The Mountain's Shadow

by Cecilia Dominic

  I snorted and put my forehead on my knees. “Who else is there?” I let my pajama pants muffle my voice. “Lonna and I can’t stop fighting, and I barely know the rest of you.” I wasn’t going to mention the sparks of lust that occasionally flew between me and the werewolf men—especially him, I was coming to realize. That wasn’t the kind of caring I’d meant, anyway.

  A large hand rubbed the back of my neck, and I looked up, startled.

  “Just relax,” he said, and moved my shoulders so I faced away from him.

  I tried to do as he said, and he massaged my neck and shoulders. I closed my eyes and pictured his hands as I felt his calloused fingertips through my shirt and on my skin. He found knot after knot, smoothing them with deep yet gentle touches until I was so relaxed I slumped against him.

  “That’s even better than Gabriel’s pills,” I said.

  “I don’t want to know,” he replied and picked me up.

  That woke me. “I’m not a child,” I said and thumped him on the chest. “Put me down!”

  He laughed, and I felt it against my shoulder and hip. “Just relax. I’m taking you to bed.”

  “Oh. All right, then.” I snuggled against him and grinned at the thought of what would happen in the bedroom.

  When he brought me to my room and put me on the bed, he cupped my cheek, and I turned my face to his. His dark eyes met mine. He traced my cheekbone with his thumb and leaned in until only a whisper of air separated our lips. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something.

  “No words,” I told him. Although he was the werewolf, I was the one to inhale his smell deeply before closing the gap. It hit me at the same time his mouth crushed mine and sent a lightning bolt to my core. His lips and tongue combined with the freshness of forest air and the heaviness of the desire between us to make a thunderstorm, and I had to draw back before its power crushed me.

  You always run from the storm.

  Not this time. I took a deep breath and went in for more, but he placed his hands on my shoulders and held me away from him. We both panted, and I strained against his palms.

  “I can’t stay,” he said and put his forehead to mine. “The wolf is just below the surface, and he’s hungry.”

  “We’ll finish this later, Doctor Bowman,” I said.

  He caressed my cheek again, and then he was gone. I didn’t think it would happen, but I was fast asleep within minutes and dreaming of running through the woods, the dirt and leaves like velvet under my paws.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I woke from some very naughty dreams, although I couldn’t see who the male partner in my early morning fantasies was. At different times, I thought it was Robert, then Leo, and maybe even Gabriel. Finally, when I woke in a sweat, I just gave up, got out of bed, and took a cold shower.

  The enticing aroma of Gabriel’s homemade blackberry scones lured me out of my room, and I was the first one downstairs. I sat at the table and had just finished my second scone when Lonna walked in, Leo and Ron right behind her.

  “Any luck?” I asked.

  She looked like she’d been up late, the circles under her eyes dark. “I think so, but it’s hard to tell because we don’t have any charts for non-CLS patients.”

  “Really?”

  “The serial numbers and lot numbers of the Tdap vaccinations match. It looks like there were a couple of batches.”

  “Do we know who the manufacturer was?”

  “It’s a small company that I’ve never heard of, but I can call one of my colleagues who handles vaccination neglect cases for DFCS and see what they know.”

  “That works.”

  “Seriously, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I think I may have… I think I may have seen two.”

  She rubbed her arms as though she felt a sudden chill. “What do you mean?”

  “Galbraith said something about the Landover Curse and how it skips a generation. I think Andy had it, and I think it may have been CLS.”

  “Your brother?”

  “I can’t explain it right now, but stuff is fitting together differently this morning.”

  Leo shot me a sympathetic glance, and I felt guilty about the lustful dreams I’d had after going to sleep, like I was planning to use him in his misfortune. Not that he would mind all that much. But still, even with all the changes I’d had, it was nothing compared to being transformed into something different.

  I couldn’t handle their drama as well as my own. “I’m going to finish my coffee on the balcony,” I said and stood on wobbly legs.

  “Do you want some company?” Lonna asked.

  “No, but thank you.”

  I walked out on the balcony, sat in one of the Adirondack chairs, and took a deep breath. The sun peeped through a thick layer of clouds, its light watered down by the atmosphere. Every leaf and pine needle seemed extra green in the forest beyond the lawn. No ghostly parties filled my imagination this morning. Instead, my mind strained to recall small things, clues that would confirm or disconfirm what I had just figured out about Andrew. And then there were the vaccinations, the serial and lot numbers pointing in one direction. Had Andrew gotten a bad vaccine? Had it been something that he ate? Or was it something that would have shown up anyway? Finding out that he had CLS was like losing him all over again.

  My solitude lasted five minutes at the most. That’s when I knew from the prickling at the back of my neck that trouble had arrived.

  A black convertible sports car stood in the driveway. The sporty car’s low-slung body had sleek, European lines, and the tan top was pulled back to reveal a plush leather interior, the dashboard mock-antique. Kyra Ellison stood in the door and argued with Gabriel.

  “Kyra?” I asked. “Is there a problem?”

  “Ah, Doctor Fisher!” She raised her eyebrows in mock friendliness.

  “What brings you to my home?”

  The fake smile grew bigger, her ruby lips drawn back in an almost feral grin. “I believe that one of my friends has come up here, and I’m just looking for him. I have an important message from his brother.”

  “Which friend would that be?” I couldn’t help it, I sneered through “friend” so as to imply that it was actually more of a client. Probably not fair, but the woman’s attitude immediately put me on edge.

  “Leo Bowman. Or his cousin Ron. Have you seen them?”

  “Not recently.” As in, not in the last ten minutes. “Perhaps Gabriel or I could pass along the message if they do appear here.”

  “Just tell him to call Peter. I’m afraid that’s all I can say. It’s a matter of the utmost discretion.”

  “Who is this?” Lonna appeared in the door, and Kyra immediately snapped to full attention and charm mode.

  Kyra held out her hand. I couldn’t help but notice that it was not perfectly manicured. Running around in the woods at night could be rough on the paws, er, hands. “I’m Kyra Ellison. I live here in Crystal Pines. And who might you be?”

  “Lonna Marconi. I’m a social worker, I’m staying with Joanie. I believe I saw you yesterday.”

  “Ah, a social worker.” Independently wealthy versus overworked and underpaid: Kyra 1, Lonna 0. “And no, I don’t remember meeting you.”

  Lonna didn’t bite. “We didn’t meet. Not that it’s any concern of yours. What do you want with Leo and Ron?”

  “I have a message from Leo’s brother, Peter. Have you met him?”

  “Briefly.”

  I smirked. As in, in his briefs. Ouch. Kyra 1, Lonna 1.

  The fake smile disappeared from Kyra’s face. “I’m not sure what kind of little scam you all have going on here, but I will find the guys. And I have ways of doing it that you can’t even begin to suspect.”

  “Actually, the thought of you growing fur is very funny,” I said. She wheeled around and was in my face so fast I didn’t have time to step back. Up close, I could see the ring of yellow around the pupils of her dark eyes.

  “And d
o you know what a she-wolf does to little flat-chested ivory-tower brats who interfere with her chosen mate?” Her voice was almost a growl.

  “No.”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to.” And with that, she whirled around, jumped in the car, and roared out of the driveway.

  “Did she just threaten you?” Lonna was at my side.

  “I think so.”

  Gabriel, a pensive expression on his face, followed the sports car with his eyes until it disappeared from sight. “She’s been a little crazy since she got up here. She used to run a modeling agency in Memphis until she got sick.”

  “With CLS?” asked Lonna.

  “Yes, Madam. Maybe she had a flu shot from the same batch that infected Leo and Ron. She arrived in Crystal Pines shortly after they did.”

  “That reminds me.” Lonna turned to me. “I need to go back to the office in Little Rock to access the vaccination database. I called, but no one has time to look it up for me. I think they want me back down there.”

  “I can’t say I blame them. You were busy before you came.”

  She gazed out over the mountains. “It’s certainly more peaceful here, in a sense.”

  I wondered if she was thinking about the fights we’d had, and I felt guilty, like it was my fault she was here.

  “I don’t have to be down there ’til two,” I said. “Come with me. You can pack a bag if you want, grab a change of clothes.”

  “You won’t mind if I tag along with you?”

  “I never do. The more, the merrier.” But in truth, the thought of the city with all the noise, people and traffic made my heart lurch.

  “Is she gone?” Leo found me in my room packing an overnight bag. Lonna and I planned to stay at her place and then drive back up to Crystal Pines the next morning.

  “Who, Kyra?” I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous. “Some brave wolf-man you are!”

  “I don’t have to be brave. That woman just doesn’t give up.”

  “You certainly seemed to be getting along well last week.” The mental image of him tucking her hair behind her ear popped into my mind.

  “I give in every once in a while. She’ll leave me alone as she makes plans, then when she notices I’m not following at her side, she comes back.”

  “She said to call Peter.”

  “I don’t think I want to. I think he wants to blame me for what happened to Lance. He probably has a trace on the line or something so he can find out where I am and send the cops.”

  “Because you weren’t there watching him?”

  “I guess.”

  He appeared as though he wanted to say something else.

  “And?”

  “I’m not sure, I just feel like there’s something missing, some piece we’re just not seeing.”

  “Welcome to my life.” I balled a shirt up and threw it in my suitcase.

  “Right. Sorry, I forgot.”

  “You don’t sound sorry.”

  “Well, what do you expect? My life changes, and I get stuck with a strange disease that causes me to turn—not comfortably, mind you—into a wolf every so often. Your life turns upside down, and you end up with an estate in the mountains worth hundreds of millions of dollars and an interesting intellectual challenge!”

  I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know how much this estate is worth? Is that what you were in Galbraith’s office for that day?”

  He sat down and ran his hands through his hair. “No, I was in Galbraith’s office that day trying to convince him not to bring Gabriel back. I thought it was me your grandfather wanted to have watching over you.”

  “What?” I didn’t believe him. “You were arguing with him over who got the land.”

  “And I lost. But that’s not what’s important. Your grandfather was close to something; that much you do know. He said he had to do some field research and was going to bring you here to help work on it. Then he disappeared.”

  “Field research? You mentioned that last night.” I sat on the end of the bed and looked at him. “Is that why he was killed? To keep him from finding whatever is out there?”

  “I don’t know.”

  We were interrupted by the doorbell. I heard Gabriel answer it, and I cringed at the condescending tone of Sheriff Bud Knowles.

  “Is Miz Fisher in?”

  “Doctor Fisher is in, but she may not be available.”

  “He’s a good butler, I’ll give him that,” muttered Leo.

  I put my finger to my lips. “I would be careful if I were you. I don’t think it’s me he’s looking for.”

  Footsteps on the stairs, then in the hall. Even if I hadn’t heard the exchange at the front door, I would have been able to tell from Gabriel’s disgusted facial expression that he’d had to deal with Knowles.

  “Doctor, the sheriff is here.”

  “So I heard.”

  “What do you want me to tell him?”

  “I’ll talk to him. Just don’t say anything about Leo being here.”

  “Understood.”

  I found Sheriff Knowles in the foyer. “Can I help you, Sheriff?”

  “Well, Doctor, I was wonderin’, since you’ve got your finger in so many of the pies around here, if you could help me find someone.”

  “Who?”

  “His name’s Leo Bowman. A couple of people saw you hangin’ out with him and his cousin Ron in town a couple days ago.”

  “I see. And what business would you have with Mr. Bowman?”

  “I need to bring him in to the station and ask him some questions about where he was when his nephew disappeared.”

  “If I see him, I’ll let him know you’re looking for him.”

  “So you don’t know where he is?”

  “Not right at this moment, no.” He could have left the bedroom by now.

  “You know, Doctor Fisher, I wouldn’t want to have to bring you to the station and ask you about a crime called obstructing justice.”

  He looked at me with his beady eyes, and I struggled not to look away. This wasn’t friendly Bud Knowles, mountain country sheriff. He was letting me see the shrewd character that had survived all those years in the worst parts of Little Rock.

  “That would probably be more trouble than it’s worth, Sheriff.”

  “Then you won’t mind if I let one of my boys watch the house in case Leo Bowman shows up here. He might be a dangerous character, if you know what I mean, and I wouldn’t want him to hurt you or the lovely Ms. Marconi.”

  “That would be fine, Sheriff. Ms. Marconi and I are actually traveling to Little Rock this afternoon and plan to be gone for the night, so an extra pair of eyes on the house would suit me perfectly.”

  “And what is the nature of this trip?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to meet with my solicitor about some estate affairs.”

  He chuckled, a wheezing, grating sound. “As you recall, a woman died here under suspicious circumstances this week, Doctor Fisher. Remember that little agreement we had? You were going to notify me if you decided to leave.”

  “Consider this your notification.”

  “And when will you return?”

  “Probably tomorrow. You may reach me through my solicitor, Lawrence Galbraith, if you need me before then.” I’d be damned before I gave him my cell phone number.

  “I’ll do that.” With a respectful tip of his hat, he was gone.

  “What are you going to do about…” Gabriel inclined his head up the stairs.

  “If he knows what’s good for him, he’s already gone.”

  Gabriel smiled and watched the sheriff’s car pull out of the driveway. “You should go as well, then.”

  “I guess I should.”

  “Please be careful.”

  “Can’t watch over me down there, huh?”

  “I shall be miserably bored while you’re away.”

  I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

  Leo caugh
t up to us in the garage. He carried his duffel bag and walked with a determined step.

  “What are you doing here?” I glanced outside to see if the sheriff’s deputy’s car was there yet. “You know they’re looking for you!”

  “I said I was coming with you.”

  I glanced at Lonna, but she held her hands up. “I’m staying out of this.”

  “Are you out of your mind?” I fixed him with my sternest stare.

  “If the sheriff is looking for me here, then doesn’t it make sense for me to be somewhere else?”

  I couldn’t fault his logic.

  “Besides, I need to go by UAMS and get Ron’s and my medical records. I have a release-of-information form from him in my bag. That way we can see if we got flu shots from the same batch.”

  “Didn’t you get them at the same time?”

  “No, we were on different rotations.”

  “Okay, so you have a valid reason to go. But what about me? Knowles said something about obstruction of justice.”

  “If we get caught, I’ll tell them I forced you to take me. Look, I’ll hunch down in the back of the car until we’re out of town.”

  “There’s no way you’ll fit.”

  “Then put my duffel in the trunk.” He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt…and kept going.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I couldn’t help it, I watched him undress. Fine black hair covered his chest and stomach, but I could still see the tense muscles underneath. Running through the woods might not be good for the paws, but he was in excellent shape. I’d never been much for hirsute men, but damn!

  “Ah, Joanie? Perhaps we should give him a moment of privacy.” Lonna grabbed my arm, and we walked back into the hallway.

  “There you go, ruining the show.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I want to see that show.”

  We heard a whimper, and a moment later, something wet licked my hand. I looked down into Leo’s eyes in a black canine face.

  “I guess we’re going to have to take you now, aren’t we?”

  The wolf’s lips parted in a snarl.

  “Okay, okay!”