Stalked (Rogues Shifter #2)

by Gayle Parness

  “No.”

  “We may be able to help you find them. Maya is helping me. I was raised by humans.” I didn’t go into detail about how many human families had been tasked with my upbringing.

  “They dumped me with a bunch of fucking werewolves. Why would I want to have anything to do with them?” Bridgett stood angrily and walked to the patio doors, looking out at the pouring rain. It pounded away at the slate slabs, washing off the coating of dust that had accumulated on everything with the current heat wave. “Since I transitioned, I’ve had to hide what I am. If the rest of the pack knew I was a cheetah and could read their thoughts, they’d beat the crap out of me. Or they’d use me as a tool to dig information from other people. My dad’s a powerful Alpha and he protects me from them. He got a spell from a witch to make me smell like a Jaguar instead of a cheetah. It works on everyone except you.” She smiled wryly then turned away and sighed. “My adopted mom was killed by a fae five years ago.”

  She turned again to meet my gaze, then hesitated before continuing. “I know what happened last spring at the lodge. Your team killed my uncle, the pack leader of the Pine Ridge Pack. He kidnapped and tortured your vampire and was probably going to kill him.”

  Her words set off alarms in my gut so I stood up slowly, never taking my eyes from hers. “My uncle deserved to die, working with that black witch. She did some sick stuff like torturing animals to work her spells.” She didn’t seem to realize that the witch, Miranda, had also killed humans, giving her spells triple the strength.

  My expression must have startled her because she took a step backwards. As much as I liked Bridgett, I wasn't going to allow her to leave here and tell her dad what she’d just told me. I moved slowly toward her, creating my mental shield and pulling energy in from the lines to hold ready, just in case.

  She backed against the wall, looking a little scared. ”I won’t—I won’t tell anyone.”

  I took her hand and reached into her mind. She wasn’t prepared for me, her wall was down and her frightened expression made me feel guilty. I didn’t like to force my way in, but I couldn’t take a chance. I saw it all laid out. She’d secretly listened to her dad’s conversations with weres from her uncle’s pack and put two and two together, but so far, she hadn’t told anyone. The Brownlow Pack was still trying to figure out what exactly had happened that night.

  “I need you to swear to me that you won’t talk about this to anyone else, not even one of my team. There are people who might want to silence you. Do you understand?”

  She nodded quickly as her complexion paled. I wasn’t exactly lying, just bending the truth a little. I didn’t think anyone would kill her, but her carelessness could put all of us in danger. Hopefully this little scare would encourage her to keep her mouth shut.

  Still, I felt badly about my sudden invasion of her mind, having been a victim myself. She was smart and resourceful, having deduced the truth faster than many others could have managed. I was curious about this girl.

  She looked upset. An apology was in order. “I’m sorry. I had to make sure you hadn’t already told anyone that—theory of yours.” I sent a little of my healing energy into her mind and I saw her relax her shoulders and close her eyes for a moment. When I released her hand she jerked away.

  “You frightened me.” Her expression changed to anger. “I thought we could be friends. Are you full of shit, too?” Her hands were in fists. Bridgett had a short fuse. I could relate.

  “I'd like to be your friend, but the fact is that we’ve just met each other. You have information about me and my team that could put us in danger, which ironically, puts you in a dangerous situation too. I’ll do anything in my power to protect my team and especially my mate.”

  We were only a few feet apart when Sinc spoke up from the doorway. “Jeez, can’t leave you cheetah girls alone for a few minutes without the claws coming out, huh?” She walked a little closer and then stood stock still, looking from me to Bridgett to me again.

  Sinc smiled mischievously and said, “The pizza is inside so why don’t you go grab a slice, Bridgett? We’re all taking a vote to see which movie we’re watching first. Jackie and I will be right there. I need to discuss something with her in private."

  Bridgett narrowed her eyes and walked past me in a huff. I looked at Sinc who was humming to herself and putting Bridgett’s empty coke can in a plastic baggie.

  “What’s up with you?”

  “If you ever want to know what you look like when you’re really pissed off at someone, just look at Bridgett when she’s angry.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “She’s either your sister or your first cousin. You look alike. I’m going to do a DNA test on her. We need to get some of her hair.”

  “You’re nuts.”

  Sinc, the full-out scientific genius, gave me the who-do-you-think-you’re-talking-to look. “While you’re watching the movie, take a good look at her and then tell me I’m nuts. I’m never wrong about this stuff.”

  Curiosity made me peek into the living room where Kyle was arguing with Ethan over which movie they should watch first. Bridgett had lost her angry look and was enjoying the banter, her gaze moving from one to the other. While she was occupied, I took a more careful look at her features. Her hair was obviously dyed. She was only 5’2” or 5’3” tall and she was very thin, which could be because she didn’t eat well. The shape of her face was a little longer than my oval one and her nose was a tiny bit longer and a little crooked, like it may have been broken. Her lips were the same shape as mine.

  Suddenly Ethan threw a pillow at Kyle, hitting him in the head and she laughed. I held in a gasp and looked closer. Her smile was my smile. I looked closer. Her eyes were the same size and shape. I knew she wore contacts, so they could be the same color too. Her cheekbones and forehead were similar. I must have looked like I was going to slide down the wall and collapse onto the floor because Sinc threw an arm around me to hold me up.

  “I’m guessing a fraternal twin but I’ll know for sure in a couple of weeks. Congrats.” She kissed me on the cheek and then joined the rest of the rabble to watch the movie. Sinc’s scientific mind, had taken in and accepted the evidence in her usual matter-of-fact way. I, however, felt like I’d been swept away by a tsunami.

  I sat at the kitchen table for twenty minutes trying to absorb what I’d just seen. Ethan stuck his head into the kitchen once just to make sure that I was ok, but Sinc guided him back to the couch mouthing that I should take my time. I was trembling a little so I took a deep breath and concentrated on relaxing.

  Okay, so we could be related. Maya said cheetahs all were to some degree, but could Bridgett be my sister? My twin? I spread my two hands flat on the table and looked down at them, thinking about all the times I’d wished for a sister: someone who I could have confided in, laughed with. Someone who would have held my hand when, small and afraid, I’d had to walk to school alone. Someone who would have hugged me when I cried. I suppose I’d always envisioned an older sister taking me under her wing, but still, a twin was supposed to be the closest kind of sibling, right?

  I wasn’t surprised to feel a tear run down my cheek so I wiped it away using a napkin from the holder on the table. Okay, I wasn’t going to sit here and feel sorry about the past, I had to think about what to do now. If she was my sister, how did I really feel about it? Bridgett was—well, she was difficult. She had a bad temper—must be a family trait—and she was defiant. It would be hard for her to trust us. To trust me. She’d had some trauma in her life with the death of her mother, and who knows if she'd ever gotten any help dealing with that. What had her life been like growing up with a wolf pack? I guess it explained her tough attitude and even some of her fear.

  I sighed and shook my head. So what was I going to do with this amazing revelation? Wait for the proof, I guess, and then go from there. My life was so freakin’ complicated right now. I really didn’t feel like making it any worse by attaching myself to this
troubled girl. I suppose that was uncharitable of me, but a girl can only deal with so much at a time, right? I got up and went to sit in the living room with the others. Ethan looked at me curiously but I just shook my head. He returned his attention to the movie, knowing I’d tell him about whatever it was when I was ready.

  When the first movie ended, the others were all laughing and getting along great. Bridgett seemed to have forgiven me for my earlier actions, even mentioning that she hoped I’d still help her with calculus. I had a hard time taking my eyes off of her and I caught Sinc giggling at me on several occasions when she saw me staring. Ethan and Kyle knew that something was up but said nothing as we grabbed up the last pieces of the cold pizza.

  I got up and went into the kitchen to feed Samson and let him out the patio door. There was a brief sweet smelling breeze and I was suddenly wrapped in Garrett’s arms and he was kissing me. He pulled away laughing but still holding me close to him.

  “You taste like pepperoni pizza.”

  “Well that’s what you get for showing up on Movie Day and kissing me without warning.” I leaned in and breathed on him and he backed up grinning.

  “Do you know what they put in pepperoni?”

  “Asks the guy who drinks blood. Why are you here, anyway?”

  “Sinc called me and said you had a surprise.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We’re not sure of anything and I wasn’t going to tell anyone, yet.”

  “You weren’t going to tell me, huh?” I shook my head from side to side. He nuzzled my right ear. “How about now?” I shook my head again and smiled. He moved to my left ear. “Now?” My body was starting to tingle when we heard the noise of someone’s gasp. We turned to see Bridgett standing in the doorway holding the empty pizza boxes.

  I laughed and straightened up. “Bridgett, this is my mate, Garrett Cuvier. Garrett this is Bridgett Brownlow.”

  Bridgett looked paler than I’d ever seen her. She stared at Garrett with wide eyes and didn’t move, so I walked over and took the boxes from her arms. Garrett said, “Hi, Bridgett. It’s nice to meet you.” He walked over in his graceful way and held out his hand. She just stared at it for a moment before she got up the courage to put out her own.

  “You’re, the vampire.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement. She stared at him, hardly breathing. I couldn’t tell if she was terrified or if she was mesmerized: maybe a little of both. Been there done that. “You're the one who killed his maker, Eleanor.”

  “Yes.” Garrett was looking at her closely. “How old are you Bridgett?”

  “Seventeen.”

  “Seventeen?" He was looking at me as he said it. "And when is your birthday?”

  “May 5th. Why do you want to know?” Her expression grew suspicious.

  Garrett twisted toward me with a sly smile. My mouth was already hanging open after hearing that Bridgett and I had the same birthday. The evidence was piling up, making my life more and more complicated with every passing minute.

  “Surprise, surprise. My lovely cheetah has a twin sister. I think you should tell her now what you suspect. She has a right to the truth.”

  “Doesn’t it get boring to always be right?” I poked him in the ribs and then reached out for Bridgett’s hand. “I want to show you something.”

  I led her into the bathroom with its full mirror. “Garrett and Sinc and I think, well, would you trust me and take out your contacts?”

  She shrugged and we both went to the sink to remove them. When I looked up, two pairs of emerald eyes looked back. There were no longer any doubts in my mind. This was my fraternal twin.

  “Bridgett, I turned seventeen on May 5th.” Part of me was inwardly groaning and throwing a fit, but there was also a part of me that wanted to jump up and down. I—had—a—sister. For someone who’d prayed and wished and begged for a real family, those four words held so much more emotion than their surface meaning let on.

  “So what does that mean?” She looked a little confused, as if her mind couldn’t wrap around the obvious explanation.

  “I think that we’re fraternal twins. We must've had the same mom and dad and been split apart at a young age. Cheetahs which are rare. We have the same eyes, the same smile and unfortunately for the rest of the world, the same attitude.” I heard Garrett laugh from the kitchen. “We’re going to do a DNA test so we’ll know in a couple of weeks.”

  “You’re fucking kidding me, right?” The anger in her eyes made me take a step back.

  “No, I’m not kidding you.”

  “You couldn’t have found this out sooner?”

  I frowned back at her. “Bridget, Sinc just met you tonight and she’s the one who saw the resemblance.”

  She started to pace. “I’ve got to have the worst freakin’ luck.”

  I couldn’t figure out if she was angry about the news or the timing. “Bridget, I don’t have to tell you the results if you don’t want to know them. This doesn’t mean that we’re forced to have some kind of close relationship or…”

  She spun around to glare at me. “I’ve been alone ever since I shifted. I have to hide who I am from everyone but my dad. I live with a bunch of crazy, violent weres who talk to me like I’m trash because I’m a shifter.” She was raising her voice at me now. "The only reason I’m even alive is because my dad is the Alpha. And to find this out now, when everything is falling apart…” She was trembling so I grabbed her arms and twisted her toward me.

  “What’s going on? I can help you.”

  She turned away and said softly. “You can’t help me. It's out of control.”

  I was so confused by her reaction. “Look, you may not be related to me at all. We’ll know in a couple of weeks.”

  “But that’s just it. To have a real sister would have been so cool.” She looked at me with her green eyes and I was floored by the deep sorrow rolling off of her.

  “I’m going to help you, no matter what it is that you’re involved in. I swear I will. Can you keep your mouth shut about what you know about all of us?”

  She gave me a weak smile. “I don’t know anything about any of you, Melanie.” She opened the bathroom door and walked out, not bothering to put her contacts back in. When we went out to the living room the reaction was what you’d expect.

  “Holy shit!” Kyle was out of his chair and next to Bridgett in a flash. Sinc must have blabbed. He looked from me to Bridgett and back to me again. “This is surreal. So do you think she’s a healer too? Or maybe she can see the future like Maya? And she's even got your temper!” Kyle’s wheels were always in jet mode.

  Sinc, who was sitting on the back of the couch with her bare feet on the cushions, looked like the cat who’d swallowed the canary. Ethan walked over and gave me a hug. He was with me when I’d first shifted, when I had to turn my back on my past and start a new life. He’d become the brother I’d never had. More than anyone except for Garrett, he knew what this meant to me. Still he looked at me with worry and whispered, “You okay?”

  I nodded, not wanting to worry him, but thinking that okay definitely didn't describe my state of being. Bridgett was watching everyone’s reaction with interest. A strong longing lit up her wide eyes, probably a desire to be part of this circle. Whatever she was hiding was eating her up and I could only hope that she wasn’t involved in something dangerous or illegal. I could have barged back into her mind to rummage around and pull out what she was hiding, but I felt she’d been through enough today, and whatever it was, had nothing to do with our mission or with Kennett.

  Garrett walked over gracefully and put his long arm across my back, pulling me gently against him. “Notre famille grandit. Our family is growing. I’m happy for you.”

  Kyle and Sinc and Bridgett looked at Garrett strangely. “He’s trying to teach me French.” I answered their unspoken question.

  “What can you say?” asked Bridgett.

  I smiled a sly smile and looked at Garrett. “Hmmm, mon ange is my angel. Je t’aime is I love you.
And there was that thing the other night…”

  He put his finger over my mouth and whispered. “That was private.” Ethan, Sinc and Kyle cracked up and Bridgett blushed. One more piece of evidence to join the mounting pile.

  The phone rang and Ethan answered it. “It’s your dad, Bridgett.”

  “Hi dad. Yes. Yeah I’ll leave now. Bye.” She hung up and turned to me. “I have to go home.” She walked quickly to the door and turned to look at all of us. When her eyes locked on mine I saw the battle raging in her mind. She wanted to tell me her secret, but she couldn’t, not yet. “I’ll see you tomorrow after school.” She smiled and left.

  As soon as I heard her car pull away I said, “Of the hundreds of strange things that have happened to me in the last two months, this is in the top five.” I held onto Garrett and dragged him over to the couch. He took the hint and sat, pulling me next to him and then rubbing his hand up and down my arm in an attempt to comfort me. I knew that I should be jumping up and down and celebrating, but this was not a black and white situation. I turned to my team for some help.

  “Bridgett is in trouble. Her dad is making her use her cheetah abilities to do something that makes her uncomfortable. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s not good. So what do I do now? How involved do I get in her problems? Her dad is investigating the deaths at the lodge, so if I butt in I could make him suspicious and put us all in jeopardy. I’m willing to listen to all suggestions. My brain is going numb.” I leaned against Garrett and he kissed my head.

  Ethan spoke up first, breaking it down for us in a logical way. “We have three situations: Kennet, Brina and Bridgett. Kennet we’ll leave to Garrett and his team, so that leaves the other two. We’re starting class tomorrow, so whenever we’re there we’re on Brina detail. We make sure that you get a chance to feel out the primary Brina candidates every day. We keep Kyle and Sinc updated and they take over the Brina investigation for the rest of the day. I’ll make sure to keep in close contact with them.