Mountain Wolf's Courage (Daddy Wolves 0f The Wild Series Book 4) Read online

  “And if I refuse?” Trevor asked.

  “Then you can be eliminated,” Richard said, then paused. “Honestly, Trevor, the only reason I haven’t done it yet is I had a feeling that I’d have a use for you one day.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” he asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

  “It’s very simple: I would have had you killed as soon as Claudia was gone, but you’d been useful to me so I held onto you thinking I might be able to use you again,” Richard said. “I have a little situation that I’d like you to handle for me, and in return, I won’t have you killed.”

  Trevor’s mind was spinning, the word killed repeating over and over in his head, but he took a deep breath and looked Richard in the eye, hoping his fear didn’t show. “If I help you, you have to promise to let me raise Gabe as I see fit,” he countered.

  Richard looked surprised for a second, then shook his head. “I have to give you credit for even bothering to give me a counteroffer, and as a reward for your guts or stupidity, I’ll allow Gabe to stay with you for now.”

  Trevor breathed a sigh of relief, then realized that he’d agreed to help a man he detested to do something that probably wasn’t good. “What do I have to do?” he asked, unable to hide the trepidation in his voice.

  “There’s the Trevor I know,” he said. “I guess your son is the only thing that brings out the wolf in you, but don’t worry: what I’m going to ask you to do won’t be that dangerous.”

  Trevor couldn’t help the scowl that appeared on his face as anger surged through him. It was a pleasant kind of anger, though, one that fueled his power and made his blood tingle. “Just spit it out,” he said, gritting his teeth.

  Richard laughed. “Have you ever heard of a place called Serendipity?” he asked. When Trevor shook his head, he continued, “Thanks to my daughter, I was up there last summer; she’s decided to make it her home, at great embarrassment to me.”

  Trevor had heard of the scandal, but none of the details. “Ummm, I heard something about that.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard the gossip, but you haven’t heard the entire truth,” Richard said. “There’s something at Serendipity, something very powerful, and I want to get my hands on it. That’s where you come in.”

  *** Sarah***

  Sarah opened the door, searching for something to say to the woman who had been part of her downfall. “What are you doing here?” finally burst out of her mouth.

  “I thought you might be happier to see me,” Rachelle said, looking past Sarah into the apartment. “Are you going to invite me in?”

  She reluctantly stepped back, getting a whiff of Rachelle’s perfume as she brushed past her and down the hallway that split the apartment in half. When she got to the living room, she stopped and looked around her. “You’ve done okay for yourself.”

  Sarah knew then that Rachelle hadn’t changed. “I’m doing okay,” she said, then repeated her earlier question. “What are you doing here?”

  Rachelle walked over to the couch and perched on the edge, then a worried look appeared on her face. “Melissa’s in trouble,” she said, tears springing to her eyes.

  She didn’t believe Rachelle’s performance, had seen her perform many like it in the past. “Melissa made her choices years ago. I can’t save her from the evil she called to life,” she said, wishing Rachelle would leave and take the past with her.

  “You don’t understand, Melissa and I gave up all that stuff years ago,” she said, shaking her head. “Melissa was a good person who made a few mistakes, but she learned from them.”

  “Then why is she in trouble?” Sarah asked, still suspicious.

  “Did you know that she got married?” Rachelle asked, scooting back on the couch and making herself more comfortable.

  Sarah shook her head. “No, I hadn’t heard,” she said, beginning to lose her patience.

  “Oh, yes, and to a terrible man, a shifter who treated her so badly, she tried to run away from him with their daughter, Stella. But he caught them before they could go far. She never did tell me what happened that night, all I know is that he got full custody of Stella. He took her to Colorado, and the last time I talked to Melissa, she was on her way to see them. I told her not to go alone, but she said she’d be fine, that nothing would happen to her,” she said, then began to sob. “I feel so guilty. I should never have let her go.”

  “Then why don’t you go look for her?” Sarah asked, not liking where the conversation was going.

  Rachelle started at her for a second, then fresh tears appeared in her eyes. “Because I’m afraid you might be the only one who can communicate with her. I think that shifter killed her up there. Don’t you see? I haven’t heard from her in nearly a year, and I haven’t been able to find any trace of her. The last place she was seen was in Leadville.”

  Sarah felt like she was missing something. “You want me to wander around town and look for Melissa’s spirit. Even you have to know that it might be impossible to find her—if she’s even there.”

  There was a long silence in the room, then Rachelle said, “That’s not where I think she is.”

  Now she knew she was missing something, “. “You’ve lost me.”

  After a dramatic sigh, Rachelle said, “She mentioned something about a place called Serendipity. I think she followed them there, but the problem is I don’t know where it is.”

  “What makes you think I can find it if you can’t?” Sarah asked, an uneasy feeling coming over her.

  Rachelle dug around in her purse. “The only thing I could find about Serendipity on the internet was this,” she said, handing her a single sheet of paper. “I printed that out so you could see it.”

  The page nearly slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor when she saw the picture at the top of the page; an exact replica of the first painting in the studio, it took her breath away. Knowing that her hands were shaking and that Rachelle could probably see it, she set the page down on the coffee table but couldn’t take her eyes off of it.

  “Don’t you see? You could take the job as arts and crafts director, go up there, and find out what happened to Melissa,” Rachelle said, her face full of hope. “It’s the only way we’ll ever know, and I have to know, Sarah. She was my best friend, and yours once too.”

  There had been a time when she would have done anything for Melissa and Rachelle, but that time had been long ago, before they’d found black magic. “I can’t do it. I don’t talk to spirits anymore, and besides, I doubt they’d hire me. I’m not exactly camp counselor material.”

  She watched Rachelle’s face fall and felt a small stab of guilt. “I know what happened all those years ago was terrible, but I promise you, we gave up black magic after that night. Something terrible happened to Melissa, and I just need to know that she’s resting peacefully,” she said, getting to her feet. “I know this is a lot to ask. I just hope that you’ll think about it.”

  After Rachelle left, she went back to the coffee table and looked down at the printout of the job posting. Avoiding looking at the picture, she read the job description again, her heart pounding in her chest, then slowly let her eyes go to the top of the page. Then she picked up the sheet of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash, knowing that in only a few hours, she’d be pulling it out again, but feeling better for her little moment of defiance.

  Chapter Three

  ***Trevor***

  Trevor gave the zipper on his suitcase one last tug, then stood back and looked around the room, thinking that it had an empty feel since he’d removed all his personal belongings. Sitting down on the bed, he wondered for the hundredth time if he was making a mistake dragging Gabe all the way to Colorado, to a place that didn’t even show up on a map.

  He’d left his meeting with Richard rattled, and frightened, but as time passed, he’d begun to wonder if he’d let the man bully him. Richard’s threats seemed less real with the passage of time, more of a show of power than a rea
l threat, and he’d considered backing out more than once. But he wasn’t that sure of himself or brave enough to test Richard—not when Gabe’s safety and future were at stake.

  The last thing he wanted was Richard raising his son; the man had used his sister and driven his own daughter away by trying to force her to marry a man she didn’t want or love. The dark red potion he’d offered him was never far from his mind, and he cringed to think of Gabe drinking it and become something he was never supposed to be. He’d worked hard to raise his son to be a good person, to think of others first, and to share what he had with those less fortunate. Richard could undo all that hard work in the blink of an eye.

  But he wasn’t going to let that happen. He was going to Serendipity, wherever that was, and discover its secret. Richard hadn’t been able to tell him much. “All I know is that there’s incredible power in that valley, and it’s not that witch. She was using that power, I could feel it, and I want to know where it comes from; that’s why I’m sending you there,” he’d said. “Find it and bring it to me, and you can raise Gabe however you see fit.”

  It still seemed like a dream to him, he thought, as Richard’s words echoed through his head again and again. But if it was a dream, it was definitely a nightmare, he decided, getting to his feet: a nightmare that started the night he met Claudia and fell in love with her. Pushing that dark thought from his head—because without Claudia, he wouldn’t have Gabe—he went in search of his son.

  He found him standing in the living room, looking around at the empty shelves where pictures had stood. “It looks so empty, like we don’t live here anymore,” Gabe said when he saw him.

  Trevor crossed the room and put his arm around Gabe’s shoulders. “Well, for the next four months, we don’t,” he said. “But we have a new exciting home.”

  Gabe looked up at him. “Do we really have to go?”

  Trevor nodded. “I’m afraid we do. I know you’re going to miss your friends and the city, but this will be a new experience for both of us. I think we need to get away for a while; it’s only for the summer,” he said, but deep inside, he had a feeling he was lying to his son.

  Since the moment he’d agreed to do as Richard asked, he’d had a feeling that life he’d led was over, that nothing would ever be the same again. It was a feeling that made butterflies erupt in his stomach as a mixture of fear and anticipation washed over him. He felt it again now, and it took his breath away, made him want to go back into the bedroom and unpack his clothes.

  Instead, he said, “We’d better get on the road if we want to make it out of town before rush hour. We’ve got a long way to go before we get to Colorado.”

  Three days later, with thousands of miles behind them, they pulled up in front of a little diner in Leadville, Colorado. Trevor took his hands off the wheel and shut off the engine, his fingers sore from the death grip he’d had on the wheel as they’d climbed higher and higher into the Rocky Mountains. He was glad they’d spent the night in Denver, wouldn’t have wanted to make that drive in the dark. But they were here, or at least at the second step in their journey.

  “We’re supposed to meet Jake here,” he said, looking at the little diner and thinking he’d stepped back in time.

  Gabe was looking around them, his mouth hanging open. “Where are we? It looks like something out of an old western movie.”

  Trevor laughed. “It’s not that bad,” he said, opening his door. “I think it’s kind of cool, like stepping back in time.”

  Gabe snorted. “This might be worse than I thought. Do they even have internet in this town?”

  “You haven’t really stepped back in time; of course, they have internet,” Trevor said. “Come on let’s go inside.”

  Almost as soon as they stepped in the door, a man rose from a table in the back and approached them. “Are you Trevor?” he asked.

  “You must be Jake,” he said, holding out his hand.

  After they shook, Trevor turned to Gabe. “This is Gabe, my son.”

  Jake held his hand out, and Gabe shook it, then muttered, “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I have a daughter about your age,” Jake said. “She and the rest of the kids at camp are excited to meet you.”

  At the mention of kids, Gabe’s head came up. “There are other kids at the camp?” he asked, then added, “I mean, besides the campers.”

  Jake nodded. “Oh, sure, a bunch of them, enough that we’re looking for a teacher for the winter.”

  “You live at Serendipity year-round?” Trevor asked. “I thought it was just a summer camp.”

  “Well, some of us make it our home even in the winter,” Jake said, then changed the subject. “Now, how about some lunch while I go over what you can expect at Serendipity this summer.”

  ***Sarah***

  Sarah parked the car in the tiny parking lot next to the tea house, turned off the engine, and got out. She took several deep breaths of the crisp mountain air and looked around her, shaking her legs to get the blood pumping again. She’d arrived in Denver late the night before, exhausted from the frantic rush to get packed and three days of driving, and had barely noticed the mountains looming to the west.

  But this morning, she’d woken refreshed and a bit excited to be at the end of her journey across the country. When she’d agreed to help Rachelle, she’d been sure that she’d never be picked for the job, so sure that she hadn’t made any preparations. Now, only a few days later, she was standing in Leadville, the eight paintings that had been haunting her for months in the back of her rented SUV.

  She was supposed to meet a woman named Marley in the tearoom but was finding it hard to make herself go inside. Something deep inside her told her that once she did, nothing would ever be the same, and for just a second, she considered letting the mystery of the paintings go unsolved. And she would have if it wasn’t for the fact that since she’d finished the last one, she’d been unable to paint anything else.

  It was as if an unseen force was pushing her toward Serendipity, like something far bigger than she was had taken control of her life, and she was powerless to stop what was happening. Like being swept away by a river, all she could do was try to keep her head above water and look for a way to the shore. She’d promised to help Rachelle, to look for Melissa’s soul and find out what happened to her, but she needed to solve the mystery of the paintings even more.

  The thought of never being able to paint again made her shiver in the warm air, and she knew that the only way forward was to go inside. She’d just leaned over to get her purse from the car when she heard the screech of tires and a huge truck came roaring into the parking lot. It came to a halt across the parking lot, taking up two spaces, and sat idling for a few seconds before the door popped open and a woman jumped out.

  Sarah could only stare at the woman crossing the parking lot, a huge smile on her face. “You must be Sarah. I’m Marley. Sorry I’m late. I’m always late, even when I try not to be.”

  “That’s okay,” Sarah stammered, still staring at the truck. “I just got here.”

  Marley looked back at the truck. “Don’t you love it? I know it’s a bit of an extravagance, but I don’t drive it that often,” she said, grinning. “Jake says I have to give it up after this one is born.”

  Sarah noticed the little bump under Marley’s shirt. “Oh, congratulations,” she said.

  “Thanks, it’s still a bit new to us, but we’re excited,” Marley said, rubbing her stomach. “Are you hungry? We could go inside and have a little lunch while I explain what you should expect in Serendipity.”

  Sarah realized that she was hungry. “That sounds nice. I was so excited this morning, I forgot to eat,” she said. “I’d love to hear about Serendipity; there wasn’t a lot of information in the email you sent.”

  “Well, Serendipity is a little difficult to explain. You’ll understand better when you get there,” Marley said.

  When they were seated and had ordered their lunch, Sarah waited anxiousl
y for Marley to begin. She knew very little about where she was going and what she was going to do when she got there, and Marley was the only one with the answers right now, answers she seemed reluctant to give.

  “So, what made you decide to apply for the position at camp?” Marley asked, then smiled at Sarah. “Sorry, that probably sounds like a job interview question, but I am curious. I’ve seen your work, and, well, it’s not exactly...I mean it’s very powerful but, well...I can’t seem to say this right.”

  Sarah had been prepared for that question, had known that her paintings of the spirit world would come up. “Lately, my work has gone a different direction. I can’t explain it, but Serendipity seems to be a part of it.”

  Marley studied her for a minute. “I’m not sure I understand, and I think there’s more than you’re telling me, but I have a feeling you’ve been sent to us for a reason,” she said. “So, I’m going to let it go for now.”

  Sarah wasn’t sure what to say at first, but then an overwhelming urge to tell Marley about the paintings washed over her. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, aware suddenly that Marley was staring at her intently. Her skin began to crawl and tingle, the effects of a spell settling over her, and she knew that Marley was testing her. Reaching back in her memory, she found a protection spell and silently wrapped herself in it, the urge to talk melting away.

  Marley smiled at her. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I just wanted to see if you could do it.”

  Sarah stared at her open-mouthed. “You know I’m a witch?” she asked. “No one knows that. Well, only a few people.”

  “All I had to do was see your paintings to know,” Marley said. “You see and talk to spirits.”

  Sarah nodded. “But I don’t use my talent; it’s, well, it’s too disturbing,” she said. “Something happened a long time ago, and all I can see are the evil spirits. The good have been lost to me.”