Dare to Bear (Book 1 Trail Guardians Series) (3 page)

“So these wolf cells have the rabies virus.” Mason lifted a shoulder. “What’s the big deal? It happens often enough. The solution is to put the wolf down.”

“The big deal,” Tyce said in a low voice, “is on the next slide.”

When Mason peered through the dual lenses a second time and the double-image became one, he instinctively recoiled. “What the hell is
that
?”

Tyce nodded at him. “Grim, no?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s disgusting. I think I just threw up in my mouth.”

“Take a closer look,” Sandy urged. “You need to watch what this virus does.”

Mason shuddered. “Do I have to?”

Sandy urged him back to the microscope. “You have to understand the extent of what we’re up against.”

Mason exhaled and pressed his eye sockets to the cushion of foam around each lens. “Holy mother of…”

The squiggly strains in this sample were like the evil twin of the first virus. This beast moved fluidly through the healthy cells like a dark octopus, its tendril arms piercing the cells rapidly like a vile creature on steroids. By the time Mason stepped away, a knot of dread had formed in the pit of his stomach. All the cells in view had turned inky black. Darker than a moonless night in the densest forest. Dark as death.

Mason rolled his shoulders uneasily and flicked his hands to shake the chill off his arms. “That was creepy.
Nightmare
creepy.”

Tyce nodded. “Exactly.”

“Man I feel bad for the critter who catches that.”

Sandy eyed Tyce. “We need to tell him.”

Mason crossed his arms. “Tell me what?”

When Tyce dipped his chin, Sandy cleared her throat. “Tyce and I have been out collecting blood samples from carcasses for weeks.” Sorrow inflected her tone. “This strain of the virus only impacts one species of wolf.” Her chin trembled. “Werewolves.”

Mason’s expression went blank. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish she was.” Tyce rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Unfortunately, we’ve discovered countless lycan corpses, every cell infested with the brutal mutant strain.”

Mason straightened. “I’m all for the shifter code.” The tacit understanding that shifters were united by unique abilities yet kept to their own. “But the lycan need to know about this. Seriously.” Agitated, he scraped a hand through his hair. “I mean, we’re talking mass annihilation here.”

“No, we’re talking extinction.” Tyce spoke the dreaded word no shifter, of any species, wanted to hear.

Suddenly the lump of ice in Mason’s gut spread in a numbing chill to his limbs. “Is it transferrable to shifters beyond lycan?”

When he received no answer, he clenched his jaw, forcibly trying not to go berserk. Roar at the top of his lungs. Break something.

Sandy’s eyes filled with tears. “We tested it on my blood. The cell rate of death was nearly the same as a lycan’s.”

Rage boiled in his blood. He paced, disgusted, beside himself with fear for his kind. “What do we do?”

“As of now, the heaviest concentration of this rabies strain is farther north on the trail.” Tyce sighed heavily. “I’m in touch with a doctor up there. As far as I’ve been told, the lycan are aware of this curse. Painfully aware. Few of their kind roam the wild as they used to. But for now, every wolf must be treated with extreme caution, shifter or not. We are all at risk.”

Mason swallowed. “You’re right. All of us are in danger. No matter what species. Even birds of prey could happen on a carcass to pick it clean and…”

There was no need for him to finish. All three of them knew with dreadful certainty that any type of shifter may face extinction with this wretched strain.

Taking a haggard breath, Mason asked, “Have you talked to other shifter species? Do they know? Should we sound an alarm?”

“Only the elders have that power,” Sandy replied softly. “But you know them, Mason. They believe we’re immune, impervious to traditional mortal plagues. If we take this to them now, they’ll demand undeniable proof werebears can contract the virus.”

“Stubborn old bears,” Mason muttered through clenched teeth. “Is there any way to stop it? Some kind of vaccine?”

“Working on it,” Tyce said, arching an eyebrow, “when you so gracefully barged through my door.”

“From now on,” Mason stated, “the antidote is your sole mission. Unless a human is broken or poisoned or on his deathbed, your skills are dedicated to fighting this thing.”

“That’s the plan,” Tyce said.

“In the meantime, I pray to the Ancestors we won’t have an example to show the elders as proof of this virus’s toxicity. I have no desire to place the infested dead of our kind at their feet. Hell, by that time it could already be too late for all of us.”

“We know.” Two tears tracked down Sandy’s cheeks. “Sorry, excuse me.” She raced from the clinic.

Jaw clenched, determination pumping through him, Mason straightened. “I’m going on an expedition.”

“Is that wise?” Tyce cautioned.

“It’s necessary,” Mason said flatly. “Does Bryon at the next post have a heads-up about what you’ve discovered?”

Tyce nodded. “I’ve been meaning to send a sample up to him to verify in his medic lab.”

“Get it ready. I’ll bring it with me. My brother will want to know about this.”

A frown on his lips, Tyce eyed him warily. “That could be exceedingly dangerous, should anything happen to the vial in transit.”

“I’ve guarded the woods along the North Carolina trail for twenty-five years. You know me, Tyce. Better than anyone. When the stakes are high, I make sure every decision counts.”

Tyce bowed his head. “The Ancestors be with you.”

“They will.” They had to be. How could their Ancestors allow this pestilence to destroy them?

Protecting Steph on the trail, learning more from other shifters on the way, and taking the sample to the next post became his intertwined priorities.

Nobody messed with a bear, damn it.

Nobody
.

Mason walked out to the lodge’s main room and found it empty except for the junior Guardian. He stopped short. “Did Stephanie leave?”

Quinn wagged his eyebrows suggestively. “The sexy cutie with the red hair? Yeah, about two minutes ago.” He grinned like a grizzly with his hand in a honey pot. “Hate to watch her go, but love to watch her leave.”

“Did she leave alone?”

The young man shrugged. “Far as I could tell. I asked who she was with, like you wanted me to. She said no one.”

Mason’s jaw hung open in shock. “And you let her leave? By herself?”

“You said to find out who she was with. You didn’t say anything about stalling her. What’s got your scruff up, dude?”

“Forget it,” Mason growled. Then he thought better of his anger, putting himself in check. “For letting her go, you owe me a favor.”

Quinn let out a world-weary sigh—as if the kid knew the half of beginning of world-weary. “What?”

“Go ahead on the path. In bear form. When you cross her, transform and act aggressive.”

“Okay, why?”

“You don’t get to ask questions.”

Quinn exhaled. “Do I still get paid for this?”

“Yes,” Mason muttered.

“Fine.” Quinn headed for the door. “Anything else I need to know?”

“Don’t attack. Just make it convincing you might eat her alive.”

Quinn grinned. “I wish.”

Mason’s hackles rose, and the bear in him flashed his incisors.

Quinn raised up his palms. “Just kidding, dude. Dang.”

“Go do your job.” As he grabbed supplies and stuffed them into an overnight pack they kept handy behind the counter, Mason considered his options.

It could appear too convenient if he came across her with no reasonable explanation for his sudden presence. He needed an excuse she’d buy, a practical reason he needed to join her on the trail for the duration of her hike.

That’s why he’d sent Quinn on that task.

The two of them headed out the door, hot on the heels of Mason’s destiny.

*

Ten minutes after Stephanie left the lodge, showered and wonderfully clean, an acute sensation of loneliness crept up on her. She couldn’t pin down the source, except that while in Mason’s company she’d felt alive inside. For the first time in ages, she’d felt beautiful, happy, even a little feisty. Like her inner light had kindled to life again—until the source of the igniting spark went away.

How could a man she’d met for all of fifteen minutes leave such an indelible impression? Yes, he was tall, gorgeous, and built like a professional wrestler. Sure, he’d seemed to show a sincere interest in her health and wellbeing. Not to mention the undercurrent of attraction and mild flirtation he’d directed at her. But there was something more, something special about him…

Oh, please
. She rolled her eyes at herself, walking the trail, putting inevitable distance between her and the mysterious Mason.
Keep dreaming
.

A hot hunk like Mason probably had every female drooling who stopped for supplies at his shop. Why would he give her a second thought?

She didn’t consider herself particularly memorable. Her ex had confirmed that when he’d posted a picture on Facebook last week with him and another, much skinnier and prettier, woman kayaking on some romantic meandering river together. Her shoulders sagged. Kyle hadn’t wasted any time forgetting all about her and the fact that they should’ve been married by now. It should’ve been her in a kayak beside him—or him hiking the Appalachian Trail with her as his new bride. Her self-esteem hit bottom when she realized her hips probably wouldn’t fit in that teeny tiny kayak.

Going alone on her own honeymoon vacation sucked. Royally.

With a heavy sigh, she forced herself forward, determined—maybe a little desperate—to prove she was good enough. Brave enough. Resourceful enough. And fit enough to accomplish anything she set her mind to, including this trail. Her damaged heart had to heal on this journey.

There would be plenty of time back home to cry, mope, and eventually heal.
After
she conquered this southern mountainous leg of the trail.

Then she’d have something interesting, a real accomplishment, to talk about with the next guy she dated. If she bothered to date again. At the moment, she was convinced that men and the institution of marriage were severely overrated.

Instead of dwelling on matters she had no control over, she pushed the heartache away and concentrated on the lush scenery. She filled her lungs with the thick, rich air. The mountain terrain and dense forests around her stood untouched by the modern world. Majestic nature. Almost magical in its peace and beauty.

A much-needed serenity filled her being.

Until a brown bear, its fur tipped with blonde, lumbered across the path a scant twenty feet in front of her. She froze.

Oh, my God. Holy huge scary bear. Please don’t notice me
.

The second the thought crossed her mind, the bear lifted its head and sniffed in her direction. Its nose wiggled like it had caught a delicious scent. The creature’s snout dropped and it stared right at her.

Crap! Don’t make eye contact. Don’t engage it. Shrink down so he won’t think you’re a threat
.

With painstaking care, she moved inch by slow inch until she crouched on the path. Her fingers trembled as she dug the tips into the dirt.

The bear made a low snuffling sound. She swallowed a shriek. “I know,” she murmured to the imposing creature in soft tones. “I’m in your space. But I swear if you leave me alone, I’ll get out of here as fast as humanly possible.”

Doing the opposite of her whispered request, it shifted its big shoulders and lumbered toward her.

“I’m going to die today.” She squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her chin to her chest. “God, forgive me for any mean thing I ever did or said to anyone. Or thought about my ex. Please let someone find my body. I don’t want to die a lonely Jane Doe.”

“I have a strong feeling you’re going to live a long, happy life.”

She jumped and spun on her heels so fast she fell on her backside. Her gaze followed a pair of brown manly hiking boots up muscular calves and thighs sheathed in canvas, the bulge of an impressive package, and a narrow waist that widened steeply to accommodate the muscular bulk of broad shoulders. Finally, she met twinkling deep green eyes.

Mason?

She cleared her throat and spoke softly. “Um, do you
not
see the huge bear about to maul us?”

Mason scoffed. “He’s not that huge. Still a juvenile, in fact. He doesn’t have the skill or experience to perform a proper maul.”

“I don’t care to test your theory and wind up as dinner,” she gritted out.

A smug expression stole onto his features. “I’ll prove to you he’s all brawn and no bite.”

“What?” She stared slack-jawed as Mason walked casually toward the bear. “This is not the time to play tough-guy hero,” she called after him.

He waved away her concern.