Pack of Freaks: Beasts Among Us - Book 2

by Jennifer Zamboni

  “Do you have your bike license?”

  “What, are you a cop?” I put my hands on my hips and stared him down.

  “Yup.”

  “You’ve got to be shitting me,” I muttered. Then said louder, “My wallet’s in my truck, I’ll be right back.”

  I turned away from the chuckling hulk and watched for cars before crossing the street to my truck. I leaned in through the open window and retrieved my wallet out from under the seat, pulling out my license as I walked back.

  “Here ya go, officer.” I handed the license over, extended out between my index and middle finger.

  He glanced over it without taking it and nodded.

  I put the license away and shoved the wallet into my back pocket.

  “All right, you can take it for a quick ride, if I can have your keys to hold ransom.”

  “Are you afraid I’ll drive off with the bike?”

  “Yes, actually.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be right back.”

  Again, I crossed the street, leaned through my window, and pulled the keys from where they hung loosely from my ignition.

  “You leave your keys in your open truck?” His look told me he thought I was nuts, but he accepted my keys. He pulled a security key from his pocket, unlocked the switch, then stepped back to allow me space to take over, shoving the key back in his pocket.

  I didn’t say anything. I would hunt down anyone who stole something from me, but he didn’t need to know that.

  “I’ll be back in 10.” I switched on the engine and kicked up the stand, checking my clutch and throttle, before taking off in a roar and a cloud of dust thrown up from the dry side of the road.

  I took it through a side street with a few good bends and straightaways, kept an eye out for additional cops, and let loose. The first few corners were a bit touchy, being that the bike was meant for straightaways and speed, not corners. But after I got the feel of it, I could adjust for turns, and headed for a straighter bit of road. I opened up the throttle and watched the needle climb. After reaching a decent speed of 60, I broke and then continued on, making a loop, reappearing on Officer Shane’s road.

  I restricted myself to the speed limit as I approached him, and glided gently to a stop, killing the engine, and kicking out the stand once more.

  He must have been getting a kick out of the big grin plastered across my face, because his smile grew, and his smell calmed.

  “I was a little worried before you got going that you wouldn’t be able to hold her up, but you look damn good on there. What do you think?”

  Ah, flattery will get you everywhere, dude.

  “I think, will you take a check, or do you want cash?” I couldn’t bring myself to actually swing my leg back over the bike and stand like a normal person.

  “If you can get cash, I’d prefer that.”

  “All right, if you’ll give me like 45 minutes, I’ll get you the money.” I made myself swing my leg over and stand so I could pull my wallet out of my back pocket. I pulled out some bills and handed them over. “Here’s 500 bucks, don’t sell her to anyone while I’m gone.”

  Shane took the money in astonishment. “Ah okay. Um. You take your truck to wherever you’re going, here’s your keys.”

  I took them.

  “Yeah, right. I’ll be back.” I turned away and raced across the street to my truck to head home and retrieve the money, which was hidden in a safe, not stuffed under my mattress, like I used to. A mattress is a horrible place to hide money, people always look there first. Of course, I always made sure to get it back if stolen, but still.

  I screeched to a stop right by the front door and flung myself inside, startling half a dozen clients and my coworkers alike.

  “I’m in love!” I announced.

  “I certainly hope so, you just got engaged.” Percy gave me a disapproving glance, then turned back to the haircut she was detailing.

  “Huh, oh yeah, no. I’m talking the biggest baddest motorcycle in Maine. Anyone want to go for a ride and drive my truck back?”

  “You’re buying a bike? Seriously, just like that?” Amanda scrutinized me from behind the counter. “I have some free time.”

  “Great. I’ll be right back, I need to grab the money.” I left the salon to run up the stairs and hunt down my room. Two tries and I was in.

  I shoved my easy chair to the side and yanked up the floorboards, revealing a state of the art safe. I tapped the code into the electric blue numbers, and it beeped happily at me as it clicked open.

  I grabbed several stacks, flipped through them in a quick count, then added a few more 100 dollar bills.

  I closed the safe again, and with a click and a beep, hid its existence back under floor and chair, then headed down the back stairs to the library. I selected a large manila envelope from one of the desk drawers, shoved the money inside, and tabbed it shut. No one needed to see how much I was spending.

  I made my appearance back in the salon in a more docile fashion.

  Amanda was waiting for me, her navy blue, paisley print, Vera Bradley purse slung over her shoulder.

  “Oh, before I forget, you got a letter or something, Gretch. It’s next to the computer.” Percy pointed her sheers at the front desk.

  “’Kay, I’ll check it out when we get back. See ya.” I waved the manila folder at all who stared. “You ready?” I asked Amanda, almost as an afterthought, I was so focused on my soon-to-be new bike.

  “Absolutely. I want to see this bad boy that’s stolen your heart.” Amanda followed me out the door and into the passenger side of my truck.

  “You already have a bike, why do you need a new one?” she asked as I started the truck again.

  If I had thought of it, I would have left the engine running.

  “You’ll see, don’t worry.” Even my girly friend would understand when she saw my new love.

  “Um, slow down a little, girlfriend, you won’t get there any faster if you get pulled over,” she commented on my climbing speed.

  I was so used to driving by myself, or with Doug as my passenger, I hadn’t even thought about the fact that Amanda was fully human.

  “Oh yeah,” I said and eased my foot from the gas.

  We arrived, parking on the correct side of the road this time, near my new bike.

  “Day-amn, girl. I do see,” Amanda commented when she got an eyeful.

  I smirked. “Yeah, exactly.”

  “Why do you drive this piece of crap if you can afford that? In cash no less?” She waved her hand at my dashboard.

  “Shhh, she can hear you, you know. I like my truck, that’s why.”

  “Fine, whatever.” She chuckled and shook her head.

  The front door opened, and Shane waited for me on the front steps.

  “Oh yum,” Amanda muttered as she opened her door.

  “He’s married, his wife’s prego, and he’s a cop,” I muttered back.

  “Shame.” She shook her head again and followed me. “The unavailable part, not the cop part.”

  “Got your money.” I lifted the envelope over my head as I approached.

  “Awesome. Come inside and you can sign the paperwork.” Shane turned, and we followed him into an immaculately clean living room.

  He had some computer printouts sitting on the coffee table, which was where he was headed, but my attention was drawn to the walls, where there were pictures hanging of Shane in full cop uniform, which covered his tattoos and made him into a whole different person. Another showed him, again in uniform, with a relaxed arm thrown around the shoulder of a brunette in a fitted wedding dress. Both were smiling and looked blissful.

  “That your wife?” I asked, obviously knowing the answer.

  “Yeah.” Shane’s expression softened as he smiled over at the picture.

  I nodded, then turned to the matter at hand.

  “Okay, so let’s get this over with.” I sat on the couch next to Shane, while Amanda claimed the La-Z-Boy recliner by the
door.

  “All right. This is the paperwork for the bike, and this is your bill of sale.” He shifted the papers in my direction.

  I glanced through the papers and read over the bill of sale. Everything looked good to me, so I took the pen he set in front of me and signed on the blank. Then I repeated the same on his copy.

  I opened my envelope, pulled out the bills, set them in front of my new best friend, and waited while he counted through them.

  He raised his eyebrows, then pulled out 500 dollars from one of the piles and tried to hand it back to me.

  “You already gave me 500, remember? You’re over.”

  “Nope, I’m not over. I like the paint.” I stood, gathered up my papers, placed them in my now empty envelope, and tabbed it closed again.

  Shane stood and extended a hand. “Take good care of her, okay?”

  “No problem, officer. I’ll treat her like a very masculine princess.” I took his hand and shook it firmly. “Nice doing business.”

  Shane walked us to the door. I thanked him again and accepted the keys he handed to me.

  He looked ready to cry. Despite the money he’d taken from me, I could tell he’d rather have kept the bike.

  I couldn’t blame him, but I could only feel bad as I handed my keys over to Amanda, then flung my leg over my new bike.

  “See you back at the salon!” I called as I started my engine, guided the Night Rod to the road, and took off. I didn’t look to see how far Amanda fell behind me. I could tell it was pretty far.

  Without a helmet, despite the wind, I could still hear when vehicles approached, and I watched heads turn as they passed.

  Yeah, I was damn sexy on that bike, if I do say so myself.

  Without a windshield, that bike held the doggy pleasure of having my face in the wind without having to stick my face out a window.

  I would have made it to the salon in record time, but I took a detour down some side roads so that when I arrived, Amanda was opening the front door.

  “Look out,” I shouted, as I raced towards the front steps, and passed her through the front door.

  It was a tight squeeze, but I made it and executed a sliding stop and 90 degree turn.

  “Gretchen you get that bike out of my salon!” Percy wasted no time in shrieking over my idling motor. I could almost see the smoke pouring from her ears.

  “I just wanted to show you my new toy!” I shouted back.

  “Great, now get it out!”

  I grinned impishly back at her, then turned the bike back towards the door. I figured it wouldn’t be the wisest choice to take the stairs again, so I coasted down the sidewards-facing handicap ramp and parked my new toy next to my truck where everyone could get a good look.

  Amanda waited for me inside, grinning from ear to ear. She, apparently, was the only one to get a kick out of my display.

  Percy was pointedly ignoring me, and Meredith rolled her eyes at me in the mirror.

  Amanda leaned over and hissed in my ear conspiratorially, “I think the bike’s hot. I have to get back to work. Don’t forget about your letter, it’s getting buried.”

  I nodded and shuffled through the mail pile on the desk until I found the one simply addressed to Maude.

  I snatched up the letter and headed out back. I hoped fervently that Amanda hadn’t seen who the letter was addressed to, and was just reminding me what Percy had said before we left. As the only uninformed one in the salon as to my true identity, she didn’t know that my name had originally been Maude, the name my mother gave me right before her madame took me away from her.

  Amanda was still under the impression that I really was 24 years old, and not somewhere around 180.

  I still wasn’t really sure how the girls felt about everything. They handled it pretty well at the time, minus some minor belligerence, which was expected, as we were holding them against their will. They didn’t seem too worried about having us fae around, but who actually knew? They usually smelled pretty even keel, so I guess I’d have to live with that.

  It’s hard to give a lie with scent, though perfume can confuse that.

  I wandered to the kitchen first, clutching the letter tightly in my fist, and grabbed a pack of roast beef out of the fridge, opened it up, squirted a little mustard over it, and headed back out again in search of the library, which was actually where it belonged for once.

  I flopped down into my favorite comfy chair, slid a black claw along the top edge of the envelope like a letter opener, and pulled out a single sheet of college ruled notebook paper neatly folded into thirds with no writing on the back.

  “Dear Alpha,” the letter began, letting me know that the addresser knew of my change in status in my separation from Kaine’s pack.

  I am writing to you on behalf of my daughter, Evangeline, in concern of her safety from her pack.

  She is one of two born werewolves in Alpha Victor’s pack in Montana, the other being her twin brother.

  She is an intelligent child, but volatile, and has been judged as a danger that may expose the pack to humans. The alpha has determined that the only solution is termination.

  As you have recently separated from an alpha, one that I know to be one of the higher dominants in the United States, I believe you are my only hope. If you could separate yourself from a wolf like him, then you can handle one little girl.

  Please, I’m begging you, spare my child’s life. Become her guardian.

  Yours respectfully,

  Mara

  Shit, I didn’t know what to do about this, but my first course of action would have to be to seek out Doug, as he was my alpha, even if only in title, and I could do nothing to help this woman and child without his permission, according to traditional pack protocol.

  A day ago, I would have had to make the decision myself. Perhaps it was a very good thing that Doug and I fought so I wouldn’t have to do this alone. And if he turned the whole idea of intervening down, as was his right as alpha, then the responsibility of turning them down was no longer on my shoulders, and I could only feel guilty on my own terms.

  I heaved a big breath, letting it drain my body. I suppose that the current time was as good as any to seek out my mate.

  He was in his room, sleeping perhaps, because I could smell him through the crack under his door, but couldn’t hear any movement.

  I tapped the door gently with my knuckles, not really wanting to disturb him if he was actually asleep.

  “Come in,” Doug called from behind the door.

  I turned the knob and entered. Doug was lounging on a loveseat by his window, a book opened in his lap.

  “Hello, love.” He smiled up at me, snapped his book shut, and set it on the coffee table that stood to one side.

  “Hi. I need to talk to you about something.” I bit my lip and clutched the letter behind my back.

  “I heard the bike when you drove it inside, it’s kind of a big purchase, don’t you think?” His expression was disapproving.

  I waved off his question. “I have the money. That’s not what I wanted to talk about—”

  “I think we should talk about it—”

  “Would you listen to me? I don’t want to argue about my motorcycle right now. There’s something more important.” I pulled out the letter and handed it to him.

  He unfolded it and his eyes shuffled back and forth over the words, before turning his attention back to me. He handed it back and patted the cushion next to him.

  I sat, folding my legs up so that my feet were partially tucked underneath me.

  He put an arm around my shoulders. “So what do you want to do?”

  “Well, they were writing to me as an alpha, so technically, this is up to you. I can’t make a decision like that without you.”

  “All right, but what do you want to do about it?” He pulled me in closer, his fingers sending a tingling sensation through me as he caressed my arm.

  “I don’t know. It’s an awful situation, it sounds like that litt
le girl is in real trouble, but I only know basic pack structure and government. As an outsider, I don’t know that I have any right to intervene. If she’s as dangerous as they think she is, then she is a threat to humanity.” I took a breath but didn’t continue.

  “But she’s a child, and all children deserve a chance,” Doug filled in for me.

  I nodded. I knew full well that even human children were prone to some pretty scary temper tantrums. I could only imagine when you multiplied that by werewolf, what you would get.

  “Let me make a proposal to you. Okay?” Doug shifted so he could look at me.

  I shifted as well, to look back. “All right, let’s hear it.”

  “As far as a pack is concerned we should both be alpha. So if it comes to decisions like this, we both have equal say and authority. As a relationship and marriage, when it comes to it, I will accept that you chose me to be alpha.”

  I remained silent for a moment, thinking it over. “What’s the difference? There’s only the two of us?”

  “If we choose to take in this child, then we will be a true pack. Right?”

  That struck me. I hadn’t thought of that.

  “Having two alphas, it’s just not done.” I avoided giving my assent for the time being.

  “Yes, but neither is separating oneself from their pack.”

  He was right, of course. The only reason it happened as it did was the alpha changer had sanctioned it. Otherwise, I would have been put to death for my disobedience.

  That did it.

  “I want to meet up with this Mara woman, see if she’s not just blowing things out of proportion. I suspect she isn’t. Writing a letter like that to me, no matter if it’s the whole truth or not, is going against her alpha. She’s right if anyone can help her daughter, it’s us. She didn’t give us a time frame, so that little girl’s death isn’t imminent yet, and she didn’t give me any way to respond to her, so I guess we’re waiting for a second correspondence. When I receive that, then we can decide exactly what we should do.” I sat up, full of resolve, knowing that if we took that girl away from her pack, there would be a fight.