Some Were In Time (6 page)

I glanced over at my friend. He was slumped over like a bald, deflated, sequined blow-up doll.

"I agreed to take your blood. It's as much my fault as anyone else's," I said as I sat down beside him and laid my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "but I don't regret doing it. I wouldn't want to go on if you weren't in my world."

The seriousness of his tone and words humbled me. I wrapped my arms around him and held on tight. I loved him and losing him would destroy me too.

"I'm not going anywhere," I promised. "However, if I am stuck with your blood you're gonna have to teach me how to control the heinous super powers I've gained."

"Deal." He grinned and tweaked my nose. "Wanna try on dresses?"

"Do I have a choice?" I moaned and laughed.

"No, beautiful missy, you don't."

"I knew you were gonna say that," I muttered sarcastically.

"Did you read my mind?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Oh crap," I yelled as my eyes grew even wider than his. "I certainly hope not."

"So do I." Dwayne's voice sounded uncharacteristically hollow. "So do I."

Chapter 4

The sheriff's office looked like a cyclone had hit it. Clearly Junior had been spending a lot of time here coming to grips with his new Alpha status. He was a disheveled mess. His hair was sticking straight up and his shirt was buttoned wrong. It made me want to hug him. Hank put his hand on his brother's shoulder to stop his nervous pacing.

"Relax, big bro. It's all good," Hank told him.

Junior nodded, sat down and started bouncing his knees like a baby was on them. My beautiful man grinned and shook his head at his brother.

"We have one more day here before we leave for Chicago," Hank said as he tossed Junior a stress ball. "Everything is in order. The elders of the Pack have accepted Junior as the new Alpha and the official ceremony will be held tonight."

"What should I wear?" Dwayne asked.

"Actually, Dwayne, you're not exactly invited. It’s just for Wolves," I explained gently.

"Well, that's beyond rude," he huffed. "Who is the one who mind melded those two insane Dragons and saved everyone's butts?"

"Um… that would be you," Junior said as he turned an alarming green hue and tried not to gag.

I'd missed Dwayne's mind meld death show as I was out saving the kidnapping victims and yanking off the head of the third Dragon, but it was apparently something that would be forever branded into the minds of those that had witnessed it. There were a few Weres still in therapy after that one—stinky Dragon guts had covered several city blocks.

"It's just gonna be a bunch of nekkid Werewolves dancing around and then going all furry," Granny said as she downplayed the magical ceremony and patted Dwayne's head like a dog.

"But that sounds like fun," he moped. "I want to get naked and furry too."

"Dude," I reminded him and I joined in on the petting. "You're a Vampyre. You don't shift."

"I know that," he said with an eye roll. "But I have a fabu faux fur coat that I could slip into after the naked dance."

That left everyone speechless.

"I'll see what I can do," Hank muttered as he handed me a folder.

"What's this?" I asked as I opened it. My heart leapt to my throat and my eyes filled quickly with tears. It was a folder with information on my parents.

"Thank you," I whispered. My hands shook and my stomach clenched. "How did you get this?"

"Junior hacked some sites. It's not complete. We still have some work to do," he said as he put his arm around me and led me to the couch.

I nodded my thanks to a now still Junior and leaned into Hank.

Until very recently I'd believed my parents had died in a tragic car accident when I was a baby. I had no memories of them except for the beautiful stories Granny had told me. Once Granny realized I'd joined the Were Wolf Treaty Federation, she let loose on a few details that she'd neglected to inform me of during my childhood…

My parents had died in a car crash, but it wasn't an accident. They had been the highest-level WTF undercover agents and they'd been taken out. The case was left unsolved which made no sense whatsoever. WTF got to the bottom of everything. It stunk of a cover up and if it was the last thing I did, I would find out what really happened to my parents.

"Baby, they would not want you to die tryin' to solve the mystery. They loved you something fierce. They would want you to have a happy life," Granny said quietly as she looked over my shoulder at copies of old newspaper articles and death certificates.

"I believe that," I said slowly as I touched the yellowed picture of my mother and father's faces, "but if the WTF covered up my parents' death, what else have they covered up?"

"Good point, well made," Dwayne said. "We need to take those bastards down."

"We don't know for sure that it was WTF," Junior cut in before Dwayne went into a blood-curdling, therapy-inducing story of how we should do it.

"I'd bet my left boob,
it's the bigger one
, that they know what happened," Granny said without an ounce of embarrassment.

"Wait," Dwayne said, confused. "I thought the right one was bigger."

Granny grabbed her bosom and felt herself up.

"Oh my god," Junior mumbled. "I don't know where to look right now. This is just wrong on so many levels." He shut his eyes and squeezed the stress ball with a vengeance.

Hank stared at the ceiling while my grandmother ascertained which breast was larger. How was this happening?

"Dang it, you're right. The right one is bigger. I'll bet my right boob that WTF knows what happened." She amended her earlier statement.

"Mammaries aside, I will find out what happened and I will make whomever was responsible pay," I promised.

"It's gonna be a cluster whomper of a bunghole to get the Council to tell you anything." Granny slid in next to me and gently caressed the picture of her daughter and son-in-law.

"No, it won’t," I said.

"How you figuring that?" Junior asked as he opened his eyes, hoping it was safe due to the fact that the conversation had moved on from boobs.

"Simple," I said as I stood up and took the stress ball from Junior. "We go after the Dragons and figure out what the hell they're doing and who's behind it, and then we withhold that information from the Council until I get mine."

"Damn, my girl is hot and smart," Hank said with a sexy lopsided grin that made me want to tackle him to the ground and make him see Jesus.

"Do we get to kill some Dragons?" Dwayne asked hopefully.

"If they deserve it, then yes," I said as I took the folder back from Granny and hugged it close to my chest.

"How are you guys gonna make that work? Aren't you taking orders from the Council?" Junior asked as he put his hand back out for the stress ball.

I reluctantly handed it over. I was definitely going to have to get one of those things.

"Hell to the no." Granny cackled. "Our boy Hank here laid down the law with that dumbass Angela. We are going off the grid and we only report to her."

"Dayum boy." Junior whistled and slapped Hank on the back. "What level of WTF are you?"

That was a really good question. Why hadn't I thought to ask that? When my boss Angela had come down to Hung Island after the Dragon debacle, Hank explained to her how it was going to be—not the other way around as I had expected. She flinched and whined a little and then pulled some hair out of the left side of her head, but she agreed. It shocked the hell out of me. Angela was very high up in the organization…

"Yeah," I said as my eyes narrowed at the love of my life. "What level are you?"

He paused and considered his answer. Shrugging, he blew out a long breath. "My level doesn't exist."

"Meaning?" I demanded, not liking the way this was heading.

"Meaning he's as high as you get before you become Council," Dwayne guessed as he pulled out a hundred dollar bill and waved it around. "Anyone want to place a bet?"

"Is he right?" I asked as I yanked the money out of Dwayne's hand and shoved it back down his shirt.

How was he a higher level than I was if he'd been in less time than me? Oh my god, was I jealous of the man I loved? I took the damn stress ball back, closed my eyes and took a few cleansing breaths. I could feel all eyes on me, but I didn't care. My brain raced and then something clicked. Hard. I dropped the ball and slid to the floor.

No. I wasn't jealous. I was petrified.

I knew in my gut the Council had something to do with the death of my highest level parents and now my mate was the same level. I wasn't gifted with premonition, but this little twist made all the bells go off in my brain.

"How many other Weres are at the same level?" I asked Hank tersely.

He eyed me with concern and then shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Junior, I need you to hack in and find out who's at Hank's level. It has to be recorded somewhere," I said as I put my thoughts together as I spoke them. "Research all agents at that level over the past fifty years and tell me if they are alive or dead. If they're dead find the death certificates, and if they're alive I want addresses."

"Holy hell, Essie," Dwayne gushed with joy. "If I was straight I would totally fight Hank for your ass."

"Thank you," I said.

"Wait what?" Hank yelled. "You're mine."

"I know," I told him. "Dwayne was just giving me an unfiltered and inappropriate compliment."

"It's true," Dwayne concurred. "I'd bang the hell out of Granny too if I enjoyed hoohoos."

"TMI, Dwayne," I muttered.

Junior shut his eyes again and put his hands over his ears. "Sweet baby Jesus in a jock strap, I can't unhear any of this."

"Dwayne, I'd just like to say I find that flattering." Granny smiled as she adjusted her boob tube and blew him a kiss.

"I would pop you in a minute if I went that way," Dwayne assured her. "Being gay has never been so difficult. However, I love being gay and wouldn't trade it for all the cows in… "

"
Stop
," Junior shouted as he scooped up the stress ball from the floor. "I have entirely too much going on here to have this in my brain. I too find Granny attractive, uneven bosom and all."

"Thank you," Granny said politely.

"You're welcome. And I'm not sayin' shit about Essie's hotter than Hades looks because Hank would remove my scrotum."

"Damn right," Hank snapped.

"But we gotta get back on track here," Junior said in his outdoor voice. "How in the hell am I supposed to be Alpha
and
sheriff
and
hack in to Council databases to find super agents
and
find out if the Were Cows Dwayne didn't marry are still alive and want to kill his undead ass?"

"Can't you multitask?" Dwayne asked politely.

Junior's grunt of fury made Dwayne back up.

"You're going to have to have help," Hank agreed. "Who in town has outstanding computer skills?"

My grin was enormous and everyone stared at me like I'd lost it. "I know who has mad computer skills." I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing.

"Who?" Junior asked as he squinted at me in distrust and pretty much tore the stress ball in half.

Pausing for dramatic effect—a skill I'd learned well from Dwayne… "Sandy Moongie is absolutely brilliant on the computer."

All eyes flew to Junior and we waited.

"Multitasking will be no problem at all," he informed us with a grin that practically split his handsome face. "No problem at all.

***

"So, Mister Sexy Pants," I said as I curled up on the couch in our cute little cottage on the outskirts of town, "you're some kind of super uper duper agent?"

"Does that bother you?" Hank asked as he dropped down beside me and let his head fall back on the cushions.

His scent and proximity made my inner wolf want to talk fast and get down to business faster. We were finally alone after far too much time with Granny, Junior and Dwayne and I wanted him something bad.

"No. I thought it did, but mostly it makes me worry," I told him honestly as I traced his lips with my finger. "How'd it happen?"

"How did what happed?" he asked as he sucked my finger into his mouth and nipped it.

"Gaahhhh," I grunted as I yanked back my finger and got in his redonkulously gorgeous face. "How did you become a level whatever-the-hell-you-are agent?"

"Council put me in a cage with a Dragon and I came out alive."

"Oh my god," I shouted and punched him in the arm. That was asking for death. "Are you insane? Why would you agree to do that?"