The Finding

by Nicky Charles

  It was broken beyond repair and she sighed regretfully as she ran her hand over the shattered wood. Not that it had been expensive—just a yard sale special—but she’d polished it so the scratches weren’t as obvious. It had looked quite nice, she’d thought. Of course, Kellen had only seen the imperfections and bemoaned the fact that it wasn’t new... Cassie tightened her lips and resolutely pushed Kellen’s failings to the side; time enough for that once he was no longer in danger. For now, she’d clean up the mess and then see what Bryan had come up with in the way of a plan.

  Cassie snuck a peek at Bryan; he was tapping away on the keyboard and staring intently at the computer monitor. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was cooperating with him, especially since he was one of the creatures she’d been hiding from for the past three years. Perhaps it was because she didn’t feel she had any other option. There was no one she could turn to. Not the girls at the grocery store or Mr. Bartlett. Certainly not Mrs. Mitchell or any of her other elderly customers. She didn’t really even know her neighbours. And as for Kellen’s so-called friends—she scoffed at the misnomer—they were the reason he was in debt to begin with!

  So for the time being, she’d have to rely on Bryan and accept his help, regardless of why he was giving it. That didn’t mean she trusted him or believed she was part of his pack, though. She’d watch his every move and once Kellen was safe, she’d have to try to escape. Bryan planned to force her to go to Canada and join his pack, she just knew it. And that was something of which she wanted no part. While he looked and acted human enough right now, she could just imagine the way the beasts probably lived in the backwoods of Canada.

  Uncivilized, dirty... She grimaced in distaste at the very idea. Sure, on their way back here, he’d told her about the werewolves Book of the Law and how it guided them, ensuring they lived peacefully and unobtrusively among humans. The very idea made her snort. She’d seen werewolves in action. The man in the woods had been covered in filth before shifting into a wolf and attacking.

  According to Bryan’s explanation, that same beast was the leader of his pack. And simply because it had seen her that fateful night, some clause called the Finding came into effect allowing the creature to basically lay claim to her.

  No. That wasn’t going to happen. A few minutes ago after shifting, she’d been feeling defeated, as if her fate was sealed, but she’d fight it. She’d fight being a werewolf until the very end if need be. Cassandra Greyson had been raised as a human being and that was what she was. The animal inside her couldn’t be allowed to win.

  *****

  Marla paced the length of her office, cradling a cup of coffee and considering her options. The more she thought about it, the more she knew Sylvia Robinson had to go. Aldrich had become more distant of late and she was sure it was due to the nurse, though why she had no idea. Sylvia was dumpy, dowdy, and dull. It made no sense for Aldrich to be interested in her, yet it seemed the only plausible explanation.

  The man had actually had the faintest hint of smile on his face when he stopped in the office a few moments ago. He’d had ‘tea’ with Sylvia, he’d announced. Unfortunately, his good mood hadn’t lasted. One of the messages she’d handed him—some legal query about the Greyson estate and probate—had quickly had him scowling again and dumping more work on her desk, guaranteeing she’d have to work late.

  Yes, Sylvia had to go. A falsified letter of dismissal had gotten rid of Aldrich’s previous secretary, but Marla couldn’t see that working with Sylvia. The nurse talked to Aldrich several times a day; the letter would definitely be questioned.

  Possibly a car accident? That trick had worked when Marla killed the Alpha of her own pack. She knew how to sever a brake line and tamper with steering, but Sylvia only drove in town. The mountain roads had been key to the success of that scheme.

  Wrong, so wrong. The wolf inside her growled in anger, still not forgiving or forgetting how she’d dispatched Zack. He was our Alpha. He cared for us. Protected us. Its ire rising, the creature pushed against the constraints she placed on it, trying to come to the fore.

  No! You have no place here. Angrily Marla pushed the creature down and returned to her plotting. She nibbled on her lip as she thought, wincing slightly when she accidentally nipped herself with her canine. Hmm... She could always dispatch Sylvia the old fashioned way. It had been years since she’d allowed her wolf out. The idea had merit, but there were certain drawbacks, too. For one thing, her wolf was decidedly contrary as of late. If she let it free, would it follow commands or try to take over?

  The animal inside her stirred, excited at the prospect of being given some freedom. Marla rubbed her hands up and down her arms, feeling the energy coursing through her veins. It had been so long since she’d experienced a change and a full moon was approaching, too. Did she dare...?

  Cold logic told her to not chance it for several reasons. The creature inside her was growing unstable. It would be hard to explain away Sylvia’s death without drawing attention and she might expose herself to other werewolves. True she had her perfume, but the formula might not be as effective if she was in her wolf form and being discovered by her own kind was dangerous...

  Marla stared unseeingly across the room, recalling the events of three years ago. She’d been left for dead, her body battered and bleeding. Unwilling to give in to the darkness that had threatened, knowing it would’ve been the end of her if she had, she’d dragged herself through the woods by sheer force of will.

  Once she’d reached her car, she’d used the last of her energy to pull herself into the vehicle. How she’d managed to drive the back roads without incident was a fact she still marvelled at to this day. When exhaustion and blood loss had finally made her stop, she’d pulled into a wood lot and slumped sideways in the seat. Her last clear thought had been that she’d have a better chance of surviving in her wolf form and had transformed just before blacking out.

  Hours had passed as she’d laid there, hovering on the brink of death, drifting in and out of consciousness. When she’d finally come to, her mind clear for the first time in over a day, her wounds had been almost healed. Of course, changing while seriously wounded and lying there untreated had resulted in some permanent damage. The scar on her side and a slight limp constantly reminded her of what she had survived.

  Pursing her lips, she pondered if ripping Sylvia to shreds was worth the risk and decided it probably wasn’t. True, the presence of other werewolves in the area didn’t mean they were actually looking for her; there could be other reasons. In fact, it was quite likely she’d been forgotten after all this time. Still, if ever she were discovered, word might get back to Kane and Ryne. Did she want to chance that? Not likely!

  Years ago, sentimentality and a misplaced sense of guilt had attached Kane to her, but once he’d mated with Elise he’d switched allegiance. Marla sneered. The girl Kane fell in love with had been insufferably sweet and naive; it had almost been too easy to fool her. Too bad Elise had finally found some gumption that last day. If not for that fact, Marla’s plan to kill Elise, mate with Kane and then bleed the pack dry of funds might have worked.

  As for Ryne... Well, the man was arrogant and sexy as hell, but quick tempered too. She’d managed to string him along for a while before he’d finally grown wise to her game. Ryne was furious over how she’d duped him out of money and arranged that he take the blame for attempted murder and sabotaging the pack. No, he wasn’t the type to let go of a grudge easily.

  Moving to the doorway of her office, she watched Sylvia move about the penthouse, humming softly to herself as she tidied up from the afternoon ‘tea.’ Marla narrowed her eyes, recalling Aldrich’s smile, the laughter she’d heard drifting down the hallway...

  Stepping back into her office, she closed the door and leaned back against the wooden panel. Her fingers clenched, the nails digging into her palms. Yes. Sylvia Robinson must go. It was just a question of how.

  Chapter 13

  Eddie Perini stared a
t the man that Hugh had dragged into the office, and his stomach did a flip-flop. Kellen Anderson had been much better looking last time he’d been at Dollar Niche. Right now, his eye was swollen shut, his cheek scuffed red and marks from Hugh’s fingers stood out on his neck. His arms were tied behind his back and he sat awkwardly in the chair Hugh had pushed him into. Swallowing hard, Eddie wondered once again why he’d ever become involved in this line of work; serious re-evaluation of his career goals was needed. The idea of some sort of career in the theatre had always appealed to him. He gave a half smile at the idea.

  He shifted his gaze to where Hugh was leaning against the wall, looking incredibly pleased with himself. Hugh fit this line of work like a glove; following clients, digging up dirt, dragging them in; no doubt feeling he was living out a fantasy from one of the gangster movies he claimed to love watching. Eddie hated to burst his bubble, but...

  “Hugh, untie Mr. Anderson’s arms. We can hardly have a decent conversation when the man can’t even sit properly in a chair.”

  Scowling, Hugh did as he was told, but then stood with his muscles tensed as if expecting a sudden attack. Strange, Hugh wasn’t the nervous sort. Come to think of it, Hugh didn’t usually arrive back covered in blood. His neck sported blood encrusted scratches.

  “What happened to your neck, Hugh?”

  The blond giant kicked the chair Anderson sat in. “His damned dog attacked me; came out of nowhere and bit my neck, then ran off.”

  Anderson shook his head. “I told you before. I don’t have a dog.”

  “The dog was in your house. Your house. Your dog.” Hugh growled and kicked the chair again, causing it to tip precariously.

  Quickly, Anderson shifted his weight and righted the chair preventing himself from landing on the floor. Anger flashed in his eyes and he stood as if to confront the other man. Hugh stepped forward, a pugnacious look on his face that seemed to cause Anderson to reconsider whatever he had planned. Slowly, he sank down in his seat and answered tightly. “It must have been a stray or maybe one the neighbours just bought it.”

  It was quite apparent that Hugh didn’t believe the statement. “That damned dog had better have had its shots. I don’t want to get rabies.” Gingerly, Hugh touched his neck, his jaw working with suppressed anger.

  Eddie rolled his eyes. Hugh’s injuries weren’t his main concern at the moment and he wished he’d never broached the subject. “If you’re concerned Hugh, go to the doctor.”

  “No way.” The man shuddered and stepped away to lean against the wall. “They give you needles in your belly if you’ve been bitten by a rabid dog. I saw it in a movie once. I hate needles.” With that, the muscular man clamped his mouth shut and folded his arms across his chest.

  “Fine. Just stand there and be quiet then.” Eddie frowned at his supposed ‘help.’ Hugh puzzled him; a tough guy in some respects, the man was whimpering over a dog bite. When he had more time, he’d have to try to figure the man out. In the meantime... Giving his head a slight shake, Eddie cleared his throat, mentally got into his role and focussed on Anderson. “Mr. Anderson...Kellen...I hear that you’ve made an interesting find.”

  Kellen shrugged, but said nothing, so Eddie continued on in a pleasant conversational tone. Hopefully the young man was going to be cooperative; this situation could prove to be extremely beneficial to both of them.

  “Hugh tells me you’ve found the missing Greyson heiress. She’s worth a tidy sum, more than you actually owe us in fact.”

  “I’ve changed my mind. She doesn’t want to be found, so I’ll pay you another way.”

  Eddie steepled his fingers and nodded slowly. “I see. She’s a friend of yours?”

  “Yeah, we know each other pretty well.” Kellen stared at him, a look of wariness in his eyes. He was probably wondering where the question was leading.

  “But as a friend, wouldn’t you want her to have all the benefits of that money? I’ve done some quick research since learning of her presence in your life. She’s worth millions and has houses all over the world. Surely, once she reconsiders, she’ll see the benefits of claiming what’s truly hers.”

  “Like I said, she doesn’t want to be found.” There was a determination in the man’s voice and the set of his jaw. Eddie frowned slightly; apparently the man was going to be difficult.

  “Well, that is unfortunate, but we don’t always get what we want in life.” Eddie leaned back in his chair. “You see Kellen, I’m in a bit of a bind myself. My employer, Leon Aldrich, isn’t pleased with Dollar Niche’s profit margins, In fact, I strongly suspect that if things don’t improve, my head could be on the chopping block—a situation, I truly want to avoid.”

  Kellen shrugged. “So...?”

  “So, by some amazing twist of fate the person who is looking for Cassandra Greyson is none other than Leon Aldrich.” He smiled slightly as the news had Anderson widening his eyes. “As I said, I’ve done a bit of research since Hugh called me with the news. Mr. Aldrich is the lawyer and executor of the Greyson estate. He’s spent considerable time and money looking for this young lady. If we present her to him, I’m sure he’ll be suitably grateful, forgiving the money you owe and looking on me in a much more favourable light than he has as of late.”

  There was a minute hesitation as if Anderson was tempted, but then he shook his head in the negative. “No.”

  “No?” Eddie raised his eye brows in surprise. “It’s a win-win situation for all of us, Mr. Anderson.”

  “Not for Sandy. She doesn’t want to go. When I asked about her past, she looked...sad. If she wanted to go back, she would have. Besides,” He smirked, looking overly pleased with himself. “I’ve no idea where she is. Just before Bozo broke into the house, she was packing to go on a trip. I’d imagine that he scared her enough that she’s running away as fast as she possibly can.”

  “Oh dear.” Eddie shook his head regretfully. “That does make your situation precarious.”

  “How so?” The smirk disappeared from Kellen’s face.

  Eddie noted a nervousness in the man before him. The fellow was putting on a fine show of bravado, but his breathing had quickened and a bit of sweat was appearing on his upper lip. Good. A few threats should be sufficient to change the man’s mind.

  “If you don’t help us find Cassandra, I’ll let Hugh play with you.” Eddie chuckled inwardly at his own performance. If Anderson only knew how squeamish he really was. Keeping his face passive, Eddie reminded himself to stay focussed on his role.

  Anderson glanced over his shoulder and Hugh stood straighter, a look of excited expectation about him.

  Eddie felt a twinge of concern. Hugh seemed a bit too enthusiastic...

  *****

  Aldrich set aside the file he was reading and pinched the bridge of his nose. His mind refused to focus on the documents before him, the legal phrases nothing but a sea of words floating on the pages. He was seldom restless, but for some reasons, the confines of the office seemed stuffy.

  Standing, he wandered over to the window and carefully pushed the curtains aside, allowing himself the barest glimpse of the cityscape. Some would say it was a million dollar view, but he seldom dared to appreciate it. A sniper could easily shoot him from the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. He wasn’t sure if a werewolf would ever resort to high powered weaponry, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He valued his skin too much for that.

  Letting the curtain slide back into place, he folded his hands behind his back and paced the room. For three years now he’d lived in constant fear of an attack, basically a prisoner in his own home and now he was tiring of the fact. Unfortunately, there was no doubt in his mind that the wolves were still looking for him.

  Three years ago, exposing the existence of werewolves had been a spur of the moment plan on his part. His excitement over the discovery had temporarily clouded his good judgement. If he’d been thinking clearly, he would have gathered a team of experts to help him control the she-wolf rather than trying
to deal with her on his own. And then the appearance of the other one had completely thrown his plan off kilter.

  Wistfully, he recalled his conversation with Sylvia. Over afternoon tea, she’d mentioned working in her small garden and taking walks in the park. She’d even suggested they go for a stroll together one day. The idea intrigued Aldrich. He’d never noticed the world around him, being too busy clawing his way to the top. But Sylvia had made the awakening of spring seem wondrous rather than mundane.

  Aldrich sighed. He’d be too exposed walking in a park; werewolves could be lurking there. And he was sure they were like elephants, never forgetting, never forgiving. Not that he needed their forgiveness; there was nothing to forgive. Animals, that’s all they were; freaks of nature. Real humans, such as himself, would one day prove to be their lords and masters, if only proof of the beasts’ existence could be attained.

  Well, should he ever find the Greyson girl he’d be able to finally proclaim the truth without being seen as a madman. The girl was a werewolf; Greyson had said as much just before he died and it made sense. She’d been kept hidden away from the world; the nurse who’d tended her that last night, said the girl was under confinement once a month. Greyson’s ‘trips’ had always been at the time of a full moon; no doubt trying to keep the young wolf under control.

  Yes, if he ever got his hands on Cassandra Greyson, he’d expose her for what she was and then, once the truth was known, he’d finally be free. The werewolves would be hunted down and caged like the animals they are and he’d no longer need to hide from them or their Keeping law.

  The clock on the wall chimed softly. Five o’clock. Quitting time for most of the world, but not him. He had nothing to live for except his work. An image of Sylvia flashed before his eyes. She was so calming, so ordinary... Pushing the idea aside, he moved to his desk. Work to do; always more work to do.

  A note on his planner caught his attention. Eddie Perini. Ah, yes. He wanted to check on the man today. Aldrich suspected Eddie might need extra prodding to carry out his orders; perhaps tormenting the fellow would help lift his morose mood.