by Tl Reeve
“Hold on. You’re assuming they heard anything. They’re completely human. They couldn’t hear a flea fart.”
“I thought you said Danielle is special.” Kal cocked a brow. “Or were you blowing smoke up my ass about her?”
“She is. I can assure you what I experienced when she started working with Aiden,” Caden paused. “Shit, bro. It was amazing.”
“Are you sure she was touching the pup?” he quipped.
“Yes, dickhead. It wasn’t sexual at all, but it had been amazing nonetheless.” Caden’s blue gaze locked with Kal’s and his demeanor turned serious. “She’s my mate.”
Of all the fucking things he expected his brother to say, finding his mate hadn’t been one of them. “Shit. Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Shit. You enjoy putting me into sticky situations, don't you?” Jealousy burned a hole in Kalkin's gut. He couldn't completely say he was a “white picket fence” kind of guy, but he also wanted to spend his life with someone. There had been a niggle or two of loneliness that filled him during the full moon, but he was the Alpha. Pack protection took precedence during the full moon, not getting his dick wet—even if he wanted to get it wet by fucking Keeley into submission.
“It’s not too sticky. We both know Tiffany won’t come at us after what I saw today. She’s stupid, but not careless. She’s expecting the Alpha’s wrath which means she might run to the Quincy pack.” Caden had him there. Though she tried to kill the pup within the county line he was charged to protect, she also realized trying to kill a pack member meant banishment for life or death. The first would be worse than death. The pack would be cut off to her. She’d be invisible to them. It cut a wolf’s soul. They were loners, never finding a place to call home. Even if Quincy took her in, she’d remain restless and hollow.
“Plus,” Caden continued, “if she does, she knows her ass will get picked up for trying to kill her pups, and she’d face pack justice.”
True, and if he had his way, he'd make sure she suffered like she allowed her pups to suffer as well. “Fine.”
Caden stepped off the porch and turned back to his brother. “Look, since you’re home, I’m going to run back to town and set up a daily delivery for Danielle and Aiden. If what I overheard is correct, he’s a little piglet. It makes me wonder how that little guy survived for as long as he did.”
“It’s a straight up miracle he survived his birth.”
4
It had been a few days since Kalkin had torn his brother a new ass for being reckless; however, from all indications, Danielle took care of Aiden as though he were precious cargo. And, little did she realize, he was. Aiden, Kal found out after talking to a couple of his informants, had been born out of a full moon run that went awry. It would seem not only had Tiffany tried to kill her pup, but she raped the kid who got her pregnant. According to his informant, the boy, Emmett, had been on his first run after his seventeenth birthday. Tiffany took advantage of the kid. Violated him and then tried to kill the evidence of their encounter.
If the situation couldn’t get any worse than a kid being born out of a case of statutory rape, it did. The father of the pup went missing as well. No one had seen Emmett since the full moon run. Kal sighed. This shit wouldn’t happen in his pack. It had been one of the reasons he banished Raymond Quincy and his pack of rabid dogs when he did. Humans would have started questioning the disappearance of some of the town folk. Or why huskies were roaming the streets. Quincy took shit too far and believed humans were their prey. Play things for his pack to chew on and toy with. The lawlessness had been out of hand when he fought Raymond and soundly beat his ass into submission. But, to go up against the Quincy pack meant putting his town at risk again, and he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t have to.
Kal walked through the station and spotted Royce with the new deputy, Logan. The guy had above reproach recommendations. He had been on the force in Oregon for ten years, and just wanted a change of scenery. Didn’t hurt he was also a wolf as well or one of their own, too. “Are you ready for your first day?” he asked, walking up to the new recruit.
“I think I am.” Logan smiled. “Thank you for this opportunity.” The man held out his hand and Kal shook it.
“It’s not a problem. If your commendations are any indication, I should be saying thank you to you.” His little town was growing. It had been inevitable. He understood the day would come when they couldn’t always be small and quaint. He'd realized a few things over the last few years. Humans took things in stride more often than not. Most either ignored the truth, accepted it as fact, or didn't stay long. Shifters were known. They didn't hide, but they also didn't go around broadcasting themselves for any kind of attention. Kalkin liked to believe they were a “live and let live” society. He also liked to think the humans in his county understood they could count on him for protection and help if they needed it.
“Royce.” He turned his attention to his nephew. “Why don’t you show Logan the ropes for today and tomorrow?”
“Can do.” His nephew directed their new deputy toward the cells.
With the new recruit taken care of, he turned his attention back to Loraine. “Hey, Lor. Any new info for me?”
The little brunette looked up at him and slipped her reading glasses off her nose. “Depends. Are we talking about the little pup at your neighbor’s house? Or did you mean this?” Loraine held up a manila folder. “Because if you mean this, it’ll cost you,” she teased. The woman had a legendary sweet tooth. Hand her a hot brownie covered with ice cream and chocolate syrup, and she was in heaven. The payment would be worth it.
“What do you want?” He reached for the folder she dangled in front of him.
“A date,” she said quickly.
“With who?” Kalkin was taken aback.
“I want a date with Jace.” Now that wasn’t what he was expecting at all. How the hell did he explain this to his little brother? He gazed at the woman sitting before him. Her cheeks were pink with a hint of blush. Her pulse throbbed against her throat. She’d been deadly serious.
“Um…” He scratched his chin and stared at the file which could potentially explain why Keeley had been so rude to them and why they'd been covered in bruises. Lor fluttered her lashes at him in challenge, even though he could smell her nervousness. “When?”
“Full moon,” she said plainly.
“I don’t—”
She cleared her throat and waved the file in front of him. The little blackmailer. He should paddle her ass like he wanted to do to a certain newcomer. “I think you're going to be very interested in what I found out about those girls.”
“Fuck,” he cursed. “You’re trouble. Complete trouble.”
“But it’s an endearing quality, Sheriff. Yet, I didn’t hear you say yes.” Her perfectly-manicured brow arched and a small smirk formed on her lips. The little imp.
“I should whoop your ass,” he growled. Her tinkled laughter made him smile. “I can’t promise anything, Loraine. You know this. Jace isn’t…normal.” It wasn’t his responsibility to explain his brother’s bisexuality or the fact he had a male lover in another town away from the pack.
“I know all about it, Kalkin. I understand he feels ashamed.” The expression on her face softened and the scent of sorrow rolled off her. “He should be himself wherever he is.”
“I’ll do my best, Lor.”
I’ll hold you to it, Sheriff,” she said, handing over the folder. “Be careful with these two. There is some information in here.” She sighed. “Well, it broke my heart.”
“Noted,” he said with a nod, taking the file. “I’ll talk to my brother as well.” Kalkin turned away from the front counter and walked to his office.
The urge to open the file and start reading up on his neighbors overwhelmed him. How bad could it be for it to affect Loraine so much? Well, she always was a little tenderhearted. Kal sat down at his desk and blew out a breath. There in front of him sat the answers to
his questions. He opened the file and stared down at the first incident report.
Keeley Blueriver, sixteen. He couldn’t believe what he read. She had been assaulted outside her school. Keeley and Danielle had been on their way home from school when one of the known bullies in the school accosted them outside the gym. When asked who he attacked first, both girls were tightlipped. Separated, Keeley said she was and she hit the boy to stop him. Hit wasn’t the right word. From the EMT report, he had multiple lacerations, bruises and one large bruise consistent with being hit with a baseball bat. The detective assigned to the case had written it off as a previous injury. By the time they were done with the investigation, the boy had been arrested for assault on both girls.
Laying the incident report aside, he picked up their high school and college transcripts. Both girls excelled in school. Both graduated at the top of their class. Right out of school, Keeley had put her computer skills and degrees to work as an author? Quickly, Kalkin looked Keeley up on one of the internet bookstores. Of course, it wouldn’t be so easy. He should have known she would use a nom de plume. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t continue to look for her works.
Then, he saw another, more recent report. Stalker was what Danielle and Keeley claimed. Multiple phone calls. Packages arriving at odd hours of the day and night. One of the attached reports was that of a break in. A growl built in his chest as he continued reading. The male perp stole underwear and personal items from Danielle. Her bedding had been slashed and torn. Her curtains were ripped from her windows and the contents of her closet had been strewn all over the room. Also, a male DNA sample had been left in the middle of her bed amongst the tattered sheets and blankets.
Kalkin saw red.
He flipped through the rest of the papers trying to find an arrest report for the male involved with this case. Nothing. No arrest. No follow up. No nothing. The next report showed another case of packages arriving once more at their home in a new town and a new state. Kal continued reading. There was a pattern there. Whenever this person got too close to them, they would move. In the last five years, they moved six times. That couldn’t be good for Danielle’s or Keeley’s businesses. Then, nothing. They completely disappeared. Their information had been wiped clean, as though they never existed in the first place.
However, what he found increasingly bothersome was the lack of information about Keeley and any incident reports that would cause the injuries both girls sustained recently. Or where they were living at the time. It was as though Keeley shielded her sister. Which made no sense whatsoever, considering what Caden had told him about Danielle. What are you hiding, Keeley Blueriver?
Unless…
To put his thoughts into questions could make protecting them harder. Yet, the longer he sat there staring at a nothing burger, he couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps the Psychic Bounty Hunters were on their trail.
Fifteen years ago, the PBH had been formed after an incident during the war. Those with abilities were sought after. Think of the power a country could wield if they had a seer or a strong psychic at their side. Only it wasn’t just formed to find seers; it was for all those who had special abilities, whatever they might be.
If what his brother said was true, Danielle might be on the run, which would also explain the bruises and the lack of information on both of them. Without proof, though, Kal couldn’t pursue his lead. He had to sit back and watch, which sucked donkey dick. It also meant whatever trouble the girls were dealing with could land in his lap, and in his town. Shit.
“Hey.” Caden’s voice had Kal’s head popping up. “Loraine told me you got some info on the girls. What does it say?” He crossed the space and sat across from Kal’s desk.
“A lot and nothing at the same time,” he said, letting out a rough sigh. “Take a look for yourself.”
Caden picked up the file and started reading it. For long moments he was completely silent, then he found the B&E report. His brother’s body stiffened. His jaw clenched and his hands gripped the folder tight. “Please tell me there is another report where they found the guy.”
“No, they didn't,” Kal answered.
“What the fuck?”
“There is a pattern. If you continue reading, you’ll see the girls moved a total of six times, then disappeared completely. Each time this person started in again, they would bug out. He stared at his brother, letting the information sink in.
“Shit. Do you think it’s why they were all bruised up?” Caden sat a little taller in his chair and closed the file.
“I have to assume so, but there are no reports about it either way. With you believing this girl is special, she seems to get more bad attention than good.” He wasn’t trying to brush off Caden’s assessment. His brother could be right, but without proof, he couldn’t know either way and without the girls talking to them about it, they were flying blind.
“Look, you have to trust me on this. Besides, what’s to say her abilities aren’t why she has this stalker?” Caden placed the file on the desk in front of his brother. “Anyway, instead of picking apart these reports, now we know a little bit more about them.”
Yes, his brother was right. They had more information. Now he could understand why Keeley was so tenacious when it came to her sister. He would be the same way with any of his family. It could also mean they had bounty hunters looking for the girls as well. “True. So, what do you want to do about it?”
“Mate them.” The answer had been simple and true to Caden’s personality. He already proclaimed Danielle was his. What could it hurt? Yet, mating them would mean they could protect them. But, getting past the bitchy veneer Keeley wore as a suit of armor would take some finessing. Both of them would have to work together.
“This could backfire on us.”
“Once they’re our mates, there is nothing anyone can do about it, and if the bastard comes looking for Danielle again, he’ll have to deal with us.” Oh, how simple his brother made it seem. However, there had to be more there, though. He could feel it. Keeley was hiding something.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” He couldn’t shake the feeling that come the full moon, his life would be ripped apart and would never be the same again.
“Look on the bright side; at least you’ll get past her icy façade. I bet you she is a fiend in bed.” Kal narrowed his eyes at Caden. “Or not.”
“Stop talking about Keeley. Don’t you have milk you need to pick up for Aiden?” Kal didn’t want to discuss what prowess Keeley had or didn’t have in bed. She wasn’t Caden’s; she was his.
The anticipation of running through the woods chasing after her while the full moon blessed their mating…fuck. He was hard just thinking about it. He wanted to feel her lips around his cock. He wanted to know if her pussy would scald him the same as her words did. His shaft throbbed in his pants, pushing against the fly. Was she a screamer? Fuck, he hoped she did scream. He wanted to hear her say his name while he fucked through climax after climax. Goddamn, get a grip asshole. She’s not a piece of meat, she’s a human. Yet, the idea of her growing round with his pups made that need to mate her expand exponentially.
Shit, this could be dangerous. He needed to get with his family and make sure every precaution would be in place. He couldn’t allow those girls to worry about another thing.
“Yeah, I do. It’s a good thing we have a few new mothers around here. I’ll see you at the house.” Caden stood. “You going to be okay?”
“Sure,” he answered.
“Your mouth says one thing, but your body is screaming something else.”
“And my fist is going to be in your face here in a second if you don’t move your ass,” he snarled.
“You’re wound too tight. The reason why I also came to see you is because the women want to know when they can start putting up their posters and stuff for the first festival of the summer.” Damn, he’d seriously been lacking when it came to work. Keeley had consumed his thoughts.
“Tell them nex
t week. We need to get with the deputies and figure out schedules and patrols. We’ll each have to take a shift during the full moon. Also, let Logan know what’s about to go down in town.”
Caden nodded and strode toward the door. “You got it.”
“Also, find out from Mrs. Martin if she’ll talk to the girls about what’s about to happen. We can only do so much.” He didn’t want them freaking out and running either. If they were hiding from PBH, then he certainly didn’t need them running any more than they had. He could protect them, even if they didn’t ask.
He shrugged. “I’ll let Danielle know when I bring her the supply of milk.”
“I’ll stop by and see Mrs. Martin, too. The crew is supposed to be by this week to fix up her place. See you at home.” He watched his brother walk away and went back to reading the file in front of him. There had to be something about Keeley buried in there somewhere other than the incident in school.
“Sheriff?” Loraine tapped on the doorframe.
“Yes,” he replied, closing the folder and setting it aside. “What's wrong, Loraine?”
“There is a man here I think you’re going to want to talk to.” Her carefree personality had gone serious.
Kal stood up and moved around his desk. “Who is it?”
Loraine licked her lips and gazed up at him. “He says he’s the FBI agent investigating Danielle, her sister, Keeley, and a Psychic Bounty Hunter going by the name Simon.”
Keeley stepped from her truck, then walked slowly to the back door of the house, but stopped short when she saw a note taped to the door. She glanced around, immediately feeling a sense of uneasiness wash over her. No! No! It was just starting to feel like home; he couldn't have found them so quickly—could he? She'd cleared everything before they left, and did even more when they arrived. No way he'd be able to find them yet.
They’d always had six months before the first note arrived. They’d been in Window Rock for less than a month. She tensed with apprehension as she approached the door with caution. What would it say this time? I want to peel the flesh from your body and watch you bleed… The last note had been the worst. Would this one be the final straw? She closed the distance between her and the house. If they were out there, watching her, she couldn’t run. Besides, it was better she found the note than Dani.
