Stalked (Rogues Shifter #2)

by Gayle Parness

  When he got up, Ethan ran out and came back in the door around 1:00 PM with containers of food that he’d picked up from Liam. We chose a delicious stew and sat down to eat together, chatting about when we should make another appearance in town. We thought that maybe it would be fun to go into town tonight to see what the nighttime scene was like. Ethan said he’d call Frank to discuss it.

  Maya had said no to driving out for a talk, too busy with the hunt for Kennet going on, but agreed to take some phone time to discuss Bridgett. She was another force of nature, only instead of leaving a makeover in her wake she’d take your mind and wring it out, then shake it and hang it on the line to dry. I’d been involved in a couple of tense standoffs with her, but she’d also been instrumental in helping me beat Antoine, so I considered myself in her debt. Although she looked to be around twenty-two, she was at least two hundred years old, sometimes doling out orders with a superior attitude to match her more advanced years. Still, she was a cheetah, the only other one in all of Crescent City, so she was the one I went to for information.

  “Tell me what’s up,”

  Garrett had let Maya into the loop with info about our investigation to find Brina, which saved me a lot of time. I tucked my legs up under me on the couch and spoke to her about Bridgett. explaining that she was a cheetah with some natural power of her own. I described her aura, the little she’d told me about living with her werewolf father, her intense fear and anger and her attempts not to attract attention to herself.

  “How old is she?”

  “Seventeen, like me.”

  I heard an interested grunt on the line. “Jackie, you know that cheetah shifters are very rare, right? Not counting Garrett, you, me and now Bridgett, there are probably only around six or seven others that we know of in the entire state of California, although there are at least 150,000 shifters in the state. In fact we’re so rare that we’re probably all distantly related: or maybe not so distantly in some cases. I’d check out her DNA if I were you.”

  What she said made me shiver with excitement. “She doesn’t look like me.” Although I hadn’t really looked that closely.

  “I think you may want to find out anyway. She could be a distant cousin. It would be good to have family wouldn’t it?”

  “I have a family here with Garrett and Rob and the team, and anyway, she’s really bitchy.”

  “I suppose you were never bitchy when you were afraid or angry?”

  “She could be related to you, too.” Turnabout is fair play.

  I could hear the smile in her voice. “Yes, she could, as could you.” That got my attention. I thought about Maya’s blonde hair and her green eyes and it made me wonder. ”She sounds like she needs some help.”

  “I was afraid you’d say that.” I leaned back with a sigh.

  “You wouldn’t have called me if you didn’t want to help her. You’re a healer; it’s what you do naturally.”

  “But I have to find Brina and Kennet is after me. It’s too much all at once.”

  “Stop whining. You have the rest of the team to help with Brina and you have Garrett, Liam, Lord Caelen and me to help with Kennet. But you might be all that Bridgett has right now.”

  “Maya what do you know about my family?” I’m sure I must have sounded a little desperate.

  “I’ve done some digging. There’s some evidence of a birth in the Lake Tahoe area that coincides with the month and year of your birth. I’ll keep looking for you. Cheetahs should know their backgrounds.” Her scientific curiosity was kicking in. “I was born in New York and my family never moved to the west coast." She didn’t elaborate any further.

  "I appreciate the help."

  "Don't get too used to it."

  We said our goodbyes and hung up. It was around 3:30 in the afternoon when the phone rang. It was Liam.

  Hello, Miss Jacqueline. I trust that everything is going well on your mission?”

  “Uh, Liam, I think you can drop the Miss Jacqueline. You called me Jacqueline or Jackie in Faerie so can’t we just stick with that?”

  “When we’re alone or with Garrett, but in front of all the others I think it is wise to continue playing our roles outside of Faerie. Being underestimated and overlooked works well for me.”

  “Okay, I get it. That’s fine. Thanks for the food. I’m not a great cook and neither is Ethan.“

  “I would teach you some simple recipes, if you want to learn.”

  I tried to sound enthusiastic. “That might be fun. Was there something you needed to tell me?"

  "Kennet has definitely left Faerie. No one knows where's he's gone. I need you to be on your guard at all times. He has strong powers of mental coercion and illusion. If you suspect that he is near, you must contact me.”

  I took a breath, knowing that I was probably going to get reamed for not speaking right up as soon as I'd felt sick after bowling. I confessed to Liam about my sudden weakness yesterday and how the coldness and nausea felt similar to when Kennet had jabbed me mentally at the Midsummer Ceremony.

  Liam sounded exasperated. “I will investigate, but you must tell Garrett. Do not withhold any facts from him, even if you think them insignificant. Will you never learn this lesson, Miss Jacqueline?”

  “I’ll tell him tonight. I’m being an ass. Thanks.”

  “I had nothing to do with your asinine behavior, but you’re welcome.” We both laughed. I realized suddenly that I felt much better having told someone what I suspected about last night’s episode. I found that I relied on Liam’s advice and friendship more every day as our link as healers strengthened. We were unique in an often violent world, forced into bloody action ourselves at times. Although Liam was vastly more experienced dealing with his dual nature due to his 1500 years, he never treated me like a child, and I was grateful for that.

  I switched gears. "The woman you were with at the Midsummer Ceremony was beautiful.”

  There was silence on the line for at least 15 seconds. “She is the oldest child of Lady Jorrenn and Lord Alanae and we have been close for many years. Her name is Kellaine. Her brother is Farrell.”

  Now there was silence on my side of the line. “I’m sorry if it was impolite of me to ask." My face heated up and I was glad that no one was here to see my blush. “But I’m happy for you, Liam. She’s lovely."

  "You were described the same way after your visit with us.”

  “Oh, I’m sure that there were other choice words as well.” I laughed again.

  I heard him sigh.” You don’t truly see yourself, Jacqueline.” I didn’t know what to say so I stayed quiet. “Now I have made you uncomfortable; I apologize.”

  “It’s fine, Liam."

  After I hung up, I noticed that Ethan was standing in the doorway looking curious. He was dressed for an exciting evening in Gasquet in jeans and a pale blue button down shirt. He was rolling up the shirt sleeves because the evening was warm.

  “So why are you an ass this time?”

  I glowered at him, deciding to tell him about the Kennet thing and not the Kellaine comment. “When I felt sick yesterday it reminded me of Kennet’s power. It had his unique feel about it. I didn’t tell anyone except for Liam just now, who said I should have told Garrett. Hence the ass comment.”

  “Which I second, because you should have told me too.” He was scowling at me.

  I frowned back. “Yeah, so I screwed up again. I felt sick and I was exhausted. Just lay off, okay?” I glared, waiting for a sharp retort, but that wasn’t in Ethan’s nature.

  He gave me a crooked smile and said, “It's okay. Just tell me next time, alright?”

  I sighed. “Sorry, I’ll go get dressed.” I threw on a pair of jeans and a green embroidered v-neck tee. I pulled my hair back with a couple of clips and put in my contacts, grabbing a lightweight jacket on the way out the door.

  Ethan drove quietly in the car for awhile then said tentatively. “We don’t have to go if you don’t feel up to it.”

  “I’m fine. I�
�m just feeling a little overwhelmed right now. I have Kennet on my tail. He’s left Faerie. Plus I feel like I really messed up by letting Bridgett know I was a cheetah. When we show up at school on Monday, the cat might be out of the bag, and then the mission will have crashed and burned. It’ll totally be my fault.”

  Ethan reached over and squeezed my hand. “Everything is fine. Kennet won’t touch you. We have plenty of people watching out for him. As far as the mission goes, we’re on track. We're meeting the others at Chili’s and then we’re going to a club where a local band is playing. It'll be full of shifter teens so you can check auras. No one suspects anything so stop beating yourself up. We can dance and have some fun tonight.”

  “Gasquet may never recover after you hit the dance floor.”

  “Why thanks, Mel.” His eyes were sparkling with laughter. Ethan knew he was hot, but I never saw even a hint of an overinflated ego. He was always just Ethan: funny, generous and, hidden behind the goofiness, sharp as a Fae blade. He’d had a rough transition to shifter; getting involved in drugs, quitting school and then supporting his habit by stealing and even prostitution. Rob had taken him from the street and worked to keep him clean and get him back on track.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Are you assuming that was a compliment, Sammy?” Ethan was actually an amazing dancer, as was Sinc.

  He snorted a laugh. “Well at least I don’t trip over my own feet.” He was referring to my dancing during the bonding party that Garrett and I had thrown last month.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t be doing any dancing at the club. I’m going to be having a heart to heart with Bridgett and also checking out the locals to see if anyone knows anything about our missing fae.”

  My mind was already spinning, thinking about how I was going to approach Bridgett when I saw her. Ethan smiled widely. My mood had improved and my enthusiasm for the mission had returned. Team leader strikes again.

  “I’m sure I can get you out on the dance floor at least a couple of times. Darren will want to dance with you too.” I rolled my eyes and hit him in the shoulder. He laughed again as we were pulling into the Chili’s parking lot. I saw Frank’s car and wished that I had thought about Darren when I’d decided to wear a low cut tee.

  Chapter Eleven

  Frank and Darren had gotten us a round table near the back, but there was no sign of Sherrie or Bridgett. There was a seat next to Darren but Ethan eased himself gracefully into it after giving me a wink. I could see that Darren was annoyed, but he still managed to give me what he must have thought was his sexiest smile, which actually only made him look kind of creepy. I helped out by sitting next to Ethan so Sherrie wouldn’t be accosting him under the table. What are teammates for, after all?

  Sherrie and Bridgett showed up a few minutes later and joined us. Sherrie wasn’t happy that Sammy’ hadn’t saved her a seat, but why she thought he would have was beyond me. They knew each other for maybe four hours, tops, and she seemed to have already staked a claim. I shook my head turning away from Sherrie to take a look at Bridgett who was sitting next to me. From this angle, I could see her brown contacts. I wondered if her eyes were green like mine and Maya’s, although Garrett’s eyes were blue and he’d started out life as a cheetah shifter.

  We all ordered and Sherrie started chatting with the guys about that same zombie movie, comparing it to another one they’d all seen. I took this opportunity to speak to Bridgett, “How have you been?”

  “Okay.”

  “Tell me about this club we’re going to.”

  “There’s a good band playing. I know Craig, the lead guitarist. They’re kind of rock/punk.”

  “Sounds great.” I sent out a tiny tendril of energy toward her mind and surprisingly she let me in.

  “Thanks for trusting me, Bridgett.”

  “I know who you are.” I didn’t say anything. “You’re the cheetah shifter from Crescent City, Jackie, I think, who’s with the vampire. You killed that old vampire and then your mate killed his maker. You’re shit-assed powerful, and talk around town is that you’re a healer too.”

  My gaze was locked on hers. “Have you mentioned this theory to anyone else?”

  “You think I’m that stupid? No way do I want some master vampire ripping out my throat and draining me.”

  She seemed sincere, but I could feel my jaw clenching with worry. I changed the subject. “How did you learn to use the ley lines?”

  “What are ley lines?”

  “The bands of magical energy that you’re using to talk to me mentally.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve never done this before. I didn’t know I was using any kind of special lines.”

  I thought about what she said for a minute. “If I sent you to someone in Crescent City who could train you, would you go?”

  “I can’t leave Gasquet.”

  “What if she comes to you?”

  “Maybe, but not to my house.”

  “How about my house?”

  “Maybe.” I looked up to see Darren, Frank and Sherrie staring at us in a funny way and then felt a sharp pain as Ethan kicked me under the table. I tried not to wince.

  Sherrie asked. “What kind of a shifter are you, Melanie?”

  “I’m a jaguar.”

  “Wow that’s what Bridgett is too. I guess that explains why you’re so—uh—fascinated with each other. You were just sitting there staring into each other's eyes and not talking.”

  Darren cocked his head and then asked. “Are you into girls?”

  Somehow Ethan managed to keep from spitting his coke out all over the table, but I couldn’t stop myself from barking out a laugh. “I date guys, Darren. But I’ve just gone through a bad breakup. I want to take the whole dating thing very slowly now that we’ve moved to a new area.”

  Bridgett hadn't said a word. Whether it was the fact that she knew I could inflict some damage if she pissed me off or whether she just wanted to wait and see before she made any decision. Whatever the reason, I was grateful for her silence. Our food arrived and we spent the next few minutes eating.

  “How about you, Sammy? Are you taking things slow too? Did you leave a girlfriend behind?” Sherrie was leaning on the table showing off her cleavage. It was becoming more and more obvious to me that Darren and Sherrie would probably be perfect for each other. Darren was definitely enjoying the view.

  Ethan grinned at me. He was going to have some fun with shy little Sherrie. “Melanie is much more sensible than I am. Taking things slowly has never been my thing.”

  I played along. “There must be at least five broken hearts left behind in Sacramento. I’d watch it if I were you, Sherrie. Sammy's a player.”

  “Oh I don’t mind.” Her blue eyes were sparkling with energy and her tongue was practically hanging out of her mouth. Even Bridgett was laughing.

  When we’d finished and paid the bill, we got into our respective cars and headed out of town driving about half a mile to pull up at what looked to me like a real dive. While we’d been eating at Chili’s, I’d sent out tiny fingers of energy to check out the other customers in the restaurant, but everyone was human or shifter.

  This place reeked of werewolf. The building itself was probably built sometime in the 1960’s, a two story rectangle with small windows and large, red double-doors at the entrance. In front of the door stood an enormous were with a scruffy beard and bulky muscles, obviously security. Besides the usual assortment of cars, there were two Harleys parked in the lot and the sign over the door said “The Wild.”

  Ethan and I scowled at each other. “This looks like a bar, and there’s no way we’re getting in without them checking our ID’s.”

  "I'll talk to Frank." We got out and leaned against our SUV, not making a move toward the entrance. I could hear a heavy bass line and a strong rock guitar riff coming from inside the club. It sounded pretty good.

  Bridgett walked over to our car. “They don’t serve alcohol now. This is the early show for the teens in the area. But, we could
get in at any time. My dad's the pack leader of the Brownlow Pack and he owns the club.” Ethan and I took one look at each other and then turned to get back into the car. Bridgett put her hand on my arm. “I haven’t said anything to anyone.”

  I grabbed her arm and dragged her behind the car where we’d have more privacy. “We can’t go into a were club, Bridgett.” She knew who I was and so might also know about Garrett’s kidnapping and our possible involvement in the death of those other wolves.

  “It’s mostly shifters here now. Plus no one can hurt you if you’re with me. You’re under my protection, and that means the pack’s. And you might find what you’re looking for,” she whispered. I narrowed my eyes and twisted up my mouth in anger. She took a step back. “You must be here for a reason, looking for someone or something. There’s no better place to get info then the club.”

  I stayed silent and she shrugged. “Suit yourself. If you change your minds I’ll tell Harry to let you in. No charge.” Frank, Darren and Sherrie were waiting for her at the door. She spoke to Harry the bouncer and they followed her in.

  I turned to Ethan. “Your call, Team Leader.”

  “Shit. Okay, let’s reason this out. This is not the pack whose pack leader we killed when Garrett was kidnapped, but they could be allies which means they might want to take it out on our hides. I don’t think they’ll know our particular scents because Aaron cleaned up the area, but still there’s a small chance I could be wrong. If they figure out who we are, they’ll put two and two together. I think we should leave.”

  “Hold on for a minute while I see who's inside.” I sent out my feelers and located four wolves and around thirty-five shifters. Not bad odds. I told Ethan.

  “This could be a great opportunity.” I urged.

  “Thirty minutes and then you get a headache so we can go home. No longer. We don’t want to be hanging around here when more weres show up.”