Page 58 of Crossed Fates

“No one in our pack would do something like this,” someone said loudly, drawing me from my thoughts.

“I agree. It has to be a setup,” Hardt stated confidently as he placed a consoling hand on the shoulder of the woman who’d spoken. A few more people made comments, but they were all directed toward Hardt. They were looking to him for leadership and comfort and solace.

Emotional support—something that didn’t come naturally to me. Especially after leaving my home and family. Working for E.V.I.E. meant I couldn’t afford the distraction offeelings. That was how a slayer got himself killed.

Being methodical, following the investigation, and taking down the bad guys—that was what I knew.

Vengeance and justice, too.

Finding the asshole who did this and protecting my pack was how I could help them. The fact that the situation appeared to be orchestrated by vampires, well…Now we’re in my element. I can do what I do best.

Still, it irritated the shit out of me to see the way the pack gravitated toward Hardt as if he were the man in charge around here. If they didn’t want to see me as their alpha, they should at least have been looking to Alpha Hawk for leadership.

“Ric.”

Think of the man and he appears,I thought on a sigh as the crowd parted for his entry.

And here we go. He would chastise me over my handling of the situation and then take over. Just like when I was a kid.

In five, four, three, two…

He stopped in front of me, his gaze on the gruesome scene.

I cleared my throat and gave him a quick summary of my findings. He might not approve of my choices, but I could at least play the role of good slayer.

“Someone left me a sick present,” I muttered. “Looks like a vampire’s doing. Has the pack had any issues with leeches lately?” I had to ask, but in my gut, I knew it wasn’t related to the pack at all. This body had been strategically placed onmylawn. This had to be related to the silver-poisoning case. Maybe someone didn’t approve of me taking out the hybrid and his bloodsucking buddy.

Or maybe it was related to one of the many cases in my past.

I’d certainly pissed off a lot of vampires in my time.

My father thought for a moment. “Nothing beyond the normal turf wars. You know how the vamps are about the boundary lines.”

“Yeah.” But the nearest one was a little over fifty miles out, which meant they’d come pretty far into our territory before dropping off the bloody gift.

“Alaric?” Makayla had crouched down by Kristen’s foot and was staring intently at the sole.

Dread descended like a thick blanket, déjà vu slamming into me.

“Alaric,”one of the E.V.I.E. technicians had said just a week ago from a similar position on a different victim.

On Valaria Crimson.

I fought the urge to vomit as I stepped around Kristen’s body to join Makayla.

One glance was all I needed to confirm the similarity.

AVC

My initials. Burned into the flesh of the victim.

Fuck.

The same three letters had been carved into Valaria’s heel, likely by a knife. But this one resembled a brand.

Sick bastards,I thought, my nostrils flaring as I stole a deep, calming breath.

The vamps are taunting me.