Wild Keepers

by Dee Bridgnorth

  “Twenty,” he said, staring at him hard. Zach reached into his pocket for his wallet, but his hand closed on nothing. He frowned. Of course. In his haste to follow Sienna, he had left it on the table in the diner.

  “I’ve left it on the table, I think,” he said, impatience surging through him. Sienna was long gone, now. By the time he went back into the diner and paid, she would have disappeared into the shadows again.

  But there was nothing for it. The cook would call the police if he didn’t pay, and he didn’t need the trouble.

  They walked back inside. Yes. The wallet was there. He reached for it, handing the money over to the cook. Everyone in the diner was staring at them, wide-eyed.

  The man grunted, his fist closing over the note. He turned and walked back to the kitchen, then spun around.

  “Show’s over, people,” he cried, scowling at the waitresses behind the counter. They ducked their heads and resumed their work.

  Zach sighed. What now? Should he try to follow her? But he had no idea where she would go, and she would be wary now. He doubted that she would be walking the streets for a long while. No, Sienna Carter would be lying low. She would go completely underground, knowing that he would probably be looking for her.

  Suddenly, he saw something underneath the table they had been sitting at. He reached down, picking it up. It was a book. It must have fallen out of her coat pocket when she ran away; she hadn’t been carrying a bag. Strange that it hadn’t fallen out when she had been running away from him yesterday.

  He sat back down, turning it over in his hand.

  It was shabby, as if it had been read over and over. A paperback. It was a volume of poetry. He flicked through it, as if he could find an answer within its pages.

  He smiled, despite himself. She obviously loved it. Some lines in poems had been underlined, and she had even made some handwritten notes in the margins. He read them, his smile deepening. She had been trying to work out the meaning within the poems.

  He turned to the front of the book. Yes, she had written her name at the front, in large, looping letters.

  He sat back, thinking of her. He wouldn’t have picked her for a literature lover. Suddenly, he felt ashamed of himself. Why had he assumed that? That because of her line of work she couldn’t possibly have a brain in her head, or enjoy reading?

  He was stereotyping her, obviously. He had told Julia that he didn’t judge her and what she did. He had thought he felt the same way about Sienna. What did it matter how she made a living? He wasn’t a snob. He knew that life was hard for a lot of people, and they did what they must to survive. And Julia had told him that Sienna had a hard life, even before she had arrived on these streets.

  His eyes flickered over her handwriting, thinking about it. What had happened to her? She had refused to tell him. And now, it seemed like he would never know.

  Why did that thought depress him? She had told him, in no uncertain terms, to bugger off. To leave her alone. And besides that, his whole reason to search for her was now questionable. She had been adamant that Julia was not her friend, and that she didn’t want to see her.

  He frowned. What was Julia’s story? Why had she come to Thad, acting as if she was heartbroken at the disappearance of her friend when Sienna claimed she was no such thing?

  He stared hard at the page. What exactly was going on? She was in danger, he was sure of it. He had seen her fear when she thought that he was working for the man she had run away from. Not just fear. Terror. Pure terror. The fact that she had even thawed enough to speak to him today—to trust him enough to come here to have breakfast with him—was amazing.

  He gritted his teeth. He didn’t care what she said; that she claimed she could look after herself. She was hiding from someone she was terrified of. Anger washed over him at the thought. If he ever found out who this mystery man was, he would beat him to within an inch of his life.

  Zach took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Why was he acting this way? He barely knew her. For most of the time they had been together she had refused to talk to him, and she hadn’t exactly been a chatterbox since she had decided to talk.

  He briefly closed his eyes, picturing her face. Yes, she was stunningly beautiful, and he couldn’t deny that he was drawn by that beauty. But there was more to it than that.

  She had said to him that she knew him. When she had come out of her sickness, she said that she knew his face, even though she had never met him. And something had resonated inside him when she had uttered those words. Because he had felt the same way about her.

  And then there was her strange sleep talk. He shivered now, remembering it. As if she was foretelling something. She had spoken directly to him.

  And she had said something that told him she knew he was a wolf.

  Zach felt a tingling go through him. There was more to Sienna Carter than met the eye. She wasn’t just a hooker who had decided to run away from her powerful paramour. There was another reason she was running, and it was tied up with who she was.

  What had Julia said about her? He frowned, trying to remember. That she was mentally unstable. That she had visions, which came on her like epileptic fits. Had her sleep talk been part of that?

  He stared at her handwriting, again. He didn’t know her at all, but she didn’t strike him as crazy. She was wary, and she was street wise, but she wasn’t a raving lunatic. She was slow to trust but that was normal, given her life. Why should she trust anyone, when it appeared everyone around her had let her down? Julia included.

  He stood up. He needed to speak to Julia again. There were things that she hadn’t told him about Sienna, that much was obvious. Had anything of what she said been true? And who was this other woman—Lola—who Sienna claimed worked for Julia and was missing as well? How did she fit into the puzzle?

  He was just about to close the book and put it in his pocket when he noticed something had been stamped on the page, at the opposite corner. The name of a bookstore.

  Shelby’s Second-Hand Books and Bric-a-Brac, it said. 528 Mission Street.

  Zach placed the book in his jacket pocket. She had bought the book from this bookstore. It was somewhere that she had frequented, at least in the past, when she had lived around here. They might know her, or where she could be hiding out. It was a long shot, but he had nothing else to go on, for now.

  He walked out of the diner, heading back towards Mission Street. He was suddenly more hopeful than he had been since she had disappeared.

  ***

  Sienna glanced around, warily, before she opened the back door. No, no one was following her. And she had left Zach for dead back at that diner.

  She had to admit that a small part of her was disappointed that he hadn’t pursued her. That he had let her run away. It was irrational, she couldn’t deny it. She had told him to take a leap, and to leave her alone. Why was she now regretting her haste, just a little?

  It was ridiculous. She knew better. Just because a handsome guy acted in a half-caring way towards her. He would turn out like all the others. And that story about how he was only pursuing her as a favour to Julia was strange, to say the least. No, she had to put Zach Byrnes—or whatever his name really was—out of her mind for good.

  She took a deep breath, walking in. It was dark, and she had to blink suddenly to see properly. She needed to make herself known, as well. She didn’t want to shock him when she suddenly appeared. He hadn’t been well lately, and he was frail. Getting old. Her heart twisted at the thought.

  “It’s me,” she called gently.

  An old man was stacking books in a corner. He swivelled suddenly around, staring at her as if he had seen a ghost. Then he dropped the books he had been holding and hobbled towards her, his arms outstretched.

  “My dear,” he breathed, holding her by the shoulders. He spoke in a sing-song English accent. “I was so worried. I thought for sure that he had grabbed you off the street, and I would never see you again! Where were you?”


  Sienna took a deep breath. “It’s a long story, Shelby. You know that guy that was asking questions about me, on the street? I followed him, and he ran after me…”

  “There, there.” The old man rubbed her shoulder. “You need a cup of tea. I’ll put the kettle on and make a pot. You can tell me all about it then.” He disappeared into a little kitchenette.

  Sienna sighed. It was good to be back. She peered through into the main part of the shop, staring at the store. It was so packed with bookcases that there were barely any walkways through it, and the smell of dust permeated the air. Not a single customer was browsing. They were alone.

  Her heart filled with relief. This had always been her sanctuary. Back in the days when she had lived at the house. The other girls could never understand her fascination with it. To them, it was just an old bookstore, and books were boring. They preferred watching movies or surfing the internet in their down time.

  But for Sienna, Shelby’s store had always been her favourite spot. A place where she could lose herself in books. A place where she could lose herself in whole other worlds.

  A place where she could forget who she was, at least for a little while.

  Chapter Six

  Zach walked along the street, heading back towards the Mission Street district. He breathed deeply. It was turning into a beautiful day; the sun was shining brightly in a pure blue sky.

  As he walked he told himself that he was being stupid. Why was he still pursuing Sienna, when she had made it obvious that she didn’t want or need his help? His goal had been to find her and bring her back to Julia, but she claimed Julia wasn’t her friend, nor that she had any desire to go to her. He could hardly force her, could he?

  What he should be doing was heading back to the warehouse to speak to Thad. This was all being done for Thad, after all, and he had a right to know how it was progressing—that his long-lost friend was making them find a girl who didn’t want to be found by her. It was effectively a wild goose chase, and Thad would probably tell Zach to end it now.

  Zach took another deep breath. He couldn’t end it now. It was irrational and ridiculous, but he just couldn’t.

  He hesitated for a fraction of a second. He should go back to the warehouse. But instead, he gritted his teeth and kept heading towards Mission Street. He would try one last time to find her again, and if he managed to do it, offer his help to her. If she refused once more, he would bid her farewell and that would be the end of that.

  She is in trouble, he told himself. You would do the same for anyone who was in danger. But all that he could see in his mind’s eye was her heartbreakingly beautiful face, with those brown, doe-like eyes that looked like they had seen way too much.

  He knew it was more complicated than he was making out. Yes, he would offer his assistance to anyone who appeared to need it because that was the kind of guy he was, but the lure of Sienna was stronger than just that.

  For a split second, he wondered if he was the one in danger. He shook his head, irritated by the thought.

  “Zach! Is that you?”

  He turned his head around quickly, locating the voice. A man was leaving a hardware store, clutching a brown paper bag in his hands. He had a broad smile on his face.

  Zach’s heart sank. Of all the streets in the city he had to be walking along this particular one at this particular moment. He didn’t have time for this. But he plastered a smile onto his face and walked over to the man, holding out his hand.

  “How are you, Mr. Morton?” He shook the man’s hand.

  “You must call me Rick,” said the man, his smile deepening. “I keep telling you, Mr. Morton is way too formal!” His eyes swept over Zach. “You look like you’ve been sleeping rough, Zach. What are you up to?”

  Zach smiled wearily. “Just on a case.” He sighed. “I’m tailing someone.”

  Rick Morton’s smile faltered. “Yes, well, that is dangerous work that you do, Zach. I hope you are seeking something else before the wedding? I’m not sure my girl could handle having a husband who works the irregular hours that you do.”

  Zach’s heart plummeted. What could he say? “I’m looking into it…Rick.”

  The man smiled again. “That’s all I can ask for,” he said slowly. “My Crystal deserves the best, after all! And I’m sure you will find something that is a little…safer. How about you and Crystal come over for dinner this Saturday night? We’re having a barbecue in the backyard, and I know that Jean would love to see you both so that we can start planning that engagement party.”

  Zach smiled weakly. “I’ll check with Crystal and let you know, Rick.”

  “Good man!” Rick pumped his hand again then dropped it. “Nice seeing you again, Zach. I should get going. Jean wants me to fix the hinges on the back door, and I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t. The joys of marriage.” He rolled his eyes. “Something you will find out, soon enough!”

  “Yeah,” said Zach slowly. “See you later.”

  The man waved then disappeared into a parking lot around the corner.

  Zach kicked the pavement, swearing softly. Why did he have to run into him now? Rick Morton wouldn’t let it go. He would call up Crystal, and then she would call him up, and before he knew it…he would be carrying a bowl of potato salad into the Morton’s house and offering to grill the steaks, while Crystal and her mother discussed which venue would work best.

  He swore again under his breath. How had he gotten himself into this mess?

  But he knew how it had happened. He had no one but himself to blame. He had followed the path of least resistance, and look where it had led him…

  ***

  He had been footloose and fancy-free for a long time. He knew the other Wild Keepers made jokes about him behind his back, and even sometimes to his face. Zach the player. Zach the ladies’ man, who stayed out all weekend partying. He knew it, and he accepted it. It was true, after all.

  He hadn’t cared. He was young; he had only been eighteen when he had joined the Wild Keepers, after all, and some of the others had been wild like him too. Shay had been his party buddy for a long time. That was until he found Tess, who had always been the love of his life, and left. Now Shay was at college, studying to become a lawyer, and Tess was building her reputation as a street artist.

  When Zach had caught up with them a few months ago they had been so happy it had almost hurt watching them. Shay had been like him once; always looking in the other direction, at the next woman to come along. And now he couldn’t care less. He had found the woman of his dreams; a woman he had loved all his life. He had gladly given up his old life as a Wild Keeper to have Tess. And it had shaken Zach, just a little.

  Suddenly, it had all seemed a bit hollow. The endless women that he pursued. And none of the other Wild Keepers were interested in that lifestyle and wanted to go out with him. Thad, the alpha, had always been level-headed and grounded. Noah and Heath were the same. The newest recruit, Finn—who had come to them when Shay had left—had gone out with Zach a few times but soon lost interest. None of his brothers were his allies.

  Zach had started going back to his family on weekends, instead of partying. And that was when he had met Crystal Morton again.

  She was the daughter of old family friends. The Mortons and his parents had known each other forever. They had reconnected at a family get-together one Sunday afternoon. A huge picnic at the local park. He had noticed her on the sidelines, smiling at him. He had started chatting to her, and that was how it had all begun.

  Suddenly, he was swept up in a new romance. At first, he had gone along with it willingly. Crystal was very pretty, and she was a nice woman. He could do a lot worse. And it had been calming to have a stable relationship, for once. He kept waiting for the moment when he would feel the all-consuming love and passion that he had witnessed between Shay and Tess. Waited for it, and longed for it, as if it would suddenly hit him like a bolt of lightning from the blue.

  Except it never had. He was very
fond of Crystal, of course, and he found her attractive. But love?

  He told himself to give it time. He had heard that love could grow slowly between two people. And Crystal always told him how much she loved him. He would mouth the words back to her, and then feel overwhelming guilt. How could he tell her he loved her when he didn’t? It wasn’t fair on her. He should probably end it.

  But he had kept drifting along, unwilling to change anything. The thought of being single again and jumping back on that carousel of ever-changing women had stopped him.

  He had taken the path of least resistance, and it had led him astray.

  Crystal had started to hint that they should become more serious. Move in together. He had managed to deflect that. And then, she had started to talk about when they would get married, as if it were a foregone conclusion. But even worse, she had told her mother. Who had then told her father, and his own parents. Suddenly, all of them expected that he was going to marry Crystal.

  They were all over the moon, of course, and Zach hardly blamed them. His parents wanted him to settle down, and who better than with the daughter of their dearest friends? Crystal’s parents felt the same way. The Mortons were even hinting at putting a deposit on a house in the suburbs for them.

  And now, he was being pressured to arrange an engagement party, and plan a date for the wedding. Crystal and her mother were always going to some huge shopping centre to look at wedding dresses. Zach felt like he had stepped into a nightmare; a bad dream that he simply couldn’t manage to wake up from. How had it happened? He simply had no idea.

  Crystal didn’t know that he was a wolf shapeshifter, and he had never mentioned the Wild Keepers to her. As far as she knew, he was a private detective who lived in the inner city. The Mortons thought so, too. Rick Morton had always frowned on it, telling him that it was a shady business. He had even casually mentioned that Zach should join him at his car yard, as a trainee salesman. Zach had laughed it off, but Rick still wanted him to change careers. To keep his baby daughter in the style and comfort that she was familiar with.