Moon Promise

by Carmen Fox

  “Keep me apprised.” Jonah slammed the phone onto the table and buried his face in his hands. “Fuck.”

  Despite burning with curiosity, I sat still and quiet. The alpha was on the edge of an explosion, and I had no desire to get caught up in the blast.

  Jonah finally looked up and gave a bitter laugh. “That was Orson.”

  “He’s working as a police officer with the humans.” Leo leaned in and kept his voice quiet, clearly eager not to set the alpha off either.

  A chill rose in me, paralyzing me from the waist up. My mouth dried, my heart slowed, and my arms lay heavy on the table, unable to move. Had the cops arrested Drake over Buck’s murder? No. Not possible. Because if they had, we’d forever be apart, and that wasn’t an option I was physically able to handle.

  “The police have made progress in Raven’s case. They’ve just finished interviewing Sable.”

  My eyes widened, about the only parts of my body that still functioned. Sable would have relayed our earlier conversation and pointed the cops to Cody.

  “Did either of you know that Raven once dated Drake?”

  I jerked back, my mouth open.

  “Kensi told me in the car.” Leo shrugged. “She only just found out today.”

  “Unfortunately, Drake is now on the cops’ radar.” Jonah shook his head. “You couldn’t make it up. One punch in the nuts after another.”

  “Cody will be their prime focus for now,” I said. “While they’re investigating him, we should try to find Drake.”

  “What do you think we’ve been doing all day?” Jonah glared at me, then turned his gaze on Leo. “Take her home. There’s nothing we can do but wait.”

  “I can help.” I got to my feet. “Please. Let me be useful.”

  Jonah shook his head. “Go home. I’ll let you know when we have news.”

  Before I made the mistake of opening my mouth again, Leo placed his hand on my shoulder and led me out of the room.

  “We have people out looking for Drake,” he said.

  “What’s going to happen when the cops reach the conclusion that Cody isn’t responsible for Raven’s death?”

  “If that happens, and I’m not sure they will discount him any time soon, they will look into Drake, dismiss him from their investigation, then tread water until the case goes cold again.” He patted my back. “Don’t worry.”

  I gave a dry chuckle, but had no counter-argument. Leo’s reasoning was sound. The sooner Drake realized he was better with his pack than as a lone wolf, he’d return.

  My chest clamped around my heart, and I inhaled a choked breath. Once Drake was back, I’d chew him out, yell at him—and then never allow him to leave me again.

  Twenty-two

  Back home, I did my best not to ping on Jonah’s shit-meter again. The alpha had too many worries for me to add my uncertainties. Instead, I re-read my notes, organized them into neat folders for my files, even played back my conversations with Buck and Sable.

  My procedure wasn’t to blame. Every step I took had been the right one, and my omissions wouldn’t have made a difference. Then how had everything gone so wrong?

  I opened my Garry Rodgers crime novel, normally a sure-fire way to keep me occupied, but my ability to focus was shot.

  After one-hundred sit-ups, a five-mile run followed by a hundred squats, my hardcore workout routine had officially failed to quieten my mind. Physically, I craved Drake’s presence. Emotionally... No, I wasn’t yet ready to engage with my feelings.

  Before I called it a night, I spoke to Jonah, who had no news.

  Drake’s voice, captured on my recorder, lulled me into a sleep that consisted of sporadic bouts of weird dreams, blissful emptiness and sweat-drenched awakenings. By six o’clock I couldn’t stand the not knowing anymore. I got up and raced downstairs to boot up my laptop.

  My inbox didn’t bring illumination, and Jonah hadn’t been in touch either. I knew better than to wake a sleeping alpha, so I doubled my morning exercise routine and then took a shower.

  By eight, I started calling people. A tearful Sable recalled her conversation with the police. Her main worry was that she’d got Drake into trouble, even though she made it clear he’d never have hurt Raven. I assured her they’d never suspect him, and she eventually calmed down.

  Pike wasn’t what I’d call forthcoming on the phone. Without Drake’s dominant presence, the distraught father had the nerve to call me incompetent. It was the human police who’d ultimately discovered his daughter, not the hot-shot investigator Jonah had hired.

  Natalie hadn’t seen Drake, and since I didn’t want to alarm her, I kept our conversation short.

  The list of contact numbers Buck had given me kept my phone busy for the next hour. Drake’s brother, still out of action with a fractured leg, threatened to leap into the woods himself to lead the search. A well-meant sentiment but difficult to implement. A simple shift merely sped up the healing process, but was unable to cure such a serious injury in one swoop.

  By mid-morning, I was out of names, numbers and patience.

  My phone rang at lunchtime.

  “Jonah, do you have any news?”

  The sigh from the other end of the line proved his load hadn’t lightened yet. “I hear you’ve been calling around, looking for Drake.”

  “Of course. If I knew the woods better, I’d be out there myself.”

  “Jeez, Kensi, you’re riling up my pack. As if mourning two of their own isn’t bad enough, you’ve now announced to the world that their protector has disappeared.”

  I grimaced. “I hadn’t considered that. My bad.”

  “Forget it.” Another deep sigh. Not a good sign. “There’s worse news. The cops tracked down a witness who saw Drake and Raven arguing days before she disappeared.”

  I shot to my feet and folded my free arm across my chest for warmth. “What’s that supposed to prove?”

  “It’s enough to make the cops want to speak to him, but guess what? He’s gone.”

  “He’s not fleeing, though. He’s just, I don’t know, hiding out, tracking Buck’s real killer.”

  “A few hours ago, the cops executed a search warrant on Drake’s cabin. They found evidence.”

  “Evidence of what?”

  “That he killed Raven.”

  “Raven. No.” Forced by a thump of my heart, I moved back. “That’s ridiculous. He didn’t. He couldn’t have.”

  “I don’t want to believe it either, but the police are convinced they have enough to arrest him.”

  “But Buck did it.” My voice had lowered to a whimper.

  “I don’t even know what’s true anymore.” Jonah gave a quiet groan, maybe even with his phone away from his mouth, but still loud enough to be picked up by me. “If Drake hadn’t taken matters into his own hands, we could have avoided this mess.”

  No more words came to me. Drake hadn’t done this. Impossible. He wasn’t the silent brooding type of books and make-believe, but a real guy, an unbelievably hot real guy, who, despite his impulse to dominate, had shown vulnerability—because I wouldn’t. A guy like that wasn’t a killer.

  Or had sex with Drake turned my head so much, he’d become a blind spot to my common sense?

  “I think it’s best if you went home. My pack is fractured, and you’re not helping the healing process.”

  “I’m not leaving.” I set my jaw. “This is ridiculous. Processing evidence takes time. The police can’t possibly have settled on a suspect so soon.”

  Jonah’s growl might have been scary in person, accompanied by a heavy dose of dominance, but over the phone it lacked weight. “This is my territory, and you’re here with my permission. Consider that permission withdrawn. Your presence will disrupt my efforts to calm the pack. Don’t make me call your dad again.”

  He would, too. “And tell him how you put me in danger?”

  His second growl left a better impression. No argument would change his mind now. That wasn’t to say I was beaten yet.
/>
  “Fine.” I punched the wall. “You win.”

  “Leo will be with you shortly. He’ll take you to the airport.”

  Jonah hung up.

  My throat ached, and I rubbed small circles over it.

  Even if Drake had lied about dating Raven, that didn’t mean he’d killed anyone—not Buck, and definitely not his best friend’s sister. Besides, he’d been as involved in the investigation into Raven’s disappearance as I had. Finding her body had shaken him to the core, of that I was sure.

  All of that could have been a ploy, of course. He’d been eager to boot Leo off the investigation and keep me close, maybe for the purpose of steering my inquiries away from the truth. And why claim he hadn’t talked to Raven in a long time? Was the witness mistaken or did he have an agenda?

  No, I wasn’t going there. Too many questions were lacking answers. What proof did the cops really have? Had Drake left evidence behind in the woods, like footprints or candy wrappers? Maybe it would help if I gave the police a heavily redacted truth. My reputation was such that it shouldn’t take me long to convince them that anything Drake had dropped had been due to the discovery of the body, not to murder.

  Except in reality, it had been Drake alone who’d found the body.

  Quickly.

  Very quickly.

  I dialed his number, and it went straight to voice mail. “Um, Drake. Call me. The police think you killed Raven, but I know you didn’t. And we can find the real killer if we work together.” I let the noise of the recorder run another few seconds, then added, “I just need to know you’re okay. Please call.”

  I disconnected and scoffed at my weakness. Was he even still interested in me? Had our link been real?

  Jeez, I used to be a level-headed investigator in the human world, but the Wild Pack had thrown me out of kilter. Up was down. Good was bad. And a man who was so wrong felt so right.

  Outside, kids played on the street, making a hell of a racket. Life went on for those who weren’t caught up in this nightmare.

  The plan that had implanted itself in my head was growing by the second, and step one involved keeping up appearances. I dashed up the stairs, splashed my face with cold water, and then began to pack. My underwear, and towels went in the bottom as an unfolded heap. I exchanged my T-shirt for a strappy vest and checked the contents of my jacket pockets. Everything from my recorder had been backed up to the Cloud and subsequently deleted from the device, except for Drake’s calming voice, his flirtations, his smoky whispers.

  The bell rang.

  “Hi. It’s me.” Leo followed up with a couple of knocks.

  I stared at my suitcase and smoothed my jacket.

  “Kensi. Open up.”

  I rolled my neck and crossed the spotless hardwood floor. Leaving this place at this time hurt, but Jonah’s word was to be obeyed. Ish.

  “Good. You’re ready.” Leo stared at my tote. “Let’s go.”

  This time he reacted fast. Without giving me a chance to grip the handle, he heaved my suitcase down the path to his trunk. We climbed into our seats in silence.

  Leo’s simple black T-shirt was a little tight, but he had the physique to pull it off. He was a werewolf protector, the werewolf protector now, and flaunted strength was what the community needed.

  Good old, reliable Leo. He’d made my stay interesting and often provided light relief, especially in those early days when my relationship with Drake was stuck in its teething phase. His occasional lack of backbone had simplified life and now gave me hope that he’d forgive me for what I had devised.

  Because of course I wasn’t getting on any plane. Jonah could kick me out of his house, exile me from Marlontown, but not all of the Triangle belonged to him.

  I tipped down my sunglasses and stared into the hazy mid-afternoon sun that cast its unforgiving heat across the landscape.

  Over the last few days, I’d become accustomed to the rocky roads and double-sized portions and the smells that filled the air: the unpleasant wafts from the cows on the farm closest to Jonah’s home. The mingling aromas of pizza and burger and garlic from the food joints in Denville. The forest’s earthy and floral bouquet. And Drake’s unique scent, this mix of peppermint and lemon that did crazy things to my stomach and mind.

  Leo held his head straight, his gaze fixed on the road. Not many cars hurried to get out of town, and he took full advantage of the empty roads. A loud rock tune forced its way through the noise from the engine.

  Soon, Marlontown lay far behind us. And with it, the woods that brought not only my mom and my dad together, but also Dad and Jonah.

  Back then, a friendship was forged. A peace was born.

  A peace that may be broken the second I disobeyed Jonah’s order to leave, but I’d have to deal with the fallout later—after I’d found Drake and unmasked the real killer, be it Buck, Cody, or the alpha himself.

  My mission had changed, but I was going to prevail. After all, I had a man to acquit. My man.

  If only I had help. Key to operation Save Drake was a certain human librarian. Natalie wouldn’t throw Drake to the wolves, so-to-speak. Not without hard evidence. Of course, doing anything without clueing her in on our animal nature came with its own problems.

  I glanced at Leo’s face. His smile was gone, and not a hint of his flirtatious side peeked out. He and Drake had their problems, but not even he could have predicted this turn of events.

  I put on a brave smile and made it water-tight. “No news then?”

  “Everyone knows, or thinks they know, that Drake killed Raven and Buck. Jonah has hired the best drifter hunters in the country to track him down and bring him back for trial.”

  Hunters were the last resort, but what choice did Jonah have?

  “What did the cops say?” I asked. “The whole thing makes no sense.”

  Leo’s jaw clenched tightly.

  I turned the volume down. “What evidence could make them close in on Drake so quickly?”

  “First, there was a shoeprint they’d found next to Raven’s body. It matched one of his boots.”

  “A shoeprint alone isn’t going to convict him. Besides, I can easily explain that with the truth.”

  “The witness statement and correct shoe size were enough for a warrant. When they searched Drake’s house, they found jewelry Raven wore the day she disappeared. He kept it as a trophy or something.” He rolled his head to the side to regard me briefly. “Lucky escape for you, eh?”

  “Jewelry like what? A ring?”

  “A necklace. Birdie recognized it immediately.”

  I pressed my fist into my thigh. Too early to get excited. “A necklace with a blue pendant? The same one her mother had?”

  “Yes. Why? What is it?”

  “Turn around. Now.” I pointed to the rear of the sedan and gripped his steering wheel.

  He slammed on the brakes, and we jerked forward.

  “What the hell are you doing?” His dominance lassoed around me, but fluctuated with the skidding of the wheels.

  “Drake is innocent. I knew it. We have to tell the cops.”

  He recovered control both over himself and the car. “Kensi—”

  “Hear me out. I know the necklace you mentioned. Raven was wearing it when we found her. I saw it.”

  “You said you didn’t go anywhere near the body.”

  Always the protector.

  “Focus, man.” I slapped his shoulder. “Don’t you get it? Drake didn’t take it as a trophy. I bet Buck retrieved it from her grave and hid it in Drake’s house before he called the police.” I smacked his arm again.

  “I don’t know. Once we give the police Buck as our suspect, guess who they’ll name as their main suspect?”

  “One disaster at a time.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Why aren’t you turning around? We have to tell the police.”

  His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “How are you going to explain seeing the necklace on her body? If you admit that you found her, you
’ll get in trouble.”

  “We’re talking about Drake’s life.” I tapped the steering wheel again. “Go. Drive.”

  “Your funeral.” Leo turned the car around and drove back the way we came. Back toward the Triangle.

  “I knew he didn’t do it. You know?” I sought confirmation from Leo.

  His face remained unreadable.

  “What’s wrong? You’re still not convinced?”

  “Let’s wait and see what the police think. He’s not out of the woods yet.”

  I clamped my hands between my legs to stop them from shaking. “Yeah. You’re right. This is too important to mess up now.”

  This development was merely a first step in exonerating Drake. After all, the police might assume that he’d retrieved the necklace as a memento after my initial discovery.

  The way back took longer. Each minute dragged. My throat had dried up, my heart raced up and down my body. If only I had solid proof Buck was the real killer. Drake had been framed, of that I was sure.

  Not many humans could have known Drake would make a good suspect. As Raven’s confidant, Cody might have known she’d once dated Drake, but would he have the balls, let alone the wherewithal, to frame his old school buddy?

  Leo turned from the road into town onto a narrow dirt road into the woods. The trees stood to attention, their branches pointed the way.

  “Where the hell did they build the police station?” I asked.

  “It’s a new building, and they didn’t want to place it amid the old buildings. You know what humans are like.”

  I pressed deep into my seat, my brain now running hot and not interested in another debate about annoying humans.

  If Raven’s killer was a werewolf, who’d have the stones to take on a protector? After all, Drake’s dominance came in two flavors: strong, and one hundred percent concentrated whoop-ass.

  Another dominant wolf, maybe? An alpha or...another protector?

  I snapped my face toward Leo, then, belatedly, smoothed my features. Could he be the killer? The notion alone seemed preposterous. What possible motive did he have?

  My breathing turned flat, and I sat ramrod-straight so as not to appear spooked.