Several moments passed, the only sound in the room that of the ticking grandfather clock behind them. Suddenly a high-pitched, buzzing noise jolted everyone into a collective flinch, and Amy abruptly stood, her chair scratching across the hardwood floor as she rose.
“My bread.” With shaking hands, Amy turned, opened the oven door, and pulled out two loaves of steaming fresh bread. The delicious smell in the house increased.
After situating the loaves on the stove and turning off the oven, Amy turned back around and leaned against the counter. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth to speak, pausing for a moment before carefully choosing her words. “Where is this hole?”
“She knows something.” Michael spoke to Tyler alone. The two men were the only ones in the room who could communicate with each other right now.
“I’d tend to agree,” Tyler added.
“Right on the edge of your property and ours. Just south of the stream.” Michael spoke this time, forcing Amy’s gaze to wander his way.
The woman took a deep breath and glanced out the window before she spoke again. “I have an idea.”
Michael held his breath.
“First of all, I have a confession to make.” With trembling hands, Amy shuffled back to the table and sat, gripping the wood so tight her knuckles turned white. “My sister is married to a shifter. Has been for twenty-five years.”
Michael didn’t blink. She knows?
After a glance around the collectively silent table, Amy continued. “I respect your privacy and have never felt the inclination to inform you of my knowledge. It’s your business, and you are good neighbors. My sister is a wonderful person who married into a great family. She has never had anything but kind loving words to describe her family.
“Some years ago, when I first bought this land, Judith and her husband came here to visit. It was then that he told me most of my neighbors were shifters. I’ve known for nearly twenty years.” She smiled.
“Amy, I…” Richard ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to say. What does this have to do with the trap?”
“Ah.” Amy shook her head as if to clear it. “Right. Well, nothing. The thing is, you know my father came to live with me many years ago, right?”
Richard nodded.
“He’s never known about Judith. She and I are very close, but we didn’t think Dad could handle the information, so we never told him. Unfortunately, about a dozen years ago, Dad was living on his own about thirty miles from here. He had a few acres of land, which he and my mom farmed until she passed away. Not long after Mom died, Dad was out walking his dog, and he heard gunfire on the neighboring farm. It was truly a coincidence that he happened to be so close at the time. Right as he passed the neighbor’s driveway, he caught two men shooting a pair of wolves.”
Amy wiped her forehead with one hand, her brow furrowed in anger. “Dad yelled at the men, telling them it was illegal to shoot wolves in the area and scaring them off. The men jumped into their truck and drove away as he approached. Concerned, he went to the house to check on the neighbors. The only person at home was a ten-year-old child. She’d witnessed the entire scene out the window and was in shock. My dad stayed with her and called the police. Her parents never came home.
“When my father called me that night, he was… Distraught doesn’t even begin to describe him actually. He’s never been the same.”
A choke sounded to Michael’s right, and he turned his head to find his brother Charles with tears in his eyes. “That little girl is now my mate, Jessica. I’m sure of it.” His words were a mere whisper.
Amy leaned forward and took his hand from across the table. “Oh, Charles. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Those two men were Alfred and Judas. The leader of Jessica’s Oklahoma pack sent them.” He cleared his throat, trying to keep the bile from rising. “So, what happened to your dad? Did he put two and two together?” Charles muttered the words as he rubbed his temples with both hands.
“Yes. At least he thinks he did. Judith came over to help me console him, but my dad was extremely upset. He kept mumbling incoherently about werewolves. He was sure those two wolves were the little girl’s parents. Judith and I knew he had no proof. It was all speculation. So we agreed to keep it to ourselves. He needed to heal. He was in no position to handle the truth.
“The trouble is, he never recovered. He’s never been the same since. I moved him in with me within days, and he lived here for many years.”
“Lived? Your father isn’t still here with you? Did he…?” Richard asked.