Chapter 31
“Amanda! What are you doing here?”
Amanda’s usually smiling face twisted into an ugly mask. Her smooth hair was a mess of frizzy curls. “You fuckin’ bitch. You’ve stolen everything from me.”
Maia blinked, shock making her thought process sluggish while she struggled to connect the dots. “You…you…”
Amanda shrieked and wielded her stick like a sword, trying to gut her.
Maia ducked behind a tree. The branch whacked against the trunk, the whistling thump making her cringe. Too close. Dull pain radiated from her arm where Amanda’s first blow had made contact.
“Amanda?” She meant business with that branch, and Maia had the kids to worry about. What if they returned looking for her? No! She’d try to de-escalate the situation and retreat.
Amanda broke into her frenzied planning. “You will not attend the Black Fern trials. I’m next on the list and will take your place.”
“How do you know?” Cripes! This was jealousy? Amanda had natural talent—sure—but she didn’t put in the hours. She’d smugly told them she enjoyed a social life. Maia hadn’t commented then because Amanda’s training opinions hadn’t mattered to her. Maia had her plan and aimed for her end goal.
“My cousin told me I was close and just missed out.” Bitterness coated Amanda’s voice, a bubbling anger with a tinge of crazy. “This was my year.”
“You don’t train hard enough,” Maia said, immediately wanting to recall her words.
Amanda snarled and thrust the branch at Maia, pure temper behind her lunge.
Maia scrambled backward, her heart racing. The kids. Hopefully, they’d kept running and arrived at the finish line. Maia didn’t want any child injured by this unhinged woman.
She retreated, but Amanda trailed her, brown eyes full of craftiness.
Maybe Maia could get her talking. “Have you been following me?”
During the last week, her back had constantly prickled. Each time she’d turned around, she hadn’t seen anyone. Had it been Amanda?
Amanda smirked, but her eyes lost some of the crazy.
“Have you been harassing me since I arrived? Have you been calling Henry and telling him he’s a dirty old man?” Maia demanded, furious at the thought. She’d known someone was stalking her, but to have someone she knew hounding her…
A team member.
That made everything worse.
“You tortured those poor puppies.”
Amanda shrugged. “My father gave them to my sister. A present.” Her lips twisted into a sneer. “They yapped. Yap-yap-yap, throughout the night, and they kept biting me. My sister spoiled them even when they chewed on my rugby boots. Yap-yap-yap. All the time. I sleep so much better now.”
Maia gaped at her, scrambling to understand Amanda’s despicable actions. Had she ever known this woman?
The stick slashed down again, whistling past her hip and knee. If she’d been a second slower… Before Maia could dodge again, Amanda stabbed with the stick. Maia wasn’t quick enough this time, and the rough wood gouged her forearm. A grunt of pain escaped, and Amanda cackled.
“See if you can hold a rugby ball with a sore arm,” she taunted. “You’ll need your sugar daddy then because you won’t have a career any longer.”
The woman was crazy.
Maia backed up and almost tripped over a stump. The stick jabbed her upper thigh hard and fast. Pain streaked up her leg, and blood welled, soaking her leggings.
A sharp growl sounded to her right, and Amanda whirled.
Maia took advantage of Amanda’s distraction and scrambled away, trying to distance herself.
Every muscle ached, and her arm and leg throbbed in tandem.
Amanda was strong. She was heavier than Maia and lifted incredible weights.
Maia had always believed all-around exercise worked better, so she did endurance training and muscle building.
Another growl sounded, coming from a different direction.
Amanda turned. “What the fuck?”
A third and fourth growl sounded, each one closer than the last. Then, a wolflike howl broke out, prickling goosebumps across Maia’s skin.
Amanda scooped up rocks and hurled them in the direction of the howls.
A shriek of pain echoed through the clearing, and Amanda chortled, an unhinged laugh that scared the crap out of Maia.
She limped a step, and a low moan squeezed free.
The surrounding howls increased, and Maia gazed uneasily at the trees.
Was that a dog?
The animal edged closer, its amber eyes full of intelligence. No, a wolf. A yowl pierced the din. A chorus of howls and Maia dithered, unsure of where to run.
Amanda whirled back to glower at Maia. “How are you doing this?”
“Not me.” Coldness seeped into Maia. She had to move. Somehow. Now, while Amanda remained distracted.
The cacophony crept closer, and Maia could have sworn she heard a deeper, louder howl echo from across the opposite hill.
“You bitch. You’re not getting my team spot.”
“Suppose I don’t attend. There’s no guarantee you’ll get my place.” Besides, she’d tell everyone who’d listen how Amanda had attacked her and destroyed her property. Surely Amanda didn’t think she’d keep quiet? No, Maia would press charges.
A rock thumped into her shoulder, and Maia cried out. Immediately, eerie howls echoed around them.
Maia bit back a scream and staggered away. She blinked on seeing a black leopard, its brilliant green eyes focused on her. Black leopard? She blinked several more times, but no. She wasn’t seeing things.
There was a black leopard, and it was slinking behind Amanda while the howls distracted the other woman. Maia could’ve sworn the leopard shook its head at her. No, two more black leopards were behind the first, creeping into a position behind Amanda.
A soft bark on her left had Maia jumping.
A blond animal crept toward her, its golden eyes intelligent and full of caution.
Maia swallowed hard but didn’t make a sound.
She could hardly believe it, but these animals were helping her.
She pulled herself upright with the help of a slender tree.
Unfortunately, the rattle of the leaves grabbed Amanda’s attention.
“Stay right where you are,” she snapped, hurling a stone at Maia.
It barely missed.
Around her, the animals froze. The loud howl she’d heard in the distance sounded closer.
“What the fuck is this?” Amanda demanded. “You Doctor Dolittle?”
Maia had no answers.
A louder, deeper snarl ripped through the growls. Then a blur of black or brown darted behind Amanda.
Maia gaped. A dog.
An enormous dog.
No, it was a wolf.
And the canine was prowling toward Amanda with intent.
Maia swallowed hard. A distraction attempt would be the best idea.
“Call off your dog,” Amanda shouted.
“Why?” Maia’s eyes widened when she spotted a black leopard. The sleek creature was stalking Amanda from a different angle. Maia swallowed hard, her mind struggling to understand what she was seeing.
A roar sounded in the distance, and the wolf approaching Amanda howled in return.
The eerie sound immediately bounced back.
The wolf stared straight at Maia, its golden eyes alert.
Maia could feel the animal’s anger. It wasn’t just the low, menacing growl directed toward Amanda, but it was in the animal’s tense muscles and the calculated way it regarded the woman.
“Why is it so important for you to make the team?” Maia asked.
“My parents want me to do accountancy,” Amanda spat. “My mother doesn’t think rugby is feminine and thinks I should join the family firm.”
Maia barked a laugh, the circumstances so near her own that she couldn’t contain her reaction.
“It’s not funny,” Amanda snarled, her anger back.
She scooped up a rock and fired it so quickly Maia couldn’t dodge. Fiery pain roared through her chest, the impetus of the throw dropping her to the ground. Amanda released a roar of triumph and surged toward her.
Maia didn’t see what happened next, but the wolf growled. Amanda screeched—half surprised and half panicky. She crashed down, howling as her head struck a tree trunk. Immediately, the wolf pounced, grasping Amanda’s arm in its mouth. It must’ve bitten down because Amanda screamed.
The black leopard stalked closer and stomped on Amanda’s legs when she tried to kick.
Maia’s heart pounded, fear uppermost, yet the animals didn’t divert their attention from Amanda.
Several smaller animals crept from the trees.
Maia tensed, but they swarmed her, licking and cuddling closer until her panic eased.
She had no idea what was happening, but the animals didn’t seem a threat to her. She sank her fingers into the fur of a small black wolf.
“Henry, where are you?” a feminine voice shouted. That sounded like Laura.
“I’m over here!” Maia shouted.
Henry? Maia thought belatedly.
Amanda screamed suddenly and thrashed. Maia stared in shock as the two animals used brute strength to subdue her.
Laura appeared with Charlie on her heels. The cops took in the situation with one sweeping glance.
“Who is this?” Laura asked.
Charlie halted beside Laura before sidling around until he stood opposite the animals and Amanda. He didn’t seem worried or scared, and Maia took her cue from the police officers.
“Amanda. She’s on my rugby team. She… She admitted to stalking me and hurting the puppies. She’s been calling Henry and trying to break us up.”
“Liar,” Amanda spat and kicked out with her leg. She got the wolf in the ribs, but the animal didn’t release her. It growled and shook Amanda until she let out a pained screech. “Get your animals off me.”
Maia limped toward Laura, her breath coming in harsh pants as pain raced up her leg. Pressure built at her temples, part relief and part stress. Had Amanda injured her badly enough to make her miss the trials? She shoved away panic. Something to worry about later.
The smaller animals had followed her, and each pressed against her, their presence bringing reassurance. Laura and Charlie had come. Amanda couldn’t hurt her any longer.
A tear ran down her cheek, and Maia scrubbed it away.
But the tears wouldn’t cease, and her shoulders shook.
One of the smaller animals near her let out a sharp cry, and the wolf and big cat immediately stared in their direction.
Every muscle seemed to throb, and she wavered on her feet.
Finally, she gave up trying to stand and sank to the ground.
She closed her eyes and worked on controlling her emotions. She couldn’t fall apart now.
“Maia,” a soft voice said.
Maia’s eyes flew open, and she started on seeing a naked Levi kneeling next to her.
“Did she hurt you?” he asked. “We signaled Henry as soon as we could.”
Maia’s gaze slid past Levi and the small leopards and wolves surrounding her. The giant wolf guarding Amanda was staring at her, his golden gaze intent as if he were listening.
Thoughts zipped through her mind, each more unbelievable than the next. This was the stuff of fiction. The things she wrote about in her fantasy novels.
Laura had mentioned Henry.
“Is that Henry?” she whispered to Levi, not taking her gaze off the wolf.
“Yeah.” Levi sounded uncertain whether she should know this information.
She quickly counted the animals pressing against her. If she included Levi in their number, her entire squad of youngsters surrounded her.
Laura and Charlie didn’t seem concerned, behaving like they knew what was happening.
“Henry,” Laura said in a firm voice. “Let Charlie put cuffs on her. We have to do this right.”
“Let me go,” Amanda said. “I haven’t done anything. You wait until I tell my father what you’ve done. By the time he’s finished, you won’t have a job or money.”
Neither Charlie nor Laura seemed cowed. Charlie pulled handcuffs off his utility belt and nudged the wolf aside. In seconds flat, he had Amanda cuffed and on her feet.
“What are you arresting me for?” Amanda screeched, fighting Charlie.
She did an excellent job until the wolf grabbed her leg and tugged.
The leopard circled to Amanda’s other side and nipped her hand.
Amanda yelped and staggered away. It was in the direction Charlie was trying to take her, so Maia assumed the leopard was helping.
“Henry, will you take care of Maia?” Laura asked. “I need to go with Charlie.”
In answer, the wolf stalked past Laura, heading straight toward Maia. He’d looked massive standing over Amanda, but now he seemed enormous.
“Henry,” Levi said. “We did exactly what you said.”
The wolf nudged the boy, his gentleness and affection evident in the lick across the boy’s cheek.
The wolf growled, and Levi stepped away from Maia.
He grinned as he closed his eyes, his brow scrunched as if he was concentrating hard.
Seconds later, a faint glimmer shone around him, and he morphed from a grinning boy to a happy wolf pup right in front of her.
Her gaze shot to the adult wolf in time to see the animal change and Henry appear in its place. She covered her mouth with her palm, her eyes bugging wide as Henry kneeled beside her. Had he… She blinked hard, but no, Henry was still there, and Levi, the wolf, gave her a sly lick.
“Maia, are you okay?” Henry asked hoarsely. “When Levi signaled Gerard and me… Those were the worst moments of my life.” He helped her rise with gentle hands. She wavered, shock doing a number on her knees, but he caught her against his body. His naked body.
Henry was a wolf.
Wolves and leopards surrounded her.
She wasn’t seeing things.
The animals were not figments of her imagination; she knew them by name.