Scarred Wolf by Charlene Hartnady
21
Everleigh
I’m staringthrough a red haze as I reach Hilary’s office door. I’m trying to take deep breaths. I need to stay in control. I snort in disdain at her name on the plaque attached to it.
Bitch!
I’m going to see her meet justice once and for all. I don’t bother knocking, I just shove against the wood, and smile as it swings open abruptly before me. She glances up in surprise as she sees me standing before her.
“What do you think you’re doing, barging in here like this?” she demands, obviously surprised at my unscheduled arrival. I step over the threshold. My hands are at my sides, fingers curling and uncurling.
“What happened to Mrs. Arbuthnot?” I hiss without preamble. Hilary’s eyes flicker for an instant, and I have no doubt that she knows exactly what I’m talking about. But of course, she plays dumb.
“Nurse Miller,” she replies, snapping her notebook shut and fixing me with a hard stare. A stare that falters in the face of my raging gaze. “What is the meaning of this?”
“What did you do to Livvy?” I grind out through gritted teeth. This woman is pure evil. I know it as surely as I know my own name.
“Get out of my office,” she snaps, “or I’m calling security.”
No. Fucking. Way!I hear Smokey snarl about one second before I feel myself shoot across the office. I pause at the edge of Hilary’s desk, hands splayed on the surface as I lean across it. We’re close enough to be nose-to-nose, and I sense that she’s unsettled but won’t admit it.
“You hurt Livvy,” I snarl low, not asking a question this time. Hilary is responsible for Mrs. Arbuthnot’s state, and I’m not letting her get away with it.
“I-I don’t know what you’re on about!” she says, her voice shrill. She has the desk between us, like some sort of shield.
Oh, if only she knew how worthless that shield was right now. I want to rip her throat out. I want to watch her choke on her own blood. I force myself to inhale and then exhale.
“Mrs. Arbuthnot,” I say between clenched teeth. “What did you do to Olivia Arbuthnot?”
She shakes her head, making a last attempt at bluster. “That old crone?” she croaks out. “I did nothing to her!”
“The bruises,” I grit out. “You hurt her!”
“I did nothing of the sort,” she says. “It was…it was that old fool in 3C. He had an episode. He attacked her. We had to drag him off her after breakfast. If she’s saying otherwise, she’s lying.”
“Mr. Connelly?” I shake my head. “Are you saying that Mr. Connelly did this?” She’s the one who’s lying. I can tell from the way her heart rate is fluctuating. I see a pulse at the base of her throat and, for a second, I’m strangely transfixed. I sense the pulse there, hear it thumping.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
“Um…y-yes,” she stammers.
“Liar!” I snarl at her. Kill! I hear a voice in my mind say. Kill her! the voice continues. I know Smokey’s ready to tear into something and Hilary’s in the crosshairs. The woman is inches away from me. I could just…just— I’m going to kill her!
Not just kill her. I’m going to rip out her heart and take a bite out of it while it’s still beating. It’ll all happen quickly, so she’ll be alive to see it.
Dear god! Everleigh, what the hell are you I thinking?!I haul myself back from the brink.
Hilary’s eyes are no longer just wide; she looks like she’s staring into the face of death itself.
She is.
I glance down at where my hands are planted on the desk and see my nails have elongated into sharp claws. A light gleam surrounds my forearms. I have a suspicion that the gleam surrounds the rest of me, too. I run my tongue over my top teeth and feel sharp, jagged edges.
Easy, princess,I tell myself, echoing the words of Jaxon from last night. Jaxon!
Fuck, if only he was here now. He’d tell me what to do. Something sane and sensible…because taking a bite out of my boss’s heart wouldn’t fit either of those criteria.
Seeing my moment of hesitation, Hilary is suddenly galvanized into action, hauling her chair between us, and hollering at the top of her lungs.
“Ed! Help!” she screams. “Ed, get in here! I need you!” She’s calling for the heavyset orderly who generally isn’t far from her. The orderly who stands by and watches her abuse innocent souls.
Ordinarily I’d be afraid; today I’m pissed. I spin around in time to see the burly shape of the man barreling through the doorway. I take two swift strides toward him, grab him by the front of his crisp white uniform, and fling him across the room. Hilary is shrieking like a pig being dragged to slaughter as the man crashes into the filing cabinets beside her. Files and papers are flying around the room as I swing back to face her. I can feel the tingling precursor I’ve started to recognize now; the warning signs that the wolf is coming to the fore. That I’m losing control.
“No!” I hiss between my teeth.
Not now. I can’t change now!
Ed is shaking his head, clearing his vision. He’s fumbling on his belt and I’m dimly aware of him reaching for his handset. He’s going to be alerting security. The rapid response team will be here within minutes of him hitting that panic button.
And I’m changing into a freaking wolf!
Hilary is sputtering something at me, idiotic words that I’m barely aware of.
Keep it together, keep it together, keep it together,I tell myself.
A single clear thought cuts through the tornado in my brain.
Jaxon! I need you.
I know he can’t possibly hear me, but I still beg him to come to me.
* * *
Jaxon
A flashof white light blinds me for a second and I choke and drop the water bottle I’d just been holding to my mouth.
I’ve been staked out in front of Everleigh’s workplace for most of the morning. Despite reassuring her that everything would be fine, my instincts had told me to stay close. We can’t risk another episode like last night.
Jaxon. I need you.
I can hear the words as clearly as if she was sitting in the seat beside me. And I am utterly powerless to resist them.
Come to me!
I’m out of the car and sprinting across the parking lot. I have no idea where I’m headed, but it’s as if there’s a homing beacon in my brain drawing me on a path that’s as clear as fresh deer spoor on wet earth.
I barge through the reception area, oblivious to the squawks of the woman behind the front desk. A man in uniform has his hand hovering over a baton, but one look at me, and the rent-a-cop is backing away. I vault over the security turnstile and bound down a long corridor. The voice in my head is growing clearer and I slide to a halt outside a doorway. The door is gaping open, and in front of a desk, I see her.
Everleigh is glowing. From the energy crackling around her, I can sense she’s an instant away from full shift. She’s holding it at bay, somehow – I know it because I’ve seen how quickly she can change. She’d be in her wolf form right now if she wasn’t controlling it. But it’s touch and go, and from the looks of the pair cowering in front of her, I can tell that shit’s going to get pretty real if I don’t get her out of there right now.
If this was a movie, I’d have some fancy footwork planned right now, but all I have is the element of surprise. In one broad stride, I cross the office, curl an arm around Everleigh’s waist and sweep her up against me. She doesn’t resist. In fact, I feel her sink back toward me, allowing me to lift her up against my chest as I turn and charge out of the office and back the way I came in. Yet again, I’m rushing from the scene, carrying Everleigh Moone in my arms.
On the bright side, at least she’s not naked this time.
Although…
I shake my head and glance down at her as we reach the side of my car. She’s staring up at me, eyes glowing, lips parted. I catch a glimpse of sharp fangs.
“What the fuck happened back there?” I finally ask. Although the situation in the office is less pressing than the fact that she called me. She reached out to my mind, and I was powerless to resist. I shake my head, but it’s as if I can still feel the tendrils of her voice there.
“She’s hurting the residents,” she says. Her voice is unearthly; it vibrates along my nerves. There’s a small furrow between her brows and I realize I haven’t put her down yet. She slides down my body as I set her feet on the ground.
“What do you mean?” I ask. “Who’s hurting the residents?”
“Hilary. My boss,” she says. “She beat Mrs. Arbuthnot today, though she told me it was one of the other residents…Mr. Connolly. I don’t believe it for a second. He’s a lovely man. I’m convinced she’s been messing with Mrs. Arbuthnot’s meds too. I could…I could smell it today.” She gives me a hesitant glance, but I nod for her to continue. She doesn’t need to explain it to me – I believe her. “Things haven’t been right for months now. It used to feel like a home once…a real home, not a place people get left behind. Something’s going on there. Something she’s involved in. I know it like I know my own name.”
I look over my shoulder at the place, narrowing my eyes on the entrance, where a security vehicle has just pulled up. I spot the man and woman from the office hovering in the doorway. There’s a whole lot of hand waving and gesticulating. It won’t be long before they spot us out here.
“We need to get out of here,” I tell her, keeping a hand on her arm.
“But…but my purse…all my things…” she says hesitantly. As the energy around her begins to dissipate, I’m aware that the wolf is making way for the woman I recognize.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll sort it out,” I reassure her as I guide her around to the passenger seat of the car. I frown at the empty water bottle on the front seat where I dropped it earlier. The stuff has leaked into the floorboard of the car. I shut the door as she settles in, and I look up at where the cluster of people at the entrance have made their way into the building. With a quick look left and right, I head back to the reception area and approach the wide-eyed receptionist. She gawks at me like a guppy out of water, and I put on my most charming smile. She gulps.
“Julie?” I say, catching sight of her nameplate on the desk in front of her. She nods vigorously, and I broaden my smile. “Pretty name…” I pause, letting her get a good look at me. I might puff out my chest a little, but hey, whatever gets the job done. “Um…Jules, can I call you Jules?” I quirk a brow. I’m laying it on thick.
Her eyes brighten up and she nods, “Yes, um, that’s okay.” She smiles.
“Great! I’ve got myself a bit of a…situation.” I glance around, then lean closer to her, lowering my voice conspiratorially. “I’m guessing you’re wondering what all the commotion is about?” I nod my head back toward the security vehicle still parked at the door.
“Oh gosh,” she whispers back. “What’s going on? Is Evie in trouble? I saw you…” She swallows hard. “Is she okay?”
I nod earnestly. I’m not good at playing boy scout, but I’ve learned that sometimes it doesn’t matter if the acting’s bad, as long as you add enough charm. I dip a glance down at where her buttons are straining across her heaving bosom, then quickly look back up. Her cheeks begin to flush.
“She’s just fine, Jules. A bit of a misunderstanding with…” I raise my eyebrows, “you know who.” An expression of distaste flickers across her face and her lips purse.
“Why am I not surprised,” she mutters. “I could tell something was up when that horrible woman came barging out with her minion. That woman just rubs me up the wrong way.”
I give a chuckle. And I have an ally. “I know, right? So, listen, Julie…Jules… Evie left her purse in her locker, and she really needs it. Any chance you can help me get it?” I ask. She shoots a look down the corridor and I see her weighing up the risks. From the depths of the building, I can hear the conversation between Everleigh’s boss and the security team. There are definite benefits to having superior hearing. “I think they’re going to be busy in there for a little while. I’m pretty sure it’s going to take them some time to file a report,” I reassure Julie, who finally nods.
“Okay,” she says, looking about furtively and clutching a hand to her chest. This is probably the most excitement she’s had all year. “But don’t go anywhere, alright?” I nod and cross my heart. “I’ll be right back.” With a last glance over her shoulder at me, she’s bustling down the hall, rubber soles squeaking crisply along the linoleum floor.
I lean my elbows on the surface of the reception counter and use the interlude to eavesdrop on the conversation within. It took years to learn how to filter out all the many sounds that can be picked up if I’m standing in a busy area, but I’m a master at it now, and within seconds, I’ve caught the gist of their conversation. Everleigh’s bitch of a boss is spinning a wild tale about how “Nurse Miller” is a disgruntled employee with a grudge against her. She lays it on thick, saying she was afraid for her life, and the dick who’d been in the office with her gives some bullshit story about shielding her with his body.
Shielding my ass. When I’d arrived, the jerk had been a quivering heap on the floor. I hear her say she’s going to file an official complaint and needs the security report to use in a case to get Evie dismissed without warning. She claims that she’s a danger to the staff, and even hints that she thinks Everleigh may be abusing the patients. My blood starts to boil. The bitch is going to pin this all on Evie. Fuck!
I pull my mind back from the conversation as I hear Julie’s shoes squeaking back down the hallway. She’s carrying Everleigh’s oversized gym bag and takes a quick look back before handing it over to me.
“Thanks, Jules,” I say, reaching out and giving her shoulder a squeeze. Her cheeks go from pink to scarlet and I’m pretty sure I’ve really made her day now. “Could I ask a quick question before I go…?”
She nods enthusiastically, fully caught up in her role of accomplice.
“Would you call Mr. Connolly a dangerous man?” I ask, and her brow furrows.
“Mr. Connolly? Why, of course not! He’s an absolute honey! And he’s been pretty subdued since the hip surgery last month, too. Why would you ask such a thing?” Her expression is pure surprise.
I shrug. “Just curious…it’s nothing,” I reply. I’d suspected as much, but I wouldn’t be much of a security professional if I didn’t check out all the facts. If I’d ever had any doubts about Everleigh’s intentions, they’re pretty well smashed now. There’s no way this woman is up to anything shady at this place. And it’s more than likely that her boss is up to something. I’m just glad I got here before the wolf was released to wreak havoc. Because I’m pretty sure that Evie Moone is absolutely capable of havoc.
I give Julie another megawatt smile. “Evie will be grateful for your help. Thank you, Jules, you’re the best.” I make a mental note to send flowers.
She’s still beaming as I leave the building and head back to the car. I’m consumed by my thoughts.
There is no doubt about it; Everleigh is a double-alpha. I suspected as much. This incident leaves no doubt in my mind. The target on her back just got bigger.
