by Vella Day
How could Deke have been so blind about this murderous woman? Or was he so driven by greed that he was willing to let his girlfriend do his dirty work for him?
Before she could tackle that issue, Wendy needed to dislodge Becky who was gnawing at Wendy’s side. Spotting a lamp post a few feet in front of her, Wendy came up with a plan.
Using much of her reserve energy, she dragged the two of them down the path. When they were within inches of the post, Wendy gripped her nails against the rough pavement and charged, taking Becky with her.
As she hoped, Becky’s rear slammed against the metal structure, and the subsequent thwack sound was so rewarding. Too bad, that one bite Becky had taken was wreaking havoc on Wendy’s stamina. Not one to cower or run away, Wendy spun around and despite the crippling pain, went on the offensive once more. As she charged, Becky jumped up and came straight at her. As they passed each other, Wendy was able to nip at the back of Becky’s neck. Too bad her adversary broke free a second later and dug her nails into Wendy’s hind quarters.
Another searing ache raced through her veins, draining her of most of her remaining energy. Even though she was losing, Wendy would do whatever it took to prevent Becky from attacking her throat.
Being weakened from the loss of blood, Wendy needed a new tactic. She dropped to the ground and then onto her back, forcing Becky to let go of her strong grip. The problem was that now Wendy’s throat was exposed.
Think! Wendy dropped her jaw to protect that vital area and with nails extended, lashed out with all four paws.
To Wendy’s frustration, Becky seemed unaffected by the damage she was able to inflict. The crazy wolf continued to jam her nose between Wendy’s chest and snout, finally giving her enough room to go in for the kill. Just as Becky opened her mouth in order to tear out Wendy’s throat, she pushed on Becky’s chest, shoving her off just enough to enable Wendy to roll onto her side. As her adversary stumbled backward, Wendy jumped up and pounced, latching onto Becky’s throat. Yelps and screams rent the air, but she wasn’t sure if they came from her or Becky.
Before Wendy could finish the kill, some great force lifted her off the killer. A giant claw then grabbed Becky and flung her aside.
Logan! In all his dragon glory.
He looked down at Wendy as if to ask if she was okay. Since they couldn’t communicate telepathically yet, she howled.
Logan looked up as retreating nails scraped against the cement path. No! Becky was getting away. How was that even possible? She’d landed with such a thud. Determination swamped her. Wendy couldn’t let this killer escape. Just as she was about to take off after Becky, Logan flew down the path and shot a stream of fire at the fleeing figure. The stench, howls, and slowly dying screams of the burning wolf would be something Wendy would never forget.
As much as she wanted to run over to the pyre to make sure the horrible woman was dead, Wendy’s strength gave out.
When she opened her eyes, she was lying on soft grass in her wolf form, sheltered from the elements by a large dragon wing. She inwardly sighed, knowing she was safe. Wendy fell back to sleep, urging her wolf to heal her fully.
She wasn’t aware how much time had passed, but when she woke up again, Logan was cradling her in his lap and stroking her head.
“Welcome back.” He smiled, and all residual pain and fear disappeared.
Thrilled that they both seemed to have healed, she eased off his lap and shifted. Logan rose and hugged her. “Thank you,” she said.
He leaned back and grinned. “Aw, it was nothing. You had it in the bag. I just didn’t want you to have the guilt over killing someone, though I would like to know who I incinerated.”
She loved this man. “That was Becky. And boy do I have a tale to tell.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Logan wanted to take Wendy back to the hotel and check out her injuries, but considering how long she’d been in her wolf form, he had to agree with her assessment that she’d healed just fine. After having fought a hard battle, she told him all she wanted to do was shower.
“Before we head back to the hotel, can you call your cousin though?” she asked. “I need to tell him what Becky revealed to me.”
“Don’t tell me she confessed?”
“You have no idea what the chatterbox said. I’m not sure why she told me, but I had the feeling she was taking pleasure in showing me that she had won the grand prize—Deke—while I would die a painful death. It’s possible she even wanted me to marvel at her ingenuity. All I know is that she was positive I wouldn’t be the one walking away from the fight.”
“I’m so glad you did. It’s rare for someone just to blurt out their crimes like that.”
“I got lucky, I guess. While you are reaching Anderson, I need to find that dart containing a paralytic that she shot. It will prove that she killed Darnell and tried to kill me. I don’t want there to be any doubt that my attack on her was motivated by anything other than self-preservation.”
“I can help you look and talk at the same time.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
He called his cousin, and Anderson answered on the first ring. “It’s late,” his cousin said as a way of a greeting, his voice thick as if the call had woken him up. Logan was sure it wasn’t the first time his sleep had been disturbed by a call.
“I know. I’m sorry, but I have good news for you.”
“What is it?” This time his voice wasn’t as gruff.
“We found Becky.” Silence. “You there?” Logan asked.
“Yes, where is she?”
“At the moment, she is a pile of smoldering ashes in some park near the burned-out hotel. She and Wendy got in a tussle and I–or rather my dragon—went crazy and stepped in. Can you meet us back at the Thedia police station? Wendy can fill us in with all of the details. Once we get there, I can show you on a map where to find our killer, or rather find what’s left of her.” Wendy bent down, and using the hem of her shirt, picked up the dart. She looked up at him and grinned. He gave her a thumbs up. “And we’ll bring proof that Becky killed Robert Darnell.”
Anderson whistled. “Well, I’ll be damned. I knew I was right in deputizing you and your mate.”
Logan laughed. “Actually, Wendy did all the work.” She looked up and smiled. “See you at the station.” Logan disconnected and faced her. He told her that Anderson would meet them. “Even though the station isn’t far, flying will be faster.”
“I trust your arm is good enough to carry me?”
He’d had more time to heal than she had. “I’m in perfect working order. Guardians have special magic healing abilities.”
She pressed her lips together in apparent appreciation. “I’m glad.”
Logan shifted and flew them the mile to the station. Normally, he wouldn’t think of landing in the middle of a street, but this late at night, there were enough breaks in the traffic that he was willing to chance it. As soon as his claws touched the pavement, he set her down and then shifted.
Wendy jogged to the sidewalk, and he was pleased to see the ease with which she moved. He joined her and rejoiced that almost all of his leg pain was gone. Once inside the station, he asked to speak with the lead detective on the case since Anderson wouldn’t have had time to arrive yet.
“What is this about?” the desk officer asked.
Logan explained that a murderer had been caught, and that during her escape, he had to use fire to stop her. “I’m afraid the fugitive is dead.”
The officer’s eyes widened. “I’ll give the detective a call.” He motioned another officer to escort them to a conference room.
Once in the room, Wendy located a coffee stand where she extracted a napkin from the holder and used it to transfer the dart she was holding with the end of her shirt to the table.
“Now we wait,” she said as she pulled out a chair and dropped down, looking rather fatigued.
“How about I pour us some coffee? I know I could use some.”
; She looked back over at the coffee station. “Only if the pot is hot. I’m not a lukewarm coffee drinker person.”
He flashed her a smile. “Got it.”
Thankfully, the brew looked relatively fresh. He poured two cups, carried them over to the table, and sat down next to her. “Want to tell me what happened?”
She lifted her cup and took a sip. From the way she closed her eyes for a second and sighed, the brew hit the spot. “After you shifted and headed to the park, I hobbled across the street to find you.”
“Why didn’t you shift?” he asked.
“It would have been less painful if I waited. I planned to shift as soon as I found you, but when I was partway down the path, Becky showed up. To say the least, I was surprised.”
“I can only imagine. Did you think you were in danger at that moment?”
“From the look in her eyes, absolutely. Don’t forget, the video showed her leaving the building. Not proof she killed Darnell, but it meant it was a strong possibility. I had to stall her until my wolf had a chance to heal me a bit more. I also wanted to satisfy my curiosity as to whether Becky was responsible for anything that had happened. I never expected her to tell me she’d killed Robert Darnell. She also said that she’d tried to run us down, though she meant to harm only me.”
He whistled. “I was so focused on you that I wasn’t paying attention to any approaching cars. If I hadn’t leaned over to kiss you, I might not have seen her out of the corner of my eye. I’m just happy that we weren’t injured more seriously.”
Wendy reached out and squeezed his leg. That one touch elicited a series of lustful pleasures. “Thank you for saving me. Again.”
The door opened and Anderson rushed in. “Are you two okay?”
He appreciated his cousin’s concern. “We’re fine. We’ve had enough time for our animals to do their magic.”
“Good.” Anderson took advantage of the coffee and then sat across from them. “Tell me everything.”
Wendy was halfway through her reveal when the detective in charge barged in. His hair was mussed, and he needed a shave. Apparently, Logan’s request had resulted in him being roused out of bed too.
“Sorry.” He nodded to each of them. “What did I miss?”
Wendy was a trouper and started from the beginning. When she was done, she finished off her cup of coffee. From the way her shoulders were sagging though, telling the tale a few times exhausted her.
“And this?” the detective asked nodding to the dart.
“That was what Becky had in her hand. She said it contained the same paralytic that she used on Robert Darnell. She planned to use it on me, but I got the jump on her first and caused her to miss.”
The detective whistled. “I have to say, Ms. Oprander, I am impressed. How you managed to survive was admirable.”
“Thank you. I’m just glad this is over.”
“Where were you, Mr. Caspian, during this altercation?” the detective asked.
“In the park in my shifted form.” He explained he was healing from when Becky tried to run them over. “Had I not seen her coming at the last second, we might not have healed so fast.”
“Good thing for fast shifter reflexes.”
“Totally.”
Anderson looked over at the detective. “If what Becky said was true, and Landry killed Ted Yancy, we should be able to check his whereabouts by either using cameras or possibly tracing his credit card charges. I doubt he drove from Thedia to Avonbelle to kill the driver.”
“We’ll do whatever it takes to find the truth,” the detective in charge said. “If Landry is guilty, he won’t get away with it.” The detective nodded and then turned to Wendy. “You said that Becky told you Darnell paid her to kill Tom Sanderson?”
“Yes.”
“What else did she say about her arrangement with Darnell?”
Wendy inhaled. “I’m having a hard time remembering everything. It’s not every day you believe your life is about to come to an end, but she did tell me how the boys died.” Wendy explained that Becky had made sure their normal maid called in sick, and she took her place during the party. “Apparently, Darnell supplied the poisonous drug in liquid form that the boys willingly ingested.”
“Does that mean Mike Evans was collateral damage?” the detective asked.
“She didn’t explicitly say, but that would be my guess.”
The detective glanced over at Logan’s cousin. “I think my department can take it from here, Detective Anderson. We’ll do a check on both of their bank records to see if there was any transfer of funds.”
“If you want to bring down Landry,” Wendy said, “I would check his payments to Becky. I got the sense that Landry asked her to take me out of the picture by poisoning me.”
Logan clasped Wendy’s hand to give her some support.
Anderson whistled. “That was one cold-hearted bitch.”
That was an understatement. Logan would never understand what Wendy had ever seen in Deke Darnell in the first place, especially if he claimed to have Becky as his mate. Personally, the guy seemed like a pansy, but that relationship was in the past. Wendy was now his. And most likely, Deke’s involvement in all of this mess would be questioned again. Only time would tell if the cops could prove anything against him.
Logan pushed back his chair. “If you don’t mind, we’ve both had a long day and an even longer night.”
“Of course,” the detective said. “The Thedia Province Police thanks you for all of your help. Will you be around for another day perhaps? We might have some more questions.”
Logan looked over at Wendy. While he could guess that she’d want to go home, having a relaxing day in Thedia might be good for both of them. “Wendy?” he asked.
“Sure.” She half chuckled. “At least I won’t have to make that phone call to Mr. Landry and turn down the newspaper job.”
Everyone smiled.
It was time to put Wendy to bed. As much as Logan wanted to make love with her for hours, he had to let her body and mind heal.
When Wendy opened her eyes, sunlight was streaming in the window, and the rich smell of coffee was wafting in the room. She pushed up on her elbows to find Logan standing next to her with a tray in hand. Wow. “What is this? Breakfast in bed?”
“Only the best for my mate.” Logan set the folding tray over her legs and then gently sat down next to her. “How are you feeling?”
She narrowed her eyes and grabbed his hand. “I know you mean well, but we need to clear up something. You have to stop asking me how I’m feeling.”
He tossed her an exaggerated pout. “I worry about you.”
She rubbed his arm. “And I worry about you, but by asking me every few minutes how I’m doing, I get the feeling you think of me as some weak person. And I’m not.”
Logan held up a palm. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I won’t ask again unless you are practically dead.”
That made her laugh. “Deal.”
The right half of his sexy lips lifted in a half smile. “You know, when we mate, I won’t have to ask. I’ll be able to feel if something is wrong.”
She had heard that. “That will be a bonus, but for me, the best part of mating will be the ability to communicate telepathically. Trust me, I wished we’d been able to do that so many times of late—like when Landry was lying, and I wanted you to know.”
“I figured it out with all of the leg squeezing, but I hope the best part of mating won’t just be the ability to communicate telepathically or sense what the other is feeling.”
“There is the shifting part,” she said, enjoying where this conversation was headed.
“And?” He cocked a brow.
“Having mad passionate sex with you all of the time, of course.” Wendy almost giggled.
Logan grinned. “That’s my girl. Are you ready to be fully mated to me?”
“Hmm.” Wendy didn’t need even a second to think about it, but she wanted to draw out the tension. S
he sipped her coffee and moaned. “I trust that our relationship is more than just lustful animal attraction?”
Okay, that was a shameless act of looking for a compliment, but right now she needed it.
“A lot more,” he said with disbelief in his voice. “You have to know that I love you, Wendy Oprander. You are everything to me. I haven’t been able to have a decent nights’ sleep from the first time I found you at the mine.”
Her eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say something?” He dipped his chin. “Never mind. You wanted to, but I was too stubborn to even go out with you.”
“Precisely.”
“How about I have a few bites of this breakfast and then do something to make it up to you?”
“That is music to my ears,” he said with a smile in his eyes.
“I am sorry I made you wait. I think being captured by Malpan took a bigger toll on me than I realized.”
He rubbed her arm. “Having someone try to harm you no less than four times in two months couldn’t have been easy.”
Four times? Oh, yeah. Malpan was one, and then Becky and Landry made up the other three times. “No, but that is in the past, and I for one would like to concentrate on the present.”
“I like the present much better too.”
In between bites, she remembered something and snapped her fingers. “Did I mention that Landry had proof that Darnell was dealing drugs and transporting them across province lines? Not that it matters much now that he’s dead.”
“If you told me, I’ve forgotten. Knowing you were in peril for so long kind of short-circuited my brain.”
“I should let the detective know. It will be more proof that Landry was blackmailing Darnell.” She held up a finger. “But first, let me see if I can help you find your mental sharpness again.”
As quickly as she could, she scarfed down her breakfast, not caring that the sheet fell and exposed her naked breasts. Even though she’d been dead tired last night, both of them had showered when they arrived back at the hotel, and that helped refresh her a bit. As much as she had wanted Logan to join her in the shower, being naked inches from him would have resulted in more hot sex. While she had yearned for that, her wolf had demanded she heal first. And now she had.