Her muscles tightened under his hand, but he felt no tingle of magic. His mouth went dry. If she couldn’t find the way back… He looked at Alec, unable to speak.
“Parents, so quick to panic.” Alec stepped to where Jamie could see him. “Look at me, baby, not that ugly thing you call a daddy.”
Jamie’s gaze shifted.
“You’re safe, sweetie. All the bad guys are gone. Find the door, and let’s go home.” He waited.
Jamie’s muscles didn’t loosen, and she was panting again. Fear whipped at Calum’s control. The first few trawsfurs needed to be calm and quiet so the youngster wouldn’t panic. A bad experience while an animal could make a child subconsciously avoid the vulnerable human form…and be unable to find the portal.
Although his brother’s hand fisted, Alec’s laugh was normal. “Guess you want us to carry you, eh? Now, isn’t that just like a teenager?”
Calum bent to pick up his daughter, letting go of Victoria. Instead of rising, she elbowed him out of the way and took his place. She cupped Jamie’s muzzle. “Hey.”
Jamie’s eyes fixed on Victoria’s.
“You’re scared,” Victoria said. “Well, hell, that shows you’re not stupid.”
Calum growled. “Victoria, that-”
“Shut up, this is girl talk,” Victoria snapped. She bent closer to Jamie and whispered, “Those guys were scary and big, and they had you trapped. I know the feeling.”
Calum frowned at Alec, but his brother motioned for him to wait.
“Thing is,” Victoria continued, “you can let your fear keep you from doing anything else in your life-yeah, I’ve seen that happen-or you can have the guts to move on. Isn’t easy. Nope, it’s hard as hell. But you know, if you shove the fear over to one side, you’ll be able to see that fucking door.”
She made a face. “An’ looks like we have some studying to do on being furry things. God knows, I’d rather there were two of us doing it, so get your ass in gear and shift.”
Before Calum could yell at her for the language, he felt the sparkle of magic under his fingers, and his little girl suddenly appeared. “Oh, thank Herne,” he choked, his gaze blurred with tears. He managed to remain still long enough for Alec to wrap a blanket around her before he yanked her into his arms.
“Daddy, I was really scared,” she whispered into his neck.
“Me, too.”
Chapter Nineteen
Calum never stopped giving orders, all the way down the damned mountain, and Vic decided he was far past captain’s rank.
It was slow going, walking down in the heavy snow. Still, she hadn’t been about to trawsfur into kitty form, not after seeing Calum’s face when Jamie didn’t shift right away. The men hadn’t mentioned there might be a little problem-like getting stuck forever with whiskers and a tail.
They finally arrived at the Wild Hunt, and Calum carried his daughter up the back steps. He started toward his side of the house, but Alec cleared his throat and jerked his head at his own door. Calum paused, then complied.
Serving as rear-guard, Vic nudged Alec and raised her eyebrows.
“I haven’t seen it, but according to Bonnie, a fair amount of blood got spilled,” he said quietly. “Thorson was babysitting Jamie here.”
“Don’t know yet.” Alec kissed her cheek and nudged her through the door.
“Let’s get you some hot tea, more blankets,” Calum said to Jamie, heading for a couch.
Vic frowned at the blood smeared on the kid’s face and clotted in her hair. “No, Calum.”
“What?” He stopped in the center of the room.
“A hot soapy shower first. Then tea and blankets.” Already knowing the answer, Vic said, “Right, kid?”
Jamie looked at her blood-streaked hands, and a tremor shook her body. “I want to wash,” she said, her voice weak, but determined.
“Ah.” Calum’s gaze followed his daughter’s and his pupils darkened, although he remained as calm as usual. “Shower it is.”
Not being slow on the uptake, Alec was already in the bathroom, adjusting the water temperature. “Maybe a bath-”
Vic shook her head. Blood looked really ugly in bathwater; didn’t these guys know anything? “Who stays with you, Jamie? Calum or me?”
As Calum set Jamie on her feet, she reached for Vic. Her little hands felt like ice cubes. “You, Vicki. Please?”
“No problem. Pop on in.” Vic jerked her head for the men to depart.
As they left, Jamie got in the shower. A squeak, “Jeez, it’s hot!” And then the sounds of washing.
Vic moved to where she could see the smoked glass of the door. The kid remained upright, not going face first in a faint. Good enough.
After a minute, she stepped out of the bathroom, knowing Calum would be right there. The man gave new meaning to
“What happened? Is she-”
Vic rolled her eyes. “She’s fine. She might be better if she had some clothes to wear?”
Beside Calum, Alec gave a snort of laughter and nudged his brother. “Thinking real clear, aren’t we, brawd? I’ll run over to your place. Jeans or robe?”
“Robe,” Calum said at the same time Vic said, “Jeans.”
She continued, ignoring Calum’s frown, “Treat her like a victim, and that’s how she’ll see herself. She’s not sick, and she did damned well against two big men. She’s a fighter, Calum.”
Calum nodded reluctantly.
“Jeans, it is,” Alec said.
Vic checked on Jamie. “‘Bout done?”
“Almost. I need to rinse the shampoo out.”
Alec had handed in clothes by the time Jamie emerged, all pink from the heat. As Vic helped her dress, she checked over the damage. Bruises on elbows and knees, and a nasty one on her face that roused Vic’s anger again. A few long scratches and scrapes from banging into branches. Her feet were abraded, but no frostbite. Shifters were hardy critters.
“You look good, kid.” She got a smile that made her eyes burn.
Alec stopped her and pushed another set of clothing into her arms. “These looked about your size. Have a nice shower, cariad.”
The rush of gratitude was amazing. Jamie wasn’t the only one covered in blood. And Vic’s hands had begun to shake. “Thank you. Really.”
He kissed her lightly, and the warmth in his eyes turned her all squishy for the second time. Oh, she was definitely losing it. “We’ll talk after you’re clean and warm,” he said. “Calum is making tea.”
She knew she was in pitiful condition when tea sounded better than coffee.
After turning the shower back on, she tossed the blanket to the floor and stepped into the steamy blue-tiled enclosure. She ducked her head under the hot pelting water.
Shampoo and soap stood on a tiled-in corner shelf, and she vigorously scrubbed the dirt and sweat and blood from her hair and body. But as the pink-tinted water swirled down the drain, her stomach clenched. By the time she finished, her hands were shaking so hard she couldn’t close the flip top on the shampoo bottle. Adrenaline overload and aftermath-her mind said even as her legs gave out. Kneeling on the floor of the shower, arms wrapped around
