The Finding

by Nicky Charles

  Franklin smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling. His grip tightened slightly, then he slowly let her go and stepped back. Arranging his features into the bland expression she knew so well, he clasped his hands behind his back. “Your uncle charged me with your care if something ever happened to him. I’ve been using certain...resources...to keep an eye on you. When it seemed you were in a spot of trouble, I felt it prudent to step in and do what I could.”

  “What he could!” Ryne barked out a laugh from where he stood nearby. “The man’s got everyone involved convinced this is some top secret government case and that they’ll be arrested if they breathe a word to anyone. His partner, Meredith, is going around collecting ‘affidavits’ and having people sign some pretty official-looking papers swearing secrecy.”

  Franklin lifted an eyebrow and inclined his head. “We do what we can.”

  “So you’ve been watching me all along?” Cassie frowned, still focussed on what he’d revealed earlier.

  “Well, not myself, but Meredith Mitchell has been supplying weekly reports.”

  “Mrs. Mitchell from the grocery store? I thought she was just a nice old lady who took an interest in me!”

  “She is a nice old lady as well as my former partner.”

  “Former partner?”

  “I wasn’t always a butler, Miss Cassie. Before working for your uncle I led a rather interesting life. In fact we met through one of my cases. Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to tell you anything about it though.”

  “Oh.” Cassie stared at the butler, not sure what to say.

  He cleared his throat. “I’ve also taken the liberty of making arrangements for your young man.”

  “My young man? You mean Bryan?” She swung her head around and saw that he was walking towards them.

  “Not that young man, the other one.”

  “The other...? Kellen! Oh my God, I forgot all about him!” She made to run inside, but Franklin put out his hand to stop her.

  “No need to worry. He’s on his way to the hospital. I’ve been assured he’ll be fine.”

  Bryan arrived at her side and slid an arm around her waist. “What’s up? You look worried.”

  “I forgot all about Kellen!” Cassie shook her head unable to believe her lapse in memory. “I can’t believe I forgot about him. He’s the reason we’re here.” She looked up at Bryan expecting to see... Well... She wasn’t sure exactly what she was expecting, but it wasn’t Bryan trying to hide a smile! “What are you smiling about?”

  “Me? I’m not smiling.” Bryan’s face became a study of innocence and she stared at him suspiciously. Was he pleased that she’d forgotten all about an injured friend?

  Turning to Franklin, she opened her mouth to ask his opinion, but thought she saw a hastily erased smile on his face as well.

  She folded her arms and huffed. “All right I get it. Neither of you are Kellen fans. I understand, but he was good to me and I feel I owe him some loyalty.”

  Franklin nodded slowly. “Yes, he helped you when you needed it. But over the years, you’ve repaid your debt with interest. Supporting your friends is important so long as you don’t let it come between you and something even more meaningful.”

  Cassie bit her lip wondering if ‘something even more meaningful’ was standing beside her or if it was just another caring, concerned friend.

  Chapter 27

  Bryan lay beside Cassie, his arm curved under his head as he watched her sleep. Her lips were slightly parted and her lashes fanned out over her cheeks. He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and she murmured slightly, but didn’t awaken.

  His eyes were heavy and gritty; he knew he needed to get some rest for the day ahead. There was still some clean up to do, if they wanted keep their involvement in this affair out of the public eye In only a few hours the alarm would be going off and he’d have to leave, but right now, observing Cassie seemed more important. Poor thing was worn right out, he thought to himself. The teleporting, the drama at Aldrich’s apartment, her reunion with Franklin and Teasdale, and now tonight, her first full moon. He smiled thinking of how the night had played out.

  Things had been cleared up at Aldrich’s with surprising ease considering the scope of the mess. While the case wasn’t closed, Kane had seemed confident that the Chicago pack, with Franklin’s help, could cover up the entire incident, and was planning on contacting the other pack in the morning. With that in mind, they’d returned to the Estate at Franklin’s insistence and enjoyed an elaborate meal of all Cassie’s favourites, prepared by Mrs. Teasdale, the cook.

  Since it would be a full moon, they decided to spend the night at the Estate as it gave the wolves lots of room to roam. As the evening progressed and the skies had darkened, Cassie had become increasingly distraught.

  She’d pulled him aside into one of the alcoves off the living room where they’d gathered and whispered desperately to him. “Bryan, I can’t do this. I can’t just let go and allow a wolf to take over my body. I’m scared of what it might do.” As she spoke, she constantly darted her eyes about as if fearful the others would hear.

  He’d laced their fingers together and squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to be scared. You’ve already changed twice. Once at your house and once on the rooftop.”

  “I know, but... I didn’t plan those, they just happened because I was scared. Tonight, it will be my choice to change.”

  “Yes, it will be your choice to embrace who you really are, to accept your whole self. The wolf’s been with you for years. You know it, you’ve talked to it; is it really such a scary creature?”

  Cassie had frowned thoughtfully. “I guess not... We actually had a nice talk today and I could sort of see the wolf in my head.” She gave a little laugh. “It was like a puppy wanting to play.”

  “See? Puppies aren’t scary.” He’d quirked on eyebrow. “I think what you’re really worried about is losing control. You, my dear, are a control freak.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. And I can understand why. You’ve had to be in control to survive; there was Anderson you watched out for, working to support the two of you, maintaining the house, and keeping your wolf under control so you weren’t discovered. It was a lot of responsibility to have thrust on you with no training and no one to guide you. But now, you have to realize you aren’t alone. You don’t have to be in control all the time. I’m here, Ryne’s here. We’ll keep you safe. Just let go and enjoy the experience.”

  She’d exhaled a shuddering breath. “I’ll try, but my stomach’s quivering.”

  “First time butterflies.”

  “Butterflies?” She snorted. “They feel more like vultures, if you ask me.”

  The sky had darkened and it was time to go outside. Kane and Elise slipped away first. Then Ryne had clapped his hand on Bryan’s back and wished him luck before moving on to Cassie. The Alpha had taken her by the shoulders and stared at her intently. “You did a great job today Cassie and you’ll do fine tonight. Bryan’s my Beta for a reason. He’ll take good care of you.” He’d then playfully tapped her nose and hugged her before putting his arm around Mel’s shoulders and leading her outside. Mel was going to watch the transformation rather than participate since shifting after the first trimester was considered too dangerous. Bryan watched them leave and thought he overheard Mel whispering something about giving Ryne a belly rub. Given Ryne’s throaty chuckle and the way he nuzzled Mel’s neck, Bryan decided he’d probably overheard correctly.

  Alone in the front entrance, Cassie had looked up at him nervously. “Well, this is it.” She’d tried to smile, but it had been wobbly and he sensed she was on the verge of tears. “What do I do?”

  “Nothing. We’ll just go outside, sit in the moonlight, and relax. Our wolves will do the rest.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Yep, just like that.”

  And so they’d sat on the front step, side by side silently watching the sky darken until they were bat
hed in moonlight. It was a perfect evening for a first transformation; no clouds to obscure the moon, the air crisp and clear, but not too cold, at least not for him. Cassie shivered, but whether it was nerves or the temperature he wasn’t sure.

  He’d pulled her close, an arm around her shoulders and had her rest her head on his chest and close her eyes. She snuggled in closer and he felt her breath feathering across the exposed skin at his neck. Rubbing his cheek over the silky smoothness of her hair, he kissed the top of her head, then lifted his face to the sky, calling his wolf and setting it free.

  His muscles slowly tightened, his breathing grew more rapid. Tension grew within him and he reached for it, embraced it, straining to draw it out as long as possible so that Cassie would be sure to join him. It grew and coiled tighter and tighter until he was teetering on the edge... And then, when he could resist the pull no longer, he let it wash over him; the most delicious feeling of release exploding within him as the air shimmered and his body changed form and the wolf appeared.

  As he’d planned Cassie had been drawn along with him. He’d reasoned she was too nervous and too tired after the day’s events to go it alone. There’d be time enough for that on the next occasion. Turning to look at his companion, he’d nudged her playfully, snuffling her neck and welcoming her to the pack. The creature had been all aquiver; nervous and excited, eager to explore yet unsure...

  He’d led the way, across the lawn and towards the tree line, the wolf at his side gradually relaxing as it came into its own. Their bodies had cast long shadows across the frost covered ground as they’d raced side by side, their breath puffs of vapour in the cool night air. Together they’d explored the small forest, playing tag, jumping over fallen logs, splashing through small streams created by the spring thaw. In a few places, small patches of snow still existed and her wolf had enjoyed burying its muzzle in the cold whiteness, then snuffling and shaking its head when the frosty crystals got up its nose.

  The evening had been perfect, though a bit taxing for him. His own wolf was ecstatic to finally have its mate by its side and was determined to stake its claim. Cassie’s wolf had shown no restraint either, flipping its tail, giving come hither looks, nipping playfully then rolling on the ground. It had taken all his willpower to hold the wolf back. In her human form, Cassie wasn’t sure if this was what she wanted and so Bryan was determined to respect her wishes...even if it half killed him.

  It was nearly dawn when he finally convinced her wolf to allow her to transform back. Cassie had seemed exhausted and disoriented with only the vaguest memories of running across the expansive lawns of the Estate. She claimed that after that, everything was a blur. In his own mind, Bryan thought her memory lapse was likely a good thing. Her wolf’s wanton behaviour would probably have embarrassed her.

  Now they were tucked in bed together in Cassie’s old room. Childhood mementos were still scattered about; posters on the wall, a few school books stacked haphazardly on the desk. Apparently, Mrs. Teasdale had insisted that everything be left as it was, convinced that her Miss would come back. Bryan lifted one corner of his mouth. The cook had been correct. Miss Cassie had returned, but would she stay?

  He stared at Cassie again. A woman, yet still a child in many ways due to her unusual life. She had so much to learn; how to be a wolf and part of a pack, how to enjoy life without the constant fear of discovery, how to love, how to make love... An ache grew in his heart as he thought of the future. Would she be able to accept him as her mate? Could he overcome her earlier prejudices? He hoped so.

  Oh so carefully, he moved to wrap his arm around her and slide her close. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her unique scent, letting it wrap itself around him. This was home, here with Cassie. He closed his own weary eyes and sighed contentedly before drifting off to sleep.

  *****

  The two Alphas and their mates lounged comfortably on the leather sofas that flanked the fireplace in the sitting room at the Greyson Estate. A fire burned cheerfully in the hearth, chasing away the morning chill and a tray of bagels, croissants and various spreads, as well as coffee, tea and juice were set on a low table within easy reach. The heavy velvet curtains had been pulled back, allowing the early spring sun to shine into the room, brightening the rich, dark panelling and highlighting the interesting array of wolf memorabilia that Anthony Greyson had amassed over the years.

  They’d all stayed at the Estate last night. It had been a full moon and the grounds had provided ample room for them to enjoy the occasion. Presently, they were waiting for Bryan and Cassie to make an appearance; the young couple had still been out frolicking when the rest of them had gone to bed. To pass the time, they were studying a picture of Kane in his wolf form, Franklin had retrieved it from its hiding place and re-hung it over the mantel where Anthony Greyson had originally displayed it.

  “Damned fine picture I took.” Ryne mused as he stared at the photo through narrowed eyes.

  “You had a good subject to work with.” Elise murmured from where she was tucked into Kane’s side.

  “It’s hard to believe that so many events stem from the taking of one picture,” Melody mused, her hand on top of Ryne’s as he rubbed slow circles on her stomach. His other hand was busy holding a cup of coffee out of her reach.

  Kane grunted. “We’re just lucky everything worked out as neatly as it did. Between Marla and Aldrich, that picture could have led to the destruction of us all.”

  “But it didn’t. And in the end, Marla redeemed herself.” Elise had a sad faraway look in her eye as she spoke, as always too tender-hearted.

  “Her wolf redeemed itself, but I’ll never believe that Marla actually did.” Ryne took a swig of his morning brew, his face set in a scowl.

  “But aren’t they one and the same?” Melody looked puzzled.

  “Usually, but not always.” Kane sighed regretfully, staring at the contents of his mug. He took a sip and slowly shook his head. “I feel partly responsible. As Alpha I should know what’s going on with the members of my pack, but I never realized... Little wonder Marla never wanted to go on a run. I’m guessing she’s one of those strange cases where the human half never integrates with the wolf inside. Their personalities weren’t compatible. It’s sort of like twins. They might look the same, have the same parents, but they turn out totally different from each other.”

  Melody cleared her throat and sat up straight, looking nervous. “Speaking of parents...”

  Kane flashed her a look and smirked causing Ryne to frown. When Kane smirked it usually meant trouble for him. He dropped his hand from Melody’s stomach, set down his coffee and shifted so he could see her face more clearly.

  “As you probably know...” She paused and darted her eyes around the room’s occupants as if worried about their reception of her statement.

  Ryne raised his brows. “Know what, Melody? Spit it out.”

  “Ryne, leave your mate alone. She’ll speak when she’s ready.” Kane rebuked him softly then settled back and looked at Melody with calm inquiry.

  Melody glanced at Kane, flushed and looked down. Ryne felt himself bristle as jealousy shot through him. First Melody blocked their mental link and now she was looking at his brother and blushing! He fought to hold back the rumble that arose inside him and glared at Kane. Kane grinned evilly, but said nothing.

  Taking a deep breath, Melody began again. “As you know, Lycan Link has been searching for my father and... They’ve found him.”

  Ryne snapped his head back back to look at Melody in shock. This was her big news? It was interesting, but... He frowned. Something wasn’t right. What was going on?

  Elise sat up, smiling broadly. “Mel, that’s wonderful news! Isn’t it, Kane?” She glanced up at her mate who seemed to be trying to hold back his own smile; the faintest hint of which could be seen in the corners of his mouth.

  “And who might the lucky man be, Mel?” Kane asked smoothly, casually folding his arms behind his head.

  “It’
s...” She started to say, paused to study Kane carefully and then her mouth fell open as she gave an exasperated gasp. “You knew! Here I’ve been stewing over this for the past few days, not sure how to break the news, and you knew!”

  “Knew what?” Ryne and Elise spoke in unison.

  “About my father!” Melody stood up, hands on her hips, obviously fuming. “How dare you not tell me?” She glared at Kane.

  Kane threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t be mad at me. I found out the same time you did, but figured it was your place to share the news.”

  “Oh.” Melody seemed to calm down. “Well...that’s okay then, I guess. Did you know about the mix-up, too?”

  “Uh-huh. It gave me a few bad moments before I realized the mistake and moved to have it corrected.”

  Melody sat down again. “It gave me some bad moments, too. I had almost a week of thinking that—”

  “What?” Ryne broke into the conversation unable to wait any longer. “Melody, I swear if you don’t tell me what the hell you’re talking about this very minute, I’ll—”

  “Kane’s my brother.” Melody delivered the news deadpan, her eyes focussed on Ryne’s face.

  Elise could be heard gasping and Kane chuckling, but Ryne barely noticed. He stared at Melody in shock, his entire body tensing as the implications made themselves known. “But he can’t be... I mean, he’s my brother and you're my...” Suddenly, he paused and frowned, then slumped back in the sofa as understanding dawned. “Half-brother. He’s your half-brother and my half-brother, but we don’t share any of those halves.”

  “Right. Kane and I share a father while you and Kane share a mother. But you and I share absolutely nothing!” Melody beamed at him.

  Ryne shook his head and ran his hand over her stomach. “I wouldn’t say we share absolutely nothing...”

  Melody smacked him lightly and then turned to Kane. “Hi, brother!”

  “Sis.” He nodded at her then grinned. “Are you going to tell Ryne about the part that nearly gave you a nervous breakdown?”