Shadow Read online

  “Beauty?” The snarl was recognizable.

  Beauty rushed into the living room to gape at Shadow. He was naked, his body tense, every muscle from his shoulders to his thighs defined. He sniffed, his head jerked her way and he stepped completely inside the cabin. The door slammed with one forceful shove of his hand, he locked it and revealed his fangs.

  “Go upstairs to my bedroom.”

  “Holy shit,” Breeze mumbled. “Impressive. I guess the sex was amazing. He wants you bad.”

  Shadow’s furious expression changed to confusion before glancing down his body. “Shit.” He cupped his semi-erect cock, attempting to hide it with one hand, frowning. His gaze shifted from Beauty to Breeze. “Human intruders have been scented a few miles from here inside the Wild Zone.” He glanced at Beauty. “Go upstairs, stay away from the windows and toss me down some pants.” He took a deep breath. “Please.”

  He spun away, marching toward the closet, revealing his beefy ass. “There’s a shotgun and ammo in the kitchen above the fridge, Breeze. Secure that area.”

  “I’m on it.” Breeze dropped the lunchmeat package aside and jerked her head toward the stairs at Beauty. “Move it. Get him some pants and avoid the windows.” She spun away and jerked open the cabinet that stored the weapon. “How many, Shadow? Are they armed?”

  “At least four, possibly more.” Shadow yanked open the closet and withdrew a duffle bag. “Officers are hunting them but that’s all we know.”

  Beauty rushed up the stairs. Her hands shook as she yanked open dresser drawers to find a pair of sweats and then darted out of Shadow’s room. “Here.” She tossed them over the balcony so they landed on the floor below.

  Shadow appeared in seconds, a handgun gripped in his fist. He tilted his head to look directly at her. “I want you inside the bathroom, curled into a ball in the tub. You’ll be safe from stray gunfire.”

  She wanted to protest. “I could fight with you if they come.”

  His horrified expression hurt. “No. Go where it is safe. Now, Beauty.”

  He put the gun on the table and bent to tug the sweatpants up his legs. Breeze appeared gripping the shotgun and paused by his side. A box of ammunition showed under her shirt where she’d stuffed it to keep her hands free to use the weapon.

  “The door in the kitchen is locked and I shoved the table in front of it. We’ll hear them if they attempt to enter the cabin that way.” She glanced at the front door. “Do you want to cover the front or the back?”

  “You take the front and I’ll take the back. Humans tend to be sneaky and think we’re stupid. They would choose to attack us from behind if their intent is to steal the Gift.”

  Shadow’s words stunned Beauty. “Why would they come for me?”

  Breeze glanced up, anger clear on her face. “You heard Shadow. Get inside that tub and stay down!”

  They think I’m useless. It stung as Beauty backed out of their sight but stayed close enough to hear their conversation.

  “Do you think they are really after her?” Breeze lowered her voice. “How would they know where to find her?”

  “There were meetings about us coming to Reservation, weren’t there?” He growled his words, obviously still furious. “Why else would they suddenly breach this area? It’s less protected than Homeland. Someone must know she’s here.”

  “I don’t know.” The shotgun pumped—a distinctive sound. “The humans really are curious about Species females. Justice and the council have purposely avoided our pictures being publicized by using victim laws to protect our privacy. They might just want to take pictures. Humans would know she couldn’t put up much of a fight. She’d be the perfect target in that case. They might also be after her for ransom if we do have another leak of information. Gifts are our weakest members and they think we’d pay the most for them.”

  Shadow hesitated. “The asshole who owned her wants her back. I know I’d do anything to retrieve her if she were taken from me. I made it my business to learn about him after I met Beauty. The few guards captured when she was rescued stated the human was obsessed with her. They feared death by him for allowing her to be taken.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Breeze snarled. “I didn’t think of that. He was one of the rich Mercile investors. He’d have the resources to send humans after her and he was never caught.”

  “It won’t happen,” he swore viciously. “No one is taking her from me.”

  Master. Beauty’s knees gave out and she sank to the carpet as memories assaulted her. He would do anything to get her back if he felt he could. Just the thought of returning to her old life made her feel sick to her stomach. She’d be locked back inside a dark basement, only being brought out when he wanted to dress her up like the doll he thought her to be. Guards would taunt her again, terrify her and attempt to starve her into submission.

  She wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, hugging hard as the chills hit. Worse, the men hired to come after her would have to kill Shadow and Breeze to be able to take her from Reservation. No way would either Species allow her to be returned to the monster who’d held her captive all her life as long as they were breathing. That bit of knowledge drove the terror back.

  It’s not happening. No! Anger surged as she climbed to her unsteady legs and entered Shadow’s room. He kept weapons there too. She wasn’t going back to that hell. Never again would she be forced to suffer the touch of a man she hated. No guards would call her cruel names while they tormented her with threats of rape and molestation. She’d rather die first.

  Shadow’s bag had at least six weapons of different sizes. She grabbed one of the smallest handguns, testing it in her hand. It was heavy and cold. It should have a safety. She located it, making sure it was off and kept the muzzle pointed away from her body. It wouldn’t do if she accidently shot herself.

  She crept toward the closed window and peeked outside at the woods. There was no movement except for signs that it was a little windy. For once she wished she had the extremely heightened Species sense of smell—primate wasn’t as keen as canine or feline.

  Her heart rate remained unsteady, part fear, part anger. Shadow and Breeze were in danger. No way would she curl up and hide in a metal tub while they fought, if it came down to it. They might think her useless but she didn’t agree. No one had ever really given her the chance to prove she wasn’t defenseless but she’d managed to attack Torrent.

  Time crawled as the occasional whisper could be heard from below. Breeze and Shadow talked too low for her to pick up the words but she tensed when one of them growled. It had to mean they’d seen or sensed something they didn’t like.

  “Fuck,” Breeze said louder. “Tree trunks don’t move but that’s what I just saw. They are wearing expensive camouflage clothing. I’ve got motion in two locations.”

  “Three on this side,” Shadow snarled. “There are more than four.”

  “I’m calling it in on my cell phone.” There was a pause. “I have no signal.”

  “There should be.”

  Beauty had to agree. She’d called Breeze from her cell phone without trouble.

  “They must have taken out the antenna that boosts the signal this far out.” Breeze’s voice deepened in rage. “Do you have a satellite phone? They can’t stop us from using one of those.”

  “It’s upstairs.”

  “I’m on it,” Beauty called out, happy to do something.

  “I told you to get inside the tub,” Shadow snarled loudly.

  She ignored him to stride to the dresser. She’d seen one of the phones in the top drawer and pulled it out. It took her a few seconds to figure out how to turn it on. The Reservation number was programmed into the memory. She couldn’t get a signal.

  “Oh no. It doesn’t work.”

  “Bring it down,” Breeze snapped, her hearing keen.

  “No,” Shadow protested. “Stay up there where it is safer.”

  “We need help.” Breeze’s tone lowered. “They are approaching slow