by Tl Reeve
“Graham,” she murmured as she laid her head to his shoulder.
“I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
The thread connecting them as children snapped into place, stronger, better. The stiffness in her form eased as she melded into him and he reveled in it. Now he had her, he wouldn’t let her go.
All those nights he’d lain awake, wondering about her, what it would’ve been like to build a life with her. Wishing she’d lived…. He frowned. “The hardest day of my life was when Magnum announced that you and your family died in the fire. There were three bodies—”
She looked up at him. “Three?”
He nodded. “Little to nothing was left. But, because there were three, I had no choice but to believe what they said. You were gone. No one questioned it.” He held her tighter. “But you escaped. You lived.”
“I wonder who—”
The jingle of a ringtone broke through the cocoon surrounding them.
She closed her eyes. “Sorry.” After rifling through her bag, she pulled out her phone and sighed. “I have to answer this.” She hit the talk button. “Hello?” Her brow furrowed. “Wait, slow down, Kizzy. You’re where?”
He heard every bit of the conversation, thanks to his wolf hearing.
“I’m in Hill City.” The frantic tone in her friend’s voice grew as the seconds pushed on. “Are you in trouble?”
“I’m fine,” Elle assured her. “What do you mean you’re in Hill City?”
“After our last conversation, something didn’t ring right. I had to come see you, so I followed you.”
Resourceful girl. He’d chuckle if he weren’t so pissed.
“I have stuff I need to take care of,” Elle snapped. “I’m fine. Leave it alone.”
“Well, I’m in Hill City, but you’re not here.”
“God, Kizzy. Why did you follow me?” Tension filled his mate. Whoever this Kizzy person was, Elle liked her, even if the girl drove her insane.
“Look, you’d been sneaking around for days. That’s not you. So, I trailed you to the bus station, figured out where you were headed. At first I thought, let you do your thing, you’d share later. But then there was that note about needing to see your mom, but I know she’s dead, and even after we talked on the phone…. I don’t know. I got worried. Can we talk about this face-to-face?”
Elle’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. It’s…complicated.”
“I’m at the Hill City Inn.”
Shit. The girl is insane. He pulled his phone out and sent a quick message to Drew, seeking a meeting. When he received a quick response for first thing in the morning, he agreed. At the same moment he put his phone away, she did the same. “We’ll go see her tomorrow. Don’t worry.”
She brushed off his comment. “She means well. She’s kind and geeky. I’m about her only friend due to her quirkiness.” She grabbed a fry off the plate, popped it into her mouth then moaned. “So good. Thank you.” She gifted him a small smile, even after recalling the night of her parents’ deaths, and her best friend’s phone call.
His heart gave a heavy thump. His gut clenched. If buying her loaded fries brought even a tiny bit of joy to her life, he’d do it every day. “You don’t have to thank me, honey. It’s my pleasure.”
Chapter Six
Elle stared up at the Hill City diner sign. Somewhere inside sat Kizzy. The girl, though a little bit of a pain in the ass, meant the world to her. She glanced at Graham who wore a weary expression. It’d seemed so simple when she stepped off the bus a few days ago. She had a plan, and needed to stick to it, yet the more time she spent in the hills, the less she wanted to go back to North Carolina. The less she wanted to see Rupert.
In the beginning, she thought she knew what she wanted, but now…not so much. Her wolf, on the other hand, wanted the man beside her. She’d known her mate all those years ago, but time had gotten in the way of things. Muddling everything. And, what would she say to Rupert? Sorry, but I found the real guy I’m supposed to be with. Here’s your ring back. Good luck becoming a senator?
Ugh, why did it have to be so dang hard? Why couldn’t she say yes to Graham and the hell to everything else? Why did she have to have a knot of guilt in her stomach whenever she thought of Rupert?
“Ready to find your friend?” Graham’s soft tone drew her out of her self-recriminating thoughts.
“Yeah, I think so. She’s different, okay? Be nice to her.” She had quirks and a unique perspective on life. Sometimes people enjoyed her, and sometimes people made fun of her.
“You sound like a nervous mother,” he teased.
“I feel like it.” They opened the door and stepped inside the diner. Behind the counter, a woman poured coffee into a customer’s cup while chatting with another person.
“There you are.” Kizzy pulled Elle into an embrace. “I worried so much about you.”
“I’m fine.” She grunted, trying to breathe through the bone-crushing hug. “See? Nothing to be worried about.” She allowed Kizzy to guide them back to her table situated by the door. “How are you?”
She narrowed her eyes, pushing her cat-eye glasses up on her nose. She wore a Dr. Who T-Shirt, and her hair had been pulled back into a severe ponytail. Her skinny jeans were complemented by a pair of low-rise Chuck Taylors, blue, like the Tardis. “Who are you?” She looked to Elle as they sat at a table near the windows. “Who is this? He’s hot in a predator kinda way. Big…rangy.” She eyed him up and down. “I like him.”
Graham cocked a brow.
“Kizzy, this is Graham. My…friend.” She smiled.
“You look more like a Beau or a Wyatt.” She turned her attention back to Elle. “Where did you find a cowboy?”
“Well, we are in South Dakota…so, they happen to roam around here.”
“Cool.” Her friend nodded. “Why are you here? The truth this time.”
Oh God, she’s had candy. “Okay, chick-a-dee, where’s your stash?”
Her eyebrows shot up over the tops of her glasses. “I’ll have you know I haven’t had any candy. I had a couple of cups of fancy coffee. No, scratch that. Could have been a double espresso or two. I had to keep my mind occupied while you were off gallivanting around the countryside with this stud muffin.” She hooked her thumb at him.
Elle groaned, chancing a peek at Graham. He looked absolutely bewildered. “Oh God. Kizzy, I’m fine. I’m happy here.”
“Great.” She smacked the table then took a sip of her water. “But why are you here?”
“It’s complicated. The easy answer is this is where I’m from. I came home. I needed time away. To clear my head.” She twisted the ring on her finger and licked her lips. “We work so hard. You know.”
“Bullshit.” Kizzy laughed. “You couldn’t wait to get the hell out of town. You didn’t even tell Rupert. Just left him that note. I need the truth.”
“The truth is…complicated. You should know I am safe, though. No one is keeping me against my will. No one threatened me. I’m happy.” She took her friend’s hand. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone about where I am.”
She waved Elle off. “Not even an issue.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, she grabbed a menu. “How long are you going to stay?”
“Well, I hadn’t thought about it. I was more concerned about you.” She glanced around the diner. “I can see why you like this place. It’s open and moves at a slower pace.”
She nodded. “I agree.”
“What about Rupert?”
She didn’t have an answer for her. “I’m here to figure it out.”
Kizzy squealed. “You mean it?”
“Um, yes?”
“Fantastic!”
Graham laughed. The deep, rich rumble warmed her while it vibrated across her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.
“Damn, that’s sexy.”
“Oh my God, Kizzy! Be good, jeez.” She sighed, shaking her head. If she me
ant to embarrass Elle, she’d done a good job of it so far.
She reached up, adjusted her glasses. “I’ll try.”
The waitress came to the table. “Can I take your order?”
Kizzy pointed to the menu. “Rocky Mountain Oysters. Really?” She cocked a brow. “Poor bulls.”
Graham choked. “We’ll have burgers and fries and a piece of your pie of the day.”
“It’s lemon meringue.” The waitress wrote down their order.
“Fine.”
“Anything else?” She held her pen, poised to write down whatever else they ordered.
“No. Maybe, when we leave, we’ll have a to-go order for you.” He smiled.
After the waitress walked away, Kizzy eased forward. “When you’re ready to go home, I’ll go with you.”
How did she explain to her friend she didn’t intend to return to North Carolina? “Uh, sure.”
“Great. So, what are we doing today?”
“I thought we could hang out.” She shrugged.
“Okay. Not going to show me where you’re staying?”
Shit. She’d known her friend would ask too many question. “Nope. Not right now. I’m staying with friends, and the house is full. But I’m safe there. Like I said before I left, my life is complicated. I need to fix a few things then my life will be better.”
Kizzy side eyed her. “I don’t like that answer. You’ve always been evasive about this part of your life. I just wish I understood.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I wish I could explain.” Please drop it. Please don’t ask me any more questions.
“You know, they have a shootout here at noon.” Graham’s interjection caught her best friend’s attention.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.” He glanced up at the neon clock on the wall. “In about thirty minutes. If we can eat soon, maybe we can get out there and watch.” Thank God for small favors.
“You’re trying to bamboozle me.”
He smirked. “And here I thought you’d like to explore town with us.”
Her friend let out a huff. “Fine. We’ll discuss this later.”
Not if I can help it. “Sure.” The waitress arrived just in the nick of time with their food. “Eat up. We have a whole day planned with you.”
Four hours later, after they’d spent the day with Kizzy, Graham turned onto the dirt road heading for Kalum’s house. Elle didn’t like lying to her friend. She didn’t like secrets, but not telling her was a matter of protecting the pack. The pack came first. While she was in Charlotte, she didn’t have to worry about the dynamic. The only thing she hid was her true nature.
As they pulled into the driveway, Ryker stepped out from the woods. Somehow, she’d had a feeling he’d be crossing her path again. The connection they shared—hero and rescuee—bonded them together.
Graham stopped and shut off the truck, and she got out. “Hi.”
“Drew sent me,” Ryker stated.
“Ah.” Elle stared up at the pack enforcer. “Why?”
“To explain. About the night—”
“My parents died.”
He nodded.
“How much did you know about what would happen?” She needed to know the truth. None of it, even today, felt real.
He grunted. “Your parents planned your escape.”
Her heart squeezed. Tears blurred her eyes. “I should have known.”
“I believe they wanted the best for you. They put the money aside for several months and enlisted my help you get away.
She nodded. Her wolf howled in pain. In those last hours with her family, her father had been providing a way for her. She’d never truly been alone.
“Gee went to Hill City, left the money for you but didn’t buy the ticket. You had to choose your destiny. East or west, he knew you would be safe.”
“Sounds like Gee.” She nodded. “But why didn’t my parents go with me?”
“They wanted you safe first.” His jaw tightened. “They’d planned to follow, but Greer arrived early.”
“He killed my parents.” Her heart ached with loss just as it had the day she’d run toward her burning home. She wiped her eyes. “Where is Greer now?”
“Dead.”
She shoved her hands in her pockets, the truth, after all these years, finally clear. “He’s the third body.” Things hadn’t gone the way her parents had planned. Ryker had done his best to carry out their wishes to keep her safe, making it look like she’d died, too, by throwing Greer’s body in the fire. Made sense. “Never mind, rhetorical question. But didn’t Magnum ask about Greer?”
He shrugged.
Apparently, he’d found a way around it. Obviously, since Ryker didn’t die that night as well. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He unnerved her once again with a smirk.
“But how did you know where I was?”
“I have my ways.”
“Should have figured as much.” She scrunched up her nose. “But why now?”
He shrugged. “You’re home.”
Simple enough. “Thanks. You know, for everything.”
He inclined his head. “Don’t tell your friend about us.”
She gasped. “How did you know?”
“I know. The rules are in place to protect us. Even if you trust her, a slip of the tongue is all it takes to bring us down.” He strode off as if their conversation never happened.
“I won’t tell,” she called out. “Promise.”
Chapter Seven
Kathy and the other matrons sat at their usual spot inside The Den. When their food arrived, she ate in silence, her mind on the issues with their latest match.
“I can’t take it anymore. Shouldn’t that fiancé of Elle’s have called by now?” She tapped her fingers against the table. Graham and Elle aren’t finishing things. They should be mated by now. “Something isn’t right.”
“Surely if the man loves her enough to want to marry her, he’d be worried?” Claire agreed.
“My Henry wouldn’t let me out of his sight for even an hour when we were first mated. This man should be searching for her.” Fern fingered the necklace around her neck. “Her friend called, though. Kizzy, I think her name is.” She leaned in. “From what I’ve heard, she’s hell on wheels and would give any wolf a run.”
“We’re not here to make a match, ladies.” Anger burned in her guts. “Elle’s fiancé should be looking for her and I’m going to find out why he’s not.” She stood. “I’ll be back.”
She stepped outside into the midday sun and sighed. Something wasn’t right with that man. How could Elle run away so easily without so much as a peep from her fiancé? Clyde would have broken down doors and killed to find her. She thought about the human aspect of it, and, though they seemed a little different within the pack, the love she saw in each of the human mate’s eyes spoke volumes. They, like their wolf counterparts, would kill to protect what was theirs. She strolled down the sidewalk, turning the information over in her mind, until she stood in front of Shawn’s office. What she’d thought would be a quick walk to clear her mind and gather her thoughts seemed to lead her exactly where she needed to be.
Kathy opened the door to the office and stepped inside. Shawn sat at his desk, going over something on his computer. The man had been working hard to bring home more of their pack. It seemed every week now one or two made their way into town and back into their families. She sat in the chair across from him and rapped her knuckles on the table.
He glanced up from his work and smirked. “I knew you were there. I wondered how long you’d let me ignore you is all.”
“Pups,” she huffed. “I need your help.”
“Anything.” He grabbed a pad. “What’s the problem?”
“The problem is, that good for nothing fiancé hasn’t said spit to Elle since she left.” Kathy crossed her arms. “Don’t you find it strange?”
“I mean…I gues
s I do. Are you sure they’re even together anymore?” He glanced up from his pad.
“Yes. Gee explained as much after he saw her at the gutted remains of her place.”
“Hmm. Interesting. What do you need me to do?”
“Isn’t it obvious, boy? I want you to go to Charlotte and find out what he’s doing. My guess is, he has a little dove on the side.” A hunch was all she had, but a hunch would do in a pinch. If it were true, then she could present it to Elle, and it’d be the kick in the ass the couple needed.
“I have a better idea. I have a contact already there. I’ll put him on the job and tell him we need a rush on it. Sound like a plan?”
She nodded. “Don’t take too long.”
“I won’t,” he assured her. “Anything else?”
“No, not off the top of my head. But, if I think of something, I’ll be back.”
Shawn grinned. “I’ll be waiting with bated breath for your return.”
“Don’t be a smart ass, boy.” She chuckled.
“Blame Henry. I get it from him.”
“I’ll bet you do,” she muttered, leaving his business. Once she was outside, she set off back to The Den.
The ruckus of Gee’s bar greeted her a few steps from the old wooden building. Along the side, couples in all manner of entanglements, groped and kissed, the scent of mating heavy in the air. To be young again. To have the freeness of a willing partner who didn’t give a shit where they took you, as long as it was hard and fast and left you wrung out like a wet noodle. Maybe she’d kick Clyde into gear.
Inside, the ladies were laughing. She took her seat then gulped down the rest of her drink. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing much,” Lonnie replied. “We’re talking about new matches.”
“A specific boy,” Claire added.
“Oh? Do tell.”
“Sayer.” Fern grinned.
“The wolf with a surly attitude?” The protector had a mean streak a mile long. She couldn’t blame him. Being forced to watch your parents die because they made the mistake of helping humans—who’d eventually been killed as well—didn’t bode well for a child’s psyche.
