Publicly Exhibited [Werewolves of Hanson Mall 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

Werewolves of Hanson Mall 1

Publicly Exhibited

Sisters Willow and Hawthorne Cunliffe are fleeing from Hawthorne’s ex-boyfriend,
who thinks she’s insane and is trying to force her into a mental health institution because she saw a shape-shifter. They arrive at Hanson Mall not knowing it’s a shape-shifter community.

Cadfael Hanson, the Alpha of the pack, and his second-in-command, Rhion Jones, are instantly attracted to Willow, but telling her about their identity could send the women running away again. They offer the women safety and shelter and try to demonstrate their care for Willow while still trying to discover what made Hawthorne's ex want to lock her away.

The women begin to relax and make friends, but can they ever be safe while Hawthorne's ex is searching for them? And will they lose faith in the mall community once they learn some of the people are really wolves?

Genre:
Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves

Length:
35,655 words

Werewolves of Hanson Mall 1

Cara Adams

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

PUBLICLY EXHIBITED

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-362-6

First E-book Publication: March 2014

Cover design by Les Byerley

All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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Publicly Exhibited
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PUBLICLY EXHIBITED

Werewolves of Hanson Mall 1

CARA ADAMS

Copyright © 2014

Cadfael Hanson leaned over the railing of the fourth-floor balcony at Hanson Mall, idly watching hundreds of shoppers moving over the lower three levels. This was his favorite place to stand and think. The color and action below relaxed him and freed his mind to work on knotty managerial decisions as his gaze wandered from floor to floor, and store to store.

Today the sun was shining down through the central well of the mall, lighting the entire building. Cadfael mentally flipped the bird at the architects who’d tried to tell him it’d never work. It’d be far too expensive. The building would be impossible to heat. Yes, sure it cost a lot to heat the building in winter, but the natural light was a huge drawcard offsetting the costs, and on days like today the blaze of sunlight was worth more than money could buy in engendering happiness in his clients. Who he hoped would spend up big in the stores, keeping his retailers happy and well able to pay their rent.

His gaze was caught by the swiftly moving figure of a woman whose hair shone red in the sunlight. People seldom moved fast inside the mall. It wasn’t like they had a bus to catch or anything. A young mom running after an escaping toddler was usually the fastest anyone ever moved.

As he watched he noticed another young woman following her, moving just as fast. The second woman’s hair appeared brown, until she, too, was under the dome, and then it shone red. Okay he was looking at two women with red-brown hair, not two redheads. But very likely sisters.

Cadfael stepped to his right where he had a better view along the lowest level of the mall. He couldn’t see security looking for anyone. Actually he couldn’t see security at all. Had the women stolen something? Were they running from an irate store manager?

Cadfael snatched his cell phone out of his pocket.

“Security? Send some females to the women’s restroom on the first floor. Potential shoplifters. Two of them. Reddish hair, youngish.”

Cadfael remained leaning on the balcony although he couldn’t see the entry to the ladies’ room from here. The facilities were tucked against an outside wall of the mall, in the same northeast corner of the building on every level. What he could see was Dakota and Maelor making their way smoothly but quickly through the crowds to that northeast segment of the mall. Dakota was a human woman, but Maelor, a male, was one of the werewolves in his pack, the Hanson Mall pack.

Of course the pack hadn’t always been named after the mall. The werewolves had gradually become store owners instead of farmers over the years, then businessmen. They’d owned this land. It was the original farm site and home of the pack, but turning it into a mall had been the best decision the previous Alpha had ever made. There’d been three long years of endless pain and headaches, but the mall was a success, and Cadfael’s own improvements, like the glass dome, and adding two more stories to the parking lot, were already bringing in greater profits.

However, he wouldn’t tolerate shoplifters. Whether kids or adults, he turned them over to the police. He had to send a message to would-be criminals that this mall was off limits.

Cadfael waited and watched for another ten minutes, but he received no text messages and saw no further problems. Sighing, he straightened up and walked back to the glass doors leading to the professional suites. In the elevator there he swiped his card and punched the button for the top floor. It was time for him to get back to work. Although he would check with the local community food bank. Sometimes shoplifters were actually good people driven to steal by the desperate need to feed their kids. The people at the food bank would tell him if the community service program needed more donations right now. No way would he let people steal from him, but he was ready to provide some gifts if they were needed.

* * * *

Willow Cunliffe pushed open the door to the ladies’ room, holding it wide as Hawthorne followed her in. It was a purely functional room with half a dozen sinks set in a long counter, plus four stalls, none in use right now. She’d hoped there’d be a stool or a chair or something for Hawthorne to sit on and rest, but apparently not. Well at least Hawthorne’s crazy ex couldn’t follow them in here. Although they’d need to come up with some kind of plan about where to go next and how to avoid him.

And that was another thing. She had no idea what time the mall would close. Five? Five thirty? Seven? They simply had to leave in the middle of a crowd, not be the last ones shown out when most people had gone. Fuck. What a fucking mess! Damn that idiot Bailey Hamilton to hell.

Willow pushed her heavy backpack off her shoulders and stretched her back, grateful to be free of the weight even if it was only for a few minutes. Hawthorne copied her and then said, “We might as well use the facilities while we’re here,” and disappeared into a stall. Willow turned to the mirror and looked at her face. She had dark shadows under her eyes, just as her sister did, and her cheeks were pale. Lack of sleep and worry did that to a person. She turned the faucet on and splashed cold water over her face, hoping it’d revive her.

Just as Hawthorne stepped out of the stall, the door to the ladies’ room opened and Willow stood in front of her sister, aiming to protect her. But it was just a woman in a security guard’s uniform. The woman looked at her a bit strangely and asked, “Is everything all right in here?”

“Oh yes, thank you,” she replied.

The security guard looked more closely at her, and at her sister. “Are you sure? I have to say, ma’am, you don’t look real well.”

“I’m fine.”

Willow could have slapped Hawthorne when she said, “I’m hiding from my ex-boyfriend. He’s…”

Willow looked at Hawthorne, saw the fear and pain in her face, and grabbed her into her arms for a hug.

“He’s a piece of shit. But we’ll be fine. Thank you for asking.”

The guard leaned against the door, effectively holding it closed. “Ma’am, if he’s abusive I’d be real happy to help you report him to the police. I don’t like men who hit women. Would you like to come upstairs with me and we can call Protective Services for you?”

“It’s much more complicated than that.” Willow let Hawthorne go but only stepped back a few inches, ready to hold her again if she needed her.

“Is there somewhere we can wait in private? We’ll go before the mall shuts, I promise, but if I could just rest somewhere safe for an hour or two…”