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“Two at the movies. Two at a Whataburger. Witnesses said they just dropped and shriveled up. They all list this as their residence, and everyone in town with a decent-sized brain between their ears knows that the people down here are off. And now you’re here.” She paused, pressing her lips together, and then tilted her head as if considering the situation. “So, what’s really going on?”
Mr. Dawson huffed. “How many here k
now about us?”
Us meaning the pack. I crossed my fingers and hoped for best.
“All but Johnson.” She motioned with her thumb to the young cop who stood back from the others. He looked a little pale and his skin glistened with sweat, but he was holding on. His night was about take a turn for the weird. “It’s his first day on the job, but he’s a good kid.”
“Hell of a first day,” Mr. Dawson said. “These bodies aren’t for the squeamish.”
Dad cleared his throat. “Marlene. Good to see you.”
Marlene didn’t even try to hide the disgust on her face. “What do you need with a lawyer?”
Yikes. Wonder what Dad did to piss her off?
Mr. Dawson shrugged. “Just covering my ass. There’s a lot of death here.”
Marlene cussed softly. “How many you think?”
“Over fifty before we stopped counting. We haven’t found anyone alive.”
“Jesus Christ Almighty.” She put her hands on her hips “What is this place? I always thought it was some kind of cult, but with you here and the look of those bodies… Please don’t tell me I’ve got some kind of Satanic ritual suicide on my hands.”
I held my breath as I waited. Telling the cop too much wouldn’t fly, but if we didn’t say enough there was no telling how she’d react.
“In a way,” Mr. Dawson answered. Perfectly vague.
There was a long pause, and I chewed my lip. Cops made me nervous and if this didn’t go well, there were two very possible and equally awful outcomes. The Weres—especially the Cazadores—could freak and kill humans. Which would be horrible. Or we could cooperate and then we’d rot away in prison while Luciana got to play tiddlywinks with all her new powers. Also horrible.
“We’re going to search the place. I’m leaving these nice people with you, Johnson.” She yelled the last over her shoulder at the young cop. “He’s seen about all he can handle,” she muttered under her breath, but all us Weres could hear it. “If you wouldn’t mind, stay here while I check things out,” she said to Mr. Dawson. “I know I can trust you to keep yours calm and under control.” There was a hint of threat in her words that set me on edge.
“Of course. We’ll be right here,” Mr. Dawson said. He seemed so much calmer than I was, but it had to be a show. I mean, what were we going to do? Cops plus dead bodies equaled arrests. Didn’t it?
A trickle of sweat ran between my shoulder blades.
She strode past us with her four other colleagues and started going from house to house. They talked among themselves as they went. Giving theories. Debating what was going on.
Were hearing came in handy.
Some of the houses had more evidence of magic users—herbs and spell books—so they kept throwing the word “cult” around.
I should’ve been happy they thought it was a cult. That meant that they probably wouldn’t arrest us. But as they deemed the artifacts evil and the coven Satanists—it bothered me. It wasn’t true. At least for the majority of the coven. Luciana was her own special case.
When I heard something break in my cousins’ house, I ground my teeth. Only Dastien’s firm grip on my arm kept me from going in.
“They’re just doing their job,” Dastien said.
“I know.” I stared at my cousins’ house, waiting for the cops to come out. Too bad I was one of the most impatient people I knew.
I sat back down on the dirt road. Dastien stood behind me, and I leaned against his legs, reaching around to hold one of his ankles. He grounded me as I relaxed.
Eventually my eyes grew heavy, and he sat down behind me and pulled me into his lap. He slid off my messenger bag and set it beside him. “Sleep, cherie.” He whispered as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
The command in his words rolled through me. Fighting it was an option, but I didn’t really want to. It was already past two in the morning, and I was exhausted. I let my eyes drift closed as a deep and easy sleep took hold of me.
I didn’t wake until Dastien’s voice rumbled against me. “You don’t want to go into that house.”
