Authors: Sharon Barrett
Tags: #werecat, #werewolf, #adult sex, #romantic paranormal, #shiftershaper, #susprense
She could not remember how she got out to
Rains house. At the next cross-road did she turn left or right or
go straight. She decided to go straight. The next cross-road she
turned right, it came to nearly a dead-end, but there was a sharp
turn to the left. She didn't remember any of this. The next road
seemed to be getting narrow compared to the ones Rain drove
earlier. Then suddenly lights appeared behind her. She sped up
faster, the vehicle caught up to her so she slowed in hopes they
would pass. The vehicle came up a long side then rammed into her
SUV. She held the road, and tried to speed up. It was no use they
kept smashing into her vehicle then just as they hit her SUV; she
hit a pot hole, and went off the road.
Her head hit the side window, pain filled her
entire body. The vehicle went over an incline, and she opened the
door, and jumped out with the brief case. As she jumped she shifted
into a panther. Amethyst landed on all fours, then rolled four or
five time, and then slid to a stop next to a bush. She quickly hid
under it. Two men stood at the top of the incline, and watched the
SUV rush down the incline, and hit a large jack pine, and burst
into flames. She recognized one man name Ray. He started laughing
then said, "Well that takes care of the damn bitch. Mr. Hartman is
going to be happy about this. We didn't even have to go get her,
she came to us. Maybe we'll get a nice little bonus out of it. Now
let's get the hell out of here before someone comes along see the
flames and decide to investigate.
Amethyst stayed under the bush until she
heard the vehicle leave, and could not hear it any more. Shifting
back into human form she crawled out. Standing the pain shot
through her head like a lightening bolt her vision left her, and
she collapsed. When Amethyst woke her head was aching, and her
vision was blurred. As she tired to stand her hand came in contact
with the briefcase. Picked it up; climbed up the incline, and
looked first to the left then the right. Her vision was too blurred
to know what direction to go in, it was more then likely from the
pain in her head. Not knowing what direction to go she just walked.
Hours passed and she wondered, "What day is it? How long have I
been unconscious on the side of the hill? Had it been minutes,
hours, or an entire day, I have lost all sense of time?"
Rain sat at the bar nursing a beer feeling
pretty sorry for himself. His anger was gone. He thought of getting
drunk, but alphas in charge of a pack couldn't just drink their
Problems away. After he got to thinking about it he had forgotten
about what the Reverend had said. He had gotten so wrapped up in
loving Amethyst, and wanting her. Trying to keep her safe from nut
cases that were after her, Things slipped his mind as well. He had
been unfair to Amethyst, he over reacted. She really was not at all
like his mother. His mother lied about everything, she could not
help it. Then the secrets began stupid silly ones at first, but
then they got worse. He knew he had to go home, and face Amethyst,
tell her he was sorry for the way he acted. He had to admit his
personality bites sometimes, grinning he thought it actually bites.
He had felt Amethyst reaching out to him earlier, but shut her
out.
Pend came rushing into Wylie's bar. Pend
grabbed Rain by the arm, "she's gone Rain."
"Who's gone?" Rain said as he stared into his
beta face.
"Joe saw her leave in the SUV followed her,
short ways but then lost her. Amethyst drove out like the devil was
after her."
"Where did she go?" Rain swayed slightly when
he rose off the bar seat. Not from drinking, he had only three
beers, but from exhaustion.
"I don't know I've checked around town she is
not here! And those men left that were after her. No one has seen
her. I ask Susan thinking she would go there, she hasn't seen her.
Stopped in and talked to Ned and Paula, nothing to report."
Suddenly as if getting hit with a bucket of
cold water his heart raced Rain jumped. "We have to find her!" Pend
and Rain took different directions back to the house. As he stood
on the steps Rain turned to Pend. "It's my fault we had a fight I
was so angry with her. Said some pretty cruel things to her, and
then accused her of lying to me. We have to get the boys together,
and search for her. With all the back trails I traveled bringing
her to the house she won't find her way back to town. With all the
logging roads she is going to get lost. This time of the year the
musk kegs have thawed, and she could end up in one of them, and we
would never see her again.
By morning all the boys returned to the house
exhausted. They decided to get a couple of hours sleep and then
start the search again. Rain kept trying to reach Amethyst in his
mind. He knew she was in pain, scared, and cold. Every time he
tried to contact her pain shot through his head, then she shut him
out. Rains heart broke as he realized he had gone too far with
Amethyst, her fragile heart had been broken, and the love that was
blooming may have died before it truly got the chance to grow into
a love that would last a life time. The mind bond would hold them
together he new that, but if loved died within her for him, he
would be in the same situation as his father, a loveless, lonely
life. "No; I won't let that happen! She loved me once, she can love
me again! No matter what it takes you will be mind!"
Amethyst kept feeling this tinkle in the back
of her mind, and wished it would stop it made the pain worse. She
could hear this voice in her head asking her where she was. She
screamed "I don't know shut up, please; just shut up!" With her
screaming at the voice, the pain began to get unbearable, and she
moved off to the side of the road walked in a ways, and laid down.
Her head throbbed, she moaned, her stomach turned over, and she
vomited onto the ground, then all was turning black, and she felt
no pain. Her breathing became shallow, unconscious she laid there
for hours. A blessed nothingness over took her. Several coyotes
sniff her during the night, and wondered off in search of food.
They knew better then to take on a wolf even one that was hurt
would kill them.
The sun was up high in the sky it must be
passed noon she thought. She felt cold; her body shivered, the pain
in her head returned. "I must be running a fever to feel so cold in
the hot sun." The pain increased until she was clinching her teeth
to stand it. She tried to rise, and fall limp to the ground. She
welcomed the darkness in it was peace no pain at all. Some where in
her mind the darkness faded, and she heard a voice telling her to
get up, "get up Amethyst." she heard her inner wolf say. She moved
her legs, and then her arms. She turned herself over got up on her
hands, and knees then stood up by holding on to a tree. From there
she walked from tree to tree. After an hour of searching to find
away out of the woods; she knew she was lost. She moved towards a
small animal trail and sunk up to her waist. She was in one of
those floating marshes. She had to get out. Trying to shift into a
cat caused unbearable pain in her head, she stopped. She clawed the
ground near by kicking her legs, she slowly moved out of the musk
keg. Feeling extremely lucky it was not deeper. Back to wards the
trees she stepped; all the while trying to brush off the weeds,
mud, and small crawling things. Moving just a few more trees she
stopped. A voice spoke to her in her mind, "what do you see
Amethyst?" This voice was different; it was not her inner cat or
wolf, but a male voice.
"Just stupid trees every where trees," then
she slid down the tree she was hanging on to. Closing her eyes, and
talking to the voice inside her head,
"Do you see any roads" Amethyst? Rain said
with worry in his voice.
"No, no roads, just trees." Amethyst said in
a weakened voice.
"Do you see and paths Amethyst," Rain spoke
softly
"Paths, no just trees," Amethyst said
confused.
"What do you hear Amethyst?" Storm whispered,
because he was feeling a great deal of pain from Amethyst.
"I hear birds, no vehicle, and no, no other
sounds."
"How close are the trees Amethyst?" Hoping
that if the trees are close then it is a spot not cut if they are
spaced then a cut spot.
"Tall pine trees spaced out so sun can reach
the grown."
"Tell me if you hear a vehicle coming close
to you Amethyst." Storm whispered.
"Sure if I hear one I'll tell you." Amethyst
whispered.
What are you doing now Amethyst?"
"Resting, just resting, I need to sleep, so
tired, so cold, so dirty, too much pain. I don't want to wake up.
Please leave me alone I don't want to talk to you anymore!"
Storms heart jumped in his chest his inner
wolf howled wanted released. As if racing to her would be faster
then a vehicle. Rains heart felt like it falls out of his body, she
was giving up he had to find her. "Listen to the voice Amethyst,"
she heard the voice say.
"Leave me alone to die in peace. I don't want
to talk any more. Don't want to feel any more pain, go where the
blessed darkness is?" the words faded away.
Amethyst moved to lie down. When her head lay
against the ground she heard something. "I hear a vehicle coming
far off, it's getting closer", she said to the voice in her head.
"The vehicle is closer now, no it's moving further away. It's
stopped its backing up" she said to the voice. Amethyst smiled and
then frowned. She fell into a dark pit. There was nothing, no
light, no pain, entire new world of nothingness. A sheer blessed
darkness, she did not want to leave, at that moment decided she
would not leave she would stay. This she thought must be death.
Rain jumped out of the truck shifted into
wolf form scented the ground picked up her scent and rushed into
the woods. Four hundred yards in he found Amethyst lying next to a
large jack pine unconscious. She was wet and dirty looked as if she
had gone swimming in a swamp she smelled like one. He checked her
for broken bones. Then Rain checked her head, "she had complained
of pain." His hand came away with blood. Her hair was wet with
blood, dirt, pine needles, and leaves were matted into her blood
and hair. The bleeding had not completely stopped. Her breathing
was shallow. "She should have healed completely by now this isn't
good," he thought to himself. "If she doesn't make it I will never
forgive myself!" Rain felt pure despair in its deepest depths. He
new at that moment how it felt to lose for the first time in his
life; he was losing this battle. His inner wolf growled said, "We
are not losing her, I don't care what we have to do."
Amethyst's body felt cold, for a moment she
thought she was rising off the ground; yes she was rising. Heaven
must be near. And her mind reached out in search of her parents.
She felt warm, a voice far off was saying, "I love you!" The voice
sounded like she had heard it a hundred times, she new there was no
one in the world left who loved her. Her mate hated her for? Mm
hated her for? Parents gone she was alone!
Rain picked her up cradling her close to his
body. Running back to the truck he kept saying "I love you I am so
sorry, please for give me." Rain turned the truck headed back to
the house. When he got there Kelly ran out on to the porch. Rain
rushed over to the other side opened the door lifted Amethyst up,
and carried her into the house. The new nurse Sadie had come early,
and she was waiting for him. Rain carried Amethyst up stairs to
their bedroom laid her on the bed. Sadie said, "Rain leave; Kelly,
and I will take over at this point." The nurse left Rain with no
choice in the matter. He kissed Amethyst on the lips and walked out
of the bedroom with his head hanging down to his chest.
Two hours had passed when Kelly and Sadie
came down stairs to the office. Turning to Rain the nurse spoke
softly, "she has a concussion; I stitched her head after removing a
large piece of glass. She is running a slight fever. I gave her
something to bring down her fever, but that is the least of our
worries right now, she seems to be in pain. I gave her a shot for
pain, and that should help. She needs rest, and food. I put her on
IV to build her fluids up she is dehydrated. I am sorry to say it
is a wait, and see situation now. The sooner she regains
consciousness the better. The longer she is unconscious will mean
brain damage even with our healing powers it may take some time for
her to be back to normal. The glass in the wound preventing her
from healing is a major problem, there maybe complications. I gave
her some antibiotics for infection. Keep her warm. I'm going to my
room to rest now if you need me for anything please call me, and/or
come get me." With that Sadie left for her room.
Rain got up out of his chair walked towards
the door of his office. He started for the stair case when Kelly
said, "Rain it's not your fault, things happen. Couples argue
sometimes. It doesn't mean that love dies with each argument. I
know you thought she kept a secret, I don't think she did it
intentionally. Amethyst doesn't seem the type to keep secrets. She
is not your mother Rain."
Rain nodded and headed for his bed room to be
with Amethyst. Rain never felt so down, things were now out of his
control. He didn't like it much. He always had control of
everything that was going on around him. It was his duty as the
alpha of the pack.
As Rain walked up the stairs he remembered
the time he got drunk with Pend; he told Pend about his parents.
That he wanted more out of life when he finally settled down. He
had told Pend he wanted a mate that never kept secrets, never lied
to him for any reason at all. Rain rubbed his forehead and moved
down the hall way to his rooms. Rain was lost in side. His heart
lay in bed and she was not responding to him in any way it was like
the connection between them was severed some how.