Howling for My Baby

by Beverly Rae

  Max ducked farther into the darkness, putting his spine flat against the wall. Now was not the time to get caught.

  “Uh, yeah, I heard something all right.”

  “What was it, Benjy?”

  Max held his breath and again wished he’d remembered to pack a gun. At least he had his knife on him. He reached into his jeans pocket, brought out the switchblade and flicked it open. The blade wouldn’t be much help against two—no, three—werewolves, but at least he’d go down fighting.

  “I heard deception and deceit. And two people trying very hard to keep me from finding out about Syd’s family. I wonder why?”

  Max heard Jason’s laughter and decided to get out while he could. Careful not to disturb any of the refuse in the alleyway, he sneaked down the corridor and around the rear of the building. Safely out of hearing, he ran for his car parked a block away. Once there, he didn’t waste any time getting on the highway and heading straight for Skeller’s home.

  Along the way, he tried to convince himself he’d imagined everything he’d seen, but he couldn’t find any other explanation. The truth was the truth no matter how he sliced it.

  Not bothering to park in the driveway, Max skidded the car to a stop parallel to the house, bumping his tires against the curb. He’d barely managed to turn off the ignition before he flung his body out of the driver’s side and hit the ground running.

  “Skeller! Open up!” He bounced back and forth on his feet and continued to pound on the door. When his pounding didn’t produce the result he wanted, he started stabbing his thumb at the doorbell. “Skeller, it’s Max. Come on, man, it’s important.”

  A disgruntled Skeller threw the door wide and stepped over the threshold, pushing Max backward a step. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you realize what time it is?”

  “Let’s go inside. I need to talk to you. It’s important and not something you want the neighbors to hear.”

  Skeller scrutinized him for a moment before motioning him inside. Signaling to keep his voice low, Sydney’s father led him into his den, crossed to his desk and sat in the cheap leather chair. “Okay, go ahead. What’s so damned urgent it couldn’t wait a few more hours until morning?”

  Max flopped in the chair in front of the desk. The adrenalin that had kept him going full force poured out of him, leaving him exhausted. “I’ve got something you need to hear, but I’m not sure how to tell you.”

  “Just spit it out. Two o’clock in the morning isn’t the time to pussyfoot around.”

  He fixed his sight on the paperweight at the edge of the desk and tried to think of a way to ease into his story. Finding none, he gave up and forged ahead. “Shit, I wish I could figure out the best way to say this, but I can’t.” He looked up, wanting the older man to see how sincere he was—or at least how sincere he could act. “You know how much I care for Sydney. Believe me. I’m torn up about this. But you’ve got a right to know. Hell, you need to know.”

  “Crap, will you get to it already?”

  Max swallowed, scrunching his features into a deep frown and stared into Skeller’s concerned face. “Sydney’s a shifter.” He waited for the outraged, disbelieving response of a loving father receiving traumatizing news about his one and only child—and got nothing. Zilch. Nada. Maybe the man was in shock and couldn’t react? “Did you hear what I said?”

  Skeller hunched forward to place his forearms on the desk. “Yeah, I heard you. I was trying to figure out if you’re drunk.” His cold gaze bored into Max. “But you don’t act drunk. Then I figured I must’ve missed some kind of holiday. Like April Fools’ Day. Or Kid Your Favorite Hunter Day. Because if this isn’t part of some stupid holiday prank, I’m going to get my gun and shoot your balls off.”

  Suddenly, the composed man was gone. Skeller stood up in one quick movement and moved around the desk to pull Max to his feet. “You woke me up in the middle of the night to call my daughter a dirty name.” Spittle flew from the irate man’s lips. “No one says anything bad about my little girl.”

  Wrapping his arm around Max’s shoulders, Skeller propelled him toward the door. “However, since we’re friends, and you and Sydney once had a relationship, I’m going to let this pass. But don’t let it ever happen again. Got it?”

  Max ducked out of the arm hold to rush to the opposite side of the room. “I’m not kidding. I’m serious. You remember her new friend, Jason?”

  “Sure, I do.” At once, the angry expression morphed into a sympathetic one. “Oh, is that what this is all about? Don’t worry, son, he’s not a threat to you. He’s gay. If you’re thinking he’s going to take her away from you, you can rest easy. He’s not any competition.”

  “No, man, you’ve pegged him all wrong.”

  Skeller ran his hand over his chin and returned to his chair. “Max, buddy, I outted him before my whole family. Look, I know it upset you when Sydney didn’t invite you to her birthday party, but don’t let it get to you. You know how women are. Give her a little time, a little space, and she’ll─”

  Max picked up a glass frog from a nearby table and threw it against the wall, shattering it to pieces.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Skeller advanced on him, ready to tear him apart. If the elder hunter had held a gun in his hand, Max had no doubt his balls—or what was left of them—would’ve been splattered on the wall. “Are you on drugs or something? You know how Miriam loves her frog collection.”

  Max bent to retrieve the pieces and hoped his skull didn’t end up cracked wide open. “I’m sorry, but you need to listen to me.”

  “Forget cleaning up and get the hell out of my house before I lose the last bit of control I have left.”

  Slowly he rose to confront Skeller again and pulled out his last chance to convince him. “I followed Sydney and Jason to a club tonight.”

  “Yeah? And? He took her to meet some of his loosey-goosey friends. He took her to a gay bar. What of it? Can you think of a safer place for a woman?”

  “He took her to a bar, all right.” At the hard glint in the man’s eyes, Max continued with more fervor. “I saw her outside the bar where she and that Jason guy talked about how she shifted tonight. Did you hear me? She shifted.”

  “You misunderstood, Max.”

  “No, man, I didn’t.”

  “Did you see her change? Or Jason?”

  “No, but—”

  “That’s what I thought. Look, Max, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but it’s not working.” Skeller walked toward the door. “Get the hell out right now and we’ll forget this whole conversation ever happened.”

  Yet, even though the man tried to hide it, Max saw Skeller’s indecision and pounced on the opening. “Listen to me. I saw them kiss and it wasn’t any old friendly kiss, either. I smelled him, man. I got a big whiff of his wolf smell and one of his buddies stunk the same way.”

  Skeller’s gaze narrowed on Max. “You’re wrong. Besides, who can smell anything over all the cologne he bathes in.”

  “Have you ever thought maybe he pours it on for a reason? Like maybe he’s trying to hide another, even worse smell?”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  Max recognized the slow dawning of acceptance in Skeller’s eyes. “They’ve played us, man. Hell, they played the whole hunter group. She’s gone over to the beasts.” He reached out to place a comforting hand on the older man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to say this, man. Sydney is Jason’s ma─”

  Skeller’s hand was around his neck before he’d finished speaking. “You lie. I know you want her to marry you, and she’s turned you down. But I never thought you’d try this kind of filthy trick. Take it back.”

  “No. I can’t.” He croaked out the words with what little air he could force through the chokehold around his throat. “I swear it’s true.”

  He continued to struggle with the shorter yet stronger man, watching Skeller’s face for any sign of acceptance. At last, the man tossed him away to land w
ith a thud against the wall. Skeller’s features twisted into a mask of torment.

  “I need proof. I can’t, I won’t believe my daughter’s one of those things without proof.”

  Coughing, Max sputtered out his plan. “Then I’ll get proof.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I don’t know why I let you talk me into this.” Syd wiggled in her seat between the two men and glanced at Jason who sat staring straight ahead with a hangdog expression. She smiled at the term. “Where is this place anyway? And why didn’t I get this birthday surprise, you know, like on my birthday?”

  “I told you. I didn’t get it in time. Besides, can’t a father give his daughter another present? Who cares if it’s a little past her actual birthday?” Skeller adjusted his visor, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun.

  Something’s not right. Syd could sense it and knew Jason felt it, too. Plus, the furtive glance her father sent Jason didn’t calm her jangled nerves.

  “Still…I don’t understand why you insisted I come along. Isn’t this a thing between a father and his daughter?” Jason asked the question he’d already asked several times before. Again, Skeller didn’t answer.

  Syd heard the growl in Jason’s tone and shot him a warning glare. Even if her father was a hunter, he didn’t have to act grouchy around him. “At the risk of sounding like a kid, can I ask…are we there yet?” Normally her father would have laughed at her corny joke. Yet this time, he kept his gaze on the road and nodded. Now I know something’s off.

  Skeller ignored Jason’s question. “It’s not much farther.” He wiped one of his palms on his khaki slacks, lending more support to the troops blowing bugles to sound the alarm inside her brain. She was about to ask more questions when her father parked his pickup in front of an unfamiliar aluminum-sided building. The place looked deserted, giving her the impression of an abandoned military base. Oh, this is so not good.

  “We’re here.” Skeller opened his door and waited for them to pile out.

  Since when had her father ever waited for anyone? He always steamed ahead, letting anyone with him trail behind. “Okay. But where is here?” Her heart thumped an irregular rhythm. “Is this another place where your hunter friends meet?” All the signs came together to hit her squarely in the chest: her father wearing the khaki slacks he always wore to hunter meetings, his insistence to drive the truck he drove to meetings, and the presence of rifles behind the seat. Why hadn’t she seen the signs before now?

  Her father was ready to hunt shifters.

  Would Skeller try to trap them into going on another hunt? She laced her arm through Jason’s and held on. “Uh, Dad, I’m not feeling well. I think maybe we should postpone, uh, whatever it is you have planned.” Seems like she’d used the Dad word a lot lately—and always when she was in a bind. But a girl had to use whatever tools a girl had. Even if that meant using the heartstring feelings she knew her father held for her. Yet she wasn’t prepared for his hard stare, which wrung out her own heart.

  “I don’t doubt you’re sick—what with you hanging around Mr. Fragrance Factory. But no, little girl. Other people are waiting inside and they’ve put a lot of work into this surprise. You’re not going to disappoint them.”

  At his command, the guilt welling up inside her dissipated in a flash. Damn. Can you bark louder, Skeller? “Sheesh, is this a present or an order?”

  Jason studied them a moment and Syd was sure she could see the wheels whirring in his mind. “I think Syd’s right. Her health comes first. Let’s do this another day.”

  Her father’s hand on her other arm left no room for any argument. Still, she could tell he tried to keep his voice level and light—and failed miserably. “Sydney Skeller, you will not be rude. Imagine what your mother would say. Let’s go.”

  “Which begs the question…where is Mom?”

  “She couldn’t make it.”

  Skeller’s rough tug on her arm made her lose her grip on Jason. She reached for him again, but missed. With Skeller pulling her along, she twisted around to send him a questioning look. Would he follow them? If not, how could she blame him? He watched her, his cold stare speaking volumes. At last, however, he began to follow them.

  “I’m doing this for you, sweetie.” With those fateful words, her father shoved her through the front door and into a large room. A dozen or more men and women turned their direction like one monstrous human welcoming committee. Without hesitating for a greeting, Skeller propelled her forward, breaking through the throng and into the center, until the group formed a circle around them.

  Oh, hell. This is not a déjà vu I want to experience. Fear scratched at her throat, yet she couldn’t make a sound. Fortunately, she could hear—and smell—Jason near her, and could sense the silent warning signals he sent her.

  “Mr. Skeller, what’s going on?” Jason spoke softly, yet his words held a deadly edge. She wondered if her father would pick up on the veiled threat.

  “Hey, Sydney. How’s everything with your new lover-boy?”

  She twirled, seeking out the man she dreaded seeing. Max, dressed all in brown fatigues, stepped to the center and sneered at her. “What’s going on, Max? Haven’t we already been here and done this?”

  He laughed a cruel laugh. “Funny, Sydney.” His features hardened into a scary mask. “We’re here to return you to the daylight, Sydney. If it’s not too late, if you’re not one of those things, we’ll welcome you back into the human race.” He glanced at Skeller before returning his hard gaze to her. “However, if it is too late… Well, you know.”

  Panic dried her mouth, yet she wouldn’t give Max the satisfaction of knowing she knew what he meant. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She chanced a peek at Jason, who’d planted his feet wide, ready for action.

  “My daughter’s not a shifter no matter what Max says.” Her father rotated to look everyone in the eye. “That’s what this is all about. We’re going to prove she’s not a shifter. Even if he is.” He pointed at Jason with the accusation diverting the crowd’s attention away from her.

  She darted her gaze between her father and Jason, and tried to keep the terror inside her from taking complete control. How could any father do this to his daughter? “Skeller, don’t be crazy. Jason’s no more a shifter than I am.” She held her breath and hoped the lie wouldn’t show on her face.

  “I saw you, Sydney. I saw you and this beast outside the club he took you to. You had a trophy, remember? What was it for? Oh, yeah. For being the Best Howler.” Max raised his voice, letting his words sink in.

  The group responded, talking among themselves and scrutinizing her and Jason. As horrible as their scrutiny was, however, the underlying murmur was worse.

  Max stepped closer to Jason. “You still stink to high heaven. But at least the cologne stench is better than shifter stink.”

  Jason threw her a meaningful look and answered him in measured words. “Your opinion, man. Still, at least this way I don’t have to smell you.”

  Several men near Max chuckled, only to have him glare them into silence. “You think you’re funny, huh? I wonder how funny you’ll be when your hide is hanging on my wall.”

  Jason’s lips twitched upward at the corners. “Not as funny as you’ll be when I pick my teeth with your bones.”

  A muffled shout caused everyone to turn and glance at the door, but when they didn’t see anything, they returned their attention to the engaging scene before them.

  “See? His true colors are showing. He’s talking like a werewolf.” Max crowed, pointing at Jason. “Didn’t I tell you he was one of them?”

  Syd’s heart skipped a beat before it started dancing hip-hop in her chest. Somehow she had to get them out of here. “No, no, Max. You misheard him. He said he’d like to use a toothpick on your sexy bones. As in teeth are like bones? And remember, he’s gay.” She ignored Jason’s low growl and hurried on, “Besides, you know you have a problem with dental hygiene.” Wow, Syd. Pretty lame.

&nbs
p; “Huh? What the hell are you talking about?”

  Since her joke didn’t pan out, Syd went into Plan B. Without thinking about how she might appear, she started laughing in a shrill hysterical titter. “Jason, a shifter? Oh, Max, you always were a funny guy but, come on. Jason? A shifter? A nasty, vile, disgusting creature like a werewolf?” She took her surprised mate’s chin in her hand and shook his face. “Now I ask you, ladies. Can you see this handsome, sweet-faced man changing into a big bad wolf?”

  She looked at the women, hoping to see them agreeing with her. Instead, the women ogled Jason like he was the new centerfold for a pinup magazine. Shit, wrong question for the wrong group of girls. She sneered at the women hunters. Without a doubt every one of them would hightail it into a cave with him if he wiggled a paw their way. Of course, they’d never admit it.

  Damn, not only did she have to keep the men from skinning him alive, she’d have to keep the women from eating him alive.

  ƒ

  Oh, for the love of a good manicurist, you’d think I was part cat. Bleck. Benjy tiptoed up to the military-style building to peek through the tiny window in the front door. He’d had misgivings about hiding under a tarp in the back of Skeller’s truck when Syd, Jason, and Skeller had left Syd’s apartment, but now those misgivings had grown into loud retorts of absolute certainty. Curiosity killed the cat and this old puppy might be going down the nosey drain, too.

  “I cannot believe Jason walked in on his own two feet. Couldn’t he smell the hunter odor? The place absolutely reeks of it. Then again, he probably couldn’t smell anything with all the cologne surrounding him in a fog of stink.” He wiped the grime from the glass and pressed his nose to the pane. “Jay-Jay, sweet man, why the rank perfume and why are you messing with hunters?”

  Shifting enough to strengthen his eyesight and hearing, he watched Syd’s father pull Jason and Syd into the middle of the hunters. The group swallowed them, obscuring his view. “Oh, piddle-poop, how am I supposed to know what’s going on with all those bodies in the way? Move, people, move.” He puffed out a breath of air, moved his heels up and down to relieve the stress building in his calves, then silently gave thanks for all the hours of ballet.