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  He'd never had a woman risk her life for him before. It was a little humbling that it was a human woman who had.

  *

  There was something, Amethyst mused, that was rather thrilling to see in Chase's expression each time he glanced back. A combination of concern and wonder.

  It was a far different look than the one of smug satisfaction on Brian's face, when he was looking at her. A look she belatedly realized that she hadn't seen once since the Werens had walked into the inn.

  She'd been prepared to accept his proposal, since it seemed no one else was showing enough interest to suggest they might tender one. Amethyst frowned slightly as she thought about it. Seven years before, as a sixteen-year-old debutante, she'd had no dearth of boys requesting the pleasure of her company for events that required one to have a partner.

  That had tapered off, so that by her eighteenth birthday, Brian was the only one constantly available to squire her to those events, and always at her side the instant she appeared at any that didn't require a partner in advance. The others had just stopped asking.

  The red head resolved to have a private word with Peter at the first opportunity. He'd been one that she'd attended a few events with, and they had enjoyed some park outings together. Not that she minded he'd stopped asking her out, since he and Sally were so well suited to one another. But surely he could explain why he had stopped and would if she asked.

  Having been lost in her thoughts, Amethyst was surprised to notice they'd reached level ground once more. Chase edged his horse alongside hers, reaching for the reins, so she surrendered them to him. Drawing them over her horse's head and looping them around his saddle horn once more, the Weren asked, "Can you load your bow one handed?"

  "I'm afraid not. The crank turns easily enough, but I have to hold it while doing that," she replied.

  "Hand it over, and I'll do it for you." It was somewhere between an order and an offer of assistance. Amethyst complied, watching him quickly crank the bow as she rummaged for a fresh bolt to hand him. Finishing, he asked, "Safety off?"

  "No, you can set it. I can do that one handed, if I need to," she assured him. Accepting the small crossbow as he handed it to her, the red head smiled her thanks.

  "Does your cheek hurt?" The bruise had developed, and looked painful to the Weren.

  "Not badly, no." Having forgotten that she'd injured it until his question, Amethyst suddenly felt an ache. A tentative touch informed her that it was hot and sore.

  The shape shifter read her expression and informed her, "It's bruised. Not extremely bad, so I don't think the bone's cracked."

  "Oh. I sort of, um, fell when trying to catch hold of the rope." Amethyst looked down at her front, noticing how dirty she was for the first time. "I suppose that's obvious, though."

  "Fell?" Kyle chuckled as he came along on her other side. "You didn't fall. She saw the orc about to cut it, turned and shot him. Bad luck he still managed to catch the rope, that's what it was. She took two running steps and dove for it, grabbed it just as it finished coming apart. Showed good judgment in where she caught it, too."

  "How does one go about catching a rope correctly in such a situation?" Sally curiously asked.

  "Well, catch the end, you lose it fast. Catch too close to whatever edge it's going over and you're gonna go over pretty damn quick yourself. Right in the middle, and being flat on the ground helped." Kyle grinned at her as Amethyst looked over at him. "You didn't even lose your gun."

  "Gave me enough time to catch hold of something," Chase remarked.

  "And me enough time to get over there and grab it myself," Kyle added. The shape shifter reached over and gently tweaked a red tress. "You're pretty strong for such a little thing. And tough. Someone else might've let go when the rope started taking off skin."

  Blushing, Amethyst turned her eyes back to her bandaged hand. "I couldn't let him fall."

  *

  When she was a little girl, Amethyst dreamed about the man she'd grow up to marry. Those dreams were aided by old stories passed down from her Terran forebears and her more recent ancestors.

  Tales of men who were quiet and strong; who insured peace was kept without resorting to just beating down anyone who disturbed it. Men who tamed wild frontiers, surviving against incredible odds.

  Men like Chase and his fellow Weren. It was incredibly romantic to the red head that she was riding with men like that, who could've stepped straight off the pages of those old tales. That mysterious glimmering in Chase's eyes earlier was something she hoped to discover the meaning of. An interest in her? One that might perhaps, become love with some time? Turning her head, she gazed at his profile until he caught her looking.

  "What's going on behind those eyes of yours?" he asked, voice a quiet rumble of sound.

  "I'm thinking about my future, actually. I seem to be doing that quite a lot, these past few days," she replied easily.

  "Strange. I've been doing a bit of thinking about my own future," Chase said, wondering if a man could ever grow tired of looking into Amethyst's eyes. It wasn't just the color of them, but the way her emotions seemed to shine brightly from them that he found intriguing.

  They smiled at each other, oblivious to Brian's sullen stare and Bran's smacking Kyle on the arm as the latter silently urged Chase to kiss her. The two made faces at each other. Kyle mouthed 'What?' while looking injured and rubbing his arm. Bran scowled at him, to Curtis' amusement.

  The burly shape shifter was happy Chase was showing such intent interest in the woman. He'd been worried ever since Delphine had left Chase, because his friend and pack leader had closed down. He hadn't been surprised when Chase announced they were going to the border.

  Amethyst was good for him, and the glow that was beginning to show on her face every time she looked at Chase spoke volumes. She was falling for him; and Curtis grinned at them. She'd make a good leader's wife. She was kind, caring, but stubborn. She'd need that stubbornness, dealing with Chase on a regular basis.

  Yeah, the two of them will make a fine pair, Curtis thought.

  *

  "It's horrible," Sally whimpered, turning and burying her face into Peter's chest as he put consoling arms around her. "All those poor people!"

  Chase still held Amethyst's elbow. He spoke quietly. "They've been ravaged pretty badly. I don't think you should look for your sister's body."

  "I must," she whispered, looking up with huge eyes in her whitened face. "What if she's not here? What if they took her?"

  "If they took her, she's dead," Chase replied. "Here or elsewhere, she wouldn't have survived. I'm sorry, Amethyst, I really am. If you want, I'll look for her, but you don't need to. You don't need to see anymore than you have."

  "I...you will look for her?" she asked and he nodded, gesturing Kyle over.

  "Take them to those trees. Bran, go with them. Curtis, you're with me."

  "Sure, boss."

  The two began checking the piles of bodies and wood that had once been wagons. It was a thankless task that both would've preferred to pass on. At the second mound, Chase closed his eyes upon seeing the tiny bones scatted about. What sort of clueless idiots had these people been, to bring babies and children into the Deadlands?

  The fourth pile was where they discovered the remains of Pearl. The job of identifying her was easy enough. A locket around her neck revealed a tiny picture of her and Amethyst. Removing it, Chase wiped it clean before gathering chain and locket into one hand.

  Curtis gave him a compassionate look. "She's gonna take it rough."

  "She's known since before she left Taryton," Chase replied. "She might need a little time, but this will bring her a measure of peace."

  "I think it'll help, you being the one to tell her for sure," Curtis tendered his opinion. "Think she's coming to like you a little."

  "Do you think so? I do, but thought maybe I was seeing something because I wanted to," Chase admitted.

  "Hell yeah. That girl is plumb starting to shine when
she looks at you, Chase." A smug grin appeared on the burly shape shifter's face. "We all like her. Told you she'd do."

  Chase blinked. "What?"

  "Never mind."

  *

  They walked towards the trees, aware of the humans' eyes watching their approach. Chase went directly to Amethyst, who wore an expression of resigned acceptance. Catching her uninjured hand, he murmured '"I'm sorry" while laying the locket in it.

  "Thank you, Chase." Amethyst nodded once, then bowed her head over the delicate bauble and moved away to the edge of the trees. Once she was out of earshot, Brian spoke quietly. "Now we can return home."

  "I suppose so," Sally replied, before following the red head. Reaching Amethyst, she slipped an arm around her shoulders and the two women's heads came to rest against each other without either speaking a word.

  "You want to find a camping place, start back in the morning?" Curtis asked Chase, keeping his voice low. "It's getting late."

  "Yeah, we don't want to try the trail back up in the dark," the Weren agreed. Gathering the reins of his and Amethyst's mounts, Chase led them over to where the two women stood. Sally noted his approach. Kissing Amethyst’s cheek, she nodded to him as she passed by, leaving to collect her own horse.

  The shape shifter led the horses closer, feeling as though he were intruding. Amethyst dashed away a tear when she noticed him. In an apologetic tone, Chase said, "It's getting late. We need to find a place to camp."

  "Of course. Would you mind doing me yet another favor? I can't manage the catch one handed. Would you put this on me?" She held up the necklace while making the request.

  "Sure." Looping both sets of reins over his arm, the Weren took it and fumbled the clasp open. Lifting it over her head as she turned and moved her hair out of the way, Chase fastened it. Unable to resist the opportunity presented, the shape shifter brushed his fingertips over the soft skin at the nape of her neck before dropping his hand. "I'll help you on your horse."

  Turning, she responded with a soft smile.

  As he was lifting her into the saddle, Chase caught the thick, heavily acrid scent of orcs. Several and they were close. Growls rumbled from his three pack mates and he snapped his order. "Ride!"

  They obeyed, taking the other three humans with them. Amethyst grabbed her bow up as Chase leaped into his own saddle, dragging her horse alongside. Kicking his black gelding into motion, he sent it after the others, only to pull up short as half a dozen orcs appeared in front of them. A bolt took the closest in the face, slamming its body backwards to the ground. Both drew their pistols, but Amethyst's bay screamed and lurched heavily away, the reins snapping from where Chase had dropped them over his saddle horn.

  Chase fired twice, hitting one orc and sending it to the ground. The flat of a heavy blade smashed into his wrist, knocking the pistol from his grip. Amethyst shrieked as he turned his horse. Catching her wide-eyed gaze, Chase shifted. His clothing shredded while his body grew. The Weren leaped, but wasn't in time to catch her as the bay screamed and reared, two orcs slashing away at it. She hit the ground and rolled, stopping in a sprawled, motionless heap.

  The horse fell over backwards, thrashing wildly, and crushed one orc. Chase ripped the head off another, then disemboweled a third while lunging past it. Whirling around, he found the last raising its sword over the red head's unmoving body.

  Chase could hear shots and the howls of his pack mates fading in the distance as he leaped towards the orc.

  Seven

  Snarling, Chase slammed into the orc standing over Amethyst. The resulting tangle of dark bodies landed near the still struggling horse; a hoof glanced off the Weren's shoulder, causing him to flinch while the orc snarled back. It was trying to free its’ knife arm, but Chase got a large hand around the orc's thick neck.

  A crack stopped the noise and fight. Rising, Chase glanced at Amethyst, then the bay. It was bleeding from the knife slashes and one foreleg was broken. His own horse had disappeared. Sighing, the Weren moved, quickly breaking the suffering animal's neck. One shudder followed the dull crack and it was over. Hurrying to the woman's side, he let out a second sigh, this one of relief that she was breathing.

  The Weren carefully checked her limbs for broken bones. The smell of blood was strong in the air. Orcs, the horse's and hers, he realized when he spotted the wound at her hairline. Talons were useless for exploring it and Chase didn't dare change back just yet.

  Lowering his muzzle, he licked it clean, already feeling a lump forming as his tongue slid over the spot. Drawing back, he inspected it before welling blood obscured it from view again. It wasn't bad, just a small gash. Satisfied, he bent and licked it clean a second time before rising. They had to get away from this spot before the blood scent drew more orcs.

  The Weren hoped the others had managed to stay together, or that at least each human had one of his pack by their side. Gathering Amethyst's saddlebags and bedroll from the fallen horse, Chase looked around. To his surprise, her crossbow laid undamaged close by the horse. Collecting it, he found his gun belt before tying everything together and slinging the saddlebags over one shoulder.

  Crouching beside Amethyst again, he cleaned the wound a third time, feeling uneasy about moving her. What if her back or neck is injured? A murmur sounded. One slender hand rose to push weakly at his muzzle. Another wave of relief filled the Weren as he sat back to watch her eyes flutter open. She blinked, her gaze not as direct as he'd have liked. "Chase?"

  Nodding, the shape shifter waited patiently. Another blink and some awareness seeped into her expression. "My head aches dreadfully, but I don't think anything else hurts."

  Pleased with her lack of panic, Chase responded with a low croon while sliding one arm under her knees. Amethyst understood he meant to carry her and pushed herself upright. She winced and swayed, biting down on her bottom lip. "Ooh, my head."

  Other arm wrapping around her, the Weren quietly whined. To his surprise, she smiled. "I'm sure I'll be all right."

  Moving slowly, he rose with her cradled to his chest and Amethyst spotted her horse. "Oh! The poor thing. He was a grand horse."

  Grunting softly in agreement, Chase began walking. The sun was setting and they'd need shelter from the coming night and rain he could scent on the air. Preferably, some place easily defensible.

  Laying her head on his shoulder, Amethyst lifted a hand to tangle fingers in the long fur adorning his chest. "You're quite soft."

  She didn't say anything else, having fainted. Tilting his head, Chase regarded her for a long moment. Maybe she wouldn't refuse him outright. Maybe she'd give him a chance.

  *

  The faint smell of fresh water led him to a small cave just as the sky began to leak. Bending almost double to enter the cave's mouth, Chase found he could stand upright inside. Dried detritus crackled underfoot as he took a step while scanning the space. It was the scattered remains of some long gone animal's nest. There was a small pool of water near the back and a crack close to the roof allowed the flow of fresh air. There were no signs the cave had been flooded at any point.

  Satisfied, Chase moved to the far left of the entrance and used a clawed foot to scrape an area free of the debris before gently laying Amethyst down. Shrugging the saddlebags off his shoulder, the Weren used the tips of his talons to untie knots. A crack of thunder heralded the true arrival of rain, a downpour that drummed relentlessly on the stony ground outside. Ignoring it, Chase unrolled the bedroll, moved the unconscious woman onto it, and covered her with the blanket.

  A sniff and cautious touch of his tongue assured him her wound had stopped bleeding and scabbed over, so he went to work scraping all of the old nesting material littering the place into a large pile. Studying it, Chase decided there would be enough to keep a small fire burning all night long. Separating a starter pile, he used loose rocks to build a fire ring.

  They'd need the warmth. Even through his fur, he could feel the temperature rapidly falling. Returning to her saddlebags, the sha
pe shifter carefully dug through them until he found the fire starter and packets of jerky and dried fruit he'd insisted everyone carry. A faint moan called his attention back to Amethyst when she stirred.

  Whining softly, he bent to snuffle at her hair and brushed the backs of two fingers across one cheek. Her eyes opened, but it was much too dark for her to be able to make anything out. Chase stayed close long enough for her to raise a hand, lightly touching his. He blinked when she smiled.

  Gently disengaging, he turned back and began working to light the fire. It was harder to use the fire starter with his larger combination of paws and hands, but at last, flames began to flicker.

  "Oh, that's better," Amethyst said quietly. "Now I can see you again."

  Turning, the Weren anxiously surveyed her face, searching for revulsion or fear. She'd been dazed earlier, but neither was present as she smiled. "I wouldn't have believed you could be more impressive, Chase. I now stand corrected."