She glanced over her shoulder and watched as the cave disappeared from sight. She hated to leave. At least there had been the illusion of safety while they’d been tucked inside. Now that they’d left it behind, she felt vulnerable again.
It was only a matter of time until one group of enemies or another found their trail. These were all experienced woodsmen, both hunters and werewolves, and there were God only knows how many of them after her and Joshua. Still, she’d rather be with Joshua than with anyone else. No matter what happened, she’d fight by his side until the end.
It had felt strange, yet amazingly familiar to awake in his arms this morning. It was the second morning in a row she’d done so, but it seemed as if she’d been doing it for years. She hadn’t wanted to leave the comfort and warmth of his large body. He’d held her securely throughout the long night, cradling her against him, keeping her safe while she slept.
Joshua had already been aroused by the time she’d opened her eyes and became aware of her surroundings. There had been no mistaking the rather large erection pressing into her belly. She’d responded immediately, her inner muscles contracting and softening. There was something about Joshua that her body recognized. They belonged together and she planned to make that a reality once this ordeal was over.
They walked in silence, and as the minutes became hours he had to release her hand and go ahead of her to forge a path though the dense woods. He moved silently and easily thought the forest, obviously at home in his surroundings. Every now and then he’d glance over his shoulder to check on her. She always smiled at him, but still his frown deepened.
Truthfully, her feet were killing her again. They’d been pretty good for the first hour, thanks to the extra padding he’d wrapped around them. But now they were beginning to throb again. She passed her time imagining how wonderful it was going to feel to soak them in a tub of warm water. When this was over, she was going barefoot for a week.
He held up his hand as he stopped in his tracks. She immediately came to a halt, knowing he’d sensed or heard something. Silently, he prowled the area before coming to stand beside her. “We have company.” His low, almost toneless words were mouthed next to her ear. She nodded to let him know she understood.
He bent over and quickly unlaced his boots, yanking both them and his socks off quickly. Shucking his jeans, he folded them and handed them to her. Alex swallowed as he turned from her and began to shift.
She’d seen it once, but not like this. This time the man was becoming the beast. Bones cracked and changed, some lengthened and others shortened as he bent forward and placed his palms on the forest floor. Muscles rippled and flowed beneath his skin. Thick black fur seemed to spring from his flesh as his face contorted and his jaw elongated, forming the familiar muzzle of the wolf.
Her heart pounded so loudly she couldn’t even hear her own breathing. She clutched his jeans to her chest, needing something to hold onto. She swayed and stiffened her knees. This was no time to act like a ninny. She knew what he was. Accepted what he was. At least intellectually. This whole change thing was going to take her some time to get used to.
She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to go through this metamorphosis herself. That was something she’d deal with when she had to and not one moment before. Right now, it was taking everything she had in her just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Even though it seemed to take forever, she knew it had only been a matter of seconds. The man was gone. In his place was a powerful, magnificent predator—a huge black wolf—king of the forest.
He turned his head and peered at her through familiar eyes, so dark that they appeared black. There was no doubting the intelligence or determination in that gaze. She’d seen it many times before.
Bending over, she picked up his boots and added them to her load. He was still staring at her when she faced him again, obviously waiting for her. She gave him a quick nod. He turned and loped off ahead of her, his muscular body sliding gracefully across the ground. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Even in this form he was enthralling.
He turned and shot her a disgruntled look. She didn’t need to be able to hear him to read his thoughts. “I’m coming,” she muttered under her breath as she crept as silently as she could behind him.
Chapter Twenty
They’d only been walking stealthily along for about five minutes when Joshua stopped again and ducked behind a cluster of fir trees. Alex quickly followed him, lowering the bundle of clothing to the ground and drawing the hunting knife from its sheath.
She thought about Joshua’s handgun and the two bullets left in it, but felt the knife was the better choice. A gunshot would be heard for miles. She’d use it if necessary, but for now the knife would have to do.
Hunkering down behind the trees, she listened. The woods had gone silent. The birds had stopped singing, the insects were silent, even the wind seemed to pause.
Her fingers squeezed the hilt of the knife. Who was after them this time? Bounty hunter? More werewolves? It didn’t really matter she supposed. An enemy was an enemy.
Joshua tipped his head to one side, as if he were listening intently to something only he could hear. Suddenly, she wished she could change too. If she could transform herself into a wolf then they would be able to speed through the countryside to their destination. She would be a help to him, not a hindrance. If he were by himself, he’d already be back within the safety of the pack.
Her ears perked up as she thought she heard a sound off to the left. It was faint. The sound of something brushing against the leaves that littered the ground. Her hands were moist and she shifted the knife, wiping her hand on her jeans before gripping the hilt again and moving it into position.
The longer she stayed in a crouched position, the more her legs began to cramp and her feet throbbed. But she stayed in the uncomfortable stance. There was no way she was moving until Joshua gave her the okay. His senses were much keener than hers and she knew he was hearing or smelling things she wasn’t able to.
A man stepped out into a small clearing a few feet away from them. He was tall and well built with a wide chest and long, muscular legs. “Striker.” His voice was low, but it carried well. “We’ve taken care of a couple of bounty hunters and a rogue wolf that were on your trail. It’s safe to come out.” He reached behind him and dragged the carcass of a brown wolf into the clearing. Alex recognized it as the one that had escaped from yesterday’s fight.
Joshua didn’t move, but turned his head to study the man. Alex wondered who he was. He obviously knew Joshua. Still, they waited.
“Come on man. We’re your escort back to the compound.” The man turned his head, his long blond hair ruffling in the slight breeze. “I know you’re close. I can smell her.” He turned his face from side to side, his nose in the air as if trying to find her.
Alex buried her face against her knees, huddled closer to the tree and tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. He could smell her? How humiliating was that? She felt something brush against her face and jerked her head up. Joshua rubbed his face against hers as if offering silent comfort.
She reached out, clutching her fingers in his soft fur, needing the reassuring contact. She didn’t think she was ready to meet anyone from his pack yet. But time had obviously run out.
Joshua changed back into human form. The transformation was quick. The strange thing was it was beginning to seem almost natural. And how weird was that? He bent close to her, his hair brushing against her cheek as he whispered in her ear. “You stay here. I’m going to go and talk to Luther.”