by Terry Spear
“Let’s get you to the hospital.” Darien said, breaking up the show.
“I’ll take him.” Mervin still wore his old-time barber clothes, vest, red band around the arm of his white long- sleeved shirt, red bow tie, and the straw hat seated on his nearly black hair. “The sheriff’s cutting his vacation short and headed back here. Darien.”
“Good. I want a meeting at two this afternoon with my team.”
Once he’d seen the injured transported to the hospital. Darien returned to where the dead gunman lay. Two of his men rifled through the man’s clothes. His black eyes were lifeless, a scraggly two-day growth of black beard covered his face and his long hair was unkempt.
“No ID.” Mason removed his hand from the guy’s jacket pocket.
Not that Darien expected he’d have any. Not a local, but a human, and a good shot with a gun. A hired gun? Or his own job?
Mason jerked his thumb at the dead man. “The shooter killed him with one fatal shot to the head. Sure knew what he was doing. This guy used a 9-mm: powder residue on his hands and jacket, proving he fired the gun, silver bullets in his right side pocket.”
Darien shifted his perusal of the gunman to Mason, who shrugged. “The bullets in the chamber are regular. The ones in his pocket would have killed your brother and the little lady.”
“He didn’t believe.” Swamped with relief. Darien realized how lucky the woman and his brother had been.
Mason handed the bullets to Darien. “So a lupus garou killed him. How much you want to bet the silvers from our mine?”
“Might tie into the missing silver.” Darien’s attention shifted north where two of his men headed in his direction. John Hastings, owner of the hardware store and B&B and one of the founding fathers of the town, and Deputy Peter Jorgenson.
They both shook their heads, confirming they hadn’t located the other shooter.
Deputy Jorgenson’s amber eyes were nearly black, although he was never easily riled. “We found gunpowder residue and took pictures of where he’d stood and tramped down the grass.”
“Any trace of his scent?” Darien asked.
“So many of us were in the area, it’s hard to tell. Even Sam’s and Silva’s scents were drifting on the breeze up that way.”
Darien motioned to the gunman. “Take him to the morgue. I want Doc Featherston to conduct an autopsy and give me a report ASAP. Have a ballistic test run on the bullet and a comparison made on every lupus garou’s gun out here today.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Deputy Jorgenson said.
Mason walked back to town with Darien, his face scrunched up in thought. “You think the shooter was a red or a gray?”
“I think he was one of us or the shooter would have left a red scent. Easy to detect.”
“I smelled a red scent,” Hastings said, half of his gray hair, loosened from the leather strap, now whipping about his shoulders in the breeze. “Faint, but it was there.”
Darien glanced in the direction of the dead man and the deputy organizing a party to carry him. “Now that you mention it, Jake said he thought he smelled one near Lelandi. And we heard a couple of howls. Why didn’t Peter mention smelling any?”
“I was the only one who caught a whiff of it in the breeze. He discounted what I smelled. Said my sniffer wasn’t as keen as it used to be. I’ll give him that, but I know what I smelled.” Hastings shook his head. “Young whippersnappers.”
“Darien, wait up, boss!” Deputy Jorgenson shouted, chasing after him. “We’ve found evidence a red was in the area.”
Darien gave Hastings a knowing look.
Hastings snorted. “Yeah, my sniffer’s out of whack.”
Deputy Jorgenson handed a patch of red fur to Darien. “Found it stuck to some brambles and definitely smells like a red lupus garou.”
Darien looked up at his men. “It’s fresh. Hell, he’s got to be a royal.”
“Same one I smelled.” Hastings gave the deputy a pointed glower.
“Post guards for the woman around the clock. Darien said.
“Yes, sir.” Deputy Jorgenson took off running toward town.
“That young man’s got what it takes to be sheriff some day,” Mason said.
“Only if he listens to his elders,” Hastings clarified.
Darien continued toward town. “Another sixty or so years, I’m sure Uncle Sheridan will give up his job.”
Hastings shook his head. “He’ll want to retire once he learns all hell broke loose while he was on vacation for the first time in ten years.”
Mason snorted. “He’ll be in hog heaven—ordering folks around. We haven’t had this much excitement since that mental patient broke out of a loony bin, killed his family, then hid out here.”
“One reason not to allow humans to live in our town,” Hastings said.
Darien didn’t agree. “Keeps us on our toes. Otherwise, we’d get careless.”
A large gathering of men at the edge of town were talking about the crimes committed. Most lupus garou societies blended with human-run towns. Silver Town was different—run and controlled by lupus garous since its inception when the first settlers moved west, and Darien’s family had opted to keep it that way.
When they reached them, Mervin spoke to Darien. “The red sure stirred up this quiet little town. Don’t imagine it’s going to settle down none for a time, either.”
“The lady’s going home, soon as I explain how her sister died.”
Several cast sideways glances at each other.
“As soon as she’s well enough to travel,” he added.
Some nodded, but he could tell they didn’t believe him. The only way to prove his word was to send her packing, and he would, just like he said.
“See you boys later.”
Darien stalked up the street to his SUV. Lelandi hadn’t been in her grave three weeks, now this. But another thought puzzled him. If she’d cut ties with her family, how had Larissa learned about her sister’s death?
If she hadn’t been his soul mate, he would never have gotten involved with a red who had family, not without her parents’ and the head of her pack’s permission. He damn well suspected now she hadn’t been a loner, giving up her pack, like she’d said.
Climbing into the vehicle, he took a deep breath and smelled the new car leather. The vehicle was supposed to be perfect for a family, this one having four doors to accommodate the triplets. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the steering wheel hard. Several had warned him not to take the red for his mate, yet he couldn’t get her out of his system, vivacious and spirited as she was. But he should have known she wouldn’t have been strong enough to be a pack leader’s mate.
When he parked at Silver Town Hospital, he noted the large number of vehicles there, Probably some of Sam’s kin come to check him out. And Uncle Sheridan’s sons, the twenty-four-year-old quadruplets, were there, too, probably looking in on cousin Tom. Darien blew out his breath. Keeping the community calm after the Incident was going to be some job.
He stalked into the hospital. With some reservation, several of the women and men greeted him in the waiting area. He could see he was going to be in the doghouse until he settled the matter.
Wearing hearts and flowers—decorated scrubs, Ritka glowered at him with her good eye. The other was half-shut and turning green and yellow. “That bitch is in room four. If Doc wants someone to take care of her, he’ll have to hire someone else.”
“What about Cecilia?”
“Off today.”
“Call her in.”
Ritka’s jaw dropped. “But—”
“Call her in, or I will. You don’t want me to have to do it.”
Snapping her mouth shut, Ritka shoved her brown hair behind her ears. “All right, but she’s not going to like it.”
Ritka grabbed the phone and hit a button, then tapped her long nails on the check-in counter. “Cecilia? It’s me. Ritka. Get your butt in here. We’ve got three patients with gunshot wounds, and the bo
ss is calling the shots,” She tilted her head to the side and gave Darien another dirty look. “Yeah, no shit. Three gunshot wounds and Darien said to get in here now.” Ritka hung up the phone and folded her arms. “You can put up with her next, and believe you me, she won’t treat your new fancy any better.”
“Keep a civil tongue where the woman’s concerned. Ritka. She’s a patient under my protection.” Darien growled.
Her brown brows jerked upward.
“Yep,” he said for her ears only. “She’s one of ours until I can send her home to her own pack, so mind your P’s and Q’s. I won’t have anyone treating her poorly. You can tell your friends I said so.”
“Well, well,” Silva said, slipping in on the conversation. Darien swore she had hearing that beat anybody’s. “So she’s an official member of the pack already.”
“Unofficial. And you can spread the word.” If anyone could, it was Silva.
“Will do, boss.” Sliva winked. “She doesn’t look too good. Been asking for a Doctor Weber. Figure it’s her pack doctor. Kind of out of it. I don’t think she realizes she’s not back home, wherever that is.”
“Where’s Doc Oliver?”
“Stitching up Sam.” Silva glanced at Ritka. “Doc says if you want to keep getting a paycheck you’d better get into exam room number three, now.”
Cursing under her breath, Ritka shoved past her and stalked down the hall.
Darien shook his head. Silver Town wouldn’t be considered civilized by big town standards. He headed for room number four and glanced over his shoulder when Silva followed behind him. “Don’t need an escort.”
“Is that an order?”
Ignoring her, Darien walked into the white room, where the smell of antiseptic was overwhelming. Larissa blinked her eyes. The railings were locked in place to keep her from falling out of the bed, her wrists were restrained. Her face was ghastly pale in stark contrast to her black hair, stretching down to her waist over the white sheets. How could one little red lupus garou walk into town and turn it upside down?
“Why is she restrained?” Darien drew closer to the bed, wanting to touch her, to assure himself she was real and well on the road to recovery.
“Ritka said she tried to climb out of bed, but she might have restrained her out of spite.”
“Nope.” Doc Oliver said, walking into the room. “Little lady tried to leave when I showed up instead of some Doctor Weber.” He folded his arms and observed her. “She’s Lelandi’s twin, isn’t she?”
“Yeah,” Darien said. “By the name of Larissa.”
“She’s got tenacity. Even as bad off as she is, four of us had to restrain her. She’s on heavy-duty medication, and even so, she’s fighting it.”
Her eyes were no longer blue, not as amber as Lelandi’s but more green. “She must have been wearing contacts.”
“Took them out,” Doc said.
“Can you do anything about the hair?” Darien asked, half-joking.
“Melba can strip the color, try to make it more like the color of her eyebrows. She does human hair all the time,” Silva said.
“I’m not serious.”
Silva touched Larissa’s hair. “The dye won’t hold anyway once the change takes place. Hmm, there’s your solution, boss. In three days, she can change into the wolf, and it’ll zap that hideous dye job from her hair.”
“She won’t be here that long, if I can help it.”
“Three days.” Doc stroked his whiskerless chin. “Not sure she’ll be ready to leave that soon.”
“She’s that bad off?”
“She’s pretty weak. Doc Mitchell gave her some blood. So did Jake. Three days is pushing it.”
Darien shook his head. The longer she stayed in Silver Town, the more trouble she’d be.
Doc cleared his throat. “No one knows what this is about. Is there another gunman? Just the one? Did someone hire him? Will there be another hit? Lot of folks are pretty angry that the gunman wounded two of ours and no word why or who is behind the whole thing. Sending her away isn’t the solution, until we know what’s going on. What If Lelandi didn’t commit suicide?”
In disbelief, Darien stared at Doc. “You said she’d committed suicide, and Doc Featherston certified it. Besides, my uncle said the same thing. As sheriff, he investigated the matter and—”
“And came to the same conclusion. But. Darien, you’re pretty persuasive when you want to be, and you were so hell-bent on believing she’d committed suicide we went along with it.”
“For Odin’s sake, Doc, if the three of you believed it was murder, you would have said.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Then don’t blame it on me!” Darien glanced at Silva to see her take on it.
Her dark brows raised a notch.
“Don’t tell me you had reservations, too.”
“I’m just the barmaid.” Silva threw her hands up in an exasperated gesture. “No one listens to anything I have to say.”
“Well?”
“Truthfully?”
He growled.
“Hell, Darien, truthfully, I don’t know. But something’s not right, now that her sister comes along and gets the whole town shot up.”
His mates twin sighed deeply. She blinked a couple of times, but didn’t focus on anything.
“She’s got to be here for three more days, then, eh, Doc?” Darien asked.
“In town, yes. She shouldn’t travel a great distance. But she can stay somewhere else for the next couple of days. Tonight, I want to keep an eye on her. She’ll need someone to look after her once she leaves here.”
“You’re the boss, boss,” Sllva said, “but Sam can do without me a couple of days. I’ll look after her. I’m just about the only female in town who liked Lelandi, so maybe I can do her sister a favor.”
“What if someone’s still aiming to get Larissa?” Doc asked.
Darien considered her groggy state. “Peter’s making sure she has around-the-clock protection.”
“Have Trevor do the inside surveillance, won’t you?” Silva winked.
Uncle Sheridan stormed into the room, looking like a stuck bull. “What In the Sam Hill is going on?” His voice boomed, though at six-four, everything about the man seemed overbearing and loud.
“You’re in my hospital now, Sheriff,” Doc said, “Keep your yelling down to a low roar.”
“You haven’t heard yelling. Doc. Gone two days of a ten-day vacation and what happens? Where were those two worthless deputies of mine?”
Silva cleared her throat, “Trevor was busy overseeing the clearing of a landslide on the highway, Sheriff. Don’t know what Peter was doing.”
“Peter was with us.” Jake said, walking into the room. He glanced at Larissa. “Should we be discussing this here?”
“She’s the cause of it, Ritka told me,” the sheriff countered, motioning at Larissa.
“She’d certainly say so.” Silva folded her arms and gave the sheriff a disgruntled look.
“Well, isn’t she? The woman started stirring up trouble at the tavern. Next thing you know, three people are shot. I want to know what the hell’s going on.”
“It’s your job to find out.” Darien didn’t bother to curb the acid in his voice.
Doc put Larissa’s chart back in the folder. “Got some other patients to see to. Need to speak to you when you can spare a moment, Darien.”
“My...” Larissa paused. “My sister... was... murdered,” she stammered, then shut her eyes.
Everyone stared at her in stunned silence.
Darien had figured that’s what Lelandi’s sister must have thought. “Since she doesn’t have any family here, I want you to sit with her for a couple of hours, Silva.”
“Sure, and miss out on the fun stuff.” Silva pulled a vinyl-covered chair next to the bed. “Have Trevor run by my place and pick up one of my novels, will ya? Give me something to do while I’m babysitting.”
“I’ll ask him.” Jake said.
The sheriff yanked off his Stetson and waved it at Jake. “Hold on here just a blamed minute. He works for me, and I’ve got an investigation to conduct.”
Darien raised his brows at his uncle.
The sheriff’s brown eyes darkened and narrowed. “WelI, hell, if it only takes a minute, I guess I can spare him.”
Jake added. “Tom’s asking to see you, Darien, and he wants to take a peek at Larissa to see for himself that she’s all right, but Doc says he has to stay put for the time being.”
“All right. Come on, Uncle Sheridan. We’ll fill you in on all we know, though it’s not much.” Darien ushered everyone out of the room.
Larissa looked small, pale, the spitting image of Lelandi, except for the hideous black hair, now that the contacts, glasses, earrings, and hat were gone. His heart lurched when her eyelids fluttered open, and she caught him gawking at her. He refused to get caught up in the bewitching enchantments of his dead mate’s twin.
She closed her eyes and released his gaze.
Crap, she was as much a lure as her sister. Best to keep distance between himself and the temptress.
He caught Silva’s smug smile, his body heated to boiling, and he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.
Boots tromped down the hospital hall, then everything grew quiet. The medicine took hold, the tranquility drawing her into another world, and Lelandi’s heart lightened at the scene before her.
Mist filled her vision, and he came to her.
Naked. His bronzed body glistening in the brilliant light of the full moon. Proud, determined, his mission— to ravish her—again.
So what took him so long?
Tall with broad shoulders, his chest magnificently muscled, moving with the grace and ease of a wolf he stalked toward her. Whereas most of her kind were shorter and the ones in power, squatter, more bull-like, this man was Adonis reborn.
She still couldn’t see his face, doused in shadows, teasing her, making her strain to see his features. Her eyes shifted to his chest. Lower. To his erection. He was ready for her. Always ready, his sex jutting upward surrounded by sable curls.
She breathed in deeply, trying to smell his unique scent, wishing she could locate him in the real world upon waking, but her keen wolf senses couldn’t pick up his manly scent—not in a dream.
