He looked up at the tree from which he’d hung their clothes, and started laughing. Next to his jeans, a couple of blankets dangled in the breeze.

“Good old Granger. Don’t worry, he didn’t look.”

Still chuckling, Ellison yanked down one of the blankets and folded it around Maria. The scratchy wool smelled of smoke and outdoors, but it cut the wind.

When they were dry, they dressed again. Ellison looked at Maria plenty as she pulled clothes over her damp body, and she didn’t pretend not to look at him. He grinned at her again as he picked up his hat, but he didn’t set it on his still-wet hair.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the trailer, the long spring day drawing to a close. Granger had a small fire going in his front yard, and was poking at it with a long stick. He invited them in, and Ellison took Maria’s hand and led her into the trailer.

Inside was small but cozy. Granger was a bachelor, obviously—no woman’s touch in the cluttered interior. Maria sank down on the seat under the window, and Ellison was beside her. His arms went around her, drawing her back into his warm body.

Maria started to drift off to sleep. The smoke from the fire held a strange, sweet odor, the trailer was comfortable, and afterglow from lovemaking made her want to lie here with Ellison and never get up.

Ellison slid his thumb under her jaw and turned her face to his. His kiss was slow, hot, holding the same afterglow.

Granger came noisily in. Ellison broke the kiss and cradled Maria back against him, and she started drifting off again.

“You’re gonna get yourself arrested,” she heard Ellison say, humor in his voice.

“Nah. The sheriff’s deputies around here are my best customers. Hey, I have some errands to run. You guys hang out here as long as you want, and leave when you’re ready. There’s beer in the fridge and some food. I forget what.”

“Sure.” Ellison’s voice rumbled in his chest.

Maria snuggled up to that rumble. In the pond, she’d given in to her desires, and she didn’t regret it one bit. In the water, so close to the strong, caring Ellison, she’d put away fear and acted on new feelings.

Ellison had been tender, gentle, taking it easy. She’d felt him shaking, holding back his incredible strength for her. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her or scare her.

Now he held her safely against the darkening day . . . No, the dark. The window was black now, the fire burned out, and only a weak light shone in the corner of the room.

Maria should get home. Tomorrow, Connor was to pick her up early and drive her to where she’d take her SATs. She had to be ready.

No, she had to stay here with Ellison. He’d get her home and to bed in time. It was nice to lean on someone, to have him hold her and keep all the bad things away.

Except that he was gone. Maria woke fully to find herself alone in the trailer, the door moving on its hinges. The light was out, the night was impenetrably dark, and Ellison wasn’t there.

Chapter Ten

Maria got herself up off the bench. She was out in the middle of nowhere, inside a trailer belonging to a man she’d never met before today, and the Shifter protecting her was gone. Ellison might trust this Granger, but who knew what the man could or would do? Maria wasn’t given to trust as easily as—well, anyone.

She softly opened the door and stepped outside. Moonlight filtered through the trees and filled the little clearing with white light. The fire had died to a tiny glow, and the smoke had gone, leaving the air clean and fresh.

Maria’s thoughts were much clearer now too. She needed to find Ellison and get back to Shiftertown. She had to know what Liam and Dylan were planning to go after the man trying to abduct their cubs, and she wanted to be part of it. Ellison had been right to bring her out here to cool her down, but her concern for the cubs’ safety rose.

But where to look for him? If she went blundering around in the dark, she’d get lost or maybe fall into the lake or something. Plus snakes would be everywhere. Texas crawled with rattlesnakes, especially after dusk, when they came out of their holes to soak up the last of the day’s warmth. In spring hordes of baby rattlers joined them.

Maria sank down onto the front steps and pulled her feet up under her, in case snakes decided to come out from under the house and investigate her ankles. She had her cell phone, but a peek at it told her she was out of range of the rest of the world.

What was she doing? The cubs could be in trouble, and on top of that, she was supposed to take her SAT tests tomorrow. How on earth could she concentrate on those between worry for the cubs and running off into the wilderness with Ellison?

The trouble was, she’d felt more alive today than she had in many, many years—since that day at the lake with her grandparents.

What filled her mind was Ellison, the memory of him pressing inside her, spreading her, breaking apart her defenses. She could still feel his hands hot on her back, his strength holding her, the hard plane of his chest against her br**sts. He’d been hard and hot, deep inside her, the feeling glorious.

She’d feared sex, which before had hurt whenever she’d felt anything at all. She’d climbed upon Ellison in a moment of daring, her fears laughing at her.

And now Maria couldn’t stop thinking of him. The wild burst of pleasure, the joy of watching his face soften with passion, the water holding them—these things would mark her forever.

A step, nearly soundless, but audible in the stillness, made her raise her head. Maria studied the line of trees circling the trailer, but she saw nothing.