Rebirth (Rogues Shifter Series) (10 page)

“You’re not ready to go before the council, so I need to get you out of here quickly. You have to shift immediately then follow this path to the shore and turn right. There’s a boat about a mile down the coast. There are maps in the cabin under the log book along with two cell phones. My number and Garrett’s are programmed in.  There are extra clothes in the bin under the bed and cash there as well.

"Ethan, take the boat out
and head to Crescent City. Dock it in our usual slip at Sea Bright Docks. Tell Harry that I'll contact him in a few days. Directions are in a manila envelope to a house owned by my friend, Carly O’Neal.  She’ll hide you. You can trust her. Call Garrett at 3:00 PM and he’ll take over from that point. Shift now."

Ethan stripped and changed immediately, but I turned to ask, “Will you be alright?”

“I’m fine. I can handle a few bears, now go.” He turned and headed back to the cabin. Well that explained their musky scent. And I guess my dream, too.

Chapter Thirteen

The smell of the sea was strong as we raced along the path together. I set a pace that Ethan could match, staying close in case one of the bears decided to chase after us. Birds were chattering on the branches above and I smelled the delicious scent of a plump raccoon just on the other side of a thicket of fir trees. My mouth watered, but I forced m
yself to stay on the trail. We reached the shoreline and veered to the right, following the natural curve of the island. The dawn had painted the sky with streaks of pinks and oranges making me wish that I had time to enjoy the vibrant panorama. Instead I watched Ethan ahead of me as he ran over the uneven rocks along the shore, appreciating the grace and the strength of his movements. We sighted the boat up ahead and skidded to a stop in front of it.

We leapt on board with very little effo
rt, transitioned back to human, then dressed and took off as quickly as possible across the bay. We followed Rob’s directions and maps without too much problem as Ethan had boated before with Rob and could read the charts. He insisted that we wear life vests and I didn’t argue, since I knew how unsure he was around the water. Docking at Sea Bright, we stuffed supplies and clothes into two backpacks that we found onboard, left the boat with Harry, a short grizzled man, and took off hiking north through the town of Crescent City, California.

As we walked past quaint shops and official buildings, the people passing us on the street smiled and nodded their heads
at Ethan in a familiar way, some of them using his name and saying hello. I glanced at him curiously and he said, “I’ve met a few people since I’ve been here with Rob, but mostly I’ve just crashed at his house.”

That was all he said, so I shut my mouth, which is not always my best thing
and takes a lot of effort on my part. We stopped to eat a couple of burgers at the local coffee shop and after tipping the waitress, continued on to a small house nestled next to a grove of maple trees. We knocked, and a pleasant looking woman around the age of 24 appeared at the door, a huge black & tan Rottweiler mix at her side. She was petite, maybe 5’1” with shiny short brown hair and pretty hazel eyes. The dog sniffed us suspiciously as she ushered us quickly into her living room.  Dismissing Ethan with a snort, the big dog nuzzled my hand looking for some attention. I scratched him behind the ears, making his stubby tail wiggle along with his entire rear end.

“Rob called.
I’m Carly and that's Samson. I have a place for you to stay for a few days until other arrangements are made. I’ll drive you over there in a few minutes. Sit down in the kitchen while I get some supplies together. Help yourself to soda or anything else you can find. There’s ham & cheese in the fridge and bread on the counter. Make some sandwiches for later if you don’t want them now.”

Ethan and I grabbed a couple of cokes, made two sandwiches which we packed away for later and sat at the table, too tired to talk. Samson sat next to me on the floor and I scratched his head distractedly, looking out the window at the view of the town below. Ethan crossed his arms, leaned back in the chair stretching out his powerful legs, and dozed. As tired as I was, I knew that I’d never be able to fall asleep in that position, so I jealously stared at his sleeping form and continued to pet Samson, grateful that we’d be getting a ride to o
ur final destination and I could pass out there. I’d been up since 5 AM and could use a long nap.

Carly returned after about fifteen minutes rolling a wheeled duffle bag.” I’ve packed sheets, towels and extra clothes and supplies for you. My car is around the back.” Ethan popped up, refreshed from his power nap, and we exited through the back door, Samson included. Ethan threw the duffle in the trunk and we headed off.

“I keep two safe houses for shifters who need help. Rogues are rarely tolerated by the general population unless they've been cleared by the council, but many of us feel that shifters are shifters and should never be viewed as lost causes. I changed late myself and could have been in the same boat as you two if it wasn’t for my supportive family. Communities are getting weaker because they’re not letting in any new blood.  You two are perfect examples. From what Rob says, you’re really exceptional and our town could use your special talents, whether they know it yet or not.”

She smiled at us and I said, “Thank you very much for your help, Carly.“

“I’m sorry I can’t have you stay in my house, but I know Garrett will protect you until Rob shows up. Just keep your eyes open around him, he’s a vampire first, and always has a hidden agenda. You can trust him to protect you because he’s invested in this project of his and Rob’s, but no farther. I can’t tolerate being around him for more than a few minutes.” Ethan gave me a told-you-so kind of look, but I turned away feeling certain that they were wrong about Garrett.

We pulled up to a small house off the road, hidden by four or five large black oak trees with low hanging branches. Carly handed us the key, apologizing that the place was probably a little dusty
. She also reminded us to set the alarm on one of our cell phones to wake us at 3:00 PM to call Garrett. She backed her car down the gravel driveway to the road and took off in the direction of her home, Samson’s head hanging out the passenger window; his ears flying out behind him.

When Carly left, we both breathed out a sigh of relief, glad that we’d finally be able to rest and shower. Ethan grabbed the bag and both backpacks while I unlocked the front door. There was a small combination kitchen/living room stocked with the usual basic items, a square table with 4 chairs near the door, two arm chairs by a window, a tiny bathroom
with a shower and a small bedroom with one queen sized bed which both of us stared at longingly.

Ethan turned to me, a teasing smile twisting up the corners of his mouth. “I’ll put the sheets on the bed and the towels away while you take care of the food and the rest.” The cottage was warm, so he pulled off his tee shirt and started making up the bed. I did what he asked, putting food in the cupboards and fridge, all the while becoming m
ore and more aware of a painful warm vibration in my stomach and chest.

When I walked back into the bedroom, Ethan was spread out on one side, wearing only sweatpants, grinning and patting the space next to him.
His hair was still damp from a quick shower. Mischievously flirting with me, he posed to show off his body.

The spicy scent of E
ucalyptus hit my nostrils as he teased “Gee, Jackie, guess we have to share the bed. You know, shifters usually cuddle together like a bunch of puppies or kittens. It makes us feel safe. It’s nothing personal.” His grin was infectious since I knew he was just trying to get a rise out of me. As much as Ethan liked to flirt, our relationship was basically a friendly one. I wasn’t attracted to him in a romantic way and I was pretty sure he felt the same way.

“I’m not in the mood to cuddle, but its fine to share the bed as long as you stay on your side of it.” I drew an imaginary line down the middle, making him sigh and lay back dramatically, then grinning and laughing when I threatened to use a sharpie marker to make the line more obvious. Taking a quick look at my ragged reflec
tion in the mirror, I decided a quick shower seemed like a good idea, especially since I'd be seeing Garrett later. When I came back out, dressed in clean clothes and feeling refreshed, he was already softly snoring, his body stretched across the entire bed.

“Ethan, move. M
aybe I should tie you to the bedpost on that side.” I grumbled and pressed against his shoulder, nudging him over in a not so gentle way. He only grunted and turned on his side facing away from me, still managing to stay asleep.  I tried to get comfortable but my head was still hurting from the strange pulsating energy that seemed to be seeping into my pores. After tossing and turning for another twenty minutes, I finally succumbed to sleep.

When I woke up
, it was dusk. Ethan was very quiet beside me, his arm stretched over my stomach, his breathing soft and steady against my ear. Annoyed that he’d moved to my side and that we’d forgotten to set the alarm to call Garrett, I moved Ethan’s arm and sat up. A window was open so the room was cool and there was a breeze blowing the curtains around, bringing with it the sweet scent of vampire.
Oh, shit
.

Garrett stood by the bed glaring at Ethan. Dressed in black slacks, a black silk shirt and black leather jacket, he looked every bit the modern Hollywood vampire, but the look o
n his face held real malice. I was suddenly alarmed.

I tried to speak calmly as my heart thumped madly in my chest. “Hi Garrett. We fell asleep and I forgot to set the alarm to call you. I’m really sorry. Rob s
aid you’d be here to help us.” My voice only trembled slightly, but I hoped he’d think that it was because of the cold wind coming through the open window and not because of my fear.

“Jackie,” He smiled as I shivered.  “A cougar,” he glanced back down at Ethan, “is not a fitting mate for a shifter with your abilities.” I stared in shock, noticing that his fangs were slightly extended and that his brilliant blue eyes were sparkling with silver.

“Um…..we didn’t…we didn't do anything but sleep, Garrett. “ I steadied my voice to make him believe what I said, slightly annoyed that I had to defend myself to this guy at all. “Look, we’ve been up since 5:00 AM walking for miles and we were exhausted. There’s only the one bed and no couch.” I swung my legs to the side and sat there rubbing my temples. My headache had returned with a vengeance. I wondered where Carly might keep the medicine.

He walked to my side
, extending his hand to help me up and then leading me into the other room to sit at the small table. I noticed that my headache had completely disappeared as soon as he’d touched me. His scent mixed around the odor of food, both of them making my mouth water.

“I brought you some take-out.” I sat down slowly, never taking my eyes from his, watching for any hostile move toward Ethan in the bedroom. Instead, he handed me a bottle of iced tea, chopsticks and two Chinese food containers and sat in the opposite chai
r. “I hope you like beef with broccoli and eggrolls.“

“This is great
, thanks.” I dug in, not realizing how famished I was, and extremely relieved to see that he’d calmed down. “Did you eat?” I asked hesitantly between bites as he sat across from me, then immediately wished I hadn’t. I really didn’t want to think about what or who Garrett ate. 

I watched him watching me eat, all the time aware of his quiet magnetism, which seemed even stronger under the lights in the small kitchen than it had in the cabin’s darkened room. His amazing eyes invited me to take a plunge in their cool aquamarine depths, but he was a  predator and I needed to keep my head on straight around him. I sighed between bites. It would be so easy to jump in head first.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem aware of my reaction. “I fed a short while ago.” He smiled, glancing in the direction of the bedroom, and then turned back to me, looking much more serious. “Jackie, one of you should have called me at 3:00. Robert and I are considering this— unplanned adventure—as part of your training. Following orders is lesson number one.”

“Is Rob alright?” My headache was getting worse again. The electric buzz in the air was louder and I could feel stinging pressure in my chest and stomach.

“You never have to worry about Rob. He convinced the delegation that this was a planned training exercise which would enhance both of your abilities and that you’d be brought to them when it ended. Of course that last part isn’t exactly true.” He beamed at me, obviously enjoying his friend's antics.

“Do
you know if Carly has aspirin?“ I was rubbing my temples again; the pain in my head and stomach making it impossible to eat any more. Garrett took my hand and instantly the painful heat cooled and my headache disappeared. I glanced at our hands, then at Garrett, who was looking as excited as a kid with a new toy.

“I knew it.” He said ea
gerly. “You are extraordinary.”

“Why
, because I have a headache—had a headache? Why did the headache and the buzzing stop when you touched me?" I heard Ethan snoring. "And why isn’t Ethan awake? Is he alright?”

“I wanted to speak to you alone first. He’ll wake up soon enough.”

“What did you mean by he’s not good enough for ‘a shifter with my abilities?”

He continued t
o hold my hand and I made no move to pull away. “Normally shifters mate with their own kind, leopards with leopards, lions with lions, although there are always exceptions. Ethan will find a lovely little cougar to mate and raise cubs with. But cheetah shifters are rare and can often develop unexpected talents. For instance I know you’re feeling the heat of the energy that runs through this area. Most shifters feel it during their change but never have a permanent connection to the ley lines. Cheetahs are unique in that way.