by D. K. Davis
* * *
Morgan
“Sit down.” I pushed Lara into the chair, studying her demeanor. Something happened to her during the exchange of sparky-stuff between her and Oakly. “Cat got your tongue.” I chuckled over my little pun and then glared at her. “So, who are you, Lara or Kara? And, why are you here?”
“My real name is Lara Gleason.” She sighed. “I’m supposed to rescue you, but it doesn’t appear you need rescued.” Her gaze dropped to the floor.
“Jack sent you here to rescue me?” I huffed. “That’s rich because he’s the one that wanted to get rid of me.”
Lara leaned back in the chair and eyed me. “Jack kidnapped my mother just before you and I met. He’s used Mom as leverage so I’d keep you occupied while he seduced your mother into marrying him. Jack’s got an agenda.”
“Why should I believe anything you say? You’ve done nothing but lie to me for months. I don’t even know how old you are, or where you live.”
“You’re right. I’ve lied right along. I did whatever Jack wanted me to, or he’d kill my mother.” She shuffled her feet and crossed her ankles. Her focus drifted toward the doorway. “I’m eighteen, graduated this year like you, but I went to Sparta high school. I belong to the same pryde as your grandmother. That’s how Jack found my mother and me, at a pryde gathering.”
“So, how come you’re telling me all of this now? What’s changed?” Something had changed Lara because everything she’d said I believed.
“To be honest, I don’t know.” Her eyes closed for a beat, and when she opened them, her gaze met mine. “But what I do know, Jack wants you back.”
“Is Jack a shifter?”
“Yes. He goes by the name Kingpin J, an Overlord of South East Michigan, aligned with some heavy-hitters in Detroit and Chicago. I heard he has ties in Florida as well.”
“As in organized crime syndicates?” An icky feeling crept over me.
“Exactly. Like mob-stuff with a league of shifters and humans.” Moisture gathered in her eyes, which I’d never witnessed in the months that I’d known her. “My mom…I haven’t heard from her in weeks. I think she’s dead.”
As upset as I was about my mom, I couldn’t imagine her not being in my life at all.
Rowan and Oakly walked in. Rowan carried the empty bottles to the sink, and Oakly crossed the room to stand near Lara.
Oakly glared at me. “Why is she upset?”
“Oakly, it’s okay. Morgan didn’t upset me.” Lara clamored to her feet and grasped his hand. “If anything, she’s helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel.” She glanced my way. “I understand that you don’t trust me, Morgan, but you do have my loyalty. There’s no way I’ll ever see my mother again, even if by chance she’s alive somewhere. Jack owns me. I’ve witnessed what happens when the leverage is no longer required, no loose ends.”
I wanted to believe her, take that leap of faith, and all indications of this morning pointed in that direction, but her history with me sucked. Is this just another fabricated lie?
Oakly wrapped his arms around Lara, and she embraced him. The electrified energy between them bounced around the room. “We’ll help get your mom back. If she’s alive, we’ll find her.”
Rowan and I looked at each other. He nodded. His arms went around me, and he leaned his lips to my ear. “Oakly found his mate.”
I pressed against his rock-hard chest, and let the moment hold us.
“What is this, a love-fest?” Addison stood at the door. “If I eat one more of those bear claws while I’m waiting for you,” she waved her arms around as if encompassing the room, “to come inside, the kitchen floor will wear them like a big, juicy puddle. Get moving.”
I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh out loud. Addison’s timing was impeccable. Rowan and I released each other, he grabbed my hand, and we followed Addison.
Oakly and Lara walked a few steps behind us, whispering to each other so low I couldn’t hear a word, even though my sense of hearing strained to listen.
Uncle Charlie and Aunt Becka sat at the kitchen table when we entered. Steamy cups of hot chocolate set on the counter. The aroma made my mouth salivate, so did the mountain of bear claws on the table.
Oakly and Lara stepped into the room, and Oakly introduced Lara to Aunt Becka.
Rowan and I stood at the counter for a minute, watching the scene unfold. “I can’t believe Oakly, right now,” Rowan whispered. “He’s smitten. Did you see how fast that happened?”
“Yea, about as fast as you and I happened.” I grinned as Rowan grabbed me around the waist and squeezed me into his side.
Aunt Becka and Uncle Charlie engaged in conversation with Lara, while Oakly offered her a seat at the table with a hot chocolate like a real gentleman.
“Lara might have a lead as to what’s going on with the pryde’s territories. When’s your father coming home?” I whispered into Rowan’s ear.
“He doesn’t know when he’ll return. Do you believe Lara? Because the way I’m reading you is quite the opposite.” Rowan kissed my temple, leaving me warm and gooey inside.
“She’s been play-acting with me for a while, and now she’s not, or so she says. My intuition and my heart aren’t on the same page with her.” How could I explain my feeling regarding Lara when I couldn’t figure out where I stood, with her or without her?
“I’ll leave a message on Dad’s cell phone, but he’ll be busy with that big meeting today, so I have no idea when or if he’ll get back to me.”
Lara said something to make my aunt laugh, and everyone laughed, except Addison.
“Hey, what did you do with the gun?” Not sure why I thought about it just then. Having a means of protection for my aunt and uncle might not be a bad thing, at least, until we get a handle on Jack’s plans.
“I dropped it into an empty feed box in the barn, beside the door to the fawns’ pen. We’ll need to figure out a better place. Probably inside the house, so your aunt and uncle have access to it if they need that kind of protection.” Rowan hugged me close, and then let me go. “We should join the others before Addison has another hissy.”
I glanced back at the table.
Addison eyed me, jerking her head toward a chair.
I grabbed a hot cocoa and sat next to Aunt Becka, directly across from Addison. “So, this is a bear claw.” I grabbed a sugar encrusted one off the stack and took a bite. “Oh, my goodness. This is heaven.”
“I told you there’d be a craving for them after the first bite.” Aunt Becka took another bite of hers and smiled through the chewing.
Rowan plopped down beside me and grabbed a couple of the pastries, mowing through them with a vengeance.
Addison stayed quiet, studying Lara and Oakly.
I couldn’t tell if their attraction to each other concerned or intrigued Addison, but something was up.
The mountain of bear claws had become a small hill of pastries. Aunt Becka pushed her chair back from the table. “I need to go feed the wee-ones.” She glanced around the table and nodded. “I’m thrilled you’re all here to help today because I’m not sure I have the energy for it after being up most of the night.”
“We got you covered, Becka,” Rowan stated.
“Thanks, Rowan.” Aunt Becka glanced at Oakly. “Looks like you’re hitting it off with Lara.” She smiled and giggled. “Would you like to show her the small cages of critters and instruct her on how to take care of them?”
“Sure.” Oakly scraped his chair back and helped Lara out of hers. They walked out together.
Aunt Becka raised her brows and eyed everyone sitting around the table. “So, are they a thing or what?”
Rowan chuckled. “Yes. We witnessed the sparks flying between them when they first saw each other. All the bells and whistles of a mate.”
Addison released a heavy breath and shook her head. “I don’t like her.” She looked directly at me. “Do you?”
“I don’t know. Lara used to be a frie
nd from Grand Rapids until I realized she’d lied, set me up, and then always left me to take the wrap.” I sighed and slid my chair back, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. “I think she just came clean on why she’d done all of that. My step-father had Lara’s mother kidnapped, and he’s used her for leverage. Lara did whatever Jack wanted to keep her mother safe.” As I repeated Lara’s story, I opened to more acceptance as it is the truth. All the set-ups Lara construed for me fell together into a grand plan to get me here. But why? What was Jack’s end-game?
“We don’t know your stepfather, Morgan. Is he a shifter?” Uncle Charlie clasped my aunt’s hand. The look of concern on her face worried me.
“I didn’t know anything about shifters less than a week ago, and now I can recognize them. So, I don’t know if Jack is a shifter, but Lara confirmed it.” I went on and told them everything Lara had said about Jack, who he was, his connections, and what he was capable of doing.
“I didn’t realize all of that when you asked about Dad.” Rowan stood and pulled his cell phone from his back pocket. “He needs to know this information for the meeting, for the safety of everyone there. What if Jack planted a mole in that group?” Rowan strode out to the front porch to make the call.
I looked around the table, everyone appeared solemn, but the energy poking my sensitivities activated fear.
Chapter Twenty-one
Rowan
Dad answered on the first ring, “Son, is everything okay?”
“Not really.” Unprepared for Dad to answer, I thought his voicemail would pick up. “We learned some information you should know. What time is your meeting?” My hands shook. The thought there could be a potential mole or even a terrorist at Dad’s meeting tensed every muscle in my body. We’d stayed shielded from outside world corruption within our pryde my whole life, but now that’d all changed.
“It’s going on right now. I walked out for a moment to call your mother. She’s on her way with Burr Evart.”
“He’s Morgan’s father.” Becka had told me about Burr Evart, but Dad had talked with Becka about it first.
“Morgan doesn’t know yet, right?” He cleared his throat. “Listen, son. We need to run this past Burr first. He should be the one to introduce himself to Morgan. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
Someone said something to Dad, so my father answered, “Let everyone take a break. I’m learning some new information, and I need time to get it all. Give everyone a half-hour before we resume.”
I waited for him to finish, walking farther into Charlie and Becka’s front yard to sit under their big oak tree.
“Are you still there, Rowan?”
“Yep. You got a note book. There’s a hell of a lot to tell, and if you don’t mind, maybe I should bring Morgan in on this part. She heard it firsthand.”
“Sure, are you someplace safe to converse about this?”
“Yes. I’ll be right back.” I ran into the house for Morgan. She stood at the sink, washing the few dishes we’d used. Addison raised a brow with plate and towel in hand. “Morgan, I need you outside. Addison, I’ll bring her back.” I couldn’t stop the urgency from affecting my voice.
Without hesitation or questions, Morgan followed me to the oak tree.
“Tell Dad everything Lara shared with you about Jack.” I handed her the phone.
“Mr. Marcus, slow me down if I go too fast. I don’t want you to miss a thing.”
I sat beside her as she unloaded all the information she’d just shared with us in the kitchen and even a little more that happened between her and Jack. How he’d wanted her out of there, and the possibility that he’d wanted her to end up at Becka and Charlie’s.
Then Morgan went silent as Dad shared some things with her. She held the phone so tight to her ear my sensitive hearing didn’t pick up a word. Her gaze found mine, her eyes opened wide, and she nodded to whatever he said.
“Okay, here’s Rowan.” Morgan gave the phone back to me.
“Son, don’t let Morgan out of your sight today. Have Oakly with you also. Set up other guardians to take the patrol shifts for the next couple of days. You, boys, stick with Morgan. I’ll share some of Morgan’s information in the meeting, but not all of it. I believe she’s a target. I know Jack.” Dad took a deep breath. “He’s got a personal vendetta for his step-brother that’s been going on for years, but we thought Jack had finally made peace with it.”
Someone interrupted Dad again, “Be right with you.” Sounds of Dad walking slipped through the cell phone. “Somehow, Jack’s privy to who Morgan is, and I believe he intends to use her against Burr Evart. The only way Jack can do that is by kidnapping Morgan.” Dad sounded out of breath. “I’ll be home tonight. I’m bringing your mother and Burr Evart with me.” Dad clicked off.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and stared at Morgan. “Didn’t Lara say she was sent here to rescue you?”
* * *
Morgan
“Your dad mentioned Lara might think it was a rescue mission rather than a kidnapping. Something felt off when Lara first said she was sent here to rescue me. Jack did everything he could to make sure I got sent away.” Something didn’t make sense to me. He wanted me out of the way, but he wasn’t the one that suggested Aunt Becka’s place. “He told Mom that he’d send me to a boarding school.” I leaned against the tree trunk. A shiver of goosebumps crawled up my arms. “What if he planned on doing to me what he’s done to Lara? Using my mom as leverage, just like he’s using Lara’s mom?”
“Or, he’s going to use you as leverage so he can control your mom.” Rowan searched my face. “That might be a possibility. Have you heard from your mom?”
“No, but I’m not sure she’d call anyway. She thought I was sabotaging her relationship with Jack.” All the trouble I’d gotten into alienated my relationship with Mom. Thanks to Lara, leading me into traps at every turn and then leaving me holding her bag. “I need to talk with Lara. She knows more about why Jack wanted me gone.”
Addison slammed out the front door. “We need to feed and water the big deer and refresh the hay if it needs it. Charlie just asked me to come and get you.” Addison stopped beside us. “Charlie wants some help to bury Zoe, Rowan.”
A tan Chevy car drove up the driveway, stirring dust that blew over to us on the breeze. Addison ran toward the car, waving.
I recognized Caleb as the driver. Riley, Easton, and Gracie got out and walked around to meet Addison. “What are they doing here?”
Rowan stood up and pulled me off the ground. “You go find out. I gotta make a quick call to the Forest Guardians. Be there in a second.”
I walked toward the car.
Caleb met me halfway. “We heard about Zoe. I’m so sorry. We’re all sorry.” He paused a moment, and then said, “I know how much she meant to Becka. We heard there was a search through the woods last night to find her baby.” Caleb smiled as he glanced at Rowan near the tree. “And he found two of them.”
Riley added, “We came to see them and to help with chores.”
“We figured Becka and Charlie would be pretty busy with those little ones plus all the other chores around here.” Gracie ran her fingers through her spikey hair, puffing it up, and blowing bubbles with her gum.
Easton stood next to her, watching the finger-work going on in her hair. “You missed a spot.”
“Where?” She blew a bubble and bent her head down to his level.
Easton whipped his fingers through the back side of her short hair, and when he caught me watching him, his face turned bright red.
Riley and Addison stood off to the side in conversation.
Gracie and Easton wandered over by Caleb and me.
Rowan hurried across the lawn and stopped beside me.
“Hey, nice one on finding the baby twins last night.” Caleb raised a hand for a high-five and Rowan smacked it.
“We’ll show all of you the baby fawns when we break for lunch,” Rowan stated. “Caleb, let’s you, Morgan, and me go h
elp Charlie bury Zoe. He’s out back moving the trailer.” Rowan slapped Caleb on the back and grabbed my hand.
“Wait a minute.” I pulled my hand from Rowan’s grasp. “How about I take Gracie, Easton, and Addison with me to take care of the big deer pen. And you grab Riley to go with Caleb to help Uncle Charlie.” I tilted my head, wide-eyed, not wanting to lay Zoe in the ground and cover her with dirt.
Rowan turned to me, leaned in, and whispered, “Dad does not want you alone today. You’re supposed to be with my brother or me at all times.”
“I won’t be alone. There will be three other people with me in that deer pen. Plus, Oakly and Lara are at the small cages beside Big Red. That’s right next to the deer pen. I’m covered.” I smiled, mostly because he rolled his eyes but also because he made me feel safe.
Rowan huffed away with Riley and Caleb, and my group headed to the other side of the house and down the path to Big Red. Oakly and Lara stood near the small cages, embracing.
“Hey, Lara, I need to talk with you when we finish the pen. Hang around would you,” I hollered at her.
She nodded, Oakly simply stared at her.
Man, he has it bad for her.
They kissed, and we all whistled at them as we walked by. The cages had already gotten stocked with fresh water and food.
We all went inside Big Red for tools, feed, some hay, and then dropped everything into the wheelbarrow. Addison uncoiled the watering hose still attached to the spicket outside and ran fresh water into the deer drinking water tub.
“I’ll take care of the deer play-water tub also,” she said, spraying water at anyone close enough to get hit.
Easton rolled the wheelbarrow to the feed trough, and Gracie and I took the pitch forks to spread the hay, fluff the straw in the open stall areas, and then we grabbed the shovels to scoop the poo droppings into the emptied wheelbarrow. Easton wheeled it around behind Big Red to the compost pile. When he came back around, Addison waved him over with the wheelbarrow, sprayed him until he ran screaming away from her, and then she rinsed out the wheelbarrow.
