“Mr Chung here was the one who made the call,” Aidan said, gesturing towards a middle-aged man in a t-shirt emblazoned with the words Chung's Catering.
Winston nodded at Tian. He knew Tian Chung well. Tian and his family ran a catering business, and his brother had used their catering services on a number of occasions. Their food was good and their prices reasonable.
“Did you witness the accident, Tian?” Winston asked.
Tian shook his head and babbled, “No. My wife sent me out to grab some flour. She wanted to make scallion pancakes for breakfast tomorrow. But the mini-mart near our place was closed. I was just taking this shortcut when I saw the cars, all smashed up at the side of the road!” Tian gestured wildly, his eyes wide with shock and distress. “I called the ambulance immediately! I tried to pull those two ladies out of the cars, but they were stuck. I was so afraid the cars would explode!”
“There's not much petrol left in the Nissan,” Aidan said. “The lady was almost running on empty. And I'm betting the black car in front is a stolen car. Robert Park reported that his Ford was stolen three nights ago. This car matched the description.”
Winston nodded and said, “Lorni was in the backseat. Someone was driving her away, and I think the other lady saw something and sped after her. We need to talk to her as soon as possible. Did you get her name?”
Rico held out a small handbag. “Kaylee Wright. I checked her identification.”
Winston took the bag with a curt nod. “We'll have to inform Lorni's sister, Loretta. Does Miss Wright have any family?”
Aidan and Rico shrugged. “The only word she managed to utter was 'wolf'.”
“She was describing her attacker,” Winston said immediately. “Tow the cars back to the Station. Comb them for evidence. This isn't just a simple traffic accident. Lorni was attacked.”
“Yes, Sheriff.”
Winston turned to Tian. “You get yourself safely home now. We'll contact you if we need any more information.”
Tian gave a shaky nod and climbed into his small white van which had “Chung's Catering” printed in bold on its side doors and across the back.
Winston and his deputies began interviewing the small crowd, but no one witnessed the accident. The crowd had only gathered after Tian Chung arrived on the scene and put in the call. Most of them had been driving by when they saw the cars and Tian Chung's catering van at the side of the road.
In this remote part of town, the shops and offices were only open during the day. The shopkeepers and office workers all went home before dark, and there were only very few residential dwellings out here. Most people preferred living closer to the town center, not at the very edge of town.
Winston remembered talking to Lorni Jones about moving to a safer, more densely populated part of town after her husband died, but Lorni wanted to keep her husband's little business going and she insisted on staying in the dingy apartment above her shop.
Winston stared off into the distance, the image of Kaylee's pale face flashing through his mind. He had set eyes on her for less than a minute, yet he could recall her feverishly bright blue eyes, her upturned nose and plump, full lips clearly.
He found her features strikingly familiar. In fact, she looked a lot like a younger version of…
“Aidan?” He turned to his deputy with a frown.
Aidan finished jotting down the statement of yet another helpful member of the public. So far, nobody in the crowd had anything useful to add to Tian Chung's account.
“Yes, boss?” Aidan said.
“Does Ne-ma have a niece, grandniece or any female relative who's about the same age as Miss Kaylee Wright?”
“Ne-ma? Why would you ask...” Aidan's brows creased.
Winston waited and saw the exact moment when the gears clicked into place in Aidan's mind.
“Ne-ma! My God! Yes!” Aidan sputtered at last. “Yes! You...she...Kaylee...we have to tell Ne-ma right away!”
“Ne-ma mentioned Kaylee?” Winston prompted.
“Ne-ma mentioned a grandniece once. They lost touch, but I think her name is Kaylee! Kaylee Wright!”
CHAPTER FIVE
“She's awake now, Sheriff. You may speak to her for a few minutes. Just a few minutes,” the doctor said pointedly. “The patient needs to rest.”
Winston nodded. He might be the Sheriff, but he knew the good, no-nonsense nurses wouldn't hesitate to kick him out of the patient's room if he didn't follow the doctor's orders.
He waited until the doctor and nurses have all left the room before going to Kaylee's bedside.
Pulling up a chair, he began slowly, “Miss Wright, my name is Winston Knight, and I'm the Sheriff of Shadow Point. I'd just like to ask you a couple of questions.”
Kaylee gave a small nod. Her arms and legs were heavily bandaged and there was a band-aid on her forehead. Her face was purplish and swollen but she was conscious and coherent.
“Can you just tell me briefly what happened before the accident?”
Kaylee took a shuddering breath and rasped, “He d-dragged her...to the car. I was driving by when I saw him pull her out of her shop and push her into the car! The w-wolf…he's a wolf!” She jerked and turned to Winston. “Is she okay? The woman...”
“Yes, Lorni is okay. She's injured, but she's alive,” Winston assured her. After a pause, Winston went on, “You saw a man dragging Lorni Jones out of her shop. Is that correct?”
“Y-yes.”
“Can you describe the man?”
“He...he's a wolf! He c-changed into a wolf, and escaped...”
“A wolf shifter.”
Kaylee nodded jerkily.
“Can you describe the man and the wolf?”
“Huge, black, yellow eyes...I mean the wolf. In human form, he had the same yellow eyes. He was stocky, and he had lank black hair...” She grimaced. “I can't remember what he was wearing...”
“That's okay. Thank you. You've been very helpful, Miss Wright.”
Kaylee's lower lip trembled. “I just wanted to stop him,” she whispered. “I didn't intend to crash into the car. I just wanted to overtake him, and help the woman...”
Winston laid his hand on her shoulder. “You're very brave, Miss Wright. You saved Lorni's life.”
“I...I did?”
“A woman was murdered two weeks ago. She was a small business owner and she lived alone. Like Lorni, she was a widow. Her body was found in the woods. We believe she was killed by the same wolf shifter who attacked Lorni.”
Kaylee pressed her shaking fingers to her mouth. “He was going to kill her...”
Winston nodded grimly. “Yes. You saved Lorni from being tortured and killed by a rogue wolf. Rogues are usually destroyed by their Alpha before they turn into cold-blooded killers. But this rogue wolf may have escaped from his pack.”
Kaylee leaned back against her pillow and closed her eyes. Winston gave her a moment to regain her composure. He stared at her sweet, heart-shaped face, and his eyes trailed down her curvaceous body before he could stop himself. Even covered with bandages and bruises, he found her very attractive.
Everything about her was extraordinary. Kaylee was brave, impetuous and spunky. She wasn't even a resident of Shadow Point. She was just driving into an unfamiliar, remote town, yet she had leaped to Lorni's aid without sparing a thought for her own safety.
She was caring and courageous. Kaylee was human but she had a lion's heart.
Winston could feel his lion growling softly within him. His beast was drawn to this brave, rash human female, and he was highly intrigued by her.
He knew who she was. He had been the Sheriff for many years now, and his instincts were always spot-on. He never forgot a name or a face and he was an astute judge of character.
He had guessed that Kaylee was a relation of Neveah Wright, and he had called Broomstick Inn and spoken to Ne-ma. Ever since he became the godfather to Gramma and Ne-ma's little great-grandcub, J
eremy, the two good-hearted but meddlesome witches had insisted that he call them Gramma and Ne-ma. He might be the big, stern Sheriff, but they simply saw him as one of their grandsons, never mind that all their grandsons were bear shifters, and he was a lion shifter. To them, he was family.
And Kaylee Wright had traveled all the way to Shadow Point to look for her family.
Winston leaned forward and said very gently, “Miss Wright...”
“Kaylee.” She opened her eyes and smiled. “Call me Kaylee.”
He held her gaze and said, “There's someone here to see you, Kaylee.”
“Me? Someone…?” She swallowed and stammered, “B-but I don't know anyone in Shadow Point...”
“I think you do.” Winston stood up and went to open the door. He went out and saw Gramma, the Gray brothers and their mates sitting with Ne-ma outside Kaylee's room. Gramma was squeezing Ne-ma's hand while Aidan and his brothers spoke in low tones to Ne-ma, assuring her that Kaylee would be okay.
Ne-ma jumped up as soon as she saw Winston. “How is she? How is my grandniece?” she asked, her blue eyes searching his face frantically. “Is Kaylee…?”
Winston put one arm around Ne-ma's shoulder and took her small, thin hand in his.
Very gently, he led her into the room.
CHAPTER SIX
Kaylee looked up and saw the Sheriff coming back into the room with a petite, bespectacled, silver-haired woman.
She gasped. “Grandaunt Neveah!”
She hadn't seen her grandaunt in more than ten years. Her grandaunt's blond hair was now completely silver and instead of wearing her long hair in a braid, she now wound her silver hair into a bun at her nape. Her blue eyes were lively and sparkling behind her trademark black-rimmed glasses.
“Kaylee! Oh, Kaylee! Sweetheart!” Her grandaunt lurched towards her and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Kaylee stifled a sob and blinked away the sudden, hot tears in her eyes. “Grandaunt Neveah...”
“Are you okay? How are you feeling? Oh, Kaylee, why didn't you tell me you were coming to Shadow Point. Oh, let me look at you!”
Kaylee swallowed painfully and looked down, unable to meet her grandaunt's glimmering blue eyes. Eyes which were so much like her own. They were filled with love, worry, pain and regret.
“I tried to call you, Kaylee,” her grandaunt said, her voice breaking. “I tried so many times, but you moved and you changed your number...”
“Grandaunt Neveah, I...”
Her grandaunt leaned forward and smoothed a strand of her blond hair away from her face. She tsked and said, “Grandaunt Neveah is such a mouthful. Just call me Ne-ma!”
“Ne-ma?” Kaylee said tentatively.
“Yep. Everyone calls me Ne-ma. Even Winston!”
Kaylee widened her eyes at the big, tall Sheriff. He lifted his broad shoulders in an affable shrug and smiled encouragingly. There was a little lion cub sitting on his shoulder and purring in his ear.
My godson, he mouthed proudly to her.
Kaylee blinked. Winston had a godson? Did he have a son too? And a wife, a mate...a girlfriend?
She bit her lip quickly, feeling annoyed and baffled. The handsome Sheriff's marital status was none of her business. So why did the mere thought that he belonged to another female make her insides twist into an angry knot?
Kaylee shook her head, trying to get her emotions under control. She looked up and realized that her hospital room was suddenly very crowded.
Ne-ma was sitting on her bed, and behind Ne-ma was her best friend, Glynda Gray. Kaylee had met Glynda many years ago when Ne-ma and Glynda came to visit Kaylee's grandfather, who was Ne-ma's only brother. Glynda was a witch like Ne-ma, and she was a sweet woman with curly silver hair and bright green eyes.
“Grandaunt Glynda,” Kaylee greeted her as Glynda came forward to hug her.
“Ah, just call me Gramma, like the boys.” She gestured to four beefy, blond men behind her. “These are my grandsons, Tristan, Aidan, Mason and Jackson. They're all bear shifters.”
“Hi, Kaylee,” the four brothers chorused. The Gray boys all had Gramma's arresting green eyes and cheeky grin.
The four Gray brothers introduced their mates. Kaylee said hi to Alisa, Elle, Suzanne and Harper, and even kissed Tristan and Alisa's baby daughter Katie on the cheek. Jackson and Harper pointed out their son, Jeremy to Kaylee. “Jeremy is sitting on his godpa's shoulder. He likes being in his lion form,” Harper said. Kaylee turned and smiled at the playful lion cub on Winston's shoulder.
Ne-ma held Kaylee's hand tightly. “That's a very brave thing you did, Kaylee. You saved Lorni from a serial killer. But...you should have called me. If I'd known you were coming, I would have driven out to fetch you! It's so dangerous for you to drive all the way alone...”
“I...I lost your number,” Kaylee answered in a small voice. “I'm sorry, Ne-ma. I'm really sorry...”
“Hush, it's over now, sweetheart,” Ne-ma shushed her. “You're here, and you're safe. That's all that matters. But you must have had such a fright! You've been hurt, but no one can hurt you now. No one.” Ne-ma's blue eyes shone with understanding and compassion. It was as if she could see all the hurt, sorrow and pain that Kaylee had experienced.
Clutching both her hands, Ne-ma said fiercely, “And you're not disappearing again, Kaylee. I absolutely won't allow it!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kaylee stared at Ne-ma and opened her mouth. But instead of words, a wrenching sob burst from her chest.
“I should have kept in touch, Ne-ma. I know you care for me. I should have come to you, instead of moving all the time, uprooting myself constantly to search for...something I'd never find...”
Kaylee broke down and Ne-ma gathered her in her arms and held her as she cried. “I'm sorry, Ne-ma,” she sobbed into Ne-ma shoulder.
“Everything is okay now. You're here, with family,” Ne-ma said soothingly, rubbing her back. “You've finally found your way home.”
Kaylee sniffed. “I don't have a home...”
“Nonsense! You can stay in Broomstick Inn with us!” Gramma said immediately. “Tristan and the boys can even build you a little house if you prefer to have a place of your own. Tristan owns Gray's Domain, a neat construction company.”
Kaylee shook her head. “No, no, I mean, that's very generous of you, but I couldn't...” She laughed sheepishly. “I would be grateful just to sleep in the kitchen of your inn. I never thought...”
Ne-ma planted her hands on her hips. “We are family. What is this crazy talk about sleeping on the kitchen floor? Do you imagine that you're Cinderella or Snow White, and I'm the evil grandaunt who is also an evil witch to boot?”
Kaylee laughed despite herself. “No, of course not, Ne-ma! I just...” She laughed again and shook her head. “Funny that you should mention Cinderella and Snow White,” she muttered with a lopsided smile.
“Why?”
“I...I was just wishing that I would meet my white knight and live happily ever after, just like in a fairy tale.” Kaylee blushed and mumbled, “What a silly wish, eh?”
When there was no reply, she looked up and saw Gramma, Ne-ma and the whole Gray family gaping at her.
Kaylee gulped and grimaced. “Why are you all looking at me like that?” she asked nervously.
“Hmm, a knight,” Tristan, the eldest Gray brother, said with a slow, sly smile.
“I know a Knight,” another brother quipped.
“Me too!”
“Me three!”
It was Winston's turn to look startled when all eyes swiveled to him. “What?” he demanded. “What are they up to?” he said in a stage whisper to Jeremy. The lion cub growled in response.
“Winston Knight,” Gramma and Ne-ma whispered together, giving her identical looks of amazement and delight.
Kaylee exchanged a look with Winston as the Gray brothers and their mates began to chuckle and chatter excitedly. She had no idea what the
y were talking about. She heard the words “happily ever after”, “wish” and “true mate” being whispered between the couples as they threw knowing glances at Winston and her.
Winston grinned at her and threw up his hands dramatically. Jeremy tumbled off his shoulder, but Winston caught the cub expertly in his large hands and threw him high in the air. Jeremy squealed and shifted in mid-air back to human form. Winston caught a little boy with light brown hair and hazel eyes securely in his hands and handed the mischievous tot back to his parents.
Harper kissed her son and lifted him up onto Jackson's shoulders. Jeremy sat proudly on his dad's shoulders and waved at Kaylee.
Kaylee waved back. She smiled as she watched Jackson wiggle and tilt his body at a precarious angle, while Jeremy clung on for dear life and shrieked in delight. The toddler was a thrill-seeker, a real dare-devil. She knew that Jeremy wasn't Jackson's biological son since Jackson was a bear shifter not a lion shifter. But she saw that Jackson was Jeremy's dad, truly, completely and forever. The bond between Jackson and Jeremy was strong and true. They were such a beautiful, wonderful family.
Her hospital room was filled with excited voices and raucous laughter. They were making so much noise, but it was the most joyful noise Kaylee had heard in a long time. A nurse poked her head in and warned them to keep it down but she didn't chase them out.
Laughter was after all the best medicine.
As Kaylee chatted with Gramma, Ne-ma and their four granddaughters-in-law, she forgot all about the aches and pains in her body. All she could feel was the feeling of family.
She missed the warmth, the closeness, the laughter, the ribbing and bickering. She hadn't realized how much she missed having a family, a real, loving, supportive family.
She had traveled a long way from the city, not knowing where she was going.
But Ne-ma was right. In the end, she had found her way home.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Taming The Lion: BBW Paranormal Lion Shifter Romance (Gray Bears Book 5) Page 2
