The Darkly Stewart Mysteries: The Woman Who Tasted Death

by DG Wood

  Had Darkly heard right? She looked down at the black wolf. Was this her mother? She looked at Buck, and he nodded his head.

  “You’re a bastard,” Darkly said in a still rage.

  “You wanted to see her. Needed to see—”

  “This is either a stalling tactic designed to get me alone or you have one fucking sick sense of humor.”

  Buck grabbed her wrist hard.

  “Ow.”

  “Shh.”

  Buck was looking over the outcrop at the wolf, who was sniffing the air in their direction. Darkly looked down into the wolf’s eyes and thought she recognized them.

  The wolf got up and trotted back into the crevice in the rock face.

  Darkly was furious. At Buck, at herself, at the world. She ran all the way back to where she and Buck had camped the night before. Buck chased after her for a distance, but thought it best to just let her be.

  Upon reaching the camp, Darkly just kept going, causing Buck to shout after her. “You won’t find your way back alone.”

  “I’m a Mountie,” Darkly yelled back. “This is what we’re born for.”

  Buck pulled the tent stakes free, quickly bundling up the tent and kicking dirt onto the extinguished coals of the campfire. Darkly was just about out of sight, making her way down the hill, when Buck followed after her.

  The custom when recruiting outsiders was that the day after the writhing, there would be a wedding or weddings before the visitors turned for the first time that night. The two wolves that ran together on the second night of mating would be husband and wife.

  A wedding ceremony wasn’t something that those born as werewolves bothered with. It was a construct of the outside world. But, the elders of Wolf Woods found that their recruits adapted more quickly when the niceties they were used to were adhered to in their new place of residence.

  The weddings would be conducted by Reverend MacIntyre one after the other until all of the film folk were hitched. No one had seen Peter and Shane that morning, leaving two brides on the cusp of breakdowns and two fathers combing the countryside ready to deal out non-lethal thrashings.

  News of Ed’s untimely meeting with death was making the rounds of the town, and Serena’s praises were being sung for immediately stepping up to mother Lily.

  As for Carter, Jake, and Marvin, they and their brides and the brides’ families were sitting down to a pancake breakfast at The Moon River Diner before walking the short distance to the church. Geraldine was in the kitchen mixing batter when she heard the bell over the diner door ring.

  “How about some coffee, miss?” Wyatt asked Victoria.

  “I’m afraid we’re out of coffee, sir,” Victoria replied coolly, though shaken by the sight of a stranger.

  The voice that made it back to the kitchen was one Geraldine had not heard in seventeen years, but was recognizable in an instant.

  Geraldine dropped the wooden spoon in a bowl of batter, snapped her fingers at Trey, who was bent over dirty dishes in the sink, and pointed him to the back door. Once Trey was outside, she ran to her daughter, bursting through the swing doors into the diner’s dining room. She came face to face with Angie.

  “This your first old lady?” asked Angie.

  The newlyweds-to-be were quiet as church mice. Each one of Wyatt’s pack had taken up a position at one of the diner’s tables. Jake lifted his arms in the air as one of the wolves grabbed a slice of back bacon off his plate. Wyatt walked up to the table and reprimanded the man. He then grabbed him by the throat.

  “Zig, now you know you’ve already eaten this morning. Give the man back his breakfast.”

  The one called Zig dropped the bacon back onto Jake’s plate, and Wyatt addressed the room.

  “See how order is restored when you have a proper Alpha Wolf around to set things to right?”

  Wyatt looked around the room and made a display of counting the heads with his fingers.

  “Then there were three. That’s a shame, considering you started with six.”

  He looked over at Geraldine.

  “Losing one is unfortunate. Three, well, that’s just plain incompetent leadership. I got the low-down on this little hoe-down from a couple of nice gentlemen I met in the woods, lover.”

  “One’s ill, in bed, on the mend,” shot back Geraldine.

  “Thanks to you, no doubt. On the mend, that is.”

  Wyatt looked in Angie’s direction. She clearly didn’t like him using the word “lover” in reference to anyone other than herself. Good. That would keep her on her toes.

  “Three new wolves, three happy ladies,” Wyatt said as he continued to scan the room. “Still, so many unsatisfied women. And I bring the men to satisfy them.”

  Wyatt’s werewolves smiled and nodded their heads.

  “Because that is what an Alpha does. He provides for the needs of his wolves.”

  “Go get Sheriff Buck, Victoria,” ordered Geraldine.

  “Nice try,” Wyatt said, standing between Victoria and the door. “I know he’s a couple days away from here.”

  Wyatt turned his attention to Victoria. He reached out and stroked her face. She slapped his hand away, and both Geraldine and Angie stepped forward. Wyatt held his hand up to stop them.

  “I don’t blame you. You don’t know me from Adam. But, you will. You may even come to love me. But, regardless, know I love my little girl. So much so, I came back for you.”

  Wyatt placed his hand over his heart and then addressed the whole diner.

  “For you and for your half-brother mate,” Wyatt continued. Where is the little Darkly tyke, Geraldine?

  “With the only father he’s ever known,” Geraldine lied.

  Wyatt took the insult on the chin and turned to address the whole diner.

  “There’s a new sheriff in town, ladies and gentlemen. Accept that, and we’ll all have a good time. Now, let’s get you good people off to church.”

  The little tyke was, in fact, unlocking his father’s gun cabinet and filling his own hunting rifle with silver bullets. After completing this task, which he had practiced with his father many times before, he made his way to the church to alert Doc Ross and Reverend MacIntyre, which was exactly where Wyatt and his family of werewolves were headed.

  Wyatt was skipping along, joyous, singing to himself the song, Get Me To The Church On Time. The townsfolk at the diner followed the lunatic down the main street, where the singing stopped, and Wyatt called a halt to the wedding parties.

  Standing in front of them, in the middle of the street next to the church, was Trey. His rifle was pointed straight at Wyatt’s head. Wyatt’s men turned and stood in front of Wyatt, protecting him, Angie and their son, Roland. The royal family.

  “Shh,” Wyatt said, as he stroked one of the wolves on the back and stepped towards Trey.

  Trey slipped the safety off his rifle. His hand was shaking. He had never seen anything like this before. Wyatt was able to control the wolves while in human form. They actually responded to him and did as he commanded.

  “Now, boy,” Wyatt said calmly, “I’m not here to cause pain and suffering. I’m here to ask you all to welcome a long-lost son home again.”

  “Then why didn’t you wait to show up when the sheriff was around?” Trey asked.

  “Ha ha,” Wyatt wagged his finger. “Smart kid.”

  At that moment, Doc Ross and Reverend MacIntyre rushed out the church doors and stopped at the steps leading down to the street.

  “Wyatt,” whispered the Reverend to himself.

  “Morning, vicar!” Wyatt called out to the Reverend in a forced English accent.

  Wyatt took a couple of steps forward toward Trey to test the waters. The boy did not hold his ground, Wyatt noted. He backed up. Trey would collapse under pressure.

  “Come inside, Trey,” Doc Ross called out.r />
  “No, Trey. Just hear me out here, son,” Wyatt said, while moving a couple more steps closer to the boy. “Just hear me out. I’ve been watching things in Wolf Woods from a distance. How many children did you see buried under my brother’s watch? How many wore the very instrument of our torture around their necks? He even put it on you, son. Why? Because he hates what he is. He hates what we all are by the Grace of God.”

  Wyatt glanced in Reverend MacIntyre’s direction.

  “He hates what God made us, and he hates what you are.”

  “No. My father’s a good man. Everyone knows that.”

  “Your father? No, Trey, I’m your father. My brother banished me and then banished your mother, but held on to you to secure the position he had not earned.”

  Trey moved his finger closer to the trigger.

  “Son, I’m not here to take anything away from you. I’m here to restore what is yours. Yours because of me. No one should have taken that right from you. The right to challenge me when the time comes and take up your duties as Alpha of this town. A town that is healthy and prosperous.”

  Shit, thought Geraldine, Trey was wavering. Wyatt was getting to him. Better to shoot Wyatt and leave his wolves without a leader.

  “I’m not going to hurt Buck, son. He’s my brother. Despite all that has passed between us, we’re blood. He and I will talk this out. What matters is you. I’ve come back to a place of suffering because I’ve figured out the solution. It’s you. And I know in the very heart of my being that only your true father can help you realize your destiny, and then you, Victoria, and your children will bring this town back from the dead. If Buck truly cares about what’s best for you, he’ll hear me out.”

  Geraldine wanted to shout it out, reveal the truth once and for all that Trey was not Wyatt’s son. As charming a werewolf as he was, he could be damn stupid, and sure as hell couldn’t count. In this instance, that worked to his benefit. It was his sheer bravado that allowed Wyatt’s twelve wolves to take on a town of almost three hundred. But, boy, did she want to see the look on Wyatt’s face when she called him a fool. A meaty baby boy had been born only seven months after the rape. That boy was no more Wyatt’s son than Buck’s.

  But, Geraldine knew she’d be torn to shreds before the last words were out of her mouth. So, she watched helpless as Trey lowered his rifle and Wyatt placed an arm over Trey’s shoulder.

  “Now,” Wyatt said, “Let’s go into the church.”

  Wyatt looked back to see his naked werewolves standing over their ripped clothes.

  “You lot stay outside. You aren’t dressed for a wedding.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Darkly and Buck made it back to the canoe in silence. Moving downhill all day meant their return time would be cut drastically. They’d paddle till the sun was a half hour from setting, then make camp along the river’s bank.

  Darkly scanned the trees on the riverbank. She had the strangest feeling they were being followed, but could see nothing to prove it. If Buck felt the same, he didn’t mention it.

  They were given even more impetus to hurry when Darkly spotted floating ahead of them, two bodies. Buck reached out and pulled one of the bodies next to the canoe.

  “You may want to avert your eyes,” Buck said.

  “I’m an RCMP Constable. I’ve seen dead people before,” Darkly replied.

  That was the most they had spoken to each other in hours. The body they pulled close was barely recognizable. But, barely is a far cry from not at all in the world of police investigation.

  “How about people that have been half eaten?” asked Buck.

  Darkly recognized panic in that implacable voice.

  “It’s Peter. Who did this?”

  “Someone’s taken advantage of my absence,” Buck suggested, as he began to paddle harder. “My son’s in danger.”

  Darkly paddled with all her might. Now, they would paddle through the night. Everything that happened between Buck and her that morning was forgiven.

  Wyatt kept a low profile during the wedding proceedings and celebrations. He didn’t want to alarm the natives. The best way to deal with the situation was to just allow them to get used to him. Once that was the norm, then he’d crack the whip.

  Wyatt took Buck’s keys off Trey and toured his new office, putting his feet up on the desk, testing the strength of the jail cell bars, and pouring over Buck’s notes.

  It was in those notes that Wyatt learned the town of Wolf Woods was playing host to two Mounties. He also learned of Geraldine’s pitiful attempt at murder. Wyatt reached into Buck’s, now his, desk drawer and pulled out Gus’s RCMP badge.

  Wyatt had instructed Geraldine to miss the festivities and to wait at the diner for him. They were long due a catch-up. Wyatt walked in alone this time. He sat down at the diner counter, and Geraldine pulled out a bottle of homemade whisky from a cupboard and poured a glass each for her and Wyatt. Wyatt downed his in one gulp.

  “Gerri, why did you try to kill the male constable?”

  “Why do you think, Wyatt?”

  “Well, I know what you would say to anyone else. You’d say he was a threat to the safety of the entire town. If Buck wasn’t going to deal with it, well then, you would.”

  Geraldine poured Wyatt another shot.

  “Sounds like the right reason to me, Wyatt.”

  Geraldine downed her first whisky while Wyatt downed his second.

  “I’m not anyone else,” Wyatt said, pushing his glass towards Geraldine for a third shot. “I think you can’t abide competition, oh love of my life. I think you thought if you try to kill one of them, then the other will come out guns blazing, and then Buck has to kill the pretty girl.”

  Wyatt grabbed the bottle and poured himself the third shot and poured Geraldine her second.

  “Drink up. It will put you in the mood.”

  “For what, Wyatt? After all these years, you can’t tell me you still feel something? Besides, you found yourself a younger model.”

  Wyatt smiled and pushed Geraldine’s glass towards her. He then placed, next to the shot, Gus’s badge.

  “I said drink up.”

  Geraldine did as she was told. Wyatt hopped off his stool and went to the door and held it open.

  “Ladies first,” he said.

  Geraldine had no clue where this was going. Wyatt wouldn’t kill her right away. He was more calculating than that. He’d wait until things calmed down. She knew him that well at least. Or had the psychopath changed?

  Wyatt escorted Geraldine to Doc Ross’s place. Gus was well enough that he didn’t need around the clock care. Feeling had even returned to his legs. With Doc and Mrs. Ross at the nuptials, Gus was on his own. Wyatt opened the unlocked door to the house and held his hand out for Geraldine to enter.

  “What are we doing here, Wyatt?” Geraldine asked.

  “Trust me, Gerri.”

  “Never.”

  But, Geraldine knew she had no choice in the matter. So, despite her words, she entered the house and climbed the steps up to Gus’s room. She and Wyatt didn’t enter right away.

  “You see, I think you didn’t mean for the brave constable to get hurt. At least not as bad as he was. I think you underestimated the power of an adolescent wolf and how distracted Buck could become when he’s finally met the one.”

  Wyatt let those words sink in and then leaned in close to Geraldine.

  “Have you forgotten how I used to fuck you when we were thirteen?”

  Geraldine felt herself go flush. She reached out and grabbed Wyatt’s belt, but he removed her hands.

  “Like you pointed out, I’m with a younger model now. As for Gus in there, if you really want him dead, now’s your chance. Protect the town. Or perhaps there’s another way to skin a man.”

  Wyatt knocked on the door.

 
“Hello?” Gus called out.

  Wyatt whispered the rest to Geraldine.

  “Either they carry a dead man out of there, or a wolf walks out on his own accord tonight.”

  Wyatt stepped aside, and Geraldine walked through the door not knowing yet what choice she was going to make.

  She closed the door behind her and slipped off her cardigan. Wyatt’s closeness had awaken something in her, and she was feeling warm. Gus, on the other hand, was feeling downright cold.

  “What the fuck are you doing in here? You think you’re going to apologize?” Gus practically shouted at her.

  “Yes,” Geraldine responded simply, and began undressing. She had decided.

  “Whoa, what are you doing?”

  Geraldine pulled back the covers to the bed. She sat on the edge, lifted Gus’s t-shirt and kissed his stomach.

  “Stop,” commanded Gus.

  But Geraldine didn’t stop. She moved farther south, pulling Gus’s shorts down, revealing him. Gus tried to shift his body, but he was still too weak.

  Geraldine took note of the healing scars on the leg that had been a wolf’s meal, and she finally spoke.

  “I’m going to make these wounds disappear.”

  Wyatt heard Gus gasp from outside the door. The protests quickly gave way to moans, as the writhing overtook him. Wyatt bent down to look through the keyhole and watched as Geraldine mounted the constable and guided him into her.

  Geraldine looked back at the door. She knew Wyatt would be watching. He always had been both an exhibitionist and a voyeur.

  The brides would be with their husbands to turn with them their first time, to hold their hand for as long as that was possible. Once a ray of the moon hit their skin, it was game on. In truth, now that they had mated, they would rarely take up a moon run apart.

  Serena and Lily, mother and daughter, would run together. And Geraldine would run with the man she tried to kill. If only healing those who had taken the cure could be as easy as what she did for Gus. But, there was a price to pay. Geraldine understood that because they had mated in human form and would run together as wolves, it was inevitable they would become tied together on a level Gus couldn’t comprehend lying in the middle of a field outside of town. It would be difficult at first for them both to accept, but they would have to come to terms with it in time.