Destiny Unchained (14 page)

Most supernaturals could endure extreme temperatures,
but that didn’t mean it was comfortable. And it would slow them
down. So they stocked up on heavy coats and layers of clothing then
headed straight into the heart of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Glacier National Park.

Inches of snow turned into feet of snow as Cristian
navigated the treacherous mountain roads. Since the news report
that evening, they hadn’t found a single clue to go on. Natalia
guessed the Slayer was heading to Canada where there were lots of
small towns, wide open spaces, and rugged terrain that would make
him harder to track.

They argued for a good half hour about the next step.
Natalia wanted to weave through the mountains, positive she’d catch
his scent and find him. The snowy peaks and valleys would slow most
people down, even supernaturals. But she was lighter on her feet,
faster. Finally, she’d have the advantage. And she wouldn’t waste
it.

Cristian thought they should take the fastest, most
direct route to the Canadian border – there was only one crossing
that side of the state – and wait for him there.

“It’s too risky,” she told him when they stopped for
gas. Losing patience, she paced in front of the car. “If he caught
wind we were there, he’d find another way to cross. Even if he
didn’t know we were there, it’s too predictable.”

Cristian folded the map and leaned against the hood
of the car, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s the easiest way
across and we know he likes easy. He stays in the backwoods. He
takes easy victims. And he’s in a hurry ‘cause he knows we’re
trailing him. He’ll take the easy way, I’m sure of it.”

They were at an impasse.
Play-nice-with-stubborn-werewolf time was over. “You can do
whatever the hell you want but I’m going through the mountains. On
foot if I have to.”

He rolled his eyes as her resolute tone. “All right.
Let’s compromise.”

“What?”

The corners of his mouth lifted into a cocky smirk.
“Do I need to tell you what that means?”

She gave him a look. “Do I need to tell you what
patronizing means?”

He laughed. “How about this? You get two nights to
explore the mountains. If we find nothing, we go to the
border.”

She didn’t like this compromising, not one bit. But
it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. If after two nights she had
nothing to go on, a plan B would be needed anyway. Whether that
included the border or not didn’t matter right now. She’d ditch the
werewolf in a heartbeat if she had to. But why not make peace and
agree to this so-called compromise? For now. “Okay.”

He nodded, his face a somber mask. “I know that was
hard for you, Natalia. But I’m very proud of your effort to work as
a team.” A teasing smile spread across his face. “Gold star for
today.”

“Oh, shove it.” She shouldered past him then climbed
in the passenger seat.

Cristian set off in the direction of the mountain
pass. “The Slayer will need somewhere to rest. Even our endurance
has its limits. The chalets are closed but it wouldn’t be hard to
break in. And they’re sheltered from the elements. I suggest we
travel to those first and hope to pick up his scent on the
way.”

She’d been thinking the same thing. “Why, Cristian,
that is pure genius.” The sarcasm dripped off her tongue easily.
She cursed under her breath. What the hell was going on? She didn’t
normally provoke people.

He rubbed his hand over his mouth and murmured,
“Insolent woman.” Then louder, “If you were pack, I’d punish you
for that.”

All kinds of naughty thoughts popped into her head.
Heat blossomed across her cheeks. She wouldn’t ask. She definitely
wouldn’t ask. “What would you do?” She winced. Apparently her brain
and her mouth were no longer communicating.

His brows shot up then a smile tugged at his lips.
“Well, if you were one of my men, I’d sentence you to hard labor.
If you were my lover,” – he raked his heated gaze over her body –
“I’d restrain you with my whip then torture you slowly until you
begged me to let you come. But I’d make you wait, aching and
whimpering, until I felt you’d learned your lesson.”

Now why did that sound deliciously exciting? She
swallowed hard and hoped her eyes didn’t betray her lustful
thoughts.

Then he whispered, “But,
puiule
, when I finally brought you
to climax, you’d feel it for days.”

A flood of heat rushed between her legs. Damn it.
There was no way he wouldn’t notice that. Or the sound of her heart
thudding wildly in her chest.

He chuckled, an arrogant, chaffing sound. She flipped
on the radio to drown him out. AD/DC’s Highway to Hell blasted from
the speakers.

Funny, this journey was quickly becoming her very own
highway to hell.

The scent of her arousal hit Cristian hard as he
struggled not to pull the car over, strip her, and force her to
come. Just the thought of tying her up and using her body any which
way he wanted made him so hard he thought he might pop the button
on his jeans. And now he knew it appealed to her too. He hid his
smirk.
The day will
come, my Natalia, when I have you naked and coming at my
command.

The news reporter’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“…There’s been a breakthrough in the case of the missing girl from
Rider’s Landing. Abigail Freeman, a six-year-old girl, has been
missing for a week. Officials now say there is evidence the child
is alive and they have a good lead on where to find her. Her
parents are pleading…”

Tires screeched as he swerved to the side of the road
and slammed on the breaks. Natalia braced herself with hands on the
dashboard. “What the hell?”

Abigail Freeman. Blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and
missing teeth – the picture from the news reports popped into his
head. It’d been a week since she’d been reported missing. Survival
wasn’t likely after a few days. Most people had given up hope,
except for her family. But now the police had evidence she was
alive. Could she really be saved?

He looked at Natalia and took a deep breath. “I have
an informant with the police force. I can get the details on the
missing child case and find out what the lead is.” Natalia’s
expression remained stoic. “We have a choice. Follow the Slayer and
stand a good chance of catching him before the border…or risk
losing him to look for the child.”

She turned to look out the window without a word.

He placed a hand on her knee. “But if we stop our
hunt, we could save a life.”

The implications of the decision went beyond finding
a child or losing the Slayer’s trail. Natalia’s answer would reveal
her values. She was an assassin with every fiber of her being.
Would killing always take first priority? Or was there more to this
Huntress?

He squeezed her thigh. “Talia, this is your hunt.
I’ll leave the decision up to you.” It would crush him if she chose
the hunt, but it wouldn’t surprise him. Thirteen months was a long
time to hunt a werewolf. The pressure was on. Not only because of
his crimes but the witches were hounding her too. She would be
justified in choosing the Slayer.

He couldn’t justify that decision for himself though.
Much as he didn’t want to, they would have to part ways if she
chose the Slayer.

Finally, she looked at him, her lips tight and her
blue eyes swimming with absolution. “The child.”

His stomach flipped and a slow smile spread across
his face.
That’s my
girl.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Nick, a sergeant
in the Wyoming state trooper force. Ever since Cristian’s pack had
helped him hunt down a deranged bear responsible for several car
break-ins and one attack on a human, they’d been friends. And Nick
continued to ask him for help with tough cases. No one knew the
wild Wyoming terrain better than Cristian.

“Sergeant Daniels,” Nick answered.

“Nick, it’s Cristian.”

“Oh, hey, Ranger.” Nick was in fine spirits
considering the circumstances. Maybe it would work in his favor.
“What can I do for you?”

“The missing girl.” He held Natalia’s gaze. “I can
help.”

It was silent for a moment. “I can’t give out
detailed information. You know that.”

“And you know these woods are mine. I know every inch
of them. If anyone is going to find that child, it’s me.”

He sighed. “I would’ve called you had it been in
Wyoming. But they think she’s in Idaho. Targhee National Forest.
That’s all I can tell you.”

“That’s all I need.” He gave a thumbs up to Natalia.
“Thank you, Nick.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t mention it.” He paused. “No,
really. Don’t mention it.”

Cristian chuckled. “I know. As soon as I get back
I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

“Even better than that,” – his voice dropped – “find
that little girl.”

Cristian pursed his lips. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good luck.”

He hung up the phone and slipped it back in his
pocket. Natalia looked at the clock. “How far away are we?”

“About an hour. Less if you don’t mind me breaking
most driving laws.” She arched a brow and he laughed. “Didn’t think
so. But we’ll have to backtrack.” He studied her face. Would she
change her mind?

“Then we better hurry.”

His heart nearly burst with pride. “All right.”
Unable to resist, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Let’s go find
that little girl.”

“Tire tracks,” Natalia stared at the ground, toeing
leaves out of the way.

“Tire tracks?” Cristian studied the marks, confused.
“There’s no way a car could make it out here.” They stood in the
heart of the Targhee National Forest on the border of northern
Wyoming and Idaho. They were miles from the road, searching the
forest using their heightened senses and praying for a bit of luck.
It wasn’t much to go on. He hoped fate was on their side – on
Abigail Freeman’s side.

Natalia walked a few feet away. “There’s only one
tire track. It’s not a car. A motorcycle.”

“More likely a dirt bike.” The terrain would be hard
to navigate with a street bike.

She sighed and turned in a circle, inhaling the
frigid air. She faced him with a somber gaze. “We’re looking for a
body, Cristian. There’s nowhere to keep a child alive out
here.”

This part of the state was wild and, for the most
part, unmanned. The only ranger station was at least fifteen miles
south. There weren’t even many hiking trails. It was like the world
forgot this place existed.

He shook his head, refusing to acknowledge the
sinking feeling in his stomach. “I’m not ready to give up.”

She looked at him for a long moment. Always
practical, his Natalia, he thought she might argue. But she nodded.
“If she’s alive, she’d need shelter. A building of some sort. An
abandoned cabin or –”

“A cave.” Of course. Why didn’t he think of it
before? “There’s an extensive cave system just north of here on the
edge of the forest border. It’s the only shelter I can think of.”
He shook his head and paced. “It doesn’t make sense though. Leaving
a child alive – even if she’s
not
alive – and stashing her in a cave
where no one would find her isn’t his MO.”

She shrugged. “I agree it doesn’t sound right. But
it’s the only lead we have.”

He ran a hand through his hair and stared at the tire
marks on the ground. “You’re right. Let’s go check it out.”

They ran for miles, pushing their way through thick
brambles then sprinting when the trees thinned. After a slight
incline, they reached the opening of the caves.

Natalia froze outside the mouth and her eyes
widened.

“I smell it too,” he told her. Human. A faint trail
of…baby powder.

She ran headlong into the cave, swerving through the
narrow passages. He struggled to keep up. Damn she was fast. The
caves were pitch black, and even with his keen eyesight, he tripped
over rocks. Mumbling curses, his elbows scraped against the sides
of the cave. But Natalia moved with effortless fluidity.

He inhaled the stale air and sneezed. God he hated
enclosed spaces. “Ow,” he grunted when his head banged the top of
the cave ceiling.

The sound of rock crumbling up ahead made him cringe.
The tunnel grew thinner.

“Suck it in, werewolf.” Natalia’s voice sounded far
ahead.

He turned sideways and shoved his body through one
particularly narrow part, sucking in his stomach.
Gotta lay off the Chinese
food.

Her footsteps stopped. The tunnel opened to a wide
circle. Silence surrounded him.

“Cristian!”

He moved quickly but clumsily toward the sound of
Natalia’s panicked voice. A faint glow up ahead made his heart
quicken. Fire. Or the dying embers of one.

He could barely make out Natalia’s shape huddled over
something next to the small pit of mostly ash. A head of blonde
hair stood out in the darkness. His heart leapt in his throat. It
couldn’t have been more than forty-five degrees in the cave, even
with the dying fire.

“Is she…” His voice came out husky and he
coughed.

“She’s alive.” Natalia scooped the child into her
arms. “Barely. Call the police.”

“
Slava Domnului,
” he muttered.
Thank God.
He pulled out his
phone. It lit up just enough to see the child’s pale face and her
body hanging limp in Natalia’s arms. “No signal. We have to get out
in the open. Is she bleeding? Does she have any injuries?” He
didn’t smell blood but he wanted to make sure.

Natalia shook her head. “I didn’t see broken skin but
she’s probably hypothermic.” She adjusted her hold then strode
confidently ahead. “Let’s go. She doesn’t have much time.”

“Hang on.” Cristian stooped down and held his phone
toward the ground. “Footprints.” Big prints. A man. Something shiny
a few feet away caught his eye. “A food wrapper. Someone was taking
care of the child.” He took a whiff of the wrapper. “Human. Not
werewolf.”