The Finding

by Nicky Charles

  THE FINDING

  By

  Nicky Charles

  SMASHWORDS EDITION

  * * * * *

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Nicky Charles on Smashwords

  The Finding

  Copyright © 2011 by Nicky Charles

  Other works by this author:

  Forever In Time

  The Mating

  The Keeping

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  Thank you for downloading this free ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends but please do not post or archive without asking me first. If you like the story, please tell your friends, add the title to reading lists etc but direct people back to my official distribution sites. Please keep this book in its complete original form, with the exception of quotes used in reviews. No alteration of the content is allowed.

  Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  This book contains mature content (language, violence, sexual situations)

  and is intended for adult readers.

  *****

  Many thanks to Jan Gordon, my wonderful and tireless editor. Out of the goodness of her heart, she rereads, advises, encouraged and prods me throughout the entire writing process. Without here my stories would just sit on my hard drive. Also thanks to all of the ‘Gutter Girls’ and my readers at Fiction Press who have offered their feedback, encouragement and allow me to practise my writing skills on them.

  This book is a sequel to The Mating and The Keeping. You really should read them first for this book to make sense. Like all my stories, the idea for writing The Finding began quite unexpectedly when Cassie suddenly appeared in The Keeping. The concept grew in response to feedback from my readers who were curious about what happened to the young girl. This is her story, as well as that of my villains, Marla and Aldrich and my previous couples, Kane and Elise, and Ryne and Mel. I hope you enjoy visiting with them again.

  *****

  THE FINDING

  *****

  Prologue

  Cassie stood at the edge of an alleyway, staring out at the breaking dawn. A few cars drove past but none of the drivers turned their heads in her direction. Just to be sure, she stepped back a bit. The street was lined with stores and small businesses, and in the distance there appeared to be a number of flashing, lighted signs. If she didn’t know better, she’d think it looked like Las Vegas, but that was ridiculous. The bus she’d been on couldn’t have travelled that far! She tucked her hair behind her ears and furrowed her brow, wondering where she might be, and how she’d ended up in an alley.

  The last thing she remembered was lying on a bed in a motel, having spent half the night fleeing from the sight of her uncle’s death and the wolf attack. She’d taken her medication and tried to calm down by thinking of happier places; that was the last thing she could recall until waking up here, just a few minutes ago.

  Blearily, she’d opened her eyes, at first too groggy to even wonder why her body was wedged between a brick wall and a dumpster, her muscles cramped and aching. Then she’d become aware of what had stirred her from her sleep; a tickling sensation on her hand. Rolling her head to the side, she’d discovered a mouse was crawling over her palm. Screaming, she’d snatched her hand back to her chest and skittered a few feet away, watching in a combination of horror and disgust as the tiny creature ran into a hole under the metal bin.

  She’d been wiping her hand on her shirt, trying to erase the feeling of small feet and quivering whiskers when another shock hit her. Frantically she looked around, her brain suddenly acknowledging she wasn’t in her motel room. Her heart had been pounding, panic wrapping around her like an iron fist as she took in the fact that there was no bed, no TV, no faded curtains; just brick walls, utility meters, bits of garbage and graffiti.

  The strap of her bag had been clenched in her hand; amazingly enough, when she checked, there was still money inside it, so she hadn’t been robbed. And her clothing, though filthy and wrinkled, was intact which probably meant she hadn’t been assaulted. Her skin crawled as she thought of all the things that could have happened to her while she’d been unconscious. Obviously something had occurred though, otherwise how had she arrived in this place?

  Wracking her brain, she had no recollection of the events that led to her being here. She glanced fearfully at the shadowed areas around her, wondering if the werewolf had something to do with this; if he was lurking, waiting to attack. There was no sign of the creature, but she couldn’t relax. It might still be following her, ready to end her life as easily as it had ended Mr. Aldrich’s.

  Just the memory of the large black wolf and its blood drenched muzzle had her shivering, despite the relative warmth of the air. She stepped back into the alleyway and, wrapping her arms around her waist, hunkered down by the dumpster where she’d awoken. The smell of garbage and stale cooking grease assaulted her nose and she made a face. Striving to ignore the unpleasant odour, she leaned her head back against the brick wall and stared at the graffiti covered sign that graced the steel door straight across from her; Chinese and Thai Restaurant, Deliveries Only. She furrowed her brow; hmm...apparently she was in a back alley behind a number of businesses. Glancing to either side, she noted other similar doors giving support to her assumption.

  Okay...a back alley, a restaurant, but where...?

  At that moment a white delivery truck turned down the narrow passageway, roaring towards her. Cassie pressed herself closer to the wall, feeling a moment of panic before realizing the dumpster provided her with some protection. She exhaled in relief and adjusted her position so she could observe the vehicle as it stopped a good distance from her hiding place.

  Eventually, a man got out whistling tunelessly. She watched him go about his business, taking cartons out of the truck and balancing them carefully as he pounded on a door. The door swung open and he handed the containers to someone who stood just inside the doorway. A few words were exchanged but she was too far away to make out what they were.

  The man never once glanced in her direction, solely focussed on his early morning duties, but Cassie knew she had to move. No doubt other trucks would be through there in the near future and she didn’t want to be found crouched by a dumpster. People would ask questions; questions to which she wouldn’t have any answers.

  Cassie bit her lip, her mind racing, searching for possibilities. She’d never been alone before; there’d always been someone with her; guiding her, smoothing the way. Knowing she needed to do something—to go somewhere—but being solely responsible for the decisions and the consequences all seemed so overwhelming. How she longed to be back in the security of her uncle’s home. To hear him blustering away; to see Franklin, the butler, pulling faces behind the old man’s back. To have Cook fussing and making her favourite meals... Her chin quivered. Oh God, how could her world have been destroyed so quickly?

  A lone tear trickled down her face and she quickly wiped it away. Crying wouldn’t help or change facts. Her uncle was dead and she was alone now with a crazed werewolf chasing her. There was no one to lean on, no one to come to her rescue. She had to handle this situation on her own and that meant finding safe shelter and food; she needed to hide, perhaps even needed to establish a new identity.

  As she tried to come up with a possible course of action, she gave a short, wry, laugh, realizing that her private tutors had never covered topics related to running for your life while being chased by a werewolf. How remiss of them! She’d really have to bring that point to their attention...


  Her brief moment of levity quickly died at the sound of the delivery truck’s engine starting. It roared past her leaving a cloud of exhaust and dust in its wake. Coughing, Cassie forced herself to her feet, wiping her eyes and giving an inelegant sniff. Action was better than just staying in one place; at least it gave the impression that she had a plan. Still holding tightly to her bag, she walked back to the end of the alley, resuming her earlier position in the shadows.

  The sun was a little higher in the sky and people seemed intent on getting to their work or appointments, hurrying by her hiding place. No one glanced towards the shadowed alley entrance. The relative anonymity of her position gave her some modicum of comfort as she considered her options.

  Cassie eyed the various businesses, her eyes skimming over dress shops and nail salons before finally focussing on two; a restaurant on the corner and the variety store beside it. She bit her lip and squared her shoulders. Maybe...

  “Hey there, girly! What’re you doing?” A voice spoke from nearby and she jumped, backing away until her spine was against the opposite brick wall. Her vision blurred for a moment as fear washed over her. Had the werewolf found her? No, it couldn’t be the creature; it wouldn’t give her warning by calling out.

  Blinking rapidly, she forced her eyes to focus on the speaker. It was a young man, probably in his early twenties. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and was dressed in a respectable looking shirt and pair of pants.

  Cassie clutched her bag tightly to her chest while staring at him warily.

  “Are you okay?” The man had a faint look of concern on his face but didn’t attempt to approach her. “Are you in trouble? A runaway?”

  She shook her head and licked her dry lips. “No.”

  “Funny, ’cause you sort of look like life’s been treating you pretty bad.” He studied her for a minute, then smiled and held out his hand. “My name’s Kellen. Kellen Anderson.”

  Hesitantly, Cassie extended her own hand. “I’m...er...Sandra.” She heeded the voice inside that told her not to reveal too much, so she switched to another derivative of her full name.

  “Pleased to meet you, er...Sandra. Strange name, with the ‘er’ in front of it.” Kellen grinned and winked. “Never mind. I’ll just call you Sandy, okay?”

  She nodded not sure if she trusted this jovial person.

  “You look like you could use something to eat and maybe a place to stay? I’ve been down on my luck before, so I know what it’s like. Actually, I’m sort of the downslide right now since I just dropped a wad at a poker game up the road. Come on. Misery loves company. I’ll buy you breakfast, no strings attached.” He gestured towards the restaurant.

  “I...I have money.” Immediately after she spoke, she chastised herself. Telling a complete stranger—one she’d met at the edge of an alleyway, no less—that she had money was not a good idea. Trying for some damage control, she qualified her answer. “Not much, but enough to buy my own food.”

  Kellen shrugged. “Sure. No skin off my nose. But at least we can sit together, right? Eating alone is no fun.”

  Her stomach chose that moment to growl and he laughed, holding his hands out at his side. “Hey, I’m completely harmless and you’re starving. There’s usually a crowd in the restaurant, so you don’t need to worry. You won’t be alone with me.”

  Cassie bit her lip and then gave a brief nod. The idea of being by herself was daunting; the werewolf could be anywhere, but surely it wouldn’t attack in front of witnesses. Having someone with her, even a stranger, seemed like a good idea. Besides, she needed information and right now this person—Kellen—was her only source.

  “Not much of a talker, are you?” Kellen quipped as he led her across the street. “That’s okay, though. It doesn’t bother me. Listen, no offense but you might want to get cleaned up a bit. There’s a ladies’ room right inside the door. I’ll get us a table while you use the facilities.” He held the restaurant door open for her.

  She gave him a brief smile. “Thanks, I wouldn’t mind washing up a bit.” As she headed to the washroom, she glanced back. Kellen was already sitting down, perusing the menu. Cassie allowed herself to relax a little bit. He seemed harmless enough...

  *****

  Three years later, in Stump River, Ontario, Canada...

  Bryan sat in front of the computer, frowning at the screen. He drummed his fingers on the desk and sighed then ran his hands through his hair, flexing his shoulders and arching his back.

  Ryne looked up from the papers he was working on. “Let me guess; you’re still brooding about that girl, right?”

  “Yeah, I keep thinking I’ll find something if I just look long enough.” The Cassandra Greyson case had become a bit of an obsession for him. Every time he vowed to forget her, something called him back to take just one more look. It was as if his inner wolf, having had a brief yet tantalizing scent of the girl, couldn’t relinquish the hunt for her.

  “You’ve been working on it for the past three years. What makes you think today will be any different?” Ryne could be annoyingly practical at times.

  “I don’t know, but for some reason I can’t let her go. Maybe it’s the Beta in me, needing to protect the pack; you know the danger a rogue wolf could put us all in.” Bryan swivelled his chair until he faced his Alpha.

  “But the fact is, she hasn’t gone rogue or we would have heard about it, though how a young kid like that is keeping her wolf under control all by herself, is beyond me.” Ryne narrowed his eyes and reiterated what they both already knew. “You traced her to that motel in Kansas—”

  Bryan finished the sentence. It was a story they’d gone over many times. “And then she just disappeared. I realize almost two weeks had passed before I arrived at her last known location, but there should have been a residual scent leading away. Instead, there was nothing; no scent, no trail, no one saw her leave town... There was nothing on the surveillance cameras at the bus stop. She stepped off the bus, found a room at the motel across the street, and vanished. All I found was a trace scent on the pillows and that pill wedged between the nightstand and the headboard”

  “It was a prescription strength sedative, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Very hard to get hold of and used only under strict medical supervision. Definitely suitable for a werewolf, but heavy duty stuff for a human. Whoever gave it to her knew something about Lycans.”

  “That would have been her guardian, Anthony Greyson. I’m sure that’s how he kept her under control during the full moon, though how he knew...” Ryne let his voice trail off.

  ”Well, that pill was the only concrete clue I found in Kansas. Two days later all her bank accounts were emptied from an instant teller inside a casino in Las Vegas and her credit cards were maxed out. From there, it’s a dead end.”

  “Hmm...except for that anonymous personal ad someone tried to place in the Stump River Gazette. It’s a good thing Melody was working there the day it came in.”

  Bryan flipped open a file and took out a piece of paper. Unfolding it he read, “To whom it may concern. Cassandra Greyson was last seen in Las Vegas. She accessed her bank accounts at a casino ATM, then withdrew the maximum amount allowed on all her credit cards.” He shook his head. Who places a personal ad like that?”

  “Someone who’s trying to lead us around by the nose.”

  “Right.” Bryan rubbed his chin. “All I was able to determine was that the person who sent this had to be elderly. It was written on an old manual typewriter. I didn’t think anyone used those things anymore.” Bryan stared at the paper for a moment longer before carefully folding it and tucking it back in the file.

  “Well, someone still does and it gives me the creeps to think they know enough about us to send the note to Stump River.” Ryne growled softly, his fingers clenching. “It’s kept us in a constant state of alert waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “It’s been nerve wracking.” Bryan agreed. “We could move, start over where we aren’t known.”
<
br />   “But where? Finding a new territory isn’t easy. Stump River was a once in a lifetime chance. No, until we know the source of the letter, we aren’t doing anything”

  Bryan nodded. “The sender might have been trying to flush us out, watching for any sudden movement in the area.”

  “And it’s too vague to enact the Keeping.” Ryne sighed heavily. “So we sit tight and keep our eyes and ears open.”

  Bryan rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “Yeah, I guess. It’s just that this whole situation has me frustrated. After all this time, I’ve made no real progress.”

  “Not true. You confirmed the Greyson girl was in Vegas at one point in time. Getting the hotel to let you look at their surveillance footage was no easy task.”

  Bryan laughed softly at the memory. “Thank heaven the head of security was female and she liked my eyes.”

  “From the story you told when you got back home, I don’t think it was just your eyes she was interested in.”

  “There might have been a few other features that drew her attention.” Bryan grinned for a few moments thinking of the sexual romp he’d had while in the city; for some reason, his libido had been in overdrive that weekend. He laughed softly, then leaned forward to study the screen again. “I was just looking at this footage that shows someone using the ATM machine at the time Cassandra Greyson’s account was emptied.”

  Ryne stood up and moved to the computer, peering over Bryan’s shoulder. “Do you see something new?”

  “Not really. It’s just the same thing as always. Average sized individual, wearing jeans and a hoodie pulled up over his or her head and low across the forehead. Unisex sunglasses. Chin tucked into the collar.”