by Kym Grosso
“Thank you for coming,” Logan told Devereoux and nodded over to Dana.
Léopold wasted no time, going directly to the body. Picking up the cold arm, he sniffed at the skin and darted his tongue over the small wounds. Unceremoniously, he stood and rubbed his nonexistent five o’clock shadow. Contemplating the situation, his menacing eyes met Logan’s.
“Her neck was the fatal blow, no? There’s a lot of blood. But someone did drink from her. These bites aren’t just for show. No, they took much blood before killing her.”
“But there’s no signs of struggle,” Logan indicated.
“Oui. Pleasure bites, perhaps. It would explain her relaxed positioning, the peaceful look in her eyes. I believe she knew him. Or her.” Léopold gently slid his fingers over the woman’s eyelids, closing them.
“That I hadn’t considered. But your guards were all males, correct?” Logan asked Wynter.
“Yes.”
“But still, there’s nothing here to indicate the sex of the killer,” Logan agreed. “It appears she hasn’t been sexually assaulted although an autopsy would be needed to confirm. I don’t smell sex.”
“The scent is exactly what disturbs me,” Léopold pointed out, fisting his finely manicured fingernails.
“We didn’t smell anything,” Dimitri told him.
“The she-wolves were the ones who found the body,” Logan explained. “What do you smell?”
“Ah, it’s so very faint, but vampire. And to my great dismay, it is from my line. Perhaps not a direct child,” he reasoned. “No, it cannot be. They’ve all been accounted for. Isn’t that interesting? Where did you say you found Wynter last night?”
“Down near Decatur. Courettes. I sent a couple of my guys down there last night afterwards, but they didn’t find anything. But if you’ve got a scent, we should go together,” Logan suggested. “Give me an hour and I’ll meet you there. First, I’ve got to get Fiona and Luci home safely.”
“They’ll be gone,” Wynter added softly.
“It’s a longshot, but if it gives Devereoux more information about who he’s looking for in his ranks, then we’re going,” Logan said tersely. “Dimitri, take Wynter home.”
“I can go with you,” she interrupted.
“No, you can’t,” Logan disagreed. No fucking way was she going anywhere near that place, putting herself in danger again. Logan needed to get away from her for a while anyway. She was clouding his judgment. He should have sent her to Jax the minute he found her. Because of his overactive libido, he’d allowed her to stay and worse, he played with her. The confusing emotions would endanger her and his pack.
“But I could help you find where they kept me,” she continued, until Logan turned on her. Wynter’s feet moved backward on their own until she’d backed up against a closet door. She’d never understood how the pack and an Alpha communicated, but she swore she could literally feel his anger emanating off of him, snapping across her skin like a whip.
“You. Will. Go. Home. Do not argue with your Alpha, Dr. Ryan. You will learn soon that there are consequences for disobedience within the pack. Do not test me,” he growled at her.
“But Logan…” Wynter’s eyes brimmed in tears as he admonished her in front of the others. She wanted to scream at him that she wasn’t a wolf but thought better of it.
“Not another word. Now go.” Logan’s face hardened and his eyes fixed on hers before he turned his attention to Dimitri.
“Get her out of here. And keep her safe until I return.”
“You got it.”
“Hey D, one more thing. Did you call Zeke and Jake? I need them to deal with Dana’s body.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Dimitri moved over to Wynter and gently put his arm around her. “You okay?” he asked, aware that Logan was watching his every move with her.
Wynter nodded silently. She wanted to leave; she hated this place. She already sensed how Logan had distanced himself from her, well before he yelled at her. No, the embarrassment of being chastised was just the finality she needed to know she had to go home to New York. Confused and alone, she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and to crawl into a bed. She might have to wait to go home to the city, for Jax. But she was good at waiting. Being held captive had taught her that.
If she really was a wolf, she could continue to live with Jax, at least until he found a mate. He’d proved a million times over that he’d protect her, of that she was sure. Jax was everything she’d needed when there was nothing. And by some cruel fate, she once again had nothing. No job. She had a degree in a career that she didn’t look forward to jumpstarting. Her health was questionable, infected with an unidentified agent. Her mind would be forever broken by the memories of the torture she’d endured. And the small place she’d begun to open in her heart for Logan was a figment of her imagination. Like a mirage in the desert, the oasis was transforming back into sand.
The last thing she saw when they left the apartment was Fiona curled into Logan’s arms. Luci stood next to him, caressing the back of his head. Feeling nauseated at the sight of another touching him, Wynter tried to look away but not before Logan’s eyes flashed to hers. His impassive facial expression gave no clues as to what he was thinking, but she recognized the flare in his eyes. Passion. Whether filled with hate or love, a storm brewed within him.
Chapter Twelve
The Mistress celebrated the death of the meddling doctor. It couldn’t have gone more smoothly, except perhaps for that diabolical vampire. She hadn’t counted on him being in New Orleans. Kade would have been much easier to deceive. But Devereoux, he was an entirely different creature. Much too clever for his own good. But now that she knew he was here, she’d be more careful.
She cursed the Directeur. He’d been sloppy, indulging the pretty hybrid in foreplay before killing her. He should have merely slit her throat, leaving no clues as to what kind of creature had taken her life. How unfortunate for him that the ancient one now suspected the Directeur’s lineage. Idiocy and arrogance would be his downfall. From the minute they’d met, he’d aspired to a stature well beyond his capabilities. It served him right to be taken down a peg.
If they identified him, she’d eliminate him. Pity, but she couldn’t have his mistakes thwart her plans for her Acadian Wolves.
The cab ride back to the mansion was a blur. Wynter didn’t want Dimitri to see the tears streaming down her face. She’d looked in the other direction, staring aimlessly into the dark city streets. Long ago, she’d learned that emotions equated to weakness. She may be broken, but she’d never let them see it. A survivor, she’d get through this like every other dreadful experience. Ten years ago, she thought nothing would match the pain and devastation when her loving parents were brutally murdered in a carjacking. It had felt as if a shard of glass had cleaved open her heart. She mourned them for years until life had become tolerable. Up until six months ago, she’d begun to hope that she’d maybe create her own family someday, filling that void in her chest that had never quite mended.
Tonight, Logan might as well have torn her in half when he yelled at her. One minute she’d been ready to make love to him and the next it was over before it started. The final blow had been how he’d allowed Fiona and Luci into the comfort of his arms so quickly. Her cerebral, human self knew that he’d been attending to their grief as Alpha, but her soul felt crushed. Her wolf yelped wildly at the sight, not understanding what she was seeing. The beast was growing stronger. Angry and hurt, her emotions swirled like an out of control tornado uplifting and destroying anything in its path. None of the feelings meshed with her normally levelheaded approach to life.
The wolf within seethed, aware that her Alpha was in the hands of other females. Wynter closed her eyes, trying to push the animal away, but it kept at her, unrelenting. The full moon was only days away, and she suspected there was a chance she would indeed shift. Oh God. How could this be happening? She’d been afraid to ask them where Dana had taken her blood or what t
he results were. She figured that she’d do her own analysis once she got back to New York. Other than the wolf, no physical discomfort or illness remained from her ordeal. No, all the pain she felt was in her own mind. Restless and heartbroken, Wynter didn’t know how she was going to get through the night.
Before she knew where she was, she realized she was standing inside the guest room. Had Dimitri walked her all this way? She didn’t even remember getting out of the cab. Exhausted, she sat on her bed and put her face into her hands.
Dimitri was worried about the little wolf. She hadn’t spoken the entire way home. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like for a human to transform into a wolf. Even if she lived with wolves, it didn’t make her one. Adapting to their lifestyle would not be easy. Listening to Logan reprimand her was difficult. But she’d needed to learn that she couldn’t openly challenge the Alpha, especially after everything that had transpired; Dana’s death, her own confession.
Observing her listless state, his suspicion that she was Logan’s mate grew stronger. Her wolf needed her mate, and he’d been with another woman. That alone would have driven her wolf berserk. But it was more than that; Logan had withdrawn after the scene at the club. For a minute, he thought he might have to hold Logan back from tearing Léopold apart limb by limb. Jealousy didn’t even begin to describe his Alpha’s behavior. He’d watched his Alpha possessively sweep Wynter off her feet. And she, and her wolf, ravenously attacked him in return despite her otherwise modest human nature. It was the hottest thing he’d witnessed in a long time. After seeing her in the pool earlier, Logan wasn’t the only one walking around today with an agonizing erection.
Dimitri wished she’d just come clean from the beginning. Protocol was one thing; endangering pack members was an entirely different story. But to be fair to her, he and Logan had taken her into their home knowing someone was still after her. She’d shared as much. The whole situation summed up to a clusterfuck of monstrous proportions. He sure as hell hoped that Logan and Léopold found some kind of clue soon before all-out war broke out in New Orleans, because if they didn’t, he was certain his Alpha would tear up the city to find Dana’s killer.
Dimitri watched Wynter slump onto her bed. He needed to do something to help her get through the night; something that did not include touching her too much. His Alpha may not have understood what the female meant to him yet, but Dimitri wasn’t fool enough to test his theory. When Logan came home, he’d go in search of her. Similar to Wynter’s current reaction from being separated from Logan, the pull to be with her would be too much to resist.
“Hey, Wyn. It’s going to be okay,” he reassured, sitting down next to her on the bed. “Come here.”
The bed depressed and Wynter felt a strong arm around her shoulder. And even though it wasn’t the man she wanted, she was oddly calmed by his touch and welcomed his presence. He was warm, and like Logan, his scent was appealing, safe. A sob wrenched from her chest, and she clung to him, seeking comfort.
“That’s it, cher.” Dimitri wrapped her all the way into his embrace. While he found her attractive, especially after watching her with his Alpha, he only sought to give her peace. There was nothing sexual about the situation for him. Oh no, a cryin’ woman was a libido killer, in his book. “It’s not your fault.”
“I should have told him sooner,” she cried. “But it wouldn’t have mattered. They want me. I may have to go back to them. They won’t stop.”
“No, don’t think so. You’re not going back. Do you think your Alpha would ever let that happen?”
“Jax or Logan. Who is my Alpha?” She pulled away; her eyes were swollen and red. “I don’t know who I am, Dimitri. Where I belong. Hell, I don’t even know what I am. How could they do this to me? Wasn’t it enough to drain me? To chew on me like rodents? And now, I’m just a freak.”
“You’re wolf, cher. And it’s going to be okay. It may not be easy but you’ll get through it. As for your Alpha, only you can make that choice.”
“I haven’t slept with him,” Wynter confessed.
“Logan?”
“Jax,” she stated.
“Okay, then.” Dimitri wasn’t sure if he was ready for this conversation but he steadied himself for what came next.
“We live together, making people wonder, leaving it ambiguous to everyone…well, except for his beta.”
“Now why would you do that?”
“My parents. They were murdered. I was fifteen,” she whispered. She kept her head down. “My Dad worked for him. He was his accountant. They were pretty close friends. Jax trusted Daddy with everything. One day I was in my parents’ loving home in Brooklyn and the next thing I knew I’d been moved into Jax’s Manhattan penthouse. I had no other family when they died.”
“I’m sorry,” Dimitri offered, and wrapped his arm around her once again. “It must’ve been really difficult. You were so young.”
“I hated Jax at first. He was overbearing. What else can you expect from an Alpha? But he cared about me….really cared about me. The first year, he never left my side. Seriously, pretty much wherever he went, he made sure I was with him,” she reminisced. “He filled my days with school, friends, horseback riding…all kinds of things to keep me busy and growing up right. He loves me.”
“Like a father?”
“Like an Alpha,” she responded quickly. “No, Jax is quite aware that I’m a woman, but if he’s ever wanted me that way, he never told me. We’re friends, but he’s Alpha. I know that, respect him.”
“So why the pretense?”
“He insisted on it. I didn’t mind. I mean, the wolves, he kept me from his pack for the most part. I don’t think he wanted me around the males. He kept telling me I’d grow up to find a human. It sounded reasonable. It didn’t really bother me.”
“But why not just tell Logan?” Dimitri persisted.
“I don’t know. He asked me if I belonged to Jax, and I do. I did. Or at least that’s how it felt before, but now everything is so confusing.” She rubbed her face with the back of her hand, trying to dry the tears. “But when I went to dance with Léopold…he frightened me. I saw his fangs, and he kept talking to me about Logan. And I don’t know…all I knew is that I wanted Logan and…”
“What?” Dimitri could hear the hesitation in her voice.
“I felt like he really was my Alpha,” she said with a shake of her head. “How crazy is that? I mean, I’ve known the guy for what? A day? Maybe a very long intense day. So to have that thought in my head…him being my Alpha. It’s insane, yet it felt so real.”
“Sometimes things in life don’t make sense, cher. Sometimes our feelings,” he put his hand on her chest above her heart, “our gut; that’s what you’ve got to trust. Now I know you’re some kind of a scientist and you like data, facts and all that business. But you know since you’ve been around Jax that that’s not how things work in the pack. Fate, she directs the life show. And you’ve got to trust your heart.”
Wynter listened intently. Maybe he was right but she was still ripe with confusion.
“Now look, you’ve made me all sappy,” Dimitri laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t tell Logan. I won’t live it down.”
“You’ve gone and spoiled that dangerous mystique of yours,” she smiled. “I’ll try to take your advice, and I promise I won’t tell Logan.”
“Oh cher, you don’t need to worry about that danger part. Let’s hope you don’t ever need to see it. Now come on, go get a shower. I’ll get you some tea and then you’re goin’ to bed.”
As Wynter emerged from the bathroom, she stared at herself in the long mirror. Dressed in a pink camisole and underwear, she noticed her naturally curly hair had now gone completely haywire, but her skin was smooth and flawless. Too flawless. Unnaturally so. It was physically impossible for a human to heal at this accelerated rate, she knew. Part of her was relieved that she actually looked better than she had prior to taking the job. The other part of her shivered in trepidati
on. Her molecular structure had changed and was still in flux. Would she shift? Would it hurt? What would it feel like to be an animal?
A blanket of despondency shaded her otherwise optimistic spirit. It was then that she realized why she was so utterly miserable. She missed Logan. More than lust, she wanted to get to know him and talk about things that only lovers would share. Thoughts of what it would be like if they made love danced through her mind. But then that nasty bit of reality cropped up, slamming her back to what was really happening. The reason she was here alone, her lack of transparency.
A sigh drew her attention away from her spiraling misery. She startled at the sight of Dimitri watching her. His one hand was propped on the door jamb, and the other held a steaming cup. At first, she’d found him a little scary with his massive presence, tattoos and sharp goatee. But he’d shown himself to be gentle and caring, and she understood why Logan chose him as a beta.
“Hey, brought you tea.” He offered her the warm beverage. “You look beautiful. I mean, tonight you looked great. But look at you; you’re all healed.”
“Yes. Not very humanlike.” She gratefully took the mug, sat on the bed and took a sip.
“No, but it’s natural…for a wolf,” he countered.
“Can I ask you a question?” She knew she shouldn’t ask but she just couldn’t take not knowing.
“Ask away. My answer, that’ll depend on the question.”
“Fair enough. Is he with those women? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” She buried her face into the cup, regretting her question. How embarrassing was it to be so insecure?
He smiled, thinking that they were going to drive each other crazy before admitting what was going on between them.