Force of the Dark Wolf.

Force of Nature Series.

By Kathi S. Barton.

Chapter 1.

Gordon watched the women as they crossed the street. He'd been keeping an eye on the store front, Dark Treasures, they had been coming out of for over a week now and was surprised at how much business the little shop seemed to do. When they disappeared into a car and drove off, he got out of his cruiser and walked over to the place.

He loved what the owner had done to the old building. The place had been an eye sore for several years, h.e.l.l, probably as much as a decade. The new windows and the pretty flowers out front said "welcome" in a way that his new sister-in-law CJ would say was good business sense. He just liked the way they smelled.

The window to the right as a person faced the building had a huge claw foot tub in it. The towels draped around it looked soft and fluffy. The white terry cloth looked like it was at least two inches thick. He smiled when he saw the array of rubber duckies all around the edge. The floor of the display was covered in baskets of soaps and bottles of what he thought might be bubble bath. His mom had some of the same things in the bathroom at the pack house. But what caught his eye were the bright gems hanging from what seemed to be nothing, but was in fact fishing line. The glint of the gems sparkled in the afternoon light. The other window, the one to the left, was covered in brown paper and had the words "under construction" written in a bold hand.

The bell over the door announced his arrival into the establishment. "I'll be right out. Don't steal anything until I come out so I can at least take a good inventory of what you have."

Gordon looked toward the back where a curtain fluttered in the slight breeze. Someone, an older woman, spoke from the depths and he had to smile. He'd been under the impression that someone much younger ran the place.

"h.e.l.lo. The cops, huh? Which one are you here for? I have four working today, but I'm betting it's the lot of them." She turned back to look from the direction she'd come as a ruckus came from the back. "Sounds like a herd of them, doesn't it?"

"Herd? No, I'm here to get something for my mother and my sisters. And to speak to the owner if that is possible. Would that be you?" She shook her head. "I'm Gordon Force by the way. And you would be..."

"Oh, pardon me. I get so befuddled when I babysit for the kids. Some days it's like they suck me dry of energy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Like just this morning, Sis wanted to know how to make a brew to get rid of the neighborhood boy. I told her that she'd have to ask her aunt. Besides, we aren't really witches as everyone says, just sell the stuff to make soaps and such. Her aunt is much better at that than me anyway. Then there was-"

"Aunt Glad." The softly spoken words had him turning toward the papered up display. "Why don't you just answer his questions and let him leave? We have to lock up soon and take the children home."

No one came out of the area and he looked back at who he a.s.sumed was Aunt Glad. She was smiling again. He wondered if she was always happy or if she was just trying to hide something. He started to ask her about what he'd really come for when the "herd" came through the curtained area.

The oldest, or he supposed he should say the tallest, was a pretty girl who looked like she had too much leg. Her golden hair hung down her chest in two fat braids that looked like she'd been through a briar patch and her hair had been pulled badly. He thought her to be about a teenager or very close. The next two were boys of about eight and ten. He smiled at them as they tumbled into the room much like him and his twin did when they were in the mood for some fighting. The littlest, a girl of about five or six, came in behind the rest with her thumb in her mouth. And looked like she was mad, spitting mad. Gordon would bet his last dollar that she ruled the roost and that she did so more like an adult than the child that she was.

"Aunt Glad, those two need to have a time out," the little girl said after popping the thumb out. "They knocked me over into the gra.s.s and they both know how much I hate the gra.s.s."

"She was acting like a girl. She was stupid and when I told her, she threw a rock at me." The older of the two boys lifted his hair off his forehead and showed the aunt the golf ball-sized knot already there. "Then when it started to bleed she acted like it was the end of the world or something. Girls. Who the heck needs them?"

Gordon couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. He knew at that moment that they'd had no idea he was there until he did. Their eyes widened and the youngest was shoved behind the other girl while the boys took a stance in front of them. They were protecting each other. Gordon knew immediately that someone had hurt them.

"Tim," Glad said over the tension in the room. "You and Jake go to the kitchen and take Sis with you. Darcy, please make sure that they wash up before they get a cookie each."

Gordon didn't take his eyes off the children as not one of them moved. When Glad put her hand on the oldest child's shoulder, she whimpered. Gordon took a step back and walked right into someone.

"Don't," the voice behind him said. "They're very skittish. Would you mind very much going down to their level? I promise you they won't hurt you. At least, I don't think they will. But one never knows about the short people, do they? They can go all over the place when it comes to-"

The voice behind the papered area spoke again. This time he could hear the exasperation in her voice. "Just answer his questions then get him the h.e.l.l out of my store."

He nodded before going down to his knees, ignoring the voice from beyond. "I'm Officer Force. h.e.l.lo." He glanced at the person behind him then at the papered up display window.

"She won't come out until she's finished with the thingy she's doing in there anyways. I'm Justine, but everyone calls me Jessie and these are my nieces and nephews. Children, please come and meet Officer Force." The woman got down on her knees as well. "Sis, come here and meet him. He is here on business and he-"

"I'm not going anywhere with him. You can try, but I'm not going anywhere without my sisters and brother. You can't make me." The older boy, Tim, took a stance that said you may be bigger, but I've learned to fight meaner. "And if you've come to tell us about our dad, you can go to h.e.l.l."

Gordon didn't move. He heard the sharp intake of breath beside him then he heard the creak of steps. Someone else had joined the fray. He nearly turned toward the noise when a younger woman stepped in front of him, one that hadn't been in the room until then.

"Timothy Allen Booth, what have I told you?" Tim's head dropped immediately. "I will not tolerate that att.i.tude one bit and you know it. Apologize this minute," she snapped.

Gordon started to say it was all right, but the woman next to him put her hand on his arm. He glanced over at the older woman when she smiled again. This time, he could see the strain around her mouth and eyes.

"He scared Sis. Shouldn't he-" A single step toward the boy from the standing woman had him shutting up. "I'm sorry for being rude, Officer Force. I had no...no right to be mean to you, though you scared my little sister."

When the hand at his arm lifted, he put out his hand. "No hard feelings. I'm sort of the same way when it comes to protecting my little sister too. I'm very sorry to have frightened her and I apologize to you both for doing so."

The little boy looked up at the woman still standing between him and the children. With a slight nod from her Tim walked up to Gordon and shook his hand. Tim turned to his sister and brother and nodded. "This is my sister Darcy and my sister Sis. Her real name is Abigail, but it was too hard for us to say when she was little so we called her 'sis.' This is my brother Jake. He's not afraid of you either." Then he turned to Glad. "Can we still have the cookie? I'll make sure we clean up after ourselves."

"Of course. Come along. Maybe I'll have one for myself. I think I could easily eat a dozen right now," Glad said as she followed them out of the room. "Good heavens, how much longer is spring break anyway? I never knew it could be so nerve-wracking." Her voice faded as she went behind the curtain.

Gordon stood when the other woman did. He turned to her and noticed that the woman that had reprimanded Tim still stood watching the now empty doorway. He decided she was either very rude or very terrified for the children. He looked at the other woman before speaking. "As I was saying, I'm here to pick up some things for my family. They made me a list to bring home." He handed it to Justine. "They use the product all the time and CJ was happy when she found that you'd opened the store here in town." He was babbling. He had no idea why other than the fact that the woman still had not moved. Justine kept glancing at her too, but whoever she was remained stoic.

"There's a storm coming. Jessie, make sure Officer Force has what he needs." She turned then. "Then lock up. I have to go to the house."

Gordon felt his world slip out of sync. She was beautiful. Not only that, but drop dead, oh my f.u.c.king G.o.d, I've gone to heaven gorgeous. He started to step toward her. He needed her scent, needed, he realized, to mark her. Before he could gain control of himself she took several steps back and turned to leave. He felt his beast snarl at him to go after her when she was just suddenly gone. He looked back at Jessie.

"My niece. She's a bit of an oddball, but what can you do?" She walked toward the shelves and started taking things off one. "She's the owner. We don't let her out from behind her cook area in the barn often, but she does pay our checks. And she does make the best eye-catching displays."

Gordon looked at the woman who was speaking, realizing that he was still staring at the now closed door. "I need to speak to her. Will she be back any time soon?"

While he couldn't exactly remember what he needed to talk to her about, he knew now that it was imperative that he did. He smelled the air and tried to find her scent, but all he could smell were soaps and herbs and the children. The children had a scent that made his wolf hum. He knew they weren't what he was, but had been with one.

"No. Not today. Well, that's not true. She'll be back sometime tonight after dark to finish the display and unveil it. When we come in tomorrow it'll be all beautiful." She put a basket of things on the counter. "Did you want everything on this list, Officer Force, or did you just want the things that were circled?"

He looked at the list she was handing him. He didn't have a clue. Nodding, he told her to put it all in there and he'd just have to sort it out later. He looked over at the display and then the door the woman had gone out of. He was out the door and almost three hundred dollars poorer before he knew it. He called his brother Dallas.

"I need you to find some information for me. An address and a..." He looked back at the building. He had no idea what her name was. The paper he'd been given said GJA Incorporated and he guessed now it was probably a combination of the names of the women. "A name. Her name will start with an 'A.'"

"I won't find you dates, Gordon. I draw the line at stalking women for even you."

Gordon winced at his brother's words. He knew he deserved it, but still, it kind of hurt. "Nope. Not like that at all. She's supposedly a witch and when I got here today I couldn't get much out of anyone other than she makes the displays and that she is the owner." Gordon glanced down at the two bags in his hand. "And tell CJ she owes me big time."

Alexis watched the man get into his cruiser and drive away from her stance at the side of the building of her shop. She knew it would have been only a matter of time before the cops showed up. She had hoped that it would have been later, but it seemed that no matter where she went there was someone who was going to complain.

Turing back to her car, she slipped inside. She drove to the next town and went to the store to get something for dinner. She smiled when she thought of the things she'd heard about her and her family. Witches. She shook her head as she answered her cell phone.

"Did you know there were wolves here when you bought this place?" her sister's husband demanded. "This could be bad for you if you did this on purpose."

"Ask me if I give a s.h.i.t how this effects you." She tossed a chicken into her cart and decided to have fried chicken for dinner. Cutting the thing up could give her some much needed release. "Where's the money you said you'd send for the children? It's now seven weeks late. Again."

"You wanted them, you'll f.u.c.king keep them. For now anyway. If I find out that you've been talking to someone again, Allie, I won't hesitate to take them from you." His laughter sent a chill down her spine. "And this time I won't stop at just roughing them up a bit.'

Alexis wondered if there was any way for her to murder her own brother-in-law and get away with it. She wanted to threaten him, but knew that if she tried he'd only make good on his threat and take the kids again. She'd thought that moving here, closer to her aunts, she'd be able to protect them better. But she'd been wrong. Nearly dead wrong before, but this was home to them, to the kids and her aunts.

"Paddy, I'm only going to say this once more. You hurt those children again and, so help me, you'll pray for death when I'm finished with you." She closed her phone and looked up at the woman who was staring at her unashamedly. "Can I help you?" Alexis flushed. She hadn't meant to snap at the woman and wished now that she'd simply not answered the phone.

The woman grinned at her and held out her hand. "CJ Force. You must really have it bad for that person." Alexis shrugged at her observation. "I know what you mean. My family is like that in that you want to murder them one minute and hug the s.h.i.t out of them the next."

"You've no idea," Alexis said softly. "I'm very sorry for snapping at you like that. If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." She tried to push her cart around her only just realizing that the last name was the same as the officer.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" the woman said as she moved her cart next to Alexis'. "My husband and I just moved into the house on Blueberry Lane. Well, the entire pa...family has moved."

Every time she moved her cart to go around the woman, she'd block her again. After several attempts Alexis realized she was doing it on purpose.

Alexis stared at her. "You're very pushy, aren't you? Has it occurred to you that I'm trying to be polite and get away from you? I have things to do and doing social hour with you isn't really high on my list of gotta do today."

CJ threw back her head and laughed. Alexis couldn't help it, she laughed too. She'd had a s.h.i.tty morning, a c.r.a.ppy day, and this woman wasn't going to let her get by with it. She had no idea why she immediately liked her, but took a chance and hoped she wasn't related to the cop from earlier.

"Would you like to start over? I'm CJ Force and I'm reasonably sure you're new to this area. Would you like to get some dinner?"

"Alexis Dark, and yes to both. I'll just have to call..." Alexis remembered the cop and decided that having a cop as a friend of a friend might be too much. "I need to ask you something first. And I'm sorry if you think this is rude, but you're not by any chance related to an Officer Force, are you?" Please say no, her mind screamed at her.

"Yes, unfortunately, he's my brother-in-law. Did he hit on you? Which one was it? I have two in the department. Well, one will be quitting soon, but for now two. I'm betting it was Gordon. For some reason he thinks all women love him and he's...are you all right?"

No, she wasn't. A cop. She nodded then shook her head. Alexis looked at the stuff in her cart and the few things she'd put on the belt to be paid for. Should she just leave it, or pay and make her escape? She couldn't have the police around, Paddy would know. She started tossing things on the conveyor belt and then pulled out her credit card.

"I'm fine. I have to go. I just remembered that I couldn't..." Alexis took a deep breath. "I have to go, Mrs. Force. I'm sorry, but..." Handing the girl her credit card to pay, she s.n.a.t.c.hed up her two bags and flew out the door.

She was nearly home before she realized that she'd left her card. Giving in to the tears that she never let fall, she pulled to the side of the road and let herself have a really good sob. It took her an extra hour to get home and, once there, she simply handed her groceries to her aunt and shook her head when she started to ask. She made her way to her rooms before she could see anyone else.

She didn't want to move again.

Chapter 2.

"Your new girlfriend is Alexis Dark. She's the owner of Dark Treasures in town. Mom and Holly used to buy things from her over the Internet and now they can just go into town." Gordon nodded at his brother's information. "She and two other women, a Gladys Dark and a Justine Andrews, live out on Saddle Brook Lane. Alexis moved here about ten months ago and bought the house and about ten acres. She paid cash."

That information made the cop in him pay attention. He also decided not to tell his brother that she wasn't his anything. "How much cash and did anyone inquire as to where the money had come from?"

"Not that I'm aware of. But I did do a little digging and found out she had a sister that died a year ago. There was a big stink over her death. Alexis claimed her brother-in-law, Patrick Booth, killed her and the authorities claimed it was a mountain lion." Dallas paused just a bit and Gordon knew he wasn't going to like the rest. "Others claim it was a wolf."

"And you know this how? Or do I want to find out?" Dallas tossed a file across the table at him and he opened it. The thing was full of pictures. Before he could ask about them, they heard a car pull into the drive.

Gordon looked up when the back door to the kitchen opened and CJ walked in. He and Dallas jumped up to take the bags from her and set them on the counter for her. Dallas went to the car to get the rest for her while Gordon started going though the bags to find himself a snack.

"I met someone who knows you today," CJ started. He grinned at her from behind. She wasn't very good at hiding her scents yet and he knew she was upset about something. "She asked me if I was related to you then took off like I'd tried to run her down with my rig. Want to explain that one to me?"

He took the pitcher of tea from her and drew down two gla.s.ses. He took his time and tried to remember if he'd p.i.s.sed anyone off lately that would talk to CJ. No one came to mind so he just shrugged.

"Nope. Must have been Connor this time. I'm innocent until you can prove otherwise." He handed her the tea. "And you owe me two hundred and ninety-four dollars and ten cents for that c.r.a.p I..." He stared at her, thinking maybe it was too small a world if Alexis had run into CJ. Either that or she was looking for him through her. He sat his gla.s.s down and leaned against the counter as Dallas brought in the rest of the bags.

"What is it? Are there so many women in your harem that you have trouble keeping them all straight? d.a.m.n it, Gordon, I liked this girl. She was rude and tried to avoid me."

He frowned at CJ. "And of course you would think that is the basis for a long and lasting friendship? What the h.e.l.l did she do, run right out and find you to pay me back or something?" Gordon flushed. CJ had that look about her that said he'd gone too far. He knew he shouldn't p.i.s.s her off, but there were times when it was easier to go a round or two with her than one of his brothers. Sometimes anyway. He suddenly didn't think this was going to be one of those times.

"What did you do to her? I'm not kidding, Gordon Force. You'll tell me what you did to p.i.s.s this girl off or so help me, I'll...I'll do something you'll regret." She was his alpha person and he knew better than to argue with her. But he was just as p.i.s.sed as she seemed to be.

"What the h.e.l.l do you think I am, huh? A monster? I went to her shop like you asked me to and ,while there, I was going to clear up a few of the rumors I'd heard around town." He heard Dallas tell him to back off, but was too far gone to heed his advice. "How the f.u.c.k was I to know she was going to be all p.i.s.sy about me talking to the kids? I didn't do a d.a.m.n thing to them other than to f.u.c.king say hi."

"That's enough," the voice thundered behind him. Gordon didn't even have to turn to know that his brother and alpha was standing right behind him. He closed his eyes and then opened them as he turned.

"Don't, Austin," CJ told him. "He and I were just talking. And I started it. I was wrong and I shouldn't have jumped on him like that." She hugged him before going to her mate. "He didn't do anything to upset me and I flew off the handle before I thought about it."

"He should know better than to snap at you. He and I will talk about this later." Gordon snorted at Austin. "You think this is a joke? She's whelping, you s.h.i.t head, and I'll have you take a care."

The low growl had them both step back. Even though CJ hadn't been a wolf long, she was still an alpha. Gordon took another step back from her when she snarled at Austin.

"Honey, you-"

"You say one word, you overgrown dog, and I will rip your nuts off your body and serve them up at the next pack meeting. How do you expect me to be the alpha person if you are always stepping in and taking over? Back the f.u.c.k up right f.u.c.king now." Austin glared at Dallas when he laughed. "Don't think that because I'm p.i.s.sed at him right now that you're off the hook either, smart boy."

Gordon watched as she turned on Dallas. Since he was grinning when she turned to him, she caught him as well. "CJ, I'm sorry. Why don't you tell me who you met and I'll try to tell you how I p.i.s.sed her off."

Being the brother-in-law to an alpha person had its advantages. Mostly, it was having her around to calm his brother, but there were times when he simply liked to tease her. And he had to laugh every time she glared at him. To himself, though.

Gordon knew who it was that she was talking about, but it didn't hurt to have a little confirmation just to be sure. When CJ started digging through her purse he thought maybe it was someone else until she turned and looked at him with a smile. When she handed him a credit card with Alexis D. Dark on it, he simply sat down.

Dallas looked at the card and then sat down beside him. "This the same girl, I take it? The one you had me looking for this morning?"

Gordon nodded. "Yeah. She left her shop and ran into CJ, I guess. I'm guessing that it was a chance meeting and nothing prearranged."

CJ nodded at him. "She was in a bad mood when I first saw her. She was talking to somebody on the phone. And since I have the hearing of a bat now I heard the man threaten her about some children and she told him that she'd make him pay if he touched them again. I don't think I'd want to p.i.s.s her off if I could avoid it. She looks like she'd be vicious."

Gordon took the file again and looked at the pictures inside. He pulled out the ones of the kids. They were smiling in the picture in his hand, much different than the look they'd had in the store. There they'd looked haunted rather than happy like they seemed with the woman beside them.

"I met these kids today. Though they are not the same now as they were then, they've been hurt and hurt badly. This one, Timothy." He pointed at the oldest boy. "He was ready to take me on to save his family. He thought I was there to take him away. And he didn't want anything to do with his father."

"So something happened to them? And you're thinking their father is involved?" CJ sat down and picked up the file as she spoke. She was about halfway through it when she set it down again. "I can't look at those anymore. They're...you have to make sure they're all safe, Gordon. You can't let that man, whoever he is, harm them."

He knew that, but didn't know what he was up against. The scent on the kids made him think that there was another wolf around. He looked at the pictures and then thought about the scent. Male was all he'd really gotten and that somehow he'd been around the children recently. He'd bet his last dollar that the woman, Alexis, didn't know it either.