Mercy Temple Chronicles Box Set

by Ciara Graves

  A figure emerged, dressed in black, head covered by a hood. I pressed my face to the window for a second, then it hit me.

  I cursed as I sprinted out of the room. Too clean, that’s what was wrong. The house was too damned clean.

  “Get out!” I bellowed, running down the stairs as fast as I dared. “Move!”

  “Mercy?” Rafael met me at the bottom.

  I grabbed his hand, yanking him with me toward the door.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Bowen!”

  When I looked up, he was already on the front porch.

  He reached out a hand, the realization of the danger we were in dawned on him the second my fingers brushed his.

  His grip tightened, and he pulled the two of us out of the house as the first rumble shook the ground.

  The second one sent a blast straight up through the farmhouse. It slammed into our backs, kicking the air from my lungs as I was thrown through the air.

  The snow softened my fall, barely.

  Then Rafael was there, covering me with his body as a third blast deafened me and sent debris from the farmhouse everywhere.

  “Everyone alright?” Bowen’s voice sounded far away.

  “Mercy?” Rafael had hold of my shoulders and leaned down, staring into my eyes. “Think she’s good. Mercy? Can you hear me?”

  “Yeah, I hear you.” I groaned as he pulled me to my feet, whole body hurting all over again. “I really need a vacation after this case. A real vacation. Just going to disappear for a month, so people stop trying to kill me.” I shouted the last across the field, which was now littered with wood and brick from the house.

  Rafael pressed his hand to my forehead.

  I winced.

  He gave me a sympathetic grimace. “Sorry. Small cut.”

  “You’ve got a few yourself,” I pointed out, wiping the blood from his cheek. “Bowen?”

  “I’ll live.” He hissed as he looked at the farmhouse, which was now on fire. “I hate fire. How did you know?”

  “I saw him.”

  “What?” Rafael snapped. “Where?”

  “The barn. He was watching us. And I just knew,” I replied. “It’s what I would have done.”

  “Remind me to never get on your bad side,” Rafael murmured. He drew his pistol from his side holster and nodded to Bowen. “You stay behind until we clear the barn. Got it?”

  If I hadn’t almost been killed for a second time this week, I might’ve argued. Instead, I nodded, but drew my gun and sword, so I was ready for whatever came at us next.

  Damian was going to lose his shit when we got back to the room and told him about nearly being blown up.

  Rafael and Bowen cautiously led the way around the burning shell of the house.

  Bowen checked the sky overhead, but the dark clouds lingered. He had some time before he had to hide away from the sun.

  Tracks led away from the barn and into the trees beyond, but Rafael stayed outside with me as Bowen blurred inside to see if it was clear. He called for us, and we entered.

  I let out a loud whistle as Rafael turned slowly around. “That’s more like it.”

  “Why didn’t he take his shit?” Bowen ran his hand along the table filled with climbing ropes and other gear for breaking into buildings. Tools and several boxes of ammo sat nearby. But no weapons.

  “He took what he needed. There was no time to grab anything else. He must be finished or will be soon enough.” I holstered my gun but kept my sword out. The barn was where the killer had actually been staying as far as I could tell, and he’d merely used the house as a diversion. A bank of monitors on the far wall, the screens fuzzy, told me I’d been right about the cameras, too. “Smart.”

  Rafael walked over to what looked like a chalkboard and flipped it over. “Ah, guys?”

  The opposite side was a corkboard, and there were pages here and there containing schedules for two of the three alphas. Anything useful had been torn off the board, scraps left attached by tacks here and there.

  I spun around, searching for what became of them and spotted a trash bin in the corner. Still smoking. I shifted it around with my blade and froze.

  “Why would he only have info on two alphas?” Rafael asked out loud. “You don’t think…”

  “Think that Rubella Aldusa is the one who hired him instead of Jenella?” I asked as I reached into the bin and gingerly pulled out the note that caught my eye. Most of it had burned, but the symbol for the Silent Eyes, a large yellow eye with a tear slipping from the corner, was visible.

  Bowen and Rafael stood over my shoulders as I unfolded the charred page as carefully as possible so the rest of it wouldn’t crumble and fall away.

  “Sneaky little bitch.”

  “Rubella? Why?” Bowen asked.

  “I don’t know. I say we go and ask her,” I suggested, staring at the handwritten note, almost not willing to believe it was true, but that was her signature down at the bottom… signed in blood. Most of the note was gone, but there was enough to see she was adamant about ensuring the killings made an impression. It wasn’t a straight-up confession, but it was a damned good start to getting one.

  Rafael found a plastic bag left behind by our hitman, and I slipped the page inside. “I need to call this in.”

  “You can do it on the way.” I marched for the door. “We’re not giving her time to figure out her next move. For all we know, she thinks we’re dead. So why don’t we pop over and give her a surprise?”

  When we pulled up outside Rubella’s home, Rafael slowed the SUV to a crawl.

  I peered through the windshield and stopped counting werewolves when I hit thirty. And that was just the ones outside.

  “Did you call for that backup yet?” I said quietly to Rafael.

  “Not yet,” he replied. “Wait. Are those Silver Howlers?”

  I shifted my gaze to the werewolves on the snowy front lawn. “Yeah. Looks like Thomas is standing with them. What are they doing here? Jenella here, too, you think?” Why would she be here? Unless Rubella invited her over and the killer was on his way here to finish her off next, leaving Rubella the sole surviving alpha and in prime position to make her move on the packs. “Rafael, just park. We have to get inside.”

  He parked us right at the front porch, sending werewolves scattering in all directions as he aimed to get us as close as possible. We jumped out together and rushed for the front door, but two large werewolves blocked our way.

  “Move,” I demanded. “I’m not going to ask twice.”

  “You have no business being here,” one snapped.

  “Oh, no? Your alpha is my client. And this guy’s a damned Fed. Move your asses right now, or he’ll arrest you,” I warned.

  “That right?”

  “Yeah it is, and I have backup on the way, so I suggest you move,” Rafael snapped. “Now.”

  The werewolves reluctantly stepped aside, and we approached the front door. I tried the knob, but it was locked, so I banged my fist on Rubella’s front door as loud as I could.

  I kicked it twice for good measure, not caring one bit for the dirty looks the werewolves shot me. Their alpha hired a hitman to take out the others. They either had no idea, or they were protecting her. We were not walking into a very friendly situation.

  “Our backup?” I whispered to Rafael as I knocked again.

  “They’re five minutes out.” He squared his shoulders, staring down one werewolf at the door. “He could already be here.”

  Bowen hissed a warning at the other one.

  “Let’s hope he’s not.” I raised my fist to knock again, ready to start yelling if that’s what it took.

  The front door finally opened, and we stood face to face with a werewolf believed was Rubella’s second, Curtis.

  “What do you three want?” He sniffed the air and snarled. “Vampire.”

  “He was here the other day,” I reminded the wolf. “Rubella home?”

  “She is. Do you have an appointment?�
��

  “Don’t need one today.” I pushed my way inside.

  The wolf growled at me to get out, but Rafael shoved him out of the way and followed me into the house. Bowen brought up the rear of our little trio.

  Inside, there were only Rubella’s personal guards. All of the Silver Howlers it seemed had been told to stay outside. That was the first red flag.

  “Rubella Aldusa! Where are you?”

  Curtis snarled and called out for help.

  Footsteps rushed around the upper floor, and seconds later, we were swarmed by the guards.

  Rafael growled. Bowen snarled.

  As for me, I just smiled and waited for the alpha to show her pretty face, so I could deck her. I nearly fell for her sob story about how much she cared for Jaxton. The pieces were slowly coming into focus now, and I realized I had it all wrong.

  “Rubella!”

  “She is occupied with her guest,” Curtis said harshly, planting himself in front of me and stopping me from going any further.

  “Who? Jenella?”

  “Yes!”

  “Where?” I yelled, heart pounding. I wondered if we were too late. “Where is she? Answer me.”

  “Or what?”

  I drew my pistol and had it aimed at his forehead before he could blink.

  Rafael snapped my name.

  I only paid attention to the werewolf in front of me. “Or your brains are going to be the latest wall decoration. You in on it too? Is that it? Protecting her?”

  “Protecting her from what? You?” He pressed his forehead to the end of my pistol. “You won’t.”

  My thumb pulled the hammer back.

  His eyes narrowed.

  “Try me. Where is she?”

  Rafael moved forward, standing next to me. “Curtis, we have proof Rubella is behind the deaths of the other alphas. If we don’t get to her now, she’s going to kill Jenella. Please, tell us where she is?”

  Curtis leaned back from my gun, frowning. “That’s not true. She wouldn’t.”

  “We have proof,” Rafael repeated. “It’s time for this to end. Where—”

  A crash came from the second floor.

  I shoved past Curtis, sprinting for the stairs.

  Rafael was right behind me. As were the guards in the house.

  Down the hall, two female voices argued loudly.

  I headed toward a set of closed double doors. They were locked.

  Rafael yelled for me to move and he bashed them in with his shoulder. They flew open, cracking at the frames.

  Two very startled faces turned to stare at us.

  I lowered my pistol to the ground as Jenella drew back from Rubella. It appeared they’d been hugging until we burst through the doors. There was a chair knocked over in the room, which would explain the crashing sound.

  Curtis and several other werewolves crowded through the doorway with us as the alpha and soon-to-be alpha looked at us, wide-eyed and confused.

  “Mercy?” Rubella eyed my gun warily. “What are you doing here? What’s the meaning of this?”

  “I have a good reason,” I said. “Jenella, I need you to step away from her.”

  “What for?” Jenella asked.

  “Just do it,” Rafael growled then told one of the other werewolves to bring Thomas inside to remove her from the house.

  Rubella made a move toward Jenella, and I raised my gun again, shaking my head.

  “Don’t,” I warned her. “You are going to stay right there and not move unless I say so.”

  I waited for Rubella to get pissed off and the angry side of her to come through.

  Rubella’s eyes widened with fear, and she turned to Jenella. “Wait… this isn’t supposed to happen this way!”

  “Why? Because Jenella is still alive?” I asked.

  “Jenella!” Thomas burst into the room behind us.

  “I’m alright,” she told him, holding up her hand to stop him from getting any closer. “Mercy, you best explain what this is about right now.”

  Why did she want to know? And why was Rubella looking like a scared child, all of a sudden, instead of an evil mastermind? “You got her?” I asked Rafael.

  He drew his gun after checking his cell one more time. “Yeah. Backup’s here.”

  “Backup? What is the meaning of this, agent?” Jenella demanded.

  “This is to make sure the werewolf responsible for the recent murders does not get away with it,” I answered for him. “Especially after she tried to have me killed, twice.”

  Rubella’s hands shook. Again she looked to Jenella. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, no?” I drew the plastic bag out of my jacket and held it up for all of them to see. “Care to tell me what the hell this handwritten note was doing in the possession of the killer right after he blew up a farmhouse with the three of us in it?”

  Her face paled until she stepped closer. “Jenella?”

  “Quiet,” Jenella snapped.

  I exchanged a confused look with Rafael. This didn’t feel right. If Rubella wanted Jenella dead, why was she looking to her for guidance? She was an alpha. Not Jenella. Not yet at least. Jaxton was killed. Then Colton. And when we burst through the doors, they’d been embracing.

  “I want the truth, Rubella,” I finally said. “Game’s over.”

  Jenella growled as Rubella chewed on her bottom lip, nervously shifting on her feet. She glanced from Jenella, to me, then to Rafael.

  “Don’t,” Jenella whispered.

  “I can’t, I’m sorry,” she said.

  I shrugged, more confused than ever.

  “Fine, then you’re coming with me,” Rafael told her. “Rubella Aldusa. You’re under arrest for hiring a hitman to kill Jaxton Sawyer and Colton MacGallan.”

  He moved toward her, but she stepped back, holding up her hands and yelling. Behind us, Curtis and the other werewolves protested the arrest.

  I could see this becoming a huge problem very quickly. I was ready to tell Rafael that the backup needed to get inside, just in case when Rubella started shouting.

  “Wait, just wait! You don’t understand!”

  “Then help us,” I insisted. “The truth, Rubella. That’s all we ask. Why did you hire the hitman?”

  Her gaze darted to Jenella then back to me. Tears burned in her eyes as she fell apart.

  Curtis watched on, but not in sympathy. A glint of anger flashed in his yellow eyes. “Rubella, what’s the meaning of this? What did you do?”

  “I… I…”

  “Don’t!” Jenella suddenly launched herself at Rubella, but Curtis was faster and intervened, throwing her backward into the far wall. Her head smacked into it, and she sagged down.

  Curtis lifted his hand to hit her.

  Rafael ordered him to stop.

  Jenella spit blood from her mouth, wiping her mouth on her arm as she glowered at Rubella.

  “Jenella,” Rubella pleaded, voice shaking with fear.

  “You weak fool!”

  “I’m sorry!”

  “Not yet, you’re not. We could have made this work.” Jenella made to get up again.

  Curtis and two guards surrounded her.

  Thomas hadn’t made a move to defend his beta yet, just watching her carefully as she and Rubella continued to stare each other down.

  Jenella scowled. “You failed me. We were so close, and you failed!”

  “It wasn’t my fault!”

  “You dumb bitch! How did you ever become alpha? Huh?”

  Rubella was sobbing now.

  Her guards looked at her in disgust as the truth about their alpha was revealed, piece by piece. She lifted her hand to wipe her face, and I spotted the gold bracelet on her wrist. An exact match for the one found next to Jaxton’s body.

  I marched to Jenella and grabbed both her wrists.

  She snarled at me, but I didn’t bother acknowledging her as I found what I was looking for. A very thin tan line on her right wrist. Where a bracelet would ha
ve been.

  “Rafael,” I said, holding up Jenella’s wrist. “She was there the night Jaxton was killed. That bracelet, bet you it’s hers.”

  Jenella spat in my face.

  I popped her in the mouth, then pulled her up by her shirt front.

  “I’m not scared of you,” she said with a leer.

  “No? Then why did you send the hitman after me? Huh? Why?”

  She shrugged. “Precaution.”

  “Well, you can thank him for bringing us here. You have some explaining to do. Talk.” I shook her hard enough to make her teeth clack. “Tell me what I was almost killed for.”

  “They were traitors,” she yelled.

  The room fell silent.

  “That’s right,” she continued. “Jaxton and Colton.”

  “Why?”

  “Like you don’t know what Colton was up to,” she spat. “Harvesting our dead and selling their parts on the black market. He was nothing more than a greedy monster.”

  “And Jaxton?” Thomas asked, coming closer. “What did he do wrong?”

  Jenella’s expression made me uncomfortable and leaving the room suddenly became my greatest urge.

  “Jaxton. You all thought he was so perfect. Wrong. All of you were wrong. He was a cheater, a damned cheater. You know how many offspring he has running around? And then what does he do when he finds out about Colton’s side business? He asks him to stop. Just like that. Colton laughed about him behind his back. Laughed.”

  Thomas’ hands bunched into fists, and the tension in the room rose.

  My get the hell out of here instincts were kicking in hard, but the doorway was blocked by a good number of very pissed off werewolves.

  “So you hired a hitman?” Thomas asked, seething.

  Jenella shrugged. “I did what was necessary to rid us of a weak leader.”

  Thomas shoved me aside. Then his hands were around Jenella’s throat, choking her as he ranted, “You scum! You murdered him!”

  She gasped for air.

  I yanked on Thomas’ shoulder, but he was too strong and easily shoved me back with a kick, continuing to strangle Jenella.

  Rafael and Bowen had to fight him to get him off her.

  She coughed harshly, falling to all fours on the floor as they threw Thomas into the other guards to hold him back, not that it would last long.