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“We’ll try again tomorrow,” I said, in an effort to sound optimistic.
“Tomorrow night’s no good for us,” West said.
Instinctively, I glanced skyward. “Full moon?”
“Even better. Strawberry Supermoon.”
“What does that mean for your pack? You’ll howl louder?”
He chuckled. “It means you might want to avoid the woods. We’ll be leaving tufts of fur all over the forest floor.”
“Then you’d better hope we catch the gwiber before you let your pack loose, or it could be a bloodbath.”
West’s expression soured. “That won’t happen on my watch.”
“Why not? Arthur died on your watch.” The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I shouldn’t have said them. The werewolf turned cold, and a wall dropped down between us.
“Arthur got separated from us. And if you recall, we were out there because you asked them to be.” His voice grew dangerously close to thundering. So much for not pissing off the alpha of the werewolf pack. I knew it was only a matter of time.
“I didn’t mean to blame you.”
My response had no effect; his face remained stony. “You’re lucky Arthur died, because if I hadn’t lost one of my own, I’d order the pack to stay out of this from now on. Here, you’ll want this back.” West withdrew Ashley’s bracelet and slapped it into my hand. He shifted right in front of me, planting a powerful roar in my face for good measure before sprinting away.
“Making friends everywhere you go, I see.”
I turned to see Kane with his arms folded, leaning casually against a pine tree. In a black collared shirt, black trousers, and shiny black loafers, he looked far too dapper for summer heat in the middle of a forest.
“Careful. Pine needles are sharp,” I said. “You wouldn’t want them to poke holes in your expensive shirt, although they might give your body some much needed air-conditioning.”
He pushed away from the tree and dusted off his sleeve. “Concerned for my body, are you?”
Oomph. I walked right into that one.
“What happened between you and the big dog?”
“None of your business. What are you doing here?”
“I happened to be passing through and heard a commotion.”
“Little Red Riding Hood on her way to visit a sick grandmother, is that it?” I didn’t believe a word.
“Fine. Everyone at the club was talking about the dead werewolf and today’s search party. I decided to confirm the rumors.”
“In other words, you’re nosy.”
“This is my backyard, Miss Clay. It would be unwise to ignore it.” He slid his hands into his trouser pockets. I got the sense it was a practiced move; one he’d perfected over the years in an attempt to appear suave and casual. “I would never have guessed a gwiber was the culprit, and it takes a lot to surprise me.”
I looked at him closely. “You’re a demon. Can’t you locate one of your distant cousins through a psychic link?”
Kane cracked a smile. “I have no connection to the gwiber whatsoever.”
“Too bad. You might’ve actually been useful.”
His eyes danced with mischief. “Demons are useful in other ways, I assure you.”
“No need for assurances.” Been there. Got the bite marks to prove it.
“I do think your theory is correct,” Kane said.
