Bridge Hollow Shifters: The Complete Collection

by Samantha Leal

  “It’s true,” Pamela said, almost in a whisper. “It’s my first job, and I’ve clearly been duped. I didn’t have a clue what we were coming out here for, all I was told was that we had to investigate the strange weather and the issues with the animals in the woods.”

  Dean clicked his teeth and turned to look at Ryder.

  “I was with her up there and I saw what she did,” Ryder continued. “She was collecting soil and water samples. Looking at rocks… talking about the environment…”

  “And the mine?” Dean asked with a raised brow.

  “The mine?” Pamela asked with confusion. “What mine?”

  The word jogged her memory, and something started to click into place. She remembered the pictures in the back office, the black and white photographs from long, long ago, of men working outside a mine shaft, holding pickaxes over their shoulders and getting ready to head down into the earth.

  Dean looked from Pamela to Ryder and back again.

  “Okay,” Dean said, “I can tell when someone is being genuine.”

  “She is,” Ryder confirmed. “And not only that, but she’s agreed to help us too.”

  Dean sighed and his shoulders relaxed, and it seemed that it rolled out to the other members of the pack too. All the men suddenly seemed less on edge, and more open to the idea of Pamela being there. They all slowly made their way toward the bar counter and each pulled out stools to sit on.

  “I could do with a drink,” Dean said as he rubbed his forehead.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Ryder said with scorn. “No way are you going down that road.”

  Pamela looked at them both with confusion, and Dean smiled wearily.

  “Been sober for over ten years,” he admitted as he sat back against the backrest.

  “Okay,” Ryder said. “You were up there on the mountain with Sean, what do you think he’s up to?”

  Dean shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

  “I wish I knew, but he’s definitely interested in the mine.”

  The mine… there is was again.

  Pamela felt her ears prick up and she looked across at Ryder.

  “Many years ago, there was an accident here,” Ryder said. “A mine collapsed, and a lot of people died.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” she asked.

  “We don’t know yet,” Dean interrupted and rubbed his jaw. “But Sean seems to be sniffing around there and we need to know why.”

  The shifter pack all looked at her and she stared at Dean.

  “I haven’t seen him since before you guys went up to the summit,” she said sincerely.

  “He shook me off,” Dean said with a half laugh. “He played nice all the way up and acted as if he were just doing similar tests to you on the soil and water. But as soon as I dropped him back at the base, I followed him again, and I know he went looking deeper into the forest, toward where the abandoned mine is.”

  “Well, he knows something we don’t then,” Pamela said. “Because all this is news to me. All I know about is what I’ve read on the internet and what I’ve been told by you guys. I’m as lost as you are.”

  Ryder nodded and gave her hand a squeeze, and Dean seemed to believe her too.

  “If you can help us, Pamela, we would greatly appreciate it, but I know this can’t be easy. Especially, when you’ve been kept in the dark and don’t know where you are or what is happening.”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “I do feel quite lost here, but I want to help, of course, I do. I always want to make sure the right thing is done.”

  Dean smiled at her warmly and nodded his head before he rose to his feet. He held out his hand to her, and she reached out and shook it. His skin was warm to the touch too, much like Ryders, but not as intense, as if Ryder’s heat was just saved for her.

  “Okay,” Dean said. “Thank you for meeting with us. I just wanted to be sure, but I know I can trust you, and Ryder can vouch for you. Let’s just make sure nothing else happens around here. Especially, now that the wolves have gotten wind of this Sean guy here in town and are baying for his blood.”

  Pamela winced. The idea was terrifying. It so easily could have been her.

  “Have they calmed down at all?” Ryder asked.

  Dean shook his head.

  “They want us to fix it and are making threats that if it’s not done, then our old rivalries will be rekindled.”

  Ryder whistled.

  “Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse,” he half laughed.

  The other men all grumbled between themselves.

  “If we have to fight them, they won’t know what’s hit them,” one of them said.

  “Wolves versus bears, ha, let’s just see how that one pans out,” said another. “Jeez, we don’t want another Lost Creek on our hands.”

  Lost Creek... Pamela wasn’t totally sure if she knew where they were referring to, but she was sure there was another town full of legends not too far from there that had been the subject of a couple of articles online. When she had initially searched Bridge Hollow, it had brought up similar stories of large bear and wolf sightings by unsuspecting tourists and people going missing up on another mountain range.

  The men all shook their heads and seemed to laugh in disbelief, and Pamela watched them all start to slap each other affectionately on the shoulders. They were all clearly used to coming together and tackling things as a team, and it made her smile. They were like a big family, and she loved it. It was nice to see something she had never had.

  “Okay, come on, time you all got out of here,” Ryder said. “I’ve got a bar to open and I’m sure you’ve all given Pamela enough to think about.”

  Dean and the others all started to head to the door, muttering their goodbyes, and Pamela finally felt as if she could truly breathe.

  As the door closed behind them, she sank back against the wall, sighed and looked up at Ryder with large, open eyes.

  “That was intense,” she whispered.

  Ryder rubbed her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. His big arms enveloped her, and his rock-hard muscles pressed against her chest. She felt so tiny in his arms, and so completely safe, that it was beginning to become her most favorite place to be.

  Now, she just had to make sure she did all she could to help and find out what Sean was up to.

  It sure as hell wasn’t going to be easy, but she knew, deep within her heart, that it was going to be worth it.

  11.

  She walked through town alone and took in the now familiar sights of the quaint little stores and the happiness every person who lived there seemed to carry with them.

  It had been an interesting morning, and Pamela had now gotten the trust of the bear shifter pack. She had kissed Ryder goodbye at the door of the bar, knowing she could walk the streets safely during the day and not have to fear being dragged away from real life and into a war that she knew nothing about.

  However, it was becoming clear that all was not right. The wolves and the bears were beginning to let their tensions rise. The idea was frightening to Pamela, and she wondered exactly who the wolves were, and if she had even encountered any of them so far while she had been in town.

  She stopped by a small, independent coffee house and stepped inside. The aroma of coffee beans hit her instantly, and she felt as if she were drifting into heaven. She had been so overtaken with work and all the complications that had arisen around it, that she hadn’t taken time for herself in almost a week.

  She ordered a big, skinny latte and took it to one of the corner tables, where she sank down into a big, fluffy seat and sighed.

  It felt good to be taking some time out to gather her thoughts, even if they immediately seemed to work their way back around to Ryder.

  She had never met anyone like him before, and each time they were together, especially when their skin touched, she felt as if they were being bonded more deeply and forever.

  She sipped her coffee after blowing
on it to make it cool, and then she looked around at the room of people who were all doing the same. Some were alone, reading magazines or sitting with their laptops. Some were in pairs of two, sat opposite each other and having fun conversations, catching up on their week or making plans on what they would do now that they were in town on vacation. And some were families, enjoying a quiet afternoon together, drinking coffee and tasting sweet cakes and breads from the counter.

  Pamela’s eyes moved around each section of the room, and they finally settled on an old man who was just taking his seat at the table ahead of her. He too was alone, and he carried a big mug of hot chocolate. She could smell the sweetness of it from where she was sitting, and she began to crave one all her own.

  He was unsteady on his feet as he rested the big cup down on the table and then shakily pulled out the chair and sat down. He had a long, white, wiry beard and his eyes were still bright blue, even if the skin around them was dark and sallow, wrinkled and saggy. He briefly looked up and caught Pamela’s eye and smiled at her.

  “Good afternoon,” he nodded politely.

  “Good afternoon,” Pamela smiled in return.

  He pulled a rolled-up newspaper out of his pocket and a pencil sharpened into a perfectly neat point and flicked to the back, bending over the pages so that he had a good view of the page he wanted.

  “Hmm,” he said aloud, as if he was totally oblivious to anyone else in the room. “Four across, an eleven-letter word for a trying situation…”

  He was working on a crossword and Pamela had to smile. She had never been a fan of them, but for some reason, she was good with the answers and had always been able to guess when she had heard a clue.

  “Predicament,” she said, without thinking twice.

  The old man’s eyes flickered up to her and he clapped his hands together and laughed.

  “Damn right,” he said happily as he scribbled the word down in the space and then nodded his head. “This old brain doesn’t work as good or as fast as it used to.”

  Pamela smiled. She could only imagine what it must be like to get old, but she still hoped she was lucky enough to experience it one day.

  “I might ask for some more help from you, girl,” he said with a big grin. “So, make sure you stick around.”

  Pamela laughed and took a sip of her coffee, before she looked back to him and found him chewing the end of the pencil.

  “New in town?” he asked, his eyes flickering back up to hers.

  “Yes,” she said. “Well, I’ve been here for a few days now.”

  He nodded slowly.

  “It’s quite a place, isn’t it,” he grinned. “I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ll never, ever leave. Even with all this funny business that people keep talking about.”

  Pamela sat up straight and gave him her full attention.

  “It’s a funny thing,” he said. “My father and grandfather came here as original settlers and they used to tell me all kinds of tales. They say so much happened after the mine collapsed that this place changed beyond recognition… a lot for the better, but some… I don’t know…”

  Pamela didn’t know why this old man was chatting with her, but it was clear that he was lonely and had taken a shine to her after she helped him with his clue. She didn’t speak, she just let him continue.

  “Yes, apparently, before then, Bridge Hollow was a very different place,” he said. “And then, the accident happened, and a lot of people died. Some people left, and new families settled and formed a new world up here.”

  “That’s tragic about the mine,” she said finally. “I didn’t know anything about it until today.”

  “Well, it’s one of those things that gets kept quiet,” he nodded. “A tragic event, and one they all want to stay buried.”

  She smiled and took another sip of her drink.

  “Do you know anything else about it?” she asked, hopefully.

  The old man shook his head.

  “Not a thing,” he sighed. “Only that it shook things up here and a lot changed. But then, I guess it would, wouldn’t it?”

  Pamela nodded. She took another sip of her drink and realized it was all gone. She leaned back into her chair and waited for him to say something more, but his eyes were now firmly fixed on the newspaper and he was clearly caught up in another set of clues.

  She waited for ten minutes, maybe a little more, but by the time she had stared into space and twiddled her thumbs for that long, she knew there was no point in hanging around any longer. He was fully immersed in his crossword, and he clearly wasn’t going to be chatting again.

  “Nice to meet you.” She smiled as she rose to her feet and waved. “Good luck with the clues.”

  “Thank you, dear,” he smiled. “And good luck to you too.”

  She didn’t know why but the words sent a shiver down her spine. The old man was kind and gentle and he didn’t have a whole lot to say, but he seemed to be wise and full of thought. She walked away and left the coffee house before she took the short walk back to The Hollow Hotel. She was tired, even though it wasn’t even 5pm, and she wanted to have a rest and unwind before it was time for her to try and find somewhere to have her evening meal.

  As she walked back to the hotel doors, she wondered if Sean would finally be in there waiting, but she was going to have to wait until she got inside to see.

  She tipped the bottle of bubble bath into the flow of water and watched as the suds bubbled up and the scent of strawberries and cream took over the entire bathroom.

  She was aching, and her mind was still buzzing with thoughts, but since she had come back to her hotel room, she had made the conscious decision to try and relax. She was sick of feeling on edge, and she needed to implement some selfcare before she burned out.

  She had checked her cellphone, emails and messages at the hotel to see if there had been any word from Sean, but he was still missing in action. She wondered if he had deliberately disappeared, or whether he had come to some terrible harm, but she knew she couldn’t keep turning it over in her mind. She had to stay positive and focus on herself. She had already discovered that she was no longer employed by the government, her job had practically dissolved overnight, and now she was going to have to re-evaluate who she was and what she wanted.

  She didn’t want to go home and start again looking for work. She had spent so much time prepping and studying, it was as if she had wasted years for nothing. It was impossible to find the kind of jobs she was looking for, and when she had, it had all turned out to be fake.

  The idea made her mad and she had to squash it.

  She pushed it right down inside of her and turned back to the tub. The water had almost filled it to the brim, and she swilled it around with her hand, mixing in the hot and cold and letting the steam glide over her and make her skin dewy and warm.

  She peeled off her clothes and threw her shorts and t-shirt down on the tiled floor, before she stepped out of her underwear and untied her hair so it fell down loosely against her shoulders. It was still light outside, but the sun was beginning to fade, and she left the lamps off in the bathroom so that it was dark and shadowy as she climbed into the water and let it flow all around her.

  She rubbed her wet hands over her face and felt her whole body start to cleanse. It was an incredible feeling, after being so on-the-go and worn out, to have the soothing warmness all around her and bringing her back to life.

  She lathered up her hair and sank down into the bubbles, letting it wash all over her and she ran her hands up and down her arms and legs. They were silky smooth and the oils in the bubble bath were making her skin feel even more divine with each passing second.

  She sank down further into the water and let it cover her ears. All she could hear was the strange rush of water and air, as if she had held a shell up to her ear, and she closed her eyes and felt weightless.

  When she sat upright, she looked at the clock on the bathroom wall and realized that she had been lying in there fo
r around an hour, and her hands had turned crinkly. She laughed and pulled out the plug, squeezing the excess water from her long hair and wrapping it up in a smaller towel, before she stood up straight and wrapped herself in a big fluffy one. She dried herself off and moisturized her entire body, making herself feel as if she had been reborn.

  The tension in her shoulders had now completely worked itself free, and she wandered back through to the bedroom and grabbed her short, silky, little robe from the closet before she dropped the towel and pulled it on over her naked body.

  She turned back to the bed and smiled at how welcoming and inviting it looked, but it was still far too early to call it a night. Plus, she had the feeling that she would be wanting to head on out into town before long and see what the updates were.

  She turned on the bedside lamps and drew the curtains over the French doors, before she turned on the TV to a low volume, and the day’s news began traveling across the screen in intermittent bursts.

  When she sat back down on the edge of the bed, she was sure she heard something outside, but she didn’t know if it had been there or just the TV. When she looked at the screen it was scenes of war in Iraq, men crouched down behind sandbags as explosions went off in a sandy field in front of them, as they clutched their guns and took shots over the top every few minutes.

  She shook her head and changed the channel. She couldn’t bear to watch it. But when she did and she still heard the sounds of crashing and smashing, she jumped to her feet and moved quickly to the balcony doors.

  She opened them and stepped outside, looking up and down the back length of the hotel. Nothing looked unusual or out of place, but she could definitely hear the sound of a fight, and it was coming from Main Street.

  Her heart began to pound, and she felt herself shiver.

  She clutched her robe tightly at the neck and watched out over the balcony as the sound of men’s voices came closer and closer.

  She was high up and out of the way, but she could tell the fight or argument was about to spill from Main Street into the back gardens of the hotel, and she watched with wide eyes and shock as the trees began to rustle and Dean and another man came tumbling through. She stepped backward and barely dared breathe. They must have been at least thirty feet below her, but she was still standing there feeling terrified of what was about to unfold.