Out of the Shadows (7 page)

Lark couldn’t help but smile, Emily’s happiness vibrated off
in waves. “I think you’ll really like it.”

“I’m sure I will. Devon said the sample photos of the cakes
you had looked phenomenal.”

Lark nodded, not wanting to burst the younger woman’s
bubble. That was not the conversation she remembered. “So, what made you decide
to get…” she paused not sure what the correct word to use was.

Emily jumped in, her soft voice taking on a high pitch as
she gushed the details. “It was Rick’s idea actually. Marcus and I have been
engaged for almost a year now.” She held up her hand with the small diamond
ring on it for Lark to see.

Lark didn’t know what to say. She nodded in understanding. It
was obvious Emily was excited about the pending nuptials.

“I have a favor to ask. I know I’m asking a lot, and we
don’t really know each other, but-” Emily looked at her with shining green
eyes. “There are no other women on the estate and I was hoping, if you don’t
mind,” she twiddled with the edge of her hair twirling it nervously. “Helping
me get ready?”

“I would love to,” Lark said happily.

“Thanks,” Emily sighed relieved.

The screen door squeaked open again and banged closed. Lark
looked up expecting Gene, but instead saw Devon.

“Hey, Dev, Lark’s going to help me get ready Sunday.” Emily
beamed.

Devon turned his attention to Emily, a genuine smile on his
face. Lark felt her breath catch in her throat, not once had she seen him smile.
He looked handsome and carefree.

“That’s great, Em,” Devon replied, his hands jammed in his
pockets.

Lark quirked her brow at him, but didn’t say anything. Realization
filtered in, Emily had come to her and asked for help. Emily thought Devon
would be excited for her. Lark wondered if Devon had only been giving her a
hard time, and not Emily.

“What time should I be here Sunday,” Lark asked.

“Is ten or eleven too early?” Emily asked, her green eyes
wide with worry.

Lark smiled, that was late for her. “That’s perfect.”
“What time do you close tomorrow, Lark?” Devon asked softly.

Lark turned toward Devon, her heart thumping harder. He’d
said her name before, but not like that. It had been tender with a slight drawl
to it.

“Eight.”

“I’ll be there a little before then,” Devon nodded as he
turned and headed back into the house.

***

Lark turned on her blinker as she
merged onto the highway. The air conditioner buzzed working overtime to filter
out the hot sticky air. She used her free hand to push her long blonde strands
to the side alleviating the sticky mess building at the nape of her neck. Silently
cursing herself for taking her thick curls out of the ponytail.

“So how was your horseback ride?” Lark
asked unable to keep her smile contained. She highly doubted her sister just
went on a horseback ride for two hours. Not that she could really say anything,
she’d been eighteen and reckless not too many years ago.

“Fine,” Sarah said a wide smile on her face.

“Careful, next thing you know you’ll be participating in a
mating ceremony,” Lark teased.

“Ha ha,” Sarah laughed. “Are we going? Preston invited me,
but I don’t want to intrude. He doesn’t really know much about the actual
ceremony. I guess they don’t do them very often anymore.”

“Yeah, Emily asked us to come while you were out with
Preston. I told her we would love to. She wants help with her hair and dress,”
Lark smiled. It was nice to be officially invited by the bride, if you could
call her that. It would be nice to have some girl time, she was really looking
forward to it.

“This whole thing is horribly romantic,” Sarah said.

“It’s something, I’m not sure romantic is the right word,
but-”

“They love each other and will do anything to be together,”
Sarah interrupted. “That’s romantic.”

“Okay, maybe a little,” Lark conceded.

“Do you think…” Sarah started then stopped, turning her head
to look out the window.

“What?”

Sarah sighed and fidgeted nervously in her seat. “I love
Preston. I just sometimes worry that I’m not enough because I’m not one of them
he’ll move on. It’s silly, right?” She laughed, but it came out hollow and Lark
turned seeing the tears that churned in Sarah’s eyes.

“Why, did he say something to you?” Lark asked, her heart
clenched with pain for Sarah.

“No, I’m just worrying.”

Lark bit her lip. She wasn’t really the one to come to for
relationship advice.

“Preston loves you, Sarah. If
something as silly as that breaks you up than he doesn’t deserve you.”

She sighed and looked at Sarah who
nodded but turned back to the window. “Sometimes things just don’t work out and
sometimes they do. Besides I don’t think you have to worry about him falling
for a lady wolf. In case you haven’t noticed there aren’t many around.”

Sarah remained silent for a long time and Lark couldn’t help
but wonder if she’d helped.

“Why do you think that is?” Sarah finally asked as Lark
pulled into their driveway.

“What?”

“That there are no women. Emily’s the first female wolf I’ve
met other than Beatrice. Don’t you think that’s odd?” Sarah asked.

Lark nodded confused by Sarah’s fear when there were no
other women. “Yeah. Now that you mention it, it is weird.”

“It’s just Preston is the only guy there that’s in a real
relationship. The rest of them are kind of man whores or don’t date. Nobody
there has a real relationship,” Sarah said, hand on the door handle as Lark
turned the car off.

Lark opened her door and climbed out. She wrapped her arm
around Sarah as they walked to the front door. “I don’t think Preston is
leading you on or anything like that, Sarah. All guys are different, and I
won’t pretend to know anything about them. Preston seems like a good guy. Why
do you all of a sudden doubt him?”

Sarah exhaled slowly as Lark unlocked the door, and they
walked inside the dimly lit sky blue living room. “One of the guys was giving
Preston a hard time while he was saddling up the horses. I know it’s silly, but
he was being really rude.” Sarah confided, after a long moment.

“Guys do that, who was it?”

“Garrett Miller,” Sarah huffed.

Lark frowned, he was one of the newer guy’s maybe only been
there for a year or so. New faces didn’t pop up often, so she noticed them. “Well,
he sounds like an ass. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to him. He’s probably
just jealous of you two.”

“Maybe, but he was really…” Sarah’s face contorted as she
tried to find the right words, “nasty.”

There seemed to be no shortage of that lately. Sarah didn’t
need to know about her own run in with Devon. Devon’s nastiness seemed to be
only directed at her. “Come on, sweetie, it’s Friday. We can stay up late,
snuggle under a blanket with ice cream, and watch movies.”

Sarah smiled, her blue eyes lighting up. “Sounds fun.”

Devon’s breath came out in pants as
he ran through the woods. The earthy scent of oak trees and grass cleared his
mind. Birds chirped and wildlife rustled in the sparse thicket. This felt like
home.

Vincent, Gene, and Marcus ran beside him. After lunch, it
became a part of their daily routine to run. Relaxed and exhilarated, he came
to a stop at the large creek bed that ran through the back of the property.

“You cheated,” Vincent exhaled, as he bent over clutching
his knees.

“Or I’m just faster.” Devon clapped a hand on Vincent’s back
while inhaling a large gulp of fresh air into his lungs.

“We all started at the same time,” Marcus chimed in.

Vincent knelt on his knees and splashed water on his face. “Years
of working out at the gym and I still can’t beat you in a race.”

“I didn’t realize we were even racing.” Gene planted himself
down on a log.

Devon shook his head and swiped his hand across his sweaty
brow. “Everything’s a competition with Vincent.”

Vincent shrugged. Standing up, he pushed his wet brown hair
back causing it to stand in tiny spikes. “I can’t help myself. Wait until we go
to a club, which by the way, I think we should do tonight to celebrate your
last night as a free man.” He threw his arm around Marcus’ shoulders, a
mischievous grin on his face.

“I don’t know.” Marcus eyed Vincent warily.

“I second that, a night of drinking before the big day
doesn’t seem like a good idea,” Gene added.

“You two are no fun, what do you say Dev?” Vincent asked.

Devon opened his mouth to respond when a branch snapped to
his left. He spun around, eyes scanning the dense surroundings. There was
nothing there, but he was certain he’d heard something.

Gene stood up and pointed to the tree line. “I think it came
from over there.”

Devon followed his finger but still saw nothing. It could
have been a wild animal, but his senses told him otherwise. His entire body
stood at attention ready to spring into action.

Vincent walked quietly to him, his hands clenched into tight
fists. “Do you see anything?”

“No, but I heard it.”

The four of them remained silent, eyes trained on the sparse
trees. The birds sang in the tree tops and the leaves swayed in the wind, but
otherwise nothing sounded out of place.

Devon’s head whipped to the right, movement catching his eye.
A blur of brown rustled through the trees and bushes, without a second thought
Devon rushed towards it. Someone had been spying on them.

He could hear the thundering of Vincent, Gene, and Marcus’
footsteps behind him. Devon pushed his legs faster, determined to catch the
lurker.

The trees flew by in a blink. Branches whipped against his
skin, stinging as he darted through the woods. He was gaining on the spy. That
knowledge encouraged him to sprint harder, pushing his aching lungs to the max.

The black pavement and bright sun peaked through the tree
line, cars swooshed by. A car sat on the edge of the road the passenger door
hung open. The intruder could not be allowed to escape.

Throat burning and breath whooshing, Devon tried to close
the gap. There was no doubt in his mind they were Emmett’s men.

Devon growled and came to a halt as the dark shirted snoop
dove into the car. The vehicle sped off, tires screeching across the pavement. Leaving
the acrid smell of burnt rubber in the air.

“It’s one of father’s men. I recognize the scent.” Vincent came
to a stop next to Devon.

“We need to get back and warn the others,” Gene wheezed, out
of breath.

Devon nodded. They needed to get back, and quickly. Without
a second thought, he darted further into the woods. He closed his eyes and
focused his mind on the transformation. Fabric tore as his clothes shredded
away in pieces. Pleasure and pain riddled him, as bones snapped and then
reformed.

He landed on the ground with a thud
on all four paws. With a growl, he took off back toward the ranch. The sound of
bones cracking behind him, quickly followed by twelve paws beating on the
ground.

***

Devon paced the room, his senses on overload. It had been
too long since he’d run as a wolf. His body still hummed with adrenaline. The
thrill of the chase and disappointment of defeat made his blood pump faster.

Emmett was here, maybe not specifically, but his men were. Apprehension
and rage filled him causing his stomach to twist in knots.

Rick sipped his coffee, sitting at his desk. His demeanor
remained remarkably calm. Everyone else stood on edge, crammed into the dreary
grey den, awaiting his orders.

Devon stopped his frantic pacing
when Rick stood up, and cleared his throat.

Rick glanced around the room hands
clasped behind his back. “As some of you may have heard another wolf was chased
from our property this afternoon. For the time being, I would advise everyone
to stay within the confines of the estate. We do not know his intent, but it is
safe to say that he may be hostile. Should you come across anything strange or
out of the ordinary, I implore you to alert me or Gene at once.”

Rick looked around the room, his
eyes taking a moment to personally assess each person. “With that said, I have
activated The Guard. We will do three different watch groups, so the entire lot
is under constant supervision. The first shift is already surveying the borders
as we speak. Should an enemy attack occur, we will be prepared and we will
defend each other and our territory. I refuse to let tyrants determine how we
live. On that note, we will continue to live our daily lives and not live in
fear of an impending attack. The mating ceremony between Emily and Marcus will
commence tomorrow with festivities to follow afterwards.”

Chit chat filled the room as Rick sat back down at his desk.
Slowly people began to filter out till Devon and Gene were the only ones left. Gene
sat down in one of the chairs opposite his father and Devon followed suit.

“Do you think there will be an attack tonight?” Gene asked.

Rick leaned back in his chair, scratching his graying beard.
“I supposed that depends on what Emmett knows. If he knows of the ceremony,
then yes. If not, it’s less likely. If he knows our intentions, that means we
have a spy amongst us. It doesn’t surprise me that he found you. Family would
have been the first place I looked.”

“If he attacks it will be after nightfall.” Devon was
certain there would be an attack.

“Agreed, Preston has already taken Sarah home, and I asked
him to stay with her there until Lark gets home. I don’t want Lark or Sarah
here should an incident occur,” Rick said.

“I already discussed picking up Emily’s cake with her. I’ll
be sure to tell her not to come by.” Devon could already see how well that
conversation would go.

Rick nodded and leaned forward to take a drink of his coffee.
“Good, I’ll speak with Lark later this evening about tomorrow. I know Emily
wishes them to be here, but we will see how the night plays out.”

Gene sighed, and turned to Devon. “If you’re going to get to
the bakery before close, you should go. Lark is a stickler for punctuality. If
you don’t show up by 8:01 she’ll pack up the things and head here. I’ll try to
give her a call, let her know you’ll be a few minutes late.”

Devon glanced at the clock, he had less than ten minutes. He
would not make it on time even if he broke every speed limit there was. “I’ll
be back as soon as I can.”

***

Lark sipped at her Coke, her body
supported by the cool white counter. She needed the caffeine boost. No more
late nights with Sarah when she had to wake up at five in the morning. It had
been nice and relaxing last night, but today her body was exhausted and eyes
unbearably heavy.

To think, she was actually looking forward to seeing Devon. It
was only because she wouldn’t have to make a trip to the Harris ranch. He might
be gorgeous and ripped, but he was a jerk and she did not have time for that.

The shop bell chimed and she glanced at the clock. Ten
minutes till close. Lark stood up straight, turning to the door. She put on her
best smile, “Hi, how can I help you?”

The two men exchanged a glance with each other before they
stalked toward her. The tall man with jet black hair and ice blue eyes smirked
as his eyes appraised her.

The second man slowed, lagging
behind his friend. Sweat beaded on his brow and his face was ghastly pale as if
he might vomit or pass out.

Something seemed off about these two. Her skin crawled and
her arm hair rose. A shudder coursed through her body, and her heart pounded in
her ears.

Lark jumped, startled when the
shrill pitch of the phone sliced through the silence. Normally, she would
answer the phone, but she didn’t want to take her eyes off the two men in front
of her. Every nerve in her body screamed at her - she was here all alone.

“You know I’m actually not hungry, let’s just go,” the
second man said. His brown eyes nervously flitted around the room. He ran a
shaky hand through his short brown hair.

The black haired man turned to his friend chuckling, “Why
don’t you go wait outside. I’ll be out shortly.” The two men stared at each
other as if having a conversation without words.

Lark took a step back from the counter as she watched the
wordless exchange between the two men. The brown haired guy gulped but made no
effort to move.

“I’ll have a chocolate chip muffin,” the black haired man
replied with a smile, turning back to her.

Lark nodded and opened the case, too nervous to take her
eyes from him. She cast a quick glance to the clock. She would be ecstatic when
Devon got here, hopefully he showed up quickly.

She had a canister of mace, but it was in her purse. Which,
of course, was in her office? Lark had dozens of customers a day, but none had
ever given off this vibe before. Goosebumps rose on her flesh as a cold chill
ran down her spine.

“Word is your muffins are the best,” the dark haired man
said. His eyes drooped down to her chest.

Lark cleared her throat, hoping the creep would advert his
eyes back to her face, but had no such luck.

“Here you go,” she placed the muffin
on the top of the case and walked to the register.

She’d taken her apron off earlier,
she didn’t do any preparations on Saturdays since she wasn’t open Sundays. Now
she wished she’d left it on. Her blue top wasn’t risqué by any means, but it
was a scoop neck and she was showing a little cleavage.

“Keep the change, sweet pea.” The
man slapped a five dollar bill down on the counter.

“Uh, thanks,” Lark murmured. She
took the bill and slipped it into the register. “Have a nice night.” She forced
a smile. The words had popped out, out of habit.

“You too,” the black haired man
smirked. He took a large bite of the muffin and moaned as he turned on his
heel.

Lark sighed, closing her eyes as
the door dinged and clicked shut. That had been eventful. A quick glance at the
clock confirmed seven minutes till close, and still no Devon. Early or not, she
was ready to close. Goosebumps still obscured her skin from those creeps.

With a shiver, Lark walked to the
door and flipped the lock. Devon could knock. It wouldn’t kill him, she
reasoned. If he didn’t show by the time she got everything packed up she would
just deliver the cake.

Tiredly, she organized her desk and
stuffed her belongings into her purse. It had been a long day. She covered her
mouth yawning. Flicking the lights off, she then headed up front.

In an effort to keep her body
functioning, she pulled down two boxes and set the cake out for when Devon
showed up. Might as well have everything prepared.

The first box was stuffed full and
she was sealing it shut when her cell phone chimed with a new text message. Exhausted,
she picked up her purse and searched for her phone.

Two hands shot out and wrapped
firmly around Lark’s mouth and waist. She let out a muffled scream as she was
roughly jerked backwards into a hard lean body. Her hands gripped her purse
like a lifeline, searching for the canister of mace that was attached to the
inside of her bag.

“That muffin was delicious,” the
dark haired man from earlier hissed in her ear.

Tears pricked her eyes. Her heart
pounded, and her skin crawled where his hands touched her. Lark was drug
towards the back of the shop. Her sneakers squeaked against the tile floor as
she unsuccessfully tried to stop the momentum.

Refusing to go down without a
fight, her hand found the mace. Lark lifted her heel and slammed it down on top
of his foot. His grip loosened and she jabbed her elbow backwards, connecting
with a firm muscled torso.

The man wheezed and grunted in
pain, finally releasing her from his clutches. Free at last, she spun and
sprayed, causing him to falter and fall backwards. Her own eyes stung and
watered from the back spray, but she didn’t stop till the canister was empty.