by Jo Ellen
“That was the welcome to the pack party and you handled yourself beautifully.” Colin spoke in her head.
“Yeah, well more information is always useful. Like, BEFORE IT HAPPENS!”
Stephanie saw him flinch and figured her yelling had blasted his brain cells into small atoms. Good, he deserved it.
They took off in a different direction from the pack so they could run as a couple and enjoy their first sprint alone. After finding a creek and drinking their fill, Colin guided her back to his house.
Chapter 10
3 weeks later
Stephanie took her headset off and looked at the clock above her head. No wonder she was so hungry, it was almost one o’clock. Pushing away from her console, she grabbed the small stack of papers she needed to file.
Working in a small town Sheriff’s office meant you did more than simply take emergency calls. You covered the city phone lines also, which meant along with the water department and animal control, you took calls from citizens about everything under the sun.
She also dispatched fire and police from the same console, not moving from call taker console to dispatch like she had in Dallas. She was an all in one place response unit and she loved staying busy and being the pulse of the sheriffs office.
But this was certainly more of a laid back workplace, even though she had more responsibilities, due to the much smaller population.
Colin’s office door was open as usual since there wasn’t any reason to be closed off from his deputies. She stuck her head in and leaned against the doorframe as she waited for him to finish his call.
“I’m going to run down to the diner and bring us back some lunch. It’s little slow right now, think you can handle things here?” Her eyes twinkled.
Colin rolled his chair a little away from his desk and linked his hands behind his head, stretching his long legs out in front of him and closing his eyes. He’d been out all night helping the state police with a bad accident on the interstate.
“Hopefully I won’t have to handle much while you’re out,” he said dryly. “My deputies are out patrolling so as long as something major or minor doesn’t go down, I can catch a nap.”
Grabbing her purse, she stepped out into the bright sunshine and took in the glorious day as she stood on the top step of the Wolf Creek city offices.
Life was good. Oh, it hadn’t been easy getting her stuff moved here and paying to get out of her lease, but the especially difficult part had been quitting her job. She hated having to up and leave without notice, but as a newly mated couple, she wanted to be with Colin and he simply could not leave his job to stay in Dallas with her any longer than it took to help her move her stuff.
And then there was her best friend, Lisa. Boy, convincing her that she’d found the other half of herself had not been easy. But after meeting Colin and seeing the love he had for her, Lisa had accepted that maybe Stephanie hadn’t gone off the deep end.
Smiling, she pushed the door open and entered the diner, going to sit on one of the stools at the counter.
“Hey Stephanie, how you doin’?” Pam asked as she wiped the counter in front of her.
Stephanie was getting to know the locals, and Pam was a sweet teenager and pack member who worked at the diner during summer break and after school.
“I’m good, thanks. Can I get two orders of the pot roast special? To go please, Colin and I will be eating at the station.”
A short time later she had the bag with two steaming containers of pot roast looped over her wrist, the smell of succulent beef coming from the bag encouraged her to hurry back to the office.
But she got distracted by a cute little sundress on display in the window of a small boutique as she was passing by.
White with black polka dots, it was a throwback to the Marilyn Monroe days of Hollywood. She stood on the sidewalk practically drooling as she peered through the glass with her hand shading her eyes. A form appeared in the reflection behind her and she turned, a smile on her face to greet another Wolf Creek resident or visitor.
The food bag slid from her wrist and splattered when it dropped to the concrete. Amon reached out and grabbed her arm, flashing them away from the window before she could scream or shift.
* * *
Colin clicked the button on the panel to check in with his deputies before looking at the clock again. Stephanie was taking longer than expected for a short trip to the diner. She was probably talking to people, he mused. She was a friendly person and his pack had welcomed her with open arms. But he had a bad feeling in his gut.
“Stephanie?”
No answer.
Colin grabbed the radio, ordering his deputies to search for his mate before picking up the phone.
“Rafe? Stephanie’s missing. She went to get lunch and she’s not responding through our link. I need someone to work the station while I go look for her,” Colin growled, anxious to get moving.
“I’ll handle it. Go!” His alpha ordered.
Colin ran out the door and leapt over the three steps onto the sidewalk. Running in the direction of the diner, he slid to a stop when he saw the food containers staining the cement in front of the clothing store.
Her scent lingered in the air with a strong edge of fear. He roared, looking up and down the street for any sign of her. There was something else, another scent besides the smell of fear and food.
“Fuck!” Colin shouted. “I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch.”
Colin circled the spot where he knew Stephanie had stood moments before. Amon’s scent was right there overlaying hers. He growled, the hair on his arms growing as his wolf struggled to burst free and hunt down his prey. He snarled when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, spinning him around.
“Get it under control,” his alpha growled.
Colin closed his eyes, reining in his anger and forcing his will on his wolf.
Turning, he faced his alpha. “Amon took her, his scent is mixed with hers,” he growled.
Shoving a hand through his hair, Colin marched around the food bag in frustration.
“Shit Rafe, there’s no trail to follow. I’ve circled this spot trying to figure out which way he went or if he was stalking her. His scent is only in this one spot.”
Rafe sniffed the air, picking up Stephanie’s scent easily along with one he did not recognize. “Dragons are Fae creatures, Colin. He could pop in easily anywhere he wanted. I’m wondering though how he knew where to find her if he wasn’t stalking her.”
Colin shouted in anger, “I fucking don’t know! How the hell do I find her?”
Ian had arrived along with Rafe and stood next to his brother glaring at the food containers as if he would find the answers there. Glancing up, he growled low in his throat. “We need a dragon to track a dragon.”
Rafe nodded once and strode to his truck. “Get in, we have to contact Robert.”
Colin wasted no time following his alpha.
* * *
Stephanie landed on her shoulder on a hard, dirty wooden floor and glared up at Amon. She growled, still surprised at the sounds she now made as a shifter.
Amon pointed at her. “If you shift I’ll kill your mate, and don’t think I can’t. I’ll make sure to take him out before he gets to you.”
Stephanie scooted back until she felt her spine press against the wall. She wanted to get as far away from him as he would allow. She nodded once as her adrenalin spiked making her heart beat faster.
He moved to a small window and peered out while muttering to himself.
What the fuck did he want with her? She had no idea but she was for damn sure not going to sit around and wait for a rescue. Oh, she knew Colin would come for her, but she wanted to be an asset and not a pawn in this little war of Amon’s. As far as him killing Colin, she wasn’t going to let that turn her into a mindless weakling. Her faith in Colin was her greatest strength.
She studied the room, noting the exits, which included the front and back door with a window on
either side of the room. No bathroom, no kitchen, just the one room with a worn out sofa. The spartan hunters cabin had no additional comforts except for a small wood-burning stove and a poker lying on top.
He made it so easy. No need to shift and try to fight him when a ready-made spear practically shouted to be used.
She looked from the poker to him, planning her attack and escape. He wasn’t paying her any attention so she slipped the button from its slot in her jeans and slowly lowered the zipper before shimmying her jeans and panties down, awkwardly removing her shoes in the process. Now she wouldn’t get caught in her jeans when she shifted to run. Figuring the cotton t-shirt would simply tear, she didn’t remove it or her bra. Accepting the fact that her wolf would look ridiculous in a tattered shirt and bra, she shrugged, as that was the least of her concerns.
Trying to make as little movement as possible, she crouched on the balls of her feet as she calculated her assault.
Her best option would be to throw the poker with enough force to penetrate his thick hide. With her wolf’s strength, she counted on it penetrating and allowing her the time to shift and leap out the window.
It was now or never. Standing in one fluid motion, she grabbed the poker and threw it at him as he paced. With his side facing her, the best she could hope for would be his shoulder or ribs.
She got lucky. Amon turned to her as she let loose and the poker went flying across the room, hitting at an angle in his side and going deep. He roared.
Stephanie shifted, her nails scraping the wood as she ran to the window, leaping to escape into the woods. She was in the air when she felt a hand grab one of her rear paws and jerk her back into the room before flinging her bodily against the wall.
She yelped in pain as she hit, feeling her ribs crack. Dropping to the floor, all four legs sprawled out as she panted in agony with each breath. Knowing she needed to shift and heal, she tried to gather her strength to make the change.
Amon got right in her face. “Don’t you shift, I’ll kill you if you do! You’re bait, that’s all. Once I know they’ve had enough time to call in the troops, we’re going back.”
She could see the crazy in his eyes but had no idea what he was planning.
The pain in her ribs had gone down from a ten to about a seven as she watched him reach down and jerk the poker from his side. His hiss from the pain pleased her immensely. She felt no remorse for stabbing him.
He groaned as he covered the bleeding hole with his hand, shifting into his dragon form, which took up most of the room in the small cabin, before shifting back to his human form, healed and dressed with no hole or blood on his shirt. She wished shifters had the same ability to make clothes appear like the Fae did. She knew he was not totally healed from the grimace on his face and the way he favored his side. They healed quickly, but they were not omnipotent.
He came and stood next to her before leaning down to look directly into her eyes. “I’ll be gone for a short time, but I’ll be back. I need to make sure those wolves have called in the cavalry.” He grinned as he lifted her muzzle to make sure she understood him before whispering. “The media in your realm will have a field day with the circus I plan to put on.”
He dropped her muzzle as he straightened before putting a booted foot into her abdomen. Three times.
She whined in abject pain, the torture making her dizzy and gasping in anguish. She tasted blood in her mouth and wondered if she’d bitten her tongue or if she was bleeding internally.
Amon nodded his head, his tongue clicking in mock sympathy. “Poor baby, I think I may have hit something vital. You should shift and heal that.” He laughed. “Oh wait, you’re too weak now to even shift, aren’t you?”
She could barely function as she watched him leave, the door left open so she could see him shift and take to the air.
Her body shuddered as she lay there trying stay conscious and not simply give up. She had too much to live for to not fight for her survival.
Gathering what little strength she had left, she tried to shift. Only a small tingle of magic ignited inside of her, not enough to make the change. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes as her hopes were dashed.
Staring at the dust motes floating in the room, she watched them move around the cabin in a weird type of dance. They were so pretty, like colorful gems gleaming from the light of the open door. Her eyes drooped and she fought to keep them open, certain that as long as she stayed awake she would live.
She needed to think. Pushing down the pain, she focused on her options. Options, ha! Her internal laugh caused a snort of air out through her nostrils, which did not affect the dust motes directly in front of her. They danced in the same pattern, her small bit of breath not moving them at all.
Well, that was strange. Her eyes narrowed, focusing in on the dust. Yeah, that was strange. If it wasn’t dust, then what was it, little fairy people? Nah. Too small to tell but she was certain they were some type of light beams like refractions in a rainbow and not a sentient being.
And then it hit her. If she had a hand she would have slapped it to her forehead. She was in Faery where magic lived in the air. She felt stupid for not realizing this sooner, but she had not seen these things when she’d been in Faery the last time. Maybe this was a hallucination caused by her injuries, but that didn’t matter. If it was magic, then she would try to use it.
She lifted her snout and howled, begging the magic to come to her with her wolf’s song. The beams flew to her, surrounding and lightly caressing her fur with a soft hum, which she absorbed throughout her body. Glorious magic filled every pore, healing her injuries while she lay there. No need to shift back to her human form to heal, she could escape now before he came back.
Pushing up on all four paws, she stepped daintily to make sure she was okay before drawing in a deep breath. No pain in her ribs. Excellent. Time to go.
Glancing over at her jeans, she decided to leave them. It would be nice to have them with her, but her scent would be so much stronger if she left them here. Shaking off the rest of her tattered clothing, she left those behind too. When Colin showed up, he would know she had to shift quickly and that she was running.
* * *
Amon roared when he entered the cabin and found it empty. No! He needed her to lure the shifters out in the open. He’d left to check on his plan and it was working. The wolves had called on the dragons to help find him, now he needed to take her back to Wolf Creek where he had a reporter waiting who would cause mass hysteria once the shifter world was exposed. His anonymous phone call to a news station had been met with skepticism but he’d convinced the reporter to show up. Of course, he didn’t tell the reporter about shifters as seeing was believing, in this case.
He stomped around the small cabin in anger, kicking her clothing across the room. He did not have the nose for tracking that wolves had, but he did have magic. He’d tracked her before with a small amount of blood from when he’d held his claw across her in the cavern.
Looking at his hand, he shifted his nails into long claws and saw there was a small amount of dried blood on the underside. Grinning, he spoke a few words of black magic and waited for the magic to work and take him to her location.
Nothing happened. Was the amount too small? Now it hit him. How did she escape? She should have been too weak to shift, let alone run anywhere. He growled before exiting the cabin to look around the area, assuming he would find her passed out or dead.
Checking the perimeter of the cabin, he stopped when he got back to the front door with no sign of her. Resting his hands on his hips, he looked out at the tall trees surrounding the cabin. She couldn’t have gotten far, not with those wounds.
He searched the tree line directly in front of the cabin and found the trail he was looking for. The moisture in the soil made finding a paw print in the dirt easy.
* * *
Devlin checked in with the deputies over the radio. No news. Shoving his chair back, he marched over to look out the
window, which gave him a view Main Street. He saw pack members stationed strategically in the area, guarding people who had no idea they were being protected. He knew other pack members were stationed on rooftops, protecting their town.
He wanted to be out there with them, but his orders had been to stay at the sheriff’s office to handle calls and coordinate the search with the deputies.
Being the youngest brother sucked sometimes. Shoving a hand through his hair in frustration, he watched a black SUV with a Tyler news logo pull into a spot in front of the sheriff’s office.
“Shit, what the hell brings them here?” He moved away from the window and waited as two men climbed from their vehicle.
Evaluating them quickly, he knew he had to get them to leave. One guy held a camera perched on his shoulder, which meant the other one was the reporter. Gritting his teeth, he donned his ‘good old boy’ persona and smiled hugely when they came through the door.
“Hey, how can I help you folks?” Devlin grinned like an idiot and caught the look they gave one another. Yeah assholes. You’re dealing with a small town hick sheriff, you keep on believing that.
The reporter stepped forward while his cameraman simply looked bored. “Are you the sheriff?”
“Nope, he’s out somewhere. I’m one of his deputies.” Technically, he had been sworn in but it wasn’t his day job. Devlin stuck out his hand and squeezed just hard enough to make the man wince.
“Well, you’ll have to do.” The reporter’s condescension made Devlin’s intention to fuck with him an easy decision.
“How can I help y’all?” He saw the man wince at his thick southern accent and wished he had a hay stray to put between his teeth and complete the picture.
“I got a call saying something big was going down in Wolf Creek. You know anything about that deputy?”