by Dannika Dark
“What’s with the string?” I asked, gripping the newel. “Did you convince him that he could fly like a kite?”
Wyatt jogged down the steps, drawing attention to his red socks. “He’s got a wiggly tooth. I told Shep to wrap a string around it and tie the other end to a doorknob. When he started to slam the door, he chickened out. I think he feels guilty about causing the kid any pain, but that tooth has gotta go.” He turned to walk with us. “When I was little, I knew a kid who choked on his own tooth.”
Blue rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Did you tell Shepherd that tall tale?”
“I’m not fibbing! It actually happened while he was riding horseback. I guess it freaked Hunter out, because he took the string off the knob and ran.”
“You told that story while he was getting his tooth pulled? Good job,” I said, smacking him on the arm. “Be sure to add that to your résumé. Hacks into computers and terrifies small children.”
“Just give him an apple,” Blue suggested, leading us down a hallway that passed the courtyard.
Wyatt shuddered. “He might swallow it. Then we’d have to fish it out for the tooth fairy.”
Blue sighed. “The tooth fairy is a human fabrication.”
“Uh-huh. Tell that to Shepherd. He’s suddenly all gung ho about these weird-ass traditions. First it’s a birthday, then it’s the tooth fairy. Next thing you know, we’ll be hiding Easter eggs.”
“I always wanted to do that,” I said, thinking back to my strange childhood. “My dad didn’t like wasting food. In retrospect, he probably didn’t know how to boil an egg.”
Blue snorted. “In a house this big, we’d never find all the eggs. Not until we smelled them rotting.”
Wyatt eased between us and put his arms over our shoulders. “Where are you ladies headed? Late-night pillow fight?”
I gripped his hand. “Pin the dagger on the donkey. Wanna be the donkey?”
He fell back and snapped his fingers. “Just remembered I’ve got fries in the oven. Maybe Shep can help you out with that one.”
Wyatt hustled off. I was joking, but because of my kill record, I guessed he didn’t put anything past me.
When we entered one of the libraries, Viktor was on his phone with his back to us. He spun a globe, chuckling softly.
“I also had a good time,” he said intimately. “You are beautiful woman.”
Blue slid her jaw to the side and folded her arms as we waited for him to wrap up his call.
When he noticed us, he held up a finger and then turned away. I couldn’t hear what he said before ending the call.
Viktor smiled at us. “Apologies.”
I summoned the urge to pry. “Was that Lenore? How did your date go?”
A blush touched his cheeks, and he stroked his silver beard, averting his eyes. “It went very well. Very well indeed. She has an impressive wine collection.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You went back to her place?”
He cleared his throat. “I called you here to inform you that I’ve accepted Ren’s offer on a conditional basis. He wants you in charge. I have no trouble with this as you have better relationships with his territory. Blue and Christian will provide any support you need.”
“What were your conditions?” Blue inquired.
Viktor strolled over to an orange chair and leaned against the back, his hands clasped. “I have no desire to waste valuable time on theories. If you cannot find evidence there is something sinister going on, I will shut the case. Or is it close? Instead of flat fee, Ren is paying us by the day. He is aware this might be wild geese chasing each other.”
I snorted and rocked on my heels. Sometimes it was funnier not to correct him when his English lost its way. It usually happened this time of night after a few drinks.
“That sounds reasonable,” Blue said, jutting her hip as she leaned her shoulder against the doorjamb. “I hope he didn’t give you any trouble.”
“Nyet. Ren does not want his reputation ruined either, so we must exercise discretion. It is very important to be careful when you speak to these Shifters. We must not reveal our… intentions.” He scratched his jaw with an uncertain look and swung his gaze upward. “Packs are very suspicious of outsiders and protective of the dead. I do not want to create animosity in the territory. It is very unstable at the moment. I have spoken to Miss Parrish, and she came up with an idea.”
I folded my arms. “You spoke to Lenore about our case? How’s that keeping it private?”
“She is a trusted associate. This is not the first time I have consulted with a member of the higher authority on outside cases.”
I released a long sigh, worried that we might be violating Ren’s trust by involving someone from the higher authority. “And what did Miss Parrish suggest?”
“That we use the higher authority as a cover. It is the only way to protect the integrity of the case. You will pretend you are taking a census of all the packs and local Shifters—that way, if they talk to one another, they will not grow suspicious of our questions. You must call them in advance and schedule appointments. In light of the recent scandal with cage fights, we will say the higher authority wants to look at recent deaths and assist with conflict, accidents, or sick children. This is a show of goodwill, and the group leaders will acknowledge the gesture for what it looks like.”
“So the higher authority isn’t really going to help them,” Blue said, not hiding the disappointment in her voice. “That’s a rotten thing to do—extending an empty hand of friendship. What if they have had conflict issues or preventable deaths, and they look to the higher authority for help? Then what?”
“Miss Parrish has offered to work out the details, but we do not anticipate anyone will seek help. Shifters are proud people. You know this to be true. They do not trust outsiders. It is the rogues I am more concerned about, and there is not much we can do for them, even if we were helping. I have confidence that you two will come up with the right words.”
“Do we start right away?” I asked.
“Da. I have instructed Ren to call you with more information. No one is working any large cases, so they are at your disposal if you need transportation or research. But this is only an investigation, so I do not want you armed. Blue, an axe on your hip will not be well received.”
“I understand,” she said, allaying his concerns.
He turned a sharp eye to me. “And you will do the same? No weapons?”
“Of course,” I said, gritting my teeth. I didn’t like going anywhere without my daggers. Even though I had Mage powers, a girl had to prepare for the unexpected.
Blue gestured to the glass of white wine on a table by the chair. “Let me get you some of that Gouda cheese you like so much to go with your wine.”
“I-I am fine,” he stammered. “Not necessary.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You barely touched your plate tonight at the table. You have a lot on your mind these days, but now that you’ve settled all the details with this case, you can relax and let us take care of the rest. We won’t let you down. It’s not good to go to bed on an empty stomach.” She turned on her heel. “I’ll bring up some of those green olives while I’m down there. Maybe wheat crackers and sweet pickles,” she added, turning the corner.
Viktor chuckled and lowered his gaze to the floor. “What would I do without my Blue?”
“Starve?” I noticed an old painting on the wall of wolves circling a campfire. Keystone’s art was a collection of beautiful and haunting imagery, unlike any I’d ever seen in a museum. They celebrated the packs who had once inhabited these rooms.
“What is on your mind?”
I worried my lip. Viktor’s newfound relationship with Lenore concerned me. She had a tumultuous past with Christian, and for that, I hated her. Yet we’d had some good interactions lately, and she seemed to be genuine. People change, so I had this strange love-hate relationship with her. Well, maybe love was too strong a word, but how that translated into her get
ting more involved with Viktor and Keystone affairs was fuzzy. “Do you think a personal relationship with a higher authority member is a good idea? If things go wrong, you could fracture our relationship with the entire organization. Christian and I gave serious thought to what would happen if the two of us split and couldn’t live or work here anymore. Have you thought about the repercussions if things go south with Lenore?”
He licked his lips and reached for his wineglass. “Immortals do not seek long-term relationships. Miss Parrish is a Vampire—”
“But you’re a wolf, and you must have that urge to settle down with a mate. It’s practically in your DNA. If she doesn’t have that same desire, maybe it complicates things. I don’t want to meddle in your personal affairs. I love Keystone, so I guess part of me feels… protective of the one person that holds us all together. We don’t know much about Lenore. Besides,” I said, trying to kill the tension, “Lenore is a woman, and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That’s why Christian’s always looking over his shoulder.”
He chuckled softly and sipped his wine.
I really didn’t feel comfortable at all inserting myself in Viktor’s love life, but sometimes passion blinds people from seeing the dangers. I’d never been the type who gave relationship advice, so that made the silence between us even more awkward.
“I’ll keep you updated,” I promised him, steering away from the topic of Lenore. “Thanks for taking the case. Ren’s a close family friend, and I feel like it’s the least I can do. I’ll be careful. I don’t want his reputation damaged any more than I want ours.”
“Spasibo.” Viktor muttered a few words in Russian before rubbing his eyes. “It is late. I still have much work to do.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” I said, turning toward the door and making a hasty exit.
As I drew near a window in the back hall, I glanced out. The moon sprayed a dim light on the back property, and though I couldn’t see all of it on ground level, there was no sign of Christian. When I went up to his room, he wasn’t there either. A person could get easily lost in Keystone, and we often used our phones to call one another. But at this late hour, there were only a few places we gathered. I journeyed down to the second level and entered Wyatt’s World, which sounded more like an amusement park but was nothing but a grey room filled with snacks, computers, beanbag chairs, and electricity. It was the only room in the house that looked like it didn’t belong in a Gothic tragedy. Wyatt kept his desk and computer gear on the right side and let us have the rest of the room so we could watch TV or relax on the sofa.
“Has Christian been in here?”
Bopping his head to “Safety Dance,” Wyatt made a few keystrokes on his keyboard before an image came up of the underground garage. “Have a look for yourself, buttercup. His bike’s gone.”
I stepped closer. “Since when do we have security cameras on the property?”
“Since the boss man wanted one in the garage.”
Mental note: don’t have sex in the garage with Christian.
“What’s the purpose?”
He retrieved a set of keys from his pocket and hopped up to open the vending machine. “Viktor was out there talking to Lenore one night, and I guess he got to thinking how vulnerable they were all by themselves. If something happened in the garage, nobody in the house would hear it. So I set up a motion-activated camera that triggers an alarm on my computer. It’s also handy when Viktor needs to know who’s around and who’s not for meetings and stuff.” He reached inside the machine and grabbed a package of Nutter Butters. “With Hunter running all over the place, I think Viktor was afraid the kid might accidentally lock himself in there one night. I also had my buddies put in a garage door with a safety sensor.” Wyatt closed the vending machine and locked it. “If he wants me to start childproofing outlets, I’m quitting. In my day, we called it survival of the fittest.”
“Now I see why you never had kids.”
He snorted and sat back down, tearing open the cookie wrapper. “The family name will die with Wyatt Blessing, and I’m okay with that.” After tucking his light-brown hair back into his loose beanie, he gobbled up two cookies. “Kids are fun when they belong to other people. Most Gravewalkers I know hate their parents for cursing them with the gift of afterlife sight, so that’s a therapy session I ain’t got time for. My guess is everyone here feels the same about kids or else you wouldn’t be here.” He leaned back in his chair and tapped a cookie against his bottom lip. “Doesn’t mean I don’t like the act of making babies.”
“Then you might want to wear a condom unless you want a hundred little Wyatts out there.”
He frowned. “You need to run along, Dr. Ruth. I’ve got work to do.”
As I turned, Kira glided into the room with a tray. A silver dome covered a dish, which I could clearly identify as french fries when I took in the unmistakable scent. She lowered her copper eyes, always finding small ways to make herself invisible. When I glanced back, I noticed Hunter hiding behind her skirt. He held his finger to his lips, and I mirrored his action, acknowledging that I’d keep his secret.
Halfway down the hallway, Shepherd appeared with a string dangling from his finger. His face flushed and dewy, he met up with me and caught his breath. “You seen Hunter?”
Switch must have gone to bed. Shepherd had that “I’m in over my head” look on his stony face, like a boxer who’d just walked into a ring with a guy twice his size.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go around yanking his teeth out until they’re ready.”
Shepherd dropped the string onto the floor. “That was Spooky’s idea.”
“Since when do you listen to Wyatt? That’s the same man who grows his own drugs.”
Shepherd gave me a toothy grin. “Not anymore. I heard that Chitah dug them all up.”
We both erupted with laughter. Shepherd abruptly stopped when Kira approached with an empty tray. She moved so swiftly that her wavy red hair danced behind her like a flickering candle.
As she passed us, Shepherd turned and spotted Hunter walking closely behind her. “Aha!”
Kira pivoted, and the tray slammed against the stone flooring. Her eyes were wide, her complexion as white as a ghost.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” Shepherd rubbed the back of his neck, his embarrassment obvious. “Hunter, get over here.”
When she caught sight of the little boy emerging from behind her, she made two tight fists and blew out a long, slow breath. It wasn’t a reaction of relief but one of control. Maybe she’d come close to flinging the tray at Shepherd’s skull, killing him dead. The thought made me smile. Instead, she speared Shepherd with a hostile glare and collected the tray before heading off.
Shepherd took Hunter’s hand. “What did I say about running off like that? You always need someone with you, little man. This place is big, and you’ll get lost.”
Hunter flashed his blue eyes up and held a defiant look.
Shepherd squatted in front of him. “I’m not gonna pull your tooth. Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.”
When Hunter wrapped his arms around his father’s neck, Shepherd stood, his kid dangling. Hunter snickered as he kept his legs straight instead of wrapping them around Shepherd’s waist.
“So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh? You’ll break my neck.”
We walked toward the stairwell, and Hunter finally let go. He didn’t have on his light-up shoes, but his pink socks made him easy to spot.
“Do you know where Christian went?” I asked.
“Not my business.” Shepherd took a cigarette from the pack before tucking it under his sleeve. After lighting it, he flicked the matchstick on the floor and walked over it. “You two fighting?”
“No,” I said on a sigh. “He just likes taking off without telling me.”
“Huh.” After a quiet moment, Shepherd chuckled. “I thought for a minute Kira might shift. They sometimes do that when startled. She had that look.”
“I guess she ha
s more control than we give her credit for.”
“I hope she’s been letting her animal out. You’ve seen how Viktor gets when he puts off shifting. His wolf gets aggressive. Wasn’t her father a wolf? I don’t need that kind of risk around my kid.”
“Maybe she’s a defect. I’ve heard about Shifters who can’t shift.”
Shepherd and I split ways, and I wandered to an arched window overlooking the courtyard. Gem floated in the swimming pool like a flower, her gown spread out and the blue-green colors shimmering.
“Christian, where are you?”
Chapter 7
My old blue pickup barreled down a dirt road, leaving a trail of dust as Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” blared on the radio.
Blue held her hair back as the wind cut through the open windows. “Are you sure we shouldn’t wait for Christian?”
I turned down the radio. “He knows we’ve got a case, but clearly he thought staying out all night was a better plan. I don’t have time to figure out where he is since he left his phone in his room. I’ll give him an update later, but it’s probably better this way.”
“That’s for sure. The last thing a pack wants to see rolling up their driveway is a Vamp. Sorry. Vampire.”
“The Vamp in me isn’t offended.” I laughed and shook my head. Breed were offended by the silliest things.
Both of us were dressed down. A T-shirt and jean shorts for me, and Blue had on a sleeveless turtleneck with brown cargo pants. Some of her scar showed on her left shoulder, but she didn’t seem interested in covering it with a button-up shirt.
I removed my sunglasses when we reached a large house in the middle of the woods. Most packs had ample parking, so I found a spot by a sedan to the right of the house.
We received a lot of inquisitive stares from the kids out front who were swinging from a rope tied to a large oak tree.
Blue reached for my hand before I shut off the engine. “Don’t let your guard down. Sticking our noses in pack business is a dangerous affair. People have disappeared for less.”
