by J. M. Witt
Copyright 2015 © J.M. Witt
Cover Artist: Jennifer Munswami
Photographer: Darren Birks Photography
Model: Tiffany McNeil
Editor: Leticia Sidon
Publisher: J.M. Witt Books
All Rights Reserved 2015
This book may not be reproduced in any form;
in whole or in part, without written permission by
the author.
All characters and events in this book are
fictional. Any similarities to real life people and
events are purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 J.M. Witt
All Rights Reserved 2015
ISBN: 978-0692561515
For more maps and information, please visit the
Woodland Creek Website
http://woodlandcreekseries.com/
Scott had asked me to come over telling me that he had something important to discuss with me. With him you never knew if he really had something to talk about or if he was just checking up on me. Scott raised me after my mother’s murder and I couldn’t remember exactly when I stopped calling him ‘Uncle’ Scott. Maybe during high school.
He was the closest thing I had to a father, but he was either overbearing or lackadaisical. There never seemed to be anything in between. Listening to Alive by Sia, I took in the lyrics. It was a miracle I was still standing after all I’d been through. When the song ended I stood in my kitchen and groaned. I knew I should go see him, but I decided against it. I needed to run.
Shifting, after opening the patio door and closing it again, I took off into the woods behind my house. I ran for several hours. I was heading back to my house when I was knocked to the ground by an invisible force. Scott’s face flashed in my mind and I had a horrible feeling of dread. I momentarily calculated the time to get to his place in shifter form or in my truck. The truck was the best bet. The trails between our homes was rough terrain and I’d already exhausted myself.
Quickly, I dressed and then hopped in my truck. I tried dialing his cell, but got no answer. I was growing increasingly worried. While he disliked technology, he always had his cell on him in case any of his clients needed him.
When I pulled up the drive, nothing seemed out of place. But that didn’t help calm the nausea building inside me. Something was wrong. When I walked to the side door, it was already open which wasn’t like him. Unlocked, yes; open, no.
“Scott? Are you here?” Walking into the kitchen, the smell of dinner lingered in the air. I was an asshole and my point was proven as I walked into the dining room to see two plates set at the table. “Nice job, Mina.” After chastising myself, I continued calling his name before proceeding through the house.
His office was in the back of the house and it was in shambles. Not like it normally was; worse. Bookcases were turned over, his files scattered on the floor, and his chair tipped over. What the hell? I debated about calling the police when I thought I heard my name. Standing perfectly still, I waited to see if I heard it again.
“Mina!”
It was coming from upstairs. “Scott!”
I ran up the stairs two at a time and found him on the floor in his bathroom. He was covered in blood and I was scared stiff, literally. Images of my mother bombarded my vision. Her thin framed body laying broken on the floor, eyes open, everything red...
“Mina. Look at me.” I turned my eyes toward him as he tried to calm me. “Breathe, Mina. I need you to focus.”
Shaking the memory of my mother away, I cried out, “I need to call 9-1-1, you’re hurt.”
“There’s no time for that. Come here.” He pushed himself up against the side of the tub, a bloody handprint remained when he let go.
No time? “What do you mean there’s no time?”
“Mina!” He started coughing and choking on his own blood.
“Who did this? What happened?” I started panicking. I couldn’t lose him the same way I had my mother. It was too much.
“Your father...” he started coughing again.
“What? My father did this?”
“Mina, stop and listen to me. Your mother wasn’t the only one who died that night. I died too. You were the only thing that kept me going, the only thing I had left to live for. But, I took something from you that night.”
He wheezed violently and began gagging. He was so pale. “I’m calling for help.” Against his wishes, I pulled out my cell and dialed 9-1-1. After giving them the address, I set the phone down. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“No. I’m glad you didn’t come. You could’ve been killed. Now listen.” He pulled me closer as the tears stained my cheeks. “You need this back.” He placed his hand on my chest and a surge of light blinded my vision. As I tried blinking the brightness away, he continued, “It’s the only thing I have left to protect you. I’m sorry I wasn’t the father you wanted.”
I wasn’t sure what he’d just done to me and at that moment I didn’t care. He knew I was a shifter and didn’t treat me any differently. As far as I knew he had no powers—at least that’s what he’d always claimed—but after what he just did to me, whatever it was, I doubted him.
“You were more father than I could’ve asked for. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better daughter.” I was choking on my words as my throat constricted in response to the emotions welling inside me. He smiled and his eyes closed. “Scott! No, wake up. Please don’t leave me all alone. Please.”
His eyes barely fluttered open, “Trust your heart Mina. Trust R...” His head dropped.
“NO! Please. Who did this to you? Tell me.” I grabbed his face and pulled him to me. “Please wake up. Trust who?” I was crying hysterically when arms pulled me from him. I fought against them, wanting to stay at his side.
The Chief of Police, TJ Rickman pulled me from the room and memories again flooded me. I was ten years old again, cops swarming my childhood home as he sat with me in his squad car. I was just a kid, but I knew him. He came into my mom’s shop often and we had a bond. This time, I was in my mid-twenties, but the circumstances seemed to be the same.
“Why does this keep happening to me? Am I cursed to lose the ones I love?”
“You’re not cursed, Mina. We’ll find out who did this.”
That made me angry and I shoved away from him. “Just like you found my mother’s killer.”
He sighed, “Mina, I know we’ve never officially closed that case, but all fingers still point to Jude Thomas.”
“Yes, Jude Thomas who’s never been seen or heard from since and his family lives just down the road. How do we know he’s not dead too?”
One of the paramedics stepped into the hall with us and shook his head. I knew what it meant and Chief Rickman nodded. There was no point in crying anymore. Crying got me nowhere fifteen years ago and it wouldn’t get me anywhere now.
I turned to leave, but he tried to stop me. Jerking out of his reach I spit out, “I’ll get my revenge. One way or another, come hell or high water, I’m going to find out who did this and they’re going to pay.”
“Mina...”
“If you’re not going to do your fucking job then I will!”
I stormed out without a second look back.
The funeral was a few days later. The only people in attendance were fellow shifters and townspeople. The only family there was me, if you could even count me as family. I was just the kid he raised because he was infatuated with my mother at the time of her death. Standing there in the summer heat in my black dress and sunglasses on, my expression one of stone. I was numb and fine leaving it that way.
Meeting with the lawyer the next month, having avoided it as long as I could, I found that Scott hadn’t left everything to me. He’d left it to me and to a nephew
of his I knew nothing about. There was only one problem. This nephew of his was contesting it since I wasn’t blood or legally family and wanted it all.
I rarely heard about his family and when I had tried reaching out to them to let them know of Scott’s passing, I never got my phone calls returned. Now they wanted what should’ve been solely mine...not that I wanted it. I had no desire or idea how to run Scott’s business. Mowing lawns and plowing snow were not my idea of fun. I had my own business to run. I’d stick with the massage shop. That’s what I loved.
“Mina, I can speak with them.” He could sense my anger, rightfully so.
Throwing my hand in the air, I refused. “No. I have more important matters to deal with. His fucking money grubbing, greedy family can have it all. It’s fine. I’ll sign whatever I need to.” Shoving the chair away from his desk, I stood and announced, “I have a murder to solve.” The door slammed while he tried giving his warning that I should let the cops handle it. Fuck them. They were useless. It’d been a month and there had been no new developments.
The wall went up. I didn’t set foot in Scott’s house again after that day. I needed to start focusing on what mattered; finding out who murdered him and why. It was time for Mina’s Revenge.
I returned from camping in the wilderness for weeks to find out that my Uncle Scott had passed away. I hadn’t seen him in years, but we kept in contact via email. When I inquired about the funeral I was informed that I’d missed that as well. I felt terrible, but there wasn’t anything I could’ve done.
The letter I got several weeks later was what surprised me the most. Scott had apparently left everything to me. He had a business, a home on some acreage, and no one to leave it to. The only time I ever saw him was when he came to visit us. I knew the reputation that Woodland Creek, Indiana had and I had to admit that I was intrigued. The town was well known in the shifter world.
It took about a month for me to close up any loose ends. My pack decided to come with me and I wasn’t sure if I was happy about that or not. It came down to duty and I knew I should’ve felt honored that they wanted to follow me.
When I got to town and met with the lawyer, he mentioned that I sounded different on the phone and I shrugged it off. It dawned on me later that I’d never spoken with him on the phone. Deciding he must have a dozen clients he dealt with on a daily basis, I let it go.
Arriving at Scott’s house, I found it in almost disrepair. There weren’t any personal photographs hanging on the wall and that’d make my job a little bit harder. My cell rang and it was Victoria, my step-mother. She’d raised me since I was very young and was the only mother I remembered.
“Rollo, remember what we discussed. I know you need to get the business up and running, but she must be found. And keep her alive. I’ll be there in a few months, when the eclipse happens and we’ll kill her then.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
I disconnected the call and shoved the phone back in my pocket. It wasn’t the first time I’d done Victoria’s bidding or that of the pack. Though I wasn’t used to keeping someone alive. Victoria prattled on about some prophecy and how this Mina girl was the key to it. She emphasized how the survival of our pack depended on it. She’d learned long ago I’d do anything to protect my pack.
Sitting down in Scott’s office, I pulled out the letter that the attorney had given me. I wasn’t expecting it to be from Scott personally. He mentioned his plan for me to take over the business with the girl he’d been a guardian for. This baffled me. I’d never heard anything about him caring for a girl. As the letter went on, it became obvious that he was desperate to protect her. So much so that he didn’t mention her name until the end of the letter.
Mina Spitz.
Shit!
My worlds just collided. The one person Scott wanted to protect more than anything and summoned me for my help in his letter, was the one person my mother wanted wiped from this earth.
What the hell were the chances of this coincidence and how did I begin to uncover it?
Watching as the ball rolled to the destination I’d predicted, my opponent cursed.
“Shit!”
After sinking the eight ball into the corner pocket, I replaced my stick in the holder and walked over to him and held out my hand. I hadn’t gotten his name and hadn’t cared to. He was either new to town or just passing through, not that either mattered to me. He’d taken in my womanly shape and let his ego—and maybe the booze-- get to him. After insulting me, I’d accepted his challenge as some of the regulars looked on, giggling.
Some may have classified me as a ‘shark’ but that wasn’t really my problem. He’d seen me as an easy win, and I proved him wrong. I could smell the stink that lingered on him. Permeating the air around me, even the aroma of peanuts and alcohol couldn’t hide his stench. Of course my senses were keen and came in handy now and then. He was a shifter and I guessed a canine of some kind.
Tired of waiting, I demanded my money. “Deal’s a deal. Hand it over.”
He scoffed and swaggered in drunkenness as he leaned in closer. “You’s a snake.”
Leaning back, trying to avoid his nasty breath fanning my face, I spit out. “No, not a snake.” I heard some snickers from the bar, but ignored them. “But I may go rabid on your ass if you don’t hand over my money.”
That seemed to get his attention. But just as quick he turned from me and stumbled toward a corner table. I stayed several steps behind as I observed those sitting there. They too were new to town or passing through. I didn’t recognize any of them and I knew everyone in Woodland Creek—at least everyone who mattered.
As he took his seat, completely ignoring my presence, my eyes immediately found a pair of green-blue eyes sitting on the other side of the table. I was momentarily drawn into them and blinked, breaking the spell. There was something about him, besides the fact that he was rugged and big. I wondered how tall he was, knowing his height had to be significant. My senses had been off lately so I couldn’t get the read on him that I wanted to. His hair was long and dark and he had it pulled back loosely. His face was covered in a beard that was in desperate need of a trim. A leather coat covered his shoulders as I took in their width.
His mouth curled into a smile before he turned back to the woman hanging on his side. Rolling my eyes I turned back to my competitor. Placing my hands on the table, I leaned in and demanded my money once again.
“This is the last time I’m going to say it. You lost fair and square.”
He snarled at me and the rest of the table grew silent. The ambiance changed and I stood up fully, taking a step back. My eyes met the green-blue ones once again as they shifted to gold. He was a shifter, too. Hell, probably they all were and I knew in that moment that most likely they weren’t just passing through.
“Zeke, what d’ya owe the lady?”
“She hustled me, I don’t owe her anything.”
The same girl from before turned her attention to Zeke as she mumbled, “She ain’t no lady!” She watched me, waiting for a reaction. Scouring my body, she taunted me. “In fact, I bet she works for an hourly wage on the corner.”
I had a temper and before I knew it, I was nose to nose with her, leaning across the table spitting out, “You can find out how much of a lady I’m not. Just say one more word.”
Green-blue eyes—my name for him—stood and everyone paid attention. He was taller than I imagined and his hair was longer, too. He walked around the table and stood in front of me. Leering down at me, his eyes flashed gold again. When I didn’t flinch, his expression became curious, examining me closely. If he didn’t know what I was, he was a good actor.
I was growing uncomfortable, when he suggested, “If I were you, I’d let it go. Zeke here has a bad temper and I’d hate to see him lose that temper on a sweet thing like you.”
Ugh. I was utterly disgusted. “I’m no sweet thing. Maybe you should warn Zeke about my temper.”
“What’s your name?” He took another st
ep closer as I tilted my neck up to see him. If he thought he could intimidate me, he was wrong… Maybe. “Mine’s Rollo.” He stuck his hand between us and smiled.
Groaning, I leaned around him so my eyes could meet Zeke’s. “Keep the money. Maybe use it to get groomed and bathed.” Zeke lurched up, but Rollo, with a smile on his face, put his hand up and Zeke sat right back down, making it evident that Rollo was their leader.
Grinning at me he said, “You’ve got balls.”
“If you mean bigger than his,” nodding toward Zeke, I confirmed, “Bet your ass I do.” It was a lost cause. Zeke could keep his forty bucks and get bent. I had more important things to deal with.
That got Rollo to smile. A chill ran up my spine and I knew I had to go. Turning, I stalked toward the door, grabbing my own leather jacket off my stool at the bar as I walked by.
I walked out of Vider’s into the cold night and inhaled deeply, but another scent caught my attention. Turning, Rollo was walking out the door and headed right for me. Marching toward my store, the next one down, I picked up my pace. I didn’t have time for a random hookup, not tonight.
“Hey, you didn’t tell me your name.”
Shouting over my shoulder, I replied, “I know I didn’t.”
He caught up to me and I kept on walking. “You’re not cold?” Stopping, I looked at him and watched as he took in my lack of clothing appropriate for the temperatures we were experiencing. “It’s cold out here.”
“I could say the same to you.” I picked up my pace and stopped when I stood in front of my mother’s shop. Taking my keys out, I turned to face him. “Listen. I wasn’t trying to hustle anyone. I won fair and square. He challenged me.”
I was beginning to get nervous and wondered if walking down the dark street at this hour with a perfect stranger was smart. I knew it wasn’t. Woodland Creek had its share of mysterious disappearances and killings. I had no plan to be one of them.
He looked at the keys in my hand and up to the store. “Mora’s Massage. Are you Mora?” When I didn’t respond, he leaned in closer and inhaled deeply. “There’s something about you, but I can’t quite place my finger on it.”
