“Thank you,” she said, and laid her hand on his. With a smile, he twined his fingers with hers, offering support. He glanced at the brownstone. “Do you think whatever did this also killed the jogger?”
“The bodies have decayed somewhat, affecting the bite marks, but I’m confident there will be enough forensic evidence to confirm it was the same killer.”
“So…you think the werewolf came back home after the fire?” Rafe asked, continuing to clasp and unclasp his hands as he thought out the sequence of events.
Diana nodded. “Seems that way. There was evidence in the basement that an animal was being secured in there before the fire. It may have thought it was safe to return afterward, but who knows if it will come back again.”
“Or if it’s still in animal form,” Ryder suggested. “The full moon cycle is over, so we can assume it’s back to being human, right?”
“I’m pretty sure,” she agreed. “Nothing I’ve seen so far says a shifter stays that way beyond the full moon. In the meantime, David is working with one of the neighbors and our forensic artist to get a sketch of the suspect. Although we got lucky, since I found this in the brownstone.” She pulled out an evidence bag containing a broken picture frame holding a water-stained photo of two men.
Rafe pointed to one of the men in the picture. “That’s the man we pulled from the fire.” He leaned closer to examine the other man’s features. But unfortunately, that part of the photo was the most damaged. “This guy doesn’t look familiar at all.”
“Hopefully we can restore it to get a better image, or combine it with what the sketch artist comes up with from the neighbor’s description.”
“Hopefully,” Ryder said, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
Diana accepted the comfort, resting her head on his shoulder, welcoming his presence despite her earlier reticence. It was nice to have a shoulder to lean on after relying on herself for so long. But she hated when that need bled over to work-related issues.
Closing her eyes, she took the time to rest for the long ride to the High Bridge area, shoring up her flagging reserves. By the time the car rolled to a halt she felt revived, fresh energy replacing her earlier fatigue.
…
Ryder had sensed his wife’s frailty when she tucked herself against his side. Now she seemed stronger, but he wondered for how long. He worried if she would be ready for whatever awaited them inside the shifter pub.
A pub filled with dangerous, furry shifters. He buzzed down the window to reveal the building just a few yards away, standing thirty feet wide and four stories tall. The floors were connected on the outside by a rusty, dilapidated fire escape that barely looked capable of holding a cat, let alone a person. Rusty bars caged the glass windows that ran the length of the building on the upper stories. Dim light peeked out from behind the grimy dirt, but there was no sign of any activity on those levels. On the ground floor, an assortment of neon beer signs cast colorful puddles of light and shadow on the cracked, uneven cement of the sidewalk in front of the pub.
“Nice place,” he muttered. He closed the window and regarded her. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
When she hesitated, Rafe jumped into action. “Well, I am.” He rushed out the limo door, forcing Ryder and Diana to chase after him onto the curb. Without waiting for them, he hurried to the entrance of the pub, but with a blast of vampire speed, Ryder caught up to him.
When Rafe grabbed hold of the handle to the heavy wooden club door, Ryder slammed his hand flat on the surface and used his vamp power to keep it shut. “You follow our lead, Rafe, not the other way around,” he said, a deep rumble and hint of fang reinforcing his command.
“Bullshit.” Rafe jabbed the center of his chest with his thumb and rose on tiptoes to meet Ryder’s greater height. “It’s my life that’s at stake.”
“And mine, and more important, Diana’s and our child’s,” he reminded the other man.
Diana joined him, and in a not so subtle move, drew back her jacket to show Rafe the gun, badge, and handcuffs on her belt. “You follow our lead or you’ll find yourself cuffed and locked in that sedan,” she warned.
Rafe responded with a low growl, and before their eyes, fur sprouted along his hand as it rested on the handle.
Rafe started, and reeled at the sight. He pulled back, jamming his hands into his jacket pockets and standing down. “I understand,” he agreed, reluctant, but more amenable after his unexpected display.
Ryder yanked open the door and made no bones about the fact he would go through first. With a not so subtle elbow to Rafe’s midsection, he strode into the pub.
Possibly a big mistake. Diana followed him in a second later, and at least a half a dozen powerfully built men and women were instantly on their feet, beginning to morph. Long, deadly claws and fur were already apparent on their hands. In response, Ryder transformed to his vampire self. From behind came another low growl from Rafe as he joined them.
Diana pushed Ryder aside and raised her hands in a calming gesture. “Take it easy! We’re not here for a fight. We’re here for your help.”
The largest man in the group, easily six foot five with shoulders that seemed almost as wide and legs as thick as tree trunks, took a step forward. He wore faded denim jeans and a matching jacket that was open, revealing a dark blue NYPD T-shirt that stretched tightly across a chest and abdomen. “Then you shouldn’t have brought along fang boy and that half-blood,” he said, the growl of the wolf in his voice. He jerked his head at Rafe and sneered at Ryder.
Ryder carefully controlled his reaction, but a deeper, more guttural rumble burst from Rafe as he lunged forward in response to the slur.
Ryder shot out an arm, blocking him. “We don’t want trouble,” he repeated to Rafe.
The firefighter backed down, although by now both his hands were covered in fur and sported wickedly pointed claws. A hint of dangerous canines was apparent as he forced a smile and growled out, “I can take care of myself.”
Diana laid a hand on his chest, silently urging him to remain nonthreatening. “Easy, Rafe. I get the whole alpha thing, but all we want here is information, not a damn fight.”
Ryder could see they were seriously outnumbered, and in a confrontation with the shifters they would be losers for sure, but Rafe seemed too far gone to recognize that, caught up in the crazy chemistry that was taking over his body. Ryder sympathized, having gone through much the same thing himself when he was turned.
Rafe glared at Diana, but finally nodded and stepped back. Relief washed over Ryder, although they still faced a whole pack of trouble in the angry shifters standing before them. But it was short-lived. He could feel the weakness within her that he had sensed earlier blossom again. Her heart fluttered in that awful way that sent him into a near panic every time he felt it creep over her.
Sucking in a deep, calming breath, the sharp, acrid smell of animal filled his senses, and he had to fight not to sweep her into his arms and drag her away to safety.
She faced the large wolf-man, clearly the pack leader, and peered up at him as he towered over her, arms akimbo, making his already broad chest appear even bigger. Ryder’s heart pounded with both fear and immense pride. His woman had real courage.
“We need your help. Please,” she said in a tone that didn’t challenge the big man’s authority, but also wasn’t subservient.
Smart. He suspected they would not react well to any sign of weakness, especially from a woman.
The man peered from him to Rafe, then threw his head back and laughed from deep in his gut. The action displayed canine fangs twice as thick and long as Rafe’s, possibly even more lethal than Ryder’s.
The display didn’t dissuade her. Stepping toward the man, she pulled back her shoulders and drew aside her jacket to reveal her gun and badge. She tapped the badge. “See this, Alpha Guy? I can have an entire precinct here in minutes.”
Ryder suppressed a grin at her cheekiness, and the other man’s humor continued unabat
ed. With a toothy grin, the alpha chortled, “If you live that long.”
In a move so fast that Ryder didn’t even see it with his vamp senses, Diana had her gun out and pointed at the man’s head. Whoa. He hadn’t seen that coming.
“Silver, in case you’re wondering,” she said smugly. “And I’ve got my magazine loaded with fourteen bullets…which, by my count, leaves me a few spares in case I miss.”
“Only she never misses,” Ryder said, crossing his arms over his chest, appreciating her chutzpah. He lowered his guard and released all of his vamp power, ready to protect his wife if needed.
The big wolf’s demeanor changed immediately at the sight of the silver-loaded weapon. He raised his hands and urged calm. “I thought you didn’t want trouble.”
“I don’t. Just information,” Diana said, but didn’t waver from her ready position. “Are you willing to talk?”
The man glanced back at his group. Low murmurs of warning and uneasy glances passed between the pack members before he returned his attention to her. “What kind of information?”
Ryder’s shoulders notched down a fraction. This might go well, after all.
“We’ve had some murders down close to Central Park,” she said. “We think a werewolf did them. We also think the shifter bit my friend, here.” She tipped her head at Rafe.
The alpha’s eyes narrowed. “We don’t kill and we don’t bite. Hard enough to survive in the city without creating problems like him,” the man said disgustedly.
A chorus of agreeing growls came from those gathered behind him.
“Why do you consider him a problem?” Ryder asked, wondering if like the Slayer Council, the shifters looked down on half-breeds.
“He’s not a true wolf like those of us born to this life,” the pack leader replied and lowered his hands. “Many of the half-bloods can’t control the cyclic shift, and that only causes problems for the rest of us.” He folded his arms in a more relaxed and much less threatening pose.
“By that you mean these hybrids kill and bite humans, risking your exposure?” Diana asked.
The big man nodded and the long locks of his chocolate brown hair shifted with the jerky movement, increasing his animal appearance.
“Then we want the same thing, friend,” Ryder said. “To stop whoever is doing this, before it happens again.”
“We are not friends, fang boy,” the leader shot back. “But if a shifter is killing, he needs to be stopped.” He pushed out a breath, seeming to make a decision. “In fact, my pack leaders and I were just discussing the murders.”
The big man stepped back and spread his hands wide in invitation, motioning to a large, round table a few feet away.
Ryder and Rafe held their ground. He wasn’t about to trust these guys yet. Diana lowered her weapon to the side, but didn’t holster it.
“We have an idea who is involved in the killings,” she said. She reached out to him for the framed photo he had tucked into his jacket pocket. She passed it to the wolf leader.
The man barely glanced at it before giving it to a female wolf to his right, who shot it a brief look before sending it around to the other pack members.
“It’s as we suspected,” the female wolf said.
At that, the alpha morphed back to fully human. “I’m Brendon, the alpha of this pack,” he said. With a sweep of his arm in the direction of the she-wolf, he said, “This is my wife, Anna.”
She morphed back, too, and the thirty-something woman nodded her head in greeting, offering a smile. She was tall and lean, as evidenced by the button-down shirt and khakis she wore. Her light brown hair was worn loose around a very feminine heart-shaped face.
Brendon went on to name the other pack members, then waited for them to do the same.
“Special Agent Diana Reyes, FBI,” Diana said, stepping into the leadership role and taking back the framed photo from one of the wolves. “And my husband, Ryder Latimer.” That generated quite a few raised eyebrows and shocked glances at her baby belly.
Ryder stepped close to her and tenderly grasped her free hand. The tension vibrating in her was obvious to him, but she hid it well.
After the shifters’ not-so-friendly inspection, Diana continued. “NYFD Lieutenant Rafe Lazaro. He was bitten two months ago during a fire in a brownstone on Central Park North.”
“Randall Newark’s home,” Brendon said, and Diana nodded.
Anna spoke, her tones friendlier, almost conciliatory. “We heard Randall died, but had heard nothing about his partner.”
“Is that the other man in the photo?” Diana asked.
A few pack members nodded, and Brendon continued. “I assume you believe his partner did the recent biting and killing?”
“That’s what we’re assuming, and that’s why we’re here. To find out who he is, and why he might be doing this,” Ryder said, and laid a hand on his wife’s shoulder.
At his touch, her muscles relaxed, but beneath that he sensed another wave of weakness within her, along with the too-fast beat of her heart. Fear gripped him anew. But now was definitely not the time to display vulnerability. He kept hold of her, pushing as much of his strength into her as he could.
“The ‘who’ is easy. Brad Jefferson,” Anna said, and mirrored Ryder’s position, reaching up to lay a hand on her husband’s broad shoulder.
The big man’s discomfort over the topic was clear, and his actions abrupt as he yanked his T-shirt high to reveal a network of vicious and puckered scars across his chest and abdomen. “And this is the why.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Brad Jefferson did that to you?” Ryder asked, and winced, imagining the pain and suffering such deep wounds must have caused.
Anna, who had been looking at Diana with concern, offered her hand and said quietly, “Maybe we all should sit down to discuss this.”
With a graceful wave of her other hand to one of the pack members tending the bar, she said, “Please bring some refreshments for our guests.” Looking back at them, she made a wry face. “Brendon and I recently inherited this pub, so I hope you’ll excuse its dust. We plan to do some renovations to make it more inviting.”
Grateful for her friendly demeanor, Ryder followed Diana to a chair at the scarred oak table at which the pack members had been sitting. She took a seat, but he remained standing behind her, ready for action in case things went south. Rafe did the same, but Brendon, Anna, and the other pack members all assumed spots at the table.
“Caffeine-free Cokes for the ladies,” the bartender said as he set frosty glasses before them.
Anna smiled, her face glowing with pleasure. “I’m pregnant as well, although not as far along as you.”
“More reason for all of us to work together,” Ryder said, exchanging a look of male pride with the alpha wolf.
Brendon nodded, and grunted his reluctant agreement. “I guess you’re right, in this case.” He lifted the shot glass a bartender placed before himand knocked back the liquor. Fortified, he told them his story. “Randall used to belong to our pack. Contrary to our pack rules, he decided to mate with Jefferson about two years ago.”
“By ‘mate,’ I assume biting was involved? Which turned him?” Diana asked.
With a quick bob of his head, Brendon continued. “As I said before, half-bloods are unpredictable. But even if they can learn to control their animal spirit, some humans can’t handle the responsibility that comes with such power. That’s the problem with vampires, too. You suddenly get fangs, and don’t have time to understand all that such power entails.”
Ryder couldn’t argue with that. He’d seen firsthand what a vampire’s blood lust could do. But he wanted to comprehend the shifters and their social structure. “Are you saying you train your people on how to handle these capabilities?”
Brendon nodded, and moved his hand to lay it along Anna’s flat belly, the gesture touchingly gentle. The look that passed between the two was filled with love and admiration. With a smile at his wife, Brendon explain
ed. “From birth, shifters are taught to honor their gift and use it responsibly. It takes great character in a human to come late into such strength and not abuse it.”
Ryder’s estimation of the man grew. He moved his hand back to Diana’s shoulder, suddenly needing to feel their connection. Once again he perceived her troubling frailty, which brought to mind another question for the shifter.
“You’re a big, powerful man. How did this Brad guy get a jump on you and inflict that much damage?” He indicated the nasty wounds beneath the pack leader’s shirt.
Brendon’s lips tightened and he gritted his teeth. When he spoke, his tone was humbler. “Brad had been challenging me for some time. Fomenting unrest in the other half-bloods in the pack. It was creating a lot of friction amongst us, throwing everything into turmoil.” His gaze skimmed over those gathered at the table. The other men and women nodded and quietly sipped their drinks, not about to interrupt their leader.
“When Brad offered to meet me in the park to discuss the growing tension—”
“Central Park?” Diana asked.
Brendon shook his head and continued. “Highbridge. That’s not to say we don’t go to Central Park for certain needs, but in general, we have more freedom in this area.”
“Did he jump you?” she asked, taking the lead again in the questioning.
Ryder hung back, understanding she had to reassert who was in control of their group. It was the only way the wolves would respect his wife and accept that she was trying to help. Hopefully with that recognition, they would offer their assistance—the whole reason they’d come.
…
Diana found herself feeling deep compassion for Brendon as, with a pained look at his wife, he recounted what had happened next. “Brad had a bottle with him, and offered me a drink to break the ice. I barely took a sip, but that was enough to have my head reeling and make me incredibly weak from the poison. Brad morphed then, and attacked me over and over. I was so out of it I couldn’t assume my wolf form to defend myself.”
Born to Love (The Vampire Reborn Series) (Entangled Ignite) Page 11