by Jane Godman
“But you didn’t tell me about the test results?” Her voice came out very small, slightly croaky.
“Maybe I should have. I didn’t want to scare you. This was right after we’d gotten you out of that fucking cage. When I realized you didn’t know you might be a werewolf, I decided to take care of the lab results myself.” He cast a sidelong glance in her direction. “Was that the wrong thing to do?”
Maria was silent for a long time, turning what he’d told her over in her mind. Since her adoptive parents had died when she was in her late teens, she’d become used to taking care of herself. Her brother had never been happy to have a new little sister thrust upon him, and that had persisted throughout their lives. He hadn’t kept in touch once their parents were gone. Having someone else to do the thinking for her was a new experience. She accepted that Madden had acted in what he thought were her best interests. If that doctor had proceeded and made those test results available to a wider group of professionals, she’d have become a human—or werewolf—lab rat. She would have exchanged one captivity for another. If Madden was right and she was a werewolf, she’d have moved into another cage, undergone a new series of tortures.
“I guess it was the only thing you could have done. I’m just not used to being left out of the loop where my own life is involved.” He ducked his head, acknowledging the reproach in her words. “What happened to the test results?”
“That’s the information Sebastian will bring us. I had him take the results from the hospital to a doctor I can trust. He will analyze them, but he won’t keep a copy of his findings. The record Sebastian is bringing to Lowell’s house is the only one.” His grip on her knee tightened slightly. “It’s up to you, Maria. If you want to know what that record says, that’s fine. If not, you can destroy the results and no one will ever know anything about it.”
Maria made a huffing noise and sank down into her seat. “You got me here under false pretenses, Detective Madden,” she said with mock severity, as he pulled into the drive of an elegant mansion. “I thought I was here for a spa break. Now I find out I’m taking part in some crazy ‘what’s in the envelope?’ game. So tell me, what’s your special talent?”
Madden shrugged. “I’m a detective. The things that make me good at my human job also benefit the brotherhood. Observation, problem-solving, attention to detail . . .”
“You missed one very important thing,” Maria said. He raised an inquiring brow. “Empathy, detective. You’re very good at that.”
* * *
Madden had been away from the midnight sun for too long. It wasn’t as if he needed its unique light to shift; Madden could change from his human to his wolf form anywhere and at any time.
Madden’s inner wolf no longer needed the midnight sun, but he still craved it. He loved its unique light warming his face, still sought the mystic qualities that called to him and refreshed him. Shifting under its unique glow was a thrill like no other and his inner wolf surged in anticipation as he stepped into the forest and shed his clothing.
He had left Maria sleeping, curled up in a fetal position that worried him despite the fact that she was breathing deeply and her slumber seemed untroubled. Lowell and Odessa had made her welcome, but, with a sensitivity that acknowledged everything she had been through, they had left her to settle into her new surroundings. The journey had tired her and, after exploring her temporary home with a wary look in her eye that brought a tight feeling to Madden’s chest, she had been ready for sleep.
Samson had arrived while she slept and Madden had left his friend prowling the premises while he came out to snatch some fresh air. He grinned. Fresh air? He couldn’t wait to snatch the opportunity to release his inner wolf.
Shifting was always a pleasant experience for Madden. The best times of his life had been as a wolf. Shifting was a celebration of those times, about reaching deep inside himself and finding his wolf memories and muscles. About closing his eyes as a human and opening them as a wolf.
This time, it was somehow harder to push his human instincts aside. His thoughts insisted on returning to Maria. He tried to relax his body and drain his mind. It was no good. Her image appeared behind his closed eyelids. The annoying thing was, he knew why. He wanted her here with him. He wanted her to shift at his side. On the surface, that sounded simple. It was anything but. It meant his wolf wanted to claim her. To mate with her. There was just one problem with that . . . Wolves mate for life. No way was Madden ready for that sort of commitment. I don’t even know if she is a werewolf, he reminded himself. He needed to focus. He tried using the sort of mantra he knew some other werewolves relied on. Deny your human instincts. Put the cares of the material world behind you. Feel nature around you, become one with it. With a sense of relief, he felt the subtle changes taking place within his body. His features lengthened, his muscles relaxed into the shape of his wolf. His feet became paws, his nose a snout, his ears sharpened, his teeth lengthened.
Opening his eyes in wolf form, he dropped onto all fours, shaking out his thick white pelt before breaking into a run. Although his paws welcomed the feel of the grass, he missed the ice and snow of his true homeland. A cool breeze blew into his face and he exulted in its touch. His effortless stride covered the miles until the house had become a distant memory. Invigorated by the boost of energy that only the midnight sun could provide, he followed a mountain ridge until he reached the edge of a forest.
Continuing to run long and hard, he scented the air and found the densest part of the woodland. Overhead the trees were dark and thick. At his approach, the sounds of the forest stilled. His preferred prey would have been deer or elk, but he was alone and he would not be able to bring down such a large animal without the help of a pack. Life as a lone wolf had taught him that much. He knew that this time, he would have to settle for something smaller.
The hare attempted to dart away from him, but the wolf was too quick. A perfect hunting machine, with feet designed for running and jaws for biting, the huge Arctic ripped into its prey, feasting quickly and slaking his thirst in a nearby stream before returning to his starting point and shifting back.
Naked, Madden walked back across the lawn toward the house. As he wiped the last traces of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, his thoughts turned back to Maria. Again. They seemed to rarely be elsewhere for very long just lately. But would she ever be able to accept who he was? Even if she opened the envelope that held the results of those tests from Sebastian and found she was a werewolf? She had still lived her whole life without doing what he had just done. Without shifting, without hunting, without sinking her teeth into her own kill.
Nothing was going to happen between them. He had to face that, get his mind back on the job and find the Cage Killer before he got a two A.M. phone call about the next victim.
Chapter Five
Maria opened her eyes, wondering how she could be experiencing such a strong sense of well-being. When she turned her head, she saw Madden seated beside the bed, and a possible explanation for the feeling became clear.
“Good morning.” That smile should come with its own health warning. The things it was doing to her insides were both delicious and dangerous.
She blinked away the last traces of slumber. “Morning?” It had been noon when she fell asleep. “Seriously?”
He laughed. “You slept so deeply, I had to check you were still breathing a couple of times.”
“How long have you been there?”
“A few hours.” He was still dressed in the clothes he had been wearing when they’d arrived. This morning, there was a hint of blond stubble shadowing his jaw. With a pang of regret, Maria remembered that she couldn’t reach out and run her fingers over it.
“You haven’t been to sleep.” She said it in an accusing tone as she struggled to get into a sitting position. She supposed she would find a way to use her hands, but the bulky bandages didn’t help.
“You got me,” Madden admitted, moving to help her.
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His mouth was inches from her own. Close enough to kiss. He had the most beautiful mouth, with a bottom lip just full enough to make her want touch it. Or lick it. And his top lip had the artist in her crying out to draw its perfect bow. It was a mouth to swoon over.
She drew her gaze away from his lips with difficulty, only to meet his eyes and find a blaze of passion in their dark gold depths that stripped her of the ability to breathe. Time slowed as he moved one hand to her shoulder while the other slid beneath her chin. The gentleness of his touch was at odds with the churning heat inside her, a heady contrast that had her leaning into him even as Madden seemed to be determined to go slow.
“Maria.” It was a whisper. Half checking this was okay, half urging her closer.
His lips brushed hers. So lightly she wasn’t sure whether it was her imagination. If this was a fantasy, she wanted more of it. Madden drew in a sharp breath as Maria pressed her lips more firmly to his. Rubbing softly across that delectable lower lip. With a groan, he moved his fingers to the back of her head, holding her so he could tilt her to the angle he wanted. Sweet and melting, lips parting and tongues caressing in the gentlest exploration. Even though the kiss was tender, raw sensation ripped through her, leaving her trembling. When Madden raised his head, she could see the same undiluted need reflected in his eyes.
“It’s definitely a good morning now.” Her voice had a husky note she’d never heard before.
When he moved away to do mundane things like straightening her pillows and opening the drapes, she felt bereft. Like she wanted his hands on her forever. It’s a side effect of the trauma, she told herself determinedly. You’ll get over it. The problem was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Although the kiss had left her craving more, she knew Madden was right to move away. A kiss was dangerous, more would be madness. Until she knew the results of those tests, had worked through who she was, taken more time over her recovery . . . well, there were just too many reasons why taking things further was out of the question.
“Do you want breakfast in bed or do you feel up to facing the extended family that is downstairs in Lowell’s kitchen?”
Breakfast sounded good. Extended family? Her bandaged right hand went nervously to her shaved head and she saw the flare of sympathy in Madden’s eyes. “Who is here?”
Madden’s expression was apologetic. “There’s quite a crowd. Lowell and his wife Odessa are here, of course, with their son, Luka. He’s about a year old now. Samson, is here, and his wife Valetta just arrived with fresh steaks for his breakfast. Odessa keeps the fridge well stocked, but Samson eats a lot.”
“Steaks for breakfast?”
“We’re werewolves.” Madden kept his eyes steady on hers. “Samson is a big guy, he gets through a lot of raw meat in a day.” She sensed he was trying to convey a fundamental message to her. This is who we are. Take us or leave us.
“How does that work in the police canteen?”
Madden grimaced. “I’ll force down a ham sandwich or a burger when I’m on duty. We can get by on human food, but it tastes like crap and it doesn’t sustain us for long.”
She bit her lip. “Do you ever”—she wasn’t sure how to phrase it—“hunt your own food?”
That steady gaze didn’t falter. It was clearly important to him to be honest. “When I shift, yes, I hunt, kill, and eat my own prey.”
“What do you eat?” Her thoughts skittered out of control.
“If I’m with a pack, we’ll work together to take down a large animal such as a caribou or elk. If I’m alone, my prey will be smaller. Maybe rabbit, hare, fox.” He smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood. “And I’m a mean catcher of salmon.”
“But you’re a werewolf. Don’t you eat humans?”
To her relief, instead of being angered or offended at the question, he started to laugh. “Oh, Maria. You’ve been watching some bad movies or reading some trashy books. I am not the big, bad wolf who lurks in the forest waiting to leap out on unsuspecting humans. I am human. Half human. I would no more eat human flesh than I would eat wolf flesh.”
“You have no idea how pleased I am to hear that.” I didn’t just kiss someone who wants to eat me. I was right about it being a good morning, after all. “Tell me who else is here.”
“Well, for some reason, Valetta’s father, Hendrik, and his partner, Cindy, have turned up. It seems to be a social call,” Madden said. “Hendrik used to be in the brotherhood. When a member is no longer one of the seven strongest or bravest, he or she leaves and is replaced. Hendrik is now a prominent politician.”
“Wait. Are you talking about Hendrik Rickard? The senator?” When Madden nodded, Maria felt her eyes widening in shock. “He’s a werewolf?”
She slumped back against the pillows as she digested this piece of information. Hendrik Rickard was well respected for his human and environmental rights campaigns. Now that she thought about it, he had the same imposing persona as Madden. And the same coloring. My coloring. She vaguely remembered something about his daughter being a rising political star. Something to do with foreign affairs and global development. It seemed she not only had to get used to the idea that she was in a houseful of werewolves, some of them were also well known in the human world.
Madden was watching her as though trying to gauge her reaction. “Hendrik’s partner, Cindy, is human.”
“How does that work? Can humans and werewolves be together?” Was Madden trying to tell her something, or was she getting ahead of herself?
“For that to happen, the human needs to take the werewolf’s bite.” She might have known there was a catch.
Maria decided she wasn’t ready for the details. “Sounds like quite a houseful. Is that it, or is there anyone else here?”
“Sebastian is here. He has the results of your DNA test.”
* * *
The kitchen ran the entire length of the rear of the house with huge windows looking out over elegant gardens that led down to a private lake. Madden had explained to Maria that Lowell came from werewolf nobility and human wealth. Before his marriage to Odessa, he had lived alone in this vast mansion. As they made their way toward the noisy group congregated around a table in the center of the room, Madden commented on the difference between his friend’s life now and how it had been back then.
“I remember when every available space in this house was filled with dusty old books,” he said, as they stepped over Luka’s toys.
“You have no idea how long it took me to relegate them to one room.” Odessa, a dainty woman with long dark hair and unusual light blue eyes, laughed as she waved Maria to a seat. She was heavily pregnant with her second child and looked serenely happy. “Even now, whenever I turn my back, he sneaks them in again.”
Lowell frowned in mock annoyance. “Philistines, all of you.” He pulled the chair next him out, the gesture helpful to Maria without making a big deal of her disability. “I hope you slept well?”
“Never better.” It suddenly occurred to her that it was true and she took a moment to wonder why that should be the case. She had just escaped the clutches of a serial killer who was still on her tail. She was the houseguest of werewolves, about to discover if she herself was a lycanthrope. None of those things was exactly conducive to a good night’s repose. Could it be that the midnight sun was exerting the same influence on her as it did on Madden?
There wasn’t time to pursue the thought. Her attention was taken up by the people around the table. Apart from the fact that so many of them had the same distinctive coloring, they all looked surprisingly normal. And Madden’s comment about an extended family seemed to be an accurate one. They were clearly all at ease together, laughing and teasing, reminiscing and finishing each other’s sentences with a familiarity that Maria could only envy. Since the death of her parents, this sort of family atmosphere had been missing from her own life.
Apart from Odessa, the only other person who did not have the distinctive Arctic coloring was a young woma
n with curly light brown hair and a sweet, pretty face. This must be Cindy, Maria decided. That meant the only other woman in the room had to be Valetta Lee. She was striking. Although she had the same silver-blond hair and amber eyes as the men, there was something otherworldly about her beauty that set her apart from everyone else. Before they came downstairs, Madden had explained that Valetta was a unique werewolf known as a Shadow Wolf.
Turning her attention to the men, Maria was able to identify them easily. She had already met Samson and Lowell briefly when she had arrived the day before. Hendrik was a well-known face because of his role in Alaskan politics, so that left Sebastian. The man who held her fate in his hands.
She liked the way no one made a big deal of her arrival. There were no comments about why she was there, no sidelong glances at her shaved head or her bandaged hands. But then, from what Madden had told her, everyone in this group had seen their fair share of turbulence and brutality in their own lives.
Since she was desperately hungry, Maria was also relieved when Odessa placed a plate of pastries on the table next to a huge platter of raw meat.
Cindy gave Maria a shy smile. “I don’t eat the bloody stuff, either,” she explained, as she took one of the pastries.
There seemed to be an ongoing joke about Madden’s looks that had him rolling his eyes. “How did you get him away from the mirror, Maria?” Samson asked. “None of us have ever been able to do it.”
She spoke quietly to Madden. “Remind me . . . who is missing?”
“There’s Vigo. He joined the brotherhood when Hendrik left. And then there’s Wilder and Jenny.”
“I remember now. One of the team is a woman.”
“That’s right. Jenny will tell you herself that you don’t need a penis to be strong and brave.”
Samson, overhearing, snorted with laugher. “Sometimes, when you’ve shifted and then can’t find your clothes when you shift back again, a penis can actually get in the way.”