Lucy's Wolverine (Lilly Town Shifters) (8 page)

             
“There was another pop and my mother fell. They didn’t move. I kept staring at them, hoping they would move. They needed to be okay. The Hunters went over to them and shot them each again before dragging them off.”

             
“No one should have to live through that,” Lucy said, wiping the tears from her face.

             
“I wandered around as a wolverine for a few months. Bill found me underweight and ready to attack anything that came near me. He took me in and helped me adjust. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”

             
“I’m glad he was there to help you,” she said, kissing him gently, trying to show him that he was alive and cared for. She didn’t think she loved him yet, but she knew she was on her way.

             
The oven beeped, signaling the food was ready. “You had better get that.”

             
She nodded and stood up. She didn’t want to. She wanted to hold him and take away all the pain, but she couldn’t. She looked at the chicken then turned down the oven and started chopping potatoes. “My father owns a small bookstore and my mom’s a teacher. They were good parents, but always busy. They did the best they could, but my dad was usually at the store late and my mom had papers to grade, and conferences. Every summer, one of us would close our eyes and see where on the map the pin landed. Wherever it landed was where we went. There were some very interesting places and some small lazy towns. This was one of the places we went – one of the lazy towns, and I loved it here. I started writing my first story here in the hotel and knew it was where I wanted to live. My parents and Lexi thought I was crazy, but here I am and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

             
“Thank you,” Mike said with a faint smile.

             
“For what?”

             
“Listening to me and getting my mind off of everything.”

             
“I’m always here if you want to talk. You’ve been through a lot and sometimes just having someone to listen can help.” Neither said anything as Lucy continued to cook, both lost in their own memories.

***

              Paul had been sitting in front of the bar, waiting to see if this Mike person showed up. According to his research, he lived above the bar, so if he was still alive, he’d be coming back here. His phone rang, and he knew that ring tone all too well. It was his boss. He was also the only one who ever called him. The man had called every fifteen minutes, asking if he’d seen the shifter. And every time the answer had been the same. No. He thought maybe it had died from the wound. Silver kills them. A bullet wound to an arm could kill them if it wasn’t removed promptly. He wasn’t going to pretend to understand it, but as long as it did the job, he didn’t care.

             
“Yes sir?” he answered.

             
“Any sign of it?” he asked.

             
“No sir.”

             
“Okay, let me know when you see it.” It was always the same response. He was starting to really hope the wolverine would show up just so his boss would stop calling.

             
“Yes sir.” His boss hung up and Paul went back to watching all the patrons coming and going, but still no sign of the wolverine.

Chapter 13

              “Thank you for dinner, Lucy,” Mike said.

             
“No problem.” She was just happy he liked it. Something about people trying what she created always made her a little nervous.

             
“I think I should probably go home. I don’t want to wear out my welcome,” he said, standing up.

             
“Okay,” she said, feeling a little saddened at the idea of him leaving. It was probably best if he left, but sometimes her house felt lonely when she was by herself. Mike helped chase that feeling away.

             
“C… can I take you to dinner tomorrow?” he asked. He sounded nervous. Did he really think she’d say no? They’d almost slept together that morning.

             
“Yes. Pick me up at six?”

             
“I’ll be here,” he said with a smile and started walking toward the door. She guessed he might have forgotten he didn’t have his truck there.

             
“Um, Mike, would you like a ride?” Lucy asked. She didn’t know where he lived, but with his injuries and the fact that someone had shot him the day before, he probably shouldn’t be walking.

             
“Oh, shit. No, I’ll give Bill a call, if that’s okay. I want you to get back to your writing. I know you want to finish the book and I would feel terrible if I kept you from it.”

             
“It’s fine. I really don’t mind.”

             
“I need to talk to Bill anyway. He failed to tell me what he found yesterday.”

             
“Okay, the phone’s at my desk,” she said, smiling at his forgetfulness. She waited as he dialed the phone. He was too busy to notice her checking out just how tight his jeans were and how perfectly his shirt stretched over his muscles. Lucy couldn’t help it. The man was a god.

             
“Bill, can you come get me?” she heard him say into the phone. “Okay thanks,” and he hung up.

             
“Is he coming?” she asked, almost hoping his ride wasn’t able to come and that he’d be forced to stay. But, he was right, she needed to get some work done.

             
“He’s sending one of the bartenders. She’ll be here soon.”

             
Lucy felt a pang of jealousy. “She?”

             
“Yeah, Emily. She’s a friend of his and our local pissy cat shifter.”

             
“Oh.” She tried not to sound hurt, but wasn’t sure if she’d kept it out of her voice. She knew she was being stupid, but she couldn’t help it. She really liked him and the thought of him seeing another woman, even if it was just for a ride, made her worry.

             
“She’s just dropping Bill’s truck off. He thinks the Hunters might come back looking for me. He wants to make sure you’re protected so she’s going to hang out in the woods and keep an eye on the house,” he said, pulling her to him.

             
“Okay,” she said, feeling a little better and wrapping her arms around him. Maybe she really hadn’t kept her worry out of her voice. Mike tilted her face up and kissed her. It wasn’t a chaste kiss either; it was a toe-curling, leg-popping kiss. The one women dream about. A kiss she’d written about but never actually experienced. And it was even better than she’d ever thought it would be.

             
Lucy wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and jump him, but she knew she couldn’t. She also knew Mike wanted to do the same. She could feel his hands skimming her body before they stopped on her ass and pulled her into him, grinding his erection into her. That made things so much worse. Her hands moved down his chest and stomach before finding the zipper of his pants. She wanted to feel him, needed to touch him.

             
The knock on the door brought them back to reality. For the second time that day, they’d been interrupted by a knock on the door. She needed to hang a sock on the door or something. Based on Mike’s heavy breathing, she had a feeling he was thinking the same thing.

             
He pulled back from her and moved to the door. “That must be Emily.”

             
“Yeah, probably,” she said with a little bit of anger in her voice. It wasn’t his fault: they both knew she was on her way, but couldn’t she have driven just a little slower? She heard the door open and a woman’s voice, but couldn’t make out what she was saying.

             
“Thanks Emily,” Mike said.

             
“No problem,” she heard the woman say. She must be coming in the house. Lucy walked closer, wanting to meet the woman who was going to be protecting her from the big bad Hunters.

             
“Do you want to come in?” she said, seeing the woman standing just inside the door.

             
“I’m fine. I’m going to spend the night in the woods,” she said with a forced smile.

             
Lucy thought about it for a minute. While it wasn’t cold or raining outside, it wasn’t exactly comfortable to be sleeping in the woods, and based on the fact that all she had was a change of clothes, it didn’t look like she had a tent or anything to sleep in. Bill trusted her and Mike seemed okay with her. She’d been sent to protect her… “You’re more than welcome to stay here. It’s a little more comfortable… and to be honest, knowing someone’s behind my house is a little unnerving.”

             
“Okay… thanks. I’ll stay out of your way,” she said with a tight smile.

             
“Mike, I’ll see you tomorrow at six. Drive safe and get some rest, okay?”

             
“I will,” he said, and bent down to give her another kiss.

             
“Bye,” she said and closed the door behind him.

             
“I’m Emily,” the woman said.

             
“Lucy.”

             
“I appreciate your letting me stay here. I know I’m a stranger, but spending the night in the woods isn’t exactly how I like to spend my Friday nights.”

             
“It’s Friday?” Lucy asked. Where had the time gone? Wasn’t yesterday Monday?

             
“Yeah?” Emily said, sounding confused.

             
“Sorry, I’m a secluded writer who tends to lose track of time. Last time I looked at my calendar, it was May… I think,” she said with a little laugh. This was something that happened to her all the time. It was a good thing her bills came right out of her account otherwise she’d probably have no house and no electric.

             
“It’s fine.”

             
“Okay, let me know if you need anything. I’m going back to work,” Lucy said, putting her headphones on and going back to writing.

***

              Paul saw Mike walking into the bar. The man met his boss’s description, so hopefully it was him. He had the signs of a shifter: the smooth quiet walk, the predatory gait, the muscle. He had no idea what his boss was planning. It wasn’t like he could just walk into the bar and shoot him… could he? Paul picked up the phone and dialed.

             
“Yes?”

             
“Sir, he’s at the bar.”

             
“Good. Can you confirm that he’s the wolverine?”

             
“Negative. He’s a shifter and matches your description, but I didn’t see him.”

             
“But you’re sure it was the man the woman was talking about?”

             
“Yes.”

             
“Okay, watch him. I want a visual confirmation.”

             
“Yes sir,” Paul said and hung up. He knew his boss was grasping at straws. What was one shifter? Honestly, there were hundreds out there that were so much easier to get to. Why did it have to be that one?

Chapter 14

              Mike was walking through the woods in his wolverine form. His parents were right in front of him, nuzzling their noses together, enjoying the wintry day. He wanted something like that – a love that never died. His mother chirped, getting him to catch up. He ran between them and rubbed against them both. He didn’t get to run with both his parents very often, and he treasured every moment he did. He heard something: the crack of a branch, but something about it seemed out of place. He looked up to his father, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by it. His mother just nuzzled him and licked his muzzle.

             
That was when he heard a strange popping sound. Something like a gun. That was when his mother fell. He froze. He couldn’t move. His father tried to get him to move, to run, but he couldn’t. He heard that same sound again and his father fell. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t move, couldn’t take his eyes off of his parents.

             
A man came out from behind a tree and looked down at Mike’s parents, seeing the blood pooling under them, turning the white snow red. Then the man aimed his gun at him and fired.

             
Mike woke up in a cold sweat. He was proud of himself for not waking up screaming this time. He hated those dreams. He hadn’t had one in a while. It must have been from telling Lucy. He didn’t regret telling her. Just the dreams. Looking at the clock, he ran his hands down his face. It was still early. Maybe he should read some of Lucy’s books that he had ordered. That would be a good distraction. He climbed out of bed and made his way over to the table where he’d left the box of books. He’d ordered all of them, even the one she’d given him. That one was special to him. That, and he wanted to make sure she got the royalties on them.

             
Sitting down on his couch with the second book of the series, he started reading. There was something about her writing that made it hard for him to put down the book. Mike didn’t realize what time it was until there was a pounding on the door. He looked at the book and saw that he was almost finished with it. He knew with her dedication that she had to be good, and she really was. Standing up, he heard a key turning in the lock. Only one other person had a key so he didn’t even bother going to the door. He just put the book with the other ones and waited.

             
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Bill asked.

             
“Almost like my old self.”

             
“Good. I thought you might take a walk around town with me.”

             
“Why?”

             
“Because it’s a small town and we might be able to find out who the Hunters are.”

             
“All right, just give me a minute,” Mike said and walked into his room. He thought he probably shouldn’t be walking around town in his pajama bottoms and tee. Jeans and a tee that wasn’t rumpled from sleep was his plan. Otherwise he didn’t really care what he wore.

             
“Ready to go?” Bill asked, as he walked back in the room.

             
“Yeah,” Mike said with a nod and grabbed his keys on the way out.

***

              “Any movement?” he asked Paul as he got in the SUV.

             
“No sir,” Paul answered, not taking his eyes off the apartment. He almost felt bad for him, having been up all night watching for movement, but the man was paid to do what he did. Normally they’d switch off every few hours, but with just the two of them, they were both going to be at it for a while.

             
“All right, I’ll take over. Go get some sleep. You look like hell,” he said, taking a pair of binoculars in his hand and starting to watch the building.

             
“Yes sir,” Paul said, and was about to get out of the truck before he stopped.

             
“Wait sir, he’s on the move. I’m going to follow him from a distance.” He wanted to argue with Paul, but the man was a good soldier. He was trained to work on very little sleep.

             
“Okay, you follow and get up with me once you find out what they’re doing,” he said. He wanted to take over, but he knew someone needed to be on the other end to do some computer work.

             
“Yes sir,” he said, and slipped the SUV into drive after letting his boss out.

***

              Paul slowly followed the two shifters as best he could, but when it became clear they weren’t taking any vehicles, he got out and started walking behind them. He could tell they were both definitely shifters, but what kind he couldn’t be sure. Maybe they could get two for the price of one, but he had a feeling the wolverine was all his boss wanted. The man was obsessed.

             
He followed them for a while, seeing where they were going, but they just seemed to be wandering around town. They weren’t stopping to talk to anyone, they weren’t shopping – they were just walking, which was odd. They ducked into a grocery store after a while. He followed them at a distance, but it was hard to not be noticed in a small store like that. He did see that they were just walking. They didn’t pick anything up to buy or look at anything. They just walked.

             
They left the grocery store and kept walking, this time back to the bar. His boss wasn’t going to like this. There was no way he could find out what kind of animals these two men were.

             
“Sir,” he said into his phone once he was back in the SUV.

             
“What did you find?” he asked. He sounded excited, which scared Paul a little. He was too close to this.

             
“He’s definitely a shifter, but I still can’t tell what kind. He walked around town with his friend, but that’s it. I’m pretty sure they knew I was there also.”

             
“Fuck! Keep on them until I get there. He’ll slip up. He’ll shift in front of one of us and we’ll get him,” his boss said before hanging up. Great! More time staring at a door, wondering when the wolverine was going to walk through it.

***

              “You think we were followed?” Mike asked. He knew Bill was good at that kind of thing. He didn’t really get involved in Bill’s unit or whatever you called it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know about it.

             
“I’m sure we were. I don’t know who it was. There were too many scents and he was good, but yeah, he was there.”

             
“What now?” Mike asked.

             
“We act like nothing’s happened. They’ll attack when they’re ready. We just have to make sure we’re prepared when they do.”

             
“Okay,” Mike said with a nod. He trusted Bill. He’d made sure they all made it out of this alive.

             
“There’s something different about them, though,” Bill went on. “I think they might be specifically targeting you. If they were after any shifter, there would have been more attacks and they wouldn’t have just shot you in the woods; they would be on a hunting spree. There are enough shifters in this town, so it would be more than just you who was having problems with them. Have you pissed anyone off?” Mike just looked at him. Of course he’d pissed people off. He was a wolverine. It was in his nature. “Dumb question, I know. How about lately?”

             
“Not that I know of. I mean, there were the guys at the bar, but he was just a drunk human. He’s been in the bar a few times before.”

             
“I don’t think you need to worry about him. Anyone else?”

             
“No,” Mike said with a sigh.

             
“Okay. Well, let’s just make sure we’re ready for the next attack.”

             
Mike looked at the clock. “Fuck, I have to get ready. I’ll talk to you later?”

             
“Yeah. Ready for what?” Bill asked.

             
“My date with Lucy.”

             
“It’s about time. I guess you getting shot turned out to be a good thing,” Bill said with a smile.

             
“It did give me a chance to hang out with Lucy. I can’t complain about that. But it hurt like hell.”

             
“Getting to know Lucy? I thought she was pretty pleasant.”

             
Mike punched Bill in the arm and said, “Getting shot you asshole.”

             
“Have fun tonight,” Bill said, laughing as he left.