4. Chapter 4
“Go to sleep. We have an early morning,” Isla murmured, pulling the blanket over her naked body as she rolled over and turned off the light.
She was right. I needed to rest, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the woman in the kitchen.
Her scent, the first face I’d really seen in years, the expression of terror painted on it — I had to find her.
I silently rolled out of bed and got dressed, then crept through the door.
There were only ten rooms total in the guesthouse and I tiptoed through the hall, not wanting to wake up the other guests.
I was well aware that her scent would fade after a few hours and if I wanted to track her down, I needed to do it before she disappeared completely.
I walked through the empty, old-fashioned lobby and outside into the bitter cold, checking to make sure I was alone before heading towards the parking lot behind the restaurant.
It was the last place I’d seen her and I was positive that she’d run south.
The air was frigid, but calm and I saw something at the edge of the lot.
It was a pile of discarded clothing that I immediately recognized as hers.
I pulled the flannel shirt to my nose and inhaled, the scent so intoxicating that I almost didn’t notice a necklace clatter onto the asphalt.
I picked it up, the metal cold in my hand and inspected it. The symbol on the pendant meant nothing to me and I carefully placed it back on her things, warmth racing through me as I stood.
Shifting never came naturally to me, even as a kid, when I still lived among my own. Since I was pure-blooded lycan, it was absolutely a mental hangup. I’d spent the majority of my life around humans and the fact that I was different made the act feel disturbing, unnatural.
I was fully aware of this, but shame still filled me as I stripped, tossing my clothes onto a nearby truck. I relished the frigid air brushing against my bare skin as I stood in the bleak winter landscape, naked, checking again to ensure no one was there to witness the transformation.
My body transformed, but it was more than a physical transformation. My entire being morphed and if I stayed shifted too long, it became difficult to think as a man, to reason.
It wasn’t death I feared, it was losing myself to him, the wolf inside me.
My thoughts became singular, focused and objects bright, clear. I could see through the darkness, into the world beyond and I shook my body, the dense, dark fur warming me as I nosed through her clothing again.
There were layers of richness that I’d missed and it struck something deep, at an almost atomic level and the urge to chase her down became so overwhelming that I could think of nothing else but finding her.
The remnants of her complex scent were fading, but still there and I picked it up in the snow, trotting through the frozen tundra as her scent pulled me along the path she’d taken.
I felt invincible in my wolf form, so different than I did as a man.
There were no doubts, no hesitation and the clarity of purpose was all consuming.
Her scent strengthened as I ran through the empty field and I chased it, wanting to find her, needing her more than anything.
Then the realization hit me — she was in heat.
Pure adrenaline raced through my veins, driving me forward as the scent faded slightly, then intensified before I hit a small stream.
The water was warm, still flowing even in the frigid cold, it must’ve been from a nearby hot spring.
I walked through the flow, then sniffed the bank on the other side, desperate to find any sign of her, but it was gone; she was gone.
I looked up at the full moon that hung overhead and howled in agony.
I forced myself to give up and ran back the way I came, shifting back into my human form once I reached the parking lot, dressing quickly, then retrieving the small gold necklace from the pile of clothes and shoving it into my pocket. Alone, I walked back to my room and fell asleep.
*****
It was early. I knew that much as I rolled over, groaning.
The memory of the woman was still strong and I felt compelled to track her down, my wolf would never forgive me if I didn’t.
I clearly remembered her face and her fragrance was etched into my mind — my knot swelled just thinking about it.
A female in heat was something I’d always dreamed about and even though I’d tried to put that part of my life behind me, the instinct was just too strong.
Even if she’s in heat, she’s not yours.
Well run lycan packs consisted of a breeding pair, the rest of the group would fall in line behind them.
Alphas would often have multiple mates; betas couldn’t breed.
I was an alpha, but just because you’re born that way doesn’t make you ready to lead.
It’s a learned behavior and I’d never had a pack of my own, never really been tested.
I didn’t agree with the system, but I couldn’t singlehandedly rewrite the hierarchy, so I chose to opt out entirely.
The scent of coffee wafted under the gap in the door and when footsteps passed on the creaky floor outside, I got up. The story was that I was a working man and working men didn’t sleep until noon. That was going to be the most difficult adjustment, actually getting up at a decent hour.
I’d always been single. It was easier and most of the women I’d been with didn’t want commitment.
The brief connection with another person was nice, but so was my freedom.
Even though I travelled a lot, I had settled down in Appalachia a few years ago, the mountains a great place to get lost, alone, in the early hours of the morning.
It was easier to isolate myself, to pretend that I didn’t care about anyone or anything, than risk being hurt again.
I unzipped my duffle bag and pulled out the coveralls Isla had sent me.
We’d be heading over to the array today and the work clothes would bolster the appearance of being a technician.
She’d arranged a government vehicle to be sent on the slow ferry and promised it would be here by today.
I couldn’t imagine riding around with Culver on a daily basis.
He was a nice enough guy, but it would be hard to get to the bottom of what we were here for with a nosy human hanging around.
I picked up the gold necklace from the dresser where I'd left it last night, fingering the delicate piece of jewelry as I studied the design. It was a symbol that I’d never seen before, finely crafted and definitely not new.
Isla might recognize the iconography, that was her field of expertise, not mine.
I shoved it into my pocket then zipped the padded coveralls halfway before stomping grumpily through the door and down the hall.
The dining room was half full, a few of us were guests, but I could tell that most of the patrons weren’t.
I was aware that the majority of residents were native, but there were also some fishermen that came from the mainland and were clearly Russian.
Their words drifted across the room and I knew that Isla was paying attention when I saw her head tilted.
She had a gift for languages and it helped that she’d had so long to work on learning them.
“Morning,” I said and her attention snapped to me.
“What happened last night?” She didn’t sound annoyed, just curious, and I pulled out my chair, sitting across from her and waving the waitress over.
“I had a hunch and followed it,” I replied, ordering a cup of coffee and an omelet, as Isla rested her hand on mine and I let her pick through my memories.
“That’s interesting.” Isla rested her elbows on the table and leaned closer. “Is she alone?”
“We won't know until we find her, but I don't think there's a local pack.” I’d done some basic research about the island before I left and there were no reports of wolves.
Lycans were used to keeping a low profile, but it was almost impossible to stay completely hidden.
Our food arrived and Isla picked at hers as I dug in; shifting and sex always made me ravenously hungry.
“I’m leaving this afternoon. Do you think you’ll be able to handle this on your own?” She slid her index finger over the rim of her porcelain tea cup and her posture relaxed.
“You’re worried about me? Come on.” I scoffed and she shrugged.
“We can’t lose you, Max. You know how hard it is to get lycans to join. Besides,” she paused and I would’ve given anything to be able to interpret her expression. “I’d be very upset if something happened to you.”
“Professionally?” I asked, needling.
“You know what I mean.” She leaned back in her chair and scrolled through her messages, indicating that the conversation was over.
“I want to hear you say it.” I was giving her shit; she knew it and shut me down.
“We’re not talking about that right now. This isn’t a vacation. We’re here for a reason — don’t forget that.”
“You weren't saying that last night,” I said and put up the wall again. She and I were friends and fuck buddies, that was it, and the sooner I accepted it, the sooner I could move on with my life.
A door opened behind the check in desk and Eileen entered. She was wearing a heavy coat and baggy overalls and her white hair was secured in a long braid. I got up and walked towards her, waiting for her to finish what she was doing before asking about the necklace.
“Good morning.”
“Morning Mr. Grayson, did you have a pleasant evening?”
“I did, thank you.” I paused, lowering my voice so the waitress couldn’t hear me, then held out my hand with the gold necklace displayed in my palm.
“Do you know who this belongs to?” It glimmered in the dim light and Eileen stared at it for a few beats, then shook her head.
I closed my fingers around it, one of the sharp points poking into my flesh as I gripped it tightly.
“It’s a lovely piece of jewelry, but I don’t recognize it. I can hold onto it if you’d like. Maybe the owner will show up looking for it. I know I’d be upset if I lost something like that.” She smiled, I thanked her, then returned to Isla.
“What’s going on?” Isla asked. I waited for Eileen to disappear again then dropped the necklace onto the table. Isla studied it for a few seconds, then picked it up, fingering the charm as her finger slid over the carved symbol.
“Do you know what this is?”
“Yes. Where did you find it?” I ignored her question and she hesitated, then set it on the table, then pointed at the symbol in the middle.
“This is an ancient rune, typically used to signify membership in a coven. The circle represents the earth, and each of the points shooting out, the members. This is the personal crest of the head of the coven.” Her fingernail slid delicately over each element as she described them.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Why?” she asked, then stared at me. “If you tell me where you picked it up, I can be more helpful.”
A group sat down next to us and I shoved the charm back into my pocket.
This discussion could wait until later. She leaned closer, resting her hand on mine.
I knew she could sense my frustration, my impatience.
It was easier for her, she could see the big picture while I was limited to a small part of the story.
I’d never expressed interest in being more than a field agent, but I couldn’t help but feel like there was something I was missing.
“Look, Max, we’re on the same team. If we work together on this, we can get this case wrapped up and move on.”
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to move on. The woman from last night intrigued me more than I wanted to admit. If she was a lone female, she would need me as much as I needed her.
“Are you finally going to tell me why we’re here or are you just using work as an excuse to get me alone in the middle of nowhere?” That lightened the mood and she laughed, finishing her tea and shaking her head.
“Patience, Max. There are some things you don’t want to know.”
I didn't like the way she said that, but left some cash on the table for the food and stood.
“Let's get this over with.”