Page 13 of Shifter Mate Magic
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Trevor muttered a litany of curses as he decelerated for yet another sharp curve that he couldn’t see around. It meant going slowly enough to stay in his lane, so as not to scare the life out of any oncoming traffic and cause an accident.
“The threat map says those three red ‘scout’ dots are really close. We should be able to see them soon.” She’d been alternating between watching the map and turning to look behind them.
Jackie sounded tense, but not panicked, which helped keep his bear from worrying about her. His mate was one hell of a magnificent woman. He wasn’t anywhere good enough for her, but he aimed to become so. If she’d have him. If they lived long enough.
With its big engine and no load, his truck had made great time, until the road narrowed and started winding. He didn’t remember the mountainsides being so steep and rocky the last time he’d been through there.
“Could I try an experimental spell on your passenger-side mirror? If it works, it’ll show us the first vehicles behind us, regardless of how far back they are.”
“Go for it.” The sun had been high in the sky, but now, it was tilting west and creating shaded sections on the road. The sharp contrasts dazzled his human eyes, so he borrowed a bit of his bear to compensate. Being an alpha, with the half-shift capabilities it brought, had its advantages, even if he had no clan to serve and lead.
A brief pulse against his magical senses came from Jackie as she rolled down the window and touched the big mirror.
“What the hell?” Her consternation was plain.
He slowed for another blind curve and ignored the temptation to take his eyes from the road. “What?”
“It’s three men on low-slung motorcycles, like right out of the old movie Easy Rider.”
A bus-sized recreational vehicle rounded the bend in front of him at a dangerously fast speed and veered into his lane. He cursed and steered his truck as far right as he dared. At the last possible second, the RV recovered and swerved back into its own lane. He was tempted to blast his loud air horn, but the jerk was already gone.
“The motorcycles just passed the ‘falling rocks’ sign. They’ll see us soon on one of the mountain curves.” She made a frustrated sound. “The map shows they’re a threat, but Roehm hasn’t done business with anyone in Wyoming.”
He took advantage of a comparatively long and straight stretch to accelerate. “Maybe they’re meaning to attack Kotoyeesinay, and we’re just in their way.”
“Maybe”—she pointed to the map—“but the town still shows bright blue. It should show red if it’s trouble for us.”
Up ahead, the mountains rose steeper. A curve revealed part of the road on the next hill, and two more cars coming down, including a vintage Jaguar that was zipping around the slower modern Cadillac. Fates deliver him from cretins in convertibles who thought narrow mountain roads were their own Grand Prix course. “Where is all this traffic coming from?”
“It’s the end of a summer weekend,” Jackie said. “And besides, didn’t you say the town has a casino? Rich people like to gamble. Barry sure did.”
The threat map showed the red swarm creeping closer. “Do you have a spell that can make us invisible?”
“No, sorry. I can’t hide something as big as your truck.”
He took the inside curve more slowly than he wanted because he didn’t trust the oncoming traffic would see him in time. Fortunately, the two cars went by without any trouble. He almost missed the small sign that said five miles to Kotoyeesinay. Encouraging, but a hell of a lot of road for trouble to catch up to them.
“Besides,” she continued, “if we were invisible, we’d be a worse traffic hazard than those Hell’s Angels wannabes behind us.” She leaned closer to her window to stare at the mirror. “Oh, shit. I recognize those vests. That’s what Wiley the coyote and his fur-butt drinking buddy wore.”
He cursed. “How did they find us?”
“Good question. Are the coyotes working with Roehm and his Mad Max rejects, or do they want something else? And how did Roehm find us?”
“Mad Max?” He downshifted and hugged the lane divider on the outside curve. His bear might be fine going down the side of a mountain, but his truck wouldn’t fare so well. Neither would his mate.
She made a rude sound. “Muscle cars with spike grills, Jeeps with harpoons on top-mount turrets, you name it. The pride has a chop shop in the compound where they break down stolen cars for parts. Their hobby is customizing the pride’s vehicles.”
“Great.” He slowed for a hairpin turn that would take them higher up the mountain. “The fates hate me.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds. Roehm drove off the only talented mechanic they had. The rest of them barely know which end of a welder to point away from their face.”
“They can still cause us a world of hurt.” He glanced quickly at her before focusing on the road. “Does Roehm want you dead or alive?”
“Alive, because...” She swore a loud, vicious oath. “I’m a bonehead. I know how he found us. He’s using a purchased tracking spell to follow the ledger. I was going to turn them over to the Shifter Tribunal as evidence. I used my magic to hide them from sight in my saddle bags, but not from magical sight.”
She twisted and fished behind her seat as he navigated a hairpin turn. He felt her magic flare like a sensuous brush of velvet on his skin. “They’re truly hidden now, but it doesn’t help us much. They already know where we are.”
