Chapter 109 Chapter 109
Kelsey stopped and turned in a circle, taking in the vastness of the mountain. “I can’t believe the guide only brought us this far.”
Rayne adjusted the strap on her backpack. “I’m surprised he came this far.”
Jake went past, giving Kelsey a wink, “I’m just enjoying the holiday from the shop.”
She couldn’t blame him for that, in all the years she’d known him, he rarely left the clan’s area. Catching up to Rayne, she glanced back at her mate, Gage, “He said ten minutes and we should be at Calum’s car.” Jesse walked by her, she didn’t know him very well, but the others trusted him, so she would until he gave her a reason not to. She’d asked Gage, quietly, what clan Jesse was from and since then had wanted to ask him to shift. Just so she could see a leopard up close. Of course, she didn’t because this wasn’t a casual vacation they were on.
“I’m more concerned with the way he said ‘this is as far as I dare go. Good luck to you.’ He looked scared.” Jesse said, pausing to adjust the laces on his boots.
Gage and Devin exchanged a look that had Kelsey and Rayne stopping to stare at them.
“What aren’t you telling us?” Rayne demanded of Devin.
Devin exhaled and stopped walking, just looked up the mountain. “There used to be a clan in this area,” he started walking again. “When the alliance was still in it’s infancy.”
“Did they move?” Jake asked.
“No, they just vanished. None of those sent to check on them ever came back.” He looked around again. “Anyone sent up to investigate never came back either. So, they stopped sending people.”
Kelsey stopped and looked at Rayne.
Gage looked around then back to her, “What is it?”
She waved a hand toward the bottom of the mountain. “That village we were in…” she looked at Rayne, “it had voodoo vibes.”
Rayne nodded.
Gage rubbed the back of his neck. “What are voodoo vibes exactly, Kels?”
She rolled her eyes at him for not getting it.
“I think she means creepy as shit.” Jesse offered.
Jake laughed, “Voodoo vibes, creepy as shit… this is so much better than the shop.”
Shaking his head, Gage caught up to Kelsey and looked over her head at Devin. “Was it a big clan?”
Devin shrugged, “Large enough,” he pointed in the direction they were walking, “this mountain was their territory, according to alliance archives.”
“Clan of what variety?” Rayne asked as she stepped around some long grass like something was going to jump out of it, while trying to tame her long blonde hair enough to pulled back from her face.
Devin moved over to walk beside her. “The cat variety.”
Jake stopped so fast Kelsey almost walked into his back. He turned, a serious look replacing his usual easy-going one. “Okay, I’m with the ladies on this one. We’re going to find Calum, who has tracked disappearing members, of the cat variety… to an area where an entire clan vanished...”
Kelsey glanced at Gage who was glaring at Jake, probably because he was agreeing with her and Rayne.
“There’s his car,” Jesse said, relief clear in his voice.
Gage walked quickly to the car, checking the area around it as he went. Then he went to the front tire and reached behind it to pull out the keys.
Kelsey raised her eyebrows and looked at Rayne, who had much the same expression.
Opening the door, he leaned in and lifted the floormat, and pulled out a piece of paper.
“Why do I feel like this is some system you guys developed early in life?” Kelsey asked.
Rayne laughed, “I’m sure it’s nothing we want to know about.”
Devin and Gage exchanged another of their looks, confirming what Rayne had said.
“Fine.” Kelsey tucked her hands in her pockets, feeling anxious standing still. “Does it say why he’s there?”
Rayne nodded to her question. “Why we shouldn’t shift, or why we women were required to come?”
Devin looked up from the note, “It’s one piece of paper, hun, not a journal.”
Jesse looked over his shoulder at the note then glanced around them. “We need to get going and see how far we can get before dark.”
They walked for an hour more, as the sun started to set. Rayne and Kelsey walked close together feeling like this was a repeat of their ordeal a few weeks earlier.
“I have noticed one thing since being able to shift.” Kelsey said out of the blue, “the mosquitos don’t bother me.”
“That is a plus.” Rayne agreed. “The insects in Devin’s forest are the size of birds.”
Devin chuckled from behind them.
Rayne glanced over her shoulder at him. “The local creatures don’t seem to know who you are, Devin.”
Kelsey glanced into the growth of weeds beside them to see small eyes watching them.
“I’m nothing to them, hun. They’re the real deal, not shifters.”
Rayne sighed, “if that was supposed to make me feel better, you failed.” She stumbled over a branch and grabbed Kelsey’s arm to stop from falling. “They could still stop stalking us and respect our personal space.” She let go of Kelsey’s arm and reached down to adjust her boot. “Next time, we need to break in our boots first.”
“This is the last time.” Devin mumbled quietly. “We are in their territory… and Cal said no shifting.” He reminded her.
Kelsey stopped. “They’re creeping me out and getting on my nerves.” Putting her chin down she focused and growled deep in the back of her throat. She heard scurrying in the grass and nodded. “Much better.”
Gage walked over and put his arm around her. “Growling like a tiger in the middle of the bush would be announcing our presence and almost the same as shifting.”
She sighed, “Sorry, not knowing what’s going on has me on edge.” Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head. “I wished we knew more.”
Jake stopped and looked around them. “We have to be getting close…” he held up his hand and the other three males immediately surrounded Kelsey and Rayne. Jake shook his head, “there’s someone moving around out there, but it’s not steady movement.”
Jesse nodded, “no shifting what-so-ever?” He whispered.
“Not until we know why.” Devin answered.
“I hate being in such unfamiliar territory, Dev.” Gage pulled Kelsey back into his side.
“So do I.” Devin agreed, then motioned for them to walk again. “We’re almost to the ridge he mentioned in the note.”
Kelsey tried to use her new hearing and ability to scent around her, but her nerves were so jumbled and her heart was pounding so fast she couldn’t focus. “If anything happens, we could go up in the…”
“No trees.” Gage squeezed her into his side.
Jake, who was in the lead, suddenly crouched close to the ground. The other five immediately did the same.
“I hate this shit.” Devin hissed.
“Agreed.” Gage whispered, then nudged Kelsey. “You girls get in that tree over there.”
Kelsey hissed, “but you just said…”
“Go.” He nudged her again.
“Come on Rayne.” Kelsey grabbed her arm on the way by.
“But I don’t…” A branch snapped from behind them. “climb.” She moved past Kelsey. “If I rip my pants I’m going to be pissed.” She hissed quietly.