figure moved into view. Max waited until the figure moved past her, then she stepped from behind the tree.
“If you’re following me, I’m over here,” Max called out, surprised at the firmness of her voice when she was shaking like a leaf inside. She was facing off with God only knew what. Having a gun made her feel less vulnerable, but that didn’t mean it was much protection against things that weren’t entirely human.
The figure spun around, causing the hood to slip off. Her stalker was a woman, and she was quite beautiful, but not in the classical sense. Her hair, bound in a braid draped over her shoulder, was the color of the moonlight overhead, and her large blue eyes, sitting in a heart-shaped face, were titled upward. She was human, yet she had the look of the fey about her.
“Why are you following me?”
The woman held her hands out in a gesture of peace. “My name is Kayla, and I mean you no harm. You are Max, Caleb’s mate, and I am a member of his pack.”
Max didn’t like the sound of that. The girl was the kind of woman people expected to see with a man like Caleb. Her beauty and fragile femininity would be a perfect foil for his blatant masculinity. Max felt the green horns of jealousy prodding her, and she reminded herself nothing was settled between her and Caleb, no matter what her damn hormones thought.
“I’ll ask you again. Why are you following me?” Max pulled the gun from her pocket and held it at her side. She didn’t intend to use it, but just in case the girl had any ideas about attempting to overpower her, she wanted her to think twice. “And you’d better hope I like the answer, because since meeting the big guy, I’ve been attacked, kidnapped, and drafted into the ranks of the unemployed and homeless. Shooting you won’t change any of that, but I don’t think it would bother me much either.”
The girl smiled, clearly amused, and Max seriously considered shooting her if for no other reason than it would make her feel better.
Something of what Max was feeling must have shown on her face, because Kayla suddenly wiped the smile off her face and eyed her soberly. “I’m not laughing at you, so please put the gun away. I was just thinking how perfect you are for Caleb.” The smile returned to her face. “You must drive him crazy. Do you call him the big guy to his face?”
“None of your business. Are you alone?” Max allowed her senses to flare outward, attempting to sense the presence of Others . She’d always had the ability, but she hadn’t cultivated her gift. Instead, she’d hidden it behind a wall of denial, determined to be normal. At the time, it had seemed the right thing to do; now it seemed just as right to tear down that wall to help Caleb.
“I came alone.”
Max arched a skeptical brow. “And I should believe you because…?”
“I can’t give you a rational reason why you should trust me, but I’m betting you already sense that I’m telling the truth. You’re Caleb’s mate and not without powers of your own. I don’t know why he’s left you, but these woods are not safe. You should not be out here alone.”
Max slid the gun back into her pocket, but she kept her hand on it. She sensed Kayla was no threat, but they weren’t alone. Someone was watching them, from a distance, and power of that magnitude, whether friend or foe, made Max uncomfortable.
“He didn’t leave me unprotected. I sensed he was in danger and decided to go after him.” Max nodded at the hills behind Kayla. “He’s up there somewhere, and I know he’s in trouble.” Max tried to keep the fear from her voice, but the look of sympathy in Kayla’s eyes told her she’d failed miserably.
“Be at peace,” Kayla said, closing the distance between them. “Caleb may be in danger, but he’s a seasoned warrior. There are few equal to him in battle, and those who are, he calls brother. He may be in danger, but he’s not alone.”
“You seem to know a lot about
“If you’re following me, I’m over here,” Max called out, surprised at the firmness of her voice when she was shaking like a leaf inside. She was facing off with God only knew what. Having a gun made her feel less vulnerable, but that didn’t mean it was much protection against things that weren’t entirely human.
The figure spun around, causing the hood to slip off. Her stalker was a woman, and she was quite beautiful, but not in the classical sense. Her hair, bound in a braid draped over her shoulder, was the color of the moonlight overhead, and her large blue eyes, sitting in a heart-shaped face, were titled upward. She was human, yet she had the look of the fey about her.
“Why are you following me?”
The woman held her hands out in a gesture of peace. “My name is Kayla, and I mean you no harm. You are Max, Caleb’s mate, and I am a member of his pack.”
Max didn’t like the sound of that. The girl was the kind of woman people expected to see with a man like Caleb. Her beauty and fragile femininity would be a perfect foil for his blatant masculinity. Max felt the green horns of jealousy prodding her, and she reminded herself nothing was settled between her and Caleb, no matter what her damn hormones thought.
“I’ll ask you again. Why are you following me?” Max pulled the gun from her pocket and held it at her side. She didn’t intend to use it, but just in case the girl had any ideas about attempting to overpower her, she wanted her to think twice. “And you’d better hope I like the answer, because since meeting the big guy, I’ve been attacked, kidnapped, and drafted into the ranks of the unemployed and homeless. Shooting you won’t change any of that, but I don’t think it would bother me much either.”
The girl smiled, clearly amused, and Max seriously considered shooting her if for no other reason than it would make her feel better.
Something of what Max was feeling must have shown on her face, because Kayla suddenly wiped the smile off her face and eyed her soberly. “I’m not laughing at you, so please put the gun away. I was just thinking how perfect you are for Caleb.” The smile returned to her face. “You must drive him crazy. Do you call him the big guy to his face?”
“None of your business. Are you alone?” Max allowed her senses to flare outward, attempting to sense the presence of Others . She’d always had the ability, but she hadn’t cultivated her gift. Instead, she’d hidden it behind a wall of denial, determined to be normal. At the time, it had seemed the right thing to do; now it seemed just as right to tear down that wall to help Caleb.
“I came alone.”
Max arched a skeptical brow. “And I should believe you because…?”
“I can’t give you a rational reason why you should trust me, but I’m betting you already sense that I’m telling the truth. You’re Caleb’s mate and not without powers of your own. I don’t know why he’s left you, but these woods are not safe. You should not be out here alone.”
Max slid the gun back into her pocket, but she kept her hand on it. She sensed Kayla was no threat, but they weren’t alone. Someone was watching them, from a distance, and power of that magnitude, whether friend or foe, made Max uncomfortable.
“He didn’t leave me unprotected. I sensed he was in danger and decided to go after him.” Max nodded at the hills behind Kayla. “He’s up there somewhere, and I know he’s in trouble.” Max tried to keep the fear from her voice, but the look of sympathy in Kayla’s eyes told her she’d failed miserably.
“Be at peace,” Kayla said, closing the distance between them. “Caleb may be in danger, but he’s a seasoned warrior. There are few equal to him in battle, and those who are, he calls brother. He may be in danger, but he’s not alone.”
“You seem to know a lot about
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