Therian Promise(6)

“But I have only your word for that.” She pushed to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. “Maybe this was the only way you could get me away from the others.”

“Then wouldn’t I have a car waiting or at least a couple of horses?”

“Why didn’t this ‘defense mechanism’ teleport me away from Osric’s men? I’ve been in danger since this mess began.”

“It might have taken awhile for your energy levels to build up or… I don’t honestly know. Teleportation is a rare gift. I don’t know that much about it.”

He’d healed her! She could barely absorb the reality. With nothing more than the touch of his hand, he’d eased her pain and realigned her shoulder. And addled her brain.

Pressing her hand over her rapidly thumping heart, she took a deep breath and then another. This day just got weirder and weirder.

“How we got here is really irrelevant,” he went on. “We need to figure out where we are.”

She looked at him then nodded. His eyes were no longer shining with the strange, inhuman light, but no one could misinterpret his hot, hungry expression. She wasn’t the only one who had been affected by the exchange of energy.

Not yet ready to deal with his obvious arousal, she automatically lowered her gaze. Which only took her on a visual tour of his body. His well-worn brown leather jacket encased broad shoulders and hinted at muscular arms. It was way too easy to remember how those arms felt wrapped around her, supporting her. Restraining her.

She could not be taken in by a handsome face and strong body. He could be one of Osric’s goons, for all she knew. Brute force had failed, so they were trying a subtler approach? Her mother had taught her never to trust anyone at face value and to independently verify everything she was told.

Well, standing here glaring at each other wasn’t accomplishing anything. “If we hike to the top of one of these peaks, maybe you can find a signal for your phone.”

“My thoughts exactly.” His gaze lingered on her mouth, hinting at thoughts that had nothing to do with hiking. “Even if I can’t get a signal, we’ll have a better view of our surroundings.”

She glanced to where she’d left her backpack then noticed that Kyle was wearing it. “I can carry that myself.”

He grinned. “If your pain returns, I’ll be carrying you and your pack. There’s no shame in accepting help.”

Acknowledging his opinion with a nod, she said, “Lead on.”

They started up the nearest slope, wending their way through pine trees and around rocky outcroppings on their way to the summit. There was no obvious trail, no sign of human infringement on the wilderness. Ordinarily she’d have enjoyed the pristine beauty, but today it made her feel isolated and wary. Though an avid hiker, she was no survivalist.

“If our mothers were such good friends, why did my mother never mention yours?” Without the pain distracting her, she became more and more aware of her companion. His jacket ended at his waist, leaving her an unobstructed view of his denim-covered ass and muscular thighs.

“Did your mother ever talk about her past, what life was like before she married Osric?” He glanced back at her then paused to help her past an especially steep rock formation.

His fingers wrapped around her wrist and he effortlessly pulled her up to the small ledge on which he’d paused. “She told us that both her parents were dead and she was an only child, but that was about all.” They stood so close his body heat sank through her clothing. It wasn’t unpleasant, just a bit intrusive.

“Then why does it surprise you that she never mentioned my mother?”

“You mentioned a name before. Something nation.”

“Therian nation?” His hand remained on hers, but he made no other move to touch her.

“What is the Therian nation?”

An enigmatic smile curved his lips and he shook his head. “I better not get into all that until our footing is more secure.”

They continued the climb in silence, Ava doing her best to keep up with his long strides. His legs were powerful and he moved with sure-footed agility, obviously at home in the challenging terrain. “You said Carissa is with your people. What does that mean? Where is she?” Her visions had given her a unique perspective of Carissa’s situation. She was relatively certain Carissa was safe, but she wanted to see if Kyle’s information would correspond with the images in her visions.

“I promise you, she’s fine. Your father’s men never touched her. She’s with a good friend of mine. His name is Quinton Jenaro and he’ll keep her safe.”