“Our noses aren’t as sensitive as yours and we only use a little. That’s why my scent came through. It only works for casual contact with wolves and others with a heightened sense of smell.”
“I see. That would never work for a wolf. Colognes and strong scents give us a headache. It’s good to have met you. I’m sure we’ll work together soon.”
“Someone waiting for you at home?” Jackson asked.
“She’s at the office and I’m trying to get her interest. When I left she told me to be careful. Now look.”
“Make sure you get your truck fixed quickly and I’ll help expedite it. We’re lucky they don’t seem to be smart. Running a car into a tank like you drive is stupid. He’s lucky he survived.” Jackson observed. He waved off to the side as he made his way back to his patrol car.
Trail thought the bear was a nice guy. He reminded him of Tank, a bear that lived near Tyne’s headquarters. The truck started and he took off for home but something was loose and making scraping noises. Normally he would stop and check it out, but he wanted to assure himself Twila was safe. If they’d gone after him, they might go after her too.
Less than an hour later he was pulling into the drive at the office. The noise now was loud enough that people stopped and stared. He would take one of the trucks at the office until his was fixed. Twila came outside and her eyes grew round as she saw the shape his truck was in.
“What happened?” She demanded.
“Let’s go inside and discuss it.”
She turned around and went inside. When I walked through the door, she sat at the front desk looking at me with expectation. “I had a wreck.” Twila raised one brow in a questioning look. “One of the racists T-boned me. He was in a car so his car took the most damage. They had to pry him out of it. He screamed about the dogs taking over and how he had to kill them all and he pulled a gun. I took it away and gave it to the cop. They took him for psychiatric evaluation.”
Twila got up and ran around the desk flying into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”
Chapter 3
A Date
He scented like the great outdoors. Wolves rarely wore scents and even then they were light ones. The scent was all his and all male. Twila had to admit she had been worried about him. Just because she didn’t trust him fully, didn’t mean she didn’t care. Maybe she was broken by the years she had been abused and mistreated. It was possible she would never trust a male besides her brother.
That thought made her feel half sick and overcome with sadness. What kind of life would that be? “What’s the matter?” Trail whispered in her ear and she felt butterflies in her stomach.
Attraction was a start, but a relationship couldn’t be built on that alone. She had to have love and trust was the foundation of that in her mind. Twila allowed herself the hug anyway. His warmth seeped into her and she felt stronger for it. When she pulled back, she wasn’t expecting the gentle kiss he gave her before he let her go.
She was stunned and unable to react for a moment. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Twila said begrudgingly.
“I’m glad you’re okay, too.” He smiled. “I’ve had a hell of a day and I still have two calls left to do. My truck will have to get worked on and I need to borrow a company truck. Did you get those applications sorted for me? I have an hour to go through them before I have to go.”
“I did.” She moved away to grab a pile of papers off her desk. “Here they are.”
Trail sifted through them fast pleased with the way she had sorted them and made notes that helped him select five off the top. “Can you set up interviews with these five potential agents? I’d like to grab a bite, want to go with me and you can set up the appointments when we get back.”
She was hungry. “Okay, I’d love to go. Let me grab the phone and I’ll lock up.” Talking about work made her feel more comfortable. Emotions made her nervous and she was afraid her past made her a bad judge of character. It was just that she wanted to belong and to have someone love her like Moe had Twila’s brother Tyne. The way they felt was clear for all to see.
Sure Tyne had explained it took two years for him to convince his mate they should join together, but it usually didn’t take so long. She felt something for Trail, why wasn’t she sure? What she was sure of was that Trail was strong, dependable, and loyal once a commitment was made. Tyne had told her enough she believed that.
He’d saved her, even though she was sure she could have saved herself. After all she was a well-trained agent of the company herself. Males always underestimated females, at least they did in her experience.
They walked, it was the most common form of travel around Wilde. Most people only drove when leaving town. Mad’s place was too close to bother with a car. It fit with the description ‘just down the road’. The two of them were there in five minutes. The place was unassuming, but once they entered she was surprised to see most of the tables were full.
“Why are there so many customers today?” Twila asked.
“Fur and hide buyers are here. The place will be packed with people coming in from miles around. They will camp nearby but spend some of the money they make to socialize here and at the Polar Bear.”
“Why now?”
“The buyers come around every few months from different companies. Not all the trappers have a chance to come so they give them several chances. Some of the local artists get a chance to sell their art too. This gathering is one of the less popular ones, but as you can see it still swells the numbers of people in town.”
“Yes, that’s true. How long will they be here?”
“That varies. Some of the buyers linger and stay as long as a month. It’s an extended excuse to party. Some only stay for a week.”
“I can’t imagine anyone would extend their stay here. This place is remote and has limited entertainment options.”
“Not everyone is looking for malls and movie theaters. Some of those who come here have made friends. They sit around drinking and reminiscing about days far gone.”
“Kill me if I ever live for that kind of entertainment.” Twila insisted.
“Watch what you ask for.” Trail said with a chuckle.
“Let’s sit here before all the tables are taken.” He said with a gesture toward the nearest empty table.
“Hello, can I take your drink orders?” A waitress asked.
“Just bring us each a glass of what’s on tap.” Trail directed. ”We’ll also take an order of nachos supreme.”
“Will I like what’s on tap?”
“Probably? Mad likes deals and it changes from day to day. See? Yesterday’s tap was amber and today’s is dark.”
“Okay, now I get a lesson on beer.”
“Why not? We should learn something new every day.”
“I’ve been learning more than one thing every day. The things haven’t been good either. The racists are showing me all about hate.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had to see that, Twila. If I could shelter you from all of it, I would.” Trail promised.
“Being sheltered too much isn’t good. It’s important to have a real view of life. If you don’t you can be shocked once you go out into the world.” Twila had felt that way when she’d been taken so long ago.
The waitress set a glass of dark beer down in front of them. Twila sipped hers. “It’s too bitter for my liking.”
“Can I get you something different?” The waitress asked?
“No, just get me a glass of tomato juice.” Twila decided. The waitress hurried away.
“Tomato juice?” Trail asked.
“It takes away the bitterness.”
“I’ve never heard that before.” Trail murmured.
“It does.” She insisted.
The waitress came back with the juice and Twila poured some in. She sipped it again and added a little more. “Perfect.” She announced.
“Have you decided on what you’re having?” The waitress asked.
“We’ll both take the sp
ecial.” Trail said. The waitress wrote it down and hurried away.
“What was the special?”
“Roasted deer flank served on a bed of vegetables with gravy on the side. It also has sourdough bread served with it and cheesecake for dessert. The bread here is amazing.”
“That sounds so good.” Twila admitted.
The waitress brought their food in minutes. The savory aroma made her mouth water. Once she began to eat, it turned out to be as good as it looked. The gravy was a tasty light brown kind that often was served with pork. Twila was no pick and push eater, she dug in with a good appetite and while she was not skinny, she was muscular and well-rounded like most wolves seemed to appreciate.
She’d spent years imprisoned and neglected, it was her intention to enjoy good food and good company whenever she could. This was one of those times. Trail was being friendly instead of intense and she was enjoying their light banter as they ate.
“It’s hard to believe you and Tyne are twins.” Trail noted.
“Why is that?”
“You are so beautiful and he’s just an old ugly guy.”
“Moe would protest that description.”
“She has to, she mated him.”
“Not all mates defend each other, but they are fated, therefore a perfect match.” She expected him to claim they were too but he let her comment go.
“White wolves have been good for our kind. They have given many hope.”
“You didn’t look for a mate among them?”
“No, I waited for the goddess to show me my mate.”
“What about these racists? What will happen to us now?” Twila knew it was a complete turnaround in the conversation, but she felt uncomfortable talking about fated mates when Trail insisted she was his.
“We will be careful and watch for anything unusual. They will not give up until they are taken out or they destroy us.”
“So it’s them or us? I vote for us. How will we stop them?”
“I’m not sure. Right now we just need to slow them down until the council takes action. Hiring five applicants will help by making me and at least one other available to investigate these miscreants.”
“I’m sure I won’t be allowed to investigate anyone.” Twila mentioned.
“Most investigation is done on the computer. If we can get enough personnel, you may be called upon to help.”
She knew Trail was willing to give her a chance, but if Tyne found out he might not agree. Twila wasn’t a computer geek. She had just been trained recently and while she seemed to have some talent on them, it was a beginner’s skill she was working with. More training would please her and she could apply anything she learned since Tyne’s company did so many different things for their clients.
Twila could run basic background checks, but anything requiring more intensive details had to be handed off. That was something she hated because she felt like she was only doing half the job. Not that there had been anything she could do about it. Tyne had assured her when things got less overwhelming, she would be sent for more training. She knew he meant well, but she couldn’t see things ever slacking off since his business was so successful.
On her own, she had started taking online courses. The problem was that at some point she wanted some hands on training and there was nothing near here like that. There were some white wolves that were computer geniuses, but why would they want to go to a remote and sometimes desolate place to teach her?
It was time to put her mental whining on hold so she could enjoy her meal and the company. “Where did you go?” Trail whispered to her. “Is it someplace you can take me?
“Honestly?” She asked and he nodded. “I was mentally bewailing my lack of training and how things would probably never get any better.”
“Somethings we can’t help, but other things we can. I know you’re taking classes online and it will help open up opportunities. Naqi said Janey plans to teach a computer class in four week programs designed to take you to a higher level. She’ll be starting sometime later in the year. It’s for people who already know their way around their keyboards. I bet it would be perfect for you.”
“Why didn’t anyone mention it to me?” Now she felt left out, excluded.
“It’s in the early planning stages. Once she is positive it’s happening, I bet you’re one of the first to know. Janey doesn’t want people that hope to take the course pushing.”
“Why do you know?”
“Janey still doesn’t think about how much wolves can hear.” Trail smiled. “I went to visit Trevor and heard more than I was intended to know so pretend you don’t know for now.”
Trail had such a cute look on his face. It was clear he was proud of the fact that he’d told her such a big secret. It did give her hope because Janey was brilliant. “Why would she bother to teach something like this?”
“She’s hoping to find a couple of employees for her business.” Now that made sense. Janey was always complaining about how hard it was to get employees who could do what she needed. It gave Twila hope that she could pursue her interests in time.
“Okay. I’ll wait until she tells me. I hope it’s soon.” Now they had eaten everything but the dessert which the waitress set on the table when she came by. She grabbed their empty plates and removed them.
The place was kind of growing on her except she still didn’t care for the owner. From where she sat, she could see Mad at a booth with two guys. The expression go get a room flashed in her head. Mad was said to be crazy so no one said anything. The males seemed to enjoy the shows she put on as she kissed and fondled the males she sat with.
“She does ménages as well as singles. Mad is lusty, I guess.”
“Have you…” Twila trailed off. She didn’t want Trail to think she was interested, did she?
“No, she still slept with Naqi back then and I had no wish to upset him. I didn’t know if they were serious or not even though she did hit on me. Mad has always been wild and volatile. She would have made a poor choice for Naqi, but it wasn’t my place to decide.”
“He made a good choice.”
“Indeed he did. Joey’s great.”
“We’d better finish dessert and get back to the office. You have an appointment and I have work to do.” As soon as she said it, it was like the world intruded on them and the fun was gone. Twila had to be responsible, but she could still regret it. She wished they could have stayed in their little bubble of happiness just a bit longer.
“You’re right.” Trail agreed as he dug into his cherry cheesecake.
“Was this flown in?” She asked.
“Yes, otherwise it would have had local berries. Even though you can’t get them fresh right now, everyone freezes them for the rest of the year.”
They finished their dessert and Trail walked back with her. He checked out the keys to one of the trucks. She watched as he drove away and she worried that he would be alright. Maybe he knew, because he called to let her know when he arrived. That made her feel better and she was happy when he called to tell her he was leaving. Now he would be heading to the last job of the day.
Twila just had a little time left before it was time to close the store. The phone rang insistently and when she answered it, no one was there. A number showed on the screen, but no name. It was probably a burner cell phone. They called two more times, but when she saw the number, she let it go to the answering machine.
This might be their attempt at frightening her and she was having none of it. She shut off the lights in the shop, locked the doors, but stayed in the back. With the time difference, she could call all but one of the applicants and set up an appointment for an interview. The last applicant she would email.
Twila felt safe in the backroom surrounded by weapons and protected by a steel door. Still, she jumped when she heard the glass breaking. She immediately pushed the alarm that would alert the police, Naqi, and possibly Trail that there had been a break in.
Someone was trying to
get in, cussing and hitting the door, but without the code, it would take super human strength to breach the door. Not only was it steel, but the area around it had been reinforced. It didn’t seem to stop them from trying.
She wasn’t alarmed until she smelled smoke but by then she heard a siren going off. There wasn’t a choice, she had to exit the room or risk being burned alive. Twila put on an armored vest and grabbed two guns. When she opened the door, she did so slowly then she peaked around the edge of the door. Something hit the door alerting her to the fact that someone was taking pot shots at her. Somewhere in the office a fire smoldered and that made things dangerous.
Flashing lights were nearby but pings kept hitting things. A sniper was out there somewhere shooting in through the window. Twila rushed around the door and ducked down behind the front desk. Assessing the information she had, she decided she was safe here for now. The sofa in the customer’s area seemed to be what they’d set on fire and it was smoking a lot but the material was fire retardant. Unless an accelerant was added, that fire would die out.
“Twila? Are you in there?” Naqi called.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m not hurt.”
“We are hunting down the attackers but I need you to stay hidden for now.”
A bloodcurdling scream rent the air. One down, but how many more were out there? Another scream and another told me three or more. They really wanted to kill her this time and they hadn’t been messing around. Had she gone to her apartment, she might be dead right now.
“Twila?”
“Yes?”
“We have four, but there might be one more. Is there any other ways in to the office?”
“Yes, a side door.” Damn why hadn’t I thought about that.
A gun pressed up against my head. “Don’t move bitch or I’ll shoot. Tell them to back off.”
“Naqi?” She yelled.
“Yes?”
“I think I found the fifth guy and he has a gun on me.”
“What does he want?”
“You to back off.”
“We’re pulling back.”
Bad Habit (Wolf Investigations and Securities Inc. Book 2) Page 4