Some Bad and Strange Things

River looks up at her and blinks making more tears fall from her face.  “Oh honey, we are all sad.  It’s a horrible thing, really” Kitty says walking up to her and patting her arm awkwardly.  Not looking sad at all. “You can smell she’s not in the least say” Realm agrees.  “They said, you’d been to see him?” Kitty continues watching River closely “I couldn’t, I couldn’t” River says, “they said you couldn’t bring yourself to look.  That’s a good thing.  You should remember him for how he was.  So, you didn’t remove the sheet?” Kitty asks

Something tells River to shake her head no.  “She has something to do with all this! I can smell her lies” Realm growls.  River gulps down some of the water she is holding.  “But you did pick up his things that’s good.  Where are they?” she asks a little too keenly.

River looks around the kitchen as though searching for the bag.  Lolita and Kitty look around too, not seeing it, they look at River again.  “It was a white bag” River says “yes, but where is it” Kitty snaps and then tries to smile at her.

River blinks and looks into her glass.  Then she snaps her head up, “I left it on the bus” she lies.

“You what?  How can you be so stupid!” Lolita yells, River hangs her head and sobs harder.  “Lolita, she has just lost her father.  You go on up to your room and think about that” Kitty says as River looks at them through her hair.  She sees Kitty dart her eyes at Lolita, Lolita suddenly nods her head and leaves the kitchen.

River is sure that her mother, has sent her up to check River’s room.  While she keeps her in the kitchen.  “I’m sorry, I lost dads things. I have a headache.  I want to go and lay down” River says putting the glass in the sink. 

“Wait River, what bus where you on?” Kitty asks River looks at her wide-eyed feigning surprise.  “I think it was 603, but it might have been the 112 or 509? I wasn’t really paying attention” River answers.  She sees Kitty narrow her eyes at her, but pretends not to notice.

“I didn’t even have a chance to look inside.  I’ll call the bus depot and ask them if anyone handed it in” River says moving to the door.  “It’s hard to believe he’s gone” she adds as she leaves the kitchen.  She makes sure Lolita will hear her coming up the stairs.  Then goes into her room and locks the door.  Her closet door is not closed properly.  So, she knows that Lolita has searched her room, for her dad’s things.  She looks out the window and sees her backpack still hanging on the branch.

She then hears them whispering outside in the hallway.  They are too far away to hear what they are whispering about, but she knows she has to leave this house.  But there are things in her father’s safe that she should get before leaving.  So, she waits, till they’ve have gone to bed.  Then sneaks into her father’s study and opens the safe.  Taking out the house deeds, and some other important documentation.  She changes the code of the safe again, before going back up the stairs.  “I don’t care how you get it done, just do it!” she hears Kitty says as she passes her room.  “Don’t worry I’ll take care of her" she hears as she closes her bedroom door.

She locks it again, and waits for another hour, before opening her window and climbing out of it.  She grabs her backpack, shoving the papers she now has into it.  She climbs down from her bedroom window.  The driveway gate has been closed which is unusual.  River runs up to it and volts over it, then runs down the street to the main road.  It is too early for a bus. So, she decides to jogs towards the city centre. 

She thinks about where she can go.  Kitty will call her friends, to see if she is with them or been in touch with them, she can’t involve them.  She thinks about going to a hotel, but rejects that idea as she doesn’t have that much money.  Hearing a car coming that sounds similar to Lolita’s, River hides.

She then remembers McKenzie and the card he gave her.  “Yes, call mate.  He will come and save us” Realm agrees eagerly.  “We are not in the need of saving we just need someone who can help.  There is a difference” River argues with her.  She looks at her watch it’s a little after 3am.  She can’t call him now.  She remembers the little 7/11 that has a bar and stools for customers to sit and eat or rest.  Instead of going to one of the more popular 24hour fast food places. River thinks the 7/11 would be a safer bet.  “He would still come, looking all sexy” Realm all but purrs.

Taking the lesser roads to the store, takes her a bit more time.  She buys some snacks, drink and sits at the bar, once she arrives there.  She’ll head to the Main train station in a few hours and collect her dad’s things.  The white bag is going to stand out a bit though.  She looks around the store and see’s they sell reusable bags.

She stays in the store for a couple of hours and then leaves.  With a reusable bag tucked in her backpack.  River makes her way to the Main train station.  She thinks about just jumping on a train, but again rejects that idea.  She should really find out what happened to her father.

Once she has her dad’s things in the reusable bag.  She checks the time again, it’s nearly 6:20am now.  River pulls out her phone and McKenzie’s card.  Having tapped in the top number, she takes a breath and presses call.

It only rings two times before McKenzie answers it.  “Hello” he answers “oh sexy voice” Realm says “it’s River, sorry I never thought I’d be calling you, but I’m in a bit of a bind” she tells him.  “River, hi, where are you? I’ll come get you” he offers straight away.  “See, mate would never turn us down” Realms says smugly.  River sighs and tries to ignore her.

She looks at her phone a little surprised by his willingness to help her so easily.  “I’m at Main train station” she answers.  “Okay stay there, I’ll come get you.  I’ll use the East entrance as it should still be quiet at this time.  See you in about 15 minutes” he says and hangs up.

River goes to the washroom.  Splashes her face with water and checks she doesn’t look to bad or dishevelled.  She then goes to wait at the East entrance watching for McKenzie to arrive.  He pulls up to the curb in a black Audi.  River runs out and jumps into his car “thank you for this.  I appreciate it” River thanks him.

“It really is no problem, are you in trouble?” he asks River looks at him and smiles “no, I’ll tell you once we are somewhere else” she tells him glancing around.  He pulls away from the curb, after she fastens her seatbelt.  “I hope you don’t mind coming back to mine then?  I have an early morning conference call to make” he asks her.

River yawns and then apologises “no, that is fine thank you” she tells him.  Now she feels safer, she also feels tired as she hasn’t slept at all.  She relaxes back into the comfortable seat.  Feeling a little safer now she is with McKenzie.  “I would normally be going for my run now.  But it’s okay, I can go swimming tonight or use the treadmill” McKenzie tells her.  When she doesn’t answer he glances over and see’s she fallen asleep.  He glances at her bag and backpack and wonders what is going on.

“Our mate needs are protection” Astro says drawing in her scent.  “I can see that.  Of course, we’ll help her” McKenzie assures him.  He glances at her again, even dressed so simply she can’t hide her beauty.  He imagines running his hands through her dark locks and then puts the brakes on his wayward thoughts as he feels Astro also get excited.

When he parks back up in his parking space.  He looks at River and then gets out the car, he carry’s River up to his apartment and puts her down on his bed.  Once he has her settled on the bed with a cover over her.  He goes back down to bring up her bags.  He goes through the things in the reusable bag as he can smell, they don’t belong to her.  He finds a slip of paper telling him that they are her father’s belongings.  Seeing the name of the hospital.  He guesses something has happened to her father.

He had Tom look into River and her family.  Her father owns a moderate sized company that specializes in packing boxes and containers.  He lives with another woman since River’s mother passed away and she has a daughter a few years younger than River.  Which is unusual for shifters.  Once they mate, they mate for life.

He puts her father’s things back in the bag and then puts her bags in his room.  He smiles seeing her in his bed.  He leaves the door a little open, so he can hear if she wakes or needs him.  He calls Tom and tells him to have some clothes delivered for River, giving her size.

He then makes himself some coffee and gets ready for his business call.  Once that has finished, he checks on River, who is still out of it.  He wonders what could have happened, for her to call him so early in the morning?  It looks like she has had no sleep and that is why she is sleeping now.

An hour later, clothes are delivered to his home.  He chooses two outfits one casual and one is a black dress with matching shoes and accessories.  He doesn’t think she’ll have much in her backpack and he can always have more things delivered if she needs them later.  He cooks up some breakfast and the smell of the food wakes River from her sleep.

She walks into the kitchen rubbing her eyes, to wake herself up.  “That smells wonderful, please tell me there is enough for two?” she asks, McKenzie is pleased she looks a little more spirited now.  “Of course, how are you feeling?” he asks her.

“Sorry, I didn’t realise I was so tired.  A lot happened yesterday.  I’ll tell you about it over breakfast.  As I really need a second opinion to check that I’m not making more of this whole mess” she replies.

He loads up the plates with food and carry’s them to the table.  “Juice, coffee?” he asks “juice and some water is fine thanks.  If I start with the coffee already, I’m worried that I’ll just keep on drinking it and my head will become a mess, with all the caffeine” River answers smiling at him.

He gets them juice and brings a jug of chilled water to the table.  River thanks him for the food and then digs in.  McKenzie smiles as she eats enthusiastically, smiling and bouncing in her seat a little as she enjoys the full English breakfast he made.

Once she has nearly finished the full plate of food, she sits back and looks at McKenzie, “why do I feel as though I can trust you? This is only our second meeting and yet, I feel as though you are the most reliable person I can trust right now” she asks

McKenzie looks at her and smiles a little.  “I might have one of those faces” he jokes.  River laughs, while Realm feels like she is high on love.  “It’s odd but even as I called you.  I knew you’d come and help me” she adds before continuing in a more serious voice.  “I got a call from my father’s secretary saying my father had been rushed to hospital.  When I got there just 10 minutes later, I was told he’d had a massive stroke or heart attack.  He had always been so healthy.  It was only after marrying Kitty, that I heard about him having heart problems.  He was given medication to carry around with him, to take if he felt pain in his chest.” 

She pauses and gathers her thoughts before going on.  “When I asked to see him.  I was taken down to the morgue.  They have a viewing room, odd name really for what it is.  I, well I, . ,” River looks up with tear filled eyes “here, I took pictures and a short video of what I saw” she says opening her phone and pictures and then handing it McKenzie.

He looks at the picture first and then watches the video “looks like he had a fight with a woman, by the scratches on his neck, even the bruise is too light to have been made by a man” McKenzie says once finished.

River nods her head, “my gut told me, I shouldn’t let anyone know.  Instead of questioning why he had those marks? I covered him up and they assumed, I’d not been able to uncover him.  They had me sign for his things and again my gut told me not to take them home.  So, I placed them in a locker at Main station.  The first thing Kitty asked me about were my father’s belongings, I pretended, I’d left them on the bus.  Her daughter searched my room though.  I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I need to find out and as soon as possible?” River says wiping the tears from her face.

McKenzie having heard all she had to say agrees with her.  There is no way a shifter would have a heart condition?  “If you’ll allow me? I’d like to help.  I’ll have someone pick-up your father and keep him safe for now.  I also have a number of people, I use for investigations I need doing.  I’ll ask them to gather as much information as they can about what happened before your father’s heart attack” he offers.

River blinks back tears of gratitude and nods her head beyond thankful, that he is willing to help her.  “My father had been left a shell of his former self after my mother’s death from hiking in Cannon mountains nearly 5 years ago.  It came as a bit of a shock to find out, he’d married again.  He only told me via email.  He had withdrawn into himself, but even I found that odd” River tells him.

McKenzie nods and becomes thoughtful.  “Let me make a few calls and then we’ll check through his things together and see if we can find any clues as to what really happened, okay?” he asks

River nods unable to speak as she tries to blink back her tears again.  “It’s okay River you’re not on your own.  We’ll get to the bottom of this” he assures her.  “I’m feeling really tired again, would it be alright to go and lay down again?” she asks not ready to face whatever they’ll discover, just yet.

“Of course, I’ll leave one of my shirts out.  You have a shower and then go back to bed.  I’ll let you know if anything happens” he assures her.  River nods and stands up, picking up her plate, “leave them, it will take me just a minute to rinse them and place them in the dishwasher” he tells her.

She nods “thank you for the breakfast” she thanks him and then goes back to the bedroom she came out of.  She finds the bathroom is the second door, as the first door in his room is a walk-in closet.  She turns the shower on and then strips from her clothes.

“We’ll be surrounded by our mate’s scent” Realm purrs.  “He does smell yummy” River agrees as she showers.  She sees a new toothbrush left out on the counter and smiles, as she steps from the shower.  “He’s thoughtful too” she adds as she picks it up and brushes her teeth.  When she comes out and see’s the shirt he left, she actually feels herself smile.

While McKenzie leaves the dishes, thinking the calls are more important.  He quickly goes into his room and places on of his shirts on the bed for River to change into.  Hearing the shower running he has to calm himself thinking of her naked. 

He then goes to his home office, to make two calls.  One to his second in command asking him to find out everything he can about, River’s mother’s death and to send people around to watch her house and follow the people that come and go from there.  He then calls his security head.  Explaining what he needs for him to do and investigate.  He also asks them to find out which lawyer, River’s father used.

He then clears the table and loads the dishes, in the dishwasher.  Before starting to work from home in his study.  He leaves the door open in case River should want anything.  He had really wanted to talk to her father.  About why River doesn’t seem to know she is a shifter?  He had planned to call him as soon as he had time.  But he had been really busy, with work and running an, ever growing pack.

He hears Tom let himself in and walking to his office.  “I looked back through the old border patrol reports.  Kathy Kenzie was killed by rogues.  Her husband had asked for us to report it as a hiking accident.  Asked why?  He said it would be too upsetting for their daughter to hear, she was ripped to shreds by rouge” he informs McKenzie.

“I remember that now, I was getting ready to take over the pack.  It was the last investigation my father had done.  We did get the coven that had bewitched the rogue wolves into attacking.  I’ve been wondering why he never told his daughter the truth? I suppose we’ll never know now” McKenzie says shaking his head.

“Send someone to the hospital for the first response medical report and then get his medical records sent over too.  How could he die from a heart attack?” McKenzie questions “already sent Dr Harris over” Tom tells him.

Tom sits and relaxes back in the chair “you should be worrying about how to tell her, she is your mate?  I’d love to be a fly on the wall during that conversation” he jokes.  “How can I take her as my mate? She is still a young pup?” McKenzie sighs

He sits back and steeples his fingers as he often does while thinking.  “What was the moon Goddess thinking, giving me such a young mate?  One who seems to know nothing about our existence!” he exclaims dropping his head into his hands and groaning.

“Where is she?” Tom asks “in my bed” McKenzie answers lifting his head and smiling.  “Does she know it’s your bed?” Tom asks, McKenzie’s smile disappears for a second, then reappears and grows bigger.  “She might not know she is a shifter, but she has the senses of a wolf.  I’m sure my scent is also driving her just as crazy, as hers is me” he says and they both strain to listen, hearing her deep breathing they smile relieved.

They get down to work and work for a few hours.  McKenzie keeps one ear open in case River should wake.  So, when they hear a moan, they both stop and listen.  They hear another one, this one is deeper and more guttural then the last.  Hearing it, they both sniff at the air.  Both of them look at each other, but its McKenzie that smiles “see, told you my scent would be driving her just as crazy” he smugly says.

They hear the final moan and both hold their breath and listen “OMG! Really River, your dad has just died and you’re having wet dreams about your handsome hero?” they hear her say to herself.  McKenzie’s chest puffs out and Tom rolls his eyes.  Then both quickly start looking at their computer screens as they hear her get up out of bed.

She walks into their office a couple of minutes later.  Not knowing they can still smell her orgasm and arousal on her.  She is also just wearing McKenzie’s shirt that looks more like a dress on her.  McKenzie shifts uncomfortable in his seat and seeing Tom’s smirk, glares at him.  “Did you sleep well?” he asks her

“Er, I did thank you” she replies “this is my sec, , assistant Thomas Baxter, Tom this is River Kenzie.  The girl who helped me during that attack the other day” McKenzie says and gives Tom a warning glance as he smirks again.

“Nice to meet you, River.  It takes a lot of nerve to get involved with other people’s troubles” Tom says standing and sticking out his hand.  She takes it and shakes it, “are you related? McKenzie is also so tall” she asks him.  Tom laughs “no, not in that way.  But we did grow up together” he answers.  River nods and then looks at their laptops and covers her mouth “I forgot to call work?” she exclaims

“It’s not too late now, I’m sure they’ll understand” McKenzie comforts her.  She nods and takes out her phone.  She calls HR, not wanting to deal with her head of department.  They assure her that it’s understandable and give her personal leave.

Once she has ended the call, she looks at McKenzie “your father has been moved.  I have people watching your house” he assures her.  “Thank you, I don’t know how I am going to repay you” she thanks him. 

Having gotten himself under control, he stands up “hopefully we’ll have more answers by the end of the day” McKenzie assures her.  Tom’s cell phone rings, he gets up and steps out the room to take it.  “Would you like a drink?” McKenzie asks

“Would you have a so” “sorry, I’ve just heard that your step mother is heading to your father’s company.  With her lawyer” Tom interrupts them.  “Oh, that can’t be good.  I need to get changed and get over there!” River says racing from the room.