studied her with very normal, though very handsome, whiskey-brown eyes.
Burke moved with grace, grabbing a mug and joining her at the table without taking his eyes off of her. His stare made her nervous…and made her hot.
“What?”
“You are the damnedest woman.”
She didn’t know how to take that.
“You’ve been hit with a street fight, a touchy-feely stranger in an alley,” he said, self-deprecatingly. “Then there’s your aunt’s will, and the crazy shit I’m sure she wrote about, and not the least my brothers. I thought by now you’d be running for the airport.”
“I would, but I need my car.” She relaxed, flattered truth be told, that he seemed to both like and respect her.
48
He chuckled. “I can see a lot of Charlotte in you. And that’s a good thing, in case you’re wondering.” He poured himself some coffee and drank it black, smiling at her over the brim.
“Burke,” Rachel started, not wanting to lose this easy discourse between them but needing to have it said. “My aunt said some strange things in her letter.”
“I can imagine.”
“You said you’d do your best to explain things to me. How about you start?”
“Ah, a tall order.” He took another swallow and his hair swung down into his eyes.
Without thinking about it, she leaned forward and pushed it back, startling him and herself.
“Sorry.”
“I’m not. I like you touching me.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he didn’t look happy. “I’m going to tell you the truth. And you’re going to think I’m one hundred percent certifiable. But do me a favor and listen until I’m done, okay? I can prove what I’m going to tell you. Just hear me out.”
Rachel nodded, her pulse racing.
“Cougar Falls isn’t like any town you’ve ever been to, Rachel. The people who live here were either born here or married into one of the founding families. I was born here with my brothers, like my parents and their parents before them. We’re Ac-taw.”
She processed what he said, her eyes wide. “Animal souls? You’re a part of those people the Salish first found?” At his surprise, she explained, “Gerald filled me in on the Totem Festival on the drive over. That and a bit more.”
“Yeah. Truth is, most of the town is Ac-taw. And the totem is the real deal, passed down for generations. Charlotte preserved it for us, and we protected her.”
Rachel frowned. “From what?”
“From those Shifters who would take it from us.”
“Shifters?”
“Humans can’t find Cougar Falls. It’s not on any map, and doesn’t ‘exist’ to outsiders.”
49
For the moment ignoring “humans,” Rachel asked, “Then why could I find it? I’m not Ac-taw.”
“Actually, you are. Charlotte was too, at least distantly. That’s why she was so in tune with the totem and the world around her. To many, she was a nutcase,” he said bluntly. “But she was so much more than that. She was a spirit guide, a guardian of the magic in the totem. And when she died, she took the knowledge of the totem with her.
The town needs it back. We need you, Rachel, to get it back for us.”
Rachel shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I mean, I read my aunt’s letter. I know she believed what you do. But I don’t know anything about this totem or how to get it back. It wasn’t in the house or anywhere around the property that I could see. And there was nothing about it in the box Gerald showed me.”
“The knowledge is within you.” Burke touched his heart. “Once you open yourself to the beast within—”
“About this beast. My aunt seems to think I can choose my ‘inner beast,’ whatever the hell that is. Care to explain?”
Burke sighed. “Why don’t I show you instead?” He whistled and in moments, Dean and Grady appeared in the doorway. Though she hadn’t seen them pass the window, they must have been waiting nearby. “Grady? How about you do the honors?
Burke moved with grace, grabbing a mug and joining her at the table without taking his eyes off of her. His stare made her nervous…and made her hot.
“What?”
“You are the damnedest woman.”
She didn’t know how to take that.
“You’ve been hit with a street fight, a touchy-feely stranger in an alley,” he said, self-deprecatingly. “Then there’s your aunt’s will, and the crazy shit I’m sure she wrote about, and not the least my brothers. I thought by now you’d be running for the airport.”
“I would, but I need my car.” She relaxed, flattered truth be told, that he seemed to both like and respect her.
48
He chuckled. “I can see a lot of Charlotte in you. And that’s a good thing, in case you’re wondering.” He poured himself some coffee and drank it black, smiling at her over the brim.
“Burke,” Rachel started, not wanting to lose this easy discourse between them but needing to have it said. “My aunt said some strange things in her letter.”
“I can imagine.”
“You said you’d do your best to explain things to me. How about you start?”
“Ah, a tall order.” He took another swallow and his hair swung down into his eyes.
Without thinking about it, she leaned forward and pushed it back, startling him and herself.
“Sorry.”
“I’m not. I like you touching me.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he didn’t look happy. “I’m going to tell you the truth. And you’re going to think I’m one hundred percent certifiable. But do me a favor and listen until I’m done, okay? I can prove what I’m going to tell you. Just hear me out.”
Rachel nodded, her pulse racing.
“Cougar Falls isn’t like any town you’ve ever been to, Rachel. The people who live here were either born here or married into one of the founding families. I was born here with my brothers, like my parents and their parents before them. We’re Ac-taw.”
She processed what he said, her eyes wide. “Animal souls? You’re a part of those people the Salish first found?” At his surprise, she explained, “Gerald filled me in on the Totem Festival on the drive over. That and a bit more.”
“Yeah. Truth is, most of the town is Ac-taw. And the totem is the real deal, passed down for generations. Charlotte preserved it for us, and we protected her.”
Rachel frowned. “From what?”
“From those Shifters who would take it from us.”
“Shifters?”
“Humans can’t find Cougar Falls. It’s not on any map, and doesn’t ‘exist’ to outsiders.”
49
For the moment ignoring “humans,” Rachel asked, “Then why could I find it? I’m not Ac-taw.”
“Actually, you are. Charlotte was too, at least distantly. That’s why she was so in tune with the totem and the world around her. To many, she was a nutcase,” he said bluntly. “But she was so much more than that. She was a spirit guide, a guardian of the magic in the totem. And when she died, she took the knowledge of the totem with her.
The town needs it back. We need you, Rachel, to get it back for us.”
Rachel shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I mean, I read my aunt’s letter. I know she believed what you do. But I don’t know anything about this totem or how to get it back. It wasn’t in the house or anywhere around the property that I could see. And there was nothing about it in the box Gerald showed me.”
“The knowledge is within you.” Burke touched his heart. “Once you open yourself to the beast within—”
“About this beast. My aunt seems to think I can choose my ‘inner beast,’ whatever the hell that is. Care to explain?”
Burke sighed. “Why don’t I show you instead?” He whistled and in moments, Dean and Grady appeared in the doorway. Though she hadn’t seen them pass the window, they must have been waiting nearby. “Grady? How about you do the honors?
Similar Books
