Page 8 of Allie

Me: Roan doesn’t like it either.

I paused and thought about how to tell her that Roan and I were mates and about the kitten. Nat loved cats, so I wasn’t worried that she’d tell me to find a home for Aspirin. At least I hoped not.

Me: I had this beautiful baby come to me this morning.

I snapped a picture of Aspirin and texted it to Nat.

Nat: OMG. She is so cute. Where did she come from?

Me: She came in through the window.

After typing that out, I realized I was on the tenth floor. How did little miss kitty get on my balcony? When she came in, I hadn’t been thinking clearly because of my migraine.

Nat: She probably came in while everyone was talking to the police this morning. Mable down the hall found a stray who had kittens a few months ago.

Leave it to my sister to know what I was thinking. We’d always been able to sense each other’s feelings and thoughts because we had a strong bond that only strengthened when our parents died when I was in college.

Me: that makes sense. I had a headache this morning when she came in and figured it was the universe sending me all the cuteness to help ease the tension.

Nat: That might be exactly what happened. I’ll see you in a few hours.

I pocketed my phone and looked up to see that Roan had already set up Aspirin’s cat litter box in the closet, her food and water bowls near the bedroom door, and the climbing tree in the far corner next to the window.

“Wow. You’re quick.” I picked up a package of fuzzy balls that had bells inside of them and opened it. As soon as Aspirin heard the bells, she was on the bed, waiting for her new toys.

“It wasn’t a problem. Aspirin tried to help.” He laughed and took one of the balls and tossed toward the door. The white kitten raced after it like her ass was on fire.

“So, what do you want to do until Draven and Asa show?”

Roan met my gaze and moved closer to me. He cupped my face, sending shivers of desire running through me. “I want to take a look inside Doyle’s apartment to see if the police overlooked something.”

Surprised at his statement, I nibbled on my lower lip. “Like break into the apartment?”

My wolf shifter smirked. “Yes, we’re breaking in. Do you think you could pick up on magic if it was used?”

I nodded. “I sensed magic this morning, so I already think it was used to at least aid in his death.”

Now that I thought about it, it would help to give us a direction to go with our interviews and research.

“Same here. The magic wasn’t something I usually picked up on when I was near Doyle. Another reason I want to get inside that apartment.” He waggled his brows. “You in?”

“Lead the way,” I said with a smile. When he turned to leave my bedroom, I couldn’t help but watch his backside. My, what a fine backside he had.

4

ALLIE

The yellow tape stretched across Doyle's door taunted my instincts to follow the rules. Roan and I were about to break into the apartment. Something I’d never done. Then again, I hadn’t been a suspect in a murder before. Even though the detective hadn’t come back to question me further told me I might not be high on their suspect list, but the residents of Shadowbrook Apartments seemed to think I had something to do with Doyle’s death. I needed to clear my name.

Roan glanced at me, studying me with that primal instinct I'd come to recognize as his wolf looking out at me. "Ready?" he whispered.

"Ready as I’ll ever be," I replied, though my heart hammered against my chest like a bird desperate to escape its cage.

Roan peeled back the edge of the tape just enough for us to slip through, all the while careful not to break it. Once inside, the air clung to my skin like a wet blanket. The tang of iron hit my tongue, and I didn't need to see the remnants of the crime scene to know something vile had taken place here. The dark magic hung so thickly in the atmosphere that even Roan, with his supernatural strength, seemed to hesitate.

"Can you feel that?" I asked, swallowing hard while my fingers traced the air, feeling the tendrils of power that laced through the room like toxic smoke.

"Dark magic," Roan confirmed grimly, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed, trying to sort through the cocktail of scents that must be bombarding him.