Moon Promise

by Carmen Fox

  “Funny.” I smiled, but my mood wasn’t light enough for banter.

  Drake used his key to open the door and for once, allowed me to walk in front of him.

  Jonah’s large room looked more like an office today than it had when I first met him, with maps and papers covering about half the table surface.

  Dressed in casual jeans and a shirt, he peered up from a document. “You’re sure it’s Raven you found?”

  I fell into the chair opposite him, but he was too focused on Drake to comment on my minor digression.

  “Yes.” Drake stood a few feet away. He’d turned his toes out to spread his legs, and took long and slow breaths.

  Leo entered from another room and greeted me with a silent nod. As he passed Jonah, he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, a gesture the alpha acknowledged with a grateful look.

  Then Jonah leaned back, without speaking, his gaze on Drake, whose figure occupied more space than usual.

  Jonah was an effective leader, but I’d bet my last piece of gum that, if Drake wanted, he could be alpha of this pack. Without activating his dominance, he commanded the room by his sheer presence.

  “We have reason to suspect Raven’s death was deliberate.” Drake’s words sliced through the tension.

  “She was killed on our land?” Jonah slowly rolled his pale fingers into a fist.

  “Yes, in a shallow grave.”

  “Are you saying it was one of us?”

  Drake shook his head with the precision of a machine. “We don’t know that. A human could have done it.”

  “He means Cody, Raven’s boyfriend.” Leo uncrossed his arms and stepped close to the table. “He knew the place and often met her there.”

  “What do we know about Cody?” Jonah drank from a cup without spilling a drop.

  His composure in the face of such absolute grief once again proved his ability to compartmentalize. Sadness was something alphas shared in private, if at all.

  “Not much that would prove his guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt, but he’s no doubt our prime suspect. As Leo said, Cody was Raven’s human boyfriend.” Drake shot a glance at me, as if this was my fault. “He met with her by the lake many times.”

  “He’s a heavy drinker, too.” Leo tugged on his earlobe. “I honestly don’t know what she saw in him.”

  I coughed, and Jonah turned to me. Yeah, dude. I’m still here.

  “Actually, we don’t know whether the drinking started before or after Raven’s disappearance.” I sat upright and arranged my interlocked hands on the table. “The fact her body was found on werewolf land doesn’t automatically mean it was a human either. If Raven’s death had been unplanned, it would make sense to bury her on the spot rather than drag her body through town in a car. Getting rid of the scent of blood in the trunk is tricky.”

  Jonah’s dominance shot out, wavered, and retreated. “None of my people would do this.”

  I lasered my gaze at the alpha. “With all due respect, you can’t be that naïve. Marlon had too rough a reputation for you to dismiss all werewolves as angels.”

  He smoothed the sheet in front of him with his fist in two, three powerful strokes. “Marlon had his views, but he protected his pack. Whatever your private views on free packs, we engage in legitimate challenges, not cold-hearted murder.”

  “Fine, but what about my mother?” I took a jagged breath. “You must know she was killed at the hands of another werewolf. It happens.”

  He flexed his jaw and turned back to Drake. “Either way, what happened will be a matter for the human police.”

  “Because they’ve done such a bang-up job so far?” I clipped my tone. “We have no evidence that implicates Cody we could bring to the cops, and they might not find any. The law will have to let him go. What then?”

  “Do you seriously need any more information?” Leo leaned into Jonah, but kept a wary eye on Drake. “If Cody is responsible, we must punish him according to our laws. It’s the only way to appease the pack.”

  Jonah nodded slowly. “Yes, justice must be swift.”

  “Don’t you want the real murderer brought to justice?” I got to my feet and widened my stance, the way Drake had. “And let’s not forget, Cody’s unexplained death or disappearance will raise questions too. Her parents will be questioned, and so will everyone who cared about her.”

  Jonah buried his nose between his steepled hands. The dot depicting seconds on the digital clock on the wall chased itself around the luminous dial face. “Kensi, could I ask you to wait in the room next door, please? This is a matter I must discuss with my protectors.”

  He was right. Even though I had a stake in this too, he had to do what was right for his pack. Fingers crossed he’d see my suggestion was what was right for the pack. I slowly got up and left the room with a final, pleading look at Drake.

  They didn’t say a word until I was out of earshot.

  I entered an over-the-top dining room, with a long table seating roughly twenty people. Not nearly enough to host the Moon Festival for the entire pack, but longer than needed by Jonah alone. I pulled out a dark wooden chair and sat, tapping the table. Five days in, and I had achieved exactly zilch. Since I hadn’t solved Raven’s case, Jonah’s support for my claim to the throne was anything but certain.

  Not that it mattered, because in all likelihood, I’d never succeed my father anyway.

  “Kensington?” a voice dragged me from my thoughts. Liza stepped into the room on soft soles.

  I straightened against the back of my chair, keeping my expression smooth and free from emotion. She’d taken her sweet time, but I’d finally receive an answer to at least one mystery. Was she a fan of my work or did her interest in me have another reason?

  Liza sat opposite me and took my hands. “I’ve been waiting to catch you alone for a while. Do you know who I am?”

  “Yes. Your name’s Liza.” Despite my confident tone, I had the feeling this wasn’t the right answer.

  “I’m your mother’s cousin.”

  I opened my mouth for all the questions waiting to tumble out, yet nothing came. Instead I sat frozen, the only sound that of my thumping heart.

  “No one told you?” she asked.

  “I don’t think anyone knows.” I squeezed her fingers, reassuring myself she was real. “I’ve been asking around, trying to find relatives, but Drake told me you were all gone.”

  “We are.” Her gaze lost focus for a second. “My uncle, your father, ordered our pack to leave a long time ago. Right after your mother eloped with your father. When news reached me of her death, I alone returned to this wretched place.”

  Her aged beauty hid them well, but up close, the pains of the past were etched into every wrinkle.

  “Why did you come back?” I shifted forward in my seat. “If you’re the only one—”

  “For you, Kensington.” She brushed a streak of hair from my face and held my chin in the hollow of her palm. “I knew that one day, you would begin your journey of discovery, and I wanted to be here to set you on the right path, because Maarah couldn’t.”

  “What is so important about this journey of discovery? According to Dad, Mom insisted I had to come here, but he never explained.”

  I bit my lip. Did Liza even know I wasn’t able to shift? Maybe my shortcomings weren’t genetic. If Liza discovered I wasn’t worth her time, she might give up on me before she’d told me anything.

  “Every woman in our tribe must take it, and it is her journey alone.” Liza gently shook me by the chin. “It is your guide’s responsibility to remind you that your existence carries deep roots. Until you understand those, you cannot know what kind of flower you’re going to grow into.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Find out about my mother, how she lived, who she was.”

  “No, child. Your roots started long before your mother was born.”

  I scratched my forehead to hide my frown. “Meaning what?”

  “When people are gone,
they live on not just inside our hearts, but also outside, in our traditions. Traditions unite, give guidance, but mainly, they connect to the past.”

  “Like the Moon Festival.”

  “That’s one example.” She kinked her head as if searching for the right words. “Rituals provide spiritual guidance to all werewolves, including the Wild Pack and the Boroughs Pack. But in my pack, your mother’s pack, rituals have a physical effect on us. We feel them, live by them, and let them guide us.”

  If my father had been vague in his explanations, Liza was downright cryptic.

  “I see,” I said, even though I didn’t. “What’s the name of your pack? Dad never told me.”

  She chuckled. “We have no name. We just are.”

  Her philosophies weren’t helpful to me at all. “If you want me to look into traditions and rituals, where do I start? There are so many.”

  She got to her feet and raised a finger. “Our time is up. Jonah’s looking for you.”

  With a tear-filled look, she yanked me against her chest. Her scent jolted my heart. Without conjuring a specific memory, it bathed me in the strongest feeling of home and belonging. And love.

  “Kensi, can you come back?” Jonah shouted from the other room.

  Liza dropped her embrace to let me turn toward the approaching steps.

  Drake popped his head in. “Come on. Jonah’s made a decision.”

  I nodded and reached for Liza’s hand—which was gone. As silently as she’d appeared, she’d gone back into the kitchen or maybe her private rooms. One way or another, but before I returned to Chicago, she and I would sit together, and she’d tell me everything she knew of my mother. Her favorite food, her favorite jokes, even her favorite flower. Anything Liza could remember.

  “You okay?” Drake asked.

  No doubt my eyes were brimming, maybe my face was pale, but my heart was alive and strong. Liza was my blood, my family.

  I’d finally found a link to my mother.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” I entered Jonah’s office and steeled myself for his decision.

  “Will you tell Kensi what you told me?” Jonah glanced at Drake, who was coming up behind me.

  “Do I have to?” Drake flared his nostrils. “I said I don’t want humans traipsing around Lake Marvin or digging into the pack’s lives. Kensi’s got us this far, so she deserves a shot to see this through.”

  “You said that?” I played up my genuine surprise by resting a hand on my chest.

  Jonah surged to his feet, and an unhappy Leo scuttled out of his way.

  “There you have it.” Jonah fixed me with a stare. “Have another word with this Cody. The sooner we know if he’s responsible, the sooner I’ll know what to do next.”

  “Jonah?” Leo raised his hand. “I mean, I get why this is the best plan for now, but what about the others? Raven deserves a decent funeral. If word spreads—”

  “It won’t.” Jonah lifted his chin. “Because we’re not telling anyone. Not yet. Understood?”

  Leo and Drake nodded.

  Leo had proven himself a good protector, giving Jonah advice that showed he cared about the pack, but Drake was my hero in this. Whatever his reasons for taking my side, it was his opinion that had ultimately swayed Jonah. No doubt in my mind.

  Even without Jonah’s decision I would have continued my investigation. I’d already invested too much of myself to simply give up. Raven could have made a success out of her career in music, or maybe something off beat, like pottery. She could have become an environmental lawyer, or a mother with children. That was exactly the point, right there. Her path hadn’t been decided yet, hadn’t even begun.

  Whoever killed her would face justice. I’d see to that.

  I gave a small bow to show my respect to the alpha and, upon his dismissal, left the room. Drake’s heavy steps followed me to the door and out to the truck. Despite the challenges he’d thrown at me, he’d shown faith in my ability. He deserved brownie points, or possibly another kiss.

  A few steps from the pickup, I turned to him, sporting what I hoped was a kittenish smile. “Listen. Thank—”

  “No, you listen.” He came close. Very close. Breath-on-cheek close. “From now on, no more private excursions with Leo or anyone else, understood?”

  So much for the warm fuzzies. “Where’s this coming from?”

  His dominance swept over me and forced me against the pickup’s trunk, but the burn covering my skin didn’t destroy my defenses. It only made them stronger. Not everything about his pheromones was pain. With his power came a sense of assuredness and of overwhelming confidence that he could handle anything.

  “This is a murder now, and we’ll be turning over rocks to find stuff that people don’t want to be found.” He poked my shoulder, while his low voice continued to shake my insides. “I’m responsible for your safety, so will you for once in your life listen to me?”

  Would it be so bad to let myself drown in it? To let someone else take charge for once?

  I took a deep breath.

  Allowing another person to take the lead might not break me, but it wasn’t in my nature to give up control. Drake’s dominance had caught me off-balance. He’d found a crack in my armor and mercilessly exploited it. Our kiss had made me weak, if only for a moment, but I was in charge of my life.

  Rather than become the whimpering wolf he expected, I leaned into his sphere, forcing him onto the back foot. “Who the fuck died and made you emperor?”

  “Kensi. Be reasonable.”

  “I’m Princess Kensington of the Royal House von Berg. You do not speak to me as if I’m someone else. Like I’m one of your subjects or submissives, or whatever the hell you call them.”

  I’d worked too hard to become what I was, who I was, to let a wannabe alpha steamroller me into submission.

  His dominance wavered, but didn’t weaken.

  “Even if I weren’t a princess, I’d still be the lead detective hired by your alpha. You...” I dabbed my finger at his chest. “...are my guard dog. Are we clear?”

  “That’s what you think of me?” His pupils contracted into dangerous pinpricks of black. “I could tell Jonah I’ve changed my mind. Let the cops handle the situation.”

  His dominance coiled around me and pushed the sweat onto my back faster than the sun’s relentless heat.

  “You know I’m your best chance of finding the killer.” I slightly lifted onto my toes, shortening the height difference between us. “So save your threats.”

  His dominance flagged. He angled his body away and threw his hands in the air. “You didn’t even know Raven. Why is solving this so important to you?”

  The stress on my body lessened until, finally, his attack ceased. Yet the vacuum his power had left refused to fill. Somehow, he’d punched a hole in me, poured himself into it—and now he was gone.

  Without uttering another word, I rounded the truck and slid onto the seat.

  Why was I still here? My connection to Raven, imagined or not, was undeniable, but I was a realist and should know when to walk away from a case. Maybe my curiosity about my mother’s past tethered me to this place. Liza had given me plenty of food for thought.

  Or was it still that damned kiss?

  Drake sat beside me, his hand on his keys, but showing no signs of starting the truck. “Why are you digging your heels in about this?”

  “For crying out loud.” I sprawled my hands flat onto my lap. “I want to see the case through. It’s called having a work ethic.”

  “Is there another reason you want to stick around? The travelers, maybe?” Drake’s voice had dissolved into silk and velvet and everything soft. “Or maybe a tall werewolf with a to-die-for smile?”

  I stiffened, then slowly turned my head. “I don’t feel that way about Leo.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “I walked into that one, didn’t I?”

  Rightly so. I was the first to admit I had a chip on my shoulder. Even though Drake might be honorable on a normal scale,
werewolf men had given me plenty of reason to be cautious. As if to prove me right, Drake kept whipping out his dominance, treating me like a dainty maiden, and I was sick of his control issues.

  Would I ever run like a wolf? Maybe not. Succeed my father to the German throne? Doubtful. But I was good at my job, and I’d be damned if I let Drake take the last ounce of pride from me.

  “Can we visit Cody now?” I tapped the clock on his dashboard. “It’s nearly seven.”

  Normally, I’d be stuffing my face with food at this time, but after our gruesome discovery, I had no appetite.

  “Sure, let’s avoid the elephant in the room and go talk to Cody instead.” Drake smiled a tired smile.

  Dad had raised me to be independent from anyone, even himself. ‘Faith is both given and earned,’ he’d say. ‘One day, a man will try to steal your heart and demand your loyalty. Only you can decide if he succeeds.”

  What Dad hadn’t told me was that this man would be a competitive small-town hick who would use my traitorous feelings against me.

  Still, the question remained. Did Drake deserve my trust?

  Sixteen

  “What if Cody’s done a runner?” Drake furrowed his brows and turned the pickup smoothly into Cody’s street.

  The house looked sadder, somehow. Last time I was here, Raven had still been alive, at least in the way Schrödinger’s Cat was. Now, the box was open, and with it, all hope was gone.

  I shrugged. “We’ll know in a minute.”

  “I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you.” Drake parked at the side of the road and switched off the engine. “Are we good?”

  His gaze was glued to his dashboard, his expression unreadable.

  “We’re good.”

  “Can you tell me what the hell happened? Between us?” He was biting his lip. The lip that, not long ago, had wielded its magic on mine.

  That magic was gone. No matter how treacherous my feelings, too many things were working against us. Once Raven’s death was solved, I’d return to Chicago, my future more uncertain than ever. Besides, he and I couldn’t make it through a day without sparking off each other. Even if all he’d ever wanted from me was a fling, he was hard work—and something told me, he thought the same about me.