The Keeping (10 page)

He wondered why
she hadn’t asked him about her ‘rescue’ but decided she was
probably still slightly ‘out of it’ from the bump on her head and
not thinking clearly yet. No doubt at some point in time it would
dawn on her that someone had ‘saved’ her from the vicious canines.
How he’d explain that, he wasn’t quite sure. Maybe he should make
Bryan and Daniel come up with the solution, since it was their
fault to begin with.

Grinning, he
thought how insulted Bryan and Daniel would be when they learned
that she’d initially considered them to be dogs. And the look on
her face when he’d said ‘wolves’ had been priceless. If he’d told
her the whole truth, and said ‘werewolves’ she would probably have
passed out again from shock. It would almost be worth it, just to
see her in that state. But the Keeping was one of their most
fundamental laws. Breaking it on a whim was a serious offence; even
pups knew better than that.

From his earliest
memory, he could recall his mother drilling the Keeping—as they
commonly called the law—into his head. Non-weres could never know
their true identities. Ensuring the pack’s existence remained
hidden from the human population was their first duty. Of course,
out of necessity, some humans were aware of the truth, but
selecting who to reveal the secret to, was carefully considered by
the Alpha and his council, and had to be for the overall good.

Telling Ms. Greene
she was in the Alpha den of a werewolf pack was definitely not in
their best interests.

Ryne slowed down
his pace, not tired, but thirsty. Damned alcohol always left him
feeling dehydrated. Pausing by a stream, he took a drink, savouring
the cold water as it cascaded down his dry throat. The spring thaw
was on, causing the waterways to swell as the snow melted. Just
last week, ice had covered this particular stream almost
completely, with only the smallest trickle of free running water
visible. Now it was a foot wide and by next week, he’d have to wade
through it, rather than jump over it.

Bending to take
another swallow, he absentmindedly noted his reflection; black fur,
gleaming white teeth and bright blue eyes. Ah, you are a looker, he
mocked himself. The female had noticed it, too. After all these
years, he was very aware that women found him attractive and used
it to his advantage whenever necessary. He wondered why he’d felt
the need to provoke his unexpected visitor rather than charming
her, as he usually did. It must be the fact that he was still hung
over, he decided.

Finishing his
drink, he licked the remaining water drops from his muzzle and
continued running towards home, still thinking about the young
woman. Why did she want to see him? He’d certainly never met her
before; he wouldn’t forget someone that looked like her. She was a
cute little thing—not his usual type, of course—but still cute and
worth a second look. If he was looking to settle down with a human,
she might be worth considering, but a permanent mate wasn’t in his
plans at the present time, despite his drunken musings of the
previous night. There was enough to do trying to establish his
territory without having to worry about a female.

Sure, he wanted
the pack to expand, but he wasn’t planning on being the one
responsible for that—at least not for awhile. Bryan and Daniel were
randy enough, though. They could locate mates and provide the pups.
He’d just keep finding willing females to help him release his
sexual tension, whenever the need arose.

But enough of
that. Melody Greene was here looking for him and he was pretty sure
it wasn’t just for the pleasure of his company and a quick roll in
the hay. It had to be something to do with that damned picture.
After all, what were the chances of two different strangers looking
for him in the course of a month; one in Smythston a few weeks back
and now one in Stump River? She had to be the same person, but how
had she found him? He and Kane had gone to great lengths to bury
the trail that connected them. Ms. Greene must be one hell of an
investigator and incredibly determined if she’d been able to ferret
out his whereabouts.

His house came
into view and he paused in the backyard, phasing back into his
human form before walking to the building. The smell of frying
chicken and fresh coffee drifted towards him causing his mouth to
water. He inhaled deeply, savouring the smell, but then frowned.
What was that other smell? Oh. Right. Ms. Greene’s scent lingered
in the air too. Damn. Grimacing, he hoped he’d be able to get rid
of her. He didn’t need the type of complications she
represented.

Chapter 7

Mel put off
calling Aldrich as long as possible. She had nothing positive to
report and hated lying to the man, since she was sure the lawyer
saw right through her attempts at evasion. During the job interview
that she’d endured with him, she’d felt his eyes on her as if he’d
been trying to delve into her brain to find every little secret
she’d ever had. The background information he’d required had been
extensive; family background, medical history, school records,
letters of reference, a police background check... Given the large
amount of money involved, she supposed he couldn’t be too careful,
but it had seemed a bit excessive. However, his employer, Anthony
Greyson, hadn’t become a wealthy man by entrusting his money to
just anyone.

She still recalled
sitting in the upscale office, trying to remain calm as Aldrich
interviewed her and gave a few generalized hints as to what the job
might entail. His demeanour had made her feel like she was on
trial. He’d ask questions nicely then moved on to a new topic, only
to suddenly revert to the previous train of thought and re-ask the
same question with slightly different wording and an accusing tone
of voice. Mel knew she had nothing to hide, but still felt guilty
and nervous. At one point she’d almost felt the need to confess to
stealing Timothy Hawthorne’s chocolate bar in fourth grade!
Thankfully, she’d controlled the urge, but somehow she was sure
Aldrich already knew the truth.

Aldrich was an
imposing man, not because of his size—being only average height and
weight—but because of his appearance and demeanour. His greying
hair was always too perfect; his eyes were a pale ice blue while
his face was impassive, only the faintest hint of a smile or frown
gracing his thin lips. The man seemed cold and calculating, and Mel
hoped she’d never end up on his bad side. After making a few notes
on her answers and double checking her contact information, he’d
dismissed her, leaving her with the impression that she’d failed
the interview. It was with great surprise that she’d received a
phone call a few weeks later, saying she had the job. Her surprise
was even greater when she discovered that Aldrich worked for Mr.
Anthony Greyson, head of Greyson Incorporated.

Anthony Greyson
was a well known business tycoon in the Chicago area. His name was
synonymous with wealth and success, yet he led a life shrouded in
mystery. Very few people ever saw him and even when he entertained,
it was rumoured that he only put in a perfunctory appearance before
disappearing into the private depths of his mansion. Some said he
was involved with the mob. Others claimed he led a double life and
had homes all over the world where he assumed other identities. The
tabloid stories about the man were even more ludicrous and not even
worth mentioning.

Whatever the truth
about Greyson, the idea of working for him was both intriguing and
intimidating. Mel just hoped that she managed to complete the job
to his satisfaction. If he was going to become a patron of the
arts, then maybe he would employ her again, asking her to do even
more research on other up and coming artists. If he wasn’t pleased
with her work... Well, she didn’t even
want
to let her
thoughts go there!

With this in mind,
Mel realized that she’d better keep her end of the bargain. Picking
up her cell phone, she placed the call, only to smile in relief
when she discovered that her phone couldn’t pick up a signal. Well,
that solved that problem, she decided, happily snapping the phone
shut. Who would ever have thought that bad service could be a
blessing? She’d have to call when she was in town tomorrow. Aldrich
couldn’t complain about her lack of contact, if there were no means
of communication available to her.

Tossing the phone
back into her purse, she set about preparing herself a quick meal,
humming as she moved about the small kitchen. She’d bought easy to
prepare foods and soon had a plate of grilled chicken strips and
cooked veggies on the table. With no TV to watch, she amused
herself by reliving her encounter with Ryne Taylor, adding pithy
comments that she wished she had been clever enough to say at the
time.

In her mind, the
man was soon overcome by her quick repartee, and eagerly agreed to
an exclusive interview with her. He was also careless with his
comments and her clever questions soon had him on the verge of
revealing what she had dubbed ‘the great mystery’; the reason why
he basically appeared to be in hiding, and why the wolf picture
seemed to be so important.

Mel snorted at her
imaginings. It wouldn’t happen that way. Taylor was no pushover.
Instead of trying to annihilate him with her scathing remarks, she
should be thinking of ways to win him over with her pleasant
personality so he’d be willing to talk to her. Usually, she got
along with everyone, but for some reason, he seemed to bring out
the worst in her. Well, no matter; she’d just have to try harder to
get on his good side. Right now, she didn’t have any great hopes
that such a thing would occur in the near future, but it was all
she could think of at the moment.

Once dinner was
done, she investigated the delights of the large claw-foot tub. It
was big enough, and deep enough, that she could completely submerge
with only her head and neck above the water line. It was at times
like these that Mel actually enjoyed being a little on the short
side. A lanky model would have her knees and shoulders sticking out
over the top of the tub. Chuckling at the mental image that
accompanied the thought, Mel leaned her head back and let the
relaxing warmth creep into her body.

Steam rose about
her, coating her face in dewy dampness. Her hair would be curling
and frizzing soon; since no one would see her, she didn’t really
care. The heat was turning her skin pink and she stuck one foot up
out of the water, wiggling her toes and observing their appearance.
She needed to redo her polish, she thought lazily before letting
her foot sink beneath the water line once again. Bubbles drifted
by, gathering around her neck and clustering in little islands that
floated here and there in response to the slight current she
created whenever she moved.

It was a great
tub. Almost big enough for two. Idly she speculated at the chances
of meeting anyone locally to share the tub with. The odds were
probably slim. Still she daydreamed about someone sitting behind
her. She’d lean against his chest and he’d wrap his arms around
her, cupping her breasts and pressing wet kisses to her neck. His
hands would drift down over her stomach to her thighs and then... A
dreamy smile spread across her face as she lived out her own little
fantasy.

By time the water
had cooled, both her brain and her muscles felt like mush. Mel
barely had the energy to get out of tub and drag herself into the
bedroom. Throwing on her traditional sleepwear of an old T-shirt
and a pair of fuzzy socks, she crept into bed and curled up into a
ball, quickly drifting off to sleep.

*****

As was so often
the case in bad dreams, she was trying to run, trying to escape,
but her legs felt like they were stuck in quicksand. She pulled on
her limbs, forcing each slow, plodding step, knowing that the
terror behind wasn’t suffering from the same impediment. The air
was cold and damp, tree branches slapped against her face as she
made her way through the dark woods. Whatever was chasing her, was
getting closer; its heavy footsteps sounding louder and louder. She
opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

Hot breath hit her
neck, long canines bit at her, tearing her clothing and piercing
her flesh. Struggling to escape, she swung her arms wildly, gasping
in surprise when her hand encountered something solid and warm. Now
fingers clutched her upper arms, pulling at her, forcing her to
turn around and face the horror that was attacking her. Heart
pounding, she clenched her eyes shut. Like a young child, she hoped
if she couldn’t see it, it wasn’t there.

“Look at me!” A
strong voice commanded her and she was helpless to refuse. Of their
own volition, her eyes opened and she looked up into the face of
the wild beast that was tormenting her. Light gleamed off of its
long teeth, their whiteness accentuated by the black fur that
covered his face. Her gaze travelled higher and then froze as it
locked onto its bright blue eyes. They stared at each other for
what seemed like ages and then the wolf’s face began to shift and
take on a human form.

His hazy features
refused to come into focus, but his eyes remained clear and deep
blue. He gazed at her, a low rumble emanating from his chest. Mel
tried to inch away, still fearful, but her limbs refused to
cooperate. The man leaned closer. She tried to say something, but
he covered her mouth with his, kissing her softly.

It was strange;
she knew she was dreaming, but everything seemed so real. The
slight roughness of his hand touching her skin, the warmth of his
breath, the softness of his lips... Mel felt herself relaxing and
sighing as she sank into the kiss. Okay, the nightmare was turning
into a sex dream now, and it promised to be one of the best ones
she’d had in ages. Giving a slight wiggle of delight at this
unexpected turn of events, she prepared to enjoy the fantasy her
mind was concocting for her.