Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
RICK
R ick paced the small cabin, his thoughts racing. The most recent event left no doubt in his mind that his mate was under threat. He couldn’t help but believe things were escalating and that time was of the essence. Revealing his true nature to Hannah had been a monumental step, her acceptance even more so, but the threat they faced required more than just their combined strength. They needed their friends.
Using the satellite phone, he began making calls. The first was to Asher, who arrived first, his tall frame filling the doorway. "What’s going on, Rick?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
Rick gestured for him to come inside. "We’ve got a problem. I need everyone here."
Within the hour, the cabin was filled with the familiar faces of their close-knit group: Joe, Max, Nicole, Tanner, Melisandre and several others. They gathered around the small table, the tension in the room palpable.
Rick took a deep breath and began. "This morning, Hannah and I were out for a run.”
“Like a run, run?” asked Joe.
“Hannah knows,” said Rick. “While we were out, someone took a shot at us. It looked to be from up on the ridge. This wasn’t just some drunken fisherman messing around. It was intentional."
Asher’s eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
Rick nodded, “No doubt in my mind.”
Max frowned. "So, what’s the plan?"
"We need to keep the police out of this for now," Rick said. "Whoever’s behind this might be long gone, or they could still be here, hiding in plain sight. We need to watch the ferries and planes leaving Kodiak. If they’re planning to leave, that’s how they’ll do it."
Joe, always the quiet observer, spoke up. "I’ll go up to that area—far side of Max’s place?” Rick nodded. “Let me do some snooping around and see what I can find.”
“Everybody keep in touch,” said Asher gravely. “Rick’s right; if they try to escape, it will most likely be via the ferries or planes. Melisandre, can you go up and make some high-level observations of the area? Report back with anything amiss."
She nodded and the group agreed, splitting into pairs to cover the various exit points. Rick felt a renewed sense of determination. They were a formidable team, and together, they would uncover the truth.
JOE
Joe headed back to where Rick and Hannah had been when someone had taken a shot at them. He looked up toward the ridge and then headed back up to the most likely spot for a sniper to have perched. The hours passed slowly, the tranquility of the lake and surrounding area at odds with the tension in his mind. As dusk began to settle, his patience was rewarded. A suspicious couple approached the lake, their furtive glances and the way they moved drawing and keeping Joe’s attention.
He watched as they dropped a bundle into the icy waters of the lake, the ripples quickly smoothing over the disturbance. As they left, Joe knew he had no time to lose. Joe waited until he was sure they were gone before moving to retrieve the bundle.
Removing his clothing, he bundled it up so he could carry it with him. Moving between the ridge and the lake would be accomplished far more easily in his animal form. The snow-covered landscape lay silent and still, a pristine blanket of white under the dim, overcast sky. Midway up the ridge, the air began to crackle with an otherworldly energy, the calm serenity of the scene poised on the brink of transformation.
Joe stood at the edge of the ledge, his breath visible in the frigid air, waiting with anticipation. Suddenly, the wind picked up, swirling the snow into delicate spirals that danced around him. Thunder sounded within the mist as lightning crackled and shards of icy blue and green swirled within the mist. As if conjured by an unseen force, the mist began to rise from the ground, swirling around him in thick, ethereal tendrils. The maelstrom was dense and almost luminous, a ghostly white that contrasted sharply against the rocky backdrop of the ridge. It coiled and writhed, enveloping and obscuring him from view.
Within the mist, the transformation began. The air hummed with a low, resonant vibration, a primal energy that seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat. The shape within the mist shifted, elongating and expanding, the outline becoming more massive, more powerful. To someone standing outside the mist, the transformation seemed instantaneous.
A sudden bolt of lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the cloud-cover in a blinding flash. Thunder rumbled in the distance, adding to the sense of raw, untamed power. The mist swirled faster, the tendrils and shards of color growing more agitated as the transformation reached its peak.
The figure within the mist grew larger, more defined. As the mist dropped away, where once had stood a man, now stood the form of an enormous sabretooth tiger, its powerful muscles rippling beneath a coat of thick, white fur striped with dark, primal patterns. The mist clung to the tiger’s form for a moment longer, accentuating its massive frame and the deadly grace of its movements.
With a last, swirling flourish, the mist dissipated, fading into the snowy landscape. The sabretooth tiger stood in the clearing, its long, curved fangs gleaming in the dim light, eyes glowing with an ancient, fierce intelligence. It was a creature out of time, a relic of a bygone era, brought to life by the mysterious forces of the shifter world.
Joe could feel the raw power emanating from within, a testament to the strength and resilience of all the shifters. The stormy sky above seemed to echo the transformation, the wind howling in approval as the sabretooth tiger let out a low, rumbling growl, a sound that resonated deep within the earth and the hearts of those who bore witness.
He picked up his clothing bundle and bounded down to the lake, reveling in the freedom it was to be a sabretooth tiger charging down a snow-covered hill. When he reached the lake, he placed the bundle up on a rock to keep his clothes and boots dry and then turned to the frigid cold lake. Sabretooth tigers from the arctic region had evolved with an extra layer of fat and fur to keep them warm even if they got wet.
Stepping down into the water, he waded out, searching for the long narrow bundle the couple had tossed into the lake. Feeling it beneath the pads of his feet, he submerged himself fully so he could grasp it with his teeth and bring it to the surface. Once he had it in his mouth, he made his way back to shore, shifted, got dressed and then unwrapped the oilskin in which it had been enclosed, revealing not only a high-powered rifle, but a handgun as well. His heart pounded as he realized the significance of his find. This was the proof they needed.
Joe wrapped the weapons back up and made his way to Rick’s cabin, arriving just as the others were returning from their watch. He laid the bundle on the table, unwrapping it to reveal the weapons to the group.
RICK
Rick’s eyes narrowed as he inspected the rifle. "I’ll bet this is what they used to shoot at us this morning, and this,” he said, holding up the handgun. "And I’ll bet this is the gun that fired that round at Hannah."
Hannah clenched her fists, anger flaring in her eyes. "So, they weren’t just accidents and coincidences. Someone is trying to scare me.”
“Or worse," said Nicole.
Rick nodded. "We need to find out who and why. And we need to do it fast."
The group shared a determined look. They were a family, bound not by blood but by trust and loyalty. And they would protect their own, no matter the cost.
Asher and Rick went to the police to offer the evidence they had recovered. Rick was convinced that had he not been with Asher, his fears would have been dismissed and ignored. As they left the precinct, Tanner called to say a couple matching the description Joe had given them were headed off the island via ferry in a rented SUV.
Rick and Asher rushed to the dock where Melisandre was waiting to point them towards the right ferry. Both men charged down the dock, leaping open the ever-widening gap between dock and ferry, barely able to land on the relative safety of the boat.
As he sprinted across the deck of the ferry, Rick’s heart pounded as the salty breeze whipped through his hair. The rhythmic thud of his shoes on the metal surface matched the racing beat in his chest. Asher was just a step behind him, both of them locked in a desperate pursuit of the couple whom Hannah had identified as her ex-husband, Teddy, and his new wife, Celeste. Realizing they were being pursued, Teddy and Celeste wove their way across the crowded deck ahead.
"Over there!" Rick shouted, pointing to where Teddy and Celeste had just darted behind a stack of life jackets. The ferry's horn blared, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to echo Rick's sense of urgency. He pushed past a group of tourists, muttering hurried apologies as he went.
Asher, lean and agile, vaulted over a low railing, taking a shortcut that brought him alongside Rick. "We can't let them get away!" he urged, his voice tight with determination.
Rick nodded, eyes narrowing as he spotted Teddy’s bright red jacket reappearing on the other side of the deck. "They’re heading for the lower level!"
The two men skidded to a halt at the top of the stairwell, glancing down to see Teddy and Celeste's feet disappear around a corner. Without hesitation, they plunged down the stairs, the metal steps clanging loudly beneath their feet.
As they reached the lower deck, the atmosphere changed; it was darker, the air heavy with the scent of engine oil and seawater. Rick could hear the distant hum of the ferry's engines, an audible reminder of their precarious situation. He scanned the dimly lit space, his eyes adjusting to the shadows. Teddy and Celeste had to be here somewhere.
"There!" Asher pointed to a maintenance door swinging shut. They bolted toward it, Rick’s adrenaline surging. He shoved the door open, revealing a narrow corridor lined with pipes and wires. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed back to them.
Rick and Asher charged down the corridor, every muscle in Rick’s body screaming for him to catch up. Ahead, Teddy and Celeste burst through another door, leading them out onto a secluded section of the ferry’s exterior. The wind was stronger here, whipping at their clothes and making it hard to hear anything but its roar.
"Stop!" Rick bellowed, his voice barely carrying over the wind. He was gaining on them, his legs pumping with renewed vigor. He could see the determination on Teddy’s face as he glanced back, fear flickering in his eyes.
Asher surged ahead, closing the distance between himself and Celeste. With a swift, practiced move, he lunged forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. She struggled, but Asher’s grip was ironclad.
Teddy, seeing Celeste captured, hesitated for a crucial second. Rick seized the opportunity, launching himself forward and tackling Teddy to the ground. They skidded across the deck, the rough surface scraping at Rick’s elbows as he wrestled Teddy into submission.
“Gotcha,” Rick panted, pinning Teddy’s arms behind his back. The fight drained out of Teddy, and he slumped, breathing heavily. Rick glanced up to see Asher securely holding Celeste, who had stopped struggling.
The ferry’s horn sounded again, signaling their return to the dock. Rick hauled Teddy to his feet, exchanging a triumphant look with Asher. “Let’s get them off this boat,” Rick said, relief washing over him as he felt the ferry begin to slow.
As they escorted their captives off the ferry and up the gangway, they handed them off to the authorities. Rick allowed himself a small smile. They had done it. The chase and the danger were over.
“But why?” asked Hannah later as they snuggled together in the chair in front of the fireplace at Rick’s.
Rick had been amazed at Hannah’s resiliency. Not only had she accepted him as a bear shifter, but she had returned to the bakery and with Melinda’s help they had begun preparing all the baked goods they would need for the day. They may have opened a little late and without everything prepared and displayed, but Hannah’s Hearth had opened and was serving the citizens and tourists of Kodiak, Alaska.
“It seems that shortly before you and Teddy broke up, he took out a life insurance policy on you, naming himself as the recipient of the policy in the event of your death.”
“So, he wanted to kill me for money?”
“I think he took out the policy to shut Celeste up. Apparently, she wasn’t happy with the condo her father gave them. She’s been nagging Teddy to take you out so they could buy her dream home.”
“The cops got all of that out of them so fast?”
Rick chuckled. “When Teddy realized the evidence against them was going to be hard to explain, he rolled over on Celeste, laying everything at her doorstep at the same time as she threw him figuratively under the bus. Asher said it was a race between them to see who could implicate whom first.”
Later that evening, Rick and Hannah stood among the crowd that had gathered, the chill of the winter night nipping at their skin. He barely noticed the cold, though, as his eyes were fixed on the sky. The northern lights danced above, shimmering curtains of green, pink, and violet that painted the heavens with their ethereal glow.
People around him murmured in awe, their breath visible in the crisp air. The aurora borealis had always been a special event in Kodiak, drawing everyone together to share in its beauty, but tonight, for Rick, it held an even deeper significance.
Beside him, Hannah gazed up at the lights, her face illuminated by their soft, magical hues. Rick reached out, gently bringing her hand up to his lips. She turned to look at him, her eyes reflecting the colors of the sky, and he saw the same wonder and excitement that he felt.
“Hannah,” Rick began, his voice soft but steady. “I know we’ve been through a lot, and it hasn’t been all that long or all that easy. But standing here with you, underneath this incredible display, I feel like anything is possible. I love you, Hannah. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Hannah’s eyes filled with tears, but her smile was radiant. “Sounds like the perfect recipe for happiness to me.”
HANNAH
Six Months Later
Their cabin was filled with their friends and smelled of the most delicious foods. Fairy lights had been strung along their porch and atop poles decorated and buried for just that purpose. Their bonding ceremony was about to begin.
Standing together, Rick used the ceremonial dagger which had been in his family for hundreds of years to cut the skin of her palm, before doing the same to his. Then Asher bound their hands together and stepped back.
“Blood of my blood,” Rick said, looking into her eyes. “You will now be one with me in all ways. I love you Hannah and I always will.”
“Blood of my blood,” she repeated. “I think I loved you long before I met you. When I arrived in Kodiak, I remember thinking I had finally come home. I thought it was this place. I was wrong. You are my home, and you will always be my sanctuary.”
Ready for the next story? Click Here to read His Brazen Mate. Remember the dragon in His Fiery Mate who helped Mellisandra? This is his story.