by Crissy Smith
“Maybe not,” Melissa said. “Hopefully I can make a difference here, though.”
“Fine.” Trent glanced around. He could see Mac, Logan and Annabelle standing out of sight from Melissa. Magnus would be returning soon. “You do whatever it is that brought you here. Just stay away from me.”
She pressed her lips together. “Is that what you really want?”
He hesitated.
“Or we could talk more? There is a lot to catch up on.”
Is she fucking kidding? “If I get the urge to rip open any old wounds, I’ll give you a call.”
Melissa dropped her shoulders and looked at the ground. “Okay.”
Trent stomped off. He passed Magnus but didn’t even acknowledge the other man. It was late and he was fucking tired.
“Hey!”
Trent turned. Mac was hurrying up to him.
“What’s up?” Trent asked.
“Heading back?”
“Yeah, I need a shower and my bed,” Trent told him.
“I’ll walk with you,” Mac said.
“Really?” Trent frowned. “You think I need a babysitter.”
“We’re going to the same place. We can walk together,” Mac told him.
“And I suppose you’ll talk and I’ll listen?” Trent asked.
“That’s the plan.” Mac grinned.
“Come on.”
Mac walked forward so Trent fell in step with him. They’d only taken a dozen steps before Mac was glancing at him from the corner of his eye.
“You got until we get to the back door,” Trent told him.
“Anything you want to talk about?” Mac threw back.
“No.”
“Okay, then.” Mac didn’t seem surprised. “How about we talk about Melissa Bishop?”
“No.”
“Magnus had a lot of applications he went through before even interviewing Melissa,” Mac said.
Trent merely grunted.
“The potentials he was the most interested in he gave to me and I ran them through the databases we have access to. I’m sorry that I didn’t connect her to you or Adam,” Mac said.
“Why would you? As far as the LAPD was concerned, we were only co-workers.” Damn it, Mac had reeled him into the conversation.
“But we both know you were more,” Mac stated. It wasn’t a question. “Even if you never told me her name, I would have known it was her the moment you saw her again. You sparked to life.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Trent replied.
“I think it does.” Mac stopped walking. “I asked Magnus if he was going to let her go.”
“He doesn’t have any grounds to fire her,” Trent said.
“Maybe not, but I’m sure we could have come up with something. He told me no, anyway.”
Was that relief Trent felt? He didn’t know. As painful as it was to have Melissa close, he didn’t want her gone either. Shit, I’m all kinds of fucked up. “Why bring it up?”
“I wanted to know your reaction. Now, I do.”
“Damn it,” Trent muttered.
“You can try to ignore Melissa, but this is a small town. Plus, there’s a connection between the sheriff’s department and our group. You’re going to bump into her,” Mac told her.
“I know.”
“Which means no matter how much you don’t want to deal with her, it’s going to happen,” Mac continued.
“I said I know.”
“Magnus will fill us in on the investigation into the illegal hunting,” Mac said. “If you want in, it’ll be at the bar at noon.”
“No problem,” Trent said. “I’ll be here.” He started walking again.
“He’s coming alone. Just us and him.”
“That wasn’t even a little bit subtle,” Trent admonished.
“In case you were worried.”
“I wasn’t.” The bar door of the bar came into view. It was still standing open, but Duffy, Carter and Calvin were on guard around the building. Trent waved at them, letting them know everything was okay.
“Did you kill anyone?” Duffy asked.
“Night’s still young,” Trent warned.
“Oh, yeah? You think you can take me?” Duffy danced around. “Come on, doggie.”
Trent lunged, but Mac caught him around by the shoulder. He was pleased to see Duffy had flinched.
“Stop messing with him,” Calvin told Duffy, pulling his boyfriend to his side.
“Come on! I want to hear him bark.”
“I hate all of you,” Trent muttered. He didn’t. Duffy teasing him made Trent know he was part of the family. They all acted like immature teenagers when stressed out.
“No!” Duffy cried dramatically. “You’re our brother now!”
“I am not!” Trent sounded outraged.
“You are!” Duffy exclaimed.
“I was crazy before I got here,” Trent said. “What’s your excuse?”
Duffy blew him a kiss.
“Go take your shower,” Mac ordered. He pushed Trent toward inside.
“Fine.” Trent waved his hand then walked to the door. He’d let the others in the group handle anything else Mac needed, although they should all be in bed by now. It was after three in the morning.
The inside of the bar was quiet. He didn’t see Kelly anywhere, so she must have still been asleep. Good, there wasn’t anything Kelly could have done.
He strolled down the hall until he reached his room. Trent stopped and laid his hand on the wood. He was tired of always going to bed all alone. Even when he had a visitor for the night, she didn’t stay long. He hadn’t spent an entire night with his arms wrapped around a woman since Melissa.
Trent turned then leaned against his door. He slid to the ground.
“Fuck.” He couldn’t make himself go inside. It didn’t matter that the others would be walking by soon or that he really needed a shower.
Everything was jumbled in his brain. He hated Melissa, how she’d made him feel, for turning her back on him. But he’d loved her once. And maybe he still did. At least a little. He wanted to be disgusted and hate her. Instead, all he could think about was her going back to her big house all alone.
Someone had taken a shot at her. Had been hunting in his back yard. With the residents around town not trusting her, the only back-up Melissa had was her fellow deputies and sheriff.
Damn it. Trent banged his head on his door.
What were the chances of her showing up there, anyway? In a million years, he’d never have thought they’d be in the same place at the same time again. Brookside had saved him. Could it save her, too? Was that what Melissa was looking for?
So many questions. So fucking many questions.
He climbed to his feet. Trent couldn’t let Melissa go back home alone. He’d shift and make sure she at least got inside her house safe.
Chapter Four
Melissa finished loading the dishwasher then closed the door and turned the machine on. She’d been relieved that the house had modern appliances. Even better, the place was like the home she’d had as a child. She was comfortable there.
She’d had a quick lunch of an egg salad sandwich and chips. It would have been a good idea to go to the grocery store, but she wasn’t up for it. The residents were still going to look at her funny. When she’d been walking patrol, they’d ignored her. Melissa wasn’t surprised, but it didn’t hurt less.
Instead of staying home and thinking about everything going wrong in her life, Melissa decided it would be a good idea to get out. Her plans for Sunday had no doubt gotten cancelled. Annabelle wouldn’t want anything to do with her now. That didn’t mean Melissa couldn’t explore on her own.
Packing a small bag full of bottles of water, trail mix and granola bars, she was excited to see the state park. The last thing she grabbed was the map she’d printed off at work.
Brookside sat beside one of the most private and rarely visited areas. Was the land having been settled by shifters the reason it was still pri
stine? Humans hadn’t made their mark on the forest. The trees remained tall and full. Nature could be an awesome thing.
She exited through the back and locked the door behind her.
Melissa had seen the trail through town. She had to keep her pace steady instead of racing down and disappearing between the trees. She craved the peace and solitude she was hoping to find.
There was no one around as she made her way down the dirt path.
Later, when Melissa was more familiar with the area, she’d venture away from where everyone else walked. She’d been hiking for years and knew how to take care of herself. She’d even learned to mark her way with chalk lines on trees.
Trent had always enjoyed hiking with her. Back when they’d first started dating, they’d often taken weekend trips to the mountains.
Melissa hadn’t known when she’d begun to get romantically involved with him that Trent was a shifter. Looking back, there had been signs he was different. Until the shifters had decided to go public, though, she’d never expected someday he’d confess he wasn’t fully human.
That conversation had been the first strain on their relationship.
Trent had been nervous when he’d invited her over to his apartment to talk. Melissa had foolishly thought he’d wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Maybe move in together. Instead he’d told her he was one of the shifters who were all over the news. He’d told her he could transform into a hyena.
Melissa had been shocked but intrigued. To be able to change into an animal had to be cool.
She’d been an animal lover her entire life, but dating a shifter was a different story. Melissa also wondered if he would have ever told her if the shifters hadn’t decided to become public. So, she’d listened to Trent as he explained what made him different, but also how he was still the same man.
Because she’d already been in love with him, Melissa had responded with kind words and acceptance. Had tried to say everything he needed to hear. When Trent had taken her to bed that night, they’d thought things had been settled. Melissa had believed she would be able to come to terms with the secret he’d revealed.
She’d lied to them both.
Melissa hadn’t accepted Trent. In the back of her mind, she’d been freaked out. Of course, she hadn’t known that until the shit had hit the fan.
Trent had offered her everything he was. He’d been willing to answer any question and even offered to show her his animal. She hadn’t wanted to see it. Had never asked. She regretted that now.
Either being older or seeing how much prejudice the shifters had to endure had changed her mind. Hell, it had changed her life. Had changed the way she looked at the world. Melissa wasn’t the same person she had been. She didn’t know how to prove that to Trent, though. If he never gave her the opportunity to show him the new person she was, Melissa was stuck.
Just stuck.
But if Melissa was going to be stuck somewhere, this was a beautiful piece of America. The canopy above her head, made up of branches and leaves, hid the afternoon sun. It was chillier, but in her pants and long-sleeved T-shirt she was comfortable.
She came to the place where the path split.
Melissa had marked the trail on the right. That would lead her down a short hike before circling back to town. That was the way she’d planned to go. It would take thirty minutes. She wasn’t ready to go back to civilization, though. Melissa headed left.
According to the map, she’d have a steep climb in front of her before she reached water.
Excitement raced through her as she hiked and sweat rolled down her back as she continued her trek.
It would have been nice if she had someone to share this perfect hike with. Even Annabelle would have been good company. Not that Annabelle would be her friend now, with Melissa’s past with Trent known.
There were other people Melissa might befriend, though.
She hoped she hadn’t taken on more than she could handle. Melissa knew if given the opportunity, she’d be a good addition to the Brookside Sheriff Department. All she needed was a chance.
“It’s pretty, huh?”
“Oh, my God!” Melissa said. She whirled around. “Annabelle! You scared me.”
Annabelle held up her hands. “Sorry.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I followed you.”
Melissa frowned. “You followed me?” What the hell? Is this Annabelle’s idea of a joke?
“Don’t be mad,” Annabelle told her.
“I’m not sure what to feel. Why did you follow me?”
“I was headed to your house to talk to you,” Annabelle said. “I saw you leave and decided to see where you were going.”
Unbelievable. “That’s not creepy at all.” She hoped her sarcasm was thick enough for Annabelle to know she was pissed.
Annabelle shrugged. “I was curious.”
Melissa pressed her lips together.
“This is where you should say ‘curiosity killed the cat’.”
Melissa laughed. She couldn’t help it.
“And you have good instincts,” Annabelle said. “This is my favorite spot in the whole world. Well, after my tree by the back of the bar.”
“It’s amazing,” Melissa agreed. “So, you come here often?”
“No,” Annabelle replied. “Not as often as I used to. Logan doesn’t like me coming out here all alone.”
It wasn’t safe. That was why Melissa had been offered the job in the first place. Logan had to worry about Annabelle walking to this gorgeous spot, which wasn’t fair.
Annabelle pulled her arm. “Let’s get closer.”
Melissa let Annabelle lead her to the amazing crystal-clear water. She dropped down to her knees and trailed her fingers over the surface. “It’s cold.”
“The water in this creek comes from the snow at the top of the mountains.”
“Is that why it’s so clear?” Melissa asked.
“Yes, it’s pure. I used to shift around here and drink from it.”
“The grass around it is so green. How’d you even find this place?”
“I got lost.”
“You got lost?” Melissa repeated.
“I did. It was a few weeks after I got here. Mac used to let me go out at night, but I was supposed to stay close to the bar. I, of course, didn’t listen and kept venturing farther and farther away.”
Melissa sat. The soil was moist and smelled good. Annabelle dropped down beside her.
“I bet Mac was pissed,” Melissa said.
“Oh, he was. I was only supposed to be gone an hour or so, but by the time I realized I’d gone off course, it was too late.” She pointed. “I fell asleep right up there.”
“You can sleep in a tree?” Melissa squinted. “That high?”
“I love it. Logan hates heights, so even he can’t join me. It’s nice and peaceful.” Annabelle nudged her. “Feel like a climb?”
“No way in hell.” Melissa was not fond of heights, either.
“Figures.” Annabelle pouted. “I need to make friends with a bird shifter.”
“Not a lot of those around here?” Melissa asked.
“Not that I’ve met.”
“So, what happened next?”
Annabelle giggled. “Mac came barreling through the trees in his bear form. He was massive and angry… Oh, yeah. I was too scared to come down.”
Melissa stiffened. “Did he hurt you?”
“Mac?” Annabelle shook her head. “Never. But he gave me the longest lecture of my life.”
“Sounds like a good guy.”
“Mac is the best. It scares him when something is out of his control. That night, he’d been terrified I’d been hurt and was calling for help.”
“So, he’s protective?” Melissa asked.
“Maybe a little too protective. He puts everyone else ahead of himself.”
“What’s going on at the bar?” Melissa questioned.
“Good try.” Annabelle lea
ned into her.
“Hello, ladies.”
Melissa turned and spotted a park ranger standing on the trail. It was Garth Stevenson, one of the rangers Magnus didn’t trust. He was human as well. “Afternoon.” Melissa didn’t like the guy.
“Deputy Bishop.” He nodded. “And friend.”
“Sir,” Annabelle said. She didn’t offer her name. Melissa noticed how Annabelle shrank away.
“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?” Ranger Stevenson asked.
Melissa stood. She wasn’t going to let this guy stand over her. Melissa reached down and helped Annabelle to her feet. “We’re enjoying it.” She made certain to look the ranger in the eye.
“Not many people know about this place,” Stevenson stated. “It’s not on most of the maps.”
“We know about it,” Melissa said. She’d gotten her map from Magnus’ personal collection. He’d allowed her to print it off to do her exploring.
“I see that.” Stevenson looked around. “You ladies be careful. The trails around here can be dangerous if you’re not experienced.”
“Good thing we have plenty of experience,” Melissa responded.
“Ladies.” Stevenson dipped his head before leaving them.
It wasn’t until Stevenson was out of sight that Melissa realized Annabelle had a death grip on her arm.
“Annabelle? You okay?”
“Sure, why?”
“Because you’re about to break my arm.”
“Oh, sorry!” Annabelle released her.
Melissa turned to her. “What is it?”
“I don’t like him.”
“Wait? You know Ranger Stevenson?” Melissa didn’t think the rangers went into Brookside unless it was to meet with Magnus.
“I didn’t know his name, but I’ve seen him around.”
“Where?”
“Around.” Annabelle shrugged.
“I don’t like him, either,” Melissa confided.
Annabelle peered at her with her dark eyes. She looked vulnerable in that moment, even though Melissa knew Annabelle wasn’t. “No?”
“No.” Melissa tugged on Annabelle’s arm. “Let’s get back. We’ll walk together this time. I don’t want anything to happen to you as you stalk behind me.”