Private Wolf

by Tl Reeve

  “Good morning, Auntie.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “That twinkle in your eye says you’re up to no good.”

  Fern laughed and patted his hand. “I have a job for you.”

  A job. Why hadn’t she mentioned it last night when he came over for dinner? Why did they have to meet in the café? “Okay. What is it?”

  “Well, technically, it is two jobs….”

  “Okay.”

  Ero approached with a cup in one hand and a sweet treat in the other. “You didn’t order. I see why now.” He grinned then winked at Fern.

  “I didn’t want to interrupt your time with Cynthia,” Shawn teased. “She’s interested in you.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Ero frowned. “But there’s…the spark’s not there.” He glanced at his brother, Luc, who sat in his usual spot.

  “Say no more, I understand.” He did, too. They were waiting for their perfect mate. Might be a while, but Shawn had a feeling it would happen. “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Taking a sip of the piping hot brew, he waited for Ero to leave before returning to the conversation with his aunt. The way Fern watched him—assessing him—left him uneasy. “Should I be afraid of what you’re going to ask of me?”

  “Never,” she assured him. “In fact, you’ll win tons of brownie points with Miss Claire if you do this for me.”

  Shawn took another sip of coffee then nodded. “All right. But, if I do happen to get into trouble, which I am really sure will happen, I’ll tell Henry.”

  “Deal.” Fern pulled a small picture out of her purse and slid it over to him. “Ring any bells?”

  The scent of lilacs and morning dew enveloped him before he even acknowledged the person staring at him. Curly flame-red hair and bright, sparkling blue eyes gave way to full bow lips and dimpled cheeks. Brienne. She couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen in the picture. “Brie,” he whispered. “Did something happen to her?” He hadn’t seen her around town, but it didn’t mean anything. She could have a mate and be staying on the outskirts.

  “No, nothing happened to her.” Fern took a sip of her tea. “A year after you left, she ran away.”

  Stunned, Shawn let out a breath. Ran away? The atrocities in the pack were widely understood. The way Magnum tried to destroy everything good about their home and their people. It’d been one of the reasons he left. But, Brie wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye or telling people where she was going.

  She had a heart of gold and a loyal streak a mile long. Maybe she left because of her loyalty. She couldn’t support an insane alpha, any more than he or the others. “Do you have any clue where she went?”

  “In the beginning, no. I’m still not sure. Tinks gave me a state, but nothing else.”

  Shawn nodded. “A state is a good start. I have contacts. Which state is it? If I’m successful in finding her, what would you like me to do?”

  “Bring her home to Claire. My best friend, though she may not say it or show it, misses her family. Misses her son and daughter. If I can help her in some small way, I will.”

  A tear rolled down his aunt’s cheek, and he wiped it away. “I’ll find her. I’ll go talk to Tinks about it.”

  After his parents disappeared, Fern had taken Shawn in. In those first few months, he searched everywhere for them, but he never found them. If he sat long enough and thought about it, he’d guess it was what prompted him to be a detective. Strange, how things happened sometimes. With his skills as a tracker, it was a no-brainer when he left home. Didn’t mean setting up his business happened instantly, it took years. The human world rules and laws were more extensive than his pack. He’d needed to go to school. Get a license.

  By the time he started practicing, he’d gained a reputation for being fair and for finding a missing person or someone who skipped out. He helped anyone, even if they couldn’t pay.

  “What did you say to my mate to get her all teary-eyed?” Henry stepped up beside her.

  “Nothing. I think she’s going soft in her old age.” He winked at his aunt.

  “Hush.” She swatted his hand. “Tinks has the information for you. I told her you’ll be coming to see her soon.”

  “Tinks?” Henry narrowed his eyes. “What do you want with her?”

  “I’m helping Fern out,” Shawn assured him.

  “Oh.” Henry relaxed and took a seat at the table. “Is it one of her schemes?”

  “Schemes?” He cocked a brow at his uncle.

  “She’s always up to something lately. I can feel it in my bones.”

  “You feel everything in your bones,” Fern muttered.

  “Watch it, mate.”

  “And on that note, it’s time for me to leave. I’ll go talk to Tinks, and hopefully by tonight I’ll have some news for you. However, like I tell everyone I work with, don’t get your hopes up.”

  Fern smiled and gave him a small nod. “I understand. Tinks is living with her sister out on the pack border.”

  Shawn inclined his head. “Thanks.”

  ***

  The rambling shack sat three miles from the road leading to the state highway. Smoke billowed from the chimney. Chickens wandered around the yard, pecking at the ground, while a woman collected eggs from a small henhouse a few feet away.

  Bobbi. Tinks’s aunt stuck her head out of the chicken house. Her eyes squinted in the mid-morning sun. Her black curly hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun.

  Shawn pulled his truck into the driveway and stopped a little way from where the fowl roamed in the front yard. Bobbi lifted her hand in greeting as she stepped down the ramp of the coop. “Well, I’ll be damned. I heard rumblings of your being home.” She walked over to him as he got out then wrapped him in a tight hug. “What brings you out here?”

  “I was hoping to talk to Tinks. Is she around?” He followed her toward the house. Silver dappled her long raven hair, and she walked with a slight limp. What happened?

  “Yep, she’s inside. We were just about to sit down to lunch. Would you like to join us?”

  “Sure, I’d be glad to.” As they entered the house, a little boy with dark hair, blue eyes, and dimples hopped up from the porch and darted inside ahead of them.

  What he’d thought was a fire going in the fireplace was actually an open-pit grill they’d created in the kitchen. Clay and rock expanded outward about ten to twelve inches from the hearth then formed a small oven/cooktop facing the window. The extra room gave the ability to make a flat cooking area while still allowing the smoke to travel up the flue out of the chimney. The succulent scent of sizzling deer meat filled the air. Tinks, lost in her own little world, danced around as she flipped the steaks. The boy grabbed her arm. “Mom, we have company.”

  Tinks stilled. “We never have company.”

  “Not even old friends?” Shawn stepped forward. “How rude.”

  She turned slowly. Her honey-colored gaze filled with shock. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

  “Pfft. You’ve known I was home for a couple of months now. Don’t act so surprised.”

  “Guilty,” she laughed. “What are you doing here?” She handed Bobbi the tongs then tucked the boy into her side. “Jordan, this is my friend, Shawn Blu. He’s Miss Fern’s nephew.”

  The boy looked familiar, but Shawn couldn’t place him.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Shawn.”

  “Good to meet you, too, Jordan.” He grinned.

  “He’s my son.” Nervousness tinged Tink’s words. “If you’re wondering.”

  “I believe ‘Mom, we have company,’ gave it away. You’re mated?”

  “It’s complicated,” she hedged. “Sit and you can tell me what you need.”

  “Why do you think I’m here for a favor?” He cocked a brow.

  “No one comes out here without a reason,” she answered. “Plus, I talked to Fern last night. I had a feeling you m
ight be here today.”

  “She wanted me to help her find Claire’s niece.” He shrugged. “I could never tell her no.”

  “She’d never let you say no,” Tinks corrected him.

  “That, too. She’s under the impression you might have a starting place for tracking Brienne down.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bobbi pull the tin foil-covered potatoes from the embers of the fire. “My aunt wants her best friend to be happy.”

  “Brie left for a reason.” Tinks tone was matter-of-fact.

  “I’m more than positive she did,” Shawn replied.

  “What if she doesn’t want to come home yet?”

  “It’s her choice. However, I’d like to talk to her anyway.” He accepted the plate Bobbi handed him. “Thanks.”

  “Come on, kid. This isn’t a conversation for you.” Bobbi ruffled Jordan’s hair.

  Tinks kissed the top of her son’s head then waited for him to exit before resuming their conversation. “She’s not close by, heck, she might even be farther away now. She didn’t keep in contact with me. Can’t really blame her.”

  “Still worried about Magnum?”

  “I think so.” She frowned. “No one has been able to tell her the news.”

  “Fear does crazy shit to people.” He cut into his steak. “If she’s still worried about what could happen to her if she comes home, she’ll never open the door and take a chance.”

  “Don’t I know it,” she muttered, before she began to eat. “I often wonder if I’d tried to keep up with her, or I’d had an inkling of an idea of where she was going once she made it to her first destination, things would be different.”

  “Perhaps. But, it might have put you on Magnum’s radar, and it looks like you have a very big reason to keep your secrets.”

  “When she left, she told me she was going to Minnesota.” Tinks took a bite of potato.

  “Minnesota?” Not what he expected to hear. Lucky for him, he’d worked a few cases there. “She didn’t happen to mention a city or town, did she?”

  “No.”

  Shit. “Okay, I’ve found people with less information.”

  “You’re pretty confident.” Tinks pointed out

  “I’ve been doing this a long time.” It was part of what made him an excellent tracker. If Brienne wanted to hide, she’d choose the smallest town and try not to raise anyone’s suspicions.

  “Well, if you can get her to return, I’d love to see her.” Tinks gave him a smile.

  “I’ll be sure to make it happen. Thank you for lunch.” He got up, then took his plate to the sink.. “Later, you’ll tell me about Jordan?”

  “Maybe.”

  ***

  Minnesota, of all the places to go. At least in a big city like Chicago, he had reliable service. Here, at his Los Lobos kitchen table, or anywhere in town, if he breathed wrong, he lost the signal. Watching the bars on his phone dance, he prayed for at least two bars. He could deal with a weak signal.

  He turned to the left a hair, and the bars settled into position. Two. He scrolled through the contact list and pulled up Lance Wingham’s phone number. Shawn had dealt with the alpha of the Rosewood pack on a missing child case he’d worked on. A little girl from the next town over had been taken from her home in the middle of the night. The suspect’s vehicle was found on the side of the road, a mile from pack lands. The doors were left open, and a few feet from the truck, the responding officer found a small stuffed animal.

  Lance met Shawn at the border. After a short negotiation, the alpha allowed him to search the area, with one stipulation—he went with him. They worked together tirelessly and then, as the sun went down, the fates smiled upon them. The little girl lay huddled against a stump, shivering, the suspect nowhere in sight. Twenty-four hours, later Shawn handed the little girl off to her relieved and grateful parents.

  After two rings, the alpha answered. “Lance.”

  “It’s Shawn Blu. Do you have a minute?”

  “Hey man. It’s been a while,” the alpha said. “Sure, what can I do for you?”

  “I’m looking for someone. She’s been gone for about ten years, and the last anyone in my pack heard, she was in Minnesota.”

  “Minnesota is a big state. Do you happen to know where specifically?”

  “No.” Shawn rubbed the back of his neck. “No one is sure of where she went. At the time, it was a good idea, not so much now.”

  “Shit, man.” Lance snorted. “Nothing like finding a needle in a haystack.”

  “I have something. It’s not much, but it might help.”

  “Hit me.”

  “She’s got fiery-red curly hair,” Shawn said. “Her name is Brienne Talbert.”

  “Hmm,” the alpha murmured. “Let me get back to you after I check around with a few people.”

  “Great,” Shawn answered, checking the bars on his phone again. “I’ve got shitty coverage where I am at the moment. If you can’t get ahold of me, I’ll get back to you.”

  “Thanks.”

  The next morning, he woke to the buzz of his phone. Voicemail. Shawn scooted up in bed before grabbing his phone. He slid his finger across the screen and hit the message icon. Lance’s voice filled the line.

  “You’re in luck. One of my trackers believes she’s here in town. Has been for a while. If so, she works at Lucy’s Diner and, if you hurry your ass up, you’ll be able to see her there tonight.”

  Shawn couldn’t believe it. Brienne may have been there when he worked the missing girl case. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen or scented her. He listened to the message several times before saving it and getting ready to leave. He should have told his aunt he had a lead, but he had to be 100 percent sure he was going in the right direction. If he didn’t find Brienne, he didn’t want to disappoint Fern. After packing his bag, he took a quick shower then headed out. Next stop, Rosewood, Minnesota.

  Chapter Two

  “See you next week.” Brienne packed her bag and stood after her professor dismissed the class. Her shift at the diner started in a couple of hours, so she needed to hurry—which meant eating on the run once again. However, after work, she didn’t have to go anywhere for a week. She planned on taking the first week of her summer break off to relax. She hadn’t done anything of the sort since leaving home. With only a couple of months of school left, she could unwind a bit.

  Walking out of class, she headed to her car. The breezy Minnesota spring weather had slowly given way to warmer, summer-like temps. Of course, after dealing with -30 degrees off and on for eight weeks, she welcomed the heat.

  When she’d left Los Lobos, she’d had to make a decision. Go east or west, but don’t stay too close to pack lands. Otherwise, Magnum’s mongrels would find her. She’d been scared—alone in a foreign world. She’d been afraid of what would happen to her if Magnum ever found her. In such a state, she’d hopped the first Greyhound bus leaving Rapid City within fifteen minutes, never checking out her destination.

  Once she was settled in Rosewood, she thought of sending a letter home to tell her aunt she was okay. The idea of Magnum intercepting the missive prevented her from following through. Though, if the alpha showed up there, Lance would have dealt with him. He’d given her the protection she needed after she approached him and explained why she fled. He’d also helped her get a job at his sister’s diner while never pressuring her to join his pack.

  Lucy was a blessing. She helped Brienne get into school and worked her hours around her classes and study time while she worked toward her master’s degree. They’d become fast friends, even when others thought her a threat, especially the females. More importantly, Sasha. For whatever reason, the girl got it into her head Brienne was trying to take Lance from her.

  She snorted.

  Brienne had a mate and planned to look for him once she finished school.

  She promised herself she’d make it through college then contact someone within the pack, probabl
y Gee, and see if they’d heard from Shawn. Last year, she’d come close to going against her rules and calling the old werebear to hear a familiar voice.

  It’d been after a particularly bad day. She’d worked a double at the diner and, of course, Sasha showed up to throw her weight around. The girl sat in her section then proceeded to make her life a living hell. After Brie tried to deal with her for an hour, Lucy stepped in and allowed Brie take the rest of the night off while she dealt with Sasha.

  After that night, it only got worse.

  Brienne didn’t understand the girl’s hatred. She’d never experienced anything like it. The women in Los Lobos huddled together, trying to protect one another. The viciousness…the spite. She couldn’t handle it. Even now, Sasha gave her a hard time. Can’t satisfy everyone, Brie. Might as well get used to it.

  She pulled into the parking lot of the diner and found a spot near the back door. After grabbing her apron, she closed her door and walked inside. Plates clattered together as one of the men pushed a tray of dirty dishes into the dishwasher while Claudia stacked the clean ones on the counter to be used to deliver meals to the appropriate tables.

  Fifties, Rock-a-Billy music blared from the stereo system Lucy put in last year to replace the old, rundown jukebox. Friday nights were always busy. Throw in the fact it was a nice day by their standards, and the place was slammed.

  “I’m here, Lucy.” She stored her stuff then wrapped her apron around her waist.

  “Great.” Lucy grabbed two plates off the line. “Help Ashley. She’s got your section and her own. We’re short-staffed. Also, you have someone requesting your presence.”

  “Who?” Brienne followed her out. Her mind raced. No one from school knew where she worked. Could Magnum have found her? Her stomach dropped. No. You know better. Who would tell him where you are? Maybe a Rosewood pack member? But why? None of this made sense.

  “I’m not sure,” she replied. “I’ve been too busy to get chatty with him. He’s at table five, and he’s already been waiting about twenty minutes for you.”