The Vampire's Alpha Mate: A BBW Tiger-Shifter Romance (Arcane Affairs Agency)

by Amethyst Peters

  I didn't want to encourage her, but I was curious. “And could you identify who might have left it?”

  She'd been so excited. I felt a little guilty when her eyebrows bunched into a perplexed frown. It seemed that she was uncertain whether or not she should voice her frustration. Finally, she came to some decision. “I couldn't tell because there were too many people who’d touched the box.”

  “That’s not much help, Augusta. And how did you get in here? Myself? I had to pick the lock.”

  She looked over at the window to the bedroom, and I noticed that it was wide open.

  I frowned. “Someone left the window open?”

  She shrugged. “I used my claws and paws, slipped them under it, and lifted it.”

  I'd seen cat videos online with sneaky felines doing the same thing. They could open doors, lift windows, and even open refrigerators. It appeared that Augusta had some hidden talents of her own.

  Still, though, I didn't like her poking around. There was treachery under foot, and coming here alone had been a bad idea. I grimaced. What if the criminal had decided to come back and visit Odra's cabin? If he'd caught Augusta here…any number of scenarios played out in my mind.

  “Listen, you can't just come to the crime scene unannounced, alone, and start looking around.”

  “What if we... what if I tag along with you?” she asked.

  That was out of the question. There was no way I was letting her accompany me as I looked into this. I hadn't even wanted to take this case in the first place, and I was not going to be saddled with her.

  “Hear me out,” she said. “Odra was a woman. I’m a woman. You're not. If you need any information in regards to the habits of women, I can provide it for you.”

  Silently, I glared at her. There was something about her—something so innocent and honest. That must have been why I wasn’t reasoning to my fullest capabilities. Despite myself, I felt a sensation that quickened my heart. One that was usually associated with hunger—except this time it wasn’t. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. Things inside were confused.

  I shook my head. With a start, I realized, the room seemed to be getting smaller—warmer and a little uncomfortable. And I had to get out of here. Now.

  What the heck was going on? I’d fed within the last few hours, and though I managed to be warm, just slightly cooler than a human, I was never this warm.

  Walking away, I wondered if it was crazy that I wanted Augusta to follow. She didn't, she stayed where she was.

  “There’s something else I found,” she said. “It’s a wedding license. Cade, I think they might have already gotten married without anyone publically knowing. It’s possible they could have completed some kind of bonding, too.”

  I spun around, the air stirring as faster than the eye could detect, I suddenly stood right in front of her. “Did you disturb anything?”

  She shifted onto the balls of her feet. Her mouth parted slightly as she stared at me, and then realizing it, she shut it tightly. I believed my closeness was agitating her in some way. The whole time she gazed back at me. I think we were having a stare down.

  Easy, Cade.

  A part of me wanted to be aggravated, but more than anything I was interested. I knew she was an Alpha tiger shifter, and I remembered Agent Ramsey and how he often initiated shows of power. With him, I would have let my monster show just a little bit to get him to back down. But with her, crazily, I didn't want her to see any monster in me at all.

  I shook my head. She had to see I meant business here. I didn't want her showing up everywhere I went. “Stop following me, Augusta.”

  A look of pure shock followed closely by outrage crossed her face. “Following you? I was here first. Don’t you remember? You showed up afterward. I'm not following you, I'm following my heart. I didn't know Slade, and I didn't know Odra, but something bad happened to them, and I want to work with you, Cade. I feel like I'm connected to this case in some way, and I just want to help. Give me a chance?”

  I fidgeted. I looked down at the ground. I looked up at the ceiling. Finally, I looked into Augusta’s eyes and it was just like it had been the first day I’d met her.

  Something new sparked there. I felt as if it was familiar. It was as if she and I were dancing around something just out of reach. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it seemed larger than the two of us. Was it such a bad idea to let her come along in my search for clues?

  No, Cade, stick to your guns.

  I was used to working alone, I didn't want to have anyone nearby, talking, supposing, and clogging my mind. I needed to be clearheaded to solve this case—if I took it. Having Augusta around would be counter-productive.

  “I can show you what I found,” she said hopefully.

  I wanted to tell her one last time to go home, but instead, I moved aside so she could lead the way and show me exactly what it was that had her so excited.

  “This box of chocolates is from a shop called Betty's Cookies, Chocolate, Cakes, and Caramel. It’s a mouthful,” she nodded expectantly.

  “Okay, so we have a box of chocolates,” I said noticing a bunch of sawdust floating through the air. Don’t breathe in, Cade. To be on the safe side, I didn’t. “But no indication why two people died because of them.”

  “There’s a smudge on the box,” she said.

  I went through a similar drill of monitoring what I inhaled every day cutting wood, but it took a lot more than particles to harm me. “Some of these older cabins have termites.” I wondered if this problem had plagued Odra for a while.

  “What is it?” Augusta asked.

  “Sawdust in the air,” I said.

  She shrugged, opened the box, and pulled out the plastic tray. “And inside, no chocolates.”

  I looked at it and frowned. “So they had a romantic dinner and they ate some chocolate. I already know that.”

  “And that's not all,” she said. “There's wine. It's a half bottle which I would say meant that they both drank at least a glass full.”

  I knew that too. “Please continue,” I said.

  “So you’re a vampire and Odra was a vampire, and I realized that if there was anything put inside of these chocolates or inside the wine, she should have been able to notice. ‘Cause you would have been able to.”

  Of course.

  “And you’re supposing the chocolates and the wine are the weapons?” I asked. “Somehow, they killed these two.”

  “Yep. I’m certain you already know that, though. Hoping I’m passing the test so far,” she said ruefully.

  “What would be the reason a vampire would not be able to protect her human and smell the fatal contents inside of the chocolate and wine?”

  “Have you ever heard of a person who smells different fragrances for a living? They have to be able to pick out different scents, see what combinations work together, and from that, they're able to determine what might be a hit or what might be a miss.”

  I leaned against the counter. “And this perfume lesson has what to do with anything?”

  She looked at me severely. “I’m getting to that.” She stretched her shoulders and arched her back. My throat got dry. Goodness, this woman was sexy. Trying not to get caught staring at her, I swiftly looked away.

  She continued. “Can you smell these chocolates for me?”

  I bent down to give them a good whiff and was immediately overcome with the scent of fragrant bourbon. It was overwhelmingly strong. But that wasn't all, on top of that, I smelled toasted almonds, cherries, strawberries, vanilla, and the list continued.

  They weren't weak like the ones found in a normal box of chocolates bought from a run-of-the-mill grocery store. These were rich and potent scents. Almost as if each piece of chocolate was carefully crafted to titillate the sense of smell just as much as the taste buds.

  “It’s overwhelming, and smelling it, I almost didn't realize that underneath it all, almost undetectable, is the hin
t of poison. And this is not just any poison, this particular poison when ingested by a shifter would kill her. It’s ionized silver.”

  “You didn’t just get here, did you?” I asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Ionized silver, huh?” I rubbed my bottom lip. “Odra was a vampire. Why would anyone try to harm her with silver?”

  “Yeah and I don’t think it’s enough to really bother a shifter,” she said with a sigh. “Just thought I’d mention it.”

  “Means silver isn’t the poison,” I said turning to leave. I wondered if this was a dead end.

  “There’s one more thing, Cade.” She picked up a small card tucked half-way under the box. “That’s how it was laying when I found it. See? I didn’t bother anything, and if I did, I put it back,” she said. Then she showed it to me. “It’s addressed to a ‘D.’ Neither Slade’s nor Odra’s name started with a ‘D.’ And look, there’s a delivery stamp here.”

  “I don’t think their last names start with ‘D’, either. So who is this for?” I asked out loud. “Could they have been given to someone else?”

  “I thought about it long and hard and realized that it probably was. But who and how did these two get it?”

  Taking out my phone, I called the carrier. “I’m looking to track a package, please?” I gave them the tracking number. I received a confirmation that it had been delivered. “Where was the package left, please?”

  They told me they’d dropped it off at Dayle’s Law Offices. It had been signed for by his secretary, Diana.

  I looked at Augusta and then back at the card. It clicked then. Odra’s best friend’s name was Diana. Was it possible these chocolates had been given to her and she had given them to Odra?

  As I looked through all of her findings, I realized that Augusta was spot-on. Reluctantly, I had to admit, that though she had no investigative experience, she had a natural ability to figure things out.

  I realized that she could help me in this case. I hadn't thought of the whole woman angle. I looked at her, and not wanting her to get her hopes up, because the minute she proved to be a nuisance or a detriment to this case, I was cutting her loose, I growled, “You can come with me and help.”

  “Like a partner? I seem to recall you said you didn't want a one. Are you saying you want one now?” I had no idea what I was saying, except for the fact that I wanted to find out what was going on with Slade.

  “I don't do them, but I could stand to use your assistance if I'm going to start talking to the deceased’s friends and family.”

  “What do you need me for?” she asked.

  “To talk to people, just like you did with Christie. I can't. Not good at it.” I looked everywhere but at her.

  She grinned. “The red creeping up to your ears is adorable.”

  Then I got a vague impression of emotion from her that seemed to carry with it the impression she thought I looked surly and menacing one moment, and like a little boy lost the next.

  “You mean you don't like to talk to people?” she asked.

  I growled. “Do you want to help out or not?”

  “I’m in,” she said.

  “Then there are rules. You’ll always do what I say when I say it. I’m in charge. This is professional. Think of us as nothing more than colleagues. The things I say or do aren’t personal. We keep our private lives separate. No emotions. I don’t want you intruding on my life, and I certainly won’t bother you about yours. Got it?”

  She looked at me closely and then gave an indifferent shrug. “Don’t worry. I won’t pry. What made you change your mind?”

  “This,” I said and digging into my coat, I pulled out the small piece of paper that had fallen out of Thorley’s pocket. “And this.” I pointed at the empty boxes. “I want answers.”

  Stepping away from Augusta and making certain she didn’t overhear, I got Agent Ramsey on the phone.

  “Yeah?” he answered.

  “I’ll do it—I’m taking the case.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  *Augusta*

  CADE WAS AN INVESTIGATOR. I knew it. I did want to help him but I was under the impression he hadn’t really wanted to investigate this case.

  He told me yesterday he wasn't doing it. I didn't know what history he had with the Arcane Affairs Agency, but I was pretty certain my guess that he was an agent for them, or maybe had been one, was accurate. That could complicate things for me because I didn't want my family figuring out where I was.

  “Are you going to tell me where we're going?” I asked him.

  I didn't want to say too much. From the way he handled the truck, it seemed maybe he was already regretting his invitation for me to come along. Still, I was beside myself with a need to help him.

  Things weren't going so well in my life, and this more than anything put my problems in perspective. I had just broken up with my boyfriend. But a man and his girlfriend, whom had been getting very close and were about to take the next step in commitment, hadn’t gotten the opportunity to.

  It spoke to the romantic that used to live inside me. For a long time now, I thought that romance was for someone else. What if it wasn’t? Slade and Odra had been opposites. He was a human and she was a vampire.

  I sighed. There was something tragic, something endlessly eternal about Slade and Odra dying in each other's arms.

  “We’re going to Thorley’s house to question him.”

  “About the note, you took from him? What was in it?”

  Cade was taciturn and curt, but there was something beneath the surface. It was almost as if he used his prickly nature as a shield to keep everyone at a distance. I almost thought that if I could get through his outer layers, I would find an amazing, caring, deep man inside.

  Cade scoffed. “Don’t get your hopes up, Augusta.”

  A blush warmed my cheeks. “Excuse me?”

  “Picked up you might think that I'm more than what you see. The truth is, I'm an open book. What you’re looking at is what you get.”

  I looked away, guilty that he’d caught me thinking about him, and a little dismayed that he could pick up so easily on things. I'd have to make a note to myself to try and be careful of what I thought.

  He stopped again. “Be certain to let me know how that goes.”

  Yeah, Augusta, you're going to have to be very careful here.

  About fifteen minutes later, his truck rolled into a cluster of cabins. In the center, there were two that sat next to each other, and across from them was the third one. I'd seen some layouts similar to these before where family members who vacationed together were able to stay close to each other.

  As we piled out of Cade’s truck, Thorley came out to meet us. It looked as if the other two cabins were full, and I distinctly smelled the scent of his sister nearby. I was betting she stayed in the cabin right beside his.

  “Slade,” Thorley said. It didn’t escape my notice that Thorley had called Cade by his brother’s name. I wondered if it was some kind of slip on his part. Maybe he still hadn't come to terms with the fact that his brother was dead? Or maybe his brother was so much in his thoughts that he'd accidentally said his name instead of Cade’s.

  Thorley flicked his eyes over me, and I extended my hand. “Hi, we met before.”

  Thorley took it gently, wrapping his big one around mine, and I thought that his palms were warm, not the palms of the murderer.

  But then again what do I know?

  “Do you think we can come inside for a minute, Thorley?” Cade asked.

  As we walked inside, I took note of the flower pot on his porch and wondered if he realized that they were dying because the weather was changing. Maybe he should have brought them in? I filed that away, also. Thorley didn't seem to be too great at taking care of living things.

  Frowning, I admonished myself. Maybe I was taking my new role as Junior Investigator on Cade’s case a little too far?

  I shook my head and foll
owed the guys into the living room. When we got there, I noticed Thorley’s house was sparse. He had hardly any furniture, there were no pictures on the walls, nothing to indicate that he even stayed there. It was almost as if he didn't.

  He sat us down on two wicker chairs, leaving the one open. They were the only three that he had inside of his living room. Didn’t see any chairs in the kitchen, either. I wondered where he ate. And then I saw a tray in the far corner on the floor. At least I figured that mystery out. He must have taken his food, put it on the tray, and sat on a wicker chair to eat. How lonely.

  Cade got right down to business, his gem-green eyes cutting into Thorley. “When you were speaking to your sister the other night in front of the diner, she did mention that you and your brother had an argument. Care to tell me what that argument with Slade was about?”

  Thorley rubbed his hands over his head and sat down. “My brother just died, and you're going to ask me a personal question like that?”

  I wondered if Cade was going to tell him that they didn't believe it was accidental or he didn't believe that it was a murder-suicide. “What if I told you that we think there was foul play involved? That we think that you might have been involved somehow?”

  Thorley exploded out of the chair, and he turned on Cade. “Pretty boy, I loved my brother. Sure we had our arguments, but we were brothers.”

  I couldn't believe how blunt Cade had been. He’d just come out and said it. Wasn't there supposed to be some kind of sidestepping, playing with words, and then without the suspect knowing, asking him a question that incriminated him? I shook my head. Even I knew that.

  “There was an argument, do you deny it?” Cade asked.

  Thorley glared at Cade and finally sat back down. “Yeah we argued. But I didn't do anything to my brother, if that's what you're getting at. I don't know how this has changed from it being a murder-suicide, but whatever you're getting at, I had nothing to do with it.”

  “So what did you and your brother discuss?”

  “I don't feel I have to tell you anything.” Thorley crossed his arms and stubbornly looked at us. “I’m almost regretting letting you inside. I'm thinking that it might be time for you to leave.”