by Jackie May
I grin at his rueful smile, not feeling the least bit ashamed. “You betcha, cowboy. Any chance you own something other than the motorcycle, though? As much as I love it, it’s freezing out there, and the human doesn’t have an internal heater.”
Nick’s grin turns wicked. “Would you rather take the Porsche or the Lotus?”
Werewolf gossip. There’s really nothing like it. By the time Nick and I get from the guard shack to the parking lot park in front of the pack’s clubhouse, word of our arrival has already spread. Half the pack is out there to greet us. Both Alpha Toth and Rook are in front of the masses.
While Alpha Toth extends a formal welcome to Nick, Rook grabs me, sniffs hard, then growls. His eyes start to glow. “Why is your hair a mess? Why is your coat ripped up? And why the hell do I smell strange wolves all over you?”
He doesn’t says so out loud, but as he inspects me for any kind of injury or bite, his thoughts keep repeating, My human!
Rook the man doesn’t seem all that affected by my curse, but his wolf grows more attached to me every time we meet. I know it’s the wolf acting like a possessive douche right now, so I don’t call him out. That would only give all the gawking wolves something more to talk about.
“I was attacked by rogues tonight,” I say, stepping back out of Rook’s grasp. “Parker nearly died trying to protect me.”
Rook snarls again and pulls me into a tight embrace, squeezing me so hard I can barely breathe. “Whoa! Down, boy!”
“Hold very still, Nora,” Alpha Toth says quietly. “Rook’s wolf is in control right now, and it appears he considers you his. Any sudden movements and he may very well shift and turn you so that he can claim you as a mate.”
“I thought Rook never dates,” I say as I wait out Rook’s embrace.
“Rook doesn’t. But his wolf must be ready to take another mate. I’ll have to talk to him about suppressing his instincts. As you can see, it can get dangerous to deny our wolves their primal needs.”
“How do I get him to stop?”
“Talk to him. Hug him back. Your voice and your physical touch will settle his wolf.”
Right. That’s not awkward or anything.
The wolf is on the surface, so it’s him I talk to. “Hey, big guy,” I say as I rub soothing circles on his back. “Think you can settle down for me? I know who ordered the hit on me, and I need Rook’s help to catch ’em. Think you can do that? Can you let Rook back out to play?”
Rook’s wolf growls, and he buries his face in my neck to sniff deeply. He lets me go but takes my hand and laces our fingers together. When he steps back, Rook is in control again. Though, his wolf must still be close to the surface, because he tugs me against his side and slips his arm around my waist as if he needs the physical touch. When I try to break his hold and put some distance between us, he tightens his grip. “I’m sorry about this, Nora, but I need you to stay close for now. My wolf really doesn’t like smelling strangers on you, and if you get too close to another male right now, I might lose it.”
I sigh. I can’t be angry with him. We’ve spent so much time training together over the last two weeks that this was bound to happen. I need to figure out how to break this damn curse. “I’m sorry, Rook. This is my fault. I told you it might eventually be a problem. I guess we’re going to have to stop the training sessions now.” When his jaw clenches and his eyes start to glow again, I quickly add, “But hey, I totally used the moves you showed me on one of those rogues tonight, and it worked. I felt like a real badass.” Until I got caught again, anyway.
Rook squeezes my hand and gives me a crooked smile. “Good girl.”
“You in control enough now?” I ask. “Nick and I really need to speak with Alpha Toth privately.”
He clenches his jaw and growls again. “I’m coming with you.”
I roll my eyes and look to Alpha Toth for permission. Alpha Toth nods curtly and leads us inside the building, ignoring all the gaping werewolves. I want to flip them all off, but I can hardly blame them when their ex-alpha is acting like I’m his property.
Once we’re in Alpha Toth’s office, I quickly give him the rundown of tonight’s events. Alpha Toth leans far back in his desk chair, looking pale-faced and fifty years older. “After everything you did for our pack, my own mate tried to have you killed? You’re sure?”
“As sure as the guy who abducted me was sure. He didn’t take the money personally, but there was no hesitation in his thoughts when I asked where the money came from.”
Alpha Toth digests this, then looks to Rook. Rook thinks on it long and hard. “Why?” he finally asks no one in particular. “What motive could she possibly have?”
I cringe inwardly. If Alpha Toth didn’t take the last news so well, he’s definitely going to freak out with this. “Don’t you see?” I ask them both. “It was Luna Marie who was stealing the money.”
Rook’s eyes widen, and Alpha Toth rears back with a soft gasp.
“Money?” Nick asks.
Alpha Toth glares at him. “Pack business.”
Nick rolls his eyes, then raises a curious brow at me. I ignore him and give Alpha Toth a pained smile. “It’s just a theory. I haven’t proven it yet. Hopefully, I’m wrong.”
Alpha Toth grinds his teeth so hard I can hear him from my seat across the desk. Rook, pacing the office behind Alpha Toth, suddenly comes to a stop. He rakes a hand through his thick brown locks and grimaces. “Okay, what’s your theory?”
“Maya and Daniel.”
Both current and former alphas’ eyes flash to me. The intuition sparks in both of them, but I continue my explanation. Mostly for Nick’s sake. He’s out of the loop right now, and his irritation is growing. He’s twitching in his seat and bouncing a knee. But he’s being patient and was a really good sport when I made him swear to let me talk to Alpha Toth first before he barged in demanding to question his luna. “Maya and Daniel had a secret unsanctioned relationship.”
More teeth grinding from Alpha Toth. He really didn’t like that betrayal.
“My guess is either Luna Marie found out about them and blackmailed them into stealing the money for her, or they went to her for help and she manipulated them into taking it for her, promising to help them leave the pack. She killed them awfully quickly once they were found out. And that was only after Daniel started to speak.”
“She was keeping them quiet,” Rook mutters. He stops his pacing and leans against the back wall, as if needing the support to stay upright.
I nod. “Remember Maya’s reaction after Luna Marie killed Daniel? She was defiant to the end and said she wanted to rid the pack of its real problem when she challenged Luna Marie.”
“Marie was tying up loose ends when she ordered the hit on you,” Rook says.
I nod again, keeping my steady gaze locked on Alpha Toth. “She knew we were onto the missing money. She knew I’d discovered Daniel and Maya by using gifts she doesn’t understand. Obviously you didn’t know the truth, but she wasn’t sure how much I knew, or if I’d piece together the rest.”
The room falls silent. Nick must understand what’s really going on now—he’s awfully intelligent, despite the fact that he insists everyone call him Gorgeous—but he knows better than to comment right now. This is pack business, and unless Alpha Toth asks for help, or it starts threatening the underworld as a whole, it’s his right to take care of it without the FUA stepping in. Alpha Toth is hanging by a thin thread, and any interference, no matter how well meant, would send him over the edge.
“It makes sense, boss,” Rook says quietly.
Alpha Toth knows it does. His eyes have started to glow. He’s accepted the truth, and his wolf is starting to surface.
Suddenly, Alpha Toth slams to his feet and flips over his desk with a mighty roar. Nick, moving a lot faster than I could, sweeps me out of harm’s way. His arms lock tightly around me in a protective grip.
For a minute I’m not sure if Alpha Toth’s mad at Luna Marie, or mad at me for making
such an accusation against her. “My own damn mate!” He shouts with so much force spittle flies from his mouth with each word. His chest is heaving, and his body is shaking with rage. He storms toward the door, but Rook stops him, placing a gentle hand on the alpha’s shoulder. “Easy, Peter.”
“I’ll kill the bitch!”
“We’ll take care of this, but you must calm yourself first. You want to act honorably and with a level head. You don’t want your pack to watch you kill your mate in a fit of rage.”
Alpha Toth sucks in a sharp breath through flared nostrils, then rolls his stiff shoulders.
“Let’s talk to her first. Give her the chance to explain herself. We still have no idea why she was taking the money. Maybe she had a good reason.”
Whoa. Wrong thing to say. Alpha Toth’s head snaps to Rook, and a snarl rips from his chest. “A good enough reason to steal from my pack and kill two of my wolves who may have been guilty of nothing more than asking their luna for help?”
Nick steps in front of me, blocking me from view of the alpha wolf. It’s a protective gesture, because Alpha Toth is losing the battle with his wolf. If he shifts in this temper while locked in this room, he’s liable to attack the messenger. Since that would be me, I’m more than happy to let Nick protect me.
When Alpha Toth starts shaking so badly he falls to his knees, Rook moves in front of him. “Calm yourself, Peter!” he snaps with all the force of a very powerful werewolf. I wince at the sting of the command. Rook’s so easygoing it’s hard to remember that he’s more dominant than Alpha Toth. Right now it’s clear as day, though. Alpha Toth trembles under the command and lowers his head, exposing his neck as a show of submission.
Rook eases up, and I take a deep breath. Even Nick shudders once the tension in the air is gone. Alpha Toth remains on his knees a moment, staring at the ground while he sucks in huge, gulping breaths. Once he’s calm, he looks up at Rook with sorrow and gratitude in his eyes. The two say nothing but exchange a long glance that needs no words. Rook holds out a hand to his alpha. The large, broody man rises to his feet and pulls Rook into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, Peter,” Rook whispers.
Alpha Toth finally pulls back with a long sigh. “I’ve always known she’s ill fit to be the pack luna. She’s too power hungry, and she’s got a dark side to her that has to be kept in check. But her wolf is so dominant none of my other females could ever win a challenge against her. When she beat Isabella for the right to be my mate, I accepted her because I knew she’d never stop causing trouble if I didn’t. I thought I could keep control of her if she were my mate.”
All the fight seeps out of Alpha Toth. He seems more resigned now than anything. Self-pity’s never a good thing, especially not if you’re an alpha, so I risk speaking up. “Don’t dwell on the problem, Alpha Toth. Fix it.”
Alpha Toth’s head snaps my direction, eyes hard after the reprimand, but I stand my ground. “You can’t do anything about past choices, so focus on the present. Change what you can.”
He glares a moment longer, but then his eyes soften. “That’s sage advice.”
I shrug. “My past is ugly. If I worried about the what-ifs, I’d go crazy. With my gifts, there’s a lot I can’t control in my life, so I focus on what little I can do something about.”
Alpha Toth gives me a long, searching look, then places a hand on my shoulder. “You are an amazing woman, Ms. Jacobs. Thank you for all you’ve done to help my pack. I’m so sorry that my luna put you in danger.”
Uncomfortable with all the emotions flying around, I step out of the alpha’s grip and shrug again. “Don’t worry about it. Not your fault. I don’t hold any ill feeling toward your pack. However, if you want to mete out some punishment on Luna Marie, well, I’m not going to stand in your way.”
Alpha Toth barks out a surprised laugh and shakes his head as if I bewilder him. “Very well, Ms. Jacobs.” His voice turns hard again. “Let’s go find my mate and right the wrong she’s done.”
. . . . .
Luna Marie is not on the compound, nor is she answering her phone. “Could she know we’re on to her?” I ask once we’ve searched the entire place under the guise of giving Nick a tour. We’ve ended up back in the parking lot next to Nick’s car.
Alpha Toth isn’t happy about Nick staying. But since Director West ordered Nick to bring Marie in for questioning—and because Nick refuses to leave my side until we’re sure no more attempts will be made on my life—he allows it. Toth feels much better after Nick promises he’ll let Toth handle the situation however he sees fit. Meaning if Toth wants to hand Marie over to the FUA, Nick will take her off his hands, but if he wants to give her the same sentence she gave Maya and Daniel…well, that’s up to him, and Nick will stay out of it.
Alpha Toth and Rook both frown in thought, but Nick speaks up. “It’s likely she knows. Mercs usually get half payment up front and half when the job is completed. If no one checked in because the job was botched, she’ll know something went wrong. There was a whole diner full of witnesses who saw Nora walk away from the attack and saw us take Dennis into custody.”
I wince. “She may have bolted, knowing Dennis might talk during interrogation.”
Nick nods, agreeing with me. He looks at Alpha Toth and Rook. “Any idea where she might go?”
The two share a grim look and say together, “The apartment.”
Nick heads for his car while I ask the million-dollar question. “What apartment?”
Alpha Toth sighs. “We’ve been trying to trace the missing money since Maya’s and Daniel’s deaths. Maya rented a small apartment out in Ann Arbor. It’s mostly safe from rogues because it’s surrounded by three really strong packs who all use it as neutral territory—us, the Waterloo pack out in Chelsea, and the Island Lake pack up in Brighton. Rogues generally keep to Detroit. We figured the apartment in Ann Arbor was where Maya and Daniel were going to try to make a go of it as packless wolves.”
“Wouldn’t Luna Marie know you’d look there?” I ask.
Both Rook and Alpha Toth grimace. “We haven’t told Marie we know about it,” Alpha Toth says. “It’s just easier to keep her out of stuff.”
Yeah, that’s not hard to imagine. She’s a real piece of work. I smirk. “Can’t blame you there, and it works in our favor.” I clap my hands together in excitement. “All right. Who’s up for a drive to Ann Arbor?”
When we get to the apartment complex in Ann Arbor, Nick flashes something that looks like an FBI badge, and the manager hands over a key. The apartment is a modest one-bedroom. I’m sure it’s very standard for middle-class suburban living, but it makes my old dump in Detroit seem like third-world living. Luna Marie must have stolen a lot of money from the pack.
The apartment is empty. Though, judging by the growls of Alpha Toth when we enter the place, Marie hasn’t been gone long. “She wasn’t here alone.”
“Do you recognize the scent?” Rook asks.
He, Nick, and Alpha Toth all wander around the open living, dining, and kitchen area, sniffing the air. “It’s definitely wolf,” Alpha Toth says, shaking his head. “And male. But he’s not pack.”
His eyes are glowing again. We all know what Luna Marie being here with another male wolf means, and Alpha Toth’s wolf does not like being cheated on.
“It’s a little familiar,” Rook says, taking a deeper whiff. “But it’s too mixed with Marie’s scent for me to get a good read on it.”
Nick looks up from a small stack of mail he’s sorting through. “You got anything for us, little psychic?”
I wander the room, running my hands over everything from the kitchen table to the TV remote. When I pick up nothing, I groan. If this was Luna Marie’s secret love nest, chances are there is only one kind of vision I’m going to get from this place. At my grumble, all three men look my direction. “It’s nothing,” I tell them with a sigh.
I head for the bedroom, and Rook follows behind me, chuckling when comprehension sinks in. Alpha Toth walks into the
bedroom, takes a deep breath through his nose, and then roars. “That cheating whore!”
He grabs the nearest thing he can find, which happens to be a dresser, and smashes it thoroughly with his fists before throwing it into the bedroom wall, putting huge holes in the drywall. He sheds his clothes and shifts into wolf form, moving to shred the mattress next. Rook stops him. “Wait, Peter!”
The wolf growls and his chest heaves, but he turns his glowing eyes to Rook and waits. “Nora needs the bed. Let her do her thing, and then you can tear this entire apartment to pieces. Promise.”
Alpha Toth snarls but plops his butt on the ground with a huff. He looks at me, and for a moment I forget to breathe. I’m trapped in a room with an angry wolf, and he’s barely containing his temper. In this form, the dominance rolls off him in thick waves. I want to fall to the floor and curl up in the fetal position, but werewolves appreciate strength, so I pull back my shoulders and glare at the alpha wolf. “Stop it,” I say. “I get that you’re pissed, but I can’t do my job with you in here being all alpha I-will-rip-you-apart wolf. Calm down or get out, because I can barely breathe with all the testosterone you’re throwing at me.”
I point toward the bedroom door, showing him which option I’d rather he take. The wolf narrows his eyes and growls a warning at me, but I don’t so much as flinch. He huffs again, but he follows my orders and leaves the room.
“Nicely done, Nora,” Nick says, clapping.
Rook doesn’t join in. He’s frozen in place, watching me with a proud and hungry gleam in his eye, as if his wolf really likes my display of dominance. I stare him down next. “Do I need to kick you out, too?”
Rook’s eyes flash, but he quickly shakes his head and stamps down his wolf. “Sorry. You’re just so dominant. My wolf can’t help himself. I think if you ever turned, I’d have to take back my no dating policy. I think my wolf would claim you whether I wanted him to or not.”
And my curse strikes again. It’s impressive that Rook the man is holding out even if his wolf is struggling with my allure. He must have loved Lilly so much. “You in control now?” I ask, even though I know he is. “I don’t want you to bite me while I’m under. This imprint might take a while.”
