There was a long pause before Royal stated softly, “No. This girl was listed along with four others as suspected Spotters. The file said they were all in the process of being tested to determine the validity of those suspicions. Then, the meeting gave updates on those tests.”
I frowned. “What of the other four?”
“Three men and one woman. Two of the men are in their early forties, one man is in his fifties, and the woman is also in her fifties. The two in their forties are in Argentina and Israel, respectively. The remaining man is in Japan, while the woman is in Ethiopia.”
Lauren had just turned thirty if her employee file was accurate, younger than the others. “You said there was an update on them?”
“Yes. Two of them, the one in Israel and the one in Japan, were reported as passing their tests. Hunters had already been dispatched to bring them in to Weard.”
“How many?”
“A full team each.”
Six hunters to bring in a Spotter seemed . . . unnecessary. I kept silent on my doubts, though, as I asked, “And, what of Lauren Hope?”
“Still unconfirmed.” There was a pause and then Royal quietly asked, “Unless you know something about it?”
“I am conducting my investigation and you know I don’t speculate, Royal.”
“Aye. Best not contact me again, though.”
“Why?”
“Changes haven’t been friendly to maintaining any sort of friendship between hunters.”
“So we no longer trust each other.”
“Trust is a luxury you and I can no longer afford,” Royal replied grimly. “Be careful. Your name is being mentioned to the new powers, and we know how dangerous that can be.”
“I understand. Thank you, Royal.”
The phone clicked in my ear and I tossed it on the ground, then stomped on it hard. I placed the broken phone into a paper bag and put it all in my office’s trash bin. Only then did I slip out of my office. Royal’s information buzzed in my thoughts. If Spotters had truly become a priority for Weard and they were sending full teams to bring them in, then there was something here that I had missed. Even so, I didn’t understand why there had been no mention of a suspected Spotter at Halliman’s. If they had Lauren’s name and photo already, I should have been told.
If they had Lauren’s name and photo already, there was a chance that more hunters were coming. If she passed whatever test they were putting before her. Could Smalls have been the test? I wasn’t certain. If so, why hadn’t they approached her or ordered me to approach her?
As I reached the landing and left the stairwell in favor of the exec level’s lobby, my gaze was drawn past the statue of Demeter to where Lauren was visible on the other side of the glass. Head bent, her dark hair fell forward in a wave to hide her face. As I used my badge to get in, she looked up. Her dark eyes widened when she saw me, but at least she didn’t look quite as poised to run. I nodded to her. When she responded with a faint smile, I felt . . . proud. By the time I walked into my meeting with Halliman, I had made up my mind. The only way to protect Lauren was to understand her and that could only be achieved by winning her trust. And, I knew just where to begin.
* * *
Mathias
Lauren looked up from her notepad as I placed the wrapped sandwich and a drink on her desk. She looked from me to the food and then back to me, a hint of wariness creeping into her eyes. “What’s this for?”
“Consumption. Helps prevent the unpleasant scenario of having a secretary drop in her tracks because she doesn’t eat enough,” I replied with a hint of blithe teasing.
She pursed her lips and the wariness faded from her eyes. “I eat enough.”
“Did you bring lunch?”
Her stomach growled and I grinned while she grumbled, “No.”
“Excellent. Then, this should satisfy you and keep you from the indignity of fainting.”
Her gaze fell to the desk, but I still saw a hint of a smile. Hoping I wasn’t pushing too far, I asked, “Where do you like to go? Your favorite spots around Olympia?”
She glanced up at me again, a hint of wariness back in her dark eyes, but she finally answered, “I like to go on hikes and trail riding. Capitol National Forest, Nisqually National Forest, and Woodard Bay are all good places to go. Or onto the peninsula proper. Percival Landing’s boardwalk is my favorite place in the city itself.”
“I see.” I hesitated considering whether it would work and then chose to risk it. “I was wondering, Miss Hope, if you might agree to be my guide this weekend?”
Emotions flickered through her dark eyes, too fast for me to name them. She looked away from me, and I feared I had overstepped. She wasn’t going to agree. Then she asked, “Are you going to call me ‘Miss Hope’ the entire time?”
“Of course not, Lauren.”
She nodded slowly and reached for the sandwich. “All right.” She glanced up at me as she added, “But only because you brought me a sandwich. I’ll see you Saturday.”
The corner of my mouth curved in satisfaction. “Excellent. Saturday it is. Let me know later where we should meet.”
“Woodard Bay. We can follow the trails up there.”
“Trails,” I repeated slowly.
Lauren suddenly smiled as she nodded. “Yes, trails. If we start early enough, we can get on the Chehalis Western Trail and ride or bike our way up Woodward Bay.” She scribbled on a clean sheet of paper then handed it to me. “Here’s the address you can meet me at and be sure you’re there by eight.” Her smile widened as she murmured, “I’ll see you then, Mathias.”
* * *
Chapter Seven
Mathias
When I pulled up to the address Lauren had given me, I almost wondered if she had played a trick on me. The parking lot looked like a regular entrance to a shopping center. I could see people going inside, and I did not see Lauren. Getting out of my car, I studied the area more closely before I noted movement at the far end of the lot near what appeared to be another row of stores. Lauren waved to me before disappearing again.
As I drew closer, I realized a heavy glamour had been put in place. One designed to mirror what the casual observer saw elsewhere. Passing through the glamour, I was immediately assaulted by the scent of forest and horses. Lauren was waiting near a bike rack that had been set up near the trail leading to a stable hidden behind the trees. She offered a little wave. “Did you think I sent you on a wild goose chase?”
“I don’t make a habit of chasing geese, wild or domestic,” I retorted.
That earned me a wide grin. Something about it warmed me. I ignored the feeling as I focused on our surrounds. “A glamour is necessary here?”
“The owner claims so, and he’s been here fifty years or more.” She paused and then added with just a hint of laughter streaking its way through her voice, “Of course, he also says that his horses were trained by a wandering Valkyrie.”
“Wandering Valkyrie? She was by herself? Do the horses have wings?”
“None I’ve ever seen,” Lauren said. She nodded to the bike rack. “There’s bikes if you prefer.”
“I prefer horses.”
“Good.” She smiled at me, pleasure making her dark eyes shine. “The main reason for the glamour is it keeps the norms off this trailhead. No worries for the non-ambassadorial species that way, and these horses won’t spook if we pass any Sasquatches.”
“Is that a common occurrence?”
“Enough to be a bi-monthly call to Halliman’s.”
“Ah, I see.” Lauren’s friendliness was markedly different from her wariness and it was . . . compelling. Attempting to shake my thoughts away from a dangerous shift in direction, I cleared my throat. “Shall we see about the horses?”
Lauren nodded and led the way to the stables. As I followed in her wake, I gave myself a firm shake. Getting to know Lauren was necessary to my mission and to ensuring she was safe. But, protecting her did not mean I was offering my personal protection. It
would be far too dangerous for her to do such a thing. The only reason her smile affected me at all was due to its unexpectedness.
The lingering sense of something changing did not leave me, however. I forcibly shoved any awareness of it away. I could not risk distraction, especially distraction that could lead to a disaster. Perhaps I should have left the Spotter alone, but the thought of abandoning her now seemed . . . wrong. Somehow, she had come into Weard’s sights and I did not fully understand the reasoning behind that. I did know this change meant I couldn’t step away. Not with my honor still intact.
* * *
Lauren
Three weeks ago I never would have imagined taking Mathias trail riding at Woodward Bay would turn into no less than five day trips starting that Saturday through yesterday. We also shared two dinners each week and three lunches where Mathias either brought lunch to my desk or convinced me to go with him. He always mentioned my ‘empty cupboards’ when I tried to refuse. It was difficult to stay wary around a man when he was clucking about me not eating nearly enough to ward off starvation or random fainting spells.
I could feel myself smiling as I towel dried my hair. I had already changed into jeans and a burgundy sweater after getting soaked in the rain while making a grocery run. Mathias was growing more . . . comfortable to be around.
I was still drying my hair when I heard a knock on my door. I opened it a crack and bit back another smile. Towel in one hand, I shut the door, undid the chain, and then opened it again. Mathias was standing there with a rather sheepish look on his face. His coat was damp, and he had an umbrella in his free hand. He nodded to me. “Hello, Lauren.”
“Hi. We didn’t have plans to meet today, did we?” I ran back over our interactions on the beach yesterday. I couldn’t recall him saying anything about coming by today.
Mathias offered a sheepish grin. “Well, no.” His gaze dropped to the towel I was still holding and he added, “I seem to have caught you at a bad time.”
“No, the rain caught me at a bad time,” I corrected. “But, I’ve mostly repaired the damage, I think.”
“I can go away if you’d prefer to spend your Sunday alone,” he offered.
I studied his face closely. The more time I spent with Mathias, the more I got the sense that he was almost as lonely as I was. I shook my head as I opened the door wide, offering him a smile. “Don’t be ridiculous. Sending you out in this weather would be cruel, and I’m not a cruel woman.”
“You’re a saint,” he intoned as he stepped inside.
I laughed in spite of myself. “Is that because I’m letting you in?”
“It’s only natural.” Mathias looked toward the kitchen and then glanced at me, humor replaced by solemn concern. “Do your cupboards need filling?”
The 10 glowing above his head should have made me keep my distance, but instead I stepped closer to him and patted his arm. “No. That’s how I got soaked earlier. I figured you would interrogate me about the state of my cupboards tomorrow so I went shopping.”
“As long as you have food.” His gaze dropped to the towel in my hand and he added, “I don’t suppose I could borrow that.”
“Let me get you a clean one.” I hurried to my bathroom and swapped the used towel for a fresh one. I brought it to Mathias and then went into the kitchen. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye as he shrugged out of his coat. “Mathias, would you like some iced tea?”
He froze. I bit my lip to keep from laughing as he turned toward me with an expression of utter loathing and disgust. “Iced tea?” He grimaced and shook his head. “Why would anyone promote, much less offer, the abomination of intentionally cold tea?”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Yet, I couldn’t resist teasing him further. “I fear for your safety should you ever say such a thing while in the Deep South.”
Mathias’ lips twitched and then he stated drily, “I shudder to imagine the outcome of such an incident.”
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “Another incident between the Brits and the Americans would certainly be memorable. Especially, if it’s an argument over tea.”
A low chuckle filled the room and I giggled again. “Don’t worry, Mathias. As I said earlier, I’m not a cruel woman.” Opening one of the cabinets, I pulled out a box of earl grey and held it out to him. “I picked this up just for your visits, sir.”
“Lauren Hope, you are a saint among women.”
I laughed softly as I set the box on the counter. When I pulled the teakettle out from the lower cabinet, he grinned. But whatever he might have said I never knew since that’s when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his coat pocket and frowned a little. “Excuse me, I have to take this.” He slipped on his coat and then stepped out of my apartment.
I busied myself with preparing the teakettle. My stove was old enough that heating took time. After setting the kettle to heat, I went back to my bathroom and used the blow dryer to finish drying my hair. I brushed my hair into a semblance of order and then touched my cheek. Maybe I should apply a little makeup.
As soon as the thought occurred, I shook it away. This wasn’t a date! We weren’t dating! We were just spending time together because . . . Because he made me feel safe. Twice when we had gone to lunch, I had seen Warden Bergman lingering nearby and Mathias had offered to put a stop to it. I never accepted the offer. It would have been foolish to do so for starters. Simply making the offer had been enough to put me at ease.
I stared at my reflection. I reached for my makeup just as the teakettle shrieked and there was a knock on the door. Hurrying back, I opened the door so Mathias could come in and immediately covered my mouth. He was soaked. He grinned. “Forgot my umbrella.”
“I can see that,” I said, not quite able to repress my laugh.
He handed me a to go cup. “Hot chocolate for a saint among women.”
Another laugh escaped me as I handed him the towel he had left on the table. “Here. Let me have your coat.”
Mathias had barely dried his hair before he looped the towel around his neck and went to the teakettle. He looked almost . . . at home as he stood in front of my stove, dipping a tea bag into the kettle. “Nothing is finer than a cup of properly brewed tea.”
As he fussed with the tea, I couldn’t help thinking that he didn’t seem nearly as intimidating or menacing when he was lecturing on the virtues of hot tea. Sipping my hot chocolate, I sat on the couch and tucked one of the afghans around my legs and feet. As Mathias brought his tea over and settled on the other end of the couch, I was struck hard by a new thought. If he wasn’t a 10 or above a 6, I could almost see myself forming a true attachment to him. But . . . He was a 10. And, Spotters who befriend high numbers don’t last long. Never mind how short a life awaited a Spotter who developed true feelings for a high number. Mathias was a 10, which meant he shouldn’t, no, couldn’t be more to me.
As his delicious accent filled the room, I suddenly found it very difficult to keep that fact in mind. Mathias was off limits. And, I needed to think long and hard about why I was even letting him into my life. Why I was taking that risk.
* * *
Chapter Eight
Lauren
I slid the cookie sheet into the oven and then grabbed the manual timer. As I twisted it back, I glanced over at where Mathias was sitting on my couch nursing a cup of earl grey. It had been a week since his impromptu Sunday visit and our plans to visit the boardwalk as Percival Landing yesterday had been rained out. It bothered me far more than it should have when he didn’t show yesterday.
Instead, he showed up at my door today with the fixings for sub sandwiches and hot chocolate. Poor man had also completely soaked his shoes although he wouldn’t tell me how. Took me ten minutes to convince him I wouldn’t be horribly offended if he took off his socks and shoes. Mathias had some strange notions about how to be a gentleman and apparently that involved not becoming too comfortable when he visited. It was weird, but somehow I liked it. It made me feel . .
. good that he cared enough about my opinion to endure his own discomfort.
However, Mathias’ quirks weren’t pronounced enough to help me narrow down his species. Some of what he did reminded me of the shifters, like his concern about my eating habits, and other things such as the way he carried himself around others made me think of the Fae, specifically the Unseelie Court since he was a warrior of some type. The Unseelie Fae were a prominent fixture in the world of security among paranormals. Even the norms would vie for the chance to have an Unseelie designed security system or hiring Unseelie as bodyguards. Somehow I didn’t think he was an Unseelie either.
Setting the timer on the table, I grabbed my hot chocolate and joined Mathias on the couch. He didn’t even look up when I sat down. I studied him. He didn’t look too pale. “Are you okay?”
“Hmm,” he looked at me and blinked. His blue-green eyes were a tad more blue than green today.
“You’re being pretty quiet. Are you sure you’re okay?” I looked him over again. “Not coming down with something, are you? Because I’ll be forced to give you the boot if you’re sick.”
The corner of his mouth tilted up in a hint of a grin and my heart gave an odd little squeeze. “What happened to being a saint among women?”
“I would send you home with hot soup,” I offered with an answering smile.
Mathias raised his mug at that and offered the slightest nod. “A credit to the saints is what you are, Lauren.”
I laughed. Then, I reached out and nudged his shoulder. “Hey, that doesn’t mean you can pretend you didn’t hear me. I know you didn’t just come over today because you wanted to get wet feet or for my cookies.”
“Oh I wouldn’t say that. The biscuits smell absolutely sublime already.”
He didn’t look at me when he said that though. I hesitated and then rested my hand on his shoulder. “Mathias? What’s bothering you?”
Rogue Spotter Collection Page 8
