“Take a walk with me?” Gabe gestured down Camp Lane.

Riley walked over to him and they started walking down the lane together. Gabe looked good, and he smelled even better. Woodsy. Masculine.

“How long have you been here?” he asked.

“Not long. Celia and I just made a circle through the woods.”

“Were you talking about anything in particular?”

She glowed brighter. “I asked her questions about everyone who lives in the Lodge. I don’t know much about you guys. Xander hasn’t said a lot.”

“Ah.”

They passed the pool and the Cameron family’s house in silence. Gabe periodically flexed his left hand, the one next to hers. Riley was certain he was trying to decide whether to hold her hand or not.

Do I want him to?

She saw a glint of light in a dim-looking pine glade off to their left. As they moved closer, she could see that it was a patch of pink and white glowing flowers. “Holy plants are so beautiful. Are there holy animals at camp, too?”

Gabe shook his head. “The shield around camp keeps them out. It protects the people who live here from any Unveiled spirits it doesn’t recognize. That includes holy animals, unfortunately.”

“I haven’t seen the shield yet.”

“It’s invisible, but you can spot it pretty easily if you know what to look for. In fact, we’re almost to the edge of it now,” Gabe said, jogging forward a few steps and then stopping. “Come here and I’ll show you.”

Riley walked forward until she was standing beside him.

“Put your hands out in front of you.”

She did as she was told, and she felt a strange, slightly electric feeling in her palms, which were now glowing a little brighter.

“That’s the shield.”

Riley walked slowly through it, then came back. The sensation and light change were noticeable, but only because Gabe had pointed them out to her. Had they simply walked through the shield, Riley believed she would have missed it entirely, just as she had every time she’d driven through it. “And because of this shield, there’s no way for fire warriors to attack anyone at Greenwood?”

“If they wanted to attack us, they’d either have to fire Veiled weapons through it, or they’d have to send Veiled men in to get us. The shield repels Unveiled attacks. And it can sense all animal spirits who step through it, even if the animal’s host is Veiled. It will trap any of them that don’t have the chief’s permission to be present, and it holds them still until he decides to release them.”

“You mean like a spider web?” Riley shivered.

“That’s what it’s like with holy animals. Periodically one gets trapped in it and Chief James has to release it. I assume it’s the same with Miyala.” He turned and gestured back toward camp. “It’s almost lunch time. Let’s head back. I don’t want to get too far away from the dining hall, or there won’t be any meat left.”

Riley chuckled.

Gabe stopped suddenly, and put a hand out in front of Riley to stop her also. His eyes widened, and his head snapped to the right.

Far in the distance, two glowing figures were running through the forest, sprinting uphill away from Riley and Gabe. One had pink light, the other deep green.

Gabe stepped between Riley and the intruders, threw his head back, and screamed a deep, catlike, snarling scream.

Seconds later, a blood-red panther was streaking down the lane toward them.

Katrina.

“Over there!” Gabe pointed in the direction the men had gone. Moments later, Xander’s panther and Alley’s cougar zipped by as well, followed by two elder wolves and an elder cougar. They sprinted in the direction Gabe was indicating, snarling and howling as they chased after the intruders.

Riley shook as the furious animals raced past her into the woods.

—HIDE—

She obeyed her turtle, willing herself to feel that strange wet feeling in her spine.

Gabe sucked in a loud, startled breath. “What is this?”

“I made us invisible,” she informed him, her voice shaking.

“Invisible?” Gabe looked down at his now watery-looking illumination and touching it. “It’s like I’m under water…” He tried to touch the shimmering reflections in her turtle shell, and gasped again when he couldn’t.

“No one can see or hear us. That’s the good news. The bad news is that people could see our footprints if we walked through the grass. So we have to be careful where we go now.”

Two hawks and an owl soared over their heads.

Gabe exhaled as the birds disappeared into the trees. “Let’s go to the swing by the chief’s house. No one can see that area, even from above.”

They walked down the lane as quickly as Riley could move, scanning the forest for more intruders and for their clanmates.

“Don’t tell anyone else that I can do this,” she warned him. “Xander wants it to stay a secret.”

Gabe gave her his dazzling smile. “I won’t tell. I always heard there were turtles who could do this, but I’ve never seen it before.” His expression was awed. “Ned can’t do it. He can make himself look Veiled, but he can’t become invisible.” Gabe craned his neck to look around. “I don’t see or hear anything, so they’re at least a quarter mile away. We’re safe.”

—He is always honest—

Riley glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then made them visible again. “Are they safe?”

Gabe shrugged uncomfortably. “Probably. There are a lot more of our people than theirs, and we know this land inside and out. The spies don’t.”

He sat down on the tree swing. She joined him, and Gabe gave the swing a push with his feet.

“I’m afraid,” Riley said.

“Well, let’s talk about something else while we wait. How’s your training going?” Gabe asked with a frown.

“Xander says I’m doing well… is something wrong?”

“No. Yes.” Gabe sighed. “Riley, I like you. A lot. I wish you were training with me instead of Xander.”

He’s jealous? “You know,” Riley said with a chuckle, “one of the first things Xander said to me after I met you was, ‘If Gabe asks you out, you should say yes.’”

Gabe stopped swinging and blinked. “He did?”

“Then he said, ‘And if any of the rest of us ask you out, you should say no.’”

He laughed and covered his face with his hands. “Xander seriously said that?”

“Believe it. He isn’t trying to hook up with me. We’re just training, I promise. And as you see, it’s going well.”

Gabe tensed, then stood. “Here they come. Our people.”

Riley stood as well. She listened intently, but it was a full minute before she heard, then saw, Xander and Alley. They were now in human form, both of them panting as they emerged from the woods.

“They’re gone,” Xander gasped. He clapped Gabe on the back. “Thanks for getting Riley out of there.”

“Where are they headed?” Gabe asked.

“South. They got in a car and drove off. Katrina’s gone after them. We need to find the Colonel.” Xander motioned to Alley and to the elders who were emerging from the woods, and the five of them trudged uphill to the dining hall.

Gabe and Riley slowly sat back down on the swing.

“I hope Xander isn’t training you too hard,” Gabe said softly as they watched Xander, Alley and the elders. “He’s awesome once you get to know him, but he can be a workaholic.”

“No, no. He’s nice, and a good teacher. He’s distant, though.”

“Panthers are all like that.”

She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I think he’s lonely. I know how that feels.”

Gabe looked into her eyes and swallowed. “You don’t have to be lonely. I don’t want you to be.”

Riley’s heart sped up. I don’t want to be lonely anymore, either.

It’s time to make a move.

She took a deep unsteady breath, and then she took Gabe’s hand and drew it around her shoulder.

After a moment of what she assumed was shock, he pulled her closer. His body heat was a wonderful contrast to the crisp wind and the fearful thoughts that continued to tug at her, and Riley snuggled backward into his arms. “This is better.”

“A thousand times better,” he agreed. “Wow, Riley.”

She threaded her fingers through his, and in response, Gabe made a deep feline sort of sound. It was half purr and half growl and unbelievably sexy. “Is that a cougar noise?”

“A happy cougar noise,” he murmured against her ear. He took her other hand in his, too, and wove their fingers together. Then he rubbed both of his thumbs over hers and purred. “Don’t be afraid. Inside our shield is the safest place there is for you,” he whispered into her hair. “Trust me.”

He is always honest, the little voice says...

“I do trust you.” And Riley pulled Gabe’s arms closer around her.