Full-moon nights were infused with a raw power that made her feel more alive than at any other time. They were special nights for the young too, for it was only then that they came completely into their powers. The first one was always a rite of passage and a night filled to the brim with pure joy.
For centuries Bellona had been alone, and to have someone at her side was refreshing. Her partners throughout the years had been few and many years in between. Always she searched for the one who held her heart captive, and always she came up short. She ultimately made do with those who came close, even though they were poor substitutes for the one she truly longed to be with. The only one who’d ever touched her heart had perished so many long years ago in a place on the other side of the world from here.
In this lovely area, she’d discovered a woman who was beautiful, smart, and wealthy. Not that she needed money. On the contrary, she had amassed a great deal of wealth, beginning with the legacy she inherited from her family. Back in the time when the last of her family had perished and she was the sole survivor, many had discounted her ability to manage her estate, based solely on her gender. It hadn’t mattered to her, and she took their disdain in stride. Their approval had never been something she needed. Instead she worked quietly to build upon what was left to her until she reached a point of complete independence. None of it had happened by accident, and that’s what none of them ever understood.
Still, it was a lonely life for her. It had been so long since her family had passed away, and the paintings tucked away in storage were the only way she could remember their faces. Friends came and went in her life like the passage of the seasons. Lovers were even more infrequent. That’s why it was so nice here. She found a companion who was an exquisite lover and ultimately an enthusiastic convert. She didn’t run into someone like Little Wolf often, and so when she did, she stayed to enjoy their company for as long as possible.
She leaned over and kissed her sleeping partner and then pulled the comforter up over her naked body. Their lovemaking had lulled Little Wolf into a late-afternoon nap, and she still slept soundly as the last of the daylight faded away. A bit of perfection out here in what seemed like nowhere. It was so incredibly refreshing. Made her feel a little of the old spark.
Naked, Bellona walked outside. No sense in bothering with clothes, given what she wanted to do next. The sun was slipping far below the horizon to the west, the darkening sky slashed by brilliant hues of red. The wind was picking up, and it carried with it a bit of ice. As it blew across her skin, she shivered.
She let her head drop back and breathed in deeply, filling her lungs with the clean, fresh air. Yes, it was so nice here. She felt a deep connection to the land and didn’t plan to leave anytime soon. She raised her arms over her head and stretched, loving the feel of the cool air across her naked body. Yes, it was going to be a grand night. She could feel it deep in her bones.
As darkness finished pushing out the last of the light, she called the change.
Chapter Seven
Lily dropped her bag onto the floor of the spacious bedroom and swept her gaze over the large, comfortable room. It was nice, and as much as she hated to admit it, there was a better-than-average chance that staying here wouldn’t be all that bad. The remote location provided them with a nice, quiet place to work without drawing too much attention, and the view out her bedroom window, well, it was flat-out incredible. Jayne’s reluctance aside, this was pretty great and gave them the best chance of staying out of the public eye.
She liked keeping a low profile the best. Drawing unwanted, or for that matter any, attention was something she avoided at all costs. She’d never been one to seek interest from others, even before everything changed. Afterward, well, it was the only wise way to live. Move in the shadows, stay to herself, and do her job. Get in. Get out. The less people knew about her, the better and most definitely the safer.
At the window she stared outside. Darkness obscured detail for those with human eyes, but not for Lily. Her vision pierced the night and let her see what others could not. A river was off in the distance to the right, and to the left, massive, thick pine trees and evergreens created an impressive natural barrier. A light wind blew, making the trees sway in a silent ballet. A slice of home in a land far away, she thought. As a young lady she’d stand in her chambers and gaze out at the forest during one of the many storms that ravaged her land. She’d imagine how the wind might pick her up in its chilly embrace and sweep her away to a different life. In that room a fire was always crackling in the large stone fireplace, doing its best to push away the chill that touched both her skin and her soul. Outside her chamber doors lingered the ever-present family and servants who did their part to protect the golden goose. Night after night she dreamt of being set free. Little did she realize her dream of a new life would actually come to pass. Not that the winds picked her up and took her away from the life her father had carefully orchestrated for her. She touched her neck where the scars still marred her otherwise smooth skin.
“Settled in?”
Spinning away from the window, Lily dropped her hand from her neck. She was surprised to see Jayne leaning in the open doorway. She hadn’t heard her come in, and that was simply not like Lily. She heard everything all the time. It was one of the perks of being a were. Even the serum she used to control her lycanthropy didn’t suppress her senses while she was in human form. Actually, she benefited from many things that the serum didn’t dampen. It did the job it was supposed to, and that granted her a superhuman type of control that had been responsible for her being here today. A bit like having the best of both worlds, human and were.
She nodded. “I am, thank you. This is a lovely home. A very comfortable room.” She wasn’t just saying it to be polite either. The minute she stepped inside the bedroom she felt at ease and as if she’d simply returned home, which made no sense whatsoever. Nonetheless it was how she felt, and feeling at ease would go a long way to making this hunt more productive.
Jayne’s gaze moved over the room as if she were taking it in for the first time. Quietly she said, “I know. It’s a little much for a county sheriff. Especially a single county sheriff who lives alone.”
Lily raised her eyebrows. Interesting that she would bring up two bullet points that were of particular interest to her. Not something she was expecting from the sheriff. “Well, now that you mention it…”
Jayne’s gaze came back to Lily. Her blue eyes were clear. “My brother built this place, much of it himself. He had such grand plans for making a life here. He often talked about his dream of a wife and children. Of raising goats and cattle.”
There was a greater story within her brief words, and the ending of that story wasn’t a happy one. Lily could feel the depth of emotion that Jayne’s words hinted at. “It didn’t work out as he planned.”
She shook her head. “No.” Deep sadness washed over her face, and tears glistened in her eyes, making them look like two pools of crystal-blue water. As tough as Jayne had been since the moment they met, it surprised Lily to see the raw emotion in the other woman. “Cancer took him before he even had a chance to truly live here. He’d barely finished it when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At the time he was single with no children. Our parents were gone, and it was just me and Sam. Now it’s just me. He was gone inside of a year, and that’s the reason I now live in this large and beautiful house.”
Jayne’s sorrow was as real to Lily as if it was her own because she had walked in her shoes. “I’m sorry.” The pain of losing family was something she understood, and thus her words were not simply platitudes. The only difference between them was all of her family had been gone for more years than she could count. By now the heartache of their passing should have eased. It hadn’t. She’d learned that time never took away the sadness of a loved one lost, regardless of how many years passed. Despite everything, from the arranged marriage to the way they handled her attack, she still missed her family as if they’d ju
st left her yesterday. She would give anything to see their faces one more time.
Jayne blinked several times and the glint of tears disappeared. She was one tough woman. “Thank you. It’s been almost ten years, and I still miss him every day.” A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips as she once more looked over the bedroom. “This place is incredible and reminds me of him every day. I do love living here, but I would just love to have my brother back more.”
Jayne’s words hit so very close to home for her. “I understand more than you know.”
Jayne tilted her head as her gaze locked on Lily’s. Slowly she nodded. “I believe you do.”
“So.” Lily changed the subject. Going any further with this conversation was touching on forbidden ground. Or at least ground she’d deemed forbidden. She didn’t talk about her family or the life she left behind, ever. “Can we visit the sites?”
Jayne’s brow creased. “It’s getting really dark outside, not to mention late. I think we’d be better served by going tomorrow.” Her gaze shifted from Lily’s face to the window behind her.
For that few minutes they seemed to be finding common ground and maybe even forging a tentative friendship. Then in a flash, they were back to the earlier stonewalling. Lily wanted to keep her impatience in check, but it was hard. She hadn’t come all this way to sit around. Day or night didn’t matter in her line of work. Getting the werewolf stopped before anyone else was hurt was more important than anything else.
This is where this particular arrangement was a little problematic. If they were at the hotel, they could have been out and on their way, with or without the sheriff’s help. But being here they were pretty well stuck with the sheriff being at their side 24 / 7. Trying to find a way to explain to her why they needed to go now was somewhat tricky. She wasn’t quite ready to reveal her own special talents to Jayne, particularly considering the issue they were here to solve. Some didn’t take it well.
Picking up her jacket from where she’d tossed it across the bed, she slid her arms into the sleeves. “That’s not a problem for us. You’d be surprised how much we can glean even in the dark. It’s important or I wouldn’t bother you.”
“You realize this whole thing is a big pain in the ass to me.” That tone was back in her voice.
Lily worked hard to make sure her words remained neutral and didn’t carry any of her impatience. “I do, and if I could change things, trust me, I would. But whether you wish to believe it or not, you have a werewolf here, and we’re the ones equipped to take care of it for you. I want to get a feel for this killer as soon as we can, and if that means we go tonight, then we go tonight.”
Jayne argued. “We have a serial killer, not a werewolf. They don’t exist.”
“Just as the Jägers is an order of legend, we don’t exist either, yet here I am.”
“Werewolves don’t exist,” Jayne repeated. “We’re tracking a serial killer. Period. End of story.”
Lily had been through similar discussions more times than she could count. Even those who gave credence to the Jägers had trouble seeing the full picture. Throughout the years she’d worked through every type of obstacle imaginable, every personality that sat behind a law-enforcement desk. In days long past, it had been somewhat easier. All it took was a little money and a powerful ally. These days it was far more politics than cash or influence. She hated politics. “You do, indeed, have a serial killer. I don’t disagree with that conclusion in any way. What you’re failing to see is that the werewolf and the serial killer are one and the same.”
*
Kyle winged around the corner and into Ava’s bedroom, where he launched himself on the big bed. It was queen sized with a dark-blue comforter and plenty of pillows. Oh yeah, he could totally make himself comfortable here on his wife’s bed. He smiled and put his arms behind his head. The coffered ceiling was awesome.
“Nice digs,” he said.
Ava leaned against the closet door and crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t make yourself comfortable, big boy. You’ll be staying in your own room.”
He pretended to pout. Nothing she could say would dampen his enthusiasm. “Ah, honey, is that any way to talk to your husband?”
Ava laughed, walked over to the bed, and smacked him with one of the decorative pillows. “In your dreams.”
“You know me so well.” He spoke only partially in jest. She was indeed in his dreams and had been since the first time he laid eyes on her. He hadn’t even looked at another woman since that day. Until that fateful meeting he’d never even considered the possibly that the love-at-first-sight thing actually existed.
Though his parents had divorced when he was five years old and he spent the rest of his formative years shuttled between them, he took inspiration from his grandparents. Nana and Papa had spent fifty-three years together before a bad heart took Papa to the Great Beyond. In today’s world, with so many shaky relationships and given his unique talents, wishing for something like half a century with one woman might be unrealistic. He couldn’t help it. He wanted what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to give it up without the old college try.
Right in front of him was the one he wanted to give it try with. His heart told him she was the proverbial one. She didn’t know it yet, and it might be a while before she did. But that was okay. He was a patient guy. Nothing worth having ever came easy, or at least that’s what Nana used to say to him when he became frustrated when a project didn’t come together. Or when he was coming into his powers and he couldn’t control them. She was always there at his side, guiding him and showing him the way. She taught him that patience did, indeed, make him stronger. She also taught him love was worth fighting for.
He rolled onto his side and propped his head on one hand. “So you can see into my dreams?”
A look crossed her face that he couldn’t quite define. She was serious when she answered. “If I chose to, yes, Kyle. I could see into your dreams. Do I want to make that choice?”
Oh yeah, baby, come on in, he wanted to say. Get an eyeful of the desire that nearly burned him up. Nana’s voice in the back of his head said, Not now. At an early age he’d learned it was a good thing to listen to her. Timing was everything, and if he was going to win the heart of this beautiful witch he was going to have to do it Nana’s way. Patience, patience, patience.
“Well,” he said with a sly smile. “You might not want to jump in cold turkey.” He winked. She smacked him with the pillow again. He remembered that kind of move from junior high: no doubt about it, she liked him.
She sat on the edge of the bed. “Seriously, Kyle, we’ve got to pull off this husband-and-wife thing. I haven’t had to play-act before. I’ve always been just me. This is a new twist.”
He continued to gaze at her face. He loved the way her dark hair framed her face and lay soft and wavy against her shoulders. Her deep-green eyes seemed to sparkle with life and intelligence. He could stare into those eyes for hours. “Well, kind of a new one on me too. Can I tell you a little secret?”
She tilted her head and returned his gaze for a long, silent minute. “Sure.”
He smiled. “I’m happy it’s you I get to pretend with.”
A slow smile crossed her face, making her green eyes light up. He took that as a good sign too. “So am I.”
Oh, man, how was he supposed to take that? Did she feel the same draw that he did, or was he reading more into it than she really meant? He wanted to read the world into her statement and didn’t dare. All it could mean is that she felt comfortable with him, and if he was being smart, he’d accept that right now it was enough. It was a good beginning. In fact, it was more than that; it was a great beginning.
“Good.” He jumped up from the bed. “Shall we go see what our fearless leader has in store for us, my lovely bride? I think we’re going to have to do some serious work to win over Sheriff Jayne. She seems a little skeptical of our skill level in this situation.”
Ava tossed the pillow onto the
bed. “I picked that up as well. I don’t think she’s very happy that we’re here.”
“Ava, Kyle, let’s roll.” Lily’s voice came from the bottom of the staircase.
Kyle held out his hand. “Our fearless leader calls. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go kick some werewolf ass.”
Chapter Eight
Jayne still wasn’t sure about any of this. In her opinion all they really needed to bring this killer to justice was tried and true police work. With the resources they had available to them in this day and age, bringing in outsiders was unnecessary. Outsiders from some crazy organization that had been around since before the Middle Ages racing in to save the day was absurd. To say their time had come and gone was not being disrespectful. It was simply stating the obvious truth. Besides, she was a good cop and always had been. She surrounded herself with equally good people, and so it was going to be a long time before she reconciled with the edict of the council to invite in these hunters. Damn straight, her pride was hurt.
Driving out to the site where the first body was discovered, she starting fuming all over again. For a while back at the house she began to think she could work with these three and get the job done quickly. Now she wasn’t so sure. What purpose could it possibly serve to stumble around in the dark where a body had been dumped many weeks ago? There was nothing left in the woods to uncover anyway. At the time of discovery, her crew had gone over everything in minute detail. Her confidence that nothing had been missed was rock solid. They might be a small county without the money or resources of many other counties in the state, but that didn’t mean they were unskilled, undermanned, or behind the times.
She Wolf Page 7