by Robbie Cox
He locked his car after popping the trunk lever, walked around to the back, and pulled his duffel bag out of the trunk. Might as well get settled. He was here now and would make the best of it, whatever that turned out to be, as long as wandering pedestrians paid better attention to moving cars, that is.
The interior of the cabin was musty from where it had been closed up for several months, a fine layer of dust coating everything. Before he could use anything in the cabin, he would need to spend some time cleaning up the place. As it was, he couldn’t even sit on the furniture. He needed to teach his brother how to cover things with old sheets before leaving the cabin. It would have made the clean up a little easier. At least he would have been able to sit down as soon as he walked into the place after such a long drive. Of course, his younger brother was never one for much forethought in things, preferring to rush out and deal with everything later. Arlin should be happy Nathan at least locked the place up and closed the door.
He chuckled to himself as he dropped his duffel bag on the floor just inside the front door. With a deep breath, hands on his hips, he shook his head. Hopefully, Nathan kept some cleaning supplies here.
Luckily, Arlin discovered bottles of cleaning fluids and old rags under the kitchen sink. He had just pulled everything out and filled an old mop bucket he found in the back room with water when he heard sirens breaking the natural peacefulness of Bull Creek. He turned his attention to the front windows as he finished filling up the bucket. Now, I bet that’s unusual for around here. Turning off the water and dropping the rag in the sudsy bucket, he decided to check it out and see what constituted a nine-one-one call around such an isolated community.
Blue and red lights bounced off the giant oaks and pines that filled the wooded area around the cabins, guiding him to where a sheriff’s car was parked in a dirt driveway down the street that he witnessed those ladies turning down earlier. One of them probably walked right out in front of a passing car. He gave another shake of his head as he turned down the road to see how bad it was.
He was pleased—surprised, but pleased—to see that neither of the women he passed earlier had wound up being struck by a passing motorist. However, he was shocked at what he did find in what he assumed was such a peaceful community. The flashing lights of a sheriff’s car ricocheted off a cabin that had been vandalized severely. Windows were smashed, plants destroyed and scattered everywhere, and in dark red paint over the front of the cabin were the words, There is no escape. With a cock of his head, he stared at the words, wondering, Escape from what? Nathan had obviously left out the dramatic aspects of his home away from home at Bull Creek.
Arlin glanced around at those gathered in front of the cabin and his nose twitched at the mixture of shifter scents he sensed mixed in with humans, and…he took another deep breath….witches and vampires. He gave an appreciative nod. Aric Wolfe did tell him the place was a diversity of paranormal personalities. Arlin just didn’t expect it to be a melting pot.
Next to the sheriff’s car stood an elderly man in uniform along with a female deputy and a muscular man with shaggy, tawny hair, his arms crossed over his chest as he listened to the sheriff speaking. Near the front of the porch, stood three women, two of them were the ladies he saw on the road earlier, and the third was a smaller woman with dark hair and a powerful stance. The shortest of the three, with sandy hair and a knife hanging at her waist, attempted to get past the other two ladies and into the cabin, but was blocked every time. Must be her cabin. I’d want inside as well to see what else the asshole who did this destroyed. Probably some teens thinking they found an easy score out here in no man’s land.
Walking over to where the sheriffs stood with the other man, Arlin slid his hands in his back pockets to make himself appear less of a threat. With the damage to the cabin and him being a stranger, he didn’t want any misunderstandings that would cause his tiger to bust loose and get Arlin in trouble again. He’d filled out enough police reports over the past few days to know he didn’t want to go through that again.
The man not in uniform turned his attention to Arlin as he approached, an eyebrow arched over narrowed eyes as he watched the newcomer. Arlin just nodded once, doing his best to appear charming and not threatening. He cleared his throat, gaining the sheriff’s attention, and all conversation stopped. “Pardon the intrusion,” Arlin said. “I heard the sirens and noticed the lights down the street. I passed the ladies walking just a bit ago, and they weren’t really paying attention to where they were walking, so I wanted to make sure nothing happened to them. I’m glad to see they’re all right.” He pulled a hand from his back pocket and gestured to the cabin. “Although, this is far from all right, I know.”
Arlin thought for sure the sheriff would be the one to speak first, but instead, the civilian took the lead. “And you are?” He crossed his arms over his chest, definitely doing his best to appear intimidating.
Arlin slid his hand back into his pocket, leaving himself open, remaining as calm as possible. He was the stranger after all, suddenly here during a crisis. “Arlin Landry. My brother, Nathan, owns the cabin up the road. I’m staying here for a bit of a vacation.”
The tawny-headed man nodded, uncrossing his arms and letting his hands discover his own pockets. “Aric Wolfe told me you were coming.” He pulled a hand out of his pocket, reaching out to shake Arlin’s. “I’m Dimitri Everest, kind of the overseer of Bull Creek.” He then gestured to the other two. “This is Sheriff Chet Einstein, and my sister, Deputy Lainie Everest.”
“You didn’t happen to see anyone else on the road as you were driving, did you?” the sheriff asked.
Arlin shook his head. “No, just the two ladies. As I said, they were so lost in whatever they were talking about that they didn’t even notice me behind them. I could tell by the way they meandered over the road as they walked.”
“I don’t meander.”
Arlin turned and noticed the other three women approaching. The shorter one with the sandy hair practically snarling at him.
“And for the record, I did notice you. I just didn’t care. I would assume if you had a license, then you knew how to avoid people walking on the side of the road.”
Arlin arched an eyebrow at the small woman, small but apparently formidable. His tiger growled within, as well, wanting to pounce the little spitfire in front of him, and Arlin felt his cock twitch inside his pants, stirring to life. His heart beat faster as his breath caught in his throat. Why the hell did Aric send me to Bull Creek? “Since I was the one behind you, I’m pretty sure I know how you were walking,” Arlin said. “You were meandering.” Then he shrugged. “I didn’t say it was a bad thing. Why would you be worried about cars running you over in this area, after all? I mean, you were only walking in the middle of the road.”
“The middle….” The woman took a step forward, her hand dropping to the hilt of the knife at her waist. Arlin’s tiger purred inside, instead of growled, and Arlin knew he was in even more trouble than he first thought. “I was walking on the side of the road, and that heap you were driving wasn’t exactly quiet, you know. I’m sure they heard you in St. Cloud with that clunker.”
“Clunker?” Arlin slid his hands out of his back pockets and crossed his arms, ignoring the looks the others gave him. While the sheriff had a confused expression, the others just stood there grinning. Probably all shifters, Arlin assumed. Then he detected the scent of the witch next to the robust redhead. Yet, she grinned as well. All of them knew what his tiger had just detected, all of them except the short, sandy-haired piece of sass in front of him, that is. He did not come to Bull Creek to find his mate, but it appeared his mate had just found him. So much for a vacation of peace and quiet. “My car is not a clunker, thank you. It’s a classic.”
The short woman laughed. “Classic? That’s what they call something that’s old and worn out, right? Something that has a musty odor? I bet the music you listened to as a child is a classic, as well, being played on one of those ol
die stations with a DJ born while 8-tracks were popular. Who the hell are you again and why are you even here?”
Arlin sighed. It looks like I’m here to find out who trashed your cabin, my sassy vixen. Yet, he knew now was not the time to bring that up, not with the first impression he just made. His tiger growled, wanting to claim the lady in front of him right there and didn’t care if he did it in front of everyone else, and the awkward part was that at least four of the others knew it as well. Me and my big mouth.
Three
Everglades was a shifter bar in Holopaw, a dive bar, really, and nothing like the Wolfe’s Den back in Blue Creek, but it held its own rustic charm. Unless you knew what type of bar it was, anyone looking at it in passing would probably just drive on by, thinking the place needed to be condemned even with cars parked outside. The ancient wooden structure appeared to be created of discarded planks found in abandoned buildings, rather than the finished wood of a newer structure. The interior consisted of scratched up wooden chairs and tables, appearing as if it was thrown together in much the same way as the exterior of the building. Weak mirrors and flashing beer logos covered the walls while serving girls wandered from table to table, taking orders and flirting with the male patrons, whether the men had dates or not. Country music blared from a broken down jukebox, bouncing off the walls, as couples line danced and chugged their beers. It was nothing like a night club in the city. Instead, it held the feel of a homier, comfier environment. That was exactly what Eve needed right then, considering her own home was ripped away from her today.
Noel, one of Wes’s serving girls, brought over a tray full of beers and tequila shots, setting them on the table in front of Eve and the others. While the shifters couldn’t get drunk, since their metabolism was a lot sturdier than humans, it didn’t stop them from enjoying the tastes as well as the social aspects. Right then, Eve needed her Bull Creek sisters to help her get drunk and forget about the ransack of her place. Noel must have heard about the break-in, because the curvaceous blonde set an extra tequila shot in front of Eve. “This one is on me,” she said with a wink before walking back to the bar.
Eve thanked the woman as she walked off and then reached for the small glass and downed the fiery liquid, allowing it to burn her throat and warm her belly, before slamming the glass back on the table and picking up the second shot.
“Hey, hey,” Lainie Everest stopped Eve before she tipped the shot glass back. “Let us have a chance to join the festivities.”
“Agreed,” Adira Brennan, Bull Creek’s resident witch, chimed in. “I hate being left out, especially when it comes to drinking shots.”
Alanna picked up her shot glass, the wolf shifter lifting it high in the air. “To finding the ass who tore our girl’s cabin up and kicking his ass.”
All four ladies lifted their glasses, cheered, and downed the tequila, slamming the glasses back on the table when finished. Eve grabbed her beer and took a long pull from the bottle, allowing the cold liquid to contrast in her throat with the burning tequila. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she set the beer bottle back on the table, but didn’t release it. She knew if she didn’t hold onto something, she would be gripping her knife for security, probably not the best thing to do in a bar. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lainie watching her. Eve continued to stare at the bottle in her hand. “What?”
“I know the code of Bull Creek,” Lainie said. “No one asks nosy questions about why someone else is here. It’s a safe place for those who are escaping something they would rather not discuss.” She shrugged. “Hell, I’m here to get away from my parents and their idea of a perfect mate for me. Still, it seems whatever you’re hiding from has found you. I think it’s time you fill us in, so we can help protect you.”
Eve pressed her lips into a thin line as she shook her head. “I don’t need help.”
“Really?” Alanna said, her tone shocked. “We all saw your house, Eve. What would have happened if you were there when whoever did it decided to come calling? I know you love playing with that knife you wear, but even you said you weren’t ready for a moving target. We’re your friends. More than that, though, we’re also shifters and a witch. We can do more than fight like girls, if you know what I mean. We can kick ass like women.”
“I can make you some wards for your cabin, like I put around the area for Bane’s coyotes,” Adira said. “Of course, they would be more effective if I knew what they were warding against.”
Eve stared at a drop of condensation on her bottle as it trailed a path down the dark brown glass and onto her knuckle. She knew these ladies were her friends, but she never wanted anyone to know how weak she once was. She hated thinking of herself as a victim, but that was what she allowed herself to be back then. She swore then that she would never be that helpless again. Never. Not today. Not ever.
The music shifted from Willie Nelson to Tim McGraw as Eve blew out a frustrated breath. She glanced up as couples hit the dance floor, two-stepping to the beat. Why couldn’t she be normal like everyone else? She stared at the front door, wanting desperately to run and avoid the questioning looks from her friends. Then she saw him again, that stranger who suddenly appeared at her cabin earlier, accusing her of not paying attention to her surroundings. She growled as she watched him head to the bar after giving her a cursory glance. A giggle to her left made her turn a questioning gaze to Alanna. “And what’s so funny?”
“You.” Then she pointed at the newcomer with her chin. “Him. That poor man had no idea what hit him today. You were frustrated and angry, scared if you were smart, and you took it all out on him.” She shrugged. “It was fun to watch, I admit. Almost as much fun as it was watching Adira dig into Dimitri a couple of weeks ago, clueless to the fact that Dimitri had scented her as his mate.”
Eve tightened her grip on her bottle. “Well, that was them. This is me, and I don’t need someone I don’t even know passing judgment on how I do things.”
“Oh, trust me, I’m sure he gets it,” Adira said with a chuckle.
Lainie took a swig of her beer, setting the bottle back on the table and running her tongue over her lips when she finished. “It doesn’t matter, though. I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon. I’m not sure he could now if he wanted.”
Eve cocked her head at the deputy, a nagging suspicion of what the others were trying to insinuate making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “And just why couldn’t he leave? No one invited him here. I sure as hell don’t need him sticking his nose into my business.”
Alanna giggled. “I think it’s already stuck and you’re stuck with him.”
Eve was about to make a smartass comment about shifters and their noses when she spotted another person entering the bar, only this one did more than just aggravate her; he scared the hell out of her, a feeling she swore she would never experience again. She couldn’t help it. It was the first time she had seen him since she snuck out one night months ago while he went out for a drink. Her heart pounded in her ears, her breath caught in her throat, and all she could do was stare. When she saw the damage to her cabin, the note in red paint across her wall, she prayed he had not found her, that it was merely a threat by teenagers with wild imaginations. Yet, his appearance at Everglades told her that the warning was very much real. Her escape was only in her mind.
Eve swallowed the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her.
“Eve, sweetie, you okay?” Alanna placed a hand on Eve’s upper arm, hoping to shake her from the trance, Eve assumed, but it didn’t work. Eve couldn’t move. She could do nothing but stare as Kyle Wagner turned to her, his dark eyes narrow slits as he glared at her, his coal black hair disheveled from the breeze outside. He sneered at her as he started her way, menace in every step he took. Panic seized her, her eyes going wide in fear. No! No, no, no. Whatever she swore never to feel again didn’t matter. The icy grip of fear clawed at her nerves, rooting her in place.
“Eve, what’s wrong?”
This time it was Adira who asked, one arm across the table wanting to touch Eve and shake her out of her frozen behavior.
Kyle stepped up to the table, his sneer plastered across his face, as he ignored the others with Eve. He leaned on the table, his hands clasped in front of him, his lips curled up in a snarl. “Hello, Eve. What a pleasant surprise to see you here. Or rather, I bet you’re surprised to see me here. Or ever again, for that matter.”
Eve forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat, her hand gripping the knife hilt tightly. “What are you doing here, Kyle?”
He just smiled bigger. “You mean, how did I find you?” He reached across the table and took her beer, watching her with intense eyes as he tilted it back and drained it of what was left. Then he shrugged as he set the bottle back on the table. “What can I say, your mom has a soft spot for me. When she saw how distraught I was with your little vanishing act, she quickly told me where to find you.” He glanced around Everglades, his sneer a judgment of his distaste. “I have to say, I thought you had better class than this rat hole.” He turned his gaze back to her. “Still, I guess you thought if you found a nice little hole to bury yourself in, I would never find you.” He leered at her, waggling his eyebrows as he leaned closer to her. “But I found you, didn’t I? There is no escape, Eve.”
Lainie reacted then, grabbing Kyle by the arm and forcing him down on the table with a thud that sent the beer bottles toppling over. “What the hell did you say?”
He kept his gaze fixated on Eve, his smile never wavering. “Just an inside joke between Eve and myself. Right, Eve?”
Lainie leaned over, snarling in Kyle’s ear. All Eve could do was watch. “And yet, those exact words were painted on Eve’s cabin earlier. Wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“A cabin? Really?” Kyle chuckled. “You actually live in a cabin out here? Oh how quaint. Then I guess it’s a good thing I arrived to save you, isn’t it?”
