"Faith O'Malley?" How the hell had Gavin already learned so much about her?
"When I arrived at the lodge where you stayed for the night, the clerk gave me an earful about giving the key to your room to a cute blonde, that she suspected you were now friends with since her room was across from yours. The clerk sounded a little wishful that she'd had the key to your room instead. Then I learned Miss O'Malley had some business with Lila Grayson and Kintail Silverman concerning Back Country Tours also. That made me wonder if it had anything to do with you calling and having me check out the license plates for a gray Ford pickup."
Cameron paused as they pulled another tree in place. "What did you learn?"
"It belongs to Back Country Tours in the name of Kintail Silverman. And since you were investigating the same outfit, I figured you might have hooked up together in the romance department. Although the way you were feeling about Marjory, I wasn't sure you'd take the plunge again so soon—even if it's been several months. So what's the story?"
The information about the registration for the pickup didn't help much, although it looked like Kintail had been following Faith's progress all along. Cameron was damned glad Gavin was here, but the realization hit him again that he couldn't explain all that had happened. He wanted to, as close as he'd been to his partners. But internal warning bells went off concerning what he was now. And instinctually he knew for the preservation of his kind, he couldn't reveal the truth to Gavin.
He didn't answer Gavin, but considered the tangle of trees and branches they'd gathered now blocking the trail and figured it would take their pursuers a while to clear a path. "She's up ahead. Let's go."
Gavin would assume that Cameron was in a hurry to protect the woman. But soon, he suspected more would be at stake. He just hoped the reason there was no sound of a snowmobile's engine grumbling in Faith's direction was because she was stopped, waiting for him to catch up.
As soon as he climbed onto his snowmobile, he tore off toward Faith, Gavin following a distance behind. No matter the bizarre set of circumstances now, Cameron was glad to have his partner at his back. He just hoped Gavin wouldn't learn the truth about the werewolf busi ness, or they'd have a hell of a new mess to deal with.
Trevor stalked into Kintail's lodge and the hangdog expression meant things hadn't gone as planned. Kintail at first thought the problem was that Faith wouldn't speak with Trevor. But Trevor quickly explained, "Before Officer Adams and Whitson could reach the cabins, Cameron and Faith had left. The officers are in pursuit, but they wanted me to report back to you to tell you what had happened. Once they convince Cameron and Faith to return to the cabins, I'll visit with her there." He stroked his gray beard, his gray eyes watching Kintail's reaction.
Kintail ground his teeth. Couldn't anyone in his pack do anything right? He wanted the woman to discover who the killers in their midst were, and then he wanted her. Period.
"Another thing."
Kintail refocused on Trevor, the man's posture defeated, and Kintail knew he wouldn't like this other thing.
"Or, a couple of things, I should say. The red, Leidolf, was seen exploring the woods near the lake. We think he's investigating this matter of the lupus garou killers also. But why, we don't know."
"Fine. He's welcome to help in the investigation if that's all he's here for."
Trevor cleared his throat and Kintail knew the next bit of news would not set well with him either. "Hilson's after the woman."
Kintail drew himself taller. "My brother didn't claim her. Didn't mate with her. He didn't eliminate her father, who could be a real threat. He has no right to the woman."
"He's been with her for three months," Trevor reminded him.
"Only to get closer to her father, to learn what he was up to, despite you saying Kenneth O'Malley hadn't seen any of us shapeshift."
Trevor didn't flinch. Kintail liked that in him. No matter how many times he'd questioned Trevor, he hadn't been able to bully him into telling a different story. Either Trevor really didn't think Mr. O'Malley had see them change, or he was protecting him. If it was the latter, it meant something about O'Malley's actions must have triggered a sentimental side of Trevor to appear suddenly. Where kids and pets were concerned, he had a soft spot. But adult human males?
Kintail just couldn't figure the situation out. But his gut instinct told him Trevor saved O'Malley's ass from being eliminated. Hilson had thought the same and of his own accord moved temporarily to Portland to watch O'Malley. But observing him from a distance was getting him nowhere. That's when he targeted the daughter.
Trevor took a deep breath. "Lila cares for you."
Kintail stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"I overheard her talking tearfully to Katina about losing her mate and son."
Kintail clenched his teeth, not sure he wanted to hear how much she had loved someone else, telling himself that's why she couldn't love him. But he held his tongue and waited.
"She's scared she's going to lose you, and she's scared she can't show you how much she cares before it's too late. As an alpha female, she puts on this act to hide her true feelings, afraid to show her vulnerability."
Kintail looked out the window. Maybe so, but would she ever come to grips with her past? She wouldn't even speak to him about it.
"As to Faith, she wants Cameron and he wants her. You won't ever change that. If you kill Cameron, Faith will want to kill you."
Glancing at Trevor, Kintail wouldn't be thwarted in his mission. If Lila could come around before it was too late, so be it. Otherwise, Faith was his. "Where the hell is Hilson now? No one's been able to get hold of him."
"He's after the woman. George Roux told us that when we were looking for Faith and Cameron, Hilson had arrived twenty minutes before us, looking for the woman, then he headed into the woods to find a way to stop her."
"She's mine to turn, damn it." Kintail began jerking off his clothes. "Where the hell are they now exactly?"
Standing against the wall, waiting for the door to swing open and hide him in their basement prison, Owen warned David, "It's now or never."
The aroma of beef, potatoes, gravy, and spinach wafting down the stairs made his stomach rumble in anticipation. But he wasn't planning to eat the lunch this time, no matter how much it appealed. This morning only an older woman, Katina, had brought their food, no guard. If it happened again, they'd be in luck.
David reclined on the bed, looking perfectly relaxed like he wasn't about to go anywhere. But the effect was an illusion. Owen could see the tightness in David's face, even if others couldn't. He noted the tension in David's body, and knew that if the chance availed itself this time, he'd spring from the bed and aid their escape.
So when the door opened wide and David's placid face turned to a frown, Owen knew the circumstances weren't exactly right for an escape attempt. But damn it, Owen was ready. And he'd already played his hand, so they'd be wary of another trick in the future.
But as soon as Elizabeth entered the room, Owen wondered what the difficulty was. Although she stopped short to see Owen wasn't in the bed or anywhere else in the basement. David quickly smiled at her and reached for the tray, trying to distract her. Owen figured they could tie her up and take off. Or take her with them. But right after that, a man followed her into the room and turned to see where Owen was once he saw he wasn't anywhere else in the small basement room.
With no time to lose, Owen clobbered him with his fists, bringing him down, only he was carrying the second tray of food and the dishes clattered to the floor. But worse, a third man was right behind the first. David was up and out of bed in an instant, knocking the second man out. Elizabeth looked like she was going to die, but quickly set the tray on the bed, and moved out of Owen and David's path.
"Do you want to come with us?" David asked, taking hold of her hands.
"Hell," Owen said, hating that they'd made such a racket and hoping whoever else was in the lodge hadn't heard. "This isn't the time, David. Let's get a move on."
"Do you?" David asked.
"They'll kill us," she said, but nodded. "I can guide you."
"All right, let's go." Owen raced up the stairs as Elizabeth followed him.
David locked the door to the basement and hurried to join them at the top step. "Place is quiet," he whis pered, suspicious.
"Maybe they're out looking for the killers." At least Owen hoped they were.
"Several are, but not everyone. Lila's here, too, taking a nap," Elizabeth warned.
Even though she was petite and seemed shy, she'd targeted David from the beginning. As if she'd wanted him and when the time was right, she'd have him. Well, the time might not be right, but he was all hers, for now. Owen just hoped she would be a help and not a hindrance.
Heavy footfalls headed their way. Owen bolted through the kitchen and jerked open the door that led outside to a small garden with David and Elizabeth following on his heels. The garden was covered in snow, but from what he'd overheard, Kintail and his people left here before the weather got too warm, and returned to their native stomping grounds in the Canadian Arctic, so Owen imag ined the garden never was ever planted. Unless a small contingency of his people remained behind.
"Somehow we've got to join forces with Cameron," Owen said, racing through the snow, in the direction of the outer building, wishing he had gloves and a hat at least. Kintail's people had confiscated their parkas, gloves, ski masks, goggles, anything they could use to keep them warm in the cold out-of-doors in the event they managed to escape. He glanced at Elizabeth. Wearing jeans and a soft sweater and boots, she wasn't in any better shape clothing-wise than they were. Already he was having misgivings about this.
