowing, again. He drew in a deep breath, taking in the crisp, clean mountain air around him. The only sound was the tops of the trees swaying in the breeze. It was as though nature knew what was about to happen and waited for the show to begin.

Cameron and Blaine walked around him and down the stairs. Blaine looked toward the sky. “Cam and I will watch the south boundary; the wolves have the north.”

Nevan walked down the stairs and took in the surrounding forest. The wolves Blaine spoke of were two more Enforcers, Hayden and Dane. Nevan had met them briefly when they arrived. For the first time, he’d sensed a tension between the males, but he brushed it off as being the difference between the wolves and cats. It was definitely going to be fun to witness how these different packs coexisted in one small town.

Jared stepped up beside him. In sync, they nodded and jogged off into the forest in different directions.

Nevan stopped several yards into the thick forest and listened, using his empathy to connect to the world around him. It was what gave him the edge and allowed him to meet his brothers head-on when they’d competed as teens. Apparently, he was one of the few humans sensitive to the energy levels around him. To people outside his paranormal family, he simple explained it as “just a feeling,” but to his family, and now Danica, he was free to use his empathic gift to the fullest.

Kneeling down, he placed a palm against the base of a large oak. A light thumping vibration met his touch. The deer. He smiled, stood and cut left as soundlessly as he could.

When he came to a small clearing, he stilled and listened again. A sound too heavy to be a deer drew his attention to the left. Jared moved silently through the trees. Just then a deer darted into his sight. Crouching down, Nevan prepared to chase the animal. But, the deer stopped, stood still as stone for a moment, and then one ear moved as if detecting something. Nevan remained crouched, trying not to make a sound.

Without warning, the deer took off. Jared ran after it. Cursing, Nevan chased them. Something was out there. “I’m picking up something. Do any of you see or hear anything?”

Blaine’s voice came through the radio first. “Not where I am. Hayden?”

“Nope, all clear. Dane and I will split up.”

“Jared?” Nevan prompted.

“Spooked, human?” Jared’s arrogant and taunting tone came over the radio.

Nevan clenched his teeth together. “No. There is another animal out here, bigger than the deer.”

The cat snorted. “We’re all animals, Doc. I thought you were smart enough to know that.”

Arrogant ass. He was about to send back his own taunt when Jared gritted out a curse out.

“Fuckin’ rogue!”

That phrase was all Nevan needed to push his legs as fast as they could go. “Location,” he barked.

No answer. “Jared!”

He skidded to a halt when a man stepped in front of him. It took a few seconds to recognize him.

“Dane, right?”

“Yeah. Jared’s not responding to mind-link either.” Dane shook his head. Cam had warned the male not to use it earlier, but he’d thought nothing of it.

“Jared’s Cam’s brother, which connects him directly to Keegan.”

Nevan nodded. Now it made sense. The Enforcers had to form a blood bond with the Alpha or, in this case, both Alphas—Keegan and Luna—in order to protect the packs. The bond formed a tight inner circle that gave them the strength they needed. Apparently, mind linking was one of those strengths.

He took a step forward, only to have Dane grab his arm. “I have orders to bring you to the cabin.”

Nev narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to find Jared.”

Dane shook his head and growled. “You are one stubborn SOB, you know that?”

“Yep.”

A howl of pain cut through the night air, sending a cold shiver up Nevan’s spine. He jogged ahead, following the sound. With his senses, he searched for any sign of Jared. After a few seconds, he found a faint connection to the cat and started to run.

“Are you sure you’re not a shifter?” Dane ran beside him.

“Yes, I’m sure. I was raised with them, and I’m empathic.”

“Ah. That explains it.”

Both of them stopped dead. Nevan’s heart sped at the sight of Jared lying in the snow, barely breathing, with his throat ripped open. His blood darkened the snow around him. Nevan dropped to his knees and covered the wound.

Dane barked orders over the line. “Get Sasha, and have her at the cabin when we get there.

Coming on foot. Better yet… Blaine, we need pick up.”

Nevan peered at the wolf, confused. Dane shrugged. “He can teleport.”

Oh, he remembered that now. Danica had mentioned it the day he’d found out the town’s little secret. Ashwood Falls was full of surprises. It was exactly what he needed to get away from his grief-filled life and start over.

Blaine flashed in. “Sasha’s at the house. She came in right after we left.” He looked at Jared, and a tic formed in his temples. “The rogues will pay for this.” He lifted Jared up off the ground, grabbed Nevan’s arm, and flashed them back to the cabin.

After Jared fell silent and the radio cut off, Danica had paced her cabin. Worry ate at her. Her palms felt clammy, and her heart hurt. She didn’t love Jared as a mate would, but she’d never wanted anything to happen to him. Knowledge of a rogue running around didn’t ease her panic.

“I hate not knowing. Shay, can you pick up anything?”

Shay shook her head. “They blocked me.”

The door flew open, making Danica whirl around to see Blaine carrying an unconscious Jared straight to the guest room. Cam and Sasha jumped up to rush after the men while Danica went to gather her medical supplies in case Sasha needed anything. It’d been a long time since her home was used as a medical facility.

When she entered the room, her chest tightened. Cam sat on the edge of the bed, holding her brother’s hand in one of hers and stroking his cheek with the other, providing him with the touch a shifter needs from his family. Danica moved to the other side of the bed where Sasha worked to close up the hole in his throat.

Hovering her hand over his chest, Danica felt the steady beat of his heart. Relief pushed away some of the tension in her body. He was going to be okay.

A few hours later, Danica entered the living room. Everyone, but Sasha, was still there. She’d been called back into town to tend to a couple of juveniles who’d gotten into a fight.

Cam sat up in her chair. “How is he?”

“Resting. He lost a lot of blood and needs to rest.”

The jaguar nodded. “Can I see him?”

Danica nodded and Cameron stood to go see her brother.

Blaine pushed off the wall he’d been supporting to take charge of the group. “We need to get back.” The other Enforcers stood, said their farewells, and left. Blaine turned to Nevan and extended his hand. “Welcome to the pack.”

Confused, Nevan took his hand in a firm handshake. “I didn’t win.”

“No, but you reacted like a Pack member protecting his own. That shows loyalty. Plus, we need a good shrink to help the youth deal with the combining of the Packs.”

Nevan smiled, making Danica’s heart skip a beat. “Are you offering me a job?”

Blaine shrugged. “If you stay, you work.” He nodded to Danica and dematerialized.

Danica wrung her hands in front of her. Fear of losing him hung between them. He stepped forward, cupped her face, and kissed her softly. “I guess I’m the town shrink.”

All her tense feelings and insecurity melted away, and she flung her arms around him in a tight hug. “I love you, Nev.”

“I love you, too. Now let’s go complete this mating.”

She pulled back to study him. “Are you sure? I mean it really is until death. That could be hundreds of years considering you would take my lifespan.”

His smile and the wicked gleam in his gaze sent heat to her sex. “I think I can handle it.”

The End Coming soon in the Ashwood Falls series, A Tiger’s Claim