“Yeah, I met her at the mixer. She found her mate after Simon and Thyme. Can we focus on finding Thyme please?”
“What am I supposed to tell her sister’s mate?”
“Has her mate even called looking for her, surely he had to know she was visiting?”
“Who’s her mate again?”
“Alpha Redford’s son.”
“Angus?”
“No, the other one.”
I rolled over hoping to drown out the cacophony of unfamiliar voices. Two men and a woman seemed to be arguing about me.
“Rosemary, are you awake, honey?”
“We need to be looking for Thyme!”
“Simon, other room.”
Cool hands touched my face.
“Wha… what happened?” I managed to say. I blinked my eyes open, “Where am I?”
I was in a living room. The furniture was simple but tasteful, the entire place was decked out in warm colors.
“You’re at the Red Rock Pack house. I’m Celeste, we talked on the phone a few days ago?”
“Days?”
She nodded, her expression comforting, “Your sister is still missing. But we are looking for her, okay?” She helped me sit up on the couch and gave me a glass of cold water.
I sipped it eagerly, then felt immediately nauseated.
Shouting male voices from the other room echoed in stark contrast to Celeste's calm presence and soothing voice.
“We have our scouts looking for your sister,” she explained, “Do you have any idea where she would have gone?”
I shook my head, “She was excited for me to visit,” I neglected to add the fact she hated it here. Celeste seemed kind and much more welcoming than Thyme made her out to be.
“Why are you visiting, Rosemary?” her hand brushed a stray hair from my face, her fingers brushed against some sunburn.
“I... I missed my sister,” I partial-truthed. I did miss Thyme. When she wasn’t around, it was like I was missing a limb.
“And your mate?” she asked.
“He’s busy with his studies.” I sipped my water.
Celeste pulled out a jar of salve and started brushing the soothing gel on my face, “That must be hard for you. A young wolf always wants her mate. Has he seen your wolf yet?”
“When I shifted at the bus station... that was my first shift.”
Celeste’s eyes widened for an instant before the calm expression returned, “That must have been frightening for you. Did anyone see you?”
“The place was deserted. There was one guy, but I don’t think he saw anything… I don’t think anyone saw me.... My stuff though. Oh no, all my clothes, my laptop.”
“Our scouts recovered your belongings, Rosemary, don’t worry.”
The Alpha Female spent the next several minutes rubbing the cooling gel on my raw skin. The males in the other room continued to shout.
“What are they fighting about?” I asked when I couldn’t take their shouting anymore.
“Alpha Hill is having a disagreement about the next step toward finding your sister,” she explained, “Simon wants to alert the human authorities and widen the search. Sending out information to the packs to be on the lookout for her.”
“And Alpha Hill?”
Celeste focused her attention on a sunburned spot on my shin, “My mate is an Alpha, Rosemary. He has to think about what is best for the future of his pack.”
“And finding my sister isn’t?”
“She’s been here over a month and I’ve talked to her twice,” Celeste admitted, “She never leaves her room... you know her better than anyone, do you think she’s destined to be an Alpha female?”
“When she gets her wolf maybe?” I doubted it. I didn’t feel much different since the arrival of my wolf.
A slam of a door rattled the paintings on the walls. Celeste sighed, “Simon isn’t making this any easier on us.”
Alpha Hill came into the room in a fury. He paced between the door and his mate. Celeste gave me a half smile and a mischievous grin that felt out of place with the current tense situation.
“How did that go?” she prompted.
Her mate took the opening and barreled through a rambling, “That boy and his delusions. He thinks we aren’t doing everything we can to find her? He’s out of his mind.”
“He’s worried.”
“He needs to be focused on the pack regardless of what’s happening in his personal life.”
“He’s young.”
“He’s the future Alpha of the pack. He doesn’t have the first clue how a leader behaves in times of crisis.”
“As opposed to pacing in circles muttering under his breath while a vulnerable girl is still missing?”
Celeste and Alpha Hill turn to me. Celeste covered her mouth to hide a laugh. The Alpha returned to his pacing.
“If Celeste went missing when we were first mated, I’d have been able to find her in hours. It’s been days and Simon hasn’t the slightest clue where to look for her.”
“Thyme’s a hider. Did you check in crawlspaces? She likes the stars, is there a place where she would stargaze or cloud watch? Where does she spend most of her time, her room right? Has anyone checked there for clues?”
Celeste and Alpha Hill shared a look, “Simon won’t let us near there. He says Thyme values her private space.”
“Point the way, I’m her sister she doesn’t get privacy from me.”
Celeste helped me to my feet and showed me to Thyme’s room. It was spotless. The bed neatly made; all her clothing hung up on hangers arranged by color.
If I were Thyme where would I hide it. I knew my sister had to have left a clue. Mom made her start a journal before we went on the road so she could have a place to rant and ramble and panic if and when she couldn’t get ahold of one of us. She’d mentioned using it during one of our calls but not where she hid it.
I looked everywhere. Under the mattress, the pillow, hidden in the back of the closet. When I was ready to give up I found it.
On the nightstand. In plain sight.
“Simon didn’t think to check her journal,” I muttered, dropping onto the bed.
The springs were even louder in person than over the phone. I paged through the journal, pages and pages of my sister’s swirly handwriting documented her days since leaving Spatsizi.
Kootenai’s a bust, on to Selkirk next. Rosie keeps saying we’ll meet our mates at the next pack and the next pack, but we don’t. Maybe we don’t have a mate. Maybe because Mom and Dad aren’t Moon Blessed we don’t have Moon Blessings.
I turned the pages, going through our pack tours and adventures. All across Canada and into the US. I knew Thyme was scared, but I had no idea she doubted the Moon Goddess would bless us. She’d never mentioned anything about it. Maybe that was something she only felt brave enough to talk to Mom about.
But we’re sisters. Why didn’t she want to confide in me? If she didn’t share this with me, what else was she hiding? I turned to the more recent entries.
Simon wants me to go to a pool party today. He says only pack kids will be there, but I don’t want to go. What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t think I’m good enough for Simon? What if they call me names?
I paged through the panic about the pool party and to the picnic. She’d mentioned this to me in calls. There had to be something there.
Simon was upset I didn’t go to the picnic with him. But he brought the picnic to my room. He’s so nice and cute and perfect. Why can’t it just be the two of us. Why do other people have to be around all the time. Why can’t he be content just hanging out with me?
My heart ached for my sister. I understood wanting to hang out with a mate. But I knew my sister. She wasn’t seeing Simon’s side of things. She needed to meet his pack. That was as much a part of a future Alpha as their arm. I would be willing to bet Simon would say that hanging out with Thyme one-on-one was what he wanted too. I’d also bet she never told him what she wanted.
To know for sure, I’d have to ask Simon. I kept reading. I was getting closer to the day of her disappearance.
I’m going to do it. Rosie is coming tomorrow and the first thing she asks will be about the bonfire. I’m going to go. Simon promises it’ll be okay. And if it’s not Rosie can help me pick up the pieces of my heart.
I wasn’t sure what to think. Was this possibly my fault? For guilting my sister out of her comfort zone? Had something happened at the bonfire?
I turned the page and the next entry was splotchy with fallen tears.
Simon,
If you’re reading this, I’m gone. Don’t look for me.
Enjoy your human.
Thyme
My wolf growled or maybe it was me. What did Thyme mean, enjoy your human? What had he done? I turned the page, hoping to find a clue, but instead I saw my name.
Rosie,
If you’re reading this, I’m sorry. I can’t do it. I wanted to be brave. I wanted to be tough. I wanted to make friends and live the life you wanted for me.
But I can’t. So, I’m going. I got my wolf. It was scary, but she’s going to keep me safe. Don’t worry about me, okay?
Ty Ty
“Don’t worry? Don’t worry?” tears streamed down my face. All I did was worry about Thyme. What had she done? Why didn’t she tell me where she was going? Why didn’t she take her stuff? Was she going feral?
The other side of the journal had one more letter.
Mara,
If you’re reading this.
Fuck you
“What are you doing in here?”
I looked up to Simon standing in the doorway.
I wiped the tears from my face, “Who’s Mara?”
Chapter Twelve
Ginger
Harris family compound, outside of Easterville, Minnesota
4 years ago
The high-pitched chiming of my phone was my favorite and least favorite sound. It seemed that Ed was calling me every few hours with a new thing he needed done for the house. Cain and Lee were too busy with the garage, Tooth and Claw, and new members of our not-pack to focus on the house, so I took care of it.
“Ginger,” I answered.
“Ah, my favorite assistant,” Ed teased, “I need you to come down to Mainsbury and approve the bathroom cabinets. I talked to Lee and Cain and they trust whatever you have to say on it.”
Of course, they did, “I’ll head down now. Need me to pick up anything on my way?”
Ed demurred but then he confessed his mile-long list of permits he needed to get approved from various government agencies.
“It’ll take me all day to get that done,” I whined.
“I’ll buy dinner,” Ed offered.
“And dessert,” I countered.
“You got it.”
After waiting in line F to get form JQC-10 approved and hopping back to lines A-G to submit and get more documents approved, I’d arrive in Mainsbury in time for dinner. I met Ed at the restaurant, and to my surprise, his table was packed with men.
Wolves. Lions. Bears
I think it’s lions and tigers and bears
Ed’s led us to a trap, I don’t have time for your sass
“Ah, Ginger, I thought now was as good a time as any to introduce you to the crew that’ll be working on the house,” Ed said, he led me around the table giving me the names and tasks of each of his members.
“They’re all rogues but they’re good guys. I thought it’d be easier on your wolf to meet them here before getting to the build site.”
That was reasonable.
“I have you sitting between me and Paul. He’s a licensed Private Investigator. Don’t know why he’s slumming it with me,” Ed winked at the imposing wolf next to the empty chair meant for me.
“Loneliness will drive a wolf to do stupid things,” Paul said. He extended a hand to me that I didn’t take.
“Nice to meet all of you,” I said to the table, “I’m sure Ed’s told you more than appropriate about me.”
Ed laughed and pats the back of my chair until I sat down.
“See what I mean? Takes no shit this one. She’ll keep you all in line.”
“I want an efficient build, guys. No stupid mistakes. There are a lot of good people depending on this house and I’ve heard horror stories of added expenses and delays. None of that.”
The men at the table laughed, but I was completely serious.
“You know houses always have complications that bring up unexpected delays.”
“Then add that into your quoted timeline,” I argued back, “I’m not saying you can’t have the unexpected pop up. What I am saying is that you’re expecting delays. If you expect a delay why tell me one date when you don’t actually expect to be done by then.”
“Ginger, hun, that’s not how this works,” Ed said.
I glared at him, “That’s how this is going to work. Cain helped you build this business. This house is a symbol to every rogue shifter in the country. That there is life beyond packs, prides, and herds. You are all going to do your damnedest to get this done by April 25th or so help me, you’ll be reckoning with me.”
Again, my threat was met with laughs, but the wolves at the table squirmed as they did it. I was getting through to them.
“Am I understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Paul agreed, “April 25th.”
Chapter Thirteen
Rosemary
Red Rock Arizona
7 years ago
“I can explain.”
“You better start,” I gripped my sister’s journal like it was my last tie to her. Because it is.
No, don’t think like that.
“She’s my-”
“Human.”
Simon’s eyes flicked to the book in my hand and back to my face, “What is that?”
“You were going to explain. Or did you forget already what you promised to do?”
Simon shut the door behind him and stalked into the room, “I don’t know what she wrote in there, but it’s not what it sounds like.”
I opened my arms, “My sister left because of Mara. Who is she?”
“My girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” I didn’t bother to beat around the bush. My sister was missing, and she might have just left. Because he had a human girlfriend.
“It’s not what you think.”
“It’s what Thyme did. What is wrong with you? A girlfriend? She’s been your mate for over a month, and you had a girlfriend this whole time?”
Simon looked at the open page and his skin started bubbling as fur sprouted. But unlike me, he was able to control his shift and stop it before the wolf took over, “I’m going to break up with her.”
“Going to?” I couldn’t believe it, “Your mate is missing; possibly dead and you haven’t even broken up with your human skank?”
“Mara isn’t a skank,” Simon growled.
I stomped to him, face to face, so I could meet his eyes, “Is she who you want? Who your wolf wants? Is this human more important than my sister? Than your family? Your pack?”
“You don’t understand,” he shook his head, breaking eye contact with me. The confident anger flaking away like mud armor after a few minutes in the sun, “She’s not… she knows, okay?”
“Knows?”
He brushes past me to sit on the bed, cradling the journal between his hands like a precious trinket. He brings it to his nose and closes his eyes as he inhales, “Mara was there for my first shift. She knows.”
“Does Alpha Hill know?” my voice is a whisper as I sit next to him. My arm instinctively moves to comfort him, wrapping around his broad shoulders.
Simon shook his head, “She promised not to tell, and I believe her. She loves me, Rosemary. And I can’t just throw her away like she’s nothing. Don’t you get that?”
“What about my sister?”
Simon’s wolf growled inside him, “Thyme is everything to me. I wanted to explain to
her, but she disappeared before I could. I had the whole thing planned, sit Mara and Thyme down, and we’d-”
I snorted, “You’d what? Explain to your human girlfriend about your mate?”
“Mara knows about the Blessing, well, in theory. I just… I promised her I wouldn’t throw her away when I found my mate. I just had no idea-”
“About how strong the pull is?”
He nodded, “I messed up, Rosemary. I messed up so bad, but it’s not as simple as it seems, okay? And I know I need to end it with Mara, and I hope she’ll understand, but she’s… she’s a special human okay. She doesn’t deserve to be taken out because of me.”
“Thyme might come back,” I offer meekly. I had no idea if she would or not. Thyme was a lot of things, but confident or brave weren’t two that I’d use to describe her.
“I need to come clean to Alpha Hill,” Simon said, “I should have the second I got home from my first shift. This whole mess could have been avoided.”
I agreed, “Do you want me in there with you? Maybe I can help convince him to let Mara live...”
Simon sniffed the journal again, “Where do you think she went?”
“If I knew, she’d be back by now.”
“What’s your mate like?” Simon asked, “He knows you’re here, right? Why hasn’t he come and broken down our door demanding his mate back?”
“Jules is a genius. He knows I’m here, encouraged me to visit.”
“You were in the desert for two days, Rosemary. We didn’t hear from him; he didn’t hear from you. I’ve been fighting to get Thyme back since the second I knew she was missing.”
“He’s just busy,” the excuse felt so lame when I first left, but Simon was right. Each day that passed with me in the desert, scared alone, and close to death Jules hadn’t called or texted asking how I was doing on my trip. Had Simon not picked up Thyme’s phone that night, would Red Rock have even known to look for me? Or would I have died in the desert after my first shift?
Ginger and Thyme (Kootenai Pack Book 4) Page 9