Liam spoke up next. “There were three who were untruthful in our room. A single female, Clarissa Bernard and a mated couple, Donna Gwynne and her mate, Eric Gwynne. They know who took the boys, but they don't know where they are.” He looked at Garrett. “I could easily go into their heads to get answers, but I wanted to speak to you first.”
Garrett held up his hand. “Let's hold off until after the meeting tomorrow. We still need to interview Karl, both of Sinc’s parents, and Quentin. These are some of the main players and just getting them to agree to be interviewed could be a problem. I think it’s important to get the whole picture so we don’t put the boys or ourselves in danger. One more day shouldn't matter.”
Liam nodded. “The parents of the missing boys are innocent of their kidnappings. I had all three sets in my room and they know nothing. They are all in great distress. Heinrich’s presence in the room encouraged honesty.” The huge vampire who was sprawled on the couch and the slightly built fae grinned at each other like old friends.
Garrett looked relieved. We wouldn’t have wanted to find out that any of the boy’s parents were involved.
He spoke slowly, working it out in his head. “I think that Gabriel and Katrina are so used to dealing only with their pack, a pack that treats the alpha and his family as supreme rulers, that they haven’t developed the techniques to deal with us. They don't seem to know what other supernaturals are capable of discerning during an interview process. Frankly, it shows a marked lack of good judgment and a good deal of ignorance regarding the abilities of other races."
Sinc sighed. “They’ve always underestimated their pack. Why wouldn’t they behave the same way with us? They're isolationists, cutting themselves off from the rest of the world.”
Garrett stood, the other vamps following his lead. The coming dawn was making them antsy. “I want you to get some sleep. Brina and Kaera will transport us back home then return. Liam and Ethan will take the first watch while everyone else rests. You’ll switch off according to the schedule. If I’m not here, I expect you all to cooperate with Sinc, who I’ve put in charge of the investigation, and Liam who’s in charge of security. Eat and sleep! I don’t want to come back each evening to find you exhausted and starving like I did when we were searching for Jackie.”
After a hug and a kiss from me, Garrett disappeared, followed by the others. I said goodnight to the remaining team and crawled into bed, too tired to stay up for even one more minute.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next afternoon was spent re-watching the recorded interviews of the weres who’d lied to us, gathering more evidence from the scenes of the disappearances and then analyzing the crime scene data. Those last activities were not my specialty so I decided to take a little walk and thought that Brina would be the ideal person to accompany me through the neighborhood. First, I had to ask her for a favor, however.
She was alone in the kitchen, finishing her lunch. I sat across from her at the polished oak table. “Brina, I was wondering if you’d like to take a little walk? I thought that maybe I’d pay my respects to Katrina. You know, sniff around the witch a little and see what I come up with. I don’t like sitting back and twiddling my thumbs.”
“Yes, of course I’ll accompany you. How does one twiddle thumbs?”
"It's just an expression that means wasting time." I showed her the gesture.
She laughed. "I agree. I also do not like to twiddle."
I grinned and whispered. "I was thinking that maybe you could use your special talent today.”
Her amethyst eyes sparkled as she grinned back. “And who would you really like to accompany you on your walk?”
“I think maybe—Ethan.”
“I see. Someone young, non-threatening and charming.”
“Exactly. People open up around him. Can you pull it off?”
She shrugged. “I’ve spent enough time with him. And none of the wolves know him at all. But perhaps if they see you out walking without a guard, you will be in more danger?”
“And if I am, I think ‘Ethan’ and I can handle whatever comes up, don’t you?”
“I do. Still I don’t believe that Garrett will approve and I should mention it to Liam.”
“We’ll tell Liam that we’re going for a walk. It’s not really a lie. We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“I believe the expression is ‘you’re the boss’.” We smiled and headed off to tell Liam, who didn’t even bat an eyelash, since he thought that Brina would be walking around looking like Brina and therefore looking dangerous and protective.
After checking to make sure no one was watching, Brina magically transitioned to become Ethan. I had to keep myself from gasping when I saw how incredibly perfect the doppelganger was, from his dark wavy hair with stray bits hanging over his forehead, to his dreamy golden brown eyes, to his broad shoulders and muscular body—this was Ethan. She’d even dressed him exactly as he was dressed when I saw him last.
As we walked down the steps of the house and then turned right at the sidewalk, Brina asked in Ethan’s voice, “Do I meet with your approval?”
“That’s some cool gift, Br..Ethan. You even smell like him.”
“We are surrounded by werewolves with excellent senses. They would know right away if I did not smell like a shifter.”
“Yeah, but you even have his eucalyptus scent.” She shrugged, confident in her abilities. “So I guess you have some cool stories to tell. When did you first change?”
“I discovered the ability around the age of 12, but I waited until I was 15 before I ever used it. I didn’t want to waste it on something frivolous.”
“And what did you decide was important enough?”
“I had a serious rival for a young male's attentions, so right before the main evening of the Midsummer Ceremony, I knocked her out, tied her up and changed myself to look like her. She and I lost our virginity that night.” Grinning impishly, she started to laugh and I couldn’t resist joining in.
“I used to change into a young male fae so that I could spar with the males. They’d train the females but they didn’t let us practice with any of the males. They found me out when I got hurt so badly that I passed out and changed back to myself. It was extremely embarrassing to be found out in such an undignified way.
After that, the Elders gave in and allowed us to spar together. Most females do not, but my sister and I and a handful of others enjoy it very much. Some of the males will not fight us. They are—what do you call them—pussies?” I grinned and nodded. “I like that expression. The males who do spar with us—well, let us just say that I am popular with the best warriors. And we do not always fight.” Brina/Ethan winked at me.
We found ourselves standing in front of Katrina and Quentin’s large home so I rang the bell and we waited. Jake answered. “Oh, hi Jackie. Did you need anything at the house? Is the phone not working?”
That last was a snippy remark that I didn’t appreciate. “Everything is fine. I wondered if Katrina was here.”
“Yes, I’m here.” She walked up behind Jake and he moved aside.”Why don’t you and your shifter companion come inside?” Katrina was tall and slender with long thick auburn hair and piercing gray eyes. She moved gracefully to the side and indicated that we should sit with her in the comfy room we’d all waited in the night before the meeting. Br/E and I sat together on leather couch and Katrina sat in an armchair facing us. Jake stood off to the side, quiet but alert. “Would you like anything to eat or drink?”
“No thank you, Katrina." I introduced Br/E as Ethan and they smiled at each other. "I just had a few more questions if that would be alright.”
Katrina was staring at Br/E who was staring right back at her, not flustered in the least. I was picking up on the fact that Katrina the witch might be able to tell that Br/E was not a shifter. Still I wasn’t sure, so I asked cautiously, "I was wondering if you could clarify a few points?"
She ignored my question and asked Br/E one of her own
. “Ethan, Jackie’s reputation precedes her, but I don’t know much about you. Were you born in Crescent City? What kind of a shifter are you?”
Br/E smiled while I sent to her, hoping that she wouldn’t be angry that I was barging into her head without permission: Sacramento –-cougar. I was relieved to see Br/E smiling a little wider.
“I’m a cougar, born and bred in Sacramento. Couldn't you tell? Most wolves can tell that I'm a cougar shifter.” Br/E was as relaxed as could be as I watched Katrina’s eyes narrow in annoyance.
“Did you go to college, Ethan?”
I sent “No- taking classes this fall at Crescent City Community College.”
“I've never had the chance, but I’m thinking of taking some classes at the local community college. How about you? Did you go to college?” Br/E was totally enjoying this game between herself and the alpha’s mate.
“The women in our pack don’t usually go to college.”
“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Did you know that Sinc has her masters in forensic science?” Br/E was really starting to piss off Katrina. She decided to turn her attention back to me.
“What question did you want to ask me Jackie?” She gave me a cold smile and I knew beyond any doubt that Katrina was deeply involved in this mess. I gave Jake a pointed look and then glanced back at her, asking silently if she really wanted me to discuss this in front of him. She turned around. “Jake, could you get me a cup of coffee? And try to find Gabriel for me.” He looked at her, unsure as to whether she’d be safe with us.”I’ll be fine, Jake.” He nodded and left.
She faced me again so I continued. “Does the pack know?” I asked. I didn’t need to go into any detail. She knew what I was asking. Still, she decided to play dumb.
“Know...?
"Come on Katrina. Even Sasha smelled the magic on you, and he can't read auras."
Her expression changed from neutral to dangerous in a heartbeat. I felt the wolf inside of her stir, causing Br/E to move forward on the couch, making it easier for her to get to her feet in a hurry. "Only my immediate family knows. Do you intend to tell the rest?”
“Are you going to tell me why you lied at the interview? You know where the boys are. Where are they?”
“I don’t know.”
“I believe that you do, Katrina. Are they dead? Is that why you won’t say? Are you protecting someone?”
She leaned forward, her pitch dropping to a growl. “You’re on our territory. If the alpha’s mate says she doesn’t know anything, then you should believe her, or else you should watch your back.” Her eyes had narrowed in anger, but her hands were trembling with tension and maybe fear.
She’d pretty much made a blatant threat, but I didn't see her as the kidnapper. I turned to look at Br/E whose eyes were focused on Katrina, ready to take instant action if necessary. I wanted to avoid a confrontation so I tried to diffuse the tense atmosphere. “I don’t think you mean to threaten us. We just want the boys to get back home.”
“Don’t you think I want that even more than you do?” She spoke sharply, but there was a ring of truth in her words "I've known them since they were babies."
Brina sent to me, "She truly wants them safe."
Gabriel quickly walked into the room, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We can’t help you. We don’t know anything.”
“You both continue to lie to us. Why?”
His eyes widened in surprise but he recovered quickly. “We didn’t take those boys.”
“I believe you, but you know who did and where they are and even why they were taken.”
“You’re wrong, Mrs. Cuvier. They don’t know anything.” Another young man had entered the room, causing our heads to whip around at the first whiff. He was as tall as his father, with the same build, but he had his mother’s auburn hair and grey eyes. He reeked of a scent we didn’t expect to find here on the Los Altos packlands. Sorcerer. I pulled on the lines and looked at his aura. Dense chords of magic twined around him as he stood confidently in the doorway, an unpleasant smirk on his face. Judging from the energy he’d pulled up, he was twice as powerful as his alpha father. Br/E rose slowly and stood beside me, ready to protect me in case of an attack.
“This is my brother, Karl. Karl this is Jacqueline Cuvier and Ethan Hamilton." Karl directed a pointed look at his brother. "I’m taking my mother upstairs to rest. We’ll see you at the meeting tonight.” They both left hurriedly as I nodded then returned my attention to Karl who presented a more immediate threat.
He walked to me gracefully and held out his hand. When our hands touched, I could feel him nudge at my mental wall and then smile when he saw how strong it was. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jacqueline. I’ve heard so much about you and I must say that I’m not disappointed.”
I smiled back pleasantly, all the while sending to Br/E. “Don’t touch him.”
"He is far below Angel's level," she sent. "However, he thinks very highly of his own abilities. Arrogance without the ability to back it up is a fatal weakness."
I spoke out loud, nervous but managing to keep my cool. “Please call me Jackie. As you know we're here on business, so could you come by the house this afternoon for an interview? Or I could ask a few questions now. I didn't have a chance to mention to Katrina that we still need to interview your father, and also Jake and Sharon. Maybe you could let them know that they should also come by this afternoon. We want to get all of the interviews out of the way before the meeting tonight.”
He laughed. “You don’t need to interview my father. He has nothing to do with the boy’s disappearances. He hired you to find out where they are and who took them. Why would he do that if he was involved?’ He looked relaxed, but every hair on my arms was standing at attention as his chaotic energy bounced off the walls in the room. He was trying to use Influence on me, but my shields were stronger than his magic.
“We've wondered that ourselves.” He was annoyed but not surprised that I was able to ignore his magical push. Without thought, I pulled in my own brand of ley line energy in case there was serious trouble. Br/E didn’t need to actually pull in energy because the fae were magical beings. If they needed it, the power would instantly be there. Still, I was starting to think that coming here wasn’t such a smart idea.
Br/E sensed my anxiety and sent back to me, “I am here. A sorcerer with raw potential is no match for a fae well trained as a warrior and a magic user. And you are more than capable of kicking his skinny ass.”
I managed to keep myself from rolling my eyes. That may be true, but I wanted those kids found. A magical fight with the alpha’s son would definitely put a crimp in our ability to investigate. Still, I was relieved to see Ethan’s dazzling grin decorating her face as she seemed to be enjoying our little stalemate with Gabriel. I relaxed, realizing that the situation was almost funny. Almost.
Switching his attention to Br/E, Karl smiled again as he held out his hand. “Nice to meet you too, Ethan.” Oh yeah. He already knew that this wasn’t Ethan.
I interrupted before my companion tested the waters and shook Karl’s hand. “So Karl, do you know who took the boys or where they are now? “
Karl arched an eyebrow looking a little surprised and lowered himself into one of the arm chairs. “Are you conducting your interview right now?”
“No time like the present.”
“No, Jackie, I don’t know who took the boys or where they are.” His aura didn’t darken, which was the usual tell, but there was a tiny bit of blurring which was good enough for me. Here was an experienced liar who was pretty good at using the lines, but not good enough to hide the truth from a fae or from me. I looked at his features again in shock. He actually looked like both of his parents, which meant that Katrina had been able to carry him the full nine months without shifting. “Tell me I’m nuts but I think that Karl is Katrina and Quentin’s natural son.”
“I deduced the same. The alpha’s clan has many levels of power and it appears that they do not hesitat
e to use it to control their pack or even their guests. Still this young wolf has a higher opinion of himself than his magical talent merits.”
I was dying to learn more, but instead of taking any more chances, I decided that the interviews were over for today.
“Well, then I guess we’ll be going. Thanks for your cooperation.” There was no reason to prolong the agony since Karl was never going to give us any useful information. My chance at getting Katrina to talk was a total bust, since Gabriel had whisked her away. I really needed to talk to her someplace away from her mate and her sons. I stood up and Br/E and I both started toward the door.
Karl followed quickly behind us, reaching for the door just as we got there. He didn’t open it, but instead turned to us, blocking the way. “The boys might have a better chance of survival, Mrs. Cuvier, if you do what you’ve been hired to do. Digging into pack business will only cause you and your team problems.”
He was threatening to harm my team if we dug too deeply. My Team. Karl had no idea how angry that made me. “We'll bring those boys back to their families, alive and unharmed. That’s what we were hired to do, Karl, and we’ll do whatever we need to do to accomplish that goal.”
There was a moment when we both stared at each other, neither one of us backing down. He nodded, speaking softly. “Then we understand each other.”
“Perfectly.” He opened the door and Br/E and I walked down the stairs and made a left onto the sidewalk.
When we’d walked far enough away from the house, Brina sent to me, “We cannot underestimate what he might do to protect himself, especially if he is using the children's blood in dark spells. His mother seemed afraid of him, as did his brother, but we don't know how much support he actually has within the pack. We need to discuss this with Liam and Garrett. Perhaps we should have waited to meet with Katrina and her sons until tonight.”
I sighed. “No kidding.” The best laid plans…well, you know the rest.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Blown Away (Rogues Shifter Series Book 4) Page 9
