Sadie Hart

by Cry Sanctuary

  Caine swept a finger over her mouth. She was letting the Hunter rule her, utterly and completely. “Let me take you out, Ollie. One night.”

  She opened her mouth and he tapped a finger against her lips. A silent order for her to hush. “This week.”

  “And if—”

  “What? He kills again? It’s nowhere near a full moon.”

  “But we need to find her.”

  “And we will. But you need a break too.” Caine could see the battle brewing inside her. She couldn’t even fathom one night of simply relaxing. He wondered when she’d had a full day of laughter, fun. Anything but a case. “One night with me won’t kill you.”

  “It might kill someone else.”

  “No. Taking a break won’t put a knife through someone’s throat. Only one person is out there killing people, and it’s not you. Besides,” Cain said as he swept a strand of hair out of her face. “If you’re too tired you can’t think clearly. You’re beating yourself up, but everyone needs a break. No one is at their best when they’re dead on their feet.”

  Her jaw worked, but no sound came out, but he saw the acceptance in her eyes. She knew what he was telling her was right, she just didn’t want to quit. She didn’t have a damn off-switch.

  His knuckles brushed along her cheek. “You won’t be giving up. You’ll be taking care of you so you can do your job.”

  She started to cave then, a slight smile curving the corners of her lips, and Caine pounced. “How about this: If something happens, we’ll call it a night, and we’ll meet with your pack. If nothing happens, the night’s mine. No case, just the two of us.”

  Caine pressed closer, ready to dive in and steal another kiss. “Say yes, Ollie.”

  She laughed then, gave him a quick nod. “Okay. Yes.”

  “About damn time,” he said and kissed her again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ollie eyed her low-cut blouse in the mirror. The dark brown matched the checkerboard flats she’d selected for the evening, which were a muted tan, woven with a matching dark brown, and bows on top of each shoe. They were cute, and she’d had very few occasions to wear them. Slipping into a pair of jeans, she figured she was just casual enough, and just prettied up enough, that she’d fit in no matter where they went.

  She slipped the soft shoes on, loving the comfortable fit, the fact that they instantly made her feel like a dancer. Light on her feet, airy. Pretty. It was almost enough to make her forget that there was a killer on the loose and she was screwing around and going on a date. Guilt had her gnawing on her bottom lip when Brandt knocked. “You’re taking too long. Thinking too much, perhaps?”

  With a grunt, Ollie yanked open the door. “Normal brothers would discourage this.”

  Brandt lifted a shoulder in half-shrug. “I doubt it.”

  “They’d protect their baby sisters from the big, bad alpha.” She tried for pouty, but she couldn’t help the smile that hedged at the corners of her lip, teasing and daring. Brandt grinned back at her.

  “I’m sure they would.” His grin turned into a smirk as he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. “But I’m also sure their sisters aren’t complete nutcases trying to chase down serial killers with no sleep. Food and a night of rest will be good for you. Besides, when I compare Caine with the Hunter, Morgan comes out on top.” He winked. “For now.”

  “Ha ha ha. Very funny.”

  “I try.” He ushered her out of the room and down the hall. “He’s already here. He’s been patient enough not to eat anything for the last ten minutes. You look fine.”

  Brandt stopped, “Beautiful, actually. You’ll take his breath away. Which is not a thought I want to spend too much time on. Makes me feel as nuts as you’ve been acting.”

  “I haven’t been that crazy.”

  “You know the term basket case?” Ollie’s eyes narrowed and Brandt’s grin widened. “How about ‘handbasket-from-Hell’ case?”

  With a playful shove, Ollie turned and darted down the hall. Her shoes made soft squeaks against the hardwood, and Star came bounding to meet her halfway, barking and bouncing, long tail wagging. Ollie paused to kiss the dog on the head when she heard the sharp intake of breath, the low grunt that followed it.

  “Told you,” Brandt said and disappeared into the kitchen, no doubt going back to the dinner he and Nana were already sharing.

  Ollie slid her fingers through Star’s long coat, reveling in the silky white fur as she hid her face on the other side of the dog. She could feel Caine standing in the front foyer, knew he was watching her, waiting. Slowly, she blew out a long breath and stood, smoothing her hands down her shirt to press out the wrinkles for probably the hundredth time. His dark gaze tracked the movement, lips parted, and she watched as his tongue darted out, and then she realized she could actually see his muscles tightening, smell his wolf close to his skin.

  My, my, what big teeth you have.

  Caine’s gaze flicked up to her, a predatory grin slashed over his face, as if he could hear the thought. “Stunning. You look absolutely stunning.”

  Heart racing, heat flushed through her, warming her straight down to her toes, and she could feel a scarlet blush burning over her cheeks. “Thanks. Where are we going?”

  Then she spotted the woven picnic basket at his feet and didn’t bother to hide her surprise. Caine snatched it off the ground and tilted his head towards the door. “If I took you anywhere else, you’d never relax. Here, you’re close if anything goes wrong.”

  He pulled open the door, waving her outside with a courtly gesture. It was a mini-vacation, a night away, but one that showed just how well Caine understood her. The smile that touched her face was genuine, her heart so full of relief and gratitude it ached. “Thank you.”

  “It’s still going to be a night without the case. I haven’t quite figured out what we’re going to talk about, though.” He reached forward and swiped a strand of her hair behind her ear and winked. Suddenly playful, teasing. Ollie wasn’t quite sure how to handle this side of him.

  “But I’m sure we’ll think of something,” he finished.

  Caine followed her outside, Star circling them both, her long nose always pointed at the basket, and Ollie found herself laughing. “Star—”

  “Let her stay. I packed more than enough food, and I’m sure she’d like a good, long moonlit romp.” His eyes glittered at that, the shadowy brown suddenly brighter, and for the first time she could imagine the almond color they must be when he shifted.

  Dusk had already wiped away any traces of day, leaving the sky dark. A deep blue, like the color of the ocean where the water is so deep ships could dive for miles. The trees behind her house were nothing but lingering silhouettes, a shade darker than the sky, faintly outlined by the stars and the partial moon.

  “How are we going to see well enough to eat?”

  Caine’s wicked smile made Ollie’s heart pick up speed, and it bumped even faster, when she saw the slip of fabric he pulled from the basket. “Close your eyes.”

  “This is not the way to win a woman’s heart,” she said, but obeyed, pointedly ignoring his soft chuckle.

  “We’ll see about that,” he whispered, close enough that the warmth of his breath seeped into her skin, tickling down her neck and into the wide scoop of her shirt. A shiver danced down her spine, anticipation humming. Caine tied the blindfold in place, looped an arm through hers, and led her away from her house.

  He moved slowly, giving her time to test each step, but she realized after a few moments that they were following the dirt path that wove into the forest. She guessed they were heading towards the clearing she and Brandt had played in when they’d visited Nana during summer vacations. They’d built so many forts over the years that there were still half-constructed ones in the trees, and weeds and wildflowers eating away at the ones on the ground.

  Sure enough, Caine took her hand and wrapped it over the large, coarse rope of their old tire swing. In one smooth movemen
t, he scooped her up and slid her legs through the swing, setting her easily inside the old tire. He gave her a soft push from behind and whispered, “Stay.”

  Like she would ruin this. No one had ever put this much thought into a date for her. Dinner and a movie, while a classic, and exactly what she’d been expecting, had nothing on this. “My, my, Mr. Wolf,” she whispered under her breath, grinning at the instantaneous chuckle it brought from him, “What clever ideas you have.”

  He caught the swing from behind and jerked her to a stop, her back pressed against the heated length of his chest. She leaned into his touch. Caine leaned down to skim a kiss over her jaw. The coarse hair of his goatee left her skin tingling as he pulled away, loosening the blindfold and letting it fall away. She blinked into the darkness. Nothing but trees and the remnants of an old fort. And light?

  Ollie started to turn when Caine stepped to the side, hands still wrapped around the tire and suddenly she was spinning slowly, mesmerized by the soft, whirling glow of lanterns. As the spinning stopped, she could see he’d lined four of them up in a small circle around a blanket laid out on the ground. The basket sat in the middle, a stack of paper plates tossed next to it. Star moseyed around the edges, sniffing and no doubt waiting eagerly for the basket to open.

  Her heart expanded until Ollie wasn’t sure she could breathe. Caine nipped her ear gently, and her eyes drifted shut. “It’s perfect,” breathed.

  “Good. Took all my brainpower to come up with it.” He grinned against her cheek. “But you need a break, and if I only get one night, I want to make damn sure you have the vacation you need.”

  Caine gave the swing another shove and Ollie leaned into it, so that the wind caught her hair and whipped it around her face. “So,” Caine called out from the sidelines. “Was it worth waiting two whole days?”

  “How’d you even find this place?” Her heels caught in the dirt as she yanked herself to a stop, breathless. Exhilarated.

  “I went scouting the night you said yes. Figured it’d be best to stay close, but I wanted some privacy too.” He jerked his chin towards the small clearing. “Looks like a well-used place.”

  “It is. We used to play here all the time. I’ve been a cop, a robber, and a knight in shining armor. All right here.”

  When Caine held out a hand, her gaze drifted to meet his, steel on deep, dark brown, and her heart caught in her throat. Empty of anger, frustration, and the thousand other emotions he’d been struggling with since they’d first met, his eyes were gorgeous. Compelling. A darkness that glittered now with its own stars. “Well, tonight you get to be a princess.”

  Ollie slid out of the swing and took his hand, letting Caine guide her to the checkerboard blanket. Star trotted over and plopped down, her nose pressed against the basket, and she gave an exasperated sigh. The dog nudged the basket and eyed them both. Caine chuckled.

  “She’s hungry,” Caine said as he leaned over to give the dog a pat, before turning to look at Ollie. “You know, she reminds me of you.”

  “Because she’s hungry?” Ollie’s hand went to her middle, eyes narrowing. She knew she wasn’t skinny, but tread-carefully-Mr.-Wolf she wanted to say, because big teeth or not, calling a woman fat would be one hell of a way to ruin a first date. Caine flashed her a grin.

  “The whole Lassie motif. Save the victim and then some. I always thought the collie could be more of a superhero if Timmy would just stop distracting her by falling down wells.”

  Then he flipped open the basket and the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread instantly made her mouth water. “Oh God,” she said and leaned over to get a look inside. “Is that cake? Do you know how many carbs are in this dinner?”

  Caine tossed back his head and laughed, a deep throaty sound so unrestrained it made her pulse leap. “Don’t worry,” he said as he scooped out a plastic container and popped open the lid to reveal lasagna, still steaming. “We’ll burn it all off later.”

  “Cocky, much?” Ollie asked, drawing another soft chuckle as Caine shook his head.

  “I actually meant a run. But I’d be up for that too.” His voice lowered and he let his gaze wander. First to her lips, and Ollie immediately wanted him to kiss her again. Lean forward and take her lips with his. Instead his gaze skimmed lower, an almost physical touch, like butterfly wings down her neck, and then still lower, like a slow, erotic caress. She could almost feel his fingertips tracing the scooped edge of her shirt.

  “A run sounds good,” she said, breathless, as she watched the predatory gleam in his eyes.

  His gaze flicked back up and the hunger simmering in his coffee-colored irises had nothing to do with the food in his hands. “I’d rather kiss you again.”

  “That, too.”

  Caine’s gaze turned hooded as he leaned forward, moving to set the bowl of pasta aside when Star darted in, long muzzle honing in on the dish, and they both lunged to cover it. A low oomph sounded as they crashed into each other. Star shoved her head into the basket, plucked out a mini loaf of bread, and was gone before they could react. White tail flagged high, she darted into the woods with her prize.

  “Star!” Ollie started to go after her when Caine looped a hand around her waist and drew her back down to the blanket, shoving plates and silverware aside.

  “Let her go.”

  Ollie had been kissed plenty of times in the past, but no one made her whole body go tight with anticipation quite like Caine. Her breath locked in her throat, unwilling to slip past her lips as his head came down. He froze, a scant breath away from her mouth, and he inhaled, breathing her down deep. Ollie let out the breath she was holding so she could scent him too.

  The thick furry scent of wolf, woods, open air, it filled her lungs, but it was more than that. There was the subtle touch of man there too, inexplicably him, and she savored the scent of him the way one might savor the taste of chocolate, rolling it around on their tongue.

  When he kissed her this time it was with a fast ghost of his lips against hers, there and gone, as if he’d never been there at all, except for the lingering tingle that darted from her lips, sending pleasurable sizzles throughout her body, filling her with heat. Desire.

  The next kiss was deeper, demanding. For Caine, alpha wasn’t just a title; dominance exuded from every pore of his body, was buried deep in the marrow of his bones. It was who he was.

  A growl snaked out between his lips, a low vibration that skittered over her skin, and Ollie wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and held him to her. Her fingertips wound through his hair, before tracing down to tickle the line of his jaw. She reveled in the way smooth skin turned to stubble, scraping at her chin where he kissed her. She arched into his touch as his hand slid lower, wrapping around her waist. He might have been a man who seemed to always have everything under control, but he trembled now.

  “Caine,” she murmured, and he grinned against her lips.

  “Catch me.” The words were exhaled on a breath and then he was gone. Starlight highlighted the firm line of his jaw, the shadowy depths of his eyes—eyes that were growing lighter by the second. Fur bled out over his skin and clothes in a rush. In the time it took her to blink, Caine slipped from man to wolf. The same color as the moon, with a black, star-speckled saddle down his back all the way to the tip of his tail.

  He turned his ivory muzzle to the side, almond-colored eyes the lightest she’d ever seen them, and he opened his mouth in a wolfish grin. With a twist of his tail, he was off, bounding into the woods, and Ollie found herself scrambling to hands and knees before she could even think about what she was doing.

  The dog half came fast and easy. One second she was floundering to get to her feet and the next, long, gangly legs ate up the ground as the wolfhound devoured the distance between her and the running wolf ahead. Once upon a time her kind had been bred to hunt wolves, rushing along green prairies and through forests in pursuit of a predator she found beautiful. Caine stretched out, his muzzle straining forward with each stride. An ans
wering determination pulsed through Ollie’s veins. She could catch him.

  One stride, then the next, until the distance between them slowly diminished and she was at his heels, the white underside of his tail almost within nipping distance. They circled back, running full out until she thought her lungs would explode.

  But Caine faltered when they broke through the woods into the rough, weed-tangled field where Claire Rawson had died.

  The scent of blood, death, silver—it all lingered still. Not even the morning dew had been able to wash it away. The predicted rainstorm might, but for now it was a lingering, ever-present reminder of yet another woman she’d failed.

  They’d failed.

  Because as much as Ollie shouldered the blame, she saw the way Caine drew up, suddenly trotting, his head jerked back against the shock of where they were now. She could clearly see his sorrow. A whine crawled out of her throat and she pressed her muzzle to his flank. Sorry.

  He shook his head and pulled the wolf back, slipping back into the lean, muscular body of a man midstride, turning to look at her. He caught her head in his hand, tilted her muzzle back so she had no choice but to look him in the eye. “It’s not just you. She was mine to keep safe, too.”

  What he didn’t say, but she heard nonetheless, was just like Lydia Marks. Ollie shifted, stepping into his arms as she wove hers around his waist. The guilt was an easy burden when it didn’t sit on her shoulders alone. “He never came back to this one. He’s never taken two in one pack. Never randomly targeted someone who wasn’t a victim. Never left a gift or notes before.”

  Caine sighed and pulled her head against his shoulder, hands tangled in her wild black curls. “He’s changing. Evolving.”

  “That’s not a good thing.”

  “He’s still sticking to his timetable.”

  She shook her head. “He picked this one up way in advance. Two weeks to the moon. Who’s to say she won’t die early?” No. They couldn’t depend on him repeating his old patterns at this point. The Hunter was changing the rules, and he didn’t have to leave her a note to get the message across. You don’t know me. Not anymore.