The Werewolf Meets His Match

Hank rolled him over and cuffed him before he got his wind again. “You don’t know when to give up, do you?”

With the battle over, Hank went back to his full human form as the rest of the crew did, too.

“Found it,” Cruz yelled.

Hank looked up to see his deputy holding a small red and white cooler by the handle. “Wolfsbane?”

Cruz nodded. “Two vials and a syringe. Probably shot the cookies full of the stuff. We could get the lab to match the strain if need be.”

Hank flipped his captive over, who’d also returned to human form. “The presence of it in their room ought to be enough. Plus, Billy Bob Idiot here is going to confess. Aren’t you?”

“Name’s Wade, you stinkin’ Merrow, and I’m not confessing to anything.”

Hank grunted. “Suit yourself. It’s not really necessary anyway.”

Wade’s eyes went gold, like he was about to go full wolf.

Hank stared at him and shook his head slowly. “Attempt to shift, and I’ll put you in silver-plated cuffs. Right after I knock you out.”

Wade snarled, but stayed human. Titus let out a low whistle from the other side of the room. Hank straightened.

“Lookie here.” Titus took a hunting rifle with an electronic scope out of the closet.

Hank grabbed Wade and tossed him on the bed beside his brother, who was now also in handcuffs and sporting a bloody lip thanks to whoever had tackled him. “Loaded?”

Titus racked the slide open. “Yep. And that’s not all…”

He plucked out one of the bullets, lifted it to his nose and sniffed. He grimaced, making the scratch on his cheek wrinkle. “Silver. They meant to make another attempt at killing her. Or you.”

Sam, who’d come through the fight unharmed, grabbed the other brother, Dalton, by his shirt, hoisted him to a sitting position and got in his face. “You tried to kill my sister. The daughter of your alpha.”

Dalton’s lip curled. “Your father’s old and out of touch. It’s time for a new alpha to run the Tennessee pack. This truce makes us look weak.”

“Yeah,” Wade agreed.

“You’re both idiots,” Sam said. “You have no idea what’s at stake.”

Hank’s ears perked up. What did Sam mean by that? Something more than peace between the two packs?

Dalton laughed. “I should’ve taken that rifle to your old man when I had the chance.”

Sam slugged Dalton, knocking him back onto the bed and rendering him unconscious. Wade shut up. Sam shook his head and looked at Hank. “These mutts make me ashamed to be a Kincaid.”

Hank could think of a few more reasons to be ashamed of that lineage, but held his tongue. “Let’s load them into the truck and get them to the holding site.” There was a place just an hour outside of town. “I’ll call my father, tell him what’s going on, then he can send his men to pick them up. Sam, you’d best fill Clemens in, too.”

“I will.” Sam’s hands clenched at his sides as he stared at the two brothers. “He’s not going to like this. At the very least, he’ll kick them out of the pack.”

“As he should, but there’s still going to be a tribunal. It’s pack law.” Which meant the Jenkinses would get a chance to tell their side. No doubt something that would upset Clemens, too. He probably wouldn’t like having his dirty laundry aired so publicly.

Sam nodded, but the expression on his face was unreadable. Anger, definitely, but whatever else was there, Hank couldn’t tell. Was he worried what the Jenkins brothers would say? That wasn’t Hank’s problem. And so long as Ivy’s brother didn’t decide to go rogue and mete out whatever punishment he thought fit, everything would be fine.

The last thing Hank wanted to do was add to Ivy’s troubles by arresting her brother for murder.

“It’s perfect.” Birdie clasped her hands and tucked them under her chin, her eyes shining with tears, just like they’d been with every other dress Ivy had worn out of the dressing room. “You look beautiful. That is definitely the dress you should get married in.”

Ivy stared at her reflection. The dress was amazing. White lace with cap sleeves and a simple A-line skirt that fell to the floor in a sprinkling of crystals and beading. There was just enough to make the dress sparkle and add a hint of vintage. Ivy had always dreamed about a dress like this.

But she didn’t deserve it. Not with the scheme to deceive Hank. Thinking about that while wearing such a beautiful gown made her heart break a little. The white dress seemed such a stark contrast to the horrible thing she was about to do to the man she was falling in love with. If only she could get Charlie to safety.

“Gathering wool, dear?”

Ivy shook herself. “Sorry. I just…” She took a breath. “Birdie, I can’t afford this.” Not financially or emotionally. Having a nice wedding with all the pretty trappings was only going to highlight how much of a sham the whole thing was.

Birdie clucked her tongue. “How about this is my gift to you?”

“No, I can’t possibly—”

“Corette, can you come here?” Birdie waved at the owner of the shop, an attractive older woman who, Birdie had informed Ivy, was one of the town’s better-known witches and currently dating Hugh Ellingham’s valet. Birdie had insisted that Ever After was the only bridal boutique worth shopping at in town. Seemed to Ivy it was also the only one, but what did she know?