The Finding (9 page)

“Uh-huh. Find
the girl in the picture, determine if she really is Cassandra
Greyson, and if it is her bring her back here. Once we’re sure of
our facts, I’ll get on the internet and contact the Lycan Link
network. They’ll make arrangements to slip her through Customs.” He
gave a satisfied sigh. “It will be good to get this wrapped up
before the pup is born. Rogue werewolves can be dangerous. You
should have her in line by then.”

“She’s not
exactly a rogue.” Bryan felt the need to qualify his Alpha’s
statement. Rogues were loners with no packs, out for themselves and
possessing no sense of duty towards the well-being of others of
their kind. Some even teetered on the border of sanity, having no
pack to keep them grounded. They could be unpredictable and often
became a menace to those around them. Originally, that’s how he had
viewed the Greyson girl, but the longer he’d searched for her, the
more his opinion had softened. He frowned inwardly, not sure why
that was.

Ryne frowned
and began to enumerate the facts. “Cassandra Greyson might not be a
rogue yet, but I’m sure it’s just pure luck. From what we’ve been
able to determine, she was raised human. What does she know our
ways? What type of control does she have over her wolf? You know as
well as I do she’s a recipe for disaster. The girl is like a time
bomb waiting to explode. And, since we’re the ones who discovered
her, she’s our responsibility. The Finding clause is quite specific
on that. It’s definitely a case of ‘finder’s keepers,’ whether you
want to or not.”

Bryan nodded.
He’d studied that particular part of the law several times over the
past few years, knowing he would eventually be responsible for
dealing with the young, untutored wolf. If a pack found a rogue or
a lone wolf, it was their duty to deal with them in whatever way
was deemed most appropriate; integration, relocation or, at worst,
eliminating those who refused to comply.

Usually, when a
wolf wandered into a pack’s territory, the newcomer automatically
fell under that pack’s jurisdiction, but Cassandra Greyson was a
special case. They’d found her in the Chicago pack’s district and
it could have been a dicey situation since Ryne hadn’t exactly
asked permission of the local Alpha. Thankfully, the elderly Alpha
of the other pack had been cooperative and willing to abide by the
Finding, not wanting to deal with the problem himself. It had been
decided that the Greyson girl, if ever located, would come to live
with Ryne’s pack.

Bryan looked at
the map and eyed the distance between Las Vegas and Stump River
with trepidation. It was a long way to travel with an uncooperative
Lycan and something was telling him, she wasn’t going to be happy
to see him. He scrunched up his face and asked doubtfully, “If it
is her, do you think there’s any chance, she’ll agree to come along
quietly?”

Ryne snorted.
“She’s a female, what do you think? Do they ever do anything the
easy way?”

“I heard that!”
Mel’s voice drifted into the room. It had a teasing quality to it
and a gleam of interest sparkled in Ryne’s eye.

Standing, the
Alpha stretched. “I think it’s time for a chat with my mate.” He
folded the map they’d been look at and casually tossed it at Bryan,
grinning. “Another thing about pregnant women; their libido goes
way up.”

Bryan rolled
his eyes, but chuckled none the less. “I’ll start to make
arrangements to head to Vegas.”

“Do whatever
you need to do. I’m putting you in charge of checking the girl out,
and if it is Greyson, bringing her home.” Ryne started to leave,
then paused and tossed out one more comment. “Oh, and Bryan? From
what I recall, the girl’s quite a looker. Remember it’s business
before pleasure.”

Bryan snorted,
then listened to the retreating sound of his Alpha’s footsteps.
Wandering back to the computer, he stared at the grainy photograph.
Yep, even in a sub-quality picture, her beauty couldn’t be denied.
He reached out, and traced the curve of the girl’s face with his
finger. “Hello, Cassandra Greyson. You and I are about to become
very good friends.”

Chapter 4

The next
morning, Bryan ambled down the stairs from his suite of rooms in
the Alpha house, eyes only half open and rubbing his bare chest.
The carpeted stairs were soft beneath his bare feet and he trailed
one hand down the polished wooden railing idly noting it was a far
cry from the rickety structure that had been there when they’d
first walked into the house almost four years ago. The whole place
had been falling down around their ears, but Ryne hadn’t cared
being more interested in the land that went with it, than the
building itself.

Still, they’d
needed suitable housing and over time the rambling monstrosity had
been refurbished. There were still two wings that needed work, but
the main living areas were habitable and provided enough room for
all the pack members.

In a way, Bryan
wished there was a big construction project underway at the moment.
Wielding a hammer or tearing down walls would have gone a long way
in helping to work off some of the frustration in his body right
now.

As it was, he’d
have to settle for coffee and paperwork to help shake the unsettled
feeling that had been with him ever since he awoke. It had nothing
to do with the fact he was leaving for Las Vegas in just a few
hours to capture the elusive Cassandra Greyson. No, that would be
too sensible a reason. Instead, he was off kilter because of a
dream, the same damned dream that had plagued him at least once a
month for the last three years. It was a recurring scenario
involving him chasing a female wolf through the woods.

She was
chocolate brown with green eyes, petite yet fast as the wind. Each
time he had to strain the limits of his endurance in order to catch
her, but a part of him knew she would prove to be well worth the
effort. He’d raced after her, inhaling her scent and quivering with
the need to possess, to mate. In the end, he always caught her,
gripping the ruff of her neck and forcing her to submit. The urge
to claim her was strong; he’d nipped and licked her fur, rubbing
against her to ensure his scent was on her and then they would both
shift to human form.

Last night had
been more vivid than usual. There in the forest, on a patch of soft
green moss, he’d made slow, exquisite love to her. Kissing her
softly, trailing his lips down her golden body, inhaling her unique
scent, tasting her... Her moans of delight filled his ears and she
caressed him as he worshipped her. Gently, she’d teased his skin
until every nerve ending was alert, until his body was aching with
arousal. Then—his breath caught at the memory alone—she’d taken him
in her hands and stroked his turgid flesh.

He’d almost
come undone then. His body trembled with the need to possess her,
to feel her hot wet warmth squeezing him, yet he’d forced himself
to hold back. He had to see her face first; to know who this
elusive goddess was that teased him with promises of pleasure
beyond telling.

Kneeling
between her knees, he worked his way up her body, taking in her
curved hips and slim waist. For a moment his eyes hesitated at her
lush breasts with their dusky tips begging for his attention... She
reached out and took his hand, guiding it up to her face. Her
tongue darted out and licked at his palm, before drawing his thumb
into her mouth. He dragged his gaze upward, but, just as his eyes
reached her chin, her image dissolved and he was left staring at
the mossy green forest floor.

Bryan growled
at the memory. Just like always, when things were getting
interesting the dream would end leaving him aching with desire.
He’d awoken more unsatisfied than ever and burning with the need to
search out the mystery female. It was ridiculous. She didn’t even
exist, but his inner wolf wasn’t receptive to that line of thinking
and demanded action on his part.

He reached the
bottom of the stairs and gave his pyjama pants a hitch from where
they were sagging on his lean hips and turned down the short
hallway that led to the kitchen. That room too had been redone and
sported gleaming hardwood, marble counters and stainless steel
appliances.

“Bryan?” Marco
called his name from the kitchen and Bryan bit back a snarl. He
didn’t want to talk to the friendly Spaniard today. His wolf was
restless and on edge, looking for a reason to snap at someone.

Forcing himself
to be calm, he entered the kitchen with what he hoped was a polite
expression and leaned on the counter, arms folded across his chest.
“What can I do for you Marco?”

“I just wanted
to tell you that Levi and I switched shifts. Levi is doing patrols
today so I can take Olivia out for her birthday.”

“That’s fine
with me. Give Olivia my best.” Levi was new to the pack, but
reliable. Bryan nodded curtly and started to turn away, intent on
grabbing a coffee and leaving, when a thought occurred to him. He’d
never shared his dream with anyone. He was a Beta for heaven sake;
foolish dreams weren’t part of his image. Still... Marco was a
sensible sort and somewhat of an expert on werewolf phenomena.
Bryan frowned and poured himself a cup of the dark brew and
considered his next step. It couldn’t hurt to ask, could it? He
sipped the coffee and walked over to the table, sitting down across
from where Marco was reading the newspaper.

“Can I ask you
something?” He cradled the warm cup in his hand, staring at the
dark liquid rather than the other man.

“What’s on your
mind?”

Bryan heard
Marco fold the paper. He looked up, meeting the man’s gaze then
looked away, already regretting his decision to talk about his
dream. However... Taking a deep breath he began. “I’ve...er...been
having this dream over and over again and...” He rubbed his neck
not sure how to continue, then glanced up sheepishly.

“Ah! And you
wonder what it might mean?” Marco’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
“Let me guess. It’s about a female.”

Feeling his
cheeks start to flush, Bryan forced down his embarrassment. “Yeah.
Always the same one. I chase her, catch her and then...” He let his
voice trail off. Clearing his throat, he started again. “The next
day, I feel...half there... As if a part of me is missing.”

“Hmm...” Marco
settled back in his chair. “Have you heard about the concept of
predestined mates? Or how for some the inner wolf already knows its
soul mate in some other dimension?”

“I’ve heard of
it, but figured it’s just a bunch of crap. Sure some wolves meet
and click right away, but that’s random chance. Most just meet and
gradually fall in love. Anything else is folklore left over from
the old days when the ‘magick’ of werewolves was still pure.”

“To some extent
you are right, but there are few ‘blue-blooded’ werewolves left who
possess this ability. For most of us, the ‘magick’ has been diluted
through careless breeding, not that it really matters. We are
content to have increased sensory acuity, strength and, of course,
the ability to shift into a clothed state. Naturally, those of
mixed parentage can seldom magick their clothes back on, but that
is another matter all together.”

Bryan chuckled.
“Poor souls have to keep a stash of clothes around somewhere or
risk being arrested for public nudity. Mel’s always griping about
how unfair it is that she’s only half and ends up nude after a run,
scrambling to get dressed in the bushes while the rest of us simply
‘think’ the word clothes and we’re ready.”

Marco smiled
softly, sharing his amusement. “In the ancient days, they say that
a wolf could mentally find and connect with a mate years before
they physically met or blood bonded. In addition, they could appear
and disappear at will, move objects with their minds...” He
shrugged. “A fascinating array of rather unusual skills existed. It
is rumoured that some royal families in Europe still practise
selective breeding in an effort to preserve these abilities, though
it’s all kept hush-hush.”

“So, you’re
saying that maybe my perfect mate is some blue-blooded werewolf who
seeks me out in her dreams?” Bryan screwed up his face, trying to
wrap his brain around the concept.

“Perhaps. Or
maybe you just have a very strange, very vivid fantasy life.” He
stood and slapped Bryan on the back. “Either way, there is nothing
you can do about it. If your mate is out there, you will find each
other eventually. In the meantime, enjoy the dreams.”

“Yeah, right.”
Bryan muttered under his breath as Marco left the room. He’d had a
raging hard-on when he awoke, just like he did each time he had the
dream. There was no relief to be had with the nebulous female.

He took a sip
of coffee, and grimaced. Damn. It was cold, and with Mel on a
no-caffeine diet, Ryne was only allowing them to make one pot a
day, fearing Mel would go off the wagon. Well, there was no wasting
of coffee around this house. Using the microwave, he reheated it
and headed for the office, intent on getting some work done before
it was time to leave. Income tax season was almost upon them and
Ryne had no skill when it came to numbers.

As he
approached the office, he noticed the door was open and winced.
Hopefully Ryne hadn’t taken it into his head to try to deal with
the accounts. He recalled the mess his Alpha had made last time he
tried to help and shuddered. Pushing the door open, he was ready to
chastise Ryne when he noticed that it was Mel in the office, not
her mate. She was hunched over the computer and seemed to be
frowning at whatever was on the screen.

Thinking she
was writing an article for the local newspaper where she worked, he
had just stepped back, deciding to leave her alone, when she gave a
little cry.

“No! Dammit,
no!” She hit the desk top. “I don’t believe it!” Her voice sounded
distressed; not just the usual frustration she showed when an
article wouldn’t flow properly. There was actual anguish in her
voice. “This can’t be happening! Not now...”