His expression when he turned to her was glazed bafflement.
“We don’t know exactly how many. The operation has been running for several months – maybe half a year. But those dogs going out the back door to be euthanized are being harvested as vessels for the women he captures.
“He – you mean the Sultan?”
“Yes, he’s the mastermind behind the whole operation just as you said. What I didn’t expect is the fact Carl and Sue are in on it. They practically run the show.”
Dorran turned from the truck as the dogs bailed out, scattering in the massive yard, sniffing and barking, rolling and checking out the facilities. “The whole operation is run out of the shelter. It fits – perfectly. We haven’t been able to locate any of the missing women – they’ve been right under our noses.”
Meagan nodded, “Aubrie and Logan back?”
“Yeah, they’re inside.” He reached up and scratched the back of his head with the flat of his palm. “Shit.”
“I know. Makes you sick, doesn’t it?” She studied the dogs familiarizing themselves with the pasture and wondered at the ramifications. “We have to stop him.”
He turned to her. “Yes, we do. Come on.” Gathering her hand, he headed for the house with the dogs following close behind.
Chapter 19
Dorran never thought he’d feel uncomfortable in the room with other supernatural types. He was certainly tight enough with J.T. and Jessie that he knew they’d welcome him with a hey-there along with a smile each time he saw them. Yet, as he followed Meagan into Aubrie and Logan’s living room, his stomach filled with unease. He and Meagan had tip-toed around the idea there was something between them while he withheld intel from the Shadow Company that was vital to the mission. He didn’t figure he was number one on the list of favorites right about now. Not that he couldn’t handle the punishment. The council had made it crystal clear what the outcome for him would be if he didn’t man-up and finish the task of training the new witch. It was the bargain he had made with them – have the witch ready to face the Sultan by her twenty-first birthday or face the consequences which were lights out for him. A part of him held back with Meagan for that very reason. Damn it to hell, but just one night with her would be worth giving up his undead life.
Call it a sense when he stepped into the foyer, and the conversation halted. The floor plan was open, so despite a counter dividing the kitchen from the living room, everyone had a decent view of the whole front half of the house. Aubrie stood at the coffee maker, brewing a pot as Katie fixed sandwiches. Neither of them said anything – just a nod and a quick smile that really didn’t include their eyes. Jessie and J.T. glanced their way. Jessie’s smile was warm as she reached out and hugged his neck. Glancing around he saw Logan and Duke seated near the fire. Both eyeballed him with narrowed eyes. The idea of being drilled by the leader of Shadow Company wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. The one that really unnerved him was Duke. The level glare he shot Dorran spoke volumes as to his opinion of his Irish ass. After all, he’d been sniffing around Duke’s little girl. Cowboy terminology boarded on the vulgar sometimes. In this case, it was part literal. Dorran got the solid impression Duke felt like Meagan was in way over her head. He swallowed hard and sat next to her on the couch.
“You found her.” J.T. jabbed Dorran with the obvious.
“Yeah, she can’t stay away. You know that animal magnetism.”
Logan watched them settle on the couch. “Good to see you, Meagan. The house sitting go well?”
Meagan blushed to the roots of her dark hair. “It went well. Better than expected. When did you guys get back?”
Logan nodded. “This morning. You’ve been busy.” The observation held enough grit to ignite a boomer.
Dorran glanced down at his boots.
Duke coughed from his perch on the arm of the loveseat. “Looks like you found out a few things this morning. By the way, don’t worry. I got Traveler back safely.”
Meagan’s head dropped to examine her hands. “Thank you,” she said with respect.
In retrospect, Dorran wished for the opportunity to explain some things to Meagan before all of them met. She deserved that much. It was too late now. The proverbial shit was fixing to hit the fan.
Aubrie and Katie placed the food on the coffee table. A pot of coffee was passed around as everyone settled.
Without acknowledging the elephant in the room, they all tuned in.
Meagan reached over, taking his hand in hers. Dorran blinked. The woman had a way of shoving his composure through a shredder even here.
“Let’s get started.” J.T. took the floor and wasted no time in bringing everybody up to date on what Dorran had found.
With half an ear on J.T., Dorran’s mind wandered. Hot and needy. Not the most logical way to handle things considering where they had been and what they had done. He glanced over at the bedroom door now closed and recalled the night he’d spent with her – getting to know Meagan. He had wanted nothing more than to peel the clothes off her, right there in the next room and do way more than kiss just her mouth. He needed to get his shit together.
“Dorran, did you know the Sultan was working out of the shelter?” Logan’s concern showed in his frown.
Back to reality. “Not exactly. I tracked the Sultan there, where his scent was strong within the walls. I figured he had targeted Meagan as his next victim. I didn’t put two and two together about the women being involved with the dogs.” He glanced at Meagan. Her face remained composed and attentive. He could see a tightening of her jaw though. “She mentioned that one of the dogs spoke to her. We didn’t get a chance to pursue the phenomenon though. The story the manager gave was they shipped the dog, Sally off to the clinic for vetting. I admit the ‘trafficking women in dogs’ bodies’ idea was too farfetched. It wasn’t high on my short list. That mistake is solidly on me.” He paused a second as he glanced at Meagan. “I thought Meagan was overworked and stressed over the Sultan’s return. The whole time, he’s been using the shelter as cover for the trafficking under our noses. I didn’t figure out exactly how until Meagan returned this morning.”
The room grew silent for a few minutes as everyone considered his words. Logan sipped from his cup before speaking. “This is going to be tricky. I’ll examine the dogs you’ve brought back and see if we can reverse the spells. Without the original spell, or at least, familiarity with the process, we may not have much luck. Then there’s the women’s mental state. It will play a big role in how they recover. This could be a long recuperation. Testifying may come later.”
“Well, so what else is new? Each one of us sitting here today can relate to blowback from trauma,” J.T. said, reaching for a sandwich.
Those around the room nodded before Logan pinned Meagan with the trafficking topic. “Tell us what Mrs. Abernathy told you about the transport of animals to cargo ships docked in the river.”
Meagan straightened, her hand never leaving Dorran’s. “She said the dogs’ souls are replaced with the females. I don’t know what the spell the Sultan uses consists of except the dogs house the women until they reach their destination. Then the dogs are dumped overboard like discarded containers.” A single tear trailed down her cheek.
The only sound was the crackling of the fire.
***
Katie finally spoke up. “Meagan, can you tell them how you went about protecting yourself yesterday? I think we’d all like to hear how you defended yourself against the dog catcher.”
Meagan nodded. Glancing at Dorran, she eased out to the edge of the couch. “First of all, I wanted to say thank you for all you’ve done for me. I don’t know where I’d be without you guys.” She sought each of them out and smiled. “Okay, so yesterday, I was in the prep room cleaning up some puppies when Carl came in and started calling me names.”
“What kind of names?”
She shook her head. “Degrading names. I don’t want to talk about that.” Her head dropped, and she sigh
ed. “That part I explained to the sheriff. I don’t want to relive the incident, I just want to tell you, I defended myself.”
“That’s good,” Aubrie said. “You’ve been an attentive student and mastered a skill set you can be proud of.”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” She toyed with her talisman Dorran had given her. “I did something yesterday – I’ve seen you guys do it so many times. I don’t…were any of you there, like telepathically or viscerally?”
Glancing at each other, everyone s shook their heads.
“Why do you ask, Meagan?” Logan’s interest had peaked.
Lacing her fingers, she stilled. “Because I shot fire or lightning or something at Carl. He landed in a heap against the tub.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Whatever it was must have burned like heck, because he didn’t try to come near me again. It came from my finger tips and blazed at him. I don’t know how I did that?”
She studied them, gauging their responses.
Logan laughed. “Finally!”
Duke smiled like a papa whose daughter had just hit a home run. “That’s my girl,” he said, slapping J.T. on the back.
J.T. glanced at Dorran who leaned on his knees.
The whole thing was burning a hole in Dorran’s gut. “I don’t get it.” She was his task, and they were smiling at her meager accomplishment. The council wouldn’t be so pleased. It irked him for them to make light of her meager success. “What’s the matter? You guys never saw a human have a moment?”
Jessie shifted toward him and Meagan. “But guys, this is superior news. It means she’s got the gift.”
“The gift? I don’t follow?” Dorran scowled at the smiles and slaps on the back. You’d have thought somebody had a baby.
Logan sobered. “Dorran, it means she’s ready. Your training can begin.”
Glancing at the rest of them, Dorran shook his head. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Logan’s eyes gleamed. “We’ve been waiting for a sign. This is it.”
“Hold on.” Dorran stood. “Just a minute.” Standing amid the little band of warriors, he could have sworn they were mistaken. “The council didn’t say anything about a sign.” He glared around the gathering looking for confirmation. Still smiles all around. “How do you know it’s time?”
“Dorran, our apologies. You’ve been out of the loop on this one. We were observing your efforts without interference.” Cutting an eye at Katie, Duke’s mouth thinned. “Well, not much interference anyway.”
Logan, the warlock rose up, coming to stand in front of him. “The prophecy states a woman of purity will come of age and rid the world of the evil once and for all.” He extended a hand. “Meagan, would you join us?”
Standing, Meagan slid near to Dorran. Her glistening eyes gleaming in the light of a low simmering fire made him want to sigh. By the gods, she was breathtaking. How could he help but fall in love with her?
Logan slapped him on the shoulders. “Dorran, my man, this is your chance. The whole thing has never been about Meagan becoming the witch she was meant to be. No, it’s been about you and your journey. Atonement was the ploy the council used to drag you kicking and screaming into our little band of mercenaries. Forgive us for putting you through the trials, but war wreaks havoc on us all. Sometimes love must be tough. We’ve concluded that Meagan needs your strength and resolve moving forward. Can you be her rock, her steadfast anchor in time to come?”
Dorran’s grin grew with each word Logan spoke. Meeting Meagan’s eyes, he steadied himself. Like the calm after a storm, her smile anchored him. “It would be my humble pleasure.” Corny, he mused but soaked in truth. “Meagan, will you accept my help and security?”
Meagan’s eyes filled again. She batted the tears away as she beamed at him. “Yes, Dorran O’Hare. I will.”
“Then, by the gods’ faith in us as warriors, I release Meagan to your care.” Logan took a step back. “We have a great deal to accomplish in a short period of time, but first, I believe a celebration is in order. Aubrie, do we have wine?”
“Of course, my husband.”
Chapter 20
Light filtered through the transom windows in the small room off the office of Leighton Investigations. Dorran relaxed on the bed and wondered how she did it. The last few hours had been brutal. They had trained in combat and spells until his eyes wanted to cross. Meagan sat hunched over the spell book with an intenseness he found heart-warming if not dedicated. She was an enigma, wasn’t she? So focused and yet so fragile, like a lull-a-bye on a breeze. Now he was getting ridiculous. She was so much more than he could ever dream of and would be a wonderful mate for the right man someday. Not, a hybrid with murder in his past life. No, Meagan deserved so much more.
“Let’s take a break.” He walked over to her with a glass of wine in his hands. The cabernet smelled good. He hoped she liked the flavor. “I want to show you something.” He tilted his head to see her eyes. She hadn’t looked up yet. When she did, hers were glazed with fatigue. “This is why I want you to rest. You’re taking all of this too seriously.
“I can’t help it. There’s so much riding on this one assignment.” Glancing back down at the ancient leather-bound book, she frowned. “Do you think I’m ready, Dorran?”
His name on her lips drew him closer. “Here, let me.” With two fingers he picked up the book and set it atop the nearby shelf. “It will wait until you’ve rested. With a fresh mind and eyes, you’ll retain so much more and easily.” He took her by the hand and walked her to his small bed in the room he rented from J.T. “Here.” Handing her the wine, he sat beside her. The wine glass came to her lips, and she sampled the refreshment.
“Um, that’s good.” She looked over to catch him staring at her. He was comfortable in a sweatshirt and jeans, no biker gear needed for her to want to reach out and trail a finger down that chiseled cheek. He tensed under her touch. “Sorry,” she offered.
He shook his head. “It’s not you. It’s me.”
She took another sip of the cabernet. “You’re staring at me. Do I have a third eye in my head?”
His laugh was easy.
She liked the way he laughed, from deep in his chest. “If I asked you, would you tell me about your time in Afghanistan?”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I want to know. I need to know, Dorran. It matters to me.”
“Why?”
Rather than shrug again, she faced him squarely. “Because you matter to me.”
He studied the glass in his hand. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“The truth is always the best idea.”
“You’re not going to like it, I promise you.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Tell me, please.”
The intake of air was automatic. Dorran struggled with the request. Finally, Meagan watched him relax a fraction. “There were times over the eight years I spent there, I didn’t think I’d see tomorrow. Some days, I hoped I didn’t.”
Her hand automatically went to his.
“Meagan, I’m not the man you think or imagine I am. There’s no romantic hero come home from war sitting here. I killed people over there too many times without thinking of them as human beings. They were targets in my sites.”
She watched his expression growing serious. Her hand tightened on his. “How did you get the scars? There are so many.”
He glanced down at the ridge of scar tissue running along his forearm. “IUD. I cut the wrong wire and blew up seven of my friends.”
Meagan made sure her expression never wavered. She didn’t move a muscle.
“The inquest called it collateral damage. That’s bullshit. I murdered those men as sure as I put a bullet in their head.”
“No, you didn’t. It was a mistake. A horrible mistake. Dorran, look at me.” She prayed silently for a moment, willing her next words to be the right ones. “You’re not to blame. Mistakes happen.”
“Yeah, they do. The board said I’d sho
wn moral imperative. Shit.” Dorran turned from her then.
“I have to say you're too hard on yourself. Sometimes in this life, things happen out of our control. We can’t blame ourselves for what we couldn’t control.”
Dorran swiped at his eye. “Right, like the fact that I hesitated. The tremors – I got them in the early days of being a wolf. Mostly under pressure likely the fact I was scared shitless didn’t help. Anyway, I hesitated. I couldn’t get my damn hand to stop shaking and wasted precious time. I needed that time because I cut the wrong wire – the red one. I didn’t have time for a second chance at the green one. The bomb went off within seconds. No time to alert anybody, no time to save any of my family.”
Drawing him in, Meagan took his head and pressed him into her chest. The sob raked him. The sound of his misery welling up like a cry from the depths of his soul. “Easy,” she whispered. “I’m right here.” They remained there until he calmed some and pulled back.
“Sorry. Anyway, now you know. I’m not the man you need, Meagan. I’m not anywhere like the man for you.”
Meagan sighed heavily. Dorran was the man she’d always believed in, she mused.
“No, Meagan, I’m not.”
Startled, she supposed she’d made that declaration aloud. “I told my parents it was never too late. What our lives had been in the past didn’t have to define our lives moving forward. I think they tried to accept that before their deaths.” She reached for his chilled hand. Not warm any longer, she thought. “Leave this – leave it in the past.” She ran her fingers along the ridge of his scar.
“Tell that to the council.”
Fear pricked her system. “They are still threatening you with termination?”
“Yeah, but I deserve it, so it’s okay.”
Heat swamped her. Jumping to her feet, she wheeled on Dorran. “Stop that. Stop it right now. You’re not going anywhere. Is that clear? I’m a witch now, your mission is complete. I’ll do what needs doing, and everything will be all right.”
He smiled. “You are something, you know that? I’m so proud of you.”
Blood Born Page 16
