Sassy Ever After: In My Mate's Sight (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Cassidy K. O'Connor

  Worried, he grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. She gasped and flung herself back against her chair.

  “What’s wrong, should I call your aunt?” He made the decision right then and there she wasn’t going to drink ever again, he did not like seeing her suffer like this.

  “I think I just need a little more sleep. Why don’t you head into work and Thumper can keep watch while I rest?”

  “I’ll take care of you, I can tell the sheriff I’m taking the day off.”

  “No, really, I think I need some time to myself. Why don’t you come back for dinner though?” There were so many emotions being displayed on her face, he really didn’t know what to make of what was going on.

  “If you’re sure, I’ll text the office and get someone to bring Thumper.” After the incredible morning they had, he had planned to spend the rest of the day in bed with her. A part of him was upset at her rejection. He was suddenly glad he hadn’t told her yet about him being a shifter.

  Now that the food was sitting like a lump in his stomach, he quickly cleaned up his mess and got his shoes on. “I’m going to head out, I’ll see you tonight.” He kissed the top of her head, afraid it was a kiss goodbye, and walked out the door.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Koira, it’s Sheriff Graelin and Thumper.” He leaned down to whisper to Thumper, “Trust me, Brogan and I were barely functioning after we drank that shit. I’m sure it’s not you.”

  Caeden nudged his leg to thank him for the pep talk. Koira opened the door and gave them a dazzling smile. Confused, Thumper pushed his head into her hand. She gasped just like she did at breakfast. She pulled her hand away and rubbed it. Caeden couldn’t help but whine, she reached down and touched him again. Her jaw couldn’t open any wider if she wanted to.

  “Sheriff, do you mind if I give you a hug? I never did thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

  “That’s not necessary, it was my pleasure to help.” West looked down at Caeden and shrugged, clearly he was as confused by her behavior as Caeden was.

  “Really, I insist.” Her hand reached toward him and quickly tapped his chest and pulled back, then laid her hand on him again. “Hhhmmm.” She stepped closer and gave him a quick hug. “Interesting. Well, thanks again for helping me out and for bringing Thumper over.”

  Caeden and West could tell she was dismissing him. “Have a good day, I’ll send someone around later for Thumper.” West gave Caeden a concerned look before turning around and leaving.

  Thumper walked inside and waited while she locked the door. He knew she was tired so he dutifully walked to her bedroom and laid on the bed. He could still smell the sex in the air from this morning. How had everything derailed so quickly?

  His ears perked up when he heard the patio door slide open. He jumped down and ran after her. He watched as she stood against the railing and stared off into the trees and to the street beyond. He sat there quietly, watching as she stood frozen, gazing off into the distance.

  A noise in the tree above them got their attention, Caeden could see the canary from the other day watching her. Somehow she sensed him and began to whistle. He immediately flew down and landed on her outstretched hand. She laughed softly and sang again.

  The peacefulness of the moment was shattered as Caeden saw a movement off to the right. He stared intently, trying to determine if it was a threat. The sun reflected off something between two trees, his instincts knew it was metal and likely a weapon.

  He didn’t think twice, let out a ferocious growl, jumped over the patio railings and took off. He inhaled deeply, determined to hone in on the various scents assailing him. Methodically he ignored one by one till he found one he couldn’t identify. He reached the area where the glint was and sniffed the ground and trees. The same scent was concentrated there. He followed the scent, running at a breakneck speed, his frustration mounting that he wasn’t finding the person it belonged to.

  Finally he broke through the trees and found himself in a parking lot, and the scent stopped. Caeden let out a howl of anger knowing the person must have gotten in a car and now was lost to him.

  To be safe, he circled the parking lot a few times, double checking he hadn’t missed anything. He took his time walking back to Koira’s, sniffing everything in his path. He wasn’t going to let this guy stay on the loose for long.

  He hopped the patio railing, surprised to see Koira wasn’t waiting for him. The door to the apartment was still open from earlier so he ran in looking for her. His nose was telling him she wasn’t there but his mind was refusing to believe it. He shifted and ran through each room calling for her. Nausea hit him as he realized he was alone.

  Her cell phone was still on the kitchen counter, he grabbed it and did his best to dial with shaking fingers. “It’s Caeden, I fucked up. I thought I saw the perp in the woods so I took off after him. I lost his scent and came back to find Koira gone but her cell phone is here. I need everyone, help me please.” He knew there were tears running down his face and he didn’t care if anyone saw them. She was his mate and she was blind in a town she didn’t know. Never had he hated himself more than he did at that moment.

  He threw on a pair of pants and paced while he waited for the cavalry. He hadn’t decided if he was going to search for her as man or dog, so he held off on the rest of his clothes.

  When his nails were bitten down to nubs, the first knock came on the apartment door. Caeden let in the sheriff and Brogan along with a few other guys from the force. He shook hands with each and led them to the living room.

  “Barbara Wolfe is heading to the station to get Constance and they’ll meet us here. Tell us what happened again in detail.” Caeden appreciated the sheriff’s calm authority.

  He repeated what he saw and everything that happened while he was tracking. As he finished, Constance came in, Barbara’s arm wrapped around the sobbing woman. His guilt tripled in that moment, he had let them all down.

  Barbara squeezed his hand, “A lot of the pack is outside, I’m going to give them the details.”

  Caeden knew the pack had accepted him even though he wasn’t a wolf but he had still always felt like a guest. In that moment he realized he really was one of them.

  Caeden stared out the patio door as West and Brogan discussed how they were splitting the groups and which direction they all would go in.

  “Caeden, did you hear me?” He spun around as he realized he had gotten lost in thought. He shook his head at West, “I don’t suppose you want to stay here in case she happened to go looking for you and finds her way back here?”

  Anger filled him, logically he knew they were worried about his safety but it still wasn’t right. “If it were Rook, would you sit here? And you,” he pointed at Brogan, “may have to go to Hell to find yours so I think we all know I’m not staying here.”

  “Okay, let’s go find your girl.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Koira’s head was throbbing, she still wasn’t sure what had happened. She had gotten startled when Thumper took off in the woods but she knew he was a trained police dog so she didn’t worry. She stood at the railing staring into the woods, waiting for him to get back. She remembered a noise behind her, then nothing.

  The smell around her was not helping her head and her stomach was doing flips. “Welcome back, you sure did stay out for a while.”

  She didn’t recognize the voice but the man standing over her was definitely the same man she had been hiding from. She had hoped it was a fluke the other day when she thought she smelled him in the park but apparently, she had been wrong.

  “Where am I?” She had complete confidence in Caeden finding her, and Thumper searched for people all the time. She just needed to stall.

  “I was a bit perturbed when I tracked you all the way here to find you were encircled by shifters. It took a little extra planning on my part but I don’t think we’ll be disturbed here.” The voice had so much hatred reverberating through it, a chill ran down her s
pine.

  “You don’t have to do this, I can’t see you and I wasn’t going back home. You could leave and I’ll never say anything.” She hoped he believed her lie, she would never let a murderer go free.

  “I can’t go back to Washington now, it took a bit of flirting but I got one of those pig cops to trust me, then I made her squeal till she told me who you were and where you were. It’s too bad, too, she was a sexy little thing but it’s their fault they let it leak they had a witness at all. I thought I had gotten away with it so imagine my surprise reading that someone had come forward.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her off the floor. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’m not going to let some stupid little invalid take me down.”

  Koira wanted to cry, not just for her current situation but for the woman he murdered to get to her. How many people had to suffer because of this man?

  He dragged her up a set of stairs, he was taller than her and strong enough to take most of her weight. The smells lessened a little once they reached the second floor.

  “It was actually good that I had to take my time getting to you, I found this fish market and they are closed the next two days. There is no way a shifter can track you here and I get to take my time making you pay for all the trouble you put me through.”

  Fear engulfed her, if he was right she had no chance of rescue. Her heart told her to trust in Caeden. Unsure what else to do, she pretended to faint and let herself drop to the floor. The pain of landing on the metal grating of the floor was worth it if he was going to believe she was really out.

  “Shit, stupid bitch.” He kicked her leg away from him and stormed away. Maybe she had bought herself a little time.

  Chapter Thirty

  They had been searching for almost an hour. Randomly people would find her scent then lose it again. Caeden circled back to her apartment to check in with Constance who was taking phone calls as people checked in with where they had patrolled.

  She dropped the pencil when she saw him walk inside, “My poor boy, don’t look so lost. We’re going to find her.” She wrapped him in a hug; he wanted nothing more than to break down in her arms but now wasn’t the time.

  “How can you even be talking to me? This is all my fault.” He had never felt such shame before.

  “That’s enough of that, no one is to blame but the scum bag who took her. Grab a sandwich and go sit down. Take ten minutes to compose yourself, then get back out there and find our girl.” She spun him around and shoved him toward the kitchen table.

  He smiled at the woman he didn’t know who stood there making plates for people. If they had this setup then obviously they weren’t too optimistic about their odds of finding her. He grabbed the nearest plate and went out to the patio. He needed to be alone.

  He forced the food past the lump in his throat, he didn’t bother to taste it. A noise in the distance had him walking toward the rails. Koira’s canary friend was flying straight at him, chirping erratically. It dove at his head and flew in the air multiple times. He tried to shoo it away but it wouldn’t stop flying around him. It flew to the rail, landed long enough to whistle out the pattern it usually sang with Koira, then flew up again.

  A crazy thought occurred to him, could it know where she was? He took off his clothes and shifted. The bird got excited and flew down the road a few feet then turned to see if he followed. He barked at the people in the apartment then took off. He didn’t care whether anyone understood, backup would be nice but he didn’t have time.

  He ran the streets, following the bird as it continued to repeat Koira’s song. After a long run the bird finally landed on a sign in front of a building. Caeden sniffed the air, maybe he smelled her but maybe it was his imagination playing tricks on him. He couldn’t get past the smell of decaying fish, it permeated the air.

  Quietly he crept toward the building and jumped on his hind legs to look in the window. He saw nothing but his own reflection, it was pitch black inside.

  A popping noise behind him had him spinning around, ready to attack. He didn’t know what to make of the old woman standing on the sidewalk staring at him with a large smile on her face. “I guess I’m not the hero after all, you found her first.”

  Caeden shifted and walked toward the woman. He smelled the pack coming, they raced around the corner coming from every direction. Brogan, Rook and West shifted and stood next to her. “How did you guys know where to go?”

  Rook gestured toward Cadence, “I was with her when I got the news. We stopped by the apartment and she used a necklace of Koira’s to track her. As soon as we had a location, we called everyone and told them to meet us. How did you find her?”

  “A little birdy told me.” Caeden knew how it sounded and he fought to keep a straight face as they exchanged confused looks with each other. “No seriously, a little bird led me here.” As if on cue, the canary flew down from a tree and landed on the head of a wolf standing next to Brogan. “See, I told you.”

  “That’s enough chit chat, go in and get your girl.” Cadence walked to a nearby bench and sat quietly as if she were waiting for a bus. Caeden had never met the priestess but now he understood why people were in awe of her. She exuded a power he couldn’t identify.

  A tiger came around the back of the building and shifted. Deader nodded at Caeden before speaking to the group. “There’s another entrance in the back, why don’t we split into two groups?”

  “Rook and I will go in the front with Caeden. Brogan, you and Deader take the back.” West waited for everyone to nod before shifting.

  Caeden quietly picked the lock on the door and cracked it open before shifting and heading inside. He knew there were twenty shifters following him in yet he didn’t hear a sound.

  He sniffed the air, her scent was a little stronger inside but the fish were still making it difficult. A noise above them got everyone’s attention. Caeden’s stomach dropped as he watched Koira collapse to the ground. Rage filled him as he saw the asshole kick her before walking away.

  He took off for the stairs, even in a blind fury he managed to stay quiet. Once he reached the top, he peeked around and spotted the guy taking his belt off next to a desk. He better not be doing what Caeden thought he was going to do. With a quick glance toward Koira, he saw her chest rising and falling. She was alive.

  Caeden crept toward the man, determined to rip his throat out. Before he could pounce, the scumbag turned back to Koira and spotted the dog coming at him.

  Caeden leapt toward him but his jaws snapped air; the guy had run toward Koira and lifted her in front of him. The blade pointed at her throat froze Caeden from advancing. Without a better idea, he shifted and held his hands up in surrender. “This isn’t going to end well for you. Let her go and you can walk out of here in one piece. Resist and you have not only me to deal with, but all of them, too.” He nodded his head toward the stairs. The guy leaned back and paled at the sight of a tiger and wolves standing beneath him, pacing and growling, all wanting to tear him to pieces.

  “How about you let me walk out of here with her and I’ll let her go once I’m safely to my car.” Caeden was impressed the guy was willing to deal, too bad he had no intention of letting him go.

  The wolf coming up the stairs made it clear they weren’t going to play along. Caeden could see fear in the man’s eyes while Koira stared in his direction, looking pleased to see him.

  Her face contorted as the tip of the blade dug into the side of her neck. Everyone moved at the same time. Koira reached back, grabbed a handful of the man’s dick and twisted. He released her to grab himself as she reached for the knife. His eyes bore into hers for a split second before the wolf rammed into him, sending him over the rail. Caeden caught Koira at the same time, keeping her from falling over, too.

  The wolf shifted and West stood staring below at the body contorted on the ground. The other wolves and the tiger circled him, howling in excitement.

  Koira spun around in Caeden’s arms. He grabbed her face to che
ck her neck. She gasped and pulled back, “Did I hurt you?”

  “What’s your middle name?” West and Caeden exchanged glances at her odd question.

  “Michael.”

  “Caeden Michael Shepperd, how dare you not tell me you are Thumper! I should have known because you smelled alike and I was only content when one of you was around.” Koira paced back and forth, talking exasperatedly into the air. “And oh my god, the things I did in front of Thumper, you bastard.” She swung around to West, “I guess that means you knew, too.” She walked to the rail and yelled over to the pack beneath, “You all might as well shift so I know which of you helped keep his secret.”

  She spun back toward Caeden, glaring at him. He couldn’t speak, he didn’t understand what was happening. How did she know? Why did she seem like she could see them?

  “But how?” was all he could get out.

  Her anger eased a little and turned to uncertainty. “It started this morning, when I got out of bed I started seeing tiny fragments of light. When you touched me at breakfast, the fog cleared a little and I could make out shapes and colors. I didn’t know what to make of it, but then West and Thumper showed up and the same fog lifted when I touched the dog, but not when I touched the sheriff. As the day went on, the fog has cleared a little more and I can see dimly now. Caeden, everything is so beautiful. The canary is exactly how you described.” The smile fell from her face again, “But when that asshole grabbed me, the fog didn’t change at all. It wasn’t till you touched me right now and everything lit up again did I realize who you really were. I don’t know why you can help me see but I’m not sure I care either.”

  West and Caeden exchanged shocked glances, West nodded and snuck back downstairs. Caeden grabbed Koira and pulled her into his arms. She stood rigidly, not ready to forgive him yet. He grabbed her face and made her look at him, “You are my mate, do you understand what that means?”