Page 49 of Filthy Fae

“If I could make a suggestion, why don’t you all abstain until you kill the demon?” Jane said from where she was sitting in the front seat. “It’s one sure fire way not to fall prey to an incubus.”

My wolf growled.

All four of the men in the car looked at me expectantly. Clearly, I was making this decision for the group. As I met Aaron’s smoldering gaze, I wasn’t sure I could hold out. Mack’s eyes held their usual mischievous glint that made my thighs quiver with anticipation. Darrel’s watchful expression filled me with longing to be wrapped up in his arms, to feel protected. But it was Lance’s stormy glare that really did me in. I pulled my eyes away and took a steadying breath.

“What about names of—I don’t know—spices or something for a password? That way we can mix it up every time.”

“Spices?” Aaron shot me a heated grin. “That has a lot of possibilities.”

As we all trudged up to the Knight brothers’ apartment ten minutes later, the dragon triplets ran up the stairs, all three wearing nothing but see-through thongs and nipple pasties. Apparently, they’d found a creative interpretation of the “clothing mandatory” policy. They gave me toothy grins as they passed. “We’re wearing clothes,” Sara called when I passed without comment. “Always.”

“Unlike some people,” Clara yelled over her shoulder.

“Fine,” I yelled after them. “But if you attack someone again, I’m going to evict you like I should have done the first time!” My voice was hoarse by the end of the yell, and I felt about six hundred years older than my twenty years.

“Interesting tenants,” Jane said with a small grin and a spark of interest in her gaze. Obviously, the super-model triplets’ little exhibition was interesting enough to get Jane to stop looking at her phone for thirty seconds. The woman was amazingly skilled at functioning in the world without looking away from her screen.

“Three pains in the asses that are causing more problems for Scarlet,” Darrel muttered.

“It’s fine.” The clothing issue was a battle I didn’t have the time or energy to win, so they could run around in rubber underwear while I went to shower and dress in my own clothes for the long day that awaited me. I didn’t even want to know what Marie would have to say about my disappearing act. Remembering her “everyone has a sob story” stance, I didn’t think she’d give a shit that I was late because I was kidnapped and hunted through the night. I would deal with her later. She was already pissed at me, and at the moment, Zane and Zeezee’s situation was much more dire.

After showering, grabbing some coffee, and making sure nothing urgent needed my attention at the apartment, Lance, Jane, and I headed back out. Zane knew more than he’d told us, and this time, he was going to fucking talk.

“I’m glad you’re here for your wolf,” said the policeman who let us in. He gestured for us to follow him to a small, cluttered office. “We’ll be releasing him into your care today.”

“What? No.” I grabbed the desk, making the officer jump. Attempting a calm tone, I explained, “You can’t release him for another two. That will endanger the life of the only witness.”

The officer gave me a wry look and shuffled through some papers. “And the only suspect.”

“We haven’t finished investigating.”

“Look, lady, my hands are tied,” he said, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender. “My sheriff was reassigned because of this issue, and if I don’t stick to this, the governor will reassign me, too, and my replacement, and so on. That’s all I can do. We held him as long as we could and then some.”

“But if he’s the only suspect, don’t you want to hold him longer?” I asked. “Some new evidence might materialize at any moment.”

The officer shook his head and pushed a packet of papers across the desk at me. “We’ve got nothing to do with it now. There were no humans involved, and your faery queen took over the investigation a few days ago.”

“What do you mean, no humans?” I asked. “There were four humans there.”

“When we identified the victims, they weren’t human after all,” the officer said. “Joshua Bright, Helen Blane, George Mitchel, and Marisa Tyler were all born mages. When we contacted the Witch and Wizard Assembly, they said they would handle the investigation internally.”

“We need forty-eight more hours,” Lance said. “What do we need to do to make that happen?”

The officer shook his head. “There’s nothing in the world that either of us can do to make that happen, sir. We’re turning the investigation over to Queen Titania, the mages, and you.”

Just what I needed. One more impossible problem, one more wolf I had to protect. Unfortunately, I couldn’t give my full attention to any one of the ten different people and problems that badly needed it.

Lance nodded into the waiting room and pulled me aside. Leaning in so close his breath warmed my cheek, he whispered, “What if we fly Zane to San Francisco?”

I considered. San Francisco was a larger pack, and they could definitely protect him better than my small pack. On the other hand, I didn’t want to bring the wrath of Titania down on any more wolves than necessary.

“Wouldn’t that put your wolves in danger?”

“We have several safehouses. It will be impossible to simultaneously protect Zane and finish the investigation here.” Lance leaned back to study me with his emerald eyes. “Queen Titania will come for him if you hide him with your other submissives, and the fae will tear through your dominants to get to him. I have enough wolves to keep Zane safe, secure, and out of the way. Let me do this.”

I wanted to argue that we’d be putting his pack in danger if we took Zane there, but keeping him here would be guaranteeing the mass murder of my packmates. We had to take him somewhere, and the fact was, Lance was right, as much as it pained me to admit. Everyone would be safer if Zane wasn’t here, and Lance’s pack strength and distance from the fae stronghold would be better able to fend off an attack.

“Fine,” I said. “You’re right. And thank you.”