the nearest rock, he reached down to help her up. They ascended about ten feet above the river, into an open space.
Behind them, Rinna heard splashing noises. More warriors.
"If they find the beach, they'll see our footprints," she gasped.
"Shit! I wasn't thinking about that."
"There wasn't anything we could do about it. Not and get out of there fast."
Exclamations from below told her they were almost out of time. "Hurry," she urged. But as she looked around, she saw that there wasn't much chance of a quick escape. They'd have to keep climbing. And when they did, they would stand out against the rock walls.
On the other side of the open space, two rock outcroppings created a crevice.
One wall had a ridge that jutted out like a roof, darkening the space inside and giving a good deal of shelter.
But it would also be one of the first places the soldiers looked.
Still, it might be their only chance.
"We'll be trapped," Logan whispered when she started toward the crevice.
"Maybe not. Maybe I can do something." She pressed a hand against his shoulder. "You go first." She could leave him now. Maybe she could even get away, if she was by herself. But she wouldn't abandon him to the mercy of the warriors.
Logan gave her a doubtful look. But as they heard the sound of men scrambling up the rock, he backed quickly into the space until he was hidden by darkness.
She followed, then turned to face the doorway, focusing her thoughts on the opening. By herself, she couldn't create a force field like the one that had protected the cave. But perhaps she could make a mental curtain.
Moving closer, Logan cradled her in his arms, his naked front pressed to her back. It would be easy for him to take advantage of her here. He could let his hand drift downward, onto her breast, and she took her lip between her teeth as she realized how vulnerable she was. She couldn't run. And she couldn't fight him—if she wanted to keep the two of them hidden from the soldiers.
To her vast relief, he kept his fingers cupped over her shoulders.
Lowering his mouth to her ear, he spoke in the barest whisper, and she knew he was thinking about their situation—not about overpowering her. "If they find us, we can change and fight them."
Depending on how many , she thought.
She pressed her lips together when she heard a voice below; one of the pursuers was calling to the other.
They both went still as they listened to the shouted conversation.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah. But I thought I was going to drown."
"Where's Terrell?"
"I didn't see him."
Terrell. Was that the guy they'd killed in the water? She'd prefer not to know his name. He had nothing personal against her. He was just trying to survive in the service of a ruthless man.
"Maybe he didn't make it," another voice said.
"I thought he was a good swimmer."
"Maybe Rinna and the guy drowned."
At the sound of her own name, her heart started to pound even harder. Logan stroked her neck, her hair, but he said nothing.
"We could go back and say that's what must have happened."
The first speaker made a harsh sound. "You want to tell Falcone that we lost them?"
"Gods, no."
"They're both shape-shifters. They could be long gone."
"Still, we'd better search. Falcone was sure they'd be in the cave."
Rinna felt her throat close.
Logan pulled her farther into the shadows of the rocks, as far back as they could go.
It was dark inside the crevice. She couldn't see Logan, but she could feel him. They had been close together before. Now her body was wedged against his. His skin had warmed, maybe because the two of them were generating heat in the enclosed space.
He lowered his head again, stroking his lips lightly against her neck. As footsteps approached their hiding place, she pressed the back of her head into the dark hair on his chest.
When she heard a soldier climbing toward them, she went absolutely still as she formed an image in her mind. An image of the cave entrance and the cavity
Behind them, Rinna heard splashing noises. More warriors.
"If they find the beach, they'll see our footprints," she gasped.
"Shit! I wasn't thinking about that."
"There wasn't anything we could do about it. Not and get out of there fast."
Exclamations from below told her they were almost out of time. "Hurry," she urged. But as she looked around, she saw that there wasn't much chance of a quick escape. They'd have to keep climbing. And when they did, they would stand out against the rock walls.
On the other side of the open space, two rock outcroppings created a crevice.
One wall had a ridge that jutted out like a roof, darkening the space inside and giving a good deal of shelter.
But it would also be one of the first places the soldiers looked.
Still, it might be their only chance.
"We'll be trapped," Logan whispered when she started toward the crevice.
"Maybe not. Maybe I can do something." She pressed a hand against his shoulder. "You go first." She could leave him now. Maybe she could even get away, if she was by herself. But she wouldn't abandon him to the mercy of the warriors.
Logan gave her a doubtful look. But as they heard the sound of men scrambling up the rock, he backed quickly into the space until he was hidden by darkness.
She followed, then turned to face the doorway, focusing her thoughts on the opening. By herself, she couldn't create a force field like the one that had protected the cave. But perhaps she could make a mental curtain.
Moving closer, Logan cradled her in his arms, his naked front pressed to her back. It would be easy for him to take advantage of her here. He could let his hand drift downward, onto her breast, and she took her lip between her teeth as she realized how vulnerable she was. She couldn't run. And she couldn't fight him—if she wanted to keep the two of them hidden from the soldiers.
To her vast relief, he kept his fingers cupped over her shoulders.
Lowering his mouth to her ear, he spoke in the barest whisper, and she knew he was thinking about their situation—not about overpowering her. "If they find us, we can change and fight them."
Depending on how many , she thought.
She pressed her lips together when she heard a voice below; one of the pursuers was calling to the other.
They both went still as they listened to the shouted conversation.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah. But I thought I was going to drown."
"Where's Terrell?"
"I didn't see him."
Terrell. Was that the guy they'd killed in the water? She'd prefer not to know his name. He had nothing personal against her. He was just trying to survive in the service of a ruthless man.
"Maybe he didn't make it," another voice said.
"I thought he was a good swimmer."
"Maybe Rinna and the guy drowned."
At the sound of her own name, her heart started to pound even harder. Logan stroked her neck, her hair, but he said nothing.
"We could go back and say that's what must have happened."
The first speaker made a harsh sound. "You want to tell Falcone that we lost them?"
"Gods, no."
"They're both shape-shifters. They could be long gone."
"Still, we'd better search. Falcone was sure they'd be in the cave."
Rinna felt her throat close.
Logan pulled her farther into the shadows of the rocks, as far back as they could go.
It was dark inside the crevice. She couldn't see Logan, but she could feel him. They had been close together before. Now her body was wedged against his. His skin had warmed, maybe because the two of them were generating heat in the enclosed space.
He lowered his head again, stroking his lips lightly against her neck. As footsteps approached their hiding place, she pressed the back of her head into the dark hair on his chest.
When she heard a soldier climbing toward them, she went absolutely still as she formed an image in her mind. An image of the cave entrance and the cavity
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