“Let her go,” Mallory ordered coldly. “Now.”
“Or what?” The jackal demanded and pressed Treasure’s head tighter against her.
She was already wet and the scent of her arousal nauseated Treasure. Her claws pricked at her nails, but she fought the animal’s urge to strike out and end the threat or be ended.
“I came here for a good time and a good time’s what I’ll get from my bitch.”
Treasure’s blood turned cold and her icy hands drew a snarl from the animal.
She fell back and nearly hit her head on the stage. Treasure’s gaze collided with the other woman’s and animal met animal. The jackal’s rage flared in her eyes, and Treasure hit her with an arc of cold energy.
The jackal let out a growl and lunged for her. Just then, Mallory grabbed the woman by the back of her collar and jerked her backward before shoving her face down on the table. Treasure stared down at the woman, breath coming out in heavy pants.
“Stay down, McDaniels,” Mallory bit out, and punched the woman in the side as she struggled.
“Let me up, Blacklaw,” she commanded. “You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“No one touches the girls without permission, asshole.” Mallory tugged her up and let her go.
The jackal rounded on her and landed a blow to Mallory’s stomach, and Mallory shoved her back.
“Get that piece of crap out of my club, Camden.”
The bouncer grabbed the jackal from behind.
“She’s not welcome back,” Mallory snapped.
“Mallory, she’s mine, and I won’t let you keep me from her,” the jackal shouted. “I’ll see you after work, Treasure girl.” The jackal blew her a kiss.
Treasure fought back the growl and the urge to finish her. She wouldn’t, even though it wouldn’t take much. She had only to blow out a breath and the cold would give her brain freeze. Instead, she pulled her animal back by a white-knuckled grip.
The animal was furious and lunged against the reins, determined to kill. So, Treasure ran from the room to separate the animal from the target. Shaking, she reached the corridor and let out a low growl as she braced her hands on the wall, panting.
The touch on her shoulder, made her jump, and she whipped around ready to do battle.
“I thought I made it clear you weren’t to bring your drama to work,” Mallory said in a hard tone. “You can take care of that when you get off, or don’t come back.”
“She’s not my drama,” Treasure snapped, glaring up at the attractive dusky-skinned woman. “She’s just some damned animal who thinks one date entitles her to lay claim to me.”
Mallory drew her brows into a frown. Her blue-gray eyes were filled with concern. “What?”
“I went out with her last week, and she tried to rape me in the club when I told her no.”
“In a club? What kind of club were you in?” Mallory exclaimed.
“Beasts Wild.”
“Why the hell were you there? It’s a bisexual sex and dance club.”
“I know. I was following,” she said through gritted teeth. “I can’t deal with this right now.” Treasure turned and stalked away.
“Go home,” Mallory called. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”
Treasure shook her head and headed to the dressing room. There was a change and shower room along with a lounge that made the area comfortable for the dancers. Two girls were already there changing into their costumes.
“Are you okay?” One of them asked.
“Not really,” she muttered. “That asshole was out there, and she attacked me.”
“You should go to the police,” she said attaching a whip to a clip on her low slung pants.
“I know. Thanks, Velvet.” Treasure undressed at her locker and grabbed her shower slippers before heading into the shower.
She cleaned up and dressed quickly. Then Treasure headed to the employees parking lot. The area was well-lit and a single guard was visible.
She made her way to her little black scooter and unlocked the storage compartment where her helmet was stored. Treasure removed it and dropped her bag inside. She pulled on the head gear, climbed onto the moped, and cranked the engine.
She wasn’t worried about an attack on the road, but Treasure was concerned that jackal might follow her home.
She’d gone through enough over her lifetime to know that woman would find her, and she would create more trouble than she was worth. She’d end up having to leave town, but she was already preparing for that.
Treasure was so damned tired of leaving. All she really wanted was to find a place she could settle down and live her life, and this had looked like the perfect little town. She’d never been around so many shifters in her life which made this place feel right.
Tears formed in her eyes, and she wiped them away before pulling out of the lot. She closed her eyes for a split-second and her vision was clearer, everything she passed was brighter, the colors more vivid.
Maybe she’d just go to the police and file charges as per Black Velvet’s suggestion. If that didn’t work, then she’d leave.
Chapter Two
“Her alpha status isn’t being questioned, Mallory,” Jenner, the chief of police of Snowbury muttered as he glared across the square table. “Just the way she acquired the pack.”
Mallory shook her head as she held his flinty gaze. Light came into the room, through the small window to his right. The warm room did nothing to combat the chill coming over her as she drew in a slow breath.
This afternoon, her mind was only partially on this meeting Jenner had requested. She was concerned about the cop who’d attacked one of her dancers while she was giving a lap dance, and Mallory thought it had been more for effect than anything else.
She was also concerned about the attack on Treasure.
Two incidences in one night had her more than a little suspicious about the cause.
“Answer my questions.” The thud of his fist on the table snapped Mallory out of her reverie.
“Why are you questioning this after everything your former alpha did?” Mallory asked patiently. “He tried to kill Kamari as well as Mica.”
“Why? Because I have no choice, that’s why,” he snapped, ire blazing in his eyes. “I have dead cops, one of which was pressing charges against one of her people. I have two missing influential leaders, a pack demanding answers, and a whole hell of a lot of blood still staining this town.”
“I know the Wolf Coalition wants answers, but they need to stop attempting to demonize coyotes,” she said coldly. “I’m not helping them or you unseat Samarra so you can gain her pack. It’s not happening.”
The former Gray Tail lands were a large territory and a nice size pack of coyotes. The former leader was dead and had once been an ally of Mallory’s until he turned on her. He’d acted in concert with Jenner’s alpha and a pack of hyenas.
Their loss had resulted in Sam taking over the pack. However, the lands belonged to a single pack member and couldn’t be gained in the event the pack was taken over. No one seemed to get that other than herself and Sam.
“You’re not going to have much choice,” Jenner told her softly. “Samarra is my lead suspect in Jericho and Collier’s disappearances and Kamari is my second.”
She narrowed her gaze on him. “Are you crazy? You know what kind of men they were.”
“The D.A. went over the video files and refuses to accept them as anything other than a fake. He has experts who say the films were pieced together from more than one source,” Jenner told her grimly. “The Wolf Coalition is doing its own investigation prompted by that.”
“And those FBI agents and that mess?” she demanded. “They were here for him. Who do you think attacked them?”
“There is no proof of that,” he snapped. “The agent spoke to me, but offered no evidence to back that up.”
“Did he say he was closing the investigation?” she demanded.
“He said he had other evidence to
look at, and then he’d be back to talk to Jericho,” he retorted. “But with him dead, there is no knowing what he had or didn’t.”
“You’re splitting hairs and you know it,” she growled. “Kamari worked under that agent, and he talked to her. He had the same evidence you had.”
“Kamari will be sanctioned for making a scene, along with Mica and her cousin,” he told her. “There is no way around that. The investigation was long and way too tedious, but that’s the final conclusion of the review board.”
“People assigned by the Coalition came to this conclusion,” Mallory said angrily. “Friends of Jerry and Collier’s decided this. It was by no means fair or impartial nor do I consider a week long enough for a true determination of guilt on Sam or Mica’s parts.”
Jenner blew out a breath. “I know Sam said she’d withdraw from the coalition if it came to that, but you can’t let her do that,” he said, his tone almost pleading. “With her having taken over Gray Tail there will be an imbalance of power.”
“What you mean is Sam will be a lone power and you wolves can’t allow that.”
“You need to convince her to accept the ruling and turn that pack over to the Coalition pending our findings,” he replied. “It’s better she loses the pack fairly and legally than have anyone in the Coalition look askance at the proceedings.”
Mallory snorted. “If she withdraws, you can’t touch her.”
“But we can still sanction Mica’s cousin. His sentence will be death to send a message,” Jenner told her grimly. “We can’t allow this town to devolve into a cesspool of lawlessness.”
“I’ll kick him out of my pack.” She shrugged.
“With Sam being on her own, it’ll be open season on her. All the burden of proof in any case of aggression against her pack will be on her, and you know she’ll always lose.”
“That would be stupid on your parts,” she said evenly. “Sam isn’t going to be the easy target you think she will be.”
No. Sam was deadly and cold when threatened. To that, there were three deadly women in Sam’s pack who’d turn this into a battle of attrition the town would get caught in.
“And you’ll be heavily sanctioned for letting him go as well as being charged with murder of the girl killed in your club. On top of that, the Coalition will want to charge you with conspiring in Collier and Jerry’s disappearances.”
She drew in a deep breath and let it out harshly. “That’s your answer? Force me to betray a woman who’s like a sister or do time for something I didn’t do?”
“It’s the only answer to get things back the way they should be,” he told her. “You couldn’t have thought that getting rid of Jerry would be that easy. I’m not sure I believe everything you said, especially in light of the forgery those videos are being made to be.”
Mallory nodded. “If you do this, you’ll lose, Jenner,” she said softly.
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a fact,” she told him in a hard tone, slamming her fist on his desk. “Sam won’t roll over, and I’m not going to let you roll over me because you want more power.”
He rose to look down at her, his wolf-gray eyes glittering dangerously.
Mallory got to her feet too, holding his gaze.
“Think it over. You have one week. You do as the Coalition wants and give us Sam on a silver platter or you die with her.”
Mallory backed to the door not trusting that wolf. He’d always acted with a semblance of honor, but with the evidence against his alpha being called into question, Mallory knew he was a wolf out for vengeance.
Like any wolf she knew, she was sure he’d attack her here and now if she let her guard down. She wouldn’t go for the throat for fear of dying in the police station at the hands of wolves.
The door opened at her back, and she stiffened. However, Mallory didn’t stop. She merely drew in a breath to determine the name of the wolf she’d have to kill first.
“Alpha.” The male’s voice was familiar and so was his scent.
“I didn’t call for you, detective,” Jenner snapped. “Get back to work.”
“I am working,” Rowel retorted. “I was coming to tell you a complaint has been filed against a cop.”
Jenner frowned. “A coyote?”
“No, the dancer Cordelia Harcourt.”
His eyes glittered as they focused on her, and Mallory schooled her features, though she was surprised to hear it.
“Five days,” Jenner said pointing at her. “Then, I’ll assume you chose the wrong side. Now, get out, and Rowel, tell the dancer to get in here.”
Mallory exited his office and turned to find several wolves watching them. Some growled low, but she turned her gaze on Rowel.
“What are you doing? This might get you killed,” she muttered under her breath.
“You’re my alpha,” he said coolly. “My job is to die with you or for you if it comes to that.”
She shook her head and slapped his shoulder. “I’ll see you in the den. Thanks.”
He flashed her a brief smile. “Be careful. They all know what he and the Coalition thinks about Jerry’s disappearance.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Mallory said. She knew getting out of the building might be a feat, but she held her head up as she made her way to the door.
A male wolf with strawberry blond hair shoved her, and she stumbled back into the arms of a male who caught her in a head lock. Mallory jumped and kicked the man in front of her before releasing her claws and jamming them into the thigh of the man restraining her.
He growled, and Mallory drove her elbow into his stomach. As his grip loosened, she ducked to avoid the punch of the man who’d pushed her. His blow connected with his friend’s face.
“Another move, boys and girls, and I’m busting a cap in a few asses. Then, I’m booking you for assault,” Rowel said icily. “This is a place of business not a boxing ring.”
“He’s right,” Jenner barked. “Get back to work. Another finger on her in this building, and you’ll be put on leave.”
Mallory gave Rowel a nod and Jenner a look, brow lifted. She hadn’t missed the subtle distinction that gave them the green light to attack her outside. If he wanted to play it that way, then she had no trouble with guerilla warfare.
****
Cordelia watched the scene play out from a corner of the squadroom. Mallory moved with lithe grace and swiftness which seemed to surprise the men. Her fist had one man’s face turning blue.
She couldn’t help admiring Mallory’s willingness to defend herself. Cordelia was immensely proud of her, considering the guts it took to stand her ground in wolf territory when you were possibly a woman alone.
“Miss Harcourt.” Rowel motioned her over with two fingers, and she crossed the room to be led into an office. “Chief this is Cordelia Harcourt.”
“Miss Harcourt, what’s her problem with Officer…?”
“Officer McDaniels,” Rowel supplied.
Jenner sighed and indicated the two chairs before his desk. Cordelia took one aware of Rowel leaving them.
“What’s Officer McDaniels done?”
“She came to my job at the club last night and harassed me. She jerked me off the stage and pressed my face into her crotch.”
“It’s a club,” he said coolly. “What do you want me to do about that? I’m sure that’s just a job hazard.”
“That wasn’t her first attack on me,” she snapped. “She tried to rape me when I went out with her.”
“And you’re just reporting it?” he asked blandly.
“I figured if I just left her alone she’d leave me alone, but last night was proof that wasn’t going to happen. I want to file charges against her for jerking me off the stage.”
“I’m sure the guards there handled the matter,” he said dismissively. “If anything happens outside the club, you’re free to file a report.”
“If I slit her throat in the club and the bouncers throw her in the trash, then what?”
“They won’t,” he said acerbically. “And I’ll charge you with murder.”
“And I’ll kill you, too,” she told him coldly, fists clenched at her sides as the animal inside her fought to break free. The cat could sense the wolf’s dominant nature, but the wolf clearly had no scent of the cat.
“Are you threatening a police chief?” he asked, eyes stone hard.
“Aren’t threats as much of a job hazard for you as your death?” she asked silkily.
“Be careful you don’t end up in a ditch,” he said, a growl in his voice. “You’re new around here. Those women at the club won’t give a damn about you.”
Cordelia held his gaze, pulling the cat back. She was in heat and that made the cat cranky, especially since she wasn’t getting laid these days.
“You’re right,” she said. “The next time she attacks me, I’ll go to the sheriff in the next town or call in the state police. I might even call the FBI and tell them you’re refusing to do your job.” She knocked the chair over as she stood.
“I’d advise you to think that over,” he said, his tone deceptively calm. His animal was staring at her, his eyes wolf gray.
“Then do your damn job. Serve and protect me before she hurts me.” She stalked from the office into the squadroom where wolves looked up from their work.
Cordelia ignored them, exiting as quickly as possible.
“Damn that bastard,” she muttered. All she wanted was a peaceful life, not another set of assholes who thought they had the right to do with her as they pleased.
Chapter Three
Mallory sighed as she ended the call she’d made to Cordelia. Talking to her about her problem with McDaniels was tops on her list this afternoon. She hadn’t returned her call yet and it didn’t look like she was going to.
She unlocked her door and climbed into the sporty black vehicle. She started the engine and was about to back out when a cry of rage stopped her.
“What the hell?”
Mallory cut the engine and climbed out. Across the parking lot, she spotted Cordelia standing in front of her moped.
Catching a Coyote Page 2