Page 49 of Conner's Luna

I think about Bailey's voice. Her voice lulls my wolf into complacency like a siren's song. Her voice puts her above Lydia in a scary way. Nothing else sounds the same to us.

I whip out my phone and call a tow company to come haul away Bailey's car. I'll pay for the paint job. Not that she needs the junker. I'll be driving her to school from now on. Because she's mine... right?

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14 - Bears and Wolves

Bailey

I climb into Sean's truck. It's just like Conner's except it's navy blue instead of black. I bet Sarj has a grey one. Braxton has a white one. Other than the different colors the trucks are identical make and models. And they call me a dork. Boys.

The navy blue isn't as pretty as my car. My poor, defenseless car. She didn't deserve all of the humiliation.

"Hey, we'll get it fixed real quick," Sean offers with a sympathetic smile.

I sigh and turn to him. "I had to tell my Dad about this. He's got enough on his plate and now he's suspicious."

Sean nods. "He... ah, doesn't know about the shit you've been through?"

I squirm in my seat. I don't like thinking about it. It feels so embarrassing to admit that I'm bullied. "He doesn't," I mumble in response.

"Well, in the meantime you can drive Conner's truck," Sean offers.

I frown. "Not a good idea. I'm vertically challenged in that thing."

"You're vertically challenged everywhere," Sarj says teasingly from the backseat.

"I'm just the right size for walking and small spaces," I reply stubbornly.

The boys are laughing as we pull onto the highway.

"Did, um, you both have to drive me to work? I can drive myself, you know. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but it's from my house to a secure parking lot behind a gate."

"Alpha-ah-male's orders," Sean coughs out, then starts to fiddle with the radio.

"Yeah, that sums up Conner," I say. My heart starts to pound a little. My little hairs are prickling. Alpha-male. Well, that certainly describes Conner perfectly, doesn't it?

"Right," Sarj says, "Conner is a prick when he needs to be. He wants you protected all the time. Which is why I'm staying with you."

"Staying with me?!" I can't help the astonished squeak.

"Yeah," Sean responds, so casually in the face of my horror.

"You can't. You need to have a background check and... permission... and... well, that."

Sarj smiles then shows me a badge. I stare at it, at the unsmiling picture of a dark-haired, dark-eyed young man in a business suit. It has some emblem on it in blue and red and Sarj's name underneath.

"What is a CSIS agent?" I ask him.

"Canadian Security Intelligence Service," he responds.

"You... you're an intelligence agent?" I stare at him, dumbfounded. "From Canada?"

"I am," he responds quietly. "We're called officers."

"Wow. You're so young!" I smile at him. "Why are you here?" I add, thinking about it.

"Experience," he says quietly. "I... um... I'm working on my criminal psychology degree, but I already have a degree in forensic science."

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