Suppressing the instinct to run was difficult as the musky scent of bear filled the icy air. The Therion Tribunal should have sent wolves to stop Dashiell, and to assist in the aftermath of his reign of terror. I had yet to learn why we were sent bears. But they had removed the hostile wolves from town and had helped in gathering the humans and wolves that had needed assistance. Though all but one had left, their scent still lingered.
I looked up at the snow-dusted inn. The one-story wooden building brimmed with the survivors of Dashiell’s invasion. Though it was a tragedy that so few remained, the choice to stay was a testament to the character of the humans who had chosen not to be relocated to another town. After learning the hard way about our world, most had moved under the Tribunal’s assistance and supervision. The humans who stayed were as resilient as wolves.
Inside, the lobby was empty; no attendant waited at the desk. Mara shivered behind me, and I regretted taking her out in the cold. But the hot, dry air in the inn would soothe her better than the fire in my living room had.
Following the hallway, we headed toward a deep voice and the scent of bear.
“Yes,” the broad man said toward the wall. His shoulders were as wide as Mara’s and mine side by side. Short dark hair covered his head, and his plaid shirt was tucked into his jeans. A familiar scent—I knew this bear as the one who had led the others to our town, the one who knew Hailey’s mate. I held up a hand to let Mara know we should wait.
A muffled voice spoke through the phone to the bear. She said something about eight days. I couldn’t quite make it out.
He waited, then spoke again in an even, gravelly tone. “That’s not soon enough. There’s just not enough left unspoiled.”
Another pause, then he said, “Okay,” and hung up the payphone. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen someone use one of those.
The mountain of a man turned to us, and Mara grabbed my arm with her icy fingers. He wrinkled his nose as he studied our faces with cold, dark eyes—first me, then Mara. “Pink dress, and blue?” he asked.
“Trixie Walker and Mara Lynch,” I answered.
Mara moved behind me, partially shielding herself from his gaze.
“Here to join the rest?” he asked, looking past me at my sister-in-law.
“To visit,” I answered.
“Can’t be good out there. Not much better here though, either. Come on, I’ll show you,” he said, then led us further down the hall.
“Did any children stay?” I asked when we stopped at the end of the hall. There had been no children playing in the snowy streets, but I had to know for sure.
“One family,” he answered. “The Moores. Woman and child survived. Do you know them?”
Of course, the Moores. Wolves wouldn’t leave for fear, well most wouldn’t. I hadn’t thought wolves would cause this kind of destruction either, so I wasn’t sure what anyone would do or was capable of anymore. It was good to hear their family had survived. I set the bundle of linens in my arms down onto the floor and reached in my bag. There wasn’t a lot to give, but I wouldn’t see children starve if I could help it.
“Did I hear there are no supplies coming for a week?” I asked.
“You shouldn’t listen in on other people’s conversations,” he answered.
“You were in the hall. You knew we were there. If you didn’t want me to hear you could have made your call in private.”
He stared at me, then replied, “No supplies.”
In order to prevent escape, Dashiell’s men had destroyed the only gas station in town, burned cars, and slit tires. It was efficient, as now we were stuck here without means to transport supplies in and out of town. Sawtooth Peaks and Greenville were close enough to run to as wolves, but too far to carry supplies as humans, especially in this weather.
I pulled out a half-eaten jar of peanut butter from the backpack, a true prize under the circumstances. The protein in the small, plastic container could sustain a person long enough to wait out the delivery of supplies. “Please take this to Rosemary Moore,” I said, holding out the jar to the towering grizzly.
“I could take you to her,” he answered, and lowered his brow as he stared at me.
I shook my head. It was hard enough going to see the women I had shared a prison cell with. I couldn’t handle seeing Rosemary and Billy too. It was just too much.
“Okay.” He took the jar in his massive fist, and knocked on one of the doors.
“Thank you,” I said.
The grizzly nodded and walked away, and I picked up the pile of clothes I had placed by my feet. A moment later the door cracked enough for a short brunette to peek through.
“Trixie,” she squealed. The door shut and a metallic clink told me she was unlocking the chain.
Fleur swung the door inward, allowing us to enter. Thick brown hair hung in waves around her face. Her lips upturned in a smile that didn’t match her sad eyes. A white cotton bathrobe hung over her yellow tulle dress like a sweater. She should not have had to wear that dress after being rescued. I made it two steps in before Fleur wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Trixie, it’s good to see you,” she said.
“You too,” I replied, patting her gently on the back.
Mara stood silently behind me, my shadow. I adjusted the linens I held and reached back, taking her hand, and meeting her wide, brown eyes with my determined green set. We needed strength, and I knew it had to come from me.
“Together,” I whispered.
“Together,” she replied, and squeezed my hand.
Fleur and Anika watched us as we entered. Sierra, Viveca, and Annora didn’t seem to notice us. The room had only one bed, but the women had blankets spread across the floor. If I had to guess, the five had chosen to stay together rather than be separated to different rooms. All of the she-wolves who had been held by Dashiell were back in the same room. All but Mara and I still wore the equivalent of black and white striped jumpsuits, the rainbow of hideous tulle dresses.
Mara followed my lead as I set down the clothes on the bed next to Anika, replacements for their prison garb. We upturned the backpacks, dropping cans of mandarin oranges, boxes of crackers and cereal, and even a bottle of champagne. If anyone could use a drink and positive distraction, it was the women I had been through hell with.
Anika picked up a box of cereal and eyed the wine. “Thank you.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I had heard the nurse speak.
“There’s more out there to collect. Most was pillaged or destroyed. But there is more. There are clothes here for all. I could use your help in gathering more for people who cannot help themselves. Some are humans, she-wolves, elderly, and even a child. Each stubborn to the last. But supplies aren’t coming in time. Ellistown needs your help,” I said, looking around the room at the women who needed me.
If they were like me, keeping busy would help. We all needed to move on, move past what had happened to what could be. And even if they helped, we would need more outside assistance. The acting alpha of Sawtooth Peaks had offered his support. When I was done here, I needed to call Cole Tenbrook.
Mara took my hand in hers and looked to the others and said, “We can make this a place to live again, not just survive, but really live. But we need to do it together.”
Chapter Four
Lance
Broken beams of sunlight heated my shoulder from the window beside the rolling desk chair. No wonder Cole was always daydreaming. Between the heat of the sun and the softness of the chair, sleep threatened to deter me from my work. Working through the last night didn’t help, either.
I scooped the stack of papers off of the desk and moved to the firmer, forest green chair I usually sat in when I entered the office. The view from the other side of the desk felt more natural. Cole had always been in here when I had stopped by, but with my brother on his honeymoon, it was a strangely quiet morning. I preferred the more animated pace of the night shift.
With my It
alian loafers crossed on the edge of the desk, I tipped the chair back on two legs and dug into the stack of papers. The first was a food order from Lila. The sassy cook hadn't received as much recognition for her work as Amy had. It was likely due to the fact that Amy was more attractive and more personable. But Lila was good at her job, always reliable and competent. If Amy ever left, I’d be happy to give Lila the position.
I slipped my phone out of my pocket and sent in the electronic request, then initialed the paper form and leaned it on my chest. The next paper in the stack was a field report from Harkins. He had identified the two wolves that had attacked Zaria in her home. The first was listed as average-sized, with gray fur, and a white muzzle. Behind the form, a stack of photographs were attached by a paperclip. Having Harkins report so thoroughly must be a huge asset to Cole. I laid the photos across my legs to look between the pictures and the text. One photograph documented the defeated intruders from Zaria’s kitchen. Two gray wolves laid motionless in a pool of crimson, injured only at the throat. The smaller of the two had a white muzzle. Focusing back on the text, I continued scanning for more information.
The smaller of the two was recognized as Keir Doyle, of Stratton Walker’s pack. A headshot was marked with his name—light blond hair and a thin jaw. I didn’t recognize him. Considering the state of Ellistown, it wasn’t a surprise to hear that some of the trouble had come from within. Had Doyle turned on his alpha before or after Stratton’s death? Was the Therion Tribunal looking into individual involvement, or was it only Harkins and Cole who had dug for the truth?
The larger of the two attackers was Aldrich Bastion. I looked at the pictures I’d spread over my legs. The man in the second headshot looked familiar. His face was hard and rectangular, with sweeping blond hair that hung over his close-set, dark eyes. A wide, bulbous nose sat in the center of his all too familiar face. Then it clicked. I had seen that man at the Cook Brothers’ Bar, meeting with Stratton Walker. Aldrich Bastion was Sawtooth Valley’s contact at the Tribunal. Was the Tribunal purposefully skirting a full-fledged investigation of Ellistown because some asshole that was involved belonged to their organization? Did they send grizzlies because there was an internal investigation going on?
I felt like I was still missing something.
Loud ringing from Cole’s desk startled me, bringing me back to the office from inside my head. Dropping my feet to the floor, I leaned forward and grabbed the corded phone.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Cole Tenbrook?” a sultry woman’s voice asked across the line.
I paused a moment, trying to clear my head of the trouble I had stumbled across in my brother’s papers to focus on her words. “I’m sorry, Cole’s out of town. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Oh,” she replied, voice trailing.
Something inside of me sparked, a need to help her if I could; it was something about her voice that drove me to keep her on the line.
“I’m Lance Tenbrook,” I said. “Cole’s brother. If there’s something you need from him, I might be able to help.”
“Well, he had offered assistance to Ellistown. We are in need,” she said.
“Anything our pack can do to help, I’ll make it happen,” I replied. Why had I said that? It was careless to make an offer without knowing what she was asking. It seemed I was making foolish choices a habit lately.
“There’s not enough food to feed the survivors. I would travel elsewhere myself to buy supplies, but I’m required here,” she said, voice taut.
“I’ll personally see it done.” Food was not an extravagant request. There was no reason I couldn’t pick up a few things. After what that town had been through, they shouldn’t suffer hunger in the aftermath.
“We have money. I’ll pay you for whatever you can gather,” she said, voice returning to the husky tone she had started with. The way she tightly controlled her words, and the sultry tone she spoke in intrigued me. What was it about this woman I had never met that had me so off?
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of supplies,” I replied.
“Thank you,” she said, voice raising like someone being kind was a surprise. “I should go.”
“Wait,” I said. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s Trixie. Trixie Walker.”
“I look forward to meeting you, Trixie Walker,” I said.
“Yes,” she said. “Goodbye.”
After she hung up the phone, the room felt quieter than it had before she had called. Trixie Walker, likely mate to the late Stratton Walker. Anticipation fluttered inside of me. There was something about her that I was drawn to, though I wasn’t quite sure what it was. What was I getting myself into?
Chapter Five
Trixie
I look forward to meeting you, Trixie Walker. Why couldn’t it have been Cole that had answered? And why had I been such an idiot? Yes—what a ridiculous reply. Never had I felt so off balance. Irrationality was the last thing I needed while I struggled to find the strength my pack required from me, that Mara needed from me. This man would be trouble.
After returning my phone to my pocket, I took in a deep breath and reentered the room at the end of the hall. Viveca, Anika, and Fleur had changed their clothes, choosing from the stack of jeans and sweaters Mara and I had brought. They looked more like they should, like the women I had known before.
Viveca had pulled her thin, straight, blond hair up into a high ponytail, like she had worn when she taught. The oversized white sweater was a far cry from the fitted dresses she had worn to school, but it was a start.
Anika sipped on a disposable plastic cup filled with the wine I had brought, looking more content than she had an hour before.
Fleur had chosen a loose pair of jeans and a Walker Bar and Grill t-shirt from the pile. If she had worn a fresh flower in her hair and applied some makeup, she would have looked ready to go to work, like none of this had ever happened.
I wished Annora and Sierra had been able to bounce back as well. Both sat on the floor by the window, still dressed as Dashiell had forced them to. Mara kneeled behind Annora, stroking the younger woman’s golden locks with a wide brush. Watching my sister-in-law help another, instead of being the one most lost, warmed my heart. Spending my time with her was helping me feel like a person as much as it was helping her to do the same.
“Supplies will come from Sawtooth Peaks,” I said to the room.
Mara smiled up at me from the floor. I never thought I would be grateful to share my sofa with my sister-in-law, but her light was returning, and mine with it.
“Do you know when?” Fleur asked.
I should have asked, but I hadn’t been thinking clearly. “No, but sooner than the bears can provide, I’m sure.” I turned back to Mara. “What do you need from your house?”
“I can’t go there,” she answered.
“I know,” I said. “But I need to speak to Troy. Are you comfortable staying here?”
Mara looked around the room at the other she-wolves. “I’ll be okay,” she said.
“I’ll return when I can,” I said, and took an empty backpack from the bed.
“Good luck,” Mara whispered as I closed the door behind me.
I needed all of the luck I could get. What would I say to my twin when I saw him? What would he have to say for himself? For his actions? For what he did to Mara? I hoped he had returned to his home, and had not been taken by the bears. I needed him to explain.
Sparse snowflakes floated down onto the quiet, ice-covered street and melted as they landed on my coat. Stratton’s cap was damp on my fingers as I pulled it downward, securing it on my head. I crossed my arms to conserve body heat as I trekked out into the flurries. It would have been faster and warmer to run across town as a wolf, with thick fur to keep in my heat. I might have even been able to enjoy the snow. But there would have been no way to transport the backpack as a wolf, and though everyone left in town knew about shifters, I didn’t know wh
at kind of reaction would come from openly running through the streets that way. Also, I had never been concerned about being without clothes after shifting back to human form, but after Dashiell, I hadn’t taken any chances of leaving myself vulnerable, even alone in the woods. It was an all-around better idea to stay human as I walked to my brother’s house.
The white, wooden rancher was in worse shape than my home. Long, ivory boards were scattered across the yard, and light blue shutters jutted out of the bushes below the windows. All that was left was the framework that held up what had been the front of my brother’s house. There were no sounds of life in what had been a busy neighborhood. There was no scent in the cold, damp air of my brother or any other wolves. It was unlikely that he could be living in those conditions, but because I had walked the distance, I had to be sure.
“Hello,” I called. “Troy, are you there?”
No one answered, so I tossed my bag between two support beams and squeezed myself in after it. A sheet of ice and snow covered the kitchen and living room. Floors, tables, chairs, and the sofa were all encased in an opaque white crust. No footprint indentations marked visitors before me.
It seemed Troy wasn’t here. But if not here, then where? I remembered bears stalking over Dashiell’s men, wolves that had lain in the street, bound. There had been box trucks transporting wolves from Ellistown—both victims and oppressors. I feared that my twin was among them, especially since he had been inside of the mansion.
Evidence of the weather lessened as I stepped down the hall to the back of the house. Framed pictures decorated the walls. I stopped and admired the photograph of Gran hugging me and Troy in her lap. It was taken a few years after we had moved in with her, a few years after Mom had died. We all looked so happy.
Most of the pictures were of Troy and Mara. My sister-in-law looked so alive, so much healthier than she had after the mansion. For a moment I debated taking a memento for her, but decided it would likely bring her more pain than comfort. So that the trip had not been made for nothing, I went to their bedroom and collected some of Mara’s belongings. She was bound to feel more herself in her own clothes.
Werewolves & Whiskers: Sawtooth Peaks Wolf Shifter Romance Box Set Page 30
