She got her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Cade's number. “Where are you?” she said, the minute he answered.
"Just finished escorting a reporter back to his car. Where the hell are you?"
She groaned. “Not Alf Reeson?” The man had the nose of a bloodhound. If he'd sensed there was a story happening, there'd be no getting rid of him.
"The same. Now answer my damn question."
"Who died and made you my boss?” she snapped back. Then she took a deep breath, trying to retain some vague thread of calm, trying to remind herself that in this situation, he was her boss. “Grab the kit from the car and walk back up the road until you see a wild raspberry on the right side. Walk past that and head north into the forest."
"Don't move."
"I have no intention of going anywhere."
His grunt suggested he didn't believe her. Grinning slightly, she hung up and rose. Since ginseng and sandalwood weren't exactly everyday aromas in this particular forest, there had to be something here to throw those two scents, and it certainly wasn't the tape recorder.
She took a cursory look on the ground around the immediate area, but she didn't find anything. No scent source and no footsteps. Nothing to suggest anyone had been here but her. Whoever was behind the threats was either a shifter who could take to the wing, or they were damn good at tracking.
Of course, if it was a shifter, then that cut Nelle out of Cade's list of suspects. She was a wolf-human cross.
She glanced upwards, studying the branches above her head. In the pine to the right of the tape recorder she saw something white. She moved to the tree and carefully pushed the branch to one side. The handle of a white metal cup had been nailed to the thick part of the branch, and inside it was a cloth. She didn't have to go closer to know the cloth had been soaked in ginseng and sandalwood. This near, the two scents were overwhelming. She stepped away and carefully let the branch swing back into position. She couldn't touch anything with her bare hands until Cade got here with the kit, which would have gloves. Rather than just stand here, she did a wider search around the perimeter of the small clearing, trying to find some trace of the person who'd left the recorder. All she found was a slight scuff in the soil, as if someone had slipped on the leaves. Still, a vague footprint was better than no footprint.
She shoved her pen in the soil to mark the spot and moved on. Soft steps rode the wind, and seconds later, Cade appeared. Just watching him walk through the tree towards her with such easy, effortless grace had her heart slamming against the wall of her chest.
"Someone left me a message,” she said, before the anger so evident in his dark eyes could erupt.
"They might have done a whole lot more,” he said, coming to a halt in front of her. The heat of him swamped her, sizzling across her nerve endings, making them quiver and jump. “Coming in here alone was pretty damn stupid."
"No more dangerous or stupid than walking down a lonely mountain road alone,” she bit back. “Or remaining alone in a turnaround studying tire tracks."
"I am more than capable of protecting myself."
"And so am I. But neither of us can do anything about a long range rifle or laser sights, and I won't be restricted by the fear of them."
He took a step closer, and suddenly the air seemed scarcer. She licked her lips, but she resisted the urge to retreat. She'd done that once, and once was more than enough.
"Maybe,” he agreed softly. “But I don't think our would-be killer is interested in taking the easy way out."
"No. Whoever this is, he intends to draw it out. He wants suffering. Yours and mine."
His gaze cut into hers, so very angry, and yet so very aware of what was burning between them.
Moisture skated across her skin, tiny beads of perspiration that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the man who stood far too close. “Whoever it is, they know about us,” she said.
One dark brow flicked upwards. “Indeed? What does the tape say, precisely?"
She told him, then said, “No one followed me last night."
"Nor me.” He frowned. “It suggests that whoever it is knows about the moon promise."
"I haven't gone spreading that little bit of stupidity around, believe me."
Something deep and dangerous flared in his eyes. “It's not exactly a moment I'm proud of, either. But we did it, and now were stuck with it."
Stuck. Such a nice way of putting it. Still, it was hardly any worse than calling it stupid. And she sure as hell hadn't thought that at the time. In fact, for all of twenty-four hours, she'd considered it the best damn thing she'd ever done.
And Neva wondered why she never took chances any more.
"We'll probably have to tell our people what's happening,” she said. Ronan knew, but everyone else needed to be warned. They deserved the truth, if only because they could be stepping into the line of fire. Who knew who this madman would go after?