Read Online Reckless Revenge: Book Four (Spellbound 4) by Sherry Soule - Free Book Online
Authors: Sherry Soule
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The sky had changed to a stormy, aching blue, clouds winking over the hills. The viscous gray haze, with a thick billowing edge obscured the peak of Mount Tam.
Trent pointed to some seriously large paw marks in the dirt. “A-ha! A clue.”
“Obviously,” I said sarcastically. “Keep going.”
Occasionally, the leaves would rustle overhead, launching my pulse into spasms. The piney fragrance of the woods seeped under my clothes. Aside from Trent humming “Bad Moon Rising” the next fifteen minutes were spent in relative silence until I tripped.
He had stopped to tie his shoe, but I’d kept going. I stumbled forward, my foot catching on something. All of a sudden, the ground was rushing up to greet me. My knee crashed into a sharp rock, and I tumbled, slamming my temple into the hard ground. I squeezed my eyes shut against a sudden onslaught of pain.
“Owww,” I moaned.
Trent knelt beside me. “Are you hurt?”
“Not really.” I sat up and massaged my throbbing head. “Whatever I tripped over took me by surprise.” I glanced down at my favorite jeans, now muddy and stained. Damn, another pair ruined.
Trent helped me to my feet. Upon closer inspection, I’d stumbled over a buck. Or what was left of one. The deer’s organs had been gnawed away and the long antlers jutted from the animal’s cracked skull. My stomach churned. All thoughts of making out with Trent were completely gone.
He squatted on his heels. “It’s still warm. Lycans must have huge teeth. Look at those bite marks.”
“No, thanks. It smells horrible.” I pinched my nose and focused on not vomiting in front of him.
Trent examined the trail. “The kill is fresh. The lycan shouldn’t be far off.”
We followed the winding dirt path deeper into the woods. I trudged behind Trent, who had begun following a trail of blood and muddy imprints. Just when I was about to tell him that I wanted to go back, the tracks ended at a mass of bushes. He pushed aside the branches to reveal the opening of a cave, then he held back a heavy branch, and motioned for me to go inside.
I took a step back, shaking my head vigorously. “Are you insane? There could be seriously big spiders in there.”
“It’s only a cave. Why are you stressing?”
No way was I going in there. Too dark. Too freakin’ scary.
I shuffled my feet. “I just don’t think it’s hygienic or, you know, safe.”
“C’mon, we gotta check this out. It might be a lead.” He scanned the area, then grabbed a thick branch, and held it like a baseball bat over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to you while you’re with me.”
I stared at him, chewing on a hangnail. “Are you sure we should, uh, go in there? We don’t have any weapons, other than that stick, and it looks super dark inside.” I swiped a hand over my face, suddenly damp with perspiration.
Trent’s mouth twisted wryly. “You’re not scared of the dark, are you?”
No, just the inherent absence of light. Duh.
“Of course not.”
“If there’s something you’re not telling me, anything at all, now would be the time,” he said softly.
“Um, why would you say that?”
“Because you look ghostly pale and you’re trembling.”
“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” I said, shouldering past him.
He gripped my upper arm and spun me around to face him. “Are you afraid of getting hurt?”
“No, Trent, I’m afraid that you’re not afraid of getting hurt,” I said, which was partly true.
“Don’t try to turn this around on me. You’ve been training your ass off to hunt the things that go bump in the night, so why are you chickening out now?” Trent arched a brow, a look of reprimand on his face. “Or are you worried about being alone inside the cave with me for some reason?”
Good question. It would be foolish not to be wary after I’d seen Trent’s eyes flare black too many times for it to be normal. Still, I was determined to hike up my big girl panties and stop
Trent pointed to some seriously large paw marks in the dirt. “A-ha! A clue.”
“Obviously,” I said sarcastically. “Keep going.”
Occasionally, the leaves would rustle overhead, launching my pulse into spasms. The piney fragrance of the woods seeped under my clothes. Aside from Trent humming “Bad Moon Rising” the next fifteen minutes were spent in relative silence until I tripped.
He had stopped to tie his shoe, but I’d kept going. I stumbled forward, my foot catching on something. All of a sudden, the ground was rushing up to greet me. My knee crashed into a sharp rock, and I tumbled, slamming my temple into the hard ground. I squeezed my eyes shut against a sudden onslaught of pain.
“Owww,” I moaned.
Trent knelt beside me. “Are you hurt?”
“Not really.” I sat up and massaged my throbbing head. “Whatever I tripped over took me by surprise.” I glanced down at my favorite jeans, now muddy and stained. Damn, another pair ruined.
Trent helped me to my feet. Upon closer inspection, I’d stumbled over a buck. Or what was left of one. The deer’s organs had been gnawed away and the long antlers jutted from the animal’s cracked skull. My stomach churned. All thoughts of making out with Trent were completely gone.
He squatted on his heels. “It’s still warm. Lycans must have huge teeth. Look at those bite marks.”
“No, thanks. It smells horrible.” I pinched my nose and focused on not vomiting in front of him.
Trent examined the trail. “The kill is fresh. The lycan shouldn’t be far off.”
We followed the winding dirt path deeper into the woods. I trudged behind Trent, who had begun following a trail of blood and muddy imprints. Just when I was about to tell him that I wanted to go back, the tracks ended at a mass of bushes. He pushed aside the branches to reveal the opening of a cave, then he held back a heavy branch, and motioned for me to go inside.
I took a step back, shaking my head vigorously. “Are you insane? There could be seriously big spiders in there.”
“It’s only a cave. Why are you stressing?”
No way was I going in there. Too dark. Too freakin’ scary.
I shuffled my feet. “I just don’t think it’s hygienic or, you know, safe.”
“C’mon, we gotta check this out. It might be a lead.” He scanned the area, then grabbed a thick branch, and held it like a baseball bat over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to you while you’re with me.”
I stared at him, chewing on a hangnail. “Are you sure we should, uh, go in there? We don’t have any weapons, other than that stick, and it looks super dark inside.” I swiped a hand over my face, suddenly damp with perspiration.
Trent’s mouth twisted wryly. “You’re not scared of the dark, are you?”
No, just the inherent absence of light. Duh.
“Of course not.”
“If there’s something you’re not telling me, anything at all, now would be the time,” he said softly.
“Um, why would you say that?”
“Because you look ghostly pale and you’re trembling.”
“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” I said, shouldering past him.
He gripped my upper arm and spun me around to face him. “Are you afraid of getting hurt?”
“No, Trent, I’m afraid that you’re not afraid of getting hurt,” I said, which was partly true.
“Don’t try to turn this around on me. You’ve been training your ass off to hunt the things that go bump in the night, so why are you chickening out now?” Trent arched a brow, a look of reprimand on his face. “Or are you worried about being alone inside the cave with me for some reason?”
Good question. It would be foolish not to be wary after I’d seen Trent’s eyes flare black too many times for it to be normal. Still, I was determined to hike up my big girl panties and stop
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