Believe: The Complete Channie Series (166 page)

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.” River dropped her gaze then turned her back. “Reuben and his son, Gabriel, were the patrol I ran into this morning. They know I’m safe.”

“Why didn’t you go home with them?”

“We’re still under quarantine.” She peeked over her shoulder and gave him a shy smile. “Besides, I still have a recruit that needs
lots
of training.”

River

R
IVER
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 didn’t want him to die, trying to escape. She didn’t want him to hate her either.

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. 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.

Another pain stabbed her gut. River grabbed her stomach and doubled over. That was no hunger pain.

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 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 ran after the wolf. But even with the extra bolt of pure energy from the encounter, she couldn’t match its pace. 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 sensation 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 cupped River’s face in her palms and smiled at her. “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.”

PLOTS, PLANS AND POLITICS

J
ONATHAN
WOKE
TO
THE
SOUND
of someone pounding on the door. He sat up and nearly passed out. Aside from herb tea and one cup of venison broth, he hadn’t eaten since beginning the purge. “Who’s there?”

“Shula, daughter of Zebulon and Israel’s daughter. Open the door.” She spoke with authority.

Jonathan opened the door and stepped aside. Shula strode across the room and laid River on Jonathan’s bed.

“What happened?” River’s face was flushed. Her eyes were closed. Her body hung limply in Shula’s arms. “Is she okay?”

Shula shoved her hood back, revealing a thick black braid and chiseled features. “Get a rag out of the box in the cupboard and go break off a couple of icicles.”

Nice to meet you, too. “What’s wrong with River?”

“She has a fever. Now go get that ice.”

Jonathan ran out onto the porch without stopping to put on his boots. He broke off the first icicle he reached and brought it inside. But he couldn’t let go. He might as well have super-glued the damn thing to his hand. He swore and shook his arm, to no avail. “Eli! Get your lazy ass out of bed and help me with this.”

The woman whirled around and glared at Jonathan. “Who dares speak to Eli, son of Zebulon’s daughter, with such disre—”

She froze mid-sentence and pressed a hand over her heart as she stared at Jonathan’s face. “What’s your name?”

Jonathan didn’t appreciate her tone, but decided to play nice. “I’m Jonathan McKnight. River’s recruit.”

Shula sank down on the edge of River’s bed. “How did you come to be River’s recruit?”

“I had a run in with a bear and then a mountain lion and then River showed up and one thing led to another…” Jonathan knew he needed to keep his answers as vague as possible, but he tended to talk too much when he was nervous and Shula definitely made him nervous.

“Does your family own a gold mine?”

“Yeah.” How did she know that? Jonathan nodded at Eli’s bed. “But that jackass over there tried to blow it up.”

“That jackass is my son. And what makes you think he’s responsible for sabotaging the McKnight mine?”

“He admitted it.” There was no way that Shula was Eli’s mother, not unless she gave birth when she was two. She must be his stepmother.

“That was stupid of him.” She glanced at Eli then focused on Jonathan. “What’s your father’s name?”

“Charles.”

The remaining color drained from Shula’s face.

Jonathan was afraid she might pass out. “Are you okay?”

Red splotches bloomed across her throat and spread to her face. “Don’t ever tell anyone else that you’re a McKnight.”

“Why not?” Jonathan tried once again to pull his fingers off the icicle. It didn’t budge.

Instead of answering, Shula closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “Is your father still living?”

“Yeah.” Jonathan answered before he remembered what River had told him about recruits and family ties. “But…we aren’t on speaking terms.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” The sorrow in her voice sounded genuine, which was weird considering recruits weren’t supposed to be part of a loving family.

“Is he married?”

“Separated.”

The corners of Shula’s mouth curled up.

What the hell? Jonathan extended his hand, “Do you think you could get this icicle off me?”

“I told you to use a rag.” Shula grabbed Jonathan’s wrist and tugged at his fingers—as if he hadn’t been trying to pry them loose for the past two minutes.

Jonathan jerked his hand away from her. “That’s not going to work.”

She walked over to the table and tapped the side of the tea kettle before picking it up. “This is going to feel hotter than it is because of the extreme temperature difference. It might sting a little, but it won’t scald you.”

The water steamed when it flowed over the ice and it stung a hell of a lot more than ‘a little’ but at least he was free of the damn thing.

Shula wrapped the thick end of the icicle with a rag then handed it back to Jonathan. “Wipe River’s face with this end and try to get her to suck on the tip. It’s wet enough now, it shouldn’t stick to her skin. I need to talk to my son.”

“Wait, what’s wrong with River?”

“I already told you. She has a fever.”

“What’s causing it?”

Shula marched across the room, ignoring Jonathan’s question, and yanked the covers off Eli’s upper body. “Get up. We need to talk.”

Eli groaned and rubbed his eyes. “So talk.”

“Outside. Now.”

Eli got out of bed and stretched. Buck naked. In front of his stepmother. Jonathan couldn’t help noticing that Eli had a tattoo over his heart, similar to River’s. His was smaller and much simpler in design, but in the same exact spot. It must be a cult thing.

Shula didn’t even blink at Eli’s nakedness.

What is wrong with these people? Jonathan turned his back and sat on the edge of River’s bed. She whimpered when he wiped her brow with the damp, rag-end of the icicle. He pressed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Shula? River’s burning up. I think she needs some Tylenol or something.”

“It’s not allowed.”

Jonathan twisted around to face her. “But—”

“No buts.” She didn’t even look at him.

“Can’t you give her some herbal medicine or something?” The cabinet where Eli had gotten the stuff to make them puke held dozens of glass jars containing all sorts of dried weeds, seeds and flowers. Surely something in there would help break a fever.

Shula jerked the door open and stomped outside. Eli followed her.

What a bitch. With a stepmother like that, no wonder Eli’s so rude. Jonathan rubbed the tip of the icicle across River’s mouth.

She pressed her lips together and turned her head away from him.

“Come on, kiddo. You need fluids and I don’t think anyone’s gonna be hooking you up to an IV anytime soon.” Guilt prodded the constant ache in Jonathan’s chest. River warned him this might happen. He didn’t feel sick, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t his fault.

Jonathan scooted forward and pressed his thigh against River’s cheek so she couldn’t turn away from the icicle. He started at the outside corner of her mouth and traced the line between her lips. “Come on. Just one little taste.”

She licked her lips and swallowed.

“Atta girl.”

River’s eyelids fluttered open but her glassy-eyed gaze passed right through him. “Why did she leave?”

“She’s just outside talking to Eli. Do you want me to go get her?”

“My wolf. I want my wolf.”

“You have a wolf?” If Jonathan hadn’t been chased out of the mine by a wolf, he would have assumed River was delirious. It was still the most likely explanation. He turned the icicle around and mopped her brow with the dripping rag on the other end.

River lifted her head off the mattress a couple inches but collapsed back onto the bed. “I have to find her.”

“Wolves don’t make very good pets.”

She grabbed Jonathan’s wrist with her hot, dry palm. “Don’t leave me.”

“I won’t leave without you. I promise.” Jonathan hadn’t been able to do a damn thing in Afghanistan to improve anyone’s life. The insurgents bombed schools and medical clinics faster than the army could build them. Women were still being stoned to death for stepping outside their houses without permission. He couldn’t save the world, but he could save River. “I’ll get you out of here if it kills me.”