The Protector Read online

  She had a tentative plan of hiding from Cole. Her inner fox yelled at her to go back to Cole and talk. I need some time. I am not running away or hiding. I’m just taking some time to think. She laughed at herself, Yeah right, you are being a coward and hiding. One night, if she had one night to ponder everything, she could face Cole again.

  She picked up the phone and hit the microphone for speech to text. “Mandy, are you still going to be able to work some overtime? I think I may need some personal time for a few days.” Mandy was fresh out of her parents’ home, and she hoped Mandy needed the overtime.

  Her phone lit up with a text message. “Yes. I heard about what happened from Aaron. Don’t worry. If that wolf comes around, I won’t say a word about where you are. It’s worth whatever trouble I get into.”

  Blair laughed as she read the message. Mandy was as loyal a friend as she was an employee.

  “Thank you, dear. I hope to have this problem taken care of shortly. In the meantime I will pay you double time for the trouble I am putting you through.”

  “Thank you so much. I would say that's not necessary, but I could really use the money.”

  Blair got the rest of the dough ready with a happy whistle. Her plan was coming together nicely. She would be able to avoid Cole, she hoped, until he relented and let her go.

  She tried to keep Myra’s words out of her head about being angry and wanting to take out some revenge on Cole as she tried to plan how to avoid him. When he came in looking for her, Mandy would take care of it as she promised.

  You’re being silly. Don’t you want to return to that time when both of you were happy? Blair nodded at herself. She did miss that time. Their future had looked full of promise. Then stop being so scared and go back to him.

  No. I can’t risk my heart again. I can’t handle my heart breaking like that again.

  Cole had been the cholan training to be the Kelach and sheriff, but honestly, Blair would have loved Cole no matter what position he rose to in their territory. Hierarchy was never something Blair aspired to. She just wanted Cole and life they had planned together. She smiled when she thought about Cole's desire for so many beautiful children. He loves you. Stop fighting him. Blair wanted to cry in frustration and indecision. Maybe she was throwing away her last chance to be happy. I can’t do this. I need to be able to think clearly.

  She returned to the crescent rolls and finished prepping them. Mandy could put them in the oven when she came in. That way they would be hot and fresh. She cleaned up her mess and threw the cleaning rags in the bin for Myra to collect later.

  Blair felt panicked, and ; and she couldn’t concentrate. She wanted to try again, but now she was afraid. She felt ashamed that now that she was getting a chance to try again she was so afraid. She just needed some space and a chance to calm down. Cole would take her back to bed and make her forget why she was scared.

  Let him. Go to Cole and tell him how afraid you are.

  Blair reached for her phone, tempted, but then she pulled her hand back. She would talk to him tomorrow.

  ****

  Cole stormed up the walkway to Blair’s little house. She took pride in her home’s appearance, keeping the pastel yellow paint fresh and her garden beds weed free. Now that fall was upon them, she had winterized all the beds. Here in the mountains it went from warm to cold, without much autumn. It went from pleasant to cold, almost overnight.

  He stomped up the porch steps and trudged across the porch. Even though he’d never formally told her she was to stay with him, she knew. He’d packed her bags, and she was very intelligent. He took his keys out and stuck it in the lock. The lock turned, but the chain caught.

  Dammit, Blair. He pounded on the door, imagining all the ways he would get to punish her. She was due to show up at his home at eight this morning, and she never showed. She is mine. Whether she wants to be or not. One mistake, one time I got scared—for her—and she wants to punish me forever. I held a close family friend while he died, and listened to his mate scream for hours. Cut me some slack. But no, Blair didn’t. She ran to France five years ago, and she is running now. I won’t allow it, anymore. While under my domination, she will submit to me and accept my claim on her, one way or another. I love her. She can’t walk away just as Michael arranged for us to have a chance.

  He pounded again, but still nothing moved in the house. His hearing would have even picked up slight movement. “Blair, you have two seconds to open up the door or I will kick in your pretty door. You know the one you made me paint these fucking flowers on.”

  Nothing came out through the small opening allowed by the chain on the door. Not even a whisper of a sound. “Ok, don’t complain to me about your goddessdamn door when you see my footprint on it.” He picked up his leg and kicked the door hard several times. It was a solid door, and did not show any signs of giving. The door frame was the weak part of her door. It splintered, and the door banged inward. Cole had his gun out and all his senses on alert, just in case something was wrong. He walked into the house, carefully searching the main living areas of the house. There were no lights on, and no sign of Blair.

  He cleared every room before he made his way to the garage. Opening the garage door, he saw the final blow. Her car was gone. She had run from him. He should have known she would not submit as easily as it had seemed. That was ok. He had an entire department of cholan at his disposal, and when he found her, she would learn what happened when a little wisp of a fox ran from him. He stood on the porch looking up and down the street. It was quiet with most of the residents at work. He thought about what he would do now. Blair knew how to cover her tracks well, and she would not be foolish enough to leave him a trail. He needed to talk to Michael. Michael knew Blair well, and he would be able to get the word out to watch for her. She would not go far with her business here.

  It was a beautiful day, so Cole decided to walk to Michael’s office. Not only did he need the fresh air, but he could look for clues, maybe see one of Blair’s neighbors out that had seen where she went. He spotted a troll he didn’t recognize walking along the grass. He didn’t look quite as grumpy as their resident trolls. They tended to be quite angry little critters, which gave them such a nasty reputation in fairytales.

  Before getting to city hall, he stopped in the coffee shop. Mandy saw him and turned to make a coffee for Mitch. Mandy handed over Mitch’s coffee, then turned to Cole. “What can I do for you?”

  Cole gave Mandy the look he used when asking questions. “Where is Blair?”

  “I don’t know. She said she needed me to work some overtime, so I did it.”

  Cole could tell she was not being truthful with him. He would find Blair eventually, and he would deal with her hiding. Michael would deal with Mandy helping her hide.

  “Did she say where she was going?”

  Mandy’s eyes were wide and full of innocence. “No, Cole. She didn’t tell me where she was going. Maybe she went on vacation.”

  Even without his truth sensing, Cole knew she was lying. She had that little smile on her face that she used when she lied. The trouble was, he didn’t have the heart to really interrogate her. He knew Blair was disobeying her judgment from Michael, and Mandy was helping. “I will check back in a while. We aren’t done here.”

  “Ok,” Mandy said softly.

  Right before he turned away from her he saw her cringe. She knew where Blair was all right, and that she would have to face Michael for helping Blair disobey. She must be close, or Mandy would not worry. He pushed open the door and walked back out into the Colorado Mountain sunshine. He hoped Michael would have some clues.

  ****

  Cole made it to the city hall where Michael’s office was located. Michael’s official title for the records, and his paycheck, was the mayor of the town. For shifter records, he was the guardian of the territory. The most respected part of his position was being Ilithyia’s hand of justice. Whether a human, shifter, or magical being threatened shifters or their territor
y, Michael judged them. Their Goddess, Ilithyia, either accepted his judgment, or made her own, but her decision was final, and shifters accepted it without question. The less than grand part of his job description was being a mediator. When shifters had a disagreement they couldn’t solve themselves, they came to Michael. With the gifts Ilithyia had given Michael, he was able to understand both sides of a conflict and rule based on facts rather than emotion.

  Cole walked up the walkway to the main doors. He wondered what Blair would do if she knew the real reason Michael had given her this punishment. He had a feeling Blair would be furious if she knew Michael had been waiting a while for a chance to hand down this judgment to her. Movement caught Cole’s eye. He bent his head and saw two fairies playing in the flowers, bouncing on them and doing flips in the gentle wind. They were better than bees at spreading pollen. It was a good thing shifters knew to leave bits of fruit and vegetable under the plants for the fairies to eat. It kept them coming back to play in their flowers, which was not only adorable, but was good for the flowers.

  Cole walked into Michael’s office and sank into the chair in front of Michael’s desk. He had looked carefully the entire way, but she had hidden her tracks well. Mandy had not said a word, and he knew why. She was a sweet and loyal friend to Blair, even though she was getting herself into trouble with Michael. Cole couldn’t bring himself to interrogate her. He would not force Mandy to break Blair’s trust. He could make her talk. Not only his gifts as Kelach, but also his training in interrogation would easily break Mandy. He would never do it to her though.

  Michael stared at him for a moment, in that creepy way he used when he was “reading” someone. “Well? How is it going?”

  “It’s not. She ran.” Cole crossed his arms across his chest.

  “Shit, she actually ran?” Michael’s face showed his shock.

  Cole his hands through his hair in frustration. “I just went to her house, and she is gone. No one knows where she is. Mandy is helping her hide.”

  Michael’s face darkened. “I will have a talk with Mandy and make sure this is dealt with.” Michael stared at the ceiling for a moment.“Blair called wanting out of the judgment I gave her. I told her no, but it isn’t a punishment. I didn’t think she would run, or I would have sent someone to watch her. Both of you need to resolve this once and for all. I believe you two love each other, but you are both too stubborn to admit it.”

  Cole looked down at his hands. He knew this was entirely his fault. He had let Blair down and caused all this. Michael stopped talking making Cole look up.

  Michael was staring at Cole like he did when he was questioning someone and trying to ascertain the truth. “Whatever mistakes you made, you are a good wolf.” He placed his hands on his desk. “Blair wanted to see Cassie, so perhaps she is there. I will talk to Mandy, and she will tell me what she knows.”

  Cole put his hand over his eyes. He didn’t want Mandy dragged into this, but then she did that to herself when she didn’t cooperate with him. “No, Blair isn’t there. Doctor Trask said she came by, but Cassie was sleeping, so he didn’t let her in.” He looked out the window. “Mandy knows, but she won’t tell me.”

  Michael shook his head. “I envy your truth sensing. I can truth sense, but not near as easily as you can.”

  Cole shrugged. “One of the perks of being a wolf and Kelach. I would not make a very good Kelach if I never knew when someone was lying to me.”

  “Thank you for coming and talking to me. I will deal with Mandy.” Michael’s stare turned a little icy. “She will tell me what she knows.” Michael gave Cole a deadpan stare. “I have told you how to deal with Blair, and arranged for you and Blair to have this time. I spoke to the Guardian in France to make sure my assumptions about her were correct. She hasn’t changed in the years she was there.”

  Cole held up his hands defensively. “Thanks, but really, I can handle it. I don’t need your Guardian mojo.” He appreciated Michael’s concern, but he really didn’t need help in dealing with his mate, and she was his. She could deny it, run away, and even sneak out of bed before the sun rose. It didn’t change the fact that she was his.

  “I thought you came for my Guardian mojo as well as my knowledge?” Michael looked at him with a smile and one eyebrow raised.

  Cole let out an exasperated breath. “I did. Fuck, I’m just stressed.”

  Michael nodded. “I will talk to Mandy and hold Blair if I see her.”

  ****

  Blair found the key over his door just where he always left the thing. Some things never changed. She kicked off her shoes, picked them up and inserted the key in the lock. She opened the door and stepped inside. The wooden floors were smooth on her bare feet. She had been in here just last night, but she hadn’t taken the time to look around at all. Nothing had changed in the years since they had broken up.

  She heard a car pull up and glanced out the window. One of the deputies, Harley, was putting his patrol car in park. He was talking on his cell phone as he stepped out of the car. He jogged to the door.

  Blair ducked into the closet and watched as Harley opened the front door. “Tell the boss I am at his house getting the pizza.” Harley walked straight to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Goddess, Ash, I love Cole’s kitchen.”

  Blair could hear Harley hitting the buttons on the oven. She rolled her eyes. Is Harley really going to reheat that pizza here? If I’d known Harley was coming by, I would have waited.

  Harley sighed. “Fine. I will bring it back to the office. I know, you like cold pizza. I am on my way now, baby. I love you, too. I will be there in a minute.” He was silent a moment while he moved around in the kitchen. “Yeah, I will get you some Coke, too. I love you.” Harley hit another button on the oven, then moved back to the front door, and Blair heard it open and close

  Blair grinned hearing Harley. He and Ashley were seeing one another, but both of them were very private people. To hear Harley talking so sweetly to her was nice.

  I wonder what Cole has been up to? She decided to walk around to find any evidence that he had taken another shifter woman to bed. She knew he must have at some time as Cole was a sexy, sought after shifter. She was sure he had looked for a better suited mate in their five year break up. Myra and Julie were adamant that Cole had been completely celibate in all that time, but Blair had always found that difficult to believe. Before she went poking around Cole’s house, she needed to cover her scent, and that would mean some torture for her. She would have to wear his cologne and his shirt. It would mask her scent enough so he would think it was just her scent lingering.

  She walked into the master bedroom and found his favorite cologne on the dresser. She poured some in her hand and rubbed it on herself, then went to his closet to get a t-shirt. Once she had his shirt on the memories she’d rather not remember surfaced. She tried to shove them away, but the scent was a powerful reminder. Cole was a dominating wolf, very alpha, and he loved to punish, or “funish” like she thought of it. Cole never did anything to her she didn’t crave. He was always tender and loving with her, even while spanking her ass. The happiest times of her life had been while she was with Cole.

  She wandered over to his bedside table. He still had the hand carved frame he made. It held the picture of her that he loved. She remembered the day he took this picture. They had spent the day shopping in Colorado Springs, and had gone to Palmer Park to enjoy the sunset. Cole loved taking pictures, especially of her. When he downloaded it to his computer, she was stunned. The beautiful sunset brought out the red in her hair and caused it to shine a beautiful fiery color. She saw the happiness in her eyes while she looked at the camera. She had been looking at him when had taken it. He kept my picture. Maybe he— Blair shook her head to get that thought out of her head. She had to stay strong.

  Her stomach rumbled drawing her attention away from the picture. She wondered if Cole was still a pure bachelor, and that was exactly what she found. She walked to the kitchen and opened the
door. Sure enough, he had beer and hot dogs. It should be a crime for a man to have such a high end refrigerator hold beer and hot dogs.

  The memory hit her. He had gotten that refrigerator for her and her passion for cooking. Hoping he had something more inspiring in his freezer, she opened the bottom drawer. Aha! He had more pizza here. Finding the jackpot, she pulled out the triple meat rising crust pizza and started the oven. Even this pizza brought back memories of the times they would be hungry, but wanting to go home. The only pizza they both liked was the triple meat. Cole called her when he was lonely and tempted her to come over for some triple meat pizza and hot loving. The hot loving alone worked, but triple meat pizza made his invitation irresistible.

  Less than an hour later, Blair had a plate full of pizza, a cola, and Cole’s laptop. She decided she needed some background noise, and turned on the TV. Cole had not changed much, as all she found were building and cop shows. She quickly found a cooking show to go with her meal. She powered up the laptop and pulled up her website, where she kept track of her business. She could at least get this part of her work done today.

  ****

  Cole walked into his house, with his stomach rumbling. Is that pizza? He opened the door and was sure he smelled pizza, and Blair. His heart sank. It’s just her scent left over from last night. He stopped and sniffed the air. He smelled pizza and frowned. Then he remembered he’d sent Harley to here to get the leftover pizza to share with Ashley. He must have used the oven to heat them before leaving, and the scent had not dissipated yet. Harley loved the kitchen here.

  Cole was disappointed Blair wasn’t here waiting for him. He loved her, and never stopped. She loved him, too. He had seen it in her eyes last night. He would find her though, and show her again and again. As many times as it took until she believed him.