by Lia Davis
“It’s Yvette.” She sighed. “My best friend.” The sparkle in her big brown eyes faded, leaving them sad and full of memories. “Yvette came up here a month ago and met some guy and no one’s seen her since.”
His gut tightened.
“Why do you think she was on the ranch?” Not that she was wrong. All that blood had to belong to someone, or something, about the size of an adult person. And with a missing woman in the area and the amount of clean-up, it looked suspiciously like murder.
“We were supposed to come up here together, but I couldn’t go. She met some dude and he talked her into going geocaching. She texted me the coordinates. It was the last thing I ever got from her.” She handed him her phone. “See.”
Hey cutie pie! I met someone. I’m calling him, Mr. Mysterious. Gotta keep you guessing! It’s your punishment for letting me come up here by myself. He’s way too old for me, but he’s totally hot!
And guess what? MM is into treasure too. :) We’re heading out tomorrow and I’ll let you know what we dig up. Oh, and just in case your mean old boss let’s you go, here’s the loco.
Luca stared at the text. “These are GPS coordinates.”
“Yes, and they lead to the place you found me. Right where that big bloodstain is. And right where I found this.” She pulled out a rectangular white case studded with sparkles. “Yvette’s phone.”
The tightness in his gut turned over. This was solid evidence. Someone had killed a girl on ranch property. And covered it up.
The TV overhead was babbling something about a virus, and the CDC. Then the words the announcer was saying stood out and caught him.
“The CDC denies any knowledge of this, werewolf disease, but we interviewed a man who says he saw a victim.”
Werewolf disease. The Bite.
His heart pounding, coffee cup forgotten in his hand, Luca sat up and stared at the blond woman on TV. She held a mike out to a dirty man with long hair, who looked like Charlie Manson in a beige trench coat, minus the tattoo.
“Sir, tell us what you saw.”
“It was crazy, man. The dude totally thought he was a wolf, baying and howling and scratching. He bit the ambulance driver. There was a lot of blood. I mean, like, gushing all over the place.” He shook his head. “You should have seen it. He was bat-shit crazy.”
Natalie was saying something, but Luca wasn’t listening. All he could hear were the next words of the announcer as they switched to the CDC interview with a second announcer chasing down a stressed-out bald man in a black suit.
“Sir, sir! Can you tell us anything about the new werewolf disease?”
“No comment.”
“But the people are scared. Rabid victims running around attacking people? Men acting like beasts? It sounds like a horror movie.”
“No comment.”
“Can’t you tell us anything? Or should we assume from your statement that it’s out there and you know nothing about it. That your agency is totally unable to cope with this disease.”
At that the CDC official straightened up and stared directly into the camera. “The government has everything under control. There is no need to panic. Contagion from someone carrying Lycanthroism is exceedingly rare.”
Everything in the restaurant fuzzed out. Lycanthroism. The CDC knew the name the pack used for the virus. Their secret was getting out and all hell was about to break loose.
“Luca. Luca!” Natalie reached across and touched his hand. “What’s wrong?”
His phone buzzed. He picked it up and saw the picture of the enforcer building he used for dispatch. The text read:
Emergency meeting. Everyone must attend. DO from the chief.
“I’ve got to go.” He stood up and threw some money on the table. “Breakfast is on me.”
Natalie stared up at him like a lost puppy. “What’s wrong? Did they find something? Did they find Yvette’s body?”
He wanted to scoop her up and tell her it had nothing to do with Yvette, reassure her and take care of her, like she’d never been taken care of before. But he didn’t have the time. The pack was under threat and suddenly his wolf was charging up his throat.
And he didn’t know. He couldn’t be sure that what was happening on TV wasn’t directly related to Yvette’s possible murder.
He had to go, but the idea of leaving and never seeing her again, hurt. “I’m sorry. I’ll catch up to you later. Here, take my number.” He grabbed a pen from the waitress and scrawled his phone number on a napkin.
“Luca.”
“I have to go.” His head spinning with what was happening on the TV, he went out to his truck and got inside, resting his head on the back of the seat and making sure his wolf was under control before he started the car and began to drive.
Someone had seen something. Exactly what, he wasn’t sure. But combined with Yvette’s disappearance, and Natalie’s insistence that she wasn’t going to let it go, it was time to head to enforcer headquarters and get some answers.
Chapter 6
Natalie ate her breakfast by herself, barely tasting her food and scanning through Yvette’s phone. She didn’t find anything unusual. Or actually, something very unusual—no phone number for Mr. Mysterious, the sexy guy who’d seduced her friend into disappearing.
And that was really weird.
The text history had been wiped clean. Even the texts to her own phone were totally gone.
And now Luca had freaked out on her. His face had gone deathly pale under his tan and he’d stared at the TV like he’d seen a ghost. Then, when his phone had buzzed, he’d been gone like a shot.
She didn’t even think he’d heard her tell him that, as much as she liked him, she needed more information and he’d better cough it up. He’d just up and left, leaving her confused about everything.
And now her time here in Wolf’s Peak was getting short. She only had today left before she had to head back to her job on Monday.
She paid the bill, drained the last of her coffee from her cup, and left the restaurant. It was time to pay another visit to the ranch. This time, she was going through the front entrance. And this time, she wasn’t leaving until she had answers.
Luca pushed into the filled row of seats and found an empty chair next to Rico and Gabe. They nodded at him. “Hey, Weylyn.” But then their focus went straight back to the stage, where Chief Wendy Howler and the entire thirteen-woman Pack Council sat on chairs, ready to address the room.
He took off his hat and placed it in his lap, hoping he’d get a little air that way.
The room was packed. There were so many people in attendance they’d had to shift locations from enforcer headquarters to the main ranch house. With this many alphas in the room, tempers were hot and the room was even hotter. He shifted from side to side on the hard plastic chair, trying to find a comfortable position, and ran a finger along his too-tight collar. He never wore a tie and it was damned uncomfortable, but for this meeting, he’d been informed—no jeans. Jacket and tie required.
“Settle down, people, before we have to make you settle.” The chief’s growl was generally worse than her bite, but Luca had been on the receiving end of Wendy Howler’s temper once or twice, and he didn’t want to be there again. Neither did anyone else on the force.
The room quieted down.
“That’s better. Now that you’re all settled, I’d like to introduce our pack leader, Anna Truewater. Ms Truewater, they’re all yours.”
Everyone clapped for the tiny older woman with a gray bun. Dressed in a pale purple dress and looking like someone’s grandma, you’d never guess that this was the most powerful woman in Windy Gap, the lady who ran the pack with an iron fist and sharp teeth.
Luca glanced around the room while the council head ran through her list of thank yous. Brandon Bertolf was nowhere to be seen. But this was the second briefing, and being an officer he was likely in the first batch. Luca settled back in his chair, relieved he didn’t have to deal with the sergeant at the same
time as he tried to get his brain wrapped around what was happening.
And something big was happening.
He’d never seen the entire force gathered together like this. Mostly men and a few women, all in their dress best. Even without the officers who’d attended the first meeting, it was an impressive sight.
The room went dead silent as the councilwoman spoke. “I know there’s been a lot of confusion about today’s news, but first of all I want you to know—the council is aware of what is going on and we have it under control. Up until now, we’ve been keeping this information confined to only a select few ‘need to know’ people.”
There was another rise of sound as her words sunk in.
“Quiet!” Chief Howler stood up, not sitting down and her glare targeting one after another of the troublemakers, until the room was again calm.
Ms. Truewater nodded at her, and started again. “Thank you, Chief. Given today’s broadcast, you are all now ‘need to know’. So, here it is.” She exchanged glances with Chief Howler before looking back at the room. “The CDC does have some mis-information about Lycanthroism, but as far as we can tell, that’s all it is, incorrect or incomplete information. They are using the scientific name pack elders gave it a hundred and fifty years ago. And they understand it has something to do with wolves. But really, that’s all they have. What you may have heard on the broadcast is exactly the information they are dealing with. Someone saw a victim of Lycanthroism act like a wolf. As you all know, this is what happens in the early stages of infection, when the virus takes over the body and is remaking the person into a shifter.”
The room erupted into noise, questions.
“Silence!” Wendy Howler pounded a gavel onto the podium. “Let the councilwoman finish speaking.”
The room quieted down, but not without some pushing and shoving in the back. Someone was escorted out.
“The good news is that, according to our source, they have not been able to get their hands on anyone who actually has manifested the virus. They are going by hearsay. And that is a very good thing for us. This means that all we need to do is keep anyone who has the live virus away from the CDC. And as you know the only times that we get the virus are at adolescence—when the spelltalkers at our boarding schools administer it through carefully controlled circumstances to our pack youth. And when someone is going through the mating fever. Which, since we mate for life, is only once in a while.”
“So, what does this mean to you as enforcers? It means that you need to be aware of your friends and family who are entering relationships and make sure they are not running wild in the human population. Keep a careful eye out for anyone exhibiting signs of the fever. As enforcers, you are called out frequently by our pack members in the community for assistance during these times and are uniquely positioned to help us keep these individuals away from the public.”
Luca glanced around. Overall, the enforcers seemed to be taking the news calmly.
“Just be aware. Let your superiors know of anything important. And do not, under any circumstances, talk to anyone who might be asking questions.” She paused, making eye contact around the room. Luca ducked his eyes, not wanting her to see the guilt in his expression. “We don’t expect to be targeted by the press. After all, they have no idea we exist. But all it will take is one person getting suspicious and all our efforts to be hidden in plain sight will have failed.”
Hands shot up, but Luca wasn’t paying any attention. His stomach twisted.
Natalie had made it clear she would be shining attention on the pack to solve Yvette’s disappearance. This was the worst time to have any attention on Windy Gap. Especially the discovery of a murder scene on pack property.
He wanted to protect her, wanted to help her, but now, everything she wanted conflicted with what was best for the pack. He had to find a way to keep her quiet. And he had a sick feeling he knew what must have happened to Yvette.
His stomach churning, he slumped in his chair, letting the rush of questions and answers flow over him, unheard.
She must have seen someone shift, someone who knew about the CDC and the pack exposure. And that meant that someone on the council, or someone close to the council, had killed her and covered it up. He had no idea what to do next or who he could trust. He couldn’t expose Natalie to murder.
On the other hand, he had a responsibility to protect the pack from exposure.
Chapter 7
Natalie pulled her car up to the side ranch gate and punched in the code she’d seen Luca use when they’d left the day before. The gates swung open and she drove through. The dirt road wound through a wide valley dotted with fuzzy sheep grazing. Funny, she’d thought everyone in Colorado raised cattle, but what did she, a city girl, know about ranching.
Nothing.
When the road branched she took the one to the left that led back to Luca’s cabin. She’d noted that there wasn’t much around his place besides trees, and it would be a good place to hide the car while she hunted for more clues. This was a stupid idea, a wild goose-chase, but no one was going to help Yvette. It was up to her.
She parked behind the small shed and limped over to the corral where Espresso munched on a pile of hay. Her foot was doing much better. It wasn’t as sprained as she’d feared but she wouldn’t be rock climbing any time soon.
“Hey boy, remember me?” She pulled out the carrots she had in her backpack and laid one on the flat of her palm. The horse came over and lipped it off, tickling her skin and leaving a bit of hay slobber. “Thanks, bro. Just what I needed.” She unzipped her backpack and searched for her little package of tissues.
“Bear spray, map, climbing shoes…” She laughed. “Won’t be needing those for a while. Ah, tissues.” She took out the bright orange package and wiped off her hands.
Espresso’s ears tilted to the side and Natalie heard the growl of an engine coming up the road behind her. She dropped the pack of tissues, grabbed her backpack, and ran for the safety of the trees behind the cabin. She crouched down behind a bush, peering around its green leaves. A big white SUV pulled up, parking next to the corral. The big man, who had been yelling at Luca the day before, got out. Bardolf? Bertolf? Something with a B.
He put his hands on his hips and sniffed the air.
“Anyone here?”
Bertolf frowned, walked over to the horse’s paddock, and bent and picked up the little orange pack of tissues. He sniffed it and his entire face wrinkled like a bulldog’s. He growled.
Natalie got a weird feeling. Why was he growling like that and swinging his head from side to side, like a dog trying to catch a scent.
“I know you’re here, missy. You can’t hide from me. Come out where I can see you.” He wiped his gleaming forehead on his sleeve, triggering alarm-bells for Natalie as she recalled her brief foray onto the internet this morning.
There was a frenzy on social media, right now. Everyone was on the lookout for people with the new disease—people acting like wolves. Most said it was likely an outbreak of rabies and to look for slobbering, panting, sweating crazies.
But a few had said that growling, lip curling, and howling were the things to look for. She’d totally ignored most of it, searching for anything that might indicate what had happened to Yvette. But now, the craziness on the news and the internet began to make sense.
This guy looked hot and he was acting weird. Could this Bertolf guy have the new disease? Lycan…Lycanth…?
Screw it. She couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter. He’d be pissed if he found her here. She moved away, deeper into the trees behind the house.
She stepped back and a branch cracked loudly under her foot. His head whipped in her direction and he stalked towards her, sniffing the air.
“I can smell you, missy. I’m coming to get you.”
Natalie’s heart sped up, pounding terror with every thud.
She yanked her bear spray from her pack and flipped the safety clip off. Then shoved her pack over
her shoulder and ran.
Behind her she heard Bertolf’s larger body crashing through the trees. Man, he was fast for such a beefy guy. With her ankle like this, she was never going to outrun him.
She darted behind a wide pine tree and pressed her body to the rough bark. A strong smell of vanilla mixed with pine rose around her. She could hear him, his noisy steps getting closer and closer. She wrapped her hands tightly around the canister. It wasn’t for use on humans, but she didn’t have anything else.
At the last minute she whipped around the tree and pressed the button on the top of the aerosol can. The stuff flew out, missing his head and spraying just to the side of his face. He went down, coughing, hard, mucus spewing from his nose and mouth, fingers clawing at his eyes.
The odor of the toxic pepper spray made Natalie cough. Her eyes teared up and she backed away, covering her face with her arm. Bertolf was a mess. Should she call 911? She was trespassing, but he looked seriously hurt. The spray was meant for bears, not people, and no matter how crazy he seemed, he was still a person.
Then his face rippled. She blinked hard, staring at him. Another ripple ran through his face, and down his neck. Muscle and bone popped out, making grinding noises as he spasmed on the ground. His nose extended into a muzzle. Hair grew on his arms and legs, sprouting out at the same time as his limbs crunched and changed shape.
Natalie’s body shook hard, the spray can bobbing up and down in front of her. She clutched it and stared at the strange twisting thing happening in front of her, horrified to realize that he was changing from a man into—what the hell was it?
Bertolf looked up at her, his swollen pain-filled eyes still looking human in the half-man, half-beast of his face. And then his eyes changed, getting rounder and losing all their whites as they morphed into those of an animal.
He levered himself up on his front paws, his hairy body still twisting and partially human, looking strangled in too-tight pieces of his shedding clothes. This wasn’t a man. And it wasn’t a disease. Natalie froze in panic, her fingers frozen on the bear spray trigger.
