Holden's Mate

by Meg Ripley

  She was still shaking a little as she hugged my arms and sighed happily. I kissed her cheek and could see a smile.

  “That was amazing…” she said in a dreamy voice, laying her head against my arm. Our hearts were beating rapidly, and eventually, I could have sworn they shared the same rhythm. I turned her around and kissed her slowly, wrapping a thick towel around her before carrying her into my room.

  “You look like you could use some rest,” I said, laying her down on my king-sized bed. Just as I crawled in next to her, my phone rang. I groaned, and Blanca looked like she didn’t want me to answer, but when I saw the caller ID, I knew I had to.

  It was Knox.

  “Hey, Boss, what’s up?”

  “I got in touch with Ramon and we’re having a meeting in 15 minutes to discuss his findings. Can you meet us at my office?”

  “Um, yeah. But I have Blanca with me.”

  “Oh, do you?” Knox teased. “Where are you?”

  “At my cabin.” I said flatly, rolling my eyes.

  “Do you need more time, or—”

  “I’m fine. I’ll be there.” I said, getting ready to hang up. I didn’t want Blanca to overhear him joking around about us.

  “Wait, bring her with you. She should know about the infection as well since it affects her suspect. We have to figure out what we’re going to do about him.”

  “Got it, she’ll be there.” I said, hanging up and making eye contact with Blanca. She looked confused and I guessed she realized that ‘she’ meant her.

  “We have to go. Knox and Ramon are having a meeting about the blood samples and Knox wants you to be there, so we can plan what to do about the suspect.”

  “Alright.”

  And just like that, we were both back in business mode.

  13

  Blanca

  I wasn’t sure what I was about to hear in that conference room, but everyone at the table looked extremely serious, so I surmised the news couldn’t have been good.

  “Okay, let’s start by filling Blanca in on what she doesn’t know,” Knox began.

  “I’ll do that,” Trent volunteered, turning toward me as he took a deep breath. “Bear shifters don’t usually kill humans. We can be hot-tempered in bar fights and things of the like, but murderous rampages aren’t really what we’re known for. So, when we saw the three murders, we knew we were dealing with a problem. When I captured the shifter, he didn’t respond to anything; he only exhibited aggressive behavior.”

  “It was the same when I tried questioning him and then he started transforming back and forth,” I said, trying to work things out in my head as they were presented to me.

  “Yeah, about that: it’s not supposed to happen that way. We can’t change only one part of our body; it’s full-form or nothing for us. I couldn’t make my hands bear paws even if I tried, but somehow, he can. That was when I knew something was wrong. So, I called in Ramon here to have his blood tested.”

  “So, you weren’t really testing for the victims’ blood?”

  “No, lo siento. I actually tested those as soon as we got them and identified all three victims. This shifter definitely committed the murders. But we had to stall somehow to keep him here, so I could figure out what was going on with him,” Ramon interjected. He looked apologetic; they all seemed to, but I understood. I knew they didn’t want to keep all this from me, but they had to for the sake of their clan.

  “So, have you figured it out yet?” I asked.

  “Es complicado. I know what’s wrong, but I don’t know what it is. Whatever has infected this guy is destroying him. His blood cells, his brain cells, they’re all turning black. Trent even watched in my lab as whatever this infection is, literally started eating the shifter’s blood cells. It looks like the infection is taking over his body by devouring his cells and reproducing its own. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Es increíble; also, scary.” Ramon sighed heavily as if telling us his findings released a weight off his shoulders.

  “Do you have a hypothesis about where this infection might have come from or how he got it?” Knox asked. He looked very concerned and I guessed even he must be afraid of this unknown infection.

  “The only thing I can think of right now is that it’s something he picked up in the environment; maybe a new type of virus? He has no wounds that would make me believe he was bitten or stung by something, but he’s a shifter, so his body probably healed the infection site quickly, if that was the case. Perhaps it was an airborne pathogen and it traveled through his respiratory tract? I could keep examining him, but…”

  “But what?” Trent, Knox and I all asked at the same time.

  “We would have to kill him. He is unresponsive at this point, aggressive, and overall dangerous, but if he is dead, I can perform an autopsy and maybe I can gain more information about the infection,” Ramon responded bluntly.

  “We can’t kill him; he’s one of us. Only the conclave can grant us that permission. If we do it and they find out, we will be put to death ourselves.” Knox said, shaking his head.

  “But we can pretend he died!” I exclaimed. “I could tell the FBI that he killed himself. Bashed his head into the wall without anyone realizing? I could tell them that I left disposing of the body to you guys and that the blood samples revealed that he was indeed the killer. I fill out the paper work and case closed. Acadia gets to keep the shifter here and you can observe him that way.”

  “Hmm…she has a point,” Trent said, looking to Knox for his opinion.

  “It could definitely work. And once we have more information on the infection—as much as can possibly be obtained—we can present him and everything we’ve learned to the conclave for final judgement. If this is something that has the potential to affect our community, they should know about it.”

  “The conclave?” I interjected.

  “The conclave is the council of elders of all shifters. They adjudicate issues that arise within the clan.” Trent responded.

  “It will be difficult to do all this testing while keeping him alive. We’ll need a two-person team assisting me every time I go in for more samples.” Ramon was considering the possibility at first, and then he finally agreed. “But yes. It could work”

  “Then it’s settled. Ramon will give Agent Gianni the blood sample paperwork proving the shifter to be the murderer. She will fill out the case work as if he died and present it to her chief. And we’ll bring this to the conclave to get their take on things,” Knox repeated the plan back to everyone to make sure we were all on the same page, and we were. We all nodded in agreement and Knox pronounced the meeting adjourned.

  Ramon turned to Knox and started discussing plans for the shifter, while Trent turned to me with a forlorn look.

  “So, what does that mean for us?” he asked, his eyes to the floor.

  “Don’t worry, I have a plan for that, too. I’m going to step outside and make some phone calls,” I whispered and got up, exiting the room and stepping out into the cold, crisp air.

  I dialed 1 on my phone.

  “Chief Caulwell.”

  “Hey Chief, it’s Agent Gianni. I have news about the Acadia case. The suspect is deceased; he bashed his head into the holding cell and collapsed. By the time anyone noticed, he was already gone.” I tried to make myself sound as believable as possible.

  “Weren’t Alex and Gerard supposed to be watching him?” The chief sounded angry and I didn’t want my boys to get in trouble for this.

  “They were tired, so I sent them to their hotel rooms to get some sleep. It was me who was supposed to be watching him and when I heard the banging, I thought he was just banging on the bars and trying to get someone to let him out. I apologize, sir.” The only way I could think of making this go smoothly was for me to take the blame.

  “I can understand that, Agent Gianni. Well, you know what to do. Just fill out the paperwork and I’ll have a helicopter there for you tomorrow.”

  “Actually sir, I was wonder
ing if I could take my vacation days now?” I winced, hoping it wasn’t an absurd question after what I just told him.

  “You? A vacation? You’ve never taken a vacation before!” The chief sounded genuinely surprised.

  “All the more reason to take one now. I have sort of fallen in love with Acadia. And with the investigation, I wasn’t really able to enjoy it very much. I would very much like to do that now, sir. If it’s okay with you, of course.”

  The line was silent at first, but then the chief spoke up.

  “I’ll see you in three weeks.” Was all he said and hung up.

  “Yes!” I exclaimed, jumping up and down.

  “What’s all the excitement for?” I heard Trent approaching and immediately stopped.

  “That was me getting three weeks of paid vacation to stay here with you in Acadia!” I smiled brightly, running into his arms and hugging him tightly.

  “Awww, only three weeks?” he teased, but I heard a smile in his voice as well.

  “Well, we’ll see how things go. Don’t push it.” I warned with a smile.

  “Three weeks sounds amazing.” Trent whispered and tilted my chin up to kiss him.

  I just knew that those were going to be the best three weeks of my life.

  14

  Epilogue

  Trent

  Three Months Later

  “What do you think I should get her?” I asked Knox as we drove around the trail doing our late evening patrol before he watched over the gate that night. It was the Friday before Valentine’s Day, and I had the next day off. I wanted to do something special for Blanca, but our relationship was still so new that I was stumped on what to get her for the occasion.

  “It’s tomorrow and you still haven’t gotten her anything? You won’t have a girlfriend for much longer if she finds that out. That’s how you thank a girl for leaving the FBI to join local law enforcement for you?” Knox chuckled, and I winced.

  He was right: I had procrastinated too long. After everything Blanca did to be with me—and to preserve the secrecy of our clan—she deserved better. She’d worked closely with Ramon and the conclave over the last few months, and after all that time, they concluded the pathogen must have been a mutation of the rabies virus, based on the similar antibodies they were able to isolate from the shifter’s serum and spinal fluid. Without her hard work and devotion to the case, who knows how long it would have taken the clan to make this discovery.

  “She’s just always with me; I hardly have time to myself when I’m not working. Not that I’m complaining or anything…” I winked at Knox.

  “Yeah, getting all that ass must keep you pretty preoccupied,” Knox laughed.

  “Okay, enough about our sex life; I need ideas, man,” I pleaded with him.

  “Well, it’s a little too late to go out and buy something. All the stores in Bar Harbor probably closed at 6, as usual.”

  Shit, he’s right…What am I going to do?

  “So, you could take her somewhere, or make something for her? We both know you’re not that good with your hands, though,” Knox snickered.

  “That’s not what she thinks,” I joked. “Alright, so crafts are out of the question. I could bring her somewhere…hmmm…”

  I thought long and hard about a romantic place I could take her to. Picturing Bar Harbor in my head, I couldn’t really think of any places that she would really love except the beach, but I doubt she would want to go there at that time of year. Being February in Maine, every inch of the area was completely covered in snow and ice. I wanted to light up her day and make it really special.

  That’s it!

  “I know what I’m going to do.”

  “Where are we going?” Blanca asked in a sleepy voice, a blindfold over her eyes. She would have fallen asleep in my Jeep if I hadn’t been driving so fast. It was a little after 6am and I was flying through Acadia, trying to get to the location I had painstakingly set up only hours ago.

  We have to make it there before first light… I thought, checking my watch. Okay, we have about 10 minutes to get there and get settled.

  I could see the base of the Cadillac Mountain trail in front of me and I knew I had to slow down a little. There were a lot of twists and turns on the path and falling off a mountain for Valentine’s Day was not my idea of romantic.

  I checked my watch again.

  6:20am. Come on…Only 8 more minutes…

  And there was the spot. I pulled over and jumped down from the Jeep, rushing over to the trunk to grab a duffel bag. I was glad I was bundled up in my flannel-lined jeans, a thick, navy-blue sweater, a fleece neck-warmer, gloves, and my ranger bomber. It was thirty degrees out, and I was sure to tell Blanca to dress warmly when I woke her up. I walked over to the other side to help her down, and she jumped out of the Jeep, sporting an outfit that closely resembled my own: a black turtleneck sweater, skinny jeans, fur-lined boots, mittens, and a parka. I watched her put her hood up and then grabbed her by the hand, leading her to the site.

  I took a final scan of the area, making sure everything was perfect.

  “Can I take the blindfold off now?” Blanca was shivering a little and sounded slightly annoyed. She didn’t really like the cold, but I was about to help with that.

  “Not yet. I’m going to help you sit down, okay?”

  “Sit down? In the friggin snow?”

  “Just trust me, Blanca.” I said, reassuringly.

  I helped her down onto a blanketed area that she couldn’t see. I had laid out two comforters on a patch of ground that I cleared the snow from so it wouldn’t melt under us as we sat. I watched her feel around her.

  “It’s soft, but not wet. So, it’s not snow…”

  “You’re right; it’s not snow,” I laughed, sitting next to her. I pulled two more comforters out of the bag I brought from the Jeep and wrapped one around her. She snuggled into the blanket and I thought it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. I smiled and pulled out two thermoses, guiding one into her hands.

  “It’s so warm!” She seemed intrigued. “What is it?”

  I opened hers and positioned it at her lower lip.

  “Blow.” Just when I thought she couldn’t get any cuter, she let out small breaths against the cup, almost completely missing the opening. I hoped it wouldn’t be too hot for her. “Okay, drink.”

  She tentatively placed the thermos against her mouth again and sipped it slowly.

  “Peppermint hot chocolate, my favorite!” A huge smile spread across her face as she took another sip of the sweet, creamy drink.

  I checked my watch. Oh shit! I almost missed it!

  I quickly removed her blindfold and she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. Once her eyes adjusted, she looked in front of her and that’s when it happened.

  In the distance was Hunters Beach, the water crashing against the rocks. The sun had just burst into the sky, rising almost as if from underneath the water. I glanced over to her and her mouth was open in amazement, her eyes lighting up as the sun shone on them.

  “Oh my gosh, Trent; it’s breathtaking!”

  “Yeah…and so are you…” I whispered. Seeing the sunrise against her face was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She looked over at me with a loving smile and threw her arms around my neck, her lips against mine. We shared a deep and passionate kiss, warming me from the inside out. She didn’t seem to mind that the blanket had fallen off her.

  “Thank you…” she said, finally pulling back. I saw tears pooling in her eyes.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby. Every day, I’m so grateful you decided to stay up here with me,” I said, pecking her lips. She settled into my arms and I wrapped the blankets around us, making a mini fort. She sipped her hot chocolate and I grabbed mine, planting a kiss on the side of her head.

  “I love you, Blanca.” I whispered into her ear.

  “I love you too, Trent.” She turned her head to kiss me again, beaming, and she turned back to the sunrise. We watched as the sunl
ight spread across Acadia, over us, lighting up the whole world, and I smiled, thinking of how we got to see it first that day.

  THE END

  Part IV

  Werewolf Baby Daddy

  Packs Of The Pacific Northwest

  Werewolf Baby Daddy

  Sera Simpson’s fears become a reality when she learns that her sister Aiza has perished in a tragic accident. The case is quickly closed, but Sera’s instincts tell her that there is more to her sister’s untimely demise than meets the eye.

  It turns out that Aiza had a strange connection to the Wolf Brotherhood, a local gang of criminal werewolves. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Sera searches Portland for any clue that will shed light on the question. What she finds instead might be an even greater boon: Seth, a gorgeous wolf who wants to help her–in more ways than one.

  Seth is also on the hunt for members of the Wolf Brotherhood after two of his pack mates have gone missing. When he suggests that he and Sera combine forces in their search efforts, neither could ever dream that it would be the spark that ignites the raging fire burning between them.

  This werewolf unlocks her deepest desires and has the skill and prowess to make her forget all of her troubles with a single touch. He’s like a drug, and she finds herself craving more and more. He makes her head spin and her deliciously curvy body ache for his love, and after a lust-fueled night of passion, Sera becomes pregnant with his pup.

  Sera isn’t going to give up her search for answers, though. With Seth’s help, she vows to get to the bottom of the mystery once and for all. But can they find the answers they seek before the Brotherhood finds them?