Dark Callings (Phoenix Intelligence Agency) (15 page)

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Authors: Taige Crenshaw

BOOK: Dark Callings (Phoenix Intelligence Agency)

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“I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.” He touched her muzzle.

Newton
butted his hand and licked his arm. Wesley hugged her.
Newton
sighed and snuggled into him. He listened to her breathing as she slept. A sound made him look back.

The woman stood in the doorway looking at him. “It’s as I suspected. Your dog has been drugged.”

“
Drugged
?”

“Drugged. Now we need to know, Mr. McCarty, is how.”

The fierce tone she used captured his attention. Then it registered what she had said.

Wesley stood slowly. “How do you know my name?”

The woman arched an eyebrow at his question. Wesley moved subtly and waited to see what she would do.

“We knew the moment you arrived in Blackstone, Mr. McCarty.”

Wesley tensed at her statement.

The woman continued. “Besides, my sister owns Blackstone Bungalows.”

Wesley tried to remember how they had ended up there. Nothing came to him. He didn’t even remember checking in.

“My sister mentioned that your dog looked sick. I was on my way to check on her.”

“Why would you come to check on my dog? You don’t even know me.” Wesley frowned.

“All animals in these parts are my responsibility.” The woman got an unfathomable look on her face.

Wesley didn’t understand what was going on.

The woman put out her hand. “I’m Dr. Grayson.”

Wesley took her hand and shook it. A weird look came over her face, then was gone. He blinked, wondering if he imagined it.

Dr. Grayson walked over to
Newton
and hung the bag she held. Wesley hadn’t seen it in her hand. A feeling of unease filled him as he watched the doctor.

“What’s that?”

“Saline to help flush the chemicals out of her system. There is nothing else we can do. She’ll have to sleep it off. How did she get drugged, Mr.
McCarty?”

She slipped in the question so easily, Wesley answered automatically.

“I don’t know. I don’t even kn—” He cut himself off, realising what he had almost said.

“You ‘don’t even know’ what?” Dr. Grayson turned and looked at him, her eyes intense.

Wesley tried to pull himself out of her compelling gaze.

Dr. Grayson gasped, then stumbled back.

Wesley reached for her.

She put up a shaking hand and waved away his help. “I’m fine. Focus on
Newton
.”

Newton
barked and he looked at her. He glanced up and saw Dr. Grayson was gone.

“Let that run for a few hours then you can take
Newton
and go.” Dr. Grayson said.

He looked at the door and saw her standing there watching him. Wesley narrowed his eyes. “That’s it? What kind of vet are you? You don’t even know if I was the one who hurt her, and you’re letting me take her.”

“You’re not the one who drugged her.” Dr. Grayson got the same fathomless look on her face then turned to leave.

“How do you know that?” Wesley took a step towards her.

She turned, a serene look on her face, and gestured at
Newton
. “She would have told me.” Her face went cold. “And if you had been the one, then you would answer to me.”

Speechless, Wesley watched her leave.
Newton
barked, and he went over to her. He patted her and looked at the empty doorway.

“She’s one spooky lady.”

Newton
barked in agreement.

Wesley glanced at her and frowned. “Am I losing my mind? What’s happening to me?” There was anguish in his tone.

Newton
licked his hand and whined.

Wesley gripped her fur. “First we take care of you. Then we head over to Ian’s.”

He pulled his chair closer and watched her.

Newton
watched him in return.

“Let her sleep it off and she should be fine.”

Wesley looked at the nurse who had unhooked
Newton
and brought him the bill for her care. She smiled at him.

“Where’s Dr. Grayson?”

Surprise filled her eyes, and she replied, “She was called away on a case.”

Wesley frowned. Her statement seemed false.

The nurse patted
Newton
and left.

He picked up
Newton
and walked down the hall where the nurse held the door open for him. “Thanks.” Wesley mumbled as he went out.

“You’re welcome, Mr. McCarty, and welcome to Blackstone Haven. We hope you enjoy your stay,” the nurse replied.

There was a twinkle in her eye he didn’t understand. She closed the door.

He walked across the waiting area and pushed open the outer door. Wesley stopped and looked up at the clear night sky. The full moon was partially obstructed by a dark cloud. The cloud funnelled and was gone.

Wesley shook his head. He had to have imagined it. Striding to his SUV, he hit the switch to unlock it, then opened the door and placed
Newton
on the seat. He patted her. She sighed and went back to sleep. Wesley went and got into the car. He tapped in Ian’s address into the computer for directions. Reading them, he pulled out. A little over two hours later, he continued driving up the winding roads. He had passed the road that led to Ian’s house a while back, but continued driving. The crisp air of the mountains soothed him.

He pulled the car over to the side of the road. The wheels bumped along the rough ground. Stopping, he turned off the car. He knew it was foolish to stop. He glanced at the sleeping
Newton
then got out. Wesley stood and looked at the area before him, awash in moonlight. The moon cast an eerie glow around the trees and flowers. He could hear the sound of water somewhere. He took a deep breath. A sense of anticipation filled him. With a laugh, he walked towards the wood.

Reaching the trees, he started to run. Effortlessly, he shifted on the path, avoiding logs, rocks, or anything that might stop him.

How am I doing this
?
he wondered.

The sense of exhilaration washed away all the questions forming in his mind. The wind rushed past him as he picked up speed.

Suddenly, he stopped then cocked his head to listen. The sweet, sensual sound came again. The laughter was husky and made his cock harden. Drawn to it, Wesley padded on silent feet towards the sound.

Standing in the shadow of the trees, he stared at the beautiful ebony nymph. She twirled under the moon. Her laughter spilled over the clearing, drawing him. Wesley took a step towards her. The woman turned and looked at him.

A sense of urgency filled Peyton Blackstone. She didn’t notice the lengthening shadows coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. In a movement she had done millions of times before, she moved the flying shuttle along the cloth and used her other hand to comb it down. Jazz, her favourite music, played softly in the background. Her hands flew over the task. The sound of the shunt along the cloth didn’t give her the sense of calmness it usually did. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach she couldn’t define.

Suddenly, she stopped and stilled. Peyton turned to look blindly out of the window. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. After a few moments, she felt it; a sense of expectation was in the air. In a fluid, graceful motion, she stood. She didn’t look at Zuri, her favourite loom, as she usually did after working on a tapestry. With quick steps, she went across the massive room, never sparing a glance for her huge variety of looms. She continued without pause out the door, then down the three staircases to the ground floor. Unerringly, she went through her darkened, generous living room, down the hall, and to the front door.

At the door, she took a breath before opening it. The feeling she had upstairs came at her with a power that almost made her stagger. Peyton locked her knees so she wouldn’t fall. She murmured softly, and the feeling lessened. She rushed outside, then down the stairs. With a turn to the left, she continued on, past her house and around the corner. The sense of urgency spurred her on. Although her thoughts urged caution, Peyton couldn’t seem to stop or slow down. She hadn’t felt a sense of evil when she opened the door, but even so, she would usually be more cautious. No matter how safe they felt in their hometown of Blackstone Haven, she and her family had learned to always be on guard.

All thoughts of being on guard seemed muffled as she went rapidly around the corner of her house; the open area lay before her, beckoning. She reached the clearing between her house and the woods. With a burst of movement, she started to run. The wind tickled along her face like a lover’s caress. Her hair whipped behind her as she ran. The ground was soft against her bare feet, while the scent of the air was sweet and lush. Reaching the trees, Peyton didn’t slow. She dodged to the side and continued on. A laugh of joy bubbled up inside her, releasing a canopy of sound. Her laugh broke the silence. The forest echoed with the sound and gave it back. She changed course to the right then burst through the cover of trees into another clearing. Abruptly, she stopped in the centre, glancing around. The moon bathed the verdant beauty of foliage and the gentle sway of trees in an eerie glow.

With another laugh, she spun in a circle, then stopped and swayed in time with the music of the forest. Peyton turned, then stilled. Captivated, she took in the sleek movement of his hard body.

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About the Author

Taige Crenshaw has been enthralled with the written word from the time that she picked up her first book. It wasn’t long before she started to make up her own tales of romance.

Her novels are set in the modern day between people who know what they want and how to get it. Taige also sets her stories in the future with vast universes between beautiful, strange and unique beings with lots of spice and sensuality added to her work.

Always hard at work creating new and exciting places, Taige can be found curled up with a hot novel with exciting characters when she is not creating her own. Join her in the fun and frolic, with interesting people and far reaches of the world in her novels.