Page 62 of Bear Creek Valentine
Dash secured the strip of black silk, plunging his mate into an aroused darkness. There were so many things he wanted to do with Aiden that choosing became its own form of torture. Acting on impulse, he laid him on the bed and lifted his legs, going to town on his sensitive hole. A few minutes of licks, nibbles,and kisses left Aiden loose and panting. Dash grabbed the butt plug and lube, greasing up the flesh-colored toy before gliding it inside.
“There. Now you’ll be all stretched and ready for me later.”
Aiden moaned when Dash began lightly caressing his body. Blunt fingertips left charged promises on his face, chest, thighs, cock, and nipples. He moaned, shivering with sensations that were heightened by his inability to see. Dash then kissed a tingly path from lips to balls and engulfed Aiden’s cock in wet heat. Instead of letting him cum this way, Dash coated his mate’s cock with lube and rode him hard. Aiden cried out with the strength of the climax, enhanced by the pressure of the butt plug and Dash’s hot channel.
By the time Dash wiped them both down and untied the blindfold, his bear was clamoring for a shot at Aiden’s ass. Apparently, this was a birthday present that kept on giving—far into the night.
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Wednesday, September 28th, Delicious
Serena returned from the satellite location at the Hungry Bear in time to help Blanche get caught up with online orders. They’d gained quite a few new customers, some from several states away, who’d sampledDelicious’chocolates as guests at the resort. If this trend continued, Aiden would have to reevaluate his staffing level sooner than November. While boxing up orders, Serena gave him a thumbnail sketch of how things were going.
“Ginger is a hoot! That woman knows how to take itanddish it out, but she runs a tight ship, Boss, and the place is immaculate every time I visit. Sales are slowly increasing and she’s writing up a recommendation to change our product mix.We’ll probably need to do that seasonally anyway, but she’s talking about the need for fewer fancy items and more grab-and-go sweets, especially the coffee bars. It makes sense in a casual atmosphere like the Hungry Bear, and if they really want something we don’t have room to carry, she can special order it for them.”
Aiden was pleased to hear things were going well. Coupled with the other items made just for the resort, such as pillow chocolates, anniversary boxes, birthday gift bags, and take-home assortments, sales were on target. Thankfully, D2 was hitting its stride now, even with the Fall harvest going on. Raspberries were still coming in, the nut harvest had just begun, and the apple crop started within the next couple of weeks. Once the fruit and nuts arrived, post-processing required careful packaging, labeling, and placement in the freezer until needed.
Feedback from his new suppliers was positive. They were happy with the equipment and supplies provided by Dash’s grants and loans and grateful for the seasonal income. But because of the enormous increase in business, Aiden would still have to purchase fruit and nuts from traditional sources. Expanding into the Blakeslee area next year looked like a necessity, and it would benefit more of the area shifters.
Aiden’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the back door. He punched a button on the security panel and the screen revealed his postal carrier—odd since he normally came in through the front door. Aiden opened up and immediately noticed a foul odor.
“Hi, Joe. What have you got for me today?”
The man grimaced, gesturing to three mismatched, reused boxes sitting next to the building. Aiden’s first thought was another surprise from Dash, but Joe shot down the theory.
“Not sure, but I wouldn’t bring these inside if I were you, and you might want to close that door. Damn things stank up my truck something awful, and I’m glad to be rid of them.”
Aiden leaned over to get a closer look and almost gagged at the stench. The labels had been printed on what looked like scrap paper, with postmarks from three different locations. He stepped back to catch his breath and ask Joe a question.
“Those were sent from the Scranton area, right?”
“Yes, Sir. Mailed two days ago from Clarks Summit, Pittston, and Moscow. Maybe these are somebody’s idea of a joke, but I can tell you one thing—if they’d smelled this bad from the get-go, our counter clerks would never have accepted them for shipment. You have a good day now.”
Joe handed over the regular stack of mail and continued his route. Aiden’s first thought was to call the Sheriff, but then reconsidered and dialed Glen Wahl’s number. When he answered, Aiden explained what was going on and asked him what he should do.
“Don’t touch them, and it’s better if you let me get a look before calling the Sheriff. Law enforcement doesn’t always cooperate with investigators like me, and important evidence might be lost. Hang tight, Aiden. I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”
Aiden went back inside, quickly closing the door to keep the stink out. After sharing the news with Blanche and Serena, he called Leo and asked him to watch for anything suspicious. While it was cold comfort, this incident, at least, hadn’t interrupted his business or affected sales. It did, however, confirm that his enemy hadn’t yet given up, which was more troubling than the surprise delivery.
Dash deserved to know what was happening, but Aiden decided not to call him until he knew more. Besides, he was swamped today and couldn’t come to Bear Creek just to holdAiden’s hand. His protective mate would be outraged on his behalf, and while Aiden loved him for it, there was nothing Dash coulddo.
Aiden met the P.I. behind the shop, nose wrinkled by the horrid smell. While he explained what he’d learned from the postman, Wahl took photos of the packages and then slipped on a pair of disposable gloves.
“I suspect there’s something dead in those boxes, but I’ll need to open one to confirm. Stay here, and I’ll move it away from the building.”
Wahl retrieved a small duffle from his car and then picked up the largest box, setting it down near the dumpster. He took out a sharp knife to slice the tape, pulled back the cardboard flaps, and gazed inside. Wahl took a step back and gestured Aiden over to see for himself. Inside a clear plastic bag was a gory mess of bone, guts, and fur that had once been a raccoon. The investigator explained.
“Roadkill. Probably the same in the other boxes. While it took some effort to collect, this was not a fresh kill, just for your sake. Believe it or not, that’s a good sign. She wants to frighten and disgust you, though she’s changed her pattern this time. It’s possible she’s afraid of the cameras or didn’t want to risk another in-person attack. More importantly, she left behind all kinds of potential clues. Let me check the other two packages.”
Wahl found a mostly intact house cat in one, and two flattened squirrels in the other. Aiden left the boxes by the dumpster and then notified the Sheriff’s office. A deputy arrived promptly, took photos of the evidence, and jotted down what Aiden and Wahl told him. He agreed to let the P.I. take the boxes on the condition that he share his findings with the department. After the officer left, Wahl removed the contents of each box and examined the plastic bags. They were identical and unusual; not something found on a store shelf, but perhaps used in industry.
There was no point in keeping the grisly remains since they were common examples found on nearly every road in the state. Wahl tossed them in the dumpster and asked Aiden for a clean garbage bag to hold the odorous boxes. He closed it with a twist tie and placed the evidence in the trunk of his car with a wry smile. Wahl’s gut feeling was that Aiden’s tormentor had made a serious error this time, and he truly hoped the contents of his trunk held the key to solving the case.
“I’m still chasing down leads, including a very promising one. If those boxes reveal anything, I’ll let you know. Meanwhile, stay sharp and call me if there’s another incident.”
Wahl got back on the road, more excited than he’d let on in front of his client. He was hot on the trail of a suspect who, in her own mind, had reason to seek revenge. Aiden was a good man and would never have put the pieces together, and in truth, missed the possibility entirely. The problem wasfindinga woman who now lived on the wrong side of the tracks, where anonymity and altered identities reigned supreme. Wahl felt certain the boxes contained vital clues to tracking her down and ending this destructive game.
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