Forbidden (5 page)

Alek had never been so glad to see that little red-and-black box. The emergency LED light tower from the rescue truck would give them plenty of light to work for at least five hours and more if they conserved. It would hopefully also keep the creature that attacked them, if it was still alive, at bay.

“We'd better get started before our muscles start to seize up,” Ray said heavily. “I'm not looking forward to pushing the cruiser all the way back to town, especially with a flat tire.”

“Pushing—?”

That's when it occurred to Alek. Their only option to clean up the scene was to put everything inside the police cruiser and Dani's car, including the remains of his motorcycle, and push them back to town.

“Bastard.”

Ray snorted. “He was, you know. Lenny's mom screwed her boss and wound up pregnant. The boss refused to acknowledge him and skipped out on support.” He paused. “But I never told you that.”

Alek laughed before bending down to pick up the pieces of the shattered headlight of his motorcycle. The sharp pain from the movement made him suck in a sudden breath. He'd almost forgotten the cracked rib and swollen hip until then.

It was going to be a long night.

 

CHAPTER 5

The scents of clean cotton, pine, and cinnamon brought Claire to slow, lazy consciousness. Her eyes flickered open. The ceiling above her was planked with hand-hewn boards stained the color of honey. She was definitely in a bedroom, not a hospital, but where? Tentatively stretching various muscles, she was surprised at the pain. She normally healed quickly, which told her the injuries had been severe. She was dressed in a long-sleeved, old-fashioned cotton gown with lace and tiny roses sprinkled on the white cloth. It was warm and comfy and would have been far too heavy for any time of year in Texas. But here and now it was perfect. She wanted to snuggle deeper under the quilt and try to sleep more. But no, it was time to get moving. No rest for the wicked.

She made the mistake of sitting up.

The sudden pain in her head was so intense that she had to struggle not to vomit. She put her hands to her temples with a gasp of shock and discovered a crown of gauze over veins that pulsed frantically. She lay back down and the pounding eased slightly.
Great. A concussion. Just what I didn't need to start this investigation.
The EMT couldn't have known or they wouldn't have let her sleep through the night. Or, they figured she was Sazi enough to get over it. Technically, that was true. But it wasn't going to be pretty.

Moving her head slowly, Claire looked around the room. Most of the furniture was handmade and there were personal touches scattered around the room, probably mementos of the owner's former life. A crystal sculpture of a unicorn threw rainbows of light across the polished floor, a Mets ball cap hung on a hook over the closet door, and a graduation announcement from Richmond Hill High in Queens was casually pinned to a corkboard mounted on one wall. There weren't any wolf packs in New York, and few cats. Probably birds.

She inhaled again, slow and deep, and listened closely. Whispers now beneath her feet, too low to make out. The fluffy, warm scent of owl down. She was probably at the Williams house, then. It was where she was supposed to stay, after all. She wished she knew how she'd gotten here. Or what had really happened last night. All she could remember was a hulking dark creature that could outrun a speeding car, and the star-filled black eyes of a wolf named Alek.

And oh, that smile, even a tired one. He must be a local, so she should be able to run into him again. She'd like to make a better second impression.…

Hello? Mind back in the game, Claire …

She wasn't sure whether that thought came from her pack leaders or her own mind, but it was true. She wasn't here for dating opportunities.

Showering was a pain in the tail with the bandages on but the moment she touched her head and arm, the pain told her they needed to stay until a healer looked her over. That left her hair, which was stringy and slightly pink below the snow-white gauze. She solved it by lathering floral shampoo into her palm and then balling her hair into her palm so she didn't pull on her scalp. It felt like there were stitches under the gauze but didn't know the extent of them. Rinsing the hair was tough without getting the bandages wet, but she managed. Sort of. The shampoo probably didn't rinse out completely, but oh well. At least it wasn't bloody anymore.

The short sleeves didn't hide the gauze wrapped around her bicep, snow white against her darkly tanned skin. But that was actually good, because they didn't press against them either. She tucked her Army knife in her back pocket, determined she'd keep it close while she was here. She was just trying to find a way to put on her shoes without bending over—because she'd discovered bending over brought back the sensation that she needed to upchuck—when there was a light knock on the door.

“Claire? Are you up yet?” It was Danielle.

“Just finishing dressing. Come on in.”

The door opened and Claire winced at the sight of her new friend's face. “Ouchie. That looks like it hurts.” Swollen nearly beyond recognition, Danielle's face looked almost grotesque. Her eyes were narrow slits. Several cuts on her forehead and cheek had been stitched, giving her a Frankenstein appearance.

The other woman shrugged the shoulder that wasn't in a sling. “It doesn't hurt as bad as it looks. The nurse said the swelling should go down in a day or two. Sounds like you got it worse than me.” Her scent bore out that Danielle wasn't in much pain but a burst of tangy fear made Claire raise her brows. The owl shifter carefully closed the door behind her. “What
was
that thing?” she asked in a whisper, like nobody was supposed to hear.

Claire shook her head, realized that too was a bad idea and then held up her hands, palms up. “Haven't a clue. I couldn't get a good look at it and for the life of me, Danielle, I couldn't smell a thing.” That was embarrassing to admit. She was a wolf and she couldn't
smell
an attacker? She felt heat in her face.

Danielle looked like she wanted to come farther into the room, to offer or receive some comfort, but was giving her guest careful space. Claire patted the bed next to her and the other woman nearly lunged forward and sat down, relief in her body and scent.

“Thanks for the clothes. I presume they're yours?”

Danielle smiled a tiny bit. “You're a little smaller than me, but luckily long jeans are in this year.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, and from the roiling scents in the air, it was obvious neither one knew where to start. Finally, Claire made the decision to be honest. She let out a small breath. “I was never more terrified in my life, Danielle. I'm still amazed I'm alive.”

Danielle nodded, tears beginning to brim her eyes. She hugged Claire gently. She was snuffling a little when she pulled away. “Me too. Oh, and call me Dani. Everyone does.” She paused for a long moment, as though trying to decide what to say. “Thank you.”

That took Claire aback. “For what?”

“It was at the driver's window and it grabbed my arm. I was the target, not you, and we both know it. But you grabbed the steering wheel—”

“And threw us in the ditch,” Claire said with chagrin. “I'm responsible for your face and shoulder, you know.”

Dani made a scoffing sound. “Girlfriend, what you're responsible for is throwing it off balance. I saw it face-to-face. Its teeth were as long as my forehead, and those eyes…” She shuddered visibly and suddenly smelled of fear. “I've never seen anything like it and I've hunted with nearly every species of Sazi. Trust me, flipping into the ditch was definitely better than the alternative.”

Claire breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been afraid Dani was going to blame her for the accident. Since she
was
to blame, it would be deserved. “Any news about your sister and brother?”

Dani shook her head sadly. “Nope. And Mama said people have been out searching every minute. I'm worried the police are going to give up soon. It's been four days now. They can't ask for help from the human police agencies, of course, 'cause what if the kids just happened to have their first change and they're in animal form out there? Owls aren't known for mimicking speech.”

That seemed unlikely. “It would take a heck of an alpha to shift without help on a first change. Have either of them shown any signs of alphic abilities?”

Dani shook her head, then let out a little laugh. “Well, Kristy
does
run around in circles flapping her arms in the backyard every day. Does that count?”

Missing kids were no laughing matter, but Claire understood the need to relieve tension so she chuckled as well. “Who knows? Maybe she's up in a tree right now, looking down at the house, and she can't change back until the next full moon.”

“Hope so. I really do.” They sat in silence for a moment, until Dani slapped her palms on her thighs. “Well, we need to get going. I want to join the searchers. Are you ready to meet Mama?”

As ready as I'll ever be
. “Sure. Hopefully, there's something to eat downstairs. I could really use some protein.”

Dani's mouth turned up on one side and then she mock-whispered. “Never say you're hungry around Mama. She'll fill your belly so full you won't be able to walk.” Sunny citrus filled the air to blend with the cinnamon and pine.

A woman's voice drifted up from below their feet. “Did I hear someone say they're hungry?”

Claire started at the coincidence. Dani gave her a mock punch in the arm and stood up. “See? Mama can hear that word a mile away.”

Had she really heard it? Had the woman heard everything Claire and Dani had just said? She'd have to remember that for the future. She put on a smile that hopefully hid her worry.

“Always hate to disappoint the cook of the house.” Claire followed slowly as Dani leaped and bounced down the stairs as though she hadn't been in a car wreck the night before. Claire wasn't so lucky. Looking down the stairs made her head spin. But moving slow gave her a chance to look around.

The house was roomy and well-lit by skylights and tall picture windows. Whoever built it was quite a carpenter, based on the elaborate carving on the bannister rails and overhead beams. Flowering plants were set on ledges and tables in nearly every sunny spot in the front room, filling the space with wonderfully complementary scents. Bright, abstract art dotted the walls. Claire could actually imagine herself being happy here if circumstances were different.

“Mama! Our new sis is up and around. Come meet Claire!” Dani grabbed the end cap of the bannister with her good hand and in a practiced move, pivoted around it to land on the long runner rug next to the staircase. A few quick steps took her out of Claire's sight, into a room that was likely the kitchen, given the scent of bacon and eggs emanating from it. Claire's stomach growled audibly.

Following the same path very slowly to avoid her head spinning, Claire found herself in a large kitchen. The only occupant other than Dani was a woman at the stove who turned her head to look at the newcomer. She tried to smile but her eyes were swollen from too many tears. Still, she was doing her best to be welcoming and kind. “I'm sorry Danielle woke you up, Claire. You need your rest after that wreck. I'm Asylin, by the way. I think we talked on the phone. It's nice to finally meet you.”

Claire shrugged, a little embarrassed to be imposing on the family at such a difficult time. “It's okay. Really. I was already up and showered when Dani knocked. It's nice to meet you too, and I'm sorry to hear about what happened. Please don't do anything special or treat me like a guest. If you need to be doing things, do them. If you need
me
to do something, just tell me. Honest. I'll do anything I can to help out.” She meant it too. Her goal wasn't to be an imposition on a family struggling to find their kids. Sitting down in the nearest chair, one of many set around a large kitchen table, she decided to just blend in and watch how things played out.

Asylin turned back to the stove and flipped the bacon, not saying anything but nodding slightly. Claire could tell she was crying from the wet scent of sorrow that drifted across the room, stronger than even the bacon, but the worried mother was trying not to let anyone notice. Dani saw it too. She stood up and rushed across the room to embrace her mother from behind with her good arm. “We'll find them, Mama. We will. They're out there. They're just waiting for us to find them.” Asylin reached one hand back to stroke her daughter's hair and bent over slightly, her back shaking with quiet sobs. Dani started sobbing as well.

Claire felt her own eyes tearing up. “And they're praying to God that you'll keep looking. That you'll
never stop looking
.” Claire was surprised at the force of her own words, and when the other two women turned and stared at her with something close to alarm, she felt her face burn. “I'm sorry, Mrs. Williams. That was uncalled for. It's not my place to butt in.”

To her surprise, Asylin broke away from Dani and rushed across the room to kneel in front of her chair. The older woman put a firm hand on each of her shoulders and looked her in the eye with embarrassment and worry plain in her scent. “Claire, you have nothing to be sorry about.
I'm
the one who's sorry. I shouldn't be throwing these kind of emotions in the air at you. Not with your history. I promise. We won't stop looking. I swear it.”

With my history?
Claire believed her promise but wasn't sure why she'd phrased it the way she had. At least, not until her Alpha female whispered in her mind with an accompanying throb in her temples.
I had to tell her,
niña.
She had to know about your past in case something you saw there triggered another episode.