Chapter 79 Chapter 14–Book 2

Sheriff Avery managed to get rid of most of the physical evidence, but witnesses were another story. He was going to have to take care of at least six more people before the threat was gone.

That was too many at once to deal with, with the FBI hanging around every corner. His hitman was MIA; that jerk better show soon, or he'll be the first loose end Avery ties up.

He had another shipment coming in tomorrow. He managed to get the drop route changed, so at least the FBI wouldn’t interrupt that. Distribution, on the other hand, would be tricky.

The Sheriff sat on his back porch enjoying a cold one, wondering how James’s hunt was going, and if he was going to have to clean up for that jerk. He was always thinking of his dick, his bear, and the next kill. He hadn’t believed in shifters until he saw James in action.

He enjoyed the hunt when they would run and James would catch them. Watching people being eaten alive, though, was both horrible and fascinating.

Agent David sat in a huge living area; it was cozy and warm. They gave him coffee and doughnuts. He laughed and told them that he was FBI, not the local fuzz. Still, the doughnuts were good. He had been waiting for about an hour when Jack finally came down.

Before Jack could even sit down, David started talking hurriedly. “Jack, you've got to help me. I was going to come here anyway. I am investigating all the missing person cases in this area. Something unexpected has come up; it is wonderful, but I need help to get my daughter out of the forest before she is hunted down.”

Jack just stared at him; that was the most words he had ever heard the man speak. “Slow down, David, you have my help. When did you have a daughter? Who is she? Where in the forest is she?”

David took a deep breath and a sip of his coffee. “Jack, I don’t know exactly where she is in the forest. I know she is north of here. I just found out today that I have a daughter; her name is November Jane Fosters.”

“Her mother and I had a fling; I thought it was something more. Turns out, she was just bored and left for something more exciting. I talked to her over an hour ago. That was when she told me that her piece-of-crap husband was out after our daughter.”

Jack just looked at him like he had grown two heads. “You said her name was November Jane Fosters?”

“Yes, that is what I said, Jack. Why do you ask? Do you know her?”

Jack went over to the bar and poured two shots of vodka, handing one to David. David tried to wave it off; he was working; you don’t drink when on the clock. Jack shoved it his way again.

“Drink it, David, you're gonna need it. You might want to call your crew and tell them that you will be staying here tonight.”

James followed the trail to a small enclosed clearing. He realized, by the marks on the trees, that this was the Mountain Bear Clan. He swore every word he knew. He let out a roar.

He could smell Nova’s scent there and a male's; that was it. Just the two of them. It ended at the gate going south; that was where he picked up the motorcycle tracks.

He ran off into the forest, heading home. That little slut was going to pay. How dare she do this to him? She was his, all his, only his. He was going to make sure she paid for all her sins. First, he was going back to Kathy and making her wish she never had the slut, to begin with.

His bear was livid; he wanted the kill. James wanted the girl, and he wanted the kill of the grizzly. He'd never killed another bear before and thought that it would be exciting. James soothed his bear: Soon you will have your kill, just be patient a little longer.

Kathy Fosters was coming down from her addiction; she desperately needed another drink. The woman that she was with had handcuffed her to the bed. She took the gag out of her mouth, as long as Kathy stayed quiet.

The woman came over and looked at her with a disgusted look in her eyes. “You look like shit.”

She handed Kathy a shot of some kind of liquor. Kathy didn’t question what it was; she just tilted it back. It was gone in one gulp. With her free hand, she held up the glass for another. The woman smiled and took the glass, but she didn’t give her any more.

“Please, I need more, now.”

“You don’t need more; you want more. I will keep you from going too deeply into withdrawals until you get admitted, but I am not going to let you be drunk all the time.”

“If you want another drink, you want to feel comfortable with the withdrawal symptoms, I can do that for you, but you better start answering some questions.”

With that, the woman got up and left the room, leaving Kathy to her thoughts. Thoughts Kathy wasn’t too happy to be thinking.

Nova woke up with warm arms around her and sunlight on her face. It was a little disorienting at first, but she woke up a little more, remembering everything that happened before.

She snuggled back into the arms and closed her eyes for a little bit, relishing the feeling. She felt shy, yet at the same time she wanted him. It was all new to her, and she vowed to enjoy it all. If the world thought she was a slut, then so be it. She wasn’t going to change.

She had a lot to learn, and she wanted to know it all. Not just the sex parts; she wanted it all. She wanted to stay here with Jack. She was a little intimidated about being the only human in a bear clan. She didn’t know what that all entailed, though.

She knew one thing for sure, even though she wasn’t sure if it was a wise thing: she was in love with Jack Dawson. It was happening rather fast.

She did wonder, though, what was going on at home. Had they discovered that she left? Did James figure out that she was in his shed? She started to shiver a little with the memory.

That was when she felt Jack stir. He moved so he could look her in the eyes. She was startled for a little bit; Jack’s eyes were not the light blue they were a darker blue. This was Brutus.

“What is it that has you afraid, little one?”

She just stared at him in wonder. The eyes were just as warm as Jack’s but with a bit more wildness to them. “I’m alright; I was just remembering the inside of that shed.”

“Would you like to tell me what you saw in there?”

“You are my soul mate. I would like to know what scares you so I can eliminate it.”

She was silent for a little bit, then she snuggled closer, deeper into his arms. Brutus enclosed her completely to give her courage.

“Before I tell you, can you both answer a few questions?”

“I will answer a question, then you tell us what was in that cabin that has you so upset and scared. After, you can ask us as many questions as you please.”

“Ok, my first one is just so I can understand. When you are looking at me through Jack, does that mean that you and Jack are here right now, or is it just one of you?”

“We are both here. Jack was sleeping while I was on guard. The moment you started to shiver, though, we were both aware. We are both here right now. I am always with Jack, and Jack is always with me.”

“Alright, I think I get the idea anyway. Now for what I found in James’s shed. It was the single most horrible thing I have ever seen or ever will. The walls were all decorated with ears. Human rotting ears; some had earrings on them still. There was also a box with jewelry in it.”

“There was a table there with a chair. On the table was a huge jar of eyeballs. The smell was unforgettable. I almost barfed right there; I did later in the forest.”

“When I got back to my room, I realized a few facts. One, my mother got new earrings, and she gave me a necklace. I am certain that she didn’t buy it.”

“It made me sick again; instead, I changed my plans. I was going to wait till early morning to run, but I decided it was best with the storm coming that I would just go right then and there.”

She started shaking again; she even felt cold to the touch. Jack took over, holding her tighter and covering her up with the blankets.

“Shhhh, no more. Don’t go there anymore. You are here with me and Brutus; we will let nothing happen to you. We are going to keep you; you are our soul mate; that means forever. We will keep you safe, and we intend to spoil you rotten.”

Nova let out a little laugh as she started to cry. She buried her face into his warm bare chest and let all that fear go.

“Nova, we have something to tell you. It may come as a bit of a shock, and I don’t know how you're gonna feel about it. You have to know, though. I will never keep anything from you, ever.”

She looked up at him as he kissed her tears away. “Your real father is sleeping in one of my guest rooms.”

Nova’s eyes got really big, and her mouth hung open for a minute before she let out a loud… “WHAT?”