Voiceless, p.11
Voiceless, page 11
part #1 of The Willowdale Village Collection Series
“Where are you guys going?” I asked out loud, feeling suddenly concerned.
“Shopping!” My sister answered shortly, pulling Colette away from me as I let out a small growl. I would have pulled her back but my little fox surprised me.
Moving from my sister’s grip she placed a solid kiss on my lips, her hands pulling slightly on my hair. Her action, enthusiastic and passionate, had a groan slipping from my throat. Then she was gone, returning back to the hallway, following my sister out. I stood there feeling a bit dazed and wanting her lips back on me.
Ah. Yeah, that made a bit more sense now that I think about it. It didn’t help that I’d been distracted most of the morning with the odd patterns of the unmarked vehicles. Last night they hadn’t made their usual rounds and had instead kept on the outskirts as if they were looking for something. I knew we needed to say something and confront them, but something told me it was better to wait. Better to see what exactly would happen.
“I’m worried the humans will realize she’s a shifter, or that Lena is,” Dylan voiced, his tone edged with concern. Yeah, that was another fucking issue. Galena, a small town at the bottom of the mountains we were in, was almost completely human.
“We just need to get them out of there,” I grunted, shaking my head.
The normally ten minute drive felt like it was taking for-fucking-ever. My hands were tapping on the steering wheel and the closer I got, the more my wolf howled in my ears. It was driving me fucking crazy.
The squad cars from our town threw on their sirens again as humans immediately pulled off to the sides of the road, allowing us to make our way to the station. I breathed out a bit of relief as we parked. I got out of the car in record time, practically storming into the place.
“Where is she?” I snapped out as the officer at the front looked up alarmed, more so by the cops coming in after.
“Sir, I don’t know who you are--”
“You can send them back,” a tired voice I semi-recognized called out.
As we walked towards the back, passed several desks, I breathed out a sigh of relief to find a head of purple hair facing away from me. Almost immediately she turned around, Colette’s dark eyes filling with relief as she stood up. I had her tugged into my arms before she could say anything.
The human officer, Sheriff Jack, offered us a tired look as Dylan immediately stepped slightly in front of Colette as if the human would try to take her from me. Good fucking luck. I was glad to see my sister was okay, her voice low enough that I couldn’t hear what she was saying to Liam and the others but they were looking at her like she was crazy.
“What the fuck happened?” Dylan snapped as I watched Colette’s brow raise at his anger. Ah. She hadn’t seen his temper in full action yet. I breathed in her scent and squeezed her tighter, happy to have her so close.
“What happened,” he grunted standing up, “is that one of my officers was patrolling the highway pass between Willowdale and Galena, when they noticed that the two girls had been pulled over by an unmarked car.” My grip tightened as Colette offered me a concerned look.
“Since we didn’t recognize the car nor the officers, Sean pulled over and immediately the men took off, we figured we would bring them back here so we could contact you. You know we don’t want any problems,” he added as I nodded.
“Thank you, I offered firmly and then looked down at Colette. “Ready to go home?”
She nodded and Luca immediately grabbed her hand. The three of them walked towards the exit along with the other officers and my sister. I looked at Jack, ready to expand on my gratitude but he offered me a concerned look.
“She shouldn’t be leaving town anytime soon,” he offered quietly. “I have my assumptions on who the group was and they aren’t to be fucked with.”
“Who?” I demanded quietly, feeling uneasy.
“They are a human led hate group, HAF, that captures shifters and sells them to the highest bidder.” He grunted. Yeah, I knew all about HAF unfortunately, but I hadn’t realized that there was a chapter nearby.
Humans Against Freaks, or HAF, had been formed about two years after we revealed ourselves to humans. They gained popularity fairly quickly and most of their chapters littered the east coast. So it was surprising they would be out here. I wanted them as far the fuck away from my pack as possible, knowing that they were capable of some horrible shit.
I wanted it to be a coincidence that they showed up right after Colette did… but I wasn’t positive it was. I offered my hand. “I will have the officers keep you updated, thank you for letting me know.”
As I walked out of the station, I considered whether or not I should tell Colette. I knew it was important she knew because her leaving Willowdale by herself anytime soon wasn’t going to happen. Hell, I was probably going to put the entire pack on lock down. I also didn’t want to freak her out, especially since she was still getting settled in a brand new place.
My wolf was furious under my skin and as I slid into the car, I was thankful for the momentary distraction by Luca.
“I think we should stop at a store so that Colette can get a few things, she didn’t bring much with her.”
“I have some money left over from my traveling since I didn’t need a hotel that first night.” Her sweet voice echoed through my head.
“Angel,” Luca shook his head smiling, “we are paying for your stuff. That’s not an option.”
I could see Colette about to protest from the rearview mirror but Dylan intercepted.
“Do you need any dance clothing? You could order it online.”
She tilted her head and I could see her trying to decide whether or not to argue but instead spoke, “That wouldn’t be a terrible idea. I mean I do need it for teaching.”
One day I hoped that she wouldn’t have to rationalize every time she wanted something, but for now we could work with that. I made a right-hand turn to head further into Galena as I tried to remember the way to the local mall.
As we approached the enormous structure, I parked by a fairly large department store, figuring it would have what she needed. Honestly, she deserved far better than the options this small town offered, but as we parked, she seemed happy with the choice.
I sat down on a large bench outside of the dressing room as she began to comb through the women’s department. I would have tried to offer my opinion, but I knew jack shit about clothing.
Dylan walked around with her as Luca offered commentary from where he sat next to me.
“We need to talk later,” I commented quietly while running a hand through my hair roughly. “They think the unmarked car is part of the HAF.”
“The hate group?” Luca hissed suddenly, no longer focused on the large pile of clothing that Colette kept trying to reduce. Yet everytime that Dylan saw her touch something she seemed to like, he added it despite her scowl. It was pretty adorable if we were being honest, especially since Dylan could be really fucking stubborn.
“Yeah,” I finally answered Luca. “I didn’t know what to do with that information either.”
“I’ll check to see if her parents have any connections to the group,” Luca commented, lowering his voice as the two of them walked over.
“I don’t need that much clothing,” Colette pointed out in a soft mumble, but it didn’t sound very convincing.
I couldn’t help but fight a smile as she went to go try them on. I was in full support of her getting as much as possible. If she had more shit than just a backpack, it meant she wanted to stay. Right?
Fuck, I hoped so. I’d never felt as scared as I had today hearing that someone had taken her. I would not lose her.
12
Colette Allard
I stood in the master suite, an odd sense of calm coming over me, as I began unpacking all the clothes I had bought. I shook my head, smiling. Ridiculous. They were ridiculous; I hadn’t even wanted to purchase this many things. Still, it seemed to make Dylan so happy to help me with stuff and the guys seemed insistent I had enough stuff because I was very much “staying”, as they continued to say. Staying, as in putting my stuff in the large master suite closet. I guess that big conversation about our relationship wasn’t needed because it was pretty clear where I stood with them, and I fucking loved it.
My head tilted, trying to remember if my parents had ever taken me shopping. I had of course ordered stuff online and sometimes went to pick up things on my own, but I had never been taken shopping as a kid. It seemed unimportant probably, but it was just one more example of my lack of a childhood.
You know, the more I thought about it… while my parents never showed me outward aggression, I always sort of got the feeling that they weren’t protecting me. Weren’t thinking about my best interests as parents should.
I frowned, thinking about the odd anger I sometimes felt coming off them towards me. Maybe I had been imagining it, but I didn’t think so. I shook my head, clearing the thought process as I returned to put away my clothes, pleased that they fit my style far more than the ones I’d been expected to wear in Maine.
I briefly ran my fingers along the dark jeans, flannels, warm jackets, and boots I’d purchased. I had enough leggings to last me some time and while I had found no dancewear, predictably, I had placed an order online.
Letting out a small yawn I left the closet, turning towards where Dylan was watching me with a sexy smirk on his lips. I approached him and he immediately tugged me down into his lap so I was straddling him. While I saw heat in his gaze, I also saw something dark. I ran my hand through his hair and asked, “What’s wrong? You look upset.”
“I was really worried about you today,” he admitted softly. “I mean, fuck, Colette. Those guys that pulled you over weren’t even cops.”
I arched a brow. “Really? What were they then? I mean, I thought it was odd they just left, but I assumed it was because the ‘back up’ they were talking about was the squad car.”
I tried to not think about how freaked out I’d been yesterday, the memory flashing to the forefront of my mind.
“Okay, so,” Lena turned down the music we had on, “I need to tell you something. You have to promise you won’t judge. Well not judge, but don’t tell my brother’s yet. I mean it’s not really a big deal--”
“Lena,” I touched her shoulder as she continued to drive, “what you say stays between us, I promise. You know I’d never judge you.”
She nodded and inhaled looking nervous. “So, I found out something a few days ago. Something big. Something that--”
The sound of sirens had me turning around as Lena let out a curse. Our conversation stopped as an unmarked black SUV began following us. My friend pulled to the side, and I opened the glove compartment, handing her the registration I knew she would need. I watched as the car parked, the tinted windows not giving me much perspective on who was in there. I felt like we sat there for minutes before the driver’s door finally opened.
Instantly, my gut dropped. Don’t ask me why, but the man’s sharp eyes looked cruel as he approached our vehicle, making even Lena go silent. She rolled down the window as he motioned to do so, his serious nature making me uneasy. There was something off about this guy. I had no idea what but just his presence made me uncomfortable, which was odd since it was obvious he was very human.
“Afternoon ladies,” he said looking first at Lena and then at me, staring for a prolonged moment.
“How can we help you?” Lena asked promptly.
“Did you know that you were driving five miles above the speed limit back there?” he asked curiously, and I nearly rolled my eyes. Seriously?
“I am pretty sure that’s allowed,” Lena pointed out as my lip twitched.
He narrowed his eyes. “You two don’t look familiar, do you live in Galena?”
Lena sighed. “No. Willowdale Village. Sir, why exactly are we--”
“I am waiting for our back up so just calm down, Miss, before you say something that could get you in more trouble,” he snapped.
I frowned realizing he wasn’t in uniform, something I’d missed a moment ago. That was weird. Hell, we hadn’t even seen a badge.
“Back up.” Lena arched a brow. “For fucking what?”
I opened our connection, “He never showed us a badge, Lena.”
“Plus,” she pointed out, “how do we know you’re a cop, where is your badge?”
His face flushed red but before he could say anything the sound of another car had all of us looking at the road. A police car with Galena on the side pulled up. Immediately the man was jogging back to his car, and they took off, leaving both of us extremely confused.
“What the fuck was that?” my friend demanded.
I watched the new cop get out of his car and answered her. “I don’t know, but I have a feeling that wasn’t the last of it.”
I never got the chance to ask her what the secret she’d been planning on telling me was. Mostly because once we had been escorted back to Galena, we’d been questioned about knowing who was in the vehicle. The relief upon hearing my mates would be coming was instantaneous.
“The local cops didn’t mention anything?” he asked softly as I shook my head. “Hunter only told me once we got home but it’s just a possibility. They think it may be HAF, a hate group that sells and trades shifters. It stands for--”
“Humans Against Freaks,” I nodded softly as the familiar title filled me with disgust.
“Familiar with them?” Dylan’s face was filled with concern.
“Yeah,” I admitted, “there was a huge chapter in Pales, where I grew up. I am pretty positive that my parents had friends who were part of it.”
His eyes darkened, but before he could say anything, my phone chimed with a text. I sighed and turned towards the table, grabbing it and sliding the screen open, my heart squeezing in pain.
My mother.
Mother: We will be in Willowdale on Sunday, be ready to go back home.
My eyebrows rose. How the fuck did they know where I was?
Dylan made a worried noise while positioning me so he could look over my texts.
Me: I never told you where I was.
Mother: You don’t think we have ways to keep track of you? You have commitments, Colette. We made promises that can’t be broken.
Dylan growled. “Yeah, I don’t like that shit at all.”
I turned off my phone, placing it back on the table and frowned. “How did they find me?”
His eyes scanned my expression and then down to the phone. “Let’s keep that off for now. It won’t do much good now but it may help when they get closer. We need to tell Hunter about this…”
“I need to go for a run.” I inhaled, shaking my head and standing up. “I understand if you want to go talk to him first.”
He offered me a small smile. “Nah, baby, let’s go on a quick run, then I’ll tell him.”
Standing up, I tried to put my parents from my head, not wanting to dwell on something so damn negative.
Dylan intertwined his hand with mine as we made our way downstairs, my smile growing at the concept of the cool spring wind blowing through my fur.
I shrugged off my sweater, leaving me in a tank top and leggings as I prepared to shift.
“Where do you want to run to?” he asked while pulling off his shirt, my eyes trailing his abs.
I knew he didn’t need to take off his clothes to shift, so the bastard was teasing me and it was fucking working. Then again, hadn’t I done the same? Although to be fair the fewer clothes you had on when you shifted the more natural it felt. It wasn’t that it felt bad to have shifted with clothes on, but I always felt slightly uncomfortable in my own skin.
I didn’t answer his question, instead shifted to hide my apparent attraction, twirling around as my tail did a little swish.
He chuckled and shifted as well, his massive white wolf form standing over me.
I didn’t need to say a word before I started running. I let out an enthusiastic bark as he slowed down to keep pace with me, our sprinting through and around trees making me nearly giddy. There really wasn’t anything better than the cool wind through your fur.
I was so excited and energetic that it wasn’t until Dylan swiped a paw in front of me and I stumbled, that I realized a threatening growl was coming from his throat. Immediately stilling myself, I sat up straight as he kept me close to him, my nose tipping up to trail his throat. Instinctually I fought the urge to protect his throat, but I was already doing it as soon as the thought crossed my mind.
Rustling sounds around us had my mate making a soft worried noise as he took a protective stance over me. My ears perked up as I heard voices.
Dylan immediately used his paw to urge me toward a large brush and the two of us kept low, hiding from whoever it was coming down the path.
“Dylan, are we still on pack property?” I pushed through our communication as he offered me a sharp bob of his head. I curled in further against him, my tail wrapping around me as his teeth bared, their large shoes coming closer as they passed us.
“This bitch shouldn’t be this hard to track down,” one of them grunted in a frustrated voice.
“It will be worth it, the pay out is fucking ridiculous,” the other answered, his voice sounding oddly familiar. I wanted to see his face, but I couldn’t risk moving without them hearing us.
“Let’s get back, we will make more rounds tonight, one of these fucking times we will catch her out on a run,” the other commented.
I relaxed slightly as their footsteps distanced. I had no idea how long we laid like that until I truly felt safe. I could feel Dylan shaking with frustration.
“Can you open communication up with my brothers, baby? They aren’t responding through the pack connection because they aren’t shifted,” he explained quietly.
I did and instantly everything flooded in, making a whine slip from my throat. Sometimes this shit hurt my head.
