Page 14 of Mitchell’s Untamed Mate (More Than Human #2)

I t was early afternoon by the time they arrived at the spot where they would begin their hike. It wasn’t far from where they had been captured. Mitchell slid out of the back seat and scanned the area. He turned when Van touched his arm.

“You good?”

He nodded. He wasn’t sure what he was good about, but it seemed easier to just nod. Following the others to the back of the SUV, he collected his pack and slid it on.

“How long will it take to reach your people?” Peterson asked.

He had kept the location and the time it would take to reach his clan to himself. The need to protect them was engrained in the very fabric of his soul. Returning to the spot where other shifters, those with less honorable intentions, had hunted humans only amplified his resolve.

“A few days,” he replied.

Van stepped around the SUV. “Can you be a little more specific? Two, three, five?”

“A few, guys. Let it go,” Tracy ordered.

Van and Peterson looked at each other and shrugged.

“You heard the boss. We let it go,” Peterson said, sliding his pack on and fastening the straps.

“Never argue with the boss,” Van agreed.

Mitchell studied the two men and Tracy with a frown. Tracy mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ‘Fat chance of that’ , while Peterson grinned and Van gave him a wink. He shook his head. The three of them reminded him of him, Jace, Ella, and Jayden when they were younger.

“This way,” he said.

There was a slight pause as Van hurried to grab his pack and lock the vehicle. Mitchell headed into the woods. He didn’t bother covering his tracks. There was no reason to, considering the vehicle was there and would mark the spot where they started.

Tracy fell in behind him. “Aren’t we supposed to be heading the other way?” she asked.

He flashed her a grin. “We will, once we get to the other side of the river. If anyone was to follow us, they would believe this is the direction to my people.”

“Ah. We’re taking the scenic route,” she responded.

“Yes.”

An hour later, he paused at the edge of the river and stared across. Van and Peterson emerged out of the woods and came to stand on either side of him and Tracy. He motioned at the river.

“We cross here.”

“Here? Why here? There’s a bridge five miles downstream. We could cross there,” Peterson suggested.

He looked over his shoulder. “You may cross there. I will cross here,” he stated.

They would be crossing this river four times before they turned to the north. This was the widest section. It would help cover any scent trails they left behind. His primary focus was to cause confusion should anyone try to follow them.

He walked to the edge of the water and began wading into it. The current was strong, but nothing he couldn’t handle. It would take him downriver a few hundred yards.

Frigid mountain water swirled around his waist. He was weighed down by his soaked clothing. The pack he wore on his back would be even heavier. Leaning forward, he began swimming.

The current in the center of the river caught him, sucking him under and causing him to roll. He didn’t fight against it. Instead, he let it take him as he continued kicking.

Surprise struck him when something grabbed the pack on his back and jerked him forward and up. His first thought was his pack had caught on a log floating downriver. The trouble with that analysis was a log might carry him downstream, but it wouldn’t carry him across the river, or lift him out of the water.

He pulled in a deep breath and shook his head to clear his vision. Wiping a hand across his eyes, he caught the sight of dark brown fur out of his peripheral vision. He stumbled when his feet touched the rocky bottom on the other side. Whatever had snagged him wasn’t letting go. He could feel his body being dragged out of the water until he was unceremoniously deposited on the other side.

Lying on his back, he stared up at the massive grizzly bear standing over him. The enormous creature shook, sending droplets of water everywhere. He tried to crawl back, but stopped when the beast glared down at him.

Humor fought with disbelief when the beast opened its mouth and released a mixture of curses, growls, and snorts of displeasure. He hadn’t realized that shifters could still talk when in their animal form until that moment. He winced when Tracy placed her paw against his chest and pressed him backwards.

“If you ever scare the daylights out of me again like that, I’ll do more than drag your ass out of the water! What were you thinking? You could have drowned! When I saw you go under, I?—”

Her voice faded when he reached up and cupped each side of her face. She rapidly blinked and her lower lip trembled. He caressed her dark, wet fur with a sense of awe.

“You’re beautiful, even if you do look like you want to bite my head off,” he soothed.

She bowed her head and pressed it against his chest. He released a low grunt. He knew she was trying to control her bear. He would withstand the discomfort for as long as she needed.

“Hey, Tracy. I think you might want to let him breathe. No sense in saving his life only to squish him,” Van commented, wading ashore.

Tracy lifted her head and growled at Van. Mitchell took the opportunity to pull a deep breath into his starving lungs. He continued scratching her bear along the side of her neck.

“I wasn’t in trouble,” he said.

“You looked like it to us,” Peterson replied. “I got your bag, Trace. I hope you brought a change of clothes.”

“I did,” Tracy growled.

Mitchell sat up when Tracy rose and walked over to the wet backpack. She picked it up in her mouth, turned, and stalked off toward the forest. He rotated on the smooth rocks, following her with his eyes.

“Next time, give us a little warning. Tracy might have handled it better if she knew you were okay,” Peterson suggested.

He nodded and rose. “I thought she would know considering this is my home.”

“She might, but her bear is a bit sensitive right now. It will be extremely protective of you. When you disappeared under the water and didn’t come back up right away—” Van shook his head before he continued, “You need to understand that our other half can be a bit difficult to control at first.”

“At first? At first what?” he replied, confused.

Van and Peterson looked at each other before they shrugged and focused back on him. “When we first find our mates, we tend to become a little possessive and overly protective. It is in our DNA.”

“Yeah. Our hormones can go crazy,” Peterson added with a grimace.

He turned when the two men looked over his shoulder. Tracy stepped out of the woods. She had changed into a dark blue tank top with a long sleeve dark blue shirt over it, a pair of hiking pants, and a pair of running shoes. He frowned at her footwear.

“Where are your boots?” he asked.

“Downstream,” she snapped before she looked away.

He didn’t miss the tears glittering in her eyes when she glared at him. He walked over to her and touched her chin. She refused to look at him at first. She sniffed loudly before she finally looked up.

“I’m sorry. I should have waited for you. I would have been alright. You don’t have to worry about me,” he said.

Her lip trembled, and she impatiently brushed a stray tear from her cheek. “Yeah, well, get used to it. Give me some warning next time… please. It might help.”

“I will. I promise.”

Leaning down, he pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. He could tell she was still upset when she didn’t relax at first. With a sigh, she leaned into him and returned his kiss.

“Uh, now that the almost not drowning is done, I suggest we take this someplace a little less open,” Peterson suggested behind them.

Mitchell reluctantly released Tracy’s lips. He rested his forehead against hers while he calmed his hammering heart. Breathing deeply, he released her, nodded, and turned toward the forest.

He paused when he reached the edge of the woods and turned, scanning the other side of the river. A shiver ran down his spine. He felt like they were being watched.

“What is it?” Tracy murmured, touching his arm and looking back across the river.

Van and Peterson turned as well. He shook his head, turned, and headed into the forest. The feeling stayed with him.

Lucien stood in the shadows and watched the group across the river disappear into the woods. He had witnessed Tracy Bearclaw’s transformation halfway across the river, her fur bristling as she swam with incredible speed to save the human. Any doubt about her feelings for the human, or his emotions for her, vanished completely when he witnessed the scene of her pulling him to shore and the tender embrace that followed.

He contemplated his next move. The human had somehow sensed they were being followed. He didn’t know enough about humans to understand what skills they might possess.

Had humans developed the ability to sense a shifter? Was that how they had avoided discovery all these centuries?

The possibility made him wary. Glancing down at his phone, he released a low chuckle. Luckily, he could follow without being seen.

He studied the bright red dot moving across his screen. Thanks to the little gift Lorne had tucked into his brother’s pack, he wouldn’t have to worry about losing them. He would use the bridge farther downstream to cross the river, then pick up their trail again.

Humming under his breath, he backtracked to his vehicle. A look at the map showed there was a trailhead near the bridge where he could park. It would be a bit out of the way, but at least he wouldn’t have to hike in wet clothing.

No sense making this difficult on myself if I don’t need to , he thought with smug satisfaction .

Mitchell glanced up at the sky. It would be dark in less than an hour. They needed to make camp for the night. Already he could feel the chill in the air. It didn’t help that his clothes were still damp from their multiple crossings of the river. After the third time, Van and Peterson had asked him if he knew where he was going.

“There is a place a half mile from here where we can stop for the night,” he said.

Peterson gave him a skeptical look. “Are you sure? We’ve been weaving back and forth and heading in circles most of the day until the last two hours,” he said.

Mitchell shot Peterson a smile. “I know.”

He could feel Peterson’s eyes drilling a hole through his back as he continued along the narrow trail. Tracy mumbled for the two guys to knock it off. Amusement struck him when they started teasing her.

“Come on, Trace, you have to admit it has been weird. We’re in the river, then we’re out of the river, then we’re back in the river, and then we’re back out of the river. I felt like we were playing a video game to see how miserable we could be walking around in cold, wet clothes all day before we gave up!” Peterson joked.

“I’m ready. My—” Van quipped before he cleared his throat and thought twice about what he was going to say. “Let’s just say cold water works. Hey, Mitchell, did you know that wolves hate water?”

“No, they don’t,” Tracy snapped.

“Who do you know that likes the smell of wet dog hair?” Van countered.

Tracy huffed. “Okay, I’ll agree with that.”

“So, what’s the deal? Do you know where we’re going, or are you lost?” Van asked.

Mitchell glanced over his shoulder. “I know where we are going. It’s just?—”

His voice faded. He looked away and shook his head. What was he supposed to say? He had a feeling ? They would probably laugh. Shifters were the ones who could sense and smell danger. All he had was his gut instincts.

“What is it?” Peterson asked, his tone serious.

Mitchell stopped and turned on the trail to face the group. He looked behind them, scanning the woods. The nagging feeling that something was wrong had continued to hound him all day.

“At the river… it felt like we were being followed,” he confessed.

Van’s easy expression hardened. He turned to scan the forest behind them. He lifted his chin and sniffed the air.

“I don’t smell anything and my wolf is calm,” Van murmured.

A swift shaft of anger swept through Mitchell. He knew what he sensed. It wasn’t his imagination.

“I believe you,” Tracy said, laying her hand on his arm. “Van, I’d like you and Peterson to backtrack after we set up camp.”

“You got it, boss,” Peterson said with a nod. He looked at Mitchell. “Just because we don’t sense something doesn’t mean we don’t believe you. We take this shit serious, don’t we, Van?”

Van nodded. His attention was still focused on the woods behind them. “Yeah. It has saved our asses more than once.”

“If you ever feel uncomfortable about something, let us know. We’ll listen, man,” Peterson added.

“Thank you. I should have said something earlier,” he admitted.

“That’s okay. We wouldn’t have wanted to miss hiking in wet clothes, would we, Van?” Peterson chuckled.

“Let’s find where you want to stop for the night. We can set up camp while the guys shift and do a reconnaissance,” Tracy said.

“We’re behind you,” Van replied.

Mitchell nodded his appreciation. The next half mile proved to be the most difficult part of the day. The trek was uphill and over rocky terrain. He checked behind him several times to see how Tracy was doing. She gave him a weary smile, but she didn’t complain. He gripped a crack in the rocks and pulled himself up.

Turning, he waited to see if she would need any assistance. She studied the rocks, moving to a slightly easier route, and joined him at the top. She dusted her hands against her pant legs and gave him a triumphant grin.

“Did she tell you that she was the assistant captain of the mountain climbing team in high school?” Peterson asked.

“No, she didn’t.”

Peterson snorted out a laugh. “Get her to tell you about the night we all spent hanging out on Mount Rainier.”

“You mean when we woke up to over two feet of snow and had to take shelter in that cabin?” Tracy added.

“Yeah. You remember that one, don’t you, Van?” Peterson teased.

“No, I don’t remember it at all,” Van muttered, glaring at Peterson and Tracy who chuckled at his response.

“Oh, you remember. I think you found yourself in a sticky situation,” Tracy teased.

“There are some things in life that are best forgotten. That moment that I was too stupid to live is one of them,” Van defended with a shake of his head.

“Wasn’t that the time you hooked up with that little porcupine from Banff—” Peterson asked, his voice fading when Tracy barked out a loud laugh.

“Okay, I think it’s time to find that spot Mitchell was talking about. Peterson and I have a lot of ground to cover,” Van hastily interjected.

Mitchell raised an eyebrow when he noticed Van’s flushed face. Whatever the story with the porcupine was, it must have been good. He would have to remember to ask Tracy about it later.

Turning, he finished climbing to the top of the ridge. Three-tenths of a mile later, they reached a level area large enough to set up their tents. Van and Peterson dropped their gear, set up their tent, and disappeared. It was obvious from the quick, efficient way they set everything up that they had done this many times before. He and Tracy set up their tent.

“Do you want a fire?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No. I think it might be best to skip building one. If we are being followed, it might attract attention.”

“I agree. So, what happened with the porcupine?” he asked, sitting on a half-buried rock.

Tracy laughed. “You really want to get me in trouble with Van, don’t you?” She shook her head. “We were on an unauthorized climbing trip. Unauthorized because there was a storm coming and we were too stupid to know any better. Thankfully, we weren’t 'too stupid to live' like Van said. My friend, Karri, wanted to stay for the summer so she drove down. Ty and I were going to help her turn this old van she bought into a camper van. Her parents, being the responsible shifters that they were, followed her down to visit with my folks. Anyway, a group of us piled in Karri’s old van and headed for Mount Rainier for a weekend outing without telling our folks. We made it to the base camp when it began to snow. I looked at the forecast before we left and thought everything was good. It turns out it wasn’t. There was a shift in a low-pressure system the forecasters thought would dissipate—it didn’t. We were going to return to the van, but the temps dropped along with the visibility faster than we expected, so we set up camp. The storm dumped a shitload of snow. The tents we brought weren’t like these,” she said, waving a hand to the modern, four-season structures they had just set up. “They were clumsy, heavy canvas pup tents with no flooring. Lucky for us, there was an emergency shelter near the halfway mark before the climbing gets more interesting. We abandoned the camp and hiked the half-mile to the shelter. It was pure hell. We had to tie ourselves together so we didn’t lose anyone. I can laugh about it now because everything turned out alright, but it was pretty scary for a while there.”

He imagined their group of cocky juveniles with more attitude than sense. Jace, Thomas, Connell, Jayden, Ella, and he had been like that. Cyrus and the other elders had been on them constantly when they were younger.

“But you made it,” he said.

Tracy came over, waved at him to scoot, and sat down next to him. He loved the expression on her face. It reminded him of the looks in the elders’ eyes when they told their stories.

“Yeah, we made it and we piled into the emergency shelter. Thank the goddess it had a wood-burning stove, some wood, and an assortment of can goods for idiots like us who decide to go out before winter is over and think pot, alcohol, and potato chips will last us more than a few hours. When I think of some of the things we’ve done, it’s amazing any of us survived to adulthood,” she confessed with a wry grin. “Anyway, boredom swiftly overcame those of us too stupid to realize how much trouble we were in. We ate, got high, and used way more firewood than we should have while wondering how long it would take before our folks discovered what we had done. Karri always had a crush on Van. It wasn’t long before they found a corner and decided they would keep each other warm.”

“I take it that Karri is a porcupine-shifter? I didn’t know there was such a creature,” he mused.

She flashed him a reproving glare. “We come in many different shapes and forms. You’d recognize her as soon as you saw her. She has wiry hair and is tiny, as in she barely comes up to my chin. Man, but she could rock scramble.” She laughed at her musings and shook her head. “Anyway, they are trying to be quiet, but it was hard to ignore in such a tiny space. They were in the corner, grunting, kissing, and giggling when suddenly the door swings open with a bang. It scared the daylights out of all of us, but it really scared Karri. She shifted, and the next thing we knew, there’s Van, naked as the day he was born, hopping around with quills sticking out of places no quill should ever be near, and all our parents standing in the doorway. My dad was in charge of the parks and when he discovered what we had done, he called everyone in to search for us. Poor Van was literally caught with his pants down and there was Karri’s dad and older brother.”

He cringed and chuckled in sympathy. He could remember a few embarrassing moments during his youth. It can be hard to live them down when you live in a small community.

“How did they handle it?”

Tracy shook her head and laughed. “Well, after they finally talked Karri out from under the bunk where she was hiding, they hustled us out to the snowmobiles. Van’s dad and mine stayed behind to help Van get the quills out. Ty and I were grounded for the next month. Dad said it was to make sure we didn’t try any other stupid stunts until after the threat of a snowstorm was over. Mom said it was to give Van time to heal. I think his pride was hurt more than anything. Poor Karri kept apologizing, which only made it worse. On a good note, we got Karri’s van renovated with all the extra help we had that month and it looked awesome!”

He smiled. “It sounds like it was fun.”

She looked at him. “What about you? Did you ever do anything crazy and stupid?”

“Some. We mostly dared each other,” he admitted.

“What are some things you’ve done that you shake your head at now?” she asked.

He thought about it for a minute. “We would dare each other to climb to the falcon’s nest to see how close we could get before she would swoop down on us.”

Her eyes widened. “Wow! Daring and stupid. They are very protective.”

He nodded. “Yes. We liked to compete. Sometimes we would test our agility by climbing the largest trees or rocks. Other times, we would test our skills by exploring deep inside the mountains. That was always the scariest for me.”

“What do you mean? Exploring deep inside the mountains?”

He rose and walked over to an outcropping of rocks. The rocks were low enough to provide a buffer from the wind when sitting, but when standing, he could look out over the valley. Tracy rose and came to stand next to him.

“There are many caves throughout this region, created by volcanoes,” he said.

She nodded. “Lava tubes. How did your people handle the eruption back in the 80s?”

He nodded toward the north. “My father and the elders told us stories about it. I wasn’t born yet. They said they felt the rumbling of the Earth and then noticed the change in the taste of the water, so they headed north, away from this area. My father said when the mountain exploded, the force could be felt for hundreds of miles. If they had stayed, we would have been wiped out. It took a long time, but humans have finally learned to listen to what the Earth is telling us.”

She stepped in front of him and laid her hand on his arm. He pulled his gaze away from the view and looked down. He could see the compassion in her eyes. Lifting his hand, he tenderly caressed her cheek.

“If humans had listened long ago, we might have found a way to live in harmony with shifters instead of fighting you.”

“You can. It’s not too late,” she replied in a low voice.

“I’m not so sure it isn’t. If only....”

His voice faded and he looked back over the valley. He had almost broken a sacred promise. The more he was with Tracy, the more he wanted to share. It was making him reckless.

“How long do you think Van and Peterson will be gone?” he asked.

Tracy looked up at the sky. A scattering of stars could be seen mixed within dark spaces. The last colors of the day were fading on the horizon.

“A few hours. Why don’t I make us some dinner? I don’t know about you, but the crackers I had for lunch are long gone,” she suggested.

“Sounds good. Thank you. After that, it would be best if we take turns keeping watch. If you take the first watch, I’ll get some rest. You can wake me when Van and Peterson return. I will take over then,” he said.

She nodded. “Sounds good.”

They retraced their steps. He picked out a meal while Tracy heated the water with her small burner and propane tank. They worked in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they prepared the meal, then ate.

After their simple meal of vegan stew and crackers, he retrieved the toiletry items he had packed. He walked along the ridge several hundred feet before he stopped, brushed his teeth, relieved himself, and washed up with the small towelette that Tracy had given him.

Refreshed, he headed back to camp. Tracy gave him a rueful smile when he raised an eyebrow at the small fire she had built. She did a good job using the stones she had gathered while he was gone to shield it.

“I hope you don’t mind. It was getting chilly. I figured between the elevation, wind, and the dryness of the wood, we should be okay,” she said.

“I don’t mind. You did a good job protecting it. I didn’t even notice it until I was a few feet away.”

“Get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on things and let you know when the guys return,” she said.

He hesitated before nodding. While he had made the suggestion, guilt pulled at him for resting while she stayed awake. He knew she had to be as exhausted as he was. Neither one of them had gotten much sleep the night before.

He climbed into the tent and laid down on the sleeping pad. Pulling the quilt over his body, he rolled onto his side so he could stare out the screen at her. The memories of holding and loving her last night filled his mind. Their coming together had been mind-blowing and had affected him on a level that rocked his world.

There had been one point when they were coming together that he could see tiny glowing threads of silver connecting them to each other. He knew it had to be his imagination. Mystical, magical bonds weren’t real.

Were they?

Doubt ran through his mind. Was it possible that something magical had happened between them? He thought of the scroll that Cyrus had shown him years ago. There had been a line written at the bottom. He hadn’t understood what it meant. He still wasn’t sure, but he had never forgotten it.

When the two halves of the Earth meet and accept each other, harmony will grow from the seeds of acceptance and nurture a new world of peace where once enemies thrived.

Were the two halves of the Earth humans and shifters? He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling of the tent. Fatigue pulled at him. He tried to remember who had written the saying, but his exhausted brain couldn’t pull the name from the deep recesses of his memory.

It was strange that he remembered the saying after all these years. He would have to remember to ask Cyrus about it when they arrived. The peacefulness of the trees creaking in the wind, the occasional snap of wood from the fire, and his exhaustion from not getting enough rest the night before finally lured him into a light slumber.