Page 6

Chapter Six

Gram entered the spa’s lobby and was instantly hit with the overpowering smell of lavender. They apparently soaked everything in it from the strength of the scent. Undertones of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves made their way to him, all confusing his senses.

His wolf did its version of an internal sneeze, unhappy with the strong odor as well. Soft music filled the room. It was a mix of classical music and the sound of the ocean. The sound of it all together agitated Gram, making him feel antsy, like he wanted to get away from it. He strongly suspected it was supposed to be soothing. He’d heard of binary beats before. They never worked for him like they did some.

Basically, they annoyed him and made him fidget. The opposite of their intent.

The entire right wall of the lobby was made to look like a giant waterfall, complete with running water and everything. The walls were cream-colored, as was all of the furniture. Everything had modern, clean lines to it, and was what Gram heard termed minimalist. While he was sure it was in vogue, it felt sterile to him. For a place that prided itself on its open-arms, welcoming attitude, as noted by the billboards on the side of the highway leading into the remote, isolated facility, it was failing miserably in his opinion.

Though Gram did find himself oddly drawn to a large vase of flowers that sat off to the right of the counter. Never before could he recall a time when he’d stopped to take note of flowers, let alone admire them.

Weird.

Car pointed to a large floor display that had photos of relaxing spa amenities. One was of a woman leaning back with green goop on her face and cucumbers on her eyes. Another was of a man soaking in what looked like mud. “Know that I’m gonna pay them extra to take yer photo when yer covered in mud with vegetables over yer eyes. Then I’m gonna frame all the photos and send them to yer headquarters. I think there might be an Asshole of the Week mention in there for you. If for no other reason than it will amuse me greatly.”

Gram rolled his eyes. No one really wanted to win the award. While it wasn’t official or anything, it had become a thing that PSI guys did on a regular basis, nominating one another whenever an operative did something particularly stupid. With the abundance of alpha males in PSI, it was amazing they didn’t rename it the Asshole of the Day, rather than week.

“Smells like they dunked the place in a field of lavender and then hosed it down with more for guid measure,” remarked Mac, rubbing his nose, his wolf displeased as well. “It’s so much that it’s giving me a headache.”

“Aye,” said Gram.

For a place that supposedly catered to their kind, it wasn’t doing so great in the scent department and its music was shit.

Carbrey took one side of Gram, and Mac flanked him on the other. They knew he was a serious flight risk. The second the opportunity presented itself, Gram was out of there. No way in hell was he going to sit around in a mud bath with cucumber slices on his eyes. And he certainly wasn’t going to talk about his feelings.

Not happening.

No way.

No how.

“I can see it in yer eyes, Campbell,” warned Mac, placing one hand on Gram’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I’ll break your leg if you try.”

“You do realize yer forcing me to be here to heal and yer threatening bodily harm if I do nae stay,” he said, quirking a brow at the man’s logic.

“Aye. I know full well what I said. And I mean it. To get you right as rain, I’m willing to break yer leg. Car will help,” he said, nodding his head in his brother’s direction.

Car grinned. “I will.”

“Sure. The two of you finally decide to get along just in time to team up on me.” Gram let out an annoyed breath. “You both suck.”

“Nah, but we enjoy getting sucked,” said Car with a throaty laugh. “I need to get laid. My balls are turning blue. Why couldn’t we stop off at a house of ill repute? Instead, we’re at a place that will want to feed us bean sprouts and hummus. Where are the hot chicks Striker swore would be here?”

“What do we have here?” asked Mac as a group of women walked out and behind the front counter area.

Car grinned. “Ask and ye shall receive.”

A blonde offered a flirtatious smile, focusing on Car. “Welcome to Caladrius Wellness and Healing Center Spa & Resort. How can we service you today?”

“Service us?” asked Car, his voice trailing off as a dreamy look came over his face.

“That’s it, I’m taking yer place, Campbell,” said Mac, stepping forward. “No one told me they’d be flat-out offering to service you.”

Gram shook his head. “Not like that .”

The women all stared at him like he was the crazy one for suggesting they weren’t offering to perform sex acts on him.

He blinked several times, wondering just what kind of retreat Striker had hooked him up with. As the thought hit him, he stiffened. Knowing Striker, it was really a bordello that was designed to look like a spa.

Shite.

Car sighed, still looking as if he’d found his version of heaven. “Mac, break my arm. I want to have a legit reason to stay.”

“Aye. Only if you break mine in return, brother,” responded Mac, swept up with the women before them as well.

The blonde woman grinned. “You don’t need to be injured to be a guest here. This is the spa and wellness portion of the resort. You’ll find the resort itself offers many activates and amenities. Golf, tennis, swimming, fencing, gyms, two bars and three restaurants that are open to the public as well as a private dining area for staff. I think you’ll find Caladrius has something for everyone.”

Car waggled his brows. “Aye, but if we’re injured, there is a guid chance we’ll have pity taken on us and get our boo-boos kissed.”

Mac snorted.

“As I said, we offer something for everyone. Injuries are not required to have body parts kissed. That is a bonus that is free of charge,” said the blonde, her tone suggestive.

Mac and Car high-fived in front of his face, as if he wasn’t even there.

Gram groaned. The twins were making dealing with Striker look like a breeze. They would end up in bed with three chicks very soon. One too many times Gram had seen the twins work their seductive charms on the opposite sex. He couldn’t think of any time their advances had been rejected. Then again, he’d only had one rejection in his long life as well.

Brooke.

He didn’t want to continue to feel as if someone was sitting on his chest whenever he thought of her. He wanted to just be happy for her and for Bethany. Maybe Striker had the right idea. Maybe time away from the situation to rest and relax was called for. As he looked over the women, he had to admit they were very attractive. But he had no interest in sex. At least not with them.

Car took a step toward the women. “Campbell. He’s a reservation.”

“I do?” questioned Gram. “Since when? I assumed that, like everything Striker does, this had very little thought put behind it.”

“Striker made it for you yesterday before he called us,” supplied the feisty Scot. “So there is a higher-than-average chance you’ll be getting a special massage if you know what I mean.”

Yes. He knew exactly what he meant. And he planned to kill Striker the first chance he got. Gram was about to say as much when he found himself oddly fixated on the fresh-cut flowers once more. The strangest urge to keep his mouth shut and remain came over him. That in itself was odd.

The women giggled in a way that said they were receptive to the twins’ antics. In fact, two of the women came out from behind the counter, one going to each twin. The women touched the twins’ arms, petting them in a teasing manner. The last thing Car and Mac needed was encouragement.

The women gave it in spades.

Oh yeah. The twins would be doing the horizontal bop with the women soon enough. It really was impossible to take them anywhere and have them behave. They were basically overgrown teenage boys. They had women, booze, and food on their minds at all times. That was about it.

“Mr. Campbell,” said the blonde. “Welcome. We’ve been looking forward to your arrival.”

“Can’t you stay with us, too?” asked the redhead, slinking her body against Car’s. “Everyone can use some downtime to relax, unwind, and unload.”

“Unload?” asked Car with a large swallow.

She licked her lips and nodded, her gaze sliding down him, settling on the man’s groin. “Most certainly unload.”

Car whimpered.

Mac laughed until the woman near him began to pet him once more. Then he looked as if he was caught between running away and dry humping her then and there. Knowing the man, the latter would win out.

The woman nearest Car made eye contact with Gram briefly. The way her eyes caught the light made Gram wonder if she had a bit of cat-shifter in her. He couldn’t smell any on her, not that he could smell much beyond the overpowering scents the spa had, but his senses did alert him to the fact she was more than human. All the women present were. Made sense if the place catered to supernaturals.

There was something else there. A scent he couldn’t quite place with all the lavender in the air. Whatever it was, it reminded him of the scent of a succubus.

The woman slid her hand down the front of Car and came to rest on his groin, cupping him through his jeans. “Is that a yes to staying and unloading?”

Car jerked and cleared his throat. “Dear gods above, I wish I was staying to be serviced too.”

Mac eyed his brother. “Maybe we could be late for the other thing.”

“Not an option,” said Car with a long sigh. “But we’ll be back. We’ve something to take care of first. In the meantime, yer welcome to keep our friend here company. If anyone could use servicing, it’s Campbell.”

Gram lifted a hand to stop Car before he went any further. “I’m guid. I do nae need servicing. Can someone show me to my room?”

Mac grunted. “Och, Campbell, you more than anyone need servicing. If these women are nae to yer liking, just say so. Striker told us you like yer women tall, dark-haired, green-eyed, and smokin’ hot. Maybe they take orders here.”

Gram was going to kill Striker slowly.

Mac looked to the blonde behind the counter. “I do nae suppose you have one of those women handy, do you?”

She grinned. “As a matter of fact, we do.”

Mac waggled his brows. “Guid. He’ll take two.”

“Arsehole,” whispered Gram, knowing Mac could hear him with ease.

“Stop yelling at me. I know you don’t like Brussels sprouts, okay?” A small man with wiry hair, a knit cap, and a towel wrapped around his waist came walking out from a back area. His pudgy, hair-covered torso stuck out as the towel rode dangerously low. He had on a pair of pink flip-flops and appeared to be a man on a mission. He spun and pointed to another man.

A tall, lanky male followed close behind, this one wearing a white robe and a pair of blue flip-flops. Under the tall man’s arm was a football helmet, and in the helmet was a head.

Gram did a double-take.

The head was fake and looked to be from a mannequin, but it was a head nonetheless.

The smaller man turned to face the other fully. “Gus, I heard you the first ten times. I’m sorry I got Brussels sprouts juiced for you. It sounded good, and I wanted to see one get juiced. Didn’t know it could be done. The carrot was one thing. Big deal. Everyone does that. But a sprout, that was great. What? No. They don’t juice peanut butter and jelly sandwiches here. Wait. Maybe they do. Wonder if that comes in a smoothie. You know, smoothies are all the rage with the young folks. I stay hip. I know these things.”

Gram glanced at Car and Mac to find them both staring at the scene before them, looking as lost as Gram felt.

“Uh, is the little guy talking to himself?” asked Car, not bothering to lower his voice any.

“Aye,” said Mac. “And is that a head in a helmet under the silent one’s arm?”

“I think yer right, brother.” Car nodded. “We should nae be shocked. Striker picked the spa. Stands to reason there would be people walking around talking to themselves and carrying heads.”

“Bill,” said the blonde woman, her lips pressing into a thin line as she rushed from behind the counter in the direction of the little man. “I thought you were all set up for facials this afternoon. Shouldn’t you and Gus be there now and not here, in the lobby, where other guests can see you?”

Bill thumbed in the tall guy’s direction. “Gus won’t stop going on and on about my juice screwup. He’s a big baby when it comes to a good cleanse. Hey, speaking of that, can you guys juice peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Nothing does a body good better than peanut butter and jelly. Yum.”

“Um, no,” she said, keeping her calm.

It was amazing.

Even the twins were captivated with the spectacle before them, and they had the attention spans of gnats on crack.

“Grilled cheese juices?” asked Bill, sounding hopeful. “Maybe put them in a smoothie or something. I’m known as something of a problem solver. Also, if anyone needs some good shit, you know what I’m talking about, I got a good hookup.” He glanced at his silent friend. “I know it’s legal here but mine is better. Grown with love.”

“I’ll see what we can do,” replied the woman, clearly wanting the crazy little man out of her lobby area.

The taller male looked in Gram’s direction but didn’t make eye contact. He seemed to look everywhere but directly at Gram. It was unnerving to say the least.

The slightest of buzzing began around Gram, and he could have sworn he felt Fae magik. As quickly as it came, it left.

She’s here.

He froze, glancing around, trying to figure out who had just communicated with him on a mental path reserved for the men he worked with. It wasn’t Car’s or Mac’s voice he’d heard. In fact, he’d never heard the voice before in his life.

He nudged Mac. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” asked Mac, never looking away from Gus, who was now petting the helmet in a loving manner. “It’s like a train wreck.”

“The voice,” said Gram. “In yer head.”

Mac glanced at him. “Yer hearing voices now? Looks like we’re nae a moment too soon with getting you help.”

“Dick,” said Gram, partially under his breath.

Mac motioned to Bill. “You’ll fit right in here, Campbell. Maybe we can find you a head to carry, too.”

Protect her.

Gram turned partially, trying to figure out who the source of the clearly male voice in his head was and what the hell they were talking about. Who was here? What woman did he need to protect?

If you go, she will die.

He rubbed his ear, as if that could possibly make the voice stop.

Mac eyed him. “You still hearing voices in yer head?”

“Aye.”

“Freak.”

“Arsehole,” returned Gram. “I’m telling you, someone is in my head.”

“Uh-huh,” said Mac, nodding and making over-the-top slow gestures to drive home the fact that Gram was talking crazy.

“I haven’t lost it. Someone is telling me to protect a woman. Tell me that isn’t one of the offered services because I’m having a hard-enough time separating fact from fiction as of late. I do nae need help or anyone trying to drive my personal crazy train.”

The three women stopped what they were doing and glanced at one another.

Was it one of them who needed help? Had they found a way to make a male-sounding voice project into Gram’s head? He didn’t know of too many species of supernaturals who could pull off something like that.

“Protect who?” asked Mac, sounding as if he didn’t believe Gram.

“I don’t know.”

“Yer head-voice isnae verra helpful,” added Mac. “Tell it to fuck off. There are hot chicks and crazy-time theater going on here. It’ll have to take a number. Yer busy right now.”

Gram glanced around again, unable to shake the feeling that the voice wasn’t a prank or the result of the women. It was serious, and if he ignored it, really bad shit would happen.

Protect who? he asked, pushing his thoughts out on what he hoped was the mental pathway to the mystery person.

Your mate.

Air swooshed out of Gram’s lungs at the reply. His mate? Was this someone’s idea of a sick joke? Kick him while he was down? Pour salt in his wounds?

Bill rolled his eyes dramatically. “You’re meddling again, Gus. I thought you said we weren’t allowed to do that.”

Gus seemed aloof, his attention elsewhere while he clutched the head.

“Oh, sure. It’s okay if you do it. Got it. Just not when I do,” snapped Bill. “For that, I’m not gonna let you have any of my grilled cheese smoothie that Susan is gonna make me.”

The blonde woman cringed. “Bill, I’ll look into it. I can’t promise the smoothie will happen. But if I can’t get the kitchen staff to make you one, I’ll put a grilled cheese in a blender for you. Okay?”

Bill winked at her. “You’re all right, Susan.”

“Thank you, Bill. Now, how about we get you two over for your facials?”

Gus appeared agitated at the suggestion.

Gram found it difficult to fault the guy. He wouldn’t want a facial either.

Car leaned in Gram’s direction but continued to stare at Bill. “Have you ever seen anyone so hairy? I have nae, and we all know what we do at least once a month.”

Bill stared at them in a way that said he was sizing them up. From the man’s expression, he wasn’t intimidated by the sight of three large alpha males. If anything, he looked ready to challenge them.

Yep. The little man was crazy.

“What are you looking at?” demanded Bill, puffing his chest, making his towel come loose. One second it was up, the next the terrycloth towel was pooled on the floor next to the man’s pink flip-flops. Bill stood there in all his naked, hairy glory, giving them all the stink-eye.

Car jerked backward. “Good gods, he’s as hairy as a werewolf.”

“Och, he’s more so,” added Mac. “None of us are that bad.”

Bill narrowed his gaze on the men. “I know some werewolves. You got problems with them? Huh? You start talking smack about them and you’ll have me to deal with. Wild Bill. You’ll rue the day you crossed paths with me.”

The blonde woman tried to get Bill to cover himself with the towel, to no avail. The other two women moved in at once to lend a hand.

Gus turned in a circle, staring at the ceiling, still clutching the head under his arm.

“Och, you do nae suppose he’s the same Wild Bill we’ve heard tales about riding a mechanical elephant in Vietnam, do you?” asked Mac.

Bill shot Mac a hard stare. “One and the same, bucko. So fear me. I’m a badass.”

Mac snorted. “I assumed he’d be taller.”

Car nodded. “And less hairy.”

“Oh, and nae human,” added Mac. “Though I was right to assume he was crazy.”

“Stop yelling at me,” said Bill, looking at his friend, who hadn’t said one word. “What do you mean they’re friendlies? Striker sent them? I’m not sharing my grilled cheese smoothie with anybody but you, friends or not. There are some things in life a man holds sacred. Grilled cheese is one of them.”

“You know our cousin?” asked Car. “Striker?”

“You’re kin to him?” asked Bill, eyeing them warily.

“Aye,” said the twins.

Bill grinned, showing off his crooked teeth. “Why didn’t you start with that? Yeah, we know Striker. He’s a good buddy of ours. We once held him at gunpoint. It was great.”

Gram wondered if Striker had actually booked him a private suite in a funny farm, not a resort with a spa. He wouldn’t put it past the guy. He’d get great amusement out of it all and no doubt think he was helping in some way.

“Tina,” said Susan. “Can you see to our VIP?”

“Mr. Campbell, if you’d follow me,” said the redhead as Susan resorted to holding the towel in front of Bill’s groin herself. “I’ll show you to your room and get you all set up for your first booking of the day.”

“My what?” asked Gram.

Tina walked back to the computer at the desk and then looked at him. “We have you down for massage in about an hour.”

Mac laughed. “Be sure the woman rubbing him down fits the bill for his tastes.”

Tina grinned. “Actually, he’s booked with me.”

“For now,” added Susan. “Who knows. That could always change.”

Mac threw his hand up. “I’ll go in his place!”

Gram groaned.

Susan smiled. “I’m sure we can find space for the two of you if you’d like to stay with us as well.”

Gram shook his head. “No. They do nae want to remain, and I do nae need a woman rubbing me down. I’ll take a man.”

They all stared at him.

He grunted. “Nae that way. Never mind.”

Car and Mac nodded to him with dual expressions that said they were up to no good. He wasn’t so sure leaving the twins alone with two clearly unstable men was wise. It wasn’t as if the twins were dealing with a full deck themselves. They didn’t need any help in the crazy-behavior area. They did just fine on their own.

Car eyed Susan with hunger in his eyes. “We’ll be just fine, Campbell. Go get a facial or something, or rubbed down by a man, since that was yer pick and all.”

“Dick,” said Gram as he followed the redhead.

Tina led him through a maze of hallways, all looking the same to him and smelling heavily of lavender. She came to a stop in front of a large room. “Here is the physical therapy room. You’ve been set up on a daily schedule. You’re also set to get daily massages.”

“I am?” he asked and groaned. “My doctors had a hand in this too, didn’t they?”

She glanced over her shoulder at him, giving him a look that said she didn’t know the answer and was only doing her job. Feeling bad for acting a bit like an ass, he nodded to her.

“Thank you. My room?”

“You’re actually in one of the cabins, not the main resort. The person booking stressed your need for privacy.” She motioned for him to follow, and he noticed for the first time that she was walking slowly, as if already knowing he wasn’t able to walk fast. He wondered if James or Auberi had spoken to the facility on his behalf. He shuddered to think Striker had taken it on himself to relay medical information about him. He’d end up neutered or something.

Tina kept going until she was at an exterior door. She opened it for him and motioned him through. She led him down a path that had landscaping done in a way to make it feel secluded and serene. It opened to an area with small round cabins.

“Right this way,” she said, taking him to the one on the far end. “The cabins are fully functional. In fact, they are very similar to ones we all live in here on the property.”

Gram gave her a questioning look.

She smiled. “Mr. Campbell, have you heard of us before?”

“No.”

Her lips twitched. “That is rare around here.”

“I’m nae from the area.”

She nodded. “So I hear. Well, Caladrius is run by a large group of people. We see each other as a family of sorts. We all live on the grounds. Since there are nearly two thousand acres to the facility, there is plenty of space. The staff living compound is set a ways back. If you enjoy golfing, you might catch sight of it since it’s in that direction.”

He’d not golfed in years. He was almost ashamed to admit as much, seeing as how it was basically a national sport of his countrymen.

“Keys are on the counter in the kitchen area, but you shouldn’t need to lock up. Caladrius is very safe and secure. The local town, about fifteen miles down the road, has had a rash of incidents recently, but it’s not spread to here. It’s more than likely people coming up from Denver causing problems,” said Tina, something off in her voice.

Gram wasn’t too worried. Even in his current state, he was hardly defenseless. A bunch of humans on a crime bender didn’t really stand a chance against him. Hell, Wild Bill could probably handle them.

“Dinner is at seven tonight in the main dining room. You’ll find that located in the building we just left. Your daily itinerary will be slipped under your door each morning. If you want, yoga starts at six in the morning.”

Yoga?

No.

He pushed a fake smile to his face. “Thanks.”

“You’ll find your bags inside.”

“My bags?” he echoed.

“Yes. They arrived a few hours before you did.”

Of course they did. Striker was going to get an earful from Gram when he next spoke to the man.

“I’ll send someone to retrieve you for your afternoon massage,” she said with a smile.

“Thanks,” he said and watched her walk off.

If he grabbed his stuff and called for a car service, he could be out of there in an hour, maybe two tops. Perfect. No yoga. No facials. No neutering.