Dark Guardian - Moonlight Part 12

Dr. Keane seemed pleased with the pace. Once he got to wherever it was he wanted to be, we'd leave him to his business, and return at the end of two weeks to help them haul their stuff back.

There hadn't been any other strange incidents. We were still taking turns keeping guard at night. Lucas was always my partner. We didn't talk. We took opposite sides of the camp. I studied him until he turned his head to look at me-then I s.h.i.+fted my attention away and tried to appear nonchalant, hoping he didn't realize how much time I spent fantasizing about him.

Thoughts about him occupied me as much as memories of the wolf. I heard him howl every night before I drifted off to sleep. I kept expecting him to show up while I was on guard duty. For some reason, I didn't think Lucas would be alarmed by him strolling through camp. Because the howls never sounded far away, I was certain he was following us. That knowledge gave me a sense of security that I couldn't explain.

It was late afternoon on the fourth day since my river incident that we broke through the brush into a gorgeous clearing. It was larger than any we'd reached before. In front of us was a narrow stream, the water babbling as it traveled. It wasn't nearly as ominous as the river we'd crossed before. A short distance away, the land sloped up more steeply, and I knew we were at the base of the mountains. The valley was spread out before us. It was all so peaceful.

"What do you think, Professor?" Lucas asked.

I glanced back to see Dr. Keane nodding. "This will do very nicely, very nicely indeed."

As we set up the camp, I felt a growing sense of accomplishment in knowing that we wouldn't be packing it all back up the next morning. Dr. Keane and his students would be here for about ten days.

The sherpa guys had gone hunting in typical usTarzan-you-Jane fas.h.i.+on. They were hoping to snare some rabbits. I was gathering kindling at the edge of the copse of trees when Mason approached.

"Have you given any thought to my suggestion?" he asked. "I really wantyou to stay here with us."

He reached for my hand and then looked confused when he saw they were both filled with kindling. So instead he slid his hand up my forearm and wrapped his fingers around my elbow. "I like you, Kayla. A lot. I mean, more than a lot. I'd like some time to . . . well, to explore what I'm feeling. Maybe find that shooting star."

My whole life-or at least since my parents had died- I'd liked whatever was safe. I'd searched for safe. Lucas wasn't safe. He stirred things in me that I'd never felt before. Scary things. Enormous feelings welled inside me whenever he was around. Sometimes I felt like the girl inside me would crawl out of my skin and I'd become someone totally different if I spent too much time with Lucas.

Lucas was the big, bad wolf, and Mason was the one who'd built the house that the wolf couldn't get into. Mason was a warm blanket on a winter night. Lucas was . . . I didn't know what he was. But he scared the h.e.l.l out of me.

"I don't know how they decide who stays behind," I told him honestly.

"Volunteer. You can share a tent with Monique."

She wasn't my first choice, but since she was the only girl she was my only choice. I envisioned listening to her talking incessantly every night as we got ready for bed about how hot Lucas was. I thought it might drive me crazy, but on the other hand I could talk about Mason. Besides, I couldn't think of a better way to face my past than to spend a few days out here just living, instead of hiking until I was too exhausted at night to really care about anything.

"I'll ask Lucas."

"Great. I'm really glad you're going to stay."

"I'm going totry to stay. We'll have to see what Lucas says."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Lucas had his arms crossed over his chest and his I-am-the-leader-so-youwill-not-mess-with-me scowl, ruining the perfect lines of his face.

"Why?" I asked.

"You're a novice."

"I've camped my entire life. I'll admit I'm not as familiar with these woods as you are, but they're woods like any other woods. The camp is set up. They're going to do a little day hiking and looking around. I don't see that it's a big deal. Besides, you have to cut me loose sometime."

"Why do you want to stay?" he demanded to know.

"For the experience. To face my past-"

"Why?"

"Because Dr. Keane is interesting with all his wild theories, and it might be fun-"

"Why?"

I gritted my teeth. Why was he being so difficult?

"Because I like Mason, okay? I want to spend some time with him, get to know him. I'm comfortable

around him."And I'm not always comfortable around you. "Fine. Stay." His words were terse. Harsh. Filled with anger. I didn't know why I felt let down when he turned on his heel and strode away. I'd gotten what I wanted. More time with Mason. More time where everything was safe.

Why did I feel as though I'd lost something that was more important? That night when I went to bed, for the first time, I was looking forward to my s.h.i.+ft as guardian. Mason had been a little over the top with his excitement about me staying with the group. He even gave me one of their green Keane's Kampers T-s.h.i.+rts to wear-how juvenile. He'd stuck to me like paper to glue. It was so obvious that he was incredibly happy that I was going to be around. It should have made me feel just as glad.

But Lucas was as sullen as Mason was happy. He kept his distance. He and Rafe did a lot of low talking on the other side of the camp. At one point, it looked like they were arguing. Lucas's face took on a stormy expression, and he finally walked away.

"Man, I thought he was going to hit him," Mason whispered beside me, and I realized that I wasn't the only one watching the little drama unfold. I had a sneaking suspicion they were discussing me and my insistence that I stay behind. But why would Rafe care? For that matter, why would Lucas? We hadn't hooked up or anything.

When Lindsey finally returned to the tent and nudged me with a tired "Your turn," I was more than ready to get out of the tent. I wanted to talk with Lucas, try to explain- What exactly? I wasn't sure. I just knew that I didn't want him to leave in the morning still upset with me. But he wasthe one who'd said he had more important things to worry over than me. Mason made me feel like I wastheonly important thing.

A girl needs that.

But when I stepped out of the tent, it wasn't Lucas waiting for me. It was Connor.

"Where's Lucas?" I asked.

"Asleep, I guess. I'll take that side." He started to walk away.

"Connor?"

He stopped and looked back at me. He wasn't wearing his usual teasing grin. I wanted the reason to be

that it was so late, but I knew he was upset with me as well.

"I don't understand why my staying is a big deal."

He sighed. "I know. And that's the reason it's a big deal."

"So why doesn't someone explain it to me?" I gave him a pointed glare.

"It's not my place."

What a lame excuse. "Whatever. It's only ten days. Geez. You guys are acting like I'm betraying you or

something."

"We just didn't expect you to be the one to stay. That's all."

Because I was the newbie? If Lucas was really concerned about it, he could have insisted I leave. Things

were so confusing. I was grateful I'd have a few days to myself without Lucas bombarding my thoughts. In typical guy fas.h.i.+on, Connor walked away as though all my questions had been answered. Only I had more questions. But he wasn't going to answer them. I thought about waking Lucas up, but I didn't want to bother him. Especially when he got so little sleep as it was. And if he was able to sleep, how bothered could he really be about me staying here? Not much. I walked the perimeter and when I got to the stream, I stood there and watched the moonlight dancing over the water. It was only then that I realized I hadn't heard the wolf howl that night. I wondered if we'd traveled out of his territory. If we'd left him behind. It made me sad to think so, almost made me consider heading back tomorrow, just to have him closer again. But that was a silly thought. It was probably all coincidence anyway-his howling when I went to bed each night. I was going to have fun here with Mason. The sherpas left at dawn. As I stood at the edge of the camp and watched them leave, I saw that Lindsey was the only one who looked back. This sense of abandonment was ridiculous. It wasn't like we'd never see each other again.

As for the atmosphere of betrayal, that was even sillier.

I wasn't exactly sure why I'd thought it would be exciting to stay behind. Dr. Keane was a professor, and not to dis academics, but if he taught cla.s.s with as much enthusiasm as he planned activities in the wild, I never wanted to take one of his cla.s.ses. I figured everyone slept through it.

For two days, we stayed so close to the camp that I hesitated to call what we were doing hiking. We were near the mountains. There were virgin trails to explore, skills to be tested. But Dr. Keane was constantly checking the gear-a little late for that, since it wasn't as though an REI store was nearby-making notations in his notebook, and looking off into the distance.

After lunch on the third day, I went up to Mason and said, "We need to make a break for it."

He grinned. "Yeah, my dad is a little controlling- and he can be sort of unimaginative. What'd you have in mind?"

"Exploring the mountains."

"Let's do it."

Even though it was early afternoon and we wouldn't be going too far, I grabbed my backpack.

Hiking with Mason was way different from hiking with Lucas. I told myself it was because we didn't have any particular goal to be reached, whereas Lucas always had a goal. But Mason didn't lead. Instead we just walked side by side.

"So, do you know where you're going to college?" he asked.

"Thought I'd start out at the community college. No SATs, ACTs, or any kind of Ts needed to get into the one at home." I gave him a rueful smile. "I suck at tests."

He grinned. "Me, too. Even when I study my b.u.t.t off. Soon as they say to take out that number two pencil or that blue book-game over, man. Needless to say, it doesn't endear me to dear old Dad."

Today was the first time I'd heard him say anything even remotely derogatory about his father. "You and your dad seem to get along." Well, except for the night that they'd talked about werewolves. "Yeah, usually we do, but when you get right down to it, he's still a parent. He doesn't always remember what it's like to be young."

"I hear you."

The shadows had begun lengthening. I was surprised by how much progress we'd made. We were away from everything and everyone, except the wilderness.

"We should probably turn back," I suggested.

"Not yet." He reached into one of his pants pockets and pulled out a thick white candle. "I promised you dinner by candlelight." "But if we have it here and now, we'll risk losing the light and our way back to camp. It's really not wise-"

"Wise, schmize. So we won't do dinner. Let's at least do a snack by candlelight."

It sounded a lot more romantic than I thought it would probably be, but what the heck? It was more romance than Lucas had ever given me. Also, I was irritated that three days later, I was still thinking about him. Without all the equipment to haul and the inexperienced hikers to slow them down, he and the others were probably already back at the village preparing to take another group into the wilderness before returning for us.

Mason and I shrugged out of our backpacks. It felt great to get the weight off my shoulders. I did a couple of stretches. Mason balanced the candle on an empty tin can. He turned back to his backpack. "Go ahead and sit down. I just have a couple more things to set up."

I sat cross-legged on the ground. "You know, I don't know if lighting the candle is really a good idea.

It's not exactly steady, and I'd hate to make the national news as the romantic couple who accidentally

burned five million acres of forest land." "You're probably right," he answered, clearly distracted. I tried to lean around him. "What are you doing?" He swung back around and sat down beside me. "Nothing." "I'm glad you asked me to hang around," I told him. "It really means a lot to me that you stayed." He touched my cheek. "I'd never hurt you." "That's kind of an odd thing to say." "I haven't dated that much. All the academics, you know? Guess I'm a loser in that regard." "Don't be silly. I mean, what does it say about me if you're a loser?" "Right, yeah. I really like you, Kayla." Then he leaned in and kissed me. But it wasn't gentle or sweet. It was so un-Mason-like, rough, almost desperate, that I pushed him away.

He pushed back-hard. I hit the ground. He straddled me. "I'm sorry," he whispered low. He started kissing me again. Rougher than before.

Panic surged through me. What was he doing? Why was he doing it? Until this moment he'd been so nice. I started slapping at him. He grabbed my wrists with one hand and held them above my head. He lowered his mouth near my ear. "Just go along with it," he said in a low voice. "No! Get off!" I shook my head from side to side, trying to break free, but he clamped his free hand on my jaw and tried to kiss me again. I fought to buck him. My heart was pounding insanely. I'd never been so terrified, never felt so helpless. Then I heard it. The low, warning growl. Mason went completely still, his lips only an inch from mine.

Strangely, I saw satisfaction ease over his face. I s.h.i.+fted my eyes to the side. And there was my wolf. He bared his teeth in a menacing snarl. Mason rolled off me. He scrambled back, and I scooted away.

Suddenly, there was a m.u.f.fled pop. The wolf released a yelp and staggered.

I looked back. Mason was holding a pistol, aiming it at the wolf.

"No!" I screamed. I lunged-too late.

The wolf leaped. Mason fired again and the wolf went down.

ELEVEN.

"Are you insane?" I yelled as I rushed over to the wolf. I couldn't believe what had just happened-any of it.

The wolf wasn't dead, but his beautiful silver eyes had a glazed look to them. He was panting. He made a futile effort to rise and slumped back down. I buried my fingers in his fur, searching for the wounds. I saw only a trickle of blood and realized Mason hadn't been shooting bullets, but darts.

"Got him," I heard him say.

I snapped my head back around. He was holding a walkie-talkie. He strolled over and crouched down beside me. "He's not hurt, just drugged."

I slammed my fist into his shoulder, then punched him in the chest. "You creep!"