by Susan Bliler
As a rancher he’s sought to have protection of the wolves removed as well as being the greatest advocate for wolf hunting. Recently we’ve drafted legislation that would re-list wolves as an endangered species.
RJ’s lost several cattle this year to the wolves and he threatened violence at our last meeting. The police had him removed from the premises. I didn’t file a report because I know how passionate people can be. I assumed it was all talk.”
Monroe’s expression darkened in disbelief. “He tried to kill you over some fucking wolves?”
“Like I said, people can be passionate about their causes. I’d kill to protect them; he’d kill to destroy them.”
Monroe smirked caustically, “I doubt you’d kill to save wolves.”
Lilly cocked her head, “I know you’d kill to protect yours.
Monroe leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “And exactly how much do you know about my wolves?”
Here it is. Time to come clean. Lilly drew in a steadying breath, and offered in preemptive defense. “I’m not dumb, Mr. StoneCrow, and I’m not blind either.” When he didn’t respond she forged on, “The phone bills.”
Her eyes flicked to the two other men in the room before coming to rest on Monroe as his expression darkened in impatience.
“I first noticed that the phone bills were nonexistent, except for calls I made. Even your cell is rarely used. It didn’t make sense because I knew you were doing a great deal of communicating with your newly hired staff. At first, I thought you were e-mailing, but when we transitioned here and didn’t have the internet for the first few weeks, you were still making things happen.” She looked at him accusatorily, “There still weren’t any phone records. You were communicating without actually calling or e-mailing anyone. Once the estate was up, I pulled the records for the infirmary and the rest of the manor. Nothing. None of you contact each other via phone.”
Monroe eyed her silently. When his brow’s hiked she knew he expected more.
“Then there were the Sentries you’d hired. They didn’t make sense for a wild life refuge and rehabilitation facility. Neither did the grandiose manor or the cabins you’re having built. I began to dig,” she felt slight shame at the admission, “I know Jenny isn’t a veterinarian. She’s a surgeon, one of the best in the nation. And Stoney’s a nurse, not a vet tech. And King,” she darted a glance at Monroe who still watched her, unmoved by her statements. “King is a highly decorated Master Chief assigned to Navy Special Warfare. It was then that I realized something was going on. You people weren’t who you claimed to be. Plus you all wear those,” she pointed to the halo that hung around Monroe’s throat. “I want you to know that I’ve had my suspicions for quite some time, but I’ve never shared any information with anyone, and I have no intention of doing so now. I am well aware of just how easy it is for you to make people disappear. I want you to know that you and your,” she stalled to pin him with unsure eyes, “werewolves can continue to rely on me for absolute secrecy. Your people, your operations, are safe with me, Mr. StoneCrow.”
Lilly’s body was rigid as she waited. She’d finally revealed that she knew Monroe and his people were werewolves. Now, he’d either kill her outright, or accept that fact that he could trust her.
Cold, blue eyes assessed her, and the minutes seemed to drag by before Monroe finally spoke. “We’re not werewolves, Ms. Worthington. We are Skin Walkers.”
He spent the next twenty minutes explaining their abilities and their varying stages.
Lilly gaped at him several moments before she blinked hard. “That’s why we need the school.”
Monroe smiled, “Yes.”
“We’re going to train the children to hone their abilities.”
Monroe nodded as he watched Lilly’s mind work. “What is that necklace you all wear?” She eyed the collar of his shirt.
“It’s not a necklace. It’s called a halo. It carries a part of our essence with it even after we gift it to our mate. The halo is generated through our youth until it becomes the halo you see now. It can only be removed when gifted to our mate. It cannot break, and it cannot be removed by any hand other than by that of the Walker who owns it.”
“And it is given to your wife?”
“Angel,” Monroe corrected. “We call our mates angels.”
They stared at each other for a moment of companionable silence before Monroe exhaled loudly and rubbed the back of his neck. “You know about us now, Ms. Worthington, and I don’t think I need to tell you how dangerous things have just become for you. Please know that if you have any designs on betraying me or my kind,” he didn’t get to finish.
“You don’t have to threaten me, Mr. StoneCrow. As I said, I’m not dumb or blind. I understand well the consequences of crossing you or your Skin Walkers. I plan on getting back to work and performing my duties with the highest level of professionalism and discretion.”
Looking relieved, Monroe plowed a hand through his dark hair. “Now, I’ve just got to figure out where King disposed of that body. I can’t have this coming back to bite us. We don’t need that kind of attention.”
Lilly dropped her eyes and felt the first real pang of regret for what King had done for her. She didn’t regret the loss of a monster like RJ, but she didn’t want to bring any trouble to StoneCrow.
Monroe stood, dusting a fleck of lint off his impeccably tailored slacks. Today, as was typical for everyday, he wore dark dress slacks with imported Italian shoes, ever ready for the boardroom or TV interview. His white button-up shirt was tucked into his pants and a black tie hung down the front of his shirt, and was slightly unknotted. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to reveal thickly corded forearms.
Suddenly the door opened and Cindy Sambrano entered. The small female with short, dark, hair was a recent hire to the estate. Eventually, she’d work in the Crow’s Nest, the pub that would be on the penthouse floor. For now, she assisted with the kitchen staff, keeping the stream of constantly arriving employees fed.
Carrying a covered tray, Cindy entered and scanned the room for a table. Finding none, she wordlessly approached RedKnife and gripped his elbow with delicate fingers before sliding her hand down his thick arm to grab his wrist. Although her fingers didn’t come near to touching, she lifted his fist and used her small fingers to force his hand opened so that it rested flat, palm side up. She placed her tray on his hand before smiling up at him and whispered, “Can you hold this for a sec.” She was completely oblivious to the fact that everyone in the room had suddenly stilled, all eyes locked on her. Even Monroe tensed as he peered apprehensively at RedKnife’s dazed expression.
No one ever touched RedKnife KillsPrettyEnemy. No one! Hell, even his best friend, King Mulholland, had only ever brushed the lone Indigenous Walker a handful of times over the span of their decade’s long friendship.
Unaware of her faux paux, Cindy continued to remove items from the nearest bedside table before removing the tray from RedKnife’s hand and smiling at him appreciatively before giving him a friendly wink then bending to lay out silverware next to Lilly’s lunch.
“Thanks!” She whispered to RedKnife.
When the room suddenly darkened, all eyes—except for Cindy’s and RedKnife’s—shot to the window.
It was rumored, but as of yet unproven, that Indigenous Walkers could control the elements. No one was certain if the shifts in weather, that seemed to mimic RedKnife’s moods, were coincidence or not.
Monroe cleared his throat. “That’ll be all, Cindy.”
She nodded once then quietly exited the room.
RedKnife still stood with his hand palm side up in the air, as if unsure what had just happened. He looked mystified.
Monroe had to smirk at the poor Walker’s confused expression. You’d think he’d just been accosted by a squirrel rather than merely touched by a beautiful woman. “She meant no harm, RedKnife.”
Instantly, RedKnife dropped his hand and his ever-present scowl returned. Sha
ken and unsure what else to do, he turned and stalked from the room.
Legion smiled at the CEO before being ordered, “Follow Ms. Sambrano back to the kitchen. Make sure she gets there safely.”
Legion hurried from the room.
“What was that all about?”
Turning to Lilly, Monroe supplied, “RedKnife isn’t used to physical contact.”
“Why?”
He shrugged, “Not sure. Just know it makes him uncomfortable.”
Once again, Lilly’s attention went to Monroe’s immaculate suit. From the moment she’d begun working at StoneCrow, she’d always found Monroe to be attractive; however, for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t attracted to him in the least. He was a God among mere mortals, all of his men were. The were all built like Adonis, had twice the height and muscle mass of any average man.
For the first few years, Lilly had felt like a fat frump having to work among such superb specimens. She imagined it must be exactly how a photographer’s assistant felt when on an exclusive photo shoot, snapping away at the world’s foremost beauties. After two years of self-loathing, she realized that most of Monroe’s people were just as beautiful inside as they were out, and the realization made it not so hard to pale in the shadow of their glory.
Lilly herself was no slouch in the looks department. Black heels, pin skirt, white shirt, with a dark suit jacket were her favored attire. Her hair was a honey blonde, and it tumbled to her waist in satiny waves, but for work it was pulled tight everyday to form a no-nonsense chignon. She went to pain-staking efforts to apply her make-up to appear flawless.
As Monroe reached the door, Lilly called to him. “Mr. StoneCrow.” He turned to stare at her. “If King’s actions are going to be a source of contention among the two of you, I’d like to take full responsibility now.”
Monroe frowned at her, “You’re not taking the blame for what he’s done.”
“But they were my children,” she whispered then swallowed, dropping her eyes and amending sadly, “They would have been my children. He’s defended me in a way I can never repay.” Then she raised her eyes to stare at Monroe evenly, “But I will try.”
He sighed, “What’s done is done. My punishing King won’t change that.” He turned to leave then paused before turning back, “Jenny informed me that she hasn’t had the opportunity to discuss this with you yet, but there are options.”
Lilly let her head fall back on the pillow as she rolled her eyes to the IV still steadily dripping into her arm, “Yeah I know. Adoption.”
“No.”
Her eyes shot to his.
The hint of a smile touched his lips as he turned the knob and pulled the door open. “Not adoption. There may be other viable options for you to carry your own children.”
Lilly’s mouth fell open and before she could question him further, Monroe and Legion disappeared out the door.
Halting outside the door, Monroe let it close fully before he turned to find King had reclaimed his duties from RedKnife.
“You’ve got some explaining to do.”
King kept his eyes on the far wall, “You knew what I would do.”
Monroe leveled his gaze on King, “You disobeyed a direct order.”
“What’s done is done.” King’s use of Monroe’s exact words didn’t go unnoticed.
“You’ve been demoted. Legion’s taking over as Chief of Security.”
King rolled his shoulders, feigning boredom. “Fine.”
“Damn it, King!” Monroe stepped up until his nose was inches from King’s. “Do you care at all what kind of trouble you’ve wrought on your brothers and sisters?”
“Don’t do that,” King challenged finally turning his eyes to meet the CEO’s. “You and I both know that you can make this disappear without batting an eye. She’s given you five years of loyal service, and the second she’s attacked you can’t even avenge her.”
“Sometimes,” Monroe ground out through clenched teeth, “loyalty is rewarded with more than just vengeance.”
King shook his head and focused his eyes back on the wall, “No. The least loyalty should be rewarded with is vengeance. You’d better reassess your priorities, Crow. There are some Walkers who haven’t been here as long as Lilly. Do you think they’ll give their loyalty to you now when it isn’t repaid?” King smiled to himself as he caught the flicker of understanding that flashed across Monroe’s face before he could hide it.
“If Walkers in my domain disagree with my rule, then they can leave.” He didn’t wait for King to respond; instead, he stalked halfway down the long corridor and stopped. “By the way, you should know that Richard Jamison had a significant amount of money deposited into his account just before his attack. I’ve just been informed that the funds came from Megalya Lab Corp.” He turned and stalked down the hall tossing over his shoulder just as he exited the infirmary with Legion on his heels. "This attack wasn’t about Lilly.”
King didn’t get the chance to relax before Bishop exited an exam room, his expression dark.
“Thanks for the extra patrol shifts!”
King dropped his eyes to stare as Bishop passed. He let the Walker Sentry get nearly to the end of the hall before he called, “What would you have done if it had been Jenny?”
Bishop came to a hard stop.
Whether Bishop knew it or not, the other Walker’s could scent his desire, his fierce need whenever he was in Jenny’s presence. The Surgeon was his.
Turning, Bishop scowled, “I’d have gotten answers before I sought vengeance.”
King pulled back his lips as his face contorted into an animalistic sneer, “You fucking reek of the lie. We all see what’s happening between you and Jenny. You’re rutting so hard for that little piece of ass that you can barely see straight.” King’s scowl lessened; he knew how to goad the Sentry. “I can see why.”
“Don’t!” Bishop growled, his eyes dimming in warning as he turned to fully face the recently replaced Chief of Security.
“See?” King straightened his shoulders and turned his face forward. “We can’t even joke about your precious Jenny, but I’m supposed to let some man attempt to kill my Lilly.” The words were out before King could check them, and he heard Bishop’s sharp inhalation. Bishop had heard the words, smelt the possession, picked up on King’s emphasis.
“Your Lilly?” Bishop grinned in triumph, “Appears I’m not the only one rutting so hard I can’t fucking see straight.” Then without another word he turned and strode determinedly down the hall.
King fell back against the wall and slid down it to rest his head in his hands. Fuck! She belonged to him!
Chapter 14
Lilly felt better then she had in days. She was healing nicely. Days earlier Jenny had promised that after she’d run some preliminary tests, she would disclose to Lilly this mysterious means by which she might just be able to still conceive children.
“How are you today?” Jenny asked without looking up from her e-tablet as she strode into the room.
“Great.”
Jenny shook her head. She could smell that the comment was an exaggeration, but not an outright lie. Setting down the tablet she secured a cuff on Lilly’s arm to take her blood pressure.
“So, today’s the day.” Lilly slapped her free hand on her thigh and shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of nonchalance that didn’t quite hit its mark.
“Yes, if all goes well you’ll be out today.”
“And?” Lilly prompted.
Jenny was silent for a moment as she finished the blood pressure reading. Then she was pulling the stethoscope from her ears and wrapping it around the back of her neck before she smiled down at Lilly. “Aaaand, I did the tests and I’m delighted to tell you that the results look promising.”
Lilly sighed in relief and fell back against the pillows propped behind her. “Okay, so tell me already. You said there’s some sort of regeneration process. Is it a shot, medication…does it require surgery? What do
I have to do?”
Jenny paled slightly as she gnawed at her bottom lip. “First let me disclose again that this is not a guarantee.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
“Seriously, Lill,” Jenny sobered, “I don’t want you getting your hopes up. There is a significant chance that the treatment might not work.”
“Okay, so it’s a treatment. How often do I take it? How do I take it?”
Jenny rolled her eyes at the other woman’s impatience. “Look, we’re not your average humans here, so we’re not talking about conventional medicine.” All Walkers on the estate had been informed that Lilly was now aware of their true identity. Monroe wanted her watched from all sides for any sign of betrayal. “A majority of our research is still in the experimental phase. Walkers are rare Lilly. This is my first chance to actually do any experimenting to find out what exactly works and the affect our unique abilities have on humans.”
“But does it work?” Lilly demanded.
Jenny smiled, nodding slowly. “Yes. It has worked in another instance.”
Lilly smiled eagerly up at her friend as she gnawed on her bottom lip.
“But,” Jenny began.
A frown tugged at Lilly’s features. “But? But what? There’s no but.”
“Yes, Lilly, there is. And, it’s a huge but.”
Lilly rubbed her temple nervously, “How huge of a but? Are we talking a monkey sized butt or a rhino sized butt.”
Jenny rolled her eyes then turned serious. “Rhino.” She could scent Lilly’s fear and trepidation seeping into the room so she rushed on. “In your case we’re going to administer the treatment in a manner that’s not been previously tested.”
“Why?” Lilly demanded, “Why can’t I just get the treatment the way everyone else has.”
Jenny erupted into laughter. “You’ll need a candidate first.”
Lilly shook her head, “Come on Jenny, out with it.”
“Sorry,” Jenny smirked before shaking her head and turning all business. “Okay, so you have to let me finish before you cut in.”
Lilly nodded.
