Chapter 17

Devlyn noticed Bella checking out the side view mirror again and saw the tension in her stiffened spine. “See anything?”

“I thought I saw a black Humvee. Twice now. But when I look back, it’s gone, vanished in the rain.”

“I’ve seen it before.”

Bella looked at Devlyn. “When?”

“When we were at the dance club. I saw it parked there and then again when I took a look in the Cascades for any evidence of the murdering red’s complicity; it followed me for a while and then disappeared.”

“A red? Or Volan?”

“Volan would have confronted me. The windows were too dark; I couldn’t see the driver, but I gathered he was a red—wary, questioning, but something more. I can’t pinpoint the gut feeling I have about it, except that, even though he’s hostile—a red not liking a gray in the red’s territory and has his sights set on the only female red wolf who’s young enough to be pursued—he doesn’t seem to have any evil purpose.”

“Like reporting our actions to Alfred.”

“Right.” Devlyn was more curious than worried about the red’s business.

The downpour worsened along the highway, and Devlyn hoped that the rain would help hide their clandestine activities when they reached Alfred’s ranch.

Bella tapped her fingers on her door’s armrest. “This means he might be one of the older males who wants you to eradicate the killers from the pack.”

“Possibly.”

“You don’t think so?” she asked, her voice elevated in surprise.

“When I was alone, he followed much closer, more aggressively, letting me know he was there and watching. But when you’re with me, he hangs back, almost as though he knows he has no chance with you when I’m around.”

“The mystery murdering red?”

“Maybe. But I don’t really think so. The one who followed us into the woods, the one we recognized as the murderer, behaves differently. Skulks more in the background. I wished I’d paid more attention to who else was at the club that night. The Humvee was there, which meant this red was watching you…us. But I sure didn’t get a whiff of either the murderer or this guy.”

“Hmph,” Bella said, folding her arms. “As hot and sweaty as the humans were getting, covered in their cloying perfumes and colognes, I had enough of a time trying to smell the reds we met up with.”

“I was concentrating on a female red in the midst of a bunch of lusty red males. I should have known there would have been more of them there.” Devlyn peered into the fog, trying to locate the turnoff for Alfred’s ranch.

“I hacked into the files at the county courthouse; he owns the deed on a seven-hundred-acre spread. Tax records show he has 760 steers on the ranch and gets paid on the gain at a rate of thirty cents per pound per day with a gain of three hundred pounds. Not too shabby. He pays a tax assessment on the irrigation water from a canal, but, according to this, he doesn’t need the irrigation water and has fought with city hall about reducing or doing away with the tax.”

Devlyn snorted. “Why would anyone need irrigation water in a place as wet as this?”

Bella chuckled. “Ready to go home to Colorado and dry out?”

“You bet.”

“Okay, there’s a river on his property and his main house sits on a hill high above the ranch.”

“Main house?”

“Yeah, he has a second home, mobile home, and a bunk house, machine shop, three large granaries, two loafing shed barns with feeders, an additional barn, and two sets of corrals with portable scales.”

“Holy crap, Bella honey! Can you imagine how many reds work for him and probably live on the property?”

Bella frowned at him. “But Alfred’s not there.”

Devlyn shook his head. “No, but most of the rest of his pack might be.”

He turned off onto the ranch road along the river in a pretty valley surrounded by timbered mountains. They spotted several elk, cows, yearlings, and horses on higher ground; some of the lower-lying pasture lands were under water.

All of the buildings rested on the hilltop above the valley, and Devlyn shut off his headlights and crawled along the road, trying to get as close to the main house as he could without garnering anyone’s attention.

“The Humvee’s behind us again,” Bella whispered, as if the guy could hear them. “But he turned off his headlights, too.”

“Maybe he hopes to box us in, if he backs Alfred. On the other hand, I wouldn’t have expected him to turn off his headlights. He’s got to know we realize he’s following us.”

Devlyn parked some distance from the house in the dark, and then he and Bella headed through the pelting rain for the backside of the place, where windows enjoyed a view of the valley. He glanced up at the eaves and roofline. “No security cameras.”

Bella motioned to the bunkhouse a couple of football fields away, where several pickup trucks were parked. “No need,” she whispered, “when he’s got such a huge security force nearby.”

Devlyn grabbed the doorknob on the back patio doors and smiled when the door opened without resistance. “He must feel really secure out here with all his hired muscle.”

Inside, the place was super elegant—leather couches, Persian rugs, crystal chandeliers, oil paintings of the Oregon coastline. And brass wolf sculptures. Devlyn didn’t bother turning on the lights, not needing them anyway, and made his way through the three spacious living areas, searched the kitchen, which was big enough to serve large parties, and then headed to the bedrooms, both he and Bella dripping water everywhere.

Every one of the bedrooms was outfitted for guests, with bathrooms for each, dressers and sitting rooms, and balconies. In the last one, the room was larger than the rest and even more highly appointed, with a brown velvet comforter on a raised bed, massive oak furniture that filled the room, and oil paintings of men and women hanging on the walls, maybe his family over several generations.

Bella grabbed an old leather-bound book off a shelf in a sitting area.

“His journal?”

“Werewolf legend.”

Devlyn made a face as she stuffed it into her jacket. “Humans don’t have a clue about the real lupus garou legend. And lupus garous aren’t permitted to set down the oral history in writing, which is why some clans became confused as to what the real story is,” Devlyn said while Bella sat down at Alfred’s computer.

Her fingers flying at the keyboard, she retorted, “Right, gray clans got it mixed up, you mean.” She let out her breath in exasperation. “Nothing on his computer, email, files, correspondence.” Bella scanned the rest of his computer. “Not a darned thing.” She looked up at Devlyn as he paused while searching through dresser drawers. “I smell lots of reds who have been here, which would be typical. Pack probably meets here regularly. And the murdering red? I smell him here, too.”

“I got a whiff of him in one of the guest bedrooms. But no humans. Alfred probably figures it’s too dangerous to bring them to his lair.”

Then he thought he heard a faint sound of something, but before he could listen further, a woman suddenly called out from the foyer, “Hello?”

“Damn,” Devlyn said under his breath, wondering why he hadn’t heard the front door opening.

He locked the bedroom door and hurried to open a back door onto the patio. Bella turned off the computer and joined him. But as soon as they sneaked around the side of the property, trying to reach their car, the heavy rain instantly dousing them, a woman ran outside, yelling into a phone, “Someone’s broken into the master’s house! Yes, yes…I don’t know. It smelled like a gray. And a female red. What? What do you mean keep them here? They’re not here! Oh, oh, I think I see a vehicle down the road in the dark. Yes, it’s a black SUV.”

The woman was shrieking so loud Devlyn was sure whoever was listening had to hold the phone away from his ear or lose his hearing. Devlyn rushed Bella down to the SUV, and both jumped in just as a couple of truck engines rumbled to life.

“Oh hell, Devlyn. The cavalry’s coming.” Bella wrung out her hair and wiped the rain water off her face.

“We’ll make it, honey.” But he wasn’t sure they would. With nowhere to turn easily and the shoulders along the gravel road pure mud because of the hammering, constant rain, he headed straight for the pickup trucks in a dare-to-hit-me mode, chasing one off the hill. The pickup got stuck in the water-drenched mud. But the other truck was still game.

Bella gripped the seat and looked out the side view mirror. “The Humvee’s behind us.”

Again, Devlyn wondered if the Humvee driver intended to box him in. But instead, the vehicle slipped on past him and headed straight for the pickup.

“Jeez, Devlyn, he appears to be on our side. Or plain nuts.”

At the last second, the pickup veered, clipping the Humvee’s front fender, causing the pickup to spin out of control and plow into the side of one of the barns. The Humvee flipped around, too, and ended up facing Devlyn’s vehicle.

Devlyn paused, making sure the Humvee driver’s vehicle wasn’t incapacitated.

For a second, the two vehicles faced each other in a gunfight standoff, and then Devlyn turned his SUV around in the gravel and drove slowly, watching to see if the Humvee followed them. When it did, he nodded, assured the guy’s vehicle was fine.

“Wonder who the guy is. Could use him for backup when the going gets rough,” he said.

“I’d sure like to know his story.” She sighed deeply. “We didn’t find one lick of evidence on Alfred yet.”

“I think he’s too wily to keep anything around that could incriminate him. The only other thing would be if we could get in the house of the last girl who was murdered. If we smelled him there, that would cinch it.”

When they reached the main road, Devlyn turned his headlights back on for the benefit of other vehicles.

“The Humvee went in the opposite direction.”

“Too bad. I was beginning to like the guy.”

“He could be bad news.”

“That he could.” But Devlyn’s gut instinct told him the mystery red wasn’t.

For several miles, Bella watched her side view mirror. Because of the bad road conditions—the water puddled up in ponds in places on the highway and the rain ran down the windshield like a continuous rampant waterfall—Devlyn concentrated on what was in front of them.

“Maybe we can check out the girl’s place now.”

Bella stared at the headlight shining on her side view mirror and studied the forest-green SUV skulking behind them. “I think someone else is following us.”

Devlyn looked up at his rearview mirror. “Saw one like it parked at the mobile home on Alfred’s property.”

Bella made a face. “Great, then they know we’re on to them. Well, not that they wouldn’t know already. I imagine the woman who ratted on us probably called Alfred at his home in Portland and warned him that we were snooping around his country estate.”

“Well, tit for tat. He broke into your place. Payback can be hell.”

“Yeah, we dripped water all over his expensive carpets.”

“And you stole his favorite bedtime book. So what did you learn from the human-concocted ‘werewolf legend’?”

She flipped through the book, scanning several pages, and then gave a ladylike snort. “A human wrote it.”

Devlyn raised a brow. “What did it say?”

“Why should you care? You already said humans don’t have a clue.”

“You’re right. So what did it say?”

She cast him an annoyed look. “A Scandinavian white wolf was the first lupus garou.”

Devlyn laughed out loud.

Bella threw the book into the backseat. “I told you it was a bunch of nonsense.” She glanced back at the vehicle following them. “Can you lose the SUV?”

“I could do better than that.” He jerked the rental SUV over to the shoulder of the road, and the green one jammed on its brakes and stopped several feet behind them.

Her heart skipping beats, Bella grabbed Devlyn’s arm. “What if the SUV’s packed with reds? You can’t fight them all.”

The other vehicle idled behind them. Devlyn’s neck muscle tightened and his knuckles turned white from the grip he had on the steering wheel.

“Devlyn, we might as well return home if they know what we’re up to. Even if we managed to lose them, the word’s probably out that we’re investigating the murders.”

“I imagine by now the whole pack knows and every one of them will be watching for us, either at Ross’s place, his packing plant, or the murdered girls’ houses, if they don’t know we’ve been at any of them. Unless they’ve checked them out and found our scent there.” He gave a satisfied smile.

“Right.” Bella let out her breath. “Hell, that means Alfred’s involved. Otherwise, he’d terminate Ross and Nicol himself for creating all of this mess. And the other red, too.”

Devlyn glanced in the rearview mirror. “Unless he’s a loner—not part of the pack.” He pulled back onto the road and headed for Bella’s house.

The rain would let up intermittently and then pour hard again in places, but she could still see the green SUV following them. Twice, the rental SUV Devlyn was driving slid like a skater out of control on the water-logged road.

“Nearly worse than the ice in Colorado,” he groused under his breath.

When they finally neared Bella’s house, the green SUV suddenly headed down a side road and took off. But Bella and Devlyn had a new surprise waiting for them.

Two police cars and a fire engine, their lights flashing, were parked in front of Bella’s place; her stomach took an instant dive. Smoke was billowing into the night sky in the backyard behind her house. Her greenhouse and shed were on fire!

Devlyn pulled into the garage, barely parking before Bella jerked open the door and leapt from the car and dashed out the garage door to the backyard.

“Bella!”

She heard Devlyn’s heavy footfall behind her as a policeman tried to block her path to the greenhouse. Despite the intermittent heavy rainfall, the roof protected the fire blazing inside and the firemen had to use hoses to bring the blaze under control.

“My plants,” Bella cried, trying to get to her shed, but Devlyn gathered her against his body and held her tight.

“You can’t go near it, Bella,” he said, half commanding, half trying to console her.

Another vehicle screeched to a halt in front of the house and Thompson, Chrissie, and her kids piled out of the car.

“Omigosh, Bella,” Chrissie said, running to join her. “What happened?”

“Vandals,” one of the policemen said. “Whoever did it broke most of the windows in the greenhouse, trashed the inside, and then poured gallons of gasoline everywhere. Luckily, the wind died down before the blaze really took hold or the house might have caught fire.”

Thompson rubbed Chrissie’s arm. “Why don’t you take the kids in the house and I’ll be over in a little bit.”

But Chrissie looked devastated and didn’t seem to want to leave Bella alone. Shivering, her kids stood out of the rain on the back patio, their eyes and mouths wide as they gaped at the fire. Chrissie gave Bella’s hand a squeeze and said, “Call me.” Then she hurried the kids to her house.

Thompson shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the dwindling inferno. “Police called me to say that whoever set fire to your greenhouse must have been the one who hacked into the police headquarters and sent a bogus message to Sergeant Reddy, who pulled the police detail watching your place.” Thompson shook his head. “This Volan character is sure vindictive.”

Volan?

Bella was sure the reds had burned the greenhouse, probably in retaliation for snooping around Alfred’s house. She tried to get closer to the building to see if she could pick up the reds’ scent, or Volan’s. But Devlyn wasn’t letting her get any nearer, and she growled at him.

Without warning, an explosion rocked the greenhouse. Splintered glass and wood flew across the backyard, and Devlyn yanked Bella behind the garage while everyone else took cover.

“Hell!” one of the firemen said. “What did you have in there?”

“Fertilizers, garden chemicals, gas for my mower, not sure what else,” Bella said, making her way back to where she’d been standing, her eyes filled with tears and her heart in her throat. In the next instant, the greenhouse roof collapsed, and everyone dashed for safety again.

Once it appeared the greenhouse was settled in ruins, the fireman returned to put out the rest of the flames, now smoldering in the twisted metal, glass, and wood debris.

“Thankfully, your next-door neighbor Mr. Sherman called in the vandalism,” one of the policeman said. “Mr. Sherman said he thought the guy was going to torch the house, so he began yelling on the phone to 911 all the details about the guy—big, dark-haired, sounded a lot like Volan.”

Thompson looked back at Bella and Devlyn. She hoped she didn’t look as guilty as she felt. “You didn’t hear or see anything?” he asked.

The policeman offered, “They weren’t here. They just arrived shortly before you did.”

Thompson looked from Bella to Devlyn, and she knew he was waiting for a report, but neither of them said anything.

“Guess it was good you weren’t home then,” Thompson said, “or Volan might have tried to do more.” He turned this attention to the police officer. “Is the watch back on the house?”

“You bet. Police Chief Whittaker himself directed it. He said there’s to be no more foul-ups, or heads will roll. Now, only he can change the order.”

Bella exchanged a glance with Devlyn. Their sleuthing days appeared to be over unless they wanted a police escort tailing them or they could think up some other creative way to get rid of a tail.

* * *

Early the next morning, even though it was dark, with threatening storm clouds hovering overhead like a permanent menace, Devlyn reached out for Bella in bed, but he found her gone. He listened, hoping to hear her butler announcing new email or the sound of her cooking in the kitchen. Nothing. And then the rain, pitter-pattering at first, followed by a roar as it drowned the area, filled his ears. He was sure if he didn’t leave here soon, his skin would start wearing a coat of green moss or mold.

Shoving the covers aside, he headed out of the bedroom. She wasn’t in her office. She couldn’t be in the greenhouse now. The thought of the ruined greenhouse sickened him. When he returned her to Colorado, he’d build her one twice as big.

He strode through the living room, but then he saw her standing in the green velvet robe on the back porch, staring at the burned wreckage. Growling at the insidiousness of whoever torched her building, he pulled the door open and stalked outside.

She took a deep breath and rubbed her arms. Devlyn pulled her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. “Come on back inside, Bella honey. I’ll make you something to eat.”

“Was it Volan or the reds? That’s what I can’t quit worrying about.”

“The reds. Volan doesn’t know where you live.”

She looked up at him. He gave her a small smile. “I sniffed around the wreckage when you were sound asleep last night. I didn’t want you to worry, but I knew you’d be more concerned if it was Volan.”

“I couldn’t make myself check it out.” She let out her breath and, for the first time since they’d found her greenhouse on fire, she relaxed.

“Come on inside, Bella. I know Chrissie’s kids are back at their dad’s, but I don’t want Thompson to see me dressed like this, if he’s still at Chrissie’s house, in case anyone peeks over your fence.”

Bella glanced down at Devlyn’s nudity and her lips rose a hair. “You are one big, very bad wolf, you know?”

“And all yours.” He coaxed her back inside the house, ready to prove it.

“What about investigating the reds further?”

“We’re done with that for now, honey. Time for the big showdown as soon as the moon makes its appearance. I’m sure at that time we’ll resolve the issue of the murdered girls once and for all.”

* * *

Later that morning, Chrissie pounded on the back door, her face solemn. Bella let her in and glanced at the blueberry pie Chrissie was holding.

Chrissie handed her the pie. “I’m so sorry about your greenhouse. I wanted to come over last night and say something more, but Henry stayed late and helped me take the kids over to their dad’s place. Then, well…” She shrugged.

Saddened about her greenhouse, Bella managed a small smile, glad that Chrissie had found someone she enjoyed being with after her husband had dumped her for a much younger woman. “I’m thrilled the two of you hit it off so well. Come in.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been kind of distant, too. Henry and I have been dating up a storm, and, well, you know how it is when you’ve getting involved with someone. I have to make time for the kids, too, so it’s been a juggle.”

“No problem.” Bella headed for the kitchen and Chrissie followed, glancing around the living room. Bella was sure she looked for signs of the naked hunk and was glad Chrissie hadn’t come any earlier in the day.

“Devlyn still sleeping?” Chrissie took a seat at the dining room table.

“Devlyn’s looking over some emails. Want a slice of pie?” Bella carved up a piece.

“Sure. Things have been awfully quiet over here. Well, except for the insurance people and the arson investigators tromping all over the place.” Chrissie took the plate Bella handed her. “I wondered if you needed me to run out and get you anything. I imagine you don’t want to leave the house after what has happened, and Devlyn shouldn’t leave you alone.”

No one needed a neighborhood watch program with Chrissie acting as the eyes and the ears of the whole community. “We’ve been rather preoccupied, but we have plenty to eat and are just fine.”

Chrissie sat at the table and considered Bella’s neck.

This morning, at least, Bella’s appearance was neater, although she imagined Chrissie was looking at the hickey gracing her throat. Bella’s hair rolled in shiny waves over her shoulders and down her back. No one would suspect Devlyn’s hands had tangled her curls in the throes of passion only half an hour earlier.

Chrissie scooped up a bite of crust, stained blue and dripping with berries. “Are the two of you getting married?”

“We’ve already done so.” In the lupus garou way.

Chrissie’s eyes widened. “When?”

“About the time we first had our reunion.” How could Bella explain that, for lupus garous, selecting a mate meant for a lifetime and the traditional human-contrived marriage vows meant nothing? Hell, half the human population ended up divorcing the same mate they promised to share their lives with together forever. Hmph. Look at Chrissie, even!

Chrissie seemed saddened not to have been told earlier. But then she looked at Bella’s unadorned fingers. Explaining the lack of a wedding ring would be even harder.

“Allergic to metal.” Bella flipped her hair back and pointed to her ears. “No earrings, no bracelets, no necklaces. Can’t wear any kind of metal.” In truth, most jewelry hindered their turning into the wolf. If it didn’t, it would be lost with the change. Or, in the case of pierced-ear jewelry, what would someone think if they found a wolf with pearls or gold secured to the leather of their ears?

Chrissie glanced at Bella’s wrist. “Jeez, I never realized.” Her gaze met Bella’s. “I never noticed you don’t even wear a watch.”

“Nope. Can’t.”

“How do you tell time?”

“Clocks. When I’m in the Escape, it has a clock. The computer has the time. The oven, microwave, my alarm clock in the bedroom…clocks surround me. If I’m somewhere that I don’t know the time, I just ask.” She couldn’t let Chrissie know she had an innate ability to know the time, from the elevation of the sun in the sky.

“I would have liked to have been present when you got married,” Chrissie said softly. “I would have gotten you something.”

Bella’s heart wrenched. She hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings. Bella gave her a hug, and Chrissie reciprocated with a heartfelt embrace. “Chrissie, you have been the best of friends, and I don’t want to ever lose that. But I imagine you know I left my heart in Colorado, and, now that Devlyn has found me, we’ll be returning there soon.”

“Oh.” Chrissie sniffled. “Oh, sure, I knew it would happen someday because of all of the pictures of your family you keep on the fridge. I can’t tell if it’ll ever come to that, but, if you’re back there and Henry and I, well, if he, you know…”

“Asks you to marry him?”

“Yeah, I realize it’s way too early, but, if it did happen, would you be my matron of honor?”

Bella smiled. “You bet.” She might even entice Devlyn to come with her to the wedding. Actually, she was certain he wouldn’t let her return alone.

“Devlyn, too. I’d want him to come. You could use my extra guest room.”

“He’d love to.”

Devlyn walked into the dining room, but despite the smile that lifted his lips, his countenance was dark. “What would I love to do?”

Chrissie groaned and the two ladies separated. “Tell him later. I’d hate for him to think I was scheming where Henry was concerned.”

Bella smiled. “We’ll keep in touch. What with the internet, you can keep me posted. We can email each other daily. I’ll check your blog every day, and you can upload your kids’ drawings. It’ll almost be like I haven’t left.” She waved at the pie sitting on the counter. “Chrissie baked us one of her famous blueberry pies. Want a piece?”

“Yeah, I could use some quick energy.” He winked at Bella. “You know how much I like blueberries, and…” He reached into the fridge. “Whipped cream.”

Chrissie quickly finished the last bite of her pie. “I’ve got to go. Enjoy. I’ll talk to the two of you later.” Her cheeks colored crimson as she hurried out the back door.

Bella touched Devlyn’s arm. “You embarrassed Chrissie.”

“She loves it.” He dabbed whipped cream on top of his pie.

“So what’s the bad news, Devlyn?”

As he met her gaze, his brown eyes darkened. “Alfred wants us to meet him, and he wants to fight me for you. His whole pack will be there. He’s laid down the challenge and—”

“You’ll win, Devlyn. I have no doubt about that. But we need to find the unknown killer, not establish your right to have me to the satisfaction of a bunch of reds.”

“It’s a challenge I can’t refuse. If we weren’t in their territory and you weren’t one of their kind, I’d have to agree with you. But under the circumstances…”

She growled at him and stabbed her fork into her pie. “We have more important concerns. We don’t know for sure that Alfred killed anyone.”

“This is important to me, Bella. At least while we’re here, I have to prove to the reds that you’re mine. That no one can make a claim to you.”

She attempted to curb the annoyance she felt. She hated this part of being a lupus garou. The part that could mean her losing Devlyn. She was certain he could win against the red, but the problem was that two more reds wanted her. They wouldn’t allow him time to recuperate. And she couldn’t help feeling that the reds should be handling this matter with Ross and Nicol. Neither one of them was the leader and both of them had murdered girls. So why didn’t the pack take them down?

Because Alfred approved it.

Fine. Despite the objections Devlyn would raise, she’d take her gun, to even out the odds a bit if he needed her help. Even if the bullets weren’t silver, they’d do enough temporary damage to save Devlyn’s hide until he could heal. No red would have her who hadn’t earned her justly. Hell, no one but Devlyn would have her.

Then the image came to mind of Volan, standing before her one second, lying on the ground dead the next, and alive after that. She quashed a shudder that threatened to undo her resolve. Still, the bullets had knocked him out for a time. Thinking it might work better, she’d aim for the head this time.

“When and where are we to meet?” she asked, not at all happy about the circumstances.

“Wolf Rock, as soon as the moon makes its appearance. I still say you should have stayed with my cousin.”

“Well, I think you already decided I was a better asset here with you than off with some distant cousin of yours.” She raised a brow, hoping that was his reasoning.

He grunted. “The notion had occurred to me that he might make a play for you himself.”

She laughed. “So that’s the real reason you agreed to let me stay by your side, mate of mine.”

She pointed to a map of the Cascades. “Wolf Rock is close to my cabin.” She twisted her hair between her fingers, trying to ease the concern that chilled her skin. “But what about the escort service we have out front?”

“One of the reds’ older couples is coming to see us. They’ll drive our Suburban out of the garage and, hopefully, the police will tail them. They’ll be heading east, toward Colorado. If that doesn’t work, Alfred said he’d work up another plan.”

Then all would be decided. At least with the reds. With Volan, that was another matter.

* * *

Two days later, still several hours before the waxing crescent of the moon appeared and the first clear day since storms had pelted the area, a knocking at the front door made Bella’s heart nearly leap out of her chest while she worked on a pressed flower picture of a variety of Colorado wildflowers, a parting gift for Chrissie.

Devlyn pulled Bella from the kitchen stool where she’d been working at the counter and held her close, kissing her cheek. “Let’s get this over with and return to Colorado.”

“But the killer—”

“I think we’ll find out at Wolf Rock which one is the mystery murderer.”

Yeah, despite her considering otherwise, she assumed the murderer would be the right age to want to run the pack if Alfred and the others fell.

Together, she and Devlyn went to the front door to let the reds in.

The man and woman appeared to be in their seventies, both gray-haired. They must have assumed the police wouldn’t guess their ploy. And being that the couple was older, the police wouldn’t see them as a threat to Bella or Devlyn either as they approached the house.

To her surprise, the woman hugged Bella, and the man slapped Devlyn on the back in greeting. Then he reached over to hug Bella, and Devlyn growled low.

She frowned at him to cool it, but the red male tensed and backed off.

After showing the police that these people were friends, not foes, Devlyn closed the door.

The woman quickly donned a long, red wig, while the man covered his gray hair with a dark-brown one. The woman eyed her for a moment and then gave an evasive smile. “I see now what’s got our boys stirred up. Haven’t seen a marriageable one like you in a while.”

“Who’s the rogue who’s killing the human females?” Bella asked, figuring if the woman knew she wouldn’t tell her but that her response itself might give a clue.

The woman snorted. “He’s a lone wolf. Got to be. Not one of the pack.”

“If he’s looking for a mate and a loner, why doesn’t he come for me, then? Only the three from your pack have approached me.”

The woman glanced at the man. Her reaction clued Bella into the truth. Nicol and Ross were definitely in on the killings. Alfred’s role was still not confirmed, but she highly suspected he was in on them, too. All three were sure to fight Devlyn. And maybe even the mystery fourth.

Devlyn handed the man the Suburban’s keys. “Be sure to turn it in at the rental company when you’re through with it.”

The old man grunted.

Ditching the SUV somewhere in the wilderness and then running like a wolf were more what the old man had in mind. At least that’s what Bella would do if the roles were reversed.

The man motioned to the woman. “Let’s go.”

The two disappeared into the garage, and Bella and Devlyn posted themselves at the front door. A bead of perspiration trickled between her breasts as they watched out the window to see if the police would take the bait.