“That’s why I need you to look into it. You have connections to the prime pack that Mai doesn’t.”
Kris pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to have to come clean, aren’t I?”
“I’m sorry. But it’s about time Rich told his pack the truth,” Jay said stiffly.
I looked from Kris to Jay. “And what is that?”
Kris looked down at me. “That he used to be Nightwatch.”
Well, damn.
Chapter Five
Rich was Nightwatch? The brutal, angry, hairy moonkissed had been one of us? Well, that explained how he knew Kris and why he’d let me live.
“Rich’s pack needs to know who he used to be,” Jay asserted. “We need to dispel this us and them mentality between the packs and the Watch. It’s about time they stopped shunning moonkissed who join our ranks. The moonkissed Nightwatch agents shouldn’t have to choose between being part of a pack or being part of the Watch.”
“But they do,” Kris said vehemently. “They are forced to choose because being part of a pack means giving your all to the pack and putting your pack above everything else. And being Nightwatch means putting your duty to the Watch above all else. It’s a contradiction that can’t be resolved. He’s alpha, and he’s given his all to the Prime pack. They can’t know he was ever anything less, that his allegiance was anywhere else.” Kris sighed. “Besides, it’s his story to tell. Everyone should be allowed to reveal their secrets in their own time.”
Was he eluding to the fomorian in the basement? But no, there were no pointed looks or specific intentions in his words. It was merely a statement. Jay, however, looked less than comfortable.
Well, well, could it be that Kris was as clueless as me about what was hidden in the basement? But not Mai … No, I was certain the kitsune knew what Jay was hiding.
Jay handed us a large envelope. “Pictures of the crime scene. Kiran just emailed them over. Show them to Rich. Kris, they’re bad.”
Kris nodded.
“Wait, is my being there going to be a problem?” I gave Kris a meaningful look.
After all, I’d entered their den and faked not knowing Kris.
“Kris?” Jay folded his arms across his chest. “Is there something you haven’t told me?”
“Kat’s already met the Primes. We had a little … misunderstanding a couple of weeks ago.”
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
“The kind where she followed me into their den.”
Jay stared at me, horrified.
I held up both hands. “I thought it was a brothel, and I was done waiting for Kris to finish.”
“You’re lucky to be alive,” Jay said.
“You thought I was in a brothel?” Kris looked incredulous. “I don’t need to go to a brothel to get laid.”
I sighed. “I know.”
“Good,” Kris said.
I gave him a flat look. “I was talking to Jay.”
Jay tapped the envelope in Kris’s hand. “There’s a warrant for interrogation in there with the Watch seal. The Prime pack can’t claim trespass, and they can’t hurt you while you’re there on official business. After that, I advise you to steer clear of the pack. Both of you. They don’t take kindly to subterfuge.”
Another reason to keep Rich’s past a secret from them.
“Kat?” Henri came down the stairs toward us, carrying Tris on his shoulders. “You said I should patrol with Mai?”
Mai hovered behind him, looking uncertain.
My mouth was suddenly dry. “Yeah. Kris and I have a werewolf case we need to deal with. It’d be great if you keep Mai company on patrol.”
He nodded curtly. “Right. If that’s what you want.” To the untrained ear, his tone was normal, but I caught the edge to it. The accusation. I’d claimed he could do as he wished, and here I was, making decisions for him. He was hurt I was dumping him on Mai, and shit, I needed to stop worrying about his feelings. I needed to stop second-guessing his feelings because golems weren’t supposed to have feelings. But it didn’t matter how many times I reiterated that fact, it didn’t change what was standing before my eyes.
Henri walked toward me, close enough for me to smell his cologne. Cologne he’d put on, not for Mai but for me? I breathed him in, but then Tris was climbing onto my shoulder, and Henri was stepping away, and it took everything I had not to grab his hand.
“I’ll see you later?”
He nodded, his baby blues flat and lifeless.
Tris tightened her grip on my arm. “Come on, chickie, let’s get going.” She brought her lips to my ear. “We’ll talk about tall, blond, and handsome later.”
She was right. The focus had to be on the case, not on my messed-up emotions. There was a torn-up human body in the woods, and it was up to us to find out who or what was responsible.
* * *
I only got a quick look at the photographs before the van was in motion. Kris drove in silence, tension radiating off his body in waves. He was about to reveal his secret to the Prime pack and make his friend look like a twat for not knowing. Even though Rich did know. Urgh, mind fuck.
Back at the Academy, moonkissed and Nightbloods worked together. I knew there was animosity outside of the Academy but not in the Watch ranks. And the whole pack shunning the Watch moonkissed was new to me. I mean, why send your offspring to the Academy just to shun them when they graduated? It made no sense, but then I wasn’t a wolf.
I settled back in my seat. “How long have you and Rich been friends?”
His gaze flicked my way briefly. “Eighty years.”
“Did you work together at the Watch?”
“We were assigned together at one time, yes. He served in the Watch for almost thirty years before leaving to find his pack again. Once he found them, it took him ten years to claw his way up to alpha. Basically, it took ten years for them to forgive him for leaving.”
“Why did he leave his pack in the first place?” Tris asked from the back seat.
“I don’t know for sure. We never really spoke about it. I assume he wanted to try something different. Maybe it took not being part of the Prime pack for him to realize that was exactly where he wanted to be.”
I studied Kris’s profile. “You mean, like, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?”
“Something like that.”
He sounded nostalgic. Did he miss Demonica? He’d been gone for almost three hundred years …
“Do you miss Demonica?” Tris asked bluntly.
I swear, sometimes it was like she plucked the thoughts right out of my head.
Kris steered the van sharply to the left and then cut the engine. “We’re here.”
* * *
The morph stepped aside to let us through the red door and into the den. Tris was already safely ensconced at Luther’s, and Glory, her gargoyle friend, had joined her to pore through the books.
My muscles were tight with anticipation as we took the steps down to the basement level, where the Prime pack liked to hang out. Voices drifted up to greet us, and then there was silence.
“They know we’re here,” Kris said softly. “Let me do the talking and stay close to the exit.”
“But we have a warrant.”
“Yeah, we do.”
But his tone gave me little confidence that a piece of paper with a pretty seal would keep us safe. We hit the bottom of the steps and entered the huge room lit by bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Seven hulking moonkissed glared at us.
Rich stood in the center of the pack, his arms crossed over his chest, his face solemn. “You with the Nightbloods now, Kris?”
Kris took a deep breath and retrieved the warrant from the envelope. He held it up. “We’re with the Nightwatch, and we have a warrant to access your territory.”
Several of the moonkissed growled menacingly, the sound a rumbling vibration in their chests. Their eyes lit up with inner glows, and the muscles in my thighs tightened with the need to flee.
>
Kris kept his gaze on Rich unflinchingly. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
Rich’s jaw leaped.
“I didn’t want my choice to join the Watch to affect our friendship.”
He was giving Rich an out, soothing the pack by telling them he and Rich had been friends prior to Kris joining the Watch. Some of the rumbles died. But my body remained in fight-or-flight mode, the rush of adrenaline making me nauseous and lightheaded.
Rich tucked in his chin as if processing Kris’s declaration, and when he looked up, there was a definite darkness in his eyes. Sorrow?
He nodded. “What can the Prime pack do for the Watch?” He bit the words out.
“Rich?” the huge moonkissed to his left said. “We don’t have to do shit.”
Rich turned his head slowly to look at the wolf. “The laws are there for a fucking reason. Pack law, and the law that governs our world. It keeps everyone safe. They have a warrant. If they’d come here without one, then we’d be hunting them right now.”
A shiver shot up my spine because he meant it. He would have hunted his friend. Hunted me if we’d broken the territory law.
“What do you want, Nightwatch?” Rich asked.
Kris tucked the warrant into his pocket and held out the envelope. “I need you to look at these.”
One of the other wolves stepped forward, snatched the envelope from Kris’s fingers, and passed it to Rich.
Rich pulled out the prints and studied them for a long beat. The only indication of any emotion was the slight tick in his jaw. “Where is this?”
“Greendon forest.”
Rich’s eyes narrowed. “Wait, I know this man.” He turned the photographs around, and then his face contorted in real rage. “Monty.”
The wolves broke into growls and exclamations as the photographs made the rounds. Rich met Kris’s gaze. “Monty was a good man. A feyblood who lived in the forest. He never did anyone any harm.”
“Well, someone or something killed him, and it looks awfully like a wolf attack.”
Rich’s nostrils flared. “Yes. It does. I hope you’re not implying that my pack is responsible.”
“No. I know you better than that. But I do need your help in catching whoever did this. Did you catch the rogue wolf that was sniffing about over a week ago?”
“Of course we did,” Rich’s sidekick wolf sneered. He was probably the beta.
“He’s dead,” Rich said. “And if there is another wolf in town, he won’t be with us for long.”
The wolves around him were already stripping off their clothes.
Um, wow.
Kris nodded and backed toward the stairs, his arm coming out to take me with him.
Rich walked forward and shoved the envelope with the pictures back at Kris. “Do not come back again.” His voice was low, his eyes sad. “I don’t want to have to kill you. But if it’s a choice between you and my pack, the pack will win. Every time.”
Kris’s throat bobbed, and he nodded. “Call me and let me know what you find.”
Rich turned away. “When we’re done with the rogue, there’ll be nothing left to find.”
Chapter Six
The diner lights were bright, the tables were cheap plastic, but the coffee was surprisingly good. The radio played softly in the background. I could see Wicked Imaginations from my spot facing the windows.
Minutes crawled by like hours. “What now?”
“Now we wait,” Kris said.
I drummed my fingers on the table. “They knew the dead guy.”
“Yeah, seems like they did. A feyblood.”
“Which is why Kiran called us in. She must have realized the deceased had supe blood. Can I see the photographs again?”
“Morbid much?”
“No, just wanted a proper look. I only got a quick glance in the car.”
He handed the envelope over. I slid the pictures onto the table, spread them out, and studied them. Shit, there was something off about the scene, and it only took a moment to pinpoint what that was.
“Look at this.” I held the photographs up. “See the lacerations. They look way too neat.”
Kris studied the picture. “Wolves have sharp claws.”
“And where are the bite marks?”
“Probably in the minced abdomen section.” Kris pointed to the mangled stomach area.
But even that seemed off. “Why would a moonkissed kill?”
“Hunger, defense. And some rogues go crazy and kill for sport.”
“So, hunger doesn’t fit for this kill because the moonkissed hasn’t eaten the man. Defense against a scrawny feyblood? Nah. Rich said Monty was a kind man who kept to himself. And sport … look at the scene. It looks like a campsite. The wolf couldn’t have got any sport from attacking a man in what seems to be his home. He didn’t even chase the guy. What kind of sport is that?”
Kris turned the photographs around so he could study them from his side of the table. “You’re right.”
“Don’t sound so shocked. I do this investigative shit for a living.”
He nodded. “Yes, something is off about this whole thing.”
He pulled out his phone.
“Who you calling?”
“Candy.”
Ten minutes later, Candy, the nymph, was sliding into the booth with us.
Her bubblegum hair was pulled back off her face, which was bare of makeup but still stunningly beautiful. Her six-inch red heels were replaced by red sneakers and cropped jeans and a tight vest that left little to the imagination. She dropped me a wink, and yes, her lashes were naturally thick and long. She was so fucking beautiful.
“Candy, tone down the mojo,” Kris said. “Even I’m getting a boner.”
Candy let out a smoky chuckle. “Let me see these pics.”
Kris handed her the photos.
She shook her head. “Poor Monty. To go out like that. It makes no sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.” I leaned forward. “Have you seen or heard anything that could help us figure out what happened to him?”
“Looks like a wolf attack to me. The rogue wolf I told you about, maybe?”
“The Prime pack took him out over a week ago.”
Her lips pursed. “Then I’m missing something. But …” She looked up. “I know someone who might be able to help. Her name is Celeste, and she lives in Greendon forest. A violent act like this wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by her.”
“Then why hasn’t she come forward?”
Candy’s smile was small and sad. “Celeste isn’t like other nymphs. She isn’t … mobile.” Candy slid the photos back into the envelope. “Come with me. You’ll see.”
I drained my coffee and climbed out of the booth. “Lead the way.”
* * *
We parked the car on a dirt track a little way into the forest and then went the rest of the way on foot.
Candy led the way to wherever this Celeste lived. Deeper and deeper into the forest we went until the moonlight was blocked out by the canopy overhead and the tree trunks grew thick and gnarly.
Bracken crunched beneath our boots, and the woodland sounds pricked at my senses. Finally, Candy came to a halt by a huge majestic tree.
She placed her hand on the bark. “This is Celeste.”
I stared at the tree. “Huh?”
Candy smiled, her teeth gleaming dully in what little moonlight made it down to the forest floor.
“Celeste lives here, in this tree,” Candy said. “Her spirit is the tree.”
Well, that would explain why she was immobile. “Can she hear us?”
Candy closed her eyes. “She’s crying. She’s upset. She’s hurting.”
“The murder.”
Candy nodded. “Celeste, can you show us what happened? We need to understand.”
“How can she have seen what happened?” Kris asked. “The murder site is a mile away.”
But it made sense as comprehension bloomed in my mind. “It’s all connected, isn’
t it? The forest, the trees, the plants … they communicate.”
Candy’s smile was beatific. “Exactly.”
My feet were carrying me forward, and I had my hand pressed to the tree before I could consciously decide to do so. There was energy there. It reverberated up my arm and settled at the nape of my neck. She was a spirit, not a ghost, but there was an affinity there between her and me, and then it bloomed like a shiver over my body.
It was her. Celeste. Bright, weeping eyes and silver hair. I could see her.
“Please, show me what happened. I need to see so I can stop the monster who did this horrific act.”
Images flitted through my mind, and at first, it was impossible to make sense of them, and then the carousel slowed down enough for me to catch the details I needed. Monty warming his hands by the fire, then looking up sharply as a shadow falls over him. Not the shadow of a wolf but of a man. A man with a wolf at his side. There are chains around the wolf, and there is something on the man’s hand … Claws. But they’re not part of him. They’re metallic—a handpiece, a glove. And then there’s blood, so much blood, and the yip and whine of the wolf is followed by the slash of a whip and the tug of the chain, and then the wolf’s muzzle is covered in blood.
The images cut off, and I pulled back. “Shit.”
“What did you see?” Kris asked.
“How did you see?” Candy asked. “You’re a Nightblood. This isn’t possible.”
But it was because I was a fucking cocktail, and now wasn’t the time to explain it to her because my gut screamed that we were running out of time.
I ran a hand over my face. “This wasn’t a wolf attack. Monty was killed by a human.”
Chapter Seven
“What are you talking about?” Kris asked.
“A human used metallic claws to make it look like a wolf attacked Monty. He had a wolf on a chain with him—a moonkissed in wolf form that he was hurting. He made the wolf attack Monty, but only after he’d used the metal claws to draw blood.”
Give Up the Ghost: The Nightwatch Series Book 2 Page 5