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Or not. Because I also knew that reality rarely measured up to imagined fantasy. I might be greatly disappointed to learn that my sexy, altruistic dream guy really frequented the skanky brothels, kicked the neighbor’s kids and ate their wormy cat for lunch.
Yeah, it was probably best to leave Michael Bryant as the heroic ideal of my overactive imagination. Something to warm me on cold, lonely winter nights back home.
“I often wondered what the man was thinking when that photo was taken,” Hilly added, dreamily gazing out into space. “He looks so ferocious in it. God, the man was so yummy, I could take a huge bite out of his...”
My thoughts drifted back to the man’s furious expression. Hilarity was right. Bryant definitely looked ready to go to war with someone, but there was also something else in his fierce cat eyes...
I shook off the silly mooning over some dead guy moldering in the grave and returned to the present day and immediate events of the future.
“So what’s on the itinerary for us?” I asked, changing the conversation.
Hilly finished her tea, answering, “I’ll take you to the tribe’s local admin offices in Silver Falls tomorrow morning to meet Tom Black and their main cultural expert, Maggie Thunders. You’ll like them both. Particularly Maggie. She reminds me a lot of you.”
“Poor woman.”
Hilly chuckled. “She’s agreed to drive us up to the mountain cave where they found the glyphs and tell us all about her findings so far. Then I’ll release you into her not-so-gentle care. You’ll have to abide by her strict and hostile directions though, I’m afraid. She’s the real boss on this project, and she’s already expressed that she isn’t thrilled working with outsiders on it.”
“No worries. I’ll win her over,” I said. And hoped.
Hilly’s copper brows drew together as she focused down on the empty cup she held in both palms. “Well, in the interest of full disclosure and because you’re my best friend, I need to tell you something that might change your mind about this whole thing.”
“What is it?”
She chewed her bottom lip, then looked back up at me with wide eyes. “There’s been some problems. At the excavation site.”
Now my brows drew together. “What kind of problems?”
“Accidents. Bad ones. Mostly at the last site though, not this one.”
Hilly explained in graphic detail about two unexplained explosions that resulted in one cave-in, and an incident of suspiciously faulty equipment where a man’s hand was severed.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I remarked. “Last year’s discovery wasn’t even authentic. Why would anyone suspect foul play over a useless site?”
“There are those in the tribe,” Hilly explained. “Rebels, traditionists—who don’t want any of their sacred sites compromised, and they go to extreme measures to make sure they’re not disturbed by us outsiders.”
“Not unusual.”
“There have been some threatening phone calls lately to the tribal leaders to shut down the project or suffer the consequences as well,” she continued. “Always anonymous, of course, so Tom and the other council elders haven’t given them much credit. In any case, I needed you know the quicksand you might be stepping into. Give you the chance to back out now. No harm, no foul.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not easily scared off,” I said with full confidence. “I’ve been down this road before. I’ll make sure it’s known that I intend to do this with the utmost respect of their traditions and beliefs. It’ll be fine.”
“Great.” Hilarity relaxed and leaned forward adding, “Enough of the heavy then. Tonight, you and I are putting on the Ritz and heading to a hot new club a few blocks from here that just opened up. A friend of mine told me...”
“Here we go,” I groaned good-naturedly, all thoughts of dangerous tribal extremists gone and the late, great Michael Bryant properly laid at rest.
I had no idea what was really ahead for me.
Or more accurately—behind.
FATED MATES
CHAPTER 2
Hit Me with Your Best Shot
The Snoqualmie tribe’s cultural center was located an hour and half northeast of Seattle. As Hilly drove her rusty red Volkswagen Beetle through the picturesque city of Silver Falls, I wondered how many citizens of their boasted population of seventy-eight thousand belonged to the tribal nation itself, since it edged the border of their reservation.
Passing diners, banks, stores, gas stations, two schools, and a McDonald’s, we drove out of the city proper and across a two-laned suspension bridge over a rushing river, then headed eight miles down a winding mountain highway until finally stopping at a series of plain buildings surrounded by forest.
