Max leaped to the door and ripped it open. Without looking back he barked. “Get them back inside. I’ll deal with whatever is out there.”
Alicia jumped up. “I’ll go with you.”
He turned to stare at her. The blood lust was taking control. He had to get away from her as soon as he could. He let the door bang closed while he fought his instincts. “Please go in with Patrick. I’m used to the creatures around here. All I plan on doing is scaring it off.”
She looked up at him.
He could see the indecision in her eyes. Max gave her a false smile. If she didn’t move he would prove what he was and she seemed to sense it because she gave a quick nod of her head and headed inside. He ripped the screen door open again and jumped to the ground.
“You are treading in very dangerous waters.” Anger infused him as he pulled off his clothes. He willed the change to take control of his body. Unlike when he changed in the middle of making love with Alicia the anger boiling through his veins made the change more difficult, but he welcomed the pain. It helped him focus. It started with a ripple. A slight tremor shook his muscles. Then his muscles tightened before elongating and moving to cover his changing body. His jaw clenched as he felt his bones take him from an upright human to a four-legged canine. His skin started to thicken. His body hair did the same, covering his skin in a protective shield to keep him from harm. His ears slid up his head and his nose and jaw lengthened into a snout. He howled his anger before chasing after their attacker.
“Do you have a death wish?” he asked when he caught a whiff of the other wolf’s nearness.
“My mistress bade me to come here. I cannot deny her.” A small brown wolf stepped into a clear area.
“Then you are a fool,” Max growled. He charged at him, then skidded to a stop when he realized the scent was female. He had come close to ripping out her throat because he thought she was a threat to his mate and members of his pack. “Why did she send you?”
“As a peace offering.”
He bared his teeth. “You tell her I want nothing from her and if she tries this again I will rip her throat out.” When she didn’t move he took a step closer and growled. “Get!”
She lay on the ground and bared her belly. “Please. She told me not to fail. If I did she would hunt me down and kill me. With you I know it will be clean and quick.”
Max sat on the ground near where she laid prostrate. “She knew you’d do this.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You tell me how horribly she’ll treat you so I’ll feel sorry for you and invite you in. Then you’ll drive a wedge between me and my mate.” He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m not going to fall for it.”
The wolf hung her head. She backed away from him before turning around and loping off.
Max dressed and stepped back into the house. Patrick waited for him. “I need you to go out there and find that wolf before she gets into trouble.”
Patrick nodded. “And what shall I do with her when I find her?”
“I don’t really care. Bring her home, call the cops. Just make sure she’s off my property.” Max walked to the sitting room where Alicia and Catherine waited. “Everything is fine. It was just as scared as we were. Patrick is taking care of it. He has a friend in animal control.”
Catherine stood. “I better go find him. He has a tendency to want to keep the animals he helps, plus he’s my ride home.”
***
Several days later, Alicia sat in her office, staring out into space. Her thoughts kept wandering back to her conversation with Max. Now that she had time to reflect, it was a very strange one. Werewolves. They permeated her life. Between the legend of the Tears and her research she had learned a lot about the myth. And now Max wanted her to believe he was one.
She had read enough to know the horror stories as well and some of the more romantic tales. Max didn’t have an evil bone in his body. Stubborn. Yes. Obnoxious. Definitely. But not evil.
Stacey interrupted her thoughts when she popped her head in the doorway. “You have company.”
“Who is it now?”
“His name is Walter Conroy.”
Alicia’s brow furrowed. She never heard of him. “Send him in.”
A distinguished elderly gentleman walked into her office. “Miss. Braswell?”
“Yes?”
“I understand you’re doing a search on the Tears of the Queen.” He stood near her desk.
“Please have a seat.” She stood while she waited for him to sit. “How did you hear about my research?”
“Thank you.” He lowered his body into the chair. “I came to warn you.”
“Excuse me?” Did Max hire this guy? She was getting tired of people always telling her she was in danger.
“There is death tied to the Tears. My wife received one as a gift and it killed her. She passed it on to my daughter. It killed her, too.”
“How did it kill her?” She feared he was a crazy man. Of course that was what she thought of Max in the beginning. If she was honest with herself she sort of felt that way right now.
“I can’t tell you right now. Need to make sure you’re not tainted by them first.”
Cold chills raced down her spine. How could she get him out of her office without running out screaming? Then she heard Max’s voice.
The man in front of her blanched and jumped up out of the seat. “You are lost.”
He skirted around Max and dashed out the door.
Max watched the man leave. “Who was that?”
“A crazy man. He came here to warn me about the Tears. He said something about the Tears killing and making sure I wasn’t tainted.”
“What was his name?”
“Walter Conroy.”
“Don’t know it.” He looked behind him to see if he could get another glance of the man before he climbed on the elevator, but the man was gone. “How did he know to come to you?”
“That I can’t tell you. You barged in before he had a chance to say.” She got up and walked to the door. “Stacey, did he leave a business card?”
“No.” Stacey looked up from what she was working on. “But I can do a little research and see what I can find.”
“Please?” She turned back toward Max. “So why did you grace my world today?”
“To see your beautiful face?” He gave her his bone-melting smile.
She shook her head and laughed. Werewolf or not she liked being around him. “I do have some work to do. How am I going to get it done if you keep popping up and disrupting me?”
“Because I know you can work in chaos and you can block me out when you need to.” He sat in the chair Walter had vacated. “Don’t mind me.”
“You are incorrigible.” Alicia settled back into her chair and brought her laptop screen back up. She was grateful Max let her come to the office with the laptop. It helped keep a little normalcy to the crazy turn her life had taken. She logged onto the internet and went to the last page she had opened up. The wolf howled on the page as it loaded.
Her main goal was to check for the Legend. She had found bits and pieces but never the whole thing. She was hoping this one would have it.
A small link at the bottom caught her eye. All it said was Tears. She clicked it and found the site blocked. Just before she hit the back key the page loaded.
Alicia found more history on the Tears. Nothing new, but it was a great read. She surfed several other sites, but found nothing new. “Most of this stuff I’m finding is the same old, same old.”
“What are you looking for?”
“That Legend of yours. The whole thing all at once.” She sat back in her chair. “No matter where I go I always find the same refrain. It’s getting a little tedious.”
“Hmm.” He came around to her side of the desk and leaned over her to get a better view of the screen. “Have you tried this site?”
The aroma of his cologne circled her head and entered her lungs. It made her feel giddy. The soft fabric of his shirt rubbed against her arm, dipped into the hollow on her neck and flirted with her bare skin. A shiver ran down her spine.
All she ever did was fight with him or jump into bed with him. Not a good way to start a relationship or maintain one. What was it about him that brought that out in her?
She tried to focus on what he was doing, but her libido wanted to take control. It took all her power to not turn her face and bury it in his throat. “Max, can you back up?”
“Why?”
“Because you are far too distracting and if you don’t move soon I’m not going to be responsible for what happens.” She had to be honest.
“Really?” He smiled at her and raised a brow. “Does the door lock?”
“Max!” She let loose a nervous laugh. “I have to draw the line somewhere.”
“We could do it up against the window. They look pretty sturdy.”
Alicia shoved him. “Stop it.”
“Okay. Okay.” He finished typing the website address and straightened. “Try this site. It might have more of what you need.”
When the site loaded she squealed in delight. “This is just what I’m looking for.”
She smiled as she read:
In the days of old the first ones ruled Joy, sorrow, anger, fear, true emotions felt Battles fought for the glory of the Pack some won some lost, but always for the Pack.
Then one day a queen was chosen. Beautiful and fair, she helped rule with a gentle hand Til that fateful day the tears she cried at his death fell to the ground red as blood and cold as stone, a witness to her fall.
Six stones seem so small for the pain felt that day but strength will come from each one The time will come when the tears must be gathered, For the battle that must come.
The tears apart are worth nothing, no power in one, together they hold the power to heal, the power to kill, the power to change.
He is the leader, the one who will gather the tears his search alone will be fruitless Until he finds his mate.
She will be immune to the ways of the wolf, but the tears will be drawn to her like children to their mother She will be the only one to find them.
This seeker of the stone She acts like steel and feels like silk her heart ready for the taking the one who wins her heart.
The one who wields the power can heal the broken change the wild to the tame.
and the tame to the wild.
Alicia leaned back in her chair when she finished. Holy cow. Now she knew why people tied this to werewolves. It also read like her diary did. Everything that was happening to her was repeated in the poem. “When was this written?”
“Hundreds of years ago. Why?” He watched her intently.
“It hits a little close to home. That’s all.” She stood up. What to think? This was all about her. She’d have to be blind not to see it. How did that happen?
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” She stepped from around her desk. “I’m fine.” Her feet took her out to Stacey’s desk.
“Alicia?” Stacey looked up at her in surprise.
“Did you find anything out about Mr. Conroy?”
“Yes. It was pretty easy.” She held out a piece of paper. “The security guard downstairs said he called a cab for the man. He lives at Wakefield Retired Living Facility.”
“That’s right off the expressway, isn’t it?” Alicia dashed back into her office.
“I think so,” Stacey said in a loud voice.
“Good.” She slipped her feet back into her shoes and snagged her jacket. “I’ll be back in a little while.”
“You do this a lot.”
“What?” She stopped and faced him.
“Run from what frightens you. Why?”
“What would you do if you just found out a legend that is several hundred years old was all about you?” She clenched her hands. “This frightens the hell out of me. Dealing with Mr. Conroy is so much easier.”
“You have to face the truth sooner or later. Why not now?”
“Because I’d have to look at my life. Admit my feelings about you.” She paused when she realized what she blurted out. “Start to believe in all this craziness you keep spouting. I’m sorry but I don’t think I’m ready for that. Going to see Mr. Conroy will give me time to think.”
“Then I’ll come with you while you think things through.” Max stood up.
“Please, stay here. The last time the man saw you he freaked out. I’d like to be able to speak to him without that happening again.” She picked up her purse. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“Alicia.”
“Max, I need time alone right now. You need to back off so I can have a little breathing space.” She turned and marched out of the office before he stopped her.
He followed her into the outer office. She could sense it, but when she climbed into the elevator and turned around she found him leaning against Stacey’s desk talking to her secretary. Good. He was going to give her some space.
***
She caught a cab to the retirement home. Mr. Conroy might not talk to her but she was hoping he would.
The young nurse at the desk smiled at her as she walked up.
“Hi.” Her purse slid off her shoulder, making her fight with the strap and pull it back up where it belonged. “I’d like to see if Mr. Conroy is here?”
“Mr. Conroy? We don’t have anyone by that name here.”
She was sure that was his name. “There’s no Walter Conroy? I swear this is where they told me he lived.”
“Walter? We do have a Walter, but his last name is O’Connor.”
“Very distinguished looking? About five-foot-four?” Did he lie about his last name? As paranoid as he was when he stopped by the office it did make sense.
“Are you a relative? He’s never had any guests.”
“No, but I would like to visit with him, if that’s possible.”
“I’ll need you to sign in.” The nurse had her sign the ledger.
“Of course.”
“He’s normally out in the garden on pretty days.” The nurse stood up and headed down a corridor.
Alicia followed her down the hall to the large glass doors at the end. They stepped outside into the bright sunshine.
“That’s odd. I don’t see him. We’ll check his room.” They went back inside. “He’s a bit claustrophobic.” The nurse knocked on the door before opening it. “Mr. O’Connor? You have company.” She held the door open so he could see Alicia.
He shrunk closer to the wall were his bed sat. “She’s tainted. Get her away from me.”
“Now, Mr. O’Connor. Be nice.” The nurse gestured to an orderly in the hall. “Please help Mr. O’Connor down to the common room.” She gestured for Alicia to follow her. “I’ll take you to the main room. Hopefully, he’ll talk to you.”
“Thanks.”
It didn’t take long for the young man to bring Mr. O’Connor to the table she sat at. He moved a discreet distance and stood near the nurse.
Alicia sat in awkward silence. Now that she was alone with him she didn’t know how to start the conversation. “Um, I came to hear what you had to say.”
“It’s too late.” He shook his head. “He found you before I did.”
“So you’re going to remain silent instead of giving me the warning you wanted to? If Mr. Santos hadn’t walked in when he did what would you have told me?”
“He is evil. A devil. You must break free before he curses you.”
Definitely loony.
“How would he curse me?”
“With his mark. His kind don’t belong. They must be snuffed out.”
Did he know about the werewolf story too? Somehow she needed to get him to stop talking in riddles so she could figure out exactly what he was talking about. “What do you know?”
“We were hunters. He called us killers, but he is the killer, not us. We only hunted those who killed humans.” He pointed at her. “Innocents like you who didn’t see the evil within.
“We had caught her, you see. She would have been gone. No longer able to kill and hurt. But my wife intervened. She didn’t want us to end her life. I don’t know why, but she felt sorry for the creature.”
Alicia wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but continued to listen. Maybe it would all make sense once he was finished.
“Then he came. He wanted us to spare her life, too. But of course he did. She was one of them. He didn’t care about the blood on her hands.” He edged closer to her. “He offered my wife a peace offering. A Tear. Small. Beautiful. Perfect. He asked her to care for it. Keep it safe. Thought it would help bond our two families together.”
He. Was he talking about Max?
“But she knew. Must have been able to smell it. My wife had been out hanging laundry that day. I had gone to his island to speak to him. Beg him to take the stone back. It was bad luck. Could hurt my family, but he refused. When I came home I found her.” He grew silent as he relived the moments. His voice cracked when he spoke again. “There wasn’t enough of her left to bury.”
“Who killed your wife?”
“That thing. The queen. I hunted her after that. If I ever found her she would pay for what she did.”
“What happened to the stone?” Did he still have a Tear in his possession? She couldn’t sense it anywhere.
“Fifteen years later my daughter found it where I had found my wife on that fateful day. Within a month she had been killed. Mauled by some animal on her way home from work, but I know who did it.” His voice angry. “That damn Tear killed both of my dears. I went to confront him, but lost my nerve. He had too many to protect him so I took it and threw it deep into the woods so no one could be harmed again.”
She needed to know where the Tear was, but wasn’t sure how to ask.
“I left Ireland then, too. Came here to America to try to forget. They followed me. I thought I got away from them, but it’s not my destiny.” He jumped up out of the chair. “And now they have you, too.”
Alicia clambered out of her chair when he started toward her. She knew he couldn’t hurt her, but how could she strike a crazy old man? “Look. You need to calm down. No one is after you. They don’t have me either.”
“You are tainted and must be cleansed.”
“Mr. O’Connor!” The nurse said as she and the orderly raced to the table. She stepped between them. “It’s time for your meds.”
“No. Don’t make me take those pills. I promise to be good.” He crawled back into his chair and hung his head.
Alicia took this moment to slip out of the room and practically raced back to her office.
***
Max paced the floor in front of the big glass windows of her office. He should have gone with her. There was something about the man that bothered him. He seemed familiar. Age had changed his features, but Max was sure he knew him.
Every time he heard the ding of the elevator doors he strode out into the other office to see if she had returned. This time he refused to look. She’d come back in her own sweet time.
“Max.” She sounded breathless. “I know where a Tear is.”
“Slow down, sweetheart. You need to take a deep breath so I can understand you.”
She took gasping breaths. What did she do? Run all the way here? In those heels?
“Mr. O’Connor, he told me where another Tear was,” she paused as she took another deep breath. “He’s from Ireland. Said someone gave his wife the Tear and she was killed because of it.”
“O’Connor. You said his name was Conroy.”
“I know.”
Stacey came in with a tall glass of ice water.
Alicia thanked her and continued, “When I got to the nursing home they didn’t have a Walter Conroy there, but when I described the man who had been in my office his description fit a man by the name of Walter O’Connor. It was the same man. He’s crazy. Went on about how the queen killed his wife and daughter over the Tear and kept talking about a man who gave them the Tear, but never said his name.” She took a gulp of water. “He was out there.”
“Why?”
“Because he made it sound like you.”
It hit him. This was the grandson of the man who killed Sonora’s mate.