by J. J. Keller
Aidan chuckled, luxuriated in the strength of her muscles surrounding him. “It’s the doorbell.”
“At this time of night?”
Leaving her, if even for a second, was difficult, but duty called. “Yes. Maybe it’s an emergency.”
Hurrying proved to be a daunting task. He threw on his jeans and shirt, leaving the buttons undone. He planned to return to his bed and more importantly to the desirable woman snuggling between the blankets. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”
She clutched his hand. “Ignore the alarm.”
Adorable, sexy, sweet, and brave, he couldn’t have chosen a life mate better if he’d used magic. “I can’t, love. A suffering animal makes me ill.”
She flung to her back. The covers moved down revealing her lush breasts. “I understand. I feel the same way. But do hurry.”
Her nipples peaked in the cold air.
“Hopefully, it’s just the wind blowing a branch and hitting the doorbell.” He truly hoped so, or his oath would be in question.
Chimes rang again. She snorted, rolled to her side, and scrubbed her cropped hair making it stand on end.
He whistled. “I want to see you posed exactly like that when I return.”
She propped her hand on her hip and dragged her tongue across her lips, creating a slick wet sexy sheen. “Bring your light saber.”
He ran to the front entrance and flung the door open, disregarding any number of supernatural threats that could exist on the other side…She’d done that to him, made him want her to the point he ignored any possible danger.
“Hi, doc.” Sheriff Brown, cap in hand, stood on the porch.
The let’s-get-this-over-with expression plastered on the cop’s face indicated news. He’d seen the expression before. The update had to be grim. “Bill. Come in.”
“Thanks. Is your guest up?” He stepped into the foyer and glanced left and right.
“I’ll get her. She’s going by the name of Skylar.” Aidan buttoned his shirt and hurried into the bedroom. His feet barely touched the cool wood floor. Empty.
She hadn’t stayed put, as he’d instructed. The door leading into the master suite anteroom was open. He tracked her scent, although he knew he’d find her in her room. Fully dressed in the gray garments from the first time they met, she twisted the edge of her blouse into a knot. Weeks of exercising, outside in the sun, and the recent lovemaking had created a lovely reddish tint to her face.
“Hi. You heard?”
“Yes. I guess it’s time.” She put down the comb and took hold of his hand. They meandered from the bedroom and along the corridor.
Was she unwilling to hear the news as he was? Her grip tightened. Yes, she was.
“Sheriff Brown, would you like some coffee?” she asked. Something he should have done, but anxious to get the message he’d forgotten social protocol.
“No, thanks. I’m off duty in a few, and I’m dead tired.” He removed his cap and scratched his balding head. “You might want to sit down.”
Aidan loosened his fingers and placed his hand on the small of Skylar’s back, guiding her to the living room. “This way.”
He and Skylar sat on the sofa. Bill perched on the edge of the thick leather recliner, rolling his hat between his fingers.
“I’ll get to it. We arrested two of the men who attacked you. We’ll need you, ah, Skylar, to identify them in a line up.” He stared at her. A tick jerked the side of an eyelid.
What wasn’t he revealing? “What about the other man?”
Bill stared at him, not giving an inch. “You were right. David Wilson was the third man. The other two gave him up. Wilson has escaped and is running in your woods.”
Skylar blew out a breath and clasped her hands together.
“Don’t worry, we’ll flush him out.” Bill nodded.
Aidan wanted to go, transform into wolf form, and find Wilson. Dealing out his own justice or giving the blackguard to the law would be decided once he secured the man.
“Where do I see the men?” Her voice strong and powerful rang through the room bringing him back to the present.
No, he wouldn’t hunt. Skylar needed him. He’d scout the woods, later. Wilson wasn’t going anywhere with a warrant on his head. He would be found now or hours from now.
“If you come down to the station, we’ve got everything in place. I know it’s late, but we can only hold them for trespassing at this time. When we get your confirmation, we’ll charge them. I’m sure they’ll come up with a lot of information about where we can track Wilson.”
“Let’s go.” Skylar stood. In the last few minutes, she’d morphed into a force, a strong woman with obvious retribution on her mind. “Do I get a chance to talk to them?”
Bill tilted his head.
“Make sure she can’t get to them or they might not make it to trial,” Aidan said.
Chapter Eight
The police station smelled of stale coffee, pungent soap, and sweet crusty donuts. Enclosed in the small space, the odors were nauseatingly stronger. The tiny rectangular window remained screwed tightly shut against fresh air. Rust covered the knob. He’d tried to subdue his emotions and senses, but the wolf continued to push to the surface.
Six men, with sour frowns and their backs against a pale blue wall, waited while Skylar evaluated each of them. They were similar in size, coloring, and height. Aidan recognized one of them, a cop. The officer arrested an animal abuser last month. A member of the law-enforcement in the lineup wouldn’t change the eventual outcome, because he could ID two of Skylar’s attackers. Through the silence in the room, she took a couple of deep breaths. No doubt, she was ready to point out the assaulters.
“They can’t see me?”
“No, you’re safe.” Bill nodded to her. “Take your time.”
From the corner of his eye, Aidan noticed the door open. An officer, wearing a brown uniform, peered around the corner. “Want me to have them turn to the side?”
The guy stared at Skylar. Aidan glanced at the intercom system, questioning why the man came into the room.
“Yes,” Bill said. A small cough came from the speakers. Bill changed his focus to the cop standing at the side of the two-way window and near the door. “Go oversee, Smooter. We’ll be okay in here.”
Skylar snaked the thin belt of her purple sweater through her long fingers, twined the end and let it fall, again and again. It was easy enough to have strength in the safe seclusion of her home, but facing men who violated her had to be nerve-wracking. Bill and the officers should end this, before she unraveled.
Her current pain became his, and his only means of comfort was to place an arm around her shoulders. The brief moment of facing her attackers had shaken her. With every breath she drew, each tremble that shot down her arm, his spirit fired in a blaze, demanding vengeance. He wished he could have done more than wrap an arm around her. The contact was enough though; her shudder ceased, and her shoulders squared.
Bill pushed the intercom button. “Have them face forward again.”
“Number two and five.” Her voice rang out, clear, crisp, and confident.
The sheriff turned to her. “Thank you, miss.” He pressed the intercom button again. “Number two and five step forward.”
“Yes. Those are two of the three men.” Her sharp tone continued.
“All right. We’ll book them.”
“Are we done here?” Aidan reached out and clasped her hand, squeezed her fingers.
“For now.” Bill nodded toward the exit.
Aidan gave a small tug to her hand. “We can go now, honey.”
She tilted and pressed her hip against his. “They’ll go to a cell right? For a long time?”
“You can count on it, miss.” Bill held the hallway door open. “We’ll get the documents typed, and tomorrow you can sign them.”
The clack of her heels stopped. She flashed him a questioning glance. “What about the other man, the third one?”
“We’re se
arching for him,” Bill said.
“I want to join the search.” Aidan wanted to be the one to find Wilson and bring him to justice.
“No,” Skylar hissed. The warm breath on his earlobe triggered the connection again. “There would be blood.”
He had no regrets. He would not back off now. He’d hunt later.
Bill, a few steps behind, walked them along the hallway. “Great. I’ll send Basil Vanguard to your house first thing in the morning. He’s leading a group to search through his woods.”
Aidan held Skylar’s gaze. The irises of her eyes shimmered like crystals in lamplight. “Great, Bill. Vanguard and I’ve become friends over the last few months. He’s a good man.”
“I’ll contact him, then. Wilson’s dangerous. One of my men will be in charge of the team.” Bill tugged his hat.
Despite the concerned expression in Skylar’s eyes he nodded. And he’d damn well conduct his own search before tomorrow.
****
Aidan left Skylar sleeping safe in his bed. He shifted into wolf form and went into the forest. Wilson would be brought to justice for what he did to her. Early frost particles glittered in the piercing morning sun. Miles later and not a scent of the man, he halted, trying to determine which route to take.
He’d lost Wilson’s trail, but couldn’t blame the delay on Skylar. She needed him to be with her during the identification of her attackers and, of course, any time spent with her was invaluable.
A surge of joy, the need to cherish and protect her, flowed through him.
Love.
Never would he have imagined the emotion of loving a woman, a human being. He wanted to be a part of her life. Would she accept him, as his true self? Even if she knew he came from a supernatural pack of wolves that guarded an icy bridge to hell?
Disappointed that Wilson had a few more hours of freedom, Aidan headed home. A few feet from his property, he got a whiff of an unpleasant foul odor. He paused and inhaled deeply. Pheromones. Grounded, he swung his head to the side. Clearing his nose by blowing air out, he took a second breath. Female. Social status…alpha. She’d been there less than a minute ago. He dusted the dried leaves and dirt with his paw, uncovering a print. Large for a female.
Hackles raised, he braced his back feet on the path, ready to spring into action as he surveyed the zone and searched between the thick tree trunks. All clear. He shoved his snout to the ground and followed her, a creature much like him—a shifter.
A few heartbeats later and deep into the briar, he spotted her in a clearing. Her thick, black coat shone in the few rays breaking through the thick forest. She exposed sharp, elongated teeth. Her short bushy tail pressed against her backside. Ears erect, typical as a method of catching all the sounds, she jumped onto a boulder. Her eyes gleamed with raw elation. Growls came from low in her throat as she slowly moved.
Keeping eye contact, he circled. She jumped onto the moss surrounding the rock. From her stance, she was here to fight, and in his current mood, he’d give her one.
He anticipated her attack to kill, or there was a possibility she’d transform into human form to deliver a message, a verbal ultimatum. Neither scenario worked into his immediate plans.
She jumped.
He catapulted behind her and regained his center. With bared teeth, he shot forward, and snapped at her neck. She disappeared and reformed at his side, attempting to chomp his rear. A spasm of pain rushed through him as she snagged a piece. Shaking off the sting, he shook his head and closed in. She crouched low to the ground, ready to attack again.
No way would he let that happen. The bitch alighted on his turf, his ground to defend.
The black lifted her head, listening.
Claws bared, he took advantage of her weak moment and soared through the air.
She magically disappeared. He struck the ground and belly-landed on wet molding leaves. He rolled upright and circled, looking for signs of her reappearing. The emblem of his pack, a gray wolf atop a mountain with an arrow pointing toward the sky, blazed on an ancient tree directly in front of him.
He circled the massive trunk looking for other signs. No other token remained. Embers died leaving a black embossing on the charred gray bark. Inside the oval the wolf’s eye shone as bright as a black diamond and the burnished gold Tyr. The arrow glimmered. Their symbol. She wasn’t a part of his pack, so why had she left the emblem? A message? There wasn’t any doubt she’d return, and he’d get the answers about her intentions. A part of his heart ached as Canada beckoned and quickly blackened as fear rose. His sister.
Dog-tired he loped along the pebble path leading from the woods toward the east entrance of his home. Basil Vanguard, ex-Marine and neighbor, had questioned why he’d put a dog door in such an odd location. Basil had claimed, typically, people had dog doors in the rear access through the kitchen. Aidan soothed those suspicions declaring the door had been placed in hopes of obtaining a dog and the east-facing door provided good Feng Shui, promoting energy and opening the way for opportunity.
The door led into a recreation room. Built into a wall behind the dartboard, he’d created a secret entrance to the anteroom of his bedroom suite—the space, a safe haven where he returned to human form.
He took a breath, feeling the sting of the bite on his hindquarters. Focused on the door, he didn’t see her and wasn’t aware she was there until the clang of her newest javelin connected with the scarecrow’s wooden arm. Skylar practiced defense, yet again. Her radiance was…beyond belief.
She swung and another clang rang through the clearing. Last night he’d avoided the topic of the possibility her memory was returning. Did her story to the children create a passage through the blank amnesia wall? Today, he might find out her true name, home, and family. Did she have someone special waiting for her? What would he do if she chose to leave?
Chapter Nine
Skylar punched her fist into the air as the head rolled to the ground. Yes, another opponent bites the dust. She bent to pick up the scarecrow pieces. Scrunching sticks drew her attention. A wolf stood on the trail, leading from the clearing into the forest.
Her stomach muscles caught.
Her wolf?
His teeth weren’t bared. Wolfhound tall, he could have been the majestic wolf from the night she’d lost her memory. His coat, a lovely lush reddish gray, appeared wet. His eyes were a light shimmery gray. They held sympathy and something else—dread?
Blood dripped along his flank where puncture wounds marred his gorgeous pelt. He tilted his head as if to nod and trotted back into the forest. She shook her head. So this was what happened when she lost her priority. Instead of getting visions of creatures in the daylight, foremost should be remembering her past.
She crouched, dropped the remnants of her target, and propped her arms on her bent knees. Could the wolf be one of many? He seemed harmless with the head nod, but it could mean he wanted to lead her to his bloodthirsty pack. She peered through the trees, searching for a flash of reddish-gray. Her wolf had saved her. If the one standing before her a moment ago was her wolf, he didn’t mean her harm.
No other wolves were visible, so she assumed all was clear. She rested her forehead on her hands. Hopes of her background, her name, memories of her past were abandoned when she woke a couple of hours ago. A dream wrapped around her, making her cling to an incoherent thread, but as she woke the memory vanished into oblivion. She desperately wanted to connect her thoughts to something. That something could have been the wolf.
She covered her eyes with her palms and stopped the tears. The story of Kiara and Bella seemed real and not a creation from her imagination. A connection existed between her and a woman named Kiara. Now all she had to do was pull the rest of her history from deep in her mind and search. Find herself.
Enough moroseness. One thing she’d learned about herself over the past few weeks was she would not be a victim. She’d be successful and conquer any challenge given to her. Wilson was out there, and she’d bring him to
justice. Plus, she would discover her past and afterward, hopefully, she’d have a future with Aidan.
Goals aligned, she rose, picked up the scarecrow part, and tossed the image of Wilson toward the pole. The head landed directly on the pike. Long strides to the house failed to calm her flared temper. She needed a long shower to think through things. Minutes later, she sucked warm water into her mouth as the steam cascaded over her. After seeing her with the children, Aidan would ask if she recalled any more of her background, but she couldn’t. Disappointment shuddered through her as she dried and dressed. When would she remember her past?
The jeans, snug from being washed a few times, hugged her hips and legs. Her scarlet top pulled apart, exposing much of her breasts. The darts highlighted her waist. Very nice. Each time she wore this combination Aidan’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped.
“Aidan?” she called as she opened his bedroom door. No response. Busy cracking the skull on the scarecrow, she hadn’t noticed him drive away. Rain hitting a tin roof took her attention. The shower. She ran into his bedroom and shouted, “Hey, are you in here?”
The bathroom door hit the stopper, releasing the steam into the bedroom. “What’s wrong?”
He wore nothing but a white towel, wrapped beneath his navel. The wet cloth clung to his narrow hips. Her stare zeroed in on his flat stomach, with muscles showing beneath the skin. She traced her finger along the trail of one bead sliding down his well-defined sleek form.
“Nothing, uh, well...” Pleasure, last night’s bedroom maneuvers lifted her smile, and heat tingled in her loins. They’d had a good time. She licked her lips, wanting to press them on his damp skin. “Except for…”
“What, love?” He embraced her. The towel fell.
She moved her hands to grasp his rear, pulling him forward. “I couldn’t find you, and I wanted to tell you―”
“Your name?” His kiss heated her neck. As his tongue flicked her skin a fresh wave of desire rushed through her.
No, she wasn’t ready to tell him of her failure to recapture glimpses from her past. If retelling the story of Kiara would bring forth reminiscence, she’d shout it to the treetops.