Bear’s Magic (Grey Lake Shifters Book 4)
Copyright © 2021 by K.L. King
First electronic publication: January 2022
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s
imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses,
companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except
for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Editing: Corinne DeMaagd
Cover design: Damonza.com
Chapter 1
her. She helped murder an innocent shifter, a
harmless old woman. Didn’t you sense something was wrong? How can you
live with yourself?”
“No, I didn’t know. I would’ve stopped her. I would’ve told someone,”
Piper argued. She truly would have. She’d have kept her sister Cora away
from Noah Walters and his murderous plans.
“Well, it’s too late now, isn’t it? You’re useless. Just passing time until
you die, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m going to help my friends save Grey Lake. We’ll fight you,”
Piper hissed.
Laughter erupted all around her. “You? A bear? You fashion yourself a
witch, don’t you? You’re nothing. You’re just like the rest of the people in
this town. Lemmings. You can’t do anything without that—that redheaded
demon bossing you about.” The deep voice, a man’s voice, sounded as if it
were coming from everywhere all at once. It didn’t make any sense.
Whose voice was that? She couldn’t place it. “Stop, just go away. Spew
your hate somewhere else!”
Her tormentor howled with delight. “A little bag of fur giving me
orders? Well, once your mighty savior is out of the way, you’ll get what’s
coming to you. You all will!”
Then, silence. Whoever was trying to frighten her was gone.
Now, all she needed to do was to wake up. Piper knew she was asleep.
She had to be, but why didn’t it feel like a dream? She felt light as air, almost
ethereal, as if she were floating. She forced herself to concentrate on her
surroundings.
“YOU COULD’VE STOPPED
Dizziness hit her as she swung her head around, trying to get her
bearings. What the hell? She was in her own bedroom, floating up near the
ceiling above her bed. She looked down and gasped. She recognized herself
lying in her bed below, dressed in the same pajamas she was wearing last
night. How could she be in bed and above the bed? Was she dead?
She moved toward the Piper that was in bed. She could see her twitching
fitfully in her sleep. Good, I’m still alive. I need to get back into that body
somehow.
She closed her eyes and focused on the magic that lay resting deep
within her body. She was still a novice wielder of shifter magic. On good
days, she could feel the power like a tickle in the center of her body.
Sometimes she could call the power to her, and somewhere deep in her mind
was the ancestral ability to know how to use this force.
She flexed her hands and silently begged. Please, help me wake up. Get
me out of here! Get me back to my body! Crackles snapped like static
electricity from her hands, but she was still stuck floating outside of her body.
Please!
A loud crack and a boom sounded as a warm orange light flashed,
lighting up her dark bedroom.
Piper Sullivan awoke with a start, panting. She struggled out of the
blankets and sat up in her bed. She rubbed her eyes with her hands as she
caught her breath. Her hair was damp with sweat. Her hands trembled. This
was the third night she’d heard this voice in her sleep. She didn’t know who
it was, but he wasn’t a friend; that much was clear. She’d never had the outof-body experience before, though. What did this mean?
“Time to get up anyway. Maybe we’ll see that sexy federal agent later
today,” her bear chirped within her mind.
“Don’t talk about him like that. Jasper’s our friend, nothing more right
now. He’s just being nice. Besides, it’s not the right time for romance. We
need to focus on learning more spells. We have a town to save,” Piper
answered somewhat grumpily to her ever-optimistic inner beast.
“Hmmpf. Maybe I just like that he puts you in a good mood. Quiet
reindeer makes you smile. Hate it when you’re sad,” her bear chuffed.
Piper dangled her legs off the side of her bed. Her bear was right about
Jasper, she had to admit. She was able to find brief moments of happiness
when she was around him. It’d been such a devastating past few weeks.
Piper’s dad passed away after fighting the neurologic disease that had struck
him several years ago. She’d known he was slowly losing his battle, but she
still was overcome with grief at his loss. Having her sister hauled off to jail
for being an accessory to murder compounded the sense of loneliness that
threatened to suffocate her daily.
She rubbed her temples with both hands and tried to clear the fogginess
from her mind. Might as well head to work early. She could always get some
research done before opening the library for customers.
“Serious reindeer might show up, so there’s that to look forward to,”
her bear murmured.
Piper groaned and rolled her eyes. Her stubborn creature wasn’t going to
leave this alone.
“Maybe if you behave yourself, we’ll speak with him tonight. No funny
business, though. We have a busy day of work and research to get through,”
Piper cautioned.
“Yes, ma’am,” her bear chuckled. “I like it better when you’re bossy
instead of sad.”
Piper grinned despite her animal’s sassiness. She’d rather not be sad
either. Time to make the best of her day. She pushed off the bed and stalked
into her shower.
Chapter 2
his temple with his right hand. His head was
throbbing. He’d been sitting in front of his laptop for the past couple of
hours, trying to identify any abnormalities in the newcomers to Grey Lake
over the past couple of years. He was specifically looking for anyone with
ties to Alden Williamson, the man who’d been creating chaos in Grey Lake
for the past several months. Jasper searched for new residents with ties to
Providence—where Williamson was from—and those who’d been employed
by any of his numerous businesses in the past.
He knew Williamson had to have another accomplice working with him
within the area. The man was a phoenix shifter just like Grey Lake’s own
Tessa Lane, but the two couldn’t be more different. Tessa was a protective
sort, one who’d do anything to ensure the safety of the people of Grey Lake.
Williamson was malignant; he created havoc and fear among the Lakers, and
no one quite knew why. Figuring out who was helping the man was a
problem. Up to now, Jasper and his fellow Shifter Crime Bureau agents
hadn’t been able to identify those working with the power-mad phoenix
shifter until it was too late. They needed to be better. Jasper needed to be
better. There was too much at stake. And with what Tessa told him and Piper,
well…
There hadn’t been many newcomers to the cozy mountain area until
about three years ago. Since that time, though, a large pride of cougar shifters
had moved up from Connecticut to work on some mid-sized construction
projects. A few of the male shifters caused some trouble last summer. They’d
threatened and harassed an innocent newcomer to the village, who was now
mated to Jasper’s good friend Deacon Clay. Deacon’s foster brother, Heath
JASPER MACKINNON RUBBED
Jensen, the chief of the Grey Lake Police Department and alpha of the wolf
pack in town, and his force had taken care of the criminals within the group.
Three of them had physically attacked Deacon’s mate, Iris, along with
Heath’s sister, May. May had been grievously injured but had, thankfully,
almost fully recovered. She was now happily mated and married to the largest
grizzly shifter in town, Beau Shanley.
The remaining members of the cougar group had mostly been quiet
since then. Apparently, the three culprits had verbally and physically
terrorized several other members of the pride. With the men now dead, there
was a sense of new life within the shifter group.
The SCB and the Grey Lake PD had worked together over two straight
weeks to question all the cougars who had lived in the sprawling compound
with the three criminals. Those three men—Pat, Sean, and Jesse—appeared
to be the only cougars who could be tied back to Williamson, and only
indirectly. Authorities learned that the three had been hired by an
intermediary, not Williamson himself. One of the deceased’s former
girlfriends recalled Pat telling her that the three men met “some guy” in a bar
in Manchester early last summer. This man paid the cougar shifters cash on
behalf of a different man, a so-called “big wig from Rhode Island” to one,
cause some trouble among tourists in Grey Lake to decrease traffic to the
area, two, commit a series of low-level crimes to keep the GLPD distracted,
and three, try to convince Iris Williamson to go back home to Providence.
They’d been given strict instructions not to hurt Iris, but anyone else was fair
game. Jasper trembled with rage, remembering the damage they had done to
May. He was glad that the men couldn’t hurt anyone ever again, but sorry the
authorities hadn’t been able to tie them directly to Williamson or any of his
close associates.
Since that night, Jasper, Heath, and Deacon had even become friendly
with a small family of cougar shifters that lived on the outskirts of the group.
Sam Fitzsimmons and his younger twin siblings, Quinn and Leah, worked as
rangers for the National Parks system in the area. They grew up together with
their cousin Caleb O’Hara. Caleb unfortunately was also an unintended
victim of Williamson’s treachery. He’d suffered life-threatening burns from
phoenix fire when the gym he’d been working in had been bombed by a
traitor in the Grey Lake Police Department.
Cal Harris had been driven by the grief of losing his mate to illness into
working with Williamson. He was now dead, killed when he attempted to
shoot a still-recovering May in her hospital room. What a mess! One of the
biggest things bothering Jasper was the question of why. Why was Alden
Williamson so fixated on Grey Lake?
The developer had seemed to pop up out of nowhere with a fixation on
Grey Lake that didn’t seem to make any sense. No one knew why
Williamson was so obsessed with the small mountain village in the middle of
New Hampshire that was almost two hundred miles away from his home base
of Providence.
The man’s own children had even fled his poisonous influence and now
lived in Grey Lake. Deacon’s mate, Iris, was Williamson’s daughter. She’d
moved to Grey Lake on her own almost a year ago, knowing nothing about
shifters. She hadn’t even known she was a black bear shifter until Deacon
gently informed her. Her first shift only happened last summer when she was
forced to defend May from the three cougar shifters who’d attacked them.
Weeks ago, she and Deacon had shared the news that they were expecting
their first child.
Iris’s older brother Aiden was a more recent addition to Grey Lake.
He’d been working for the past several months with the GLPD and the SCB
to covertly gather information on his father’s activities. He pretended to be
fully aligned with his father’s plans and beliefs while working behind the
scenes to ensure his beloved baby sister was safe, well away from their
domineering, power-mad father.
Aiden had recently discovered that his father had ordered the kidnapping
and torture of his best friend, Jamie Stanton. Jamie had gone missing over
two years ago. It turned out that Iris’s wolf shifter companion, Riley, was in
fact Jamie in his wolf form; he’d been unable to shift into his human form for
months, if not a year or more. No one could figure out why. Once Aiden
learned that his best buddy’s life had been destroyed by his father, he was
done with the charade. He refused to return home to Providence, choosing
instead to cut all ties with his father. While Jasper admired the man’s sense of
justice, the loss of Aiden as a spy hurt the SCB’s investigation into
Williamson. That left Jasper busier than ever in his role as an SCB agent.
For the most part, he loved his job, but recently his mind was
preoccupied with the sexy, whip-smart head librarian in Grey Lake. His inner
animal wasn’t helping matters either. The moment he woke up each day, his
reindeer started nudging him toward the Grey Lake Library. His beast had
always been relatively easygoing until a few weeks ago when he’d seen Piper
Sullivan tied to a chair at the mercy of Noah Walters. His fear for the brave
woman, and the intense rage at her captor, nearly forced him to shift into his
reindeer form inside the archival room in the library basement. Knowing
Piper would be upset if he damaged the irreplaceable shifter historical books
was the only reason he’d been able to keep his beast caged.
“Go check on mate. Make sure she’s protected,” his reindeer huffed
within his mind.
He squeezed his eyes tightly shut. “We’ll head over later. We have to
stay here and work for now,” he replied to the anxious beast within.
The reindeer snorted unhappily. “You can work just as well at the
library. It’s shameful to keep her unprotected.”
His eyes snapped open. He was pissed. “She’s a freakin’ black bear.
She’s not weak. She probably thinks we’re crazy for showing up at the library
nearly every day as it is,” he hissed.
“She likes it when we visit. Can’t you smell her? When we first arrive,
she smells of sadness, but it changes to a scent of joy. She’s a powerful bear,
but there are horrible enemies out there hunting her. Trust me. I don’t ask for
much from you. Use both parts of your brain for a change!”
Oh, for God’s sake! His animal half was so riled up. His pulse raced. An
all-consuming need to get to Piper and see that she was OK pushed at him.
He looked at his watch—not even noon. He took a deep breath, trying to slow
his racing heart.
“Just wait a bit, please. We’ll go check on her during our lunch break,
OK?” he pleaded with the agitated animal within.
The beast grunted in response, but Jasper felt him calm just a touch.
Chapter 3
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.
Piper rose from her chair at the circulation desk and headed to the front
door of the library.
Piper unlocked the door from the inside and held it open for her one
employee. Ms. Matthews was an elderly grizzly bear shifter who worked
part-time. A couple of years prior, she had stepped down as the head librarian
after almost forty years of service. It worked out well for Piper as she had just
finished her master’s degree in library science when the job became
available. Piper had dreamed of working as a librarian in the cathedral-style
building ever since her family had first moved to Grey Lake when she was a
young child.
Piper had always loved books. Of course, she loved reading books, but
there was more to it than that. She loved the feel and the smell of books, and
the older the better. Romances, mysteries, historical fiction, fantasy, science
fiction. She preferred fiction to non-fiction. She relished escaping into other
worlds through stories. It wasn’t that she needed to escape from anything; her
childhood had been full of love and happiness until her mother’s death. Piper
had always been interested in the world beyond the usual goings-on of a
small town.
She started collecting vintage books almost as soon as she started
reading. It had become almost an obsession with her father as her main coconspirator. He loved reading as well and shared her love for vintage editions
of books. He preferred literary classics, whereas Piper wasn’t as selective. A
spare bedroom in their home now served as a makeshift library. Piper sighed
heavily. The room was just another reminder that her father was gone, and
she was alone.
“What time did you get in?”
“What?” Piper asked. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was daydreaming.”
Ms. Matthews was staring at Piper with eyes wide and mouth pinched.
Piper smiled at the older woman. “I haven’t been here too long. I just
couldn’t sleep.”
Ms. Matthews sighed and placed a hand on Piper’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.
It’ll get better with time. By the way, did you see the appointment I booked
for you this afternoon?”
Piper frowned. “I’m afraid I didn’t look at the schedule yet. I just
dropped my bag off in my office and then headed right down into the
archives. I only just came up just a few minutes ago because I knew you’d be
here soon.”
“Well, one of the new professors at the college came in and wanted to
meet with you. It looked like you had some time before the children’s reading
room story time, so I booked him for an hour. Seems like a nice young man,”
Ms. Matthews said.
Piper shook her head to clear her mind. “Um, yeah, it should be fine.
Wait, we have new professors at the college?” She followed the woman along
the hallway, past the children’s library and reading room on the left, and up
to the circulation desk on the main floor. Ms. Matthews placed her large
purse behind the counter and then continued to the small breakroom. Piper
trailed behind her, trying to remember if she’d heard of anyone leaving the
school.
“Yes, a couple of them. They’re new to the area. I’ve heard that both
men are related to some shifters up north. Word is they trained at the
University of Maine, Orono in science. One has a PhD in biology—genetics
is his specialty I think—and the other has a degree in geology—that’s the one
with the appointment.”
“Geology? Now, that’s something I never really thought much about.
I’ll have to do some digging before his appointment.” Piper bit her lower lip.
“Thanks for the heads up.”
“Looks like everything’s already ready for us to open. Why don’t you
get some research done while I open up for the public?”
Piper grinned. “Thanks, that’d be great. I’ll just be in my office if you
need me.”
Chapter 4
“TIME TO GO
check on mate. You had enough time to work,” Jasper’s reindeer
snapped.
Jasper leaned back in his seat and rubbed the back of his neck. His
grumpy beast was right. It was finally time for a lunch break. He’d spent the
entire morning sitting at his desk, looking for connections between any of
Alden Williamson’s numerous business holdings and the newer businesses
that’d popped up in the greater Grey Lake area over the past couple of years.
Since he’d found none, he would have to go back even further. He’d also
expand his search beyond Grey Lake to central and northern New Hampshire.
Williamson’s base of operations was Providence, so there was really no
need for him to have any businesses in Grey Lake or New Hampshire at all.
There weren’t any tax benefits for him to have businesses in the granite state
as opposed to Rhode Island. Most of the man’s money was tied up in largescale developments, such as business towers, luxury hotels, and casino resorts
that catered to an elite customer base. Zoning in Grey Lake prohibited this
type of development, so his interest didn’t make any sense, at least on the
surface.
Grey Lake was a homey mountain village in the center of New
Hampshire. Families and college students visited in the fall for leaf-peeping,
the winter for skiing and sledding, and the spring and summer for lakeside
activities like boating and tubing. Visitors came to Grey Lake to relax and
enjoy the beautiful natural setting, not to gamble or make high-stake business
deals.
“Enough! Time to go,” the beast within groaned.
“Alright, alright,” Jasper silently answered the grouch.
He logged out of his laptop, closed it, and placed it into the cabinet next
to his desk. He then locked it. He shook his head. It was SCB policy to never
leave your laptop vulnerable, but he and his co-workers all knew this was
essentially a useless step. The specially fortified lock wouldn’t stop a shifter,
but it’d take longer to break than a normal human-constructed device.
He looked around the open-concept room that served as a temporary
Grey Lake SCB office. The department had erected a single level,
prefabricated building not too far from the police station shortly after May
Jensen’s assault. Prior to that, Jasper had worked primarily out of the
Manchester office. He’d only been an agent for a little over a year prior to the
setup of the office in Grey Lake. Before that time, he’d been an arson
investigator with the Manchester Regional Fire Department and a volunteer
firefighter in Grey Lake. He liked the problem-solving aspect of his work
with the SCB. Spying his boss in the far corner of the office, he also noted
that he met some interesting characters in his newer line of work.
The ice-blond Declan Estey, the agent in charge of this local outfit, was
yelling into his phone at his desk, positioned in the corner as far away from
Jasper’s desk as possible. It wasn’t personal. Jasper knew the polar bear
shifter got agitated being in close quarters with other shifters for too long. It
certainly made for some interesting moments during a raid, he mused.
Sighing, Jasper threw his black SCB fleece sweater on over his black Tshirt and grabbed the keys to his Chevy Tahoe. He slowly walked over to let
Declan know he’d be leaving the office, but Jasper stopped several feet from
the man’s desk. Jasper didn’t want to appear like he was eavesdropping, so he
pretended to be focused on his cellphone. He snuck a peek at his boss while
his attention was focused on his computer monitor. Declan’s face was red,
and his jaw was tight. He was an inch or two taller than Jasper’s six-foot-four
height and even broader in the shoulders. He looked incensed.
“I said no! What part of the word no don’t you understand?” Declan
boomed into his cellphone.
Jasper kept his head down. Whatever was going on sounded like it’d
ensure Declan was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Just perfect.
“She cannot come here. I don’t have time to babysit her!”
Jasper feigned disinterest. Instead, he casually reviewed the messages on
his phone.
“I know she’s not a baby, but Goddamn it, I’m too busy to make sure
she doesn’t get into trouble. Can’t she go with that useless mother of hers?”
A few seconds of silence. Then suddenly, a low-pitched growl rumbled
through the room. Jasper felt the hair on his arms rise.
“OK, OK. Yeah, I know. Yeah, yeah, family obligations. OK, OK,
whatever. Oh, for God’s sake, I said fine!”
Jasper snuck a peek up when Declan was momentarily silent. His face
was back to its usual pale color. Jasper lowered his eyes to his phone once
more. A few more seconds passed where Declan appeared to be listening to
the person on the other end of the call.
“I know, I know. Love you, too. Goodbye.”
Jasper heard a deep sigh and looked up.
“What?” Declan asked as if Jasper hadn’t been a silent observer to some
sort of nightmare family discussion.
“Nothing. I just wanted to let you know I’m going out for lunch. I’ll be
back by one at the latest,” Jasper said, forcing his features to remain
impassive.
Declan threw his hands up. “That’s what you were standing around for?
You could’ve left me a note.”
“Alright, next time I’ll leave you a note,” Jasper said with one eyebrow
raised. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Forget about it,” Declan said, rubbing his closely cropped hair
with a hand.
“Everything alright?” Jasper asked before his mind could stop his mouth
from asking the question.
Declan glared at him, but then sighed and rubbed his temples with his
hands. “Yeah, yeah. Just some family drama. Seems as though I’m going to
be having my niece staying with me for a while. Just what I need. Like we
don’t have enough to do around this cursed village of the damned, now I’m
going to have a teenager I’ll need to watch as well.”
Jasper’s eye started twitching. “That was your niece on the phone?”
Declan shook his head. “No, my mother. She’s been taking care of my
niece while my brother’s away on some expedition. She’s had her for six
months, and she’s had enough drama. It’s Uncle Declan’s turn apparently.”
He turned away and glared at his computer monitor. “I wonder if I can get
her into a boarding school. Are there any boarding schools around here?”
Declan asked distractedly.
Shoot. What was he supposed to say to that? Jasper couldn’t believe
he’d been screaming on the phone at his own mother. He shuddered. “Uh,
I’m sorry. I, uh, don’t know,” Jasper said, trying not to offend his
temperamental boss. He continued to back slowly toward the door. “Well, I’ll
just be off then.”
“OK, fine, whatever,” Declan said, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his
hands. “Hey, wait a sec.”
Jasper halted in his tracks. “Yes?”
“Can you do me a favor and ask Ms. Sullivan if she knows of any good
boarding schools in New England?” He smirked at Jasper.
At the mention of Piper’s name, Jasper snorted. Uh oh! That was his
beast. He could feel the animal crawling around under his skin. He frowned.
He needed to keep his animal under control. He couldn’t just shift in the
middle of the office. He inhaled deeply and silently counted to ten, forcing
the animal to retreat completely. He cleared his throat and finally spoke.
“Sorry about that.”
Declan stared at him, lips pursed. “I guess I’m the one who should be
sorry.” His eyes narrowed. “Didn’t realize you and she were serious.”
Jasper shook his head. “We’re not. I mean we’re not anything. No, I
mean we’re just friends.” His reindeer forced a loud grunt from deep within
his chest. Jasper winced. “Sorry.”
Declan leveled him with a look. “Looks like the reindeer disagrees with
you.” He swiveled around in his chair to fully face Jasper. “Look, you and he
better get on the same page. I can’t have a crazed reindeer running loose in
this town on top of everything else.”
Jasper felt his cheeks heat. He nodded mutely.
Declan raised his eyebrows at him. “You better get going. I can smell
your beast. Get him out of here. Take him to see his mate so he calms the hell
down.”
Jasper remained rooted to the spot where he was standing. How the hell
did he know what his reindeer thought?
“Just go!” Declan roared.
“Thanks,” Jasper croaked out. He finally made his escape and headed
off toward the library and Piper.
Chapter 5
her office, gazing at the Grey Lake College website. Miles
Brackett, PhD had joined the faculty of the School of Life Sciences in
January.
Dr. Brackett comes to GLC from the University of Maine, Orono where
he earned his PhD in speleology.
Hmm, speleology, the study of caves. Piper wondered what sort of
information Dr. Brackett wanted from her. The only stuff she knew about
caves was what she’d seen when she was in her bear form. Her animal loved
to explore the Polar Caves on the outskirts of Grey Lake. She loved the cool,
dark hideouts. She remembered playing in caves with Cora when they were
kids. No, don’t go there right now. It’s not helpful to think of her right now.
Hell, at least work was a distraction from her dark thoughts.
Knock, knock.
She startled. It’s just the door, calm down.
“Piper, you have a visitor,” Ms. Matthews called.
She looked at her watch. Too early to be the doctor. “Come in.” she said
to Ms. Matthews, who opened the door and peered in.
“Who is it?” Piper asked.
“Jasper would like to speak to you. He’s waiting at the circulation desk,”
Ms. Matthews said. The elderly shifter smiled knowingly at Piper.
Piper’s faced heated. Jasper usually showed up at the library after
dinner. What could he want? She hoped everything was OK.
“Thanks, I’ll be right there.”
She squared her shoulders and breathed in slowly and then exhaled
deeply. She walked out of her office and toward the circulation desk. Her
PIPER SAT IN
breath hitched as soon as she saw him. He was wearing a black fleece top
with SCB on the front and beige cargo pants. He smiled as soon as her eyes
met his. He was gorgeous, but more importantly so kind.
She felt a smile break out across her face as she reached the desk. “Hi,
you’re here early. What can I do for you?”
He eyed Ms. Matthews who was standing to Piper’s left. “I was hoping
to steal you for a quick lunch. Would that be possible?”
“I’m not sure—” Piper started.
“Oh, go on you two. I can handle the fort for a bit,” the elderly shifter
said.
Piper looked at her watch and then back to her employee. “Are you
sure?”
The grizzly shifter waved her hand at Piper. “Of course.”
Piper glanced at Jasper, who wore an easy grin on his face. “You sure
you have time? You must be busy.”
Jasper nodded. “I have time to eat and so do you. What do you say?”
Piper looked back to Ms. Matthews, who nodded.
She turned back to Jasper. “OK, I’ll be back before my appointment.
Let’s go.” She called over her shoulder, “Thanks so much for covering
Ms. M.”
“No problem. Have fun!” Ms. Matthews answered.
Jasper waved his right hand. “After you.”
“Wait one sec. I’ll just go grab my purse,” Piper said. She rushed back
into her office and grabbed the black leather crossbody bag that held her
wallet. She pulled a compact out of the purse, opened it, and stared at her
reflection in the small circular mirror. She was wearing a maroon sweater, a
black knee-length floaty skirt, dark tights, and black leather Doc Martens
boots. Her long dark hair was pulled up in a half-up half-down style There
was nothing she could do about the dark circles under her eyes, but other than
that, she looked OK. “I guess it’ll have to do for today,” she said to herself.
She slipped the compact back into her purse and zipped the bag closed,
hurrying out of her office.
She smiled at Jasper despite her nervousness.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“Sure, where to?”
“I was thinking Tessa’s. I heard they started serving lunch,” Jasper said.
“If that’s OK with you?” He gestured for her to walk ahead of him.
Piper nodded and led the way to the parking lot. Tessa’s was only a few
blocks away, but it was a raw March day. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to
walk or…
Jasper seemed to be able to read her mind. “Why don’t I drive.” He
looked up at the gray skies overhead. “Looks like it might start snowing soon.
Hard to tell.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Piper answered.
Chapter 6
and reached his SUV before Piper. He held open the
passenger side door for her.
She climbed in, and he closed the door behind her. He walked around to
the driver’s side door and eased into the vehicle. “How’s your day looking?”
he asked after he started the engine and then maneuvered the vehicle out of
the small parking lot.
“I have an appointment this afternoon, so I’ve been doing some prep
work.” She fidgeted with her hands in her lap.
“Anything interesting?” Jasper asked.
“Well, one of the new science professors at the college set up a meeting
with me. According to the school website, he studies caves. I’m not exactly
sure what he wants to meet about exactly, though,” Piper said.
Jasper stiffened. How the hell didn’t he know about this? He spent so
much time searching for newcomers to Grey Lake and he missed a new
professor? Why hadn’t he shown up in his research? “I didn’t know the
school hired any new professors recently.” He’d have to ask Heath if he was
aware. “Caves, huh?”
Piper shrugged. “Really niche, right? I didn’t know about any new hires
either. Professor Brackett came from U of Maine in January. Ms. Matthews
said they also hired another science professor, though I’m only meeting with
Dr. Brackett.”
He pulled the black SUV into the parking lot of Tessa’s Treats and shut
off the engine. When Piper moved to open her door, he said, “Wait just a
minute. I’ll get it.” He exited the vehicle, walked around to her side, and
opened the door for her.
JASPER JOGGED AHEAD
“Thank you,” Piper said, her cheeks turning pink.
“You’re welcome.” He gestured with a tilt of his head for her to proceed
ahead of him.
“Hey there!” Iris greeted them from the counter as soon as they walked
into the bakery.
Piper waved a greeting, while he said, “Hey Iris!”
They advanced to the counter. Tessa usually manned the sales portion of
the bakery, while Iris remained in the kitchen, baking her masterpieces.
“So, I heard you guys were serving meals for lunch now. When did this
start?” Jasper asked, gesturing with his hand to the blackboard with a list of
warm and cold sandwiches, quiches, and soups.
Iris leaned in closer. “A few weeks ago. Tessa suggested it as a way to
continue to grow the business. She also thought it would be a good way to get
Aiden out of the house.”
“Aiden?” Piper asked.
Iris beamed. “I know! It was complete news to me, but he’s a terrific
cook. He started cooking for me and Deacon when he moved in. Tessa
sampled some of his food, and the rest is history. He’s been coming to work
with me—Jamie, too—every day since. Well, enough of my blabbering, I bet
you two would like a table.” She handed them two menus. “Have a seat
anywhere you like. I’ll be over in a minute with a couple of ice waters.”
“Thanks,” they responded in unison.
Jasper followed Piper to a table for two near a window at the front of the
bakery.
After placing their order, a chicken salad sandwich for Piper and a bacon
and cheese quiche for himself, they drank their waters in companionable
silence for a few moments. He studied Piper as she stared out the window.
She was a beauty with her chestnut hair and deep chocolate eyes, but he read
the exhaustion on her face.
“Hmmm,” Piper said. A smile pulled at the edges of her mouth.
“What’s that?”
“Aiden hasn’t been at the library as much lately. He’d been spending a
lot of nights in the archives since he moved in with Iris,” she said.
“Probably searching for a way to help Jamie shift back,” Jasper said.
Piper nodded. “He’d come in with Jamie, and they’d spend hours poring
through the old shifter books. He seemed so desperate those first few days.
He’s still coming in, but not every day like before. I think working here will
be good for him,” Piper said.
“You might just be right,” Jasper agreed.
Piper leaned closer to the table, folding her hands. “Besides, I think he’s
better off working with Mac to try to heal Jamie from whatever is causing
him to be stuck. I think it’s medical, not magical.”
“Why’s that?” Jasper asked. He knew Piper had a burgeoning ability to
use shifter magic.
She tilted her head slightly. “It’s just…I’ve spent so many hours looking
through the books in the archival room. I’ve never come across anything
about helping shifters to move between their forms.”
“When did you first become interested in the books in the archives?”
Jasper asked.
Piper closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. After a few seconds her eyes
popped open with a brightness that hadn’t been there. “Well, I’ve been going
to the library ever since we moved to Grey Lake years ago. Initially, I was
scared of the archives, you know, when I was still a kid. Seemed so
mysterious being in the dark basement and all. Once I started working there
during high school as an assistant, I started poking around the books.”
“So, you’ve been studying them a long time?” Jasper asked, leaning in
closer to the table.
“Well, first it was more of an exploring type thing. Reading about
shifters through history and their talents and adventures. Their battles.
Maybe, about a year ago, I started really studying the books of magic. At
least the books about the history of shifter magic. The actual spell books are
harder to interpret,” she said.
“Lunch is served,” Iris called out as she was about a foot away from the
table.
Jasper leaned back and breathed in the delicious aroma. “Smells great,”
he said.
“I agree. I may try that next time,” Piper said, staring hungrily at his
quiche.
He’d give her anything if she looked at him that way. “We can share,”
he croaked. Get it together.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Piper answered.
“I want to. Let’s split the meals. My cousins and I used to do this all the
time.”
“Oh, OK.”
He proceeded to rearrange the food then sat back as Piper took a bite of
the quiche. He watched as she closed her eyes.
“Ummmm,” she moaned.
His mouth watered. He needed to keep calm. “Did something trigger
you to study magic?”
Piper finished her bite. She opened her mouth, then closed it and tilted
her head. She seemed unsure.
He placed a hand on hers. “You don’t have to explain if you don’t want
to. It’s OK.”
She stared at him evenly for a few seconds and then nodded. “I think
I’m alright to tell you. I’m not ready to talk about it to many people, though.”
“I won’t say anything,” Jasper said, squeezing her hand.
She beamed at him. “I know. I trust you.”
Chapter 7
sip of her water and then began. “My Dad gave me the push I
needed to investigate. During one of his better periods health-wise, he told
me stories about the relatives on my mother’s side of my family who were
able to use spells. He mentioned that the magical ability sometimes skipped
generations, like with my mom. He told me she always wondered if Cora or I
inherited any of the skill. Over time, he told me more and more stories about
my grandmother and her two older sisters. They were all bear shifters that
had these amazing magical talents. I think, without him saying it, he wanted
me to investigate, see if I had any powers. I thought it couldn’t hurt to try.”
Ring-ring-ring.
“I’m sorry,” Jasper said with a frown. He pulled his cellphone out of his
pocket and looked at the screen. “Shoot, it’s work. I need to take it. I’ll just
be a second.”
Piper nodded.
Jasper stood up and walked out the front door, holding the phone to his
ear.
“How’s it going?”
Piper jumped. She hadn’t noticed Iris until she spoke.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just came to check on you.” She looked at their halffinished meals. “Is everything tasting alright?”
Piper shook the cobwebs from her head and smiled. “Oh yes. Everything
is delicious. We were just so busy talking.”
Iris beamed. “Good, I’m glad. Aiden will be happy to hear about more
satisfied customers.”
Piper snuck a glance out the window where Jasper was pacing back and
PIPER TOOK A
forth, still on the phone. She forced her gaze back to Iris. “How have you
been feeling? I mean, with the baby?”
Iris’s eyes twinkled. She smoothed out her apron and rocked back on her
heels. “Overall, pretty good. I’ve been a little queasy in the morning but feel
much better as the day goes on.”
“Good, you and Deacon must be so excited,” Piper said.
“Oh, we—” Iris started, but stopped as soon as Jasper entered the
bakery. His face looked grim.
“What’s wrong?” Piper asked.
Jasper’s eyes roved over the bakery before settling on her. “Something’s
come up and I need to go.” He turned to Iris. “Do you mind if we package the
rest up?”
“Of course. Let me take everything back and get it boxed up for you.”
Iris hurried off into the kitchen.
“We can go now. We don’t have to wait,” Piper said, pushing her chair
back and standing.
Jasper moved closer to the table. “We have time to package the food.
There’re already people at the scene.”
“I can walk back to the library. You can just head off. It’s fine,” Piper
stammered.
“No!” Jasper practically shouted, causing her to jump and Iris, now
standing back at the table, to squeak. “Sorry, I mean no. I have time to drive
you back. I insist, please.”
Piper’s jaw dropped at the intensity burning in his nearly black eyes.
“OK,” she said.
“All set,” Iris said. She handed Jasper a paper bag with their food all
boxed up.
“Thanks. Put it on my account, would you?” Jasper asked.
Iris nodded. “Sure thing. Do you know if Deacon is at the scene?” Iris
asked, jaw clenched.
Jasper gave her a kind smile. “Yes, he is.” He placed a hand on her
shoulder. “He’s safe. He’s there with Heath and some of the SCB agents.
They’re both fine.”
Iris exhaled audibly. “Oh, good! Thank you.”
“You ready?” Jasper asked Piper.
She’d been staring at the terrified look in Iris’s eyes. She felt unsettled at
her friend’s distress. She straightened her spine and turned to Jasper. “Yes.
Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
own car door once Piper was securely in the passenger seat.
He started the car but pulled out his phone instead of immediately
heading off. He started typing out a message to Declan.
Need eyes on Tessa’s Treats. Iris Clay inside.
Declan’s reply was swift. Already done. Mrs. G and Libby covered too.
Good. Declan had already placed agents on May and Piper—Mrs. G
stood for Grizzly and Libby for library.
“What’s wrong?” Piper asked, voice quaking.
“Pretty bear upset. Soothe her,” his beast hissed.
Her lips were pursed, her shoulders hunched. Jasper stopped typing on
his phone and placed a hand on her left arm. “I just needed to send a text.”
“Was someone else killed?” Piper asked.
He frowned. He shouldn’t be discussing this with her. She looked so
sad, almost as if she were resigned to something horrific having happened.
He put his phone on the dashboard charger and drove the vehicle out of the
bakery parking lot and onto Main Street.
“Not that I know of. Just some trouble we have to look into. I’ll check in
with you before closing time. Hopefully, I’ll be done by then.”
She nodded and stared out the passenger window.
He really hoped no one had been killed. He’d find out soon enough.
After watching Piper enter the library, he headed off to the western most part
of Grey Lake toward Calloway Farm. He bet he could drive to the farm with
his eyes closed. Ever since he could remember, his aunt and uncle had taken
him and his cousins there for hayrides and ice cream as soon as the farm
opened for the season. It was always one of the last activities they did before
HE CLOSED HIS
heading off to Alaska for the summer each year. He had wonderful, carefree
memories of the family-run dairy farm with their well-treated cows and
horses. He hoped whatever he was about to walk into wasn’t as bad as Declan
had warned.
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. He forced his anger down
deep within his core. He drove through the property’s gate and stopped next
to one of the GLPD police cruisers.
Red-haired wolf shifter Finn MacLeod was sitting in the vehicle. The
younger man looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes, stark against
his fair skin. To Jasper’s surprise, the usually easygoing man also looked
furious.
Jasper nodded to Finn. “Deacon and Heath up at the barn?”
Finn shook his head. “They started at the barn, but I think they’re out in
one of the fields. That’s where everyone is.” His expression was grim.
“Thanks,” Jasper said. He continued his drive up the windy gravel road
to the brightly painted, expansive red barn. He parked next to the two police
SUVs and Declan’s black SCB pickup. He grabbed his black backpack,
which held gear for collecting evidence and taking photos, slammed his car
door shut, and headed into the barn. He sniffed. Something smelled off. Like
death, but not the usual iron-tinged scent of blood that usually assaulted his
senses at the scenes of violence.
“Mr. Calloway.” He nodded to the gray-haired grizzly shifter whose
family owned the property for close to one hundred years. He held his hand
out, and the man shook it firmly.
“Jasper, this sure is a mess. I hope you guys can figure this one out
soon.” His amber eyes darted around behind Jasper as if scanning for trouble.
“I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve never seen anything…” His voice
trailed off.
“How’s Mrs. Calloway and the staff?” Jasper knew the man had several
farmhands and workers to keep the dairy farm and the small on-site ice-cream
operation running.
“Bonnie’s up at the house. My son’s there with her. The staff have been
told. They’re all in the barn waiting to be interviewed. My wife, though…
she’s the one who found them. Came running back to the house. I’ve never
heard a scream like that.”
What had she seen? What would scare a grizzly shifter? He patted the
man on his shoulder. “Why don’t you go check on her? Finn’s down at the
gate. He’ll keep everyone out.”
Mr. Calloway nodded absently. Once he moved toward the house, Jasper
turned and followed the scent of death.
Chapter 9
beeped, alerting her to her appointment with
Dr. Brackett. She gathered her notebook with the information she’d jotted
down about caves in the area and stood up from her desk. She headed for the
main circulation desk where Ms. Matthews was holding court. When Piper
heard the older woman laughing softly, she smiled.
Ms. Matthews was speaking to a tall man with a head of slightly messy,
thick, chocolate-colored hair. The olive-skinned man was wearing glasses, a
dark blue collared dress shirt, and deep brown khaki pants. As she reached
the side of the circulation desk, the man swung his attention toward her.
Whoa, those eyes. The man’s eyes were an unusual light green that she’d
never seen before.
“Hmmpf, mate’s eyes better,” her bear huffed at her.
She willed her suddenly opinionated beast to behave.
“Oh Piper, good, you’re right on time. This is Dr. Brackett,”
Ms. Matthews said.
“Please call me Miles.” He stuck his hand out for her to shake.
Piper shook his hand. “Piper Sullivan, nice to meet you.”
Miles smiled and fidgeted with his hands. “Yes, yes. It’s nice to meet
you as well. It was hard to book you. You’re quite busy. Well, where should
we go?”
Piper tried to keep the frown from her face. She’d tried to keep
appointments to a minimum in the weeks since her father died and Cora was
arrested. It was just too much. “My office?” Piper suggested.
“Great, lead on Ms. Sullivan,” Miles said.
Piper led him back to her office and sat in her chair. She waved a hand
PIPER’S OUTLOOK CALENDAR
toward the seat on the other side of the antique desk. “You can call me
Piper.”
He gave her a half-smile. “Thank you.”
She tried not to stare at the man’s eyes, but they were like beacons.
“They’re strange, aren’t they?” Miles asked.
“What’s that?” Piper stammered.
“My eyes are an unusual color. Family trait,” Miles said.
He didn’t smell like a shifter to her, but… “They are rather unique,”
Piper said.
“My mother was a tiger shifter, my father a human,” he said.
Piper’s eyebrows shot up. She’d never seen a tiger shifter.
Miles continued. “I inherited the eye color, but nothing else.” He held
his arms out. “Ninety-nine-point-nine percent human.”
Piper cleared her throat. “A tiger shifter is definitely unusual for Grey
Lake, but not unwelcome. There are also many humans in Grey Lake. Also,
lots of human-shifter pairings. Everyone is welcome, provided they keep our
secrets.”
He laughed. “I’m not spilling any secrets. I don’t feel like being
experimented on.”
A chill ran down her back. “If word got out about shifters, there’s no
telling what would happen. People can be kind, but you never know.”
“I agree with keeping things secret. If someone ever decided to study
shifters, I’m sure there’ll be those who want to study the so-called defective
ones, like me. You know, the ones with some shifter DNA, but can’t shift.
No, all shifter secrets are safe with me.”
“Well, I don’t consider anyone defective whether they can shift or not,
but I hear what you’re saying.” She inhaled and let out her breath slowly.
“OK, then. Now, what exactly are you hoping to find out about our local
caves?” Piper asked.
Chapter 10
dread increased with every step Jasper took into the pasture.
His beast was mercifully silent. It was a raw late winter day, but the cows
should be out. Where the heck were they? Maybe they were in one of the
other fenced in areas. He spotted Heath, Deacon, and Declan standing
together up ahead. They were staring down at something large on the ground.
It was a cow. There were dead cows laying all over the field. Heath sounded
pissed. Declan was waving his hands around in front of him. A silent Deacon
was the first to turn at his approach.
“’Bout time you joined the party,” Deacon drawled.
“I just got here a few minutes ago. Got the call as soon as you left the
office,” Declan said.
Jasper’s breath caught at the carnage in front of him. So much death. He
took a step closer. “What the hell?”
“Never seen anything like this. Just empty husks. That’s all that’s left.
It’s as if their insides were scooped out,” Deacon said.
“I don’t even know how this is possible,” Heath said. “I mean look.”
Heath crouched down close to the remains of one of the white and black
animals. Jasper bent next to him. “It’s like someone or something devoured
their entire insides and left just bones and hide.” Heath looked at Jasper.
“Where’s the blood? There’s none on the ground. Snow’s nearly pristine,
too.”
He heard Declan mumbling on Heath’s other side. “Never seen a town
as crazy as this place. What the heck’s gonna happen next?”
Jasper pulled a set of gloves from his bag and put them on. He leaned
closer to the carcass in front of him and lifted a flap of hide to inspect inside
THE FEELING OF
the body. “Smooth, just skin and hair. No subcutaneous tissue.” He leaned
closer. “Looks like most of the bones were left behind.” He leaned back on
his heels, still in a crouch. “How many?”
Deacon moved closer to his right and flipped through a pad of paper.
“Mr. Calloway says there were ten cows led into this field about four this
morning by one of his farmhands. It was Seth I believe.” He closed the pad
and looked at Jasper. “We haven’t counted yet, but when we got here, there
weren’t any signs of life.”
“Where’s Seth?” Declan asked.
“He’s up at the main house. He told Mr. C the cows were fine when he
last saw them. He was busy inside the barn all morning. Nothing unusual,”
Deacon said.
“Who else has seen this besides Mr. and Mrs. C?” Jasper asked.
“Just us. Mr. C kept everyone back. He stayed here until we arrived,
then we sent him back to the house,” Deacon said.
“Nobody heard anything?” Jasper asked.
Heath shook his head. He stood to his full height and groaned. “No.
That’s why Mrs. C came over to check on the cows around ten or so. She said
it was too damn quiet.”
“When was the last time the cows were seen alive?” Jasper asked.
“Seth came by around nine. Said everything was status quo. Nothing
unusual,” Deacon said, reading off his notepad.
“What?” Jasper asked, running his hand through his hair. This made no
sense. “Someone did all this within an hour without alerting anyone to the
fact that these animals were being slaughtered?”
“So, it would seem,” Heath said. He turned to Jasper’s boss, who’d been
uncharacteristically quiet.
“So Estey, has the SCB ever seen anything like this?”
Declan grunted in reply.
Heath and Jasper locked eyes. Heath scowled. “What does that mean?”
Declan bent down and looked closer at the remnants of the animal in
front of him. As he studied the animal’s hide, he spoke, “I’ve never seen this
before. I have also never heard of this happening to dairy cattle. This is some
brutal shit. These poor creatures never harmed anyone.”
Heath crouched down besides Declan. “So, when you say you’ve never
heard of this happening to cattle, would that mean you have heard of this
happening to some other type of animal?”
Declan coughed and stood up. He nodded to a now standing Heath.
“There was a report of something similar to this a couple of months back. It
was out in Eastern New York. Agent friend of mine told me about it. Wanted
to give me a heads up. Report involved four deer. We kept it quiet.”
Heath hissed. “You didn’t think to let us know?”
Declan growled. “Look, it wasn’t my team. It was out in New York, and
we’ve been pretty busy around here with our own brand of trouble.”
“Maybe this is our trouble. Maybe this has something to do with the
men in black that attacked Heath. Maybe this is the lead we need to find
them,” Jasper said, taking his camera out of his bag. He scanned the area.
“Did you have anyone else out here to collect evidence?” he asked Declan.
“Not yet. I wanted to limit the number of people who saw this horror
show. You take the photos. These two can canvas the scene.” He gestured to
Heath and Deacon with his head.
“Oh, we can?” Heath asked, sarcasm dripping from his words, eyebrows
raised.
Declan rubbed his hands through his short blond hair and groaned.
“Look, I think it would be best if we worked together on this. It would seem
wise to keep this as closed a scene as possible. This kind of a scene is really
liable to upset people.”
Heath’s jaw dropped.
A chill ran down Jasper’s back. Why the hell was Declan offering to
work with the police so easily? He usually barged his way in and took over
from them. He caught Declan’s icy blue gaze. This was not good. His polar
bear shifter boss actually seemed afraid.
Chapter 11
the clock on the wall and sighed. It was almost closing time,
and Jasper hadn’t shown up or called. What are you thinking? He doesn’t
owe you anything. He was probably assigned to protect you. Did you actually
think he was interested in a mouse like you?
“Stop this nonsense. Mate will be in touch. Must be trouble at work.
Danger in Grey Lake,” her bear argued.
She shrugged. Either that or he didn’t want to waste his time with her.
There was no sense in mooning about things she couldn’t change. Besides,
she was still grieving her father; she didn’t have any additional capacity for
heartbreak. Better to keep things simple. No entanglements. Yeah, that was
the best way to avoid getting hurt.
“Won’t work, silly human. Kind reindeer is persistent. You’ll see,” her
beast replied.
She tidied up her post at the main circulation desk and headed out to
make the rounds before closing the library. She’d had a busy afternoon.
Dr. Brackett, or Miles as he repeatedly insisted she call him, had peppered
her with questions about the polar caves in the area. He wanted to design a
field study for one of his laboratory classes and needed some specific
information on the largest of the caves. She was able to provide some notes
and maps. He was thrilled when she’d offered to take him out to show him
one of her favorite caves on Sunday when she had a day off.
Miles was enthusiastic about geology and the earth sciences in general
and wanted to bring that excitement to his students. Lofty goals, Piper mused.
She’d never been particularly interested in science; it was all literature and
PIPER LOOKED AT
library science classes for her. Perhaps she’d have been more enamored of
the subject if she had an engaging professor like Miles.
Twenty minutes later, she’d just picked up her purse from her office and
walked to the front door when—
“I’m glad I caught you.”
She startled, and her head snapped up. Jasper was standing by the door.
He winced. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry I’m so late. I meant to
get back here sooner.”
His hair was all mussed up, but he otherwise looked well.
“It’s fine. You don’t have to keep running back here to check on me. I
can handle things here. I know you’re busy,” Piper said, pulling the library
keys out of her purse. She tried but failed to keep her voice even. She walked
toward the door, passing Jasper, hoping he’d follow her out so she could head
home.
She reached the door, pulled back the handle, and hesitated. Jasper
hadn’t followed her. He remained where he’d been standing. He was
scowling. Ooh, she hadn’t seen a miffed Jasper before.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “I need to close up for the night.”
“I know you can handle this.” He gestured with his head behind him. “I
like coming here and spending time with you.”
“You do?” she said quietly. Frowning Jasper was an even hotter Jasper.
“Agree with you, human,” her bear whispered.
“Course, I do. I come here because you’re an amazing person who I
want to get to know better,” he said.
“You weren’t sent here on orders? You weren’t assigned to guard me?”
Piper asked. She needed to be sure.
He flinched. “No! Did someone tell you that? Is that what you thought?”
he asked.
She shook her head. Tears threatened. “No, nobody said that. I just
wasn’t sure. So much has happened.” She lowered her head so he wouldn’t
see her cry. Shit, she needed to stop with the tears.
Oof! Before she registered what happened, she was tucked up against his
chest.
“Shh, it’s OK. Let it out.” He held her tightly against him and rubbed
soothing strokes up and down her back.
She had to hold back a moan. His body was so warm, his arms so strong.
Get yourself together.
“Let mate comfort you. He needs it, too,” her bear said. “See how he’s
doing. Show some concern.”
“I’m OK.” Her voice was muffled as she was still pressed against his
chest. After a few seconds, he loosened his embrace and held her at arms’
length. He raised an eyebrow.
Piper smiled weakly. “Really, I’m good. Sorry I snapped at you. I’m just
tired, but you must be, too. Now, you tell me, how was your day?”
Chapter 12
him. He could smell the sadness in the air. A deep, dark
melancholy swirled around her. And she was asking him about his day? No,
he needed to take care of her.
“How about I follow you home, and we can order dinner, my treat?”
“I don’t know. I’m really tired,” she said without emotion.
“Have you eaten yet?” he persisted.
She shook her head and lowered her eyes. “No, I got busy and forgot.”
“Mate has to eat. Take care of her or I will,” his beast warned.
“Well, how about it then? You need to eat and so do I.” He groaned and
grunted as his reindeer continued to push at his being. The reindeer was not
happy that Piper wasn’t taking proper care of herself.
“What was that?” Piper was ever perceptive.
“My animal is upset that you haven’t eaten. He’s trying to force a
change.”
Her eyes widened. “Ooh, no you don’t, not in the library, you naughty
beast,” she teased.
His cock stiffened at her words. No, this isn’t what she needed right
now. She needed food and rest.
“He’ll behave,” Jasper croaked, “as long as he makes sure you eat
something.”
She rolled her eyes. “OK, fine. Let’s go then.”
About twenty minutes later, Jasper followed Piper through the front door of
her family’s home. The inside was all dark wood, but it wasn’t dank. The
atmosphere was cozy. He smiled as he eyed the numerous bookcases that
lined two walls of the spacious living room.
PIPER WAS KILLING
Piper was standing next to him, still in her coat, holding her purse. She
fidgeted with the strap of the bag. He noticed she’d lost some weight since
her father’s death. She was tall for a woman, but about average height for a
female bear shifter. Her shape was curvy but toned like an athlete. Now she
looked like she’d lost about fifteen pounds or so. She probably wasn’t eating
well. The dark circles under her eyes indicated trouble sleeping as well.
Someone needed to take care of her for a change.
“Hey, how about I get us something to drink while you put your feet up?
What would you like?” Jasper asked. The kitchen was just off the living
room. He propped his laptop bag against the wall next to the front door and
strode into the partially open concept kitchen.
“No, I can get it,” Piper argued.
He could hear the fatigue in her voice. “I insist. Just have a seat.” The
shiny black fridge had an ice and water dispenser. “How about some water?”
“Sure,” she said.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he went in search of
drinkware.
She removed her coat and draped it over the back of a recliner along
with her purse. She then plunked herself down on the largest of two dark blue
couches with a heavy sigh.
“How did your appointment go with the professor?” Jasper asked as he
pulled two tall blue glasses from a cabinet near the sink.
She was resting her head against the back of the sofa. “Oh, it went pretty
well. He was very interested in the polar caves in the area,” Piper said.
“Hmm, is he also a bear shifter?” Jasper asked. He filled the two glasses
with ice and then water from the fridge dispenser. He walked over and
handed a glass to Piper, then sat down next to her on the couch—not too
close as to crowd her, but close enough to keep his reindeer from revolting.
“Thanks,” Piper replied after taking the glass. She took a sip. “No, his
mother is or was a tiger shifter, but he can’t shift. He inherited her eyes—
these brilliant, almost glowing, green eyes—but that’s it.”
“Don’t want her looking at some other man’s eyes,” his reindeer hissed.
“Agreed,” he silently told his irate beast.
“Unusual, huh? I’ve never seen a tiger shifter before,” Piper said.
Jasper took a sip of his drink. “I’ve met a couple in the bureau, but
they’re both from the West coast. I haven’t seen any around here. This
professor seems nice?”
Piper took another sip and nodded. “Seems so. He’s trying to get his
students interested in science. He wants to take them on a field trip as part of
their lab. I offered to show him one of my favorite caves on Sunday. You’re
welcome to come if you’re free,” Piper offered.
He’d be free no matter what. He tamped down his jealousy and forced a
grin. “That would be great. I haven’t been to the caves since I was a kid. I’d
love to go.”
She gifted him with a warm smile that caused a burning in his chest.
“Feed mate, idiot human,” his animal scolded.
“I nearly forgot. Tell me what you’d like for dinner so I can place the
order while you tell me more about these caves.”
Chapter 13
screwed. She had found a kindred soul in the muscular federal
agent. They’d been talking non-stop since he placed the order for their pizzas.
He’d noticed the Robin Hobb books on one of her bookshelves, and it turned
out he was also a fan of the fantasy genre. She was so happy to find someone
to discuss books with. She was friendly with May, Iris, and more recently
Mac, but they weren’t huge readers like she was. She wouldn’t have thought
Jasper would share her interest, but it just goes to show you, you can’t judge a
book by its cover. She laughed out loud at her own corny joke.
“What’s so funny?” Jasper asked, a half-grin on his face. He was sitting
next to her on the couch, looking through some of the books he’d grabbed
from her shelves.
She felt her cheeks heat. “Just, you know, here I was judging a book by
its cover. I’m embarrassed.”
He leaned his head closer to hers. “Don’t be. How would you know I’m
into these books? Not many people do.”
Ring, ring, ring!
She startled, lurching forward from her seat.
Jasper laid a hand on her arm. “It’s just the door.” He glanced at his
watch. “Must be the pizza. I’ll get it.” He patted her arm once and then rose
and ambled to the door.
Piper stood up and walked to the kitchen to get plates but turned at the
sound of familiar voices at the door.
Jasper returned from answering the door with May and Beau behind
him. They were holding hands. Petite, blond wolf shifter May was smiling,
PIPER WAS SO
but her enormous grizzly shifter husband looked harried with his auburn hair
sticking out as if he’d been rubbing it repeatedly.
“You’re not pizza,” Piper mumbled inanely.
May barked out a laugh, while Beau grinned. “Pipe, when I was a cop, I
was called a lot of things by the idiots I arrested. I have to say, though, I’ve
never been called a pizza.”
Piper groaned. “Oh, you know what I mean. We ordered a pizza and
thought you guys were it.” She walked over and gave May and then Beau a
hug. “What’re you guys doing here? Did I forget we had plans?” She didn’t
think she’d made plans with the Shanleys, but her mind was so messed up
recently… She looked at Jasper, who was frowning.
“No, no. This was a last-minute visit. I hope you don’t mind us stopping
over. We’ll keep it brief since you have company,” Beau said, eyes
twinkling.
Damn it. Her cheeks warmed once more. “No, it’s OK. Jasper and I
were just going to eat some dinner. Do you guys want to join us?” Piper
asked.
Beau tugged May in closer to him, wrapping one arm around her
shoulder. “No, I have plans for a quiet dinner at home with my lovely wife.
She just wanted to come over here and make sure you were OK.”
“What? Why wouldn’t she be OK?” Jasper asked. His tone was guarded.
“Here, sit down.” Piper gestured for May and Beau to sit on the couch
opposite the one she and Jasper had been seated on.
“Thanks,” May said, sitting down. Beau sat down close to his wife. He
pulled her against his body. May squeezed his hand and smiled lovingly at
him.
Watching the couple, Piper sighed. They looked so in love.
“Give mate some time, human. You’ll be there soon,” her inner bear
chuffed.
“Can I get you guys anything?” Piper asked.
May shook her head. “No, no. We’re fine. I just wanted to check on you
because I had one of my visions. I painted you this afternoon. I had just
finished one of my painting classes. The last of the students had just left and I
was cleaning up. I just went into this trance, and when I came to, I had
painted you.”
“Whoa, really? Are you OK?” Piper asked.
May nodded.
Beau squeezed her shoulder gently, worry evident in his eyes. “Thank
God for that.”
“What was I doing?” Piper asked.
May waved Piper over toward her. “Here, I’m not really sure. I took a
picture of the painting with my phone. Look.”
“Come look too, Jasper,” Piper said. She rose from her seat on the coach
and moved to May’s side, crouching next to where her friend sat. Jasper
followed her and kneeled on the floor next to Piper.
She gasped at the picture on May’s phone. The image was of Piper lying
in bed in the long thermal shirt and pants she wore as pajamas, her hair loose,
her eyes closed. It looked as if there were blue and orange sparks emitting
from her hands, which clutched at her comforter. May had also drawn
another more ethereal version of her. This second Piper was depicted floating
horizontally above the first Piper, looking down at her.
“What the hell?” Jasper growled. “Why does she look like a ghost?”
May shook her head. “I don’t know. Remember, I was in a trance. I
don’t think she’s a ghost, but it does look like she’s flying,” May mused.
“Floating maybe,” Beau added. “My wife was so upset, she insisted we
come right over and make sure you’re OK.”
Piper forced her gaze away from the image to May. She was biting her
lower lip and frowning. She was concerned. The small, but mighty, wolf had
a huge heart. She grabbed one of May’s hands in hers. “Thank you for
worrying about me. I’m not sure what it means, but maybe it will become
clearer soon.” She pasted a smile to her face to try to reassure May.
Ring, ring, ring!
“That must be the pizza,” Piper said. She stood and took a step toward
the door.
“No, stay there. I’ll go get it,” Jasper said.
Chapter 14
air. He gathered his thoughts as he walked to the door.
Seeing Piper floating in the air as if she were a spirit, as if she were dead, had
chilled him to the bone. And was that fire coming from her hands? His heart
raced.
It’s just a painting. It’s not real.
But he knew all about May’s powers, Piper’s, too. Maybe May had seen
Piper using some of her powers in her vision. He opened the door, paid the
teenager delivering the pizza from Pizza Chef—his favorite—and then
carried the two meat-lovers’ pies into the kitchen and deposited them on the
granite countertop. He had been amazed that Piper was a fan of his beloved
meat-lovers’ as well. He was the only one among his extended family who
ate meat. His parents had too, but … well, that didn’t matter. The more time
he spent with Piper, the more he learned they had so much in common.
He probably only had needed to order one of the extra-large pies, but his
beast was pushing to feed Piper. While he’d been searching for drink glasses
earlier, he noticed the lack of food in the cabinets. If he checked the fridge, he
bet there wouldn’t be much either. He wouldn’t go snooping, though. It’d be
presumptuous and rude, and Piper didn’t deserve that. Now, if she asked him
to get something out of the fridge, then that’d be fair game.
He grabbed two plates and selected a couple of slices for Piper and
himself. He was on his way back to the living room when Piper appeared
holding their two empty glasses.
“Do you need some help finding anything?” Piper asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. Was just on my way back. Are Beau and
May still here?”
JASPER NEEDED SOME
“No. I just walked them to the door. They said to tell you bye,” Piper
said. Her gaze locked onto the plates. “That looks so good. I haven’t had
pizza for a while.”
“Well, I’m glad. There’s plenty here. I was going to bring the food into
the living room, but if you’d rather eat here in the kitchen…” This was so
weird, this feeling of being unsure of himself.
Piper’s shoulders lowered slightly, relaxing. “Living room is perfect.”
She walked over to the fridge and opened it. “I’m fine with water, but did you
want a beer or glass of wine?”
Still holding the two plates, he turned so he could see over her shoulder
into the fridge. Just as he suspected, it was pretty barren.
“Ooh, I’m sorry. I guess I don’t have any beer or wine here. I can look
in the cupboards to see if I have a bottle of something stashed away,” she
rambled. “The kitchen’s not usually so bare. I just haven’t had a chance to go
shopping.” Sadness was evident in her voice.
“No, water’s perfect. This pizza is so good, it doesn’t need beer or wine
to muck up the flavors,” he said, trying to lift her mood.
She smiled at him and refilled their glasses with ice and water.
He gestured with a nod. “After you,” he said with mock formality.
“Why, thank you,” Piper replied, playing along.
He followed her back to the living room and sat next to her on the sofa.
He placed the two plates on the coffee table in front of them. Piper placed his
glass on the table next to his plate and handed him a napkin that she’d
grabbed.
“Bon appétit,” Jasper said, grabbing his plate and placing it on his lap.
She chuckled and began eating.
He picked up a piece and tried not to devour it like a savage. It was hard
since this was his guilty pleasure, at least food-wise.
“Oooh, this is just as good as I remembered,” Piper said with a grin.
Man, if this was all it took to bring a smile to her face, he’d have it
delivered to the library every day for her.
“How was your day?” Piper asked him.
He finished chewing and placed all that remained of slice number one,
namely the crust, back onto his plate. “It was pretty busy. Normally I
wouldn’t go into details, but I trust you will keep this confidential, right?”
“Of course,” Piper said, placing a hand on his forearm.
His cock twitched at her touch. Keep it together.
He nodded at her. “I believe you.” He paused for a second, then inhaled
deeply. “Well, there was some trouble out on the Calloway’s dairy farm.”
“Is everyone OK?” Piper asked, frowning.
He nodded. “Yes, Mr. and Mrs. C and all the workers are fine. Several
of their dairy cows were killed, though.”
“Oh, no. That’s terrible. Was it an animal?”
He shrugged. “We’re not exactly sure. It was an unusual sort of scene.
The animals were eviscerated. All that was left was skin and bones. There
wasn’t even any blood at the scene.”
“What?” She placed a hand over her mouth.
“It gets even stranger. The attack happened during the morning when
everyone was awake, but no one heard a peep of distress from the animals.”
“Nobody heard anything?” Piper asked, leaning forward on the couch.
“I know. Doesn’t make much sense to me,” Jasper said.
She bit her lower lip and then took a sip of water, leaning back once
more. “Hmmm.”
“What’re you thinking?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It…it just seems supernatural. Almost has to be, don’t
you think? I mean, what else could explain it?”
“What do you mean by supernatural? You think a shifter did this?”
She grimaced. “Not a typical shifter, but a shifter using magic might be
able to do such a thing.”
“Have you ever seen a spell in your readings that could do something
like this?”
She shook her head. “No, but I’m still only scratching the surface of the
spells in the archives. There’re so many. This seems like something only an
experienced wielder of magic would be able to do.”
“Unfortunately, I think you’re right.” He leaned back against the couch
and scratched his chin. “Is it the devil we know or someone we don’t yet
know?” He took a bite of his second slice and chewed, watching Piper as she
slowly worked on her first piece of pizza. After swallowing, he said, “So,
what do you think about May’s painting?”
Chapter 15
PIPER CHOKED ON
the water she was sipping. Dang it, Jasper never missed a
trick.
She cleared her throat and then replied. “Oh, it was very realistic. It
looked just like me.”
He frowned and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “I agree, but
that’s not what I meant. The scene she drew was rather bizarre. I was
wondering if you knew what it meant.”
Should I tell him? Will he think I’m crazy?
“He’s worried. Trust him,” her bear’s deep voice advised.
Seeing the lines of concern on his face, she had to agree with her beast.
She put her slice of pizza back down on her plate and sat up straighter. “I
believe I might.”
“If you’re comfortable telling me, maybe I can help,” Jasper said.
Piper placed her plate on the coffee table and leaned against the back of
the sofa. “You won’t tell anyone, will you? I’m not ready for people to think
I’m crazy.”
Jasper adjusted himself so he was facing her more directly. “I won’t say
a word. No one will think you’re crazy, though. Just so you know. This town
is so full of supernatural events that I’d believe almost anything is possible.”
He looked so serious, so earnest.
She inhaled a deep breath that she let out slowly. “Well, ever since my
father passed away, I’ve had a few disturbing dreams…or rather nightmares.”
She paused.
He nodded. “That’s to be expected. You were kidnapped, lost your dad,
and then your sister was sent away to prison all within a month. I’d be
surprised if you didn’t have nightmares.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Well, during the last nightmare, something
really weird happened. I found myself stuck outside of my own body.” She
stopped and tried to gauge his response. He was completely focused on her,
eyes kind, no judgment. She continued. “It was as if I was floating above my
body. I could even see my body—another version of me—lying in bed in my
pajamas. Once I saw myself tossing in my sleep, I knew I was alive. I just
didn’t know how to get my mind or soul or essence, whatever, back inside
my body.”
“That’s never happened before?” Jasper asked.
She shook her head. “It freaked me out. At first, I didn’t know if I was
dead, and my spirit was leaving my body.” When tears filled her eyes, she
blinked them away.
He placed a hand on hers and squeezed. “What did you do?”
“I was luckily able to call my magic to me. Somehow, the magic helped
me return to my body. I called it to me, begged it for help. I could feel
something like electricity at my hands. I heard crackles and snaps like
lightning.”
“Like your hands in May’s picture,” Jasper said.
She shivered. “Yeah, looked pretty close. At least what I could see from
my vantage point.”
“Is that why you haven’t been sleeping? The nightmares and this, this…
out of body experience?” Jasper asked.
“The nightmares are part of the reason. The out of body thing just
happened last night so it hasn’t affected me too badly, at least yet. Wait, how
did you know I haven’t been sleeping well?”
“Piper, you have dark circles under your eyes. The past couple of weeks
when I’ve seen you at the library, you’ve looked dead on your feet.”
Piper folded her arms across her chest and slid further from him on the
couch. She scowled. “So, you’re saying I look terrible? Is that it?”
Before she knew which end was up, Piper found herself wrapped within
Jasper’s strong arms, sitting on his lap. Her head was tucked down, her face
against his chest. “Hey!” she squeaked. “You implied I looked like a wreck!”
“Shhh, stop fussing.” He ran soothing strokes up and down her back.
She trembled at his touch. She breathed in his wild scent and relaxed
into his arms.
“You know that’s not what I meant, don’t you?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she mumbled, face pressed against his sweater.
He chuckled and continued to hold her close to him. “I don’t care what
you look like, other than you seem exhausted. You’re not taking care of
yourself. It’s not healthy. You don’t want to end up in the hospital, do you?”
She stilled. He was really worried about her.
He held her out away from his chest a bit and smiled. “Of course, I’m
worried about you.”
Woops, she didn’t realize she’d said that out loud.
He brushed a finger down her cheek. She swallowed heavily. It suddenly
felt hot in her home.
“Hey, focus. You need to finish eating and then get to bed. I’m not
leaving ’til you eat at least two pieces and head off to bed.”
His deep eyes were so intense. She found herself wanting to just listen
and follow his instructions, at least for now. She sighed. “OK, not because
you’re bossy, though. It’s because I do love this pizza.”
He stroked her cheek again, his eyes not leaving hers. “That so?”
She nodded. “I might be a little tired too, so I think I will go to sleep
early tonight.”
He chuckled at that. “OK then.”
Chapter 16
think he was insulting her looks? He wanted her so badly that
it was all he could do to keep his hands off her. She needed care and
compassion right now, not his lips all over her beautiful naked body.
Hopefully soon, though.
“Take care of our mate,” his beast commanded.
Piper was taking a quick shower while he tidied up after dinner. There
wasn’t much for him to clean up, so he meandered through her home,
checking to make sure it was secure from intruders. He liked the layout of
Piper’s home. Similar to the homes of most bear shifters he’d met, the main
bedrooms were all downstairs at the basement level. The unusual
arrangement gave the bedrooms a homey, den-like atmosphere. Jasper liked
the fact that Piper was more protected from break-ins when she was in her
bedroom, it being underground. He didn’t know what caused the carnage at
the farm today, but it was gruesome. After witnessing the crime scene, his
natural instinct to keep her safe was even more powerful.
After ensuring all the windows and both front and back doors were
locked, he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed Heath.
“What new disaster are you calling me about?” Heath growled.
“You know, most people answer the phone with ‘hello’’” Jasper
quipped.
“Most people know not to interrupt my alone time with my mate,” Heath
snipped.
Jasper could tell by the tone of his buddy’s voice and from Mac’s
giggles in the background that he wasn’t too angry. “Please give Mac my
HOW COULD SHE
apologies for interrupting. I just wanted to see if you had any new
information on today’s crime scene.”
“Nothing you don’t already know. I’ll inform you of any updates as
soon as I hear anything. I expect you to do the same. So, where are you this
fine evening that you are bothering me at this hour?” Heath asked.
“I’m at Piper’s. We just had dinner and I wanted to make sure her place
was secure before I left. We have a guy out in the woods doing surveillance,
but I still don’t like her being out here by herself.”
“Jay, she’s a freakin’ bear and a witch, too. She’ll be fine. Although,
you could stay out there and keep an eye on her. You know, just to be sure.”
Heath was baiting him.
“Heath, leave them alone!” Mac chided her husband in the background.
“Listen to your mate, you pest. By the way, May and Beau stopped by
here earlier.”
“Is everything OK? Why were they there?” Heath asked. He was still
May’s overprotective big brother, even though she had an enormous grizzly
shifter for a husband.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. May just wanted to show us a painting she
did.”
Heath groaned. “Do I want to know what of?”
“No. I don’t imagine you do. Nothing for you to worry about right now,
though,” Jasper said. He didn’t want to tell Heath about Piper’s out-of-body
experience. He wouldn’t break his promise to her. Just then he heard soft
footsteps moving toward him.
“Got to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Jasper said and clicked the phone
off before waiting for Heath’s reply. He turned and saw a sheepish Piper
shuffling down the hallway. He grinned at the cute picture she presented in
her light blue thermal long underwear-style pajamas, her dark hair in a long
braid down her back. “You ready for bed?” he asked, trying but failing to
wipe the smile off his face. He couldn’t help it; she looked adorable.
She scowled, but the action morphed into a yawn. She covered her
mouth with a hand, and then nodded. “Yeah. I’ll see you out.”
He—and his beast—wanted to stay and guard her all night, but he
supposed that’d freak her out. He kept his mouth shut and followed her to the
front door. She opened it and turned to face him.
“Can I see you tomorrow?” he blurted out. Way to be calm and
collected, idiot!
She chuckled. “I see you every day at the library.”
He cleared his throat, which suddenly had become tight. “Will you let
me take you out to dinner tomorrow?”
“We just had dinner tonight,” she said in a low voice.
She was swaying on her feet. Poor thing was dead tired despite her
protests. He moved closer to her, wanting to catch her if she fell. “Yes, we
did, but I want to spend more time with you.”
“Well, that’s good because I want to spend time with you, too,” she said.
She lowered her head, but he’d already seen her flushed cheeks.
He let out a dramatically fake sigh. “Whew, that’s a relief. What time
would you like me to pick you up?”
She closed her eyes and bit her lip. “Since tomorrow’s Saturday, I’ll be
home by four. How about you pick me up here at five-thirty?”
He squeezed her hand. “Perfect. Now lock up behind me.”
Chapter 17
locked up behind Jasper. For a moment when he turned to
face her at the door, she thought he was going to kiss her goodnight. She had
to admit she was a little disappointed that he hadn’t. On the other hand, she
was glad he left before noticing her hands.
She turned away from the door and looked down at them. She flexed
them open and closed as sparkles of dim orange light shot out from her
fingers. They didn’t hurt, but felt tingly, like she was full of static electricity
that wouldn’t dissipate.
She shuffled over to the couch and sat down with a soft thump. She
raised her hands up in front of her face, opening and closing them again. She
was wired, no longer tired. She couldn’t sleep now. Jasper would be so mad
if he knew she hadn’t gone right to bed. She smiled, thinking of bossy Jasper.
She got kind of turned on when he got all commanding with her.
“You like mate to take charge. Me too,” her bear chimed.
She was too riled up to go to sleep now. Her skin buzzed with energy.
Might as well make use of this burst of motivation and get some work done.
Mmm, maybe she could help Jasper out while she was at it. She hopped up
off the couch, walked down the hall, and descended the stairs leading down
to her bedroom.
“Yeah, well, I don’t think he’s going to be too happy when he realizes
I’m going out tonight,” she said out loud.
“Reindeer will not be pleased. Go to bed,” her bear hissed.
“Can’t sleep with all the magic running through me. I’m going to head
to the library to do some research,” she told her animal silently.
The beast groaned in response.
PIPER CLOSED AND
She packed a change of clothing as well as shoes into a small backpack
and zipped it up. She knew the SCB had an agent watching her house. Her
shifter senses enabled her to sniff him or her out every time she walked
outside her home. The best way for her to get to the library unencumbered
was to do it in her bear form. The agent would notice her, of course, but
would keep his or her distance if she was in her beast form, figuring she’d
want privacy.
She ascended back upstairs and exited the house through the sliding
glass doors in her living room, coming out onto her back deck. She placed the
backpack down at her feet and shuffled her slippers off, nudging them to the
side with her foot. Piper scanned the forest behind her home, using her
enhanced sense of sight and smell to identify anyone trying to hide among the
snow-dappled pine and birch trees.
After a few seconds, she spied her guard about two hundred yards away.
A large female wolf, jet-black in color and similar to Heath’s animal form,
was mostly hidden from view, using a couple of downed tree trunks as cover.
Must be one of Jasper’s colleagues since Piper had never seen her in Grey
Lake before. She didn’t sense any aggression coming from the wolf, so it was
time to shift and get down to work.
Piper pulled off her pajama top, folded it, and lay it down neatly on her
patio table. She then removed her thermal pajama bottoms and underwear,
folded them, and lay them on her top. She pulled the elastic from her hair and
pulled her hair loose from its braid. She stared out at the woods and relaxed.
The electric-like tingling was still running through her body, but she was able
to quiet her mind temporarily. She focused on her inner beast and called her
forth. Magic swirled around her body as she smoothly shifted into her black
bear form.
“Finally, it’s about time, human,” her bear said.
“Let’s head to the library so I can find some information to help
Jasper,” Piper coaxed her animal.
Her bear huffed. “So demanding, little human. Might as well get started.
As soon as mate finds out what you’re doing, he’s going to come and get
you.” The beast picked up Piper’s backpack in her mouth and ambled off the
deck into the woods.
Chapter 18
RING, RING, RING!
Jasper awoke with a start. “What the hell?” It was pitch black in his
room. He scowled at his cellphone on the bedside table.
He reached an arm out and grabbed the offending device. He frowned at
the display when he recognized the number of one of his fellow SCB agents.
“Zoey, it’s the middle of the night. What’s going on?”
Zoey Sadler was a wolf shifter originally from San Antonio. Primarily
an IT specialist, she was one of the officers taking rotation guarding Piper,
Iris, Aiden, and May. The SCB ranks were being stretched as they were
involved with numerous cases all over the US.
“I’ve been on shift watching your little librarian this evening.”
Jasper bristled, then shook it off. He liked people thinking of Piper as
his. That’s how he thought of her. Well, at least hopefully she’d be his soon.
“So, what’s the problem? Is she OK?” Jasper asked, voice rising.
“She’s fine, but, well…” Zoey trailed off.
“Well, what? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but a couple of hours ago, around eleven or so,
she showed up on her back deck. She shifted and took off into the woods,”
Zoey drawled.
“What?” Jasper yelled.
“Hey, there. No need to yell. She’s fine,” Zoey said.
“I told her to go to bed. She was exhausted. Looked dead on her feet,”
Jasper ranted.
“Hah, well, seems like she had something to do. I followed her, of
course. She went right to the library. She shifted back and changed in the
bushes out front and let herself in. She hasn’t left since.”
“Shit, son of a bitch! What could she be up to? Are you right outside?”
“Sure am. She’s the only one in the building as far as I can tell. I don’t
see any lights on inside either,” Zoey said.
“She’s probably down in the archival room.” Jasper sighed. “Let me get
dressed, and I’ll head right over.”
“You don’t have to. Everything’s fine. I was just letting you know as
you seem to have a personal interest in this client.”
Jasper grunted. “I think she’s mine.”
Zoey laughed. “You think she’s yours? I’d say she was. You’re one of
the most even-keeled agents I’ve ever worked with, but you’ve been acting
different ever since this particular client was kidnapped. You’ve gone all
possessive and growly. I’ve seen it happen before when a shifter finds his or
her mate. Remember, I have seven older brothers.”
Shoot, seven older brothers? “You’re imagining things. I haven’t treated
her any differently than any other person under protection.”
“Hah! Whatever you need to tell yourself, reindeer. Take your time
getting over here. I’m here for the night whether you go and bother the poor
woman or not,” Zoey answered.
Jasper ended the call and closed his eyes. What would it take for Piper to
take care of herself?
Chapter 19
energized than she had in days, she mused as she unlocked
the front door to the library. It felt good to shift and let her beast out for a bit.
Shifting always left her feeling more refreshed. Her beast was usually more
cooperative once she got out for a while, too.
“Happy to explore, but you’re going to be sorry when mate finds you
here,” her bear warned.
“That’s nonsense. He’s not the boss of me. I have no one to answer to,”
she silently told the unruly she-bear. No one at all.
“Hmpf, if that’s what you think, then you’re not as smart as I thought,”
the beast answered.
Piper groaned. She turned and locked the door behind her. She knew
that the SCB wolf agent had followed her from her home, but it was still safer
to lock the place up. She rolled up the sleeves on her thin sweater, slung her
backpack over one arm, and strode past the circulation desk to the stairwell
that led downstairs to where the shifter archives were stored.
She typed the passcode into the electronic pad to the right of the room
and heard the familiar click as it unlocked. She smiled, thinking of how
Jasper had insisted that he be the one to set up the security system for this
room. Maybe it didn’t mean anything, maybe he’d have done it for anyone,
but she liked to think she was special to him.
“So dense. You are special to him. How many times do I have to tell
you?” her bear whined.
“You’re not an unbiased source, so you don’t count,” Piper scolded her
animal out loud. She flexed her tingling hands. “Now, let’s try to find a spell
PIPER FELT MORE
that might explain what Jasper found at the farm earlier while the magic is
still thrumming through my body.”
She dropped her backpack on the floor next to the large table in the
center of the room and turned to face the wall of bookshelves to her left that
were filled with remarkably well preserved—thanks to Tessa—shifter books
of history and magic. She put her hands on her hips and bit her lower lip.
Where to begin?
Zzzzzst, zzzzzst!
She looked down at her hands. Light orange sparks shot out from her
fingers, traveling about a foot before disappearing into thin air. She spread
her fingers out, flicking them, but the sparks kept coming. This was so weird.
Thankfully, it didn’t hurt, just felt static-y. She hoped this meant she’d be
able to read the magic spell books. Her magical talents were so green that
even though the strange writing in the spell books was sometimes legible,
other times it looked like gibberish.
She closed her eyes and focused on Jasper. She wanted to help him.
C’mon magic, give me a break. He’s helped me so much, it’s my turn now.
Thud!
She gasped and turned to her right. A hardcover dark blue book had
fallen onto the floor from a shelf.
She walked over and knelt beside it. She picked up the heavy book, lay
it on the table, and took a seat. It looked to be at least a hundred years old,
and most likely even older than that. There was writing in gold script on the
cover. Piper squinted at the word, which was unfortunately not in English.
She opened and closed both hands, sparks flying off into the air. She closed
her eyes, slowed her breathing, and tried to quiet her mind. She opened her
eyes and stared at the writing.
The gibberish morphed into the word Guardians.
“Guardians,” Piper said aloud to herself. “What the heck?”
“Look inside, silly human,” her bear urged.
She opened the book and began slowly turning the pages, not wanting to
damage the precious artifact. The words on each page morphed as she stared
from illegible scribbling into English words. The book was divided into
chapters, with faded color images at the start of each new one.
Chapter 1: The Mighty An image of a massive black bear shifter, mouth
open, claws extended, ready to attack, heralded the first chapter of the book.
She turned the delicate pages with care. She flipped through to the next
chapter.
Chapter 2: The Seer A light gray, almost white wolf shifter with
unnatural colorless eyes was depicted in front of a crystal orb. A vivid scene
of war was projected in the air from the circular glass. What was this all
about? While her powers worked differently, Piper supposed May was a seer
of sorts. She flipped through the pages of text until she reached the third
chapter.
Chapter 3: The Healer A short dark-haired woman was kneeling beside
an injured lion. The female’s hands were lying on the injured beast’s
bloodied abdomen. Glowing orange light was flowing from her fingers. From
what she’d been told by May and Iris, and even the woman herself, Mac’s
powers worked like this. She continued past the rest of the chapter to the
next.
Chapter 4: The Magic Wielder A large black bear sat among evergreens
in the forest in front of a small fire. The animal’s eyes were closed, and its
paws were held aloft. Sparks of orange radiated out from the beast’s sharp
claws. Piper’s heart raced. Could this be her? She examined the pages of the
book. This couldn’t be. The book was at least a hundred years old. She
needed to talk to Tessa and find out what was going on. She knew the
phoenix was preoccupied with health issues, but surely, she could answer a
few questions, right?
Chapter 5: The Swift A sleek tan cat ran through the trees beneath a firebreathing orange phoenix. The feline’s paws were illuminated by a light
orange light. Who was this? Frowning, Piper continued.
Chapter 6: The Heart Several animals and humans were huddled
together in the woods in front of the mouth of a cave. Wolves, bears, flight
shifters, large cats along with several humans appeared to be in mourning. A
chill ran down Piper’s spine. This was wrong. She flipped through the
remaining pages of the book. This was the last chapter. She turned back to
the cover and sucked in a deep breath.
These were guardians of what? She looked at the clock on the wall.
12:30 a.m. Ah, so it was now morning. She looked down at the book on
the table in front of her. The magic energy was still flowing through her
body. Better get reading while she still could understand the writing. She
opened the book once more to the first chapter.
*
Bang, bang, bang!
Piper awoke with a start. She rubbed at her eyes. Where the heck? She
looked around. Right, she was still in the archives. She must have fallen
asleep. The book she’d been reading was open in front of her.
Bang, bang, bang!
Someone was trying to break into the library—no, they were trying to
break into this room, which meant they’d already broken into the library.
Crap! Get it in gear, Piper!
“Piper, it’s me, Jasper. Can I come in?” Jasper’s deep voice bellowed.
Woops! “Yes, just a sec.”
She heard the beeping of the keypad, and the door was pulled open.
A furious looking Jasper was standing there in jeans and a dark green
hooded sweatshirt, his hair in disarray.
“Told you he’d be mad,” her bear sang.
Chapter 20
Her dark brown hair was loose and wild. One side of
her face was pink and lined as if she’d been sleeping on it. She looked sweet,
but he was still furious.
Stay calm. Don’t yell. You’ll freak her out if you shout. He forced
himself to take deep, slow breaths.
She tilted her head at him and squinted. “Are you OK? You look like
you have a headache.”
He couldn’t stop the growl he released. He coughed to clear his throat.
He could feel his right eyelid twitching. “Yes, I’m fine. What are you doing
here? It’s the middle of the night!”
She winced. “I couldn’t sleep.” A few seconds later, her eyelids lowered
slightly, and she scowled at him. “Hey, you’re not the boss of me. Why’re
you here anyway?”
He pulled a chair out from the other side of the table where she sat and
plunked down with a sigh. “The SCB agent who was watching you called me.
She told me she followed your bear over here hours ago. I was worried about
you. I thought you were going to sleep.”
She granted him a sleepy smile. “You were worried?”
He went to nod, but she interrupted.
“Wait, why did this agent call you?” Piper asked.
Jasper leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “She knew I’d
want to check on you.”
“Why?” Piper asked, eyes wide.
“She knows I care about you,” Jasper said. He watched her response
carefully. Would she dismiss him? Be scared of him?
“HI!” PIPER SQUEAKED.
He watched in amazement as her breathing sped up. Her pulse beat more
rapidly. He scented her arousal. Thank God!
“You do?”
His cock went rigid in his pants. Calm down, stay steady. He nodded.
She smiled shyly at him.
“But I’m still angry at you for not staying in bed. You’re not taking care
of yourself, so I’m going to have to do it.” He pushed his chair back from the
table and stood up. “Let’s go home.”
Her jaw dropped. She opened and closed her mouth, but no words came
out.
“C’mon, let’s get you to bed,” he said.
To his utter surprise, she pushed her chair back and stood slowly. Good,
this’ll be easier than I imagined, he thought.
She closed a large book on the table and placed it back on one of the
shelves with care. She then turned and picked a backpack up off the floor
next to the table. “You can just drop me off. I’ll be fine.”
He held out a hand to her, and she placed hers within. He yanked her
close, her body crashing into his arms. He felt her shiver. “Not so fast,
beautiful. I’ll be escorting you inside and making sure you stay in bed this
time. You look dead on your feet.”
She looked dazed. Or was it stunned? He couldn’t tell at the moment. He
was just glad she didn’t seem to be fighting him. Now, to take care of his
mate.
Chapter 21
confused. Why hadn’t she argued with Jasper? She’d just given
in to his bossy demands. Maybe it was pure exhaustion.
“Maybe you just know he’s right,” her bear argued silently.
Jasper had carried her into his SUV. She let him. And she regretted
nothing. She was now sitting in the passenger seat, covered in a blanket he’d
pulled from the back. He turned the heater up full blast after he’d wordlessly
buckled her in, climbed inside, and started the vehicle.
“You can lower the heat. I’m warm enough,” she quietly said after
they’d been on the road for a few minutes.
He grunted in response but kept his hands on the wheel.
“I was just trying to help you,” Piper mumbled, looking out the side
window into the darkness.
“What?” he asked.
“I went to the archives tonight to try to find out about spells that might
have caused the trouble at the farm. I just wanted to help you,” she answered.
“That’s not your job!” he said sharply.
She flinched at his tone.
He must’ve noticed her reaction because he gestured with an open hand
and spoke in much kinder tones. “Look, I’m sorry about yelling. I just…” He
shook his head. “It’s just, you don’t need to worry about helping me. You
need to be focused on yourself right now. I appreciate your concern. I do, but
the SCB and the police will take care of this. They’re trained professionals.”
What a bunch of BS! They weren’t trained in shifter magic, at least she
didn’t think they were. She kept her mouth shut as she was too tired to argue
with him. Moreover, she didn’t want to argue with him.
PIPER WAS SO
“He’s just concerned. You’re making him worry,” her bear said.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat.
“Ahh!” Piper jumped. She looked all around, trying to force her eyes to
focus. “Oh, Jasper. I must have dozed off.” They were still in his SUV, but it
was now parked in her driveway. Jasper’s right hand was clasping her left
arm.
He winced. “I’m sorry. I tried to wake you gently. You were out cold for
practically the whole ride.” He shut off the engine and pocketed his keys.
“Let’s get you inside. I’ll get your door.”
Before she could say a word, he had exited the vehicle, grabbed a
backpack from the backseat, and moved around the front to her door. He
opened it up and held out a hand.
She unbuckled her seatbelt, lifted the blanket that was lying on top of
her, and started to fold it.
“Don’t worry about that. Just leave it, please.”
She moved the blanket aside, grabbed her own bag that was lying at her
feet, gave him her hand, and climbed out. Jasper released her hand, seeming
reluctantly, when they arrived at the front door. She unlocked it and walked
inside. Jasper followed her in. He closed the door behind them and engaged
the deadbolt. He then took a step, so he was standing in front of her. He and
his beast had a large presence that seemed to fill the usually empty home. She
needed to keep her bearings.
She eyed him warily. “Thanks for bringing me home. I’ll head right
down to bed. I, um, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, or actually later today.”
Jasper chuckled. “Now what kind of SCB agent would I be if I fell for
the same story twice in less than twenty-four hours? I’ll be staying here to
keep an eye on you.”
“What?” she squeaked. Her heart began to race, and her face warmed.
“I’m going to keep an eye on you. I’ll stay here and make sure you stay
in bed undisturbed. I’ll just get some work done.” He lifted his backpack as a
gesture.
Of course, that’s what he meant. He didn’t mean he was going to sleep
with her. Stop dreaming, Piper. “OK,” she said in a quiet voice.
He gestured with a nod of his head for her to proceed down the hall.
“Let’s go. The bedrooms are downstairs, right?”
“Ah, yeah. The main bedrooms are downstairs. There are a couple of
guestrooms up here,” she mumbled. She turned and shuffled down the hall
with him right behind.
“I always loved that about bear shifters, the den-like bedrooms. It’s
comfy. Reindeer can sleep anywhere. When you get to know me better,
you’ll see that I can fall asleep almost anywhere. It’s a blessing and a curse,”
he rambled.
When I get to know him better? Oh man!
She opened the door that led downstairs to the three bedrooms, now all
empty except for hers. Jasper followed her down, talking the whole way. He
was mentioning something about how reindeer can sleep standing up and that
they can see better than most mammals in the dark. She’d never heard him
talk so much in one setting.
“Maybe he’s nervous,” her bear suggested.
“Why?” she spoke aloud. She walked past her father’s now empty room
to hers and stopped outside the door.
“Why what?” Jasper asked.
Shoot! She didn’t realize she’d said that out loud.
“Oh, nothing. Sorry, I was just talking to my bear,” she said. She waved
her hand toward her bedroom door. “Well, this is my stop. I’ll go to sleep. I
need to get up by eight to open the library by nine.”
“Is Ms. Matthews off tomorrow?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, she’s working too.”
“Well, you get some sleep. I’ll see if she can open up for you. You can
sleep in a bit.”
“What? No! She doesn’t need to do it. I’m perfectly capable—”
He held up both hands. “Yes, yes you are. No one who knows you
would ever think that you aren’t capable. Also, no one would complain if you
slept in once in a while. After the past couple of months you’ve had, you
earned it. Just don’t set your alarm. Get up whenever your body wakes you
up. That’s all. Just for today.”
She frowned.
“Please, just for today. I’ll make sure the library is taken care of. I
promise,” he said.
He was so stubborn, and she really was too fatigued to argue. “OK, OK.
Just this once. Thanks.” She opened her bedroom door but turned back to
face him. “Where will you be?”
“I’ll camp out in your living room. I need to do a little bit of research on
my laptop. Now, go. Get some rest.” He nodded at her room.
She sighed heavily. “Goodnight.”
He smiled at her. “Sleep tight.”
Chapter 22
Piper shut her bedroom door, Jasper wandered back upstairs to the
living room. He pulled his laptop out of his bag and set it up on the coffee
table. Feeling hot, he pulled off his sweatshirt, leaving him in just a white Tshirt and a pair of jeans. He removed his combat boots and sat down on the
couch. He lifted his computer onto his lap and fired it up.
“Need to figure out if there’s been any unusual animal attacks in the
area,” he mused to himself.
“No, you need to make sure mate is kept safe from harm. That’s your
job,” his animal hissed.
“She may not be interested in us when she realizes how controlling I
am,” he silently replied to his other half.
He sighed heavily. He’d learned from his parents, and later his aunt and
uncle, to treat women as equals. As he matured, he realized that he was very
protective over the women in his life; more so than even most shifters, which
was saying a lot. He didn’t know why, but he had this innate need to
safeguard the women he was involved with. Maybe it had something to do
with losing his parents so young, he didn’t know. He’d been called oldfashioned, overbearing, and suffocating by the women he’d dated since
college. And those were the nicest things some of his former girlfriends had
lobbed his way.
“That’s why we don’t do this. We’re not made for long-term
relationships. There’s something wrong with us,” he growled to his beast.
“Nonsense. Those women were not made for you. You were not made
for them. Your true mate will understand you and accept you, just as you will
accept her wholly,” his reindeer replied.
AS SOON AS
He rubbed his eyes with both hands. He hoped his other half was right.
He was drawn to Piper. She was smart, brave, and beautiful.
“She’s also stubborn. Perfect for you. She’ll keep you on your toes,” his
reindeer chuckled.
Jasper shook his head. He needed to get some work done. No more
messing around.
After a rather unsuccessful hour, he took a break, brewed himself some
coffee, and then sat back on the sofa with a new plan. Instead of looking for
unusual animal attacks, he was going to look for strange break-ins, thefts, and
attacks; basically, any out-of-the-ordinary unsolved crime in northern New
England. He’d start with the past six months and then expand from there.
About forty-five minutes later, he’d compiled a list of events that needed
further follow-up. He stood up walked around the living room to clear his
mind of the haze. Most of what he had discovered were break and enters and
thefts involving vacation homes in New Hampshire, Vermont, and southern
Maine. There were also several cases of vandalism in some of the more
populated cities and towns in each of the three states. Nothing really pinged
his mind as being of supernatural origin.
Well, there was one odd event involving the major hospital about an
hour north of Grey Lake. Something about blood. Happened about a year or
so ago.
He sat back down on the sofa, picked up his small notebook, and flipped
through the pages he’d scribbled notes on. “There,” he grunted.
Danforth Medical Center was in the news due to a shortage of blood.
Seems a large shipment from their supplier didn’t arrive after a major
trauma. They had to call for an emergency blood drive in the community.
Seems the blood donation van was found three days later completely empty.
All the products, consisting of 50 units of red blood cells and 30 bags of
frozen plasma were gone. All that was left were the empty shipping
containers.
So weird. No mention of what the investigation showed, or what agency
or department performed the investigation. No mention of the driver of the
van in any of the articles. There had to be a driver, or reports of a search for a
missing driver at least, but it was like the person vanished into thin air along
with the blood.
He never remembered hearing about this. A year ago. He was probably
away on a mission when it happened, he thought. In the morning, he’d ask
Heath if he remembered hearing about this. He looked at his watch and
winced; it was morning. Well, he’d ask Heath a little bit later this morning.
Chapter 23
the blankets. She was feeling cozy and content. For
the first time in a long while, she also felt well-rested. Maybe Jasper knew
what he was talking about, even though he had been acting bossy earlier.
She pushed herself to a sitting position and looked around. Her room
was still dark, which was strange since she had a bedside lamp that
automatically and gradually turned on to simulate sunlight outside. It was a
perfect way to wake sleepy bear shifters whose bedrooms were below
ground. It couldn’t still be that early as she felt like she’d slept at least a few
hours. Why wasn’t it working? She picked her phone up off the bedside table
and startled.
Yikes! Eleven-thirty! She had to be at work! She threw the covers aside
and vaulted from her bed. She inspected her bedside lamp. What? Someone
had unplugged it. She scowled. That someone had to be Jasper.
She rushed into the adjoining bathroom for a quick shower.
As she expeditiously scrubbed herself clean, she wondered why Jasper
had unplugged her lamp and hadn’t woken her up. She had told him she
needed to work this morning.
“He wanted you to rest, remember?” her bear chimed.
“Yes, but eleven-thirty? I haven’t slept this late since I was a teenager,”
Piper hissed out loud.
“So, what? You feel better, don’t you? I know I do,” her beast argued.
“Fine, fine, fine. I don’t have time to argue with you. I have to get to
work,” Piper replied silently before turning off the water.
Zzzst!! Oh no! That orange electricity-like power was emanating from
her right hand. She flexed and extended it. Oh, please be able to control the
PIPER STRETCHED BENEATH
magic today, she told herself. She didn’t want to have any magic mishaps,
like floating away from her body again. She closed her eyes and focused on
images of verdant leaf-covered trees and the smell of pine. She slowed her
breathing and let her limbs relax. After a few minutes, she looked down at
her hand. She exhaled loudly. No sparkling orange lights. Wonderful.
She threw aside the shower curtain, wrapped a towel around her body,
another around her hair, and went in search of an outfit for a day of work.
Saturdays were shorter, usually calmer, days at the library. She managed
to get a lot of filing and research done on this particular day of the week.
She’d dressed in a maroon long-sleeved jersey knit dress, lightweight black
leggings, and black calf-length boots. She’d braided her still wet hair into an
inverted French braid. She grabbed her phone and headed upstairs to grab
some coffee.
Up on the main floor, Piper strode past the living room and stopped
short. Jasper was sitting on her sofa, laptop on his lap. He was fast asleep
with his mouth open, snoring gently.
“Oh, he looks so peaceful,” she cooed to her bear.
“And you called him grumpy. He looks delicious,” her beast responded.
“You could just wake him up gently. See if he wants to cuddle.”
“Wait, what?” she asked.
Jasper sprung to alertness immediately, leaping off the sofa, knocking
his laptop to the side. He stood and scanned the room. When he spotted her,
he sighed, and his facial expression softened. “You’re up.” He looked at his
watch. “Oh, good, you slept in. Do you feel better?”
She couldn’t help the heat that flushed her cheeks at his words. He
seemed really concerned about her wellbeing. “Yes, thank you. I just came up
here for a quick coffee before heading to work.”
“Well, I made a fresh pot a little bit ago.” He looked at the time on his
cellphone display and then back to her. “I actually got quite a bit of work
done. I must have just fallen asleep about a half hour ago.” He picked up his
now empty coffee mug.
He gestured with a hand for her to proceed ahead of him. She walked
into the kitchen with him at her heels. The smell of hazelnut coffee filled the
space. She closed her eyes and inhaled.
“Ooh, that smells good. Do you want a refill?” she asked.
He handed her his mug. “Yes, please.”
She refilled Jasper’s mug and then poured herself a cup. She used her
travel mug so she could drink on her way to the library.
“Cream and sugar?” Jasper asked.
“No, thank you,” she said. She turned to leave the kitchen, while Jasper
took a seat at the counter.
“Hey, sit down for a few,” he said, patting the chair next to his.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I need to head in.”
“Ms. Matthews has it covered. Leah’s there helping her.”
“Leah? The only Leah I know in town is Leah Fitzsimmons,” Piper said.
“That’s the one.”
“She works as a ranger, doesn’t she?” Piper asked. Why would a forest
ranger be helping at her library?
He nodded. “I called a bit ago to check in on Ms. M, and she mentioned
that Leah was there doing research. She saw there was a bit of re-shelving to
do and offered to help. Said she used to work at the library in her college. She
caught on very quickly. So, there’s no need for you to go rushing in,” he said.
Piper eyed the chair next to him and then the door to the kitchen. She
could stay just for a bit, she supposed. She sat down next to him and took a
sip of her coffee. She nudged his shoulder with hers. “Good job on the
coffee.”
He chuckled. “Thank you, ma’am, but the credit all goes to that lovely
coffeemaker you have.”
She smiled. “Yeah, well, my father loved his coffee. When his illness
progressed and he couldn’t go out much anymore, it was one of the few
things he still enjoyed. I got him a top-of-the-line Moccamaster model for his
birthday last year.” She sighed. “I just wish he had more time to enjoy it.”
“I bet he loved it,” Jasper said with a kind smile.
She nodded. Time to change the mood. “So, you said you were able to
get some work done?” Piper asked.
He nodded and took a long sip of his coffee, then looked at her askance.
“Found some more weird and unusual happenings close to Grey Lake.”
“Par for the course around here,” Piper noted.
Chapter 24
certainly a hotbed of odd incidents. “Sure is. If an ordinary
crime was committed around here, I’d wonder if I were dreaming,” he said.
Piper angled her body toward his and gestured with the hand not holding
her coffee mug. “Well, what’d you find out?”
He looked at his watch. He’d love nothing more than to sit here with her
all day, but while he ensured she had time to head in late, he needed to get to
work. “How about I pick you up later? We can do dinner out of town. I can
explain what I found out.”
She looked warily back at him. “Tonight? You’re sure you want to go
out tonight? You couldn’t have gotten much sleep last night,” Piper said.
“I’d love nothing more than to take you away from this place for one
night. How does Chloe’s sound? It’s a steakhouse about an hour north of
here. It’s near the Danforth Medical Center.”
Piper gifted him with a grin. “Oh, I know Chloe’s. But I haven’t been
there in years. I remember it being delicious. Well, at least it was back then.”
Her eyes went wide. “Well, if you’re sure?”
He smiled back at her. “I am. Now, I’m going to head back home for a
shower and change. Then, I need to speak to Heath.” He drained the rest of
his coffee and carried his mug to the sink. He reached his hand out to turn on
the water, but Piper rose and followed him.
“Just leave it. I’ll take care of the dishes.”
He turned around and smiled gently at her. “Thank you. I’ll go pack up.”
He walked back out to the living room, Piper close behind. He tossed his
laptop into his bag, followed by his notebooks and file folders. After zipping
the bag, he pulled his sweatshirt back on and slung his bag over his shoulder.
GREY LAKE WAS
Only then did he notice her staring out the window of her living room,
wringing her hands.
He walked over, stopping just behind where she stood. She looked over
her shoulder. He noticed her breathing pick up. “Is everything OK?” he
asked.
She shrugged. “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind.” She turned to face him,
taking a half step back. She cleared her throat. “What time did you want to go
out tonight?”
“How about if I pick you up here at five?” he asked.
She gave him a half-smile. “Perfect. See you then.”
He leaned in, and before he thought twice about it, kissed her softly on
her left cheek. “See you tonight.” He turned and walked out into the cold so
he could cool off.
*
About an hour later, Jasper walked through the doors of the Grey Lake Police
Department. Finn was sitting at the intake desk, busy with one of the Lakers.
He held a finger up to Jasper, indicating he’d be with him in a minute. Jasper
had a good hunch that Heath was in his office since his SUV was parked in
the small lot behind the station, but he didn’t want to go barging in; that’d be
rude.
Heath was an honorable, protective guy, but sometimes his alpha
attitude rubbed people the wrong way. Since becoming friends with the wolf
shifter years ago, Jasper had long learned to stay on the man’s good side as
much as possible.
Jasper had grown up shifting between schools in Grey Lake and Alaska
after his parents died and his aunt and uncle had adopted him. He had met
Deacon way back in kindergarten and had become good friends with the then
scrappy wolf. When Heath’s family took Deacon in as a foster child, Jasper
had become a pseudo younger brother to the older wolf shifter as well. Heath
protected them from older bullies and taught them both how to fight using
their brains as well as their brawn. The now alpha had softened a bit ever
since he’d mated with Mac, but he could still be ornery when challenged.
Jasper’s relationship with the wolf alpha had shifted a bit once he’d left
the fire department and became an agent with the SCB since their work
sometimes conflicted with GLPD business. Jasper tried to work as best as he
could with Heath and the police and stick to the laws with regard to
jurisdiction. Shifters had enough trouble without fighting among themselves.
Finn roused him from his musings a few minutes later. Jasper noticed
the older man Finn had been speaking to was now focused on filling out
some paperwork.
“Jasper, how can I help you?” Finn looked as tired as Jasper felt.
“I need to speak with Heath if he’s in,” Jasper said.
“Sure. I’ll let him know you’re here.” Finn walked back over to his
desk, made a phone call, and then called Jasper on over. “He said to go on
in.”
“Thanks,” Jasper said with a nod.
He walked up to Heath’s office door and knocked twice.
“C’mon in,” Heath called.
“Thanks for seeing me,” Jasper said, taking a chair across from the
chief. Heath was seated at his desk, a stack of papers on his left, his laptop
open, and several takeout cups with the Tessa’s Treats logo scattered around
the surface.
Jasper noticed dark circles under the chief’s eyes. “I see I’m not the only
one not getting much sleep.”
Heath rubbed his temple. “I’d be able to sleep if something crazy didn’t
happen in this town almost every single damn day.” He leaned back in his
chair and stretched both arms out to the side and then above his head. He
eyed Jasper suspiciously. “You aren’t here to tell me that something else has
happened, are you?”
Jasper shook his head. “No, well, not really. Well, not exactly.”
Heath’s head dipped. “Fuck,” he muttered.
About fifteen minutes later, Jasper had finished detailing all he’d learned
about the missing shipment of blood products destined for Danforth Medical
Center.
Heath leaned back in his chair with his arms folded, frowning. “I
vaguely remember hearing about this. It wasn’t in our jurisdiction and didn’t
involve any Lakers. We have enough problems in Grey Lake that I truly
didn’t think too much about it.”
Jasper scratched his chin. “Understandable. I just wonder what the
outcome of the official investigation was. Do you know anyone in the
Danforth PD?”
Heath’s frown deepened. “Not really. The few times I’ve had to contact
them, they were polite, but that’s about it. Don’t know of any shifters living
up there. You planning on making a trip? You can’t say you’re working with
the Shifter Crime Bureau.”
“Of course not. That’s why I’m going to say I’m working with the FBI.
The shipment that went missing involved products that are regulated by the
FDA. These products crossed state lines from the donor center in southern
Massachusetts into New Hampshire. Those two facts make this a federal
crime. SCB has a man, or a woman I should say, in the FBI that helps us out
in these sorts of cases. She’ll send me the credentials I need.”
“Let me know if you need anything from me. By the way, Mac’s been
asking about Piper. How’s she doing?”
Jasper shrugged. “She’s not taking care of herself, not sleeping well.
She’s lost some weight. I don’t think she’s eating too well.” He clenched his
hands into fists.
“I’ll let Mac know. I’m sure she’ll check up on her.”
“I’m going to take care of her,” Jasper said.
“Oh, really? Does she know that’s what you think?” Heath asked.
Jasper shook his head. “Not exactly. Well, maybe. I don’t know.”
“Sounds to me that you don’t know your own mind,” Heath probed.
Jasper sat up straight. “Oh, I do. She’s mine,” he hissed. He loosened his
shoulders and scratched at his beard. “I mean, I would like to date her, but
I’m not sure if she’s ready for that yet. She’s been through a lot recently.”
“She certainly has. All the more reason to have a strong partner with her
best interests in mind backing her up,” Heath said.
Jasper jiggled his leg nervously and looked down at the floor for a
moment to compose himself. No need to show how edgy he was to an alpha
wolf. His reindeer would be willing to fight the wolf, but he’d rather avoid
the drama. “Look, I’m very interested in her. I just don’t want to push her
away. I’m trying to walk a fine line here.” He needed to get out of here before
his reindeer got pissed that Heath was second-guessing his intentions with
Piper. He looked at his watch. “Well, thanks for your time. I’m going to head
to the office for a bit. Then, I’m picking up Piper and taking her out to
Danforth tonight for dinner.” He stood up and took a step toward the door
leading out of Heath’s office.
Heath nodded. “Dinner’s good.” He stood up and walked around his
desk to where Jasper stood. He placed a hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “Look,
you’re not a kid, Jasper. I have no doubt you’ll treat her respectfully. I don’t
think anyone who knows you would ever think you wouldn’t, including
Piper. You just have to trust your instincts.”
Jasper grunted noncommittally and opened the door.
“Besides,” Heath said, “she’s pretty tough. I think she might be able to
take care of herself.”
Jasper said his goodbyes to Heath and Finn and strode out of the station
and got back into his vehicle.
I know she can take care of herself. She just doesn’t need to.
Chapter 25
car into the library parking lot about twenty minutes after
Jasper left her home. What was she going to do about him? She liked having
him around, but not if it was out of pity or some sense of obligation. She
climbed out of her car and strode to the front door and walked inside. There
were a few people, parents with their youngsters, in the children’s area to her
left.
“Reindeer told you he does not pity you. He’s enamored with you, so
don’t mess it up,” her beast hissed.
She ignored her bear and surveyed the main floor of the building.
Everything looked calm, just as it should be. Ms. Matthews walked toward
her from the direction of the back offices. “Piper, how are you?” The frown
and tightness of her jaw belied her concern. “Jasper said you weren’t feeling
well.”
She chuckled nervously. “Oh, just exhaustion. I think everything caught
up with me all at once. I’m feeling much better now, though. How’re things
here?”
“Oh, fine. Jasper called a little bit ago to see if I needed any help. I told
him that Leah Fitzsimmons had come in to do some research and asked if she
could help with filing.”
Piper moved to the other side of the circulation desk. “Oh, yes, he did
mention that. He said she had experience working in her college’s library.”
Ms. Matthew nodded. “I think she was procrastinating about her
research. She seemed out of sorts a bit. I figured there’d be no harm in letting
her file away some books.”
“Oh, I agree. Is she still here?” Piper asked. She should thank the
PIPER PULLED HER
younger woman for her help.
“Ah, no. She just left about ten minutes ago. She worked like a demon.
Finished in half the time it’d have taken me. I thanked her, of course.”
“Wonderful. Now, what else has been going on here?” Piper asked.
Ms. Matthews spent the next few minutes catching her up on the
activities thus far. When Piper was sure everything out front had been taken
care of, she retreated to her office to go through some mail that had arrived
over the past couple of days.
She sat down at her desk and quickly organized the expected bills and
notifications into piles. At the bottom of the stack that Ms. Matthews had
handed to her was a standard white business envelope addressed directly to
Piper as opposed to the library. The writing was handwritten as opposed to
typed.
Piper frowned before tearing open the envelope. She pulled out a single
white sheet of paper.
Don’t focus on the spell books. Just use your voice. His power is your
power.
The message was in neat looping cursive. She turned the sheet of paper
over. No signature.
She bit her lower lip. Could this be from Tessa? She scowled. Who else
would know about her interest in the spell books? Jasper and Heath for sure.
Probably Mac and maybe Deacon. This didn’t sound like a message from one
of them. This seemed like a Tessa special. She sighed. Why did Tessa have to
be so mysterious?
“Why couldn’t she just come to see me in person or, if she wasn’t feeling
well, just call or text?” she asked her inner beast.
Her bear chuckled. “You know that’s not how a phoenix works. Mystery
is in their blood.”
She studied the words. What the heck did this mean, other than studying
the spell books was perhaps a waste of time? She lay the letter on her desktop
and thought about the message.
Just use my voice. She held out her hands in front of her, palms up. They
looked normal, no orange electrical sparks. She extended them in the
direction of a circular glass paperweight sitting on the edge of her desk. She
focused on the clear orb. “Rise,” she commanded, feeling foolish.
Nothing happened. She frowned. Focus! “Elevate,” she spat out, but the
glass remained still.
She bit her lower lip and pushed all other thoughts and worries from her
mind. Magic, just think of the flow of the magic. She called the power from
within her core toward her hands. “Please, rise.” Her head pounded, but still
nothing. Not even a budge. She sighed loudly. “Well, my voice isn’t working,
is it?” she huffed. What am I missing?
Just use my voice. His power is my power. Who was the “his” in this
message? She placed the letter down on her desk and leaned back in her
chair.
The first “his” that came to mind was Jasper, but he didn’t have any
powers that she knew of. Well, she didn’t know of any hidden talents, but
maybe he didn’t tell her about them. She rubbed her temple.
Piper looked at her watch. Well, she could broach the subject with him
in a few hours.
Chapter 26
in the dim lights of the steakhouse. Chloe’s was a little
more upscale than was typical in Grey Lake, but the waitstaff seemed
friendly, and the food was superb. He wore a white dress shirt with no tie,
khaki pants, and dress shoes. Piper looked beautiful in a light blue sleeveless
floaty-style dress that ended slightly above her knees. She was wearing highheeled black leather boots and a cropped black leather jacket that she took off
inside the restaurant.
They were seated in a quiet corner in a high-backed curved leather
booth. He didn’t realize he’d moved closer to her during their meal until he
was mere inches from her bare shoulder. Her tantalizingly smooth, pale skin
was so close his mouth watered. The waiter had just cleared their empty
plates and delivered the dessert menus.
“What’re you thinking?” he asked Piper.
She leaned closer to him to show him her menu. “This cinnamon honey
cheesecake looks like a winner to me. What about you?” She placed a hand
on his arm and looked up into his eyes with her warm, brown ones.
He smiled at her. She was staring at him expectantly. What was he
doing? Oh, the dessert. He turned back to his own menu. “Uh, everything
looks so good. What would you get as your second choice?”
She chuckled and turned back to her menu. “Shoot!” she cried, dropping
the menu on the table. She shoved her hands under the table.
“What’s wrong?” He leaned closer to her.
Her jaw was tight, and her eyes darted around the restaurant. “My
hands,” she whispered.
“What’s wrong with your hands?” He kept his voice low.
JASPER STUDIED PIPER
“Look,” she choked out in a muted tone.
Bright orange sparks were radiating out from the ends of her fingers. He
winced. Poor thing. “Is this what was in May’s picture?”
She nodded.
“Does it hurt?”
She shook her head. “Tingles a little. Just looks weird. I don’t want
anyone to see, especially since we’re not in Grey Lake. It’d freak people out.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close to his
side. “Have you figured out what triggers this?”
She shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. I don’t know how to make it
stop either.”
“How about I just pay the bill and get us out of here? We can cover your
hands with my coat.” He gestured with a nod to his jacket that was lying in
the booth next to him.
She nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”
The waiter reappeared, and Jasper politely asked for their check.
“I can pay you when we get back to my place,” Piper offered a few
minutes later as he signed the credit card payment.
Jasper looked up at her. “I asked you out, so it’s my treat. I insist.”
She gave him a wry smile. “Looks like I can’t argue right now
anyway…” She looked around at the other tables. “At least without making
the national news, so thank you very much.”
He chuckled. “You’re welcome.” He pushed the receipt away and
peered around their section. “Now, let’s see if we can get you out of here
safely.” He handed her his navy-blue Gore-Tex coat, shifting it under the
table so she could place it over her hands. He rose from the table and held out
an arm toward her. “Here, let me help you up.”
She held her arms bent at the elbow with her hands and forearms safely
hidden. He placed her coat around her to cover her bare shoulders, stroking
her skin in the process.
He gently looped his hand around her arm and turned her toward the
front of the restaurant. She trembled within his grasp. He bent his head closer
to hers. “I can feel you shaking. Are you OK to walk?”
She looked up, eyes wide. “Oh, yes. I just feel full of energy when this
happens. Feels as if I drank ten cups of coffee or something. Just feel very
wired.”
He guided her to the exit.
“Boof!” A blur of black dress and red heels whizzed around the corner
and smacked right into the two of them, with Piper taking the brunt of the hit.
Jasper sniffed. The unsteady woman was human for sure. She looked to
be in her early twenties. At least he hoped she was twenty-one. Hard to tell.
“Sorry, didn’t see you,” the inebriated woman slurred at Piper. She then
slowly looked over at him, eyebrows going up.
Just go back to your table!
“Are you alright?” Jasper asked Piper. She nodded. He looked around.
They were in a darkened area between the bathrooms and the entrance. No
one had noticed them yet.
The woman leered at him. “Hey, handsome. Your friend knocked into
me.”
He sighed. You’ve got to be kidding me. “Yeah, that’s not what
happened. Go back to your table. I’m sure someone’s worried about you.” He
gently nudged Piper away from the other woman. “C’mon Piper, let’s go.”
“Hey, you can’t ignore me. That woman assaulted me,” she whined. She
placed a hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “I need assistance.”
“Take your hand off him right now,” Piper hissed, grabbing the
woman’s wrist.
The drunk woman’s eyes went wide. “Your hands are on fire.”
Uh oh, Piper’s hands were indeed still glowing.
“Pipe, we’ve got to go,” he muttered, looking around for any witnesses
to Piper’s magic.
“Your hands! Help!”
“Hey, just calm down,” Jasper said quietly. “You’re seeing things.
There’s no fire. Now, go back to your table.”
“Help, I’m going to get help,” the woman muttered and opened her
mouth wide.
Piper waved her exposed hand in front of the woman and said quietly
but clearly, “Forget!”
The woman immediately closed her mouth and stared blankly at them.
Piper drew her arm back under his coat.
The woman slowly blinked once, then twice. She looked around them.
“What happened?” Her voice sounded steadier.
“You were going back to your table. You tripped, but you’re fine,” Piper
said sternly.
“I just tripped, but I’m OK,” the young woman said.
“That’s right,” Piper agreed.
“I’m going back now,” she said.
Jasper noticed Piper had paled and her trembling had increased. “C’mon
sweet pea, let’s get you out of here,” Jasper said.
She nodded almost robotically and let him lead her out into the dark
night.
Chapter 27
just happened? Had she actually controlled that woman with
her powers? Piper sat in the passenger seat of Jasper’s SUV, hands folded
together in her lap as Jasper sped south down the freeway toward Grey Lake.
Jasper kept darting glances at her as he drove. Was he scared of her? She
sniffed. No. She didn’t scent fear, just concern.
“Have you ever done that before?” he asked.
“You saw me use my magic that day with Walters,” she answered.
“Yes, but have you ever made someone do or think something using
your powers?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “I don’t even know how I did it.
The magic… the power was just thrumming through me like it wanted to get
out.”
He frowned. “How do you feel now?” He looked at her lap. “Your hands
aren’t glowing.”
She blinked and held up her hands. “They seem totally normal. I feel
fine.” She sighed.
“Good, good.”
“I’m sorry I ruined our dinner,” she said.
“What? I don’t think it was ruined,” Jasper said.
“You don’t?”
“Not at all. We had a great dinner, good conversation. Just seems like
the supernatural issues that run rampant in Grey Lake followed us out of
town. If she had made a commotion, it would have caused even more trouble.
As far as using your magic…I don’t think there was any harm done.”
“I certainly hope not.” She flexed and extended her hands. “I just wish I
WHAT THE HELL
knew what triggered my powers tonight. I’ve been studying the books in the
archives, and it just…it just seems so inconsistent. Sometimes the magic
flows easily, other times, nothing.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Well, we’ll be back at your house soon.
We can try to figure this out.” He released the steering wheel with his right
hand and reached for her. He wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed
gently.
Piper gasped. As soon as his warm skin touched hers, a zing raced
through her hand. Pale orange sparks danced through the air around their
joined hands. She tried to pull away from him, but he held tight. He looked
between her and the road as he maneuvered down the highway. His
mahogany eyes were warm.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whimpered.
“You’re not. It just feels tingly.” He rubbed his thumb over her palm as
he once more focused on the road ahead of them. Warmth spread through her
body. She felt safe.
He glanced back at her briefly. “Your other hand, is it glowing, too?”
She held it up. “Nope, just the one.”
“Hmmm, very strange,” he said. ‘What if I let go?” He released her hand
and placed it back on the wheel.
Piper’s left hand continued to emit glowing sparks, but over the next
couple of minutes, they slowed until the glowing faded completely.
“What if I touch you again?” He reached over and grasped her hand
once more.
Instantly, her hand gleamed bright orange. “Yikes!” she cried. She
pulled her hand back from his hold. Again, after a couple of minutes, the
glowing dissipated. She looked at Jasper and frowned. “This could be a big
problem. If every time I touch you—”
He made a strangled sound. “Let’s just think this through once we get
you home. We’ll be there in about forty minutes or so. Just try to relax until
then. It might help if you can get your mind to let go of all your worries for a
bit.”
She sighed deeply. “OK. I’ll try.” Piper leaned back in the passenger
seat with her hands folded in her lap and closed her eyes. Think soothing
thoughts, Piper. She tried; she really did, but all her thoughts were of the
well-built, protective yet caring man to her left. His wild, masculine scent
was driving her to distraction. She reclined the seat, trying to get more
comfortable. What was she going to do if she started glowing and sparking
each time she touched Jasper? She wanted to touch him; she really did.
“It’ll be fine. We just need to think it through.”
Her hands itched to touch him. She couldn’t, especially now that she
was lighting up like a fourth of July sparkler when she did. He kept his hand
on her covered leg, which soothed her, and eventually darkness came.
Chapter 28
hand on Piper as he rushed back to her home. He didn’t
know what was going on with her powers but, somehow, he was involved. Or
was he?
He frowned. Maybe it wasn’t him specifically. Maybe her abilities were
amplified by touching another living being. Maybe it could be any creature,
or even any shifter. That was something they’d need to work out once he got
her safely inside her home. He heard a soft snore and grinned. He’d let her
sleep for now. He had a feeling they’d be up late.
He parked in front of her home and shut the engine off. Piper was still
asleep. He unbuckled her seatbelt, then his own, and stepped from his Tahoe.
Jasper walked to the passenger side and opened her door as quietly as he
could. He lifted her and her tiny purse into his arms as if she were a
newlywed and carried her up to the front door.
She murmured something that he couldn’t make out. Peering down at
her, her eyes were still closed, but she was fidgeting around as if searching
for something.
“I’ve got you,” Jasper said, tucking her closer to his body.
“The key. It’s in my purse.” Her voice was muffled, her face being
turned into his chest.
He chuckled. “I knew I was forgetting something. Thanks.”
He adjusted her in his arms and handed her the purse. She extracted the
key and handed it to him.
“You can let me down now. I’m awake,” she giggled sleepily.
He unlocked the door and pushed it open with his shoulder. “Inside, then
I’ll set you down.” He stepped into the house, shut the door behind him with
JASPER KEPT ONE
a foot, and then gently placed Piper down on her feet. His hands remained on
her, though, since she still was a bit woozy from her nap.
“I’m OK,” she said. She rubbed her face with a hand. “Thank you for
bringing me home. Sorry about all the magic. Look, hands are still normal.”
She wiggled her fingers back and forth.
He looked at his watch. “Well, it’s not too late. You don’t have to work
tomorrow so we have some time if you want to try to explore what happened
tonight,” he said. He hoped she would say yes. He wasn’t ready to leave her
yet.
She bit her lower lip and appeared to consider. “Well, I do have to meet
Miles at two o’clock to show him the polar cave. Were you still planning on
coming?”
“Yes,” he answered immediately. He didn’t like the idea of her
exploring caves with this Miles. He still hadn’t met the man. The background
check he performed on the man was suspiciously threadbare. He wanted to
meet him himself and make sure he was genuine.
She grinned. “Good. Well, we have a little time still tonight then. Come
on in.” She turned and walked into the living room and placed her coat on
one end of the larger sofa. “Have a seat.” She gestured to the loveseat with a
wave of her hand. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Sure. I’ll take whatever you’re having,” he said, sitting down.
“OK, then red wine it is. Be right back,” she said, walking in the
direction of the kitchen.
He scratched at his beard as he thought out a way to test his theories
about her magic. Piper soon returned and handed him a large glass.
“It’s pinot noir. I hope that’s OK,” she said, sitting down next to him
with her own glass.
“I’m sure it is.” He sniffed and then took a sip. “Delicious, thank you.”
She blushed a pretty pink. “So, my powers are unpredictable to say the
least. I wish Tessa was able to help me.”
He nodded. “Unfortunately, she seems to be dealing with her own
personal crisis. Let’s see what we can figure out together. I mean, we’ve both
grown up around supernatural beings. We’ve seen all sorts of oddities. And
you’ve read all about the history of shifter magic,” Jasper said. “So, am I
correct in saying that two new things happened tonight in terms of your
magic?”
She nodded and took a sip.
He watched her plump pink lips, and his throat went dry.
“Focus on her, not your own needs,” his beast hissed.
He coughed. He hated when his animal side was more rational. “So
before tonight, you’ve never been able to control someone’s thoughts or
actions with your magic?”
“Correct,” she said grimly.
“Also, you’ve never noticed a connection between touching someone
else and having your powers flare up?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not that I can recall.”
“Alright.” He shifted on the couch so he faced her. “How about a little
experiment. Let’s see if we can replicate what happened when you touched
my hand, OK?”
“As long as you’re alright with it, I’m game,” she said.
He smiled. She was fearless. He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt
and held his arms out to her. “Try touching my fingers.”
She took a deep breath in and blew it out slowly. “OK.” She reached
toward him and touched his fingertips with her own, just barely.
Immediately, bright orange shone from her hands. She pulled away and
hunched in on herself. The glowing dissipated within seconds, and her hands
once again looked normal. “Are you OK?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yep, fine. Alright. Now let’s try another part of my body.”
“What?” she shrieked. Her eyes were comically wide.
He laughed. “I was going to suggest my face?”
Her cheeks were crimson. “Sure, that’ll work.” She scooted closer to
him and reached up to his face. Her hands moved to his face but stopped just
before she made contact. She eyed him. “You sure?”
He grinned. “Yes, it’ll be fine.”
She scrunched up her face and then with the barest of touches, placed
her fingertips on both of his temples.
Zzzzing! Jasper saw the orange lights emanating from her hands to his
left and right. She retreated at once, nearly falling off the loveseat.
“Careful!” He grabbed her shoulder to stabilize her. No orange sparks of
magic. “Huh.”
“Thanks. Wait, what’s the huh about?”
His hand was still on her bare shoulder. “Looks like it’s OK for me to
touch your shoulder at least.”
“Well, that’s good for a start. Maybe it’s just my hands.” She took
another longer sip of wine.
“Let’s see about that.” He leaned closer to her and rested his forehead
against hers. No sparks. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose. Nothing.
“Well, now. We need to see if this happens when you touch anyone or
just me.” He hoped it was just him.
“It’s late. Who’re we going to get to come over now?” she asked.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted the agent watching
Piper’s home. “One of our SCB agents should work.” After a couple of
minutes, he received the reply. “He should be at the front door pretty soon.”
Ding, ding, ding!
Jasper stood up. “That should be Agent Barlow.”
Piper stood up as well. “Here goes nothing.” She squared her shoulders
and walked to the front door with Jasper at her heels.
Chapter 29
the door,” Jasper said, placing a hand on her shoulder and
stepping ahead of her.
Piper’s insides warmed at his touch. So strange that she found herself
loving his overprotective ways.
Jasper opened the door. Standing on Piper’s front step was an almost
seven-foot-tall man dressed in black cargo pants, long sleeve shirt, ski cap,
and combat boots. Piper’s jaw dropped. The handsome but slightly scary
looking dark-haired man with coffee-colored skin was as large as May’s mate
Beau.
“Cyrus, thanks for coming,” Jasper said. He held the door open for the
man to come through.
Cyrus grunted in response. He stepped inside the house and stood like a
soldier at attention in the entryway.
Piper sniffed. He was a predator shifter of some sort. A big cat, she
thought.
“Piper, this is Agent Cyrus Barlow. He’s one of the men who’s been
assigned to protect you,” Jasper said.
Cyrus turned his ebony eyes on her. The scowl on his face morphed to a
brilliant, welcoming smile. “Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Sullivan,” he
purred.
Piper found herself grinning back at the SCB agent. “Thank you for
protecting me. And please call me Piper.”
Grrrrrhhhhhh!
She startled at the low-pitched rumble that echoed through her home.
“Sorry. I’m afraid my beast is acting up,” Jasper apologized with a
“LET ME GET
wince. His cheeks were red, and he was suddenly acting as if he had ants in
his pants.
I wonder what’s gotten into him.
Piper turned to face Cyrus. “Sorry to drag you away from your post, but
Jasper had an idea.”
Cyrus just smirked. “Did he now?” He slowly pivoted to face a now
scowling Jasper.
“Yeah, it’s very simple. I would just like to ask Piper to shake your
hand. That’s it,” Jasper said.
Cyrus’s eyes widened. “Shake my hand?” Jasper nodded gravely. He
turned to Piper. “That would be my pleasure, Piper.”
Another low snarl rumbled from where Jasper stood. Jasper shook his
head as if to clear it. “Sorry. Please, Piper, just shake his hand.”
She extended her right hand toward Cyrus. He grinned at Jasper and
then took Piper’s hand in his.
Piper held her breath and closed her eyes as his large hand closed around
hers.
After a few seconds, she peeked out of one eye. No orange sparks. No
zing. Nothing.
“Can I stop shaking now?” Cyrus asked, laughter in his voice.
Jasper stepped closer. “Yes, that’s enough. Thank you. That’s all we
needed. Have a nice night.”
“That’s it?” Cyrus asked Jasper, eyebrows raised.
“Yes, yes. Thank you,” Jasper said, stepping forward and opening the
front door. “Have a nice rest of your shift.”
Cyrus scowled at his fellow agent, but then turned to Piper with a smile.
“Well Piper, it was a pleasure. You just holler if this guy here gives you any
trouble. Us lion shifters have incredible hearing.”
A lion shifter! “Oh, thank you.” Piper said shakily. “So sorry to bother
you.”
“No problem at all. You have a pleasant night.” He grinned and walked
out the front door after nodding at Jasper.
Jasper shut and locked the door behind the taller man and turned back to
Piper with a strange look on his face. It almost seemed like he was relieved.
“Well, that answers part of the mystery,” Piper said.
Jasper shook his head. “We need someone else. We should see if
Deacon or Heath are on patrol. Perhaps one of them can come by.”
“Tonight?” Piper asked.
Jasper nodded solemnly. “With all the craziness happening in Grey
Lake, I think the sooner we can get a handle on your powers, the better.”
“We can try, but just one more person tonight, OK?” she asked.
“Why? You getting sick of me already?” Jasper asked with a grin.
“No. Maybe I just want to spend some time with you without visitors
dropping by,” she teased before striding back to the loveseat. She took a sip
of her wine and tried to slow her racing heartbeat. What was she doing?
“Finally, human, go after your mate,” her bear hummed.
Jasper stalked into the room with an intensity on his face that she hadn’t
seen before. He sat next to her and took a large drink from his glass, finishing
it. Without a word, he tapped out a message on his phone before placing it
down on the coffee table in front of them both. He turned to her, and his deep
brown eyes were nearly glowing.
“Are you alright?” Piper asked in hushed tones.
He closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. He then opened
those beautiful eyes once more and adjusted himself on the couch. “I’m
trying to keep it together until Finn gets here. He’s on patrol, so he should be
here in about ten minutes.”
“What are you going to do when Finn leaves?”
She saw his beast peak through him as his brown eyes blazed yellow for
just a second. He coughed and rubbed a hand through his hair. “I’m thinking
I want to kiss you.”
Oh man! She cleared her throat. “Like before? On the cheek?”
“No,” he growled. “Not on the cheek.”
Chapter 30
some more wine,” Piper squeaked. She rushed out of the room
with their empty glasses.
Jasper took several slow, deep breaths to get himself under control.
“Don’t scare beautiful bear away. Take it easy,” his beast snarled.
“Here you go,” Piper handed him a full glass a few minutes later. His
fingers brushed hers as he accepted the glass and tiny sparks of orange light
glittered through the room.
“Ah, sorry.”
He kept his smile bright and his gaze direct. “Don’t be. Trust me. We’ll
figure this, this whatever”—he gestured to her hand with a shake of his head
—“out”.
She gave him a short nod and opened her mouth to speak.
Ring, ring, ring.
“That must be Finn. I’ll get it,” Jasper said. He opened the door to a very
agitated looking Finn. His flaming red hair was standing every which way as
if he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly.
“Thanks for coming. We’ll keep this brief, I promise.” He stepped aside
and Finn came inside.
“Hi, Finn!” Piper was standing in the entryway smiling.
“Hey, Pipe,” Finn said.
“Sorry for bringing you all the way out here,” Piper said.
Finn scratched at his beard. “It’s OK. I’ve been running around all night
on a wild goose chase.”
“How so?” Jasper asked.
“Reports of flashes of light in the woods popped up all over town. I go
“I’LL JUST GET
out to see what’s going on, and nothing. No evidence of any human or shifter
causing trouble.”
“Flashes of lights like from fireworks or gunfire?” Piper asked.
Finn huffed a laugh. “Don’t think so, but hard to say for sure. No
complaints of any loud noises, just bursts of orange streaking through the
area.”
Piper flashed him a look of alarm. Jasper shook his head at her. He
didn’t want to say anything to Finn about her powers yet. He wasn’t sure how
much Heath and Deacon had shared with him about Piper’s abilities.
“So, what did you need from me tonight?” Finn asked.
“I just want you to let Piper shake your hand,” Jasper said.
Finn narrowed his eyes. “What now?”
“I know. It seems ridiculous, but it would help us with a theory,” Jasper
answered.
Finn shrugged and stepped closer to Piper. “Well, at least I can get that
done right tonight.” He held out his hand.
Piper looked to Jasper. He nodded.
She took a step forward and placed her bare hand within Finn’s.
Jasper held his breath, but nothing. No flashes of light. He exhaled.
Piper looked at him expectantly as Finn continued to shake her hand.
“Ah, thanks Finn. That’s it. You can stop shaking now,” he told his
friend.
Finn released Piper’s hand and took a step back. “OK, did you get the
answer you wanted?” He looked between Piper and Jasper.
“We got information, and that was what we needed,” Jasper answered.
“Is there anything we can get for you before you leave? Water? Coffee?”
Piper stepped forward. “Yes, anything?”
Finn’s radio buzzed. “Ah, no thanks.” He gestured with his hand to his
radio. “That’ll be for me. I’ll just be heading out.” He grabbed the radio off
his belt and pressed a button to answer the call as he walked to the door.
“Bye,” Piper said.
Jasper walked him to the door. Finn turned back. “See you later, Jay.
Take care.”
“Thanks, man.”
Jasper returned to the living room where Piper stood wringing her
hands. He held his hands out to her. She shook her head, but Jasper tilted his
head to the side and smiled. “It’ll be OK, I promise.”
“Oh, alright,” Piper said. She placed her hands close and just barely
brushed her skin against his. Brilliant orange sparks shone bright. Piper
yanked her hands back to her chest. She stared at Jasper, confusion in her
eyes. “I don’t understand.”
He placed his hands on her bare shoulders and pulled her close to him.
“I do. It seems you and I together have some effect on your powers.”
“This makes no sense. This didn’t happen even yesterday. What
changed?” Piper sounded at her wit’s end.
“Come and sit.” He gestured back toward the loveseat with his hand.
Piper nodded and took a seat. He sat next to her and leaned in close.
“When the sparks are generated when your hand touches my skin, does the
magic inside you feel any different?”
She frowned for a moment. “It feels closer to the surface, like it’s ready
and waiting for me to call it forth. My abilities have been so inconsistent, but
right after I touch you, I feel like I have more control over the magic.”
“Have you ever read about anything like this in your research?” Jasper
asked.
She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I can start looking now that it
seems like this, this whatever this is, is specific to you. I’ll start tomorrow.”
She glanced at her watch. “Ooh, tomorrow is almost here. It’s almost eleven
thirty.”
Jasper peeked at his own watch. “I guess it is. I didn’t realize it’d gotten
so late. Time flew by.”
She nodded. “I don’t even feel tired. Maybe the magic is boosting my
energy?”
“Another thing to explore for us to ponder. What time did you want to
meet up tomorrow to go to the caves?”
“Well, we’d have to leave here at one-thirty to meet Miles there at two,
unless you want to meet there as well,” she said.
He wanted to stay with her all night, but he had some questions he
needed answers to first. “I have to take care of some things at work early in
the morning, but how about if I pick you up at noon? We could do lunch at
my place first. We can head out directly from there.” He stood up from the
couch and held out his hand to help her up.
She rose and looked at him warily, but he smiled and gently held her
elbow. No sparks.
She seemed relieved. “Tomorrow at noon sounds good to me.” She
leaned in closer to him, placing her hands on his covered upper arms. She
looked up him with wide eyes. “Hey, thank you for a nice dinner tonight and
all the help with all of this weirdness.”
“It was my pleasure. I really enjoy spending time with you, and I hope
you feel the same way.”
She gave him a heated look. “I do. I just wish life was a little less
complicated so we could do some more normal things.”
He chuckled. “They’ll be plenty of time for more normal things, Pipe.
You know, after Alden Williamson is defeated.” She was standing so close to
him. Her scent was driving him crazy. He wanted her so badly his cock
ached. He stepped back, putting just a bit more space between them. If he
didn’t leave now, he might just end up staying the night. He didn’t know if
she was in the right headspace for that yet.
“Foolish human, stay and protect mate. Can’t you see that she wants
you? Stay,” his beast demanded. The animal was raging inside him, trying to
force him to obey.
“Walk me out?” he suggested, using all the inner strength he could to
ignore his other half’s wishes.
She smiled, seemingly oblivious to his turmoil. “Of course.” She placed
her hand on his upper arm and walked him to the door. She opened the door
and then turned to him. “So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at —”
Before she could finish her sentence, Jasper leaned down, tilted her chin
up with a finger, and kissed her. Her lips were soft and plump. He meant it to
be a quick kiss, just a taste. Piper parted her lips, and he was gone. His
tongue sought hers out. She moaned and he yanked her body against his. No,
no, no. Not ready yet.
He broke the kiss, but kept her close, holding her shoulders.
Piper’s eyes were wide. “What’s wrong?”
He groaned. “Oh God, nothing sweetie. The problem is that everything’s
too right. If I don’t leave now though, we’re going to end up doing a lot more
than kissing.”
She pouted. “What if that’s what I want too?”
He growled and pulled her close, so his lips were right by her ear. He
brushed his lips along the soft, supple skin of her temple. “Sweet pea, the
next time I kiss you, we’re going to end up naked and I’m going to devour
you.” He heard her pulse quicken at his words. A soft sigh slipped from her
lips.
“We have to go see a cave tomorrow with some guy that I don’t know
anything about in about twelve hours. There’s not nearly enough time
between now and then to do the things I want to do to you,” he promised. He
leaned in and kissed her once more on her cheek. “I will be here tomorrow at
noon. Sleep tight.” He quickly turned and strode out the door before he did
anything he’d regret.
Chapter 31
door behind Jasper and strode back into the living room,
collapsing on the sofa. That kiss! She wanted more. That stubborn man
thinking she wasn’t ready. She let out a hiss of frustration and lay back with
her eyes closed. She needed to get some rest, but Jasper’s attentions left her
too turned on. She also felt… well, as if she were full of energy. Oh no! Her
eyes snapped open, and she studied her hands. Shoot!
Her fingertips were gleaming a warm orange. She turned her hands this
way and that, studying them. It felt like the magic was just itching to come
out and play. I wonder…
She pointed at the light switch to the room with a finger and thought,
‘Switch off’. The lights immediately went out. The room was dark aside from
her sparking fingertips.
Piper pointed once again to the light switch and imagined the words,
‘Switch on’. The room was illuminated once more from the overhead
lighting.
She sat up straighter on the sofa. I wonder what else I can do. Seems like
I have more control right now than I’ve had in a while.
“Stop messing around with lighting. Try to move an object around or
create fire. Something exciting,” her beast suggested.
“When did you get so outspoken?” Piper retorted.
“Our powers are needed for more important things. We must train and
develop them,” her bear answered.
Piper glanced around the living room. She studied the larger of the
bookcases in the room. There was a lone book that hadn’t yet been properly
shelved; it was laying on its side on the edge of a shelf. I’ll start with that.
PIPER LOCKED THE
Piper focused on the red hardcover of the book. She extended her right arm
toward the book and imagined the word ‘Elevate’. Nothing happened; the
book didn’t move an inch. She closed her eyes, calmed her racing pulse, and
took a deep breath in and out. She opened her eyes, stared at the book and
once more imagined ‘Elevate’.
The book wobbled the tiniest bit. Better, but still not great. What am I
doing wrong?
“More power. Try both hands!” her beast said.
She bit the inside of her cheek and frowned. Maybe her bear was right.
Heck, it couldn’t hurt. She raised both arms toward the book and silently
shouted the word ‘Elevate’.
The book rose into the air and hovered about six inches off the wooden
surface. The book floated in the air for a good minute before Piper imagined
‘Down’, whereupon the book came to a gentle landing back on the shelf.
Piper huffed out a laugh. I did it!
“Nice control. I knew you had it in you, human!” her bear exclaimed.
“Now, the night is still young. Let’s see what else you can do.”
Chapter 32
Heath’s driveway and shut the Tahoe’s engine. He pulled
his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed his friend.
“It’s almost midnight. What can’t wait ‘til tomorrow?” Heath answered
the phone.
“Something weird’s going on with Piper and her powers. I need some
advice. I’m in your driveway,” Jasper answered.
Heath groaned. “Fine, I’ll be right there.” Heath hung up on him.
Jasper walked up to Heath’s house to find his friend already standing by
the open door in just a pair of sweatpants. He was holding a chihuahua in one
arm like a baby. The dog was dressed in some sort of baby outfit.
Jasper couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him.
Heath scowled. “What?” He stepped aside to let Jasper inside his home.
“Nothing. Just didn’t expect to see you with a small dog like that. And
what is it wearing?” Jasper asked.
“Screw off. Lucy’s wearing a onesie. She gets cold in the winter. Now,
what do you want? You’re keeping me from my mate,” Heath said. Jasper
knew there was no real bite behind his friend’s words though. Heath was a
fierce alpha, but he’d always have time to help his friends, no matter how it
might inconvenience himself.
“Don’t mind him,” Mac said walking into the entryway to join her mate.
The petite woman was swamped in a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of boxers.
Her long ebony hair was up in a messy bun at the top of her head. “He’s
always grumpy.” She grabbed Heath around his side and cuddled. He
immediately wrapped his free arm around her, tucking her even closer.
“What’s wrong?”
JASPER PULLED INTO
“Hi Mac. I’m really sorry to disturb you this late, but I’m worried about
Piper’s powers,” Jasper said. “I think I’m out of my league. I need some
help.”
“Well, come on into the living room. Let’s talk,” Mac said dragging
Heath along. Jasper followed them watching their easy companionship with
some envy.
The couple sat down on a large couch. Heath tucked Mac close to him
and handed her the wriggling pup.
Jasper sat on the edge of the couch opposite them, rubbing a hand down
his face.
“Can I get you anything?” Mac asked.
Jasper shook his head. “No, thank you. Just advice.”
“OK. Spill it,” Heath said.
Jasper described his recent experience with Piper and her powers. When
he was finished with his story, both Jensens were silent. Lucy sat on Mac’s
lap licking her paws like a cat.
After a few moments, Heath spoke. “It most likely has something to do
with the fact that she’s your mate.”
“How do you know she’s my mate?” Jasper asked.
Heath and Mac gave him near identical knowing looks.
“You’re kidding, right?” Heath asked.
“It’s obvious. And I think Heath may be right. It’s similar with my
powers and Heath.” She gestured to him with her thumb. “Heath’s presence
influences my powers. He helps ground me and can pull me out of my
healing trances.”
“Maybe you somehow enhance Piper’s ability to use her magic,” Heath
said. “When we found Piper in the library basement with Walters, she was
able to use her magic like a pro. You were close to her.”
Jasper scratched the side of his head. “I always wondered how she
hadn’t managed to escape from him if she was able to use her powers.”
“Maybe her control was better the closer you were to her. I have a
question, though,” Mac said.
“Yes,” Jasper said.
“Why didn’t you go to Tessa with these concerns. Surely, she would
have more definitive answers.”
Jasper sighed heavily. He promised Tessa he wouldn’t mention what
she’d revealed to him and Piper about her illness. “She’s, uh, been, well,
preoccupied lately. I didn’t want to add to her worries unless I absolutely had
to.”
Heath frowned. “She told you something, didn’t she?”
Jasper forced his features to remain neutral. He remained silent.
“Jay,” Heath said harshly.
Jasper shook his head. “Not for me to tell. I promised.”
“Look, I have a feeling she’s not well. She hasn’t told me directly, but
I’m worried about her. Heath and I have tried to speak to her in person, but
she’s been pretty evasive. I hope whatever it is, it’s not too bad,” Mac said.
Jasper hoped he didn’t look as sick as he felt. From what she had told
him and Piper at the library, Tessa thought she was dying. Who knows if that
were true, but the phoenix shifter thought she was and was preparing for it.
Mac was a shifter healer, so maybe she could help. “Please keep trying.”
Jasper implored Mac.
Mac nodded solemnly. Heath just grunted before he stood up. “Great,
now that that’s settled, I’ll just walk you out.”
“Heath!” Mac exclaimed.
Jasper chuckled and held up a hand. “No, he’s right. I should let you
guys get back to sleep.” He rose from the couch and started toward the front
door.
Mac stood up, gently placing Lucy on the couch. “Just wait a second.
Why don’t you bring Piper over here and we can see if this theory is true? I
have to work the night shift tomorrow, but you guys could come for dinner
Monday night. Don’t you think that would be a good idea, Heath?”
“I have to work a second on Monday, so how about Tuesday?” Heath
said.
“That works for me,” Mac said.
“Thanks. I’ll ask Piper when I see her in a few hours. We’re going to go
explore some cave with this new professor at the college.”
“Oh?” Heath stopped in the entryway and turned around. “That so?”
“Yeah, Piper has plans to show him some polar cave. Thankfully she
invited me to go along. Saved me the trouble of having to follow them.”
Heath huffed a laugh, then turned back and strode up to the front door.
He pulled it open. “See you soon. Get some sleep.”
Chapter 33
forest green hooded sweatshirt over her T-shirt and glanced at
herself in her full-length bedroom mirror. Jasper was due to pick her up in
fifteen minutes to head to lunch at his place. Agh! There were even dark
circles under the dark circles under her eyes.
“Your own fault, human. It’s what happens when you get just two hours
of sleep,” her bear chuffed.
“What! You were the one pushing me to practice my magic,” Piper
answered her animal silently. And practice she had. She’d spent hours
moving objects around her house. Her control had lessened with each passing
hour. She’d finally gotten to bed just a couple of hours ago, completely spent.
She thought about applying some concealer but knew Jasper would see right
through it. He’d know she was up all night instead of getting rest as he
suggested. She just needed to get through lunch and then a little cave
exploration with both Jasper and Miles. Then she could get some sleep.
She studied her reflection. Sweatshirt, check; jeans, check; hiking boots,
check. She just needed her Gore-Tex parka and some gloves, and she’d be
ready for some cave exploring. Maybe she could do with a little blush—
Ring, ring, ring!
She looked at her watch. Shoot! Must be Jasper. She was just going to
have to hope he didn’t notice her fatigue.
She jogged to the front door, confirmed it was Jasper through her
peephole, and then opened the door. Her breath caught. He was gorgeous.
Jasper stood there in dark jeans, a black fleece jacket, and brown hiking
boots. His beard looked just a bit scruffy, and his dark hair was disheveled in
the best way possible.
PIPER PULLED A
“Morning,” she squeaked.
“Sweet pea,” he purred. He reached out and ran his hand over her cheek
under her left eye. “Someone didn’t get much sleep last night,” he grunted
softly.
She warmed at his words. “Come on in,” she stammered and backed
away from his touch.
He stalked toward her as she retreated inside. His eyes were nearly
glowing with intensity.
She gulped. “I’ll just grab my bag.” She turned and took a step in the
direction of the living room where she’d stashed her small backpack, but she
found she was unable to move.
“Nuh-uh.” Jasper’s hard body was pressed against her back, his soft lips
close to her ear. He wrapped one arm around her waist. “You want to tell me
why you didn’t go right to bed last night after I left?”
She shivered and shook her head, or tried to, that was. She couldn’t
move her head since Jasper held her so tight. “No,” she whimpered.
“Did you leave this house last night?”
“No,” she answered. She barely recognized her own voice. It seemed
breathy. She was practically panting. Having Jasper so close was making her
crazy. “I was practicing my magic.”
“You were?” he said in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes. My bear is a bad influence.”
He chuckled and spun her around in his arms. “She is? I always
imagined her to be a magnificent, responsible, protective sort as opposed to a
troublemaker.” His gaze dropped to her lips.
“She’s not a troublemaker,” she croaked. “Or at least she didn’t used to
be.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “Is it warm in here?” she asked.
He leaned in closer and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, then pulled back
a few inches. “It’s very hot in here, so we need to head out. I’ve got to feed
you before we go caving.” He kissed her briefly once more and began to back
away but stopped and laughed.
She was dizzy. She wanted to kiss him some more. “What’s wrong?”
He looked down and grinned. “You’ve caught me.”
She followed his gaze. She realized she had grabbed his fleece and was
holding it in a death grip. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She released her hold.
“It’s OK. I want nothing more than to be held by you, but unfortunately
we have to go out and see some rocks,” he said smiling. “Now, where’s this
bag of yours?”
“I’ll show you,” she said dazedly.
*
About an hour later they were pulling up to the Polar Caves on the outskirts
of Grey Lake. Jasper had made them a picnic lunch that they ate on a blanket
he’d laid out in his living room. It was sweet and relaxing. He made sure they
didn’t sit too close. He said he wouldn’t be able to behave himself. Then, he
held her gloved hand the entire drive over. She felt as if she was itching to get
out of her skin. She wanted him so badly, but she needed to focus.
There was just one other vehicle in the spartan parking lot on this raw
late March morning. Just after Jasper parked his SUV, Miles exited a large
black jeep.
“Jasper, how should I explain this”—she held up their joined hands—“to
Miles?”
“How do you think we should explain it?” he asked, eyes flashing
between brown and the yellow of his beast.
“I—um—I—” she stammered. “It’s all so new.”
Jasper’s lips turned up in a half smile, and he gently squeezed her hand.
“Look, we don’t owe him a detailed explanation. If he asks, why don’t we
just say we’re a couple and leave it at that?”
A couple. A couple is good. She returned his smile and nodded. “OK
with me, thanks.”
Her bear laughed silently. “You two are a couple of somethings, all
right. You’re mates, you foolish humans.”
“Stay here. Let me get the door for you,” Jasper said. He exited the
vehicle, pocketing his key, and quickly rounded the front of the SUV. He
opened her door for her, holding his hand out to receive her backpack for her.
She climbed out and walked over to a stone-faced Miles, Jasper at her
heels. As soon as Piper halted, Jasper wrapped his left arm around her
shoulder, tucking her close.
“Dr. Brackett, I’m Agent Jasper MacKinnon of the SCB. Piper’s told me
nice things about you,” Jasper greeted the man before she could get a word
out. He held out his right hand.
Chapter 34
just the tiniest bit at Jasper’s introduction, but he
recovered his composure quickly. The man shook Jasper’s hand, a forced
smile on his face. “Nice to meet you. Call me Miles, please.” He glanced to
Piper, and his grin widened. “Nice to see you again, Piper. Thank you for
agreeing to this.”
Jasper briefly studied the man. Miles was a few inches shorter than him
and leaner, less muscular. He remembered what Piper said about the man’s
unusual green eyes. He agreed with her; they looked like shifter eyes, but he
smelled like a human. Well, mostly human, but a little off. Strange, but not
like any shifter he’d ever scented before.
Piper shook her head. “It’s no problem, really. I used to love exploring
this area. I haven’t been back in a while.”
Miles peered at Jasper once again. “SCB, huh? Are you on a case?”
What the hell? Who asks that? Jasper struggled, but somehow managed,
to keep his cool. He forced a smile. “No, no, I’m off duty. Just wanted to
spend more time with Piper. She mentioned she was going to show you
around, and I kind of invited myself. Hope you don’t mind.” Jasper really
didn’t give a rat’s ass if this guy cared or not.
“Why would I mind? Of course not,” Miles said. “The more the merrier.
You can help by giving me some feedback on what we see. I’m hoping to get
my students excited about speleology. That’s the study of caves.”
Jasper almost rolled his eyes. This guy thinks I’m an idiot. “Yes, that
would be why we’re here, right?” Jasper asked.
Piper coughed and wrapped her hand around Jasper’s back, squeezing
him briefly before stepping away from him and turning in a big circle,
BRACKETT’S EYES WIDENED
looking around the area. “Well, if this doesn’t do it, then I’m afraid I’m out
of ideas. This was my favorite cave system when I was younger,” Piper said,
grinning.
“You been here before?” Miles asked Jasper.
Jasper shook his head. “Afraid not. I did some cave exploring when I
was a kid, but not this particular system. I’m just here for the company.” He
saw Piper’s cheeks redden at his words.
Jasper snuck a glance at Miles. He was staring at Piper with a thoughtful
look on his face.
“But I am open to learning more about polar caves,” Jasper said
cheerfully.
Piper placed her hands on her hips and faced the two of them. “Well, we
should probably get started. We’re just going to do a brief walk-through
today, no climbing or anything that we’d need harnesses for. I brought a
couple of helmets and headlamps for me and Jasper. You brought your own,
right Miles?”
Miles nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Jasper retrieved the equipment that he and Piper had stashed in the back
of his SUV that hadn’t fit into her backpack and handed it to her. Miles did
the same, returning moments later with his own helmet and lamp. Piper
selected a flashlight for the two of them and checked the batteries on all the
equipment. She then put the remaining gear back, zipped her backpack
closed, and moved to sling it over her shoulders.
Jasper held out his hand. “Please, let me carry that for you.”
She shyly smiled. “Thank you.”
Piper led the way out of the parking lot, with Miles following close
behind, chattering about his students. Jasper narrowed his eyes as he stared at
the lamp while he walked. Neither he nor Piper really needed the additional
lighting. Their beasts could see in the dark, but Miles would probably benefit
from the added illumination. He peered at the man as he strode next to them.
He really needed to get a read on this guy without making it too obvious.
He’d just play Piper’s somewhat jealous boyfriend. Easy enough.
His reindeer chuckled silently. “Indeed.”
This wouldn’t be so bad, right? Put up with this snooty professor? Then
I can have Piper all to myself tonight.
As they moved through the chilled caverns, Miles kept up a steady
stream of chatter. He peppered Piper with questions about this and the other
granite caves nearby. He sounded sincere in his enthusiasm. He sure didn’t
give off any threatening vibes. Maybe he wasn’t as stuck up as he’d thought
he’d be.
After close to an hour, they took a quick break to sip some water from
their packs.
Jasper shielded his eyes from Miles’s headlamp as he meandered around
the small crevice they’d halted next to.
“Whoa, your eyes,” Miles exclaimed to Jasper. “They changed!”
Jasper has shifted them to those of his reindeer so he could see better in
the dark. “Yeah, they change colors in the dark. It’s a reindeer trait.”
“Reindeer, huh,” Miles said. “I wondered what type of shifter you
were.”
“You could have asked,” Jasper offered.
“It seemed rude. Shifters can usually tell, at least my mother could. She
was the tiger shifter in the family. All I got from her was her eyes. Everything
else is from the paternal side of the family.” He sounded just a little bitter.
Piper handed Jasper her water bottle. He stowed it back in the pack.
“Sometimes that happens with human-shifter pairings. Sometimes the
offspring inherit some shifter strength or speed. Other times they inherit a
larger body size without the ability to shift. Still, some are fully human.
Genetics is funny that way,” Piper said kindly.
“Shifter genetics is even more complex than human genetics, which is
already so intricate. At least that’s what Leo tells me. He’s a friend of mine.
He trained as a geneticist at U of Maine. We were roommates freshman year.
He moved down here from Maine same time as I did. It was pure luck that we
both found jobs at the college here,” Miles said.
Jasper didn’t believe in luck.
“Does he come from a shifter family as well?” Piper asked.
Miles nodded. “His mother was a wolverine, his father human. Leo’s
human like me.”
Jasper’s jaw dropped. Wolverine?
“Wolverine?” Piper asked.
“I know. Wolverine shifters are so rare, and Leo’s never met anyone
from his mother’s side of the family. She was an orphan, apparently. He
doesn’t seem to have inherited any shifter talents. Kind of drove him into the
field of genetics.”
“Shifter genetics?” Jasper asked.
“Oh no. That field is in its infancy. Leo’s a human geneticist. He’s quite
brilliant, but still young, at least for the field. He’s hoping to study shifterhuman hybrids in the future, but he needs to focus on making his mark in the
field first.”
“Well, you sound like good friends,” Piper said.
“Yeah, we bonded in school over both of us being not-really shifters, but
not-really humans either. He’s a bit intense, but he’s been a good friend,”
Miles said. He stashed his own drink back in his pack. “Shall we continue?”
Chapter 35
hours later, around five-thirty, Piper watched Miles’s jeep drive
off from her seat in Jasper’s SUV. Jasper hadn’t said a word since they said
their goodbyes to the professor. She had heard his pulse quicken as they
walked hand in gloved hand back to the vehicle. Sitting in the enclosed space,
she noticed his breathing had quickened as well. She studied her silent
companion. He didn’t seem angry, but he looked tense.
“The day went pretty well—” Piper began but was stopped by Jasper’s
lips on hers. Shock gave way to a heat that rumbled through her core. She felt
his hand at the back of her head, holding her still.
She placed her covered hands on the sides of his face. He moaned,
deepening the kiss.
Seconds later, he pulled back with a snarl. “No.”
“What’s wrong?” Piper asked.
“The first time we do this, it will not be in my SUV,” Jasper hissed. He
closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.
She caressed his face with a hand. “Then you better get us to a bed
ASAP.”
His eyes snapped open, and his eyebrows rose almost comically. He
shook his head and adjusted himself in his seat. Without another word, he
immediately turned on the ignition and sped out of the lot.
They soon approached the center of town.
“Your place or mine?” Jasper asked.
“Hmm, since your place is closer….”
The vehicle accelerated. Heat pooled in Piper’s abdomen.
Minutes later, the SUV screeched into his driveway. Jasper killed the
A COUPLE OF
engine and nearly jumped out of it. He quickly rounded the front of the
vehicle and opened her door. Instead of simply helping her out, he lifted her
from her seat, slamming the door shut behind them with his shoulder.
His eyes were glowing yellow. She scented his arousal, and it was
making her, and her beast, go crazy. She clutched his fleece and snuggled her
face into his chest, inhaling his smell.
He jogged up the stairs, and then she felt him jostling in his pocket for
his house keys. He opened the door and then nudged it shut behind them with
his boot. His townhouse was dark. She heard his raspy panting. Seconds later,
she was placed on her feet, her back pressed against the wall next to his
closed front door. Jasper’s hands were everywhere at once, his mouth on
hers. And it was incredible!
Chapter 36
mate!” his beast hissed.
Jasper was consumed with desire. Desire for the sweet woman in his
arms. He couldn’t get close enough to her. Heat burned deep within his chest.
He kissed her plump lips and then nipped her sweet skin all along her cheek
until he reached her ear. Her gloved hands gripped and pulled at his hair as he
continued to kiss and suckle.
“Jasper, please!” she moaned. She returned his kisses with equal vigor
and ground her core against him. He needed more. He lifted her into his arms,
his hands squeezing her plush bottom. She wrapped her legs around his waist
tight. His cock throbbed. He moved down the hall as she wriggled in his hold.
He stumbled as Piper pulled at his fleece and the T-shirt beneath. Hitting
something solid, he glanced up. His bedroom door, finally! He kicked it open
and staggered inside, stopping when he bumped into his bed. He lay Piper
down carefully in the middle of his extra wide king-sized custom bed and
stepped back to gather his senses.
Calm down! Stay in control!
Piper frowned. “What’s—?”
A growl ripped out from deep in his chest. He pressed his fist against his
sternum, willing his beast to stay put. He panted, and after a few seconds was
able to catch his breath. “It’s OK. I just need a minute. My beast…”
Piper sat up. “Come here.” She held out her hand.
He grunted and then clenched his fists. His beast wanted to come out
and see his mate. “Not now,” he pleaded silently with the unruly creature.
Piper just smiled, her hand still extended. “I need you.”
“I just don’t want to hurt you. I can get a little aggressive…you know,
“FINALLY WITH OUR
in…” He gestured to the bed with his head. His breathing became more
erratic. His beast was so close to making an appearance. He closed his eyes
and rubbed his temples. A few seconds later, he opened them to gaze at Piper
through his animal’s eyes.
Piper lowered her hand to the bed. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and
her expression was soft. “I know you’d never hurt me, but I can see your
struggle. Just come here and sit by me, at least. We can just snuggle. Tell me
about it. We’ll slow things down a little, alright?”
Jasper slowly exhaled the breath he’d been holding. She trusted him to
never harm her. He’d prove her correct. He slowly inched closer and sat
down next to her. She immediately cuddled into his side.
“Go on, lay back a bit,” she urged.
He lay back against the solid wood headboard, and she wrapped herself
around his side, resting her head on his shoulder. She rubbed her cheek
against his fleece-covered chest and patted his shoulder. She looked down at
her covered hand and frowned. “About the gloves, I feel ridiculous.”
“Listen,” his deep voice growled, “we’ll figure this out. Until we do,
we’ll have to keep those beautiful hands covered. I mean, the sparks don’t
hurt me, but I don’t know what it’s doing to you. Could be draining your
magic powers, and we may have need of them.”
She rose onto her elbow and tugged his head to look at her. “Now, tell
me why you’re afraid you’ll hurt me.”
He released a shuddering breath. “It’s just that I can be pretty
controlling.”
She didn’t seem surprised. She rubbed soothing circles on his chest with
her hand. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“But it’s not just, well”—he rubbed his free hand over her back—“this
issue with control that I have… It’s worse in the bedroom. Normally, I can
seem overprotective or old-fashioned. During sex, though, I can be
domineering, even aggressive,” he gritted out. He added in a gruff voice, “At
least that’s what I’ve been told.”
She stilled, but her hand gripped his fleece. “How domineering?” she
asked in a voice slightly above a whisper.
He cleared his throat. “I may be a little rough.” He sucked in a breath
and then slowly exhaled. “Sometimes I may ask to blindfold you during sex.”
Her hand tightened almost imperceptibly on his fleece. “What else?” she
croaked.
He scented a change in the room. His cock throbbed. His little mate
didn’t seem scared. In fact, she was aroused. Even with them both being fully
clothed, he was as hard as steel. He coughed and lightly ran a hand over the
leg she had thrown over him. “I might loosely bind your wrists, with your
approval, of course.”
She let out a small gasp and snuggled yet closer, her scent becoming
stronger. “What would you tie them with?” Her voice was husky.
Jasper ran a hand under her hoodie. Her skin was satin against his
fingers. She released a soft sigh. He grabbed the back of her head with his
free hand and fisted her hair, yanking her closer so their lips were mere
inches apart. “Depends. Ideally, silk ties with soft padding around the wrists.
But if we couldn’t wait, maybe I’d rip up my T-shirt and use—”
A deep growl rumbled through the room, and Piper’s lips were pressed
against his before he could finish his sentence. Her hands tore at his shirt as
she moaned into his mouth.
“Wait, I need skin,” he hissed, yanking her sweatshirt, T-shirt, and bra
up and over her head. It was hard as she was attempting to rip his clothes off
at the same time, but he finally did it. He threw the clothes off the side of the
bed. He took over and flipped Piper onto her back and straddled her,
kneeling, holding her wrists together above her head with one hand. He
ended the kiss and stared at this beautiful woman. Her eyes were glassy with
lust, her lips swollen and a luscious pink. He looked his fill and ran his free
hand over one perfect round breast and then its twin. Gorgeous.
She hissed, drawing his gaze. Her eyes narrowed, and she licked her
lips.
He released his hold on her and she immediately grabbed for his waist.
He pulled his fleece and the shirt underneath off, tossing them with hers on
the floor. Her eyes grew wide as she studied his bare chest and abdomen. He
knew he was in good shape; his shifter genetics accounted for some, and his
early morning workouts helped with the rest. Piper seemed to like what she
saw, but he needed to be sure before taking the next steps.
“P, are you sure you want this? Want me?” Jasper asked. He ran his
hand along the skin just below the waist of her jeans, his eyes never leaving
hers.
“Yes,” she whispered. “You’re mine.”
Chapter 37
if she unleashed a beast with her words. Jasper’s mouth was on
hers, kissing her for all he was worth. His insistent lips and tongue probed at
her mouth, and she readily opened for him, growling in response. He tasted
like home.
She was on fire. Icy, white-hot fire. He tightened his thighs against hers
and leaned over, placing his hands on her wrists. He held her arms immobile
and, damn, if that didn’t turn her on! His lips kissed and nipped all along the
curve of her jaw and then down her neck, ending at her chest. He ran his free
hand over one breast, while his lips returned to hers for a passionate kiss.
She groaned at the sensations he was ripping from her. She felt so alive!
Her magic thrummed through her body, just beneath her skin, as if Jasper was
waking it from slumber.
Jasper kissed his way down to her chest once more. He began lapping
and suckling at the nipple he’d been caressing. She gasped, and her pelvis
jerked when he applied strong suction to the nub. He was killing her. Sex had
never been like this before.
“Because it wasn’t with your mate, foolish girl,” her bear chided.
“Jasper, please. I need more.”
With his free hand, Jasper fisted her hair and tugged her head back,
exposing the full column of her neck. He bit and sucked the skin where her
neck met her shoulder. His hand left her now-tender breast and moved down
to her pants.
“Next time, no jeans,” he hissed.
She giggled, and he glanced up with a half-smile while he continued to
IT WAS AS
fiddle with her button and zipper. He kissed her lips with a smack. She then
felt her zipper give way.
“Ah, finally,” he gritted out. “Now, lift up just a bit or else I’ll have to
tear these off.”
As she lifted her lower body up, he yanked her jeans down her legs and
then discarded them off the side of the bed.
“Now, you!” she huffed, nodding at his pants.
Jasper smirked and dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “Bossy
little bear,” he teased. He then untangled himself from her and stepped off the
bed. He quickly removed his own pants, leaving him in a pair of tight black
boxer briefs.
His erection was straining against his underwear. It seemed an
impressive specimen. She licked her lips.
When he chuckled, her gaze snapped to his. He wiggled his eyebrows at
her. Ooh, he’d caught her staring. Oh, well, she didn’t care. “Go on.” She
gestured to his briefs. “And then come back up here. I’m getting lonely.”
He huffed a laugh and quickly stepped out of his underwear, kicking
them to the side. He stalked back toward the bed. She backed away from him,
closer to the headboard, covering her bare breasts and pussy with her arms.
His eyes flashed the yellow of his beast. “Little bear, where are you
going?”
“Nowhere,” she whispered, staring at his nakedness. He was stunning.
“So, drop those arms. I want to see your amazing body,” he
commanded, climbing up onto the bed and moving toward her on his hands
and knees.
She looked down at herself. Her body was OK, definitely not amazing.
She frowned.
“Nuh uh, no disparaging yourself.” He reached for her lightning-fast and
pulled her onto his lap, so he rested against the headboard. He placed a hand
behind her head and pulled her close, kissing her breathless. He ended the
kiss and flipped her over onto her back and followed her down to the bed
resting on his side. He skimmed his free hand along the angle of her jaw. His
eyes nearly glowed.
As she rubbed a gloved hand up and down his smooth, defined chest, he
released a shuddering breath. He was a handsome, well-built man. He could
do a lot of damage in this form as well as that of his beast, but she knew deep
in her bones that he’d never hurt her. She rested her other hand on his jaw
and tugged him toward her. She placed a light kiss on his full lips and spoke
in a near whisper. “Please, I want to be with you now.”
He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “Once we do
this, there’s no going back, sweet pea. We’ll be together.” When his eyes
opened, there was uncertainty there.
“No going back,” she responded confidently. She licked his lips and
then kissed him greedily.
He groaned and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He grabbed her
ass, grinding against her as his tongue played with hers.
Piper writhed beneath him, clawing at his back, trying to bring him even
closer. She felt his hardness insistent against her lower abdomen. She needed
him now! She reached a hand between their bodies intending to grab him, but
she stopped when she saw her glove.
“Do it. It’s OK,” he hissed.
She wrapped her hand gently around his rigid member.
He let out a low hiss. “Piper, I won’t be …”
She gently squeezed his shaft and then ran her fist up and down,
reveling in its hardness.
“Ah!” Jasper rose on one knee and grasped his cock in one hand. He
placed a quick kiss on Piper’s lips and then looked between their bodies. He
directed his penis toward her core. He rubbed the angry red head in the
wetness that seeped from her body. She shuddered, and he pushed inside her
tight sheath.
When Piper moaned, Jasper immediately kissed her. He continued his
slow advance. He was so big! It hurt in the best way possible. She grabbed
his hair with both hands and moved her pelvis in rhythm with his. He thrust
in, a little farther each time.
She grabbed his ass with one hand and drew him closer. “More,” she
gasped.
His thrusts increased in tempo and depth. He drove deeper and deeper
until he was fully sheathed. She was so full! He pounded into her over and
over. She started to shake as she continued to move in sync with him, her
mate. She moaned wordlessly as the intensity built. Finally, she reached her
peak and screamed when her pussy quivered. She felt her teeth elongate and
sharpen. She needed to bite, but she hadn’t asked him. She growled, her voice
not quite human, but not fully her beast.
“Do it! Mark me, mate!” his beast’s deep voice demanded.
She snapped her teeth into his shoulder and tasted iron as blood ran over
her tongue. Her core pulsed against his rigid cock.
She heard Jasper shout and release his seed into her seconds later. They
were covered in sweat, breathing as if they’d run a marathon. He lay half on
top of her, her head lying in the curve of his shoulder.
Her teeth slowly returned to their human form. She lay a gentle kiss on
her mate’s shoulder next to the bite. It would scar as mating bites did for
shifters. Normal wounds healed without scars for shifters but mating bites
resulted in thick permanent marks.
But wait, he hadn’t bitten her.
He pressed kisses along her shoulder. “I would have bitten you if I
could. Reindeer don’t mark their mates. Our teeth are too flat. They’re almost
as useless as human teeth.”
Piper placed a gentle hand on his jaw. “I was wondering, but how did
you…?”
Jasper rolled to his side, tucking her close. He grinned lazily at her. “I
don’t know. I wasn’t sure if you knew about reindeer teeth. You’re as much
my mate as I am yours mating bite or not.”
Piper smiled weakly. “Good. And I didn’t know.” She ran a finger over
his wound. “You don’t mind?”
He shook his head and tugged her against him, her back to his front. He
dragged the comforter up over them and wrapped an arm around her. “I think
my beast would have started bellowing if you hadn’t marked us.” He
chuckled, then kissed her temple and tightened his arm around her. “Now, go
to sleep, mate.”
She snuggled within his arms and closed her eyes.
Chapter 38
a start in the dark. His heart was racing, and he sensed
danger, but from where? He was on his side, his body curved around Piper.
He sniffed the air. Nothing but the two of them. He placed a kiss on the side
of her neck. Her skin was cool. No, not cool, cold. What?
“Piper? Piper, sweet pea, wake up!” He rubbed her shoulder. When she
didn’t wake, he sat up, at once fully alert.
He rolled her over on her back and studied her. Her eyes were closed,
and she was breathing. She appeared to be in a deep slumber. “Piper!” He
grabbed both of her shoulders and shook. Her head lolled back. He ran a hand
down her cheek. She appeared almost comatose.
Calm down. Think!
Vitals. Check her vitals.
He listened to his inner voice. He took her pulse and studied her
breathing. Everything seemed fine, but her skin was colder than it should be.
He heard his own panting. He needed to remain rational. His gaze darted
around the room as he racked his mind for answers. Think, man, think! He
spied a framed painting of the Alaskan wilderness on his wall.
The painting! May’s painting! Could Piper, or some part of her, be
stuck outside her body again?
“How do I get her back?” he asked aloud. “Piper! Piper!” He looked
around the room. “Where are you?”
He climbed on top of her and straddled her. He held both her gloved
hands in his and focused all his thoughts on her. “Piper, come back. Piper,
come back. Come back to me.” He repeated the words over and over.
He’d just found his mate. He couldn’t lose her now.
JASPER AWOKE WITH
He must have stayed there for a solid five minutes, pleading for Piper to
come back to him. Tears filled his eyes just as a breeze ran through the room.
He lifted his head. As it was still late March, there were no windows open in
his home. There shouldn’t be a breeze unless—
Icy cold air wrapped itself around him. He tightened his grip on Piper’s
hands.
“Jasper?” Piper’s voice was a whisper. It sounded as if she were far
away, but he figured it out. She was close, and she was trying to come back
to him.
He closed his eyes once more. “Come back to your body, please!”
A blast of cold hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of
him. When he opened his eyes, he jolted as Piper’s body flexed and a whoosh
left her mouth. Her eyes flew open, shining bright orange.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Jasper mumbled as he stared in
wonder at his mate. She was safe. They’d figure this all out. They had to.
“Jasper, it happened again!” Piper coughed out. After she blinked a few
times, her eyes returned to their honey brown human state.
“I know. Your left your body,” Jasper said. “Are you alright?”
“I think so.” When she sat up, he moved into position at her side. He
placed a hand on her wrist. Her pulse was strong with a regular rate and
rhythm. Her breathing seemed fine.
Jasper hugged her close to his side. “Where did you go?” Jasper asked.
He kissed her lips and brushed a hand over her cheek.
“Here. I stayed right here. I floated above us in the bed and then around
your home. I don’t think I was gone long, but it’s sort of hard to say.”
Jasper lifted her onto his lap and leaned back against the headboard. He
tucked her head against his chest. She shivered, and he remembered they
were both completely nude aside from her protective gloves. He pulled his
comforter up around them both.
“It was as if there was something or someone calling me from
somewhere in the distance. I couldn’t make out who it was or where it was
exactly. I was just about to go exploring, but then I heard you calling my
name. It helped focus me. I was able to float back into my body.” She
burrowed deeper into his arms.
Jasper forced his breathing to even out. He rubbed soothing strokes up
and down Piper’s back. She needed his strength right now. “Did you feel like
this was going to happen? I mean, did you get any warning?”
Chapter 39
eyes and thought about his question. “No, I fell asleep right
after we…you know.” She felt her cheeks heat. “I felt so safe lying beside
you. But I woke up and didn’t know where I was. I reached for you, but there
was nothing. I realized I was floating again. I saw the two of us in bed.” She
trembled. She needed to learn how to control this power. She couldn’t be
leaving her body all the time. What if she couldn’t get back? Would she just
float away? What if she was presumed dead; would they bury her body?
Tears sprung to her eyes, and she buried her head against Jasper’s chest. “If it
happens again, if you can’t get me to respond right away, don’t take my body
away, please,” she sobbed.
Jasper gripped her tighter. “I’d never. I will never.” He tilted her head
up and looked into her eyes. “I will never let that happen. I will hunt you
down and find you somehow and bring you back into your body. You’re my
mate. You’re mine and I’m yours. Forever.”
Tears continued to flow down her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“Hey, hey. It’ll be OK,” Jasper cooed. He wiped the tears from her face.
“I promise we’ll figure this out. Mac and Heath offered to help with figuring
out your magic too. They don’t know about the floating, just the magic hands
part.” He gave her a small smile.
She wiped at her tears. “You think they can help?”
“It couldn’t hurt. They’ve invited us over for dinner in a couple days.”
He yawned. “On Tuesday.” He peered at the bedside clock and huffed a
laugh. “Or rather tomorrow. Mac thought we could talk about your powers
and see if there was anything we were missing. That is, of course, if you’re
up for it. Though, if you’d rather wait a bit…”
PIPER CLOSED HER
“I think we should go. We should see what they have to say. We need to
figure this out. I want to be able to touch you with my own hands instead of
these gloves.” She waggled her covered hands around. “Besides, I feel like
something big is going to happen soon in town.”
Jasper kissed her hair. “I have to agree with you.” He rubbed her back.
“Now, why don’t we try to get some sleep. I have to make an appearance in
the office tomorrow, and I believe you need to be at work too, right?”
She groaned. “Ugh, yes unfortunately. Don’t get me wrong. I love my
job, but this is one time I’d rather not have a job.” She tilted her head up and
planted a soft kiss on his lips. She chuckled. “Don’t new mates get a
honeymoon or something?”
“Yes, yes, normally they do. I promise once we ensure Grey Lake’s
safety, I will take you away for at least a week wherever you want to go.”
“Sounds perfect. And once I’m able, I’m going to run my bare hands all
over you,” Piper said, squeezing Jasper tight.
Chapter 40
off at her home after they enjoyed a brief, but very
satisfying, shower together. Piper made sure to keep her hands to herself, but
he certainly didn’t. Best morning of his life so far. He promised to come by
her place for the night as soon as he got off work. In fact, his duffel bag was
already packed and stashed in the back of his SUV. They hadn’t had a chance
to discuss where they’d be staying long-term, but they’d be together. He and
Piper both agreed on that.
Jasper noticed a spring in his step this morning as he walked through the
office. He was happy for a change; his heart was happy.
“Good morning,” Jasper said to Declan as he strode past his boss’s desk.
“Morning,” Declan mumbled. “Well, aren’t you in a good mood? This
have anything to do with a certain librarian?”
Jasper gave a noncommittal grunt just as Declan’s phone rang.
“Hello,” Declan said.
Ah, saved by the bell! Jasper sat down at his desk. He fired up his laptop
and began checking emails.
Less than five minutes later, a growl ripped through the office. Jasper
looked up to see Declan slam his phone down on his desk and stand up.
“What is it with this town?”
“What’s up?” Jasper asked.
Declan groaned. “That was your friend Finn. Seems that there was a
break-in at the grocery store in town overnight. The police were called a few
hours ago, but they finally decided to call us.”
“Any particular reason we’re being called about a B&E?” Jasper asked.
“It’s what was stolen,” Declan said.
HE DROPPED PIPER
“So, what was stolen?” Jasper asked.
“Meat. All the meat in the store. Every last meat product was taken.”
“Meat?” Jasper asked.
“Meat,” Declan said. “Get your coat. We’re heading out.”
“Meat, huh?” Jasper asked. After what happened at the dairy farm,
Jasper really shouldn’t be surprised at anything that happened in Grey Lake.
“Yes, yes. Finn mentioned that Heath thought we’d want to look at the
crime scene.” Declan rolled his eyes. “Now, let’s go.”
“Can’t wait,” Jasper said under his breath.
*
“What the hell?” Declan hissed.
Finn met the two of them in the parking lot of the Grey Lake Market and
escorted them to the meat packing area of the store via the employee
entrance.
Jasper surveyed the scene in silence. The cavernous room was in
disarray. Packing materials and equipment had been thrown asunder.
“Well, you can see the mess,” Finn said. “What worried Heath and I the
most was in the storage room. If you’ll follow me.” He strode through a set of
swinging double doors at the back of the packing room.
Declan gestured with a hand for Jasper to go on ahead.
Jasper pushed the double doors forward and walked on through into the
storage room. There were several stainless-steel shelving units lined up
throughout the freezer room. The shelves were completely empty. It looked
as if the store had packed up their stock and moved out to a different location.
Jasper walked around the large room, his breath visible in front of his face.
“A shipment of new stock arrived yesterday. These shelves should be
loaded with meat,” Finn said.
“There’s nobody working here overnight?” Declan asked.
Finn shook his head. “Last employee, one of the assistant managers,
punched out at eleven thirty-five pm.”
“He do a walk-through before locking up?” Jasper asked.
Finn nodded. “Yes, she did. Nothing out of the ordinary. Same as every
night she’s closed up.”
“When did the first employee get in this morning?” Declan asked.
Finn flipped through a small notepad. “A little before five am. A
different assistant manager showed up first with about five more employees
arriving shortly thereafter. They called us about five-twenty, right after they
saw this”
“Why are you only calling us in now?” Declan roared.
“Sir, you’ll have to ask the chief about that. He just left for a meeting at
the station. We got here at about five forty-five and started right in. Right
before the chief left about ten minutes ago, he asked me to call you guys.”
Finn shrugged. “Do you want to go through the meat section inside the main
part of the store?”
Jasper nodded. “We saw the store’s open for business?”
“Yeah, we sectioned off the meat department with police tape after we
went through the entire place. Nothing seemed out of place anywhere else,”
Finn said.
Declan sighed heavily. “Let’s take a look.”
Chapter 41
the clock on the wall. She had less than an hour left before
she closed the library and got to see Jasper again. She felt her cheeks rise as
she smiled. Her chest burned over her heart just thinking about him. The
yellow roses that he’d had delivered this afternoon were beautiful. He was
such a thoughtful, kind mate.
“Also powerful, strong, and sexy,” her bear added.
She shook her head at her bear’s words, but she agreed with the beast.
It had been a steady day at work in terms of customers. She’d helped a
few students from Grey Lake College with their various research projects.
She’d also assisted several parents, and their small children find ageappropriate reading material. Some of her regulars also came by to either
drop off a book, look through the new selections, or use one of the several
computer workstations. It was wonderful being a librarian in a small village;
she truly got to know each and every Laker that walked through the doors of
the building. The only problem with it being a busy day was that she hadn’t
had even a moment to head down to the archives to look at the book on the
Guardians. She was so tempted to bring it home with her, but she couldn’t
risk damaging the ancient book.
“Piper, I finished with the shelving. I’m going to head out,” Leah said.
Piper startled. She hadn’t seen the younger woman approach the
circulation desk to speak to her. “Leah, sorry! You surprised me.”
Leah’s cheeks reddened. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to sneak up on
you.”
“Thanks for helping out. You don’t have to help out, but I appreciate it.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve got energy to burn and some free time,” Leah said.
PIPER GLANCED AT
Piper studied the tawny-haired Leah. She noticed the dark circles under
the pale woman’s hazel-colored eyes. There was a tightness to her jaw that
implied she was maybe anxious…or was she afraid?
Piper leaned closer to Leah and lowered her voice. “Are you OK?”
Leah shrugged and gave Piper a weak smile. “Sure, just a lot going on.”
“How’s work?” Piper pressed.
“Oh, it’s fine. Sam and Quinn have been taking more shifts than usual
because I started taking classes at the college part-time.”
“Are you going for another degree?” Piper asked. She knew Leah and
her brothers had completed environmental science degrees down in
Connecticut shortly before moving to Grey Lake a couple of years ago.
“Yeah, I’m thinking about getting my Master’s. I’m not entirely sure
just yet. I’m taking a science class and a statistics class this semester. I’m just
still not sure if I want an advanced degree or a career switch.”
“It’s hard to find your place in the world,” Piper offered.
“Even more so if you’re a shifter,” Leah said quietly.
“Well, feel free to come by here anytime to talk.” Piper placed her hand
on the circulation desk. “I mean it, you don’t just have to come by to help out
either.”
Leah smiled weakly. “Thanks. Well, I know you probably have things to
finish before you close, so I’m going to head out. Have a nice night.”
“Thanks, you too.” Piper watched as Leah walked out the front door and
into the night. She glanced down at the desktop. What a mess! “Shoot! How
did I miss this?” she wondered aloud as she noticed a stack of mail.
Piper sorted each bill and solicitation into piles until she reached the last
envelope. Her name in cursive was the only writing on the plain white
envelope. Oh, no! Not again!
This had to be from Tessa, right? She tore open the envelope and
unfolded the piece of paper.
Don’t be afraid. Follow where your power leads.
The message was handwritten, just like the first message she’d received.
She turned the sheet of paper over. Once again, no signature.
What power? Her hands? Or the leaving her body? Or both?
She folded up the paper and stashed it back into the envelope. Why
couldn’t Tessa just speak plainly? She needed help. She needed to be able to
control her powers. It was so frustrating. She felt like a loose cannon. Lights
flashed at the periphery of her vision. Piper lifted her hands. They were
glowing a brilliant orange.
“Please stop,” she whispered. She closed her eyes and focused solely on
the feeling of electricity running through her. I need to get a handle on this. I
want to touch my mate.
Bang!
Piper jumped at the sound of the front door slamming shut. She scented
the air and relaxed.
“Piper! Sorry to get here so late. We were on our way home, and I
thought we’d have time to drop these off,” Aiden said. He was carrying four
books with Jamie at his side.
“Hi, Aiden.” She then looked to the gray wolf at his side. “Hi, Jamie.”
“Piper, your hands… Are you alright?” Aiden asked.
She looked down at her still glowing hands. The intensity had reduced
somewhat. “They don’t hurt. I’m still trying to figure out how to control it.
That’s all.”
“I wish I could help,” Aiden said. “Looks like you’re dimming a bit.”
Jamie nodded his head once.
Piper looked at her hands. He was right. Maybe I am getting better at
this.
“You’re stronger than you know,” a deep voice said inside her mind.
She shivered. That wasn’t her bear’s voice; the voice was masculine.
She looked around the room.
“Is everything OK?” Aiden asked.
“Please, tell him you’re OK. I don’t want him to know yet.” Jamie
walked forward and sat on his haunches in front of her.
“Is that you? Jamie?” Piper thought the words.
“Yes. Please tell Aiden you’re doing fine.”
She shook her head. “Oh yes, yes. I’m fine, thank you.” She looked at
her hands. They looked completely normal. “Oh, good. Back to normal.” She
held out a hand to Aiden. “Here, I can take the books now.”
He handed the books over. “Thank you.”
“Have you been enjoying working at Tessa’s?” Piper asked.
Aiden grinned and bit his lower lip. “Hmm, yes. You know, I am
enjoying it. It’s good to get out of the house and do some honest work.”
“Are you guys staying with Iris and Deacon?”
“We were, but we just moved into Tessa’s rental cottage. Iris lived there
when she first moved to town.”
“I remember. That’s great. By the way, you’re an excellent cook,” Piper
said.
Jamie yipped.
Aiden beamed. “Thank you.” He rubbed Jamie between the ears. “This
is the first time I felt proud of my work.”
She smiled back at Aiden.
“Thank you,” Jamie whispered in her mind.
“Well, we won’t keep you. Have a good evening,” Aiden said. He
turned and took a few steps toward the front door. Jamie was a little slower to
move.
“You, too, both of you,” Piper said. She bent down closer to Jamie and
rubbed the fur between his ears. “Jamie, how can I hear you in my mind? I
have so many questions.”
“It is my power. I can only speak to some right now. Talk to Mac; she
can explain more,” the wolf said silently.
“I will. Take care.”
Piper watched them leave and then hurried to finish closing. She needed
to get home to Jasper.
Chapter 42
on the sofa in the living room and looked at his watch. Piper
was on her way home from work. He had let himself into her house and made
a calzone using some dough that his mate made last night. The calzone would
be done by the time she walked through the door. He smiled to himself. It felt
good to feed his mate.
His mate. He wasn’t alone anymore.
Tomorrow they’d speak with Heath and Mac about her powers.
Hopefully, they’d have some helpful ideas. He didn’t want Piper to worry. He
wanted her to feel safe, protected. If she could control her powers, she’d be
able to defend herself. With all the craziness going on in Grey Lake, he
needed to know she would be safe when they were apart.
An image of the savaged cows at the dairy farm popped into his mind.
Those poor, innocent creatures. They never had a chance. What or who could
have done that? They didn’t have any leads yet. Now, with the break-in at the
grocery store, well, what the hell? He had to figure this out. What would need
to eat that much meat and that quickly? Shifters had huge appetites, but
nothing that could account for those two incidents.
A sharp pain struck him in the chest, right over his heart. He rubbed it,
sitting forward on the cushioned seat. What the hell?
“You’re too anxious. Calm down. Getting frantic won’t help anything.
Mate needs you to be steady,” his beast said.
“Calm, what are you talking about?” he asked aloud. “I am calm.” He
looked down at his clenched fists and sucked in a breath. “Then again, maybe
you’re right.”
“’Course, I am. Mate is at the door. Now, behave,” the beast warned.
JASPER SAT DOWN
He heard the front door open and close. “Jasper, I’m home,” Piper
called.
Jasper rose from the couch and met Piper in the entryway. She was
carrying a bouquet of roses. They were yellow just as he’d asked for. He
opened his arms and pulled her into a hug.
“Thank you for the flowers. I love yellow roses. They’re so bright and
cheery,” she said.
He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. Piper eagerly
kissed him back, pressing into his embrace. He caressed her cheek with a
hand and broke the kiss after a few seconds. “You’re welcome. Dinner’s
almost ready.”
Piper lowered her head and snuggled deeper into his chest. He kissed the
top of her head. “It’s only a meat and cheese calzone,” he chuckled.
Piper lifted her head and grinned. “Sounds delicious. I just missed you.”
He held his hands out and took the vase of flowers from her.
“How was your day?” she asked.
He placed the vase on the coffee table in front of the sofa and then
walked back to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and winced. “Well,
there was a break-in at the grocery store in town. Nobody was hurt.”
She frowned. “How come the SCB was called? You don’t usually get
called for burglary cases, do you?”
“No, it’s a strange case for sure. Why don’t you have a seat on the
couch? I’ll go get the food and tell you about it.” He kissed her cheek before
stepping back.
“OK. There’s something I want to tell you about, too,” Piper said. She
walked the short distance to the couch and sat down.
Jasper studied her briefly, noting how stiff she seemed. Something was
bothering her for sure. “That’s fine. I’ll be right back.” He retreated to the
kitchen.
*
As they ate dinner, sitting side by side on the couch, Jasper explained the
scene he encountered at the grocery store that morning.
“Where do you think they took it?” Piper asked.
“Took what?” Jasper asked.
“The meat they stole. Do you think someone took it to feed a group of
people or…?” Piper stopped speaking and frowned.
“What?” Jasper asked, placing a hand on her leg.
“Well, what if it was a single shifter? I mean, what type of shifter could
it be?” Piper asked. “Between the theft at the store and what happened to the
cows, that amount of red meat in a short period of time indicates someone or
something is very hungry.”
The same thought had occurred to him. What the hell could need that
much food? “I wonder if anyone in town’s been acting odd.”
Piper laughed. “Everyone in Grey Lake’s been acting odd. I can’t touch
my own mate with my hands without sparking. May paints the future, Mac
has magical healing powers, Jamie can—” Piper stopped abruptly.
“Jamie? The wolf?” Jasper asked. “What do you mean?”
“Ah, I’m not sure if I should say.” Piper looked sick. “I don’t know if he
wants me to say anything to anyone.”
“He who? I don’t understand,” Jasper said.
“Well, that was one of the things I wanted to tell you about.”
Piper spent the next few minutes explaining about Jamie’s apparent
talent.
“So, he wants you to speak to Mac about this?” Jasper asked.
She nodded. “Please don’t mention it to anyone. I don’t know what’s
going on, and I don’t want to put him in any danger.”
Jasper took the plate from Piper’s lap and placed it on the coffee table.
He lifted her up in one swift move and trapped her on his lap within his arms.
He nuzzled her neck. “Sweet pea, I promise you I will not say a word to a
soul. We’re mates. We should be able to speak to one another about anything.
Trust each other with secrets. I want to be able to do that.”
She nodded. “I do, too. Thank you.”
He pressed a soft kiss on her lips. “You don’t have to thank me. I love
you.” He lifted his head and grinned at her.
“I love you, too.” She gripped his T-shirt in her hands and pulled his
mouth back to hers.
He deepened the kiss and arranged her on his lap so she was straddling
him. His cock hardened and throbbed. He bit her lower lip and kissed along
her jaw. Piper groaned and pressed against his pelvis. Suddenly, she lifted her
head and placed a hand on his covered chest. “Whoa, wait a sec. I almost
forgot. There was something else that happened today. Let me up for a
second, and I’ll show you.”
Jasper studied the note Piper brought to him. “What if we’ve been going
about this all wrong?”
“What do you mean?” Piper asked.
“Well, let’s break things down. There are a few issues we need to wrap
our heads around. Why do your hands emit sparks when you touch me and
only me? Why does your spirit or essence leave your body when you sleep?
How do we help you learn how to control your power more consistently?
Anything else?”
She shook her head sadly. “I think that’s plenty of things to worry
about.”
Chapter 43
Why can’t I just be normal? Tears threatened, but Piper refused
to let them fall. She needed to be strong.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Jasper lifted her onto his lap again and wrapped his
arms around her. He kissed her temple and held her against his warm body.
“It’s OK, Jasper. I’ll be fine. I can handle it,” Piper said.
Jasper rubbed soothing circles on her upper back.
His touch felt so good. She felt so protected and cared for.
“I know you can handle this. You’re incredibly strong and smart, but…”
Jasper’s voice trailed off.
“But what?” Piper asked.
He kissed the top of her head and sighed. “It’s just that I want to help
you. Please, let me help you. You don’t have to do everything on your own
anymore.” He nuzzled her hair. “Neither do I,” he added in a lower tone.
“He needs you as much as you need him,” her bear said quietly.
She snuggled deeper into his hold. “OK, we’ll work on this together. So,
how would you approach this?”
“Well, if this was a case I was working on, I’d break it down into
smaller parts. You know, take one issue at a time. What do you want to start
with?”
Piper lifted her hands. “I want to be able to touch you without these.”
She held up her gloved hands. “Skin to skin,” she said.
He looked at her with hooded eyes. “I want that too, very much.” He
coughed and appeared to compose himself. “So, what do we know?” He
repositioned her so she was sitting sideways on his lap.
“Whenever I touch your skin with my bare hands, sparks appear, and it
WHAT A MESS!
feels like electricity is running through my fingers.”
“Also, as best as we can tell, this only happens when you touch my
skin,” Jasper said.
Piper nodded. “Yes, seems to be true. Are you sure you’re not feeling
any pain when I touch your skin without gloves?”
He shook his head. “I promise. No pain. I’ve felt a tingling sensation,
but that’s it.”
“Should we try it again?” Piper asked.
Jasper nodded.
She tugged her gloves off and placed them on the coffee table. “Just tell
me the second you feel any pain, please,” Piper said.
“Will do.” He held his hands toward her. “Whenever you’re ready.”
She rose from his lap and sat beside him on the couch. She pushed back
the sleeves on her sweater and extended her hands toward Jasper’s. As soon
as skin met skin, bright orange sparks flew. She moaned through her closed
mouth.
“Piper, I’m fine,” Jasper said. He sounded confident. “How do you
feel?”
“My magic seems like it’s pulsing through my body, like it wants to get
out. I feel like I should do something. Like I have all this energy within me.”
“Let’s see what happens if I hold your hands, OK?” he asked.
“Alright,” she said warily.
Jasper took her hands in his and held tight.
The blood in her body raced through her veins. Her heart beat a staccato
rhythm. Their joined hands glowed a brilliant sparkling orange. “Jasper, are
you OK?”
“I’m fine. You?” Jasper asked.
She opened her mouth to say yes when the blackness hit.
Chapter 44
knocked at the Jensen’s front door the next evening. He
really hoped their friends had some idea as to how to help Piper. His heart
had almost stopped when she passed out last night after he held her bare
hands. Sure, she came to quickly, but still, they needed answers.
He squeezed his mate’s gloved hand as they waited on the doorstep.
Piper smiled at him and patted their clasped hands with her free one.
The door opened, and Mac greeted them. “Hi guys! Come on in.” She
was holding her pug Linus in her arms like a sleeping babe. They walked in,
and she followed, closing the door behind them with her foot.
Piper giggled. “Ooh, he’s so cute! I’m dying to hold him. He seems so
cuddly.”
Mac beamed. “He is! Here, take him.” She handed the relaxed pug over
to an excited Piper. His mate cuddled the dog as they followed Mac into their
large eat-in kitchen.
“Heath.” Jasper nodded at his friend. He stood at the counter in front of
the preparations for their dinner. “Fajitas? Great choice.” Steak and chicken
were piled high on two plates next to several plates of toppings like cheese,
tomatoes, lettuce. There were also a bowl of guacamole and three bowls of
different intensities of salsa. Jasper’s stomach rumbled loudly, earning him a
giggle from Piper.
“I agree with your belly,” she said. “It smells so good.”
He took a step to the side, moving closer to her. She looked so cute
holding the tiny animal like a baby. He couldn’t wait until they had kids of
their own. He’d finally have a family of his own. He wrapped both arms
around her, being careful not to squish Linus. She smiled up at him.
JASPER AND PIPER
They had a wonderful meal, and then Piper offered to help Mac clean up
a bit while he and Heath went out to the living room with Lucy. Linus was
sound asleep on a dog bed in the kitchen.
Jasper took a seat on one end of the larger couch. Lucy immediately
vaulted up and pranced over to him. The chihuahua stared at him.
“What does she want?” Jasper asked.
Heath, who had been pacing around the room, stopped and turned to
him, looking all put out. “C’mon man, what do you think? She wants to sit on
your lap.” He cooed to the tutu-wearing dog, “You want to climb up on the
big, mean-looking man, don’t you? You’re a smart little girl, keeping an eye
on the intruder for Daddy, aren’t you?
Jasper fought to keep his laugh from bursting out of him. It was funny
seeing Heath with the tiny dog. He remembered Heath complaining about
Mac’s “little rat dogs” before they’d discovered they were mates.
“Alright, Miss Lucy, up you go.” Jasper patted his lap, and the dog
hopped up daintily, spun around in a circle, and sat down. Jasper looked up at
a scowling Heath. “Piper wanted to speak to Mac in private.”
Heath grunted. “I figured as much when you were so eager to leave
them alone in the kitchen. New mates usually want to stick together like
glue.”
Jasper sighed and stared toward the kitchen. “I do, but we need help.
Her powers are something else. We haven’t been able to get a handle on them
yet. We may be making some progress, but there’s something else she needed
to discuss with Mac alone.”
Heath let out a low growl, and Lucy immediately started barking.
“It’s nothing bad, so relax.” Jasper petted Lucy’s petite head. “You too,
missy. Nothing to get upset about.”
“It’d better not be something to worry about. There’s been enough to
worry about in this town lately.”
“Speaking of that, what’s this about flashing lights all over the village?”
Jasper asked.
Heath rubbed his temple. “I’m not sure. The first report was a couple of
weeks ago. Deacon went out there but didn’t find anything. We figured it was
some high school or college kids screwing around. Then a few days ago, we
received a call from one of the condos up at the ski resort. The next day, there
was another call about the lights from one of the students at the college. The
day after that there were multiple calls from both sides of town. Finn and
Kevin raced all over Grey Lake, but nothing. No unusual scents. No signs of
unusual animal activity. No damage to any buildings, trees, anything.”
“Have you sent anyone from the pack out to patrol?” Jasper asked.
Heath gave him an incredulous look.
“So that’s a yes?” Jasper asked.
Heath grunted. “Of course. They haven’t found anything yet. Linc’s out
there right now.” He leaned against the mantle. “One of Mac’s friends from
work, a falcon shifter, is also out patrolling from the air.”
Jasper nodded. “That may be helpful. Great idea to have some eyes in
the sky.”
Heath grinned. “Thanks to my mate. She’s opened up my eyes to
involving more than just the police and my pack in protecting Grey Lake.”
“She’s a smart woman,” Jasper said.
“Don’t I know it,” Heath agreed.
“Too good for you,” Jasper said, but then grinned at his friend. He was
just giving his old friend grief. Heath and Mac were perfect for each other.
Jasper hoped he and Piper would be as well, but they needed to figure out
how to control the power running through her body first.
Chapter 45
Jamie? Inside your head?” Mac asked after Piper
recounted her recent encounter with the wolf shifter. The two women worked
side by side at the sink, Mac washing and Piper drying.
“Yes, I couldn’t believe it at first. I thought it was either my magic
causing me to hear voices in my head, or I was just going crazy. I’m glad you
can really hear him, too.”
Mac grinned. “I’m relieved someone else can hear him as well. Maybe
that means he’s getting better.”
“Better?” Piper asked.
“Well, in terms of being able to shift back into his human form. I’ve
been working with him for weeks now whenever I have time, trying to help
him, but nothing has helped so far. It’s just frustrating, especially for him.”
“I’m sure you’re doing everything you can,” Piper said.
Mac winced. “I’ve been trying to. It’s been hard finding the time to
work with him. It’s been so busy at the hospital. I thought our patient census
would decrease once Dr. Walters was out of the picture, but we’re still seeing
an unusual number of very sick patients.”
“Are most of them bear shifters?” Piper asked. When her father was
hospitalized, Piper noticed that most of the ICU patients seemed to be bear
shifters as opposed to any other type of shifter.
Mac nodded and grimaced. “I still don’t know why bear shifters seem to
be coming down with these odd illnesses. I’ve been able to help most of them
recover with these new healing powers, though, so at least that’s a positive.”
“I know you’ll figure it out,” Piper said.
“I hope so, but in the meantime, hopefully I can make more progress
“SO, YOU’VE HEARD
with Jamie. I feel so bad for him and Aiden,” Mac said.
Piper nodded. “Me, too. Aiden’s been coming to the library a lot to
search through the archives. He’s trying to find anything to help Jamie.” She
stopped drying the dishes for a moment and turned to Mac. “Do you know if
Aiden can hear him as well?”
Mac sighed. “No, he can’t. At least he couldn’t as of three days ago
when I last spoke to Jamie.”
“Who else knows about this?” Piper asked.
“As far as I know, we’re it. Well, besides Tessa, of course.”
“Hmm, I wonder,” Piper mused.
“What?” Mac asked. She shut the water off and dried her hands on a
dishtowel.
“I just wonder if he’d be able to speak to May and Iris, too?”
“May and Iris? Why them?” Mac asked.
Piper explained to Mac about the book on the Guardians she discovered
in the library archives. “I think May and Iris might represent two of the
shifters, you and me as well,” Piper suggested.
“Can I take a look at that book?” Mac asked.
“Sure, we need to go to the library, though. It shouldn’t be removed
from the climate-controlled room,” Piper said. She frowned and twisted the
towel in her hands. “Everything’s happened so quickly. I haven’t even told
Jasper about this book.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand. I don’t know him very well, but what I do
know is that he’s one of the good ones. As far as me laying eyes on this book,
I’ll meet you at the library. Would tomorrow work?”
“Sure, but why the rush?” Piper asked.
“Well, there’s been a lot of mysterious happenings in town, and they
don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. If we can link the powers that you,
May, Iris, and I have with shifter lore, we may learn how to better access
these abilities to help the town. From what you’ve described, I’m guessing
that May’s powers would imply she’s ‘the Seer.’ My powers could make me
‘the Healer.’ You could be ‘the Magic Wielder.’ I’m just not sure about Iris,
though? What type of power do you think she has?”
Piper leaned back against the kitchen counter. “I think she’s ‘the
Mighty.’”
“What? Why?” Mac asked.
“I was there the night Iris and May were attacked. I showed up after Iris
had everything under control. She was ferocious, very strong. And she’d
never shifted before that night. I think she may have special abilities. It’s just
a feeling.”
“Do you think anyone else knows?”
Piper shrugged. “I haven’t said anything. Iris is sweet and very kind. She
doesn’t like to draw attention to herself.”
“She’s a great person.” Mac rubbed at her chin. “Hmm, you might be
right about her having special powers. Her father is a phoenix, for goodness
sakes. It may be hard to prove for a while since she’s pregnant. She can’t
shift until after the baby is born.”
“What about the other shifters mentioned in the book—‘the Swift’ and
‘the Heart’? Do you have any ideas?” Piper asked.
She shrugged. “Hmm, I’m not sure. Maybe one of the guys will have
some thoughts. This is so fascinating, but we can’t forget why you really
came over. Tonight is about trying to determine if we can help you gain more
control over your powers.” Mac placed a hand on her shoulder and steered
her toward the door leading out to the living room. “Now, let’s go see what
kind of trouble our men have gotten into.”
Chapter 46
as Mac and Piper walked into the living room. Piper
seemed tense, while Mac appeared ready for business. Jasper stood and met
his mate in front of the couch with open arms. She cuddled right into him,
fisting his sweater with her bare hands. He rubbed her back and kissed the top
of her head.
“Alright you two, enough of that. We’ve got some work ahead of us,”
Heath said from his seat on the couch. Lucy let out a yip from her spot on his
lap.
“Heath!” Mac scolded her mate. She dropped a chaste kiss on his lips
and then took a seat next to him. She then addressed her guests. “Now, why
don’t you both have a seat on the other couch. Jasper, can you tell me what
happens when Piper touches your skin with her bare hands.”
Jasper walked toward the empty couch with his arm wrapped around
Piper. She was so soft and warm against him. He loved her. They took a seat,
and he pulled her in close to him.
Piper and he detailed the experience to their friends.
Piper finished. “My heart raced. I could hear my blood rushing through
my body. I saw the bright lights and the sparks.” She frowned. “Then,
nothing. The next thing I saw was Jasper’s face in front of me telling me to
wake up.”
“Jasper, did anything else happen before Piper lost consciousness, like
did she start shaking?”
“No, it wasn’t like a seizure or anything, if that’s what you’re getting at.
But there was something strange.” He rubbed his palms on his jeans. Just
thinking about losing his mate was making him anxious. He could hear
JASPER LOOKED UP
himself panting. Piper snuggled against his side. “When, uh, right before she
went limp, orange light was coming out of her eyes.” He’d never seen
anything like it.
“Her eyes were orange?” Heath asked.
Jasper shook his head. “No, it was as if her eyes were emitting orange
light. As soon as I saw it, I pulled my hands away. I just wanted to make it
stop. I didn’t want to hurt her. I thought she was going to die.” His voice
broke. “Then, she went limp in my arms.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” Piper said, kissing his cheek.
He forced his breathing to even out. He couldn’t let her die. He wouldn’t
let her die.
Mac finally spoke. “I’ll have to see this for myself. If we can replicate
this again, with me holding on to both of you, my healing powers might be
able to allow me to see inside.”
“See inside?” Piper asked. “Like inside my body?”
“Well, kind of. It’s hard to explain. I may be able to see what’s
happening before you touch hands with Jasper and then see what changes
when you touch him. It might help us determine a way for you to control this.
If not, no harm done,” Mac said.
“No harm done? What if she passes out again? What if something worse
happens?” Jasper raged.
“No more! Protect mate,” his beast bellowed. Both sides of Jasper were
in complete agreement.
Chapter 47
have a couple of minutes alone, please?” Piper asked Mac.
“Sure.” Mac gave them a kind look. “We’ll just head out to the kitchen.”
Heath stood up, Lucy in his arms, and followed his mate. He called over
his shoulder, “Just give a yell when it’s safe to come back.”
As soon as the kitchen door closed behind the couple, Jasper turned to
her, his eyes wide. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I thought we
could try this, but I—I just c—”
Piper silenced him with a kiss. She placed her hands on his shoulders
and pulled him closer. She could feel the moment when the tension started to
leave his body. She broke the kiss and nuzzled her head against his chest.
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke. “I know you’re scared of
something happening to me, but we have to do this. I need to be able to
control my powers. It’ll be safer when I can control it.” She rubbed circles on
his chest. “Besides, I want to be able to touch my mate. Mac and Heath will
be here to help.”
Jasper turned his head to the side so she couldn’t see his face. He wiped
at his eyes.
“Please, talk to me.”
Jasper inhaled deeply and let out a ragged breath. “It’s just…it’s just that
I’ve been alone for a long time. Since my parents died, my aunt and uncle
raised me, but it was never the same. I was always the outsider. Here in town,
too, the only reindeer shifter. When I discovered we were mates, I finally felt
like we could be a family. We could make a family. Each time something bad
happens to you…when you were kidnapped, when you left your body, when
“GUYS, CAN WE
you passed out…it’s as if there’s a hammer inside my chest, chipping away
pieces of my heart.”
Piper was stunned at the desolation she saw in his eyes. He couldn’t live
in fear for her, not with what was going on in Grey Lake. “I promise you I am
not going anywhere. I am not leaving you. I trust Mac. She healed May and
Caleb. She’s been working to help Jamie, too. I think there’s a good chance
she can make some progress. With Tessa being out of commission for the
most part, we need every bit of magical help we can get.”
His expression hardened. “Damn Tessa, I wish she would help you,”
Jasper spat.
Piper shook her head sadly. “Jasper, I think she would if she could. I
have a feeling that she doesn’t have the energy to help anyone but herself
right now. She’s barely left her house in the past month.”
He tucked her head down against his chest and rocked back and forth
with her safe in his embrace. “You know, it would be so much easier to just
pick up stakes and take off and leave town. We could start over somewhere
quiet, just the two of us.”
She wriggled out of his hold and looked up. “You don’t mean that.”
After several seconds of silence, he finally shook his head. “Nah, for
better or worse, Grey Lake is home. There’re good people here that need
protecting.” He pulled her back into his arms. “It would be nice, though.”
“Well, nobody said we couldn’t have a honeymoon.” She felt her cheeks
heat. “Oops, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
He tilted her chin up with a finger and kissed her senseless.
“Whoa,” she breathed out several minutes later.
He chuckled. “We can call it a honeymoon because we’re going to get
married.’
“Oh, we are?” she asked, still out of breath.
“Well, yes.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “But only
after I ask you in a way in which you deserve.”
“What? You don’t have—” she started.
He shook his head. “No, you deserve this. Once we get a handle on your
powers, I will propose properly and, hopefully, you will say yes.”
“Is that so?” she asked, grinning.
“Yes. If you don’t say yes, I’ll propose some other way. And if you still
don’t say yes, I’ll try something else.”
She laughed. He looked so earnest. “OK, OK. That sounds good.” She
sobered. “Now, you’re alright for us to try this? With Mac and Heath right
here to help?”
Jaw tight, he stared at her for a few seconds in silence and then finally
nodded slowly.
Chapter 48
Heath had dragged an armchair in front of one of the
sofas for Mac to sit on. Jasper was next to Piper on the couch. Heath walked
over and now stood next to the chair.
“Where are the dogs?” Piper asked.
“I locked them in our bedroom. Didn’t want them getting upset and
distracting us,” Heath said.
Piper nodded. Jasper noted her rigid posture. She was nervous but trying
not to show it. Jasper leaned over and brushed a kiss on her cheek. She gave
him a half-smile.
Mac leaned forward, resting her hands on her thighs. “OK guys, are you
both ready?”
Both he and Piper nodded.
“Heath, are you ready to pull me away if I seem to be in distress?” Mac
asked.
“Yes,” Heath replied.
Mac looked between him and Piper. “Alright then. Let me go over what
I’m thinking of doing.” She looked at them both.
They nodded.
“First, I want to place a hand on Piper alone to try to get a baseline sense
of…I guess of her essence. OK?” She looked at Piper.
Piper nodded. “OK.”
“Then I will place my other hand on Jasper to get a read on him. When
I’m ready, I will ask you to touch hands. I want to see if I can sense any
changes in Piper when this happens.”
She turned to look at her mate. “Heath, this is when you need to keep a
SEVERAL MINUTES LATER,
close eye on us, me and Piper especially. If either of us looks like we’re in
trouble, break us apart.”
“Will do,” he said with conviction.
Mac closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She blew it out and then
gave Piper an encouraging look. “Ready, Pipe?”
“Let’s do this,” Piper said. She rolled up the sleeves on her sweater so
Mac could place her hand on her bare forearm.
Mac reached out and placed her hand on Piper’s arm. Both women
closed their eyes.
Jasper’s jaw dropped as he watched warm orange light travel from the
center of Mac’s chest down her arm to her hand. The same trail of light
traveled through Piper’s hand and up her arm to her chest. Jasper watched
Piper carefully for any sign of distress, but she appeared calm and unharmed.
After a few minutes, Mac opened her eyes. She kept one hand on Piper.
“How’re you doing?” Heath asked his mate.
She gave him a small nod. “I’m fine. Everything seems OK. I can sense
some sort of magic, but it’s weak.” She turned to Piper. “Piper, I want you to
try to draw your magic closer to the surface of your being. I want to see if I
can sense a change.”
Her eyes still closed, Piper answered, “OK, Mac.”
A few seconds later, a tremble ripped through Mac. “Whoa!”
“Mac!” Heath yelled. He had a hand on her shoulder within seconds.
“No, I’m fine,” Mac said. “I was just surprised, that’s all. Everything is
under control.”
Jasper watched as Heath frowned at his mate. He looked ready to
pounce.
A few minutes later, Mac broke the heavy silence in the room. “Heath,
get ready.” Heath moved closer and crouched at his mate’s side.
Mac turned to Jasper. “I’m going to place my other hand on yours” She
placed her free hand on his forearm.
“Piper, you still with us?” Mac asked.
“I’m fine,” Piper said.
“Great. Now, in a few seconds, I’m going to ask Jasper to hold your
hand. Get ready.”
“OK, Mac,” Piper said.
“Jasper, please hold your mate’s hand,” Mac said after about thirty
seconds.
Jasper exhaled a big breath and reached with his right hand for Piper’s
left. Immediately, bright orange light traveled from Piper’s hand to his and
back.
Mac sucked in a breath. “Oh!”
“Mac?” Heath asked.
“No, it’s OK,” Mac grunted.
Jasper watched as the right side of his body began glowing orange,
while the left half of Piper’s did the same. Mac was gritting her teeth and
holding on to both him and his mate.
Piper moaned. “I feel… I feel…”
“What does it feel like, Piper?” Mac asked. She sounded out of breath.
“The magic is trying to get out, but it can’t,” Piper whimpered.
Jasper gasped as the orange light coalesced once more into two separate
channels. One beam traveled from his chest down his arm and over to Piper’s
hand, while the other ran from her chest down her arm and to his hand. The
beams traveled with increasing velocity.
Jasper felt fine; no tingle, no burning, nothing.
Piper was sweating. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were
clenched shut.
“Mac, I think we should stop,” Heath said.
“It’s fine. I’m trying to figure this out,” Mac gritted out.
“Piper doesn’t look too good, Mac,” Heath replied.
“Mac!” Jasper yelled.
Mac’s eyes burst open. She looked at Piper. “Piper, I need you to open
your eyes.”
“Noooo,” Piper whispered.
“Pipe, open your eyes,” Jasper yelled.
When she opened her eyes, brilliant orange light shone from them. He
felt a tug on his right hand. He forced his own gaze from his mate’s eyes and
looked down to see Piper levitating off the couch. He and Mac’s hands were
keeping her from moving higher in the air. His mate swung her head around
the room.
“Everything looks different now. I can see…”
“What can you see?” Heath asked.
“I…I uh, I’m not sure.” She turned to Mac. “I don’t feel—” Her body
went limp and fell forward toward the floor. Jasper grabbed her up in a quick
swoop.
Chapter 49
alright?” Heath sounded panic stricken.
“I’m fine. Jasper, how is she doing?” Mac asked.
Piper heard them speaking but couldn’t move. Jasper’s hand caressed
her cheek and then pushed her hair back from her forehead. She then felt the
warmth of his cheek against hers. He placed a hand on the pulse at her neck.
A few seconds later he replied. “Her vitals are good. She feels warm.” He
leaned away and she missed the heat from his body.
Piper struggled to open her eyes. She was so tired, but Jasper sounded
sad. She needed to get up and show him she was OK. She tried to call for
him, but it was hard to even open her mouth. “Jay…” she mumbled.
“Sweet pea, I’m right here. You’re going to be OK. You just passed out
again. Can you open your eyes for me?”
“Tr…” She was trying, but it was hard. She slowed her breathing and
tried to focus her energy.
What had she seen when Jasper held her hand? Oh, yeah! It was as if she
could see magic all around her. She’d even seen spells written on the walls
and ceiling in Heath’s home. The words weren’t in English but looked as if
they were in an ancient language that she’d never seen before.
Piper reached out with her mind and pulled strength from the magic
around her. Magic that she couldn’t see but knew was there. Slowly, she felt
as if her energy reserves were being replenished.
“Jasper?” She opened her eyes and saw anguish in his dark ones.
He pulled her into his embrace and squeezed her tightly against his
chest. “Oh, thank God!”
They were sitting on the floor in front of the sofa. Mac and Heath
“MAC, ARE YOU
suddenly appeared behind Jasper.
“You were only out for a couple of minutes,” Mac said.
“Did you get any helpful information? Were you able to see what was
happening with my powers?” Piper breathlessly asked Mac.
Mac looked from Piper to Jasper and then back again. “Yes, it was
useful. I think I know what’s causing you to pass out whenever you place
your hands on Jasper.”
Jasper sighed.
“Well, great. What’s going on?” Piper asked.
Mac frowned and bit her lower lip.
“What’s wrong?” Piper asked.
“Well…” Mac rung her hands. “Well, you see…”
“What’s wrong?” Jasper barked.
Mac looked directly at Jasper. “It’s you. You’re causing this. You’re
creating power surges with her magic and then trying to stifle it. It’s as if
you’re boosting her magic and then immediately throwing a forcefield around
it.”
“What?” Jasper asked. He shook his head. “Why would I do this? How
could I be doing this?” He moved her from his embrace and sat her down on
his lap, her back to his front.
“He wouldn’t hurt me. He loves me,” Piper whispered.
Mac placed a hand on Piper’s forearm. “Yes, he does.” She looked at
Jasper. “I can tell you love her. It was as if I could see it, the passion you feel
for her.”
“Then how could I be hurting her?” Jasper croaked.
“You’re trying to help her.”
“I don’t understand,” Piper said.
“The more I use this shifter healing power on people, the more I’m
realizing that there are a lot of shifters in town with hidden abilities, not just
those we can see. Jasper has an ability to bolster your magic powers. I don’t
know how he’s doing it, but he is.”
“But then why would he be hurting her?” Heath finally broke his
silence.
“I think somehow his subconscious is aware of the tremendous power
she can summon, and when it bubbles forth, his fear for Piper is causing him
to stifle that power to protect her.”
“But when he does that, he’s harming her,” Heath said.
“Exactly. At least that’s my best guess,” Mac said.
Jasper stiffened. “I need to get up. Can you two watch her?”
Piper shifted on his lap so she could look at him. His face had gone
nearly white. He averted his eyes from her.
“He blames himself. Make him realize that’s nonsense, human. He’s
hurting,” her bear said.
He stood with Piper in his arms. He tried to lower her onto the sofa, but
she wasn’t going to let him go that easily. Piper wrapped her arms around his
neck and held on tight.
“Pipe, I just need a minute.” He sounded pained.
“No,” she said. She buried her head in his chest and wrapped her legs
around his body. “You’re not running away. I need you here with me.”
“Piper,” he roared. “My beast is ready to rage. I need to let him out for a
minute.”
“No.” She nuzzled his neck and squeezed him tighter with her legs. “He
would never hurt me. Just sit with me, please.”
“Guys?” Jasper asked.
“She’s right,” Mac said just as Heath said, “Piper, let him be.”
“Mac,” Heath warned.
“Heath, no! She’s his mate. She knows his beast would never hurt her,
just as I know your wolf would never harm me. We’re going to go take a
breather and check on the dogs. You two just stay here and talk this out.”
As soon as the two left the room, Piper looked up at her mate. He looked
broken.
Chapter 50
on the sofa with Piper on his lap. He needed to get outside
and let his beast out before he shifted in Heath’s living room, but Piper’s
arms were wrapped around his neck.
“I need to go before I hurt you anymore.” His voice was more beast than
man. The stubborn woman in his arms refused to budge. He leaned back and
carefully unwrapped her arms from his neck. He lifted her in one quick
movement and plopped her down on the couch. She tried to grab him again,
but he held out his hands. “No, don’t touch me! Just don’t! I don’t want you
getting hurt!” He stood up and backed away from her.
He hated seeing the anguished expression on her face, but he had no
choice. He had to protect her. Not including his aunt, uncle, and cousins, he’d
lost the closest people in his life that he’d really cared about.
“I need to go. Just stay away,” he growled. Before Piper could move, he
hurried out of the room and down the hall, past a frowning Heath and
scowling Mac. He threw open the front door and ran outside. He tore around
the side of Heath’s home into his backyard, stripping off his sweater and
tossing it on the ground. He stopped at the edge of the forest and removed his
shoes and jeans, kicking them off to the side.
“Jasper, don’t go!” Piper wailed. She sounded so sad, but he needed to
keep her safe. This was the best way for now. He shifted into his beast and
thundered into the woods without looking back.
JASPER SAT DOWN
*
Jasper stumbled into the woods on the outskirts of the college just as the
night sky began to brighten with the coming morning. He’d run for most of
the night in his beast’s form. He’d been on his way back to his home when he
heard voices, one slightly familiar and one that he didn’t recognize at all.
Two men were speaking in whispers. Who the heck would be out in the
woods before sunup near the school? Couldn’t be the college kids up that
early.
“We’re going to look, human,” his beast said.
Still in his animal form, he moved as quietly as possible closer to the
sound.
“You need to stop it right now,” Miles hissed to another man.
What was the professor doing? And who was he talking to?
“I can’t stop right now when I’m so close. Just a little bit longer, and I’ll
figure it out,” the other man replied.
“I like it here. I just don’t want to cause any problems. It’d be nice to
just stay a while for a change. Try to live a normal life,” Miles said.
“That’s why I need to do this, so we can have a normal life. You can’t
like living like this, can you? Just stick to the plan. If we follow orders, it’ll
be alright,” the man grumbled back. “Anyway, I like it here, too, and I have
no intention of leaving. Once this is all over, we can stay as long as we want.
You can settle down and find a mate if that’s what you really want. Maybe
even that little librarian.”
Jasper’s heart nearly stopped.
Miles reared back. “Leave her out of this,” he growled.
“Just stick to the plan, and she’ll be alright. Cause any problems, and
who knows what’ll happen to her.”
What plan? And Piper? He didn’t like the sound of this at all. Jasper
didn’t recognize the other man’s voice. He moved a little bit closer to try to
get a look at Miles’s companion.
Snap! Jasper froze.
Shit! Maybe they hadn’t heard?
The two men went silent. The one speaking to Miles pulled out a
cellphone and started typing on it. Jasper couldn’t get a good look at the
man’s face. Miles looked toward Jasper’s position, scanning the area.
The man stopped typing and spoke. “We’ll talk later. I’ll contact you.”
Miles nodded, and the men walked away in opposite directions.
Which one should I follow?
“Follow the one who wants our mate,” his beast urged.
Jasper agreed and followed Miles away from the college, deeper into the
woods. Damn it, he wished he had his cellphone on him.
“Nowhere to store it,” his beast joked.
The sky was getting lighter with each passing minute. It’d be hard to
stay hidden very soon. Just then, a sharp pain stung his right foreleg. He
looked down. What the hell? Someone had shot him. He saw the blood.
“Run,” he shouted internally at his beast. He needed to get away so he
could report what he’d seen and protect his mate.
He turned and ran in the opposite direction from which the bullet came.
He heard several more gunshots hit the trees around him. He ran for the
center of town toward the police station. He didn’t know who was after him,
but he knew he needed backup. His leg was burning, but he kept moving.
Finally, he came up through the woods behind the GLPD station. Just as
he was able to clear the trees, another bullet hit him in the chest, knocking the
air from his lungs.
Argh!
He forced himself to keep going, running right into the back of the
police station with a thud. He dropped to the ground and kicked the back door
with his hind legs, hoping someone was in-house to hear him.
A few minutes later, Deacon burst through the back door.
“Jasper! What the hell?” He scanned the woods behind the station and
crouched beside him.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out aside from a pitiful grunt.
Deacon pressed his hand against Jasper’s chest wound. “You need to
shift so I can get you inside and get help.”
Jasper closed his eyes. He was so tired.
Deacon slapped his face. “Wake up! You need to shift, now!”
Jasper heard the command in the wolf beta’s voice. Jasper wasn’t a
member of the wolf pack so Deacon couldn’t force him to shift, but Jasper
knew he really wanted him to.
Jasper summoned all the energy he had and begged his beast to let his
human side out.
He felt his body shimmer and shrink. Then there was nothing.
Chapter 51
her blankets and moped into the bathroom. Sleep hadn’t
come easily. She maybe got an hour and a half of rest, total. She looked in the
mirror above the sink and groaned. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the
crying she’d done last night. She splashed cold water on her face and brushed
her teeth.
What was she going to do about Jasper? After he’d taken off into the
woods last night, Heath and Mac tried to console her. Well, Mac consoled,
and Heath complained for about thirty solid minutes about stubborn reindeer
shifters. Once she stopped crying, Heath followed her to Jasper’s townhouse
so she could leave his SUV there for him, and then Heath drove her home.
She couldn’t believe he’d taken off like that. Instead of trying to figure
out how to fix things, he cut and run. She finger-combed her tangled mess of
hair and sighed. Well, better now than later. She’d just have to get used to
being alone.
“Stop being so dramatic. Mate just upset. He’ll get over it,” her bear
insisted.
“I need someone strong and dependable. Maybe he’s not it,” she
answered her bear out loud. “Mates are supposed to be together forever. They
don’t run away when things get tough.”
“Since when are you an expert? Why don’t you speak to another mated
friend like the white wolf or the other black bear before you cast him aside?”
the bear asked.
“Sure, I can talk to May and Iris, but what good will that do?”
“I bet they’ll tell you mated life not always perfect,” her beast answered.
Piper scowled at her reflection. Maybe she’d call May or Iris, but neither
PIPER THREW OFF
Beau nor Deacon was the issue, Jasper was.
She sighed heavily. Right now, she needed to get to work. Well, she
didn’t have to be there for a few hours, but she could get some work done. It
was better than lying in bed, feeling sorry for herself. Mac was coming to
look at the book on Guardians later in the day. Hopefully, they could make
some sense of it.
About thirty minutes later, Piper sat down in the chair at the circulation
desk. The library wasn’t opening for customers for a couple of hours, but
there was plenty to keep her occupied. She hadn’t heard from Jasper yet, but
she wasn’t sure she was going to. It hurt to think of him, so she pushed him to
that part of her mind where thoughts of her sister and parents were. She’d
think of them later, when she was alone, when she could openly cry without
receiving stares of pity from others.
About an hour or so later, she had just begun working on some
paperwork when she was interrupted by banging on the front door. She
quickly rose and strode to the front to see who it was. It couldn’t be a
customer; it was still too early.
Deacon was standing there in his uniform with his foster mother, Annie
Jensen, at his side. His GLPD uniform was splattered with what appeared to
be dried blood. They both looked worried.
She opened the door and let them inside. “Deacon, what happened?”
Piper asked.
“You need to come with me right now. My mom will keep an eye on
things here until Ms. Matthews can get over here.”
“What?” Piper squeaked.
Deacon leaned closer. “It’s Jasper. He’s been hurt. He’s at the hospital.
You need to come now.”
Cold dread enveloped Piper’s body. She was unable to move.
“Pipe! We need to go,” Deacon commanded.
“I need my coat and purse,” Piper mumbled.
“Where are they, sweetie?” Annie asked, placing a hand on Piper’s
forearm.
“My office.” Piper gestured with a nod toward her office door.
“I’ll go get them,” Annie said and hurried off.
Deacon took a step closer to Piper.
“Is he dead?” Piper asked, voice breaking. Tears filled her eyes, but she
wiped them away.
Deacon shook his head, his expression grim. “No, Mac was working on
him last I saw him. She yelled for me to bring you back to him. Said it’d help
to have his mate close.”
She nodded absently.
“Here you go.” Annie walked over, handed Piper her purse and coat, and
gave her a hug. “Now, just go with Deacon. Everything will be fine here.”
Piper tried to hug the woman back, but her arms were heavy. She felt as
if she were in a fog.
I can’t lose him now. I didn’t even get to make things right with him.
Deacon placed a hand on her shoulder. “C’mon, let’s get you to the
hospital.” He gently guided her out of the library.
A few moments later, Piper was sitting in the passenger seat of Deacon’s
SUV in a daze when his cellphone rang.
“I’m on my way,” Deacon answered the phone.
“Get here faster. He’s not doing well. Mac needs Piper here ASAP.”
Piper could hear Heath’s commanding voice on the other end of the call.
Piper’s heart raced and her stomach sank.
“Stay strong, human. Mate will need your strength,” her bear said.
Deacon ended the call and tossed his phone onto the front console. He
started the vehicle and raced to the hospital.
Chapter 52
a start. Or at least he thought he was awake. He was
standing in the forest. There was fog all around him. He was wearing jeans
and was shirtless. An oversize white bandage was affixed to the left side of
his chest with strips of medical tape. The bandage was stained dark red.
There was a similar bandage on his right arm.
He’d been shot. He remembered being in the woods and coming up right
onto the college property, seeing Miles speaking to another man. He followed
Miles deeper through the woods behind the college and… and then… then
there was just pain. Pain in his arm and then blackness. He was in his beast
form, but how’d he get out here in jeans? It didn’t make any sense.
He heard faint voices in the distance, one was a feminine voice. Piper?
No, it didn’t sound like his Piper. He strained to hear but was unable to
determine who was speaking. When he began walking, the scene changed
before his eyes. Instead of being in the woods in Grey Lake, he was in Alaska
in the forest where he and his parents used to camp when he was just a kid.
He frowned but continued walking.
“Jasper? Jasper, come along. Don’t fall behind. We need to catch up
with your mother,” his father called.
He shuddered. “Dad?” He followed the sound of his father’s voice, and
his jaw dropped when he saw him. His father was standing there in front of
him, just as he remembered him. It was as if he hadn’t aged a bit. Well, of
course, he couldn’t; his parents died more than twenty-five years ago. They’d
been murdered in this very forest.
“Yes, son. C’mon, your mom is up ahead in her shift.”
“Dad?” his voice cracked.
JASPER AWOKE WITH
His father stopped walking and waited for Jasper to catch up to him.
Dad put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong? You seem upset.”
“We need to get Mom to shift back. Right away,” Jasper exclaimed.
“Why? What’s the problem? Mom really needed to shift today. She’s
been in her human form for weeks. She was getting antsy.”
“I really have a bad feeling about this, Dad. I think we should head back
to the campsite.” Jasper ran his hands through his hair. “I really think we
need to get Mom back here right away.”
Boom!
“That sounded like a shotgun,” Dad said.
No, no, no. “Mom!” Jasper screamed and turned to run.
His father stopped him. “Jasper, you need to stay here and hide. If I
don’t come back in thirty minutes, you need to go find help from the herd.”
“I can help!” Jasper’s voice was child-like. He looked down and was
shocked to find himself in his seven-year-old body.
“You can help me by staying hidden and safe. I need to go help your
mom. She would want you to stay safe. OK?”
Tears sprung to Jasper’s eyes. No, no. This couldn’t be happening again.
His father grasped his shoulders and shook him. “Jasper, please! Do this
for me! Promise me!”
Jasper nodded, his vision blurring.
His father kissed the top of his head. “That’s a good boy. Now, go hide.”
Jasper watched his father run toward the sound. He couldn’t stay here
and just let them be slaughtered. Why was he in this kid’s body? He couldn’t
even shift at this age. He looked around for anything that could help him
fight, but there was nothing but trees and rocks.
Boom!
Oh, Dad! Jasper knew in his heart that he was too late, but he ran
anyway. He ran through the trees, passing his father’s torn clothes. Of course,
he’d shifted to try to save her. He ran and ran and ran until he saw their
bodies. And then he screamed.
Chapter 53
her from the parking lot into the hospital and
up to the second floor. Her legs were wobbly, and her mind was still foggy.
“Get her in there!” Heath growled at Deacon. “Mac needs her now!”
Heath’s voice startled her into alertness. She was in the ICU. Heath was
standing in front of one of the patient rooms.
“Jasper!” she cried.
“C’mon Pipe, he needs your help.” Deacon pushed through the door and
shuffled her into the ICU room where Jasper lay.
She gasped. He was lying in bed with his eyes closed, a breathing tube
and numerous intravenous lines in place. EKG leads were stuck to his chest.
A large white bandage covered his right forearm, with another covering his
left upper chest. Dark red blood coated the coverings. Several screens
showing his vital signs beeped. Mac was seated on one side of the bed with
both hands lying upon his arm. Bright orange beams travelled between Mac’s
hands and Jasper’s arm.
“Mac?” Piper croaked. “What happened to him?”
Mac lifted her head and opened her eyes, but her hands remained on
Jasper. Her eyes were glowing bright orange. She blinked a few times until
they morphed into her green human eyes. She grimaced. “He’s been shot
twice. Once in the chest, close to his heart, and another in his arm. The one in
the chest went into his lung.” She sounded winded, out of breath.
“You can heal him, though, right?” Piper asked.
Mac nodded. “I’m working on it. These bullets are strange, though. I
think they’ve been imbued with magic or something. I’m having a hard time
taking them out.”
DEACON PRACTICALLY DRAGGED
“Why wasn’t he brought to surgery?”
“The trauma surgeons tried to take the bullets out in the OR as soon as
he was brought in. Every time they touched the bullets with their tools, they
moved. I made them stop. They stabilized him and brought him here so I
could try using my shifter healing away from prying eyes.”
Piper sucked in a breath. He looked terrible. “Can I touch him?” She
wiped the tears from her eyes.
Mac nodded. “Please. I’m making progress, but he keeps becoming
agitated. I think it’ll help for you to touch him and speak to him. Keep him
calm.”
Piper nodded.
“Here, have a seat,” Deacon said after nudging a chair right next to the
other side of Jasper’s bed.
She sat down, pulling the seat close enough that she could place a hand
on his shoulder. It was covered by a partially opened hospital gown, so her
hand wasn’t touching skin. One layer of thin cotton material was all that
separated them. She rubbed her hand back and forth on his shoulder. “Jasper,
you have to keep still so Mac can get that bullet out of you.” She wiped at her
eyes as the tears continued to come. She leaned closer to him and kissed the
side of his forehead. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Piper summoned all her magic and let it flow throughout her body in
soothing waves.
“Jasper, please stay strong. Let Mac help you,” she silently pled with
Jasper. Please let him hear me.
“Keep talking human. Mate can hear you,” her bear said.
“Sweetie, you need to stay strong. We need to work together as a team.”
The beeping of the heart monitor in the room slowed but remained
steady.
“I just found you, Jasper. I can’t lose you, too.”
“Whatever you’re doing Piper, keep it up. He’s not fighting me as
much,” Mac said.
“I’m sorry we had a fight. Once you’re feeling better, we’re going to
work together to figure out my powers. We’ll do it at your pace, OK? You just
need to get better. Let Mac pull that bullet out of you. She needs to get it out
of your lung so you can breathe better.”
“How’s it going, honey?” Heath said.
“I have the bullet, and it’s almost out. Then I can heal the injured
tissues,” Mac said. Her voice was strained.
“Just hold on a little bit longer, baby,” Piper silently pleaded with
Jasper.
About thirty seconds later, Mac exclaimed, “Got it. Heath, take this
bullet away.”
“Got it,” Heath replied.
“Keep him steady, Pipe,” Mac said.
Piper kissed Jasper’s cheek. “Mac just needs to heal the damaged tissue.
Then you’ll be able to rest for a bit.”
Mac worked in silence for the next twenty or so minutes. Piper sent
soothing thoughts to Jasper.
“OK, I think that’s it for the chest wound.” Mac peered at the monitors
next to the head of the bed. “His vitals look good. I think he just needs to rest
a bit. Hopefully, he’ll show signs of wanting to breathe on his own soon, and
then we can remove the tube.” She gestured with a nod toward the ventilator.
Piper lifted her head from where it’d been resting on Jasper’s shoulder.
He looked like he was sleeping. She hoped his chest wound didn’t hurt
anymore. “What about his arm?”
“I’m just going to take a quick break. I’ll be back in a few, and then I
can work on that.” Mac leaned back in her chair and slowly stood. She
wobbled and then fell back into the chair.
“Mac!” Piper exclaimed.
“I’m fine. Just stood too fast.”
Piper stood up. “Just stay where you are. I’m going to get someone to
help. Just watch him.” She looked at her mate.
Mac nodded weakly. She looked pale and exhausted.
Piper strode out to the hallway and then glanced left and right. A large
man wearing a black sweater with SCB written across it was standing at
attention to the left of Jasper’s room. Was he a guard? She didn’t have time
to wonder. She needed to get help for Mac. He scowled and took a step
forward. She didn’t know if she could trust him. She needed Heath or
Deacon.
“Do you need—?”
Ignoring the man, Piper dashed past him and hurried to the nurses’
station. All the staff looked to be busy. She was ready to interrupt when she
spotted Heath and Deacon standing in the nearby waiting room.
“Heath! Hurry!” Piper huffed out and then rushed back into Jasper’s
room, both men on her heels.
Mac was slumped in her chair, her eyes closed.
“Mac!” Heath yelled.
“What, what?” Mac sat up and blinked several times. She smiled
sleepily at Heath. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
Heath swept her up into his arms and sat in her chair, his mate cuddled
into his chest. He kissed the top of her head. “You do too much,” he growled.
Mac giggled. “I’m a healer. It’s what I do.”
After Mac took a thirty-minute respite, she was able to remove the bullet
lodged in Jasper’s right arm. Thankfully, this one came out much easier.
Piper stayed at Jasper’s bedside, speaking to him quietly the entire time.
When it was finished, Piper kissed Jasper’s sweat-soaked forehead and sat
back down in her chair.
“Thank you for helping him,” Piper said through tears to Mac. She
sniffed and stared at Jasper as he rested. The usually imposing federal agent
looked so helpless with all the tubes and lines in place. He’d always protected
her. Now, it was her turn. Just then a thought struck her. A loud rumble shook
the room as her anger erupted. “Heath, who did this to him? Who shot my
mate?”
Chapter 54
mate growl and tried to smile. She was a fierce woman. He
couldn’t move a muscle. Why was there a tube stuck in his throat? His right
arm was burning, and it hurt to breathe.
Oh, yeah, someone shot me!
Panic struck like ice in his veins. He needed to warn Piper about Miles.
He needed to make her see that he was aware of what was happening. He
tried to move just a finger but was unable. He could only listen to his mate
and friends talk over him.
“Heath, who shot him?” Piper demanded.
“We’re not sure right now. My guys and the SCB are working on it.”
“How was he found? Where was he found?” Piper asked.
Smart mate. She’s trying to figure this out, Jasper thought.
“Deacon found him in his beast form, banging against the back door of
the station. He’d been shot twice and was bleeding pretty badly. Deacon
forced Jasper to shift and brought him inside and called an ambulance,”
Heath said.
“Did he say anything?” Piper asked. “Anything at all?”
“Deke said he tried to but couldn’t.”
He felt Piper wrap her hand around his clothed shoulder. Damn it, he
wished she could hold his hand, but with her powers so erratic, it was
probably better she didn’t.
He tried to move his arm, but nothing.
“Mac?” Piper asked.
“Hmmm?” Mac replied.
“Is Jasper paralyzed? I mean, did you give him any meds to paralyze
JASPER HEARD HIS
him or sedate him?” Piper asked.
“Just something to make him more comfortable. Why?” Mac asked.
“Because I think he’s trying to move his arm.”
“Really?” Mac asked.
Jasper heard the scrape of a chair moving. He felt a small hand—Mac’s
— wrap around his left one. “Jasper, can you squeeze my hand?”
He tried. He really tried, but he couldn’t. He was so weak. What the
hell? He’d been shot before, and his shifter healing made it seem like no big
deal. Why was this so different?
“Anything?” Piper asked.
“Nothing, but he is sedated. He probably should rest anyway. Why don’t
you go home and get some sleep? I can call you as soon as his condition
changes,” Mac said.
“No! I mean, no. I’m staying here. I can’t leave him. I won’t,” Piper
said, voice choking. “What if whoever shot him comes back?”
“One of the SCB agents is right outside this room. That big guy who you
ignored. One of them or one of my guys will be there the entire time,” Heath
said.
Jasper wanted so badly to move. He needed to warn his mate about
Miles. He had to move. Maybe he couldn’t move, but he could speak or
cough, something.
“Sure, you can stay. I’ll have a cot brought in. You can sleep right next
to him,” Mac said. “I’ll be back in a bit to check on him.”
“Goodnight. Give me a holler when he wakes up, OK?” Heath asked.
“Will do,” Piper answered.
Jasper heard the swish and click of the door shutting.
Piper kissed his cheek and ran her hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry
we fought. I just want you to be OK,” Piper whispered.
He strained to move a finger, but nothing. He was so tired. He would try
to move again in a little bit.
“Just sleep and heal, my mate. I’ll make sure nobody hurts you,” Piper
said. “My bear is just itching to bite someone right now.”
Jasper fell asleep wishing he could smile.
Chapter 55
wasn’t dreaming right away. She was floating in the air
several feet above Jasper’s hospital bed. She saw her body sleeping in the
chair next to his bed, the cot Mac had brought into the room still undisturbed.
Jasper’s eyes were wide open, staring at her. Can he see my…my spirit or
essence, whatever it is?
She concentrated and focused on getting closer to him. She drew all of
the magic within her body tight to her chest and focused it on moving her
spirit within inches of Jasper. His eyes tracked her movement through the air.
He can see me!
She needed to speak with him. “Jasper? Can you hear me?” Her voice
was the faintest of whispers that even she could barely hear.
He blinked, and a tear rolled down his cheek from one eye. She moved
so she was floating directly above his body. She reached with her spirit hands
for his face and was able to touch his cheeks. She felt the warmth of his skin,
but it wasn’t the same as touching him with her human body. He closed his
eyes, then opened them once more and tried to smile around the breathing
tube sticking out from his mouth. He grimaced and coughed.
“Do you want me to get Mac to take that out?”
He nodded just the tiniest bit.
“OK, sweetie. I missed you and was so worried about you.” She placed
a kiss on his cheek.
He closed his eyes and made a strangled sound.
“Now, just stay still. I just need to get back into my body and then go
get help.” She closed her eyes and drew all the power she could from her
body and the environment to her core.
PIPER KNEW SHE
She willed her essence into motion toward her solid form. She moved
effortlessly like a cloud in the sky back into her corporeal self.
“I did it!” she exclaimed. She jumped up from her chair and kissed a
wide-eyed Jasper on the temple. “Let me go get someone to get that tube
out.”
Minutes later she returned to Jasper’s bedside with a bedraggled looking
Mac. Less than an hour later, Jasper had been extubated.
Piper wiped away tears of joy. She hovered at his bedside, waiting as
Mac and the nurses completed their evaluation.
One of the nurses helped Jasper sit up. He immediately tried speaking
but started coughing.
“Take it nice and slow,” Mac said. The nurse handed him a large cup of
water with a straw.
He took a long sip and swallowed the drink. He then turned to Piper.
“Pipe,” he squeaked out. “Smiles.”
“What? Who smiled?” Piper asked.
Jasper shook his head vigorously. “No, not smiles. Miles.” He paused to
take a deep breath. “Followed Miles in the woods.” He paused again. “I think
he knows who shot me.”
Mac turned to the two nurses in the room. “Not a word of this to anyone.
I mean it.” She flashed her orange eyes at the two women. She looked at
Piper and spoke. “Call Heath right away. Get him over here. Tell him it’s
urgent.” She nodded toward her patient. “I just want to check his vitals
again.”
Piper grabbed her phone that had been lying on Jasper’s bedside table
and quickly dialed Heath’s cellphone. She relayed the new information, and
he promised to be right over. She put her phone back down on the table and
pulled her chair as close as possible to the side of Jasper’s bed.
He smiled at her. “Pipe!” His voice sounded hoarse.
She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Shh. Just
rest your voice until Heath gets here.”
Mac gave the all-clear for Jasper to receive additional visitors and then
went about finishing her rounds. About half an hour later, a loud knock
sounded on the door. Piper raised her head and looked at Jasper. He was
awake and looked more alert. He nodded at her. “Come in,” Piper called.
Jasper wrapped a hand around her covered forearm.
Heath and Declan walked through the door to Jasper’s room. Heath was
wearing his black GLPD uniform while Declan was wearing a dress shirt
sans tie, khaki pants, and combat boots. They both looked relieved when they
saw Jasper was awake.
“You’re looking much better,” Heath said, clapping Jasper on the
shoulder.
“I’m feeling better each minute,” Jasper said. His voice was still huskier
than normal, but better than a few minutes ago.
“I think once Mac removed the bullets, you were able to heal properly.
With her help, of course,” Piper said.
Heath nodded. “She’s something else, huh?”
“So, what the hell happened? You’re never late for work so I knew
something was up. Then I get a call yesterday saying you were found in your
beast form outside the police station full of bullets,” Declan finished.
Jasper chuckled. “Just two bullets.”
“Whatever!” Declan rubbed his head. “What happened?” He gestured to
Heath with a nod. “This one tells me you were having dinner at his house the
night before last when you freaked out, shifted, and ran away into the
woods.”
Jasper squeezed Piper’s forearm gently before addressing the two men.
“I needed some space. I was just remembering some bad things from when I
was younger. I shifted and went for a run. It usually helps to clear my head of
nonsense.”
“And did it?” Declan asked.
Jasper nodded. “I felt a lot better. I was on my way back home when I
heard people talking out in the woods behind the college right before
daylight. It seemed strange so I tried to see what they were up to.”
Jasper explained what he’d seen, including the fact that the other man
threatened to hurt Piper if Miles didn’t stick to the plan.
“So, you hadn’t heard this other guy before?” Heath asked.
Jasper shook his head.
“And you didn’t see him at all?” Declan asked.
“Not clearly, no. He always seemed to be facing the other direction or
his face was hidden by trees,” Jasper said.
“Well, are you going to arrest Miles?” Piper asked, her voice deeper
than her normal human one. Her bear was close to the surface. She could tell
her eyes were those of her bear.
“Hey, you have a problem?” Declan asked her. “You’re not going to
shift right here, are you?”
Jasper’s eyes flashed yellow, and he snarled.
Declan threw up his hands. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just want to
make sure her bear doesn’t tear this room apart.”
Piper groaned. “I’m just pissed. I won’t shift. But are you going to arrest
him?” she beseeched Heath.
“We’ll bring him in for questioning. We can’t just arrest him right off
the bat,” Heath said.
“We’ll put a tail on him, too, though. See if he leads us to this other guy.
That is, if he refuses to tell us who he was speaking to,” Declan added.
“Should you keep a guard on Jasper?” Piper asked.
Jasper chuckled.
“What?” she asked. Her cheeks heated as all three men stared at her.
Jasper grinned. “I’m impressed, that’s all. You’re asking all the
questions I would have asked if the situation was reversed,” Jasper said.
Chapter 56
left together about twenty minutes later after assuring
Piper that they’d be keeping someone outside of Jasper’s hospital room until
he was well enough to be discharged. Jasper and Piper finally had some time
to decompress. She first helped him get cleaned up as best as she could with
him still being confined to bed.
He was getting restless. His shifter healing had finally kicked in, and he
was feeling a lot better. He pulled the bandage off his right forearm.
Wonderful! All that remained from his bullet wound was a smooth pink scar.
Piper stared at his arm. “That’s great. I wonder how your chest wound is
doing?”
He started to peel his bandage off, but Piper stopped him.
She gasped. “No, no, no, let’s have the doctor come look at you first.”
He chuckled. “Alright.” He stared at his beautiful, strong mate.
Piper caught him staring and grinned lazily. “What?” she asked.
“I’m sorry for running like that. I want to explain why I did. It doesn’t
excuse it, but I just want to if that’s OK,” Jasper said.
“There’s no rush. If you’d rather wait until you’re all healed up…?”
Piper’s voice trailed off.
He rubbed her forearm with a finger. “No, please. I’m fine.”
“OK,” Piper said.
“Well, I never told you what happened to my parents, did I?”
She shook her head. “I know they died when you were a kid, but nothing
specific.”
“Well, they were killed by hunters. We lived in Alaska back then for
half the year, and Grey Lake the other half. We were camping in Alaska, just
HEATH AND DECLAN
me and my parents. We did it every year, I think since I was able to walk. We
had a nice pop-up camper. We always had fun.”
Piper lay her hand on his shoulder, being careful to rest it on his
clothing.
“Well, the year I was seven, we visited a different campsite. We were
out on a hike when my mom shifted and ran ahead of us. She said she felt
antsy and needed to let her beast out. My dad stayed behind with me.” His
voice cracked, and he rubbed a hand over his eyes.
“Take your time,” Piper said.
“We followed her tracks. She wasn’t that far ahead of us, but then she
took off running. Before we could find out what was going on, we heard a big
boom. I was pretty young at the time, but even I knew it was the sound of a
shotgun blast.”
“Oh, no.”
He shook his head and wiped his eyes. “Dad made me hide. He made
me promise to stay hidden and then run back and get help.” He paused for a
second and took a sip of water. “Dad followed Mom’s trail. He ran. A few
minutes later, I heard another boom.”
Piper covered her mouth with a hand. There were tears in her eyes.
“Oh!”
“I couldn’t just stay there, so I ran after them. I saw my dad’s torn
clothes. I realized he must have shifted. Then I found them. They were both
in their beast forms. Shot. They were bleeding. I checked, but they weren’t
breathing.”
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t know what to do at first. I didn’t want to leave them alone. But
then I heard voices coming closer. I hid in the trees. Then I saw them.
Hunters. I ran back to the campsite to get help. I found out later that they
were supposed to be hunting bears.”
Piper wiped her eyes.
“But they killed my parents instead. I never got to even bury them.”
Piper rose from her chair at his side and wrapped her arms around him.
It felt nice. He kissed her forehead and leaned back, and she sat back down.
“When Mac explained that I was somehow causing you harm, I couldn’t
take it. We finally found each other. A family. If I lost you, too, I…uh, I just
couldn’t take it. I freaked out.”
“I was so scared. I didn’t know if I’d lost you forever,” Piper said.
“I’m sorry. When I heard Miles’s friend threaten you, I was furious. All
I could think about was getting back to you and making sure you were safe.”
“No more running. Not anymore. We’re a team. We’ll figure my magic
out together, OK?”
He nodded. He pressed one of the buttons on the remote control attached
to his bed.
“What’re you doing?” Piper asked.
“I want the doctor to examine this chest wound so I can get out of bed. I
need a shower with my mate.” He winked.
Piper laughed.
Chapter 57
later, Mac came by during rounds and examined Jasper’s chest
wound. To Piper’s delight, it had almost completely healed. Just a thick pink
scar remained where the bullet had entered. Jasper had much better color, and
his vitals were strong.
“When can I get out of here?” he asked Mac.
“Whoa, you’re barely healed. Let’s see how you do the rest of today,
and if everything keeps progressing like this, I’ll consider sending you home
tomorrow,” Mac answered.
“That’s great!” Piper said.
“I’ll be back in a couple of hours before the change of shift to check on
you again. Get some rest. You’re cleared to have a shower, too. I’ll let your
nurse know.” Mac left the room. Piper glanced over to Jasper as soon as the
door shut behind Mac.
He was scowling and fidgeting with his pillows.
“What’s wrong?” Piper asked.
“I just want to get out of here. We need to figure out what Miles and his
friend are up to,” he said.
“Heath and Declan are both on it. You heard them,” Piper said.
“I know, but I don’t like just sitting around knowing this guy threatened
you,” he huffed.
“Well, just think of it as we’re keeping each other safe. We can go over
everything you’ve told Heath and Declan together again and see if we can
figure anything out,” she offered.
He bit his lower lip. “I guess we could. May as well.”
“First thing we need to do is get you a shower,” Piper announced. She
A FEW HOURS
pressed the call button on Jasper’s bedside remote. “We’ll let your nurse
know that I can help you if it’s allowed.” She looked at Jasper, eyebrows
raised. “Unless you’d rather I stayed out here.”
He grasped her forearm and gave her a heated look. “No, please. I want
you to help me. If you’re offering that is.”
She smiled warmly at him. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
*
Piper sighed as she watched Jasper sleep. She had, indeed, helped him with
his shower. While her mate wanted to fool around, he was still too weak.
Piper consoled him by helping scrub his body while he braced himself
against the small shower stall. He was shaking with the effort by the time
they finished. Piper tucked him back into bed and scolded him to take a nap.
She wasn’t sure how fast reindeer shifters normally healed, but she
imagined the magic bullets that had hit him had slowed the usual healing
process. She reclined in the chair at Jasper’s bedside and wished that she’d
brought one of the shifter magic books with her to read. She felt useless,
powerless. She needed to do something.
“Sleep,” a feminine voice whispered in her mind.
“What? Tessa is that you?” she spoke quietly. She didn’t want to disturb
Jasper.
“Just close your eyes and rest. Then we’ll be able to talk,” Tessa
answered.
Piper frowned. “This is crazy, but if I can get some answers, it’ll be
worth it.” She closed her eyes and leaned back against the chair. Within
seconds, she knew she was floating once more. She saw Jasper sleeping and
her reclined body in the chair next to him.
“Come on. We need to speak,” Tessa called to her in a sing-song voice.
“Where are you? How do I find you?” Piper called.
“Follow my voice,” Tessa replied.
Piper did just that. She concentrated on Tessa’s voice, and her body
floated along purposefully out the hospital—through the walls no less; that
was a weird experience, like sliding through Jello—and through the skies
above Grey Lake.
“Almost there,” Tessa said.
Piper looked down from the sky and realized she was right above the
Grey Lake Library. She floated down, right to the front door.
“Come on in. Don’t be shy,” Tessa said.
Piper once more floated through the wall and followed Tessa’s voice to
the archival room. She gasped when she realized that Tessa’s spirit was
inside the room instead of her body.
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought your body would be here, not just your spirit. I didn’t realize
you could do this too,” Piper said.
Tessa smiled sadly. “One of my many talents and the easiest way for me
to get around right now. Come closer and let’s talk.”
Piper floated closer to Tessa and let out a squeal when Tessa grabbed
her into a hug. She was shocked that she could feel Tessa’s body.
“Yes, you can feel me because we’re both in our spirit forms. But let’s
get down to business. Have a seat.” She patted the chair next to hers.
Piper sat down and immediately started floating back up. “How do I
stop this?” she asked Tessa.
“You need to use your magic. Use your voice,” Tessa replied.
“Use my voice.” Piper closed her eyes, focused on the magic around
her, and said, “Stay in the seat!” She opened her eyes and was thrilled that
she appeared to be sitting on the chair as if she wasn’t a spirit.
Tessa patted Piper’s thigh. “Good job. Now, I see you’ve been reading
one of my favorites.” The Guardians book was lying on Tessa’s lap.
Piper sat up straighter. “Yes, I looked through most of it. I was planning
to come back to look at it again with Mac, but then Jasper was attacked.”
“I heard. He’s improving though, right?” Tessa asked.
Piper nodded. “He’s much better, yes. Tessa, is it true? Are there really
Guardians in Grey Lake?”
“Yes, indeed there are. I should say, there were and there are.”
“What do you mean?” Piper asked.
Tessa folded her hands in her lap. “Ever since I arrived in Grey Lake
hundreds of years ago, I have depended on the Guardians to help me protect
Grey Lake. You see, my life has become entwined with that of the village. My
life’s work is to ensure the health and wellbeing of Grey Lake, the land and
the people who live here. There is nothing more important to me. The
Guardians are like my warriors, for lack of a better word. They each have a
sacred shifter power that has a touch of phoenix magic to it. I don’t have
them all the time. It’s almost like some divine power knows just when I’m
going to need help, and she blesses some of the shifter babes with these
powers, knowing they’ll be ready when I need them the most. There have
been many Guardians over the centuries that were as dear to me as the
current ones.”
Piper was stunned. Could she be one of Tessa’s warriors?
Tessa chuckled. “Go ahead and ask.”
“Am I one of them?” Piper asked in a whisper.
Tessa nodded.
“May and Mac, too? And Iris?”
Tessa nodded.
Piper opened and closed her mouth.
“You seem stunned. You must have suspected?”
Piper shook her head. “Yes, but knowing is a different matter. I wasn’t
even born in Grey Lake.”
“I know. Fate brought you and your family to Grey Lake, just like Iris
and Mac. Fate also brought May’s ancestors to Grey Lake decades ago.”
“What about the two others? Who are they?” Piper asked.
Tessa shook her head. “They’re here already, but I don’t want to say
who they are just yet. They’re just learning they have powers. They’re not
ready yet.”
“But Tessa, I’m not ready. I can’t control my powers,” Piper said.
Tessa patted her shoulder. “No, but you’re getting there. The four of you
are.” She tilted her head as if hearing something far away. “We’re going to
have to get you back. Your mate is stirring.”
“Jasper. He’s so worried about my powers,” Piper said.
“Make him understand. He needs to help you. That’s his power. This
isn’t the time to be timid. You both need to be strong. I’d also suggest you
meet with the others. Fill them in on what I’ve told you,” Tessa said.
Piper nodded. “OK. I’ll do it. Thanks.” Piper reached over and hugged
the older woman.
“Now get back to him. Go, now!” Tessa said.
Piper closed her eyes, summoned magic from the room to her body, and
floated back the way she came, back to Jasper.
Chapter 58
his nap and saw Piper slumped over in the chair to his
right. He could see she was breathing from the subtle rise and fall of her
chest. Somehow, though, he could tell that her spirit was elsewhere. He
forced himself to remain calm and wait. After fifteen minutes of waiting and
watching, he was itching to do something, anything, but what?
As if in answer, a warm, soft breeze brushed past him. Piper
immediately sat up in her chair and gasped.
“Pipe!” Jasper choked out. He opened his arms to her.
She smiled and jumped from her chair. She leaned over the side of his
bed and hugged him, hands gloved of course. “Jasper, I’m fine. You’ll never
guess what happened.” She leaned back in his arms, but he kept both hands
firmly around her waist.
He pressed a kiss on her lips and lifted her onto his bed, so she sat
against the headboard right next to him. “You seem so excited. What
happened?”
Piper described what occurred during her spectral visit with Tessa.
Hearing that Piper was one of Tessa’s warriors struck him with terror. He
needed to work through his issues since Piper was thrilled.
“I was going to tell you about the book, but things kept happening to us.
It was never the right time,” Piper said. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head and then kissed her temple. “No need to apologize for
anything. We’ve had nothing but action around here for a while.” He stroked
the side of her cheek. “So, what’s the plan? Did you want to call a meeting?”
Piper nodded. “I’ll see if I can speak to Mac today. I’d rather wait to
speak with Iris and May until we get back home.”
JASPER AWOKE FROM
“OK, what about having me try to boost your powers again?”
“Let’s wait ’til we get back home and you’re recovered completely. By
the way, I think my powers are getting stronger. I was able to float in and out
of my body much easier this time.”
She was beaming.
“Show her you’re proud of her, you dolt,” his beast chided.
“Wonderful,” he told her. He opened his mouth to say more but was
interrupted by a knocking at the door.
“Come in,” Jasper called out.
Heath opened the door and walked in alone. His expression was grim.
“What’s wrong?” Piper asked.
Heath immediately began pacing around the foot of the bed.
“Did you question Miles?” Jasper asked.
Heath groaned. “Couldn’t. He didn’t show up to work today.”
Piper squeaked, “Oh, no!”
Heath held out a finger. “No, apparently it was a planned absence. His
department confirmed it. He’s at some science conference in Boston. He’s
expected back in three days.”
“Are you going to go to Boston?” Piper asked.
Jasper frowned, knowing that Heath couldn’t.
“I can’t. My jurisdiction doesn’t extend beyond Grey Lake. I could
contact the Boston PD, but I’d have to explain a lot more than I’d like.”
“What about Dec?” Jasper asked.
“He was planning on it, but his boss in Boston put the kibosh on it.
Didn’t think there was enough to link your shooting or Miles to Williamson.
SCB’s here to deal with Alden Williamson and crimes associated with him.
Your shooting doesn’t seem to be related, at least at this point. The higher
ups in the SCB wouldn’t authorize the trip and wouldn’t spare any of the
Boston group either.”
“What?” Piper asked. “So, what if he just runs and hides or even worse
what if he hurts someone else?”
“Hey, hey, hey. I said Dec’s boss didn’t authorize a trip to Boston. I
didn’t say Declan didn’t send someone. I didn’t say anything like that, did I?”
Heath looked pointedly at both him and Piper.
So, Declan had sent someone unofficially to spy on Miles. Jasper
couldn’t just sit around here and do nothing. He needed to help. “OK, well I
need to get out of here.” He lifted the blanket covering the lower half of his
body and lifted his leg.
“No, no. Not so fast. I just saw my mate at the nurses’ station. She said
you’re not being discharged until tomorrow. Get back in bed.” Heath stood in
front of the door, blocking the exit.
Piper’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Why do you care if he goes home
tonight?”
Heath rolled his eyes. “Look, Jay’s a big boy, so normally I wouldn’t
care if he went home.” He waved a hand in the air. “What do you call it?
Against medical advice? But my mate would be pretty upset if that happened,
so it’s not going to happen,” Heath snarled. “She did say Piper could stay
over.”
Jasper chuckled. He’d leave if he damn well wanted to, but he’d rather
not upset Heath or Mac. Besides, with Piper staying with him, he could keep
a close eye on her.
Chapter 59
the next morning. Piper spent the night sleeping in
his bed next to him. Jasper had insisted despite Piper’s flushed cheeks and
embarrassment at being caught by his overnight nurse. There was no funny
business, of course, as this was still a hospital and Jasper wasn’t deemed
completely recovered. There was, however, spooning and cuddling aplenty.
As soon as they strode through the front door of Piper’s place, Jasper
rushed her into the bathroom for sexy bathing time that resulted in him taking
her roughly from behind with her hands pressed against the shower wall. She
made sure to keep her hands off his skin, which made for an interesting
experience. As they dried each other off, both of their cellphones interrupted.
Ring, ring, ring.
They picked up and studied the screens on their smartphones in unison.
“It’s May,” Piper said.
“Deacon,” Jasper announced. “I’ll take it out here.” He waved toward
the hallway that led to the living room.
She nodded and mouthed “thanks” before he walked out of the room,
giving her privacy.
She answered the call. “Hi, May. How are you?”
“I’m fine. How’s Jasper doing?” May asked.
Piper quickly caught May up on his progress.
“He’s pretty much back to normal. He’s just antsy to figure out who shot
him,” Piper said.
“That’s sort of why I called. Well, it’s half of why I called,” May said.
She sounded hesitant.
“What’s wrong?”
JASPER WAS DISCHARGED
“Well, over the past two days, I painted a couple of rough pictures while
I was in a trance. It’s a little weird to have visions like this so close together.
Usually, they’re more spread out.” May sounded nervous. She was babbling.
“What do they show?” Piper asked. She wasn’t sure she was going to
like the answer.
She heard May suck in a breath and then blow it out. “I painted Jasper
getting shot.”
“What?” Piper exclaimed.
“I painted the image after he was shot, but before I knew any of the
particulars. Heath told me a little bit, but it was after he’d seen my painting.”
“I’m not sure I want to see it, but Jasper might. Did you draw the person
who shot him?” Piper asked.
May groaned. “I wish, but no. It just shows Jasper’s reindeer right as the
bullet hits his front leg. So, from what Heath said, that was the first bullet that
hit him.”
“Yeah,” Piper answered. She didn’t want to see that. “What else did you
paint?”
“The second painting is much more confusing to me. I’m in it, along
with Iris, Mac, and you. We’re all sitting together in what appears to be
someone’s living room. You’re holding a book like you’re reading us a
story.”
Piper gulped. “I think that’s something that hasn’t happened yet, but it
will soon,” Piper said.
“Oh?” May asked. “You planning on reading us a story?”
“Sort of,” Piper said. She went on to explain the basics of what Tessa
told her last night. She didn’t mention that it involved her spirit speaking to
Tessa’s.
“I can’t believe it. Well, I can believe it, but I don’t think Beau is going
to like this at all,” May said. “Come to think of it, neither will Deacon or
Heath. They’re going to go into crazy protective mate mode.”
Piper chuckled. “They’re always super-protective.”
“How’d Jasper take the news?” May asked.
“Oh, he hates it, but he’s being supportive,” Piper said. “From what
Tessa says, though, we are these Guardians. We have to help her.”
“Of course. Tessa’s protected this town for so long. We need to help
her,” May said.
“When should we meet and tell the others?” Piper asked.
“Soon as possible, I’d say,” May replied. “I just need tonight to explain
this all to Beau. Why don’t we try to schedule a meetup tomorrow night if
Mac’s not working?”
“Why don’t we invite the mates, too? They can hang out together. They
can all commiserate with each other,” Piper suggested.
“Probably a good idea. If you left them home, they’d be worrying the
whole time anyway,” May said.
“You don’t happen to know who the last two Guardians are, do you?”
Piper asked.
“Nuh, uh. I wish. Maybe the four of us’ll be able to figure it out.”
“Maybe. I just hope we figure it out soon,” Piper said. “I feel like time’s
running out.”
Chapter 60
news on Miles?” Jasper asked. He was frustrated being
unable to work on his current cases since being taken to the hospital. He still
had no leads on the attack at the farm or the supermarket theft. Now he had to
add his own shooting to the list of pending cases that needed solving.
“That’s why I was calling. I just got off the phone with Declan.
Dr. Brackett’s sure been getting his money’s worth at that Earth Science
conference. So far, he’s been participating in all the sessions and going back
to his hotel room after the last session each day. Nothing out of the ordinary,”
Deacon reported.
Jasper groaned. “Has he been hanging around anyone else?”
“No. I was told he was by himself,” Deacon answered.
“He make an unusual number of calls?” Jasper asked.
“He was noted to be on his cellphone a bit in between sessions. It wasn’t
unusual among the participants, though.”
“Deke, who actually went over to Miles’s office yesterday?” Jasper
asked.
“Heath went himself. Why?”
“I was wondering if he saw anything out of place. Did he actually get
into the man’s office, or was it locked?” Jasper asked.
Jasper could hear papers shuffling. “Ah, says here it was locked. The
department administrative assistant saw Heath and explained about Brackett
being away at the conference.”
“Did he ask this person if Brackett had been acting strange lately?”
Jasper inquired.
“Of course. The admin by the name of Edie is a wolf shifter who’s been
“HEY, DEKE, ANY
at the college for twenty years. She says Brackett was acting normal. Well,
‘normal for him’ is what she said.”
“What does that mean?” Jasper asked.
Jasper heard more paper shuffling on the other end of the phone. “It says
here that she described him as a polite guy, but he keeps mostly to himself.
Works long hours, even on weekends. Doesn’t really socialize with the other
staff except for one of the other docs. This geneticist named—”
“Leo,” Jasper finished. “He mentioned him to me and Piper. He went to
school with him in Maine. I believe they were roommates there. He’s another
one who came from a shifter family but is unable to shift himself. Damn it, I
don’t know why I forgot to mention him before.”
“Probably had something to do with being hit with a couple of phoenixspelled bullets,” Deacon deadpanned.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jasper mused.
“Says here that Brackett comes from tiger shifters. What about this Leo?
I would guess lion, but that’s probably too obvious, right?” Deacon asked.
“You’d be right. According to Brackett, Leo’s mother was a wolverine
shifter.”
“Huh? Never heard of that before. Wonderful. Let’s hope he really can’t
shift,” Deacon said.
“Maybe I’ll just head on over there tomorrow and speak to this
geneticist myself. Brackett mentioned him being intense, but nothing really
specific,” Jasper said.
“Oh, no. You can’t talk to him. I’ll update Heath, and he can decide if
we need to speak to him. You need to stay out of this case as you’re the
victim,” Deacon reminded him.
Jasper kept his mouth shut. He’d think on it overnight before deciding
his next steps, but he didn’t need to tell Deacon that. Instead, Jasper changed
the subject. “Hey, do you have any updates on the incident at the farm or the
supermarket theft?”
“No. Finn went by the farm yesterday. No new attacks. Market’s been
quiet, too. The latest news is about those flashing lights all over town. You
heard about that, right?”
“Yeah. Seems strange, but what isn’t around here?” Jasper asked. “Well,
tomorrow I’ll be at the office if you need to get a hold of me.”
“OK, have a good night. And stay away from Brackett and his friend.”
Deacon ended the call.
Jasper tapped the phone against his hand. Sure, I’ll stay away from them.
Besides, he was more interested in what he could find out in their offices
anyway.
Chapter 61
Piper knocked on the front door of Iris and Deacon’s
home. Jasper needed to finish up a few issues at work so he wouldn’t be over
for another hour or so. Iris insisted that she didn’t need to bring anything.
Piper reluctantly came emptyhanded aside from the Guardians book that was
carefully packed in a backpack that she’d slung over her shoulder. She hated
removing the book from the archives, but desperate times called for desperate
measures.
The door opened, and Iris greeted her with a hug. Still in her first
trimester of pregnancy, she was only showing the tiniest of bumps. “Hi,
Piper. Come on into the madhouse. The others are already here.”
“Madhouse? Is May causing trouble already?” Piper asked after stepping
inside the house into the foyer.
Iris closed the door behind her and laughed. “Of course, she is. Follow
me. We’re hanging in the living room. The men haven’t sought sanctuary
downstairs yet. Is Jasper coming?”
Piper followed behind Iris. “He’s stuck working on a couple of cases.
He said he’d be over later once he finishes what he’s working on.”
The couples had made themselves at home in the large open-style living
room. Beau was seated at one end of the longer couch with one large arm
tucked around petite May. Mac was seated in an oversize recliner with Heath
sitting on the arm of the chair.
“Hi, guys!” Piper said. “Where’s your hubby” she asked Iris.
“Fetching us drinks,” May said. “He always was the nicer brother,” she
teased Heath just as Deacon walked into the room from the kitchen carrying a
tray of beverages.
THE NEXT EVENING,
“Hey, Piper! Would you like anything?” He gestured to the tray with a
nod.
“Not just yet, but thank you,” she said.
Deacon handed out the drinks, placed the empty tray on the coffee table
in the center of the seating, and then sat on the smaller loveseat next to Iris.
“You’re lucky you’re married to a giant grizzly. Your mouth is his
problem now,” Heath retorted back to his sister. There was no anger in his
words. The Jensens and Deacon had always been a close family. They were a
loyal bunch. She was glad they considered her a friend.
“Where’s Jay?” Heath asked.
“Running late. He’s just finishing up a couple of things at the office. He
should be along later,” Piper said. She placed her backpack on the floor next
to the coffee table and took a seat in the remaining empty recliner.
Heath and Deacon shared a look that worried Piper. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Deacon said at the same time Heath said, “Did he say what
he was working on?”
Piper frowned. “No. Why?”
“No reason,” Heath deflected.
Piper studied the brothers. Deacon was biting his lip, not meeting her
gaze, and Heath was looking intently at the bottle of beer in his hand.
They must know what he was working on. Maybe it was dangerous.
“Everything in this town is dangerous. Just get through with your
business and get back to mate,” her bear said.
“Do you guys want to hear why May and I asked you to meet?” Piper
asked.
Chapter 62
down the dark hall of the science building, not
making a sound. He’d done his research and knew that the faculty were by
and large out of their offices by six at the latest on Fridays. He figured seventhirty would be a good time to explore Professor Brackett’s office.
After losing the agent that had been shadowing him since he’d left the
hospital, Jasper walked into the lobby of the several-story stone building as if
he belonged there. He had dressed as a student in jeans, hooded sweatshirt,
ski cap and backpack and headed straight downstairs at about five-thirty. He
knew each of the academic buildings on campus had cubicles and tables for
studying in the basement. He sat down at an empty cubicle and pulled out of
his backpack some books on caving and a highlighter and pretended to study.
There were a handful of students around him with books and laptops
open in front of them. While he was a bit older than the typical college
student, there were a fair number of non-traditional students taking classes at
Grey Lake College as well. He made a list of notes in the book that Piper had
given him prior to their short caving trip. His notes were about the cases he
was working on rather than anything related to speleology.
The building’s doors were locked to the public each evening at six, but
students were able to gain access until midnight via their student ID badges.
Jasper knew he could have one of the agents fashion a replica student ID
badge for him, but he didn’t want anyone to know about what he has doing
just yet; that was why he’d needed to get inside before six.
At seven-thirty, he packed up his belongings and shuffled out of the
basement study area as if he was exhausted from a day at school studying.
After ensuring no one was watching him, he slowly and silently made his
JASPER STEPPED QUIETLY
way up to the second floor where many of the faculty had offices, including
Brackett. The hall was dark, all lights off except the emergency exit signs. He
located the man’s office and tentatively tried the handle. Locked, of course,
but it was worth a try.
He pulled his lock-picking toolkit out of his backpack and went to work.
In less than a minute, he was inside Miles’s office. He closed the door behind
him and breathed easily. He surveyed the room in front of him and winced.
This guy was a mess! There were stacks of books and papers all over the desk
and floor. There were also several cardboard boxes scattered here and there
as well.
This might take a while.
Chapter 63
in the recliner and observed the women in front of her. Iris
and May were hunched together on a sofa. Mac was sitting in the armchair to
their left. Iris held the book on the Guardians open on her lap. Deacon, Beau,
and Heath had decamped to the basement to drink beers and watch a movie,
giving them some much needed privacy.
“Why did none of us know anything about this until now?” Iris asked.
“Tessa must have known. Why didn’t she prepare us for this?”
“We’d need to ask her to be sure, but I think she was waiting for us to
get more comfortable with our powers,” Piper said.
“She might have thought she’d have more time as well,” Mac piped in.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Iris asked. She was rubbing her
belly absently.
Piper bit her lip and thought for a minute. “Well, Mac’s been able to
help May a bit with her powers, right?”
May nodded and smiled at Mac. “Well, she’s helped me more to accept
my powers and not be so anxious when I go into the trances. I feel more
comfortable now after I’ve gone through a painting episode. Maybe that’s
why I’ve been able to create more images over the last few weeks.”
“You have?” Mac asked.
“Yeah. I didn’t even realize it until Beau pointed it out. He catalogued
all my paintings along with the dates that I created them. I’ve produced more
and more every week.”
“They’ve all been predictions?” Piper asked.
“No, some are images from the past that I haven’t been present for.
Others are predictions, I believe, of the future.”
PIPER LEANED BACK
“OK, that’s great then,” Mac said. “I’m glad I helped a bit.”
“What about your powers?” Iris asked Piper.
“Well,” Piper said. She explained about not being able to hold hands
with Jasper without him involuntarily boosting and then suppressing her
powers.
“Oh, no! That’s terrible. You can’t touch your own mate?” Iris asked.
Piper smiled. “Oh, I can touch him, just not with my hands.”
“Yet,” Mac added. “You guys just need to practice. I’ll help, too.”
“I can help train Iris,” May chirped.
“What do you mean? Help me with what?” Iris asked.
“Help you train in self-defense. I can teach you some of what I learned
in the police department. You can’t shift until the baby comes, but we can
still work with your magical strength in your human form. We’ll do it
carefully, of course, because of the baby.”
“OK, that sounds like a plan.”
Piper was already feeling better. She felt like part of a team.
Chapter 64
his watch and sighed. He’d been looking through Miles’s
office for almost an hour. He had started with the filing cabinets and the
bookshelves and then peered through the numerous boxes around the room,
making sure to leave everything just as he’d found it. He hadn’t seen
anything unusual, never mind illegal. The desk was the last place he needed
to explore. He strode over to the desk and took a seat. He decided to start
with the drawers in the left side.
The top drawer was full of receipts for books, plane fare, and hotels.
They seemed to be from trips he’d taken for work according to the scribbles
written on the margins of the paper receipts. No flights to or from Rhode
Island or receipts from near Alden Williamson’s home or businesses.
“Keep looking,” his beast nagged. “Bad feeling about this.”
The middle drawer was full of credentialling paperwork from the
college. There were several copies of his CV, immunization records,
mandatory training certificates—nothing unusual for someone working at
Grey Lake College. The last item was a small piece of thick paper that looked
like a wallet card. He pulled it out and held it up for closer inspection. Upper
Valley Blood Bank Donor Identification Card. So, he was a blood donor, too
—wonderful. He snapped a picture of the donor card with his cellphone. He
closed that drawer and started on the bottom one.
This one was stuffed full of take-out menus from the area. Garbage! He
flipped through the top of the stack and was about to close the drawer when a
little voice inside his head said, “Just finish it.” He huffed a breath and
continued to flip through the papers. Tacos, Chinese food, pizza. Hmmm,
Brackett had menus and receipts, not only from the local areas, but also from
JASPER LOOKED AT
several restaurants north of Grey Lake. Shoot, he even had receipts from
places near Danforth Medical Center. He snapped some more photos of the
receipts.
At the very bottom of the pile were receipts from grocery stores and
convenience stores. Did this guy throw anything out?
Wait, what do we have here? The second to the last piece of paper was a
receipt from Calloway’s Dairy Farm. He held the paper up closer so he could
see the date on it. Seemed like Miles purchased two gallons of milk and
several artisanal cheeses the day before the cows were slaughtered at the
dairy farm. The items were purchased by credit card, and Miles’s signature
was on the slip. He snapped a photo and placed the receipt back in the
drawer.
“I’ve got to let Heath know about this,” he whispered to himself after
closing the drawer.
“Let Heath know about what?” a familiar voice whispered from a
darkened area next to the door.
Jasper jumped even though he recognized Finn. “Are you trying to give
me a heart attack?” He scowled. “How long have you been standing there?”
Jasper asked Finn, sitting straighter in the chair.
Finn, in his black GLPD uniform, took a step closer, frowning at him. “I
slipped in a few minutes ago. Your head was down behind the desk. I saw
you come in here a while ago and was waiting to see what you did. I got a
little antsy. What did you find?”
“Evidence that Miles Brackett was at the Calloway Dairy Farm the day
before all those cows were mangled.” He opened the drawer, fished out the
receipt, and gave it to Finn with a gloved hand.
“Hmm, I bet a lot of people were at Calloway’s that day. So what?” Finn
asked.
“He’s also been to restaurants near Danforth Medical Center and
donates blood near that center. Why would he drive forty minutes away to
donate blood when there is a closer donor center just fifteen minutes south of
here?” That was where Jasper went to donate blood every eight weeks like
clockwork.
“I don’t know. So what? Maybe it’s more comfortable there? Maybe
he’s got a girlfriend or boyfriend who works up there? Why does it matter?”
Finn asked.
“Because Danforth was in the news about a year ago when a shipment of
blood products went missing on its way to the Danforth Medical Center. All
the red blood cells and plasma units inside the van went missing. The van
was recovered three days later, but it was completely empty.”
“Are you saying he’s a vampire or something? Even that would be too
weird for Grey Lake.”
“No, it’s just another strange thing we need to ask Brackett about,”
Jasper said.
“No, it’s something you cannot ask him about. You’ve been told to stay
out of this,” Finn insisted. “Now, you need to get out of here before someone
else sees you.”
As soon as Finn ended his sentence, both men watched as a light shone
from under the office door. Jasper froze, eyes flicking to the window. Could
he get out that way?
“Hide under the desk. I’ll handle this,” Finn hissed.
Chapter 65
this one bit,” Beau ranted. For a change, he was the one pacing
around the living room while Heath calmly sat next to Mac on the sofa. Piper
sat forward in an armchair, jiggling her knees up and down. Jasper still hadn’t
shown up or called. She hoped he was OK.
“It doesn’t matter if you like it or not. It is what it is,” Deacon said.
“You think I like knowing my pregnant wife is somehow expected to protect
an incapacitated phoenix?” He was sitting next to Iris on the loveseat with an
arm wrapped around her shoulders. “Ranting about it isn’t going to help
anyone.”
“How come you’re so calm?” Beau asked Heath. He finally took a seat
on the other large sectional. “I would have expected you to be rampaging
around the room.”
“I already knew about Mac, May, and Piper having powers. Iris’s are a
surprise, but what do you expect around here? Whether our mates had these
magical powers or not, you had to know they would never just stand off to
the side if there were a battle and people were in danger, right?” Heath asked.
“Yeah,” Beau grumbled. He ran a hand back and forth through his hair.
“I just worry.” He looked at May who was sitting next to him. She was
drawing a scene on a large sketch pad that she carried around with her. Her
focus on her work was so intense that she seemed like she was ignoring
everything else happening in the room. Beau inched closer to her and looked
at what she was drawing. He frowned. “May?”
“Can’t yet,” she whispered. She didn’t stop drawing.
Piper caught Beau sharing a look with Mac. He said to the room in
general, “This is how she gets sometimes when she’s painting or drawing.
“I DON’T LIKE
Sometimes her trances are deep, but other times it’s like she can sort of hear
what’s going on in the real world, but she’s compelled to finish what she’s
working on. I think this is one of the latter times. Mac knows about this
because they’ve been working together to try to help her control her powers a
bit.”
“What’s she drawing?” Piper asked.
“I’m not completely sure. It looks like some kind of a meeting. There’re
a lot of people sitting in an audience, and there’s a table up on a stage with
six people. There’s some guy in a suit speaking at a podium,” Beau said.
Cold dread filled Piper’s belly. She knew the town council was
scheduled to meet next week. She recalled hanging one of the flyers for the
meeting on the bulletin board at the library’s entrance. Could that be what
May was drawing? She rose and very slowly meandered over beside her. She
kneeled on the floor next to the couch to get a closer look at the artwork. She
didn’t want to disrupt May, but she needed to see if what she feared was
correct.
Piper looked at the sketchpad and sucked in a breath.
“Beau,” she said quietly as she watched May’s nimble hand move across
the paper, “you’ve never been to one of the town council meetings, have
you?”
She saw him shake his head out of the corner of her eye. “No. I hate
politics. Always have,” he grumbled.
“Well, I’ve had to go when the funding for the library was discussed.
The setup of the room looks exactly like that.” She pointed to May’s drawing
in progress.
Heath and Deacon both sat up straighter. Piper watched as they stood up
and walked over behind the sofa upon which May sat. They peered over her
shoulder, and both frowned.
“She’s right,” Heath said. “It looks like she’s drawing a scene from a
town council meeting. Is it one that’s already happened or one that’s going to
happen in the future?”
“That’s the question, right?” Deacon asked.
“And who is that man at the podium?” Piper asked.
“I think I know,” Iris said quietly. She had moved from her seat on the
sofa and was now tucked into Deacon’s side, her eyes wide. “I’m pretty sure
that’s my father.”
Chapter 66
stuff his nearly six-and-a-half-foot body under Brackett’s
desk just as the door creaked open.
“I’ve called the police!” an unfamiliar voice yelled.
“Wonderful, I am the police,” Finn said.
“What are you doing in here?” the unfamiliar voice hissed.
“I’m Officer Finn MacLeod with Grey Lake PD. Who are you and what
are you doing here?” Finn asked.
“I’m Dr. Leo Terris. My office is down the hall from Dr. Brackett’s. I
was working late, and I heard voices in here. I know Dr. Brackett is out of
town, so I became concerned,” the man said.
The man’s snooty voice sounded somewhat familiar, but not exactly.
Jasper couldn’t know for sure this was the man who Miles was speaking to in
the woods the day he’d been shot.
“You called the police, but why did you come to investigate as well?
That could have been dangerous,” Finn said.
“Dangerous? This is Grey Lake, not New York City,” the man said.
“What were you doing here anyway?”
“Someone saw lights in this office from the outside. They called the
police, and I came right over to investigate. I was in the area, so I got here
quickly. As you can see, there’s no one else in here but us. There was no sign
of forced entry. In fact, the door was unlocked,” Finn lied.
“Unlocked? That can’t be right,” Leo whined.
“Well, I’m sorry, but it was. Now, why don’t I take your statement, and
you can get back to work,” Finn said.
Jasper fought the urge to sneak a peek at Leo but stayed hidden as Finn
JASPER MANAGED TO
requested. He listened as the men left the room and the door clicked shut
behind them. Their steps echoed down the hallway.
Jasper waited five minutes and then slipped out of the office and silently
made his way down the hallway. He followed the sounds of Finn and Leo’s
voices to a room at the end of the hall, close to the stairwell.
“Well, thank you for your statement. I will make sure Dr. Brackett is
notified of this as well.”
“I just wish you caught whoever was in there. I’m sure it was locked.
Someone must have broken in without leaving any signs. It’s just not right.
It’s a private office,” Leo hissed.
“Well, we’ll see what we can find out. I’ll speak to the person who
reported seeing the lights once again. Most likely it was just kids messing
around. I’ve got all of your contact information, so I’ll be in touch,” Finn
responded.
Jasper slipped down the stairs and out the front door of the building. He
ran around the corner of the building and hid in the bushes. He watched as
Finn exited the building about five minutes later. After ensuring no one else
was out there, Jasper hitched his backpack over his shoulder and strolled
down the main path that ran through the small campus. He forced himself to
walk slowly, almost casually as if he didn’t have a care in the world. If
anyone were to see him, he wanted them to think he was just a college
student returning from a long night of studying.
Jasper left the campus and turned right onto Main Street. After walking
a couple of blocks, a black SUV pulled up beside him. The driver’s side
window lowered.
“Get in,” Finn ordered.
Jasper climbed into the patrol vehicle without a word.
Chapter 67
tell for sure?” Heath asked. It’s just a drawing.”
Iris leveled him with a look. “I know what my own father looks like,”
she answered.
May dropped her pencil, and both arms jerked as if she’d been startled.
Beau immediately wrapped his arms around her and enveloped her in a bear
hug. She let out a pitiful moan.
Piper and the others watched as Beau spoke softly to his wife.
“I’ll go get her a drink. Does anyone else want anything?” Iris asked.
Heath, Mac, and Deacon shook their heads.
“No thanks,” Piper said. “Iris, I can get May something. Why don’t you
rest?”
“No, I’m fine. You stay put. I’ll be right back.” Iris wandered into the
kitchen.
Ding, ding, ding.
Piper jumped at hearing the doorbell. She hoped it was finally Jasper.
“I’ll get it,” Deacon said. He left the living room and shortly returned
with Jasper and Finn trailing behind him.
Piper stood up and hurried over to her mate. He opened his arms, and
she snuggled into his chest, wrapping her fists around his sweatshirt, tugging
him closer.
“I’m sorry I took so long,” Jasper said to her.
“What are you doing here?” Heath asked a scowling Finn.
Beep, beep, beep!
Finn held up a finger to Heath. He pulled his police radio off his belt and
“HOW CAN YOU
pressed a button. He turned around and walked down the hall to answer the
call.
“Jay, were you somewhere you shouldn’t have been?” Deacon asked.
Piper lifted her head to see Jasper’s expression.
He looked sheepish. “I’d rather find out what happened here.” He peered
down at Piper. “Did you tell them everything?”
“I told them about the Guardians, but then May started drawing and…”
Finn walked back into the room. “Well, I’ve got to head out.” He
addressed Heath. “That was Kevin. Seems our mysterious flashing lights
have reappeared.”
“Where are they now?” Deacon asked.
“Where aren’t they?” Finn asked sarcastically. He flipped through the
small notepad in his hand. “Reports have them out by the college, in the
woods behind the library, out near the ski mountain.” He sighed. “I’m going
to head back out to the college first and see if I can find any clues.”
Heath nodded. “Let us know if you need any help. One of us can come
to help if you want.”
Finn shook his head. “Let me take a look-see first. I’ll be in touch.” He
glanced at Jasper and then back to Heath. “Besides, I’d rather not be here
when Jasper tells you what he’s been up to tonight.” Finn said his goodbyes
quickly and headed out the front door.
Piper studied Jasper’s sheepish expression. She lifted her eyebrows at
her mate and whispered, “What did you do?”
Chapter 68
at his worried mate. Instead of answering her question,
he lowered his head and kissed her soft lips. He’d missed her even though
he’d only been away from her since she left for work this morning. Still, he
wished he had more time to spend alone with her.
She leaned into his kiss, and he deepened it.
“Hey now there, enough of that,” Heath said.
Jasper reluctantly ended the kiss, but rested his forehead against his
mate’s, keeping his eyes closed.
“What exactly were you doing tonight, old friend?” Heath asked. “Why
was Finn with you? And why did he say he was going back to the college?”
Jasper dropped a kiss on Piper’s forehead and then took a step away
from her. “Why don’t we have a seat and I can explain?”
Twenty minutes later, Jasper had detailed what he’d done. He handed
over his phone to show Heath and Deacon the photos he’d taken inside
Brackett’s office.
“It’s still circumstantial at best,” Heath muttered. His face had turned
bright red with rage when Jasper told him he’d broken into Miles’s office and
was almost caught by Leo.
“Good thing his mate is keeping him calm, otherwise you’d have had a
fight on your hands,” his beast said.
Jasper had to agree with his reindeer. Mac had remained seated at
Heath’s side as Jasper recalled his evening activities. When Heath started to
stand, Mac had placed a hand on his forearm, and he stayed put. He was
definitely ticked off but had managed to keep his temper in check.
“I should arrest you for breaking and entering,” Heath grumbled.
JASPER STARED DOWN
“Heath!” Piper cried. “You can’t do that. He was just helping out.”
Jasper couldn’t help but grin at his brave mate standing up to the wolf alpha.
“Besides, he didn’t get caught,” May chimed in.
“Oh, not you, too,” Heath moaned.
“She’s right. He found evidence placing Brackett near the Calloway
farm right before those cattle were slaughtered and near the blood donor
center where the shipment of products was stolen,” Iris said.
“I bet if we asked at the grocery store in town, we’d find out he shops
there, too,” Mac piped in.
“And we finally know who this Leo guy is. Well, Finn does at least. We
know he works late and he’s a busybody,” Piper said.
Deacon chuckled.
Heath groaned. “What are you laughing at? None of this is funny.”
“I just think it’s funny how all the mates ganged up on you,” Deacon
said.
Piper cuddled into Jasper’s side. “Are you sure Leo didn’t know you
were there?”
“I don’t think so. If he were a shifter, he might have scented me, but I
don’t think he has any shifter abilities, at least from what Miles told us,”
Jasper answered. “Finn seemed to think he had no clue I was there.”
“Good,” Piper said and rested her head against his shoulder.
Jasper leaned forward. “Now that that’s all out of the way, what have I
missed here?”
Chapter 69
in on what he’d missed, silence finally fell for a few
moments over Iris and Deacon’s home.
“How can we confirm that Iris’s father is coming to Grey Lake?” Jasper
asked. He addressed Iris. “Would Aiden know about this?”
Iris shook her head. “I don’t think so. Once he learned what my father
did to Jamie, he turned his back on him. He hasn’t spoken to him since he left
home as far I know.”
Deacon growled.
“I mean, my old family home,” Iris clarified for a disgruntled Deacon.
“Maybe he would know something, though. Iris, could you call him and
see if he’d come over?” Heath asked.
“Sure, I’ll text him.” Iris pulled her cellphone off the coffee table and
started typing out a text. When she was finished typing, she placed the phone
down on her lap and addressed the room.
“I asked him if he knew Dad was coming to town for a town council
meeting. That should get his attention,” she said.
“That’s mean,” May teased.
“What?” Iris feigned innocence. “You tease your brothers all the time.”
“Yeah, but not about a murderous father,” May retorted.
“I can’t help it if your father’s a nice guy,” Iris answered just as her
phone rang.
Ring, ring, ring!
She picked the phone up and accepted the call. “Hi, Aiden!” She walked
down the hallway toward her bedroom, presumably to seek privacy.
“I want him to bring Jamie with him when he comes over,” May said.
AFTER FILLING JASPER
“How do you know he’s coming?” Beau asked. “It’s late.”
“It’s not even ten o’clock. It’s just a feeling I have,” May replied.
A few minutes later, Iris returned to the living room. She halted next to
the sofa and put her hands on her hips. “Well, Aiden’s on his way over. He
hasn’t spoken more than a couple words to Dad since he found out about him
torturing Jamie. He was pretty upset when I told him about May’s vision. He
wants to help.”
“See, I told you guys. I had a feeling,” May said.
“Is he bringing Jamie, too?” Piper asked.
“Of course,” Iris said. “Now that they’ve found each other, they’re
pretty much inseparable. Where one goes, the other follows. It’s just like
when they were kids.” Iris smiled.
Piper wondered once again if anyone other than she and Mac could
speak with Jamie. “Well, no time like the present to find out,” her bear said.
Piper cleared her throat. “May, can you communicate with Jamie?”
May went rigid, her eyes wide. “What do you mean?”
Piper could tell by the look on May’s face that her friend knew exactly
what she meant.
Chapter 70
THE MEN STUDIED
his mate as she questioned May. Speak with Jamie? In wolf
form?
“Pipe?” Heath asked.
Piper gave him a weak smile, a somewhat guilty smile. She then turned
to Mac. The eagle shifter nodded at Piper.
“Go on. Time to tell them,” Mac said.
“Since working with Mac, he’s been able to speak telepathically to her. I
learned not too long ago that I could speak with him, too. I can hear his voice
in my head. He can sense my responses without me actually speaking out
loud. He specifically asked us not to share the information with others
including Aiden, so we didn’t. He thought it would put others in danger if
they knew he could read minds and use telepathy to communicate.” She
sucked in a breath, and her shoulders sagged. “I think now—with all that’s
happening—we just need to get all these secrets out on the table. At least
between all of us. I just wondered if there was anyone else who’s been able to
understand him,” Piper said.
Mac nodded. “I agree. We don’t have time to waste.” She turned to a
red-faced Heath. “I’m sorry, babe. I promised Jamie I wouldn’t say
anything.”
Heath scratched his chin. “If he knows something that could help us
with our investigation, and you guys didn’t tell us…”
“He doesn’t!” Mac blurted out. She turned to her mate. “We would have
told you if he knew anything that could help. His memory is spotty after he
was kidnapped. The stuff Williamson’s men did to him.” She shuddered.
“He’s suffered so much.” She rubbed her temples. “I’ve been working with
him to try to heal him enough so he can remember. I think if he can access
the memories that he’s suppressed, he may be able to shift back.”
“So?” Beau asked his wife. “Can you communicate with him?” He was
sitting with May pressed against his side, his arm wrapped around her
shoulders. She nodded, her face glum.
“Me, too,” Iris squeaked. She plopped down on the sofa next to Deacon.
“What?” Deacon asked.
“I heard him for the first time two days ago at the bakery. I thought I
was losing my mind at first. But I recognized his voice from before when he
was human. He has a distinctive, sort of husky, voice; it’s kind of sexy.”
Deacon’s eyebrows shot up. “Hey!”
Iris patted her mate’s hand. “Not as nice as your voice. Yours is my
favorite in the whole wide world. Don’t be jealous, you brute,” she teased.
Heath stood up and started pacing. He rubbed the heels of his hands
against his eyes. “I can’t believe this.”
Jasper recognized that his friend was about to blow his lid.
“How come the only ones that can understand Jamie in wolf form are
our mates?” Heath asked no one in particular. “We wolf shifters should be
able to communicate with him in wolf form, but we can’t, yet an eagle shifter
and two bear shifters can. This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Hey, I’m a wolf shifter,” May insisted.
“Yeah, but how come Heath and Deacon can’t speak with him?” Jasper
asked.
Jasper noticed Piper’s shoulders had stiffened and her posture had
turned rigid. “Maybe we can hear him because we’re Tessa’s Guardians. You
know, we are more than just your mates.”
Jasper squeezed her into his side. “Of course, you are. Heath’s just
pissed he didn’t realize this was happening. He hates being left out.”
Heath groaned.
“Do you think maybe Jamie’s a Guardian, too?” Iris asked.
The ensuing silence was interrupted by the doorbell.
“I’ll get it!” Iris vaulted from her seat and rushed to the entryway.
A few minutes later, she returned to the living room with her brother and
Jamie. Aiden looked tense, and the gray wolf stuck to his side like glue,
seeming to provide comfort to his haggard-looking friend.
A chorus of greetings went around, and then Iris dragged Aiden over to
sit on the sofa next to her.
“Can I see the painting?” Aiden asked.
“Well, it’s a drawing not a painting, but sure,” May said.
“I’ll bring it,” Beau said, taking the sketch pad from May. He walked it
over and handed it to Aiden.
Aiden frowned as he studied May’s work. He showed it to Jamie who
growled low in his throat. “I mean, it does look an awful lot like the old
buzzard, and he seems to agree.” He gestured to the wolf. “But it doesn’t
make any sense. Why would he come here now?”
“Is there any way for you to check his itinerary? Are you in contact with
his assistant? Any of his staff?” Jasper asked.
Aiden shook his head. “His admin is very loyal. She’s a viper. I think
she’s always hoped to be the third Mrs. Alden Williamson.”
“Eeww!” Iris shivered and made a face of disgust.
“What about any of your old co-workers? Are you in touch with
anyone? Anyone you still trust?” Heath asked.
“No, they’re all under Dad’s influence. They’d kill for him,” Aiden said
and then winced. He turned to the gray wolf sitting at his feet. “Sorry.”
Jamie let out an exaggerated sigh and pressed his body into Aiden’s leg.
Jasper imagined Aiden must carry a load of guilt after his own flesh and
blood ordered Jamie’s torture and near death. Jasper asked, “So, if this town
meeting is in a week, we have a bit of time to prepare. Is there any way to see
what’s on the agenda?”
Piper nodded. “The agenda is supposed to be public. Items can be added
up to an hour prior to the meeting, but we can see what’s listed now. Let me
pull it up on my phone.”
While Piper worked on locating the agenda, Heath cleared his throat.
“Aiden, there’s something else we need to discuss.”
Aiden, who had been absentmindedly rubbing the top of Jamie’s head,
glanced at Heath as if to ask, “What now?”
“The group of us came together tonight because our mates had some
news to discuss. This information mostly pertains to them, but we’ve come to
believe that Jamie is involved as well,” Heath said.
Chapter 71
flashed orange for a split second, Piper’s jaw dropped.
She looked around, wondering if anyone else saw it.
“It happens when he gets mad,” Jamie said.
Piper nodded at the wolf’s silent words.
“What do you mean he’s involved?” Aiden hissed. “How?”
“Piper, do you want to explain about the Guardians?” Jasper asked her.
“Sure.” Piper detailed the entire story, beginning when she discovered
the book on the Guardians in the archives to her discussion with Tessa. She
then explained how she and the other three women present could
communicate with Jamie.
“So, you all have these special abilities, even Iris?” Aiden asked.
Piper, Iris, Mac, and May all nodded.
“And, normally, Tessa would be here helping, but she’s not well
enough?” Aiden asked.
“We think so, yes,” Piper replied.
Aiden rubbed his face with a hand. Jamie let out a loud sigh at his feet.
Aiden turned to Mac. “You really think he’s healing?” He looked at
Jamie.
Mac nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“And when you speak to him, he’s human. He remembers?” Aiden’s
voice broke, but then he rubbed his eyes with both hands and quickly
composed himself.
“Tell him ‘yes,’” Jamie said to Piper.
“Yes. He says ‘yes,’” Piper said to Aiden. “And he sounds human to
me.”
WHEN AIDEN’S EYES
“Yes, he has the same voice I remember from before,” Iris said.
Aiden rubbed the fur on the top of Jamie’s head. “Could our dad be
coming here to abduct him? Or kill him?” He looked murderous. His eyes
flashed orange once more.
Piper looked from Mac to May and finally to Iris. “We really don’t
know, but it would be unusual. You guys have been here for weeks and not a
peep from him. We haven’t seen those soldiers in black for a bit either.”
“Hmmm,” Jasper said.
“What?” Piper asked.
“Maybe his coming now has to do with Tessa! Maybe it’s because she’s
sick,” Jasper suggested. “What do we really know about phoenix shifters? I
mean, besides what little Tessa has told us?”
“Not much,” Piper admitted. “I’ve looked into them before, but there’s
not much written down about them. I think they prefer it that way. They’re a
mysterious sort.”
“We know that Tessa’s been the only phoenix shifter in Grey Lake for
centuries. We also know that she rarely, if ever, leaves the area,” Heath said.
“Maybe she can’t,” Aiden suggested. “Maybe she’s been protecting the
area from danger, including other phoenix shifters. Maybe her presence has
deterred other more dangerous shifters from moving in.”
Jamie sat up on his haunches and looked right at Aiden. “I think he
might be right,” Jamie said within Piper’s mind. “I don’t know why I didn’t
think of it before. It makes sense.”
“Maybe her being sick is what he’s been waiting for. Maybe he’s testing
her. Seeing if she can defend the village,” Deacon said.
“Then we need to get into shape. We need to practice our powers and
improve our skills,” Piper said. She gestured to her phone. “I pulled up the
agenda for the council meeting. There’s nothing listed yet that raises any red
flags so maybe he paid someone in town to add something last minute. We
should make sure we have people there in case he tries something.”
“We should make sure we have Tessa protected, too,” Mac said.
“Jamie as well,” Iris said.
May spoke up next. “I agree. We need to keep eyes on bad phoenix,
protect good phoenix, and keep Jamie away from homicidal men in black
working for bad phoenix.” She snuggled closer to Beau. “Oops, I almost
forgot. We need to figure out who the last two Guardians are, too,” she
finished.
“We need to set up a training schedule for the four of us ASAP,” Mac
said.
“We’ll need Jasper there to help me with my powers,” Piper said.
“We should have Jamie with us, too. Since we can all speak with him,
maybe he has a hidden talent that will come out in our presence,” Iris said.
“I’m not leaving May’s side until this is settled,” Beau grumbled.
“Oh, honey, it’s cute that you’re acting all possessive, but no,” May said
right before plopping a kiss on the tip of his nose.
“We can take turns keeping watch while they practice,” Deacon
suggested. When Beau scoffed, Deacon continued. “You’ll have to leave
May’s side at some point. I bet Dad and Finn would volunteer to help, too.”
“We only have a week to work with so let’s make the schedule right
now,” Mac said. “Can you arrange coverage at the library for some of the
time?” she asked Piper.
Piper bit her lip. “I’ll call Ms. Matthews and see if she can work a bit
more this next week. What days?”
The women worked over the next hour to figure out ways to carve out
some time each day for training. The men, including Jamie, ventured
downstairs to Deacon’s so-called man cave to work on their own plans.
Mac arranged coverage at work. Between Ms. Matthews, Annie Jensen,
and Leah Fitzsimmons, Piper carved out a few hours each day to work with
Mac. Iris’s training involved practicing her agility and strength with May.
Deacon insisted on being present to make sure his pregnant mate didn’t put
herself at undue risk.
May’s training involved periods of meditation and breathing exercises
under Mac’s watchful eyes to try to allow her to enter the predictive trances
she slipped into, seemingly involuntarily. If she could control when she made
her predictions, maybe they’d have an advantage over Williamson and his
men.
Piper would work with Mac and Jasper to try to better control her
spellcasting. She hoped he’d be willing this time to face his fears for her. She
needed him to help her access the power she knew lay within her.
Her worries must have shown on her face because Mac grasped her hand
and squeezed it.
“He’ll be stronger this time. I know it,” Mac whispered.
“I hope so. We all need to be,” Piper said.
Chapter 72
days until the town council meets. Should we have someone
watching Tessa’s place until then?” Heath asked.
“She’s been pretty resistant to having security on her in the past,”
Deacon said.
“Well, she doesn’t have a choice anymore. We need to make sure she
stays safe,” Heath grumbled. He looked at Jasper. “Did she answer the
phone?”
Jasper shook his head. He’d called Tessa to let her know their thoughts,
but she hadn’t picked up. “Pipe and I can stop by on our way home. Maybe
she’ll be more receptive to one of her Guardians?”
“This is all so nuts,” Beau said. He was sitting on one end of Deacon’s
enormous brown leather couch, nursing one of Deacon’s home brews. “Why
are we only learning about these Guardians now?”
“Tessa likes to keep us in the dark, that’s for sure,” Deke said.
Jasper swallowed a sip of the bitter ale. “I think it’s more that she’s
trying to protect everyone. I think she doesn’t want people to learn some of
this stuff ’til she thinks they’re ready to hear it.” He sighed heavily.
“I really hope she’s not holding out on us about anything else
important,” Aiden said. He was sitting in a distressed armchair with Jamie,
his blue eyes alert, laying at his feet.
Heath grimaced. “Of course, she is. We just need to hope we can work
with the partial information we have. So, let’s get this all straight.” He flipped
through the small notepad in his hand. “Tomorrow, Brackett should be
heading back home. I’ll need to send someone to question him about Jasper’s
“WE HAVE SEVEN
shooting in the woods, as well as the quote unquote break-in at his office.
Who’s on duty tomorrow dayshift?” he asked Deacon.
“That would be me. Finn will be coming in for an early second shift,”
Deacon said.
“OK. How about you handle Brackett?” Heath asked.
“Sure thing,” Deacon replied.
“We’ll need eyes on Tessa’s place,” Heath said.
“I’ll see if Declan can put an agent on it. I’ll text him now,” Jasper said.
“OK, good. Now, I’m assuming our mates are going to be training as
soon as tomorrow?” Heath asked.
“If we don’t make them leave, they’d probably start tonight,” Beau said
with a sigh.
“We’ll need to find out where they’ll be working out of tomorrow. If
they’re in one location, can you watch them?” Heath asked Beau.
“Sure thing. I’ll make sure I’m free. What if they’re splitting up?
Training in pairs?” Beau asked.
“Then either me or my dad can watch the other pair. I’ll work it out with
him,” Heath said.
“What about me? I’ll be with Piper anyway,” Jasper said.
“Yeah, but you’ll be working with her and Mac. You’ll be distracted.
You’ll need someone watching your backs. Another set of eyes.”
“What about us?” Aiden asked, his gaze dropping to the wolf.
“Hmm, you guys are so quiet I almost forgot about you. You need to
make more noise,” Heath joked. “Hmm, I think we should check with the
mates, but I think if Jamie can stick with them while they’re training, that’d
be helpful. He’d be another set of eyes watching their back as well.”
“OK,” Aiden said. “Just let us know where we need to be.”
They talked over their plans and thoughts about the following week for
the next hour.
“Well, we better head out. I have to be up in a few hours to start
cooking,” Aiden said, standing up.
Heath looked at Jamie. “We’ll let you know where we need him
tomorrow. You shouldn’t do anything out of the ordinary to attract attention.
Keep to the hours you’ve been working at the bakery. If Iris needs to leave
early, can you cover for her?”
“Of course. We work well together.” He smiled. “That’s been a bonus to
all this craziness, you know. It’s been great getting close to my little sister
again.”
Jamie let out a yip as if he agreed.
“I’ll follow you up. I’m sure I’ll need to force Piper to go home and get
some sleep,” Jasper said.
“Right with you. May’ll want to stay here until I drag her home,” Beau
said. He stood up and placed his empty beer bottle on the table.
“We need to keep in close contact. This is the real deal,” Heath said.
They nodded solemnly.
*
Jasper parked his Tahoe right in front of Tessa’s farmhouse next to her white
Silverado.
Piper opened the passenger side door.
“Wait, let me get that for you,” Jasper said. He climbed out, shut his
door, and strode around the front of the vehicle to help her out.
She smiled. “Thank you.”
They walked up the stairs to the front door. He rang the doorbell.
A few minutes later he heard footsteps approach.
“Coming,” Tessa called.
The door opened halfway. Tessa stood there in a bright pink bathrobe
and plush gray bunny slippers. Her red hair was up in a messy bun on top of
her head and there were lines on one cheek as if she’d been sleeping on her
side. She looked exhausted but not sick per se.
“Hello,” she said, smiling weakly.
“Tess, how are you?” Piper asked.
“I’m feeling OK today, just really tired. I was just napping a bit. What
can I help you with?”
Piper looked at Jasper, lips pursed.
“We wanted to speak with you about something, but we can talk another
time if you’d rather sleep. We do need to talk very soon though,” he said.
Tessa sighed. “I know.” She addressed Piper. “How about if I call you
tomorrow after I’ve had some breakfast?”
Piper nodded. “That will be fine, thank you. Do you need us to do
anything before we leave?”
Tessa shook her head. “No honey. I’m just going to go back to bed. I’ll
speak with you soon. You have a good night.”
“Thanks, you too,” Jasper said.
Piper hugged the woman and they’d gone back home. Jasper had started
thinking of Piper’s family home as their home. He’d be happy to never return
to the lonely townhouse again other than to pack up his things. His home was
with his mate, wherever she was.
About an hour later, Jasper lay in bed on his side with Piper tucked
against his chest, her back to him.
Her breathing had slowed so he thought she was close to sleep.
“I want to be able to touch you like a normal person. Without my
powers going haywire,” Piper whispered.
“You will. Are you scared?” he asked.
“Hmm? Of what?” she asked.
“Your power?” he asked, rubbing her hair with his cheek.
“No, I think it’s time to let it out. I’m ready.”
Chapter 73
mouth as she yawned. It’d been four solid days of
working, training, and studying up on everything she could discover about
phoenix shifters.
“Just a little bit longer, then we can break for the day,” Mac said. “We
made good progress today. You can actually touch Jasper without your magic
shooting him across the room anymore.”
Jasper chuckled. “Not that I didn’t mind flying through the air, but it is
wonderful. I’m so proud of you.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Piper’s
lips before getting back into position.
On the rug in her home, Piper sat with her legs folded with Jasper sitting
directly in front of her. Mac sat to the side, perpendicular to the two of them,
so she could place her hands on both of their arms. Heath watched from the
couch a few feet away. He’d been working on his laptop and phone all
afternoon while they’d practiced.
“Try once again to lift up some objects in the room without moving
Jasper,” Mac calmly instructed. “Focus on the larger items now.”
As she had done several times, Piper touched the fingers of both hands
to Jasper’s and simply thought the words. The couch that Heath was sitting
on, the two recliners, and a coffee table all rose three feet into the air.
“Maintain. Keep them up,” Mac said.
The furniture floated steadily.
“Now, move them around. Try rearranging them at the same time,” Mac
suggested.
Piper did as asked. It was getting easier and easier to use her magic. It
PIPER COVERED HER
seemed to be like a skill; the more she practiced it, the easier it came to her.
She felt energy surging from Jasper’s body into hers.
The first time she levitated the couch with Heath sitting on it, he
screamed bloody murder. By this point in the day, he didn’t make a sound.
“Now, let go of Jasper. Move them around on your own,” Mac ordered.
As soon as she pulled away from Jasper’s touch, she felt her energy
level drop just a bit. She quickly compensated by pulling more magical
energy from her core toward her hands. She moved the furniture about the
room smoothly.
After several minutes, Mac said, “Please place everything back where it
originally was.”
Piper did as requested, but she couldn’t stop another yawn.
“I think we’ve done enough for now,” Mac said. She turned to Heath.
“How’s your work coming?”
“Frustrating as all get out as usual. Declan sent me a quick text. He
hasn’t had any better luck than us with Brackett. He still insists he wasn’t
anywhere near the college the morning Jasper was shot.”
“I know what I heard and saw,” Jasper snapped.
“I know,” Heath said. “If I didn’t know and trust you, maybe I’d have
doubts.” Heath sighed. “I don’t know what else I can do. We’ve interviewed
him, and now the SCB has, too. He’s been an angel since he’s been back.
We’ve had eyes on him the whole time, and he’s done nothing but go to work
and back home.”
“If we can just keep someone on his tail. He’ll slip up eventually,”
Jasper said.
“I just don’t like how he’s acting. He seems nervous, but not guilty. It’s
like he’s scared of something or someone,” Heath said.
“Maybe he is,” Piper said, rubbing her temple. “Perhaps he was in the
woods with someone, but he didn’t know whoever he was with was going to
shoot at Jasper. Maybe the shooter threatened him to keep him quiet.”
“Possibly, but who knows for sure? If we keep eyes on him, hopefully
we’ll find out what’s going on with him,” Jasper said.
“How’s it going with May and Iris?” Piper asked Mac. “Have you
touched base with them? Jamie’s with them today, right?”
Mac nodded. “I spoke to Iris right before we came over. They were
planning on practicing in May’s home gym. May was going to put Iris
through some agility exercises. I’m going to head over there after dinner to
do some meditating with May and Jamie. I think it may help the two of
them.”
“Are you getting any rest?” Piper asked her.
Mac laughed. “A little bit. We can all rest once this meeting is over and
we know Williamson is back in his own territory and Tessa and Jamie are
safe.”
“So, tomorrow we’re meeting at your house after work, right?” Piper
asked.
Mac nodded. “Yep. I think Ted will be there on guard duty.” She
addressed Heath, “Your dad is on protector duty tomorrow with us, right?”
“Yes. Dad’s tomorrow, then Deke, then Finn’s on the night of the
council meeting.” He groaned, closed his laptop, and stood up from his perch
on the sofa. “I wish I could be with you that night, but Deke and I need to be
at the meeting.”
Mac wandered over and wrapped her arms around Heath’s waist. “We’ll
be fine. You just keep one eye on Williamson and the other on everyone else
at the meeting.”
Jasper closed the door behind Heath and Mac and spun around to face
Piper. She walked to him and ran her hands up his forearms to his shoulders.
She leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Look at this.” She ran her
fingers down the side of his face. “No power surges. I didn’t think I’d be able
to control it this fast.” She placed her arms around his neck and tugged him
closer.
His beast’s eyes flashed right before he bent his head and returned the
kiss to her lips. He was aggressive, and she loved it. She leaned into him, and
he lifted her with two hands to her bottom. She wrapped her legs around his
waist as he moved away from the front door toward the living room.
“Downstairs,” she breathed out. They needed to move to the bedroom.
“Can’t wait,” he gritted out. “Couch’ll do.” He staggered to a stop and
fell with her in his arms onto the sectional. He cushioned their descent. He
leaned back to stare at her briefly, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.
“I’ve been needing to get inside of you all day. I missed you, my amazing
mate.” His gaze heated, and he pounced once more, rolling over so he now
laid on top of her.
Her skin burned at his words. She returned his kisses with equal fervor.
She ran her bare hands through his hair, thrilled that she had more control
over her power. The magic didn’t completely run rampant anymore. At least
this was true when it was just the two of them or when they were training
with Mac.
He groaned as she tugged at his thick hair. His tongue probed her mouth,
seeking hers. Her panties were soaked. “Jay, I need…” she panted.
“I know. Me, too.”
She felt his hands move to unbutton his jeans. She tried to help by
pulling them down, but then got distracted when she touched the bare skin
just above his cock. “Ooh!” she hissed. “It feels so good to be able to touch
you.” She reached toward his pelvis with her other hand.
He immediately put a stop to her plans by grabbing both her hands with
one of his. He drew them both back next to her head. He’d closed his eyes,
and his jaw was clenched tight.
“What’s wrong?” she panted.
His eyes flew open at her words. They were glowing yellow. “I love it
when you touch me, too, but if you keep it up, I won’t last.” His voice was
throaty, more animal than human.
She felt her cheeks spread in a wide smile. “OK. I won’t touch you…
much.”
He pressed a kiss on her lips. “Minx.” He continued to place kisses
down the side of her neck. He stood up and stepped out of his jeans, leaving
them on the living room floor. He lifted his sweatshirt and T-shirt off and
tossed them aside.
She bit her lower lip as she looked her fill.
He climbed back on top of her, completely nude.
He grinned. “Keep your arms by your head, or I’ll tie them there,” he
said.
Her core throbbed at his words, and a barely audible moan escaped.
“Oh, my mate likes that idea?” He lifted her sweater and T-shirt off and
threw them over the side of the couch, leaving her in a bra and jeans.
She squirmed again underneath him but kept her hands still. She needed
her pants off. She was so hot. Jasper kissed his way down her neck to her
chest. He slowly tugged her bra down so her breasts were free. He suckled
her right breast and nipple first and then the left, leaving her a panting mess.
She wriggled her pelvis against his naked body, trying to relieve the pressure.
“Naughty mate,” he teased. “I’m not through playing yet.”
A deep, aggravated growl ripped from her throat. Piper’s jaw dropped
when she realized what she’d done. She sounded like a wild animal. Well,
she was one, but she was civilized. Mostly.
Jasper’s eyes were dancing. “Oh, is someone trying to tell me
something?” he teased.
He moved down her body, kissing his way down her abdomen to the
skin right above the waist of her jeans. “Hmm, these seem to be in the way,
don’t they?”
“Uh huh,” she said, lifting her pelvis to try to encourage him to take
them off.
He chuckled but removed her bottoms and panties to her relief. He then
moved even lower and began to lick her core.
When she felt his tongue on her pussy, she moaned and nearly vaulted
off the couch.
He lifted his head. “Keep your hands where I put them. If you move
them, I’ll stop,” he warned.
She felt fluid gush from her most private area. She really loved bossy
Jasper. He continued to lick and suckle from her. She writhed underneath
him, trying to move away from the stimulation, but wanting more at the same
time.
She was so close. Piper began trembling, and Jasper ceased his
ministrations at once. He stalked up her body, lined his cock up with her core,
and advanced with a groan.
Piper let out a cry. It felt so good to be with him and not to worry about
hurting him with her powers. Jasper moved in and out as if he was consumed
with need.
Piper fisted her hands. They were still by her head. “Jay, I need to ah… I
want to touch you.”
“Please,” he gritted out as he continued his punishing pace.
Her hands touched his shoulders. No power surge, thank God. She
curled her fingers around the top of his shoulders, holding tight as he rammed
into her over and over. A few seconds later, she screamed as she reached her
peak. He followed with a moan as he released.
Piper ran her hands over his back, not wanting to let him go just yet. He
planted a kiss on her shoulder and then rolled them both over, so he lay on his
back with her on top of him, still joined. He ran a hand over the back of her
head, his fingers playing with her now disarrayed locks.
She sighed. “I wish we could just stay like this.”
He rubbed his chin against her hair. “Me, too, sweet pea. Me, too.”
Chapter 74
lunchtime the next day, Jasper was sitting in the library,
working on his open cases. He’d taken to working there so he could keep an
eye on Piper until this mess with Williamson was settled. They were
supposed to meet Mac at her house in a couple of hours for more training. He
was typing away on his laptop when he was interrupted.
Ring, ring, ring!
He sighed and answered his phone.
“Jasper, I need you over at Tessa’s Treats now please,” Iris whispered.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“My Dad is here. Aiden’s out front talking to him. I’m holding Jamie
back in the office. He’s growling and trying to break away from me.”
“Did you call anyone else? Deacon or Heath?”
“No, Heath’s with Mac right now, and Deacon’s on patrol. I knew you’d
be at the library, so I thought…”
“You did the right thing. I’ll be right over. Don’t leave that office. Stay
with Jamie, please.”
“I’m worried about Aiden,” she whispered.
“He’ll be fine. I’m close. I’ll be right over. I’ll come to the back door,”
Jasper said and slammed his laptop shut. He shoved it in his bag along with
his pen and notepad, slung said bag over his shoulder, and marched to Piper’s
office.
He knocked once and then walked in. Piper looked up from her
computer startled. “Jay, what’s wrong?”
“Iris and Aiden are in trouble. Williamson showed up at the bakery. I
can’t leave you alone, so I need you to come with me.”
A LITTLE AFTER
She pushed up from her chair to standing. “What do I need?” She looked
around her office.
“Just you.” He grabbed her coat off the back of her door and held it up
for her. She donned the outerwear, grabbed her purse, and led the way from
her office.
Ms. Matthews was working at the circulation desk. Piper spoke to her
briefly and then they walked out to the parking lot.
“Can you drive so I can call Heath and give him a heads up?”
“Sure thing,” Piper said.
He tossed Piper the keys to his SUV, and they climbed in.
In less than ten minutes, they pulled into the parking lot of Tessa’s
Treats. Piper shut the engine off.
On the short drive over, he’d sent a quick text to Heath as well as
Deacon. He let them know he and Piper were on their way to the bakery. He
opened his door and turned to Piper before exiting. “We should go in the
back door. I want you to keep an eye on Iris and Jamie. I’m going to go out
front and check on Aiden.”
Piper nodded and stepped out of the vehicle. Jasper grabbed her hand.
No rush of powers. She was controlling her powers so much better. They
rounded the bakery and hurried to the back door. Jasper banged loudly on the
door three times.
The door creaked open a few inches. Jasper saw Iris’s worried face
crumple when she recognized him and Piper. She fully opened the door and
stepped back so Jasper and Piper could enter. She was wringing her hands
and darting glances to the door that led to the front of the store. Jamie was
stalking back and forth in front of the same door, looking like a caged beast.
“Just get the hell out. Go back home!” Aiden shouted from the front of
the bakery.
“Please, just stay here,” Iris pleaded with Jamie quietly.
Beep.
Jasper looked at his phone. “Piper, take Iris and Jamie and go to the
office and lock the door,” Jasper ordered. “Heath and Deacon are on their
way. I’m going to go out there and try to diffuse the situation. Don’t open the
door to anyone but us.”
“Jasper, no. He’s too strong,” Iris said.
Jamie growled, the fur on his back standing straight up.
“I’m just going to stall until the others get here. Are there any customers
out there?” Jasper asked.
Iris shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“OK. I’m going to go out there and try to keep them calm until the
others arrive. We just want to avoid any trouble,” Jasper replied. He
addressed Jamie directly. “Now, go on so I can help Aiden.”
The wolf didn’t move.
“C’mon Jamie,” Iris coaxed. “Let him help Aiden. I need you with me.”
She opened the door to the small office off the kitchen and led the gray wolf
slowly inside.
“I don’t like this. It doesn’t feel right,” Piper said to Jasper.
He kissed her cheek and took a step back, keeping both hands on her
forearms. “Just make sure they’re protected,” Jasper said. He released her,
pivoted, and walked out to the front of the store.
Chapter 75
the small office and closed the door behind her. She
pressed the button on the handle, locking it, and turned around.
Iris had sat in the chair behind the desk. Both hands were on her cheeks.
Jamie was pacing the cramped office, the fur on his back sticking up wildly.
“OK, tell me everything,” Piper said.
“I’m not sure why he’s here. He just showed up less than a half hour
ago. Just walked right in. I was behind the counter because I had just brought
up a tray of fresh donuts. As soon as we recognized him, Aiden pushed me
back to the kitchen and told Jamie to protect me.”
Jamie growled as if in agreement.
“So, you got no advanced warning?” Piper asked.
Iris shook her head.
“Aiden was surprised, too?” Piper asked.
Iris nodded. “Was he ever! His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Then
his face turned bright red. He was so mad. I called for help right away.”
“Good. That was good.” Piper sat down on the chair opposite Iris.
“Something feels wrong. Do you know what I mean?”
Iris nodded. “It doesn’t make sense for him to come here out of the
blue.”
“Exactly. The town council isn’t scheduled to meet for another couple of
nights.” She looked up at Iris. “He had to know Aiden would be furious to
see him.”
“He couldn’t think Aiden would go home with him,” Iris said.
Piper grunted in agreement. “Do you think your dad was looking to get
information out of Aiden or you?”
PIPER STEPPED INTO
Iris shook her head. “No, he knows we want nothing to do with him.”
She rubbed her chin. “You’re right. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Hmmm, I wonder…” Piper mused.
“What?” Iris asked.
“If your father is as powerful as Tessa, maybe he could have influenced
May to draw the image of the town meeting.”
“Why would he do that?” Iris asked.
“To throw us off the scent of his real agenda maybe,” Piper said.
“Maybe he was planning on coming here today all along.”
“He had to know I’d call for help. He’d know the police would come,
and quickly,” Iris said. They heard sirens as she spoke.
“He also probably knows that we only have a few police officers in
town, and they’d rush here. Maybe this is a distraction,” Piper said. She stood
up. “Oh, no. What if he came here to draw us away from someone that he
really wanted?” Piper’s blood ran cold. She pulled out her phone and dialed
Heath.
He answered immediately. “A little busy, Pipe. I’m almost at the bakery
right now.”
“Heath, no, stop. I think you need to get over to Tessa’s house right
away. I think this is a distraction. I think he’s sent his men to get her.”
“We know.”
“What?” Piper asked.
“May called me about thirty minutes ago. She had another vision. This
time she drew Tessa’s home. We set up a trap for whoever tries anything.
She’s been moved out of there. She’s safe. Now, I got to go.”
“What’s going on?” Iris asked when Piper ended the call. Jamie was
staring at her expectantly as well.
“May had another prediction. Heath said he knew about the threat to
Tessa and that she was safe. Said they set up a trap for whoever went to
Tessa’s home.”
Iris blew out a breath. “Whoa! This is crazy stuff. What should we do?”
“You and Jamie are going to stay right here. I’m going to head over to
Tessa’s. I’m going to make sure our friends stay safe.” She pointed with a
finger to Iris. “Keep the door locked.”
Iris opened her mouth, presumably to protest, but Piper held up a hand.
“You have the next generation of shifters in you. You must protect him or
her. You need to stay put.” She turned to the wolf. “Jamie, guard her with
your life. When Jasper comes in here, tell him where I’ve gone. OK?”
Iris nodded glumly. Jamie let out a yip.
“Lock the office behind me.” Piper unlocked the door, opened it slowly
to make sure there was no one there waiting to attack them, and turned to
leave.
“Stop, stay where you are,” Tessa said inside her mind.
She froze. “Tessa?”
“Stay where you are. I’m safe. You need to stay there with Iris and
Jamie. You’ll be needed soon,” Tessa said within her mind.
“Piper?” Iris asked.
Piper shook her head and pulled the door shut, locking it again. She
turned around. “Tessa just sent me a message. She says she’s OK. She wants
me to stay here with you two. She said I’ll be needed here.” She sat back
down on the chair with a plop.
Iris looked from Jamie to Piper. “What should we do?”
Piper swallowed heavily. “We wait.”
Chapter 76
help you out here?” Jasper said. He was standing between Aiden
and the kitchen door, facing the front counter and a smug looking, handsome,
middle-aged version of Aiden. There were no customers behind the older
Williamson, which was amazing seeing as how it was only a little past
lunchtime.
“I’m not sure why he’s here, but he’s not welcome. Can you make sure
the police have been called?” Aiden asked.
Jasper stepped forward until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Aiden.
“Should be here any minute. So, what can we help you with,
Mr. Williamson?”
The silver-haired man smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve missed
my children, both of them. I was conducting some business in the area and
thought I’d stop by and see Aiden and Iris.” He addressed Aiden. “Now, if
you’re not willing to have a civilized discussion, perhaps your sister is? I’ve
only recently learned I’m going to be a grandfather, you know.”
Jasper didn’t like the look on the man’s face one bit.
“You’re not going anywhere near Iris,” Aiden snapped. “Now, what do
you really want?”
Jasper was relieved to see two GLPD SUV’s pull into the parking lot in
front of the bakery, their lights flashing, sirens on. “He’s stalling,” Jasper said
to Aiden. He then addressed Williamson, “Have you sent your men off to do
your dirty work again?” There, maybe if he pissed the man off, he’d lose his
cool and reveal something.
Williamson sneered, “I don’t know what you are talking about and, also,
I don’t know who you are.”
“AIDEN, CAN I
“Oh, my manners! Forgive me. I’m Agent MacKinnon of the SCB. I’d
shake your hand, but I’ve heard from your children what a bastard you are so
I’d rather not.”
The front door opened, and Heath strode in with Deacon right on his
heels. The chief came up on one side of Williamson with Deacon remaining
back and off to the other side of the phoenix shifter.
“What seems to be the problem?” Heath asked.
“My father needs an escort out of town ASAP,” Aiden said.
“Nonsense,” Williamson said smoothly. He continued to stare at Aiden.
“I came to speak with my children. Seeing as how my son refuses to do so, I
would like to talk to my daughter.”
“Like hell!” Deacon blurted out.
Williamson turned and leveled Deacon with a condescending look.
“You must be the son-in-law. I’d say ‘welcome to the family’ but, you know,
I’d only be lying.”
“Iris will never speak to you,” Deacon fumed.
Williamson gave Deacon a dismissive look. “We’ll see about that.”
“Sir, you’re not welcome here. You’re going to have to leave,” Heath
said.
Deacon’s eyes kept shifting between those of his human and wolf forms.
His jaw was tight. They needed to get Williamson out of here.
Williamson peered around the bakery. “You know, I’ve always
wondered what Tessa had busied herself with these last few years. I would
have done something a little more upscale, but to each his own. Anyway,
how is the old girl? I’ve heard she isn’t well.”
Jasper knew for sure this guy was stalling and trying to piss them off.
For what reason, though? “Why are you really here?”
“Can’t be after Tessa because I know she’s not at home. She had to take
an unexpected trip. Very last minute,” Heath said to Jasper.
OK, so Tessa was safe.
“Oh, really? Well, that’s unfortunate, but I can try again to touch base
with her. There are so few of our kind, you know?” Williamson said.
“So, I guess you can head out now,” Aiden said. “Go back home. And
take all your foot soldiers with you.”
Foot soldiers? The men in black. What were they up to?
“Foot soldiers, huh? You mean the men who work for me? Well, they’re
more devoted than my own children. In fact, it feels as if they almost are my
own children.” The man laughed at his own words.
What the hell was he going on about?
Just then a loud boom shook the ground, almost knocking all five men
off their feet.
“What the he—?” Jasper mumbled.
“What have you done?” Aiden hissed at his father.
“Just some loose ends needed tying up. That’s all.”
Chapter 77
knocking everything off the desk.
“What? An earthquake here?” Iris asked.
“Not likely,” Piper answered. She was on her feet, facing the door.
Jamie was standing behind her but in front of Iris. “I have a bad feeling.”
A loud crack and several thumps echoed close by.
Crash! Thud! Thud!
“I think we’re about to have company. Jamie, stay close to her,” Piper
said. She closed her eyes and focused on the magic within her body. She
needed it accessible, ready to go. She willed her pulse and respirations to
slow down. You are calm. You are in control. You are one with the magic.
Piper took a step back from the door just as it was yanked away outward
with a whoosh.
She held both hands out in front of her. She turned and tilted them
slightly as she saw they were glowing a brilliant orange, brighter than she’d
ever seen before. Her examination was short lived as the dust cleared from
the office doorway. There was a large hole in the wall of the bakery where
the back entrance had been. Four—no, five—men wearing black combat gear
stood in front of them. Their faces were covered in black balaclavas. Two
aimed strange looking long-barreled guns at her, Iris, and Jamie. Two others
held thick metal restraints, like supersized handcuffs, while the one in the
center was extending long, pointed talons from his gloved hands.
She’d bet money those guns shot phoenix fire. This was going to be bad.
“Iris Williamson, c’mon out here. You’re coming with us. Don’t put up
a fight, and your friends won’t be harmed,” the man in the center growled
out.
THE ROOM SHOOK,
Piper searched her mind. How can I block them? Keep them out? If I can
make a shield—no, a wall, that might work. If I can thicken the air in front of
us and create a magical barrier, that might hold them off until more people
can flank them.
“Piper?” Iris asked. “Any ideas?”
“Tell them to get lost. I’m working on something,” she said under her
breath.
“Stay back. There’s no Iris Williamson here anymore,” Iris shouted at
the men.
Piper focused on the magic. Thicken, thicken, thicken, she repeated
silently in her head. She kept her eyes open and watched as the air in front of
her wobbled and blurred.
The men in the kitchen laughed. “I don’t care what you’re calling
yourself now. Your father wants you alive, but your friends are a different
story. This is your last warning. Come out here without any trouble, and they
won’t be hurt.”
“Not a chance,” Iris shouted. “Just keep away from us. That’s your last
warning.”
The man laughed and then went silent. After a few seconds, he gave the
order. “Take them out!”
Chapter 78
get to his mate. He surveyed the room. Heath and Deacon had
their guns aimed at Williamson. Aiden’s eyes were glowing orange as he
scowled at his father, hands fisted at his sides. The old man just stood there
calmly as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“It’s time for you to go,” Heath said to Alden, taking a step toward him.
The older man looked at his wristwatch and sighed dramatically. “I
think you may be right. I’ll be in touch, son. Give my regards to your sister.”
His body blazed bright orange, and he disappeared, leaving a pile of ashes in
his wake.
“What the hell?” Deacon yelled. He took a step closer to inspect all that
remained of Williamson.
The four men were stunned. Jasper had never seen anyone
spontaneously combust, or whatever the phoenix shifter had just done. He
shook his head to clear that thought. His mind immediately centered on one
person. Piper!
Jasper ran to the kitchen with Aiden on his heels. He heard Heath yell
out to Deacon, “Radio Kevin and see what’s going on! We need to see what
that monster’s done. I’m with Jay!”
Jasper froze in his tracks as soon as he passed through the doorway.
Aiden ran into his back, almost knocking him over. Jasper couldn’t believe
his eyes.
A gaping hole had been blasted through the back of the kitchen. Five
men in black combat gear were facing the office. Two of the men were
shooting orange phoenix fire from their guns. Jasper’s heart seized. He’d seen
what those weapons could do. Heath came up behind him and handed him a
HE NEEDED TO
nine-millimeter; it wouldn’t do much against a phoenix, but maybe it’d work
against these goons.
The door to the office had been knocked off its hinges. In its place was
some sort of clear energy field. He could see Piper standing in the doorway of
the office, but his view of her was cloudy. Piper’s hands were held out in
front of her, and they were blazing orange. She was holding the men off, but
she needed help.
The men were so focused on Piper that they hadn’t noticed they had
company. Jasper aimed the gun at one of the men with the weapons. He fired
at his head.
The man’s masked head rocked to the side as blood and brain matter
flew through the air. One down, four to go.
Jasper heard Heath shift into his wolf right before the black beast leaped
at the other man holding the gun. Heath’s jaws clamped on the soldier’s
throat. The impact knocked him off his feet, his weapon hitting the floor with
a clang. Jasper heard a crack and a snarl when Heath ended him.
Jasper shot a third man in the chest when he went for one of the
discarded weapons. The soldier fell to the floor, still alive. Not wanting to
risk any chances with his mate’s life at stake, Jasper aimed for the man’s
head and pulled the trigger.
Heath growled and snarled ferociously as he backed one of the two
remaining men into the corner. Jasper hurried to pick up the two discarded
phoenix guns.
“Stop right there,” Aiden shouted to the final soldier. He was aiming
Heath’s service weapon at the man, who’d run to the hole where the back
door used to be. The man halted, his eyes shifting around the room.
Not knowing if Aiden could even shoot a weapon, Jasper aimed the
phoenix-powered gun at Aiden’s prey. “Like he said, don’t move a muscle.”
The man froze. Jasper kept his eyes on him. “Piper! Honey, are you
OK?”
She didn’t respond.
A loud crunch sounded from where Heath had been wrestling with the
soldier.
“Aiden, I’ve got this guy, and it sounds like Heath’s all set. Go check on
Piper, please,” Jasper said.
“Will do,” Aiden said.
Please let her be OK. She has to be!
Chapter 79
over. Piper!”
Piper heard someone speaking to her, but the voice, somewhat familiar,
sounded as if it was far away. She needed to keep Iris and Jamie safe. The
forcefield she had weaved together with her magic was holding strong. She
just had to keep it intact.
“Piper, we’re safe. You can stop,” another voice said. This was a
feminine voice. A familiar voice. Iris, yes, it was her friend Iris. “Piper,
please. Jasper is here. We need to get out of this office.”
Jasper!
Piper snapped back to reality. She closed her eyes and willed the magic
to weave its way back inside her. She watched as her hands, once blazing
orange, slowly returned to normal. She lowered them and looked over her
shoulder. “Are you guys OK?”
Iris hugged her from behind. “Yes, thank you. You did it. You protected
us. They were shooting phoenix fire at us, but it didn’t get through that—that
forcefield you made. That was incredible!”
Jamie yipped in agreement with Iris’s assessment.
“She’s right. That was awesome!” Aiden said. He was smiling. He
looked relieved, but also fuzzy. Wait, that wasn’t right.
“Aiden, why do you look fuz—” She couldn’t get the rest of the
sentence out. She was so tired. She just needed to rest a bit.
“Hey there, I’ve got you,” Aiden said from above her.
Wait, why was he above her? Iris, too. She tried to look around, but she
was too sleepy. “I need Jasper,” she mumbled.
“He’ll be right here,” Aiden said.
“PIPER, IT’S ALL
“Piper!” Jasper yelled.
“Why’s he yelling,” she tried to say, but it sounded like gibberish even
to her own ears. Her hands hit cool tile. She patted the firm surface. “I’m on
the floor. Why am I on the floor? Jasper?”
“She used a lot of her powers, so it figures she’s exhausted,” Iris said to
Aiden. She lifted Piper’s hand in hers.
“Need… Jasper,” she gasped. He could help with her powers.
“Heath, can you take over for Jay?” Aiden asked. “Piper needs him.”
“Got it,” Heath said.
Piper heard Jasper say, “Thanks,” and then he was there beside her. As
soon as he held her hand, warmth surged into her body. “You did terrific,
sweet pea. You are amazing.” He kissed her cheek.
After a few minutes, she spoke. “Did any of them get away?” Her voice
sounded stronger. She felt more stable.
“All dead except the one.”
“Super-soldiers?” Piper asked.
Jasper chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that’s what Mac calls them. Bunch of
guys in black combat gear. Williamson’s men.”
“Doesn’t make sense. Why were they shooting at us with Iris in the
office? Would he actually have his own daughter killed?” Piper asked.
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make much sense,” Jasper said.
“Tessa!” Piper exclaimed.
“Heath said she’s OK,” Jasper said quietly.
Piper sighed in relief. Jasper squeezed her hand. She soaked up his
energy, reveling in the warmth. “I feel better now. Can you help me up?”
Jasper helped her to stand and wrapped her into a snug embrace.
Deacon walked into the kitchen from the front of the bakery, his gun at
the ready. “Iris!”
He hurried to his mate and dragged her tightly against his body.
“I’m fine. Piper protected us,” she said, her voice muffled.
Heath spoke up. “Jay, can you call your guys and have them come get
this piece of trash?” He gestured to the soldier in black that he was guarding
with one of the phoenix fire weapons.
“Yeah,” Jasper said, stepping back from Piper’s arms but staying close.
He texted someone. Declan, she presumed. A few minutes later his phone
beeped.
He held his phone up so he could read it. “SCB’s on the way,” he said.
“Deke, did you speak with Kevin?” Heath asked, his eyes not leaving
the soldier.
“Yeah, he’s dealing with something, but sounds like it’s under control,”
Deacon said. He took the remaining phoenix fire weapon that Aiden had been
holding.
A faint buzzing sound grabbed Piper’s attention. She looked around the
kitchen for the source. What was that?
“Stop that annoying sound,” her bear growled.
“Do you hear something?” Iris asked.
Jamie shook his head and rubbed at his ear.
A bright light lit up the room, causing Piper to flinch just as a loud crack
sounded.
“What the h—” Jasper started.
When the room dimmed back to normal, Piper’s jaw dropped. Leah was
standing right in front of her. Her long tawny hair looked windblown. The
cougar shifter was holding a wrinkled piece of paper in one hand.
“Your boots!” Aiden cried.
Piper gasped. Orange smoke was wafting off Leah’s combat boots.
Leah waved the paper in front of herself. “We need to go. Something’s
happened. Please, we have to go now.” She rocked from side to side as if she
couldn’t keep still.
“What? Go where?” Deacon asked.
“The college. Now!”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Jasper asked.
“The professor. I think he’s in danger,” Leah gasped.
“Which professor?” Piper asked. That cold feeling deep in the pit of her
stomach hit once more, causing her to shiver.
“Professor Brackett. Please help,” Leah begged.
Chapter 80
stay here with this piece of garbage,” Heath hissed. “Deke, can you
take Jasper and follow Leah back to school? See what this is all about.” He
didn’t turn away from his captive.
“Too late. It’s already done,” Williamson’s last remaining soldier
hissed.
“Shut up, or I’ll put you out of your misery,” Heath snarled.
“Do it,” the man sneered.
“Heath, no. I think he’d want that. Keep him alive until Declan’s guys
get here. They’ll make him talk. We owe these guys for killing our men,
remember?” Jasper said. They’d lost a few good SCB agents the day he’d
rescued Piper from the library a while back. They were good agents, all with
mates and children.
“I’ll come with you, too,” Piper said.
Jasper shook his head. He pulled her close and spoke in a low voice. “I
need you to stay here and help Heath. Protect Iris, Jamie, and Aiden.”
He could tell his mate was conflicted about staying behind. He kissed
her lips and whispered close to her ear. “I know you can protect them if
someone else decides to drop by. I trust you.”
“Please guys, we really need to go,” Leah pleaded.
Piper gave him the tiniest smile. “OK, but be careful, please.” She
kissed his cheek.
“I will.” He stepped back and turned to Deacon. He’d just finished
saying goodbye to a worried looking Iris.
“You ready?” he asked his friend.
Deacon nodded and turned to Leah. “Let’s go. We’ll take my SUV.” He
“I NEED TO
led the way out of the kitchen toward the front of the bakery. He was carrying
the phoenix-fire powered gun and had his service weapon in his holster. He
called over his shoulder. “Heath, put some pants on. I don’t want my mate
looking at that!”
Iris and Piper giggled despite the events that had happened thus far.
Jasper heard Heath groan and mumble from the kitchen, “I’m a little
busy right now.” They exited the bakery and hurried to the vehicle.
Jasper gestured for Leah to take the front and then climbed into the back
seat right before Deacon peeled out of the parking lot.
“Pass that note to Jasper, would ya?” Deacon said to Leah.
Jasper grasped the note using a handkerchief that Deacon tossed to him.
He read it and swore.
“What?” Deacon asked.
“How did you get this?” he asked Leah.
“I was in my Advanced Physical Science class and Professor Brackett
received a call from his cell. He ignored it, but it rang again. This happened a
couple of times and then he finally picked it up, excused himself, and went to
the corner of the lecture hall. It was quick, but when he ended the call, he
went and scribbled something down on a scrap of paper. Then he announced
that he had an emergency to attend to. He asked for a volunteer to take a
message to the dean. He looked really bad.”
“What do you mean by bad?” Deacon asked. He sped up.
“His face had gone gray, and he looked scared. I raised my hand, and he
waved me up to him. He stared at me for a few seconds and his eyes glowed.
I hadn’t seen him do that before. He then added some more information to the
note and then finally handed it to me. Another strange thing was that he told
me to take it to you, not the dean.” She gestured with her head to Jasper. “I
don’t know why he changed his mind.”
“He specifically said take it to Jasper?” Deacon asked.
“Well, he said Agent Jasper MacKinnon or Piper Sullivan. Said he knew
you both and trusted you. He told me not to trust anyone else. He spoke
quietly so no one else would hear. Then he told me to run really fast. It was
so creepy. It was like he knew I had this weird power.”
“The running?” Deacon asked.
Leah looked at Deacon as if he had grown a second head. Thankfully, he
was driving and missed the look.
“So, what does it say?” Deacon asked.
“Nothing good, I’m afraid. We just need to get to him ASAP. We might
already be too late.” He swallowed thickly. “I have a bad feeling he was one
of those loose ends that Williamson mentioned.”
“Shit,” Deacon muttered. “Where should we start? He wouldn’t still be
in the lecture hall, would he?”
“He looked like he was packing up is stuff to get out of there,” Leah
said.
“Let’s start with his office then and go from there,” Jasper said.
A few minutes later, Deacon parked the SUV out front of the science
building. Being the afternoon, there were students and staff walking nearby.
Deacon turned to Leah. “You need to stay behind the two of us and listen to
everything we say. Can you do that?”
She nodded.
“OK, good.” He maneuvered so he could see Jasper in the backseat.
“I’m going to take this phoenix gun. You armed?”
“I have Heath’s service weapon. His 9-millimeter,” Jasper said.
“Good. Then we’re ready. Remember, follow our instructions to the T,
OK?” he asked Leah.
“Yeah, I got it.”
They exited the vehicle and entered the building. They climbed the stairs
to where Miles’s office was. His door was shut. Deacon listened at the door.
He turned back to where Jasper stood with Leah behind him. Deacon shook
his head, indicating no sounds.
Deacon nodded to the door handle, looked at Jasper, and then nodded
again.
Jasper acknowledged him. He moved to the other side of the door,
pulling Leah behind his body.
Deacon slowly turned the door and pushed it open.
The smell of iron and death hit them all at once.
“Good God,” Deacon said under his breath.
Jasper took a step forward, keeping Leah behind him. He almost gagged
at the site before him.
They were too late.
Miles was dead.
And he had suffered.
Chapter 81
later, Piper sat at a table in Tessa’s Treats with Iris. Jamie
lay at their feet. Aiden had been allowed in a cordoned-off area of the kitchen
to make warm drinks and snacks for Iris, Piper and the officers working
there. Both the SCB and the GLPD worked the crime scene together. The
bakery had been closed with one of the SCB agents standing outside to keep
the crime scene secure.
They waited for Deacon and Jasper to finish up at the second crime
scene in Miles’s office. Heath was busy in the kitchen with Declan and his
SCB agents. They were interrogating their captive in the bakery’s office.
Piper heard Heath mention to the other officers that he didn’t want to take a
chance on the captive being killed or escaping if they delayed the
interrogation.
Piper took a sip of her now chilled latte while she glanced down at her
cellphone. Jasper had called about an hour and a half ago and informed them
that they’d been too late. Miles had been found murdered in his office. Jasper
said there was no sign of the killer or killers. The university had shut down
and sent all the students and staff home for the day while that crime scene
was being secured. Piper knew she wouldn’t stop worrying until she had
Jasper in front of her, safe and sound.
“Hopefully they’ll be back soon,” Iris said, playing absently with a
napkin. She’d barely touched the tea Aiden had insisted on bringing her.
Piper tried to reassure her worried friend. “I’m sure they will.”
As if her words were magic, Jasper, Deacon, and Leah strode through
the front door of the bakery. Iris stood up as Deacon hurried over to her. The
two embraced warmly.
ALMOST TWO HOURS
Piper rose from her chair and approached Jasper and Leah. The younger
woman looked pale and frazzled. She needed a friend, that was for sure. Piper
dropped a quick kiss on Jasper’s cheek and then placed a hand on Leah’s
shoulder.
“Here, why don’t you have a seat? Would you like something to drink?”
Piper asked.
Leah nodded vaguely and let herself be guided into the chair by Piper.
“Thank you.”
Piper tugged Jasper down into the seat next to hers. “You sit as well. I’ll
see what Aiden has in the kitchen for warm drinks. I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, Piper returned with hot cocoa for Jasper and Leah.
Deacon headed into the kitchen to see what he could do to help Heath.
“How are you doing?” Piper asked Leah.
Leah shook her head. “It was awful.” She looked quickly to Jasper. “Am
I allowed to say that? Can I talk about this?”
Jasper shrugged. “Normally, I’d ask you not to tell anyone, but we’re
under unusual circumstances here.”
“And you’re one of us,” Iris said.
Piper nodded.
“What? What does that mean?” Leah asked.
Piper shook her head. “First, tell us what happened.”
Leah sucked in a breath and then blew it out slowly. She stared at the
mug in her hands. “I’ve never been at a crime scene before. Not even at work
as a ranger. My brother Sam once found a body on a mountain, but I wasn’t
on duty at the time.”
“For what it’s worth, I’ve been doing this quite a while, and that might
have been the worst,” Jasper said.
Piper covered her mouth with a hand.
“There was blood everywhere. On the walls, on the floor, on the
ceiling.” She looked up. “There were pieces of him just everywh—” Leah
wiped her eyes. “I didn’t know him well. He was just one of my professors,
you know, but… no one deserved to die like that.”
“Miles certainly didn’t,” Jasper said.
“Any clue as to who?” Piper asked Jasper.
“Shifter for sure. Not sure what type. No scent except for Miles’s in the
office,” Jasper said.
“The note! You had a note when you first arrived here looking for help.
What did that say?” Iris asked.
Leah looked to Jasper.
Jasper spoke. “Deacon’s entered it into evidence so I don’t have it to
show you. This has to stay between us four.” He looked down at the floor to
Jamie and winced. “Sorry, us five, the police and the SCB for now.”
Piper and Iris nodded.
“Well, Miles was scared. He knew that someone was after him. In the
note, he admitted to and apologized for killing all the cows at the Calloway’s
farm and stealing the meat at the grocery store.”
Piper’s jaw dropped. “Miles! Why?”
Jasper rubbed his temple and grimaced. “In his own words, he said he
needed to eat. He said he was so hungry. He said something was done to him.
He’d been changed and needed the meat and blood. He hated it and wanted to
stop, but he couldn’t. He said to go to Leo and make him trust you. Said he
was still good but needed friends. He said we could trust him, but I’m not
sure I believe that. He also swore he didn’t shoot me.”
“He’d been changed? What does that mean?” Piper asked.
Jasper shrugged.
“Maybe whoever changed him wanted to keep him quiet?” Iris pondered
aloud.
“He could be one of the loose ends that Williamson referred to,” Jasper
said.
“Williamson? Who’s that?” Leah asked.
“We have a lot to discuss with you,” Piper said. She leaned closer to the
table and lowered her voice. “We’ll start with the Guardians.”
Epilogue
yelled from inside the house.
“Please just be nice tonight, OK?” Leah asked her twin brother. She,
Quinn, and their older brother Sam stood on the front steps of Jasper and
Piper’s home. Piper had invited Leah and her family to dinner to help discuss
their concerns about Leah’s supernatural speed and her role as a Guardian of
Grey Lake.
Quinn groaned. “Yeah, yeah. I just wish you would’ve kept your little
secret in the family,” he grumbled. “You only just discovered your powers
about a month ago. We’re not even sure the limits of what you can do yet.
I’m not sure you should’ve told these people.” He rubbed his shaved head
and stared down at her, his hazel eyes a mirror image of hers.
“They’re good people, you’ll see. We can trust them,” Leah said. She
tugged on her brother’s fleece-covered arm. She looked over her shoulder at
Sam. “You agree with me, don’t you?”
Sam gave her a weary smile. “Yes. From everything I’ve seen, Jasper
and Piper are class acts. We can trust them.”
The door opened, and Piper greeted the three siblings. “Hey there.
Thanks for coming. Dinner’s almost ready. Come on in.” She stepped aside
to let the three cougar shifters inside. Jasper was there with a ready
handshake for all three of them.
Leah noticed Quinn tense at seeing the SCB agent. She bristled at her
twin’s distrusting nature. Jasper had always been kind to her family. He’d
tried to protect her from the crime scene at the college a couple of weeks
back, too. Despite him trying to keep her outside of Professor Brackett’s
“I’M COMING,” PIPER
office, she’d seen enough to give her nightmares. There’d been so much
blood.
“Leah, are you OK?” Piper asked. She squeezed Leah’s hand in a
comforting manner. Her new friend’s brows were furrowed, and she was
biting her lower lip.
Leah shook her head to clear it. “Yes, yes. I’m fine. Thank you again for
inviting us over.” She forced a smile.
Piper didn’t appear to completely believe her but released her hand and
waved it behind her. “Come sit down in the living room for a few.”
They followed Piper into a cozy room with two large leather sofas and a
couple of plush recliners. In the middle of the seating was a large custom oak
coffee table. They each took a seat. “Don’t most bear shifters have their
living quarters downstairs?” Sam asked.
Jasper answered for his mate, “That’s kind of true. What I mean to say is
that we have another, even less formal, living room downstairs, along with
the main bedroom and bathroom. There’re a couple of guest bedrooms
upstairs along with the kitchen and another bathroom.”
“I’m glad we get to sit down and meet your brothers. I’ve heard bits and
pieces from Jasper, but you guys have been in Grey Lake now for what, three
years?”
Sam nodded and rubbed his dark beard absently. “About that long,
yeah.”
“Well, it’s time we get to know more about each other. Especially now,”
Piper said.
“You mean now that you know about Leah’s abilities?” Quinn asked
pointedly.
“Well, now that she knows about my abilities and we know about her
abilities,” Piper countered. “Also, because I got to know her while she was
helping out at the library.”
“I just don’t want her to be forced into something that has nothing to do
with us,” Quinn grumbled. “We’re not from here. Sometimes my siblings
seem to forget that.” He glared at Sam and Leah.
“Look,” Piper said kindly. “No one’s going to force your sister to do
anything. And just so you know, I’m not from here either. Neither is Mac or
Iris. We’re all transplants to Grey Lake.”
“Oh, I just assumed you were born here,” Leah said.
Piper shook her head. “My family moved here when I was little. I feel
like I’ve been here my whole life, though.” She smiled.
“What about you?” Quinn asked Jasper.
“Moved here from Alaska a long time ago. So, you guys shouldn’t feel
like outsiders. I hope people don’t make you feel that way,” Jasper said.
Leah frowned. “At first, we felt out of place.” She looked at her
brothers. “Well, at least I did. But that was back when Iris and May were
attacked.” She shook her head. “I’m so glad Iris wasn’t hurt and May
healed.”
Quinn clenched his fist. “Every cougar shifter in town felt like they had
a target on their head after what those three degenerates did. They deserved
what happened to them. I can’t believe they assaulted women. We’d have
warned the police if we’d known about it ahead of time.”
“We know,” Jasper said. “You guys have done great work since you’ve
moved here. The area was really in need of rangers for a while.”
Sam rubbed his chin. “I know. I can’t believe the cops were covering the
town and the entire forest by themselves. There’re only a few of them.”
“Well, it was always a pretty quiet town until the last couple of years. It
was a great place to grow up. Very safe,” Piper said.
“But you’re convinced that this guy, Iris’s father that is, is a threat to the
village. You really believe it?” Leah asked.
“Yes, one hundred percent,” Piper said.
“He’s bad news. You saw evidence of his dirty work firsthand.” Jasper
looked at Sam and Quinn and then back to Leah. “I didn’t mean for you to
see it, but I know you saw enough.” He sighed heavily. “That was one of the
worst crime scenes I’ve seen.”
“And Iris’s dad was responsible?” Sam asked. “The cops or SCB or
whatever? You guys have proof?”
Jasper shook his head. “Not enough. It was one of his men or more than
one of his men for sure. No typical shifter could have done that to a body in
such a short time without causing enough noise to attract attention. I mean if
he had screamed people would have heard and come running.”
“Maybe he didn’t get a chance to?” Sam suggested.
Leah felt Quinn’s agitation. She was sitting next to him on one of the
sofas. She knew he was worried about her and furious that she’d been at the
crime scene. She placed a hand on her twin’s arm.
Instead of calming him down, her touch seemed to further aggravate
him. He stood up and started pacing around the room, looking like a caged
beast at the zoo. He spun to face Sam, both hands clenched. “This is why we
need to just go. We need to leave this mess of a town. There’s no reason for
us to stay here.”
Leah stood up and faced her brother. “I’m not leaving. I like it here. I
have friends, school, and work. This power I have is needed.”
“We don’t belong here,” Quinn hissed at her.
“You may not, but I sure as hell do.” She turned to face Piper and
Jasper. “Forgive us. My twin gets a little heated when he thinks I’m in
danger. He acts like a bossy older brother even though I’m actually five
minutes older than him.”
Quinn gave his back to the room. He stared out the window to the woods
behind the house. “Someone has to look out for you,” he mumbled quietly.
“I understand. My sister and I used to be that close, too,” Piper said
sadly.
Knock, knock, knock.
“I’ll get that,” Jasper said. He stood up and headed to the front door.
He walked back into the room shortly after with one of the Grey Lake
police officers. Leah recognized Finn MacLeod. His brilliant red hair and
facial hair made him instantly recognizable in a town with few red heads.
“You all know Finn, right?” Jasper asked his guests. “He just came by to
drop some paperwork off.” He held up a thick file in one hand.
“Hey, Finn,” Sam said. He stood up, and the two shook hands.
Quinn, still facing away from the room waved his hand in silent
greeting.
“Quinn,” Finn said.
When Finn turned to Leah, a deep burning struck her chest out of
nowhere. His blue eyes instantly morphed to a far icier color and then went
back to normal. It happened so quickly, she’d almost missed it.
“We’ve almost met several times,” Finn said to her with a grin. He
strode toward her.
“What?” Leah asked. She forced herself up from the sofa. She felt
strange, out of sorts.
“I’ve been chasing you around town for the past month.” He chuckled.
“I didn’t know it was you I was chasing, though.”
“What?” Quinn turned around and stalked toward Finn.
“Kept getting reports of flashing lights all over town. I’ve been running
after you like this,” he gestured to himself with a hand, “as well as in my
wolf form, but never even came close to seeing it was a person I was chasing.
I’m one of the fastest wolf shifters in town, too. I was starting to think I was
chasing aliens.” He grinned at her.
She smiled back.
“Nice to see you’ve stopped running for a minute.” He held out his
hand.
She put hers in his and immediately felt a zing! The breath was knocked
from her lungs.
His eyes were glowing a brilliant ice blue. His teeth were those of his
beast and a low growl filled the room.
“Uh oh,” Leah heard Piper faintly say.
“Mine,” Finn snarled.
About the Author
a new author in the world of fiction. A lifetime voracious reader
of mystery, paranormal, historical, fantasy and contemporary romances, this
is her fourth published novel. When she’s not reading, writing, or working
her daytime job, she lives with her husband, son and one gigantic fur baby in
the wilds of New England. Rest in peace, Finney.
K.L. KING IS
She can be found at instagram.com/klkingauthor.
This is the fourth book in the Grey Lake Shifters series. If you want to start at
the beginning, try Brave Bear – Grey Lake Shifters Book 1. Lost Wolf –
Grey Lake Shifters Book 2 is next, followed by Eagle’s Flame – Grey Lake
Shifters Book 3 available in Kindle and paperback.
Contents
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
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Epilogue
About the Author