Wolf Soul

Part 9

Brier smiled, glad for the hot black coffee was making her brain wake up and overlooking the hard work of the last few weeks of the bar. Conner had promised his help and man did that that really hold up to his words! Bringing some local help in not only his friend but others in the town who volunteer from helping a few hours to giving her things for the bar!

Micky is one of them, having taken some of the old broken stools they had found packed in the basement and taking them home. Reworking and fixing and polishing till it gleamed under the low lights and polished. Now 15 of those stools lined the applewood bar that had been a bitch to resand and refurbished, taking hours on and off between the four of them over the last weeks.

"Still, its worth it..." she thought, feeling this place was becoming a home. Even members of her pack had come to help and getting to know the town they now called home. "Just if someone would warm up a little more..."

Conner MckCreed, the puzzle of a man with that coy smile and deep blue eyes had seemed to go from being warm and flirty with her in days to just, distance. He would smile, but it never seemed to reach his eyes and his tone had cooled to her in keeping things just based on work or the most shallow of topics that crossed his mind. Hell! He was avoiding also any physical connection with her if he could!

So why? Biting her lower lip, the Luna felt that tug in her gut of knowing he was hiding a pain, deep in his soul. "What a puzzle box you are Conner..."

Rachal had grabbed her own coffee and nibbled on a homemade sugar donut from the bakery down the lane. Looking her friend and Luna looking solemn and knew the man of the reason why. Unlike Conner, Nolan always had an with a goofy smile and sharp wit that helped to ease any tensions in the room to make their work full of barbs and laughs. Given also her shock he was also a teacher and had offered to see if could help with Sunny in getting a job just showed he was a good guy.

Rachal the other day had asked why the changes while he had been outside for a smoke. His sun glassed on, his ash brown brows had tightened a little in trying to explain in a few words, "Conner had some bad stuff happen to him a long time ago. So it is hard for him to get close to anyone. Just give him some breathing room...."

Crossing the room, the Beta woman smiled at her idea coming out on her kissable lips. "We should invite them to the BBQ up at the den, so they can meet the rest of the pack. We just do more the human card."

Blier blinked her smile back in the subjection now lighting up. "I was thinking that too!

Before talking more of their plans, Brier's cell phone off, B" lack Sabbath-Iron Man" rolled out in her fathers ring tone in making both the women jump a foot in the air from the music coming from her office. Turning in keeping her heart under her boobs, the Luna walked up and swap the screen in bringing it to her ear with a joking smile.

"Hey Dad, whats up?"

"Brier, who is with you?"

Tilting her head, her father's tone was heavy and deep, holding a wisp of anger in it. "Just me and Rach at the bar..."

Hearing him take in deep breathe, "Put me on speaker phone so Rachal can hear this. I got bad news...."

Walking out, she put the phone off the bar and waved her hand to get Rachal to come close to putting it on speaker phone. "Ok, dad, ready."

"The Weinstein farm was attacked two days by a group of hunters. The only living member is Crystal." He said, his voice flat in keeping the anger at bay.

Brier took a deep shock in her body in her eyes widening and her hands had to grab the bar to keep her body from swaying. Even Rachal took in the sharp gasp as if she had been hit in the chest by something large. The Whenstian had been a small pack of coyote shifters that lived on Pack land, with only 10 of them. They owned and ran a small farm and sawmill that most the family worked. Crystal was the youngest at 15 years of age and next in line for the Luna after her mother.

"One of our patrols found Crystal passed out in her coyote form and we took her right to the healer. I and your older brother and few others went right to farm. Everything was burned Brier, all the buildings, even the ones that held their livestock. We found at least 3 sets of truck tracks and a good 15 men on scent alone." Rowen paused, finding his words. "Half the family was in coyote form, they skinned them and left the bodies to rot. The others were gunned down, and I think April's cubs were still in the family house when they set it on fire...."

Brier moved, dry heaving in the hearing of this slaughter, feeling sick of any being that could kill babies and not even care at all. Rachal felt as Brier did, but kept her body from twisting the hot anger pooling through it.

"Alpha Rowin, was there anything else you noticed? This type of attack sounds familiar to me." Rachal asked, keeping her calm.

Hearing a steady breathing, Brier allowed back down her eggs from this morning in getting the answer from her father. "This type of style fits the Saw family, and they did it to my friend Tom's pack, killing his mate and their young son Conner."

Notes:

 I did it, chapter 9 is done and its a bit of cliff hanger! I thought to add a bit of a dark theme to the story and really pick up the pace in how things are going! Sorry for the long wait of updates, life has been a little hell with jobs and friends and not much computer! Thanks and keep voting and leaving comments! Its what keeps me writing!

Also, do you think Rachal and Nolan might work as a couple? Let me know!