The Dark-Hunters (811 page)

Never underestimate an enemy.

Pushing those memories away, he went to explore the cave. His current wounds were taking their toll and he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to function. Every heartbeat was threatening to send him to the ground.

Luckily, the cave was empty and appeared to be relatively clean. Thank goodness something was starting to go in his favor.

He headed back to the opening to find Kateri sitting on a rock as she scanned the woods around her like a true hunter. The sallow moonlight highlighted her silhouette, showing him the perfect angles of her face. She’d pulled her hair back into a tight bun that exposed her neck and reminded him of how good she’d smelled when she held him.

His throat went dry as his hormones roared to life in spite of the pain he was in. What was it about her that made him crave her so? That made him ache to be near her when he knew he shouldn’t?

Proximity. Yeah, he’d blame it on that. That was safe and easy. Anything more bordered on terrifying.

He was just horny. He’d be like this with
any
woman.

And yet he knew better. He’d been around enough women over the centuries to know they didn’t do this to him. Ever.

Not even Windseer had made him ache to hear his name on her lips.…

“Kateri?”

She jerked her head in his direction.

“C’mon, I found us a place to hole up for a bit.”

She slid off her makeshift seat in a way that reminded him of an exuberant child, and made her way over to him. A slight smile hovered at the edges of her lips—one that made her eyes sparkle. An urge to kiss her grabbed him by the throat and it was all he could do not to give in to it.

“You wouldn’t happen to be able to think us up a cheeseburger, would you?”

Her question amused him. “Hungry?”

“Very. Who knew running for your life would give you such an appetite? I think I could actually eat a bear right now.”

He really didn’t want to be charmed by her, but it was impossible to resist. She spoke to him like she’d known him for years. Like they were old friends.

In the midst of all this crap that had hit them in the last few hours, she’d been brave and reasonable. Calm. Things he could definitely appreciate and respect.

She arched her brows at him. “Where are you taking me?”

That was a loaded question. He’d like to take her right here and right now.

Harness those thoughts. Now!

Yeah, that was only going to get him into trouble.

“Um … b-b-back here.”

Fuck!
The sound of that damn stutter iced every hormone in his body. Why did he have to do that with her? Why?

Hating himself and with his fury riding him hard, he started away.

But she caught his jaw in her hand and gently turned his face until their gazes met. The warmth of her hand scalded his flesh, but it was the sincere concern in her gaze that set him on fire.

“Ren … Did you know that Winston Churchill, the greatest orator of all time and one of the greatest leaders in the world, had a speech impediment? All of us botch our words from time to time. And honestly I’d much rather stammer than put my foot in my mouth, and I’ve done more than my fair share of that. You have no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed for a biological misfire you can’t help. It’s not an indictment on your intelligence, but it is on the humanity and decency of anyone cruel enough to mock you for it. Besides, I think it’s adorable.”

Those words, combined with her touch and the look on her beautiful face, shattered every piece of resistance he had where she was concerned. In all his life, no one had ever made him feel like she did right now.

Normal. Whole.

Human.

There was no disdain or mockery. No judgment. She stared up at him the same way the Butterfly had looked at his friend Buffalo.

Like he meant something to her.

Before he could stop himself, he dipped his head down to taste her lips.

Kateri couldn’t breathe as Ren kissed her with a passion the likes of which she’d never experienced. He sank his hands in her hair and explored every inch of her mouth with a hunger that set her on fire. It was as if she was the air he needed to live. Her head reeled from it and it made her so weak, she surrendered her weight to him.

When he finally pulled back, he still didn’t release her. Rather, he buried his face against the crook of her neck and held her there as if savoring her very essence.

“You’re not going to bite me with your fangs, are you?”

Ren blinked as those words registered past the daze that had claimed him. “No,” he breathed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

She gave him a smile that played havoc with every part of his body. “Don’t apologize. That was one heck of a kiss. But if you’re through, you might want to put me back on my feet.”

He felt heat scalding his face again as he realized that during their kiss he had picked her up entirely. Her feet were several inches above the ground.

But in spite of his embarrassment, he slid her down the front of his body, savoring her curves against his chest. Too bad they were both clothed. It would have been infinitely more enjoyable had they both been naked.

Kateri watched the play of emotions cross his face. He would most likely die if he knew how transparent he was to her right then. How vulnerable. This wasn’t the face of the warrior who had fearlessly fought demons.

This was the face of a man more used to rejection than acceptance. One who was still waiting for her to say something nasty to him.

“Just so you know, Ren, I think you’re wonderful.”

Ren scowled at her. “For what?”

He truly didn’t know.…

It amazed her that anyone could be so handsome and strong, kind and giving, and not have a clue about how superlative they really were.

“For protecting me. For your gift, and for that amazing kiss. And if you want to conjure me up a burger, I’ll consider you the greatest human of all time.”

To her complete shock, he laughed. “You want fries with that?”

“Sure. And a big old, thick chocolate shake.” Yeah, that very thought made her stomach rumble.

He took her hand and led her deep into the cave.

She slowed as the darkness completely enveloped them. “I can’t see anything.”

A green light flared instantly. Ren handed her a small glowstick he must have conjured like he’d done her bow. “That unfortunately is about the last thing I can do right now. Sorry.” He sank down on the floor as if he was too weak to take one more step.

Concern tore through her at his actions. “Are you all right?”

Ren nodded. “I have to sleep for a while.” He went down on all fours, then basically collapsed on the ground.

Even more worried than before, she rushed to him and knelt by his side. He was still breathing, but he was frightfully pale. Sitting back on her haunches, she glanced over the small area, taking a mental inventory of everything around them.

She did a double take at a white bag on a nearby rock.

No … it couldn’t be.

Could it?

With a curious frown, she went to it and sure enough, it was a cheeseburger, fries, and a large chocolate shake. Laughing in happiness, she pulled a fry out and ate it. She glanced back at Ren, amazed by his kindness. “You are so not what I thought you were.”

At least not entirely. He was still scary and huge, and very skilled. But he wasn’t the ogre he’d appeared to be at first.

He was surprisingly gentle, and, though he’d probably hate to hear her say it, sweet.

How could his father and brother treat him the way they had? What kind of beasts could hurt someone like Ren?

I wish I knew more about you.

While she’d gathered a great deal of information, there was still a lot more she lacked.

Like had he ever married? Did he have children?

When did his brother kill him and why?

Most of all, what was the wrong that he’d come back to right?

For that matter, she still didn’t know how her destiny was tied to his past. Why was she here with him? Why he couldn’t take her home himself?

So many questions. No real answers.

Sighing, she ate her food, wishing she had a crystal ball. Not that she could use one if it’d been here. But …

“You would be amazed at what you can do.”

Kateri went completely still at the deep, thunderous voice. Her heart hammering, she turned slowly to see a tall, imposing older man. One who had red eyes and a scar down the length of his face …

And he stood between her and her bow.

CHAPTER 9

Kateri reached for the knife in Ren’s boot.

“Easy,” the older man said, holding his hands out to show her that he was unarmed—not that that meant much, given what she’d seen over the last day. Some of the most lethal things after her hadn’t been armed.

Oh, for the days when people fought with weapons she could actually see.…

But the man didn’t appear to be threatening her.

Please don’t let looks be deceiving.
She was really tired of being attacked and all she wanted was five minutes to regroup.

To be honest though he appeared rather pleasant. Friendly, even. Clean-shaven and tall, he wore his long gray hair loose about his shoulders. The front of his hair was pulled back from his face and secured at the crown of his head with a set of three feathers. Two white and one black. Something about him seemed old, even though physically, he looked around forty. “Do you not know who I am?”

She started to shake her head no until something in her mind flashed to her childhood. To images of this man watching over her from the shadows—only his hair had been dark and he’d been younger … closer to her age. All throughout her life, she’d caught tiny glimpses of him from time to time. Usually whenever she was upset or extremely happy.

She’d even glimpsed him at her graduations … and at her birthday parties in the park.

He’d always been a shadow figure in the background—more illusive than real. She even had an indistinct, fuzzy image of him in one of her old photographs. “My grandmother called you my guardian angel.”

His gaze turned warm and gentle. “Oh, sweetie, I am definitely that. But I’m also your father.”

Yeah, right. Did she look like Luke Skywalker? Uh-uh. No. This was too much. Out of all the other weird things that had happened to her since she woke up, this … this was the straw that broke it. She refused to believe him. Her father had run off and abandoned her when she’d been a baby. Something her mother had never gotten over.

This was
not
her father.

Shaking her head in denial, she scampered over Ren’s body, to put him between them. Not that he offered much protection while he was unconscious. Still, she felt better with him providing some form of a barrier between her and Captain Weirdo Liar.

The man claiming to be her father took one step forward, then froze as he saw her reaching for Ren’s knife. “Kateri, please. I’m not strong enough to fight you and stay here. You have to listen to me. I don’t have long and there’s much I have to tell you.”

She kept her hand on the knife’s hilt, but left it in its sheath. “What do you mean?”

“I’m no longer corporeal. I haven’t been since I physically vanished from your life—something I did not do voluntarily. I swear. I loved you and your mother. More than anything. If I’d had any choice in the matter, I would never, ever have left you. And I’ve come to you every time I could. As long as I could.” He gestured to Ren. “It’s why I sent Makah’Alay to you. Even though we were once enemies, he is the only one I trust now to keep you safe. He’s the only one capable of saving you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know, baby. It’s all confusing.” He sighed wearily. “Things did not turn out the way I wanted them to. But then life so seldom cooperates with our plans for it.” He took another step toward her. With the greenish light now at his back, she realized he was translucent.

“You’re a ghost?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Tears filled his eyes as he swallowed hard while staring at her as if he couldn’t believe she was here in the cave. “You’re so beautiful … just like your mother. I should never have interfered, but I couldn’t help it. The moment I saw your mother, I fell in love with her. No one could resist her smile, least of all me. I knew what I did was wrong and I couldn’t stop myself. And you were the sweetest bonus that I never expected.”

Her own eyes watered as tears choked her. Was there any truth to what he said? Could there be?

He jerked his chin toward Ren. “Makah’Alay thinks that he needs me to reset the calendar, but I’m not the necessary one.
You
are. For the first time since the Great Dawn, the Guardian and the Ixkib are united in one person. While they are dormant for now, you have all my powers, as well as all of your mother’s and grandmother’s, and when the time comes and you need them, they will be there for you. No one has ever been so strong. But you’re the one who has to believe that those powers are yours to command. Let no one tell you otherwise. And you, alone, will have the power to designate the new Guardians for the gates. Choose better than I did. I allowed myself to be blinded by hope. You’re more pragmatic than I ever was. And you do me prouder than any child has ever done their parent.”

His gaze returned to Ren. “While I trust Makah’Alay for now, be cautious, little one. His heart was turned once. It makes it easier for it to be turned again, and having met your mother and being unable to resist her even though I knew I should have, I completely understand him now. And that knowledge scares me. There is still much inside him that is angry and dark. So long as it lives in his heart, he will never be free. And he will never be truly safe. Artemis isn’t the only one who owns a piece of him.”

Her heart pounded at his words. If she couldn’t trust Ren, who could she trust?

And there was still the biggest puzzle of all. “What about the stone everyone wants? Where is it?”

He smiled at her. “You will discover it when the time is right. Your grandmother took care of that for you. Your enemies can’t find it. Only
you
can.”