Authors: SL
seat in front of Jac.
"Maybe a little later." Jac shrugged, then placed her order.
Mary Lynn flashed a lopsided smile. "We're a bit busy today, but
your breakfast will be ready soon," the waitress assured her, then
headed for the bustling kitchen.
Jac returned her attention back to the screen.
Damn.
She shook her
head. Her editor had emailed her over a dozen times.
Maybe I
should've called him after the attack.
But, she didn't want Frank
Collins to know she was having difficulty with her assignment.
Drawing a deep breath, she decided to send Frank a quick email.
I'll just tell him I'm still investigating the story,
she resolved. Her
fingers flicked over the keyboard then she paused. Her fingers
hovered over the flat keys when the hair on the back of her neck rose.
Someone was watching her. She knew it.
She raised her eyes from the screen, glancing around the diner. The
place was busy with the usual breakfast crowd. Nothing seemed out
of the ordinary, but then, Jac spotted a lone man seated at the counter,
sipping on his coffee. He was a mature gentleman with thinning red
hair. Dressed in a jacket, white dress shirt and tie, she deduced he
was a business man.
He glanced in her direction and met her gaze. The gentleman gave
a lazy nod of his head in greeting. Jac blushed. Returning a nod she
then lowered her eyes back to the computer screen.
Damn it! I'm getting paranoid!
A few moments later, she hit the 'send' button, satisfied her vague
response to her editor's emails would pacify him until she could figure
out what to do. After Mary Lynn brought over her breakfast, she ate,
mentally pondering her dilemma.
From all she learned from Ray and Megan about the
sithech
, her
interview with Mr. White was worthless. Pretty much everything the
older man had denied was, in one way or another, true. There were
wolves in Heather Grove, but not ordinary animals. They were
humans with the blood of wolves who were affected by the moon.
Jac reached into her bag and pulled out the rumpled folder,
scanning her notes. Surely there's something here I can create into a
sellable story, she mused. A wave of sadness suddenly overwhelmed
her as something dawned on her.
When I get the promotion, then I'll
have to stay in Charlotte.
Sighing with frustration, she took a sip of coffee as her emotions
toiled. She knew it was all so sudden, but her feelings for Ray had
escalated during their short time together. And, if she left Heather
Grove, then where would that leave their budding relationship?
And he won't leave here. This is his home. He's also a guardian of
his pack.
Jac palmed her face, attempting to shut out the world
around her and think.
There's gotta be an answer ...
"Uh, excuse me, miss." A deep, gravelly voice caught Jac's
attention.
Whisking her hand from her face, she gazed up. A gentleman was
standing in front of her booth, smiling down at her. It was the
businessman from the counter.
"Are you Jacqueline Hamilton from
The Inside-View
?"
* * * *
he'd got to the garage to chat with Derek. His brother-in-law was very
busy. Derek stood out in the parking lot haggling with the scrap
salesman over used automotive parts.
Turning back to the garage, he decided to wait in the makeshift
waiting room. The scent of freshly brewed coffee greeted his senses
as he walked in, shaking off the cold.
Ah yes!
He grinned, grabbing a
foam cup and filling it to the brim.
A blast of cold air brushed his back as someone entered from the
outside. Ray turned and smiled. "Hey, sis!"
Megan was a sight in her hot pink jogging suit, which was in stark
contrast to her flaming red hair. It was pulled back with a tie from her
face, making her look like a teenager instead of a mature woman.
"Hey yourself." She grinned. "You're just the person I needed to
see." She stepped over, brushing a kiss to his cheek, then glanced
around the room. "Where's Jac?"
"She's over at the diner checking her email. I thought I'd swing by
and check on her car." Ray paused, intently gazing at his sister.
Something in her aura wasn't right. His gut tightened, the smile
vanishing from his face.
"Why aren't you at work, Meg?" he asked, gesturing to her jogging
suit while she poured herself a cup of coffee. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Ray." She shrugged. "I had an appointment this
morning and took the rest of the day off."
"Uh-huh." He nodded, not believing her. "Is that why your aura's
doing strange things?"
"Ray, I could never hide things from you." Megan snickered.
"No, you can't," he frowned. "Now, what's going on?" He knew he
was sounding firmer than he should. After all, he was her big brother.
Megan took a quick sip of coffee, then set down the cup, clasping
her hands in front of her. Her emerald eyes appeared to glow in the
florescent lighting of the room. Ray held his breath, waiting.
"Ray," you're going to be an uncle!"
It felt as if a two-by-four had ploughed into his stomach. "I-I'm
what?" He plopped the coffee cup onto the counter, its contents
splashing over the side.
Megan lowered her hands to her belly. "An uncle," she repeated.
"Derek and I sensed it last week, but we had to be sure. I've just come
back from the doctor's office. The results are positive."
"Sis!" Happiness overwhelmed him as he swept her up into his
arms. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you ... for Derek! A baby!
I'll be damned!" Tears stung in the corners of his eyes. Releasing his
hold on Megan, he quickly swiped a hand over his eyes. "That's great
news!"
"I knew you'd take it well." She laughed. "Derek wasn't sure you
were ready to be an uncle yet, but I told him you'd be just as excited
as we are."
Ray took Megan's hands, holding them tight to his chest. "I only
wish Mom and Dad were around to share the good news," he replied
in a gentle, yet somber tone.
"Me, too," Megan nodded then smiled again. "I've already called
Ritchie on the way over here. He's thrilled too."
"Ritchie? Where is that wolf-hound, anyway?" Ray raised an
eyebrow. For twins, he and his brother were nothing alike.
"I don't know." Megan shrugged. "But he said he'd be back in town
at the end of the month."
"Oh, really?"
She nodded with a wide grin.
The garage's waiting room door swung open, accompanied by
another gust of cold air.
"Damn, it's cold out there," Derek cursed, slamming the door
behind him, then stopped dead in his tracks.
Ray met his gaze. The scent of
sithech
... alpha male
sithech
filled
the small room. He was feeling so much love for his sister, his wolf-
senses were sending out a strong vibration of dominance and
protection.
Derek took a cautionary step back. "So, does he know?" the young
mechanic asked Megan, yet his gaze didn't waver. Deep down, Ray
respected his sister's mate.
"I sure do,
daddy
." Ray grinned. The tension in the room
evaporated in an instant. He extended a hand to his brother-in-law.
They clasped hands in a hardy handshake. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks." Derek smiled, relief shining in his eyes. The mechanic
glanced to his wife. "Excuse me." Ray released his hand, allowing
him to cross over to Megan. Derek encircle her in his arms.
Ray smiled, watching the happy couple. Returning to his coffee, he
took a big sip, but his mind was racing. In eight or nine months, there
would be a baby in the family ... a new
sithech
in the pack.
The cycle of life's truly amazing,
he thought with a smug smile then
another thought crossed his mind.
"Meg, you know you won't be able to change during your
pregnancy, right?" he reminded her in a gentle, yet firm tone.
"I know. No going
sithech
until after the baby's born. It might
jeopardize the pregnancy, but you won't have to worry about me." She
smiled. "Besides, according to the doctor, being pregnant will help
control the 'full moon fever'."
Full moon fever.
Ray's thoughts immediately returned back to Jac.
"Uh, Meg, could you stick around until I check with Derek about
Jac's car?" He gave his sister a pleading gaze. "I need some, uh,
womanly advice."
"Sure, bro." Megan nodded, stepping out of Derek's embrace and
laid a gentle hand on Ray's arm. "Anything for you."
* * * *
in her own thoughts she hadn't heard the business man approach.
"Yes, I'm Ms. Hamilton." She nodded.
"My name's Cameron White." The gentleman extended his hand.
As Jac took his hand, she felt a familiar warmth up her arm. It had
been the same with Megan and Ernie, too. The man had
sithech
-
blood. There was little doubt in her mind. She withdrew her hand.
Cameron's polite smile never wavered from his face. He gestured
to the empty seat. "Would you mind if I sit a spell? My legs aren't
what they used to be, I'm afraid." His voice was rich and deep with a
mesmerizing Southern drawl.
"Sure, but only for a moment." She managed a thin smile. "As you
can see, I'm busy."
"Yeah, you must have a deadline eating away at you," he chuckled,
settling into the seat across from her.
"As a matter of fact I do."
"Well, I'll get straight to the point, Ms. Hamilton. I'm a news man
myself. Been so all my life," he said with a grin. "I've worked for
The New York Times
and with other big newspapers before I decided
to come back home, back to my roots."
"You're a journalist, too. How interesting," Jac mused out loud.
"But, what's that got to do with me?"
"You conducted an interview with my cousin, Jess White, the other
day, didn't you?"
Jac merely nodded, curious where Cameron was leading.
"I've got nothing against those glossy, big dollar magazines, miss."
The man's smile slipped away. "I would just suggest that you
reconsider writing that story about our small town." He leaned
forward and lowered his tone. "And about the wolves."
The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Jac scooted back in her
seat, attempting to put some distance between them. She suddenly
felt claustrophobic in the confines of the booth.
"Well, I'm just doing my-my job," she stammered, despite herself.
"Honestly, your cousin didn't give me much to go on. I'm stumped,
really."
"Jess has a good heart, Ms. Hamilton. I'm sure he answered your
questions the best way he knew how, but there will be trouble if you
write that story. Let's just say there are folks around town who won't
be happy if it was published. And my cousin, Lord bless him, doesn't
want any trouble and neither do I."
Folks around town.
Jac knew exactly who Cameron meant. The
families with
sithech
-blood – like Ray's. She definitely didn't want to
hurt Ray or his family. Despite the fact she was a reporter, they'd
trusted her. They'd told her the truth about their existence. In the
wrong hands, that kind of information was dangerous ... very
dangerous.
Jac nodded. "All right. I'll reconsider my assignment." She tapped
a finger on the folder in front of her. "Besides, I don't have any solid
facts. No facts, no story. Correct?"
Cameron held her gaze for a long moment then a wide grin spread
over his face. "Jess was right about you, Ms. Hamilton. You're one
smart lady. Damn smart." Slowly, he rose from the table. "Thank you
for listening to me. I'm sure you've done the right thing."
"I hope so." She exhaled a long breath and slid her reading glasses
on. "I certainly hope so."
"Oh! If you know of any reporters looking to relocate to a quiet
little town, please feel free to give me a call. Our little newspaper
could sure use someone with journalism experience." Cameron
grinned, his eyes twinkling in the diner light.
Jac blinked, gazing up at the man over her frames. "Do you still
work for the local newspaper, sir?"
"No, Ms. Hamilton. I
own
the newspaper," he replied with a wink.
Without another word, he headed for the exit.
She blushed.
Great! How embarrassing!
She shook her head then