Miles Hemingway glanced around the Everest mansion, taking in the opulence and extravagance around every corner. Daniel Everest loved to show off his money, that was abundantly clear. And sad. No wonder the man needed to make alliances within the tribes to further his goals. He needed the money to keep up his appearances. Heaven help him if he came across weak or lacking. Average. The fact that he was willing to sell his own daughter to the highest bidder suited Miles' whims and fantasies, however; fantasies he jerked off to since high school envisioning Lainie in her cheerleading outfit. This deal with Daniel Everest was the culmination of many lonely nights hoping to finally have a few moments alone with Lainie—willing or not. Now, he would have a lifetime."Lars, Miles," Daniel Everest said, reaching out to shake their hands. "Glad you could make it. Please, join me in my study, and we'll have a drink while we talk over the details of our companies working together." He turned, lead
Lainie pulled back into the parking lot behind town hall, ready to call the day over. Between old man Leary complaining about his neighbor's dog crapping in his yard and Miss Singleton out on the edge of town swearing she saw a dragon flying overhead the previous night, Lainie kept checking the calendar to see if a full moon was rising. There were just too many nutcases out today.As she approached the back of the sheriff's department, she noticed Gavin Covington slipping out the back door, his slender frame straight as a gentle wind tousled his already unruly light brown hair. Gavin was an interesting individual, human, but deeply entrenched in the paranormal community having been adopted when he was barely five years old by Farren Covington, alpha of the major wolf pack in Draven Falls. Lainie always assumed he was a deputy because the Paranormal Council needed a connection at the sheriff's department. Of course, that wasn't the only oddity about Gavin. He was also part of a triad wi
Over the next couple of days, Lainie looked constantly over her shoulder for the whereabouts of Miles Hemingway, jumping at every sound and loud noise. His final words to her kept replaying over and over in her mind. "You will be mine, Lainie Everest. I was promised." The man obviously did not appreciate being rejected. Thanks, Dad, for picking such a winner. This Monday, her only day off before she left for Bull Creek, Lainie decided to just hang out in Josh's apartment and avoid the stress of raccoons digging around metal garbage cans, making her think the noise was actually Miles sneaking up on her. Instead, she intended to take a long soak in a hot tub and read the latest Gracen Miller novel. She probably should pack for her trip, but most of her belongings were still in the boxes she stuffed them in when Dimitri and her packed their stuff up last week while their father was at work. There wasn't much to pack really except what she needed daily. She lived out of her suitcase, just
Josh stretched his arms over his head, trying to waken his muscles just a little to take the stiffness out, and then rolled back over, his arm wrapped around Alanna Bradbury as he snuggled tighter against her. He inhaled deeply, filling himself with the fragrant aroma of her as he nuzzled into her neck. Two days ago, they were confronted with the fact that they were each other's destined mate, but Alanna wasn't ready to go the full distance in that area, and Josh still wasn't sure why. He had asked, of course, but Alanna was tight-lipped about her past and why she wasn't ready to go forward. All she ever said was that she came from a failed pack and wasn't eager to get involved with anything—or anyone—in a serious manner again. Josh stopped asking after letting her know he was there whenever she was ready to talk about it, and the two of them spent almost the whole weekend naked and exploring each other in all the carnal ways they could envision.And they came up with a lot."Are you g
Lainie peeked out the curtain to the parking lot outside for the fifth time since her mother left. Yes, she was definitely feeling paranoid, but she couldn't shake it. She also didn't like it. This wasn't her. She didn't cower or hide. If she could go toe-to-toe with her father, she could definitely face off with the likes of Miles Hemingway. She took a deep breath as she stepped away from the window, brushing her dark bangs out of her eyes. She refused to remain cooped up inside Josh's apartment on her day off like some timid school girl. No, it was time to shower and go out into the world again and enjoy her last few days in Draven Falls.Her cell phone rang from the table behind her, making her scream and jump at the sudden noise. She shook her head as she let out a disgusted breath. So much for my bravado. Making her way to the phone, she noticed her brother's name across the screen. It was only then that she realized she hadn't spoken to Dimitri since Thursday when he told her abo
Dimitri pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff's department; still not sure this was the best course of action. While Josh and Alanna were on their way to Draven Falls to make sure Lainie got out of there safely, Dimitri decided to introduce himself to the local sheriff. Jed had told him that Sheriff Einstein was a little in the know about paranormals, but he never said how much that little actually was. However, if Lainie was going to work here, Dimitri needed to know she would be safe. With Bane still around and knowing how far the coyote alpha would go in his quest to make Bull Creek a shifters-only club, Dimitri needed to know the sheriff would have his sister's back.The sheriff's department was a one-story building made out of red brick and looked like it had been built and forgotten. Four sheriff's cars filled the side parking lot along with one blue Toyota. Tall pines lined the sides of the property with a couple of giant oaks in the back shading the building.Dimitri slid
Josh left Dimitri and went straight to Alanna, knowing Dimitri would want them on the road as soon as possible in order to bring Lainie home to Bull Creek. Of course, Josh knew he still needed to convince Alanna to go with him, and if he was honest with himself, he had to admit, he wasn't sure if she would or not. Sure, they had their legs wrapped around each other for the past three nights, but that didn't mean she'd pack a bag and just hop in the car with him. Did it?With a deep breath, he knocked on her cabin door, hope in his heart and a plea on his lips, not to mention a hard cock in his pants. God, why am I always so fucking hard whenever I'm near her? At first, the fact that he instantly became erect when he thought of her was stimulating, but after a while—and he hated even admitting this—the fact that his cock strained against his pants constantly became quite irritating. Maybe I can ride to Draven Falls naked.Alanna opened the door a moment later, her brows pinched in confu
Lainie took a deep breath as she stepped out of The Enchanted Spoon, her belly full and her nerves a little calmer. The day was slowly being swallowed by the night as evening cloaked the downtown area of Draven Falls. Lamps in the town center started to flicker to life, illuminating the paths of those not ready to call this Monday over. The nightlife was just beginning, and while Monday night may not be as rambunctious as Friday night or even Thursday, there were still plenty of people who would bounce from bar to bar and shop to shop, savoring the sights, smells, and companionship. Lainie could use some of that companionship right about now. She hadn't realized how much she hung around her brother and Josh until they were gone. She had no real friends of her own, most moved away or were busy with families of their own, such as Gavin and his family. Fitz was now married, and even though she knew Mandy in high school, that was years ago, and she didn't even know her that well back then.
Ezra sat in one of the rockers on the front porch of the cabin, his arm in a sling and his shoulder bandaged. Doc Henderson arrived, bandaging Ezra's gunshot wound and Liam's broken arm while Lainie and Johnson took Hoyt and his men to the sheriff's department. Colton arrived just as everything ended, filling the other three Para-Force members in on Mason being the mole and the fight between them, which ended in Mason's death. Erin remained with Ash, Agatha Rochester on the phone helping the girl pull her magic back into herself and out of the dolls and stuffed animals. The little girl didn't need to see the mayhem up and down her street or the destruction inside the cabin. Dimitri and the others started cleaning up the cabin, making a pile of broken furniture to burn while the doctor worked on his patients.Liam sat in the rocker next to Ezra, holding a beer in his uninjured arm. The smaller man remained silent for most of the early evening, lost in whatever dark thoughts roamed his m
Milli walked into Julian's office, moving over to the empty chair in front of his desk, and helping herself to it. "They got the bastard," she said without preamble as Julian cocked an eyebrow at her. "Dent called. Our team arrived too late to help with Hoyt's arrest, but the people in Bull Creek took him and four of his goons down. Hoyt shot Ezra in the process, and Liam has a broken arm." She pressed her lips into a thin line as she took a deep breath. "Mason is dead. Colton and he got into a fight, and it didn't go well for Mason." She shook her head. "He got off easy as far as I'm concerned. He helped Hoyt kill families and sell children."Kacey appeared in the doorway, arms over her chest as she leaned on the doorframe as she listened in on the conversation. Benny stood behind her, hands shoved into his pockets as he stared into the office at Milli.Julian glanced at them briefly and then returned his attention to Milli. "Has Hoyt said where he sold the other children?" he asked.
The bullet barely missed Ezra as he dove to the side out of the way. As soon as he saw the monkey fling himself through the open door, Ezra knew that gun would be an issue. He sat up from the ground, his hand going to the gunshot wound he suffered a few days ago when he threw himself in front of Lainie Everest to protect her from a crazed suitor. As he gritted his teeth, he growled, his bear bursting at the seams of his restraint, wanting out to destroy Hoyt. Glancing around, he watched as Hoyt grabbed Liam's neck, tossing the tiny monkey across the room as Josh struck Hoyt in the gut with the fireplace poker, doubling the man over. Ezra growled as he launched himself from the floor, diving over Hoyt and grabbing the man by the waist as he turned in on himself, pulling Hoyt backward into a reverse somersault. Both hit the floor hard, Ezra smashing up against the wall next to the front door.Two more men stormed through the front door, and Ezra heard the back door bust open as more of H
Colton stared out the window as Ash sat on the couch, little Erin close to her side. He couldn't believe the little girl had enough magical power to enchant so many dolls and stuffed animals with a part of herself, hopefully enough to throw off whatever locator spell Hoyt's sister placed on Erin. He was still unsure how the possessive magic Dimitri talked about worked, but he hoped it worked the way the alpha of Bull Creek thought it would. He hoped the pile of stuffed animals led Hoyt straight to the other cabin and away from Erin. The little girl needed this nightmare to be over. They all did.He could hear the older woman talking to the little girl behind him, doing her best to keep Erin calm in the midst of the chaos that became her life. Ash did a better job of it than either him or Liam did. Colton grinned. Of course, Liam entertained Erin well as a monkey. Colton chuckled as he shook his head. God, what a crazy-ass unit Para-Force was.A knot formed in his gut, anger twisting in
Ezra sat in the cabin, staring at a battered teddy bear that was missing one eye and possessed a hole under its left arm. Josh had been right; Dimitri's idea was one of the wackiest he had seen. They spent the next thirty minutes with Erin putting her tiny hands on each doll and stuffed animal, asking each one of them to talk to her like her doll, Betsy, and then they took the toy into a back bedroom to see if Dimitri's idea would actually work.The biggest surprise was that the idea worked perfectly.Dimitri then sent each of the others off somewhere in Bull Creek with a couple of the dolls to hide them in various places, hopefully, weakening the locator spell, leaving the rest of the toys in a giant pile in the back bedroom, including the original doll, Betsy, which had the most of Erin's essence inside of it. He wanted them in the back bedroom, limiting Erin's reaction to whatever happened in the toys' presence. Colton then snuck Erin out of the cabin, taking her to Ash's home where
As they approached the cabin, Dimitri noticed Cody Wolfe, now in dry clothes, standing off to the side, arms over his chest as he leaned on a tall birch, talking into his cell phone. He glanced up at them, nodding at whatever he heard in the phone."Does anyone else think that man pops up a lot?" Nathan asked as they all came to a stop and stared at the shaggy-haired man. "He's like a bad coin that keeps surfacing when you're in front of a vending machine. Good for nothing.""Do you think him being at the lake and now outside the cabin means he's working for Hoyt?" Josh asked, his panther's hiss evident in his voice. "I'd be more than happy to go have a talk with him, if you know what I mean."Dimitri just shook his head. "No, I'll talk to him. See what he knows, if anything, or if he's just snooping for Bane. That man's been too quiet lately, and I don't like it." He turned to the others. "You guys go ahead and get inside, figure out what we need to do since it's obvious someone knows
Kacey knocked on Julian's door and then entered without waiting for permission. "We have Elizabeth cuffed in the conference room. Jess is watching her. She still isn't talking, though, outside of telling us it's too late."Julian glanced up from a report he was reading, staring at her with his dark eyes. "Unfortunate, but expected."Tyra poked her head through the open door. "Benny is back and says he needs to talk to you. He doesn't look pleased with whatever he discovered."Julian nodded once as he stood, shoving his desk chair back into the wall behind him with his sudden movement. "Let's go see what he discovered. Tell him to meet us in the conference room. Perhaps, his news will loosen Elizabeth's tongue. How much longer before the others make it to Bull Creek?" "They land in Orlando in about an hour, and then, it'll take another hour to reach Colton and Liam," Tyra replied.Julian nodded as he turned to Kacey. "Ask Milli to meet us in the conference room, please."Kacey felt ang
Ezra stared down at the freshly turned earth. He killed men before, but never like this, never so out of control that his rage spurred him into a frenzy. This wasn't him. He sighed as he shoved his dirty hands into his pockets. He never should have allowed them to drag him out of his campsite."You know, I don't blame you," Dimitri said as he stood beside Ezra, leaning on a shovel. "Who knows what that man would have done to that little girl? You reacted to a dangerous situation in the heat of the moment. You helped save that girl. That's all that really matters at this point.""I think I went a little overboard," Ezra said, his gaze still fixed on the grave.Josh stood on his other side, his hands also wrapped around a shovel. He had joined them as soon as Colton and Liam made it back to the cabin. Ash remained with the little girl, playing dolls with her, and Nathan followed Josh to the cemetery. Lainie had called. They shoved the second kidnapper—a Darren Frisk—into an interrogation
Kacey stared through the glass of the door as the tall dark-haired woman smiled and giggled at the students in front of her. Elizabeth Cheffron appeared like any other elementary school teacher, excited to be in front of her students, lost in the gift of teaching. Too bad she was a dark witch helping her brother kidnap innocent children as well. How had Para-Force never put this together?"We need to get her out of there," Jess Barrigan said as he leaned back on the wall beside Kacey. "She definitely doesn't belong around children.""I just can't believe Elizabeth would do anything to hurt her students," Principal Ivy said as she stood beside Kacey, staring at the teacher in the classroom. "She's always filled in with such enthusiasm. Never a complaint at last-minute changes or whining about some of the rougher students."Probably because she spelled them to silence while she was in charge of the classroom, Kacey thought. She then turned to the principal. "Can you get her out of there?