Harlequin Nocturne March 2014 Bundle: Shadowmaster\Running with Wolves (41 page)

Jason steeled himself. When Malcolm asked for a favor, it was usually not something Jason wanted to do. “What?”

“I know you just got back and you have Shay to get settled, but you are the best tracker we have. I need you to go back out there and help your men find that shipment.”

“Malcolm, I haven't even made it home yet.”

“I know. And normally I wouldn't ask, but will you do it?”

Jason thought of Shay and how much he wanted to take her back to his house and spend the day getting to
know
her better. How could he just leave her alone? He hadn't even had the chance to explain to her about Maggie, and he couldn't imagine she was going to take that well. But he also knew if he didn't help Malcolm find that shipment, Scott would have all the ammunition he needed to unleash a full-scale war against Malcolm and anyone who stood with him. It would be ugly. For all of them.

“Talk to Shay,” Malcolm said. “Explain to her what's going on. She can even stay here with me if she wants. In fact, that might help the situation. We just need a little time to get the hotheads to calm down. By showing the two of you are strong in my camp, it will strengthen us against Scott and his minions. I can protect her here while you're gone. I swear I won't let anything happen to her.”

“After what Mitch did, Shay would never stay here. But I don't think she should stay at Robert's either. I'll try to get her to stay at my house or Dean's. But, yes, have someone keep an eye on her. If Scott really is that unhinged, I don't want him anywhere near her.” Jason set his cup down and they walked toward the door.

He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, but he knew Malcolm was right. He had to find that shipment before people realized it was missing. And before Scott could cause any more trouble. And somehow he had to tell Shay and her grandparents that he would be leaving, running away from his responsibilities to his mate.
Again.

He would rather go back outside the gates and face a hundred demons than have to face the three of them right then.

Chapter 15

S
hay stared at her grandmother in disbelief as she followed her through the doorway and into the kitchen.
Married?
Jason had been married? “He never said anything,” she said, her voice breaking over the words.

“Maggie's disappearance was hard for all of us.” Kate opened a canister and started filling the coffeepot with grounds.

Shay stared at the picture of the woman with the curling brown hair that she'd seen her grandmother looking at last night.
Maggie.
Her aunt. Her stomach clenched and she dropped into the nearby chair at the table.

“Those had been happy times around here,” Kate said, following her gaze. “Your dad was leading The Colony after your grandfather stepped down. Jason was the Sheriff and his top advisor, but more than that, they were good friends. The three of them had been inseparable. But then Dean fell in love with your mother, and she got pregnant.”

The rich scent of brewing coffee filled the kitchen. Kate opened the fridge and took out a carton of eggs, cheese and milk. Shay watched her while trying to absorb what she was saying, to picture what it must have been like. For her grandmother, for all of them.

“Before Dean left to be with your mom, he and Jason went to the council. They decided then that Jason, as Maggie's husband and Dean's first in command, would take over in Dean's place. They had a short period of transition. Everything ran smoothly.”

“So what happened?” Shay asked.

“Seven years later our daughter, Maggie, began to believe that Dean was in trouble. She and Dean were twins. She was always very connected to her brother. Even when they were children....” She paused for a moment, her eyes closing as she succumbed to her memories. “Anyway, she was certain Dean needed her.”

“He did,” Shay muttered.

Kate began absently breaking eggs into a bowl. “Maggie couldn't stop thinking about your dad. She became obsessed with her need to find him.”

Shay wrapped her arms around herself. She knew what was coming, what her grandmother was going to say. Kate stopped whipping the eggs and turned to her, her eyes heavy with pain and rimmed with sadness. “Maggie begged Jason to go with her. But he said he couldn't leave the pack. Malcolm was growing his power base. He had fundamental disagreements with the way the pack was being run. He wanted computers. He wanted internet and satellite. He wanted more of a connection with the outside world,” she said, her mouth twisted with bitterness.

“You don't have a computer?” For the first time Shay realized not only was there not a computer, there wasn't a TV in the living room or a dishwasher in the kitchen. Everyday necessities she always took for granted were missing from this house. Was that the same for everyone? No, Jason had said that Scott wanted to take them away. That must mean some people had them.

“No, we don't,” Kate said proudly. “And we don't want one. My husband always said it was better that way, stronger for the family unit. Both Dean and Jason had agreed with him and continued in that tradition while they were in charge. Why did we need to become embroiled with the problems of the outside world? Without technology we were a stronger community, we were able to focus on our family's needs, on ourselves and our neighbors.”

Kate poured the eggs into the pan. “Of course, Malcolm didn't agree. He wanted to know everything, be on top of all of the latest and greatest technology, but even more than that, he wanted to profit from it.”

“Profit?”

“We don't have a lot of money in our village. We've never needed it. We take care of our needs and we share with each other. That was never enough for Malcolm. Even as a young man, he always wanted more.”

“It seems like he still thinks he can have whatever he wants,” Shay muttered. “The audacity of that man, thinking he could send Jason to bring me back to marry him. A complete stranger. It's insane.”

“That's Malcolm for you. I'm sure he thought his charm would sweep you off your feet the moment you met him.”

“He's that egotistical, huh?”

“You got it.” Kate smiled as she slid a plate full of scrambled eggs in front of her. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” Shay added milk and sugar to her coffee. “Do you think Jason is going to be okay?” she asked as Kate sat across the table from her.

“Oh, yes. Jason knows how to take care of himself. You don't have to worry about him.”

“So what happened, then, with Maggie?” Shay asked, though a part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know.

“Well, my daughter was always very headstrong. So against all our wishes and without telling any of us, she went after Dean on her own.” Kate glanced once more at the picture on the sideboard of the beautiful girl with a shock of dark brown curls and a wide happy smile. “We never saw her again.”

“I'm sorry,” Shay muttered.

“Jason was furious when he discovered she was gone. He left immediately and went after her, but she'd already had a full day's head start. He never found her and when he arrived at the address Dean had given us, all of you were gone. He searched but never found any of you.”

Shay tensed at her words. “That was the year my dad died. We'd moved several times.”

Kate nodded, swiping at the corner of her eye. “Dean's letters had stopped coming and then we knew we'd lost them both.”

“What about my mom? Why didn't she write?”

“Harsh words had been said back then, before Dean had left. We never got the chance to put it right. Dean never came back to The Colony, not even for a visit after you were born. And how I wanted to see you.” She reached across the table and took Shay's hand, giving it a squeeze. “But now Jason has brought you home to us.”

“I had no idea I even had grandparents,” Shay whispered. “No one ever told me.”

“Of course you didn't, how could you? Now eat your eggs before they get cold, we have a busy day today.”

Shay ate a forkful of eggs without really tasting them as she let everything she'd just learned sink in. Jason, who'd just asked her to marry him, had once been married to her aunt. That was definitely something he should have told her.

“So how did Malcolm become pack leader?” Shay asked after a few minutes.

Kate stood and refilled her cup. “Jason had been gone looking for Maggie and Dean for a very long time. And in his absence...”

“Malcolm took over.”

“Yes. He instituted a lot of his changes and by the time Jason came back, many people didn't want to go back to the way things were. They were thrilled with their TVs and their internet.”

“And I'm sure Malcolm made a fortune selling them.”

“That goes without saying. People needed more money to buy these modern contraptions. Suddenly there were a lot more things for sale, people began creating things, more stores and restaurants opened, more buildings and houses were being built. Our tiny little village had become a thriving colony. And Malcolm was the one everyone thanked for that.”

“Then how does Scott hope to defeat him? And, no offense, but why would he want to?”

“Because Malcolm's power has gone straight to his head. We've all seen it. The council is concerned. There have been acts of violence. Nothing anyone could pin on Malcolm, he's too careful for that, but people who oppose him or his ideas, people who try to stand up and make changes, suddenly fall on hard times and become plagued with misfortune.”

“And Scott?”

“While Jason was gone, Scott's house burned down. His daughter was hurt.”

Shay's fork stopped midway to her mouth. “That's horrible. Is she going to be okay?”

“Yes, thank goodness. Malcolm is a terrible man, Shay. He needs to be stopped.”

“Surely there must be proof?”

“How can there be? The sheriff is on his side, and most likely on his payroll.”

“Then why would Jason work for Malcolm? He cares deeply about The Colony. I can't believe he'd willingly work for someone like that. It doesn't make sense.”

“After Jason returned home without Maggie, he was a different man. A broken man. He didn't want the job as pack leader again, even if Malcolm would have given it back to him, which he wouldn't.” She stood and picked up their empty plates, taking them to the sink.

Shay watched her for a moment, letting the words wash over her. She remembered that day when she'd thought Jason was going to die on the road beside the truck. He'd said it wasn't time for him to die, that he hadn't been tortured enough yet. She suspected she finally knew what he meant.

“He must have loved Maggie very much,” she said quietly as she felt her heart splinter.

“Oh, yes. She was his whole world,” Kate said, unaware of the pain she was inducing. “Much like he was hers. Afterward, Jason moped around his home doing nothing for almost two years. He'd given up everything. By the time he pulled out of it, he didn't know what to do with himself. The Sheriff's position had already been filled. He was a lost man, a shell of his former self.”

“That sounds awful.”

“It was. Malcolm came to him and offered him a position on his staff as head of security. Against our wishes, Jason took it. I won't say he's been happy, but he's kept himself busy. He takes his responsibilities very seriously.”

Was that what she was, then, a responsibility? The food in her stomach was beginning to sour. She pushed the rest of her coffee away. “Jason lost everything because of his commitment to the pack. How could anyone call him a traitor? Has everyone forgotten? It's...it's criminal.”

“I agree,” Kate said, filling the sink with hot soapy water.

“What's going to happen to him now? What will Malcolm do to him?”

“I'm not sure. But he can't do anything without the council's approval, so try not to worry yourself too much.”

“I suppose I should go get ready.” Shay looked down at her sweats. “Do you have anything I can wear? My clothes are still in Jason's truck outside the gates and I'd like to be ready when Robert returns.”

“I'm sure we can find something that will fit you.”

Shay followed her grandmother into her bedroom.

Kate opened her closet door, looked Shay up and down, sizing her up, then pulled a long floral skirt and matching blouse out of her closet. “How's this? You're a bit smaller than me, but it should fit fine with a belt or a few safety pins. I wish I still had some of Maggie's things, you two are just about the same size.”

Shay forced herself to smile. “These will be perfect, thank you.” She took the clothes into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It wasn't until she was under the hot spray that she let the tears come and spill onto her cheeks. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Jason hadn't fallen madly in love with her after only a few days. His offer to marry her was only about protecting her, and about keeping her from Malcolm. He would never love her the way he did Maggie. Even if he could, he'd never let himself.

A broken man.

That was why it had been so easy for him to transform her and form their connection, to ask her to become his wife, because it hadn't been an emotional decision for him. He was doing what he always did—what was best for the pack. The admirable and responsible thing. She was such a fool.

* * *

Jason arrived back at the Mallorys' house just as Shay, Scott and his former in-laws were walking out the front door. “What's up?” he asked when he noticed the puffiness circling Shay's eyes. Had she been crying? His fists clenched and he had to take a deep breath to calm the surge of anger rushing through him.

“Jason,” Shay said, relief easing the tension from her face as she walked toward him.

He pulled her into his arms, feeling immediately better as her softness melted into him. “You look sweet in your grandmother's dress,” he whispered into her hair.

“We were just getting ready to go visit the council to explain what had happened on the mountain,” she said.

He looked up at Robert and Scott, surprised that they'd acted so fast. “Thank you, but I've just explained everything to Malcolm. Shay and I will be talking to the council ourselves.” He leaned down and gave Shay a quick kiss.

“What did Malcolm say?” she asked.

“He wanted to know what happened. No cause for concern. Everything is fine.” He kept his tone casual, watching Scott closely for his reaction. But there was none. Not even a flicker crossed his eyes.

“That's surprising,” Robert said.

“Well, since you're ready,” Jason prompted. “Should we make our engagement official?”

Shay looked up at him and smiled, but it wasn't the happy carefree smile that consumed her whole face and lit something warm within him. Instead, she didn't feel right; sadness seemed to be enveloping her.
What happened while I was gone?

And then he knew.
Maggie.

Surely Kate wouldn't have told her before he'd had the chance to tell her himself?
Of course she would.
The woman always had meddled too much. And she'd blamed him for Maggie's death.

“Is there a rush?” Shay asked, sounding suddenly hesitant.

He looked down into her faded blue-violet eyes and wished he'd had more time with her that morning. Time to make all the proper explanations, time to show her what they could have together if she gave him a chance. But he hadn't. And now he had to break the news to her here. In front of everyone.

“I... Well, yes. I have another job to do for Malcolm and I'm going to have to be gone for a few days. I'd like to talk to the council and see you settled before I go.”

“You're going to continue to work for that man?” Kate asked, her tone hard and astonished.

Annoyed, Jason turned cold eyes on her. “Yes. I know you have your doubts about him, but Malcolm is a good man. I realize he can be hot-tempered, but he is passionate about the security and success of this pack. I trust him. I always have.”