by Tate James
"Where are we going then?" Mason asks as Raine reverses the car, and I clip my seatbelt on.
"Where do you think, pretty boy?" she laughs, not exactly answering, but Mason doesn't reply, so I assume he knows where we are going. It's a quiet and tense car trip out of the cabins and towards the shopping town. Raine parks the car outside the first building, and we all get out. I step next to Raine, and to my surprise, Mason goes to my other side with his arm sliding around my waist.
"Are you two dating then?" Raine asks, making the whole situation awkward.
"What does it have to do with you?" Mason counters.
"Hey, be nice," I scold Mason who smiles at me.
"I'll try, for you," he replies. I'm so distracted by Mason's hand on my waist, the way he looks down at me, and his flirty tone that I don't even get time to look around at the town before we are walking into a building after Raine. The building is small but packed with people, and loud music blasts around as we slide through the people to get in. Mason's arm leaves my back, and he takes my hand as we have to walk one by one into the main part of the room. There are twelve or so tables spread around, with red covers and tea candles lit in the middle of them. There is a bar on the one wall with dozens of people surrounding it. Two guys sat at a table in the middle wave to us, and Raine practically runs over, sliding onto one of the guy's laps as she kisses the other.
"Here." Mason lets go of my hand to pull the seat out in front of me, and I slide into it.
“Ana, this is Pike and Dale,” Raine introduces them. “This is Ana, and you know Mason from around.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dale says, and Pike nods at us, keeping his eyes on Mason like he is a threat for some reason as he holds onto Raine’s waist.
“Have you ordered food?” Raine asks. I look around at the other tables and quickly conclude they sell only homemade pizzas here. Good thing I’m not fussy and love pizza of any kind. Except pineapple pizza. That is a big no.
“Yep,” Pike says simply, and I’m getting the feeling he isn’t a man of many words.
“I’m going to get us drinks,” Raine says, standing up and dragging Pike off with her. There is an awkward silence at the table, thankfully made a little better by the busy room I stare around at until Raine comes back later.
“Here we go,” Raine slides a purple drink in front of me, a beer in front of Mason, and Pike puts the other drinks down for them. A few moments later, a woman comes over to us, sliding a giant pizza across the middle of the table on a big plate. Each slice looks like a different flavour. I watch in horror as Mason picks up a pineapple and bacon looking slice.
“Don’t tell me you are one of those people who think pineapple and pizza belong together?” I ask. The others chuckle as he grins at me and my reaction.
“They shouldn’t fight it. They belong with each other and taste so, so good together,” he says, and I have a feeling there is a hidden meaning in that statement that makes my cheeks light up. I quickly look away and get a slice with chicken, eating it slowly before sipping the fruity tasting drink Raine gave me. The food and drink are amazing, and after a little while, we all seem to relax. Dale and Mason start talking as I watch the band in the corner of the room, listening to them play music I don’t recognise, though the music makes me sway in my seat, wanting to dance like so many others are. Mason touches my arm just before a loud alarm goes off, and the music stops.
“Everyone outside, now. That’s the evacuation alarm. You have to return to your houses!” someone shouts over the crowd, and then everything is chaos. Mason pulls me to his side, helping me outside in the group of people running for the small door. One minute, my hand is in Mason’s, and the next, we are separated, and I am pushed with the crowd outside. I push my way through people and get to the side of the building which has a dark alley, turning round to watch people running past the alley. I will just wait until they are gone then get to the car. I freeze when I hear a noise behind me and spin around, seeing a shadow of a man in a cloak. I quickly recognise him as the man from the train station, and I step back in fear. I scream when someone puts their hands on my waist, and I turn back.
“It’s me, what is wrong?” Mason asks, holding me close as I look back to where the man was. There is no one there though.
“Nothing, we should go,” I say, though my voice shakes. Whoever that person is, they are following me. It makes me wonder if they knew I was going to change into a familiar on that day. Is that even possible?
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Mason darkly replies, staring down the alley and keeping me close as we walk back to the car.
15
The missing wolf
Anastasia
“That’s my dad’s car,” Raine points out as she pulls up next to the red Jeep outside our cabin. “I’m coming in.”
We all get out of the car, Mason placing his arm tightly around me as we walk up to the house. Raine goes in first, followed by her boyfriends, and then we follow. Hugh is sat next to Shadow and Silver, and Shadow instantly runs to my side. I place my hand on his shoulder as I meet Hugh’s gaze.
“What is going on?” I ask, seeing Alex and Liam in the corner of my eye, walking over.
“There is a missing wolf familiar. The empire is on lockdown.”
End of Part one. The story will be extended in 2019 and be part of a series.
About the Author
To read more from this author please follow on Amazon:
Amazon.com/G.-Bailey/e/B072K146M7
Or visit her website:
www.gbaileyauthor.com
BETHIE’S HAVEN
CECILIA RANDALL
Description
Annabeth Lorrie is changing her life.
She’s tired of the loneliness, the emptiness, the sheer… meaninglessness. From the bustle of Houston, she’s moving to a rural area just outside Giddings, Texas. And from a marketing executive at one of the big oil companies, she’s going to become the founder of a new animal shelter.
She has the land, and a glimmer of a plan…
And that’s about all.
She needs help, and after a few chance encounters with the Peterson brothers, she finds that help.
With a bit of otherworldly assistance and the antics of a few well-meaning pups—and a hell of a lot of bravery on her part—she may be able to find much, much more than that.
1
ANNABETH
Dusk was just beginning to fall as Annabeth Lorrie twisted her dirty blond hair into a bun, poured herself a well-earned glass of iced tea, and made her way onto her newly repaired and painted back porch. She allowed the peace of a country breeze to wash over her as crickets sang into the fading light.
This is exactly what I needed. She took a slow sip, savoring the slightly bitter taste of the over-brewed English breakfast blend she preferred. When there were visitors, she’d pull out the Lipton’s, but for herself this was just right.
That’s what I’m going to do from now on. I’m going to do what’s just right for me.
It was a declaration and a promise that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep. It was also what she wanted.
A slight smile crossed her lips as she made her way to the porch swing she’d installed just that afternoon and sat, one leg tucked under her. The land which was now hers stretched out before her, waiting for the day it would become an animal shelter—and her haven.
The decision to move to the not-so-wilds of southeast Texas had been easy. When her cousin Benji had mentioned an old friend who was looking to sell a farmhouse sitting on some acreage in the country, it was as though the Universe was telling her it was time. Get out of Houston, it was saying. Make the change you need to, it whispered.
And so, she did. She sold her house, quit her job, traded in her BMW for a pick-up, and tapped into her savings to buy the land out-right. The farmhouse had been in relatively good repair, needing only some minor maintenance and new paint in a few places. In the spirit of embracing her new
life, she’d even done it all herself: running to Ed’s Hardware in town and the lumber yard, changing out a few switch plates and replacing a board or two on the porch. She’d even installed new cabinet doors in the kitchen, and the home appliance store had dropped off the new stove and fridge just yesterday.
The cleaning was done, her furniture in place, internet service connected, and today had been the last of it—a final coat of pale blue paint on the porch rail, and hanging her porch swing.
She pushed off with her foot and set the swing going. It brought back memories of earlier times, happier times when her family was whole and she ran wild as a child. She could almost see it, her father whispering in her mother’s ear. Her mother blushing in response and slapping her father’s shoulder. Her brother Adam ran through the yard, their pittie Rose right on his heels. Margie—the old lab they’d rescued and her best friend at one point—would be sunning herself just by the deck stairs, while Fergus the Bloody would snap his jaws at nothing, attacking the air furiously.
Then there were the cats. Her mother had sworn they only owned three, but there always seemed to be more, prancing around with their tails up in curling question marks. They’d leap onto her lap and make themselves at home, and god forbid you moved before they were ready.
A grin stretched across her face, and she didn’t try to stop it. Those were the times she wanted to remember, not what came after. And those were the times she wanted to recreate, but on a larger scale. Here, on her own land, she’d fulfill the dream her brother had never been able to, and she’d wash away her own losses.
Her lips dipped down and she swished the tea in its glass. Don’t think of it, Bethie. You’re on a new path now. She chanted the words to herself and concentrated on the smell of latex paint and dry grass until the pressure behind her eyes faded. The sun was setting, sending the horizon into a wash of color, she held her glass of tea up to it, examining the play of light through the liquid.
It helped to concentrate on the little things when memories she didn’t want to recall pushed at the edges of her mind.
Tomorrow she’d go back into Ed’s Hardware and start looking for a contractor. She was going to be here for a long while, and it was best to network with those who knew the locals. Ed, with his grizzled hair, pressed button-down, and well-worn cap, looked like he’d know not only which contractors were the best in the area, but that he could tell you what they ate for breakfast and when they last went to the dentist.
She needed Ed on her side.
“Tomorrow,” she murmured to herself as her eyes slid closed and she once more envisioned what this place would become. It was her new ritual, when she’d finished working for the day and before she made herself dinner.
Over to the right would be the offices and intake center, fully equipped not only for keeping records of all the animals, but also for treating them—including an isolation area. She still had to find a vet, but she could begin her search tomorrow.
When she had her wildlife refuge, in those buildings was where the magic would begin. It didn’t matter what the animals were, or what state they were in, she was going to take them. Hawks with injured wings, and lost chimney-sweep hatchlings. One eyed-cats and goats with three legs. Racoons and foxes and even the occasional possum. And the dogs—the abandoned, the mistreated, the abused and the lost. She’d take them all, and she’d make them better.
She’d have runs, and pens with plenty of room, and an obedience training area. And chickens. She’d have chickens, because why not?
Most she would let go or find new homes for. But there were always those who needed a safe place.
It wasn’t a dream that would happen overnight, or even in a few months. Hell, her ultimate dream would probably take years, because she needed to start small. First the shelter, then the wildlife sanctuary.
Annabeth opened her eyes and for just a moment her brother was in front of her, his grin wide and his green eyes bright. Margie was beside him, her own doggie grin knowing. There was a flash as the sun finished making its descent over the horizon, and then they were gone.
She raised her nearly empty glass. “This one’s for you Adam.” She swallowed. “And for you my Margie. This one is definitely for you.”
With that she stood and made her way inside. Just as she pulled the rear door closed she could have sworn she heard Margie’s familiar bark. But her old friend had been taken away nearly two decades ago, not long after she’d lost her brother.
Leaving the glass in the sink and the lights shining, she made her way upstairs. She had research to do and a business plan to finalize.
2
interlude
Do you think she saw us? The boy’s spirit lingered, watching after his sister. She was older, so much older, and tired lines ran between her brows and along her mouth.
Of course. My Bethie sees everything. The golden retriever panted next to him, no longer the old dog Annabeth remembered.
But she didn’t see us, the boy argued. Not for such a long time.
She was too mired in her grief. The dog leaned against him, offering comfort.
But not for us. We never wanted her sad. He dug a foot into the ground, though the dirt didn’t move.
Yes, for us at one point. But it was what came after that hurt her more.
The after was bad… The boy nodded, a wise frown pulling down the corners of his little mouth. Did she really need to do this? I know she always said I’d get to save the animals one day, just like we saved you, but that was for me, not her.
The dog snorted. I can see it, you can’t. This is where she’ll find her happiness. And then we’ll wait for her on the other side of the river.
I still don’t understand this river thing you’re talking about. The boy’s pout deepened.
The dog licked his hand. I’ll show you when we’re done here. This is what you wanted, remember? How can it be a bad thing that she’s doing this?
I just want her to smile. Like she used to.
And she will. The dog nudged the boy. Now, we will go see some friends of mine. They’re young; you’ll like them.
The boy and dog turned away from the old farmhouse and headed across the land, toward another house, the windows shining small in the distance.
3
annabeth
Annabeth tightened her ponytail and pushed open the door to Ed’s Hardware, the ting of the bell sounding loud in the early morning. Motes of dust swirled in the sunlight that cut through the windows. She looked past the slightly dusty, but neat shelves to the check-out counter in the front of the store, but Ed wasn’t in his usual place.
Deciding she had time to wait, she wandered to the far wall, where an old bulletin board was set up. Tattered posters announcing rooms for rent, school fairs and piano lessons dotted the surface. It was an interesting mix.
A hand-written announcement in the lower right corner caught her attention.
PUPPIES AVAILABLE
That was all it said. I wonder if there are any left. It would be nice to have a companion while she worked to set up the rescue and shelter.
A rumble of masculine voices from the rear of the store caught her attention. She could just make out Ed’s low rasp. Still not in any hurry, and enjoying the slower pace of living outside Houston, she wandered in that direction, weaving through the shelves.
“You know I’m not taking on commissions right now.”
The voice was just this side of deep, the kind that rolled through your head and made you pause just to savor it. She was a row away from them now, and could just make out a faded but neatly pressed denim shirt tucked into new jeans. Lingering there, she studied the hint of broad shoulders and long legs.
“Now Jake. I know you said that, but she’s new to the area. Hasn’t said much on the details, but I think this is something you and your brothers would be interested in. Why don’t I just send her your way, and you can talk. She’ll probably be coming in the next few days. Most likely nearly done with the
work at the old Connor place.” There was a pause as Ed shuffled closer and lowered his voice so Annabeth had to strain to hear. “And I know she doesn’t have anyone to look out for her now. Poor girl was doing all that work by herself, insisted on it even.”
Realizing Ed was talking about her, Annabeth nearly snorted. She hadn’t been a “girl” in a couple of decades. Thirty-five wasn’t old by any means, but girl might be a stretch. Especially with the way she stretched her jeans.
Suppressing a huff at the errant thought, she decided it was time to make her presence known. Whoever this man was, Ed obviously wanted her to meet him, and wasn’t that why she had come into the store today?
“Ed, I don’t know what rumors you’re spreading about me—” she started, then cut off as the mystery man stepped back and turned in her direction, giving her the full force of his dark gaze.
If someone were to have sat her down and demanded she describe her ideal man, this would have been it. Tall enough that she could wear heels with her 5’-10” frame, and not feel as though she needed to slouch. Broad shoulders, but not so muscled that he strained the seams of his shirt. Deep chestnut hair with just a hint of curl, trimmed neat and close to his head.
But it was those eyes. A deep brown, with the slightest slant at the corners, they drew her in, and for a half-moment, she was lost. Then he blinked, frowned, shook his head and turned back to Ed.
“Told you,” he said. “Not taking any new commissions.”
