He glared at Tristan with judgment darkening his gaze. "Alpha," he snapped with a curt nod.
Magnus hit the man with a glare.
Isaac frowned. "Like my brother, I offer any assistance you may need. Winter is one of us and we always take care of our own." Isaac closed the space between them in seconds. Tristan held his ground with a growl. He had no fear. The man may have power, but Tristan had more. "But, I also add—what my dear brother is too gentlemanly to say—is that we don't like you. See, I don't have those hang-ups. I was never raised with the higher society. Winter has become one of the few I consider family. Hurt her and—"
"Isaac…enough," Magnus snapped.
Aric snickered. Tristan spun and pinned the witch with his gaze. "I see you agree with the vamp." Isaac hissed at the slang. Tristan didn't care. "Do you offer your assistance in recovering my mate?"
"Your mate?" Aric shook his head. "If you mean Winter. Then rest assured, wolf, I'll do whatever it takes to bring her home. I also agree with Isaac. If you hurt her, I promise you, it will be the last thing you do." Aric flexed his power.
Tristan crossed his arms over his chest. He threw waves of his own magic at the witch. The man staggered back before recovering. Hatred smoldered in his gaze. "Good thing you have nothing to worry about. I have no intention on hurting my mate." But I have every intention on claiming her, witch. He turned back to Magnus. "I want to check out her place."
Alpha Peyton narrowed his eyes. "We already did that…twice."
"I don't give a shit if you did it a hundred times. I asked to check out my mate's home. I won't ask again."
The alpha shook his head with a sigh. "Levi, take Alpha MacGlenn and his guard to Winter's condo."
Levi nodded. "Yes, sir." He glanced at Tristan. "She doesn't live far from here. Her apartment is just on the outside of town."
How many males know where his mate lives? The possible answer left him crustier than ever.
Chapter 4
Tristan, Grayson, Aric, and Levi headed over to check out Winter's home. The roads, although cleared of slow, held a thin sheet of black ice making the trip treacherous.
"Her place is up here on the left," Levi said as he turned the car in to a parking spot.
A corner unit hidden toward the back, Winter's condo bordered the sparse woods surrounding the large condominium complex. The location would have given her easy access to run and, unfortunately, a criminal plenty of places to hide.
They hopped out of the car. Tristan and Grayson followed Aric and Levi up the walkway. Tristan half expected to hit a wall of magic, yet they continued on without so much as a shock. When he realized why, he growled. "Why the hell isn't her place safeguarded?" The spells of protection were easy for any witch to set.
Aric answered. "It was. Whoever took her had to have a powerful witch in their pocket. He eradicated her spell."
"How do you know it was a male?" Grayson asked.
"He smeared magic traces all over the place. The leftovers were clearly masculine and…."
"Screams amateur. No professional would so obliviously leave their trail." Grayson shook his head.
If not careful, a witch's magic left a trail similar to a scent, but it wasn't tracked through smell. It was felt. Being half witch, Tristan recognized the static electricity of a male witch's power before he even stepped foot in the door.
"We also know she was the target," Aric added.
"What makes you so sure they were after her specifically? Maybe, they wanted any female. They could have wanted the roommate maybe, but settled for Winter?"
Aric shook his head. "Jane's room carries no traces of the energy. You'll see what I mean when you examine her place."
With a wave of Aric's hand, the door lock clicked and then opened.
One by one, they walked into the narrow hallway leading to the living room. Once inside, her scent hit Tristan like a hard fist in the gut. How he managed to maintain his outward composure was a damn miracle, because within, he surged like a tsunami. The shock of her delectable sweet-and-spicy fragrance drove straight to his cock, his uncomfortable and unwelcomed erection a painful result. He groaned.
"You okay," Grayson asked.
Tristan nodded as he held back the fierce need erupting in him. "Yeah, I'm good. You catch anything familiar."
"No, nothing…familiar." He scrunched his nose as if he smelled something unwelcomed and then continued to case the room.
Tristan glanced at the contemporary furnishings. Winter's condo resembled none of the simplicity of her upbringing. She had all the modern updates she lacked growing up. He eyed the large fifty-inch television on the wall and smiled. Seems, she got the large TV she always wanted.
He breathed in deep, filling his lungs with her delectable aroma. Her fragrance clung to everything in the room, confirming she spent a lot of time in here. He also caught another female's scent. Human. Must be her roommate. Thankfully, he didn't smell any strong male musk other than the men who stood with him now. He doubted his wolf would have handled it well if he had. Mating heat had already pushed his animal to the edge of his control.
Grayson's demeanor had grown tense over the last few minutes making Tristan take notice. When Grayson's nose lifted higher in the air and his nostrils flared, Tristan's wolf growled.
"What's up, Gray? You find something."
Grayson shook off his distant glare. "No…it's nothing."
Tristan stepped farther into the room. A mantel held a dozen or so pictures of his mate and her friends. Winter was beautiful. Her honey-colored hair flowed an inch past her shoulders in loose curls. She hadn't changed much over the years, although an alluring sex appeal had replaced her childlike innocence. He picked up a photo of her standing with a large group of men. She wore a black jumpsuit like the others, which seemed odd. He recognized the members of the Peyton pack and Magnus Blue's men among the group beside her. Perhaps she wore the standard uniform since she worked with them on shifter assignments. She flashed a wide grin in each photo he examined. He had never seen her so happy.
The sight twisted deep inside him when he realized how content she was without him. Here he was suffering daily without her, and she was skipping through life with a grin.
His wolf howled, rattling his mind. He closed his eyes as the pain lingered.
"That was Magnus's annual barbeque last summer. Great times," said Levi.
Tristan put back the picture without a word. A sudden jittering of the lock made them turn toward the front door. When a small figure stepped into the living room, Grayson lunged, pinning the miniscule intruder to the wall. A feminine yelp filled the air.
"Who are you?" Grayson growled, his tiger eyes glowing bright teal. He stared down at his prisoner.
"Let her go, cat. That's Jane, Winter's roommate."
"Well, aren't you a big one." The human winked at Grayson.
Tristan bit back a grin at the confused look on Grayson's face.
Levi stalked closer. He tried to push Grayson, but he was an immovable wall of muscle. "What the hell are you doing here, Jane? We told you to stay at your parents. It's not safe." Levi frowned at Grayson. He snarled. "Let her go now."
"He can stay right where he is. Don't listen to the doggy, he's all bite." She grinned at Grayson, who flashed an untypical smile, before locking his lips back into his usual frown.
He released her, yet stayed close.
"My dad started his rant about staying away from shifters. Blah, blah, blah. I got out real quick. I'd rather weather whatever storm brewed here, then the tornado that is my father's rhetoric. What's going on? Did you find her yet?"
Levi rolled his eyes. "I told you I'd call you when we got news."
"She's still out there?" Jane ushered Levi towards the door. "What the hell are you all doing here? You need to go out there and find her."
Tristan stepped forward. "Is there anything you can tell us? Have you seen anyone lurking around recently? Seen anything out of the ordinary? Had any s
trange visitors?"
Jane tilted her head. Her eyes suddenly grew wide before a goofy grin broke over her face. "You're the wolf. Wow, she described you to a tee. Well, except she said you had long hair. But it's short now. That was why I didn't put it together right away."
Jane glanced at Grayson. The cat's eyes still hadn't left her. "Why are you staring at me? It's kind of freaking me out."
"You're human."
"Don't hold it against me. I was born this way. Can't help it."
Levi chuckled. She winked at the tracker before glancing back at Grayson. "What are you, handsome?"
"Handsome?" He cleared his throat before flashing another feral grin. "I'm a shifter."
Taken aback by the unusual glint in his guard’s eyes, Tristan watched their exchange.
"I know that…I mean what kind of shifter?"
"Tiger."
Her eyes grew wide. "I love tigers. Can I see? Are you orange and black? Oh, I hope you're a white tiger. Those are my absolute favorite! Can you change for me?"
Grayson suddenly coughed as if choking. Levi pushed past Grayson. Grayson snarled at the intrusion. "Jesus, Jane, what did I tell you about asking shifters to change in front of you?"
Jane rolled her eyes. "It's like asking someone to get naked," she said attempting to mimic Levi's voice. "Not that I would mind that either, big boy." She waggled her brows at Grayson. Aric laughed. She pouted. "But tigers are my favorite. I've never seen one up close."
"That's what you said about wolves." Levi crossed his arms over his chest. At first Tristan thought the man was jealous, but all Tristan scented was frustration.
"Well, it was true at the time. Now, I've seen you and played fetch—"
Grayson pinned Levi with a look of disgust. "You played fetch with her." He frowned. "Like a dog."
If he didn't stop this, the nonsense would go on and on and he needed to get his mate back. Tristan snarled. "We have no time for this. Focus, everyone. Win is missing."
"Right…um," Jane groaned. Her gaze lifted to the ceiling as she thought. She scratched her chin. "I do remember this guy hanging around. Good looking, tall, you know a Hollywood-looking type. Like he belonged on the cover of GQ or something. I saw him a few times over the last couple of weeks. I figured he just moved in since I didn't recognize him, and he kept going into one of the apartments. Apartment three forty-five, I think. Win said she planned to check it out. She talked to the manager, and he said the guy has a legal lease and stuff. But he had funny eyes. They set off my conspiracy meter."
"Why the hell didn't you guys tell us about this?" Levi frowned at her. "Wait, what do you mean, he had funny eyes?"
"They swirled sometimes. You know like Winter's when she's getting all magical."
"Witch." Grayson growled. He glanced at Tristan.
"Apartment three forty-five? Let's see if anyone's home." Tristan turned to leave.
"You can't just go banging on someone's door." Levi said.
"No?" Tristan grinned. "Watch me."
***
Well, the apartment was empty. Not just empty of people but of everything. The door wasn't locked, so they went in to check. The same male scent from Winter's lingered in the barren room.
"The son of a bitch was here." Levi growled. "It's faint, but present. A witch. He had the place swept clean, but I still scent him. I smell another witch and…" He sniffed. "A vamp, but it's faint."
"I doubt he was living here. Probably used it for surveillance," Grayson added.
"What the hell do you think you are doing in here?"
They spun at the sound. In the doorway stood a short pudgy man with a phone held tightly in his hands. "I already called the cops, so you better get out of here."
"Larry, stop messing around. You didn't call the cops. You have more to worry about with them coming here than they do." Jane frowned.
"Jane, you better stop hanging with these kinds of guys or you'll end up like Winter."
"You sound like my dad." Jane rolled her eyes.
"What do you know of Winter?" Tristan had enough of this. His mate was missing every second wasted could mean her life.
"I…I…"
"Leave Larry alone." Jane pinned Tristan with her stare. "He's harmless. He's just looking out for us girls." She focused back on Larry. "Do you know anything about the guy that was staying here? He might have had something to do with Winter's disappearance."
"He definitely had something to do with it." Tristan growled.
"Down, boy," Jane ordered.
Tristan raised a brow. "I'm a wolf not a dog. Not to mention an alpha." He glanced at Levi. "I don't play fetch."
Jane frowned. "All men are dogs. Don't you know that?" She turned back to the human. "Is there anything you can tell us, Larry?"
"He requested a short lease. Not much else. I mind my business around here."
With a roll of her eyes, Jane said, "Sure, you do."
Tristan glared at the man. "Requesting a short lease didn't strike you as odd?"
Larry shrugged. "After the University of Supernatural and Human Relations merged a few years ago, I've had a lot of people of all persuasions coming and going. It's commonplace now."
"We need to get all the information you can give us on the tenant. It's very important," Tristan said, his tone calmer.
"I can't be giving out…"
"Larry, this man is Winter's…husband. He's really worried about her."
"Husband? Where the hell has he been the last seven years that I've known her?"
"I've had my head up my ass, sir."
Larry frowned. "At least you admit it. Well, follow me then. I'll give you whatever I have. Cheapskate walked out on his six-month lease early anyway."
They followed Larry to his office. The man skimmed through his files. "Here we go." He lifted a manila file out of the cabinet.
Tristan skimmed through the file that held the information that might save Winter's life. "Son of a bitch."
Grayson glanced over his shoulder at the open file. "Pete Dank? Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Because that's the piece of shit that almost killed my father and burned down the Leerys' grove."
"I thought he was dead," asked Grayson.
"He is."
Chapter 5
"Kian, tell me about Pete Dank," Tristan asked the witch on the other end of the phone.
Kian Lancaster had married Winter's sister, Summer, almost ten years ago and they were still going strong. A chorus of screaming kids gave one final encore before Tristan heard the sound of a door shut.
"Can't hear a damn thing with these kids going crazy. Did you say Pete Dank?"
"Yeah."
Another series of girly screams made Tristan flinch.
"Crap, hold on a sec," said Kian. "Delilah, stop hitting your brother with those damn magic orbs and get your room clean. I swear to the Goddess if you turn your brother green again you're punished for two weeks. Devon, go put away your toys like I told you. Now. Boy, if I have to…I'm on the phone with Uncle Tristan so give me some peace." Some shuffling, one final groan, and then silence. "Sorry, man, these kids are enough to give a man a coronary. What the hell does Pete Dank have to do with this?"
"That's what I need to find out. What can you tell me about him?"
"He's dead."
"Yeah, that's what I thought until the manager of Winter's building said he rented him an apartment a few weeks back. The name may be coincidence, but I doubt it."
"Trust me. The piece of shit is dead. I watched the tree crush his skull like a melon. There was no recovery from that, not even in the supernatural world."
"Did you know any of his associates? Did he have any family?"
Kian suddenly cursed.
"What?"
"That night he died, Pete did mention something about a brother. He claimed his half brother was a powerful witch or something like that. He's boasted about him giving Pete the spell that blocked our powers and the magic enhanced ac
celerant when he tried to burn down the woods."
"Yeah that's right, we checked it out, but we didn't find anything to back up his claim."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "It's been ten freaking years. You think Winter's disappearance is a case of revenge? You'd think they would have struck by now."
Tristan heard the sound of the door opening and shutting on the other end of the phone. "What's going on, my love?" Tristan would know Summer's voice anywhere.
"Tristan's on the phone, baby. Let me put you on speaker."
"Tristan. What news do you have on my sister?"
"We got a new clue, but I'm not sure what it means. The name Pete Dank came up."
"The man who burned down our grove?" Ten years and her anger sounded fresh. "But he's dead."
"We think maybe he has some relatives seeking revenge," Kian added.
"We do have a physical description from Winter's roommate and the property manager. Summer, can you look into the witch data base and run the description and see if anyone pops up? I'm sending you what I have right now."
"Of course," Summer said. "I'll have the results as soon as possible."
***
Winter stretched her aching neck. She narrowed her eyes on the opening door of her updated prison room. She squinted the second the ceiling lamp ignited, bathing the area in bright light. Heavy footsteps came to a halt at the side of her bed. She had never felt so tired in her life. Whatever spell they cast had kept her weak and powerless.
Once her eyes focused, she glared at the large middle-aged man standing before her. His glowing silver-white irises along with his odd sweet floral scent confirmed that the creature before her was a vampire. She didn't mind the smell on Magnus, but on her captor, the sugary pollen stench reminded her of an oversize-funeral display.
"How are you doing this evening, my little moneymaker?" The way he purred her nickname put her on high alert. He also seemed familiar for some reason and not in a good way.
"Not well, I'm afraid. I'd like to lodge a complaint. The accommodations suck as does the customer service."
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