Page 111 of Not Your Ordinary Shifter

“You already heard the same from someone else,” she said, not accusing him of anything, just stating the facts.

“Yes.” He wouldn’t beat around the bush with family and friends, especially when there was something on the loose in the desert. “I talked with Annabelle about her and Jerome’s encounter with whatever this is.”

“Same story?” Marie tilted her head.

“Right down to the sounds the animal or creature made.”

“Wow,” Marie whispered. “I thought it was all a really weird dream.”

“One you shared with Malcom?” He quirked a brow.

She laughed. “He said the same. I don’t know... I guess I wanted it to be a prank. Like some teens out to start their haunts early. You know how the kids are around here.”

He did. “Kalkin thought it could have been because of the story he told the children the other night.”

Marie chuckled. “Heard that was fun. Couldn’t have been them, though. The teens weren’t there. They stayed with me, and we made special lunch treats for the kids for the rest of the week.”

“Good to know,” Johnathan muttered, writing the information. “Anything else you can think of?”

She shook her head. “Cooper, be nice to Susanne.”

Cooper grinned from ear to ear before running around with the little girl named Susanne. His red hair glittered in the sunlight as he chased after the little girl who tagged him and giggled like a banshee. His twin, however, was content to help breakdown the Styrofoam surrounding the giant limbs of the skeletons. Johnathan snorted. “He’s a Raferty through and through. I don’t think I’ve ever met a bunch of kids or adults who fit a mold so completely.”

“Especially when some didn’t even know they were Raferty.” Marie snickered, elbowing him playfully. “Anyway, the whole time we heard the whistling, it got louder and softer. Like they went far away to make the noise, then came back to the window. Disturbing as well. Like fingernails on a chalkboard.”

He shuddered. “If you could describe the noise, what would you say it sounded like?”

She lifted her shoulder. “Mournful, I guess is the best way to describe it. Scared me half to death.”

“Annabelle said they—whoever sounded scared,” he hedged.

“I can understand that,” Marie replied. “But not the night we heard it.”

“I appreciate your help. I need to head over to Jerome and Annabelle’s home to check it out. Mind if I come by and do the same at yours and Malcolm’s place?”

“We won’t be there until around eight, so knock yourself out. Call if you need anything,” Marie said before she went back to the group of children. “All right guys, let’s see how you did.”

Johnathan chuckled as he walked away. Once the kids finished hanging up all the spooky decorations, the orphanage would bethedestination spot for the whole of town. As he walked to the corner of the street, Nico stopped beside him. “Hop in. Kalkin told me what you were up to today.”

He got in beside Hayden’s mate and thanked him for picking him up. “I need to head back to the Sheriff’s Department to get my bike, then drive to the Blackhorn residence.”

“Hayden said she saw you in town earlier, before we had lunch,” Nico said. “Any luck on the whistler?”

He shook his head. “I wish. However, I have two credible witnesses, so far. I don’t think it’s fake. Finding the culprit, however, might be a little more daunting than I expected or maybe even Kalkin figured on.”

“Always is around here,” Nico replied. “The answers continuously lie where we least expect them to be.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Johnathan chuckled. “My only other solution is to shift at night and hang out in the areas where people heard the whistling. See what turns up.” Though, knowing his luck, the one night he did his job, nothing would happen.

“Might work,” Nico said. “You’ll have to keep me posted.”

“You and Hayden haven’t heard anything have you?” he hedged, knowing Hayden had already said no, but Nico... He might have.

“No,” Nico answered. “Can’t say we have. Living in the old Montgomery home, affords us some peace away from the desert. Also helps we have a seven-foot-tall privacy fence around the backyard for the kids’ safety.”

Made sense. After everything Hayden had been through along with Emmeline and Asher, he couldn’t imagine the lengths Nico and she’d go to protect their pups and cubs. “I guess you can count yourself as one of the lucky ones then.”

“I wouldn’t say that, given the circumstances. Whoever’s out there needs our help. I’ll keep my ear to the ground. If I hear anything or see anything out of the ordinary, I’ll let you know.”

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