The Finding

by Nicky Charles

  Exhaling loudly, she ran her hands through her damp hair in exasperation. He hadn’t gone to work and he hadn’t come home. That could mean only one thing, he’d spent his night gambling again. Damn him! Wasn’t he deeply enough in debt? He owed fifty thousand dollars! Was he trying to make it up to a hundred? She felt tears of frustration and anger welling in her eyes.

  Slamming the door, she stomped into her own room and began to get dressed, pulling on her clothing while muttering dire threats under her breath. He’d definitely lost his job, if he’d missed work again last night. Mr. Bartlett had already been more than understanding when it came to Kellen.

  She yanked a comb through her hair and pulled it back in a pony tail. This was just great. She’d be their sole bread winner again. With only half the income, how the hell were they supposed to pay rent and buy groceries, let alone try to pay off the money he owed?

  Shoving her feet into her shoes, she headed to the kitchen, the smell of fresh coffee doing little to sooth her spirit. Leaning her hip against the counter, she sipped the bitter brew and scowled, contemplating all the things she’d say to Kellen once she finally tracked him down.

  It was early to leave for work, but she decided to go anyway. Staying at home would only make her angrier. Maybe she’d even walk to the store, it might help burn off some of the anger inside her.

  Turning off the coffee maker, she grabbed her purse and headed out the front door, only to freeze on the front step. Something was different. Narrowing her eyes, she looked around. It had rained last night; an unusual event to be sure, but that wasn’t what had caught her attention. A strange scent was assaulting her nose. The animal inside her was instantly alert and pressing against its boundaries. She could sense the change within her. Suddenly, her ears seemed more attuned to the sounds around her, her skin seemed more sensitive to the air pressure. Even though the light of dawn was barely breaking, her eyesight was more acute than ever, catching the minute movements of insects. Slowly she turned her head, searching the shadows for anomalies.

  Something was here, something vaguely recognizable that called to the animal within her. Slowly, she bent and set down her purse, keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings. Instinct was telling her to be cautious. There was danger nearby, but... She sniffed the air; it was alluring too. Her heart was beating faster, her skin seemed to tingle and warmth was pooling in her belly, stirring a memory.

  She’d had the dream last night. The wolf had chased her, caught her, and forced her to the ground. It had been more realistic than ever; the feel of his hot breath, the weight and power of his body pressed to hers, his scent surrounding her...

  Cassie’s eyes widened when she realized it was the same scent. The one from her dream was here, floating on the air around her house. Frightened, yet inexplicably drawn to it, she stepped off the porch and began to walk down the path that led to the driveway.

  The scent was getting stronger. Her breathing quickened as excitement raced through her. The beast inside strained to reach the source. Pulled by some instinct she didn’t understand, her feet unerringly led her to the edge of the house. She turned the corner and...screamed!

  The shadowy figure of a man stood just at the edge of the building. Before she could even think, he grabbed her, spinning her around and clamping a hand over her mouth, effectively stifling her cry. Instinctively she struggled, but he easily stilled her movements wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing her back tightly to his chest.

  “Shh! You’ll wake the neighbours,”he scolded into her ear. His hot breath tickled against her skin, sending shivers down her spine and she froze, surprised by her own reaction., He used her momentary stillness to his advantage, turning her face so that she was looking over her shoulder and staring up into his eyes. Hazel eyes. A thrill shot through her as their gazes locked and she found herself unable to look away. They were so close, she could feel his breath against her face, fill her lungs with his scent. There was a compelling power about him that held her transfixed, unable to think or move.

  His mouth quirked in a smile and amusement danced in his eyes. “That’s better. Now, if I let you go, will you behave?”

  Cassie found herself nodding and wondered why. This man had no control over her yet her free will seemed to be disappearing. Some part of herself that she wasn’t even aware of was taking over, willingly bowing down before him.

  He released her and stepped back, holding out his hand. “Hi! I’m Bryan.”

  She stared down at his hand for a moment, feeling dazed. The man had seemed to appear out of nowhere, lurking around her house at an hour when most people were just getting out of bed. The shock of him just being there, when she hadn’t really expected to see anyone, had made her scream and now he was holding out his hand making polite introductions? And she was just standing there? Okay, something was wrong with this picture.

  He’s not a threat to us, the voice inside assured her.

  Why she believed the voice, she didn’t know. It wasn’t like she and the creature were on speaking terms. The thought crossed her mind that she should be running and calling for help. Men with honourable intentions didn’t lurk outside your home in the early morning hours. Her brain acknowledged the facts, but seemed to just stand back and blithely watch as she responded to the man’s greeting.

  “Um... Hi!” She brushed a few strands of stray hair from her face and then slowly took his hand. Heat rushed up her arm at the contact and she broke free quickly, flexing her fingers and frowning at the unusual reaction.

  “You’re Sandy, right?”

  She looked up at him warily, wondering how he knew her name. Then the sun’s rays broke over the roof tops and his face was suddenly illuminated clearly. A gasp escaped her lips as she realized she had seen him before. He was the man from the store!.

  Fear rushed through her, breaking through the strange calm that had washed over her. Her mind raced as she stared at him with increasing trepidation. Oh, this was not good. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he ended up outside her house after watching her so intently in the grocery store. And how had he found out where she lived anyway? Her human logic told her he was probably some kind of stalker. The animal inside whined in protest at the idea, but she managed to ignore it.

  “Er... Nice to meet you, but I have to go now...” Cassie started to back up and the man—he’d called himself Bryan—frowned at her, possibly realizing she’d recognized him.

  He took a step closer to her. “There’s no need to be afraid—”

  The thought flitted through her mind that those were the words every psycho used just before attacking. Giving no warning, she pivoted and ran back towards the front door.

  “Hey!” The man—Bryan—shouted and followed her.

  She could hear his steps close behind her, sensed him reaching, trying to catch her. Panic began to rise inside of her and she urged her legs to move even faster. His fingers fumbled, then clamped around her upper arm. Her body spun around as her forward momentum reacted to the sudden tug on her arm. A feral sound, half scream, half growl, ripped from her throat. His hands grabbed at her. She started to struggle, her vision blurred. Her whole body seemed to vibrate with a strange energy as survival instincts kicked in.

  “Oh no you don’t.” Bryan’s voice growled in her ear, but she had difficulty focussing. Everything felt so strange, as if her body wasn’t quite her own. “Changing into a wolf won’t help you escape me. Not that I wouldn’t enjoy a good hunt—I could easily outrun you and take you down—but that might not go over so well here in the suburbs. So let’s just make things simple. I’m your Beta and I’m ordering you to not change.”

  As if someone had pulled a plug, the strange feeling began to subside, but she paid little attention to the fact. His words rang ominously in her head.

  “Beta? Wolf? What are you talking about?” She stared at him, frozen in horror. He knew! Somehow he knew! How had she been discovered? Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he must
be able to hear it. This was her worst nightmare. He couldn’t know. No one knew, just herself and her uncle. Not even Kellen was privy to her secret; she’d taken great pains to ensure that fact. Besides, she’d never actually transformed completely so no one could have seen her; she stayed locked in her room, drugged almost out her mind during the dangerous phases of the moon...

  It couldn’t be true. The only way he could know she was werewolf was if he were somehow connected to the incident in Chicago. She shook her head in denial. No! It couldn’t be happening. Not now after all these years. Suddenly the frozen state she was in disappeared and she began to kick and squirm. She had to get away. Her very survival depended on it.

  His fingers bit into her arms even more tightly as she struggled and she winced at the controlled strength she felt emanating from him. Her dreams had never been this real... She looked around frantically. Where were the neighbours? Why wasn’t someone outside and coming to her rescue? Perhaps, it was all a bad dream. Surely, she’d wake up any minute and find out it was just a new twist on the dream she frequently had.

  “Cassandra, behave!” He growled the words at her as he thwarted all her attempts to free herself. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m the Beta of our werewolf pack and you’re coming with me.”

  “Werewolf pack? Going with you?” Her voice rose as terror gripped her. He was one of them! Oh God, no! She couldn’t go with him. Werewolves were monsters. They murdered people. She’d seen it with her own eyes. She wasn’t like that! She’d never be one of them. Never!

  “No!” A rush of energy such as she’d never felt before burst from her and she ripped herself from his arms, stumbling backwards. As if in slow motion she felt herself falling, the impact of the cement rippling up her spine as her rear end struck the ground. Then the rest of her body tipped back and she caught a glimpse of Bryan’s shocked face, followed by a view of the sky as she continued to be propelled backwards. Finally pain exploded in her head as her skull struck the edge of the step and then...darkness.

  Chapter 9

  Kellen sat nursing a cup of coffee in his favourite restaurant. It wasn’t an expensive place, more of a diner than an actual restaurant, but the food was good, and the prices weren’t inflated.

  He rubbed his chin, a slight smile playing over his lips. Expense might not be a problem in the near future. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper and stared at it; one hundred thousand dollars for information leading to the whereabouts of Cassandra Greyson. It was a staggering sum of money and who knows, he might even get more since he not only had information. He had the actual girl!

  This was a turn of fortune that he’d never foreseen. As a matter of habit, he never looked at the bits of paper posted on bulletin boards. Sandy’s picture might have been posted for ages and he would never have seen it. Apparently Lady Luck was back on his side. Why else would she have put him in a hallway directly across from Sandy’s picture? To think he’d been shaking in his boots, when the answer to all his problems was already with him. He laughed softly and leaned back in his seat to stare out the window, dreaming of the future.

  What would he do with the left over money, once he’d paid off Dollar Niche? Move to a bigger house? Take a vacation? Fix his motorcycle? Sandy would tell him to save it for a rainy day; she was always so practical, scrimping and saving. Sandy... Hmm...

  Raising his cup to his mouth, he fixed his gaze on an alley a short distance away. That’s where he’d met her. And the table he was at was the one they’d shared during their first meal together. An image of her frightened face flashed in his mind. She’d been wary of him, but eventually had learned she could trust him, that he wasn’t about to attack her or murder her in her sleep.

  Not that he hadn’t been tempted—well, not to attack or murder—but to make some form of advances towards her. He’d immediately noticed her physical appearance though she’d seemed unaware of it; the fact that she hadn’t been flirty or obvious had been rather sexy to his way of thinking. Then, as he got to know her, he’d discovered she had a mischievous streak and a quirky sense of humour, that she was eager to learn about the world and willing to tackle any task be it learning to cook or mastering public transit. She’d been an intriguing mix of child and unawakened woman.

  Often he’d find himself staring at her, looking for some hint that she was aware of him as a man; that she returned his interest, but it never happened. Well, there’d been that one inexplicable yet amazing time when she’d crawled into his bed, but beyond that...nothing.

  Instead, he’d had to content himself with her friendship and the vague hope that maybe someday she’d change her mind. It was foolish of course. Obviously, the spark wasn’t there for her and now, perhaps he knew why.

  Given the size of the reward, it was obvious she came from a wealthy background and probably was used to rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. Why would she be interested in him? Kellen Anderson was a nobody; kicked out of home and forsaken by his family because of his gambling. He hadn’t talked to his parents in years, not since they’d had to re-mortgage their house to get him out of debt. And all the friends he’d grown up with... Well, he owed them tons of money too, and they’d likely string him up if their paths ever crossed.

  A wry chuckle escaped his lips. Here he was, right back where he started; in debt up to his ears with threats being made against his personal safety. At least this time, he’d be able to get out of the mess on his own. The ticket was right here in his hand or, more exactly, in his house.

  Kellen stroked a finger over Sandy’s image. She was laughing in the photo and he smiled in response. It would be good for her to be back where she belonged; life here wasn’t caviar and silver spoons. He shook his head, wondering how she had ever put up with their pokey house and the monotony of working at a grocery store when she could be living in the lap of luxury. If he were in her shoes, nothing could have convinced him to leave all that wealth behind.

  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Why had she left? Her story about her uncle being murdered didn’t quite ring true now. He’d always assumed there was some illegal activity involved, but if she were wealthy, why hadn’t she simply called the authorities? And why had she stayed away all these years? She must have known there was money awaiting her, even after she’d emptied her bank accounts. Who in their right mind would turn their back on all that? He bit his lip; there was something about this whole situation that bothered him.

  His wrist watch beeped and he checked the time. The crystal was cracked—Hugh’s fault probably—but he could still make out the time. He added getting a new watch to his list of things to buy with the extra reward money while swearing under his breath at the passage of time. Damn! He’d been sitting here longer than he’d planned. Hugh would be at the house in just a few hours, looking for the money. Kellen stared at the paper in his hand one more time and then folded it carefully before tucking it back in his pocket. Sighing heavily, he tossed a tip on the table and walked out, frowning, deep in thought.

  *****

  Bryan balanced a tray of coffee and a bag of donuts in one hand as he pulled open the door to the motel and quickly crossed the lobby, hoping Cassandra hadn’t come around during his brief absence. She hadn’t stirred once when he’d scooped her up off her sidewalk and driven her to his motel. Nor had she shown any sign of gaining consciousness when he’d moved about the room, drying off and changing out of his damp clothes, so he’d figured there was enough time to head across the street for food.

  The bump on her head hadn’t appeared serious and given the fact that she was a werewolf, he knew she’d quickly heal. Most likely it was shock more than the injury that was causing her unconscious state.

  He chuckled softly. When she’d knocked herself out, he’d had flashbacks to his first meeting with Mel back in Stump River. Mel had been running from him and had smacked right into a tree, knocking herself out. He’d ended up carrying her back to the house, thinking he’d found a
pretty bit of fluff to play with for a while. Of course, Ryne had taken one look at the woman and subconsciously claimed her, giving ‘back off’ signals that were hard to miss.

  Well, this time, he was the only male around so that wouldn’t be a problem. Not that he had anything, but a professional interest in Cassandra, he assured himself. He was here to do a job and that was a far as his involvement should go. It didn’t matter that she’d been soft and warm in his arms, or that her scent had wrapped itself around him causing his blood to thunder in his ears. No, it was just the adrenaline rush of finally finding her.

  Bryan frowned and shushed his wolf’s protests before it could even speak. Her plump red lips and smooth golden skin had only a minimal effect on him. And the fact that he could see her cleavage and feel the swell of her breasts brushing against him as he carried her from his car... Well... He stepped into the elevator and surreptitiously adjusted the crotch of his pants; okay, so she did have some effect on him.

  He clamped his mouth shut and applied cool logic to the situation. Cassandra was attractive and it was only natural that he responded to her, especially considering how his wolf was acting lately. It even explained his appalling lack of judgement with regards to how he’d introduced himself. Duh! He gave himself a mental forehead slap. ‘Hi! I’m Bryan’ hadn’t been the cleverest introduction.

  She could be bordering on going rogue and he should have been more careful until he’d fully assessed her stability. It was little wonder she’d freaked out. To her way of thinking, he’d been lurking in her backyard, like some crazy stalker and her wolf might even consider him an invader of her territory. He should have had some excuse prepared or better yet, have avoided the yard altogether. Casually walking down the street and bumping into her would have provided a perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation in a non-threatening manner. He was glad Ryne wasn’t around; he’d never hear the end of it after his boasting that he knew how to handle women.