Running Free

by K. Webster

  Lipman seems agitated that I want to harm the precious animal but I don’t give a rat’s ass. I want it dead so it’ll stop taking out half the teenage population in Woodland Creek.

  “That shotgun you’re toting, as long as you have twelve-gauge slugs for it, should stop him. But,” he says with a sigh and points to the size of the paw print near the body, “make sure you’re ready to reload. This bear’s at least seven hundred pounds, if not closer to nine. You might stop him briefly but it’ll take a few shots to kill him off. Make ‘em count.”

  I nod as he walks off toward Fitz.

  Once I get ahold of that fucker, I’m going to unload every shell in the back of my Tahoe. But even though every single piece of evidence points to a damn bear, something niggles at me. Something deep down inside of me refuses to believe this is the doing of an animal. When Frankie finally talks to me, I’ll ask her if she knows a Jennifer Collins — the young woman who was killed. And if she’s mentored this one too, then I’m going to go with my gut and settle this shit once and for all.

  There’s more going on than meets the eye in this Podunk town and I’ll be damned if I’m not the one who will blow the lid off the whole thing.

  Frankie

  “You’re going to school. End of discussion.”

  Suzie pouts out her bottom lip and from the corner of my eye, I see Otis faltering. Damn weak old man’s about to cave and undermine my authority. Before he can start in on his homeschool bullshit, I cut him off with a wave.

  “Suz, I know you don’t want to go to school. But you’ll do well to play with other kids,” I chide in a soft tone.

  I know it’s hard, but she needs to be around other children. Now that she can control her shifting, it’s important that she has the most normal life she can have.

  “What if they’re mean to me, Frankie?” Her chin quivers and I’m close to caving myself. Damn adorable little girl.

  “Then I give you permission to bite them for being little shits.”

  Her eyes widen and she bursts into a fit of giggles while Otis groans from beside me. I toss him a look that says, what. With a roll of his eyes, he shakes his head and leaves me to dealing with the child on my own.

  “Fine, I’ll go if you let me come with you again to see Gun,” she concedes.

  My belly flops at the mention of his name and my heart clenches in my chest. There’s no telling what he thinks about me. I ache knowing he believes it’s because he thought he did something wrong. Truth was, it was me who’d done something wrong. It was the full moon and I should have known that it would have been more difficult to control my shifting. For two years now, every full moon, I’ve been able to keep from involuntarily morphing into my Doberman form. But last night?

  Last night, I was in heat. And overcome with hormones. So when midnight rolled around, I could feel myself changing — the darkness overwhelming me — and there was nothing I was going to be able to do to stop it. All I could do was haul ass away from him and stay away.

  If only I could manage to stay away from him forever. He deserves some nice human girl like Casey. Someone who isn’t going to turn into a damn dog when he fucks her.

  “Fine,” I lie to Suzie, “we’ll see him soon.” More like never.

  She squeals and runs off to go back to her artwork, leaving me in a big pile of guilty goo. The poor girl took to him the moment he picked her up at the animal shelter. Just remembering his sweet grin as he held her, negotiating information before handing her to me, has a smile playing at my lips.

  Shit.

  I miss him already and it’s only been a matter of no more than twelve hours. This shitty life I was given is unfair. Why couldn’t I have been a simple human like Gun?

  A knock at the door has my heart thundering with a thousand emotions — all which revolve around the man who clutches my heart so delicately. I try to wash away the way he permeates every one of my senses even when I’m no longer around him. His sexy chuckle is a perfect memory in my mind. If I close my eyes, I can see his adorable lopsided grin. And if I sniff the air, I can almost smell his unique, clean scent.

  When I open the door, I’m not surprised to see Luca. Even though I wanted it to be Gun, I knew it wouldn’t be. I’d called Luca earlier to get me the documents I’d need for Suzie to enroll in school.

  “Hey, Frankie,” he says in the gruff voice that used to turn me on and now only warms me like reuniting with an old friend would.

  “Hey, Luca. Did you get my stuff?”

  He tugs some folded papers out of his back pocket and hands them to me. When I open it and read it, I groan.

  “Suzie Aleen. My daughter. Really, Luca?”

  His chuckle annoys me but I’m not angry with him. In fact, I allow myself a moment to pretend that she is my daughter.

  “You just said get you some papers. You didn’t specify what they needed to say. I used my creative liberty to make up the rest. You’re welcome, babe.”

  I wave him inside. “Want to come in? Hang out for a while?”

  He shrugs his shoulders and smiles almost in a shy way at me. “Nah, actually, I have a date.”

  Luca.

  Date.

  Ha!

  I burst into hysterical laughter but when he doesn’t smile back, I realize he’s serious. “Shit, you’re kidding, right? You don’t date, Luca. I’m the closest thing you dated and by dated, I mean, you took me to your place and fucked me until I couldn’t walk.”

  He frowns and his eyes flicker with frustration. “Sure, make me feel like an asshole. I know I did you wrong, Frankie. I’m sorry. I’ll always be sorry. But that doesn’t mean I can’t try to become a better person. Besides, Casey drives me fucking crazy being all perfect and shit. She deserves a man who’s better than I am. So, I’ll try and be that man because dammit, I want her.”

  The smile on my lips falls. “Just because you want her, doesn’t mean you should have her. She’s an innocent human woman. I’m sure some human man will—”

  He cuts me off with a growl at the mention of another man. “There will never be any other man.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. Despite his furious glare, something dances behind his eyes. I know the expression because I’ve seen it in my own eyes.

  “Noooo… ” I gasp out.

  He shakes his head and another shy smile is on his lips. The look is so unlike Luca but it’s adorable.

  “Yes. Last night, at the full moon, right before you blasted in all naked and shit, it happened. One minute, I was trying to figure out how quickly I could get her out of her panties later on and the next I was ready to fucking marry her. What the hell, Frankie?”

  “It sucks, doesn’t it?”

  He sighs but his grin grows. “It should suck. Especially for someone like me. But, it doesn’t. In fact, having imprinted on her, she’s all I can think about. I want to follow her around like a fucking puppy. I want to slay dragons for her and eat out of her hand. Sleep at her feet. Worship her to the end of my existence.”

  Now, I’m smiling like a lovesick fool. I understand all too well what he’s going through.

  “Did you sleep with her? Was it all you imagined it would be?”

  With a frustrated grunt, he runs his fingers through his hair. “She’s ‘saving herself’ for marriage.”

  I burst out laughing once again and he growls at me.

  “Oh, Luca,” I say with a sigh. “It would have been so much easier if you’d have just imprinted on me a long time ago. Now, we’re stuck with two humans we can’t have.”

  He stalks over to me and I flinch. All humor is gone as he glares at me. “Frankie, I will have her. I will do whatever it takes to make her mine. I don’t give a fuck if she’s human. I’ll make her the happiest damn woman on the planet. And you,” he says with a gentle poke to my chest, “need to get your head out of your ass and go tend to your human. Poor guy was crushed last night. He cares for you, seems like, more than you care for him which says a whole fucking lot consideri
ng you’re the one who imprinted on him. Go fix your shit, babe. We’ll figure out this cross-species breeding shit later.”

  I’d laugh at his little joke at the end but I’m too overwhelmed by sadness. I do miss Gun. I do need to fix what I broke. Why can’t I just have Luca’s mentality: fuck the world because I’m going to do whatever I damn well please?

  “Fine. Time to go, Romeo. I need to go beg for forgiveness.”

  “Need a lift?”

  Ten minutes later and I’m straddling Luca’s massive Harley with my arms securely locked around his firm middle, headed to Gun’s. Knowing he’ll be asleep most likely, I have Luca drop me off at the corner. The walk to the cute little house is short and doesn’t give me any time to back out. I can do this. Being the good cop he is, the front door is locked. With a huff, I walk around back and climb over the chain-link fence.

  I’m rounding the corner when Cutie Pie pops in front of me barking like a damn fool. He’s protecting the premises like he’s the Doberman and not me.

  “Shh!” I hiss.

  Once he realizes it’s me, he yelps and runs in circles. He’d be cute if he weren’t so goofy looking. Soon, he is distracted by his tail and his chase gets faster.

  “Oh my God. Why did he adopt you?” I groan in faux annoyance. I’ll never tell either one of them that I’m glad he did. It’s more fun teasing the big man and his little ugly dog.

  The lock on the back door is secured too and I huff out in resignation. But then, Cutie Pie, as if my accomplice on my mission runs inside through the newly installed doggie door and then back out. He does it a few times to show me how it works.

  For a second, I wonder if I can squeeze through it. Not in human form, that’s for sure. But in my slender, sleek, much smaller Doberman form? You bet.

  I briefly glance all around to make sure no nosy neighbors are peeking at me before I tear off my clothes. Cutie Pie watches me with a cocked head of confusion. When I’m naked, I close my eyes.

  My thoughts are calm.

  Empty.

  Dark.

  Heat rushes through me and adrenaline pumps through my veins. I’m on fire as I shift and don’t cool until I open my eyes. Cutie Pie quivers before me as if I’m going to snack on him for lunch.

  I grunt and take a step toward him. He whines but is frozen in place. With a quick lick, I kiss his nose to let him know I’m not going to hurt him. As if the pieces snap together in his little mind, he suddenly starts yapping and prancing all around me.

  Ignoring him, I trot over to the doggie door and push my head through. My ears perk up as I listen for sounds. The television is softly playing in the living room. I can hear the dryer going. And quiet, rhythmic breathing sounds from the back bedroom.

  Good, he’s asleep.

  Cutie Pie is doing something behind me and when I pull my head back out the door, he’s trying to mount me.

  Horny little shit.

  I growl out a fierce warning and he bolts around the corner of the house to hide. That’ll teach him to try and hump Gun’s house guests. I push through the doggie door again and even though it’s a squeeze, I make it inside.

  The black heat rushes through me again and soon I’m standing in his kitchen naked.

  Convenient.

  Tiptoeing to the back of the house, I slip into his bedroom. He’s sprawled out on his back looking handsome as ever. My pelvis physically aches at seeing the beautiful man free of worry as he sleeps. Not wanting to wake him, I crawl under the covers beside him. As if he senses I’m here, he tugs me to him.

  This is where I’m supposed to be.

  With Gunnar the friggin’ human Mason.

  Jase says Joe keeps the key to the pantry on his nightstand. Until now, I’ve been afraid to go into his bedroom. But we’re all starving and he’s been on some kind of drug that’s made him weird. So weird, that he hasn’t come out of his room in days. I can only hope he’s dead in there.

  “You watch Minnie and I’ll sneak in there and get the key,” I tell Jase.

  “No, Frances, you can’t.” His green eyes flicker with the need to protect me but I frown at him.

  “It’ll be easier for me. He hates you, Jase. If I get caught, I’ll lie and he’ll probably let me go. If you go, he’ll beat you up again. Your back is still bruised from last week.”

  I hate that Joe picks on him but don’t really know what to do about it. I’m twelve. What can a twelve-year-old do to stop a grown man from beating up someone? Not much unless I want to get beat too.

  Not waiting for Jase’s approval, I slip out of the living room and tip-toe barefoot down the hallway to Joe’s room. The television is playing in the background but other than that, I don’t hear any signs of life. My heart is in my chest as I creak open the door and push through at super slow pace. Once inside, my eyes flit over to his gigantic bed and I breathe a sigh of relief. I’ve barely made it to the little table where the key sits on top when I think I hear a noise.

  I still and attempt to hold my breaths from rushing out of control. With one more step, I’m near enough to pick up the key. I snatch it up with shaking fingers and just turn to rush back out when something cold grasps my ankle.

  A scream is lodged in my throat but I’m too panicked for anything to come out. Seconds later, I’m jerked from my feet and my butt hits the carpet with a thud.

  Something is under the bed and it has me!

  I start hysterically crying and kicking, not worried anymore that Joe will hear me as I attempt to escape the monster under his bed. But it’s stronger than me and drags me right underneath with it.

  Black warmth blankets my mind and I reach for it — anything to get away from the all-consuming terror — but it’s jerked away the moment a large, stinky hand covers my mouth.

  “Shhh, Little Frankie. They’ll hear you.”

  My wide, teary eyes meet the bloodshot ones of Joe’s. He darts them all around, his pupils dilated, nearly making his blue eyes seem black. I want to ask him who but his hand brutally keeps my mouth shut.

  “Fuckin’ aliens,” he explains with a hiss, “they’re everywhere, Little Frankie.”

  I start crying so hard I can barely breathe. All I wanted was the key. When I realize it’s still in my hand, I hold it like a weapon and stab at Joe’s chest. My jab must not be powerful because he easily grabs my wrist and twists it painfully away from me.

  “Did you hear me, ya stupid kid?!”

  Gripping the key with a death hold, I nod at him. His paranoid stare changes for a moment and I go cold from the way his eyes wash over me almost hungrily. My whimpers only seem to egg him on and his eyes darken with some twisted mental decision I want no part of.

  Just when I think it’s all over — that I’m going to be consumed by the monster under this bed — a warm hand encircles my wrist holding the key and drags me back out from under the bed.

  Jase!

  I scramble away from him and Psycho Joe, not stopping until I reach the pantry door. In the background, things clatter to the ground as Jase and Joe struggle. I want to go to him but I’m so freaked out.

  Minnie jumps out from her hiding spot in one of the cabinets and into my arms.

  “What is he doing to him?” she sobs.

  Holding her close to me, I choke down my own tears. “I don’t know but—”

  “Hádanka.”

  The warmth and love coming from the voice is such a stark contrast from my nightmarish memory, that I latch onto it and let it drag me away from the horrors of my past.

  “Gun,” I murmur once I open my eyes.

  His dark brows are furrowed in concern but I don’t miss the relief in his expression at having me there with him again.

  “Nightmare?”

  I nod and snuggle against his bare chest. My fingers slide along the small thatch of hair between his pecs.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “Not much to say. One of my foster parents, Joe Harrison, was an evil sonofabitch. I was having a memor
y of one time when he was high on drugs and was hiding from the ‘aliens.’ I’d stumbled along and he’d forced me under the bed with him. If it hadn’t have been for my foster brother, I’m afraid of what he would have done to me. I was only twelve at the time.”

  The growl in Gun’s throat is low and menacing.

  “Shhh, you’re safe now here with me. Thank fuck you came back to me. I was scared out of my fucking mind, Frankie.”

  Guilt infects me and my throat aches from being on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry. I got scared. A lot was going through my head. Then, the animals were going wild. I bolted and I shouldn’t have. Please give me another chance.”

  He palms my cheek and presses his lips to mine before answering.

  “I never give up on a puzzle, Frankie, which means I’m not ever giving up on you.”

  Gunnar

  She came back to me.

  I’m not sure how the hell she got in my house while I slept but I’m not fucking complaining. Warm, in my arms as I kiss her, is exactly where she belongs.

  She’s mine.

  “I guess we have to have make-up sex now. Our official first fight,” I tell her with a grin before trailing kisses down her neck and along her chest.

  “We’d have to be something to be official. We’re nothing, Gun.”

  I roll my eyes at her and playfully bite the flesh on her belly. “How many times do I have to tell you, woman? We are not ‘nothing.’ We’re something. In fact, you’re my girlfriend.”

  She gasps and sits up on her elbows, furrowing her brows together. “I came back to apologize, not put labels on whatever it is we are.”

  Sitting up on my haunches, I push her knees apart and drag my gaze over her pussy. Her lips glisten with her need for me. No matter what spews from her mouth, I know she wants me. She may not have convinced her mind yet, but her body most definitely wants me. That’ll have to do for now.

  “I’m your boyfriend,” I tell her in a matter-of-fact tone before bringing my lips to those between her legs.

  “Oh… ”