Sixteen

 

 

 

The ride back home from the garage was nothing but a blur of white snow and dark roads framed by disbelief. Luna’s heart sank, her stomach felt hollow. Anyone who knew her brother would know that he wasn’t capable of doing such things. How on earth could Sheriff Briggs believe some voice on the phone over someone he had known for years? It just didn’t make sense.

After Briggs had slapped handcuffs on Michael and marched him to the back of his car, Chase had quickly hurried to make arrangements. First, a call to their lawyer who dealt with supernatural cases, much like Pierre’s. As soon as the phone slammed into the receiver, Chase shut the garage, frogmarching her back to his vehicle. She heard the urgency in his tone as he told her to be silent and get in the car, but it was the forced neutral expression he wore that convinced her to swallow her argument.

Luna watched the sharpness in his gaze, his eyes darting from one side to the other. Occasionally, he would sniff the air, scanning the area for unnatural scents or movement. As soon as they were inside the car, Chase hit the gas, hightailing it as much as he could in the falling snow, as though trying to put as much distance between them and the nightmarish event.

They remained in silence during the twenty-minute ride back home. Luna’s enchanted dagger tucked away at her hip, her cold skin welcoming its slight warmth. Every so often, Luna would glance over at Chase, and find his jaw locked, eyes staring straight ahead, nostrils flaring sporadically. His knuckles turned white under his death-like grip of the steering wheel as they drove.

What was going to happen now? Surely the sheriff couldn’t hold him without any evidence? And who was the person who had called him with the location of the body? Questions danced around Luna’s head, igniting a headache that threatened to consume her.

When the snow-covered trees that marked the boundary to her family’s land came into view, relief bubbled up inside her chest but quickly burst again. Outside the property, she could escape from the fact that there were those who hunted her, but as soon as she was back, so was the realisation of her dire state. As soon as Chase pulled up by the property, he grabbed the keys and inhaled the air. With hurried steps, he pulled her out of the car and into the safety of the house, stabbing the code into the electric lock.

Luna watched as Chase practically ran into the living room, heading straight for the house phone. After dialling a number, he turned to her. “Check the windows and doors, make sure everything’s locked.”

“But -” 

“Do it.” The tone of his command left no room for argument.

Resigned, Luna hurried to the kitchen, double-checking the windows and door. Salt lined each window and door, the simple condiment that had proved so effective in the past. Shrugging out of her jacket and throwing it onto the table, Luna could overhear parts of Chase’s conversation. “OK, get here as quick as you can, man. I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Yeah, I hope I’m wrong, too.”

“Who was that?” she asked, curiosity resonating in her tone. 

A soft sigh spilled from Chase’s lips as he rubbed a hand over his weary face. “Fang Boy. Now that Michael’s been arrested, it’s probably best to get him over here. I may not like him, but it’s good to have the extra muscle. Not that his muscles are bigger than mine, but still. He’s checking something out then he’ll get here as soon as he can.”

Luna sighed at his words, shaking her head. “Don’t you think you are over-reacting?”

All the humour washed out of his brown eyes as they captured hers. “No, I don’t. Michael’s innocent. Leave aside the fact that he’s been with you or one of the pack at all times for the last week or so, there’s just no way he’d be capable of doing that. No, princess. Someone’s framing him.”

“You think its Russo?”

“That’s who I’d bet on. I’d also bet my last dollar that he’ll strike while Michael’s holed up in jail. It’s the perfect time. Get him out of the way, the pack is weaker, and you’re easier to grab. Simple.” The grim tone mirrored the expression on his face.

“Simple,” Luna repeated softly, the blood running cold throughout her body, the air fleeing her lungs. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to rid herself of the chill inside, but she doubted she would ever feel warm again. Chase was right. It was the perfect time to strike. As their alpha, as her brother, Chase was a shield, one that could protect them from their foes. With him out of the way, safely behind bars, they were vulnerable to attack.

Christ, how long would it take them to arrive?

Strong hands closed around her upper arms, drawing her backwards, until she was firmly pressed against his chest, steadying her. “I’ve got you, princess. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, I swear.”

“Non,” she whispered, fear coating her tone. “Don’t promise anything you can’t keep, Chase. There’s no guarantee any of us will survive this.” Her voice choked with tears.

His arms tightened around hers, his breath warm against her cheek as she leaned her head backwards. “I swear I will keep you safe, Luna. Don’t doubt me.”

“I don’t doubt you, Chase, I just … I’m just scared,” she admitted.

“I know,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. They stayed that way for several moments, although for Luna they stretched into an eternity, one that she hated to break, but the practical voice in the back of her head was telling to get a move on. They needed to be prepared.

“You should check in with Mike and Misty,” she told him, inhaling deeply, as though the breath could steady her nerves. Not that it did, but still it was worth a shot.

Shaking his head, Chase reached for his phone, dialling another number. “Not going to leave you, princess. Not for one damn second. Hey, Mike. Listen, Michael’s been arrested. Yeah, no shit. Body found over at Wolf’s Creek, right on the edge of the property. Throat torn to shreds and some asshole tipped Briggs off that it was Michael … Damn right, he didn’t. Listen, man, I think this is it. The Crescent Moon pack are probably behind this, and if I’m right, they’re likely to strike soon. I don’t know if you want to take Misty and hole up somewhere else in case the shit does hit the fan, but Luna and I are in the house … No, I’m just about to call the others … Yeah, he’ll be here soon … OK, Mike, take care and be safe.” Looking up at her, Luna peered into those brown eyes. “Got your dagger and salt?”

“Oui,” she replied, her hand instinctively reaching to where the knife sat on the side of her thigh. Never in all her life had she imagined that her life could depend on a little salt. A small vial of it sat in her pocket, next to the one that contained the deadly potion Cassandra had given to her. Although she hated the thought of it, for some reason, she felt it necessary to keep it close. I will not use it, I will not use it. Repeating it over and over again in her head as Chase made one phone call after the other, she clutched that hope to her chest.

It was all she had.

Finally, Chase finished his calls and tossed the phone onto the sofa. Standing in front of her, he reached out, holding her gently in his arms. The heat of his skin penetrated their clothing and her skin, but it didn’t touch the ice flowing through her blood. “Everyone’s on alert. It’s just a waiting game now.”

Fear knotted her stomach. “What’s going to happen to Michael? You hear stories of American prisons. How you go in and some never come out again.”

“He’ll be fine,” Chase assured her, his voice low and husky. “Briggs hasn’t got anything on Michael for that girl’s murder. There’ll be no evidence whatsoever to pin it on him. I bet he’ll be out by tonight. Hey, what else do they say about Americans in France?” Hell pulled back and pulled an intrigued expression over his face.

Luna had to laugh at his mocking tone. “That you eat too much, you complain more than the British – which is saying something, trust me,” she laughed. Glancing upwards, she filled a smile with sweetness and honesty. “And that you have sexy accents.”

Chase winked at her. “Hmm, I like the sound of that. But to be honest, I find your accent much sexier. I love the combination of British and French. Very exotic.” The undiluted lust in his voice couldn’t be ignored.

Something pulled below Luna’s stomach, an invisible string that connected to her core. “You like exotic?” She lowered her head but glanced upwards, unable to hide the heat that simmered in her eyes as she peered at him through dark lashes.

One side of Chase’s mouth curled upwards in a devilish grin. “Very much.”

Luna laughed. “What are you like?”

A confused line appeared between Chase’s brows. “I dunno, what am I like?”

Laughter continued to spill between Luna’s lips. “It’s a saying from back home. Well, it’s a British saying really. It means you’re silly.”

“Hmm, interesting. I like your British sayings. Say something else British.”

Luna cocked an eyebrow, and a mischievous grin pulled one side of her mouth up. “It’s time for tea?” she suggested. The laughter flowed between them, a wave of calm in the storms that were brewing up around them. Eventually, however, the laughter dried up, the warmth disappearing until nothing but cold fear around their hearts.

Suddenly, Chase whipped his head to the sound.

“What is it?” she asked, her body freezing in his arms.

The grip of his hands tightened on her arms. “Someone’s coming up the drive.”

The bottomless pit feeling resurfaced in Luna’s stomach and any trace of warmth in her body dissipated with his words. A low growl emanated from the back of Chase’s throat, amber beginning to stain his eyes, kicking her heartbeat into overdrive. Is this it? For an extended second, Chase remained, tense, still except for a brief flaring of his nostrils, then relaxed. “It’s Michael.”

Relief trickled along Luna’s arms and through the rest of her body, her shoulders sagging. With hurried steps, she raced towards the door, stabbed the access code into the pad, and flung open the door just in time to see Michael striding up the stairs. Fury stained his features, but the angry flames in his eyes began to simmer down when they locked onto her. Chase grabbed Luna round her waist, stopping her from rushing out, but released her the moment Michael crossed the threshold.

Flinging her arms around his neck, Luna breathed in his scent. Sea salt and caramel, with a hint of pine tree. It was comforting to have her brother back in her arms. “Michael, I was so worried. Are you OK? What did they do? What did they say?”

“Let me get in, and I’ll regale you with all the delightful details.” Anger and frustration bubbled in his tone, but Luna caught a flicker of weariness in his blue eyes. The three of them headed back to the living room where Michael sank into his father’s favourite chair. Heaving a heavy sigh, Michael wiped a hand over his face before glancing upwards.

“I knew they’d let you go, man,” Chase said, breaking the awkward silence. “But I thought Briggs would keep you in longer.”

“He tried,” Michael spat bitterly. “Believe me, the bastard tried. He wanted to pin it on me. Got me booked, fingerprinted, the whole nine yards. Then got me straight in his little interview room and demanded to know why I butchered the girl. Kept on telling him it had nothing to do with me, I didn’t know her, was with you guys last night, but nope, to him, it was me who killed her.”

“Why though? Just because of that one phone call?” Luna asked, a line forming between her brows, her tone edged with disbelief.

“Maybe,” Michael said with a shrug. “Let’s face it, Briggs ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and he likes things neat. If he can wrap up this case within a day or so, then the FEDs aren’t going to show up and take the case. They’d steal his limelight, and they’d portray him as the red-necked, dumb sheriff who can’t solve shit.”

“Then there’s the fact that Briggs has never liked the idea of there being wolves on Michael’s land,” Chase added, sinking into the sofa opposite his alpha, looking at Luna. “A few years ago, he admitted he was supporting the petition to wipe out the wolves.”

“But you are the wolves,” Luna breathed, soft astonishment coating her words. “He wanted to kill you all?”

They guys shared a look, before shifting their faces back to her. “No one but the spouses of the pack members know what we are. To the rest of the town, we’re nice normal humans who sometimes hang out with each other and that wolves have been on our family land for generations. No one has ever complained of the ‘wolves’ eating their livestock or hurting any of them. Not once.”

“But still there are some that just have a hard-on for shooting wild animals,” Chase continued, disgust washing over his features. “Bagging the wolves would be a trophy kill. It’s got nothing to do with hunting for survival or eating what you kill; it’s just about the kill.”

“So, because wolves are on our land, and the sheriff and some others don’t want them there, he wants to arrest Michael? I don’t get it,” Luna admitted.

Chase shook his head. “Not really. Briggs is a simple man who doesn’t like upheaval. When it comes to this town, he’s the bigshot. He wants to maintain that image. He can’t do that if the FEDs come down and take over. In his mind, they’ll discover who the real killer is and steal his thunder. Since they found the body near Michael’s land and the phone call claimed it was Michael, it’s a nice, simple little explanation that the public will buy.”

Shit. A frown marred Luna’s perfect features and, she felt her green eyes darkening with rage. “Bastard,” she spat. “So how did you get out so early? I thought you’d be stuck all night.”

“Well, that’s the interesting part,” Michael said, drawing the words out. “About ten minutes into his interrogation, someone knocks on the door. One of the deputies brings him out of the room to speak with him. Heard him say that my lawyer was here, demanding to see me.”

“Lawyer?” Chase asked, surprise coating the word.

Michael took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Weariness crept into his eyes for a moment, before disappearing behind a layer of bitterness. “Took everyone by surprise, but to Briggs, it was just confirmation of my guilt. Anyway, this guy walks in, smart suit, posh tie, the whole works. Puts his briefcase on the table and tells everyone to start drawing up the paperwork because they have nothing on me and all that. Within ten minutes, I was out there.”

“But how did you get a lawyer so fast? We didn’t call anyone yet,” Luna admitted, guilt hollowing out her stomach.

“At first, I thought it was you guys who got the lawyer sorted, but as soon as we got out of the station, he turns to me and hands me his card. But it’s turned over. On it was the words, ‘Cass says it’s time. Protect her.’ Then he looks me straight in the eye, says he’ll ring me later and disappeared. I hopped into my car and drove straight here.”

Luna’s lips trembled with fear. “Cassandra. She knew you’d be arrested and arranged for the lawyer to turn up just in time.”

Michael nodded, the weariness sneaking back into his eyes. “Yep, she’s the only Cass I know of. So that means …”

A pang of dread filled her stomach Fear rippled through her at his remark. Her heart threatened to escape her control. Swallowing a wave of nausea that rose from her gut, she met his eyes. “It’s time.”

Michael took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s time.”