Wolf Tracks: Tales of the Were (Grizzly Cove Book 17)

by Bianca D’Arc

  In wolf form, Jim stopped short and backed up. Was the problem with him or the area? He retreated a few feet and cautiously put his nose to the ground. Relief hit him when the scents he had been following greeted him once more.

  Step by cautious step, he advanced, making special note of any change in scent, but there wasn’t any…until… Abruptly, again, the scents just disappeared. What in the world could cause something like that?

  Jim sat back on his haunches just shy of the area where everything stopped to think it through. He started thinking about some of the things Jack Bishop had told him about the black magic encounter he’d recently had in that paper mill in West Virginia. Black magic was hidden magic. Unseen. Deceptive.

  The man Jim had been tracking from that paper mill to here might well have been a devotee of the black arts, as well, even though it was a rare discipline because of the patience and time it took to master. At least, that’s what Jim had always heard. Personally, he didn’t know anyone who dabbled in such things himself. Black magic was, in general, practiced by those pursuing evil ends, and Jim was firmly on the other side of that fight.

  Very carefully, Jim explored the bounds of the area where the scents all disappeared. It corresponded to the legal property line of the old feed mill, almost exactly. That couldn’t be a coincidence. In fact, it could only mean one thing.

  Evil had taken up residence in that abandoned property. With a low growl of anger, frustration, and determination, Jim turned tail and headed back to town.

  With every step of his four paws, he began to strategize ways to deal with this newest obstacle, but first, he had to report what he’d found. Then, he’d find a way to penetrate the dark shield around that old mill and discover what lay within.

  *

  Helen was already awake by the time Jim got back to the suite. He’d seen Joe walking into the local diner when he was heading back to the B&B and had stopped to let the Alpha know what he’d found. Joe had invited him inside, but Jim had declined breakfast, opting for a simple cup of coffee while the Alpha got his enforcer, Sheriff Shane, to drop by so they could both hear the sit-rep.

  Jim left them after they had heard his report, promising to call his contacts to see what he could learn about combatting black magic of this kind. Neither the Alpha nor the sheriff had ever come across anything like what Jim described, but they had both pledged to be there as backup, should Jim need more firepower behind him when he made his move on the place.

  Entering the suite, he could hear Helen humming in the bathroom. He smiled, thinking of her, and sat on the couch to make his calls. First, he fired off a text message to Ezra. It was still the middle of the night there, so he didn’t really expect a reply right away. Jim knew his uncle was usually up and at ‘em by dawn, so he placed his first call to Arch, filling him in and soliciting his advice on how to handle this development.

  He was just ending his call with Arch when Helen came into the room. She smiled at him, and just like that, he was ready for more of the incredible sex they’d shared the night before. Damn. They didn’t have time, right now, but later…oh, yes, later…he promised himself he’d do all the delightful things he’d been dreaming about, as soon as they had a little more time alone.

  She came over to the couch as he stood, putting his phone in his pocket. “Good morning,” he said, his voice filled with the rumble of his wolf. She didn’t seem to mind, and the wolf approved wholeheartedly.

  “Good morning,” she replied, standing before him, her expression so innocently hopeful that he couldn’t help but kiss her.

  Jim approached slowly, giving her time to turn away, if that’s what she wanted, but no. All systems were go as his lips touched hers, and then, all good intentions flew out the window as he lost all sense of time, space, propriety, missions, and everything else. All that existed was him and her. Male and female. Jim and Helen.

  He took her down to the couch and kissed her the way he’d been longing to do ever since he’d made himself leave her bed in the dark hours of the morning. He’d regretted that, bitterly, but he’d been trained to his duty since long before he’d discovered girls. Jim had always followed his duty first, all other things came after, and he’d never regretted it.

  Helen, though… She could easily make him forget duty, forget everything but her. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Helen was quickly becoming way more important to his happiness than any woman ever had before.

  Could she be his mate? The thought gave him pause. Jim drew back to meet her gaze, his thoughts stunning him into a ceasefire, so to speak. She met his gaze, her eyes questioning.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

  “Do you feel this…?” He tried his best to articulate what he was feeling, but it was difficult. “This thing between us… It’s…”

  “Magical,” she supplied when he couldn’t think of a big enough word to encompass what he was feeling.

  He nodded. “It feels important, somehow,” he went on, still trying to find the right words.

  She smiled shyly at him, her eyes holding mysteries he longed to know. “It feels important to me, too,” she said finally.

  He could only hope she understood the complexity of his simple words. He wasn’t entirely sure he understood it all, himself, but he was definitely feeling something very out of the ordinary when it came to being with Helen.

  Jim’s phone rang in his pocket, and the moment was broken. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to answer this.” He was already off the couch and reaching for his phone as he spoke.

  Helen nodded understandingly. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but he thought he saw a bit of regret in her eyes as she got up and straightened her clothes. He felt a little wisp of pride in the fact that he’d been the one to muss her. It was still a marvel that a woman like Helen would even want to be with a guy like him, and Jim thanked his lucky stars every time he thought about what they’d shared the night before.

  She was right. It had been magical.

  Jim answered the phone, fielding a call from his brother, Brock. As a general rule, Brock didn’t keep Jim on a tight leash. Brock was very focused on building the Pack into something to be really proud of while Jim was content to troubleshoot one situation at a time, using his military skills where they were most needed and best applied, but they kept in touch. They were brothers. Even though Jim would go off on missions all over the world, he was still a member of Brock’s Pack. White Oaks, in Iowa, was still his home. At least for now.

  Jim didn’t kid himself. He wasn’t entirely sure he would be able to stick it out in White Oaks for the rest of his life. He wanted to support his brother, of course, but he also had his own dreams to fulfill and destiny to follow. Luckily, he knew Brock wouldn’t stand in the way of that. Even though Brock wanted to keep Jim home, he knew it was no good. As Uncle Arch had often said, some pups were born with invisible wings, and sooner or later, you just had to let them fly.

  Jim took the call from Brock, and they spoke just a short time. It was basically a quick check-in with a promise of a longer call to come. Jim explained that they were on their way to breakfast and that he’d call back later. Brock had made no secret of his curiosity and hinted that he’d spoken to Joe Villalobos at some length the night before about Jim and his very interesting travel companion.

  Jim didn’t rise to the bait and ended the call as quickly as he could. He really was hungry and Helen was already heading for the door. If he couldn’t snack on her, they might as well get some actual food. It was looking like it was going to be a long day, and he’d need the fuel to keep going.

  Helen felt a little conspicuous as they headed downstairs for breakfast. She wondered if everyone would realize what they’d been up to the night before. As the only human in a room full of shifters, she suspected they would know, somehow. That was, if Jim’s smug expression didn’t give them away completely from the get go. She could almost laugh at the way he strutted down the stairs, if he didn’t look so darned s
exy.

  She knew firsthand, now, how incredible it was to be with him. As a matter of fact, she was feeling a little smug herself this morning.

  Waking up to find him gone had been disappointing, but she understood. Wolves were nocturnal hunters. They did their best work in the dark. She had to stifle a chuckle as that thought trickled through her mind. Jim certainly did do his very best work at night. At least, he had last night.

  Scandalous. That’s what she was. Helen had never behaved quite like this in her entire life, but she couldn’t find it within herself to regret a single moment. Nothing about what had passed between them would cause her any regrets, ever. The only thing she feared she might regret was when this fantastical adventure came to an end.

  She really didn’t know how she was going to continue the humdrum existence she had lived up to now. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she could not continue as she had been. Things were going to change for her. She was determined the change would be for the better. She actually had to thank Jim for that. He had made her see, viscerally, what her life had become, and that it could be different.

  Helen would choose to make things better when she finally had the chance to slow down and reevaluate. After this whirlwind romance and adventure, she would embark upon a new existence. She wasn’t sure exactly what that would entail yet, but she was determined to figure it out.

  Breakfast was served in the rear dining room of the big Victorian mansion. There were only a few guests in residence, at the moment, so they had plenty of room to enjoy the huge spread on the buffet table. Helen was truly impressed by the vast array of breakfast foods, from cereals to eggs and other hot items kept warm in ornate steaming trays. She took a plate and helped herself, trying not to laugh at how much food Jim kept adding to his own plate. He only stopped spooning things on when he had a truly amazing pile that was in danger of imminent collapse.

  At that point, he ushered her to the table—a large rectangular heirloom that could easily seat twelve adults and then some. He pulled out her chair for her, in a gallant act of chivalry, then took the seat beside her. Felicia came out at that point and greeted them, asking if there was anything they needed. She was chipper and friendly, and Helen began to breathe easier when Felicia left without any teasing remarks or significant glances.

  “So, where did you go last night?” Helen asked, just making conversation and trying not to sound as if she was prying or chastising him in any way. She had no real claim over Jim, and she didn’t want to scare him off too soon by acting like a jealous cow.

  “I had to do a perimeter sweep to see if I could find anything out of the ordinary,” he said between shoveling food into his mouth. He wasn’t a messy eater, but he ate a lot.

  “And did you? Find anything out of the ordinary, I mean.”

  Jim nodded as he swallowed his food. He paused to have a sip of water before answering. “Actually, I did.” A frown marred his near-perfect brow. “I’m very concerned that we may be dealing was something similar to what your sister found in West Virginia.”

  Helen felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. “Black magic? Is that what you mean?” She was filled with dread at what he might answer.

  When he nodded again, she shut her eyes and searched for her center quickly. Focused once more, she tried to see his discovery in a positive light. At least he knew what to look for now, after that near-fiasco in West Virginia. He had approached the situation cautiously and had probably found something everybody else had missed.

  “What does Joe say?” She knew he must have reported his findings to the Alpha of this territory right away. Something that important couldn’t wait.

  “None of the locals noticed what I did,” Jim said quietly. He wasn’t bragging. He was just stating a fact. “Then again, none of them saw what I saw in the aftermath of the action your sister was involved in.”

  Kiki had been a little more than involved. She’d been held prisoner by an evil witch who was using her as bait to catch Kiki’s mate, Jack, in werebear form. That sorceress would have killed him for his power, as she’d killed the others they’d since discovered. She’d almost killed Kiki, too, but little sis had outsmarted the witch and brought about her downfall. Helen was so darn proud of that kid.

  “But they’re going to check it out?” Helen asked, worried for the town and the nice people she’d met here, so far.

  “I’m going to check it out, with their help. This may be a little beyond the local talent’s experience. Heck, it’s beyond some of my experience, as well, but I’m not going into this unprepared. In fact...” He took his buzzing phone out of his pocket and laid it on the table next to his rapidly emptying plate. “Yeah, I figured this would happen,” he said as he read the text message that had just come in. “We’re doing a conference call in fifteen minutes. Will you be okay for a couple of hours?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jim stood from the table and bussed his and Helen’s dirty plates to the area set aside for them. She stood as well, any thought of lingering over coffee or a cinnamon bun forgotten.

  While Helen was somewhat disappointed not to be included in the strategy session, she understood. She was the new kid on the block as far as Jim’s mission went. The boys who had planned it and sent him here were all familiar with their own abilities, but nobody really understood what she could do to aid the mission any more than she already had.

  She had probably surprised everybody when she’d saved Jim’s life in Virginia Beach. Frankly, she had surprised herself, as well. Of course, she wasn’t about to admit that to anyone. Helen was confident that she had more to contribute, but she wasn’t altogether certain that she would get the chance. However, she wasn’t going to force her way in, if she wasn’t wanted. Things would unfold, she was confident, as the Mother of All intended.

  With that thought in mind, she decided she was going to spend the morning shopping. Even her enormous bag couldn’t hold enough clothing for an indefinite stay. She was down to her last outfit and wouldn’t mind picking up a few things that were more suitable to this warmer climate. She would get another bag too, she decided. A real suitcase, since she was going to be flying out of a real airport once this adventure was over and she was on her way home. She’d always wanted a slick wheelie bag that she could maneuver every which way, and she’d seen some colorful examples in one of the shop windows they’d passed on their stroll through town the evening before.

  “I’ll be okay,” Helen told Jim. “I need to do a little shopping, anyway.”

  “Take my credit card. Get whatever you need,” he offered, reaching for his wallet, but she held up her hand.

  “Oh, no. I couldn’t do that. I’m going to be buying some souvenirs for my family, as well as another outfit and some personal items. You don’t have to pay for any of that, and I can afford it.” She pushed his arm down when he continued to try to get his wallet out of his pants pocket. “Seriously. Thanks for the offer, but I’m good.”

  His smile went from concerned to sinful in a second flat. “Actually, you’re way better than good,” he commented in a voice so low that only she could hear it.

  She wanted to purr. Just like that, he’d evoked memories of the amazing night she’d just spent in his arms. A night never to be forgotten.

  “So are you,” she said, blushing only a little as she dared to say the words.

  Felicia bustled in from the kitchen, a platter of hot blueberry muffins in her hands. Even though Helen had just eaten a rather large breakfast, by her standards, she felt her mouth water at the scent of those muffins. Jim’s gaze went to Felicia as well.

  “I’m glad we agree on that, Helen,” he said, sounding deceptively businesslike. Only Helen knew what he was talking about, and it made her grin knowingly. “Maybe we should take a couple of those muffins for the road?”

  He was already moving before the question left his mouth, homing in on that warm tray Felicia had just placed on the buffet. Helen fo
llowed him at a slower pace. Felicia was way ahead of them, wrapping two muffins in paper napkins and handing them each one.

  “Sorry these weren’t ready before,” Felicia apologized. “You two got up earlier than I expected. The rest of the guests won’t be down for a few minutes yet.”

  “Sorry.” Helen felt compelled to apologize. “I live on a farm. We get up with the dawn, most days. The animals don’t understand sleeping late, but I promise, I’m going to give it a try tomorrow. This is sort of a vacation for me.”

  “Oh, it’s no problem. I usually have a little more time in the morning, but my great-grandmother was having a rough night last night,” Felicia explained.

  “I saw her on my way out around four in the morning,” Jim said, surprising Helen that he’d been up and about much earlier than she’d suspected.

  “That reminds me,” Helen said gently to Felicia. “I promised your Alpha that I’d see if I could help Miss Felicity. Is she around? Do you think she’d let me take a look and see if I can do anything?”

  “I know she was very pleased with how you helped Angus, so I suspect she’d be happy to learn if you could do anything for her aching bones. Her knees are particularly bad, and at times, she can hardly walk,” Felicia confided. “That’s a really hard thing to accept for a wolf who’s used to running free. She’s in her parlor. It’s where she spends a lot of her time these days.”

  Helen sympathized. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Jim walked her out of the breakfast room then left her at the front door with a kiss. She might’ve lingered a bit too long in his arms, but he didn’t seem to mind. She’d been looking forward to a kiss from him since the last one. She could hardly go a few minutes without wanting to kiss him, now that she knew just how amazing it could be between them.

  She was an addict, and Jim was the drug.