Page 1 of Wolf Trap
1
AFTERMATH
Shadows twisted and ebbed on the walls as the pale morning light streamed in through the curtains. Nudging closer, the heat from Lycaon’s body surged through me as the bitter chill bit through the shattered glass of my bedroom window.
After the threat from Adara at my home and the brick they’d sent smashing through my windowpane, I’d hardly slept.
That taunting voice repeated in my mind incessantly. If I had to guess, I’d say it was a vampire, an old vampire, but apart from Hakon and Anthony, I hadn’t met many.
The message of hunting me relentlessly obviously brought the threat home, but there was something else about it. A voice lacking humanity, like it enjoyed cruelty.
For hours we lay on the bed, arm in arm, watching the moonlight chase the shadows across the ceiling. Then dozing in and out of a restless sleep.
On the one hand, I was in his blissful embrace, his scent intoxicating me like a lullaby. On the other, dread trickled and clenched at my throat.
I was about to drag myself up when a hammering on my front door made me jump. A deep, throaty voice called my name.
Leaping up, I snatched up my robe, Lycaon pulling on his jeans, as he followed me, pulling on a T-shirt.
“Miss Brandt, please open the door now. This is the police.”
Flashing a look at Lycaon, my mouth open in shock before I hollered back, “I’m coming!” Bloody hell!
As if the death of a friend wasn’t enough, the threats from Adara, now this.
Clenching my teeth, I stomped. What I would give for twenty-four hours of nothing happening. Gripping the bannister, I stopped thudding down the stairs when my foot slipped and I nearly fell.
I hadn’t even had coffee… Is this karma?
They stopped hammering before I opened the door. Lycaon grabbed at my sleeve. “Be careful. Don’t let them in without a warrant!”
I nodded, taking a deep breath.
Three officers stood outside, two men, one woman. She spoke first, “Elsa Brandt? We’d like to talk to you, and,” she stared at Lycaon, “Lycaon? About the death of your friend, Lisa Goldman. We’ve been investigating similar murders. Your friend Mattie told us where to find you. Will you cooperate, help us find the suspect?”
She glanced down and pulled a piece of paper from her jacket. “Given the severity of this incident, we possess a warrant, but your compliance will be duly recorded.”
Suddenly unable to swallow as my mouth dried up, I croaked out, “Am I a suspect? Because that would be outrageous, and I was with friends when Lisa’s body was discovered.” I hitched a breath as my heart pummelled fast. The police! Had Mattie really got them involved? One thing was for sure, they were human. I could smell it. And if I could, so could Lycaon.
The woman was tall, her white-blonde hair pulled severely back under her hat. She watched me with narrow eyes. If I hadn’t known they were mortal, I would’ve sworn the male officers were shifters. Their stab-proof vests hugged their torsos, arms almost bulging out of their shirt sleeves. They hid their eyes behind dark glasses. One of them had short dark hair, almost a crew cut. His lips twitched as he forced a smile.
His voice was softer than his demeanour. “May we come in? Officer Hill, will you hand over the warrant?”
His companion, a younger cop holding his notebook, said, “We know this is all very upsetting. That’s why we’re here. Lycaon, we don’t have a last name.”
Lycaon pulled himself up. “You won’t. There’s no need to come in. We’re not involved. Perhaps you should look closer to Mattie’s home. She seems to know more about this than we do.”
Officer Hill smiled. It almost made me step back, obviously not something she did often.
“We’ve been to Mattie’s already. That’s why we’re here.” Her eyes flashed to me. “You knew Lisa?”
I stood aside. “Come in.”
Lycaon huffed, but what was the point? I took the piece of paper; it looked genuine, and some police worked with the supernatural community. And Mattie, it seemed, had grassed us up for something she and her cloaked clan were responsible for.
“I’m going to get washed and dressed. I’ll be five minutes. Lycaon, why not make the officers a cup of tea or coffee?”
The young male officer smiled. “That’s very kind, didn’t expect that.”