“We managed to take the man down.” He neglected to mention it was Cameo who had shot him because he felt sure she wouldn’t like to be reminded of what she had done. He didn’t want her talking about going to the authorities again. “The man revealed more were coming. Knox went to head them off.”
Saint nodded in the direction of the Ridge. “Come on. We’ll talk more about it when we have you both warmed up.”
Lowe wrapped his good arm around Cameo and helped her, limping with her back to the clearing. He had never been so happy or so scared to see his cabin as it came into view. His heart thundered, the thought of having to sit Cameo down and tell her everything making him shake a little.
She glanced up at him. “Are you cold?”
He shook his head and met her gaze. He wasn’t sure what to say to her. If he admitted he was nervous, would it make her soften towards him? Maybe make it easier for him to convince her that his being a bear shifter wasn’t a bad thing? Admitting he was nervous felt a little like he was confessing he was guilty about something though. At least, he was sure that was what she would make of it.
The two big males striding towards them provided a good distraction, had Cameo tensing and tucking closer to him when she noticed them.
“It’s okay,” he murmured and rubbed her arm. “It’s just Rune and Maverick.”
And damn, it felt good to see the two of them.
Maverick cut an imposing figure dressed in a black wool coat that reached his knees, hugging his athletic frame, and equally dark jeans. His onyx hair was wild on top, as if he had been running his hand through it, and his clear grey eyes held a sharp edge as he stormed towards them.
But Lowe figured it was Rune who had made Cameo lock up tight.
The big six-seven male looked every bit the fighter he was with his dark hair cut close to his scalp, the scar that darted up from his left temple into his hair clearly visible, and a black woollen sweater moulded to his broad chest and huge biceps like a second skin. He clenched his fists, causing his forearms to flex, and his expression darkened, his ice-blue eyes growing as frigid as a glacier when they narrowed on Cameo.
Lowe bared fangs at the male, warning him to take his eyes off her. While he was no match for Rune in a fight, it wouldn’t stop him from attacking the male. Cameo was his. He tugged her a little closer, that action enough to have Rune shifting his cold gaze to Saint.
“What’s up?” Saint looked from Rune to Maverick, asking what was on Lowe’s mind too.
The two bears often looked as if they were on edge, but this felt different to him, and he had the feeling it wasn’t because there was a human female—Cameo—at the Ridge.
“We’re not the only arrivals.” Maverick’s deep voice was a low growl as he shoved his fingers through his hair. “Scented four males and a female at the trailhead.”
Cameo whispered, “Karl.”
Maverick slid her a dark look. “Who’s Karl? Someone to do with you? Figure you’re the one who got my pride into this mess.”
Rather than shrinking back against Lowe, she stood her ground, but Lowe could feel the fear in her, together with the guilt.
“Back down, Maverick,” Saint growled before Lowe could say anything and the big black-haired bear immediately backed off, his gaze shifting to him.
“Knox has gone to head them off and lead them away from the Ridge and the Creek.” Lowe’s chest constricted as he thought about his brother out there, unaware of what he was up against.
Four males and a female. All of them were probably armed too.
Knox was going to have to be damned careful about dealing with them if he was going to survive this, and Lowe had the terrible fear that his twin wouldn’t take the necessary precautions, would try to deal with them quickly and all at once.
“Knox will be fine.” Saint came to him and clutched his left shoulder, lightly squeezing it.
Lowe looked at him, catching the belief he heard in those words in his eyes, and then at the others. Rune and Maverick looked as if they believed the same thing. He glanced at Cameo.
Guilt shone in her blue eyes and she lowered them to her feet, avoiding his gaze.
Lowe turned to her as Saint stepped back. He gently touched her chin, pressing two fingers to it and lifting it up. She still wouldn’t look at him.
“This isn’t your fault, Cameo.” He wanted to make the others leave, but knew in his heart that they wouldn’t. His pride stuck together and none of them would want to leave him out here alone with only a human female for company when he was injured, exposed and vulnerable to attack.
She swallowed hard and glanced at him, her eyes leaping to lock with his before they darted away again. “It is. I got you all involved in my problem and now Knox is out there—”
“Knox can handle these people.” And this time he believed that. His brother was strong, brave, and a fighter. He was clever too. As much as he feared that Knox would go in there with metaphorical guns blazing, he knew deep in his soul that he wouldn’t.
Knox would scout the group and come up with a plan, would find a way to divide and conquer the enemy.
“He’ll be back before any of us knows it and he’ll probably have some wild tales to tell us, all of which will sound a little too tall to believe… but they’ll probably be one hundred percent true.” He feathered his fingers along her jaw as she finally looked at him, her eyes colliding with his, and hope shone in hers. Hope he felt deep in his heart. “Come on. Let’s get warmed up.”
She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers over his chest, close to the bullet wound. “We should take care of this.”
Maverick opened his mouth to say something and Lowe shot him down with a glare, fearing that the male was about to offer his services in that department. He wanted to be alone with Cameo, could feel she needed a moment to breathe, without his friends surrounding her. She needed to be alone with him. He needed that too.
Because Knox wasn’t the only one facing a tough battle, one that might end badly for him.
Lowe gathered his courage, aware he was going to need it.
Stared into Cameo’s eyes.
“We need to talk.”
Chapter 18
“We need to talk.”
Cameo had never heard more ominous words. They rattled around her head as she helped Lowe back to his cabin, as the other men and Holly left them alone at the steps to the deck. Saint gave Lowe a look she could easily interpret, one that said Lowe wasn’t the only one who wanted to talk about something.
She limped up the steps to the deck, managed a smile as Lowe opened the door for her. She hobbled inside and straight over to her pain meds, picked them up and stared at them. The logical part of her brain had convinced her that the pills were responsible for the fact she had seen Lowe transform from a bear into a man, and it still clung to that. The thought that he might actually be able to change forms was far too out there for her tired mind to grasp, but she tried to make it sink in.
Tried to make herself believe it.
Partly because she was hoping this talk Lowe wanted to have revolved around that fact.
It struck her that she had been right to feel Black Ridge had a secret, and it was one that she never would have guessed.
One that blew her mind.