Wolf in her Soul: Salvation Pack, Book 8

by N. J. Walters

  Yeah, she had good genes. Different genes.

  She wasn’t entirely human.

  A chill ran down her spine and she shuddered.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  She nodded at Angela. “I’m having a chocolate orgasm.” As she’d hoped, the other woman laughed. Hannah grabbed two of the trays and carried them out to the glass case. Then she went back to the kitchen for more. At exactly five to six, she turned on all the coffeepots.

  She checked the levels of the napkins in the dispensers, the canisters containing sugar, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, and chocolate sprinkles that customers liked to add to their drinks.

  Everything was ready for another day.

  Right on cue, a knock came on the door. It wasn’t a customer but the other barista working with her this morning. Nora was perpetually late.

  Hannah unlocked the door and Nora rushed in.

  “I know. I know. I’m late.” Hair as dark as midnight and lips ruby red, Nora was always smiling and friendly. She was petite and resembled a fairy sprite. All she needed was a set of wings. It was impossible to stay mad at her. “Be right back,” she called over her shoulder as she hurried into the office to dump her purse and coat.

  Hannah didn’t bother relocking the door. Instead, she turned the closed sign over and headed back to the counter. She was barely behind it when the door opened to admit their first regular. In spite of her earlier fears, everything inside her settled.

  “Grande dark roast?”

  “God, yes. And one of those banana muffins too.” The businessman had his money on the counter by the time she set his coffee in front of him.

  She had just finished ringing up the sale when Nora hurried out. “David wants his latte.”

  Hannah laughed. “I’ll get right on it.”

  Two more customers entered the shop and the day began.

  * * * * *

  The killer entered the motel room he’d rented and almost turned around and walked back out. The stench of cleaning chemicals was an assault to his nostrils. And while humans might enjoy the fresh floral scent, all he could smell was the disgusting odor of manufactured faux flowers.

  Still, it was clean and he needed rest. He’d put in a long night. He hadn’t been satisfied with his kill and had needed to check on his next target. He’d been in the city for just over two weeks, living in a cheap one-room apartment. He’d been renting by the week and had left the day before yesterday. This was his second motel in as many days. Moving around was a precaution he took just before he killed someone. Not that he expected anyone to ever link him with the fires or the murders, but it was better to be smart.

  He set down his bag on the floor and sat on the side of the bed.

  He’d stay here today. Tomorrow morning, he’d check out and find a new cheap apartment. He had money, so that wasn’t a problem, but he preferred to be frugal. Once he was finished in Chicago, he’d head home and start doing more research. Or maybe he’d pick a city at random and simply spend some time there. He had a nose for finding the misfits, those abominations that were neither human or wolf.

  It was his calling.

  There was always a starting point. Sometimes it was a rumor of a werewolf having a child with a human. Easy enough to check out. Newspaper articles about strange happenings and events. He liked looking into those.

  And sometimes he got lucky.

  He’d come to Chicago two weeks back to stalk the man he’d killed. It was only by pure chance he’d caught sight of a woman walking alone on the street early one morning. Dressed in jeans and a hoodie, she was obviously not a prostitute. She moved with a sense of purpose and an innate grace, scanning her surroundings and cocking her head occasionally to listen intently.

  His body had hardened as he’d brought her face into focus. Hannah had red hair that stood out like a beacon in her otherwise dull surroundings. Her skin was flawless and her eyes deep blue. With his keen hearing, it had been easy enough for him to find out her first name. He’d simply lingered just out of sight of the door of the coffee shop. The woman working alongside her had called her by name. After that, it had been child’s play to hack into the company’s business records and find out her last name and her residence.

  “Hannah Burdette,” he said her name out loud. He’d never thought he’d actually find her. If she was who he thought she was, then she was the reason he did what he did. The reason his life had irrevocably changed for the second time.

  The first time had been when both his parents had been killed in a horrific fire. He’d been devastated, but his father’s best friend had taken over as his guardian. He’d admired the man deeply, until he’d found out his mentor had been sleeping with a human female.

  He’d been disillusioned, but he could have forgiven his mentor if all he’d done had been to sleep with the slut he’d been seeing. Instead, he’d gotten her pregnant. It shouldn’t have happened. It was very rare for a human and wolf to have a child, but it did occur. And that was how those disgusting half-breeds came into existence.

  He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks. His breathing deepened as he remembered the way Hannah had looked over her shoulder this morning. He could almost smell her fear. It was the first time he’d gotten close enough for her to sense his presence.

  He wanted her to fear him. Because of her, he’d been abandoned for a second time. His mentor had left him and the pack in order to look after the mewling half-breed child he’d fathered all those years ago.

  He stood and yanked off his clothing, letting it fall to the carpet. He strode into the bathroom and turned on the shower full force. The spray was hot, just the way he liked it. He braced his hands on the tile and let the water cascade over him.

  He’d wanted Hannah, and not to just kill her. That had come as a shock. He stalked his prey and killed them—male and female alike. But this was different. She was different.

  “Weak.” He didn’t know if he meant himself or the woman. Was he weak for wanting her? She was weak because she wasn’t a true werewolf. She was a half-breed. He should revile her, and he did, but he still wanted her.

  He’d wanted to grab her this morning but had found the strength to pull back. The last thing he wanted to do was spook her before he was ready. There were preparations to be made. It didn’t pay to rush the job.

  Every muscle in his body tightened and his cock thickened and grew. He soaped his hands and reached for his dick. It had been a while since he’d had a woman. He’d never mated. He preferred sleeping with his own kind, and there were always lonely widows who didn’t want to mate again. He took care of their needs, and they took care of his. Everyone was happy.

  Hell, he’d even slept with the occasional human. He didn’t mind fucking them. He always made sure to wear a condom. The last thing he wanted was some half-breed brat running around.

  Which brought him back to Hannah. He still had some research to do. Now that he was finished with his last job, he could concentrate solely on her. He had no idea just how much wolf she had inside her, but she moved with an animal-like grace and was very aware of her surroundings.

  He squeezed his cock and pumped his fist up and down.

  He’d need to get close enough to smell her to be sure. There could be some mistake. Maybe she wasn’t the woman he was searching for. Her features were similar to his former mentor’s, although her hair was a different color. The fact that they shared the same last name was the icing on the cake as far as he was concerned.

  But he needed to be certain, and that meant he needed to get her scent. That was always the final test. When everything was in place, he’d get close enough to smell her. If he was wrong and she was human, she’d never know he was there. If she was a hybrid werewolf, she’d scent him and she’d run.

  Then the hunt would be on.

  And if she was the half-breed spawn of his former m
entor, this would be the greatest hunt and kill of his life. This would be retribution for all he’d lost.

  He moved his hand faster and faster. His balls drew up tight. He clamped down on his jaw to keep from howling as he spurted his release over his hand and belly. He tilted his head back and breathed deeply to calm his racing heart.

  He was still hard, but he had more control now. He finished his shower, dried off, and left the bathroom. The mattress was firm and the sheets clean. He was exhausted, but couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  He knew where she worked and where she lived, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything.

  * * * * *

  Reece woke with a start, rolled over, and glanced at the clock. It was just after seven. Still plenty of time before he had to be at work. He dropped back onto the mattress and rubbed his hand over his face.

  “Fuck.” He’d had the dream again. He lowered his hand and stared up at the ceiling. They were becoming more and more frequent. Hell, this was two nights in a row. It was getting out of hand. It was time to stop.

  His wolf howled and growled inside him, not happy with his turn of thoughts. Reece was too tired to care. He didn’t want to be here any longer. He was tired of being away from his family, of living in a big city. He was tired of the endless violence he dealt with on a daily basis in his job. He wanted to run free through the woods of North Carolina. He wanted to spend time with Sage and be a part of his brother’s everyday life. He’d sacrificed a decade of his life to a fantasy.

  He rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He was going to shower and dress, and then he was going to work and put in his notice. Thoughts of yesterday intruded.

  “Shit.”

  There was potentially a werewolf hunter in the city.

  He tightened his jaw and shook his head. Not his problem. He’d give everything he had over the next two weeks to discover the truth. By that point, the trail would be cold. If it was a gang incident, there would be more retaliation. If it was a pack slaying, the killer would have already left the city. If it was a human hunter or a full-blooded werewolf targeting half-breeds, there wasn’t a whole lot he could do about it unless the killer made a mistake or the police got lucky.

  In any case, he’d be better off at home.

  He rented this place furnished, and it included utilities. He went month to month, so it would be no trouble for him to leave in two weeks. He didn’t mind losing his security deposit to give the landlord the requisite month’s notice.

  Decision made, he picked up his electric razor and started shaving. He ignored his wolf’s grumbling and allowed himself just the slightest bit of excitement.

  He was going home.

  Chapter Three

  Reece stared at the door that had just closed in his face. Nobody wanted to talk. He and his partner had spent all day yesterday canvassing the area, but no one would admit to seeing anything. And he’d yet to find that group of young men who’d so avidly watched the crime scene.

  He hadn’t slept much again last night, but it wasn’t because he’d been dreaming. No, his ears had still been ringing from his conversation with his commander. The man had been more than a little frustrated by Reece’s decision to leave the force, but he’d finally accepted there was no changing Reece’s mind.

  Then there were the phone calls. Sage had called him every hour on the hour for most of the night. He’d texted him dozens of times too. Finally, around four-thirty, Reece had shot back a text to tell his brother he was okay but didn’t want to talk.

  For some reason, he wasn’t ready to tell Sage or anyone else he was quitting his job and leaving Chicago. Even his partner didn’t know yet. He’d have to tell Sean today before he heard it through the office grapevine.

  He didn’t know why he was so reluctant, not when he knew in his heart he wanted to go home.

  He stepped away from the door and headed back toward his truck. The sun was barely up. Unable to sleep, Reece had gotten up early and made his way back to the crime scene. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this without backup, but he didn’t care. What were they going to do? Fire him?

  He’d had the idea that maybe he could catch the young men coming home from a night out since they hadn’t been able to find them during the day. They had to live around here somewhere.

  Reece had seen fear in the eyes of several people he’d interviewed yesterday when he’d described the men he was looking for. Everyone denied knowing them, but Reece wasn’t fooled. Everyone in this neighborhood knew those men. Which meant they were around here somewhere.

  “Hey, cop.”

  Reece barely suppressed his smile. He’d hoped that if he kept asking questions, he’d eventually flush them out. He slowly turned and eyed the single man standing on the cracked and pitted sidewalk behind him. “Yeah?”

  “You’re asking a lot of questions.” The man looked to be early twenties with dark eyes and hair.

  “Part of the job.” Reece jerked his head behind him. “You might want to tell your buddy to come out.” Then he pointed to a beat-up car parked across the street. “And the other one crouched behind the car.”

  The man’s eyes widened and his scowl deepened. “Think you’re pretty smart, don’t ya?”

  Reece shook his head. “Look, I don’t want to hassle you. I just want to know if you saw or heard anything the night of the fire.”

  “The night of the murder, you mean. You don’t care about no fire,” the man shot back.

  “Fine. The night of the murder. Did you see anyone?”

  The man backed away. “We didn’t see nothing.”

  His reply didn’t surprise Reece. He kept most of his attention on the man he was talking to, but he was aware of the movements of the other two men. So far, they stayed where they were. He didn’t know if they had any weapons or not.

  Yeah, he’d been stupid to come here without Sean, but it was too late for regrets on that front. “Fine. Just hope the person killed wasn’t someone you knew.” It was a long shot and one most likely not to pan out. Chances were the victim was unknown to anyone in the neighborhood.

  “Nobody around here missing.” The man started backing away, never taking his eyes off Reece. “You asked your question and I answered. No reason for you to keep asking about us, bothering our neighbors.”

  Reece wasn’t surprised that one of the people he’d interviewed had warned the men. It had probably been a relative or friend. Problem was, he knew the man was lying to him.

  “I know you saw something.”

  The man shook his head. “You can’t prove that, and I got nothing else to say.” He gestured to his friends, turned, and walked away. The man behind the car stood and followed. There was a bulge at the small of his back, which meant he was armed. Thankfully, he hadn’t taken a shot at Reece. But there’d been no need to. Reece had nothing on them and they knew it. No need to give the police a reason to come after them.

  The third man followed more slowly. Reece shifted to the edge of the sidewalk and kept an eye on him as he passed. The man kept his head down but muttered under his breath as he walked by. “Dude was big, like you. Moved like you too. Like he was prowling. Motherfucker was scary. That’s all I know. He wore a dark leather coat.” He licked his lips, and Reece could smell his fear. “Eyes seemed to glow in the dark.” He kept walking, and Reece let him go.

  He slowly walked to this truck, climbed in, and drove away. Better to not give them a reason to come back. He’d already been foolish by coming here alone. There was no need to compound it by staying. He drove another five minutes before pulling into the parking lot of a fast food restaurant that wasn’t open yet.

  The last man had confirmed his worst fears. The killer was big like Reece and moved like him too. His eyes glowed in the dark. Animal eyes. Wolf eyes. And those three men, who were tough by anyone’s measure, were afraid of th
e man they’d seen. That in and of itself spoke volumes.

  “Shit.” Reece pressed his left thumb and forefinger into the corners of his eyes. The killer was a werewolf, which meant his first instincts had been correct. The victim was either a full-blood or a half-breed. Mostly likely the latter.

  What he didn’t know was if this was an isolated pack incident between pure werewolves, if a full-blood had taken out a half-breed on behalf of his pack, or if the killer was randomly targeting half-breeds. Either way, Reece didn’t like it.

  The lights came on in the restaurant, and Reece decided he needed a cup of coffee before he did anything else. It had been a long night and he was running on about two hours sleep. Maybe less.

  He climbed out of his truck and rolled his shoulders to release some of his tension. Then he strolled across the parking lot just as the sun rose over the city.

  * * * * *

  Hannah was cautious as she walked the deserted streets, but not as vigilant as she’d been yesterday. The walk had passed without incident and she was more than willing to believe it had been her imagination making her jumpy the day before. Or, as she’d suspected, just a random stranger watching her for a few minutes simply out of curiosity.

  Nothing more.

  Still, she was glad this was her last day of work before she had two glorious days off. She planned to wander around the city with her camera in hand and capture it all. As much as she disliked the crowded busy streets, the city landscape was endlessly fascinating—the play of light on the buildings, the architecture, and the way that nature tried to assert itself amidst the concrete jungle.

  Her excitement built at the thought. She already had some amazing photos of Chicago, both day and night shots, but there was always something new to see and experience.

  She turned the corner and the café came into view. Less than two minutes and she’d be there. David was probably watching for her. He’d been waiting on the sidewalk for her yesterday.

  It was going to be a beautiful fall day. The air was crisp and made the inside of her nose tingle. Autumn was her favorite time of year. The days were shorter, but the sunlight and the changing colors of the trees were amazing for her photography.