by Olivia Gayle
I want to see the girl.
His father’s text made Aidan’s blood run cold. How had his father even known about Ever? The answer was obvious: someone who’d seen them together today must have told him.
Just in case though, he sent the image he’d taken of Sonya’s picture, hoping that was who his father meant.
No dice.
The one with you.
Well, there went that hope.
“What is it?” Ever asked from beside him.
He wasn’t sure what to tell her. “We need to take a detour.”
“This have to do with my sister’s disappearance?”
“Maybe.” If anyone would know information, it was the Brahm. “My father wants to speak with you.”
Ever jolted at that news. “Your father?” she echoed.
Yeah, meet the family. His father would feel the mating bond immediately, Aidan was sure of it. He probably already knew; the man was strange like that. It was what let him run the community, and what had gotten Aidan in trouble so much as a child.
Well, that and he couldn’t lie for shit.
“If anyone knows about your sister’s presence in this town, it would be him.”
“Then why didn’t we go to him first?”
He shot her a look, then started the car. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Warn me about what? Is he a crazy recluse? Some Scrooge McDuck wannabe?”
The imagery almost made him laugh. Nerves had him on edge; between his father and Ever, he wasn’t sure what was going on anymore. Being summoned by his father was certainly one way to clear up any remaining thoughts of sex at least. Now, all he felt was a fierce protectiveness over the woman beside him, and it scared him.
Because he’d be willing to go up against the Brahm to protect her, battle to his last breath to keep her safe.
And he knew for certain that he’d lose that battle.
CHAPTER SIX
Okay, so of course they’d be heading up to the haunted house on the hill after she made her quip about billionaire Scrooge McDuck.
Of course they would.
Ever stared up at the dark Victorian structure as Aidan pulled to a stop in the round driveway. It looked like something straight out of a gothic novel, complete with black wrought-iron gates and an overgrown garden to complete the look. “Wow,” she murmured, not sure what else to say, “you grew up here?”
“Home sweet home.”
He seemed on edge, and Ever glanced back. He was staring at the steering wheel, and Ever couldn’t help but notice his knuckles were white. His response made her heart speed up a bit. “Not much one for family visits, are you?” she quipped, trying to cover her own growing nervousness.
Aidan tipped his head in a small shrug, still not looking at her, then opened his door and stepped out.
Very reassuring.
The stone walkway let to a black monstrosity of a front door. The frame here was metal, and looked thick. Even the windows seemed reinforced the same way, and if Ever had her guess, she’d bet they were bulletproof too. “He afraid someone’s going to try and break in?” she wondered aloud.
“More the opposite, actually.”
What was that supposed to mean?
Aidan pulled out a key and turned the lock. There was a thunk from inside the door, and Ever jumped. It sounded more like a vault door than a front door, but swung open easily enough.
What the hell kind of place was this?
“Ladies first.”
Ever glanced at the sheriff to see if he was being patronizing. He just stared at her placidly, and with a sniff she entered the house. A long entryway greeted her, and she stopped in the middle of it as Aidan stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The dark wallpaper didn’t make her feel any better, nor did the old pictures lining the walls.
The place looked as if it had stepped straight out of the Victorian era. “And I thought it was just spooky on the outside,” she said, her voice echoing down the hall.
“We try to keep the look consistent.”
The deep voice from behind her made Ever start violently. Apparently, the ambience of the house had gotten to her more than she cared to admit. She whirled around and came face to face with another man. “Shit, you scared me!”
“My apologies, that wasn’t my intention.”
The newcomer was tall, taller even than Aidan, with wavy dark hair and green eyes. He was dressed in business attire, slacks and a button up shirt, with a thin pair of glasses atop his nose. There was an obvious family resemblance between him and Aidan, but Ever doubted this could be his father. Far too young, closer to Aidan’s age.
She glanced at Aidan. “Your brother, I take it?”
Aidan cleared his throat again. He did that a lot. “Ever, this is Marshall Tucker.”
Ever had never really been one for suspense, so stuck out her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Marshall stared at her for a long second without moving, then reached for her hand. Instead of shaking it like she’d expected, however, he brought it to his lips. “The pleasure is mine.”
Something growled behind her and Ever jumped back, bumping into Aidan. She looked wildly about, expecting to see a guard dog, but there was nothing there. “What was that?”
“Interesting.”
“What’s interesting?” Ever shot back.
But Marshall’s eyes were on Aidan, who was glaring back. “You left out a few details in your report.”
Ever searched around the room, then looked up at Aidan too. Her eyes narrowed. “Were you the one that growled?”
A faint rose bloomed on Aidan’s cheeks. Behind them, Marshall laughed. “You don’t like animals?” he asked, sounding amused.
Ever tore her eyes from Aidan to stare at the other man and shrugged. “I can handle puppies and kittens, but generally try to stay away from anything that can bite my head off.”
Her answer surprised a laugh out of Marshall. “I like you,” he murmured, reaching down to pick a watch up off a nearby table.
“Well, that’s peachy.” She turned back to Aidan, deciding to deal with that growly bit later. “I thought we were here for information, not to impress anybody.”
Aidan’s hands crept up to her shoulders, giving them a squeeze. “We’ll find your sister,” he murmured, “I promise.”
Some of the worry went out of her body at his words. It felt so strange to trust him, especially since he’d all but kidnapped her beforehand. Involuntarily, her eyes dropped to his lips, his sweet, kissable lips. Maybe just one taste, to see if they were as soft as they looked…
Someone cleared their throat, breaking the moment. Aidan released her and Ever jumped away, frazzled, as Marshall looked on with some amusement. “As a matter of fact, I do have some information I’m willing to share. Unless you two would rather be alone?”
His insinuation was like a slap in the face for Ever. Here she was, mooning over a man she barely knew, while only God knew what was happening to her sister. “Yes,” she said, stepping away from Aidan to help clear her head. “If you have something, I want to see it.”
“Right this way.”
Ever glanced back at Aidan, then squared her shoulders and followed the other man. “So let me guess,” she said, unable to keep a rein on her nervous tongue, “you were named after the Western TV character?”
Marshall gave her a dry look. “Not really, although I get that a lot.” He entered a living room with tall ceilings and wooden bookshelves on almost every wall. A fireplace set at the far end and, just like in the movies, a single tall chair and small table sat in front of it.
She could almost imagine him sitting there reading, a glass of Scotch in one hand. Damn. He really is Scrooge.
“I was alerted this morning by an associate about an unauthorized entry into our camera systems.” Marshall went over to the far wall and tilted one book back. There was a click and a whirring sound, and he stepped back as the bookshelves opened outwards. A sea of moving squares wa
s revealed, and Ever realized it was dozens of images, most likely live, located all throughout the town.
“Cameras?” Ever stared at the wall of screens dumbfounded. “Wait a minute, you spy on the town?”
“He works with the Sheriff’s office,” Aidan said behind her. “It’s all legal and sanctioned, I promise.”
“Not by me,” she protested, glaring at the screen. “What if I don’t want to be videotaped?”
“Miss Jackson,” Marshall said smoothly, but not without a hint of iron, “my loyalty extends only to those in my care, which includes this town.”
“Well, I moved in yesterday.” She folded her arms, glaring at both men in turn. “3257 Browning Street. Signed a lease and everything.”
Aidan and Marshall exchanged glances. The sheriff looked annoyed that he hadn’t known this, but Marshall shrugged. “Welcome to Arcadia then, Miss Jackson. As I was saying.”
He turned back to the massive computer, pulling up several screens simultaneously. “Whether intentionally or not, the hacker didn’t delete the backups.” He punched in a few buttons, and the screen cleared, only to be replaced with one large video encompassing the whole monitor.
“Wait, I recognize those homes. That’s the street where my sister lived.” She turned wide eyes onto Marshall. “Where don’t you have cameras?”
“We have a very robust neighborhood watch in Arcadia, Ms. Jackson. Now, observe.”
The camera angle was a long view of the street, but someone was walking down the sidewalk toward the furthest view. Ever’s breath hitched in her throat as she saw the short hair and thin frame. “That’s her, that’s Sonya!”
Neither of the two men said anything, but Ever drank up her sister’s image. She’d never been this thin before, even when they were growing up. The long jacket hid much of her body, but the way it hung on her was such a shock to Ever.
But it was her sister. She knew it the moment she saw her walk, her eyes darting around the dark street as if afraid of what might jump out of the bushes.
“Did you know she was part of this town?” Aidan asked.
“I didn’t know,” Marshall said flatly, “and that bothers me.”
Sonya was almost to the little house Ever assumed was the now-demolished wreck when a van appeared toward the edge of the screen. Ever’s heart raced as it came to a stop right beside her sister, and men in dark clothing jumped out. “Oh, God.”
Aidan’s hand came to rest on her side, just above her hip. “We’ll find her, I promise.”
His touch was like an electric shock. She looked up and saw the conviction on his face then, flustered, danced away out of his reach. He didn’t hide his disappointment fast enough, and the hint of sadness she saw momentarily hurt her heart.
Why the hell was she so invested in what he thought of her?
She turned her eyes back to the screen and watched the struggle. For a moment, her sister was obscured by the van, then a white dog appeared and took off across the street. Ever didn’t remember seeing her sister with a pet, but the men gave chase and, moments later, appeared with the wriggling dog in their arms.
Beside her, Marshall and Aidan exchanged glances, but Ever’s eyes were glued to the screen. “What happened to her?” she demanded, tears rising in her eyes as the van drove off and out of frame. “Where is she?”
Marshall sighed. “I’m afraid, my dear, that your sister’s been kidnapped.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ever had raged, she had cried, she’d threaten to sue the entire town and the state if it would bring her sister back.
Now, she slept, but it wasn’t a restful slumber.
The hotel room hadn’t been her choice. She’d wanted to hit the streets running, sniff out her sister’s trail if necessary, do something. Aidan’s suggestion that she get some rest had been met with anger, and she’d stormed out, calling him a rat bastard for abandoning her sister.
He’d just followed after her, and tried not to take her words personally.
His father had promised to have answers by the morning, and Aidan knew enough to trust that. Still, it was cold comfort for Ever, who in obvious pain from having to watch her sister’s kidnapping. She refused to be comforted, and hadn’t been willing to listen to anything that wasn’t directed toward her sister’s rescue.
Aidan’s idea of staying in a hotel room had been met with derision, even though he knew it meant safety. On this, however, he hadn’t balked. She’d yelled at him, telling him he’d have to arrest her to keep her in one place, how horrible he was for holding her back. In the end, she’d gone into the hotel room, bitching the whole way. The moment she finally quieted and laid down in the bed, she was out like a light.
Never once, however, did she tell him to get out.
It was the little things that he latched onto.
Watching her sleep in that bed, his hands itched to hold her. Even now, her face was still wet with tears. What he wouldn’t give to take her in his arms, kiss them away, tell her everything would be all right.
Drawing in a raggedy breath, he pulled out his cellphone and retreated to the opposite side of the room, every inch from her a tug on his heart.
“Hey bossman.” The familiar voice of Mackenzie Wallace, his second in command, filled the phone. She seemed chipper for it being close to the middle of the night. “What’s up?”
"Mac, I need you to cover me for the next couple of days."
"Uh, yeah sure boss," she said, obviously curious but knowing better than to ask for details, "no problem. Everything okay?"
"Something came up." Lord, he needed to tell somebody. "I may have found my mate."
Ever would have probably heard the loud whoop that came over the phone if she hadn't been asleep. "You're serious? Oh man, congrats! So, how's the sex?"
He coughed, glancing at Ever still asleep. “It’s not like that,” he said softly, careful not to wake her, “not yet anyway.”
Mac just snorted. “Marcus and I were boinking like bunnies within half an hour after meeting each other,” she said, and he could almost see the smirk on the deputy’s face. “Not that anything’s changed, mind you.”
Aidan rolled his eyes. Sex wasn’t such a taboo subject amongst the Arcadian shifters. When you saw folks naked after a shift fairly regular, you learned not to sweat the small stuff. Now however, he had the image in his brain and couldn’t wash it out fast enough.
As if she knew what Aidan was thinking, Mac laughed. “But seriously, what’s holding you back from doing the dirty? It’s awesome, you know.”
“Her sister’s been kidnapped. That’s what brought her to Arcadia.”
That shut Mac up. “Jesus.”
“The Brahm’s doing everything he can to find the girl. Apparently he was never notified that she’d even entered the town.” Aidan looked back at Ever. “I need to handle this one personally.”
“No problem, man. You tell us what you need and we’re there.”
“See if there’s anything you can dig up on a work history for Sonya Jackson. I know my father’s handling it but I’d like as many eyes on this as possible.” Another thought came to him. “And take a look for any large dark vans in the area, possibly dark green, blue or black.”
“You got any deets? License plate or make?”
He gave her what little information he could, then murmured his goodbyes and hung up the phone. Between his father and his office, he hoped he’d have something concrete for his little fighter when she woke up in the morning.
Aidan walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, just staring at her. Ever’s dark hair was splayed across the pillow, her brow furrowed with worry. Even in sleep, she was distressed. He reached out and ran his finger lightly across her forehead, tracing the lines there and pushing back a stray lock of hair.
She shifted under his touch, and a soft snore wheezed out her open mouth.
Damn him, if Aidan didn’t think it was adorable.
Against his better judgment, Aidan
laid down beside Ever, careful not to move too quickly. She’d probably raise hell if she woke up with him this close. He’d seen her reaction to his touch in his father’s house, but he couldn’t help himself. The pull of her was too intense to stay away. He’d waited so very long to find his mate, and even if she was human he couldn’t resist being as close to her as possible.
Ever shifted, releasing a small sigh. She turned in her sleep, rolling over towards Aidan and cuddling up to him. He put his arm around her unconsciously, pulling her tight against his body, and she sighed again.
Right under his nose like this, she smelled fantastic. He lowered his head, closing his eyes and just experiencing her, the feel of her finally in his arms. His hands stayed still, not wanting to wake her and end this.
Shifters lived a long time, making it difficult to go out into the world and find their mates. As a result, many never found the one made for them, the one that was theirs and no one else’s. That didn’t stop them from carrying on with their lives however; many shifters settled into relationships with friends, even had children.
Always above that however was the knowledge that, if one parent found their partner, it might break up an otherwise happy home forever.
Aidan had waited a long time, longer than he cared to admit. While he’d been tempted to settle, maybe even with the farmer’s daughter Samantha, he’d kept himself busy to take the edge off. Keeping the peace amongst the shifters in Arcadia wasn’t without its interesting moments, but there was a lot of down time as well. Fortunately, he had his hobbies, and there was always something that needed to be repaired after a rampage or two.
But all of it paled in comparison to the woman in his arms. Aidan hadn’t realized he’d given up on ever finding her until that moment, that he’d resigned himself to a mundane existence without love. His father had done it, his brothers as well.
Ever nuzzled his chest through the shirt fabric, and Aidan’s grip on her tightened. That she was human was immaterial. Perhaps it had startled him in the beginning, but now he just worried about how helpless she was in his world. Shifters had various weapons in their arsenals, including faster healing, increased strength, and the ability to call on their animal in a fight.
