Shards of Hope (Page 63)

“Distance.” She backed away with that, the single word more destructive than any weapon, and with each step she took, he saw the lines fade from her face, the bleak pain from her eyes, the passion from her breath, until by the time she reached the door, she was Zaira Neve, an Arrow commander who would die to protect the leader of her squad.

The curious, sensual woman who had kissed Aden, touched him, was gone.

Chapter 28

FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER Zaira shut the door permanently on a beautiful, secret moment that she would never forget, she and Aden rode out from the pack’s center in a rugged all-wheel drive. Remi was at the wheel of this one, while a second, identical vehicle followed them. It held three other men and one female, all of whom Zaira had identified as soldiers or sentinels in the changeling pack structure.

She’d expected to be asked to wear a blindfold, but Remi had shrugged at the question. “You have visuals of the aeries now that you could share with teleporters, so I’ll just have to trust you.” Despite his apparently casual stance, his eyes had been leopard, his tone dead serious.

“You can,” Aden had replied, once more the contained, private leader of the squad, no trace remaining of the man who’d shivered with pleasure under her fingertips, under her lips.

The part of her that had been with him in that secret time was . . . disturbed. She couldn’t go forward without causing carnage, but he was better than this, had the capacity to have a life like Vasic had with Ivy. Zaira wouldn’t hurt the woman he chose, not once she’d rebuilt herself to who she’d been before waking up in that bunker. If another woman became Aden’s heart as Ivy was Vasic’s, Zaira would protect her, too.

No. A vicious snarl inside her mind, the insane and dangerous part of her wrenching at its chains. He’s mine.

It took all her concentration to make sure the chains held. Now that the monster in her had tasted freedom, known what it would be like to have Aden for its own, it hungered for more. That fragile discipline was why she’d taken the backseat while Aden sat in the front passenger seat, the heavy rain having turned to a light shower around them.

“I saw you not far from here.” Remi brought the vehicle to a stop in a clearing below an outcrop that would conceal the all-wheel drive from even someone who was right on top of it. “I’m guessing you came from over that ridge in the distance. Any specifics?”

As they stepped out into the now rainless air, the sky clear of clouds but heavy with the misty fog that gave the mountains their name, Aden said, “We crossed either a swollen stream or a small river immediately below the ridge.”

“I recall some of the particular types of trees.” Zaira noted the species she’d seen.

“There would be a large clearing nearby for the chopper,” Aden added, standing as far from her as possible without it being suspicious. He was giving her the distance she’d requested so why did she feel this hollowness in her gut, this screaming, howling sense of loss?

“Got it.” Remi nodded at his people and they disappeared behind the vehicles. When they came back out, it was in leopard form, except for the final male.

“A tiger.” Zaira took in the large predator who stood quietly on the waterlogged grass. “I thought they were the most solitary of all changeling cats.”

Remi’s answer was a feline smile that gave nothing away. “We can’t take the vehicles any farther in this terrain. It’s some ways to the river—you two okay to keep up?” Eyes on Zaira. “Especially you. You were the worst injured.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Scanning her up and down, Remi nodded. “I’ll let you make that call, but if you’re going to go down, warn me.” With that, he began to move, his packmates in animal form racing alongside them.

Zaira was fast, but she knew there was no way she would ever be able to keep up with the changelings should they unleash their full capacity. The Psy race’s greatest advantage was the mind; the changelings’, the body. Right now, the RainFire group was maintaining a hard pace, but one she and Aden could carry for a long period as well.

Only when they were almost to the river did Remi call everyone to a halt. “The river’s long and that ridge is wide.” He looked to Zaira and Aden, and it was clear he was barely winded. “The trees narrow it down, but if you can recall anything else specific, things will go faster—I’ve been up in this area, but never right to their base.”

Aden’s profile was clean against the green and foggy backdrop as he said, “We crossed the river by using a set of rocks as stepping-stones. They were almost in a straight line to the other side.”

The tiger growled.

Remi met the unusual blue-green of his gaze. “You know the spot?”

A nod.

“Go, see if you catch any fresh scents.” He faced Aden and Zaira as the tiger melted away into the trees. “Your captors are probably gone, since the op went sideways, but getting cocky gets people killed.”

Aden nodded. “Reconnaissance is always a good idea.”

“We’ll follow Angel’s scent trail at a slower pace.”

The sentinel rejoined the group three minutes after they reached the concealing trees near the river. Looking at Remi, he just gave a simple nod.

“That’s the all clear.” Remi turned to his people. “Spread out, sound an alert if you sense anyone nearby.”

As the others scattered, Remi looked at the rocks Aden and Zaira had used as a bridge. He whistled. “You did that injured and in the dark?” A shake of his head. “I’d have you in my pack.”