Callie's Captors [Mountain Men of Montana 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14

She couldn’t, wouldn’t let that happen even if it meant giving them up for good. “No. That’s not fair. I dragged them into this trouble. Make me leave, but let them stay. Please don’t take away their home. This is all my fault. Don’t punish them. Punish me.”

  Was it her imagination, or did a couple of The Council members’ faces appear to soften?

  “The other option is to forgive their transgressions. However, Callie would have to promise to never have anything to do with The Cursed or this Scrunch creature ever again.”

  She nodded at Charlton, encouraging him to choose the second option. But if she stayed, could she keep the promise?

  “Please,” she whispered and fought back the tears. If she’d cost the men their sanctuary, their home, she’d never forgive herself.

  Blue glanced her way, one of the few times he had since she’d arrived at the cabin. “We’ll accept whatever decision you make as long as we’re with Callie. We can’t and we won’t ever leave her.”

  Her heart opened wide, accepting the men in whatever form they came in. She wanted the proud, strong men standing up for her and she’d do whatever it took to protect them just as they’d protected her.

  Charlton leaned his elbows on the table. “Very well then, let us vote. Xnax?”

  Xnax bowed his head and when he lifted it, the hard tone of his face tightened the knot growing in her stomach. “Banishment for all of them.”

  She moved then, coming to Raine’s side. “I’m so—”

  Raine touched his finger to her lips, stilling her. “No. You don’t have to say you’re sorry. We did what we had to do and we’d do it again. As long as we end up together, we’ll be happy.”

  She choked back a sob as she saw that Blue and Pete felt the same way. Instead, she lifted her head high and waited for the rest of the vote.

  “Harrison?” asked Charlton.

  “They turned on their own kind. As a werewolf, that’s their worst crime.” His eyes blazed with amber. “I vote for banishment.”

  “Tina?”

  Callie gritted her teeth and prepared to hear the awful word again.

  Tina found her gaze and held it. “I vote for forgiveness.” The fairy smiled at her, letting her know that she’d already forgiven her.

  “Wisa, what do you say?”

  Wisa, whose face reminded Callie of an alley cat she’d once had, squared off with Charlton. “I vote for forgiveness also. After all, who amongst us hasn’t made a mistake?”

  Everyone turned their focus to Charlton. Callie gripped Raine’s hand tighter.

  “Very well.” Charlton sighed. “That’s two votes for banishment and two for forgiveness. Unhappily, that leaves the deciding vote up to me.”

  Charlton stood, preparing to cast his vote and proclaim the decision final. “I vote to—”

  “Please, help me!”

  As a group, they faced the frantic woman who’d flung the door wide and burst into the cabin. Her hair was as wild as her huge eyes. She pushed through the crowd that parted for her and reached for Charlton. Clutching his hand, she begged for help. “Please, The Cursed took my child. Please. Someone please help me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Stunned at the woman’s sudden appearance, Callie couldn’t move, but that didn’t keep several men, including the Deacon brothers, from coming to her side.

  “Shelly, slow down. Tell us what happened.” Blue took the young woman by the arms and gently shook her.

  Tears streamed down her face and her body shook as she tried to tell them what had happened to her child. “The Cursed took her. My little Bryna was playing by the woods near the path leading to the waterfall. I swear I only took my eyes off her for a second and then, when I looked back, I saw one of them put his hand over her mouth and pull her into the bushes. I screamed then ran after them, but I couldn’t find her.”

  She fell against Blue’s chest and he had to wrap his arms around her to keep her on her feet. “Please, she’s all I have. Please find my little girl.”

  Callie’s heart went out to Shelly. The worst thing she could think of, even more than having to give up the men she loved, was to lose a child. But she had to wonder. Why would The Cursed want the girl? No matter what everyone had told her about them, she couldn’t think of Scrunch as an evil creature. If his kind would take a child, then why hadn’t he hurt her?

  “We will. I promise you we will.” Blue handed the woman off to Lyra who stood nearby, then waved for the other men to follow him.

  “I’ll bet that damn creature Callie was messing with is behind this.”

  She gaped at Harrison. “You don’t know that.”

  He lifted his lip in a snarl. “And you don’t know it didn’t. They’re all alike. Murdering animals is all they are.”

  “No. Not Scrunch.” She answered the crowd’s glares with one of her own. “And I’ll bet more of them are like him.”

  “Let’s go. I know where their cave is.”

  Pete and Raine were among the men who followed Blue out of the cabin. The other people in the camp shouted at them to bring the child back and to make The Cursed pay for what they did.

  Could Scrunch have done this?

  She could be wrong in not accepting the perception of him that the others had, but her gut told her differently. Just like her intuition had told her that she needn’t be afraid of the Deacon men, it told her that Scrunch was not a part of the kidnapping. Maybe one of his people had taken the girl, but she couldn’t let Scrunch take the blame.

  To prove they were wrong, she dashed after them.

  The throng of ten people surged down the mountain like a steamroller, moving everyone out of their way. Even though she expected them to go to the path that led to the water, Blue took them to the opposite side of the camp and broke through the trees.

  Still behind the rest, she picked up her speed. But it didn’t help. A painful stitch in her side threatened to stop her, but she pushed on.

  Then, without warning, a surge of energy hit her, invigorating her. Like the time before, she could sense the presence of something else inside her, almost as though another part of her, one that had lain dormant for years, had come to life. The colors of the world around her dimmed into a mist of amber, but she could see things sharper than ever before. Even as she hurried to stay up with the others, she picked up the soft sounds of animals ducking for cover and quivering in fear.

  Was it adrenaline that gave her renewed energy and infused her body with strength?

  They charged through the forest, passing the hole where she and Scrunch had first met and continuing on for several long minutes. Just as she was starting to wonder if she could keep up, the group came to a stop at Blue’s order.

  “There it is.”

  She pushed through the crowd, receiving a few hard nudges along the way, and came to Blue’s side. “They live in that cave?”

  The small opening in the mountain was barely large enough to fit three men, shoulder to shoulder, across it. “Are you sure? It’s so small.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  “Watch out.”

  She glanced at Pete who stood, along with Raine, behind their brother, then followed his gaze to the cave. A group of animals all like Scrunch spilled from the entrance. Their red eyes blazed and their snarls showed their fangs.

  Where’s Scrunch?

  She scanned the group of black animals, their hands dragging on the ground, as they growled and paced back and forth in front of the cave. They weren’t attacking, but it was evident that they weren’t about to run, either.

  “Where’s the little girl?” The man who’d asked the question moved from the middle of the group to the front. “We’re going to have to go in and get her.”

  “There she is. There’s my little girl.”

  Shelly appeared out of the crowd and started running toward The Cursed. Blue was right behind her and grabbed her, pulling her away from them.

  “Mommy!”

  Bryna’s dress was dirty
, but she appeared uninjured. One of creatures held her arm, and even from a distance, Callie could see how his fingers sank into her flesh. He hadn’t broken the skin yet since there was no blood, but if he gripped her any harder, he would.

  Shelly struggled to get free, but Blue held her long enough to pass her off to one of the other men. She cried out for Bryna, who answered with pleas for help.

  Blue’s face was emotionless and that frightened Callie more than anything else. “Everyone spread out. This is going to be rough.”

  He turned to her. “Callie, when the fighting starts, see if you can grab her. If you can, don’t hang around. Get back to camp as fast as you can.” He pivoted to the men and began talking in hushed tones about their best plan of attack.

  Scrunch caught her eye. He stood on the outside of his people, his diamond patch brilliant white against the mass of black. He held his hand in the air in a salute. Or at least that’s what she hoped it was.

  Moving as quietly as she could, Callie slipped away from the group. Then, when she was sure she was far enough away that even one of the men couldn’t catch her, she took off running.

  “Callie!”

  Pete was the first to spot her, but it was too late to catch her. She ran as hard as she could, picking up the adrenaline she’d felt before, until she skidded to a few feet in front of the throng of The Cursed. She could hear the angry and fearful cries of those behind her.

  “Stay back, Pete. And keep the others in check. I can do this.”

  She lifted her hand as Scrunch had done. He skirted around the edge of his group, earning snarls from a few of his kind, then drew within a yard of her.

  “Tell your people to give her back.” She pivoted to face him, but kept glancing at the girl, trying to make her meaning clear. “Please, you have to understand.”

  He grunted, but his gaze whipped to Bryna before settling on her again. Another grunt came, but she was no closer to understanding him than before.

  She pointed at Bryna. The bigger creature that held her snarled and dragged her closer to Callie. But she didn’t dare hope that he knew what she wanted. Instead, she pleaded with Scrunch again and pointed at the child.

  “Let her go.”

  Scrunch tilted his head to the side.

  At least he’s trying to understand.

  “Callie, move very slowly and get away from them.”

  She called to Blue, trying to comfort him. “I know what I’m doing. Just don’t make any sudden moves. We don’t want to spook them.”

  Taking a deep breath that she hoped wasn’t her last, she turned on her heel and started walking toward the child and her captor. He growled, his intent unmistakable, but she wouldn’t give up.

  Amazing herself, she got close enough to see the growing amber in Bryna’s eyes. The amber was bright with fear.

  “It’s okay, sweetie. They won’t hurt you.”

  “I want my mommy,” she whimpered.

  “I know and she’s here. Just hang on a little while longer.” She reached out and took the child’s other arm.

  The creature’s growl grew louder, sending chills down her spine. She held her ground and kept her head high. “Give her to me.”

  Another growl told her he wouldn’t. She craned her neck around to find Scrunch. “Get him to give her to me. Please.”

  Scrunch’s eyes narrowed a second before he let out a screech and pointed behind her. Callie twisted back to the child and the larger creature in time to see him toss Bryna to the ground and throw himself at her. Stunned, she couldn’t move, couldn’t get away. Scrunch flew past her, knocking her out of the way and to the ground beside the girl.

  “Run.” She pushed Bryna onto her feet. Pete grabbed Bryna once she’d made it halfway back to their group. Blue and Raine dashed toward Callie and, taking her under each arm, helped her up. They half carried, half pulled her to safety.

  Growls and snarls filled her ears and she tried to see what was happening, but the men wouldn’t let her turn around. They continued to carry her along with the crowd as everyone rushed back to camp.

  “Keep moving, everyone.”

  “Are they after us?” cried one woman.

  Pete carried Bryna with her mother running at his side. Callie groaned as Raine, lifting her like she weighed nothing, cradled her in his arms.

  The sound of many feet thundered in the forest as they ran and soon the noise of fighting amongst the creatures was lost. Raine, his heart pounding against her cheek, slowed to a stop. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  But she couldn’t answer. Her body had no strength to move. Instead, she closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

  * * * *

  Blue studied Callie lying on the quilts in their tent. He’d experienced fear before, but nothing had compared to what he’d felt when the creature had flung itself at her. She’d fallen asleep after Raine had taken her into his arms, and ignoring the call of The Council to bring her in front of them, they’d taken her to their tent. Charlton’s decision could wait.

  But Charlton had other ideas. Instead, he’d summoned Blue to come to him as soon as possible. Blue had done so, expecting the worst.

  “She’s waking up.” Pete leaned over her and dabbed a moist cloth to her forehead.

  Her eyelids fluttered until, at last, she opened her beautiful brown eyes. She stretched and shot them a smile.

  “Hey, you. It’s about time you came around.”

  She blinked, then sat up. “Is she all right? Did Bryna get scratched?”

  He could smell her relief. “No. She was lucky. She came out of it unharmed, but with the realization that she shouldn’t play alone by the woods.”

  Blue knelt beside her along with his brothers. “Charlton summoned me so he could tell me the decision. He cast his vote.”

  She took his hand. “Let me talk to him and make him understand. I’ll leave, but he can’t throw you out of your home. It’s not fair.” She tried to get up, but he eased her back down.

  “Calm down. It’s okay. He voted for forgiveness.”

  “No way.”

  He grinned at her choice of words and answered in kind. “Yes way. But there’s more.”

  “Do I want to know what that is?”

  Pete slid his hand along her hair, smoothing it to her back. “Maybe. Do you remember how you came here? Do you remember what happened when the buck chased you?”

  “Of course I do. I fell into a huge hole. A girl tends to remember that kind of thing.”

  “What my brother is trying to get at is this. You said you felt this weird kind of sensation, like walking through invisible water.”

  “Uh-huh.” She pulled her knees to her chest. “And?”

  “To get into The Hidden, someone has to be a supernatural being. Or touch one as they enter.”

  “But I’m human and I wasn’t touching anyone.”

  “We know you were alone.” Blue took over. “Which means you must be a supernatural. Or at least be a descendant of one. Otherwise, you never could have gotten inside. We think what you went through must be a new portal that’s opened up. It’s too soon to know much, but The Council has sent a group to study it.”

  Pete chimed in. “They’ll study and guard it in case others wander through.”

  “I still don’t understand. You think an ancestor of mine is a supernatural being?”

  She was having a difficult time understanding what he meant, so he had to make it clearer. “The Council and we believe you’re part werewolf.”

  She refused it. “No, I would’ve known, wouldn’t I? And why a werewolf? How do you know I’m not the descendant of a fairy or a troll?”

  “No troll ever looked like you and you’re too tall to be a fairy. We don’t know for certain, but, after seeing your eyes change—”

  She gripped Blue’s arm. “My eyes changed? How? When?”

  “I saw your eyes a moment before you decided to play heroine. They were filled with amber.”

  “
Which means I’m part werewolf.” She trembled and ducked her head.

  Was she upset to find out? Would she embrace her inner wolf or hate knowing that it existed? “What are you thinking, Callie?”

  She lifted her head. Her mouth was parted, making him ache to press his lips to hers.

  “I’m not sure. But how could I not have known?”

  “I can’t answer that. Sometimes people who have werewolf blood never realize it until they meet another werewolf. Or, like you, their wolf side attempts to break through in a time of extreme emotion, like fear.”

  “And you’re sure about this?”

  “Yeah. We are. There’s no denying that color in your eyes.”

  “I’m part werewolf. Wow.”

  Blue had wanted to wait to ask her. He and his brothers had wanted to give her more time, but Charlton was forcing their hand. “There’s more.”

  Her draw dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What more could there be?”

  “Charlton voted for forgiveness only if you promise to do what he asks.”

  She was up and on her feet, moving to the other side of the tent. If he wasn’t already sure, he would’ve known from her improved speed that her werewolf side was growing stronger.

  “What is it with you people and your promises?”

  “He voted for forgiveness if you promise to stay in The Hidden.”

  * * * *

  Callie’s heart raced as she crossed the room and ended up in the middle of their quilt bed. “Then you can tell Charlton and the rest of The Council that…”

  The men shifted on their feet and stared at her. Blue ran a hand over his face and blew out a slow breath. “Be careful. Think about what you’re going to say.”

  “Pff. You act like I’m going to tell the old coot—”

  “Callie, no.” Pete grimaced and stalked away. “Watch your mouth. We’re in a tent, you know. It’s not exactly soundproof.”

  “As I was going to say, you can tell Charlton that I accept. But—”

  The men were on her with Raine lifting her off her feet and swinging her around. “Are you serious?”

  “Don’t question it, bro.” Pete pulled her away from his brother and swung her around again. “We wouldn’t want her to change her mind.”