by Marla Monroe
Closing the door behind the other wolf, Cain cocked his head and waited. His friend knew when Shade was turning something over in his head. His bondmate let him finish thinking without trying to interrupt.
“Intercept Kay once she arrives in Springfield. Stick with her and make yourself useful so that she doesn’t try to lose you. Both of us can’t leave right now. We’ve got too many wolves that haven’t settled down yet.” Shade reached out and gripped his bondmate’s shoulder. “See if you can learn more about her. We don’t have a lot of time left before the mating heat drives us all crazy.”
“I’ll follow her until she stops the first time. Then I’ll ‘bump’ into her. Should be easy enough,” Cain said.
“She’s a female. I wouldn’t count on that, brother,” Shade chuckled.
“True. I’ll take Mike with me. He can fill me in on what he knows about her then bring the truck back after I’ve made contact.”
“Good idea. When you find Mike, ask him to send his bondmate. I want to discuss some things with him.” Shade needed a better understanding of what all had gone on before he and Cain had arrived.
Cain nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Shade sat on the edge of the desk and let his mind drift. Sometimes things came to him that he didn’t see at first. The subconscious mind was an amazing net that sifted through the important pieces while allowing the frivolous things to slip away.
A knock at the door brought him back to awareness. He scented Torin on the other side of the door.
“Come in.” Shade stood up and waited until the other wolf stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.
“Cain said you wanted to see me, Alpha.”
“Come in and sit down. Tell me about how the pack ran before your previous Alphas lost their mate. Were things good at that time?” Shade asked.
Torin hesitated as he sat down, then settled in the chair. Looking up at where Shade remained standing in front of the desk, the wolf sighed.
“Not really. About a year before the loss of the Alpha bitch, Alpha Argile seemed to grow distant from the pack. He spent a great deal of time in both Farmington and Fredericktown. With Fredericktown being the county seat of Madison County, no one really thought much of it at first. We all thought he was tending to pack business related to pack land.”
“What made you change your mind on that?” Shade asked him.
“Some of the younger wolves saw him go into businesses known to have dealings with witches. The young will gossip much faster than even the older women. Word got around quickly among the pack, and some of the older wolves went to his bondmate, Dedrick. The other Alpha punished them for questioning their Alpha, and he forbid the wolves to leave pack land if they weren’t working.” Torin shook his head. “It caused a lot more gossip to form and had the younger wolves talking about false imprisonment and smothering their rights. They believed that we lived under the same laws and rules as humans because they went to school with them and had integrated with them. They were foolish.”
Shade waited while Torin chose his words. It was obvious that the wolf didn’t like what he was about to say.
“Several of the young ones took it upon themselves to inform the Alphas that they couldn’t do that to them. If they wanted to go into town for a drink or to shop, it was their right to do so. Needless to say, we lost a few of our young that day. The Alphas tore through them like the pups they were. Instead of sending a message to the others, it only fed into the other wolves’ anger and self-righteous stand that they were being unfairly treated. Nothing the older wolves said helped at this point. The rebels were convinced that their leaders had to be brought down.”
Torin looked up at Shade with tears in his eyes. He blinked them away and drew in a deep breath, letting it out in a slow stream before he continued.
“No one bothered to remember what had started it all in the first place. Alpha Argile was still going to Fredericktown on a regular basis. By now the Alphas’ mate was ill and rumors had started that they were slowly poisoning her,” Torin said.
“She was already ill though, wasn’t she? Argile was seeking out cures for her, going so far as to bargain with a witch for the cure.” Shade could see where the story was going.
“Yes. That is what most of us believe. Either the witch went back on her word, or the Alphas didn’t follow through with a promise and she killed their mate. After that, they both went crazy. You know the rest.”
“Is there any chance that anything residual of whatever spell or potion the witch cooked up could still be in place?” Shade asked.
Torin shook his head. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I honestly don’t know. I haven’t felt anything odd since both Alphas died, but I couldn’t say for sure. No one that I know of has mentioned anything odd. I truly believe that the mutilations and killings are from rogue wolves of our pack who lost their ability to contain their weaker, animal side without the Alphas’ power to help them. What they are doing is wrong and puts us all in danger, but I also know that more than likely, they are not solely to blame.” Torin quickly looked down as if he expected Shade to reprimand him for what he believed.
“I fear you are right, Torin, but we can’t allow this to go on. We’ve got to stop them. I’m all for bringing them in to figure out what is going on, but if there is no choice, then we put them down before they ruin us all. While I don’t believe that sacrificing one wolf to save the rest is a reasonable, acceptable loss, I do believe that if there is no other choice, we have to preserve our way of life and the lives of our pups.” Shade sighed and walked around to sit behind the desk.
“Do a census of all of our wolves. Record their names, their families, and where they work. Once you have this, compare it to the most recent records you have and make a list of everyone who is missing. Check with those you trust to see if anyone might know where those missing could be in case someone is visiting relatives or out of town on a work-related job. Then bring the list to me and we will discuss the options,” Shade told him.
“Yes, Alpha.” Torin stood up and bowed his head before turning and walking out of the room.
Shade sat there for a few minutes, going over what his subconscious had picked up on. Vampires were not their enemies for the most part. After all, they were related in a way. Were it not for the actions of one of their own—Dragos, who had been infatuated with a village woman thousands of years before—the wolfen would not have come to fruition. They were the descendants of a cursed vampire, Wolfgan, who stole Dragos’ woman. Wolfen could not be made through bites, but only through birth. No, he didn’t think the vampire had plans to attack them, but his presence did mean something. He just had to find out what before they ended up with another problem to deal with.
* * * *
Kay pulled into the parking lot of one of her favorite restaurants in Springfield. She didn’t get to eat there often, maybe three or four times a year, but when she did, Kay liked to take her time and sample as much as she could. Food was her Achilles heel, her downfall assuring she’d never have the svelte figure of a model or TV actress. She was more of a fifties pin-up girl with lots of curves and a little softness here and there.
When she stepped out of the car, she had the odd feeling she was being watched. Looking around as she settled her purse on her shoulder and locked the car door, Kay didn’t notice anything out of place. She shook it off and walked toward the entrance of the building. Her mouth was already starting to water.
“Ah, Miss Kay. It is a pleasure to see you again. It’s been a long time. You shouldn’t wait so long between visits,” the maître d’ said as he lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on the back.
A low growl sent shivers down Kay’s back. She turned only to find Cain standing near the door as if he’d just walked through it. The snarl on his face shocked her into silence, but the maître d’ had no trouble apologizing as if he’d committed some major faux pas.
“I’m most embarrassed, sir. I had no idea she was with you or that you were meeting
her. I do apologize.” The maître d’ rushed through the apology as if he didn’t believe he had time to tarry over it.
“Cain? What are you doing here?” Kay asked, crossing her arms. “And why is he so afraid of you? He’s a very nice man who’s always been good to me.”
“It is nothing, Miss Kay. Do not concern yourself. Sir, may I show you to a table?” he asked instead.
Kay would have demanded that he see about her first since she’d been their first, but she could tell the maître d’ was really flustered and didn’t want to cause the man any more stress. Already his face was a blood red and she feared he’d have a stroke.
“The lady and I will dine together,” Cain said in that deep raspy voice he and Shade seemed to have.
“Thank you for the invitation, Cain, but I really would prefer to eat alone.” Kay put as much sarcasm into her voice as was possible.
Not only had he never bothered to ask her to eat with him, but he’d dared to make a decision for her. Men who did that irked her beyond all thought. She could easily make her own decisions, but a lot of men who considered themselves Alpha men thought the little woman wasn’t capable of such a complicated process. She might wear pretty dresses and high heels, but Kay wasn’t a pushover. Not by a long shot.
“I’m sure you would, but I want to spend some time with you. You intrigue me, Kay,” he said with a huge grin.
She could have sworn his teeth were much sharper than they had been when she’d first met him. What was he doing in Springfield anyway? She narrowed her eyes at him. Had he followed her there?
“Right this way, sir and madam. I have a table that will be perfect for a nice private lunch,” the maître d’ said as he led them toward the far right of the building.
Once he’d seated them and left the menus behind, the poor man almost ran back to his post. If she hadn’t been so upset with Cain and his high-handed manipulation, she would have thought it amusing. Instead, she could only seethe deep down inside at the man sitting across from her.
“Why are you following me?” she demanded as soon as the maître d’ was out of earshot.
“What makes you think I’m following you? I saw you standing there when I walked in. It’s just a coincidence, that’s all.”
She watched the man closely. He really seemed convincing, but Kay didn’t believe in coincidences. Never had. He was following her for some reason. And he’d growled. What was up with that?
“Because I don’t believe in coincidences,” she hissed.
Before either of them could say anything more, their waitress arrived with water for their glasses and to take their order. To Kay’s surprise, Cain didn’t try and order for her. He asked what looked good then let her tell the waitress what she wanted. Once he’d finished and they’d gotten their drinks, Kay settled down a bit.
So he wasn’t a total Neanderthal. It didn’t mean she liked having someone following her. She’d gotten her fill of that in the first year after her father had died. Why was Cain there?
“Before you start up again,” he began. “Yes, I’m following you. I wanted to get to know you, and you have to admit, you work odd hours. When I caught sight of you leaving town, I thought it would be a great opportunity to catch you outside of work,” he said.
“Why?”
“Like I said. I wanted to get to know you.”
Kay was having a difficult time following his logic for more than one reason. One, why would he want to get to know the manager of a brothel unless it was to finagle a discount? And two, her body was reacting to him sitting across the table from her. Every nerve ending in her skin seemed to be attuned to his voice. Waves of pleasure washed over her with every word that left his mouth. Her pussy was a sopping mess, and something deep inside her cunt seemed to be dancing a fox trot.
“Kay? Are you okay? You’re a bit flushed,” Cain said. He reached across the table and touched her cheek. “You’re feeling hot, too. Are you ill?”
“No! No. I’m fine. I think it’s just a little hot in here is all. I’ll be fine.” Kay fanned herself and tried to think of something other than the smoking-hot man sitting across from her.
Once their food arrived, the immense heat seemed to subside some. She was unable to enjoy her meal with nearly as much enthusiasm as before. Some of the appeal of it had disappeared in the presence of Cain though. There was just something about him and his friend Shade that demanded she pay attention. It really bothered her to want to touch them so badly. She wasn’t one of those women who threw themselves at men. This was so not her.
“You never did say why you wanted to get to know me, Cain.”
“You’re a very pretty woman. I feel a sort of connection to you and wanted to explore it,” he said, smiling so warmly that she found herself sinking back into that overheated state.
“Don’t try and pull that with me, Cain. I know better. I’m chubby and will never be anything more than that. What do you really want?” she demanded.
Cain’s eyes flashed as anger took the place of his earlier relaxed smile. Why was he angry? Kay almost felt the need to get up and run, but something held her in place.
“I don’t ever want to hear you talk down about yourself again. You’re a beautiful woman. All those curves and don’t get me started on how much I want to lick your thighs. You’re perfect, Kay.”
She was sure her mouth was wide open, but Kay couldn’t move for a full five seconds. No one had ever chastised her for telling the truth before. Was he crazy or just really wanting that discount? A man like him didn’t need a brothel to find a woman. The way he looked and moved would have women hanging off of him in droves. God knew she was having a really hard time not jumping him from across the table right then.
“Look. Thank you for sharing the table with me. I’ve had plenty. Let me pay you for my part, and I’m just going to go.” Kay pulled her purse into her lap and started digging for her wallet.
“There’s no need for that. It’s my treat. I barged into your meal, Kay.” He signaled the waitress and tossed a card on her tray. “Wait for me, Kay. I don’t want you to walk to your car alone.”
“I’ve been walking to my car alone for over twenty years now, Cain. I can handle it just fine.” She threw her purse over her shoulder and headed to the front door.
By the time she’d reached her car, Kay almost had her libido under control again. Being out of his presence and in fresh air did a lot for her sanity. Maybe it was the cologne he wore? Only she didn’t remember smelling anything unusual.
When she unlocked the door and started to open it, a hand reached around her and grabbed the door handle before she could. It happened so fast that Kay didn’t have time to scream.
“I told you to let me walk you to the car. It could be dangerous for you alone in a big city like this, Kay.” Cain held the door and helped her into the car.
“Thank you, but I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. I do just fine.”
“I’m sure you do, but indulge me.” Cain smiled down at her. “Oh, do you mind if I tag along? My ride dropped me off and will be busy the rest of the day. I’d much rather hang out with you than sit here nursing coffee all day.”
Kay rolled her eyes. He was so full of shitake. It had all been a set up to begin with. She should have known. It would serve him right if she refused and left him there, but something about him wouldn’t let her do that. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the steering wheel with enough force to leave indentions on the damn thing.
“Fine. Get in. Don’t think you’re driving, because I’m not giving up the driver’s seat. Got it?”
“Understood, Miss I’m-in-Control. Wouldn’t dream of taking away your power just to make it easy on you.” Cain smiled and walked around the front of the car to slide into the passenger seat.
She couldn’t stop the grin from forming when he had to work at adjusting the seat so that he didn’t have his knees to his chest. He was a tall thing, and her small car wasn’t made f
or someone of his stature. Hell, was there a car built that would accommodate someone his size? Certainly not in her price range.
“Comfy?” she asked.
“Marvelous. Where are we going?”
“Shopping, darling. Shopping.” Kay grinned as she listed the stores she wanted to visit.
Chapter Five
“How much longer until you head back?” Shade asked.
“I don’t have a clue. She’s a steamroller in high heels when it comes to shopping. I don’t think we have a single wolf who could keep up with her on their best day. My feet are killing me,” Cain complained.
He heard the laughter in his bondmate’s voice. “From what you’ve told me so far, she’s going to be a handful. Have you found out anything about her duties at the club?”
“She says she’s the manager for the owners, and all she does is deal with problems and do the books. I didn’t come right out and ask her if she’d slept with very many of her patrons. I believe that would have meant someone would need to come pick me up after they extracted one of those deadly heels from my ass.”
This time Shade didn’t try to hide his laughter. “You sound almost afraid of her.”
“Next time you can take her shopping. I swear she hasn’t bought a thing, but we’ve sure booked some miles today. Why go shopping if you don’t buy?” Cain whined.
“I try not to delve into the female mind when it comes to those things, brother. Resist doing that and you’ll do much better. When you bring her home, we’ll see if we can pry a little more out of her then. Try and steer her this way soon.”
Cain stuck his tongue out at his friend when the other man ended the call. He couldn’t believe he was acting so out of character, but Kay made him think and feel things he never had before. She was a siren, that’s what she was. No wonder she worked at a brothel. Remaining unaffected by her charms wasn’t working out for him. His wolf had long since pointed out the obvious. Spending time with her had been a bad idea. He wanted her more now than he had ever wanted anything in his life, maybe even being Alpha of a pack.