I shrugged like it was no big deal. "I've moved around and taken my career seriously."
Roger scooted closer and rested his arms on the desk. "You live in the middle of the woods on a huge property."
"Something wrong with that?" I tilted my head.
"Only the fact that everyone in town is curious about that place. It was abandoned so long, it became common knowledge that it was haunted. And now a mysterious new professor comes to town and renovates it with a bunch of college kids." He held my gaze. "People are talking—a lot."
I took a deep breath. In trying to lay low, I'd only managed to raise everyone's suspicions. "I assure you it's not haunted, and nothing weird is going on with anyone living there. They're my family."
"Family? You've got every race in there from white to Asian to Samoan."
"There's been a lot of adoption. And besides, you forgot Hispanic and African. I have an equal opportunity family."
Roger chuckled and leaned back. "You don't have to explain anything to me. I like you, and I'm sure you have your reasons. You strike me as a guy who just likes his privacy. Nothing wrong with that. Join the game, and it'll show everyone that you're a normal guy."
I ran my hands through my hair. "It's weekly?"
"Every Friday night. Vinny from the history department brings his famous moonshine—I'm telling you that alone makes it worth it. But it's a ton of fun."
I took a deep breath. Did I really have time for a weekly game? On the other hand, I knew how fast things could go south when the locals didn't trust us. I held back a shudder.
"Can I get back to you?" I asked.
His eyes lit up. "Let me know by tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Think seriously about it."
I tipped my head. "I will."
He got up. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye, and thanks for the invite."
Once the door closed behind him, I rubbed my temples. I almost had no choice except to join the weekly card games. I'd thought that becoming a professor would help stave off questions and doubts, but apparently not. I'd have to talk with the pack and see what everyone thought. A weekly game on top of my job just felt like too much of a commitment.
I opened my wallet and pulled out my picture of Victoria. Oh, how I longed for the days when we were both in love with each other. I really had to get to the bottom of that mystery. Figuring that out was far more important than a game—unless not going would put my pack in harm's way.
I'd had one home burned down. I didn't want that to happen again.
"I wish I could talk with you about this," I whispered to the picture.
Another thing I wished was that I still had all my old photos of her. But they'd been destroyed in the fire, and that had been before the days of digital photography. Nothing was stored on some remote cloud. Back then, clouds had only existed in the sky.
My phone vibrated. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw I had a new text from Gessilyn. She'd probably expected to hear back from me by now.
Gessilyn: U OK?
Toby: No
Gessilyn: Want 2 get 2gether?
Toby: Yeah
Gessilyn: Free now?
I checked my schedule. I didn't have any student appointments, but it would only be a matter of time until they filled my afternoons.
Toby: Yes
Gessilyn: Ur place?
Toby: Gimme 20 min
Gessilyn: OK
At least I had a witch on my side. She had ways of finding things out that no one else I knew did. And she wasn't just any witch, either. She was the high witch and could do things others only dreamed about.
I gathered my things and locked my office. Down the hall, I could hear Roger talking about the poker game.
When I got home, Dillon was staring out a window, muttering to himself.
"Everything all right?" I asked.
He glanced at me. "Fine."
"Talk to me."
"Honestly?"
I set my bag down. "Of course."
"Sometimes I wish I lived in a normal pack."
"You mean one with a harsh alpha who demands unyielding obedience?"
Dillon frowned. "I mean one that didn't allow other species in."
"Did Ziamara use your hairspray again?"
He glared at me. "No. I was taking a leak when your witch friend jumped through the mirror."
I held in a laugh, but a smile escaped.
"It's not funny," he snapped.
"No, I'm sure it wasn't." I cleared my throat. "I'll talk to her about traveling through a different mirror."
"Yeah, well, tell her I hope she enjoyed the show, because that's all she's getting." He stormed past me and went outside, slamming the door behind him.
At least I never had to worry about life being boring. I sniffed the air and smelled the scent of a witch in the kitchen. It smelled like someone else was with her.
I went into the kitchen. Brick was laughing with Gessilyn and Soleil. Gessilyn, as usual, looked more like a fitness instructor than a witch with her yoga pants, pink racerback tank top, and a blonde ponytail.
They all stopped laughing when I came in.
"Don't stop on my account." I went into the fridge and grabbed some juice. I sat next to Gessilyn. "Dillon says hi."
Her face flushed red. "I should probably place a rune on a different mirror for traveling here. You don't mind, do you?"
I chuckled. "The guys who use the downstairs bathroom would probably appreciate it."
"You won't tell Killian about that, will you?"
"Your secrets are safe with me, but he'll probably find it funny, too."
"I know. That's the problem."
"Did we miss something?" Soleil asked.
"Nothing important." I took a swig of my juice. "But something big did happen today."
"What?" Gessilyn asked.
They all leaned closer.
"Victoria accidentally called me Toby." I could still hardly believe it. "I never told her my first name."
"Really?" Soleil asked. "You sure she didn't find out some other way?"
"I wouldn't know, but she was so shaken up, she ran off."
"Do you think she remembers anything else?" Gessilyn's eyes widened. "We might be getting close. Soleil filled me in on what she found out."
I turned to Soleil. "Did you find out anything new?"
She shook her head. "I haven't been able to talk to her alone, but I'll keep trying."
"Does she remember anything else?" Gessilyn repeated.
"I can only guess at this point. When I look into her eyes, I swear I see her wheels turning, but she won't open up to me. I think we need to look into the jaguars some more."
Everyone nodded.
"What do you know?" Gessilyn asked.
"Aside from them being super rich?" Soleil asked.
"I've heard some things," Brick said.
We all turned to him.
"What?" I asked.
"Rumor has it they practically rule certain parts of the world—well, the supernatural creatures, though their influence does seem to creep into human territory, too."
"Where?" Gessilyn asked.
"Mostly Mexico and Central America, but as we've seen, they're moving north."
"But what do they have to do with Victoria?" I exclaimed. "Are they behind her memory loss?"
"That's what it seems," Gessilyn said. "Before you found her, all my locator spells came up with jaguars, remember? They seemed to be protecting her."
I frowned. "From me?"
"Who knows?" Soleil asked. "It could be anything."
"Between us, we should be able to figure out something." I stared at Gessilyn. "You're learning new spells every day, right?"
"It's more complicated than that, but basically, yes."
I turned to Soleil. "And you can learn people's secrets by drinking their essence."
"But I can't get to what she doesn't know."
"Can't you find a way to get some
jaguar essence? Like that one she was dancing with?" My stomach tightened at the memory.
"They're hard to get that close to. I can't get it from across the room, and like I said, I can't get into their club."
I turned to Gessilyn.
"I'm not a jaguar."
"But you're a witch. Can't you concoct something?"
"I can look into it. The problem is that I know so little about them. This is the first I'm aware of them being so far north. They're probably going to hate how cold our winters are."
I sat back, feeling full of resolve. "Then I'm going there."
Brick's eyes widened. "What are you going to do, sir?"
"See what I can do. I won't know until I try."
"I'm going with you."
"I think I should go alone. Otherwise, they may feel threatened."
His face tensed. "Then I'm going to follow you, and watch from a distance. No way I'm letting you walk into that alone."
"I've already been there once."
"When?"
"As a wolf."
"So, that's where you went."
"And I'm going back, and I'm not leaving until I have some answers."
"Wait," Gessilyn said. "Give me a chance to work on a spell for you. Do you want me to cloak you with invisibility? I'd offer to disguise you as one of them, but I'd need some jaguar blood."
My teeth gritted. "I'd gladly supply you with some."
Chapter 18
Toby
I crouched low at the edge of the woods. The building looked the same as I remembered it, though now I could read the sign. The Jag—how clever. At least I knew I had the right place.
The parking lot was pretty empty. Just a few expensive cars sprinkled throughout.
Jet sniffed the air. "Those jaguars have a strong odor."
Brick turned to me. "Sir, if we can smell them, they'll be able to smell you. We'd better have Gessilyn whip up something to disguise your scent."
I shook my head. "There's no time." I sniffed the air. It didn't appear Victoria was anywhere in the area, though I caught a faint trace, indicating that she'd been there recently—probably within the last day. "I need to go now."
Someone drove up and parked near the front. He got out and went to a door I hadn't noticed. A bouncer let him in, disappearing inside, also.
It was now or never. I rose and dusted some dirt off my pants. Then I headed for the building like I owned the place. I had more than enough money to start something like it if I wanted to, but I didn't. I was happiest teaching and taking care of my pack. No, that wasn't true. I was content. I wouldn't be happy until Victoria was back at my side.
As I walked across the parking lot, I could feel Brick's and Jet's gazes on my back. The others weren't far behind. If I ran into trouble, at least I wasn't alone.
My skin prickled with excitement. I was on the hunt and in my element. My ears were hyper-aware of every sound. All the smells intensified. My muscles prepared themselves for action, whether it be running or fighting.
I approached the door, and it opened before I reached it.
A tall, dark, muscular man stepped outside. He frowned and crossed his arms and turned his nose down. "We don't allow your kind here."
"I need to speak with someone."
"Then call and make an appointment."
I stopped about a foot from him and shook my head. "No, I need to talk now."
He glowered at me. "To whom, exactly?"
"Whoever's in charge." I narrowed my eyes.
"Not if you don't give me a name."
We stared each other down. I tried glancing inside, behind him.
He closed the door behind his back, leaving it open only a crack. "No name, no entrance."
"Can I leave a message for the person in charge?"
"Sure, tell me who and I'll gladly pass it along."
"It's regarding Victoria."
His eyes widened, but then he quickly recovered, returning to his stoic expression. "So, you want to leave a message for Victoria? She's hardly in charge."
"No, I can speak to her myself. I'm sure you'll tell your boss about this conversation whether or not I tell you his name. You can tell him that I'm not going to back down until her memories are restored. She deserves to know her past."
He seemed to be fighting to keep his expression resolute. "You need to leave."
"Assure me you'll pass it along."
"I promise you nothing." His brows came together. "Leave before we have to escort you and your wolves off our property."
I didn't flinch at the mention of my pack in the woods. "This isn't the last your boss will hear from me. Pass that along." I spun around and marched into the woods until I was out of sight from the club.
Brick, Sal, and Jet hurried over to me.
"What's going on?" Sal asked. "Do you need me to tear them apart?"
I shook my head. "I'm going to sneak in."
"Sir?" Brick exclaimed. "Is that such a good idea?"
Jet and Sal looked at me like I was crazy.
When I was a wolf, I saw what I'm pretty sure is a staff entrance.
Sal growled. "I don't like it."
"Me, neither," Brick said. "You've already spoken with that bouncer. He's sure to pass along the message. I doubt he's going to let it sit that a wolf tried to come in."
"As do I," I agreed. "But I can't just walk away. I need to get inside and find out what's going on."
"You don't think they'll smell you a mile away?" Sal asked. "They probably know we're all out here."
"What am I supposed to do, then?"
"Wait and see what they do," Sal said. "Give them a chance to come to you."
"No. I've waited long enough for Victoria. Those jaguars have some kind of hold on her, and I need to find out what."
"Then I'm going in with you," Sal said. "I can't let you do this alone."
"Don't encourage him," Jet said. He turned to me. "You have the pack to think about, too. Not just Victoria."
I glared at him.
"She's fine, right?" Jet asked. "They're not hurting her."
"No, they've just stolen all her memories," I snapped.
"I mean she's safe. In no imminent danger."
"That we know of. I'm going in."
Jet's nostrils flared. "This is a bad idea. I feel it in my bones. You said Gessilyn's working on something, right? Have some patience. That's what you always tell us."
I stared at him, hating that he was using my own advice against me.
"Look, I don't want to see you get hurt. Especially before you have a chance to get back together with Victoria."
A low growl escaped my throat. My wolf urged me to get in there and fight for our wolfess. We were only half an alpha without her on our side. If it were possible to shift right then, I would have. Instead, I burst into a run, heading for the backside of the building where I recalled seeing someone take the trash out.
Footsteps sounded behind me. I didn't want to bring anyone else in with me. Not only would I be putting them in danger, but it would make our wolf scent twice as strong.
I stopped and spun around. Jet nearly ran into me. He skidded to a stop only inches from me. "You go, I go."
"I order you to stay back. This is my fight."
"We're a pack. That's stronger than family. You're stuck with me."
"No. Go back and check on the others at home. Ziamara needs you."
"You need me more right now."
Sometimes wolf loyalty had serious drawbacks. "I'm going. You're not. End of discussion." I narrowed my eyes and stared him down until he looked to the ground in submission.
"Okay, but know I don't like it."
"Noted."
He glanced up at me. "And I'm going to keep watch from the woods."
"Great."
"If I even sense trouble, I'm going in."
I wanted to argue, but I couldn't turn down backup. "Not if you sense it. You have to be sure of it." I glowered at him until his nose faced t
he ground again.
"Fine."
"I'm serious."
"Yes, I understand."
Brick and Sal caught up.
"What's going on?" asked Sal.
"Make sure he stays down unless I'm in trouble."
They both stared at me.
"I mean it."
"Yes, sir."
I spun around and ran toward the dumpster before anyone could try to talk me out of it. Once there, I hid behind it and glanced at the building. The dance hall was empty and dimmed. I scanned the building, nearly missing the entrance. It was tucked behind some delivery trucks and on each side sat stacks of lumber.
Glancing back, I could see my three pack mates at the edge of the woods. I took another look all around. There were no jaguars in sight.
This was my chance. I crept out of my hiding spot and ran over to the door. I pulled on the handle, but it didn't budge. Biting back a curse, I tried again.
Nothing.
I'd come too far to give up now.
The others watched from a distance. They'd moved closer to the edge. Jet waved me back.
"Over my dead body," I muttered. Gessilyn and Soleil could continue trying to find answers, but I was done waiting for them.
I knocked on the door and then scurried behind some lumber.
A minute later, the door opened. A guy with a chef's hat opened the door and looked around. He closed it before I had a chance to decide what I was going to do.
I went over and knocked again. This time, I hid where the door would open and hide me.
The door opened, nearly ramming into me.
"Who's there?" the chef demanded. "Smells like roadkill out here."
I shoved the door, slamming it into him. He stumbled and I jumped in front of him.
"What the—?"
"Sweet dreams." I grabbed at his hat and shoved his head against the wall.
His eyes closed and he crumpled to the ground.
I couldn't have done that to the front guard, so luckily the cook was easy to take care of. I had no idea what to expect with whoever I ran into inside.
Stepping over him, I went inside and closed the door, making sure it locked behind me. I was in a hallway littered with brooms, mops, buckets, and other cleaning supplies. It smelled like dirty laundry and wet towels. I stepped in puddles of what I hoped to be water as I made my way down the hall.
The smell of jaguar—musky and catlike—grew stronger as I came to a wider area. Food aromas came from the left, making my mouth water. To the right, cigar smoke tickled my nose and masculine laughter sounded.
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