Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) (2 page)

“What? It’s true!” Gabby insisted with a nod of her head.  “He likes you a lot, Lou.  Gosh, I don’t think he ever acted that way around Amber.”

“Amber?” A cold sliver of jealousy swam through her chest as she frowned.  “Who’s Amber?”

“Oh,” Gabby’s eyes widened a bit.  She seemed to be regretting the conversation as she sank down in her seat and shrugged her shoulders.  “She’s Greg’s ex-girlfriend.  I never liked her-honest!  She was snooty.”

“Snooty, huh.” Louisa said thoughtfully as her shoulders dropped a little. Well
of course
Greg had had girlfriends in the past.  He was gorgeous and so nice...how could a guy like that
not
have a long history with girls?  And why did she feel so jealous over it anyway?  How stupid.

“Well, anyway,” Gabby stood from the table, hugging her books to her chest.  “I guess I should probably get home.  Mama says I have to get my room straightened up before the weekend or else the Christmas present I asked for is going straight back to the store.”

Louisa smiled a little sadly.  She couldn’t help it.  She missed her family so much.  It would be her first holiday season without them and she wasn’t very sure how she’d get through it.  If she thought Thanksgiving was bad....she was wrong. 

Mrs. Bamey had tried so hard to make her and Beau feel welcome, but Louisa couldn’t help feeling excluded.  They had been perfect, of course, but it just wasn’t the same.  Mrs. Bamey wasn’t her mother, and Mr. Bamey wasn’t her father.  They were Lorcan’s parents and he was ever so lucky to still have them.  Oh, how she missed her mother.....

It was sometime after Gabby left that Louisa finally got back to work.  It was a slow day at the small ice cream shop, but she managed to keep herself busy with restocking as much as she could.  If Mr. Kress was going to give her a paycheck, she wanted to earn it.

“What are you still doing here?” Greg asked as he emerged from the kitchen.  He wiped at the sweat on his brow with the sleeve of his blue flannel shirt as he grinned.  “I thought you would’ve been gone a while ago.”

“Just finishing up here,” Louisa replied as she pushed the box of napkins back beneath the counter.  “It’ll save your mother from having to do so much in the morning.”

“That’s mighty nice of you,” he smiled, leaning against the counter.  His blue eyes roamed over her face, studying her.  “Hey, Lou?”

“Hm?”

“Do you ever think about what happened that night?” He asked curiously.  The smile disappeared from his lips as his expression became more serious. 

Her skin crawled at the memories from that night.  She’d only ever been so frightened by Breslin Connor on the evening he decided to destroy her village and slaughter her people; her parents included.  She shuddered, closing her eyes.

“Colin deserved what happened to him,” she stated bluntly.  “It was either him or us, Greg.  You did the right thing.”

“I killed a brother.” Greg whispered.  Louisa opened her eyes again to see him staring at the floor.  Why did he feel so guilty over Colin’s death?  Colin was an insult to ursithropes everywhere.  He tarnished the honor they’d worked so hard to establish as a species.  Plus, Louisa had no doubt in her mind he would’ve killed them.  After all, had he not attempted to snuff out Lorcan Bamey and that Rutley fellow?

“Neither a man nor beast with integrity betrays his brothers, Greg,” she offered as she slid her hands across the counter top to touch his gently.  “Colin was only out for himself.  He was jaded long before Breslin Connor sank his fangs into him,” she sighed, squeezing his fingers.  “You saved my life.  You saved Sammy....had you not done that, I am certain he would’ve come after everyone else in Kadenburg.  He would’ve come after Gabby.”

Greg’s eyes snapped up, meeting hers as they darkened.  “I would never allow anyone to hurt my sister.” He growled.

“I know that.” Louisa swallowed hard, feeling a bit intimidated by the glowing of his eyes.  She knew Greg fought an inner battle every day.  The wolf seemed to be growing stronger and no one could really know the capacity of Greg’s mind it intended to grasp.  The bear was fighting to maintain balance, but one had to wonder which would prevail in the end.  It wasn’t necessarily something she liked to ponder. 

Greg pulled his hands free from hers then, releasing a huff of breath as he turned around to gaze out the wall length windows stationed at the front of the building.  He was silent for several moments before he spoke again.

“They’re going to come back, you know,” he murmured quietly.  Had it not been for her exceptional hearing, she might not have heard him at all.  Greg slowly turned to face her once more, frowning.  “He’s only allowing us to feel safe, Lou.  He’s waiting for us to be comfortable...to be unsuspecting.  That’s when he’s going to attack.  I can feel it.”

Her bottom lip slid free from the clutches of her teeth as she moved around the counter and approached him.  She always had an overwhelming need to comfort him-to help him in any way possible.  She knew that what she felt for Greg was more than a mere crush, but she had no idea how to handle it.  She still felt guilty for even thinking of moving on after her mate-to-be’s death.

“We’ll be ready for him,” she promised, touching Greg’s forearm gently.  She could feel the muscles dance beneath her fingertips and a bolt of lightning struck her heart.  She swallowed hard, willing her eyes to stay on his as their gazes locked once more.  “You heard what Mr. Bamey said....even if they have to set up a perimeter around Kadenburg to keep them out.....there’s no way Breslin or his pack will get in here again.”

“You’re underestimating him,” Greg’s nostrils flared as his eyes darkened.  “He’ll find a way.  Who’s to say he hasn’t already?  You’ve seen that she-wolf roaming about town...don’t tell me you haven’t.  Don’t you have even the slightest suspicion she’s connected to him?”

She knew exactly who he was talking about.  Kia Fallon was her name.  She seemed like a nice enough girl, but the stench of wolf made her a dangerous person.  Werewolves didn’t just
move
to Kadenburg for a fresh start.  The only lycanthropes Louisa allowed herself to trust were Greg, Rutley, and Dimitri; anyone else with mutty tendencies was not to be overlooked, or taken lightly.

“She seems sort of nice,” Louisa said thoughtfully as she dropped her gaze to the floor.  “I ran into her at Nana Hettie’s about a month ago, I guess...but I’ve not seen her in a long time.”

“She’s still here,” Greg promised as his hand fell to rest against Louisa’s waist.  “She’s just hiding, Lou.  Somebody needs to figure out why.”

“Hiding from what?” Louisa frowned, tilting her head back to peer at him curiously.  “Do you think maybe she’s here because she escaped from Breslin, too?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head slowly, sighing.  “I need to get back to work-and you should probably be heading home.  There’s more snow moving in tonight and I don’t want you walking in that.”

“I’ve walked in snow before,” Louisa’s eyes narrowed at him.  “I can handle myself, you know.”

“I have no doubt,” his lips curved into a small smile.  “But aren’t you staying with the Bameys until Beau comes back from his trip?”

Oh.  Right.  Beau had left with Sammy two weeks ago, something about gathering more information about her heritage.  He was convinced she was supernatural, too, and though Louisa didn’t have all the details yet, she knew Beau was rarely wrong.  It was weird not having him around, but of course, in all natural Beau-ness, he made her promise to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Bamey until he returned.  He was afraid something would happen to her.

Silly cousin,
she thought as she wrinkled her nose. 
I can handle myself.

“The Bameys live a bit further away than you do, you know,” Greg squeezed his fingertips against her hip and Louisa forgot what breathing meant.  Another spark of something wonderful and tingly shot through her body as she gazed at him.  He must’ve felt it, too.  He pulled his hand away and took a step back, clearing his throat.  “Maybe you ought to call Mr. Bamey and see if he can give you a lift back to their place.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” She agreed.

However, as the bell dinged above the door, both of them turned to see no such ride would be needed.  A beautiful and beaming Presley Goult entered the small shop with a smile on her face.

“I need a gallon of your best caramel swirl, please,” she sighed.  “And I’ll be stealing Louisa if you don’t mind.”

O
h, what had she walked in on?  Presley wondered if she was interrupting an intimate moment when Greg and Louisa turned to gaze at her.  The serious expressions on their youthful faces made her curious, but she couldn’t ask.  It wasn’t her business anyway.

“Hey, Presley,” Greg nodded as he made his way around the counter and rested a palm near the register.  “You just want a gallon of caramel swirl today?”

“Just a gallon.” She laughed, resting a hand against her ever growing baby bump.  She was in high spirits today.  Things had grown peacefully calm in Kadenburg since Colin’s death.  She wasn’t happy he died, but then again, she wasn’t happy with his betrayal either.  Maybe Breslin was finally getting the message-or maybe it wouldn’t be that easy.  No matter though.....not right now.  Christmas was only a week away and she wanted it to be the best one yet.

“Hi, Presley,” Louisa said shyly as she hurried around the counter and reached for her jacket.  “I guess Mr. Bamey sent you to pick me up, huh?”

“Not really,” Presley shrugged before glancing around. Sheesh.  This place was a dead zone.  She supposed that was to be expected when you ran an ice cream shop during winter; but it probably didn’t help that Nana Hettie’s was open only a block away.  Every small business was competitive in an equally small town.  “I was actually going to do some last minute Christmas shopping and thought you might want to tag along.  I volunteered to get you while I was out.  Is that okay?”

Louisa suddenly brightened up as she slid her jacket on and smiled.  “Are you kidding?  I love shopping.  I need to pick up some last minute gifts, too.” Presley noted how her gaze drifted to Greg’s back upon saying that last part.  How sweet.

They would definitely make an attractive pair when they decided to couple, but Presley knew such things could not be rushed.  It took her and Lorcan forever to get to that point, but in all fairness, she hadn’t
known
about their kind until much later in her young adult life.  Louisa and Greg were still relatively young; they had plenty of time.

“Here you go, Pretz,” Greg said, placing the small tub of ice cream onto the countertop.  “Do you need help packing this out?”

Presley quirked a brow, “I’m pregnant, Greg.  I’m not helpless,” she laughed.  “Thank you for the offer though.  These cravings are getting ridiculous.”

“Oh yeah,” he scratched the side of his face before grinning.  “I’m pretty sure my mom couldn’t get enough pickles when she was pregnant with me.  The funny thing is, I really don’t like ‘em at all.”

“Really?” Presley smiled politely as she reached for the ice cream, shrugging her shoulders.  “I have no idea what my mom craved with me.  Maybe Uncle Arnold would know...”  Did she really care what her mother craved?  No.  She didn’t care to talk about Caroline Goult at all, actually.  It seemed as if she grew increasingly bitter towards the woman with each passing day.  It couldn’t be helped.

“Well, we’ll see you later, Greggy,” Presley stated as she headed towards the front door.  “Stay out of trouble.”

“Ah, you know me,” he smirked.  “I’m just fine with staying away from trouble, but it seems to like me an awful lot.  Bye, Pretz.  Bye, Lou.”

As they stepped out into the chilly winter air, it was hard to miss the blush on Louisa’s cheeks.  The young ursithrope was smiling from ear to ear as she trekked through the inch or so of snow, hugging her arms around herself.

“He’s nice, huh?” Presley prompted, tugging open the driver’s side door of Mr. Bamey’s pickup.  It wasn’t her usual style of driving, but given that her car absolutely sucked in hideous weather, what choice did she have?  It was a four wheel drive and that’s what mattered.

“Mhm,” Was Louisa’s quiet reply as she hopped into the passenger seat and buckled up. 

“Mhm,” Presley echoed, grinning again as she started the truck up.  She carefully eased out onto the main road and made her way towards the highway.  They were busting out of Kadenburg for an hour or so, and that meant they would be visiting Knoxville.  Was she insane for wanting to go to such a busy town during one of the busiest times of the year?  Yes.  Oh Urseth, she was absolutely mad for the thought-but there was something very special she needed to pick up and Knoxville was the closest place to get it.

“Um...Presley?”

“Hm?” Presley’s eyes wandered away from the road briefly as she glanced at Louisa.  The girl’s eyes were wide, staring straight into the rearview mirror. 

“Who’s that?”

Presley glanced over her shoulder to see the solid blue jeep following closely behind them.  She wrinkled her nose and sighed.

“Ah, that would be Mr. Turner and his son.  They must be on the babysitter shift today.” She rolled her eyes and focused on driving again.

Lorcan hadn’t been kidding when he said he was going to have his father set up a perimeter around Kadenburg.  Since that fateful night with Tim and Colin, at least ten male ursithropes seemed to be on duty at all times.  They lurked on the outskirts of town with their fancy little walkie-talkies, scoping the horizon for the faintest hint of werewolf stench.  Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing that he’d asked Mr. Turner to tag along, though Presley hardly thought it was worth the fuss.  She’d learned how to handle herself since then.  She’d discovered just how strong she could be, and that was a mighty empowering thing.

“Do they
have
to follow us?” Louisa asked as they got on the highway.  “I mean...doesn’t that seem a little White House-ish to you?”

Presley laughed.  She couldn’t help it.  Her mood was great and happiness was about to burst out of her body.  Pregnancy was being kinder to her these days.