by Crissy Smith
He would have liked to excuse Adam from this part, but that would show weakness that the Packs couldn’t afford. Adam took a deep breath before releasing his hold then leaning back.
Larry was still staring back at him.
Sam shifted beside him, and Cain noticed he was also staring at Larry. Sam tilted his head, and Cain got the impression he was scenting him. Larry’s attention went to Sam before he sneered. Larry had obviously picked up on what Sam was doing as well, but instead of appearing irate he sent them a smirk.
Sam sat back in his chair as if nothing was up. Cain had to give Sam credit. Larry was more dominant than the younger guard, but if he was scared or worried he wasn’t giving off any vibes like that.
It was taking all his control not to wipe that expression off Larry’s face, so he looked back at Riker and began to pay better attention to what the Alpha was saying. Cain wasn’t about to share what little they’d been able to find out. He didn’t know who was involved and if they had a connection to anyone in the room. It became obvious that several of the others felt the same way when Riker asked for updates and no one spoke up.
“We need to work together,” Riker stated loudly.
“With respect, sir,” Sam said beside him, “maybe if you start, it’ll help pave the way.”
Cain could have fallen out of his seat at Sam. It was one thing to suspect an Alpha or Pack but to openly ask wasn’t something he would have done. Damn, maybe he had underestimated the young guard.
Riker glared at Sam then peered around the room as if he was daring anyone to agree with him. Cain was about to do just that when the light-haired stranger stood.
“My name is Clint Price and I am one of the Alpha Council representatives. This is my partner Kurt Moore. We’re here to ensure cooperation between the Packs and to assist in any way possible in locating the suspect. We don’t work solely for the Council but were tasked to them temporarily from our own Packs. This means we want to find this monster and get home. So you are going to share information so we can hunt this asshole down.”
Clint took the time to meet each shifter’s eye at the table before he sat back down.
“What if we don’t have anything to share?” a female shifter asked.
Cain glanced over at her. He didn’t recognize her.
“You’re Ginger Winters?” Kurt questioned.
“Yes, my brother is the Alpha of the territory closest to this one. We’re concerned about our own Pack but we don’t know anything and from what I understand no one else does either.”
Kurt nodded. “Which is the purpose of this summit. So the Packs that don’t have all the information about the attacks can go back to their territory and make sure they are protected.” He glanced around the table. “But some of you are investigating.”
Cain sighed. He wasn’t going to give away everything Lamont had updated him with that morning but he could give them something so maybe someone else would share. “Right now, we’re looking into rogue shifters that were kicked out of their Packs and might have exhibited behavior that matches the attacks.”
Several people leaned forward.
“Have you got any leads?” Kurt asked.
“No.” Cain shook his head. “But it’s somewhere to start. It’s hard to believe that this guy has never done something like this before. The attacks are so violent but he’s not leaving evidence behind. He either knows what he’s doing or he has learned from his mistakes in the past. This can’t be the first time he’s attacked someone or had the urge. He might be escalating from wherever or whatever he’s done before but if we look close enough there has to be a connection.”
Kurt nodded. “I agree.”
“I have the sheriff looking at arrests of sexual assaults of this nature also,” Larry spoke up.
Cain snapped his head to Larry, surprised.
“He’s human, so I can’t tell him why, but he owes the Pack some favors so he’ll get what he can,” Larry added.
That was smart. Cain didn’t know if his Alpha was doing the same, but it was worth bringing up.
“We were also looking at rogues,” an older, weathered-looking man said. “Someone who had approached different Packs trying to get in. My Alpha is working with the other Alphas on this. We think he’s targeting Pack members from specific territories.”
Cain finally recognized the older shifter from a small Pack in Oklahoma.
That seemed to have opened up communication as talk finally got underway with ideas and suggestions on how to find the suspect.
* * * *
Adam got his chance to shift at the end of the meeting when he excused himself to go to the restroom. When Adam caught his eye, Cain knew his friend was making his move.
“We’re about done here,” Cain said loudly enough that those around him would hear. That way they wouldn’t question Adam not returning.
It was hard to keep his mind off what Adam was doing while the others stood and spoke their goodbyes. He did keep his gaze on Riker and Larry, though. He didn’t want either one of them catching Adam.
Sam seemed to slip away and Cain saw a red-headed woman approaching.
“Ginger.” She offered her hand.
“Cain,” he greeted, shaking her hand, but then released her quickly. “Your Pack is close?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “We’re smaller than most of the others but we like it that way.” She dropped her eyes and looked him up and down.
He could pick up the attraction and if he didn’t have Emily he would have been tempted to take her up on the offer she was giving him with her body language. She leaned closer before trailing her finger over his shoulder. “Are you staying here? Maybe we could get together later?”
He smiled. “A week ago, I would have been more than happy to, but I’m with someone.”
She stuck out her pretty bottom lip but nodded. “I can’t change your mind? A week isn’t that long to have made a lifelong commitment.” As she shifted on her feet, her breasts rubbed against his chest.
“I have to get home to my mate,” he told her. “It’s new, so we haven’t been together long, but it is that serious.”
Ginger laughed. “Well, it figures. A good-looking guy like you can’t be single. Sorry I hit on you. I didn’t see a mark.”
“It’s okay,” Cain assured her. “We’ll be having a ceremony soon.”
She had backed off, giving him the proper distance, and he was glad she didn’t push it. Ginger was a beautiful woman, but Emily was the only one he wanted. The only one he had ever wanted.
“I better go,” Ginger said then sent him another beautiful smile. “But good luck with your mate. And congratulations!”
“Thank you.” He grinned as she walked away.
The room had almost cleared out completely. Only the two Council representatives, Riker and Larry, remained. He sauntered out of the room and toward where he’d parked. He hoped Adam was about done running around because they didn’t have much time.
The front door was open so he strolled through and began to search for Adam. His friend was leaning up against the car talking with Sam.
Cain spotted Brent Simpson and waved. He hadn’t gotten to talk to Brent at the meeting but it appeared Brent was in a hurry as he quickly returned the wave but continued getting into his SUV. He’d only met the man once, when Cain had made his first and only trip to New Mexico. Brent had been the one to show him around, and although Cain wouldn’t say they were friends, Brent was a nice enough guy. Cain would have liked to pull him aside and see if he had any information that he hadn’t shared.
With the urgency of getting all the intel back to their Packs, Cain could understand why Brent was in a hurry.
As he reached Adam and Sam, he could hear them talking about Adam’s little side visit. Obviously Sam had picked up on what they were up to.
“Anything?” he asked Adam.
“I didn’t pick up the scent of the attacker anywhere around or close to the house. I don’t think
he’s a member here,” Adam said. “Or at least staying here.”
“Damn.” Cain ran his hand over his face. He was tired and if they didn’t get a lead quickly someone else might be hurt or killed. “We need to end this fast.” He glanced over at Sam. “Did you get anything from scenting Larry?”
Sam smiled but shook his head. “No. There is something about him, though. Although there was a strange scent in there and I at first thought it was coming from him. But I couldn’t locate it. It was like it was some kind of cologne.”
“What kind of smell?” Adam asked.
“Just a sharp pine and sweet scent. It was weird,” Sam said.
Cain had to agree. He’d smelt the same strange scent but hadn’t thought anything about it at the time. Most shifters didn’t wear any type of perfume or fragrance since they had such strong noses. Still, it wasn’t unheard of.
“So someone could have been trying to hide their scent? The attacker, maybe?”
“Son of a bitch.” Adam growled. “And we let him go?”
Cain put his hand on Adam’s shoulder to calm him. “We don’t know that it was. But it gives us an idea. We do know who was at the meeting, and that gives us a place to start.”
Adam shrugged off his hand. His eyes brightened. Cain grabbed the back of his neck. “Relax, Adam, this is good news. We’ll get him.”
“Before he goes for the next girl?” Adam snapped.
Sam moved restlessly, and Cain knew he could tell how close Adam was to shifting. “Yes, if he is here he’s not out stalking his next victim,” he told his old friend.
“You’re right.” Adam took several deep breaths before nodding. “Sorry.”
Sam slapped him on the back. “Had me worried there for a second. Well, I’ve got to run. I want to call Gage and fill him in.”
“Tell him we said hi,” Cain told him. “Oh, and congratulations on the baby!”
“Baby,” Sam said with a shake of his head. “I had no idea how Marissa getting pregnant was going to affect me. She’s driving Gage crazy with all her cravings, so in turn he’s driving me crazy, sending me after things. I have instructions to stop on my way home and pick up a list a mile long. I tell you, I don’t think I want children after seeing this.”
Cain laughed and slapped Sam on the shoulder before strolling to the driver side of the car. “You okay?” he asked Adam.
“Yeah,” Adam said while opening the passenger door. “I just want to get this guy. Let’s get on the road so we can make our own phone calls.”
Sounded like a plan to him. The sooner they left, the sooner he’d be back with Emily in his arms.
The meeting hadn’t been as much of a waste of time as he’d expected it would be. The Packs that had been directly involved were all working hard to discover who was responsible and now they had better organization. He actually felt like they were finally making progress.
He started his vehicle before putting it in gear. As he began to pull out of the drive, he spotted Larry and Riker walking out of the front door. Cain still didn’t like either man but at least they were trying to find the attackers. Or they had at least provided some ideas.
Larry glanced up as they drove past.
Cain didn’t look away as his gaze once again met Larry’s. He still had an uneasy feeling about the guy. To him, anyone who rose up as far as Larry had in Riker’s Pack had to have some bad in him. To fight for dominance was something that almost no shifter did anymore. It seemed like the members in Riker’s Pack thrived in that environment, though.
There was already so much pain in the world. Cain wanted to make it where none of his fellow Pack members ever had to witness it. Cain and Larry held the same positions in their Packs, but Cain was relieved that he was nothing like the other shifter.
He might be an asshole, but Cain truly loved his family and those he was charged with taking care of. There was no way he’d be worth Emily’s love if he was the kind of Enforcer that beat others to show his strength.
Emily deserved to be cherished and loved. Cain was going to have to make sure she got all that and more. And he knew that she deserved to finish school and be able to contribute to the Pack using her education like she’d always wanted.
That meant he would either have to let her go back to campus alone or work out a way to split his time between her and their home. Since he couldn’t even imagine only seeing her every few months, Cain was figuring a way to work things out. He’d already decided to give some of his top guards more responsibility, but maybe he needed to do more.
Lamont would support whatever decision he made, so he didn’t have to worry about his Alpha being upset. Still, as soon as they caught the attacker, Emily would need to return to campus, and Cain was going with her. She had one more semester and it would start in a few short weeks.
Of course, if they didn’t catch this guy then Emily would have to stay longer. Maybe put off returning to school until the next year. No, he couldn’t allow that. If he found anything to lead them to a suspect he would get the guy. If there was another attack and he could have prevented it he would never forgive himself. He would have to take Emily back to the apartment and her classes. No matter how tempted he was to keep her away from everyone else in the world.
Chapter Ten
Emily ran around the large tree in the middle of the Pack’s running grounds and pulled her shirt over her head. She had long ago learned not to be shy about her naked body, but she didn’t think that Cain would much like his brother seeing her that way. Actually, as jealous as Cain had acted the last time he’d returned, she knew for a fact he wouldn’t like it. She’d been restless all day waiting for Cain to get home. She didn’t like being away from him. It also made her realize that she couldn’t go back to school with him staying inside the territory.
Sure, she’d told him that she wanted to go back to campus and meant it, but she hadn’t understood how uneasy she’d feel when he wasn’t close. Emily wanted to be with him all the time. She’d never felt this way before, which made sense, since she was supposedly mated to Cain. It had taken all her control not to call him and stay on the phone until he pulled up in front of the house. She’d needed a distraction.
Tony had suggested she should take a good long run to calm herself. He should have already left for California but Cain had called right after his meeting asking for his brother to stay until Cain could update him.
Emily hoped that meant they had a lead and that soon this monster would be caught.
As she pushed her jeans down her hips, she heard the sounds of Tony’s shift. She needed to get out of her own thoughts and hurry up and change forms.
The wolf inside was scratching to get out, making her clumsy as she undressed. After folding her clothes and placing them against the trunk of the tree, she kneeled and welcomed the magic that would allow her to shift. The tingling started at the tip of her toes and moved over her body quickly. Her skin grew tight, until it felt like it would burst. Bones adjusted inside her, and she felt herself float like she always did.
Then, only minutes later, she stood on all fours, tilted her head back and yowled in pleasure. An answering call from the west told her that Tony was ready. She bounded for him, content to run and play until her man came home to her.
Tony wasn’t as large as Cain and his fur had red streaks over his shoulders. Her animal knew him just as well as she did Cain, but the feelings that Cain brought to the surface were much more different. Tony felt familiar, as a brother would.
Family, love, peace—those feelings flooded her as she rubbed her head under Tony’s chin. She didn’t like that he was going away. Even if it was to fulfill his dream of working with the Council. He’d told her all about his assignment over lunch. While she was happy for him, she was going to miss the calming influence he had on the Pack, her and Cain.
With Tony gone, Cain would be needed even more at his father’s side. If she asked him to go with her he wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Cain’s devotion to the P
ack was one of the things that she loved most about him. Her need to finish her education was going to tear them apart. Unless she gave up her dream.
Tony nudged her, and Emily understood that he wanted to get the run started. She looked up and was surprised to see sadness in his eyes.
He was leaving. He wouldn’t be able to run in his own territory. While she was celebrating being home and getting to feel the soil under her feet, Tony was saying goodbye for a while. She had no idea how long he would be gone—if it was going to be a week, a month or longer.
Emily pawed his side then took off running as fast as she could. They weren’t on the same path that she’d taken with Cain but instead where the majority of the Pack ran. It had been so long since she’d been in that part of the woods that it took her a little while before she could orient herself.
She leaped and rolled, enjoying the feeling of being carefree and happy in her shifted form. One plus of staying in the territory instead of returning to school was being able to shift whenever she wanted.
In the city there was just no safe place for her to shift. Their existence was a secret for the protection of all the shifters in the world. She couldn’t risk someone seeing her, or worse, getting a picture or video. The increase in technology was not a shifter’s friend. Everyone carried a smart phone nowadays and just one leaked photo could put them all in danger. So Emily had never changed away from home.
As she’d stayed away from the territory for longer and longer, she’d gotten used to not transforming, but it had never felt comfortable.
It was a choice to transform. She might feel the pull of the moon because of nature and her animal, but there was no truth to the ‘weres changing at the full moon’ myth. She could shift when and where she wanted to. Except for times of extreme stress, most shifters remained in control of their animal.
Times like this where she got to let the wolf run wild were just so fantastic.
