Falling for an Alpha (11 page)

“Gabriel,”
she called, hearing her voice echo around the canyon. “Gabriel,” she called for
a second time, but still nothing.

Something
had happened to him, she sensed it. He wouldn’t just wander off like this,
leaving her alone in the middle of nowhere, especially when it was getting dark
soon. Plus, the broken phone was proof he might be in trouble somewhere. Maybe
he’d fallen and was injured and couldn’t respond when he heard her calling him.

 
She had to look for him. She glanced at the
sun. Her dad had taught all his kids the basics of keeping safe while hiking.
Once the sun went down, you had about thirty minutes left of daylight. Judging
by the angle in the sky, she had an hour. That would give her enough time to
look around, and should she fail to find him she could get back to the tent
before darkness took over. If she couldn’t find him she’d drive his truck back
to the ranger’s station and get a proper search party together.

She
doused herself with bug spray and then took a second flashlight with her. She
headed down the path leading from the ridge, which seemed the most logical
place to start because if he had fallen, that’s where he’d most likely be. She
shone the lights ahead of her with her heart beating double time, knowing she
was out of her element, but sensing more and more with each passing moment that
Gabriel was in some kind of trouble.

Quickening
her pace, she came to an opening in the wooded area and directed the beam of both
flashlights all around the circumference.
 
No sign of Gabriel. No footprints, nothing.
She headed back the other way, stopping dead in her tracks when she heard
wolves howling. They sounded close but out in the canyons noises traveled miles,
making you think things were nearer than they actually were.

What
if she ran into a cougar or a pack of wolves?
Would a pack be
aggressive, the old “safety in numbers” thing?

Her
heart beat against her chest, making it sound like thunder in her ears. The
wolves howled again. She knew it wasn’t a trick of the canyon echoes. They were
close. She began running in the opposite direction, forgetting which way she’d
come and where the tents and truck were. She spun around and around, lost and
confused now. She almost cried but had to keep her composure, if not for her
own, but for Gabriel’s sake.

That way.
Yes, she needed
to go that way. Now she remembered the bush with the red berries. She rushed
toward it, coming face to face with a wolf. It was the one she’d seen last
night and the same one who’d watched her by the lake. She’d know him anywhere
because he was a beautiful creature with grey and brown fur and big expressive
eyes that seemed to recognize her, too.

“Hi
buddy, now don’t you go eating me because I’m not going to hurt you, okay.”

She
held up her hand. Maybe she’d done the wrong thing. He might take that as a
threatening gesture. He took a step toward her.

“Just
stay right there because I don’t want to have to hurt you with this
flashlight.”

Oh,
shit, she’d just threatened a wild creature with a flashlight. Now she was
asking for trouble. Maybe he didn’t understand what she was saying. She’d be
okay.

He
took another step, and then another. And with each forward step he took, she
took a corresponding back step.

Amber
hadn’t realized she’d been close to the edge of a steep hill until she lost her
balance and went tumbling down, rolling fast, hitting some shrubs and rocks on
the way. God, she’d never been in so much pain. Her fall was finally stopped by
a tree trunk. She hit it with a thud that almost knocked her out.
 
She couldn’t move her wrist because she’d
fallen on it. She threw up with the pain. She smelled the metallic tinge of
blood in the air, making her throw up again. She put her hand to her head, felt
the stickiness, and realized she’d also struck her head.

She
couldn’t get up. In fact, she could hardly move. She didn’t have her insulin
with her or the energy bar she always carried. She didn’t have a phone to call
for help, not that she’d pick up much reception here. She’d fallen low into one
of the wooded areas of the canyon. She looked up and saw the wolf rushing
toward her.

No
need to worry about the pain or going into a diabetic coma—she was going to be
eaten by a wild creature. That was the last thing on her mind as she faded out
of consciousness.

****

This
was
all
his
fault.
If he hadn’t stepped toward her, Amber wouldn’t have fallen. She looked broken
and sad. He willed himself to change back to the man that resided in him, if
only for the next four weeks. He could carry her to safety but he couldn’t seem
to shift, no matter how hard he tried. He tried to relax like Sadie had taught
him. Maybe he was already a permanent wolf. Maybe Mavis White had recast the
spell yet again. He’d like to kill that woman. Maybe he would do just that when
he was a permanent wolf.

Amber
would freeze out here with just a jacket for protection. He would lie close to
her all night as the temperature dropped, but he wasn’t sure it would be enough.
She was probably in shock, too, which added to the urgency to keep her warm. He
needed backup and
more furry
creatures to keep her
safe and snug until he could find out how to shift back to a man.

He
put his head in the air and howled. He knew how to call a pack, almost as if it
were second nature to him.
Need help,
he
howled.

Wolves
howled back.
Stay put. We’re on our way.

He
howled a thank you and then added
,
Please
, please hurry. My mate’s going to die.

****

Amber
suddenly felt warm. She’d been cold, her body shaking as she’d gone in and out
of consciousness. The wolf, the beautiful one, had come back. He hadn’t hurt
her as she’d feared, but instead lay beside her and snuggled his body close to
hers. She knew she’d been hallucinating because she’d woken up again and seen a
pack of wolves approaching and then they’d all done the same as the first wolf
and snuggled in close to her. They were keeping her warm and making her
feel
safe against the elements and other wild creatures who
might come calling.

She
managed to raise the arm what wasn’t hurt and brushed her fingers through the
fur of the wolf laying closest to her. He looked at her. Those beautiful green
eyes captivated her and held her spellbound. It was almost as if she knew this
wolf on a personal basis, but that was silly. Maybe she was going into a coma.
The wolf pushed against her some more, putting its paw onto her hand. She
grabbed it, feeling the roughness of its pad. If she got out of this she was going
to help wolves. She would help protect them when people wanted to harm them.
These wolves were saving her life and they deserved the same from her. One day—if
one day came.

Amber
had closed her eyes and drifted off to what she’d assumed was sleep, but then
wondered if she’d gone blind and this was all in her mind, her way of
compensating for the loss of one of her senses.
 
Her eyelids fluttered and she couldn’t remember falling asleep, but when
she opened her eyes she’d seen Gabriel. He’d had her in his arms carrying her
someplace. Trees and branches were passing by her at a scary pace. The sky was
blue and the sun was up. Had she survived the night? How had he found her and
where had he been?

 
The truck.
She was
suddenly in his truck. It was moving. Gabriel was driving and it was almost as
if she’d lost her hearing and not her sight, because each time she glanced his
way, there was no sound coming from his mouth as he moved his lips. However,
she could lip-read. That was a skill she didn’t know she possessed.

“Hang
tight, Amber, I’m getting you some help.”

Now
as she opened her eyes, her surroundings were unfamiliar, white and sterile, and
invaded the quiet of wherever she was. She sat up and sensed something wasn’t
right, but her body told her that was a stupid thing to do. Pain shot through
her head, arms, and back.

“Oh
honey, just relax.” It was her mother’s voice. She glanced to her left and saw
both her mom and dad sitting by the bed.

“What
happened, and where am I?”

Her
father grabbed her hand. “You slipped while you were camping, but you’re safe
in the hospital now.”

“Gabriel…I
was looking for Gabriel.”

“He’s
here, honey. He’s the one who drove you to the Emergency Room. He wouldn’t
leave your side but we insisted he go get some rest and something to eat. I
don’t think the poor guy’s eaten anything for forty-eight hours.”

“I
also suggested he take a shower because he smelled like a wet dog,” added her
father, putting down the magazine he’d been reading.

“So
he’s the new man in your life?” asked her mother.

Amber
nodded.

“Very
handsome, dark haired, tall, too, just what you’ve always liked.”

When
people asked her if she was seeing someone or why she wasn’t married, her
response was always “because I’m holding out for a tall, dark, handsome
stranger.” It took Sadie Sutton to find him for her.

“He’s
been pacing up and down, almost holding vigil and holding your hand, so I’m
thinking it might be serious between the two of you. I suppose a mother can
only hope.”

“Sheila,
let her rest now,” said her dad.

Amber
smiled. She was certain her mother already had her mother-of-the-bride outfit chosen
and that it was hanging in the closet. Gabriel had told Amber that he loved her,
but no marriage proposal just yet.

“Will
Gabriel be back soon?” asked Amber.

“I
would think any time now,” said her dad.

“So
I’m okay and can go home?”

“You
broke your wrist and your blood sugar was dangerously low, so the doctor said
you have to stay here for at least a couple of days, and after that you’ll need
more rest at home.”

“But
the end of school...”

“The
kids will be perfectly okay with a substitute teacher for the last week,” said
her mom.

The
door opened and in walked Gabriel. He had showered, shaved, and was now wearing
jeans and a dark blue T-shirt. He’d slicked his hair back and looked more
handsome than when she’d first set eyes on him,
if
 
that
was possible.

“Why
don’t we leave you two to visit and we’ll be back later.” Amber almost laughed
when she saw her mother nudging her dad in the ribs when he continued to sit by
the bed.

“Sure,
honey, you visit with Gabriel and we’ll see you this afternoon. Thank you again
for saving our girl here,” he said to Gabriel before they left.

Gabriel
pulled up the chair and held her hand, rubbing the back of it, making her feel
instantly better and more at ease.

“This
is
all my
fault,” he said.

Amber
shook her head. “I was stupid to go wandering around places I didn’t know. I
guess I’m not much of an outdoor person.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Where
did you go? Your cell phone was broken and I was so worried.”

He
held his head down, almost like he was afraid to look her in the eye now. His
Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, telling her he’d taken some deep swallows.

“Sadie
didn’t want me telling you about this because we thought we could get the
problem sorted out, but it seems it’s gotten worse.”

“Problem?”
asked Amber.

She’d
believed he was too good to be true.
Please
don’t let him be married and waiting for a divorce his wife won’t give
him,
or something like that.

“A
witch put a curse on me.”

Amber
guessed that maybe the meds they’d given her were starting to play games with
her mind.

“Witches
and Harry Potter,” she said, on the verge of laughing.

“Amber,
listen to me. I didn’t believe it at first, but I made a deal with a witch so that
my baby brother could come home safe to his new son. The deal was that if it
happened, then she could turn me into a wolf shifter.”

They’d
gone from Harry Potter to
Twilight
.
Definitely the meds.

“Gabriel,
just let me wake up because I’m having the strangest conversation with you.”

“I
only wish you were dreaming. I’m a wolf shifter. I’m the one you saw trying to
get into the tent that night.”

She
looked at him.
The eyes.
It was true the wolf had his
beautiful eyes. Everything made sense. Him disappearing like he had, then being
locked together after they’d made love.

“Sadie
thought she could get the witch to remove the curse but somehow it’s gotten
worse. She’s re-cursed me?”

“Re-cursed
you?”

“I’ll
become all
wolf
within a month if I should ever…” He
hung his head down.