by A. D. Ryan
“Well, that’s unlike Laura,” Nick stated, likely coming to the same conclusion I had.
“Exactly. I went for it and found a loose photo marking a page of photos from our last vacation before Bobby’s death.” I suppressed my anger at having not sensed Bobby’s presence that night. “It was a photo of Mom and Dad sleeping in their hotel room—”
“In Calgary?”
“Yup. Bobby had taken some ridiculous vampire/victim selfie and then came back here to leave me a clue as to their whereabouts instead of just telling me when he had me captive.”
“If he’d have told you, you’d have rescued them.”
“You’re damn right I would have!”
“Brooke, sweetheart,” Nick interjected calmly, his tone even and rational. “This is a game to him. I’d be willing to bet he anticipated your escape, and he kept your parents’ whereabouts from you so he’d have something to lure you back.”
“So what’s our next move?”
Nick sighed heavily. “You come home.” I smiled, loving how that sounded. I’d lived in Arizona my entire life and never once thought about moving anywhere—especially not somewhere as cold as Canada—so it surprised and delighted me to find I accepted the manor as home. Especially since it was never my intention to live there; I’d only gone to learn how to control my wolf half.
“And then?” I asked, snapping back to the conversation.
“We track them. We find where they’re keeping your parents and Cordelia. We rescue them and kill the coven.”
“You make it sound easy,” I said, smirking. Truthfully, I knew it would be more difficult than he was letting on, but his confidence was contagious. “Do you have any leads?”
“There’ve been some rumors in the city.”
“About?”
“Random attacks. Some of the victims say they were jumped by muggers, but then claim to have been bitten before their attackers ran off.”
“Bitten?” I queried. “How many bodies?”
“None.”
That didn’t make any sense. Vampires were out, biting people, but not draining them? For what purpose? Anything I’d read or been told—hell, or even knew from past experience—said that, to become a vampire, you had to be drained and accept the change in your final moments. If you didn’t accept it, your maker would ensure you wouldn’t rise in the coming days.
“So, what are you saying?”
Nick waited a moment, maybe gathering his thoughts before continuing. “I’m not exactly sure what to make of it. Maybe they were interrupted. Their survival also relies on secrecy. They can’t be exposed for the same reasons we can’t be.”
“How many victims?”
“Seven.”
My mouth dropped open, and I shot to my feet. “Seven? And no one’s died? I might be new to all of this, but even I know that’s not normal.”
“Exactly. I’ve got Vince and Zach keeping an eye on the situation. They’re keeping in contact with us, and we’ll investigate further when you get back. We can’t exactly get involved with the cops on our asses 24/7.”
“True enough. Have they said anything else about Marcus and Miranda?”
“Not much. They’ve been hanging around to make sure we’re staying close to home. There was one thing they brought up, though.”
“Yeah…?” I inquired, letting the word trail off.
“The body of that woman from when you first arrived. They found her soon after we moved her, just a few miles down the road where the guys left her. They find it odd that only several weeks later, they have another homicide to investigate. Especially for a normally quiet area.”
I sat back on the edge of the bed and pressed the heel of my hand into my eye, hoping to relieve the pressure that was slowly building. “God, this is a mess. No matter what, this just keeps getting worse. “ I paused. “Maybe we should have run that night.”
“No,” Nick argued. “You were right. It only would have made them more suspicious. The only reason they haven’t arrested us is that we’re cooperating—that, and a lack of evidence.”
Of course he was right; I was only freaking out because it felt like I was failing my pack less than a week on the job. With every day that the cops poked around our home, the more at risk we were for exposure. I was sure that was the coven’s plan; they wanted us out of the way and under the watchful eye of the cops so they could do whatever else they had planned.
“They haven’t found anything in the house that has aroused their suspicion one way or another,” Nick continued to assure me. “And I don’t think they will.”
“Wait, what about Cordelia? Has an Amber Alert been issued?”
Nick was silent for a brief moment. “Thing is, the Pack keeps such a low profile that the younger members don’t really exist until they’re older and have to start keeping up appearances. As far as the cops are concerned, she doesn’t exist.”
While my heart hurt that this was how things worked within the parameter of Pack Law, the wolf felt a little relief knowing these innocent cops weren’t going to get themselves killed looking for a missing child. On the flip side, it was more work for us.
There was a commotion on Nick’s end of the conversation before he spoke again. “Look, Colby’s getting restless. I’m going to try and take her out for a run. Hopefully the cops aren’t watching too closely. She could use the release.”
“Of course,” I said with a nod. “Be careful. I’ll see you in a day or two.”
“Love you.”
I returned the sentiment before we disconnected the call.
Tossing my phone on the mattress, I headed back out to the living room to find Roxanne and Jackson sitting on either end of the couch, flipping through the channels.
“You guys have cable here year-round?”
Roxanne and Jackson exchanged a glance. “Seems like an unnecessary expenditure.” Jackson flipped through the channels again. “We might be tapped into the neighbors satellite.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” I said, flopping down into the armchair.
“That’s probably best,” Roxanne said. “How are things back home?”
After I explained Nick’s findings in Calgary, I sensed Jackson and Roxanne’s distress. “Nick says they’re keeping an eye on things, but since there haven’t been any deaths, he figures it can wait until we get back.”
“Not that I want to rush this process,” Roxanne interjected, “but how long do you think that might be?” I sensed her apprehension, and I couldn’t blame her for feeling that way; she was challenging her Alpha’s decision, something no one did too often.
“Honestly, now that I know Bobby is likely behind my parents’ disappearance, I don’t see why we have to stay much longer,” I replied. “I’d like to stop by my place and grab a few things, maybe check in with Keaton and O’Malley before we fly out, and I’d definitely like to go for a run as soon as possible.”
“You still unable to shift?” Roxanne asked; I could sense she wanted to head out tonight.
I focused all my energy on the wolf and tried to gauge where she was at. She paced the edge of my control, and I could feel her strength beginning to merge with my own.
Smiling, I looked between the two of them. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to, but I think I’d like to head out and try.”
The smile that spread across Roxanne’s face was jubilant, and she hopped up. “Sweet. Where should we go?”
I thought about where we were at, and led them both out the front door. “We can head out behind the house and into the clearing. After shifting, we can head out to the desert trails.”
“We should probably hunt while we’re out, too,” Jackson suggested. “We don’t have any food in the house, and I’m famished.”
My mouth salivated at the thought of hunting in the desert, and I picked up the pace, trying to hone my desire to shift before we reached the clearing beyond the back yard. Even though I’d been naked in front of the entire pack b
efore, shifting was still something I liked to do in private—especially when I wasn’t sure if I was going to be successful at it. The changes that our bodies went through were kind of horrifying to watch.
About ten feet from my secluded spot, I could hear the familiar grunts and bone-cracking as Jackson and Roxanne changed. Soon, their low growls and concerned huffs found me, and I had to concentrate a little harder.
The wolf was there, ready to come forward, but she struggled to merge with me completely. Even in the heat of an Arizona night, I shivered and broke out in a cold sweat as I continued to force my change.
I wanted to cooperate with the wolf; wanted her to join me. We both needed this.
I opened myself up, invited her to join me. Soon, warmth spread across my skin in an instant, and the wolf stepped forward, caressing my soul as she fused with my consciousness.
My muscles all tensed, bones shifting and realigning beneath my feverish skin as it rippled and sprouted hair. I clenched my teeth together to contain a cry as the pain tore through me like it always did, and soon, my mouth was open, face tilted toward the sky, and a howl echoed in the night.
Chapter26 | bitten
The return flight to Calgary would be uneventful after a successful shift, thankfully. Going for a run before travelling definitely took the edge off, numbing my anxiety enough that we didn’t have a repeat of our journey to Arizona.
Even though it had taken a little more effort to change with trace amounts of silver still coursing through my veins, I felt immense relief in my body. I was still a little sluggish and weak, but my anxiety lifted as we raced through the desert and hunted. We stayed away from all major roads, keeping civilization as far behind us as possible so as not to draw any more unwanted attention to ourselves. It was nice, and I found myself wondering how the others were doing back up North since I’d last talked to them. Nick had said they were having trouble getting out for regular runs with the cops sticking so close to the house, and I found myself feeling extremely fortunate for this reprieve—even if it was only for a few short days.
Before we flew out, I’d stopped by my house for a few more personal effects. I grabbed a few more articles of clothes, some shoes, and photos. I lingered a little longer in the bedroom, sitting cross-legged at the end of the mattress and staring at the pillows and breathing in David’s slowly fading scent.
As I sat there, staring and reflecting on the past few months, I came to realize that leaving Scottsdale, while good for me when it came to learning about the wolf, it also forced me to push my grief over David to the side. It wasn’t that I had forgotten about him; I just wasn’t given too many opportunities to let my thoughts drift to him. With everything that had happened since I’d first arrived at the manor, I’d had far more pressing matters on my mind…
Not that I wanted to downplay David’s murder, but fighting for my own survival definitely took priority.
After leaving my bedroom, I wandered out to the living room. The floors had been cleaned, the window replaced, but all I saw was David lying on the floor. The pool of blood expanded around him, stretching out over the scratched hardwood. Even when my eyes adjusted, and everything appeared normal, I could still see the outline of his blood, regardless of the cleanup crew that had been here days after the murder. The coppery scent stung my nose, and my eyes burned with tears I hadn’t shed in weeks. I didn’t fight them; instead, I let them fall freely as I mourned my old life.
Jackson and Roxanne waited outside on the front step, giving me privacy as I did what I had to do. I knew they would be able to sense my emotions, see that I’d been crying, but they didn’t pry. They both respected my privacy as Jackson took my bags for me and led me toward our rental car.
Thinking about the attacks that Nick had warned me about, I figured we’d need to conduct an investigation of our own. Sure, it wouldn’t exactly be legal, but if I grabbed my identification and badge, I might be able to pass myself off as a local detective and get some information from the victims. So, we made a quick stop at the precinct where I spoke to O’Malley and Keaton.
Under the guise of wanting to look around, I slipped into my dad’s office. I looked around to see if Bobby had maybe left anything for me, but there was nothing out of place. When I finished looking around, I opened my dad’s bottom desk drawer and grabbed my badge, slipping it into my back pocket. I looked at my gun wistfully. I no longer had use for a firearm, but it had been a part of me for so many years. It felt odd not to rely on it to feel safe anymore, but it also felt great knowing that I could protect myself without it.
I closed the drawer, said one more round of goodbyes to my old team. Even Clarke came over to say his farewells—it was highly probable he was just making sure I was actually leaving for good this time.
We arrived back at Vince and Layla’s around dinner. There were cops stationed at the end of the driveway, just as Nick had told me, and I cordially waved as we passed by. They returned the gesture, even if they did look a little confused by it.
Everyone was just settling down to eat when the three of us walked through the front door. Nick was on his feet in an instant, pulling me into his arms and greeting me with a lingering kiss.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he murmured, pulling back a couple of inches to look me in the eyes. “You hungry?”
I nodded, even though I wasn’t overly famished. My appetite had dropped substantially over the last few days, likely due to the stress surrounding what happened at the manor and my parents’ abduction.
I followed Nick into the little dining room that Vince and Layla had, surprised to see that a larger table had been moved in compared to the one that had occupied the space during my stay at Christmas. Out of habit, I headed for the seat I would have occupied back at the manor, only to find Corbin there, an empty seat to his left in the seat that Nick would have occupied. I glanced around the table, trying to process what was going on, realization striking as Jackson rounded the table and sat in the empty seat to Corbin’s left. Nick stood at the foot of the table—Miranda’s old spot—and he stayed standing while the rest of the Pack watched me devotedly.
Heart thundering in my chest, pulse pounding in my ears, I took the first of several hesitant steps toward the head of the table. I placed my fingertips on the smooth oak surface, pressing them down and feeling the light pressure shoot up my arms. The thought of sitting in this chair was daunting, but one look into Nick’s proud eyes gave me a surge of confidence, and I slowly lowered myself into my new seat.
The buzz of the Pack talking filled the dining room as I pushed my food around on my plate, taking a few tiny bites here and there to keep Nick from pressuring me to eat. Soon, Layla inquired about my findings in Scottsdale.
“The cops know nothing,” I informed the Pack, glancing to my right at Jackson. “I did find something at my parents’ house, however.” The clatter of silverware rang out as the Pack’s attention shifted from dinner to me. “Bobby left a picture of them that he’d taken around New Year’s for me to find. I’m confident he’s got them.”
Colby muttered an uncharacteristic profanity at the other end of the table before she started sniffling, hanging her head to hide her tears. Nick reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in and whispering something to her. She nodded before pushing her chair back from the table and excusing herself. My heart strained with the sudden urge to go after her, but Nick shook his head as Zach rushed from the room.
“She’s been having a tough time,” Nick explained. “She feels guilty for thinking ill of Cordy before she was taken again.”
His words were like a knife through my gut as I recalled everything Colby had told me and everything I’d witnessed about Cordelia’s strange behavior. Her guilt was understandable, and I could only imagine how much she longed to hold her sister in her arms and comfort her again.
Conviction settled in my belly, forcing my posture to change—become more confident—and I vowed to do whatever it took to find C
ordelia and bring her home again.
First, I’d have to get back inside the manor. The crime scene was probably heavily compromised now as the police investigation proceeded, but I had a feeling I could use my wolf instincts to find a few things the cops would be blind to. Might be able to pick up a scent that I could track, see something the cops didn’t… I felt confident I would be able to figure out what Bobby was up to.
After dinner, I helped Layla clean up before Nick ushered me outside for a private walk along the property line. Even though the temperature was on the warmer side, there was a wind chill that cut through my jeans and burned my face. It was refreshing after my flight home, breathing the clean mountain air, hearing the crunch of the snow beneath my feet. I looped my right arm through Nick’s and leaned against him as we walked around the perimeter.
The cops were still parked just beyond the gate in an unmarked car. Even though we were far enough away that they couldn’t hear us, we could hear them. They didn’t have anything too interesting to say, mostly complaining about how they had to keep watch over us instead of helping with the investigation. They also complained about coffee they were drinking, and almost as if on cue, Layla came out of the house with two fresh travel mugs and walked to the end of the driveway to deliver them. Needless to say, this kind gesture from the people they were ordered to watch shocked them, and Nick and I laughed from afar.
“How was your flight home?” Nick asked as we rounded the side of the house.
“Pleasantly uneventful.”
Nick chuckled, leaning over to press his lips to the top of my head. “Glad to hear it. Were you able to shift before you left Arizona?”
I nodded. “Yeah. The night we got in, actually. Jackson must have only given me enough to keep me docile during the day. I could feel the wolf there the whole time. Just below the surface.”
Nick stopped walking and turned me toward him. “I’m sorry he had to do that to you.” His eyes held mine, his remorse heady and genuine.
“It’s fine,” I told him. “I was beyond my own limits. I shudder to think what might have happened had Jax not been there.”
