Bonded (28 page)

“Brandi? Yeah,
she’s here, but there’s been no talk about her having a potential
mate.” The man—his name tag said he was Walt—stared at him
suspiciously.

“Like I said, we
haven’t really told anyone yet. She wanted her birth pack to know
first before we went public.”

The man rubbed his
neck thoughtfully. “Well, now...I’ll have to check this out with
our Alpha. Gimme a sec.” Turning his back and walking some distance
away, the man pulled out his phone and placed a call.

Reno strained to
hear what was being said but the fellow was carefully keeping his
voice low. Instead, he had to content himself with watching the man
pace back and forth. His uniform would lead one to believe he was a
sheriff except Lycan packs didn’t have sheriffs. So what was Walt’s
rank? Beta? Scout? Or was the uniform just a cover for any
non-Lycan visitors?

Walt turned to
face him and barked out a question. “What’s your name, young
fella?”

Reno inwardly
bristled at the term ‘young fella.’ The man was only a few years
older than him but seemed determined to carry off a ‘good ol’ boy’
image. “Reno. Reno Smith.”

“Pleased to meet
you, Reno.” He eyed Reno up and down while conveying the
information. After listening to whoever was on the other end, he
terminated the call. “Victor says you can come in.”

“Victor? He’s your
Alpha?” Reno feigned ignorance.

“Yep. Victor
Hadsund. He’s arranging a room for you at the Star Gazer. Just head
straight down this road, you can’t miss it. If you’re willing to
wait about half an hour, I can give you a personal escort. The man
who’s supposed to be on duty here called in sick and I’m waiting
for his replacement.”

“Thanks, but I’m
sure I can find my own way.”

Walt looked as if
he’d like to protest but then nodded. “I’ll just move the barricade
for you.”

“Why the
barrier?”

The man rubbed his
chin as if considering his answer. “Well, we don’t take to
outsiders much anymore. This is a Lycan town and people are used to
acting natural—wolf-like—whenever they want. We don’t need regular
humans wandering in without notice. Wouldn’t want them to see
something they shouldn’t, you know?”

Reno nodded. “Good
idea.”

Walt dragged the
barricade over and waved him through. “If you need anything during
your stay, you can usually find me at the town hall.”

Putting the car in
gear, Reno gave a slight wave and proceeded down the road. Walt’s
explanation of the roadblock was reasonable. A town totally made up
of Lycans would need to guard against outsiders. Still, a
barricaded entrance didn’t leave one with a welcoming feeling.

Driving down the
main street he noted various small businesses, a school, and what
appeared to be a town hall. He speculated it was probably used for
pack meetings now.

The sun was slowly
sliding lower in the sky but it was still early enough for Lycans
to be lingering in town. Some were carrying packages while others
stood talking in small groups. As he drove by, each paused what
they were doing to study him. He had a feeling strangers weren’t
often seen in the town, nor were they overly welcome. Keeping his
gaze fixed straight ahead, he was careful not to make eye contact.
Antagonizing pack members wasn’t part of his agenda...yet.

A sign proclaiming
The Star Gazer Motel and Diner came into view. It was a small
building, and like much of the town, had seen better days. Reno
parked his rental, grabbed his duffle bag and got out.

Somewhere to his
left, a screen door slammed and then a woman’s voice could be heard
exclaiming. “I don’t believe it. Brandi Johansson is planning on
mating! My goodness, what a fine, strapping young werewolf she’s
picked out.”

Reno turned around
to see a middle-aged woman bearing down on him. She boldly grabbed
his hand and started shaking it.

“I’m Nancy
Campbell. Brandi lived next door to me when she was growing up. I
babysat her a couple of times, too.” The woman—Nancy—boasted their
association while looking him up and down. “And you must be Reno
Smith. My heavens, the whole town has been a-buzzin' that our
Brandi came home for a visit and now her young man is here. Why,
when she went off to the Academy to study, we figured she’d never
come back, but this...” Nancy clasped her hands to her ample bosom
and shook her head back and forth as if unable to believe the
recent turn of events.

“Well, we’re both
here just for a quick visit,” Reno cautioned. “I wanted to see
where Brandi grew up.” He looked around and hinted gently. “I
thought she might be waiting for me here?”

“No.” The woman
replied slowly. “I believe Victor’s been busy talking to her—at
least that’s what he said when he called a few minutes ago—but he
told me to make sure you had a room.”

“Is she staying
here or with family?”

“Her aunt only has
a small place, so she took a room here. Unit two. I’ll put you
right next door in number three.”

“No need. We’ll
share.” Reno held out his hand expectantly for the key.

“Oh, I don’t know
about that.” Nancy suddenly looked nervous. “Victor said to put you
in number three.”

“I guess Victor
must have forgotten what it’s like to be in love.” Reno gave Nancy
his best slow sexy smile and winked. Damn, if he were really
engaged to Brandi there was no way in hell they’d have separate
rooms.

The woman flushed.
“Well, I suppose it will be all right...”

“Thanks.” He
tugged the key from her reluctant hand. “I’ll just put my things
inside and then go find Brandi. Any idea where she might be?”

“Won’t you be
wanting something to eat first? I can fix you a quick bite if
you’re hungry. The Star Gazer serves a good meal.”

“No thanks, I ate
when I got off the plane.” Reno shouldered his bag while declining
her offer. He noticed she’d avoided his question about where Brandi
was so he prompted her again. “And where will I find Brandi?”

“She’ll be here in
a while. You know you really should stay here and rest a spell
after your long trip. There’s a coffee maker in the room and if you
need anything just ring the front desk. I’ll be happy to help you.”
The woman called the information after him as he headed towards the
rooms, having decided an answer to his question wouldn’t be
forthcoming. He gave her a negligent wave but didn’t look back,
merely finding the correct room and then shutting the door firmly
behind him.

Nancy Campbell
seemed friendly enough Reno thought to himself. She was nervous
though, and obviously trying to delay him. Had the Alpha given her
strict orders to follow or was she hiding something? Or perhaps
both? When dealing with humans, it was easy to detect deception;
they had no skill in controlling their breathing, no idea of the
scent of a lie. With Lycans it was another story, they were better
able to hide their deceit from each other. It was never completely
gone but harder to determine among the vast array of other emotions
the individual might be simultaneously experiencing.

He looked around
the room Brandi had been staying in. It was unremarkable but
adequate with a bed, dresser, table, two chairs, and small TV.
Typical economy class decor. What did catch his attention however,
was Brandi’s scent. It had hit him as soon as he walked in and his
wolf was instantly alert, testing the air and looking for signs of
her.

Tossing his bag on
the bed, he picked up a pillow and sniffed. She’d been here but the
scent was at least a day old. Now why would that be? He grabbed the
pillow from the other side but it was obvious she hadn’t used it.
Letting it drop to the bed, he cursed softly. Where had she slept
if not here last night? There were several innocent explanations.
She might have stayed with a friend, or room service could have
changed the pillow cases; though Reno doubted either was the truth.
His gut was telling him the Alpha had kept her, possibly in a
detention centre, for the night.

He clenched his
jaw and fought to keep a grip on his temper. If the man had hurt
Brandi, even a scratch, he didn’t think he’d be able to control
himself. His wolf rumbled, happy with the idea of taking swift
action but Reno knew he couldn’t act on the thought. As a visitor
in another pack’s territory, he had to tread lightly and use the
same protocols he would if he were here in an Enforcer capacity.
Diplomacy and forethought would yield better results than just
rushing in blindly and starting a fight.

But not nearly
as satisfying
, his wolf complained.

Reno agreed with
the creature even while chastising it. Behave, he said sternly, or
Brandi could end up in even more trouble than she’s in already.

The creature
didn’t like it, but reluctantly agreed, sinking down and resting
its chin on its paws.

With his inner
wolf under control, Reno decided to go in search of Brandi. He
slipped out of his room and looked around. A few vehicles were in
the parking lot besides his own; however, since they were near the
diner, he assumed the occupants were inside eating rather than
guests at the motel.

Guests. He snorted
at the idea. Who would want to come to a two-bit town like this, he
wondered. Frowning, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully; the exterior
had the appearance of being rundown, but the room was relatively
well-maintained.

Reno strolled past
the other units, pausing to sniff near each door. None of the rooms
had the stale scent that so often accompanied a place left shut up
for extended periods. Someone must be using them on a fairly
regular basis, but who? Visiting friends and relatives?
Vacationers? It didn’t seem likely there’d be enough business even
to pay for keeping the place open. Something didn’t add up here. He
tucked the facts into the back of his mind to puzzle over at a
later date. Right now his priority was locating Brandi.

Thankfully no one
was around to question where he was going. Instinctively he knew
the pack would not appreciate him moving about unescorted. Since
skulking movements were more likely to draw attention, he set off
at a bold, brisk pace. Act like you belong and no one will question
you. It was one of the basic rules of investigation yet so few ever
remembered to follow it.

A myriad of scents
assaulted his nostrils and he carefully catalogued them in his mind
for future reference. Male, middle age. Female, same. Young male,
lower rank, older female... When he finally came across Brandi’s
soothingly familiar scent it was all he could do to not stop and
revel in it. Without letting his pace falter, he subtly altered his
path from heading towards the grouping of houses to the main street
instead.

His wolf urged him
to hurry, to break out of his deliberate pace and find Brandi as
quickly as possible, but it wouldn’t do to be seen racing through
the streets. Following the scent, he found himself outside the town
hall, a long, rectangular brick structure well over a century old
according to the date on the cornerstone.

He circled around,
eyeing the windows and doors. Despite its age, it was well
maintained. The windows had recently been replaced as had the doors
and it appeared to have several security features as well. That’s
strange, he thought. Why would a small Lycan community be concerned
about security? Crime within a pack seldom involved break and enter
or theft.

Having gathered
all that he could from the exterior, Reno started to climb the five
steps that led to the front door. The building was slightly raised,
indicating a partial underground structure, likely a simple cellar
for coal or wood or maybe even a storm shelter.

A patch of faded
wood to the side of the steps caught his attention. It was a hatch,
almost completely concealed by the overgrown bushes that flanked
the stairs. The hatch, of course, must lead to the cellar but was
there an opening in the cellar that led up into the building? If
there was, it might prove useful.

Pausing on the
steps, he tested the air. Brandi’s scent was clear. Was she inside
the building or perhaps being held in the cellar? There was only
one way to find out. Pushing the front door open, he entered.

Chapter
18

Brandi fumed as
she paced the small room she’d been locked in since the previous
night. After Victor had dragged her down the road, he’d taken her
to the town hall and placed her in one of the back rooms. It was
small and windowless, and contained two chairs, a table, and a
lumpy lime green sofa that smelled musty. She wrinkled her nose as
she recalled her futile attempts to sleep on it.

This was a
ridiculous situation to be in. Locked up, the next best thing to
jailed, all because she’d made a phone call! She cursed herself for
the rookie mistake she’d made. Why hadn’t she waited until she got
back to her motel room before making the call? What had been the
rush? An hour more or less would have made no difference.

She knew the
answer, of course. She’d wanted to talk to Reno. Five days away and
she felt like a druggie going cold turkey. Her nerves were shot.
Her reactions were bad. Even her judgement was impaired. At
Headquarters, she might not have seen him every day but at least he
was in the building. She’d catch glimpses of him walking down the
hall or hear his voice around a corner. Even when he was away on an
assignment his scent had lingered, vaguely comforting while she
waited impatiently for his return.

Aiming a kick at
the repulsive sofa, she glared at the locked door wondering when
someone would come to check on her again. So far, visitors had been
few and far between. At least she wasn’t totally alone. There was a
small air grate near the ceiling that connected to the room next
door and through it she’d discovered her fellow captive, Peter
Channing. It had been a relief to learn he was relatively
unharmed—worried over what was happening to his family and, by his
own admission, a few pounds lighter—but considering the possible
alternatives, he was doing okay.