“What are you going to do about this?” Stephen spat, shifting his weight to his feet and gesturing to James. “The cops are going to be looking for him.”
Luke raised an eyebrow and regarded his cousin. Everyone knew Stephen wanted to be pack leader—and he already had a mate—but his moral compass didn’t quite point in the right direction.
“No one will know who—or what—to look for.” Luke turned to James. “The woman never saw you in human form?”
“No.” James shook his head and dragged his hands down his face. “I don’t know what happened. He should’ve disintegrated like the others. There wasn’t supposed to be blood. Demons don’t bleed.”
Stephen cut him off. “This obviously wasn’t a demon.”
James sighed as Luke took the chair next to him. “It was a demon, Luke. I smelled it. Its eyes were red, and…”
Luke put a palm on his shoulder, and James covered it with his own four-fingered hand. He’d lost his pinkie on a construction site when he worked for Luke. “It’s okay, man. We’ll figure it out.”
“Figure it out?” Stephen paced the floor, his hands balled into fists. “What’s there to figure out? He killed a human, and he needs to be dealt with. You should put him in the pit.”
Luke narrowed his eyes. His cousin would happily throw people into the pack’s specially designed prison for minor infractions without learning all the facts. “I’ll take that into consideration. You can go now.”
Stephen’s jaw tightened with an audible click. “You’d better take care of this.”
“I said you can go.”
Stephen glared at James and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.
Luke shook his head. “Ignore him. He’s peeved because he has no power in enforcing.”
“He will if he has his way.”
“He won’t.” The good of the pack always came first. He’d learned that by watching his father lead.
James’s face went serious. “I hope not. I’ll go rogue before I’ll serve a tyrant like that. I know he’s your cousin and all…but, shit. He scares me. A lot of us.”
“Nothing to worry about. He won’t become alpha.”
James furrowed his brow. “You’ve only got about a month before your old man retires. You can find a mate by then?”
“If I’m going to become alpha, I don’t have a choice.” He rose to his feet and stepped around his desk, settling into a large leather office chair that squeaked as it absorbed his weight. He’d have to get the WD-40 after it soon. Picking up a pen and a pad of paper, he squared his gaze on James. No more friendliness. It was time to play his role as enforcer.
“The monster attacking that woman smelled like a demon. He gave you every reason to believe he came straight from hell, but he wasn’t a demon. At least, not full demon.”
James twisted in his seat. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Luke’s main job was to deal with rogues and other rule-breakers. Not a job he enjoyed, but he didn’t have a choice. His father was pack leader, which made Luke second in command. He couldn’t stand seeing his friend cower like this, but he had to keep his aura of power strong to keep the pack under control.
“Tell me what happened, James. From the beginning.”
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Also by Carrie Pulkinen
Crescent City Wolf Pack Series
Werewolves Only
Beneath a Blue Moon
Bound by Blood
A Deal with Death
A Song to Remember
Crescent City Ghost Tours Series
Love & Ghosts
Love & Omens
Spirit Chasers Series
To Catch a Spirit
To Stop a Shadow
To Free a Phantom
Stand Alone Books
The Rest of Forever
Soul Catchers
Reawakened
Bewitching the Vampire
About the Author
Carrie Pulkinen is a paranormal romance author who has always been fascinated with things that go bump in the night. Of course, when you grow up next door to a cemetery, the dead (and the undead) are hard to ignore. Pair that with her passion for writing and her love of a good happily-ever-after, and becoming a paranormal romance author seems like the only logical career choice.
Before she decided to turn her love of the written word into a career, Carrie spent the first part of her professional life as a high school journalism and yearbook teacher. She loves good chocolate and bad puns, and in her free time, she likes to read, drink wine, and travel with her family.
Connect with Carrie online: www.CarriePulkinen.com
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