Stray Moon

by Kelly Meding

  I flashed Novak a bright smile. “Be still my heart, you almost sound like a hero.”

  He flipped me off.

  “I’m glad you agree,” Chandra said. She was also giving Novak a sweet side-eye, and I couldn’t help wondering if they’d find a quiet spot later to give Novak a hand-healing power boost.

  “I have one question,” Jaxon said. “Yesterday morning, you were able to find Shiloh in Baltimore without her calling for you, and last night you said you could sense her calling because she’s a woman.”

  “That is correct.”

  “So why can’t you get into the head of Alice Anderson, or any of the other missing female wolves?”

  Dude, that was a question I hadn’t even considered. Made me glad this Jaxon guy was on our team.

  “I’ll be honest—I don’t know why I cannot sense them,” Chandra replied. “Moon witches can sense human and werewolf females exclusively, and I’ve never been unable to locate a mind I’ve previously touched like this. It is Shiloh’s human half which allows me to find her mind in the mist, and I should be able to find Alice, but I can’t. I worry it’s because she’s dead, but it’s also possible I’m being blocked.”

  “Mist?” I repeated.

  “The mist of human consciousness.”

  “Alrighty then. Now that we know that’s a thing, let’s go see about some werewolves.”

  Chapter 4

  Despite them existing in various states for decades, today was the first time in my twenty-eight years on Earth that I set foot on Pack lands. I’d never had a reason before now, and Para-Marshals technically had no jurisdiction, so what was the point? I had no idea what to expect as Chandra drove up a single-lane paved road that snaked through gorgeous countryside. Trees and leaves and mountains, beautiful nature all around us. It would have made a wonderful national park if it hadn’t been given to the werewolves.

  But humans had plenty of national parks and Pack wolves basically lived in one area their entire lives—which was, believe it or not, not much longer than the average human.

  I’d half expected a gate or fancy entrance of some kind, but the only reason I knew when we’d driven into Pack land was the sentries on the sides of the road. Dark-haired shadows dashing from tree to tree, watching without interfering.

  The road led us into a small town that could be found in any rural area: wooden homes, a grocery store, a diner, a school, and various other buildings necessary for day-to-day life. Nothing very modern, nothing looking particularly prosperous. Old, faded ads in the stores. The only thing I didn’t see was a stoplight or a church. And, of course, we did see a lot more wolves than in your typical Main Street. People mingled with them on the sidewalks, and many stopped to look at the unfamiliar car—which is when I noticed there weren’t all that many cars anywhere. This little town had been carved out of the forest, and it almost felt like a faded fairy-tale setting.

  Chandra knew where to go, because she followed the road through the quaint town, and up another path toward the biggest log cabin I’d ever seen. Three stories, huge, with a wide porch and lots of windows. Had to be the Homme Alpha’s residence, and it was as ostentatious as the town was . . . well . . . poor.

  I really needed not to form an opinion about this Alpha, but I kind of disliked him already. Every Pack Alpha ruled differently, some with an open hand and others with an iron first. Some adhered to a rigid hierarchy, and others only paid it lip service. I had a funny feeling this was a strict, heavy-handed Alpha who treated his wolves like peons.

  This wasn’t going to be a fun meeting.

  “Are there any forced wolves in this Pack?” I asked.

  “None that I’m aware of,” Chandra replied. “I checked the registry this morning to make sure no one else had disappeared in the meantime, and all the entries were listed as B.”

  B for born.

  “Why’s that important?” Jaxon asked.

  “Might not be, but it says something about the Alpha,” I replied. “In a state the size of California, you can’t tell me there aren’t any rogue or forced wolves out there, and if they ever applied for protection with the Pack, they obviously didn’t get it.”

  “Good point.”

  Chandra parked near two navy SUVs and cut the engine. The front door of the big lodge opened, and two brown-furred beasts walked out, followed by a tall woman in a pantsuit. Her cold gaze did not get my hopes up that this would be productive.

  “Who’s that?” Jaxon asked.

  “Her name is Rosalind,” Chandra replied. “She’s the Pack Second, and she’s a bitch. And not just because she’s a dog.”

  I held back a snort.

  We all exited the car, Novak having a bit of trouble with the door handle. Poor guy needed raunchy sex soon so his hands could start to properly heal.

  Not that I was volunteering. Ever.

  Knowing I had (supposedly) banged another teammate in the past was awkward enough.

  Focusing on the confrontation that was about to unfold—and even though I’d been second on my team, and Chandra third on hers—I deferred to her on this. We were in her territory, after all.

  “Para-Marshal Goodfellow,” Rosalind said from the porch, flanked by both beasts. “And guests.”

  “Ma’am,” Chandra said. She introduced the three of us. “We wish to speak with Alpha Kennedy.”

  “On what matter? We have no business with the US Marshals Service at this time.”

  The she-wolf’s superior tone was grating on my blessed nerves.

  “It’s the continuing matter of your missing wolves,” Chandra replied. “Recently, several vampire Lines saw the disappearance of their members, and these Marshals were instrumental in their return. Perhaps we can be of service to you.”

  “You certainly are persistent,” Rosalind said.

  “When people are missing, persistence often pays off.”

  “Hmm. I’ll see if the Alpha is prepared for visitors.” Rosalind turned and went back into the house. Her lupine escort remained on the steps, alert and waiting.

  I’d never fought a shifted werewolf before, and I didn’t want to try now. While I had a hearty constitution and was very hard to kill, thanks to my djinn half, I wasn’t sure I wanted to wrestle a two-hundred-pound wolf.

  Jaxon leaned closer and whispered, “Feel like I need some Scooby Snacks, or something.”

  I clapped a hand over my mouth so I didn’t laugh. One of the wolves tilted his head at us and his ears swiveled forward.

  Either the Alpha was busy, or they wanted to make us sweat, but Rosalind took her sweet time returning to the porch. “He will see you,” she said.

  Thank Iblis.

  Chandra led the way, and our quartet ascended the five wood steps to the porch. Both wolves stood on opposite sides of the door and we passed into a wide foyer. Lots of bare wood floors and walls inside. Rosalind walked down a long hallway to a big open doorway. I sensed no wards or other magic charms, only the vague magic werewolves used for their transformations, buzzing just below my skin.

  The room reminded me of some bizarre cross between a king’s throne and a man cave. A big leather recliner was situated near the center, and on some kind of pedestal that allowed the Alpha to swivel from a big-screen TV to any audience who might collect behind him. A small bar was set up to the right, and a comfortable chair on the left in a soft purple fabric was probably Rosalind’s place.

  From the recliner, a barrel-chested man with a lot of silver in his black hair stared down at us with wide copper eyes. Eyes that were both curious and bland, interested and likewise dismissing us right away.

  Needless to say, I didn’t like the guy.

  “Homme Alpha Kennedy,” Chandra said. “It is a pleasure to be seen by you once again.”

  “Madam Goodfellow,” Kennedy replied in a deep baritone. “By bringing strangers to my home, you’ve piqued my interest. How can I assist the Para-Marshals this fine day?”

  “Sir, the question is not how you may
help us, but how we may help you.”

  “Oh?” He sniffed in their general direction. “A demon. A skin-walker. And . . . someone unusual.”

  A majority of Paras had never met a djinn, so my mixed heritage tended to confuse most people I met. I wasn’t about to offer Alpha Kennedy any answers as to my odd scent, though.

  “How are they of use to me?” Kennedy asked.

  “Sir,” Chandra replied, “surely you’ve heard of the many missing vampires who were kidnapped as pawns in a power play by traitors to our Para-Marshal units. These three agents were instrumental in finding the kidnapped vampire children and returning them to their Line Masters.” She also introduced us by name, and he turned his attention to me.

  “I’ve heard the name Shiloh Harrison.”

  Novak grumped and rolled his eyes.

  “I helped find answers for Woodrow Tennyson and his fellow Masters,” I said. “I’d like to do the same for you, Alpha.”

  Kennedy sneered. “We do not require the help of outsiders.”

  “No? Then where are your missing werewolves?”

  “Watch your tone, child,” Rosalind said. “You are speaking to the Homme Alpha of California.”

  While the guy could shift quickly and slit my throat with one paw swipe, I was not impressed with the title. Titles meant nothing without something to back it up.

  “Lady, I’ve spoken to the goddess Brighid herself on another plane of existence. One werewolf Alpha does not impress me, and his stubbornness in accepting our help is silly.” I looked at Kennedy again, whose face was stony. “You have resources, and so do I. Pack law supersedes US law on your lands, but something tells me your missing wolves aren’t on Pack land anymore. You need people on your side who know the outside world, and if you’ve spent the better part of your life on your high horse, up in these mountains, then it’s not you.”

  Jaxon gave me an are you crazy? look, while Novak simply yawned. I ignored Chandra, half expecting someone to lunge at us. Instead, the Alpha threw back his head and laughed.

  “You are an interesting one, Shiloh Harrison,” Kennedy said. “I don’t know what you are, but you show great bravery in the face of deadly odds. If I give the order, none of you will leave these lands alive.”

  “But you won’t do that.” I squared my shoulders. “Besides the fact that we’re all federal officials who will be missed if we disappear, you need us, even if you can’t admit it. Your outside movements are limited, as are your choices. Maybe this will help with your decision, too: we’re not here acting as Para-Marshals, Alpha. All of us are here as civilians with special abilities and an interest in finding the missing wolves. I can go home as easily as I came here and not lose a moment’s sleep wondering what could have been, but can you say the same? You are charged with the safety of every wolf in your Pack, and now fourteen of your wolves are missing. Seven couples. We’re offering our resources to help you get them back, free and clear, with no ulterior motives.”

  “You would risk your lives for wolves you don’t even know, and yet you want no reward?”

  I stared blandly at the Alpha, because yes, I’d just said that. Maybe it seemed unbelievably altruistic, but people were missing. Werewolves or humans, they deserved to be found and brought home. And if these disappearances were in any way connected to the people behind the necromancer, I wanted their asses in a jail cell STAT.

  “A word in private, Alpha,” Rosalind said before I could respond.

  Kennedy nodded, and the pair walked to the far side of the room together. No one in our quartet had super hearing, and I can’t read lips, so I shifted my weight and tried to stay patient. So much depended on a chance to explore these lands, and hopefully I hadn’t blown it with my big, blunt mouth. We didn’t bother whispering amongst ourselves, because what was the point? Kennedy, Rosalind, and the two human-shaped werewolves in the corners of the room could hear anything we said.

  I deserve a treat for not tapping my feet with impatience.

  The wolf leaders finally returned, Kennedy to his reclining throne, and Rosalind just to his right. “You have permission to remain on Pack lands until dusk tomorrow,” Kennedy said. “I will provide a guide for you. You may take nothing from these lands when you leave.”

  “Alpha,” Jaxon said, “does nothing also apply to photographs?”

  “We shall inspect your photographs before you leave to ensure nothing you’ve taken will endanger my people or our ways.”

  “Agreeable, thank you.”

  So roughly thirty-six hours, give or take, to investigate a million acres. Great. No problem.

  “Gideon,” Kennedy said.

  A black-haired man stepped forward from his corner of the room. Dressed in jeans and a plain black polo, he was good-looking in a grumpy-pup kind of way, and he stopped an arm’s reach from me.

  “Alpha,” Gideon said.

  “You will be our guests’ guide while they are here,” Kennedy replied. “Show them where they’d like to visit, within reason.”

  “Yes, Alpha.”

  “May I inquire about accommodations for the night?” Chandra asked. “Or will we be allowed to leave for a human motel?”

  Kennedy stared. “You will be allowed to leave for the evening to rest. You are not my prisoners, but while you’re on Pack land, Gideon will escort you as a group.”

  Bless it, splitting up meant covering more ground. But we were lucky Kennedy hadn’t simply sent us packing. Hopefully we could at least visit the homes of the missing couples and check for evidence of a struggle.

  “If you have further questions about the wolves who are missing,” Kennedy added, “Gideon is aware of what he may and may not tell you.”

  “Understood, Alpha,” Chandra said. “We appreciate your patience and generosity in this matter.”

  Her people skills impressed me all over the place, because I know I’d have struggled being so diplomatic with a guy who clearly didn’t like us or want us here—which I’d already proven earlier. Still, you’d think he would be eager to have help in locating his missing Pack members, but what do I know? My interactions with Pack werewolves were extremely limited, and they did things their way.

  “If you’ll follow me,” Gideon said.

  Our group did so, but instead of taking us outside, Gideon led us to a different downstairs room of the large house. The small room was lined wall-to-wall with filing cabinets, with a table and three chairs dead center, like some sort of records room, and it barely had enough space for five adults to stand.

  “I imagine taking a look at our investigation into the disappearances is a good starting point,” Gideon said.

  I blinked hard, then exchanged surprised looks with Chandra. Neither of us had expected the Pack to share their internal investigation, so yeah. Good starting point.

  “I know Alpha Kennedy comes across as cold in this matter,” Gideon added, “but he cannot show his worry to strangers. If the Pack found out, they’d worry, and he’s doing his best to keep everyone calm until we know who took our brethren and why.”

  “That makes sense,” Jaxon replied. “The Pack looks to him for guidance.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Well, we appreciate whatever you can show us,” I said. “The Para-Marshals aren’t officially investigating, because the Packs haven’t asked for our help. The only reason we discovered any Pack members were missing is because a Master vampire told us last week.”

  “Yes, Alpha Kennedy received a visit from a Line Master two weeks ago,” Gideon said. “He was inquiring if the Alpha had heard anything about vampire disappearances, and Alpha Kennedy in turn reported our problem to him. But he rejected the idea of a larger conspiracy at work.”

  “I don’t suppose the vampire’s name was Woodrow Tennyson.”

  “It was.”

  That absolutely did not surprise me. “Well, good, because that’s who told us about the missing wolves.”

  “Then perhaps Fate was right to send you to us today.”r />
  “Guess we’ll see.”

  Gideon produced seven manila folders, none of them very thick. “One for each couple who was taken. All were mated pairs.”

  “And none of them had offspring, correct?” I already knew the answer to this, but it never hurt to test how truthful our guide was going to be with us.

  “Six couples never produced children, correct. However, the Andersons did have three children, but they all perished in a terrible carbon monoxide accident in the home.”

  Novak grunted.

  “May I see the Anderson file, please?” Chandra asked. Gideon handed it over, and we all tried to crowd around it, but the space was limited. “They had permission to live in Sacramento, away from Pack lands, correct?”

  “They did,” Gideon replied. “Raymond had a brilliant mind for technology, and Alice an aptitude for mathematics. They were able to achieve well-paid careers in the human world, which allowed them to channel funds back into the Pack. While we are somewhat self-sustaining in terms of farming and generating our own electricity, werewolves make poor animal farmers, so we still purchase our meat and other products from outside suppliers. We require income to sustain those purchases.”

  Dude, that was more information about how the Pack worked than I ever expected to learn today, and it fascinated me. I figured the wolves probably worked in the small towns near their land to get money, but installing smart people in high-paying jobs across the state was pretty brilliant. And it explained how Chandra was able to help the Andersons with their infertility issues without Kennedy’s scrutiny—or approval.

  “Did any of the other missing couples live outside the Pack land?” Jaxon asked.

  “Two others.” Gideon produced the files. “The Barrows lived and worked in San Francisco, and the Porters in San Diego.”

  “Are they the only wolves of yours who live outside this land?”

  “They are not.” However, Gideon didn’t elaborate on that comment, probably because it wasn’t relevant to the case.