“I had to. I got my period.”
“Oh. Where are you now?”
“At the elevators. The main floor.”
“Wait for me, I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Okay.”
Megan hung up.
“Why did she leave the SUV?” asked Max, looking worried.
“To use the bathroom. I have to go,” said Megan.
“What about the gun?”
“Keep it. We’re good,” she answered, hurrying out of the office just as the elevators opened up down the hallway. Three younger people got off and she immediately caught their scent.
Roamers.
“Wait, at least consider it!” Max hollered.
“A gun won’t help,” Megan mumbled to herself, wishing he’d let it go. As her eyes met the girl’s, her mothering instincts kicked in and her heart went out to her.
“Excuse me,” said the teen, moving to the side, to let her pass.
Megan stopped and touched her cheek. It was so cool and she looked so vulnerable. “You must be Nikki,” she said, seeing the nervousness in her eyes. “Poor child… what a nightmare for you. I hope they find your family.”
“Do you know where they’ve taken her family?” asked one of the boys.
Megan turned to him and shook her head. “No, and unfortunately, I have my own problems to worry about, so I can’t help locate her. You can trust Maximus, though. He’s a good man and I know he’ll do what he can to help.”
“Thank you,” Nikki answered.
Nodding, Megan dropped her hand and began walking away. She thought about Nikki and Caitlyn and how much evil there was in the world. Both girls deserved normal, happy lives. Instead, they would always have to worry about looking over their shoulders. She only hoped that she could continue to keep her own daughter safe.
“Megan!” hollered Maximus.
Blinking back frustrated tears, she stopped at the elevator and pushed the button. “What?” she asked, turning back to look at him.
His face softened and he raised his hand. “Godspeed.”
She smiled at him and got on the elevator.
***
Megan met Caitlyn on the main floor of the hotel and they made their way to the garage without incident.
“This hotel is beautiful,” said Caitlyn, buckling her seatbelt. “I wish we could stay here someday. Do you think it’s possible?”
She smiled. “Yes, I do. I’m sure Max would set us up with a really nice room, too.”
“Maybe a suite?”
“Maybe.”
“So, was he your old boyfriend or something?”
Megan laughed. “No.”
“Meredith’s boyfriend?”
“I don’t think so. I mean, they’ve known each other for years. Who knows?”
“So, how long do we have until we get to the cabin?”
“We should get there tomorrow afternoon.”
Caitlyn rubbed her forehead and sighed. “Another long drive.”
“Yes, but it’s Minnesota. It’s beautiful this time of the year.”
“Yaay. Minnesota,” she said dryly. “Thrilling.”
Megan backed out of their parking spot. “We’ll take turns driving and if we need to, we’ll get a motel room.”
“Fine.”
She reached over and patted her knee. “I love you, Caitlyn.”
“I love you, too,” she mumbled, staring ahead.
Megan sighed. She knew her daughter’s patience was wearing thin, especially now that she had her period, and decided that as soon as they settled into Meredith’s cabin, she’d explain everything. She only hoped that Caitlyn wouldn’t hate her in the end.
4
They decided to take turns driving instead of spending the money on a motel room. This suited Megan fine as she wanted to get back to Minnesota as quickly as possible. Plus, being a Lycan meant that she didn’t tire as easily as mortals. So, she drove for the first eighteen-hundred miles and then they switched after grabbing a bite to eat at a diner.
“Wake me up in a couple of hours if I fall asleep,” she told Caitlyn, sitting in the passenger seat.
“I will. I hope the GPS is working right. I don’t want you waking up and finding that I drove us to Alaska, by accident.”
Megan laughed. “It’s working and I trust you. Don’t worry.”
“Says the woman whose middle name should be ‘worry’,” said Caitlyn with a smirk.
“You’ll understand someday when you’re a mother.” Or a Lycan, she thought. Both held much responsibility.
***
They reached Pine River almost thirty hours later and Megan began to relax as they headed toward her mother’s cabin, which was nestled deeply in the northern woods. She’d called earlier to let Meredith know they’d be arriving before dark. It had been many years since they’d last seen each other, for both of their safety, and her mother had breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. I’ve been so worried about the both of you.”
“The feeling is mutual, Mom. I’ve been worried about you, too. And… I have missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too, honey,” she answered, her voice breaking. “As far as being worried about me, though – don’t. I can handle myself.”
“Not against monsters like Blake.”
“Blake doesn’t frighten me, Megan. In fact, he has been pretty cordial the last few months. Even when I’ve been as cold as ice to the man.”
No matter what Meredith said, however, Megan would never trust him. The man was a ruthless monster and the fact that he’d left her mother alone for so many years made her even more troubled.
5
Mitchell Falcon’s secretary, Anna Marie, slipped quietly into his office right as the sheriff slammed the phone down in frustration. “Son-of-a-bitch,” he growled, running a hand through his hair.
Anna Marie smiled at him, a question in her eyes. “Sorry to interrupt, Mitch, but Colton Briggs’s father just called the office, again. He demands to know what’s going on with the investigation.”
Mitch let out an exasperated breath and stood up. “Okay, Anna, thanks.”
“You all right?”
“I’m fine,” he replied, grabbing his jacket. “I’m going to be gone for a couple of hours. I’ll call Briggs when I get back.”
“What should I tell him if he calls again? He’s already called twice.”
“Just take another message.”
“Should I give him your cell phone number?”
“Hell no,” he replied, walking past her and out of the office. “Unless, of course, he gives you trouble. Where’s Alex?”
“He’s still at the courthouse,” she answered, following closely behind, worried about him. At thirty-seven he was tall, lean, and good looking, despite the blond scraggily beard he’d recently adopted and the dark shadows under his eyes, but he looked haggard. She knew he wasn’t getting much sleep now that there were two more missing teenagers. They’d had a total of five in the last twelve months – all missing without any explanation. Even their friends had been stumped. They knew there was foul play involved, but there weren’t any witnesses or evidence to the crimes.
“Okay. Hey, Dan,” he said, greeting one of his deputies.
“Hey, Mitch,” replied Dan, who was holding a box of donuts. “You want a donut? I’ve got a lemon-filled one with your name on it.”
“Where’d you get those?” interrupted Anna Marie.
“The bakery up the street sent them over. They’re still fresh,” he said opening up the box.
Mitch’s stomach growled, but he normally wasn’t a sweet-eater. “Sounds good, but I’m heading out to Van Buren’s.”
Dan frowned. “You need help?”
“No. I’m good.”
Anna Marie cleared her throat. “You really should take him with you. Van Buren is sure to give you trouble.”
“Let him try, I’ll arrest his ass faster than he can call his attorney. I don’t care
how much money he has or who his friends are, he’s not above the law.”
“Was that the asshole who was giving you shit on the phone?” she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.
“Of course.”
She grunted. “That son-of-a-bitch. I swear to God, even his phone calls leave a bad stench in this place. So, what load of crap did that asshole spew out today?”
Both Mitch and Dan smiled. Anna Marie was a feisty little woman and had the mouth of a sailor when she became riled. Typically, anything to do with Van Buren usually triggered it.
“Settle down, Anna Marie, you’ll go into premature labor,” teased Dan. “And the last thing I need is to see your water break when I’m trying to eat a Bismark.”
“You shouldn’t be eating those anyway, Dan. Your wife know that you stopped to get those?” she answered.
His smile fell. “I’ve been good for the last three weeks. I have even lost fifteen pounds. A couple donuts aren’t going to kill me.”
Dan was supposed to be working on getting his high blood pressure and cholesterol under control. “It only starts with one donut and then you’re back up to three hundred pounds,” she replied, holding out her hand. “Now, hand me that box.”
“I only weigh two-forty, Anna Marie. I’ve never weighed three hundred,” he protested, his cheeks turning red.
“Whatever. Give it here. I’m serious. You’re going to end up in the hospital.”
He pulled the box closer. “Nonsense. That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?”
“Daniel Raymond Walker,” she said, raising her voice. “Did you not tell me to help you stay on course with this gluten-free diet that Doctor Welsh put you on?”
“Yes, but,” he sputtered. “I’m only going to have one donut, Anna Marie. I promise.”
“One is all it takes to mess up your sugar levels. I should know, with this gestational diabetes. I have to test my glucose levels three times a day.”
“You’re really going to make me do this?”
She tilted her head to the side and smirked. “Do you really need to ask?”
Dan, looking defeated, turned to Mitch. “I guess I’d better not argue with her. She’s liable to kick my ass if I don’t follow orders.”
“I think it’s a given,” replied Mitch. “And don’t let her size or current condition fool you.”
Anna Marie stood less than five feet, was eight months pregnant, and as stubborn as a mule at times. But, she was also a sweetheart and doted on that staff as if they were all one big family. This also meant that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind or put someone in line. Mitch knew that her own adoring husband, Deputy Alex Spencer, had his hands full with the little spitfire and probably wouldn’t want it any other way.
Dan sighed and handed her the box.
“You’re welcome,” said Anna Marie, as he began walking toward his desk.
He looked back at her. “For what?”
“Being your conscience. Obviously, yours is out eating donuts and adding more lard to his diet.”
Grunting, he sat down. “Point taken. Now, do something with them before I change my mind and eat the whole box,” he said as his phone began to ring. He picked it up. “Walker.”
Anna Marie turned to Mitch. “So, about Blake. What’s his beef?”
“He’s still refusing to let us on his property, even though Colton’s best friend said he’d been heading to the ‘Look-out” last night with Rachel Parker. Demands a search warrant.”
The “Look-out” was just outside of Van Buren’s property line. It was a popular make-out place for many of the teenagers in town.
Anna Marie’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell? If you ask me, it doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t want to cooperate. Think he’s hiding something?”
“Certainly seems like it, doesn’t it? He’s been back in town less than a year and we’ve had a total of five disappearances. That’s a little more than a coincidence.”
“I agree.” She opened up the box of donuts and took one out. “You know, his father was kind of a weird son-of-a-bitch.”
“He was a hermit. Kept to himself, but never bothered anyone.”
“I know, but he gave me the creeps. Now that the old man has passed on and Blake’s back, he struts around this town like his shit doesn’t stink. Just last week he was kissing the mayor’s ass. Rumor has it he was involved in some pretty shady stuff back in New York.”
“No surprise there. He was trouble back in high school, too. Prick enjoyed pushing my buttons even back then. If I remember, his father and older brother, Victor, bailed him out of jail more than a few times.”
“I think you’re right,” she said, biting into an apple fritter. “Damn these are good.”
Mitch grunted. “Didn’t you say you had gestational diabetes?”
“Yes, but I need a little comfort food after hearing about Blake.”
Mitch raised his eyebrow.
“Now, don’t you go worrying about me, Mitchell Falcon. You could stand to eat a couple of these yourself, you know.”
“I’ll stick with my coffee and oatmeal,” he said.
“Yeah, when was the last time you ate anything?”
“I had a bagel last night.”
“One of the leftovers from breakfast?” she answered, frowning.
“It’s all I had time for.”
“That’s it, I’m ordering you dinner, as soon as you get back. From Nellie’s. Someone’s got to make sure our sheriff isn’t malnourished. I’ll order you a roast beef sandwich and that cream-of-mushroom soup you like so much.”
Mitch grinned. “Thanks, Anna Marie.”
“Just make sure you eat it. I’m going to take these donuts into the break room,” she said, walking away as his cell phone began vibrating. “Good luck with Van Buren.”
“Thanks,” he said, looking down at the caller ID. It was Anna Marie’s husband. He answered. “Hey, Alex.”
“Hitting on your secretary, again, Falcon?”
Mitch burst out laughing. “How’d you guess? Unfortunately, some asshole knocked her up and now we can’t be together.”
“Knocked her up? Hell, she knocked me up.” He chuckled. “I never even saw it coming.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.”
“You sound jealous.”
“I am. She’s one helluva woman.”
“You don’t have to tell me. Speaking of women, do you remember Megan Fontaine?”
Hearing Megan’s name caused his chest to tighten. He hadn’t spoken to her for many years. Her rich auburn hair and flashing green eyes still haunted his dreams occasionally. She was his one true regret in life. Pride and stupidity had driven them apart. Her pride, Mary Lou Dalton, and a bottle of tequila. He wondered if she still hated him for being such a fool.
“Mitch?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, sorry, was thinking about the investigation.”
“Sure you were.” Alex chuckled.
“So, what about her?”
“I ran into her and her daughter at the gas station. She was headed toward her mother’s cabin.”
His heart skipped a beat. “Really? She’s back, after all of these years? Her mother doing okay?”
“As far as I know. Sounds like she’s just visiting Meredith.”
“How did Megan look?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he said, a smile in his voice.
Mitch grinned. “Asshole.”
“She looked hideous.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
Alex laughed. “I’m just giving you shit. She looked nice. Very nice. Still tall and thin with that long, red hair. Hell, she’s barely aged, if you ask me. Looks like she has a teenaged daughter now, too. Pretty girl. Wonder if she’s married?”
“Not sure. I asked about it once, but her mother wouldn’t give me a straight answer,” he replied, walking out of the building. It had been a strange conversation and she’d danced around most of his questions. N
ot wanting to be rude, he’d let it go.
“Guess you’re going to have to find out for yourself, Mitch.”
“I doubt she’d even talk to me.”
“It’s been a long time. You were both young. I wouldn’t let that get in the way.”
“No time for socializing with these disappearances. Although, if Megan has a teenager, it might be a good idea to warn her personally,” said Mitch, smiling again.
“Exactly. Oh, before I forget, I just ran into Del Briggs and he demanded to know if we’ve learned anything more about his son’s disappearance. I know everything is still a cluster-fuck, but I told him I’d ask you if there’s anything new.”
He groaned. “He’s been leaving messages here as well. Look, I’m going out to Van Buren’s to try and talk with him again. He’s been unreasonable with everything and, truth-be-told, I might need backup if he gives me any problems. Stay close to the radio.”
“No problem. In fact, I’ll meet you out there if you’d like.”
“Don’t worry about it. I doubt he’ll really try anything. I heard he’s getting into politics.”
“What’s this world coming to?”
Mitch smirked. “No kidding.”
After they hung up, Mitch couldn’t help but smile again. “Megan Fontaine,” he said under his breath. Lord knows he’d been a damn fool and had hurt her deeply. For that he would never forgive himself. He only hoped that she’d find it in her heart to forgive him.
His phone rang again, interrupting his thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“Mitch, it’s Bob Lewis. How’s it going?”
“Mayor. Doing good, thanks. How are things going with you?”
The mayor sighed. “Blake Van Buren called me earlier today.”
Mitch grunted. “Really? Did he happen to tell you that he’s refusing to help us with our investigation? Two more kids have gone missing and he won’t let us search his property. I’d like to avoid a search warrant, but I’ll go that route if I have to.”
“What reason do you have to search his property, Mitch?”
“The couple was said to have been at that lookout before disappearing. You know the place. The one right near his land.”
Claimed By The Lycan Page 3
