Destiny Unchained (15 page)

“Cristian. We can come back to look at the clues.”
Her voice broke then she forced it to sound stern. “The child needs
an ambulance.”

He stood and spun toward the tunnel they’d come
through. “You’re right.”

She was already gone.

Natalia made it out first, even with the cumbersome
child. Though still dark, the crescent moon shed enough light
through the leafless trees to see Natalia clearly. She gripped
Abigail tightly, creating a protective cocoon around her. She
stared down at her, whispering soothing words in the child’s ear.
The little girl was unconscious but that didn’t stop Natalia from
rocking her side to side as if calming an infant.

Emotion lodged in the back of his throat and his
heart burst with pride. A tingly warmth spread through his body as
his lips curled up into a faint smile. He didn’t just admire and
respect her. And he didn’t just like her.

He loved her.

The world seemed to tilt on end. Did he truly love
this Huntress – an assassin who hunted down his kind and murdered
them? This fearless vampire with focused intelligence. This
nurturing woman who cradled a child protectively. This trusting
human who made love in the shower. This survivor who’d always fight
for life.

Natalia shifted her gaze from the child to Cristian.
She gave him a long look before nodding in silent acknowledgment.
“We did it,”
her eyes said.

Yes, he loved every bit of her.

He took off his coat and wrapped it around the child.
Then he dialed 911 and told them they’d make their way to the
nearest road and to have an ambulance ready.

Natalia kept the girl cuddled in her arms. “Why do
you think he left her alive? This has been the only victim he
hasn’t killed.”

He’d been wondering the same thing. A thought struck
him. “Occum’s razor.” Her brows furrowed and he shrugged. “If it
doesn’t make sense that the Slayer took her, he probably
didn’t.”

She nodded and looked down at the little girl. “The
person who did this –”

“The police will find him. I’ll give them directions
to the cave.” And if they didn’t, he’d be back to hunt the bastard
down. “Do you want me to take her? I won’t tire as quickly.” He
reached for her and Natalia snarled. He bit his cheek to keep from
laughing. A protective mother indeed.

“I’ll be fine,” she snapped.

They walked five miles to the road then called the
local precinct that dispatched him to the cell phone of the officer
in charge. Ten minutes later, sirens filled the night air a short
distance away.

Natalia turned to him. “Take her. I’m going to
disappear.”

He looked from the child to Natalia. “You deserve the
recognition.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be stupid. You’re a
ranger. I don’t exist.” Cristian hesitated and she shoved the child
at him. “Take her!”

He took the child in his arms. Down the road,
flashing lights rounded the corner. By the time the ambulance and
three squad cars stopped in front of him, Natalia was gone.

An hour later, after he’d given his statement and
spoke to news reporters, long after the ambulance left with the
little girl, he turned back to the woods to find his brave
Natalia.

“Is she going to be okay?” She stepped out of the
tree line just as soon as they were alone.

He nodded then held her gaze. “You saved a child’s
life, Natalia.” He wondered if it was the first time she focused on
something good instead of gruesome violence.

She shrugged but he didn’t miss her shaking hands.
“Back to the Slayer.”

He opened his arms. “Come here.”

Her eyes narrowed and she didn’t move.

He sighed and said more sternly, “Come here,
Natalia.”

After a brief hesitation she walked to him. “That’s
my girl.” He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against
his chest. She was stiff, but when he pressed a kiss to the top of
her head, she sagged against him. The world felt right – Natalia in
his arms, her sweet smelling hair under his nose. He was keeping
her. Sorin, the pack, the world could go to hell if they didn’t
like it. Natalia was his.

She wasn’t ready to hear it yet. But he held her,
without speaking or moving, just kept her in his arms until he felt
they were ready to move on.

When he released her, she stepped back, her eyes a
little wide. He smiled. “Back to the Slayer.”

Natalia’s fists clenched and her lips curled into a
snarl. She looked down at the chalet, nestled between two peaks,
one of which they’d just crossed. It was the second chalet they’d
hiked to and still no sign of the Slayer. After rescuing Abigail,
they’d headed straight toward their initial destination, Glacier
National Park. She thought they’d be too far behind to hunt the
Slayer down before the Canadian border. So it surprised her when
his trail appeared in the middle of Logan’s Pass – the main road
that weaved through the park. They’d ditched the vehicle and
followed it on foot. Anticipation had pumped adrenaline through her
veins as she sprinted ahead of Cristian.

Then it’d abruptly ended. Instead of wasting time
hiking back to the jeep, they’d made their way to the first, then
second, chalet on foot.

The higher the altitude, the more snow they trudged
through. Natalia had the advantage because she was lighter and the
ice-topped snow held her weight. As for Cristian, he fared
differently. Every once in a while, she heard a grunt and turned
around to find him thigh deep in a pile of snow. If she hadn’t been
so frustrated hunting the Slayer, Cristian might have finally seen
her laugh.

A plop then a sigh sounded from behind her. She spun
around. “Again?”

Cristian rolled his eyes and looked down at both legs
surrounded by at least two feet of snow. “I gotta lay off the
Chinese food.” He reached his hands toward her. “Help me out.”

Her lips twitched. “What’s the matter? Big, bad alpha
stuck in a little snow?” She grasped his hands and started to pull,
but when he narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip, she realized
her mistake. “Don’t you –”

Her warning was cut off when, with a few swift
movements, he flipped her into the snow and stood grinning down at
her.

“What’s the matter?” he taunted. “Big, bad assassin
stuck in a little snow?”

She glowered at him. “Very funny. We don’t have time
for this.” He extended a hand toward her but she ignored it.
Instead she grabbed her thigh and tugged. When it wouldn’t budge,
she tried the other.

Cristian sighed. “Prideful woman.” He stepped behind
her, wrapped his arms around her waist and yanked her out.

Brushing the snow off her legs, she mumbled, “I
didn’t need your – hey!” She spun around when a large palm slapped
against her backside.

“Snow,” he gestured behind her as his lips twitched,
“on your ass.”

She scowled. He grinned.

Without another word she started down the hill toward
the chalet. Cristian kept pace beside her. “You need to lighten up.
Have you looked around? We’re in the heart of Glacier National
Park, one of the most beautiful places in the country.”

She spared a moment to take in the scenery. It wasn’t
as if she didn’t appreciate the beauty life had to offer, but she’d
been around a long time. And she’d seen almost everything there was
to see. It was just another ragged line of snowy peaks in the
horizon, scaled by the small windy river below. The moon was only a
sliver, which cast shadows over the plunging valley, but the sky
full of stars made the snowy ground shimmer.

“The new moon is tomorrow,” he said, looking up to
the sky. “It calls to me.”

Great. He was going to get all wolfy. “Is that why
you’re so…” She struggled to find the right word.

“Playful?”

Not the word she would’ve chosen, but she nodded.

“Yes, and would it kill you to play along?”

“Possibly.” She took off, jogging down the last
little bit of the hill.

At the chalet, they separated and walked the
perimeter of the empty wood building, searching for clues. A few
sets of footprints indicated someone had been there since the last
snow. But the prints were too small for a werewolf. Most likely
hikers or rangers. The only scent she detected was animal and
human. No pinewood. No evil. No Slayer.

When Cristian joined her on the porch, she growled,
“Still no fucking sign of him!” The vision of Abigial Freeman, sick
and barely breathing, pumped anger through her veins. Finding the
child changed something in her. Yes, it was the most satisfying
experience in the world knowing she would go back to her family,
safe and well-loved. But since finding her cold, limp body, an
uncomfortable fury simmered in her chest.

“Easy there, killer.” Cristian came up behind her and
stroked his hand down her hair. She shivered. “We still have a plan
B.”

“
You
have a plan B,” she muttered and turned around
to start picking the chalet lock. Dawn was still a good two hours
away but she wasn’t taking any chances. They’d rest there for the
day then get a strong start the next night.

Cristian’s heavy footsteps crossed the wooden planks
and she could feel his gaze at her back. “I’ve had enough of your
snide comments and cold exterior. Where’s the woman from the
shower? The one who acknowledged her pain and accepted comfort.
Strong, but not invincible. Trusting, but not stupid. I want her
back.”

She forced herself to focus on the lock, ignoring the
painful squeeze in her chest. “She doesn’t exist.”
I don’t want her to
exist.
Her hands trembled.

He grabbed her elbow and spun her around, trapping
her against the door. “I told you I wouldn’t let you pull away and
I meant it. I’m a patient man. I can wait a long time for you,
Natalia.”

He wanted her. He’d admitted as much. But why? Why
would a passionate, loving werewolf want someone like her? They
were opposites in every way. He was soft; she was hard. He was
warm; she was cold. She would only dampen the fire that raged in
his passionate body. Though she’d never say so, he deserved
better.

His hand cupped her cheek. “You’re worth every
minute,
draga
mea
, my dear one.”

“No,” she breathed, barely audible.

For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. He
leaned in, his breath heating her lips. She hated that her heart
stopped, eagerly awaiting his move. But no, he didn’t mean to kiss
her. His eyes danced with mischief, not lust. He gave her a wolfy
grin. Then he ducked down and threw his shoulder into her belly,
and before she could react, she was draped over his back while he
ran into the clearing outside the chalet.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she yelled. “You
can’t manhandle me!”

He laughed.

Laughed!

“I can and I will. You need to loosen up my little
Ice Queen.” With that, he dropped her ass in the snow.

She glared up at him. “You are so annoying.”

“Are you starting to feel, Natalia?”

“Yes. Hate.” She jumped to her feet and brushed the
snow off her butt.

“If you’re capable of hate, you’re capable of love.
They’re equally as passionate just different sides of the same
coin.”

“Passion?” she spat. “What is passion but an excuse
to act like fools?” In a mocking voice she said, “I’m in love. I
can act completely irrational and idio –”

She cut off with a gasp when a snowball hit her
square in the face. The cold stung her cheek and she growled.

He grabbed up another handful of snow.

“Don’t you dare.”

He grinned, holding the snowball threateningly.
Suddenly, the big, bad alpha looked like a mischievous little boy.
A goofy, lopsided smile and sparkling eyes stared back at her,
brimming with mirth. Her lips twitched.

“Come on, vampire,” he whispered. “Play with me.”

For a moment, she envied him. He’d lost his mate –
watched her burn alive – yet here he stood, full of humor,
patience, and grace – everything she would never have. How? How
could he move on without carrying hate? All she had left was
hate.

He glided closer. “Do you even know
how
to play?”

“I’m not a child. I don’t play.”

With three long strides he was inches away from her.
“Then I’m going to have to make you.” His hand trailed lightly down
her side. “You like me. Admit it.”

“No.”

He pinched her side. She squirmed.

He gave her an odd look then did it again. She
grunted then wiggled away.

His smile broadened. “You’re ticklish.”

“No, I’m not.” She made a hasty retreat.

He followed her. “Yes, you are. I pinched you and you
almost giggled.”

“I do
not
giggle.”

“Either you like me or you’re ticklish, you have to
admit one.”

She snorted. “Or what?”

His eyes narrowed. “Or I’ll make a liar out of you
and tickle you till you can’t breathe.”

“That would only work if I was ticklish.” She took
another step back.

He arched a brow. “You’re denying it then?”

“I’m not playing your stupid gam –”

Cristian flew at her, knocking her to the ground. She
grunted when she hit the cold snow. He kept her pinned there with
his body weight. Then he tickled her. He actually tickled her like
an eight-year-old child. It was so absurd she laughed.
Uncomfortably at first, but then the floodgates opened and a rush
of reckless abandon flowed out of her. And the bastard’s threat
hadn’t been idle either. She kicked and squirmed and gasped for
breath under his assault.

“Do you yield?” he asked with a prideful grin.

“Fuck…fuck…” She couldn’t even form a sentence.

“You wanna fuck? Here in the snow? A little cold but
that can be arranged.” He went to pull off her shirt.

“No!” She was still laughing, though he’d stopped
tickling her. “I yield.”