Beneath a Rising Moon

by Keri Arthur

  room, and their music was a caress of sound that raced

  through her veins, a sensual and erotic melody designed

  for one thing only—seduction.

  She shook her head. The Sinclairs were certainly a

  hedonistic lot, but surely that wasn’t a justifiable reason

  to be killing their mates. Especially when the women

  involved weren’t even of the Sinclair tribe.

  She blinked at the thought. Was that a clue? Could

  the killer be going after only those who weren’t of the

  Sinclair pack?

  It was certainly a possibility. Maybe the hatred she

  could feel in this room tonight wasn’t aimed so much at

  the Sinclairs, but at the outsiders among them. Of which

  she was one.

  She rubbed her arms, her gaze seeking Duncan. He

  stood near the buffet table with three other men. Given

  the similarities of their features, it wasn’t much of a guess

  to say two were his brothers and the other his father. And

  it was easy to see where the sons got their looks. Even

  though his hair had long gone silver, the Sinclair pack

  leader was a picture of male perfection.

  From all reports, the sons had learned their wild ways

  from their father. While all four had been born by one

  woman, Zeke Sinclair never committed himself to her,

  preferring to chase the tails of many during the moon

  dance.

  Her gaze slipped to Duncan. Would he chase other

  wolves during this moon phase? While sanity suggested

  it would be good if he did, some small part of her reacted

  almost hostilely at the thought.

  Which was totally, utterly insane. She’d come here for

  one reason only—to catch a murderer. What Duncan did

  or said during the next few days didn’t really matter in

  the scheme of things—particularly when he’d made it so

  clear he was only after one thing from her. At least if he

  was with other mates, she’d have more time to investigate.

  Which is exactly what she should be doing right now.

  Tearing her gaze away from him, she scanned the room

  again. She saw a mask that was familiar, and surprise

  rippled through her. Betise hadn’t mentioned that she’d

  be attending the dance this week, and Neva wasn’t sure

  whether to be happy about seeing her or not. While Betise

  was a regular customer at the diner, she very rarely spoke

  to anyone but her and Ari. The chance of Betise mentioning

  Neva’s presence here at the mansion were slim.

  Even so, she briefly thought about retreating to the

  shadows and keeping out of sight. But if anyone would

  know the secrets of this place, it would be Betise. She’d

  certainly proven a reliable source of information so far.

  The blonde wolf was dressed in what looked like a

  dozen gauzy veils, and every movement revealed glimpses

  of flesh. She was talking to the man Neva had seen Duncan

  with last night. Even as Neva watched, the man made a

  chopping motion with his hand then walked away. What

  Neva could see of Betise’s expression was savage, to say

  the least.

  If that look was anything to go by, it probably wasn’t

  the best time to be asking Betise about the Sinclairs and

  that man, but right now, Neva had little choice. She might

  not get a second chance.

  She took a deep breath, then headed back into the

  crowd. The sensual beat of the music was accompanied

  by sighs of pleasure and the slap of flesh against flesh.

  Revulsion stirred, yet the fever rose in her blood, and the

  deep-down ache Duncan had started only minutes ago

  became fiercer. She might hate this sort of wanton,

  exhibitionist behavior, but the wildness within hungered

  to join them. Hungered to become part of this lusty,

  sweating crowd.

  She definitely wasn’t that different from any of those

  here tonight, no matter what her parents might have

  taught her over the years. High ideals meant little in the

  heat of the moon, it seemed.

  She finally broke free of the crowd and saw Betise

  heading for a side exit. She followed, breathing deeply the

  crisp night air before she called out to the other wolf.

  Betise swung around, and surprise flitted across her

  hard features as she took off her mask. “Neva. I didn’t

  expect to find you here tonight.”

  Neva shrugged and stopped several feet away from

  the other woman. “If I had any choice, I wouldn’t be.”

  Though perhaps sense would have been a better word to

  use than choice.

  Betise frowned. “Why not?”

  “Apparently I agreed to some form of ancient binding

  without even realizing it, and now I’m stuck here for the

  remainder of this moon phase.”

  Betise’s pale eyebrows rose. “Duncan did a moon

  binding with you?”

  “Yeah. What a bitch, huh?”

  “I guess it is if you don’t want it.” The slight edge in

  Betise’s voice suggested a binding was something she

  certainly wouldn’t have minded.

  “Well, I don’t, believe me.”

  Betise smiled. It never reached her silvery green eyes,

  and the thick sensation of envy briefly stung the air. “Being

  bonded to Duncan the rest of this phase will be a pretty

  amazing experience.”

  Amazing was certainly one word that could be used to

  describe what they’d shared so far. Harrowing was another.

  So was life-destroying. And it was all self-inflicted. No one

  had forced her into this situation. She’d stepped into it

  with her eyes wide open.

  She raised an eyebrow. “I take it you’ve danced with

  Duncan?”

  “In times past.” Betise waved a hand toward the distant

  fountain. “I need to cool down. You want to walk with

  me?”

  Neva nodded and fell into step beside the older wolf.

  “When was this?” She kept her voice carefully neutral,

  even though she was desperate to know.

  The moon and this place were making her insane, for

  sure.

  “Before he left to go to Denver. He and I were an item

  for the last year he was here.” Betise sighed again. “We

  were planning to perform the moon ceremony. We wanted

  to start a family.”

  Something twisted deep inside Neva. The moon

  ceremony was a life-bonding ritual that was performed

  the night before the full moon—and one that was only

  ever performed between soul mates. But if Betise and

  Duncan were soul mates, why was he with her rather than

  Betise? “So what happened?”

  “I don’t know. He disappeared for several weeks, then

  ended up in jail down in Denver. By the time I got down

  there, he’d been released and I lost track of him again.”

  “And you never tried to find him?” If her soul mate

  had disappeared, she would have moved Heaven and Earth

  to find him again.

  Betise’s glance was dark. “Of course I did. But by the

  time I did, a couple of years had passed, and he wanted

  nothing more to do with me
. I still don’t know why.”

  Neva frowned. That made no sense—not if they were

  soul mates. “You’ve talked to him recently?”

  “No.” Betise hesitated and raised a sculptured eyebrow.

  “But I might try this phase, if you don’t mind.”

  “Go ahead,” she said. Even though the insane part of

  her did mind. Very much.

  The older wolf stopped next to the three-tiered fountain

  and scooped up a handful of water. She took a sip then

  splashed the remainder across her breasts. “How’s your

  sister?” she asked, after a moment.

  “Slowly recovering. I think she’ll probably wake in the

  next day or so.”

  Betise nodded. “Must have been a big wolf who

  attacked her.”

  Memories rose—quick snapshots of broad shoulders,

  long legs, big teeth. Teeth that had torn so very deep.

  Neva shuddered and forced them away. She didn’t want

  to relive Savannah’s assault. Not ever.

  “Extremely big,” she somehow managed to say.

  “I was surprised you decided to come here to the

  mansion when your sister is so ill in the hospital.”

  Neva scooped up some cool water, sipping at it slowly

  as she tried to think of a plausible answer. “The day before

  she was attacked, Sav and I were discussing the things

  we wanted to do before we die.” She hesitated. “I guess

  her accident brought home just how close death really is,

  and how little I’ve done with my life.”

  “And a moon dance was on top of your list of things to

  experience?”

  Right alongside sprouting wings and flying to the

  moon. “Yeah, but one night, not five.”

  Betise chuckled. “At least you’re with Duncan. He’s

  one of the best lovers you’ll find here at the mansion.”

  But only when he wanted to be, Neva thought sourly.

  She forced a smile. “Sounds like you’ve had a dance or

  two with a few of the Sinclairs.”

  Betise’s smile was almost wistful. “You could say that.”

  “And that gorgeous specimen I saw you dancing with

  a few minutes ago?”

  The older wolf’s smile faded, and her face became hard

  again. “That was René, one of Duncan’s older brothers.”

  “I take it things aren’t going well between you?” And

  why was she dancing with René if Duncan was her soul

  mate? None of this was making any sense.

  “No.” Betise’s reply was short. Sharp. “He’s just as

  bad as the rest of them. They all make promises in the

  heat of the moment but never—” She bit off the words and

  took a deep breath. “Sorry. I don’t mean to go on.”

  Neva wished she would. She had a feeling she’d learn

  a whole lot more that way. “I totally understand, believe

  me. Duncan hasn’t exactly been a picture of politeness in

  the day I’ve known him.”

  Betise grunted softly. “It’s a wonder someone isn’t

  killing Zeke’s get, rather than just their lovers.”

  Bingo, Neva thought. Nothing in any of Savannah’s

  reports had indicated the victims had been anything more

  than casual dancers. She ducked her gaze away, taking

  another sip of water as she tried to calm her racing heart.

  “So it’s their mates being targeted?”

  Betise hesitated. “So rumor has it.”

  At least it gave her a lead she could follow. While she

  couldn’t risk talking to Duncan’s brothers, she could

  certainly track down their mates and talk to them. “Did

  you know any of them?”

  Betise shook her head. “Though I may have met them

  here, the masks make it difficult to say.”

  Neither of them seemed to have had any trouble

  recognizing each other, even with the masks on. But Betise

  had always been a loner at heart and tended to keep to

  herself. It was probably why her hair salon wasn’t doing

  as well as it should. Most women went to a hairdresser’s

  to relax and chat. Betise wasn’t inclined to allow either.

  “Aren’t you worried that you might be in danger?”

  The older wolf’s smile was bleak. “No. From what I’ve

  heard, the victims were more permanent mates rather than

  casual dancers.”

  “Why haven’t you gone to the rangers with this

  information?”

  “With little more than a rumor? I doubt it would be

  appreciated—by the rangers or the Sinclairs.”

  The Sinclairs might not appreciate it, but the rangers

  sure would. Right now, they were desperate for the slightest

  scrap that could lead them toward the killer.

  “So make an anonymous phone call.”

  “Not from the mansion, you can’t. The phones are

  tapped.”

  Thanks for the warning, Neva thought. “Who by?”

  “Zeke ordered it, apparently.”

  “Why?”

  “Who knows? Maybe he just wants to be sure none of

  his get have murderous intents.”

  If that had been his plan, it would hardly be common

  knowledge. It defeated the purpose.

  Betise glanced skyward and stepped away from the

  fountain. “I have another dance to get to. You here day

  and night?”

  “Unfortunately.”

  Something flashed in Betise’s pale eyes. Annoyance.

  Or envy, perhaps. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow night.” She

  spun away and walked toward the row of aspens and red-

  trunk pines.

  Neva took another sip of water then glanced at the

  ballroom. As much as she didn’t want to go back in there,

  she needed to find out who danced with each of the Sinclair

  brothers. She couldn’t risk asking anyone and raising

  suspicions, which left her with only one option—watching

  them. And on a night like this, and in a place like this,

  that wasn’t going to be an easy task.

  ***

  Duncan glanced at the side exit for the umpteenth

  time. Neva had left a few minutes ago, and if she didn’t

  return very soon, he was going after her. Though he really

  doubted that she’d risk meeting her employer right now,

  he couldn’t take the chance she wasn’t.

  “Any progress?” Zeke asked softly.

  Duncan shook his head, switching his gaze from the

  door to René as his brother began talking to a pretty

  redhead. “Did you manage to get a copy of the autopsy

  report?”

  “My source doesn’t want to risk being seen by anyone

  he knows, so he’s not coming here until after four.”

  By which time, only a few diehards would be left here

  at the dance. “Who’s that redhead René’s with?”

  Zeke hesitated. “Rozin, I think her name is. Why?

  Fancy her yourself, do you?”

  Duncan gave his father a wry smile. “Hardly. I’ve got

  my hands full with our little spy.”

  Zeke’s dark eyes gleamed with amusement. “Wolves

  from the golden tribe can be surprisingly wanton once

  they shuck the restraints.”

  Neva hadn’t yet thrown off her restraints, but the

  wildness within was certainly beginning to show. “Is Rozin

&nbs
p; one of René’s regulars?”

  Zeke frowned. “Not that I know of, though he’s certainly

  been with her a few times this phase. Why?”

  He swept his gaze around the room looking for his

  other brothers. “What about Tye and Kane?”

  “Kane’s got two regulars left alive, Tye one.”

  “If the killer is going after the lovers of your get, it

  might be wise to arrange watchers on those women. The

  last thing we need right now is another death.”

  Zeke nodded. “Arranged it this afternoon.”

  “I hope they’re discreet. You know how Tye feels about

  being watched.”

  “A fact the first guard I’d placed on his mate discovered

  a little too quickly. The second is keeping a more sensible

  distance.”

  Zeke’s voice was dry, and Duncan smiled. “And well

  out of the range of Tye’s fist, I gather.”

  “Exactly.” Zeke paused. “The rangers want to

  fingerprint the five of us.”

  “So they’ve finally found a print?”

  “Taken it off the last victim’s skirt, apparently.”

  “If she was here the whole night, that print could

  belong to anyone.”

  “It was a blood print, and evidently it matches the

  blood type they’ve found under the previous victims nails.”

  “The reports we have said the blood they’d found was

  A-positive. None of us are.”

  “The rangers don’t know that.”

  He glanced back at the door. Still no sign of Neva. “It

  might be best if we cooperate with them on this. Maybe

  when they realize it’s not one of us, they’ll start looking

  for the real killer.”

  Zeke smiled. “You really think that?”

  “No.” Because the last time he’d cooperated with the

  police, he’d ended up in jail anyway. “I’ll drop by the ranger

  office tomorrow and make arrangements.”

  “Do that. And come to my suite about five. We’ll see if

  Mariata’s autopsy report varies any from the other three.”

  Zeke hesitated, his smile widening. “If you dare spend the

  time away from your pretty spy, that is.”

  Duncan grinned. “With what I intended to do to her

  over the next couple of hours, she’ll undoubtedly be in a

  deep and exhausted sleep come five o’clock.” He clapped

  his father on the arm, then headed for the door.

  ***

  Neva had barely taken three steps when Duncan

  appeared in the doorway. The moonlight gleamed off his