Echo of Magic: A Wolfguard Protectors Novel

by Kimber White

  Echo of Magic

  A Wolfguard Protectors Novel

  Kimber White

  Nokay Press LLC

  Copyright © 2019 by Kimber White/Nokay Press LLC

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author or publisher, except where permitted by law or for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Up Next from Kimber White

  Books by Kimber White

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Leo

  I almost missed the place. It was a tiny storefront sandwiched between a shoe store and a vitamin shop on Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor. There wasn’t even any signage. I pulled up my GPS app again to make sure I saw the blinking red dot.

  I picked up the file on the car seat next to me. I was almost half an hour early. Working out of our Chicago office this month, it had taken me four solid hours driving to get here.

  I pulled up my messages and sent my boss, Payne Fallon, a quick one.

  “I’m here. I think. Will let you know what’s what after I meet with the guy.”

  After a second of blinking dots, Payne texted back.

  “Sure thing. Let me know if you run into any trouble. You shouldn’t. Straight pick up and delivery.”

  I shifted in my seat and read the file for about the fourth time.

  My contact was a man named Emerson Crossley. From his picture, I’d put him at about eighty, eighty-five. Balding, trim, eccentric. In his photo, he wore a tailored gray suit with a yellow striped tie. He had half-moon glasses perched on his nose. It was the back of his business brochure.

  Crossley Antiquities. Established in 1905. Liverpool. Ann Arbor.

  Weird couple of cities, I thought.

  Pick up and delivery. Crossley ran an antique dealership and auction house. He’d hired Wolfguard a few times in the past to provide security at some of his live auctions. I’d never worked any of them myself, but this kind of thing was Wolfguard’s bread and butter when Payne first founded the company a few years ago.

  Easy. Boring. Lucrative.

  I peered through my windshield. In the fifteen minutes I sat there, I’d seen no one come or go from the building, and it didn’t look like there were any lights on inside. I rechecked my phone.

  8:45 in the morning.

  “Screw it,” I said. I slid the file folder in my glovebox, pocketed my keys and stepped out of the SUV.

  I straightened my suit jacket. I hated the thing, preferring to work in jeans and a t-shirt. Not that I expected to have to shift into my wolf today, but it could get expensive ripping through business suits.

  It was hot as blazes already. Mid-August in southern Michigan was unpredictable. It was the same back in Chicago. I preferred it there. I felt out of my element here in this tiny little town. I liked bigger cities or the woods.

  I smoothed my tie and headed for the front door of Crossley’s shop. I shielded my eyes with my hand and looked through the window. The shop was neat and clean, just a few items displayed on tables and shelves. To me, it just seemed like a bunch of vases and a few paintings. I couldn’t figure out why Crossley would need the type of muscle Wolfguard provided. You have to be dealing in some pretty expensive stuff to need shifters to guard it.

  Well, it was Crossley’s dime to spend anyway.

  I tried the door. Even though there were still a few minutes to his listed open time, it opened.

  “Hmm,” I said. “Not smart.” I walked right in.

  The shop was clean, but it still had that musty smell, and I wondered if the building itself had issues.

  Soft, classical music played in the background. I ran a finger over one of the tables. Not a speck of dust rubbed off. Crossley displayed stemware, fine china, gilded silver picture frames. Nothing that caught my eye or seemed overly rare. I wondered what the hell he wanted me to watch for him.

  “Hello!” I called out. “Mr. Crossley?”

  Nothing.

  “Your front door was open,” I yelled. “I’m from Wolfguard. You want me to lock that?”

  Still nothing.

  The hairs on the back of my neck pricked. I closed my eyes and held my breath.

  I heard cars passing by outside. The soft tick of the traffic light at the corner as it changed. The shop, though, was utterly silent.

  Something stirred my wolf. There was someone back there all right. I snapped my eyes open, letting my wolf out just enough to give me infrared vision. Anyone watching me would see two pinpoints of blue fire where my pupils should be.

  I took in a deep, sharp breath. I didn’t scent any other shifters nearby. The air in the shop kept the faint, lingering scent of a dozen or more people. Customers from the day before, probably. But, a single scent hit me, tripping my pulse. It was sweet and heady, making my vision blur for half a second. A growl came out of me.

  Something was off. Definitely. I curled my fists and felt my claws digging into my palms.

  A door opened and shut, deeper in the building. That scent. It grew stronger, making my blood tingle.

  “Crossley?” I managed to get that single word out. My voice had dropped an octave. My wolf stayed ready, just below the surface.

  A shadow moved in the hallway behind the cash register. Blood shot straight to my core as a woman stepped out of the darkness and into view.

  She was young. Pretty. With straight, dark hair she wore loose past her shoulders. She had on a tight, red skirt that came to just above her knees. Killer black heels. A white silk blouse tucked neatly into that skirt so it hugged all her curves.

  Her scent swirled around me. So sweet. So strong. It damn near knocked me over and sent my wolf spinning inside me.

  “I’m here for Mr. Crossley,” I said. “He’s expecting me. My name is Leo.”

  Words were coming out of my mouth. That was good. I thought they might even be the right ones. I don’t know how I pulled that off.

  She was no shifter. That’s for sure. A witch maybe? Whatever it was, my baser instincts made my wolf hard to control.

  She hesitated. I became keenly aware of every move she made. A bead of sweat formed on her upper lip. So tiny she couldn’t even know it was there. A quick dart of her tongue and she licked it away.

  Pow! Bang!

  It was all I could do to stay on my feet around her.

  “I’m a little early,” I said. “Will you tel
l your boss I’m here? I’m from Wolfguard.”

  Something made her nervous. She looked over her shoulder and the smile she wore wasn’t natural.

  “Mr. Crossley is my grandfather,” she said. Her voice was light, almost lilting. Soft. Feminine. An image shot through me. I wondered what it would sound like if she moaned.

  I snapped my head back, floored by the animal lust that poured through me just from being close to her.

  This wasn’t like me.

  “Your grandfather,” I repeated. “Okay then…”

  “Leo?” she said. I loved the way she said my name. She had a breathy quality to her voice, putting an H after the first letter.

  She took a step toward me and extended her hand. Mercy.

  I took her hand in mine and shook it. Firm. Professional. But, I loved the way her skin felt. Smooth. Soft. But, there was an undercurrent of heat. She blinked wildly. Could she feel it too?

  “Ms. Crossley?” I asked.

  “Um…yes. My name is Margaret. Er...call me Meg.”

  Meg. Margaret. Meg Crossley. She had an American Midwestern accent. Emerson Crossley was supposed to be British.

  “I was going to call ahead,” she said. “But, I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure if your agency would send you if I did that.”

  I got a hold of myself. My primal instincts gave way to my business ones. “I’m sorry?”

  “Mr...I’m sorry...I didn’t catch your last name.”

  “Kalenkov,” I said. “My name is Leo Kalenkov.”

  She considered it. My family name might have been familiar to her if we were in Chicago. Not here though. Still, it felt like it meant something to her.

  “Mr. Kalenkov,” she said. “Do you know why they sent you here?”

  “We’ve worked for your grandfather in the past.”

  “But not you,” she said. “I’ve never seen you before.”

  “No,” I said. “But, I understand you need security surrounding a rare item your grandfather is trying to sell.”

  “That’s right,” she said. “It’s a gemstone. An expensive one.”

  “How expensive?” I asked.

  Meg parted her lips to answer but paused. “Priceless.”

  I smiled. “Nothing’s priceless. But, the sooner I can meet with your grandfather, the better.”

  “Why?” she asked. “You’re paid by the job, not the hour, Mr. Kalenkov.”

  Something was off about her. If I had to name it, she seemed a little upset. Her eyes flickered. Her hand trembled when she lifted it to smooth the front of her skirt. There wasn’t even a hint of a wrinkle in it.

  “Your grandfather?” I asked.

  “Mr. Kalenkov,” she said. “I don’t...I haven’t…”

  “Look, ma’am, men like me. Wolfguard. We have a particular set of skills. Something doesn’t feel right here. I sensed it the second I walked in.”

  “He’s quite ill,” she blurted out.

  I took a half step back. “What?”

  She was blinking wildly again. She was holding back tears.

  “He’s been very sick,” she said. “He...that is...I’m taking over for him for the time being.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. Well, shit. “I have to...I need to call my boss.”

  She came toward me. Her skin had gone sheet white. She grabbed my arm.

  “I need your help. I need you to do what my grandfather hired you to do. Nothing’s changed.”

  “When do you expect him back?” I asked. “I mean, your grandfather…”

  “I told you, he’s very sick,” she said. “I don’t know how long it will take him to recover. But you have to understand that time is of the essence. I need to explain to you what’s expected of you over the next few days.”

  I moved past her. There was a stool at the counter. I put it beside her. She looked about ready to keel over. I wondered if she’d caught whatever made her grandfather sick. She didn’t stop me when I put my hands on her elbows and guided her to sit down.

  “You don’t look so good,” I said. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “You have to stay,” she said.

  “Ms. Crossley, can I call someone for you? Do you need anything?”

  This was a disaster. Wolfguard worked a specific way. Emerson Crossley was our contact. He was the only person I was supposed to deal with. If he didn’t show his face, it would cancel our contract. End of story.

  Meg cleared her throat. “No,” she said. “You don’t understand. This job. This item. This transaction has to go forward. It has to. If it doesn’t, things will...we have a contract. I expect you to honor it. My grandfather has already paid your retainer.”

  She looked so vulnerable. So desperate. Something was most definitely wrong. With everything that I was, I wanted to pull her against me. I wanted to kill something for her. Anything to take the pain out of her eyes.

  This was bad. This was dangerous. I just met her. But, there I was, ready to break protocol in a heartbeat for her.

  “Let’s just...one thing at a time,” I said. “We’ll figure something out.”

  Her grip on my arm cut through me. It was as if an electrical current ran from her to me and back again.

  I didn’t have the foggiest clue what I’d just walked into. I just knew her pain felt like mine and there was only one thing that could mean. I just wouldn’t let myself admit it yet.

  Chapter Two

  Meg

  Leo Kalenkov might have been my last hope. Only, if he figured that out, I was sunk. He stood beside me, a hulking presence with broad shoulders, chiseled features. Those eyes. Sapphire blue with a spark to them. He seemed to take in everything about me. I felt a trail of heat as his gaze traveled up and down me.

  My head swam. My heart felt like it might burst out of my chest. I had to stay cool. I had to pretend that everything was fine. Normal. He couldn’t know how quickly my world had come crashing down around me. Except he seemed to have already figured that out. God. This was turning into a complete disaster. Would it be better if I told him the truth? My grandfather wasn’t just sick. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on breathing.

  “Your retainer,” I said. “It’s been paid.” I reached over the counter and pulled out a piece of paper. It was my grandfather’s letter of instruction to him. He could check the signature with what he had on file. They would match. He’d never know I forged that one too.

  Leo looked it over. I watched those cobalt blue eyes of him dart over the small print. He rubbed a thumb across his chin. He was cleanly shaven with wavy, auburn hair. The urge to run my fingers through it popped into my brain. He looked back at me and I held my back straight. I didn’t even dare breathe.

  “Do you want me to follow you?” he asked. “Just give me the address.” The air went out of me. I found a smile and the strength not to fall off the chair.

  “What? Oh. No. We should ride together. The seller is...uh...temperamental to say the least. I don’t want to spook her with too many vehicles in her driveway.”

  Lies. Well, mostly. It was true that my seller probably wouldn’t like too much fuss and attention that might come from multiple cars parking in her driveway. But, without Kalenkov, I had no way of getting out there. As soon as my father learned what was going on with my grandfather, he waited until I had walked down to the post office. Then, my father had taken everything he could get his hands on, including the keys to my car. That was three days ago.

  “That’s fine,” Kalenkov said. His voice was deep, imposing. That probably wouldn’t help things either, but I had no other option but to bring him. My seller would never agree to meet with me alone.

  “Ms. Crossley,” he said, tilting his head to the side. “Is everything okay? You seem a little frazzled.”

  I laid my hand flat on the counter, willing it not to tremble. I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t let him see.

  I lived in a house of cards right now. If Kalenkov got suspicious, he’d leave. And worse, he’d call his superi
ors at Wolfguard Security, and then I’d be sunk for good.

  “Is there someone I can call for you?” he asked.

  “No,” I said. “There’s no one to call.”

  “We can reschedule,” he said. “I’m sure your seller would understand. If your grandfather is ill, you have a family business to take care of. Are you here all alone?”

  “Yes,” I said, trying to force a smile. “Listen, I know this probably seems unusual. Your firm is used to dealing with my grandfather. He’s always thought very highly of your boss, Mr. Fallon. We’ve had many transactions that might not have gone smoothly if it weren’t for the security you provide. We deal in...um...oddities sometimes. Nothing black hat, of course. It’s just, a lot of the items we procure are very rare and highly sought after by collectors. That reputation is out there. It can attract the wrong types.”

  “Look,” he said. “I’m not here to judge any of that. They just told me you needed a presence when you picked up your...ah...item. Do you mind telling me a little bit more about what we’re dealing with?”

  “A gemstone,” I said. “Actually, a very rare, very old, red diamond.”

  “In Manitou Beach?” he asked. “How does a thing like that end up there?”

  “You’d be surprised. I’ve found priceless artwork in garage sales, Mr. Kalenkov. This particular diamond was apparently passed down through one family for quite a long time. The seller’s husband passed away a few years ago and she found it in a safety deposit box his family kept. She’s hung on to it for twenty years since then. She’s getting on in years. They had no children. She wants to sell it and donate the money to her church.”