The Rising

THIRTY-THREE

I MEANT TO KEEP at their pace, but it was infuriating. The campsite was clear across the park. I could be there in a few minutes. I could know if the guys were there in a few minutes. I could know if Daniel was okay in a few minutes. Finally, Rafe told me to go off ahead. He could see me and if they lost me, he’d shout.

We’d found the right path already. It was overgrown in parts, with downed branches in others—not a popular route—but in cat form it seemed like an open highway, as I leaped over every obstacle with barely a hitch in my speed.

Rafe had to call me once and I circled back at warp speed, heart racing with impatience until I heard him yell, “Gotcha. Go on,” and I tore off again. I think he might have called again, but I pretended not to hear. I was almost there. I could easily return for them. I raced around the last bend so fast I missed seeing a rodent hole until the last second. My paw hit the edge of the hole and I stumbled.

Pain ripped through my foreleg. I forced myself up and gingerly touched my paw down. A fresh stab of pain. I gritted my teeth—which doesn’t really work that well in cat form—and limped forward. I was almost there. Just through these trees and—

The clearing was empty.

I stopped and stood there, flanks heaving with panic. They weren’t here. Their faint smell was at least a day old. Maybe two, meaning they hadn’t come back after Daniel got hit.

I limped forward. Something rustled and I spun to see a burger wrapper caught in a bush. I went over, put my nose to it, and inhaled. It smelled like Corey. We hadn’t eaten burgers before the memorial service. So he’d come back. But where was he now, and—

Another smell hit me as I backed away. Copper. Blood. I stumbled to it and found dried blood seeped into the ground. The spot smelled like Daniel. Oh, God.

Where was he? Had Corey taken him to a hospital? Please, Corey, tell me you took him to a hospital, no matter how much he argued.

I took off, using my sore leg and not caring as I barreled through the thick brush, branches scraping and poking me until—

“Whoa!”

I looked over to see Corey down a path, his hands raised.

“Holy hell, please tell me that’s you, Maya.”

I hesitated, nose in the air, searching the breeze. Searching, searching . . .

I caught it. I ripped around fast enough to send Corey scrambling for cover. I barreled past him and into another clearing, where I saw a blond head bent over a fire pit, trying to get it started.

As I raced toward the fire pit, Daniel looked up. He grinned. He didn’t even look to see if the big cat bearing down on him bore my birthmark. He just opened his arms and let me race to tackle him, stopping and skidding at the last moment as I remembered he was hurt, but it was too late and I skidded right into him and knocked him over, and he only hugged me and laughed and whispered, “I knew you’d come back.”

“Yep, that’s Maya,” Corey said from behind us.

Daniel gave me a bear hug as I wriggled like a kitten, my sore paw forgotten as I rubbed against him, inhaling his scent, letting my pounding heart slow. I snuffled him, trying to find where he was hurt, but he only laughed as if it tickled. I reached up and licked his face. He let out a sputtering laugh and fell back again.

“I see you found them,” a voice said.

I looked over my shoulder to see Rafe and Hayley walk out of the woods. Rafe’s gaze was fixed on me, his expression cool, and I scrambled off Daniel as guilt darted through me.

“Yep, she did,” Daniel said, giving me one last pat before pushing to his feet. He walked over to Rafe and grasped his hand. “Good to see you.”

Rafe looked abashed, then covered it with a forced grin. I took a deep breath to still my thumping heart again.

When I relaxed, my paws started throbbing again, telling me the return shift was coming. I walked to Rafe, took the dangling leg of my jeans between my teeth and tugged him toward the woods.

“Do you want to take the clothes, or . . . ?” he began.

I let go and motioned to the forest.

“Ah,” he said, grinning. “Be back, guys. Time to offer moral support, apparently.”

He followed me into the forest. When we were out of sight of the others, he set my clothing on a log, then crouched in front of me.

“Okay, you do your thing. I won’t look until you’re decent. But if anyone asks? I totally looked.”

I licked his face.

“Yow. That stings. Like being kissed with sandpaper.”

He smiled, then walked to the log and sat with his back to me. I lowered myself to the ground, and almost as soon as I did I passed out, as if my body had just been waiting for its cue.

When I woke, my arm felt better, as if it had only been temporarily twisted. I crept over, took my clothing, and dressed. Rafe stayed with his back turned until I sat down beside him.

“Fully dressed?” he said. “Damn.”

“Sorry. Next time I’ll leave my socks off.”

He laughed and got to his feet. Before we left, he pulled me into a kiss.

“Happy now?” he murmured.

I looked up at him. “Very happy.”

“Good. Now go do your healing mojo. Let’s make sure he’s okay.”

When Rafe and I stepped onto the path, there was a guy walking ahead of us. I saw the slim figure, the dark gray T-shirt, the chestnut brown hair, and I froze.

“Ash?”

He turned, and I raced down the path and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him as his armload of sticks jabbed me.

“I thought you’d left,” I whispered.

“Why would I?” he said, wriggling out of my embrace.

“Hey,” Rafe said. “You must be Maya’s brother. I’m—”

“I know who you are.” Ash turned to me. “You okay?”

I nodded. “The Nasts aren’t going to mistreat potential future employees.”

He didn’t ask how I got away. He knew he’d get the story eventually.

As we stood there in silence I rocked on my heels, resisting the urge to embrace him again. I could tell that would not be welcome. “I’m really glad to see you here. I was sure you’d leave.”

“Why?”

“Um, because I was taken captive. And you were nearly taken captive.”

He snorted. “I don’t spook that easy. And if they took you, I’m sure as hell not running away, not after you got yourself captured trying to protect me.” A glare. “Which was stupid.” He didn’t pause to let me reply. “You needed my help, so I stayed. That’s what I came here for, isn’t it? Getting you out of this mess you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“Gotten herself into?” Rafe said.

“Well, thank you.” I said to Ash. “For staying.” I turned to Rafe. “Although he says he knows who you are, I’m still going to annoy him by being all polite about it. Rafe, this is my brother, Ash. Ash, this is Rafe. My boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I figured that when I heard he was taking your clothes to you.”

“You were around earlier?” I said.

He shrugged. “Getting firewood. Didn’t want to interfere with you and Daniel.” A glower at Rafe. “I’m going to strongly suggest you don’t go with my sister next time she shifts. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Rafe’s words were brittle, but Ash didn’t seem to notice. Or didn’t care. Just waved me back to the campsite.