Claiming a Beta Coyote

by Serenity Snow

  “I made my first kill when I was nine. The man who killed my mother. I took him down like the rabid asshole he was. The girl I had been, the child I was, died that night.”

  The woman she’d become had been created by death and baptized in blood. There had been no going back for her from that point on.

  Claudia’s gaze filled with anger, but Kyra sensed it was for the girl who hadn’t had a chance to be a kid, and she liked her for it. Concern and care for her soul hadn’t been uppermost in Wes’s or his brother’s mind as they’d trained her to be the woman she was today.

  “I’m sorry you lost your childhood,” Claudia said.

  Kyra sighed. “Don’t,” she said fiercely. “The issue isn’t my upbringing but what’s going on now.”

  “Kyra,” Claudia said on a sigh and pulled her into a hug that caught her by surprise.

  The touch had her sinking into Claudia as she fought not to cling to her. She was emotionally starved, Kyra knew, and Claudia’s embrace was water to her thirsty soul.

  Kyra pulled away and cleared her throat. She could too easily grow to love Claudia’s touch, crave it even. “We should go.”

  Claudia smiled. “You’re right. I’ll be late for a meeting.”

  Once they were in the truck, Delgado started the engine, and Kyra told them what the informant had told her as they drove along.

  “Where’s he getting his intel?” Delgado said. “We haven’t been able to find much on the streets. Just that two packs of jackal-wolves backed by coyotes are gearing up for an attack sometime soon.”

  “When did you hear this?” Claudia asked.

  “Evan got it last night. He heard your attack was engineered by one of those packs who’s out to take over Snowbury.”

  “No word on exactly who’s behind it?”

  “He was out on the town in Stonington with Camden. He didn’t say he got any names,” Delgado answered. “That’s why I’m curious about Kyra’s source.”

  “He’s trustworthy,” she said. “But not necessarily passing along intel for an altruistic purpose.”

  “That makes what he says questionable.”

  “Not really,” Kyra said. “He did confirm that Marco was behind the attack, Claudia, and he wants you dead.

  “No surprise,” Claudia muttered.

  “He wants to do it himself,” Kyra told her.

  “I hope he plans to be a jackal about it and attack me with teeth and claws,” Claudia said. “Anything else, Kyra?”

  “There’s a woman who lives in Stonington in an apartment rented by Victor Astor. She’s Lena Carpenter and one half of the Shadow pack and cartel.”

  “I’ll pass that on to teams,” Delgado said. “They might find something. We need a list of names—moles and whoever else is involved that we can check out.”

  “I’ll get that down today,” Kyra answered and met Claudia’s gaze in the mirror. Claudia gave her an approving smile.

  “That will be useful,” Claudia told her.

  “I just hope the names don’t turn out to be a dead end,” Delgado commented throwing Kyra a warning look. “Or you’ll pay in spades.”

  “Watch yourself, Delgado,” Claudia growled from the backseat. “I can take care of this pack and damn sure will take care of you if you step out of line one more time.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  They dropped Claudia off and headed straight to her place. Kyra made coffee which Delgado accepted while he took up a post in the living room.

  Kyra made a list of moles and the names of the Shadow cartel members she knew of and anyone involved with them.

  When Mallory arrived, Kyra had finished her lists and made a few copies. She was making lunch when Delgado showed Mallory and Cordelia into the kitchen.

  “Hello, Kyra,” Cordelia said warmly. “How are you? I heard about that attack on you and Claudia last night.”

  “I’m fine,” Kyra told her, motioning to the table.

  “Any guesses why you were attacked?” Mallory quizzed as she pulled out a chair for Cordelia.

  Kyra shrugged. “Forbes was behind it.”

  “Bradley’s replacement?” Mallory exclaimed.

  “He’s the brother of a cartel leader,” Kyra told her. “I’m guessing he wants to claim this town to make a name for himself. As I told Claudia, he’s stuck in his brother’s shadow.”

  “That doesn’t bode well,” Mallory muttered. “So, are you ready to come clean with us?”

  “I have a job to do just like you do,” Kyra told her coldly. “My job didn’t include helping you or cluing you in on what was going on.”

  “What did it include?” Cordelia demanded.

  “Getting evidence to put Russo’s brother and son behind bars, but seems Russo has made sure my stay here is extended.”

  “The prosecutor in Hartford?” Mallory asked. “You were working for them? Why?”

  “The A.D.A. wanted a conviction. With the corruption in the police ranks, he thought outside investigators would do a better job. The investigator working the case was killed along with several agents.”

  “It’s one nasty case,” Cordelia commented.

  “Yeah. Anyway, I made a couple of lists you and Sam can use to help you find Russo’s moles in your packs. I don’t know which ones he’ll be using to get to Sam.”

  “Who are they?” Mallory demanded.

  “I don’t know,” Kyra said with a shrug. “I made a list of the ones I do know about, thanks to Bradley. He was preying on the dissidents in both your packs,” Kyra told her.

  Mallory cursed, and Kyra put a plate of sandwiches on the table before retrieving a tray with glasses and a pitcher on it.

  “How do we know you aren’t part of this?” Mallory asked angrily. “You could have been helping Cordelia help us just to put us at our ease.”

  “Could have, but that would have been a waste of my time,” Kyra said. “Shadow is a virtual mystery to me, so you should get your people to look into them, but Russo is probably more dangerous to you.”

  “Could you make some kind of deal with this Shadow to help get rid of Russo?” Cordelia asked. “Two cartels fighting over this town is going to tear it apart.”

  “No,” Mallory said. “I don’t want to go down that road unless I have no choice. How do we stop Russo?”

  “Eliminate the brother and the son for starters,” Kyra replied. “Russo cares about his son, and he’s grooming him to take over. I think Marco, that’s the brother, is just a tool.”

  “Why? Bad blood?” Cordelia asked with a frown.

  “Maybe. Marco is Sal’s illegitimate son,” Kyra said. “I never really talked to him, but I’ve watched video footage of him and seen him interact with Carlo. I think Marco would knife him in the back and blame someone else at the first chance.”

  “To get his own little slice of the family pie,” Mallory commented.

  “Exactly. Marco has been a member of Bradley’s pack for years. I think he might even have known his father’s original plan for this area.”

  “He’d have had time to form his own alliances,” Mallory said. “Moles in our packs, crooked cops.”

  “Ones I don’t know about because he’s been careful,” Kyra answered, lips pulling in a thin line.

  “How would you take him down?” Cordelia asked softly.

  “Take the fight straight into the lion’s den. A fastball if you want to fight it out with him, but otherwise, Trojan Horse style.”

  “Could be risky,” Mallory mused.

  “They’re already planning to do the same to you,” Kyra told her. “Count on it.”

  ****

  Claudia looked up from the papers she was signing, the animal inside her on high alert suddenly. It wasn’t footsteps on carpet that had the animal tipping up its head—it was a combination of scent and sound.

  The very faint hint of breathing mingled with the scent of fresh air and—and Adalyn. Sam’s human mate wore a very soft perfume.

  “Claudia? May
I come in?” Sam called, but she didn’t see her in the crack of the partially open doorway.

  “Yes.” She was surprised Sam was here, but maybe she shouldn’t be, considering Sam had been left out of that meeting.

  Claudia had wanted to be there, but with meetings she hadn’t been able to.

  “I heard you met with the FBI agent again today,” Sam started as she slipped into the office.

  “Yeah. Jenner is under investigation, but the D.A. has been arrested for conspiracy in murder and kidnapping. Apparently, he was involved in Jerry’s little killer club, which is why Jerry and even Isaiah were never prosecuted for their crimes.”

  “Can the FBI do that?” Sam asked. “This is a local matter.”

  “Kidnapping is a federal crime, especially when it involves trafficking. Jerry and Bradley did kidnap a few of the women they killed. Thanks to the information Kamari provided, they were able to find some bodies of women who’d been missing for years in the old cannery.”

  Sam sighed. “She got most of that from Cordelia,” she admitted with a wry smile and Claudia knew she was thinking of their conversation with Kyra the other night. “How many bodies were down there?”

  “He only mentioned six and Jenner being charged with obstruction because he wasn’t doing his job on this. He’s been so blinded by rage and belief you guys were behind the attacks on his family that he hasn’t been thinking straight.”

  “What’s going to happen to him?”

  “These are federal crimes. He might be charged with something, he might not. The agent said if there was proof Jenner wasn’t lying when he said he just found out about those murders, he could get off without charges.”

  Sam shook her head. “I don’t think the bastard knew anything about that,” she said softly. “Your girl’s a P.I., huh?”

  “I think I’d call her more of a mercenary. Dylan had Delaney do a little digging on her. I just got the file today,” she said. “She doesn’t really exist. She’s dead.”

  “Like Cordelia,” Sam replied quietly. “So, what’s her story?”

  “Her family was killed by organized crime lord Salino who, incidentally, was Jeno Russo’s cousin.” She smiled ruefully. “I don’t think she knows that, or she’d be hotter to get this guy.”

  “Why?”

  “Salino and Russo were pretty tight according to the file. They ran different parts of the same business. One in New Orleans and one in New York,” Claudia said.

  “Are they still looking for her?”

  “No.” She shrugged. “That branch of the family is dead. I’m guessing Kyra had a hand in it, but she was just a kid, Sam. She told me she killed when she was nine. That just breaks my heart.”

  “She’s probably found it hard to trust,” Sam said with a frown. “Who raised her?”

  “Two men, so you know so much of what she is connected to is the disconnect of emotion.”

  Sam snorted. “Men aren’t disconnected from their emotions, Claude, just not as in touch as most women.”

  She smiled. “Well, Dylan wasn’t able to get much beyond the death of Salino. He tried to have her killed when she was eight because she was the only witness to his murder of members of her family. Then, her mother and aunt shortly after that.”

  “The government can’t protect people for shit,” Sam said.

  “Doesn’t seem like it,” Claudia muttered.

  “Same thing happened to Cordelia, except she was older.”

  “Well, I guess what we have is the here and now,” Claudia replied.

  “And you want to keep her,” Sam said.

  “I can’t,” Claudia admitted. “She won’t stay. She has a life out there. Killing, stealing, and all kinds of things.”

  “Can you live with the woman she’s had to be to survive?” Sam asked. “The woman she makes a living as? I don’t get that she’s evil or anything, just strong willed.”

  “Me, too,” Claudia said. “I don’t care what she’s done. I just want her.” She pushed out a breath and got to her feet.

  “Ask her to stay if she means that much or if you want to see if she can come to mean that much to you,” Adalyn suggested.

  “I can’t think about it,” Claudia said, shooting Adalyn a look.

  “If you care about her, make time,” Adalyn insisted. “You’ll regret it if you let her go.”

  “It won’t be tonight,” Claudia answered. “I have that meeting with the Coalition tonight, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a nasty one for me and Mallory.”

  “Mallory said the same thing. Cordelia will be there along with me and Kam. You should bring your girl.”

  Sounded like a good idea, but Claudia didn’t want to put Kyra in the line of fire, especially since Forbes was already gunning for her because she was Claudia’s.

  “Did Mallory tell you about her meeting with Kyra?”

  “She did. I think tonight just might be a statement of their intent to take over. We have to let them know we aren’t going down easy,” Sam said.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  After leaving the office, Claudia headed to Kyra’s. She wanted to take her to the den, but she wasn’t sure that was a good idea or that Kyra would even go. Her talk with Sam and Adalyn had given her hope that there might be a way to work things out with Kyra.

  She was a realist though. Her mate—mate, it was strange to even think the word, no matter how true it was. Kyra had a life that she might well be attached to. Claudia wouldn’t ask her to leave it no matter how much it would hurt to let Kyra go.

  Delgado let her in when she knocked and left Mono, the man Dylan had sent to watch her back, outside on watch.

  “Hey,” he said. “Evan called. Mica and Kamari were hanging out in Stonington today.”

  “Anything good?”

  “Just two things,” he said quietly.

  “Tell me.”

  She didn’t see Kyra and supposed she was in her bedroom napping since the place was so quiet. However, a delicious aroma lingered on the air. Part of her was jealous that Delgado had been well fed when she should have been the one sharing a meal with Kyra.

  “A coyote and hyena team were mobilized and some guns came in to a warehouse,” he said.

  “How do they know it wasn’t drugs?”

  “I don’t know, but they’re sure it was guns,” he said. “A team was being sent here.”

  “How big?” she demanded.

  “No way to know,” Delgado replied. “Mica said they didn’t get a number, just the location. Kyra wanted to go, but I didn’t think you wanted us out there.”

  “You mean she listened to you?”

  “Not really,” he said. “She decided to go over some intel she already had. Plus, someone called her. I think that had more to do with keeping her put than me.”

  “Okay. Go outside and keep Mono company,” she said, flicking a thumb over her shoulder.

  He gave her an amused smile. “I’ve heard two people having sex before.”

  She growled at him, and he laughed as he made for the door.

  “Kyra?” Claudia called with a smile playing on her lips. Her animal took over instantly, following the scent of Kyra to her bedroom. She was curled up on the bed with headphones in her ears.

  Claudia stood there just watching her, taking in the supple frame and the gold hair resting on one shoulder. Her eyes were closed and her face was serene.

  She was beautiful even when she wasn’t flirting or arguing. A soft breath escaped her, the coyote panting in longing.

  Kyra’s lashes fluttered up then and their eyes met. Whiskey smooth stare held hers.

  Kyra removed the headphones, not taking her eyes from her. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Claudia went to her, the animal drawn like a magnet. She sat on the bed and leaned toward Kyra, but stopped herself from doing what she’d been going to.

  “Long day?” Kyra asked.

  “Very, and I still have the Coalition meeting.”

  “Time for dinn
er with me?” Kyra asked.

  Claudia blinked in surprise. “Y—smells like you’ve already eaten.”

  “Delgado ate, but I decided to wait for you,” she murmured. “I didn’t want you to have to eat alone.” Kyra reached out, hand hovered and then she drew it back.

  Claudia smiled softly. “It’s hard to know what to do.”

  “I know. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Then don’t make me any promises,” Claudia said. “Just be with me now, here.” She leaned toward Kyra and let her lips brush her cheek.

  Kyra lifted her hand to Claudia’s nape and stroked. “I can do that.”

  Claudia kissed the corner of her mouth. “I can’t get enough of you, Kyra,” she whispered. “I want to take you all over again and lay naked with you afterward, holding you tight.”

  “I won’t say no.”

  “You already know how good I am in bed,” Claudia teased. “But you don’t know that I like to just cuddle sometimes.”

  Kyra smiled. “Why don’t you take off your shoes and lie with me for a while then?”

  Claudia’s heart skipped a beat, but she withdrew and removed her shoes and climbed into bed next to Kyra. Kyra scooted over, and they leaned back against the mound of pillows.

  Kyra put her head on Claudia’s shoulder after Claudia draped an arm around her.

  Kyra made a huff-growl sound that brought a smile to Claudia’s lips. She held her for several long minutes, the coyote soothed by the nearness and soft scent of Kyra.

  “I wanted to hold you this morning, but things are a little more complicated than I expected them to get.”

  “In what way?” Kyra asked.

  “I already liked you, Kyra, that’s why I jumped at your fake girlfriend proposal. I had planned on using that to my advantage. I just didn’t realize…” Claudia trailed off not wanting to say too much.

  “Realize?”

  “That my animal is as attracted to you as she is.”

  Kyra looked at her and Claudia wondered if she was working the meaning of that statement out for herself. She didn’t seem to grasp it at first. Then, Kyra looked away.