Page 18 of His Determined Mate

Rick took a deep breath and began. "This morning, Hannah and I were out for a run.”

“Like a run, run?” asked Joe.

“Hannah knows,” said Rick. “While we were out, someone took a shot at us. It looked to be from up on the ridge. This wasn’t just some drunken fisherman messing around. It was intentional."

Asher’s eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

Rick nodded, “No doubt in my mind.”

Max frowned. "So, what’s the plan?"

"We need to keep the police out of this for now," Rick said. "Whoever’s behind this might be long gone, or they could still be here, hiding in plain sight. We need to watch the ferries and planes leaving Kodiak. If they’re planning to leave, that’s how they’ll do it."

Joe, always the quiet observer, spoke up. "I’ll go up to that area—far side of Max’s place?” Rick nodded. “Let me do some snooping around and see what I can find.”

“Everybody keep in touch,” said Asher gravely. “Rick’s right; if they try to escape, it will most likely be via the ferries or planes. Melisandre, can you go up and make some high-level observations of the area? Report back with anything amiss."

She nodded and the group agreed, splitting into pairs to cover the various exit points. Rick felt a renewed sense of determination. They were a formidable team, and together, they would uncover the truth.

JOE

Joe headed back to where Rick and Hannah had been when someone had taken a shot at them. He looked up toward the ridge and then headed back up to the most likely spot for a sniper to have perched. The hours passed slowly, the tranquility of the lake and surrounding area at odds with the tension in his mind. As dusk began to settle, his patience was rewarded. A suspicious couple approached the lake, their furtive glances and the way they moved drawing and keeping Joe’s attention.

He watched as they dropped a bundle into the icy waters of the lake, the ripples quickly smoothing over the disturbance. As they left, Joe knew he had no time to lose. Joe waited until he was sure they were gone before moving to retrieve the bundle.

Removing his clothing, he bundled it up so he could carry it with him. Moving between the ridge and the lake would be accomplished far more easily in his animal form. The snow-covered landscape lay silent and still, a pristine blanket of white under the dim, overcast sky. Midway up the ridge, the air began to crackle with an otherworldly energy, the calm serenity of the scene poised on the brink of transformation.

Joe stood at the edge of the ledge, his breath visible in the frigid air, waiting with anticipation. Suddenly, the wind picked up, swirling the snow into delicate spirals that danced around him. Thunder sounded within the mist as lightning crackled and shards of icy blue and green swirled within the mist. As if conjured by an unseen force, the mist began to rise from the ground, swirling around him in thick, ethereal tendrils. The maelstrom was dense and almost luminous, a ghostly white that contrasted sharply against the rocky backdrop of the ridge. It coiled and writhed, enveloping and obscuring him from view.

Within the mist, the transformation began. The air hummed with a low, resonant vibration, a primal energy that seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat. The shape within the mist shifted, elongating and expanding, the outline becoming more massive, more powerful. To someone standing outside the mist, the transformation seemed instantaneous.

A sudden bolt of lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the cloud-cover in a blinding flash. Thunder rumbled in the distance, adding to the sense of raw, untamed power. The mist swirled faster, the tendrils and shards of color growing more agitated as the transformation reached its peak.

The figure within the mist grew larger, more defined. As the mist dropped away, where once had stood a man, now stood the form of an enormous sabretooth tiger, its powerful muscles rippling beneath a coat of thick, white fur striped with dark, primal patterns. The mist clung to the tiger’s form for a moment longer, accentuating its massive frame and the deadly grace of its movements.

With a last, swirling flourish, the mist dissipated, fading into the snowy landscape. The sabretooth tiger stood in the clearing, its long, curved fangs gleaming in the dim light, eyes glowing with an ancient, fierce intelligence. It was a creature out of time, a relic of a bygone era, brought to life by the mysterious forces of the shifter world.

Joe could feel the raw power emanating from within, a testament to the strength and resilience of all the shifters. The stormy sky above seemed to echo the transformation, the wind howling in approval as the sabretooth tiger let out a low, rumbling growl, a sound that resonated deep within the earth and the hearts of those who bore witness.

He picked up his clothing bundle and bounded down to the lake, reveling in the freedom it was to be a sabretooth tiger charging down a snow-covered hill. When he reached the lake, he placed the bundle up on a rock to keep his clothes and boots dry and then turned to the frigid cold lake. Sabretooth tigers from the arctic region had evolved with an extra layer of fat and fur to keep them warm even if they got wet.

Stepping down into the water, he waded out, searching for the long narrow bundle the couple had tossed into the lake. Feeling it beneath the pads of his feet, he submerged himself fully so he could grasp it with his teeth and bring it to the surface. Once he had it in his mouth, he made his way back to shore, shifted, got dressed and then unwrapped the oilskin in which it had been enclosed, revealing not only a high-powered rifle, but a handgun as well. His heart pounded as he realized the significance of his find. This was the proof they needed.

Joe wrapped the weapons back up and made his way to Rick’s cabin, arriving just as the others were returning from their watch. He laid the bundle on the table, unwrapping it to reveal the weapons to the group.

RICK

Rick’s eyes narrowed as he inspected the rifle. "I’ll bet this is what they used to shoot at us this morning, and this,” he said, holding up the handgun. "And I’ll bet this is the gun that fired that round at Hannah."

Hannah clenched her fists, anger flaring in her eyes. "So, they weren’t just accidents and coincidences. Someone is trying to scare me.”

“Or worse," said Nicole.

Rick nodded. "We need to find out who and why. And we need to do it fast."

The group shared a determined look. They were a family, bound not by blood but by trust and loyalty. And they would protect their own, no matter the cost.

Asher and Rick went to the police to offer the evidence they had recovered. Rick was convinced that had he not been with Asher, his fears would have been dismissed and ignored. As they left the precinct, Tanner called to say a couple matching the description Joe had given them were headed off the island via ferry in a rented SUV.

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