She shook her head decisively. “No. I want to be the bait. Armando has held my life over Elijah for so long, it feels good to be able to do something positive. I don’t care if it is acting like a ninny in a native hut to put on a show for Armando’s spy. It makes me feel empowered against that horrible monster. He destroyed Elijah, and he used me to do it.”
He nuzzled her ear, all the while walking her out of the water and into the shelter of the trees. “We shift here, Rachael. Armando’s spy can’t see you as a leopard. We have to give him a wide berth and get you back to the hut. We don’t want him coming across your scent as a leopard and identifying you as a shifter. Let him see you from a distance in human form. I’ll be covering you. If he makes a wrong move, I’ll kill him.”
She winced over his bluntness. That was so like Rio. “You’re certain he’s alone, it’s just the spy and not my uncle?”
“Listen to the animals. It’s the leopard, and he’s heading toward the hut.”
342
Christine Feehan
She let her breath out. “What about Fritz and Franz? You’ll have to make certain they stay away. I don’t want them to get hurt. You know they’ll follow you wherever you go.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve hunted many times together. This will work, Rachael. Your uncle has too big an ego to just let his leopard handle it. If he thinks he can kill you under Elijah’s nose, that’s what he’ll choose to do.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll admit to being afraid, but in a positive way. I finally feel useful to Elijah.” She turned her face into his shoulder and rubbed affectionately in the way of the big cats. “I’ll be fine.”
“He may try to grab you to bring you to your uncle, but I doubt it. I’m counting on this being a scouting trip, just to confirm your presence. Be alert anyway, Rachael, just in case I’m wrong.”
He stepped up onto the embankment and pulled her up with him so they were nearly hidden in the thick brush. He was already shifting, his fur brushing her bare skin as he did so. That always amazed her, the miracle of change. It seemed incredible that she could plunge her hands into the fur of a leopard, even more incredible that she could stroke its back and rub its ears. In spite of the very real danger from her uncle, Rachael smiled happily as she allowed the change to take hold of her.
The trip through the forest was much longer, slinking carefully along the path leading away from their home. A small hut had been erected in a particularly thick grove of trees. The trunks were thinner and the trees closer together. Rio wanted to make certain a marksman would have a difficult time shooting through the trees. If Armando’s hit man wanted to kill Rachael, he would have to do it up close and personal. He would have to use his leopard form to attack her.
Rachael stayed close to Rio as they moved through the trees, making certain to show the gibbons and birds they weren’t hunting. They didn’t want the intruder alerted to
WILD RAIN
343
their presence as they wound their way through the trees and brush to the three-sided hut. The fourth side was open and sheltered by the overhead canopy and thatched roof. It was the type of travelers’ hut often used by the tribesmen as they moved from place to place.
Rachael’s clothes were already stashed in the hut and she hastily shifted to pull them on. Rio remained in his leopard form, his unblinking, watchful gaze fixed on her as she tugged on her jeans and pulled on a shirt. She smiled at him, leaned down and brushed a kiss on top of the leopard’s head. “Be safe, Rio. Keep Elijah safe for me.” Her heart was pounding, she knew her leopard could hear it, could smell her fear, just as she could taste it in her mouth. When the big cat rubbed up against her leg she wrapped her arm around the thick neck. “Don’t underestimate him. Armando Lospostos is a monster. You can’t forget that, not even for a moment.”