Lucy's Wolverine (Lilly Town Shifters) (12 page)

Chapter 20

              "I'm sorry sir, but I had to abort," Paul said.

             
He was pissed off. How the hell had Paul fucked up? He took a deep breath and asked, "How?"

             
"The wolverine must have scented me. I'm sorry sir."

             
"Please tell me you confirmed it was Mike Talon."

             
"It had already shifted when I saw it. I didn't see the human form."

             
"Did you get a shot in? Did you kill it?" he asked. He always thought Paul would take over from him when he retired. He knew the kid would make mistakes, but nothing like this. He would have to replace him. He knew that. Now he had to search for someone else who could do his job.

             
"No," Paul said, hanging his head.

             
“Fuck!" Okay, he could fix this. Maybe Paul was just having an off day. Maybe he was just overworked. He had been sending Paul out to do a lot. Maybe a few days off would be a good thing for him. He took a deep breath. He could do this on his own. It was no big deal.

             
"Sir, I am very sorry. I didn't mean to mess everything up," Paul said.

             
"Okay, I want you to take a few days off. Go home, get some rest. I'll take care of this and we can talk when I'm done."

***

              Paul had known his boss long enough to know that this was not good. He also knew his boss wasn't paying close enough attention to him. He knew Mike was the wolverine, but what had happened that afternoon had changed things. It had made him rethink things. Made him think maybe his boss was wrong. Maybe his training was all wrong. He had to find out. He had to know if everything he had been taught was true.

             
He packed his things from his room and left, heading to the local hotel. When he got checked in, he pulled out his notepad and started making notes. Lists of everything he'd been taught and everything he could remember from what he’d seen. Everything he hadn't wanted to see. The shifters defending themselves and their families. The shifters who didn't initiate the attacks. They weren't the bad guys, the Hunters were. He was the bad guy.

***

              Mike and Lexi kept telling Lucy to get out of the house. Do more than just sit around and write, or, as she had been doing for the past three days, playing on the computer. She thought some fresh air might help. Or maybe seeing more than just the computer screen and her four walls would help. So there she sat in the diner, trying to figure out how to end the book. She couldn't believe she was still stuck. She'd been trying to get this for so long, and she just couldn't come up with an ending that worked.

             
The waitress came back, "Can I get you something else?"

             
"Another coffee and more fries, please. Thanks," Lucy said, trying to put a smile on her face. It was hard. She was hoping the caffeine and grease would help. Yes, it was an odd combination, but sometimes the junk food would help get things going. She didn't know why, but it had helped in the past, so why not try it again? The waitress gave her an odd look, but walked away to put in her order. Lucy just went back to her computer, trying to find an ending. The problem was whether she wanted to leave an opening for a sequel or just have it as a single title. The book could go either way. She wanted to pull her hair out in frustration.

             
The waitress came back with her coffee and plate of fries. Lucy dug into the fries like a starving person, maybe hoping the grease would jump-start her brain. Before she was halfway through her plate, someone sat down across from her. At first she thought it was Mike because he’d said he'd stop by, but when she looked up, it wasn't Mike sitting there.

             
"Hi. I want to ask you about the shifters."

Chapter 21

              That wasn't how Paul planned on asking her. He hadn't planned on asking her anything, but after following Mike for a few days, he wasn't getting anywhere. He needed answers and wasn't currently getting them. Time to go to the source. Well, maybe not the source, but someone who wouldn't try to kill him.

             
"Umm, okay?" Lucy said.

             
"Sorry, I'm Paul Mills."

             
"Lucy Kartright," she answered. She looked confused. He shouldn't be surprised.

             
"I'm sorry, I know this is out of the blue, but I need you to hear me out before you run or call for Mike."

             
"Okay," she said with a sigh. She didn't seem to want to listen, but he had to try. He hoped maybe she could help in some way.

             
"I'm going to start from the beginning," he began, thinking she'd be more likely to listen if he told her everything. Lucy nodded. "My boss sent me out here after hearing reports of a wolverine sighting. It took a while, but once I saw one, I called and reported it. He flew out here and we went hunting for it."

             
He looked at her face, seeing if there was any sign of her wanting to bolt or call for help. There was nothing; just her listening intently. She was listening, thank God.

             
"He was the one who shot Mike," Paul went on. He looked up at her again, waiting for the horror to dawn on her, or the hatred. He would be pissed off and ranting if he were in her shoes. Instead she just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

             
Before he could start again, she said, "Would you stop with the dramatic pauses and get it out? I'm listening to you. I'm not going to run off to Mike. I told you I would listen and I am, so get on with it."

             
"My boss is the one who shot Mike's parents. He's made this personal. He feels he missed the last wolverine so has to make sure to take it down. That's why he's so determined."

             
The waitress came up to the table, "Can I get you something?" she asked him.

             
"Coffee, thanks," he answered.

             
"Anything for you?" she asked Lucy.

             
"I'm okay for now, thank you," Lucy said, not taking her eyes off Paul. She might be human, but she had the eyes of a predator. She wanted to protect Mike. That was why she hadn't called him. She might not be able to fight like him, but that didn't make her any less dangerous.

             
“To me, shifters are animals, nothing more,” Paul said. “They attack people for no reason; they are vicious creatures. When I saw you after Mike had been shot, I could tell you didn't know what he was, but you still went to him. Then I saw you go after him when he smelled me in the woods.”

             
"That was you?" she asked.

             
"Yes. I had actually taken aim to shoot him, but I couldn't. You were the one who stopped me. I just had to find out why you ran after him. How you could try to help a vicious creature, and why you are trying to protect one now."

***

              Lucy knew she should be offended, but looking at Paul, she wasn't. He really looked confused. She didn't know what to think about it, but if she could help him see that Mike was as much of a person as he was, then maybe it was worth talking about. She knew his being a shifter was a secret, but this guy seemed to already know about them, so what was the harm?

             
"When I first met Mike, he was sweet. He patched me up after I got hurt in a bar fight. The next time I saw him, he was a very nice gentleman. He was nervous driving me home, just like any other man would be when taking a girl he liked home." Paul nodded. "My sister was the one who conned him into taking me home. That alone can make a person nervous. He's been nothing but kind to me. When he told me what he was, I couldn't help but be loving and understanding. He's still a person. He's not an animal. He might change into one, but that's not who he is." By the end of her rant, Lucy was getting mad. How dare someone think any differently? He was one of God's creatures, and she didn't want to hear anyone say that he was an abomination.

             
"I wasn't trying to offend you. I just want to understand. But how did you take it so well? People don't like hearing that things exist outside of the norm."

             
"You don't know anything about me, do you?" she asked.

             
"No."

             
"I thought you guys would do some research before confronting someone," she said with a small smile.

             
"This wasn't exactly planned. Plus, how would research help me with this? It's your own acceptance, not your profession or family that would answer that."

             
He looked confused. She couldn't help but laugh to herself. "Because if you'd done your research, you would have learned that I'm a writer. I have a very active imagination. I think that helps me accept things a little better. Well, things 'outside of the norm', as you say," she smiled.

             
"I still don't understand. How would fiction help?" he asked.

             
“I write paranormal books for young adult readers,” Lucy explained. “I write about vampires, were-creatures, fairies, that kind of thing. It's easier for me to accept because I already live in that world. I just thought it was fiction before, and now I know it's not. It doesn't scare me. I figure all creatures – black, white, were-creature, vampire, fairy, human, dog, cat – have good and bad. There are the criminals, the ones doing for others, the kind and cruel. They are all the same to me.”

             
"I'm sorry," he said, still looking confused. Lucy figured it was something maybe only a writer could understand. They did have unique minds. Sometimes she would wonder how she was still alive with all the times she'd been driving and thinking about a book. Then she would wonder how she got home. She was afraid sometimes that they would come up with a new type of ticket: BWD – Brainstorming While Driving. She'd probably lose her license then.

             
Book, she had to figure out her book. Okay, since she was having so much trouble with it, maybe she'd leave it with a happy ending, but also the option to do more if she wanted. That wouldn't be too hard to write. She could also turn it into its own world and just do individual books in the same world, but with different characters. That would work. She was going to have to type this up fast, before she forgot it all.

***

              Paul watched as Lucy seemed to go off into another world or something. Her face went blank as she looked at her computer screen. He wondered if she was having a seizure or something. He didn't know if he should call for help or not. He was about to flag down the waitress to get her to call an ambulance when Lucy sat forward all of a sudden. Paul was about to catch her until he realized she was typing, not falling. That was… different.

             
"Ms. Kartright?" No answer. "Ms. Kartright?" he said again. Still no answer. "Lucy?" He'd be really worried if her fingers weren't going a mile a minute.

             
"Hang on a minute," she said, not taking her eyes off the screen or her fingers off the keyboard. Should he be offended? The computer seemed to take precedence over their conversation. Maybe it was a writer thing? She was the first one he'd ever met. It was strange, though. "Okay, sorry. Something just came to me. I had to get it down."

             
"Okay." he said.

             
"I didn't want to forget it. I've had that happen before and, yeah, I don't want it to happen again."

             
"Okay, so back to what we were talking about."

             
"What was that?" she asked with a kind smile. She really had forgotten what they had been talking about.

             
"Mike…" Paul stopped talking when he saw a pissed off Mike heading into the diner.

Chapter 22

              Paul had been his second-in-command for a long time. He trusted him. Maybe he was just over-tired. He had been working him pretty hard lately. Maybe he could send him to some nice place for some rest. He had done a good job. The man was the best second he'd ever had.

             
Making some calls, he had someone set up a long weekend for Paul in California. He could relax on the beaches looking at the women in bikinis. Hell, he might even join him. He hadn't had a vacation in years. Maybe he would. He wanted to wait until this thing was taken care of first. Then he'd deserve a vacation.

***

              Mike was so excited. He had finally been able to talk Lucy into getting out of the house. Bill had asked him to help with a delivery, so he was working, but he couldn't talk Lucy into hanging out at Bill's. She said he'd be a distraction. And she was probably right, but he was done and looking forward to having lunch with her.

             
He was walking as fast as he could, trying to get to her as quickly as possible. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. That had never happened to him before. He never wanted to spend all his time with someone else, not since his parents had died. It was refreshing and gave him hope. Maybe he wasn’t as broken as he thought he was, not if a girl like Lucy wanted him.

             
When he got to the diner, he looked inside and saw Lucy working on her computer. She looked so engrossed. He remembered when his mother had been like that. He had always had trouble trying to get her attention. He had learned he just had to wait for her to finish, which wouldn’t normally be all that long.

             
To Lucy, the only ones who existed in her world at that moment were her characters. She just had that look on her face. She looked up and started talking and smiling. When he looked at the other side of the booth, he saw a man sitting there. What the fuck?

             
He took a deep breath. It could be a fan or a friend or something. He couldn’t jump to conclusions. It really could just be nothing. He knew Lucy wouldn’t jump into bed with someone else… right? No, she seemed to really care about him. She seemed to want to be around him. She really seemed to like him. Maybe it was just an innocent meeting. Based on what he’d seen so far, it seemed like she would need someone hitting her around the head to get her to notice them. Lucy probably thought this was all just some friendly meeting.

             
Mike walked slowly into the diner, but a scent hit him right away. The guy who had been in the woods was here. He'd know that smell anywhere. He breathed in, trying to determine where the scent was coming from.

             
And there he was. He slowly walked, following the scent to the man sitting with Lucy. The man whom Lucy had her hand on. "What the hell is going on here?"

***

              Paul was afraid to look at Mike. He knew the man was pissed and wanted to kill him. He just hoped Lucy could calm him down. He knew he shouldn't have talked to Lucy. He knew it was dangerous, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

             
"Mike, calm down and listen to him," Lucy said to Mike. Paul looked at her and saw the pleading in her eyes. He knew Mike wouldn't turn her down. He barely knew the woman, but he did know he would give her anything because of that look.

             
"Fine," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

             
"Sit," she said, glaring at him. And Paul never wanted that look directed at him. It was an evil look. Maybe he didn't want to get on her bad side. He thought he had to worry about the wolverine, but now, not so much. Mike sat, but didn't say anything.

             
Lucy looked at Paul. He was almost afraid to talk, but he was more afraid of getting that look. "My boss is the one who shot you. I'm sure you can tell that I was the one who was in the woods the other day. I was sent to keep an eye on you and kill you if I could. I had the chance, I had the gun aimed, but watching Lucy go after you stopped me."

             
"See, it wasn't a bad thing that I ran out there," she said to Mike with a smile. What was wrong with that woman? She changed moods quickly and had seizure-like episodes. Maybe she needed to be hospitalized.

             
"You still shouldn't have done it," Mike grunted. He was in a mood. Paul guessed as much, but couldn't really blame him for it.

             
"Continue," Lucy said to Paul.

             
"Anyway, when Lucy came out after you, I had to find out why. I've been watching you for a few days, trying to find out if there was anything special about you."

             
"And did you find anything?" Mike asked.

             
"No. You seemed like a normal human, and that confused me more. When I saw Lucy, I had to ask her. I knew she knew what you were. I thought she would be able to answer some questions."

             
"And why didn't you just ask me?"

             
Paul looked at him incredulously. Really? "Because you'd kill me as soon as you saw me. The same as any shifter."

             
"I guess you have a point," Mike mumbled.

             
"I know I do," Paul said. He knew he was being rude, but how stupid could someone be?

             
"Okay, so what did you ask Lucy?" he asked.

             
"I asked her why she went after you."

             
"That's it?" Mike asked.

             
"Yeah."

             
"Why?"

             
"Because since I met my boss, all I've been taught is that shifters are vicious animals who kill everything. Lucy going after you made me question that."

             
"Stay here. Lucy and I are going to run down to the bar. I'll be back in a little bit," Mike said and stood up, taking Lucy with him.

***

              As he walked down the street looking for the wolverine, he saw Paul. He thought he’d sent him home. What the hell? He took a closer look and saw he was sitting at the table with the wolverine and the woman. He was going to kill him. Torture and kill him. Paul had betrayed him. How could he? How could his most adept student and second betray him like that?

             
Maybe he had been found out. Maybe he had been wrong in his first thoughts. But why was he still in town? He was told to leave and take a few days off. Why would he disobey an order? No, he had been betrayed. Paul was talking to the shifter and it didn't look tense. It didn't look relaxed, but it wasn't tense. Paul was going to tell him everything, even if he had to use his knife skills to get it out of him.