Though it isn’t my first stakeout, I still feel anxious. Normally, I have all my ducks in a row. Tonight, I’m unprepared for this experience. Running off sheer emotions, instead of logic.
I give it another five minutes or so to make sure no one circles back before getting out of the car.I leave the binoculars on the seat, wanting to keep my hands free.
When I near the clubhouse, I take my time, not wanting to miss anything that could give me a clue about Linda’s whereabouts. I try the knob of the main door and of course it’s locked. I make my way around to the side and find a window slightly ajar. I look around for something to give me the height I need to get it open the rest of the way to crawl inside.
I’m extremely careful as I slide inside through the window to not knock anything over
A strange sound echoes in the room.
I take stock of the small room. “Who would want to kidnap Linda and why?”
My body shivers. I don’t know whether the room is cool or I’m feeling a nervous chill. I’ve no idea where to begin first. I start at the large old cabinets in the room. There are three in total stretching from floor-to-ceiling.
In the first cabinet, there are boxes of various ammunitions, lined up with rows of rifles, and guns on the back of the doors. I close the door and move on to the next, only to find the same contents inside. I move to the drawers next, pushing through stacks of blank Texas drivers’ licenses and stacks of hundred dollars bills.
After rummaging through yet another drawer unsuccessfully, I decide to move on. What was I even looking for? Linda wouldn’t go down without a fight. So any signs of struggle. A piece of her clothing, jewelry, or even the faintest trace of her scent. Anything to tell me this was the right trail to follow. Damnit!
I smell danger. There are several people headed in my direction. I smell the scent of shifters like me. Fighting one-on-one is different from being charged by a pack. Fear bubbles from my stomach into my throat. This requires me to be smart and not allow my mind to get caught up in the chaos of the moment. Somewhere deep in my subconscious, I route my escape. As the sounds draw close, I leap out the window and bolt into the woods behind the building.
I lean against a tree. I have to regroup. I have to go back, no matter what the danger. My spine straightens against the bark. Someone is watching me. I try to enter his or her mind, but they’re too far. But not far enough.
A fierce face with a full mouth of sharp teeth snaps near my eye. An animal. The panther’s coat is pitch black like liquid night. It swings around, blocking my forward path. I back up slowly, mentally preparing some way of protecting myself. The form lunges toward me with a closed fist, and a demonic snarl on its face. He surprises me with a sudden blow to my side.
I scramble back as best as I can, holding my side. Large paws slam into my shoulders, knocking my breath out even before I hit the ground. I should have shifted. As a panther, I could have fought a leopard. As a human, I can only lay while he crushes the air out of my ribs. When he shifts back into human form, his golden eyes stay fixed on mine.
“Humans traveling alone in the dark should be wary of things that go bump in the night,” an eerie voice teases.
“It’s not night yet,” I wheeze.
He loosens his grip enough for me to sit up. I don’t get it. I should be scared, but I’m not. The woods are still, my heart is still; a calmness I have never felt before. I cock my head at him, I read his thoughts but the claw marks at my side begin to sting, each throb aching more than the one before.
That’s what I get for staying a human.
130
Brayden
Tonight was a perfect night for mischief. It’s been a while since we had a reason to celebrate. A visceral need to be free and run for miles had seized me. Now, that primal urge has been cut short because some girl decided she wanted to sneak around in MC territory to play fucking Law & Order. I grab my nearby stash of hidden clothes.
“Give me a minute to get dressed.” I reach for pants first, smirking as her eyes flicker over, then away. I smelled her scent. Something about it throws me off. Normally I can sniff out a shifter for miles, nothing about it registered the way it normally did for me. It was unique to her, but everything about it made me want to get closer. I’m not sure why.
“Why are you here?” I growl out.
“Because my sister is fucking missing, and I know you’re hiding something.”
A girl? I glance over while buttoning my jeans. “We don’t run a lost and found here, honey. Did you check the hospitals?”
I can sense her emotions so strongly. Stubbornness laced with a hint of fear, and something I can’t put my finger on.
I glance at her, seeking access into her head.
She glares at me.
I find the memories anyway.
“Ma’am, what do you want me to do?”
“You’re the police! My sister is missing. It’s your job to
