“Artistic piercing?”
“Yes!” River bounced on her toes. “His girlfriend Jenny is one of his models, and he places all these feathers over her back muscles, and when she moves she looks like she has wings. It’s so amazing. I met him once, and you know, he can look a bit scary but he’s really a big teddy bear.”
Aiden nodded as River continued to go on about this artist. He would’ve rather left and found Brenna, but he didn’t want to hurt River’s feelings. The young woman tended to talk a mile a minute when she was excited about something, so it didn’t take long before she finished.
“I’ve gotta go or I’m going to be late. I’m going to the Apocalyptica concert first with some friends before we head over to Adamare.” She bounced over and gave Aiden a hug. With her platform boots, she was as tall as him.
“You’re not going to leave again, are you?” she asked. “You’re going to stay here, right?”
“Yes, as soon as I find Brenna and let her know.”
“Oh, good.” She gave him a cute grin and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “I’m glad I didn’t slash your tires then.”
Aiden laughed as River flounced away. A large black SUV pulled up, and she gave him a wave before getting in. He made a mental note of the license plate. Brenna loved her assistant, which meant that River now fell under his protection as well. He wanted to keep his Mate happy, and he’d do what he did best to start.
Now that he knew where Brenna was going to be, he had to formulate a plan of attack for tonight. He was going to come up with a plan. Brenna deserved the best of everything, and he was going to make certain that’s what she got, starting with her Mates.
If he was going to stay here and commit his life to this relationship, then Craig was going to have to change as well. Aiden understood why Craig suppressed his wolf, but he didn’t buy it. Monsters were born. Men didn’t turn into them because of their inner creature. Craig viewed his wolf as a separate entity, an evil presence inside him. Aiden was determined to force his friend to accept every part of this relationship. He wanted to bond with his Mate, but he wouldn’t do that without Craig. So the time had come for Craig to accept himself.
* * * *
Craig sat in his cruiser, watching over the cars that passed him. It was a beautiful day, and most people were in the mood to enjoy it, and their speed reflected that. A soft rumble caught his attention and he tossed his radar gun on the passenger seat. He recognized the sound of that engine anywhere, and sure enough Aiden’s black Challenger flew past him moments later.
Craig flipped on his siren and pulled out behind the vehicle. Aiden pulled over immediately and waited for Craig to approach the driver’s window. He wanted to kick Aiden’s ass. He wanted to go to the clinic right after the fight, but the darkness inside of him started an inner battle that he’d almost lost. Craig hadn’t wanted to subject Brenna to that kind of danger so he stayed away. His work shift started early this morning, which prevented him from going over once he had himself under control again. All he could do was call and leave a message on her voice mail.
“Is there an emergency, Mr. O’Reilly?”
“Yes, I had to find you.” Aiden moved to open the car door.
“Stay in the car, sir,” Craig ordered. Did no one know how to use a phone anymore? Aiden rolled his eyes but shut the door. “Is there any reason why you couldn’t call me?”
“Because you turned your goddamn cell phone off.”
“Then leave a message.”
“I did, seven in fact, but I didn’t want to wait any longer.” Aiden frowned at him. “Carol said you usually sit along this stretch of road and if I was careful I would see you.” He grinned. “I figured I would speed and find you faster that way.”
“Really, what was so important that you couldn’t wait at my house until my shift was ended?” Craig made a mental note to take his cell out of the glove box where he had tossed it at the beginning of his shift.
“I’m not leaving again, Craig. If I’ve got to choose between Brenna or being a Guardian, then it’s no contest. I want my Mate, and I want this relationship to work.”
Craig couldn’t help the grin that pulled at his cheeks. They had some damage control to do, but he was sure they could work it all out. “We’ll meet Brenna at her house tonight and talk to her then.”
“She’s going to be at the Big Bear Brewery’s grand opening tonight. I don’t want to wait. Let’s go and get our Mate there.”
Craig nodded. “All right, meet me at my place at the end of my shift and we’ll go and find her.” Still grinning, he handed Aiden the speeding ticket he filled out before he got out of his cruiser.
“Goddamn, you’re an asshole,” he heard Aiden holler from inside his car.
“Next time, wait till I call back.”
* * * *
That evening, Craig and Aiden pulled into the parking lot of Big Bear Brewery. It was a beautiful building that seemed to blend in with its surroundings. The exterior was dark wood and subdued. There was a large patio off a second level, filled with people enjoying the evening.
A low growl rumbled from Aiden, and Craig whipped around to see what he was looking at. A man stood partially in the building’s shadow, but Craig recognized him right away.
“That’s the asshole who worked for Anthony. I saw him carrying Brenna’s body that night.” Aiden set off at a dead run and tackled the man to the ground. The guy noticed Aiden coming and had time to close his cell phone and toss it to the side before impact.
“Shit, wait!” Craig raced after his friend. He watched as they traded a couple of nasty punches, forcing grunts out of each other. Nausea punched his gut at the memory of Aiden lying there, Brenna refusing to leave him behind.
Aiden’s opponent caught him in an impressive throw and launched him a few feet away. As soon as Aiden flipped back up on his feet, Craig grabbed him in a full nelson. “Stop it, Aiden. He isn’t a rogue.”
“Fuck you, I saw him, and I remember his scent.”
Craig held his arms trapped up and back. “Daniel’s a Guardian, Aiden. He took over your job when your cover was blown.”
“He’s too young.”
Daniel did have a baby face that the beard and mustache didn’t completely hide. “He had to be. They suspected you. Someone new had to come in and take your place. Someone they wouldn’t suspect.”
“Called it on-the-job training, they said.” Daniel ground out the words as he braced his hands on his knees. “And I’m older than I look.”
“Daniel came to the house to warn Brenna. We decided to use the opportunity to get a distraction. We had no idea what we might find, and this way she’d be there to help.”
“You willingly put our Mate in danger.” Aiden snarled at Craig.
Craig snorted. “Next time Brenna gets it in her head to do something dangerous, you tell her she can’t, and see if you fare any better.”
“In Craig’s defense, he did try.” Daniel grinned and picked up his cell phone. “Brenna refused to stay back knowing you might be hurt.”
“Hey, what are you three up to?” a deep voice called out.
Craig’s boss walked up to the building and stopped cold, a smile breaking out over his face. “Son of a bitch! Daniel, why didn’t you say you were coming to visit?”
“I wanted to surprise everyone.”
Jake Campbell lifted Daniel in a bear hug. The two of them slapped each other on the back in a manly greeting. Laughing, he put Daniel back on the ground. “Aiden, have you met?”
Jake turned in time to see Craig release the hold on Aiden’s arms. “Yes, we were introduced.” Aiden shook out his arms and shot Craig a dirty look. Craig shrugged in response. If Aiden hadn’t been such a hot head and listened, then he wouldn’t have made an ass out of himself.
“You pissing people off already, Daniel? So tell me what you’ve been up to out west. Still training to be a Guardian?”
“Nah, I stopped that. I don’t have the patience for it.”
Craig took the hint and didn’t say anything more about what happened that night in the woods. If Daniel was keeping secrets, then it was his business. Craig had more important things to worry about right now.
“Jake, have you seen Brenna anywhere?”
“No.” Jake shook his head. “But I just got here.”
“Aiden and I want to find her before it gets any later.”
Aiden grunted and held out his hand to Daniel. “Sorry about that.”
“Completely understandable.” Daniel shook Aiden’s hand. “If I’d been in your shoes I would’ve reacted the same way.”
“You and I need to talk, though.” Aiden frowned at Daniel. “We probably have more in common than pissing other people off.”
Craig recognized the haunted look that crossed Daniel’s features. It was the same look he’d seen on Aiden in the past. Jake looked back and forth between the two men and then looked at Craig. Craig shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t have a clue what was happening.
They let Daniel and Jake catch up and then continued into the building. The music assaulted Craig’s ears the second they entered. The main bar was like walking into a wall of scents. Fuck. There was no way they were going to be able to track her in here. He could hardly differentiate any scent from natural or chemical. Aiden stood beside him, rubbing his ear, looking incredibly pissed off.
It took Craig a few minutes to adjust to the deafening levels. He looked appreciatively around this part of the brewery. One wall was made of glass, and he could see the immense stainless-steel tanks behind it. The opposite wall was a long bar, and tables dotted the outer rim. In the middle was a large dance floor filled with people. A wide staircase lined one wall and must lead up to the balcony he saw coming in.
Aiden clapped his hand on Craig’s shoulder and nodded toward the bar. A big burly man worked behind there. He didn’t look to be much older than he and Aiden, but looks were always deceiving in this town. Aiden held up two fingers and the man nodded, placing a couple beers in front of them a moment later. Craig glanced down at the label and grinned. “Blavet’s Brew?”
“Keeps it popular with the tourists,” the bartender replied. “It certainly helps that there’s a rumor that Blavet put out a forest fire last night.” He stuck out his hand. “Boyd McNamara.”
“Craig Walker, and this is my friend Aiden O’Reilly. Nice to meet you.” He shook the big man’s hand.
“Oh, you two are the ones who have claimed that pretty little vet.” Boyd leaned forward and rested his forearms on the bar. He looked like he was getting comfortable and ready to chat.
“Small-town gossip.” Aiden spoke what Craig was thinking. Did everyone know what we had been going through? Brenna would be pissed.
“Life of a bartender.” Boyd grinned. “Come by one day for lunch and bring your Mate. My brothers and I haven’t had a chance to meet many people around town.”
“You did an incredible job here. It looks great.”
“Thanks, we had a lot of help. We’re glad to see it finished and open. For a while I didn’t think we’d ever reach this point.”
“Are your brothers here?”
“Hugh and Gavin are around making certain that everything stays calm. We don’t want to run into any problems like dominance fights outside.”
Aiden laughed and shook his head. “You know about that?”
“There isn’t anything that goes on around here that I don’t know about.” Boyd turned his head and tapped a small device in his ear. “Gavin was watching but said that the guy deserved it.”
Boyd looked like he wanted to know the whole story, and Craig suspected the man was more than a simple gossip. It was obvious that there was something else he wanted to know.
“I’ll fill you in another time,” Aiden answered.
“Fair enough. Can I ask a favor?”
“What’s that?”
“There’s a sweet thing working at the clinic. Could you bring her in for lunch one day?”
“Carol is mated already,” Craig automatically answered.
“You don’t mean River, do you?” Aiden asked. “She’s not sweet. She threatened to slash my tires earlier.”
A large grin split Boyd’s face. “She’s a lively one, isn’t she? I hoped to see her here tonight, but so far she hasn’t shown up.”
“She went to see a concert and a show in Toronto,” Aiden replied.
“Ah, well, that’s a shame but just as well. It’s too busy tonight to talk much.”
“Speaking of which—” Craig nodded at a woman with large breasts and a tiny top who was waving her arm trying to get Boyd’s attention. Boyd glanced over, then grinned and nodded his thanks at Craig before heading over to help her.
Craig tossed a few bills on the bar to pay for the beer and then turned and looked around again. Another time he wouldn’t mind getting to know the town’s newest residents, but right now the need to hunt down his Mate was pounding at him in time to the music. There were people everywhere, and he recognized a couple of them but not many.
“We aren’t going to be able to track her in here,” he said loud enough for Aiden to hear.
His friend gave him a sideways glance and shook his head. “You’re thinking too much, Craig.” Aiden smacked him in the middle of his chest and then nodded as if Craig should understand. He watched Aiden lean casually back against the bar.
How the hell can he be so fucking relaxed right now? Craig felt like he was about to lose his mind if he didn’t get moving, and here Aiden was acting as if he knew exactly where… Because he does know.
“Where is she, Aiden?”
Craig scanned the room, and his wolf snarled inside him, demanding to be set free. He reined in his beast the same way he’d done a thousand times in his lifetime. The last thing he could do was set his wolf free in here. Controlling himself was how he’d find her, and then he was going to spank her ass until she came screaming his name.
He scanned the crowds, his vision hampered by the flashing lights, which kept screwing with his night vision. The music pulsed against his chest, and he could feel his heart rate reacting. His senses were on overload, the lights too bright, the music too loud. Fuck it, everyone would run but my Mate. That would be one way to find her. He wrestled control back from his instincts.
His wolf whimpered and paced inside his skull. He was going to lose it and shift right here inside a crowded bar and expose them all. Fear wrestled with the needs inside him. I need some air.
Aiden stepped in front of him, blocking his way. “Craig, stop thinking so much and feel, dammit. Can’t you feel her inside here? You have plugged up that part of your senses for too long. Let the wolf go.”
No. He had to stay in control. If he didn’t, he’d go rogue like his father.
“Going rogue isn’t a hereditary disease. You’re not responsible for your father’s decisions, and they were his decisions. There’s no reason to assume you’ll make the same ones.”
Craig had devoted his life to making certain his wolf never took over. He didn’t want to chance losing control and having to be hunted down. Now, here in the middle of a packed human bar, Aiden wanted him to let his baser self step forward?
“She’s here, Craig. Listen to that part of you that can find her and stop relying on the human thoughts that plug up your head.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Then walk away now, because she deserves all of you, not only the parts you’re willing to share with her.”
Aiden threw Craig’s words back in his face, every one of them as true as when he had hurled them at his friend. Then he turned and walked away, swallowed up into the crowds of people. He was headed to their Mate and would claim her because Craig was too human.
But you’re not human.
His mistake slammed into his chest right where Aiden had smacked him. His friend was right. He wasn’t human, nor was he a little boy doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps. The wolf inside him pushed aga
inst his senses, and for the first time since the creature had emerged, Craig allowed his instincts to take over.
The music and smells faded into the background as he stood there leaning back against the bar. A woman sidled up next to him, touching his arm. His wolf snarled in response to another woman’s touch. Her scent was wrong. She wasn’t theirs. Craig almost growled at her but reined in the beast long enough to school his features into a neutral glance. “I’m taken.”
“Always taken or gay.” She smiled gently and shrugged. “Never hurts to try. Hope you find who you’re looking for.” The woman moved back to a group of friends at a table nearby.
Craig’s attention snapped back to the crowd, but he didn’t see the people. He felt for his Mate.
The crowd on the dance floor moved like the swells on the lake during a windstorm, undulating with the music in an erotic frenzied mating dance that he didn’t belong in. She wouldn’t be in there, because she’d know it wasn’t for her. The wolf stretched out its senses. She was here. He could feel her, sense her presence, but where? Opening himself to the energies in the room, his senses skipped along the surface and then were drawn up.
There was a balcony that surrounded the dance floor, and people leaned against the railing and watched the floor while others carried on conversations in groups. He focused in on one such group, and in that instant the bodies parted and he had a clear view of his Mate. Desire slammed into him and he pushed off the bar and started moving before the thought cleared his head. A light swung along the upper levels and lit up a corner where Aiden stood watching her. Their gazes met and his friend grinned at him and nodded. He’d wait to make a move.
Craig moved through the crowd with all the grace of a hunter who had found its prey. He moved with the flow to a staircase that curved up the one side. He paused when he reached the top and watched Brenna. She glanced around the room as if she knew something was about to happen. She knew she was being hunted and was about to run, he’d bet a year’s salary on it. As her gaze moved in his direction, he shifted his weight and slid behind a large pillar. From there he had a clear view of Aiden a few feet away standing in an alcove out of her sight as well.
Protect and Fur [3xtasy Lake 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13