“Yes. You’re quite correct. She is here, but… ” The clerk bit her lip nervously.
“She’s my fiancée and she’s expecting me.” Reno spoke with a smile, but his tone and level look conveyed his annoyance.
“Fiancée?” Surprise flickered over the woman’s face. “Oh! Oh my! I… I didn’t know that, but… um… I don’t think—”
“What Martha’s trying to say is that Brandi is in a meeting right now and not available.” The door behind the woman swung open and a male voice interrupted. It was Walt, the supposed sheriff he’d encountered earlier. The man took off his hat and placed it on his desk before turning to the clerk. “Martha, make a note that Frank relieved me down at the barricade and make sure he gets paid for extra duty.”
As the woman nodded and pulled out a ledger, Walt shifted his gaze back to Reno. “I believe you were already told that you needed to wait for Brandi at the Star Gazer. We don’t appreciate ‘visitors’ who disregard our requests.” His eyes narrowed and a trace of a growl accompanied his words.
“I can wait here.” Reno gave an easy smile and glanced towards the chairs lining the wall. He knew the sheriff was getting pissed off but decided to see exactly how far he could push the man.
“I don’t think you understood me, boy.” Walt stepped forward, the threat in his voice increasing. “Brandi is busy. You need to leave. Now.”
Reno glared at the man, every muscle in his body tight and ready to react. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax before nodding and stepping back from the counter. As much as it galled him to do so, he pretended to acquiesce.
“My mistake. If I come back in an hour, will she be done with her ‘meeting’ by then?”
Walt shrugged. “Perhaps. She and Victor seemed rather… involved… when I walked by a few minutes ago.” The man snickered and the innuendo in his voice was almost Reno’s undoing.
His wolf surged to its feet, snarling. She is ours. The Alpha has no rights over her!
Reno could barely stop himself from lunging forward. A rumble rose from his throat and filled the room. Rage filled both him and his wolf at the man’s words and for a moment it was debatable whether he’d be able to contain himself. Only the knowledge that an impulsive move might negatively affect rescuing Brandi kept him from acting.
The woman at the counter looked at him with wide eyes and even Walt seemed to be regretting his taunt, shifting his weight nervously.
“Fine. I’ll be back in an hour to see my fiancée.” With a final glance at the room’s occupants, Reno turned and walked out of the town hall.
A few yards from the building he paused under a large tree and slammed his fist into the trunk. Pain radiated up his wrist and arm but he welcomed the distraction.
It had been years since he’d been so close to losing complete control. And his wolf was becoming increasingly possessive; definitely not a good sign. Was this an indication he was going rogue? A grinding sound made him realize he was gnashing his teeth and he forced his tense jaws to relax.
No. He was over-reacting. His wolf knew he was the boss. It was just being in a strange territory that was causing his wolf to act up. Well, that and Walt’s implication that Brandi was sexually involved with the Alpha. The very idea was eating away at him; his stomach was churning, his chest was tight. Brandi was his, no one else’s.
In her three years at Lycan Link, he was the only male she’d ever been involved with. And, he cringed to admit it, he’d kept close tabs on her so if there had been someone else, he’d have known about it. She was friendly to everyone but never once had he sensed a spark between her and another. No, that was exclusive to him. True, most of the time they ended up fighting but an edge of excitement, of awareness, always seemed to crackle between them. Right or wrong, he viewed Brandi as his and sharing wasn’t part of his vocabulary where she was concerned.
Massaging his scraped knuckles, he took a deep breath and glanced about. He couldn’t just stand here for an hour beating up the local trees and ruminating about his relationship with Brandi. But how to spend an hour without coming across too many pack members and possibly aggravating one of them? In the mood he was in right now, the chances of a fight occurring were high so it was best if he found some solitude.
Go back to the motel? No. Brandi’s things were there and would likely only stir his wolf’s ire even more, not to mention his own. He needed to be in the wild, where the soothing rhythms of nature could calm him. Thankfully the town was in the middle of the mountains with forest on all sides so…
He set off at an easy gait, glancing at the windows of the few stores that lined the street. The polished glass worked as mirrors, reflecting what was happening all around him. Without turning around, Reno was aware of Walt standing on the steps of the town hall watching him as well as several other men that appeared seemingly out of nowhere along his route. Yep, there was something definitely wrong in this town. He had no doubt they were Purists with something to hide and dammit, they had Brandi!
For a moment he considered calling for backup but knew he lacked the evidence needed to convince Lycan Link to authorize a deployment of Enforcers. No, it was up to him to get Brandi out of here and gather proof that the Purists were actively persecuting the halves.
Since the settlement was small, it took only a matter of minutes for him to be standing near the edge of the forest, the transition from town to wilderness being rather abrupt. Tall trees jutted out of the rocky mountainous surface, their trunks thick and sometimes scarred giving evidence to their age. Apparently no one had cleared this particular area; the wood for the houses must have been harvested elsewhere. Giving a trunk a congratulatory pat for having withstood the spread of civilization, Reno began to hike up the mountain.
The incline was steep and he soon found himself breathing deeply from the exertion. The fresh mountain air was a balm however, and his spirit calmed as he became more in tune with his surroundings. Tension eased and his movements became easier, more wolf-like. His nostrils flared as he took in and analyzed the scents that drifted on the breeze, his gaze noting every movement, his ears catching every sound. It would be easy to shift forms and revel in the wild beauty that surrounded him but he resisted the temptation, not willing to trust his wolf quite yet, given its violent thoughts a short while ago.
Eventually, the trees began to thin and those that grew in this part of the forest appeared to be younger with newer growth. Curious as to the change, he looked about and found himself confronted by tall metal columns that supported what appeared to be an old coal conveyor. He traced the length of the decaying structure with his gaze, noting how it snaked up the side of the mountain as far as he could see. Apparently a swathe had been cut through the forest to accommodate the machine and now nature was slowly reclaiming the land.
The steel trestles that suspended the conveyor some twenty feet about the ground were entangled with vines, but between the greenery it was easy to see thick layers of reddish orange rust. He made his way to the base, at times having to fight against long grasses that wrapped around his ankles as if trying to keep him back. Once there, he tested the structure’s strength and, while it creaked ominously, it still remained upright, though for how long he had his doubts.
“Quite the sight, isn’t it?” A voice spoke behind him and Reno spun around automatically dropping into a defensive crouch in preparation for an attack, while at the same time cursing himself for being taken unaware.
A young teenaged female stood before him, with long blonde hair and coltish legs, her body yet to show signs of maturing. Reno relaxed when he realized she wasn’t a threat but scanned the area anyway in case she wasn’t alone. No one else appeared to be nearby though, just the girl. Where had she come from? Surely he hadn’t been that absorbed in the conveyor that he wouldn’t have heard someone walking through the brush!
“The coal conveyor. It’s quite the sight, isn’t it?” She prompted him again and he glanced behind him at the
metal structure.
“If you like rust.”
“No one’s used it in years, of course.” She wandered over and agilely climbed up a few feet, moving from beam to beam with the ease of familiarity. The metal creaked in protest and Reno resisted the urge to tell her to be careful. Obviously she was from the area and had played on the structure numerous times. “Gramps said Kolding’s Pass used to be a thriving community with hundreds of men working the mines day and night. The clatter of the coal carts was his lullaby, he always told me.”
“Is your Gramps around?” Reno scanned the area once again.
“No.” She made a sad face and lightly dropped back to the ground, landing just a few feet from him. “He’s gone now. I miss him but—” She broke off and clamped her lips together and shrugged.
Reno nodded and didn’t press her. He still recalled the pain of losing his family when he realized he couldn’t endanger his pack by returning from the Academy. Loss hurt no matter if it was from death or voluntary separation. Switching topics seemed a good idea, so he did.
“You must live in town, right?”
“Yep, but I like being out in the woods better. I practise my tracking skills so that someday I can be a scout or maybe even a Beta.”
“A Beta?” He chuckled at her ambition.
She bristled in response. “It’s possible. Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I can’t hold a position in the pack!” At that moment she reminded him a bit of Brandi and he felt a pang in his heart. Brandi had probably been a spitfire as a pup too.
“You’re right. You can be anything you want,” he conceded.
“As long as Victor agrees,” she added sullenly.
“You don’t think he’d want you as a Beta?”
“No. He’s just an old—” Once again she compressed her lips and held back on what she wanted to say. She narrowed her eyes and studied him. “You’re not a friend of his, are you?”
“No. I’m most definitely not a friend of Victor’s.”
“Then why are you here? Only his friends ever come to visit anymore.”
“I’m here to see Brandi Johansson.” Reno chuckled to himself. He’d never been interrogated by a child before.
“Brandi? Really? You’re a friend of hers?” Her eyes brightened with interest.
“Yep. We work together—sort of—at Lycan Link.”
“That’s so cool. I was hoping to talk to her while she was here, to see what it’s like going to the Academy.”
“You haven’t seen her yet?” He frowned. It was his understanding that Brandi had been there for several days and the town wasn’t that big that the girl wouldn’t have encountered her if she’d really wanted to.
“No. Mama won’t let me.” She looked down and kicked at the ground. “I wanted to talk to her but Victor says we’re to ‘limit contact’ for some stupid reason. And Mama threatened me with a whoopin’ if I didn’t listen. She doesn’t want any more trouble with Victor she said.”
“He’s been giving your Mama trouble?” Reno went on alert, wondering what the girl was alluding to.
“No… Not really. But Gramps was Alpha before Victor and… ” Her voice trailed off and she shifted nervously.
“I understand.” Poor kid, he thought. Since the takeover hadn’t been amicable the old Alpha’s family was in a tricky spot, going from a position of status to possibly being barely tolerated by the new regime. Damn, he hated it when packs fell back on the old ways to solve differences.
“Look,” the girl’s voice suddenly seemed more urgent and she twisted her fingers nervously. “You shouldn’t be out here all alone. That’s why I stopped to talk to you. There are gorges and mining shafts you could fall down, old machinery that could hurt you, and the mine tunnels have made some areas prone to cave-ins. Didn’t you see the sign that said to keep out?”
“No, I can’t say that I did, but thanks for telling me.”
“Please, don’t come up here again. Gramps said this place is haunted by the men who died in mining accidents.” Her eyes were wide as she spoke, darting from side to side as if expecting to see spirits at any moment.
Reno started to laugh but then noted how sincere she seemed. The kid really was worried; he could scent the concern radiating from her. “Ghosts don’t bother me but I suspect the rest of my time here will be spent in town anyway.”
She sighed in relief, then smiled at him and a hint of the beauty she’d be one day suddenly shone through. “Good. I just don’t want you to get hurt. You’re sort of cute!” And with that she turned and ran off.
Cute? Reno frowned. No one ever called him cute.
“Hey! What’s your name?” He called after the girl, but she didn’t stop. He shook his head and checked his watch. The hour was almost up. Mindful of the girl’s warnings he stayed alert for mine shafts and signs of unstable ground as he made his way back to town.
It was exactly one hour and five minutes later when he climbed the steps of the town hall. Entering the front office, he noted the clerk—Martha—was gone. Walt sat at a desk in the corner and didn’t even look up when Reno entered, instead the man leaned back casually making a show of being busy reading a file.
Fine. If that’s the game you want to play, Reno thought. He arranged himself comfortably against the counter and proceeded to stare silently at the back of Walt’s head. Minutes ticked by and Reno smiled inwardly as he watched Walt try to ignore him. The man shifted in his chair and rustled the papers in his hand but never turned a page which made it obvious he was well aware of the steady gaze boring into his back. Walt’s shoulders twitched. He tightened his fingers on the thin sheath of papers in his hand. The scent of nervous sweat began to fill the air and a tick showed in the man’s jaw.
Finally, Walt slammed the file down and spun around in his chair, glaring at Reno. “Why the hell are you back here again? Can’t you see I got better things to do than wait on the likes of you?”
Reno straightened slowly, keeping his face bland while his wolf chuckled over the man’s discomfort.
We won that round, the beast crowed. He is subordinate to us, unable to withstand the weight of our stare! Reno mentally nodded in self-satisfied agreement. Walt was all bluster and show. In a fight, he’d be easy enough to eliminate.
“Sorry to bother you, especially when you’re so busy.” He flicked a glance at the clean desk surface and the thin file the man had just set down, “but you did say to return in an hour’s time. I want to see Brandi, my fiancée… now.” A faint hint of aggression was added to that final word and the ‘sheriff’ flinched.
Grumbling under his breath, Walt stood, shoved his chair back and stomped towards the doors that led to the rear of the building. “Let me check with Victor to see if he and Brandi have concluded their business yet or not.”
“Even if they haven’t, I will see her. I’ve been more than patient,” Reno stated quietly. Walt’s steps faltered for a moment and Reno knew the man had heard the implied threat.
Once Walt was out of the room, Reno took a deep calming breath. Both he and his wolf were getting too worked up over this. I need to treat this like any other investigation, he reminded himself. ‘All Enforcer interactions with the public should be governed by the utmost use of diplomacy and tact. Aggression, whether verbal or physical, is a last resort and employed only if the other party instigates it.’ He repeated the Enforcer code like a mantra.
He drummed his fingers on the countertop, impatient to get Brandi out of Kolding’s Pass. Being alone in a town of probable Purists made him twitchy. You never knew what the bastards might be up to or what skewed interpretation of the Book of the Law they’d use to justify their actions.
Thankfully it wasn’t long before he heard the sound of light footsteps approaching. He looked towards the rear doorway, anticipating seeing Brandi with greater excitement than he cared to acknowledge. His heart was pounding and his senses heightened as her scent grew ever stronger. Sweet and heady, he could get lost in it and easi
ly forget the world around him. He clenched his fingers on the edge of the countertop and gave his head a little shake. Clear thinking was what was needed now. Not romantic crap.
And then she was there, framed by the battered wood of the door casing, appearing fine except for the faint lines of strain at the corners of her eyes and mouth. It was all he could do to hold himself back and assess the situation properly. She was here but not completely alone. A shadow could be seen in the hallway behind her. Someone was keeping her on a short leash, but who and why?
“Reno?” When she caught sight of him, delight momentarily flashed in her eyes and she took a few hurried steps towards him before seeming to catch herself and slowing to a walk.
She’s supposed to be my fiancée, Reno muttered to himself and took charge of the situation by crossing the distance that separated them and pulling her into his arms.
A sense of homecoming filled him as he wrapped his arms around her body and held her tightly. Damn, it felt good to be with her again. His wolf murmured in delight and without thinking he dipped his head and nuzzled her neck, only to be hit by the scent of a strange male.
His fingers tightened on her waist and a low threatening growl rose from his throat.
Another male has touched our mate! Jealousy surged through his wolf and before he realized what he was doing, his teeth were grazing the skin of her neck. Only at the last moment did he manage to rein his beast in and restrain himself from breaking the surface.
Brandi stiffened and then seemed to melt into him, her hands clutching at his shoulders, a sigh of delight escaping her lips.
The way she clung to him soothed some of the inner rage he was feeling. She hadn’t willingly gone to another male, he was sure of it. And while he’d like to challenge the one who had tried to usurp her affections, he knew now was not the time.
Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled deeply, taking in her scent in an attempt to erase the offensive memory of the other male. He absorbed the warmth and softness of her body, the faint caress of her fingers as they played over his chest. Contentment filled him and he’d have stood there for the rest of the afternoon, just holding her, if she’d allowed it.