Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) (16 page)

“I love you,” he murmured as he pulled away to breathe.  “And no woman will ever have me the way you do, Lou.  I swear it on my life these lips will never kiss anyone else ever again.  I promise.”

“I love you too,” Louisa nearly sobbed as she hugged her arms around his neck.  “I choose you, Greg.  Be my mate.”

“I was your mate before you even asked,” he chuckled happily.  He pressed a noisy kiss against her jaw and sighed.  “My Lou.”

Nothing could ruin the happiness that Louisa felt in that moment.  Greg’s arms stayed securely around her as they held onto one another in the middle of a snowy sidewalk in sleepy little Kadenburg.  For a split second everything seemed to be normal.  She forgot about the danger they would surely face in the near future; she didn’t think about everything they’d been through in the last few months; the pain her heart felt over losing her mate-to-be even lessened.....but when a familiar scent hit her nose, she was pulled out of her sweet fantasy.

“Greg.” She pulled away and stared at him with wide eyes.

“What’s wrong, Lou?  What is it?”

She inhaled deeply and the stench burned her lungs as she swallowed hard.  She looked one way and then the other before meeting his eyes again.

“Greg, I saw something earlier and told Davey Berdine, but he says-”

“Wait.” Greg’s body visibly tensed as his nostrils flared.  He could smell it too.  As his eyebrows drew together and his lips curved into a frown, something twisted in Louisa’s chest.  She was afraid of what he was about to say but she somehow knew the words he spoke were coming.  “Amber’s still here,” he whispered.  “And she’s hurt.”

“S
tay quiet.” Greg whispered as he pulled Louisa against the nearest building wall and watched the two men pass by.  They were merely human-their scents said that much.  However, the stench on their skin infuriated Greg.  They reeked of dead blood and that blood happened to belong to Amber.  It was really weird how he could decipher blood by its owner.

He could hear Louisa’s heartbeat loud and clear as he attempted to keep his ears focused on the conversation happening between the two men.  He needed to know what they were saying.

“I’ll be glad to go home for a few days.” The taller male said to the shorter one as they crossed the street and stopped near a light blue Escort.  It was one of the junkiest cars Greg had ever seen in his life-but it would be easier to remember, now wouldn’t it?

“My old woman will beat my ass if I’m not home in time for turkey and the whole shebang.  I sure do hope Mr. C lets us have a few days off to be with our families.”

Mr. C?
  Greg glanced at Louisa and gave her a questioning look.  Did the C stand for what he thought it stood for?

“Damn, man.  I tell you what,” the shorter male snickered.  “I just can’t wait to get me some fine ass.  I haven’t gotten laid since this job started and it’s high time Murray has a Merry Christmas, if you know what I mean?”

They shared a laugh and Greg rolled his eyes.  He didn’t care about their personal business.  He just wanted to know what they’d done to Amber and how they were involved with this ‘Mr. C’.  Nausea made itself known as it bubbled up his throat and he swallowed it back down.  Just because he wasn’t interested in dating Amber didn’t mean he wanted her to die. 

“Get in the car, Ray.  Let’s go get this over with so we can get outta here and get paid.  I’m ready to go home.” Murray muttered as he opened the driver’s door and got in.

Murray and Ray.  Those sounded like perfect names for two morons.  Greg’s nostrils flared as he felt Louisa nudge his arm.  He glanced at her again and she nodded her head in their direction. 

He quirked an eyebrow.

‘Let’s follow them’.  She mouthed.

Greg could’ve said no.  He could’ve told her that it was insane to do and way too dangerous, but this was Louisa and she was just as stubborn as any other she-bear he’d met in his lifetime.  When a she-bear decided to do something she would do it; the plain and simple facts of life.

She was fast as she moved through the woods and they easily kept up with the clunker of a car as it sputtered and backfired while making its way down the icy main road of Kadenburg.  Greg could still smell Amber’s scent and no matter what she’d done or how close she came to costing him Louisa, he prayed he would pick up on her heartbeat.  Even if she was his ex-girlfriend and a little on the crazy obsessive side, she still had a family that cared about her and Greg knew how devastating it could be for a family to think something bad had happened to their loved one.  His own family came to mind as he imagined his mother anticipating a funeral rather than a reunion.  He wouldn’t put anybody else through that if he could help it.

“Slow down!” Greg called out through clenched teeth as he leapt over a fallen log and dashed after Louisa.  Even with his added wolf abilities she was still as fast as lightning.  He dodged around a tree and finally made it to her side.  “What are we going to do if she’s still alive, huh?”

“I haven’t really thought that far ahead,” Louisa replied as she glanced at him briefly. “Hey, watch out!” She shoved him to the side and Greg stumbled awkwardly.  He barely missed the tree branch that was weighted down by snow. 

“Thanks, Lou.” He grinned.  And then they were off again, leaving nothing but a high tail of snow in their wake as they chased after the two men who worked for ‘Mr. C.’

“You heard what they said, right?” Greg asked as they stopped near the river and watched the men observantly as they parked near the guardrail.  “Some guy named Mr. C.”

“I heard that,” Louisa nodded as she placed a hand against the tree she was standing behind and peered around it.  “Do you think it’s him?”

Greg released a low growl as his skin tingled.  He hated the thought of Breslin Connor being behind something like this but it made sense.  Maybe that’s why they couldn’t smell any other wolves in the area as of late; they had humans working for them and it was throwing everybody off their trail.  What clever bastards.

“Look,” Louisa turned around to peer up at him.  “Even if it
is
him we won’t let him hurt Amber, okay?  If she’s still alive...” she bit her lower lip. “We’ll save her from this.”

Just when Greg didn’t think it was possible to fall more in love with Louisa, she proved him wrong; she was willing to save the girl she’d seen kissing him.  She was definitely different from all the females he’d met in his lifetime.  She was beautiful, perfect, and selfless.  She made him want to be the best man he could possibly be.

“You’re amazing.” Greg observed as he leaned down to press a kiss against her full lips.  He couldn’t help himself.  He could hear the men’s boots crunching in the snow as they made their way down the hill, but all he could think about doing at the moment was tasting the honey flavored lips of his girl. 
His
Louisa.

“Mmm...later,” Louisa promised breathlessly as she gently pushed him away.  “We’ve got to find Amber.”

Damn it.  She was right.  Greg sucked cold air into his lungs and focused on the men again as they stopped near the bank and he saw the limp body they were carrying.  That
had
to be Amber.

“For such a tiny thing she sure is heavy.” Ray muttered as he removed his ball cap to scratch at his balding scalp.

“Maybe you’re just getting old,” Murray teased as he pulled a blade from his coat pocket and stared at it.  “So how are we going to do this?”

Greg’s eyes zoned in on the blade and his blood began to boil.  Just what the hell
did
they intend to do with that knife?

“He said to make it messy,” Ray nodded.  “So I say we take out her innards and spread ‘em around.  Make it look real ugly, you know? He said to get the message across.”

“Message?” Louisa asked in a low whisper.

“Shhh.” Greg pressed his index finger to his lips as his eyes fell upon Amber’s body again.  She had to be alive.  He strained to hear her heartbeat over the rushing water of the river, but to no avail. 

“Well I guess we just open up her stomach and take out what we can manage.  Do you need some gloves? I think I brought some.” Ray spoke casually.  He said that as if he’d done this before.  Had he?

“Nah.  She seems like a clean girl.  Real purty too, ain’t she?  It’s a shame she’s gotta go out like that.”

Greg heard the small scoff that left Louisa’s lips and when he glanced at her he couldn’t help but to wonder what was going through her mind.

Soon enough.
  He told himself. 
We’ll be connected and I’ll be able to hear everything that runs through her mind.

What a wonderful thought that was.  Greg had been waiting patiently for the day when he could finally have a mate and he couldn’t imagine anyone more fitting for him than Louisa.  She was everything he’d ever wanted and more.  It was hard to keep the smile off his face as he tried to keep focused on what they needed to do; saving a girl’s life was a pretty damn important thing, wasn’t it?

“We can’t do it while she’s still breathing,” Murray mumbled quietly as he crouched by Amber’s body.  “I don’t feel right fileting a girl while she’s alive.”

Greg heard Louisa’s sigh of relief and he realized in that moment she was grateful to learn his ex-girlfriend was still alive.  No matter what, Louisa was glad to gain this knowledge despite what had happened the day before.  To anyone else it would’ve made things complicated, but Greg was only falling deeper by the second.  She truly was perfect.

“Well fine then.  Just choke her already.  I ain’t got all day.” Ray grumbled as he turned and walked a few paces away from his friend.  He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and put one between his lips. 

“We have to do something!” Louisa whispered more loudly as she nudged Greg with her shoulder.  “We can’t let them finish the job!”

“I know that,” Greg nodded.  “Wait here.”

He didn’t give Louisa time to protest as the bones in his body began to break.  He’d never given his wolf the opportunity to play yet and now was a perfect opportunity.  He didn’t want to risk shifting into a bear.  His bear form was too massive and would alert the men he was coming; hopefully his wolf would be stealthier and capable of tearing the bastards to shreds.  A message was going to be sent all right, but not the message Breslin Connor was expecting.

——————————-

“P
resley, will you sit down already?  You’re making
me
nervous.” Lorcan said as his eyes followed her from one side of the living room to the other.

“Something’s not right,” Presley murmured as she ran her fingers through her long golden hair.  “I can feel it, Lorcan.  Can’t you feel it?  Something’s going on.....”

Pursing his lips together briefly and releasing a deep breath, Lorcan shrugged his shoulders.  To be honest he never picked up on things like that.  Only she-bears were capable of that sixth sense and his mother used to drive him mad with it.  He was actually grateful he didn’t have such sensitive....well, senses.

“What are you feeling now, baby?” He asked as he pushed himself up from the couch and approached her.  His hands fell to rest against her shoulders as their gazes connected.  He could see the anxiety written all over her face; he could feel it escaping her body and absorbing into his like a sponge.  She was going to drive herself insane with everything happening and it wasn’t healthy for her or their cub.  Lorcan didn’t like it.

“I feel like....” She huffed and shook her head.  “I don’t know how to explain it but someone is doing something we haven’t been made aware of yet.”

“And who is this ‘someone’?” Lorcan quirked an eyebrow as he squeezed her shoulders.  “An ursithrope?”

“Yes,” she nodded eagerly.  “Yes and it’s just something very dangerous, Lorcan.  Are you sure Louisa went to work?”

“I’m fairly sure,” he answered honestly.  Uh oh.  He didn’t like the glare she gave him.  “She was supposed to go straight to my parents to change and then go straight work, I swear it.” He added quickly.  Urseth he didn’t want Presley to be mad at him.

Presley pulled away from him suddenly and turned to go into the kitchen.  He already knew what she was going to do before she even grabbed the phone. 

“Baby, I’m sure if Louisa was in trouble she would reach out to somebody,” he offered as he stepped up behind her and leaned down to kiss her shoulder.  “You’re too tense.  That dream about Liam got you really worked up.  Why don’t you try to relax?”

“I don’t have time to relax right now,” Presley replied as she dialed Mrs. Bamey’s number and held the receiver to her ear.  It only rang once before Lorcan heard his mother’s voice.  She seemed to be concerned too.  “Hello, Charlotte.  Yes.  Uh huh.  Yes.”

He was straining to hear their conversation as Presley pulled away from him and made her way down the hallway.  Just what the hell was she doing besides what he’d asked her to?  He followed her into their bedroom and crossed his arms over his chest once he realized she was getting dressed.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked curiously.

“Your mother feels it too,” Presley glanced at him briefly as she shoved her foot down into her boot and frowned.  “Something is happening and we’re going to investigate.”

He opened his mouth to say something else but immediately closed it when she held up her hand.

“Now you can either come with us, or,” she batted her eyelashes.  “You can stay here and we’ll talk about it when I get back.”

Oh hell no.  He wasn’t going to fall for that.  This was a test and he wasn’t going to fail.  Ursithropes didn’t allow their mates to go off on dangerous missions alone.  He couldn’t help it as a snicker escaped his lips and then Lorcan shook his head.

“You should know something about me by now, Presley Goult,” he stated as he knelt down before her and helped her lace up her boots.  “Where you go, I go.  If you truly feel that Louisa may be in trouble then I am behind you one hundred percent.  Forever and for always.”

——————————-

T
he best thing about growing up in Kadenburg was that every little girl-bear learned how to drive in every type of weather imaginable.  Some of the human residents didn’t dare leave their homes when so many inches of snow were on the ground, but Natalie Carroll was not one of those humans.