Chapter 10
Liam led Sienna back to the cottage. He’d discovered he enjoyed holding her hand, enjoyed having her close.
They’d share a bed tonight, no matter how late he arrived home after helping Jago.
He wasn’t certain why, but his feline half stirred in agitation when they were apart, so he’d go with the flow and figure out everything later.
Yes, he was furious at her manipulation, but the concussion had been an accident—he believed this.
He’d seen how the villagers recoiled at his scarred face, and their reactions stirred sympathy for Sienna’s father and brothers.
More than that, they made him want to stay, to help, instead of chasing a past that felt terrifyingly blank.
And if he was honest, being near Sienna seemed right.
“How will you and Jago get past the hunters?” Sienna asked, dragging his thoughts back to their immediate problems.
“If we leave home around one or two in the morning, chances are they’ll be tired of patrolling in the dark. We’ll go in our human forms and keep our fingers crossed.”
“Might work,” she muttered. “And if either or both of you get captured?”
“You, Tamsin, Hedrek, and the boys will need to devise a plan to rescue us.” Liam forced a teasing note into his voice.
“This isn’t funny.”
“Believe me, I know.”
The thump in his head intensified, and he barely resisted rubbing the sore spot. His headaches never disappeared—just ebbed and surged without warning. Fatigue, maybe. Who knew? What if his memories never returned?
Oddly, he could live with that. He liked the Teagues—their closeness, the way they looked out for each other. Even without his past, he doubted he’d had a family who cared like that. He frowned, uncertain if it was the truth or a defense against the sting of rejection.
“Hunters ahead.”
Liam cocked his head and heard their animated discussion. “Something has happened.”
“Yeah. If we can see which direction they go, you and Jago can sneak out earlier than planned.”
Without words, they hastened their steps, trying to get closer to make sense of what was happening.
One man noticed them and nudged the tall dark-haired man next to him.
“What are you doing?” a tall, wiry man with a black beard and military bearing demanded.
“Walking home,” Liam said. “Our cottage is off this path.”
“Get on with it then and don’t wander at night. It’s not safe.”
“Because they might shoot us,” Sienna muttered.
Liam looped an arm around her, keeping her close, and he heard Sienna’s breath hitch.
Even through the fabric of her shirt, her warmth seeped into his palm.
When she unconsciously leaned into him, something primal stirred in his chest—not just attraction, but possession.
Mine, his feline whispered. The thought should have alarmed him.
Instead, it felt like the first true thing he’d known since waking in the cottage.
Liam tightened his grip on her hand in silent warning. He tugged her past the men and along the path.
“Who died and made him boss?” she demanded.
“It’s best if we keep up our newlywed cover.”
As they turned off the path toward the cottage, the men loped past, their radios squawking. They disappeared around the corner.
“I’ll follow for a bit to work out their direction. Tell Jago to get ready—we’ll leave early while they’re distracted.”
“Take care. You don’t want them to spot you.”
Liam nodded and slipped into the shadows, following the men. It was easy enough since they were in a hurry and not checking behind them. The group seemed headed for the opposite end of town. Excellent. Liam skulked in the gloom until he confirmed his suspicions.
His low-grade headache had bloomed into something sharper, and he considered shifting. No—too risky.
Once clear of the village, safely out of sight of any hunters, Liam drew a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The pain only intensified, his vision swimming.
He slammed his eyes shut, but the darkness burst into color—purple, green, flashes of orange.
His heart pounded, slamming against his breastbone as if it was trying to claw free. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground—just as a cat’s snarl echoed around him.
Hell!
Had he made the sound?
He slapped his hand against his mouth to hold the cries inside and tried to focus.
Nothing but a moan squeezed past his lips.
The feline cry repeated, this time a clear distress call he could hear above the thundering of his pulse.
Liam attempted to stand, and on his second attempt, managed it.
A faint sound from behind had him stiffening, but the familiar scent washing over him brought instant comfort.
“What’s happening?” Sienna clutched his shoulders, her fingers digging into his flesh painfully, yet somehow centering him. Her hand slid beneath his T-shirt to rest on his belly, skin against skin, and the relief was immediate.
“Better,” he managed, leaning into her touch without thinking.
“The headaches are getting worse, aren’t they?” Her voice was thick with guilt.
He wanted to lie to spare her, but found he couldn’t. “When I get tired.”
His head still ached, but his awareness sharpened.
A man shouted, his voice tight with excitement. “Go that way. Head off the creature. Can you see it with the night vision glasses?”
“Who the heck was stupid enough to shift to feline with the hunters around? Did you see anything?” Sienna moved closer so he could hear her easily.
The war raging in his mind and body righted itself even more, enough for him to think.
“Hurry! Cut it off, dammit!” a second man roared.
“They haven’t caught anyone yet. We have to help,” Sienna said urgently.
Liam grasped her hand, using her strength to support his shaky limbs. Once confident of his balance, he released his grip. “I’ll shift and distract them. If half of them chase me, we’ll increase his chances of escape.”
“No! You don’t look well, and I can tell your head is hurting again. You’re rubbing your temple.”
“It’s better after I shift. Here, take my clothes. You go with Jago, and I’ll catch up with you. Don’t let them see you.”
Sienna hesitated, her beautiful face full of conflict. She didn’t want to leave him, but saw the wisdom of his suggestion.
“Make sure they don’t capture you because it will displease me.
” Her fierce words and matching expression surprised him.
But it shouldn’t have, given she haunted his thoughts so often.
Aware of the passing time, he jerked off his boots and stripped.
He thrust his garments at her and let his shift take him.
The pain in his head decreased, and his breathing became easier. After scenting the air, he slipped into the shadows, ready to help whichever shifter had run headlong into danger.
He glanced back once to ensure Sienna had gone, relaxing when he couldn’t see her.
Keeping to the shadows, he slipped forward, senses alert for the hunters’ positions and the unlucky feline.
If he were them, he’d have dart guns. He’d need to take care and remove them one by one.
They’d seen three men, and hopefully no one else had arrived to bolster their numbers.
Liam crept closer to a man shouting orders into a radio. “Shoot it with the dart gun.”
“Got him!” another voice shouted.
Crap, he had to move fast. Once they got their hands on one, a rescue would be difficult. What the hell had the feline been thinking?
He sprang at the speaker, catching him off guard.
The wiry hunter hit the ground hard, shouting in astonishment as his glasses flew into the undergrowth.
Liam shifted and, with a silent apology, struck.
The blow dropped him instantly. Liam shifted again, feeling better than he had all day.
His transformation eased his suffering—at least for now.
On the move once more, he skulked through the shadows, stalking his next target.
He took out the hunter before the third man spotted him.
For a long moment, they locked gazes. The man lifted his dart gun but fired wildly in shock or excitement—Liam wasn’t sure which.
Liam didn’t hesitate because speed was of the essence.
They’d downed the shifter but hadn’t contained him yet.
He retreated, circling to come in at a different angle and scoop up their prize.
Liam took a risk and shifted. He scooped up the darted animal and silently withdrew, hoping the panicked hunter wouldn’t see him again.
The reek of alcohol filled his nostrils. A shifter could drink a large quantity of alcohol and not feel the effects, but perhaps booze explained this debacle. Liam angled toward the neighbor’s property since it was closer, and the leopard he’d hauled over his shoulder was damn heavy.
A soft rustle to his right sent Liam rigid with alarm.
“Over here,” a quiet voice said.
It was Jamie.
“Ma sent me to follow him to ensure he didn’t do anything dumb.”
Liam wondered what qualified as dumb, considering this idiot had made life difficult for every shifter in the village.
The hunters had seen him in his leopard form, and now they wouldn’t stop until they captured one.
With the billionaire’s money behind them, Liam figured they had time on their side.
“Which way?” Liam asked.
“There’s a nearby cave,” Jamie whispered. “Dad goes there whenever he and Ma fight.”
“Show me.”
Jamie cocked his head, listening before setting off at a brisk pace. Liam followed, and to his relief, gradually, the kerfuffle faded. He relaxed until Jamie froze.
Liam heard it too—a hunter talking on a phone or radio, attempting to contact his colleagues. He set the shifter down in the shadows, and he and Jamie squeezed back into the darkness as the man moved closer. There were more hunters now.
“We’ve seen one,” a male voice squawked on the radio.