Lily slid her hand down her flat stomach and between her legs. She was warm and wet, and there was no denying her desire. Jayne’s hands on her head pressed her closer, and she happily obliged by pushing her tongue inside. Good God, she tasted exquisite, and Lily felt as though she were truly alive for the first time ever. Making love to this woman made her heart sing.
Jayne moved beneath her touch, her moans low and quiet as she was aware of Kyle and Ava down the hall. Lily didn’t care. All she did care about was the feel and taste of this gorgeous woman. Using her tongue to tease her clit, at the same time she slid two fingers inside, moving them in and out. Jayne’s breathing became ragged, and all of a sudden her body arched as she came, convulsing over and over against her fingers.
Lily moved up until she could once more kiss Jayne. “Not bad for a small-town sheriff,” she said with a smile against her lips.
“Oh, sister, I’ll show you small town.” And she flipped Lily over on her back and proceeded to make good on her threat.
*
Kyle slowly came to wakefulness, warmth flowing over him that tried to drag him back into sleep. Everything felt wonderful. His arms were still around Ava as she slept with her head on his chest, and he was incredibly relaxed. He could easily get used to this. It was the best way in the world to wake up.
Only something was off in his bubble of bliss. At first he couldn’t figure out what it was. Drowsiness kept him from connecting the dots. When he finally did, his heart hammered. Carefully, he slid away from Ava. She made a sound and turned away, her head finding the pillow. She didn’t wake, and for that he was grateful.
Swinging his legs over the bed, he stared at the woman standing near the window. In the moonlight that came through she was nearly transparent. She was also clearly dead.
“What do you want?” he whispered. His heart was still pounding, and it seemed so loud to him he wondered why it didn’t wake Ava. Not once since his gift had manifested had the dead come to him unbidden. Always, he was the one who went looking for them. He could call them at will, and his skill had helped many along the way. The comfort level he’d attained through years of coming to understand his gift was solid. Until a minute ago. Now, everything he believed he knew went up in flames.
It was her voice that had drawn him out of the comfortable sleep he was enjoying as he stretched out next to Ava. It was this woman who shattered his world. He wished he could close his eyes and pretend this wasn’t happening. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the kind of guy who could do that. He was Jägers for more reasons than just because he could raise the dead.
“Help me,” she whispered. “I’m so cold, and I don’t like it out here.”
“Where are you?” The fact that she was a shadowy figure wasn’t the whole reason he knew she was dead. The wounds that colored her neck crimson were a pretty good indicator too.
She turned her head back and forth as if she was looking around. “I don’t know. Next to a car on the side of the highway, I think. She hurt me and then I was here. It’s all mixed up in my head.”
The side of the highway didn’t give him much to go on. Highway 2 stretched all the way to Canada in one direction and into Spokane on the other. Lots of miles in between for cars to pull off. “Can you see mountains?” He’d noticed that the closer they got to Colville, the more he could see the mountains to the north.
She shook her head. “Lots of trees and the sky. It’s dark. Really, really dark. That’s all. Please help me. I’m very cold.”
That actually gave him an idea. If all she could see was trees, then most likely she was somewhere along the highway headed south toward Spokane. At least he hoped his hunch was right. It was the best he could come up with at the moment.
“I’ll come for you.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise. Do you know who hurt you?”
Again she shook her head. “It was a wolf who hurt me, and I thought the woman who picked me up was going to help me, but she didn’t. Why would someone do this to me? I don’t want to die.”
He didn’t have the heart to tell her she was already dead. It happened that way sometimes. He would call them back from the world beyond, and they wouldn’t know they’d already lost their life. It always made him feel bad, though he also tried to guide them toward the light that was usually waiting for them. A couple of times there had only been darkness, and those were the people that made his heart turn to ice. He helped them make that journey too.
“What’s your name?”
“What?” Ava stirred behind him and came up to a sitting position. “Who are you talking to?”
He turned his head to look at her, nodding in the direction of the lost soul who’d come to him here in the bedroom of Jayne’s beautiful home.
“Who?” The confusion in her voice made him turn his head back toward the window. The woman was gone.
Chapter Twenty-five
Jayne decided this was probably her best decision ever. As a general rule she wasn’t a hook-up kind of woman. Too many unknowns, and that wasn’t something she was ever comfortable with. Before she went to bed with anyone she wanted to know them, and more importantly, she wanted to like them. Love wasn’t a precursor but like was.
With Lily everything went right out the window. The woman made her feel things so deeply it was frightening if she thought about it too much, so she didn’t. Don’t think. Don’t worry. Just feel.
And goodness, did she feel fantastic. She’d even managed some sleep. As she stretched, her body ached in all the right places. It had been so long since she’d done this, she’d forgotten what it felt like. Only she couldn’t recall it ever feeling quite like this. If not for what awaited her outside the bedroom door, she could stay here for hours. Soon enough, she’d have to leave this cocoon of warmth and satisfaction to face the real world.
A knock on the bedroom door made that reality hit sooner rather than later. “Jayne.” It was Kyle, his voice urgent. “Jayne, we need you.”
Lily rolled out of the bed with a motion that was smooth and natural. This obviously wasn’t the first time she’d been awakened out of a deep sleep. She was fully dressed before Jayne got her shirt on. Well, if you considered that robe fully dressed.
“I can take care of this,” she whispered to Lily. “He doesn’t have to know you’re here.”
Lily actually smiled. “I’m a big girl, Jayne, and while I appreciate the sentiment, protecting my reputation isn’t necessary.”
Even though her words were admirable, Jayne still didn’t want to wing open the door and expose their tryst. Not that she was ashamed. On the contrary, she had an uncharacteristic urge to shout out. “I agree, but it might be better to keep this between you and me.”
Lily came over as Jayne pushed her arms through the sleeves of her T-shirt, pushed up on her toes, and kissed her on the lips. It wasn’t the passion from before. Instead it was kind and tender. “It’s all right. We’re together on this. All of us.” She turned and walked to the door.
“Hey, Lily.” Not a trace of surprise sounded in Kyle’s voice.
“What’s up?” She was all business.
Kyle might not be surprised, but Jayne sure as hell was, by everything, especially by what had happened with Lily and now the unremarkable greeting as if Lily answering a knock on her bedroom door was nothing out of the norm. Did Lily do this so often it didn’t faze her team? The thought sent chills through her. As if sensing her thoughts, Lily turned and caught her gaze.
“No, I don’t,” she whispered so softly that only Jayne heard her.
“I…” Jayne felt a flush in her cheeks.
Lily winked and turned back to Kyle. “Is there a problem?”
Kyle looked at Jayne. “Can you check with your deputies about a dead woman somewhere along the highway?”
Did she hear him correctly? “A dead woman?”
Lily stared at him. “Kyle, how do you know that?”
Ava came around from behind him.
“This is pretty wild, even for the wonder boy.”
Kyle blew out a breath. “She came to me in the bedroom. Let’s just say my necromancy skills have morphed up to a level I didn’t even know was possible.”
“Actually,” Ava stepped into the bedroom to join them, “I have a thought on that one. I’m leaning toward the idea that the spell we did together yesterday opened something inside Kyle. He not only calls the dead, but now it appears they also have the ability to come to him.”
Jayne was having a hard time wrapping her head around any of this. Too much had happened in a short amount of time. “Let’s back up a little. You think there’s a woman dead somewhere along the highway, right? Do you know where?”
Kyle was nodding. “I don’t think there’s a dead woman along the highway somewhere. I know she’s there. I’m not a hundred percent sure on where exactly, but given what she described, I believe we’ll find her southbound toward Spokane.”
Despite the fact that it all sounded a little crazy, Jayne realized she believed him. Without hesitating, she picked up her cell phone from where she’d put it on the nightstand next to the bed and called it in. Dispatch told her there was a deputy just south of Chewelah. That was good because it wouldn’t take him too long to run that stretch down to the Spokane County limits.
After she made the call, Kyle and Ava followed her downstairs while Lily zipped across the hall to put on clothes. Jayne put the coffee on and leaned against the counter with her arms folded over her chest. Lily joined them in less than five minutes, and they all stood silently watching the coffee drip into the carafe. The wait for a return call wasn’t as long as Jayne thought it might be. She’d just poured herself a mug of coffee when her cell went off.
“Quarles.” Her heart dropped as she listened. The fact that Kyle was right about the dead woman wasn’t the worst thing she heard. When she ended the call, she slowly put the phone in the holder at her waist.
“What?” Lily asked, as if sensing there was much more to the call than anyone knew.
When Jayne looked up, she included all three of them in her gaze. “They found a dead woman next to a car just south of Chewelah.”
Ava looked at Kyle. “So he was right.”
“Yes and no.”
“What else?” Lily put a hand on her arm.
“First, it wasn’t her car. Second, the Spokane County Sheriff’s office discovered the body of a man just off Highway 2 a little north of Riverside. He appears to have been mauled by some kind of animal, and it was his car the woman’s body was next to. It appears our killer is on the move.”
Lily’s hand dropped away and she seemed to mull over the news. “Yes, it would appear that way, wouldn’t it?”
Something in the way she said it made Jayne look at her. “You don’t think so?”
For a second Lily bit her lip. “I think someone wants us to think so.”
*
Bellona sipped her tea and watched the sun come up. Truth to be told, she was pretty darn happy with herself. Last night went really well, all things considered. They’d all had fun; she’d turned around what could have been a tragic situation and made it work to their advantage. She was back home and in bed before the darkness faded.
All she needed was a few hours of sleep, and she would be ready to face the new day. Ever since she was very young she’d been able to get by on very little sleep. It was a helpful trait.
Today was going to be a great one. Tonight the moon would be full and her new little family would be able to run free and wild beneath it. If all went well, they’d be able to do it without worrying about law enforcement or the Jägers tracking them. She could hardly wait for the night to come. She deserved this and so did her pack.
Little Wolf stretched as she came into the living room, where Bellona was gazing out the window. “Still can’t believe you took her away from me,” she complained.
Honestly, the woman should show a little more gratitude. What she’d done could have ended very badly. Instead, Bellona had turned it into a positive, and Little Wolf of all people should be able to understand that.
Some of the blame had to rest on her own shoulders. This wasn’t the first time she’d made a slight miscalculation in a convert. Not that she was upset with Little Wolf. That wasn’t it. No, it was more that she’d believed she would ultimately be more obedient. Mistakes in the beginning weren’t uncommon. Little Wolf was going far beyond beginning. Every once in a while, she’d try for a companion, only to discover they were wild cards. As it appeared to be turning out, Little Wolf was just such a willful cohort.
When she thought of Adam and Eve, she smiled. Now those two were entertaining, and the fact that Little Wolf was the one to bring them into the fold weighed in her favor. In the old days, she’d have simply killed Little Wolf at the first sign of trouble and eliminated the risk. Easy solution. For the moment, she was going to avoid that particular path. No harm had come to any of them yet, and if her plan worked, they would all be safe.
“Remember the part about keeping a low profile?”
Little Wolf shrugged. “I’ve lived here all my life and have a pretty good idea of how far I can go.”
Bellona narrowed her eyes as she put her hands on her hips. “And you don’t think killing three people and turning Adam was taking it a little far? You don’t think dragging that woman here last night was going too far?”
Again Little Wolf shrugged. “Those first three were accidents. I didn’t mean to kill any of them. I just got carried away with the bloodlust. Adam had to be part of our family. You had an instinct about me, and I had the same kind of instinct about him. And while you’re pointing a finger at me, don’t forget you’re the one who brought Eve into the fold. I didn’t do that so it’s on you.”
All of what she said was true, and Bellona had nothing to argue with where Adam and Eve were concerned, regardless of which one of them turned them. They were an integral part of their new family. “What about last night?”
This time Little Wolf laughed. “I’ll admit that was more of a whim. But damn, she was cute and would have been fun to have around. If we play this right, we’ll be able to turn everyone we like in this stupid town. Instead of being the boring hick town it’s been all my life, this place will rock. You know I’m right. The potential is huge.”
It was what they’d been talking about since she realized she’d found a kindred soul in Little Wolf. Her ideas on how to make it happen contrasted slightly from Little Wolf’s, however. Then again, she’d had many more years to learn patience than had her sexy companion. In time she would learn patience, but for now, it was up to Bellona to keep her reined in and to make sure they all stayed safe.
“We will, my darling, make this town rock. Let us first send the Jägers on their way, deal with your sheriff, and then we’ll have our nirvana.”
“I hate waiting.” For a strong woman, Little Wolf could sometimes whine. It wasn’t attractive.
She chose to ignore the whining. “It will pay off in the end.” It would too, she felt it in her heart. She’d been traveling alone for too long, and it was the right time to stop, at least for a little while. And this was the place to do it. Her way, not Little Wolf’s.
“Yeah, if you say so.”
She put her arms around Little Wolf and kissed the side of her cheek. “We’ll create our perfect world, I promise. Just be patient and trust me.”
Little Wolf leaned down and kissed her on the lips. “Funny how much I trust you. Never been around someone I trust more.”
This was the Little Wolf who gave her hope. “Good. Now, let’s take a trip to town. I need to retrace my steps from the last few days and see if I can find my necklace. I dropped it somewhere when I was out and about.”
During the night she’d tried to convince herself it didn’t matter if she’d lost that trinket from her old life. But all her rationalizing fell short of accomplishing her goal. She didn’t give a damn if the universe was telling her to move on. She
had to find her necklace, and that’s exactly what she planned to do.
Chapter Twenty-six
“He or she is heading to Spokane.” Jayne’s declaration was logical, based on everything they’d seen this morning. The evidence supported her conclusion. Lily still wasn’t buying it. Deep down she sensed that they were being played. Beyond that, something about this scenario rang familiar, and she was searching her memories for what.
Lily hedged. “I don’t know. It feels off. What do you think?” She directed her question to Kyle and Ava.
Kyle had already confirmed for them that the woman the deputy found alongside the highway was indeed the same one who’d come to him at the house. He didn’t perform any necromancy at the site as he felt she’d given him all she could earlier. Nothing would be gained, and Lily wasn’t all that wild about having him use his powers in such a public way. Too many first responders nearby to be able to do anything covertly.
“I’m with Lily,” Ava said as she scanned the countryside. “I understand how it looks, particularly with another body in Spokane County, but somehow it feels off. Something isn’t ringing true.” She shuddered.
Lily got it. The air that kissed her cheeks didn’t feel right. “I agree, so let’s not jump to the conclusion that the wolf has moved. Maybe he has and maybe he hasn’t.”
Jayne turned toward her. “You think it’s a he?”
Shaking her head, Lily explained. “No, not really. It could just as easily be a woman. Both genders possess great strength and prey drive once they’ve been turned. Using the word ‘he’ doesn’t really rule out a woman.”
“I would actually like it better if you did mean a man. At least then it would cut down my suspect pool.”
“Don’t do that. We’re going to have to look at everyone.”
She Wolf Page 20
