To everyone involved in the ritual.
Bodyguard:
I’ll let the alpha know.
So that was the purpose of the museum visit. Seeing the tiara. Purchasing it for some sort of ritual.
Bodyguard:
Alpha Aiden has cleared the purchase. The sale will take place tomorrow at 6 pm. The museum is trying to negotiate, but the alpha will make sure the tiara is in our possession in time for the ritual.
I scramble. I have to get this tiara before Aiden does. Something tells me it’s important.
And I know just the person who can help me.
I grab my phone and open a private app that connects me to a super secret forum.
I text my friend.
Hey
She’s a witch who was also born into a creepy cult. Not the Moonborn but a family of underground dark magic users turned grifters.
Have you ever done a job at the Gem and Mineral Museum?
I don’t wait long before she zings back.
Nope. But I cased it six months ago for shits and giggles. Why?
I grin. Once I tell her what I need, I know she’ll want to help.
This is going to be fun.
Chapter Six
Noah
Eleven a.m. the next morning, I wait by the bushes in a nearby park. I’m in wolf form, hiding so no one spots an unleashed dog that’s bigger than a Great Pyrenees crossed with a Great Dane. My wolf is a bit smaller than most, so I can pass as a huge hound.
“There you are.” Esme waves as she sidles up to me. She’s in her usual outfit of black jeans and a cropped black leather jacket over a band t-shirt. Now I’m realizing she’s always wearing the perfect outfit for an art or jewelry heist. Her long, dark hair is braided down her back, so it can be tucked away.
She crouches down, pretending to pet me, and slips a collar around my neck.
When I look up, she’s holding a bright pink leash. For the disguise, she signs, tucking the leash under her arm. She and her family already used a series of hand signals for the heists and scams they run, so when we became friends, she asked me to teach her some ASL. For the next forty-five minutes, you’re Bubbles.
Bubbles? I cock my ears, giving her a wolfish scowl.
She grins and keeps signing, All part of the plan. My friend Ciara is going to walk you past the museum, and then you know what to do. I left your clothes in the second stall of the men’s bathroom on the first floor. It has an ‘out of order’ sign on it.
I woof to let her know I got it.
Awesome. See you tonight at the usual spot. You ready?
I rise to my feet. I put a little stiffness into my hips, so I’m moving like an older dog and let her lead me up the path. Because of her upbringing, she’s used to shifters. She’s fully human although I can scent a little extra about her. Underneath the scent of light roast coffee, there’s an undertone of Old World incense that makes me want to sneeze but also something more that reminds me of the extra dimensions of Aster’s scent. Maybe she has extra abilities, like Aster. That would explain why she’s such a good thief.
A gorgeous brunette with brown skin a little darker than Esme’s is waiting for us on the path. This must be Ciara. Esme greets her and hands her the leash. I read their lips as Esme explains that I’m Bubbles, and all Ciara needs to do is walk me through the park. “He’s trained to do the rest.”
Ciara cocks an eyebrow, looking skeptical, but nods. She’s wearing a stylish camel-colored coat and cloying perfume that makes my nose twitch, but I get that she’s dolled up to look expensive. She and I are going to be the distraction.
