Lying with Wolves

“What are you saying?”

“We’re going to have to make the change. They can’t smell us in our true from. We can run out the back, down the road to the hills beyond.”

“But it’s only dusk and there are people everywhere. We will be seen.”

“What choice do we have? If we wait any longer, as soon as we walk out the door they’ll pounce.”

“Have you changed here before?” he asked.

“No.”

“Have you hiked up into those hills? Are they very secluded?”

“No, and I don’t know.”

“Well, we can’t very well run all the way back to the Colony.”

“I’ll have Jade meet us in the canyon with your truck.”

“What about your car?”

“I’ll leave it here. I’m coming back, Malcolm. This is my life now. This is where I belong, and you and the others are just going to have to accept that.”

He nodded, but she could see in the stubborn glint in his eyes that he wasn’t accepting anything. She picked up the phone and called Jade, telling her what she needed her to do.

“Does she know about us?” Malcolm asked.

“No.”

“Then how are you going to explain this?”

“I have no idea. We’ll need to put our clothes in a bag on the counter next to your keys and my overnight bag. She’ll take them and drive your truck into the canyon and leave it there for us. Her sister, Ruby, will follow her and bring her back.”

“What if they hang around and wait for us? What if they see us?”

“We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

He glanced once more out the window at the growing number of Abatu walking up and down the street. “You realize there are a million ways this can go wrong.”

“Yep. But we only need one way for it to go right.”

* * *

“Here, give me the shirt,” Malcolm said, and dumped the trash out of the metal trash can onto the floor. Celia threw the shirt inside the can and then he doused it with the oil from her oil lamp on a nearby table and set the shirt ablaze.

“Make sure you don’t burn my shop down,” she said.

“You just get undressed and leave this to me.”

“Fine,” Celia said, but she wasn’t fine. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to leave and she certainly didn’t want to strip in front of him. It was stupid, she knew that. She’d undressed in front of Malcolm a hundred times before, and yet this time it was so much harder.

She tried to be nonchalant, to act as if it were nothing as her fingers fumbled over that first button of her shirt. But it wasn’t. Without looking at him, she pulled her shirt off, folded it and placed it in the bag. Next came her skirt. This was no big deal, she told herself, even though she knew it was a lie.

Malcolm’s eyes were on her. She could feel his gaze boring into her skin as he watched her every movement. “Do you mind?” Her eyes narrowed with annoyance.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Celia. You can’t blame a man for wishing.”

“Turn around,” she snapped.

“Fine.”

He did, and within seconds her clothes were in the paper sack, and her purse and keys were lying on the counter next to her overnight bag. They were lined up and ready for the twins, who should be here within a matter of minutes.

She unlocked the back door, opened it a crack and hoped, not only for herself and Malcolm, but for the whole Pack that her plan would work. She began walking around the room, concentrating on the feel of her steps, the wood beneath her feet, her breath deep and steady, the pattering of her heartbeat, the pulsing of her blood. Each part of her, changing, transforming.

Her vision sharpened in the semidarkness until she could see clearly into each dark corner. She smelled the subtle differences in the hundreds of delicate scents used in the products they sold—the candles, the incense, the lotions and oils.

And the Abatu outside.

She dropped down onto all fours. Malcolm was beside her, his powerful energy filling her. It had been a long time since they’d run together, since she’d felt the tenuous strings connecting them. As they drew her to him, to his power and strength, she felt compelled to lean into him. To let him guide her. She fought the pull. She wouldn’t fall for it again.

With her nose, she nudged open the back door and left the shop, walking onto the narrow street behind it. Malcolm was close on her heels. They moved slowly at first, getting a feel for their surroundings, the scents and sounds around them. The location of every Abatu and each human. There were so many.

They moved steadily down the alley behind the shops, sticking to the shadows, their nails clicking against the asphalt. They passed cautiously by a large Dumpster behind a busy restaurant halfway down the alley. A man reeking of alcohol and body sweat was sprawled next to it. His eyes opened as they passed, saw them and started to scream.

Spotted. Celia cringed. Back doors opened. Blinds lifted, curtains moved. Abatu were everywhere. Moving toward them, trying to capture their scent. They ran down the alley toward the hills and safety.

People were pointing. Staring. Some with amazement. Some with disbelief. Some with horror. They moved quickly, not wanting to burst out into a full run in front of everyone, but the time for not drawing attention to themselves was over.

A police cruiser turned down the alley, a mounted spotlight capturing them in its hundred-watt halogen glow. This was it. Their only chance. They took off running, fast and hard. Sounds of people screaming as they scampered away filled the air, boots slapping against pavement behind them, the squeal of tires, the burning smell of rubber.

Finally they reached the end of the street and tore up the side of the hill, bolting up the embankment. Running hard. Running fast. There were a million ways for this to go wrong. They’d only just begun, and Celia wasn’t sure they were going to be able to make it.

Below them on the highway, people stopped their cars and stared at them, two wolves racing up the hill, chased by the police. Their shouts filled the night air, some with excitement, others of fear. Soon there would be a party of men with guns searching for them, not because of what they’d done, but because of what people were afraid they would do.

When they crested the top of the hill, Celia stopped and turned back, taking one last look at the cop car parked at the bottom of the hill, the cops on their radios calling for backup, the rear door of her shop swinging wide-open as Abatu filed inside, tracking their scent.

She hoped and prayed they wouldn’t touch Ruby when she arrived to pick up the keys to Malcolm’s truck and their clothes. If only she could warn her somehow. But then she saw a cop go into the shop, and she hoped he’d take care of them and lock up behind him. Though that was probably too much to hope for.

She heard a bark behind her, turned and saw Malcolm waiting impatiently for her at the top of the ridge. He was right; they still had a long way to go before reaching the rendezvous point. Reluctantly she pulled her gaze away from the shop. It wouldn’t be the last time she saw it, she promised herself, then tore off after Malcolm into the night.

They crested the next hill and disappeared into the mountains, running fast and free. Sand shifted beneath her feet as she bolted up the mountainside. Small animals froze in fear or scurried from their path. They ran through the canyons, around, up and over mountains, following the moon as it rose higher and higher in the sky. Finally she was running free, stretching her muscles, breathing deep the sweet desert air. And all she wished was that she was back in her shop, not having to face the horrors to come. The thought that she could be trapped in the Colony; the fact that her mother was dead.

She pushed the thoughts from her mind as they dropped down into a dry riverbed traveling its meandering path up to the red rock canyon, where hopefully by now Ruby had already left Malcolm’s truck and was long gone.

Malcolm.

She didn’t have to look to see if he was there; she could feel him next to her. His emotions were wide-open and easy to read in a way they hadn’t been in a long time. Their connection was stronger than ever. She tried to block it. She didn’t want to feel him, even if he had changed. Even if he really was sincere about wanting to make amends.

Even if he really did love her.

So what? It didn’t matter if he loved her or not. Some love wasn’t worth having. It was too late for them. There was too much damage between them. Too much to forget or forgive. What she needed to focus on now was her future, and how she could save the Colony without becoming trapped there.

Chapter 4

“Did you see that?”

Ruby’s eyes popped open as her sister, Jade, pushed on her shoulder. It was the middle of the night and a chill had seeped into the air and under her skin. They’d dropped off the truck as their cousin Celia had asked but then parked out of sight down the road and walked back up the hill to keep an eye on the truck. Something was wrong with their cousin, and Ruby knew Celia wouldn’t let them help her. She was hiding something from them, something big.

Ruby shook herself fully awake and yawned. “What?” she asked.

“I saw something,” Jade whispered.

She stared into the darkness and repositioned against the boulder, trying to find a smooth spot. “Where?”

“There.” Jade pointed.

Ruby peered into the darkness lit only by the blue glow of a full moon. “Are those wolves?”

“Or very big dogs.”

“Shit.” Ruby rubbed her arms. “We’ve been out here a long time. Who knows what kinds of animals roam the desert at night? What is taking Celia so long?”

“Who knows?” Jade said. “She was too cryptic on the phone. I hope she’s okay.”

“Me, too. She’s in some kind of trouble, I just know it,” Ruby said. “My scalp has been prickling all day, and you know that only happens when something bad is about to happen.”

“I know, I know,” Jade said. “But after that huge mess at the shop, why do we have to be so sneaky? Someone broke in and trashed the place, and her apartment upstairs, too. Add that to her phone call to bring her a vehicle and clothes in the desert, well, it would be very logical for us to stay and tell her about the shop and demand some answers.”

“True,” Ruby agreed, and sighed. “But if she wanted us to know about it, she would have told us already.”

“Maybe we should respect that and wait for her to tell us what she’s hiding instead of spying on her.”

“I would, if it wasn’t for what happened at the shop,” Ruby whispered. “That and the fact that my scalp is dancing all over my head. As long as she doesn’t find out we’re spying, no harm, no foul, right?”

“I suppose. She’s definitely been hiding something. Even I could tell that, and my scalp doesn’t dance.”

“Look!” Ruby gestured into the dark ahead.

Celia and the man they had seen in the shop earlier walked out from behind a large outcropping of rocks. Naked!

“Well, would you look at that?” Jade whispered, amazement ringing in her voice.

“They don’t even have a blanket or anything,” Ruby added.

“That is weird.”

“Doubly weird.”

Celia opened the back door of the truck, took out the sack of clothes and quickly dressed, glancing around her as she did.

“What in the world is going on?” Ruby whispered. “How did they get here? They aren’t even wearing shoes.”

“And it’s not as if they look all that...friendly to me. If you know what I mean,” Jade said, her eyebrows raised in that knowing look.

“I know,” Ruby agreed. “I thought she couldn’t stand that guy. She didn’t even want to see him. Hmm. Something weird is definitely going on.”

Celia and her man friend climbed into the truck and drove away.

“Is that it?” Ruby asked as they hurried back down the road toward their car.

“Well, what did you expect?”

“I don’t know. An answer or something. We’ve been here for hours.”

“But they never even saw us.”

“True,” Ruby agreed, and sighed. “Now what? Did we spend all night out in the desert for nothing? What do we do now?”

“Now we follow them.”

“What?”

“Obviously something is going on here, something wrong. Celia’s in trouble,” Jade said. “If we don’t help her, who will?”

“You’re right. Let’s do it.”

* * *

Several hours later, Celia woke to Malcolm’s hand softly stroking hers. In the haze of half sleep a feeling of warm contentment spread through her at the feel of his touch. She started to reach for him, but then the haze cleared and the memory of why he was there surfaced, bringing with it the shadows of regret and pain.

She opened her eyes and the wide expanse of freeway greeted her as she stared out the windshield. They were barreling through the desert, heading north toward home.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, the warm tendrils of his voice reaching deep within her.

“Tired,” she admitted, though she didn’t know how that was possible considering all she’d done was sleep since she climbed inside his truck the night before. “Where are we?”

“California. You’ve been out for seven hours. You hungry?”

“A little,” she admitted.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” He smiled and, for a second, it was hard not to want to smile with him. To just let go of the anger and the darkness growing within her. To succumb to the comfort she knew he could offer. But she wouldn’t. She had to be strong. If she let him in, even for a second, he’d only hurt her again. All she had to do was get back to the Colony without letting him back under her skin. Two days. Three at the most. She could do this.

And then what? The stones surrounding the Colony had to be rejuvenated every two weeks. If they didn’t find someone else who could do it, she would be stuck there. Always.

“There’s a truck stop a few miles up ahead.”

“Sounds good.” She grabbed a book out of her bag, hoping the story would absorb her and draw her attention away from him. As long as he didn’t talk to her. Look at her. Touch her. She would be fine. A few minutes later, she threw the book back in her bag. It was no use. She could smell him. His rich, spicy scent reached inside her and settled in. She could feel him, his warmth, his strong presence even from across the cab. It made her want to touch him. Obviously she was a lost cause. Pathetic. Hopeless. And when it came to Malcolm Daniels, she always had been.

“Things are going to be a little different when we get back home,” he said, thankfully breaking into her thoughts.

“Why’s that?”

“Jason is the Pack leader now. Losing you wasn’t the only mistake I made. Things got a little out of hand. I made some really bad—”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, interrupting him. She was curious and tempted to let him finish, to sit there and let him ramble on about his mistakes and how sorry he was. To find out what he’d done. But did she really want to know? All that mattered was Scott had shot her mother and she would make sure he paid for it. She needed to focus on that and finding another Keeper, so she could get back to her new home. And that meant not getting embroiled in Malcolm’s life again. So instead of letting him finish, she pointed at the diner up ahead. “Is that it?”

“Yes,” he said, obviously confused and a touch... what? She looked at the sadness on his face. Disappointed? Yeah, she knew that feeling well.

“Good, I’m starving.”

* * *

A few minutes later, Malcolm watched Celia from across the small laminated table, trying valiantly to ignore him. She was determined not to make eye contact or even to speak. He could see how much pain she was in, and it was killing him. He brought this on her with his stupidity and greed. And he’d lost everything because of it. Somehow he had to make things right. He could live without being Pack leader, but he couldn’t live without her. He wouldn’t. But how could he get her back?

“So tell me about Sedona?” he asked, breaking the painful silence growing between them.

She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with indifference. “It’s beautiful.”

“Sparse.”

“And yet incredible with the red rock mountains and canyons. I never knew a place like that existed. So different from home, and yet so beautiful in its own way.”

Their food arrived—two plates heaping with thick slices of bacon, fluffy eggs and fried potatoes that were actually quite good. Silence grew once more between them as they ate. A wide chasm he didn’t know how to cross.

As he finished his food, fatigue fell over him, pulling him down. He wanted to tell her about the Colony, about his role in what had happened to her mother. He should be the one to tell her. But she wasn’t making it easy on him. And he supposed he shouldn’t start a conversation like that now. Not when he hadn’t slept for almost twenty-four hours. For that he’d need all his wits about him. But he also knew that as soon as she stepped foot inside the Colony’s borders, someone would tell her. He sighed and his eyes drifted closed.

“So how did Jason become Pack leader?” she asked, her tone hesitant.

His eyes popped open. He groaned inwardly and took a deep slug off his coffee. “I’ve made more than a few mistakes,” he began. “Starting with wanting to marry Shay.”

“It was a stupid plan,” she interrupted. “And one I still haven’t forgiven you for. But I’m glad it happened.”

“You are?” he asked, stunned. “Why?”

“Because it pushed me out of my comfort zone and out of the Colony. I love Sedona. I love my new life and I’m not going to give it up. I’ll rejuvenate the stones, but you are going to have to find another Keeper. I’m not staying there. Make no mistake.”

A chill filled him at her words. “There is no one else. You know that.”

“There could be. We will need to test everyone now, just to be certain.”

He watched her as he finished his coffee. She was so sure, so determined, and he knew that even as a Keeper she couldn’t survive outside the Colony on her own. Not for long. It wasn’t just the crystals that protected them; it was something with the magnetic pull of the mountains surrounding them. There was nowhere else like it.

He scraped his hand across his face. “I want you to be happy, Celia, I really do. But I’m concerned about your safety. You can’t stay—”

“I can make it work.”

Steely determination filled her eyes. He decided not to push it. Not now. Instead he placed his hand over his mouth as he yawned. “Honestly, I’m not sure how things got so off track.”

“Oh, really?” she said drily.

“Everything was going so well...but then you left, and it all just snowballed after that. I wish...” He couldn’t say how he wished everything could go back to the way it was before he screwed it all up. “I just don’t know how it all went so wrong,” he said finally.

She stared at him, her gaze hard. “I do. Scott started making noises—criticisms and complaints—and as his number of followers grew you got scared and made some really stupid decisions.”

He looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

“Hard to imagine, I know. But you’re not infallible, Malcolm. You’re not perfect.”

Frustration surged through his veins. “Why couldn’t Scott and the others see that bringing technology to the Colony—computers, telephone, TVs, the internet, all these fabulous changes the rest of the world takes for granted—has helped everyone? The economy in the Colony is thriving. People have opened online businesses—we know more now about the outside world than we ever have before. We had become stagnated and inflexible, but with my changes, my vision, all that has changed. Look how much we’ve grown in just the past year.”

“True, Malcolm. But the downside is people can now see what it’s like on the outside. They know what they’re missing—places they will never be able to visit, jobs they will never be able to have. What once was a sanctuary now feels like a prison. Our window to the outside world, the internet, the television, did that to us.”

“I’ve heard that before, but I don’t get it.” He pushed out a clipped breath. “I’ve been out here and I can’t wait to get back home. It’s dirty. There are people everywhere, and frankly, they’re rude with no respect for their surroundings or each other. How could you stand living with them? Living on the outside for so long?”

Finally she brightened. A sparkle entered her eyes and his insides twisted at the sight of it. “It was unbelievable, Malcolm. I loved it. The freedom. The energy. The artistic expression through everything from clothes to food. I saw things I’d never seen before, hell, never even imagined before. Movie theaters! They’re amazing and breathtaking. Giant TV screens with sound so loud it moves right through you.

“Foods like you’ve never dreamed of. And you should see some of the houses, boats and cars. Unbelievable. The excitement, innovation and enthusiasm are intoxicating. People can cut loose and let their guard down and do things they might not usually do when they’re at home because they can actually go out to a restaurant or nightclub and not see a single person they know. Can you imagine how freeing that is? To be able to go out to dinner with a friend and not have everyone in town know who that person was and what you were talking about.”

“No,” he said, and couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice. That was the one thing he hated about the Colony—the total and complete lack of privacy. Not only did everyone in town know who he was with and what he was doing, but hell, they were certain they knew what he was thinking. “I can’t imagine.”

“I really love it and I will go back. That, I can assure you.”

At that moment, he believed she would. And it scared the hell out of him. “But wasn’t it hard? Always hiding who you are? Never having anyone to run with, to talk to about...things with?”

She hesitated a moment, then looked him square in the eye. “Not at all.”

She was lying. He knew her well enough to see that. A yawn overtook him once more. His lack of sleep was finally catching up to him. “We should get going,” he said. “We’re going to need to drive in shifts so we can get back as soon as possible.”

“No problem.”

He handed her the keys and paid the bill. They left the restaurant. As they approached his truck, he climbed into the back and stretched out on the seat. “Wake me up in six hours,” he said as sleep reached for him. Had she really loved the outside world that much? Would she risk her life to stay out here? Jaya had warned her. He’d warned her. And if anything happened to her because he’d driven her away...

He shook off the thought. The Colony was not a prison. And it didn’t feel that way. Her words echoed through his fuzzy mind. Our window to the outside world, the internet, the television, did that to us. You did that to us. The words she did not say but meant. He honestly thought what he’d been doing for the Colony had been the best for all of them. Was it possible he’d been that wrong?

He thought of Jaya begging him not to bring the internet into the Colony. The people of the Colony, and especially Jaya, didn’t understand or appreciate that he’d done it all for them.

Only now Jaya was dead because of his feud with Scott—the man who had tried to boot him out and take over the leadership of the Pack for himself. They’d both gone too far and made mistakes that could never be undone.

* * *

Jade and Ruby dipped farther into the booth behind Celia, listening to their conversation, waiting until they both got up to go.

“Did you hear that?” Ruby asked.

“She is going to kill us,” Jade added.

“It was as though she knew we were here or something. It was creepy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. She didn’t know. We should have announced ourselves.”

“What? And pop up like a demented jack-in-the-box stalker and say, ‘Surprise! We’ve been following you, spying on you, listening to you talk about how much you like going into restaurants and not seeing a single soul you know.’” Ruby covered her face with her hands.