by Dannika Dark
“The Packmaster’s expecting us.” I killed the engine and gave her a long look.
“Shifters are an old Breed, and we’re superstitious. Some of them practice the old ways, and the Councils have no authority.”
“What are the old ways?”
“It’s not just wolves that used to do this. People gravitate toward strong, fair leaders, and it’s hard to get in those circles. Those at the bottom of the barrel either struggle alone or join anyone just to get protection. In the old days, they used to share some of the women. People were chained, and you really don’t want to know all the rest. Councils put a stop to that, but sometimes you get these small clusters living outside the Council’s reach.” She ran her fingers through her long brown hair and then gripped the door handle. “Anyhow, just watch yourself. Don’t insult the Packmaster or anyone’s mate. Be careful what you say. We’re not on neutral ground anymore. This is their territory, and they have every right to defend it if they feel threatened. We’re outsiders, and tight-knit groups like these are suspicious.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all this before?”
She chuckled and got out. “I’d rather listen to your music than a barrage of questions.”
Fair enough.
I didn’t want to know every sordid detail. It might tarnish my view of those I cared about by learning the dark history of Shifters. I’d heard plenty about the brutality of pit fights and slavery but little on the dirty deeds some of them participated in. Did Breed children get a history lesson on this type of stuff? Might be something to ask Switch later.
I glanced up, and the treetops seemed to disappear in the sky. A flock of birds circled overhead, and the sweet smell of pine filled my nose.
“What’s your business here?” A dark-haired man in overalls rose from his seat on the front porch and blocked the steps.
“We’re here on behalf of the higher authority,” I said, taking notice of the knife on his hip. “Your Packmaster is expecting us.”
“You don’t look like Regulators to me. Did they run out of red coats? Josiah’s busy.”
“He invited us.”
The man smirked. “Were those his exact words?”
I refrained from plucking out his eye with his own knife. “Look, he said he was a busy guy. I get it. We just have a few questions.”
The man narrowed his eyes. “What kind of questions?”
Blue stepped forward, immediately catching his admiration. “Just a routine errand. We’re visiting all the Shifters in the territory, packs included, and have to complete some boring paperwork. We don’t want to take up your time or interrupt your schedule. Since Josiah’s a busy man, could we speak to the beta instead? If he can’t see us, we’ll just scratch your name off our list and be on our way.” Blue leaned on the railing and tipped her head in a beguiling manner, her gaze softening as she reeled him in with a glance. “We get in big trouble if we go back with blank papers, so could you help us? Pretty please?”
The black-haired man gave a tight-lipped smile and actually blushed. “Well, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. Andy’s out back, but don’t get your hopes up. He’s got certain opinions about the higher authority these days.”
“You’re a saint,” she said, turning on her heel.
As we paced off toward the side of the house, he called out, “Hey, if you’re single—”
“Thanks again!” She waved her hand while rolling her eyes at me.
“You need to teach me that trick.”
“It’s not hard,” she said, twisting a leaf off a bush. “I’ve seen you in action. You’re using your sexuality, but that’s not the key.”
“Then what is?”
“Men want to be noticed. So you notice them. And despite what they say, wolves just love a damsel in distress.”
I snorted. “You could have just dropped your pen and bent over.”
“Then I would have had to gut him like a fish when he made a move on me.” She tossed the leaf into the grass.
Three kids zoomed by us as we neared the back of the house. The immediate surrounding area was clear of trees except two, and they each had target boards nailed to their trunks. An older woman emerged from a garden carrying a basket of tomatoes. In front of a shed, a man and woman hung sheets on a clothesline, one stretching them out while the other snapped a clothespin on the line. I searched around and noticed a slim guy smoking a cigarette on the porch steps. His skin was whiter than the sheets, so he probably spent all his time inside reading.
Yep. He looks like an Andy to me.
“Hi. You must be Andy. I’m Raven, and this is Blue. Josiah said we could stop by and ask a few questions for our census.”
He shook his head. “You’re not getting anything from me.”
“Why not?”
With the cigarette wedged between two fingers, he pointed behind us. “Because that’s Andy.”
We both turned.
A man who looked to be seven feet tall threw a large knife. It twirled in the air and struck the target board dead center. Andy didn’t have a shirt on, and a tribal tattoo covered his entire chest.
“Great,” I said under my breath. “Don’t they have any nerdy beta wolves? This is so stereotypical.”
When I marched toward him, Blue jerked me back.
“Don’t approach the beta. Let him approach you. We’re here on business, and he might not want to cooperate. So look a little submissive.”
I gave her a hard look. “That’s not in my DNA.”
“Just play the game,” she said quietly as we neared the tree next to the one he was aiming at. “If the pack thinks their beta’s in danger, they’ll fight to kill.”
I looked at Andy’s rock-hard biceps. “Something tells me the beta can take care of himself.”
Andy yanked the knife off the target board and ambled back to his spot. He stopped midway, his back still to us. “Are you from the higher authority?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Josiah told me you were coming.” Andy glanced over his shoulder, his dirty-blond hair unkempt and his beard like a Viking’s.
“It’s just a routine visit,” I said coolly. “We’re paying a visit to all the Shifter groups in the area who’ve lost someone in the past year. They want to see if there’s some way they can help reduce unnecessary deaths. In case you need supplies or the Council needs assistance with settling pack disputes more efficiently.”
With supernatural speed, he twisted around and threw the knife. I barely had time to draw in a breath as it sliced through the air, inches from my face. I reactively winced when I heard it whistle past. Once I realized my ear was still intact, fury boiled in me like lava rising to the mouth of a volcano.
Blue gripped my hand as if sensing it.
Andy swaggered toward us, his eyes centered on mine. “Wasp,” he said, walking by to retrieve his knife some fifteen feet behind me.
I glanced down and saw the severed body of a yellowjacket by my shoe. This asshole wasn’t trying to save me from a sting but wanted to throw around all that macho dominance bullshit.
Blue gripped my wrist tighter. “Keep your cool,” she said under her breath.
People rarely pushed my buttons, but I was used to pushing back. I couldn’t even draw a weapon or retaliate with a few creative insults about his intelligence.
I reached in my back pocket for a small notepad and pencil. “Josiah mentioned your pack recently suffered two losses. One of old age and the other a heart attack. Is that correct?”
When he strode back, he pointed the knife at me. “I’ll give you one chance to rephrase your question, or this knife goes in your gullet.”
Baffled, I flicked a glance at Blue. What the hell was wrong with the way I asked the question? I’d done so as thoughtfully and politely as possible.
She signaled me with a look that she’d take over. “I know how painful it is to suffer the loss of a packmate. There’s nothing harder, and the pack is never the same.”
<
br /> He stopped a few feet ahead and turned to face us. “You don’t strike me as a wolf.”
“Falcon,” she said, tucking her hands in her pockets. “My tribe divided us into smaller groups. When you live with someone for hundreds of years—love them and care for them—the loss changes you. It carves a hole in your heart that seems impossible to restore. The one who died of old age must have shaken everyone terribly.”
Andy lowered his head. “Teresa was a mother to many. She was an old wolf,” he said, a smile hovering on his lips. “Feisty. She used to say that the fates would have to drag her to the next life.”
Technically, we weren’t here to question him about the old woman. But Ren had given me the full list of names and made notes next to those who died from unsuspicious circumstances. Talking about her seemed to loosen him up.
“We had an old mother like that in our family,” Blue said, steering her gaze up to the treetops. “She used to spy on the young hunters and shit on the ones who boasted too much.”
Andy tossed his head back and laughed. “That sounds like our Teresa. They don’t make them like that anymore.”
“Truly,” Blue replied. “And the other loss—we have in our notes she was only thirty. That’s so young.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I added.
His eyes glistened as he studied the blade of his knife. “Alisa was to be mine. But the fates took her from me.”
“We can’t bring her back,” I said, “but we can bring you justice if someone took her life. I know the Council lets the packs handle their own disputes, but that’s why we’re here. The higher authority wants to make some changes, so they’re looking at a sampling of recent data to see where they can help. If this was murder—”
“No, it was nothing like that,” he cut in. “She got sick one night after dinner.” Andy placed a hand over his heart. “Said her chest was bothering her, and she wanted to lie down. I gave her some heartburn medicine and went downstairs to play cards. When I returned to the room, she was asleep. At least I think she was asleep.” Andy turned his back to us and folded his arms.
Blue and I flanked him but kept a respectful distance.
“The next morning, she was still asleep. Alisa was always the first out of bed. She liked to have a cup of coffee before climbing back under the covers with me.” His lips thinned as he stared at the dirt, his knife still clutched in one hand. “Her skin was so cold when I kissed her. I thought she—”
Andy hurled his knife across the yard, and the handle knocked against the shed, grabbing everyone’s attention.
“The Relic said it was her heart.” Andy heaved a mournful sigh.
With his weapon out of the picture, I felt easier asking the next question. “Did he do an autopsy? How did they know the cause of death?”
“Fuck you if you think I’d let anyone cut her into pieces.” Andy stormed off without another word.
I put away my notepad. “Welp, that went well.”
“It actually did.” Blue gave the spectators a guarded look as if she expected them to jump us. “He told us a lot more than I thought he would given it was his mate. Had I known that, I would have asked to speak to someone else.”
We strolled toward the house. “Maybe the Relic will have more information. We’re supposed to meet him at Ruby’s Diner in an hour.”
“Good. I’m starving.”
“There’s something Andy didn’t tell you,” the lean man on the step said quietly.
I stopped near him. “And what’s that?”
“They had a fight. Andy has a temper, and it stirred up some rumors when she suddenly died.” The man stood and flicked his cigarette into the yard before opening the back door and going inside.
As soon as I stepped inside Ruby’s Diner, I knew right away that I needed an Angus burger with extra cheese, and an apple pie. We had a long day ahead of us.
I approached a booth by the left-hand windows, exactly the spot where I’d asked the Relic to meet us. The man sitting there had his head over his plate.
“Hi, are you Graham?”
“In the flesh.”
“Sorry we’re late. I’m Raven, and this is Blue.”
Graham Wiggins’s rotund figure led me to believe he might be a stress eater. He sopped up his gravy with a yeast roll, leaving nothing to waste. To look at him, I’d never guess he was Breed. Just an average-looking guy who dressed like a middle school football coach who substituted as a history teacher. He looked like he was testing out a beard by the whiskers filling in his face.
Graham licked his fingers as we took a seat, and I was suddenly grateful that handshaking wasn’t a Breed custom.
“The food here is spectacular. Spectacular! I’ll have to come here again. I couldn’t decide between the chicken-fried steak and the meatloaf.”
Blue slid into the booth first.
Sitting beside her, I searched for Betty but didn’t see her. “Not many people order the meatloaf, so I think you made the right choice.”
After flagging a waitress, Blue and I ordered our food and waited for her to set our drinks on the table before talking business. It also gave Graham extra time to finish up his meal so he could work on the chocolate cake that just arrived.
I watched a group of teenagers smoking in the parking lot outside.
Graham finally wiped his mouth with a napkin and then eyeballed the cake. “Ren tells me you’re looking into a few deaths. Whenever Packmasters get together in large groups, nothing good ever comes of it. I’m sure your feathery friend can agree.”
Blue leaned back and drummed her fingers on the table. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nobody wears falcon feathers except falcons. If you’re not a falcon, you’re bound to ruffle somebody’s feathers wearing those earrings.” Graham erupted with laughter, and it sounded like a hyena. It was silly enough that I caught myself smiling. He was probably a hit at dinner parties, the guy who had all the best stories and jokes.
“Where’s your partner?” she asked.
“I don’t have one.”
“How the hell do you manage clients without backup? I’ve never met a Relic who didn’t partner up with someone to share the workload.”
Graham tore open a packet of sugar and poured it into his soda. “I only sleep two hours a night. It runs in the family and doesn’t affect our mental state in the least. A slight genetic mutation. I suppose I could find a Relic who specializes in Relics, but what would be the point? Anyhow, less money for me to share.”
I folded my arms across the table. “But it also means you can only be one place at a time. If you had a partner, you could have twice as many clients.”
Graham chortled and set his phone on the table. “This is the twenty-first century. Clients can schedule a conference call on the phone for virtual face-to-face contact. Half the time they’re just consulting me for advice.” He twirled his phone to make a point. “Five years ago it wasn’t as popular, but once they get used to the technology, they realize how convenient it is. Now I have more time to focus on the kids and occasional scuffles the adults get into.”
Blue snorted. “Scuffle is one way to put it.”
He picked up his fork. “Idiocy is another.”
I sipped my soda, wishing it had a little tequila mixed in. “Do you think we’re wasting our time?”
He ran the prongs on his fork across the top of his cake. “Doesn’t hurt to have a second opinion. But I examined some of the victims myself and didn’t find anything suspicious. So from a medical standpoint, I don’t see a connection. It really boils down to what you ladies uncover—if anything.”
“We just visited the Boring pack.”
Graham cackled. “Josiah should have chosen a different name, but wolves like to follow tradition with using the Packmaster’s surname. I’ve heard worse, but I have to keep from laughing whenever I hear it. Wouldn’t want word getting back to Josiah that I was making fun of his pack.”
“I’d be mor
e afraid of Andy,” I said, leaning back as the waitress set our food on the table before leaving.
“Andy?” He waved his hand dismissively and stared at my food. “He’s a pussycat compared to Josiah. Say, why did you order dessert first?”
“So if I die in the middle of my meal, I don’t have any regrets about not eating pie.”
“You are a smart woman. Smart indeed. So, tell me what you found out at the Boring residence.”
“The beta’s woman died young.”
Graham’s fork sank into his chocolate cake. “Alisa was the epitome of a healthy woman, but Shifters are prone to genetic defects like everyone else. It’s a sad fact. Shifting usually heals most things but not conditions they’re born with. Even with humans, a heart defect often doesn’t show up until later. You see it strike down athletes all the time. Shifters can’t get human diseases or cancers, but it doesn’t mean they’re impervious to aneurysms, heart attacks, and twisted bowels.” He grimaced. “That’s an ugly way to go. We should all be so lucky to go as peacefully as that woman did.”
I scooped up the vanilla ice cream before digging into the pie. “How do you know exactly how she died? Andy said there wasn’t an autopsy, so what makes you think it was her heart?”
Graham shook his head. “Shifters don’t like autopsies. It’s not common practice in general, but we do them from time to time with unexpected deaths. We Relics are wired to seek out knowledge. The more we learn, the more we can fuse to our DNA and pass it on. But we can’t force people to do something they don’t want to. Occasionally we’ll get a pack that demands answers, especially if it’s something that can be passed down to the children. Alisa didn’t have any kids, so I guess they found it… excessive and unnecessary. As for how she died, her symptoms fell in line with a heart episode.”
“What about a stroke?”
“Strokes aren’t something I see with Shifters,” he said, eating more cake. “They have a natural healing magic, and like I said before, it’s usually something they’re born with that goes undetected. In most cases, it has to do with the heart. Especially if it gets them that fast.”
