Big Bad Wolf: Cougarville Book 4 Page 4

  “Perp is already gone,” Jase told him. “Out the window, I’m pretty sure. You can sni around, er…” he cleared his throat as O cer Hendricks, Shoals’ partner, came in the door. “I mean, look for a trail starting there and probably going back into the woods.”

  “Is it another animal attack? Like the other one we had in this neighborhood?” Hendricks asked. “Did it somehow get in here?” He nodded at the huge dog in Jase’s arms. “Maybe

  through a doggy door?”

  “It’s another attack but it might not be an animal when you find it.” Jase wished he could explain better. If it was Shoals alone, it would be so much easier!

  “Not an animal?” Hendricks looked confused.

  “It started as a man.” Mrs. Robinson sounded like she was still in shock. “A man in some kind of furry pelt. But then it…changed. It was almost like the pelt became part of

  it. The eye…the teeth…” She shivered, looking cold and scared.

  “I’m sorry ma’am, but that just doesn’t make a whole lot

  of sense.” Hendricks was frowning, clearly wondering if Mrs.

  Robinson was in her right mind or not.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jase said roughly. “Just follow the

  trail.

  Hendricks was still frowning but Shoals nodded.

  “Understood, Detective. We’ll look into every possibility.”

  Jase nodded back at the Bear Shifter gratefully. He should

  have let Shoals in on his knowledge that the killer wasn’t just an animal before.

  “You do that. Preserve the crime scene as best you can.

  I’m taking the victim here…” he nodded at Mrs. Robinson,

  “down to the station to make a statement. “But first we’re dropping her dog o at the emergency vet.”

  “Understood.” Shoals nodded again and Jase saw a flash

  of sympathy in the other man’s brown eyes. “We’ve got it from here.”

  “Thanks,” Jase said. He looked at Mrs. Robinson—God,

  he ought to ask her first name. It felt awkward to keep calling her what he’d called her in high school. “You ready?”

  “Yes. Please, let’s hurry,” she pleaded, her voice filled with anxiety and urgency. “Poor Max! He’s so hurt.”

  “We’ll save him,” Jase assured her, hoping it was true.

  The big dog in his arms whined weakly, as though agreeing

  with him. “Come on, let’s go.”

  6

  T he ride down to the emergency vet with Max

  spread out on her lap was like a nightmare. Jase

  drove as quickly and as smoothly as he could, but every little bump in the road made the big dog whine or yip in pain and

  every little sound of agony felt like a nail driven into Nikki’s heart.

  “You’re going to be okay, Maxie,” she told her dog,

  stroking his blood-soaked fur. “You’re going to be all right, baby. The vet is going to fix you up, my brave boy. I promise.”

  From the corner of her eye she saw Jase watching her and

  knew she must sound like a fool, talking baby-talk to her dog like this. But she couldn’t help herself. Max was the only source of comfort and love in her life—the only one she’d had to hold since Gil had died. She couldn’t lose him now—

  she just couldn’t.

  Jase called his Dispatch and asked someone there to

  phone ahead so the vet on call was waiting when they rolled

  up into the driveway. On the side of the plain brick building was a blinking blue neon sign with a paw-print on it and the

  words, VET ER printed in a circle around it.

  There was no way Nikki could lift the dog herself so Jase

  carried him in, holding the big animal with ease and surprising gentleness, as she trailed after him.

  The vet tech led them through reception and into the back part of the building at once, where all the equipment was.

  After Jase had laid Max down on a stainless-steel exam table, the vet—a kind older woman with short black hair wearing no-nonsense black glasses to match—began to

  examine him.

  “These are deep,” she said, frowning as she parted the fur to expose cruel lacerations. “What kind of animal did this?”

  “I…I don’t know,” Nikki had to confess. She was standing

  at the head of the table, stroking Max’s ears just the way he liked and murmuring to him in a comforting baby voice to keep him still for the vet. “He…it started out like a man but then he…he changed…”

  “I’m sorry? What?” The vet looked at her blankly and Nikki realized how crazy she must sound. But what else could she say? How else could she explain what she’d seen?

  What had happened to her that night?

  “I don’t…I can’t…” She shook her head. “He…I…”

  “Mrs. Robinson was a witness to a crime tonight,” Jase cut in smoothly, much to her relief. “A lot has happened and

  things can be pretty confusing after a traumatic event like this. For now, we just need to know if you can help Max, here.” He nodded at the big dog.

  “Oh.” The confusion cleared from the vet’s face. “Yes, I think so. But it’s going to take some serious time in our OR to be for sure. And even if he pulls through, he won’t be able to leave us for some time. It, uh…” She cleared her throat. “It

  might get expensive. I’m sorry to say that but most people don’t have pet insurance and—”

  “That’s all right—I don’t care what it costs,” Nikki cut in

  quickly. “I…I have some savings. Please, just help him.” She

  tried to blink back tears as she stroked Max’s ru . “He saved me tonight. Please.”

  The vet’s eyes softened behind her no-nonsense black rimmed glasses.

  “I understand. We’ll do everything in our power—I

  promise.”

  “Thank you.” Nikki swiped tears away with her forearm.

  God, how many times had she cried tonight? She’d lost count

  and normally she hated to cry.

  “Go ahead and fill out the paperwork on your way out and

  we’ll call you when we have news,” the vet tech told her as

  they wheeled Max towards the OR.

  “Oh—my phone!” Nikki looked at them uncertainly. “I…I

  left it back at my house.”

  “You can take my number.” Jase gave it in that deep, commanding voice of his and she felt another surge of gratitude to him.

  “Thank you Jase,” she said. “But, well, wouldn’t it be easier just to go back to my house and pick up my phone?”

  “Your house is a crime scene now,” he reminded her.

  “We’re going to need you out of it for a while until all the evidence is collected. Besides…” He frowned and looked down at her with those pale amber eyes of his. “The guy who

  attacked you got away. Which means he’s still out there somewhere. Which further means I’m not letting you out of

  my sight, Mrs. Robinson.”

  She wanted to ask what he meant by that but he put an arm around her shoulders and ushered her out in a way that

  felt half-protective/ half-possessive. For some reason the feeling of his muscular arm brushing her skin made Nikki’s

  heart skitter in her chest. Which was ridiculous since Jase was a clear fifteen years younger than her. Not to mention he was an old student which made any attraction she might have for him seem doubly wrong.

  I’m just still upset from everything that’s happened tonight, she told herself. It’s all so unreal—it feels like a dream.

  But if this whole thing was a dream, how come she couldn’t seem to wake up?

  7

  T he scene at the station when they pulled up was

  chaos. The news of another attack, after almost a

  month without one, had cops pouring into work, even in the

  middle of the night.

  Jase sighed when he thought of all the paperwork that was waiting for him—and wondered how in the Hell he was

  going to manage to put down what his old teacher had seen

  without raising some norm eyebrows.

  “Here we are,” he told Mrs. Robinson as they pulled in.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you some questions when we get in there. Do you think you’re up to answering?”

  “I…I’ll try. But I don’t think…I mean, I hate for strangers

  to see me like this.” She looked down at herself and made a

  face. There was blood and fur all over her thin nightgown and she was still shivering despite the fact that the truck’s heater was cranked to full blast. Jase wondered if she was still cold or just in shock and shaking from the aftermath of the attack.

  “Here,” he said, pulling o his jacket and wrapping it around her. “I’m sorry I didn’t o er earlier. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “That…that’s okay.” She pushed her arms into the sleeves

  and pulled it closed around her. “Thank you.”

  “Mrs. Robinson, there’s something I need to know—need to ask—before we go in there.” He hesitated for a moment,

  trying to think of how to put his question delicately.

  “Nikki,” she murmured.

  “Nikki?” He frowned.

  “It’s my first name.” She cleared her throat. “I’m not your teacher anymore, Jase and you saved me tonight. I think

  that earns you the right to call me by my first name.”

  “It was Max who saved you,” he objected but the gift of

  her first name thrilled him and deep inside he felt his Wolf

  growl approvingly.

  “Yo
u were there when I needed you,” she said quietly.

  “And you helped me with Max. Not everyone would have done that. Thank you, Jase. You’ve turned into a, uh, a very

  fine man. I always knew you would.”

  Jase could feel his cheeks heating to a dull red but he tried to keep things professional.

  “Well, thanks, Mrs.—I mean…Nikki.” He tried the name

  out, tasting it. “It’s funny I never knew your first name before.”

  “I guess you didn’t need to know it…back then.” She gave

  a self-conscious laugh that ended in half a sob and Jase reminded himself she was still traumatized. Unfortunately, the question he had to ask next wasn’t going to help any, but he had to ask it—preferably before they got inside with a bunch of people all around.

  “Mrs. Robinson…Nikki,” he said, trying again to phrase things delicately. “I know you were attacked tonight, so we’re going to get someone to examine you. What I need to

  know is, do I need to ask them to have a…” He cleared his throat. “A rape kit ready when they do?”

  “A rape kit?” One hand crept to her throat, which was still

  dark with dried blood. “Oh…oh no,” she exclaimed quickly.

  “No—no, please.”

  “Nikki…” Jase caught one of her hands in his. “I know this is hard to talk about. Maybe you’re worried your husband—”

  “My husband’s dead,” she blurted and looked down at

  her hand, enclosed in his much larger one. “He’s been dead

  exactly seven years today. Or yesterday, I guess if it’s after midnight.” She gave a broken little laugh. “I don’t even know what time it is.”

  “One fifteen,” Jase said quietly. He was studying her carefully, still unsure if she was telling him the truth about not needing a rape kit. She might still be in denial. “Nikki—”

  “I was really upset about the, uh, anniversary so I drank

  wine—a lot more than…than I usually do,” she went on, as

  though she’d barely heard him. “I went to bed without checking my doors and windows. I think that’s how he… it…I don’t even know what to call it.” She shook her head. “How

  the attacker got in.”

  “And did he…” Jase looked at her meaningfully.

  “He said some awful things and he…he tried to…to do that.

  But he didn’t.” She seemed to have a hard time getting the

  words out. “God, I guess it could have been so much worse!

  If Max hadn’t come in when he did—”

  Jase felt a sense of relief.

  “But he did,” he said, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

  “Max saved you.”

  “If only I had checked to make sure the window was

  locked.” She looked up at him, her eyes wounded. “Max wouldn’t be hurt…maybe dying.”

  “None of this is your fault,” Jase told her, frowning. “So

  don’t go beating yourself up about it, Nikki. The attacker would have found another way in if he couldn’t get in the window—if he was determined to get to you, and I think he

  was.”

  She fit the profile exactly—a woman in her forties, alone with no husband or boyfriend to claim her—a female ripe for

  rejuvenation. Just Mr. X’s type.

  Nikki looked even more upset.

  “You…you think he was targeting me? Stalking me?

  Maybe…maybe planning this?”

  Jase nodded. “You seem to fit his type. All the other women that have been killed—”

  “You mean the animal attacks?” she interrupted him.

  “I think we both know those weren’t only animal

  attacks,” Jase said softly. “Right?”

  “I…I don’t know what he was.” She shook her head. “He seemed like a man at first. But then he changed…” She looked up at him. “I sound crazy, don’t I?”

  “Not to me,” Jase said firmly. He sighed, remembering the blank look on the vet’s face when Nikki had said the same thing. “But…you might sound confused to someone

  else.” He frowned. “I think I’d better take your statement myself.”

  “You won’t…won’t hand me over to anyone else then?”

  She looked up at him pleadingly. “Not even for the medical

  exam?”

  “I’m not a doctor,” he protested. “I can’t examine you, Mrs.—I mean, Nikki.”

  But we can heal her, his Wolf spoke up from the back of his mind. It pushed an image forward—Jase leaning over to lap

  gently at the long, shallow scratches around her throat, tasting her…healing her…pleasuring her…

  No! Jase pushed back forcefully. She was a victim here—

  she needed careful handling and gentleness—not awkward

  come-ons from a former student she’d probably never even

  look twice at.

  “I don’t need to be examined,” she said quickly. “I’m fine, really. He only hurt my throat and my—” She stopped

  abruptly, biting her lip.

  8

  “A nd your…?” Jase waited expectantly but she shook

  her head. Inside a little voice was scolding her. Are

  you crazy? You need to tell him about the cheek swab—about the injection. Who knows what that crazy bastard shot you up with?

  You have to tell!

  But somehow she just couldn’t. She was afraid if she did

  then Jase would insist that she take a rape kit after all and God, she just could not handle that right now. She needed to be left alone to lick her wounds—not poked and prodded and

  violated, even in the name of justice.

  “Just my throat. He only hurt my throat. And I think it’s

  just scratched—really,” she said quickly. “I just need to disinfect it and I’ll be fine, honestly.”

  “Nikki…” He frowned down at her. “You really expect me

  to believe—”

  “You have to,” she pleaded. “Look, I know I sound crazy

  —talking about a guy who turned into some kind of animal.

  Maybe…maybe I should say I don’t remember.”

  To her surprise, Jase seemed to really consider this. He frowned thoughtfully.

  “I don’t know. We’ve already kind of put part of it out there when I was talking to Shoals and Hendricks.”

  “Can’t I just say I don’t remember for tonight?” Suddenly Nikki felt horribly, unbearably tired. “Please, Jase,” she begged. “I promise I’ll tell you everything later. But right now I’m just exhausted.” She put a trembling hand to her eyes. “So damn worn out by everything that’s happened tonight. Can’t you let me rent a hotel room somewhere and

  just sleep?”

  That was suddenly all she wanted to do—just lose herself

  in slumber and try to forget the waking nightmare that had

  happened tonight. And maybe when she woke up, she would

  find that was all it was—just a nightmare, and everything was okay.

  Jase sighed and squeezed her hand gently.

  “All right—I’ll tell my captain you’re in no shape to give

  a statement right now and you need some rest. But you’re not staying in any hotel.”

  “But…I thought you said I couldn’t go back to my house?

  Not right away, anyway,” Nikki protested.

  “You can’t. But you can come to mine.” He cleared his throat. “If…if you want to. I mean, it’s not much but you’ll be safe there if that asshole is still looking for you.”

  Nikki felt as though all the blood had drained from her face.

  “Still…looking for me?” The idea that the awful beast-man might come back hadn’t even occurred to her. The thought was absolutely terrifying.

  “Like I said, I think he has a type and you’re it.” Jase sighed and raked a hand through his thick, black hair. “I’m

  not trying to scare you into coming with me. I just…I want to keep you safe, all right?”

  Nikki felt her heart flutter but told herself sternly it was

  only nerves. Jase was just being kind.

  “I don’t want to impose on you…” she began.

  “No imposition,” Jase said quickly. “Listen, after everything you did for me in high school, I owe you one.

  More than one, actually.” He looked at her seriously. “You’re the reason I ended up on the police force instead of behind bars or worse. That time when you talked to me…When you

  told me…”

  He trailed o but she knew what he was talking about.