Ice Claimed (6 page)

A particularly loud scream echoed through the building.
Tanner snorted and shook his head. Andre was well into his games now. Tanner
didn’t have to worry about being caught snooping. His maker would be well and
truly distracted for quite some time.

He walked over to the long worktable Andre used. There were
dry and fresh herbs, bowls and jars full of things he couldn’t identify strewn
across its surface. His maker wasn’t into organization, which worked to
Tanner’s advantage. Andre would never be able to tell someone had disturbed his
things. Not that Tanner planned to leave any telltale signs that he’d been
there in the first place.

It didn’t take him long to find the ancient text among a
pile of other books. Carefully, he pulled it out of the stack and thumbed
through it. This was the first time he’d actually looked inside. Andre had
shown him the book but had not allowed Tanner to touch it, let alone read it.

He skimmed the pages, looking for that one special spell. A
large smile spread across his face when he found it. He took out a piece of
paper and pen from his pants pocket and hurriedly wrote down the means to his
freedom. It would take some work to prepare but it was doable. And surprisingly
it described how someone could reverse it on another individual.

Tanner finished, then returned the text to the exact spot
and position he’d found it. The paper and pen he returned to his pocket. Having
gone several times with Andre when his maker needed supplies for his dark
magic, Tanner knew where he had to go to get what he required for the spells he
wanted to perform.

Satisfied with the outcome of his snooping, Tanner went to
his room that he didn’t have to share with other members of his pack since he
was Andre’s second. Behind closed doors, he took out the paper he’d written the
spells on now that he didn’t have to worry about someone walking in on him.
Tomorrow he’d make a start on collecting the things he needed. Very soon he’d
become a maker and Andre would be no more.

Chapter Six

It was late when Durlach returned home after his date with
Meadow. He wasn’t surprised to find Ryder still awake and watching TV. The
shaman was a bit of a night owl. He stayed up until the early-morning hours
most nights. Luckily Durlach wasn’t one for going to bed early. His old life he
had. That had been the way things had been done only to awake with the dawn to
begin the struggle of surviving.

“How did the rest of your date go?” Ryder asked once Durlach
closed the bedroom door behind him.

He crossed over to his bed and sat. “Pretty good.”

“I’m glad. Are you going to see her tomorrow?”

“Yes, I made another date with Meadow. I’m to meet her at
her place in the afternoon and we’re going to go horseback riding.”

Ryder smiled. “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

“No, but it doesn’t look that hard.”

“Did you tell Meadow you didn’t know how?”

Durlach shook his head. “Should I have?”

Ryder chuckled. “Yeah. Some horses can be harder to control
than others, depending on their temperament. She might stick you on one that
would be best for an expert rider and the horse could take off with you.”

“As far as I know, Meadow only has two horses. Hers and the
one Taylor uses so I’m not going to have much choice.”

“Well, let’s hope the one you have to ride won’t be a
handful.”

“I’ll manage.” Durlach toed off his shoes and made himself
more comfortable on the bed. “So what are you watching?”

“Some movie. To be honest, I really haven’t been paying too
much attention to it.”

He gave the shaman a closer look and noticed the twin lines
of strain between his eyes. “Something is distracting you.”

“Yes. I have a feeling there’s going to be a change with the
dark wolves very soon, but I can’t focus my powers to ‘see’ what is coming.
It’s bugging the shit out of me.”

Ryder was the strongest descendant of their original shaman
when it came to inheriting his powers, but they could be spotty at times. Ryder
had told them there was a way for him to truly come into his inheritance,
though he wasn’t ready to do that yet. What their new shaman had to do to
accomplish that, Ryder hadn’t said. They didn’t push him to explain. Besides,
what he was able to do was more than enough for what they needed him for.

“It obviously won’t be anything good,” Durlach said as he
pushed himself backward until he sat with his back against his headboard.

“With the dark wolves it never is.”

“No messages from your ancestor?”

Their old shaman had been the one to send a vision to Ryder
when Kajakti had been under the influence of dark magic, showing his descendant
where to find them and what he had to do to save Kajakti.

“None. He hasn’t sent me any more visions lately. I think
he’s waiting for me to take the next step to come into my full powers. I was to
have done that shortly after I joined your pack.”

“You’re obviously not ready for it.”

Ryder snorted. “I don’t think it’s that I’m not ready as I’m
unsure of what I’ll be like after I do it.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain. I will do it, though. I won’t have
any choice soon. If I don’t I could be taking away an edge you as sentinels
would need against the dark wolves. I know what I have to do.”

“We would never push you into something you’re not
comfortable with.”

Ryder nodded. “I know that. But as your shaman, I know it’s
part of my duty.”

“We’ll all be there for you when the time comes. You won’t
have to face it alone.”

“Which makes it a little easier to face,” Ryder replied with
a smile. “Now enough serious talk. Let’s see if there is a better movie on than
this one.”

Durlach turned his gaze to the LED television, which hung
from the wall across from his and Ryder’s beds. The shaman switched channels
until they both agreed on another movie that had just started. Talk of the dark
wolves had Durlach thinking about Meadow. As his mate, she could easily be used
against him if the enemy ever got their hands on her. They had tried using a
mate to their advantage in the past. It also meant he’d have to bring Meadow
into his world as quickly as he could. Until such time, she’d be vulnerable. At
least her living on the neighboring property meant she wasn’t too far away if
she ever had need of him.

He placed a pillow behind his back and slouched down a bit.
The more he thought about Meadow the more he missed being with her. He actually
ached to have her in his arms again. Durlach took a deep breath. For now, he’d
have to settle for the new memories he’d made of her during their first date
and hope they would last him through the night.

* * * * *

The next afternoon Meadow was inside the stable, waiting for
Durlach to arrive. She stood in Dancer’s stall while she groomed her horse.
Dancer leaned against her as she ran the brush along her side.

“Are you still mad at me?” Taylor asked. He was in the stall
beside her, grooming the gelding Durlach would ride. Bolt was unofficially
Taylor’s, but he hadn’t said too much when she’d told him she wanted Durlach to
ride his horse.

“Maybe a little,” she replied.

“I thought as much. You really haven’t said a whole lot to
me since you came to the stable. I’m sorry. If I’d known you two were getting
hot and heavy I wouldn’t have surprised you like that.”

“I still don’t know why you even thought I was in any
trouble in the first place. You should have been able to tell the difference
between cries of pain and…pleasure.” Meadow’s cheeks heated at the memory of
Taylor finding her completely naked in the kitchen in Durlach’s arms.

Taylor cleared his throat as if he found it difficult to
answer. “Well, I do. I’ve made enough women climax to know. As I said last
evening, if you had been with anyone else but Durlach I wouldn’t have thought
anything of it. I would have figured you were having a good time and left it at
that.”

Meadow put down the brush she used and grabbed Dancer’s
saddle before she placed it onto the horse’s back. “What do you have against
him?”

Taylor took such a long time in answering that at first
Meadow didn’t think he would. He finally said, “I don’t really have anything
against Durlach per se. It’s just what he is that I mistrust.”

Finished putting on Dancer’s saddle and bridle, Meadow led
the mare out of her stall by the reins and walked over to the one next to it.
She looked at Taylor, who was almost finished saddling Bolt.

“What do you mean by ‘what he is’? Is it because he’s a
native? Last evening you said something about ‘his kind’ as well.”

Taylor stopped what he was doing and turned in her
direction. “I have nothing against him being a native. It’s the other part of
him.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand what you mean. There
is no ‘other part’ of Durlach. He’s a great guy and I really like him. To be
honest, my feelings are stronger for him than they’ve ever been for any of my
past boyfriends. I can’t seem to stop thinking about him.”

“I guess Durlach didn’t lie about that.”

“Lie about what? Taylor, you’re really not making any
sense.”

Taylor turned back around and finished doing up the straps
on Bolt’s bridle. “Durlach isn’t what he seems to be. There’s a side of him
that he’s keeping from you. And you really need to know what it is before you
go any further with him.” He grabbed Bolt’s reins and led him out to stand next
to Dancer.

Meadow scowled. “How would you know this? You just met
Durlach yesterday. And I know for a fact you two have hardly spent any time
together for him to tell you anything like what you’re insinuating.”

Taylor sighed. “Look, you’re going to have to trust me on
this, okay? I’m walking a fine line as is. If Durlach finds out I even said
what I have to you, he’ll more than likely want to kick my butt. I think you
need to be forewarned is all.” He stepped closer and put his hand on top of her
shoulder. “And once he does reveal that side of him to you and you can’t accept
it, remember I’m here. I can protect you from him.”

“Now you have me thinking I should be more careful around
Durlach.”

“I only want to give you the heads up so you don’t blindly
fall for him without knowing there is something about him that he’s kept hidden
from you.”

Meadow walked Dancer out of the stable as Taylor did the
same with Bolt. He’d definitely roused her suspicions now when it came to
Durlach. Before their conversation she’d hadn’t found any fault with the new
man in her life. Now that had changed.

Outside in the yard, Meadow stopped in the middle of it to
wait for Durlach to arrive. Taylor brought Bolt up next to Dancer. “You
seriously think Durlach is hiding something from me?” she asked.

“I don’t think, I know for a fact he is.”

Meadow let the subject drop when she saw Durlach step into
the yard and head toward them. He waved to her, which she returned. Looking at
him, she couldn’t see any outward sign of anything being different than what
he’d shown her of him the night before. He was still gorgeous as ever and
seemed a really nice guy.

Durlach stopped in front of her and smiled before he leaned
in to her, then kissed her. Meadow returned his kiss but found herself holding
back just a little bit. Once he pulled away, she said, “Hi.”

“Hi,” he said slowly in return. Durlach gave her a
questioning look. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Are you ready to go out on our ride?”

“Sure.”

Meadow climbed up onto Dancer’s back. “Once you mount up we
can go.”

Durlach nodded, then walked toward Taylor and Bolt. The
horse did a sidestepping prance the closer Durlach came to him. Taylor pulled
on his reins and whispered to him to calm the gelding down. Meadow remembered
Bolt had done the same thing to Taylor when he’d first ridden him as well.
Obviously, the horse was nervous around new people for some reason.

Eventually Taylor managed to get Bolt settled down enough
for Durlach to attempt to get up into the saddle. Durlach put his foot in the
stirrup, then holding on to the horn, he hoisted himself onto the horse’s back.
He didn’t look too comfortable when Taylor passed him Bolt’s reins.

Meadow noticed how Durlach fisted the long pieces of leather
separately in both hands instead of holding them together in one. It made her
wonder how much of a horseman he was.

“Ah, Durlach,” she said. “How many times have you been on a
horse?”

“This is my first time.”

She was about to tell him to get down, but didn’t get the
words out fast enough. Bolt was notorious for sensing when a rider wasn’t
experienced and taking advantage. The gelding let out a snort, then did what
he’d been named for—he bolted.

Durlach’s yell of “oh shit” trailed behind him as the horse
took off at a gallop toward one of the trails. Meadow kicked Dancer into action
and raced after him. Taylor had already run in the direction Bolt had gone.

Meadow caught up to the gelding just in time to see him
suddenly buck. Durlach’s ass left the saddle. He flew through the air before
landing hard on the ground on his side. Bolt continued to race down the trail.

Seeing Taylor had caught up with them, Meadow yelled, “You
stay with Durlach. I’m going to go chase down Bolt.”

Not waiting to see if Taylor agreed or not, she set her
heels to Dancer’s sides and raced after the runaway horse.

* * * * *

Durlach lay there as he tried to catch his breath after
having it rudely slammed out of him. That had been one ride he hadn’t expected.
Being on the back of a bolting horse hadn’t exactly been a thrill of a
lifetime.

“You can get up anytime,” Taylor said from somewhere close
behind Durlach. “I know your kind can take a lot of abuse.”

Durlach rolled to his back and lifted his right arm. It
stung like a bugger. On closer inspection, he saw a thick broken branch had
pierced his skin, sinking deep. He took hold of it and pulled it free, then
tossed it aside. He then watched the puncture wound heal, not leaving a mark
behind.

Taylor kneeled at his side and took hold of his arm. “How
did you do that? How did you heal yourself so quickly? I’ve never seen a
werewolf do that.”

He shoved the other man away and sat up. “I told you I wasn’t
like an ordinary one. I’m a sentinel. I’m also immortal.” Durlach pushed to his
feet, then brushed himself off.

“You can’t be. It’s not possible.”

Durlach turned to face Taylor. “Look, Meadow is going to be
back very soon so you have to drop this. And I am immortal. I’ve been alive for
over ten thousand years.”

At the sound of horses’ hooves coming down the trail, he
shifted to see his mate heading toward him and Taylor, leading Bolt by his
reins. Durlach wasn’t at all sure he wanted to get back into the saddle again.
Being thrown once was one too many times in his opinion.

Out of the corner of his eye Durlach saw Taylor intently
stared at him. He ignored the other man and kept his gaze on Meadow. Once she
reached them she dismounted while she held the reins of both horses. She gave
him a look of concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. I think I bruised my ego more than anything. Bolt
must not like me.”

“It’s not that. He can sense when there is an inexperienced
rider on his back. When he does, he likes to use that against them.”

“Like running away with the rider, then dumping him on his
ass.”

“Basically. You should have told me you’d never been on a
horse before. I would have made you ride Dancer instead. She has the better
temperament.”

Durlach gave her a sheepish smile. “I kind of thought it
wouldn’t matter.”

“Well, as you can see, it does. You want to try again? This
time on Dancer.”

He really didn’t want to, but he also didn’t want his mate
to think he was weak. Plus, he wanted to get away from Taylor. The other man’s
gaze hadn’t left Durlach for even a second since he’d told Taylor about him
being immortal. He didn’t need Taylor saying something in front of Meadow that
he shouldn’t.