But it was too late. Rutley had to force his gaze away from the horrific damage the werewolf was doing to his mother. His poor mother.....
“You son of a bitch!” His father’s voice broke with emotion as he made a dive for his gun and pointed it towards the black wolf. “You fucking son of a bitch!”
The black wolf was turned in his direction and ready to attack when a red wolf tackled it to the ground. Fangs snapped and claws scratched as the two werewolves wrestled. Mr. Holter was trying to point his gun at one or the other, but he was shaking too badly to get a proper shot. Rutley wiped the tears away from his face as he watched the events unfold. The black wolf whined as the red wolf’s fangs pierced the flesh of its back and then it took off into the woods.
“You bastard,” Mr. Holter wept as he kept his gun aimed at the red wolf. “That was my wife.”
Rutley was hardly surprised when the red wolf transformed in front of his father. It was Dimitri’s mother.
“No fucking way.” Rutley whispered.
She covered her naked flesh to the best of her ability as she limped towards him. The shot Mr. Holter had taken at her only moments before had gotten her in her left leg. She winced with each step, but pushed herself to keep walking. She was such a strong woman. Rutley admired that.
“I am sorry,” she whispered as she gazed down at Mr. Holter. “I am sorry for what he has done to your wife.”
“Don’t talk about my wife,” Mr. Holter snapped as he pushed himself up from the ground and stared at her angrily. “This is your fault, bitch.”
Dimitri’s mother dropped her gaze to the ground briefly and remained silent. Rutley wasn’t sure what was happening until she turned to walk away. His father fell to his knees by his mother’s poor body and the pain in his father’s cries caused Rutley to break all over again. He’d never known the details behind her death and now that he did......he wished he could make it go away.
Mr. Holter looked up again when the female wolf returned. She was carrying Dimitri in her arms and the look in her eyes portrayed sadness and fear.
“Please protect him,” she whispered. “They know where I am now and I cannot keep him safe on my own. Please take my son.”
“Are you insane?” Mr. Holter hissed as he glared at her. “I’m not taking your murderous little pup! I should kill both of you for this! I should....” His emotions were all over the place as he sobbed and lifted a bloodied hand to wipe at his eyes. “We have a son too. She was a mother too. And now he won’t have his mother because of you.”
Dimitri’s mother flinched as she moved a hand to cover one of Dimitri’s ears. She didn’t want him to hear the filth escaping Rutley’s father’s lips as he called her everything but a red wolf.
“.....Whatever you’re dealing with, you can do it on your own. I don’t have any interest in helping you or that little bastard. Get out of here before I blow your head off.”
Rutley felt himself being pulled out of Dimitri’s mind and try as he might, he couldn’t stick around to see what else happened on the night his father died on the inside.
It took a few seconds for his head to feel right again, but when it did he made sure that his arms were tightly circled around his alpha’s trembling body. Dimitri was breathing heavily as a small sob escaped from between his lips.
“You’re okay,” Rutley whispered as he nuzzled his nose against his cheek. “I’m right here. You’re okay.”
Dimitri was gulping down oxygen as if he’d been drowning and maybe in a sense he had been. His fingertips dug into Rutley’s side as he tried to calm himself down.
“I’m here,” Rutley repeated. He inhaled the scent of Dimitri’s perspiration and his eyes fluttered to a close. All he wanted to do was comfort him. He wanted to make the bad go away. “You’re safe.”
“What....happened?” Dimitri asked hoarsely. “What was I dreaming?”
“About your mom,” Rutley answered honestly. He pulled back to gaze into his alpha’s eyes and noted how his hazel hues were glowing. The dream had really gotten to him, hadn’t it? “You were dreaming of your mother.”
“Oh.” He leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes. His chest and neck glistened from a thin sheet of sweat as he pushed his hair away from his face. Judging from that reaction, Rutley was guessing Dimitri often dreamed of his mother.
“Who is Pierce?” Rutley dared to ask after a few beats of silence. He kept his eyes on his alpha as Dimitri’s tongue wetted his lips. He needed to know who that man in the dreams was.
“Um....” Dimitri pinched at the bridge of his nose and shook his head slowly. “That name sounds familiar but I’m not sure I can recall who he is right off hand. Why?”
“We really need to find out who he is.” Rutley replied softly.
Twenty-one
December 24th
I wish I had someone. I have never felt more alone in my life. It’s ironic to think I was doing this for my family, but where are they now? I am completely alone in this place and things are getting worse. I cannot sleep. I cannot eat. I feel so sick and I know what is wrong with me.
Rutley’s dreams have become my dreams. Dimitri’s nightmares are now my nightmares. Now I know what a monster my father is. I have made a huge mistake.
There is a new she-wolf living with them and I have been infected with jealousy. It is not fair that she gets to be with my mates and I am forced to hide away in this apartment. I am suffocating. I need them and I cannot approach them in fear of being killed for my betrayal.
Everything is a mess and I don’t know what to do. I cannot let this happen. If I do, I am a monster just like my father. I cannot believe that he has done such horrific things and dares to say it is for the betterment of our kind. Calic would be so disappointed.
Calic, forgive me for what I have done. Help me to know how to make it right.
-Kia
————————————
“Why are we here so early?” Presley asked tiredly as she followed Lorcan into his parents’ house. “I thought we weren’t doing the Christmas Eve dinner until tonight.”
“I’m not really sure what we’re doing yet.” Lorcan admitted as he held her tiny hand tightly within his own. He entered the cozy atmosphere of his parents’ living room and was surprised to see so many familiar faces. Louisa, Greg, Beau, and Sammy were seated on the couch and his father was in his usual spot-the recliner.
“Oh! You’re here!” Mrs. Bamey exclaimed from the kitchen as she turned off the faucet and wiped her hands off against her apron. “I am so glad you could make it so early. Presley, I’m sorry I had to wake you so early. I know you must be tired.”
“I’m fine.” Presley reassured her as she leaned against Lorcan. He smiled inwardly as he kissed the top of her blond curls and studied his mother.
“So what’s up with the early get together?” Lorcan questioned as he guided Presley to the love seat and helped her sit down. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his father.
“Beau here has some news,” his father grunted. “But we’re waiting on a few more people to get here first.”
Just how important? Lorcan glanced at Beau and they exchanged a nod. They were getting along better these days.
The sound of another vehicle pulling up caused every head in the house to turn towards the door.
“Oh! That must be Natalie!” Mrs. Bamey hurried towards the front door. “And she picked up Arnold like I asked her to. Good.”
“Who else is invited to this shindig?” Lorcan asked curiously as he scratched the back of his neck. If his mother had orchestrated a surprise meeting then it had to be for a good reason. Or a bad one. Urseth he hoped it wasn’t a bad one. Hadn’t they had enough craziness with the Davey outburst already? He didn’t want Presley to be under any unnecessary stress.
“Just the wolves,” his father replied as he pushed himself up from the recliner just in time to greet Presley’s uncle. “Glad to see ya, Arnie. How are ya?”<
br />
“I feel like shit,” Presley’s uncle replied as he felt his way towards the kitchen. “Got any coffee?”
“We always have coffee.” Mr. Bamey chuckled.
Lorcan allowed his gaze to move from one person to the other as Natalie Carroll entered the premises and embraced her niece immediately.
“Hi, Aunt Natalie. Are you doing okay? Is everything all right?” Presley asked as she wrapped her arms around the older woman.
“It’s fine, sweetie.” Natalie reassured her before straightening back up and glancing at Lorcan. He nodded to her and noted the small smile she returned. She was lying, wasn’t she? He could sense it. Surely to Urseth Presley had picked up on it too.
‘What’s going on, Lorcan?’ Presley asked in his mind as his jawline tightened.
‘I wish I knew, baby.’ He replied honestly as their gazes locked.
Presley’s bottom lip disappeared between her teeth as her thin eyebrows knitted together. Damn it. He hated when she worried so much. He didn’t want her to worry about anything. Whatever was going on needed to be brought to the light as soon as possible.
“How much longer until Dimitri gets here?” Beau asked as he glanced at his watch. “Every second counts right now.”
What the hell was that supposed to be mean? Lorcan felt his skin tingling from the anxiety growing in his chest. Was it really that bad?
The sound of a car engine in the distance told him that Dimitri would be there soon enough. He cleared his throat and moved towards the door to open it for the only two werewolves he’d ever trust.
“Oh, good,” Mrs. Bamey sighed. “Can I get anyone else some coffee?”
No one said anything. A car door slammed shut and then heavy boots hit against the steps as Lorcan turned the knob and pulled open the door. Dimitri lowered his head to step inside and his gaze immediately fell to Presley.
“Sorry I’m late,” Dimitri stated as he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over one arm. “Had a bit of an issue.”
“Is everything all right?” Mrs. Bamey frowned.
“It will be,” Dimitri glanced at Lorcan and then offered his hand to him. “Hey.”
“Hey, Dim,” Lorcan nodded and shook his hand before he glanced outside. “Where’s Rutley?”
“He’s staying with the new girl,” Dimitri rolled his eyes but it happened so quickly that Lorcan could’ve been mistaken. “But I am here. What’s going on?”
“I believe Beau is the person you’ll want to listen to right now,” Mr. Bamey responded as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and stared at them. His gaze moved to Presley and then he tucked them away once more. “Go ahead, son.”
Once everyone was settled and seemingly paying attention, Beau leaned forward and rested his forearms against his knees.
“I believe I understand what is happening to Kadenburg now,” he started softly. “I took Sammy away to find answers because she is not fully human. We needed to figure out what she was and what has drawn her back to this town. I fear what we discovered is more than I bargained for.”
Lorcan only knew of Sammy only because she worked at the sheriff’s department. He’d had a run-in with her two years prior when he got caught for speeding, and then again when Liam died. She was one of the deputies who worked the crime scene and she was the only one who offered her condolences for his loss. He could never forget that.
Presley knew of Sammy through Louisa, who had explained the entire story of Colin abducting them and stating that Sammy would be of great use to him. That was the only red flag Lorcan needed to understand the woman was special. But how special was she?
“We returned to Sammy’s supposed hometown of Sero City, California. What we found out there is quite shocking and I must ask you all to prepare yourselves for what I am about to say.”
Lorcan stepped closer to Presley and reached down to touch her shoulder gently. Her fingers caressed his knuckles in a comforting manner as Mrs. Bamey returned from the kitchen.
‘What do you think he found out?’ Presley’s voice asked in Lorcan’s mind.
‘I’m not sure but do you see how nervous Louisa is acting? Can you feel what she’s feeling right now?’ His eyes were on the younger female as she gripped Greg’s hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. She was watching her cousin with an expression Lorcan couldn’t read. Fear, perhaps?
‘She is worried,’ Presley replied after a few seconds. ‘She is scared too. I just don’t know what’s going on in her head.’
“Sammy came to Kadenburg because her parents were murdered a few years ago while they were visiting our town. She wanted to know why they were killed because our outstanding sheriff’s department never solved the murder.”
“I’m not surprised.” Mr. Bamey snorted.
“Sammy’s grandmother had quite a bit to say about her parents and I feel it is only right to discuss this with all of you because we are all involved now,” Beau gazed at Presley and then his eyes moved to the sightless ursithrope standing behind her with a cup of coffee. “How old were you when Meredith McClintock died, Arnold?”
The question caught everyone off guard as Arnold froze mid-sip of his coffee. His useless eyes stayed planted on the floor as his eyebrows furrowed together. Presley’s mouth fell open and Mrs. Bamey gasped. How in the hell could Beau ask a question like that?
“What does Meredith have to do with this?” Mrs. Bamey asked quietly as she lifted a hand to rest over her heart. “Beau, what exactly are you trying to do?”
“I am sorry, Mrs. Bamey. It’s a question I need the answer to,” Beau frowned. “I realize it is difficult for Arnold, but I have to know. I need to be sure.”
“Sure of what?” Mr. Bamey mumbled as he scratched the back of his head. “All you’re doing is bringing up hurtful memories and I reckon Arnie’s had enough of that to last him a lifetime.”
“Please,” Sammy whispered as she lifted her wide tearful eyes to gaze at Mr. Bamey pleadingly. “I need to know.”
Lorcan felt as Presley’s fingers tightened around his and he knew she was watching her uncle carefully. Meredith McClintock was the young woman Arnold chose over Natalie Carroll and it cost him dearly. He learned the hard way, much like Presley, that humans and ursithropes just didn’t mix.
Arnold released a low breath and his nostrils flared as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Natalie gazed at him with a mixture of pain and sadness in her eyes as they awaited his response.
“I was just two weeks shy of my eighteenth birthday when Meredith passed. I paid the preacher off to get our license,” he laughed sadly and shook his head. “I reckon I would’ve been wiser just to leave well enough alone but I loved her too much to see her with someone else...”
“If Meredith had survived and your baby had been born, how old would that child be now?” Beau prompted carefully.
Arnold was silent for a long while and Lorcan knew he was figuring the numbers up in his head.
‘Why is he asking questions about Meredith?’ Presley wondered in Lorcan’s mind.
‘He has to have a reason,’ Lorcan promised as he squeezed her shoulder. ‘He wouldn’t bring up something so painful if there wasn’t a purpose for it.’
“That was back in nineteen eighty three so I reckon I’d have a thirty year old son or daughter,” Arnold sighed. “Is that all you needed, Bobo? ‘Cause I need a stiff drink now.”
“No, Arnold. That isn’t all I needed.” Beau replied apologetically as he glanced at Sammy again. The slender brunette slowly pushed herself up from the couch and it wasn’t hard to pick up on her anxiety as she moved across the room to stand in front of Arnold.
“My grandmother told me that my parents returned to Kadenburg to see an old friend,” she said in a trembling voice. “She said my mother couldn’t live with the guilt of her crimes for a moment longer and she needed to make things right.”
“What the hell is she talking about?” Mr. Bamey asked as he strained to gaze over the back of his r
ecliner from where he was sitting.
“It turns out that my mother was hiding something from me because she knew it would devastate me in the long run. To live my life all these years and never know.....”
“Know what?” Arnold asked as his voice cracked. He took a step away from her and reached out to grip the closest thing he could find; Natalie’s arm.
“Her real name was not Kimberly Calder and Alexander Calder was not my real father.....”
‘Oh Urseth!’ Presley cried in Lorcan’s mind as he quickly gripped her hand in his own and laced their fingers together.
“Her name was Meredith Goult,” Sammy sniffled. “And you’re my father.”
Twenty-two
She could hardly believe what she’d just heard. Was it true? Could it be true? Did Arnold really have a daughter? Did Meredith McClintock fake her own death and run away to have said daughter? Natalie’s mind was spinning as she eased herself down in a kitchen chair and stared blankly at the table top.
“It’s going to be okay.” Charlotte said as she patted her shoulder.
“How can you say that?” Natalie asked weakly. “You heard what Beau said in there. Meredith was a daughter of Yliana and she deceived Arnold. She took him away from me in order to create a weapon to use against us.”
It was true. Beau explained that Meredith’s parents lied to Arnold about his wife’s death. An empty box was buried on the day of her funeral and Arnold had been made to believe she was dead all these years when in fact she was in California. Samantha Calder entered the world six months later and was raised by a man who had no idea what he’d gotten himself in to.
“Such lies,” Natalie whispered sorrowfully. “Such deceit! Arnold didn’t deserve that.”
“Of course he didn’t deserve it,” Charlotte sighed. She placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of Natalie and then placed her hands on her hips. “And that poor werewolf Alexander was killed over this nonsense! This was Breslin’s doing, you know. His thirst for blood doesn’t seem to exclude anyone. He had Meredith and her husband killed in an effort to keep them from telling the truth. Sammy was never meant to make it here. She was never supposed to find Arnold.”
Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) Page 19