Don't Moose With Her (Bearbank Book 1) (2 page)

“What do you mean?” he asked, snagging the last doughnut in the box. Chocolate sprinkles, woo hoo!

Leo looked at him. “You barely said two words when you got back in the car after the doughnut run. Now you’re sitting there, glowering at your computer, not actually doing anything. You’re way grumpier than usual. What happened? Did someone spill coffee on you?”

“Nothing happened. I’m always grumpy.” Technically, that was a lie but Leo didn’t call him on it. Sure, he had grouchy moments but yeah, even he had to admit that he had been behaving oddly this morning. Of course, he knew exactly why. He couldn’t stop thinking about that deer at the coffee shop. His wolf was sulking, refusing to acknowledge him. He could almost see it in his mind’s eye, glaring at him. He wasn’t stupid. He knew what was going on. Dana. Like it or not, he had found his mate and his life was being turned upside down. He was determined to ignore it. His wolf actually growled inside his head. He didn’t have time for this.

Ethan was already mated to his job. He was a detective and he loved his work. He had transferred to the area about six months ago, on the trail of a serial killer. Not that the general population was even aware that the killer existed. This man killed shifters and since they didn’t advertise their existence, the kills were hushed up by the shifter authorities. As far as Ethan was aware, the killer had never taken the life of a human. The victims were always female shifters in their twenties and thirties. He had worked on this case for two years, never managing to catch the guy. The killer always stalked his victims for a short time before abducting them. The bodies of the victims would be found some time later and the killer would move onto his next target. He’d usually kill three shifters and then move elsewhere to begin again. One shifter had already been killed in this town. Now Ethan had another two chances to catch the killer before he moved on.

“Ethan. Leo.” The boss yelled from his office, rattling the windows. “In here. Now.”

Exchanging glances, they walked to the office, closing the door at a gesture from their boss. Alex Russell was a bear shifter. Many shifters liked to live in towns with a high shifter population, like Bearbank. The town was founded by a couple of bear shifters and others had gradually made their way here. There was safety in numbers and it was always a relief to be around people who knew what they were. Still, there were also humans living here, most blissfully unaware, a few who suspected that all was not as it seemed. This town seemed relatively peaceful. Alex preferred to keep things that way and made sure that any shifter related crimes were dealt with by the shifters who worked for him.

“Sit.” Alex was a bear of few words. Often loud and bossy words.

They dutifully sat and Alex pushed a file towards them. Ethan opened it and saw the crime scene photographs of a corpse. The head had been removed from the body, a stake driven through the heart. Ew.

Alex gestured to the file. “That was Becca Jones. A badger shifter. She disappeared several months ago. Her body was found early last week. Human cops were working the scene before anyone realized it was one of ours. It’s now been transferred to us. Identity was confirmed by dental records. Post mortem revealed that she had been badly beaten, before being staked and decapitated. She’s been dead for some time. Most likely she was killed right after she disappeared.”

“It’s him,” Leo stated flatly. No need to elaborate. It was the Shifter Stalker.

“It is,” Alex confirmed. “It’s now your case. Find this bastard and stop him before he gets his third victim.”

Dismissed, Ethan took the file and returned to his desk. Reading it, he got a clearer picture of the woman. Single, in her 30s, two sisters. She had worked in a local pub. Looking at a picture from before her disappearance, she appeared to be a lively, pretty woman. Even posing for the picture, she was laughing. Now she’d never laugh again. What a waste.

“Where do you want to start?” Leo asked, leaning against Ethan's desk. “You’ve been hunting this guy longer than I have.”

“I say we interview family and friends. Talk to her boss. See what was going on in her life before she disappeared. He stalks his victims. Someone might have seen or heard something.” Ethan rubbed his face. He needed to catch this guy but he was so tired of seeing files like the one currently on his desk. He was most definitely tired of talking to grieving relatives.

“The relatives have been informed, right?” Leo asked, as though he'd heard Ethan's thoughts.

“Yeah,” Ethan said, scrubbing at his face again. At least they didn’t have to be the ones to break the news. Not this time.

“I think we should talk to the sisters first,” Leo suggested. “They are more likely to be aware of any men in her life.”

Ethan agreed. Chucking the remains of his doughnut in the bin, he grabbed his jacket and headed out.

“I asked for carrot cake, not coffee cake.”

Dana sighed. This was the tenth order she’d screwed up today. Apologizing profusely, she corrected the order and tried to pull her scattered thoughts together. Her brain kept returning to this morning and a certain dark-eyed wolf. Ethan. She had never had such a strong reaction to a man before. She didn't even know him. Was this what people talked about when they spoke of mates? She had heard about it, of course. The overwhelming attraction. The obsession. Like you were standing there, minding your own business, and wham… struck by lightning, turning you into a drooling idiot for the foreseeable future. Without the physical burns.

That was certainly how Dana felt today. Except, if Ethan was her mate, shouldn’t he have felt it too? He had managed to walk away and Dana had no idea if she’d ever see him again. He hadn't even looked back. She fought down the panic that arose at that thought and sternly ordered her brain to get a grip. From what she understood, if he was truly her mate, it would probably happen, no matter what either of them did. If not, then it would pass and she’d get her brain back. In the meantime, she just had to wait it out and try to behave like a semi-normal person.

Looking up, she caught Fiona’s smirk and scowled at her, making her giggle.

“You really have it bad,” Fiona laughed, leaning against the counter.

“Have not.” She only just resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and cross her eyes.

“Have so,” Fiona insisted. “You’ve been away with the pixies since Mr Dark and Handsome dropped in and made you forget your name.”

Not her finest moment. The man was her possible mate and she had been standing there in the worst uniform of all time and barely able to speak. What a fabulous first impression. No wonder he hadn’t stuck around. He probably thought she was an idiot and he was running for the hills.

“Hey, what’s up?” Fiona nudged her arm. “Your face just went all sad. You know I’m teasing, right?”

“I know,” she answered quietly. “It’s just… I think he’s my mate.” Fiona was one of the few humans who was aware of the shifters. Her stepfather was a wolf shifter, so both she and her human mother were a part of their world. Most of the town considered them to be shifters who just couldn’t shift.

Fiona’s eyes widened. “No shit?”

“I don’t know. It’s confusing,” Dana heard the whine in her own voice. “There’s definitely something going on and I’m pretty sure that’s it. It feels like he’s my mate but he didn’t seem affected by it.”

Fiona snorted. “Are you blind, woman? The man was staring at you like he wanted to throw you over his shoulder and run off with you. He was definitely affected.”

“He still just left,” she pointed out. Without throwing her over any part of him.

“Yeah,” Fiona shrugged. “He probably had to work. Plus, he does know where you work, so he can find you again whenever he likes.”

There was that. She might not know where to track him down but he knew where she would be.

“It’ll be okay,” Tara said, making Dana jump. She hadn’t heard the woman come up behind her. There was a reason why people said ‘As quiet as a mouse.’

“Thanks, guys,” Dana smiled, giving them both an impromptu hug. Her friends were awesome. “It’s just the not knowing.” Patience was a virtue. It just wasn't one of her virtues.

“Even I saw the way he looked at you.” Tara smiled at her. “I was peeking through the kitchen door. I’d definitely say he felt something.”

“Have you seen him before?” Fiona asked. “Bearbank is a small town and I don’t recognize him.”

Tara nodded. “He only moved here about six months ago and he keeps to himself. He’s a cop, a detective. Leo’s new partner.”

“I’m always amazed at how much you know,” Dana said.

Tara shrugged. “People forget I’m there. They say all kinds of interesting things when they think nobody else can hear them.”

Smiling, Dana got on with her work, only occasionally screwing up orders. Her mind was still never far from her mysterious wolf.

He put his newspaper down and looked at Dana. She was pretty today, even in that hideous outfit. Once they were together, she wouldn't have to work here and he'd personally burn the uniform. She wouldn't mind, he knew she hated it. She seemed a little distracted today and he wondered what was bothering her. Whatever it was, he'd deal with it for her and make it okay. When he'd ordered his coffee, she had smiled at him as usual. She smiled at all her customers but he was sure that the smiles she gave him were more genuine. Just for him.

It was time to give her another gift. He'd been leaving tokens of affection on her doorstep for a while now. He'd found her address by following her home from work one day. He wasn't ready to approach her directly. Not yet. She needed to know the depth of his affection for her first. He'd shower her with gifts as proof of his devotion, sweep her off her feet, and then he'd reveal himself to her. By then, she'd be putty in his hands.

He knew that she was a shifter. He had shifter friends and had overheard various conversations. He knew a lot about the pretty woman. It helped him to choose his gifts for her, making sure they meant something. He had another gift ready and had been waiting for the right time to deliver it. Perhaps after this gift, it might be time to speak with her. At least on the phone. He'd finally acquired her number and calling her would allow them to speak without him having to reveal himself unless he wanted to.

He checked his watch. Yes, plenty of time to retrieve the gift, leave it on her doorstep, and watch to make sure she received it. He stood and walked to the door. Dana smiled at him and he smiled back. Yes, things were going well.

The two sisters sat facing Ethan and Leo. They clutched each other’s hands, their faces tear stained and pale with shock. All three sisters had lived at this house. Apparently they were a close family. Must be nice. Ethan was pretty much a lone wolf. His mother had died years ago and the only family he had left was cousin Kane and a half-brother. He rarely saw either of them.

“I’m sorry to intrude,” Ethan said gently. “I know this is a difficult time but we need to catch the person who did this. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The sisters nodded. The older one, Lisa, spoke up. “What do you want to know?”

“Did your sister have a boyfriend? Someone relatively new?” Ethan asked. Girls talked to each other, right?

The women exchanged glances. The youngest, Sadie, answered. “She wasn’t seeing anyone but she did have a secret admirer. She didn’t know who it was but she was quite excited about it.”

The elder sister nodded. “He would send her things. Presents would arrive at her home and her work. She never knew who was sending them. We told her to be careful, that it could be anyone.” Her voice broke. “She promised that she wouldn’t agree to meet anyone but she was so excited and wanted to know who it was.”

“Do you have any of the things he sent?” Leo asked.

“Yes,” Sadie said. “They’re in a box in the other room. I can show you, if you like?”

“That would be great.” Leo stood and followed her from the room.

“Right before she disappeared, did she seem different? Worried, maybe?” Ethan asked.

“No,” Lisa shook her head. “Nothing was different. She went to work as usual that morning but she never came home. I checked with her boss, Darren, and he said that she’d been there until closing. She called a taxi and then she was gone. Darren assumed she came home.” She wiped at her eyes.

“Has anyone talked to the taxi company?” Ethan asked, checking his notebook.

“Yes,” Lisa said, sniffing. “They said that the driver picked up Becca and took her home.”

“You were here that night?” he asked.

“All night,” Lisa confirmed. Her hands shredded a tissue as she spoke. “So was Sadie. She had an exam to study for and I wasn’t feeling well, so we were both here. No taxi turned up and Becca never came home. I don’t know where the driver took her but it wasn’t here.”

Tears were streaming down her face again. Her sister returned and sat beside her, hugging her fiercely. Leo walked in, holding a large box.

Ethan stood. “Okay. I think we have enough for now. We’ll be in touch if we have more questions. If you can think of anything else, give us a call. Thanks for your help. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.”

He left the house and got into his car. Leo placed the box in the back seat before getting in.

“Learn anything?” Leo asked.

Ethan grimaced. “She seems to have disappeared between work and home. We need to talk to the taxi driver who picked her up. Anything interesting in that box?”

“Various things,” Leo answered. “There was too much to go through so I brought the whole thing. Seems to be various letters and gifts. Probably the same sort of things as before.”

The killer tended to shower his victims with love letters and tokens of affection. Often teddy bears, chocolates, flowers. Sometimes jewellery or ornaments. Often it was something the victim liked, demonstrating how well he stalked and learned about his victims. Snow globes for the woman who collected them, an elephant stuffed toy for the woman who loved elephants. Eventually, the gifts would turn darker in nature. The flowers would be rotting, ornaments would be broken, the letters more threatening. They didn’t know what prompted the change, only that it inevitably happened and then the victim was running out of time. The final stage was the abduction and murder.