“Thanks, I’d appreciate it,” Grace said, before turning her attention to Derek. “I’ll meet you outside the Maple Inn this evening at about seven-thirty?”
Derek gazed back at Grace. “Yes. I’ll see you later.”
That afternoon Derek tried to focus on the second half of his shift, which was utterly boring and uneventful, which was good for the town, but not for him. He needed something to distract himself from his thoughts about Grace Alcott. From the moment he’d seen her at the station, he’d felt a pull to her - that was part of the reason he’d felt so offended when he’d assumed she didn’t want to work with him because he was a shifter. He knew it shouldn’t bother him, he didn’t care what humans thought of him, but for some reason, he hated the idea Grace had disliked him because he was a shifter.
Once she discovers the real you, she’ll hate you. You’re a murderer.
Derek tried to shake the thoughts from his head, they were ridiculous, in his opinion. Grace would never find out he was a killer because their relationship was purely professional. What mattered was finding the children. He couldn’t bear the thought of innocents suffering. He hadn’t been able to save Eloise and he hoped to atone for that now. He had enough blood on his hands, it was time to redeem himself. It was time to prove to the pack he could be the leader they needed, the Alpha who’d find and put an end to the Carnegies.
49
Grace
Grace sat at her desk fuming. She could not believe her mother expected her to work with that arrogant, cocky, full of himself jerk.
Who the hell did he think he was? Looking at her like that?
The mere memory of his gaze lingering on hers made her feel hot, and she squirmed in her seat.
Ugh. How dare he?
Grace hated guys like him, who thought they could get any women they wanted to fall at their feet just because they were good looking. It didn’t matter how handsome he was, how broad his shoulders were or how muscular his arms were, he’ll never conquer her. Never claim her. Their relationship was purely professional.
Then tell my heart that, she thought, her pulse racing at the thought of spending time alone with him later.
Get a grip, she instructed herself, trying desperately to focus on the borning report on the computer screen in front of her, instead of mentally replaying her meeting Derek Hargrove.
Oh how she wished she could see Alicia, it had been too long since she’d seen her best friend. They’d met when Grace had moved to Boston while she attended university and then trained to be an officer at the Police Academy. They shared a similar sense of humor and a love of craft beer and spicy food. They’d been inseparable for the five years Grace had lived in Boston, only parting when she’d moved back to Lenox. Alicia had remained in Boston, working for the police department there, but they kept in touch as best as they could via calls and texts, visiting each other when their schedules allowed, but nothing compared to the time they’d shared in Boston as roommates.
Needing to connect with Alicia if only to voice her confused thoughts about Derek, she texted her friend saying, “Are you busy this weekend? Can I come to visit?”
About ten minutes later, Alicia texted back saying, “No plans, and I’d love to see you. We can go shopping and out for dinner and drinks.”
“Sounds perfect,” Grace replied. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
Feeling a bit better knowing tomorrow she could escape Lenox, the worries of the missing children case, and whatever this weird spark was between her and Derek Hargrove, and instead spend some time relaxing and enjoying herself in Boston with Alicia, Grace focused on the rest of the afternoon and managed to finish her reports and other paperwork without any issues.
However, as 7 p.m. approached the apprehension began to build in the pit of her stomach again.
Think of the children. She steeled herself in preparation of meeting with Derek, and left the station and headed home to shower, change and grab a bite to eat.
At seven-thirty Grace approached the Maple Inn, scanning the area around the entrance for any signs of the wolf-shifter, and her breath caught when she spotted him. Derek was waiting beside the door, leaning against the wall, wearing tight blue jeans tucked into a pair of workboots, along with a form-fitting white t-shirt with a black leather jacket thrown over the top.
Oh God, I’m in trouble now.
Derek caught her staring at him and smirked. “Now, who looks like they want to conquer the other?”
“Oh shut up,” Grace replied. “Yes, you’re attractive and you know it, but that doesn’t change the fact this relationship is purely professional.”
“Whatever you say.” Derek shrugged. “Where are we headed?”
“The first kid who went missing, Madison Holloway, usually walked home through Hallowell Meadow Reserve, so I figure we’d start there.”
“Okay,” Derek agreed. “Lead the way.
Keeping a safe distance between herself and Derek, Grace led the way. Mentioning the missing kid’s name bought the severity of the case back to her. She’d spoken numerous times to the Holloway family and their optimism always amazed her. In the force, it was an unspoken rule that if someone was missing for longer than 72 hours, the outlook was bleak. She hoped this time it wasn’t the case and that they’d find Madison and the other teens safe and well. But something in her gut told her they weren’t going to be so lucky.
In silence they walked through the town, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Grace’s mind drifted to Will and wondered what their mom had told him about her absence that evening. Thinking of Will bought Grace’s mood plummeting down.
If Will was in my place, he’d have found the kids and been hailed a hero by now, she thought, then risked a glance at Derek. And he wouldn’t be getting all flustered around a good looking guy.
They slowed their pace as they neared Hallowell Meadow Reserve. Only a few people milled about, as it was early evening, and the sun was sinking low over the horizon. There was a couple walking hand-in-hand and an old man walking his dog, who bounded eagerly through the grass.
Grace glanced at Derek, who was glancing around with focused eyes, scanning the horizon. She opened her purse and took out a t-shirt sealed in a zip-lock bag.
“This is Madison’s. I thought you could use it to track her scent,” she said, handing the bag to Derek.
“Thanks.” He took it from her and their hands brushed. They both jerked away and Grace busied herself rearranging the contents of her purse. Derek took the t-shirt out of the zip-lock bag and lifted it to his nose. He inhaled deeply, before lifting his head and sniffing the air. He gazed in the direction of the far end of the meadow where it merged with a mature pine forest.
“I can smell her scent, coming from the forest,” he said.
“Okay, let’s search there,” Grace said and they crossed the meadow.
Once they were hidden by the trees, Derek paused and Grace turned to see what had caught his attention. Her eyes widened and she stared at him as he unfastened his belt and started to unbutton his jeans.
“What are you doing?” Her voice came out as a high pitched squeak.
“I need to shift,” he said simply.
“Oh…” Comprehension dawned on Grace - Derek needed to remove his clothes to change into his wolf form - and turned around so that he could have a little privacy.
As she heard him removing clothing and piling it on the forest floor, she couldn’t help but peek backward and caught a glimpse of his almost naked body. He was lean and muscular, with dark hair covering his legs, arms, and chest. His boxer shorts strained against the fullness underneath and Grace’s eyes widened slightly.
Derek caught her looking and smirked. “Like what you see?”
Grace felt her cheeks burning as she quickly averted her eyes.
A moment later, Derek’s voice asked from behind her, “Can you pick up my clothes and keep them safe, please?”
“Sure. I’ll grab them once you’ve transformed.�
��
Derek said nothing more, and from behind her Grace heard groaning, followed by bones snapping. Curiosity got the better of her, and she turned to see Derek mid-shift, his limbs elongating and warping, until a man no longer stood before her, but instead there was a large tawny brown wolf, with guard hairs banded in gold.
The wolf raised its head and howled, and all Grace could do was stare at it, him, in awe.
Derek bounded forward, running off through the forest, and Grace had to scramble to scoop up his clothes and follow behind. She was breathless by the time she caught up with the wolf, who was standing in the middle of the forest, his head cocked to one side, sniffing the air.
Breathing hard, Grace paused at Derek’s side and her hand instinctively trailed across the fur on his back. Derek stilled, turned his snout in her direction and snarled, his amber eyes glowing dangerously.
Grace hastily pulled her hand away. “Sorry, I didn’t think.”
The wolf started pacing, sniffing at various trees and lifting his nose to the air. Finally, he returned to Grace’s side, and she heard the tell-tale popping and snapping of Derek shifting. She turned away while Derek transformed back into a human, and then keeping her eyes screwed tightly closed, she turned and thrust his clothes in what she hoped was his direction.
“Thanks,” Derek grunted, and Grace heard him beginning to dress.
She kept her eyes closed for what she hoped was a long enough time for him to be fully dressed. When she opened her eyes, she found him wearing his jeans and boots, but still pulling his tight white t-shirt over his toned abs. She felt her face flush and she unconsciously licked her lips.
Derek raised an eyebrow and said, “Our partnership is entirely professional and you’d do well to remember that.”
Anger flared within Grace and she narrowed her eyes at him, enraged that he’d throw her words from earlier back at her. “I’m not the one prancing around half-naked.”
“I can’t shift without removing my clothes,” Derek ground out. “And I don’t prance.”
Grace ignored his retort and instead asked, “What did you find?”
A crease appeared between Derek’s brows. “She was here, for a while her scent was very strong. And then it just vanishes.”
“What do you mean, vanishes?”
“I mean, one moment her scent is covering the forest, and the next, nothing. It’s like someone plucked her out of thin air. All I can smell here is the forest and animals.”
“Is it possible she came into the forest then turned back around and left?” Even as she said it she knew how ridiculous it sounded. Teens were weird at times, for sure, but why would someone walk into a forest for no reason, then turn around and walk back? “And there was no one else’s scent?”
“No. Only Madison’s and the usual scents you’d find in a forest.”
“Hmmm... that’s a little weird. So no one else has entered this forest in over a month? I don’t buy that.”
“It’s possible. This forest doesn’t lead anywhere. It’s not like people walk through here as a shortcut or something,” Derek reasoned.
Grace tapped her boot on the forest floor, considering all this information. “So if the forest isn’t used as a shortcut, why was Grace even here in the first place?”
“That’s the key question,” Derek said, scanning the area for anything he might have missed, which was unlikely, as his senses were keener in his wolf form, so if he hadn’t spotted anything then, there was probably nothing to find.
“What now?” Grace asked.
“We search the other locations. Maybe there’s some clue for me to find somewhere there.”
“Okay, but it will have to wait until Monday. I’m going to Boston for the weekend.” Why did she feel oddly disappointed saying that? She shook the thought from her head. God, she needed to see Alicia and get all these thoughts out. She needed to be clear-headed to focus on this case. It didn’t matter how good Derek had looked while naked, and how much she’d longed to run her fingers over his taut muscles. She’d said herself, their relationship was purely professional and it needed to stay that way so that they could rescue innocent people.
50
Derek
Derek slept terribly the night after he and Grace had searched for Madison Holloway. He couldn’t calm his racing thoughts which were occupied by visions of a teen girl he’d never met, intermingling with images of the Carnegies, which made sense. Now he had two mysteries to solve, and he felt like he was failing at both terribly. The most disturbing apparitions though were the ones of Grace. He couldn’t shake the image of her eyes raking over his body out of his mind. And the fact that he was feeling this way about a human was driving him insane.
I cannot fall for a human, he said to himself, staring up at the ceiling, while unbidden another image of Grace popped into his brain. He felt his cock twitch under the covers and groaned.
He finally managed to fall asleep, but his dreams were wracked with visions of the first time he’d shifted.
A tall man with dark hair and fierce eyes towered over him screaming. Young Derek shuddered, but the tirade continued.
‘You’re worthless, just like your whore of a mother.’
The man backhanded teen Derek across the face and Derek’s anger rose until it felt like his body was twisting with rage. His bones popped and his muscles contorted, and he morphed from a boy to a wolf.
Derek woke in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. Knowing he was safe in the confines of Shadowbrook, Derek stripped out of the boxer shorts he’d slept in and shifted into his wolf form. He ran through the hallways of Shadowbrook and to the backdoor, which they always left unlocked exactly for reasons like this. Once he got outside, Derek raised his snout and howled, then took off into the woodlands surrounding the estate.
An hour later, he returned to the house feeling much calmer. He went up to his room to shower and dress, before heading down to the dining room for breakfast.
Jason was sitting at the table, eating from a plate of bacon and eggs, while reading the newspaper. When he saw Derek, he met his gaze and said, “Another teen has gone missing.”
“Shit,” Derek cursed, sitting down beside his friend and taking the newspaper, while Jason poured him a mug of coffee.
Derek scanned the article.
‘Late last night, Police Chief Louise Alcott revealed that a fifth teen from Lenox Memorial High School has been reported missing.
Fourteen-year-old Ethan Miller, a freshmen student with a particular affinity for Mathematics, was meant to return home by four-thirty on Friday afternoon. By eleven-thirty, when he had still not returned and none of his friends knew where he was either, the Miller family contacted the Lenox police department. Under Officer Grace Alcott, the LPD has been investigating the disappearance of a number of students from the high school, all between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, however, no leads have yet been found.
A fifth missing student is a worrying sign that the police department may be failing in their duties, and many parents are concerned about the safety of their children.
Derek folded the paper in half and threw it down on the dining table.
“Grace is doing all she can,” he growled, grabbing the coffee Jason had made him and downing it in a couple of gulps, despite the fact it burnt his throat as it went down.
“You’re on a first-name basis with the police officer now?” Jason asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
“Shut up,” Derek replied. He pulled a plate towards him and started loading it with food.
“Okay, what’s going on? I know you’re a grump in the morning, but you’re never usually this touchy. I saw you leaving the house for a run at like four this morning.”
“What were you doing awake at four? Were you spying on me?” Derek accused.
“A gentleman never kisses and tells,” Jason said with another smirk, but then turned serious. “But the fact you accused me of spying on you tells me something is wrong. So,
what gives, man?”
Derek sighed and raked his hands through his dark hair. “Not here,” he ground out.
He and Jason ate in silence as the dining room filled up with other pack members, who soon started asking questions - why was he working with the police? Were they helping him find the Carnegies? Did he have any new leads?
Derek felt the tension in his body increasing and the hairs along the back of his arms stood on end.
“No, I’m not working with the police to find the Carnegies. I’m assisting them on a missing person’s case. And no, I have no new leads on the Carnegies.”
“Why are you helping the police?” The gravelly voice of Gavin questioned. “I thought we didn’t help humans.”
“Yeah, why are we helping the humans when the Carnegies are still out there?” Kevin called out.
“A few weeks ago you all didn’t even believe me that the Carnegies are still out there,” Derek shouted, enraged.
Jason held up his hands for peace. “Derek is our Alpha, let him speak.”
“He’s only our Alpha temporarily until we elect a permanent one,” Paul said. He was distantly related to the Stokes brothers, meaning he had a blood-claim in regards to becoming the new Alpha, and Derek knew he was bringing up Derek’s status now to remind the pack they had other leadership options.
“I’m still the Alpha now, and I’m acting for the good of the pack. We live alongside these humans, but we’re not part of the community. If the Carnegies do come back, we might need support. What better way to inspire the humans to protect us than by saving their missing kids. And besides, could any of you live with yourselves knowing there are children out there in danger, and you’ve got the power to help them, yet you’ve done nothing.”
Firefighter Wolves Shifters (A Paranormal Romance Series Boxset) Page 23