SHADOWS OF A WOLF MOON Book 5: RISE OF THE ARKANSAS WEREWOLVES (12 page)

Catty propped her hands on her hips. “Who did you kill to be able to make it to New Orleans?”

Ella’s smile grew predatory. “A werewolf. Like you.”

Lucien’s body tightened and a wave of protectiveness buzzed through his body. He stepped in front of Catty, blocking the witch’s view. “But it doesn’t release you forever.”

“No. Nothing does. I know when the blood exchange begins to lose its power. I get dizzy and faint.” Her smile slipped off her face. “When I open my eyes, I’m back in this shithole.” She glared at her surroundings, her green eyes sparking with hatred.

Catty’s cell phone rang. The ringtone, set to a Miranda Lambert song, broke the silence of the graveyard. She dug it out of her jeans pocket, looked at the screen, and then shoved it back in her pocket.

“What was that?” Ella craned her neck around Lucien, her eyes wide.

“It’s a cell phone.” Catty snorted.

“I know it’s a cell phone, dummy. I meant the music.” Her eyes glazed over.

“Country music. Haven’t you ever heard her before?” He wasn’t a fan, but it would be an improvement from the heinous seventies stuff she was making them listen to.

“I tell you what, I want that music.” Her eyes lit up. “I’ll take it in exchange for information you want.”

He relented. “Fine. I’ll buy you a CD.”

“No. I want it now.” She held out her hand to Catty. “Hand me your phone.”

Catty frowned and met Lucien’s gaze. He nodded.

Reluctantly Catty handed her phone over. Ella held the phone in the palm of her hand and closed her eyes. She spoke a few words in a language he didn’t recognize and the phone began to levitate. Music drifted from the phone like wisps of pink smoke. Ella opened her mouth, letting the pink swirls and music into her mouth. When the last note left the phone, she closed her mouth and swallowed.

The phone drifted down into her palm.

She held out the phone to Catty, who stared at it like it was a coiled snake.

“Whatever music you downloaded to your phone is gone.” Ella’s sing-song tone grated on Lucien’s nerves. If it grated his nerves, it had to be cutting Catty’s last one.

Catty snatched her phone and tucked it in her pocket.

“It’s your turn. Tell me who is taking the Guardians. Which other states have missing Guardians?” Lucien clenched his fists. He was done playing games with this witch and demanded answers.

Gone was the flirty curve of her mouth and the twinkle in her stare. Her gaze was empty and soulless, like a dead man’s. She had funeral eyes.

Her eyes glazed over as she stared straight ahead, focusing on some unseen picture.

“Lucien, the only Guardians missing are the ones from Arkansas. If the other states know what’s going on, they won’t dare get their hands dirty by saying anything. The Pack Master of Mississippi took a chance by even sending you to me. He knows nothing of the plan.”

“What plan?” He stepped forward. His gut twisted as impending doom pressed down on the back of his neck.

“The plan to wipe out all the Guardians. Arkansas is the beginning. With no Guardians in place, all hell will be loosened upon this earth.”

“Who is behind this?” He grabbed her arm and tightened his hold.

She blinked her eyes back into focus. She frowned and snatched her arms out of his hold. “I can’t see. All I know is you have to stop it. If any more Guardians get tortured and killed, then the other states won’t have your back. They want Arkansas out of the way. They know to break Arkansas, they need to break the Guardians.”

“What do you mean?” His heart thudded in his chest. This went further than he ever imagined.

“To break Arkansas, they know they have to eliminate your Pack Master, Barrett Middleton.”

Chapter Seventeen

“Who is behind this?” Lucien grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a shake.

“If you don’t stop grabbing me, I’m going to cast a spell to make your dick fall off.” She snarled and snatched herself out of his hold.

“I can’t see who’s behind this. Whoever is doing this has blocked my ability. It’s a veiling spell.” She narrowed her eyes. “And the only bitch stronger than me is a witch in New Orleans. Emmalise.” Hatred spilled from her eyes and settled into the hard press of her lips. She no longer looked like a twentysomething-year-old with a magic spell. She looked like the lethal, apocalyptic legend she was known for.

“She’s the one who stuck me in here. She’s the one who had me hunted, killed, and cursed inside this cemetery.”

“Were you screwing her boyfriend too?” Catty arched her brow.

“It was her husband.”

“Is there any way you can break the spell?” Lucien turned the conversation. He didn’t give a shit who was screwing who. That wasn’t why he was here.

“I’ll need the right ingredients, but yes, I can break the spell.” She looked up at him. “It won’t be easy, though.”

“Easy has never been my style. What do you need?” The quicker he got his info, the quicker he could report back to Barrett with hard evidence. Lucien dug in his leather jacket pocket and pulled out a pen and piece of paper.

She looked down as she scribbled on the paper. “You can only find the ingredients in the French Quarter. Once I break the spell, I’ll be able to tell you everything you want to know.”

“I don’t trust her, Lucien.” Catty slid close to his side.

“She’s all we have.” He didn’t either.

Ella grinned and cut her eyes at Catty. She handed the paper and pen back to Lucien. He stuffed it in his pocket. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m not going to take your lover. I’ve got my eye on another werewolf. Barrett Middleton.”

Interesting. He’d have to warn his Pack Master never to go to Yazoo City.

The murmur of approaching voices and laughter had him tensing. He glanced around and spotted a group of teens in the distance.

“I think we have company.” Ella’s eyes blazed bright green as she glanced over her shoulder. “You two should go.”

He studied the figures in the distance. A bunch of harmless teenagers out looking for some mischief.

“Don’t hurt them.” He shot her a warming glare.

“I never do,” she said sweetly. As she turned toward the voices, he caught a glimpse of a fang elongating from her mouth.

“What exactly is she?” he murmured.

“Rumor is she is more than a witch. Right now, I don’t want to find out. Come on. We need to go.” Catty tugged his hand.

He hesitated for a second and then followed her lead. They hurried to the entrance and she climbed on his back. Once again he scaled the fence effortlessly and landed on the other side.

He started the Harley and waited for her to climb on.

With the information he had gained he needed to get word back to Barrett ASAP. As soon as the stores opened tomorrow he would gather the ingredients for the spell. He had precious little time to wait.

Or it just might be the end of the Arkansas Guardians.

***

Lucien dropped Catty off at her place long after midnight. She’d been disappointed he hadn’t stayed but she knew he was working. It hadn’t taken long before she drifted off to sleep.

Waking long after the sun had risen, she had a cup of coffee before taking a shower. As the spray of the tepid water washed over her body, her mind kept drifting back to Lucien. Something wasn’t adding up.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that Lucien wasn’t telling her everything.

Her gut told her he wasn’t on the bad guys’ side, but in the past she’d been a bad judge of character when it came to men, so she could be way off where he was concerned.

She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, she headed out of the bathroom and padded over to her dresser. She dropped the wet towel from around her body and opened the drawer. It was too hot for a bra, so she pulled out a thin T-shirt and some shorts to wear around the apartment.

“That’s what I like about you, Catty. Not afraid to show off your body.” Big Mike’s voice cut through the silence of her apartment.

She screamed and clutched the clothes to her chest, an attempt to hide her nakedness. Her heart thundered against her chest.

“What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?” Her voice shook as she glared at her boss.

He smiled and stood from sitting on the bed. “I haven’t seen you all day. I got worried about you so I popped over.”

“I had the day off.” She grabbed a blanket off the back of a chair and wrapped it around her body. Unease snaked up her spine and curled around the nape of her neck. Big Mike had never come over to her apartment. Something was off.

“I know. I was hoping to spend it with you. I came by earlier and you were gone.” His assessing gaze held hers, as if he was studying her for a lie. She didn’t look away, refusing to let him intimidate her.

“Are you keeping tabs on me now?” Her heart raced in her chest as her senses went on high alert. She wished she were a gun owner. The bullet wouldn’t kill him, but it sure as hell would slow him down for her to get away if she needed.

“I like keeping an eye on all my girls. Make sure they’re not into some kind of trouble doing something they shouldn’t be doing.” He narrowed his eyes. “Know what I mean?”

“If you’re insinuating I’m doing drugs, I’ll be happy to submit a urine test.”

“That’s not the trouble I was talking about.” He stalked over to the window and looked down at the street. “I heard you went riding with some big fellow on a Harley. Heard he was a wolf.”

Her heart tumbled in her chest. She quickly dressed while his back was turned. “I do have a personal life, you know. The club doesn’t own me.”

He slowly turned and leveled his gaze at her. “Is that right? The club is good money and pays the bills. Sounds like you’re thinking you’re too good for your job.”

“I didn’t say that.” Her throated tightened. She didn’t need to rock the boat, not with him. When she got ready to leave for good, she planned on dropping off the face of the earth. She was going to be impossible to find.

“You’re starting to act different, Catty. You’re not as eager to please the customers as you used to be.”

Rage boiled in her gut. She’d never done anything but dance at the club, despite what some the girls insinuated. She knew it stemmed from jealousy, so she shook it off.

“What does that mean?” She lifted her chin.

“I don’t know. You tell me.” He shrugged his big shoulders and took a step toward her. His buzz cut and goatee made him look intimidating. His dark eyes flashed with suspicion as he continued toward her. He was testing her, trying to see if she was lying.

“I can tell you I don’t appreciate you breaking into my apartment while I’m in the shower.”

His smirk disappeared and rage filled his eyes. He lunged and grabbed her by the throat. Squeezing, he lifted her off the floor.

“I own you. Don’t you ever forget.” His hot breath and snarled words shot through her like a bullet.

Panic filled her chest as her oxygen was cut off. She tried to suck in a breath but couldn’t. She struggled against his hold and clawed at his ironclad grip, trying to escape. Her vision smeared and blurred and impending doom swamped her body.

This must be what death felt like.

He released his hold, and she crumpled to the floor.

His gaze roamed over her body before meeting her eyes. “I’ll be needing you to come in tonight.”

“But…” She coughed and sucked in deep breath and grimaced at the fire burning in her throat.

“No buts. We are shorthanded. Looks like another girl won’t be making her shift. It’s tourist season, and I need to fill the place.” He glared at her. “And be sure you’re real nice to the customers. You need to be incredibly accommodating. If you know what I mean.”

His heavy boot steps tapped against the wood floor and he slammed the door behind him. Alone on the floor, she stared up at the ceiling. Desperation circled around her like a shark.

If she didn’t get out of New Orleans soon, something bad was going to happen. And if Big Mike found out she’d been with Lucien, he would kill him.

She wouldn’t let Big Mike hurt Lucien. She would protect him regardless of what happened to her.

***

“Fuck.” Barrett stared at his cell phone after hanging up with Lucien.

“What?” Ryker asked. “Was that Lucien? Did he find out something?”

“Apparently this is targeted to our state.”

Ryker was the only other Guardian besides Lucien who knew what was going on.

“It seems like I’ve pissed someone off.” If they were targeting his Guardians, it meant they were targeting him.

Ryker gave him a thoughtful look. “They know how much your Guardians mean to you. They are trying to hurt you, and they know the best way to do that is to hurt your Guardians.”

“If someone has a beef with me, they need to fucking man up and take it out on me instead of acting like a pussy and going after my men.”

Ryker nodded and then frowned. “Unless there is something more at stake.”

Barrett let Ryker’s words marinate for a while.

He stepped around from his desk and walked over to the wall. He pressed the camouflaged button in the wall. The wall slid back, revealing a secret chamber. It was loaded with weapons and ammo, along with a large digital map of the United States displayed on the wall.

He placed his hands on his hips and studied the map. His emotions were all over the fucking place. He wanted to find the fuckers who were doing this and rip out their spleen, then castrate them.

“I fucking hate this, Ryker.” He turned and glared at the Guardian.

“I know, bro. This is getting way outta hand.” Ryker ran his hair through his dark brown hair and looked at the floor.

“It’s the not knowing that keeps me up at night. I don’t fucking know if my men are alive and being tortured or dead somewhere in the woods.”

“You’ll get whoever is doing this, Barrett. You always do.”

Barrett looked at him, his heart overflowing with outrage and heavy with helplessness. He was an atomic bomb waiting to explode. The fallout deadly.

“But how many of my Guardians do I have to lose before that happens?”