A quick glance revealed bold male writing. Reno’s phone number! And he said to call!
She pressed the paper to her pounding chest, unable to believe her luck. If she’d ignored the paper she’d never have known he wanted to see her again. Offering up a quick ‘thank you’ to her lucky stars, she carefully folded the note and tucked it into her pocket. There was no time right now, but she’d contact him as soon as she had a chance. Almost skipping as she left the apartment, Brandi couldn’t believe how perfect everything was working out. School was over, a possible job was in the offing, and a fantastic guy wanted her to call.
As she crossed the parking lot to her car, she heard the squeal of tires and turned just in time to see Tabi slam her car into park and then storm out of the vehicle.
“Hey, Tabi! How was your—”
“Don’t you dare ask me about last night. All men are assholes!” Tabi stomped past without even a backwards glance.
Brandi sighed. This wasn’t the first time Tabi had made that pronouncement. The problem was the girl was just too impulsive when it came to men. She was always flitting from one to the other without really getting to know them first. If she’d just take some sound advice and set some goals, her life wouldn’t be such a constant rollercoaster of emotion.
Well, she wasn’t going to let Tabi’s mood spoil her own. Humming under her breath, she climbed in her car and drove off to her meeting.
A few hours later, Brandi was leaning against a tree near the edge of the campus anxiously listening to the ringing on her cell phone. She was calling Reno and her fingers had actually been shaking as she’d pressed the numbers.
Call me. That’s what his note had said, yet she still felt anxious. What if he’d changed his mind? What if it had just been an impulse on his part and he hadn’t really meant it? Or maybe he just wanted to ask her something; after all, she had fallen asleep. Perhaps he wanted her to split the bill for their drinks! She worried her lip and clutched the phone tighter, the fluttering in her stomach taking on a more ominous rhythm as doubts began to bombard her.
“Smith.” Reno’s deep voice rumbled in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
For a moment she couldn’t seem to think of what to say and simply stood there with the phone pressed to her ear breathing quickly.
“Hello?” His voice sounded irritated now which did nothing to quell the nervousness plaguing her.
After swallowing, she finally managed to squawk out a hello.
There was a pause and then he responded sounding doubtful. “Brandi?”
He remembered her! Some of the tension eased from her body. She cleared her throat. “Yeah. I mean, yes. It is. It’s me. Brandi.” Oh God. She rolled her eyes at her own blathering; now he’d think she was a complete idiot.
He chuckled softly. “I’m glad it’s you. I wondered if you’d call.”
Brandi felt her knees weaken and she was glad she had a tree behind her for support. He was glad it was her! Licking her lips, she explained the delay. “I wanted to call earlier, but I had a meeting scheduled with my faculty advisor and—”
“No need to apologize, darlin’. How’d it go?”
He’d called her darling! Her heart rate picked up speed and she had to force herself to focus on his question. “It went very well! I—”
“Wait. Are you free for coffee? You could tell me your news in person.”
“Sure.” She stood up straight, feeling a grin spreading from ear to ear. Reno Smith, of all people, really did want to see her again!
“Where are you now?”
She explained and they made arrangements to meet at a small coffee shop just down the road from where he was.
“I’ll cut across campus and be there in about fifteen minutes, okay?” Brandi mentally calculated the route she’d take. It was only a ten minute walk but the extra time would allow her to fix her hair, maybe put on some lip gloss…
“Sure. See you then.”
Brandi snapped her phone shut and gave a happy twirl turning her face up to the sky. The sun was shining, the birds were singing… Well, no, not really. A rather large cloud was actually starting to cover the sun, but she didn’t care. To her it had to be the most perfect day she’d ever experienced. She quickly programmed Reno’s number into her phone and slipped it into her purse before setting out for their meeting spot.
Reno was already seated at a table when she arrived. A waitress was eyeing him with interest and Brandi smiled thinking, ‘look, but don’t touch. This one’s mine.’ And God, he was so touchable. It was barely past noon and the stubble was already showing on his jaw, and his hair… Her fingers twitched remembering how it had felt to clutch it.
He turned from the view he’d been studying and saw her, an easy smile breaking out over his face. She smiled back in return and tried not to walk too quickly towards him. Don’t appear too eager, she reminded herself. You’re not some little girl on her first date after all.
When she reached the table, he stood and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. The brush of his lips over her skin had butterflies taking a quick flight about in her stomach and she pressed a hand to her midriff to try to quell the feeling.
“Hey, you look happy.” He pulled her chair out and then sat down across the table from her. “I ordered you a coffee and a bagel. I hope that’s okay?”
“Thanks. I haven’t eaten yet today.”
“Long meeting?”
“Sort of. My advisor went over my test results. I graduated top of my class.” She struggled to keep from sounding too boastful.
“Great.” A crooked smile adorned his face and he seemed to be studying her carefully, his gaze drifting over her face, her hair…
“It gets even better.” Brandi took a deep breath to compose herself before delivering her news. “She had a job offer for me from Lycan Link. I start next week!”
“Congratulations!” He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently, but didn’t let go immediately afterwards. Instead, he lazily rubbed his thumb across the back.
Brandi stared at their point of connection. Little electric tingles were running up her arm and down to her core while her heart began to beat an excited tattoo in her chest. Her wolf was murmuring in pleasure as well and she exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the feelings building inside her. Honestly, where was her self-control? She’d just had sex with the man less than twenty-four hours ago. Surely, that should hold her over for a while.
She forced herself to draw her hand away and focus on talking about her new job. “I have so much to do. I won’t even have time for a trip back home before I have to fly to Lycan Link Headquarters.”
“So, we won’t be seeing each other again.” Reno looked down and adjusted the position of the spoon on the table.
Brandi bit her lip, the happiness of a moment ago fading. She played with the handle of her cup, her stomach clenching at the idea of being separated from him. “I guess not. Unless, once you’re back at work… ?” She cast a brief glance up at him, trying not to sound too hopeful.
Reno paused for a moment, a slight frown on his face, and Brandi wondered if she’d been too bold. He’d seemed genuinely happy to see her just a few minutes ago, but now there was ambivalence about him. She took a nervous sip of coffee, her mouth suddenly dry.
Finally, he nodded. “Well, I’m here for another two months, but once I’m back, I’ll try to look you up.”
Relief flooded her; he’d just been thinking of the logistics, that’s all!
After drinking some of his own coffee, he gave her an inquiring look. “What department will you be working in?”
“Damage Control.” She couldn’t stop beaming as she made the announcement. It was the job she’d always wanted.
“Professional Liars?” Reno looked at her with raised brows and a faint expression of distaste.
“Well… I guess that’s what some people call it, but it’s a very important job.” Brandi tried not to frown at his use of the disrespectful slang term. The fact t
hat he’d say such a thing hurt and made her feel defensive. She pulled her hand back from where it had rested on the table near his. “As an Enforcer, you must know how crucial the department is. After all, think of how many cases you deal with that need tidying up afterwards.”
He rubbed his neck and looked away. “Yeah. I suppose.”
His tone further deflated the bubble of happiness inside her and she instinctively tried to cover the fact with an attitude. “You suppose? If DC officers weren’t around, it wouldn’t be long before Lycan existence would become public knowledge!” She sat up straighter, lifting her chin slightly.
Reno made a non-committal noise and leaned back in his chair. “I’m not saying DC isn’t a necessary evil, but—”
“A necessary evil!” Brandi felt her face flush and her temper begin to flare. Her hands curled into fists. “Reno, I really don’t think I like your attitude. This is my chosen profession you’re talking about. You don’t see me bad-mouthing Enforcers even though some of their methods cause almost as many problems as—”
“Enforcers don’t cause problems,” he protested, cutting her off. He sat up straight, the front legs of his chair making a distinctive sound as they made sharp contact with the tile floor.
“Oh yes they do.” She warmed to the topic, talking faster and louder. “During my apprenticeship year, I ran into a lot of cases that wouldn’t have needed DC help, if the attending Enforcer had just used some discretion and diplomacy.”
Reno snorted at her statement and rolled his eyes. “Spoken like a real DC officer. You people have no idea what we deal with.”
“And you have no self-control!” Brandi shoved her chair back and stood up, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I think I’d better leave now before I say something I shouldn’t.” She snatched up her purse and glared down at him. “Thanks for last night. Too bad you turned out to be just another jerk.”
“Yeah? Well, too bad you aren’t as pleasant standing up as you are on your back in bed.”
She gasped and then stormed out of the cafe, ignoring the painful clenching in her chest and the tears that stung her eyes. Tabi was right. All men were assholes!
Chapter 6
Four months later…
Reno gave a satisfied smile as he looked over the group of refugees he and his men had rescued that afternoon. They had just stopped for a quick meal at a fast food restaurant and would then travel for another two hours before reaching their final destination for the day. God, it felt good to know they were finally making progress against the damned Purists.
Lately, the ACS had been on the receiving end of several strong leads that resulted in the discovery of a number of Purist packs in remote, backwoods areas. His team was making some real headway now; rescuing halves and mixed families, finding possible lieutenants within the Purist organization, and maybe even stopping the movement’s spread entirely.
His men were standing nearby, laughing and jostling each other with good-natured high spirits after yet another successful mission. He looked on indulgently. They were all on an adrenalin high and deservedly so. Every member had at one point been classified as a rogue, written off by their pack and destined for the fringes of society. Becoming Enforcers had turned their lives around. Now they were highly-skilled, devoted to a cause, and making a positive difference in the world of Lycans.
Yeah, it was a good feeling.
“I don’t wanna eat!”
A child’s petulant voice caught his attention and he noticed one of the young halves was huddled in a ball while her exasperated mother tried to shush her. The woman looked around nervously and Reno shook his head. Poor souls were so used to being seen as second class citizens; the woman probably thought she’d get into trouble because her pup was being noisy.
Reno pushed off from the wall he’d been leaning against and headed over to where they were sitting, planning on explaining that things were different now.
“I miss Steven! Why didn’t he come with us?”
For some reason, the child’s words started a knot in his stomach and his step faltered. Steven? Who was that?
“Hey there.” He hunkered down beside the child, noting the tear stains on her face and dark circles under her eyes. Perhaps she was just tired. He didn’t know much about kids after all, but this had to have been a tiring day for her.
“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll make her be quiet.” The mother pulled the child protectively closer, clutching her fingers into the girl’s shoulders, and giving him a wary look.
He responded with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s not a problem ma’am. I was just wondering if there was something I could do to be of help.”
“No, we’re fine.”
“You can get Steven!”
The mother and child spoke simultaneously, but Reno focussed on the child. Her voice was filled with hope.
“Who’s Steven?” He cocked his head wondering what the story might be behind her sadness. A pet? A favourite toy left behind?
“He’s my friend and you didn’t bring him along. They were mean to him, just like they were to us. Why couldn’t he come, too?”
“Ma’am?” Reno stood up and looked to the mother for an explanation. “What’s your daughter talking about?” He glanced around at the refugees. “Isn’t this everyone?”
She licked her lips and wrung her hands, her eyes shifting over the rest of the group. “Well, I… I thought everyone was here, but we were all just so anxious to leave and—”
“Who’s missing?” He barked the question and she jumped, fear flaring in her eyes.
“One… one family. The Fishers. They weren’t home when your men came by. I… I don’t know where they were.”
Reno took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. He hadn’t meant to scare the woman but, dammit, why hadn’t they said anything sooner? Probably because they were still scared spitless, his more logical half told him. Well, at least Langstaff—the town they’d rescued this group from—was only a few hours away. This problem could be fixed and it would only throw them a bit off schedule.
“Damien!” He called out his partner’s name and the kid detached himself from the group of Enforcers and wandered over.
“You bellered?” Damien still hadn’t lost all of his cockiness, but compared to how he’d behaved when first enrolled in the Enforcer program, he’d come a long way. Just last month the captain had made them official partners. This was their first big case together and so far they seemed to be well suited.
“We have a problem. One of the families was left behind.” He didn’t mention his own exasperation.
“But how… ?” Damien looked at the woman who seemed near to tears and shut his mouth. Given his attitude, it was surprising how intuitive Damien could be when dealing with the refugees.
“Doesn’t matter. You and I are heading back to pick them up. Garret!” He called over one of his more senior officers and quickly explained the situation. “You’re in charge of the operation until I return. Get the refugees to the scheduled evening rest stop and wait for us there.”
“Yes, sir.” Garret nodded and went to inform the others while Damien and Reno headed off towards the car. Luckily they had extra transportation, the refugees being in several vans driven by Enforcers, while the rest of the team followed in a variety of vehicles.
“Do we need to notify Lycan Link about the change?” Damien asked.
Reno considered the situation then shook his head. The Alpha had already surrendered two families; why would one more be a problem? “No, I’ll make a note in the final report. That’ll be good enough.”
Once they were in the vehicle, he recounted how he’d made his discovery to Damien.
“A male half?” Damien gave a low whistle. “That’s unusual.”
Reno grunted in acknowledgement and clasped the steering wheel tightly. While female halves were poorly treated, a male half was seen as even more of an affront to the Purists. It was a damned good thing he’d ove
rheard the little girl crying about her missing friend. He imagined the treatment the young boy likely received and his mental pictures had him pressing down a little harder on the accelerator. The sooner he got there and removed the lad from the pack, the better.
The trip back was uneventful, yet when they pulled up near the woods that surrounded the pack house, a chill swept over him. The scent of blood was heavy in the air. He exchanged worried looks with Damien, some sixth sense telling him something was very, very wrong.
Exiting the car, he started barking out commands. “Call Headquarters and tell them it looks like we might have a critical incident. Then contact the rest of the squad. Half need to stay with the refugees, but we need the others here. And make sure a medic comes along.”
“Will do. But Reno… Be careful.” Damien issued the warning while pulling out his phone.
Reno began to follow the scent, his stomach knotted, his legs feeling heavy. Fear had his heart pounding so loud he could hear it echoing in his ears. Somehow he knew what he’d find and the fact that he was responsible, that he’d messed up and likely caused a tragedy, had bile rising in his throat.
Everything seemed so surreal, like he was disembodied and watching a movie playing out before him. A bright clear moon was suspended in the sky, its cold light sending everything into stark relief. Deeper and deeper he penetrated the woods, pushing through thick pines, splashing through a small stream. Branches scratched his face and tore at his clothing, however he barely noticed. Dread was like a pile of stones in his gut. He didn’t want to find the source of the bloody scent, but it drew him forward anyway, dulling his senses to all else until finally a keening wail pierced through the protective numbness that enshrouded him. Everything came crashing in at him all at once: children crying, shouted accusations, snarls and growls. The sound of flesh hitting flesh, a female cry of pain…
He began to run, shifting without even being aware of it, his wolf taking charge as he raced through the woods. When he finally came upon the scene, he faltered unable to believe the sight before him. The pack was gathered around in a circle, the Alpha—his muzzle already covered in blood—was poised to strike again A youngster was injured on the ground, a wolf—perhaps his father—lay dead beside him while two other female children huddled nearby. The mother was struggling to escape the Beta, trying to intervene, while the rest of the pack stood around doing nothing.