He scanned the hillside. Every sense told him Hank was near and closing in, that he didn't have the time to make one trip up the hill to Maddie, let alone two. The teenagers' safety had to be his first priority. And if Hank was closing in on him, he certainly had no desire to lead the fiend back up to Maddie. Jon studied the pines a moment longer, noticing a ridge of rocks to his left. Maybe there was a cave or something nearby. He picked up Evan and ran across the clearing, following the ridge deep into the pine forest. Several minutes later he found what he was looking for—a shallow cave, half hidden by bushes. Certainly not good enough to conceal the teenager from Eleanor, especially if she was hunting in her cat form, but secure enough from the likes of Hank. He hid the teenager, then used a tree branch to erase any sign of footprints before quickly returning to the cabin. There was still no sign of movement as he climbed back through the window. Maybe, just maybe, luck was with him. He bent next to the second teenager and wrapped the blankets around her.
"Shapeshifter!" Hank's harsh voice grated across the silence. Jon cursed softly under his breath but didn't answer. Maybe Hank would believe he wasn't there.
"I know you're here, Shapeshifter. Come out."
He swore again. Five minutes more, that was all he'd needed. Five lousy minutes.
"If you don't want to see your girlfriend's pretty neck sliced open, I suggest you come out real soon."
For a moment, Jon froze. Maybe Hank was bluffing...
"She's bleeding as you wait, Shapeshifter."
Rage rose, so deep and powerful it shook him to the core. Maybe he wasn't as uncertain of his feelings for Maddie as he'd first thought. He took a deep breath, then quickly rearranged the blankets to make it look like there were still two bodies carefully wrapped inside. Maddie's chances of survival now depended on making Hank believe he hadn't had the chance to rescue the teenagers. He moved back to the window and climbed out, then slid it shut and walked around the far end of the building.
"What do you want?" he said, turning the corner. Hank stood in the middle of the clearing, a knife held to Maddie's neck. Even from where he stood Jon could see the slight trickle of blood down her throat. His gaze met hers. Deep in the amber depths of her frightened gaze he saw the fires burning. She was close to losing control, and if she did, she'd kill not only Hank, but also herself.
Jon sensed she wouldn't mind that death, and the thought made his gut clench. Hank's smile was slick and victorious, but the relief in the fiend's eyes was unmistakable. Maybe, just maybe, his bluff had worked.
"What I want, Shapeshifter, is you dead."
Jon flexed his fingers. "Then why don't you release Maddie and attempt to make your wish come true?"
Hank grinned. "I'm not that foolish, Shifter. I've seen your type fight before. Until I get a better weapon, I'll settle for you leaving this area and not coming back."
Jon kept his gaze on Maddie, watching her struggle for control. If she lost, he'd have to move quickly to stop the fires from consuming her too. If he cou/dstop them.
"And what about Maddie?"
Hank grinned, a lizard enjoying its brief time in the sun. "She's my insurance against your return."
Hank obviously didn't suspect Evan was gone, or he wouldn't have been so keen to get rid of him before he'd gotten the teenager back. If Jon left now, he could still ensure the teenager's safety. And that, he thought, studying Maddie's frightened eyes, was all she'd care about.
"Then you'd better take real good care of her, hadn't you?" he suggested softly. "Because your insurance will only work for as long as she lives." Hank's smile faded, and his knuckles went white against the knife. Maddie gasped slightly, and another trickle of blood ran down her neck. Leave, her eyes seemed to plead, leave and be safe. He had no other choice. He couldn't risk any sort of attack with the knife held so closely to her neck—and he had to get Evan to safety. She'd never forgive him if something happened to her nephew now that he was so close to freedom.
He caught her gaze again. "Don't do anything foolish," he warned softly. Just hold on until I can get some help.
Hank merely smiled. "I hold your queen, Shapeshifter, so don't dare threaten me."
"That wasn't a threat, my friend," he said softly and leapt skywards on goldbrown wings. Thirteen
Maddie watched the hawk until it disappeared from sight. Maybe because of all the old werewolf movies she'd watched over the years, she'd half expected his shapeshifting to be an event of both power and pain. It was powerful, yes, but also very beautiful.
"First time you've seen him change, huh?" Hank whispered into her ear.
"Exciting, isn't it?"
She was all too aware of the exact state of Hank's excitement—and of the growing tremble in the hand that held the knife so close to her throat. The fires flared brighter within her soul. She bit her lip, desperate to keep them under control.
Don'tdo anythingfoolish, Jon had warned her. Don't lose control is what he'd meant.
"Why don't we move on inside?" Hank continued. "I have a pain that needs to be eased. Maybe you can help me."
A chill ran through her. If Hank tried to touch her, she'd surely lose control and kill them both.
He nudged her forward. The knife was a thin line of heat against her neck. If she so much as stumbled, she would die.
And despite everything, she knew she really didn't want to die. There was so much of life she'd yet to experience.