by Astrid Cielo
“What’s wrong, Caleb?”
“The fire was set by someone.”
Miranda’s eyes widened in shock, and Caleb hugged her close. “We have to go and meet the arson investigator at the police station now.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t worry, Miranda. You know I’d never let anything happen to you,
sweetheart.”
Miranda nodded and smiled up at him.
Humbled by the trust she showed him, Caleb took her hand and led her to his truck. Miranda’s father and mother followed close behind, whispering to each other.
Pinewood Creek was a medium-sized
town, large enough to boast a mall and several fast food chains, but not too large that every citizen became lost in the fray.
It was also a town of shifters, with shifters accounting for eighty-five percent of the total population. The majority of the town sat in the middle of the large pine forest with one main highway bisecting the entire town. Caleb’s pride and the wolf pack on the other side of town had kept developers from demolishing the forest by buying large chunks of the land and refusing to sell to businesses.
Most of the businesses made their home along the eastern part of town, with city offices located along the west. The schools took up most of the north of town, and they’d recently added a park amongst them. There were two police stations.
The headquarters was located in the south of town, with a satellite police department located by the schools. This was also a recent addition, when a bomb drill went to shambles because of officers’ response time to the school.
Caleb pulled up into the police
headquarters and almost growled at the worried look his mate gave him.
“Come on, sweetheart. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go home. I need to question Gunner about his
disappearance, and Essence has a night off tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”
Miranda smiled, but it did not quite reach her eyes. “I don’t mind. I’d like to come with you if you don’t mind.”
“I’m sure Gunner would love to see his hero again.” Caleb’s heart quickened at the genuine smile his words put on her face. He got out and helped her out of the truck as her parents pulled into the station.
“Mom and Dad, I’m sure you could go back to Caleb’s house until we get
through.” Caleb nodded when she looked at him for confirmation. He would have to ensure she realized that his house was now her house too.
“I’m not going anywhere until I find out what’s going on with my daughter. Some crazy person burned your home down. You could have been killed, Miranda.” Emma’s voice cracked at the end, and Blake pulled her into his arms, whispering soothing words to her.
“I’m fine, Mom.”
Miranda’s parents begrudgingly stayed in the lobby of the station.
Wesley Chambers was a large man,
about six four and built like a body builder.
He wore his black hair shorn close to his scalp. Caleb took the hand offered and was hard pressed to keep wincing from his bear-like grip.
“It’s nice to meet you, Caleb. I knew your father.”
Caleb looked him over and tried to place the man, but he was at a loss. Miranda leaned forward and sniffed the male, and Caleb saw red. He picked Miranda up and placed her behind his back before growling low in his throat at the male who’d interested his mate. Wesley lifted his arms in surrender with a shit-eating grin plastered to his face.
“Whoa, no harm done, Alpha.”
Miranda clasped his hand and wrapped her arms around his middle. “I’m sorry, Caleb; I was just trying to figure out what he was. Wesley is a bear.” Wesley nodded, confirming Miranda’s assessment, and Caleb relaxed fractionally.
“I take it you haven’t claimed your mate completely yet.” Caleb shook his head and growled again when the bear laughed.
Miranda rounded him, her finger poking the giant man in the chest and her eyes shooting daggers at the man.
“He is waiting because I asked him
too.”
Wesley frowned at Miranda before
stepping back out of reach of her finger.
Caleb’s body relaxed when he realized Wesley wouldn’t hurt his mate.
“Why would you wait?” “I was scared, and Caleb agreed to give me time. He did it for me.”
“I see. Well, let’s step into this room, and you can both answer some questions about the fire.”
Caleb placed his hand on the small of Miranda’s back and led her into the square room, devoid of any color save gray. The wooden table sitting in the center of the room looked well-worn, and various stains scattered across its top. He pulled out the gray metal folding chair and assisted Miranda to her seat, taking the seat beside her.
“Coffee?”
“No thanks,” Miranda said with a moue of distaste. Caleb shook his head, and Wesley took his seat across from them with a small cup of coffee clutched in his hand.
“I am going to be the lead investigator on this case. We don’t usually have cases of arson here in Pinewood Creek, so when a case comes up, we treat it seriously.
The last thing we need is for an arsonist’s fire to burn down our surrounding woods.
I’ll try to make this as brief as possible.
First, where were you at the time of the fire?”
“We were coming home from Pinewood
Creek Elementary. I was helping Miranda place decorations in her classroom. We noticed the smoke while driving, and I assumed it was a forest fire, so I
immediately called the fire department.
When we arrived at Miranda’s house, it was already engulfed in flames.” Caleb said. “Can anyone corroborate your story?”
“I have to sign in and out of school when I’m there, and that should be available.
The secretary saw us leave, but there wouldn’t really be anyone when we were driving,” Miranda supplied. Caleb knew that Wesley was doing his job and covering every base of his investigation, but he couldn’t stop the anger he felt at the implications of his questioning. Miranda must have sensed as much because she threaded her fingers in his, giving his hand a squeeze.
Wesley smiled at Miranda, and Caleb growled. Wesley’s grin just got bigger.
“That’s fine. I just have to establish your alibis so that I can mark you off as suspects. Now the hard questions.”
Caleb was seeing double by the end of the brief, but thorough, questioning, which ranged from possible enemies to reasons anyone would want to harm Miranda’s property or Miranda herself. He wanted to lock her up into a bubble, safe and sound for all eternity.
Miranda’s mother bombarded them
when they entered the lobby, Wesley hot on their heels. After a handshake and an uncontrollable growl at Wesley when he placed a kiss on the back of Miranda’s hand instead of just giving her a handshake, they walked out of the police station.
Caleb helped Miranda into his truck after kissing her senseless, ensuring that Wesley saw him claiming the lips of his mate.
“Mine,” Caleb growled to Wesley as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Wesley laughed, his amusement plain for the world to see as Caleb drove away from the police station.
Miranda’s mood seemed lighter after their visit to the police station, much to Caleb’s ire.
“You seem to be in a better mood,” he said instantly regretting his tone when she turned wide brown eyes on him.
Caleb sighed and pulled over to the side of the road. Damn him and his jealousy, he thought as he faced Miranda’s hurt-filled face.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m just stressed. And the way Wesley acted toward you has my cougar begging me to either turn around and eviscerate and disembowel that damn bear or fuck you so hard there is not any doubt that you belong to me.”
A seductive smile curved Miranda’s lips as she unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted closer to him. She grabbed his head and pulled it down to her so she could whisper i
n his ear.
“I don’t think you should go back to slice and dice the bear because you’ll get into trouble.”
“So…” Caleb winced at the whiney sound of his voice. Miranda giggled, her breath teasing his ear.
“So, who’s gonna fuck me then?”
Miranda accented her bold words with a sharp bite to his ear lobe. Caleb grasped Miranda’s hair and plastered his lips against hers, his tongue claiming her in the way he wished he could with his cock. A car horn broke them from their own little paradise, and Miranda scooted back into her seat, her face crimson from the realization that her parents had parked behind them. Caleb patted his out-of-breath mate on her leg.
“Later, sweetheart.”
Miranda’s blush deepened at his words, and Caleb couldn’t help but laugh.
Ten minutes later Caleb pulled into Essence’s driveway and Miranda’s parents left for dinner after receiving directions to Havens.
Essence answered the door, and Gunner nearly knocked his mother over when he bounded out of the house and into
Miranda’s arms.
“Miwanda!” Miranda looked up at
Essence and Caleb, her big brown eyes widened in surprise. Miranda hugged Gunner close, and a smile broke through her surprise.
“It’s nice to see you again, Gunner,”
Miranda said.
“Hi, Alpha. Please come in,” Essence said. .
Essence had joined the pride three and a half years before and shortly after gave birth to Gunner. Her strawberry blonde hair pulled into a haphazard ponytail only drew attention to the dark circles under her bright green eyes. It would seem that Caleb needed to pay closer attention to his pride.
“How are you, Essence?”
“Fine. How about you?” Essence’s
reflex answer sent red flags up for Caleb.
It was not so much the answer as the hollow voice that she used. Caleb reached out and grabbed her hand, turning her to him.
“I don’t think everything is fine,
Essence. What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing, Alpha. I’m perfectly fine,”
Essence responded, her reply less
despondent. She even smiled, though it never reached her eyes. Caleb did
something he never thought he’d do.
Honestly, he had never really considered the implications of him being alpha thoroughly before now.
“I will not be lied to, Essence!”
His eyes glowed as his grasp on
Essence’s hand tightened just before the point of pain. His voice came out more of a growl as he asserted his dominance over a pride member. Caleb had never wanted to use such a tactic, but he couldn’t allow a pride mate to suffer if there was something he could do.
Essence flinched and bowed her head in submission almost instantly.
“I’m sorry, Alpha. I didn’t want to bother you with my insignificant problems.”
Caleb eased his grip on Essence’s hand and cupped her chin, bringing her watery gaze to his own.
“Essence, I’m your alpha, and this is your pride. We are here for each other, and any problem that has you this upset should be my problem.”
Essence nodded. Miranda came in,
holding Gunner in her arms, but seeing the distraught Essence, she moved into the kitchen. He could have kissed her for her astuteness, and he would – later.
“Zackary is supposed to start college in three weeks, and I thought we’d have enough with his scholarships and whatnot, but we were wrong. I tried to pick up extra shifts, and he’s been working full-time at Haven, as well as a side job at the mall. He can’t work all those hours and go to school in the fall, but we just don’t have enough.” The tears rolled down her cheeks, and Caleb was confused. College was expensive, but there were student loans, federal aid, and other monies. Hell, the pride had a scholarship fund set up for its members. Her worries weren’t making sense.
“I realize that can be distressing, but someone as smart as Zackary should know about all the alternative funding sources for college. Loans and federal money. Is something else bothering you?”
“I’m just overwhelmed, I guess. I’ll be losing Zackary to college. I love my brother, and I want him to do well, but it’ll be hard to be without him. He’s always helped with Gunner. The bills and
everything. I’m trying, but it seems like the harder I try, the more I am buried. I never should have married that stupid man. He wasn’t even a cougar shifter.
Bear shifters can be mean as hell.”
Caleb listened intently as Essence told him of marrying a man out of high school.
How her parents had died soon after and she’d taken in Zackary. About how, six months into the relationship, her husband had started hitting her. Zackary had stepped in a few times, but he was beaten also.
When Essence found out she was
pregnant with Gunner four long years later, she left, taking Zackary with her. Ever since, she’d been struggling. Having married straight out of high school and never having worked, Essence found it difficult at first to even find a job. She told him of how his father had given her the empty house rent-free and helped her to find a job. He’d offered her sanctuary. It still didn’t explain why Zackary was unaware of the monies available to him for college. Caleb knew he’d have to discuss that with Zackary.
After her story, Caleb pulled a sobbing Essence into his arms.
“Essence, you don’t have to worry about Zackary going to college. The pride has a scholarship fund especially for its members. There are only two going to college this fall, so you have nothing to worry about Zackary, at least college-fund-wise.”
“Thank you, Alpha.”
“Don’t thank me, Essence. Just don’t tell Zackary yet and tell him I want to see him in the morning, okay?”
“Okay,” Essence said. Her eyes were less shadowed and her once-hollow look a little brighter.
“Now, let’s talk to Gunner.”
Miranda led Gunner back into the living room. Clearly excited and animated, Gunner was showing her his toys, and she was nodding at his every word. Miranda sat on the couch, and a happy Gunner climbed into her lap. Caleb kneeled in front of Gunner, and the three-year-old snuggled deeper into Miranda’s lap.
“Don’t scare him, Caleb.” Miranda whispered into Gunner’s ear, “He’s not going to hurt you or punish you, Gunner.”
Gunner’s head lifted from Miranda’s arm, and his dark green eyes focused on Caleb.
“Why did you go into the mineshaft, Gunner?”
Gunner looked up at Miranda, who
smiled encouragingly. “I not.”
“You didn’t go into the mineshaft?”
Gunner shook his head in an exaggerated no.
“How did you get in there?”
“Where?” Gunner asked, his little
shoulders shrugging.
“How did you get into the mineshaft, Gunner? The dark tunnel that you were in when Miranda found you?”
“I no know.”
Caleb rubbed Gunner’s hand before
standing. It would seem that Miranda was right. Caleb hadn’t wandered into the mineshaft. But if he hadn’t, then someone had to have put him there. The question was who.
“Thanks, Essence. I think I have all I need from Gunner. Remember to send Zackary over in the morning.”
“Thanks, Alpha,” Essence said with a small smile before showing them out.
Caleb pulled into his driveway, instantly noticing a strange vehicle in the drive.
“Miranda, stay in the truck.”
Miranda looked at him questioningly but nodded her assent. Caleb climbed out of his truck and walked toward the figure hiding in the shadows of the porch.
Stepping onto the porch, he came face to face with familiar gray eyes set in a face older than the little girl he once
remembered. Her blue-black hair hung in straight layers instead of the braid she’d once sported. He still recogni
zed her face, but it was more mature and less cherubic than it’d been when she was a ten-year-old child.
“Aspen?”
“Hey, stranger,” Aspen said before Caleb enveloped her in a hug.
***
Miranda watched as Caleb folded a dark-haired female into his arms. She went from curious to furious in two seconds flat.
One second she was in the truck, her heart breaking as she watched the love of her life hug another woman, and the next, she was pulling Caleb away from that same female.
“Get away from him!”
Caleb turned to her in surprise.
“Miranda, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Miranda stared at her daft mate, rage boiling inside her.
“You are mine,” Miranda whispered
“Shit! Sweetheart, I’m yours, and you are mine. You’re being irrational because we haven’t claimed each other. Now take a deep breath, sweetheart.”
Even on the edge of reason, Miranda realized the truth of Caleb’s words. Her shoulders slumped, and Caleb wrapped her in his arms.
“I’m sorry, Caleb.”
“Nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart. I’d like to introduce you to Aspen Clarke. We grew up together until her parents moved away when she was twelve.”
Miranda pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks before extending her hand to the female named Aspen.
“I’m sorry, Aspen. I’m usually not like this.” Aspen smiled and hugged Miranda close. Aspen was a few inches taller than Miranda and boasted curves that Miranda only dreamed about.
“That’s understandable. It’s nice to meet Caleb’s mate.”
“So, would you like to come in? I’ll fix something to eat,” Miranda offered. Aspen looked to Caleb, and Miranda stepped in front, drawing her gaze. “I would love to get to know Caleb’s friend better. Please come in.” Aspen nodded, and Caleb led the way.
Miranda went to the kitchen and was secretly pleased when Caleb and Aspen followed. Jealousy still coursed through her veins, and she wasn’t certain she could handle them alone together.
“You two have a seat and catch up. I’m just going to cook something for us to eat.
Would anyone like something to drink?”