“I figured you had some plan to talk since you probably didn’t want to sit in on our chat, gossip, and reminisce.” Dixie smoothed her hand up his chest. Warmth pulsed through her. He was so sweet.
“Yes, Jason’s going to check our locks and give us some tips to improve the security here. The security system is good, but someone broke in, and I don’t want to let that happen again.” Micah hugged her before stepping back. “Your other friends should be here soon.”
He strolled out of the room. She stared after him. Denim molded over his butt and thighs. Damn, the man had a fine ass.
“So what’s the deal with your mate walking funny? Are you going through a dry spell?” Dixie walked to the refrigerator. “Want something to drink while we wait?”
“Sure, do you have a beer?” Shonna sat down at the table.
“Yes, we have beer. Now, spill it. What’s the issue?” Dixie brought the beer over and put it in front of her friend. She dropped into a seat across from Shonna.
“Yeah, I’m going through a dry spell. A long-ass dry spell. I’m not old enough to experience mate craving. It shouldn’t be happening, but even if I find someone attractive, the desire isn’t there. I don’t know if it’s the wolf, you know the uncertainty, but I can’t get sexually interested in anyone. At least, not physically. It’s driving me crazy right now, because mentally, I’m wild for some companionship. So if this keeps up until I find my mate, he’s going to have one crazed woman on his hands.” Shonna ran a hand through her hair.
“Vibrators not helping with the frustration?” Dixie frowned. “I hope you can find a little satisfaction at least.”
“No, not at all. Well, it’s helped with a little of the sex-starved, but for me, it’s more than the physical ache. I need the intimacy, the caring, and the touch.” Shonna took a gulp of her beer and slammed the bottle back down onto the table.
“Yeah, it’s more than that for me, too. It’s the touch, the closeness, and the trust.” Dixie nodded. Damn, it sucked. Hopefully, whatever was keeping Shonna from getting close to men would pass. “Are you sure that you haven’t caught a hint of your mate?”
“No, I’m pretty sure that I would have known if I’d even caught a whiff. It’s not like I’m hungering for that one person. It’s just a general dissatisfaction.” Shonna shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
The doorbell rang. Dixie turned her head but stayed seated. No use getting up. Micah or Gable wouldn’t even open the door if she was there.
“How about we not talk about this in front of the others?” Shonna took a deep breath.
“You know they’ll find out and be pissed about being kept out of the loop.” Dixie raised an eyebrow. And the heat would hit them both.
“As long as Chloe doesn’t lob me into some bowling pins, I think I’ll be fine. I don’t want to bring everyone down.” Shonna lips pushed up into a smile, but trembled.
“You know yours isn’t the only news that will probably be a little rough.” Dixie walked over to hug Shonna.
“I know, but please, Dixie…” Shonna bit her lip.
“All right, but I’m not taking the blame for this. It’s all on you.” Dixie folded her arms over her chest. “I have a feeling by the time this comes out, we might be dealing with some wild hormones.”
“I’ll take the brunt of it.” Shonna nodded. Her shoulders relaxed, and she sagged a little.
Did Shonna know something that she hadn’t said before, or was she just concerned? Dixie frowned. She shook her head. If something was really wrong, Shonna would have said. Perhaps she really didn’t want to bring everyone down.
“So, other than that, how’s everything? Is work going well?” Dixie glanced at the door. Still no one there. Maybe it was a delivery and not one of the girls arriving with their men in tow.
“The job is going good. I think everyone is finally adjusting to my way of doing things, but still a few of them have moments when they think they can get things by me.” Shonna lifted a shoulder.
“As if you’d let that happen very often.” Chloe strolled into the room. She dropped into a seat and smiled. The red tail of her ponytail swung as she wriggled in her seat. Her jewel-green shirt highlighted the healthy glow on her creamy skin while the jeans outlined her curves.
“True.” Shonna nodded.
“Want something to drink, Chloe?” Dixie rose.
“You might as well sit down for a little bit. Leslie and Penny should be in here in a few minutes. They pulled in as Micah let us inside. No use you getting up only to sit back down and have to do it all over again.” Chloe waved her hand.
Dixie looked toward the door. “What took you so long to get in here? The doorbell rang a while ago.”
“A little trouble getting Jason to let go. He tugged me into the den with him first and captured me again as I tried to slip out. I had to kiss him and promise to call if I so much as heard a strange noise.” Chloe rolled her eyes.
“Ah, that’s sweet. He’s still protective, but things aren’t that openly dangerous here.” Dixie shook her head. “This guy only seems to come after us when we’re out in the open and vulnerable.”
“Yeah, I know and so does he. It’s just that he’s being overprotective right now.” Chloe ran a hand through her hair. “It’s getting on my nerves fast.”
“Right now, I think he rivals Dawson for protectiveness. Did she tell you that he carried her inside the house?” Penny glided into the room with Leslie right behind her. “Dawson still checks on me at least twice a day if I’m at work. And he often makes time to come by for lunch.”
“And you love every minute of it.” Dixie grinned at Penny.
“Yes, I’m still reveling in that attention. I figure he’ll relax soon enough. With the stalker and everything happening so recently, including the attack at the office, he has a reason to want to check in.” Penny laughed. “Did you need any help, Dixie?”
“No, everything’s set.” Dixie rose to her feet. “Chloe, Leslie, Penny, what did you want to drink?”
“I’m on call today for emergencies at the office. So, what do you have that’s nonalcoholic?” Penny grimaced.
“I’ve got this grapefruit mocktail thing Micah mixed up, punch, water, and some sodas. I also have some tea, but I’d have to make it.” Dixie glanced into the refrigerator.
“The mocktail would be good.” Penny nodded.
“For me, too.” Chloe smiled.
“A soda will do for me at the moment. I’ll probably have something else later.” Leslie dropped into a chair at the big wooden table.
Dixie carried the drinks over to the table and settled in her chair with a beer. Leslie squirmed in her seat, and happiness glowed from her eyes. On the other hand, Penny’s body language told another story. Penny’s entire body radiated tension although she set her lips in a slight smile. The expression didn’t quite reach her eyes. Crap, that couldn’t be good. Had she heard something about Maggie in the last few days?
“Hey, Penny, how’s the house coming along?” Chloe leaned forward and braced her elbows on the table.
“Pretty good. The foundation’s down, and the lines for everything are in. The framing and actual work will start soon.” Penny turned the stem of her glass between her fingers.
Dixie tilted her head. Nervous maybe or perhaps she was trying to distract herself.
“So it should be a few months before you finally have a permanent house to live in?” Leslie lifted her brows.
“Yes, and I can’t wait. The rental house is fine and all, but I want to be in our place where we can change anything that doesn’t work for us or isn’t working right without having to call someone to ask.” Penny sighed.
“Is something wrong with your rental?” Chloe frowned.
“Some of the tile is cracked in the bathroom, and the dishwasher sometimes doesn’t work. We didn’t want water damage because of the tiles, and the dishwasher thing is just annoying. The owner did send someone out for the tiles, but
he won’t replace the dishwasher until it stops working completely.” Penny sat back in her chair. She lifted her eyes to the ceiling.
Dixie grimaced. That would be so damn annoying.
“That would irritate me, too.” Shonna nodded. “Les, how’s the job going and do you and your guys have some news for us that you’re keeping secret?”
“What news? We don’t have a secret. The job’s fine. I’m really enjoying it and the people I work with.” Leslie sat forward a frown on her face.
“A friend of mine saw you in the store with Archer, and you were in the baby section, looking at strollers.” Shonna tilted her head. “I wondered if you’d started shopping because you learned you were pregnant.”
“Ah, no, I’m not pregnant. Not to say it won’t happen sometime soon, but we haven’t actively started trying. Archer and I were looking at strollers, because one of my friends is having a baby shower soon, and it was on her list.” Leslie waved her hand. “The only reason I’m not drinking right now is that they’re taking me out tonight. I don’t want to be a little tipsy before we go.”
“That sounds like fun.” Chloe smiled.
“What’s got the glow on your face and the big smile?” Shonna touched Chloe’s hand.
Dixie tilted her head. Chloe was glowing even more than usual.
“Leslie may not be expecting, but I am.” Chloe put her hand on her still flat belly.
“Oh, my God!” Dixie bounced to her feet.
“When did you find out?” Leslie rose.
“How far along are you?” Shonna scooted closer to Chloe. “Sweet. That’s why Jason didn’t want to let you go.”
“Did you do a test, or did one of your guys know by smell? I’m so happy for you.” Penny hopped to her feet and hurried around the table to join them.
“We found out two days ago, and yes, that’s exactly why Jason carried me. It’s a stretch to get them to let me walk sometimes. They’re being even more overprotective. I’m not far along at all. We’ve done like six of those home tests, all positive. Maybe a little over month along at most.” Chloe sipped at her drink.
“That’s early.” Dixie smiled and inhaled. Chloe’s scent had changed a little. “Did you throw up or something and decide that it might mean you were pregnant?”
“No, we started trying seriously again, and I missed my period. I gave it a couple weeks, because you know sometimes I’m a little late, but never that late. I waited a few more weeks. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I bought some tests and took them. They all came back as pregnant. We have an appointment scheduled to confirm it with a doctor.” Chloe lifted a shoulder.
“I’ll have a cousin to spoil!” Dixie rubbed her hands together. There were so many toys she could buy them.
“Yes, you’ll have a cousin to spoil. I know it’s early to reveal this, but I couldn’t keep it to myself.” Chloe bit her lip.
“If it turns out that this is a false alarm, you’ll have that moment when it is true.” Dixie squeezed her hand. “Lord knows, in spite of the fact that I now know more about your sex life than I’d really like to, I want this for you. You’ll get that baby.”
“You haven’t tried that long. And we’ll be here for you.” Shonna nodded. “A baby. Whoa, there might be a little one sometime soon. We’ll have to schedule some of these girls’ meetings in baby-friendly places.”
“Yes, some of them.” Chloe nodded. “But some we’ll keep for ourselves.”
“All right, how about we sit back down? I have some sandwiches, chips and dip, and there’s dessert.” Dixie smiled. It wasn’t very involved, but she hadn’t wanted to spend the morning cooking or get something from a restaurant. They’d talk and hopefully just enjoy themselves.
“So now, that we’ve had some good news. Hopefully, Leslie and Penny have some more for us. What have you heard about Maggie?” Chloe settled back in her chair.
Leslie shook her head. “No good news.”
“What? You don’t know anything about Maggie?” Dixie frowned.
“Well, we know some stuff, but none of it’s good.” Penny ran her hand through her hair. “It will be a real bummer to the day if we talk about it now.”
“That doesn’t matter. We want to know about Maggie. The good, the bad, whatever news you have.” Shonna leaned forward and braced her hands on the table.
“Well, Maggie’s definitely missing. They took her from her apartment. The men investigating think on a Saturday afternoon.” Leslie clasped her hands together. “She’d been missing a few days before that call Penny got.”
Dixie swallowed. “But why did they even let her call? That only clued people in that there was something wrong.”
“The people who took her still don’t know that anyone’s missed her. Ethan’s taken care of everything very quietly to make sure that she isn’t reported missing formally there.” Penny bit her lip. “There’s some concern that they might do something to her if there’s a search for her or if the police are involved.”
“John thinks the call was preemptive, especially since Maggie urged Penny not to call her.” Leslie ran her hand across the back of her neck. “And while the call came up as Maggie’s number, it didn’t trace back to her phone. They think that the people used a computer to do that, but they’re still looking into it to see if they could trace it.”
“Someone turned off her phone that Saturday. I don’t know if they have it or destroyed it after they obtained whatever they needed to spoof it.” Penny gulped down her mocktail and looked down at the glass. “Damn, I wish I could drink right now.”
“Were there any clues? Anything that might lead to the person behind it.” Dixie’s stomach churned. Was Maggie still all right?
“There were signs of a struggle. A lot of broken objects. Maggie fought.” Leslie grimaced and glanced at Penny.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less than that from Mags.” Penny’s lips tipped up. “I hope she sent a couple of them to the hospital.”
“Why wouldn’t you expect anything else from her?” Chloe frowned.
“Maggie is a tough woman. You all know she took on one of the men who attacked Judge. She can fight. Doesn’t matter which form. I admire that and hope to be as good as her by the time that I get through with my training. I want to be able to handle anyone who comes after me or someone I love.” Penny bit her lip.
“Was that remark about Thursday a clue? Do they know who has her, or why she was taken?” Dixie grabbed a sandwich and nibbled on it. “If Thursday wasn’t about the day she was taken, what is it about?”
“It was. Humans are behind it. They don’t think it’s one of the hate groups.” Penny licked her lips. “Maggie did something every Thursday. Other than going to work, it was the only thing consistent about that day. They looked into it, and the man who ran it is shady. Not going to say anything more, because they’re still gathering evidence and searching for whatever location he’s using to keep her. Because he has a small apartment.”
“Yeah, the hate groups probably wouldn’t keep her alive or call you. They usually don’t care if there’s suspicion about the disappearance.” Shonna grabbed a chip and dunked it into the dip.
“So have John and Ethan talked to the whyr there?” Dixie took a bite of the sandwich. She swallowed, but the food didn’t taste as good as it had earlier when she’d filched a bit of meat.
“Yeah, they have.” Leslie nodded. “Not that they were much help at first.”
“Ethan’s pissed as hell.” Penny shoved one of the purple stripes behind her ear. “They knew something was going on there and didn’t tell him. She’s not the only new-in-town whyr to go missing while they’re there. Just the first we’ve heard of.”
“Fucking hell. How many?” Shonna dropped her chip. “They should have sent that information to other groups so that they could warn anyone who had to go through the city.”
“They’ve confirmed four are missing, but suspect it’s more. Those are just the ones with people activel
y looking for them. If they’re males and young, it could be more. You know we don’t worry about males much if they don’t stay in contact when they’re young. They tend to wander, especially if they’re one of the types who mate in nonfamilial groups. They search for their bond partners.” Leslie raked her fingers through her hair.
“Yeah, it’ll probably be more. Young wolves sometimes wander for a while, too, even the females. Is it more than one group of whyr involved, or is it all cougars?” Shonna peered over at Leslie.
“It’s more than one group. There’s Maggie and a cougar male from that area who no one has heard from in months. His bond partners are going crazy looking for him.” Leslie tipped back her soda and finished the last of it. “There’s an actual lion male, a bear, and a wolf. They’re still searching and trying to subtly ask known whyr groups if any of their people were supposed to be in the area.”
“Let me guess. They don’t want a panic and a flood of whyr into the area to search for people. Not only because it might tip off whoever has them, but also because it could give them more captives.” Dixie rubbed at the back of her neck. Crap, what were they doing with those people? It might not be any of the more violent hate groups, but there had to be some motive or some gain for them to hold on to them.
“Does that happen a lot?” Chloe bit her lip. “Do other groups not communicate?”
“Most keep in touch.” Leslie shook her head. “Ethan would have called the group of whyr in Deville to tell them to watch over Maggie when she moved. Most whyr talk. There are even secure chat areas where they can post about dangers or possible dangers in an area. When Dixie, Shonna, and I traveled, we checked them and avoided any cities where hate crimes had recently happened.”
“So did you three have to check in with area whyr when you were passing through?” Chloe tilted her head. “Would Maggie have checked in with the cougars there?”
“If we intended to stay more than a couple days, we checked in with the alpha of our specific groups, just to let him know we were there and didn’t mean to cause trouble.” Leslie smiled. “And yes, Maggie would have talked with the alpha of the cougars there.”
In Her Bears' Arms Page 18
