When she was alone, Addie went to the bathroom, where she found a stack of clothes; jeans and a T-shirt, a sweat shirt, as well as socks and shoes. She looked at the panties that were there and decided that they were not brought by Bug. He knew that she liked the feel of men’s boxer briefs. Using a bit of her magic, she changed them and turned on the water. She really did need to get going.
The shower felt like heaven. As she let the water roll over her battered body, she felt the moment that Bug joined her. He would not come to her body while she was under the water—he was terrified of it for some reason—but he would talk to her.
I’ve found your boss, my lady. He is dead. Along with two others that you had contact with. They were killed separately; Agent Conair was found dead in his bed beside his wife. They’re saying heart attack, but I can smell that it was poison. And the younger man, I forget his name, he was killed in a car accident late last night. She told him his name. Yes, Cody. The third man, Farquhar, he was found with a rope around his neck and a note saying that he couldn’t live with himself any longer. The news reports of his death are saying that he was distraught over having pornography on his computer. It is unclear if it was male or female, but it wasn’t children.
What are they saying about me? He didn’t answer, and she finished up her shower—it was spoiled now—and looked at him. Tell me, Bug. I can’t fight if I don’t know what’s going on.
It’s going around that you went off on your own to kill a person by the name of Westlake. I have a search on him, but all I’m finding is a young man by the same name, and he isn’t dead. Before you ask, yes, he is in hiding too. I don’t know why they would say such a thing, but I’ve taken precautions. She asked him how. The restaurant cameras have been destroyed, as have the ones outside of it and in the surrounding area, to make sure that neither you nor the Winchesters were seen. Also, you should be aware that you are staying in the home of the death watcher and her mate.
She told me. Turning to get dressed, she pulled on her clothing, then had to undress when she’d forgotten, in her haste, to put on her bra and underwear. Where is Cate?
Cate is on a holiday and will not be returning for some time, miss. But she has been warned to be on the lookout. She nodded. Do they have any idea who you are, my lady? I didn’t tell them, but if you know who they are, surely you’ve told them what you are.
I didn’t have to do that either. Rayne knew. Make sure.... She thought of what was going on and who might be involved. It was too mind boggling to think of how many people could be out to get her.
Bug moved around the countertop. His crawling would set her on edge when she was thinking, and he seemed to remember that when he suddenly stopped. My lady, you think they know your body then?
More than likely. As I said, she knows what I am. Nodding, he flew through the air and landed on her shoulder. Bug, you have to be safe as well. Without you, I’m as good as toast.
As am I, if anything were to happen to you.
They were a pair. Paired as a single person so long ago, she didn’t remember the ritual, nor did she remember the names or faces of those that had done it. What she did remember was that Cate was her only weaponry, and Bug kept her safe. When he burrowed under her skin and became the necklace again, she made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. There were several people there, only one that she knew.
“This is my father-in-law, Kelley Winchester, and his mate, Sara. From right to left, Gabe, my mate, Owen, and Dominic, both my brothers-in-law. You can trust them as well as you can trust me.” She could have been flippant and told her that she didn’t trust her, but didn’t. Instead, she sat at the table and was astonished to see all her favorite foods set before her. “This is Abby Snow, the cook. She’s a snow cat. The only one left of her kind as a shifter. She will be here all the time to feed you what and when you wish. If you would only give her a moment or two, she can get anything you can think of. She wants you as healthy as we do.”
Looking up at the cook, Abby, she was told, Addie thanked her. A full glass was put in front of her, as well as a gallon jug of what appeared to be orange juice. It was fresh too; she could see the pulp settling along the top of the jug as the liquid calmed down enough to separate.
“I know a bit about your kind, miss. Thank you for being here.” She nodded and glanced at the doctor and Rayne. “You will come to care for them both too. They’re a bit on the mushy side, what with the baby coming and all, but they’re a nice, hard-working family. The mister and missus, they did a good job raising their boys up to be good men.”
“You’re a nice person yourself, Abby. Now, I’m Kelley, as you heard. What I want to know is if any that crap they’re saying in the paper is true. So’s you know, there aren’t any pictures of you. A blurred one, but you can’t tell if it’s you or me.” He laughed, and she smiled at him. “Also, you got nothing to worry about around here. There ain’t a soul here that will say a word. We got your back. My son, Caleb—he’s the pack leader—he’s got the pack keeping an eye out for anything that might come around.”
“My back doesn’t need for you all to get yourself killed.” He nodded and wrapped his arms around his mate. Love. Something that she knew would never be hers. “You seem like a really nice family, but you have no idea what I might be up against.”
“Nope, we don’t. But that won’t stop us from helping you as best we can. We’ve been hiding out the women of this family since they been coming around. You won’t be any different. And if’n you happen to be the mate to one of my sons, the more the merrier.” She stood up and Kelley smiled. “You’re a might on the big side—tall, I mean—but we got sons that’ll match up to you, should you be inclined, I mean.”
“Kelley, you should just be quiet now. You’re making it sound like you’re selling her our sons.” He said he wasn’t doing that, and that she knew it. “Does she? Well, I’m not so sure. But hush now. She’s got things to tell us, and we’ll all have some dinner tonight. That way she doesn’t have to explain her story to us over and over. You’ll be there. At six, at my home.”
When she left, Addie looked at the two people that lived there. “What just happened? I get the feeling that even if there were other plans, they’ve just been canceled.” They both laughed, and Addie did as well. “I guess that means I’m going to dinner then. It might be a good thing, I guess. To be able to tell them what to watch for, who might be hanging around and what to do.”
“Yes, it is. And if you have nothing to wear, I have something for you. What you have on, that’s fine, but I didn’t know your plans for the day.” Addie nodded at Rayne and told her that she was fine. “Good. I’ll be back at five. If you need me, Abby can call me. Or you. Whatever you need.”
~*~
Xander was waiting on his publisher to read the final chapter in his book. There was another book that he was writing too, but for now, no one but him knew about it. It was brewing, something that he’d been calling the thoughts that he was putting together for another chapter—or in this case, another book.
“May I ask you a question?” He nodded at Doris Martin, his publisher. “What did you use for your inspiration? I mean, you told me when you first started this book that it was going to be a manual, something to do with farms and starting out. Then a few weeks ago, you told me that you changed your mind and that now you had a different idea, and then started sending me this. And Christ, Xander, have you ever left your seat since you started on this? You’ve written a book in less than a week.”
“Do you not like it?” She laughed. “Look, I know that it wasn’t your idea to work with me. That you were probably paid a great deal of money to take me on as a client and to sell my book someplace. I know that. But I don’t—”
“You’re right, you don’t. I was asked, as a personal favor to a very nice older gentleman, to let you work with me. Mr. Cartwright told me that you were green but that you had a hidden talent waiting to be tapped. He said that you’d be easy going, that I
’d need to shake up your world to get the book, the one he knew was there, to come out. But I didn’t have to do that.” She picked up the manuscript and waved it in front of her face like an oversized fan. “This is amazing, Xander. I don’t mean like really good, but a-fucking-mazing. I expected it to be dry and without form. You gave me humor and a flowing story that makes me want more. A great deal more. And as for typos or even grammar mistakes, there are few of those either. I could take this to the printer right now and have them make a million copies, and it would still sell out.”
“A million.... Good joke. But I loved writing this.” She said it showed. “I don’t want you to sell this, or to say anything to me that you wouldn’t say to someone else, please? I want to do this on my own merit. My own works, not just because a nice man asked you to watch over me.”
Instead of saying anything to him, she bellowed—actually bellowed—for her secretary. “Have you ever known me to pull any punches when I’m talking to an author?” The woman laughed. “Have I ever once told someone they were good, when they sucked the big one?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard. Just yesterday you made two authors cry when you told them that they needed to go back to school to learn how to write a full sentence or you were done with them. Oh, and she told Todd, a great author until lately, that he needed to go get laid. And take a vacation. Not necessarily in that order.”
“Thanks, Margie. Get me Shawn on the line, and also...let me think a moment. Oh, what the hell, get Steven too. Tell them I have a winner.” She looked at him. “This will be a movie if I don’t miss my bet. And when it is, you’re never going to have to worry about whether or not someone paid me to read your stuff or not. The entire world will be lining up to read it.”
The phone call was put through and she talked to Steven. He didn’t have any idea who that might be, but he wanted her to send the manuscript right over. If it was as good as she said it was going to be, then he wanted it.
“I’ve never steered him wrong before, so he’s happy.” Xander nodded at Doris, his head spinning too much to really comprehend what was going on. “Now, as I was saying, you will need to get some book signings set up before this book goes to the top of the list. I want you to have at least three lined up by—” Another scream to Margie again. “Get me that list that was given to me yesterday. Mark the ones that are smaller venues for me.”
“I did that yesterday. And if you want me to get him in something, why are you going small?” Doris winked at him as she answered Margie. “Oh. I like that. Have him go there, famous by then, and bring in the people. I love it.”
“There will be a few that don’t care for a big timer there, but they’ll be happy with the sales they get from this. You’re going to be bringing in the readers in droves. But you won’t be just signing. I want—”
“Wait. Just slow down just a minute.” She grinned. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but what are you talking about? A book signing? Other authors? You’ve not even published it yet and you’re talking to Steven, who I don’t know, and this other person, Shawn.”
“You might not know them, but you have most assuredly heard of them. But as for book signings, you’ll need that too. And…damn, I wish you had a pretty wife at your side. She might be able to save you some women throwing themselves at you.” He just stared at her. “All right. You wear a pair of nice jeans. A polo too. I don’t want you all stuffy looking. And your hair. I love the way you keep running your hands through it. Makes you seem less like a stodgy author and more touchable. But don’t let them touch you. That will get you into trouble faster than robbing a bank.”
By the time he left the office, it was late, and he still had to have dinner at his parents’ home tonight. The check in his pocket from Steven—there was no doubt in his mind who it was now—was like having a splinter under his nail. He pulled it out three times even before they were on the highway to home. He’d just sold his first book to a big-time director. And he had no idea what the fuck the big deal was. It was a book from a man who...well, he wasn’t nothing, but he wasn’t anything to take a second look at.
Xander just had the driver take him to his parents’ home. He wasn’t sure how the trip was made—it could have been on the back of a jet for all he knew. The check, the deal, and the promises made to him were enough to make him both giddy and sick at the same time.
Xander was in the living room, alone, when he heard his mom coming in the front door.
“There you are. I’ve been trying to reach you all day. How did it go?” He asked her what. “Oh, Xander, you were supposed to meet with Penny’s teacher today. Did you forget?”
“No. I don’t.... It’s tomorrow. Not today. The teacher changed it on me, and I had to move things around today to talk— Mom, what do you know about book signings?” She told him not much on the author side, but as a reader, they were a lot of fun. “I have three lined up for next year.”
“Well, that’s wonderful. Where are they?” He told her he didn’t remember. “You should put it on your calendar, the one you share with me. And I didn’t think about checking the calendar today. Are you all right, Xander? You look a little manic if you ask me.”
“I feel that way too.” She asked him if he was staying for dinner. “Yes. I mean, there still is one, correct? I would have thought I was running late.”
“No, dinner is a little late. There were a couple of scheduling issues that needed to be fixed. Gabe had to go to the hospital to help them with another death, poor boy. And Caleb had someone in the pack that died. I believe that the two are connected, but I’m not sure yet.” She patted him on the cheek. “You’re all right then?”
“I am.” He laughed and covered his mouth when it did sound manic. “I have some news. Would you like to hear it?”
“Oh yes, but is it the kind that you can share with us all? I’m thinking we might need some good news after today. Poor Mr. Gallop had four grandbabies. He’ll be missed.” Nodding at her earned him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re looking better now. Have you got whatever it is settled in your head?”
“Yes, I think so. It’s been a weird day.” She patted him again on the cheek and left him standing there.
Just as he was going to have a seat again, his dad came in with a young woman. But almost as soon as the thought of her being young came into his mind, he knew that she was older than all of them. He started forward to greet her when she backed up. The small insect, the scarab, he thought it was called, was right in front of him. Xander looked at his dad for help.
“Son?” He glanced at his dad, then back at the woman. “Xander, this is Addie. Adaline Dyer. Addie, this is my son, Xander. He won’t hurt you.”
“My lady?” The scarab didn’t stand down but seemed as confused as he was. When he looked at him, coming to stand on his outstretched hand, Xander felt like he’d been given something special. Then he looked at the woman. “She’s not sure what to do about you. You’re nothing that she expected. Do you know what you are to her? Something neither of us thought was possible, you know.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. If you’re saying what I think you are, then I smell nothing from her. Actually, you either.”
The scarab cursed quietly, then snapped his...pinchers? The scent from the woman hit Xander hard. Her beauty was something that he’d never seen before. Even as he took a step toward her, his mind was telling him to tread carefully, while his body and wolf were telling him to go forth and conquer. He had a feeling that listening to that part of him would get him killed quicker than stepping in front of a bus. Or an entire line of them.
Xander should have known better. Should have taken to heart what his mind was telling him. Almost as soon as he was close enough to touch her, she jerked him around so that his hand was up behind his back, his knees on the floor. This was no way, he thought, that a mate should treat the other, but he kept his mouth shut. There was more to this woman than just mate to mate. She was too old for that.
The blade at his throat had him not even breathing deeply. She, Addie, wasn’t happy to find him, he thought jokingly. But when he felt the blood slide smoothly down his throat to his chest, Xander made himself be very still. Things would work out, he thought, or he’d be dead. But he had a feeling that the woman he was feeling at his back now was more of the way she was all the time than the beauty that his dad thought he knew. A scary hard ass that would rather kill him than deal with his shit.
Chapter 2
Addie paced the spacious room after letting the big man go. She didn’t know what was happening...well she did know, but didn’t want to believe it. Mr. Winchester had left them in the room alone when she released Xander. He wasn’t bothering her, and Addie thought that was what was pissing her off the most.
“You want to have a seat?”
She demanded to know what he meant. Her face heated up when he merely pointed to the couch. “I don’t want you to get any ideas in your head. I’ve enough shit going on as it is. And having you order me around will not settle well with me, so just don’t fucking do it.”
“I haven’t any idea what you mean by ideas or ordering you around. But I have a great many of them—ideas, I mean—circling around all the time now. If you’d have a seat, we can have a calm conversation. I’d like that, even if you wouldn’t.” She sat, but she wasn’t going to talk to him. “First of all, I’m going to tell you something. When I was seventeen, my mate was killed in a grocery store, along with her mom and a dozen or so other people. Finding you now has me...well, I have no idea what I am right now. Confused? Yes. Happy? Oh yes. Calm? More than you are, but I can understand that too. This isn’t something that, as you know, happens. A second chance at a mate.”
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