Page 4 of Flesh and Fury
“Oopsie,” Eoghan said.
“That’s what all four parents said. Naturally, the girl denied it but with werewolves, a baby, even a very tiny one in utero, has a scent which is discernible to the nose of an adult werewolf. There’s no way the girl could have hidden the baby, even if she wanted to.”
“Who’s the father?” Ari asked. “Clearly, she’s not married to him.”
Priest shook her head. “No and she refuses to tell anyone who he is for fear that someone in either or both packs will try to kill him simply for revenge. That’s the way some werewolves solve problems. Anyway, she says she’s in love with the baby’s father. She’s happy about the pregnancy and doesn’t want to marry a man from another pack whom she doesn’t even know. They met twice, both times when they were small children.”
“Well, I wouldn’t like being forced into a marriage with someone I don’t know either,” Ari said, glancing over at Eoghan.
Eoghan tore his gaze away from the intimate expression and looked back at the chief. “So, the girl’s parents or someone else in her pack’s hierarchy like her grandfather stole this man’s little brother to force him to marry the girl whether she likes it or not.”
“Yes, that’s the gist of it,” the chief said.
“Forgive me for saying it but the girl’s family sounds unreasonable,” Ari said. “Don’t they care whether she’s happy or not?”
Priest shook her head. “I’m afraid happiness doesn’t figure into the equation when it comes to werewolves, Marshal Brown. You wouldn’t know this but arranged marriages between packs are quite common because—”
“Wait!” Ari said. “Idoknow this!” He sat forward in his chair. “Wolves have to mate with wolves from manydifferentpacks because if they don’t, they actually end up having offspring who have genetic abnormalities, right?”
Eoghan grinned at him as Ari looked first at their boss and then at him.
“That’s right, Brown. When you think of a werewolf pack, they can best be likened to small communities which favor similar inbreeding. There are small packs in many isolated places, where a great deal of inbreeding happens, and those communities are rife with genetic abnormalities…the products of kissing cousins as it were. As it goes with those humans, the same applies with wolves and werewolves.”
“How’d you know that?” Eoghan asked. “About the wolves, I mean?”
Ari looked at him, smugly satisfied. “Animal Planet.”
Eoghan chuckled.
“Well, regardless of how you knew it, thatisthe case. And even if it wasn’t, werewolves take these kinds of arrangements very seriously,” Priest said. “They are a lot like nineteenth century European royalty in this respect. They get very testy if they feel their honor is being impugned in any way.”
“So, you want us to meet with them and try to negotiate something to get the kid back,” Ari said.
“Yes.” She picked up a pen and wrote something. “I’m also giving you the name of two Nevada marshals that might have familiarity or if we’re lucky, even a relationship with the Nevada pack Alpha. The chief out there doesn’t know how close his marshals are to the Alpha but if so, that will help to smooth things over and make it easier. He told me to contact Carly Rusch and Evan Chastain. I’m writing down the phone numbers Deputy Chief Washington gave me. If they think their pack Alpha will be more willing to negotiate than Walters, maybe meet them in Nevada to discuss the way things should go first.” She handed Eoghan the paper with their names and phone numbers on it.
“Will do, boss,” Eoghan said, glancing down at it. “Is the Hawthorne, Nevada pack on an I.S.R. reservation?”
“Yes, which is why I’m hoping Rusch and Chastain can influence the Alpha in some way.”
“Okay,” Eoghan replied.
“And what about facilitating the marriage? Are we responsible for doing that too?” Ari asked. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I just need to know if we’re dealing with more toe sucking here.”
Eoghan and the chief laughed.
“You’re funny, Brown,” Priest said, grinning as she went on. “In answer to your question, no, I thinkthatship has sailed with the kidnapping. If you can keep these two packs from killing each other long enough to negotiate the return of theboy and see that it’s done, then I suppose I’d call that a win… That and coming home alive, of course.”
“Yeah, that part is important,” Eoghan said.
“Well, you should get going. I have a lot of paperwork to do this morning,” she said. “In all seriousness, I really need to express how important it is that you two be careful. Stop in at the armory and stock up on less lethal ammunition.” She looked directly at Eoghan. “Rest assured, Eoghan, I already let Alvin Walters know that the I.S.R. won’t be putting up with any nonsense.” She paused and wrung her hands which he never saw her do. “Take special care, you two. I need both of you back here in one piece. I just wish I had more marshals to send with you.”
“We’ve faced the nasty ones before, Chief,” Eoghan said, offering her an encouraging smile. “We’ll be careful. I promise.”
“Do you think therewillbe trouble, Chief?” Ari asked.
It was at times like this when Eoghan worried about his partner. This time, he worried for himself. He’d been in some really hairy situations with Ari, and he’d seen the man perform better under pressure than he should have expected, but he freely admitted to himself that werewolves scared the shit out of him. He hadn’t been afraid of them until one attacked and nearly killed him. Although Gladys as well as the chief, had explained that not all weres were like that. The wolf who’d attacked Eoghan had been raised by an evil man who’d abused him. Still, the kind of mental and physical trauma that Eoghan had endured at the hands of that wolf, had terrified him. Even after a hell of a lot of counseling, he wasn’t sure how he’d behave when he came face to face with one again.
“I don’t expect so. Mr. Walters wants this handled quietly. I think he’s afraid if the rest of his pack learns of hisgrandson’s abduction, some of the younger pack members will be interested in challenging him as Alpha.”