by D. M. Turner
After a moment, Kelly lowered her gaze and focused on helping Clara.
* * *
“I’m here.” Clara’s weak voice drew all eyes.
Kelly aided her into the room with an arm around her waist, while Brett had retreated to the kitchen, getting as far from her as he reasonably could. Sophia stood in the hallway entrance the women had just come through.
Ian remained seated and forced his gaze to the agent and not the approaching women, hoping not to scare Clara. He had no idea how Kelly had convinced her to come downstairs, but he wouldn’t interfere. The sooner they appeased the federal agent, the faster she’d leave his property.
“Mrs. Brimfield?” Horror appeared and then vanished almost as fast behind a mask of professionalism.
“No. My name is Darrow. Clara Darrow. Farley Brimfield and I were never married.”
“Miss Darrow then.” The agent made a note in a small notepad. “Your neighbor, a Mrs. Calloway, reported you missing. She feared something bad had happened to you.” Her eyes narrowed. “From the looks of you, I’d say it did.”
“Farley beat me so bad I thought I’d die. I took the first opportunity I found to run and came here to be with my sister, Kelly.” She patted Kelly’s arm.
“I see.” Agent Muller got up and rounded the couch. “I’m sorry to see you in such rough shape, but I’m glad you’re alive and safe now. Have you seen a doctor?”
Clara nodded. Only the wolves in the room knew that wasn’t the absolute truth. She hadn’t allowed Jeremy anywhere near her, but Annie had evaluated her. “I’ll be fine. Eventually. There are no internal injuries. Just a lot of bruises and a few minor fractures to ribs.” Understated injuries to be sure, but they would appease the agent. Hopefully.
“Do you wish to press charges against Mr. Brimfield?”
“I just want him out of my life forever.” The woman lowered her head and leaned heavily on Kelly. “Can I go back to bed now?”
“Of course. Thank you for coming down to talk to me.”
“I wouldn’t have, if not for Sophia.” She pointed to the woman hanging around in the hallway entrance. “She explained that you can’t leave and file your report unless you speak directly to me.”
Sophia had talked her into coming down? He hadn’t seen that coming.
The agent nodded. “That’s correct. I’ll do what I can to close the case and let your neighbor know you’re alright.”
“Thank you.”
Kelly and Clara turned slowly and headed toward Sophia.
“One other thing, Miss Darrow.”
The women stopped, and Clara glanced over her shoulder at the agent.
“According to the missing persons report, you were pregnant when you went missing.” She didn’t ask a question, but the implication was clear to everyone within hearing range.
“I lost it due to the beating.” Clara lowered her gaze, tears slipping free. “I’ve lost babies before because of him.”
Ian swallowed bile. Though the wolves all knew her baby was alive and safe, her last statement hadn’t been a lie. How many children had she lost due to Farley Brimfield’s abuse?
“I’m so sorry, Miss Darrow.”
Clara nodded and turned away.
The room fell silent for several moments as Clara and Kelly left the room.
Sophia stepped out of their way then crossed the dining room. She stopped at the end of the breakfast bar, her gaze on the agent.
Max slipped out the back door and trotted to the left, headed toward the garage end of the house.
I’ll have to speak with him later about the stunt he pulled.
Agent Muller turned to Ian, shaking her head. “I’ve never seen anyone beaten that badly.”
“Neither have I. It’s a miracle he didn’t kill her.”
“Someone who’s been victimized like that will need counseling, especially if the abuse has gone on for a while.” The agent pulled a card out of her breast pocket. “I can email you a list of good counselors, if you need it.”
“Thank you. If we need help finding one, I’ll contact you.” He sent a worried look at the empty hall. “Right now, she’s not willing to interface with too many people. I don’t think she’d talk to a stranger about all that’s happened.” Pretty sure she wouldn’t, in fact.
“Understandable.” She glanced around then smiled. “Well, say goodbye to Max for me. It was good to meet you, Mr. Campbell.”
The front door opened and human-Max stopped on the threshold.
Agent Muller smiled at him. “You have impeccable timing. I’m ready to go back to my car, if you don’t mind.”
“Don’t mind a bit.” He grinned and motioned her through the door with a flourished bow.
Ian scowled at him, but Max made a point of not looking at him as he left and closed the door behind them. He growled softly then sighed and glanced at Sophia, who glared at him, turned on her heel, and disappeared into the hallway.
Brett, still in the kitchen, chuckled long and deep. “You really ticked her off. You shouldn’t have told her about the plan for me to take you out if something goes wrong.”
“Would you prefer I left her unprepared for the possibility?”
His friend’s eyes narrowed. “To be honest, given your adamant refusal to admit you want her as your mate, I find it puzzling that you bothered. The two of you need to get your act together before it costs both of you.”
* * *
Despite the desire to find some level of satisfaction in slamming the bedroom door, Sophia decided to be a grown-up and pushed it closed with nothing more than a decisive click. She dropped onto the bed and picked up the book. Ian had said she needed to read the final story in the book about him, that it would help her understand the ridiculous plan he and Brett had.
He’d also warned her that story was tragic.
She clenched her teeth, opened the book, and forced herself to read.
* * *
(Excerpt from Alpha)…
Moments later, he came upon a gruesome scene. Brady had O’Neil pinned to the ground. Graham and two others were already down and making no attempt to rise. The metallic scent of blood was overpowering.
Ian snorted to clear his nose and assessed the situation.
O’Neil gave all indications of submission, but still Brady didn’t let him go.
Movement to his side made Ian turn his head.
Brett came alongside him then took a half-step back in obvious horror. Then he shot Ian a resigned, defeated look. They both knew what had to be done. Brady would kill the whole pack if he wasn’t stopped.
His heart aching, Ian shot across the short distance, slamming into Brady.
The wolf let go of O’Neil, who whimpered and didn’t get up. He turned to snarl at Ian. The crazed look in his eyes assured Ian of one thing—his alpha and friend was no longer there.
…
* * *
Tears flowed over Sophia’s cheeks. When Ian had declared the story tragic, he hadn’t exaggerated. Her heart ached for what he’d been through, the choices he’d been forced to make to protect others. Would Brett find it equally difficult to kill his alpha?
Lord, there has to be another way. Help us find it, should the worst happen. Better yet, keep Ian from having to take that risk. If he doesn’t have to fight, then it won’t be an issue.
A tap-tap-tap on the bedroom door had her setting the closed book on the nightstand and wiping tears from her face. When she thought she might be adequately composed, she lowered her feet over the side of the bed and straightened her shoulders. “Yes?”
The door opened a few inches, and Tanya stuck her head inside with a warm smile that faltered. “Are you alright?”
“I’ll be fine.” She plastered a smile on her face. “What did you need?”
“We were wondering if you could help move Clara and the pups to the basement right now.”
“Sure.” Sophia pushed off the bed to stand and followed Tanya out of the guestroom to the
second floor. She stopped in the doorway of the bedroom Clara had been using as Tanya went inside. “What can I do to help?”
“Would you take the bassinet?” Kelly pointed to it on the far side of the bed without looking at Sophia. Tension in her shoulders and avoidance of eye contact suggested she was still upset about earlier.
Sophia chose to ignore it.
“Donna and Tanya can carry Adam and Hope while I help Clara.”
“I can managed that, I think.” Sophia rounded the bed, waited for Donna to pick up Hope, and picked up the bassinet. “I’ll follow all of you, and you can point out where you want this.”
Tanya smiled and rested her cheek against the top of Adam’s downy head. “Duncan’s in the living room with Colin and Ian, and his Pack-and-Play is already set up in the basement. We just need to get these two and Clara set up.”
Without looking at Sophia even once, Kelly helped Clara out of bed and supported the woman into the hall and down the stairs. They moved at a snail’s pace and stopped often for Clara to rest.
Sophia frowned as she followed with the bassinet, Tanya and Donna behind her with the infants. The woman was getting weaker. By the hour, it seemed. How long could she survive like that?
They finally made it to the basement, having taken stairs hidden behind a panel in the wall under the stairs between the first and second floors. The air in the basement was cooler than the upper floors but not uncomfortably so. If anyone in the house above them was moving around, there was no indication. No footfalls. No murmur of voices. Nothing.
Tanya touched her shoulder and pointed to a six-foot-wide, heavy metal door in the corner by the stairs. “The bassinet can go in there. We’ll keep the little ones together. We can lock the door from the inside should one of Brimfield’s pack get into the basement.” A frown between her brows accented a haunted look in her eyes.
Sophia set the bassinet inside the twelve-by-twelve room and looked around. Metal walls surrounded her, except where the door broke the smooth surface. The ceiling was about seven-feet high. A narrow cot on one wall had only a thin mattress, and a metal toilet and sink occupied one corner. “Homey.”
“I know.” Tanya grimaced. “I hate these rooms. They’re like prison cells. Ian said they’re old bank vaults. They’re not air-tight.” She pointed to the ceiling, where a small vent was apparent. “They creep me out. Remind me too much of where I was held before Colin found me.” She sighed and shrugged. “But they’re not concrete, so I guess it could be worse.”
“What are they for?”
“In case a wolf ever needs to be contained for the safety of others. They lock from either side. Both have two doors, a barred one that closes first, and a solid one that can close over it.”
Sophia set the bassinet next to what reminded her of a playpen. Diaper bags and other baby-related items were stacked on the cot. Rolled sleeping bags were mounded in one corner. She slipped out of the steel room and looked around the basement further while Kelly got Clara settled in the room she’d just vacated.
The outer room measured probably twenty-feet by thirty or more with the ceiling about ten feet above the floor. A work counter ran most of the length of the wall opposite the room they were setting up for the children. A large, upright freezer occupied a corner at one end of the counter. Near the freezer and on the wall opposite the stairs was a four-foot-wide metal door. Outside access?
A second six-foot-wide, metal door stood open along the same wall as the vault she’d already been inside. A gap of about eight feet yawned between the two bank vaults, filled only by a floor-to-ceiling, thick-barred front, inset with a four-foot-wide sliding door. No cot or bed. No toilet or sink. The only thing that marred any of the surfaces was a drain in the concrete floor.
“Looks like a kennel, doesn’t it?”
Sophia nodded then glanced at Tanya. “Is that what it’s for?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that… like… overkill, considering the other two rooms? I mean, how likely are you to need all three?”
“To my knowledge, we never have. Ian told me once that they’ve used different rooms at different times. The kennel is for someone in wolf-form, of course.” Sorrow flitted across her face. “I’m guessing for someone who’s lost control of the wolf and needs to be contained where they can’t hurt themselves or anyone else. The other two rooms are set up for humans, so….” Tanya shrugged. “You’d have to ask Ian for more information.”
They had a way to contain an out-of-control wolf, and their plan was for Brett to put Ian down if the worst happened? Sophia frowned. How did one get an out-of-control wolf into a room in the basement, anyway? Tranquilizers and such wouldn’t work on werewolves. Right? She couldn’t imagine such a creature would willingly submit to being locked up.
Chapter 21
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
The house was still and quiet. With everyone asleep in various bedrooms behind closed doors, it would be easy to forget the house was full of werewolves.
Sophia worked as quietly as possible in the kitchen, so as not to disturb anyone. Not an easy task when surrounded by wolves with better-than-human hearing. Between nightmares about her father, bad dreams about the serial killer she’d torn apart, and recurring dreams about Ian’s past as revealed in that book, sleep proved elusive.
She’d considered Shifting and retreating to Ian’s room, but she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook about his and Brett’s plan. If he woke with her in his room again, he might view her presence the wrong way, as acceptance.
Though not sure whether Ian would approve of use of his kitchen, after the water glass fiasco, she couldn’t stay in her room anymore. When she couldn’t sleep, she baked or cooked. Since she wasn’t sure if the werewolves in the household would eat haute cuisine, even if she had the ingredients for any of her favorite dishes, she’d chosen to bake. After all, who didn’t love white layer cake with vanilla buttercream frosting? Simple, sure, but without knowing what everyone would eat, simple seemed the best choice.
She’d pulled a couple of boxes out of her SUV that contained baking supplies. They sat open on the breakfast bar. She washed, dried, and put away supplies as she finished using them to control any mess that might otherwise end up scattered across counters.
When the slab-like layers had cooled, she applied frosting to the first one, spreading it quickly but carefully. Too bad werewolves rarely kept jams and preserves on hand, or even fresh fruit for that matter. Pureed raspberries would’ve been nice between the layers. But, then, so would chocolate. Oh, well, vanilla buttercream will just have to do for the whole thing.
As Sophia set the empty mixing bowl in the sink, a soft growl from one of the openings into the kitchen drew her gaze. She glanced over her shoulder.
Clad only in sweatpants that hugged his hips, Ian stood in the semi-darkness just outside the kitchen, glaring at her. “Are you determined to defy me at every turn?”
Her eyes focused on his face despite the urge to check out the expanse of chest and stomach, she frowned. What had he said? Something about defiance, or was it determination? Both? Good grief, have the man take off his shirt, and her brain turned to runny mousse. Not good. “What are you talking about?”
“The kitchen is off-limits. I warned you before.”
“I’ll be out of here well before breakfast. I won’t get in your way.” She turned on the water to wash the bowl and spatula. Focus on cleaning. It’s safe.
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
“You’re not to use the kitchen. Period. I don’t care what time of day it is.”
She shook her head, shut off the water, and reached for a towel she’d left on the counter. “You’re serious about this territoriality thing.”
“I thought I made myself clear.”
“Why?” The bowl dry, she set it on the counter and reached for the spatula.
Ian’s scowl darkened. “Why what?”
“Wh
y are you so possessive of your kitchen? I didn’t use any of your bake ware, if you even have any. None of your utensils either. So there’s no way I damaged any of your equipment. I even used flour and other supplies from my boxes. All I used of yours was butter, eggs, and milk. If you’re worried about those, shake the knot out of your tail. I’ll replace them at the first opportunity.”
“I don’t care about that stuff.” He snorted and shook his head. “Well, except for damaged pots and pans, but I would hope you’d know how to care for those properly.”
“I do, but alas, I didn’t use any of yours.” Sophia set the bowl and spatula back in the box they’d come from. “So, what’s your problem? Why are you being so ridiculous about this?”
A low growl rumbled through the room. “Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t make it ridiculous.”
Hands on her hips, she turned to glare at him. “I may not understand your motivation, but your behavior most certainly is ridiculous. Childish, in fact.”
He closed the distance between them in two long strides and gritted his teeth so hard she heard it. “I’m not being childish.”
“Yes, you are.” She didn’t let her gaze waver or flinch.
Green-rimmed, pale gray eyes made her fully aware of how close the wolf was to the surface. If he wanted to intimidate her, he’d have to do better.
His scent wrapped around her, tinged with rage far out of proportion to the circumstances. Was he always so volatile, or was it just her? She’d think the stress of the situation with Clara had something to do with it, but he’d been overreactive about the kitchen before Clara even arrived. So, what was with him and that particular room of the house? “Help me understand your point of view, Ian.”
