by Celeste Raye
“And if you're not back?”
“Just give me some time. Nothing is going to keep me away from you for too long.”
Vanessa was convinced that it was the best answer she could get.
When he finally pulled away from her, she tried to hold in all the emotions that she was feeling. He probably had enough of his own to worry about. He had to keep his son safe after he had failed so miserably before. That had to weigh heavily on his mind. She tried to empathize with the situation with Shane, and it was easy to do so.
“I will be back in just a few hours. I know that you don't want me to go, but I also know that you know I have to believe that it’s for the best. We have to find a way to stop these witches, or they will never leave us alone.”
She agreed, if not a little reluctantly.
The determination in his eyes and the set of his jaw told her that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that he lived up to his words. Vanessa knew that the world would be a better place when the Franklin Organization was gone. They had certainly wreaked havoc on enough people, and it was time for their reign to end.
Again, Vanessa watched him leave, and this time, there were far more emotions than before. He had gone back upstairs and said a prayer with his son before he took off. Now Vanessa was stuck waiting for him to come back. She had put Shane to bed, but Vanessa knew that there was no way she was going to be able to go to sleep herself. Instead, she sat on the porch and waited. For what, she wasn’t sure.
Vanessa did not even know what she was looking for. She didn't know she was waiting for something to come out of the woods, or what.
Chapter Sixteen
Scott moved as fast as he could through the sparse woods. He had a long way to go, and he was only going to be gone as long as he had to be. The problem was that they were meeting over a hundred miles away. Everyone was getting nervous, and the meeting place kept moving.
When he finally got there, every scenario that he could think of was running through his head, and even though he was tired and it was time for him to silence his mind long enough to get an idea through it, Scott could not stop. He took a drink and went to find Jack.
Jack had taken over the cause. His son had been taken away, two of them if Scott had heard it correctly. He knew that Jack was just as fixated on finding the witches as he was. A lot of the people there had lost someone, but the look that was in Jack’s eye was the same one he saw when he looked in the mirror. To Scott, that was all that he needed to know about the man. There were a lot of differences between the two alphas, including what type of subspecies they were, but at the end of the day, there were more commonalities than differences.
“It’s good to see you, Scott. I heard that your family was attacked while you were at the last meeting.”
Scott agreed with a nod of his head and a flash of anger in his eyes. It was not a reminder that he wanted at the moment, considering that he had left them again. He knew that he had to do this, to find the answers and to get the revenge that everyone wanted, but also because his son would never be safe if the Franklin Organization was still running. He had to be there, finding answers and figuring out a way to take them down.
“Yeah, my nanny shot one of them witches and scared off the other one.”
“The human that Fran hooked you up with?”
Scott was a little surprised that Jack knew so much, but the other man waved him off.
“Fran is magical when it comes to finding a nanny. Trust me; I know this. I married mine.”
That was news to Scott, and it made him realize that there was a lot more to the situation with Vanessa that he hadn't even considered. Where was it going to lead? They had done something in the heat of the moment that had made them both feel better, but there were going to be lasting effects that he hadn't wrapped his head around yet.
“I don't know if we're there yet, but I can never thank her enough.”
He asked a couple more questions about Vanessa that made Scott a little uncomfortable. He didn't know that much about the human that had come into his life. What was he going to do to repay her? Scott was not one to carry many debts, but he didn't even know enough about her to find out what it was it she needed.
“Well, just trust Fran. Sometimes she doesn't make much sense with her decisions, but it's like she somehow knows. I know that she's just a human, but she has an intuition that I didn't know they possessed. There is some kind of magic in the women that choose to be in our world.”
Scott agreed and thought about his conversation with Vanessa. She had made it clear that his world was a lot more dangerous than hers. He hadn't thought about it before, but hearing it come from Jack made him realize that she was right. They agreed to come into the paranormal world knowing that it would put them in danger.
The thought blossomed into another one, where Vanessa had not turned up so lucky. What would have happened if she hadn't brought a gun with her and been able to shoot the witch from so far away? What would have happened if she had not been so lucky? The quick thought was only momentarily in his brain, and it made him gasp from the pain of the idea.
This was not something he was supposed to feel, not for her. They barely knew each other, but Scott could feel a connection between the two of them.
“It seems like you might be a little closer to the same situation that I was in, Scott. I remember that look well.”
“What look?”
Scott still wanted to pretend like he had no idea what Jack was talking about.
“The realization that you have fallen for your nanny.”
Scott wasn't sure what to say to that, but he didn't even try to deny it. There was definitely something going on. But he had to shake his thoughts of it because it wasn't the time for that.
“I don't know if I'm quite there yet, Jack, but something is happening. She is special. I don't know how Fran convinced her to come with Shane and I,, but I'm thankful for her. Have you done the same sort of arrangement?”
“Like I said, I married my nanny, so she is with our kids now. We are about to have another one soon.”
Scott was even more surprised, and he congratulated Jack. There was a lot going on in the room, but he felt closer to Jack for many reasons. They were far more alike than he would have imagined. He knew that Jack’s kids were taken, just not for as long. It didn’t matter if it was a minute or a year, that crushing feeling was likely the same. Scott knew that it was an experience all by itself, one that never was far from a person’s memory.
The two talked for a little bit longer before the meeting was called to order. More information was coming in from all sides, but they were still missing something. They were missing the ingredient that was going to take the head witch out.
Jack seemed to think that help needed to come in the form of other witches. He believed that they would be able to find a way to take out the old witch, but at the same time, not many people wanted to work with them because they weren't trustworthy in most people’s eyes. There was a reason that the shifters did not deal with the witches on a normal basis. They never knew where their loyalty lied, and considering who they were up against, it would be even harder.
Everyone erupted in an argument. It was brought up that witches had helped the shifters in the past. They might have actually stopped the annihilation of the subspecies of dragonkin, but many did not think that was enough. If they worked with the wrong witches, there could be dire consequences that they could not foresee. The covens that were brought up were not trusted by all, and after an hour, Jack’s suggestion was pushed back. The problem was that nobody else had anything better.
They were fighting a battle that they didn't even know the full consequences of, and when the meeting was finally called, Scott did not feel any better leaving. It felt like there were still a lot of questions in the air.
For one reason or another, the shifters could not seem to get it together. There were too many conflicting ideas and thoughts. That wa
s the problem when they all came together. Everyone at the meeting was an alpha, which meant that they were used to being heard. But a hundred people couldn't be heard at the same time.
He walked out with Jack, and he looked about as frustrated as Scott did. They were there for answers, and at the moment, it seemed like they were only getting more problems. People needed to agree on something so that they could move forward, but nothing was done. There was another meeting in a few days, but Scott worried that nothing was going to come of it.
“I hope that the next meeting is better.”
“If we don't figure out a way to handle this, then this is just going to keep on happening. It has been happening a lot longer than we all knew about, but now we need to take care of it. Enough is enough.”
“I agree, but how do you get everybody to agree on something like this?”
“I don't know how the hell they're supposed to do it. I am not going to wait for the mass consensus. It will never come.”
“I hear that, Jack. It doesn’t seem to be working. I’m here, while my kid is back home. That’s where I should be.”
Jack stopped him. Scott was frustrated, but Jack sent out an olive branch that Scott latched onto. He needed it.
“There is a small group of us starting to think that they can't do it, Scott. I know that we would be stronger in large numbers, united, but at the same time, we have to do something whether we can get everybody to agree or not. I think a lot of people are afraid. Nobody likes to mess with witches.”
Considering all that the witches had done to the pack, Scott could certainly agree to that. As much as he wanted to believe that there had to be a way to take them out, it didn’t feel like it was going to come to him this way. He was willing to do just about anything.
“When are they going to meet?”
“Soon. Next day or two. Do you want me to give you a call?”
“Yeah, do that. We have to do something, and I don't really care if people agree with it or not. Do you think that we can get the witches to help us?”
Jack agreed and told him that he knew several that had worked with other shifters in the past.
“Not all witches are the same, just like not all shifters are the same. I have heard of a few packs that are helping the Franklin Organization.”
Scott couldn't believe it, but then again, he could. He knew that not everything was as it appeared.
“Maybe they're the ones that are giving them an inside track.”
Jack agreed. “There is no telling what somebody will do to save their own ass. Smaller group, smaller chance of there being a problem.”
“You're right about that. Let me know when you guys are ready to meet and have something to work with. I will do the same on my front.”
“Sounds good, Scott. Will talk to you later. Take care of your kids and your nanny while you're there. Remember what I said. You're on the same track that I was on, and I will tell you now, Scott, it’s a damn good one.”
Chapter Seventeen
Vanessa waited up almost half the night for Scott to get back. She wanted to make sure that he was okay. What was going on between them had made her even more susceptible to nerves. He had a way about him that was driving her crazy, and no matter what she did, Vanessa couldn't help it.
He walked up slowly, and he didn't see her sitting on the porch. The lights were off, and she was sitting in the darkness, but that was more to watch the area around her and not put a target on her back, just in case. Vanessa didn't know when she would be able to be anywhere and not wonder if there was something in the woods watching her. The last situation had certainly left a lasting impression. The gun was next to her.
Vanessa noted that Scott was no happier than when he left. He was going there for answers, and given the expression on his face, Vanessa had to believe that he did not get too many of them. He looked distressed, and when she finally said his name gently as he was coming up the stairs, she immediately regretted it. He jerked and almost lost his balance.
It would have been funny if he didn't seem so disgruntled by it. When she realized that he wasn't going to fall and he was going to be fine, Vanessa couldn't help but laugh a little bit. It had been rather ridiculous, but Scott did not find it so. He had a growl in his throat and a grimace on his face.
“I didn't know you were out here.”
“Sorry, Scott, I couldn't sleep until you were home.”
“So, you're out here in the dark?”
Vanessa shrugged. “I didn't know where else to be. I like the breeze, and it feels kind of stuffy in there.”
He stopped in front of her and bent down, putting his hands on either side of the armrest of the chair she was sitting in.
“What am I going to do with you, Vanessa?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you are making life a little complicated. You save my son, give me the best orgasm I've had in years, and here you are waiting up for me. If I didn't know any better, I would think that you cared.”
Vanessa didn't know what to say to that. He was looking so intently into her eyes, that she finally had to look away. It was making her that nervous. As much as she wanted to believe that she could handle the connection between them, it was easier said than done.
“What do you want to do with me, Scott?”
His eyes started to darken, and Vanessa knew immediately what was going through his head. It was exactly what was going through her mind, and she felt a little bit of trembling in her body all of a sudden. Every time he was close to her like that, looking at her in that way, it was hard for her not to pay close attention.
“You know what I want to do to you, Vanessa. Every minute that I am next to you, I want to rip your clothes off and slam back inside of you. Right now, the banister is looking pretty damn good. That's what I want to do.”
Vanessa had to look away. What was she supposed to say? Of course, she had an attraction to the man, but that didn't mean that she was ready to go down that path again. Every time that he was away from her, she asked herself a million questions that she had no answer for. Any other time, Vanessa would want an answer before she jumped into the deep end with a guy.
He took her chin in his hand and tilted it up a little bit so that he could see her face. There was just something about the shyness and innocence in her eyes. She acted like they hadn't been together before.
“Does that not sound good?”
“It does, but I don't talk like that. It's hard to say things like that, or even to hear them said to me. You’re a bit much sometimes, Scott.”
“If you don't like it, then why are you trembling all of a sudden? Why do you keep looking at my lips, quietly begging me to kiss you?”
Her eyes had moved up to his face, and he was only guessing because he started to chuckle when she looked away.
“You get a bit too much enjoyment out of messing with my head, Scott.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means, and that's why you're laughing. You like to mess with my mind, even though I have no idea what we're doing. It’s confusing and you’re making it worse. That’s what I mean. What is this?”
“Why does it have to have a name? Why can't we just be together and see what happens?”
“Because I don't work that way. I never have before. I did not come here to get involved with you. I was just here to help; now I don't know what I'm doing here.”
“You’re certainly helping. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
She smiled, and he finally kissed her again.
Vanessa was trying to fight the feelings that she had for him. It was hard enough to do when he was next to her, but it was impossible when he was pressing his lips against hers.
As soon as their lips touched, her whole body started to shake. Was she supposed to have this sort of reaction to him, to anyone?
Before long, he was pulling her up into his arms and the scenario that he had laid
out started to happen. Vanessa was exploding against him and holding the railing as tightly as she possibly could. Her eyes closed as the stars blotted out and she could see bright lights behind her eyelids as her body exploded.
They stood like that for a while, still connected and holding on to each other, but not in the same way. There were no fast movement or animalistic sounds between them. This time, it was just standing still, trying to catch their breath.
“I still don't know what I'm going to do with you, Vanessa.”
She whimpered as he pulled out and turned around to give him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Why do we have to figure it out right now? Why can't we just be?”
That sounded good to her ears, but she noted that he didn’t seem as happy with his own answer.
Chapter Eighteen
The next few days went by quickly for Scott. He got to spend time with his son and Vanessa. Scott was trying to enjoy the moments that he had with them, and he realized pretty quickly that Jack had been righter than he wanted to admit. He was feeling something more for her than he had before.
But now it was time for him to leave again and Scott was worried about it. They hadn't had any more close calls or anything like that, but he didn't want to leave them. Every time he left them, he knew that something could happen, and considering how much he cared, he just wanted to make sure that he could keep them safe.
It was harder to do when he kept having to leave for meetings in the middle of the night. The shifters were under attack, and they felt it.
He gave Vanessa a kiss and told her that he would be back before sunrise. His son did not know that he was leaving because she had made it clear that he was still convinced they were coming for him.
“Just hurry up and come back, Scott. We miss you when you're gone.”
Scott wanted to say more, but he stopped. He knew that the last thing he should be doing was making the goodbye even more complicated, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had to say what was really on his mind.
