Episode 66: A Bridge Too Fur

Genre: Horror
Characters: Kaya, Caleb, Connor, Karri, Byron, Xander, Nicolette
Word Count: 3,961
Rating: R
Type: Series
Summary: Byron fears what will happen to Lucy now that her brother knows where she has disappeared to and seeks help; only the man he spoke with has a bone of his own to pick. Connor makes another attempt to woo Karri, but she has a secret that could derail everything!
Warnings: Language, suggestive material, violence, strong sexual content, adult content, adult situations, nudity

“Hey, are you ok?” Caleb asked as he and Kaya returned to the manor. The body of the councilman had been disposed of over the cliff and washed away by the rapids. Kendrick, Braedan, Trinity and Rayne had been sent to clean up any and all evidence of his presence in the Shadow lands while Joey, David and Rand handled scouting.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just tired,” she sighed and stepped into the house ahead of him. It had taken the rest of the night to clear the scene and by the time they made it back, it was already early afternoon. “I’m a little worried though. That was a Wolf Council member, dead on our land! Do you have any idea what this means?”

“Yeah, the war’s coming to our front door.”

“No, Caleb. It’s already here.”

“We’ve got a problem!” Byron gasped breathlessly as he rushed around the corner, greeting the two Alphas as they returned.

“Stand in line, Byron. We already have a few of those,” Kaya huffed and Caleb gently squeezed her hand.

“Luther knows I’m here.”

“And how exactly did he come across that information?” Caleb asked, taking a step forward.

“I-I don’t know,” Byron stammered as he was caught like a deer in headlights beneath Caleb’s unflinching gaze.

“I think you have some explaining to do.” Caleb yanked Byron by the collar and shoved him into the study. Stepping back, he allowed Kaya to enter first before slamming the door shut behind him.

“Connor!” Karri exclaimed in sheer surprise as she saw him coming towards her.

“Hey,” he stopped in front of her with a smile, clutching the single, red rose behind his back. “I’m glad I caught you. There’s something I wanted to ask. Now before you hit me with a laundry list of rebuttals, let me just quickly add it’s not what you think and I really just kind of want your opinion on something I…wrote…” his words came to a slow as a blonde wolf moved towards them, disrupting his flow. “Hello.”

“Hi,” the man smiled arrogantly and wrapped his arm around Karri’s neck. He quickly pecked her cheek and she didn’t try to resist, an act not lost on Connor. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I’m Karri’s fiancé and I just got to town. And this little one here promised to show me around. I wanted to get moving before it got too late.”

Connor had no idea how long he had been standing there staring like an idiot at the two, his eyes moving between them as he processed what he’d just heard. “I’m sorry, come again? Her…”

“Fiancé,” the blonde repeated. The word hit him like a ton of bricks, knocking the wind out of him. Still the man extended his hand towards him, oblivious to his sudden distress. “Xander Richardson and you’re Connor right? The keyboardist from Night Shift? Karri mentioned that you and the band moved here.”

“Did she?” he asked, ignoring Xander’s outstretched hand as he continued staring in Karri’s direction. But she refused to look up. Instead, her eyes remained focused on anything but him. Connor could feel the thorns of the flower in his hand piercing the skin of his palm but the more Karri ignored his presence, the tighter he squeezed. “That’s funny since this is the first I’m hearing about you,” he smiled stiffly, doing his best not to blink.

“Is that right? Well Karri can be a little absentminded at times.”

“I can only imagine.” Finally turning away, Connor gave Xander a passing glance as he took a step back. “Well if you’ll excuse me, I just remembered I have somewhere to be.”

Karri watched as Connor made a hasty retreat through the gardens he’d just passed and felt Xander’s hand tug at hers before hesitantly following behind him. Slamming the front door behind him, Connor tossed the rose to the trash bin near his foot and stormed off towards the music room. Hearing the commotion, Kaya exited the front study and caught a glimpse of the redhead just as he’d disappeared down the hall. “Connor?” she yelled for him but he didn’t stop. “Connor!”

Following him into the room, she waited until he settled behind the piano before approaching. “I’m not in the mood to talk, Peaches. I just want to sit here and play my music.”

“Ok.”

“I’m sorry for slamming the door. I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I was just a little…”

“Pissed?”

“Yeah, but like I said, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I understand.”

“I don’t even know why I bothered trying, you know? Some people aren’t meant to be in relationships. I’ve always been my own person, always happiest being free and alone.”

“I know.”

“It’s just, I see you and Caleb and how happy you are together and I just thought for once, maybe that could be me. But what woman in her right mind would want someone who’s been around as much as I have?”

“What? Don’t be silly! It’s not like you’re some unfaithful asshole. You just love love. You’d be surprised, Red. There are plenty of women who find you attractive and would give anything just to be near you. You just have to find the right one.”

“And I thought I did!” he nearly shouted in return. “But I was just fooling myself.” Kaya bit her tongue to keep herself from asking what happened between him and Karri. It was obvious he was hurting but she also knew her best friend would tell her in his own time and pushing him would just open the wound wider. “I’m gonna try and put these thoughts into song,” he sighed and slid his fingers over the keys.

“Ok. If you do want to talk, Connor…” he nodded his head and Kaya inched closer. Hugging him tightly for a moment, she gave him a comforting shoulder rub before turning and walking out the door. She passed Karri in the hallway and the wolf instantly shrunk under the glower of her Luna. 

Kaya didn’t have to speak; Karri knew exactly what the Alpha wolf was going to say. She’d already been warned about hurting her friend. And everyone in the pack knew how seriously the two valued their relationship and not to cross either of them. But now Karri stood in the shadow of all of that anger; an unyielding mask of rage she’d created. The look in Kaya’s eyes was primal and the blood red color that came over them caused a level of anxiety in Karri that triggered her heart to pound rapidly in her chest. It took everything in her not to look into her eyes, a defiant and disrespectful act that would have surely caused the Shifter wolf to attack. 

Sensing the change in his mate, Caleb stepped out of the door of the study and stared in their direction. The situation was tense, much like the first time he’d watched her shift. One false move and the hallway would become a bloody crime scene. He clenched his fists at his side, deciding his next move. He couldn’t undercut her authority in front of a subordinate, but he also couldn’t allow an unprovoked attack that could lead to dissension in the pack. Using his mind, he pacified his angry mate and an unspoken command made Kaya back away from Karri and she slowly slipped back inside the study with Caleb, keeping her eyes on the insolent wolf until the door closed.

Karri took a calming breath and hurried out of the corridor. “Connor? Can we talk?” she asked, stepping into the music room. She shut the door behind her without waiting on an answer and started towards him. “It’s about Xander. I know I probably should have said something about him but…”

“It’s none of my business, Karri. Whatever you’ve got going on with your…fiancé, it’s between you and him,” Connor interrupted without bothering to turn around. 

“I know. I just wanted to find you so we could talk. You looked so hurt.”

“Don’t you have a date or something with your fiancé?” The word burned in his throat like bitter acid and he struggled to swallow it down.

“I told him I’d see him later.” Connor’s fingers touched the keys in front of him again and he produced a new string of notes. Quickly jotting down the chords, he started from the beginning until he had a succession of melodic rhythm. “That sounds nice,” Karri smiled and moved closer to where he sat. “Are you working on something for the band?”

With his eyes shut tight, Connor slammed his fingers onto the keys creating a dissonance of harmony and sighed. “I can’t do this right now,” he growled and pulled away from the bench, making a quick line for the door.

“I don’t love him!” she quickly shouted to his back, stopping him in his tracks. 

“What?” he asked with his back still facing her.

“Xander, I don’t love him.” Slowly Karri breathed and started forward, gauging Connor’s mood as she moved. “I know I owe everyone here an explanation; you especially. There’s a lot about my past that’s hard to talk about. The thing about Xander is…was arranged. I never loved him. And when my Dad told me I was to marry him I ran; from him, from my home, from my family. I just needed to get away from everyone so I could figure this thing out.”

“Looks like you didn’t run far enough,” Connor snarled and rushed out the door.

Byron panicked the longer the two Alphas stared him down. Kaya angrily strummed her fingers on her side and Caleb stared up at her. “You ok?”

“Peachy fucking keen. What’s this thing about Luther?” She glanced down at Caleb who motioned towards Byron. He jumped to his feet and began pacing frantically.

“I-I may have uh…ok look, you already told me how you felt about Lucy…a-a-and I get that, I totally get that. But,” he sighed and nervously fisted his hands in his pockets. “I knew you wouldn’t help if she got into any kind of trouble. So—and I really didn’t think they’d find out—but I may have gone back to Willow Reed to see if any of my old friends…”

“You mean pack mates?” Kaya interrupted angrily and inched closer. Caleb placed a calming hand on her arm to keep her wolf composed and felt her skin heat even more.

“Uh…yeah.”

“What the hell is the matter with you? Since when have you been so goddamned pussy whipped?” she shouted and ripped her arm away from her mate. “You come here, begging for us to take you in and keep you safe and then you go and do the ONE thing that ensures your fucking doom, poke the fucking bear! All for some human bitch who, for centuries, hunted, tortured and murdered your own kind? Does she suck cock that good? And now lemme guess, you came running back here because Luther’s on a rampage, out for your blood?”

“H-he may have said something along those lines.”

Kaya threw her arms up in exasperation and turned her back to the cowering wolf. “What about the girl, Lucy?” Caleb asked, keeping his focus on Kaya’s rage.

“She’s safe. I have her holed up in a hotel in town. She thinks her brother might be looking for her though. That was the reason I needed to find help. I meant it as no disrespect.”

“No disrespect?” Caleb scoffed and finally stood. “You pledged yourself to this pack and then at the first sign of trouble, you go running off to your old friends for help. That was an act of nothing but total disrespect. Tell me, had you done this to your old Alpha, what course of action would he take?”

Byron sighed and dropped down to the couch behind him. “I’m new to this…”

“STOP WITH THE FUCKING EXCUSES, BYRON!” Kaya yelled and stepped in front of the man. “We’re sitting here on the brink of fucking war. We have hunters on one side and Luther on the other. We don’t have time for you to rile up a man capable of mass destruction by taunting him with your betrayal! You need to step up, get with the fucking program or get the hell out!” Kaya stormed out of the room and exited out the back patio with Caleb close behind her. She anxiously paced the length of the outer wall, talking to herself and trying to calm her nerves.

Caleb slowly approached, watching with interest. “You were a little mean in there,” he whispered, breaking her concentration.

“Just a little? I was going for downright malicious.”

“Missed it by that much,” he replied, flashing a charismatic smile. “So what’s really bothering you?”

“If you have to ask, then you’re not paying attention.”

“Connor,” he spoke through clenched teeth. “I caught the tail end of your little show in the hallway. I’m glad I got there in time…otherwise…”

“Otherwise you’d be scraping pieces of Karri off the walls.”

“And the smell would never come out,” he joked. She turned and Caleb quickly waved a white flag. Pulling her into his arms, they settled on the ground beside the pool and he lovingly held her close. “Look, Kaya, I know you and Connor are close, but you can’t keep expecting to fight all of his battles for him. He’s a big boy. It’s time he figures out how to fend for himself.”

“If you’re trying to make me feel better, you’re failing miserably.”

“I’m not. I’m just stating the facts. And the fact of the matter is you’re Connor’s friend, not his mother. You can’t protect him from heartbreak or beat up every girl who causes him pain.”

“I know. I’m just used to it being just us; him and me, looking out for each other. It’s just second nature to me to go after the thing that’s hurting him.”

“But it’s not the two of you against the world anymore. You have an entire wolf pack and a family standing at your side. We take care of our own.”

Kaya’s brows scrunched in confusion at that statement as she rested against his chest. “So you’d let Charlie live or die by his own hands?”

“I wouldn’t exactly let it go that far.”

“Oh really? Because I distinctly remember a story about your first shift when some kids were teasing your baby brother.”

“That was different.”

“It always is.”

“Charlie knows when I’ll jump in and when I won’t. And when it’s an issue between him and Sophie, I stay out of it. It’s none of my business what goes on behind closed doors and it shouldn’t be yours either. And with your emotions so out of whack these last few weeks, you really shouldn’t involve yourself in something that could potentially create more problems than it solves.”

“Ok, ok I get it. Geez, talk about beating a dead horse.”

 “Will you promise me you won’t go after Karri?”

“What if she provokes me?”

“Kaya…” he spoke her name in a sternly reprimanding fashion.

“Alright, Caleb,” she sighed. With a smile, she turned in his arms and gently stroked her hand through his hair and looked up into his eyes. “I promise, I won’t go after Karri.”

“That’s my girl,” he smiled and leaned forward, connecting their lips. “Come on, let’s get upstairs. It’s been a very long night leading into a worse day. What you need is a nice, relaxing bath and some sleep.”

Connor had no idea how long he had been running for or when he lost track of his anger. But it all seemed less important as he found himself chasing a feather-light aroma through the open territory towards Mystic Springs. It reminded him of trips to the Calanques in Marseille as a teen. The Sablines there had a delicate, misty scent, much like an orchid, and this was the smell he continued following deeper through the forest.

Finally, he stopped. His eyes locked on movement a few feet ahead and he recognized it as the soft, dainty shape of a woman. She was nude as she swam in the breakers near the shoreline just off the border of the Shadow lands. She was slight in comparison to him and her graceful motions were near angelic against the crystal waters. Her brown hair shimmered beneath the silvery beams of moonlight, golden strands sparkling as the light hit them just right. She seemed at peace and completely unaware of how close to danger she was with hungry wolves lurking not ten feet away.

Connor leapt down the hill near the back hiking trail, the one he assumed she must have taken to get to the lake, and knelt beside a rock. It was off the beaten path and hidden by a large growth of shrubbery and trees. There would have been no way of knowing it even existed if one had never been here before. He felt a little ashamed watching her as she continued splashing in the lagoon. Small droplets of water cascaded down her face and slid down the curves of her body. She giggled and it unintentionally caused a smile to grow on Connor’s face as well.

“You know it is very rude to stare,” she spoke in a thick French accent with her back to him and slowly turned to face him.

“I wasn’t staring,” Connor smiled sheepishly and watched as she moved closer to where he stood. He moved with every step she took getting another whiff of the intoxicating fragrance that had led him here.

“No? Then that explains why you have not taken your eyes off me yet!” she looked up and noticed Connor’s back was now towards her. “It is a little late for that but I do appreciate it.”

“I’m sorry, I was just…curious.” She smiled at him as he turned and met her gaze, making him feel slightly less perverted as he continued inching forward. “You know it’s really not safe around here.”

“It is ok, I come here all the time. I know what is up there in the mountains. I keep my distance.”

“You know? You know what exactly?”

“I hear talk. Everyone thinks there are crazy animals in the woods, wolves. I only come here to swim. I think if I do not bother them then they will not bother me.” She stared at him a moment, studying him as if she was able to determine his intentions just by the look on his face. “Well are you going to stand there all day or do you plan on jumping in?” she asked once her interests were satisfied. She smiled when Connor’s expression changed to one of surprise.

“I—I…well…I didn’t bring a suit.” The inflection in his voice rose as if he was asking a question and she giggled again, making him realize the absurdity of his statement. Without thinking, Connor began undressing, tossing his clothes to the rocks beside hers until he was standing completely nude on the shore in front of her.

“Quel beau corps!” she giggled to herself and Connor detected a slight blush. (What a beautiful body!)

“Thanks, I work out. Your body’s not so bad either.”

She gasped as she realized he understood her and the red on her cheeks became brighter. “Parlez-vous français?” (You speak French?)

“Oui, je suis né et j'ai grandi à Paris.” (Yes, I was born and raised (grew up) in Paris.)

“D’accord! I am from Marseille!” The grin on Connor’s face grew wider. It was a scent he’d recognized. “I am Nicolette.” (Okay!)

“Connor. Do you live around here?”

“Non, I am on holiday, though I am considering staying for a while.” The thought made Connor smile as the two continued goofing around. It was nice, the longer they swam the more he forgot about the reason he was out in the woods in the first place. All of his troubles seemed to melt away in the presence of his French stranger.

“Karri, this is ridiculous!” Connor heard someone shout as he made his approach towards the house. It was well past three in the morning and he was surprised anyone was still awake at this time. “You and I made a commitment. How can you just walk away from that?”

“I never committed to you, Xander. This entire thing was thrown in my lap by my Dad and older brothers! Neither of which cared one way or the other how I felt about being forced to marry someone I barely even knew!”

“Barely knew? Karri, we grew up together. I know I went away for a few years for college and work…”

“And came back a completely different person. I could never trust you!” Connor quietly moved closer, keeping his eyes on the arguing couple. He knew this was none of his business and he scolded himself for eavesdropping but was still unable to turn away.

“You can’t trust me? You’re the one who stole away like a thief in the night after the induction ceremony! Your father announces our engagement and the next thing I know, you’re gone!”

“Is that how you remember it? To be honest I’m surprised you even noticed I was missing considering the number of women you surrounded yourself with that night and every other night since you’d returned. On top of that, you slept with Fiona and Pauline the same day Dad made that announcement! You’re a player, you’ve always been a player and you will always BE a player.”

“Ok, alright, let’s just take a breath,” Xander reasoned, trying his best to calm the irate Karri. “I know you’ve always been this free spirit kind of girl who does her own thing, but you can’t just turn your back on your family…on me.”

“Free spirit? I never had a say over what happened with my life. I left Chicago in order to become the person I wanted to be. You could never understand that, Xan.”

“Yes, I can! Of course I can! But…why here? This place isn’t safe for you! Why can’t you see that? You’re not one of them, Karri. You’re a rogue wolf in a pack of wild wolves. These people, they live by their own code and the second an outsider tries to infiltrate that, the entire pack destroys them.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Xander! I’ve been living here with these wolves for nearly a year. If they meant me any harm, don’t you think it would have happened by now?”

“THIS IS STUPID!” Xander pinched the bridge of his nose, his frustration growing with every passing moment. “You know what? This isn’t up for discussion. I came here to get you and take you home and I’m not leaving without you,” he replied, grabbing her arm as he began tugging her behind him.

“Let go of me! You can’t force me to do anything, Xander. That’s what you and everyone back home fail to understand.”

“Karri!” A faint growl echoed from the rose garden straight ahead and Xander stopped in his tracks, perspiration quickly building on his forehead as he looked around. He turned towards Karri with an uncharacteristic expression on his face and slowly took a few steps back. “Uh, l-l-look, w-w-we’re not done discussing this. B-b-but for now I’m gonna go. I’m staying at the Merion Hotel off Pembleton, room 419. C-c-call me later and I’ll catch you in the morning.” He hurried back towards his SUV. Without checking for oncoming traffic Xander backed out into the street and burned rubber towards the city his taillights disappearing quickly behind him.

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*Author's Note: Although I didn't reach my goal of 10 completed episodes BEFORE release. I have decided to go forward with releasing the ones I do have IN HOPES that it will keep me moving forward. I have a decent head start and I am still moving along smoothly. Thank you again for your patience and...we're back :)*

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