by Vella Day
Merry Wilson seemed so thrilled that Dalton was willing to check out her story that she hugged him when he told her his plan. While the action was totally inappropriate, it was something Anna would have done had she been in the same situation.
Dalton had to admit there was a physical similarity between the two women. They both had slightly rounded faces with wide set eyes and pouty lips. Then again, that could be his imagination working, wanting his mate to be happy.
Not only did Meredith sign a waiver for him to check out her computer, she called her husband to explain that Dalton would be over shortly.
Once he arrived at their home, her husband answered on the first knock. The man had changed out of his pajamas, but he still looked like he should be in a hospital. His skin was ashy and his balance suspect as he led Dalton inside. His baggy pants looked a few sizes too big and his shirt was buttoned up wrong. Poor guy. Dalton hoped he’d be able to take care of himself without his wife. However, if what she said was true, she should be home by tomorrow.
“I put Merry’s laptop on the dining room table, along with her username and password. She uses the same combination for her Facebook account. I hope you find what you’re looking for. I need her.” The last sentence took effort, as his breathing was labored. It tore at Dalton’s heart.
“Me too.” Dalton took a seat at the table while Mr. Wilson returned to his recliner in front of the television. He lowered the volume, probably so as not to disturb him.
Jillian had said Merry had been on Facebook, so he opened up that page first. When he brought up her account, he had to search to find these private messages, but the icons led him to it. Sure enough, she’d written to two different women—one at 6:04PM and another at 6:10PM making it impossible for her to have killed Crystal. That was good news.
While Merry had given him permission to check her phone records, he didn’t think he’d need them. Dalton stood. “Thank you.”
“Will you let Merry go free? She isn’t capable of hurting anyone.”
Dalton couldn’t make any promises. “I’ll need to take this to the lab so they can confirm what I found.”
Her husband wrung his hands together. “Absolutely. Anything to help Merry.”
Assuming the techs confirmed that Meredith hadn’t somehow manipulated her computer, Dalton would then ask the district attorney to have the charges dismissed. To make it official, he’d have to go back to Judge Hollars and ask for the charges to be dropped, and Dalton wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. Most likely he’d get a reaming out from the judge again, telling him he should have checked first.
And he’d be right.
As soon as Dalton returned to the station, he turned over her computer. The lab was backlogged, but the tech said he’d get to it as soon as he could. Having done what he could for now, Dalton spent a little time on his other cases. His plan was to stake out Julie Dominick later this afternoon to see where she headed after work.
He left about a half an hour early in order to stop by the Crystal Winds Spa to pick up something for Anna. Kalan told him the spa carried crystals that might help calm his mate when she was exposed to the sardonyx. While Dalton understood the need for the Clan to find the stone before the Changelings did, it bothered him that Anna had to be the one to suffer as a result.
Because the Blooms of Hope flower shop sat across the street from the Crystal Winds Spa, he parked around the corner on Pine Avenue. Hoping Anna wasn’t looking out the shop window, he rushed inside the spa and immediately felt a calming effect. Maybe there was something to this crystal stuff or else the combination of scents was working on him. It smelled like eucalyptus and what he thought might be roses. Whatever it was, he liked it.
As a tiger, he didn’t think the pink quartz affected him like it did Kalan and Rye since his genetic makeup was significantly different, but maybe he was wrong about that too.
“Dalton!” Missy said coming out from the back room. “What brings you here?”
No one else was in the store, for which he was glad. Asking about stones wasn’t his thing, but for Anna he would suck it up. “I’m looking for a piece of pink quartz for Anna.” He looked through the door that led to the back, not sure who else worked there, but a client could be having a massage in one of the back rooms. “I don’t know if you heard, but recently Anna came in contact with some sardonyx and had a rather adverse reaction to it. I want something to counteract that.”
Missy’s eyes widened. “I’ve never heard of that. I know the Changelings have issues with pink quartz, but never the other way around.”
He shrugged. “No one can explain it, not even Anna.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “Come into the back. It’s where we keep the good stuff.” She winked.
After a lengthy lesson from Missy about the various stones and calming oils, Dalton left with a highly polished egg-shaped rock that would fit in Anna’s pocket easily. The Eucalyptus Oil, Missy said, was for when she returned home after coming in contact with the sardonyx. Anna could either put some in her bath or just inhale the aroma.
On Missy’s advice, he also purchased a vase-like container that held a candle and oil. When heated, the oil would diffuse into the air and bring a sense of peace. He wouldn’t judge until he saw it work.
It was shortly after four, which meant it was time to check on Julie Dominick and the grieving widower. Carlton Wedgewood claimed his affair with her was over, but Dalton wanted to see it for himself. It was possible that with his wife dead, he might take back up with Julie. How that pointed the finger at either one of them, he didn’t know, but the more information Dalton had about these people, the better. Puzzles were often slow to develop, and he was a firm believer in finding one piece at a time.
Dalton parked across the street from Wedgewood Financial and waited for the two of them to leave for the evening, hoping this wasn’t another one of their late nights. While he sat there, he debated calling Anna, but then decided it might wake up his tiger too quickly.
*
Anna finished wrapping the science fiction book she’d bought for Dalton and set it on her dining room table. It was shortly after five, and she hadn’t heard from him all day. This whole mating thing was so new to her; it was throwing her off her game. What did that mean for them? Would they move in together or just date? Jillian and Brian had moved in together after they mated. Then again, Brian had bought a house for them while Jillian was putting her affairs in order in California.
Anna checked the time again. It was two minutes since the last time she’d looked. What happened to her carefree spirit? Damn. Dalton had already changed her.
Needing to talk to someone, she called Jillian since Elana had already closed up shop and returned home. Most likely, her boss would be feeding the baby and wouldn’t have time to discuss the life of a shifter right now.
Jillian answered on the first ring. “Hey, girl. I hear congratulations are in order.”
Anna stilled, trying to figure out how word had spread so fast. She didn’t see Dalton spilling the beans, even to his sister. “Did you talk to your brother?”
She chuckled. “I did. I had to be at the station to represent a client and he told me about your mating. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you.” Now came the awkward part. “I’m not sure what to do now.”
“Do? What do you mean? Are you having second thoughts?”
“No! I mean, Dalton hasn’t even called or texted all day.”
Jillian chuckled. “Oh, sweetie. That’s Dalton’s way of trying not to think about you when his tiger is going crazy.” She explained about the intense need for one another.
Anna walked over to her sofa and dropped down, relieved that she wasn’t imagining things. “I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with me.”
“What you’re feeling is natural, though it might be more frightening for you since you’ve never been a shifter.”
She wasn’t one now. Not really. “So is
that why I’ve been so horny?”
“Yes, and what Dalton is going through is much worse. Not only is he a guy, he already can shift, which makes it worse.”
Oh, God. They’d never keep apart after the white moon. “I appreciate the intel—I think.”
“Just have fun. Dalton’s a great guy, if a little OCD and uptight.”
“I know.” But she still wanted him. “So now what happens?”
“It’s up to you two. Knowing Dalton, he’ll want to take things slowly, only because he won’t want you to freak. Learning to deal with the new feelings will take time, so don’t rush anything. That being said, if you want something, you have to tell him. Trust me, he’ll agree.”
In the past, Anna was the type to jump head first into a situation and ask questions after the fact. Case in point, she’d packed up what few possessions she had in Montana two years ago and headed to Tennessee to find her mother, not having any idea where she would live or what she’d do for a living.
Locating her mom hadn’t panned out, but she had found a great place to stay and a wonderful job. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought she’d end up with someone as amazing as Dalton. Even though she was a free spirit, she recognized that some practical things needed to be addressed. “Was shifting hard the first time?”
“Don’t ask me,” Jillian said. “I learned to shift before I could talk. Wasn’t Elana a human before she mated with Kalan?”
Duh. “Yes. Thanks, I’ll ask her.” Anna had so many more questions, but just thinking about Dalton made her forget them. Her urges were going wild. “Listen, I won’t keep you. Thanks for talking to me.”
“The four of us need to get together soon.”
“Totally.” Anna hung up and smiled.
Her stomach grumbled. Perhaps she had time to run to the grocery store and pick up something to make for the two of them for dinner before Dalton called—if he called. With the murder investigation in full swing, he might not have time to see her.
At least she knew the man liked to eat meat. That would make meal prep easy.
As she headed toward the door, her cell vibrated in her hand, and her pulse soared, hoping it was Dalton telling her he wanted to see her. She checked the screen: it wasn’t Dalton, but another number she didn’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“Anna, it’s Jackson. Would you be free for a few minutes to check something out?”
By something, he probably meant the sardonyx. “I guess.”
“I really appreciate it. I can pick you up in front of the store in say ten minutes?”
“I’ll be ready.”
It wouldn’t take long to walk through one building. While she wasn’t excited about experiencing the ill feelings again, it would help the Clan. If it were as quick as Jackson implied, she’d be back in no time and still be able to see Dalton. For a moment, she debated calling him to say she had an errand to run with Jackson, but Dalton would probably say it wasn’t a good idea.
If she was to become a member of the shifter community, she wanted to be useful, and as a Wendayan, she needed to protect other witches from the Changelings.
Once downstairs, she waited for Jackson in front. While she couldn’t sense who was a shifter and who wasn’t, the hairs on her neck stood up. She had a feeling that someone was watching her, and she didn’t like it one bit. But why would someone be watching her?
A black truck pulled up in front, and she clenched her fists. The driver rolled down the passenger side window, and when she spotted Jackson, she let out a breath.
He jumped out and opened her door. “Thanks for doing this,” he said. “I know it’s not pleasant.”
“You’re welcome.” She hopped in, and he returned to his side. “Where are we going?”
“I’m checking the different locations to see where the Changelings might target next. A few spots are under places like the church and a school, but I’m thinking they won’t bother with something that secure. As for the other sites, I’m not sure if we can convince any owner to let us dig up their floor unless he’s a shifter. Even if we can’t retrieve the stone, it’s good enough to be aware it’s there. That way, we can keep an eye on the Changelings to make sure they don’t get it.”
“That makes sense. If any of the properties are for sale, maybe your team, or rather your Clan could all chip in and buy it to keep the Changelings from getting their hands on it.”
Jackson smiled. “You catch on fast.”
Two minutes later, they arrived at a convenience store. Good. In a place like that, she could walk around and pretend to look for something to buy. If it had been a doctor’s office, they wouldn’t let her wander into all of the rooms. Jackson parked then opened her door.
“At least now I understand what the light-headed feeling means, so this time I won’t freak out.”
“Tell me the moment you’re feeling queasy,” Jackson said as he led her inside.
Walking with her up and down the aisles, he made small talk about what they needed to buy. As she neared the bathrooms in back, a wave of nausea assaulted her, and she grabbed his arm to steady herself.
“That’s enough,” he said. “Let’s go. Even when the ill feeling passes, pretend you’re ill.” He grabbed a Ginger ale and once he paid for it, he handed it to her. “Drink this.”
“What if a Changeling is watching and saw me take ill?” she whispered.
“Don’t worry. There aren’t any of those kinds in here.”
“Good.” Anna couldn’t wait to leave. Once outside, fortunately all of her symptoms disappeared, but she drank the Ginger ale anyway. “I still don’t understand why that stone affects me so much.”
“I don’t know either, but wouldn’t it be cool if you could repel Changelings because of it?”
She chuckled. “I don’t want to even test that theory. They give me the creeps, not that I’ve ever met one.” Or so she hoped.
“I hear ya.”
Jackson drove her back to her place. After she said goodbye, she rushed upstairs, anxious to be with Dalton.
*
Brother Jacob paced his office awaiting John Ernst’s report about his divining rod woman. Because the partial moon had been red last night, their window of opportunity was closing for infiltrating the wolf and bear Clan’s ranks. After his Clan’s failure to purchase the bookstore, he was convinced the wolf and bear Clan would try to remove the sardonyx so that Brother Jacob couldn’t get his hands on it. Little did Rye McKinnon know that he would fail.
Brother Jacob had ordered several men and women to keep watch over some of the leaders of the Clan to see if they’d ordered any unusual equipment—like a jackhammer—since the only way to excavate the stone would be by digging up the concrete pad. Brother Jacob figured he’d let them do the dirty work first. Once the stone was unearthed, his men would swoop in and steal it. That, however, would require the special talent of Brother Carmen. Because his mother was a black witch, Brother Carmen had the ability to take the form of another person and hold it not just for two days after the red moon, but for three. Knowing Alpha McKinnon, he’d schedule the removal as soon as it was safe. Ha, ha.
A knock sounded on his door. “Come in.” Brother John entered with Brother Carmen, their resident witch. “Any news on this Anna woman?” Brother Jacob asked.
“She’s at her apartment, sir,” Brother John said. At least his second in command wasn’t acting like his usual cocky self.
The bookstore didn’t close until seven, so the Clan would have to wait until then. Jacob pulled open his desk drawer and retrieved several photographs. “I had Brenda Sims take these photos of some of their more, well-known Clansman.” He handed the stack to Brother Carmen. “Memorize their faces. I’ve listed their names and the names of their mates on the back, should they have any.”
“I’ve already been in contact with Missy Berta, sir,” Brother Carmen said. “I can become her for another twelve hours, but it will require a lot of my energy to hol
d the pose.”
“I don’t give a damn about your comfort. You have a job to do. I’m sure the place will have several guards stationed outside. You need to rush up to one of them and act very distraught.” Brother Jacob outlined the rest of his brilliant plan. He then glanced over at Brother John. “Make sure the cell signal around the Murdoch home is disrupted so there can be no outside contact.”
“Yes, sir.”
Thank goodness Brother Carmen’s scent would be masked when he took the form of Missy. Not even the great Ryerson McKinnon would be able to tell Brother Carmen was a wolf.
“Then what?” Brother John asked.
“Do what we do best. Kill them all and bring me the stones.”
Both John Ernst and Carmen Diaz bowed, turned, and then left.
Brother Jacob smiled, pleased at his perfect plan.
Chapter Seventeen
‡
As soon as Dalton spotted Julie Dominick walking out of Wedgwood Financial with Carlton, his energy shot up. Here goes. He’d switched out his sheriff’s vehicle for his white SUV in the hopes it would blend in well with the other vehicles on the street, but his effort didn’t seem to have been needed. With the way those two lovebirds were ogling each other, they wouldn’t have noticed someone screaming bloody murder two feet in front of them.
So much for those two not dating anymore. As they walked down the street toward the parked cars, Julie leaned closer to Carlton who smiled then kissed her. Cripes, they acted like eighteen-year olds rather than two people in their forties.
Wouldn’t you do the same if Anna were here?
I wouldn’t be able to help myself.
He refocused on the lovebirds. Julie laughed at something Carlton said, and he wrapped his arm around her. After he led her to her car, he then slipped into his black Mercedes, which was parked in front of hers. The big question was whether they would head in the same direction or go to their prospective homes.
Dalton couldn’t imagine what it would be like to return home to a place where his spouse, or mate, had died. His skin crawled at that sad thought.