by Milly Taiden
Juliet patted her coat’s big outside pockets and outer zipper cubbyholes. Finding nothing, she felt around inside. In the closed breast pocket, something small and hard—several somethings, for that matter—rolled around.
She unzipped the pocket and pulled out a handful of the contents. When she saw the nuggets sparkling in her hand, memories flooded her mind. Memories that had been lost with the avalanche she didn’t remember, but now recalled.
“Oh my god.” She remembered the dollar amount could be a million dollars. “Tevrik!” she shouted, drawing the attention of other customers. She didn’t give a shit. She was rich. “Tevrik!” At the end of an aisle at the back of the store, he tore around the end of the row, searching for her. His eyes glowed. She had scared him. She’d apologize, but first things first.
She was so excited, she couldn’t think of what to say. She just held her hand out, bouncing on her toes. Tevrik picked up a piece and studied it.
“This is the biggest nugget of gold I’ve ever seen,” he said. “All of these are huge. Where did you get these?”
“I remember it all, Tevrik,” she spewed. “Before the avalanche, I found a small cave and inside were many bags filled with gold. It’s old. I can’t believe I forgot something this momentous.”
“Do you remember where the cave is?” he asked.
She nodded. “It’s just below where the snow measuring stick is.” She jumped up and down, too excited to stand still.
“Okay,” he said, taking the protein bars and bottle of juice from her other hand, “let me pay for this and we can talk about this in a private location.” He glanced around as if looking for spies.
“Right,” Juliet said, “good idea. I’ll meet you outside at the snowcat.” She dropped the gold back into the pocket. “Isn’t this so exciting? It’s like finding lost treasure.”
He laughed at her overabundant exuberance. “I’ll be up front.” He walked away and she took a deep breath. With her anger forgotten, she was giddy with excitement. But she needed to get herself under control.
“Excuse me, miss,” a voice behind her said. She turned to see a store employee standing a few feet away. The nametag on his shirt read Petey. “I was in the next aisle and couldn’t help but overhear you found bags of gold.”
A smile so big spread on her face that her cheeks hurt. “Sorry. I was rather loud.”
He shrugged. “Congrats on that. You should compare your findings to some of the legends we have around here. You could’ve found some old miner’s lost fortune.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you for the advice,” she replied.
He blushed a little. “I came over to ask if you would help me carry in a bulky box. I hurt my hip and I’m afraid I’ll bump something.”
“Sure.” She glanced back toward Tevrik. He was in line to checkout. This would take just a moment and they’d find a quiet place to talk.
Maybe she should flat out tell him how she felt. Men were sometimes the densest creatures on the planet. Perhaps he didn’t catch all the hints she had sent him over the past day. She could invite him to her place for a while until she got a new work schedule that would allow her to work and travel from the cabin. Hell, he could just move in with her if he was willing to give up what he had here. If it were her, she’d find it hard to give up.
Juliet followed Petey toward a door that read Employees Only.
“It’s here on the other side of the door,” he said, “I couldn’t get it through on my own.” He held to door open for her. As she passed him, heading into the warehouse, a sharp pain radiated from the back of her skull and everything went black.
17
Tevrik stood in line at the small store check-out and shook his head. How in the hell did his mate find gold is such big chunks? He’d only seen nuggets that large in pictures from the 1800s.
But what astounded him the most was the huge smile on her face and how lit up with joy she was. How could he go on never seeing that again? He was a total jackass for how he’d handled this. If only he wasn’t in exile. Well, that wasn’t completely correct.
He ran away as a dumb kid, unable to face the disappointment and accusations that his pack would undoubtedly throw on him for failing. He’d cast himself into isolation, refusing the luxuries of modern man. All that making him an unsuitable companion for his mate. Then it dawned on him.
Just because he had chosen to live in seclusion for over a decade didn’t mean he had to stay there until he died. What if he followed Juliet instead of her having to stay with him? Women were independent creatures nowadays and didn’t need a man to survive. He could move to her town, find a job, then after he’d saved enough money, ask her to be his. After mating, they could go or do anything they wanted.
Fuck. He was so stupid. Why hadn’t he thought of this earlier before screwing it all up? He glanced around wondering what was keeping his mate. He was about to step out of line to look for her when the cashier asked for the next person.
Considering how the female behind the counter fumbled with finding the bar code to scan on the food packets, she must’ve been new. When one refused to ring up, she pulled out a procedural manual and flipped through the pages.
Tevrik waited patiently. Juliet would be there any second. When she wasn’t, his wolf started to pace. Something wasn’t right. As soon as his items were bagged, he hurried toward the last place he saw her in the back by the refrigerated drinks.
She wasn’t in the aisle anymore. In fact, she wasn’t in any row. She was gone.
Calming himself, he took a deep breath. She wouldn’t have walked out on him, would she? Granted his mate was pissed earlier, but she seemed to have forgotten about that with the discovery of the gold. She even said she’d meet him outside, that’s it, she was at snowcat.
Juliet’s smell was still strong though. So, where was she? He noted the scent carried to the side toward another row. There, he inhaled a new smell, and the blood in his veins froze. His mind put the scent to a person—Petey. The bastard had been talking to his mate.
He followed both fragrances through a side door into a warehouse space. From there, the trail diffused with the swirling air, but there was enough to lead him out the back door to a small area with several cars.
Eyes darting to each vehicle, he searched for the truck he saw in the diner parking lot with Frost. The one with the beat-up shovel that fell out of the back. He didn’t see it. Why would he? If Petey was shopping, he’d be parked out front with the rest.
Racing back through the store, Tevrik dodged customers as he made his way to the double glass doors. The cashier scowled at him for causing such a ruckus. Once again, standing outside, he scanned the lot.
Would Juliet leave with Petey? Why? Did they know each other? And why would they leave out the warehouse exit?
He realized that he’d dropped the bag with Juliet’s protein bars and juice. Confusion rumbling in his head, he went back inside to look for it. She might have asked Petey to take her to the airport if she was still really mad.
Through the overhead speakers, the cashier said, “Petey, please come up front for a price check.”
How many Peteys were in this small town? Only one he knew of and he had his answer to his mate’s disappearance. The rat bastard had taken her to get back at him for beating up on him and James the other day. Son of a bitch. He’d kill that mother fucker if he touched one hair on her head.
He spun around, his shirt tightening across his chest. Tevrik panted, straining to keep his wolf in check. Now wasn’t the time to go feral. He needed his wits about him to find his mate.
He plowed through the entrance, slamming the door against the outer wall, shattering the glass. After climbing into his snowcat, he had to pull himself together to think clearly. Where was the most likely place Petey would go? His home. Tevrik was about to turn onto the main street when he realized he had no idea where Petey lived as an adult. Last place he knew was Petey’s parents.
That would work. They wo
uld know where their cock-sucking son lived. He headed for the far side of town where the pack’s subdivision stood. The location was created when his grandfather brought the group to civilization.
The pack built most of the homes themselves after watching a contractor build the first few. The town helped them put in streets and underground conduits for water and sewage. The division flourished when all the oil companies came drilling and laying pipe to transport oil to the States.
Except for those who owned a business—grocer, butcher, cinema, diner, etc.—the entire pack worked in the oil industry in one capacity or another—the men in the field and women in supporting roles. Even his mom and dad worked outside the house until running the large pack became a full-time job on its own.
His father was so proud of all they had accomplished in such a short amount of time. Leaving behind the old ways and fully embracing human technology. He remembered the new playgrounds that had been installed in the park. Primary colors brightened the lush grassy area, the shiny metal slides with the required mud puddle at the bottom, and the merry-go-round that he pushed so fast in third grade that Melissa Carrington threw up.
The houses were always in pristine shape with white paint and quaint front porches resembling the perfect American home. Neighbors were constantly stopping by to say hello and invite the pups over to play. It was all such a far cry from where he had shacked up the last thirteen years.
As the sign for the community became visible up the road, his truck slowed. Or it could’ve been him not pressing the gas pedal quite as hard. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He contemplated turning around and going home until he remembered why he was here in the first place.
With renewed urgency and determination, he moved forward. Nothing was more important than Juliet. She was all that mattered. Not what the townsfolk or other shifters thought of him.
Wolf killer. Coward. Shit on the bottom of a shoe.
At the entrance, he noted the landscaping was only dirt with small piles of snow instead of the green plants he was accustomed to, but it was almost winter. The wooden sign reading Wolf Grove could’ve used a coat of paint and a few nails to fix a broken board. He figured that would get done when it warmed.
But it didn’t get any better after turning onto the one street running from entrance to exit. The initial houses on each side were owned by the Hadleys, older members of the pack. During his childhood, the homes had been kept up to make a great first impression.
But now, weeds had taken over the yards to the point the porches were hidden. Paint had peeled from the beams and siding, leaving a dead, ashy look to the once vibrant homes. The concrete walks leading from the street to the front doors had crumbled and disappeared into the dirt.
Tevrik couldn’t believe what he saw. Had the owners died and no one bought the homes? Where were the grown children who were supposed to purchase their childhood homes to carry on the legacy with their own kids? Every other house was in the same rundown condition. And those that were lived in still looked in shambles. What had happened?
The school which should have had students and teachers and a lot full of cars was vacant, seemed abandoned. The playground equipment was rusted and falling apart. The butcher shop where old man Tompkins kept massive freezers filled with beef and caribou was boarded up, some of the windows broken. The grocery was the same.
Tevrik turned the corner onto the street where Petey’s parents lived. Scratched that. Had lived. The porch was destroyed, the column holding up the front gable broken and shingles littering the ground. The once-white picket fence was partially knocked over and the flower beds Petey’s mother took pride in were sand pits where animals had taken their dumps.
He stopped and got out of the truck. He felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Had the world gone to hell and left him behind?
A door opened across the street and he turned not knowing what to expect. Scouring his brain cells, he tried to recall who lived in the home.
“Hey, you,” the woman hollered, “what do you want?”
“I was looking for Petey’s parents,” he replied.
The woman flipped her hand in the air. “They ain’t been here for years.” Wrinkling her nose, she stepped onto her porch. “Who are you, boy?” She sniffed. “You look familiar.”
Panic raced through Tevrik. If someone recognized him, there’d be a witch hunt and a burning stake in his future. He dashed for the snowcat, hoping to get away before the lady figured out who he was.
He did a U-turn in the middle of the street and roared toward the main lanes. He zipped down to the old butcher shop and drove around back and parked. He puffed like he’d run ten miles.
Shit. That was a complete failure. So Petey’s parents had been gone for a long time. That family was from the original pack. He would’ve thought for certain they would’ve stayed around no matter what.
Now what was he going to do? The more he contemplated the situation, the more he kept coming to one answer. He had to go home. He had to face his alpha, his father.
18
Juliet woke with a headache from hell. The side of her skull felt ready to burst open and spew brains, which couldn’t feel any worse. Her eyes saw walls made of logs, but this wasn’t Tevrik’s home.
A damp mustiness had settled in her nose, making her need to sneeze. If she did, her head would pop off like a zit. That could actually make her feel better. Instead, she pinched her nostrils, effectively relieving the itchiness until she breathed in again.
“Ah,” a male voice said, “the princess is awake.” Slowly, she rolled over, causing the coils of the bed she was on to squeak. Now, seeing the world around her, she remembered what happened. She’d been abducted again. This time it wasn’t her fault though. Which pissed her off.
She snarled her lip. “You’re goddamn right, the princess is awake. What the fuck is going on? I try to help you and you do this, you prick.”
The men—Petey and another male—sat in front of a small fireplace, staring at each other, then at her. The other man broke into hysterical laughter. “Who the hell did you hijack?” He slapped his knee. “The Ice Queen herself?”
Petey growled. “Shut up, James. She’s going to lead us to the gold.”
Ah, of course. She’d mentioned the discovery a little too loudly, apparently, at the general store. Shit. The little hell hole they were in was cold. Air from outside virtually blew through the cracks in the casing around the window behind the bed.
The fire did little to warm the shack. Twigs and leaves littered the floor as if someone left the door open for a year and hadn’t cared enough to sweep.
“Where are we?” she asked. “Take me back to town.”
“Not yet, missy,” Petey said, rising from his chair. “You’re showing us where you found the stash.” He leaned over a wobbly table with a map spread across it. A well-used map—frayed edges and holes abound.
Curious, she stepped up to the table and glanced down. In black ink, Xs and scratched out areas littered the paper which looked to be an illustration of the upper Alaskan mountain ranges.
“Are these the places you’ve searched?” she asked. Petey shoved her away with his hip.
“That’s none of your goddamn business,” Petey spit out. Not prepared for the physical aggression, Juliet stumbled back and lost her balance. Hands caught her before she slammed to the floor. She looked up into beady eyes. His hand slid up her torso to cover her breast.
Throwing an elbow, she tagged James in the jaw causing him to snap back. With his hand still wrapped around her arm, she couldn’t get away from his retaliation—a fist to the face.
“Bitch,” he yelled. Pain cascaded through her skull and neck. A wave of blackness tried to take her, but she fought it. Being unconscious wasn’t cool with her. No telling what would happen to her body while she was out. She was sure it wouldn’t be good.
Staying on her feet, she yanked her bicep from his grip. With a hand on the rough-hewn wall, she
said, “I suggest you not touch me again.”
Petey hacked out a phlegmy laugh. “We got ourselves a spirited mare, James. Leave her alone until we got the gold. Then we can do whatever we want.”
James spun around. “Don’t tell me what to do, asshole.”
Juliet snorted. “Is that your encouragement for me to tell you?” She shuffled to one of the chairs in front of the fire. “Both of you are fucking idiots.” She sat. “Wait till Tevrik finds us.”
“Yeah,” Petey said, “what are you doing with that stupid fuck? You’re human.”
A warning went off in her head. No wonder James didn’t go down when she elbowed his face. These two were shifters, which changed things. She wouldn’t be able to lie about anything. Shit. Instead of answering, she kept her mouth shut. James smacked her up the side of the head, nearly knocking her off the chair.
“You were asked a question, bitch,” he said.
Blackness crept up on her vision again. She probably had a damn concussion by now. As soon as Tevrik got here, she would seek treatment, after she kicked this asshole’s ass. When her previous abduction was over, she’d taken a series of self-defense classes. If she were smart, she would’ve taken them much earlier and may have been able to prevent her last situation.
The local police department offered the low-cost programs that not only boosted her physical strength but gave her confidence to stand up for herself in the male-dominated lab. If she had her way, every female would learn what she did. With fewer easy victims, perhaps violence and other abuses would lessen. But against shifters, force wasn’t going to work as well. She had to use her smarts.
And smart would be not letting her captors know her strengths. If they thought they had a scared human, then they would be less cautious with her. That could give her the opportunity to escape. She had to keep her eyes open for that moment.
She felt her hair moving. Before she could pull away, Petey jerked her out of the chair by her strands. He dragged her to the table and threw her against the edge.