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Weathering Rock

Page 10

by Mae Clair


  “I’m listening.” His attention remained on her neck, the trail of his lips growing hotter and hungrier.

  Before she could reply, the chime of the doorbell intruded. Alternately grateful and disappointed by the distraction, Arianna excused herself to answer. When she pulled open the door, she found Lucas Drake standing on the other side. Damn! Talk about bad timing.

  “Lucas.” She glanced at her watch. “What are you doing here? It’s almost ten o’clock.”

  His expression was grim. “Can I come in?”

  Arianna stepped aside, making room.

  “Sergeant Drake.” Caleb joined them in the foyer. “Isn’t it rather late for house calls?”

  Arianna was shocked by the glacial edge in his voice. It took her a moment to recognize why. As her former boyfriend, Lucas had become a rival in Caleb’s eyes.

  Jealousy? From Mr. Mystery himself?

  “DeCardian.” Lucas acknowledged his presence with a clipped nod, as irked to find him there as Caleb was by his arrival. He scowled at Arianna. “I didn’t realize you were entertaining.”

  She overlooked the remark, not wanting to engage in a test of wills with a man she considered a friend. “It’s late, Luke.” She made no effort to hide her weariness. Behind her, Caleb moved closer, settling a hand on her shoulder.

  Luke scowled, flicking an irritated glance at Caleb. “Where have you been all night, DeCardian?”

  “Why?”

  “He’s been here,” Arianna said sharply, annoyed by the power play she sensed building between them. She felt like a bone tossed between two aggressive bulldogs. Shrugging off Caleb’s hand, she glowered at Luke. “I made dinner for us around six. Caleb’s been here ever since. What’s the problem?”

  He blew out a breath, most of his hostility fading in light of her snappishness. “I wanted to make sure you were all right, and to warn you.”

  “About what?” Caleb’s voice hadn’t lost its edge, but his inflection was different, hinting of controlled alarm.

  “There’s been another death near Weathering Rock. Human this time.”

  Caleb narrowed his eyes. “Like the other? Mangled?”

  “Butchered. My guess is the victim was a man, but you can’t tell by the damage.”

  “Oh God.” Arianna felt a stab of nausea. “When?”

  “Earlier today. We won’t know the exact time until the coroner finalizes her report, but my guess is around seven. The poor sap was probably out for a walk.”

  “Damn. Daylight,” Caleb muttered.

  Lucas frowned. “What did you say?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Where was the body discovered?”

  “Look, DeCardian, I came here to warn Arianna. To tell her to stay clear of the area until we get this sorted out. I’m not in the habit of discussing the details of an impending investigation with civilians.”

  “Caleb is ex-military,” Arianna said, uncertain why she volunteered the information. She felt queasy from Lucas’ unsettling news and used the opportunity to sidetrack the grim discussion. “A retired colonel.”

  “Colonel?” He snorted in disbelief. “Arianna, you don’t seriously believe that bullshit?”

  Caleb bristled. “The body,” he persisted with an icy edge. “If it was found on Weathering Rock grounds, I have a right to know.”

  “Maybe.” Lucas was silent, but Caleb only glared, his gaze unflinchingly direct. “South of Blackberry Lane, near the fork into town.” He parted with the information gruffly. “I’ve got two traumatized female joggers who stumbled across it on an evening run. I’m no coroner, but I’ve been a cop long enough to know a dog didn’t do this, not even a rabid one.”

  “What then?” Arianna suppressed a chill. She slanted a glance at Caleb, thinking of the wolf-like animal she’d seen at Weathering Rock. Why hadn’t he wanted Lucas to know?

  “Maybe a bear,” Caleb suggested. “They’ve been known to wander from the mountains.”

  “Black bears don’t attack humans,” Lucas countered.

  “Not usually, but there have been extreme cases–a mother with a cub, a wounded animal, a rogue.”

  “You’re grasping at straws, DeCardian.”

  “Then you explain it.”

  “I can’t. But until I can, I haven’t ruled out human depravity. Ritualistic killings, gang initiations, satanic cults.”

  “But there’s nothing like that in the area,” Arianna protested. Her knees grew weak at the thought of anything so vile. Sagehill was a quiet town with a small populace. Gangs and violent crime didn’t fit into the picture any more than cult activity did. At her side Caleb moved closer, not touching her, but silently offering his presence if needed. Again, she thought of the animal she’d seen at Weathering Rock.

  “I saw something the first time,” she told Lucas.

  “What?”

  “Arianna!” Caleb said sharply.

  “I thought it was a wolf,” she continued, ignoring him. “The night I stayed at Weathering Rock. At first I thought I imagined it, but–”

  “You probably did.” Caleb’s anger was unmistakable. “There are no wolves in Pennsylvania.”

  Confused by his hostility, she sent him a befuddled glance.

  “Not in the wild,” Lucas agreed. “But that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t have one illegally. How many times have you heard of an exotic pet getting loose–tigers, alligators?”

  Caleb looked at him coolly. “So you’re suggesting a pet is responsible for mutilating a body beyond recognition?”

  Lucas flushed. “I didn’t say–”

  “Stop it!” Arianna refused to listen to them badger the grisly details. “Some unfortunate soul has lost his life and you two are debating methods.” She turned her attention on Lucas. “I appreciate you were concerned enough to warn me about this. I’ll be careful, but I’m not going to avoid an area simply because of these attacks.”

  He scowled. “You mean you’re not going to stay away from Weathering Rock?”

  “I mean I’m not going to let fear control me. I feel sorry for the man who lost his life, but I have complete confidence the police will get to the bottom of the situation. Now, please go. Caleb and I would like to enjoy the remainder of the evening.”

  “I can’t stay.”

  Caleb’s unexpected proclamation made her swivel around in surprise.

  “I’m sorry, Arianna, but it’s late and there’s something I have to do. Sergeant Drake, could I request a ride to Weathering Rock? I’m afraid I don’t have a vehicle.”

  Lucas blinked at the out-of-the-blue request.

  She was certain he would refuse, but he seemed to realize the alternative ended with her driving Caleb home.

  “I’ll wait outside,” he said curtly, then shifted his attention to Arianna. His words to her were considerably warmer. “Be careful. I don’t want anything happening to you.”

  Friendly affection tugged at her heart. Before she had time to appreciate his concern, he stepped outside, leaving her alone with Caleb. What should have been a fun-filled date had degenerated into something ominous. A glance at Caleb told her Luke’s news had unsettled him far more than her. Was that because the killing had taken place near Weathering Rock?

  Shivering, she dusted her hands over her arms. She thought of the large wolf she’d seen. Of cold black lightning rods jutting from the roof of the old house. Of fog and a man on horseback, his pale hair silvered in her headlights.

  Caleb gripped her arms. “Lock your door. I’m sorry I can’t stay.”

  “You know something about this, don’t you? About what’s happened tonight?”

  His gaze was cold. “It’s late, Arianna. Someone has been murdered a handful of miles from my home. How do you think that makes me feel?”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have–”

  “It’s all right.” The edge was still in his voice, but his gaze was softer now. He cupped her cheek. “Lock your door. I’ll phone you tomorrow.”

  His lips brushed
hers, a faint, reassuring touch. A moment later he was gone, his hair again a blaze of radiant silver as he moved outside beneath the glow of her porch light.

  Chapter 12

  Caleb paced in the parlor, his head throbbing. He hadn’t bothered turning on any lights, his werewolf-enhanced vision acute without the extra illumination.

  After Lucas Drake had dropped him off, barely a word passing between them, he’d prowled the crime scene. It was still taped off, two patrol officers and a squad car lingering over the cleanup. He’d crept beneath their noses, stealth a convenient advantage of lycanthropy. Seth’s odor had lingered like a fingerprint. In the air, on the ground, traceable in fat splotches of drying blood and patches of trampled grass. His rival hadn’t killed because he’d been driven to, but for pleasure and mastery. He’d killed to taunt Caleb.

  “Bastard!” Caleb drove his fist into the wall. A framed watercolor shuddered beneath the blow, slipping on its hook to end at a lopsided angle. Outside, the distinctive purr of Wyn’s sporty BMW breezed up the drive and into the garage. Caleb didn’t need a clock to tell him it was after one AM, or that his nephew had kept him waiting longer than acceptable. And the fool had the nerve to accuse him of being preoccupied with sex!

  It was damned unfair of Wyn to have a healthy, normal relationship with a woman when his own was eternally cursed. By the time his nephew walked up the porch steps, Caleb had wrenched open the front door.

  “Where the hell have you been?”

  Wyn gave a grunt, half laughter, half disbelief. “Work on your greeting, Colonel.” He shouldered past, pushing inside. “If you’re in a piss-poor mood, take a hike. I had a great night with Lauren and you’re not going to spoil it.”

  “Winston!” But even the outrage that normally made his nephew draw up short in anger had no effect.

  Wyn moved into the parlor and bent to switch on a lamp. “Some light wouldn’t hurt. Not all of us have your senses, Caleb.” Yawning, he rumpled a hand through his hair. “So, how was the big date? Did Arianna bring you home?”

  “Lucas Drake brought me home,” Caleb snarled, thrusting past him. The glow from the lamp stung his eyes, intensifying the pain in his head. He didn’t know why he was so angry, at least not with Wyn. Seth was the one who took perverted pleasure in killing, taunting him with sadistic acts of violence. Trying to compose himself, he bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “There’s been another killing.”

  Wyn’s head snapped up in alarm. “Another deer?”

  “No.” The hostility drained from Caleb along with the frustration that had plagued him since he’d heard the news. He should have been out looking for Seth earlier instead of trying to coax Arianna into bed. “Human. A man, earlier tonight, just down the road.”

  The doctor swallowed, taking a hesitant step forward. His shadow leaped across the floor, pencil-thin on the braided rug. “Seth?”

  Caleb lowered his hand, his expression cold. “What do you think?”

  “I think someone needs to kill that sick son-of-a-bitch.” Wyn swung away, scrubbing the back of his neck. “It doesn’t make sense. For three years he’s been untraceable, now he’s on a killing spree in our backyard. Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Wyn regarded him steadily. “Then I say we find a silver bullet and confide in someone. Maybe Drake.”

  “And have him lock us away for mental instability? I’ll deal with Seth Reilly in my own time, Winston.”

  “And what happens until then? He’s started killing people. People, damn it! Do you think he’s going to be satisfied with a deer now that he’s tasted human blood?”

  Caleb looked away, wishing he could deny the truth. Seth’s brutal excitement at the murder scene had been almost tangible, lingering long after he was gone. Even Caleb had felt the allure of spilled blood, the grisly residue like a seductive siren song. For one heinous moment, he’d wanted to embrace the euphoria that came with animalistic power. He could almost hear Seth laughing.

  Admit you want it, Caleb. You’ve always wanted power, authority over others, Colonel DeCardian. You’re glad I made you what you are.

  “Seth has dined on flesh before. I’ll handle him.” He ground his teeth. He was human and would stay human. “I want to increase the potency of my injections beginning tomorrow.”

  Wyn blanched. “That’s not a good idea. We’re already pushing–”

  “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

  “I’m the doctor, Caleb.”

  “Then do something, damn you!” It wasn’t Wyn’s fault but, as always, his nephew was a convenient target. “I’m going to stop Seth, but I’m going to do it as a man, not an animal.” He made an effort to appear conciliatory and lowered his voice. “I need your help.”

  “You damn near chew my head off and now I’m supposed to help you?”

  Caleb was reaching the end of his patience. “Winston.”

  “All right, all right. But we’re going to do it my way. I’ll increase the dosage, but we measure it out over two weeks, instead of upping it all at once.” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you still having headaches?”

  “Not like before.” Caleb stiffened, unwilling to admit to pain. What was a simple lie stacked against the curse of lycanthropy? “I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”

  Wyn accepted the falsehood. “In the morning then?”

  “In the morning.” Pain splintered down the back of Caleb’s neck, making him wonder whether or not the increased dosage might kill him.

  He grimaced.

  It was nothing more than Seth planned to do.

  * * * *

  Seth crouched outside the house, watching the yellow gleam of light through the window. Oh, he was beginning to enjoy the game! Initially, he’d thought only of killing DeCardian, but found taunting him more entertaining.

  He had been careful to stay downwind, making sure his scent didn’t carry as he’d watched his long-time rival prowl about the scene. He knew Caleb had been devastated, enraged by the senseless loss of life. He might shrug off the deer, but a butchered man would eat at his conscience like cancer. Seth had enjoyed the killing, making sure there was plenty of blood as a stark reminder of Crinkeshaw.

  Blood for guilt, blood for payment.

  It was sweet making DeCardian pay, sweeter than he’d anticipated. It would be sweeter still when he dragged Arianna into the fray, ensuring Caleb suffered for the cowardly sins of his past.

  Chapter 13

  Arianna saw Caleb several times over the next two weeks. They had dinner together, and enjoyed a double date with Wyn and Lauren. She could still recall her friend’s enthusiastic reaction when Lauren dragged her into the ladies room of the restaurant where they were dining.

  “My God, where did you find that man? He’s even better looking than Rick. It’s a good thing I’m so stuck on his brother.”

  “Stay that way.” Arianna grinned, checking her makeup in the mirror. “We should probably get back to the table. I saw Kristy Watts and Emma Decker when we came in.”

  “That pair?” Lauren fluffed off the notion of female competition. “A skinny toothpick with a fondness for martinis and a party-girl who’s been through every man in Sagehill. They can’t manage an intelligent syllable between them.”

  “Maybe. But I don’t want to tempt them with Caleb.”

  “Hmm. So when are you going to hop into bed with him? He can’t keep his eyes off you. It’s only a matter of time until his hands follow.”

  “Lauren!” She’d be lying if she said the thought hadn’t crossed her mind but, fantasies aside, she had no plans of sharing. “That’s not something I want to talk about. Even with you.”

  Lauren smiled wickedly. “Well, I hope you plan on doing it with him. Talking, I mean.”

  “Sure you do.” Arianna shook her head and led her meddlesome friend from the bathroom.

  * * * *

  The Fourth of July came and Arianna shared a cookout with Caleb, Wyn and Lauren, grilling h
amburgers and hotdogs beneath the stars at Weathering Rock. With little time remaining before Lauren’s party, she found herself looking forward to the event. More than once she’d tried to coerce Caleb into telling her about his costume, but he’d only say it was something suitable. Her own outfit was more daring than usual thanks to Lauren’s mischievous prompting. Her friend had convinced her they should dress as Playboy bunnies and, after some initial reluctance, she’d agreed. If nothing else, maybe she’d set Caleb’s pulse racing in the skimpy outfit.

  On the evening prior to the party, she settled into her couch with a cup of chamomile tea. It had been several weeks since she’d had the opportunity to lose herself in a book. Setting the cup on an end table, she tucked her legs to the side and pulled A Pictorial History of the Civil War into her lap.

  Grainy black-and-white images of Union and Confederate soldiers leaped out at her. She flipped through the pages at random, pausing to study a portrait of James Ewell Brown Stuart–Jeb Stuart, as he was commonly known–the famed Gray Cavalier. Next, she lingered over a field hospital at Gettysburg, her recent trip to the battlefield heightening the impact of makeshift tents and the grim sight of wounded men on dilapidated litters. Turning the page, she came to an abrupt stop, her attention snagged by an eight-by-ten photograph that catapulted her heart into her throat.

  Like the previous photo, this one had been snapped at Gettysburg, the date placing it immediately after the battle. It hadn’t been posed like many field pictures of its day, probably shot by a camp follower who’d hoped to sell his work to a local paper. Three Union commanders conferred over a map. She recognized Major General Meade, Commander of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg. He stood in the center with a dark-haired officer to his right, but it was the man on his left who sent Arianna’s pulse rocketing to the stratosphere.

 

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