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 its 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.
Calum leaned against the tree and shook his head as he watched the women climb. He could have called out for them to stop but didn’t. He’d stepped on the branch, just to see what Gage and Devin would do. Now that he had them on edge, maybe they’d stop making more noise than a marching band.
Gage suddenly stood up, hands on his hips. “Calum, you bastard, I can smell you.”
Calum grinned and started walking again. “Could you guys make any more noise?” He kept his voice low, knowing the shifters would hear him. Marilyn had said this area was clear of village patrols, but he wasn’t taking anything for granted while on this large hunk of dirt. Stepping out of the taller plants, he nodded to Jesse and Jake. As backup went, they were two he trusted.
Stopping in front of Gage, he cleared his throat. “You may want to get your women out of the tree now, we have to get to the cave.”
“We’re going to a cave?” Jake asked.
Calum nodded, not feeling like explaining just yet.
“Cool.” Jake looked excited by the idea.
He waited for Rayne and Kelsey to have both feet on the ground, then turned. “Let’s go, I don’t like being out in the open in the dark.”
Gage put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking. “If you’re anxious, then I’m feeling all nervy too. What the hell is going on?”
Devin cocked his head and studied him. “Did you find your men?”
He had no idea where to start to explain any of this, and he definitely wasn’t going to stand here and chat. They needed to get back to the cave. He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll try to explain, but we have to get moving. Now.”
Rayne came over, pulling at leaves tangled in her hair. “We can’t shift to speed it up?”
Running a hand through his hair, he debated on it for a second. “Better not. I don’t think they’d be interested in the rest of you, but as I’ve already escaped once, I don’t want to do it again.” He growled softly, “I’m not fond of chains.”
“Chains?” Gage immediately pulled Kelsey closer.
Devin nodded as he grabbed Rayne’s hand. “Lead the way, and we’ll talk when we get where we’re going.” He nodded to Jesse. “You and Jake take the rear and watch our backs.”
Calum started walking back the way he’d come. He felt better knowing he wasn’t alone. It didn’t feel better with Shaelan still in the village with her insane father though, but this was a start.
“Are you okay?” Rayne asked him, keeping her voice down.
He snorted. “I’m in one piece, if that’s what you mean. I had stiches in one shoulder, but it healed when I shifted yesterday.” Looking over his shoulder, he caught the look between the men. “Let’s pick up the pace, if you think you can jog for a bit?”
Kelsey caught up to him. “You have my adrenalin pumping like crazy, so I’m up for that.” She brushed past him and started running without having any clue where she was going.
“Me too,” Rayne answered, following Kelsey.
Nodding, he swung his pack around to his back and started jogging after them so he could take the lead.
They were only about thirty feet from the entrance when he heard a low yowl, from a jaguar announcing its presence. He stopped and crouched down, looking in every direction he could. Without turning to look, he knew the others would be low to the ground now as well. Calum inhaled, trying to find the direction of the cat. Turning slowly, he waited. He saw the eyes coming toward them in the dark, shrugging out of his pack, he braced himself for a fight.
He heard a warning growl from behind him and recognized it as Gage’s voice. Out of the trees, a large male, with a coat almost as dark as his own started walking toward them. Hadn’t Nona said no males come near here…Huffing out a breath, he stood up slowly, not wanting to make any fast moves. “Brock?” he asked quietly. The cat turned in a slow circle as if to say, ‘Look at me.’ Sighing, he looked behind him to the others. “It’s okay.”
Brock came bounding over in long strides and rubbed against his leg. He refused to pet a male cat. “Are you patrolling?” Brock chuffed in response. He started walking toward the cave entrance. “We’re almost there, guys.”
He turned to see Brock walking in a circle around Jake. “He likes women,” Calum said and then almost laughed at the wide-eyed look Jake gave the cat as he stepped away from him.
“He’s beautiful,” Rayne said, going over and stroking a hand over his coat. Devin growled. Lifting her hand away, she rolled her eyes at him. “Not the same species. Don’t get your tail in a knot.”
Kelsey chuckled and caught up to Calum. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
Nodding, he motioned for her to go into the cave. “Yeah, I do. And it’s going to get messy.”
She stopped and looked at him. “Messy like tears or like tie-Gage-up-so-he-doesn’t-do-something-stupid, messy?”
“Hey, Gage can hear you,” Gage said as he stopped beside her.
“Both,” Calum answered and motioned again to the cave.
Jake came over and walked beside them. “Missing clans, a dark mysterious cave, voodoo vibes, and creepy as hell—how bad can it be?” He snorted and walked in.
When they’d all gone in, Brock bounded over. “Thanks for keeping lookout. Please go watch out for Shaelan.”
Brock looked at him for a second, then took off into the dark.
Calum heaved out a deep breath, wishing he could shift and go run off some of the frustration that weighed on his shoulders, as heavy as the ground he stood on. Running his hand through his hair, he looked at the entrance and knew he had to keep it together to fill the others in on the last few days of his life and prepare them for the hell that was going to be the next several.
He watched Gage pace by again, and figured he’d give him a few more minutes. Turning, he looked to Devin, who hadn’t moved a muscle since he went and stood in the entrance. He hadn’t seen Jake or Jesse. Both had gone outside and not yet returned. It was hard, the unspoken commonality among all male shifters was when they had a problem to work through, or an emotional upset, they shifted and ran it off. Being here, shifting was too dangerous, so that left them trying to sort it through the hard way. A way, he’d recently learned, that was not easy at all.
The biggest problem he was having right now, he hadn’t yet told them everything. They didn’t know about what happened to the captives once ‘released’, and he hadn’t found a way to explain to them about Shaelan’s existence, or the fact that the alpha was her father.
Pushing away from the wall, he went over and looked at the water and the bottles of whiskey beside it. Having tasted the potent brew, he opted for water. Getting a cup full, he turned back and saw Kelsey coming toward him. She stopped a few feet away, and it was then he realized she completely understood the way it was in the life of a shifter now. Mated females didn’t get too close to males, aside from their mates.
Hopefully Kelsey and Rayne would help fill in some blanks for Shaelan. Her village had taken the shifter norm and misconstrued it, or created some bastardized version, and he wasn’t sure what rules or protocol they followed, if any at all. That’s why he wanted the girls to come, his patience only went so far when it came to explanations.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Devin would come personally, not just send others, and he knew Gage would arrive as well. He didn’t know Kelsey and Rayne as well as the men, but he knew enough to understand that there was no way their mates would be coming without them.
He blinked, realizing that Kelsey had spoken to him. “Sorry?”
She gave him a sweet smile. “I asked if you were okay?”
“Yeah.” He motioned to Gage still pacing around. “I’m giving them time to absorb what I told them before I pile on more.”
Brows furrowed, she glanced at her mate. “There’s more?”
Nodding, Calum finished what was in his cup. “Unfortunately, but the waves of anger coming off them was getting a little intense, so I thought I’d wait before continuing.”
“A bad kind of more?” Rayne asked as she got up.
Taking a deep breath, he debated on lying to them, but decided it wasn’t worth it. “It’s not good.”
“Let’s get on with it then,” Devin said from entranceway. “Jake and Jesse are standing watch, so if we can move close to the door, they’ll be able to listen.”
Calum moved without comment to his pack and pulled out his phone, then went and sat by the doorway. If he stayed on his feet any longer, he was going to drop. Sitting on the ridge all day watching for them, and wondering about Shaelan had exhausted him, both emotionally and physically. More than once, he wanted to go to the village but didn’t want to take a chance on anything happening to his friends that were here because he’d called.
When he realized Gage and Devin were looking down at him, he sighed, this wandering mind thing was getting to be a bit much. Both of them looked like they were barely holding it together, he could see the rage brewing. Unlocking his phone, he brought up the pictures, and without a word of warning he handed the phone to Devin.
“Am I looking at what I think I am?” Devin asked, his voice shaking with emotion barely held in check.
“It’s where they take the captives after they’re done with them.” He couldn’t look at the women to see their faces, or he might lose it. “Gene was on the top, collar still on…” He glanced quickly to Gage as he studied the pictures. “With a bullet hole in his head.”
Kelsey and Rayne both gasped. He closed his eyes unable to watch another female hurting over this. “I still have to go and bury him.” Opening them, he watched Gage hand Jake the phone where he now stood in the entrance.
“We’ll do it together after this is resolved,” Devin said icily. He stood with his hands on his hips staring at the dirt under his boots. “Those bones could be any number of clan members reported missing over the years. The alliance will have records of any jags missing.” He shook his head. “I don’t know if they can ever be confirmed though.”
Calum shook his head. “I don’t know if they have records of any kind, they don’t exactly ask your name and address when you regain consciousness and are chained to a wall.”
Gage squatted down and looked at him. “They have to have some kind of help, or warning system or…something.” He looked up to Devin, who agreed with him. “If they got you, they had to have help. You’re a ghost on four legs when in the bush.”
“They’re in the trees, that’s how they get the drop on you.” He shook his head. “But yeah, they have to have someone warning them. I doubt they sit in trees all day waiting for a chance that a shifter wanders by.”
“What about that voodoo vibe in the village?” Kelsey asked quietly.
Nodding, Calum still avoided looking at either woman. “I thought about that village too, while I cooled my heels today watching for you to get here.”
“The Alliance will dig into it.” Devin heaved a loud sigh. “So, what are we going to do?”
“Can you go in as a representative of the Alliance and hold them accountable?” Rayne asked Devin.
He shook his head. “Even if I’m holding a copy of the blood oath in my hand, I doubt that would get us far. The elders that made the pact, won’t still be living.” He rubbed his forehead. “This mess is the alliance’s fault; they just gave up, and it got out of hand…” His voice trailed off. No one needed to be reminded how out of hand it now was.
“How many people are there?” Gage shrugged. “Can we get in without being seen?”
Calum took his phone when a somber-faced Jesse stepped inside with it. “It’s a big village, too many for us to handle alone, from what I saw.”
“Do we call for more backup?” Devin wondered.
“I don’t know.” Calum rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m exhausted and can’t think straight. Marilyn and the medicine woman said to give them a few days to get their ducks lined up…” He shook his head at Gage when he raised an eyebrow to him using that phrase. “So I’m guessing they’ll start from the inside, and we’ll have to see how far they get.” He thought of Shaelan. All he wanted to do was see her to make sure she was safe.
“What else?” Gage asked with a hard edge to his voice. “What else haven’t you told us?”
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and dropped his head down. “My mate is in that village.”
Gage stood up. “And you left her there?” He was close to roaring.
Opening his hands, he gave him a blank look. “I couldn’t stay and end up back in chains. What the fu…”
Jake stuck his head in the entranceway. “A woman is coming this way.”
Calum got up quickly. He wanted it to be Shaelan, but hoped it wasn’t at the same time, not her out wandering around in the dark.
“With a pink hat on…” Jesse’s low voice said from somewhere outside the door.
Calum snorted. “Marilyn, and that’s her hair, not a hat.” He shook his head when Jesse’s head appeared in the entrance and looked at him, his eyebrows almost to his hairline. “You’ll see.” He smirked.
Marilyn didn’t disappoint when she came in. “Whew! I need to get me a horse or some damn thing…” She lifted a foot from the floor and bent her knee a few times, swinging it back and forth. “Almost broke this off in a damn hole I didn’t see soon enough…” She stopped and looked around at everyone, then smiled as if she was the hostess at a party. “Oh, good you made it. Brock told me company had arrived, so I brought food.” She held up a worn, honest-to-goodness picnic basket.
No one moved or said a word, just looked at her. Calum stepped over and took the basket. “Thanks, Marilyn.” She grabbed a hold of his chin when he would have stepped away and pulled his head down close to hers.
“You look like something the cat dragged in.” She laughed. “Ha, maybe not cat…”
He straightened up slowly. “It’s been a long day.”
“I don’t doubt it. Mine has been damn gruelling. I’m all tuckered out. I’ve talked to almost every female old enough to have boobs about what’s been going on.” She was looking everyone over from head to toe as she spoke. “Another day and we’ll have a full uprising in the works. Doesn’t matter the nature of a body, none likes choking down lies and deceit.” She smiled at Kelsey, then Rayne. “My word, your women are absolutely lovely. I mean, just gorgeous.” She glanced from one male to the next. “Who’s the royal one? Do I kneel or curtsy or something?”
Calum smiled at the horrified expression on Devin’s face. “I don’t think that’s necessary, this time.”
Marilyn’s pink head bobbed a few times. “Okay, then. Let me sit this aged ass down and I’ll fill in some details.” She walked by them and headed into the cave. “A sip of whiskey might be needed too, I’m thinking.” She waved a hand over her shoulder without looking at them. “Tell those two statues outside to come in. No male comes near to this part of the mountain, they’re all petrified the cats in heat will drag him into the depths of this cave of spirits.” She sat down and winked at anyone looking at her, which was everyone. “A little story we concocted to make sure this space was only for us women.” Her loud laugh rang out, echoing off the stone walls surrounding them.
Shaking his head, Calum held the basket out to the stunned looking Kelsey, and motioned for everyone to go in. “What did you mean another day and you’ll have a full uprising?” He walked in to sit down and try to relax his tense muscles.
She waved a hand in the air. “Several of the women will be coming here in the morning so we can talk it out.” She shrugged. “We don’t know a damn thing about bucking the system, never mind overthrowing it.” Ruffling her bright hair with one hand, she grinned. “This is the only bucking I’ve ever done.” Frowning, she looked at the floor. “Okay, I’m lying…I have Ronald smuggle magazines and stuff in with the supplies. Then pass them around the village to keep us up-to-date on world events.” Waving that off, she looked up suddenly, then bobbed her head a few times.
In the back of his mind, he had to wonder if the magazines she referred to were tabloid rags…but didn’t have energy to explain to her that the news in those was less than accurate. The woman plain exhausted him, just listening to her. He started to lower his tired as hell body into one of the chairs. “How’s Shaelan?” His heart thudded in his chest when he said her name.
She glanced at every person there but didn’t once make eye contact with him. Then began picking imaginary link off her skirt.
He froze. “What’s wrong?”
Clasping her hands in her lap, she cleared her throat. “She had a rough time today…”
“The change? Is she okay?” He stood up. “Fuck! I shouldn’t have left her there…”
“No, no. Wasn’t her change coming, well it could be in the background but…” She took a shaky breath.
When he saw her eyes tear up, he turned to run for the entrance. Before he could reach it, Jake and Jesse grabbed him. “Let me go,” he growled. He was dragging them, their boots sliding across the stone as he continued toward the entrance. Devin appeared in front of him, pushing back on his shoulders. He growled a low warning. Prince or not, that was his mate, and something was wrong. “Dev, move…”
Laughter like he’d never heard filled the cave. He saw the confusion on Devin’s face as he glanced over his shoulder. It was a male’s laughter. Huffing out a breath, he shook off the men trying to hold him and turned around to see Gage almost doubled over laughing and pointing at him.
“About. Fucking. Time.” Gage gasped between bursts. “You asshole!” He straightened and tried to sober up. “How many years have you rode my ass about this mating stuff?” He chuckled. “And now it’s your turn.” He looked to the roof of the cave. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Growling low and pacing away, Calum rolled his shoulders and tried to walk it off, so he wouldn’t go running back into the chains waiting for him at the village. “Bastard,” he hissed, only to hear Devin chuckle quietly.
“Whew! That was exciting!” Marilyn said loudly. “Damn, I love you guys.” He heard her sniffle and turned to see her facial expression go from smiling to distraught. She looked right at him. “Please don’t leave us here to live like this anymore.” Rayne and Kelsey were in front of her comforting her before he could reply.
He looked at Gage, then to Devin, both men’s expressions reflected what he was feeling. No way in hell they were leaving this clan to live like this.
Jake stomped over and sat down. “I’m never leaving the shop again.” He wiped a hand across his brow and scowled at the floor by his feet.
“You said something about whiskey?” Jesse said suddenly, looking to Marilyn. He pointed to the bottles, “Is that it?”
She nodded to the women to let them know she was okay. “You need to bring me a bottle there handsome. I have to get through explaining to the large, angry, green-eyed one what transpired today to upset everyone, and most especially his mate.”
Calum slid down the wall, and exhaled, trying to bring his cat under control. His whole life he’d kept to himself. Stayed out of trouble, never stirred any up. In the last few days his entire world was a mess, not just a simple one, but a fucking mess, one he couldn’t even see clear enough to fix. Not feeling any more settled, he looked at Marilyn. “Tell me.”