"That's right, we got here on Saturday,“ Faith answered. She put the cup of coffee in front of him, and added a small plate of cookies.
"You are truly an angel, thank you," he said, reaching for the coffee with his free hand. "We had a fairly long night, as I'm sure you can imagine."
"I bet," Tamika said. "We did too."
"I heard all the ruckus in the woods last night. Seemed to be out this way, but I couldn't have said for sure. Wonder what got the wolves all riled up like that? Oh, this is so much better than the coffee at the station." The detective closed his eyes in pleasure after another sip. "Anyhow, you said that your sister went out for baking supplies? Yesterday morning?"
"God, was it only yesterday? Feels longer," Faith slid into a seat on the other side of Aldric and something about having her and Kaylee surrounding him felt good. He knew that Tamika was standing close enough to the detective to prevent him from doing anything— what the man would try, aldric couldn’t say. But having the Lathams– the two people he was starting to consider particularly his to protect– sitting on his side of the table made him less tense.
"Well, we managed to get some of the security camera footage from the grocery, and from a trinkets shop a few stores down the road. Could you look at these photos and tell me if you know the men here?" Detective Lincoln handed his tablet over to Aldric. Faith leaned on his arm to look at the screen, and Kaylee, after glancing up at him, did the same from the other side.
"No, none of those guys looks familiar," Faith said. Aldric also shook his head, but made note of the faces. He suspected that the wolf he killed was the one on the left.
"He kinda looks like Mister Greg, at school. But his hair's all wrong and he's way too big.” Kaylee pointed to the man in front who was speaking to the wolf they found dead on the street. “But Mr Greg is skinny and small and always has cool hair."
"Mister Greg?" Detective Lincoln asked with a small smile. The indulgent friendliness he directed at the child seemed genuine, at least. "And what about his hair is so cool?"
"He sometimes makes it fun colors to match the theme of the day, and he can make it go into spikes all over sometimes. He makes it all sticky and makes shapes with it,” Kaylee said with a huge grin, using her hands to demonstrate.
"That sounds way cooler than my teacher," Jake grumbled. "She just sings dumb songs and then gets mad when we make a mess."
"Why don't we go watch a movie, you two? No more complaining about teachers, okay Jake? Your dad worked too hard to get you civilized enough to get you into a preschool in the first place." Tamika took the silent hint Aldric had sent with his glance and ushered the kids out of the kitchen.
"Well, that's better than nothing at all. Although it's tenuous at best." Detective Lincoln grimaced and stretched back in the chair. "This coffee is excellent, though, and these cookies are amazing. Homemade?"
“Made by the urchins that just went to watch Moana again, yes," Faith smiled faintly. "I'm sorry we weren't more help. Did you find anything about the murder?"
"A few odd things, but I've got the strange feeling that the kidnapping and the murder are tied together somehow. These two had a bit of a scuffle at a gas station– not even a physical thing, just a stare off sort of– with a couple of guys in another car, so my gut is telling me that it’s all connected. I know Steve went over it all with you last night, but you haven't thought of anyone who might be upset with your sister? An ex boyfriend or husband? If I might ask... where is Kaylee's father?"
"A one-night stand, detective. Sorry. She never even knew his name, or if she did she had forgotten it by the time we found out she was pregnant.”
"Ah well," he stood and stretched again before reaching into his jacket to pull out a card holder. He handed a card to her. "If you think of anything at all, please let me know as soon as you can. Don’t go trying to play amateur detectives, please? And if there’s any ransom demands…”
Faith nodded, but Aldric noted that she had paled as the detective trailed off.
"I will see you out, detective. Thank you for coming by," Aldric said.
"And for taking this so seriously," Faith added from her seat.
Aldric watched as the detective got into his car and drove off down the long driveway to the road, then turned back into the house. He stopped at the den, where Tamika waited by the door.
"Calling Leo?" she asked quietly.
"I am. I have the feeling that Mr. Greg is a werewolf, and has fixated on Kaylee and her mother. Leo will find out soon enough."
"I'll stick to the kids. Don't worry about them.” A grin started to creep over her face as she glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen, where the sounds of running water and quiet humming indicated that Faith was cleaning up after snack time. "You watch over her, hmm, Romeo?”
Aldric did not bother to rise to her bait. He simply nodded and turned toward his office. "Thank you. I will."
15
Faith put the last mug into the dishwasher and rinsed out the coffee pot. It would do until someone got to finishing the cleanup, probably right before dinner prep. She stared out the wide window over the sink and past the grassy, sun-filled backyard area to the trees beyond.
She knew, logically speaking, that there was nothing in those trees at this moment that she should be worried about, but it was impossible not to feel the anxiety starting to build. Aldric and Marc had both gotten very grim that morning when they were discussing Crissy and the wolves in the woods last night. It was fair, after all. She and Kaylee had brought danger literally into their backyard. And that wasn't even considering the whole dead guy in the road thing.
Honestly, if she was going to be completely blunt with herself, she was shocked that Marc was still not only allowing them to stay here, but was actively trying to help. He was putting his people at risk, and he was fully aware of it, for two total strangers. Faith gripped the edge of the counter and breathed deeply.
Then there was this detective guy. Faith hadn't missed his somewhat pointed comments about wolves in the woods. Did he think that the folks up here were, what, running a secret wolf preserve? No way would he guess 'werewolves' out of the blue. That wasn't something your average human being believed in.
It was puzzling, that was for sure. He didn't sound suspicious so much as concerned, but then, a good detective probably tried to build a rapport with the people he was questioning. People who were relaxed and trusting were more likely to let important details slip, and to be freer with secrets.
And then there was Kaylee's revelation. Was this Mr. Greg a relative of one of these guys? Was he a werewolf? That alone didn't make her nervous, though it probably should considering everything she'd learned over the last few days. What worried her was the idea that he had fixated on Kaylee and then gotten his relatives to make a grab for her. There were thinner reasons behind kidnappings, she was sure.
But what could she do? Sitting around feeling helpless wasn't really her style. Okay, granted, she had never had to deal with kidnappers before. Or werewolves and vampires. There was no way that she could ever learn enough self-defense to beat one of these guys. They were just too fast and too strong.
She could do something though.
Faith frowned and looked over at the empty coffee pot she had set upside-down on a kitchen towel. A quick glance over her shoulder and a listen for footsteps in the hall told her that she really was alone. Taking a deep breath, she did something she hadn't done in years– calling that shield in a moment of panic didn't count. That hadn't been a deliberate action, but more of a blind instinct. This, though?
She pulled on the magic that lay quiet inside her and stirred it up a bit. Then, very carefully, she pushed it out toward the empty carafe on the counter. Gently, gently wrapping the magic around the pot she gave it a slight push, and smiled as it slid easily over the counter a few inches. It wasn't much, but it was a reminder of what she could do.
Faith just needed to go to her room and practice for a while, in pr
ivate.
"Damn," Marc's awed voice behind her made her jump, and she would deny forever that she squeaked, too.
"I knew what Aldric said, and I believed him, but seeing it in person..." Marc whistled under his breath and shook his head without taking his eyes off the coffeepot and the now rumpled towel.
"Um, I..." Faith tried to think of some intelligent response but kept coming up empty.
"I was hoping there was some coffee left, and I heard there were cookies, so I came in search. I'll make a fresh pot, if you're done with this?" Marc gestured at the pot and Faith just nodded. That twinkle in his eyes that she was starting to associate with Marc grew more obvious. Like some kind of younger, werewolf version of Santa Claus as played by Jason Momoa.
"I don't think you're on the wrong track here, Faith. From everything Aldric said you told him, and the few things you've mentioned, it sounds like you haven't practiced much lately?" Marc bustled through the kitchen with far more grace than his size would imply. Faith wondered if he would have become a chef if he hadn't been in charge of a whole pack of werewolves and a handful of vampires.
How the hell was this her life now?
A meaty hand landed on her shoulder and startled her eyes open again. When had she closed them?
"It's been a hell of a time for you, these last few days, hasn't it?" Marc's eyes were nothing but kind.
"Yeah. It's been a lot to absorb. I think Kaylee's handling it way better than I am. I barely slept last night."
Marc nodded and went back to fixing the coffee. Once it was brewing he pulled out a small plate and piled cookies onto it. They were going to have to make more at this rate.
"Kids are flexible like that, I think. Their worldview hasn't solidified yet, since there's still so much that they don't know or haven't experienced. But she's still affected, don’t think she’s not,“ Marc said. He grimaced, then a small smile grew instead. "I was keeping an eye on them at bedtime last night because you know how it can be with kids having a sleepover. It could have been games all night or squabbles or anything, but mostly it was just Kaylee having trouble sleeping. Every time she dozed off she started to whimper, and she'd roll over and wake herself up. I was getting ready to go in there and see if I could help, but I heard Jake wake up. He dug up one of his teddy bears from the stuffies hammock and asked if she wanted a snuggle. I think it was about five minutes later that they were both snoring away, all curled up in a puppy pile.”
It was clear how proud he was of his son, reaching out to help someone in trouble.
"He's a good kid," Faith said. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help her out."
Marc shook his head. "Don't be. It worked out perfectly and gave her a chance to sort through some things on her own. Knowing that you have people to lean on is sometimes all it takes.” He leaned back on the counter to scrub a hand over his face then back through his hair.
“Did you know that Kaylee scents of wolf? Being around other wolves is probably putting her at ease, which is helping, but I will be honest with you. My son is going to be a powerful wolf when he grows up. I suspect he was lending her some of that power, as well, let her sense that she had strong allies to keep her safe. I doubt very much if he even knows he did it."
Faith sighed and slumped into a chair at the table. "There is so much I don't know. God. How am I supposed to deal with all of this?"
Marc poured himself a fresh cup of coffee and picked up the plate of cookies. "Well, I think you're doing exactly the right thing. Practice. Knock the dust off your skills and sharpen them a bit. And don't let yourself forget that even if wolves and vampires are a bit faster and stronger than you are, you're not helpless. We all bleed just like you do." There was a flash of something absolutely lethal that crossed through his eyes for just a second. "And you and Kaylee are ours, now. Jake has all but claimed Kaylee as his own family, and I have known Aldric all my life and never seen him so… So personally invested. You're both Frostwalkers now, and your sister is, too, by extension. We don't let anyone hurt our own. We'll get her back, Faith."
"Thanks, Marc," Faith said. Marc nodded once and turned to head back to his office with his coffee and another cookie in his hand.
She supposed that having an Alpha werewolf lay claim to her and her whole family should have been terrifying, but this felt more like she was being adopted. There was no threat behind Marc's words. Just the promise of support and protection.
Being a Frostwalker wasn't so bad, really.
She was going to have to find Kaylee her own bedroom eventually, though.
Faith lay down on the bed, completely exhausted. She had been in her room running through the few small spells she could remember: lighting candles, pushing objects around, and stirring a breeze in her room. Moving the air was easier for her than the candles, though Crissy had always had trouble with it and found the candle exercise easy.
A soft knock on her door interrupted her thoughts, not that she was thinking particularly hard about anything other than a nap.
"Come in?"
"Hey, just wanted to check in, chica," Tamika stood in the open door and smiled. "I didn't mean to interrupt nap time."
Faith groaned and sat up, propping herself against the pillows and the headboard. "Nah, I was just sort of staring at the ceiling. It's been a crazy few days. How're the kids?"
“Marc has 'em helping with dinner. They seem to be making mac and cheese. Or a complete disaster, one or t’other,” Tamika shrugged and plopped down on the bed next to Faith's knee. "It was a little hard to tell when I left."
Faith laughed, and Tamika grinned.
"Hey, I did have a slightly ulterior motive, though. Marc mentioned that you might feel a little better with a weapon of some kind. I know you're not trained to fight or anything, but here. I brought you this." Tamika pulled a compact but deadly looking knife from a sheath under her jacket. "You sound like the sort of person to keep a pretty level head in a crisis. I wouldn't suggest you rush into battle with just this thing, but if you get caught without one of us around, somehow, it might come in handy, ya know?"
Faith took the knife and held it carefully. "Assuming I don't stab myself?"
"Oh, don't do that!" Tamika laughed, a bright, sparkling sound that made Faith smile too. These wolves were certainly blessed with infectious laughter. "Honey, if you manage to stab yourself I will be in so much trouble! I better give you the sheath, too."
Tamika did just that, and showed her how to strap it onto her belt, then showed her a few ways to use it that would do significant enough damage to an attacking wolf or vampire to buy enough time to escape.
"I hope like hell that I don't need to use this," Faith said after running through everything with her comb in place of the knife.
"Me, too, sugar. I like you, and Kaylee is a riot! You sure you don’t know what sort of troublemaker her dad was?“ Tamika laughed.
"Lord. We never were completely sure who her father was. Crissy had a stretch of slightly wild bar hopping, but he's never been in the picture. Marc wondered this morning if he was a werewolf, though,“ Faith shrugged and sat back down on the bed. “Apparently Kaylee smells wolfy.”
“She does, a bit. Well, that would be one explanation for some of this. Wolves can be pretty protective of our kids. If some wolf found out he had a secret baby, he'd be pretty pissed, even if it was his own damn fault he didn't know about it."
Faith giggled. "Secret baby? This isn't some kind of romance novel, you know."
Tamika laughed. "As far as I'm aware the only romance novels in this house are Aldric's vampire romances. He thinks we don't know about them, though, so don't tell."
Faith giggled. "He lent me a few. Pretty sure none of them had secret babies, though."
"That man," Tamika laughed. "I've worked with that guy for my whole adult life, keeping this clan safe. I've seen him in fights and I've seen him intimidate the hell out of some lowlife that was making trouble. He's terrifying when he's pissed off, but all I have to do is
remember his worst-kept-secret romance novel stash and I feel better.” Tamika giggled again.
"They're pretty amazing, to be honest," Faith grinned. "This one is about a vampire rescuing a dragon shifter from some kind of wizard who's hunting her. It's amazing. And so, so wrong about vampires in just about every way I can tell. I actually laughed myself to sleep last night. Before all the howling, anyway."
Tamika grimaced. "Yeah. I'm shocked that those rogues would try to even get close to the clan house. It's not like we're unprotected here. And then to assault our chief enforcer? Even if they did get the jump on him, that's practically suicide." She glanced over at Faith and tipped a smile at her. "You did a solid job cleaning his dumb ass up last night. Thanks."
"If he's going to go out there and get clawed up keeping me and Kaylee safe, it was the least I could do."
"You're good people, Faith. I like you," Tamika said. She patted Faith's knee before standing again and heading toward the door. "Dinner'll be ready soon. Better think about washing up. I'm going to go knock on Aldric's office, see if he's still too grumpy to be civilized."
16
The morning after Detective Lincoln’s abrupt visit, Aldric sat back and glared at his cousin's face on his laptop screen.
"Hey, it's not my fault, cuz," Leo grimaced. "The Goldfang Stalkers have gotten to be more than a little cracked. Greg Honeyford broke away from the pack itself– by necessity I think. I get the feeling that the pack alpha believes in exactly one correct way of life, and that Greg doesn't, if you catch my meaning. I don't have any proof of it, but it's a strong hunch, and even if I'm completely wrong this guy doesn't exactly exude the sort of toxic masculinity Alpha Molin seems to encourage. The guy's got a degree in early childhood teaching and works at a preschool for pete's sake. There's no way the Goldfang alpha would approve of this guy's lifestyle choices." Leo's voice dripped with irritation at the end.
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