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  “Lift your leg a little so I can wrap this around your thigh.”

  He followed her instructions and she used the last remnants of her destroyed work shirt to make a pad, then tied the straps of her bra together to hold it in place. She glanced up and down him, reassured that she’d done her best to stop the bleeding and make him comfortable.

  “I’m going to leave you now to go for help. I might be gone for an hour but it shouldn’t be longer than that.” She glanced up at the sky, wincing. Darkness would fall before the paramedics could hike in to get him. “I’m leaving you my flashlight and my Taser gun. You’re down and bleeding. We have some dangerous animals in this area that might scent your blood. They tend to stick close to water. I’m assuming you know how to use a Taser gun? I’ll leave you my spray mace too. You should be fine. Just don’t move around. I got the bleeding stopped. I’ll be back before you know it. I’ll just put on my pants and boots then be off.”

  He moved suddenly, sitting up faster than she thought an injured man could. A snarl came from his parted lips. He threw back his head, his long hair no longer covering his face. The sight shocked her enough that she collapsed onto her ass. He used his uninjured hand to grab her wrist, keeping her from scrambling away from him. She wanted to.

  His bone structure was very rugged with pronounced cheekbones. His nose was wider and flatter than any she’d ever seen. His full lips were parted and revealed the fact that he had vampire teeth. Those two fangs were long and sharp looking. He looked almost human but she wasn’t fooled.

  What the hell is he? Her brain reeled at the possibilities. Was he some kind of human freak of nature? Maybe he was a druggie after all, and into serious vampire fetishes. Some crazy people mutilated their bodies with fake teeth and facial implants. A good plastic surgeon could make his nose a different shape and amplify those cheekbones. Or he could be a werewolf. Did they exist? Her gaze lowered to his chest. He just had a little bit of hair there. Wouldn’t werewolves be hairier? Stop it! They don’t exist. Do they?

  Lynn tried to jerk away from him but he had an iron grip on her wrist. It didn’t hurt but she couldn’t break free. “Please let me go.” She was glad she’d found her voice.

  He growled and shook his head.

  Her heart pounded, her terror rising. He wasn’t DEA. He was something else, something dangerous. He stood slowly, swaying a little on his feet. The grip on her arm didn’t ease. He tugged, trying to get her to stand too. Her legs refused to work as she realized he had to be about six-foot-three. He bent toward her to keep hold of her wrist and his hair fell forward, the damp, silky strands brushing against her arm.

  He pulled harder and it forced her to move. She rose on shaky legs, unable to do anything else. Being in shock actually helped, her body seeming to go into autopilot. He backed up, forcing her to follow him toward the thick line of trees.

  “Let me go. Please. Don’t hurt me.”

  He shook his head.

  She wasn’t sure if that meant he wouldn’t let her go or that he wouldn’t hurt her. Either way, he backed up, forcing her to follow him.

  “Let me at least grab my pants and shoes,” she pleaded. The jacket fell lower than her panties but not by much. Most of her legs were exposed.

  He shook his head.

  This isn’t good.

  Chapter Two

  The scary man led Lynn about twenty feet into the trees. A small clearing revealed his discarded clothing and a bag similar to a backpack. He stumbled a few times but never broke his hold on her wrist. He bent, delving his free hand into the open black bag.

  “Please let me go. I’ll get you help. You need stitches and medical care.” She tried to keep calm but it was tough to do. He wasn’t talking, only making soft groans and growling noises. He had to be in a lot of pain but it was just scaring her more.

  He lifted a short black rope from the bag. It was only about twenty inches long. He turned to face her and she stared up into his unusually bright eyes. He had almost a foot of height on her, but he was weak. She could attack him though she knew he’d already killed four vicious guard dogs. Now it was clear how he’d done it. He had a lethal mouth.

  He glanced down and she followed his gaze. The rope he held touched her wrist and she gasped when the thing seemed to move on its own, reminding her of a snake. It wrapped around her skin, tightening just under where he gripped her with his fingers. She was too stunned to do anything but watch as he used the other end of it to tap against his wrist. It wrapped around his skin too, linking them together as if they were handcuffed. He let go of her wrist.

  “What is that?”

  He swayed on his feet and bent again, reaching into the bag a second time. He pulled out a palm-sized box and a light emanated from it. He growled a series of sounds in a long, broken pattern. She tried to identify what he held but it wasn’t like anything she’d ever seen. It kind of reminded her of a cell phone but it didn’t have a lighted screen. It just showed lights around the side seams of the slim device. He swayed again and she looked up at his face. His previously golden skin tone had paled considerably. His eyes rolled upward and he collapsed.

  Lynn cried out when he pitched sideways. The ropelike thing connecting them didn’t break. She was jerked forward, landed on top of his side, and lay sprawled there. She stared at his face. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be out cold. She twisted, rolled off his big body and crouched next to him, studying the link between their wrists.

  It felt like some weird lightweight metal. There wasn’t a keyhole anywhere to be found and it wasn’t moving anymore. She tried to tear it off but it wouldn’t release her wrist. She gave up and focused on the downed man. His chest rose and fell, assuring her he lived.

  “What are you and who are you?”

  He fascinated her. Lynn reached up to cup his face but his heavy arm kept one of hers down. She pushed against him until he lay flat and lifted his arm until it rested over his chest. It freed her enough to gently cup his face so she could study him carefully. He was attractive in an odd way. She focused on his mouth. He had plush, full lips that were slightly parted, those two long fangs denting his bottom lip. It didn’t take much to tilt his head just enough to get his jaw to open more.

  The rest of his teeth looked almost normal. They were white and straight. She ran the pad of her fingertip across his tongue. It was pink like a normal person’s except a bit wider and pointed at the tip. The texture wasn’t as soft as it should have been. It was a bit raspy, but not sandpaper quality. She pulled her finger away from his mouth and lowered her gaze.

  He really was in great shape. And huge. His shoulders were broad, his biceps thickly muscled and well defined. She looked lower, admiring his abdomen. Though he was unconscious and completely relaxed, she could distinguish every ridge of muscle that waved down to the waistband of his strange leather underwear. He had to weigh about two hundred fifty pounds and she couldn’t spot a single hint of flab.

  She lifted up to stare at his unique choice of leather Speedos but quickly noticed the bright red that had seeped through the bandage she had put over his inner thigh. He was bleeding again. She moved down his body, dragging his arm so she could tend to the wound. It was a struggle to untie her bra to get a look at it.

  He needed stitches and a doctor. It was obvious the dog had bitten deep, just tearing the flesh instead of removing it. She twisted, stretching her hand out to snag his backpack, hoping he had a first-aid kit, but all she located where some items of clothing. She grabbed what appeared to be a folded gray shirt and used it to press against the wound, putting her upper-body strength into it. He’d die if she didn’t get the bleeding to stop.

  “Hello? Please wake up!” She stared at his face but he didn’t flinch, move, or react in any way. “You’ve got to get this thing off my wrist. I need to get you help. Wake up!”

  He didn’t stir. She lifted her chin to stare at the darkening sky through the tree branches above them. The sun would go down and they’d b
e in a world of shit. She wouldn’t be able to find the cabin without some light. Avery’s land wasn’t exactly a place she’d visited often. He had to own a few hundred acres.

  Animals would be drawn to the river and to the scent of blood. A list of predators streamed through her mind. There were coyotes, snakes, feral hogs, some bobcats, the occasional mountain lion, and she’d had to trap some vicious raccoons and opossums in her time. They didn’t usually attack humans but even the normally timid creatures might come after him, especially if they were hungry, injured, or diseased. The man in front of her would seem like an easy meal, too tempting to resist. Her weapons were too far away to drag him back to the river’s edge.

  Even if the wildlife wasn’t an issue, he needed medical attention. Infection seemed to have already taken hold in him. His skin felt feverishly hot, and he’d lost blood on top of it. She struggled with the ropelike shackle again, with no luck.

  “Son of a bitch!” She slapped her open palms down on his chest in frustration.

  He jerked under her and his eyes flew open. It took him a second to focus on her as she inched up his body, staring back at him. He growled low, an animalistic sound.

  “You need to let me go for help.” She lifted her arm enough to jerk on his where they were connected. “Get this off me.”

  He shook his head.

  It pissed her off. “What’s your name?”

  He growled.

  “Stop that. Just tell me your name. I know you’re in pain but this isn’t the time to act like a jerk.”

  He growled.

  She realized he’d never said a single word to her. “Can you talk?”

  He hesitated then shook his head.

  It came as a shock. He wasn’t just messing with her. The guy only made those sounds. She had to take a deep breath and calm. “You can understand me?”

  He nodded.

  That’s something. “Okay. Listen to me. You’re really hurt. We’re near a big watering spot for animals. This is Avery Johnson’s land. He’s an old man and he doesn’t trap or hunt anything anymore. His property is fenced off to keep everyone out. Do you know what that means?”

  He shook his head.

  “We have hunting seasons for a reason in this part of the country. It’s not just to kill stuff and snap photos to post on the internet. It’s because the animal population can grow out of control. We’re currently on over two hundred acres of wildlife gone unchecked. Is that clear enough for you? I know he has a ton of coyotes because last year he told me about hearing them. I offered to come out and see how bad it had gotten but he refused to let me. There could be dozens of them.” She paused. “More. The larger the pack, the more fearless they are. Rabies is a concern too. You never want to come across a rabid animal without a gun. I once saw a raccoon go after a bull. It was sick and that crazy. That’s a disease that can spread from one animal eating or attacking another.”

  She glanced around. “You need to let me go so I can get to the cabin. Avery has a phone. I can help you climb that tree right there. I’ll go get my stuff before I leave so you will have a way to protect yourself until I come back.”

  She lifted her wrist again to remind him about the rope binding them together. “Let me go so I can save us both. Most of the things out here that can hurt us are nocturnal hunters. It means they come out at night.” She pointed a finger up. “See the sky? Need I say more?”

  A howl tore through the woods and Lynn jumped, twisting her head in the direction from which it had come. Another coyote joined in, then another. She didn’t spot any of them but they weren’t far off.

  “Shit. Hear that? Coyotes.” She looked at him. “You’re bleeding. They are going to investigate that.” She shook her head. “We’re going to be in a world of trouble. They are going to see you as food. Understand? You already faced off against four canines and look what they did to you. Imagine a dozen or two of them.” She didn’t feel guilty for trying to scare him. It wasn’t exactly a lie. They could attack if they were hungry enough, bold in numbers, or diseased.

  He sat up and climbed to his feet. Lynn scrambled to get up too. He snagged his bag and shoved her toward the nearest tree. They reached the base of it and he lifted the bag, jamming it on top of a branch about six feet high. He turned to her then and clenched the rope in the middle. It vibrated for a second and then opened, letting her go.

  Lynn tried to back away but the tall man moved faster. He spun, one arm sliding around her waist. All Lynn could do was gasp in surprise as he hoisted her upward to the lowest branch. She didn’t need to understand what he said to grab at the limb. She did and he released her waist. He gripped both her thighs to give her a boost up. She scrambled quickly to give him room to follow.

  He was right behind her as she climbed higher into the tree. Below, she spotted movement near the edge of the clearing as she straddled a branch. Two coyotes crept forward, growling. They went to the spot where the stranger had bled and sniffed the ground.

  “They might go away,” she whispered. “Be quiet.”

  He leaned down, grabbed his pack and pulled it higher into the tree. He reached inside and threw down a round disk that reminded her of a thick Frisbee. It hit the dirt and both coyotes snarled but didn’t run away. The disk thing began to glow white, getting brighter. Lynn stared at it. It was a light source. The coyotes stayed a few feet back but held their ground near the blood.

  The man wedged his backpack so it wouldn’t fall and climbed higher, easing onto the branch behind her. She turned her head, watching him lean against the thick tree trunk. He gripped her hips and tugged her toward him.

  Lynn was tempted to fight but motion from below drew her attention. Nine more coyotes had entered the clearing. Within seconds, that number increased to over twenty. Two of them stopped directly under the branch she perched on, lifted their heads, and stared at her. They snarled.

  “Go away!” she shouted, hoping her voice would make them flee.

  More gathered at the base of the tree trunk, their focus fixed on her and the man behind her. They snarled, flashing teeth. It was clear the pack wasn’t afraid of people and didn’t plan to go anywhere. She and the man were treed and trapped.

  From behind, he yanked her closer to him and wrapped his muscled arm around her waist. His chest was hot against her back. Lynn didn’t struggle, too afraid she’d fall off the branch. The coyotes watched from below, probably hoping that would happen. They’d attack. They’d grown too bold, living in such big numbers.

  “We’re going to die up here.”

  He put his other arm around her and she peered over her shoulder at his face. Most of it was in the shadows but his pretty eyes were clear enough to see. He shook his head, then growled low.

  “I don’t understand you. You’re hurt.” She pointed down. “They want to eat us. I’m pretty sure some of them have rabies, judging by how aggressive they are. Do you get that? God only knows how long it will be before that idiot Jimmy decides to call someone if he’s not too stoned to notice my SUV is still parked on his property. It could be days, if ever. He might just totally lie and say I left, in order to keep the cops off his property. That means no search party. Those coyotes could wait us out until we’re too dehydrated to stay up here.”

  He shook his head again.

  Lynn was irritated when he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, obviously planning on going back to sleep. She settled her weight against him to help keep him pinned in place. When she looked down, more coyotes had joined the group. One of the more brazen ones lifted up and planted his paws on the trunk, as if it would help him reach them.

  You can’t climb, muzzle face. She was in a hell of a mess. It could be worse. She just wore her jacket and panties. The guy behind her wore those little leather Speedos, but it was summer so they wouldn’t freeze overnight. She couldn’t decide what would be worse—the search party finding them wearing so little and having to explain, or the lurid headlines that would be made up if their bodie
s were recovered. Either way, she’d be the most talked-about thing in Green Bend.

  “Damn.”

  Darkness fell but the light below kept glowing. It lit up about a twenty-foot circular area. Some of the coyotes grew brave enough to approach it and one even put his nose against it to sniff. A loud blaring sound pierced the night. Lynn started at the sharp blast of noise. The coyotes scattered, rushing off in different directions.

  “What was that?” She turned her head to stare at the man behind her. His eyes remained closed but she could feel his chest rise and fall against her spine. She twisted just enough to feel for a pulse at his neck. It was tough to find. He was fading fast, probably dying from blood loss and infection.

  “Hey!” She rubbed his cheek. “Look at me.”

  He didn’t stir. Lynn looked down at the ground. The coyotes hadn’t returned. That sound had scared the hell out of her and had probably done worse to the pack. She needed to get to Avery’s cabin and call for help. There wasn’t much to debate. Some of the coyotes had taken off toward the river so going after her things wasn’t an option. She eased his arm from around her waist and gripped a branch above her head. She climbed higher, trying to spot any source of light in the area.

  Lynn found what she was looking for. Avery might be blind but he kept his porch lights on to keep critters away. She spotted his cabin. It wasn’t as far away as she’d thought it would be. It was possible that she could make it on foot without weapons. She took her time climbing down, watching and listening for any sign of the coyotes returning. She checked on the man one more time. He was out cold. Two other branches next to the one he sat on would keep him upright if he tilted to the side. It meant he wouldn’t fall.