Tameka's Smile

Chapter Nine

“What’s this plan of yours?”

NeeCee sat in the passenger seat of his cruiser with her arms crossed and one toe tapping against the floorboard as he drove.

“You’re going to play decoy. You and your sister are about the same height. We’re going to make whoever’s watching think you’re Tameka returning home from the clinic,” Bull stated.

He could feel the weight of her stare. “I’d applaud your brilliance, but there’s just one problem.” He arched one brow. “What might that be?” She sighed and shook her head. “Meka and I look nothing alike,” she said in disgust.

He slanted a look at her. She was serious. Was she really that blind or was there something else going on here? “I think the resemblance is remarkable,” he drawled, just to draw her out.

She snorted. “That’s ‘cause you’re white. To you, we all look the same.”

He bit back a curse. “That’s a stereotype and you know it.

I’m an officer of the law, trained to be observant. I’m also a shifter with a keen sense of smell. There’s no way I’d ever confuse you with anyone else.”

“And yet you expect this person to?” She turned in her seat to face him, as much as her seatbelt would allow.

“One, people tend to see what they expect to see. She doesn’t know about your arrival and I plan to use that to our advantage. Two, she’ll only be getting a glimpse of you from a distance.” He turned the corner and headed out of town.

“That still doesn’t change the fact that I’m fifty pounds leaner, three shades lighter, and at least three inches taller than Meka. My eyes are gray and my hair is in dreds, not loose like hers. Anyone with half a brain can see this won’t work,” she huffed.

“Do you want to help your sister or not?”

“Yes,” she snapped.

“Then quit bitching. I know what I’m doing. If I say this will work, believe me. It will,” he finished firmly.

She muttered something under her breath that even his sharp hearing couldn’t decipher.

“Lady, what’s your problem? To us whities, y’all all look alike anyway. This should be a breeze,” he drawled.

The scent of her anger filled the air. Guess she didn’t like having her words thrown back at her, he mused. She turned towards him, finger pointed, eyes narrowed and mouth ready to spew. Then she caught sight of the grin on his face and hesitated.

“Yes? You have something to say,” he taunted silkily.

The hand lowered to her lap and she turned to face the front windshield, her face set like stone. “I wouldn’t give you the pleasure. You’d enjoy it too much,” she muttered.

His grin blossomed into a full-blown smile as he bit back the laughter that wanted to break free. He let silence reign as he completed the drive to his house.

After parking the car, he turned to her. “I don’t know what you see when you look in the mirror, but besides the differences you noted, anyone with two working eyes can see the resemblance between you and your sister. Facial structure, nose, the shape of your eyes and ears—all the same. You’re a few inches taller and leaner, but there’s no denying you two are closely related,” he stated bluntly.

NeeCee looked both hopeful and skeptical. She flipped down the visor and gazed at her reflection in the mirror, turning her head this way and that.

There was a story here. One day he’d know what it was. For now, they had things to do. He got out of the cruiser and walked around to her door. Before his hand touched the handle, the door opened and she jumped out.

“This is where Tameka lives?”

“No, this is where I live.” Good thing his hand was already on her back. When she stopped abruptly in the drive, he used it to propel her forward.

“Why are we here? I thought you were taking me to Meka’s.” She dug in her heels.

Jeez, you’d think the woman didn’t trust him, the way she was acting. He grinned as he slid his arm around the bare skin of her waist and bodily lifted her off of the ground. She immediately began to struggle. “I am, but first you need a little camouflage.”

At his words, she relaxed and settled down. “Put me down.

I’ll walk.”

“I thought women like to be carried. Doesn’t it make you feel all light and feminine?” He was certainly enjoying himself, especially the way the underside of her bra-less breast rested against the back of his hand. If he lifted his thumb a little higher, he could touch her nipple and find out for himself what she was wearing under that shirt.

With a growl, she twisted around, teeth bared and mouth open to bite him.

“Do it!” He swung her around in front of him and braced her body against the front door. “Bite me!” He tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck. “I dare you.” She lunged forward and his body tensed in anticipation. A breath away she stopped, hovering over the tendon where his shoulder met his neck.

“Do it,” he demanded again, suppressing a needy groan. His cock was as hard as a rock in his pants, filled to bursting. He leaned forward, pressing his skin to her mouth.

“No.” She backed away and looked at him through narrowed, stormy gray eyes filled with suspicion. “For all I know, this is some kind of freaky foreplay with you guys.” Bull let out the breath he was holding and hid his disappointment behind a cocky smile. “Now that’s real a shame, darling. I was looking forward to biting you back.” NeeCee pressed her shoulders, back, and head into the door behind her in a vain attempt to increase the distance between them. “Shouldn’t we be going inside? It’s almost dark. I’d like to get to Meka’s and hopefully get something to eat before calling it a night.”

Bull slowly loosened his grip and she slid down the few inches needed for her feet to touch the ground. Then he stepped back. His body protested the loss of contact, but they had things to do. Playtime came later.

He opened the door and motioned her inside. His house was a simple log cabin. One big open space in the front with a fireplace taking up one wall, two bedrooms, and a bath in the back. The décor was something he liked to call “early bachelor,” lots of black leather and chrome.

She walked to the center of his living room and stopped, placing her hands on her hips. If she knew how it made her breasts jut out and drew attention to her beaded nipples, he doubted she’d do it. Not that he was going to tell her. He was enjoying the view too much.

“Now what?”

“Now we make you look bigger,” he answered. Bull went into his room and came back with one of his white t-shirts and a pair of navy blue drawstring sweatpants. “Put these on.” He tossed the garments to her.

Some primitive instinct made him choose clothing that had his scent on them rather than ones fresh from the laundry.

NeeCee wrinkled her nose. “Are these clean?”

“Do they stink?” he countered.

She brought them to her nose and sniffed, then seemed to have trouble pulling them away. He almost smiled. Somebody liked his scent. Good, cause soon she’d be wearing him and nothing else.

“You know that’s not really an answer,” she rebutted, finally lowering her hands with the garments in them.

“Just put them on. It’s not as though your clothes won’t be underneath them if you’re worried about germs or something.

Which, by the way, as a shifter I’m totally disease free. That info will come in handy later.” He winked. “Put them on so we can go.”

She shook her head. “A total dog. Like I said earlier,” she muttered as she donned the clothing.

“Dogs bark,” he informed her sagely. “Baby, you make me howl,” he told her with a lascivious grin, then demonstrated.

“You are sick,” she exclaimed, but he could see her biting back a smile. Oh yeah, she wanted him. She just didn’t know it yet. He was feeling smug until he got a good whiff of her.

Her features changed and she took a step back. “What the hell is wrong with your eyes?”

His jaw tightened and began to stretch. He could feel his muscles elongating as his frame changed, height lengthening.

The heady scent of her fear spiked the air as she took another step back, and another.

“Don’t run,” he bit out, reading her intentions on her face.

He fought hard against the shift. His wolf wanted out. If she ran, instinct would take over.

NeeCee’s body tensed and she glanced over her shoulder at the door.

“Don’t,” he grunted as claws emerged in place of his fingernails. He could hear his shirt straining, then ripping at the seams. “I can control it as long as you stay put,” he panted.

She took another step back and he snarled. She instantly froze.

Smart lady.

Bull closed his eyes as he negotiated with his wolf, promising it could have what it wanted—NeeCee—later, but right now they had more important things to do. He’d always had a strong sex drive and both he and his wolf loved the ladies, but this was ridiculous. When he reopened his eyes, NeeCee was by the door with her hand on the knob.

His other half surged to the forefront and he leapt the twelve feet between them in a single bound, trapping her against the door. He jabbed his claws into the wood above her head and dragged them down even with her ears, shredding the wood.

Then he bent down until he was in her face. “Going somewhere?” It was difficult to talk with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth and a tongue gone wolf.

She shut her eyes and hunched against the door, while the smell of her fear intensified. “Don’t eat me,” she squeaked out.

Bull rubbed his nose against her cheek and followed the jaw line to her ear. Once there he teasingly scraped his teeth along her neck, smiling when she flinched. “But I want to eat you. I want to lay you down, spread your legs, and gobble you up until you come screaming my name,” he growled, right before he licked her neck.

NeeCee seemed to stop breathing.

Bull buried his nose in the tender area behind her and inhaled. She smelled so good. Like caramel and vanilla with an undertone of spice. He was getting drunk off of her scent.

“Sex? This is about sex?” Her voice was low, deadly. The smell of fear vanished and was replaced with something else.

“Mmm, fuck. Yes. Fuck, mate, claim.” His voice was guttural as he studied the exposed tendon between her neck and shoulder. His cock was hard and weeping, ready to plunge inside her waiting sheath.

A few swipes of his claw and she’d be naked. His fingers flexed, preparing to move when excruciating pain blasted up from between his legs and radiated outward. The pain was so intense, it dropped him to his knees and stole the air from his lungs.

“Seven-feet tall with fangs, claws, and a snout and underneath it all, you’re still just a man,” she spat.

NeeCee took her foot and shoved it against his shoulder, toppling him over. “I told you, I don’t do white men.” With that she opened the door and slipped outside muttering, “Am I a dog magnet? Is there a sign on my forehead? One that says, NeeCee’s an easy lay?” Right before closing the door, she told him, “I’ll be in the car waiting.”

Good thing he had supernatural healing abilities, otherwise she’d have neutered him. He rose to his feet on a pained groan and hobbled to his room to change clothes. It was going to be a long night.

The next morning when Alex arrived to examine her, Chad left to give them privacy. “I have some running around to do, and I want to check in at the station. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he told her as he leaned down to kiss her goodbye.

“Take as long as you need. I’ll be fine,” she assured him.

Chad told her what happened the last time he’d left so she could understand his worry.

“All right.” He glanced at Alex, then back at her, hesitating.

“Go. I’m okay,” she ordered.

He sighed, grabbed his things and left, reluctance in every line of his body.

“Now that Chad’s gone, let’s get you checked over. Any headaches, pains, anywhere?” Alex inquired.

“No. I feel great. I think I could eat a horse by myself, but other than that…”

He laughed. “That’s your metabolism kicking in. You’ll find yourself eating more to accommodate it.”

“What happens if I don’t?” This high metabolism thing sounded like just the ticket to lose a few pounds.

Alex’s features changed to a serious demeanor, almost stern. “Always feed the beast. Feeding it helps keep it under control.”

“How so?”

He seemed to think for a minute. “You know how irritable you get when you’re hungry?”

“Yeah.” She’d been there and done that more times than she could count.

“The beast—your wolf—operates on a basic level. Eat when hungry. Defend itself. Protect family. Fight when angry. Flee when afraid. Eat, mate, fight, protect, and defend. That’s it. It also has the cunning required to get the things that it needs and a strong survival instinct. When you deny it its basic necessities, you trigger its survival mechanism and it comes to the forefront.

Give it what it wants and it stays quiet and happy, as long as you let it out to play every now and then.”

Freud would have a field day with this, she mused. “You make it sound like a child.”

“In a sense it is. An extremely powerful, highly intelligent child. Life is simple for the beast part of our nature. It sees things in either black or white. No gray areas.” Tameka rubbed her forehead wearily. “I don’t suppose you guys have a book—Werewolf 101—or a class or something for people like me?”

Alex winced. “The first thing you should know is that we refer to ourselves as shape-shifters, not werewolves. If you have to specify, the correct term is wolf-shifter. And no, we do not have a book. There’s too much danger of it falling into the wrong hands. Normally, your mate would be responsible for teaching you all you needed to know over time as you slowly transition from human to shifter. Your case is special in many ways.”

He sighed. “Since Chad wasn’t raised among us, I’m not sure how much knowledge he has. I’ll have my beta Carol and her mate Mark come by and answer any questions you might have.”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know what to ask and probably won’t know for some time. You say I’m a shifter now, but other than an increased appetite, I really don’t feel any different.

Shouldn’t I?”

“Give it another day or so for the medicine to totally leave your system, and then tell me how you feel,” he counseled.

“I still think there should be a manual,” she muttered, not liking this whole ‘one step at a time, feel your way through’

method he was prescribing.

“Even if there was, it wouldn’t do you much good. Think about it. What if you had to write a manual on being a human being for visitors from another planet? What would you say? The human existence is varied. Would you include everything?

Could you include everything? We mostly know about ourselves and those like us, but the differences between us vary as much as the similarities. We could no more write a how-to book on being a shifter than you could on being a human.” She hated to admit it, but he was right.

“I’ll have Carol come and talk to you. She can go over the basics and Mark can tell you about his experience. He used to be human before he mated with Carol. He’s good at explaining things,” he finished.

She must have been looking as doubtful as she felt, because Alex rushed to reassure her.

“Don’t worry. Mark’s a pharmacist. He’s used to taking the complicated and breaking it down into in simple terms. I’ll tell them to come by this afternoon. Think of them as your very own mentors. Call on them, on any of us, as much as you need. Pack means family. You’re mated to one of my wolves, that means I’m responsible for you.”

As he left, she sat pondering just what that would mean for her and Chad.

As Chad approached the turn-off to County Rd. 17, his phone rang. He answered one-handed as he turned south onto the road that would take him to Tameka’s house.

“Wilson.”

“You rollin’?” Bull asked.

“Yeah. Alex is with Meka so I’m headed to her house to check on the sister and pick up something for Meka to wear while I’m there.”

“Negative. Don’t come here,” Bull stated emphatically.

“Did you say ‘here’? You’re at Meka’s?”

“Yeah, I stayed the night.”

“I see,” Chad stated slowly as a grin crept across his face.

“Anything I should know?”

“Hell, no!” Bull’s voice abruptly lowered. “Nothing happened,” he finished quietly.

Chad could hear the regret in his voice. “She shot you down?”

“Like a torpedo,” he answered in that same low voice.

NeeCee must be nearby. “Tried to neuter me, man. I’m still trying to coax my balls back down into position. Put the fear of God into them, I tell you.”

Chad snorted and almost choked on the gum he was chewing, then burst into laughter as he got a visual. Bull was one of the few people that could make him laugh. Just one of the many reasons he considered Bull his friend. “If she said no, why are you there?”

“Thought since NeeCee was here, we could play decoy and draw the perp out.”

“You know, that’s not a bad… SON OF A …!” The windshield spidered and splintered, small fragments of glass flying everywhere. Chad dropped the phone, swerved hard to the left and stomped on the brake, bringing the backend of the truck fishtailing around to the side in a screech of rubber.

He flung open the driver’s door with his left hand while shoving the gear in park with his right. As he bailed out of the vehicle, his passenger window exploded seconds before he heard the sharp, echoing report of a shotgun. Shit! This truck, a black Ford F150 crew cab fully loaded, wasn’t even a year old.

“CHAD, WHAT’S GOING ON?”

He ducked as another blast sounded. Gravel kicked up as some of the pellets ricocheted off the ground underneath the truck. “Enemy fire. Twelve gauge. Took out the windshield and passenger side windows. Probably using buckshot,” he finished calmly, his voice as cold as an arctic breeze.

He snatched off his shades and dropped them on the bench seat, tossing his hat beside them. Hoping not to get his fool head blown off, he raised up to see if he could get a visual on the shooter. Nada. Nothing ahead but empty road and dense woods on either side. Couldn’t even catch their scent. All he could smell was the strong aroma of burnt rubber and the faint tinge of lead. Whoever the shooter was, they were well hidden. He couldn’t even tell if the shoots came from the right or the left.

“Location?”

“CR 17 just past mile marker 53.” The engine sputtered and died. Then it was silent. Too quiet. Nothing stirred. Not even the wind. The shooter was either reloading or retreating. Hopefully it was the former. He wanted this bastard. Just one more shot and he’d have a fix on the location.

He could clearly hear the squawk of Bull’s police radio as he called it in, even though the phone had slid halfway under the passenger side seat in the open position. “Base, this is Unit Nineteen. Code One, Officer needs assistance. Pinned by gunfire. CR 17, mile marker 53.” He reached underneath and grabbed it, before hunkering back down in the open doorway.

“Roger, units responding.”

Three more shots fired in rapid succession. Chad dove behind the front driver’s side tire, cell phone clutched in his hand.

“Chad! Speak to me!”

“I’m fine. Definitely buckshot. Large pellets. Getting closer.”

“Hang on, buddy. I’m on the way.”

“Don’t bother. I can handle my end. Go after the assailant.”

“I said I’m on the way,” Bull insisted stubbornly.

Chad sighed. “Proceed with caution. The enemy is hidden in the woods between us.”

“Roger.”

Chad kept a wary eye on his surroundings, listening intently. He didn’t hear any movement in the undergrowth, but the hair on the nape of his neck stood on end, warning that he was being watched. He wouldn’t put it past the bastard to come around and try to get a hit. The open door of the vehicle provided little protection. He’d probably survive a direct shot from a twelve-gauge, but he wasn’t interested in putting it to the test.

Good thing it was as late as it was. Most of the morning commuters were long gone. The road was empty—for now. That could change at any moment. He looked around again.

Cautiously, he came around the driver’s door and reached into the cab, putting the truck into neutral. He was in the center of the road. If he could just get it to the side, it would serve the dual purpose of getting the truck out of harm’s way and putting him within running distance of the safety of the wood. The engine had stalled out minutes ago. He didn’t want to attract the perp’s attention by cranking it back up.

He got a good grip on the frame and gave the truck a shove to get it rolling. So far, so good.

“You okay, bud?”

“Yeah. Moving the truck out of the road. Trying to get to the side, make it to the woods and shift.” Three more shots rang out. Both passenger side tires went flat and the last shot missed him by a hair. “Shit!” He ducked back for the protection of the wheel.

“Status!” Bull demanded.

“Truck stalled in southbound lane. Two flat tires. Shooter switched ammo. Slugs.”

Damn, what a time for him to be unarmed.

Chad was tired of sitting here like a duck. He wanted to shift forms and track the shooter, but he couldn’t take the chance of an outsider discovering what he was. Of course, if this is who he thought it was, that might just be what they were waiting for.

In the distance, he heard sirens approaching. Bull must have hit some back roads and circled around to be coming from the north instead of south where Tameka’s house lay. Being real subtle about it, too. Not. So much for catching the perp unaware.

The cruiser came screeching to a halt less than ten feet away, lights flashing, dirt and gravel flying. Chad waved a hand to get the dust out of his face. Bull jumped out with his Glock drawn and an M-16 in his left hand, running in a bent over crouch until he was by Chad’s side behind the truck. “You get a bead on him?” He handed Chad the rifle.

“Negative. Couldn’t lock onto target.” Much to his disgust.

“What’s with the sirens?”

As Chad spoke, he heard an engine turn over, then the motor rev as the driver gunned the engine. “Damn it, she’s getting away.” He jumped up to dash around the front of the truck to see if he could spot the vehicle.

“Negative. Units five and thirteen took point, covering all the exits. They’ll catch her.”

Chad paused, then sank onto the ground, sitting with his back against the side of the truck and waited. He wasn’t going anywhere without a tow truck. “Bitch probably rode right past them, pretty as you please.” Hernandez and Casanova were good cops, but they were probably expecting the perp to be a male.

In a lightning fast move, Bull cuffed him upside the head.

“What was that for?”

“My momma’s a bitch. Yours, too, I’d imagine, since you were born a shifter. Show some respect,” he commanded sternly, but there was a twinkle in his eyes.

Chad narrowed his eyes. “What would you call her?” The stunned look on Bull’s face was comical. “Damn, man.

You got me there,” he said with a grin, then grew serious. “You think it’s the same perp who’s after your woman?”

“You suppose it’s someone else?” Chad’s left eyebrow arched in surprised disbelief.

Bull hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his pants and rocked back on his heels a few times, appearing to give the matter great consideration. “Naw. This definitely feels like the work of psycho-bitch.”

Bull walked around the side of the truck to view the damage. Chad stayed where he was. He had no desire to see it until he absolutely had to.

“Dude, your truck. Your insurance company’s gonna shit a cow when they see this,” Bull exclaimed.

Chad leaned his head back against the truck and closed his eyes. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” He knew it was bad.

He was pissed enough without seeing the damage.

“Looks like she tried to take out the gas tank. Good thing it’s on the other side.”

Chad bit back a few choice words, but couldn’t prevent a growl from escaping.

“Dude, I told you when you bought this to install a gun rack. If you’d have listened to me, you’d have been armed and could have fought back,” Bull stated smugly. “But no, you didn’t want to look like a country hick.”

He shot him a bird, feeling marginally better about the situation when Bull laughed.

He rose to his feet as no less than three deputy sheriff’s vehicles came screeching to a halt in front of his truck with Rome in the lead vehicle. He reached inside the truck for his shades and donned them before grabbing his hat. Once he’d shaken all the glass off of it, he slid it on his head. “Time to hunt.”

She hurriedly stuffed the coveralls, cap, and wig into a black trash bag, and doused it with disinfectant spray before sealing it and tossing it into the back. Straightening her uniform until it was once more nice and neat, she got back into the driver’s seat and reached over, turning off the police scanner and shoving it under her seat. Once everything was situated to her satisfaction, she got back on the road and turned north towards Refuge.

As she neared the roadblock, she rolled down her window.

“Excuse me, young man. Can you tell me how to get to the Mountain View Emergency Clinic? I’m new on this route.” She smiled pleasantly and waited patiently as the deputy looked her and the van over suspiciously. Finally he said,

“Follow this road until you enter Refuge. About two blocks past Moe’s Diner you’ll come to Newman Street. Hang a left. The road dead ends at the clinic.”

“Thank you so much.” She paused and let an expression of concern cross her face. “Is everything alright? You seem to be looking for someone.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he assured her as his eyes continually scanned the road and surrounding area. “You just go on about your business and don’t pick up any strangers,” he warned.

“Don’t worry, Officer. Nowadays you can’t be too careful.

Why, some of the most horrendous criminals look as innocent as a young child.” Or a gentle old woman, she thought. “You be careful and stay safe. We need all of our police officers alive and well.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He was getting a bit impatient for her to move on, but was too respectful to show it. She hid a grin behind her serene façade.

“I’ll let you get back to work now. Thanks again for your assistance.” She let up off the brake and glided past him. Fool.

Men are so easy. They never look beneath the surface of anything or anyone.

She hummed a little ditty under her breath as she drove the rest of the way to the clinic. Parking the van near the entrance at the curb, she jumped out and ambled around to the back. She reached past bouquets, plants, and floral arrangements until she found the once she was looking for. As she backed out of the interior, she grabbed the clipboard hanging on the hook and went inside.

The receptionist at the desk was one she recognized from her visits from before. She pasted a huge, friendly smile on her face as she approached the window. “Hi, I have another delivery for a Tameka Jones. My, she must be a very popular woman.

This has to be my fifth time here in as many days.” The young woman, Alice, smiled back at her. “She’s new in town, and you know how small towns are,” she finished with a gamine grin on her face.

“Oh yes, real friendly. I’m sure she’ll appreciate your kindness…if she ever wakes up.” She shook her head sorrowfully. “Such a shame. She’s so young for this to have happened, and with her family so far away…”

“Oh,” Alice said. “She’s doing much better now. She came out of the coma yesterday and the doctors expect a full recovery.”

“My…well, that’s good news, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. She woke up just in time to see her sister,” Alice continued blithely.

“Did you say sister? I thought she didn’t have any family nearby.” She fought with all of her might to keep the rage she was feeling contained and off of her expression.

“That’s the great part. I heard that the sister was out of the country and came running when she got the call. Wasn’t that nice?” she gushed.

“Great.” She passed the plant through the window, then made a show of glancing at the clipboard. “Oh, dear.”

“What’s wrong?” Alice appeared to be concerned.

“Oh, nothing.” She pasted a vague smile on her face and sighed. “Just having a senior moment, I guess. I just noticed that there were two deliveries, not one. I need to go back outside and get the other one.”

“Is that all? Go right ahead. I’ll just set this to the side until you return, and then deliver them both to her room at the same time.”

“You’re such a nice girl,” she said in a grandmotherly tone that made her want to puke.

Alice, stupid chick that she was, preened at the compliment.

Sap.

She went back out to the van and selected one of the peace lilies she’d prepared for a funeral later today—extremely fitting, under the circumstances. After scribbling a quick note, she hurried back inside. Wouldn’t do to get the twit suspicious. Not now, after all her hard work.

“Here you go, dear. If you’ll just sign here for me, I’ll be on my way.”

“Sure, your flowers are always so beautiful.” Alice signed her name at the appropriate slot and handed the clipboard back, never noticing that the delivery receipt stated one, not two.

“I’ll be sure to tell the owner you said so,” she stated as she ambled back to the van, mind already working overtime as she developed a plan to overcome this latest development.