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Conn let out a little laughter but didn’t let humor own him like usual. That told me he didn’t quite trust the werewolf.

“I’m enjoying our conversation, Aran, but you didn’t climb up here just to meet me.”

“Well, we sort of did,” I said, smiling at him. “We’re investigating those dozen women who’ve gone missing. The organization that employs us asked us to check into the matter. I know ya weren’t converting them into werewolf females, but I thought maybe ya might know something since ya run under the radar like we do. Plus, coming here helps me rule ya out.”

Isaiah inclined his head to the porch. “Let’s sit. I do have a story to tell you.”

That should have sounded promising, but it filled me with dread. I put a hand on my stomach and looked at Conn. Conn watched the alpha turn his back to us and climb the steps. He nodded and we trailed after him.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’m fine.” I looked at Conn who shook his head. “We’re both fine,” I said.

The porch had a two-person swing at one end and two chairs. The alpha took one chair and left the swing to me and Conn. I noticed when we sat down that Conn’s legs were suddenly long enough to let his feet touch the floor. I crossed my legs to keep from dangling them.

“I’m sorry,” Isaiah said. “Would you prefer a chair?”

“This is a normal challenge for me. I’m adaptable,” I said. I waved a hand to dismiss his concerns. “I’m eager to hear your story.”

Isaiah set the book aside to use his hands when he talked. “We’re an all-male pack. None of us are married. Some of us loosely belong to other packs, but we all live alone among humans. Other packs don’t recognize us. We’re considered rogues.”

“What do ya consider yerselves to be?” I asked.

“A singles club of sorts,” Isaiah said. “We don’t help each other get dates or anything like that. We give each other a social life that keeps our beast sides calm and happy. I’ve been alpha for about five years now. I’m training two others to take over when I find a mate and marry. We don’t bring any females here—human or she-wolf. We hang out, hunt in wolf form, and as I’ve confessed, some of us simply do a bit of reading.”

I chuckled. “I didn’t come here to judge ya. Do ya know anything about the missing women?”

Isaiah slowly nodded. “A couple of our guys went on a double date with two of them. They ended the evening by renting a couple of rooms for the night. The next day, the women were both gone and the guys found blood trickling from small puncture wounds on their arms like someone had taken blood samples. The women went off the radar after that. Neither of the guys talked to authorities... for obvious reasons.”

I put my hand on Conn’s arm to stop him from swinging us. “That’s strange. What’s yer take on their story?”

“I think the women knew they were sleeping with werewolves and that they took werewolf blood for some purpose. I don’t know what that would be. Maybe you could tell me. Witches use blood in rituals, right?”

I nodded. “Yes, but usually the blood required is our own. Only dark spells require the blood of yer target. Ya can use hair and it’s much easier to come by. The women may not have been witches and I have reason to believe they weren’t.”

“What else could they be then?” he asked.

“That’s an excellent question,” I said. “When I find out more, I’ll get back to ya with an answer.”

“Just a minute,” he said, springing from his seat to go into the house.

Conn leaned over. “Your interest is showing.”

“I’m not interested,” I said. “I’m vulnerable. For a woman, that’s a whole different problem.”

“Hmm... it’s a common problem for men as well,” Conn said.

Isaiah came back carrying two cards. “This is my contact information. We’re out here nearly every weekend when it’s not raining, but there’s no need for you to climb up. Phone service is limited up here, but I still get messages on my phone.”

“Thanks,” I said, sliding out of the swing. “If I need to, will the guys ya mentioned talk to me? I’m not working with the human authorities. I’m working for a paranormal agency. A human is running things, but he’s former military and very tight-lipped. It’s the families who are paying us to find them.”

“What if you find foul play is involved?”

I didn’t drop my gaze from his. “We will take appropriate actions. Everyone abides by someone’s laws. When items are stolen, we recover them and send the thief away with a warning. I’m not sure what will happen in this case. If those women are part of some cult, we’ll tell their families. For now, I’m going to think of them as simply missing. No bodies or parts of bodies have been found.”

“I’ll talk to the guys and let you know if they’re willing to talk to you.”

“Thanks,” I said. “What do ya do for a living, Isaiah?”