Chapter Four

“Sorry, I'm late,” Mariana chirps as she steps into Asher's office. “But the new Starbucks finally started selling their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and the line was insane.”

“And basic white girls everywhere rejoice,” I groan.

Mariana looks over at me with an expression of distaste. She and I have never gotten along that well. She thinks I'm a simple-minded Neanderthal and I think she's a high maintenance, snooty bitch. Our running feud makes the one she had with Luca for so long, look like nothing.

And even though she and Luca have repaired their relationship, there's no sign of a thaw between the two of us. Nothing like a failed relationship to sour relations between two people. If you could call half a dozen dates a relationship.

And that was part of the problem – she did call it that. I didn't. She feels I led her on just to get into her panties. I contend that I told her from the start that I wasn't looking for anything serious. She apparently thought she could change my mind. And when she couldn't, I became public enemy number one.

Though, I clung to the hope that one day, we'd learn to be civil to one another again. After all, she and Asher are good friends, and their relationship imploded harder than ours had.

“Who invited you to this party, Jasper?”

I point to Luca. “I'm his bodyguard now.”

“I think Luca is quite safe here,” she says. “Don't you have something better to do – like waxing your back hair?”

“I'll have to get to that later,” I reply. “I'm not quite as efficient at it as you are.”

Luca and Asher stifle a laugh, but Mariana looks apoplectic. “Asher –”

Still trying to stifle a grin, Asher raises his hand to cut her off before she gets rolling. Because when Mariana gets rolling, it's like a runaway train – damn near impossible to stop.

“I asked Jasper to join us,” Asher says. “He was with Luca –”

Mariana rounds on Luca. “Why in the hell do you need a bodyguard, anyway?”

He shrugs. “I don't,” he says. “But, my dad thinks I do. You know how he is. Or at least, how he's getting.”

“And you picked – him?” she scoffs. “Clearly, you don't value your life all that much.”

“He's handier than you might think, Mariana.”

I lean back against the wall and give her a flirty little wink. “Oh, she knows exactly how handy I am.”

“You pig,” she almost shrieks.

“Oink oink,” I reply.

“Children,” Asher says, his voice serious. “Can we knock this crap off and focus on the business at hand?”

Luca gives me a look and a subtle shake of the head, telling me to knock it off. Clearing my throat, I cross my arms over my chest and bite back the hundred scathing insults I had locked and loaded for Mariana. She glares at me and then turns back to Asher, sipping her coffee drink, apparently content to pretend I don't even exist.

The woman certainly knows how to hold a grudge, I'll give her that.

“Luca, Jasper,” Asher says. “What's going on with the Sheriff?”

“Double murder,” Luca replies. “And of course, Richards is looking to pin it on us.”

“Of course, he is,” Mariana says, sounding as if she's bored. “The man suffers from a terrible lack of imagination. Although, I will commend him on his firm insistence on tying us to every crime within a hundred-mile radius. At least he, unlike some, doesn't have commitment issues.”

I shrug. “True,” I reply, knowing full well that I shouldn't, but am unable to contain myself. “And much like some, he's not only full of shit, he's batshit crazy.”

Mariana's face darkens with anger, but she holds her tongue, not wanting to escalate the fight again. As Asher sighs, Luca looks at me again. And although I see the grin in his eyes, his expression tells me to knock it off.

I clear my throat. “Richards showed us pictures of the crime scene,” I say, trying to steer the conversation back to where it needs to be. “It's pretty grisly.”

“Grisly how?” Asher asks.

“Bodies torn open,” Luca says. “Absolutely mutilated.”

“And of course, Richards is trying to pin it on us,” Asher says.

Luca nods. “Indeed, he is.”

“Like I said, a complete lack of imagination,” Mariana says.

“We're pretty convinced it's something other than a bear though,” I say. “The claw marks are too narrow to be a bear paw. And the puncture wounds from the teeth don't make us think bear. Too narrow and pointy.”

“Like your head,” Mariana mutters.

She'd spoken so low and under her breath, I think I'm the only one who caught it. Either that or the other two are wisely choosing to ignore it.

“That was something Jasper caught,” Luca said. “And after looking at the pictures a little more, I tend to agree.”

“Any idea what it might have been?” Asher asks.

I shake my head. “No clue.”

“When I saw the condition of the bodies, my first thought was that the C'latha are back,” Luca said.

“Jesus,” Mariana groans. “Just what we need.”

“Do we know for a fact that they are?” Asher asks.

Luca shakes his head. “No, not at all,” he says. “It was just a thought.”

“Mariana, put in a call to Jackson and Neesa,” Asher says. “See if they've heard anything about the C'latha coming back west again.”

She nods. “Will do.”

“Luca,” Asher says. “Make contact with the Wolf Packs. Ask them if they have any idea what's happening or if they've run across the C'latha.”

“On it,” he says. “But, I don't know how forthcoming they'll be with information.”

Relations between the Packs and the Clans have improved over the last few months. Ever since we had to work together to beat back the C'latha, an ancient subspecies of subterranean vampires. Plus, the romance that blossomed between Jackson and Neesa, a bear and a wolf – and two of the fiercest warriors on either side – has given us a little more common ground than we had before.

“I hope like hell it's not,” Asher says. “They've caused us enough problems.”

“And speaking of problems,” Mariana adds. “We need to start preparing for the arrival of the Phayngo Clan.”

Asher sighs. “Yeah, I know. I haven't forgotten about it.”

Long ago, long before any of us in this room were even born, there was a war between the Clans of the far north and the Clans in our area. The histories say it was savage and it was brutal. Eventually though, the leaders on both sides, in an effort to stop shedding blood and losing people, found common ground on which to end the fighting.

An everlasting peace was forged between the two sides – a peace that continues on through this very day.

But, every year, the ruling Clan from the far north – the Phayngo Clan – journeys south to renew our vows of peace and friendship. It's all ceremonial and filled with all sorts of pomp and circumstance. It's most definitely not my favorite time of year. Between that and the Pumpkin Spice lattes, I could probably hibernate straight through to February and be okay with it.

“I don't suppose just an email or a text message is going to cut it?” Luca asks, a wry grin touching his lips.

Asher grins. “Unfortunately, no,” he says. “You know how the Phayngo love their ceremonies.”

“So, what are you thinking?” Mariana asks.

“I want Merry and Holly to be there to light the tree in the town common,” Asher says. “I think they'll like that.”

“What about fireworks?” Luca asks. “I think fireworks might be kind of cool.”

“That's not bad,” Asher says. “See what you can do to make that happen.”

“Do you want me to see about having the feast catered?” Mariana asks. “I happen to know somebody –”

Asher nods enthusiastically. “Yes, please,” he says. “I'd appreciate it.”

As the three of them continue to discuss their plans and assign duties, I remain standing against the wall, feeling entirely out of place. I don't belong there with the Clan Chiefs. And not having anything to add to the conversation makes me feel a little more than awkward.

I'm thinking of slipping out of the room and leaving them to it when Asher's voice grabs my attention.

“Sorry, Jasper,” he says. “I didn't forget about you though.”

“It's not that hard to do, really,” Mariana says.

I shoot a glare at her, but turn back to Asher. “No, it's fine.”

“We're going to be busy getting everything set up for the Phayngo,” he says. “And we don't have time for much else.”

“I understand,” I say. “Just tell me what you'd like me to do.”

“Actually, if Luca can spare you –”

“What? With all of the ninjas running around town trying to kill me?” he gasps, feigning horror. “How will I ever survive?”

“What I'm hoping is that you can run point on this investigation,” Asher says. “Talk to the ME and gather what information you can. I need you to find out what's behind these killings. I need to know, whether or not, the C'latha are back.”

I nod. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Mariana scoffs and Asher turns to her. “Unless, you want to handle it all on your own, Mariana.”

She quickly shakes her head. “Oh, no thank you,” she says. “Party planning is much more my thing.”

“Great,” Asher replies. “It's settled. Find out what you can, Jasper. Report back to us regularly.”

I nod. “I will.”

Luca looks up at me and gives me a small nod. “Be careful out there, cousin.”

I shoot a pointed look at Mariana before looking back at him. “Yeah, you be careful too.”