by Carmen Fox
“Hi.” Leo beamed at me over a small bunch of flowers. “For you. A little welcome.”
“Really? Wow.” I accepted and took a whiff of the subtle floral scent. “Sorry. Where are my manners? Come on in.”
He closed the door behind him.
I dug up a suitable vase in the kitchen. “I don’t know what to say. They’re lovely.”
“Well, they’re a token. I figured strange town, strange people. And then I heard Drake abandoned you.”
“His brother’s injured, I believe.”
“No excuse to neglect you.”
I filled the vase with water and arranged the flowers. Who knew Leo was such a flirt? With Drake showing little interest in me, I didn’t mind the ego boost.
And Leo was a mighty fine-looking guy. Tall, strong, blond, with a sense of the unpredictable. Turning up on my doorstep out of the blue? Yeah, I hadn’t seen that coming. Plus, he had a certain quality, a quiet confidence that didn’t need dominance to tell me he was a serious guy.
“Tell you the truth, I was a little upset.” I centered the vase on the island. “The moment I found a clue, I had to abandon the investigation.”
“Oh, really?” Leo placed both his forearms on the counter and leaned in. “What clue? Spill.”
“I found a photo of Raven with a guy. A photo she kept secret from her parents.”
“Raven had a boyfriend?” Leo whistled. “Well, that’s great. Not for her parents, but an awesome find. Pretty good going for your first day. Almost like you’re a real detective.”
I grinned. “I know, right? But now I have to wait until the day after tomorrow because Drake has family obligations. It’s not his fault, but I’m not a patient woman.”
“I’m sure you have plenty of other virtues.” He straightened and turned a little to the right, giving his cocked head the right amount of ooh-la-la.
My grin expanded into a red-carpet beam. “It’s what I keep telling people.”
“But hey, I’m a protector. How about you and I do a bit of sleuthing tomorrow?”
“Would that be okay?” I asked.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Ditching Drake had been an ambition of mine, sure, but not one I’d reasonably believed would happen. Now that the prospect was near, my expected enthusiasm wasn’t doing somersaults. It wasn’t even as if I was cheating on him.
I bit my lip for a second. “Won’t Drake be pissed you’re taking over?”
“Do you care?” He gave me a shrewd glance before glancing at the kitchen clock.
I had no reason to care. Drake might even be relieved he was finally rid of me. “Of course not. And it’s only for a day, right?”
“Exactly. And look at it this way. Would you rather spend the day alone?”
I had plenty of people to call and Natalie to see, but why break his flirtatious little heart?
I shook my head. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I don’t.”
“Great.” He headed toward the door, while shooting me a panty-melting grin that made sure I was following. “What time do you want me to pick you up?”
“How about seven?”
“It’s a date. See you then.”
***
That night I didn’t sleep well. Jonah and his people ran through my dreams, blocking the view of a woman, who stood forlorn in the woods. It was my mother, yet she looked pale and ghost-like.
I woke with a start and took measured breaths to slow my racing heart. Traveling didn’t become me. If I didn’t end up with stomach troubles, my dreams robbed me of my sleep. This was how my mind processed the events of my life.
The clock said it was eight. I rubbed the sleep out of my eye and got started on my morning routine.
After a decent breakfast, I tackled my inbox, while my voice recorder downloaded my previous day’s conversations to the cloud and recharged. My assistant hadn’t yet found any trace of Raven’s enrolment in a college, but the country was large, and it could take a few days until I knew for sure.
I replied to job offers with a politeness that I hoped made me sound busy but accommodating. Just because I was unavailable now didn’t mean I couldn’t line up jobs for once I was done in Marlontown.
Following a light snack, I spent a few hours calling hospitals and morgues. One hospital in Denver had found a Jane Doe, a homeless woman on life support who resembled Raven by description. Once they saw the photo I’d emailed them, they ruled Raven out. I struck out everywhere else, too. All I could do was leave my number and hope they wouldn’t call.
Jonah had asked me to do a job, and I would see it through. Still, finding Raven alive and well would make his support for my claim to the throne a shoo-in. For the royal packs to live in peace, the two giants both sides of the aisle needed to continue their friendship: my father’s Boroughs Pack was the most numerous and stable pack of the monarchies, of the free packs, none was stronger than the Wild Pack.
Having learned my lesson the previous day, I set out early enough to make the long trek to the BBQ joint in Denville for my meet with Nat. The temperatures showed no mercy, and once again, I felt like a walking puddle of sweat once I finally got there, with ten minutes to spare. Despite the heat, business was in full swing. The parking lot was at least half-full, and finding a space on one of the outside tables was a pipe dream I immediately abandoned.
Natalie was already inside. I joined her in the booth near the entrance, glad to have somewhere to park my butt, even if it was inside a hot diner. The table was lined by a single bench, leaving the other side open for easy wheelchair access.
A smoky fragrance of sweet ‘n meaty hit my taste buds hard, and my stomach growled loud enough to be heard over the Country tune playing in the background.
Natalie pointed at my stomach. “You’re starving, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea.” I slid into the bench and checked out the menu.
Pulled pork, brisket, fritters, corn bread, as well as coleslaw, mac and cheese, and potato chips—they had it all. Nat waved, and the waitress made a beeline for us. Once they’d exchanged pleasantries, we placed our order. Natalie seemed more concerned with filling her stomach than with saving her bikini-ready figure and, like me, ordered half the menu.
“How are things going with Drake?” Natalie shot me a shrewd glance. “Has he been able to help you?”
How could a warm, intelligent woman be so smitten with Drake? Jonah had told me Drake got on with everybody, yet the protector’s attitude toward me singled me out. That didn’t make me feel special in the least.
I plastered on a smile. “I don’t know. He seems to know what he’s talking about, but it’s a little abstract, you know? The history of something is only half as fascinating as the history of a particular living person.”
Like my mother, for example.
“Yes, for that you need to read memoirs or biographies.” She grinned. “What about you? Do you think history will remember you?”
I waved her off. “Good God, I hope not. How embarrassing to have your mistakes laid bare in black and white.”
“True.” She leaned back to allow the waitress to place our food on the table. “Like what mistakes?”
“Yeah, right. The only reason my lips aren’t sealed is the grub. Christ, that smells good.” I lifted the top bun to check that my smoked bacon and cheddar cheeseburger was sufficiently cheesy to warrant the name, which it did. “Anyway, tell me about the Triangle.”
“We refer to Marlontown as a town, but strictly speaking it’s a community built on a huge chunk of private land.”
“Why didn’t I know this?”
“Maybe because in reality, it doesn’t matter. The State has declared Marlontown part of our Triangle, which is ruled by a single Town Council. In many ways, the Triangle is a compact place. The movie theater is in Robson’s Creek, the school’s in Denville. For all intents and purposes, we’re one town. But on a human level, we’re deeply segregated.”
I shot her a quick but thorough gla
nce. Did she know about the werewolf-human split? Yet her expression didn’t indicate she was hanging on to a secret she was eager to spill. Instead, a light frown had worked itself onto her face.
I patted sauce off my mouth with a paper napkin. “In what way segregated?”
“There’s a divide between the old and the new. Mostly, tradition is winning. I’ve lived here for the past fifteen years, and I still remember the upset when we got our first Internet café ten years ago.”
“Seriously?”
“Sometimes I suspect the locals draw their selfies by hand.” She tipped her head back for a full belly laugh. “Wish I were kidding. But it’s more than that. Women are more likely to stay at home here than in New York, where I come from. Minorities? Some have come, not many have stayed.”
I raised my eyebrows. “That bad, huh?”
“I’m exaggerating for political effect.” She grinned past the drink she was holding to her mouth.
“Good, because I didn’t know what to say, and that doesn’t happen often.”
“In fairness, people here by and large aren’t racist, and no one looks at me with pity for sitting in a wheelchair. I’ve been welcomed and made a place for myself, but there’s a feeling here. A sense that you only get sold half the picture, and it’s nothing to do with color. That’s what I meant by segregation.”
“You’re not making life here sound attractive.” I slurped my soda and dipped a chip into the thick burger sauce.
A hundred extra sit-ups during my morning routine for the next ten years might burn off these calories, but right now, I relished every one of them.
“Not at all. You kind of fall in line with the rest. Women might not be fully emancipated here, but there’s something nice about having big, hulking men acting all protective toward you.”
If only she knew how quickly that got old. “Like Drake, you mean?”
She blushed. “A little. Harmless flirtation has never bothered anyone. Shame he’s such a recluse.”
“He seems content with his lot.”
“Have you met his friends?” She focused on the fries on her plate, but her voice had sharpened.
“Some, yeah.”
She lifted her gaze. “Have you met Jonah?”
“Um. Yes.”
“What’s your impression of him?”
Had I been wrong, and she crushed on the local alpha rather than Drake? In some ways, he was a better match for her, but he was still a werewolf.
I pushed the half-full plate away from me in an act of ultimate sacrifice. “He seems nice. Very diplomatic and persuasive.”
“Right.” Her gaze drifted for a moment.
“Why do you ask?” I went in for one last chip. One-hundred and one sit-ups then.
“I’ve noticed...” She washed down her food with soda. “It almost seems like he’s leading the traditional brigade in this town. You know?”
A crumb got caught in my airway, and I coughed wildly. Natalie, meanwhile, observed my reaction with the eyes of a hawk.
Once oxygen flowed again, I wiped away a stray tear. “You were saying?”
“Whenever a new playground is to be set up or a hotel is due to be erected, he’s the one opposing it. At first I thought he was simply a nature freak, like a member of POOF, or Protectors of Our Forests, that’s active in these parts. You know, that I could respect. But now I think he’s doing it by default. And half the Triangle follows his lead.” She tapped her fingers on the table then placed her palm down emphatically. “It’s weird.”
What Nat didn’t know was that every playground or hotel was taking away precious territory.
“You don’t agree?” She tilted her head.
“What does Drake say?”
“Nothing. He can talk for hours about the origins of Marlontown or the architecture of some old building, but the minute you ask him about Jonah, he gets evasive. It’s weird. That’s why I’m asking your opinion.”
“I only just got here.” I shifted in my seat. “You know Jonah better than me.”
“Actually, I’ve never met him face-to-face, but you have. What do you think? Is he an eco-warrior, or does he simply like complaining?”
I inflated my cheeks and then puffed out air. “He has a lot on his plate, but he’s all right. I’m sure if you met him, you might change your mind about the kind of person he is.”
“I’d love to, thank you. I didn’t want to ask directly, but since you’re offering...” She beamed.
Wait. What? Had she manipulated me into an introduction, or had I somehow issued an invitation that wasn’t mine to make?
“Jonah is busy.” I could tell my smile came across as uncertain. “And I won’t be here that long.”
“I’m almost always free. The library isn’t crowded, and Elli, my neighbor, is available at a moment’s notice to help. Any time would be good. Just say the word.”
“What are you hoping to get out of a meeting?” And how could I let her down without hurting her feelings?
After all, Jonah might not be eager to have a powwow with a human librarian. Who was I to schedule his appointments anyway?
Natalie swiped the table with the edge of her hand. “I want to understand why half the people are so beholden to him. When I see him at town meetings or in the news, he almost comes across like a cult leader. He has charm, definitely, and the looks, but is there more to him?”
“If you’ve seen him around, how come you’ve never talked to him?”
“That’s what I’m saying. He’s always surrounded by people, chatting, asking favors, slapping his back. Trying to break through the crowd in this isn’t easy.” She slapped the armrest of her chair.
I sought advice from the wall opposite me, the rounded edge of the table, my hands. Finding none, I shook my head. “As I said, he doesn’t have time for chats.”
“I’m not looking...” She ruffled her hair before sitting up stick-straight. “Okay. Here’s the thing. I was asked to weigh in on a recent proposal to build an activity center for disabled children. The nearby nature reserves and trails make our location ideal. It’s a great cause, but Jonah has lodged an objection. There’s some dispute about who owns the land.”
“And you want to lobby him in person?” Yeah, Jonah was going to love me for this.
“Nothing as grand as that. As you can imagine, it’s a cause I support, but before I get fully involved, I wanted to talk to him. Who knows, he might have a good reason for opposing the project. In other words, I don’t want to start a fight. Maybe there’s room to compromise.”
I leaned back and crossed my ankles. “Is that why you invited me for lunch?”
If so, I could respect that. A clever move, especially for a human.
She lowered her gaze. “It was on my mind, yes, but it wasn’t the only reason. It’s tough to meet people my age. They rarely come to the library, and it’s not like I’m a regular at the bar.”
I slurped the last dredges of my soda through my straw. Maybe I could swing this for her, but should I? If I asked, Jonah might assume he’d be doing me a favor, and suddenly I’d be in his debt. That was the opposite of my reason for being here.
“Would you mind?” Nat’s tone had lost its assertiveness. “I’ve been meaning to ask Drake, but every time I veer from history to something more personal, he blocks me.”
He was a private person, all right.
I gave a one-sided shrug. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
Nat called over the server and paid our bill.
“Can I ask you for a favor in return?” I leaned back and waited for the woman to leave.
“Shoot.”
“You mentioned POOF or something. If I were hard-core into the environment, that’s the organization I’d join?”
“They run the show, as they say. They clean up the woods, write petitions, and give organized walks to tourists.” She gave me a mysterious smile. “And still, they never go up against Jonah.”
“Do you know where their headquarters are?”
“I know the place from which they operate, although I’d hardly call it a HQ. It’s only a few blocks from here.” She slid a napkin toward her, rustled up a pen from the small messenger bag slung around her body, and drew a map. “Here. They have a large sign in the window, so you can’t miss it.”
“Nice.”
“Thinking of joining them?”
“I won’t be here long enough. I’m just looking for information.”
“On the travelers?”
“We’ll see.”
At this point, the humans probably hadn’t given much thought to Raven’s disappearance. Until I’d spoken to her friend Cody, I’d like to keep it that way. Investigations accompanied by a fanfare rarely went smoothly.
“This has been fun.” I got up and shook her hand.
“It has.” She leaned her head to the side. “You’ll let me know about Jonah?”
I took a deep breath. “Sure.”
I opened the door for her, and we went our separate ways.
Natalie had left me with a dilemma. If she hadn’t given me a strong reason for wanting this meet with the alpha, I’d have brushed her off, but the cause was close to her heart.
Of course, there was the matter of Jonah maneuvering me into the whole Drake-babysitting situation. It would be only fair to show I was every bit as cutthroat and conniving as the alpha himself. Maybe I shouldn’t look at this as a favor to Nat but as payback.
The prospect of pulling this off held an even greater attraction I hadn’t yet considered. Drake would be totally pissed to discover I’d bypassed him. That in itself gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling and settled the matter.
Eight
I switched off the TV, slung my jacket over my shoulders for at least the illusion of professionalism, and pocketed the keys on my way out. “Ready.”
Leo rounded his sedan and opened the door for me. “So, care to fill me in on where we’re going?”
We fastened our seat belts at the same time, and our hands touched. I pulled back my arm, but didn’t miss his gentle smile.
Bad Kensi.
To overplay the awkwardness, I showed Leo the pictures of Raven and her boyfriend. “Drake says his name is Cody. He said he went to school with him, which I assume meant you did, too?”
