by Jodi Vaughn
“Well, hello, sweetie.” Ava’s nostrils flared, scenting the little girl. Frowning, she looked over at Granny before addressing Sophia. “What’s your name?”
Sophia buried her face into the crook of Skylar’s neck and said nothing.
“She’s a little shy around new people,” Skylar said. Except with Zane. Sophia hadn’t been the least bit shy around him. “Her name is Sophia.”
“I didn’t know you had a little girl.” Ava glanced at Skylar’s bare ring finger. And while Weres mated for life, they didn’t always have a wedding or wear wedding rings. Rings were a personal preference, not the rule.
“She’s not mine. I’m watching her for a friend. His wife had a baby and he’s staying at the hospital with her,” Skylar blurted out in her defense.
“How nice of you. That’s good he has a friend to help him out.” Ava reached out and touched a dark curl on Sophia’s head.
“I have a snack in my purse that she can have.” Ava met Skylar’s gaze. “This is, if it’s okay with you.”
“I don’t know…” She glanced down at the little girl in her arms. She sensed the women didn’t trust her, but somehow, her gut told her they meant no harm to the little girl.
Her unease lessened. Granny might be a bit . . . odd. But Ava seemed to be a straight shooter. She liked to know where she stood with people.
“As long as it’s not candy.” The last time Sophia had been at her house, Skylar had given the little girl a mini candy bar before dinner. It had amped her up and she hadn’t gone to sleep until after midnight. Lesson learned.
“It’s a doughnut.” Ava gave her a sheepish grin. “From this morning.”
Sophia’s head snapped up.
“It’s just a glazed one. Maybe the glazed ones don’t have a whole lot of sugar.” Granny shrugged. “Or she can have some chocolates that I keep in my purse.” The old woman patted her white bag.
“No,” Ava and Skylar answered in unison.
“I want a doughnut.” Sophia looked expectantly at Skylar. Her eyes were wide as she smiled.
“I guess I don’t have much of a choice now, do I?” She touched her forehead to the child’s.
Ava pried open her purse and fished out the treat. She unwrapped it from the decorative paper and held it to Sophia. “Here you go, sweetie.”
Sophia grabbed the doughnut in both hands and took a big bite.
“Looks like you were hungry.” Ava brushed a strand of hair out of her way.
“What do you say, Sophia?” Skylar whispered.
“Thank you,” she mumbled with her mouth full of the sweet treat.
“Aw, you’re welcome. I love doughnuts.” Ava smiled.
“Ava loves anything sweet. Good thing you have a metabolism like a cheetah on crack. Otherwise, you’d be big as a house,” Granny said
Skylar let Sophia slide out of her arms. The little girl ran outside to her tree and sat down in the shade. Skylar turned her attention back to the women.
“Look, I wasn’t trying to be deceitful by not telling you I was a red wolf when you hired me. If I had known you were a Were, I would have been up-front with you.” Skylar swallowed the lump in her throat and lifted her chin. “I know how it is between our races.”
“Skylar, do you have any family here in Arkansas?” Granny cocked her head. The scowl was bad on the old woman’s face.
“The only family I had was my father. And he’s dead.” She shrugged. “After I was old enough to leave home, I moved out of state. By that time, the majority of the red wolves had eliminated themselves. I was hoping to move back and live a quiet life. Without any drama.” Her throat ached, but she forced herself to continue.
“I will understand if you don’t want me working on your house anymore. If you would agree to just pay me what I’m owed for the work done, then I’ll be out of your way.”
“Did you know that it was red wolves who bombed this house in the first place?”
“What?” Skylar blinked and shook her head. “There’s not that many left. Why would they do such a thing?”
“Because they got upset when Ava was rescued from them. They were holding her captive. They wanted to use her to increase their population.” Granny kept her steady gaze on her.
“Oh, god.” Her hand clutched her stomach and she reached out to the nearest cabinet to keep herself from falling. Nausea swelled in her stomach. She knew what red wolves were capable of. She just never thought they’d be so ballsy to take a gray female.
“I’m so sorry. That’s horrific.”
Ava sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “What’s done is done. It’s in the past. I’m here to talk about the future. Skylar, I am thrilled with the progress. I think you’ve done the impossible and turned this house back into a livable place.” Ava shook her head. “After it was bombed, I didn’t think it could ever be fixed. But you have proved me wrong.” Ava smiled. “Good job.”
“Thank you.” Skylar was humbled by Ava’s generosity and praise. After all the woman had gone through, she was still willing not to judge Skylar based on someone else’s actions.
“Does this mean you want me to finish the house?”
“Absolutely.” Ava nodded.
Skylar felt the weight lift off her shoulders. She’d needed this job, and now she had gotten validation from Ava that she was pleased. She knew she was going to be able to make her dream a reality. She was one step closer to getting her paycheck and being able to buy the apartments.
***
Zane hurried out the front door and headed for his Harley. He needed to make himself scarce before Ava saw him.
Tony, one of the younger construction workers, stood off to the side, talking animatedly into his cell phone.
“Don’t let him go out tonight! You know he’s going to go to that drug party and get high. He’s going to get himself killed.” The young guy couldn’t be older than twenty, but he was obviously worried about someone getting drugs.
Zane stopped in his tracks and waited until the guy hung up. The Hispanic worker scowled when he spotted Zane.
“Look, tell Skylar I’ve got to go. I know she’s up to her ass in work here, but tell her it’s important.” He ran his fingers through his hair and dug his keys out of his pocket.
“Wait.” Zane grabbed his elbow. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t tell you. I don’t know who you are but I know what you are.” He frowned and tried to shake loose of his hold, but Zane wasn’t about to let him leave.
Ah, so this crewman was a werewolf.
“You’re right, you don’t know me. But if this is about drugs, you need to let me know.”
“Are you a narc or something?” The guy’s eyes widened and he stepped away from him. “I don’t want any trouble from the Pack.”
“Hell no, I’m not a narc.” He growled. “Look, I know what it’s like to have someone on drugs. If you know where they are selling this shit, you need to tell me so I can stop it.” And if he wasn’t going to spill the info, then Zane would just beat the shit out of him until he did.
“Fine. But you didn’t hear this from me.” He glanced back at the house, making sure no one was watching them. “There’s an old abandoned apartment building on the other side of the tracks. They deal drugs out of there, but they are real careful about who they let in. In fact, the cops are real careful to steer clear of the place. A few weeks ago, a cop got to nosing around and was found dead right out in the front yard. A single gunshot wound to his head.” He glanced around and leaned in. “Word on the street is these guys are not your average drug dealers. They are big time. They have to be Weres. And once you get in to party, there’s no getting out. Until they let you out.” He shook his head. “My younger brother thinks he’s so bad, ya know, trying to show off for his friends. He said he’s going to the party tonight. I told my mother she cannot let him go. That kid is going to wind up dead if he doesn’t wise up.”
Zane listened without interrupting.
&n
bsp; “How do you get into the party?”
“You get an invitation—that’s how my brother got invited. Someone gave it to him at school. It tells you what time to show up. That’s how they know if it’s someone wanting drugs or someone nosing around. If you don’t show up at the right time with the invitation, then you don’t get in.” The guy shrugged. “Or they kill you.”
He nodded. A plan slowly began to formulate in his brain. He was alone, and he was going to need a plan of attack.
“Please don’t tell Skylar about my brother. She has a rule about not hiring addicts or people with addicts in their families.” He shook his head. “I need this job. My dad died a year ago, and it’s just me and my mom and my brother. Plus, I don’t want her to be mad at me.” He shifted his weight.
Zane felt bad for the kid.
“I won’t say anything on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“I need that invitation your brother has. I need to get into that building,”
***
Skylar frowned as she heard the rumble of a motorcycle. She excused herself from her clients and went to the front door. Zane’s Breakout tore down the dirt road and turned onto the main road.
“Weird. He didn’t tell me he was going anywhere,” she muttered to herself.
“Don’t worry, honey. Men are like that.” Granny patted her shoulder. “Here one day and gone the next.”
Skylar turned and forced a smile she didn’t feel. She didn’t like that Zane had left without saying goodbye or telling her where he was going. It felt so final.
“Yes, well…” The thunder of a motorcycle had her turning back to the front yard. Her heart lurched with hope. “Oh, that must be him. He must have forgotten something.” Like telling me goodbye, she thought.
“Actually, that motorcycle is coming from the opposite direction.” Ava stepped up behind them and looked over their shoulders.
The three of them stayed huddled together at the front door, watching the approaching rider.
“Oh, that’s Damon.” The excitement in Ava's voice was unmistakable.
“Damon?” Ava asked. She squinted as the rider approached. He, too, was riding a Harley.
“My mate.” Ava skirted them and ran out into the yard to meet the visitor.
No sooner had he set the kickstand on his bike than he was off and pulling her into a tight embrace. He kissed her like he hadn’t seen her in years.
The guy was as big as Zane with dark hair mostly hidden under a bandana and had a scar running down his cheek. Even from this distance, there was something lethal about the guy, and it had nothing to do with his size.
Ava jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist as they deepened the kiss.
Skylar cleared her throat and glanced away, a little embarrassed that she’d been staring too long.
“They’re always like that.” Granny stepped up to her side and held out a peppermint as she watched the couple. “Like cats in heat.”
Skylar snorted and then bit her lip. The old lady wasn’t your typical grandmother, that was for sure. Granny had spunk and she spoke her mind. Skylar wondered what her grandmother had been like. If she’d lived, would she have baked cookies with Skylar or taught her how to cook? Would she have taken her on picnics or read to her?
Would she have protected her from her father?
She turned to the older lady and smiled. “Ava didn’t tell me she was bringing her grandmother. I’m so glad you could come.”
“Oh, well, I’m not her grandmother by blood.” Granny pursed her lips and nodded. “But I’m her granny where it counts. And that’s what matters, isn’t it, honey?”
“I guess.” She shook her head. “I never met my grandmother. Or my mother.” The words sounded pathetic, even to her.
“You must have had a wonderful father raise you.” Granny patted her arm.
“Actually, no. I had to raise myself. My dad was a monster.” In reality, he’d been a far worse monster than any she’d encountered in her dreams.
She stepped away from the woman’s sympathetic touch. She didn’t want pity.
Granny’s chin lifted in the air, and she stared long and hard at her.
“Then you did a wonderful job. You have found your place in this world and accomplished so much more than a lot of people. You should be extremely proud of yourself, Skylar,” Granny said.
Skylar blinked as her throat tightened. She’d never really thought about it like that. She’d been far too busy trying to make her future better to revive any old ghosts of the past.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” She looked away just as Damon and Ava walked in.
“Skylar, I want you to meet Damon.” Ava rested her head on the large male’s chest, and it was clear to Skylar that she was sending out a message that he was taken.
“Nice to meet you.” Damon stuck out his hand.
Skylar accepted it. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m glad you could come with Ava to see the progress on the house.” She waved toward the kitchen. “Come on back and I’ll show you what’s going on.”
“It looks so good, Damon . . .” Ava’s voice drifted off.
Skylar stopped and turned when she realized the couple wasn’t following behind her.
“What’s wrong?”
Damon’s nostrils flared, as he stood frozen in the living room. His gaze swept the room as if looking for something. His chest heaved, and his breathing grew faster.
Gritting his teeth, he looked right at her and glared.
Fear crawled around in her stomach and she felt like trapped rat on a sinking ship.
He knew she was a red wolf.
“Where is he?” Damon growled.
Her fear shifted, morphed into something deeper. This had nothing to do with her being a red wolf. This was way worse. This had to do with Zane.
Nausea swamped her like a riptide. She glanced around, looking for something to defend herself with. She’d grown up with angry Weres. She knew what was coming next.
Pain.
“Skylar, look what I found.” Sophia came running into the living room and made a beeline straight for her.
Her heart tightened as she picked Sophia up and held her close, not once taking her eyes off Damon.
Damon’s eyes flashed and he lunged for her.
Skylar squeezed her eyes shut and angled her body so he couldn’t strike Sophia.
“Don’t hurt her,” Skylar cried out.
“What are you talking about?” Damon growled. “She’s going to hurt herself with the damn snake in her hand.” He spun Skylar around and grabbed Sophia’s hand.
“What?” His words didn’t compute in her adrenaline-fueled brain.
Sophia whimpered as she stared up at the large man.
Skylar glanced down at Damon’s grip on Sophia’s hand. She was clutching a brown snake. She had squeezed its head between her fingers while its body wrapped itself around her chubby little hand.
“Oh god.” Skylar’s heart pounded so hard she thought it was going to leap out of her chest.
“Don’t move.” Damon commanded as he grabbed the snake’s head. Very carefully, he began the process of unwinding the body from around Sophia’s hand. Once he had the snake in his grip and away from Sophia, Skylar sucked in a breath.
“Sophia, what were you thinking?” Skylar hugged her tight. She didn’t fight the tears that flowed down her face in an avalanche of emotion.
“I found it by the tree. I wanted to keep it as my pet.” Her lips quivered.
Damon examined the snake in his hand. “It’s just a brown snake. Not poisonous.” He cut his eyes at the little girl. “But until she knows the difference, she should treat all snakes like they’re deadly.”
“It could have hurt you. You must promise me never to touch another snake again.” Skylar looked into Sofia’s eyes. “Promise me.”
“I promise, Skylar.” Sophia blinked rapidly, and Skylar knew she was close to tears.
“T
hank you.” Skylar looked at Damon.
“That almost gave me a heart attack.” Ava pressed her hand to her heart.
“Here, honey. Have some chocolate.” Granny, unfazed, pulled out a piece of chocolate from her white purse and handed it to Ava. The woman was a virtual Easter Bunny.
Damon walked outside with the reptile, and when he came back he didn’t have anything in his hands.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” He looked right at Skylar and crossed his arms over his massive chest.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She swallowed and tried to keep her tone calm.
“I’m talking about Zane,” he shot back.
“Zane? Guardian Zane?” Granny cocked her head.
“Yeah. I want to know why he’s been here with her.” He pointed his finger in her direction, and she tried not to fidget.
“Skylar, I didn’t know you knew Zane.” Ava’s lips quirked up.
“I’ve known him since I was a kid,” she admitted. Sophia, clearly over her scare with the snake, wiggled her body until Skylar got the message and put her down.
“Then you won’t mind telling me why he was here? Especially since he’s been missing from the Pack for almost a week now.”
“Zane’s missing?” Ava’s smile was gone. “Why didn’t you tell me, Damon?”
“Because it’s Pack business, and you know I can’t divulge that kind of information.” He kept his gaze on Skylar as he spoke to his mate.
“Is Zane okay? That’s not like him, to leave without telling anyone.” Ava’s gaze darted from him back to her. “I mean, he’s Barrett’s right-hand man.”
“Barrett Middleton? The Pack Master?” She knew Zane was a Guardian, but had no idea he was that high up the ranks. To be privy to the goings-on of the Pack and be relied upon by Barrett Middleton was quite impressive. And important.
“You didn’t know that?” Granny cocked her head.
“I …”
“He was Barrett’s right-hand man. Right now, he’s gone rogue,” Damon growled.
“What? No, he hasn’t.” She shook her head. “Why would you think he’s gone rogue?”
“Because he threw away his cell phone, gave his Guardian brothers the slip, and hasn’t been heard from. It’s pretty obvious.” Damon narrowed his gaze.