Eric Delaney looked crazed. His eyes glowed, but they were also clearly bloodshot, and his hair was a mess. I faintly wondered if maybe he was having trouble sleeping, then mentally slapped myself as soon as the thought crossed my mind. Of course he was having trouble sleeping. His kid was just murdered.
Unless he’d willingly caused his son’s murder, he wouldn’t be getting any sleep any time soon.
Eric peered over my shoulder and eyed James up and down before his eyes strayed to the car parked at the curb. His nostrils flared as he inhaled our scent, and I watched recognition flash.
All color drained from his face, and he began alternately eyeing the car at the curb and James. Why did he keep staring at the car? It was probably one of the most beautiful vehicles on the streets of Spokane, but I wasn’t sensing admiration in Eric’s eyes. I was sensing fear.
Why would he be afraid of someone in his own Pack? His own Clan for that matter? Both Eric and James came from Clan Wolf.
I didn’t know what James did for the Pack, but whatever it was, it was scaring the hell out of Delaney.
Taking a step back, Delaney opened the door wider and motioned for us to come in.
I moved to take a step into the house, but before I could pass the threshold, James slid in past me, blocking my way. He stood still as a statue for a tense moment before making his way farther into the house. Stupid shifter habits, always thinking women needed to be protected. James knew better than most that I was capable of looking out for myself.
Rolling my eyes, I followed James into the house and was hit with the overwhelming stench of booze and sweat. I wrinkled my nose and did my best to breathe through my mouth as Eric led us through the entryway and into the living area.
James and I sat down on the beat up leather sofa and waited for Delaney to settle himself in the matching chair directly across from us. He avoided eye contact, focusing instead on his trembling hands balanced on his knees.
The smell in the room was all encompassing. I could only imagine how it affected James with his enhanced shifter senses. I had to blink my eyes just to keep them from watering, but I was fighting a losing battle.
I composed myself the best I could and tried to size up Eric Delaney. He was small for a man. Around my height of five-foot-seven and much thinner than I would have expected for a shifter. Most shifters were built with corded muscles and an athletic body. Eric was so thin he appeared sickly and malnourished. I surveyed the room and spotted several empty bottles strewn across the carpet and several shards of broken glass, likely remnants from previous bottles. There was a questionable pile in the carpet near the window, and the flies buzzing around it led me to believe it was vomit.
Gross.
I returned my gaze to Eric and took a breath, instantly regretting it as the smell hit my nostrils, and I inwardly gagged. God, what had he been doing, drinking himself into a coma?
“Mr. Delaney, when was the last time you saw your son?”
He didn’t seem to hear me. He continued to wring his hands and look back and forth between James and me with a wide-eyed expression.
“Mr. Delaney?” I prompted again.
Still nothing. I pinned James with a questioning look.
He sighed. “Eric, I’m not here to hurt you. Answer her questions. Please.”
I raised a brow, but James didn’t bother answering my unspoken question.
“But you’re the—”
James shook his head and sent a pointed look in my direction. Eric caught the meaning and closed his mouth.
What had Eric been planning to say? What was James hiding from me? I chewed my bottom lip. This whole Pack secrecy thing was going to get old. Fast.
“If you’re not here to kill me, then why are you here?” His words were little more than a whisper.
Wait a minute. Did he just say kill? Holy hell! I was missing something because why the hell would anyone assume that my best friend was a murderer?
James sighed again. “I’m here to work with Miss Naveed. She isn’t Pack, and this is Pack business. Just answer her questions truthfully.”
Eric nodded, and though his shoulders seemed to relax, he still sent worried glances toward James every few seconds.
I repeated my question but couldn’t help my gaze straying to James, who firmly ignored me. His eyes were glued to Delaney, and I could tell from the clench of his jaw that he was holding himself back from meeting my gaze with effort.
“Umm… the last time I saw Daniel was about three years ago,” he answered.
I turned my attention back to Eric. James could be dealt with later. “And why is that?” I gentled my voice as to not spook the man.
“Err… I have a drinking problem,” he whispered, a deep flush rising up his neck. “Jessica, my wife—” He scowled and shook his head. “Ex-wife I mean. After she left, she refused to let me see him.”
“Is there anyone who may have wanted to use your son against you?”
“No.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have any enemies who—”
“No.” Delaney was shaking his head. “Look, I don’t go out. I don’t have friends. I can’t think of any reason someone would want to use my son to get to me.”
“Did your wife have—”
Eric looked down between his feet and pulled at his hair with an agitated noise. “No. Jessica isn’t the type of woman to make enemies. She’s pleasant to everyone. She doesn’t make waves. It isn’t her style. She’s demur. Submissive. She doesn’t even gossip behind other women’s backs.”
“It’s been years since you two—”
“I know my wife!” Delaney pushed away from the sofa and paced. Despite being in his human skin, he looked very much like the agitated wolf he was right now.
“Eric.” James's voice was quiet but echoed with strength. Eric instantly stilled. “Did you have anything to do with Daniel’s murder?”
“No.”
“Do you believe your ex-wife capable of any involvement in his murder?”
“No.”
“Do you believe her husband could—”
A growl rumbled deep in Eric’s chest. “I don’t know, but if he did…” He let the threat hang in the air.
Aria’s story continues in
CURSED BY FIRE
Blood & Magic : Book 1
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HEYA!
Thank you so much for giving Trouble with Wolves a read. This book was a struggle! For those who may not know, I had originally co-written a book with a really good friend titled The Red Hood. We wrote the first draft and then disaster struck and at the age of twenty-five, he died.
It was sudden and tragic and tore me in two. I shelved that book, The Red Hood, for a few years, unsure what to do with it.Recently I decided to dust it off and give it a heavy rewrite. I wish I could have published it as it was but it was a messy first draft and I didn’t have a way to replicate my friends voice for future installments in the series.
Rewriting a book that involves loss is almost like experiencing that loss all over again. It was hard. Trouble with Wolves is a labor of love and I hope that Tom would be proud of what our idea morphed into.
To Claim a Wolf, book 2 in the Magic & Bone series will be out soon but if you’re loving this world, consider giving my Blood & Magic series a try. It’s set in the same world but with a cast of different characters, and the series is complete at six books. There’s also going to be some cross over in the future so you might like familiarizing yourself with everyone.
Just follow the link and Begin reading!
Xo Danielle
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The Blood and Magic series is complete.
Meet Aria Naveed. She’s a foul-mouthed, fire-wielding mercenary who frequently manages to get herself into a pickle.
Thankfully she’s good at getting herself out of trouble. Most of the time.
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Thank you
Thank you again for reading Trouble with Wolves and joining Lindy and Red on their adventure. Would you take a moment to leave a review? Word of mouth plays such a big role in a book’s success and you can help with just a sentence or two.
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xoxo Danielle Annett
About the Author
Danielle Annett is a girl with an obsession for Marvel movies, a love of all things Urban Fantasy, and a cheerleader for the underdog in any given story.
She likes to write about kick-butt heroines in volatile settings, and apologizes in advance for all of the cliffhangers in your future. She can’t help herself but promises that they’ll all be worth it in the end.
Danielle lives in Spokane, WA, the setting of her Blood & Magic series, and shares her life with her husband, three children, and two stubborn pets. Hurley—a dog who has the absolute worst farts—and Oakley—a green cheek conure who is a bit of a bastard but we still manage to love him.
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Trouble with Wolves: An urban fantasy romance novel (Magic and Bone Book 1) Page 15