Chapter Twenty-six
"Do you want me to come in and talk to your aunts?" Howard asked.
"Oh gosh, no." Elsa covered her mouth as she yawned. She was too tired to start her morning with a shootout in the motel parking lot. "Just drop me off."
"I could stop by the gatehouse this afternoon," he offered.
"I don't think I'll go to work today." She gave him a wry smile. "I didn't sleep much the last two nights."
"I know. You're insatiable."
"Me?" She swatted his shoulder.
He grinned. "I'll see you soon." He leaned over to kiss her.
"Bye." She climbed out of his SUV and hurried across the motel parking lot. Aunt Greta's car was parked nearby, so hopefully her aunts were in their room. She didn't have her key, since she'd left her handbag in the gatehouse two days ago.
She knocked on her aunts' door. "Aunt Greta! Ula!"
The door swung open.
"Oh my God! You're still alive!" Greta pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank God!" Ula exclaimed in Swedish and hugged her, too.
"I'm fine," Elsa assured them.
Tears streamed down Greta's face. "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought I'd failed you."
"No, no." Elsa forgot all the anger she'd harbored over her aunt's vicious bird attack. Obviously, Greta had thought she was fighting for Elsa's life. "I was perfectly safe. Howard's a wonderful man."
Ula shook her head, tears glimmering in her eyes. "When Greta told me you'd run off with the berserker, I thought we had lost you."
"Howard would never harm me."
Greta wiped her face. "I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do because you went willingly with him."
Ula hugged her again. "My poor child. I was so afraid for you."
Elsa patted her on the back. "Everything's fine."
"He didn't hurt you?" Greta looked her over.
"Of course not. He loves me."
Ula frowned. "The berserker who killed the first guardian loved her, too. Then he betrayed her."
Elsa winced. So the ill-fated lovers appeared in her aunts' version, too.
"He's luring you in," Greta told her. "Making you believe in him before he betrays you."
"Howard's not like that."
Greta gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid he is. While you were gone, we met a reporter from Alaska who's staying here in town. He showed us . . . well, I'll let you see it for yourself."
Greta grabbed the key to Elsa's room off the dresser. "This way." She headed next door and unlocked Elsa's room.
Elsa was relieved to see her handbag on the bed. "You brought my purse back from the gatehouse. Thank you."
Ula perched on the second bed while Greta sat at the desk and booted up Elsa's laptop.
Elsa flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes. It was a good thing she'd run off with Howard. Her aunts would see that he could be trusted, since she'd returned unharmed.
"Here it is," Greta said. "The newspaper article the reporter told us about. It's the Port Mishenka Post."
Port Mishenka? Wasn't that where Howard had gone to school? Elsa yawned. "What does it say?"
"It's a report on a girl who was murdered twenty years ago," Greta said as she vacated the desk chair. "You should read it."
With a moan, Elsa moved into the chair. A young high school girl, Carly Evans, had been discovered at the base of a mountain cliff overlooking the town of Port Mishenka. The last person to see her alive was her boyfriend, Howard Barr.
Elsa's breath caught. Howard had lost his high school girlfriend? She read more, her skin chilling with goose bumps. Howard had been arrested for suspicion of murder.
The next two paragraphs contained quotes from Carly's parents. They both believed Howard had killed their daughter. "You've seen how violent he is on the football field," Mr. Evans declared. "He's a dangerous psychopath. He went crazy and murdered our daughter!"
Elsa sat back, her heart racing. This couldn't be true. The parents were just desperate for someone to blame. She finished the article. Howard had been released for lack of evidence, but the people of Port Mishenka were convinced of his guilt.
"He's a berserker," Greta said, shaking her head. "It's like a sickness. He'll seem okay, but then he'll go berserk."
"You must never see him again," Ula said.
Elsa exited the newspaper article. "There has to be a mistake."
"I know it's hard to believe." Greta regarded her sadly. "I bookmarked the report if you need to look at it again."
Elsa shook her head. "I don't want to see it." She collapsed on the bed and covered her face. I don't want to think about it.
"You're tired." Greta pulled the curtains shut. "Get some rest. Ula will watch over you."
"Ja." Ula turned off all the lights. "You'll feel better after some sleep."
Elsa slipped under the bedspread. She wouldn't believe it. There had to be an explanation. Howard would never harm a woman. He would never betray her. He loved her. And she had so many sweet memories of him making love to her.
A beautiful man came to her in the night. Large and powerful, he covered her body with his. His big hands roamed over her skin, setting her on fire. She wanted him. She cried out for him. She burned for him.
His hands were magic. Skimming the length of her legs. Fondling her breasts. Stroking her neck. Tightening their grip.
Choking her.
She thrashed against him, but he was too strong. Too powerful.
His face, half hidden in shadow, twisted in rage. Transformed. He roared like an animal.
She gazed up at him in horror. In the flicker of firelight, she caught a glimpse of his head.
A bear.
She slapped at him. Clawed at his face. No, not her lover!
Words slipped from her mouth, then echoed in her mind.
"I curse you and your kind for all time!"
Elsa sat up with a gasp.
"Are you all right?" Ula opened the curtains to let in the afternoon light. "Did you have the bad dream again?"
Elsa whispered the words that were repeating in her head. She didn't know the language, but somehow she knew what it meant. I curse you and your kind for all time!
"What?" Ula stepped closer. "What did you say?"
She repeated the line. "I said it in my dream."
"Oh my." Ula perched on the second bed. "That is an ancient Norse language."
Elsa leaned back against the headboard. "How do I know ancient Norse?"
Ula's eyes narrowed. "It must be an ancient dream. A memory passed down through the generations."
Elsa gasped. All this time, she'd assumed the dream was a warning predicting her future. But it was the opposite. A warning from her past. She was remembering the murder of her ancestor, the first Guardian of the Forest.
And she was remembering the murderer. Howard's ancestor, one of the first were-bears to roam the earth. The guardian's lover.
She closed her eyes. Howard's not a murderer. He's a sweet, gentle man.
Then what had happened to his first girlfriend in Alaska?
Howard went straight to the security office at Dragon Nest to check his messages. He'd barely started on his e-mail when his cousins cracked open the door and peeked in.
"He's back," Jimmy whispered loudly to his brother.
"Without his girlfriend?" Jesse asked.
Jimmy snickered. "I guess she wore him out."
"Can I help you?" Howard asked drily.
"Just checking on you." Jimmy sauntered inside.
"Yeah. We wanted to make sure you were still alive." Jesse exchanged a glance with his twin. "We heard that Viagra stuff can kill you."
Jimmy snorted and slapped his thigh.
Howard groaned inwardly. "I'm not taking Viagra."
"Maybe you should." Jimmy grinned. "You are kinda old."
"Yeah," Jesse agreed. "I mean, you only lasted two days, dude."
"Don't you guys need to go to work?" Howard asked.
"Oh, yeah." Jimmy sprawled in the chair. "We're going."
"Some time today?" Howard muttered.
"Guess what?" Jesse perched on the corner of his desk. "After you ran off to your love nest, I got interviewed for the TV show."
"Me, too!" Jimmy added. "Madge said we were cute."
"Congratulations." Howard figured the interview wouldn't air for another six months. If everything went according to plan, Rhett would already be destroyed and no longer a threat to his young cousins.
"Our friends back home are so jealous," Jesse said.
Howard sat up. "You told your friends? Did you forget why you're here? You're in hiding. You can't tell anyone where you are."
"Chillax, dude," Jimmy told him. "We don't know where we are. We were teleported here, remember?"
"It's no big deal," Jesse said. "We just talk to our friends on Facebook."
"And Twitter," Jimmy added. "We posted some photos yesterday."
Howard winced. "Did you mention the name of the show?"
"Well, sure," Jesse said. "They have to know which show to watch."
Howard groaned. "Anyone with minimal investigative skills could find out where the show is currently being filmed."
Jimmy scratched his head. "You mean we goofed?"
"Delete those posts immediately," Howard ordered. "How long have they been up?"
Jesse shrugged. "We started posting and tweeting the first day on the job."
Damn. Howard dragged a hand through his hair. "I should make you quit. It might not be safe for you at the gatehouse."
"Dude!" Jimmy jumped to his feet. "Nothing's going to happen to us."
"Yeah," Jesse agreed. "The place is full of guys with saws and nail guns. Nobody's going to mess with us."
Howard took a deep breath. "Fine. But be careful. If any strangers come around looking for you or asking questions, call me immediately."
"Aye, aye, Captain." Jesse saluted.
"Do you really think Rhett and his minions would come all this way to get back at us?" Jimmy asked.
"We're trying to destroy him," Howard replied. "This is war, and he'll fight back. Remember what he did to Harry."
The twins grew pale.
"We'll be careful." Jimmy headed for the door.
"Tomorrow's Sunday," Jesse said. "No one works on Sunday. We'll stay here."
Howard watched them go, wondering if he was being too lenient. If things worsened, he might make them quit on Monday. Hell, even the school might be at risk now. He'd ask Angus for more guards.
He turned back to his computer to finish checking e-mails. Mr. West had sent several messages the day before, and one included a link he wanted Howard to see.
It was an article written by a mainstream paper that employed a lot of werewolf reporters who protected Rhett and the Lycan community.
The headline read "Madman Attacks Bleddyn." Beneath it, there was a large photo in color, shot at Harry's memorial service, showing Howard gripping Rhett by the tie.
Howard winced. Apparently he was the madman. The article reported that Rhett Bleddyn had gone to a memorial service to pay his respects when a madman had attacked him. The madman was identified as Howard Barr, formerly arrested for murder.
He snorted. So Rhett was fighting back, using his reporters to make Howard sound like the enemy.
He exited the article and read the latest e-mail from Mr. West. Stockholders in Rhett's company were throwing fits, demanding that he be investigated for embezzlement. The police had not been able to find him. Rhett had gone into hiding.
Howard nodded. Alaska was an easy place to hide in. Especially for a werewolf with hundreds of minions sworn to protect him.
A new e-mail appeared from Mr. West. A link to an article published this morning. "Rhett Bleddyn Missing." The report stated that Rhett had been missing for two days, and authorities wanted to question Howard Barr, who had attacked Rhett at a memorial service.
"Holy crap," Howard muttered. Was Rhett going to pretend to be dead again, and make everyone believe Howard had killed him?
He called his grandfather. Walter might have heard some news through the shifter grapevine, news that never appeared in papers.
"How are the boys?" Walter asked. "Your aunt Judy is hounding me every day. She wants to know how they're doing."
"The twins are fine," Howard replied. "Have you heard anything about Rhett?"
Walter snorted. "You did it. You broke the bastard. I heard his minions rebelled and kicked him out as their Pack Master."
A surge of victory swept through Howard. "We destroyed him!"
Walter chuckled. "Yeah. There's been some celebrating on this island, I can tell you. We don't have to worry any more about Rhett ordering his minions to attack us."
Howard smiled. "That's good."
"Yep. Of course, your aunt Judy is insisting the boys come home now. I tried to tell her they're safe with you, but she didn't listen. You know how she is."
"Yes." Howard hesitated. "About the curse; I thought you should know that the story is true."
"Of course it's true," Walter huffed. "You think I've been lying to you all these years?"
"I met the Guardian of the Forest."
"Hot damn! Are you serious?"
"I'm in love with her."
"What?" Walter sounded shocked. "When did this happen?"
"The last few weeks."
"Damn, boy. You work fast."
Howard grinned. "I just wanted you to know that I intend to marry her. That should put an end to the curse, don't you think?"
"Well . . ." Walter paused. "I'd be kinda worried about the curse repeating itself."
"I'm not going to hurt her."
"I don't mean that. The first guardian betrayed us."
"Elsa would never betray me," Howard insisted. "She loves me."
"Well . . ." Walter hesitated again. "I think you'd better be careful. You still have an enemy out there. You know Rhett has to be furious."
"I know."
"He's lost most of his minions and his power," Walter continued. "He's going to blame you for that."
Howard swallowed hard. He'd been so busy avenging Harry's death that he hadn't thought about the consequences. Now Rhett would be seeking vengeance. "I heard he's disappeared."
Walter sighed. "It's worse than that. Rumor has it that Rhett has left the state. Watch your back, son."
Elsa was finishing supper with her aunts at the diner when her cell phone dinged, signaling a text.
"Is that him?" Greta grumbled.
"He's a good guy," Elsa insisted, although she knew her aunts didn't believe her. She read the message.
LET ME KNOW IF ANY STRANGERS COME TO TOWN, ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT ME OR MY COUSINS. DON'T LET ANYONE KNOW YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH ME. IT WILL MAKE YOU A TARGET.
What? She read the message again. A target for what? A target like Harry? She gulped and dropped her phone into her handbag.
"Are you all right?" Ula sat across the table, finishing a piece of apple pie. "You look a little pale."
"I just hope she isn't pregnant," Greta muttered.
Elsa stiffened. She certainly wasn't pale now. Her cheeks burned as she wondered about the possibility. She was on the pill, but she'd gone to the cabin without them, so she'd missed a day.
Baby were-bears? Her hand pressed instinctively on her stomach.
"Well, hello there." A man stopped by their table and smiled at Greta. "We meet again."
"Mr. Pelton." Greta smiled at him, then leaned close to Elsa. "This is the reporter I told you about. From Alaska."
"And you must be Miss Bjornberg, the niece Greta was telling me about." Mr. Pelton gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of sad news, but I'm afraid Howard Barr is a dangerous person to associate with."
"We've been telling her that," Greta said.
Elsa winced. "He's done nothing wrong."
"I see." The reporter removed a pen and pad of paper from his briefcase. "Then perhaps you can tell me where I can reach him? I'd like to interview him and get his side of the story. That seems only fair, don't you think?"
Howard's text ran through Elsa's mind. "I don't know where he lives."
"What?" Greta gave her an incredulous look.
Elsa lifted her chin. "We meet at my place of work."
The reporter checked his notes. "And that would be the gatehouse down the road that's being renovated?"
Elsa's heart raced. What was this reporter up to?
"Yes, that's it," Greta answered.
Elsa nudged her aunt with her foot.
Greta leaned close and whispered, "He's trying to help you."
With a frown, Mr. Pelton dropped his pad of paper into his portfolio and removed a few pages of paper. "I can see you need further convincing." He set the papers on the table. "This one is a copy of yesterday's paper, and this one is from this morning's paper."
Elsa saw the big headline "Madman Attacks Bleddyn" and the photo of Howard seizing a man by the tie. The man had to be Rhett Bleddyn, the nasty werewolf who hated Howard. She studied the photo. Rhett had shoulder-length black hair and dark eyes. His mouth was twisted into a smirk. The article made it look like he was innocent and Howard was a crazed criminal.
The second paper said that Rhett had gone missing and authorities suspected Howard. She recalled his words in the cabin. I'm going to destroy Rhett.
"So you still can't tell me where Howard Barr is?" the reporter asked.
Elsa swallowed hard. "No."
Her aunts shook their heads at her.
Mr. Pelton scowled at her. "A detective from the Anchorage Police Department is arriving tomorrow morning to investigate Mr. Barr. I suggest you cooperate with him."
A chill ran down Elsa's back.
"Oh, she will," Greta assured the reporter.
"Here's my card if you change your mind." Mr. Pelton passed a business card to Elsa.
When she took it, her hand brushed against his. An instant burst of heat exploded from her birthmark. With a gasp, she dropped the card on the table.
The reporter narrowed his eyes.
With a forced smile, she grabbed the card. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have eaten the chili cheese fries."
He nodded. "Good evening." He strode toward the exit.
A berserker. Elsa watched him leave. She'd bet anything he wasn't a bear like Howard and his cousins. No, Mr. Pelton was probably a werewolf. Like Rhett Bleddyn.
She glanced down at Rhett's photo in the paper. The article had clearly been biased in his favor. Was the paper owned by werewolves? Was Mr. Pelton working for Rhett Bleddyn?
She waited until she was alone in her hotel room before she texted Howard.
A REPORTER FROM ALASKA, MR. PELTON, IS LOOKING FOR YOU. AND A POLICE DETECTIVE FROM ANCHORAGE WILL ARRIVE TOMORROW MORNING. MR. PELTON IS A BERSERKER.
A text came back from Howard.
STAY AWAY FROM THEM. THEY PROBABLY WORK FOR RHETT.
She showered and sat up in bed, reading the articles once again. Apparently, the photo was taken at Harry's memorial service. And since Rhett was the one who had killed Harry, she couldn't blame Howard for attacking him. The article also mentioned how Howard had been arrested for killing a girl twenty years earlier.
She tossed the paper onto the bedside table. What was the truth behind that? She really wanted to know, but how could she text Howard and ask him if he'd killed his high school sweetheart? As hard as she tried, she couldn't come up with a nice way to ask him about it.
The next time she saw him, she'd show him the papers. Then he could explain.
With that settled in her mind, she turned off the bedside light. Aunt Ula was already asleep in the second bed. Aunt Greta had the room next door. She was probably polishing her guns.
Elsa snuggled under the covers and rubbed her birthmark. She would need to shake hands with the detective from Anchorage. If her suspicions were correct, he would make her mark burn.
She tossed and turned most of the night, not fully falling asleep until the wee hours of the morning.
A beautiful man came to her in the night. Large and powerful, he covered her body with his. His big hands roamed over her skin, setting her on fire. She wanted him. She cried out for him. She burned for him.
His hands were magic. Skimming the length of her legs. Fondling her breasts. Stroking her neck. Tightening their grip.
Choking her.
She thrashed against him, but he was too strong. Too powerful.
His face, half hidden in shadow, twisted in rage. Transformed. He roared like an animal.
She gazed up at him in horror. In the flicker of firelight, she caught a glimpse of his head.
A bear.
She slapped at him. Clawed at his face. No, not her lover!
Words slipped from her mouth, then echoed in her mind.
"I curse you and your kind for all time!"
She shoved at his shoulders, and his fur came loose in her hands. The bearskin fell off him, revealing her attacker in the firelight. Not her lover.
The berserker who hated her lover.
The wolf.
Elsa sat up with a gasp.
"Are you all right?" Ula turned on the light.
"It wasn't a bear who killed the guardian!" Elsa jumped out of bed. "It was a wolf!"
"A wolf?"
"Yes." Elsa paced about the room. "I think it's always been wolves. The guardian was in love with a bear berserker, and the wolves hated him for it. They killed her, making her think her lover had done it so she would curse the bears for all time."
"Then you think your Howard is innocent?" Ula asked.
"Yes! I think Mr. Pelton is a wolf berserker. He made my birthmark burn."
Ula stood up. "We must tell Greta." She rushed to the bathroom and got dressed while Elsa texted Howard.
YOU'RE IN DANGER! THE WOLVES ARE COMING FOR YOU.
When Ula left the bathroom, Elsa dashed inside. Five minutes later, they were dressed and ready to go. She rushed outside with Ula and banged on Greta's door.
Greta cracked it open. "It's awfully early. You should go away."
"I know who killed the original guardian," Elsa told her. "It wasn't a bear. It was a wolf!"
Greta's face turned pale. She mouthed the word, Go! Then suddenly she was pulled back. Mr. Pelton pressed a knife to her neck.
The door opened wider, held by a strange man who aimed a pistol at Elsa. Her heart lurched. Beside her, Ula gasped.
"You are correct, Miss Bjornberg." A man rose from the bed.
She recognized him from the photo. Rhett Bleddyn.
"It won't be a bear who kills you. It'll be a wolf." His mouth curled with a smirk. "Me."