“What do you think?” Kid gestured to the open fields surrounding the gradually widening river splitting the property. Though rivers and creeks demarcated nearly every border of the Flying K, one stream flowed through the center. The late rains had increased the flow, though according to Kid this stream had been steady even during drought years.
“You want to build a water wheel? Here?” Cody had listened to Kid’s idea with only half an ear. This part of the stream was the widest, further along it passed by the main house and then continued on a lazy path through the property until it joined the river separating the Flying K from the newly rebuilt Dorado.
Dressed in a tanned dear hide jerkin and leggings, Kid faced him with a relaxed grin. “Exactly.”
“Why?”
“We can haul stone in from the quarry, cut and shape it for the main basin and foundation. Then double board the interior and sand down the tubs and set them into the stone. The water wheel can flush water through a cistern and into the house using a forge heating system then continued the flow until it empties out the far side.”
Amusement curled through Cody. “Someone missing the Mountain?” On the land his family had cultivated at the top was also a bathhouse warmed by a forge. The wide variety of pools allowed bathers to cleanse in one and soak in the hotter ones up in stages. Even when they were snowed in for months at a time, the bathing house allowed them all a respite from the grueling labor of survival.
“Yes and my wife is not fond of bathing in the pond.” Kid’s unfettered grin and ease earned another chuckle from Cody. He’d once thought Jo to be prim and proper, but Evelyn Kane gave her sister-in-law competition on that front. At last check in, she’d ordered several bolts of fabric and more from back East. She planned to make a whole selection of outfits. Kid, however, was quite satisfied with the arrangement, so who was Cody to complain?
“It could work,” he said after studying the way the river cut a diagonal path before continuing. “If you build there, the downward slope will help push the water into the wheel, powering it to run water through the heated cistern. The question will be what happens downstream when the heated water is added back to the river.”
Kid scratched his jaw in consideration. His whole being seemingly focused on the water way. “Jason suggests we add more stones to the spillway, and commission a grating. It will allow the majority of the debris to be sluiced from the water returning to the stream. The heated water itself shouldn’t be too much of an issue. This isn’t a popular fishing stream, so we’re unlikely to damage a food source.”
Then, as if sensing Cody’s next question, he said, “And we add some stones down river, creating more of a churning as it passes through, this will help break up the dirt, so we’re not polluting the water. We can add a soaping tub, that we fill from a pull lever, then that water is not emptied back into the stream.”
The plan sounded reasonable. “I’m not an engineer, but on the surface, you seem to be addressing the issue of maintaining the ranch. What about further downstream? Any chance of contaminants for Haven? Or the horses?” His brother Micah would have their hides if they didn’t take the animals into consideration.
“I doubt it. We’ve been bathing all over the ranch property for years. We do restrict the bathing ponds, but I think the running water makes this the most effective especially if we keep a soaping bath separate. Then the hot tubs are there for soaking and relaxing—and recreation.”
Cody didn’t have to ask what he meant by that. “You do realize you’ll have everyone up from Haven as well.”
“Once we have this one operational, I don’t see why we can’t do another for the town eventually—and in Dorado. The old town had a bath house. Not this sophisticated, but we could make it work. Make everyone more comfortable.” Kid paused. “Jason said we’ll draw out the plans and measure the impact one bathhouse at a time.”
The simple fact that Kid and Jason were working together, communicating and sounding pleasant about the whole situation, added a fresh layer of cheer to the idea. “Let me know when you need laborers. We’ll help.” They always did. No longer did he consider the Flying K merely the home of the Kanes.
It had become his home, a home for many Fevered and non-Fevered alike. He’d always pitch in when needed. A movement flickered on the edge of Cody’s peripheral vision and he spared a half-glance while pretending to check something on his saddle. Mariska stalked through the tall wheat colored grass. Low to the ground, she’d managed to stay downwind and disguised her darker fur amidst the autumn landscape.
They’d had an interesting few days and he fought the urge to smile. Each morning, he kissed her and left. Pretending to ignore her had been the hardest task he ever set himself. When he returned in the evening, he never knew what he would come home to find. The first couple of days she’d been in a surly mood, barely speaking to him. On the third, she’d been humming and preparing a meal. She’d even set a bowl in front of him before settling in to eat her own.
While it took him a moment to lift up a spoonful, he had eaten her stew and enjoyed it. The fourth morning, she had been gone before he awoke and wasn’t there when he returned. She appeared only when he’d been ready to go out in search of her. So profound was his relief, he’d nearly yelled at her and it took all of his willpower to remember, to treat her as his equal. Her description of a day spent with only her wolf for company had been ample reward.
Today, however, was the first time she’d actively sought him while he worked. Thank the spirits. Because he had run out of tasks to keep him busy and had long-outstripped his desire to continue the farce of separation. Treating her as an equal meant leveraging a distance he didn’t want in order to give her the time to acclimate.
Being together because they both chose that path was far preferable to this. He hadn’t lied to her in the cave. He wanted his wife back.
“Take my horse with you when you go, Kid.” He didn’t wait for the younger man’s response, heading away from him at an angle. Trusting Kid not to follow him, Cody deliberately took a path away from Mariska’s hiding spot. Ten minutes later, he continued to traverse the streamside until it disappeared into a heavily wooded area.
Part of what he loved most about Flying K was the topography. Canyons. Woods. Streams. Ponds. High pastures. Low valleys. The land possessed stunning scenery and lush playgrounds. Once below the trees, he wasted no time climbing one. Pressed against the bark, he kept his gaze steady on the route she would most likely take if she continued her pursuit.
Please let her continue the pursuit. Several minutes passed and she still didn’t enter the grove. Scowling and more than a little disappointed, he scanned the land below him. No sign of her. Had she given up? Or had she merely been passing by and caught his scent?
Not even a whiff of her teased him on the breeze. Surly and annoyed, he dropped back to the ground. Now, not only had he missed his mate, he had to walk back because he’d sent his horse with Kid. Well, at least she worked with her wolf. That had to be something? Still, he had the uneasy sense of being watched, tingling between his shoulder blades the only warning he received before something slammed into the back of his legs and sent him sprawling.
After twisting and springing to his feet, he whirled to meet the blue-eyed gaze of the black wolf facing him. Long and lean, her mouth parted in a pant to show her gleaming white teeth. Her tail flagged up and wagged slightly. The little wolf laughed at him.
Biting back a wide smile of his own, he glared. Instead of cowering from the menace in his manner, she met his gaze unrepentantly. They locked eyes for several seconds, then she dashed forward and back, invitation to play in her every movement.
Hope turned to sunshine and Cody grinned. “Tag. You’re it.” He pursued her and she took off. He gave her the advantage of playing on four legs while he stayed on two. In and around the trees, she avoided him deftly. Not that she seemed all that interested in escaping him, only in keeping him from catching her.
After playing for a while, she rushed him again and he let her take him down to the ground. Settling on his chest, she panted and studied the area then looked at him again. A low whine of noise escaped her throat and she nuzzled his cheek.
She wanted him on four legs. Chuckling, he scruffed her by the neck and urged her off. Obliging, she settled in to sit beside him. “Having fun?”
A yip in response and a bob of her head. The combination of wolf and human in her answer sent a thrill of anticipation racing through his blood. Rolling onto his side and ignoring the dirt, he studied his mate as he rubbed her ears. She leaned into the caress, all wolf in her affection and yet—“You’re truly in there, aren’t you, princess?”
The rumble of a low growl and a snap of her teeth. She’d never liked it when he called her on her entitlement, but the nickname meant more to him than that. Yes, she and her wolf were talking. Better, they were working together.
“All right, let me store my clothes and we’ll go for a run.” He couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. Running with her, being with her—being together? That was what he wanted. Bundling his clothes and boots, he studied the area, memorizing the location. It might take him a couple of days to come back for the clothes, though once they had a bathhouse out here, he and Mariska could store clothes there, too.
His mate waited for him, her posture taking a watchful guard position and, though he scented the air once, he trusted her to keep him safe and the burning bliss of the change swept over him. When he rose on four legs, he tested his limbs and shook off the shivering sensation left over from shifting. Mariska leapt to her feet and rubbed along his side.
She marked him with her scent and he returned the favor. Their playful tussle ended when he snapped at her to get her attention. Choosing west to get away from the main house, he took off running and she was right there, racing alongside him.
Running with Cody offered a sense of freedom and completion she experienced nowhere else. Her wolf rejoiced, even more than she had when they’d invited their mate to play and he’d romped with them in the woods. They raced across the empty fields then paralleled a fence line, refusing to cross it for fear of startling the horses on the other side.
The land sloped downward and they followed the landscape until they arrived at one of the rockier outcroppings. No caves littered this area, though there were plenty of stones to climb and sun against—young Ben loved this region. More often than not when he disappeared from town, they tracked him here. Often enough, the stone garden as they had come to label it was the first destination of any adult searching for him.
Surprisingly, Ben wasn’t on the rocks. Perhaps he’d actually listened to Jo today and stayed close to town to do his lessons. In addition to being married to Micah, Jo was the schoolteacher, a calling she took very seriously. The woman had become the bedrock for many of the orphans left by the destruction of the first Dorado and though she herself had become Fevered, her ability to communicate with animals wasn’t martial.
Though, it could have martial possibilities. Mariska considered the idea even as she skidded to a halt. Something tickled her senses and her wolf surged to the forefront. Head raised, she tested the air. A scent that didn’t belong.
Cody had also stopped and, like her, he studied their surroundings. Visually, she saw no movements and, even concentrating, she barely heard anything other than the wind and the ruffle of the grass, Cody’s heartbeat and the pant of his breath. Wait.
Spinning, she pinpointed a scraping sound and Cody came to stand shoulder to shoulder with her. He took the lead and snapped at her as though telling her to stay. Her wolf wanted to obey, but Mariska had had enough of that.
We’re not letting him go alone.
Her wolf sister hesitated, but Mariska didn’t relent and together they followed their mate as he stalked the sound. Clicking. Claws on stone. A trace of a scent—fur. An animal. It was still early enough in autumn for bears. No, her wolf half-argued. Not a bear.
Somehow, her wolf sister sorted scents better than she did, so Mariska trusted her judgment. Not Ben either. They knew Ben’s scent, they knew his feline side well. No, what they scented carried a familiarity, but it remained elusive. As though they should know, but they couldn’t name whatever—no, not a what…whomever it was.
The skittering stopped. Cody angled left and Mariska went right. They’d flank whomever it was and then they’d determine whether it were friend or foe. Trusting her wolf sister’s instincts, she went low to the ground. From the left, she heard the scrabbling of claws and a wolf burst over the top of the rocks to land on the grass in front of her. Smaller than she, and more a ruddy tan, she didn’t recognize the animal. Wolf sister surged to the fore again and Mariska’s lips peeled up from her teeth and she growled her warning.
The wolf in front of her shuddered and backed up a pace. He—definitely male—didn’t growl in response. If anything he dropped his head and his tail. Defensive, submissive posturing. Why did she know the scent? Obscured under the smell of wolf was…
Cody appeared at the top of the rock and his throaty growl echoed her warning. The younger wolf, definitely younger, whined and went to his belly.
…Fevered. He was Fevered. Cody leapt down and landed between she and the intruder. The one danger of the barrier—animals could cross it. Shifters could as well. They’d believed that would have been corrected by the surge created when a healthy, and functioning Kid returned while Jason was present. The Kane brothers were the anchor points for the barrier around the property, though in truth, it was tied to all the Kanes.
No, she knew this scent. Whoever this boy was he wasn’t a stranger.
Sweet Mother, he’s one of the children. Many of their Fevered youngsters hadn’t demonstrated whatever latent gifts they’d earned. Some, like Cate, held passive abilities while others like Billy and Tom possessed martial strengths. This one, though, had to be…she tried to identify him by name.
Anthony. In her mind’s eye she could see the boy, a slender waif-like twelve year old, far too skinny and slight of stature. He appeared far younger than his actual age. And he’s a wolf. Cody issued another warning and the younger wolf rolled onto his back, throat exposed.
He surrendered, it was enough. Shouldering her mate aside, she made her way over to the younger wolf and nuzzled his throat, when he rolled over to look at her. She bit the top of his muzzle—hard enough to let him know he wasn’t alone and light enough to avoid injury.
His whimper broke her heart and she crawled a little closer, increasing contact. The youth shuddered, shaking, and Cody came in to bracket his other side. Together, they provided comfort and gradually the terror passed. When he began to convulse, they retreated to give him room to shift.
The young man lay on the ground, sobbing. It hurt—that abrupt shift when the body pulled itself apart. It hurt badly. Mariska wanted to comfort him, but touch—that would hurt, too. Cody shifted next and with his action, Mariska whirled to shift her focus. The boy on the ground and her mate in mid-shift meant they needed guarding.
Her wolf sister and she agreed. Nothing would get at them while they were here. A few minutes later, Cody had the boy sitting up and though he was still in tears, he spoke. He’d never shifted before, but had started feeling ill earlier in the day. After a fight with one of the other kids, Buck had told him to walk it off. He hadn’t meant to be so far and he had no idea how he’d gotten there.
The shift had caught him unawares and his young wolf had responded. He’d gone for ground where he could hide. When they’d come across him, they’d scared the young animal. Tears shimmered in his brown eyes and Mariska approached slowly, then nuzzled his cheek. He reached up to bury his hand in the fur at her neck. Before she realized his intention, he’d wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her fur. Hugging him with her chin over his shoulder and pressed against his back, she met Cody’s quiet gaze.
“Keep him here. I’m going for clothes for us and a horse to take him home.” He paused, then added. “Do you want me to bring clothes for you?”
If she could have smiled, she would have. Involving her, instead of barking orders, was a huge step for her mate. She could more than meet him halfway. She made a half shake of her head. Her shifts were still brutal and long. The boy would be more comfortable with her wolf.
Wolf sister agreed with that sentiment. The child hadn’t let her go. She could protect him better in this form.
With care, he put his hand on Anthony’s head. “Stay with Mariska. She will take care of you.”
Sniffling, the boy raised his head. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t cry.”
No censure marred Cody’s expression. He ruffled the boy’s hair. “It hurts. You can cry. We accept tears.”
“Billy said only littles cry.” The words came out a mournful cry and Cody showed his teeth.
“Littles or adult, it doesn’t matter. Tears are normal. Cry if you need to, Mariska takes care of tears very well.” He squatted beside them and grinned. “I bet if Billy says it again, she’ll even bite him for you.”
Yes. Yes she would, but biting wasn’t the answer. So she let the boy believe what Cody told him because the chances were he meant it.
Anthony laughed, a weak, watery laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.
“Good man,” her mate told him and squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be back soon. You will stay with Mariska. You will listen to her. Do you understand?” The command in his tone echoed over her, skating across her nerves like a caress and wolf sister wanted to give her mate her throat, but she also knew this wasn’t for them. They were being left to care for the pup.
“Yes, sir.” The boy’s voice wavered, but his obedience didn’t. He snuggled back to Mariska’s side and she glanced at Cody.
“Keep him safe,” he said to her as he rose, then murmured. “And you. I meant what I said in that cave, Wife.”
Wife. The endearment left her glowing and wolf sister laughed internally. He’d always been her mate, but she liked the idea of a husband, too. Her mate shifted, the speed he did so left her mildly envious, and then he was off—racing toward the main house and the barn. Both were closer than Haven.
Settling in to wait was hard, but she shuttled aside her impatience and concentrated on staying close to Anthony while still keeping watch. Her ears flicked from side to side. Once Cody was out of earshot, the boy gave into another spate of tears, but these didn’t smell like sadness or pain. If anything…
“I know I shouldn’t be crying,” the child admitted. “But I’ve been feeling weird for weeks and I didn’t know why. I know I was supposed to tell people—you told us that. You tell us that every time you work with us, but I didn’t understand what I was feeling. Ben didn’t get all teary-eyed.” Yes he had, but Anthony couldn’t know that. Not when Kid was the first one to discover Ben’s shifting or that he’d used empathy to curb the child’s fear.
When they were home, safe and settled, she’d have a long talk with Anthony. The months before her first change had been unpleasant, too. Days where she felt like she itched inside her own skin, unable to put a label on the overload of sensory input or the pushing—the pushing that had been her wolf.
Latching onto that thought, Mariska wanted to swear. Her wolf had been as lost in those months as she had been. Both uncertain of what happened to them. The brutality of the shifts—her blackouts, and the wolf’s blatant need for Cody. Yes. Wolf sister seemed to be tracking her thoughts and they both exulted.
They’d been learning, but they hadn’t understood they were actually exploring their dual nature much less what they needed to learn. They had been this little boy, lost, and confused and with no way to label any of their experiences. The only major difference was Mariska was an adult and her wolf, well, wolf sister still had some maturing to do, but she was learning.
Together. They were maturing together.
We can do this. She told her other half and the animal agreed. Caught up in their satisfaction, they nearly missed the sound of brush breaking. Jerking her head up from Anthony’s shoulder, she turned her attention to the wooded glade beyond the rock tables. The wind shifted.
Bear.
Anthony was bare ass naked and without any cover and a bear approached. Tugging free of the boy, she nipped him to get his attention. He roused and swung his head to look where she stared, just in time to see the medium sized bear exit the glade.
Fear poured off Anthony, stinking the air around them. Mariska slid to stand between him and the bear. Sparing him a look, she locked eyes with him and then jerked her chin toward the rocks. He was small, but if he climbed, there were high spots he could reach.
His eyes dilated and for a moment she worried he wouldn’t listen, but he obeyed her and raced toward the stone tables. Satisfied he had a head start, she whirled to face the bear.
How the hell was she supposed to fight the creature? Should she fight it? Maybe she could lead it away? Or, better, maybe it would meander on its own.
The bear rose up on its hind legs and let out a roar.
Dammit. She didn’t know that much about bears, but she didn’t think that could be good. If she had a gun, she’d fire it in the air hoping to scare it off, but all she had were her teeth and her claws…
And me, Wolf Sister whispered into her mind. Yes. Her wolf half understood the rules better than she did. Mariska slipped back and let the wolf take over.
Remember the pup. She didn’t want blood lust to overtake them and leave Anthony exposed.
We will protect him. Throwing her head back, she let loose with a howl that would carry to their mate, a trumpet of challenge and a call to battle. If Cody were close enough, he could come back. He could help.
Until then, she dropped her head and glared at the bear—lips peeling back across her teeth and she growled her warning. They would not allow the bear anywhere near the cub. He was theirs to protect.
Thankfully, she was ready when the bear charged.
She moved, relying on her speed and agility to surpass the bear’s. No chance of engaging the animal one-on-one. Angling away from the rocks and Anthony, she deftly avoided the bear’s strike. Whirling, she raced, her body low to the ground, and the bear followed. Grateful the creature was focused on her, she concentrated on staying out of striking range, increasing the distance between the bear and the boy while also heading toward the same direction Cody had vanished.
When the bear charged again, she cut a hard right away from him and angled south. The animal couldn’t turn as swiftly as she and, when she completed her arc, she dashed back the way she came while the bear tried to halt its forward momentum.
Twice more, she repeated the maneuver, each time the bear recovered and came after her, roaring. Cutting away, she doubled back almost immediately and scored a hit across the bear’s flank narrowly missing a return swipe to her side.
Whatever had set the bear off, it was not giving up its fight. She looked for signs of nursing, but scented only the bear—no cubs, no fresh kills—no damn reason for the bear to be cross with her. So she fought to stay alive and keep the bear away from the cub.
She had no other options.
Three more passes and she hoped the bear had finally grown winded. They’d traveled nearly a fair distance away from the boy and into open fields. Winded and tiring, she refused to give into the exhaustion. She’d drop dead from it first. Like an answer to her prayer, a streak of sandy-colored fur raced past her and the bear roared in pain. Whirling, she cut away from the bear and then hit it from the side as it turn its attention on Cody.
He raced away from the bear, pulling it to chase and she attacked its flank until it turn on her. Again and again, she and her mate traded positions, wearing the bear down and then Cody caught the beast’s undersides and the hot, coppery scent of blood sprayed through the air. Mariska hamstrung its back leg and Cody took a shoulder.
Narrowly avoiding strikes of its claws became harder in close quarters, but they continued to herd the bear and it wouldn’t run, relentlessly turning on them. Bleeding from two wounds and aware that Cody did the same, she continued to attack and when her mate distracted the bear, she launched at its throat.
One long, jagged tear and the bear collapsed.
Dead.
Panting, soaked in sticky blood and hurting, she threw her head back and howled. Cody tested the bear and then joined her in her howl. They’d succeeded.
Moments later—or maybe it was minutes—she was too tired to care, horses pounded up. Kanes.
Jason.
Kid.
Micah.
Some distant part of her mind ticked off the scents. Cody’s hands were on her shoulders and steadying her. Another had wrapped something around her middle.
“Anthony’s at the rocks. I’m betting she lured the bear off. Go get him. I’ve got her.”
Kid was gone, but Jason stayed and he stripped off his jacket. “What do you need?”
“I need her to shift.” Cody’s fingers tightened in her fur. “And I need Noah if I can’t get her to, where is he?”
Shift? She was so tired. Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs, but if he wanted her to shift—she summoned the strength to do it and her body wrenched itself inside out. Several agonizing moments later, she lay in the dirt and wanted to roll into the fetal position.
Too breathless to speak, she fought the waves of pain and dizziness.
“Shift again,” Cody was saying. “Shift again. I know it hurts. It’s horrible. Shift again.”
“Make up your mind,” she managed to say and didn’t care that her voice sounded more animal than human. Calling up her wolf sister, she changed once more and it hurt more this time than the first, if that were possible.
Three more times Cody made her shift and the last time, she refused. Too tired, she set her chin on her paws and closed her eyes. She wanted to sleep. They beat the damn bear, Anthony was safe, and her mate was whole. The rest could wait for later.