The Finding (6 page)

Laughing
lightly, she gave him a condescending look. “Of course we did,
Franklin.” Ignoring his glare, she patted his arm again before
wandering over to the window and inspecting the glass. “Hmm...
These windows seem to be rather dusty and streaked. It’s important
to keep the house in top condition at all times, you realize.
Perhaps, if you put me in charge of hiring the cleaning staff,
these problems could be avoided.”

“Perhaps. But
the courts appointed Cook—Mrs. Teasdale—and myself as caretakers
until such time as Miss Cassie returns. That includes the cleaning
and maintenance of the Estate.”

“
If
she
returns.” Marla qualified the answer while turning to face the man.
She pulled the strap of her purse over her shoulder in preparation
for leaving, resisting the urge to take one last look at the silver
tray on the desk.

“She
will
come back, Ms. Matthews. Cook and I are sure of
it.”

Marla moved her
lips into the semblance of a smile, but made no effort to hide the
coldness in her eyes. It wasn’t worth the effort trying to sway the
old man over to her side. She’d attempted that during the first
year, but he was annoyingly loyal to his dead master and the truant
young girl. “Your Miss Cassie’s return is what we all hope and pray
for, Franklin. Mr. Aldrich and I think of her often, wondering
whatever became of the poor thing.”

“She’s out
there somewhere, biding her time until the right opportunity arises
for her return.” The man spoke with confidence and, not for the
first time, Marla wondered if he knew more about Cassandra Greyson
than he let on.

No, she quickly
dismissed the idea. It wasn’t possible. There was no way a simple
cook and an aging butler could accomplish what she and Leon Aldrich
had been unable to do. For three years, they’d sifted through
reports, followed up on leads, and hired private investigators in
an effort to find the missing young heiress. If all their experts
couldn’t find Cassandra Greyson, then the old man wouldn’t have
been able to either.

Nodding at
Franklin, she left the library and exited the house. It was a sunny
day and she paused on the front step, squinting at the brightness
and making a show of donning a pair of fashionable sunglasses.

While she was
at it, she slyly scanned the area around the home, even sniffing
the air surreptitiously. She played the various scents through her
mind, finally focusing on one. Damn! A werewolf had been in the
area again. Not recently, but still it gave her human half cause
for concern. The wolf within her pricked up its ears in interest,
but she ignored it. Absentmindedly rubbing her side, where an old
injury still twinged on occasion, she moved briskly to the waiting
limousine.

As the door
shut behind her, Marla breathed a sigh of relief; the thought of
encountering one of her own kind made her edgy. The
chauffeur-driven car was reinforced to withstand an assault and not
for the first time, did she thank her employer, Leon Aldrich, for
his paranoia.

For some
reason, which he never explained to her, the man was obsessed with
his personal safety, sure it was only a matter of time before an
attack was launched against him. Exactly what the nature of the
attack might be, he didn’t say, but his paranoia resulted in
personal guards, alarms around his penthouse, security cameras, and
a ridiculously intense screening process for anyone he came in
contact with.

“Where to, Ms.
Matthews?” Jeffries, the chauffeur, looked back at her through the
rear-view mirror.

“Back to the
penthouse. I’ll complete my other errands tomorrow.” She barely met
his gaze before staring out the window, searching the massive
gardens and the woods beyond for any sign of movement. Conflicted
feelings stirred within her as she considered what it would be like
to encounter a wolf again after all these years. The idea excited
the animal inside her, but she paid the silly creature no mind.
Life in a wolf pack was no bed of roses, despite what the creature
might say...

Jeffries
cleared his throat as if to speak, drawing her attention back to
him. He looked disappointed and it brought her mind back to another
matter; a more personal one just between the two of them.

“I’m sorry,
Jeffries. I’m no longer in the mood this afternoon.”

He pouted
briefly and she sighed. The chauffeur was good-looking, in a
boy-toy sort of way. His white blond hair, perfect features, and
well-toned body were drool worthy but he was a bit more high
maintenance than she preferred. Still, he was a relatively good
lover and always available when she needed him, so some pandering
was warranted. Leaning forward, she reached over the seat and
stroked his jaw. He hummed in appreciation, leaning back towards
her. She whispered in his ear. “Perhaps tomorrow? By the
Jacuzzi?”

A slow grin
revealed perfect teeth and his baby blue eyes heated with obvious
lust. “Sure. Whenever you need me.”

“Anticipation
sweetens the real thing.” She tickled his ear before leaning back,
the soft leather seats moulding around her body. Jeffries shifted
in his own seat before starting the vehicle, but by then Marla had
lost interest in him and barely noted the action.

The constant
presence of werewolves was unnerving her. When she’d first come to
this area, she rarely scented one, but in the past few years, there
always seemed to be some about. She was almost certain they weren’t
aware of her presence. Aldrich’s screen of security ensured people
were kept at a distance and she was employing an old trick to mask
her scent; a rare perfume that she’d perfected years ago which
allowed her to remain undetected by the keen noses of other
Lycans.

Yet despite
reassuring herself that it was all a coincidence, a niggle of doubt
remained. A falling out with her old pack had made her a fugitive
and she didn’t doubt for a minute that they would kill her, if she
was ever found. The question was, had they somehow discovered she
was here and sent assassins to deal with her?

For months
after parting ways with her old pack, she’d lived in a constant
state of fear, but with the passage of time, she’d slowly started
to relax. Her logical mind believed an active search for her was
over, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

Her cell phone
rang and she glanced at the number before answering. “Hello, Mr.
Aldrich. What can I do for you?” She furrowed her brow and pressed
the phone closer to her ear. The man’s vocal chords had been
severely damaged during a wild dog attack three years ago and as a
result, he could be difficult to understand.

“Yes, the
Estate appears to be in good order ... No, Franklin had no news
about the missing items. Of course, given his age, I still suspect
the inventory was faulty. Perhaps, we should reconsider my
suggestion of conducting another? ... All right, we’ll discuss it
when I get back ... Yes, you’ll be with the nurse. I’ll see you
after your session with her.”

She ended the
call and gave a self-satisfied smile. Perhaps Aldrich was finally
going to start listening to her suggestions. It gave her hope that
she might actually be able to snag the fussy old goat. Jeffries
served his purpose on a purely carnal level, but Aldrich had what
she really wanted. The lawyer was well on his way to gaining
control of the Greyson estate and there was no way she was letting
him, and all that money, slip through her hands.

All that was
needed was to ensure that Cassandra Greyson didn’t reappear too
soon. The waiting period for missing heirs was almost half over.
Through some skillful snooping, she’d learned that Aldrich had a
plan in the works to ensure that significant portions of the estate
ended up in his own coffers.

She stretched
sinuously, taking a moment to appreciate the fine leather interior
of the vehicle, the small bar and entertainment centre. She was
enjoying the perks that came with being Aldrich’s personal
assistant. Once she convinced him to marry her, she’d be able to
gain access to even more. Then her life would be perfect.

Not
really
, her inner wolf murmured.
We’re alone, without a
pack
.

Marla scowled
at the faint discontent that filled her. Having a pack didn’t
matter, she tried to assure herself. She was independent and soon
to be wealthy. So what if there was no one to curl up with at
night, no one to go running with? She didn’t even enjoy those
activities. Sniffing, she wrapped her arms around herself and
lifted her chin only to stare sightlessly at the passing scenery as
memories of youthful frolics with pack mates danced before her
eyes.

Chapter 3

Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA...

Cassie sat down
in the employee’s lunch room, ready to enjoy the relative peace and
calm the small space provided. It wasn’t much to look at; some old
furniture, a refrigerator, and an array of notices posted on the
wall, but at least it was a place to rest away from the constant
beeping of the price scanner and the rattle of grocery carts. She’d
awoken with a headache, after spending a restless night listening
for Kellen to come home, and was finding it hard to maintain a
pleasant facade for the customers.

Exactly why she
had wasted time listening for Kellen, she didn’t know. Her feelings
towards him ranged from anger to disappointment to sorrow; none of
them suitable for sharing in the middle of the night without
inviting a fight. Yet, underneath it all, she still cared for him.
So, she’d tried to stay awake, wanting to know he was home and
safe; some of his gambling friends seemed more than a little
disreputable and she worried about him, despite his failings.

When sleep had
finally claimed her, strange dreams had dominated her rest. Kellen
had been there, but when she tried to reach his outstretched hand,
he’d backed away; his figure slowly fading into a cool, grey mist.
Frustrated, she’d run towards him, but strong arms appeared out of
nowhere, and held her tight despite her struggles to free herself.
Slowly, but inexorably, she’d been drawn backwards farther and
farther from where Kellen had disappeared. The arms around her
waist loosened and then eased her around until she was facing a
broad, muscular chest.

For some reason
she had been more curious than panicked, somehow sensing this
person meant her no harm. But who was it that held her? And why was
he keeping her away from Kellen? When she’d looked up, the man’s
features were lost in the shadows. He didn’t speak, but his hands
began to stroke her, calloused fingers trailing over her skin in a
hypnotizing rhythm that had her eyes drifting shut.

As she’d
relaxed against him, his lips feathered over her forehead, across
her cheek and finally brushed her lips. Over and over again, he’d
teased her with butterfly kisses and soft touches that brought
every nerve ending to aching awareness. Need built inside her and
she’d pressed closer to him; straining to wrap her arms around him,
to pull his head down for a deeper kiss. Yet, even as she’d reached
out, he began to fade away leaving her achingly alone.

She’d turned
round in a circle searching for the man, then calling out for
Kellen, but no one had come. Despondently she’d sunk down on the
ground and curled up in a ball feeling lost and abandoned in the
cool grey fog. Tears had dampened her cheeks as she wondered why
she’d been abandoned. Everyone she loved was gone. Kellen, her
uncle, the mother she never knew, even Franklin and Cook...

We aren’t
meant to be alone
, the creature inside her had whimpered.
We
have to find him.
But she’d stayed where she was, too afraid of
the unknown to go searching. Danger lurked in the shadows that
surrounded her. It was best to stay where she was. Yet even as
she’d pressed her forehead to her drawn up knees, the illusion of
safety slipped away. The greyness darkened to black, the fog
thickened and pressed down on her, threatening to crush her with
its oppressive weight. Too late she realized staying curled up was
more dangerous than moving. She’d tried to crawl away, but the
darkness invaded her body, choking her with its evil. Opening her
mouth, she’d tried to call out, but the sound stuck in her throat.
Her vision blurred, she’d fought to breathe, and then finally,
mercifully, she’d passed out.

When morning
came, she’d awoken feeling spent and disinclined to face the day.
Unfortunately, hiding under the covers wasn’t an option. Work
awaited and she’d had to face Kellen as well; she’d heard him
moving about in the kitchen and decided to get the initial meeting
over with. The encounter had been purposely low key; she decided
there’d be time enough for talk and recriminations later. Scheduled
to work the early shift, she had little time to waste listening to
his explanations and excuses.

With a sigh,
Cassie decided that she needed to think of something else.
Replaying earlier events over and over in her head wouldn’t change
what had happened. She rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the
tension that had settled there, then kicked off her shoes and
propped her feet up on a nearby chair. Giving her toes a wiggle,
she closed her eyes and rested her head in her hand. For just a
moment she’d rest.

Forcing her
body to relax, she kept her breathing deep and rhythmic. Randomly,
the image of soft grass popped into her head; lush vegetation, tall
trees, a gentle breeze ruffling her fur as she lapped from a cool
stream... It was so peaceful. A contented smile spread over her
lips, before she gave a start and scowled at her wayward
thoughts.

Darn! The full
moon was approaching and the beast inside her was growing stronger,
pushing to come out, to gain control. Determinedly, she sat up
straight and took a juice box out of her lunch bag. She sipped the
contents with forced enjoyment, ignoring the chemical taste of
artificial colours and flavours. This was what she drank, not
stream water. She wasn’t an animal, no matter what the troublesome
creature inside her might believe.