Searching for Home (Wolves of West Valley Book 2)

by Sarah J. Stone

  He'd considered being like Ivy, finding someone he thought did it and hunting them down, making them pay, but there was no evidence of who did it. No fingerprints, no identification on the weapon, no spilled blood. Whoever did it, had a plan and was smart about it.

  They'd killed entire families and gotten away without a scratch.

  Local police couldn't figure out why there were wolves mixed in with the bodies, but when shifters in the FBI stepped in, it was easy to cover up.

  Since the local police couldn't know the truth of the meeting because of the presence of the wolves, it was just easier for the killer to get away with it.

  Now Ivy thought he'd done it.

  This horrible crime that had ruined his life and left him stranded in the middle of nowhere, begging for a place to belong, and she thought he did this to himself. His gut was in knots, and he regretted stopping to eat, regretted even stopping in West Valley.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “We should get lunch together,” Sierra texted Anthony. She didn't include her name. She assumed he'd know who she was.

  She wanted a chance to talk to him, to figure out what they were. She wouldn't have to be at work for another six hours, and she hadn’t seen him at all since she stumbled out of his bed at two in the morning.

  “Sounds great. Where do you want to eat?” the text came through, and she smiled at it. It felt ridiculous to smile at her phone, but this was what he did to her. He made her feel giddy, wanted, and she loved that feeling.

  “There's an Italian place on my side of town I think you'd like,” she offered. She'd saved him in her phone as the wolf emoji as a joke, but it was fun seeing his replies pop up under the icons.

  “Wanna meet in an hour? Send me the address and I'll be there,” he texted.

  “Sounds great,” she smiled. She texted him the address and started getting ready. It was only a five-minute drive from her apartment, so she didn't have to worry about time.

  She knew that he'd already seen her messy right after sex, but she still wanted to look her best for him. She slid into a summer dress, even though the sun hadn't yet made a full return for the year, and loosely curled her short hair in large rings. The goal was to look comfortable, like she wasn't even trying.

  She wanted him to feel for her the same way she was discovering she felt about him.

  He showed up looking amazing in jeans and a t-shirt. It wasn't fair how little effort he had to put in to look incredible. She wanted to kiss him again, but instead, she settled for resting her foot against his under the table.

  “I didn't see you in the Casino yesterday,” she said as they started looking through the menu.

  “I was caught up in things with the locals,” he explained. “I have a meeting with some of them tonight to see if I can move here,” he added.

  “Move here?” This caught her off guard. She was glad he wanted to stay, but she was dying to get out and leave.

  “I want to build a life here, start fresh, maybe open my own shop,” he said.

  “Shop?”

  “I work as an auto mechanic,” Anthony turned the page of his menu.

  “I had no idea,” she admitted, surprised.

  “I'm having to use some of the inheritance from my mother right now, but eventually, I want to be able to work again,” he said.

  “I get that,” she agreed.

  “What's good here?” he asked, looking up at her.

  His eyes looked so tired. She hadn't gotten the chance to look at them yet.

  He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept.

  “I like the eggplant lasagna,” she offered. “How are you? Are you okay?” she asked, looking him over.

  “I'm fine. Just had trouble sleeping,” she could tell he wasn't being completely truthful. She didn't want to drill him on it, though, so she let it slide. “What about you? How are you?” he asked.

  “I'm not doing so great,” she decided to be honest. “My mother's mental health is quickly getting worse. I don't know if I'll be able to care for her for much longer,” she explained.

  “I'm sorry,” he said. He sounded honest. Sliding his hand across the table, he offered his palm to her. Sierra slid her hand into his and squeezed it for a moment.

  “She makes me want to get out of this town,” she admitted. “This whole town just feels like it's dying. More and more people are moving out of it. A lot of the shops here are permanently closed because the owners moved or couldn't sell anything.” It was becoming a rant, and she couldn't help herself. “I'd give anything to get out of here,” she said. “My father was killed by the local pack. He was trying to poach for money and didn't realize that the pack were people.” She'd accepted it so easily. She hadn't even considered that her mother might be wrong or that she was making it up.

  Who could make up something so terrible?

  “So, you're wanting to skip town?” his voice sounded a little tight.

  “Yeah,” she agreed. She wanted him to go with her. She wanted Anthony to hate the town as much as she did.

  Those words never left her lips, though. She couldn't be so selfish. He had to decide for himself whether he wanted to leave or stay. If she made him leave and they didn't work out, she'd never forgive herself. She couldn't make the choice for him.

  “What kind of meeting is the one tonight?” she asked after they'd finally been served their food.

  “I basically have to prove that I am what I say I am, and sell myself as a person for them to want as part of the pack,” he explained. “I don't have any degrees, or any pull in any institutions, plus I come from a pack that doesn't exist anymore, so I'm a hard sell,” he went on.

  “I'm sure they'll love you,” Sierra said, thinking to herself that if she fell for him so quickly, other people had to as well.

  “Thank you,” he said, taking a bite of the food. “This is delicious. Damn,” he said, scooping another bite into his mouth.

  “Yeah, don't live so heavily off the Casino's food. It's crap,” she laughed. “I'm off work tomorrow. We should eat in town again if you don't mind the trip out,” she offered.

  “I'd love that,” he agreed.

  Hearing him say the word 'love' made her feel like a teenager with a crush.

  She loved him.

  She had to admit it to herself because she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to admit it to him.

  When they had to part ways, she kissed him gently, not wanting him to leave. She needed to drive out of town to the Casino, and he said he was going to some bar that she'd never heard of. He held her gently, reverently, and she felt loved.

  Sierra watched him vanish in her rearview mirror as she headed back to her apartment to change for work, and couldn't help but feel like something was wrong that he wasn't telling her.

  She hated not knowing.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The building he was given directions to looked worn down.

  It looked like nobody had been in it in nearly twenty years. There were loads of cars outside, though, so he decided he was at the right place.

  The inside of the building was a different story.

  It was polished and well maintained. Obviously still a working bar, as almost everyone there had a glass in their hand. As he walked in, a few of the patrons gave him a look. He could see them pausing to breathe him in. So, he breathed them in as well.

  The place stunk of shifters.

  If anyone was ever looking to get shifters or find them, this place would have been heaven.

  There were at least a hundred when he arrived, and with each minute, more and more of them were filling in, crowding seats and tables. Most eyes were on him. He sat next to a surly, tall one at the bar who didn't even glance at him. Perfect – the less eyes on him, the better.

  “Carter, I see you've met the fresh blood,” James had arrived and was patting the back of the man who Anthony sat beside.

  “Who is he?” he asked
.

  “Sad story. He has no pack, just looking for a home,” James explained.

  “Hmm,” Carter replied, then went back to nursing his drink.

  “Hey, Anthony, what do you think of the bar?” James asked, motioning around.

  “It's nice. I like how the outside is disguised,” he admitted, dying for a drink.

  “Thank you. My father actually came up with that,” James said proudly. “You picked a good seat, actually. Usually, the Alpha stands over here to give announcements, so you'll be front and center,” he explained.

  It felt like it was supposed to be a compliment, but all it did was make Anthony nervous about how many eyes were going to be on him.

  The last time he'd been surrounded by this many shifters, they were dead.

  Having to be in surroundings like that again was making him uneasy.

  Another twenty minutes passed. Anthony was given a beer, but most people didn't talk to him or bother with him.

  Suddenly, the crowd grew quiet, and he could smell why.

  There was an Alpha in the surroundings.

  Anthony set his beer on the bar and turned around to look.

  He really was a child.

  Anthony was only twenty-six, just a couple years older than the Alpha, but the boy looked like he was sixteen. He was gangly, short, and had a nervous air about him that immediately smelled weak. He was an Alpha, though, so he was to be respected. If he hadn't been born with the damn star on the back of his neck, he wouldn't have even made a middle ranking in the pack.

  It was how things were, though, and how they always would be.

  Beside him, James seemed tense for a moment, and then relaxed, grabbing Anthony by the arm.

  “Alex, this is Anthony,” he introduced. “He's the stray who's looking for a spot in the pack,” James explained.

  “Ah, hello,” Alex reached out his hand, and Anthony shook it. It was almost laughable that this kid was supposed to be the pack leader. James was acting more like a leader than he was.

  “Go ahead and introduce yourself to the pack. Tell us what you can offer,” James said, stepping back. All eyes in the room were on him now.

  “Hey, I'm Anthony,” he introduced, raising his voice over the quiet of the bar. “I'm from the West Coast, my pack is gone, and I'm looking for a new home,” he explained. When Anthony mentioned his pack was gone, a murmur broke out among the crowd. “I'm a general mechanic, specializing in cars, so I can fix up anything the pack needs. I can also help with bartending if needed,” he joked. “I don't need any help getting a place. I'll be able to rent or buy a house no problem. I just want to be given a chance in the pack,” he went on.

  The crowd was quiet, no responses.

  “We'll let you know within a week. For now, feel free to enjoy the bar with us,” James said, and immediately the crowd got back to talking.

  “I don't know if saying your pack is dead was the best way to lead the introduction,” James admitted, getting a beer for himself from behind the bar.

  “I want to be honest with people,” Anthony said flatly, relaxing onto one of the stools.

  Nobody approached him as he nursed his beer, so he started trying to strike up conversation with others. He failed three times and ended up just giving up and drinking. Carter was good, quiet company, and he was thankful for that much. Nobody seemed to be too friendly with Carter either, besides James, but he didn't put too much thought into it.

  All packs were different and strange when compared. He wasn't going to act like he understood any of their dynamics from just meeting them all once.

  A couple people started to file out, and Anthony started to get ready to tell James he'd leave too, and then he heard a commotion.

  A couple of people were arguing, not wanting to let someone in, and when he turned to see what was happening, his stomach dropped, making the beers he'd had gurgle.

  He was nowhere close to drunk. He'd had his drinks slowly, but his head spun all the same.

  Ivy was trying to make her way in, bickering with everyone.

  “Let her through,” Alex said over the noise. Everyone quieted immediately, and Ivy was allowed to walk to the bar to Anthony. “What do you want?” Alex asked, looking her over.

  “That man, Anthony, is a pack killer,” she said, glaring at him. “He killed his pack at a meeting, the pack that included my brother and his sister and mother, and he fled town the second he got the chance,” she said angrily. She was almost shaking in fury.

  He hated how convinced she was that he'd done it.

  He didn't.

  He wasn't even in town.

  The night swept back at him, images of everyone he’d known and loved in that town haunting him as loudly as they had been every time he slept in the last couple months. His stomach dropped, and he had to struggle to stay on his feet.

  “I was proven innocent. I wasn't anywhere near the meeting,” Anthony said, correcting her. It didn't do much. There was already heavy murmuring among the crowd. It was hot gossip that didn’t affect them; of course they bit at it immediately.

  “Now I've looked into the case. He was hours out of town when it happened. He didn't do it,” James corrected them, sounding cross. “If we're going to listen to every stranger who wanders in, we're never going to know the truth,” his voice was stern. Anthony was touched by how strongly James was standing up for him. He seemed to be the unspoken leader of the pack, like the actual Alpha, instead of the kid a few feet away that looked like he hadn’t worked an actual job in his entire life.

  The crowd murmured more, though, and Ivy spoke up again.

  “He's dating a non-shifter, by the way,” she added.

  Anthony's world froze.

  His heart felt like it had stopped in his chest, and all warmth left him.

  “I have photo evidence of them kissing this afternoon. I don't know what kind of pack you lead, but don't most packs see this as diluting the bloodline?” she asked, obviously knowing the answer. Growing up, she'd dated non-shifters, too, everyone in their pack had. It helped her cause, though, if she made him out to be the bad guy.

  James turned to him, his face fallen in shock and disappointment.

  “Is this true?” he asked him.

  “Yeah, I have no defense to this,” Anthony admitted, bowing his head. He wasn't going to lie about dating Sierra. He would have happily left it out, but he'd never deny his feelings for her. They were too real, too honest, and he didn't want to muddy them with his pride. The murmuring had turned into shouting, and someone threw a beer bottle at him.

  “It's best if you leave,” James said, taking the beer from Anthony's hands.

  Anthony pushed through the crowd to get out. Someone landed a hard punch on his shoulder, but he kept going. He wanted to blame Ivy for this, to say that her pushing his truths into the light is what made him lose the pack, but he knew that wasn't the truth.

  Not all of it was his choice. He hadn't purposefully shifted in front of Sierra, but a lot of it was his fault.

  He chose to date Sierra.

  He chose to sleep with her.

  He loved her, and that was his own fault. He couldn't hate Ivy for this one, as much as he was hurt that her anger at him had gone so deep that she'd been stalking him.

  The drive back to the hotel was quiet and long.

  He wasn't completely lost now. He could try to appeal to them, try to explain the situation and the bond they shared. He'd swear that Sierra was his fated mate if he didn't know that those only existed between shifters. He wanted to stay in this town that made her as fantastic as it did. He wanted to help look after her mother. He wanted to live a life with her.

  It all depended on the next three days.

  If the pack completely turned on him, he'd have to leave town and never look back. If they didn't, he had a chance to make it up to them, to build a life where he could, and finally grow roots.

  He could only wait a
nd see.

  Chapter Eighteen

  It wasn’t the first time the hospital had called her work.

  Not in her life, not in the year, hell not even in that same month.

  Sierra’s mother had been quickly degenerating. Losing pieces of her mind and self as though they were ashes in a strong breeze. With them went pieces of Sierra as well, stuck to watch her mother go through not knowing where she was. Not knowing who she was.

  The drive from the Casino to the hospital had become a familiar one. She’d been able to compare times, figuring it took between thirty and thirty-five minutes. She’d blare music if she could find anything she liked. If not, she was stuck with her own mind.

  How many times was she going to let her mother be at risk like this?

  How many more times did she have before it would get too serious?

  Sierra wanted to blame Miss Jean, wanted to say that she called for ambulances more often than she should, but when it came down to it, she was glad that she was calling them. Rather this than her not calling when it was important.

  Sierra’s grip tightened on her steering wheel as she entered into West Valley. She didn’t want to feel the guilt that was eating away at her, but she knew that it was rightfully hers.

  She was being selfish in keeping her mother at home.

  Her mother had great insurance plus enough money left from her accounts to live a very comfortable life in assisted living. She’d be able to live at least twenty years in a facility off of just that, and by then, Sierra would be able to afford to step in and do the rest, but…

  There was always the but.

  She didn’t want strangers caring for her mother. She wasn’t the kind to just dump this woman who raised her and molded her into the person she is into some cold building for strangers to watch after her. Sierra didn’t want to imagine her mother, strong her entire life, having to be at the whim of someone who only took care of her because they were paid to do it.

  It was pride.

  The hospital showed up in her vision, and Sierra took a few breaths to calm down.