by Lee Mae
“Serena…what the hell happened? With Callahan…or that thing…what the hell did I just shoot?”
“You shot our killer, Mike. For all the murders.”
“All of them? Even the ones back in Kansas?”
Serena saw the confusion in his eyes. She knew the explanation wasn’t going to be easy, either to Mike, or eventually the Lieutenant, since Mike had just shot a man. The story would have to be changed. Nowinski would never believe she’d been attacked by a wolf or that Mike had shot a shifter.
“The DNA test…there was canine hair at the scene with Goudy’s clothes. I had Renee run the DNA against the two most prevalent samples she thought were male. Callahan planted Brody’s hair on Goudy’s clothes, far more than would ever have occurred naturally. Renee thought it looked suspicious and so did I. I had her run a DNA test on the canine hair and asked her to compare it to the samples.”
Serena turned to Brody. “I thought it would point to you as the killer. I’m sorry.”
Brody shrugged. “It’s what I would have expected you to think. But the DNA came back as a match to Callahan’s?”
“It did. And there was a hit from the Wichita murder, one that came back with Callahan’s name.”
“He knew that…knew his hair was found at the scene of Edward’s murder.”
“Who’s Edward?” Mike asked. He looked between Serena and Brody.
It was Brody who answered the question. “My father. The first person Callahan killed,” he murmured as the thin wail of the ambulance cut through his words.
Mike sighed. “But what the hell am I supposed to say happened, Serena? I just shot a naked, unarmed man.”
“Tell them the truth,” she said.
Mike shook his head, laughing softly. “Yeah. Well, just help me fill out the reports for this, okay? Not sure what I’m going to say or even what to think about this yet.”
Something was wrong though. “Mike, you shot Callahan after he shifted. From what I know…” Serena turned to Brody. “Shifters can only be killed with a silver bullet, right?”
Brody nodded. “That’s right.”
“So, where the hell did you get a silver bullet?”
Mike hesitated, his brows drawing tougher. “Well, the day Callahan was at the office, he gave you a silver bullet. I thought the whole shifter thing was bullshit…sorry, Sullivan. So, I picked it up and checked if it actually fit my gun.” He rubbed the side of his nose, a rueful grin on his face. “And then…I forgot it was there.”
“You forgot?” Serena looked at him in amazement.
“Hey, I had a lot of my mind…you disappearing on me, Nowinski breathing down my neck. I just forgot, okay?”
Brody’s weak laugh startled her. “Well, I’m sure as hell glad you forgot. We’d all have been dead if your memory was better.”
The ambulance siren swelled, filling the room, the lights flashing across the walls. Abruptly the siren cut off and they heard the sounds of men talking and doors banging.
Mike rose. “I’ll go get them. You two okay for a minute?”
Serena turned to Brody. His head was thrown back, his eyes closed. “Brody? You still with me?”
He drew a deep breath, winced, and opened his eyes. “Yeah. I am.”
“We’re almost done with this. Callahan’s gone. We’ll get you to the hospital. Everything’s going to be okay.” She gingerly shifted her weight, resting her head on his shoulder. “I promise.”
33
Serena opened her eyes. Sunlight streamed through her bedroom window, filtered through the leaves of the maple tree. The room was cast in a greenish light, fresh and clean, like swimming on a summer day.
It was Saturday and she was off. Not on call, no cases, no paperwork, an entire day to do what she wanted. She thought the garden might be a place to start, or maybe she’d just sit in the backyard and read a book, have a beer or three, and doze in the sun. She stretched, threw back the blanket, and sat up.
“Wherever you’re going, it can wait.”
Brody reached for her, pulling her back onto the bed. She went willingly, turning to wrap her arms around his neck as she fit her body against his. He was warm and solid next to her. Serena thought she’d never grow tired of looking into his eyes. They changed color with every emotion he had. Now they were deep blue, the color of sapphires. The color they were when he wanted her.
“Yeah, the backyard can wait.”
His lips found hers and she lost herself in his kiss. No matter how many kisses they’d had, no matter how many times they’d made love, every time had her heart hammering in her chest. She felt giddy and almost lightheaded in his arms.
The kiss deepened and she parted her lips, his tongue slowly caressing hers. Her hands moved down his sides, skimming over the healing scar on his side, lower, over his hips. He was hard and ready and she slowly teased him with her fingers. He moaned against her mouth and she smiled.
“You should know better than to tease me, Serena.” He growled the words against her neck. “You never know what beast you might awaken.”
She pulled away, hands caressing his face, fingers tracing over his cheeks, his lips.
“I’ve seen the beast in you, remember? And I love him.”
He held her gaze. “I love you too, Serena. More than you can ever know.” He hesitated, a faint frown creasing his forehead. Serena sat up, leaning on one elbow.
“What is it?”
“I want to ask you something...about our future.”
Serena held her breath, tension flooding through her. They’d never talked about the future or made any concrete plans other than Brody moving from the mill house into hers. She knew there’d come a day when he’d have to go back to Kansas, but until then, she had been happy to live in a little bubble of denial.
His smile brought her back to the present. “I want you to come home with me, back to Kansas. My pack needs me. And as much as I love it here with you, I have a responsibility to them. They’re making me Alpha.”
“You want me to come with you?” Her voice broke. “Back to Kansas?”
He touched her face with his fingers softly, tracing the line of her cheek. “I can’t imagine being anywhere without you, Serena. These past few months have been amazing, here with you. I love you, with all my heart, with everything I have.”
She closed her eyes, pressing her cheek against his hand. Her life here, the life she’d struggled to create, her job, all of it would change, maybe irrevocably. But Brody had already changed her life down to the very core.
Serena drew a deep breath and opened her eyes. “You want me to leave with you?”
Brody pulled her toward him, his lips finding hers. Softly at first and then more insistent, finally consuming her in a deeply passionate kiss. Her heart swelled with love for him and she returned his kiss, her moan of pleasure mixing with his deep, soft growl. She smiled at the low thump of arousal his noises elicited in her. The first time he’d growled at her, she’d pulled back in alarm. But now, knowing how close she was to this wild, uninhibited creature, she gave herself up completely to him.
He pinned her to the bed with ease, his hands resting beside her shoulders, rising up to look down into her eyes. She felt him brush against the soft skin of her inner thigh and she smiled.
He entered her slowly, deliberately, exhaling a soft moan as she shifted beneath him. Every cell in her body came alive, thrummed with arousal. Each time they made love, it was more powerful, more intense, binding them closer.
Buried completely inside her, he closed his eyes, lips parted, his face suffused with such raw emotion Serena almost wept.
Finally, he moved against her and she picked up the rhythm, her body and his meshing together perfectly as Serena rode a spiraling wave of passion. Soon she clung to him, crying out with each movement, and he buried his head in her shoulder, breath hot on her skin. Her hands skimmed over his back, the fading scar the only thing marring his perfect body.
Brody wrapped his arms around her, pulling h
er hard against his body, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, giving up freedom of movement for the exquisite sensations running through her. His lips brushed softly against her ear.
“Serena…God, I love you.” He turned his face and looked down at her, his eyes hooded and sexy, the color a deep blue.
“I love you too, Brody.” She touched his face, and the simple touch of her fingers on his skin was enough to send him over the edge. He bucked against her, his moans changing into a deep growl, the sound vibrating deep in her body, fueling her own release.
She cried out beneath him and he clutched her tightly against his chest. She was at his mercy, her body given over to him, and her climax consumed her. She let go, one powerful wave after another shaking her body. Brody’s cries rose in volume and pitch, his head thrown back as he voiced his release.
Finally, slowly, they unwound, bodies reluctantly coming apart, subtle tremors still flowing through them. Even the movement of him pulling away from her sent a wave of sensation and heat through Serena. She whimpered, reaching for him, already aching to have him fill her again.
Brody’s laugh rumbled in his chest. “Insatiable today?” He kissed her forehead, brushing back a stand of hair. She nestled against his shoulder, not ready yet to think about forming words. He held her loosely, the breeze through the window cooling their heated skin.
“We’ll leave when you’re ready, Serena. Do what you need to at work. I can wait for a little bit.” He shifted, settling her more solidly in the circle of his arms.
“You’ll like them, I think. My pack, that is. I’ve known them all for a long time, grew up with most of them.” His voice went soft and she heard a tinge of longing as he went on. “It means a lot to me that they’re making me Alpha. It’s what my father would have wanted.”
They’d avoided talking about Callahan in any way, shape, or form since the night at the mill house. There had been so much chaos in the days that followed. Brody had spent several days in the hospital, Serena worrying about him while trying to function with one arm in a sling and her hand in a splint.
At work, she and Mike had been grilled by Nowinski and the Captain over the shooting. Mike had provided a plausible explanation for Callahan’s death and the top brass had finally bought the story. Nothing about shifters had been mentioned, sparing all of them having to explain anything about wolves. Renee had finally determined the DNA samples had been contaminated and the results were labeled as inconclusive.
She’d been worried the warrant in Kansas would be served on Brody while he was in the hospital, so she and Mike had searched Callahan’s hotel room. They found a journal that Wes had kept with the names and addresses of Brody’s pack mates. They handed that and the other evidence they had uncovered to the Wichita police department. Eventually, they’d pulled the warrant for Brody and closed the case on his father’s murder.
“I miss them. And Callahan took a huge part of my life away from me when he killed my father.”
Serena sat up, turning toward Brody.
“I get that…all of it. And this isn’t where you belong.” She waved her hand toward the window, the sunlight now streaming in, filling the room with bright light.
“You have a place and a family.” It broke her heart in a way, saying that. But it was true. Home for Brody would never be Wisconsin.
“You’re my family now, Serena. My home is in Kansas, but my heart… well, that’s with you.” He pushed himself up against the headboard, taking her hands in his. “I want both. I want it all. You and the pack. There has to be a way to make that work. For both of us.”
She gazed at him for a long moment. And it was clear; wherever he went, she would follow.
“You’re my family now too, Brody. You’re all I want. And wherever you go, I’ll follow.”
34
Nowinski gazed at her coolly over the rim of his glasses as she sat across from him in his office, the wide expanse of his mahogany desk separating them.
“While I’m not too surprised you’re asking for a leave of absence, I am curious about the timing. Your injuries have healed; you’re back to your full workload. Your psych evaluations are all normal. Care to elucidate?”
“It’s for personal reasons, Loo. Nothing to do with the Callahan case.”
“I see. Nothing to do with your partner?”
She knew he was fishing. “No, sir. Sparks is a great guy. Nothing wrong between us.”
“Well, you’ll be missed. Three months is a long time.” He stood, coming around the desk, hand outstretched. Serena rose, shook Nowinski’s hand, and left the office.
Mike was at his desk, fidgeting with a pen, doodling on a notepad. He looked up as she walked in and she winced. He’d taken it hard when she’d told him she was taking a leave of absence. He asked her outright if she planned on coming back. She hadn’t been able to give him an answer and that had sat between them, straining their conversation, leaving them in heavy silence.
She sat down in her chair. All it took was a look at her face and Mike dropped his head.
“He granted your leave.”
“Mike, I’m sorry…” She made a helpless gesture with her hands, suddenly unable to find a place for them, finally resting them on her desk.
She knew he knew it all, almost better than she did. He’d watched her, in the months since the mill house, blossom and grow being with Brody. The happiness, the contentment, all of it was right there, all the time, written on her face. Mike was happy for her, she knew, but losing a partner was like losing a wife.
“Yeah.” He straightened, meeting her eyes. His smile was there, though it was a little forced.
“You gotta do what you need to, Serena. And being with Brody, it’s where you belong. But I’m gonna miss you, darling. More than you know.”
Serena shook her head and held up her hands in mock protest. “Don’t go getting all soft on me, Sparks. You’ll have every plainclothes office riding your case if you start sniffling.”
“Yeah, yeah. So…” He sat up and slapped hands on his desk. “When are you leaving?
“A couple of days.”
“You have time to come by the house, bring Brody, have dinner with the wife and me before you go. Robin would shoot me dead if you left without her having a chance to say goodbye.”
Serena laughed. “We’d like that. Thanks, Mike.”
Mike smiled. “You know, it’s not going to be the same without you.”
35
“Serena, wake up. We’re here.”
She sat up, groggy and disoriented. They’d gotten a late start, their dinner and movie at Mike and Robin’s lingering into the early morning hours. She’d fallen asleep sometime after Kansas City and now she squinted out the window into the twilight as the headlights splashed across scrub pines and a field of corn.
The car clattered across an ancient-looking bridge spanning a narrow creek. Ahead she saw a farmhouse, faded white, the windows reflecting the final rays of the setting sun.
Brody pulled up beside the house. “This is it. It’s not much, but it’s home.”
“It’s secluded, if anything.” There was nothing as far as she could see except fields and woods. A bank of storm clouds was rising in the west, quickly blocking out the remaining light.
Brody smiled. “Yeah, it is. It serves its purpose in that way. Nothing out here but us wolves and a few coyotes, those brave enough to come investigate. We get loud.” He glanced at her and his smile deepened.
“We’ve been known to cut loose at times. And when all of us are here, like now, it can be a little intense.” He turned to her, his look growing serious.
“I hope you know how important it is to have you here, Serena. You’re everything to me. This...” He glanced up at the house. “This is tradition, going back generations.”
Brody reached across the space between them. “But you’re my future. I want this to work…however it does.” He brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them softly.
; “I know. I want it to work, too. And it will.” She smiled back, his lips warm on her fingers.
Movement and noise caught her attention and then someone was pulling open the driver’s side door. Brody was pulled from the car and engulfed in a hug by a bear of a man, inches taller and wider than Brody. Serena climbed out of the car as more men came down the steps from the wide porch that surrounded the house.
“You’re late, Sullivan. What the hell?”
Laughing, Brody made a valiant effort to disengage himself from the group, turning to where Serena stood near the front of the car.
“It’s great to see you guys. But there’s someone else…” He reached out, his arm around her shoulder, drawing her close. A few raindrops hit her face and a deep rumble of thunder rolled through the air.
“I’d like you to meet Serena. Serena, this is…everyone. We can work out the names later. Come on. Let’s get inside. Whatever’s coming, it’s here.”
They made it inside just as the rain started in earnest. She listened as it hit against the glass of the living room windows, the world outside suddenly bright with lightning flashes.
“You’re in your old room, Brody.” A huge red-haired man stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Man, it’s sure good to see you here. It’s been too long, you know?”
The mountain of a man pulled Brody aside and enveloped him in a bear hug. “Yeah, it has been.” Brody’s voice was muffled against the man’s shoulder.
Serena turned away to find one of the pack mates watching the two men. He glanced at Serena, pointing to the man.
“Adam’s been filling in as alpha since…well, since Callahan, since Brody’s dad…since it all happened.” He turned away abruptly, brushing his hand across his face.
“I’m sorry. This must have been hard on all of you…” She hesitated.
He turned back to her, his eyes bright. “Sorry. I’m Alex.” He stuck out his hand and Serena shook it.
“We’re a little rough around the edges sometimes.” He gave her a rueful smile. “Not many of our women come to the alpha ritual. You’re either going to run for the hills or think we’re crazy.”