Capitol Kidnap: Urban Werewolf Book 1 (7 page)

"W
HERE
THE
HELL
HAVE
YOU
been?" Mom ran down the driveway to meet them as they walked back from where Mindy had thrown them out. "Where is your brother?"

"He wasn't there," Naomi said, moving up the driveway.

"What you mean he wasn't there?"

"No one was there. It looks like the owner had been kidnapped too."

"Why'd you come back? Go find him!" Her mother snarled.

Naomi grabbed the side of her pants to keep from slapping her mother.

"We are trying to find him. Jeff is going to try to find where one of my coworkers lives. The whole place smelled like her perfume."

"So she did it," Mom said.
 

"I can't believe my coworker found out I was a werewolf and about my little brother, learned dark magic to attack him, and then called me to threaten to kill them on the capital steps. She's just a soccer mom."

"That's what most of the kids at your school would say about me." Mom stood in front of the door.
 

"Can't we just go inside and settle the stupid thing?" Naomi said through gritted teeth. Mom stepped aside to let her through. Naomi's foot hit something wet and squishy. Towels piled across her floor, leading up to the fish tank which lay cracked on its side next to the stand.

"Where's my fish?" Naomi knelt next to the tank.

"He's in there," mom said gesturing towards the broken tank.

"There's nothing in there!" Naomi picked up the tank and set it back on the stand. A crack ran all the way down one side. Mr. Beta Fish slid down the wall and plopped into a mess of gravel. Naomi grabbed a cup of warm water and scooped him into it.

Everyone was talking, but Mr. Beta Fish didn't move. He didn't wriggle. His tail didn't flicker. He just floated to the top belly up. Somehow Naomi was beside her mother in the living room. After everything, this was just too much.
 

"You killed my fish!" Naomi said, shoving her mother.

"It's not like it was useful." Mom laughed.

"I'm gone – what? Two hours? And you kill my fish?"

"It was a two dollar fish."

"One little pet keep me company and you kill it?"
 

Mom's smirk said it all.

"Get out." Naomi grabbed her mother's arm and yanked her toward the front door. Mom didn't budge, but the hair started to thicken under Naomi's hand. Ian shoved them apart, breaking Naomi's grip on her mom's arm. Marcus grabbed Naomi's mother from behind as Jeff penned Naomi's arms behind her back.
 

"Get her outside first," Jeff said. Naomi struggled against Jeff, trying to pull free, but he was stronger than she was. Marcus yanked her mother through the back door.

"You'll get your fight – just outside," Jeff growled in Naomi's ear. The others disappeared into her backyard. After what seemed like forever, Jeff finally let Naomi go. "Don't shift in your clothes," he said turning to face Naomi, his hands on her shoulders. "Take the time to change. Be dominant, not reactive." His lips brushed Naomi's cheek softly.

He left her standing in her own living room. Naomi took a deep breath down to her belly to regain her control. She stripped down and folded her clothes on the couch. The moon made her skin sing the moment Naomi stepped into its light. Four piles of clothes lay scattered across Naomi's backyard. Naomi avoided the large russet bitch's gaze.

Naomi reached towards the moon, her cool night kissing at Naomi's skin. The change came fast and hard. Naomi's jaw squeezed in from the sides as it jutted forward as her eyes slid back. Her ears erupted towards the top of her head and she fell, have changed, to her hands and knees.

A second later, Naomi was pure wolf.

The russet bitch leapt the fence as if Naomi's change were a signal. The males followed, separating them, delaying their battle. Deer scattered at their approach. Naomi snapped to at the quail who cowered as she passed. This was her home and she would rule it is queen. Naomi nipped impatiently at the burly blond wolf in front of her. Pretty boy needed to let this fight happen.

A half-mile or so from Naomi's home, in as deep of wilderness as possible, her mother leapt back to Naomi and the males didn't block her approach.

The two females circled each other, looking for weakness. Mom was old. Gray marred her reddish fur, but the muscles beneath were still solid.

The older wolf lunged for Naomi's legs. Naomi leapt over her. She attacked again as Naomi landed.

Naomi spun, meeting her blow. Naomi snapped. Her teeth going for the older bitches throat. Now she would take her down. Family did not mean slave. Just because she was the daughter she didn't have to obey mindlessly. Not in her own home.

The older wolf slammed into Naomi's legs. She stumbled, tripping over her mother. The wiry black wolf – Jeff – yowled, distracting the older wolf to give Naomi time to regain her feet. Naomi backed away, shaking her head. Jeff was right. Her anger was a tool. She could not let it control her – not if she wanted to win.

Naomi snapped at her mother's tail. Naomi would play her game. Anger, not injure. Aggravate her, until she stopped thinking. She would wear her mother down. The two females continued toying with each other.

Mom stumbled, slow to react to Naomi's taunt.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Not just a ploy then, she was actually tiring. Naomi feinted for her legs, mom crouched and Naomi leaped on her her back instead. Her mother shook from side to side, Naomi clung to her, almost wishing for her hands. She rolled with her mother, dragging her over again. Clawing, biting. Finally, somehow, mom lay belly up, her throat and soft belly Naomi's for the taking. Naomi could take the whole pack for hers if she wanted to. Naomi just had to finish her off.

But she only wanted her own sovereignity over herself and her town. Naomi gently closed her teeth on her mother's throat, just enough to touch the skin through the fur without breaking it. Then she released her mother.

Naomi led the hunt for her favorite: wild turkey.

##

Mom took over Naomi's bed as soon as they got back to the house. She was sore from the fight, but Naomi's body pulsed with a newfound energy. Jeff easily found Ginger's address, so Naomi and the men left to go talk to Ginger.

B
Y
THE
TIME
THEY
PULLED
up to Ginger's house in Elk Grove, the moon had become a pale shadow of herself in the pink sky. She almost looked like a cloud, but she still called to Naomi. Naomi felt strong and ready for anything. She was alpha.

Naomi rang the bell, but it wasn't as satisfying as pounding on the door would have been. Especially if Bryan were tied up somewhere nearby. Then, he could've heard the pounding.

A man yanked open the door, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and robe thrown over his shoulders. "He glared at the four of them. "Who the hell are you and what do you want at five am?"

"I work with your wife," Naomi said, recognizing him from millions of photos. "I need to see her right now. It's urgent."

"This could have waited at least until… I don't know, the sun was at least all the way up? Get out of here and call later like a normal person. Ginger's asleep."

"Please, it's urgent," Naomi said.

"Fuck you." He tried to slam the door.
 

Ian caught it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You come to my home, demand to speak to my wife, and then threaten me? At my house? Where my family lives?" The men yanked Ian's hand off the door. "Get the fuck out of here before I call the cops."

Naomi shoved the man hard. He stumbled back, then looked at her stunned. "I pack a bigger punch the might think. Now, let us talk to your wife." This asshole was between her and Bryan, and Naomi only had one day to find her brother. "My little brother was kidnapped and have reason to believe that she is involved."

"What? Why the hell would Ginger kidnap anyone?"

"You tell me, Mr. Monroe." Two tweens peeked around the hallway corner into the front room

"Kids, go to bed. This doesn't concern you," Ginger said from down the hall. "Maybe you better let them in, hon, the cops won't do much good against them."

"Ginger?" he asked, turning back towards the tired woman who'd just appeared.

"I know her. Let me talk to her. You, you go back to bed." Her husband nodded obediently, before disappearing down the hall.

"Please, sit down, all four of you." Ginger said indicating the living room couch. "Can I offer you some coffee? You must have had a long night. Last night was the full moon, wasn't it?"

"Coffee would be wonderful, Mrs. Monroe," Ian said. Naomi elbowed him hard. "What?"

"Don't worry. I wouldn't put anything in it." Ginger rose and busied herself in the kitchen. "Now, why are you accusing me?"

"Because you were there." Naomi said rolling prize.

"Naomi, I didn't even know you had a brother. How could I have kidnapped him?" Her heartbeat remained regular and even. Her breathing didn't change at all. It was either the truth or she was a really good liar.

"Then why was his fear all mixed in with the smell of your perfume?"

"I'm not the only one with this perfume."

"Yeah right." Naomi snorted.

"I buy it to cover up my scent in case someone like you realizes I'm not human." She shook her head. "A lot of other changelings wear it too. Especially the ones like me who try to blend in."

"A werewolf like you might not come after me in less you thought I was a threat – but a vampire? Eat me right up and be the stronger for it."

"Your kidnapper must know what he's doing. I'm just a changeling. Humans raised me. I can't even defend myself, so I buy the perfume."

"So there are other changelings out there? Wearing the same perfume – wait a minute. I smelled the same smell at work. By the sink. Cinnamon and roses." Naomi had her. "That same magic smell."

"What? I can make my coffee a little stronger or use it to get crusty oatmeal out of my bowls." Ginger sighed. "Look, I buy my perfume from an old fae."

"Where can we find him?" Jeff asked.

"He visits me when the perfume runs out." Ginger shrugged.

"Tell us about him. Maybe we can track him down."

"Fine. Usually he's very friendly, just – well, I'm not sure if he's one of the royal court because he's very powerful. Likes to play tricks. Usually not on other fae, and usually not if you tell him not to play tricks on you, but if you forget watch out. One time I went, and I forgot to tell him and he made me think my son was in a car accident." She bit her lip, eyes watering.

"Likes to play pranks? That sounds like Mac. He makes cookies…"

"That's the one – cookies and perfume. Sometimes, I think his magic works through food," Ginger said. "But only sometimes. He's pretty scary."

"Mindy was very respectful of him," Naomi said. And her mother had made them barge in on him. No wonder humans used to try to kill us.

"Go talk to him. See who else buys his perfume. Of course this flower shop owner might have worn it too. A lot of our kind have disappeared."

"That's what Mac said."

"Sounds like he knows more about what's happening, then he was letting on," Ian said.

"It does, but he seemed like the kind of person who makes the point to always be in the know."

"That's how you survive with humans. You keep your head down and your ears open," Jeff said.

"Well, at least one of you has the right idea." Ginger sighed. "Of course, generally I avoid vampires and crazy strong fae, too. I'm a very big fan of keeping my head down."

"Thanks Ginger, you've been very helpful." Ginger nodded.

"Let me give you my cell, so next time you can call first and don't piss off my husband."

"Sorry about that. I can go apologize if you –"

"No. This way is better, if I use just a little bit of magic I can convince him that this was all a dream." Ginger frowned. "No offense, but I hope this doesn't mean I'll be seeing you more outside of work."

"I don't blame you. My goal is to learn how to pass in the city. Not going to be able to stay out of the city forever." Marcus glared at his watch. The sun was up and the moon had stopped filling Naomi with energy. She could only imagine he felt the same. "Anyway, we're just on our way out. We'll leave you alone."

"Don't you think it's kind of weird for Mac to be the one that sells her the perfume we smelled in the shop?" Ian asked once they were in the car.

"I don't know. I guess it depends how many fae live here."

Naomi wanted to go back to Mac's, but the men refused. They needed sleep. They argued about the next step, but in the end their exhaustion won.

N
AOMI
GROANED
. S
OMEONE
WAS
POUNDING
on the door again. She stumbled to her feet, looking for a clock anywhere. What time was it? Then again, she probably got to bed around seven in the morning, so anytime would be too soon. She jerked open the door.
 

"Good morning." Her neighbor, an older man wearing khakis pulled up well past his belly button stood on her porch. She knew he had a yappy little thing, a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian or something little. Why would he decide that he had to talk to her this morning?"What can I do for you Mr.…" What was his name?

"I'm sorry to bother you, obviously you have some guests were out quite late."

"Oh yeah, my cousins flew in around four this morning. I picked them up from the airport, my mom came down, but she didn't quite make it up all night to go pick them up. I'm pretty beat." Would he just get to the point?

"I see. Well, I just wanted to come by because I saw something really strange last night. I was wondering if maybe you left some meat out last night?"

"Meat? No why?" Naomi frowned at the strange question.

"Well, I saw a pack of coyotes or stray dogs jumping over your fence. I thought it was strange, unless maybe your mother has some dogs that it could've escaped during the night?"