Page 145 of Marked By Moonlight

“What about table tennis?” I challenged.

“How is that a police event?” Marius chortled.

“Maybe they use rackets to subdue very weak criminals,” Bene joked.

“Well, it requires quick reflexes,” I tried.

“There is a lot of back-and-forth, like an interrogation,” Roux deadpanned.

Bene collapsed into chuckles, while Henrik groaned.

“I don’t see Officer Dulaire competing,” Marius said a little snidely.

I smacked his arm. “Be nice, please. He’s officiating.”

Marius opened his mouth, caught my look of warning, and closed it again. The man was definitely learning.

“Ah, yes. Officer Dulaire,” Roux mused. “I’ve been wondering about him.”

I frowned. “Wondering what?”

“Oh, you know. How it is that he happened to get posted to exactly this little town?”

I shook my head. “Nothing unusual about it. Clement grew up here.”

Roux snorted. “So he ought to know how dead this place is on the weekends.”

“Even deader, when you consider Henrik,” Bene threw in.

Henrik flashed his fangs, but Marius thrust out a hand. “Don’t start. Either of you.”

I stuck my hands on my hips, facing Roux. “What are you getting at?”

“I’m getting at the question of why an ambitious alpha wolf would accept a transfer from Marseille, where he can make a name for himself fighting real crime, to a dead-end post like Auberre? And why with that particular timing?”

“You mean, the same time I arrived?”

Roux shook his head. “No, I mean the same time Gordon sentushere.”

That’s ridiculous,I nearly said. But maybe it wasn’t.

“You think he’s here to bust us? Or Gordon?” Bene asked.

Roux shrugged. “I don’t know. But we need to be careful around that guy. All of us.”

My gut dropped to about the level of my knees. Just when I thought I was on my way to living a quiet, normal existence…

But Clem would never snoop on me. He would never deceive me.

Would he?

A cheer went out, pulling my attention to the scene outside. The first runner had just crossed the finish line, and I spotted Clement step over to congratulate her. More people milled around them, and he slowly separated himself from the crowd. Smiling, he turned and fixed his eyes directly on us, up on that rooftop balcony.

His smile melted.

I gave a meek wave, while Marius muttered, “Is he keeping an eye on the event or on us?”

Clement waved back stiffly, gritting his teeth.