by Vella Day
Everyone swiveled toward him. “How?” Anderson asked.
He explained to the rest of the group about his unique talent of being able to identify a person’s essence trail. “Mind you, it doesn’t last long, but when I was following this creep to the forest, his trail was faint but unique. I can’t be positive, but it could have matched the guy who came into the jewelry store asking for something with sardonyx.”
“You said you could help. What can you do?” Anderson asked.
“I can go into the forest and see if I can pick up the trail. It’s a long shot, but I have nothing to lose other than time.”
“That would be great. Keep us posted. If there is another theft, I might be calling on you to see if you can pick up a more recent trail.”
“Perfect.”
Greer was so proud of the way Blake had stepped up to help. They spent another few minutes discussing what role the other Guardians could play. Needless to say, they were aware of the need to be more vigilant. Thankfully, they could tell a wolf shifter from a bear shifter from a dragon shifter. Whether they could sense a Changeling from a regular wolf shifter was anyone’s guess, though the Guardians did possess magical abilities few others did.
Once the room emptied out, Greer and Blake took the stairs down to the jewelry shop. The moment they stepped inside the store, Blake clasped her shoulders, leaned over, and kissed her. Wild spikes of joy shot up her spine. Would her body ever stop reacting so intensely to this man? Hopefully not.
When she caught sight of two people grinning through the window, she broke contact. “Any more of this insane kissing and I’ll need to take off the rest of the day to make love with you back at your place.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice, but I too have to get back to work. How about I pick you up at five? I trust you’ll want to stop back at your townhouse for some hiking gear. Then we can look for this werewolf scoundrel.”
“Sounds good, but do you really think you can pick up his trail after all this time?”
“Not if he hasn’t been back there recently. I’d go right now, but I’m kind of on shaky grounds with corporate as it is. They weren’t thrilled with my arrest, even though they said they understood it wasn’t my fault.”
“You never said anything.”
Blake dragged a knuckle down her cheek. “I knew it would blow over. If I were positive we could find this guy, I would go now.” He held up a finger. “I forgot to ask. Did Anderson mention anything about finding any evidence of this mutant werewolf at any of the hotels? He might not even be in the woods anymore.”
She had to think for a minute. “I don’t think so, but it’s always possible the Changeling will touch some guest and then stay in a different hotel under that person’s name for a day or so.”
“Shit. I hadn’t thought of that, but if that is the case, he’d need to pay in cash. He couldn’t have gotten a credit card at our bank without a lot of identification.”
“I’ll ask Anderson if anyone had their license or credit cards stolen,” Greer said.
He tapped her nose. “I think you should be a detective.”
She chuckled and then ran a hand down his chest. “We could open a detective agency together, you know.”
“As much as I’d like that, I don’t want you to be in any more danger than you already are.”
She appreciated his overprotective nature, but it was unnecessary. “You don’t have to worry about me. If you recall, I was going to show you a thing or two about fighting. It will put your mind at ease, I promise.”
He laughed. “I’d like to see that.”
“You’re on. See you at five.”
“At five.”
Blake was still reeling from learning that Greer was a Guardian. Being in the room with so many others like her had been a bit intimidating at first, but their focus and desire to help others showed how approachable and decent they were.
After the meeting, Blake wanted to do his part more than anything. This creep from Earth was a thief at best. Whether he’d killed anyone, he couldn’t say, but if Detective Caspian believed he was a suspect, then Blake would consider him dangerous.
Blake debated telling Greer that he wanted to go into the woods by himself to search for this person of interest since he didn’t like the idea of someone as classy as Greer tromping around the woods, but knowing her, she’d tell him she was coming regardless of what he said. She’d better be as well trained as she claimed, or he’d live in fear for the rest of his life.
If they ran into that creepy werewolf though, what was the worst that could happen? Blake could shoot some fire at the fur ball and end his pathetic life. Too bad Blake wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. Otherwise the problem would be easily solved. If this Changeling turned out to be merely a thief, he didn’t deserve to die—especially by burning to death.
Blake’s immediate concern was that being around Greer would diminish his ability to follow this man’s essence trail. Like he’d told the others, the trail from when the man robbed Greer would be long gone, but if he spotted him again, Blake should be able to identify him.
As soon as the bank closed, Blake headed up to his apartment to change before picking up Greer. He just hoped she owned boots—ones without high heels.
At five, he drove to her shop situated at the base of the SinCas building. To his surprise, Greer was waiting outside for him. Once again, she pulled open the car door and hopped in, not giving him the chance to show his more chivalrous side.
When she closed the door, he leaned over and kissed her. While he understood it would be difficult to stop once he touched her, he needed the rush from the contact. She leaned back and smiled, and his heart melted. Greer was truly his mate. “How did your day go?” he asked.
“A little slow. I couldn’t wait to see you again.”
She was the sweetest woman. “Me too.”
After they arrived at her house so she could change, Greer placed a hand on his arm. “How about staying in the car?”
He hadn’t expected that. “Why?”
“Why? Because if I get you anywhere near a bed, I’ll have to make love with you, and I think it will be easier to spot this guy while it’s light.”
He grinned. Greer always said the best things. “Go.”
To his delight, she returned in under ten minutes, which for Greer might have been a new record. She opened the passenger side door and leaned in. “We aren’t flying?”
“No. We have too much area to cover once we reach the dense canopy of trees. Having a car will be more efficient.”
She slid in. “Works for me.”
The trip to the forest entrance didn’t take long. During that time though, Greer said little—probably because he’d explained that remembering the essence trail of every person required concentration.
Once they entered the road covered in trees, Blake slowed. “The last reported car stolen was a white Branton. Keep your eyes peeled for it on the right, and I’ll look on the left.”
“Will do,” she said with a lot of excitement, implying she had been raised to do this.
Blake drove slow enough to give them time to spot something. They were halfway through the forest when Greer pointed and shouted, “That looks like the car.”
He eased off to the side and stopped. “Let’s check it out.”
As soon as they approached the vehicle, Blake noted a faint trail swirling around it. “This is his.”
“You can see his essence coming off it?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell where he went?”
He gave her a self-satisfied smile. “I can. Let’s go catch us a thief.”
Because Blake was the one who could detect the trail, he led, checking frequently to make sure she was doing okay hiking over the rather rough terrain. They’d agreed to keep talking to a minimum, because voices traveled far in the forest. They’d gone about twenty minutes when he stopped.
Greer stepped next to him. “What is it?” she whispered.
“I sense a shifter. He’s moving through the forest.”
She said nothing for a few seconds. “I hear him now too. What’s the plan?”
He turned around. “I don’t feel right rushing in and outright killing him. More importantly, I can’t be certain he killed anyone.”
“I bet he has, but I understand your caution. Can’t you tell if his electric aura thing matches the one you saw before?”
“Yes. It’s definitely him, but until we know for sure he’s a murderer, he doesn’t deserve to die for stealing a lamp.”
“Maybe not. What do you want to do then?”
Greer was the Guardian, but he appreciated her asking for his opinion. “Let’s move a little closer, but not so close that he spots or senses us. If he does, and then shifts into his wolf form, we’ll be forced to burn him.”
“It would be nice if Finn were here. He’s a wolf shifter as well as a dragon shifter. He could take down this guy.”
Take down or kill? “I think it would be smart to leave the final capture to the cops.” He might have had a different opinion if her cousin wasn’t the lead on this case. It didn’t matter Blake wanted to destroy the man with his bare hands worse than anything.
She nodded, and they moved as quietly as possible down the trail. Some noise sounded to his right, and out of the corner of his eye, an essence trail floated by. Blake stopped. “It’s him,” he whispered, wishing they could communicate telepathically.
As if the Changeling sensed them, leaves crunched and then an animal scurried away. Damn. Neither of them would be any good in their dragon form. As a human, his only weapon was fire. Even at that, his aim and ability to shoot far using his arm when partially shifted wasn’t the best. Not to mention, they certainly didn’t need to start a forest fire.
“He got away,” she said, sounding a bit dejected.
“It seems so.”
Greer grabbed his shoulder. “Let’s at least see if we can find where he’s staying.”
“I doubt he has a tent. He’s a wolf.”
“He might have his clothes stashed nearby. Knowing the location of his hideout would be valuable information to Anderson. Please?”
He couldn’t handle her look of disappointment. “We can check it out and maybe even figure out a way to mark the site for the cops to find.”
She smiled. “You are a good team player.”
For now. If he came head to head with the guy without Greer being near, all bets were off.
Chapter Fourteen
The next two days were rather tense. Blake really wanted to locate this Changeling, because the cops hadn’t succeeded despite being given a detailed description of his last known location. Detective Caspian said all had been quiet on the crime front too. In fact, no one had reported any strange events involving a doppelganger.
At first Blake thought this guy might have hightailed it back to Earth, but then Greer said that when she checked everyone going to Earth had been personally known to the Guardians. They’d even called each home to make sure that person wasn’t there and at the portal at the same time. All Blake could do now was wait.
He’d just stepped out of the shower after a long day at work when Greer popped her head into the bathroom. He loved how her eyes turned that pretty purple every time he was naked—or kissing her.
She covered her eyes. “I can’t look.”
He chuckled. “Why not? Afraid you’ll have to ravish me?” Blake grabbed a towel to dry off.
She opened them up. “Yes, and Kaleena just called and asked if I’d come over. She’s not feeling all that well and wants some company as well as my healing hands.”
“Then by all means go.” He understood how much Greer worried about her two pregnant friends. While he’d yet to meet Kaleena, she was Finn’s mate. The other woman, Chelsea, who was even further along than Kaleena, was Declan’s mate.
Blake didn’t want to become distracted imagining how wonderful his life would be when he and Greer had children of their own, so he wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped past her into their bedroom.
“What are you going to do tonight?” she asked as she trailed after him. “I hate for you to be home all alone.”
“Actually, I was thinking of heading over to the Wing’s Bar to chat with Finn. The more I learn about the Changelings and their habits, the better chance I have of finding him.”
“That sounds great. I won’t be gone too long, I hope.”
“Don’t rush; if you’re not home when I get back from the bar, I’ll watch some TV, but if I fall asleep just get me up when you come in.”
She grinned. “From the looks of what’s happening under your towel, I’d say something is already up.”
He laughed. “Go.”
The temptation to sweep her off her feet and feast on her was strong, but Blake resisted. Her scent alone was messing with his cock, his scales, and everything in between.
It took at least an hour after Greer left for his libido to calm. At around eight thirty, Greer texted to say she would be staying with Kaleena for a little bit longer, and she hoped he would be okay. Blake chuckled and immediately texted back saying he was about to head out to the Wings Bar and not to worry about him.
The bar wasn’t far, so he decided to walk there. As he neared the entrance, a familiar light floated by. It appeared to be similar to that of the Changeling thief, but Blake couldn’t be positive since so many people were driving by and walking down the sidewalk. Essences, he’d learned, tended to blend together with time.
Keeping his attention focused, he stepped inside, and when he didn’t sense the man’s aura in there, he relaxed. As he’d planned, Blake sat at the bar. When Finn was free, the two chatted about what the Changelings were like back on Earth and how when they shifted, it tore apart their clothes. It was why shifters undressed before transforming.
“I’m glad that doesn’t happen here,” Blake said.
“No kidding. It took me some time to get used to remaining dressed.”
Finn then regaled him with a story about his brother Rye and his mate Izzy who’d been stalked by a Changeling—one who had bound her powers for a while. It was rather scary stuff.
After Blake finished his second beer, the heat and the noise began to irritate him. Usually, he was one to go out and have a good time, but ever since he’d met his mate, his priorities had changed. He found peace and solace staying home with Greer. She was so interesting that he wanted to spend a lifetime learning about her.
“Another beer?” Finn asked as he polished the counter in front of Blake after removing his empty glass.
His cell chimed. “No, I’m good. That’s Greer. She’s heading home now. I guess your mate is doing okay. Thanks for the company.”
“You bet. Stop by anytime!”
As Blake stepped outside, the essence trail he’d sensed on his way in was now a faint hint of light. He shook his head, ready for some hard loving with Greer.
Blake’s buzzing cell phone jarred him awake. The bedside clock told him it wasn’t even six a.m. Who the hell was calling so early? It wasn’t a bank alert because no red flashing sign appeared.
Because Greer was sound asleep next to him, he grabbed his phone, walked out of the bedroom, and closed the door.
The caller ID said it was Finn, which he found odd. “Hey, what’s up?” Blake asked, keeping his voice low.
“It’s Kaleena. She’s been arrested.”
Blake grabbed the kitchen island chair and sat down. “What are you talking about?”
“Anderson came to the condo about an hour ago, knocked on our door, and said Kaleena needed to come down to the station.” The sounds in the background indicated Finn was there now.
Nothing made any sense. “Arrested for what?”
“Murder.”
He’d not met Kaleena, but Greer was very attached to her cousin. “Hold on. Murder? That’s crazy. Greer was with her all last night. When did this happen?”
; “At around eleven thirty last night.”
Shit. Greer was home by then. “Are you at the station now?”
“Yes.”
“What can we do?”
“Can you and Greer come down here now? I’m hoping both of your testimonies will help.”
“Of course. We’ll be right over.”
As soon as he disconnected, Blake raced back into the bedroom. “Greer, honey, wake up.”
She opened her eyes, and when she smiled, his dragon went wild. As much as he’d love nothing more than a repeat of last night’s lovemaking, Kaleena needed them. “You need to get dressed. Kaleena’s been arrested for murder.”
Greer bolted upright. “What!?”
“Finn just called. I don’t know much, but we need to get down to the station. I’ll explain what I know on the way.”
As if he’d told her the building was on fire, Greer tossed on a pair of jeans and a top in record time. She actually beat him getting dressed. They then rushed to the rooftop, shifted, and flew to the station. The parking lot out back was mostly empty, giving them space to land. After they were on the ground, they shifted and then jogged around to the front entrance of the police station.
“I can’t believe this. Does Anderson know?” she asked.
“Anderson arrested her.”
“That’s ridiculous. He has to know Kaleena would never kill anyone unless it was a matter of life and death,” she said.
“I’m sure he knows she didn’t do it, but he must have some evidence to the contrary or he wouldn’t have taken her in. He’s just doing his job.”
She speared him with a rather ugly look. He of all people understood that what Anderson believed and what he did were often different. The detective went by the law and then figured out the truth.
They rushed inside. Finn was pacing in front of Anderson’s desk. As soon as he saw them, he rushed up to them. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course. How is Kaleena?” Greer asked, sounding in pain herself.
“Not good. The baby is acting up. Being falsely accused hasn’t been easy for her, but if she endured all that time in the castle prison, she’ll get through this.”