Chapter Fourteen

 

 

She opened her eyes to find herself fully clothed and lying on Declyn’s chest.

“Hi.” Her voice was soft as she rubbed his chest.

“Hi.” His voice rumbled underneath her making her feel like she was home. “You fell asleep.”

She laughed, that was a pretty way of saying she passed out. The pleasure had been intense and the things she had seen. If it hadn’t happened to her, she wouldn’t have believed it.

“That’s some powerful ninja tricks you have there.” Her mouth quirked up in a smile.

“Ninja tricks?”

“Just take it as a compliment and say thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“See you can learn.”

He chuckled and closed his eyes.

“What’s going on here?”

She turned her head to see an officer standing over them. Declyn didn’t open his eyes, but his body language also didn’t change. She was going to take her cues from him and right now he wasn’t feeling threatened.

“Nothing officer, we’re just taking a break enjoying the sun and the wind.”

The officer looked around. “No picnic basket?”

“We weren’t planning on staying long.”

“What about him?”

“Wolf?”

He opened his eyes and grinned at her.

“We’re about to leave officer. Alpia’s day has been hard, I wanted to give her a chance to relax, but now we are going shopping. She wants to redo the bedroom. What she wants she gets. You understand?”

“Yeah, I do. Happy wife, happy life.”

“Yes.”

“Have a good day.”

“Has something happened around here?”

The officer stopped a debate was going on behind his eyes. “It depends on who you talk to. Not too long ago we had some trouble out here where a female killed herself several miles away. That should be the end of the story, but several people swear something dark is hunting the forest. They say you can’t see it, but it’s out here. No one believes them, but more and more stories are coming in.”

“Do you believe them?” Fire’s eyes were wide when she asked the officer.

“Sometimes when its dark and you’re quiet you can almost feel a presence breathing on your neck.” He shook himself. “Ignore me I read to many horror novels.”

She smiled at him. “I know what you mean. Stay safe.”

“I will. Take your woman shopping.” He waved at them and walked away.

She stood up and reached for the blanket as he watched her fold it before they started back to the car.

“What was that about?”

“I don’t really understand it. It may sound silly or strange.”

“I’d like to hear it anyway.”

She nodded as they got in the car and he took off.

“More than once when I was in the hallway outside my apartment door I thought something was standing behind me. I would turn around, but nothing was there. I would swear if only I could move faster I would be able to see it. I know it sounds strange, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. I had it the night I came to The Wolves Den. I thought it was Ron following me, but now I wonder.” She shrugged, “Probably nothing but an overactive imagination. Just like the pictures I paint.”

He gave a non-committal shake of his head. He might have been willing to believe her before she compared the feeling to the pictures she drew. Each one he had seen was a real planet with the real inhabitants being featured so whatever was happening here had the possibility of being real, as well as being something he never heard of before.

She looked up when he stopped the car.

“You were serious about letting me redo the bedroom?”

“Yes.”

“Can we pull the carpet up and replace it with wood?”

“There’s already wood under the carpet. I think you’ll love it.”

“Why did you put carpet over it?”

“One day I thought it was hard and it reminded me of being on the ship, stark with no feeling.”

“I’m sorry, we don’t have to pull it up.”

“Let’s try it, somehow I don’t think it will be hard, and stark with you around.”

“If you don’t like it well get more carpet pronto.”

“It’s a deal.”

They walked into the store and made their way to the section with bedroom furniture walking hand in hand. Fire found herself walking closer to Declyn the further they walked into the store.

He looked around, the eyes that were trained on her all turned away.

“What’s happening?” she whispered.

“You.” Declyn stopped a large man. “Why were you staring at my female?”

“I wasn’t staring at her.”

“I assumed it was innocent until you lied to me.”

“Let him go you brute, it’s not against the law to look.” The female was tiny but forceful.

“Maybe you will tell me why he was staring.”

“Some men came around with a picture of her and said she was being held against her will, except she doesn’t look like she’s being held against her will.”

“That’s because I’m not. Thank you for telling me. Those are probably the same men that blew the door off my balcony and killed my friend.”

“Sounds like you’re in trouble, especially since they offered a large reward for any information about you.”

“Of course, they did. They’ll never stop. We have to tell Detective Baker about this.”

“We will. Thank you for all your help.”

“You’re welcome, who knows we may meet again.”

“That was strange.”

“I’m beginning think it’s all been strange, starting with Deja finding us. Let’s get started shopping.”

They started with the bed frame and quickly went to pick out a mattress and box spring together. She had to laugh when a sales person made her way over to them. They must have bounced on one mattress to many.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“Sure, we’re designing a master bedroom from the floor up.”

That did it. The look on the saleswoman's face said they could bounce on any bed they wanted, twice. It took them about three hours, but when they left, she was sure they had everything they need for a great master bedroom.

“Are you sure it will all fit?”

“It will fit.”

“Fire, when I say run, run.”

She nodded.

“Run!” She took off towards the car which wasn’t parked that far away from them. She refused to turn her head and look for the threat she stayed focused on the car. She grabbed the door opening it. Her leg was in the car when she felt something enter her arm. Nausea rolled through her body as she tried to pitch herself forward enough to get into the car. Declyn caught her before she fell out and pulled her inside. He started the car still holding onto her doing a swift turn to make the door slam shut before he let her go and gunned the car in the direction of the man holding the rifle aiming at him.

The man flung himself to the side, but he clipped his leg before he turned around and left the parking lot.

“Enzo?”

“Declyn? Where the hell are you?”

“I’m coming in hot. Tell Tristan and Cait to be ready. They hit Fire with a tranq.”

“I’ll have them ready.”

Three mates three problems. He turned to look at her. Was it all coincidence or was there something bigger brewing underneath the surface. Two of the mates who were totally human turned into ancient beings who have not been seen in the galaxy for over a millennium. How was that possible? It was only two mates it wasn’t like it was an epidemic. Still, how did human females suddenly become more and why were they ignoring that fact?

How was Mia able to become half Kur’ik. There were lots of questions, but the answers were slow in coming. Cait was correct they didn’t know enough to string anything together, and he was going to have to wait. He hated waiting. They were waiting for him as he parked his car. He carried her into the building they used as the medical facility.

“What happened?”

“We were shopping for bedroom furniture when we went outside I saw the shine of a gun. Once I spotted one I saw the rest. Fire was hit just as she tried to get into the car. I don’t know who hit her, but I know where I’ll be going tonight.”

Enzo and Ven nodded. “I’m going alone.” He called out as he placed her on the bed in a room.

They just laughed at him.

“Never have a beta and his son, they’ll just make your life miserable.” He said it loud enough to make sure they heard him. They laughed harder.

Cait pulled out the tranq and squeezed it getting a drop of the liquid that went into her body.

She picked up a small tool and ran it over the drop and watched the readout.

“Tristan listen to her heart.”

“It’s too fast.”

Declyn watched as they filled a syringe and stuck it directly into her heart. He reared up, but Enzo and Ven were on either side of him.

“They’re saving her life. None us like their methods. Truly, I want them to develop methods we can all live with, but the last time I suggested that Cait rolled her eyes at me and told me my mate taught her how to do that.”

Declyn nodded and sat back down making his body loosen up.

“How’s she doing?”

“Much better I don’t think she'll need another shot.”

“Then we’ll monitor her until she comes around.”

“What was wrong?”

Cait turned to look at him, giving him her best doctor smile. The one that said everything is fine.

“I’m not completely sure what was in that syringe they mixed two or more sedatives together. I do know they were for large game making her heart rate spike without a counter agent she wasn’t going to make it. They obviously thought she was something other than human. They were wrong.

“I hurt.”

All heads turned to look at Fire as she tried to move.

“Don’t move you’ve just gone through a trauma.”

“What happened?”

“You were tranqed as you tried to get in the car.” He moved to her side holding her hand.

“Am I going to be fine?”

“Yes, your heartbeat is almost normal. Whatever they used seems to be burning off quickly.”

“Can I have some water?”

Tristan gave her a small glass. “Drink slowly.” She nodded and took small sips.

“I think I’m ready to try and stand.”

“You could stay here a while longer, and we’ll watch over you.”

“Thanks, Cait, but I feel the need to walk. I think that will help me more.”

“Human’s you never seem to want to take the advice of a doctor.”

“Yeah most of us are stubborn like that.” She sat up a wave of dizziness took over her body making her fall forward before Declyn caught her. Cait just looked at her.

“I know, but I’ll be okay.”

She stood leaning heavily on Declyn as she stood on her own two feet. “I promise if I don’t feel better I’ll come back.”

She walked out the door leaning on Declyn’s arm. He placed her in the car and drove her up the street until they reached the house.

“I want to lay down for a little while.”

He took her to the bedroom not leaving until she fell asleep.