Echos in the Shadows (Mystifying Music Book 2)

by Elizabeth St. John

  “Oh my god! He pointed at you,” Deborah said excitedly.

  Ally shrugged her shoulders. After another minute the song ended and the stage lit up, revealing the entire band. There was a drummer, a bass player, and as the second song started, she noticed who was playing the acoustic guitar. It was her co-worker and savior Bowen. “Modification. Duh!”

  He looked different. His long black hair was free-flowing, giving him an even more authentic Native appearance. He wore tight blue jeans and a band t-shirt. He was not looking at the crowd. His eyes were closed as he became consumed in the powerful music. Ally focused on only him and even found herself trying to get closer to his end of the stage. As his hands moved to control the sound of the strings, the muscles in his arms did as well. They literally rolled and flexed quickly. The color of his skin was perfect and the way he bit his bottom lip drove her nuts. She wanted to kiss him, to taste him in every way.

  “He’s super-hot,” Deborah stated from beside her.

  Ally didn’t pull her eyes away from him but did reply to her new friend. “We work together.”

  “Really?” she asked excitedly over the music and all the screaming women.

  Ally nodded but watched him closely. She had no idea how attracted she was to him until he picked up that damn guitar. They played four more cover songs but she couldn’t remember what they were. All Ally knew was how much she loved when Bowen played. Finally, he opened those lovely dark eyes and gazed at the crowd. Anticipation for them to land on Ally had her boiling inside. Bowen couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Ally was there in the crowd. She waved a little, causing his heart to flutter slightly.

  A strong hand wrapped around Ally’s upper left arm tightly, thrusting Bowen into high alert. Theron leaned into her ear and growled in a harsh voice. “We are leaving, now!”

  “Why?”

  He pulled Ally away from the stage and to a place they wouldn’t be heard. “These guys are all wrong for you.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “We don’t mix with Skinwalkers,” he demanded angrily through clenched teeth.

  “What’s a Skinwalker?”

  His eyes glanced around them, “A shifter,” he growled.

  Bowen was standing up to get a better view of what was happening between her and the strange man. He leaned his guitar against the stool and made his way toward the stage stairs.

  Ally couldn’t help but look at him and remember his wild scent. “Shifter? What sort?”

  “Let’s go!” Theron pulled her toward the door, leaving Deborah behind. She tried to fight against his grip but he was a male hellhound and far stronger than she. Every time she pulled away; his grip grew tighter. Mike followed closely behind them.

  “T, stop! You’re hurting my arm.”

  “Then stop resisting.” Once outside in the gravel parking lot, he finally stopped dragging her toward the truck and released his hold. His expression was hard and tight as he glared down at her. “I saw the way you were looking at him.”

  “Yeah, just like every other woman in there. What’s your damn deal?”

  “Goddamn it, Ally. I forbid you to associate with him or that band.”

  “Forbid me?” She snapped and felt her inner animal rebelling. “You listen to me. You may be next in line but…”

  “Hey!” Bowen bellowed from the club door, causing Ally to spin and slightly stumbled. Theron grabbed her to keep her on her feet. “Ally, are you ok? Is this guy bothering you?”

  “Mind your own fucking business,” Theron growled, displaying his alpha side quite clearly.

  “Theron,” Ally snapped. “Don’t be rude.”

  Bowen grinned and held up his hands, palms exposed in a non-threatening way. He didn’t have any desire to fight the guy. “Look, man. I was just checking on the lady. I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “Wouldn’t be much of one, shifter,” Michael growled from beside Theron.

  “Hey! Knock it off!” Ally insisted and shoved her cousin’s arms away so she could stand on her own.

  Bowen softened his expression but he still kept an eye on the two large men. “Your arm ok, Ally Cat?” He took her arm gently in his hands to examine it. Contact with her skin would have been enticing if the situation had been different. His touch was feather light and soothing, relaxing Ally all over again. Even the way he said her name caused her to melt and butterflies fluttered inside her chest.

  She smiled, “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  Theron shoved Bowen back, breaking the contact he had with Ally. “Don’t touch her!” he demanded and pushed her behind his body and into Mike’s arms. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around her waist and lift her up. She tried to fight his grip but she was intoxicated and getting dizzy. As he carried her to the truck over his shoulder, her head spun. “Put me down, Mike!” She balled up her fists and hit him in the back, but her punches felt like an annoying fly to him.

  “Can’t do that, Ally.” He opened the passenger door of Theron’s pristine white truck and placed her on the seat and blocking her exit with his body. “You’re safer in here.”

  “Safer from what?” She looked out the back window and watched intently. Theron shoved Bowen back again and pointed to him. Giving him a warning. Her cousin climbed into the truck and Michael followed, sandwiching her in between them.

  “Have you two lost your fuckin’ minds?”

  “Ally, you can’t associate with them. It’s not right,” Theron stated with a deeply furrowed brow. Loose gravel sprayed behind the truck as he attempted to peel out of the parking lot.

  “Who are you to tell me who I can hang out with?” she protested.

  “Skinwalkers are unpredictable,” Theron stated as he drove toward the home we shared. He had seen what some do to their own kind and he wasn’t going to allow his baby cousin near them.

  “You have no idea, how dangerous they can be,” Mike insisted.

  “You are both crazy as hell. We are shifters too, stupid asses!”

  “They practice magic, Ally. They’re unnatural,” Michael protested angrily.

  “We are only trying to protect you, Ally. What’s your problem, anyway? It’s not like you know the guy,” Theron stated.

  “We work together, you arrogant shit,” she nearly screamed into his ear.

  “Damn it!” Theron growled and banged his palm against the steering wheel. Before Ally knew what was happening, her body was being slammed into Michael’s and Theron hit the brakes. Her head spun as he made a U-turn.

  “Dude,” Mike protested and grabbed the O-Shit handle. “What the hell?”

  “I’m in deep shit.” Theron sped back to the club. At first, Ally thought he was returning so he could start more shit with Bowen, but she quickly realized how deep in the shit he really was. Deborah was standing by the club entrance with her arms crossed over her chest. She was fuming.

  Ally burst into laughter, “You forgot your own girlfriend.” She couldn’t control her reaction. It was too good.

  “Shut up,” he groaned and stopped the truck.

  “She’s gonna kill you. Ha-Ha!” She laughed even harder, making her stomach muscles and ribs hurt. “I’m gonna pee.”

  “Don’t you fuckin’ dare,” Theron growled and got out of the truck to fetch Deborah.

  “If she were a cartoon, she would have flames shooting out of her ass and steam billowing out of her ears,” Mike chuckled, making Ally laugh more. They had always been able to communicate better than she and Theron ever could. Theron had a rage inside him that he couldn’t shake. A painful memory that was branded inside all of them, but he took and held onto the burn like a life force. A horrid reminder to never betray those you love or you pay the price with your life.

  Chapter 7

  Theron was pleading with Deborah as she threw a ceramic pot toward his head. He leaned out of the way of its impact in time for it to fly past him and hit the ground. If Mike and Ally hadn’t been watching, he would have gon
e down to his knees. Being forgotten while on a date with a guy justified her actions in Ally’s eyes. She would probably do much more than that. Deborah finally marched into her front door and slammed it, leaving Theron to lick his wounds. It was beyond hilarious to Ally. He totally deserved it too. Especially, after what he did to embarrass her at the club.

  He climbed into his driver’s seat and backed out of the driveway while spouting off mumbled curses.

  “Nice job, slick,” Mike chuckled.

  “Fuck you, dude. Now, I have to spend a lifetime showing her how sorry I am,” Theron complained.

  “Why do you care so much? It’s not like you don’t have other women to call,” Ally expressed. “You’re probably better off with a shifter, or a Skinwalker as you call them. Humans can be so unpredictable and clearly, Deborah is high maintenance.”

  “Ally,” he groaned and rolled his eyes. His baby cousin had no clue what being in a relationship was like. “I will never date a Skinwalker.”

  Her face grew tight. “We are shifters too. Damnit! How many times do I have to say it?”

  “We were born this way, Ally. It’s different,” Mike expressed in a level tone. He tried to the mediator in some situations but he wasn’t going to bend with her on it. “They’re different.” He wasn’t nearly as angry after seeing Theron’s hilarious lashing.

  Ally’s cousins were completely arrogant and she had grown tired of it. They were narrow-minded and took everything for granted, herself included. She folded her arms over her chest the best she could in the cramped seat and growled.

  “Don’t make that sound,” Theron complained while shaking his head. He was already tired of women for the night and didn’t need Ally giving him any shit.

  “Why? Is it too shifter-y for you?”

  “That’s enough. You won’t see that guy again. You won’t associate with him or his band, or even anyone like him. Do you understand? I won’t have it.”

  “Who are you to tell me…”

  He cut her off. “Don’t force her hand, Ally.”

  She scoffed at his ridiculousness, “As much as you would like to think you do, you have no control over me. I will do what I want when I want.”

  Mike injected quickly, “Really? All it would take is one phone call to have my dad command you.”

  Ally gasped and glared at him. “You wouldn’t.”

  “I will if you press our buttons on this issue.”

  Once the cousins arrived home, Ally didn’t hesitate to slam the door behind her when she entered. She remained quiet but was fuming inside. The guys followed her inside and watched in bewilderment of her aggression. “I don’t think alcohol suits you, baby cousin,” Theron stated as he dropped his keys on the counter. That set Ally off. She put a basket there for a reason.

  “Are you going to try and keep me from doing that too?” she questioned with a snarl.

  Theron nodded, “If I must. Yes.”

  “Gah,” Ally grumbled and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before slamming that door too. The sound of its contents rattled from the impact.

  “Ally, just settle down,” Mike instructed as she marched from the kitchen. “We can’t bend on this, dude. We are only keeping her safe.”

  “I know,” Theron replied.

  Ally plopped down on the couch and kicked her feet up on the coffee table. She examined the room and it was pristine. After work, she had taken it upon herself, as usual, to clean things up. Something else they took for granted. A neatly stacked pile of magazines she had placed there was next to her foot. She knocked it off.

  “Seriously, Ally?” Mike complained and watched as she shrugged her shoulders. As he knelt to pick them up, she stood from the couch and marched up the stairs.

  “Ally, you get down here,” Theron demanded. “This conversation isn’t over.” She ignored him and entered his room. “What are you doing?” They both followed her into the bathroom.

  Ally examined the small room and admired all her hard work only hours before. “This place just doesn’t look right.” She snatched the clean towels off the rack and tossed them to the floor. A grin pulled on her lips. “There. That’s better.”

  “What’s gotten into you, Ally?” Mike questioned in awe.

  “I think it needs a little more mess to make you both feel right at home.” They watched her wide-eyed as she grabbed the toothpaste and squeezed a big glob into her hand. She tossed the tube down onto the floor and smeared the sticky substance all over the mirror and sink. Making sure to get it all over the spout and temperature control knobs.

  “Ally, what the hell are you doing?” Theron growled. “Have you lost your mind?”

  Ally had her fill with her controlling cousins and stepped over to the toilet. She wiped her hands off on the skirt of her dress and grabbed the toilet paper roll off the counter. “Oh, imagine that. Now, I clearly remember putting this new roll on the holder today.” Mike had been the one to leave it on the counter before his shower.

  As she unrolled it into the toilet, Theron struggled to grab it from her. “Ally, stop this!”

  “Fine!” She tossed the roll into the bowl and flushed the toilet. “Oops,” Water began to fill to the surface of the bowl.

  “Ally!” Theron protested and grabbed the plunger but it was too late. Water began to pour out onto the floor. “You’re crazy, woman!”

  Ally stopped walking and turned to glare at him. “Crazy?”

  “Fuck yes, your crazy,” Theron expressed. “Look at this place.”

  “Oh, you haven’t seen crazy yet, little boy.” She marched out of the bathroom.

  “Stop this now!” Theron barked and grabbed her arm.

  “Fuck you!” She growled into his face and jerked her arm away. Losing her footing, she did stumble but caught herself. The guys may be stronger than her, but she refused to be commanded or intimidated. They wanted a female they could control but still wanted the luxury of freedom. Ally was tired of it all. “You want to see crazy?” She charged downstairs carefully and into the laundry room off the kitchen. She grabbed as many clothes as she could and crammed them into the washer. They all belonged to her cousins. Theron ran into the room in time to see her pouring bleach all over the clothes and started the washer on a random setting.

  “Ally, what the fuck?” He was frantically turning every knob. As long as they had lived there, he hadn’t touched the washer. A woman had always done it for him.

  “You both want me to be your bitch? Well, I’ll show you a bitch. Since you are too busy to fix my car, I’ll take yours.” She quickly grabbed his keys from the counter and blew him a kiss. “Bye.”

  His eyes widened when he realized what his little intoxicated cousin was doing. “Oh, no you don’t.” He gave chase but she was already securely in his large truck with the doors locked.

  He pulled on the handle but it wouldn’t open. “Ally, open this door now!”

  “This is such a nice truck, T,” she chuckled and turned the key, starting it. “I sure do wish my car was taken care of too.”

  He stopped pulling, closed his eyes and nodded. He had been a total shit and hadn’t taken the time to repair her vehicle. “Yes, you’re right. I didn’t make time to fix your car.”

  Ally stroked the soft leather of the steering wheel, “And?”

  His brow pinched, “And what?” She revved the angry engine, pushing it to its peak RPMs. “Ally!”

  “And?” she growled loudly.

  “You’re gonna blow my engine. Stop!”

  “And?” she demanded.

  “Shit, Ally. Alright, I’m sorry, ok? Now, get out of the truck.”

  Ally pulled her foot off the gas pedal and thought about his words. Getting him to apologize to her was not enough. She had been dealing with their shit for years, especially Theron’s arrogant ass attitude. With the wheel in both hands, an evil smile pulled at the corners of her mouth and glared at him. “I think I’ll go for a ride.” She put the truck in reverse and her cousin ju
mped back as she backed out of the driveway.

  “You can’t drive in your condition.” His face was stricken with fear and anger. “Ally!” Before seeing tail lights, she flipped him off. “Mother fucker.”

  Chapter 8

  The following morning, Ally woke with a horrible taste in her mouth. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up on the couch. The pounding headache she had caused her to blink away from the natural light from outside. “Shit,” she grumbled, trying to block the gleam with her hand.

  When she stood, nausea hit her and she bolted toward the bathroom. After expelling the liquid contents in her stomach, she examined herself in the mirror above the sink. Her dark hair was a mangled mess on the right side of her head and her makeup was smeared. Sleep marks were scattered along her right cheek and what looked like drool had dried in the corner of her mouth. There was also a gummy substance between her fingers while she washed her hands. She quickly found her toothbrush and got to work on eliminating the funky taste in her mouth.

  The dress Jessica had allowed her to borrow was covered in a blue-ish-white substance. Upon further inspection, she realized it was toothpaste. “Weird.”

  After brushing the knots out of her hair, washing the make-up from her face, and freshening herself up with a change of clothes, she made her way slowly into the kitchen with the dress in hand. Theron was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in his hand. Ally vaguely remembered the argument they had the night before about Bowen. The remainder of the night was a blank.

  “Good morning,” she said softly as she made her way to the washer.

  “Morning,” he replied flatly. He wasn’t please by the sight of his cousin. She looked like all the other drunken women he had come across. Seeing her that way infuriated him but he kept his cool. She was safely home and that was all that mattered to him.

  Ally opened the lid to the washer and pulled out the clothes They were littered with bleach stains. “What tha? Hey? Which one of you started the laundry?”

  “Wasn’t me?”