Wild Keepers

by Dee Bridgnorth

  He heard her strangled breath. He knew that she felt it, just as strongly as he did. This insane connection that strung between them as tautly as a tightrope. He had never dared to believe that she could feel it, too, but she did.

  Suddenly, he didn’t care. About any of it. The questions about who she was; the fact that he was deceiving her as much as she was deceiving him. None of it mattered. All he could focus on was her hand in his. The truth of what lay between them.

  He gazed at her. And then, they were suddenly in each other’s arms, and he was kissing her. Long and deep. Drowning in her lips beneath his.

  He didn’t care that they were in the back of a cab, or whether the driver could see them. It was as if time had lost all meaning. All he knew was that Tess, the girl that he had never stopped loving, was finally in his arms. And that it was exactly as he had always imagined.

  It was like coming home. He never wanted it to end.

  “Here we are.”

  The cabbie’s voice was like a physical jolt, jarring them out of the moment. Tess jumped back, startled. She gazed at Shay, seemingly at a loss for words.

  “Tess,” he entreated, grabbing at her.

  She shook her head quickly. “No,” she muttered. “No. I don’t know what’s happening.” She reached for the door handle, and climbed out. “I can’t do this Shay. I just can’t.” She ran off towards her flat, and didn’t look back.

  He stared after her, feeling the loss crash him down on him like a ton of bricks in the solar plexus.

  The cabbie chuckled. “Bad luck, buddy. Where to?”

  Shay ran a shaking hand through his hair. His first instinct was to get out and run after her. But what would be the point of that? She was confused. Hell, he was confused. Nothing would be accomplished tonight.

  He took a deep, shuddering breath. No, as much as he wanted to run after her and finally make love to her finally satiate the promise of everything between them, after all these years—he knew that now wasn’t the moment. Would that moment ever happen?

  And he needed to find out the answers to all the questions about her that were swirling in his mind.

  He told the cabbie his address, and they took off again into the night. He sat back in the seat, exhaling deeply. She was all around him. All he could feel was her lips on his, and how deeply right it had felt.

  ***

  Shay accessed the warehouse via the skylight, relieved for once that none of the other guys seemed to be home. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Especially Thad. He had assured the alpha leader that he could handle this case, and not let his personal feelings cloud it. He knew that Thad would know instantly that something had happened that might cast doubt over that promise.

  He walked down into the kitchenette, getting himself a glass of water. He cursed when he almost spilt it on the bench top. He was rattled, there was no denying it.

  He walked slowly back up to the second level, lying down on his bed. He could see the moon through the skylight, casting its pearly luminescence into the room. It was half full. There was still time before they would need to get away from the city, on their monthly camping trip, to let their wolves run free. It was a tradition now. When the full moon came, they had no control over it. And the city wasn’t the place for a pack of wolves to run wild. People would notice, and that wouldn’t be good. It was imperative that they operate in the shadows.

  He smiled to himself. Here he was, resentful that Tess wasn’t being honest with him about herself, when he was the same. How would she react if she found out that he was a wolf shapeshifter? A man who changed into a wolf to battle demons that threatened to overrun the city? He knew how secrets worked. He was constantly living in secret.

  He turned over on the bed, thinking deeply. His life was secret for a reason. A very good reason. His job was to battle demons, and stop them sabotaging the city. The Wild Keepers were sworn to protect Covenester, and always had been. Even though their members changed, they had been around since the city had been founded. He was a member of a pack that held secrecy sacrosanct so that they could do their jobs properly.

  He sat up, suddenly, his thoughts coalescing. What if Tess was the same?

  He felt a stab of excitement. It would explain everything. Why she had been able to jump him so successfully when he was tailing her. Her reaction to the mugger, and the swift way she had dealt with it. The fact that he knew that the girl who had said that people must act according to their conscience all those years ago in a high school English class was the same as the woman who had been so deeply moved by a quote about change on a mural wall.

  Tess hadn’t changed. She was exactly the same as she had always been. Only now, she was doing it professionally. He would bet his bottom dollar that she wasn’t an art forger. She was an undercover agent just the same as he was. She was investigating who was behind this racket and wanting to bring them to justice.

  He rubbed his neck, ruefully, blown away by the possibility. What were the chances?

  He grabbed his laptop by the side of the bed and turned it on. The screen flickered to life, casting an almost blue glow over the dark room. He should have done this right away, of course. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t.

  He could find out who she really was. It might take a while, but he would find out. The Wild Keepers could hack any records they wanted in the line of duty. Evan had set it up for them, many years ago now. Shay didn’t think that there was any firewall that they hadn’t been able to get through. Government ones included.

  And he would stake his life that Tess was some kind of federal agent. It all made sense.

  Shay sat back on the bed, bringing the laptop with him. A federal agent. Not a garden variety cop, or an undercover detective. The art forger cover was too sophisticated for the locals. He got into a few records, scrolling through. It took him an hour. And then he sat up, staring up at the moon through the skylight.

  Tess Nolan was a federal agent. He gazed back at her smiling photo on the computer screen.

  She had joined the FBI only recently, and hadn’t even finished her training before she had been put onto this case. They had ascertained that she would be perfect for it with her art background. The ideal agent to go undercover as an art forger.

  He read her background. She had been a member of the police force for five years before that. And that was after she had completed her degree in visual arts. He whistled softly underneath his breath. Tess was a high achiever, there was no doubt about that. A woman driven to succeed.

  He shook his head. A part of him simply couldn’t believe what he was reading. He would never in a million years have predicted in high school that Tess would one day go into law enforcement. She had never seemed the type. She had always been more interested in painting and drawing. An arty sort, who liked books as well. Why had she veered off into this direction?

  A lump formed in his throat. He knew why. It was because of that night. Seeing what had happened to Eric. The fact that she perceived that Shay had deserted her. What had she said to him tonight?

  I can look after myself. I have made damn sure of that, Shay. Never again will I be the damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued.

  He blinked back tears. No, she had made very sure of that. Tess Nolan was a woman who could save herself, from any situation.

  He stirred restlessly. Except this mightn’t be any situation. Tess had proven that she was more than capable of dealing with bad guys. But if Thad’s instinct was right, the person or people who headed this art forgery operation weren’t the usual bad guys. They might be Vilgath. Demons who fought on an entirely different level. When the demons were in their true form, it was only the wolf who could battle them. Tess wouldn’t stand a chance, despite her extensive training and experience.

  She was standing in the mouth of a lion, with no idea of the danger that surrounded her.

  How could he tell her? To do so he would have to admit what he really was. And she still mightn’t believe him. To
her, he was a criminal; a part of this network that she was trying to undo. No wonder she had been so cagey with him. She had been sussing him out exactly as he had been sussing her. And from their conversations, she now believed that he was a man with little conscience. A man who was comfortable in his life and with what he did.

  She had been trying to get information from him. That was why she had called him out of the blue and asked to meet him again. Her first instinct had been to walk away from him entirely, believing he was a criminal. But her professional side had won the day, and against her personal feelings, she had seen him.

  And now, they had connected on an entirely new level. No wonder she had run out of that taxi. She didn’t want to get personally involved with a person who she thought was a part of it. A person who she would have to bring down along with the rest.

  Shay closed his eyes, sighing deeply. It was a complicated mess, and he couldn’t figure out how he was going to extract her out of it without someone getting burnt.

  ***

  The man sank back in his Louis XV upholstered armchair. He tapped the Cuban cigar he held in his hand, sending ash sprinkling over the floor. He glanced down at it briefly, then shrugged. The maid would clean it up in the morning.

  He swilled the expensive cognac in his snifter, staring into the amber liquid. He took a sip, sighing with contentment. There was nothing like a cognac and a cigar after a hard day’s work.

  There was a small tap at the door. He turned, irritated. What was it now?

  “Come in,” he growled, sipping at his drink.

  The door opened. Mr. Gee walked into the room, his face impassive.

  “I hope I am not disturbing you,” he said, standing to the side of the chair.

  The man glanced at him, then sighed. “Go ahead. I’m sure you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have something of value to impart.”

  Mr. Gee nodded. “Just so.” He paused. “They were seen together again tonight.”

  The man’s eyes narrowed. “Indeed. What did they do?”

  Mr. Gee got out a notebook. “I’ve written it down. First, they went for a drink at a bar. But not for long. After that, she took off into Grand Park, and he followed her.” He took a deep breath. “Then a strange thing happened. She intercepted a mugging in the park, arresting the attacker. After that was all over, they went and ate at a Turkish restaurant, before finally catching a cab home together...”

  The man’s eyes flickered dangerously. “They went home together?”

  “No.” Mr. Gee stared down at his notebook. “The cab dropped her off first, then him. But prior to that they stopped briefly to look at a mural in the city.”

  The man smiled. “She is ever the art enthusiast.” He flicked some ash from his cigar onto the floor again. “Anything else?”

  Mr. Gee lowered his voice. “They didn’t go home together, but they did kiss in the back of the cab before she left him.”

  The man’s hand tightened on the arm of the expensive chair. “So, that is how it is going to play out,” he said, slowly. “I should have known.” He swirled the cognac around in his snifter contemplatively.

  Mr. Gee cleared his throat. “That’s it. Do you want anything else done?”

  “No.” He barked the word, staring at his minion. “I have already explicitly stated that I only want them observed for now. I still haven’t decided what I will do with them—or rather, when I will do it.”

  Mr. Gee hesitated. “Excuse me, sir, but if they are both working for the government, we should get rid of them as soon as possible. They might know more than we think they do, and there could be consequences.”

  The man smiled. “They know nothing, that’s why they haven’t done anything yet. They are waiting and watching.” He paused. “I might lay down a few false trails for them, just for the fun of it.”

  Mr. Gee blinked. “Sorry for asking, sir, but why?”

  “Because I can.” The man stood up abruptly. “Because playing cat and mouse amuses me. And I very much want these mice in my paws.” He walked over to the window, staring down at the street. “You can go now.”

  Mr. Gee left without another word.

  The man put the snifter on a side table carefully, then walked slowly to the large gilt-edged mirror over the fireplace. This skin felt tired and was itching him. Time to finally relax for the evening.

  He gazed into the mirror, then slowly smiled.

  A demon stared back. Welcome home, he thought darkly.

  Chapter Eleven

  Tess tossed and turned in the bed. She had been living here for six weeks now, and she still hadn’t gotten used to it. The mattress was too firm for her. In her own home—two hours’ drive away—she had handpicked her mattress so that it was Goldilocks perfect: not too soft, not too hard, but just right. She closed her eyes, dreaming about her handpicked linen: sheets that were expensive Egyptian cotton with a thousand-thread count, the plumpest pillows she could find, a sink-into-bliss comforter. All the luxurious extras designed to make sure that her mind would give her some respite and slip into sleep.

  There was no such luck here. The comforter was adequate, the pillows okay; but neither were her own. She had thought that she could handle being away on assignments like this; that she would be fine with laying her head wherever it had to be laid in the call of duty. But she had to admit she was missing her own home more than she had thought.

  She sat up. There was no use trying to get to sleep for now. Her restless brain cried out to process all that had happened tonight, and it looked like she had to bow down and just accept it.

  She got up and padded to the kitchen, switching on the kettle. A hot chocolate might soothe her.

  Cradling the drink, she collapsed into the sofa in the living room, flicking on the television. She had read somewhere that it was the worst thing that you could do if you were having an insomnia attack; something about the light entering your brain and stimulating you. But she couldn’t care less about any of that at the moment. It was just background noise.

  She found an old black and white movie, not paying much attention at first. Then she realised it was a classic, a movie that she had watched with her grandmother once when she was a teenager. The great Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

  She vaguely remembered the storyline. The film was about a pair of lovers who, against the odds, had found each other again in the Moroccan city of Casablanca during World War II. Ilsa was travelling with her war hero husband, and Rick owned a bar where he drowned his sorrows about their lost love. Tess settled back and watched the story play out.

  She sighed, watching the flickering screen. It was all so romantic, despite its tragic storyline. The hope that the two lovers would have a happy ending and sail into the sunset together was the tension that catapulted the story onwards. You never knew until the final scenes on the tarmac, as the plane is about to depart, whether Ilsa would choose her husband or Rick.

  Of course, Tess knew what happened. She had seen the movie before, after all.

  She watched the luminescent beauty of a young Ingrid Bergman on the screen, her heart breaking with torment. Tears glistened like diamonds in her eyes as she begged Rick, played by the legendary Humphrey Bogart, to understand why she had not met him in Paris that day. But Rick was hurt and betrayed and wouldn’t listen to her. Not at first, anyway.

  Tess felt a lump forming in her throat, her hands straying to her mouth. She could still feel Shay’s kiss, almost like a bruise.

  It had been the most wonderful kiss of her life.

  She hadn’t let herself acknowledge that, when she had run away from him. She couldn’t acknowledge anything. She had crawled into bed willing her mind to shut down, so that she could escape it. But she couldn’t stop it any more than she could stop the sun rising in the morning.

  It had been so unexpected, despite the tension that had been brewing between them like hot coffee. She had been painfully aware of how attracted she was to him, and he
to her. But she had thought that she could control it; that it was something she could keep a lid on. That idea had exploded into a million pieces now.

  She shook her head as she thought about it. It didn’t matter how wonderful the kiss had been; how she had felt that she had slotted into him like the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle. It didn’t matter. She could never allow it to happen again.

  Shay Sullivan was a criminal. He was part of this criminal network. There was no way on earth that she could afford to get involved with him; even the thought of it caused alarm bells to ring frantically in her ears.

  If she did, she could compromise the case. But even more than that, she risked her career. A career that was only just starting, and that she had trained hard for. A career that meant everything to her.

  Tess watched Ilsa and Rick on the screen. She knew how it would end. Even as her heart broke watching the two lovers rekindle their passion, she knew. Just as she knew how this would end for her, if she was not careful. So, she had to be very, very careful.

  Shay Sullivan. A man who had dropped into her life like a flash of technicolour in an old black and white movie. She realised how dim and dark it had been now that she had seen that colour. How dim and dark it would continue to be.

  Her heart ached so much it almost felt like a stone in her chest. You are being ridiculous, she told herself. It was only a kiss. Sure, you are attracted to him, but it is just physical. He has turned out to be an attractive man. So what? Put it out of your head and move on!

  The end of the movie was coming. The slow fog on the tarmac surrounding the lovers. Rick telling Ilsa that it was never meant to happen between them, and that they had to part. Ilsa fighting it but knowing that it was true.