C2 A stranger in town

I slipped the cell phone I had just bought into my purse and took a sip of the charged coffee. I had taken it black, as I needed the caffeine kick instead of the cream and sugar I preferred.

The deal was for me to look up a guy named Paul Reed with a rough description, an old sketch and a sweet fuck. So I dug deep into the archives and Internet searches. Over the years I had signed up for quite a few things that were legal and allowed me to dig deep, and I had links to the occasional hacker who would do me a favor from time to time.

Within an hour of leaving Scott's office , I had gotten a general Colorado address, had packed my meager belongings into a bag while Scott's heavies stayed close by as I packed up, and headed for my truck, intending to shake them down first before staying on a specific route.

That worked in my favor, at least.

I had lost them. And I'd also eliminated the risk of getting the bounty out from under my feet and putting a bullet in my head. I was good enough to follow tracks and hide my own. They had no idea who they were dealing with and it showed.

Getting out on the road had given me some sort of relief after that. I jumped right into the job and pulled hard on the net I had developed over the years.

I spent days eating at a restaurant and taking coffee to go, researching, hitting walls and trusting my instincts. My instincts pushed me to keep going, to pull out money to get more information, to read between the lines and listen to what people weren't telling me. And that's what led me to my next destination.

Did I trust the fable about men who could become wolves in the moonlight? Ones who had united their packs under an alliance and where some of them lived in the creek? Hell, no. But something about the story had intrigued me, so I followed in their footsteps.

That led me to a man named Paul Reed . Someone who had ties to several investments in the area. Considering my bounty was named Paul Reed , it was a link I couldn't ignore. So I dug deeper and discovered that his investments were tied to the elusive Woods Creek.

I was now only an hour away from the location. It was early. But not early enough to raise suspicion by driving into a town that likes to keep its location a secret. I parked nearby, changed the license plate on my truck, removed the seal and drained the oil enough to back up my claim that I had car trouble. I had stuffed my fake documents and my ID in my purse before I left. My safe-conduct. Spencer had instilled his paranoia in me for as long as I could remember. But I was almost there. Almost to the next step. An unpredictable step. And I could finally let hope seep in.

Throwing back the remains of my coffee, I tossed a few bills on the table.

Money.

Scott didn't want my money.

I had fifty grand stashed away that I could use to pay off Spencer's debt . I'd get rid of almost all my savings, but I'd turn it in to get my uncle to safety. Then I would have spent the next few years kicking his ass until he had paid me back every last damn cent. But no. Scott Smith , with his bulging belly, white suit and matching Stetson hat, had shrugged off my money with a laugh and a wave of his hand after having his goons drag me off the street. "It's about honor, miss," he had said to me, his gold tooth glinting as he smiled. "It's about justice. And if you hunt down the son of a bitch who killed my daughter, I'll get my justice."

He hadn't looked like a grieving father, pressing his gun harder against Spencer's temple as he'd issued his threats. Spencer had shuddered to his knees, looking to me to sort it all out. I had forgotten my wand that day, so instead I had bargained to have him released while I went hunting, and they would keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't on the run.

Scott had given me two weeks to find his bounty. But, with trembling hands, he had negotiated a month, considering that he had let it slip that he had been looking for this man for a long time. Four more weeks wouldn't kill him.

But it might kill Spencer if I didn't get him.

And there flew out the window the glimmer of hope.

I shook off the fear, went into the bathroom of the coffee shop I'd found on the long stretch of road and reassured myself that, if Scott wanted Paul Reed so badly, he wouldn't waste his only chance to get him until the deadline was up. For now, at least, Spencer would live to see another day.

Checking my appearance in the bathroom mirror, my hazel eyes looked tired. I reached for my concealer to work a little makeup magic. Makeup was a tool for me. Just like the different styles of clothes I had.

Today I needed to change and transform into someone cheerful, sweet and naive, instead of my usual awkward and grumpy self. I had learned the hard way that people reacted to what they saw; stereotype, and a surly bounty hunter with a foul mouth and a fondness for kicking ass wouldn't win me any points.

I took off my preferred plaid flannel shirt and freshened up before rummaging in my purse for the more feminine, soft blue jersey shirt. I changed, combed my long brown hair into a swinging ponytail and put on blusher, gloss and my least favorite thing: mascara. It was all about perception, all about creating smoke and mirrors that would allow me to sneak up on the paranoid and weaken their defenses to take down my target. Only this time I had no idea who my target was, so it was best to cover all bases.

I allowed myself one last inspection in the mirror, grabbed my worn jacket, one that matched almost any outfit, and prepared to play the part.

Hopefully, the cards would fall in my favor, and I'd be able to pull me and my uncle out of the shit creek I'd gotten us into before one or both of us ended up with a bullet in our brains.

Paul Reed

I needed to calm the animal inside me.

He didn't need this shit right now. Not after the last few days I'd spent checking on Harry during the recent meeting with the alliance.

"Again?" I asked Mark , the young wolf who helped Mary in the garage a few days a week before and after school.

"Mary told me that a stranger came into town about thirty minutes ago, saying her car had broken down on the outskirts. Mary went with her to tow it to the garage, and told me to come and tell you."

"A stranger?"

"Yes, Alpha."

This guy. "Mark , I told you not to call me that. Paul's fine."

"Yes, sir. I mean, Paul ."