I didn’t remember the package being heavy enough to contain a book, but I wasn’t really paying that much attention to it when I brought it in. “Why have you been hiding so much from me? I thought we agreed when I turned eighteen that there would be no secrets between us.”
“This was part of your parents' will. I agreed with them that you needed to be introduced to things slowly. That being said, all of your father’s research that he did with those who have been killed along with your family history is in that book. Your father put a spell on it so only you could open it.”
That’s why I could feel the magic, because it was meant for me. “Clarissa acted like something would explode.”
He shrugged. “It's possible. I haven’t tried to open it, but many of the answers you seek are in there, Abigail.”
I walked over to the desk and ran my hand over the old cover. The magic seemed to reach out and caress me, call to me. I shivered and let my fingers explore the wrinkles in the cover. There were no words on it, nothing that indicated what was inside of it. Not even a rune. My father would have been smart enough to not put the runes in a visible spot. They were probably under the leather carved into or painted into the cover.
Placing my palm on it, I closed my eyes and let the magic engulf my hand. I felt comfort, love, and knew that it wouldn’t hurt me to open the book. I slid a finger under the cover and flipped it open. Nothing happened.
No grand explosion. No fire. No hex. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Thank you, Levi.”
“You’re welcome. Now go find your three legged werewolf and close this damn case.” He smirked. “I know you’ll bring him down.”
I nodded and took the book with me. “Shame I don’t have time to start reading this tonight.”
He chuckled. “You will soon, now go. I’m hoping it will help you with this case and your new abilities.” He waved me off.
I wrapped my arms around it, holding it to my chest. The feeling of comfort rolled off of it and I found myself wishing that I could just ignore the case and read the pages.
No such luck though. If I didn’t at least find the killer, the Cult would make sure their next hex worked. I needed the werewolf to make sure we had a positive ID on Devon and a witness to the first murder. The only way to do that would be a tracking spell and I needed to do it in the chamber, since that’s where everything was from the last one.
I made my way down the staircase and into the room. There was no residue of the magic that tried to kill me. Nothing unnerving, just the sense of home that came with it. Perfect.
I went over to the table and set the book there. I picked up the pendant that I had used for the last tracking spell and went to the circle. I took a deep breath and conjured the circle. The map was still where I had left it. Though it drove Levi nuts that I left stuff out, he didn’t dare touch it. He respected it as my space.
I muttered Latin words that I needed and the dry blood started to drip as if it was fresh. It landed on the map and moved to a location. I cursed as I realized it was in the mountains and marked as werewolf territory. I’d have to talk to the alpha and I’d have to be escorted. But if my three-legged wolf was there, he could be under protection, which might have worked to my advantage if I could trust the wolf pack to keep him safe.
I let my circle down and grabbed my phone to call Simon.
“What’s up Abby, I’m driving.”
I could hear the background noise that his hands free system picked up. “I need to get ahold of Greg, it looks like my three legged wolf is in your territory.”
“I was worried that you’d figure that out.” He sighed. “We’re having a pack meeting. Think you can make it tonight? Greg wants you there.”
I clenched my jaw. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because chances are someone is going to die tonight and I don’t want to traumatize you.” He didn’t sound irritated, but worried. “It’s not the full moon, but there’s still a chance you could be attacked.”
I knew that. Luckily for me, magic and lycanthropy didn’t mix. I could never be a werewolf. If I studied, I could learn to shape-shift, but it wasn’t like the lycans. “I’m willing to take my chances to get my witness.” I paused. “What do you mean someone might die tonight?”
“I’ll pick you up at midnight, Abby.” He disconnected the call and I cursed. What the hell was going on here?
I picked up my stuff and grabbed my book. I texted Mason my plans for the night and told him I’d be in town until that meeting. I got a quick ‘ok’text back. I walked out of the chamber and towards the front of the mansion.
Levi was at the front door and I raised a brow. “What?”
“Are you coming back here tonight?”
I shook my head. “No, my house is clear. I just need to borrow a car until my insurance takes care of the investigation and gives me a new one.”
“Why didn’t your protection rune on the car work?”
I thought about it. “I honestly don’t know. I assume because Devon’s magic is much stronger than mine and more unwieldy so it can overpower my controlled magic.”
“Don’t blow this one up.” He tossed me a set of keys and I caught them.
“I’ll try not to.” I shook my head. “It’s not my fault that it blew up.”
He grinned and I could see fangs. “Keep telling yourself that. Keep me updated. I’ll let you know when I need you again.”
“Uh huh, thanks boss. I’ll stop by eventually.” I waved to him as I left. There was no hugging, no I love you, nothing that most kids would say when they left the house of a guardian or parent. It was just the way things were between Levi and I.
I grinned at the Hummer that he lent me. I loved the thing. It was a deep green, splattered with mud, which told me someone recently took it four wheeling, as it was meant to be. I climbed in, started it up and listened to the engine for a moment. For a split second, I wondered if I could get one to replace my SUV.
I shook my head and pulled it out of the drive and onto the road that would take me to the highway.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
There was no word from Mason for the rest of the night and I wasn’t going to go out hunting for Devon blindly. The coven didn’t try to contact me, and Clarissa wasn’t answering her phone, which told me that she still couldn’t talk to me. I spent my night poring over the book that my father left me. Names, family trees, abilities, everything was listed out starting from the 1500’s. I was so fascinated and drawn into it that I didn’t hear Simon knock.
Until he knocked on the window and scared the crap out of me. I ran around to the front door to let him in. He was dressed in a faded shirt and torn jeans and when I met his gaze he already looked tired.
“It’s not going to be a pleasant night, is it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, it’s not. I’ll catch you up on what I know while we drive.” He motioned to the car.
“Can’t I follow you?”
“No.” He left it at that and started to the car.
I didn’t like this change in his mood; I wanted my lighthearted Simon back. Not this grumpy one. I climbed into the passenger side and buckled up, throwing my bag on the floor by my feet.
“Have you ever been to pack territory before?” He asked. “Or one of our meetings?”
I shook my head. “I’ve hunted one of your rogues before, but nothing on your property. I know better. I don’t have a death wish.”
“Smart woman. Greg invited you, which is the only reason you’re coming. We’re interrogating the werewolf tonight.”
“He’s a victim.” Sort of… “Shouldn’t you hand him over to PIB?”
He shook his head. “No, this is werewolf business.”
Like vampire business. “You can’t kill him. I need him as a witness.”
“We won’t kill him, Abby, unless he refuses to work with us. Pay attention tonight and you might get everything you need to finish that case.”
; I sighed. “We have our murderer, we just have to catch him. But to condemn him, I need a witness.”
“Can I ask you a question?” He pulled the car onto the highway and kept his gaze straight.
“Yeah.” I tried to keep myself in check and not panic. Hopefully Greg knew what he was doing and I wouldn’t end up dead nor would my witness.
“How do you handle being an agent and working for Levi? He works outside the law, you’re supposed to be upholding it.”
I bit my lip, trying to decide how to answer the question. It wasn’t something that was easy. “Growing up, I knew that there was only so much that the law could handle. It’s just recently that people have started taking paranormal crimes seriously and it’s only been in cases like this. They don’t care about the disputes between creatures. Levi does. In a way I’m still upholding a law.”
“But you don’t like to kill, Levi requires that if people don’t listen to the threats.”
I nodded. “I hate to kill. Normally it turns into them attacking first because they know Levi wants them dead. I’m not the first one he sends out. Mostly he has me do errands. The state doesn’t know that I work for him.”
“Tonight’s going to test that, so I want you to be aware. I’m not happy about bringing you.” He gripped the wheel. “I can’t allow you to take your gun because the pack gets nervous around them.”
I didn’t like that idea. “Then I want my blade.”
“Fine.” He agreed. “Keep it hidden and don’t draw it unless you have to.”
I knew the logic here. They moved faster than I did, they could easily stop the blade. The gun, however, was harder to stop. They were fast, but not all of them were fast enough to dodge a bullet. As a PIB agent, my ammo was the highest content of silver that could be used in a bullet. The only creature it wouldn’t cripple was a Fae, and they were outside my scope of work even for Levi. No one messed with the Fae.
“I’m not stupid.” I muttered. “To show my blade in a group of werewolves would get me killed.”
He chuckled. “Smart girl.” He was silent the rest of the way, but I let it be. I knew that he was worried and he knew I was nervous. He wouldn’t give me false promises or fake words of confidence. I appreciated that because I didn’t like being lied to. Chances were, I’d be lucky to come out of this unscathed and we both knew that. I touched the silver pentagram around my neck and said a quick prayer to the Goddess for protection.
Simon pulled to a strange dirt parking lot on the side of the road. Cars of all kinds were haphazardly parked and I assumed it was other pack members. We got out and I looked around. A small trail led into the woods and suddenly there was a lump in my throat that I couldn’t breathe past.
“There’s magic around here.” I whispered. “Weres can’t be witches or warlocks.”
“Yes, but it doesn’t mean we don’t ally with them. Come on, follow me.” He held his hand out to me.
I looked at it for a moment before I decided to take it. I wanted the comfort he might be able to provide me. Our fingers interlocked and I calmed a little bit. I closed my eyes for a moment and focused. I could feel his wolf counterpart within him, another soul and another aura if I tried to see it.
He tugged on my hand and I followed him down the path and through the tall trees. I could feel others, I could feel magic below my feet. A witch had blessed the ground. It was supposed to feel like home, but since I was a stranger, it felt wrong for me to be here. It was used to welcome people and keep unwanted visitors away. It made me sick to my stomach, but I pushed on.
Simon and I came to a stop at a large cabin in a clearing. The fire department would have called the lack of trees mitigation, but I knew it was a circle, part of the spell a witch did for them. If I had to guess there was probably a mile on each side of the cabin.
“It’s beautiful.” I said and examined the logs and the design of the cabin. “How many can it house?”
“Twenty to thirty, depending on if we double up in the rooms. Each room has two beds, but we have extra cots if need be.” He let go of my hand as someone walked out.
I’d never met the Alpha, but I knew this was him. His black hair was cut short and his brown gaze cut into me. He stood tall and demanded attention. Like Simon, he was dressed in older clothes, and I assumed it meant they wouldn’t care if they got ruined. The muscles of his arms were solid and his chest strained against the tight muscle shirt that he wore. Yeah, I wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight against this guy, even if he was human.
Simon bowed his head. “Alpha.”
“Simon, so this is her?” His eyes ran over my body and I raised a brow. I had dressed in my normal black clothes with boots. I had, as requested, left the gun in the car, but my blade was sheathed across my back, hidden by my jacket.
Simon put a hand on my back and urged me to step forward.
“I’m Abigail.” I offered my hand, but Greg grabbed my wrist and jerked me forward. I caught myself with a hand against his chest.
“You are a threat to my people, you offer me the back of your neck in submission.” He growled. “Do you understand that?”
I gritted my teeth and pulled my braid away from the back of my neck and bowed low enough that I offered it to him. My verbal answer wouldn’t have been good enough. He was trying to show off his strength, his power, and I was willing to bet other members of the pack were watching from the windows of the cabin. Arguing with him wouldn’t have done me any good.
I felt his teeth bite the back of my neck. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but enough that I knew he was trying to dominate me. The gesture felt strange in human form, but I let it go. He backed away and let go of my wrist.
I straightened up and met his gaze. I proved that I wasn’t there to threaten him, but I refused to act submissive to him in other terms. “I appreciate your invitation for tonight.”
“I figured I wouldn’t have a choice as soon as you realized that Matthew was here. You’re PIB, laws say I have to work with you. Instead, I invited you here.”
“So I’d have to follow your rules.” Smart. “If we’re playing paranormal politics, that means I must make you aware of my connections to Leviticus Felecos, ruling vampire of the Four Corners Territory.”
He bowed his head. “It is understood that you are to cause no harm while you are here.”
I had to choose my words carefully, they would bind me to the rules for the night. If I went against my word it meant that I could be killed. Levi had taught me well when it came to this. “I will not cause harm as long as my life is not threatened and I request that my witness remains alive so I can use him to close my case.”
I saw something flash in his eyes. He didn’t like my terms. Greg was silent for a few moments. “I will leave your witness alive if he provides us with the information that we need. If your life is in danger you may protect yourself physically. Magic must be restricted to protection only.”
It was the best that I was going to get; hopefully Matthew was willing to talk. “I understand your terms.”
“Good, now we can go inside.” Greg turned and started walking towards the cabin.
I looked at Simon and he gave me a small smile. I assumed it meant that I was doing a decent job at keeping myself alive. We walked in and I looked around. What looked like a cabin on the outside was a state of the art house on the inside. Everything was modern and not what I expected to find in a log cabin, there was a television on the wall in the main room. Men and women were gathered around, some were eating off paper plates, while others were drinking soda.
I hadn’t expected such a big crowd. They all turned to look at me when I walked in. A few growls trickled out of them. Simon put a hand on my back. “Keep following Greg.” He whispered.
I nodded and followed the Alpha down a hall to the right. He unlocked a door and opened it to stairs. I hadn’t seen a basement from outside, which meant that it was against code and had no windows. Fear gripped me. There would be no escape if I was wal
king into a trap.
“It’s okay, I’m right behind you.” Simon whispered and I followed Greg down the steps. I was going to regret this.
The stairs opened up into a large concrete room with a drain on the floor. Against the wall, in chains, was a man who was missing an arm. My three legged werewolf. His arm looked like a well-healed amputee, but he looked pretty beaten up. I wanted to ask if the local pack did the damage, but I knew the answer.
I stepped around Greg so that Matthew could see me. Greg motioned to me. “This is Agent Collins, she’s from the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. I’m sure you’ve seen her name in the headlines.”
The man nodded and then his green gaze turned to me. “So, you bring her here to torture me too?”
My heart skipped a beat, but I stayed quiet.
“No, she’s your ticket out of here. She needs you alive to be a witness to Kevin’s death.” Kevin must have been the victim in the barn and the owner of the bank box. Greg continued. “You see, if you give us the information, then you can go with her.”
“I didn’t kill him. I swear, it was a man.” Matthew gritted his teeth. “This man drew a symbol on the ground and it exploded. Kevin was right on top of it before we noticed.”
I glanced at Greg and then to Matthew. “Describe the man.”
“Tall, dark hair, insane green eyes. I don’t know what else to tell you, lady. We didn’t like the way he felt, we were both in shifted forms.”
I tried not to imagine an exploding werewolf. “How did you escape?”
Greg started to say something, but then shook his head. Matthew grinned. “He doesn’t like you taking control of this. I’ve told him the same thing over and over.”
I didn’t see why that amused him, but I pressed on. “That doesn’t answer my question. I am trying to see if what you say adds up to the crime scene. Then I can verify your story. You want to live and not be torn apart by a pack that you trespassed on, then you answer my damn questions.” I met his gaze. “You don’t answer them, then I walk away and let them do what they want.”
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