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Chapter Fifteen

ETHAN

“Wait, so let me get this straight.” Kit looks up from their laptop.

“Xana doesn’t have an alibi for any of the murders, displays a clear hatred of all magic-users, and is a black jaguar shifter, which we have an eyewitness saying is the species of their attacker, but we’re not arresting her because… ?”

“Lack of evidence,” Raj says.

My entire team is with me in our conference room because I’m not convinced we’re making any real progress and I’d really value everyone’s thoughts right now.

Ayo finally convinced Teo to help us talk to Xana with the promise that we’re just trying to find a serial killer, not pin anything on anyone.

Unfortunately, it didn’t help as much as I’d hoped it would.

“It’s all circumstantial,” I agree. “With no DNA or scent at the scene of any of the attacks, we have no way to prove conclusively that it’s her.

Added to that…” I huff. “Honestly? My gut says it wasn’t her.

My wolf didn’t like her, but I really didn’t get the sense that she was capable of cold-blooded murder.

It was more of a ‘watch my back’ sort of instinct. Like she’s quick to jump into a fight.”

“So where does that leave us?” Cal asks. “Won’t we run into the same problem with any suspect we identify?”

“Unless they confess,” Skye points out.

Jet wriggles in his seat. “The thing I don’t get is how we don’t have DNA or scent evidence.”

Every eye in the room locks onto Jet.

“Elaborate,” I say.

Jet leans forward in his chair. “Well, that was it, really. How do you remove DNA? How do you mask your scent?”

“Magic,” Ayo says. “Both those things are possible. Well, I don’t know about the DNA thing, but in theory you could use a personal shield tight to the body that would allow full movement but not allow anything through in either direction. That would prevent scent and even DNA, I guess.”

“Can you demonstrate?” I ask, wondering why we haven’t discussed this before now. Too busy focusing on finding the shifter to consider the details, I suppose. Fuck, we need to do better.

Ayo wrinkles his nose in concentration for a minute or two before his scent, which is a mixture of him and me these days, disappears entirely.

“Holy shit,” Kit whispers.

Raj whistles, and Cal raises an eyebrow.

“It worked?” Skye checks. He doesn’t have the same enhanced sense of smell that the rest of us do.

“Definitely. Thanks, Ayo.” I’m relieved when my boyfriend drops the shield and I can smell him again. The absence of his scent was seriously freaking out my wolf. “So are we looking for two people? A black jaguar and a magic-user working together?”

“In this city?” Kit’s face shows their scepticism.

They have a good point. “Why would someone who is potentially out to get the coven, or even just magic-users in general, work with a magic-user to cover their tracks?”

Jet spins in his chair. “Maybe we need to find a shifter who can do magic.”

Ayo stiffens beside me.

“That’s not a thing,” Skye says.

“It could be! How epic would that be?” Jet retorts. “If they weren’t murdering people, obvs.”

“Ayo?” I lay my hand over my boyfriend’s. He’s unnaturally still.

My tone must get everyone’s attention, because they all quiet down.

Ayo’s voice is hesitant. “I think that is actually possible.”

No one moves. I think most of us aren’t even breathing at this point.

Ayo looks at all of us, grimaces, and takes a deep breath. “Or the other way around, I guess. My dad used to read me bedtime stories. One of them was about a mage who could shift into an animal.”

“So it might just be a story?” I ask gently, not wanting to sound like I’m dismissing his idea.

Ayo gives me a sad smile, his scent filling with sorrow.

“My bedtime stories were from the family grimoires. Every single one of them was some form of truth. It’s possible my dad embellished them a bit; I didn’t see the grimoires again after my parents died.

Qadir was too busy for anything like that. ”

“Who’s Qadir?” Raj asks softly.

Ayo leans against my side, seeking comfort I’m more than happy to provide.

“Nyoka’s younger brother. Their mum died the same night as my parents in the same shifter attack.

Since my cousins were both adults, Nyoka took over as coven leader while Qadir became my guardian until he passed away a few years later. ”

“Who has the grimoires now? Could we check them for this story or spell? Whatever it is?” I ask. We need to confirm what’s realistically possible before we pursue another avenue of investigation.

Ayo grimaces. “Nyoka has them locked away in the manor.”

“Well, fuck.” Jet voices what we’re all thinking.

“Is it worth pursuing this?” Raj asks me.

“It would mean…” I look at Ayo, who stares at our joined hands.

“It would mean one of my coven is behind everything,” Ayo whispers.

There’s pain in his scent that has my wolf nudging me to make it better. I’m not sure I can, though. Not when I know exactly what this kind of betrayal is like.

I push aside the memories that threaten my focus. Now isn’t the time.

The best thing I can do for Ayo is to prove or disprove the theory.

I keep hold of my boyfriend’s hand as I look around the table at the people who have followed me into far worse situations than this one.

Raj, Jet, and Cal all smell determined. Kit looks ready to annihilate whoever is behind this.

Skye looks seconds away from rushing over and hugging Ayo.

“Here’s what we’re going to do.” I rub my beard, then sit forward. “We’re going to infiltrate the coven manor tonight.”

“Yes!” Jet fist-pumps.

Ayo is watching me carefully. I’m not entirely sure what he’s thinking, but the pain in his scent has lessened slightly.

I squeeze his hand. “We’re going to acquire your family grimoires, search them for this story or spell, whatever it is, and determine whether a mage who can shift is a realistic possibility.”

Ayo’s jaw works before he nods. “Agreed.”

“Will you work with us so we know the layout and security measures beforehand?” We never go on any mission unprepared, and Ayo’s knowledge would be invaluable.

Ayo straightens in his chair. “Absolutely. You won’t get in there without me. The wards alone would keep you out.”

Unfortunately that’s a distinct possibility.

We do have ways of getting past the traps magic-users lay and the weapons they use against us, but wards?

The only way to breach a secure ward is not subtle, and stealth is definitely required here.

“Let’s also discuss likely suspects. If this turns out to be true, we’re going to want to move fast.”

Jet raises his hand. “Permission for Kit and me to do a side quest?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Why do you already smell guilty?”

Jet bites his lower lip. “Because it’s not entirely legal?”

I sigh. Of course it isn’t. “Explain.”

“I’d rather not.”

“ Jet .”

“Right, sorry. Um, so if we’re going to be in the manor anyway… I thought maybe we could acquire the task force’s data. You know, look for clues as to the identity of the real culprit.”

“Ordinarily I’d dismiss your idea out of hand. Stealing data from our competitor is out of the question.”

Jet nods. “I know.”

“Suspects are a different matter, though. Maybe.” I look at my second-in-command, who is far more aware of the legalities of the contract. “Ideas?”

Raj shifts in his seat. “There might be something. Let me touch base with Wren from the mayor’s office. If anyone knows of a loophole, it’ll be her.”

“Are we sure we can trust her?” Skye asks. “The coven have had this contract for years despite extreme bias towards other species.”

“They are most likely paying someone off,” Cal says.

Raj nods. “I agree; however, Wren joined the mayor’s team a year ago after transferring from another city and was the key instigator in opening up the bidding for the task force contract renewal.”

It’s a risk, but perhaps one worth taking. Whatever we do has to be above board. “Do it. The side quest is only approved if it’s legal, even if it’s tenuous.”

We spend the next couple of hours in the conference room going over every aspect of tonight’s mission.

It’s nearing mid-afternoon by the time we have the details nailed down.

Ayo and Cal stop in the kitchen to make us all more coffee and tea while the rest of us head to our desks to tackle what we need to do before tonight.

Step one: Check nothing urgent has come up while we’ve been talking. My email inbox has more unread emails than I want to deal with right now, so I quickly scan the list for anyone I can’t put off until tomorrow.

There’s one from the mayor’s office. From Wren, actually. “Raj, are you copied in on this email?”

“The one from Wren? Yep, just about to open it.”

Good, I can pass that off to him. I open an email from Dante, who I still haven’t met yet. He’s suggesting we meet. It’s friendly enough and not urgent, so I mark that one to come back to.

Before I can open anything else, Raj’s scent fills with absolute panic a moment before he rushes from the room.

I stand immediately. “Raj?”

Jet and Skye shoot to their feet, ready to take on whatever they need to. Kit, of course, has wheeled themself over to Raj’s computer.

Kit’s face goes pale. “Oh, shit.”

“What?” I bark. The three of us crowd around Kit to read over their shoulder.

It’s the email from Wren. I hadn’t checked the time stamp—it was sent before Raj contacted her this afternoon—and is about our eligibility for the contract. How our bid isn’t valid unless we’re a registered supe group. A registered pack.

White-hot anger surges through me. “What the actual FUCK?!”

Jet, Kit, and Skye manage to back up a moment before my shift overtakes me, tearing my clothes to shreds as my wolf demands an outlet for our rage.

Has all our hard work been for nothing? The very people who could be murdering their own put in charge of Birchester’s supernatural policing, just because we’re not a fucking pack ?

I snarl and shove Raj’s desk with my shoulder, unbalancing everything and toppling the whole thing over with a crash, computer and all.

Ayo, Cal, and Raj rush into the room as the others back up to the corners. I know they won’t leave me just as they know I won’t hurt them. I pace the room, snarling at the stupid computer with its stupid email. It’s lived its last day. Good fucking riddance.

Ayo plants himself in my path and opens his arms to me. I don’t hesitate. I trot over to him and nuzzle him, careful not to push too hard and hurt him. He wraps his arms around my neck and hugs me, stroking my fur and rubbing behind my ears in the spot he knows I like.

Too soon for my liking, he pulls back. “Raj told me about the email.”

I growl, baring my teeth.

Ayo taps me on the nose. “Nope, none of that. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to shift back and tell me why being a pack with these people who would follow you to hell and back is a bad thing.”

My heart is still pounding, my chest painfully tight. I’m not sure I can shift back right now.

I look around the room at my team, all of whom are grim-faced but still fucking here. Raj is the only one who knows the full story, yet all of them respect how I feel about ever having a pack again.

I focus on my boyfriend again, this adorable sorcerer full of so much happiness despite everything life has thrown at him. I would do anything for this man.

I shift back and tug Ayo into my arms, holding him tight and trembling as I bury my face in his neck. He holds me just as tightly.

“We’ll give you guys some space,” Raj says.

“We’ll be in the conference room if you need us,” Cal says.

All five members of my team scent me as they pass. As soon as they’re gone, Ayo strokes my hair. “I’ve put up a one-way privacy ward.”

I say nothing, not sure how to get the words out. Not sure where to begin.

Ayo rubs my back, soothing me with every touch. “Talk to me, Ethan. I know what happened with your old pack was shitty in the extreme, but the team you’ve built? They would never do that.”

I swallow hard and pull back enough to be able to see the worry filling those chocolate eyes. “I haven’t told you everything.”

It’s time Ayo knew all of it.