Mated Hearts (Durant Brothers Book 1) Read online

  Two days later, Audrey sat at the kitchen table with her laptop in front of her. Earlier she had sent out an email to her clients letting them know she had been extremely sick and in the hospital. Now, she was answering return emails and rescheduling various project. Her clients were understanding. It felt really good to get back to work, even if her commute was only to the kitchen table and she was only answering emails.

  If it weren’t for the poultices Ivy had gotten from her friend, Audrey knew she wouldn’t be sitting there. She would still be laid up and in a lot of pain.

  Magic was really cool.

  “You’re not tiring yourself out are you?” Forrest kissed her on the back of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’m just answering emails and setting up my schedule for next week. Nothing major.” She tilted her head.

  “So no actual work until next week?”

  “I’m taking the rest of the week off.” She smiled at her mate. “And when I start back to work next week, I’m only working about four hours instead of my usual eight to twelve.

  “Good.” Forrest winked at her. “I don’t want you wearing yourself out. Plus, what you make is yours to spend how you want.” He nuzzled the back of her neck.

  “What are you up to?” She was having trouble thinking of anything except her growing need for Forrest.

  “Who said I was up to anything?”

  Audrey rolled her eyes. “The look on your face.” She turned so she could look at him. “What are you planning?”

  “This weekend we are taking Ivy and Ben up on their offer to watch Seth. That means we are going to have the whole house to ourselves.”

  Will Seth be okay?” Audrey shook her head. “Of course he will be okay. Ivy’s a witch and Ben’s a bear shifter.”

  “Audrey, he will be safe.” Forrest cradled her face in his hands. “I know your worried about your parents, but Seth will be safe with Ben and Ivy. I think Ivy’s adopted Seth as her little brother.”

  She sighed. “I know I’m being silly. I know that they will protect him.”

  “You’re not being silly. You’re being a mom.” He kissed her forehead. “The sheriff will find Edmund and Olivia.”

  “I hope so. I’ll feel so much better when they are behind bars. I still can’t believe they actually had Ellie and Daniel killed and then tried to have Seth and me killed. What kind of people have so much hatred in them they murder their own child?” Audrey felt so stupid not knowing about her parents’ hatred toward shifters.

  “I don’t know. I’ve asked myself similar questions.” Forrest hugged Audrey tight to him. “What I do know is that we can’t let them win. If we let our worries and fears override everything we do in our lives then we let them beat us, and we can’t do that. We have to love and live our lives to the fullest.”

  The doorbell rang causing Audrey to jump. “I really hate doorbells,” growled Audrey.

  “I’ll go see who it is. Go to the kitchen and stay there until I make sure it’s clear. You know what to do.” The laughing and joking Forrest was gone. In his place was a predator ready to protect his mate.

  Audrey closed the laptop and walked into the kitchen. She looked around until her eyes came to rest on the block filled with knives. She pulled the biggest one out and waited in the far corner of the kitchen not far from the large walk-in pantry that contained an entry to one of several tunnels running under the houses. Holding the knife in a death grip, she heard someone walking toward the kitchen.

  “Audrey?”

  Relief flooded through her when she heard Forrest’s voice. “I’m here.” Audrey looked at the knife in her hand. She knew she should put it back in the block, but she couldn’t seem to make herself do it.

  “It’s okay babe,” said Forrest as he gently took the knife out of her hand and laid it on the counter. “Sheriff Anderson is here to see you.”

  Audrey nodded and let Forrest lead her to the living room.

  “Audrey, how are you doing?” asked Todd.

  “I’m doing as well as can be expected.” Audrey noticed the sheriff looked tired. “Are you okay?”

  “I received a call this morning from your parents’ housekeeping service. The ladies went to you parents’ house to do the bi-weekly cleaning this morning. When they let themselves in, they were greeted by a horrible stench. They started searching for the source.”

  Audrey nodded. “Edmund and Olivia have been using the same company for years.”

  The sheriff nodded. “The housekeepers found your parents in their bedroom. They were dead.”

  Audrey blinked several times. “Dead,” she finally said. She was stunned. This wasn’t what she was expecting to hear.

  “It looks like a murder-suicide. I doubt there will be much of an investigation, because a note was found on your father’s desk downstairs in his office.”

  Audrey sat down. “I can’t say that I’m upset. I know that sounds horrible, but after what they did…I’m actually relieved that I don’t have to worry about them trying to harm Seth. Does that make me a bad person?” She looked from Forrest to the sheriff.

  Forrest sat down next to her and put his arm around her. “No, that doesn’t make you a bad person. They hadn’t been parents to you in years.”

  “The bodies have been sent for an autopsy which is standard procedure in situations like this. I need to find out what funeral home you want the bodies sent to after the coroner releases them,” said the sheriff.

  “You will have to contact Stanley Morrison, their lawyer. He will have all the information about their funeral wishes,” said Audrey. Her voice was void of emotion.

  “I had your sister and brother-in-law’s car wreck reopened. The investigators are going to go through your parents’ financial records to see if there is any connection and hopefully lead us to anyone else who was involved. It may take some time,” said Todd.

  Audrey nodded. “Be careful with Stanley Morrison. I only met him once and that was enough. Something about him made my skin crawl.”

  “I’ll let the investigators know about him. I will keep in touch with you,” said Todd.

  Audrey watched Forrest walk with the sheriff to the front door. She didn’t feel sad. Her parents had destroyed any love she had for them years ago, and the kidnapping was the last nail in the coffin, so to speak. With them dead, Seth was safe. But what about the people they might have talked to or hired? “I think I need to take a self-defense class and maybe a concealed weapons class.” Audrey said to Forrest when he returned.

  “Audrey…”

  “Don’t Audrey me. It makes perfect sense. I don’t shift like you, Seth and the others. I’m not a witch. I need to be able to protect myself long enough until you can get to me. We have to be realistic. You can’t guard me twenty-four seven.”

  Forrest sighed. “As much as I hate to say it, but I agree with you. We will look into the classes next week. Are you okay about your parents?”

  Audrey took a deep breath and let it out. “Did I wish them dead? No. Did I want them to pay for their crimes? Yes. Am I sad? A part of me is sad that they weren’t the parents they should have been. But am I sad about their deaths? Honestly, I’m relieved. They made it very clear I was no longer their daughter, and they had no issue with having the hunter kill me. I’m more worried about the people they’ve associated with and what they might have told them.”

  Forrest pulled her into his lap. “We will deal with that problem when it presents itself. One thing I’ve learned is you can’t worry about what could happen. If you do, it will take over your life and you will forget to live.” He kissed her. “I love you.”

  Audrey smiled. “I love you too.” She stared at her mate. “I believe we were destined to be together because you are the mate of my heart.”

  EPILOGUE

  Darrell tossed the broken pieces of wood that had just days earlier been the stock of his favorite rifle into the barrel. He picked up several dry sticks of wood and fed them to t
he fire. Earlier, he had bent the metal barrel of the rifle and buried it where it wouldn’t be found anytime this century.

  It had been his favorite rifle but he wasn’t too heartbroken over its destruction. He couldn’t have it tied to him. Luckily, there wasn’t any paperwork either. He had purchased the weapon just after World War I, long before computers could trace everything.

  Hearing the snap of a twig, he turned to see Todd Anderson walking toward him. “What brings you out here this late in the afternoon?”

  “I found your letter of resignation on my desk this morning. What’s that about?” asked Todd when he stopped a few feet away from his deputy.

  Darrell shrugged. “It’s time for me to make a change. I’ve things I need to do and I can’t do them and work fulltime.”

  “You could have asked for time off or for a reduced schedule. You don’t have to resign.” Todd looked up at the man. He was a large man, but Darrell was larger.

  “I could have.”

  Todd glanced up at the slowly darkening sky. “By any chance, have you heard anything about the sniper who killed the man who had kidnapped Audrey Thomas?”

  “No, I haven’t heard anything.”

  Todd frowned. “If you hear anything, let me know.”

  Darrell nodded. He stuck his hands into his jacket pockets and stared at the fire.

  “If you ever want your job back, you can have it. You’ve been a good deputy.” Todd turned and walked back the way he had come.

  Darrell turned and watched the sheriff walk away. When he could no longer see the man, Darrell turned his attention back to the fire. He picked up another stick of wood and tossed it into the barrel. He fleetingly thought about what he had done to protect the shifters. He knew he would have to do it again, but that was the promise he had made to her before he was forced to leave his mate.

  He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. It was time to go back to the name he was born with, and it was time to take his mate. There would be no leaving this time.

  He opened his eyes. “Enough running. Lilianna, I’m coming for you.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  I have lived in many different towns and cities during my married life, but I have always lived in Texas. I live with my husband who indulges my addictions to books, pens, coffee, stickers, and planners. I also have to very spoilt cats that run the household. I dream of either “retiring” or “quitting” my day job so I can write full time.

  I love reading, science fiction, coffee, and hot tea. I enjoy photography, fishing, playing poker (Texas Hold’em), rummaging through flea markets, and spending time with my husband.

  It is rare to find me without a pen and a notepad, because I’m constantly jotting down stuff. My head is full of story ideas and characters.

  Rayne would love to hear from you.

  http://raynerachels.blogspot.com

  www.facebook.com/raynerachels

  [email protected]

  www.twitter.com/raynerachels

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  OTHER BOOKS BY RAYNE RACHELS

  Bryant Station Curves series

  Lisa’s Bear (Book 1)

  Chasing Tara (Book 2)

  Abby’s Heart (Book 3)

  Saving Courtney (Book 4)

  Lauren’s Mate (Book 5)

  Claiming Harley (Book 6)

  Joy’s Forever (Book 7)

  Surviving Ivy (Book 8)

  Bryant Station Curves Box Set 1 (Books 1-3)

  Bryant Station Curves Box Set 2 (Books 4-6)

  Reluctantly Undead series

  Reluctantly Undead (Book 1)

  Briary Creek Wolves series

  Bailey’s Secret (Book 1)

  Gracie’s Wolf (Book 2)

  Brimstone Heat

  Lucifer (Book 1)

  Tangled Fates

  Chance to Love Again (Bear Shifters)

  Wolf for Christmas (Wolf Shifters)

  RELUCTANTLY UNDEAD

  Ember Winterstone is not having a good night. She wakes up in a dumpster. Her neck hurts where her date used her as a meal. Vampire hunters chase her, and the other vampires think she is the real queen, especially since she is a day walker, eats food, drinks almost no blood, and stands up to Zophia, the psycho vampire queen.

  Ember’s problems have just begun.

  Her mother has kept a couple of major secrets from her. The two men who make Ember drool refuse to claim her. The psycho vampire queen decides Ember must die.

  EXCERPT:

  I do not know if it was the smell of rotting trash or the cat licking my face, but something woke me. Maybe it was a combination of the two. Either way, I was awake and I was clueless as to where I was, and to top it all off, my neck ached.

  I took a deep breath.

  Bad mistake!

  The smell of rotting trash filled my lungs. I gagged several times, but that wasn’t the worse of it. My face was pressed up against the remains of someone’s Chinese meal, and not just any Chinese meal.

  Oh no, it had to be sweet and sour pork. Dry heaves racked my body as soon as I smelled it. Sweet and sour pork is not my favorite meal. In fact, for me, it is the meal of death.

  One night, when I was about thirteen years old, mom worked late, so my stepfather brought home Chinese take-out. Later that evening, my stomach started hurting and by bedtime, I was in the bathroom hugging the toilet and wishing I would just go ahead and die.

  I spent two days with the toilet as my best friend and another three days barely able to keep down chicken broth and crackers. I have never seen mom so concerned or angry. I later found out, the sweet and sour pork Henry brought home had sat in his hot car for most of the day, and I was the only one who ate it.

  Ever since the incident, I had a nagging feeling I couldn’t get rid of. Henry had tried to kill me with tainted sweet and sour pork, and it would have looked like an accident. People die all the time from food poisoning, but I was just a kid and I didn’t have any kind of proof. Henry apologized several times, but a little voice in the back of my brain told me to watch him.

  Now, when I see or smell sweet and sour pork, I get physically ill. Maybe it was all in my head. I don’t know, but the experience at thirteen left a very lasting impression. Don’t get me wrong. I love Chinese food. Beef and broccoli, egg rolls, Kung Pao chicken, fried rice are all my favorites, but sweet and sour pork is the food of death.

  And there it was.

  Yesterday’s leftovers were staring me in the face, taunting me after all these years of avoiding them.

  That’s it!

  Another set of dry heaves erupted from my body. Not funny! My stomach’s violent attempts to empty itself weren’t doing anything to help my aching neck.

  I had to get out of here, wherever here was, but sitting up wasn’t so easy. Every time I moved, the stuff underneath me shifted. The large black bags on each side of me didn’t help either. They kept rolling on top of me. I felt like I was in one of those multi-colored ball pits you find in the playground areas of fast food restaurants. You move and the balls move, filling in the space you just vacated. The more I struggled, the more the black bags moved. After what seemed like forever, I managed to fight my way into a sitting position.

  I looked around.

  My brain started functioning, and it dawned on me.

  I was in a dumpster—a stinking, nasty, filthy, rotting trash-filled dumpster!

  I couldn’t believe it. I mean, how did I get in here? I didn’t exactly climb in willingly. I can’t even stand opening the large green trash can when I take out the trash at home. The smell—especially in summer—is enough to gag a maggot! My climbing into the dumpster on my own was off the list of possibilities.

  I sniffed and looked down.

  My jeans!

  There was no way I was going to get the ode de trashcan funk out of my jeans.

  I groaned.

  I just bought them, and they fit good…really good! It’s not easy finding jeans to fit a si
ze 16 frame, especially with a butt like mine.

  I was pissed.

  Someone was going to pay for them, just as soon as I figured a way out of the gross, over-sized tin can in which I was buried.

  Glancing around, I sighed. The dumpster was only half-full, so getting out probably wasn’t going to be easy.

  Pulling myself into a sitting position was an act of Congress, but standing? That had me clueless.

  I pushed and shoved stuff out of my way. I started to groan when I heard a sound. At least, I thought I heard something. I got really still and waited.

  Nothing.

  I started to take to move again.

  “Are you sure she’s dead?”

  I froze.

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” replied a second male voice.

  What the hell, my eyes widened and my heart pounded against my rib cage.

  “It just sounds strange that she died like that. Maybe she just fainted,” suggested the first voice.

  “She was dead. I waited an hour. No pulse. No heartbeat. She was dead…”