by Lia Bevans
“She has Evie.” Mae Ling brushed away his suggestion. “You’re welcome to wait here with the rest of us.”
“Yes! Stay!” Cecil let out a girlish giggle. “We could have so much fun.”
His belly flip-flopped and not in a good way. The gleam in her eye said he wouldn’t enjoy her type of fun. Blaez chuckled nervously, glad when Mae Ling used a firm hand and guided Cecil from the foyer.
The jingle of metal drew his attention back to Ralph. The old man swung his belt through the loop of his jeans. His pale stomach protruded so far over the pants, Blaez wondered how the man could see where to guide his hands next.
“Need some help with that?” He offered, stepping into the kitchen.
Ralph brushed him off. “I’m old, not invalid. If you want to help, hand me that shirt over there.” Blaez complied, grabbing a long-sleeved flannel shirt. Ralph snatched it from him and sighed. “My back is aching. My feet are aching. I tell you, it’s not worth it to go on shifting when you’ve reached my age.”
“You?” The word flew from his lips before he could take it back and try to form the question with a little more tact.
Ralph chuckled. “How do you think I saw you with Chantal earlier, Einstein?”
Blaez grinned sheepishly. “You’re right. I can smell the animal in you now that you’ve mentioned it.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s hard to tell the difference with all the Bengay cream we use in here. Most of us who still shift on a regular basis practically slather ourselves with the stuff.”
His eyes lit up. “You were one of the dogs tonight.”
“Border Collie. Saw enough of what happened out there to know Chantal’s going to be in a lot of trouble with the wolf clan.” He bit on his bottom lip. “You her mate?”
Blaez startled. “What? No.”
“Good. Things are going to get complicated.” His eyes bore into Blaez. “She’s going to need to focus on this crisis to make it out in one piece. Don’t confuse her. Think you can handle that?”
“I—”
“Excellent.” Ralph nodded once. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to draw up an ice bath. These knees aren’t what they used to be.” Ralph rose and waddled out of the kitchen, leaving Blaez in stunned silence.
CHAPTER FOUR
“My baby! My beautiful baby!” Talia Moore snatched her son from Chantal’s arms and thrust him close to her. Connor wound his arms around his mother’s neck and cried into her shoulder, his muffled sobs breaking her heart.
A police officer turned to her, his brown eyes sweeping her from the top of her head to the toes of her feet. Chantal swallowed and tried not to look suspicious. Werewolves were still a whispered legend in this part of the Americas, but what she’d done tonight could put them all in jeopardy.
She lifted her chin and tried to hide her nerves. He doesn’t know anything. Just play the part and tell them the story you worked on while you were driving here. The officer cleared his throat and gestured for them to walk over to the corner of the Moore’s front lawn.
Chantal exchanged a look with Evie. The older woman arched both eyebrows. She’d already made a mess of things tonight. Fighting with the authorities would not help her case. Chantal nodded and followed the officer until they stood a few feet away from the reuniting family.
“Can you tell me what happened, ma’am?” he asked, flipping a notebook to a clean page.
She took in a deep breath and said, “A few minutes ago, I found Connor lost in the woods near my farm. He was on the ground, shivering from the cold and complaining that he couldn’t see. We guessed that he must have fallen and hit his head on his way down the incline.”
“Is that so?”
Chantal nodded, gaining more confident with every lie that rolled off her tongue. “We wrapped him in blankets to keep him warm and drove him straight here. I thought of taking him to the hospital, but when I called Mrs. Moore she assured me that they had a nurse at home.”
The officer punctuated the scribbles on the page with his pen. “You’re a hero, ma’am. Thank you for your bravery.”
She forced a smile and bopped her head. “It was nothing.”
“Nothing?” Mr. Moore appeared and drew her into a tight hug. The large man held her for a beat and then released her. She saw tears in his eyes. “We know our time with Connor is dwindling. Tonight gave me a taste of what it would be like if we really lost him. He means...” His voice cracked. “He means the world to me.”
She dipped her head, feeling a little bit of her apprehension lighten just a fraction. Maybe she would be crucified by the wolf pack, but at least she’d made a difference in one family’s life. For as long as she was alive, all Chantal wanted to do was help make the world a better place for humans and shifters.
“I’ll go make the report.” The officer smiled at her and then scurried to his car.
“I need to leave as well.” Chantal turned to Mr. Moore. She hesitated before saying, “If you see Connor acting strange...”
His eyes widened. “Strange? Like what?”
“Nothing.” She scratched her forehead and stepped back. “I hope Connor knows he’s always welcome at the farm. Provided he arrives with the proper adult supervision.”
Mr. Moore dipped his head, laugh lines forming around his bright brown eyes. “I’ll let him know.”
They separated and Chantal jogged to Evie’s side. She strode quietly to the car and climbed in, growing more and more antsy as Evie said nothing on their journey. At last she could take the quiet no more and glanced over at her passenger.
Evie folded her hands over her chest. “Eyes on the road.”
Chantal whipped her head around so quickly her dark brown hair slapped her cheek. “I can explain.”
“Two hands on the wheel.”
She wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. “He was going to die.”
“We’re not God, Chantal. If it was his time, then you should have left him.”
“You expect me to walk away from a child in need when I could help?”
“I expect you to know that turning every sick child into a werewolf is not your purpose.”
“Who said anything about ‘every sick child’? It was one boy and he was dying—”
“Then you should have let him!” Evie breathed out through her nose. “I’m not saying this because I’m a heartless panther who hates children. Don’t you know what you’ve unleashed in that poor boy? He won’t have anyone to turn to when he starts shifting...”
“That won’t happen until he’s fifteen.” Chantal nodded determinedly. “And I’ll be here for him. As desperate as I was at the time, I knew I would have to take responsibility for every part of my decision. I’ll be fine.”
“Not if Hazel gets to you. How do you think she’ll react when she finds out about this?”
At the thought of her sister, Chantal visibly recoiled. Her relationship with Hazel was... complicated. Her sister prized herself on being objective. Which was what had landed her the prized title of alpha wolf. Their history wouldn’t save her this time.
“I’m ready.”
“Even if it means being stripped of your wolf?”
Her body seized at the thought and they almost veered into a ditch. Evie yelled and grabbed the steering wheel, pulling the vehicle back to the right side of the highway. The semi that had been veering down the road blew its horn as they passed.
“I’m sorry.” Evie brushed a lock of her straight hair from her face. “I should be more careful when you’re driving.”
Chantal turned off the freeway and pulled the car to the side so she could push her chair back and force her head between her legs. Her wolf was scared. Which meant that the reality of what she had risked was finally setting in.
“I know you’ve always called yourself a monster,” Evie said quietly. “You’ve always wished you were normal. Human. I think your wish might be granted soon.”
Chantal should feel v
ictorious. Instead, she just felt sick.
RALPH HAD BEEN GONE for five minutes and boredom set in. Blaez stood and meandered around the kitchen. It had been renovated with sleek blue tiles and stainless steel appliances. He swept his hands over the marble island counter as he walked.
This place reminded him of a bed and breakfast. With so many people living here, he imagined everyday was loud and lively. He got the impression that Chantal collected quirky, forgotten characters and invited them into her house. How else could he explain personalities like Ralph, Cecil, and Mae Ling living under the same roof?
Blaez shook his head at the memory of their bizarre introduction as he moved out of the kitchen and into the living room. Warm furniture in red and brown tones complemented cream-colored walls. The décor was modern, like the kitchen. Chantal must have gutted the place and redecorated.
He glanced at the picture frames, depicting Evie, Ralph, Cecil and Mae Lin. Children in hospital gowns surrounded them. The beaming faces of the patients almost distracted him from the dreary hospital backgrounds.
Wildlife For Humanity. Chantal’s outreach program enlisted both the human-half and the animal-half of a shifter to help the sick and broken in society. He grew curious, wondering what had led her down such an unconventional path. Most shifters kept themselves apart from humans, as much as they could help it.
Blaez continued admiring the pictures, finally stopping on a familiar image. There was that family portrait again. An identical image hung directly above Chantal’s desk in her office. He’d only skimmed the frame this morning, but something pulled him to observe it more closely.
A woman with light brown hair and kind brown eyes sat beside a grinning man with balding hair and blue eyes. He recognized a younger Chantal standing behind them, a delicate hand on her mother’s shoulder. The bigger surprise came when he spotted the receptionist from earlier that morning next to Chantal.
They were sisters? He would never have guessed. They shared the same snarling personality, for sure, but there was no family resemblance. While Chantal was petite and curvy, her sister was tall and a bit more aloof. Most importantly, she wasn’t a shifter.
The werewolf mutation was dominant, which meant that someone in that picture was adopted.
Is it Chantal or her sister?
The front door opened before Blaez could make sense of his new discovery. Chantal dragged herself inside. He had only known her for a few hours, but in that short time he hadn’t expected her to ever look so defeated.
Strong, sassy and sarcastic? Yeah. Broken, beaten, and scared... he wasn’t used to.
Their gazes connected and a little fire returned to her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I—”
“She’s back!” Cecil yelled as she flung herself down the stairs. Her announcement spurred a stampede of dogs and humans. They trotted into the living room, settling into the sofas and on the rug.
Blaez recognized Cecil, Ralph, and Mae Ling—all properly dressed—but the remaining shifters remained in their animal form. He wondered if it was a choice or if they were physically incapable of manifesting their human-half.
Chantal spoke, drawing him out of his thoughts. “Guys, I thought you’d be sleeping by now.”
“How can we sleep after what we saw?” Mae frowned. “What happened? Did you really use your blood to save that boy?”
Chantal nodded. “I did.”
There was silence for a moment, and then Cecil started clapping. Ralph followed and even Mae joined in. The dogs stomped and howled their applause. Blaez’s mouth fell open. Why were they cheering? It made no sense.
“Come here. You look like you could use a good hug.” Cecil drew her arms around Chantal. Evie stood behind the pair and watched with a thoughtful look on her face.
“I’ll draw you a bath,” Mae Ling said, turning to head up the stairs.
“I’ll fix dinner.” Ralph jerked his chin to the kitchen. “Follow me, everyone.”
“Let’s go, honey.”
Blaez stood in awe as Cecil guided Chantal right past him without glancing his way once. He expected that kind of cold shoulder from Chantal who had made it no secret that she would rather not have to deal with him, but he’d thought he and Cecil connected...
“You.” Evie crooked her finger at him. “It’s best you go home.”
“Wait.” He strode forward until he was directly in front of her. Blaez towered above Evie, but something about her demanded his respect. He kept his voice low and polite when he said, “Are they just going to gloss over the fact that she broke a cardinal rule?”
“Yes.” Evie pulled the door open and tossed her head, gesturing for him to get out. Blaez winced. His ego was taking a serious blow today. Typically relying on his face to get him access to whatever he wanted, this was his first time being rejected left and right.
Blaez decided to play the fool and remained in place. “How is the boy?”
“He’ll live.” She turned away and pursed her lips. “There’s nothing more that you can do here, young man. You can go.”
Evie was politely shoving him out, but something in Blaez refused to pick up on her cues. His chest ached when he thought of what had happened tonight. A part of him wondered if it was his fault. He should have gotten to Chantal before she gave Connor her blood.
“There was nothing you could have done,” Evie said as if she could read his thoughts. She paused and licked her lips. “I heard you’re supposed to be our newest recruit at the center.”
He nodded.
“I think you’ll need to find somewhere else to do your community service. Wildlife For Humanity won’t be opening its doors anytime soon.”
He spoke without thinking. “I’ll come anyway.”
Evie turned around. “Whatever you need rescuing from, Chantal can’t help you.”
“That’s not it.” He lifted his chin. “She’s going around saving everyone. Maybe it’s time someone rescued her.”
CHAPTER FIVE
CHANTAL STARED AT THE ceiling in her bedroom, listening to the house breathing peacefully. In and out. In and out. Ralph let out a blow horn snore and a smile tiptoed across her lips. She envied her friends. Falling asleep was a luxury she was rarely afforded.
Not since... that day.
Chantal turned on her side. A prescription of sleeping pills sat on her nightstand, full to the brim. Six months ago, fed up with disguising her red eyes and panda bags with makeup and drops, Chantal gave in and scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist.
Doctor Harper was rumored to be an insomnia specialist, but she ended up asking a whole host of questions that Chantal couldn’t answer. How was she supposed to tell the shrink with the cat-eye glasses that a man who was also a wolf tore her parents apart and left the carcasses for her to see?
At the end of the day, Chantal worked hard to earn her pills and left the clinic a happy customer. Unfortunately, sleep was not the answer her restless heart needed. That night, Chantal swallowed her medicine and trapped herself in a nightmare where she was forced to watch her parents fall by Lucien’s hand over and over.
She swore she would never touch another sleeping pill as long as she lived. She’d just die from exhaustion. Seemed like the perfect way to go.
Thump. Thump.
Her eyelids snapped open and she sat up. What was that? Had someone woken? It couldn’t be Agnes, Oscar, or Davina. The aged shifters had retired months ago, returning to their animal halves permanently.
She heard the rattle of a kettle and smiled.
Evie.
Quickly pulling on her slippers, Chantal dashed down the stairs and spotted her friend in the kitchen. Evie’s robe swept the floor as she stood on her tiptoes to open a cupboard. Glass tinkled as she extracted two fragile teacups.
The cups belonged to Mae Ling and Chantal’s eyes nearly bugged when Evie placed tea bags in them. “You know Mae is going to kill you if she finds out, right?” she whispered.
“If ton
ight’s not the time to break out the fine china, I don’t know what is.” She brought a tray of honey and sugar to the table. “Besides, Mae won’t have a clue. I’ve been sneaking around with her cups for months. Sit.”
Chantal obeyed, watching as Evie set the kettle on the stove. The clock on the wall chimed the midnight hour. She raked her fingers through her hair and set the limp strands into a ponytail. “How did you know I needed this?”
“Whatever happens next won’t be easy. I figured you wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. Tea’s always done a lot to clear my mind.”
“Why are you so good to me?”
Evie shrugged, her wise brown eyes spurting with care. The older woman leaned forward. “I’m curious. That young man you told me about in the car, Blaez—”
“What did he do?” Chantal groaned. “I’ll rip him apart if he stepped out of line...”
“No, no. Please, it was quite the opposite.”
“Oh. That’s good then.”
Evie covered her mouth as she smiled. “Are you sure you read his report right? He may be a bit cocky, but he didn’t strike me as the type that would set were-traps for his own amusement. For one thing, it’s a bit of a juvenile prank and Blaez is very much a man.”
Chantal narrowed her eyes. “Evie, are you developing a crush?”
“Who? Me? Far from it, chile. I’m simply questioning whether the Council caught the right perp here.”
“Hazel doesn’t make mistakes. She can sniff out a lie better than anyone I know.”
Evie nodded. “Your sister is very capable. I’m not denying that. But we all make mistakes. Even the great Hazel Denero can falter.”
“What did Blaez do to plant doubts in your mind? It’s very easy to see him as a criminal.” Chantal slipped her hand through the handle of the teacup and spun it around and around. All this talk about Blaez reminded her of the feelings that had whipped through her body when their gazes locked.
So strange...
Unaware of her musings, Evie whispered thoughtfully, “It was something Blaez said tonight. I thought to myself that he couldn’t be the idle type. He was very determined. Full of intensity. Not the sort to cause harm to others.”
