“I’ll give you the directions, but you have to promise me that you won’t harm anyone there.”
“Why the hell would I do that?”
A smirk crossed his lips as he released my shoulders. “Because you sure do have an awful temper, son.”
“Shut up, Bernard.”
Cackling, he led me back to the porch. Despite the discovery we made, his brightened mood put me at ease. I suppose that was just the benefit of knowing such a caring and comforting alpha.
Long were the days I had given up being part of a pack. It was too dangerous. My daughter had been safe here in his care, but it was time to run. We just had to survive.
That’s all.
I pursed my lips thoughtfully as we made our way back to his cabin. At this hour of the morning, more people were waking up and going about their duties. They paused to greet their alpha and nod their head in my direction, but no one asked for my name.
That was the beauty of this place—pure anonymity.
With minutes, I had the directions memorized to get the underground shelter run by a man named Landon. He was reportedly a panther shifter, but the kind of loving creature that took in just about any shifter who needed help, no matter what.
I gave Bernard one more hug before taking off. It might have been the very last hug I would give him in my entire life.
* * *
The dust settled over the hood of my car as I maneuvered through the back streets of Athens. This was a more dilapidated part of town, the kind of place where people threw things away and forgot them.
Shifters like my daughter, I thought as I drove past three homeless men gathered around a trash can with flames sprouting from the center. Shifters like me. Men like them.
I sighed as I pulled up in front of an abandoned building. Scanning the area, I noted that the place was pretty far away from the main road. Even those homeless men wouldn’t see what I was up to.
I approached the red and knocked three times, paused, then knocked twice more. After another beat, I knocked five times and then leaned against the frame as I waited. Bernard’s instructions were clear: if I didn’t do this, then I wouldn’t be allowed entry.
Within minutes, the muffled sound of chains rattling echoed from the other side of the weather-worn wood. The door cracked open. “Who is that knocking at my chamber door?”
“A crow that cries nevermore.”
The door opened wider, revealing a tall, lithe man wearing a tight-fitting black nylon shirt that revealed his arms. Umber-brown skin hosted a medley of strategically tattooed geometric patterns. He nodded once, his eyes so much brighter than I had anticipated.
Then again, he was a panther. Panthers always had something of an otherworldly glow about them. I followed him inside and listened carefully to the locks that snapped behind me. One, two...three in total plus a chain.
This was a seriously guarded place.
“Snipers are on the roof,” the man told me. “Who sends you?”
“Bernard. I’m in search of my daughter and her caregiver.”
“I’ll lead you to the main room. I haven’t asked for names. Makes it easier.”
I took a breath, hesitating before asking, “But you must be Landon?”
An electric lantern illuminated his cocky smile as he turned to observe me. “I am.”
“I’m—”
“No names,” he stated firmly. “Please, join the others. I trust Bernard. Don’t disappoint me.”
I smiled warmly. “Yes, sir.”
The metallic hallway gave way to an expansive space, one that might have been used in the distant past to harbor conveyor belts for mass-creating products. I sniffed the air. A stale scent of taffy lingered in the air.
It must have been a candy factory at some point. Two women were huddled in a corner near a privacy screen. I would have recognized that mop of reddish-brown hair anywhere. Her scent came next, honeysuckle infecting my nostrils and causing my limbs to tense.
“April.”
“No names,” Landon reminded me. “So, I didn’t hear that.”
I nodded before briskly walking across the room, approaching the woman who had escaped the hospital just last night. When her icy blue eyes turned to me, shock riddled her features.
But then she stood and wrapped her arms around me.
I gripped her tightly, anxiety fading from my body as I drew deeply her scent in long, extended inhalations. God, I was so worried about her.
“You’re safe,” I whispered into her ear. “Why did you run, April?”
“I have a lot to tell you.”
I held her by the shoulders as I glanced around. The woman who had been sitting with her was well across the room in a heated conversation with Landon. Their low voices didn’t carry.
At least the distance would help, but I wanted her to myself. “Where can we go?”
“There’s a kitchen…”
“Take me there.”
Without hesitation, she grabbed my hand and yanked me in the direction of a large metal door. It creaked as it opened, causing me to cringe and glance over my shoulder. It hadn’t drawn attention, though I was sure Landon was alert to the sound.
She left the door cracked behind us, inviting me to join her at the other side of the room near a tattered table and a few dingy chairs.
“I almost went back,” she whispered, leaning against the paint-peeled wall. “I wanted to make sure you were okay, but…”
“But?”
She shook her head. “I had to run. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m glad you’re safe. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Me?”
I nodded as I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, revealing a warm grin. “Yes, you.”
“Claude, I…”
“Don’t speak, April.” My heart swelled as her eyes welled with tears. This sweet woman was upset—what could I do to make her feel better? “You’re hurting.”
“I’m fine.”
I shook my head. “You’re not. You’re probably still injured. Let me check.”
“Claude, you don’t—”
But my hands were already at work, going through the muscle memory reserved specifically to find broken or fractured bones, torn ligaments, and the like that might have been hiding in her body. A quick surface examination produced good results. She was okay for now.
I stood up and met her gaze, grazing her cheek with my knuckles.
“What’s the deal, Doc?” she teased, mischief glittering in her eyes. “Am I clear?”
“All clear. But I do have one thing for you.”
I drew close, listening to the hiss that escaped her. “What’s that?”
“I need to kiss you...”