by Fawn Lowery
Rick began talking construction to the man and Janna turned her interest to the clearing where the new house was sitting. The woods were very dense; as she had noted previously when she had bounded through them in somewhat of a panic the night Rick wanted them to have sex while Changed. She had to smile at the thought.
The thick woods would be an ideal place for him to run once the house was built and he was living in it. She pulled in a long breath, held it, and then expelled it. Thank God Rick wasn’t one of those werewolves who couldn’t control the urge to ravage when he Changed.
She thought then of Nick Austin—or the man posing as Nick Austin. And the conversation she had with Dan Martin, the husband of the latest murder victim. She remembered then that Rick said he intended to buy a gun. She glanced in his direction. Had he bought a gun? she wondered.
They stayed at the building site until it was dusk, then they drove back to Janna’s house. Rick was upbeat about the prospect of the house being ahead of schedule. Janna was happy for him. She made coffee and they looked over the plans Rick had drawn up for his new house.
“It will have five bedrooms, babe,” he said, smiling broadly at her. “I want a big family.”
His words assailed her. She looked away, pretending to study the chips in the chocolate chip cookie she served with the coffee. He covered her hand with his.
“Janna, I know we haven’t known each other for very long—“
“Rick, don’t.”
“Babe.”
“I don’t intend to ever be a mother.”
She pulled her hand from his and left the table in the small kitchen. Taking her coffee, she went to the couch and sat down, curling one leg beneath her butt.
Had she been too presumptuous in saying that to him? He hadn’t actually proposed marriage—or anything else for that matter.
Rick came into the room and Janna caught his hand as he passed in front of her. She pulled him down beside her on the couch.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to burst your bubble. I’m sure you can have as many kids as you want. It’s your life.”
“But I want to make a life with you, Janna. I want you to be the mother of my children.”
His voice was soft, sincere. It pulled at her heart in a way she had never known. She felt tears sting the back of her eyes.
He pulled her into his arms suddenly, almost making her spill her coffee. He quickly set the cup aside and took hold of her chin with his thumb and forefinger.
“We can work this out.”
She shook her head. “I know I haven’t been exposed to too much outside the family compound. It was safe and secure inside with five werewolves guarding me. But I saw how life for all of us was. We were always on guard against someone finding out about us.”
He listened to her, watching her lips as she spoke.
“We couldn’t be open with people because of who we were. We were forced to stick together, to protect each other at all costs.” She pulled in a steadying breath. “When I had my first Moon Phase—“ She paused, feeling her courage waver. Regardless of the sexual situations she had experienced with Rick she was suddenly embarrassed about telling him of her first sexual experience. He tipped her chin in the air suddenly and brushed his lips across hers, feather light and hinting of lust.
“I got through my first Change and felt a burning desire to have sex with someone—right then, Rick. I wasn’t prepared for the consequences of being a female werewolf when the Moon Phase was upon me. I remember running through the compound as fast as I could, my chest aching for want of breath, hoping I’d come upon a horny male who would throw me down on the ground and fuck me silly.”
“Honey, maybe it’s that way for everybody the first time they Change.”
One corner of her mouth pulled upward in a slight smile. “Really? Was it that way for you?”
He chuckled. “Not exactly. I just went behind a tree and jacked off.”
She laughed and pushed him down on the couch. Levering herself atop his body, she kissed him soundly.
“You’re just what I need—a werewolf with a quirky sense of humor, Rick Sawyer.”
“About those five bedrooms—“
“Shut up.”
She pressed her crotch into his abdomen, wiggling her hips against him as she delved her hands beneath his t-shirt. The feel of smooth, warm skin beneath her palms made her moan deep in her throat.
“Make me forget all about today, Rick.” She thrust her tongue into his mouth, slicking across his gum and inviting his to play.
He didn’t disappoint her. He took immediate control of the kiss, sucking on her tongue and sending her senses soaring into outer space. He grasped her body and rolled her beneath him, propping her head on the arm of the couch and pushing her thighs open with one knee.
“We’re going to practice making babies,” he whispered, releasing the snap on her jeans. “Because I have every intention of changing your mind about not having a family.”
Chapter Seventeen
Janna pulled her car into the driveway of the Melton home and shut off the motor. She stared at the front of the house, wondering how crazy Mrs. Melton would think she was once she began asking questions about her husband.
I have to get to the bottom of this.
She grabbed her purse and notepad and exited the car, before she lost her nerve. As she approached the front door, her keen eyesight glimpsed the movement of the lace curtains at the front window. She sensed the widow was aware of her presence. Now, if she would just open the door and answer her questions.
“I remember you. You’re the lady from the newspaper office.”
Janna smiled at the woman. She looked weary, a bit disheveled in appearance, but friendly nonetheless.
“Janna Marlow, Mrs. Melton. Could I come in and ask you a couple of questions about your husband?”
Mrs. Melton stared at her for a moment. She held a dishtowel and wiped her hands over and over, despite their dry appearance. Finally, she held open the door for Janna.
“Can’t the dead rest in peace?”
There was a trace of irritation in her tone, but Janna stepped inside the residence, a new determination fueling her actions.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Melton. But I think some background on your husband might be useful in helping to rid Madison of this killer.”
She turned inspecting eyes on Janna as she led the way into the living room of the house. “The police told me John was killed by a pack of wild dogs.”
The conviction in her voice made Janna raise an eyebrow in speculation.
“Could I ask about your husband’s nightly routine—did he often go out for walks after dark?”
Mrs. Melton sat down on the couch and motioned Janna to an overstuffed armchair at its corner. “Are you going to print this in your column?”
Janna sensed there was something the woman wanted to tell—but was unsure about speaking out.
“I’m merely curious about your husband’s nightly routine.”
“He started going for nightly walks about three weeks ago. Up until that time, he didn’t go out at night at all—unless we were together. We used to go to the movies every Friday night, but…“
Janna chose her words carefully. “Did anything unusual happen three weeks ago?”
“Something attacked John in the parking garage when he left work one afternoon. There were several people in the garage at the time and he yelled for help. He thought that was why he survived—because others were around and came to see why he was making so much noise.”
“Did he file a police report?”
She shook her head no. “But then we read about the pack of wild dogs running loose in the neighborhood and thought one of them had attacked him.”
“What, exactly, did your husband see?”
“Well, if it was a dog, it was a big one.”
“And after that incident, your husband started going out for walks at night?”
She nodded h
er head. “He had a horrible bite mark on his arm. I begged him to go to the doctor, but—“
Janna sensed the woman wasn’t being completely honest with her—else John Melton had managed to hide his werewolf tendencies from her.
After promising not to write anything further about John Melton, Janna left the Melton house and headed for Mark Gentry’s place of employment. Mr. Gentry was the second victim with no known relatives in the area. She drove across town to a furniture store and pulled into the parking lot. Mark Gentry had been out jogging when he was attacked and short of finding out his background from personnel, she didn’t have much else to go on.
Lieutenant Barton had managed to find out Gentry’s address and went over his apartment with a fine-toothed comb, but turned up nothing that linked him with John Melton or Linda Martin. Janna hoped to learn of Gentry’s relatives and contact them in hopes that he had a similar experience like John Melton and Linda Martin.
The person in charge of hiring for the furniture store was the owner, a small man with a friendly smile and a warm handshake. He welcomed Janna into his office and pulled Gentry’s file from a single cabinet in the room. Janna took a seat in the chair he offered and waited for him to display the personnel file for her to look over.
“The police have already been here. They said Mark was killed by wild dogs.” He gave her a curious look. “Is there more to his death than previously learned?”
“I’m just looking for relatives of the victim.” Janna accepted the sheet of paper handed her and scanned it quickly before handing it back. “Mr. Gentry came to Madison from Hampton. That’s about thirty miles north of Madison.”
“He transferred here from our Hampton location. We have two other stores, one in Compton Heights and the other in Wells Fargo.”
Janna scribbled the name of Gentry’s sister on her notepad and thanked the owner for meeting with her.
* * * *
Mark Gentry’s sister gave an account of her brother’s last visit to her house—a month previous to his death. He had acted suspiciously, leaving the house after dark and returning hours later, only to sneak back inside and be close mouthed about where he’d been.
Janna believed he’d been attacked as John Melton and Linda Martin had, though she hesitated to voice her suspicions to Gentry’s sister. When she hung up the phone after talking to the woman, she felt almost certain that each victim had been a werewolf, infected by—
Whom? Nick Austin?
Her brows drew together in puzzlement. Rick’s words suddenly came to mind. ‘There are more of us running around than I care to count.’
She felt cold fear suddenly grip her insides. She had thought Nick Austin was her only threat—but that was before she talked with any of the victim’s relatives.
Her phone rang suddenly, giving her a start and adding to her unsettled feeling.
“Marlow, I have some information on the guy impersonating Nick Austin.”
Lieutenant Barton’s gruff tone filled her ear. She leaned back in her desk chair and tried to quell her shaking nerves.
“His name is Lee Collins. He’s an ex-cop from Dover Run.”
“Dover Run?” Janna’s breath caught in her throat.
“Does that surprise you?”
Janna’s keen hearing discerned the note of curiosity in the officer’s voice.
Careful!
“Just that Dover Run is a long way from Madison.” She held her breath that the policeman wouldn’t question her further.
“Well, he must have had a reason for coming here. How do you know him?”
Shit!
She bit her bottom lip. “He’s been around the newsroom a lot—that’s all.”
“So how does he figure in the murders?”
She drew in a long breath. She had a decision to make. Should she level with Barton—tell him what she knew about the man impersonating Nick Austin—perhaps open a can of worms for her parents—the entire compound? Or keep quiet and try and handle the matter herself?
Could she set a trap for Austin by herself?
“I’m going to bring him in for questioning. I’m curious as to why he’s impersonating a dead man.”
Janna’s reserve quaked. “Lieutenant, you said that Lee Collins was an ex-cop—did something happen to make him leave the police force?”
“I’ll ask him when I get him in here.”
The phone line went suddenly dead as Barton broke the connection and Janna sat holding the telephone receiver to her ear as though in a trance. Would Lee Collins confess all when Barton interrogated him? Or would he transform and rip the policeman to shreds?
The thought did little to settle her already fragile nerves. On the one hand, she couldn’t risk Lieutenant Barton finding out about her family in Dover Run—they would be exposed as werewolves and they all knew how dangerous that could be. The risk of being run out of town—or murdered because of whom they were would be too great.
She chewed on a fingernail and considered her options.
She had very few options.
She could confide in the police and risk exposure to herself and her family, or she could lay a trap for Collins and catch him herself.
I have to kill him.
The idea made her stomach knot. For a second she thought she might wretch. The idea of taking a life was never an option for her—until now. She thought of Rick’s reaction when she tried to tell him she wanted to set a trap for Austin using her self as bait. He was adamant that it was a bad idea, too risky, and he would have no part of it.
Did she dare confide in him again about the same matter? She would have to tell him about Nick being an ex-cop and Lieutenant Barton’s intentions of bringing him in for questioning.
She would have to act quickly in order to shut Austin up before Barton brought him in.
She searched the newsroom for signs of Austin. He hadn’t been seen since he showed up at her house night before last and Rick sent him on his way. She wondered what Rick had said to make him go away. At the time she was just glad to be rid of him but now her curiosity was peaked.
She propped her chin on one fist and thought about broaching the subject with Rick again. He’d be furious if he found out she was making plans to trap Austin all by herself. But he hadn’t voiced a plan of his own—and time was rapidly running out to keep her family safe in Dover Run.
I have to act now.
The fact that she had felt that Austin was somewhere watching her gave her an idea. Perhaps she could make him believe she was unaware of his presence and lure him some place where she could…could…
What? Tear him to bits with your teeth?
Are you nuts?
He’s twice your size—ten times stronger when he’s transformed—
“How in hell can I possibly pull this off alone?”
She let out a long breath and slumped in her chair. Maybe it was impossible to be the bait and kill Nick Austin too. She raked her fingers through her hair. She needed Rick’s help. She would have to tell him everything and then hope he would see things her way. She thought then of how she would go about telling him. A smile broke across her face.
“After sex, of course.”
* * * *
Janna slid the broiler pan into the oven and turned to the sink to scrub the potatoes she was planning to pop into the microwave. Just as soon as Rick’s belly was full of a home cooked meal, she would turn on her charms and get him into bed. Then, once he was properly sated sexually, she’d ask for him help.
He won’t be able to resist my request.
She hummed softly as she scrubbed the potatoes then hurried to pop them into the oven when she heard Rick come through the front door.
He paused in the doorway to the kitchen and stared at her, his hot gaze making her turn to face him. A slanted grin pulled across his full lips. A gleam of lust lit his green eyes.
“You’ve been wondering if I can cook—haven’t you?”
He chuckled and came toward her. “I ca
n truthfully say I’ve never once had that thought. It’s not your abilities in the kitchen that I particularly care about.” He winked at her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her body back against the long, lean length of his. He nuzzled her neck with his lips, trailing moist little kisses up the arching incline of her neck. “We can eat out every night or hire a cook—my stomach isn’t the part of me that’s attracted to you, babe.”
She giggled and tried to break free of his grasp. “Rick, I have to watch the steaks.”
He tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her toward the small table in the room. “I want you right now—right here on the table.”
A giggling shriek left her throat as he began undressing her, pulling up her skirt and yanking down her panties. He pushed her butt against the edge of the table and then hoisted her atop it. He spread her legs and stepped between her knees, one hand holding her tightly while he unzipped his fly and let his erection spring free.
“Rick—our dinner will burn!”
He cut off her words with a kiss that sent shockwaves racing around inside her body, then he grasped her buttocks in either hand and held her against his crotch while he drove his cock inside her. He let out a loud groan and began thrusting, making the table squeak with his erratic movements.
Janna was forced to forget about dinner in the oven. His lunging thrusts soon had her on the fringes of orgasm and she brought her legs up to wrap around his thrusting hips, giving him full reign to her body. She took his weight atop her beasts while his mouth pressed demandingly against hers. His tongue slicked along her teeth, tangling sensually with her own. His grasp on her buttocks increased to the point of bringing her pain when he drew near his time.
Suddenly orgasm was upon them. Janna dug her fingernails into the rock hard muscles of his shoulders as the full effects of the climax exploded inside her body. She bucked her hips, lunging upward to feel every minute tingle as it streamed along her limbs and assaulted her senses.
He came almost the instant she did, groaning loudly and clasping her tightly against his chest.
“I love you.”
His voice was louder than a whisper against her ear and Janna had no trouble understanding his words. He loved her. For a split second she hesitated committing herself to loving him. They barely knew each other. She felt tears gather behind her eyes. Could she live without this man?