I folded my arms. “Oh? So you’re Team Alec now?”
“I’ve always been Team Alec,” Bentley said. “He’s been so much lighter this week. You heard him a minute ago. He complimented me. I don’t think he’s ever complimented me before.”
I liked that I seemed to have a positive impact on Alec’s mood. “Not to worry. I have no intention of breaking up with him.” If anything, I worried about him breaking up with me. It was early days, though. I had to hope for the best.
Bentley seemed visibly relieved.
“How are the wedding plans coming along?” I asked. I was feeling benevolent toward the elf. He was still akin to the brother I never wanted, but even siblings experienced moments of peaceful co-existence.
“If you consider family squabbles progress, then it’s going well,” he confessed.
“Sorry to hear that. What’s the issue?”
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re interested?”
“Not really, but it’ll kill five minutes before I go kiss my boyfriend in his office.” Okay, peaceful co-existence was overrated.
Bentley shuddered at my comment. “There’s drama with Meadow’s uncle. He and his first wife are coming to the wedding, but his second wife is also invited because she was very involved in Meadow’s upbringing. The wives are both angry that the other one is invited.” He leaned his chin on the palm of his hand. “It’s a mess.”
“So wait. Her uncle is married to the second wife but attending with the first one?”
“No, he divorced the second wife to reunite with his first wife. They hated each other for years. Meadow said it was a bitter divorce, but apparently they rekindled their romance when he was separated from the second wife.”
“I bet Meadow’s feeling pretty confused right now.”
“She’s not used to her aunt and uncle getting along. For most of her childhood, they were at war and now—boom. They act like nothing bad ever happened between them and the second wife is on the outs.”
My phone buzzed and an image of a cartoon bat with fangs flashed on my screen—my avatar for Alec. I smiled and pushed back my chair.
“Do I need to wear earplugs?” Bentley asked, crinkling his nose.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said and then smiled. “We’ll be very quiet.”
He made a horrified sound and I laughed as I hurried to Alec’s office. I honestly had no idea why he needed to see me. It certainly wasn’t to get horizontal since we’d agreed that wasn’t an option at this stage.
“Hi,” I said, closing the door behind me. “Everything okay?”
Alec smiled and his fangs peeked out from the corners of his mouth. “I suspect Bentley already asked for your notes.”
“He basically tackled me when I came through the door.” I made myself comfortable in the chair opposite him.
“Any progress on identifying the killer?” he asked.
“There was werewolf fur on Tatiana’s wings,” I said, “but they can’t tie it to a specific werewolf. We’ve been collecting samples from the werewolves we interview.”
Alec’s expression shifted from curious to concerned. “Then you must have been able to rule out Sheriff Nash.”
“Not yet,” I said. “I got a text last night that the lab accidentally left the samples too close to an open flame and they disintegrated. Anyway, it’s okay because there’s another wolf on the list that we haven’t spoken to yet, so we’ll need her sample too,” I said. “Her name is Nola. Deputy Bolan and I are going to speak to her shortly.”
“A breakthrough, perhaps.” He threaded his fingers together. “I apologize that this has fallen on your shoulders.”
“Why should you apologize? It’s not your fault.”
“Still. It’s a delicate situation under the circumstances. You’ve handled it impeccably, I might add. Not that I expected anything less from you. You’ve always impressed me, Ember. From the very first.”
“The very first?” My body warmed all over. “Is this where we reminisce about the day we met?”
“Probably not the time or the place, though, I admit, I was drawn to you from the outset.”
“You’re not just saying all this to butter me up so I’ll bump up my timeline?”
He wore a vague smile. “And which timeline would that be?”
“You know which timeline.” I knocked on the desk for good measure.
“I wouldn’t dream of trying to manipulate you in such a fashion,” he said. “Regardless, when our physical union finally takes place, it will not be in an office.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “No?”
“Certainly not. It might surprise you to learn that I’ve imagined the moment many times.”
I tried to appear casual though my pulse was racing. “Nope. Doesn’t surprise me. I’m very imaginable.”
He chuckled.
My phone buzzed and I recognized the refrain from Come On Eileen—the ringtone I set for Deputy Bolan. “Looks like my other timeline has been bumped up. I need to go.”
Disappointment rippled across his handsome features. “So soon? I was rather enjoying our chat.”
“There are plenty of chats in our future, Alec,” I said, heading for the door. “That’s the beauty of being in a relationship.”
Chapter Fourteen
Nola Burrows lived in an isolated part of the Pine Barrens. Most shifter communities in Starry Hollow were tight-knit, but Nola seemed to have distanced herself from the pack. Her rustic log cabin was obscured by a protective circle of trees. The front yard was decorated with metal sculptures in a variety of shapes. I noted flowers, the sun, and the phases of the moon.
Deputy Bolan headed straight for the front door. I hung back, feeling a stir in the air around us.
“She isn’t inside,” I said. I wasn’t sure how I knew, but I did.
The leprechaun turned around to look at me. “You’re psychic now?”
“Hey, I meet with Marigold every week,” I said. “Maybe it’s finally rubbing off on me.” The Mistress-of-Psychic Skills would be pleased to know her time with me wasn’t in vain.
A low growl made the hair on my arms stand on end. Slowly, I twisted to glimpse the source. A white wolf stood behind me, teeth bared. I held up my hands, the international sign for ‘don’t shoot,’ or in this case—‘don’t give me a fatal werewolf bite.’
“Nola?” I said calmly.
The wolf snapped her powerful jaws.
“Rose, you should take a step back toward me,” Deputy Bolan advised softly.
“No,” I said. “That’s closer to her house. She’ll feel threatened.”
“I feel threatened right now and so should you,” the leprechaun pointed out.
I kept my focus on the wolf. “My name is Ember Rose.” I adopted my most soothing tone—the one I used when trying to encourage PP3 to swallow his flea and tick pills. “Deputy Bolan and I would like to speak with you regarding an important matter. We need your help.”
The wolf ceased snarling but didn’t take human form.
“Maybe I should show her my badge,” the deputy said. He moved to unpin it from his shirt and the wolf took a menacing step forward. “Or maybe not.”
“We need to talk to you about a fairy called Tatiana,” I said. “I think you know her.”
The wolf howled. The sound was angry and haunting. Why didn’t she shift?
“Nola, we can’t speak to you like this,” I said. “We need you in human form.” Despite my calm appearance, my insides were quivering. If Nola was responsible for killing Tatiana, she might have no problem adding the deputy and I to the body count.
“If she won’t cooperate, we’ll have to bring her in to the office,” the leprechaun said. “How many pounds of unconscious werewolf can you lift?”
The wolf growled and I glanced at the deputy. “Permission to encourage her cooperation here, Deputy?” I wasn’t keen on transporting Nola anywhere in her wolf form.
“Permission granted.”
I pu
lled out my wand and took aim. “Last chance to cooperate, Nola.” A single leap and her jaws could easily clamp down on my throat.
The wolf’s amber eyes narrowed at the sight of my wand. Still, she made no move to shift. I hated to follow through on my plan, but it was better than resorting to violence. I summoned my magic and flicked the wand at one of the metal sculptures. “Fuego!” The sun caught fire.
The wolf whimpered.
I aimed my wand at the next sculpture. “I’ll destroy them all if you don’t shift right now.” I kept my voice firm even though I remained petrified inside.
Nola finally shifted. “Put out that fire!” she yelled. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to get the rays exactly right on that sun?”
I pointed my wand and said, “Dissipo.” The fire went out, leaving no visible damage to the sculpture.
Nola’s human form was almost as pale as her wolf form. Her strawberry blond hair was shoulder-length and wild. She made no move to preserve her modesty. Instead, she sauntered up to the front door and opened it. “I suppose you’ll want a cup of tea or something. Sorry, I only have ale or hard alcohol.”
“Nothing for me,” Deputy Bolan said.
“That’s because you only like umbrella drinks,” I said.
He shot me an innocent look. “What’s not to like?”
We followed the werewolf inside and I closed the door behind us. The interior of the cabin was basically the same as the exterior, except for the addition of furniture and appliances. There was no decor. No framed photos or artwork on the walls. Nothing of a personal nature. The only items that seemed to reflect Nola were the metal sculptures in the garden.
Nola grabbed a short robe from a nearby hook and headed straight to the modest kitchen. She pulled a bottle off the shelf. “I think I know why you’re here.” She produced two pint glasses and a shot glass. “Moonshine, ale, or burstberry vodka? I made the moonshine myself.”
“Ale for me,” I said.
She popped the lid off a bottle with her teeth and poured the ale. It was an interesting shade of purple and I couldn’t imagine which type of ale produced such a color. It occurred to me that Sheriff Nash would know, which immediately resulted in guilt forming a tight ball in my stomach.
“So why do you think we’re here?” I asked, as I brought the glass of ale to my lips and sniffed. There was a vague fruity scent to it.
“Tatiana is back in Starry Hollow and she’s no doubt swindled some poor soul out of his prized possession. Let me guess.” She snapped her fingers. “A classic car.”
“Not quite,” I said. “How did you know she was here?” I took a hesitant sip of the ale. Not too bad.
“I picked up her scent early this week, when I went for a midnight run,” Nola said. “At first I thought I’d imagined it. That it was only a flash of memory.” A wistful look passed over her features.
“How did you figure out it was more than a memory?” the deputy asked.
“I saw her,” Nola said simply. “The next day.” She poured burstberry vodka into the shot glass and downed it in one swift move.
“Where?” the deputy asked.
“She was in the Whitethorn,” Nola said.
“You just happened to run into her?” I asked.
“No, I tracked her there,” Nola admitted. “Once I had her scent, I couldn’t let it go.”
Hmm. “Was she surprised to see you?” I asked.
Nola opened the moonshine and poured herself a glass. “If she was, she didn’t show it. Tatiana was always good at maintaining a blank face when she needed to. One of her many talents.”
“Did the two of you talk?” Deputy Bolan asked.
“Yes, over a few drinks. Did a bit of catching up.” She pressed her lips together. “Same old Tatiana.”
“In what way?” I asked.
She took a thoughtful sip of moonshine. “New town. No job. New guys, always plural, that one. Somehow still looked like a million bucks. The usual.”
“How was your conversation with her?” I asked. “Upbeat? No arguments?”
“Tatiana is always a good time,” Nola said. “I think she had everyone in the bar wrapped around her pinky finger before she left. Even that smutty parrot adores her.”
“Maybe not everyone,” I said. “Someone was definitely unhappy with Tatiana.”
Nola leaned her hip against the counter. “What makes you say that?”
“Because someone killed her,” the deputy said. “She’s dead.”
Nola’s hand froze partway to her mouth. “Dead?”
“Drowned,” I said. “In her aunt’s swimming pool. Not an accident.”
Nola gulped the rest of her drink and continued to grip the empty glass in her hand. “That can’t be true. Tatiana is…She’s a force of nature.” Nola blinked away tears. “She’s not capable of dying unless she wants to be dead.”
“She was mortal and vulnerable to all the same dangers as most of us,” I said. “And someone made sure that she died in that pool.”
Nola squeezed her eyes closed for a brief moment before opening them again. “Do you have any leads? Is that the reason you’re here?”
“We found wolf fur at the crime scene,” I said. I didn’t mention where. I wanted to see if she knew more than she was saying.
Nola’s expression remained neutral. “Tatiana pissed off more than a few werewolves when she lived here, probably even more than I’m aware of.” She inhaled deeply. “And I guess the fact that I’m a wolf means I’m a suspect.”
“We understand you were friends before she moved away,” I said. “We were wondering if you’d kept in touch.”
“No, that wasn’t her style,” Nola said. “She burned every bridge and kept on driving.”
“Would you mind if we take a look around?” Deputy Bolan asked.
Nola laughed. “To find what? A soggy towel to prove I drowned her? Sure. Have at it.” She waved a hand. “Knock yourselves out. I don’t have much.” She swayed slightly as she refilled her glass. If she kept up the pace, she’d be passed out within the hour.
The deputy and I went from room to room, although I wasn’t sure what I was searching for. A journal with all her misdeeds? A list of naughty friends with Tatiana’s name crossed out?
Deputy Bolan seemed to read my mind. “Sometimes you don’t know what you’re looking for until you see it,” he said.
It was in her bedroom that I found it. “Would you mind coming in here, Nola?” I called.
“What is it?” Deputy Bolan asked. I gestured to the ceiling.
Nola appeared in the doorway. “You found a murder weapon? Because I doubt a swimming pool fits in here.” Her laugh was awkward and high-pitched. Drunk laughter.
I pointed to the metal sculpture that hung from the ceiling above the bed. It was larger than any of the others in the garden, with wings spread wide and covered in a sheen of bronze glitter.
A fairy.
“When did you make this?” I asked, fixated on the sculpture. It had been masterfully crafted with details that were lacking in any of the other sculptures.
“Two years ago when I was between jobs,” Nola said. “Took longer than usual, but the results are worth it.”
“Why not display it outside with the rest of them?” Deputy Bolan said.
Nola’s cheeks grew flushed. “This wasn’t made to go in my garden.”
“Why not?” the deputy asked. “It’s the best one I’ve seen.”
“I think she was only going for artistic expression,” I said, studying the sculpture. “It radiates warmth and light.”
Deputy Bolan rolled his eyes. “There you go with your psychic babble again.”
“It’s psycho babble,” I corrected him.
He snickered. “I’ll say.”
I ignored him and returned my focus to the fairy sculpture. There was something about its placement, too, that suggested a favored status. It wasn’t that Nola didn’t find it good enough to display in the garden. It
was more that she didn’t want to. This sculpture was for her eyes only. She prayed to it every night before she went to sleep, as though it were a wishing star. And I knew exactly what she wished for.
“You were in love with her,” I said quietly.
Nola averted her gaze from the sculpture. “Who?”
I gave her a pointed look. “You know who.”
Deputy Bolan’s small head whipped toward the werewolf. “You had a thing for Tatiana?”
Nola glowered at him. “Is that really so hard to believe in this day and age, Deputy?”
“No,” the deputy replied. “And I would know. So would my husband, for that matter.”
Nola’s mouth opened and closed. “I see,” she finally said. “I’m sure it’s different for leprechauns.”
Deputy Bolan eyed her. “Different how?”
“Shifters, werewolves in particular, have a certain mentality,” Nola explained. “The pack is very traditional. Alpha, beta. Pups for the propagation of the species.”
“I dated a werewolf,” I said. “He seemed perfectly willing to marry a witch.” Sheriff Nash hadn’t been the least bit concerned with pack mentality. Neither had Wyatt Nash when he married Linnea.
Nola sighed in exasperation. “We’re Arctic wolves. We’re endangered. The last thing anyone in my pack wants is for a wolf of childbearing age to follow any other path except for the one that involves mating with another Arctic werewolf and having little Arctic pups.”
“Yet here you are years later with no mate and no pups,” the deputy said.
“And why do you think I live among them and yet apart?” she shot back. “They don’t want to shun me. They keep hoping I come back to the fold and do my duty.” She lifted her chin a fraction. “I’m not about to sacrifice myself for the sake of the pack.”
“Not exactly pack mentality, is it?” I asked.
Her amber eyes shone with pain. “If you’d been treated the way I have, you would understand why I don’t care.”
Deputy Bolan moved to stand in front of her. “I do understand, Nola. Believe me, I do.” He reached to comfort her and it would have been a lovely moment, except for the fact that he couldn’t reach her shoulder. Then it became awkward when his hand landed on her boob. She stared at the offending extremity until he removed it, red-faced.
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