Carpathian 15 - Dark Secret

She could see it in the stamp of arrogance on his face, the heat in his heavy-lidded smoldering eyes. She had no way of combating his hold over her. Colby still hadn't opened her eyes and didn't want to. "Has he been talking to you?"
    "Only this morning in the kitchen when everyone was looking at me and I was so scared. He was nice to me. He talked about Dad, and when Dad was little, and he said you weren't hurt very bad and not to worry, things had a way of working out. He said you were beautiful." Ginny clutched tightly at Colby's hand. "He made me feel safe and stood in front of me when I was crying so no one could see me."
    "That was very nice of him. Rafael seemed to be everywhere this morning. Fighting the fire, healing the horses, helping me, and now I hear he was looking out for you." Colby's voice sounded far away as if she was sliding back to sleep. She turned her face into the coolness of the pillow, inhaled Rafael's scent, and covered the mark on her neck with her palm, holding it like a caress against her skin.
    "He said it wasn't my fault and to talk to you about it," Ginny persisted.
    "He was right, baby, it wasn't your fault. I'm glad you called the dog last night. From now on if you need King you just go ahead and call him in every night. Ginny? I'm really tired, honey, I need to sleep."
    "Do you like him?"
    "Like who?" Colby asked, drifting further into a dream.
    "Rafael. Do you like him?"
    Colby smiled again. "No." Her voice was soft and sensuous.
    Ginny snuggled closer, a pleased smile on her face. "Yes, you do, I can tell by your voice."

    8

    The sun was slow in sinking behind the mountain, and dark ominous clouds began to float across the sky. The sky seemed alive with orange and red hues, as if the entire heavens were on fire. Deep below Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    the earth a single heart began to beat and Rafael awoke, his eyes snapping open, his first breath releasing in a long slow hiss of fury. Somewhere above him Colby's distress had awakened him from his rejuvenating slumber. She was fighting back tears, her mind chaotic and fearful.
    Rafael scanned the area to ensure he was completely alone before he burst through the surface, dirt spewing into the air like a geyser. He rose high into the air, shape-shifting as he did so, choosing the familiar form of the strong and powerful harpy eagle. Spreading his wings, he climbed even higher, grateful for the thickening cloud cover guarding his sensitive eyes. He soared above the ranch, inspecting the region closely, looking for potential trouble.
    The ranch seemed quiet enough, yet he knew Juan had found a steer, horribly mutilated, the animal killed quite recently. It had been a brutal, savage act, and the steer had been left in the water hole. He had taken the information from Colby's mind. He read Paul's mind as the boy stood in the shadows of the porch watching the blood red sunset and talking with his sister. In the body of the bird, Rafael flew higher and higher, unashamedly listening to every word of the conversation taking place below him, his sharp eyes taking in every movement on the ground, seeking to find hidden danger to his lifemate.
    "Were you with Juan when he found the steer?" Colby persisted. "How long was he out of your sight?"
    She was still fighting the effects of sleep, making a concentrated effort to be alert and listen to every detail of the distressing news.
    "The fence was down near the field, Colby," Paul said, his young voice weary. "I told Juan I could handle it by myself. They're fast workers, and they know what they're doing. I wanted you to be able to sleep. I thought if we split up we'd get more work done. I know you told me to keep an eye on both of them, but I worked with them most of the day and I…" He trailed off. "I'm sorry, Colby."
    She reached out to pull his hat lower over his eyes, a loving gesture meant to reassure him. "But you liked them," she finished for him. "I don't really think Juan killed the steer, Paul. It wouldn't be sensible to kill a steer, drag it into the water hole, and then 'find' it just so we could take it back out. The animal would have to be there for a while to foul the water hole. My guess is, whoever did this had that as their intention and Juan stumbled upon it too soon."
    "But he might have done it."
    Colby sighed. "Maybe. Did you look for tracks? Did you take a look at his clothes? His knife?"
    Paul's face colored slightly.