“Witches, sphinxes and even elementals were added to the mix,” Rooster explained. “There was a time that elementals were extremely coveted by packs because, when the two species mated the children were especially strong.”
“Huh.” I thought about the dream I’d had several nights before. “Were the elementals ever taken against their will?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“Just asking.” I refused to dwell on that now. “You’re saying that wolves will open themselves up to almost anything if it gives their pack power.”
Rooster nodded. “It’s not pretty, but that’s it in a nutshell. You and Gunner would make an intriguing addition to any pack. Graham was high in his pack’s hierarchy before stepping away, but Gunner has distanced himself. To others, that might look as if he’s prime for the picking.”
“Even though I have no interest in pack politics,” Gunner groused.
“They don’t know that,” Rooster pointed out. “As for Scout, she’s an enigma. All Flint knows about her is that she took out a siren with elemental magic and she managed to take on him and Drake without breaking a sweat. They’re probably panting they’re so excited at the prospect of getting her into the pack. It will be the mage situation all over again.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What mage situation?”
“That’s not really important,” Gunner replied, waving off the question.
I still wanted to know. “What mage situation?” I pressed.
Gunner sighed. “Years ago, the son of a bigwig in one of the purist packs — the ones who still believe you should mate only with other wolves — shucked everything and married a mage. She’s ridiculously powerful. The pack wasn’t happy, but he didn’t care. He loved his wife and that’s all that mattered.
“They had a daughter,” he continued. “The kid was a hybrid ... and great things were expected. Nothing happened for twelve years, but then all hell broke loose. The kid started manifesting powers and the pack wanted to embrace her because ... well, you probably already know where this is going.”
I did and I found the entire thing frustrating. “She may have been a girl, but she had power they wanted.”
“This particular mage was stronger than most. So was the kid. I’m not aware of all the politics. The pack tried to arrange for the mage and the daughter to join with them for protection. They wanted to control them.”
“How did that go over?”
“Not well. The mage — who is even more persnickety than you if the rumors are to be believed — essentially told them to shove it.”
A terrible thought occurred to me. “The kid wasn’t hurt, was she?”
A slow smile played across Gunner’s lips. “No. The mage put on a show of power, took down the enemy by herself, saved all the pack members in the process and then basically did a victory dance over the corpses of her enemies. They never joined the pack.”
I was impressed. “Is this the same mage that took down the paranormal college?”
“Yup. She’s something.”
“I would like to meet her one day.”
“You may get your chance. She’s still in the state and the kid continues to manifest. Everyone wants the family for their pack, but the mage and the wolf refuse to even consider it.”
Hmm. I tucked away the information for a later date. The mage sounded like someone to get to know. I didn’t have time now. “I’m not a mage. Why would Cyrus be so desperate to get me?”
“You might not be a mage, but you’re all kinds of powerful.” Gunner smiled. “I’m a full wolf with a decent pedigree, and you’ve got magic oozing out of every orifice.”
I rolled my eyes. “That was a lovely visual.”
My disgust only made his smile widen. “I’m a master with words.”
He was ... something. “Basically you’re saying that Cyrus wants to schmooze us because he thinks, as a couple, we can help him.”
“That’s it in a nutshell.”
“Well ... he can bite me.”
“He can bite both of us,” Gunner clarified. “I have no interest in playing his game. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go to the gathering.”
His quick shift caught me off guard. “I don’t understand. Why would we go?”
“Because they might show their hand,” Rooster replied. “We’ve been conducting research on the group since they arrived. I found a few things that make me uncomfortable.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this. “If it’s going to make me want to rip their hearts out, maybe you should refrain.”
“Information is power,” Gunner countered. “We need information. You need to hold it together.”
I hated how rational he sounded. “All I’m saying is that they’d better not be torturing puppies or anything. I’ll wipe them out without a second’s thought if that’s the case.”
“We’ll all be doing that,” Bonnie offered.
Rooster grinned before gesturing toward Doc. “Lay it on them, big guy. You did all the groundwork.”
Doc remained focused on the screen. It was as if he’d completely tuned us out and we were only shadows in his world.
“Hey, Doc, Rooster wants you to tell Scout and Gunner about the wolves,” Bonnie prodded, snapping her fingers in Doc’s face. She seemed enamored with him, but in a clinical way, as if he were a friendly science experiment.
“I’m sorry.” Doc used his index finger to shove his glasses up his nose. “I was digging deeper on Drake, as you suggested.”
Gunner leaned forward, clearly intrigued. “Anything? He’s the wild card. There’s something familiar about him, but I can’t decide if that’s because he reminds me of half the wolves I had the misfortune of crossing paths with as a kid or if I really know him.”
“He’s indeed a mystery.” Doc didn’t look at us, instead focusing on his screen. “I’ve found some records on him. He’s something of an adopted son to Cyrus Marsh. The first record I can trace to him was when he was a teenager. He looks to have been about sixteen or so at the time of that record.”
“And when was this?” Gunner queried.
“Fifteen years ago.”
“Which puts him at about thirty,” Gunner mused. “That’s right about my age.”
“So, it’s possible you do know him,” I offered. “My guess is, if you feel this strongly about it, you’ve crossed paths before.”
“I agree,” Rooster volunteered. “Maybe it was when you were a kid and that’s why you’re having trouble remembering. People change a lot over the years. You might sense he’s familiar and not be able to place him because of that.”
“I guess.” Gunner rubbed his forehead. “What else have you found on him, Doc?”
“Not a lot. That first record was an arrest record – drunk and disorderly with Flint Marsh.”
“Which would indicate that he was friends with Flint as a teenager,” I said. “You knew Flint when you were younger because you had to go to a lot of the same pack events, right? Maybe Drake was with him back then and you just don’t remember it.”
“There’s a reason I don’t remember that,” Gunner countered. “Flint was a loner as a kid because all the other kids hated him. He was the type who would pull the wings off butterflies just to be a jerk. He liked torturing the smaller kids. No one wanted to hang out with him.”
“And yet he had a powerful father,” Rooster noted. “I’m sure Cyrus forced other people to make their kids hang with Flint.”
“I guess.” Gunner rubbed his chin. “I don’t remember Flint running with anyone. Even as we got older and became interested in girls, the girls wouldn’t have anything to do with him.”
“It’s not as if he’s attractive,” I pointed out. “He has a decided lack of charm. I’m guessing he was worse as a teenager.”
“Yeah, but you heard Rooster. Cyrus was a powerful figure. The parents of the girls our age would’ve directed their daughters to pay attention to him in an effort to attach themselves to a
n important family through marriage. I’m not saying I think that’s a good thing, but it is normal when it comes to pack politics.”
“That’s horrible,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I hate these people.”
“They’re people worth hating,” Doc agreed. “Cyrus has been arrested three times and charged twice for racketeering. Each time, before the case went to trial, the witnesses against him disappeared and the cases were ultimately dropped.”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Doc was insinuating. “Were any bodies ever found?”
“No.”
“Well, great.”
“There are a lot of rumors online,” Doc continued. “Drugs. Gun running. Human trafficking. Apparently Cyrus has a hand in all of it.”
I was appalled. “Human trafficking?”
Doc nodded. “He’s a bad guy. Flint is following in his father’s footsteps, but from what I can tell he’s not respected at all. People are dreading the day he takes over his father’s operation.”
“That’s because Flint is an idiot,” Gunner volunteered. “You can say what you want about Cyrus — and he is a total dirtbag — but he’s smart. He’s managed to evade the law for as long as he has because he knows how to manipulate the system. Flint is the sort of guy who will go to jail the first year he’s in charge because his ego is bigger than his brain.”
I could see that. “So, what do we do?”
Gunner held my gaze and smiled. “You know what we have to do.”
I sighed. I did know. “I guess we’re going to a gathering. Do I have to get dressed up?”
He laughed. “No. Just bring your attitude. That’s what they want to see. I’ll handle the rest.”
That sounded too easy. “Is there anything else on Cyrus and Flint we should know before tonight?”
“I’m sending files to your computers,” Doc offered. “You might want to go through them before you head in. I don’t know that it’s necessary, but a little knowledge never hurt anyone.”
He wasn’t wrong. “That’s good. I got a message from Mike. He wants to have a video chat this afternoon. I guess I can do that while Gunner is working at the lumberyard.”
Gunner scowled. “Why does he need a video chat?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but he wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t necessary.”
“He just wants to see you.” Gunner slammed the rest of his beer. “I guess I can’t blame him.”
“He’s harmless,” I replied. “He’s also a good source of information. If he says he has something I need to know, then he means it. It can’t hurt to hear him out.”
Gunner looked as if he wanted to argue, but he kept his mouth shut. “It definitely can’t hurt. We need all the information we can get.”
Nineteen
We took Gunner’s truck to the lumberyard because he insisted he had things to pick up. I assumed those things were for my cabin, and I had every intention of paying for the goods when he wasn’t looking.
It didn’t exactly go that way.
“He said you would try this and I was to ignore you.”
Brandon Masters, one of Gunner’s oldest friends and the man who owned the lumberyard, was friendly. He also had no intention of budging. The way he folded his arms across his chest and jutted out his chin told me that.
“He’s getting stuff for me,” I argued. “I should pay for it.”
“He wants to pay for it.”
“Yeah, but ... it’s for me.”
Brandon tilted his head to the side and regarded me with an unreadable expression. Finally, he shook his head and sighed. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”
I didn’t think that was a fair assumption. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to pay my own bills.”
“There is when he wants to do it for you.”
“Yeah, but ... .” I was feeling frustrated.
“Listen, I get it.” He took a reasonable approach that only served to irritate me. “You want to take care of yourself. You’re a tough chick who stomps the faces of those who try to take care of her. Gunner told me all about it.”
I was taken aback. “Gunner told you all about what?”
Brandon looked around, as if checking to make sure nobody was listening. My heart dropped at the prospect that Gunner was spilling my secrets to a virtual stranger.
“You’re a feminist,” Brandon offered in a low voice. “You want to take care of yourself and ignore whatever men tell you to do.”
I had no idea how to respond. “I don’t know if that’s exactly how I would describe it,” I hedged.
“I do. You want to take care of yourself. Gunner is the sort of guy who wants to take care of you. He can’t help himself. You guys are going to have a battle of wills at times.
“The thing is, he’s a good guy and he clearly likes you,” he continued. “I’m not just saying that because we’ve been best friends since we were kids. He just wants to help.”
I was taken aback. “Well ... I’ll give it some thought. I still want to pay for this load. I’ll give it thought for the next load.”
“No can do. I already agreed to make sure he was the one paying.”
I didn’t understand. Not a single bit of it. “How did you even know this was going to happen? I’ve been with him all day.”
“And all night from what I understand.” He winked at me. He was far too personable to be angry with, but I gave it a good try.
“How did you know I was going to try to pay for the stuff myself?” I pressed. “Someone had to tip you off.”
He nodded once. “Gunner did.”
“But ... when?”
“About twenty minutes before you showed up. He texted me.”
I ran the timeframe through my brain. “That had to be when we were at his house picking up his truck. He said he needed to change his clothes.”
“All I know is I promised that I would let him pay. You’ll have to take it up with him.”
Oh, I intended to.
I FOUND HIM IN THE BACK barn cutting boards. He looked intent, as if he was keeping track of things in his mind. I took a moment to watch him work, marveling as he silently did math and marked boards before leaning them against the wall to organize them.
After a few minutes, he must’ve sensed my presence, because he looked up ... and smiled. “Where have you been?”
“Trying to pay for all of this — whatever this is — with your buddy. He says that you texted him before we arrived that I would try that and he shouldn’t allow it.”
“He has a big mouth.”
“He does,” I agreed, regarding him with a mixture of frustration and fondness. “You can’t just take over my life when you feel like it.”
He arched an eyebrow and ran his forearm across his sweaty forehead. “And why is that?”
“Because ... because ... .”
“I’m going to keep cutting while you think of an answer.”
“I have an answer.” The statement came out shriller than I would’ve liked. “I know exactly what I’m saying. I’m a grown-up and I’m supposed to pay for certain things myself. Supplies to improve my cabin are exactly the sort of thing I should pay for.”
“You’ll live.” He was blasé as he moved back to the stack of boards. “I need to think a second. Now would be a good time for you to call your other boyfriend on the computer and ask about that body you remember.”
“We’re not done arguing.”
“About the supplies, we most definitely are, because I’m not backing down and it’s already taken care of. If you would like to argue about something else, it needs to wait until I’m done with the table saw. I might lose a finger or something.”
I worked my jaw. He was really full of himself. I mean ... really full of himself. “Fine. I’m going to call him. It’s not because you suggested it, it’s because I want answers as much as you and we need some direction.”
His smile was cheery when he glanced at me. “Whatever you
need to tell yourself.”
Oh, we were definitely fighting later ... when he wasn’t in danger of losing an appendage. “I just can’t believe I’m letting you run roughshod over my life like this. I don’t even understand how it’s happening.” I muttered as I collected the tablet from the bag I’d placed on the floor before looking for Brandon.
I sat at a small table at the side of the room and clicked on the Zoom app. Mike was a frequent contact and he picked up on the first ring. Apparently he was expecting me.
“There she is,” he announced, his grin so wide it threatened to split his entire face. “How’s life in the middle of nowhere?” His brow furrowed as he took in my surroundings. “Are you in a dungeon? Do you need me to come up there and rescue you?”
I didn’t miss the way Gunner scowled in the background, all the while continuing to write numbers on the boards with a pencil. This wasn’t the first time his nose got out of joint where Mike was concerned — although it was a ridiculous worry — and I got a small measure of joy from his annoyance.
“I’m at a lumberyard, if you can believe that,” I replied.
“Are you in desperate need of wood?” he deadpanned, causing me to chuckle.
“Actually, I might be overloaded in that department.” I pinned Gunner with a challenging look, practically daring him to argue with me. He remained quiet, but the look he shot me was lit with mirth.
“I don’t want to hear about that,” Mike announced, his features twisting. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
“Join the club.” I leaned back in my chair and stretched out my legs. “Did you get the message I sent?”
He bobbed his head. “I did. I didn’t even have to look up the case you mentioned because I remember thinking at the time that the body dropped relatively close to where you’d been the previous evening.”
I frowned. “How can you remember that?”
“We had to check a few surveillance cameras to make sure you weren’t on them. We didn’t want you to be a suspect.”
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