“Yeah.”
“Someone tried to kill you?” she asked.
“They tried to kill the wolf, I think. But I don’t know for sure. I ran after the guy, but he drove away.”
“You know it was a man?”
“I’m guessing.”
“The other sound I heard,” she murmured. “That was the vehicle?”
“Pickup truck. I saw it speeding down the road. Too bad I couldn’t get the license number.”
She nodded again, not understanding what “pickup truck” meant and wondering about the license number. Earlier, he’d asked if she had a driver’s license. Did he think she would have a car or a truck? The only thing she knew for sure was that something dangerous had happened.
“You shouldn’t have come outside,” he said in a rough voice. “You could have gotten hurt.”
She shivered and burrowed more tightly against him. “I was worried about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Why were you out here?” she asked.
He paused for a moment before saying, “I was going to get your knapsack.”
“My carry bag?”
“Yeah.”
She stiffened in his arms as she thought about the bag. Someone had brought it back to Vandar’s community from this world. But the contents were another matter. What would he think of them?
She did a quick inventory in her mind. She had a change of clothing. Bread and cheese wrapped in a tanned animal skin. A knife that would probably look primitive to anyone from this universe. A talisman that she had been ordered to keep with her. And some gold beads that she could use if she needed to pay for something.
As she tried to remember everything in the . . . knapsack, her hands clenched into fists. Why was that word so hard to remember?
She liked Talon Marshall—very much. She didn’t like the idea of him seeing all the things she’d brought with her and wondering what they meant. She wanted to tell him, but as the words rose in her throat, pain shimmered inside her head and she knew it would get worse, much worse if she tried to reveal her secret.
Was there some way she could get around the pain? She wanted to, but she’d have to figure out how to do it.
CHAPTER TEN
TALON WATCHED KENNA’Sface. He was sure she had started to say something, then changed her mind.
“I’d better go back to bed,” she said.
“Yes.”
She turned and walked quickly back to the house. With the warmth of her body gone from the front of him, he felt suddenly cold.
He wanted to run after her and pull her into his embrace again, but he stayed where he was. At the same time, he wanted to go back and pick up the knapsack he’d come out here to get.
But he knew that could be dangerous—with someone out there armed and reckless.
Who? They’d driven away, but they could come sneaking back.
Talon walked to the front door, staring out into the night before stepping back into the house and closing the door. Standing in the darkened living room, he considered what had happened.
For a werewolf, he was pretty good at dealing with people, but over the years, he’d inevitably had some run-ins with clients—men who had gone on various trips with him and hadn’t fit into the group or followed directions.
He’d been on a rock-climbing expedition at the Break-neck Bridge area of McConnells Mill State Park a few months ago when one of the guys, Barry Montgomery, had insisted on going down the trail to urinate. The guy had tumbled partway down a cliff, and Talon and the rest of the men had kept him from breaking his neck. Montgomery had been mad as hell, and he’d threatened to sue because Talon had taken him to a dangerous location. Nothing had come of it, and Talon had written off the incident. Was Montgomery stupid enough to come here with a gun?
He’d thought the guy was more bluster than bite. Maybe it was worth checking up on him. And who else was mad enough to come here
“Someone tried to kill you?” she asked.
“They tried to kill the wolf, I think. But I don’t know for sure. I ran after the guy, but he drove away.”
“You know it was a man?”
“I’m guessing.”
“The other sound I heard,” she murmured. “That was the vehicle?”
“Pickup truck. I saw it speeding down the road. Too bad I couldn’t get the license number.”
She nodded again, not understanding what “pickup truck” meant and wondering about the license number. Earlier, he’d asked if she had a driver’s license. Did he think she would have a car or a truck? The only thing she knew for sure was that something dangerous had happened.
“You shouldn’t have come outside,” he said in a rough voice. “You could have gotten hurt.”
She shivered and burrowed more tightly against him. “I was worried about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Why were you out here?” she asked.
He paused for a moment before saying, “I was going to get your knapsack.”
“My carry bag?”
“Yeah.”
She stiffened in his arms as she thought about the bag. Someone had brought it back to Vandar’s community from this world. But the contents were another matter. What would he think of them?
She did a quick inventory in her mind. She had a change of clothing. Bread and cheese wrapped in a tanned animal skin. A knife that would probably look primitive to anyone from this universe. A talisman that she had been ordered to keep with her. And some gold beads that she could use if she needed to pay for something.
As she tried to remember everything in the . . . knapsack, her hands clenched into fists. Why was that word so hard to remember?
She liked Talon Marshall—very much. She didn’t like the idea of him seeing all the things she’d brought with her and wondering what they meant. She wanted to tell him, but as the words rose in her throat, pain shimmered inside her head and she knew it would get worse, much worse if she tried to reveal her secret.
Was there some way she could get around the pain? She wanted to, but she’d have to figure out how to do it.
CHAPTER TEN
TALON WATCHED KENNA’Sface. He was sure she had started to say something, then changed her mind.
“I’d better go back to bed,” she said.
“Yes.”
She turned and walked quickly back to the house. With the warmth of her body gone from the front of him, he felt suddenly cold.
He wanted to run after her and pull her into his embrace again, but he stayed where he was. At the same time, he wanted to go back and pick up the knapsack he’d come out here to get.
But he knew that could be dangerous—with someone out there armed and reckless.
Who? They’d driven away, but they could come sneaking back.
Talon walked to the front door, staring out into the night before stepping back into the house and closing the door. Standing in the darkened living room, he considered what had happened.
For a werewolf, he was pretty good at dealing with people, but over the years, he’d inevitably had some run-ins with clients—men who had gone on various trips with him and hadn’t fit into the group or followed directions.
He’d been on a rock-climbing expedition at the Break-neck Bridge area of McConnells Mill State Park a few months ago when one of the guys, Barry Montgomery, had insisted on going down the trail to urinate. The guy had tumbled partway down a cliff, and Talon and the rest of the men had kept him from breaking his neck. Montgomery had been mad as hell, and he’d threatened to sue because Talon had taken him to a dangerous location. Nothing had come of it, and Talon had written off the incident. Was Montgomery stupid enough to come here with a gun?
He’d thought the guy was more bluster than bite. Maybe it was worth checking up on him. And who else was mad enough to come here
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