by Evans, Bryce
She couldn’t believe these people. How would she ever repay them for all their generosity? The fact she needed to impress Ash was an understatement. She was ready to do whatever the woman needed from her. She needed this job and the money. After dressing, she looked at herself in the mirror and applied some mascara and lip gloss. She didn’t need much makeup and didn’t like to use it. But she was trying to impress Ash.
As River opened the bathroom door, Ash was sitting at the table waiting for her. River jumped back not expecting anyone to be in her room.
Ash could see the fear in her eyes. She was upset with herself knowing she scared River. Even though this was her room, River was using it. She should have knocked on the door like a normal person instead of using her key. Putting her hands up showing River she didn’t mean her any harm. Ash smiled at River as she walked out of the bathroom.
“Sorry, River. I should have knocked on the door, that was pretty rude of me to just walk in. Hey how did you sleep?” She could see how much it frightened River as she watched her put her dirty clothes in her bag. Her hands were shaking as she placed them inside.
River wanted to be mad but she knew Ash and her family had been too kind to her, she didn’t want to be like that with Ash. Technically it was Ash's room she was staying in. Knowing she needed to let Ash know she was okay, River walked over and sat in the chair across from Ash. “It’s okay. It is your room actually. You just scared me a little. I didn’t hear you come in. But to answer your question, I slept like a queen. I can’t thank you and the Sheriff enough for helping me out. I plan on working very hard for you and paying you back for the food and room.”
“You will not pay me one red scent back. I’m helping you out and unless you want to insult me then you will take it.” Ash tried to act serious but the curve of her mouth going up let River know she was just joking. At least she hoped she was.
“Really, River, just help me out and do a good job. This will be your room until we can find you a place to stay. So don’t say no,” Ash concluded as she shifted and put one of her legs underneath the other one. Ash waited for River to answer her. She needed to hear her agree to it. She stared at River, which made River just a little bit nervous. “River, okay?”
“Oh, sure I guess…okay,” River responded, not wanting to piss Ash off on her first day of work. By the looks of Ash, she could be a hard person to deal with. She needed to make some money and move on. That was the plan. Just enough time to replenish the funds and get some good rest before she left again.
“Great, because I really need your help. Now I need to talk to you about something else.” Ash looked at her wondering if she had really done some damage when she hit her head. River was staring off in space. “Umm, River, you with me, girl?”
“Yes, ma’am. Sorry, I’m with you. Just a lot to take in, but I’m up for it.” This shouldn’t be too bad a gig. She could do this. Ash and the Sheriff seem to be good people. River needed to stay focused on the job.
“Okay good. I want to introduce you to my uncle. He is a great guy and I do some stuff…umm…for his business so you may have to drop some paperwork off at his house. Come on, we can talk as we walk downstairs.”
Ash got up and River followed her as they walked out the door. Ash continued to talk to River about the things she wanted her to do so she wouldn’t get suspicious when they walked into one of the private dining rooms. She was in front of River as they walked toward a table where Larsen, Larken, Reece, and Jonas were sitting.
As River approached, the vampire and wolf stood, both men having caught her scent when she entered the dining room. Once River saw Reece, she stopped dead in her tracks. “Vampire,” River whispered, but everyone in the room was a shifter or vampire and could hear what she said. She watched as the two men stared at her. One was a vampire and the other one had a wolf inside him. The wolf’s eyes narrowed, his nostrils flared, smelling her scent. She stopped—her eyes were filled with fear. Her body went rigid as she searched for an exit.
Jonas could see the deer in headlights look. He had seen it many times when he hunted in wolf form. The deer would stop as fear raked over them, disenabling them to move. This was the same look the woman had. He felt sorry for her as she struggled with what to do. She was beautiful without little makeup and long brown hair. Jonas knew at that moment she was his mate. Nobody had ever smelled like her or made his body react the way she did. She didn’t speak one word to him and he already knew he wouldn’t be able to stop wanting her. Her fear brought him out of the haze he was in. All he wanted to do was get her to love him, but the anguish she was feeling made him stop from running over to her.
Reece listened as his mate whispered, “Vampire.” He could tell she was about to bolt from the room when Ash rushed to her side. His body reacted to her and all he wanted to do was dive in deep and stay there forever. He could smell her blood from across the room. It was a heavenly scent that made him stand up. He was going to run over to her but the look of fear in her eyes stopped him. Her eyes undid him as they stared at him. She looked terrified and when she said ‘Vampire’, he could tell now that the vampires were after her. The thought of anyone touching her or making her run made him want to kill. She was beautiful and all his. Trying to get control of his emotions, Reece shook with anger.
Ash waved her hands in front of River trying to get her attention. River was focused on Reece. “Listen…he is a good vampire not a bad one. Trust me please.”
River’s heart was about to burst out of her chest it was beating so fast. She looked up at Ash and couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She watched the vampire as stood there. Scared that she had fell into another trap. Her breathing became erratic. Magic swelled in the air as her face paled, her eyes widened, trying to suck in more air.
Everyone could tell that River wasn’t just a human. She was something special and different. She wasn’t a witch but she did possess magic of some kind. They couldn’t figure it out yet what she was.
All Jonas and Reece could do was stare at River. They didn’t want to scare her. Neither one of them realized the other was her mate too. They were too involve with watching her to realize what was going on with each other.
Placing her hands on her arm, Ash tried to calm the girl down before she hyperventilated and passed out again. “Nobody will hurt you, River. I promise,” Ash pleaded with River.
River’s body was rigid as she looked around for another exit. Look for it…Look for it. She knew to look for every avenue of escape. The exit to another door was behind the vampire and River couldn’t chance it. Jacky Boy explained to her that vampires were faster than anything she had ever seen.
Larsen got up and slowly walked to River. She watched him as he walked. Before she knew what she was doing, River whispered, “Wolf.” She had gotten used to doing it when she saw it in people. River thought she was crazy and was just seeing things, but in reality she could see animals as they lay inside them.
Shocked at what she heard, Ash leaned over to River. “Did you just say wolf?” Ash asked.
Larsen was standing in front of River, blocking her view but she leaned around Larsen so she could keep her eyes on the vampire. She ignored Ash—her whole body was in tune to what the vampire was doing. She couldn’t think of anything other than getting away from him. Her to-go bag was still upstairs along with her keys and pocketbook. She couldn’t think because the vampire and the other man were staring at her. They were so good-looking that River was having a hard time concentrating on an exit plan. But she remembered that Paddock was a good-looking man too and look where that got her.
Larken leaned over so Jonas and Reece could hear him. “You are scaring her. You two look like you’re going to attack her. Sit down so she can relax a little. She looks like a little deer in head lights so slowly sit down.” Jonas and Reece slowly sat down as Larken instructed but kept their eyes trained on their mate.
Ash noticed that her breathing was starting to slow down some. “River, honey,
look at me. I promise you he won’t hurt you or come after you. The vampire is my uncle. You see that man is still a man too, and he is my kin. I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you.” River glanced up at Ash and saw the honest in her eyes. “Can you see the wolf inside Larsen?” she asked, her voice still soft, trying not to scare her anymore than she already was.
River slowly looked up at Ash, surprised that she would ask about that. Her comment surprised her as she continued to glance back at the vampire. She didn’t want to take her eyes off him in case he tried to get to her, but did Ash say the vampire was her kin?
“What?” River whispered.
No reason to beat around the bush so Ash came out and just asked, “Can you see Larsen’s wolf?”
River could feel it coming on. She felt her eyes bug out of her head. “Oh my God. It is true. Werewolves, vampires, and you are a tiger.”
“And bears,” Larsen muttered, trying to lighten the mood.
River started to panic as she realized they were really shifters. Oh fuck, Oh fuck. Find an exit, River, Find an exit. Feverishly, she looked around the room for the exit away from the vampire. She wanted to run but found herself helplessly frozen. As she saw the vampire getting up, fear attacked River’s body, shutting her mind off as she passed out, falling to the ground. Larsen was standing next to her catching her before she hit the floor. Reece and Jonas jumped out of their seats so quickly that Ash jerked as they came to Larsen’s side while he held on to their mate.
“Give me my mate,” Jonas huffed.
Reece turned around and stared at the wolf. “Mate? Shit, she is my mate too.”
Larken laughed aloud. “Wow. Now this is going to be interesting.” Ash hit Larken on the arm. “Ouch, Ash. Baby, why did you do that.”
Ash just ignored her mate and his comment. He must have forgotten how they met.
Larsen continued to hold River up in his arms. “Bring her over here and lay her down on the floor in front of the fireplace. When she wakes up, you both need to be over there. She is scared to death right now. I mean damn it, guys, didn’t you see the girl shaking like a leaf falling from the tree? Let her get used to the fact we’re shifters and vampires before you go telling her that you both are her mates.”
Jonas and Reece didn’t want to walk away from her but they knew they had to do this so she would get used to them.
Chapter Six
Larsen laid River on the floor and Ash sat beside her as she rubbed her hand. River could feel how warm her body was. She thought she must be dreaming, but reality slammed into her as she jerked her eyes open, blinking, then looking around her. Ash was the only one sitting with her.
“What happened? Where did the vampire go?” River whispered.
“You fainted again.” River tried to sit up, but Ash told her to lie there for a few minutes before she sat up.
“Listen! Look at me, River.” Ash waited until River focused on her. “I want you to know that nobody is going to hurt you. I didn’t know until two years ago that I was part shifter—Tiger to be exact—and part vampire.” The look River gave Ash was pure comedy. Her eyes widened as Ash explained she was also part vampire. “It was a shock to me and a lot to get used to. So I understand that it must be a real shocker to you too. But you are different too, River. You can see shifter’s animals inside of us and nobody can do that. Not even me,” Ash explained.
“I thought I was crazy. I tried to ignore it but when the Sheriff walked toward me he was more animalistic then a normal human.” River cleared her throat, hoping she just didn’t piss off the hybrid.
“Well I have to agree with you there that he is more animal than man.” Ash looked up at Larsen and winked.
“I watch everything and everyone now. I can’t let them find me…I can smell the vampire, but not in you. All I see is your tiger,” River suggested to Ash as she started to get up.
“Who is after you?” Reece and Jonas asked at the same time. They were tired of waiting. They wanted answers to who was after their mate.
Ash looked over at the two men and frowned at them for bringing her attention to them again. River shakily got up with Ash’s help. Ash pulled a chair over to her and told River to sit down in front of the fire. Larken pulled another chair out and placed it in front of the fireplace for Ash to sit in.
“Thanks, baby.” Ash loved her mates and how patient they were and how they loved to protect people.
River continued to peek back at Reece and Jonas to make sure they weren’t moving toward her. Why was she attracted to them? I’m just crazy. Yep, I attract the crazies. Jonas smiled back at her then winked. River blushed immensely then looked over at Ash. She pointed at Jonas, “H-he just winked at me.”
Ash laughed aloud. “Yeah, he does that to people he likes so I guess he has taken a liken to you, but he would cut off his own arm before he ever hurt you.” River glanced back at Jonas who winked at her again. The vampire just stared at her. But even now her body was doing funny things to her. She was attracted to the two men and they made her feel even more fear. She couldn’t allow anyone, especially a vampire or shifter, to get near her like Paddock did. What was going on in her life? Why does this always happen to me, River shouted in her head.
“Tell me about the vampires you are scared of,” Ash asked.
River didn’t know if she should tell them anything but for some reason she felt safe with Ash and the Sheriff. She took a deep breath then explained how she met Paddock and how he was so nice to her. “It was Jacky Boy who saved my life. I would have ended up like that man I heard screaming in the basement. I have never heard anything like that. I was so scared, but Jacky Boy got me away from Paddock.
“Did you say Paddock as in Paddock Reed?” Reece asked harshly.
River’s breathing started accelerating as she nodded yes to Reece. “Damn it.” Reece got up and started pacing. River immediately jumped up and stood behind her chair. She needed something in between her and the vampire in case he tried to get to her. I wonder if I could break this chair and use it as a stake.
Ash asked, “What is it, Reece? Who is this Paddock Reed?”
Bending over taking in deep breaths, Reece tried to calm down to tell Ash how he knew Paddock Reed.
“Well as Jonas would say, he is bat shit crazy. I met Paddock twenty-five years ago. He helped my father hunt down your parents.” Ash jumped up. “What…who hunted my parents down? I thought your father killed them?”
“He did, but he had help finding them with Paddock Reed. He wanted to be my father’s second in command and he thought by hunting his daughter down would help him bypass me. But when I found out and killed my father, Paddock ran like the gutless vampire he is. When I find him, I will kill him. So don’t you worry about him, River. I will protect you,” Reece commanded.
“You mean we will protect her,” Jonas challenged. Reece looked over at Jonas realizing that he would have to share a mate with Jonas—a werewolf.
Tensing up as they spoke, River watched the interaction between the vampire and werewolf. Why were they so interested in me? If they continued to stare at me like that, I’m going…what are you going to do? You haven’t run yet. Stupid!
“River, please continue with your story.” Ash patted her hand, bringing her back to her storytelling. River explained about the man screaming in the basement then about vampires coming into the places she worked asking if they knew her. “What about the murders in the newspaper clippings you had?” Ash asked.
River looked up shocked. “You went through my pocketbook?”
Ash smiled. “Yes, River, I did. I knew you were hiding something and I needed to know if we could trust you. The job you will be doing is very sensitive and nobody can know who we are or what we are doing. So I had to make sure. I had a feeling that I could trust you, but I had to be sure.”
Good God the woman hacked her pocketbook and took her stuff. “What have I gotten myself into,” River muttered, she couldn’t blame Ash for checking her out. She might have
done the same thing if she was in her shoes.
“River, what is it about the newspaper clippings?” Larken asked, bringing her attention back to the newspaper clippings.
“I knew those women who were murdered. I…I worked with them and they were murdered because of me.” Tears pooled in River’s eyes as she inhaled sharply. Thinking about the women who died because they helped her out brought all kinds of emotions she couldn’t control anymore. She glanced back at Jonas and Reece. All she seemed to do was cry and pass out in front of these people. Her emotions were becoming more intense as she got to know them. River wanted to hit something. All the anger toward Paddock, the life on the run, and the poor women who were killed because of her was taking a toll on River. She knew she was a strong woman, but when was enough enough.
Jonas wanted to go over to his mate and console her, but he couldn’t touch her right now. She was too spooked and would only run from him. ‘Run,’ his wolf said. Jonas’s wolf loved to chase and who better to chase than his mate. By the looks of her clothes, River had been running a long time. Jonas would make sure she didn’t run from him.
“I…the last woman in the Branberry newspaper was the woman who lied to the vampire who came in asking if I worked there. I was picking up my check in the back and overheard the man asking about me so I ran out the back door and left the area. Later I got on the Internet and found out that Merissa had been killed. Her blood had been drained from her body.”
Ash leaned forward and patted River on the hand. “How long have you been running, River?” Ash asked, concerned.
“A year and five days,” River admitted. All the men looked down, shaking their heads.
Reece started fuming knowing Paddock almost had his mate and would bleed her dry when he got the chance. There was a reason he wanted her. Reece needed to find out what it was about her that made Paddock want her so much that he would kill anyone who stood in his way.