A second passed before she realized something must have startled it in her direction.
“She’s lost,” one of the girls said.
Lelandi moved more quickly now, although she couldn’t shake loose of the feeling a predator had spooked the deer. But if she could reach the kids in time, if someone was stalking her, he would have too many witnesses, and he would most likely stay clear of them.
“I think I hear her!” Cody shouted.
“Hello! What’s happened?” Lelandi shouted back, keeping her gun at the ready.
If worse came to worse, the kids could turn wolf if they were lupus garou now that the moon was out again. As long as the teens had an adult chaperone it would be acceptable. Their wolf coats would protect them from the cold, they could run faster, and find their way to town more easily.
“We’re here!” one of the girls shouted. “She’s getting closer!”
Nearly there, her legs weary from the trek and her body trembling with cold, Lelandi waded through the last of the drifting snow.
“We’re here!” the four teens responded again.
“But don’t come much closer or you’ll be down here with us,” the boy named Cody warned.
Lelandi froze in place. “Is anyone hurt?”
“I think Caitlin might have fractured her leg,” the other girl said, her voice breaking.
Lelandi tucked the gun inside the jacket pocket, then got down on her hands and knees and tried reaching out for solid ground, hoping to god that no one would sneak up behind her and shove her off the cliff. Her hands were so chilled, she couldn’t feel anything.
“The snow was banked up against the trees, and then the whole side of the mountain gave way,” Cody said. “Anthony’s sprained his wrist. But Minx and I are okay.”
If they were lupus garous, it wouldn’t help the injured kids to shapeshift. Not if one of them had a sprained wrist and the other a broken leg.
“I’m coming to you, but I’m not sure where the drop-off is yet.”
“You’re getting close,” Anthony said.
“We lost two of our sleds down the mountainside, but there are another two up there somewhere,” Cody said.
Winded, Lelandi took another deep breath, the frigid air burning her lungs. “We can use one to take Caitlin out of here.”
“It’s awfully steep and I’m not sure either my brother or Caitlin can climb,” Cody said. “I can’t either without a rope.”
“But we can’t leave anybody behind!” Minx sounded on the verge of hysteria.
Lelandi drew closer and felt the land give way. Her heart thundered as snow cascaded down the cliff and the girls screamed.
“Back up!” Cody shouted.
As if she wasn’t already! Scrambling backward, she moved away from the edge. “Everyone okay?”
“Yeah!” the teens shouted.
The two sleds were wedged up against a tree, both wooden, both had long ropes attached. “We’re not leaving anyone behind. I’ve found the sleds.”
For a minute, she surveyed the forest, looking to see if anyone watched her, took a deep breath, and tried to smell anyone. Nothing, but the fresh, frigid air.
Fighting the numbness in her fingers, she managed to slip one of the sled’s ropes around a sturdy oak near the edge of the drop-off and tied a knot. “Okay, I’ll slide the sled over the edge. Let me know if it reaches you.”
“The rope’s too short by about ten feet,” Cody shouted.
Lelandi dragged the sled back up and again studied the forest. Still nothing.
For several painfully excruciating minutes, her frozen fingers worked on untying the rope from the other sled, then she fastened it to the rope from the first.
“Are you still there?” Anthony hollered.
“Combining ropes from the two sleds,” she said.
“Okay, here the sled comes again.”
“It’s long enough!” Minx shouted after a few minutes.
“But you couldn’t pull any of us up,” Cody said.
“You’re just a woman.”
She rolled her eyes. Male teen lupus garou for sure.
“First, everyone take off their belts and anything else that you might be able to use as ties, scarves, whatever. Then tie Caitlin onto the sled. Can you make secure knots?”
“Boy Scouts,” Anthony and Cody yelled.
Unless the lupus garou had their own Boy Scout troop, she feared they were human kids. Which could be bad news for Caitlin’s injuries and the frostbite they may have suffered.
“Once she’s secure, I’ll need you, Cody, to use the rope. I’ve tied it securely to the tree. Once you’re here, we can ease Caitlin up together.”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
Her body shivering endlessly, Lelandi waited, her hands shoved in her pockets, her right hand gripping the gun just in case. When Cody’s rainbow-colored jester hat crested the top, she got on her belly, reached down, and helped him climb the last few feet. She took a deep breath, then smelling his scent, she was relieved in part. At least the boys were lupus garou.“Man, that was awesome.”
“Let’s get Caitlin out. Then you climb down and tie Anthony on the sled. With his bad hand, he won’t be able to climb or tie secure knots.”
“That’ll leave Minx by herself.”
“I’ll survive,” Minx shouted. “Just get my sister out!”
Lelandi and Cody pulled while she prayed the teens had tied Caitlin securely to the sled. Every few inches Caitlin groaned or cried out, but they finally got her to the top, and Lelandi and Cody hurried to untie her. Lupus garou, too, thank god. She recognized her as one of the twins staying at the Hastings Bed and Breakfast, the one who’d come to check on her in the loft when she’d been crying over Larissa’s letter
.
With care, they transferred the girl to the bigger sled, too cumbersome to lift up the mountain with a body tied to it. “Now, take these belts and scarves back down and tie Anthony securely.”
While Cody climbed down and he and Minx secured Anthony to the sled, Lelandi rubbed Caitlin’s arms. Her lips were as blue as her hand-knit beanie. “Hold on, honey. We’ll get you help soon.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m… I’m pregnant.”
In stunned silence, Lelandi stared at her. No one mated an underage lupus garou without facing severe consequences. “One of the boys?” She motioned to the cliff, dreading Caitlin’s response.
Caitlin shook her head.
“Who?”
She wouldn’t say.
“How far along are you?”
“Five months.”
“Are… are you feeling any pains in your abdomen?”
“Just my leg.”
Thank god. “All right, honey. We’ll get you to the doctor as soon as we can. He knows about this, right?”
Fat tears rolled down Caitlin’s cheeks. “No,” she whispered.
Lelandi frowned. “Do your parents know?”
Caitlin closed her blurry eyes.
“Caitlin, they have to be told.”
She sobbed. “They know.”
Lelandi imagined they were pretty upset with her. Shamed. Was that the reason they’d left their pack and moved here? She had a sneaking suspicion Darien didn’t know.
“Ready!” Cody said. “I’m coming up.”
Lelandi squeezed Caitlin’s hand. “I’ll be back after we get Anthony up.” She returned to the edge to watch for Cody.
When he finally reached the top, he was huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath. He didn’t say anything about it being awesome this time, but when Lelandi gave him a worried look, he grinned. “Let’s bring my brother up so we can fetch Minx.”
Because of Anthony’s heavier weight, the rope cut into Lelandi’s hands, and she gritted her teeth against the pain of the burning cuts.
“Hey, brother! Next time eat fewer eggs and sausages for breakfast and only one ham sandwich for lunch instead of three, okay?”
Anthony laughed. “Good thing you ate so much. You’ve probably burned it all off by now.”
“Two hours ago, I’m sure.”
When they got Anthony to the top, they hurried to untie him.
Lelandi peered over the edge. “We have a choice, Minx. Either you can climb up using the rope, or we can tie you to the sled.”
Anthony looked at Lelandi’s bloodied hands. “You can’t do any more. Let me.” He handed her his ski gloves.
“You can help with your good hand. But I’ll use Caitlin’s gloves.”
“I don’t know which way to come up,” Minx said, her voice desperate.
“I’ll tie her to the sled,” Cody said. “I don’t think she can make that climb. It’s pretty icy and the hand and foot holds are a long reach for someone who’s smaller.”
Before Lelandi could say a word, he disappeared over the edge.
Anthony gave a worried chuckle. “He’s the adventuresome one. Always gets me into trouble.”
“I heard that!” Cody shouted. This time it took him longer to secure her. But then he tugged on the rope. “I’m coming up. Hope the rope isn’t fraying.”
Lelandi leaned over the edge and watched Cody’s jester hat shaking, the bells jingling on the four tassels.
Cody collapsed next to them and Anthony, sounding frustrated that he hadn’t helped more, urged, “Come on, let’s get Minx.”
“Let me catch my breath, will you?” Cody gave him an annoyed look. “Okay, let’s do it.”
With all three of them pulling, and because of her slight weight, they had Minx up in half the time it took to bring up Anthony. “She must not eat nearly as much as you, Anthony, thank Odin,” Cody said, hurrying to untie her. “We were headed for a cabin not far from here. Do you know where it is?”
Lelandi shook her head. “No, I’m new here.”