Some of the pack were more forgiving of humans, and a few members even socialized with them on occasion. He knew Jason had slept with at least one woman from town. These pack members now spoke up in agreement with Derek, saying both the pack and the humans of Lenox would be safer if united.
However, some of the older members, the same ones who had been against Lana living at Shadowbrook, and had been appalled to find out she was pregnant with Ben’s child, called out their displeasure of the idea.
“We don’t need humans to protect us. We’re wolves, we can protect ourselves.”
“It was by aligning with humans that the Carnegies turned against us hundreds of years ago.”
“Humans can’t be trusted.”
“How long have we lived at Shadowbrook? How long has there been a pack on the estate? The town has known about us for centuries, and it’s only ever been the Carnegies who betrayed us. No other humans have,” Derek yelled, stunned to find his words were true.
When did my stance on humans change so radically?
But they had. It had been a long slow process, but between the Stokes Brothers taking human mates, and his growing attraction to Grace, he’d come to see humans really weren’t that bad. Yes, some humans were terrible. But so were some wolves. You couldn’t just make sweeping statements that one species or another was good or evil - it varied from person to person. No one in the town had acted against the pack, and so Derek was willing to help them and integrate into the community until the humans gave him a reason to doubt him.
His proclamation seemed to stun the pack into silence, and the crowd dispersed. Jason turned to him with a grin. “That was some speech, man. You’re really coming into your own as the Alpha.”
Derek shrugged off the compliment. “I just don’t see the need to fight against humans who’ve done nothing against us, and well, I’m starting to see they’re not all monsters like the Carnegies.”
Jason wiggled his eyebrows. “Because of a certain police officer?”
“Shut up,” Derek hissed, dragging his friend out of the dining room.
They strolled around the grounds as Derek confessed his feelings to Jason.
“Yes, I think Grace Alcott is hot.”
“No argument there,” Jason agreed. “I’ve seen her around town, and asked her out if she’d give me the time of day.”
Derek turned to his friend and growled.
“Chill man,” Jason said with a chuckle. “Now I know you’re interested, I’ll keep my distance. Like I said, she never gave me the time of day anyway.”
This gave Derek pause. Grace’s initial reaction to him made him worry she didn’t like shifters, but she’d assured him she didn’t care about his supernatural abilities, she didn’t like his arrogance. But now Jason’s comment made him wonder, was the police officer prejudice?
Unable to help himself, Derek gave voice to his thoughts. “Do you think she had a problem with us?”
Jason shrugged. “She never gave me that impression. I always figured she just didn’t like me. She’s always been friendly enough with Ben, Josh and some of the others.”
Derek sighed. “I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway. She’s made it clear our relationship is purely professional, and even if she hadn’t, I’m sure once she gets to know the real me, she won’t want anything to do with me.”
“What are you on about? I know you can be a broody ass sometimes, but you’re not that bad.”
Derek kicked the ground. He wanted to strip off and shift again. He wanted to get away from this conversation and the memories it invoked. Even if Grace had no issue with shifters and the Shadowbrook pack, he wasn’t like the others. He wasn’t born into the pack like most of the other members were, and he’d killed someone when others hadn’t. He was a murderer, more animal than man.
When Jason looked at him expecting an answer, Derek said, “There’re things about my past you don’t know. I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”
Jason clapped him on the shoulder. “Haven’t we all. None of us are perfect, but you’re a good man, Derek.”
Derek wasn’t convinced it was the truth, but he didn’t argue with his friend any further. If he said anymore, Jason would want to know what he’d done that was so bad, and he wasn’t ready to reveal that. The only person who knew the truth was Ben, and Derek had sworn the former Alpha to secrecy when he’d been adopted into the pack. As accepting as the Shadowbrook wolves were of him, he wasn’t sure they’d be so kind if they knew what he’d done as a teen.
‘Murderer,’ the ghostly voice from his nightmares said, and Derek suppressed a shudder.
“Come on, let’s go into town and grab a drink,” Jason suggested, obviously trying to lift his mood.
For a moment, Derek considered it, hoping they’d bump into Grace, but then he remembered her mentioning going to Boston for the weekend.
“No, I’m just going to stay here, I think,” he replied. “I want to go over the missing person’s case, and see if I can find any more leads on the Carnegies.”
“Then I’ll keep you company. We can have a few beers, and pore over maps together.”
Derek was about to wave Jason’s offer off and tell his friend he’d be okay on his own, then thought better of it. He knew if he was left alone, he’d carry on brooding, and maybe if Jason was helping him with the search, they might uncover something he’d previously missed.
He looked over at his friend and grinned. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
51
Grace
Grace opened her car window, enjoying the breeze, and let out a contented sigh. She was just entering Boston to spend the weekend with Alicia, and she couldn’t wait for a couple of days of shopping, eating and drinking, enjoying her best friend’s company, and not thinking about the missing children’s case... or Derek Hargrove.
It frustrated her that the wolf-shifter occupied her thoughts almost as much as the case did. Memories of his half-naked body tormented her whenever she closed her eyes. She couldn’t let him distract her, they had to find the missing teens - the count of which was now up to five.
Her mom had called her last night, after she’d returned from searching Hallowell Meadow Reserve for any clues of Madison Holloway’s disappearance, to tell her another teen had been reported missing. Fourteen-year-old Ethan Miller hadn’t returned home after school on Friday afternoon and when he hadn’t arrived home by eleven-thirty, the Miller family had called the police. Captain Alcott had called her daughter to let her know what had happened, and that a team had been dispatched to search the area. Grace had said she’d join the search straight away, more than willing to postpone her trip to Boston, but her mom had insisted she take a break. She’d been working flat out on the case for a month, taking off as little time as possible, and the strain was beginning to show. If nothing else, Captain Alcott hoped a break would help Grace return to the case with a fresh perspective. Grace had eventually agreed to her mom’s insistence, and early on Saturday morning, she packed a weekend bag and began the two-hour drive along the I-90 W to Boston.
Alicia lived in an apartment a couple of blocks from the Charles River. The rent was extortionate and left Alicia little money spare, but the apartment had beautiful views of the river and a rooftop garden/patio area. Grace parked in the parking lot, took her overnight bag out of the trunk of her car, and rang the buzzer for Alicia to let her into the building.
She rode in the elevator to the top floor, where Alicia was already waiting on the doorstep of her apartment.
“It’s so good to see you,” Alicia said, pushing the door back so Grace could enter. “How was the drive up?”
“Not too bad. Thanks.” Grace dropped her overnight bag in the hallway and went through to the living room and dropped down onto the couch, as Alicia joined her. “But another kid has gone missing.”
Alicia’s eyes widened and Grace filled her in on the details.
“That’s terrible. I take it you and this firefighter
had no luck finding anything when you went out?”
Grace had told her friend the bare minimum about her partnership with Derek. As Alicia wasn’t from Lenox, she didn’t know the truth about the Shadowbrook pack and thought they were just regular firefighters. She’d questioned the fact Grace was partnering with someone from the fire department, but Grace had explained it away as something her mother had insisted on, and Alicia bought it.
“Nothing new or useful, no,” Grace replied with a sigh.
“You’ll find them,” Alicia said. “I have faith in you. But I can ask if we can send a team down from Boston, maybe some sniffer dogs.”
Grace almost laughed at the suggestion. They had their own pack of ‘sniffers,’ who could then turn human and relay their findings. Dogs would pale in comparison. But, as she couldn’t tell Alicia that, instead Grace said, “Thanks. I’ll ask Mom about it.”
“Okay. Get her to give Captain Rogers a call. How is she, by the way? And your dad and Will?”
Grace heaved out a breath. “Is it stupid that I keep thinking if Will were in my position, he’d have found the kids by now?”
Grace had told Alicia a little bit about her brother’s accident, though not that she’d caused it. Just that he’d wanted to be a police officer before he’d been paralyzed, and Grace had joined the force in his honor.
“You can’t know that Grace. The fact that your mom has called in outside help is proof this is an unusual case, which suggests Will would have struggled with it too.”
Grace sighed again. “Maybe, or maybe he would have found them all by now and would be hailed a hero.”
“Survivor’s guilt,” Alicia said simply. Grace and her friend had had this conversation many times before. Grace had even had therapy while she was studying in Boston, but nothing anyone said made it any better. It was her fault Will was in a wheelchair, and nothing could change that.
All Grace could hope to do now was redeem herself and make her brother proud by finding the missing teens.
“So, what’s this firefighter like?” Alice asked, snapping Grace out of her thoughts.
Unconsciously, an image of Derek half-naked appeared in Grace’s mind, and her body temperature increased.
“Oh my god! Are you blushing?” Grace shook her head and tried to grab a throw cushion to cover her face. “You are blushing. Okay, spill, I want all the details about this firefighter, because judging by your reaction he’s a hotty.”
“He is,” Grace admitted. “And he knows it. He’s a cocky bastard, and even if he wasn’t, I can’t get involved.”
“Why not?” Alicia asked with a raised eyebrow. “Find the kids first, of course. But afterward, ask him out. See what happens.”
Grace shook her head. “I can’t. I need to focus on my career.”
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun in your free time. And if anyone understands work commitments coming before having a personal life, I’m sure it would be a firefighter.”
For a moment, Grace allowed herself to imagine what would happen if she made a move on Derek, imagined pressing her lips against his and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Who’d want to be with someone who caused the accident that paralyzed their twin?
“It’s not going to happen,” Grace insisted, her tone making it clear the topic was closed for discussion.
Alicia took the hint and dropped the subject.
The weekend was exactly what Grace needed. She and Alicia didn’t talk about work, or men, or anything else that caused Grace to frown. Instead, the two friends spent the day at the CambridgeSide mall. They spent more money than they probably should in the shops, splurging on new clothes, shoes, and makeup, before taking their new purchases back to Alicia’s and getting ready for a night out.
They enjoyed a fantastic meal at a local bar and grill. In Grace’s opinion, nothing could beat an expertly cooked steak (medium-rare, of course) and a bottle of beer. With her stomach full, her senses nicely numbed from alcohol, and in the company of her best friend, Grace thought life couldn’t get any better.
“We should go to a club,” Alicia suggested.
“We should not,” Grace replied. “Can’t we just pick up a six-pack and watch a movie at your place?”
“What’s the fun in that? Come on, Grace, when’s the last time you had a night out? It’ll take your mind off the firefighter.”
Grace knew Alicia wouldn’t give up easily, and it was just one night. And her friend was right, it had been ages since she’d gone to a club.
“Okay, but let’s not stay out too late, okay? I have to drive home tomorrow, remember.”
“Of course, of course,” Alicia replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes, and Grace knew her friend had no intention of coming home at a reasonable hour.
Alicia’s assessment turned out to be right, a night out was exactly what Grace needed. She hadn’t had a proper day off in months, and she couldn’t remember the last time she stayed out later than 11 p.m. The alcohol flowed, the music pounded through her body, and Grace felt exhilarated. All thoughts left her head - Will, the case, Derek - everything ceased to exist, and all that mattered was the bass thrumming through her.
As Grace moved her body to the music, a man in his late twenties, with shaggy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes approached her.
“Want to dance?” he called over the music.
Grace shrugged. “Why not?” It was unlikely she’d see this guy again after tonight, and what harm would one dance do?
The guy reached out and looped his arms around Grace’s waist, pulling their bodies together. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck, and together they moved to the music. They stayed together as the songs changed, wrapped in each other’s arms for multiple songs until a slower ballad started to play. The guy inclined his head and lowered his lips to Grace’s.
Anticipating the kiss, Grace closed her eyes and unbidden an image of Derek appeared in her mind. Her eyes sprang open, and she turned her head so that her dance partner’s lips crashed into her jaw.
“I’m sorry,” she said, letting go of the embrace she held him in and shimmying out of his grasp.
Before the guy could respond, Grace hurried across the dancefloor, desperately seeking out Alicia. She found her friend at the bar, flirting with a tall, dark, and handsome guy.
“Sorry to break up the party,” she hissed in her friend’s ear. “We need to leave.”
Alicia’s eyes widened, but one look at Grace told her her friend was serious.
“Sorry,” Alicia said to the guy she’d been chatting with. She fished in her purse and pulled out a business card. “This is my number. Call me tomorrow?”
“You can count on it,” the guy said with a grin before Grace pulled Alicia away.
The two friends retrieved their coats from the club’s cloak room and wrapped themselves up against the late-night chill as they stepped outside to wait for a cab. Thankfully, there were plenty available, and Grace and Alicia piled in, with Alicia giving the driver her address.
“Okay, what’s gotten into you?” Alice asked once the cab was heading in the direction of her apartment.
“A guy on the dancefloor tried to kiss me.” Grace groaned.
“And? That doesn’t mean you have to panic and drag me home when I was talking to James... he’s a doctor at Mass General, and he was super hot.”
Grace had barely noticed the guy Alicia had been talking to but took her friend’s word for it. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Hopefully he’ll call you?”
“He better,” Alicia replied. “So, what got you all stressed out? You’re not the type to run from a guy making a move on you.”
“You’re right... and I was into it at first. Until I closed my eyes and saw Derek.”
“The firefighter?” Alicia asked with wide eyes.
“The firefighter,” Grace confirmed.
“Oh my god, you’ve got it bad!”
“No, I don’
t,” Grace ground out, fearing her friend was right. A guy had never had this effect on her before, especially a guy she’d done nothing more than work with. Work with, and see half-naked.
Alicia laughed. “Whatever you say, Grace-face. Why don’t you just sleep with him and get him out of your system, so you can focus on work?”
Grace mirrored Alicia’s laughter. “You’re terrible!” she said, internally wondering, was it really such a bad idea?
52
Derek
Derek’s morning shift at the fire station passed with frustrated impatience. Lenox was mostly peaceful, which was usually a good thing, but in this case, it meant he was left doing paperwork and counting down the minutes until his shift ended.
Grace had sent him a message that morning asking if he’d heard about the latest missing child. When he’d replied that he had, she suggested they meet up that evening to search the area of the disappearance. He’d readily agreed, he wanted to solve this case. The thought of the missing teens had occupied his mind all weekend... or, almost all weekend. In the dark hours of the night, images of Grace crept into his mind, and he found himself wondering what would happen if he just gave in to his desire for her. That was until the nightmares came and reminded him why no woman would ever want to be with him.
‘Murderer,’ the disembodied voice rang out in his dreams.
Derek shook his head and stared at the clock on the office wall - it was six-forty-five. Thank God! Figuring as it was quiet, he could sneak out early, he filed his paperwork away and then headed to the residential section of the Shadowbrook estate to shower, change and have something to eat before meeting Grace.
They’d once again agreed to meet outside the Maple Inn, as it was a central point in town, easy for both of them to reach, and then the perfect starting point for their search. Grace had said the latest missing teen, Ethan Miller, usually walked through Mountain View Cemetery on his way home, so that’s where they’d start.
Firefighter Wolves Shifters (A Paranormal Romance Series Boxset) Page 24