AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Al right, I'l help you if I can. Please, ask what you need to." She sat up straight, shoulders back, hands primly on her knees, eyes front forward on me.
"Have you ever heard of anything cal ed Wolf Briar?"
Katrina immediately reacted. She blinked, then recoiled, and a look of distaste crossed her face. "Yes . . . yes, I have. It's a hideous drug."
I let out a long breath. "Have you heard of anyone in the area making it? We found a hotel room booby-trapped with it, and it knocked my sister--
Camil e, who's a witch--on her ass. Lucky for me, I wasn't in aim of the blast. We found one trap that had already been triggered, and we think it was used to kidnap a female, pregnant werewolf. Luke's sister Amber, actual y."
"Oh, my Goddess." Katrina made a smal sound. Luke echoed it, and I wondered what it signified but didn't have time to ask before Katrina looked up again, furious. "I can't believe someone would do that to a pregnant female. Is she an Alpha Bitch?"
Luke shook his head. "No, she's not. I can't help but wonder if my brother-in-law did it. She left him, came up here from Arizona, and at first I thought that he fol owed her to take her back. But Wolf Briar . . . I don't know if even Rice would be capable of using such a fucking rotten trick."
"What Pack are they with? Is it the same one you were excommunicated from?" Katrina didn't seem shy in the least.
Luke arched his eyebrows. "Have you ever heard of the Zone Red Wolves?"
Apparently Katrina had. "Great Mother, preserve you. You escaped alive from them? And you say your sister is married to one of the males?" He nodded, and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, then. The Zone Reds . . . they hate our Pack, and we've been attacked by a few of their males over the years. We're just lucky they live in Arizona, and we live up here."
"Why would they hate you?" There was so much about Earthside Were politics that I was stil learning. The Rainer Puma Pride--from which both Zachary and Nerissa hearkened--didn't like me al that much because of my half-Fae heritage. They claimed I wasn't true Were, and in a sense, they were right, but their righteous indignation rankled more than anything.
Luke clasped his hands between his knees. "The Olympic Wolf Pack is matrilineal in nature--one of the few werewolf Packs to be so. They're run by a council of women, not men, and that goes against a long tradition among the lycanthrope clans, especial y a heavily patriarchal clan like the Zone Reds.
It's almost considered heresy against the race."
He quickly darted a look at Katrina. "Not that I agree with that mind-set--hel , I was kicked out for my inability to accept the authority of the Packmaster, especial y when injustice ruled."
She nodded. "You are no longer Zone Red material. That's a compliment, in my book. But even so, back to your sister . . . the Zone Red wolves are as violent as they are stubborn, but you're right. I don't know if even they would be capable of using Wolf Briar."
"If the Zone Red wolves are the worst of the lot, then maybe we're not dealing with werewolves here. Maybe somebody else kidnapped Amber. But who, and why?" Nerissa stood. "Do you mind if I start some tea?"
Katrina blushed. "I'm so sorry--I should have offered. Go right ahead, Ness. I have a feeling your friends have more questions for me."
"That we do." I leaned back in my chair, smiling. I liked Katrina. She seemed with it and together. "So next questions: Have any werewolves, especial y male, vanished without a trace over the past months? And do you know of any enemies to the werewolves in this area, besides the hate groups?"
And then it hit me: Exo Reed had said that the goblins and Tregarts were trying to abduct a couple of the beta werewolves. Had they been in on making the Wolf Briar? It was too late to find out, but I made a note to remember to tel the others about my suspicions.
Katrina crossed to the window, staring out at the blustering weather. The trees were whipping in the wind, the firs bending from the tops of their towering spires. Mama Earth was brewing up quite a storm.
"You know, now that I think about it, there might be a couple males missing. I go to the Supe Community meetings, and I met a couple of werewolves there about six months ago. We started getting together once every few weeks, for drinks, to shoot some pool--"
"You shoot pool?" Luke asked, his eyes lighting up.
She shrugged, tossing him a grin over her shoulder. "I may appear to be the local librarian, but that's only for work. I ride a Harley, and I can run the table better than you ever dreamed, I'l bet."
"That sounds like a chal enge," he said, his eyes glinting.
"Maybe you'l take me up on it someday," she said, a curl of smile tipping her lips.
From where I was sitting, I could smel Luke. He was interested, al right. And by the lingering look she gave him, so was Katrina. Great! Nerissa and I could go into business as match-makers. But that didn't help us with Amber.
"Anyway," Katrina continued. "I've been hanging out with them for a while, but last time we met, three of the guys didn't show. Doug Smith, Paulo Franco, and Saz Star Walker. Here, let me get you their phone numbers."
As she opened her Rolodex and began jotting down notes, Nerissa returned, carrying a tray with tea, mugs, and a box of Oreos.
"Now we're talking!" I snagged up three of the cookies and bit into one, the sweet, crumbly taste of chocolate and cream fil ing my mouth. I could live on cookies . . . if only Iris would let me.
"So here's the information. I haven't had a chance the past week or so to cal them and see if everything's al right. We normal y don't check in with each other on a regular basis. Casual buddies, nothing more."
