Guardian's Mate

“Who the hell are they?” Rae asked, shading her eyes.

Ezra answered, “I’d guess every law enforcement agency within a fifty-mile radius. I say we throw the human overboard and let them pick him up.”

Rae began a hot answer but Piotr shook his head. “He is not wrong that this is my fault. I radioed my friend to come for me in his fishing boat. Either my friend betrayed me or police heard the call. I said nothing about being with Shifters but someone must have recognized me at the bar fight and the police put it together.”

“And they’re coming right for us,” Ezra growled. “I really, really didn’t want to die with a Collar on me.”

“You won’t,” Zander said. He studied the approaching boats. “We’re getting out of here.”

Good kisser or not, he never made any sense. “How?” Rae demanded. “You know a few whales who owe you favors?”

Ezra and Piotr watched Zander with as much skepticism, but Zander’s face split into a grin.

“As a matter of fact, I do, but they don’t always come when I call. But no, that’s not what I had in mind.” He swung away toward the pilot house. “Piotr, I’ll need you for this. You know these waters like the back of your hand.”

Rae remained in place, balled fists on her hips. “What do you want us to do?” She gestured to Ezra.

Zander glanced at them. “Hold on tight and don’t get shot. Oh, and find the life vests.”

“Great,” Ezra muttered. “Sounds promising.”

Zander’s boat spluttered to life as Piotr followed him inside. The engine caught, gurgled, then took up its steady, strong roar.

The boat leapt forward, throwing Rae and Ezra off balance and nearly sending them sliding over the stern rail. Both dropped like the animals they were as the boat jumped over the waves, faster, faster.

Rae half climbed the rising deck to the cabin door and let herself below. She expected Ezra to follow but she saw him through the cabin’s small windows pull himself along toward the bow, as though he wanted to see where they were going.

“Life vests.” Rae went through the bench’s storage and cupboards, finding boxes filled with everything from card games to a crowbar but no life vests. “Oh, come on, Zander.”

She looked everywhere. The boat listed and danced, and at one point she was plastered against the starboard wall as it turned sharply. When she could stand upright again, Rae opened every locker, drawer, and cupboard but found no life vests. She tried under the benches and in the storage under the bed, but there was nothing.

“Well, that’s reassuring,” she said out loud.

She did find Jake the Snake in the middle of the bed, curled up and looking unhappy. If a snake could be seasick, he was.

Last night Rae had strongly objected to sharing her bed with a snake. Today, she felt sorry for it.

She leaned down and scooped him up, putting him carefully in the pocket of the jacket. Jake snuggled down, liking her warmth.

Rae climbed back out of the teetering cabin to the deck. The other boats were alarmingly close, their sirens blaring. A man’s voice came over a bullhorn: “Cut your engine and stand down.”

Zander paid no attention. Rae pulled herself into the pilot house and shut its door behind her.

Zander and Piotr stood together at the wheel, both studying a chart pulled up on a laptop. Outside the window, Ezra was hunkered in the bow, clinging to the rail as they climbed the waves.

“I couldn’t find any life vests,” Rae announced. “I hope you aren’t planning on us swimming for it.”

“That’s okay,” Zander said without looking around. “They’re over there, under the benches.”

Rae huffed out a breath. “Then why did you tell me to—”

“To take your mind off things,” Zander said. “Did you find Jake?”

“Yes,” Rae ground out. “He’s fine.”

“Good. I’ll need him.” Zander held out a broad arm in her direction.

Rae glared at his muscular forearm but Zander still didn’t look at her. She dipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the snake, who gazed around with interest.

Rae laid the snake onto Zander’s outstretched arm and Jake coiled himself around it. Zander held Jake up to the front window. “Which way, my friend?”

Piotr gave Zander a look of concern from his light blue eyes. “You are leaving our safe passage up to a reptile?”

“Sure. Snakes have senses of smell that are beyond even that of Shifters. He knows what I’m looking for.”

“Maybe he can find your whale friends,” Rae said. She thumped to a bench as the boat gave an erratic leap.

Zander shot her a look. “Funny. Most of my marine mammal acquaintances, as a matter of fact, are seals. They like me because I’m a polar bear who doesn’t eat them.”

Rae clung to the bench. “Zander, has anyone ever told you you’re crazy?”

“All the time. Anyone ever tell you you’re beautiful?”

Rae’s retort died on her lips. “No, actually,” she said, so softly the words were drowned by the boat’s straining engine.

Zander heard her. “Then they’re idiots.” He bent to Jake and moved his hand over the controls. “A few degrees left,” he said to Piotr. “Then cut speed.”

“Cut?” Piotr asked in alarm. “Those are not only police out there but Coast Guard. They have very big, powerful guns. I know this—they have picked me up before, thinking I am Russian spy or a smuggler. If we can’t outrun, it is better to surrender.”

“Not an option,” Zander said. “Ezra and I are un-Collared Shifters, and Rae’s illegally out of her Shiftertown. They’ll cage us and do Goddess knows what to us. Rae’s dad might be arrested for not keeping her home. We run.”

“How do we run if we slow down?” Piotr demanded.

“We won’t evade them with speed,” Zander said. “We can’t outrun boats made to chase smugglers. We’ll evade them by stealth. We hide.”

Rae pulled herself up as the engine ceased its roar and the boat slapped the waves. The craft wallowed, the seas high.

“Hide where?” Rae asked, staring out the windows. They’d come a long way from shore and there was nothing but open sea, with a smudge on the horizon that was Alaska. “There’s nothing out here.”