Deuce (Swamp Desires Book 1) (5 page)

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Deuce

After I leave my brothers, I head in the direction of where the wolf and woman went. Last I saw, the woman climbed up on the wolf’s back and they ran off. She must be taking her to the main road about five miles from here. On two feet, that would be quite a journey, but the wolf is on four paws and has an extra load on its back, although the wolf’s size is astounding. I do not believe I have ever seen a wolf the same size as a full grown tiger. It is just a beautiful creature, with white fur and dark eyes.

Most normal sized wolves are about the size of a large dog, but this wolf is so different from a normal wolf. From this distance, I can tell that the wolf is a female, just by her scent. I swear I have smelled that scent before. It is so familiar to me and yet, it is new as well. And then it dawns on me where I have smelled that smell before. I smelled it this morning when I went checking out that new houseboat. Honeysuckle and cinnamon. That scent just goes straight to my bones deep inside of me, and attaches itself to my soul. It awakens something deep that is hidden within me. Something that I am hoping I am ready for. That something is hope. Hope for a future; a future with love and laughter.

I follow behind them at least a mile, so the wolf does not smell me. Thankfully, the wind is blowing in the other direction, so my scent does not reach her. The woman clings to the wolf’s back. I can hear her sobbing and talking to herself. Poor thing. From what I can hear, no woman should have to go through what she has been through. The wolf stops momentarily for a minute before she continues on. She looks back over her shoulder, looking for something. I wonder if she senses me and realizes that she is being followed.

I watch and follow at a safe distance. The woman’s sobs have stopped and now, she is saying how she is going to take back her life. That is one courageous woman there. After all she has gone through, just this night, she has the determination to go on. Most woman would crumble and fall, but this woman has an inner spirit that shines from within her. I knew that there was a sex trafficking problem in the area, but I never realized how close it was to home. This has to be stopped, and stopped now.

When I get home I will talk to my brothers and get the Mackenzie’s in on it as well. Together we can put a stop to it once and for all. I still find it hard to believe that this problem is in my home town. But my brothers and I stay to ourselves, and rarely do we socialize with anyone from town. So, it does not surprise me that this is going on. I know it will not be an easy process; we will have to do a lot of digging and searching. It will take some time, but we can do it.

I watch as they have reach the main road. The woman gets off the wolf’s back and kneels down and hugs her. A car approaches and the woman steps out close to the road to get their attention. The car stops and a woman gets out and talks with her. After talking for a few minutes, they both get into the car and leave. The wolf is hiding behind a bush, watching the whole thing. She never takes her eyes off the woman she has carried.

Once the woman is gone and the car is nowhere to be seen, the wolf slowly turns around and heads back in the direction of the swamp. I wonder where she is going. There is only one way to find out. I will keep following her and see where she leads me. She moves at a slow and steady pace. Always looking back over her shoulder; looking to see the one who is following her. But I am staying well hidden from her line of sight. I do not want to reveal myself to her just yet. When she has reached the end of her journey, then I will reveal myself, but not just yet.

She travels for a few miles then the clearing appears in front of her. I watch as she approaches it cautiously and slowly. She senses something is near, but she cannot see it. I can sense the same thing as well. Something is going to happen in this clearing. Some type of meeting of sorts, but I cannot sense any danger on the air. Just a presence that is very familiar and known to me. The presence, it almost has the same signature as Skylar, but I cannot be too sure. Why would Skylar come here? She is a force unto herself, and no one questions why she does things anymore. She has a greater purpose now. I have witnessed many times over the past few months, her just delivering messages to people, messages from God. Since she came out of her coma, she has this all-knowing power now. Let me tell you, it freaks us all out sometimes. She knows things before they even happen. It is just freaky as hell.

The wolf stops in the middle of the clearing and looks all around her. She seems to be calm and not worried. A shimmering light floats around her, but I do not think that the wolf can see that. Whatever that light is, is not letting the wolf know about it just yet. The wolf sits down and waits patiently. What she is waiting for, I have no clue. Then suddenly, a figure starts to take shape in front of the wolf.

That figure appears and I am blown away. What is she doing here? Is she delivering another message? What could she possibly have to say to the wolf? She looks dead at me and smiles. She knows I am following her and is not going to let on to my presence. She looks down to the wolf and smiles. I can hear buzzing. They must be talking in their minds, because Skylar’s lips are not moving at all. I can tell that she is talking to the wolf. Skylar has all kinds of powers, talking to people or animals in their heads is just one of them. For a moment the wolf bows her head at Skylar and then lifts it back upright. She never loses eye contact with her either. She is watching her body language and any movements that she may make. The wolf seems to be on high alert, but I can sense that she is not threatened by Skylar.

After they are done talking, the wolf stays put for a few minutes. Probably just catching her breath and resting her legs for a few minutes. Skylar disappears, but, then she appears behind me, startling me.

“Hello, Deuce,” she says.

“Well, hello there, Skylar. What brings you here this evening?” I ask.

“I am here to give a message to that wolf. Now that I have delivered it, I need to tell you something since you are here.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“Well, that wolf over there is very special. She has been around for one hundred years now. Since the time you and your brothers were made into shifters. Both of you share the same purpose. But, she is different. Her other purpose is to keep the Catholics in line. She is, indeed, a legend that has been around for a very long time down here.”

“Is she the ‘rougarou’?”

“Yes, she is. But she is the only one of her kind. Until she has children of her own someday. Then she will pass along her gift to her children. But, she will always remain what she is. I need you to keep an eye on her. She is in danger from a group of Catholic fanatics, who have figured out who and what she is. They are bound and determined to destroy her. You cannot let that happen. For your fates are weaved together. She is your destiny, Deuce.”

“Are you sure that she is my destiny? I know I should not question you, but what you are saying is ringing true in my soul right now. I feel that she is a part of me, somehow. Since I smelled her this morning, my beast has been quiet. Her scent is somehow calming him.”

“Yes, I am sure of this. She is your future,” she states.

“I will keep an eye on her, I promise.”

With that, Skylar disappears and goes back home. She has delivered her messages that she needed to deliver. And what a message she has given me. I think I knew, deep in my soul, that the wolf was my destiny. Now whether I have wanted to accept it, that is a different story. I have always said that I want a love of my own, but now that I know it is possible, am I sure I want it? Oh well, it’s now or never, right? Why pass up on a chance at love? I do not think I could pass this opportunity up, even if I wanted to.

The wolf starts heading in the direction of the swamp, toward the road that leads to the camps and houseboats along the bayou. I slowly catch up to her, but still stay far enough behind her. Man, is it freaking hot as hell tonight. Damn. I wish I was back in the water. I think after I am done following her, I will take a swim home. She moves along the side of the road, careful of any cars that may be coming down the road. But at this time of night, no one is coming down the road. They are all asleep. So it is just the two of us. She jumps over huge rocks and fallen tree branches along her way. She reaches the fork in the road. The left side takes you to my home and a few camps, the right takes you down the bayou where there are more camps and many, many houseboats, including hers. She takes the fork to the right. She still stays on the side of the road. Once she approaches her houseboat, she hides behind a tree.

Hmm, interesting. I wonder if she is waiting for me to appear. I can see shimmering around that tree she is hiding behind. I bet she is changing into human form. Good. We will meet in human form. If we were to meet in animal form, my beast would surely scare her wolf. I take sure slow steps toward the tree. Once I am a few feet from the tree, I stop. I wait to see if she is going to come out of her hiding spot.

She slowly emerges from behind the tree. She stands straight and tall and looks me dead in the eyes. She has to be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. My heart falls to the ground. Instantly, I feel the pull toward her. The pull is so strong and overpowering. I move a little closer and so does she. I can see the shock in her eyes. She has to feel the pull like I do. That is the only reason for the shock in her eyes. For the first time in my life, I feel I have found peace. I have found my other half. I will do whatever I have to, in order for this woman to be a part of my life. Anything. She is my future. I know it now.

“Who are you? Why have you been following me?” she asks.

Her voice sounds like honey and goes straight to my cock. “My name is Deuce Monroe. My brothers and I own the swamp tour business down the way. I have been following you—well, honestly, I am not sure why, other than I needed to make sure that the woman made it to safety. And to make sure you made it home safely,” I stumble.

She sighs, and inhales a breath and then lets it out before she speaks. “I am Adele Boudreaux. Thank you for making sure that the woman and I were safe. I could feel your presence the entire time, but I could not see you. You kept yourself hidden and your scent shielded from me. That is very clever of you. So I am not the only one around here that has a secret. It seems that we share a common purpose.”

“Yes, I have a secret. But, I am afraid that you know my secret, so it is not a secret anymore. Yes, we do share a common purpose. I think that it would be wise for us to join forces and work together. We could help so many more people that way. Plus, it would give me a chance to get to know you better,” I say sneakily.

She tilts her head to the side and looks at me. But she is looking at my soul within me. Her eyes can see right into my soul. I can feel it. I don’t know how, but she is looking at my soul. We stand in silence for a few minutes while she contemplates her answer.

I walk up to her and caress her face with my fingers. “You are so beautiful. Your beauty should be a crime. But your beauty comes from deep within you. Because, from this moment on, I cannot walk away from you. Please tell me I am not dreaming. For, I know in my soul that you are the one meant for me and me alone.”

“For some reason, what you are saying should scare me, but it does not. In fact, it gave me goose bumps along my body. My wolf recognizes you as hers, so I do not think that I could walk away from you either. For, I never believed in love at first sight until I saw you tonight. You have to be the sexiest man I have ever laid my eyes upon. Your hair is just begging for me to run my fingers through it. It is taking everything in me to not give in to that,” she replies, hardening my cock even more than it already is.

“I know you are the one for me, so I will not rush this. But it will take every ounce of strength I have. We will take our time and get to know each other. I have a feeling that we will be together forever. I do not want to force you or push you into this. Just know that I will give you all the time that you may need. But know that I will come see you every day until you are mine. I will not rest until I have you in my heart, mind, soul, and my bed forever. You are the best of me. You keep the beast calm,” I admit.

“If my wolf could purr at what you just said, she would be purring right now. I feel the same way you do, but I agree. We need to take this slow. We need time to get to know each other. We are two different types of shifters. We do not know if our animals will work well together or not. I look forward to seeing you each day and getting to know the man and beast in you.”

“I guess it is goodnight for now. I will see you tomorrow sometime. But please, think about us working together. There is a huge problem going on in this town that I was not aware of until tonight, and it needs to be stopped. I would love your help in this. Goodnight, Adele.”

“Goodnight, Deuce. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I think working with you will be a good thing.”

She turns around and heads to her houseboat. I wait until she is inside before I head for home. Before she goes inside, she turns back and smiles and waves at me. She goes in and I can hear her lock the door behind her. Now that I know she is safe, I walk toward home. I walk slow, just taking the night’s events in. Once I get home, I see that Pierre is sitting on the porch waiting on me.

“Man, I thought I said not to wait up for me. That I did not know how long I was going to be,” I scold. 

“I know, but I needed to talk to you. I have already talked about this with Sebastien and Alexandre. It has come to our attention that there is a sex trafficking issue. We need to band together and find the heart of the problem and stomp it out. It is our duty to protect the innocent,” he says.