AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hush, woman,” Logan snapped with uncharacteristic anger. “There’s no time to make a fuss over him right now. Tanner, can you hear me?”
A slight nod.
“If we get you on a horse, can you ride?”
Another nod.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Miraculously, all four of the horses had survived both the rockslide and the attack, and none of them appeared to be seriously injured. Stormy had gotten her legs back under her again, and she was standing close by, shaken but otherwise unharmed. Shannon gave her a quick pet on the snout, then she mounted up.
Meanwhile, Logan helped Tanner get back onto his palomino. The wounded alpha slumped in his saddle, barely conscious. Logan leaped onto his paint horse, and took both sets of reins.
“I’m going to have to lead him,” he said, then he nodded toward the dark, riderless bay. “You know how to pony a horse, ma’am?”
Shannon steered Stormy alongside the bay and took the other horse’s reins in her left hand. “Of course I do, Mr. Summerhill. I’m a rancher, not some dude fresh off the train.”
She was still feeling hot from the way he had snapped at her a moment ago, even though she knew why he’d done it and knew he’d been right—and even though something within her had actually liked it.
“Just asking, ma’am,” Logan said, his voice gentle again. “With those rocks fallen in behind us, there’s not but one way for us to go. You’re the one with the map in your head. How far till we reach the other end of this here canyon?”
“Another mile, maybe a mile and a half.”
“Not too far then. That’s good. I want you to follow me and stick close. We need to move fast, but not too fast. I’d prefer not to surprise another one of them snakepeople on accident, understand?”
Shannon nodded that she did.
They set off down the canyon, moving at a fast trot, Logan in the front, leading Tanner’s horse along beside him while the cowboy swayed drunkenly in his saddle, and Shannon behind, leading Blaylocke’s bay. The walls of the canyon echoed back the beat of the horses’ hooves, and Shannon’s eyes never stopped darting around her, half expecting to see another snakeperson looming up out of the shadows of each crevice and boulder they passed.
But no more snakepeople appeared, and after ten minutes or so, they were out of the canyon and making their way across a wide, sandy basin.
For the first time since all the trouble had started, Shannon felt a bit of relief.
They were not in the clear just yet, however. Not by a long shot. Tanner McBain was badly hurt, and for all Shannon knew, his alpha constitution had merely prolonged his demise.
He had sacrificed himself to save her life. Why had he done that? It certainly went beyond the requirements of their informal contract.
Shannon hoped he pulled through. She hoped she would have a chance to thank him.
Once they were well clear of the canyon, Logan slowed his horse a little and fell in beside her.
“He’s going to need water,” he said.
“There’s a spring about ten miles ahead of us.”
Logan frowned. “Okay. We’ll need to pick up the pace then. I don’t know how much longer he’ll be able to stay in that saddle. He needs to lie down and rest so his body can heal, but he needs water too.”
“I’m ready,” Shannon said. “Let’s go!”
She was about to spur her horse into a gallop when she realized the saddle bag behind her right thigh felt strange. When she glanced back at it, she saw a big rip along the side. Her heart jumped into her throat.
“Wait!” she shouted.
She swung down from her saddle and started rifling through the torn bag. Some of the food and clothing she’d been keeping in there had fallen out, but she didn’t care about any of that stuff.
She only cared about the bottle of suppressant.
And it was gone.
