Hunter's Heart (Alpha Pack #4)(63)

Rinsing the last of the soap from her body, she pushed her wet hair back and opened her eyes to see Ryon grinning at her like a fool. "Nice show."

"Hey, no fair!" she squeaked playfully. She smiled back-and then a strange thing happened.

Ryon's grin withered, and he rose slowly, frowning, looking past her.

"What is it?"

His expression bloomed into a mask of horror, and he yelled at her. "Get out of the water! Get out!"

Ryon stooped, retrieved the knife from his boot and broke into a dead run as Daria spun about. Nothing but a weird ripple in the water, no more than fifteen feet away. No, not just a ripple. More like something gliding, but she couldn't see what. At first.

"Daria, get out!"

Ben was here. And the beast was in control.

She barely caught the distorted outline of the creature's huge bulk, then turned and lunged for the bank, too terrified to scream. Her feet slipped on the slimy bottom and she went down. Scrambling, she dug her toes in and shoved forward, heart pounding in her throat. Frantic, she glanced back to see the beast sloshing through the water now, right at her back, jaws gaping. Snaggled, ugly teeth were ready to tear into her skin. She found her voice.

"Ryon!"

He plunged into the water and leapt at the creature, landing on top of it just as it reached her. Daria stumbled onto the bank, panting in fear. Ryon was straddling the monster's back, his arms wrapped around the large head. The thing had to be more than twice his height, its strength incredible. The beast tried to pull him off, then twisted in a violent roll, over and over, moving Ryon into deeper water where it would attempt to drown him. Or tear him apart.

"Oh my God! Ryon!"

The water churned with the force of their battle. Each time the creature would roll, it held Ryon under longer, wearing him down. Toying with him, it showed a keen intelligence that was more frightening than if it had been blindly slashing at its prey like before. As it flipped Ryon upright, he'd emerge gasping, arms straining to hold on to the beast and the knife.

Desperate, she considered his rifle. No good. She couldn't shoot the creature without perhaps hitting Ryon. And the bullets would likely have no effect anyway.

The knife flashed in Ryon's hand. With one mighty lunge, the beast thrashed, dislodging Ryon from his back. And disappeared. Treading water, Ryon sucked in gulps of air, casting about for the beast.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I stabbed it," he sputtered, chest heaving. "It went under."

It couldn't be that easy. Terror rose, for her mate and for Ben. "Hurry and come out of there." He glanced at her, nodded, and began to swim without a word about her state of undress.

Daria had slipped into a pair of panties and was reaching for her bra when he stopped swimming. "What on earth are you doing?"

Ryon's body jerked in the water. His eyes widened in disbelief just before he was slammed. He threw back his head and screamed in agony, flailing. Then he was yanked downward, and the water closed over his head. This time he didn't resurface.

"Ryon? Ryon!"

Daria stood immobile, unable to comprehend for a moment what had just happened. Bubbles rose from the depths, along with a bright stain of blood. So much of it that the entire area where he'd gone under ran completely red. Her stomach clenched, and she fought back the sickness, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Nooo." A sob welled in her chest, then another.

Ryon was gone. He'd suffered a horrendous death, and it was her fault for insisting they stop here. For keeping after him until he agreed to help her save Ben-her ex-lover. The man, the creature, who'd murdered him.

My mate. Tears streamed down her face.

Shoulders shaking, she stared out over the water. She didn't care if Ben came back and ate her as well. Not now. Then, abruptly, the water swirled and Ryon exploded to the surface, choking.

Numb with fear, she ran to meet him as he swam to where he could stand. He staggered toward her, limping badly. She waded out to him, draping one of his arms around her neck and grabbing him around the waist.

Ryon made it to the bank before his knees buckled. She sat beside him, patting his back as he knelt on all fours, coughing and gagging. Ironic, but she'd never beheld a more welcome sight than her mate hacking up his lungs.

"I was scared to death," she murmured, wiping at her tears. They wouldn't seem to stop. "I thought you were dead."

"Me, too," he rasped. "But I think you would've known for sure if I was gone, because our bond would've been severed."

Pausing, she realized the golden thread was still there, humming with life, energy. Letting out a sigh of relief, she nodded. "You're right. I wasn't thinking straight or I would've felt that it was still intact."

"I lost my knife during that round."

"All that blood in the water," she said, shuddering.

"Most of it was his, but I think he still got away. Or he came to himself enough that he let me go."

"What do you mean, most of the blood was his?"

His strength spent, Ryon slumped to the ground. Daria rolled him to his back, and he grimaced in pain, closing his eyes. His head listed to the side and his body went slack. He'd passed out.

Daria brushed his sunlit hair out of his face, and love welled in her heart. Ryon had placed himself on the line for her again, and this time, his bravery had nearly killed him. The truth she had already accepted and voiced to Ryon seeped to every corner of her soul; she loved this man and would not accept life without him.