Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Callie

L ow voices wake me as my eyes blink, listening to the conversation a short distance away. I'm not coherent enough to understand the words, but somehow, I know it involves Jeremy. I yawn, noticing that I’m alone on the pallet and bundled in several blankets. The fire remains steady, and I know Kodiak is the reason. He never let the room grow cold or the fire die. Of course, his body heat kept me warm as well.

That bear of a man is handy to have around. I almost giggle at the double meaning.

Wow, a bear shifter. Kodiak isn’t human.

The thoughts bounce around in my head as I sit up, blinking the sleep from my eyes. Last night almost feels like a dream but I can hear Kodiak in the kitchen and his deep timbre reminds me that all of it is real. He’s speaking to someone I don’t recognize, and I wonder if it’s one of his shifter friends in his motorcycle club. Well, I won’t find out if I don’t go in there and see.

Standing up, I stretch, working out the kinks that sleeping on a pallet, no matter how comfortable, have given me. I miss my bed so much right now it’s not funny! I know I’m a hot mess, so I scurry into the bathroom to freshen up and take care of business as well. Once I’m satisfied that I don’t look like something the cat dragged in, I head into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” I say, moving closer to Kodiak.

He leans down and kisses me on my temple, before pulling me into his side. “This is Sly, one of my club brothers. He’s our IT guru and the one I gave Jeremy’s information to last night. He brought over a few of his techie toys to check out the house. We have to figure out how Jeremy found you, Callie, especially since you virtually recreated yourself.”

“Hi, Sly, thanks for doing this,” I tell the tall, muscular man. I briefly wonder what kind of shifter he is, then figure that it might be rude of me to ask, so I keep quiet.

“Not a problem, Callie. Your ex and some of his buddies are in town, but we’ll get them sorted out. Unfortunately, the house is now compromised and you’re not safe staying here,” Sly replies.

“It’s my home,” I murmur, crushed that once again, Jeremy is trying to destroy me.

“We understand that, but for whatever reason, this prick is gunning for you, babe, and I can’t have that,” Kodiak says, growling a little bit. If the situation wasn’t so serious, I’d grin because his bear is showing.

“Where will I go? I have the Christmas party with Mercy Falls Refuge for the kids, Kodiak! I can’t… no, I won’t allow Jeremy to take from kids who often have less than nothing as it is! If I have to go somewhere else, it needs to be close enough so I can still help Cheryl,” I state.

Kodiak and Sly have a non-verbal conversation while I stand there, tapping my toes. Since they continue long after I think they should be done, I ask, “Did you find anything else out about Jeremy? When I met him and while we dated, he was a headhunter for a local corporation. But he was involved in some sketchy shit, including the drug deal I overheard, so maybe he’s decided crime pays better, who knows? What I still don’t understand is how he found me and why I’m even on his radar!”

Kodiak frowns and his grip tightens. He doesn’t say anything, but I can tell he doesn’t like being in the dark about Jeremy or his intentions. That makes two of us.

“I’ll be checking the house in a few minutes for bugs or trackers,” Sly replies. “As far as what he’s involved in now, he’s always been a member of the Lower East Primates. They’re a gang who have moved up the food chain thanks to several of the members like Jeremy who are in the corporate setting. Jeremy and two others work for pharmaceutical companies. They’ve been repurposing the legitimate samples the company produces into street drugs. Unfortunately, their cooker isn’t that good and there have been a shit ton of overdoses. As far as why he is after you, I have no clue, Callie.”

“It’s because you got away, Sweetheart,” Kodiak says. “Pricks like him don’t like to lose.”

Maybe he’s right. Or am I just a loose end?

“He tried to kill me,” I remind Kodiak. “So, that doesn’t make sense to me at all.”

“Maybe it was meant to be a warning? He likely didn’t think you’d run, Callie,” Sly adds. “Let me check out the house before you pack stuff up. Kodiak, call Spike and let him know you’ll be bringing her to the clubhouse. Between all of us, we’ll keep her safe, so she doesn’t miss out on what she’s got planned.”

Kodiak nods and pulls out his phone just as Sly grabs a small stick. He touches something on the side, and I see a red light glowing from the end, almost like one of those laser pointer things that cats go crazy over. The power’s still out but with it being daylight, I open up the blinds and curtains so that we can all see.

“Callie, I just made you a hot cocoa,” Kodiak says as he walks toward me, sliding his phone into his pocket. “Once Sly’s done, we’ll get you packed up and over to the clubhouse, okay?”

I nod, taking the mug from him and inhaling the chocolatey goodness. “Mmm, this tastes so good,” I reply after taking a sip. “I may keep you around just for this alone,” I tease.

The heated look he gives me has other parts of me warming up and I realize that, despite us only knowing each other for such a brief time, he’s my one. Of course, he says I’m his fated mate, so it’s probably a good thing that I’m enamored of him as well. The only good thing about the awful relationship with Jeremy is that I know what I want now and Kodiak ticks off all those boxes. He’s the holiday wish I never thought to ask for.

“Callie!” Sly calls out. “Can you come here, please?”

I rush over to where he’s standing to see the stick is now flashing green as it’s pointed to my… purse ? My favorite, festive, gorgeous holiday handbag. What in the world?

“Sly? Why is that stick that’s pointed at my Christmas purse glowing green?” I ask.

“Because it has a tracker in it,” he replies. “May I?” he questions, pointing to my bag. “I need to figure out where it is so I can disable it since I presume you still want to use this.”

“I do,” I say, “it’s the one I use every Christmas.”

“Is this one of the things you brought with you?” Kodiak questions.

I stop and think about when I left. It was close to the holidays, and I always use this purse since it brings me a lot of joy, even though I usually spend them alone. “Yeah, I didn’t take time to change purses when I finally left, just brought this with me, then swapped once I made it to Yukon Bluff.”

“Here’s the tracker,” Sly says, pointing to the sparkly gem that opens and closes the purse. “You must’ve activated it when you swapped your purse this year.”

I feel betrayed. Again. And, as my stomach roils. . . sick.

A violent tremor rips through me. The shaking starts and I feel my mug of cocoa slip from my grasp at the implication behind Sly’s words. Before either man can move, I bolt toward the bathroom and drop to my knees in front of the toilet. I can’t even be embarrassed right now that two extremely hot men are witnessing me lose the contents of my stomach because fear has clutched me so tightly, I’m not even aware of their presence.

“He’s known where I was all along,” I whisper as the sting of tears burns my eyes and they spill over, streaming down my face as my gut clenches.

“Shhh, I’ve got you, Callie,” Kodiak murmurs, flushing the toilet then picking me up to set me on the bathroom counter. He takes a wet washcloth and gently cleans my face, his concerned gaze locking on my own. “Sly has taken the tracker out and destroyed it, so you can still use your special purse, Sweetheart.”

I vehemently shake my head. There’s no way I want to use something that he tainted with his need to keep tabs on me. “I’ll get a new one, Kodiak,” I reply.

“We’ll do that, Callie, whatever you want,” he promises. “Now, I need you to pack so we can get out of here. Spike is sending more brothers to keep an eye on the house while we’re here and two of them will stay to protect your stuff, but I’m not leaving you alone. You’re coming with me.”

“There’s no other way, is there?” I ask, frustrated because Jeremy’s actions have once again forced me to leave somewhere I enjoy being. This house has become my home. It’s not fair!

“No.” His tone is commanding and while it’s one that would normally have me bristling with anger, I find it comforting that he’s willing to be responsible for my safety.

For so long now, it’s just been me. Even when I was in homes where there were a lot of children, I still felt like I was on the outside looking in, not really a part of anything. But with Kodiak, I feel included, as if I belong.

“Okay, let me brush my teeth then I’ll go pack. Has Sly checked out the rest of the house? I don’t want to accidentally bring anything that has a tracker in it,” I reply as he helps me off the counter.

“So far, the only one he found was in the clasp on your purse,” Kodiak says, kissing my forehead.

The fact he’s even willing to get near me after I threw up what felt like everything I’ve ever eaten says a lot about him as a man. Maybe it’s his shifter side, who knows? I have a ton of questions about how this will work; aren’t shifters immortal? Will I turn into one as well? My thoughts are running amuck as I brush my teeth and wash my face to get rid of the last of my tears.

You’re not getting any more of my tears, Jeremy, I think to myself as I make my way into my bedroom.

Going to the closet, I find my suitcase and roll it over to my bed before placing it on top and opening it. I take the smaller case that I use for my makeup and whatnot and head to my bathroom where I quickly pack up my stuff, including my shampoo and conditioner. Satisfied that I have everything I’ll need, I start pulling clothes out of the dresser. I mostly wear jeans with comfortable shirts, but with Christmas right around the corner, they’re more festive in nature.

“Panties, bras, socks,” I mutter to myself as I go back and forth from my dresser to my closet with items stacked in my arms. “Shoes, boots, pajamas,” I continue. Once everything is folded neatly in my suitcase, I start getting my other necessities, like my phone charger, my laptop and charger, and my e-reader with its charger.

When I’m ready, I turn to Kodiak. “Let’s go.”