Kalkin

by Tl Reeve

  “Bodhi,” Kalkin answered. “What are you doing down here? Shouldn’t you be upstairs helping Mrs. Martin with the other children?”

  The boy belonged at home with them, but after the pain and degradation Jace took because of his natural abilities along with him being a shifter, he couldn’t bear the sight of his son. No one really knew what happened, but when their brother stumbled back into town, broken and battered, carrying a small bundle in his arms, Kalkin didn’t question his brother’s decisions. Ten years later they were still waiting for Jace to open up and tell them of his time with the PBH—Paranormal Bounty Hunters.

  So, for the most part, they avoided the subject and visited Bodhi every chance they had. He knew Kalkin and Caden as what they were, the sheriff and a deputy, like the rest of his family. The black-haired, blue-eyed replicate of his father stared up at Kalkin with such wide-eyed wonder.

  “I should,” he answered with a sigh. “When I grow up, I want to be like you and Caden.”

  “Nah, think bigger, kid,” Caden said, ruffling his hair. “Much bigger.”

  “You coming to the festivities?” Bodhi’s eyes lit up, silently hoping they’d say yes while changing the subject.

  The county began calling it the Strawberry Moon Festival about fifty years ago. It occurred during the first full moon of the summer solstice, as a celebration of “harvest” and “new life.” The truth was, they used the name to cover for what really happened. It had been a hell of a lot easier to explain to humans who happened to stumble upon or those who came for the activities—mating. For three days, shifters felt the pull the strongest to find their mate and consummate their newfound relationships.

  “You know it, squirt,” Kalkin answered.

  “Awesome. I’ll see you then!” He gave a wave then scurried up the stairs to the second level of Mrs. Martin’s shop.

  “Dumb kid,” Jeremy popped off.

  Kalkin growled. “What did you say?” Anger coursed through him. No one spoke about his nephew like that.

  “If he thinks he’ll become a sheriff or deputy when he gets older, he’s wrong. No one wants an orphan.” The kid smirked.

  The urge to wring his scrawny neck had been tempting. Way too fucking tempting. “That’s where you’re wrong. He’ll be anything and everything he wants to be when he grows up.” Kalkin started the vehicle. “Let’s go.”

  Caden handed Mrs. Martin some money to take care of whatever the orphans might need for a few days while he belted Jeremy into the backseat. Once his brother slid into the passenger side, they drove back to the station.

  Jeremy wasn’t a bad kid. He hung out with the wrong group of boys. A faction of the young pups from the old Quincy pack in Rio Rancho, New Mexico were beginning to show back up in town and were trying to recruit. Kalkin caught them a few times and sent them home. A few times, it had nearly come to blows, but he didn’t beat children already abused by their parents. “You know, Jeremy, you keep going down this path and it’ll only cause you problems you don’t want to be involved in.”

  “The Quincy pack is making a comeback. They’ve got the lowdown. They’re our future,” Jeremy shot back. “The time of Raferty rule is at an end.”

  “The Quincy pack is nothing but trouble.” Kalkin gripped the wheel tight. “They—”

  Caden pressed his hand firmly against his brother’s chest. “Kid, you got another think coming if you think Quincy is the right move for you.”

  “You just watch.”

  Kalkin pulled up to the front of the station and got out. He didn’t want to hear about the Quincy pack. If it wasn’t for them, Mackenzie, their older brother, and Royce’s father, would still be with them. As it stood, he’d been missing for over fifteen years and no matter how many leads they followed, it always ended up at a dead end.

  Damn it, Mac. Why the hell did you have to go after her?

  Mackenzie followed his “mate,” Marjorie, on the night of the full moon festivities. The eyewitness reports had their brother heading north, out of pack lands and into Quincy territory. When he didn’t return three days later, they found out that the girl Mackenzie believed to be his had mated the Alpha of the Quincy pack. No one had seen hide or hair of him since. All the hiding spots, the dens they made on the property, and beyond into the little bluffs were empty. It had been as if he’d completely disappeared off the face of the planet.

  “Come on, kid.” Kalkin grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him into the station. Loraine sat at the front desk, while two other deputies milled around. The sheriff’s department encompassed not only Window Rock, but all of Apache County, like his pack. He hadn’t always planned on being the sheriff and the pack Alpha; it just sort of happened.

  “Look alive, people.” He stopped in front of Loraine. “We’re taking Jeremy back to a cell. Call Judge Roderick Benedict. We want him arraigned by tomorrow morning so he can begin cleaning up Mrs. Martin’s shop.”

  “On it, Sheriff.” Loraine’s chocolate-brown hair swayed as she grabbed the phone, while also picking up the booking clipboard. “Cell three is open for you, Kalkin. Hal over there brought in a drunk driver last night.” She flipped through her rolodex—the only woman he knew of who didn’t like having a cell phone, nor did she have any kind of digital device to make her job a thousand times easier. She was completely old school. She didn’t even own a computer. All their reports were typed out with an old IBM Wheelwriter.

  Kalkin nodded. “Let me know when you get in touch with the judge.”

  After Jeremy had been processed and put in the cell next to the DUI suspect, they walked back out to the front. Loraine informed him Judge Benedict would be in chambers by eight a.m. and Jeremy would be the first case on the docket. She then placed a few reports in front of him, which required his signature. Part of Kalkin wanted to run out of the building and race home just so he could get a glimpse of Keeley, and make sure both women were safe, of course. The other part of him told him he was a foolish idiot who had no claims on either of the women. Yet, even though he had been focused on his job the whole time they were with Mrs. Martin and while booking the kid, his mind had drifted back to the woman who remained a mystery to him. Tuesday, he promised himself. Tuesday he would go talk to the only realtor in the area. Hopefully the older man would tell him a little bit about Danielle and her sister, Keeley. “It’ll be nice having a vet in the area again,” Caden said, breaking Kalkin from his thoughts while driving home. “Especially if something happens to one of us while we’re shifted.”

  “Do you even hear yourself right now?” Kalkin shook his head. “How do you plan on explaining what we are to Danielle, if one of our wolves shifts back to their human form while she’s treating them?”

  “Well, we both know there is something different about Danielle and Keeley, so maybe it won’t seem weird for them.”

  “Yes, because humans have been supportive of shifters after we came out. You’re completely nuts, brother.” Kalkin pulled back up to their home and threw the Jeep into park. “Look, for now we watch them, and figure out what the hell they’re doing here.”

  “They’re not the enemy, Kal.” Caden opened his door and got out, before heading toward the house.

  “No?” Kalkin questioned, getting out on the driver’s side. “Does Mackenzie ring a bell?”

  “Don’t, bro. We both know something more happened and we may never really know the whole truth.” Caden stepped onto the porch. “Don’t talk about it in front of Royce either.”

  They had one strict rule when talking about Mac. Never say a word about him in front of Royce. Any time they’d brought up his father in front of him when he’d been younger, he lost it. The boy missed his father immensely. There’d been only so much the brothers could do for Royce. A boy needed his father. Something not even their parents provided for them.

  They never wanted them, in fact. There were always ways to prevent pregnancy for wolves. Don’t fuck during the full moon or use protection outside of the full moon. But,
somehow the drugged-out hicks, i.e. their parents, didn’t get the memo. A ten-year-old Mackenzie, five-year-old twins and a two-year-old Jace were dropped off at a local shelter as pups for adoption. It would be nearly two years later before they were brought back to pack lands and shifted from their wolf form. Thank fuck Mrs. Martin and her husband Russell found them and brought them home. Had anyone else, he was sure they would have died. Maybe it’d been what their parents hoped for—their death.

  “Yeah, you don’t have to worry,” Kalkin snapped. “Tuesday, I’m going to do a little digging on the girls. I’ll start with the realtor.”

  “You attract more bees with honey.” Jace came around the corner at them from the kitchen. “Danielle is definitely the talker of the two. I bet if a certain someone”—he looked to Caden—“got her to talk. You’d find out everything.”

  “Who asked you anyway?” Kalkin stomped into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He grabbed a beer for himself, then tossed one to his brother. They’d earned them.

  “Oh and I have an interview with a new deputy applicant.” Jace gave his brother a quizzical look. “Are you sure we need more officers on the force?”

  “Right about now, the more the merrier.” He sighed. “Looks like Quincy might be back up to their old shit. We just arrested Jeremy for vandalism. He’s adamant they’re growing stronger and coming back.” He had a couple people he could question, but he’d have to be sneaky about it. He couldn’t risk Everett’s life trying to get the information he needed on Raymond nor could he blow the guy’s cover.

  “Shit.” Jace leaned against the door jamb. “Did he say anything else?”

  “Nope. He shut up the minute he sat down inside the cell. The boy thought he’d talked back to us and been a bad ass, but the minute I locked him in, he reverted to being a baby.”

  “I thought he’d start crying.” Caden shrugged. “I expected it.”

  “Anyway, we need all the help we can get, just in case.”

  “On it. This guy’s name is Logan Wagner. He’s from Arizona. He’s been a detective for Phoenix PD for five years, and he needs a change of scenery,” Jace supplied.

  “Human or wolf?” Not that it mattered. Knowing from the get go made it easier on them.

  “Wolf. He specifically said he knew about our pack, and he’d been with us as a teen, ten years ago.”

  Wagner…Wagner, it would drive Kalkin crazy until he could remember the kid. “Well if you think he has what it takes, sign him up. I’ll approve it.”

  “Thanks.” Jace nodded. “I’m heading out in a little bit. I’ll be back tomorrow night late. I have some stuff I need to take care of.”

  “Yeah, man. I understand. Just be careful.” Kalkin knew exactly where Jace needed to go. They didn’t question him. If he wanted to talk about it, they’d be there, waiting for him.

  Kalkin walked back into the living room and looked out the bay window toward Keeley’s place. It would seem he, too, had some work to do. “What is it about you, Keeley, that calls to me?” He took a sip from his beer. “What are you hiding from us?”

  His wolf paced below the surface, waking from his almost dormant state. Mate. The word shocked him to his very foundation. Raferty men didn’t have mates. They were destined to be alone. His wolf harrumphed him. Mate. Well shit. Now what?

  Chapter Two

  The infernal beeping of her alarm woke Keeley from a very erotic dream of a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed, sexy-as-sin sheriff. Damn it. She reached over and turned it off before rolling on her back with a groan and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling of her new bedroom. Although the dreams were amazing and left her aching for more, they nonetheless interrupted her blissfully/ignorantly normal existence.

  Or, at least it’s what she told herself, anyway.

  Keeley pushed the covers off her as she sat up. She had a lot to do this morning and lazing around while thinking about the oh so tall and devastatingly good-looking sheriff wasn’t one of them. Yet, sitting there, she took a moment to indulge in the erotic haze clinging to her. If she were back home, none of this would be happening to her.

  However, leaving had been the right thing to do. It had been for their own protection. After she and Danielle settled in for the night, she’d spent several hours covering their trail from Colorado to Arizona. It had been relatively easy for her to erase their electronic footprint from certain computer systems, especially since she’d gone to school to become a forensic computer analyst, something that boosted her already epic hacking skills.

  Perfecting her skills, however, had taken a while. Her signatures in the computer coding had grown craftier after the first attack and by the third, her digital footprint had become almost nonexistent. Yet, no matter how many times she erased Dani and herself, Simon showed back up into their lives, forcing them to start all over again in another city, or in a completely new state—like they were now.

  Keeley shuffled into the bathroom, trying to work out some of the aches and pains tightening her muscles. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and her gaze landed directly on the bruise to her right cheek. It stood out in stark contrast to her pale skin. Thankfully only a small ring of dark purple marred the healing shades of yellow and green. A few more days and it would be completely gone, taking with it the last remnants of Simon and his crap. Finally, maybe she and Danielle could live in peace.

  The black and blue mark Simon left behind on her wrist ached. The angry wound shone brightly against her pale flesh. It probably would for a couple more weeks. Had Danielle not knitted the broken bone when she did, Keeley would have lost the use of her arm. She ran her fingertip across the section of her wrist where Simon had cut her open with the six-inch blade and frowned. How had their lives gotten so far out of control? How had she let someone like her rat-bastard ex into her life?

  It hadn’t always been this way. At one point, she’d been happy with Simon. They had a good life together, and her sister had a fantastic animal clinic. They’d fit in to society perfectly, and then one day, poof. It’d all been gone. She supposed she should have seen it coming, being a telepath and all, but she’d figured out after the fact that he had some of the strongest mental shields she’d ever come up against.

  Keeley pulled off her shirt and checked out the discoloration of her ribcage. Simon’s men hadn’t broken anything, but it didn’t negate the way her breath hitched every time she tried to move or bend. Keeley turned to the side. Little rings of her healed skin dotted the area of the bruising. Seeing those areas went a long way to making her feel better. Nevertheless, she had to stay on her toes.

  Safety was the word of the day.

  If her sister found out how much work she’d been doing, Dani would have yelled at her, but between the drive and covering their tracks, she had to keep going. She would rest when they were hidden, protected from those who wanted to hurt her and her sister.

  The state-of-the-art security system she bought while cutting a swath through New Mexico into Arizona needed to be installed. She preferred to have it in place before their nosy neighbors across the creek woke up. She noticed yesterday the sheriff took his coffee out on the deck in the morning and a beer later in the evening after she assumed he was off duty. Habit, she figured. Still, she wanted to be finished before Kalkin stepped out onto his deck.

  No matter how irrational her anger had been, because they arbitrarily helped them move in, she couldn’t let it go. No one asked them to cross the stupid bridge separating them. They didn’t need their help. Keeley and Danielle had been on their own for a long time now. They were big girls.

  Deep down, however, she knew she shouldn’t be an ungrateful bitch. They took time out of their day to unload their massive moving truck when they didn’t have to. She supposed she should have breathed a sigh of relief. If she’d been honest with herself, they were in no shape to do it on their own. The truck would still be sitting in the driveway, and it would have taken them at least a week to empty it. Damn it.

 
Frustration rushed through her as she pulled on a pair of sweats and a lightweight t-shirt. While she’d been trying to figure out every way to forget about her neighbors, Danielle chatted away with Caden, like they were long lost best friends. Hadn’t Danielle been hurt enough? Hadn’t her sister learned never to trust anyone in law enforcement? She supposed the attraction for her sister was the badge, the safety and security it represented, but if that were the case, what happened to Simon? Keeley threw on a pair of socks and her hikers then headed downstairs. She snagged her backpack, which she’d packed last night, then quickly scrawled out a note on the whiteboard for her sister, letting her know she’d be back, before leaving.

  When she stepped outside, the morning sky was still tinged in purples and blues. The deep orange light of the coming morning touched the horizon, slowly claiming the day for its own. She shivered. The heavy mist of the cool air floated over the creek and dappled the grass in a glassy hue. Keeley glanced over at the house across the creek, unable to help herself. Of course, she told herself she’d been checking to make sure no one saw her early morning hike, but a part of her hoped he did.

  Confident that no one was watching her, she took off for the farthest part of their two-acre plot. There she’d begin the arduous task of placing infrared sensors around the perimeter.

  Danielle had told her she was a little off her rocker when they had stopped in Yah Te-Hey, New Mexico and she had purchased the last few components she would need for the system. She loved living in Colorado, and it had been their home for the longest since everything went south. Before then it was Kansas, then Nebraska. Everywhere they’d been was one step farther from home in North Dakota, but it was worth it to keep Danielle safe.

  Of the both of them, her sister had been sought out most. In the psychic realm, finding someone who’d not only been an empath, but also had psychometric capabilities, made her a rare commodity. In her sister’s case, a bounty had been put on her at a young age. Though they’d spent most of their lives in obscurity, never reaching their true potential, the day had come when they realized running had been their only option. Falling in love with Simon along the way shouldn’t have happened. She understood why now. However, Keeley still couldn’t believe he’d been the bounty hunter sent for them. Now, it was up to her to protect them. Simon would never get them again if she had any say-so in the matter.