Believe: The Complete Channie Series (178 page)

“My government doesn’t kill children.”

“Even if the children are filling them full of arrows?”

Arrows wouldn’t pierce body armor, but Jonathan couldn’t guarantee that a soldier or an FBI agent wouldn’t return fire just because the enemies weapons were ineffective. The government didn’t exactly have a stellar record when it came to cults. New Eden would be worse than Waco and Ruby Ridge combined.

“I can’t take on all of New Eden by myself, but if I can recruit a few good men, like Reuben, to help me, maybe we can cut the head off the serpent.”

River flung her arms around Jonathan. “I’m scared.”

Jonathan didn’t believe in New Eden’s legends. But he did believe in defending the oppressed. He’d enlisted in the army to fight against tyranny. He’d gone halfway around the world to do it and failed. And here it was again, right in his own backyard. He gazed into River’s blazing eyes, full of hope, faith and courage and found something he could believe in. Something worth fighting for. Maybe he could even believe in himself again. “All it takes for evil to succeed; is for good men to do nothing.”

River

T
HE
FIRE
IN
J
ONATHAN
’
S
EYES
frightened River. It was too easy to get caught up in the excitement of legends, prophecies and promises. What if Jonathan was right. What if it were all nothing but a huge coincidence? What if he was only a man? A fragile human? If he tried to merge with a wolf, the beast would kill him with one snap of its jaws. Why did Jonathan want to risk his life to get rid of Zebulon. He had no love for New Eden. River knew that he’d leave tonight if she’d agree to go with him. And may the almighty Alpha forgive her, she
wanted
to. If it weren’t for Reuben, Gabriel and Paul, she’d do it. She’d leave with Jonathan and never look back.

Shame heated River’s cheeks. The people of New Eden deserved better than that. So did Jonathan. He had no idea what he was getting into. He didn’t know the true nature of his enemies. Or even his friends. It wasn’t fair to let him make such a commitment until he did know.

River wanted to tell Jonathan everything, but she knew in her heart he wasn’t ready. If he were a son of Ephraim, why hadn’t the almighty Alpha given him a better sponsor? Someone like Reuben, or even Shula? She was scary, arrogant and manipulative, but she’d know how to turn a naive recruit into a general. River did not. And her ignorance could cost Jonathan his life.

He tucked a strand of hair behind River’s ear then trailed his fingers down her neck. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Everything.”

She tried to ignore the heat Jonathan’s touch ignited deep inside her and studied his face. He wasn’t ready for this challenge. Neither was she. But something had brought them together at this time, in this place and under these circumstances. Whether it was part of some divine plan, or nothing but pure dumb luck, River and Jonathan were in this together. And isn’t that what she wanted? River smiled as she recalled the words she’d used to persuade Reuben to let her mate with Jonathan.
I won’t sacrifice the happiness I have today because of an uncertain future. I’ll cherish every second of my time with Jonathan—no matter how short that time might be.

Jonathan kissed River’s forehead. “Do you still want to go hunting?”

“More than anything.” River couldn’t replace Jonathan’s fancy, mechanical hand or his family, she couldn’t protect him from the dangers of her world, or let him return to his own, but there was one thing she
could
give him. “Get the horses and meet me at the house in ten minutes.”

She hid the surprise in Old Red’s pack while Jonathan was distracted; trying to mount Saucy from the right. Something he tried—and failed—to do every time they went riding. Reuben had warned him not to use his golden claw to mount Saucy. If it got tangled in his mane, it would spook the horse and Jonathan wouldn’t be able to free himself.

Saucy was just as stubborn as Jonathan and refused to let him mount from the wrong side. River had offered to help him train the horse, but Jonathan’s stubborn streak prevailed. He’d insisted he could do it himself.

Jonathan finally gave up and climbed onto the porch railing so he could mount from the left. He nudged Saucy into a trot, moving with the horse instead of bouncing all over his back.

River rode up next to him and smiled. “Your riding skills have improved.”

“I still can’t believe you guys don’t use saddles.”

“Some of the wealthier citizens do. But it’s an unnecessary barrier between the horse and rider.”

“At least you use hackamores.”

River tied her reins in a loose knot and dropped them onto Sugar’s neck. She held her hands out to the side and used her heels to guide Sugar in a tight circle around Jonathan and Saucy. She edged Sugar closer to Saucy, matching his pace exactly. “Not when I’m hunting.”

Jonathan’s eyes widened. “Why not?”

“It’s a little hard to draw a bow with one hand.” She pantomimed the action.

“Tell me about it.”

River laughed. “I keep forgetting you only have one.”

“I’ll take that as a complement.” Jonathan’s grin flashed his dimples. “So, where are we going?”

“East. There’s a shepherd’s hut on the ridge. You can see the city lights from there. It’s amazing.” And she was definitely feeling a pull in that direction.

“We can see Denver?”

“Red Cliff.”

Jonathan coughed, obviously trying to cover a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” 

“You’re so cute. Red Cliff isn’t a city. It’s hardly even a town. If you blink when you drive through it, you’ll miss it.”

“Well, at least I’m not so
cute
as to believe I could see all the way to Denver.”

They
arrived at the eastern ridge just before sunset. River slid off Sugar and dug the sack containing the feed bags, oats and grooming supplies out of the pack on Red’s back. “Go fire up the stove then get these packs off Red while I take care of Sugar and Saucy.”

Jonathan groaned and slumped forward, dropping his chin to his chest.

“Fine. I’ll do it myself.” River threw the sack on the ground then yanked on one of the ropes tied to the packs. Jonathan was willing to go to war for her, but he was too lazy to light a fire?

Red turned his head and looked at River as if to complain about her rough treatment. She patted his shoulder. “Sorry, boy. I’m just tired and I can’t seem to get any help.”

“River?”

“What!”

“I’m happy to help, but I don’t think I can get down without my legs collapsing the second my boots hit the ground.”

River’s anger dissolved. She kept forgetting that Jonathan wasn’t used to riding for more than an hour or two a day. She rested her forehead on Red’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Jonathan’s voice was quieter than usual and heavy with more than just physical exhaustion. “Stress can make even the best of us cranky. We’ve both had a lot dumped on us lately.”

“I didn’t mean to be cranky.” River sighed. She didn’t mean to do that either. “If we don’t get a fire going in the stove soon, we’ll have to share a bed to keep from freezing to death.”

“That’s not exactly motivating me to light a fire.” The right side of Jonathan’s mouth curled into a crooked grin.

River needed to be careful. They couldn’t mate until after they’d merged with their wolves. But she needed to encourage Jonathan so he’d be ready when the time came. “You can share my bed, but you’ll have to use your own buffalo robe.”

Jonathan slid off Saucy, holding onto his mane until he managed to straighten his legs. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Then why did you suggest it?”

“I didn’t.” Jonathan grabbed a log off the woodpile stacked against the hut and cradled it in his left arm. He paused in the doorway then turned around and flashed his dimples at her with a wicked grin. “You did.”

Jonathan

J
ONATHAN
CHUCKLED
AS
HE
PULLED
the door shut. The look on River’s face was priceless. He hoped she knew he was just teasing her. She’d been extremely moody lately. He assumed it was because of that whole “son of Ephraim” theory. How long had she known about it? Or maybe she had PMS. Man, he hoped not. If that’s what had her panties in a wad, he was in big trouble. River had never mentioned her monthly cycles, and for that Jonathan was grateful. Carrie had complained for a week before hers and every day during it. Which meant she was a total bitch fifty percent of the time.

Well, whatever was causing River’s problems, he needed to apologize for being such a dick when he learned the pass was closed. He also needed to be sure he had a roaring fire going in the stove before she finished with the horses.

The stove inside the hut was similar to the one in the quarantine cabin, but not identical. Jonathan raised the lever controlling the flue, and stacked the wood the way Gabriel had shown him, which was exactly opposite of what he’d always been taught. But he had to admit, the upside down, log cabin stacks burned better and longer than anything he’d ever done in Boy Scouts. It took him awhile to create enough sparks to ignite the dry leaves with a flint, but he wouldn’t have been able to do it at all without the prosthesis that Reuben and River had made for him. Another twinge of guilt pinged his conscience. He shouldn’t have compared the “golden claw” she was so proud of to his robotic prosthesis. Talk about rude. He had some major sucking up to do.

Jonathan closed the stove door then went outside but River was already gone. He wrestled the packs off Red’s back and put them inside then followed the trail River and the other two horses made in the snow to a barn at the edge of the forest.

Sugar and Saucy had their noses buried in feed bags. Red nickered a greeting, but the other two horses didn’t even look up.

River gave Sugar one last swipe over her right flank then handed Jonathan the scrap of buffalo hide. “I’ve already taken care of Sugar and Saucy. Can you rub Red down, or are you too tired?”

“I’m fine. And I’m sorry about being such a jackass earlier.”

River wiped her brow with her forearm. “We’re both exhausted. Let’s just take care of the horses, light the stove, grab a bite to eat and go to bed. We’ll both feel better after a good night’s rest.”

“I already built a fire in the stove. So that’s one less chore we have to do.”

They were about halfway to the hut when River slipped her hand around Jonathan’s arm. “I thought you said you lit the fire.”

“I did.”

“There’s no smoke coming out of the chimney.”

As soon as he opened the door, Jonathan realized his mistake. Instead of opening the flue, he’d closed it.

They coughed and laughed as they fanned the smoke out of the hut with a buffalo hide. The campfire smell lingered even after the air cleared but it wasn’t unpleasant.

River grabbed a couple of leather bags from the pile of stuff Jonathan had unloaded off of Red’s back. She handed one of the bags to him then tossed the other one onto the bed next to the window and sank down beside it. She pulled a chunk of jerky out and tore into it.

Jonathan flopped onto the other bed, next to the door, and shoved his hand into his food sack. He was so hungry, even the tough-as-a-boot jerky River was gnawing on looked good.

He froze when his fingers brushed against something cold, smooth and round.
No. It couldn’t be…could it?
His throat tightened as he gazed at the small, misshapen, bright red apple. He lifted it to his face and closed his eyes as he inhaled, savoring the aroma. When he opened his eyes he found River staring at him.

She blinked then lowered her gaze and picked at the wool on her buffalo hide. “I know it’s not what you’re used to. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it. ”

“Oh I want it alright. It’s just so…” Jonathan’s voice cracked, “…unexpected.” He couldn’t wait to bite into it. “Where’s yours?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Don’t you like apples?”

“There’ll be more next fall.”

River didn’t have a local grocery store with fresh produce shipped in from all over the world. When they ran out of something, it was gone.

“Is this what you went back inside the house to get?”

She nodded.

The memory of his earlier rant shamed Jonathan. He could barely speak over the lump in his throat. He patted the spot next to him on the bed. “Everything’s sweeter when you share it.”

River ducked her chin and watched him from under her lashes as she crossed the room. She looked so vulnerable.

A desire to protect her at all costs swept over Jonathan. Other, less honorable, desires surfaced when she sat down beside him and licked her lips.

He smiled and handed her the apple. “Ladies first.”

He’d given her the first bite as a gentlemanly gesture, but when she closed her eyes and moaned, he nearly came undone. He felt like Satan himself in the Garden of Eden as he stared at the juice running down her chin.

Jonathan wanted to lick it off her face, but River beat him to it.

She smiled and extended her hand. “Your turn.”

Instead of taking the apple, Jonathan grabbed River’s wrist and ate out of her hand. A symphony of flavors exploded across his tongue.

Even though he’d witnessed River’s sensual reaction when she tasted the fruit, he was unprepared for his own. His eyelids drifted shut. “If the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden tasted half as good as this, I don’t blame Adam and Eve for giving in to temptation. Anything this delicious has to be a sin.”

“I agree.” River brushed her fingertips across Jonathan’s chin, just beneath his lower lip, then popped them into her mouth. Her little sighs of pleasure as she sucked the juice off her fingers drove him crazy.

Jonathan reached behind his back; but he wasn’t in his own bed. There was no pillow to cover his lap. He shifted his hips and hoped River kept her eyes on the apple.

She was too naive to know what she was doing. They hadn’t even French kissed yet. Jonathan wanted to take things slow with River, but she was obviously ready for the next level.

He waited for her to wipe the juice off her chin again; then grabbed her wrist before she could stick those pretty little fingers back in her mouth.

“My turn.”

He smiled when River’s pulse quickened beneath his fingertips. Her eyes widened as he pulled her hand towards his mouth then fluttered shut as he sucked the juice from her fingers. They were both trembling before he finished.

River slid her fingers out of Jonathan’s mouth, down his chin, over his Adam’s apple, onto his chest. “Oh, Jonathan, what am I going to do?”

He stroked her jaw with the back of his knuckles. “What do you want to do?”