As he cut through the forest along a ridge, he saw Sarah below and slowed. Her grace and strength appealed to him on so many levels, which was why he needed to be cautious around her. He was falling for her in part because of her ambition. Unfortunately, that might be the one thing that came between them.
For the next half hour, he kept at a good distance behind her. He could sense from her gait and the way she was always looking down that she was working hard to rid herself of demons.
As she neared a copse of trees, she stopped then planted her hands on her knees, her back heaving. Perhaps it was the rush of running water nearby that caused her to pause at this spot or else all of her worries had caught up with her. Sarah eased her way back up before glancing around.
Jay was a good two hundred feet downwind, so he doubted she would even notice him, especially since his coloring helped him blend in with the surrounding forest. She must not have sensed him or anyone else for she peeled apart the branches on a tall hedge and stepped behind it, blocking her from his view.
Jay didn’t like her being out of sight and moved closer, not caring if he made noise because the water crashing on the rocks would cover his approach. As he nudged his way through the leaves, he was treated to a fantastic sight, but it was immediately ruined when she turned around. Her eyes grew wide and she covered her naked body the best he could.
Oh, shit.
Chapter Fifteen
Don’t move!
A scream was on the tip of Sarah’s lips, but if she gave into her urge, the wolf might attack. She’d always recognized the possibility that Statler might send one of his men to take her out for failing to care for the women, but then she dismissed that idea when she believed he still needed her.
The wolf cocked his head then sat down, almost as if he were mocking her. He was mostly gray with dark patches of brown woven in his hindquarters, a contrast to Russ who was black and gray.
“Go away.” She made a shooing motion, hoping to scare the critter, but he opened his mouth and panted, as if he’d run a long distance.
As she stepped toward him, fur suddenly flew and the animal spun. Seconds later, Jay stood in front of her. Sarah didn’t know whether to cry for joy or beat him for scaring her. “What are you doing here?”
He held up his hands. “Don’t be mad. I need your help.”
“Bullshit.” She bent down, grabbed her clothes, and clasped them to her chest. It didn’t matter that she’d made love with him; being naked in the open didn’t seem right. “Is anyone else here?”
He rushed toward her, and she didn’t back up. “Fuck no. I would have made sure they left. I swear I didn’t mean to scare you.” The man did appear contrite. “To be honest, I was so taken by you that I forgot to shift back. I know our abilities might be amazing to you humans, but if I had one wish, it would be that I could be invisible when I wanted to be.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Why’s that? So you could sneak up without me noticing?” She chuckled.
“Maybe.” He grinned.
“I forgive you, but what was so important that you had to follow me out here? You could have called.” His eyes turned dark for a moment, and she wondered if that was his body’s way of reacting when he was caught in a lie.
“I do have a question for you, but I also wanted to make sure you were safe.”
Any lingering anger disappeared. “I’m fine.”
“For now, maybe, but Connolly called and gave me some information.” He told her about Statler receiving a call and then him calling a Dr. Elkhart. “What do you know about him?”
“He’s a shifter, but I don’t think he’s enhanced—or rather, I assumed he wasn’t since I didn’t think he’d have a need to be. He used to work at the lab taking care of the women, if doing experiments on them is considered taking care.”
“That’s what we figured. Because Statler is probably pissed about having to shell out more money for these women, I wanted to come here to make sure you were okay.”
A shiver tripped up her spine. “Do you think he’d target me?” She was barely able to say those last few words.
Jay clasped her shoulders and then drew her to his chest, his warmth bringing comfort. “I wish I knew, but I’ll do everything in my power to make certain he doesn’t.”
“Thank you.” Sarah dropped her clothes in order to hug him but then leaned back. “I probably smell. I was just about to take a dip in the cold waterfall. Want to join me?”
Sarah loved to challenge men. Growing up, she’d dare her friends to go swimming in the winter—if only for a few minutes. There must have been something different about her body chemistry because the cold rarely had an effect on her.