Chasing Shadows

chapter Fifteen

I waited until after the workmen had left before I decided to attempt walking Angus down to Harry’s. He’d offered to come down with a trailer to get him, but I told him Angus had been stressed enough for one day. I didn’t want to fray his nerves anymore by trying to load him into a trailer for a half-mile ride.

“I think walking him down will be fine. I can get Mark to come with me if you’re that worried,” I’d said.

“Whatever you think is best,” he’d replied. “Just be careful—that bull could still wig out and go ballistic.”

When the demolition crew had at last loaded up their backhoe and said their goodbyes, I walked outside to survey the results. They’d gotten nearly everything, even the appliances I’d had put into the apartment. Only a scattering of wood remained. I was nearly overwhelmed with sadness again as I took in the sight of the blackened rectangle on the ground, as I thought of the animals that had died there. Even some of the equipment in the barn had held sentimental value—the two saddles I had owned I’d had in my possession since I’d set up the farm, as well as a couple of pitchforks and a few other instruments. It seemed silly to be so sad over losing a few inanimate objects when I’d lost so many animals, but no one could ever say that sentimentality made any sense.

Mark stood beside me as my eyes roamed over the remains, putting an arm around my shoulders when my breath hitched. But I shored up my nerve and refused to cry. It was time, as I had said earlier, to be mad. I had to hope that the arson investigators found something they could use to nail the SOB who’d done this, if he or she was ever caught.

“I’ll borrow a rake and a wheelbarrow from Harry so we can clear the rest of this up,” I said absently.

Patting my shoulder and then giving me a light squeeze, Mark said, “I’ll go get the stuff you need if you tell me where it is, while you go grab Angus.”

I told him which cabinet in my office I kept the veterinary supplies in, then kissed his cheek and headed toward the pasture where Angus stood chewing his cud and staring at us. He stamped his feet as I came through the paddock and over to the pasture fence, so I opened the gate slowly—he was obviously still wary of any human being that he saw. It made me wish I had some way of communicating with him and the horses so I could get a description of the arsonist. Then I could go and have a nice little chat with the bastard, and if he or she happened to end up a little battered and broken afterward…

I shook my head to dispel those thoughts. I did not want to entertain them too much for fear I would give in to them and become the monster I had claimed to not want to be.

Once again I approached my bull cautiously, speaking to him in a low voice that was meant to sooth. He allowed me to pet his nose when I reached him, and after a minute or two, I wrapped my arms around his neck lightly and gave him the hug I’d intended to give him earlier.

“I love you, you stubborn old bull,” I said, patting his neck and then straightening to take his halter in hand to lead him out of the pasture.

Mark met us at the paddock fence with the medical supplies under one arm, laying his free hand on Angus’ neck after greeting the bull. We walked slowly and gave the place where the barn had once stood as wide a berth as possible, then headed down the driveway and into the street toward the Mitchell farm. Thankfully it was Sunday, which meant in this rural area there was a car on the road maybe once an hour, if that often. At the very least, we made it to Harry’s without seeing one.

We got Angus into the barn and in a stall next to Herugrim. The two males greeted one another by sniffing each other, and I let them have a moment to get reacquainted before I got Harry to help me in securing Angus’ head to a couple of rings screwed into the wall. Harry then had Mark retrieve the hose and turn the water on low so that I could bathe the burn and soften up the scabs. Once I had rinsed the wound really well, I injected some numbing medication into the area around it and inside of it before beginning the painstaking process of removing dead skin. After that was done, I rubbed the entire area with an antibacterial salve and covered it with a dressing to keep insects off of it. Then I made sure to check his other cuts and cleaned the ones that needed it.

“I’ll be back tomorrow to see my kids and change that dressing,” I told Harry after I freed Angus’ head and exited the stall, watching as he promptly turned around and dove his head into the water trough. “You may have to refill that before the night is over. I don’t think he’s had any water since he busted out of the barn.”

“Pasture trough was dry, eh?” Harry asked.

I nodded. “And of course I don’t have any way of refilling them now, because my tanks went up with everything else.”

“Saphrona, don’t you worry about Angus or them horses. They’ll be fine here.”

I looked at him. “But this is extra work for you and the boys. I hate putting that all on you,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Then if you feel up to it, you can start coming down here every day and take care of ‘em yourself. You and Mark are both welcome anytime.”

“Mighty kind of you to include me, Harry,” Mark said.

Harry looked at Mark with an appraising gaze. “What kind of neighbor would I be if I didn’t welcome Saphrona’s man on my land? From what I hear tell of, y’all are gonna be married one of these days.”

Mark glanced at me. I felt heat rising in up my neck to flush my face with color, and he suddenly smiled. To Harry he said, “Well, the subject hasn’t come up yet, but I’ve no doubt it’s definitely in the cards.”

“And any man what takes care of a fine woman like Saphrona is a friend of mine,” Harry went on. “Be sure you take good care of her, she deserves to be happy.”

With an exasperated groan, I waved a hand between them. “Hello, gentlemen, I am standing right here,” I said. “So glad to know that all the men in my life are warning each other to take care of me, when I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself—I mean, what is this, the Middle Ages? The men folk making sure the little woman is well looked after?”

Harry and Mark exchanged a glance, then burst out laughing. I shook my head and turned to bid each of my animals a fond farewell, after which I grabbed Mark by the hand. “Tell your new BFF goodbye, Mark. We still have dinner to eat before my father shows up.”

The two men laughed again as they said goodbye to one another and I walked away with my boyfriend in tow.



*****



At home again, Mark and I got dinner prepped and in the oven, and then I ran throughout the house cleaning in preparation for my father’s visit. He hadn’t been here in a very long time, and even though I knew I really shouldn’t care what he thought, I also didn’t want to give him a reason to complain or make negative remarks about the state of my home. And I hoped like hell he fed before he came over, because he knew darn well I didn’t have anything he would be willing to drink.

Well, except for Mark…and he wasn’t getting any of him.

When dinner was over and the last dish had been washed and placed in the drainer to dry, Mark grabbed me and drew me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist as he trailed kisses from my mouth and along my jawline, down my neck and over my collarbone.

I giggled as his lips and tongue danced along my skin, leaving little flames of heat and desire in their wake. “Mark, we…ah… can’t… Don’t know when…ooh, my…don’t know when my father will…”

He grinned against my lips as his mouth found mine again. “I’m willing to do quick and dirty if you are,” he said, his voice husky with desire.

As he spoke, his hands moved to cup my breasts, squeezing the already tingling nipples through my shirt and bra. I gasped with pleasure, then gasped again in surprise when he suddenly shoved both garments up to my underarms, freeing the milky white mounds he very much enjoyed giving attention to. My head fell back and I moaned when he began to suckle and tease them, back and forth between the left and the right.

“Okay,” I agreed breathily. “Quick and dirty it is, then.”

And for the next thirty minutes, the dining table got the treatment I’d been wanting to give it for a very long time.



*****



Our luck held in that Diarmid didn’t come knocking on the door until we’d finished our impromptu tryst and were straightening our clothes again. Mark went to the door to let him in as I was wiping the table down with a disinfectant cloth.

I straightened and dashed into the living room when I heard a hiss that could only have come from one person. In the seconds it took me to get into the living room, Mark had begun backing toward the kitchen and Diarmid was restraining Evangeline, his hands around her arms like vises on wood.

“Father, let me go! I must have him!”

I maneuvered myself between Mark and my sister and dropped into a defensive crouch, my fangs coming down as I readied to fight. “Lay one finger on my bondmate and you will die before the night is over!” I growled fiercely.

“No offense, Mr. Mackenna, but didn’t you warn her about me?” I heard Mark ask, registering in the back of my mind that he was not afraid, and I felt pride swell in my chest. I’m a Marine, he’d told me the other day. Fear is not a word in my vocabulary.

“That I did, my son, but even I could not have predicted her initial reaction,” my father replied calmly. “Evangeline, settle, or I will remove you from this house.”

“I’ll be glad to remove her for you,” I hissed angrily. “What the hell is she doing here?”

Diarmid eyed me squarely. “Evangeline is your sister. I thought it a good idea to introduce her to your pair-bond so that she could acclimate herself to his scent and thus prevent an uncontrolled reaction should you encounter each other in public.”

Mark laid his hand on my back. “Babe, he’s got a point there,” he said slowly. “It was a good idea.”

I straightened slowly, even though Evangeline continued to struggle in my father’s arms. “Unfortunately, I no longer have a cow or a pig to spare in order to satiate her thirst. Either you control her or I will kill her,” I said, looking Diarmid square in the eyes.

The elder vampire nodded, hauling my sister off her feet and carrying her into the kitchen, where he spoke to her in harsh, hushed tones for several minutes. I stood between Mark and the kitchen trying to control my breathing, yet standing ready to fight should my sister prove herself uncontrollable. I also found myself wondering whether or not there would be any vampire that would not react violently to the scent of Mark’s blood. He’d been saved from attack before now because up until he was eighteen, he’d been surrounded by shapeshifters. For the next eleven years, he’d been surrounded by Marines, men and women who were collectively as dangerous as a vampire.

But now he was, for all intents and purposes, living right smack-dab in the middle of the local vampire community. By being bonded to me, he was a member of one of the most powerful covens in the state. I thought about that, and found myself hoping that the fact that he was Diarmid Mackenna’s future son-in-law would be instrumental in keeping him safe from being attacked by other vampires. Otherwise, it meant either he had to hide himself away from the world or I’d be spending the rest of my life fighting my kind.

Though I’d retracted my canines, I tensed when Diarmid and Evangeline eventually stepped back into the living room. We stared openly at one another, my sister and I, and I was not remiss to the way her eyes flickered back and forth between me and Mark. She was taking long, deep breaths, and I knew it was taking an extraordinary amount of control on her part to simply stand there.

“Evangeline,” Diarmid said sternly, the tone of his voice conveying a command of obedience.

Vangie lifted her chin defiantly. “I…apologize for my behavior,” she said stiffly, and I knew she wasn’t sorry in the least. She was only apologizing because Diarmid was forcing her to.

She then smiled snidely and looked at me, saying, “Wouldn’t want your sloppy seconds anyway.”

In my mind’s eye, I was across the room and tearing her throat out, her thick blood spilling all over my beautiful hardwood floor. In reality, though, I was proud of myself for being strong enough not to follow through on that knee-jerk reaction. I did not want to give Evangeline the satisfaction of knowing she had gotten to me. It would not stop me, however, from fantasizing the different ways I could kill her for her insolence.

“If you cannot be polite, Evangeline, you will no longer be welcome in my house,” I said smoothly.

She snorted. “As if I have ever been welcome here, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes.”

“You’d never have set foot in the door if you weren’t.”

“Evangeline, that is enough,” Diarmid said darkly. “I did not bring you here to facilitate hostilities between you and Mida. We are here in support of her due to the crime that has been committed against her.”

Vangie rolled her eyes in disgust, crossing her arms over her chest and pointedly looking away from us. Diarmid stepped forward and took my hands. “Darling, how are you faring after this tragedy? Were you able to discern any scent trails that perhaps our people could follow?”

I shook my head. “There was too much smoke in the area, too many humans from the police and fire departments, for me to get a clear scent of who might have done this. I’m lucky in that my bull managed to survive, as did my four horses. So it’s not a complete loss.”

“The horses were uninjured,” Mark added. “And although the police aren’t entirely certain, we believe that whoever did this let them go before starting the fire.”

Diarmid raised his eyebrows. “Most curious,” he mused. “Perhaps the arsonist has a sentimental streak, or at the very least a soft spot for horses. The bull, I assume, freed himself?”

I nodded. “He got a nasty burn on his right side, some cuts and scrapes, but I think he’ll be okay.”

“I am happy for you, my daughter,” said my father. “If there is anything you need, you have only to ask.”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

Vangie groaned loudly. “For blood’s sake, can you not even accept his generosity?” she said. “Our father is willing to pay to have your stupid barn replaced and buy you more animals.”

“Really?” Mark wondered.

I glanced over my shoulder at him before turning to Diarmid and saying, “I do appreciate that, whether Vangie believes me or not. But I have insurance, so it isn’t necessary.”

Diarmid gave my hands a squeeze. “Mida, please. Why not take what I am offering and put away the money from your insurance for a rainy day? I want to do this for you, if it will please you.”

It would please him, I mused. And it would burn Evangeline’s ass if I actually said yes, which alone gave the idea merit. But taking my father’s money would be like taking charity, and considering how I felt about him I just didn’t feel right about it—especially given how much the barn, all the equipment, and the animals had been worth.

After a long moment of thought, I sighed. “I’m afraid I just can’t,” I said. “I wouldn’t feel right taking nearly a half million dollars from you.”

I saw disappointment on my father’s face, and for a brief moment I actually felt bad about turning him down.

Mark placed his hands on my shoulders. “Wait, what about a compromise of sorts?” he suggested. “Saphrona, you already feel bad about imposing on Harry Mitchell for putting up your animals, right?”

Reluctantly I nodded, and then suddenly I had an idea what he was going to say.

Apparently, so did my father, for he brightened and said, “Yes. If you will not allow me to pay for everything, at the very least allow me to pay for a new barn to be built. I could have a crew here tomorrow if you wish it. You could have a new barn by Wednesday, latest, and you will no longer have to impose on anyone, for your animal friends would be back where they belong—right outside your door.”

I would love that, I knew. My heart swelled with joy at the idea of having Angus and the horses back home again, despite how much I wanted to say no. So in the end, I agreed to let him pay for the barn, saying I would take nothing more.

“Excellent!” Diarmid said, clapping his hands together. “I shall send someone to speak with you in the morning about the plans.”

He leaned forward and kissed both of my cheeks, then stood back and smiled at me. “My darling Mida, I cannot describe how pleased I am that you would allow me to do this for you.”

I shrugged, trying to appear as indifferent as possible. “It’s nothing. Besides, I’m outnumbered on this one.”

He and Mark laughed together, and I was so startled by it that I nearly jumped.

“Now that I have seen to it that you are well,” Diarmid said after a moment, “I shall take my leave of you. No doubt you and your mate wish to spend some time alone together. I hear that the pull of the pair-bond is like siren song, and just as irresistible.”

I felt heat rising up my neck when I thought of what he had missed by mere minutes, and recalled further all the other times over the last few days that Mark and I had been together.

Diarmid smiled knowingly. “Come, Evangeline. I believe it is time we were on our way,” he said mildly.

Evangeline huffed and stalked across the living room. She was yanking the door open and outside in seconds, while Diarmid shook his head, then once again kissed me on each cheek. He held his hand out to Mark, who reached forward without hesitation to shake it. I realized then that I was actually glad the two of them were getting along.

After Diarmid had walked out the door and I heard the limo I was sure he’d arrived in start up and begin backing down the driveway, I turned to Mark and heaved a sigh of relief. “Well, that went…well.”

“Indeed,” Mark said. “So that was Evangeline.”

I nodded. “Yeah, that was her.”

“Though I’m certainly glad you avoided getting injured, I almost wish you and your sister had gotten into a fight. I bet it would have been fun to watch.”

I turned around and slapped at his chest playfully. “You’re such a guy—you only wanted to see a cat fight.”

He grinned. “What can I say, two hot women tearing each other’s clothes off over me? Turn-on of a lifetime.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And I bet you would have loved to claim the right of sleeping with the victor, hmm?”

“Hey,” he said, holding his hands up in mock innocence. “I have no doubt you would have won that fight, so why not?”

“Damn right I would have.”

He reached for me then and drew me closer, the look in his eyes changing from one of humor to one of desire. “Why don’t we pretend you did fight so I can give you your reward?”

I laughed. “Like I would need to get into a fight with my sister to get that particular reward from you,” I said, leaning forward to kiss him.

He kissed me back eagerly as once again our hands roamed over each other. Even through his t-shirt I could feel how well-toned and muscled Mark was, and I enjoyed the feel of him. Although he wasn’t a vampire, I still felt safe with him. I knew that given the opportunity he would fight to defend me, even if it meant he would die in the attempt. My heart swelled with emotion at the thought and I kissed him more passionately.

We were yanking each other’s shirts out of waistbands when the house phone began to ring. I was tempted to ignore it, very tempted, but after the third ring I reluctantly pulled away from Mark and went to the cordless phone on the wall next to the refrigerator. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and the phone had just started its fourth ring when I picked it up, my voice only slightly breathy when I spoke.

“Hello?’

“Is this Saphrona?” said a woman whose voice I had never heard before.

My brows furrowed. “May I ask who’s calling?” I countered, not ready to confirm my own identity until I knew who I was speaking to.

“Oh, forgive me, I’m afraid I’ve forgotten my manners—which you will understand when I tell you why I’ve called,” the woman said. “My name is Monica Singleton. I’m Mark and Juliette’s mother—is my son around?”

Though she was obviously trying to put on that she was fine, that nothing was wrong, I noted an edge of worry to her voice. I grew concerned. “Mark is right here, Mrs. Singleton,” I said, and the moment I said his name he came to stand next to me. “What’s happened? Are you alright?”

“I can’t seem to locate Juliette,” Mrs. Singleton said. “Have you any idea where she is? I have been trying her cell phone since early this afternoon. I wanted to talk to her about the situation with you and Mark—well, I suppose I should talk with the both of you as well, of course—but she hasn’t answered any of my calls or texts.”

My heart jumped as I looked over at Mark, realizing as she spoke that neither of us had heard from Juliette since she’d left this morning. “Juliette left in Mark’s truck early this morning, around ten or ten-thirty. She was going shopping for clothes because she’d lost a lot of things in the barn fire.”

“And you haven’t heard from her since then?” Monica Singleton’s voice was going from worry to panic, and I guessed that it wasn’t like Juliette not to return a message.

“No, ma’am, I’m afraid not. But don’t worry, Mark and I will go out looking for her right away,” I told her.

“Dan and I have been trying to locate her for the last two hours, but now that we know what she was doing today, it gives us a better idea of where to look. Shopping malls are your best bet, my dear,” Mark’s mother said. “Please call me if you hear from her or find her.”

I tried to put a lightness in my voice that I didn’t really feel. “And if she’s been bitten by the shopping bug and has spent all day in some sale, I’ll make sure we give her a stern talking to.”

“You and me both, Saphrona. Thank you for your help.”

“Think nothing of it, Mrs. Singleton. I’m already quite fond of Juliette. I’m sure she’s alright.”

After saying goodbye and hanging up, I turned to Mark and explained to him what his mother had said. In minutes we had brought Moe and Cissy in from their kennel and were in my truck backing down the driveway.

“This ain’t like her,” Mark muttered absently, confirming my earlier suspicion. “Juliette always answers within an hour, max. Depends on what she’s been doing. Well, at least until a year ago, about the time she started playing Angel. Took her longer, I guess, because she had to get away from me and find a private place she could call from. But still, it’s not like her to not return a phone call.”

I put my hand on his arm to comfort him. “Mark, I know this is going to sound stupid, but please try to remain calm. You need a clear head to think with if we’re going to find her.”

He took a deep, shaky breath, but finally relaxed his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. “Mom was right,” he said after a moment. “Malls are the best place to start looking, because she’d want nice stuff, but she wouldn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it.”

I nodded. “Westland is closest,” I said. “But then your mom said she and your dad had already been out looking for her, so they may have covered that one already. We could go into Columbus—there are a couple dozen malls there.”

Mark nodded and headed toward the freeway. Although it tried his patience, I had to remind him to stop for gas before we got on the on-ramp, because the truck was down under half a tank. We were back on the road in under fifteen minutes.

As we drove, Mark suggested calling the police, and I was forced to remind him that because she was an adult Juliette could not be reported missing for at least another day. “I hate that damn rule,” he muttered darkly. “Some people who go missing are dead within the first hour, but oh, you can’t report them missing for forty-eight.”

“I know, sweetheart,” I said, laying my hand on his arm again. Then an idea hit me. “What about reporting your truck stolen? It would suck to do that to Juliette, but if it helps us locate her any faster—”

I was interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone, and I saw that my brother was calling me when I checked the I.D. screen. Flipping it open I said, “Loch, now’s not a very good time, I’m afraid.”

“I know that,” he said immediately, and the tone of his voice had my stomach plummeting. Surely he meant was referring to last night’s fire. Wasn’t he?

I took a breath. “This has nothing to do with the fire, though. Juliette is missing. No one’s heard from her since she left my place this morning around ten or—”

“No she’s not,” Lochlan said, interrupting me again. “Wherever you and your man are, I suggest you come home right now.”