by Haley Weir
“Deputy Harris knows you’re a screenwriter,” he growled.
“She clearly knows about you, too, or you wouldn’t have trusted her to watch me.”
Seth fell silent and walked back into the house. Diana followed close behind with her hands tucked into her pockets to remove the temptation to touch the crime scene. “There are gouges in the floor,” she observed. “Claws?”
“Hellhounds.”
“What? Why would they be killing these women?”
Seth shook his head. “The hellhounds didn’t kill her. They came after she was dead. I think someone in the underworld is looking into the murders too.”
“Which means we’re running out of time.” Diana knelt down beside the body. “What about the mark on her wrist?” She grabbed the flashlight from Seth’s hands and shined it on the woman’s wrist. Diana tried to ignore the unnatural pale hue of the woman’s skin. There was a partial mark on the inside of her wrist.
“What’s that?”
“Shit.”
“Seth?”
“It’s a mate mark,” he replied. “She’s mated. From the looks of it...her mate is a bear shifter.” His voice was so quiet that she barely heard him.
“Did the others have the same mark?”
“No, I would have noticed it.” Seth’s brow furrowed as he pulled on a glove and turned the woman’s arm over. “In fact, it hadn’t been there a second ago.”
“Have you seen anything like this before?”
“Never.”
Diana swayed as she stood up and left the room. There were no personal items around the house from what she could see. No photos on the walls, no bills on the counters, nothing to indicate that the woman had ever existed before being labeled a Jane Doe. “She lived here?”
Seth shook his head. “The property is vacant. There’s no car outside and no one in the neighborhood remembers seeing her come inside.”
“Somebody had to have seen someone coming or going.”
“Or something.”
“The hellhound?”
“Only one way to find out,” Seth claimed. “We need to talk to Rina and have her use her underworld contacts. Nothing happens down there without Plutus knowing about it.”
“Will he help us?”
“For a price.”
“Are you willing to pay the sort of price he would ask for?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Are you?”
~*~
Kismet Dating Agency
Destiny Falls, Alaska
Seth flashed his badge and walked into his brother’s office. Giddeon turned away from the enormous window behind his desk to watch as Seth barged in. The room was decorated in sleek black and white furnishings, tables with mirrored surfaces, and crisp edges that scattered the light in the area. It was far colder and more modern than Seth remembered his brother being. He supposed that, like everything else with his family, it was only an illusion of strength. “Why haven’t you been accepting my calls?”
“Because it’s the only tactic that has worked so far in getting you to show your face.”
“I wouldn’t have called unless it was important.”
“A lot of things are important,” Giddeon hissed. “We’ve tiptoed around you long enough, brother. I’m tired of waiting for you to make a move. Big changes are coming, whether you like it or not.” It had been a long time since Giddeon had used his Alpha voice on Seth. The anger that had summoned him to his brother’s office all but disappeared.
“I’m investigating those murders that I told you about, but I’m not the only one. I found claw marks from a hellhound at the latest crime scene, and I need to figure out why.”
“Why not ask Caleb?”
“I need time before I talk to him or Balor. Just being here feels like daggers in my heart, Giddeon. Please,” Seth pleaded. He scrubbed his hands over his face and sat down with a weary sigh. “I’m making an effort.”
“Fine. It’ll take time to get you information.”
“I don’t need information; I need a way into the underworld.”
“That will also take time,” Giddeon grumbled. “I’ll come by your place when I have answers. Until then, I have a few dates set up for you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“A favor for a favor, Seth. You know how this works.”
“Fine,” Seth snapped. “Who is she?”
“There are three women.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“One date each; that’s all I ask.” Giddeon knew how to drive a hard bargain. He held his hand out and Seth shook it impatiently. They parted ways more peacefully than they had in the previous months. If anything, the dates served as a distraction from Diana Kelly. The woman was like a parasite in his brain, burrowing deeper and deeper each time he tried to remove her from his thoughts.
Lately, his nights had been filled with flashing images of her writhing in his sheets. Seth resisted as long as he could, but each morning, he awakened with his fists balled in the fabric of his damp covers. Though no one could see him, it had been embarrassing to wake up to the sound of his own moans as he thrust against the pillows. A deep, dark lust had crawled to the surface of his mind, and he needed it gone.
Sure enough, Seth’s phone beeped with notifications from the agency. Giddeon hadn't wasted any time setting up the dates. The names and numbers had been blocked, but Seth responded to the offers with personalized messages instead of the group chat approach. It wasn't as if he expected to actually find love through the agency, but he was still open to the possibility. The first woman responded enthusiastically, choosing her favorite restaurant in the area. Seth agreed to meet that night and checked his reflection in the mirrored doors of the elevator. It was...passable?
He hadn't slept peacefully in days and the bags under his eyes were darkening by the second. Seth decided to be honest and told his date that he had just come from a meeting after working a long shift and to excuse his appearance. The reply came quickly, but Seth never opened the text. He got in his car and drove to the restaurant, looking forward to comfort food and a good conversation. His gaze scanned the faces in the parking lot until they landed on Diana. She laughed as she walked beside a man he didn't recognize.
Seth was out of his car before he knew what he was doing. Rage filled his body as the man draped his arm over her shoulder. Seth grabbed Diana's hand, tripping her up slightly as she ducked under the man's arm. "Seth? What are you doing here?"
"Is that your boyfriend?"
"What? No—I mean, we're on a date, but we aren't in a relationship," she stammered. The man she was with walked over and inserted himself between Diana and Seth. It took everything in the Alpha’s power not to kill the worthless human with one punch to his perfectly sculpted face. For fuck’s sake, he looked like a male model.
"Is this guy bothering you?"
“This guy is the sheriff,” Seth cut in. “So, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself in my presence unless she gives you verbal consent.”
“I wasn’t aware she was taken.”
“Well, she is.”
Diana yanked her hand out of his grasp. “I don’t belong to anyone. Seth, I’ve never seen you act like this. Did you follow me here?”
“No, I’m...meeting someone.”
A twisted little grin curled on her lips. “Like a date?”
“Sort of.”
“Sort of isn’t an answer.”
“Why do you care?”
“Why do you?” she countered. Diana turned back to her date and took his arm. “Chad and I are going inside. I wish you the best of luck with your meeting.”
Seth stood in the parking lot seething. Chad. Of course Giddeon had set Diana up with a Chad. In truth, Seth wasn’t sure why seeing Diana with another man had upset him so much. He cared about her, but it wasn’t like he was in love or anything. Seth took a moment to gather his control and wandered inside in search of his date.
“Reservation for Black.”
Chapter Five
Destiny Falls,
Alaska
Chad sat across from Diana and asked for a wine menu. The restaurant was far too expensive for her budget, but she was interested in seeing how the night was going to end. Seth’s strange behavior had set her nerves on edge, though. Diana looked around the dining room for a familiar face and saw him sitting with a BOTOX Barbie. Part of her was amused by the strained smile on Seth’s face as he looked at the duck-lipped supermodel across from him. But the other part of Diana wondered if Seth was the type of man who didn’t care about things like personality if there was a giant rack attached to a pretty face.
She tried not to be bitter about the slender woman eyeing the handsome sheriff, but a bubble of envy held her hostage.
“I hope that guy didn’t upset you.”
“No, Seth and I are sort of like colleagues,” Diana hedged. “And I’m pretty close with his family. A friend of mine married his brother.”
“I noticed he was a Black. They’re the oldest family in Alaska, maybe even the world. The guy is loaded.” Chad ordered an expensive bottle of wine and Diana wanted to scoff at his attempt at impressing her. She would have been fine with a two-liter of soda and a takeout pizza so long as he was a good guy.
“Let’s not talk about Seth.”
“All right, tell me about yourself, then.”
“I’m the youngest of nine.”
Chad’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “Nine?”
“My dad was a musician. After my mom died, he wasn’t interested in settling down. The women he spent his time with on the road eventually caught up with him. I’ve only met three of my brothers; the rest of my siblings are still a mystery.” Diana shrugged. “I was raised by my aunt and uncle until I was sixteen and got a place of my own.”
“I only have one sister. A lawyer.”
“Oof, I bet holidays are fun,” she chuckled.
“If by ‘fun’ you mean a lecture in the fractured justice system, then yes.”
“Your sister’s a lawyer. What do you do?”
“I’m looking to get a loan from my parents so I can open my own extreme sports talent agency,” Chad replied. “I’m actually only going on dates to impress Giddeon Black. It’s my goal to get him to be one of my first major investors.”
Diana bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. She hoped Seth was having better luck on his date than she was. “So, what’s the plan if the whole extreme sports thing goes wrong?”
“Then I’ll be a reporter for the Sports Channel.”
“You’ve gone to school for this?”
“Nah, but I know a lot about sports.”
The urge to run for the door was strong, but she resisted.
“What about you?” Chad asked. “Got a sweet gig after that film deal with Gladiator Pictures?”
She tried not to flinch at the reminder of her recent plummet from grace in Hollywood. “I’m working on something big at the moment. The other studios are too afraid to take the risk, so we’re keeping it a private production.” Diana knew how to sell an unwritten script to the best in the business, so she was hoping things picked up soon. Half of her job had been talking executives in circles until they signed a contract.
“What sort of project?”
“I can’t tell you any details, but it plays off of the legends surrounding the Black Family and Kodiak Island,” she whispered cheekily. “There’s an audience for it, I’m sure. When did you recognize me?”
“Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
“I knew who you were the second you stepped out of your car,” Chad admitted. “Maybe if my thing doesn’t work out, I can be in your movie.”
“Seriously?” Diana leaned back in her chair.
“Totally! I have headshots and everything.”
A sinking feeling began to unfurl in her stomach. “Let me guess, you knew Giddeon and I were working together so you thought to take a chance? Either he invested in your ridiculous extreme sports agency or you seduced the desperate screenwriter with the Hollywood connections to give you your big break? Is that it?”
“It sounds bad when you put it that way.”
“Is Chad even your name?”
“It’s my stage name,” he said sheepishly.
Diana stood up and her chair scraped back loudly. She dropped a tip on the table for the waiter and headed for the door. “I’ll be letting Giddeon know exactly how this so-called date went, by the way. Good luck getting investors now.” Tears burned behind her eyelids as she stormed out of the restaurant. Diana slowed down long enough to remove her stilettos and tossed them in the backseat of her car.
“Diana!” Seth ran over and grabbed her door before it closed. “What happened?”
“Look, I just want to go home. Thanks for checking on me, but I really just—”
“I’m not letting you drive in this state.”
“Am I really such a mess that I can’t drive myself home?” she sniffled. Diana was mortified as tears slithered down her cheeks. Seth pulled her out of the car and walked her over to the passenger side. She let him take control and cried quietly as he clipped her seatbelt on. Diana barely noticed when the car pulled out of the parking lot. Tears blurred her vision and hiccups echoed in the small space between them. “What about your date?”
“I sent her home with a thanks, but no thanks kiss on the cheek. But she doesn’t matter right now. I’ll send her a text later. Let’s just get you home.”
~*~
Chad had to die—at least that was what Seth’s mind chanted over and over as Diana collapsed on her bed. He disappeared into the kitchen and heated up some water for her tea. The temperature dropped since that morning, so he closed the windows and turned on the radiator. It hissed and shuddered before a gust of dusty air pushed out. Seth looked around the apartment and made a mental list of all of the needed repairs; he didn’t like the thought of Diana living like this.
She groaned into her pillow as he approached the bed and sat on the corner.
The blankets had been wrapped around her in a way that made her look more like a pile of bedding than an actual person. “I hate Chad.”
“I guess we have something in common, then,” Diana sniffled. “He’s a jerk.”
“Ready to talk now?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s the same thing that happens every time I try to meet a decent guy. He turns out to be a major prick just looking to advance his career by sleeping with me,” she said angrily. “I’m tired of it. All I want is for someone to love me...or at least try to pretend that they like me.”
“I like you.”
“You don’t count.”
Seth balked. “Why not?”
“Because you’re an untouchable,” she replied.
“What the hell does that even mean?”
Diana sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. It fell in gentle waves around her shoulders. Seth had the vague memory of her hair having been shorter the first time he ever saw her. “You’re destined to find a mate and love her for eternity. Nothing between us could ever work out. Not while curses, gods, and evil abominations threaten to kill us every day. The only thing we can hope for is to find someone that’s somewhat normal and enjoy what little time we have left.”
“Neither of us is dying.”
“Yet.”
“Ever,” he stated with conviction.
“Neither of us can tell the future.” Diana pushed the blankets off of her shoulders, exposing lightly tanned skin that looked soft to the touch. “What did Giddeon sa
y when you went to his office? Will he help us?”
Back to work.
“He’ll help. That’s how I got roped into these dates.”
“Dates? As in...plural?”
“Three,” Seth said honestly. “He’s going to find us a way into the underworld if I use his agency. I’ve got two more dates to go. What about you? How many dates?”
“Giddeon set up a few more, but I’m not sure if I’m going.”
“Don’t let one bad date rob you of something special.”
“Do you really think the agency works?” she asked.
“It helped Giddeon and Caleb.”
“I guess.”
Seth handed Diana her cup of tea and wondered why he had come to her rescue once again. It had been more than just the need to escape his dreadful date. It had been a genuine need to care for Diana. “Talia was amazing, by the way.”
“Barbie’s name was Talia?”
He held back a chuckle and kicked off his boots beside her shoes. Diana patted the bed beside her and Seth didn’t hesitate to recline against the headboard. “Talia is an undergrad trying to be a fashion photographer. She’s already worked an internship in France. It was like she was on a date with herself. I lost track of how many times she checked her reflection in my water glass.”
“Sounds like Talia and Chad would have been a perfect match.”
Seth answered with a grunt and a roll of his eyes. Diana surprised him by snuggling up against his side. He tried to keep his heart from racing wildly, but it was impossible to avoid. She was like a shot of pure adrenalin. The light circles that Diana rubbed into his arm soothed his soul like nothing had before. With her...it was as if he had never been trapped on Kodiak Island. She made him feel whole.
But like all good things, their time together had come to an end.
Deputy Harris’s number appeared on his caller ID. Seth hit the ‘answer’ button. He traced the lines in Diana’s forehead as he listened to the description of the latest victim. His gut clenched with fear when the call came to an end. “We have to get down to the station,” he announced as he stood up from the bed.
“What’s wrong?”