Sassy Claws

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

DIMITRI EVEREST STEPPED from between the trees out onto the gravel road, the gritty pebbles crunching under his booted feet. Small lakes dotted the landscape of Bull Creek, and sometimes, he liked to check them out just to ensure squatters hadn’t moved in and claimed a spot he would have to kick them out of later. Ezra Havlin had set up camp a couple of years ago and lived out among the trees for a month or more before Josh discovered him, so Dimitri knew it could happen. Bull Creek came with enough surprises that they didn’t need unknown tenants staking claims out in the forest.

The sun had just started its downward dip into the western sky as a cool breeze rustled the surrounding trees, keeping the humidity at bay. Even in December, Florida was a toss-up as to whether or not the day would be bearable or sweltering, and usually it was a sweaty morass of unwanted heat.

Placing his hands on his hips, he took a deep breath as he glanced up and down Chad Jason Road just as a small Nissan pulled into the driveway of Maureen Mondor’s cabin. He stood there, staring down the road as he thought about just how much he still didn’t know about the older, redheaded witch who moved into the area about a month and a half ago. She kept herself scarce from the others, popping into Everglades occasionally for a whiskey neat, avoiding the weekly bonfires at all costs, and working in her yard, creating a small garden of herbs and vegetables. Even the few times she appeared at the bar, she avoided talking to people, sitting there, sipping her drink and staring at the back wall. Even Jake Goodman surrendered his attempts at engaging her in conversation, and that was a feat in and of itself. So, all of that begged the question, who would be visiting her?

As he continued to stare down the street at the front of her cabin, he heard himself lecturing Josh about keeping out of people’s business. After all, Bull Creek was a sanctuary, a place paranormals and humans alike come to escape the cruelty of a prejudiced world. Everyone here had a secret or two, maybe even three, or were running from something, more than likely family, which was what made his sister, Lainie, join him in the small community when the Paranormal Council of Draven Falls, who owned Bull Creek, asked him to take over as Alpha. Josh thought the rule silly, thinking they needed to know everything they could about the people who moved into their small town in order to best protect everyone. And over the past two and a half years, some of what Josh said actually started to make sense. Trouble seemed to crop up every other month, bringing people to their doorsteps who wanted nothing more than to destroy their peace and quiet. Yet, Dimitri still had not been able to force himself to surrender his “Don’t be a busybody” rule.

Of course, a simple stroll down the street wouldn’t really be an invasion of Maureen’s privacy, would it? After all, the street was public property. It wouldn’t be like he knocked on her door and demanded to know who just arrived.

Decision made—or rather rationalized—Dimitri turned toward Maureen’s cabin to see what he could see. I hope Josh never hears about this.

By the time he reached the front of Maureen’s cabin, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he attempted to look as casual as possible, just a man out for an afternoon stroll, whoever had pulled into her driveway was out of their car and heading for the front door of her cabin. As he reached the edge of Maureen’s driveway, on the other side of the street, of course, he cast a quick glance in the cabin’s direction and watched as a young woman with long, dark hair moved toward the steps leading up to Maureen’s porch. She appeared to be about the same age as Dimitri, slender in frame, with hips that curved into a tiny waist and back out to a perfectly round a*s.

Maureen had just stepped out of her cabin, the door still in her hand as she spotted Dimitri walking by.

He saw her shake her head before he looked away, doing his best to pretend he hadn’t just been scoping things out. It didn’t work, however.

“You might as well come get your nosiness out of the way,” Maureen called out, and Dimitri could hear the ruffled tone in her voice. “Wouldn’t want you to strain your neck.”

He turned, opening his mouth, about to deny the accusation, but then decided better of it. Lying never helped anyone.

Instead, he turned, crossing the road to join the two ladies. “Sorry about that,” he said, waving at the newcomer. “I wasn’t actually being nosy. I was checking out the small lake on the other side of these cabins and noticed the car drive by as I emerged from the woods.”

“I thought I saw someone stepping out from between the trees,” the dark-haired lady said. “I wasn’t sure though. Maureen warned me to drive slowly. She said people complained a lot.”

Dimitri chuckled, nodding as he watched Maureen take the steps down toward them. “Maureen likes to speed through town on her motorcycle. They only complain about her.” He pointed behind him as if they could see the lakes. “I like to make a pass around the lakes every once in a while, just to make sure no one’s setting up camp. We’ve had our fair share of squatters and interlopers the past couple of years.” He stretched out his arm as he reached her. “I’m Dimitri,” he told her as she reached out and shook his hand. “Welcome to Bull Creek.”

“I’m Liberty,” the woman told him. “And thanks.” She glanced around at the massive oaks and towering pines. “It’s definitely a secluded little town.”

“Full of busybodies and buttinskies,” Maureen growled as she took the bag Liberty carried. She narrowed her eyes at Dimitri. “This town’s supposed to come with certain guarantees.”

Dimitri held his hands up in surrender before Maureen went on another one of her rants, accusing him of breaking his own rules. “I already explained what happened,” he assured her. “I’m not here asking any personal questions. You actually asked me to come over, remember?”

“I’m rethinking that now.” When Maureen first moved to Bull Creek just before Halloween, Dimitri had several complaints about her reckless driving, almost running kids off the road with her motorcycle. She was a cantankerous woman then, and nothing had changed since. The people of Bull Creek gave her a wide berth. All he had wanted to know back then was how she managed to get a key to Marilyn Bowman’s cabin, and she was determined not to tell him. Hell, the first time they met, she didn’t even tell him her name.

Liberty giggled as she dropped her hand to her side. “Don’t worry,” she told him. “I’m not as secretive as my mother. I tend to think people should be more open about things.”

“Your mother, huh?” Dimitri said, glancing back at Maureen, noticing the drastic difference in hair color.

“What? You don’t think I could get someone to have s*x with me long enough to have a kid?” Maureen asked, her eyes narrowing at him as she twisted her lips into a scowl.

“Mom!”

Dimitri shook his head. “That wasn’t what popped into my mind, I assure you. Actually, I was thinking her father must have been the brunette then. As well as the taller one.”

“And now you’re calling me short,” Maureen sneered. “You’re just full of compliments today, aren’t you? Want to keep going? You haven’t said anything about my nose or my feet yet.”

Dimitri held his hands up again. “No, no. I think I’ll stop right there.” He turned back to Liberty, giving her a slight dip of his head. “As I said, welcome to Bull Creek. If you need anything, please reach out and let me know. I kind of run things here. There are great people around you, so feel free to reach out to anyone really.”

“Pah,” Maureen spat. “She doesn’t need anything from any of you. People need to learn to take care of themselves. She’s not in need of any Alpha, either, so keep your governing to yourself.”

Dimitri shook his head. How on earth would he ever get on Maureen’s good side? Of course, he wasn’t sure the woman even had one. Liberty must have received her pleasant demeanor from her father, as well.

Turning back to Liberty, curiosity trumping his better judgment, he asked, “And are you a witch like your mother?”

Maureen c****d her head slightly. “Isn’t that one of those nosy type of questions? Didn’t take long for you to break that rule, after all.”

Dimitri sighed, knowing there was no way he would win with this woman. “Just a curious question,” he said. “I’ll withdraw it.” He turned back to Liberty, almost afraid to say anything else that Maureen could misconstrue. “As I said, enjoy your stay. If you need anything, please reach out. We hold a weekly bonfire on Friday nights out at the clearing a few blocks over. Feel free to join us. It’s open to everyone. Might help you meet some of the residents here if you’re planning on staying for a while. As I said, good people all of them.”

“I will,” Liberty said. “Thank you.”

“Still here?” Maureen asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Dimitri chuckled as he shook his head, turning and walking back up the dirt drive. Maureen was a character. Probably one from some abandoned horror script. He laughed harder as he turned right at the edge of her driveway and headed for Lil Burt Road. He still found it funny that someone so crotchety could have what appeared to be a sweet daughter. Maybe it was the universe’s way of balancing out that particular family.

A few moments later, he turned down his own driveway just as Adira stepped out onto the front porch and sat down in one of the two rocking chairs she made Dimitri buy right after Thanksgiving. “You look perplexed,” she said as she settled back and started rocking slightly.

He shrugged. “Just thinking about how the universe creates families. I just met Maureen’s daughter. She seems too nice to have come from that woman. Must take after her father.”

Adira laughed as he took the three steps up to the porch and joined her in the opposite chair. “You are bad,” she said. “Maureen just likes her privacy, that’s all.”

“There’s a difference between wanting your privacy and being ornery all the time. That woman is downright mean. I think it goes all the way to her bones.”

Adira laughed even harder. “I’m sure she’s fine. We don’t know what her life has been like, so we don’t know what may have made her the way she is.”

He turned, furrowing his brows as he stared over at his mate. “Are you serious? No one needs to be that mean. I think she does it for sport.”

Adira shrugged, giggling. “Well, everyone needs a hobby.”

“Meanness is a hobby?”

“Picking on you is,” she told him. “I should know. I made it mine.”

“Nice,” he said, sighing as he settled back in his rocker. “Just… Nice.”

She reached out, taking his hand in hers and holding it as they rocked together. “Anything fun and exciting out there outside of Maureen’s daughter?”

“I’m not sure how to take that,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her. “I didn’t say she was fun and exciting. Just different.”

“Oooo defensive,” Adira teased. “I bet you checked out her a*s, didn’t you?”

He felt his eyes widen a little at her accusation, and suddenly, he had the strongest urge to simply change the subject. He shook his head. “No. There was nothing fun and exciting out there. How about you? You and Winnie get her new store all set up?”

“We have a couple of things still to do tomorrow,” she told him, turning her gaze back out to the front of their property. He couldn’t ignore the smirk that creased her lips, however. She knew he dodged her question on purpose but didn’t call him on it. What was the point? She knew him all too well. “We have one more shipment coming in, and then, she’ll be all set. How she’s going to attract customers, though, I have no idea. I mean, it’s not like we’re in the center of downtown or that there’s even a downtown around here to be the center of.”

He squeezed her hand. “It’ll work out. I kind of don’t think she wants to be gangbusters busy, you know. If she did, she wouldn’t have selected this area to open a*****e. I think she mainly wants to cater to the witches in the area.”

“Smart on her part, but it may not be too profitable.”

“True, but profit might not be on her mind.”

“Possibly. It’s been fun helping her out, though. I can tell you that. I hadn’t realized how much I missed the interaction with other witches until I was the only one.”

“And now you have three, maybe four depending on Liberty, if you can get Maureen to get past her defensiveness, that is”

Adira nodded. “Maybe I’ll reach out and invite her over for tea or something.”

“Tea?” Dimitri shook his head as he adjusted his position in his chair. “I don’t think she’s the tea type. More vinegar, if you ask me.”

“Dimitri Everest, be nice.” Adira reached out and swatted his arm.

“That was nice.”

“Santa is going to bring you coal if you keep talking like that.”

Dimitri sighed as he turned his gaze back out to the front. “I probably deserve coal. I will tomorrow for sure. Josh wants me to help him decorate their cabin. I might need you to come save me when Alanna sees it.”

“Just be gone before she gets home,” Adira warned him. “That’s one argument Josh can handle on his own.”

Dimitri nodded. “He’s definitely a masochist, it seems. Either that, or he has a death wish. She’s going to kill him, I’m sure.”

“It’s his funeral.”

“That’s all I need. Another grave to maintain.”