Chapter Eight
On Friday, Xander opened up his front door and before he stepped out, he noticed the newspaper on the step. He picked it up and sniffed it, growling low when the familiar scent of Pax’s musk drifted up his nasal passages. The son of a bitch had left this for him, but why?
Xander flipped the paper over and stared at the red pen circling the front-page article.
Local Girl Found with Her Throat Ripped Out.
Twilight Police Chief Carson Mitchel announced that the body of twenty-six-year old Kelsey Mackintosh had been discovered late Thursday night in the woods behind her home. Preliminary reports suggest that Kelsey was attacked by a Mountain Lion while trying to save her horse from the cat. Police are warning the public not to travel alone, and be aware of their surrounding while hiking and camping until the animal is found.
Below the article in red ink, Pax had written, She sure was tasty. Not as good as your mom, though.
Xander crumpled the paper in his hand, white hot rage coursing through his veins. The bastard was taunting him and he was going to be very sorry when Xander caught him. If he thought the rest of his crew had suffered, he was in for a surprise. Xander had saved the best for last.
Xander tossed the paper in the trash can on the way to his truck. He needed to find them before more bodies piled up.
The only issue was if he showed their picture to people and then he disposed of them, the authorities would be all over his ass. He had to find them on his own, which meant tracking them.
But walking around like a human sniffing the air might look a little strange.
He got inside and started the truck, turning on the heater to defrost the windows. The cold really didn’t bother him as shifters ran hot, but he had to wear a jacket to at least keep up the appearance he was human.
When his windshield was clear he pulled out of the drive and headed into Twilight. Pax and Dakota had to be staying somewhere in town, and had last been seen riding on a black Harley. He imagined they’d swapped the license plate if they still had it, since they seemed to be staying one step ahead of him.
As he passed by Greer’s street, his hand tightened on the steering wheel. It had been so tempting to ask for her number the other day, but he’d come so close to losing control when her ex had grabbed her, he was afraid. He needed to concentrate on Pax and Dakota and then, when it was all over and his demons were put to rest, maybe…
He shook his head. It was stupid to think about the future when he wasn’t even sure he would last through tomorrow.
Since losing his family, he’d dreamed of finding a mate, having some kids and actually starting to live again. But that would entail settling down and he’d been on the move for so long, he didn’t even know if he could stay in one place. If he could be normal again after snuffing out so many lives. They had been vicious killers, but still.
Xander rolled down the windows, taking in the sights and smells as he drove down the two-lane mountain road that led into the heart of Twilight. He caught a whiff of cookies baking in an oven. Of wet pine trees and rich soil.
And a dead body just as he hit the bottom of the mountain.
It couldn’t be Kelsey. They would have taken her to the morgue by now, or there would have been more cops around. This had to be new and rather fresh.
Xander slowed his truck and pulled off onto a side road. Once he parked, he hopped out and followed the scent through the trees. He kept downwind as he approached, and as he slipped between two pines, he found the remains of a man with dark hair and a stocky build.
It was Greer’s ex-boyfriend. His lifeless gaze stared up at the sky, pale with death. The front of his shirt and jacket were stained red and Xander stared at the way his ribs had been broken like crab legs, opening him up for his killer. He squatted next to the body and breathed in…
There was no trace of Pax. Only wolf.
Dakota.
This couldn’t be a random kill. Greer’s friend from the diner and now this? Had they been following him? If so, what was their end game?
Icy fear gripped his chest, cutting off his breath.
He had to make sure Greer was okay.
Running back to his truck, he realized too late that he wasn’t alone. He had let his guard down and turned just as Dakota launched herself from the left. In wolf-form, her black fur caught the sun, gleaming red as she flew at him, her mouth opened in a snarl.
He barely managed to roll out of the way. Coming up on the balls of his feet, he crouched, staring into her gleaming yellow eyes.
“Hello, bitch. Been looking for you.”
The muscles in her body contorted, and as she shifted, he fingered the hunting knife strapped to his belt. It would be so easy to kill her when she was most vulnerable, the way she’d slaughtered his family, but he wasn’t like them. He wanted her to pay and that meant taking her out fairly. Besting her.
When she was finally human again, she stood straight, cracking her neck with her eyes closed. Her long auburn hair flowed down over her shoulders, brushing the curves of her hips. Her large, cone-shaped breasts stood at attention and it was hard not to notice that her body was muscular, yet soft.
If he didn’t want her dead, he might have appreciated the view.
She finally opened her eyes with a feral smile, her hazel eyes shining with malice.
“I almost had you, dog. What’s the matter? Didn’t like my present?”
He slipped the knife from its sheath, and took a step toward her. “I don’t know what your game is, but you’re out of time. I’d be willing to grant you an honorable death if you’d step up and stop hiding behind your boss.”
Dakota laughed, tossing back her head. “Oh, please. You’re offering me mercy? The only thing you’re going to give me is a blank stare when I rip out your throat.”
“You think you’re going to win this? I’ve already taken out five of your crew. Do you really think Pax is going to have your back?”
A shadow crossed her face, erasing her smile. “Pax loves me.”
“If that’s the truth, then why hasn’t he made you his mate?”
Dakota gnashed her teeth. “Fuck you.”
Xander shook his head. He’d dug up everything he’d had on Dakota, and he almost felt sorry for her. She’d been sold to another pack’s Alpha when she was only twelve and from there, her life had been one betrayal after another. It was no wonder when Pax had found her at seventeen that she had latched onto him. The girl had some messed-up examples of what love was like.
“You think you mean anything to him? He’s going to use you like he does everyone else and then when you’re no longer useful, he’ll dispose of you.”
“Your concern is touching.”
He scoffed. “I just want you to know before I slit your throat that you gave up your life for a worthless piece of shit.”
He could tell that his words had struck a nerve, but she finally found her composure. “I just stopped to say hello. There’s big things coming your way. You’ve been waging war for years. Let’s see how you feel being hunted.”
Before he could stop her, she was racing back through the trees.