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Chapter Six

ETHAN

I race across town faster than I should when there are still humans out and about, but hopefully, at two in the morning, most of them are too drunk to notice.

I live close enough to Trinity Street that it wasn’t worth taking the time to go to the basement to get my car out and drive over here, but it occurs to me that I don’t have a way to get Ayo to a safe place.

Fuck it. The others will have brought vehicles, or I can send one of them back for one.

I race down the side of the club and reach a couple of vamps who seem to be guarding the alley, or at least blocking the three onlookers.

One of the vamps inhales. “Ethan?”

“Yeah.”

That’s all they need; they stand aside and let me pass. Not that I’d have let them stop me, but I don’t have time to fight my way to Ayo. My heart hasn’t stopped pounding since someone picked up his phone and said he passed out. Probably one of the vamps I just encountered.

I round the back corner of the building to find Ayo sprawled on the cobbles in the small yard next to a big guy with brown hair and nasty gouges on his back.

Doc P is crouched next to them both and glances up when he sees me before quickly returning his attention to the pair.

The scent of blood combined with the sight of Ayo unconscious with blood on one side of his face sends my mind spinning and my wolf howling.

I drop to my knees beside Ayo. “Tell me what you need.”

Doc P doesn’t look up this time. “Guard me while I work.”

I don’t want to move away from Ayo, especially while he’s not awake, but since Doc P is the best person to take care of him and the big guy, I stand up and step back, my entire body vibrating with tension.

I tell my wolf to ignore the fact that Ayo and the big guy smell like each other and focus on protecting our—on protecting everyone here.

The injuries appear consistent with the murder victims, so after making sure the two vamps are still stopping anyone else from getting down here, I focus entirely on scent.

In addition to the two vamps, there’s Ayo and the big guy, Doc P, rubbish in the enormous bins on the other side of this yard space, and a recurring scent of a third vampire that I suspect belongs to an employee.

Beyond that it’s just the further away scents of the people trying to see what’s happened.

The music pulsing inside the club provides a background to the chatter of those same people. No scent of another shifter in this spot. Ayo sounded definite about it being a shifter, so why can’t I detect any clues to track them with?

“Ethan.” Cal’s here, which means Skye is up above somewhere. I motion to the vamps to let Cal through, and he rushes over, grimacing when he sees Ayo and the big guy. “Shit. We came as fast as we could. What are your orders, boss?”

“Introduce yourself to those two, explain who we are, and take their statements. I’m not picking up any kind of scent to track, so any eyewitness statement is going to be invaluable.”

Cal nods and heads back to the two vamps just as an eagle lands on my shoulder. I stroke Skye’s feathers with the back of my hand. “Look for anyone rushing away, in animal or human form. Anyone trying to hide or looking shifty. Report back to one of us regularly.”

Skye nips my finger with his beak.

“They’ll be okay, little one. They’re both alive, and this is Doc P. Remember what Ayo said about him?”

Skye screeches at the doc, who glances up with a brief smile before getting back to work. That seems to satisfy Skye, who flies off.

“Ethan.” Doc P’s voice is quiet, but then he doesn’t need to be loud.

I’m crouched by his side in an instant. “What do you need?”

“I have a van parked out front, fitted out as an ambulance. I need the stretcher for our large friend. Ayo’s main injury seems to be a head wound, so I’ll be taking them both to my clinic. Bring the stretcher. One of us can carry Ayo to the ambulance.”

“On it.”

Raj arrives while I’m getting the stretcher, and between the three of us, we get the big guy and Ayo loaded onto the ambulance.

Just in time, too. Word of what’s happened seems to have reached inside the club because people spill out onto the pavement, including a group with the faint scent of magic clinging to them.

“Raj.” I nod towards the group.

Raj gives a sharp nod. “I’ll talk to them. See if I can get statements.”

Just as I’m about to climb into the ambulance, Kit races up. “Is he alive? What’s happened?”

“He’s alive, as is the man who was with him. We’re heading to the clinic,” I say.

Doc P closes the rear doors before I can get in. “Actually, if I may…”

I give the doc a nod. “Go ahead.”

Doc P lowers his voice so only Kit and I will be able to hear him, even with all the supes now milling about.

“Someone will have called the task force by now. I estimate you have twenty to thirty minutes before they show, at which point they’ll take over and block you from the scene until at least tomorrow.

If you want crime scene evidence and witness statements, I suggest you hurry.

Ayo and his friend will be with me at least until morning, and I doubt either will wake before then. ”

I stare at the back of the van, my wolf urging me to stay with Ayo, to protect him. Every fibre of my being wants to get in that van and stay with the sorcerer, keep him safe, and be there when he wakes up.

But the doc is right. My responsibility to protect the community and find whoever is doing this means I need to be here.

I rub my beard and will my wolf to stay calm just a bit longer. “Understood. Doc, is your clinic warded? Do you need protection?”

Doc P gives me a wry smile. “My clinic is the safest place in the neutral zone.”

I don’t have time to wonder about that mysterious statement right now.

“Kit, go with Doc P. Coordinate with us from there. Skye is up and about so out of phone contact, but the rest of us might split up. Provide any support the doc needs, okay?”

“Of course.” Kit climbs into the front of the ambulance with the doc.

The two drive off just as Jet rushes up, lips puffy and hair even more of a mess than usual. “Where’s Ayo? Is he okay? I was miles away, fuck. I came as fast as I could.”

“I’m sure you did,” I say dryly.

Jet punches my shoulder. “Fuck you, boss. He and I both have blue balls. Where do you need me? Where’s Ayo?”

I regret my words immediately. “That was unfair of me. I know duty comes first for all of us. Ayo and the man with him have been taken to Doc P’s clinic. You and I are going to look for evidence while Cal and Raj question any witnesses. Let’s see if we can catch this bastard.”

Doc P’s waiting room is so full of people that when a young wolf rushes in, I barely look up.

“Who the hell called you?” The snooty voice of one of Ayo’s former co-workers pierces the quiet murmur of conversation.

After Raj interviewed the group Ayo and the big guy, Irving, were on a night out with, the task force arrived and did the same, at which point the group of six all came here and have been waiting for news ever since.

I’m not sure how much truth they told us, but Skye eavesdropped on the statements they gave the task force, so he can work with Raj later to fill in any gaps.

“Does it matter?” the wolf growls, his worried scent taking on a tinge of irritation.

The coven member opens her mouth to reply but closes it again when Nyoka sweeps into the room.

“Any news?” he demands.

The coven members shake their heads.

He purses his lips and turns to take in the rest of us, his eyes narrowing as soon as he spots Raj and me.

He storms over immediately. “My cousin and his friend will require days to recover. There is little point in you sniffing around, hoping for statements. Someone will be in touch when they are ready to talk to you.”

I stand slowly, unable to stop the low growl in my throat. Nyoka folds his arms across his chest and glares up at me. He’s slightly taller than his cousin, but not by much.

“We’re here because we look after our own.” I still don’t know whether Ayo is spying on us for his cousin, but even if he is, that doesn’t change my need to be here when he wakes up, to make sure he’s healing and safe. Spy or not, no one deserves to be attacked like they were tonight.

Nyoka startles a little at that. “Our… Why would he be… You. You’re his new employer.”

Nyoka smells genuinely surprised, which I wasn’t expecting. I try to keep any smugness out of my expression. Now isn’t the time.

“I am. I’m astonished you didn’t know. Didn’t you boast you always know everything happening in your coven?”

Nyoka’s jaw tenses and the room falls completely silent.

Which is the exact moment Doc P and the coven healer who showed up an hour ago leave the examination room.

Too many people crowd around, asking for news. I hang back with Raj, not needing proximity to hear what’s being said, even if my wolf does want to push past all of them and wait by Ayo’s side.

The coven healer holds up his hands for quiet. “Both will make a full recovery.”

There’s a collective sigh of relief.

“Both sustained head injuries, so they will remain here for at least another twenty-four hours,” Doc P adds. “I suggest you all go home and get some rest.”

“But they’ll be okay?” the young wolf asks.

Doc P nods. “Completely.”

People start to depart as Nyoka ignores Doc P completely and speaks to the coven healer. The young wolf stays, as do an older couple who I suspect are Irving’s parents.

I turn to Raj and lower my voice. “I’m going to stay, but go get a few hours of sleep. I’m putting everyone on this, at least for the weekend, and I need you fresh.”

“You sure? I don’t mind staying if you want to get some sleep.”

“Come on, you know me better than that.” I won’t leave an injured team member. Wolves never do.

Raj sighs, then nods. “Yeah, I wasn’t sure if Ayo… I’ll check in with the others this afternoon.”