RedKnife (Skin Walkers Book 2) (10 page)

Chapter 17

Two days before Christmas Cindy stirred from her sleep as the scent of fresh coffee and cinnamon assailed her.  Her blankets were warm and she hunkered deeper, debating on padding down the hall to the enticing scents, or lingering to see if sleep reclaimed her.  Peeking out the window she felt her belly give an involuntary flutter.  It was barely dawn, but the warmth of the bed, the scent of delicious food, and the sense of protection she felt knowing RedKnife was watching over her, had her feeling the giddy anticipation of Christmas morning.

Flinging the blankets back, her socked feet hit the floor before she crossed to the bathroom.  Short minutes later she emerged refreshed, her hair combed and brushed back from her face, secured with a clip.

Crossing by the bed, she snared her robe off the bedpost and stilled when the sound of Christmas music floated to her from the sitting room.

RedKnife had actually taken to sleeping on the couch, and she had to admit it made her feel safer to have him close.

Quietly exiting the room, she tiptoed down the darkened hallway and stopped at the entrance to the sitting room.  A large fire burned in the hearth and low light came from the kitchen.  Hearing the light clatter of dishes, she followed the sound, finding RedKnife placing a platter of piping hot cinnamon rolls in the center of the small table.  It was beautifully set with three candles burning brightly in the center.  The mood felt…enchanting.

“Morning,” she whispered quietly, not wanting to break the spell.

RedKnife’s dark eyes lifted and he smiled warmly before he turned and grabbed two more platters and placed them on the table, then quickly crossed to hold out her chair.  “Morning.”

“What’s all this?” she asked breathlessly, a little overwhelmed at the effort he’d gone to.

His reply was simple.  “I wanted to cook for you, since you’ve been taking care of me.”

“Wow!”  She took in the spread before her.  The large cinnamon rolls steamed and beckoned to her.  They looked gooey with icing melting down the sides, just how her mother made them.  Next to that was a plate of still-sizzling sausages, and directly in front of her was a bowl filled with cheese-covered scrambled eggs with bits of what looked like bacon.

“This looks …
incredible
.”

He smiled as he sat across from her, lifting a carafe to fill each of their mugs with coffee.  “The rolls are that popping can kind.  I didn’t try to make my own dough.”

She held back a giggle.

“Thank you,” she offered when he filled her cup.  “I wish you would have woken me.  I would’ve helped.”

“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.”

He spooned a pile of eggs onto her plate before forking on two sausages.

And just why was it he was trying to surprise her?  Excitement stole through her.  “Yeah, but it couldn’t have been enjoyable for you.  This,” she waved at the table, “is a lot of work.”

He grabbed tongs and placed a cinnamon roll on her plate before placing two on his own.  “You’re wrong.  I enjoy taking care of you.”

Really?
  She shifted in her chair, wondering where this sudden attentiveness was coming from.  It felt…romantic.  Her gaze flicked to his, and she was glad he was too busy preparing his plate to see her blush.

She reached for her fork, but before she could dig into her food, RedKnife quickly reached across the table and surprised her by grabbing her hands.  He bowed his head and Cindy quickly followed suit.

“Grandfather, we thank you for the honor of your gifts.  We pray you continue to bless us with your protection and guide us so we may act in a manner that honors our ancestors.”

His words faltered a moment, and Cindy could tell he was debating on simply ending the prayer there.  She didn’t lift her head as she waited.

“Today is a rare occasion for us.  I am humbled at the gift of this woman,” he squeezed her hands, “that you’ve granted me the honor of sharing this day with.  I recognize that companionship is a gift, and I am grateful for it…for
her
. 
A’hau
.”

A blush bloomed high on Cindy’s cheekbones as she opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head.  “Me too.”  She whispered.

They ate as the sound of soft Christmas music filled the air, accompanied by the crackle and pop of the fire in the background.  The cabin was warm and smelled so homey that Cindy couldn’t help but feel giddy.

“This was really nice,” she swiped her napkin across her lips as they finished.  “Thank you.”

RedKnife stood and cleared the table and Cindy hurried to help.

At the sink, he stopped and turned to eye her robe.  “You should get dressed.  Be sure to dress warm.  We’re going out.”

Excitement laced her tone.  “Out?”

He shrugged negligently.  “I figured since we didn’t have anything else to do, we might as well go find a tree.”

“A
Christmas
tree?”

He smiled at her enthusiasm and nodded.

Despite herself, Cindy felt delight rise within her.  “Okay,” she turned to hurry to her room.  “Give me ten minutes.”

“Take your time.”  His voice held a smile.  “We’ve got all day.”

In record time, Cindy layered up with thermal underclothes, two pairs of socks, a scarf, mittens, fat coat, and a stocking cap.  She got to the sitting room just as RedKnife stomped his boots out on the front porch, then opened the door and entered.  He took in her appearance with a wide grin.  “You think you’ll be warm enough?”

She pursed her lips at his sarcasm.  “Hey!  Not all of us have a grizzly bear living inside.”

His smile widened.  “After you.”  He held the door open and motioned for Cindy to go out then followed.

They hiked a ways from the cabin before Cindy asked, “So, what exactly is it that we’re looking for?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

She stopped so suddenly that he bumped into her back.  Turning, she had to tilt her head far back to look up at him.  “What?”

He stared at the trees around them.  “Never done this before.”

“What?”  She repeated.  “You’ve never cut down your own tree?”

Still, he didn’t look at her.  “Never had one before.”

Her heart broke a little.  “You’ve never had a Christmas tree? 
Ever
?”

“No.”

“That’s so…sad.  I’m sorry.”

He lowered his head then, staring at her with a slight smile curling the corners of his mouth.  “Why are you always apologizing for my life?”

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

“It’s not your fault I don’t know what Christmas is.”

She clicked her teeth together and lowered her head.  “Well, I’m just sorry that the kid you were never got to experience what it’s all about.  I made it sound pretty crappy before, but Christmas wasn’t always bad.  It can actually be really magical.”

A finger slid under her chin and he lifted her face to his.  “Don’t feel bad for me.”

She swallowed around the emotion that suddenly clogged her throat.

“So far,” he smiled.  “This is turning into the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

Smiling, she reached up and grabbed his hand, squeezing it through her glove.  Her eyes darted over his shoulder, and her eyes rounded.  “
Ooooh
, what about that one!”  She pointed to a tree, and RedKnife turned, laughing as he stalked up to it, then planted his hands on his lean hips.

“And what about this part right here?”  He questioned, looking at her without even attempting to hide his humor.  “You know, this section with no branches at all?”

Cindy pulled a face as she titled her head to the side.  “Okay.  Maybe we can do better.”

He barked a laugh.  “There’s no maybe about it.”

They walked a little further, and she wondered at his words.  He’d admitted to never having a Christmas tree before, and Monroe had told her he rarely spent time inside.
What kind of upbringing did he have?
  She fell behind a little as she wondered at all the other things he’d probably never done.  He’d probably never experienced a child’s simple pleasures.  Her eyes snagged on the snow. 
Like making a snow angel.  Or…
  A mischievous grin curled her lips as she bent and scooped up a handful of snow.  Part of her warned that he wasn’t the playful type.  She packed the snowball tightly and eyed his massive back. 
Easy target.

Pulling her arm back, she smiled and felt a little just desserts when the snowball smacked dead in the center of RedKnife’s back, making him stop in his tracks.

Curiosity kept her frozen to the spot until he turned his head to pin her with dark eyes and an angry frown.  She’d probably have had a heart attack if one corner of his mouth hadn’t finally lifted as he warned, “Oh, you’re in trouble.”

That was all she needed.  With a screech, she turned and raced for the trees.  “WAIT!”  She exclaimed breathlessly around a smile.  “I was just playing.  It…
slipped!”

She ran hard, but as she became winded she finally had to stop and rest, plastering her back to a tree.  After a few deep breaths, she slowly peeked around the tree, half expecting to see him right behind her, but he wasn’t there.  Relief was swift, but short-lived when she faced forward only to yelp when he grabbed her waist and hoisted her into the air.

“Gotcha!”

She screamed, then just as quickly laughed.  “Wait, I’m sorry!”  She squealed in delight as he spun her around, holding her up as if she weighed nothing.  “Don’t retaliate!  I’ll do anything!”

The declaration was breathless, and even more air left her when RedKnife lowered her to pin her to a tree.  Feet still dangling above the ground with him pressing into her, it felt natural to wrap her legs around him.

“Anything?”  He asked, his smile slowly disappearing as he pressed into her.

Cheeks flushed and still breathing hard she smiled up at him.  “What…what do you want?”

His eyes darkened, and suddenly she wished he’d kiss her.  She licked her lips, his eyes dropping to follow the movement.  His nostrils flared as he leaned closer.  Then his lips pressed into hers.

The kiss was warm and soft and didn’t match him at all.

Not used to this side of him, it took Cindy only a moment to wrap her arms around his neck before she was melting into the kiss.  His mouth slanted over hers, and when she licked at his lips, he pulled back.  The look of puzzlement on his face vanished quickly.

“Split up.  Ten bucks says I find the perfect tree first.”  The he released her and disappeared around the tree they’d been pressed against.

For long minutes, Cindy didn’t move.  Frozen, she held her gloved fingers to her lips and wondered at RedKnife’s reaction to the kiss.  It had almost been like… 
No.  It couldn’t be.

Is it possible he’s never been kissed by a woman?
  Her eyes glinted with the challenge as she turned and hurried into the trees.

Chapter 18

Finding an okay tree, Cindy stopped in front of it and thought back on the kiss.  She was lost in her thoughts when she heard the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping, and the crunch of snow under booted feet.

“RedKnife, I found it!  You’re going to
so
owe me ten bucks!”  She clapped her gloved hands in giddy anticipation, both at finding the tree and at what had happened between them.  “Look at it.”  She pointed at the tree.  “It’s perfect!”  She turned with a beaming smile, but it froze when her eyes locked on the stranger standing behind her.

Clad in head-to-toe winter camo, the stranger’s dark eyes were void of emotion.  He was large, but nowhere near as big as RedKnife.  His coloring was a contrast to RedKnife too.  Instead of long dark hair, this behemoth had long pale hair with clear blue eyes and light skin.  Instead of the air of safety Cindy felt in RedKnife’s presence, she felt nothing but sheer terror under this man’s scrutiny.

She could tell by the air of power rolling off the large man in front of her that he wasn’t simply out strolling through the woods.

“Uh...” she took a step back.  “Hi.”  Her eyes darted around searching for RedKnife.  “Are you lost?”  She kept backing up.

The large man lifted a hand to a device in his ear.  His voice was low, but she heard his words.  “Target located.  I’m securing her now.  Tito, bring in the chopper.”

When he took a step toward her, Cindy turned and ran.  She knew she wouldn’t get far.  The man—like RedKnife—wasn’t wearing a coat in the blistering cold.  He had to be a Skin Walker.  Drawing in a deep breath, she did the only thing she could when a strong hand curled over her shoulder and jerked her to a halt.  She screamed.  “
REDKNIIIIIFE!
”

***

RedKnife eyed the group of Walker Sentries that surrounded him.  He knew who sent them and why.  They were here for Cindy.

The wind howled as it suddenly whipped into a frenzy, sending blinding snow lashing through the air.  RedKnife’s hands tightened into fists.  He’d been distracted.  His morning, and his desire to please Cindy, had left his guard down.  He should have heard these men, scented their arrival.  Regardless, no one was taking Cindy from him, and if he had to hurt these four Walkers to prove it, he would.

His eyes didn’t miss anything as he assessed the team.  He knew of them.  Commander Conn Drago and his mercs were Monroe’s favorite method of calling a rouge Walker to heel.  But RedKnife wasn’t just any Walker.  He actually smiled as he took a step toward the mercs, but then he froze.

“
REDKNIIIIFE
!”

His head jerked toward the sound of Cindy’s scream and he knew then that the group before him wasn’t there as a challenge, but a distraction.  Someone else was after his
one
.

He shifted with a speed no other Walker possessed, as unlike all other Walkers, RedKnife wasn’t subject to the constraints of typical Walker shifting.

Skin Walkers existed in five different stages; each more skilled and powerful than the next.  Like their ancestors, all Walkers could shape-shift, but to varying degrees.

Stage one typically referred to extremely young Walkers, those not yet versed in their heritage and abilities.  Stage two Walkers were slightly more advanced, able to shift to the form of a single animal, but only for a limited amount of time, while stage three Walkers could shift freely to a few animal forms.

Stage four Walkers, like the good Commander standing before him, were much more advanced.  They possessed the ability to shift to any animal form for any length of time.  Many believed that Stage four Walkers were psychic; however, it was simply their keen sense of smell that allowed them to detect other’s emotions.

Finally, there were Indigenous Walkers.  These Walkers were descendants of the most ancient Walkers, purportedly Anasazi.  They too could shift to any animal form for any length of time, and possessed the keenest senses of all Walkers; however, unlike the others, it was rumored that Indigenous Walkers possessed the ability to control the elements.

RedKnife was the only known living Indigenous Walker and as he shifted, he revealed another trait that was specific to his stage.  His mountain lion form surged forth, but instead of an amber coat, the beast was cloaked in pure white fur that allowed the beast to effectively vanish into the heavily falling snow.  RedKnife could choose the coloring of his animal, and it was a gift he’d used often in correlation with his altering of the weather.  It wasn’t a rumor.  He
could
control the elements.

Conn’s eyes narrowed on him, but as RedKnife slowly backed away he watched as Conn blinked, then his eyes shifted rapidly from side-to-side.  He’d lost sight of RedKnife.

Turning, RedKnife raced to where he’d heard Cindy’s scream.  With the snow storm in full frenzy now, there was no hope of picking up her scent, but her muffled cries carried to him on the wind and had him pushing harder to get to her.

***

“Please!” Cindy fought in her captor’s hold.  He had her pinned to the ground, and continuously scouring the area as if he were waiting for someone to arrive.  “Let me go!”

The man’s long hair hung down, brushing across her cheek, and Cindy seized the opportunity.  Reaching up, she wrapped the long strands around her fist and pulled hard.  At the same time she planted her opposite foot and pushed, with hopes of rolling the guy off of her.  It didn’t happen.

His head jerked around until his eyes locked with hers.  Blue fire erupted in their depths, and his lips thinned into a grim line as he leaned menacingly closer.

Unsure what else to do, Cindy screamed, loud and long.  “
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
!”

One second she was screaming, the next she was lying all alone in the deep snow.  Wind howled all around her, and giant flakes pelted her cheeks and coated her lashes, making it hard to see.  Sitting up, she looked swiftly around her, but found no sign of her attacker.  Slowly, figures approached.

“We’re taking you in, RedKnife.  One way or another.”  Conn lifted a hand to shield his eyes against the blinding snow.  “You need to stop, now!”  His voice rose to be heard over the howling wind,
“STOP THIS NOW!”

Suddenly, RedKnife’s massive form appeared and crouched down to block Cindy’s body with his own.

One of the approaching men shook his head.  “FINE!  HAVE IT YOUR WAY.”

Cindy peeked around RedKnife’s massive frame to find the two men glaring at each other in challenge.

“SHANE.”

It was the only warning she got before she heard a faint pop.  In front of her, RedKnife reacted so quickly that she’d barely had time to flinch.  When she opened her eyes again, RedKnife was holding something in his hand and shaking his head.  It took her a second to recognize the low rumble emitting from him as laughter.

“BOYS!”  The angry man with the scarred face barked, and there was a rapid succession of pops.

Shots! 
Why had it taken so long to register that the sounds were shots?  They were being shot at!  Cindy tried to scramble to her feet, but RedKnife suddenly reached back and locked a hand on her hip to hold her in place.  In front of her, his body jerked several times, and then everything stilled.  The shots, RedKnife’s jerking.  Everything.  Even the wind suddenly ceased, and the snow stopped falling.  RedKnife moved, dropping several red items in the snow between his feet.  At first, Cindy thought it was blood.  With shaking fingers, she reached between his feet and retrieved one of the items, pulling it back to analyze.  It looked like a dart.

Then, RedKnife was falling, and she was reaching desperately for him.  His body fell forward, and she was unable to hold him up.  Instead, his weight pulled her forward until she was draped across his back as he slumped unconscious in the snow.

“No, no,
NO
!”  Cindy scrambled over his body and tried to roll him over, but she couldn’t move him.  She heard the crunch of snow and didn’t hesitate to grab a fallen tree branch.  She kneeled over RedKnife’s body and held the branch baseball-bat-style as she glared at the men surrounding them.  “Get the
fuck
away from him.  Leave us alone!”

The scarred man titled his head, and she swore she saw the faintest hint of approval in his eyes before he spoke.  “We’re taking you both in.  You can choose to come willingly, or…”  He didn’t finish, just flicked a glance at RedKnife.

“A-are you going to hurt him?”

The man now standing over her shook his head.  “He’s one of us.”

She didn’t bother inquiring into her own safety.  She knew where she stood.  Monroe StoneCrow believed she was a threat, an enemy to his kind.  He’d show no mercy.

With determination showing on her face, and terror quaking her limbs, Cindy threw the branch aside.  “We’ll come.”

The man’s face broke into a broad smile, then as he offered a sarcastic, “So pleased to have your cooperation, Ms. Sambrano.”  He turned and spoke to his men.  “James, secure the female.  Shane, York, and Legion, get that big mean bastard to the cage.”

Cage?  What?  No! 
She threw an arm protectively over RedKnife.  “What do you mean cage?  You said he’s one of you!”

“He is.”  The scarred man eyed RedKnife warily.  “But he’s also a potential threat.”

Cindy’s heart slammed in her chest.  She didn’t know if she could trust these men, and suddenly she wished she knew how to get ahold of King.

When the smallest of the men approached her, Cindy’s initial instinct was to fight, but the three larger men were already lifting RedKnife out from under her and were carrying him away.  She had to follow.

“Easy, lady.”  The guy grabbed one elbow, then the other, before securing her hands behind her back.  She tried to go after RedKnife, but the guy pulled on her arm to keep her in place.  “Hang on.”  He held onto her hands as he patted her down.

“I’m not carrying anything.”  She tried again to follow after RedKnife.

“Better safe than sorry,” the guy chided.

“Listen,
Einstein
!  If I had a fucking weapon I would have
used
it
to protect RedKnife instead of that stupid tree branch.”

The guy actually laughed at her.  “Good point.”  He pulled on her hands, finally leading her in the direction they’d taken RedKnife.  “And by the way, it’s James.”