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Pig trap

N othing beats the feeling of the late-summer breeze slipping through my fur. The full moon shines overhead, lighting my path as I race through the dark and dense forest. Instead of focusing on the emergency meeting with the Werewolf Council, I try my best to stay in this moment—to focus on my breathing, my paws pushing me forward. Of course, I know what the meeting is about. I’m the one who called Grimm and told him the details of Stacy’s murder.

The hidden council building comes into view. From the outside, it looks like an abandoned church—an old wooden building with vines crawling up all sides. The windows are boarded up, and you must travel several miles through the woods to find this place. We never share its location. The only way we can all find the building is that it’s marked with our scent. Yes, we all piss on the side of the building. It’s gross and undignified, but we are intelligent mythical dogs. We’re going to be a little weird. I draw the line at butt sniffing, although the other males don’t always share my sentiment.

I’m alone as I approach the door. My senses heighten, and I take in the environment around me. I twitch my ears, sniff, and stare into the darkened brush, vigilant that nothing gets past me. Satisfied that I’m alone, I enter through the rickety door, stepping into the small entryway, a rack of heavy cloaks to my side and a frosted glass separating me from the main room.

The glass is thin, and the chattering of familiar voices chirps around me—my fellow pack, all in their human forms, on the other side of the door. I shake the damp air from my fur and shift. It happens almost instantly, in the blink of an eye. As a child, up to my early adolescence, it was more difficult for me to switch between forms, but it's natural to me now, thanks to practice and growing into my powers. It’s not as easy for everyone. Some only shift during a full moon. Some need training to control their transformations. Our family line is powerful. Cameron is the most powerful in the pack, a sentiment he loves reminding me of, but I’m close behind him.

I’m naked—an annoyance that comes with shifting. Unfortunately, our clothes don’t magically change with us. I do look fucking fantastic naked, but it would be rude to enter a room full of people tits first. How could anyone concentrate? I remove a black robe from a hanger and slip the heavy fabric over my shoulders. To an outsider, it might seem weird that we’re all wearing matching robes like some weird, comfy cult. But we’re werewolves, the stuff of storybooks. This is the least odd thing about us. I bet some packs meet in groups naked, so considering that, we’re pretty normal.

I step into the meeting room, the lighting low, and everyone sitting in old, wooden pews facing a stage at the front. “Carmen, good you’re here,” Grimm says from the front of the room. “I just filled in the pack on Stacy’s murder. Come tell us what else you know.” The silver-haired man motions for me and steps to the side. He’s the leader of our pack—the voice of reason, level-headed and trustworthy.

I gulp before walking forward. I’m shit at public speaking. I’m barely comfortable talking to people outside my close group. Writing my thoughts for the public is one thing. I can ponder my words before spewing them to the masses. My mouth and brain don’t always connect as quickly as I’d like. I love to talk, but not in such a serious setting.

I take my place before the small crowd—the people I’ve known my whole life. Well, except for one guy at the front. Never seen him before. I eye the blonde, attractive newcomer staring at me. I have half a mind to ask him who he is before I go on, but that would be in poor taste considering the news I’m about to share.

“Well, I’m not sure what Grimm already told you, but I got the email today from my inside connection with Stacy’s crime scene pictures. Her fingertips were cut off.” The audience gasps.

The email from Lucy contained more than just one image—there were several photos of her living room, the blood splatters, and close-ups of different wounds. The Hunters usually leave a message. It’s always different, but they like to make their handiwork known. To a regular person, missing fingertips would look like the signature of a demented serial killer, but to me, someone who’s studied the Hunters' killing. I know what it means. They like to take off a part of us that housed our power. In Stacy’s case, it was her claws. Now that she’s dead and in her human form, no one would see the missing claws. All they see is missing fingertips. This was obviously a Hunter killing. The time of peace is over. Why couldn’t they fucking wait for Red to have their baby? What major dicks.

The murmuring grows louder. I scan the chattering crowd as my brain finds the right words to continue. I catch Cameron sitting alone at the back. My heart stops, wondering where Red is. He nods at me. It could mean anything, but we have a weird sibling connection sometimes. He’s reassuring me that Red is okay and at home resting. Of course, she’s at home. If something was wrong, he sure as shit wouldn’t be here. This would all be too much for her in her condition.

The audience's panic heightens, and I still haven’t said anything to calm anyone down. I don’t know what to say. I’m freaking out too. I connect my eyes with Grimm, widening them in a plea to save me. He should know by now that I’m not the type of person who delivers bad news. I don’t have any soothing words—only the facts.

He sighs and stands, holding his hands up in a calming motion. “Everyone quiet down. We have gathered so we can all be informed and stay vigilant. There’s more to share.” He stands next to me. There’s more to share? I sure as shit don’t have more, and I’m the one with the inside information. Maybe Sergeant Brick is finally being useful. I doubt it, but I’m eager to find out. I stare at Grimm’s profile, waiting for him to go on. Finally, he turns to me, eyeing me to take a seat.

Thank God. I shuffle to the spot he got up from, right next to the strange blonde. The guy gives me a polite smirk as I sit, closing his legs to give me more room. I nod friendly, but when he turns back to Grimm at the front, I lean in for a whiff. It would be a weird thing to do in any other setting, but this is a werewolf council meeting, after all. Werewolves sniff each other.

Sure enough, I sense the Were on him right away. That’s a good sign, but I can’t help wondering why he’s here. We never get newcomers, and our numbers are constantly dwindling. His presence unnerves me.

Grimm’s voice grabs my attention. “We’ve been keeping this information from you all until we had more concrete facts, but young Were women have gone missing.”

What? How did I not know about this? It’s my job to know the facts and spread the truth that can help keep our people safe.

He goes on, speaking over the rising murmurs of the crowd. “Lara, Summer, and Victoria have gone missing separately over the last two months. We weren’t sure if they were just leaving town without telling anyone or if their disappearances had anything to do with the Hunters.”

Of course, their disappearances have to do with the Hunters. Everything has to do with the Hunters. All three women are under the age of twenty-one. This can’t be a coincidence.

Grimm carries on, “You may notice we don’t have a certain Dayton Police Force member here today.”

Oh, is Brick not here? Now that I notice, the air does lack its usually pig-filled scent.

“This is intentional,” Grimm informs. “We’ve grown suspicious of the police’s intention in our alliance. It’s no secret that the Hunters' money and power have influenced the police before. We thought with our new connection with Sergeant Brick and his involvement with the National Department of Supernatural, we finally had an equal playing field, but now we have evidence to believe someone on the force is compromised.”

“What evidence?” I pop up from my seat, unable to stop my bubbling questions.

My answer doesn’t come from Grimm, though. The man next to me clears his throat. “I’ve been to the victims’ properties. Everyone has had a common thread—hoof prints leading away from the house,” he says with a slight Norwegian accent.

I stare at the man who just spoke, distracted by his clear green eyes, the slope of his nose, the uncanny perfection of his skin, and most of all, why the fuck he knows this.

“Hoof prints? So what?” I rebut.

“The police force has horses,” he replies.

I scrunch my brow. “So? They could have been on a horse to investigate after the missing person’s report.”

“The police never came after the families called. When reported, they said the women probably just ran away, and there was no reason for alarm. The houses have been under surveillance since the women have gone missing, and no police have arrived.”

I get what he’s saying, but it still doesn’t make sense. “Okay? Do you think the police stole the women on their own police horses? Wouldn’t that be completely obvious?”

Grimm speaks up from the front. “All four women lived in secluded cabins in the woods. Horses would be the easiest way to transport them.” He addresses the crowd now, and it jolts me back to reality. For a moment, I forgot I wasn’t having a conversation alone with the two men. “Of course, many people in this town have horses, but the fact that the police are so adamant about the women running away and refusing to investigate, and now with the murder of Stacy and no public response on the incident, as if they are attempting to sweep it under the rug, signs are pointing to a police cover-up.”

“What did Brick say?” Cameron asks from the back of the room.

The man next to me stands and turns to Cameron. “We haven’t reached out to him, and he hasn’t reached out to us, making us even more suspicious. The Hunters knew these women’s identities. There are only a few ways that could be possible. Brick being the number one suspect.”

“Okay, should I know who this guy is?” I ask, still on my feet and fed up that this random dude knows more than me or my brother—the fucking Human Liaison.

The blonde eyes me with a smirk, clearly amused by my annoyance.

Grimm speaks from the front. “I apologize. With everything going on, Kilo’s introduction wasn’t on my mind.”

The man next to me addresses the crowd. “Hello, everyone. My name is Kilo Johansen. I arrived in your town a week ago. Mr. Grimm asked my pack for help dealing with your local Hunters. We had a similar situation years ago, and the story was highlighted in the National Department of Supernatural back interface. He wanted to see if I could help defuse what he feared was happening here.”

Cool. Grimm thinks we’re incapable of dealing with the Hunters on our own, so he begs some Europeans for help. I really don’t care. I just want to know what the fuck is going on. I sigh. “Which is?”

“We think the Hunters are taking young werewolf women to impregnate and make powerful Hunters. This is what the Hunters attempted in my hometown.” The crowd murmurs into panicked whispers.

I cross my arms over my chest. “Well, duh.”

“Duh?” Kilo eyes me with a strange sparkle.

I sigh. Kilo's theory about impregnation isn't entirely new. “Two years ago, the lead Hunter captured one of our own. He admitted as much to her before our Human Liaison ripped his throat out.”

Kilo nods at my words. “Yes, Grimm informed me of the incident. But he also said you have had two years of peace. It’s suspicious that they’re choosing to act now.”

Cameron walks to the front. “Regardless of the timing. It’s happening, and people are getting killed. We can only hope that the other three are alive and can be rescued.” He stands beside Kilo, grabbing his shoulder in some macho man's embrace. I roll my eyes. “Thank you for coming, Kilo. We could use all the help we can get, especially from a Human Liaison who has experience ending a powerful hunter clan.”

I sigh. “Okay, cool. So now you’re here and know everything about stopping Hunters. What do you do about it?”

Kilo studies me, the curious smile not leaving his face. He steps closer, sending my annoyance off kilter. He smells of pine, and even though he’s only a fraction closer, his beauty alarms me even more. “First, we need inside information,” he says to me as if the other werewolves in the room don’t exist. “Grimm tells me you have some inside connections at the police station.”

“Yeah, I have my friend Lucy, but she just sends me reports that get passed over her desk. I doubt they’d privy her to their kidnapping plan.”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m not talking about that connection. I hear you have past relationships with some of the cops at the station. This couldn’t just be Brick who knows everything. Many cops would need to be involved.”

My cheeks heat, and I whip my attention to Grimm. I don’t care that he's my leader. Why the fuck is he spreading rumors to new people about who I fucked? And most importantly, how does he know?

Again, I remember that we’re not alone. Thirty men, women, and young adults surround us. My dentist, the grocer, and people I’ve known my whole life bore holes with their eyes into the side of my face as we stand at the front and discuss my past hook-ups.

I furrow my brow, shifting my gaze from one male to another. “Gentlemen, this hardly seems like a time to discuss my dating history.”

Grimm’s eyes widen as if suddenly realizing the contents of the conversation. “Right. I apologize.” He turns back to the crowd. “Everyone, we will end tonight's meeting so a few of us can work out the details of our next plan. What matters is that we watch out for our young women, stay in groups, and report anything suspicious. Do not panic. Do not fear. We are working on our continued safety and bringing our own home safe.”

It takes a few minutes for the crowd to disperse, chatting with others anxiously before heading to the door and cautiously slipping out. Cameron, Grimm, Kilo, and I stand at the front of the room. We don’t address each other until everyone has left. The last Were slips through the entrance and kicks the door closed behind them. I turn to the men, arms over my chest and fire behind my eyes. “So now that my dating history is out in the open, please let me know who you’d like me to sleep with so we can get more information.”

Cameron groans. “Carmen, calm down. It’s no secret that you’ve fucked around with Officer Straw and Wood.”

“It’s not a secret, but this guy has been here what, five minutes, and he already knows who I’ve slept with before I even know his name.”

Kilo bursts into laughter next to me, surprising my rage and diverting my attention from my annoying brother to the handsome newbie. He grabs Grimm’s shoulder. “I like her,” he says, pointing to me. I don’t know if I should be annoyed or flattered that he enjoys my candor. Maybe if he wasn’t so hot, it would piss me off more, but his laugh does break some of the tension.

Grimm shimmies out of Kilo’s grasp. “Carmen, I did not disclose those details to Kilo. I didn’t even know the finer workings of your relationship with the officers. All I said was that you had a friendship with the two.”

“Oh.” My face heats. Fuck . “Well, I guess we cleared the air. And yeah, if the two know anything, I could find out.” I haven’t met up with either of the men in a while, and I never feel too great about myself after seeing them, but if it’s in the name of saving young women, I’ll blow just about anyone.

Kilo puts a hand on my shoulder. I stiffen. “I’d offer to help, but it might be suspicious. I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

My cheeks heat, and I brush a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s fine. I’d offer to do it anyway if it wasn’t already suggested. The two are idiots. It won’t take much for me to get something out of them.”

Grimm claps his hands together. “Great, we’ll start there. Let’s meet back up after you’ve made contact. We’ll meet at the cave, say, in two days?”

We own a hidden building within a cave nearby. The Hunters know this location. We use it to house prisoners, conduct small meetings, and for training. Only the most powerful werewolves visit its location as they can handle a Hunter attack. This council building is for everyone.

“Yep,” I reply with a tight-lipped grin.

Grimm nods and shakes all three of our hands before exiting. I step closer to Cameron, whispering, “Does Red know about this?”

“Of course. I don’t keep anything from her.”

“Maybe spare her some details. I don’t want this upsetting her in her condition.”

Cameron gives an aggravated chuckle. “She’s pregnant, not dying.”

“I know, but the doctor said she needed to take it easy.”

He steps away from me, his aggravation turning to anger. “Let me worry about my wife, and you worry about your cops.”

I grab his arm. “Okay, calm down.” But he pulls away from me and storms out of the building. I watch him leave, shaking my head.

“I’d assume you two were jaded lovers if you didn’t look so much alike.”

I give a disgusted look to Kilo, who I just remembered was still in the room. Why wouldn’t he leave with Grimm instead of lingering around to listen to our conversation? What a weirdo. Maybe the culture is different in Europe, though. “Yeah, he’s my brother and has a very pregnant wife at home.”

“Ah.” Kilo nods. “That explains it.” It does. Male Weres tend to become completely irrational during their mate's gestation period. Cameron can naturally be a dick, and with Red being so close to her due date, he’s almost intolerable.

“Yep.” I nod before walking away. Sure, the guy is hot, and it’s not like there are many men to choose from in this town—hence why I’ve hooked up with two cops—but I don’t know this guy, and I already have a lot on my mind. I don’t have the time to flirt.

He grabs my hand, and I turn back to face him. “I just wanted to apologize again. I didn’t know the situation and didn’t mean to embarrass or imply anything.”

I wrap my arms over my chest—subtly hoping my boobs push out a bit from my robe. My plan isn’t to seduce him, but I never miss a chance to be the object of desire of a male I’m attracted to. “Again?” I ask.

“Huh?” He steps closer, his eyes soaking me in.

“You said you want to apologize again. I don’t remember you apologizing the first time.”

His grin grows. “Ah, you’re right. You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

“It’s kind of my job. I’m a reporter.”

“Right. Well, I apologize for the first time.”

“Thank you.” I nod, turning to the exit.

He grabs my hand, his grip strong and his hands rough. “Now, you must let me apologize for a second time.”

I smirk, becoming less annoyed and more amused. I size him up. Even though I can’t see much from the robes, I can tell from the veins vining up his neck, the grip of his hand, the cut of his jaw, and his height that he probably has a good body. Yeah, he could be fun. “I’m all ears.”

“Let me do it properly. Let me take you to dinner.”

I rub my lip, making more of a show of studying him. “I don’t know. I’m going to be awfully busy with my little pig trap, and you are here to train us to defeat Hunters since we are so pitiful at it.”

He holds a finger up. “That’s not why I’m here.”

“Sure.”

He doesn’t let go. “But we both need to eat, and I’m sure there’s plenty we can teach each other in our areas of expertise.”

This could go on all day. I would like to sit down with him and discover why Grimm thought he was so valuable to ship across the world to help us. Of course, more help is always great, but why was he even willing? What’s in it for him? Besides all that. He’s fuckable, and after messing around with cop dumb and dumber, I’m going to want a fresh lay to feel better about myself. “Sure. We’ll have dinner.”

“Great.”

I jump in before he can say more. “But I can’t tell you when. I will be very busy being wined and dined by other men, so we’ll just have to make plans after I meet with them.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“A plan for a plan, but yes.”

“I’ll take it.”

I hold his smile momentarily, and he finally lets go of my hand. Damn, Europeans are pushy. I wink before turning on my heels and exiting from where I came from. Half of me hopes he’ll follow close behind so we can get a peek at each other before shifting into our wolf forms. But to my dismay, he’s a gentleman, staying back and waiting until I’ve exited the entryway. What a fucking disappointment.