Don ‘t worry, Lelandi. You won‘t be traversing any damned pits with this maniac. Darien stripped off his jacket, then shirt and ditched his boots, careful not to make a sound.
Lelandi and Joe’s footsteps echoed off the tunnel wall as they drew closer. “He’ll... he’ll come after you. You know he will. If you just leave me behind—”
“Shut up! I told you you’re going to replace my Larissa.”
“I can’t be like her.”
“You look just like her. That’ll be enough for now. You’ll grow on me.”
You’ll never have the opportunity, Joe. Darien peeled out of his Jeans and stretched his arms above his head, physically and mentally preparing for the change. His face elongated into a sliver snout, his teeth growing into killing weapons. His body became furred in a silver pelt and his claws extended, readied for a fight. Dropping to his pads, he waited, preparing himself for the leap that would separate Joe from his mate, his teeth itching to sink Into his blood, to kill the man who would endanger his mate’s life.
“Damn it to hell! This one’s blocked, too” Jake said on the outside of the cave at the tunnel entrance. “Is there another way, Sam?”
“One other tunnel. But that way’s too treacherous without climbing ropes.”
“I’ll get some.” Mason said.
“I’ll go with you,” Deputy Peter added.
“How long will it take to get to that tunnel, Sam?” Jake asked.
“About forty minutes straight up. When I was younger.”
“Let’s get going.”
Joe gave a sickly laugh, the sound echoing off the walls. “We’ll get through the tunnel way before they do.”
“But they said we needed climbing ropes,” Lelandi warned.
“I’ve got some. You wouldn’t think I’d be unprepared, would you? Now come on, quit dawdling. Wouldn’t want them to reach the tunnel entrance before we’ve made our getaway.”
You‘II never even reach the tunnel entrance, Joe. Rest assured.
Joe shoved Lelandi out of the tunnel into the main cave. At once her eyes lighted on Darien, and for a minute, she looked like she was trying to figure out which wolf he might be. He bowed his head in greeting. She took a deep breath and her eyes widened. Yes, Lelandi, your silver knight in wolf pelt.
As soon as Joe stepped into the cavern, Darien leapt. No waiting for the miner’s recognition that he was face- to-face with the pack leader. No long-winded staring down scenes to show who was the boss. The gun loaded with silver bullets precluded that. He couldn’t risk Joe getting a shot off and possibly hitting either Lelandi or himself and leaving her in even more danger.
Joe’s gun hand went up and he fired at the ceiling, a smattering of pebbles and dust raining down. He fell back with Darien’s pounce, hitting his back and head against the unforgiving rock with an oaf Darien’s teeth sank into Joe’s jugular. The man never had a chance to utter more than a gurgled cry, his amber eyes wide.
Lelandi collapsed to her knees, and Darien released his grip on Joe, then swung around and nuzzled Lelandi’s arm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. Hell, he needed to be in his human form to comfort her best. He quickly shapeshifted and pulled her up. Her clothes were damp, and she was trembling hard from the cold.
“I... I was so afraid he’d killed you, your brothers, or some of the rest of your people in the rockslide.”
Darien crushed her to him, warming her body, rubbing her arms, kissing her cheeks and her lips. “We’re all right. Everyone’s all right.” The left side of her temple was swollen and red and a gash cut through to her eyebrow, the blood dried now along its seam. “That son of a bitch,” Darien said, smoothing away her hair from the injuries.
She didn’t say a word, maybe in shock. He held her close to his body and tried to warm her, although the chilly cave was beginning to get to him. Then he noticed the glass in her hair. “Hell,, Lelandi, did Joe hit you with a glass?”
She looked like she was going to be sick. “With his pistol.” She paused, her eyes focusing down. “I... I had an accident before that.”
“You wrecked the SUV?”
She nodded, her eyes glassy with fresh tears. He let out his breath and hugged her tight again. “All I care about is what happens to you. We didn’t see the vehicle anywhere in town and we’d trekked through the woods to locate the teens that you’d found. I never thought you might have been in a wreck. Why didn’t you stay at Doc Mitchell’s place?” He threw up his hands in resignation. “Forget it. You were too busy trying to get yourself killed.”
“I’m sorry about the SUV. It’s probably buried in snow off the road somewhere.
“Odin’s teeth, Lelandi, I don’t care about the damned vehicle. You... your safety, that’s all that matters to me.” He pulled her close and she sighed against his bare chest. “It’ll be a while before my men can get us out,”
“But Joe said there were climbing ropes for us to use.”
“I wouldn’t trust anything he said. Will you wait here?”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked so forlorn, he gave her another hard embrace. “I want to get rid of his body.”
“In one of the bottomless pits?”
“Yeah, he can join his hardhat.”
“I’ll... I’ll go with you. I don’t want to be left behind.”
He squeezed her hard, then released her. “Let’s get this over with.” He yanked Joe’s lifeless body off the floor and tossed him over his shoulder, then took Lelandi’s hand. “Are you all right?”
“Now that you’re here, yes. How are Doc and Ritka?”
Leiandi didn’t look all right. She was pale and shivering uncontrollably. Darien tightened his hold on her hand. He didn’t want to tell her the news, not while they were still stuck in the cave, and after all that had happened to her.
“They’re dead,” she said under her breath, her voice tearful.
So much for not telling her. “Even if Joe hadn’t taken you hostage, he’d signed his death warrant for killing Doc and Ritka.”
“Carol couldn’t get the bullets out in time?” Lelandi asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Doc was old. He couldn’t withstand the silver in his heart. By the time Carol had put on gloves, found the proper tools, and removed the bullet from Doc, then dug the two bullets from Ritka, she didn’t stand a chance either.”
Lelandi’s body sagged and Darien released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Lelandi, honey, we’ll be all right.”
“He died because of me,” she sobbed.
“No, he died because Joe killed him. Because Joe had mated with Larissa. Because the babies were his and not mine. And because Doc knew it. Ritka was just a bystander. None of this has to do with you.” He kissed her cheek. “Do you want to wait for me here while I get rid of Joe’s carcass?” The sooner he could get rid of the bastard, the quicker he could take care of Lelandi.
She shook her head and stood straighter. :Doc was like an uncle I dearly loved.”
He moved her farther into the tunnel. “Doc was a good man. His mate preceded him in death a decade ago, and he had no offspring, but he treated us all like his sons and daughters.”
Lelandi looked up at Darien, tears clouding her eyes. Darien smiled at her. “Even me. Didn’t matter that I was no longer just another pup but now pack leader. He was like a revered advisor when it came to anyone who was injured or sick in the pack.”
“I’ll miss him,” she said quietly.
“We all will.” Darien pulled her to an abrupt stop. “The first of the pits, wonder if this is the bottomless one Joe mentioned. I’d hate for it not to be.”