Page 39 of Forbidden Moon
“We’ve already talked about this. It’s not like you to let things fester.”
Ben released a frustrated growl.
“I can’t let it go until I figure it out. I need to talk to Jonah, but he’s never here and won’t come to the house! I’m telling you, babe, something’s not right.”
Evan’s warm hand caressed its way down Ben’s naked body as he flooded the link with images his mate couldn’t resist.
“Let’s talk about it after breakfast. I have something better for us to do right now.”
Thus distracted, Evan carefully eased Ben’s worry and replaced his desire to talk with Jonah into something less urgent. His plan to give the couple more time was faltering, thanks to Ben’s Alpha nature and persistence. Ready or not, the secret couldn’t be kept much longer.
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RUSSELL ENJOYED THEluxury of sleeping in late on his day off. After a quick breakfast, he headed to his man cave in a corner of the basement. He needed to do some research before deciding how to deal with the residents of the Preserve. Dominic’s blog was the logical place to start, though the man hadn’t volunteered any specific information. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find, given the bizarre subject matter.
Minutes passed while he typed various terms into Google’s search bar and skimmed through the results without finding anything useful. Maybe Dominic’s blog wasn’t popular enough to be trending yet, or he hadn’t been searching correctly. He decided to try a combination of “blog” plus “shapeshifter” this time, and a dozen pages popped up. Now he was getting somewhere! Most of the listed blogs dealt with movie and book characters and their fans—no surprise there.
On the third page, one of the sites had reblogged a more serious-sounding discussion from one named “Strange Things”. Russell clicked through to check it out. The author neglected to post a photo or give much in the way of a biography. Unlike all the others, the content wasn’t centered on books or Hollywood nonsense. Then he saw the blogger’s online name and bingo! Dominic tried to conceal his identity, but to someone who knew him personally, “Birdman” gave it away.
Starting at the beginning, Russell read each post and the growing number of responses from his readers. Piece by piece, the puzzle came together, leaving him a clearer picture of both Dominic and the incredible secret he’d been keeping. He especially liked the responses of a guy named “Gone Postal”. Too bad he lived way down in South Carolina, or he’d have invited him to join the Michigan Foresters.
His militia group wasn’t hurting for members, but some of the guys were dumb as rocks. As the group’s founder and leader, he could use a few more men with ballsandbrains if they were to take out the freaks on the Preserve. First, Russell knew he’d have to confirm what those “people” truly were before taking direct action.
Obviously, Dominic’s fear of the shapeshifters kept him from doing anything about them; fine with him. Screw the cops or the military—this needed to be handled locally. It was time to gather the most faithful of his patriots and let them know what was going on. The entire world would be kissing their asses in gratitude if it went down the right way. About damn time, too.
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RJ WORKED WITH SEVERALdifferent officers from the start, some for a week and others for only a day or two. This morning, he ended up shadowing Chad Glupker again for a run-up to the northeast corner of their assigned territory. Dotted with a dozen or more campgrounds and recreation areas, Chad sought to familiarize RJ with as many as they had time to visit. They drove for about an hour and then started working their way south.
All the facilities were packed with visitors at this time of year, most from out of state. With so many people, issues inevitably arose, some of which required the firm hand of the law. Near lunchtime, they received a call to report immediately to the ranger at Big Island Lake regarding some kind of trouble at the boat docks he couldn’t handle alone. Fortunately, they weren’t far away, and Chad knew exactly where they were going.
An hour later, they’d arrested three beered-up fishermen, impounded their boat, and dispersed the crowd gathered to watch the scene. Had they not been so close, the situation could have devolved into a drunken brawl with potentially serious injuries. Once the men were in custody, Chad drove to a nearby cafe catering to those who preferred “real food” on vacation. They talked through the meal about the Big Island incident, and Chad was pleased with the way RJ handled it.
“You know I have to report on how you’re doing to Chief Toomey, right? It’s all been good so far, and you did great today. A little birdie told me he’s thinking about turning you loose in a few more weeks.”
“So soon? Not that I mind, but there’s a lot of our territory I haven’t seen and so many other officers I haven’t met yet.”
For the third time since they sat down, RJ’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. He and Jonah had been exchanging texts all morning, and Chad not only noticed, his inquiring mind wanted to know.
“What’s the story, Wilson? You’ve been smiling at nothing and sending texts like your fingers are on fire. Finally hooked up with Blair?”
RJ choked on the last bite of his burger while Chad grinned at him from across the table. How the hell did he know, and why did he care?
“We’ve talked about this before. I don’t like people all up in my business.”
Not to be deterred, Chad laughed at him and kept talking.
“Look, I’m not stalking you or anything, but I took my wife out for dinner last night and saw the two of you at Giuseppe’s. Glad to know you didn’t let a nice guy like Jonah get away.”
RJ sighed and shook his head.
“I guess I have to get used to living in a small community. How did I miss seeing you?”
Chad laughed again.
“Man, there could have been a three-alarm fire in the kitchen, and neither of you would have noticed! If it matters, I think you make a great couple, and I hope things go well.”
RJ set aside his annoyance when he realized Chad was sincerely happy for him.
