Page 11 of The Scent of Seduction

Jaryn held up his hand to halt his Beta’s tirade. “She’s already agreed to help. I’ll talk with Nicole, but you have to understand that what she went through is going to be difficult for her to talk about. We can’t browbeat it out of her. Not to mention the gaps in her memory—”

“Wait, what gaps? You didn’t say anything about gaps.”

“I was getting there. There are several voids in Nicole’s memory. She said she’d be in one place of the compound then, as if time had simply stopped, she’d wake up in another. There’s no way for us to get information about what happened during those times, but at least now we have somewhere to start. I want you to investigate Adam Broyles. Call our old contacts and get their support if you need access to classified databases. I want to know everything about him. Where he came from, where he went to school, who his associates are. We’re going to take this bastard down for interfering with the lives of others.” His world went gray and his fists balled at his sides. “And when I get my claws on him for hurting my mate…” Jaryn growled.

“Consider it done.” Shaun turned and left the office.

Nicole stuck her head out the door of her little cabin to check the weather. She tilted her head back and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her face. Maybe she could even forgo her jacket today?

“Can I help you with something, Ms. Holland?”

Nicole opened her eyes to see Landon watching her with a smile on his youthful face. “Good morning. Can you recommend someplace where I can get breakfast?” She touched the face of her comm-unit, which Jaryn had given her a few days ago so they could keep in touch. She read the time. “Maybe I should say brunch.”

The device was the latest and greatest in technological advancements, way better than the one she’d been able to afford on her teacher’s salary. The transparent nano-based unit allowed users to manipulate it in an infinite number of configurations to meet their needs. Currently, she molded it around her wrist. However, with a few quick adjustments, she could have a flat panel tablet with immediate access to the world network or, just as easily, a telecommunication device with an integrated ear piece. Another convenience was that kinetic energy powered the device, so she never had to worry about charging a battery.

“The diner is where most everyone gets their grub. It’s only a couple of blocks away. Just turn left onto Main. You can’t miss it. Has the original neon lighting from the nineteen-fifties. They’ll even serve you breakfast for dinner with a smile.”

“Perfect! Looks like it’s going to be a nice day. Is it always like this, this time of year?”

Landon nodded. “Mostly. Where are you from?”

“I grew up in Chicago, went to school in Madison, and have been living in Wausau.”

Landon scrunched up his face. “Where the heck is Wausau?”

Nicole giggled at Landon’s perplexed expression. “It’s in the northern half of Wisconsin.”

“Cool. I bet you get wicked winters there. That means when things turn white around here, it shouldn’t scare you too much.”

Nicole liked the sound of Landon’s laughter. The kid was friendly and if his behavior around Jaryn had been any indication; he had a great deal of respect for the Alpha of his pack. That eased a little of the tension in Nicole. After constantly seeing the hopelessness and resignation in the eyes of the inhabitants of Adam’s compound, it was nice to see genuine affection and respect in Jaryn’s pack members. Landon’s eyes were as bright and happy as a teenager’s should be.

“Hey, Landon, where’s the high school around here?”

“A couple of miles away over off Pine Canyon Road. Why?”

“Well, if your Alpha has his way, then I’ll be making my home here. And I’m a high school teacher. Natural science. You never know—come next semester, I could be your teacher.”

Nicole almost lost it as Landon’s face, flushed from laughter, went white. He swallowed, “Um, excuse me, Ms. Holland, but I think I hear someone calling.”

Nicole tilted her head. “Really? I don’t hear anything.”

Landon nodded quickly. “Oh, yes, there was definitely… I gotta go!” The teenager took off running towards the office.

“I am evil.” Nicole shrugged and tucked the key to her cabin in the pocket of her jeans.

It was kinda cool that the motel still used real keys. It added to the nostalgic atmosphere and reminded Nicole of simpler times when she was a child. The trick would be remembering to take it with her when she left. She’d become so used to the scanners of most modern buildings used. She pulled the door closed, then took off walking down the driveway. The gravel crunched under her sneakers, and she heard birds singing in the trees surrounding the motel. On Main Street, she passed by the local hardware store and the clerk at the counter surprised her by enthusiastically waving to her. Nicole waved back, albeit in a more reserved fashion. She stopped at the end of the block and a building at the end of the street caught her attention. The large structure was obviously the city hall. And if the small town was anything like Nicole suspected, it was probably also the courthouse. The three-storey structure with a central tower had a kind of gothic look to it. It also appeared as though Main Street dead-ended at the building.

She looked around and noticed several other old buildings. She looked around and noticed several other old buildings, some constructed with stone and others with wood. A few even had that look of buildings from the old west she’d seen in movies over the years, with the tall storefronts. Nicole made a mental note to ask Jaryn exactly when this town had been established, as it held a great deal of historical significance to the region.

She looked down the cross street at the intersection where she stood to make sure there was no traffic, not that she’d seen much so far. Across the road stood a group of women, who all stood in a tight circle, talking. Nicole saw more than one glance in her direction, and she smiled at them. The dark-haired young woman in the middle of the group waved back, but the others quickly pulled her away down the street.

“Nice to meet you too,” she mumbled.

Nicole crossed the intersection and sure enough, down one more block on the north corner, she saw the neon lights advertising the diner lit up against the blue sky, just as Landon said. It was the same diner she’d seen when Jaryn had taken her to the hotel the other day. She headed for the entrance with a bounce in her step. As soon as she stepped in, delicious smells filled the air. The distinct aroma of coffee in the air made her eyes open wide, and the scent of freshly baked pie made her stomach rumble.

Nicole slid into a booth and picked up the old-style menu tucked against the wall behind the carafe of sweetener. The vinyl creaked as she opened it, and the familiar smell of maple syrup wafted up from the plastic.

“Pancakes do sound good,” she whispered.

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