“Me either,” Lorcan agreed as he felt his body temperature rise to dangerous levels. He couldn’t change right now. He couldn’t risk his paws touching the pepper. It was all around them-he could smell it. His boots were the only things keeping him from being completely vulnerable to the pestilent spice. “Any ideas?”
A loud gunshot sounded in the air, and Lorcan could literally feel the bullet as it zoomed by his head. He heard one of the wolves yelp in pain before it slumped over. The other three wolves growled again, barking like angry dogs as they watched their fallen companion slowly change back into a human.
They looked at one another, as if trying to figure out what to do next. They hadn’t been expecting that; hell, Lorcan hadn’t either. He watched as the three wolves took off in the opposite direction, high tailing it deeper into the woods as Lorcan’s heard the best voice in the world.
“I think that was a hell of an idea,” Mr. Bamey stated as he slid down the embankment, gripping his gun as he grinned. “You ever see a wolf run that fast before?”
“No, Sir,” Lorcan couldn’t help but to smile.
“Hell of an aim you’ve got there, Richard,” Davey commented as he stepped closer to the crumpled man in the leaves. “Is he dead?”
“Hell no, he ain’t dead,” Mr. Bamey replied as he stared down at the naked male. “But we’re taking him with us. I want some answers.”
Lorcan let out a sigh of relief as he appeared at his father’s side, gazing down at their new captive as the urge to shift slowly subsided. “Yeah,” he nodded. “I want some damn answers, too.”
Twenty One
Dimitri caught the familiar scent before Mr. Bamey’s old white and maroon Ford Bronco II even came into sight. He was off the porch in an instant, making his way down the driveway as his brows lowered on his forehead.
Why do they have another wolf with them? He wondered as his heart rate increased. What’s happened?
He stood there, with his hands on his hips as Mr. Bamey pulled up and shut the engine off. Dimitri followed the ursithrope’s every move as he got out of the cab and moved towards the back. He peeked around, giving a grin to Dimitri.
“I got something for you,” he said as he lifted the back hatch.
Dimitri already knew what was back there, and if he hadn’t heard the faint heartbeat, he would’ve thought Mr. Bamey had brought home a prized hunt to be mounted on the wall. He was at his side in an instant, peering into the back of the vehicle to see none other than Luke; another member of Breslin’s pack.
“I thought you were going out to case the area for wolves,” Dimitri muttered. “What the hell happened?”
“I can tell you what happened,” Lorcan said as he pulled his large frame out of the tiny cab, joining them as he lifted his palms for Dimitri to see. “They tried to ambush us.”
“What?” Dimitri asked, though he was hardly shocked. He knew -better than anyone-that Breslin would play dirty. That’s just how the sadistic alpha worked.
“They owe me a new car,” Davey announced as he limped towards the back of the older SUV model. “Seeing as mine’s kissing face with a tree right now.”
Dimitri frowned, his eyes lingering on the blisters Lorcan was sporting. “I’m so sorry.”
“You ain’t got anything to be sorry for,” Mr. Bamey shrugged as he lowered the tailgate. “But you can help me carry this mutt’s ass into the house.”
“Yes, sir,” Dimitri nodded without hesitation.
This was bad. This was very bad. The ursithropes had abducted one of Breslin’s own; at least one that Breslin actually cared about. Things were going to get worse.
––––––-
As the day progressed, Presley discovered it wasn’t really all that bad to hang out with people that could change into bears. In fact, they were some of the most down-to-earth people she’d ever met.
Greg was a lot of fun to be around. His sense of humor kept her distracted as he joked around about being Smokey the Bear’s long lost son. It really was funny because Greg was a firefighter in Virginia. He no longer lived with his parents, but he visited often. His younger sister loved My Little Pony and Art. Presley learned her name was Gabby over a delicious lunch of brown sugar ham sandwiches and fresh potato salad.
Colin, on the other hand, wasn’t as funny as Greg; but he was extremely intelligent. Presley was surprised to learn he wasn’t a surgeon or a lawyer, but instead had a promising career as a professional football player. What was even more ironic about it was the fact he played for a team with a bear as their mascot.
Colin was handsome, there wasn’t any questioning it. He and Greg both shared similar traits to Lorcan and Liam. They were strong, stocky, and generally good looking men. Presley had to wonder if it was just a ‘bear’ thing.
“So, Presley, what’s your dream career?” Colin asked as he tossed a football up into the air, catching it easily as his eyes landed on her face again.
“I have no idea,” she shrugged, wiping her sweaty palms against the thighs of her jeans. Why did she think playing two-hand touch was a good idea right now? Lorcan, his father, and that nice old man had gone out to ‘case’ Kadenburg to see how close the werewolves were at the moment; yet here she was, playing a game.
“No idea?” Colin echoed as he tossed the football to her. She easily caught it and he quirked a brow. “Well, what do you like to do?”
“A lot of things,” she replied, observing the worn football between her hands. It was obviously an old toy of Lorcan and Lima’s. They probably shouldn’t have been playing with it. She didn’t want to do anything that would upset Liam’s family; especially Lorcan.
But Mrs. Bamey told me to go outside and get some fresh air, she reminded herself as she tossed the football back to Colin. I’m only doing what she told me to.
“I like movies and music. I have a few TV shows I watch religiously,” she caught the ball again, watching as he took a few steps back. “I really liked gymnastics as a kid.”
“Oh, so you’re flexible,” Colin chuckled, giving her a wink.
Presley’s face heated up as she threw the ball a bit harder, listening as it made impact with his chest. His laughter grew louder as he shook his head.
“I’m only messing with you,” he promised. “I know you’re off limits to me.”
Catching the ball once again, Presley frowned. “What do you mean I’m off limits?”
Colin’s smile faded a little as he tilted his head to the side. “Aren’t you and Lorcan sort of a thing?”
Presley blinked, tossing the football back in his direction as she laughed. “Um…not really?” She replied.
Do not say that! Her bear growled furiously. He is the one for us, Presley. Do not give this male false hope!
“I mean, we’ve been friends since forever ago,” she continued, smiling a little at the thought. “Lorcan’s a great guy, but we’ve never like, hooked up before.”
“I see,” Colin said as he slowly spun the football between his ginormous hands. His dirty blond hair fell into his eyes as he smirked. “I mean, it’s obvious you’ve never hooked up before.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
His eyes sparkled as he gazed at her again. “Because once you hook up with your mate, that’s it.”
“That’s it, huh?” Presley asked with a laugh. She rested her hands against her hips as she glanced up at the sky briefly. Fluffy white clouds rolled by overhead. It almost felt like springtime. “So like, when you find your mate you sort of just…never stray from them or something? What is it? True love?” She smirked.
Colin didn’t share her humor as he nodded his head. His expression became more serious as his eyes darkened. “Stronger than that,” he responded in a firm tone. “The love of an ursithrope cannot be matched by anything else in the universe.”
Presley let out a low whistle as her brows lifted on her forehead. “That sounds intense.”
“Oh, it is,” he promised. “I mean, at least th
at’s what my mama always told me.”
Presley watched Colin curiously as he took another step closer to her, his eyes raking over her body in a way that caused her skin to crawl. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but she wasn’t sure that she wanted him to look at her like that.
“So you don’t have a mate?” She asked, her mouth becoming dry as he stopped right in front of her. She lifted her eyes to meet his swirls of green and brown, but she quickly looked away.
“It would seem that way,” he replied as he held the football out for her to take. “I guess I’m just waiting on the right catch.”
Presley’s eyes lowered to the football and she had to wonder if he was using a play on words. Her heart hammered against her ribcage as his scent infiltrated her nose. Colin’s natural smell was vaguely similar to Lorcan’s, but there was a different spicy fragrance, too.
He smells –nothing-like Lorcan! Her bear roared. The intensity of her bear’s anger was so fierce that her head began to hurt. Presley winced inwardly as her lips anchored into the faintest of frowns. We do not want this bear. He is not the bear for us.
“Are you okay?” Colin asked. His baritone voice intruded her thoughts and just as she opened her mouth to reply, a new scent masked his.
Her head turned as quickly as Colin’s, and she heard the low growl sounding from deep within his throat.
“What is that?” She asked softly, thankful for the distraction as he dropped the football against the grass.
“More mutts,” Colin responded as he stalked towards the front of the house.
“More mutts,” she echoed, sighing in relief. At everyone would be too busy dealing with a werewolf to notice how badly she was trembling.
Stupid boys, she thought as she followed a good distance behind Colin. Why do they feel the need to put pressure like this on me? I just got out of a relationship! I don’t want another one.
You want one with Lorcan, her bear stated.
Presley scowled. Lorcan just lost his brother, okay? He’s vulnerable. I’m vulnerable. It wouldn’t be a good combination.
Her mind wandered back to the night before. She remembered all too well how wonderful it felt to be in Lorcan’s arms. He held her until she fell asleep. That memory alone stirred emotions in her that she hadn’t been sure she could ever feel again.
You have always been a good combination, her bear argued. He has been fond of us since we were a cub. He wants you.
You make me question my sanity, Presley commented as she rounded the house and stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing the naked man they were carrying into the house. He was groaning softly, seemingly trying to make his way back into the land of consciousness as his head rolled from one side to the other.
Presley quickly averted her gaze. She didn’t want to see that much of him. Why was he even here?
The scent of blood reached her then, and her stomach twisted into anxious knots as she pieced the puzzle together. Well, sort of. Something had obviously happened while the older ursithropes were out, and they had somehow managed to capture an injured werewolf-but why?
“Come inside, dear,” Mrs. Bamey said as her hand rested against Presley’s shoulder.
Presley gazed up at the older female, noting the look of worry on her face as the corners of her lips curled into a deep frown. For some reason, it made Presley panic. To see Mrs. Bamey seem so worried couldn’t be a good thing.
––––––
The tension in the air was so thick that Lorcan was certain he could cut through it with a butter knife. After what had happened only a few short hours beforehand, everyone was on high alert. The laughter and reminiscing of times gone by were long gone, and everybody was simultaneously coming to the realization that this was very real; and it was very dangerous.
“He’s going to come back,” Parson murmured as he kept his eyes on the steady trail of cigarette smoking rising into the air. He grabbed for the cancer stick, placing it between his lips as he took another drag. “Eye for an eye, isn’t that his policy?”
Mr. Bamey had been chain smoking for the past hour. The ashtray on the table was full of extinguished butts that had met their end at the hands of the worried ursithropes. They all knew that it was only a matter of time now.
“There wasn’t a damn eye to be taken in the first place,” Davey stated angrily as his fingers curled into his palm. He shook his head slowly. “What he did to Pierce was nothing more than cold blooded murder. He had no reason to come back here and kill Liam,” he grunted. “And I ain’t got any care for Liam liking that mutt, either. Breslin didn’t have a right to kill anybody.”
“You think we don’t know that?” Mrs. Bamey asked as she pulled a pitcher of cold tea from the fridge. She slowly made her way around the table, refilling empty glasses; half-empty glasses. Lorcan figured she just needed something to do to keep from going crazy. “He has to be stopped, and we need to figure out how we’re going to handle him when he makes his move. He’s going to come back for that boy.”
“Let him come back,” Colin smirked. “We’ll be ready for him. He surely can’t take on all of us.”
“But if his entire pack comes, then we can’t take on all of them,” Greg frowned. “We may be young and able, but we’re no match for a pack of wolves.”
“I’ve got guns,” Mr. Bamey nodded his head. “We’ve got more than enough ammo to put all those damn fleabags out of their misery.”
As much as Lorcan wanted to believe it would be that easy, he wasn’t sure he could ignore his gut feeling. He knew Breslin would return at any moment, and they weren’t prepared. They still needed more ursithropes and even if any more returned, they wouldn’t make it in time.
How in the hell am I supposed to protect Presley if I can’t even protect my family? He wondered.
Speaking of which, his eyes scanned the kitchen before he turned his head to look in the living room. Arnold Goult was seated upon the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, but there was no sign of Presley.
Where had she gone off to?
“Aw, shit,” he said beneath his breath as he headed down the hallway.
Twenty Two
She had no idea what she was thinking when she decided to steal a glance at the wounded wolf currently imprisoned in the Bamey basement. Perhaps it was only mild curiosity, or maybe she just had a death wish; but Presley had to see him.
“I can smell you,” he muttered as Presley lingered at the bottom of the stairs. “You don’t have a bad scent, but it’s not pleasant either.”
Presley released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as she took a step forward, peering around the shelf that blocked him from her view. He was sitting on the floor, his hands shackled above his head as he leaned against the wall. He lifted his silver hues to gaze at her and he smirked.
“I’m not going to bite you,” he commented. “I can’t do much from my position right now.”
Presley licked her lips, taking another hesitant step forward as her eyes moved over his face. There was something animalistic about him. Sure, he looked like a man, but there was something darker lingering in his eyes. What was it?
Evil, she thought. Pure evil.
The wolf, or Luke as Dimitri had identified him, peered at her in silence as his jawline tensed and relaxed. His gaze made her feel uneasy. Why was she doing this again?
“You look just like her.”
“What?” Presley asked, blinking.
Luke chuckled lowly as he shifted a little, attempting to scratch the side of his head. The chains didn’t give him much slack as his fingertips barely grazed the tips of his hair. He sighed, closing his eyes. “I said you look just like her.”
Presley frowned, keeping her distance from the wolf as she captured her lower lip between her teeth. What was he talking about?
His breathing was harsh. His nostrils flared as he opened his eyes to stare at her again. Presley couldn’t get over how menacing his orbs were, and how uneasy they made her feel.
Dimitri’s eyes weren’t like that. In fact, Dimitri’s eyes were sort of warm looking. Why did this man possess such cold eyes?
“You have your mother’s chin,” he speculated.
And that was it. Presley’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as she stared at him. She allowed his words to process in her mind as she shook her head slowly. That was impossible. He was trying to mess with her head. He didn’t know anything about her mother. He couldn’t.
“You don’t know anything about my mother,” she replied, swallowing her shambled nerves back into place.
“Ah,” he grinned. “You’re lying to yourself about that, aren’t you?” He asked.
Flashbacks from the night before came to mind, and Presley could recall the words of the wolf that had attempted to capture her.
‘She looks just like her mother.’
It couldn’t be true, could it? Her mother hadn’t pulled a Natalie on them, had she? It was like a very bad remake of Star Wars and her mother had chosen the dark side. Icy shards of nausea exploded in her stomach as she reached out to grip the side of the shelf.
“Now it’s making sense,” Luke smiled. “You’re a smart girl, little she-bear. You know the truth now, don’t you? You’ve always wondered what happened to her after she left you behind.”
“No,” Presley shook her head. “You’re lying to me.”
“Am I?” Luke tilted his head to the side. “It’s only a matter of time, you know. Breslin will come to get me and you can see for yourself then. Just wait and see who his right hand lady is.”
Presley shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head once more. “No!” She shouted. “You’re lying! Stop it!”
“What am I lying about?” Luke asked as his eyes narrowed in on her. “Surely you aren’t that naïve, little bear. Don’t you find it peculiar that a mama bear abandoned her cub? She left you with an incompetent man that had no idea how to raise a child,” he traced his tongue over his lower lip as another smirk slid over his face. “Maybe he’ll be the first to go when Breslin gets here. Would you like that?”
The Truth About Kadenburg Page 18