Chapter Five
Prophecies
Jonathan’s outburst startled River, but she understood his reaction. She remembered how hard it’d been after Mother’s execution. Every condolence, no matter how sincere, triggered one of two reactions; blinding rage or overwhelming grief. It was easier to just avoid everyone. If Reuben hadn’t given her Sugar to raise and train, River would have gone crazy. The orphaned filly gave her something to focus on other than her own pain.
Jonathan rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. Please, don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying.” River blinked. “I was just thinking about my mother.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
No, River didn’t want to talk about it, but she had pried the information about Franklin out of Jonathan. The least she could do was tell him about Mother. “She died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s been five years and I still miss her so much.”
Jonathan crossed the room in three strides and wrapped his arms around River. “Is this okay?”
She buried her face in his shoulder and nodded. I will not cry.
Jonathan held her head in place with his right hand and rubbed her back with his left forearm.
Ever since she’d been attacked, River didn’t like to be touched by men—except for Reuben, and he hadn’t touched her since rejecting her in the cleansing pool last spring. At first, River had hoped that Reuben would turn to her after Hannah ran away, but he’d only grown more distant. And angry.
Eli had finally asked permission to court her a week after Hannah left, but he didn’t visit her very often. They’d only held hands and even that felt awkward. But this…this felt wonderful. Jonathan’s caresses eased the ache in River’s heart. She hadn’t been hugged since Gabriel offered to mate with her.
Jonathan froze. “This isn’t against the rules, is it?”
“It’s fine.” Eli hadn’t applied for a courtship contract yet, so it wasn’t illegal, just ill-advised.
Jonathan gave her a gentle squeeze then let go and stepped back. “So, what are the rules about this sort of thing?”
River sat on the edge of her bed. “We may embrace each other, as long as we’re both dressed and neither of us are aroused.”
“Okay…” A pink flush spread across Jonathan’s cheeks as he grinned at her, displaying his dimples. “So far, so good. What about kissing and stuff?”
“Stuff?”
“You know, making out?”
River wasn’t familiar with the phrase, ‘making out,’ but she could guess what Jonathan was hinting at. “We aren’t allowed to do anything that might activate the mating instinct until after we merge with our spirit guides.” River gasped. Disclosing information about New Eden’s society to outsiders was forbidden. She covered her face with both hands and shook her head. “Please, don’t ask me any more questions.”
Jonathan knelt in front of her and took her left wrist. He pulled her hand away from her face then interlaced his fingers through hers. “Are you involved with a cult? Do you need help getting out?”
“No!” River tugged her hand out of Jonathan’s and rubbed her sweaty palms on her thighs. She had to convince him not to tell anyone about New Eden, but do it without revealing any more secrets. “My people just want to be left alone. We want to live our lives without outside interference. We aren’t hurting anyone.”
“Really?” Jonathan placed his hand over hers. His cool, dry palm covered her hand completely. His sky blue eyes captured her gaze and held it. “Then why are you so frightened?”
River stood up, dislodging Jonathan’s hand. “I need to go chop more firewood.”
Jonathan moved from his knees to his feet with the grace and balance of a cougar. “I’m not helpless. I can still swing an ax.”
“I need to clear my head. Alone.” River bolted out the door without giving him a chance to argue.
As soon as River stepped outside, she smelled smoke. The north wind snatched the smoke from the quarantine cabin’s chimney too quickly for that to be the source. She couldn’t see the other end of the porch in this weather, much less the cleansing huts, but there was no doubt in her mind that someone was there.
She ran back inside the cabin, slammed the door and pressed her back against it—as if she could keep trouble from finding them.
“That was fast.” Jonathan quirked his mouth into a lopsided grin. “Where’s the wood?”
“We have a problem.”
Jonathan’s eyebrows shot up. “What kind of problem?”
“Enforcers.”
His body tensed, bunching his muscles. “What are enforcers?”
“They guard and protect us.”
“Let me guess, they’re going to see me as some sort of threat?”
River nodded. “Unless I can convince them that you’re my recruit.”
“Maybe I should just leave.”
“You’ll never survive.” River pressed her fingers against her temples. “When they find your body, they’ll know that I brought you here. I’ll be punished.”
“Okay.” Jonathan took a deep breath then exhaled with an audible rush of air. “How do we convince them I’m your recruit?”
“You need to be unhappy with the outside world. You’re opposed to modern industry, pollution and the greed of western civilization. You need to be disillusioned and angry.”
Jonathan’s eyes shifted back and forth as he gazed at her. “I can do that.”
River chewed her thumbnail as she paced the length of the cabin. “We don’t recruit people with family ties. You have to convince them that you’re an orphan or that you’re so estranged from your family that they won’t bother to search for you.”
“Some wacko environmental terrorist bombed my family’s gold mine about two years ago. It made the national news. I could claim I did it to protest my family’s disregard for the environment. That will strengthen my tree-hugger image and make me an outcast.”
“But if that happened two years ago, you’ll need to explain why you waited so long to leave.”
“How about…I had to go to prison for bombing the mine and just now got out?”
River stopped pacing and smiled. “That’s very clever. Stick to the truth about how we met. The fact that you fought a cougar to save my life proves you’re strong and courageous and gives me a reason to recruit you.”
“Anything else? What should I know about your cult?”
“Don’t call it a cult.” River spoke through gritted teeth then sighed. “You don’t need to know anything about our society. Recruits aren’t told much the first few weeks.”
“Okay, then. When do we go meet these enforcers?”
“You aren’t going anywhere. Enforcers tend to shoot first and ask questions later. When the blizzard’s over, I’ll go tell them I’ve recruited you.”
River didn’t have to leave the quarantine cabin after all. Four hours after first smelling smoke, the door burst open. The enforcer’s hooded parka obscured his face. River didn’t recognize him until he shoved it off his head. Eli.
He pointed at Jonathan. “Who the hell is that?”
River moved to step in front of Jonathan but he grabbed her arm and shoved her behind him, using his body to protect hers. If Jonathan weren’t an outsider, River would have sworn he was an alpha. She leaned around him and locked gazes with Eli. “Jonathan is my recruit.”
“Recruit?”
“That’s what I said. Are you deaf?”
Eli’s nostrils flared. “Where did you find a recruit? You aren’t allowed outside our borders.”
“He was wandering around in the buffer zone.”
Eli took off his parka then turned his attention to Jonathan. “What’s your story?”
Jonathan glanced at River then recited everything just the way they’d rehearsed it. It seemed to be going fine, until he got to the part about setting off a bomb in the mine.
; Eli whipped his hunting knife out of his boot and lunged at Jonathan.
River gulped a lungful of air, but before she could shout a warning, Jonathan grabbed Eli’s wrist, twisted his arm around, and pressed the knife against Eli’s throat. The knife was still in Eli’s hand, but Jonathan had control of it.
“Drop it or die, asshat.”
The knife clattered to the floor. Jonathan had Eli’s arm twisted in such a way that it wouldn’t take much to break it.
What’s an asshat? River kicked the knife under her bed. “Jonathan, stop.”
“He tried to kill me.”
“I know. What I don’t know, is why he tried to kill you.” River edged closer and rested her hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, but she spoke to Eli. “Give me your word you won’t try to hurt my recruit.”
Eli’s glare burned right through River, but he nodded. She squeezed Jonathan’s shoulder. It felt like squeezing a rock. “Let him go.”
Jonathan released Eli’s arm and stepped back, but maintained a defensive crouch.
River didn’t blame him. She glared at Eli. “Why did you attack?”
Eli rubbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. River knew that look. His royal highness was pissed. He shifted his gaze to Jonathan then back to her. “Your recruit is lying.”
River’s mouth went dry. “How would you know?”
“Because, he didn’t bomb the McKnight Mine. I did.”
Jonathan’s face paled. His eyes widened then narrowed.
River stepped in front of Eli. Unlike Jonathan, Eli let her shield him. Coward.
Jonathan clenched his fist. His chest heaved as he pointed at Eli. “I was there the night it happened. You nearly killed me and my ex-girlfriend!”
“Jonathan, don’t.” River’s heart hammered in her chest. She turned to Eli. “You can’t tell anyone.”
“Why should I stick my neck out for this liar?”
“Because I’m the one that brought him here.”
Eli’s expression hardened. “You know the penalty for bringing an outsider over the border.”
“I owe him my life.” River told Eli the story of how she met Jonathan, but he didn’t seem impressed.
“You expect me to believe that? After you’ve already lied to me?”
“Believe what you want, but I couldn’t just leave him to die!”
“What were you planning to do with him once the blizzard ended? Let him go?”
“Of course not! That’s treason.” River gazed into Jonathan’s eyes and silently begged him to forgive her for what she was about to say then turned to Eli. “He’s only got one hand, so I told him he needed to come up with an amazing story to persuade the council to accept him.”
Jonathan
Jonathan knew River wasn’t trying to humiliate him. It was easy to see from the panicked expression on her face that she was in big trouble. He should have just cut Eli’s throat when he had the chance. He’d killed in Afghanistan, but that was different. This wasn’t a war zone. His life wasn’t in any immediate danger. If he killed Eli now, it would be in cold blood.
Eli folded his arms across his chest. “Do you know what it means to be a recruit, outsider?”
Jonathan shrugged. It didn’t really matter. He had no intention of joining their crazy cult.
River spoke up, blurting her words out in a rush. “Most of our men have impaired fertility. About half of them are sterile.”
“River…” Eli dragged her name out, a clear warning to keep quiet. Which, of course, she ignored.
“Our numbers are too small to sustain the population without resorting to inbreeding.” She pulled her braid over her shoulder and slid her hands down its length.
“Whoa.” Jonathan tore his gaze from River’s thick, shiny braid to her eyes. “Are you saying…you want me to make babies?”
Eli laughed, but the sound was harsh, more like a bark. “Don’t get too excited, outsider. You have to pass a battery of tests before you’d be allowed to service a servant.”
Servicing servants? Jonathan immediately pictured Mom’s forty-something housekeeper and shuddered. He didn’t care if they offered him a room full of beautiful, young virgins. No way would he join that group of freaks. Didn’t cults use sex as a lure for recruits? Yeah, nice try, but not falling for it. He needed to figure out how to stall long enough to come up with an escape plan. “What kind of tests?”
“Your first test is to see if you’re strong enough to survive a complete cleanse.”
“What does that mean?”
Eli put the kettle back on the stove then opened a cabinet stacked floor to ceiling with glass jars. He pulled one out and grinned. “We’ll start with a purge.”
Jonathan didn’t trust Eli not to poison him. He’d already tried to kill him. “No way.”
“When you agreed to be River’s recruit, you promised to obey all the doctrines, precepts and covenants of New Eden.”
New Eden? Jonathan’s suspicions were correct. It was definitely a cult. If he didn’t go along with it, River would be in trouble. If he drank the kool-aid, he could wind up dead. “I want River to prepare it.”
“I don’t know how.” River’s eyes widened as she shook her head; but then a slow smile spread across her face. “Make enough for two people, Eli. You’re doing the cleanse with Jonathan.”
Eli narrowed his eyes. “There’s no reason for me to do a full cleanse.”
“Where have you been for the past two weeks? Red Cliff?”
Eli slammed the jar of herbs onto the table. “What do you know about Red Cliff?”
“I know it’s where you go to indulge in forbidden pleasures.” River slid her hand into her fur-lined glove then snatched a Snicker’s candy bar wrapper out of Eli’s pocket.
A crimson flush spread across Eli’s cheeks as he tried to grab it away from her.
River dodged his grasp and shoved the wrapper between her vest and her shirt. “I wonder what Reuben will say when I show him this?”
If Eli was going to get the wrapper back, he’d have to feel her up. He fisted his hands and glared at her. “That’s not mine.”
“Now, who’s the liar?” River’s smile turned deadly. “You need to purge the foreign food from your system before it poisons you.”
Jonathan was glad he wasn’t the one pissing her off.
Eli ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe an extreme cleanse isn’t necessary. He’s been here for over twenty-four hours with no symptoms of illness, correct?”
Jonathan wanted to bury his fist in Eli’s nose. “It’s strange how that part just slipped your mind when I was the only one purging, huh buddy?”
“Watch your tone with me, outsider. You have no idea who I am.”
“Sure I do. You’re the guy that can’t hold onto his own knife.” Jonathan kept Eli in his peripheral vision as he spoke to River. “I still don’t trust him. He could slip something extra into my dose.”
River smiled. “Once he’s brewed the emetic, Eli isn’t touching it. I’ll pour and serve each dose.”
It wasn’t ideal, but Jonathan trusted River. “How long is this going to take?”
Eli wiped the back of his hand over his brow. “Eight hours, but it’ll feel like two weeks.”
After two hours of projectile vomiting into a bucket, Jonathan thought he was dying. He dry heaved for another hour before he could swallow the snow River kept trying to spoon down his throat. It took another three hours before he managed to keep any of it down. By then he would have welcomed death. He was too weak to sit up. Between bouts of puking he slept on the floor, curled up around his bucket. His only consolation was that Eli was every bit as sick as he was and twice as vocal. He whined like a little girl and demanded River wash his bucket out every time he so much as spit in it.
When it was finally over, Jonathan crawled into bed and collapsed. River brought him a cup of chamomile tea then slid in behind him and supported his head and shoulders while he sipped it. She leaned in close and whis
pered, “Thank you for going along with this.”
Jonathan nodded, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, sunlight streaming in through the single window by the door blinded him. He sat up and shielded his eyes. Eli was dressed and seated at the small table in front of the stove. There was no sign of River.
Jonathan crawled out of bed and checked the upper bunks. The middle one was unmade, but empty. “Where’s River?”
“Hunting.”
Jonathan jammed his feet into his boots and headed towards the door without tying them. He grabbed his coat off the peg on the wall and pulled his glove out of the pocket.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Eli took a sip from his steaming cup.
“To help her.”
“How? By scaring off the game?”
Whatever was in Eli’s cup smelled so good it made Jonathan’s mouth water. “Is that soup?”
Eli stared at Jonathan over the rim of his cup as he drained it. He smacked his lips then nodded at the other cup on the table. “That one’s for you.”
The aroma kicked Jonathan’s salivary glands into overdrive, but there was no way he was going to drink anything Eli offered. “No, thanks.”
“What’s the matter, outsider? Is your palate too sensitive for venison broth?”
“I’m not hungry.” Jonathan’s stomach growled in denial, but for all he knew, the broth could be full of rat poison.
Eli grinned and picked up the cup. “Well, if you don’t want it…” He took a sip then sighed with obvious pleasure as he set the cup back on the table. “I’ve been awake for hours. If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead.”
He had a point.
Jonathan tossed his coat onto his bed then fetched the cup off the table. He took a sip and rolled it around on his tongue then drained the cup. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why do you keep calling me ‘outsider?’ I was born and raised in Leadville.”
“You have no idea how far away that is.”
The trailhead where Jonathan had parked his car was at least sixty miles from his destroyed campsite. He’d hiked another fifteen looking for shelter before he ran into the mountain lion. He’d been so disoriented with hypothermia he had no idea how far he and River had hiked—or in what direction. “It’s not more than a hundred miles...is it?”
“Why? Are you thinking about running away?” Eli’s eyes flashed a brighter shade of blue. “You better be sure you can succeed before you try, because if you leave during my watch, I’ll hunt you down and carve you into bite-sized pieces and feed you to the crows. Do you understand?”
Jonathan nodded. He understood alright. If he escaped while River was gone, Eli would be in trouble, not her. He didn’t want anyone to be brutally punished, not even Eli, but Jonathan wasn’t the one that made up the rules. He wasn’t the one threatening to feed people to the birds either.
“Why do you hate me so much? You don’t even know me.”
Eli leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Because recruits are a pain in the ass and I have enough to worry about without taking on more responsibilities. I don’t need any more distractions.”
“I’m River’s recruit, so I’m her distraction, not yours.”
“River’s problems become my problems the instant we’re married.”
Jonathan’s mouth fell open. He snapped it shut then leaned against the wall, trying to look as if Eli’s announcement hadn’t just knocked the wind out of him. “So you’re what? Engaged?”
“Betrothed.”
Why did that bother him so much? And why hadn’t River mentioned she was betrothed when she was quizzing Jonathan about his relationship status. He’d assumed her silence on the subject meant she was single. Actually, he’d assumed it meant she was interested. Yeah, right. Sure, he and River had shared a couple of tender moments. She’d taken better care of him during the purge than she had Eli, but that didn’t mean anything. Eli’s whining was so annoying it would have driven off his own mother.
“When will River be back?” Jonathan sighed then cracked his neck, as if he were bored.
“Not until dark. She loves hunting.”
Perfect. “If she gets a deer, how’s she going to get it back here? Did she borrow your horse?”
“I doubt she’ll bag a deer in one day, but if she does, she’ll field dress it and bring back the best cuts, leaving the rest for the wolves.”
Fantastic. “Until I saw that black wolf in my family’s mine, I had no idea there were wolves in Colorado.” Jonathan stretched and yawned and moved a little closer to Eli.
Eli narrowed his eyes. “Knocking a wolf out with a rock was nothing but pure, dumb luck. So was disarming me.”
Jonathan reached forward as if he were going to set his cup on the table, then slammed his elbow into Eli’s temple.
Eli’s eyes rolled up into his head.
“How’s that for pure, dumb luck?” Jonathan propped him back up then unlaced Eli’s boots and used the rawhide laces to bind his hands and feet to the chair.
It took him a lot longer to do it with one hand, but at least he got it done. Eli wasn’t going anywhere until River came back and untied him. By then, Jonathan would be long gone.
He put his coat on, fastened the toggles and slipped his hand into his glove. River had taken care of Eli’s horse during their purge so he had no problem finding the barn. He just followed her tracks.
Jonathan hadn’t been on a horse in years, but knew how to ride. He and Franklin spent every summer between their sixth and fourteenth birthdays on Granddad McKnight’s horse ranch...until mixed martial arts took over their lives.
Jonathan’s confidence plummeted when he didn’t find a saddle in the barn. He didn’t find a bridle either, just a hackamore. This was going to be more challenging than he thought. But there was no going back. Not after knocking Eli out and tying him up.
At least the horse looked friendly.
Jonathan had heard Eli and River refer to the gelding as Old Red, so he called him by name then walked up to him and let him sniff his face. Jonathan was in a hurry, but a little time spent getting acquainted could be the difference between getting away, or getting thrown.
It was hard to determine the horse’s breed. He stood about fifteen hands and had the muscular body of a quarter horse; but with a curly coat and a dread-locked mane. Jonathan had never seen a horse quite like this one.
Red twitched his ears forward and blew steam out his nose. He didn’t object when Jonathan slipped the hackamore on, or ran his hand over his back.
“I think you and I are going to get along just fine.”
Jonathan wrapped his hand in the horse’s mane and tried to swing onto his back.
Red laid his ears flat against his neck and shied sideways.
“Oh come on!” Granddad McKnight had taught Jonathan to approach a horse from his “near” or left side and to always mount from that side as well. He didn’t know why it was such a big deal, but some horses refused to let a rider mount from the right. Apparently, Red was one of those horses.
But no saddle meant no stirrups and no left hand meant he couldn’t grab onto Red’s mane. He tried to mount from the right a few more times, but Red got even more agitated.
Jonathan moved to the left side and tried to vault on, using his stump for leverage, but Red didn’t like that either. He bucked and kicked for a good five seconds. Jonathan was lucky he didn’t get trampled.
He led Red outside so he could walk him around and settle him down before trying again.
A fallen tree behind the barn gave Jonathan an idea. He used it like a stepping stool and climbed on from the left. Red barely twitched—until Jonathan leaned forward and gently pressed the heels of his boots against Red’s sides.
Years of gymnastics and martial arts training was the only reason Jonathan didn’t fall off. His summers in Montana hadn’t prepared him for riding bareback.
T
he first sixty seconds were sheer terror. But when Jonathan quit trying to anticipate the rhythm of Old Red’s gait and just let his body react naturally, it was much easier. Once the cabin was out of sight, he headed northeast. He let Red pick his own pace, which turned out to be a smooth, brisk, mile-eating walk.
Jonathan had no idea how to get home, but he’d started out in the Sawatch Mountain Wilderness. If he kept traveling northeast, he’d eventually hit Highway 24.
He’d gone about five miles when a high-pitched whistle shattered the morning silence. Jonathan froze. Red stopped and turned his head towards the sound. Another whistle, long and low, had him trotting towards the forest. Jonathan tried to turn him the other way, but Red refused to cooperate.
River stepped out of the shadows. She held her bow by her side, an arrow already on the string. “What are you doing on Eli’s horse?”
“I borrowed it.”
“Why? Is Eli okay?” Concern wrinkled her brow.
A flash of irrational jealousy loosened Jonathan’s tongue. “Your betrothed will wake up with a headache and a very bad attitude, but he’s fine.”
In less time than it took to blink, River had her bow up, the string pulled back against the side of her face and an arrow pointed at Jonathan’s pounding heart.
He’d expected her to be pissed, but he hadn’t expected her to shoot him. “Lower your weapon.”
She glared at him. “Are you trying to leave?”
Jonathan wanted to dig his heels into Red and make a run for it…but those stories about ninjas dodging arrows were highly exaggerated. “I got tired of listening to your betrothed’s empty threats and decided it was time to go home.”
River slackened the string, but kept the arrow pointed at Jonathan’s heart. “I’m not betrothed.”
Jonathan shrugged, faking a disinterested attitude. “It sounds like you and Eli need to discuss the status of your relationship.”
River lowered her bow and walked towards Jonathan. She grabbed Red’s reins. “I ran into a patrol about two hours ago. If they see you out here, alone, on Eli’s horse, they’ll know you’re trying to escape and shoot you on sight.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
River’s eyes glistened. “I risked my life to save yours.”
“And I fought a mountain lion to save yours. We’re even.”
“Did you forget? If you get caught; I’ll be punished.”
“Why do you think I waited until you left for the day? I escaped on Eli’s watch so it wouldn’t be your fault.”
“You’re my recruit. Everything you do is my fault! If you lose something, I have to replace it. If you break something, I have to fix it. If you commit a crime, I have to share your punishment.”
“How are they going to know I’m your recruit? I’m on Eli’s horse.”
“I told the men on patrol that I had a new recruit. Besides, I would never let someone else take my punishment.”
“Not even an ‘arrogant jackass?’”
River shook her head.
Jonathan couldn’t help but admire her ethics. “What’s the punishment for escaping?”
“Death.”
A cold stone of dread settled in Jonathan’s stomach. “How long will you be responsible for my actions?”
“Forever.”
The stone in Jonathan’s stomach shattered into a thousand shards, cutting him to the core. There was no way in hell he would buy his freedom with River’s death. He needed a new plan.
He needed to take her with him. His blood warmed as he thought about racing across the high mountain mesa with River pressed against his back. That shouldn’t be so appealing. What was it about this wild woman that had him so hot and bothered?
“Will you go back to the quarantine cabin peacefully?”
“Yeah.” Jonathan sighed. “But just so you know, Eli is going to try to kill me.”
“What did you do to him?”
“I knocked him out and tied him to a chair.”
“You tied him up? With what?”
“His boot laces.”
River grinned. “He’s not going to kill you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because if he does, I’ll tell everyone that he let a one-handed recruit disarm him and truss him up with his own boot laces.”
River stuck her arrow in the leather quiver on her back then lengthened the strap and took it off. She unstrung her bow, slid it into an open-ended sheath attached to the quiver then tied it securely at both ends.
The speed and fluidity of her movements reminded Jonathan of the weapons drills he used to do in the army.
River handed the bundled archery set to him. Jonathan assumed she wanted him to hold it for her while she mounted the horse, but she just stood there and stared at him.
“Do you need help putting it on?”
“You want me to wear this?”
River sighed and rolled her pretty, brown eyes. “It’s not a good idea to ride with a quiver full of arrows pressed against your belly.”
“Why don’t you just hop on behind me?”
“Red’s never been ridden double before. He might not like it. I’d rather have the reins, if you don’t mind.”
Jonathan could guarantee that Red wouldn’t like it. He handed the reins to River then slid the quiver over his shoulder.
River wrapped the reins around her hand then grabbed a fistful of Red’s mane. She reached for Jonathan with the other. “Give me a hand up.”
Jonathan reached across his body with his right hand and leaned over. They wrapped their fingers around each other’s wrists, locking their grip. An electric charge zinged up his arm.
River lifted her knee to her chest then extended her foot like a ballerina, resting her heel on Red’s back. Damn, the girl was flexible…and light as a feather. Jonathan pulled her onto Red’s back with a gentle tug then wrapped his arms around her tiny waist.
Red tossed his head and reared up.
“Hang on!”
River pulled Red’s head around until his nose touched her knee. He dropped back to all four feet, jarring every bone in Jonathan’s body, then spun around and pranced sideways.
River cooed and patted Red until he settled down then urged him forward.
Jonathan took advantage of their forced closeness and pressed his chest against River’s back. He pulled his hood off, then gently tugged River’s to the side. He lowered his head until his cheek brushed against hers.
Her body trembled.
His responded.
Her voice was whisper quiet, breathless. “What are you doing?”
His voice was so low, it rumbled in his chest. “Leave with me.”
River jerked her shoulders forward and whipped her head around. She glared at Jonathan.
Red swung his rear to the left then broke into a canter.
River didn’t so much as blink. Her body seemed to be an extension of the horse’s. “I can never leave! Don’t ever mention such a thing again.”
“Okay, okay…don’t freak out on me. It was just a suggestion.” He must have misread her reaction to the closeness of his body. Hope died but he refused to give up. If he couldn’t change her mind and persuade her to go willingly, he’d rescue her by force.
“Such talk is treason; punishable by—”
“Death. Yeah, I got that part. Don’t you people believe in jail?”
“No.” She shook her head and faced forward.
He was not expecting that. “So, every crime is punished with some sort of physical torture, dismemberment or death?”
“We don’t have much crime.”
“I’ll bet not.”
When they got back to the quarantine cabin, River rode past it and headed straight for the barn. Getting off was a lot easier than getting on.
River led Red into a stall then scooped a handful of oats out of an old-fashioned barrel and dumped it into a feed bag. Red stuck his nose in the sack before River even had
the strap over his ears. She handed Jonathan a scrap of what looked like buffalo hide and patted Red’s neck. “Rub him down until he’s dry. I need to have a chat with Eli.”
The sub-zero temperature amplified sounds. Bits and pieces of Eli and River’s argument floated through the air all the way to the horse shed. Not enough to follow the conversation, but Jonathan heard River call Eli an ‘arrogant jackass’ more than once. He grinned. “You tell him, girl.”
Red snorted into his feed bag and tossed his head, as if agreeing with Jonathan.
Jonathan patted Red’s neck. “Smart horse.”
Red nodded again. He was done eating and wanted the feed bag off. Jonathan removed it and hung it on the iron hook over the barrel of oats. Red pushed Jonathan’s shoulder with his forehead as if to say ‘thank you.’
“How would you like a new home with a heated stable, plenty of feed and fresh hay? I’ll need a calm horse to get me and River out of here.”
Red didn’t like carrying two riders, but he’d gotten used to it. How long would it take for him to get used to a screaming, kicking girl on his back? Jonathan would probably have to knock her out. He couldn’t believe he was contemplating kidnapping River. But it was more of a rescue. Cults like New Eden were illegal. This was the freakin’ United States of America. You couldn’t go around chopping people’s fingers off or executing them for someone else’s crime. He’d take River straight to the police station in Red Cliff and let them decide how to handle it. Even if they arrested him, once they found out what was going on in New Eden, there’s no way anyone would convict him of kidnapping. Right?
“Jonathan?”
River’s voice startled him. He whirled around then froze when he saw the tears streaming down her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” River ducked her chin and swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“That doesn’t look like nothing to me. Why are you crying? Did Eli hurt you?”
“No. He just made me mad.” She swiped at her face again as if the tears were the source of her anger.
“What did he do?”
“He’s insisting that I mate with him.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jonathan threw the scrap of buffalo hide on the ground and stomped out of Red’s stall. “In exchange for not killing me?”
River grabbed his arms, keeping him from leaving the barn. “You can’t confront him.”
“The hell I can’t.” Jonathan could not abide violence against women or children. He didn’t care about the consequences. Eli wasn’t going to get away with this. He hugged River and pressed the side of her head against his chest. “I’ll tear his arms off and beat him with his own hands.”
River pushed away from Jonathan and backed up two steps. “If you pick another fight with Eli, I can’t protect you. We’ll both be punished.”
Jonathan clenched his fist and swore. Loudly.
Red laid his ears back and jerked his head.
“Easy, boy.” River slipped into Red’s stall, picked up the scrap of buffalo hide and rubbed his shoulder, even though it was already dry.
“I’m not going to let Eli force you to have sex with him.”
“Force me?” River blinked. “It’s not like that. Eli wouldn’t force me…he’s just…I don’t know…trying to talk me into it.”
“No means ‘no’ where I come from. Don’t even consider giving in to that pervert’s demands. I think I’ve proven that I can protect myself.”
“Don’t antagonize Eli any more than you already have. In fact, the best way to handle this whole situation is to pretend it never happened. Don’t even apologize. It will only add to Eli’s humiliation.”
“What about him trying to pressure you to have sex with him?
“Reuben will handle it. Eli will wish he’d never been born.”
“Who’s Reuben?” Jonathan recognized the name. It was carved into one of the trunks.
“My guardian.”
Jonathan had been so worried about his own parents he hadn’t given any thought to River’s family. “He must be worried sick about you.”
“He was, especially when my horse showed up in the middle of a blizzard without me.”
“Was? As in past tense?”
“Reuben and his son, Gabriel, were the patrol I ran into this morning. He knows I’m safe.”
“Why didn’t you go home with them?”
“We’re still under quarantine.” River lowered her lashes then turned her back, but not before Jonathan saw the corners of her mouth tilt up in a shy smile. “Besides, I still have a recruit that needs lots of training.”
River
River had a hard time falling asleep. Bringing Jonathan back into the cabin with Eli had gone even better than she’d hoped. She’d been right about Eli’s ego. He was already in denial mode when Jonathan walked in. He was a little more sarcastic and his snide remarks were a little more caustic, but Jonathan never took the bait.
It wasn’t the situation with Eli keeping her awake. It was the situation she’d created by lying to Jonathan.
She hadn’t told Reuben about him when he found her. He was an enforcer, but he wasn’t out on patrol. He was out looking for her.
Reuben was obviously happy when he found her, he’d even hugged her, but he wasn’t happy about how she’d “let” Sugar throw her and run away. He wasn’t happy about how she’d failed to kill the cougar tracking the goat herd, or that she’d failed to find the goats in time to bring them home before the blizzard. There was no way River was going to tell Reuben about Jonathan when he was already under so much stress.
She’d panicked when she found Jonathan, attempting to escape. The fool had no qualms about risking his own life, but he wouldn’t leave if he believed doing so would endanger River. That’s why she’d lied.
She’d done it protect him, but he wouldn’t see it that way. Jonathan would think she’d lied to manipulate him.
Jonathan was her recruit. She shouldn’t care what he thought as long as he was obedient. Which he wasn’t. He wasn’t a good recruit at all. But he was a good man. And River did care what he thought, especially of her. She didn’t want him to despise her.
If she could get to Reuben and tell him she’d recruited Jonathan before they met, Jonathan would never know that she’d lied.
She sighed as the tension left her body. She closed her eyes and let the sound of Jonathan’s breath lull her to sleep.
A few hours later, a sharp tug behind River’s navel woke her with a jolt. What was that? She rubbed her stomach and the sensation went away. It was probably just a hunger pain. She had a couple rations of jerky in her pocket, but she was saving it in case no one showed up to restock the quarantine cabin. That’s why she’d gone hunting. But thanks to Jonathan’s escape attempt, she hadn’t bagged so much as a rabbit.
“Oh.” River grabbed her stomach and doubled over. “That hurts.”
She got out of bed with the intention of brewing herself a cup of mint tea. But something pulled her in the opposite direction…away from the stove…toward the door. Maybe she needed to walk it off. She dressed as quietly as possible so she wouldn’t wake Jonathan or Eli. Fasting made them all cranky, the longer they slept, the better.
The pain eased as River stepped off the porch and followed the pull. It led her all the way to Lost Creek. As the sun rose above the eastern peaks, a white wolf trotted out of the forest.
River always enjoyed any encounter with the wild pack, but there was something special about this particular wolf. It wasn’t just its pure white coat, or the intelligence behind its ice-blue eyes. It crept closer then sat down right in front of River and cocked its head to the side, examining her.
A quick glance confirmed River’s impression that the wolf was female.
River wanted to touch her. She wanted to feel her soft, thick fur between her fingers. The tugging sensation pulled her closer.
This was it. It was finally happening. But she needed to tell s
omeone. You weren’t supposed to merge without someone there to help you remember you were human.
The wolf dropped to her belly and whined as she inched closer. River remained outwardly calm but her heart pounded in her chest. This is my spirit guide. My wolf. She wants to touch me as much as I want to touch her.
According to legend, this was the way it was supposed to happen—a mutual decision to merge. But over the years, more emphasis was placed on the animal’s prowess. The bigger, stronger and more dominant the wolf—the more prestige a shifter gained by merging with it. Soon, everyone began choosing and trapping the wolves they wanted to merge with, hoping to advance their status within the tribe.
The wolf’s nose twitched as she sniffed the air. She’s memorizing my scent. River didn’t know how she knew, but there was no doubt in her mind.
The yearning in River’s belly burned and spread to every cell of her body—an endless, aching need to become one with the wolf. Without breaking eye contact, River knelt in the snow and extended her hand.
Seconds ticked by and turned to minutes.
The wolf stretched its neck towards River’s hand then licked the tip of her middle finger.
A tingling sensation shot up her arm.
The wolf took another step closer and pressed the side of its head against River’s palm. The tingling sensation intensified. Her whole body hummed with energy. This is it.
The wolf licked River’s cheek, then turned and bolted back into the forest.
“Wait!” River tried to follow, even though she knew it was in vain. She plowed through the snow, stumbling and falling as despair washed over her.
River had a hard time falling asleep. Bringing Jonathan back into the cabin with Eli had gone even better than she’d hoped. She’d been right about Eli’s ego. He was already in denial mode when Jonathan walked in. He was a little more sarcastic and his snide remarks were a little more caustic, but Jonathan never took the bait.
It wasn’t the situation with Eli keeping her awake. It was the situation she’d created by lying to Jonathan.
She hadn’t told Reuben about him when he found her. He was an enforcer, but he wasn’t out on patrol. He was out looking for her.
Reuben was obviously happy when he found her, he’d even hugged her, but he wasn’t happy about how she’d “let” Sugar throw her and run away. He wasn’t happy about how she’d failed to kill the cougar tracking the goat herd, or that she’d failed to find the goats in time to bring them home before the blizzard. There was no way River was going to tell Reuben about Jonathan when he was already under so much stress. But even if she had, he wouldn’t turn her in for sponsoring a runaway recruit. He’d punish her, but he’d do it privately at the ranch, and he wouldn’t kill her.
He would, however, hunt down Jonathan. There would be no mercy for him. The thought of going through another trial and execution of someone she cared about terrified River. She’d latched onto the first excuse she thought of without considering the consequences.
Jonathan had already proven that he was the sort of man that would risk his own life to protect another when he fought the cougar to protect River. He wouldn’t let the threat of death keep him from leaving but he wouldn’t leave if he believed doing so would endanger River. That’s why she’d lied.
She’d done it protect him, but he wouldn’t see it that way. Jonathan would think she’d lied to manipulate him.
Jonathan was her recruit. She shouldn’t care what he thought as long as he was obedient. Which he wasn’t. He wasn’t a good recruit at all. But he was a good man. And River did care what he thought, especially of her. She didn’t want him to despise her.
If she could get to Reuben and tell him she’d recruited Jonathan before they meet, Jonathan would never know that she’d lied.
She sighed as the tension left her body. She closed her eyes and let the sound of Jonathan’s breath lull her to sleep.
A few hours later, a sharp tug behind River’s navel woke her with a jolt. What was that? She rubbed her stomach and the sensation went away. It was probably just a hunger pain. She had a couple rations of jerky in her pocket, but she was saving it in case no one showed up to restock the quarantine cabin. That’s why she’d gone hunting. But thanks to Jonathan’s escape attempt, she hadn’t bagged so much as a rabbit.
“Oh.” River grabbed her stomach and doubled over. “That hurts.”
She got out of bed with the intention of brewing herself a cup of mint tea. But something pulled her in the opposite direction…away from the stove…toward the door. Maybe she needed to walk it off. She dressed as quietly as possible so she wouldn’t wake Jonathan or Eli. Fasting made them all cranky, the longer they slept, the better.
The pain eased as River stepped off the porch and followed the pull. It led her all the way to Lost Creek. As the sun rose above the eastern peaks, a white wolf trotted out of the forest.
River always enjoyed any encounter with the wild pack, but there was something special about this particular wolf. It wasn’t just its pure white coat, or the intelligence behind its ice-blue eyes. It crept closer then sat down right in front of River and cocked its head to the side, examining her.
A quick glance confirmed River’s impression that the wolf was female.
River wanted to touch her. She wanted to feel her soft, thick fur between her fingers. The tugging sensation pulled her closer.
This was it. It was finally happening. But she needed to tell someone. You weren’t supposed to merge without someone there to help you remember you were human.
The wolf dropped to her belly and whined as she inched closer. River remained outwardly calm but her heart pounded in her chest. This is my spirit guide. My wolf. She wants to touch me as much as I want to touch her.
According to legend, this was the way it was supposed to happen—a mutual decision to merge. But over the years, more emphasis was placed on the animal’s prowess. The bigger, stronger and more dominant the wolf—the more prestige a shifter gained by merging with it. Soon, everyone began choosing and trapping the wolves they wanted to merge with, hoping to advance their status within the tribe.
The wolf’s nose twitched as she sniffed the air. She’s memorizing my scent. River didn’t know how she knew, but there was no doubt in her mind.
The yearning in River’s belly burned and spread to every cell of her body—an endless, aching need to become one with the wolf. Without breaking eye contact, River knelt in the snow and extended her hand.
Seconds ticked by and turned to minutes.
The wolf stretched its neck towards River’s hand then licked the tip of her middle finger.
A tingling sensation shot up her arm.
The wolf took another step closer and pressed the side of its head against River’s palm. The tingling sensation intensified. Her whole body hummed with energy. This is it.
The wolf licked River’s cheek, then turned and bolted back into the forest.
“Wait!” River tried to follow, even though she knew it was in vain. She plowed through the snow, stumbling and falling as despair washed over her.
“River? Are you alright?”
River jumped to her feet and spun around. The world tilted sideways as she slammed back to the ground. This time she stayed there. She didn’t even try to sit up. “Shula? What are you doing here?”
“My job.” Shula slid from her horse and knelt in the snow. She removed her gloves then held River’s chin with one hand and pried her left eye open with the other. “I could ask you the same question.”
Of course. Reuben would have alerted her as soon as he got home. Shula was a healer. She’d want to check on her son.
“Did you see her? Did you see my wolf?”
“I saw.” Shula examined River’s other eye then swept a strand of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear.
The gesture reminded River of Mother. Would she never stop missing her? She swallowed around the lump in her throat. The stinging sen
sation behind her eyes infuriated her. Why were her emotions so volatile? This was worse than puberty. “Why did my wolf leave? You saw her choose me, right? Why did she run away before we merged?”
“I probably scared her off. I’m sorry.” Shula didn’t look sorry at all. “Do you know what this means?”
River nodded. “It’s mutual.”
“It’s a miracle.” Shula’s eyes sparkled.
River took a deep breath. “Will you testify for me? No one on the council is going to believe an eighteen-year-old girl. Not about this.”
Shula shook her head as she stroked River’s hair. “That would not be wise.”
River jerked away from Shula’s caress and sat up. “Of course not. Why would an heir of Sanctuary want to elevate the status of a lowly surface dweller, even if she is the first mutual merge in two centuries?”
Shula’s eyes flashed, but that was her only reaction to River’s insolence. She stood up and brushed the snow from her knees. “Do you want to be turned into a puppy mill?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Every male on the high-council as well as Zebulon himself will want to sire a son on you.”
River backed up, shaking her head. “No.”
“Not only is your merge mutual, it’s with a white wolf. That alone would be enough to make men fight for the right to claim you.”
“No one believes those old legends.”
“No one on the surface believes them. How many men do you think will court you if a member of the council desires you?”
Shula had a point. A girl wanted to be attractive, but not too attractive. “What should I do?”
“Stay close to Eli at all times so you’ll be ready to mate with him after you merge. And don’t tell anyone your spirit guide is a white wolf.”
Shula’s urgency concerned River. The woman’s ambitions for Eli were no secret. The idea of mating with him sickened River. “I need to talk to Reuben.”
Shula gripped River’s chin and tilted her head up. “He’ll kill your white wolf and force you to merge with a common grey to protect you from the zealots inside Sanctuary.”
River jerked her chin out of Shula’s grasp and struggled to her feet. “Reuben would never harm a wolf!”
“Reuben would do anything to protect you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Shula arched an eyebrow. “Are you willing to risk the fate of your spirit guide?”
River swayed on her feet. “I think I’m getting sick.”
“It’s pre-merge fever.” Shula grabbed River’s elbows and steadied her. “Let’s get you back to the quarantine cabin. I’ll discuss strategy with Eli while you recover.”
“I feel…strange.” River pressed her palm against her lower belly. “Right here.”
Shula smiled and hugged River. “Pre-merge fever mimics the real thing. The desire to mate will increase as your fever rises. If you and Eli can resist the temptation to take things too far, a small amount of physical intimacy can ease the pain until your fever breaks.”
River sensed that Shula’s words were true, but it wasn’t Eli’s touch she desired. It was Jonathan’s. The thought startled her.
Shula helped River onto her horse’s back. “Do you think you can hang on? It’s about an hour to the quarantine cabin.”
River nodded then leaned forward and grabbed Shula’s shoulder. “Don’t be concerned when you find a stranger at the quarantine cabin. I have a new recruit.”
Shula’s muscles tightened beneath River’s hand. “Your timing couldn’t be worse. Does he know what we are?”
“I didn’t want to tell him without proof; and Eli refuses to shift in front of him.” River squeezed Shula’s shoulder. “Will you do it?”
Shula patted River’s knee. “After you merge and mate with Eli, you can show him yourself.”