by K. Panikian
Alex squinted briefly before his brow cleared, “No, we’re fine. That’s Mr. Brisco. He’s a local rancher. He’s got a meeting with my boss this morning, I think.” Alex tossed up a wave and the man briefly lifted his Stetson at us before heading into the visitor center.
As he walked forward, a gust of wind blew his scent in my direction and I identified a strong odor of elk, stronger than the faint hints in the meadow around me.
“What kind of rancher is Mr. Brisco?” I asked.
“Elk. He always wants to talk about the herd management program with Ted. That’s my boss. Mr. Brisco wants to breed his elk herd with some of the wild ones, but Ted says it’s against the rules. Mr. Brisco thinks he can wear him down though.” Alex let out a short laugh. “Fat chance.”
“Because of the diseases?”
“No,” Alex answered, scratching his head under his hat. “Most elk ranchers use artificial insemination, so the risk of disease transmission would be low. He wants to go deep into the refuge and find some bulls with big antlers, tranquilize them, harvest their semen, then let them loose again.”
I gaped at him and he laughed at my expression.
“I know! It’s nuts. Not only do you risk the health of the wild animal, but now that’s a strong bull that won’t breed with the wild cows this season. It’s a losing idea for everyone but Mr. Brisco.”
I pursed my lips, looking through the windows of the building. I could see Mr. Brisco’s silhouette as he crossed the hall, heading toward the back.
I flicked Darcy lightly in the arm and said, “I’ll be right back guys. I need the restroom. Darcy, why don’t you and Alex start the hike and I’ll catch up?” I pointed at the trail by the meadow and ignored Darcy’s snorting cough.
Inside the visitor center, I moved quietly toward the back offices where I saw Mr. Brisco walk a moment earlier. I picked up a brochure and leaned against the wall, perking up my ears. My puma hearing caught the quiet conversation.
A man’s voice said, “Paul, I can’t do it. There are regulations about that kind of thing.”
“It’s such a small thing, Ted. You did it before and it’d really save my butt this winter. If I don’t catch a break, I don’t know what I’m going to do in the spring.”
I started to move a little closer to catch a glimpse of the speakers, when the front door to the center opened, sending in a chilly breeze. I looked over and saw a young couple walk in, their eyes opening wide at all of the stuffed and mounted animals in the center of the room.
Dropping the brochure back in the slot, I headed out the back door again and called to Alex that he had visitors. He jogged over from the meadow path, his face pink and tossed a wave at me as he went inside.
I followed his trail to where Darcy waited, her eyes dancing. “What’d you do to that boy?” I asked.
Darcy laughingly protested, “Nothing! He asked for my number but I told him I was too old for him. He was trying to persuade me he was plenty old enough when you called him.”
I shook my head.
“What’d you find out?” she asked.
“I heard the two guys talking, Ted and Mr. Brisco. Ted was telling him no and the rancher was trying to convince him of something that was against regulations.”
“Probably the bull elk project,” Darcy said.
I nodded. “Mr. Brisco said Ted had let him do it before.”
We turned and started walking back to the parking lot. My brain dissected the new information. “What if Daniel found out something illegal was happening down here with the refuge elk and that rancher guy, or Ted, killed him for it?”
Darcy shook her head. “That’s pretty speculative.”
Deflating, I said, “Yeah, you’re right. Still, I’m going to try and figure out more about the elk ranchers around town. Are there a lot of them?”
Darcy pushed her hands into her pockets and shrugged. “I have no idea. Why don’t you ask August on your date tonight?”
“It’s not a date. We’re just meeting to talk about my investigation.”
“Sure. A meeting at a restaurant. Two young, attractive, single people. Alone. That’s not a date at all.”
STARING at the restaurant from the parking lot, I searched for a way to avoid going inside. I wanted to talk to August about the refuge, and about the elk hunters and ranchers in the area. That was it. This was a public place—there would be no sniffing of necks, or other places.
And we were in his pack territory. I was outside of August’s hierarchy but I’d submitted to his betas in the spring, which meant that if he brought any of his pack with him, no one would feel any need to act aggressively with me. Right?
I shivered before straightening my spine. My control over my Beast felt strong, though I’d never tested it against another antagonistic shifter. I’d sworn to my wild side I wouldn’t back down from this pack again, and I knew if I saw one of the lioness betas, I would lose it. I crossed my fingers that August wasn’t planning on messing with me.
Inside the brew pub, I took off my fleece jacket, inhaling the rich, citrusy aroma of hops and the charcoal scent of burgers. If there were other shifters present, I couldn’t smell them.
I wondered if August deliberately chose a place that would make me nose blind but then shook it off. Trust goes both ways, I reminded myself.
After giving the hostess my name, I followed her through the mostly empty restaurant to a booth in the back. August’s bent, blond head gleamed under the lights as he studied the menu and when he looked up, I exhaled a reluctant breath. Gah. Why was he so hot?
He smiled at me—not a tight, friendly smile, but a wide, happy one that crinkled the skin at the corners of his honey-amber eyes.
I wavered on my feet. This was a bad idea.
“You came.” His deep, mellow voice echoed pleasantly in my ears.
“I came,” I replied lamely and dropped opposite him, trying to regroup. Internally, my Beast stood at attention, the way she did every time we were around August. His power called to her. I marveled once again at her interest—she’d only ever expressed contempt for Logan, followed by a desire to hurt him. I swallowed hard, avoiding that train of thought.
“Hi Mr. Kenward, do you know what you want to drink?” A server popped up beside me and I jumped a little. I needed to get out of my head and focus on the dangerous man across from me.
“The IPA is fine,” August answered and looked at me with raised brows.
“The same,” I said and the waitress turned away.
“Eat here a lot?” I asked. “Mr. Kenward?”
August looked confused for a second before his brow cleared. “I own it, actually, but I’m not the brewer. I own a few businesses in town.”
Looking around the brewpub interestedly, I noticed the lack of clientele. “Not doing so well?” I murmured, leaning forward with a smirk.
August’s eyes widened on mine and he smiled again. “No. I asked Jacob, that’s my brewer, to let me have the space for a little while to have dinner with you without interruptions.”
A heated blush stormed across my face and I sat back in my seat.
August’s smile went a little crooked.
The server’s return with our beers gave me something to do with my hands and I grasped my glass gratefully, taking a big gulp. Then I took a slower one, savoring the citrus taste. “My compliments to Jacob. This is a great beer.” The liquid soothed my dry throat as I thought about our dinner. Darcy was right. This was a date, to August at least. I’m on a date with an alpha. These are not good self-preservation skills, Sienna.
August nodded back at me, sipping his carefully. His eyes continued to watch me hungrily and I wiggled in my seat.
Time to refocus.
“I went to the refuge this morning. I’m tracing the steps of the elk shifter that was killed. Do you have any new information about him?”
August shook his head. “Why do you care about the boy?”
Shrugging, I took another long sip of my
beer. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him. No one deserves to be shot and left for dead, to wander for days hurt and lost and scared. The human police won’t get far without any evidence. I want to help.”
“You have an alpha’s instinct to protect. I saw it in the spring with the badger girl and the human bartender.” August eyed me. “Why are you hiding in the park and not part of a pack?”
I looked away from his assessing gaze. “I told you before. I have problems with my control. It’s safer for everyone if I’m by myself.”
“I’ve asked around about you. I don’t think you’ve ever been part of a pack.”
I straightened my hunching shoulders. “I was adopted. I never knew my real parents. I didn’t know I could shift until I was twelve.”
August leaned toward me, inhaling. “I’m not trying to make you nervous,” he whispered. “I just want to know all of your secrets.”
I shifted in my seat again and frowned. “I’m not sharing.”
“Then maybe I won’t share either.”
My irritation kindled deeper and I stood. I wasn’t going to play his dominance games. If he wouldn’t answer my questions, I had no reason to have dinner with him.
A warm hand at my arm made me pause as August said apologetically, “I’ll stop. Please sit and drink your beer. Ask your questions.”
Exhaling quietly in relief, I cocked my head and sank slowly into my seat again. “Is the refuge part of your Jackson Hole territory?”
August made a so-so gesture with his hands. “Technically, no. I consider it to be neutral territory. However, to get there you have to pass through my lands. So I strongly encourage you not to visit without talking to me first.”
I swallowed another mouthful of beer and ignored my flaring desire to push back against his edict. My puma’s hackles rose slightly as she glared at the alpha.
“So if another shifter, or another pack, visited the refuge, they likely did it with your permission?”
“I’ve given no such permissions,” August said.
“Daniel, the dead boy, visited there a lot. Did you kill him for trespassing?”
August blinked at me. “You think I murdered an 18-year-old elk shifter for driving through my territory to get to a neutral space?”
“I think you never give me straight answers.”
“Ditto,” August muttered before saying louder, “No, I didn’t murder him. I didn’t touch him. No one in my pack went near him. We don’t threaten or murder children.”
Staring hard, I tried to decide if I believed him. In college, Logan told me that the packs brutally defend their territory. August had a strong pack—why wouldn’t he enforce his border rights against an exile elk? Did he really draw a line against hurting children and prey shifters? The soft spot in my heart wanted to believe that he would. But it didn’t make sense. August was an alpha first. Every move he made was calculated to consolidate and strengthen his power.
He was on his best behavior right now, but I couldn’t forget who he was. Who I was. I was an exile without any rights. August was attracted to me, wanted me, but at the end of the day, he would choose his pack over me and act in its best interests, not mine.
I sat back as the server appeared. Checking my half-empty glass, I ordered another IPA and glanced at the menu.
“Where do you get the elk for your elk burgers?” I asked.
The server leaned her hip on the table and flipped her notebook over. “The elk are locally sourced from some of our neighboring ranches. This week we’re serving elk from the Ribbon B Ranch, over by Wilson.”
“Mr. Brisco’s ranch?” I guessed.
She beamed at me. “No, Mr. Brisco is at Brisco Ranch. Do you know him? He’s such a nice man. And he takes great care of his stock. It’s a shame he might lose the spread.”
“I’ll try the Ribbon B burger,” I said. “Why’s Mr. Brisco going to lose his ranch?”
“Oh well, because of the rustling. I’ll put your order right in!”
The server flounced off as I asked August, “What rustling? Someone is stealing the farmed elk?”
“What do you care about stolen stock?” he countered. “I thought you were investigating the shifter death in the park?”
I quickly outlined what I saw in the fire zone with the harvested elk and my suspicions about the fire occurring so close to Daniel’s blood trail.
“I think they’re connected. Someone’s poaching or rustling elk, Daniel stumbled across it and got killed, and now someone’s setting fires to cover their tracks.”
August shook his head at me. “You’re in over your head. The human police are looking into the rustling. They’ll find anything that needs to be found. The arson, too, if it even was arson.”
My teeth clenched and my heart thumped. New suspicions bloomed. He didn’t want me involved. Was August’s pack poaching the elk? Maybe serving the meat in pack businesses in town?
August rasped, “Here we go,” as I leaned toward him again.
“How many of your businesses deal with elk meat like this restaurant? Can you account for your pack members’ activities two nights ago? The night of the storm?”
August shook his head at me, a pinched expression on his face. “I’m not answerable to you, nor is anyone in my pack. You don’t have my permission to investigate this in my territory.”
I crossed my arms and glared at him. He glared back.
The server brought our dinners and I stared at my burger for a long moment. I had no reason to stay. We were at an impasse.
“Sienna,” August said softly. “I can’t share pack secrets. I can’t violate my packmates’ privacy to an outsider. I’m the alpha. If something is going on with my people, it’s my job to figure it out, not yours.”
He stretched his hand across the table toward me and I looked at his strong, tan fingers curling open in front of me.
“I’m good at keeping secrets, Sienna. You can trust me.”
I stared at his hand before tracking it up his muscled forearm to his firm chest and his serious, handsome face. The blades of his cheekbones gleamed under his golden skin. I met his penetrating eyes and trembled. My fingers itched in my lap.
“I know you asked not to be disturbed, Mr. Kenward, but Ms. Maren’s on the house phone and she says it’s an emergency.”
The server fidgeted beside our table and I sat back, shaking. I stared down at my hands in my lap. Had I been about to reach for him?
“I’ll take it,” August said, frustration simmering in his tone. He stood and bent his head to me as I breathed in his wild scent. “Please wait for me.”
I nodded at him, knowing my eyes were wide, and he smiled before striding off around the corner.
Frowning down at my burger, I felt my chest tightening. I’d been about to tell him everything. Maybe. I poked at my meal, nauseous and reeling. I had to get out of here.
Pushing away from the table, I scrambled to my feet, digging a twenty out of my purse and dropping it by my plate before walking briskly out of the restaurant, my head down.
In the parking lot, feverishly digging through my purse for my keys as spots swam in my vision, I worked to control my panicked breathing. I felt so stupid—I’d almost risked everything back there, for what? A sexy body and a warm voice? My heart wanted to trust that August would keep my secrets but I knew that wasn’t true. He would always be an alpha first, and no alpha could find out about my Beast.
As I found my keys, I sucked in a deep breath of the cool evening air and a familiar scent hit me, sending me staggering again.
The smell of fur and piney sweetness, always attached to soft, whiskey-brown eyes and ardent, knowing touches, instantly catapulted back ten years and flooded me with memories. Leaning my back against my car, panting, I stared around the twilight landscape. There, on the breeze, I smelled it again.
Logan.
Logan had been at this restaurant today, or nearby. Had he talked to August? Did August already know about me and my B
east—was that why he’d asked me to dinner? Was he trying to coax me into his pack? If I balked, would he try to force me?
Swamped with these new worries, my brain scrambled. I could feel my fear calling my Beast and she stirred, sensing threats and making calculations. Her rage surfaced as she scented Logan and I felt my claws pushing at my fingertips. I couldn’t shift here—I shoved her back and, heart racing, I dropped into the car and started it. Stepping on the accelerator, I fled, missing the sign for the brewery with inches to spare.
When I hit the park border, I parked at a trailhead and ran for the night forest. I had to shift. I had to let out the fear and the rage before it consumed me.
Chapter 6
In the morning I woke up to three missed calls from August and one from Logan. I turned off my phone and hid it in a kitchen drawer. My dread sat like a ball of lead in my stomach.
At work, as soon as Melanie released us to our backcountry assignments, I dragged Jordan into the small kitchen area.
“What?” she hissed at me, straightening her fleece where my hard grip left wrinkles.
“Logan’s in Jackson,” I hissed back.
Her gray eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Your ex? The one you tried to eat?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think I would have eaten him, but yeah, that one.”
“Why’s he here? Did you see him?”
I shook my wrists loosely, trying to regain feeling in my bloodless fingers. “I smelled him. Near August. I don’t know if they’re talking to each other, maybe working together on something. I don’t know if Logan told him about, you-know.”
Jordan nodded. “Okay. Let’s not panic. First of all, you don’t know if they’ve even met. Second of all, if they have met, why would they talk about you? Not everything revolves around you and your secrets.”
Jordan’s words drew me up short and I hesitated. “You’re totally right. Why would they talk about me? If they’ve even met each other. Logan’s from California. He’s probably here on pack business for his alpha and he’ll be on his way again soon.”
I shook my head. “But that doesn’t make sense. Why here? He’s been calling me, you know, for months now.”
