“It’s a drug that people are prescribed if they have ADHD. It’s supposed to help them focus.” Matthew inhaled as he ran his fingers through his hair. Hazel could see the sleepiness and stress in his eyes, and she hoped he would go home and rest for at least four hours before coming back to work.
Knowing him, though, he probably wouldn’t sleep a wink.
“Kids that are high achievers like her, who can’t get prescribed, sometimes buy it from other people,” she told him. She remembered why the name fueled memories. She was sure she’d read an article about it some time ago. “I’ve heard about this. She could have been a huge buyer from them then. She had such a high expectation to live up to. It could’ve been getting to her, and she could’ve resorted to getting some help.”
“That’s what I think. Doesn’t mean the kids killed her. But it would explain why she was out there in the middle of the night.” He ran his hand through his hair again. Putting a murderer behind bars would definitely help him sleep at night. Somewhat.
“Someone was angry with her, though. To stab her forty-five times? That’s anger.” Hazel shook her head, thinking the drug deal gone wrong couldn’t be what resulted in her murder. Passion resulted in a murder like that. So did insanity. “Any clue as to how she got all those bruises?”
“Results haven’t come back yet. We’re assuming she got in a fight with whoever her murderer was. We’re fairly certain that she was killed there, at the crime scene, and her body wasn’t moved, so those bruises didn’t come from moving the body in any way.”
Hazel nodded, thinking. That was good. That meant there wasn’t another crime scene that they were missing.
“I’m assuming you don’t want to check Hann off the list, yet?” Hazel asked, glancing back at Hann’s picture that was in the middle of the board around other suspects. Hazel assumed it was his driver’s license photo, and she felt a bit better as she looked at her alpha’s easy-going smile that he always wore on his face. It was like it was a permanent feature, and she thought it was funny that he even had it in his driver’s license photo with the poor lighting and drab background.
Matthew sighed as he put out his cigarette in the full ashtray on his desk. Hazel would have to clear that later. It would bother her, and Matthew never seemed to be bothered with the messes he created.
“I know you think very highly of him, but I just need to double-check every single person of interest to make sure we catch this bastard,” he told her.
“I understand.” She nodded. “Are you all going back to search his place more? Or the forest more?”
She cringed slightly as Matthew flipped through some files, not looking at her face. She hoped she sounded nonchalant as if she was just trying to get a feel on the case and not searching for something. She didn’t want to tip Matthew off to the idea that she was really taking this job for an ulterior motive. That wouldn’t be good for anyone, especially her. But she had to ask and find out if she needed to tell Hann and Ethan that the police were going to be back in pack territory. Everyone in the forest was on edge, and last night at the bar, alone, drilled that into Hazel’s head.
“Without more evidence pinpointing that area or him, we can’t get another warrant,” Matthew confided to her, not looking up from the file he was reading or noticing that something was off with Hazel. Hazel blamed his lack of sleep. He normally would’ve caught that slight quiver in her voice. “I’m gonna focus on resources on other areas instead of that right now. Unless we find something that changes my mind.”
“I don’t think you will.”
“Once again, let’s hope.”
Hazel ignored him as she grabbed a folder from his desk, hoping it was Hann’s. It wasn’t. Instead, it was a criminal record of Camilla’s next door neighbor’s kid, who had been in and out of juvie his whole high school career. He was even sent to a disciplinary boarding school when he was fifteen. After he graduated from that boarding school, he came back to Jerome a changed kid that kept his head down. Now twenty-four years old, he worked as a car mechanic and lived in a small apartment. Hazel didn’t know him, but evidently, Matthew did. He’d scrawled on a sticky note “RUMORED TO HAVE HAD A SECRET RELATIONSHIP WITH CAMILLA” in the folder, surprising the hell out of Hazel. This kid, named Hudson Schmidt, just didn’t seem like Camilla’s type.
Then again, Hazel was learning that there was more to Camilla than just the persona she’d had for the town and her parents. That still didn’t mean she deserved the death that the universe gave her, though.
“I have a question to ask you,” Matthew said, causing Hazel to look up in surprise. She instantly got nervous. Matthew was studying the file, not at all looking like he even said something to her a second ago. Hazel noticed that he had a newly lit cigarette in hand.
“Shoot,” Hazel told him, a bit nervous but pleased to find that she didn’t sound it.
“Since you reek of sexual activity, does that mean I can now sleep with Annaleigh and you won’t be upset?”
Hazel stared at him in disbelief. How? How did he find out? How did he know? Matthew continued to read the file in front of him, not at all realizing the shock that Hazel was going through.
She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what she could say. She just couldn’t believe that he had noticed what she had been up to before she met up with him.
She shouldn’t be as shocked though–he was a detective, after all. It was his job to observe people.
“You’re a pig, you know that?” She didn’t have anything else to say other than that.
“I’m glad we’re friends again,” he replied. Hazel looked up at him to see a little smirk on his face, which made her laugh.
She was glad, too. Even if he was a dysfunctional pig.
Hazel couldn’t wait to get home to Ethan. It was about four in the morning by the time she left the department, and she would have to be back there at ten when the first wave of interviewees came in.
That meant she had six hours of sleep. Or six hours with Ethan. She couldn’t decide which one she would choose.
When she got home, her house was quiet; though, Ethan’s car was still parked in the front. She smiled as she made her way upstairs, feeling his presence in her room. Walking into her bedroom, she realized that he was right where she left him, fast asleep with her blanket barely covering his naked body. He had said he was going to leave earlier as she got ready to meet up with Matthew, but she told him to stay and wait until she got back.
She was glad he stayed.
Reluctantly deciding on sleep, though she really could’ve gone another round with him, she peeled off her clothes until she was just in her underwear. Sliding into bed, she pulled the covers around them both. She caressed his face with her hand as he slept. She shivered in delight that he was in her bed. The guy made her crazy and bold–and she loved that. She’d never been as forward as she had been with Ethan. He made her want to be like that, though, and he obviously enjoyed it as much as her.
Ethan stirred in his sleep and gently blinked his eyes open to find her staring at him.
“Hey, you,” she whispered to him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek as he pulled her to him. He turned so that he was laying with his back on the mattress, letting her rest her head on his chest. When he kissed the top of her head, her heart fluttered and felt like it was going to explode.
“When did you get back?” he sleepily asked as he ran his fingers up and down her arm absentmindedly.
“Just now.”
“I want to hear about it,” he said, though sleep was beginning to overtake him again.
“I’ll tell you about it in the morning,” she whispered to him, shushing him as he fell back asleep quickly.
Hazel closed her eyes as she felt the exhaustion she had been keeping at bay overtake her while she lay in Ethan’s strong arms.
Chapter 8
“And that’s all she knows right now, though she’s been at work all morning,” Ethan explained to Hann and
Ross. He was at Hann’s house in the living room, informing them of everything Hazel told him that morning before she left for work. “I’m sure she’ll know more today.”
“But they won’t be back here today?” Ross asked, reassuring himself and making sure that the police wouldn’t be in pack territory anymore.
“She said unless any other evidence pops up, they’ll be out of the forest for now,” Ethan told the two. “They didn’t find anything during their search yesterday, and she says that they’re trying to keep their options open and question everything that comes their way. That means they might call you in for more questioning, Hann.”
“And I’d be delighted to help them out in any way,” Hann replied. The alpha’s normal smile was gone. Ethan knew that the alpha hated what happened to Camilla, and so Hann wanted to do anything he could to help find her killer. “That poor girl’s murderer must be caught and held accountable.”
Ethan felt the same, and Ross did, as well. When Hazel told Ethan the specifics of the murder, including the amount of stab wounds and bruises that covered Camilla’s body, Ethan felt sick to his stomach. No matter what had happened, and no matter what Camilla could have done to anger her murderer, nothing should’ve resulted in that. Camilla didn’t deserve that. Ethan could see the pain and anger in Hazel’s eyes as she told him everything about the murder. The whole case was messed up, and Ethan hoped that Matthew and Hazel would find the killer soon. It wasn’t good to have a murderer with that much rage walking around town as if nothing happened.
And that was the weird thing. No one had fled the area. No one was acting weird. Everyone in town was shocked and disgusted by what happened, but no one was freaking out or trying to run away. Ethan expected someone, especially if it was another kid who did it, to panic and bolt.
But that hadn’t happened yet. And that wasn’t good. That could potentially mean that the murderer didn’t feel panic or unease about what he did and was just living his or her life as if nothing truly happened.
It made Ethan sick to his stomach.
“She’s off early today, so I’ll fill you all in later if there’s anything new,” Ethan told the others as he got up to leave.
“We really do appreciate this, Ethan,” Hann said, smiling at him now. “You’ve been doing well.”
Ethan didn’t know what to do other than smile back at the alpha. Ethan felt bashful and wanted to change the subject. Now that Ethan thought about it, he realized that they hadn’t had a lone rogue attack in quite a while. Which was . . . weird.
“Have you heard anything from Michael about Gabriel or the rogues?” Ethan asked, realizing that the murder had kept everyone busy and away from thinking about the destruction that Gabriel was trying to rain on the shifter society, with the shifters in Maine being his main focus.
“Not yet,” Hann sighed, looking exhausted with the whole concept of Gabriel and his evil need to destroy. “He’s still searching and doing his job, but it seems we’ve been a bit unlucky thus far. Gabriel doesn’t want to be found. And he’s managed to keep his plans with his rogues a secret. We’ll hopefully find out more soon enough.”
Ethan nodded and, after talking a bit more with Hann and Ross, left the alpha’s house to return to Hazel’s. She told him that she would meet up with him after work, when she was done interviewing all of the suspects. Ethan couldn’t wait to see her, which was crazy. They’d seen quite a lot of each other last night, but Ethan still felt like he needed more of her.
All Ethan knew was that he couldn’t wait to see her. When he was around her, he forgot all about the murder and Gabriel and how he may not become a great alpha like his father was, or like Hann was. He forgot that the world was a horrible place full of destruction, carnage, and greed. For just those few moments that he was with her, Ethan felt like he was in heaven.
And he felt like she was heaven.
Ethan got to Hazel’s house in one piece, though the storm outside was even worse than it was earlier in the day. It seemed like the week would be full of a hidden sun and constant rain. He found himself loving the weather, though. He couldn’t help it. He’d always loved the rain, and the atmosphere in Maine was much different from the sticky, muggy rain he got down south.
As he walked into Hazel’s house, a grin spread across his face as he realized what he wanted to do. He wanted to run through the rain as his wolf self. His wolf had been begging to be set free for the last few days. He had been on his best behavior and hadn’t switched into his wolf form once since the whole murder investigation started. He was worried a police officer would stumble upon him and begin shooting or something, and Hann had told everyone to try and not roam in their wolf forms.
But he wanted to. He desperately wanted to run in the rain with Hazel. His wolf had longed to run side-by-side with his girl since she’d pulled him into her heavenly embrace and pleased him like no other. His wolf considered Hazel his girl, and Ethan wasn’t about to correct him. He didn’t know where he and Hazel stood, but she was his. And he would protect her and care for her for a long time to come.
His wolf howled within his chest as he realized that he would be let out soon–and let out to run with Hazel in the chilly rain.
Ethan ran into Hazel’s house, the rain soaking him during his trek to the front door from his car. He found Hazel making a salad for them in her kitchen. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, making his heart quicken.
He adored that girl. He wanted to be with her always. He wanted to take her on that kitchen table right then and there. The thought of her moaning in pleasure as he thrust into her brought back his memories of their times together, fueling his desire to shift and run in the rain even more. He needed to shift.
“Wanna run?” Ethan managed to get out in a guttural sound, his emotions getting the best of him. He could feel his eyes begin to shift into a gold color, which they did during the transformation of human to wolf, and vice versa. Hazel’s eyes began to turn gold as a wicked smile spread across her face, much like the one she wore when she seduced him.
God, she was something.
Hazel didn’t need to say anything. They both were on the same page and began undressing, not wanting to lose their clothes in the transformation and magic of becoming a wolf. Ethan began to feel the tingle that he always felt when he shifted into his wolf. He could still remember the utter agony he was in when he was a child and had to shift for the first time. He could still hear his bones breaking and forming into a new formation, leaving him dizzy and full of pain.
Now that he was a grown shifter, the only thing he felt was the tingle that played up and down his spine before entering his veins and filling his whole body. In an instant, he was on all four paws and seeing the world through his wolf eyes, making everything just a bit brighter. A bit sharper. Ethan turned his head slightly to see Hazel there, her coat thick and beautiful, staring at him with those same wicked eyes.
He licked his lips before he took off and leapt into the rain outside.
The rain poured onto his fur in the most delightful way. He howled, the feeling of delight and happiness overtaking him. His wolf didn’t care that there was a murder investigation. His wolf didn’t care that Hann told everyone to just lay low for the time being. No, his wolf wanted to prance and leap in the rain, howling the whole time.
Ethan took off into the woods, his own sanity reminding him to stay away from the area where Camilla Phillips’s body was found. Hazel ran alongside him, nipping at his back paws whenever he tried to slow down. Ethan yipped at her each time, both of them laughing in their minds as they played around like children in the rain, scared that their parents would find them out at any minute.
Ethan glanced up at the night sky. The dense forest was thick and hard to see as they ran at full speed, even for a shifter with better eyesight than a regular human. The last few days had been hell for Ethan–and for Hazel and Hann, and really every shifter in Maine. They had been living under scrutiny and been on their best behavior to let t
he police find the killer once and for all.
But now, as Ethan ran through the rain and the thick trees with Hazel, he felt a sense of lightheartedness that he hadn’t felt in a long time. And when he looked over at Hazel as they ran up to the top of a little hill to look out over the vast forest, he felt chills run up and down his spine from her beauty.
Standing there together, looking out over her home and Ethan’s new one, they howled together, their voices in perfect unison and harmony.
Chapter 9
Meeting with Matthew at two in the morning in the police department seemed to become a constant thing for Hazel, much to Ethan’s dismay. Hazel kept on finding herself reassuring him that things were over between her and Matthew as she left Ethan, always in bed naked and begging her for more.
And every car ride to the police precinct in the middle of the night left her yearning to go home to Ethan for a repeat of their activities. It seemed she, quite literally, couldn’t get enough of him. She constantly thought about him, which wasn’t great considering she was trying to help solve a murder case of a beloved girl.
“What do you have?” Matthew asked when she walked into his office, that yellow light even dimmer than before. “Anything that stood out to you today?”
“No,” Hazel sighed as she flopped into the seat, the depression of getting nowhere with her job hitting her again. Ethan could only distract her from the case for so long. “Everyone was traumatized over what happened to Camilla. They couldn’t believe it. Even the druggy kids were sad. They couldn’t believe that someone as nice as Camilla would be murdered like that.”
“What did the kids tell you? Did they have a relationship with her?” Hazel knew he was referencing the “bad” kids of Jerome, though calling them bad was a joke to her.
“Yeah, but not a close one. The head kid of that little group said that she was always nice to him in school, refusing to make fun of him like other kids did. Even went so far as to defend him any time she heard someone saying shit. He admitted that he gave her Addie when she asked, but free of charge. He knew that she was under stress to achieve everything her parents wanted her to, and he didn’t want to add to that. It honestly sounded like he was in love with her. And now, he’s just broken.”
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