Bonded

by Nicky Charles

  Reno strode down the road, looking neither left nor right, not even caring what the locals might be thinking. If one of them wanted to take exception to his presence in town, that was fine with him. Getting into a fight was exactly what he’d like to do right now.

  Unfortunately, no one approached him and he arrived back at the motel with no other means of venting his anger except slamming the door shut. A picture fell off the wall, cracking the glass and making him smile in satisfaction. Too bad he hadn’t been able to throw it across the room, though.

  He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Okay, so Brandi’s words had hurt, but he shouldn’t just assume she really meant them. After all, she was a DC. Lying was her life. And the asshole Alpha had been lurking in the background. So maybe what she said was only partly true. But which part? He began to pace the room.

  The idea that she’d called him in a fit of pique didn’t sound right. If Brandi was mad at someone, she let them know—in no uncertain terms. No, calling him in the middle of the night claiming Purists had taken over her town was likely the truth. And she changed her story and let that bastard touch her because… ? Well, given what he knew about Purists, Victor must have some leverage over her. Threats were their favourite way of controlling a pack.

  Reno nodded; that scenario sat better with him than thinking Brandi held him in contempt. If she actually hated his guts, she wouldn’t have kissed him like she had back at Clancy’s, right? Or maybe he was just a fool, trying to hang onto the image that someone actually cared about him.

  Brandi’s words had hit at his deepest insecurities and it twisted his gut to acknowledge that fact. Just an Enforcer, a trained rogue. Disposable if he didn’t toe the line. He’d devoted his life to trying to be something. To make up for the fact that he was innately flawed. But no matter how hard he tried, he knew it would never be enough. Did she have to rub his face in it?

  He pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing the painful truths back into the hidden recesses of his mind where they belonged. Damn, it had been years since he’d allowed himself to wallow in self-pity like that.

  Giving his head a shake, he decided maybe Brandi was right. Maybe he was more brawn than brain. A smart man wouldn’t let a woman get to him like that.

  Glancing at his watch, he realized it was time to check in with Damien. However, when he tried to place the call, his phone couldn’t pick up a signal. Flicking it shut, he cursed the mountains for interfering with communications and prowled restlessly about the room wondering what his next move should be. Even if Brandi hated him, he wasn’t going to leave, at least not until he figured out what was going on.

  Spying her suitcase, he placed it on the bed and opened it. A small twinge of guilt attacked him over poking through her things but he reasoned he was looking for clues, so that made it all right.

  Shirts, pants, socks… Reno picked up lacy undergarments and spent a few minutes examining them while imagining how her curves would fill the delicate cups. Suddenly realizing what he was doing, he dropped the clothes and stepped away from the suitcase. God, he was acting like some sort of perv, getting off by rifling through women’s underwear.

  Not just any underwear, his wolf reminded him. Only hers.

  Underwear is underwear he snapped back and shut the suitcase decisively. And she doesn’t want us, remember?

  Deciding he needed a different type of distraction, he headed for the diner. He hadn’t eaten since the previous day, except for the meagre portions they’d tried to pass off as food at the airport. Walking across the parking lot, he could hear the sound of people talking and laughing inside the small eatery, but as soon as he entered, it all died down.

  Finding himself the centre of attention, Reno froze in the doorway and let his gaze slowly move around the room. The patrons were studying him carefully, some with suspicion, others with nerves, and a few with mild curiosity.

  He looked each person in the eye briefly, making sure there was no aggression in his expression but no hint of submission either. He wasn’t here to cause trouble, however, he wouldn’t take any crap either, not after the type of day he’d been having.

  Nancy suddenly bustled up and took him by the arm, hollering out to the staring customers, “Oh for heaven’s sake, you’ve all seen a good-looking man before. Get back to eating before he thinks we’re all just a bunch of hick Lycans who’ve never even been out of the county.”

  There was a general shuffling and few self-deprecating chuckles before everyone returned to their meals.

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Reno gave the woman a nod and a slow smile.

  She flushed slightly and slapped his shoulder. “Now don’t be trying out that Western charm on me. It won’t do a bit of good. I’m old enough to be your ma. Sit down here and check out the menu. I’ll be back in minute with some fresh coffee.”

  Reno sat down in the corner booth she’d led him to and made a show of studying the menu. Conversation was slowly returning to normal levels as the patrons became used to his presence. A few were still shooting him uneasy glances and he committed their appearances to memory. If they were uneasy, they likely had something to hide and he’d have to make it his business to find out what.

  Nancy returned with coffee and took his order. While he waited for his food to appear, he gazed out the window studying the scenery. It was a pretty part of the country. The distant mountains were varying shades of purple and those that were nearer showed splotches of green forest. Occasionally, dark scars marred the sides, possibly evidence of past mining activity.

  That reminded him of his encounter with the young girl and he turned his face to study the land nearer the town. Now that he knew what to look for, he was able to pick out the remains of the coal conveyor as it snaked up the mountainside.

  Just as he was turning away, a flash of light near the conveyor caught his attention and he narrowed his eyes trying to determine what had caused it. There was nothing shiny up there; everything had been covered in rust.

  He watched carefully, alert to any movement then… another flash. Yep, someone was up there, but who? The girl had claimed the area was posted as off limits. Either someone wasn’t following the rules or she’d lied to him. And if so, why?

  Nancy returned and set a plate of rare steak, fries, and gravy in front of him. A basket of fresh biscuits and salad arrived too. Damn, it was good to eat in a restaurant run by Lycans. They knew what size portions a werewolf could handle!

  “That looks mighty tasty, ma’am.” He emphasized his western drawl and as a reward she elbowed him in the shoulder.

  “Like I told you, boy. Enough of that. That fancy cowboy talk won’t worm a bigger piece of pie out of me.” She glared down at him and Reno grinned, not at all offended by the mock scolding.

  “Wouldn’t even think of trying.”

  “Good. Now do you need anything else?”

  Reno surveyed the full table. “Nope, everything looks just fine, but I was wondering… ” He paused and framed his question carefully. “What’s that metal structure going up the side of the mountain?”

  Nancy leaned forward and peered out the window. “That? It’s left over from the coal mining days. Some sort of conveyor. I’m surprised you even noticed it.”

  “The sun was shining off it and it caught my eye.”

  “The sun shining off that old thing? It’s only rust holding hands. Nothing shiny up there.”

  “Oh. Maybe it was a hiker and the sun was reflecting off his binoculars.”

  “No… Not likely. Area’s posted as off limits. There were a few accidents up there in the past and Klaus, our previous Alpha, ruled it out of bounds.” She nibbled on the stub of a pencil she wrote down orders with then shook her head. “You must have been mistaken. Not even the pups dare go up there.” She chuckled. “Klaus concocted some grand ghost stories to scare the young ones away.”

  “Perhaps it wasn’t something shiny I saw after all. Maybe a bird—a white pigeon or something—land
ed on it and that’s what I saw.”

  “Humph! Could be.” She eyed him thoughtfully. “You know, that’s the sort of crazy tale Brandi would have come up with when she was living here. You two must work closely together up there at Lycan Link.”

  Reno gave a non-committal shrug. “Well, she certainly seems set on giving up her job and staying on here now. We’ll miss her.”

  “She’s staying?” Nancy stared at him in surprise. “But I thought you said—”

  “She claims to have had a change of heart.” Reno shook his head regretfully while studying the woman’s reactions. His announcement was obviously news to her and working in the restaurant she likely had access to all the latest gossip. Yep, something was definitely wrong with the story Brandi had fed him.

  Victor must be pushing for Brandi to stay, most likely because she’d found out something she shouldn’t have—like the fact that the rights of the half-weres had been violated. He clenched his fists under the cover of the table. How could a woman as pleasant as this waitress condone the ill-treatment of her neighbours? Of course, maybe she didn’t condone it but it was quite likely that she was at least turning a blind eye to the situation, and that was all it took. Evil didn’t need much of a toe-hold to start spreading.

  “Well, that certainly is news to me.” The woman was recovering from her surprise and there was a certain gleam in her eye. She had news to spread and probably couldn’t wait to start sharing it. “I’m sorry that you and Brandi didn’t work out, but we’ll all be mighty pleased to have her back living with us. Such a fine girl. A bit too spirited at times, but still a nice young lady.”

  Nancy patted his shoulder in what might have been consolation over the supposed loss of his fiancée. Or possibly, the pat was in thanks for giving her a scoop on the local gossip, because she immediately hurried away, probably to spread the latest news. Even before Reno had taken the first bite of his meal, he could hear her whispering away to the other servers.

  Slowly, he ate his dinner trying to ignore the buzz that was growing around him. Glances were cast his way, but he kept his gaze fixed on his meal or out the window, using the reflections off the glass to keep track of what was happening around him. By the time his meal was done, everyone seemed to have heard the news and he bit his cheeks to keep from smiling at the comments from some of the female patrons that followed him as he left the building.

  “Brandi’s turning down that?”

  “My gosh, the woman must be blind!”

  “I’ll take him, if she doesn’t want him!”

  He chuckled to himself. In different circumstances, if Brandi really had thrown him over for Victor, those women would have gone a long way towards soothing his broken heart, he thought.

  Darkness was rapidly falling as the sun dipped down behind the mountain range. The dim light that hung over the diner door seem designed to cast only enough illumination to ensure that no one tripped on the steps. Beyond that, the parking area was mostly in shadows as the clouds obscured the almost full moon.

  Reno crossed the parking lot, heading towards the room that was supposedly Brandi’s. He was sure she wouldn’t be returning to spend the night. It was doubtful the Alpha would allow her out of his sight as long as her supposed fiancé was in the area. His wolf growled at the idea of someone claiming Brandi as their own, and for once he had to agree with the beast’s feelings on the matter. Up until today, he’d never had a clear idea of exactly how he felt about her but the day’s events were making one thing certain. For his own peace of mind, he needed to discover the truth about how Brandi felt and once this situation was resolved, he planned on confronting her.

  He rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated how he’d go about doing that, then stiffened imperceptibly when he suddenly sensed he wasn’t alone. Two… no, three other Lycans were following him. His footsteps crunched loudly on the gravel—he was making no effort to hide his presence—and they were walking in almost perfect unison with him, only the slightest lack of synchronization was giving them away. He quickly deduced that one was shorter than him and was being forced to take exaggerated steps in order to keep up.

  His lip curled and his wolf rose from its sleep ready to fight. There was barely a breeze but it was enough to give him a hint of their scents. All males, about his age, middle rank within the pack. Likely hoping to move up the hierarchy by beating up the stranger in town.

  Reno gave no hint that he’d noticed them and continued on towards the back of the property where the rooms were located. It was more private and there’d be less chance of bystanders joining in the fight. Three on one would be easy to handle but if the diner’s entire patronage joined in… Well, he didn’t have too exaggerated of an opinion of his own fighting skills!

  Just as he extracted the room key from his pocket, he sensed them closing in. A large hand fell on his shoulder and jerked him around, pushing him against the wall.

  “Hey, Smith!” The Lycan kept his hand on Reno’s shoulder, a look in the man’s eyes letting Reno know he was just begging him to try and knock it off.

  No, you’re not getting me into a fight that easily, Reno thought. Raising an inquiring brow he looked at the assembled posse. He’d been right. Three males, average build, brown hair. Nothing to make them stand out in a crowd.

  “Gentlemen. What can I do for you?”

  “It’s what we can do for you.” The one who was just slightly shorter than the others rocked back on his heels as he spoke.

  “And that would be… ?”

  “Not kill you for trespassing on our territory.” The third kept his arms loosely at his side, his fingers twitching as if he’d like nothing better than to throw a punch.

  “Your… er… sheriff, Walt, knows I’m here as does your Alpha, Victor.”

  “Yeah, well, they aren’t too happy that you stopped by to visit. And we don’t like you showing an interest in one of our females so we want to make sure that you leave real soon.” Shorty, as Reno dubbed him, spoke again.

  “I’m planning to leave first thing in the morning. My business here is over.” He deliberately kept his voice even.

  “Humph. Well, just to make sure you don’t take it into your head to go wandering around town tonight we have a message for you. Stay in your room.” And with that, the fellow who’d been holding his shoulder let go and punched him in the stomach.

  Air whooshed from Reno’s lungs but it only took him a moment to recover. Without even thinking, he let his arm fly out, catching the man in the throat, and then kicking the fellow’s legs out from under him.

  The other two set upon him. Their skills were adequate but Reno’s were better. As much as he’d have loved to take them all out, another thought crossed his mind. Carefully, he held back allowing them to slowly gain the upper hand. While it galled his wolf no end, Reno figured a few cuts and bruises were a small price to pay for what he had planned.

  A fist clipped his jaw and he made a show of staggering backwards. Hands grabbed his arms and held them while blows were landed to his body. He started to slump, giving his attackers the impression that he was beaten and they were the winners.

  “Okay guys, that’s enough.” The restraining hands let him go and he sank to the ground. A final kick was delivered to his back and he landed face first in the gravel, his grunt of pain not entirely a facade.

  “Not so tough after all, are you, Smith?” Shorty mocked him and Reno looked up through a haze of sweat and blood, one eye already swelling shut. “Make sure you stay in your room tonight and hightail it out of here first thing in the morning, or me and the boys here will whip your sorry butt again. Got it?”

  Reno nodded and the three men swaggered off, congratulating each other on how they’d managed to best one of Lycan Link’s lauded Enforcers.

  Slowly Reno got to his feet and staggered into the motel room. Pushing the door shut, he flicked on the lights and made his way to the bathroom. The sight that met him in the mirror wasn’t pretty. One eye was sw
ollen shut, his lip was split, bruises adorned his cheekbones, and bits of gravel were embedded in his skin.

  Carefully he pulled off his shirt, hissing as his ribs protested the movement. Bruised, not broken; years of experience had taught him the difference. Grabbing a washcloth, he dabbed at the damage, cleaning himself up as best he could. A memory flashed by—Brandi tending him after the Langstaff affair, her fingers undoing his shirt and gently easing the material away from his wounds. Her presence that night had made the difference, he was sure of it. True, his physical wounds would have healed on their own, but mentally and emotionally… It was as if she’d known exactly how he felt, what he was thinking. She’d gone beyond the call of duty and he’d been an ass. Little wonder their relationship never got off the ground.

  But we’ll try again, his wolf insisted. Once she is free, we’ll try again. You said so earlier.

  Maybe. He wanted to, but given what she’d said earlier—if there was even a shade of truth in her words and she really felt that way—was there any point?

  Throwing the dirty washcloth in the sink, he made his way to the bed and flopped down, groaning in relief as his body relaxed into the softness. He hated getting beaten up. However, it would prove to be worth it if his plan worked. Having received what the locals thought was a thorough beating they wouldn’t be expecting him to be prowling around town tonight. With their guard down, his chances of success improved greatly.

  A yawn escaped him and he rubbed his eyes wearily; it had been a long day. He’d been awake ever since Brandi had called him the previous night, making travel arrangements, racing to get to the airport, then renting a car, and finding his way here. A few hours of rest before skulking about the town seemed advisable. Shutting his eyes, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.