“You’ll never find them either,” Zar said sadly.
“I was afraid of that.” Damn Jed.
Our door burst open, which was a shock because it needed a key card. Apparently Jed had also left it leaned shut and not latched.
Andrew bounded into the room. “In bed together already? Oh, Cassiopeia, you can do so much better. Believe me. Move it, beetle.” He flopped on the bed, more or less sitting in Zar’s lap, leaning toward me. “I like the ponytail, darling. Going jogging? Or did you have something else athletic in mind?”
“Andrew!” It seemed Zar might punch him, but maybe Zar thought I wouldn’t like it. Actually, I thought Zar was justified.
Instead, he twisted Andrew’s arm behind his back. Andrew spun out of it, getting to his feet at the same time.
“You’re such a puppy, Eleazar.” Andrew was laughing. “Did you get a bowl of milk to lap up for breakfast?”
“What do you want?” Zar snarled.
“Instructions.” He jumped back from Zar to face me. “We’re supposed to be looking after madam but assumed we should be getting something done around here.”
I nodded. “We have to find Max, find wolves, and find out if it’s true there are newborn vampires in London and why.” I looked at Zar. “One more thing. Why would vampires kill druids? What about those two deaths to account for?”
“Why wouldn’t vampires kill druids?” Andrew asked before Zar could say anything. “Druids are pure nature, aren’t they?”
“Vampires have no use for anything druids represent,” Zar said. “That’s true. But it doesn’t make a motive after thousands of years. I’m not convinced this is vampires. It’s just getting…”
“More and more suspicious?”
He nodded.
“What do—?” Andrew started.
“Get out of here. This isn’t your room,” I stopped him. “Let me get dressed and think and we’ll figure out the day. I’d like to talk to Isaac.”
“Would you?” His eyebrows jumped.
Zar dropped his gaze, leaning away, looking like I’d spit at him.
“Yes,” I said forcefully. “I would. He’ll help us sort out a strategy for the day and research. Go on.”
Andrew gave me a great, sweeping bow. “Your wish is our command, Cassiopeia.” Then he strode out.
Chapter 7
When a simple search online didn’t turn up Max, we divided for the library, which was nearby, The Imperial War Museum in case we could find him by military records, and to look for more entrances to old underground London that might house vampires.
Everyone seemed to have found their feet in the city now, though there were still some deer-in-the-headlights moments in my group—Zar and Kage on buses from Saint Pancras to the museum. I didn’t mind their refusal to ride the Tube today since the tops of those buses across London were an extremely affordable sightseeing venture. Zar was helpful with ideas and fascinated by the museum research rooms. Kage had no interest in finding Max, but did enjoy the tanks.
Separate from us, Andrew was in charge of asking around with train station and Tube employees to find more likely vampire hides, accompanied by Jason, who also seemed to do well with humans. Although this struck me as leaving the Mad Hatter to mind the March Hare.
Andrew had donned his glasses today rather than wearing contacts, at first puzzling me since I’d been under the impression he was vain about them—feeling they distracted from his good looks. It was only after we’d split up that I reflected he looked more mature, more sophisticated, and all around more trustworthy with them on. No doubt Andrew, who knew human beings very well from his day job in the Seastar Hotel, was aware of this.
Isaac took on the library research. He actually had a scholastic background and I had faith in him being able to turn up Max if anyone could. But I’d also told Jed to go with him. I felt bad for Isaac about this but I didn’t like the idea of any of us being alone here. The pack was with me supposedly for protection and to help. But witches hadn’t been the killers’ targets so far.
By early afternoon, and with the aid of an Imperial War Museum reading room assistant, we did indeed turn up Max’s name and matched it to his regiment in their archives.
That was the entirety of the good news.
Lieutenant Maximilian Walkenhorst had been killed in action in the German Army during World War One, buried in Belgium in 1918, and reinterred by his family in 1926. This was all of the paper trail. Unless the family had simply not noticed that there was no body when they moved him, it meant Max wasn’t even undead. He was just plain dead and buried in Germany and, somehow, I didn’t think Dieter would be impressed by the news.
Still, we’d tried. We could tell him that much and maybe he’d at least explain how he knew wolves were being serial murdered by means of bleeding out, their eyes removed, and being staked in the heart.
I texted Isaac to give a meeting time as Zar and I headed out, finding Kage in the gift shop.
Kage purchased a bag of military history coloring books, which struck me as a strange invention in the first place, but I assumed he wanted them for the kids, or pups, that ran around the pack’s mobile home park. I knew they homeschooled. Even so, it surprised me they bothered much about books. The only time I’d seen these youngsters they’d been tearing around in the dirt, racing, bouncing off things like … well … a bunch of puppies.
The day was once more a late July blaze, the city giving off an odor even to my nose, especially around the Thames, when we made our way back by bus to Trafalgar Square. We’d arranged to meet on the steps in front of The National Gallery—a hard spot to miss whether you knew London or not—but I didn’t see them in the thousands of tourists crowding through those steps and around the double water fountains.
“There they are.” Zar indicated and I spotted Jason sitting on the back of one of the four lion statues around the monument.
Jason was shirtless and waving at someone below.
I soon saw Andrew on the pavement, chatting up a couple of college girls. He had his glasses off. Grinning, gesturing. They were giggling, glancing up at Jason, back at Andrew. Finally, they gave him something and Andrew whipped his shirt off over his head, stuffed it in his messenger bag, and passed the bag to one of the girls who had her phone in her hand. The other climbed up to Jason, Andrew following and helping.
The second girl took pictures of the first posing with Andrew and Jason and the huge statue.
I stopped to watch them at the end of the partial barrier around the monument while Zar and Kage looked for the other two.
The students traded and the second girl climbed up to the two guys. This one was more bold about directing them and got Jason to kiss her cheek while the phone camera was clicking.
Then Andrew hopped back down with her, reclaimed bag and shirt, and bowed to them as they giggled and apparently thanked him. Jason blew them a kiss.
They trundled away in their heels, glancing back often, giggling more than ever.
I walked around the barrier to join him as Andrew was pulling his shirt back on.
“So, how much will it cost me to get my picture with the celebrities?” I asked coldly.
“Afternoon, darling.” Andrew bounded to greet me. “Aren’t you a vision? I’d say half-price, but it’s all by donation. That’s how busking works, you know.”
“This is busking?”
“What’d you think it was? Setting up our own business? Stocking the shelves?”
“Nice to see how quickly you two got comfortable with the city.”
“Thank you. We’re doing our bit, as the worms say. Jay?” He looked around at Jason, squinting in the brilliant sunlight. “Cassia wants a go. Think we should make this one on us?”
“Don’t be thick,” Jason called down to him. “We should be paying her. Look at her.”
“Bloody good point. But don’t say things like that.”
“Sound too much like Zar?”
“No,” Andrew snapp
ed. “It’s something I should have come up with.”
“Sorry, Switch. Want to come up here, Cassia? It’s a great view. You can smell the hot dog cart from here.”
I walked over. “Get down from there. And put your shirt on. You two had a job to do.”
Jason’s smile vanished. “Sorry.” He pulled on his T-shirt, which had been lying across his thigh, and scrambled down while Andrew followed me over.
“Why the tone, Cassiopeia? We’ve been working all morning.”
I wanted to snap at him to stop calling me that. I did have a bit more sense, though.
“What did you get done other than taking advantage of tourists?” I crossed my arms, stepping back to face them both as Jason landed on his feet in front of me.
“Taking advantage?” Andrew asked, offended. “How is this any different than playing an accordion on the street and offering around a hat?”
Jason looked hurt. Dropping his gaze and shifting sideways to me in what I recognized as a capitulating stance between them. In essence, he was tucking his tail between his legs.
“It’s different because you’re approaching them, soliciting money to take pictures of you. But that’s not the point. What I’m irritated about is that I thought you were helping us find more vampire locations.”
“Is it?” Andrew’s eyes were hooded. “Is that really what you’re upset about? Sure you don’t want to dig deeper, darling? Be a little more honest with yourself?”
“We can’t just blow through pack savings looking after us all in the city,” Jason mumbled to his shoes. “Seemed like a good idea if we could earn a bit.”
“Did you learn anything?” I asked, ignoring both.
“We learned that human females are as bored with your work-a-day worms as we are. And what I already knew—” He unzipped the front compartment in the top flap of his bag and pulled it wide for me to see. “That tourists are loaded.”
I almost gasped. The pouch was stuffed with handfuls of heavy coins and bills. Five pound notes, ten pound notes, twenties.
“How long have you been out here?”
“An hour?” Andrew shrugged. “But I’d say we’re ready to find lunch now anyway.”
“What about your research?” I tried to stay on track even as my mind reeled with the silliness and gullibility of female tourists. And, dammit, it was the kind of thing my sister Melanie and I would have given them ten pounds for when we’d traveled together five years ago.
“Two ‘maybe’ leads. The stuff’s either in use in some way or blocked up. We can poke around some more.”
“Based on what we heard,” Jason said, “the one Andrew already found may be your best chance. No one even mentioned it. It’s like the forgotten shelter. The one no one knows about.”
“Any other options you have would be worth checking out tonight,” I said. “We have bad news for Dieter. Do you know where Isaac and Jed are?”
“Sure,” Andrew said, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “At the fountain. Jed was trying to get sawdust out of his hair.”
“How did he get—? No, never mind.” We started through the pedestrian crowd for the left-hand side fountain. “Do you really think that tormenting him will improve his disposition?”
“We’re not trying to improve his disposition.” Jason sounded surprised. Like I’d said I thought they were trying to make it rain by showing off on lion statues.
“So you didn’t learn anything else? Any addresses for us to check?” I asked.
“Jay?” Kage joined us from the masses. He jerked his head at me. “They’re over here.” Then back to Jason. “What do you want for lunch?”
More for my benefit? Why was he making a point of asking Jason something like that in front of me? Yesterday, in Hyde Park, Kage had been sharing watermelon with both of us, giving me the feeling he wanted me to notice it was perfectly all right in his world to be involved with both Jason and myself at once.
“Fish and chips. They’re on Switch now.”
“You just had that,” Kage said.
“It tastes different in fur.”
“It does?” I couldn’t help looking around as we reached the fountain.
“Sure,” Jason said.
“Everything’s different,” Kage said. “Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. It’s not just that we get better sniffers because we’re on all fours.”
“Taste is like color,” Jason said moodily, frowning at the water. “You get some colors strong in fur, but some all muddied out. Reds and oranges just look gray-brown. But blues and yellows are there, only different. Tastes like … salt, sweet, bitter, fresh meat and blood are really distinct. But…” he shrugged.
“Not a lot else,” Kage finished.
“Andrew!” I'd been squinting along the fountain to see Isaac waiting for us, Jed sitting on the edge looking sulky, and just happened to glance around to see where Andrew had gone.
Andrew, his glasses back on, smiled sweetly at me as he pocketed something.
“What is that?”
“What’s what?” He walked over.
“Give me that.”
He showed me his hands. “A trip to a star, my heart on a silver platter, a night you’ll never forget? What can I give you, darling?”
“You can give me what you just put in your pocket.”
“That?” He pulled it out and stared at it. “That’s not asking much—”
I snatched it out of his hand. A brown leather wallet. I flipped it open to see an American ID—passport, cash, everything.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I shoved it back at him. “Go find that man and give it back. Now. Say he dropped it or whatever you like.”
Andrew blinked down at the wallet as if he couldn’t understand the request.
Kage and Jason watched.
Then Andrew flipped open his bag to show me inside. “What about these?”
There were half a dozen wallets and money pouches on cords.
Many, many thoughts flew through my mind. Mostly about what not to do.
I’d been in school for far more years than I’d cared to be just to learn to teach school myself. I was fully qualified and getting ready to start my first job, a wonderful one, in fact, in four weeks time. I knew practical skills about problem solving and engaging students and leadership and communication.
And, still, I wanted to grab that sickeningly beautiful werewolf by his neck and shake him and scream at him.
Instead, I stepped close, pulling up the magic, channeling rage into compelling him to move in as well, nose-to-nose. Andrew’s pupils dilated when he felt that intangible force against him, eyes widening with the fear of magic in contact.
I lowered my voice, knowing he would hear even in the busy square with his special ears.
“Andrew.” I spoke slowly as well as quietly. “You are going to return everything you have stolen in this city to the nearest police station. Right now. I don’t care how. Throw it in the door, come up with a story to tell them, drop off each one by one at different stations so it doesn’t look suspicious that you ‘found’ them all. Whatever you like. But you are going to take them and turn them in so the cops can contact the owners. Or, if the owners are looking, they’ll hopefully have the sense to call the police and get their stuff back. And you are not going to steal, nick, pinch, or borrow anything else in this city. Do you understand me?”
I didn’t threaten, didn’t yell, and didn’t blink. Only held him there, trapped in the force of the magic—so strong in the wake of my anger, Andrew was breathing hard against pressure on his lungs.
He nodded.
I turned my back on him. “Kage, go with him, please.” Walking on toward Isaac. I didn’t have to look around, or have superhuman ears, to add, “No, Jason. Just Kage. Andrew, text Isaac when you’re done and we’ll meet up again.”
Jason followed me.
“Something wrong?” Isaac asked as we reached him.
Jed and Zar, standing to his far side, look
ed around. Jed’s black, curly hair was soaked, as well as shoulders of his shirt. He must have dunked his head in the fountain to get the sawdust out.
“Andrew’s been lifting wallets all day,” I said.
All three waited for the punchline. Isaac frowned slightly, yet, it seemed to me, it was more a look of concern that I was perturbed than because he thought there was something wrong with Andrew.
“Anyway,” I continued. “I want a cold lunch and shade and a little quiet time. They’ll join us later.”
Isaac inclined his head. “May I take you to lunch?”
“Certainly.” Only as I was already answering and seeing tense responses from Zar and Jed behind him did I realize what Isaac had been asking me. To lunch alone.
“Sushi?” Isaac said with a gentle smile, opening his arm to indicate a direction.
“That sounds perfect, if you don’t mind it? Fish?”
“I enjoy sushi. There was a little place in Edinburgh I used to frequent with human friends while at university.” So he knew how to eat it politely as well.
“Thank you. That would be welcome.”
As to the other three, now trailing after us, I wasn’t feeling especially sympathetic to the idea of letting them fend for themselves with their ten burgers each or fish and chips. Although, by the time I sat down alone with Isaac on what was suddenly feeling a lot like a date—he pulled my chair out, for example—I did feel bad for Zar.
Chapter 8
Lunch with Isaac—only Isaac—was a delight. Not merely because I was so angry with Andrew it was coloring my view of all wolfkind and I needed space, but because Isaac himself was … delightful.
I’d spent hours in the Jeep with him to and from Cornwall, yet we’d hardly been able to talk with the noise, often with windows down. This was the first time we’d been alone, able to sit and be together and, yes, it definitely felt like a date.
The Japanese place he’d chosen in Covent Garden was modern, elegant, not too noisy, even when full for lunch: cool and not overly bright with bamboo blinds stopping the full blast from the sun.
Moonlight Hunters: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (The Witch and the Wolf Pack Book 2) Page 5