by Lori Drake
“How do you kind of, sort of, kill someone?” Ben asked, zero to annoyed in half a second.
Joey held her tongue and waited for Maria to answer, rather curious about that herself.
Maria sighed and curled her fingers around her long, thick braid, an action Joey associated with anxiety. Maria did it a lot. Joey supposed she had a lot to be anxious about, between living among creatures she’d so long thought evil and trying to overcome a lifetime of self-loathing.
“Did I ever tell you how our uncle died?” Maria asked.
“Yeah. He was killed on a hunt, right?”
“Now that’s justice,” Ben muttered.
Maria stiffened, lifting her chin. “He was a good man.”
“He was a killer,” Ben said.
“So am I,” Joey said, glancing in the rearview mirror.
Ben snorted. “Really? You’re going to equate yourself with a hunter?”
“No,” Joey said, though she could scarcely believe she was rising to a hunter’s defense. For Maria’s sake, if nothing else. “I’m just saying good people do bad things if properly motivated. Maria’s uncle was… extremely misinformed. He thought he was doing the right thing.”
“Thank you,” Maria said, though her voice was still laced with tension. She blew out a heavy breath. “Anyway, Jack and I… we took it hard. He raised us from infancy. He was the only father we’d ever known. Wolves took our parents from us too, though we’d never known them.”
“Wait.” Joey frowned. “You said your mother was killed in a wolf attack—”
“An alleged wolf attack.” Ben smirked.
Joey shot him a glare over her shoulder. “But your father, he was attacked too?”
“Yes,” Maria said, her eyes fixed on her lap. “They both died the same night, the night we were born.”
Joey was even further from solving the puzzle of where Jack came from than she was finding Maria’s birth parents. They were supposedly twins, but that simply wasn’t possible. Wolves bred true. Maria’s uncle had also told her that her lycanthropy was a result of a wolf attacking her mother while she was pregnant, that Maria had been “infected” and Jack hadn’t. But that wasn’t how lycanthropy worked. It was genetic, passed from parents to child. It was technically possible for humans and wolves to produce offspring, but it rarely happened due to lycanthropes’ low fertility rate, and that offspring was always human. There was just no telling which parts of Maria’s story were true. Much less considering the storyteller was six feet under.
“That’s awful. I’m sorry,” Joey said. “But you were saying…?”
“Yes.” Maria lifted her eyes to look out the window. “In our grief, we returned to the place where it all started. Where we were born, and our parents died. Cincinnati.”
“Where you rained holy vengeance down on the local wolves,” Ben said. “I assume.”
Maria had the grace to look chagrined. “Something like that.”
“Okay.” Joey rubbed her forehead. “We may need to rethink our approach.”
“Why?” Maria asked.
Ben barked a laugh. “Because if the Alpha finds out you were one of the hunters that killed his people, you’re going to find out what the other side of holy vengeance feels like.”
Joey pulled into the next gas station she came across, ostensibly to top off the tank and stretch her legs. While Maria raided the snack cooler and Ben went inside the convenience store for coffee, Joey pumped gas and sent Chris a text message.
We have a problem. It turns out Maria and Jack have history with the Wenatchee people.
When Chris hadn’t replied by the time the pump shut off, Joey decided to call him. He picked up after a few rings.
“Hey, what’s up?” His voice was quiet, words hurried.
“Did you get my text? We’ve got a problem.”
“I felt it buzz, but… I’ve got a problem of my own. What’s the quick version?”
“Maria and Jack have history with the Wenatchee people. More than we realized. Professional history.”
There was a pause, as he presumably thought through her circumspect language. They were always careful about what they said on the phone or in text message. Joey wasn’t as paranoid as her mother had been about wiretapping, but you never knew who might be in earshot, or whose phone might fall into the wrong hands.
Chris muttered a curse when he caught up. “That complicates things.”
“I know, right? What should we do?” As much as Joey hated to admit it, she needed his input. This was one of those decisions that felt too big to make alone.
“Whatever you think is best.”
Joey blinked. “What?”
“I have to go, babe. I’ll call you back when I can. Love you.”
“Lo—” The line beeped before she could finish her instinctive reply. She stared at the phone in bewilderment.
They’d had talks, long talks, about working together and making big decisions together. Teamwork wasn’t Joey’s strong suit—not off the dance floor, anyway. But she’d been trying hard to make things work, and Chris had just left her to make a huge decision all on her own.
Joey slid behind the wheel and waved off the bag of pretzels Maria offered, preoccupied by the important decision in front of her, not to mention the problem Chris had mentioned. Whatever it was, it must be immediate and pressing. She trusted him to deal with it, as he obviously trusted her to deal with this.
She just hoped neither of them would regret it.
“Good morning, officers. What can I do for you?” Chris asked, more grateful than ever for his dance training. If there was one thing he was accustomed to, it was putting on a smile and not letting his nerves show.
Two of Granite Falls’ finest stood in his living room. One looked around the room curiously, while the other offered Chris a handshake.
“Sorry to interrupt your morning,” the first cop said. His name tag read “Hewitt.” “We won’t take up too much of your time.”
Chris shook Hewitt’s hand and did his best not to think about the fugitive holed up in his office. “No trouble, sir.”
“We’re here conducting a wellness check. Does Kate Jackson still live here?” Hewitt asked.
Chris’s heart skipped a beat, and keeping his expression neutral was a struggle. He’d feared they were there looking for Dawn, but the truth was much worse. Kate had died months ago.
“No, sir,” he said, pleased that his voice didn’t waver. “She moved out… hmm. I guess it was in February sometime.” February second, to be exact. The day Chris had arrived in Seattle and, arguably, the second most life-changing night of his life.
“Do you have a forwarding address?”
“No, sorry.” Chris resisted the urge to wipe his palms on his jeans.
“What about Colt Williams?”
A trickle of sweat ran down Chris’s spine. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. “He still lives here, but he’s probably at work. I can find out for you.”
“What about Eric Jensen?” Hewitt asked, and things went from bad to worse.
“He moved too.” Technically. “Can I ask what prompted these wellness checks?”
“Oh, the wellness check is only for Ms. Jackson. The others are known associates. We’re just trying to make sure she’s okay. Her daughter is worried about her.”
An image flashed through Chris’s mind. A birth certificate that’d hung on Kate’s wall, complete with little tiny footprints. Leta Marie Jackson.
“Nice place you have here,” the other cop said. “Mind if I ask what you get for rooms?”
The question distracted Chris from his growing anxiety. “Rooms?”
“Yeah. I mean, I assume you’re renting rooms. Four people with different last names under one roof, and this place must cost a bit to maintain.”
“Ahh. What can I say, I’m a trust fund kid.” At least that was true. “Let me just check on Colt for you. Make yourselves at home.”
As Chris heade
d for the stairs, his phone buzzed in his pocket again. This time it was an incoming call from Joey. Worried they’d encountered trouble on the road, he answered it… and was immediately reminded about the old adage about problems coming in threes.
By the time he hung up, he was standing outside Colt’s door. He knocked, not expecting an answer, but Colt opened the door after a few seconds. The room behind him was dark, and Colt blinked blearily as he stood there in his boxers and scratched his hip.
“Shouldn’t you be at work?” Chris asked, uncertain if he was glad Colt was there. Colt had taken Kate’s death hard; they’d been together a few years, more than long enough for their wolves to bond as mates. But he’d been doing so much better the last few weeks. Chris hoped the cops’ arrival wouldn’t trigger a relapse.
Colt yawned. “Slow season, so I took a couple of days off. What’s up?”
Chris hadn’t had much time to figure out how exactly to broach the subject with Colt. He decided ripping the Band-Aid off was best. “The police are here. They want to talk to you about Kate.”
Colt went still, then winced and nodded. “Okay. I suppose it was only a matter of time.”
“What do you mean? You told me she and her family were on the outs, that no one would come looking for her.”
Colt blinked owlishly, like he needed a moment to process that. “Her family sent the cops to check up on her?”
“Her daughter, specifically. Why else would the cops be here?”
“For me,” Colt said, his eyes firmly on the floor.
Chris grimaced and slipped past Colt into the room, closing the door behind him. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust once the light from the hall was cut off. “They’re not here for you, man. This is a wellness check. Someone was worried enough about Kate to ask the cops to check up on her. That’s all. We tell them you broke up a few months ago, and she moved out. No forwarding address. End of story.”
“You want me to lie to the cops?”
“Would you rather go to jail?”
Colt hesitated. “Maybe.”
“What about the rest of us?”
Colt lifted his eyes, his lingering anguish on display. “I was the one that killed her.”
Chris sighed and put a hand on Colt’s shoulder. “You were possessed, remember? But you can’t use that as a defense in court. If it makes you feel better, we can talk to Jon about our legal options. But it’s not just your ass on the line here. It’s the whole pack. We were accomplices after the fact, if nothing else. If they dig up her body, they could find everyone’s fingerprints on the tarp.”
Colt trembled under the weight of Chris’s hand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “So, I have to lie to the cops either way.”
“Pretty much. Unless you want to face the wrath of Itsuo for getting Jenny in trouble.”
A soft laugh escaped Colt, and he pushed his fingers through his short blond hair. “Jail would be the safest place for me in that case. But okay. We’ll try it your way.”
Chris gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Get some clothes on and get your ass downstairs. I’ll be right there with you, okay?”
“Okay.”
Chris let himself out and headed back downstairs, hastening his steps when his sharp ears caught a familiar voice drifting up from below.
“It seems nice out here. I’m new to the area, just visiting. Any suggestions on must-see or must-do stuff?”
He had to give Emma—dammit, Dawn—credit. For a girl, she had big brass balls.
“Well, there’s the Needle, of course. But everyone goes there. If you want to see something really unique—”
“Colt will be right down. Had to roll him out of bed,” Chris said, for once not caring if he was interrupting. “Can I get you gentlemen some coffee or anything?”
The two officers shifted their attention to him, while Dawn smirked and Adam grinned as if it were a great lark. Chris hoped he could suppress the urge to throttle them until the cops left. Dawn made more small talk while they waited for Colt to join them. They didn’t have to wait long. Colt came down the stairs in a ratty pair of jeans and a Texas Rodeo T-shirt. Chris relaxed a little upon noticing Colt’s bare feet, which suggested he didn’t plan on making a confession.
The police broke off their casual chat as soon as Colt arrived, returning to the business at hand.
“Sorry to wake you, Mr. Williams. This won’t take long. When was the last time you spoke with Kate Jackson?”
“February second.” Colt rubbed his neck absently.
Chris wondered if Colt was aware it was the spot where Kate had bitten him the night she died. There was nothing but smooth, unblemished skin there now, of course.
Officer Hewitt arched a brow. “That’s precise.”
Colt grimaced and shrugged. “It was an eventful day. We broke up. She left. Haven’t seen or heard from her since.”
“Do you have any way of getting in touch with her now? Phone, email, anything?”
Colt rubbed his neck again. “No. I mean, I have her phone number and email, but she may have changed them. I dunno.”
The police asked him to write the information down for them and left not long afterward. After seeing them out, Chris leaned against the door and eyed Dawn from afar. “Are you crazy?”
Dawn shrugged. “The nerd was eavesdropping. Since they were looking for Kate, I figured there was no harm in coming out to say hi. What happened to her, anyway? You guys were being cagey as hell. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear from those two again.”
“I’m sorry, we’re not quite as used to lying to the police as you are.” Chris pushed off the door and paced across the room, then turned and paced back again.
“What’s the big deal?” Dawn’s eyes tracked him back and forth. “Is she buried in the backyard or something?”
Chris stopped short, wincing.
Dawn’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.”
Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. Oh shit, indeed.
8
It wasn’t quite noon when Joey turned off the county road and down a dirt road between two fenced pastures. The terrain reminded her a little of home. Southern California, that was. On this side of the mountains, the lush green landscape gave way to a more arid biome. The trees were shorter, fewer, and farther between. Long stretches of dirt with scrub bushes lined the roadways, and the occasional fluffy white cloud floated in the otherwise clear blue sunny sky.
They pulled up in front of a sprawling ranch house a few minutes later. Joey parked alongside a battered old pickup and killed the engine before turning to look at Maria and Ben. “Okay, everyone clear on the plan?”
“Keep our mouths shut and let you do the talking?” Ben said.
Joey snorted. “Like there’s any chance of that. But seriously… no word about Maria’s sketchy past for now. We’re just going to feel this guy out and get the lay of the land.”
Once assured that everyone was on the same page, Joey climbed out of the car, wrinkling her nose as the stench of manure tickled her nostrils. She did her best to block it out on the way to the front door. There was a welcome mat out front that read, “Wipe your paws.” Joey chuckled as she rang the bell.
A woman wearing jeans and a T-shirt under a flour-dusted apron opened the door. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, but with lycanthropes, that was hard to tell. Her eyes scanned the trio on her doorstep, and she met Joey’s gaze easily. “Can I help you?”
Joey smiled. “Hi, we’re looking for Lewis Scott. Is he in?”
The woman’s brow furrowed, and she wiped her hands on her apron. “He’s in the field, but I can let him know he has visitors. Come on in.”
They filed in, and by the time the man of the hour turned up, the woman—Heidi, she’d said—had them settled in the living room with coffee and made herself scarce. The modestly furnished house smelled like baking bread and the leftover aromas of a hearty breakfast.
Lewis Scott was a big bear of a m
an, easily six foot six and built like a lumberjack. He had a broad, flat nose and a well-trimmed beard covering his square jaw. He brought with him the scent of sweat, manure, and alpha male.
Joey stood and offered a hand when he entered. “Sorry to show up at your door uninvited, Mr. Scott. I’m Joey Grant.”
His giant, work-roughened hand all but engulfed hers, but his handshake was gentle. She squeezed firmly to let him know she could take it, and his grip firmed as they locked eyes for a moment. Joey let her wolf off the leash a little, giving him a taste of her strength as an alpha. He did the same, and though it all happened in the blink of an eye their wolves reached a sort of mutual understanding. It sure beat sniffing butts.
Lewis grunted and nodded. “Adelaide’s daughter.”
As always, the mention of her mother sparked a twinge of grief—and guilt. Joey pushed them aside. It was getting easier, slowly but surely. “Yeah. This is my brother, Ben, and my packmate, Maria.”
Heidi reappeared with a tall glass of lemonade for Lewis. He smiled and pecked her cheek before she vanished into the kitchen again.
“What brings you to this side of the mountains?” Lewis said, settling into an armchair with his drink.
Joey resumed her seat on the couch between Ben and Maria, arching a brow. “So, you knew we were in Seattle?”
“It’s always good to know what’s going on in neighboring territory, don’t you think?”
“I suppose it is, at that. Did you also hear about my mother’s passing?”
He nodded, sipping his lemonade in silence. Awkward silence. A condolence would’ve been customary. Maybe they didn’t cover that in lumberjack finishing school.
“Right. Well… I just wanted to come out and say hello, since we have neighboring territory.”
“Rumor has it that your brother’s in charge of your pack now. That would mean you don’t hold any territory, wouldn’t it?”
Joey narrowed her eyes. Was this guy trying to rub her the wrong way? “I’m the second of the Granite Falls pack now, and here on behalf of my Alpha.” The rest was need-to-know.