Melody took a deep breath. She was about to overstep her bounds and betray Hunter’s trust. No matter how many times she told herself it was for his good, she couldn’t quite believe Hunter would see her actions in the same light. “Alison, have you told the twins about seeing Hunter?”
Averting her face, Mrs. Morrison leaned back and contemplated her crossed ankles. After a while, she lifted her head and met Melody’s earnest gaze. She took a deep breath. “No. Before you say anything, think about something ... Say you learned something that had the potential to harm your little one, Blair. Would you tell him? Or would you wait to see what might develop before going out on that limb?”
The more she interacted with Alison, the more Melody admired her. “I’d wait,” she admitted, nodding her head in agreement with the other woman’s assessment. “All you had to go on was how angry I was the last time we met. Much as Hunter wants to reunite with your children, if I spoke against it, he would abandon the idea. As their mother, you had to consider that might happen. Why tell your children about Hunter if he might refuse to see them? Why hurt them that way?”
Alison’s shoulders relaxed and she slumped back on her chair. “I’m glad you can see it as I did. I want and plan to tell them, but I needed some kind of sign from one of you that they wouldn’t be emotionally harmed.”
Mel’s eyebrows rose. “Do you believe Hunter would ever harm your twins?”
Alison shook her head, eyes intent on Melody. “I named him their godfather. He wasn’t the one I was wary of.”
“Oh.” Melody sat back. A smile widened her full lips as she realized what Morrison’s wife was saying. “I’m a mother, too, Alison. My word ... I won’t do anything to harm your twins in any way.”
Alison graciously inclined her head. “I’ll accept that.”
“Great!” Melody sat forward. “I’m sure you’ve heard Hunter and I are getting married in a double ceremony on New Year’s Eve. I’d love to give him a wedding gift he’ll treasure for years. I had in mind --” She slid a thick vanilla envelop across the table, her face wreathed in a big smile. “-- inviting your family to our wedding and to the private reception following.”
Alison’s eyes lit up. “Is it true the governor of California is coming?”
Melody shrugged. “I had to invite him and others I don’t even know, but Hunter said they’d be insulted if I didn’t. Then Chase sent a passel of names of business people he wants to network with while he’s here. So, yeah, there will be a load of strangers at my wedding.” She huffed. “I can’t believe Hunter refused to go through with the ceremony if I didn’t invite his entire guest list.”
“Well, it is his wedding, too,” Alison pointed out reasonably.
“No, it’s not.” Melody bristled. “He’s had his ceremony! This one was supposed to be for Rosa and me. Now he’s turning it into a media circus, making me invite all those bigwigs.”
Melody sat back and crossed her arms, a wicked smile widening her lips. “He’ll get his, though. With the senior Bushes coming, Rosa and I decided our dresses weren’t fancy enough, so now the guys have to spring for new, more elaborate ones. I plan on spending a bundle!”
The two women laughed together. Melody signaled the waiter for another coffee. While she waited for him to return, they discussed the cultural programs available in San Francisco and the surrounding cities. Now that she was mated and didn’t have to worry about being jumped on by desperate wulves, Melody planned on dragging Hunter to the occasional opera as well as to concerts and plays.
When Alison finished her second cup of herbal tea, Melody found the courage to reveal why she’d asked the other woman to meet with her. Belly aflutter with nerves, she hoped she’d read her right. If she’d misjudged her new friend, what she was about to tell Alison could spell serious trouble, if not doom for Hunter.
“Alison, there’s something you need to know that will help you make sense of the trouble between Kevin and Hunter. Something Kevin keeps alluding to. It’s going to be hard to believe, but please don’t interrupt until I’ve finished, no matter how fantastical what I say might sound ...”
Chapter Eight
“Whatever you do, vampire, don’t let Indigo touch you.”
Gregori stopped in front of the door to the Daly City police station and trained slumberous eyes on Aricles, the lines of his mouth soft and sensual, signs he’d fed recently and well. “Good thing you reminded me. I always give her a big kiss. I think she looks forward to it.”
Aricles frowned at the sated parasite. “The commissioner is gonna shit bricks if he sees you so ...”
The vampire smiled, showing upper and lower fangs. “Satiated? Satisfied? Full?”
“Yes, to all three.” The Greek demi-god held the door open, and the two beings entered the building, stopping at personnel to sign in. The NHP team didn’t do anything so mundane as punch a time clock. “You court trouble, Vlasavic.”
“A compliment -- I thank you, Ari.”
“Hi, fellas, long time no see. Want a cuppa?” The buxom blonde secretary headed their way, waving a full pot of black liquid known department-wide as San Francisco sewer sludge.
“I don’t drink ... coffee,” the vampire hammed, giving the secretary a sultry smile and a burning, under-browed glance à la Christopher Lee.
Aricles backed up a step. “Er ... no. Just because I’m immortal doesn’t mean I’m impervious to poisons. That stuff is lethal.”
“Well, let me know if you need anything ... anything at all!”
The Greek ignored the yearning look on the secretary’s face as he hurried down the corridor behind Gregori. She knew next to nothing about him, had never exchanged more than ten words with him, yet she lusted after his body with a mindless hunger.
Why did all women see only his good looks and think of sexual conquest? Damn it, I’m more than a pretty face and thrusting cock!
He didn’t realize he’d snarled the words out loud until Gregori gave him a companionable slap and joked, “It’s the sad fate of us beautiful superheroes everywhere, my brother. We good-looking men must suffer as the target of hungry females’ unrequited lust ...”
A short bark of laughter escaped Aricles before he controlled his amusement. “By Chronos’ balls, spare me the melodrama.”
Vlasavic shrugged. “Behold, the pot calleth the kettle black.” With a mocking flourish, he opened the door marked: NHP Restricted Access, and ushered Aricles in before him.
The NHP lounge was a welcome change from the bright florescent lights that bathed the public areas of the department. Low, muted lighting gave the room an ambience of peaceful calm that was totally deceptive.
At the far end, Hunter McCallum occupied the raised platform, his papers spread across the podium. He looked up from addressing the group and frowned.
“You’re late. Congratulations. In your absence, you’ve both been elected to investigate the case of the missing bells.” Hunter held up a hand. “Before you try to argue your way out of it, Indigo had a vision. She informed us you are the two most likely to solve the case ...”
Aricles exchanged a look with Gregori.
Quick to pick up the non-verbal clue, Gregori groused. “Thanks for nothing, Indigo. No kiss for you, today!”
Melody raised her hand. “Rosa and I were questioning some of the neighbors of the parents whose children were kidnapped. We found out some interesting things.”
“You did what ...?”
All conversations ceased. Eyes trained on Hunter, Aricles saw the fear -- quickly masked by anger -- his captain struggled to contain. Turning his head to gaze at Melody, he swallowed a smile.
Both human women were sitting stiffly on the beige loveseat, so close they were practically in each other’s lap -- which was a feat in itself. Aricles wondered why they were so nervous, and then recalled this was their first official briefing with the team.
“Why would you do something so asinine?” Hunter’s question emerged from between clenched teeth.<
br />
Melody bristled. “Why shouldn’t we?”
Hunter shrugged. “Members with more innate protection than you have take care to be safe. We use caution ... did you? Which team member went with you?”
“Rosa.”
“Oh, that’s all right, then. She’s been issued a badge and identification that states she’s with the police department ...”
Melody visibly deflated. “You don’t have to be sarcastic. We get it.”
“Do you? Do both of you understand?” Hunter came off the platform and made his way over to stand before his mate and her sidekick.
Aricles figured they were about to get the classic reaming they all had earned at one point or another. This should be fun.
“See, I really need you to be sure on this point, because --”
Rosa spoke up before Hunter could get started. “We’re mothers, and we know how it feels to lose a child. That’s why we wanted to work on this case. All we did was ask some questions.”
“And what if someone was hiding something besides kidnapping -- something they were willing to kill to keep secret? Where was your back-up? Who knew your location? Who the fuck was going to ride to your rescue if needed?” He was yelling before he reached the end of that last question, eyes burning gold and fierce.
Rosa shrank back against Melody’s side. “No one,” she admitted in a small voice.
“No one.” His voice dripping icicles, Hunter freed Rosa from his glare and leaned over his mate. “You dared ... you dared to place yourselves in danger without a single thought to what that could have meant to others -- to me and Fortrayn, to name just two ...” His voice dropped. “To our baby.”
He shook his head, looking over his shoulder to meet Fortrayn’s stark gaze. They shared a bleak knowledge of what could have happened to the loves of their lives. “Two mortal women, with no arsenal or power at your disposal, disobeyed every rule that creatures stronger and more capable than you take care to follow.”
Melody squirmed under the captain’s harsh words, looking uneasy and guilty. “But, Hunter ...”
“Don’t speak right now, Melody ... Be very still,” he whispered. “I warned you about the trouble your reckless behavior could land you in.” His lips widened in a grimace no one would mistake as a smile. “The rules and regulations governing this team were set in place to guard against situations just like this. You chose not to abide by those rules. Consider yourselves on report. Fortrayn and I will deal with your infraction at home, away from this audience.”
He took a deep breath, settled his shoulders, and turned to the rest of the team. “I need to hear all the reports on this kidnapping case. Talon, you were supposed to check on the pattern of the snatches, the geographical locations and distances involved.”
“Shala and I did that, sir.” The were-hawk and his mate unrolled a map and tacked it to the whiteboard. “Let me show you what we found ...”
Aricles listened with interest as the couple showed the kidnappings all occurred within a small geographical area. Centered in the densely populated area to the east of Golden Gate Park, the babies were taken from poorer neighborhoods as well as the extremely well-to-do. Melody and Rosa were able to add that those questioned claimed the babies were heard crying often, the mothers’ or care-givers’ voices raised in anger more times than not. A picture contrary to what the news media showed began to emerge. But who was taking the infants? Where were they?
* * * * *
“Okay, folks, that’s it. Everyone carry on with the current line you’re investigating and keep me updated. Fortrayn, you and Rosa give Melody a ride home, please. Indigo, hang back. I’d like to speak with you privately for a moment.”
Hunter still sounded terse and beyond upset; his wulf nature very close to ripping through the flimsy façade of his humanity. Fortrayn didn’t look much better. If Aricles knew those two men -- and he did -- it didn’t bode well for either of their women when they got them home.
Chapter Nine
Myra patted the infant gently on his back, cooing into the boy’s scrunched up face after she burped him.
“Nanna, what are we going to do about the babies when Patrick gets home?”
The compact brownie looked up from playing patty-cake with a tiny girl with big brown eyes, golden locks, and a bright smile. Her loving smile encompassed all the babies they’d rescued from abusive parents or careless caregivers. There were seven in all.
“Oh, Myra, me colleen, I niver intended us to keep the bairns. We’ll be giving them back as soon as the mothers have learned their lessons.”
Myra clutched the little boy to her chest in a telling reflexive grab. “Give them back?”
Compassion and sympathy -- a brownie’s stock-in-trade -- brought tears to her eyes as she regarded her former charge. In a sense, Myra was still in her care. The human’s heart was so tender, so fragile.
“Myra, if your Darryl had gone missing at this age, what would you have done?”
She saw the moment Myra realized the inevitability of what they must do. Tears flowed down the middle-aged woman’s face. Silent sobs shook her sturdy frame.
“Anything,” she whispered. “I’d have done anything to get him back.”
“These mothers aren’t so verra bad, honey. I didn’t leave a lump of coal, so these sweet babes can be returned.”
“But what if the parents forget how precious they are and mistreat them again?”
“They won’t. They’ll niver forget. I promise.”
Myra looked relieved. “You’ve never broken your promise to me, Nanna.” She finished burping and cuddling the toddler in her arms and laid him in his makeshift crib. Moving to the next baby, she reached to pick up the first one, the one Nanna had shown her the night she began helping gather the lost and needy ones and paused, startled by his uncanny gaze.
He stared up out of eyes black as night, sharp and alert. His head turned as she approached and as always, he stilled, frozen in place as if he were prey and she a predator. An instant later, the tables turned and she felt like the prey.
Myra didn’t pick him up. She never did. Only Nanna was allowed to touch him. But she leaned over the crib and crooned at him, trying to get a response. “What about this one, Nanna?”
The brownie moved to the other side of the crib and reached a hand down to smooth the wild tuft of hair on the baby’s head. His intelligent eyes tracked her every move. She smiled at him and he waved his fists, almost as if he greeted her.
“This small wee wild one is going to a special couple. One who needs him as much as he’ll need them.”
Myra stared at her nanny in shock. “He’s not going back to his mother?”
The brownie’s mouth hardened. “Ach, she’ll return to the scene of her crime but she’ll not ever hold this precious bundle again. I left the coal.”
Chapter Ten
On the eve of their wedding, Melody sat naked on the side of their bed, her right hand clenched nervously around the buckle of Hunter’s leather belt. Her belly tightened at the thought of what she was about to invite.
He came in from settling Blair for the evening and paused in the doorway, glowing eyes narrowing in momentary confusion as they took in the situation in one glance.
She could see his lingering anger from a week ago still smoldered. Something had to be done. Angry and upset as he remained, Hunter couldn’t bring himself to do what he knew he should. He loved her too much to hurt her, but she wouldn’t allow her thoughtless actions to form a festering sore on their relationship.
Why is hindsight so clear, but I can’t see my mistakes ahead of time?
Melody’s thoughts threatened to undermine her resolve so she turned to words. “Hunter, before you say anything, let me speak. First off, I’m sorrier than you can imagine for my behavior last week. I honestly didn’t sit down and plot how I could really piss you off by my actions. Simply, I didn’t think before I acted ... and drew Rosa right along with me.”
Hunter nod
ded. He relaxed back against the door jam, his body leaning in one long flowing line except for where Buford strained in a taut ridge pressed against the stiff fabric of his jeans. “Go on.”
Melody breathed in, filling her lungs and calling on her courage. “I know what I did was wrong. From the reactions of the other team members, I gathered if they had done something similar, they’d have received their punishment right there in the ward room.”
Her mate inclined his head again, silently affirming her words.
Curiosity got the better of her. “What would you have done?”
“I’d have challenged them to a dominance fight and forced them to pledge future obedience. I’d have put some claw marks and bruises on them.”
“Even if it had been Indigo or Shala?”
Hunter grunted. “Yeah, even them in that situation -- especially in that situation. We’re talking about lives being at stake.” A muscle twitched in his jaw and he paled as the words left his mouth.
Melody knew he was seeing her and Rosa, hurt or dying, away from any source of help.
“That’s what I thought.” She bit her lip before continuing. “I made you look bad in front of the team, weak. I know you. As mad as you were, you still would never embarrass me in front of all those strangers ... not on my first official day. But I need to be punished and they need to know it was done.”
“You want me to spank you? For real?” He looked shocked, eyebrows bunched into a fierce frown.
She couldn’t help the nervous giggle that escaped. “No. But I don’t want to be put off the team and I don’t want to challenge you for dominance.”
Werewulf Journals: Weddings, Bells, and a Brownie Page 5