Andromeda's Fall (Shadowcat Nation) (10 page)

Andie
whirled, instinctively crouching into a defensive stance. “Jaxon Keller! What
the
hell
are
you
doing here?!” she yelled at the top of her
lungs.

He
said nothing, and Andie took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Slowly she
stood upright. “Jeez, Keller. You know better than to sneak up on a cougar
shifter like that. I could’ve attacked you!”

“Sorry,”
he muttered, sounding anything but. “I’ve been waiting for you for a while.
What took you so long?”

“Excuse
me? But there is this little snowstorm that got in my way.” She crossed her
arms over her chest and glared at him. “Besides, I can’t believe you’re asking
me anything right now. I’m still pissed about being snuck up on, and don’t get
me started on being followed.”

Jaxon
held up his hands. “Why don’t we go upstairs where it’s warmer to talk about
this?”

She
gave him a stony look, her lips flattened and eyes narrowed, before marching
toward the stairs. “You just want to get me away from that wall of guns,” she
muttered as she passed him.

“The
thought hadn’t really crossed my mind,” he said to her backside.

Andie
had absolutely no idea what to think about this latest development or how to
react to it. The one person she was trying to protect by leaving had followed
her. She couldn’t decide if she was angry, or thrilled, or terrified, or just
plain old confused.

Her
mind was spinning. A man didn’t follow a woman to the middle of nowhere in a
snowstorm just because he was honorable, did he? Mike had to have told him the
message about options. If he knew she had somewhere to go, he wouldn’t have
followed unless he wanted her. Right? Heaven knew she wanted him, but was her
own wishful thinking clouding the situation?

As
soon as they got to the living room, she whirled around. “I guess between
Hannah and Mike you figured out where to find me. How’d you get it out of them?
You had to have said something good.”

Jaxon
crossed his arms, mimicking her earlier defensive posture. “It was good,” was
all he said.

“Well,
you can just turn around and head back to the compound. I don’t want or need
you here.” She flapped her hand at the door. “Don’t let the door hit you in
the—”

“Why’d
you leave, Andie?” he asked, quietly interrupting her tirade.

She
dropped her arm and tipped her chin up. “I decided to pursue other options.”

“Why?
I know we still have to talk about it, but the offer to be my wife is still
open. It would provide you full protection from Carstairs. Why walk away from
that?”

Andie’s
heart dropped a little bit. He’d made no mention of feelings, of love. But
logically it made more sense to accept his offer than the other option she was
considering. She’d never felt more conflicted in her life. So she decided to
focus on his needs, rather than hers. She could keep him safe by staying away.
That was the one thing in all of this she was sure of.

Andie
knew her next move – acting as though she were angrier about his pretending to
be someone else than she actually was. Convincing him that she wasn’t
interested and didn’t trust him. Outright deception had never been one of her
strong suits. She was too lippy for that. Still, she had to try. He didn’t know
Kyle Carstairs like she did. The man was a psychopath. He’d kill Jaxon or force
him to war, or both, and it would be all her fault. She couldn’t live with
that. When Jaxon had just been a name and not the man standing in front of her,
it hadn’t seemed that big a deal, risking his life. But now… she just couldn’t
do it.

“I
have no interest in mating someone I can’t trust,” she told him.

Jaxon
shook his head. “Deceit went both ways
.
And you didn’t seem all that upset
about it when I left you. I’m not buying it.”

Andie
shrugged, feigning complete disinterest. “I don’t really care if you buy it or
not.” She moved into the kitchen. “I do need to eat though.”

Jaxon
followed, standing in the doorway in silence as she opened the cabinets. The
kitchen was a decent size and included space for a large table to eat at, oak
with benches instead of chairs. She got some coffee going and then started
making spaghetti.

*****

Jaxon
watched as Andie completely ignored him and made dinner. His own initial anger when
he’d first seen her had disappeared, replaced by a rush of relief the moment
she’d answered him back with her typical bite.

He’d
been more worried than anything – afraid something had happened to her on the
way to the cabin. Thoughts of her in trouble of some kind, or worse — captured
by Kyle Carstairs and mated against her will— had plagued him for four straight
days. And he’d had to patiently keep himself hidden until she’d showed herself.
Otherwise, she’d have caught on to his presence and bolted. So by the time
she’d arrived, he’d worked himself into an ugly frame of mind.

Andie
finished making the food and took her plate to the table. Jaxon moved away from
propping up the door. She glanced up but said nothing and kept eating.

“Not
much food on the road?” he asked. He wandered over to the coffee maker and
poured himself a cup.

Jaxon
glanced over and caught her rolling her eyes at him. He held in a chuckle,
knowing she wouldn’t appreciate his humor at that moment. But he was too happy
to finally have her safely here to let her bad mood affect him. Or the drivel
she’d spouted about not trusting him. Something else had made her run. He just
didn’t know what yet.

“Good
thing I brought provisions with me then,” Jaxon continued conversationally.
“Can’t have you starving while we’re here.” He glanced out the window to see
the snow still swirling outside. “We’re not getting out in this anytime soon.”

She
glowered. “I won’t be here much longer. As soon as I’m done eating, I’ll clear
out.”

That
got his attention and aborted his good mood pretty damn fast. With a scowl, he
stood up straight. “Like hell you will.”

“You
don’t really have a say in the matter.” She popped another bite in her mouth
and chewed, but her eyes remained warily on him, flashing defiance.

“This
storm is likely to go on another day or two. You’d be a total idiot to go out
in this again when you have food and shelter here.” He tried to keep his voice
even, steady.

“Calling
me an idiot is not likely to get me to listen to you. And cougars do well in
the snow. So I’m not too worried.”

Jaxon
wanted to shake her but instead projected a calm he wasn’t quite feeling and
shrugged. “You’re putting pride before common sense. I expected more from you… Commander.”

Strangely,
he wasn’t angry about her not revealing her true position to him. That
information was part of her keeping the Carstairs defensive systems under wraps
to keep her people safe. He got it.

She
said nothing, just shoveled more food in her mouth and kept chewing.

“You
leave and I’m just going to follow you and drag you back here.”

Andie
growled low in her chest. About the sexiest damn sound he’d ever heard, but
Jaxon kept his focus on convincing her to stay. He walked over and placed his
hands on the table on either side of her and let loose his own deep growl of
pure dominance.

“Don’t
make me play the Alpha card, Andie. I don’t want to be that way with you, but I
will if you force the issue.”

“But
you’re not
my
Alpha.”

“You
know what I mean.”

She
held his eyes defiantly for a moment but then glanced away and shrunk down in
her seat. Her body language conceded his superior position, even if she’d never
admit it out loud. Jaxon actually hated seeing his strong, proud woman like
that. He wanted a partner, an equal in every way. But he’d also use any means necessary
to get her to stay in the safety of the cabin and work this out.

“I’d
like to talk to Mike if he’s still at your compound,” she muttered.

“Why?”

She
lifted one eyebrow. “I want to make sure he’s okay. Is it possible, security
wise?”

“It’s
possible. I have a secure satellite phone with me. But it’s not necessary. I
assure you that your people were treated well.”

Andie
looked down, and then nodded. “Thank you for that.” She glanced back up and
caught his look of surprise. “What? You didn’t think I’d believe you?” Some of
her usual spark twinkled in her eyes.

He
smiled. “Something like that.”

She
shrugged. “I’ve heard stories of Jaxon Keller for many years. By all accounts
you are an excellent Alpha, fair and honorable.”

He
ran a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “So you trust me with your people but
not enough to stay with my dare?”

Andie’s
shoulders stiffened, and she glared at him. “I’m
not
going to talk about
it.”

Jaxon
leaned back. “Okay.”

Now
it was her turn to look surprised, her eyebrows shooting up. “Okay?”

He
nodded. “Yeah. Okay. The storm buys us a little time. I can give you some space
to think if that’s what you need.”

A
flash of something shadowed her eyes. Then she sat back, pushing her now empty
plate away, and glared. “And if I’m never ready to talk about it? I’m still
leaving here the second I get the chance.”

“Andie,
running away is not the answer, and you know it.”

“It’s
the only option I have left,” she muttered.

Jaxon
snagged a chair and sat down close beside her, crowding right into her space,
his gaze intently holding hers. “You do have another option. Mate and marry me.”

She
looked down at her empty plate. “I can’t marry someone I can’t trust.”

“You
trust me. And you’re not as mad at me as you want me to believe.”

Andie
pinched her lips closed and shook her head. “You don’t know that.”

Jaxon
reached out to touch her face, but she jerked back. “I know
you,
Andromeda Jaci Reynolds. Or should I call you A.J.?”

She
jumped up and turned her back on him. “I don’t thi—” She turned narrowed eyes
back on him. He’d used her full name. She let out an exasperated sigh. “Who
told you my name? Hannah? Or Mike?”

“The
night you ran away from the dare Hannah had to explain Mike’s role in things
and his relation to you. And especially about your role in Nick’s and her
escape. His word alone wasn’t enough for us to take him on faith. Andromeda
Jaci? Your mom sure liked unusual names.”

“Jaci
means
moon
in Tupi, part of her Brazilian heritage. She liked meanings.”

“Hmmm.
The stars and the moon.”

Andie
frowned, confused.

“Andromeda
is not only a Greek myth, she’s also a constellation. So you were the stars and
the moon to your mother.”

Surprise
had her blinking owlishly at him. Apparently she hadn’t thought of that reason
for her unusual name.

Jaxon
stood and moved toward her. “So you kept things from me too, A.J.”

Andie
backed away from him, the distance feeling like a wall she’d never let him
climb. “It’s not the same. I wanted to win my place in your dare on my own
merits,” she said.

Jaxon
stopped walking and held up his hands. “And I wanted to win my place in your
heart on
my
own merits.”

Andie’s
eyes widened. “I… I’m not ready to talk about this right now.” She turned and
fled up the stairs.

Jaxon
knew by the panic in her eyes that he’d pushed her too far, too fast. As much
as it pained him to do so, he let her go. He wouldn’t push her anymore. Tonight,
at least. The clock was against them, but he’d be patient as long as he could.
The storm bought them some time.

Andie
opened her eyes, focusing in the darkness as she strained her ears to listen,
her instincts on high alert. Something was wrong, and it’d woken her from a
dead sleep. Maybe it had just been her own thoughts. Jaxon had as good as said
he wanted her for herself tonight. God she’d wanted to hear those words so
much. But the whole point of her being here was to protect him. She’d honestly
had no idea how to handle it. Fight or flight had kicked in. She’d chosen
flight.

Now,
she listened. A moment later Jaxon knocked on her door and then eased it open.
He held a flashlight, which he aimed at his feet rather than blind her with the
beam of light. “We lost power. I took a chance that you sensed it and were already
awake.”

Andie
nodded. She flipped her covers back and swung her legs to the floor. She
glanced out the window at the weather. “Did the storm get worse?”

“No.”

Andie’s
eyes shifted from the window to Jaxon. He was concerned but didn’t want her to
know. She wasn’t sure how she knew that. She just did.

“Talk
to me, Keller. I’m a Commander, not some breakable doll.”

A
small smile tugged at his lips. “The storm has passed, and it’s calm out there.
It’s possible the weight of the snow took out our power.”

“Or
I didn’t put enough gas in the generator when I started it up today.”

“Maybe.”

“But
you don’t think so?”

“What
makes you say that?”

“There’s
a certain tone in your voice when you’re holding something back from me.” What
she didn’t add was that she’d been able to hear it when they were at the
compound. This was the first time she’d heard it since they’d been at the
cabin.

“Let’s
just say I play on the side of caution.”

Andie
stood up, ignoring the fact that she was just in her underwear until his gaze
skittered down her body. “If the power was going to come back on, it would’ve
by now, right?”

He
dragged his eyes back to hers and nodded. “I’m going to go check it out. You
stay here.”

She
grabbed her jeans off the end of the bed and started pulling them on. “I’m
coming with you.”

He
opened his mouth to protest but shut it. Reaching out, he tugged on her long
braid that lay over one shoulder. “Not a doll, huh?”

She
grinned. So he
could
listen. “Right.”

“All
right. Put on some warm clothes and follow me.”

Andie
quickly dressed and met Jaxon at the bottom of the stairs. “Stay close to me,”
he said.

“Let’s
go.”

He
turned the flashlight off and opened the door. Cautiously, taking their time to
sniff the air, their senses tuned to every nuance of their surroundings, they
made their way around the house. The going was slow, hampered by the snow,
which was knee high on Andie in some areas.

Finally
they made it to the small structure that housed the generator. They had to dig
the snow away from the door to the shed. Luckily, Jaxon had had the forethought
to bring shovels. Once inside, he checked it over.

“No
gas.” He grabbed a canister. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Andie
nodded.

He’d
been gone about ten minutes when she heard a sound that made the hair on the
back of her neck stand up. The howl of a wolf.

“Not
good,” she muttered. The animal was close by and located vaguely in the
direction in which Jaxon had just disappeared. Was it alone? And was it a wild
wolf, or worse… a shifter?

“Please
let it be a lone, wild wolf,” Andie muttered as she shivered in the cold. She
paused and listened.

Then
her heart dropped as she heard them.

The
answering howls of the wolf pack. The sounds came from all around the clearing.
Andie kept silent, but expletives were going off inside her head like bombs.
She knew that sound too well. She’d heard it the day her mother was killed.

Those
were definitely shifters. Wild wolves did communicate similarly, but shifters…
if you knew what to listen for, you could hear the signals they were passing
back and forth. Based on what she heard, there were a lot of them, more than she
and Jaxon could handle on their own. And she and Jaxon were split up right now.
Their stupidity just dropped their odds considerably.

Andie
clenched her hands. She was a fighter, a Commander. But the one thing that
scared her more than Kyle Carstairs was a pack of wolf shifters. Wolves
coordinated like no other type of shifter. A mountain lion in the wild could
often take on a pack and win. But a cougar shifter, even two, against a pack of
wolf shifters, was a recipe for death.
Keep your wits, Andie, or you’re as
good as dead,
she told herself harshly.

Okay.
She and Jaxon were surrounded. Andie debated her options. She could try to find
Jaxon. She knew where the tank was, and she could follow the path he would’ve
had to carve through the snow to get there. The risk was not reaching him
before the wolves reached her. Or missing him altogether if he took a different
route back. He had to have heard the wolves.

Her
other options were to stay here and wait for him or try to get back to the
house, taking the chance that he’d meet her there. They had a better shot at
getting through this if they could get to the protection of those walls and his
arsenal in the basement.

Rather
than run out into the night impulsively, she stayed in the shed and waited. She
opened it a crack and looked in Jaxon’s general direction. She had no idea how
far away he was. At the very least, the depth of the snow was going to slow
down the wolves as much as it would Jaxon and her. She didn’t want to shift.
Not yet.

She
heard a thump as something heavy landed on the roof of the shed. A wolf? Or
Jaxon? Whoever it was, it didn’t move or growl. After a few minutes, Andie
concluded it had to be a wolf. Jaxon would’ve moved inside with her or said
something by now. But why wasn’t the shifter attacking?

Damn.
Either he doesn’t know I’m in here… or maybe I’m bait.

Slowly
and silently, Andie stripped out of her clothes. She immediately felt the bite
of the cold, and goose bumps covered her skin. But she could deal with that for
as long as it took. If she shifted now, the wolf was likely to smell the change
in the air. There was a slim chance that it wasn’t aware of her presence,
either in the shed or on the property at all. When Jaxon got close enough, it
would pounce. Andie had every intention of intercepting.

She
got in a position where she could slam open the door and put every ounce of
power behind her leap. And then she waited, watching for Jaxon to show. It took
a little while, and she had to clench her teeth to keep them from rattling
inside her head from the cold. A small fission of worry had started to creep
into her thoughts, but she’d heard no sounds of a fight. So she held still and
waited.

But
Jaxon didn’t approach from the direction she expected. The sound of another
muffled thump came from above her, accompanied by a loud yelp, and suddenly a
cougar and wolf landed in a tangled heap on the ground in front of the shed
door. Jaxon had already snapped the wolf’s neck.

She
should’ve known. Of course he’d heard the wolves call and decided on his own
approach. He was an Alpha, after all. And she’d fought him and had her ass
kicked enough to know that he was formidable.

Jaxon
looked over his shoulder. He gave his head a small jerk, indicating she should
follow. Without hesitation, Andie opened the door, shifted, and leapt out into
the snow to land beside him.

The
rest of the wolves most certainly would’ve heard their pack mate yelp. Jaxon
nodded at their tracks to the cabin and Andie understood. She took off at a
sprint through the deep drifts, and Jaxon followed. As she hit the porch, the
sound of a cougar’s scream tore through the air and stopped her heart. Andie
spun to find Jaxon about twenty feet away. Out further, surrounding the house
in a semi-circle, were about ten wolf shifters. Their eyes reflected eerily in
the moonlight.

Dammit
!

Knowing
they both wouldn’t make it inside and that they couldn’t stave off that many
wolves without help, Andie ran into the house and straight to the basement. She
scanned the arsenal of weapons and grabbed exactly what she was looking for in
her mouth. She heard Jaxon’s scream of warning, and then she could tell all
hell had broken loose. Adrenaline pumping, Andie ran back upstairs and out into
the night.