Skin Walkers: Leto Read Free

NAME?”
    “Sh-Shy.”
    “Listen Shy, my men had military chutes that are designed to not be noticed,” he lied.  “We’re Special Ops.  We’re trained to go places and do things that appear to be impossible.  My men are safe.”  She looked at him with uncertainty but he noticed her deep frown seemed to ease by a fraction.  He reached toward her again but ignored her flinch as he clicked a seat belt around her waist.
    “ETA Tito?”
    “Soon’s your men give you the all-clear you can relay to me and I’ll find us a spot.”
    Shy heard York cursing under his breath and could’ve sworn she heard him say, “Damn humans.  We need a Walker pilot.”
    York frowned at her, “How long have you been mated to the other captive?”
    Shy shook her head.  She was about to tell him that she was mated to no one, but a rapid beeping blared to life and a red light attached to the ceiling of the helicopters cabin began blinking wildly.
    “Goddamn it!” York growled.  “Put her down Tito!”
    “I’m trying!” The words were shouted.
    York buckled a seat belt around his lean hips then reached for Shy.  He unfastened her belt and yanked her into the wall of his chest, his arms wrapping around her like two steel bands to lock her in place.
    “This might get bumpy,” he whispered at her ear.
    From the ear piece she heard Tito’s shouted, “HANG ON!”
    The rear end of the helicopter whipped around and the chopper banked sharply one direction before jerking violently in the opposite.  Shy squealed and latched on to York’s vest, burying her face against his chest. 
    “I’ve got it, I’ve got, I’ve…”  there was a hard bump that jarred Shy’s bones and a loud slow whirr sounded before Tito finished, “GOT IT!”
    The loud whomp, whomp, whomp of the helicopter’s blades slowed and then finally stopped.  Shy was still clutching York’s vest when his hold on her loosened.  “You alright Shy?”
    She simply nodded without looking up.
    York reached between their bodies and unfastened his seat belt.  Then he was standing and taking Shy with him, bundle of blankets and all.
    Outside of the helicopter it was still just as dark and just as cold as it had been forty minutes earlier when Shy had first been rescued.  A short dark skinned man circled the helicopter and asked, “Any word?”
    “Where are we?” York countered.
    The small man, who Shy assumed was the pilot Tito responded, “About two clicks east of our designated LZ. 
    Shy looked up in time to catch York focusing his gaze on something in the distance.  She followed the path of his eyes afraid he’d see n something or someone.  Instead she was greeted with dark woods, covered with a fine layer of Canadian snow.  When she looked back up at York he was still intently focused on something and stayed that way for long minutes before he finally blinked and answered, “It’s clear.  Marko’s securing rooms; Bodi and Lok have just secured transport and will be enroute.  ETA, five minutes.”  He turned from Tito and stalked toward the woods with Shy.  “Secure the site.  I’m hiding Shy in the woods in case anyone saw us go down.  We still don’t know if the Megalya are following.”
    Unintentionally whimpering at the thought, the sound provoked a hard look from York.  “Don’t worry Shy.  You belong to one of us, which means it is our honor to die defending you.  If the Megalya come, they’ll have to kill me to get to you.”
    She knew the revelation was meant to be comforting, but it wasn’t.  She didn’t want the Megalya chasing them and she sure as hell didn’t want this gentle giant dying over her.  Guilt gnawed at her as she watched Tito over York’s shoulder.  The small man pulled a firearm from a holster at his hip and hunkered down beside the helicopter to scan the area.
    York carried her away from the chopper and into the woods.  It got darker the further they got from the clearing and it wasn’t lost on her