Captivated By The Cougar (Seneca Falls Shifters Book 2)

by Rayna Tyler

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “With everything that’s happened, I didn’t have a chance to thank you for saving my sister’s life. So thank you,” Reese said.

  My friend was a born leader, good at masking his emotions, and what happened to Berkley had shaken him. Pacing wasn’t normal for him, and the shadows under his eyes were evidence he’d spent the night worrying, not sleeping. The possibility of Desmond Bishop returning and exacting revenge on his family weighed on him daily. Though Reese would never admit it, I was pretty sure he blamed himself for the male’s escape.

  “Yeah, well, if I’d been doing my job and stayed on her ass instead of letting her run alone, she wouldn’t have gotten shot and needed saving.”

  “We both know Berkley has a mind of her own and will do what she wants. What happened wasn’t your fault,” Reese said.

  “Any more than it was yours,” I countered with a quirked brow. Blaming ourselves for the situation, letting guilt hinder our emotions, screwed with our rational thoughts. It wasn’t going to keep Berkley safe, nor was it going to help us find the shooter.

  “Before I forget, welcome to the family.” Reese shot a glance at the partially exposed mark beneath the collar of my shirt.

  “Thanks,” I said, smiling proudly. Even if he hadn’t noticed the mark, the healing scratches Berkley left on my chest during one of our lovemaking sessions was an obvious sign of what had transpired between us.

  “And good luck. You’re going to need it.” He chuckled, reaching for the doorknob and giving it a twist. “You ready to take that drive over to Al’s place so we can have a chat with his grandson again?”

  I nodded. “Let’s go.” I pushed out of my chair and followed him into the hallway. “Have you heard back from Nick yet?” The last I’d heard, Nick and Bryson were going back out to the clearing and widening their search. Just because none of us had picked up another scent, it didn’t mean the shooter had been alone. Other lives were at risk, and we needed to be thorough.

  “Bryson radioed in and said they’ll be here any minute. Nick wants to ride along,” Reese said.

  I assumed by the apprehension I heard in Reese’s voice that he was worried his brother might lose it and go feral. Though we needed his excellent tracking skills, I wasn’t sure if taking Nick along was a good idea either, but I kept my opinion to myself. As much as I wanted to find the person responsible for shooting Berkley, I hoped I was right about Eli, that he wasn’t somehow involved. It was the only thing that would protect him from Nick and his wolf.

  I longed to find Berkley, hold her in my arms one more time before we left, but decided it was a bad idea. She could easily read my emotions, would know I was hiding something. It wouldn’t take her long to discover we were searching for her shooter without her, and insist we take her along. I preferred to avoid that particular argument until later and keep her in the lodge where she’d be safe.

  In case she found out where I was going after we left, I planned to have Bryson stay close to her until we returned. I pulled the cell out of my pocket and noted the time. It was nearing the lunch hour and she’d be working in the restaurant soon, surrounded by staff and customers. She’d be busy for at least an hour and a half, maybe two, before she realized we were gone or she needed someone to accompany her outside the lodge.

  Plenty of time for us to make the trip to Al’s property.

  BERKLEY

  After spending the afternoon and evening of the previous day in bed, I was ready to get back to work. The restaurant had officially opened for business ten minutes ago, and tables were already filling with customers. I opened a package of buns and placed one on each of the three plates on the prep counter, then turned to check on the burgers cooking on the large stainless steel grill.

  I was still in a semi-euphoric state from the time I’d spent with Preston, the claiming and the numerous times we’d made love afterward. The fantasies I’d had about waking up in his arms didn’t come close to experiencing the real thing.

  I was proud to be Preston’s mate and hadn’t bothered to cover the partially healed mark at the base of my neck. I’d intentionally worn a navy blue shirt with a sculpted neckline, and if the resort’s human employees had noticed the bite, they’d refrained from saying anything. The shifters, on the other hand, didn’t hold back in casting knowing grins or shooting the occasional approving smile in my direction. It seemed as if they’d known about my connection to Preston and had wondered what had taken me so long to accept it.

  Of course, Mandy and Nick, the co-conspirators, couldn’t be happier and spent over ten minutes gloating about their role in bringing Preston and me together. Instead of the congratulations I’d expected from Reese, all I got was a hug and a flippant “it’s about time” response. I loved my oldest brother, but sometimes he could be a jerk.

  As I flipped two of the eight burger patties sizzling on the grill, my thoughts kept drifting to Preston. Even though we’d spent a leisurely breakfast together before we’d headed off to work, I already missed him.

  When my cell phone buzzed, I quickly slipped it out of my pocket in anticipation of hearing from Preston. I saw the number for the reservation desk and released a disappointed sigh before answering, “This is Berkley.”

  “Hey, I know you’re busy and I’m sorry to bother you, but…” Hearing concern in Nina’s voice was never a good thing.

  “It’s okay. What do you need?” I hoped the crisis was something I could pawn off on Bryson since I’d seen him loitering in the dining room ten minutes earlier.

  “I’ve got a call on hold from that woman you went to college with.”

  “You mean Maris?” There was no way it could be Sherri calling me. Maris wouldn’t allow it.

  “Afraid so,” Nina offered apologetically.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Maris was the last person on the planet I wanted to hear about, let alone deal with. “She’s calling with another complaint, isn’t she? No, don’t tell me.”

  Guest or not, after what she pulled in the bar with Preston, I was done trying to be professional or nice to the hateful bitch. One more day and she’d be leaving and out of my life permanently, I hoped. “Take a message and tell her I’ll call her back after lunch.”

  “I already tried, but she sounded upset and insisted on speaking with you.”

  If I wasn’t convinced she’d show up in person to harass my employee, I’d instruct Nina to hang up on Maris. The last thing I needed was to set a bad example for the kitchen staff by having them overhear me yelling at a guest. Since Maris was the guest and I’d lost all patience for her games, there’d be more than yelling. There’d be snarling and growling. Neither of which I could afford anyone to witness.

  I motioned for Abby to take over for me on the grill. After handing her the metal spatula, I headed for the empty area in the back near the walk-in freezer. “Okay, put her through.”

  Maris sobbing was the last thing I’d expected to hear when her voice boomed through the speaker. “Sherri’s hurt.” There was a long pause, and I heard an intake of breath. “I need your help.”

  “What do you mean Sherri’s hurt?” I was immediately suspicious. The resort was situated in a large forest. There were areas I considered to be a little treacherous, but none of them were close to the cabins. Unless someone deviated a long distance from the hiking trails, they wouldn’t risk injury. Shifters, even those who’d spent most of their life in the city, wouldn’t have any problems making their way through the woods.

  “What happened to her?” The last time I remembered seeing Sherri was at Nina’s birthday party in the bar, and a lot had happened since then. Other than being intimidated by Maris, she’d seemed fine.

  “We got into an argument, and she stormed out, saying she was going for a walk. When she didn’t return after an hour, I got worried and went to look for her.” Maris made some gulping noises as if she struggled to get air into her lungs.

  She sounded sinc
ere, or as close to sincere as I’d ever heard her. It was hard to judge if it was an act without actually being able to see her face and scent her emotions. I wouldn’t be this skeptical if I was speaking to anyone other than Maris.

  She must have sensed my reluctance to believe her and blurted, “Berkley, please. I found her lying on the ground. I think she slipped on some ice or something, fell and hit her head. There’s blood. She isn’t moving, and I didn’t know what else to do, who to call.”

  Hearing Maris say “please” was so out of character for her, it set my nerves on edge. Even my wolf had lowered her ears and was scraping her claws. She was the type of person who needed to be in control, commanded everyone’s attention, told people what to do, never asked for help.

  Something about this whole thing seemed off, but I’d hate myself later if Sherri really was hurt and I’d let the disdain I felt for Maris prevent me from helping her. “Maris, take a deep breath. Try to calm down.”

  “I can’t calm down,” she shrilled. “It’s Sherri, and…”

  I wasn’t good at dealing with hysterics and tried a different approach. “Okay, okay. Tell me where you are.”

  “The cabin. I’m at the cabin.”

  “I’ll be there as fast as I can.” I hit the speed dial for Preston’s number, the call going directly to voice mail. He was more than likely out of range, and with the intermittent way the cell service worked on the mountain, he wouldn’t receive my message until much later. It didn’t stop me from leaving a brief explanation of the situation with Sherri.

  I was finishing the last of my message when Paul came around the corner carrying a tub of dirty dishes. “If you’re looking for Preston, he left about a half hour ago with Reese and Nick.”

  “Did they say where they were going?” I slipped the phone into my pocket.

  “Nope.” Paul shifted his weight and adjusted his grip on the bin.

  If the three of them were out looking for my shooter without me, I was going to strangle them. Now was not the time to lose my temper. There’d be plenty of time for that later.

  I needed to get to Sherri, but I also needed to find someone to help Abby in the kitchen. “How would you like to do me a favor?”

  “Sure, name it.” Paul’s stance immediately perked.

  “One of our guests has an emergency, and I need you to cover for me.”

  Paul widened his blue eyes and bobbed his head. “I can do that.” He set the tub on the counter next to the dishwasher and raced toward the kitchen.

  Preston had asked me not to leave the lodge without an escort. I might be irritated with him, but I didn’t want to start our new life together by breaking my first promise. With the guys gone, that left Bryson, who I’d last seen sitting in the dining room. I was disappointed to find him absent when I entered the busy room. I had no idea how badly Sherri was hurt and didn’t want to waste any more time trying to find someone to go with me.

  Since I could make it to Maris’s cabin a lot quicker on foot rather than using a vehicle, I hurried down the hall to the employee quarters. I grabbed my jacket along the way, then slipped out of the sliding glass door leading to the patio outside the private kitchen.

  I rushed around the corner of the building and spotted Mandy hovering near some trees, waiting for Bear to finish doing his business in the bushes.

  “Hey, where are you off to in such a hurry?” she called after me. “I thought Preston left instructions that you weren’t supposed to go anywhere by yourself.”

  Did he have to include everyone in the memo? I reminded myself that I’d agreed to let him be overprotective for a little while.

  Hopefully, we’d find the shooter soon so life could get back to normal, or the normal where it didn’t include everyone overzealously watching me. “There’s an emergency at cabin twenty-three.” I covertly refrained from mentioning Maris to keep Mandy from having a fit.

  I’d take her with me if I didn’t think there was a good chance the two of them would end up in an argument. Or worse, a fight where I had to rescue my best friend from being shredded by Maris’s cat. Neither option would help Sherri. “I need to go, so I’ll fill you in later.”

  “Wait a minute, isn’t that Maris’s cabin? What kind of emergency can she possibly have?” Mandy wrinkled her nose and slapped her hands on her hips. “Did she run out of towels or something?”

  “It’s not her. It’s Sherri.” I walked backward, continually glancing between Mandy and the path behind me. “Maris sounded upset, said Sherri fell and hit her head. I need to get over there.”

  “Sherri, oh no. I’ll go with you.”

  “No, I need you to find Bryson. Tell him where I’m going and have him bring one of the trucks in case we need to take Sherri to Hanover.”

  When Preston had first taken over security, he’d gotten Reese’s approval to have the entire security staff certified with basic emergency training. If Sherri’s injuries didn’t require a trip to the hospital, Bryson would be able to help.

  “Where is he?” Mandy asked.

  “I saw him in the lodge earlier, so hopefully he hasn’t left. There’s a radio in my office if you can’t find him.”

  “Go. We’ll be right behind you.” Maris glanced at Bear, who had finished sniffing the bushes and was scratching the dirt. “Come on, boy.”

  PRESTON

  Al pushed open the screen door and stepped onto the porch seconds after Reese, Nick, and I got out of the truck. He didn’t appear happy to see us, not that I could blame him. Wood creaked under the old man’s weight as he ambled down the two steps to greet us. He offered us a weak smile, his gaze wary. “Afternoon, Reese.” He nodded in my direction, worry continuing to crease his brow. “Preston.”

  “Al,” Reese said, stopping midway between our vehicle and the house.

  “Who’s this?” Al jutted his chin in Nick’s direction. “Don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

  “This is my brother, Nick,” Reese said.

  “Nice to meet ya,” Al said, though by the way he was cautiously eying Nick, I didn’t think he meant it.

  Nick responded with a grunt, which was better than the growl I’d expected.

  Al reverted his attention back to Reese. “Eli’s not in trouble again, is he?”

  “Depends,” Reese said.

  Gravel crunching beneath footsteps had everyone watching Eli emerge from the side of the house. He’d been staring at the ground and froze when he realized he had an audience.

  Al blew out a frustrated sigh, then motioned for Eli to join us. “What did you do this time?”

  “Nothin’,” Eli snapped defensively. He slid his fingers into the front pockets of his worn jeans and sauntered toward his grandfather. His gazed bounced from Reese to Nick, where it remained, nervous and wary.

  Considering what had happened to Berkley and how protective Nick was of his baby sister, he was controlling his wolf surprisingly well. It didn’t mean things couldn’t go wrong real fast. I inched closer to Eli, figuring it was better to be prepared in case his wild side decided to make an appearance.

  “If it weren’t nothin’, then why are they here?” Al gritted his teeth, his tone accusatory. For a non-shifter, he appeared rather imposing, and for a moment, I felt sorry for Eli.

  “I don’t know, maybe you should ask them.”

  Or not. There were a few things I wanted to say, a couple of questions I wanted to ask the smart-mouthed little shit. I decided it was best to let Reese handle the interrogation—for now.

  “We’re here because someone took a shot at my sister yesterday,” Nick’s words came out in a growl, his patience gone.

  Al’s face paled, and the tightness in his shoulders slackened. “Oh no, is she okay?”

  “The shot grazed her leg but she’ll be fine,” I said.

  “Who would do such a thing to that sweet gal?” It appeared the old guy had a soft spot for Berkley, because there was genuine concern in his voice.

  “We don’t kn
ow. That’s why we’re here. Since Eli has been on our property a few times, we wanted to see if he knew anything about it.” The combined unwavering glare from Reese and Nick had Eli squirming and shuffling back and forth on his feet.

  “I don’t know nothin’ about no shootin’.” The scrutiny was too much for Eli. He averted his gaze, suddenly finding a large rock on the ground interesting enough to scoot around with the toe of his right boot. “I removed the traps like you said. I swear I haven’t been back, that it weren’t me who took a shot at her. I was in Hanford visiting my cousins all day yesterday.” He glanced at Al, expecting him to confirm his story.

  I could tell by the amount of fear oozing from his pores that the kid was telling the truth. And if Nick and Reese continued to intimidate Eli, there was a good chance he was going to piss his pants.

  “Can you vouch for him?” Reese asked, his question directed at Al.

  “Yep. He left before lunch and didn’t get home till late. I know he was there ’cause my sister called to complain about the noise him and his cousins were making playing one of them video games.” Al scratched his chin contemplatively. “I don’t know if it’s important, but I was running an errand and saw one of those fancy cars like you can git at the airport hightailing it down the main road not far from here.”

  “Are you talking about a rental car?” I asked.

  Al snapped his fingers and presented a wide-toothed grin. “Yep, one of those.”

  “I don’t suppose you got a good look at the driver or the license plate, did you?” It wasn’t uncommon for some of the resort’s guests to arrive in rentals. I didn’t think the shooter would be stupid enough to stay at the resort. Asking was a long shot, but it needed to be scratched off the list.

  “Sorry. We get a few tourists using that road, so I wasn’t paying much attention.” Al swiped his hand through his thinning strands. “Couldn’t see no driver ’cause it had those tinted windows. All I can tell you is that it was flashy and black.”

  “We appreciate the help. If you see the vehicle again or can remember anything else, please give me a call,” Reese said.