Changer's Blood (Balancer's Soul cycle) (70 page)

The crowd rushed the three men.
Sarah
tried to get to him
her
self, but there were just too many
people
in the way
. Then
everyone in the vicinity
heard “ENOUGH!”
and it
boomed from
C
onnor at the end of his tolerance
. When the crowd scared back and became quiet he spoke again. “Get out of our way. Maggie needs to see her grandparents
before anything else
.”

No one could dispute his order. Like anyone ever could.

Jack
and Connor
turned and headed towards their mates
because they were slightly taller than the other people around here.
Sarah
looked
over her shoulder
and saw
Maggie’s
grandparents
were
still close
by
and they were
both
crying
quietly
, afraid to rush to them and not see their grandchild
.

With the crowd spread
ing
away
,
th
e
reporter’s
cameras
put the
spotlight on them
around the time
Connor, Mark and
Jack
arrived at
to the grandparents
.

Jack
gently went to his knee and allowed the little girl to slide down his back and touch the ground.
Sarah
got a good look at
Maggie
as she ran in
her
general direction. “Grandma! Grandpa!” She ran right past and into their waiting embrace. Her red hair a
s muddy as her clothing.

At seeing the heartfelt reunion
,
the entire crowd started clapping.

After the firemen check Maggie
over and said she was fine, the Press tried getting information from the six of
them
and especially from
her
mate.
They wanted to know who he was, how he found her and everything there
i
s
to know
about him.
None of the immortals
said a word and the
reporters
didn’t
particularly
like
their
silence. The little girl spoke up and everyone quieted down for her
to speak
. “I think Mr. Muscles would like eve
ryone to leave him alone!
”

Connor stood at Sarah’s
side along with the rest of
their
party against the back wall.
She
encircled
her
arm through his
and arched an eyebrow
.
“Mr. Muscles?”

He
stared forward
and
replied.
“When I helped her out of the tree, she gave me that nickname.
Are you going to make fun of me too?
”

“It’s cute.”

Maggie
continued. “He kicked a wild Boar
and got me out of a tree.
So don’t make him angry.
He’s
also
probably tired. Don’t forget he had to carry that
hurt
police man all the way
back
here. Would everyo
ne please go home for the night?
”

When no one moved, Connor did. He set his predatory eyes on everyone
in the room
and cla
i
med their
undivided
attention.
Connor was a natural commander and with simply a look called all eyes to him like no one else ever could. Being the first to find her trail and bring Maggie back proved he was a man worthy of trust and honor, but he was done coddling these pestering people.
He said in an icy tone
that frightened everyone
“You heard the
little lady. Get out.
” The officers
on the scene
decided to step in and they her
ded everyone from the property
before
her
mate decided to take
any
action
.

Connor said “Jim
,
wait! Can we talk for a moment?”

The nice reporter was excluded from everyone else’s mandatory evacuation from the premises. All that were left inside
the house
were the three residents,
Sarah and her
mate,
her
parents, Mark, Kara and Jim. Both
Jack
and Mark took their blades and all of the loaned flashlights and put th
em
back
in the truck before coming
inside and telling them
that everyone left
.
When i
t
became quiet
,
Jim asked “What would you like to talk about
,
Connor?”

“When you write your article
tonight
, could you call me an anonymous person? I don’t want anyone to harass me or my family
because we found Maggie
.
No one knows me except you.
I’m an outdoorsman and I really don’t like people interfering with my livelihood
and peace
.
If you can keep them off my back, I’ll give you and your family free outdoor lessons
for the next five years
.
I think Tyler and Billy would like to try making a hammock next time
they come
.
They might even get
a chance
to play with a skunk.
”

Jim
smiled and
shook his head
slowly
. “I can’t accept that
entire offer,
Connor.
Brittany would strangle both of us if either of them get sprayed…
” Connor was starting to get upset
because the fire in his eyes came back
.
Her
mate
’
s muscles clenched in his jaw
and his eyes were fierce
and focused
. “When I was writing the first article on your seminar, I threw out the paper.” Connor’s anger subsided
when he started blinking
in confusion
. “I knew by the look in your eyes that you don’
t like a lot of attention
. You are a good kid and I’ll keep them off your trail
as best that I can
.” Jim turned around. “Maggie here is the
real
story.
” Jim knelt and mussed her hair and made her giggle.
“
Not the tracker.
Right, Connor?
”

Connor’s muscles relaxed
as he sighed. “Thanks
,
Jim.”

After a few farewells
an hour later,
Sarah and her
family left the log cabin and got in the truck. As everyone became seated, Connor started the engine and drove into the night. All of the men were silent
for some reason
until Connor
finally
spoke about halfway home. “There is something you
all
need to know.
”

Kara
was sitting on Mark
’
s lap as
her b
rother spoke
in a dark tone
. It was completely
black
outside except from the headlights
on the road
. “On the way back after we rescued Maggie, Mathew showed up.” Everyon
e in the truck went silent and she
paid
even
close
r
attention.
Not one of them admired that person.
“Deputy Burrow’s didn’t
accidently
trip
like I told others
. Mathew hit him over t
he head and that’s what
actually
caused
h
is
head injury. He pulled a gun on
all of
us and I told Jack and Mark to get Maggie to safety.
”
Kara
t
urned
her
head to look at
her
love
. His face was shadowed by darkness, but
Mark
nodded with his
expression
looking
tense,
serious and dangerous
at the
same time
. “When she was
away
to safety, both the deputy and I killed him.”
Her b
rother said evenly, but
Kara
knew he
remained
upset.
His eyes held rage and yet regret
for the deed
.

He shifted gears and Sarah gently put a hand over his as it rested on the shifter. “You did what you had to do.” She said in a soothing voice and his tense shoulders relax
ed
slightly.
“
Mathew made his choice.
He was given two chances to live. He forfeited his life on the third.”

“Thanks for that, Princess.”
Kara focused and made her
eyes more sensitive to light so
she
could see
everyone in the low lighting
.
As a side effect she
also
saw that
her
eyes made the cabin light up.
When they stopped glowing she
said “Sorry
, Brother.” He was looking at her
in the mirror.
She
could now see everyone much more clearly. Jillian and Mr. Branderson sat quietly as they paid attention to
her
brother.

He
nodded
in response to
her
apology and then spoke to
her one true
love
. “Mark, I need your help again.”
Mark
wrapped his arms around her middle and
pulled
her
tightly against his warm
and bare
chest.
He
spoke just past her
ear in a casual voice. “What’s on your mind, Buddy?”

“Tomorrow is Friday and there are a few things I need to
see to
. Can I count on you to lead the groups until I get there? We’ll be camping in the same area
again
so you’ll know where to go
.”

“Sure thing
,
Connor. By the way,
just
what are you planning?”

Connor
glanced at
them
all
in the mirror again.
His eyes were still penetrating as he said
“I need to come back here early in the morning
; alone
. I have to destroy what’s left of
the…
evidence
,
and make sure the animals do their jobs
properly
.”

“Do you need an incinerator?” Mr. Branderson offered his services.

“No, but thank
you.
” Connor
sighed.
“
And thank you all for helping
me
out.
It all turned out
well for most everyone…
luckily.
”

Jillian reached forward and placed a single hand over
Connor
’s right
shoulder. “Connor, you are the only one of us who could have picked up her trail
so quickly
.
I’ve never seen anyone pick up a track within a larger one simply by seeing three grass blades going in a different direction while being crushed beneath someone else’s boot print. Some of the people couldn’t stop talking about it.

“
You found her, and brought
Maggie
home safely. On something like this, no thanks are needed
for us
.
Your actions were justifiable if not lenient
in my book
.
We all know he was overdue in the punishment category.
” And
those in the truck-cab
all agreed
with her
.
“Besides what’s done is done. Now we just need to cover all of our tracks and be prepared for a problem.”