Legacy Found: Legacy, Book 3 (3 page)

“I’m like you.” The moment he said it everything fell into place. He was a werewolf. Why hadn’t she recognized him?

She’d only seen one other male werewolf and that time was a blur in her mind, a nightmare she longed to forget. She took a step away from the man sitting before her. He was as dangerous to her as the hunters were. Dangerous to the life she was building for herself.

“Where do you come from?”

The memories and emotions that she’d been trying to escape all morning flooded over her, drowning her in the past. Pain, anger and shame surged forward and she clutched her hands to her head. She backed into the table behind her, struck her hip off the edge and stumbled away.

James jumped to his feet and grabbed her upper arms to steady her. She tried to jerk away, but he was too strong. She began to whimper, hating herself for being so weak, but fearing the punishment that always came whenever she did anything wrong.

He drew her closer to his body and brawny arms banded around her, holding her tight against a wide, muscular chest. Her harsh breathing was the only sound she could hear for the longest time and then gradually a new sound penetrated her fear—the heavy thud of James’s heartbeat against her ear. She heard his voice softly whispering to her. Shushing her as he swayed with her in his arms.

Shelley came back to the present with a crash. What was she doing? She pulled away from him and was vaguely disappointed when he let her go. “I’m sorry,” she murmured as she took another step backward.

James was staring intently at her. “Where were you born, Shelley? What’s your family name? How old are you?”

She swallowed back the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her. There was no way she was telling him that, as best as she could figure, she was around fifty years old. She didn’t look a day over thirty and, considering the harsh life she’d led, she felt more like a hundred. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t ask a woman her age?” Her feeble attempt at a joke fell flat.

Frustration filled James’s face for the first time as he raked his fingers through his hair, dislodging the leather thong that had been holding it back. His long brown hair with the silvery streaks at the sides fell around his face. His dark eyes snapped with impatience, deepening the tiny lines radiating from the outer corners. His jaw was dark with stubble, his lips pursed. He looked wild and untamed.

Deep inside her, a small kernel of yearning sprang to life, shocking her. The longer he stared at her, the more it grew. A pulsing began low in her belly, frightening her. After all she’d been through, the last thing she thought she’d ever want was a man. But this man, or wolf, or whatever he was, standing in front of her was making her feel things she didn’t want to feel.

“You have to go.” Shelley felt unstable, out of control. The wolf within her was stirring to life, and she was afraid she didn’t have enough energy to fight the beast back into submission.

“You have to go,” she repeated, fearing what would happen if he didn’t. She didn’t know what to do. Stand, run or attack?

Chapter Two

“Shelley!” A voice thundered. The kitchen door flew open, crashing against the wall, to reveal a huge man with large meaty hands clenched at his sides. He was totally bald, but his flaming red mustache was an indicator of his legendary temper.

His face was flushed as he lumbered forward. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m not paying you to stand around doing nothing, you lazy bitch.” Gus himself was the reason that this diner didn’t have too much trouble. He was so big and volatile that most people walked softly around him.

“I’m sorry. I’ll get right to the cleaning.” She could feel James watching her, but didn’t care. She needed this job.

“Damn right you will. I’ll be docking an hour’s pay from your check. That will teach you to be lazy. I don’t pay good money for no work.”

Shelley tried to scurry out of his way, but it was too late. He shoved a table in front of her, cutting off her path to freedom. Her voice shook and her legs trembled.

“That’s fine. I’ll get right on the cleaning.”

“Shelley.” James said her name softly, but she didn’t dare look at him. He didn’t know Gus. The last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt on her behalf.

“You can stay later today too. I won’t put up with anyone who tries to cheat me.” He pointed his finger threateningly at her face. His large hand was only inches away. Shelley drew back. She didn’t think Gus would strike her, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Better to be safe.

A hand shot out in front of her, catching Gus’s wrist before his hand could move any closer. Gus’s face got redder and redder, sweat popping out on his brow as he tried to free himself. He swung his free hand, fisting it as it headed toward James. James caught it easily and now had both Gus’s hands trapped in his.

Shelley stared at James, who didn’t even seem to be exerting any effort.

“Don’t you know it’s not nice to threaten a lady?” James never raised his voice, but the sheer menace in it made her catch her breath. Even Gus swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple shifting up and down.

“This is my place and I’ll run it as I see fit,” Gus gritted out from between his clenched teeth. He swiveled his head around to her, his green eyes burning with anger. “You’re fired. You’ve got ten minutes to clear your stuff out of the apartment I rented you.”

“But—Gus?” Panic swelled inside her. She had nowhere to go and no way to get there.

“And I want your uniform back too.”

“Go and pack your things, Shelley.” James’s calm voice broke through her terror. “You’re coming with me.”

Gus gave a snide laugh. “She’s not much to look at, but you’re welcome to her.” Two seconds later, Gus was on his knees, crying out in agony as James’s fingers tightened around his wrists.

James leaned down until his face was only inches away from the other man. “One more word out of you and you won’t need to worry about who’ll be running your business. And if you call the cops or try and make trouble for either me or Shelley, I’ll be back.” He moved in even closer, baring his teeth and emitting a low growl. “And if I don’t come back, one of my friends will.”

Every speck of color drained from Gus’s face. “Sure. Whatever. You can have the lazy bitch. Just take her and go.”

Shelley could only stare at both men who were deciding her future without so much as a by your leave. Spinning around, she stalked out of the diner and around to the back of the building.

It was cold and the snow crunched under the soles of her canvas shoes. Wind flitted beneath her dress. She shivered, but it was more from fear than the cold. Where would she go? What would she do?

Climbing the rickety set of stairs, she hauled her key out of her pocket and jammed it into the flimsy lock. She could do this. It wasn’t the first time she’d had to start over and wouldn’t be the last. At least this time she was slightly better prepared.

Once she was inside, she pulled her tips out of her pocket and carefully added them to the money she’d managed to save. It wasn’t much, amounting to a little more than four hundred and twenty-five dollars, but it was hers.

Stripping off the hated pink uniform, she hauled on a faded long-sleeved dress that fell almost to her ankles. She hated the dress too, but hadn’t wanted to waste her money on clothing since Gus provided her work uniform. Besides which, she hadn’t been near any stores so she couldn’t have bought any new clothes even if she wanted to.

Grabbing her few changes of underwear, she stuffed them, a few pairs of socks and her spare dress into a paper grocery sack. Moving like someone in a trance, she walked into the miniscule bathroom and stared at herself in the tiny cracked mirror that hung over the sink.

She grasped the edges of the porcelain and stared at the white face peering back at her. Her skin looked as if it were stretched too tight over her face. She was pale. Her eyes appeared huge and had a haunted look in them. Reality was setting in. She was jobless and homeless and she had less than five hundred dollars and a sack full of belongings to her name.

Stumbling to the toilet, she fell to her knees and lost what was left of the meager meal she’d eaten hours earlier. When she was done, she wiped her face with a washcloth and brushed her teeth. Gathering her few toiletries, she returned to the other room and stuffed them into the bag. That was it. She didn’t own anything else. The bedclothes and towels, such as they were, came with the room.

She tugged on an old gray sweater that the previous tenant had left behind. It hung almost to her knees and she had to roll the sleeves back twice. It wasn’t a coat, but it was warm. Knowing she had everything, she carefully rolled down the top of the bag and clasped it tight in her hand.

She gathered her uniform and room key and made her last trip down over the rickety stairs and back around to the diner.

Shelley had no idea what had gone on between the two men while she’d been gone and really didn’t care. At this moment, she hated them both equally. Gus for firing her and James for getting her fired.

Gus was seated at a table, still pale and sweaty, while James leaned back against the table next to him, his arms folded casually over his chest and his booted feet crossed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Well, he didn’t, did he? He wasn’t the one who’d lost his job this morning.

Ignoring James, Shelley walked right up to Gus and dropped both the uniform and the key on the table in front of him. She did a quick calculation in her head, adding up the hours she’d worked since her last paycheck. “I’ve got fifty dollars coming to me. That’s the difference in what you owe me minus the rent on the room and the meals I’ve eaten.”

She’d expected him to protest and was shocked when he nodded in agreement. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a roll of bills and peeled off the fifty dollars. He hesitated for a moment and then handed it to her. She folded the notes and stuffed them deep in her pocket with her other money.

The paper sack made a crinkling sound as her fingers tightened around it. Still not looking at James, she turned her back on both men, marched out through the door of the diner and hurried toward the road. Her indignation carried her all the way to the road where she stopped. Her stomach roiled. “Not now,” she muttered. She glanced to the right and then to the left, not knowing which way to go.

A pair of hands gently clasped her shoulders. She startled but didn’t turn around. She’d known that James would follow her. A part of her was grateful not to be alone while another part of her wanted to shrug off his grasp and walk away. Before she could decide what to do, he began to speak.

“I know you’re angry.”

Now that was an understatement.

“I know you’re confused and hurt, but this is truly for the best.”

She spun around and poked him in the chest, surprised by her sheer audacity. “Better for who? You’re not the one who’s jobless and homeless.” Tears threatened, but she blinked them back. She hadn’t cried in about thirty years. It didn’t change a damn thing and many times it only made things worse.

James wrapped his hand around hers, bringing it to his mouth. He kissed the top of her hand and her knuckles. “You’re not homeless, Shelley. Your home is with your people. I’m taking you with me. Home to the Wolf Creek.”

Was he crazy? He was a complete stranger. There was no way she was going with him.

She stilled as a dim memory tried to push forward, but it was quickly lost as James began to tug her toward the only truck left in the parking lot. “We’ll talk more on the road. I don’t want to hang around here any longer just in case Gus has a gun and decides to use it.”

She hadn’t even thought of that. Gripping her belongings tight, she let him lead her to the vehicle. She could always bail somewhere down the road. She didn’t think he’d hurt her. Not that it mattered. She’d been hurt before and survived. She’d get a ride to the nearest town and make plans there. Surely there were other waitressing jobs to be had. She could wash dishes and clean houses too.
You’re good at that
, she thought bitterly.

The skirt of her dress was wide enough to allow her to get into the truck with little problem. Once she was settled inside, James went around the front and climbed into the driver’s seat. He quickly started the vehicle, put it into gear and eased it out of the lot and onto the highway. She glanced over her shoulder and watched the diner disappear before facing forward to whatever lay ahead.

James stared at the woman sitting silently next to him. It wasn’t just that she was quiet. There was a stillness about her that bespoke of someone used to fading into the background, not wanting to bring any unwanted attention her way. He’d given her space and time, but an hour had passed and she’d yet to speak. It was time to get some answers.

“Where are you from?”

Even though he’d kept his voice low and as unthreatening as possible, she jerked at the sound. She shrugged and stared out the window.

“You had to come from somewhere,” he continued patiently. “You said you’d only been working at the diner for about a few months.”

“About six.”

She was the least chatty woman he’d ever come across in his life. But he wasn’t worried. He knew he’d eventually get her entire story. She had to have family somewhere, and if she didn’t many packs would be glad to take her in. “Where were you before then?”

She stiffened and her breathing became shallower. “Here and there.”

He could smell the fear rolling off her. Reaching out his right hand, he captured her left one, which was lying limply by her side. He felt her flinch, but she didn’t pull away when he laced his fingers lightly though hers, not restraining her movement in any way, but just trying to reassure her. “Whatever or whoever it was, they can’t hurt you now.”

She gave a bark of bitter laughter as she rubbed her free hand across her forehead. “I’m not so sure about that.” She sighed and shifted her body so she was turned more toward him. “What does it matter to you where I was or what happened in my past? You’ve got no responsibility for me. You can just drop me off at the next decent-sized town and drive away.”