Authors: SL
coffee pot.
Bingo!
She found a set of hodge-podge mugs with various
landmarks and states painted on them. Deciding on the one marked
'Las Vegas' she lifted the carafe from the coffeemaker and began to
pour herself a cup.
"Good morning." A familiar voice came from the kitchen entrance.
"I didn't realize you'd be up so early." Ray pulled a chair out from the
table and sat down, removing his boots. They were coated with a
layer of crushed snow and dirt. He placed them beside a crumpled
sack on the floor.
"And I see you're up with the birds." She grinned, nodding over to
the half-empty sack of bird seed.
"The weather's messy out there. I figured the little ones won't mind
a hand-out this morning for breakfast." He smiled.
Jac placed a hand over her stomach. "Yeah, I'm a bit hungry, too."
"Great! I'll get started making you some breakfast." He grinned.
"Afterwards, you can get a shower and change into some fresh
clothes."
Adding the condiments to her coffee, Jac giggled. "Sometimes,
Ray, you spook me. It's like you're reading my mind."
"Really?" he blinked. "I usually only do that with certain people."
A curious expression clouded his face.
Seeing his uneasiness, Jac decided to change the subject.
"Who's the traveler?" she asked, holding up the coffee mug.
"Someone's been to Vegas, Seattle and Yellowstone State Park."
"That'd be Ritchie," Ray replied as he rose to his feet. "Like I said,
he's a bit of a wanderer and travels around a lot."
"And all you get are the souvenir mugs, right?" She grinned.
"Something like that." He shrugged, placing a frying pan onto the
stove. "How do you like your eggs? Scrambled or sunny side up?"
The thought of food made her stomach rumble again. "Scrambled
with cheese," she replied, "That is, if you've got cheese. I don't wanna
be too much trouble."
"It's no trouble at all." He grinned as she took a seat at the table,
watching him over the rim of her mug. "Besides," he added. "You're
my guest."
Jac shifted in the chair and cleared her throat. "Well, if I'm your
guest, then why did you say I was in danger last night?"
"Might," he corrected. "You might be in danger. Trust me, Jac,
you're just safer here."
Ray busied himself with cooking. Jac took another big sip of
coffee. Within a few moments, he placed a steaming plate of
breakfast before her.
"
Bon appetite
."
"Thanks." She eyed her food then glanced up at him. "But, after
breakfast and a shower, I expect some answers." She jabbed the fork
in his direction to accent her point. "If I'm going to trust you, Ray, I'm
gonna have to know what the Hell's going on."
Ray straightened, towering over her, but let out an exasperated sigh.
"All right," he nodded. "Okay, we'll talk later. I promise."
To his relief, the rest of breakfast had gone relatively smooth ...
except when Jac asked about the 'doggie' door.
"What?" He set his empty coffee cup down on the kitchen table.
"The doggie door." She gestured toward the large plastic flap at the
bottom of the backdoor. "Do you have a dog?"
"Uh, no. It was there when I bought the house." He shrugged.
"Besides, what's the point in replacing a perfectly good door?"
"Well, this is a rural neighborhood. Don't you worry about animals
wandering in from the outside?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"They wouldn't dare." He flashed a feral grin.
The sound of Jac's laughter made his heart skip a beat. She was
beautiful, her face shining with an inner radiance that made him desire
her even more.
"So, how's my cooking?" He rose from his chair and took her
empty plate. "Are my eggs as good as the diner's?"
"Yes, they're delicious." She nodded, rising to her feet. "Now, let
me help you with those dirty dishes."
Jac helped him load the dishwasher then headed to the bathroom to
take a shower. Her absence would give him time to call Bruce, to see
what he might have found out about Jac's attacker.
Standing at the bay window that overlooked the snow-covered
lawn, Ray punched the buttons of the wireless phone and waited. The
phone rang a good, full three rings before Bruce answered.
"Hello?" His voice was groggy with sleep.
"Hey, it's me. Sorry to wake you," Ray apologized.
"Shit, sorry I didn't call last night, man. It was too late," Bruce
mumbled.
"It's okay. What's the latest?" Ray asked, pacing up and down the
living room rug.
"Nothing, man."
"What? Jessie's clean?"
"Yep." Bruce seemed more alert. "Jessie White was at the store
picking a couple of bags of groceries to drop off at the senior citizens'
center when Ms. Hamilton was attacked. I've got several witnesses,
plus a video tape and a register receipt if you want proof."
"No, that's not necessary." Ray sighed. "I don't know if I'm
relieved or disappointed."
"I know," Bruce consoled him. "It seemed like a logical conclusion
at the time, but you know how the moon affects everything. It makes
us hyper-sensitive, easily agitated and, well, horny."
Ray chuckled into the phone. "You can say that again."
"You got it bad for your new friend, don't you?"
"I told you, it's not like that. I just think she'll be safer here until we
track down her attacker."
"And what if we don't?" Bruce inquired. "How are you going to
explain this to her, Ray? She's a smart woman. Don't underestimate
her."
Ray knew better. He loved the sharpness of her mind as well as the
curves of her body. Even just being around her a short time, there was
something special about Jac that he found infectious.
"Believe me, I don't. I just wonder who sent her to Heather Grove
in search of werewolves. The whole thing sounds strange to me."
"Yep, pretty strange," Bruce agreed. "Well, if you need me, give
me a buzz. I'll be on patrol at 1800 hours."
Ray hung up the phone feeling more frustrated than ever. If J.T.
was innocent, then anyone in town with
sithech
-blood could possibly
be her attacker.
He flopped down on the end of the sofa and gazed out the window.
Watching the small birds gathering at the feeders out in the snowy
yard, Ray sank deep into thought. He didn't register Jac was finished
with her shower until she spoke from the doorway.
"Wow, I can't believe it snowed even more overnight," Jac
exclaimed as she crossed the room.
Newly showered, she wore her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail,
away from her face. She'd also changed into a fresh pair of fuzzy
socks, jeans and a form-fitting knit sweater. Her fresh-scrubbed
youthful appearance made his groin twinge with longing. Ray shifted
uncomfortably on his end of the sofa as she sank down on its opposite
side. To his relief, she appeared more relaxed and less sore.
"Well, there was another inch of snow last night after we got in, but
it's mixed with sleet," he informed her. "The weather man's saying
school and businesses will be closed for at least another day."
"Good." Jac smirked, folding her arms over her chest. "Since we
can't seem to go anywhere, we have plenty of time for you to explain
to me why I might be in danger."
"I can think of other things we can do with our time." He flashed
her a flirtatious grin.
Her cheeks turned rosy pink, but she seemed immune to his
attempted charm. "Nope, not now." Jac shook her head. "Let's talk,
Ray."
With a heavy sigh, he rose to his feet and began to pace back and
forth in front of the bay window.
"Ernie found the article you were working on in your computer
files the other night," he stated simply. "The article about wolves in
Heather Grove."
"Well, the story's a dead end. Mr. White firmly denied there were
any wolves in Heather Grove. But now ... now, I'm not so sure." A
worried expression dissolved her composure. "But, after last night, I'd
swear the man was lying through his teeth."
"Jessie's a nice man, Jac. He wasn't lying. He was protecting," Ray
slowly explained.
"Protecting what? The wolves?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Ray nodded. "It goes back a long time ago ... back to
Scotland at the end of the eighteenth century."
"Whoa, wait a minute." Jac held up her hand. "What do wolves in
Heather Grove now have to do with eighteenth century Scotland?"
"Most of Heather Grove's ancestors are from Scotland. They came
to the United States for many reasons, but, mostly to escape the
slaughter of wolves throughout the Highlands."
"You mean the killing of wolves like I've seen on those websites
like Defenders.org?" Jac's face went pale. "It's disgusting! I can't
believe, in this modern age, some people are still killing other
creatures so terribly and so brutally just because they're ... they're
wolves."
Ray nodded, recalling the photographs Jac mentioned. He, too, was
mortified by the cruelty of the senseless slaughter. He stopped pacing
and speared a hand through his hair, then glanced over at Jac.
Tears moistened her eyes. "Crying about it won't do them any
good, Jac. Only action can save those poor creatures. But here in
Heather Grove, the
sithech
is kept guarded and safe."
"The
sithech
?"
"Yes, it's an ancient Scot-Gaelic word for 'wolf'," he explained.
She knitted her brow, as if deep in thought, then glanced up at him.
"So, Heather Grove is a wolf sanctuary, right?"
"Something like that." He shrugged, then sank down beside her on
the sofa. "Only a few of us know. It's an important secret, Jac. If
anyone outside of Heather Grove ever found out ... "
His voice trailed off, choked with emotion. He lowered his head as
the unfinished thought sent a chill down his spine.
"It would be like the eighteenth century slaughter all over again,"
Jac said in a low voice, finishing his exact thought.
Ray raised his head, gazing into her eyes. "I think I've just had one
of those 'spooky' moments you were talking about earlier."
An amused smile spread across Jac's face. It was a smile that
warmed his heart and heated his blood. He took her hand and sensed
something stirring in the space between them.
In a bold move, he leaned close and gently touched his forehead to
hers. Jac's rich and luscious scent surrounded him. It teased his
sithech
-senses as the full moon fever began to surge within him.
Before he consciously realized what he was doing, he lightly brushed
his lips against hers before capturing her mouth in a full-blown kiss.
He wanted her ... bad.
It has been so long since Jac had been properly kissed, she thought
she'd melt right there on the sofa. The pressure of his lips on hers was
absolutely delicious. All thoughts of wolves, sanctuaries and
magazine stories dissipated as she yielded to his kiss.
A low moaned escaped from her as he removed his lips to dot the
curve of her jaw with tiny, light kisses. Jac's senses reeled. Arousal
crackled inside her as Ray encircled her in his strong arms and drew
her close.
"I've wanted to do this since we met," Ray confessed between
kisses. Her heart skipped a beat. Deep down, she did, too. Once
again, they were on the same wavelength.
The room suddenly became very warm. Ray's lips trailed from her
jaw down the column of her neck. Closing her eyes and tilting her
head back, she gave into the pleasurable sensations. "Oh that feels
sooo good," she moaned. "Don't stop."
The trail of heated kisses suddenly halted. Jac's eyes snapped open.
He raised his head, his gaze meeting hers. There was a twinkle of
mischief in his eyes. "Don't stop, huh?" he teased.
"Oh, Ray." She gave a playful pout. "Quit toying with me, please."
"Well, I did say I could think of other things we could do since
we're snowed in." He chuckled. "That is, if you want to?"
There was a glow behind his eyes, despite his jovial mood. A
shiver went down Jac's spine. Something about him that she just
couldn't put her finger on. Something mysterious, yet sexy at the
same time. It made her entire body buzz with erotic electricity.
Jac nervously licked her lips. Yet, there was no doubt she wanted
exactly what he wanted. "Okay." She nodded.
Before she could blink, Ray rose to his feet, scooping her up off the
sofa. "Hey! What are you doing?" She gasped as he carried her out of