Chapter 24
Henry pretended he was fine. He ate pizza, joined the conversation, but agitation swept him.
What if he couldn’t keep Maia safe? And was his new theory right?
Would another woman act with such malice?
So many questions. They churned through his mind and built fear upon fear, throwing him back to the time of Jenny’s murder.
Maia’s reentry into his life had plugged the massive hole in his heart, and he’d felt happier. More centered. Whole, but these attacks on Maia were getting to him.
“Henry,” Maia said, jerking him back. “I’m heading home now.
I want a hot shower and need to contact the coach.
That will be a tough phone call because I’m accusing my teammates.
No one wants to be a tattletale. I’ll have to tell her about the other things happening.
” She stopped and swallowed hard. “What if Rose doesn’t believe me? ”
“One, you’ve reported everything to the police, and two, Isabella and I had to break the door to open it. The broken lock is there for all to see.”
Her expression told him she expected drama, and she was probably right.
A team game centered on trust and friendship.
Those two things made a group into an individual unit.
It was no different from his army days. They’d learned quickly if they didn’t work together, one or all of them would end up dead.
“I’ll follow you home,” he said.
“No, stay with your family and friends.”
“You are my family,” he said with a wolflike growl that had everyone quietening. “If you haven’t figured that out now, you’re not as intelligent as I thought.” Wow, way to go, loser. That’s sure to keep her at your side.
He watched her carefully, not sure how she’d react. She blinked before poking him in the chest with her forefinger. “Did you growl at me?”
A snicker sounded, but Gerard choked off the sound at a glare from Maia. His green eyes, however, danced with amusement. His friend wouldn’t let Henry forget this moment.
“It’s okay for Levi to act like a wolf. He’s a kid,” Maia snapped. “You have no reason to snap and snarl like an animal.”
Oh, man. There was a moment of acute silence before everyone burst into chatter simultaneously, trying to pretend they knew nothing about wolves and growling.
The furrow on Maia’s brow grew deeper before she shook her head. “I’m leaving now.”
“I’ll follow you. Please, for my peace of mind, Maia. Jenny…” He shook himself and shut his mouth. Her eyes widened, and he saw the moment of understanding.
“Okay. Will we stay at my place or yours tonight?”
Relief that she wasn’t intending to sulk or shut him out had him almost giddy. He gripped the edge of his chair and concentrated on breathing. “Mine, if that’s okay. I need to exercise the dogs and feed them when I get home.”
Maia nodded decisively. “I’ll collect my laptop and a change of clothes from home and meet you there.”
Henry didn’t tell her that there was no way he’d let her stop by her house alone.
Later that night, he held Maia in his arms. She’d fallen asleep after they’d made love, but his mind remained alert and full of questions.
They needed a plan. Maia’s coach had sounded horrified, and he’d thought genuine.
She’d promised to discuss the situation with management, and they’d take action if they discovered the culprit.
Meanwhile, they’d need to tighten security at home.
Maia would object, but maybe he could take time off work and surreptitiously trail her.
At least then, he’d be nearby should she need help.
A blur of red flashed before his eyes. Hell, he’d been close to Jenny, and her ex had grabbed her so quickly she hadn’t had a chance to escape.
He had to do as much as possible to protect Maia and hope that he’d be present when a confrontation came. Not that Maia was useless. She had a good brain and used it. She was a warrior. His warrior.
Yeah, he needed to use his brain like Maia had and ask for help. He’d talk to Laura, Gerard, and Isabella. He’d ask their advice and proceed with a plan. His heart told him this mightn’t be enough, but it was a start. Other than rolling Maia in cotton wool, there wasn’t much else he could do.
The next morning, he put his scheme into action. He spoke with Maia and told her of his worries.
She frowned. “Most of the stuff has happened at home—the attack and the nuisance stuff. Do you think I’m in that much danger?”
“All I’m asking is that you limit the time you’re alone until Laura gets a handle on the culprit. They’ll make a mistake soon. We have a fingerprint on one of the sweet wrappers.”
“We don’t even know if they’re connected.”
“True, but we’ve found them in several places around your house.”
“I’ll admit that’s strange. Are we sure it’s not kids?”
“We’re not sure of anything,” Henry said. “That’s the worrying thing.”
“I hate having my routine messed up. It plays with my head. Right now, my focus is on my fitness and meeting my looming deadline with my editor. Mostly, I’m training with Isabella when I’m at home.
When I need to go to a team training, plenty of other people are around.
I’ll come straight home afterward. I’ll travel light, leave my gear on the sideline, and tell the coach. ”
“And if it’s raining?”
“I have a waterproof coat I can tuck over my bag to keep out the worst of the rain. And on a game day, I’ll buddy up with players I trust. I can’t do more than that other than ensure my phone is handy and charged.”
Grudgingly, Henry agreed. He couldn’t keep her prisoner to soothe his angst. But instinct whispered to him. His grip on his wolf loosened as fear sliced and diced, and his wolf took advantage, pushing out a frustrated growl.
“Will you cease growling?” Maia snapped. “It’s annoying.”
Henry stilled. His wolf went rigid inside him. And that was the next problem. How did he tell Maia he was a werewolf and all his friends were big cats? He hadn’t even told Jenny before she’d died. He hadn’t had a chance.
It wasn’t something to blurt out on a whim. Before he confessed and potentially placed his family in danger, he had to make certain Maia intended to stay. That he was enough for her.
Yeah. Two massive problems, and he had no idea of how to solve either.
Half an hour later, he followed Maia’s vehicle and stayed back so she wouldn’t feel like he was crowding her. Worries churned through his mind, his possible failure to protect her uppermost.
She was strong and independent, and it wasn’t as if she was stupid about security. Maia was doing everything right, yet his busy brain kept telling him of the things that could go wrong.
Hell, he’d be no use to her if he continued to behave like this.
His phone interrupted his frenzied thoughts. He connected with Bluetooth since he was driving. “Yeah?”
“It’s Gerard. We’ve been making a plan and concluded that Maia needs to continue her everyday routine. She has her alarms and security when she’s at home. We’ll follow her in our animal forms when she’s doing a training run. Set up a roster.”
“But what if someone sees? Someone who shouldn’t?” Henry asked.
“It’s Saber here,” Saber said. “I’ll discuss it with the council, but London and I agree it’s more important to protect Maia.
She’s your mate, and you deserve happiness.
If the worst happens and there’s a sighting, it will be an excellent test for our contingency plans.
I suggest that everyone with big dogs takes an interest in exercise and the great outdoors.
I’ll ask Rory Henderson if his pack can help.
Wolves will be less obvious than big cats.
We’ll also notify everyone in the shifter community to watch for outsiders.
That will also test our phone tree procedures. ”
“Thank you.” Gratefulness suffused Henry.
“You’re an important part of the community,” Saber said.
“It’s me again,” Gerard said. “Are you staying at Maia’s place or home?”
“At home. Maia is stopping at her place to collect clothes and her laptop.”
“Right, we’ll see you later,” Gerard said and hung up.
Henry followed Maia into Middlemarch and along the country roads until they reached Maia’s house. The first thing he heard when he climbed out of his vehicle was the blare of the alarm.
“Crap,” Maia said. “When does this end? I’ll call Laura.”
Henry prowled toward the house, and Maia grabbed his arm to halt him.
“Wait. Don’t go without me. We shouldn’t split up. Please.”
Henry nodded, and while Maia spoke to Laura, he used his wolfish senses.
His nostrils flared as he dragged scents deep into his lungs.
Nothing jumped out at him, and his slow scan of the surrounding area showed nothing out of place.
Now and then, he caught a hint of pungent turpentine.
It was almost metallic and alcohol-sweet. Perhaps paint?
Maia hung up. “Laura and Charlie are on their way. She told me to wait with our vehicles. Five minutes, she said.”
Henry cursed inwardly, even though Laura’s orders made sense. Once they caught this person, and it was only a matter of time, they’d require evidence to prosecute. He didn’t want to destroy proof of the crime.
“Can you see anything? Smell anything? Hear anything out of normal?”
Maia wrinkled her nose. “Apart from the alarm?”
Her sudden grin took his heart by storm. Everything about being with Maia felt right. Their relationship was of limited duration, but maybe he should tell her about his dual nature. There was always a chance she’d reject him, but she wrote fantasy fiction. At least she might be open to the idea.
“Yes, apart from the alarm,” he said gruffly.
“I keep getting hits of paint, so art is involved.”
“Yeah, I can smell paint.”
The lights of a car flashed as it turned into the driveway. A police car.
The car parked beside Henry’s, and Laura and Charlie alighted.
“The police car drives here on automatic,” Laura said.
“I’m sorry,” Maia said.
Charlie grinned. “Not your fault.”
“Have you checked the alarm?” Laura asked.
“You instructed us not to touch anything, so we haven’t moved,” Henry said.
“Huh,” Laura said to Charlie. “I didn’t think that would work.”
“I want this person or persons caught,” Henry said. “And I suspect the culprit is long gone.”
“Okay,” Laura said. “Let’s check inside before we walk around the outside. You know the drill.”
Once they approached the front door, the damage was clear. Someone had smashed each window on the front and taken to the door with an ax.
Charlie whistled. “Someone is holding a lot of anger.”
“I had a problem earlier,” Maia told Laura about the changing room debacle.
Laura and Charlie exchanged a glance.
“It might be unrelated,” Charlie said.
“Perhaps,” Maia said.
Laura nodded. “Let's see if they got inside. Henry, could you turn off the alarm?”
Henry stepped forward. “Do you have your key?”
Maia handed over her keyring, and he unlocked the badly damaged door.
He stepped inside to disarm the alarm, his ears welcoming the sudden silence. The stench of paint was overwhelming. “They didn’t get through the door but must’ve come through a window.”
“We’ll go first,” Laura said. “Keep behind us and tell me if anything is missing or out of place.”
“Someone had broken every window, and my door is full of holes. Is that the sort of thing you want me to mention?” Maia issued a harsh sigh. “Sorry, it’s not your fault.”
“Understandable,” Henry said, reaching for Maia’s hand and threading their fingers together.
Henry scanned the kitchen. The trespasser had pulled things from cupboards and dropped them on the floor in a heap. Sugar, flour, and macaroni noodles lay scattered on top of cutlery and a blender. Raspberry jam smeared the fridge/freezer doors.
“I hope my laptop is in one piece,” Maia said, sounding close to tears.
They remained together, broken glass and other items crunching beneath their feet.
“Do you usually leave this door shut?” Laura asked when they approached the room Maia used as an office.
“Yes, it’s my office,” Maia said.
Laura nudged the door open while Charlie snapped photos of the damage in the kitchen.
Henry sniffed and caught a familiar sweetness. “Candy wrapper,” he said to Charlie. “It looks like the same brand as the earlier ones we found.”
Charlie snapped a photo.
“For fuck’s sake!” Maia shouted.
Henry’s gut roiled, and he hustled to join the women.
“Look what they’ve done to my laptop.”
The screen and keyboard sat on the floor, separated into three pieces.
Tears rolled down Maia’s face, and he tugged her into his arms, holding her pressed against his chest. Her folders of notes lay in scattered piles, and everything Maia had arranged on shelves and on her desk lay scattered.
Red paint covered the wall, the word thief prominent against the neutral cream wall.
“A lot of rage here,” Charlie said from behind them. He took several photos from various angles.
“Any idea what they mean?” Laura gestured at the word on the nearest wall.
“No,” Maia said.
“I’m still thinking it’s someone connected to your rugby world,” Henry said. “If it was, today’s little prank would make more sense.”
“You mean the players resent me for joining the team?” Maia said. “I won my spot by playing well and training hard.”
“You know that, and we know that,” Henry said, “but sometimes disappointment makes people do stupid things.”
“Did you report the changing room episode to your team management?” Laura asked.
“Yes, they’re going to look into it. My coach muttered something about juvenile pranks. This felt more than that to me.”
“I agree,” Charlie said, retreating. “Let’s do a sweep of the rest of the house.”
Henry let Laura and Charlie go ahead before he released Maia. “Do you have backups for your work?”
“I do on the cloud and on a backup device, but that’s not the point. I’ll have to file a claim, purchase a new computer, and go through setting it up. It’s going to take time I don’t have.”
“We’ll talk to Megan and London. They might have suggestions on how to get you up to speed fast.”
Tears formed in her eyes, and one ran down her cheek. He thumbed it away, feeling useless and wishing he could make it all disappear.
She made a snuffling sound. “I’m sorry. These are angry tears. I feel like a punching bag, and everyone is taking a free shot.”
“We’ll sort this out and stop the culprit,” Henry promised. No one should have to suffer this level of harassment.
“Maia. Henry.” Laura’s voice originated from Maia’s bedroom.
“I don’t want to know what they’ve done in my bedroom,” she whispered.
Henry squeezed her hand, and she lifted her chin. His lady was so brave.
“Let’s go,” she said.
They walked down the passage hand-in-hand and halted in the open doorway of her bedroom. Henry cursed while Maia released a croak. “How could they?”