Bonded (25 page)

And I’ve bowed
to your will. But if you are my Alpha, then you are not fulfilling
your duty. An Alpha should provide all that is needed to keep its
pack happy.

Reno nodded
again
.

Well, a mate is
needed to keep me happy yet you do nothing!

We’ve had sex.
Reno rolled his eyes hardly able to believe he was even having this
conversation. He hated it when his wolf tried to be clever.

Over two years
ago.
The wolf pointed out with a huff.

Reno winced. It
had been a long time but other females didn’t seem to appeal to him
anymore
.

And sex is not
the point. Finding a mate is. One was present; a good mate. Why did
you let the female leave? If we are alone, it’s your own fault.
It’s like the man said to you. “He who hesitates...”
The wolf
smirked at him and Reno scowled.

We’re alone
because of you, he pointed out. If you weren’t so strong, a near
rogue that’s ready to fly off the handle—

Only because
you give me no freedom! And I’ve improved. You said so yourself.
And if we had a mate at our side to help—

The screaming of
the hawk broke into their conversation and both stopped to watch
the bird swoop down in an attempt to catch its prey. This time the
bird was unlucky and flew up with empty claws.

See, Reno pointed
out. You don’t always get what you want.

But at least
you should try. If you never make an attempt, you’ll always wonder,
always be alone.

Reno sighed. The
creature would never understand the complexities of the real world.
Life wasn’t that simple. Rising to his feet, he headed back to
Lycan Link.

“Nice of you to
join us, Smith. I hope I’m not interfering with your personal
plans?” Captain Fielding gave him an annoyed look as he slid into
the meeting room. He’d totally lost track of the time and was late
for their weekly meeting.

“Sorry, sir.” Reno
took his usual seat and began to flick through the pile of papers
on the table in front of him.

The captain
cleared his throat and continued. “As I was saying, our latest plan
to flush out the Purists’ leader will have to be revamped—”

Reno jerked his
head up and gave the man a sharp look. “But last night you
said—”

“That was last
night. Today’s a different story.” The Captain hesitated and then
sighed. “I guess I can’t keep it from you any longer.”

“Keep what?”
Damien leaned forward as did several of the other team members.

“There’s a leak
inside Headquarters.”

The news caused a
general rumbling to ensue and it was some time before the captain
could regain control of the group. “We’ve been suspicious for a
while now. Every time we’re close to finding the leader, he slips
away. Someone has to be tipping him off and the information has to
be coming from inside our organization.”

“Proof?” Reno
barked out the question. Something was off about this; he could
sense it, but what?

“I’m not at
liberty to reveal that yet, Reno.”

Reno and the
captain stared at each other for a long moment. The older man’s
gaze was steady, his chin lifted ever so slightly. Slowly, Reno
nodded. “All right. I’ll accept that. For now.”

Tension was thick
in the air between them and the rest of the team shifted in their
chairs, eyes darting between the two leaders. Captain Fielding was
the equivalent of their Alpha while Reno was like their Beta in the
pseudo pack. A power struggle between the leaders made everyone
uneasy. Packs thrived on stability.

Without looking
away, the captain concluded the meeting. “Until we can find the
source of our leak, there will be no more missions to search out
the Purists’ leader. This unit is on stand-by and can view the next
few weeks as an unofficial vacation. Dismissed.”

Chairs slowly
scraped back as if the Lycans were reluctant to leave.

“I’ll talk to you
later, men.” Reno spoke in a casual tone but his unit understood.
They filed out in silence, though several cast speculative looks
from him to the captain.

The captain’s
nostrils flared as the Lycans seemed to obey Reno more readily than
they did him. As the door shut behind the last Enforcer, he exhaled
loudly. “You have a bone to pick with me, Reno?”

“Maybe.” Reno
leaned back in his chair. “Something is off. You’re not telling the
whole story. Why?”

“Because we don’t
know where the leak is coming from. Everyone is under suspicion.
Me. You. The other Enforcers. Computer technicians. Office staff.
The DC officers.” He ran his hands through his hair. “If I say
anything more the informant might run or go underground for a time,
only to re-emerge at a later date.”

Reno weighed the
facts. It made sense but he didn’t like it. “As I said before, I’ll
accept that for now but as leader of the squad, I’d like to be kept
apprised of any developments.”

“As much as I’m
allowed, I’ll keep you informed.”

Reno stood up and
headed towards the door.

“And Reno?”

“Yes, sir?” He
paused and looked at the captain.

“I can still whip
your butt and will do it if you pull a stunt like that again. Don’t
challenge me.”

“I’ll keep that in
mind...sir.”

He left the
office, closing the door quietly behind him. Stupid move, he
chastised himself. Why had he made a show in front of the others?
It made sense that Fielding wouldn’t spill the beans to everyone,
so why question the man?

Reno rubbed his
neck and narrowed his eyes. Fielding irritated him. As a matter of
fact almost everyone irritated him lately. He loved being an
Enforcer, yet... Glancing about the building, he noted the bland
utilitarian office decor, the murmur of voices as people went about
their jobs. He was sick of it. Maybe he needed a vacation, some
time away. He wondered where Brandi had gone, but quickly dismissed
the idea. Following her on vacation would put him in the creep
category.

He walked down the
hallway mulling over possible destinations. The team was on
stand-by. If he stayed close by...

“Hey, Reno!” Brad
and Jenny were standing near a computer. “Come look at this.”

Not really wanting
to, he wandered over, pasting a politely interested look on his
face. “What’s up?”

“Look at these
pictures from Brandi’s party. Aren’t they great?” Jenny pushed a
button and a slideshow began to run on the computer screen. Brandi
laughing. Brandi opening a present. Brandi hugging Al...

He could feel a
growl rising in his throat and fought to keep it under control.
There was nothing between Al and Brandi. After all, hadn’t the man
just been urging him to go after her?

“Nice pictures.”
Reno forced the words out. “But I’ve got some errands to run right
now.” With a casual wave, he walked away as quickly as possible and
headed towards the gym. Maybe a good workout would help. He doubted
it, but it was that or start a fight with someone and in the mood
he was in right now, it wouldn’t bode well for his opponent.

Chapter
16

Several days
later...

The distant
rumble of thunder echoed through the otherwise silent streets of
Kolding’s Pass. An evening storm had just left off drenching the
small town and water still dripped from every surface while puddles
dappled the dirt road. It was a full moon but the thick clouds
racing across the sky obscured much of the silvery light. Shadows
shifted and swayed, twisting the usually familiar shapes of houses
and shrubs into strange and unnatural objects.

A gust of wind
blew past and Brandi shivered as yet another shower of cold water
drops fell on her, further plastering her hair to her head before
sliding down her face and neck. The ground was slippery with mud
and she cursed under her breath as she skidded yet again, her foot
sliding into another puddle. Already her shoes and socks were
soaked, squishing uncomfortably with every step she took.

For all that it
was a hot dry summer back at Lycan Link, that was half a continent
away. Kolding’s Pass was being plagued by a rainy spell, and nights
in the mountains were cool enough without the added discomfort of
wet clothing. She finally gave up on retaining her human form in
favour of the warm fur of her wolf. The air shimmered around her as
she shifted and then a contented sigh escaped her as the
uncomfortable cold and dampness faded away. Her thick fur coat
repelled most of the water and the higher animal metabolism negated
the effects of the night air.

Unfortunately,
nothing could be done about the state of the ground. Mud oozed
between her toes, cold and slimy. She gave each paw a shake and
whined with annoyance before carefully continuing on her way,
peering into the shadows and testing the air. After being away for
so many years, Brandi wasn’t as confident as she’d once been
walking the back alleys of her home town and picked her way along,
trying to be as quiet as possible. Most of the pack was out for the
lunar run and so, supposedly, was she except for the fact that
she’d doubled back.

Something was
wrong in Kolding’s Pass and she had her suspicions as to what it
was. A little investigating while everyone was out of the way
should prove or disprove her theory.

Her homecoming
had started out well. Everyone had been surprised to see her—she’d
given them no warning of her arrival, not wanting anyone to
fuss—and her aunt and cousins had greeted her with hugs and kisses,
questioning her about her ‘exciting career’ at Lycan Link. A few
old friends stopped by to show off their families and inquire how
she was. Yes, that had all gone as she’d expected, but several long
time residents were missing and others who used to be friendly
seemed to be purposely avoiding her.

Kolding’s Pass
was unique in that the entire settlement was Lycan. A hundred years
ago it had been a thriving mining town but the boom days of the
coal mines were long past. Economic downturns caused by the
dwindling coal output, combined with the youth moving away to
larger urban centres, had changed the once thriving community into
little more than a ghost town. Slowly, Lycans filtered into the
area drawn by the secluded location. They took over what remained
of the mining operation, eking out a living from the few existing
coal deposits. Now, the only humans in the area were those that had
mated with werewolves and were considered part of the pack.

Or at least
they used to be.

Padding down
the gravel strewn alley, Brandi pondered yet again why Mrs.
Channing hadn’t stopped to talk to her yesterday when she’d called
out her name. And where was her mate, Peter? Their pups were
suspiciously absent as well. Several others who were mated to
humans were also unusually aloof or missing altogether. When Brandi
asked her aunt, the woman had simply changed the subject.

There was a
sinking feeling in her stomach that her pack had been taken over by
Purists and she thought she knew how it had happened. While she’d
yet to talk with Victor, the new Alpha, a sense of his presence
seemed to be everywhere. An underlying tension filled the air, as
if everyone were on guard less they break some unspoken rule.

For one thing,
the hierarchy of the pack was more rigid than it had been when
Brandi had lived there. Her aunt was bowing to Mrs. Srigley across
the street while Mrs. Pearson next door seemed to cower in her
presence. And her young cousins were spouting off about the wisdom
of the ancient ones and how Lycans were growing soft, forgetting
their heritage. It brought chills to her spine just listening to
them talk, with fanatical pride, of all the ways Lycans are
superior to humans.

And so here she
was, creeping through the back alleys, searching out Alice and
Peter Channing’s house in the hopes of getting some answers.

She carefully
nudged the back gate open with her muzzle, wincing as it squeaked
faintly. Holding her breath, she waited a beat but nothing stirred
in response to the noise. Why she was worried, she couldn’t
say—after all the pack was out for a run—but something was telling
her to be cautious and over the years she’d learned to heed that
inner voice.

With utmost
care, she slipped through the small opening and made her way across
the backyard. The grass was in need of cutting and the once famous
flower beds looked weed infested and neglected. Except for a small
light coming from the kitchen, the house appeared empty but that
couldn’t be the case. Mrs. Channing hadn’t been at the run and on a
night like this, where else would she be except at home?

Rising on her
hind legs, Brandi rested her front paws on the window ledge and
peeked inside but saw nothing except her own reflection looking
back at her. Cocking her ears, she picked up faint sounds of
movement, the creak of a floor board, shuffling steps. Someone was
inside.

Dropping down
onto all fours, she shifted forms and approached the backdoor,
hoping Mrs. Channing would be more welcoming now than she’d been
earlier on. Perhaps the whole incident had been her imagination.
Maybe the woman hadn’t heard her yesterday. But then again, Mrs.
Channing was a werewolf with excellent hearing. And she was mated
to a human.

Deciding
nothing was to be gained by hesitating, Brandi knocked on the
backdoor, glancing nervously over her shoulder as she waited for a
response. She could swear someone was watching her but her senses
led her to believe otherwise; there was no sound, no scent, no sign
of movement save the windblown trees.

Come on, girl.
Get a grip, she chided herself and shifted her attention back to
the door. Just as she raised her hand to knock again there was the
scraping sound of the lock being turned. Brandi held her breath as
the door opened a crack.

Through the
slim opening, she made out Mrs. Channing’s face. Worry lines marred
the once cheerful visage and grey liberally streaked the woman’s
hair.