Contents
Title Page
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
Other Books
Third Night, A Sweet & Sour Mystery (BBW Alpha Werewolf Shifter Romance)
MAC FLYNN
Text copyright 2016 by Mac Flynn
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission in writing from the author.
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CHAPTER 1
"If we get stuck out here I'm eating you," I warned my companion as we marched through the cold snow that littered the sidewalks of the sleepy town of Apple Hollow.
Orion smiled. "You wouldn't want me. I'm tough and stringy."
I eyed his muscular body and a sly grin slipped onto my lips. "I don't know. I think you've got some ticklish fat somewhere in you."
Orion held up his hands and diverted away from me. "Don't do anything I'm going to regret."
I raised my hands and wiggled my fingers. "Let's find out."
I lunged at him. He side-stepped with his super speed and I ended up landing head-first into a pile of snow and gravel. I came up sputtering. "That's cheating!"
He stood over me with a grin on his face. A thick blanket was draped over one arm and dangled in front of my face. "You still have a lot to learn about being a werewolf."
"Yeah, like how you talk me into these crazy town things," I commented as he pulled me out of my self-imposed frosty prison. I brushed off the clumps of powdery cold snow and shook my head. "We'll probably end up transformed into puppies by a gremlin."
There we were two idiots traipsing through the freezing cold at a few minutes short of midnight. A gray sky hovered above us and around us was the deep dark of the snowy night. My breath puffed out like a factory chimney working overtime on a Christmas shift. Now I was covered in the white stuff from my frost-bitten toes to my red nose. At that moment Rudolph had nothing on me.
"Tradition isn't that bad," he argued.
I snorted. "Remember Halloween? Mirela and her merry band of Amazonian witches tried to get everyone to go as flambes."
He shook his head. "A half-century year old murder and the cover-up are an exception to the rule."
I arched an eyebrow. "I haven't seen this list of rules yet. Is it a modified version of the Ten Commandments where Thou Shalt Not Shed On Thy Neighbor's Carpet?"
Orion chuckled as he looped my arm through his. "Something like that, but you'll like this."
I winced and pulled a bit of hard, sharp ice from my posterior. "Ring-side seats to Witches On Ice doesn't exactly sound thrilling. Do they need a Zamboni or do they just use their brooms?"
He shook his head as he led me across main street and toward the river. "Neither. Mother Nature provides them with everything they need, and a little magic does the rest."
I furrowed my brow and shook my head. "I still don't know about this. My reporter instincts are telling me something's going to go wrong."
Orion grinned. "Just relax and let the witches sweep you off your feet. Like this." He swept me off my feet and into his arms.
I yelped and clutched onto his thick jacket. "Will you warn me before you do that?" I growled.
He shook his head. "Nope."
I folded my arms and buried myself in my warm coat. "You're impossible."
All around us people from the town and nearby countryside flowed down the street and onto the main road that led to the river. The body of water wrapped itself beside the single street beyond Main Street. Its gentle, ice-filled waters lapped against the shimmering ice that reached from shore to a third of the way out into the river.
A small park of trees and snow-covered grass lay between the last street and the river's edge. The frosty ground sloped down to the river and slid onto the ice. By the time we arrived the park was filled with dozens of families. They sat on their own blankets and faced the river. Many had small lanterns placed beside them that lit the way to the shore.
Orion and I took a seat to the left side of the crowd close to the remains of an old bridge. Only the three towering concrete support pillars remained.
Orion set me down and spread out the blanket. He bowed his head to me and swept his hand over the layout. "Ladies first."
I grinned and gestured to the blanket. "Age before beauty."
"Grace before gravitas."
I arched an eyebrow. "Does that even make sense?"
He shrugged. "It's the best I could come up with." He glanced in the direction of the street above us. I followed his gaze and saw a procession of black cloaked figures. They marched in two columns, and each held a gnarled stick. "Let's have this bantering later. It's about to start."
We plopped down and a hush descended over the crowd. The long procession of two dozen people marched down the gentle slope to the river's edge where they spread themselves out shoulder-to-shoulder. They raised their sticks to the gray sky.
A brilliant emerald green light burst from the sticks. The lights arched into the sky and speared the center of the river. At every point of impact ice was formed and spread like fire across the surface of the water until the entire river was covered in a thick sheet. The figures walked onto the frozen river to the center and turned to face the crowd. They raised their sticks again, and the tips glowed with the green light.
The ice from the river shot up and formed itself into a myriad of things. Giant castles with moats, elephants in a walking pose, even a small rabbit that broke free from the ice and bounced across the river. It hit land and sped around the families. The children pointed and screamed in joy. Several of the boys tried to catch the ice rabbit and ended up falling face-first into the snow.
The rabbit bounced onto the ice to the far right of the crowd. I was mesmerized by the clink of its ice paws on the surface of the frozen river and watched it hop downstream.
Something beyond it caught my attention. A large gray fog bank sprang from the river and traveled upstream in our direction. The rabbit skidded to a stop and turned icy tail, but the fog was too fast. It swallowed the creation in its depths and I heard a horrible crunch as ice was shattered.
I wasn't the only one to notice the incoming wall of dread. Many of the people stood and pointed. Others gasped and clutched their children to them. The cloaked figures on the ice lowered their sticks and turned their faces toward the fog. A horrible stench of ocean air hit me in the nose.
That's when the giant ship broke from the fog. Its wooden bow pierced the sky and groaned beneath the weight of the rest of the ship that emerged. Tall, billowing sails on huge masts waved in the still air. There were closed portholes on the sides and the deck was completely empty.
The huge, pot-bellied hull broke the surface of the ice and sent long cracks up river. The ice sculptures shattered and fell into the openings in the ice. The cloaked figures scattered to either side of the river.
Orion and I jumped to our feet. Screams er
upted from the crowd. Parents grabbed their children and fled up the hill. Off-duty officers directed the panicked traffic or hurried to the shore to help the cloaked figures away from the river.
I whipped my head to Orion and jerked my thumb at the ghostly ship. "What the hell is that?"
Orion pursed his lips. "Trouble. Come on." He rushed down the slope.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. "The things I do for a scoop. . ." I muttered before I hurried after him.
Orion slid to a stop at the edge of the river. I skidded down beside him and grabbed his arm to keep me up. We both watched as the ancient groaning ship floated upriver against current and wind.
"That isn't supposed to be here."
I whipped my head around and saw Orso slide down the hill. He stopped on the other side of Orion who shook his head. "No, it's not."
"Where's it supposed to be?" I asked them.
Orion shook his head. "It's not where, but when that's the problem."
I arched an eyebrow. "Come again?"
"That ship isn't due to arrive for another dozen years," Orso spoke up.
"You mean it's got a schedule?" I questioned them.
Orion nodded as his eyes followed the ship. "Yes."
We watched as the ship sailed between the large bridge columns. "I guess that explains the lack of bridge. . ." I commented.
I looked upstream of the wooden sailing vessel. Another fog bank materialized from nowhere. The vessel sailed into the thick mist and disappeared. The fog itself dissipated until all was gone.
I turned to the two men and crossed my arms over my chest. "This better be good."
CHAPTER 2
Orion shrugged. "There's not really much to tell. The ship comes every thirty-three years, sails up the river three nights in a row, and then disappears."
I frowned. "And nobody knows why it's doing this?"
He shook his head. "Not a clue."
"But it's early," Orso spoke up.
Orion turned to him and nodded. "Yeah, by about twelve years, right?"
Orso pursed his lips and looked out over the river. "Yeah. I've never heard of it coming early before."
"How long has it been coming?" I asked them.
Orion shrugged. "About two hundred."
I furrowed my brow. "That's a long time to have a sudden schedule change. And you guys are sure nobody knows why a mast ship is sailing up the river?"
Orion and Orso glanced at each other. Orso sighed. "There's always the Librarian. He'd know more about its schedule than anyone else."
Orion nodded. "We'll get right on it."
I arched an eyebrow. "We will?"
"Then take this," Orso advised him. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a receiver. "This'll tell keep you in touch with everything that's going on, and it can be used to call dispatch if you find the trouble first."
Orion took the receiver and grinned. "We'll make it a race."
Orso returned the smile, but had to stifle a yawn. "Just don't get anything snapping at your heels this time, okay?"
"I make no promises," my erstwhile mate replied as he grabbed my hand and pulled me up the slick hill. "Later!"
"If there is a later," I quipped.
"Don't tell me your reporter instincts are gone."
"They're-" I slipped and nearly fell, but Orion's firm hand pulled me to my feet, "-they're a little frozen right now."
"The library's warm," he pointed out as we crested the slope.
"So is home," I argued.
Orion stopped and turned so we faced each other. "You really don't want to look into this, do you?"
I shrugged. "All I know is it's late, cold, and I'm tired."
"Well, we'll fix both of that, but after the trip to the library." He took my hand and led me down the snowy streets. "Think of it as a favor to the police."
I snorted. "You mean a favor to the chief. Why isn't he doing this himself?"
"He's going to have his hands full calming everyone down," Orion pointed out. We rounded the end of the street and caught sight of the library two blocks down. "That could take all night. Besides, the were-bears are less-well, less energetic during the winter months."
"You mean they want to hibernate?" I guessed.
"Pretty much."
We reached the library and found all the windows aglow with light. The door was unlocked, and at the front desk was the shriveled Librarian. He sat on a stool and was hunched over an ancient tome with yellowed pages. Around him were stacks of books. He didn't look up as we walked up to the desk.
Orion leaned his elbow on the desk and smiled at the preoccupied old man. "We'd like some information-"
"On the ship," the Librarian finished for him. The old man's eyes flickered up and narrowed. "Elbow off the desk, please."
Orion straightened and coughed into his hand. "This is a little urgent, Librarian. The ship-" The Librarian waved his hand near enough to Orion's face that Orion jerked back.
"Yes yes, I know. It appeared, and you wish for information on the legend, is that correct?"
Orion smiled and nodded. "Pretty much."
"It should be in here somewhere. . ." the little man muttered as he browsed the thick bindings of the tomes around him. "Ah-ha!" He grabbed a thin volume that was pinched between two thick books and tugged it out. The black cover was thick with dust brushed in one direction by its removal. The Librarian held the book between his hands and blew off the dust. The gray cloud flew into Orion's face and made him sneeze. The Librarian held out the book to us. "This is what you need."
Orion pulled the dust from his face and took the book. "Thanks," he choked out.
Orion tucked the book securely under his arm, and we turned away and strode toward the front doors.
"And don't forget it's due in three days," the Librarian called out.
Orion paused and half-turned to the keeper of the books. "Three days? The usual checkout is a week."
A sly smile slipped onto the old man's pale lips and the corners of his eyes crinkled. "But you won't be needing that book any longer than that. Good day." He turned away and began sorting books on a table behind him.
I looked at Orion who shrugged and led us outside. I jerked my head over my shoulder at the retreating library building. "So is that what happens when somebody's elected by committee?"
"If only anyone could remember when he was appointed the position," Orion reminded me.
He paused beneath a streetlight and pulled the book out. I caught sight of the cover: "Famous Ships of Apple Hollow: An Exhaustive Study."
"You're not going to read that right now, are you?" I questioned him.
He shrugged and opened to the first page. "Why not?"
I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. "I'll give you two good reasons, and they're both low digits."
He smiled as his eyes scanned the pages. "You could try growing some fur. You need the practice."
I glared at him. "It's not easy putting all that hair back in. I ruined two razors the last time I tried to shave my-"
"Here it is," he spoke up.
Orion tapped his finger on the page. I rolled my eyes and sidled up beside him to look at the page. There was a bolded chapter title and a few short paragraphs. The opposite page showed a hand-drawn picture of the ship emerging from the fog.
Orion read aloud the chapter heading. "The Doomed Ship of Thirty-Three Years."
I snorted. "That's self-explanatory."
His finger followed along with his reading. "The Doomed Ship is a three-mast sailing vessel that was first sighted along the Rumbling River in 1800 when it crashed into the old bridge, destroying the structure, and continued on its way. The vessel always appears from a dense fog and sails up the river some quarter of a mile before it disappears into an upstream fog bank. Nothing has been seen of its crew, nor does anyone know why it sails up the river as the vessel is more in line with those used for ocean-going voyages. All attempts to stop or even board the vessel have been met with f
ailure."
I glanced over the rest of the words and read them aloud. "Rumors abound about why this ship inhabits the waters. Some have suggested a curse that the ship navigate the world and it happens upon Apple Hollow on its thirty-three year long journey. Others have put forth a more romantic theory of separated lovers, and still more theorize that aliens are involved." I snorted. "It always has to be about aliens."
Orion smiled and finished the chapter. "Whatever the reason, the ship sails onward never slowing nor ceasing in its reliable schedule."
"Until tonight," I added.
Orion closed the book and pursed his lips. "Yes. I can't figure out why, and this book was no help."
A cold wind blew past us and left me shivering. "We can try figuring out this mystery in front of an electric heater with a warm cup of cocoa between our hands."
His eyes widened and he snapped his fingers. "That's it! Cocoa!"
I arched a frost-covered eyebrow. "Yes, cocoa. Cocoa good. Being warm good."
Orion grabbed my hand that was tucked underneath my opposite arm and dragged me toward downtown. "There's no heater, but I know a great place for cocoa and answers."
I sighed. "Let me guess, the Spellbinding Food diner."
He looked over his shoulder and grinned at me. "That's just the place, and Mab is just the expert on the paranormal that we're looking for."
The snowy streets were deserted. All the town was put to bed with visions of sailing masts dancing in their heads. We reached the street on which sat Mab's diner and caught sight of the food place.
Orion stopped so fast I tripped and fell into his side. "This better not be more werewolf practice," I growled as I straightened myself.
He stared straight ahead with his lips pursed. I followed his gaze and saw it fell on Mab's place. The interior was dark.
Orion let go of me and hurried forward. I stumbled after him across the slush and ice of the road. He stopped at the front door and I came up beside him.
On the inside of the door hung a Closed sign, and on the outside was taped a small white envelope. Orion's name was scribbled on the back.
He tore the envelope off and pulled out a folded piece of paper. On the surface was the following handwritten letter:
Orion,
I have gone to find someone. Do not look for me, I will find you.
- Mab
I glanced up into Orion's tense face. "So I'm guessing this is bad."