by Bethany Shaw
“I think that would be great.”
Daire opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Grace’s phone dinged loudly.
She groaned, fumbling through her purse for a moment before digging the device out. With a roll of her eyes, she answered, “Yeah?”
Daire didn’t want to listen, but it couldn’t be helped with his superior hearing. “Where are you?”
“Out getting breakfast with a friend. Why?” she demanded, her voice growing louder with agitation. Her free hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, turning her knuckles white.
“We’re outside your apartment. Caden’s sick.”
“So, I’m just supposed to drop everything?”
“He wants you,” the male voice whined through the phone.
“You’re his father. I’m sure you can take care of him.” Grace swung the wheel hard to the right, and they took a corner too fast. The tires screeched and the car wobbled as she put it back on the right side of the road.
“Look, he wants you, Grace. We’re already here. Get home.”
“Sure, I didn’t have any plans or a life. It’s only your time to be with your son. I’ll drop everything and be right there,” she quipped as a tick formed in her jaw.
“Don’t be like that. He wants you, Gracie. You don’t want to let him down.”
She huffed, and her shoulders sagged. Daire looked back to the window.
“Tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She didn’t wait for a response before hanging up. “I’m sorry. It’s not Caden’s fault. Dave will just be a dick to him if I don’t go. Rain check?”
“Of course.” He offered Grace a smile, but silently he wanted to strangle the man who was giving up time with his son so easily. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t give to hold Neala one more time.
Grace ran a hand through her curls. “I’m probably going to have to call off work tomorrow. I haven’t been there long enough to get vacation time yet.” She shook her head and let out a breath. “Crap.”
“Maybe you could help us out. We can pay you as a consultant,” Daire offered. How many rules was he going to break on this job? Astraea gave them more than enough money to cover their needs, but it wasn’t meant to be given to others. If Grace was helping, was it truly breaking the rules or just bending them?
“What is it that you want me to do?” she asked, glancing his way.
“Since you seem to be pretty handy with research, you can help us find a pattern in the attacks. I’ll give you the information we have, and you can help us figure out where they plan to go after St. Joseph,” Daire said, lifting his brow.
“I thought the idea was to get all the lycanthrope before the full moon?” she asked.
“It is. But there are several large groups of lycanthrope that roam the globe. They work together, even though the groups hit different areas each month.”
She shivered. “Even if you defeat all of them here, it’s not over.”
“No. The other guardians are out trying to stop the attacks, too. Most of the time, we are effective and stop them before a Port Townsend incident occurs, but the size of this group took us all by surprise. It’s hard to get every single lycanthrope when there is at least a dozen of them and only one guardian too,” he said. They’d like to get every one of their enemies, but it wasn’t an easy task.
This group was growing too large and becoming more and more dangerous. They needed to be shut down, or St. Joseph would suffer. He gritted his teeth as he focused on Grace. There was no way he was going to let anything happen to her.
Chapter Eight
Grace snuggled up against Caden, pressing her cheek against his forehead. “Are you feeling any better?” She reached out, tugging the blanket up a little higher on him to make sure he was warm enough. The fact that he was letting her cuddle with him was a testament to how bad he still felt. He hadn’t kept any food down all day.
“Yeah. Do I have to go to school tomorrow, Mommy?”
“No.” She kissed his forehead.
“Good.” He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. “Sorry you didn’t get to go out with your friend.”
She smoothed back his hair. “It’s okay.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Caden asked, turning so he could look at her.
“No, no!” Heat crept over her cheeks. Daire wasn’t her boyfriend, though she wouldn’t mind it if he were. It could never be anything more than a fling. Her heart squeezed at the thought of never seeing him again.
“Daddy didn’t like him,” Caden said.
Grace snorted. Dave’s mouth had dropped the moment he’d seen Daire. It was nice to be able to wipe the smug look off that jackass’ face for once.
“I don’t like Daddy’s new girlfriend. She’s always worried her butt looks too big in her jeans.”
A giggle escaped Grace’s lips before she could stop it. Caden chuckled along with her until they were both laughing. A knock on the door sobered her. She kissed Caden on the forehead again. “I’ll be back to check on you before I go to bed. Get some sleep. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he sighed as he rolled over and cradled his dinosaur plush to himself.
Grace smiled, watching him for a moment before closing his door and going to the front door. She stood on her tiptoes and looked out the peephole. Daire.
She switched over the lock and opened the door, motioning him in.
“Hi.”
“Hi. How’s Caden?”
“I think he’s over the worst of it,” she said. He hadn’t thrown up for a few hours, so she hoped that was the truth.
“I brought over the information for you to look at. Any help you can give us would be great,” Daire said as he handed a manila folder to her.
She took it from him, inhaling sharply when his fingers touched hers. Tiny sparks shot through her, sending heat straight to her core. Her eyes darted to his lips, and her mind raced to the brief kiss they’d shared the night before. She wanted to taste his lips again.
“I’ve given some thought to what you said about the cabins. If you can come up with a plan that will work to draw all the...” His eyes trailed off, gazing around the apartment. “...lycanthrope to one area, we’ll see what we can do to execute it. I’d rather not destroy the cabins.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I’ll work on this tomorrow. Then, I’ll see how Caden’s doing. Hopefully, I don’t get sick, too.” That would be her luck.
Daire reached into his back pocket and plucked out his wallet. He opened it and thumbed through the contents before handing her a wad of bills.
“What’s this?” She glanced down at the hundred dollar bills, her eyes widening. There had to be at least ten of them there.
“We talked about paying you for your services. I wanted to make sure I paid up.” He handed her the cash.
She took the money with trembling fingers, counting it as she sifted through the bills. “Daire, this is twelve hundred dollars.”
“I know.”
“I can’t take this much money from you.” She shook her head. Even though she needed it, it wouldn’t be right to accept such a large sum for the little work he asked for.
He put his hand over hers, her fingers curling around the bills. “Keep it. Trust me; I work for a Greek goddess. I have more than enough money to last me many lifetimes.”
She drew in a breath and let it out. “Wow.”
“Depending on how long it takes you, I can get you more.”
“Um...” She didn’t know how to respond. With pay like this, she could pay off her debt quickly. “I’ll get to work on this first thing in the morning.”
“Thanks.” He pulled something else out of his wallet, handing it over.
It was a ripped piece of notebook paper with a phone number scrolled across it.
“I’ll be out all day tomorrow. Ethney and I will be going out to pick up some medicine.”
“You need medicine?” she asked with a frown. “Why?”
“Not for us.” He looked away and shook his head. “It’s for Kevin.” Daire scrubbed a hand over his face. “We found him the night I told you I lost my cat.”
“Yeah. I already figured you don’t really have a cat,” she replied with a laugh.
“No cat,” he confirmed. “There’s this drug they use for cancer that helps to stop the cells from breaking down. We’ve been giving it to Kevin to see if we can help him with the transition on the full moon. He’ll turn, but if he isn’t stuck in the beast’s body for too long, then he might not lose his mind. At least, that’s our hope.”
Grace bit her lip. There was a lycanthrope in the apartment below her that could go insane. Well, at least he hasn’t gone mad yet, she tried to comfort herself.
“Is it safe for him to be down there? There’s not a chance he could, uh, change sooner, is there?” She pointed to the floor. This dangerous person was so close to her and her son. What if he went psycho?
“No. Not until the full moon. He’s just a kid. Sixteen. He didn’t ask for this, and I want to help him if we can.”
She glanced back up to Daire’s eyes. It was a noble effort and the right thing to do. If she or Caden ended up bitten, she’d want someone to help her. “If I come across anything, I’ll let you know.”
“I can bring dinner tomorrow night if you’d like? I mean, if you’re okay with that?” he asked.
“That’d be nice. I’m assuming you don’t get sick, so we shouldn’t have to worry about contaminating you with our germs.”
Daire chuckled. “I don’t miss being ill one bit.”
She rolled her eyes. “Must be nice.”
“I can’t complain too much.”
The bedroom door opened and quick feet padded over the carpet to the bathroom, followed by the sound of retching. Grace closed her eyes and covered her face. So much for him getting over the hump. It could be a long night.
Daire touched her shoulder. “I’ll let you go.”
“See you tomorrow night.”
“Yeah.” He grinned before backing away and leaving for his apartment.
Grace let out a breath then hurried to the bathroom. “Hey, buddy, you okay?”
***
Grace chewed on the cap of her pen while Caden lounged on the couch. She sighed as she read over the webpage before writing something on her notebook.
She’d spent the better part of the morning trying to find some significance between the attacks but had come up short so far. After reading news reports and seeing the casualties, she couldn’t help but feel sick to her stomach. This wasn’t good. The guardians would do their best to protect the residents of St. Joseph, but these lycanthrope had a habit of leaving bodies and missing persons in their wake. They needed to be stopped.
“Did you hear that, Mommy?” Caden asked.
Grace glanced up at the couch. He’d paused the TV and was sitting up with a confused look.
“Hear what?”
The words had barely left her mouth when there was a loud thump from the apartment downstairs followed by a high-pitched scream. She shot up from her seat. She ran to the window and pulled back the curtains to stare into the parking lot.
Two men stood outside a gray, unmarked van with the back doors open. More shouts sounded from Daire’s apartment.
Grace drew in a breath and let it out. What should she do? It wasn’t like she could call the police. They wouldn’t know what to do. But she could call Daire. How quickly could he get here? “Go to your room and lock the door. Don’t come out until I get back, understand?”
Caden gulped and nodded, hurrying to his room.
She waited until the door clicked shut before grabbing her phone and picking up the paper with Daire’s number. Her fingers trembled as she dialed.
“Grace?” Daire answered.
“Something’s happening in your apartment. Someone’s in there fighting. There are shouts and thumps,” she said in one breath.
“Stay put. I’m on my way.” The phone clicked as he hung up.
Grace went back to the window, peering out from the curtains. She held her breath as another crack sounded. Two men appeared from the apartment, dragging Aric with them. His feet and hands were bound. Next, a kid emerged, also being dragged out by another man.
She gulped, then went to the door, twisting the lock. She ran out onto the awning and yelled, “Hey! What are you doing?”
The men snapped their gazes to her. Crap. Now, what was she supposed to do? She slammed her apartment door shut.
“Get away from them. I’ve already called the police.” She held up her phone for emphasis.
“Grab her,” one of the guys said.
Grace’s eyes widened as she took a step back, running into the wall. Now, what? Run. She needed to run.
Her bare feet slapped against the concrete as she raced away from her apartment, leading the men along the back of the apartment. Thank goodness there was more than one set of stairs. She sprinted forward, hoping and praying Daire would swoop in anytime now.
She rounded the corner and a scream bubbled up her throat. Another man was stalking up the stairs. She whirled around. Someone was closing in behind her. There was nowhere to go.
Grace shrieked. Not many people were home on a Monday morning, but hopefully, someone would hear her and call the police. She continued screaming, but that wasn’t going to be enough. They were closing in too quickly.
She darted forward, leaping down the steps, slamming her body into the man on the steps. He fell over. Her feet slid out from under her on impact. She reached out, grasping the rail. Her butt hit the concrete steps hard. She clasped the rail with all her might and held tight as the man toppled backward down the stairs. He landed with a sickening crack at the bottom.
His arm was twisted at an awkward angle, but he writhed on the ground a moment before wrenching his arm back into place.
Gasping, she watched as he climbed to his feet. He turned back to her. He marched up the steps, once again closing the gap between them. Grace whirled around. Trapped again. She was out of ideas. Grace balled her hands into fists and lifted them to her face. She wasn’t going down without a fight.
Chapter Nine
Daire soared through the clouds. Grace’s words echoed in his mind, and he huffed. Smoke shot out of his nostrils. He gripped the phone tighter in his talon, careful not to drop or squash the device. Even though he couldn’t answer it in this form, he wished she’d call to give him an update.
It had been three minutes since she called. Surely, she stayed inside and out of danger. He hoped. His wings flapped faster, moving him through the air at lightning speed.
He circled over the complex and snorted, blowing a puff of fire from his mouth. The lycanthrope were there. One was dragging a kicking and screaming Grace through the parking lot.
He swooped down, pulling his wings into his body. The air smacked him in the face as he free fell. It was against the rules to expose himself like this, but he couldn’t let them take Grace. They couldn’t bite her until the full moon, but these people were psychotic. There were other things they might do.
Daire sucked in a breath. He blew it toward two lycanthrope that were by a gray van. The inferno hit them, swallowing them into a ball of flames. He landed in the parking lot, flapping his wings hard enough to knock Grace and the man holding her down.
Once free, she kicked out her foot and wiggled away from his grasp. Daire roared, sending another puff of fire toward the man who’d dared to touch Grace. The lycanthrope shrieked as flames engulfed his body.
Daire stomped toward the van. He swung his tail back and forth as he approached. A man behind the wheel turned on the ignition, trying to flee.
Daire leaped, digging his sharp talon into the hood, holding the vehicle in place. He snorted, fixing his eyes on the driver. The driver darted out. Daire jumped toward them, catching the driver with his talon and driving him into the ground.
The driver hollered. Daire shoved his sharpened tal
on into the man’s back. Then, he sprayed more fire from his mouth, incinerating the man beneath him. The man’s body turned to ash then flaked away with the wind.
Daire surveyed the area and made sure the lycanthrope were gone before closing his eyes and returning to his human form. He rushed into his apartment, tossed on a pair of jeans and then hurried back out.
Grace was at the van, peering inside.
“Let me see,” he said putting a hand on her shoulder to pull her back. He peered in. Kevin sat huddled in the corner crying. Aric lay bound on the floor, unconscious.
“Is Aric going to be all right?” Grace asked.
“Yeah. It’s probably just a tranquilizer. They affect us in our human form for a short bit. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” He turned to Grace, cupping her cheeks while assessing her.
His eyes roamed over her. There was a small red splotch on her temple. Her clothes were twisted and torn from her struggling, but other than that, there were no obvious signs of injury.
She reached up and put her hands over his. “I’m okay.”
“What happened?” Ethney asked, coming up behind Grace.
“It looks like they tried to abduct Kevin and Aric. They’re gone for now, but I guarantee you they’ll be back,” Daire said. He stroked his finger over Grace’s smooth cheek before pulling away. “We need to leave.” He closed his eyes and then opened them, meeting Grace’s gaze. “It’s not safe for you here either.”
She gulped but nodded. “I think I know a place where we can go that will be safe. I have to get Caden and pack up my things.”
“Go. Hurry.” Daire urged with a nod.
Grace hurried off, taking the steps two at a time to her apartment.
Daire scrubbed a hand over his face. “I shouldn’t have gotten her involved. She’s in danger now. Her son, too.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Ethney said.
“Can’t I? If I hadn’t taken her to the bar—”
