Aric flicked her ear. “How about you let your mother and me handle the big questions of the day?”
“I was just trying to be helpful, Daddy.” Sami was the picture of innocence. All she was missing was a halo.
“It’s funny how you only call him ‘Daddy’ when you want something,” Zoe noted, sipping her iced tea. “You’re not fooling anybody.”
“I’m fooling Daddy.” Sami linked her arm through her father’s and rested her head on his powerful shoulder. “She’s being mean.”
Aric heaved out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was clearly used to dealing with his battling wife and daughter. In that exact moment, he almost looked like a prisoner of war praying for death. To my utter surprise, rather than acquiesce to his daughter’s machinations, he stood strong. “Sami, we’ve talked about this. You can’t manipulate me against your mother. It’s her and me against you. That’s not going to change.”
Sami scowled. “I’m not doing anything. Why do you always think I’m doing something?”
“Because you are your mother’s daughter.” Aric winked at his wife and then focused on Gunner and me. “These sources you want to tap, what sort of help do you think they can offer?”
“They might not be able to help at all,” I said. “One of them, however, has her finger in every pie in Hawthorne Hollow. She knows everything that happens here. I have to believe she would volunteer any information she has but you never know with her. We might have to dig for it.”
“And you don’t think she’ll trust us,” Zoe surmised. “I get it.”
“Actually, I think she’d be fascinated with you,” I admitted. “I think she’d be all over Sami, too. I figured you wouldn’t want that.”
Zoe looked conflicted. “I could go with you and leave Sami with her father.”
“No.” Aric immediately started shaking his head. “I don’t want to be separated right now. In fact, I’m calling a timeout on the day, at least for a few hours.”
Zoe opened her mouth to protest but Aric was ahead of her. “Baby, you’re exhausted. And even though she would die before admitting it, Sami is exhausted, too. She was up all night worrying about Rafael, who is out doing his own reconnaissance. You know whenever she’s using that ‘Daddy’ voice it means she’s close to melting down.”
Zoe held her husband’s gaze a beat and then nodded. “We need to find a place to stay.”
Gunner leaned back in his chair and rubbed at the back of my neck. “I can talk to Rooster. There are cabins out close to where Scout is. If you’re interested, you can probably have one for a few nights for free.”
“That’s a kind offer, but I don’t think I can agree to it,” Aric replied. “A hotel is a better option for us. Zoe needs a place with constant access to caffeine and Sami will go nuts being trapped in the woods with nothing to do.”
“I hate to break it to you, but Hawthorne Hollow is an entire town with nothing to do.”
“That’s true, but at least at a hotel there’s likely a pool and room service,” Aric pointed out. “If you haven’t yet noticed, my tribe is extremely food-oriented. Besides, vampires are unlikely to attack a hotel. It would draw too much attention.”
He had a point. “You’re going to spend the afternoon at the hotel?” I asked.
“At least a few hours. We could all use showers and a nap couldn’t possibly hurt.”
“I don’t need a nap,” Sami whined. “I’m fine.”
“You need a nap most of all.” Aric looked away from his daughter. “We’re still in this, and deep, but my family needs to rest. I need to rest.” Rueful, he rubbed his forehead. “I’m not as young as I used to be.”
That earned a smirk from Zoe, who leaned in close and grinned at him. “You’re still as hot as the day I met you.”
Aric gave her a soft kiss. “Right back at you.”
My heart pinged at the naked emotion on both their faces. They’d been through an ordeal, and it clearly wasn’t the first time, yet they were the sort of couple who remained strong under pressure. I hoped, twenty years down the road, Gunner and I were exactly the same way.
“Gross.” Sami mimed gagging into her lemonade. “I don’t understand why you guys always have to be so disgusting. Do you have any idea how embarrassing you are? You act like teenagers. It makes me want to die.”
Zoe smirked at her offspring. “You’re a teenager and you don’t act like us.”
“That’s because Dad won’t let me date.”
“You’re fourteen!” Aric’s eyes flared. “You’re not dating until you’re forty.”
This sounded like an old argument. The exhaustion lining Zoe’s face told me Aric had made the right call. This was a family that needed a little private time. The parents were still smarting from being separated from their child the previous night and the child’s adrenaline had long since flagged.
“You guys should get some rest,” I said. “We’ll tap our source and see what we can get from her. After that, we’ll play it by ear.”
Zoe’s smile was heartfelt. “Thank you.”
“No thanks are needed, Zoe. We’re in this together. We’ll figure it out.”
IT WASN’T UNTIL WE PARKED IN FRONT OF MAMA MOON’S shop that I realized Gunner and I had barely spent any time together – just the two of us – since the previous afternoon.
“It’s weird, but I’ve gotten used to you being around.” I ran my finger down his cheek and he graced me with a smoldering sidelong look. “I think I missed you.”
“I know I missed you.” He leaned in and gave me a flirty kiss. “How about we go back to your place and take our own nap?”
I laughed. “Are you sure you want to risk it? Your new girlfriend might claw my eyes out, literally, if we try.”
His smile slipped. “Yeah, that’s weird, right?” He looked distinctly uncomfortable. “That kid is a little intense.”
“That kid is at an odd age,” I corrected. “She’s feeling things out, pushing boundaries. I have a feeling she’s adopted her mother’s temperament to the best of her ability. In Sami’s mind, Zoe gets away with anything and everything. She wants to be the same way.”
“Raisin isn’t like that,” Gunner persisted. “She’s not that much older than Sami.”
“She’s two years older, and when you’re dealing with a fourteen-year-old, that’s a big deal.” I hesitated and then pushed forward. “I also think that Sami has been through a lot.”
“So has Raisin.” Gunner’s expression darkened. He was overly protective of our young sidekick, and rightfully so. Raisin’s father was an abusive jerk who threatened her life on a regular basis. Recently, his abuse had turned so terrifying that she’d been removed from his custody. He was currently sitting in jail awaiting trial and she was living with her grandfather. Things were much better for her now.
“I’m not saying Raisin hasn’t been through a lot,” I said quickly. “She’s been through more than any child should ever have to go through. But it’s different from what Sami has been through.”
“How so? That kid seems like a total menace to me.”
“You’re only saying that because she’s decided to use a crush on you as a way to garner attention from her father. That’s what everything is for where she’s concerned, by the way. She wants attention, even if it’s negative attention.”
“Something tells me that kid gets more attention than she needs,” said Gunner. “Her parents are devoted to her, along with that vampire. On top of that, Aric Winters is rich. He doesn’t rub it in anybody’s face, but he’s not hurting for money and he clearly spreads the wealth.”
“He does. That doesn’t change the fact that Sami is a conflicted child who has been isolated for a great deal of her life. It’s not the same sort of trauma Raisin has been through, but make no mistake, Sami Winters hasn’t had it easy. She’s a survivor, though. Look what happened this morning. How many other children do you know who would’ve done what she did when she came to the v
ampire’s rescue? She’s brave and her parents raised her right.”
“She keeps looking at me funny,” Gunner complained, making a face. “Her father is going to kick my ass if she doesn’t knock it off.”
And that, I realized, was the root of his problem. “You respect her father.”
“He’s a legend in certain circles,” Gunner acknowledged. “He’s the reason I felt comfortable distancing myself from pack politics. Sure, my father did it before me and led the way, but Aric Winters notoriously told his pack to stuff it when they made demands of him. When I heard the story, I realized that was the sort of wolf I wanted to be.”
“You have a man crush on him.” I was amused despite myself. “That’s pretty cute.” I pushed open the door and we stepped outside.
Gunner rolled his eyes. “I was missing you something fierce a few hours ago. Oddly enough, that feeling has faded.”
“You’ll get over it.” I’d turned serious by the time we landed in front of his truck. “Do you think Mama Moon will be able to help us?”
Gunner considered that, then answered, “You can never tell with her.”
“It doesn’t matter either way. It can’t hurt to ask, though.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
MAMA MOON WASN’T IN HER STORE. The sign on the door said “be back in thirty minutes” but I knew from previous experience that she didn’t feel beholden to time restraints. On a whim, we walked behind the building, and sure enough we found her. She wasn’t alone.
Barney the bear, Mama Moon’s erstwhile companion, sat on his haunches while she fed him corn husks and nuts.
“Who is a good boy?” she crooned to the besotted bear. Barney clearly loved her. “That’s right. You’re a good boy.”
Gunner cleared his throat to get her attention, although the noise stirred more than the witch with the basket of vegetables. Barney made a roaring sound and lurched to his feet, causing me to shrink back as Gunner raised his hands in surrender. “We mean you no harm.”
Mama Moon calmly put her hand to the bear’s neck and rubbed. “It’s okay,” she soothed the mammoth creature. “They won’t hurt you. More importantly, they won’t hurt me.”
I cocked my head, watching the bear absorb her words. If I didn’t know better, I would assume he understood her words.
“This is a surprise,” Mama Moon noted, regarding us. “It’s been a long time.”
I frowned. “It’s been like a week and a half.”
“When you’re as old as me, everything feels as if it’s a long time.” She grinned, glancing between us. “How is life since the fall of the vampires? Things have been quiet, so I assume they’ve been good.”
I exchanged a quick look with Gunner and shrugged. “Actually, that’s why we’re here. Apparently things haven’t been as quiet as we assumed.”
“Really?” Mama Moon said, although her expression didn’t change. “That doesn’t sound good. What’s going on?”
By tacit agreement, I was the one who volunteered the information. It didn’t include mention of Zoe, Aric, and Sami. For some reason, I felt protective of them. It wasn’t that I thought Mama Moon would hurt them — she was a good, if quirky, individual (at least as far as I could tell). However, she had a big mouth, and I figured Winters family business was just that, reserved to the family. When I was finished, Mama Moon was confused.
“I don’t understand any of this,” she admitted as she started feeding Barney again. The bear, perhaps feeding off her mood, had taken to ignoring our presence. All he cared about was her. “How is it that shifters are going missing and nobody has heard about it?”
As the former leader of our chapter of Spell’s Angels, Mama Moon was usually well aware of every corner of the paranormal community in the area.
I shrugged. “We honestly don’t know. The shifters we found in the woods were terrified. They’d grouped together to protect themselves, hiding away so nobody could find them. It was weird and kind of heartbreaking at the same time.”
“It sounds like it.” Mama Moon’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m also confused as to how you were drawn to the vampires in the field last night. Were they attacking someone?”
I didn’t want to lie to her. We had a decent relationship and she’d been helpful on more than one occasion. Still, I was still leery of talking about Sami and Rafael.
“We were asleep and woke at the same time,” I explained calmly. “I think we were still muddled when we headed out there. The vampires were in that field right on the other side of the trees when we got out there. They attacked and we defended ourselves.”
“Uh-huh.” Mama Moon’s gaze was speculative. “You’re leaving something out of the story. I suppose that’s allowed. I’m no longer part of the inner circle, after all. You have to do what you have to do.”
I made a protesting sound with my tongue. “It’s not that—”
Gunner gripped my hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’re not purposely keeping anything from you,” he said. “It’s just that it’s not our story to tell. Something did draw our attention to that field, though we’re not at liberty to say what that something is.”
“Fair enough.” Mama Moon didn’t look all that bothered by the new development. “You’re entitled to your secrets. As for vampires taking shifters, I haven’t heard a single thing about it. I can ask around.”
“We would appreciate it.” Gunner moved his hand to my back and lightly rubbed. “It seems to me this problem is going to get bigger before it’s solved. I think we’re going to have to work together before it’s all said and done.”
“I agree.” Mama Moon handed Barney a huge tomato. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I know anything.”
I appreciated that she didn’t throw in a qualifier like “if.” That meant she expected to uncover something no matter what. I nodded. “We really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Maybe then you’ll be able to tell me what you were doing in that field. Something tells me that’s a story I’m going to want to hear.”
I shrugged again. “Never say never.”
Gunner linked his fingers with mine and we walked back to the truck. He was markedly relaxed, despite the bear. “She’ll find answers. She always does.”
“I hope so. I ...” Whatever I was going to say died on my lips when we rounded the corner and found an unexpected face hanging in front of Gunner’s truck. For some reason, the individual in question was the last person I expected to see at this point in our day.
“Hello.” Ezekiel’s smile was open and wide. “I was hoping to run into you. This is a fortuitous turn of events, isn’t it?”
That is so not the word I would have chosen to use.
Nine
How did he find us? Was he following us? Was this somehow a weird coincidence? Did he have business with Mama Moon? If so, what sort of business were we talking about?
All those questions and more ran through my head. Before I could decide which one to ask, Gunner took control of the conversation.
“Are you following us?”
“Heavens to Betsy, no.” Ezekiel vehemently shook his head. “I was actually here for another reason. It’s just luck I ran into you.”
That sounded unlikely to me. “You were here for another reason?” I folded my arms over my chest, practically daring him to lie. “What reason is that?”
He blinked several times and then pointed toward the window, to where a sign touted “magical fixes and powerful ointments.”
I frowned. “You need an ointment, do you?”
“I do. I have this weird rash.” As if to prove it, he lifted his shirt to show us a weird red mark on his stomach. It didn’t look particularly dangerous. It also didn’t look like anything I wanted to check out up close and personal.
“Lovely,” I muttered.
Gunner shot me a sidelong look and smirked then turned back to Ezekiel. “You said you were looking for us. How come?”
“I was hoping to ta
lk to you about the things we discussed yesterday.”
I ran the timeline through my head. Was that meeting really yesterday? It felt as if we were far removed from that conversation at this point. “What were you hoping we would discuss?”
“All of it.” If Ezekiel was bothered by my overt mistrust, he didn’t show it. “You didn’t say much after we talked. I figured you would have questions. After I got back to my room, I realized you were probably in shock, or maybe you didn’t want to run those questions by me in front of people.”
It all sounded so rational, yet his presence bothered me all the same. “I’m not sure what you want me to say.” I held out my hands in what should’ve been a placating manner and yet I had to fight the effort to ball them into fists. “I’m still processing what you said.”
“I think you’re afraid to hear more.”
He was a bold old coot. I had to give him that. “Why would I be afraid? You don’t represent a threat to me.”
“Not physically, no,” he readily agreed. “Emotionally?” He gave me an appraising look. “You were a bold child, inquisitive. Even then, nobody frightened you. I always thought you would grow into a wonderful woman, or a complete and total psychopath because you had no fear.”
My mouth dropped open.
“Don’t say that to her,” Gunner snapped, moving closer to my side. “She’s not a psychopath.”
“Then she must’ve grown into a wonderful woman.” Ezekiel focused his attention on Gunner. “She’s obviously inspired loyalty in you.”
“She has.” Gunner bobbed his head. “The thing is, you’re not inspiring anything but suspicion right now. Maybe you should take a step back from this entire situation.”
Ezekiel kept his gaze on Gunner for a long beat and then barked out a laugh. “I like you. You’re just as fiery as her. Although you’re worried you’re overstepping your bounds in this particular case, you’re willing to risk it to protect her.”
“You have no idea what I’m willing to risk for her,” Gunner said. “Right now, you’re clearly making her uncomfortable. I don’t like it.”
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