Embracing the Wolf

by Catherine Bybee

  Someone was watching her.

  Parents passed her by, moving around her as if she were a big rock in a small stream.

  Her spine stiffened.

  “Come on, mom.” Joey tugged her arm.

  “Wait a minute.” I’m being paranoid.

  “I’m going to be late.”

  Kate started forward again. When her phone rang in her purse, she jumped. She retrieved her phone and glanced at the digital display. She didn’t recognize the number.

  She pressed talk and slowly brought the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

  Static and wind brushed against her ear with the hum of the line.

  Nothing.

  “Hello?” she asked again, trying to keep her panic at bay.

  The school bell buzzed, the sound echoed in her phone as if in stereo. Whoever the caller was, they were somewhere on campus.

  Panic gripped her throat, threatening to choke it off. She closed the phone and threw it in her purse. “Come on.” She pulled Joey away from the school, back toward her car.

  “What are we doing?” Joey’s little legs ran to keep up with her, his eyes suddenly large and flooded with fear and confusion.

  “We need to go.”

  “What about school?”

  The kids ran in the opposite direction, all of them scrambling to make it inside before the doors shut. Kate ran to her car with Joey’s hand secured in hers. “What’s the matter, Mommy?”

  ****

  Traffic backed up at the intersection before Joey’s school some thirty cars long. Richard punched in Kate’s number. Her voice mail picked up again.

  Richard hit the steering wheel in frustration.

  “We’re almost there,” Max said from the passenger seat.

  They left early that morning attempting to trace the scent of the wolf that prowled the night before. It never occurred to him Kate would take Joey to school. Then again, she had no idea the danger that lurked.

  Max lowered the window. The warmth of summer already gripped the southland.

  Richard turned his face toward the heat. “Holy shit, what is that?”

  “You smell it too?” Max asked.

  “Yes, I smell it.” Although he had no idea what ‘it’ was. The combination of stagnant waters and sweat deluged his senses.

  “That was fast.”

  “What is it?”

  “Fear.”

  Richard cursed the slow moving cars. “How the hell do you smell fear?”

  “You’re going to smell everything from here on out.”

  “I always thought smelling fear was a myth.”

  “It’s not.”

  Richard leaned out the window trying to catch a glimpse of Kate and Joey. “Dammit. Where is she?”

  “Use your nose, Richard. It is probably her fear you smell, otherwise, it wouldn’t have hit you so fast.”

  He wanted to question his brother further on the subject, but traffic let up, giving them the room to maneuver the car and speed toward the school.

  Air left his lungs in a rush when he noticed Kate standing by her car fumbling in her purse. The way her head kept popping up and her eyes searched the road, he knew she was startled.

  After darting around the two last cars in front of him, Richard came alongside her, slammed on his brakes, and jumped out of the car.

  She swung her purse in his direction, taken back by his approach. Her weapon of choice hit him square in the jaw.

  “Mom!” Joey cried by her side.

  “Oh, no.” Relief flooded her face when she saw him. “I’m sorry.”

  Her hand trembled so fiercely she could hardly hold the purse.

  “What are you doing here?” His relief at finding her safe quickly changed to anger.

  “Taking Joey to school.”

  “It looks like you’re trying to leave.”

  Kate glanced behind her then back at him. “I think someone is watching us.”

  The smell of fear started to subside, replaced by something else. He heard a branch snap in the vacant lot across from the school. His eyes darted to Max who had heard it, too.

  “What?” Kate asked, sensing his alarm.

  Max stepped out of the car with a pair of binoculars in his hand.

  “Do we go after him?” Richard asked.

  Max shook his head. “He’s already gone.”

  “Who’s already gone? Richard...” she touched his arm. “What’s going on?”

  Her alarm started to peak again. The smell returned.

  “Get in the car.”

  “What about school?” Joey asked.

  Richard casually ruffled the boy’s hair. “What do you say you take a few days off?”

  “Can I go swimming again?”

  “Of course.”

  Kate’s hand squeezed his arm. Her eyes questioned.

  Leaning in close to her ear he said, “I’ll explain more in private.”

  He went around her car and opened the door. She handed him her keys.

  “Meet you back at the house,” he called back to his brother.

  Chapter Six

  “Here.” Richard thrust the newspaper into her hands once Joey took to the backyard pool with Max and Janet.

  “What is this?” “Just read it.” They sat in Max’s study where bookshelves lined

  one entire wall from floor to ceiling. A rolling ladder slid along its length to reach the books at the top. Kate sat on the leather couch and opened the LA

  Times. “What am I searching for?”

  “Page three, half way down.”The article was hard to miss. In bold print, the title screamed, “The Wolf Strikes Again.” Kate glanced at Richard then continued to read:

  A series of armed robberies with follow up abductions are on the rise.

  The police have linked yet another missing person with an armed robbery. Officer Devon Foster stated in a recent interview that several armed robberies involving a hooded suspect brandishing a weapon is holding up unsuspecting restaurants and convenience stores in the middle of the night. Eyewitnesses state, the suspect is accompanied by a wolf.

  Last month’s “Wolf at Wallys” headline reported the stock staff of the store were held up and locked in a back office is the most recent connection with a missing person report.

  Diane Michaels, mother of two, didn’t come home from work Friday morning. The family and police suspect foul play.

  Another such crime was committed early Thursday morning at a local restaurant. The suspect got away with under a hundred dollars, but in the process of his crime sent a waitress to the local hospital with a single gunshot wound. The victim, Kate Davis, was subsequently treated and released.

  Officer Foster states his department has been in contact with a local security agency who have Miss Davis and her son under 24-hour surveillance.

  Kate’s stomach churned while she put the paper down. Richard watched her every move.

  “Ritter Security…that would be you?”

  He pushed off the desk and sat down next to her. “Foster called me late last night.”

  “Officer Foster from the article.”

  “Yeah. He suggested we keep you and Joey off the streets until we find the suspects.”

  “What do you mean, we? You’re not a cop.”

  His chest rose with a deep breath. “Cops are sometimes limited by the law.”

  She listened to his slow and well thought out explanation. He hid something. Was he some type of vigilante, bent on revenge? Fear of the unknown kept her from asking what he meant. She moistened her lips, then spoke, “You’re not limited by the law?”

  He turned his eyes down, keeping her from seeing what lay below their murky depths. ”A civilian, even a security guard, has the right to protect their loved ones from foul play.”

  The term, loved ones, didn’t go un-noticed. Her heart skipped, even though her mind told her not to jump to conclusions.

  “How is it you think you can keep us safe if the cops can’t?” She fished f
or answers. From the expression on his face, he knew it.

  Without speaking, Richard stood and moved behind Max’s desk. He opened the right side drawer where a series of buttons sat atop a large black box. He flipped a switch and the bookcase started to move.

  Kate watched in awe as the giant wall of bookshelves turned in small sections. With the transformation complete, a massive amount of monitors lined the room. Richard continued pressing buttons and one by one, the monitors flickered on.

  Kate’s hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes widened seeing the entire Ritter property, including every room in the house, come into view. The pool where Joey splashed around sparkled in full color. Richard flipped a switch and sound came over the speakers. “...let’s see you do a handstand, Joey.” The voice belonged to Janet. And Kate heard it with an eerie clarity.

  “Wow!” Was all she could say. He isn’t kidding when he says his brother’s home is secure.

  Richard moved from around the desk and blocked her view of the wall. “I want you and Joey safe.”

  Kate had always prided herself with her self-preservation gene. No one carried a bigger interest in her and Joey’s safety than she did. Why did he? What was in it for Richard? After only two days and one kiss, why did she and her son matter to him?

  “I could think of worse places to have to stay put,” she finally said.

  His shoulders relaxed. He reached out and pulled her to her feet.

  Standing this close to him put her emotions and hormones on overdrive. She hated to admit it, but she could smell his masculine scent with a hint of spice and that drove her crazy.

  His hand brushed aside a lock of her hair. Her breath caught with his touch. Without thinking, she leaned into his hand before he had a chance to pull it away. She starved for male attention. No, she thought, for his attention.

  He left his hand on her cheek and leaned close.

  His lips caught hers in a kiss so tender it brought tears to her eyes.

  Instead of letting them fall, she closed her eyes and wound her good arm around his waist bringing him closer. His fingers fanned out in her hair and forced her head back. He angled his head and plunged his tongue into her hungry mouth.

  Her head swam in a wave of dizziness. Good lord! Had she ever felt so dazzled by a kiss?

  His hands skimmed down her neck and shoulders. His thumbs traced the outline of her breasts. Nipples pebbled instantly with his brief contact, and a moan escaped her lips.

  Wet heat pooled between her legs. When he moved closer, his hardened body pressed against hers. His arousal lay nestled against her stomach. His heat engulfed her senses.

  She broke away from his kiss only to have him move his lips to her neck. Small circular movements of his tongue had her fists clenching. Her body throbbing.

  “Ohhh...” His mouth dipped above her breast, her hand reached for the buttons of his shirt.

  He managed to lower her blouse and capture her nipple in his mouth. “Oh, Richard,” she moaned. Heat shot to her core and had his hand been anywhere near her center, she would have climaxed then and there.

  There was no denying it. She wanted Richard in the most primal of ways. Naked, hard and ready.

  “I want you,” she said barely above a whisper.

  He stiffened with her confession and moved his lips back to hers. After an earth shattering kiss he drew back until she opened her eyes.

  “Let me come to you tonight.”

  Her breath came in small pants. Joey’s giggle came through the PA of the security system telling them both that now wasn’t the time.

  If she said yes, she knew there was no turning back. If she said no, she’d be lying to herself...and him.

  “I’ll go to bed early.” He dropped his forehead to hers, briefly brushed his lips past hers, and backed away.

  ****

  It proved one of the longest and most frustrating days of his life. Once Kate and Joey were safe and sound, Richard and Max left for the hunt.

  Along the way, Max explained the subtle differences in scents. Kate’s car had been clearly marked by the wolf who now stalked her, which made her an easy target. But the scent could very well lead them to their enemy.

  Max had mapped out all locations they knew the predator had been. Every target they hit in their six-month crime spree along with places Max had picked up with his nose.

  They went back to the school and managed to trace their prey to a pair of tire tracks. Unfortunately, those tracks left a dead end.

  “Now what?” Richard settled his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose and regarded the busy freeway.

  “I think it’s time for a trip to the station.”

  “You think Devon will have additional information?”

  “Possibly. We need to get our hands on any physical evidence they’ve gathered. Maybe we can find a fresh scent and a new trail to follow.”

  Devon met them in a private room with bags of evidence spread out before them.

  Max brought one piece up to his nose after another. “Dammit, Devon, how many hands have touched this shit?”

  Devon, a long time friend and confidant of the Ritter family, shook his head, “Too many to count.”

  Richard followed Max’s lead and sniffed each article trying to distinguish the different smells.

  Richard caught Devon watching him out of the corner of his eye.

  Devon crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “When did you take the change?”

  Richard noticed the satisfaction on Devon’s face.

  “Last night.”

  “It’s about time. We need more of your kind out there.”

  Max laughed, “Anytime you want to join the fold, Devon just let me know.”

  Devon unfolded his arms and moved from his chair. “Are you kidding? My wife would divorce me. We have too many pets as it is.”

  “And you’re barely house trained as a human.”

  “Ha, ha!”

  Irritated with the lack of ability to pick up anything, Richard tossed an apron back in the bag. “This is getting us nowhere.”

  “I agree.” Max peeled off his latex gloves. Richard did the same.

  Devon sighed and placed all the items back in the bags. Casting a speculative glance at the two men, he spoke. “There is something I’ve been thinking about to entice our suspects.”

  Richard didn’t like the sound of that.

  “Kate Davis could be our bait...”

  “Absolutely not!” Richard crossed to the garbage can, flung his gloves inside of it, and went to the door.

  “Hey, wait...hear me out.”

  “It isn’t going to happen. Kate and her son will not be put in any danger.”

  “No one said anything about putting them in danger,” Devon explained.

  “Yeah, the word you used was bait. I know where you’re going with this and the answer is no!”Richard opened the door to the room and stormed out.

  Max caught up with him in the parking garage. “Hey, what was that all about?”

  Every protective bone in Richard’s body was on standby. “Don’t you start,” he warned his brother.

  Max put his arms up in mock defeat. “I’m not the one who suggested it.”

  “Good.” Richard glanced at his watch. “We should get back.”

  Lowering his arms, Max stood beside the car and stared at him. “Careful, little brother, you’re starting to act like a man falling in love.”

  Richard’s jaw twitched and his pulse began to return to normal. “She has no one watching out for her.”

  Max sent him a knowing grin, put his sunglasses on, and opened the door. “She does now.”

  Love? Who said anything about love? Protector, infatuated, even lust would be words to describe his feelings. But love?

  He wanted her safe. That was all there was to it. Okay, maybe that wasn’t all there was to it. Her image flashed in his mind. He also wanted her naked and writhing with pleasure beneath him.

  He shifted in his sea
t and stared out the window. The sun started to set. Kate would have Joey in bed by the time they got back to Max’s. She said she’d turn in early. How much time should he give her before he snuck up to her room?

  Since when did he have to sneak around to be with a woman? He wasn’t a pent up teenager. Yet he didn’t want to announce his intentions to Joey.

  “Be careful.” The warning came from Max who hadn’t said a word since they got in the car.

  “About what?”

  “Kate is vulnerable right now and you’re in the process of some very serious changes.” Max maneuvered the car to the off ramp of the freeway.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’ve been there, Richard. If you thought puberty was a time for hormones, you’ve haven’t seen anything yet. You know how dog’s will hump any leg they can get to?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Our senses hit overdrive when a woman starts emitting pheromones. The sex is great, don’t get me wrong. Between the increase in strength and endurance, you’ll go at it all night and still be charged for more.”

  Not such a bad side effect. “So what’s the problem?”

  “Janet let me in on a little secret last night.”

  Max’s silence had him wondering. “Don’t stop now.”

  “Apparently, Kate hasn’t been with anyone since Joey’s dad. You don’t want to hurt her.”

  “You know this how?”

  “Women talk, Richard. Janet and Kate are fast becoming friends and already they huddle together and whisper. Kind of unnerving to think they are talking about you, huh?”

  “Yeah.” It bothered him that Max knew more about Kate’s love life than he did. He reminded himself that Kate confided in Janet, which all women learned to do from the time they’re in Junior High.

  “Are you saying I’ll lose control?”

  Max glanced his way. “Somehow I don’t think you will. But what worries me more is why hasn’t Kate been with anyone else? Her emotions are tight right now, and from the scent the two of you keep sending off you’ll be in the sack before the end of the week.”

  Sooner than that big bro, he mused. “So...”

  “A woman who saves herself like that will pack a lot of emotions into a simple night of sex.”

  Richard hated when his brother was right. He knew sex with Kate would be more than a physical release. In fact, he counted on it.