Chapter Ten

One minute he was trying to follow Rook without tripping and making a fool of himself and the next there were wolves all around. “I’m going to assume the body is close by here, then?” He took a few more cautious steps, watching the ground for any signs of disturbance and the body. “You know this was a lot easier when you were in human form. I feel like an idiot talking to myself like this.” West continued as the group of wolves stared at him blankly.

West jumped when one of the wolves appeared beside him and gently nudged him to the left. “This is getting insane, shift one of you and talk to me.”

“They won’t shift,” Rook said from behind him, causing him to jump.

“What the hell.”

“What’s going on? Why won’t they and where’s the body?”

“Because our senses are even better as wolves then as humans. There’s an odd smell here, that as humans we didn’t notice. We’ve been tracking it, trying to see if we can find where it’s coming from.”

“What type of smell?”

Rook shrugged. “Don’t know. Nothing I’ve ever smelt before. If pressed I’d say it’s a wrong smell though.”

West stared at him in confusion. What in the hell did that mean? What was a wrong smell? And where in the hell was the body?

“Keep an ear out, and let me know as soon as you find anything,” Rook called to the wolves as they disappeared as quietly as they’d come.

“That’s freaky.”

“The body’s over here,” Rook said with a smirk. “No smell again, but like I said the area around it is different. Everything is dead. Like the life was sucked out of the area.”

“Lead the way.” West said as he followed the sexy ass. He tried not to ogle, but with an ass that prime it was a lost cause.

“Sheriff,” Rook said in warning. “I’m shifting back, I can’t stand here like this without compromising the scene.”

West started to respond but then he saw what was left of the body and his words died away. This wasn’t a body like Celia’s, he was hard pressed to say it was a human at this point.

“Holy hell. That’s… I don’t know what to call that,” West said as he glanced at the wolf. “I’m calling in my deputies and the whole nine yards.”

Rook cocked his head and West chuckled. “Sorry I’m used to having someone here to talk the scene through. So, bear with me you’re filling in.”

West circled the body in mute horror, there was nothing but bone. Almost as if the skeleton was boiled clean, but it didn’t make sense. Bones in the open shouldn’t be so pristine white and definitely not still connected as if the tendons and ligaments were all still there. The clothes though looked like they were just put on this morning. The corpse’s hair was white as the new snow and stringy. West couldn't tell by the body, but the long hair, earrings and bracelets led him to assume it was a female.

“I think this is going to need a special touch. I’ve got an old friend who owes me a favor or two. I’m going to call him in. He’s a forensic anthropologist, and something tells me he’s going to be intrigued by this one.”

West pulled out his phone and dialed the familiar number while he continued to study the body. The phone had barely begun to ring, when his old friend answered.

“Speak of the devil.”

“What?” West asked in confusion.

“I was just talking to one of your officers, trying to get directions to your place.”

“To my place?” West repeated slowly.

“Yeah, surprise. I’m in town.”

“I’m confused as hell.”

“I was finishing up a case a few towns away. I figured since I had nothing pressing at the moment I’d come see how the move was going. So, where are you?”

“Deader, do you believe in fate? Cause I gotta tell you, this is one hell of a coincidence.”

“Why’s that?”

“I was just calling you to consult on a case, why don’t you hitch a ride with one of my men and get out here. You’re gonna wanna see this one for yourself.”

“I’m on my way.”

West hung up and laughed. What was the chances that his old friend would be here when he needed him the most?

Twenty-five minutes later, West heard the soft footfalls of men coming. He turned and saw one of the wolves from earlier leading the way and smiled.

“Deader is that you?” West called out in greeting. “It’s been forever, it’s great to see you man.”

“Yeah, it’s me. Can’t find a body in some place easy to get to, can you? Always got to make things difficult.”

West laughed and pulled the taller man into a fierce hug as they laughed, until the soft growls caught their attention.

“Rook knock that off, you fleabag,” West growled back.