Mercy Temple Chronicles Box Set

by Ciara Graves

  “Unless what you say links you to him and his crimes.”

  “Trust me,” she snapped, “it won’t.”

  They glared heatedly at each other.

  Nor suddenly grinned.

  Mercy did too.

  He nodded approvingly. “You are certainly not what I expected. You’re better. Now I can see why you do so well in your profession.”

  “Sir?” I asked, confused by his reaction.

  “Listen, Rafael, as much as I hate the fact she beats us to a number of supes we would like to bring in ourselves, the non-chief side of me has to respect the work she does. She throws herself into danger and snatches the bad guy. It’s commendable.” His smile faltered slightly. “However, at the same time, I realize I could never ask how many laws you break seeing as it would most likely end with you in a jail cell.”

  Mercy shrugged, not saying a word.

  “Very well then. Once this case is solved, I expect to see you in the Federal building within twenty-four hours.”

  “Agreed,” Mercy replied. “So, dead body. What happened?”

  “Colton MacGallan was beheaded and stabbed through the heart,” he said, laying a file on the table and sliding it toward us. “Same killer. Same style. I hear you are lucky to be alive.”

  “I am,” Mercy mumbled, sifting through the pictures of the crime scene.

  I looked over at the pictures, alongside her. At first glance, they did seem to be almost exact matches to how Jaxton’s body was found.

  Mercy picked up the picture of his chest injury and turned it this way and that, shaking her head.

  I frowned. “What do you see?”

  “There’s something off about this stab wound.” She squinted, bringing the picture even closer. “The angle’s funny.”

  “What do you mean?” I took the photo from her.

  Nor watched us, silent.

  “When the killer stabbed Jaxton, he had enough power to go right through to the heart,” Mercy explained.

  Nor pulled out Jaxton’s file and handed her the picture.

  “Thanks. See here? One blow right to the heart. But look here at Colton’s body. The wound is larger and the angle… it’s like the killer was digging around for the heart instead.”

  “So different killer?”

  “Or he was injured. Weaker. Which would make sense if it was the same werewolf who attacked me. I stabbed him in his right side,” she said slowly. “And the bastard managed to kill another alpha anyway. Damn it. I should’ve finished him when I had the chance.”

  “Not your fault,” I told her.

  She waved me off. “Did the coroner say what happened first? The beheading or the stab wound?” she asked Nor.

  “Beheading.”

  “Makes sense. No werewolf, especially an alpha, would let someone dig around in their chest with a sword,” she muttered. “But he would’ve had to get close, very close to getting in a killing blow like this first. I don’t like this.”

  “Why not? A werewolf makes sense, doesn’t it?”

  “Maybe. But from which pack? We assumed it would be someone from Colton’s, but he’s dead. If this killer werewolf wanted his pack, he would’ve challenged him for it.”

  “So that rules out a Nightshade Fur then?” I asked.

  “It would have to. Henry’s the beta. What was his reaction to the death?” she asked.

  Nor who was nodding his head slowly, processing the conclusions she’d come to.

  “He was distraught. It was real emotion. He was not behind this.”

  “Then why kill two alphas?” Mercy mused. “What’s the end game here?”

  “Start a war?” I suggested. “A turf war?”

  “Or it’s simpler than that,” she said. “We need to talk to Rubella again after we check out that vacant land you tracked the killer to.”

  “Did anyone follow the trail this time?” I asked.

  Nor was already shaking his head.

  “According to Henry, Colton often took time before the full moon to ready his mind for the transformation. He would lock himself in his room for days with orders not to be disturbed. By the time Henry did go to check on the alpha, sensing something was wrong, the trail had been corrupted by magic. They could only follow it out of the rear window of the house and into the trees. After that, it was gone.”

  “Male werewolf,” I said.

  Nor agreed.

  I rubbed my temples. “Rubella’s pack is the smallest. It would be a bold move for her to make to try and take full control.”

  “Remember how she mentioned she idolized Jaxton?” Mercy asked me.

  “Loved him was what she hinted at and her pack did not seem happy about it. Why? What do you think?”

  “I don’t know yet, but this feels wrong, even if it was to start a turf war. It has to come back to the betas, right?”

  I grimaced in frustration. We were no closer to finding our killer than before.

  The café door opened. Iris and Todd bustled inside.

  Iris was complaining about the cold and muttering something about missing California. I was tempted to tell her she could go back any time she wanted, but the meeting was going better than I expected, so I let it go. They marched to our table, but Iris stopped short when her gaze shifted from me to Mercy.

  “She’s here?” she shrieked. “Why is she here? You’re showing her the crime scene photos?”

  “Iris,” Nor said calmly, but with an edge to his voice. “Mercy is assisting us in this investigation and will be aiding us in answering some questions about Liam once the culprit is caught. You will treat her with respect. Understood?”

  Her face scrunched up, but no sound except an indignant squeak escaped her mouth. She took her seat next to Nor.

  Todd remained standing.

  “You don’t want to sit down?” I asked him.

  “I prefer to stand,” he said. “Especially in the morning, helps wake me up.”

  “How’s that mattress of yours working out?”

  “Huh? Oh right, my neck, getting better every time I sleep on it.”

  As subtly as I could, I sniffed the air, searching for a hint of that sickly-sweet smell again, but there was only wet dog, magic, and Mercy.

  “Todd, is there anyone you can think of in any of the packs who would be going after the alphas?” Nor asked. “Anyone at all? A disgruntled beta perhaps?”

  “Not to my knowledge, sir,” he replied quickly. “As far as I knew, all the alphas were loved.” He craned his neck to the side, and seemed to be in thought. “In fact, since Jaxton’s death, no one has challenged Jenella at all.”

  “If she’s well-liked, why would she be challenged?”

  He gave me an odd look. “Right. You didn’t grow up in a pack. Well-liked or not, there are many werewolves who feel they can run the pack better than the current alpha or the one who is to become alpha. It’s not always about like or dislike. It’s about what they feel is right for the future of their pack. Most fights are to the death, but there have been times where the old alpha concedes and retires. For lack of a better term.”

  “Do you think Jenella or Henry would concede?” Mercy asked.

  Todd blew out a heavy breath. “I can’t say what Henry would do, but Jenella won’t go down without a fight. Which might be why it’s taking so long for a challenger to come forward. She’s a fierce fighter.”

  Or there was something else going on. A Silver Howler could be making a move against the Nightshade Furs with Colton dead. If one of Jenella’s wolves became its alpha, then he or she could turn over the control of that pack to Jenella. But why kill Jaxton and not just Colton? And why was Rubella still alive? Unless she was next to go so, Jenella could make her final play.

  I turned to Mercy to ask her, but she was watching Todd closely. Her hand went to her injured shoulder, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Mercy?”

  “Huh? Oh, sorry, just uh, just lost in thought is all,” she mumbled. “We ne
ed to check out those buildings and then speak with Rubella.” She tapped the photos on the table. “I thought before it might’ve just been a regular shifter committing these murders, but after I saw him fight… how clean these kills are. His continued commitment, even after he was wounded, he’s a hitman.”

  “That’s great news.” Nor sighed heavily. “How certain do you feel about this?”

  “Makes sense,” I replied, meeting his gaze. “If he was merely one of the pack, there would be no reason for him to hide out in an abandoned farmhouse. He’d be protected by his alpha.” More pieces fell into place as far as why this case had seemed odd from the beginning. It wasn’t simply a murder. It was a hit. Two hits and he might not be finished.

  “We should get going if we want to be back before nightfall,” Mercy suggested.

  “Agreed. Iris? I need you to talk with Jenella again.”

  She huffed.

  Nor shot her a look.

  She dropped her defiantly crossed arms. “About what?”

  “About this land dispute between Jaxton and Colton. See what you can find out. We’re going to check out the land ourselves. We’ll meet back here this evening. Chief? Where are you staying?”

  “Not staying,” he said roughly. “The packs are already riled up enough. If they see me here, they’ll think we’re ready to bring in the entire agency to interfere in their affairs. It’ll only make a tense situation worse. Keep me posted. And Mercy,” he added as he stood, “I look forward to speaking with you again.”

  Mercy said nothing in reply.

  Todd and Iris followed Nor out, not before Iris glared openly at Mercy.

  The door shut behind them leaving us alone.

  “You sure you’re up for this today?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Let’s catch this son of a bitch. I’m tired of being around all these werewolves. Making me anxious.”

  “You and me both.”

  Chapter 15

  Mercy

  We swung by the room long enough to grab Bowen and give everyone a quick update on what we learned about Colton’s murder.

  “You think it’s Henry then?” Damian asked.

  “Not sure what to think, honestly,” I told him.

  It started bugging me when we were in the café. Meeting Nor hadn’t been as terrible as I imagined. I wanted to tell him point blank how disappointed he was going to be if he brought me in for questioning. I had nothing else to tell him about Liam. I had a shit ton to tell him about who I thought he might be involved with, but that would lead to questions about who I really was, and that could not happen. It would put more than just me at risk.

  I rolled my shoulder.

  Rafael frowned at my motion.

  “Right, we need to get moving.” I double checked my gear. “Bowen? You coming or what?”

  “You’re not going,” Damian argued, storming over to block the door. “We talked about this.”

  “And Colton getting killed changes things,” I argued. “I need to go.”

  “Why? So you can be bait?”

  “Not bait.” I tilted my head back and forth. “Incentive perhaps. to draw the killer out?”

  Damian glared over my shoulder. “You agreed she should stay behind. What changed?”

  Rafael brushed past my shoulder and bodily shoved Damian to the side. “Another murder. Just like she said. The longer we drag this out, the higher her chances are of being attacked again, but the more chances the attacker has to escape, too. We need to catch him, and we need her out there with us.”

  “Don’t have faith in your own two eyes?” Damian snapped.

  Rafael nodded, surprising me. “I’ll admit I don’t always see everything. She’s damned good at her job, you said so yourself. So let her do her job so we can end this. Besides, you said it yourself, if we leave her behind, she’ll catch up to us, one way or another.” He opened the door and stormed out.

  Bowen followed with an apologetic nod toward Damian.

  I was left with the half-demon crossing his arms, staring me down. “What?”

  “Watch yourself out there,” he said quietly.

  “I always do,” I muttered and aimed for the door.

  He caught my arm.

  “Damian.”

  “I said I would keep you safe,” he whispered harshly. “I’ve almost failed more times than I’d like to admit. Do not add another.”

  I tore myself free of his grip, giving him a disgusted look. “Then maybe you should try harder.”

  It wasn’t fair of me to say that to him. I might’ve had a shitty childhood. And I didn’t have the life I dreamt of as a kid, but it could’ve ended up a lot worse. Everything he told me was true. The system would never have handed me over to him. It did little to ease the hurt though, knowing he held onto the truth, all this time, and kept it from me. There was much to discuss still, about my parents and him. About what they were doing to stop this Shuval individual. Whether he liked it or not, I was involved, and there was no turning back now.

  The twenty-minute walk to the vacant plot of land was pure torture., and I was shivering and my teeth chattering by the time I saw the small bridge with the frozen stream beneath. I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets, but it didn’t help. My shoulder and hip ached from the freezing temperatures, and I was suddenly regretting my bravado and my claims that I was well enough to tag along.

  “Do you want me to take you back?” Bowen asked.

  “No. I’m here. Let’s get this over with.” I stomped forward, snow crunching loudly under my boots. “Besides, I’m not about to go back to see the smug look on that bastard’s face.”

  Bowen smirked.

  Rafael looked straight ahead, eyes watchful for any sign of our target. He’d been like that since we left, not saying a single word. All business. Probably for the best, now that I learned how messed up my past really was. No. Not just my past. How screwed the rest of my life was going to be with Shuval somewhere in the world. The further away Rafael stayed from me, the better, especially if I followed through with my plans once we returned to Sector 21.

  “Check the house first?” Bowen suggested.

  “Might as well,” Rafael agreed.

  I nodded, shifting my course, so the front door was dead ahead. I gave another hard shiver as the wind kicked up, whipping my hair around my face. The braid I had plaited was pointless the second we went outside.

  A weight settled on my shoulders, followed by an immense sensation of warmth. “Don’t be an idiot.”

  I tugged Rafael’s black leather coat around my shoulders, soaking in the heat left behind by his body. “Thanks. Just don’t tell Damian.”

  He winked.

  Winked at me!

  I was never going to figure this demon out. Bowen hissed quietly under his breath and blurred the rest of the way to the house. Carefully, he pushed on the front door and it swung inward. Then he was gone again.

  A few seconds later, he poked his head out.

  “Empty. Come on in, get out of the wind for a bit at least.”

  The house was nothing like the alphas’ homes. Just a farmhouse that was furnished with oversized comfy couches and chairs. Blankets, instead of curtains, covered the windows, and when we entered the kitchen, it was clear someone had been here recently. Food wrappers and take out containers covered the table. The sink was filled with dirty dishes.

  Rafael bent down by the wood stove and opened the hatch. “Warm,” he said after he reached his hand inside.

  “Think he’s watching the place?” I scanned the kitchen for cameras, then wandered into the dining room and through to the main living room again. I flipped off the empty room on the off-chance he was watching remotely, and hoped he was scared shitless with the knowledge I was coming for him. I pulled Rafael’s coat even tighter around me as the cold slowly seeped from my limbs. “I’m going to check upstairs.”

  Rafael’s lips thinned, but he let me go up alone.

  Bowen returned to his side and said he
found a study filled with papers. They went to investigate those, leaving me to venture to the second floor alone. Good. I wasn’t sure how much I could take of their competing egos. Not only was a second alpha killed, but the full moon was growing ever closer. Facing down the werewolf, in human form, had been hard enough. I was in no shape to take on a fully shifted wolf. They were much, much larger and vicious.

  That, and the fact that, one bite would turn me into one. I was a freak enough on my own without adding a were bite to the list. The only reason I figured the werewolf didn’t attack me in wolf form was he was too young to shift at will. That meant he was under thirty. Not that the age thing helped rule out too many suspects.

  The first door I came to led to a bathroom. Bloody rags filled the tub and trashcan. There were some empty vials that smelled like the healing potions Gigi made, but they could be bought from any witch. Finding nothing else in the bathroom, I moved on down the hall, taking off Rafael’s coat as I warmed up. I draped it over the railing.

  Arguing came from downstairs, but there was no yelling, so I decided I’d let them figure it out themselves.

  The second door led to an empty room, so I moved on to check out the last one. There was a cot with a few blankets and little else.

  I walked the entirety of the room, pausing at the window to stare out over the snowy fields and the barn beyond. A shed and rundown cabin were near the barn. The roof had caved in at some point, so the chances of anyone staying there were low. I moved on from the window and opened the closet door. But that too was empty.

  Something about this was not right.

  If the killer was staying here, where were his weapons? His clothes? His gear? I knew several hitmen, and they always traveled with a full arsenal in case the situation changed at the last second. No one could plan ahead for every outcome. Whatever Bowen thought he found in the study was either left behind by whoever was here before the hitman. Or it was planted. No decent hitman would leave anything out in the open.

  The hair on the back of my neck rose.

  I turned back to the window—

  Just in time to see the barn door slam open.