Beauty Sleeps (Fairytale Shifter 2)

“I don’t know.” She shifts from foot to foot, and it takes everything in me not to growl at her. It’s the last thing Winnie needs. I’m probably her only friend, and so I try to control my frustration. Getting these girls to talk right now is like pulling freaking teeth. “Sometimes Stone just texts me and tells me not to go somewhere, and I normally don’t.”

That doesn’t even make sense, but I don’t care enough right now to try to figure it out. My brother’s house was going to be the next place I checked anyway, knowing he has a few cages on our family’s land. Sometimes things get a little sticky when unmated, out-of-control shifters show up in town. You can’t just throw them into a holding cell down at the police station. I’m going to have to find out which one he’s put him in. Shouldn’t be hard now that I have a scent to track. A scent that for some reason seems familiar, but I can’t place it. It’s at the corner of my mind, but I can’t grab it.

The biggest problem is going to be getting him out of whatever cage he’s in. There’s no way I could break it and I’ve seen some of the shifters Stone has thrown in them before. If they couldn’t break out themselves, no way can I. I might have to sneak in and get a key, but it’s not something I’m sure I have the time to do.

The reminder of my mate’s scent sends desire shooting through my body, and the potency seems to be growing by the second. I think my adrenaline and fear held it at bay, but now Mother Nature is making herself known, and my body has come alive.

“Maybe we should just wait. Just let Dom get X under control first and calm him down a little.” Ruby’s making her best effort to get me to stay. I can see the unease in her eyes. It pisses me off that she seems to know my mate along with everyone else. How is that possible? I have no freaking clue, and it doesn’t sit well. In fact, it’s really starting to get under my skin.

Ruby gasps and takes a step back from me. It takes me a moment to realize that my eyes have shifted. I take a deep breath to pull myself back under control, trying to calm down. Letting my wolf out isn’t going to get me anywhere right now.

“How do you know my mate and I don’t? I’ve lived here my whole life. You’ve been here months.” I try and keep the anger out of my voice, but it’s hard. I’m frustrated and, well, I’m guessing this other feeling is horny.

“He kinda lives in the woods behind the bakery. I’m a little shocked you haven’t seen him by now. I give him cookies and treats all the time.”

My heart clenches. He lives in the woods? That has to be lonely. I can’t go ten minutes without wanting to talk to someone. I’d go crazy in the wild. I’m starting to think the differences between my mate and me are going to be ginormous. We haven’t even gotten a chance to talk to each other and it’s like the world is already against us. It doesn’t matter, though. We’ll run if we have to. I won’t let my mate and Stone come to blows. All I can do is get my mate and leave. Maybe some time away will calm Stone down and we can return. He won’t be able to do anything once were mated and I’m carrying our pups.

The thought of our pups has me in motion again. I can get details about my mate later. Right now I just need to find him. I throw my bag over my shoulder. “Please move.”

They both step out of my way, and I go down the stairs and out the back bakery door with them hot on my heels. I throw my bag in the back seat of my car and slam the door before pulling my car keys out of my purse.

“If you’re my friends, you won’t tell them I’m going to get him.” I give them both a pleading look, and I know Winnie won’t tell a soul, but Ruby might tell her mate.

“But Gwen. X can be a little…” Ruby’s words trail off, but I just stand there waiting. I want to know what she was going to say. “Much,” she finally finishes, not really giving me anything at all.

“Same thing could have been said about Dom, Ruby. We had to chain him.” I remind her of her own mating. “Did he hurt you when you got into that cabin?”

“I won’t tell them,” she says instantly at the truth of my reminder.

I nod at both of them, hop into my car, and take off towards our family land. It doesn’t take long to get there. With most of the town still at the fair, the roads are clear.

I park on the south side of the property, making sure I’m downwind. I’m hoping Stone doesn’t catch my scent as I track through the woods. When I don’t find him in the first cage, I start heading towards the one closer to the main house.

It doesn’t take long before I start to smell him. A loud howl rings out and I pick up speed, running as fast as I can while staying in human form. I don’t want to shift and lose my clothes. If I have to drive us out of here, I don’t want to have to do that naked.

Breaking through the trees, I see the back of the house. I quietly sneak onto the back porch and open the back door silently. I’ve had enough experience sneaking in and out of this house to know exactly where I’m going. I didn’t think Stone would bring him here to his home. He must really have a problem with my mate if he wanted to bring him here instead of some of the other cages on the property.